Ask her to read your mind.

Imagine the biggest middle finger possible.

Bored Max 2017/05/09(Tue)01:35 No. 800655 ID: cfe4f0
File 149431893182.png - (37.08KB , 506x556 , smartphone.png )

You glare hard at Truth and growl, "Defeated isn't only dead. Also, I killed her. Go ahead and read my mind if you dare." You imagine the biggest middle finger possible, smushing Truth into the floor.

Truth looks down at her knees and teacup to avoid your glare. "I'm sorry. The login and password to your private blog comes from the messages. I didn't share this with anyone else here, but my goddess told someone else about you too, in case me trying to verify your allegiances goes badly enough I don't survive it."
You just glare, and snort disdainfully. You are a killer, not a mad dog or a psycho.

Truth looks over at the kitchenette, looking oh so pitiful with that downturned mouth and droopy eye. "It's there, close or minimize the browser window to see it. It says things about you that are private, besides who your first boyfriend and girlfriend are."
You flick your eyes around the room, but then back to glaring at Truth.

"I'm not recording this. I respect privacy enough that I feel bad about this much, and my goddess gave me the message."
You shake your head slightly, continuing to glare.

She tries looking back at you but she flinches away from your glare again. "It's important because we know that the raiders are going to come through the area to attack here. We need your help."
You tilt your head to the right and raise your left eyebrow.

This time she turns away looking annoyed. "No, I'm not crazy. Prettyface has failed to subjugate this town for too long, that means it's time for his overchief to step in and do it."
Now you're just staring at her, not believing this shit. What does she think you're going to do about that?

Oh, now she's turning those sad eyes on you. "The defenses, they can already repulse a jeep and truck raid. That raid would have trouble getting through the road here even. It's how long we can keep it up, or if they can bring tanks, that's the problem."
No shit that's a problem. If you can defeat one raider wave that makes beating you into a contest or a rallying call. You're not glaring anymore, you're looking at the crazy.

"So, that's why the question of what you want matters so much to me. We need your help to make this a safe enough place we can raise our children and grandchildren here."
Okay, this deserves a glare for how stupid she seems to think you are. Maybe she's just crazy? If she's not lying then she's trapped between an impossible task and a goddess. That might do it if she wasn't already.

After a pause just glaring at her pretty blue eyes, Truth turns away again. "Please, say something."
You don't believe this shit.

"Or do something. Read the message, slap me for being such a bitch, grab my tits, whatever." She turns away, and grumbles, "This town is probably doomed anyway, but I have to try."

Amazing, fucking amazing. She springs your private sex blog on you to provoke you, and she wants, HA!
-Facepalm. Too much crazy and stupid. At least it isn't my craziness and stupidity.
-Laughter. The only reasonable response is laughter.
-Sure, I'll read. Let's see what a fucking goddess has to say about me.
-Leave. You have nothing to say to this lunatic, certainly not now at least.
-Explain to this crazy the lesson of hunting season for moose. You're not a prude, you're just smart.
-____________ <---Those are nice knockers, but you have doubts about surviving the crazy they're a part of.

Are you even still mad anymore?
-Nah, what's the use in being angry at someone this crazy?
-Sure I am, this nutjob and her goddess are trying to make me commit suicide.
-I need to talk to Gloria, maybe she can help me make sense of this weirdo.
-Fuck this, I don't trust a thing I see or hear from this crazy. Try to make an appointment with Splendor in the morning,
-____________ <---Go for it.

Honestly I expected that to go worse.

Now I feel bad for Truth, because she's terrible at this. She tried to combine the offer of opening up / therapy with a stress-test allegiance check with a desperate recruitment pitch. Those are not compatible!

How does a psychic priest end up with such terrible social skills? (Is she under that much pressure)?

I'm not even sure she recognizes that Alice locking up and going quiet is as much defense mechanism as it is a fuck you. (Fuck, Gloria and Fluffy recognized it almost immediately).

>what do
Facepalm and laugh. You chanced actually letting someone talk to you and she slaps you in the face with the worst shit in your life and looming death. Ain't that perfect?

"Fuck you. ...and I thought I was fucking terrible at talking to people."

"If there's a next time, ask your girlfriend for advice. She's better at this, even without the psy and god 'helping'."

Stop the video. Don't read anything. If her god makes her this fucked up, you don't want to know what it'll do to you. You're already crazy.

I wouldn't worry about not trusting what you see and hear, either. If she was mindfucking you, this wouldn't be going so badly.

>Are you even still mad anymore?
You extended trust and followed her to a safe space and she tromped all over that. Yes, you're mad about that.

And your own fuck up, getting close to people who betrayed you, took away the one person you cared most about, then what you had to do to survive? You don't know how to stop hating yourself for that.

>If you can defeat one raider wave that makes beating you into a contest or a rallying call.
Misinformation? Gotta make it look different. Like they fucked up hard, or different raiders turned on them, or something. Have to avoid looking like someplace actually stood up to them.

>>800655
>Amazing, fucking amazing. She springs your private sex blog on you to provoke you, and she wants, HA!
-Facepalm. Too much crazy and stupid. At least it isn't my craziness and stupidity.
I'm not sure Alice could manage much more than a "You are bad at this" right now. 'We need you help, to convince you my goddess hacked your sex tape' is not the opening line. At least lead with the damn messages!

>Are you even still mad anymore?
-I need to talk to Gloria, maybe she can help me make sense of this weirdo.
"Gloria, why is Truth so dumb?"

>>800732
I have to concede that stopping to text and/or call her girlfriend right in front of her (on her own slate) to complain about the stupid is a far more satisfying response / putting her in her place than holding onto anger.

Bored Max 2017/05/10(Wed)04:53 No. 800852 ID: cfe4f0
File 149441722148.png - (71.70KB , 506x573 , telephone.png )

"Fuck you, and I thought I was terrible at talking to people."

Truth's head flops back against the headrest of the armchair and she laughs. "I guess I earned that. Would you please, at least, read the messages?" Truth asks, still facing away from you.

You grab the Slate she's holding out and access the telephone mode. There's an awful lot of numbers here, but it doesn't take you that long to call up Gloria.

After a few rings she answers. "Hello? Hey! Not up the skirt!" and there's a muffled whimper sound from the other end. "Sorry about that. Hello hon, why are you calling, did you strike out that badly with Alice? I could've told you that your slut skills aren't good enough for that. I'm pretty sure I did tell you that mine maybe aren't, it's why I'm trying to slow down a little with her."

You weren't quite expecting that, but you press on.
"This is Alice."
"Oh, hello Alice, nice to hear from you. What's up?"
"I'm calling to ask a question."
"Uh huh, on Truth's phone? Did she actually get you naked in that church of hers?"
"No. Gloria, I need to know: Why is Truth so dumb?"
"She's not that much more of a fool than the rest of us. Actually, she's pretty smart, which is what makes her so much more of a fool sometimes. She gets too clever, and believe me that has made it difficult to keep her pretty head in one piece and attached to her. What did she do?"
"Pissed me off before asking for something."
"That doesn't sound like something Truth would do on her own, she's usually got a pretty good handle on what pisses people off and how to avoid it. Is she there? Can you put us on speakerphone?"
"Yes, and sure, hold on."

"Truth, what the fuck did you do?"
Truth jumps slightly at Gloria's question and she evades, "It's... private, and religious, and even Alice doesn't have the full story yet because she hasn't read the message She Gives left for her."
"That wasn't an answer. What the fuck did you do, Truth?"
"I tried to do a shock awakening to her. Of course it didn't work, so I look like a stupid bitch now."
"Uh huh. And that other part, the excuse you gave, was that straight up bullshit or is there more that you're not saying?"
"Of course there is more, which I'm not saying because it is private and religious."
"Alice, if you come over for it, I will delay rhumba-bumbum time after closing to shake the full story out of my bobblehead. This sounds like more than only her stupidity here, eh?"
"The secrets involved are Alice's, Gloria."
"Yes, I figured that out. That's why I'm asking her. Also, Alice, if I believe she deserves a punishment, would you like to have afternookie with me, while she has to watch?"

You knew you liked Gloria for a reason, even if she is too lewd and lascivious. Maybe you could grow to like it, or calm her down in future.
-"It's a little too early in our relationship for sex, but I appreciate you asking me without flirting first. The rest sounds good."
-"You've talked me into it. Thank you for just asking, instead of flirting with me or fondling me first."
-"Can you do that without me there? This sounds like it might get a little personal, private, and, uh, intimate."
-"I'm sorry, but it's too early in our relationship for a sexual torture threesome. I'll... I'll talk to you later."
-____________ <---Alice has little choice but to speak here.

What do you do?
-Go back to my room (for supplies and nerve-refresher, or chapter end, depending).
-Drag Gloria's bobblehead back to her bedroom.
-Go for a short run and another shower. Sure it's after dark, but that's the only time I can run without sunburn.
-Go start packing my stuff, to leave town. Fuck this, I planned to move on sooner or later anyway.
-____________ <---Alice has the initiative, for what that's worth.

Gloria wins all the brownie points.

Truth wins one point for apparently having the sense to ask Gloria's advice in advance, but she looses it for ignoring her.

>Maybe you could grow to like it
Maybe you are starting to like it.

>what do
Thanking Gloria for getting it, offering to help, and you know, asking, is a must no matter what else we do.

As much as it turns her on, it's probably to fast for Alice to agree to the threesome, plus the baggage Truth drug up probably isn't helping.

Letting her shake answers out of the bobblehead isn't the worst idea? (Glossing over the details and the video it means Gloria finds out you went bandit to survive after you trusted / slept with the wrong people who betrayed you by killing your family. Until you had a chance to go psycho killer on them, I assume).

A run to clear your head before Gloria is free isn't the worst idea either.

>shock awakening
She... wasn't just trying to piss off a crazy girl with a gun, she was trying to make your brain mad enough to kill her? Truth deserves a Darwin award.

Also if a bad day was all it took to get bullshit magic superpowers you'd be a space wizard by now.

Might be something to (carefully?) ask Splendor about later. Get a non-Truth's opinion on how that works.

Alice is cryptic. Reply to Gloria with a dad-joke, then hang up, leaving her to ponder the implications. Then Leave.

-Go for a short run and another shower.
Then go to sleep, hoping for less pink sparkles and more pink mist in the future.

You should probably read those messages. It's just text, what harm could it do?

>>800951
Reading would probably be consistent with letting Gloria shake more info out of Truth than obstinantly refusing.

>It's just text, what harm could it do?
It could be more stress awakening bullshit provocation, written deliberately to hit us where it hurts the most. Truth could have prepared a backup terrible plan.

...probably the only way to be sure it's not is to ask Truth while Gloria's still on speaker. Truth can lie to us, but I don't think she can fool Gloria, or that Gloria would let her get away with it right now.

Additional snark: "God has email?"

Bored Max 2017/05/11(Thu)14:40 No. 801159 ID: cfe4f0
File 149453880953.png - (18.93KB , 225x375 , droplet.png )

"So one of these messages is a message for me?" you ask.
"Yes, and the second one is a message for me. Both have things that you probably want kept private, and that I wouldn't know if my goddess hadn't sent these messages."
"God has email?" you ask, mostly just to snark. Truth pouts.

Surprisingly, it's Gloria who answers and says, "The way Christians do it is a mass. That invokes one of the angels of the holy spirit into a choir, and then the angel speaks through them. Depending on luck, preparation, and the capability of the priest, they do a better or worse job of invoking lesser or greater servants of The Lord to speak. Truth, is there more bullshit in these messages?"
Truth answers, "No, absolutely no bullshit, but there is private stuff about her sad past. I need to know Alice's reactions to reading the messages, but I promise that the one shock planned for the evening has already come and gone. Which, of course, went as badly as expected."
Gloria grumps, "There had better be a great fucking reason for playing with Alice's head Truth, she's a fragile sweetie. She's not like us iron hellbitches."
Truth sighs and says, "She's a dangerous, fragile sweetie. Careful hon."

You decide to interject before this can get off-topic into some other private argument or, worse, more flirting. "Thank you Gloria, I appreciate the help and the offer, but I think both parts of it might be premature."
Gloria's answer is definitely flirty sounding, "So, you like that offer, eh?"
Time to shut that down, "Yep, I like being asked a lot better than fondling, flirting and teasing. I'll talk to you later."
Gloria gasps, and whines, "That's teasing yourself, you know. But please do, soon. Now I can't enjoy getting felt up by sweetie drunks without worrying about you two." *click*

If you don't ask, you don't know what to prepare for, so you ask. "How bad is it?"
She answers, "It's a lot of the big stuff, maybe most, maybe all. We don't fully understand it or understand you."
You grumble, "And you have a religious mission to keep harassing me until you do, or something like that?"
She lifts her shoulder in a shrug, "It might not be quite that bad, but it also might be no different. Read the message to me if you want to know how bad it is exactly."

You can already tell you're going to hate this. You read the messages.

*

Well jagged glass assfucking. Why not reach in there, shove a hand all the way up, and grab your tongue? Sure there's a few organs in the way and it'd be lethal, but this is a situation beyond your capacity for cursing.

Truth looks back at you, tears are coming out of her eyes too. She pats her lap and you're pretty sure that's an offer of the hug you both need right now. You're really unhappy with her dredging up the past and crippling you with grief though. If she was along for the ride as you read, then at least she understands how much she has to make up for, for pulling this shit.

Do you say something to Truth?
-"Fuck off Truth. I can see you're not happy about this either, but fuck off. I'm leaving."
-No. Mindreading bitch better have got what she needs by now.
-"I accepted the name and spent the winter with Prettyface because I decided I didn't want to die yet. Fuck bandit murderer pricks, and fuck you for making me remember all that."
-"Your paranoia is crushing, Truth. Red Sonja is dead, and you better keep that name quiet or the rest of me will die with it."
-____________ <---Alice understands why Truth thought otherwise, but this mess was stupid and unnecessary.

What next?
-No time, I have to pack my truck and leave town. At least it has a full charge.
-I'll be out of it and shaky until I've had a long cry. Truth's pillows are on offer.
-I'll be out of it and shaky until I've had a long cry. Maybe I am getting naked and crawling in bed with Gloria tonight, although it's very unlikely to be sexy.
-I'm going home to cry myself to sleep. When I see Splendor in the morning she will know at a glance I need some time.
-____________ <---Well now, someone knows more about you than either of you likes. To her credit, she doesn't like it any more than you do and she's sympathetic.

Bored Max 2017/05/11(Thu)14:40 No. 801160 ID: cfe4f0
File 149453885524.png - (9.70KB , 560x400 , mail.png )

Dear Alice,
I am known as She Gives, and I am sorry to have to contact you like this.

When you killed Prettyface's scouting team it was the final straw for his overchief about failing to conquer Fort Hippie. It took a little while to get organized, but much less time than expected for Ogre to intervene. He is now sending his son Nice to lead an advance party ahead of a mobilization call. Nice is too smart to attempt more than cutting off Fort Hippie's access road with blockades, and sending scouting patrols to find the edge of the defenses and perimeter. By the time you read this message you will have seventy-two hours at most to leave before they begin this, perhaps much less.

I would not command you, or otherwise compel you, even if I could. I am a goddess of peace and I respect the desire to avoid the coming conflict. Instead, I ask that you turn your back on your bandit loyalties and help defend the town. You know their ways well enough that your knowledge and guidance itself can make a difference in whether the conflict ends in victory, retreat, or defeat for the people of Fort Hippie. Your skills and experience in the field would also be a great help, if you are willing to lend them too.

Beyond that, this conflict matters on the larger scale. The plan is not yet fully in place, but it is time for the age of raiders to end. This is the best hope I have for the start of the turning point in the next year. I don't have to tell you how much violence and misery the madness of the slavers, raiders, and bandits will inflict in an extra, and unnecessary, year.

Thank you, and best wishes no matter what you choose to do, S.G.


Dear Truth,
the stranger Alice is known to me and may be key to the defense of Fort Hippie. This matter has unfortunately become urgent, and I give you a message to give to her. We must verify her loyalties with full haste and certainty, even at the cost of alienating her from our cause, because I don't know if she is a vital asset for or an enemy agent against the defenses of Fort Hippie. I don't have an exact timetable when it will happen, but Prettyface's overchief Ogre has already sent his most diligent and shrewd chief, Nice. Nice's mission is to secure the area around Fort Hippie to prepare for the coming attack. The estimate I give for Alice is my best guess assuming you get the message to her on Monday, but obviously I don't know everything that might happen until it does.

Alice's parents were killed by raiders, her uncle was killed by a bandit, and she has killed many bandits herself. I don't have an exact number because there are so many, easily hundreds. The upper bound is probably less than a thousand, but I don't know how many less.

Despite having deep reasons to hate the thug scum her loyalties are unclear. She accepted the title of chief from Prettyface, who was the overchief of her uncle's killer. She spent this past winter with Prettyface before taking missions from him early in the spring, leading to the incident where she apparently turned on them and joined Fort Hippie. Since she was eight years old she and her uncle Joe spent their winters with bandits, except for the past one. Her first two lovers are bandits, and the three perhaps are still romantically entangled.

She is an accomplished and seasoned hunter of men and beasts. Her mind's eye already peeks out to note those who see her. She is very quiet, reclusive, and often prefers to observe the actions and conversations of others to being socially involved. None of this helps me to know her mind and heart, and perhaps she doesn't know it herself. To follow at the end are links to her game development blog, her private sexual blog, and a summary of her general education record. From those the rest of her public network presence can be found, aside from her North America hunternet account. Her presence in the internet is illuminating about her capabilities, but not her heart.

Use whatever methods you need to be certain she is not a spy. If she overpowers you one of my other followers will sound the alarm. This person is also familiar with the reasons her loyalty cannot be relied upon, and the timetable for the attack. If the worst happens, Alice won't have much opportunity to do more damage before her retreat or capture.

Good luck, and I am sorry to ask this of you. I'm sure you'll agree that an unidentified enemy agent of her capabilities during a siege is an outcome we cannot permit.

>She pats her lap and you're pretty sure that's an offer of the hug you both need right now.
Haha, fuck no. You're not going to her for comfort now.

>this mess was stupid and unnecessary
Okay, you know what. This continues to be so stupid you have to talk to address it. Focus on the military tactics, because you know how to talk about those, unlike your emotions. Dress her down.

"Does <person at the top of your command chain / in charge of the fort> know?"

Truth will probably respond in the negative, with something about privacy and faith. Cut her off.

"Well he should. If you have intelligence of an imminent attack and a traitor in your midst, you report it to your superiors. You get help confronting and detaining her, have her CO order her to report somewhere before she knows, where she can be secured. You don't isolate yourself and question her alone while she's armed. You don't try to give her superpowers before you know her loyalties. You made this fail-deadly when you didn't have to. If I was an enemy agent you'd be dead, Truth.

"Your god is right you need my help, if this sorry example is how you plan your operations."

>If she overpowers you one of my other followers will sound the alarm. This person is also familiar with the reasons her loyalty cannot be relied upon
Fuck. Someone else knows. And you can't even ask who because they're the contingency in case you killed Truth and this church at least understands OpSec and compartmentalization of information even if they abjectly fail at basic tactics and planning an interrogation.

How the fuck are you supposed to talk to anyone when it could be any of them? (Well, not anyone. Pool of candidates is limited to those who could kill you in an ambush. Probably waiting outside right now).

>-I'm going home to cry myself to sleep. When I see Splendor in the morning she will know at a glance I need some time.
You don't feel like dumping this shit on anyone else, or sharing anymore. And Gloria will only need one look at Truth to know she fucked up, if seeing the inside of your head wasn't enough punishment.

Also, we should really ask a non-Truth source about this "awakening" bullshit, because she's not been the best source for anything. (Don't ask specifically about hers, don't make as if you want it either. "Truth pulled something" is enough of an explanation).

I vote that Alice rightly rejects that lap, but does go to Gloria for comfort. Being stupid will dull the pain won't it?

Also maybe think about the third eye thing. Alice does have a strong feeling attached to being seen by others, maybe there's something to that?

Bored Max 2017/05/13(Sat)07:55 No. 801527 ID: cfe4f0
File 149468731206.png - (17.83KB , 357x221 , conversation.png )

It takes you a moment to get through the sniffles, and get your voice under control enough to speak. "Does Colonel Hellfire know about all this?" you ask, managing to keep your voice even.

With a loud snort Truth gets her tears under control for a moment and says, in a shaky voice, "Mostly. None of the unnecessary detail about your past and private life. I left the message for her with Splendor yesterday and discussed it this morning. She thought I'm grasping at straws with you, and doesn't get it."

You facepalm and grumble, "If I was an enemy agent you'd be dead. Maybe I'd have used those psychic powers you tried to give me to do it. Who the hell planned this mess?"

Truth folds up, legs up in front of her held tightly in her arms, and rests her forehead against her knees, squishing her breast out to the side. Her answer is just over a whisper, "Psychic powers don't really work like that. They're sensory, even the ones that are more than sensory. I was hoping that the moment of openness that comes with the psychic power I tried to awaken would let me skip the worst part." After a loud sniff she adds, "And I'm desperate. Many Crows boasted about his agent inside the walls of Fort Hippie. I confronted you alone in case you're a priest of Many Crows."

"Who is Many Crows?"

This time Truth's voice is a whisper, "Many Crows is a different god. A god of leadership, death, and pain. His followers are mostly violent people like bandits and raiders who seek his favour in battle, but he appeals broadly to people with big grudges or ambitions, particularly grudges. He tried to make you his. You resisted."

"Why do Hellfire and the staff not take you seriously?"

"The staff here has been dealing with Prettyface for years now, and they say he wouldn't sacrifice two dozen people to your sniper rifle to try and insert you as a spy. The ones who understand the spiritual element to this think I was grasping at straws with you because you're shy and withdrawn. Some of them can glimpse it, but none of them can fully see the aura of death on you, because they're not priests. My best guess why the agent hasn't been found yet is they're someone who developed a murder level grudge and nobody around them knows."

"Sounds fishy to me. Psychic powers is one thing, and thank you so much for trying to get me barred from all future games of poker by the way, but if this god and priest stuff were really important there wouldn't be as many people that aren't in on it."

"For you, at some point the psychic powers will come spontaneously if nothing develops or triggers it before that. Now come on, you need a hug, and if you're too upset with me to give me one when we both need it, that means I have to refer you to Gloria."

"I'm, um, not the type to spend the night yet with someone I only met today."

"Neither of us would take advantage of someone overcome with grief. Besides, a hug isn't spending the night."

Cheap move Truth, trying to make up for her blunder with her girlfriend's tits.
-I could use a good cry. and Gloria said she's worried about us.
-On second thought, I don't want everyone to think I'm a pervert whose life revolves around big knockers. I'll call Gloria, tell her we survived, and go to bed.
-I'll see if Splendor's busy, I could use some of her time.
-____________ <---Blank left here in case people go for something more interesting and appropriate than these options.

Are you packing up to leave town tonight, or are you staying to help with fucking Nice and his first wave? He's another prick that wants to do you in the wrong hole.
-Leave. This town is doomed and I want no part of a fight that might get me raped by that fucker, on top of dying.
-With a little luck I may get to put a bullet in his head. Red Sonja's already got a death sentence, let's expand on that.

>Many Crows boasted about his agent inside the walls of Fort Hippie
If you have a spy, you don't boast about it. Are all gods idiots? That's 2 for 2 so far. Unless he doesn't have a spy and he was trying to trick Truth into starting a paranoid witch hunt, cause that worked.

Great. Not only do you get to be paranoid that anyone here being She Gives' failsafe who knows all your secrets, you have to worry that anyone could be a secret murder priest. How the hell are you supposed to talk to anyone?

>He tried to make you his. You resisted.
And... you didn't notice? What is with people trying to do shit to your brain without your permission?

>someone I only met today
Really? Read more like you'd been aware of / met Gloria before but hadn't, you know, flirted back with her games or really engaged her yet.

>Cheap move Truth, trying to make up for her blunder with her girlfriend's tits.
Especially since her suggesting it now makes me want to say no.
>-I could use a good cry. and Gloria said she's worried about us.
Fuck it. You dragged Gloria into this by calling her already, and if Truth made you cry it's only fair you steal pillows from her to cry in.

>He's another prick that wants to do you in the wrong hole
I assume we're talking about bullet holes.
>-With a little luck I may get to put a bullet in his head. Red Sonja's already got a death sentence, let's expand on that.
Sonja's fucking dead and more bandits are going to join her.

>todo list for tomorrow
-Ask Spendor about this awakening bullshit, because you need a non-Truth source.
-Tell Hellfire or someone else in the brass you trust to take Truth's warning seriously. She's demonstrated access to ridiculous information gathering capabilities, if nothing else.
-Leave a contextless "fuck you" online for the all seeing eye who's apparently watching everything you do. Fucking She Gives will get the message.
-Oh god why am I in these ridiculous date clothes still I need something practical

>>801527
>Cheap move Truth, trying to make up for her blunder with her girlfriend's tits.
-I could use a good cry. and Gloria said she's worried about us.
Gloria seems like she can tell a need for Sexual Healing from regular healing. Plus she already know what makes Alice comfortable: >>797719
[spoiler]Plus Alice needs to not fall into the habit of thinking all sexy redheads are nuts.[/spoiler[

>Are you packing up to leave town tonight, or are you staying to help with fucking Nice and his first wave? He's another prick that wants to do you in the wrong hole.
-With a little luck I may get to put a bullet in his head. Red Sonja's already got a death sentence, let's expand on that.
If there is about 3 days before Nice starts probing attacks and positioning for a siege, then that's about 2 days to prepare and mount an expeditionary force to strike Prettyface's encampment. If Ogre sent Nice to get a scouting report and to hold Fort Hippie under siege, getting back a report of "they come out and fucked us" will at least delay him, and at best require a decision of whether it's even worth a full force mobilisation to crack Fort Hippie. Even better if Nice never gets off a report at all. If Nice arrived along with some medium/heavy equipment, taking that while they are still in depot would be an excellent bonus.

Fight! Fight for everlasting peace!

Bored Max 2017/05/13(Sat)21:46 No. 801699 ID: cfe4f0
File 149473720793.png - (55.87KB , 470x465 , pillows.png )

"It's not good for you to try and throw your girlfriend at me to cover your problems," you grump, but you accept her reasoning and start pulling out your Slate.
"Throwing? Letting slip the leash is more like it. The way you've been eyefucking her and she's been responding, she probably feels a week overdue for the biblical knowing," Truth comments, and then coughs.
A sick feeling in your stomach, adding to the achey and weak you already were, is the shit cherry on top of the bullshit cake. Putting that out of mind you dial Gloria, and it takes four rings for her to pick up.

"This better... wait... hello, Alice?"
"Hi. The bullshit happened, we both survived. I'm convinced your girlfriend is paranoid now. She says I should go to you for a hug since I'm too annoyed with her to accept hers."
"A hug? Well, tell her that if I'm busy giving hugs for her she has to put on the frilly apron and take over for me."

"Hey, Truth, your girlfriend says that you have to...."
"Yes, I know. I'll be the one grinding my ass on people instead of her. At least I'm a better drink mixer than she is."

"Uhm, okay, I'll be dragging your temp-worker when I get there, maybe?"
"Please don't do any unnecessary damage to my girlfriend, I have to clean up the mess. See you soon, Alice."
*click*

*

"Sorry, Truth's gotta cover for me, guys."
There's a chorus of whines, groans, and shouted orders for mixed drinks as Gloria carries you upstairs, again in a bridal carry. It's comforting, but you're worried this might become a habit for her. At least she's strong enough she can do it without bumping you into things, which is worth noting since she is maybe slightly shorter than you.
With a click, click, clunk, and another click, she unlocks her bedroom door and carries you in. She sits you down on the edge of the bed, arranges a stack of pillows large enough to hold her up, leans back against it and pulls you into her lap. After arrangement, you're straddling her, face first against the swell of her chest, and her arms are wrapped around you, holding you there. You awkwardly slide your arms around her waist and start to relax.

After a moment, Gloria asks, "How bad is it?"
You mumble into her chest, "Grief dredged up, don't wanna talk about it."
She sighs, and then asks, "And how bad is Truth's paranoia?"
You actually have to pull out of your new favourite pillow a little to answer, "If she's telling the truth she's worried about a real problem, but what she's doing about it is kinda... stupid. The problem itself also seems kinda stupid to me. Are all gods morons?"
Gloria chuckles, jiggling your pillow enjoyably, and says, "Don't think so, but they mostly focus more on the long-term and large-scale than we do. Truth's been grumbling about She Gives being paranoid, but the new gods mostly focus on each other in rivalry, and that's definitely a concern for someone who's a priestess of one. Now relax, and let it out hon."

Nobody's looking, and the tears are flowing.
-Thank Gloria when I finish and wish her goodnight.
-Enjoy a nap when I'm done, this is surprisingly comfy.
-____________ <---Other ideas about what to do with Gloria go here.

Afterwards?
-Go home, maybe take a run first before going to sleep.
-Call on Splendor if it isn't too late, or failing that leave a message asking to see her in the morning.
-Send a message to Splendor that I want to talk in the morning.
-Send the naughty pics Gloria asked for.
-____________ <---Other ideas about what to do with the rest of your night go here.

Should you be weirded by how casual they are about the whole you-fucking-the-other's-girlfriend thing, or just roll with how convenient it is?

>Nobody's looking, and the tears are flowing.
"Sorry. I know this isn't..."

>-Enjoy a nap when I'm done, this is surprisingly comfy.
Pass out. Too much talking to people followed by an unexpected emotional sprinting session, today.


>Afterwards?
>-Go home, maybe take a run first before going to sleep.
You want to be too tired to think about this shit anymore or have nightmares about what got dredged back up.

>-Send a message to Splendor that I want to talk in the morning.
We really need to ask a non-Truth about this awakening nonsense. (And reassure yourself there are less-insane redheads out there).

>-Send the naughty pics Gloria asked for.
Fuck it. You might be killed by bandits tomorrow, and she earned em.

>Other ideas about what to do with the rest of your night go here.
>-Leave a contextless "fuck you" online for the all seeing eye who's apparently watching everything you do. Fucking She Gives will get the message.

(I mean it's basically doing one thing and then texting a few times before collapsing, we can handle that).

>>801699
>Nobody's looking, and the tears are flowing.
-Enjoy a nap when I'm done, this is surprisingly comfy.
-____________ <---Other ideas about what to do with Gloria go here.
If Alice is going to crash anyway, maybe it's a reasonable time for a dose of sugar. Gloria has been kind of getting the short end of the stick.

>Afterwards?
Seconding >>801718

Bored Max 2017/05/15(Mon)03:28 No. 801877 ID: cfe4f0
File 149484409558.png - (36.71KB , 904x524 , Kiss-Lips.png )

Time passes, and sleep comes without you being fully aware of it. You wake up on your back, and uncertain where you are for a moment until the bedroom door opens again.
The silhouette seems like Gloria, and sounds like her when she speaks up. "Oh I see, so they have a tranquilizer effect on you. Do you need another dose?"
You blush and try to figure out what to say. While you fail to do that, Gloria kneels straddling you, wraps her arms around your head, and presses your face into her bosom again.

After a while, something about your new situation inspires you to speak up, "Uhm, this position is making me confused about something."
"What's that?" Gloria asks.
"Would it be more rude to reach up your skirt, or to not reach up your skirt? I feel like I'm in the opening scenes of a girl-on-girl porn."

Gloria immediately lets go of you, straightens up, and apologizes... while still straddling you, sitting on your pelvis. "I'm sorry, you're trying to get your head back in working order here, not the parts lower down."
"Speaking of that, it's a bit odd that you and your girlfriend are so open about, uh, dating other people. Should I be worried about that?"
"We've never really done the couple thing. Originally, when we were ten years old, we were BFFs without the extra WB on the end. Later, I was the straight girl, and she was the jealous dyke who was hot for my ass. So, I got my first boyfriend, Peter, to help me try to turn her straight. We ended up meeting halfway, and became a threesome. Then, he didn't follow us into bandit control, so we needed to find other people to fill the gaps. That was not too stable, so we got used to having guest stars. Truth having an extra six ladies and six men that are her lovers is a new one on us though. It's only been five months and we haven't fully adjusted yet."
"Where does your boyfriend fit in?"
"Let me be clear on this, Gloria's Place has a strict, no-masturbation policy in keeping with my Christian roots. After Fluffy's last girlfriend broke up with him, I caught him masturbating. So, I told him he had to either use my mouth, drill my bubble, let me do that, or take it outside. To my great joy, he took me up on the offer to plow me, and now he's my regular source of vitamin D. I think he'd be happier with a more normal relationship though, and I'm dreading the day that some other woman steals him away."

Blushing furiously, you grab one of the pillows on the bed and put it on your face to hide it. Underneath the pillow you say, "You keep straddling me and I keep having dirty thoughts about it Gloria. I'm not sure if I should be asking you to stop or keep going, but I should probably make a visit to the bathroom first if it's the second."
She dismounts, stretches out on your right side, and hugs you from there, apologizing again, "Sorry Alice, you're cute, in my bed, and you've stopped crying. That gives a woman ideas, you know. If you do want to put your hands somewhere interesting, you should either pack an overnight bag and join me and Truth as tonight's guest star after rumba-bumbum time, or drag me upstairs after tomorrow's breakfast rush. Ideally, please do both."
"Uhm, uh, I have an early morning appointment, and I might be busy working tomorrow."
Gloria giggles, "Don't worry, no pressure. I've extended the invitation, it's now up to you whether you want to RSVP, just show up, or take it slow. For now, I'd better go salvage the mess Truth's making of my business."

Gloria pulls the pillow out of the way with her right hand to peck you on the cheek. After following that up with a brief nibble of your ear she lets go, springs up off of the bed, opens the door--letting in the sounds of a tenor saxophone--and leaves. As the door closes again you are left in quiet and darkness.

First, a few deep breaths. After trying to calm down you're still feeling noticeably stupid, but you can concentrate on things again. You get out your Slate and update your private blog with today's pics, then send the ones that don't violate the policies of Gloria's place to Gloria. Lastly, you send a message to Splendor that you need at least an appointment in the morning, and possibly a full meeting as well. With all that done, this leaves you with some unresolved questions.

Gloria makes you feel so stupid! You're thinking really stupid thoughts, and quite annoyed about that.
-Send Gloria the other pics from today's photo session.
-I'll send Gloria a login to my private blog, Truth's seen it already.
-Decide that you need a better plan than taunting the weirdo who hates masturbation.
-____________ <---Alice hates it when people turn her on and it's not time for sex. Sometimes she's quite expressive about this.

You're not sure you're ready to make up with Truth. You're not sure it's safe to make up with Truth.
-Run, running is good. Running is not being so easy that I fall into bed with two women I spoke to for the first time today.
-Try talking to Truth again. Can suggest topics.
-Accept Gloria's invitation, I can't hold out against the offer of all that T&A.
-____________ <---Try suggesting a cold shower if you like, for some reason it's not an idea Alice has thought of. Or suggest some other thing to do.

>I'll send Gloria a login to my private blog
The one with video of the exes you might have to shoot? Yeah, that's fucking sexy. No.

>-Decide that you need a better plan than taunting the weirdo who hates masturbation.
Christian roots my ass. It's a ploy. It ups the pressure so people squirm more when she flirts with them, or it nets her action in bed.

Taunting might not be the worst idea if you wanted her to punish you, but we're not escalating this any further tonight.

>Alice hates it when people turn her on and it's not time for sex. Sometimes she's quite expressive about this.
But if they don't turn you on when it's not time for sex, how will time for sex ever happen? (Also, let's face it, you're already doomed with that easy a button for Gloria to press. And everyone else for that matter).

Gloria will be spared any expressions of your wrath for her services today. Today. No promises about the future.

>You're not sure you're ready to make up with Truth. You're not sure it's safe to make up with Truth.
Come on, it was like an hour ago, tops. That's way too soon to make up over the emotional mess that confrontation was, let alone anything else. Gonna have to sleep on it, at least.
>-Run, running is good.

>>801877
>Gloria makes you feel so stupid! You're thinking really stupid thoughts, and quite annoyed about that.
-____________ <---Alice hates it when people turn her on and it's not time for sex. Sometimes she's quite expressive about this.
Revenge on Gloria can be had tomorrow.

>You're not sure you're ready to make up with Truth. You're not sure it's safe to make up with Truth.
-Run, running is good. Running is not being so easy that I fall into bed with two women I spoke to for the first time today.
After what she pulled, Truth doesn't get rumba-bumbum time with Alice. She doesn't even get to watch rumba-bumbum time with Alice and Gloria. Met Gloria tomorrow morning, but the rest of the day is for running around and avoiding Truth.

I remember when we shot things, maybe we can do that instead.

Bored Max 2017/05/15(Mon)20:02 No. 802044 ID: cfe4f0
File 149490375201.png - (124.25KB , 1024x1024 , charselect.png )

>I remember when we shot things, maybe we can do that instead.
We need to know who these people are, so that I can enjoy the delicious anguish when incompetence gets them killed.
----

You take another deep breath and get up, noticing the jingle of a set of keys as it slides off of you to the floor, followed by a small note. In the dark it's hard to read the note, but with the aid of the crude doodle of a bustline with cleavage and an arrow you decode that it's an invitation to give Gloria back her keys by putting them 'where they belong.' You suspect this is a lie, since keys have points and hard edges you wouldn't want against your breasts.

Brushing off that weird idea, you exit the room, lock the door, and creep downstairs silently, in complete contrast to the sounds of drunks laughing and chattering. You find Gloria sitting in the lap of one of the patrons, put her keys back in her hand and wave goodnight silently. Before she speaks or does anything else you dodge through the boozy crowd seated at tables, and escape the loud noises and peering eyes in Gloria's Place.

Returning home is uneventful, going to the washroom is uneventful, posting a message to your private blog requesting that the uninvited guests perform a number of odd and anatomically focused acts is uneventful, and putting away the outfit in the laundry to be washed is uneventful.

Gearing up to run, you decide to make it a six kilometre run this time. It takes a bit to get into it, but you finish your running in a tolerably-acceptable twenty-two minutes. The following late-night shower is thankfully free from uninvited observers, and you make it back to your room unmolested.

It only takes a little bit of time spent working on the ecology modeling code to drain what's left of your mental energy, and you settle into sleep according to plan.


Chapter 1 Score
-Enemy kills and wounded: 0/0
-Enemy materiel damage and capture: 0/0
-Enemy otherwise defeated: 0/0
-Victories and losses: 0/0

-Sexy men and women fucked: 0/0
-Oral sex given and received: 0/0
-Handjobs given and received: 0/0
-Other fucking and masturbation: 0/6

-Big game hunted/assisted: 1/0
-Small game hunted/assisted: 1/1
-Loot acquired: Vegetables in the Fort Hippie storage, women's clothing, partial batches of turkey and venison biltong begun, deer hide, deer antlers.
-Ammo spent: 1 good quality .30-06 bullet.
-Ginger eaten: 1 large root nibbled or otherwise consumed over the course of the day.

Per chapter violence assessment: No enemy, good thing Alice's PTSD nonsense didn't kill any non-targets.
Per chapter sexuality: Chronic masturbation. Achievement: Successfully masturbated at Gloria's Place undetected.
Per chapter wealth change assessment: Pretty good for a day off, need more resources to fund your hidden bunker network and lavish wedding plans.
Final verdict: A quiet, mildly-productive day spent mostly focused on large knockers, jilling yourself, and getting seduced by the local bartendress. Good call on avoiding the moose, those things are dangerous.


Chapter two begins soon. Vote for continuing with sniper Alice Hildegaard Weiss versus beginning character generation for the businessman or the scavenger.

>You suspect this is a lie, since keys have points and hard edges you wouldn't want against your breasts.
Well, then you have one stupid revenge idea if you ever need to get back against Gloria. Take the invitation literally.

>put her keys back in her hand
Or not.

>Score
>No enemy, good thing Alice's PTSD nonsense didn't kill any non-targets.
Allied kills: 0/N. Whoo!

>Chronic masturbation. Achievement: Successfully masturbated at Gloria's Place undetected.
>-Other fucking and masturbation: 0/6
Error, 0 does not equal 1.

Also didn't we take the pictures in our own place, before even showing up for diner? We were just to chicken to send them till later. I don't think we did anything unsanctioned at Gloria's place.

>Chapter two begins soon. Vote for continuing with sniper Alice Hildegaard Weiss versus beginning character generation for the businessman or the scavenger.
We're just starting to get somewhere, and we have bandits that need killing! Hardly the time to be rolling up new characters.

>>802055
6 = 6 though, that isn't a fraction, that's a slash separating two different numbers in the score. Go ahead and figure out when the other five times were, or don't.

Self note: Alter score display next chapter to not be mistaken as fractional display.

Not enough Ginger, all told. We gotta step it up.
That moose will grow stronger, and it's a grudge we will remember.

Overall, playing Alice as a socially avoidant loser is made harder by people throwing themselves at her, and even her own backstory. I feel like we had ample opportunity to flirt/fuck, but not enough to be a creepy pervert. Could be improved.

But I'm down for another day with her.

>>802076
Honestly, I found it sorta adorable that the hippies were so willing to apparently try and heal the creepy weirdo with flirting and/or sex. And stoically trying to maintain aloof weirdness balanced with flirting back where it made sense was an interesting social challenge.

>I feel like we had ample opportunity to flirt/fuck, but not enough to be a creepy pervert. Could be improved.

Alice had no 'deserving victims' in this chapter. Nobody suggested peeking on Snow getting a quickie from Splendor either. Don't worry, you'll get your chance.
Regarding ginger intake: That's passive ginger-dosage. You can totally suggest increasing the ginger dosage at appropriate times, that's another one of the reasons I try to leave blanks for write-ins. The default suggestions under headings with a blank are mostly there to present default ideas Alice would think of if there's no better suggestions, and implicitly describe the character's current mindset (I.E. the PTSD episode).

Another pair of missed chances to be a creepy voyeur: Could've tried to peek at Gloria with Fluffy after closing time, or the action following when Gloria goes back to her own bedroom with Truth.

>>802082
There is some honesty to the fact that we're not doing our part, fershure.

>>802243
I agree. With all the... overstimulation Alice is getting, she should be on peeping overdrive.

Honestly, if the narrator got off 6 times and didn't consider it noteworthy enough to mention directly in her narration, and if Gloria banged Fluffy and then went immediately home for a second round with Truth... I'm going back to my earlier position of "there's something in the water."

She Gives has to be fucking with these people somehow for everyone to be this horny.

Bored Max 2017/05/17(Wed)19:28 No. 802651 ID: cfe4f0
File 149507449330.png - (28.38KB , 621x467 , briefing.png )

You wake up before dawn, like normal. You leave your room to use the facilities, and wash the sleep from your face and your consciousness while you're there. Checking your messages while you do this is where your rhythm is interrupted.
You're summoned to an early morning meeting, first thing, with no time to run and shower first. Bugger.
Making your way to the bunker, you go directly to the briefing room. Upon arrival you see Lt. Col Hellfire at the front working on a sandwich and coffee. Abnormally, there is a treadmill exercise machine in the room with a bottle of beer on the control panel, and the other people here are eating breakfast. Splendor sleepily directs you to the treadmill, and you sip the beer as you make use of it at an even jogging pace.

The last to arrive is Blue Smoke, and as soon as he sits down with green tea, the Colonel starts speaking.
"So, to make sure everyone's on the same page, the first stage of what we've been planning for is coming. We have it from multiple sources that Ogre is beginning a full muster, and has sent his son Nice to pin us down and cut us off for the main assault. They're probably also supposed to figure out our retreat routes if they can.
"We can't let them do that. The measures we already have installed are useful, but we need to plant some fresher stuff in the most likely places that Nice's forces will use as a base, as well as planting more sensors at the possible points of local supply.
"Blue Smoke will be issuing packages to groups. Snow, Captain, Overkill and Golder will be in the field delivering those to the designated points on the map. We need to try to have this done by noon, which is the early part of the estimate spread for when Nice may be arriving in the area.
"Alice, your duty is to watch the area of the entrance to our access road, since Nice will probably try to put a bandit ambush crew on it as soon as possible. I'm sorry we don't have any good spotters to send with you, but we'll leave two CQB troopers under you to watch your back. Try not to tip off the enemy that we have spread the sensor network out that far, but risk it if necessary to allow our safe return. Once we are returned, avoid giving up any intel, and make the enemy pay steeply for trying to suppress our main road.
"Now that you've passed She Gives' paranoia check," and at this point she rolls her eyes and Blue Smoke chuckles, "Please, advise us about what disrupts Nice's plans."

This is something you know, so it isn't hard to speak up. "Stop them from thinking it'll be cheap and profitable, take their stuff and drive them off. We want them to give up before they get angry and committed enough to bring artillery and start using it. In the first two or three days, sending them back to base naked would hurt their morale and supply the most. In a longer battle, it would be strictly better to kill or capture them to limit enemy intel and personnel, but enemy casualties increases their anger. If they're angry or wary enough they'll use artillery on us instead of trying to capture the town whole.
"That initial time limit depends on their first supply convoy. If we don't finish the job in that time or stop them, the convoys will be adding reinforcements to the problem, and adding to the chance they'll use artillery instead of just leaving. There may already be multiple convoys on their way, from different places.
"This all sucks in the long term, because if we win against Ogre and Nice, it will either convince them to barrage Fort Hippie with artillery anyway, or draw in their overchief."

Captain grumps, "We know. Hey Blue Smoke, please tell me we're putting some mines or remote explosives in good places with these drops."
Blue Smoke snaps back, "Of course not, crazy gwailo. Simple mines are bad because we could hurt neutrals or our own people with them, and it's too much area. Complicated ones with sensors and network connections are too easy to find. Either one convinces them to use more explosives, so no fireworks."

The colonel interrupts, "Anyway, most of us are leaving promptly. Splendor's on HQ and dispatch, Doc's handling administration issues, Blue Smoke is their backup until some of us get back, and I am on alerts. Alice, you'll be relieved by 1800, and reinforced possibly as soon as noon. Be ready for a long day when you leave. Set up a couple good blinds if you can while you're there. Up and at 'em folks, dismissed."

Hot breakfast or rations in position?
-Full breakfast, it doesn't take that long.
-What's not to like about an apple, some jerky, some bread blocks, and a couple ginger roots while you're watching things?

Get a little pre-sortie something-something?
-No. It might help me be less distracted in the field, but it's not like this is a difficult assignment.
-Splendor will have her hands full womaning HQ dispatch, a perfect time to get it from her the way I prefer.
-____________ <---Other plans for Alice to manage her stupidity go here.

What else do you get or do before leaving?
-____________ <---Special equipment requests that aren't too dumb go here. Don't overload Alice's electric pickup truck, it's gotta go through rough terrain.

>>802641
Fluffy's room is right next to Gloria and Truth's room. I'm not commenting on Gloria's sex drive yet. Alice, however, was voted maximum redhead. This gives her maximum temper, and maximum sex drive according to the stereotypes. And then everyone decided it would be a good idea for her to dislike sex. So....

>Abnormally, there is a treadmill exercise machine in the room with a bottle of beer on the control panel
They disrupt your routine, and then accommodate it in the same breath. (Hippies too nice). Someone likes you. (And knows your habits). Splendor, I'm guessing.

>Hot breakfast or rations in position?
>-What's not to like about an apple, some jerky, some bread blocks, and a couple ginger roots while you're watching things?
You're in your element, here. You're not about to miss anything or waste time on a frivolity.

>Get a little pre-sortie something-something?
>-No. It might help me be less distracted in the field, but it's not like this is a difficult assignment.
No time for stupidity, it's time to be a badass sniper and break these bandits. Screw sex and all the emotional issues you had dragged up- putting bullets in people is a perfectly effective way to cope.

>-Splendor will have her hands full womaning HQ dispatch, a perfect time to get it from her the way I prefer.
So out of curiosity, this confirms we have a preexisting way of getting with Splendor? Good to know I guess.

>What else do you get or do before leaving?
I'd like to ask Splendor about awakenings, but it looks like we're both gonna be a little busy to talk about how scary mind powers work. More pressing issues. Worry about what your brain might be doing once you'v made sure it's not going to be blown out.

>>802654
So, maximum repression. No wonder the hippies are all so eager to help her.

Bring tranqs and camo. Zip ties.

>>802744
Good call, we need something less lethal than a rile if we want sending people home naked instead of dead to even be an option.

Bored Max 2017/05/18(Thu)22:14 No. 802847 ID: cfe4f0
File 149517088309.png - (11.26KB , 500x500 , tac1.png )

You start packing. The easy choices go first: A few different ghillie suits, a few packed blind netting sets, the M24 and a box of 30-06, the stechkin is already on you, your multitool, a couple field latrine pouches, a couple water tanks, your current "field ruggedized" portable computer with full keyboard and touchpad, two tents, enough trail mix to cover for other people who didn't bring an acceptable lunch.
The question of non-lethal is a tough one, so you pack a set of strip-ties, a couple old pairs of police duty handcuffs, and grab a couple hundred feet of rope. How you're actually going to take down people non-lethally is a good question, aside from gunpoint intimidation. So, you bring this problem to the resident alpha nerd, since he also serves as the chief armoury technician.

"So, Blue Smoke, I need something like tranquilizer darts for non-lethal."
"Do you want tranquilizer guns or something effective and genuinely non-lethal for use on humans?"
"The latter. What have you got?"
"Pepper spray cans, and paintball guns with pepper-loaded balls. Your reinforcements will be bringing grenade launchers with teargas."
"That's... probably a lot better than tranq darts, what can you give me?"
"A dozen full-auto paintball guns, and here's jars of pepperballs, I'll give you ten thousand. Don't mess with the electrics."
"How strong is the pepper mix?"
"Try it, I dare you. Squish one, put it on your tongue. You maybe not black out from it."

You fetch the Tac-50 and some ammo while you're here, since you might get to kill some trucks, and then take your shower.

The shower is bliss, but all too soon you have to go round up your Cpl. and MCpl. troopers. You find Chatty and Evil Eye in the mess, staring at oatmeal and not eating.
These are your troopers so you give them orders. "If you're not having any more breakfast come and follow me, we've gotta grab some field-lunch."
They both give you salutes and rattle off, "Miss. Yes Miss." Fuck!

Trying not to decide this is a terrible day too early, you lead your ducklings off.

*

The sun is now fully risen, and it's 0644. You had Cpl. "Chatty" Cooper, and MCpl. "Evil Eye," Freeman help you push your truck up a small hill, positioned for a quick getaway takeoff. Now it is time to start deploying blinds. One goes on the top of the hill at the West corner of where the access road begins because it's got a "commanding view" of the whole area. One goes in the brush at the end of the first bend in the access road, facing South down it towards the main road from where the really hilly parts start. One goes in the brush on the East side of the road. One goes in the brush at the south of the T-junction where the access road to Fort Hippie meets the East-West main road. The real question is, which one do you use, if any?

Are the blinds all bluffs, or are you going to use one?
-I am using the one on the East side of the road, it's the only sensible choice for a view, with retreat options and the least likelihood of being hosed with bullets as a precaution.
-The mess of brush south of the T-junction is pretty impassable, and good to conceal myself in while still affording a good view and fair shots at any attempts to block the road. Retreat may be a problem.
-I'm going to settle in ghillie on the hill on the northwest corner of the intersection, trusting in the decoy blind to attract fire if they're actually smart enough to look up.
-____________ <---The whole area is covered in medium to heavy woods. The bandits are expected to come from the West unless they take the long way around.

Position your troopers where?
-They're here to watch my back, plus it's a lot easier to coordinate a plan if they're starting from my position.
-The woods in the North-East corner of the intersection. They're CQB, they want all the cover they can get near the enemy approach, and I don't know if these two have stakeout discipline problems.
-____________ <---Note: The main road is pinkish because of xenofungus which ate the pavement and then stayed there.

Nap, or vigilance to start?
-Switch up napping with my troopers, we don't even know if these wannabe-raider bandits are going to arrive today or not.
-Eh, I'll keep one eye open.
-____________ <---Other activities to pass the time go here.

I think I know what I'm doing. I'll also assume we're using the TAC-50 for our opening shots.
>I'm going to settle in ghillie on the hill on the northwest corner of the intersection, trusting in the decoy blind to attract fire if they're actually smart enough to look up.
Backup:
>-The woods in the North-East corner of the intersection. They're CQB, they want all the cover they can get near the enemy approach, and I don't know if these two have stakeout discipline problems.
>-Eh, I'll keep one eye open. For awhile. May be time to reconsider after a few hours.
>Alice writes a song about allosaurus , improving it as the day goes on.

>Pepper paint gun
Vicious.

If you aren't already familiar with that weapon, you might want a test fire to check the range.

>Are the blinds all bluffs, or are you going to use one?
>-I'm going to settle in ghillie on the hill on the northwest corner of the intersection, trusting in the decoy blind to attract fire if they're actually smart enough to look up.
I like the idea of bluffs everywhere and this looks like a good spot.


>Position your troopers where?
>-They're here to watch my back, plus it's a lot easier to coordinate a plan if they're starting from my position.

>xenofungus
Convenient. Infrastructure without maintenance. Although in this case, you might be better off if the roads had gone to shit to limit enemy vehicle (and artillery) movement.

>Nap, or vigilance to start?
No need for a nap yet!

>pass time
Do something math related in your head? Maybe run ideas you were thinking of for the game dev stuff.

Bored Max 2017/05/19(Fri)22:07 No. 803141 ID: cfe4f0
File 149525685785.png - (12.99KB , 500x500 , tac2.png )

The roadway xenofungus has a consistency like springy, well-mowed turf. This gives it a lower safe top speed than asphalt thanks to the lower traction, but the regularity makes it better than a dirt road.
----

You decide it's smarter to stay away from the two troopers, since their ability to remain motionless for hours is unproven. You station Evil Eye and Chatty in the brush at the North-East corner of the intersection, with instructions to stay quiet, hidden, and as close to motionless as possible. You take position on the hill away from the blind.
To their credit, Chatty and Evil Eye are wearing ghillie for this, but it takes more than that to impress you. These two are carrying automatic shotguns and all, which is not a weapon for the quiet and subtle. You make sure each one has a pain-ball gun in case the first thing that shows up is a single truck of bandits. Now, time to start reading for one of your projects.

*

The hours pass. You nibble, keep your bodily functions addressed in the most stealthy and low-impact way you can, and occasionally answer questions that Evil Eye has. Chatty, thankfully, lives up to his name about as much as Fluffy and his shaved dome lives up to his. You make some progress on your ecology sim code, Jurassic composition, but at this point it involves an awful lot of dry reading about animals that don't exist anymore:

Allosaurus (/ˌæləˈsɔːrəs/[1][2]) is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian[3]). The name "Allosaurus" means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek ἄλλος/allos ("different, other") and σαῦρος/sauros ("lizard / generic reptile").

Eh, what would an allohuman be? Would that just be some other kind of primate like a monkey? You get stuck on this weird thought for a few minutes as the first of the trucks comes roaring through on its way back to base. Only Captain dares move that recklessly fast on mud or fungus roads. He stops a few bends North along the road and comes walking through, leading a trooper with a carbine, and carrying something that looks like the love child of a P90 and a Steyr-Aug. They circle and wander around looking for you for a good five minutes before giving up. Captain turns to Evil Eye and Chatty and calls out, "If it weren't for the network I wouldn't know where you guys are, good stuff!" and returns to his vehicle.

*

Another hour later two more of the trucks have come back through, leaving only the one with Overkill, which is still on its way back.
To kill time, you've taken selfie-shots of yourself positioned like this to make sure you're hard to spot from all the angles, including aerial. There's only so much you can do about IR, but you've done what you can short of digging a hole in the hill to bury yourself. With little else to do, you lift your ghillie and snap a couple rump pics to send to Gloria. You plug your Slate into the network to send them, to minimize detectable signals. The response you get back from her, a few minutes later, is, "Looking good. Need more boyfriend, want to see that ass get filled."

As you're about to unplug the Slate from the network relay, you get another message:
"Current ETA for enemy arrival at chosen base site is after 1400. Expecting ambush crew at road entrance 1500 earliest. Plan to add ten troops to your deployment. Please advise about loadout and position."

Hellfire's beautifully terse dispatches always fill you with joy. Too bad you're about to get sent enough troopers to include a sergeant or one of the lieutenants, and now you have to figure out a plan of deployment for them all. Maybe you don't, the Lt. Col. is good at this.

What do you ask for?
-2 with grenade launchers, the other 8 with standard weapons, and everyone has a pain-ball gun. Handcuffs and rope would be good too.
-2 with grenade launchers, 2 with LMGs, the other 6 with standard weapons, and everybody has a pain-ball gun. Handcuffs and rope would be good too.
-Eh, Hellfire has tangled with raider vehicle problems a lot more than I ever will.
-____________ <---Hellfire's armoury and training is pretty good for conventional stuff.

Where do you put them?
-A group south of the road entrance, another group North of my hill on the West side, the third group further up the road on the East side. All groups should have a clear shot to the entrance to the road.
-One group relaxing in a vehicle North of the action area, one group on the East side of the road North of the blind, and one group West of my hill along the main road.
-Eh, Hellfire has tangled with raider vehicle problems a lot more than I ever will.
-____________ <---The answers to this likely depend on the answers to the first part.

>-Eh, Hellfire has tangled with raider vehicle problems a lot more than I ever will.
This is probably true, but you've also probably had more direct contact with raiders than Hellfire has. Does that give you any insight to what you think they'll be packing? Knowing the enemy is a good step towards countering them effectively.

(Have you even done squad planning before? Sniping is a lot different when you're solo than if you're supporting a team).

I have never specifically NOT wanted light machine guns. There are few, if any, problems they can't solve.

Not just on a tactical scale, either.

Bored Max 2017/05/21(Sun)20:44 No. 803548 ID: cfe4f0
File 149542465291.png - (15.18KB , 500x500 , tac3.png )

It took a moment to think about it, but you send back, "Want 2x of RPG, LMG, and threat update. Handcuffs, strip ties, rope, teargas, gasmasks, and painball good for capture."
You have to wait a quarter hour for a response. The waiting seems to be geting to Evil Eye and Chatty a little, but the silence is golden to you.

"Updated threat assessment: 20 loud bandit diesel technicals, loaded with electric bikes, weapons, and other supplies. Best estimate 6-10 technicals for initial attempt to lockdown road. Sending 3x LMG, 3x RPG, 10x regular arms to make 3 units of 6, and 2 technicals with .50cal for air defense and decoy force."

That is a sizable deployment of Fort Hippie's professional soldiers. Almost every adult is part of the 'militia' but the vast majority are folks that neither you nor the command staff expects to actually fight in a battle. They've only got about 60-70 full-time soldiers, depending on if you count the commanders, and most of them are usually either training or monitoring the defenses and responding to issues. Also, you're confused by the mention of, "air defense." Nobody has an air force worth speaking of except Waterloo, and theirs is all unmanned. What can the enemy fly? You ask about it.

"Light UAVs. It's a mix of small scale RC helicopters and prop-planes with visual and IR cameras. Expect them less than 100m above canopy altitude."

Enemy recon is an important target. During the nightmare days your solution to that problem was to dig a lot of traps before you started firing, and add another wherever you saw the enemy survive a trap so that they were never sure where they were. That whittled down the ones brave enough to chase you, and scared everyone else into hiding. That won't work here, and it's far too slow and deadly if it did. The perils of living in a place nice enough to be a target for artillery fire. You sign off on the deployment proposal to put everyone else in three groups hidden in the brush at least 20 meters back from the roads.

*

The reinforcements are all here and in place by 1300. These people sure do trust their sensors, more than you would. Someone handed you a gasmask pouch, but you figure shit has probably gone wrong enough to merit retreat if you want to use that. You tested it anyway, adjusted it, and put it back in the pouch. The pouch goes on your belt, it's resting on your back in case you actually do need or want it.

The current arrangement puts the crossfire just inside of the dirt, with one unit South of the road entrance, one North-East of the intersection, and the backup unit on the West side North of your position. Captain's driving one of the pickup trucks with .50cal guns, and some Sergeant is driving the other one. The guns can be driver-operated, or remote-operated by someone back at the base, but there are guys doing it manual, crewing the gun turrets welded in the bed of each truck. These people take giving zero intel to the enemy seriously.

*

At 1358 you get another update. "Enemy ETA revision, expect arrival at 1505 or later." You ask for a clarification, and get, "Depends on their use of UAVs and positioning. May be later than 1600 if they decide to move in from East and West simultaneously. Will advise as new developments noted."

This is pissing you off a bit. At least your truck should have recharged its batteries by now. A buzz from the West-South-West starts grabbing your attention for a moment, then a burst of fire from the second technical silences whatever it was. An alert goes out, "First enemy damage, Cpl. Blindsight. Good shooting."
Waiting all day to watch some girl with a .50cal machine gun smack down a little toy airplane has started getting boring. War is long periods of boredom broken up by moments of terror and destruction.

What part are you going to try for?
-I'm one ingredient in an ambush soup, I should leave that decision to the chefs.
-My Tac-50 has Raufoss 211s, perfect for shooting enemy trucks dead so they can't retreat.
-Never mind enemy material damage, I'm gonna hit leaders, turret gunners and people that look competent with my M24.
-____________ <---What is your mark, sniper?

You're going devices off, so the enemy can't find you with an antenna. When are you taking the shot?
-Tell command I am waiting 2-3 hours after enemy arrival, until at least an hour after their guard should have relaxed. Stay buried until then, no matter what happens.
-Tell command I am waiting for someone else to start the fun. I intend to join the fun when the enemy is most distracted.

>These people take giving zero intel to the enemy seriously.
A damn fine attitude you whole heatedly approve of.

...hopefully Many Crows isn't as good at bullshit intelligence gathering as She Gives.

>What part are you going to try for?
>-Never mind enemy material damage, I'm gonna hit leaders, turret gunners and people that look competent with my M24.
This seems the right attitude to me. We're more interested in embarrassing these chumps then making sure they can't run, which means we put a priority on shutting down anyone competent before they fight back. Plus, this hopefully bodes better for chances of allied casualties.

Plus, you're the best shot here, and trucks are a big target. Surely someone else is better tasked killing those?

>-I'm one ingredient in an ambush soup, I should leave that decision to the chefs.
But you could, you know, confirm your orders. Say what you're designating your targets as and see if they give you a good reason to do something else.

>You're going devices off, so the enemy can't find you with an antenna. When are you taking the shot?
>-Tell command I am waiting for someone else to start the fun. I intend to join the fun when the enemy is most distracted.
If the opening shot is from a sniper up on high, the enemy knows you're up there. If you're firing at distracted people, no one will realize you have overwatch till it's too damn late.

Bonus points if you shoot anyone you know knew somewhere painful and uncomfortable.

Shooting personnel seems like the wrong attitude to me. If we cause material damage, we stymie this approach, and send them off packing, lacking the means for a next time. And more survivors puts greater strain on their food.

Too many kills and it becomes a matter of vengeance to hit us later.
But strategically, these bandits might be unlikely to abandon taking fort Hippie, which would change things.

Bored Max 2017/05/23(Tue)16:44 No. 803973 ID: cfe4f0
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You're indecisive about your target, because you aren't sure whether you should be trying to kill these bandits or their vehicles. On the one hand, enemy kills are people who can't shoot back. On the other hand, you know very well that an immobile enemy easily becomes a defeated enemy. So, you check up the line.
"Going devices off to avoid scan. Will wait for enemy busy with you to act. Top priority trucks or pricks?"

It takes a minute to get your answer. "Kill the truck engine on any that can retreat, then kill any enemy that still are threats under teargas." You get pictures of the eight trucks that are coming inbound.
This plan strikes you as bold, and may even be too bold. You don't have to aim for the trucks if it turns out the enemy isn't as easy as the Fort Hippie people think it will be, though.

*

It has been two hours since they got here, and fuck these raider trucks are loud. Two of the eight already left, leaving six behind. Guessing by the backup beeping noises you heard while they were parking, two are pointed up the road towards Fort Hippie, and the other four are facing the main road.

The would-be raiders deployed a shitty, radio-networked set of sensors that don't detect much. According to their chatter, their sensor network is mostly intended to watch the roadway. The enemy sound far more worried about Children of God or Waterloo coming to intervene than the forces of Fort Hippie, which you find interesting. You guess they are relying on Slates for their long-range communications, which must make them easy to track to the people watching back at the fort.

You are surprised that the enemy can't detect the wired sensor network that was installed long before they got here. What you're not surprised about is that the sensors they're using aren't good and numerous enough to spot you buried in dirt and vegetation. You are deep enough that you will have to dig out to see, and your breathing hole opens up behind a thick enough tree they can't find the heat plume from that either.

It's bothering you that you're hearing people fucking and you can't watch. Guessing by the angle, in one of the two trucks pointed up the road is a couple going at it. This leaves you with listening, and they are loud.

Someone else starts screaming her head off, yelling about her ass being on fire. You're amused that this seems to cause the fucking moron couple to stop.
"You shit yourself, dumbass! You must have had too much hot sauce!"
"Fuck aaaaarragh!"
More dumbasses open up their car doors, probably going out to get a look at the first thing to happen since they got here. Maybe some of them are going to help Miss shit herself?

The stupidity comes to an abrupt halt when the grenadiers shoot a lot of flashbangs and teargas grenades at the enemy truck arrangement. When the bangs stop you take that as your cue to dig out and take a look. The bandits out in the open are getting hosed with paintballs, and screaming in pain. The smartest pair of bandits, two that were watching the road, close shut their sunroof and try to make a break for it. They gun the engine, but their truck is the first to have its engine go pop due to action from on high. They drift forward two meters before they come to a stop, not even close to the main road.
The Tac-50 is a heavy beast, and it's too big to easily position here, but you shoot the engines of the trucks at the ends. With the last shot, you break a HMG whose operator has more bravery than sense. Switching to your M24, you go on overwatch, but by this point the enemy is incapacitated or terrified into surrender except for one. You hit him in the right side.

Everybody that isn't already retching and writhing on the ground in pain has their hands up. The regular armed people from all three teams are there, pointing six combat shotguns and six assault rifles around. Three more soldiers in gasmasks arrive, to start tying up people, and you're embarrassed just by watching this. You put on your gasmask to avoid being hit too badly by the teargas fumes, and continue keeping overwatch as the bandits are all captured.

You're pretty sure this was too stupid to count as combat.
-I need to go back to base and hit something.
-I need to go back to base and eat something.
-I have to know what these maniacs are doing for an encore.
-____________ <---Alice is feeling dirty, tired, and a bit pissed off.

Do you even want to know what happened?
-I suspect it would damage my mind to find out.
-It was effective, somehow, so I need to know what these nutjobs did.

>You're pretty sure this was too stupid to count as combat.
Well at least they took your "humiliate them till they leave us alone" analysis seriously. It's good to be listened to?

Were the bandits worth carrying any loot worth making eyes over?

>-____________ <---Alice is feeling dirty, tired, and a bit pissed off.
These bandits are probably sufficiently miserable and humiliated we can't find any fun in humiliating them further.

A shower (or a swim?) would address 2, possibly 3 of those problems. And you can always find something (someone) to eat or something (someone) to hit afterwards if you still feel you need to.

>Do you even want to know what happened?
They shot someone up the butt, or got to her food when the bandits weren't paying attention. What's to know?

Well, you know you're not getting in a prank war with any of these maniacs anytime soon, that's for sure.

Bored Max 2017/05/25(Thu)17:15 No. 804451 ID: 95aee2
File 149575770886.png - (42.28KB , 798x698 , warning.png )

You start packing up your stuff. As you're almost done, Lieutenant Overkill walks over. She puts her hands on her hips, frowns at you, and starts talking.
"Congratulations, once again you make me feel like we need a lot more target practice. The guy you shot is going to live, with no brain damage even."
"I tried to put him down, but not six feet under. I chose the right lung to take the fight out of him, but also be survivable with medical attention."
"'Chose the right lung' you say, and the worst part about it is I'd bet on you telling me the truth. Well thank you, someone else doing it would've made a corpse, and apparently we want these ones alive for some dumb thing. The main reason I came here to talk to you is about their reinforcements. We don't need you for it, but do you want to go on to the bonus round?"
"If you don't need me yet you're better off without. I'm stiff, hungry, dirty, and have too much unspent physical energy and tension to deal with before I can do a good stalk again. Should I leave up the blinds?"
"May as well take 'em down. These fools didn't notice any of your decoy camo without heat and EMF behind it to catch on the sensors. Need anything or should I go back to dressing prisoners in prison overalls?"
"What's my share of the loot?"
"We'll have to see what's left after we get done killing all the bugs and doing triage on the captured stuff. We don't hope for much that's useful besides the HMGs."
"Most of it is usually crap or common stuff, but bandit loot can have all kinds of unexpected treasures mixed in. I'd like to take a look through it, searching for cool things."
"You and everyone else, but maybe you earned it. I'll put a note in my report about it. Please let us know when you're ready for more, with all these prisoners to watch we will need you out in the field on missions."

*

The shower was long, and it helped. Late dinner in the mess is solitary for you, because you're not in a fit state for conversation right now. This does not stop you from being the object of conversation, however.

"It's not a long story, the teargas and flashbangs worked, and everybody else was in too much pain and confusion to do anything except this one guy. His eyes were swollen shut and running with tears, and he was swinging around a chain gun towards us. It looked like he was going to spray and pray with it, and he may have hit some of us. But nope, creepy sniper girl stopped him with one bullet."
"I saw the video of her job audition. Twenty four people, twenty four bullets. Her idea of a missed shot is when it's outside 1 MOA off. It's unreal."
"No, no, it's very real. I'm sure those skills are the result of more live fire, live target, full shit shooting experience than I will ever get. It makes me wonder how such a young'un got so experienced."
"Creepy sniper girl is owed I say. The tenacious asshole could've hit us if nobody got him in time, he could have even killed someone. There's little I wouldn't do for her right now."
"Would you let her fuck your girlfriend? She has been known to spend 'quality time' with Splendor if you know what I mean."
"I might not still be alive without her, and my life for my girlfriend is a fair price. She scares me too much so I might need help to get it up for her, but I'd even let her fuck me."
"Oh sure, you'd 'let' her. After seeing her dressed up nice yesterday I'd pay for the chance to treat her to drinks, dancing, and a massage, eh? Am I right?"
"She also has good hearing, and doesn't seem to like people talking about sex at the dinner table. Try keeping your fantasies a bit more private if you sluts want to have a smidge of a chance."

You're not sure if it is nice to be appreciated. For starters, not even your stupidity is interested in the people discussing lewd hypotheticals about you. The men are all at least one of too short, weak or flabby, and while some of the women look strong enough none of them have the generous front and rear bumpers you want. It says something that your inflamed, animal, breeding lust is beyond the point self-service can help without taking hours, and you're still not interested.
All this excess physical energy has got to be spent somehow though. You need to do something.

What are you doing with your pent-up energy and tension?
-Run half a marathon. I need the exercise.
-Heavy bag for over an hour, until my arms and legs finally are all slowed down.
-Exercise later: Track down Splendor as soon as possible.
-Exercise later: It's ladies night at Gloria's place, and as their angel on high people will be buying me all the drinks. What do I wear?
-____________ <---Alice is clean and fed, and has too much physical energy to sit around.

Are you planning to meet with Splendor this evening?
-Only for conversation. I'm trying for two whole days without giving in to my *her* lust.
-Fuck it, and fuck her. If she's going to tell me she likes my fetishes, I'm going to do some of them with her again.
-Perhaps later, it depends what happens next.

>Creepy sniper girl
Sounds like Spade really needs to up his game for sticking you with a nickname.

>What are you doing with your pent-up energy and tension?
>-Heavy bag for over an hour, until my arms and legs finally are all slowed down.
Sure, let's hit something. Without air quotes or an implied meaning, even.

>Are you planning to meet with Splendor this evening?
I really want to talk to someone we can trust about all the awakening nonsense Truth dropped in our lap. Moniker aside, she hasn't been your most reliable source. Or at least, a source who's judgement you really trust.

As for stupid stuff, I guess we'll see.

Bored Max 2017/05/27(Sat)19:52 No. 804780 ID: 95aee2
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With dinner finished, you clean up after yourself and send a message to Splendor asking about her schedule this evening. Next, you go back to your room to get together a good outfit for exercise and stuff it in a gym bag. The plan now is to go release some pent up energy and aggression at the gym.

As you arrive at the gym, you get Splendor's response on your Slate: "Processing prisoners. Will make time for you before Snow. Current est. 2 hours or less."
Your mission is clear: You have to commit as much violence as you can on the 91kg bag, and be ready to visit Splendor inside of two hours. Time to get serious. In the changing room you quickly strip down to your sportsbra, socks and panties, then add tight shorts and running shoes. Next you add the boxing-gloves, elbow pads and kneepads from the locker with your name on it. Those are important, because you don't want to have to stop because of excess damage to you or the bag.

As you exit the change room, the object of your desire awaits you. There it swings, suspended from a frame of four heavy log towing chains, stitched together from cured hide with more leather. There's someone else hitting it, but when you enter the part of the gym with weights and boxing equipment people turn to look at you, including him. The man obligingly gets out of your way with a smile, and goes over towards an unused fixed weight set. You tell him, "Thank you," and get to work.

*

"People are calling this one 'creepy sniper girl?' Shit, she isn't creepy. She is flat out terrifying, that's what she is. She looks so happy doing violence that would kill somebody twice her size, ten times over."
"Definitely punching above her weight class, yeah. She looks like she'd be out of skin on her knees, elbows and knuckles by now without the protection. Is she practicing to try and kill a bear with her bare hands?"
"Don't stare. Go back to your own workout, now, or else I'm putting you in the ring and inviting her to give you some motivation."
"Oh fuck no. But that gives me an idea. For her nickname, I think she earns the name 'Firepower.'"
"Not bad, I'll send that one to the Captain for the list."

*

You had to pace yourself to avoid cramping, but you feel great. The use of the facilities and the latest shower had you humming to yourself, and you haven't been in this good a mood since... yeah, not dwelling on that now. You also arrive in front of the door to Splendor's office ten minutes early.
She gets there two minutes after you do, obviously fresh from a shower herself. "Hi Alice!" She hugs you, engulfing you in the black cloak of her loose hair. Your awkwardness with hugging her back isn't entirely due to the sluggishness of your muscle response, but you like trying to re-learn to hug people with her help. You think you're getting better at it.
After giving you a peck on each cheek, she lets go of you and unlocks the door to her office, bringing you to the facing couches and sitting down. As usual when she's having a private meeting with you, she's wearing high heels, thigh-stockings, and a dress that is too short to fully conceal her pubic area. This time the high heels are pink sandals with straps that go partially up her calves, the stockings are shimmering white and go about halfway up her thighs, and the dress matches her stockings but doesn't make it more than halfway down her ass standing up. Is that even still called a dress when it's that short, or is it a shirt with a flared hemline? The thong she's wearing is this pink, lace thing with as much patterned gaps in the stitching as thread, giving you a partial view of... somewhere you're trying not to stare.
As usual she waits until you know she has seen you looking between her legs to do it: She leans back and hugs one of her knees to her chest so you get a better view. Then she asks, "So, what's new?"

Splendor knows pretty much everything about you that you're willing to say. She's been helping you get a handle on PTSD and your other difficulties.
-Talk about yesterday's panic episode at Gloria's Place. Splendor needs to know about the difficulties I've been having to help me.
-Psychic powers! I need to talk about those because I don't trust what Truth has to say, or did say.
-Ask what the deal is about these gods. Hellfire knows something about Truth being a dumb bitch last night, and the upper staff here must understand what she's up to better than I do.
-It's important to find out what she got from the prisoners during interrogation, including whether they know that Red Sonja is still alive.
-____________ <---Anything else on your mind?

Splendor is also a retired whore. You respect that for her sex and sexuality is professional skill and experience more than dumb, animal appetite.
-I have more important things to discuss than my filthy, stupid, desires. At least for now I do.
-I should talk to her about clothing, and behaviour, for handling social expectations better. And dating, I don't know much about dating.
-I need to talk about Gloria... and Truth, I need advice.
-I should talk about how to date men, and maybe Lieutenant Snow. I was lucky to get my first boyfriend without any dating at all.
-____________ <---Splendor isn't charging. It's her job as counsellor and security to help you keep your mind and libido together. You're very sure she likes you, and loves doing this part of the job.

>Will make time for you before Snow.
Does Alice know Spendor is sleeping with Snow? It was mentioned, but OOC. >>802081

>Firepower
Literally what you do, plus redhead pun. There's a keeper, I think.

>Spendor's appearance
Well, she's sure putting on a show for you. Not sure how much of that is because she likes you, versus a calculated effort to make you comfortable / amenable for the therapy angle (I mean it's almost certainly both, it's the ratio in question).
>It's her job as [counselor] and security to help you keep your mind and libido together. You're very sure she likes you, and loves doing this part of the job.
Asked and answered, then.

>Splendor knows pretty much everything about you that you're willing to say. She's been helping you get a handle on PTSD and your other difficulties.
Hearing you have someone to actually talk to about stuff is a lot more positive and healthy than I was expecting. Go sex-hippies?

>-Talk about yesterday's panic episode at Gloria's Place.
>-Psychic powers! I need to talk about those because I don't trust what Truth has to say, or did say.
>-Ask what the deal is about these gods. Hellfire knows something about Truth being a dumb bitch last night, and the upper staff here must understand what she's up to better than I do.
>-It's important to find out what she got from the prisoners during interrogation, including whether they know that Red Sonja is still alive.
...can we just go all of the above? Asking Spendor about psy stuff seems the most pressing thing personally, followed by getting another opinion on this god business being pretty important to the tactical situation (and also people poking into your personal business).

We can mention we had a panic attack (and that they helped handle it) for full disclosure, but I don't really want to focus on it. We can probably find out the tactical distillation of the interrogations later, but it would be nice to know if they were talking about Red Sonja.

>Splendor is also a retired whore. You respect that for her sex and sexuality is professional skill and experience more than dumb, animal appetite.
So... following that chain of logic, would you feel better about yourself if you harnessed your sex drive by selling your body for money, instead of continuing being at the mercy of animal instincts as a time wasting inconvenience?

As for the actual options for discussion: punt, and see how much time we burn on the other stuff first?

Bored Max 2017/05/29(Mon)03:11 No. 804974 ID: 95aee2
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You choke down the dirty ideas Splendor arouses, and begin talking with her. She quickly settles down to merely keeping her legs wide enough apart so you can look at the pink lace.

First you talk about how you were halfway to shooting Fluffy yesterday. Splendor tells you not to worry over it, because worrying is the worst thing you can do. Getting stressed and afraid without clear and present reasons to be makes it more likely to happen. Then she repeats her advice to get it under control better: That you should manage your stress more proactively, get more familiar with your environment, make friends, and get to know people so they startle you less.
It would be great advice if you were planning to stay here in Fort Hippie with these people. On the other hand, friends and lovers to hug could help improve your quality of life.

You saved the most stressful topic for after you're warmed up to talking: You tell a short version of the story of Truth's weird meeting with you last night. Splendor facepalms and grumbles as you tell it, mumbling she is tempted to bend Truth over her knee and spank her. She assures you there can't be a secret murder cult in Fort Hippie. She doesn't know much about spontaneous power development besides knowing that it is a thing that can happen, which is pretty rare. She's never heard of your tendency to notice people looking at you being a kind of psychic thing. Splendor suggests Truth could be telling the truth, since she is the most capable psychic in Fort Hippie, trained by the Children of God special forces, and she can do everything she can plus more.
Splendor explains what she does know: Psychic powers are mostly sensory, and they operate on one other person at a time the psychic is focusing on. There are psychic powers which can be used to command and influence someone, or even hurt them, but the effects are mostly focused, limited, and temporary. Some of them need physical intimacy to work, which requires a lot of time or the psychic grabbing someone using a violation glove. The power Truth tried to awaken is the one psychics are most known for. It lets her look inside someone's head and know if you're telling the truth, what you're feeling, learn some of your intentions, and what you want from her.
Splendor spreads her legs a little wider and winks after the last part, so you hurry on to the next subject before you can blush full tomato red... or worse.

You ask what Splendor can tell you about gods. It's not her specialty, but she hears that most of them are in a constant battle to exist. They act to gain followers and adherents, and through followers to influence the world mostly to gain a larger following. They also act to achieve other goals, which usually have something to do with their meaning and area of focus, or supporting their followers.
She isn't very frightened of Many Crows because she thinks he has a single, serious follower hidden in Fort Hippie, and that he or she is one of the non-key personnel. She's pretty sure there's no secret murder priest around because priests can't do the whole invoking their deity thing without a cult to do the rituals. She thinks he is boasting of his follower to mess with people and get them chasing a non-issue. The Colonel, Doctor Marco, Blue Smoke, and Truth are people who would know more about it than she does, and she suggests you ask Blue Smoke or Truth for more information.
When you complain how Truth seems crazy at best, she tells you Truth has never been known to lie during the half a year she's lived here in Fort Hippie. She thinks Truth just got off on the wrong foot with you because she was worried you were a secret murder priest here to kill everybody, and after saying so she facepalms again. Still holding her face, Splendor adds that Truth is surprisingly awkward for a priestess.

Your curiosity leads you to ask about the interrogations and the other ops. According to Splendor, these bandits don't know much of interest except for one thing: Nice dragged along a doctor who isn't loyal or happy to be stuck helping out the bandits. You're amused by the story of how Snow's group used painted claw strips across the road and an ambush to take all four bandit trucks sent as reinforcements. There were more wounded than in your sneak attack though, two gunners were thrown from their turrets, and the lead truck spun off the road and crashed into a tree, tearing up its driver and shotgun rider pretty badly. The day's tally for enemy captures is twenty five in the jail, and five more restrained in the hospital, with no kills. They also got two intact and eight destroyed technicals. Half the initial force is captured with only minor friendly casualties.

The talk winds down from there. You start to complain about how sex is a big, unwelcome distraction for you most of the time when your conversation is interrupted by Snow's knock on the door.
Splendor calls out, "Sorry, the prior session is running late, give me a couple minutes." She whispers to you, "So, are you going to watch today? Also, would you like a little, temporary, psychic help with your panic issues? If you want the help, there's the quick and disturbing way, or if you can wait until Snow's gone there's the slow and fun way."

Are you going to watch?
-Why wouldn't I watch Snow being a filthy animal? I like seeing him grunting and sweating as he tries to squirt his slime in Splendor. The way she plays with that is fun too.
-Eh, not today. That slut is always putting his dong in the wrong hole, and I've seen that already.
-____________ <---Go ahead and make a specific suggestion what to do besides watching Snow and Splendor go at it.

Do you want the psychic help?
-Hit me with that violator glove thing you were talking about, Splendor. It's not even a guess that 'the slow and fun way' means she's talking about extended physical intimacy, probably of the sexual kind.
-At least it's a good excuse to give in to my urges. Why not get my head fucked in the same appointment as some physical fucking with a skilled practitioner?
-No. No, no, absolutely no.

>>804974
>Are you going to watch?
>-Why wouldn't I watch Snow being a filthy animal? I like seeing him grunting and sweating as he tries to squirt his slime in Splendor. The way she plays with that is fun too.

>Do you want the psychic help?
>-At least it's a good excuse to give in to my urges. Why not get my head fucked in the same appointment as some physical fucking with a skilled practitioner?

Let's go Maximum Redhead and let Alice work off some steam, so she can deal with Gloria (and Truth) with a little bit less Stupid in her system.

>you should manage your stress more proactively, get more familiar with your environment, make friends, and get to know people so they startle you less.
Arguably that's what you were doing when you were set off. Progress? Sort of?

>It would be great advice if you were planning to stay here in Fort Hippie with these people.
Well, that bandit siege does a good job of keeping you here with these people, for the time being.

>Splendor adds that Truth is surprisingly awkward for a priestess.
Yeeeeea-up. Got that. Maybe when we stop being annoyed at her we can sympathize and accept her as a member in the sisterhood of socially awkward crazies (Wait if we have that in common is Gloria attracted to awkward weirdos?).

>psy stuff
I was kind of hoping on there being something in there if stress awakenings are bullshit, and if there are alternatives.

>>804974
See, okay? Splendor asks before fucking with you, literally, metaphorically, or head magically. Is that so hard, Truth?

>Are you going to watch?
That whole "She Gives and Truth spying on all your private sex stuff" thing is making you feel really guilty at the prospect of the same thing to Snow, now. (Stupid gods, ruining your fun). I mean, you know Splendor doesn't mind, and there's a good chance Snow would be into it if he knew, but like hell are you asking him.

>Do you want the psychic help?
Still of the opinion Alice should be leery at the prospect of her brain getting magic powers, even if letting Splendor fuck your head is a lot more attractive than the option Truth presented.

Professional physical relief and a temporary does of not-crazy sounds really tempting though.

Bored Max 2017/05/30(Tue)02:59 No. 805152 ID: 95aee2
File 149613839414.png - (59.64KB , 611x397 , hearts.png )

You get up to go, but stop where you're standing as you consider Splendor's offers. As you stand there she walks up to you wraps her arms around your back. Your arms almost reflexively wrap around her as she presses against you, and rubs her left cheek against yours. Her hair swirls around you again, tickling your right ear. It takes you a moment to notice that this puts her ear so close to your mouth you could easily kiss it or whisper into it.

You have a momentary pang of conscience about the hypocrisy of spying on Snow, and how you really wouldn't want him spying on you, but it passes. You know he gets a lot of his dates, and some of his spending cash, from male stripping nights at Gloria's Place. Those are on Wednesday night most of the time. You bet he would like it far too much if he heard you were watching him with Splendor, so you won't tell him.
Plus, you can't give up your conspiracy sister: There is no way Splendor has told him about it, or wants it to stop. There's also the human rights angle to this: You think it's fair for you to stalk shameless sluts and watch them act like animals. It's fair because if he was being a sapient, rational human, aware of his surroundings, and in control of himself, he'd be able to catch you watching him. The closer you get, the hotter it is.

You whisper back, "F... fine. You've teased me into it. I want the slow and fun way, and a front row seat for the pre-show."
Splendor turns around, and bends over ass-up as she gets her keys from her purse. Straightening back up, she turns back to you and puts her keys all the way down in your right jeans pocket. She leans in to nibble your right ear and whisper, "I'll do my best to reward you for your patience." Then she grabs your ass with both hands, turns you around, and gently pushes you towards the door.

When you open the door you see Snow waiting in the chair beside it. He smoothly stands up and says, "Good evening, nice job out there with the six bullets today."
"Not bad with your two truck engines and the charge afterwards holding a shotgun. You're worth respecting on the battlefield yourself."
You both smile at each other, and you continue walking away. Almost immediately you can feel him staring at your ass, so you give it a little wiggle, and turn around to catch him at it. You were right of course, and you raise an eyebrow at him and blink. He winces his eyes shut, puts his hands together flat, fingers up, and makes a small bow towards you before he spins to the side and goes into Splendor's door.

*

Later....
Much later....
Very much later, you are a naked, sweaty, slimy, panting mess on top of Splendor. Her black hair is held back and away by gravity pulling it over the arm of the couch, and your red hair is tied up in pigtails because the braid was a mess. Looking down at your crotch, you see your throbbing, red, private lips jammed in Splendor's glistening, black vulva. Looking back up, there she is about to kiss you on the cheek.
After kissing you, she disturbs the quiet to comment, "The way you blush all over during an orgasm is pretty, and hot. I still want pictures and video of it, eh?"
"There are pictures and video. You'll get them."
"Yes, yes, the promised land of the private blog, which you've told nobody else about and won't tell me how to get to."
"Fucking Truth knows. Her voyeur goddess gave her the URL and a password."
"Shit, no wonder you're so pissed at her. Maybe you should hate-fuck her."
"What?"
"Spread her legs, put your clam on her clam, squeeze her melons, and express your anger by rubbing your clit against her clit. Attack the bitch with your sex drive, it's a dangerous enough weapon."
"I haven't had sex with too many women, but I don't think consensual sex is likely to work. It would start being rape if it was a true punishment, wouldn't it?"
"Give it time. I'm sure if you keep trying you'll find a girl who doesn't like it when you give her the full treatment, but always begs for more. For now, get your fingers out of my asshole, this towel is soaked and sticky. We need to clean up this place--and each other--first, before we do more fucking. We could also take a break to chat for a while before we go back to it, y'know."

What's next after post-sex clean up?
-I need more sex of course. Splendor knows the first hour only took some of the edge off for me, and we need to keep going.
-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about how people get psychic powers.
-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about the hot mess I've got with Gloria and Truth.
-Bed early, after a run and a snack first. These people need me and Splendor for stuff in the morning, so I should send us both to bed early.
-____________ <---There are many things Alice could think of here. For instance, she only had half a dinner so she could exercise after. Food at the mess, or Gloria's Place, could be a good idea.

Truth has access to your private blog, so there may be no point in trying to keep it secret around here any more.
-I have not given up yet. I will try grabbing Truth by the neck with both hands before I do give up.
-Splendor is hot, and I could use her help making videos of us for the blog. Her I don't mind having access as much.

So... did she fuck with your head or not? Can you tell? Hopefully it's not just a placebo, even if it's a very nice placebo.

>revenge sex
Remain skeptical. Hippies.

>stripper nights
Hippies! Definitely something in the water.

>what's next
>-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about how people get psychic powers.
>and talk about the hot mess I've got with Gloria and Truth.
Honestly these seem the most pressing issues to discuss with the psychic you trust and your sex-therapist.

>Truth has access to your private blog
To be fair, she only continues to have access because you haven't changed the password. Her god broke in once out of paranoia, she probably won't break in again just because Truth is horny or curious.

If you continue to not change the password that means you want her to have access. (The fact it didn't occur to you till now may indicate you wanted her to keep access).

Personally, I'm still pretty skeptical how sexy video of you and ex-es you had a specularly messy, ends-in-murder tier breakup, even if none of the bodies are you three. Maybe it's time for a new blog? Or some curation of existing content?

Leaning towards letting Splendor in, though.

Bored Max 2017/06/01(Thu)19:19 No. 805528 ID: 95aee2
File 149636999076.png - (25.15KB , 854x534 , foldoutbed.png )

AirConditioning: .dice 1d2 feepbot: AirConditioning: d2 : 1
----

Cleaning doesn't take long, aside from Splendor fingering your ass in the shower. When it's done and you're dry, you take your clothes to the fold-out bed. She is waiting for you there, lounging on her side with one knee up, one knee out, and smirking. Her hair is fanned out across most of the bed, leaving only the spot with the towels on it for you to lie down on.

You sit down on the side of the bed, and grab your Slate. After skipping past the messages, you give Splendor access to your private blog. It is done. You put your Slate back in your jacket, and cover your blushing face with both hands as you tell her.
"I sent you the login and password Truth has. It belongs to Thistle and Dragonfly, and I plan to send them a new one and shut that one down. I promise to give you a personal one before I leave Fort Hippie."

Splendor reaches up to you, and pulls you down on the bed with her. You eagerly lie back on the stack of towels, and pull your right knee up to your chest. She gets her Slate, leaves it beside your head, and climbs on. After kissing you on the cheek, she starts watching one of the videos.

After the video ends, you hold her hips steady to stop her from distracting you for a moment, and ask Splendor how people get psychic powers. She pulls a sheet over top of you both, pulls her hair to the side, and settles down on you. She looks up info on her Slate as she explains.

"It's meditation, lucid dreaming and imagination exercises in the beginning. When you are good at it, the next step is developing an ability. You can try to do this using online guides, but it works much faster and better to have a teacher who knows the ability teach you how it works. You have to have a good grasp what you should be sensing when the ability works, so you can build up your idea of it. When your idea gets good enough then you have an ability you can use. The last step in developing an ability is to practice it until you can use it reliably.

"There are two other known ways to get psychic abilities, but they are pretty uncommon. The less uncommon one is spontaneous development. It happens under physical, mental or social harm and threat, and each person has different triggers for it. It usually only lets someone cut through the time spent practicing an ability, although sometimes people get other abilities this way. If the internet doesn't lie, the first person known to use a command, like I used on you just now, got it that way. He stopped a guy from doing shotgun fellatio by making him hand over the gun, according to the story.

"There are also self-taught psychics. Those are really rare, and it mostly happens to people who do so much lucid dreaming and other vision hunting they stumble on things. I don't see you as the type to sit around with a hash pipe all day."

Well, that was interesting and informative. You consider how absurdly unlikely it sounds for you to ever get psychic powers. For one thing, you try not to get lost in your head because you don't want the nightmares to haunt you while you're awake too. For two, psychic powers could be useful but the time it takes to use them is an opportunity cost both in and out of action. For three, you're a busy girl with loot to gather, hidden bunkers to establish, and spouses to hunt down and marry. Getting psychic powers sounds like something for bored housewives, and people who want social jobs that need them.

Then, after another small orgasm you stop moving your hips because you realize something: You are hungry, thirsty, and if you don't go to Gloria's Place for ribs right now you're stuck with soup from the mess.

You're trapped between two appetites, which wins out?
-Fuck it, I need this. Keep going!
-Splendor has already shown me the dress she wants to stretch across me when she drags me out. And the slutty underwear. I'll do it, because she wants to.
-I want advice on how to handle Gloria before I even consider visiting her place wearing that kind of dress. I must miss out on ribs, and slow down to talk some more.
-Wait, it is getting late, and we should both be up in the morning. Bugger, I need to get a snack and go to bed.
-____________ <---Hungry, thirsty, horny, haunted, anxious, and worried are six of the things Alice is feeling.

Do you check your messages?
-No, messages from Gloria and Dragonfly both should be opened in private.
-Both of those will be embarrassing, and Splendor might be able to help me deal with it.

>Well, that was [...]
What, no, Alice, you're rationally considering the advantages to having and the costs to earning psychic powers instead of fretting out over bullshit magic in your messed up crazy! It's almost like... oh right, Splendor made you not-crazy for now. So that's how that feels.

Although it's worth pointing out bored meditation time might work the next time you're on a long stakeout like today. Unless that compromises awareness?

>Dragonfly
Must have seen those for-Gloria pics you uploaded. Or the angry rant.

>what do
I say go out and eat. Ask Splendor to come with if she hasn't eaten.

Try to weasel out of the dress though. You just want to eat, not make another spectacle! Even if you'd do it for her.

(And if you're still horny after there's the possibility of going home with someone).

>Do you check your messages?
You could check Gloria's message since you're heading there to eat anyways. Gives Splendor something to advise (or tease) you about on the walk over.

Save Dragonfly's for later. Probably serious stuff, and you don't want to be down now, and you can't have Splendor help you through literally everything all the time. She's got other things to do, after all. You can talk to her about it later if it's bad.

Bored Max 2017/06/03(Sat)03:08 No. 805699 ID: f09223
File 149648448328.png - (15.42KB , 504x302 , bar.png )

"Uhm, Splendor?"
"Yes love?"
"I need to keep going, but only had a bit of greens earlier so I could work out. Right now I can still get something from Gloria's Place, but if we keep at it much longer then the soup is all I can have for dinner."
"Oh, that is a good reason to stop. The mess all day soup is good, but I'll use the excuse to take you out on a date. Back in the shower for a five minute scrub, quick, quick."

*

You complain, "I still don't see why the dress is necessary."
Splendor laughs, and assures you, "Trust me, it is. I wish I had time to put makeup on you too, but you're pale and cute enough to be alright."
You're walking arm in arm with her, wearing short dresses. It was all you could do to avoid the heels, and the purse. You've got your holster, and a duty belt with your stuff, over top of the blue dress. The dress is armless and shoulderless; the neckline doesn't plunge very far, the hemline is halfway down your thighs, and it is pleated below the waist. At least people can't stare at your ass with the skirt in the way. Underneath, the padded bra offers fair support with no wire digging in. What's lower down isn't too weird at least.

The noise and chatter in Gloria's Place hits you as Splendor drags you through the front door. She's greeting people left and right, and you're getting cheers, looks, compliments and propositions yourself as well. You manage to handle it all, with a steady stream of greetings, thank yous, and sarcasm in the right places on the way to the bar. Splendor on your arm makes you find your voice, because you would be even more embarrassed if she helps you speak up.
You get to the bar, and struggle to sit down. As you're fidgeting and fiddling to get your skirt arranged correctly, Splendor orders for you.
"So, Eel, my blushing date here needs ribs. All the way spicy, and everything she has needs to have absolutely zero sugar in it, or else."
"Your date... wait, I've heard this story. This is the girlie my boss lady has been after, isn't she? Let me move the bowl of mints out of harm's way then."

You pout as you watch the pretty mints go far, far away. While you do so, Splendor orders herself a mint julep and says you both need lots of water. Eel-Key grins, pours you both large glasses of ice water, and gives you a bunch of mint leaves. Your saviour.

"Hello Miss Alice. You probably don't remember me, but I wanted to express my appreciation for your help with us not having any casualties so far. Hey Eel, what she's having, one more on me."
This guy is Golder, one of the Lieutenants if you remember right. He's the pretty Asian man who is too skinny. He smiles, waves, and goes back to his table, where people raise their glasses towards you in a toast now that you're looking at them. This is your most pleasant reason to blush all day.

Suddenly boobs! Gloria's strong arms seize your head and upper body, and your face is pulled into her cleavage as she greets you. "Hi Alice, I was worried you wouldn't come over today. Thank you for bringing her here Splendor, and dressing her up pretty too."
"Sometimes a girl likes to show off how she's been able to score with the shy cutie nobody else has had any luck with yet."
"Here I was thinking she might be a total virgin. How badly did you ruin her?"
"Not at all, nothing is wrong with her that wasn't that way or worse before she got to town. Actually, Alice, do you mind if I talk with Gloria about you?"

Ugh, but you're here for food!
-"If you have to talk about sexual topics, would you please at least keep it where I can't hear while I'm trying to eat?"
-"Wait, what? No way, a good counselor doesn't share her patients secrets with anyone."
-____________ <---At least Splendor asks, even if sometimes she asks things which shouldn't even be asked.

Really Gloria, boobs in the face are very distracting when you're here to eat.
-Gloria starts feeding you when the ribs get here.
-You at least salvage the dignity of feeding yourself.
-Somehow you manage to convince your would-be lover you really don't like to mix food and sexuality, and she doesn't sit in your lap.
-Flop over, pretend to pass out. It might work to convince Gloria you really can't handle the teasing and flirting.
-____________ <---Large breasts are like any other things, they are either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a hazard, that is your problem.

>You pout as you watch the pretty mints go far, far away. While you do so, Splendor orders herself a mint julep
I think she's teasing you.

>Actually, Alice, do you mind if I talk with Gloria about you?
Um. So long as I can trust you not to spill all my dread secrets or spoil my appetite, here.

>Really Gloria, boobs in the face are very distracting when you're here to eat.
>-You at least salvage the dignity of feeding yourself.
If you starve to death you won't be distracted by boobs or doing anything else for that matter.

Bored Max 2017/06/04(Sun)11:05 No. 805845 ID: f09223
File 149659953320.png - (66.43KB , 466x330 , ribs.png )

It is a bit muffled when you respond, "Um. So long as I can trust you not to spill all my dread secrets or spoil my appetite, here."
Splendor laughs, and says, "Have some faith in my professional discretion as a counselor, ice chewer. Gloria, pick a lap and let's chat a bit."

Gloria relaxes her grip to holding you comfortably, and straddles your lap. You return the hug as she settles on you. Turning to Splendor she says, "You have my attention, or at least a big piece of it."
"First of all, I'm teaching her to enjoy hugs, but she really doesn't like flirting or conversation about sex and sex-related topics. Especially not while she's eating."
"I was starting to get a feeling."
"Also, she is physically attracted to Truth. Alice is just so angry with her she would rather choke her than hug her."
Gloria pouts and turns back to you. She starts to ask, "What did she..." then shakes her head and says, "I'm sorry, it can't be a pleasant topic."
Before you can say something, Splendor continues, "One last thing, if you tell Alice why, she may have an easier time with how much you flirt and tease," then takes a sip of the drink in front of her.

Gloria sighs, and murmurs to Splendor in a low voice, "Good idea. If I'm trying to build a friendship with her, I should tell her about that." She leans over to your right ear and whispers, "PTSD. I'm not so bad I get the flashbacks where I don't know where I am, but sometimes I do get the panic attacks and the violent mood swings. Trying to stay at least a low level of aroused all day helps my stupid lizard brain part decide it's time to fuck, and not time to point a gun."

Eel clears his throat and asks, "Hey there, the ribs will be here shortly, but there's a drink with your name on it to make too. What is it?"
You know what you want. "Are we good for a pepper burn Bloody Mary? I want thick tomato pulp, and I want it salty, sour, and burning hot spicy."
"Can do, but we are in Canada here. You should do the far superior Caesar instead, eh?"
"What's the difference?"
"Clam broth replaces part of the tomato juice. A proper one has a lime slice along with the celery, but we can give you a slice of sour apple. Do you want to try it, or are you someone who can't do shellfish?"
"Yes please. I like clam juice on its own, so that sounds good."

Oddly, Gloria is blushing as she suggests, "If you're going to be eating ribs maybe I should be providing the lap to you instead of the other way around. Or am I too distracting?"
"I won't say no to your lap, but I thought you would be busy on a night of celebration like tonight."
"Silly me, I keep thinking of... never mind. So many laps, so little time. Be back to check on you two lovely ladies later."

*

Ribs are good, and it's a subtle difference, but the clam juice in the drinks made it better. You are enjoying the leftover ice and celery with Gloria in your lap, and feeling full.
Gloria is finishing up an old war story: "It turned out those bandits were so hard to find because none of them had any clue how to use maps or any direction sense. In the end, three of them converted--two to Unitarians, and one became a Sunni Muslim. The others took classes and were attending Waterloo last I heard."
You swallow your latest piece of celery to say, "Yeah, there's nothing sadder than a bandit who only does banditry because they think they have to. Lots of them don't want to give it up though."

Eel-Key yells out, "Last call!" and Gloria spins off of your lap into action, kissing your left cheek on her way to fill an order.
Splendor gracefully stretches up into a standing position, and gently pulls on your right arm. "Come on, we should leave before the crush. Maybe get to work on a thank you gift for our nice hostess?"

A thank you gift? Splendor is probably teasing you again.
-"Avoiding crowds is good, I could use some privacy and quiet right now."
-"I should thank people who sent me drinks, first. If he wasn't busy being bouncerly I'd give Fluffy a hug goodnight too."
-"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?"
-____________ <---Last chance to talk to someone before closing.

What happens next?
-I need the naughty time, for so many reasons.
-It is late. I do need some exercise to burn off all those calories I ate, but it is past time for bed.
-____________ <---Coming up on the witching hour here. Alice would normally have been asleep by now, but you can still do a thing or two because all the waiting left her with so much energy.

>PTSD
Well, you've got that in common, at least. Explains why she got it when you were freaking out the other day.

>clam juice
These people are all trolling you now.

>A thank you gift? Splendor is probably teasing you again.
>-"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?"
Yes, probably teasing you.

>What happens next?
>-I need the naughty time, for so many reasons.
But with who?

Bored Max 2017/06/05(Mon)19:59 No. 806197 ID: f09223
File 149671795656.png - (9.68KB , 263x328 , crow1.png )

The Caesar is Canada's most popular mixed drink, and a fair test of being familiar with Canadians. Alice not knowing of it is a sign of her cultural deprivation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(cocktail)
----
"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?" you accuse, without much bite. You have enough booze in your system you are managing calm and sociable. It took nearly enough to get a slight buzz.
Splendor feigns innocence, sounding close to plausible. "Oh my, we are being a touch forward tonight? I was thinking of how the lady is known to like chocolate. You could afford to get her some."
You fell for it, again, it seems. She can always give you a clean answer for when you're expecting a dirty one, and the other way around. You deal with it: The last of your ice water gets drunk, the ice goes in your mouth to crunch along with the last of those peppermint leaves, and you accept Splendor's arm. On your way out you salute each of the four people who bought you drinks with the last stick of celery.

As you go, waving to people who wave at you, you hear a conversation about you of course:
"I never would have guessed she cleans up so nice, but doesn't get any less scary wearing a cute dress."
"Yeah, eating ribs with drinks which look like blood... yeah. Not needing the napkin to eat ribs is also... damn."
"Those are Caesars she was having. Drinking four of those in one night means she is a true Canadian, and it is okay for us to adopt her."
"Do you know proper care and feeding instructions for a sniper?"

The door closes. You banish the overheard chatter from your mind and respond to Splendor's proposal. "I can afford it? I haven't had any chocolate since a long time ago. It comes from jungle places, right?"
"Waterloo lets us order it by the shipping container through them. It works out to two ounces being close to as expensive as what you had in her place tonight."
"Two what? Tell me what that is in a normal measurement, please?"
Splendor pulls her Slate out of her purse as she walks, and you have to make sure she does not trip in the darkness as she checks for you. "Between fifty-six and fifty-seven grams."
"So, a bit expensive to get a half-kilo. Maybe later, if I give something so pricey to her while I'm still on strangling terms with her wife it might be a problem, eh?"
"Fine, I admit it. I was hoping to add a few more orders so I can send for the next container of brown happiness."

*

Splendor only managed another hour of fun before promising to make a house call in the morning to finish it up. It was way past normal bedtime so you went straight there. You're saving Dragonfly's message for later.
Right now, things do not make much sense. Somehow you're naked, in a grassy field, under a starry night sky, and you can see as though it is daylight out. You are not cold or uncomfortable at all, and you can't see any shadows, which makes no sense unless a thing is happening you always try to avoid. You had better not be having a lucid dream.

"Yep, you are," answers the talking crow in the tree.
The tree wasn't there a little while ago, and now it is, which confirms you're dreaming. At least this is a lucid dream instead of a nightmare.

"And you're quick enough on the uptake too, so this should be a good visit. I will tell you one thing you need or want to know, your choice. Aside from that, because you have called me, we can also have a little bit of a chat. Sorry, we're not on first name terms for this, because you did not formally call me. So I can't name you, and there are consequences if you try to name me. Let's avoid inviting those until you know what it means and can make an informed choice about it."
You are holding an old, double-barrel shotgun loaded with birdshot. Your sleep is disturbed enough already without extra fucking around to make it worse.

"No need to be so unfriendly. Ask if you want me to go away so badly, or decide I'm not here. It would be a wasted opportunity though, help with the nightmares and flashbacks is the least I would give you for free."

Oh chainsaw sodomy, this is metaphysical bullshit. You do not do dream walking for a reason.
-Decide the crow is not here.
-Ask the crow to leave.
-I don't go bird hunting much, and I also don't have to run out of shells here. I'll take a shot, and see what happens.
-I did not intentionally call this crow. Just tell me something I need to know, and go away.
-I did not intentionally call this crow. Just tell me something I want to know, and go away.
-You do not expect much from a crow. Could be worth it to ask what the help is still.
-What else does this crow want to give me for free, and how free is this free anyway?
-____________ <---Alice is happy this isn't a nightmare, but very much wary and a bit annoyed too. Who the heck is this crow?

>She can always give you a clean answer for when you're expecting a dirty one, and the other way around.
Psychic cheater. Or savvy social skills cheater.

>Who the heck is this crow?
We know who He is, but we can't name Him. Because naming Him has consequences.

"If you're who I think you are, I've heard you tried to claim me. Which I don't much appreciate."

>help with the nightmares and flashbacks is the least I would give you for free
"Trust enough to fuck with my head doesn't come easy, or cheap. There's only one person alive who has it right now."

Bored Max 2017/06/06(Tue)12:17 No. 806324 ID: f09223
File 149677662453.png - (15.15KB , 376x384 , crow3.png )

You decide the crow can't read your thoughts, memories, or anything here but the scene you're envisioning together. Then you speak up, "If you're who I think you are, I've heard you tried to claim me. Which I don't much appreciate."

"I'm not... no, we've never met. I may know who has earned your ire, are they perhaps more than one crow? I do share certain... attributes in common with them, but I have no... ah... plurality or deific pretensions." The crow tilts her head up and says, "I am a crow, and I am not a crow, but I am not one of many, Miss. Look up for a hint what my name is."

This beats a nightmare for now at least, but you don't have any way to know how much this crow is lying. So, to stop her from wasting both of your time you give her a warning. "In any case, trust enough to fuck with my head doesn't come easy, or cheap. There's only one person alive who has it right now."

The crow laughs. "You never thought it was weird she is the only woman you've ever been very attracted to who is less than buxom? As far as she sees she really does have your best interests at heart, so I'm not going to tell you not to trust her. I would caution that her idea of your best interests does not match your own. Frankly, for the most part it's flat better though.
"Also, please don't lie to me. I know you let two others fuck with your head, quite often. What they want from you is straightforward at least, but I'd call you wise for breaking away from their orbit if you meant to do it. Instead, I will call it the silver lining to the accident of fate and circumstance which took away Joe.
"But no, I am a spirit. I am not a goddess, swollen with power, and seeking to bind people to me in exchange for easy answers. I have a bit of knowledge, a bit of wisdom, a bit of sight, and a bit of insight. I keep an eye on things because it's all I can do usually. In this case where I am sent with a mission, I can try to teach you a thing or two if you like."

Glaring, you point out, "You seem to know an awful lot for a crow who has just met me."

She tilts her head to the side and looks at you like you said something stupid. After a moment she shakes her head and says, "Mostly by looking at the trails between you and others, and what you were leaving open and visible when I got here. There's another reason of course, your parents sent me to check up on you, because it's a lot easier for me to do it than for them to do it. They want grandchildren of course, and your mom is frightened of what might happen to you. She was hoping the ordeal you had when Joe died would keep you from ever chasing battle again. Your dad has a little more faith in your ability to survive, but doesn't know why you're taking the risk."

Shaking your head you respond, "This story you're spinning isn't very consistent. I called you, but my parents sent you? Which one is it?"

The crow blinks, and seems a bit irritated as she gives you more vague details you can't verify. "Both. It took a fair bit of effort to get here, all the way from there. It is a long way from there. It's a bit worrying I did it so fast, it says you have a sufficiently big grudge, or ambition, or enough of each, to shine out to me. If I can see it, so can the they who meddle and presume so much. They're a lot more sticklers for form, so you have to know and intend to call them, or sincerely want to call them, instead of merely calling them by being in and of their domain. You're not begging for unearned power, or tracing a sign, so you're not the problem the priestess needs to find. If you want more specifics, we can have this conversation because I am asked to report on you by yours, and to do what I can to help you. The answer you want, or the answer you need, whichever it is, you get that one from calling me."

How much of this crow babbling hints and details is showing off, being helpful, or being bored and trying to start some shit?
-I'm curious what kind of help she thinks she can offer, let's ask for a list.
-Get the answer 'I need' and let's stop. I have to consult someone about who and what this thing is.
-Get the answer 'I want' and let's stop. I want to know ____________ <---This blank could be auto-filled, vaguely filled, or specifically filled.
-If this bird's really here to chat with me on behalf of my parents, I want to know how they are.
-____________ <---What do you want from the crow, or to say to the crow?

This crow is a bit annoying. Hints and smart-ass criticism that might all come from your own memory does not impress you.
-I'm shooting the crow, she is enough of a bitch to earn it.
-Decide the crow is male, I'm curious what might happen.
-Nah, I'm not messing with the crow yet. I can do that later if I really need to.
-____________ <---Want to try messing with the crow?

>You never thought it was weird she is the only woman you've ever been very attracted to who is less than buxom?
Hey, you're allowed to be deep! And she's a professional.

And I mean, you sorta think the whole sex thing is weird, what's one more wrinkle?

Don't rise to the obvious bait, Splendor has earned enough trust for that.

>I know you let two others fuck with your head, quite often
Oh come on, how many psychics do you even know? Is this camp some redheaded breeding experiment? (Or is bird brain being less literal).

Although the important bit is if that's present tense or past tense "let". If there were other people who had that trust before, that doesn't mean they have it now, or that you were necessarily lying.

>How much of this crow babbling hints and details is showing off, being helpful, or being bored and trying to start some shit?
So... since all of this is unverifiable dream babble, you got any references on your resume? Anyone who can vouch for a spirit animal not-a-god visiting from the land of dead parents?

>-____________ <---Want to try messing with the crow?
Decide the crow is a hippo.

Bored Max 2017/06/06(Tue)22:54 No. 806536 ID: d35c6b
File 149681489268.png - (109.72KB , 640x360 , hippo1.png )

You facepalm and ask, "So... since all of this is unverifiable dream babble, you got any references on your resume? Anyone who can vouch for a spirit animal not-a-god visiting from the land of dead parents?"

The crow blinks. "Short answer is yes, but you wouldn't be able to process it. If you get to the priestess early enough in the day after you wake up she would be able to confirm that you weren't visited by a deity, but saying more than that would require a bit of the old augury reaching into the deep and all. That costs, has its risks, and I doubt she feels quite that indebted to you. Other people may be able to do it, but they won't, or at least I do not see it as likely. You will have to take on faith that a lesson I give isn't some tedious and boring plot to steal your precious bodily fluids. Or don't, give me the finger and tell me to take a hike."

Hold in the smirk, hold in the smirk, hold in the fucking smirk. You psych yourself up to mess with the crow while keeping a straight face, "I might be more inclined to do that if you weren't a hippo."

The crow hippo perched on an upper branch of the tree doesn't look right. For one thing, she's not falling through all the branches and crashing to the ground. For another thing, there seems to be some disagreement over whether the hippo is a hippo or a crow, and so you can only sort of see the hippo as a hippo.
She is not terribly amused, "Oh, fun. Are we enjoying stupid lucid dreaming tricks for children here? I'll put up with it because you were denied a proper childhood, but it's pretty annoying."

"What is the point of a conversation with you when I have no way to know if you're lying about anything or everything I see?" you ask.

"If I teach you something, the test of whether it works is if it does work. If you're really suspicious you take what I tell you to someone else you trust to check what I said for tricks and traps first. If you're too suspicious for that, I leave knowing I tried. In that case I can tell your folks that you're wary enough of spirits not to trust me because I say so, and they can take some comfort in it." She starts preening her feathers. The hippo goes all cosmic starry sparkles, because you're not sure how to translate the idea of a crow preening her feathers to a hippo.

A ripple propagates through the dreamscape, but doesn't change anything. This is inside your mind, and you know you have ultimate control here. The crow hippo glares at you and asks, "Are you going to quit this nonsense or is it really amusing you that much?" She cocks her head and continues, "Because I don't have to sit here and take it if you're not interested in what I can offer as help. What that is, for the most part, is ideas and patterns. How to develop your personal magnetism, your vision clarity and control, a few techniques and skills including some psychic powers. Some entertainer talents might... actually, wrong person. You hate the spotlight, so there isn't much point in teaching you how to light up a crowd, draw stares with your stripping, or how to keep more people than you would go to bed with at once addicted to your crazy. You're also smart and wary enough to stay the hell away from action you haven't already won, so you don't need stormtrooper tricks.
"Y'know what? Fuck it. It's healthy for you to be skeptical of whether or not I am some asshole out to get you, so I'll leave and come back later after you've had a fair chance to do some consultation. Quickly now, before I completely run out of patience: What do you want to know, or should I tell you something I'm pretty sure you need to know?"

This crow hippo is getting more and more annoyed.
-Double down on it, she is a hippo!
-Oh fine, I'll stop. Even if she is a part of those assholes who shall not be named this is not doing anything useful, and the joke is getting old.
-____________ <---You could try something else here. Lucid dreaming fun, yay?

Are you interested in spirit gifts from the clearance rack?
-What are those psychic powers she says she can teach me?
-Personal magnetism? Hum... it would be nice to, wait... is this even a good idea?
-Vision clarity, why would I even want this, no really?
-Hold on, entertainer talents?
-A spot of stormtrooper badass chutzpah could make the difference in living or dying if I do screw up, tell me more.
-Nah, tell me a thing I need to know.
-Nah, tell me something I want to know. ____________ <---Whaddaya wanna know?
-____________ <---Asking a spirit you've just met for tricks could be entertaining even if it isn't useful.

>I doubt she feels quite that indebted to you
*Snort* She should. Good morning Truth, wakey wakey, I'm here to inconvience you so you can start making up for the other night.

I wonder if we flat out tell her the bird said she wouldn't look deep enough if she'd take it as a challenge?

>test whether what I tell you works or have it verified
Not-a-bird isn't properly paranoid. Teaching you a skill that works in no way verifies the information she's offering, and the later is the more serious (since it concerns your parents, and things you need or want to know). Learning a skill ex nihilo is just evidence this wasn't just a dream (although not absolute proof. No reason you couldn't spontaneously come into powers and internally justify them with an imaginary spirit guide).

>dream bird hippo is impatient
Well gee, maybe she shouldn't have messed with a sniper then. Cause we got patience in spades. We can do this all night. (Sure beats a nightmare).

>You could try something else here. Lucid dreaming fun, yay?
We could make her a person, just to see if she goes the mystic little girl or old woman route. Or if she tries to pander to you with tits.

Proooooobably should let up though, if and when we ask her for anything.

>Are you interested in spirit gifts from the clearance rack?
Okay. So, if we're treating this as something we can't trust yet, that rules some things out.

No storm trooper tricks. A good first test is not something you would be relying on to save your life in a bad situation. Similarly, anything that seriously messes with people around and the way they think you has consequences we don't want if it goes wrong (and maybe not even if they go right), so no magic charisma or appeal. Also rules out serious information. For now.

What would be ideal is a paroul trick. A prank, even. Some little way to mess with someone, prove this was real, and entertain ourselves a little in the process, without committing to anything more yet.

Bored Max 2017/06/08(Thu)00:27 No. 806787 ID: d35c6b
File 149690686381.png - (18.16KB , 378x467 , crow3.png )

The hippo in a tree joke is done, so you let it go. "Okay, fine, sorry for trying to make you a hippo. I am a bit curious what you look like as a person, though."

The woman drops out of the tree, and walks up to you, her long black hair swaying and fluttering loose. She is a smooth skinned adult who could be anywhere from 18 to 80. Her height is a little bit shorter than you and she is a few shades less pale as well. She has black eyes, sunken cheekbones, a big nose, and her mouth has thin and pale lips. She's skinny, nearly gaunt, and wearing an armless and shoulderless dress of black feathers full length to the ground. This bird is utterly flat, and her arms are skin and bone. With a frown she asks, "Fine, so you have seen it now. Are we done with the stupid lucid dream tricks yet?"

You stop messing with the crow and say, "Yes, thank you. Back on topic, even if the power, skill or trick you teach is legitimate, it does not guarantee the validity of your information. Why should I take it?"

The crow takes off and flies back to her perch in the tree. She ruffles her feathers and turns back to you. "You are poking at the part where I am not able to lie. I am only allowed to respond to your call on the beyond so long as I do give you information you want, or information you need. You usually do not get a choice of which. Instead, you go in with a question, and come back with what our side thinks you should have, collectively. It takes individual action, like me giving you a choice, to send you back with something other than the one answer you would have had. This is a good thing for you: The question you were seen as asking on the way here gets you a dumb answer, so very dumb."
The crow covers the side of her head with a wing, in a gesture you somehow know carries the meaning of a facepalm, and murmurs, "So dumb," one more time. Then she continues, "But, let me be as clear as I can, since you are a bit... less than fully informed. I. Could. Not. Be. Here. And. Lie. About. That. It's common knowledge for people who dip their toes into the other side, the key term you can use to look it up on the internet is 'spirit intercession.' It's a hard rule, and it goes for big scale shitbags doing it too."

One dismissive snort later, you have to admit the crow is being pretty emphatic on this. You don't plan to rely on just her say so, but there is not much else to cover on the topic here and now. So, you work out the implications of her offering free spirit gifts out loud. "Very interesting, if it is true. If the conversation and the gift are the parts of this where you are allowed to lie, I'd better not ask for something I might try to use in a life and death situation."

The crow deadpans, "Brilliant, you've worked out perfectly how I must not have a reputation because you haven't heard of it. Of course I'm going to lie, cheat, and steal, because I can. Do go on."

You point at the crow and keep going. "I don't even know if you have gifts to offer. It could be another lie, right? So this calls for a test. A thing I can test later whether you really gave me something, but nothing I would rely on."

She blinks, and says, "Ignorant, suspicious, jumping to conclusions. Yep, this is one way clever people come up with really dumb ideas. Here is the limit, I can give you two gifts, no more. If it turns out you have something useless, you may be screwed: You have to be good or lucky for the trade-in value to buy a good replacement, and most spirits don't have my extra incentive to do well on the gifting.
"But fine, a trick, I can teach you a trick. Want to learn to perform guitar for an audience? Other musical talent and skill is available too, including a lovely singing voice. The voice would take the most social practice and courage so maybe it's not your best option. The stripping thing can be surprisingly useful away from the stripper pole if you're willing to sacrifice the dignity. The seductive arts are not foolproof, and you'd need to boost your personal magnetism to get the most out of it, but it would help you keep together a relationship with more than one lover. The nerdy talent of reading from things is... yeah, no, if you fuck it up that's no good. Psychic power is probably too useful, and getting some of it would screw up your poker winnings. Considering poker has been your most effective method of dating people, okay fine, it is a fair reason. But ha, here's a perfect miss for you: A doctor's semi-psychic focus talent of last resort healing. It's too useful, risky, difficult, and emergency situation driven.
"You must not take the boost to your personal charm which can make it easier for you to get social attention and talk people into what you want. It would be too helpful for your weird threesome marriage plans, and it does not matter if I was asked to try and give you this gift in specific. The touch from this side which makes it easier for you to handle dreams, visions and psychic powers would also be too damn helpful."

The crow is annoyed, she's glowing red with anger, but is still offering spirit gifts. Interesting.
-So, this crow is offering two gifts, not one? What is the real limit?
-Oh my, if I had the courage to get up on stage Gloria could use me as a lead guitarist on Fridays and Saturdays. She's okay, but she's a better singer and drummer.
-Ask about one of the other gifts the crow mentioned. ____________ <---Which one?
-Ask about something the crow didn't mention, which I hope is a gift I can get from the spirits. ____________ <---What are you chasing?
-Ask if I can take a rain check, for after I have done my checking up on the crow. I don't know she isn't the jerkfaces yet, or scum in her own right.

Is there a thing I want to know enough to blow a mystic answer on it?
-I want to know: ____________ <---What is it?
-The spirit thinks she knows something I need to know? I want to know what it is.

>that rant and wall of sarcasm.
Pfffffff. She's adorable when she's angry.

Burst out laughing. Okay, I still don't know if you're fucking with me or not, but I think I like you.

>Of course I'm going to lie, cheat, and steal, because I can. Do go on.
Let's take a step back and attempt a little bridge mending.

You get that the paranoia isn't personal, right? We both know I have no basis for this kind of spiritual stuff to start from. And even if you're 100% on the up and up, you're only casually offering to change the way I think, change how people think about me, or give me powers. That's scary serious enough even if it works right.

>The crow is annoyed, she's glowing red with anger, but is still offering spirit gifts. Interesting.
Unless faking that you're getting to her is part of the sales pitch, sticking around through anger and insult strongly implies she has a skin in this game. Say, her spirit rep suffers if she can't close the deal. Or she's not allowed to be the one who hangs up. Or she really does have a personal reason to care about you, enough to preserve through your pigheadedness.

...why is two the magic number? Usually it's 1. Or 3. Or 7 or 13 or 108. Two is for chosen ones or opposites, things like that. (What? Look you gotta know a little about how stories are structured for game design).

I think we should see if we can take the rain check. We've already confirmed we know nothing about this, maybe you'll be better off after you've had a chance to do some research online and hassle Truth way too early in the morning (small bit of payback, yay).

Is there anything you can provide I can use to show this wasn't just a less tramautic than usual dream that doesn't come with a terrible opportunity cost? (Turning Truth's trick around on her and casually mentioning some stupid and/or embarrassing little thing we should have no way of knowing would be hilarious. A childhood screwup. The color of her underwear. Something dumb).

Bored Max 2017/06/08(Thu)22:55 No. 806988 ID: d35c6b
File 149698775065.png - (16.43KB , 288x616 , crow4.png )

There's something you find so very cute and funny about the way this crow is ranting at you, and you crack up. It takes a while to get the laughter under enough control to say, "Okay, I still don't know if you're fucking with me or not, but I think I like you."
The woman drops back out of the tree and says, "Thanks?" Now she looks confused, and it is adorable.

"You know the wariness is not only about who or what you are, right? We both know I know nothing about this, so I can't trust a thing without it being blind faith. Even if you are a reputable... crow, you're casually offering to change the way I think, change how people think about me, or give me powers. It's not a decision to take lightly even with absolute trust."
She grimaces and frowns. After a sigh she grumbles, "I guess I do not expect trust at this stage. You could have expressed your uncertainty less rudely earlier, but at least you do not seem to be trying to offend me now." A pair of glasses appears on her nose and she pushes them up, then they disappear again.

Soberly you ask, "So, why two gifts? In storybook logic it's a weird number for this kind of thing, and a bit pointy."
With a shrug she answers, "Limit of what can be done. You can get two, each on a separate occasion. Any more in total, or at a time, and it fails. In the future you may or may not be able to get two more.
"Another limit, your parents paid for two gifts and three visits. The best pattern has me start with a gift this morning. On the second visit I check on the first gift, address issues, and give a second gift. On the last visit I check again for issues, address those, and I leave with another successful job to my credit. But I guess my credentials didn't get here fast enough for that: You don't do much dream walking, do you?"

You shake your head and admit, 'No, never, I didn't intend to do it this time either. It's often a waste of time when it works, and there are risks too. It is not worth it."
She smirks, and says, "You aren't wrong. The risk versus reward balance is worse without being all the way good at the trip and the vision. Some psychic vision drills, the mystic touch, or enough practice can help."

You blink, and ask, "Can I get more than one of those things, put them together to make this easy, maybe conquer my nightmares for good?"
A raised eyebrow is all you get at first. "Sorry, no. You're not bad, and you don't have far to go to reach the practical limit. Just one of the above."
"What about getting the psychic training, and two gifts, so that I effectively have three gifts worth of stuff?"
"Good luck. To learn things the normal way takes time and effort, and means giving up whatever else you would do with the time. In the end these gifts can't give you much you couldn't do yourself. What they can do is save you time learning, and give opportunities you didn't get another way. They won't give you the impossible, make you superhuman, or let you skip out on practicing a skill. So no, a gift for piano won't do much without a couple hours per day in front of a piano from then on."

You sit down in the grass, laying the shotgun across your knees, and ask, "So, no gift for me right now I guess. What should I bring back to the other side as proof this wasn't a weird hangover dream?"
A blackboard hangs down out of the night sky, and the lady begins writing on it. "You have options, each has their own costs and issues.
"One is, invoke me by name before this is done. It would give me permission to mark you as a person of my interest, and make it easier for people to know we talked, and who I am. The second fastest option.
"Another is to invoke someone else by name. It could be good to call on a certain someone who told her priestess it was a matter of life and death to harass you. Since she is deity tier it would give her a pass on all future voyeurism, which goes in the minus column. It also goes in the plus column, because the flapping cloaca squad who shit all over your life already has this permission, and some balance might be nice.
"The bad option is to waste your answer on something stupid you don't need to know but couldn't otherwise know. Please, give me a little credit for figuring out something you need to know a lot more than that.
"You don't actually need to do anything special. We have an introduction, and you would know my name and can tell others of me by name in the waking world. This is the slow option, and has no side effects.
"The one I suggest, eh... invoke me or go back with my name. That said, you could do worse than calling on Truth's boss, and it would speed this all the way up. But she is a goddess, even if you would like her T&A."

Thanks for the options list, spirit crow teacher lady.
-I can bitch out Truth's crazy boss, directly? I am doing this. She Gives, I call on you to account for yourself!
-Night Sky really isn't being subtle with all the hints at her name. I should confirm it is her name, and invoke her.
-An introduction to Night Sky is the safest option, I should do this.
-Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is.
-____________ <---You can try other things, including an amazingly bad idea.

You are naked. Does it matter? Should you change it?
-No, I look good and I know it. Where else am I going to get to show off without being embarrassed about it?
-Regular hunting getup, I don't want my sensitive bits hanging out.
-This is a chance to try out wearing the slutty outfit Gloria gave me. I should use it.
-____________ <---Alice's imagination is the limit, which may not be as free as it sounds.

>it would give her a pass on all future voyeurism
Considering the degree of voyeurism she got up to without a pass, doesn't seem like we're giving up much.

>Bitch out Truth's crazy boss
I suspect that will be less than satisfying. Hippie god will be all contrite and understanding, and she'll apologize and it was all for the greater good and she'll be massively hot while doing so. She's too equipped to undercut a nice, satisfying angry rant by being sympathetic.

>the flapping cloaca squad who shit all over your life already has this permission
Wait. How much can he get out of that? Because if there's an eye in the sky who can feed some bandit priest real time intelligence on your position or any meeting you're a part of, that's a serious fucking problem re: not getting yourself and everyone else here raped and killed.

>waste answer on Truth's underwear
Hey there's a line between things you can tell me in casual conversation and things that count as magic gifts of information. I just gotta find it.

>Night Sky really isn't being subtle with all the hints at her name
Logical assumption would be there are rules, again. She's not allowed to just say it. That, or she benefits in some way (spirit points?) if she gets you to say her name instead of just introducing herself. (Or if we wanna go max paranoia again: it's not her name and she benefits / screws you over if she misleads you into misnaming her without a direct lie).

>You can try other things, including an amazingly bad idea.
Invoke the names of both gods you're aware of and watch them fight! Haha, no. You like your brain better not as collateral damage.

>what do
I say invoke Night Sky's name. I doubt that has more serious consequences than giving her a tether, and if it turns out she is up to something, crow-dreams are preferable to your nightmares.

>-No, I look good and I know it. Where else am I going to get to show off without being embarrassed about it?

>-Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is.
Playing off this more (cause it's funny).

I mean, does that even take a magic answer? You're not even asking for yourself, it's just a matter of bringing balance back to the world! There's a great imbalance in the force, where one redhead unfairly exploited her access to supernatural to access embarrassing personal information on the other. We'd just be righting the natural order. Spirits are big on that, right?

(If joking around gets a freebie, cool, but no, don't waste your free magic answer on this otherwise).

Bored Max 2017/06/10(Sat)00:09 No. 807146 ID: d35c6b
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"Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is."

There is an audible smack as the woman facepalms. "At the risk of hearing it, I want you to tell me why this is so important."

You don't know how to convince this bird, but you try to sell it anyway. "It's a matter of bringing balance back to the world. Truth unfairly exploited her access to the supernatural to get fucktons more embarrassing info than that about me. Isn't the balance in the cosmic force a problem which needs urgent attention?"

She removes her hand from her face, and stares at you. After a while she accepts that you need her to say it, and she says, "No, no she didn't, and no it isn't. Yes, I am speaking for the goddess in the second part of that, please don't ask me to ever do it again, it feels disgusting."

"Hey, there's a line between things you can tell me in casual conversation and things which count as magic gifts of information. I just gotta find it."

The glasses reappear, she pushes them back up her nose as she paces, and then they disappear once more. "Or you could ask. General knowledge is fine, although most spirits won't give you a thing for free. I am getting credit for telling you things from this side you should already know. Yes, this is one of the reasons why mystic people love to babble about it. I'm not saying it only for the pay either, nobody told you you're marked by them birds, and it bugs me when I get mistaken for them. Advice is fine as long as I don't tell you anything you couldn't easily figure out."

You unload the shotgun and start cleaning it as you ask, "Advice? Well, we have an example topic here. Can you give me advice on finding out what's under Truth's clothes, and if so, how much?"

She pointedly turns away from where you're sitting and says, "Now is not the best time to be thinking with your clit. But fine, it does make a clear example.
"I could tell you lots. To start, you may have already found out if you didn't blame Truth so much for what her goddess told her, and told her to do. You already know you would get hot dates with Truth if you joined her cult. You could try asking her wife. It may be her goddess is feeling sorry for her test, and might give you things, plural, for free if you called on her. I could tell you the they you mistook me for are almost certain to be amused with your grudge against her. The they would be very generous to you if you called on them, because they like you a lot. But please, I could do without you picking a fight between me and a goddess so you can find out what Truth wears the really dumb way.
"Side note, I can't tell if the they are watching this meeting because the mark means they do not have to be obvious about it. You of all people ought to know when anyone is looking at you, from anywhere. Who is?"

This you can do. "I know an angry feeling I don't like has tried to look in, and a crazy hot feeling is trying, but neither has the push to do it. Somehow you are looking at me while you aren't."

The crow lady grimaces, still looking away, and says, "She can't until you invite her in without it costing her a fair bit. They can push their way in and watch, but it costs them when you resist or you're in the waking world. Your talent can tell you if it does happen. And this vision is of both me and you, so looking away won't do much when this is all in my mind as much as yours."
She goes back to the blackboard, to a blank section of it which wasn't there until now it is, and starts writing more down. "Moving on, syntax and procedure. Proper procedure for an introduction in this case involves a greeting, identifying yourself, and either asking or challenging me to name myself. That is all it takes.
"An invocation requires you to begin with the name of whoever, 'I call on you to,' and a purpose. It does not have to be those exact, 'I call on you to,' words, but they are unambiguous so use them. Depending on what the purpose is, the spirit, or fucking hell the god, may respond and be present, and it can let them mark you as one they have an interest in depending on what happens."

You need a steady boyfriend and girlfriend, this is getting ridiculous. Neither of those are here, so you need to do something.
-Fine, "Hi there, I'm Alice. Who are you? Thanks, now please tell me what I need to know."
-I should get this introduction and invocation over with before I mess up my sheets.
-So this is what her goddess feels like? Oh gentle, tender sodomy it is hot. She Gives, I call on you to make up for your bullshit!
-____________ <---Oh Alice, you hornball.

Anything else before you wake up?
-____________ <---Is there?

>Alice should know when Many Crows is watching
So we're not a massive, unwitting intelligence leak in Fort Hippie's defense, good.

>[Many Crows is] almost certain to be amused with your grudge against [Truth]. [T]hey would be very generous to you if you called on them, because they like you a lot
Ugh. There's a creepy feeling- an embodiment of murder and death and the driving force of banditry likes you and wants to shower you with gifts. Way worse than normal people staring at your ass. We have a divine stalker.

Also geeze, come on, how fair is it that even the evil gods are sucking the fun out of holding onto a righteous grudge?

(I mean, arguably, there is some logic in taking whatever any god will give you for free while the freebies are hot, but the costs and consequences of doing so almost certainly aren't worth it).

>what do
The crow has here first, and (so far as you know) hasn't done anything to earn your ire, unlike... that goddess who does the sex giving. I feel like you should do the introduction and asking what you need to know with her before even considering letting She Gives in, much less letting her cut in line.

Also I feel like letting She Gives make up for her bullshit by mindfucking you into jelly sets a bad precedent.

>Oh Alice, you hornball.
No more naked times. Imagine yourself into something ridiculously conservative.

Bored Max 2017/06/10(Sat)22:28 No. 807270 ID: d35c6b
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Pause, take a deep breath, you want to be sure you are thinking clearly. You can feel that it will have lasting consequences if you do any of the things the crow has described. To try and clear your mind, you stand up and imagine yourself into hunting gear with ghillie. Dressing up for battle usually has a bit of a focusing effect on you, and it helps now.
Next, you reload the shotgun, decide the cleaning kit you were using is where it should be, and sling it across your back. You want it to be a combat shotgun, loaded with buckshot, so it is.
You are as ready as you're going to be, so it's time for the introduction.

"Hello and welcome, I am Alice. Who are you, and are you friend or foe?"
"Greetings Alice, I am Night Sky. I am neither yet, but perhaps will be a friend. Pleased to meet you."

She is pleased, you can feel it. Knowing who she is makes her attempt to pretend she's human much less effective, she is no woman. You can tell she is one crow, and only a crow. She stops wasting the effort of pretense, and goes back to her perch in the tree.
You adjust to knowing who Night Sky is, and you can feel her grudges. From those grudges come ambitions, this crow seeks big things. She hates all the gods, but some more than others. She wants them to implode, to cease their push for more, to halt and fail in their grasping for what should not belong to them. It's a cold, cold anger. You also feel something comforting from her, which is eerily familiar somehow.
As you continue getting used to knowing who Night Sky is, she preens a bit and waits for you to take your next move. You feel respect for your unwillingness to be rushed. You also know she is pleased with your unwillingness to take the insidious lures the gods cast out as gifts. This crow has issues, but it is good to know someone tries to stand up to the gods.

You don't know what to do from here, so you say so. "I'm not sure about if I want to do the invocation. Can I get the piece of info you think I need first and make up my mind on it?"
"No. The information comes last, because it is what allows me to be called all the way from there to you. It wouldn't help you with the decision much anyway, if at all. I don't see how it would be too useful outside the waking world.
"But, I can advise you further. The purpose is something you can specify in as much or as little detail as you please, and it matters what you invoke someone for. A spirit, or god, does not have to come at your call. I am already here, obviously, but if you call on me for a reason I don't like I could, and may, throw your answer in your face and leave.
"Here are two choices of purpose I will suggest to you. One is calling on me to establish my purpose in seeking you, and who I represent, and this would be a good way to make things clear. For the second, you I will try to help as best I can, if you call on me to push back on the trespasses of the gods. I can't match their resources and powers, but I am capable of more than they think."

That is interesting, but it leads to a very pointy question. "If I invoke you, am I picking a fight or a side?"
"No, you would not be. I am not a combatant."

Feeling Night Sky's frigid anger is making you the wrong kind of calm. It is the sort of calm you feel when you are about to do something, an intentional and violent thing. You are not fond of the gods you know, and they earned it, but this is not what you should concentrate on. The question before you is if you should invoke Night Sky, and how. The round is dealt, is it time to raise, call or fold?

So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
-Invoke her to reveal why she seeks me, and who she represents.
-Fuck it, those two gods picked a fight, and I don't intend to lose by giving up. I invoke her to kick divine ass.
-Uhm, no. If merely introducing ourselves affects me this much I have reservations, even though I like this bird's style.
-____________ <---Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Or not.

Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
-Now is not the time.
-They'll get theirs. Nobody can be that big a set of assholes and get away with it forever, can they?
-Deep breath, they like me for some buggered up reason I'm sure I would despise. For now I must pass under their notice, but I need to learn how to kill a god.
-____________ <---Is evil laughter appropriate here?

>>807270
>So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
>-Fuck it, those two gods picked a fight, and I don't intend to lose by giving up. I invoke her to kick divine ass.

Ugh, a tough choice. Night Sky has at least hinted at why she was sent and we might be able to pick at that later, and being able to hang a DUMB GODS KEEP OUT sign on our brain is really too good to pass up.

>Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
>-Now is not the time.

That's sounds like Night Sky's influence. her 'frigid anger' could definitely be down to a desire for vengeance.

>You feel respect for your unwillingness to be rushed.
Hmmm. Then what was the impatience earlier? Was that just an angry reaction to the suspicion or perceived personal insults? Had respect not yet been earned? (Or was it really part of a sales pitch / manipulation)?

>So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
It... occurs to me we can probably invoke her more than once. The invocation is the terms for inviting something in, right? We could theoretically invite her back, outside of this specific agreement. And if her grudge against gods really is a driving motivation, she would probably be pretty amenable to being invoked on those terms. (And would probably more accommodating on the price than if you asked her for something else).

>-Invoke her to reveal why she seeks me, and who she represents.
Let's get everything clear.

>Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
>-Now is not the time.
Think about this when you don't have someone else's grudge in your head-space. Survival versus revenge (versus just wanting to live your fucking life) is your call, not someone else's.

(If we really do decide we want to kill a god, a bullet in the brain of everyone who worships him would probably do it. Plus there's She Give's campaign to end the age of banditry, and Night Sky's war against the gods. Those two would probably make unhappy allies, but they both want Many Crows gone).

Bored Max 2017/06/11(Sun)20:25 No. 807385 ID: d35c6b
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Oh bleeding assrape! You get it, they marked you because you killed one of their followers by leading him or her into death. Probably chief dumbshit was their follower, yeah, that would make some fucking sense of how the fuck those assholes did it to you. He was such an idiot, there is no way he could've become a chief and stayed a chief for long without a lot of help. You lead their devoted follower to his painful death, and those crazy assholes took it as worship. It's all circumstantial, so you need to verify it first. But now you may have a god to get revenge on for Joe's death.
Wait, if it's true that's a bad thing, isn't it? You carefully turn away from your dark musings on how much pain you owe those filthy, stinking, birds. Inhale, take in a deep breath and concentrate again, this time on how now is not the time.
Clarity sounds like a really good thing right now, and you have to admit to yourself you're more than a little tempted to invoke Night Sky's aid against... oh so much hate. But, can you do both?

"Excuse me, I need to ask more questions."
"We are getting a bit shorter on time, but continue."
"Is there a limit to how often, or how, I may invoke you other than how you choose to respond to it?"
"You have to be dream walking, but otherwise no. If you don't think your problems with the gods require my help yet, but you do later, you can invoke me then. How well that works depends on what you need, if I am busy, and if I'm in range to respond. Usually I could ask someone else to go in my place, if I'm too busy or not close enough, but this is not a guarantee like a god could give. If you accept my mark it would make it much easier for me to reach you, but it is not required."
"Can I protect myself from being spied on and interfered with by gods?"
"A little bit, but I don't know about anything strong. If someone were to mark you and build a relationship with you, it would make it more difficult, rare, or costly for others on our side to deal or interfere with you without their permission. A god can simply beat through it if they want to, it only takes time and effort. From what I've seen, gods protect their followers in the same way, and a god's protection is worth more because gods are a bigger threat if they decide to be. It's more of a warning sign who you are pissing off in those cases."

Now you're out of useful questions you can think to ask again, besides how to kill a god. You aren't asking that last one yet. Instead, you do something else:
"Night Sky, I call on you. Why do you seek me, and who do you represent?"
Oh boy, if a crow could smile she would be. "See, I didn't trick you into it, I am telling you everything. Know Alice, know why, and know who."

Mom and dad are still watching from the other side, and they're worried. Of course they want to see you, but not so early. They want you to have a full and happy life, with lots of children, like they didn't get the chance to. Don't worry mom and dad, it already was the plan.
Now you know what the weirdly familiar, comforting warmth coming from Night Sky is. Mom sent you a bit of her charm. It couldn't be cheap for them to do this, and you can't find it in your heart to say no.

"I understand. Please do it, and thank you."
"One gift paid for, one gift delivered. Be more charming, you crazy pervert."
Whoa, you feel different.

Night Sky sends a feather from over in the tree to stick in your hair, and says, "This is a mark. If you don't like it, it will fade over time. For now we have unfinished business, and it will not fade until it is done. For best results wait at least a day, but no more than three, to call on me to get the second gift. But, I feel for you kid, so if those fat, pushy assholes push too far, call me."

Light starts to appear on the horizon, a straightforward sign Night Sky is going soon. She speaks up one last time to say, "You are due to wake up Alice, so here is the last piece of business. Today you should trick them, trap them, taunt them, and make the right occasion to steal their doctor. Go personally to do that part, you'll like it. Have fun!"

End Chapter 2: All Things Come To Those Who Wait

>>807385
Woo we made friends! With a spirit of the dead who wants to make war on the gods. I'm sure it'll be fine.

And we have an excuse to take a small petty revenge on Truth by waking her up entirely too early to verify this was real.

Bored Max 2017/06/11(Sun)23:54 No. 807407 ID: d35c6b
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Chapter 2 Score
-Enemy kills: 0 Wounded: 1
-Enemy matériel damage: 4 truck engines, 1 HMG Capture: 2 Intact Enemy HMG technicals, 3 with damaged engines, one with damaged engine and HMG, weapons and other salvage from the trucks and 18 bandits
-Enemy otherwise defeated, Captured: 18 Driven off: 0
-Victories and losses: 1 / 0

-Sexy people fucked, Men: 0 Women: 1
-Oral sex Given: 2+ Received: 1
-Handjobs given and received: How do you count that?
-Other fucking: 0 Masturbation: 5

-Big game hunted/assisted: 0/0
-Small game hunted/assisted: 2 / 0
-Loot acquired: A share in the above matériel capture, duty pay, hazard pay, free drinks, a sexy lady bought you dinner, and some of your mother's charm
-Ammo spent: 1 good quality .30-06 bullet, 5 good quality Raufoss 211s
-Ginger eaten: 2 large roots and 2 smaller roots nibbled or otherwise consumed over the course of the day

Per chapter violence assessment: A lot of waiting, and a good performance when the moment came.
Per chapter sexuality: Lesbian. If you spaced it out during the day better that would have been enough girly sexy time, but you didn't bag your man quota.
Per chapter wealth change assessment: Need to make sure they pay you a good share of your capture, could've gotten more if you went for the bonus round. You snared a couple squirrels while you were bored out of your mind, but had to send the skinned and gutted carcasses back in ice.
Final verdict: A lot of waiting, a little action, Alice learned some of her people's culture. The enemy lost half their force not long after their initial deployment, down from 20 main line trucks and 60 raiders to 10 and 30. These bandits were disappointingly poorly prepared for combat against an established enemy in wooded terrain.

I didn't mean to make them such complete mooks, they would have been more threatening in more open terrain. I couldn't even blame the dice, the odds were that bad against them.

Chapter three begins soonish. Do people want to try character gen on one of the other two open character classes yet--businessman or scavenger?
Should I put the off-cuts here, in a dis thread, or hide them until the end of the quest?

I wonder, if in retrospect, we should be annoyed to have gotten a magic gift after deciding we wanted to wait. Oh well, Alice's own fault for trusting magic feeling certainty and saying yes.

>I couldn't even blame the dice, the odds were that bad against them.
Yay for a well planned ambush.

>Should I put the off-cuts here, in a dis thread, or hide them until the end of the quest?
Cut offs make logical sense here. If you wanted to make a dis thread for other stuff, by all means.

I'm fine keeping this story going. If anyone else wants to perspective swap they'll have to speak up.

Bored Max 2017/06/12(Mon)16:51 No. 807533 ID: d35c6b
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***Cutting Room Floor***

This chapter was harder to write than the previous one. After the waiting scene was over I ended up having a bit of trouble dealing with the protagonist's drives, the players' interests, and the other strong personalities in the town, while figuring out what should happen. The possibilities are combinatorial and a tad fractal even in places to try to plot it out. Most of those off-cuts I was glad to abandon though, because they sucked.

There is one off-cut I was sorry to see go abandoned, and this one is because the players didn't choose the funny option. Maybe I had not established and stressed the mutability and unreality of the dream sequence strongly enough at that point.

*

Visions can go fuck themselves, you have enough problems between your ears without some damn thing poking at it to make it worse. You shoulder and aim the shotgun, then blast that fucking crow.

Now there's a corpse of a crow lying on the ground. The talking corpse asks, "What did you do that for?"
What the? You blast it with the other barrel!
The corpse speaks up again, "No really, this is in both our imaginations. You can't harm me here, only agreements and promises matter here. So why would you shoot me with an imaginary shotgun?"
You swing the smoking shotgun on your back and answer the corpse, "I don't fucking want a vision, okay? Just go away."
Flies start circling and picking at the corpse as it says, "Can't do that yet, sorry. If you want to do this really quickly though, accept the gift I was sent here to bring to you, and I'll give you the answer and leave."

This bullshit pisses you off, but you know you're not trapped in a vision. You can just decide this corpse isn't here and wake up, at the risk that will dump you back into a nightmare. Eh, maybe better a nightmare than risking depression, anxiety, attention deficit, unresponsiveness to stimuli, or the rest of the list of things that can go wrong when someone goes dream walking who isn't prepared for it. On second thought, if any of those were going to happen to you from this dream trip, it probably already did, and this does beat reliving your ordeal in Groundhog Annex again with extra bullshit.

The corpse speaks up, drawing you out of your muddled and annoyed considerations. Scratch that, this time the buzzing noises of the flies are making the talking sounds now. "Look, I'm here because I have a job to do. Let me do that job and I promise I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can. Both of us will be better off for it, too, I promise. Invoke me to speak only truth and I'll repeat this. I don't have time to waste lying, and I have a reputation to keep for not doing so."
You snap at the corpse, "Do you have to be so disgusting?!"
Suddenly the crow is perched in the tree again, and answers, "No, but I thought I should respect your intent and skill with the firearm. Sorry if that feels like I'm making fun of you. Honestly, I'm a little bored and I can't remember the last time someone shot me. It seemed like it could be fun."

Bored Max 2017/06/13(Tue)17:14 No. 807762 ID: d35c6b
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Chapter 3: Fate, Prophecy, and Slapstick Comedy

It's nearly late, you slept late enough to be awoken by your alarm for once. You silence the buzzing before the first full buzz finishes, then you wrap yourself into a robe and use the facilities.

When you're done, you consider your schedule for the day. You kept Splendor up rather late last night, and she almost certainly had a long and difficult day as well, so there's no way she is going to make the threatened house call on you so early. It's raining out, so you dress to run and put a rain slicker on to go to the gym.

A surprise awaits you in the gym, you catch Truth on one of the other treadmills jogging. After a moment's pause you decide it shouldn't stop you from doing what you came here for, and get ready to run. You go for a good running speed until you get through your standard morning 3km. As you get ready to leave again you notice Truth giving you an odd look, but she just waves and turns back forward to continue with her jog when you look back.

The shower was mercifully free of leering this morning, so you're in a pretty good mood when you get to breakfast. Oatmeal, apples and tea works fine for you, like it usually does.

As you finish the first apple Truth sits down in front of you and greets you: "Good morning."
You respond in kind, "Good morning," and spoon up some oats.
She eyes your pungently spicy oats for a moment with a wary look of alarm on her face, then shakes her head and turns to her food. She cuts open an English muffin, and asks, "I apologize if speaking about this is out of turn, but do you know you have a black feather, which isn't real, stuck in your hair?"

It is good to have confirmation that you weren't only seeing the proverbial pink elephant.
-*"Thank you for telling me about it Truth, it's good to know I don't need to spend time sobering up when I have so much to do today. How are you?"*
-"Apology accepted, for that much."
-"Not much interested in talking about it, but thank you for telling me."
-"Thought so, didn't know so until you said it. Thanks priestess."
-____________ <---Alice feels a bit odd, but it's nothing which impairs her. The opposite.

Do you need to talk to Truth, and how deep in conversation with Truth are you willing to get right now?
-*She is wound so tight, but you're sure you can get her to tell you something, or talk her into it.*
-Not at all. I don't actually need to but I'll excuse myself to go to the bunker as soon as I can.
-The minimum of politeness is a thing I can do.
-If she goes for the meat I'll go for the blood and guts.
-____________ <---Conversational goals and topics go here.

>do you know you have a black feather, which isn't real, stuck in your hair?
"Well, technically, I didn't know it was really there until you confirmed it. So thanks for that.

"Can you tell anything about it, besides the fact it's there?"

Going for independent verification here- we could just tell Truth what happened, but we want to see if she confirms any of what Night Sky said without leading the witness. A big one is if she can tell we were visited by a spirit and not a god (since I'm sure Truth's first panicked thought was "oh shit, did Many Crows get her after all").

>Do you need to talk to Truth, and how deep in conversation with Truth are you willing to get right now?
>-*She is wound so tight, but you're sure you can get her to tell you something, or talk her into it.*
Let's give that Mom-charm a test drive. If we fluster, confuse or get the better of Truth at all, consider that a petty bit of revenge.

Also, honestly, she is the closest thing we have to an expert in spiritual magical nonsense to consult in the real world. We do honestly want to run this by her, make sure Night Sky's stories seem to check out, and (after we've let her sweat and peer at the feather) confirm we didn't strike a deal to put the murder in Murder of Crows.

I kinda wanna give her a hard time about She Gives' attempted visitation. Just toss it into the conversation. "And could you tell your god, the next time she decides to go knocking at my brain, turn the volume down on the sex-happy-bliss radiation? It's distracting." (I didn't let Many Crows in either (busy night). I'd like to keep my negotiations with bullshit supernatural entities to one at a time).

Also honestly, Many Crows cheering for it kind of takes all the fun out of holding a grudge. Not that we're not gonna try to extract petty payback from Truth until her tab's paid off.

Bored Max 2017/06/14(Wed)01:21 No. 807853 ID: d35c6b
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With a smile you answer, "I didn't know it was really there until you confirmed it, so thank you for saying so. Is there anything else you could tell me about it?"
Truth blinks, and says, "Besides the fact it conflicts, vigorously, with the tears of blood Many Crows left on you? It's pretty, it's radiating darkness and stars like a halo, and I have no idea who it comes from, which rules out all the gods. Also, you're glowing a little, more than you did on Monday I'm sure. Is everything alright?"
"A little something happened to me this morning."
"What happened?"
"A visit from a spirit, one I had never met before."
"Do you know the name of the spirit?"
"Yes, her name is Night Sky."

Truth pulls back from you, but sits back normally after a moment. "Your friend does not seem to like me much. Did you trade away something to her?"
"No."
"Did you promise something to her?"
"I promised to call on her two more times. The feather is her mark, which will remain until she has visited me two more times, or longer if I want to keep it."
"What are you supposed to call on her for?"
"Delivery and service. She is working as a courier, gave me a gift someone else sent to me."
"Someone else sent you a gift, and this spirit delivered it? Do you know who?"
"Yes, and yes. One thing though, your goddess tried to push her way into the meeting, and the feeling of her doing it was a distraction. Could you ask her to tone down the sex-happy bliss radiation in future?"

Truth looks puzzled, but not alarmed. She answers, "I'll let her know you didn't like the feeling, but what she feels like to people tends to depend more on them than her. This meeting had nothing to do with Many Crows did it? Eh, probably not, they are their own spy, servitor, and army on the other side."
Your smile is all sweetness and warmth as you answer, "No, aside from them trying to push their way in too, and Night Sky telling me things which helped me make a guess how those assholes put their mark on me."
She purses her lips and looks directly at you. Yes hon, you're pretty. It's distracting, but I am being good and not smashing your face to solve the problem. She asks, "And how is that, what did you do?"
You frown and grumble this part out. Even with help you can't paint a happy picture on how you feel about it. "This is only a guess, and I need to confirm it. What I think is those stupid birdbrains decided I was worshiping them when I lead one of their devoted followers into a trap, and killed him, painfully. Or, they did not like him and feel they owe me one for killing him, that could be it too."

Truth looks at you a little more warily, blinks, and says, "I see. They do sometimes mark those who kill their followers, so your idea is worth looking into. But how did you do this dream walk?"
You go back to smiling and speaking normally as you answer, "By accident. I drank a bit more alcohol than I normally do last night, I had four free Caesars. Also, I had a long day spent waiting half-asleep, so I got some vivid dream time before I woke up today. And whoops, some of it was dream walking. It was better than the horrible nightmares, and I made a friend, so I'm putting this one in the win column. I got lucky."

Truth chews slowly for a while. She sips some ginger tea and says, "You really should get someone to help you with it if you are going to do those two dream walks to meet your new friend. I'm as qualified as it gets for helping with this kind of thing, but I can understand if you don't, or she doesn't, want me to help with it. Splendor can get you fully competent help, and maybe is some herself."
You offer her a smile and respond, "Thank you Truth, that's a good idea. How are you doing, by the way?"
She puts down her muffin, and flops forward onto the table, on her arms, and grumbles, "I am lost. Many Crows is making a fool out of me. It's alarming when one of their followers plays the long game because they usually aren't that smart without a priest to keep them in line. I can't imagine where a priest would hide a cult in this town though."

Pitiful, in a word that is how you feel about Truth right now, she's pitiful. Come on Truth, a redhead does not mope, we get angry and do things.
-*I'm sure she hasn't looked in the right places yet. I'll talk her through it.*
-I'll suggest Truth does a better job of cooperating with the local security.
-I pointedly suggest that if her usual search methods resemble what she did to me, it is too slow and too hostile to get anywhere.
-I'm not a people specialist who knows what she should do, and I don't feel any great desire to comfort her either.
-____________ <---A good opportunity to help, sympathize with, or kick Truth while she's down.

Go back to your room and wait for mistress like a good sex slave?
-*I've never done it before, but I want to try being the domme today.*
-What? No! Sex is filthy, weird, and stupid, so Splendor will have to hunt me down. If I'm lucky I can escape on mission before she gets me.
-Sigh, I will do it as soon as I can. No use to try and escape what I need.

Hmmm. Zen niceness out of nowhere is a little weird. Truth clearly doesn't know how exactly to take it, either.

>can't find Many Crow's guy
Dumb question, but are you sure whoever is being influenced is an enemy asset, and not, say, someone who now likes killing more than they should on our side of the fight?

One idea: if whoever it is has the same kind of senses Truth does, we might be able to make them making our feather (especially with the knowing when people are looking trick). Of course, that's making assumptions about capabilities, and hoping an undercover asset can't control their reaction, so not the most failproof plan, but maybe worth trying. (You'd have to try it soon, while it's still new. Later, they may have seen it already).

Is she getting any help on this anti espionage mission, or is she going it alone again? (Scold here, at worst, if she isn't. No need to make it pointed, she's already down).

>pitiful, help
>a redhead does not mope, we get angry and do things
Come on, Truth. Where's the crazy bitch who invites armed killers somewhere private and then pokes the bear as hard as she can? You do not let hiding beat you.

>Go back to your room and wait for mistress like a good sex slave?
Already? Geeze. How does Splendor get anything done.

Defer decision for now I guess. Depending on how this conversation goes, we might get caught up in a bout of spy hunting.

>-*I've never done it before, but I want to try being the domme today.*
Look, I appreciate the help with the charm, Mom, but I don't need you telling me what to want in bed.

Bored Max 2017/06/15(Thu)19:23 No. 808187 ID: d35c6b
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You pause, and shake your head to dispel the strange feelings you are having about.... Oh bugger it mom, just no! After a deep breath you shift focus back to the situation at hand. Your kindness and consideration has disarmed Truth far too well. You made the mess, which means it's time for you to put her back together.

You start by trying to get a handle on her problem. "This may be a dumb question, but how are you sure whoever is being influenced is an enemy asset, and not someone in the staff?"
Truth doesn't lift her head up as she answers, "Nobody has those marks in the staff. I checked all the regular forces, and key staff. They have people gifted by spirits who can do it too, all I did was verify for them."
"You're sure that whoever does have a mark, it is not possible they don't?"
"It's one of the things Many Crows does, they mark people they are interested in to watch and talk to them more easily. All of their followers, and a lot of others too. It would be the first known exception if they do not have a mark."

You eye Truth's breakfast muffin sandwich as you continue. She only took two bites from it. "Any chance we can get a reaction out of them seeing me, my mark, and the feather I have?"
"Slim to none. It varies, but the big power is reserved for the proven veterans in Many Crows' service as a rule. There are known exceptions, mostly for things like recruiting VIPs and favour trades."
"How big is big power here anyway?"
"In gifts? Stuff I have, the protection, the ability to see the spiritual by divine revelation, the gift to control and direct a crowd of people, the trick to make a person do a thing they don't want to do. I don't have that last one, and few priests get all four of those. She Gives doesn't like the last one, and said I don't need it anyway because... oh never mind."

You eat more oats as you consider it. In their place you wouldn't invest much spirit mojo in chief dumbshit and the other greedy morons like him either. They are tools at best, people to keep happy with shiny toys, and use up at will, before they can self-destruct. But even a moron, in the right place, at the right time, with the right info, can win or stall a war. If there is a problem at all, you bet that is it.

You keep asking questions, to try to make sure you know what Truth is up against. "How do you know there is a problem to find?"
"They did things, to taunt us. Messages with secrets burnt into the paint of my temple wall. Security put up more cameras and now they can't do it any more without being caught, but it's a warning they can do more."
It sounds like a stupid kid prank to you. "Are you at least cooperating well with the security here? It looks like a bit of a snipe hunt, and you need help, eh?"
"Partially. I do work with them, they had me check on the prisoners we got yesterday. They are happy to have me check all the soldiers and key people, and security has an open file on the problem. But, I burnt through a lot of my credit when I insisted we had to test if you are or are not a random mark. They think She Gives is bad at local issues and should stick to higher strategy."
Too easy, do not agree now, not out loud. "Hold on, what is a random mark? I think I need to hear about this."
"Many Crows is smarter than I like to admit. They mark a lot of people for any excuse they can come up with for it. It hides their real followers in a sea of false ones."
"Oh, I see. It also tempts you to crack down on false marks, which builds up grudges they can work on to turn a person to their side, and the real ones get to see it happen to a fake first to tell them when to duck."
After a while Truth lets out a tiny, whispered, "Yes."

Now this is too far, time to hit Truth with some motivation. "Come on Truth, moping does not suit you, or the problem. Where's the crazy bitch who invited an armed killer somewhere private and poked her sensitive side with her secrets to see what would happen? This can not be too hard, sneaky prey which hides and evades is as easy to hunt as anything. Put a trap where you know they will go."
At least you got Truth to lift her head up on her arms and look you in the eye. She grumbles, "Poking you to test if you are a problem did us all so much good, didn't it? And if I knew how to build a trap for a clever asshole without knowing who they are or what they're after, I would have already done it."

Ugh, this is like leading a mare to drink when she doesn't want to.

Should you try harder to motivate, or pass off the problem?
-I will sell Truth on an asshole catching trap. Fort Hippie has so many nice folks it may be easier to hunt an asshole by searching for those.
-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
-Eh, I tried, and she's an adult who can handle herself by now I think.
-*She just needs a hug. Too bad I can't easily slip off the sports bra to give her a better kind of hug.*
-____________ <---It is hard to concentrate on what's in her head when you want to grab her neck, or maybe lower down, yes her neck.

Are you personally interested in this issue now?
-I wasn't before when it made Red Tits the Pirate here go after my booty in the bad way?
-*This smells of fools fooling fools into foolish fuckups. It's not my skill set or a mess I want to get dirty with.*

Even Truth is sucking the fun out of holding a grudge at Truth! As does that stupid pile of birdmeat apparently getting the better of her.

>Poking you to test if you are a problem did us all so much good, didn't it?
You damn well could have gone about it smarter, but confirming the loyalties of the head-case shooter in your midst was the right call. (Especially with the prejudicial intel you'd been given).

Look I'm not exactly the people skills expert (...although maybe with Mom's gift you can fake that enough to combine with your own hunting skills to think up a pretty good asshole trap), but rule one in hunting is patience. Stop letting him rattle you just because you don't have results yet.

>-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
There's something fitting about throwing a broken Truth at Gloria after she did the same to you.

>Are you personally interested in this issue now?
How are you supposed to take any satisfying payback if Truth is too mopey for it to be fun? Plus it's annoying seeing your creepy stalker winning anything.

Mom's probably right that long term counter-intelligence work isn't exactly your skillset, but we can maybe kick Truth out of her funk and make sure other people are doing it right before we go out to shoot more bandits today.

>>808187
>Should you try harder to motivate, or pass off the problem?
>-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
Gloooooriaaaa! Fix your girlfriend!

>Are you personally interested in this issue now?
>-I wasn't before when it made Red Tits the Pirate here go after my booty in the bad way?
Sneaky Asshole is the reason Truth tried to do dumb things to us instead of Stupid things. They still need to pay for that.

Bored Max 2017/06/17(Sat)04:14 No. 808501 ID: d35c6b
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After checking your messages your deployment isn't until... ten?!? Whatever, you shake your head as you finish up breakfast. You put your second apple and a couple ginger roots away for later.
Truth managed to take one more bite of her muffin, but most of it remains. It takes you four seconds to wrap up her leftovers and hold them out to her. She gives you a puzzled look when you're done, but takes it.

"Why did you do that?" she asks.
"Because we are going to see your wife."
"Gloria? She is in the beginning of breakfast rush about now, too busy."
"Fluffy does the cooking, right? If I have to put on the frilly apron and carry plates, I'll do it."
"Gloria would make you dress up a lot more than only putting on the apron, I know what outfits she has set aside for it."

You sigh and extend a hand to pull her to her feet. Of course her front side does more than just a little bit of jiggle when she stands up. Why did you watch?
Oh bugger Truth, they heave when you are standing still. It is so dis.... "Yes, they're big. And thank you, I wanted you to reduce me to a pair of breasts. If you need to touch them so badly you can't stop staring, make a date with my best friend would you? You said we are going to see her, I think."
You close your eyes, let go of her hand, and mumble, "I need hazard pay to do this."
"Why do we need to see Gloria now?"
"Because my, uh, analysis of the situation suggests you have been taking it way too seriously. You need to do patience better to hunt. Also, I have an idea why you may not have caught the problem yet. I think you are overestimating your prey because he or she gets a lot of help from the feathered fuckers."

You start to walk, leading Truth to her wife, as you explain:
"Don't focus on the clever part of your idea of who you're up against. With the right plan and someone coaching them every step of the way, even a moron could do what you saw, right?"
"It would take tools, we don't even know how it was done. Our best guess is some kind of laser etching...."
"Not important. The word you should be focused on is asshole. Who the fuck burns people's secrets on the side of a building? An asshole, they have to be an asshole to do it."
"Yes, fine, the people who follow Many Crows tend to be jerks. So?"
"Fort Hippie has the nicest people I have ever met. Many of them are way too nice. Around here, asshole is a minority demographic you can target by profile because most of the population is not, eh?"
"What? This sounds stupid. But go on, I may as well hear the rest of it. What would you do?"
"You make a trap to get assholes, that's what you do. Leave out some shiny loot, or a chance to be a prick and not get caught. If there are things Many Crows is after you know of, those can be bait too. The hard part is setting and monitoring the bait without being too obvious, but you want to see who is interested and doesn't take it as much as who does. I am not the best at urban shit, get someone competent to set the trap."
"I am amazed you think you are bad at it. But first, why do you think we need to make a list of all the addicts and children who have self control issues in Fort Hippie? It's what your trap ideas would catch."
"They are your list of prime suspects: I would bet on it, he or she is an asshole who isn't too bright. Who else is easy for a creepy ass murder god to talk into stupid mischief, in a place where the people are nice and nobody is hungry or needy? Your guy, or gal, is a moron with more spite than sense. If the crows know how to plan there are at least two to find here, fallback resources is an important part of any good plan."

Oh good, now Truth is mad, yep, she is properly mad. You hold on to her arm and lead her the rest of the way. She glares at you, but allows herself to be led. She grumbles, "Your analysis is horrible, and your plan is vicious and immoral. Worst of all, I hate the fact it is the best idea I have about what to do to handle the problem."
As you get to the front door you say, "On that note, we are here. I brought you here because I was sure my idea would either not work as motivation for you, or it would work too well."

Do you submit to the waitress outfit?
-Eh, more clothes and all it costs is my dignity. How much of it do I even have to lose?
-Oh shit, I forgot about this part of Truth throwing me at Gloria on Monday. But no, no way, not going to happen!
-*A very pretty girl has been playing dress-up on me, including cute things to go under it all. I have been playing far too hard to get.*
-____________ <---Other reactions, or any preferences for the outfit Alice gets dressed in, go here.

Splendor helped you make a series of short videos last night, The Fetishes of Alice. Did you send them to Gloria?
-Yes, I did it the moment they were done. I asked her for help with it because it would mean I don't have to talk to her about sex stuff, she can just do me.
-No! I did NOT send them to her!
-*I sent them this morning. The titles should help even if she didn't have time to watch any yet.*
-____________ <---I'm not sure what other options you might think of here, which Alice would do.

>your deployment isn't until... ten?!?
Part of you wonders if the fort is taking this war seriously enough.

>Your analysis is horrible, and your plan is vicious and immoral.
Well, this is what happens when you to come the antisocial sniper with a social problem. Remember, to catch a jerk, you gotta think like a jerk.

>Do you submit to the waitress outfit?
Do it. I mean, clothes appropriate to a given task at least make more sense to you than other things you've been forced into. (...plus hey, if we want to be a good girl for mistress later, it is the right kind of outfit for it).

>-*A very pretty girl has been playing dress-up on me, including cute things to go under it all. I have been playing far too hard to get.*
Yes, probably. Although if we're throwing Truth at Gloria and someone needs to watch the bar, and if we have an appointment with Splendor this morning and deployment at ten, there may not be time to do anything about that now.

>Splendor helped you make a series of short videos last night, The Fetishes of Alice. Did you send them to Gloria?
...yeeeeeeeeees.

Not immediately though, that kind of thing takes courage to work up to!

>I'm not sure what other options you might think of here, which Alice would do.
Well, theoretically, we could have not sent all of them at once. Drawn things out a little bit by releasing them in teasing bits.

Bored Max 2017/06/18(Sun)17:07 No. 808909 ID: d35c6b
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Later....

Shit, shit, shit, bugger, shit, bugger, bumfuck, shit! You hate this! None of the customers are trying to feel you up or grab you at least. Maybe openly carrying a knife and a gun helps with that part? Whatever it is, you'll take it, not having to cut off someone's hand for offending you means you do not get in trouble for doing it. On the other hand, the looks and the stares are grating on your nerves. It's more than just a few looks, it's more than just a bit of leering, you are getting *stared at* as you take orders, wave the Slate you were handed for this at other people's Slates, and hustle food and dishes back and forth.

It's no surprise why some people stare at you. Your legs, ass, abs, and what little bust you have are all presented for it. Truth dressed you in a padded bra, a boob-tube, and a miniskirt which would be too tight if it weren't also far too short for it to get in the way. Then she undid your braid and redid your hair in twin buns. Why did she change your hair? After you re-armed yourself, put your boots back on, and went down for final approval, Gloria put the frilly apron on you, kissed you on both cheeks, and went up to her wife.
According to the chatter you can overhear, your annoyed and embarrassed scowl completes the outfit. People think you are adorable, a dangerous predator as cute as she is deadly. At least you get tips.

Truth skips down the stairs with a glowing smile. As soon as you are done carrying back the latest round of dishes to the kitchen she seizes you in a hug. Your face pressed into her cleavage is making you go all the way red again, and you lose focus.

You don't get it, but somehow the breasts are talking to you. They say, "Thank you Alice, I owe you at least one for this. You gave me an idea I can chew on, and the fix I needed to sort out my mood. Now I'll wear the frilly apron, and you should go prepare before Gloria insists on thanking you for...." Truth abruptly releases you, takes the frilly apron away, and is singing as she puts it on and takes over for you. You barely have time to wonder, 'What is going on?' before you are seized, and carried off as prey by the owner of this place.

Much later, and then some more time after that....

It still bothers you how things turned out at Gloria's Place. At first it was going so well, or badly, but either way you were getting what you need. Then Splendor called. It is true that you did sound a little weird on the phone, but she didn't have to tell Gloria to do that! Ugh, at least your mind is as clear of the lust hazes as you can get without a man helping too.

Now you are a passenger in a pickup, the day shift reinforcements headed out to the ruined old hotel the failed raiders are fortified in. It is carrying smoke grenades, more teargas, an old concert sound system, a small generator, lots of rope, shiny claw strips for the road, some shovels and pickaxes, two chainsaws, a few wood axes, and lots of gas cans.

The situation you are driving towards is interesting. The five people who were on overnight harassment duty have shot out every sensor the would-be raiders have which isn't protected behind concrete walls. They did a number on them: The opposing force is short on sleep, less than half their trucks still work, and they are dug in behind cover pointing out of improvised gun emplacements to try and stop your side from doing more and worse to them. When you get there and send the night crew home, it will be you, Lieutenant Overkill, and ten regulars trying to keep up the pressure and wear down the enemy.

The hotel is a single floor building with rooms on both sides of its main hallway, along with a main entrance on the front side. It is built on the west side of a north-south highway, and its front--a long side--is aligned with the road it's built near. It had an office, a utility room, and eighteen guest rooms when it was still in good shape, but whether or not it still does is a matter for semantics focused on how to define the word 'room.' The roof is partially collapsed, making most of the eastern (road side) rooms open to the outside. Many of the windows aren't broken yet, somehow, but you don't expect all of them to survive this action. The enemy trucks are parked out front since the broken up concrete and gravel out front is the only part of the area nearby, besides the road, which is not covered in trees and brush.

The enemy are in there, pointing guns out suspiciously from the rooms, and a couple of them are on what's left of the roof.

You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
-Keep firing random potshots at them from all directions, to wear out the enemy. They have limited ammo, and nerve.
-Use some smoke to set up tripwires and other fun of course. Make a sustained feint to try and lead the enemy into a sortie through the traps.
-First, we put claw strips and roadblocks on the road so they can't escape. We haven't broken their spirit enough to let them go yet.
-____________ <---Simple classics are a nice start when you are trying to build an increasing sense of dread, but there is a time limit.

What else did you take with you to try and defeat these guys, and how do you intend to use it?
-____________ <---Weapons? Building supplies? Cans of silly-string?

>>808909
Pffff. Alice, at some point you are going to accept that every person in this fort is conspiring to get you laid, and that you kind of like it. (I mean, it plays to your kink, and it beats the heck out of being frustrated by stupid urges all the time).

Also, geeze, Gloria's a serious threat if she can make Truth and your worlds in quick succession.

I guess this means we made up with Truth? Oh well, still gonna prank her if we get a good opportunity.

>bothered about the phone thing
It's your own fault for picking up. (And she kind of owed you a little payback for standing her up).

>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
>-Use some smoke to set up tripwires and other fun of course. Make a sustained feint to try and lead the enemy into a sortie through the traps.
Of the three choices, this one seems to live up most to the advice. Just making them panic by taking potshots all day isn't really tricking them. Gotta bait them into some traps. Make them believe things that are false.

If any of the bastards from yesterday's ambush are along, they might be a good source of vicious ideas to tap, after whatever they did to that poor bandit's butt.

>What else did you take with you to try and defeat these guys, and how do you intend to use it?
Well our standard loadout of guns, obviously. As for trap stuff... cord or rope of some kind would be useful in setting foresty traps, which Alice has experience with. Maybe some netting to conceal a ditch or hole the enemy might run over? Um. Fire crackers or something stupid like that would be good tossing in broken windows to scare em. Maybe used cans too, if we wanted to give them fake grenade scares.

The pepper spray pellets from before might work, but it feels like that would actually mop things up too quick if the spirit's advice is to toy with these fucks.

>>808909
>>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
Who's the crackest crack-shot with NLOS weapons? You've got a truck full of teargas and smoke grenades: occasionally pop some teargas and let it waft over them, to get them riled up but not effective enough to actually flush them out. Then when they're used to bracing themselves for pain whenever they see smoke, drop a whole lot of the smoke canisters right onto their heads and fire a few shots in from different angles. Let them panic trying to get out of the 'tear gas' and maybe even catch some of themselves in the crossfire. Once they make their way out and realise it's just smoke, drop some teargas right into the middle of the cloud in the confusion. Lets see their commander try and force his men back into gas while he insists it's just smoke!