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>>3180375
You sit in silence, knees drawn to your chest and fighting to catch your breath in the abyssal depths of a subterranean citadel crafted of ancient bone and cyclopean onyx. Gina kneels anxiously beside you while rubbing circles against your back, the massage as much an attempt ease your troubled mind as it is to soothe herself.

Meanwhile, B’ni paces pack and forth, her ivory greaves clicking along the bare, jet-black stonework after having worn through the carpet of bone meal long ago. She casts fearful, nervous glances at you every time she turns, her eyes misty with concern. Your reticent silence was the only response to her and Gina’s panicked demands for an explanation, and after they realized you were in no position to answer they’ve granted you some time to process, waiting on you to open up should you choose to do so.

They have no context for the monster whose memories you bore witness to, the girl wearing your face who was more predator than even you are now, with your swarmlings buzzing along your spine in agitation and a prehensile tongue coiled tight in the second mouth where your intestines should be. The girl who stared back at you from that blood-splattered bathroom took advantage of someone love, time, and being, drawing them in to a false sense of care and affection before ending them in a far more brutal fashion than anything you’ve doled out in the time you’ve been awake. Even these few mere fragments of memory hint at a past you’d rather not recall…and one you’d rather not share with your allies.

However, you feel like it would be a disservice to them to keep them in the dark about what you dreamt, or rather what you remembered…though the full extent of what you should share is something you wrestle with up until the moment you open your mouth and break the tense, unwelcome quiet.

>> Dismiss it as a terrible nightmare, a refrain of the third choice, maybe something else…anything else, other than what it truly was. You’re recovering from a battle you barely won with your friends by your side…none of you can survive this place if your fragile team is torn apart.

>> You did something unspeakable to a girl that trusted you with everything, and you have the terrible feeling that even though you don’t remember her, B’ni was next on your list. You want to keep Gina out of this, but B’ni needs to know.

>> If your gut feeling is right then your next victim was B’ni, and that’s not something you need to burden her with right now. No, if there’s one among you who would be able to keep a level head about this, it’s Gina. You need to tell her.

>> No lies. No secrets. Tell them everything, and trust their judgment.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3180378
>>> No lies. No secrets. Tell them everything, and trust their judgment.
We may have (some of) her memories and her looks, but we aren't going to be getting her personality if we can help it.
And the first step of that is to put all our cards on the table right from the start.

(Gentlemen, it's good to be back. Voting will close in two hours.)

>>3180378
> No lies. No secrets. Tell them everything, and trust their judgment.
aw shit we back boys

>>3180410
>Remember the offer MOTHER gave us between quantity and quality side of the swarmling? Quantity had the ravenous murdering tendencies, Quality had the whole Controlling QUEEN aspect.
And the third option we took is representative of her
"friend"-manipulating side

>>3180378
OH BOY. BODYHORROR. TIME FOR FUN AND SUFFERING

>"I'm sorry."

>"I remembered my past. Who I was. WHAT I was. The me back then... She scares me, B'ni. She scares me, Gina."
Put a distinction between who you are NOW and who you are BACK THEN.

>"I was a serial killer. I controlled my friends, I manipulated my friends, I killed my friends for the thrill of it."

>"I remember killing my best friend."

>"I'm sorry."

>explain that you realize the significance of the choice now and you realize what the third choice meant by the fool's choice.
>"And now I'm scared of losing it. Losing everything. Scared of losing control of myself. Scared of losing control and turning back to HER. Scared of losing control and killing both of you for HER sake."

>"I'm sorry."
>proceed into a teary nervous breakdown.

Just lay the past down plain and simple. No need to talk about B'ni as your next victim.

>Then offer them THE CHOICE. To leave, to stay, or to just kill Shu and leave her to rot in this deep dark hole to be forgotten. This is for the sake of their safety. Whatever choice they make, THEY are the ones IN CONTROL of SHU'S FATE.

Shu is very shaken by the ghost of her past. From what she can infer and gather from her memories and her dream with MOTHER, Her serial killer personality is baked into the Swarmling ability. Remember the offer MOTHER gave us between quantity and quality side of the swarmling? Quantity had the ravenous murdering tendencies, Quality had the whole Controlling QUEEN aspect.

I might as well say that Shu's having one of her lowest and darkest moment(s) in her life post-apocalypse. Because of the sheer contrast between who she is right now and who she was back then, Shu might even take up a Martyr complex for the sake of atoning her own past. If she lives that is.

>>3180413
>more internal screaming.
I'm going to add that in.

>>3180378
THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS>>3180423
but mention B'ni as previous next victim. She needs to know this too.

>>3180378
>No lies. No secrets. Tell them everything, and trust their judgment.
Reading through last thread, it strikes me as odd to assume that we were necessarily a 'serial' killer, specifically.

The memory stated that our victim was our 'oldest' friend - and from our perspective, not hers. That we had known her for years would imply that she wasn't just some random girl we befriended, like we seem to be assuming was the case with B'ni; she was a person of some emotional significance to us that we chose to murder. But if that's the case, then the murder we saw isn't fully consistent with the modus operandi we've assumed for serial killer Shu.

I'm also wondering how Shu would have gotten away with repeated murders when she was sloppy enough to get seen in public with the victim the night before they went missing. Bringing tarps to keep your bags clean doesn't really help with disposing of the body. But I guess law enforcement in her area might just be particularly shit?

To shadowrun a little, how possible is it that something's fucking with our memories? That someone, perhaps the eldritch Mother that we pissed off, is taking advantage of the gaps in our memory to fill them with manufactured falsehoods to drive us apart from our friends - and deprive us of the source of power that we close back when we rejected her? Because, minus those last few moments, that dream would also have been entirely consistent within itself.

>>3180471
>that spoiler
Honestly, my first thought when I read that part was that that whole thing was actually a memory of the ghoul girl we just beat, but shit got jumbled up and we took the girl's place for some reason.

>>3180472
The whole last part where it seemed like we were a murderer, I mean. Not the part before where we were hanging out with Not!Holly(/B'ni (most likely))

>>3180471
>that spoiler
DDS had the idea that all things are data at the very foundations. Maybe biological info transfer? It would also explain Daughters consumed showing up in dreams

>>3180471
if anything is to go by, there could be several possibilities that past!Shu could've kept her Murder thrills down and out of sight. One would be that she started small with animals, things that wouldn't be missed. Her Oldest friend might her first foray into killing actual people. Or it could be that She did kill people, but she killed people who wouldn't be missed. And a third possibility was that Shu was just that thorough in cleaning up and covering her ass when the police come a knocking.

But this is Shu in the now we're talking about. Seeing a fragment of who she was before and having it shake her to the core, it could be reasonable that Shu now assumes the worst in her past as much as she expects the kinder side out of her current friends.

>>3180423
This, 100%. The longer we go without telling them, the worse it'll be when they find out. Not IF, WHEN. We need to address this problem right now, for their sakes.

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>>3180378

You reach out and take B’ni’s hand as she passes by you, tugging gently to urge her to sit. Shining, fearful green eyes stare down at you before she relents, placing her hand on your knee. With her to your right and Gina to your left, you tell them.

You tell them everything.

They sit in stunned silence as you tell them about the girl you saw that wore Holly’s face, an old friend who clearly thought the world of you. Gina’s lips form a terse line when you recount your manipulation of the younger girl in her apartment, and B’ni looks down when you talk about taking her to the club. The blood drains from their faces as you describe the final scene of a brutalized form, crumpled in a heap in a bathtub streaked with crimson. You tell them it was you that said it was ‘perfect,’ smiling back at yourself in a dingy mirror.

It’s at this last part, the unnerving conclusion that B’ni rises and steps back, breathing heavily. Gina sits in complete, stony silence as the other girl fills the catacomb with the sound of resumed pacing and short, hiccoughing breaths. Your heart hammers in your chest as your gaze flickers from B’ni’s fearful pacing to Gina’s nonverbal contemplation, and back again.

“I get it, now. The third choice…the fool’s choice” You say, your voice trembling despite your best efforts. “I’m scared of losing it. Losing everything. I’m scared of losing control of myself and…and turning back into HER. I’m terrified of k…”

Your voice cracks, utterly. You drag in a rough, shaking breath after your throat failed you, fighting to continue.

“…I’m terrified of killing both of you for her sake.”

Your statement hangs in the stale, dead air, echoing in the infinite corridors that spiral out from the citadel of black stone.

“I leave it to you….to both of you.” You say as Gina and B’ni stare at you, the former raising an eyebrow as the latter girl simply looks on in confusion. “Leave me, stay here, or…just kill me. This is for your safety and whatever choice you make, I’ll make peace with. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be a danger to either of you. Whatever you decide, you are in control.”

B’ni moves, faster than you’ve witnessed her move before as a white blur fills your vision.

(Continued)

>>3180565

She’s on you in an instant, faster than you can react as she flings her arms around your neck and you find yourself practically crushed in her embrace.

“No no no, don’t you dare.” She says frantically, adjusting and readjusting her grip on you, as though terrified by the prospect of you disappearing should her grasp slip in the slightest. “You’re Shu and nothing is going to change that, okay? I don’t care what you saw, I don’t care who you were, you’re someone different now, okay?”

You struggle in vain against her ridiculously strong hold, fighting for breath to voice your own fears.

“B’ni, you…I killed that girl, and I think you…”

“Counterpoint, who gives a shit?”

You and B’ni both turn to Gina, her abrupt dismissal of your concerns still echoing in the air.

“Seriously, who gives a shit?” she says again, shrugging exaggeratedly. “Just….Jesus Shu, you look like a wreck, c’mere.”

She reaches out and forcefully pulls both you and B’ni to lay in her lap, placing a finger to your lips when you try to voice a protest.

“Yo, hold it for a second, hush your face. You seriously think that we’d just…what, leave you here to die just because you ‘think’ you may have done something bad in a memory that was all glitchy and whatnot?” Somehow Gina manages to give you a withering stare despite her handicap. “Listen Shu, I’m not trying to downplay how fucking traumatizing that must have been for you, but did you expect us to abandon you ‘cause of a memory that may not be accurate? Hell, one that may not even be yours at all? Who do you take us for, girl? Have some faith.”

“You’ve been nothing but kind, Shu.” B’ni says, propping herself up on her elbow as she lies next to you. “Maybe we’d be more inclined to believe that was a part of you if you had shown an ounce of…I don’t know, blood thirst or whatever? But with the way you’ve acted, coupled with what you’ve done for me, Gina, and everyone else you’ve come across?”

B’ni flashes you a kind, toothy grin.

“You’re our friend, Shu. You’re a good person, and you’re not getting rid of us that easily.”

“What she said.” Gina says, a half-smile on her lips as she looks down, petting your hair lightly. “Sorry to break it to you, but you’re stuck with us.”

“No matter what happens...” B’ni says, hugging your side as your eyes swim with tears.

“…We’re here ‘til the end, Shu.”

It’s at that simple reassurance, that small affirmation of friendship that you finally break down.

(Continued)

>>3180568

You’re not sure how long you sit like that deep below ground, comforted through your tears by the two girls whose companionship you would not have made it this far without. When your eyes finally dry, your body exhausted from the one-two punch of brutal combat and sheer emotion, you find yourself stretching your legs on the pale, dusty floor. Echoes from unseen, untouched depths echo along cyclopean stonework, bidding you deeper as you weigh your options.

“Penny for your thoughts?” B’ni asks from your side, her hand on your shoulder. You shrug lightly, glancing back at Gina as she plucks and picks at her halo, scanning as far down as she can as she crafts a map from vibrations and ambient sound that reverb through the cavern walls.

“I’m thinking that we can either go deeper or go back up to the surface, maybe climb up to visit Julia.” You say with a sigh, turning to your companion. “Also…I’m kind of overwhelmed in a good way, for a change. I really appreciate what you and Gina did.”

She bumps her shoulder against yours with a smile and a wink. “What’re friends for?”

“Gina, how’s it look?” you shoot back, seeing GG’s halo pulsing softly. She shakes her head, brow furrowed.

“Beats the hell out of me, it really does.” She sighs, placing the halo back atop her head where it hovers just above her mane of brown hair. “The tunnel continues on a good ways, and then I reach static…like, legit static, and I can’t see further. I’m getting weird vibes, though it’s nothing negative, it’s just weird…I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Julia may be done by now.” B’ni says, glancing at the exit. “Maybe we should head back up?”

You glace between your allies, considering your next steps and trying to fight past the fear that presses against your mind, the guilt that makes it hard to speak.

>> Continue on exploring the depths of this place. It is so utterly different from the fleshscape you have gotten used to that you have to wonder if it came about through entirely different means than the world above.

>> You could use a breath of fresh air, though you’d merely be trading cold, stale breaths for hot, moist ones on the journey back to Julia and her completed project.

>> Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3180570
> You could use a breath of fresh air, though you’d merely be trading cold, stale breaths for hot, moist ones on the journey back to Julia and her completed project.
But if GG can set waypoints or make a list of important locations for us, then this place should be one of them. This is a mystery we're gonna get to the bottom of after we get Julia's art piece, though whether that'll be before or after Kosi is something I'm not sure of.

The Cord goes up into the alien planet above, so where do these vertical passages go?

keep exploring
>> Continue on exploring the depths of this place. It is so utterly different from the fleshscape you have gotten used to that you have to wonder if it came about through entirely different means than the world above.

>>3180570
> You could use a breath of fresh air, though you’d merely be trading cold, stale breaths for hot, moist ones on the journey back to Julia and her completed project.
We have a deadline gentlemen. We best not keep a nervous Artist waiting.

(Voting will close in one and a half hours, Gentlemen. Additionally, tomotrow afternoon and evening will have updates frequently with shorter voting windows, as there is a lot to cover in this Vein.)

>>3180570
> You could use a breath of fresh air, though you’d merely be trading cold, stale breaths for hot, moist ones on the journey back to Julia and her completed project.

>>3180570
>well we can mark this place as a place of interest Gina. For now let’s head back up to Julia and her completed project. We have appointments to go to and promises to keep.

>>3180570
>Continue exploring.

I wanna know what else that lunatic had down here.

>>3180570
>>> You could use a breath of fresh air, though you’d merely be trading cold, stale breaths for hot, moist ones on the journey back to Julia and her completed project.
We can come back here on the way back.

So, what are we going to do when we encounter Julia again? For one thing, I kinda want to give her a Bio-mask (using one subversive swarm that moulds itself into human skin so that the wearer can have an actual face again to look at) for the sake of letting her experiment with a having a human face again and to make it easier on the eyes if any visitors (other than us) come along. I also kinda want to let her know that the mining town has been cleared up.

As for the Journey to the City of Envy, I'm listing down a few things we could do.

We can take our time exploring on our way back and take refuge in the Sorority's Factory hideout as a waypoint resting location. There take the time to do even more rocky training montages to keep our skills sharp while at the Sorority hideout as well as explore the other parts of the factory during our stay (we really need to train in dodging liquid eye-lasers). Just make sure we don't mess up their room.
We can even take the time to explore that town we passed on the way when we were running from the Acid storm when we move on from the Sorority factory, which is another place of interest.

Finally I would like to discuss our plans for getting to Kosi and how to traverse the City.

>>3180600
Hey BHOP.
I would like to request that you post the Pastebin that shows our stats and abilities as well as that of our friends. Information like that is going to be very important

>>3180682
(By all means, here you are. The stats are somewhat limited on your allies to avoid analysis paralysis and I'm still freshening it up a bit, so my apologies for any spelling errors therein.)

https://pastebin.com/A5MA9zeY

>>3180682
Don't forget the lower levels of the bunker we never checked out. Could be worth exploring there too, especially with Gina's halo light source and super scan vision.

>>3180682

I've got something of a basic plan down for Traversing the City, and iirc, Shu theoretically has enough BIO to make 2 full suits of camo-lings with 3 swarmlings left over for auxiliary deployment (if it takes 6 swarmlings to completely cover a person, Biomass discounts not withstanding). We can use that to cover B'ni and Shu while Gina is theoretically safe from Kosi's jealous gaze.

As for Kosi herself, from what we've been given by Gina's testimony, she's a very envious and jealous girl given her past as a disabled girl who lost motor function even before the apocalypse (possibly paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, but not rendered completely immobile since she was somehow able to physically claw and pluck Gina's eyes out)
I reckon that her Bio ability is a Neuromancy strain that corrupts through Biomass flesh instead of neuro-cords. She covets sensory abilities with a passion so much so that she stole Gina's eyes for the sake of being able to perceive more of her environment which I think she'll heavily rely on Gina's stolen eyes, Neuromancy for Terraforming, and her Liquid Laser defence network.

Solutions for Kosi:
Depending on her disposition and physical condition, we 'could' have Gina try Neuromancy to fix whatever physical problem Kosi has that's keeping her bound to the city. the girl is disabled after all and her need for sensory organs (i.e. Gina's eyes) just serves to make up for her inadequacy of mobility. And I think that's what Gina was trying to imply when she meant by "saving" Kosi. Using Neuromancy to help 'cure' the disability ailment that plagues Kosi.

Another pseudo-alternative might be having Gina craft a second Neurotic Halo for Kosi, then proceed with the Neuromancy surgery to help Kosi heal her disability. I would say it would give Kosi and Gina better chances of healing Kosi's disability and help Kosi with regaining the use of her legs if the surgery works, but crafting a second halo takes Biomass, time, and prepwork. We don't even know the side-effects of having a Neuromancer craft a second halo when she already has one in the first place.

A third alternative (imo very risky if Kosi's mental health proves to be very unstable) is to propose a trade. Gina's stolen eyes for a Neurotic halo. But I would say that's just a band-aid fix.

Goddamn why am I such an autistic faggot?

>>3180721
>We can use that to cover B'ni and Shu while Gina is theoretically safe from Kosi's jealous gaze.
I dunno, from what I can remember Kosi was pretty haphazard about shooting all of us. I feel like giving the second camosuit to Gina would be a better idea, as B'ni was fast enough to dodge the beams pretty well last time, and she's even faster now, so it should (hopefully) be a cinch for her.
I think having GG go in "alone" until Kosi starts firing might be a good idea, though. She'd likely start attacking fairly soon (if she DOES attack), so we should be able to just run away and swap the camosuits fairly easily.

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>>3180570

“I’m not keen on staying down here any longer than necessary.” You say, suffering a glance down the abyssal hallway that leads into the bowels of the jet-black sepulcher. “Gina, could you please make a marker for this place?”

“Well, since you asked nicely…” she replies with a chuckle, pulling out her phone and dancing her fingers across the glowing screen. “…done! It’s saved along with the new map of this place. You ready to leave?”

Your gaze hovers for a moment on the space where the three of you had lain only minutes before, the darkness pressing in on the corners of your vision as you feel your throat tighten.

“Absolutely.”

* * * * *

It’s half-way up the steep, alabaster cliff face that Gina finally speaks up from your back and startles you out of your reverie, your climbing efforts having settled into mechanical, monotonous distraction.

“How’re you holding up, Shu?”

Your second tongue lashes out and clings to a precipice as you swing over, considering your response as the wind flutters through your hair.

“I’ll be okay. Still shaken, but I figure that’s a given.” You say with a sigh, scanning the jagged outcroppings of marbled bone for your next point of ascension. “Hard to trust myself after what I remembered.”

“What you ‘think’ you remembered.” Gina corrects, holding tight as you leap to another ledge. “Think about it; we found a girl asleep down there. If I had some time who knows what I would’ve been able to do to her memories. You see what I’m getting at?”

You pull yourself up to stand on the precipice, glancing down at the town below. She brings up a good point, though it’s one with equally dark implications.

“Yeah, I do. Still, I feel tied to that dream…I’m almost certain that I was seeing through my eyes. I know I did those things, Gina. I was that person and I have to carry that weight.”

“Christ, here I am thinking I was the queen of self-loathing.” Gina says, breathing a long-suffering sigh against your neck. “Listen, just promise me something?”

“Between you, Gina, and a couple other people we’ve met…” you begin, cracking a wry smile, “…I feel like I’m starting to rack up a debt I can’t keep. What’s one more, though?”

“Don’t let this go to your head.” Gina replies, ignoring your comment. “Even if you used to be that person, you’re not anymore. I would’ve picked up the fact that you were a serial killer psycho-bitch when I had my cords in you, so as far as I’m concerned you’re a wholly different person…you’re one who insists on biting off more than she can chew and ignoring compliments, so stop freaking out, okay?”

“…You’re just saying the cord thing to make me feel better aren’t you?”

She peeks around your shoulder with a smile, brunette locks brushing your cheek. “Did it?”

You spy your next tether point and smile, despite yourself.

“A little, yeah.”

(Continued)

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>>3180758

“Welcome back, Shu!”

You do a double take at the elegant blonde that stands expectantly before a table set for three, a matching set of steaming teacups set upon it. You hold open the leathery flap of the artist’s tent with one hand, your allies behind you as you stare into the home, stunned. The girl pats the wrinkles out of her black dress quickly, flashing you the anxious smile of an amateur hostess.

“It’s me, Julia!” she says with a nervous laugh. “This is, uh, what I l-looked like…at least, I think it is. I wanted t-to change into something more, um...what’s the phrase?”

“…You wanted to choose a form we’re more comfortable with?” Gina says dryly from behind you, eyebrow arched.

“Yes, t-that! Exactly that!” Julia says excitedly, eyes glittering in the filtered light.

“You look great, Julia.” You say, smiling as she rubs her arm bashfully. You can’t help but notice that the skin slips away from her elbow a bit like a detached sleeve as the raw muscle around her elbow is revealed. The three of you enter in to Julia’s abode and take the seats she gestures towards, allowing her to pull out and push in your chairs one by one, despite the time it takes.

“So, um…how’ve you been?” B’ni says, eyeing your host with an equal mix of suspicion and unease that Julia remains utterly oblivious to, her focus squarely on you.

“Great!” she exclaims, rattling the teapot on the tray as she carries it to a nearby bench. “I’ve been working non-stop, it’s j-just been amazing, I’d b-been working with just my own thoughts and inspiration to k-keep me motivated, b-but the project Shu g-gave me is like nothing I’ve ever done before! B-but enough about that for now!”

She drags a stool over and sits next to you with mere inches to spare, and you almost spill your tea as she stares up at you. You notice B’ni shift uncomfortably in her seat as you find yourself guilty of doing the same, neither of you terribly happy about the sudden invasion of your personal space.

“So!” Julia chirps, her dark brown eyes glittering with anticipation as she tucks an errant strand of blonde hair behind one ear. “What have you b-been up to, Shu?”


You study the seams in her form as you consider how much to tell her of the past three days, an effort made harder by the perfectly crafted face and glittering eyes that keep fluttering at you as you consider your reply.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3180760
>"Oh, you know, checking out the town, relaxing..."

>>3180760
What >>3180773 said

(Gentlemen, voting will close in one hour.)

>>3180760
Basically >>3180773.

>"That town you mentioned was sounding a bit too interesting to resist, so we decided to take a risk and checked it out. We saw the amalgams."

>"The town is clear now, FYI."

> Sit and wait for the dots to connect.

>>3180760
>"We explored that Mining Town you told me. You were right, it was swarming with amalgams. It took the three of us two whole days to clear it. The day after the two day fight was spent relaxing and getting new clothing. It's a bit humid down there, but there's plenty of things to do and explore! It's also pretty safe down there now! You should be able to move into town with no problem."
We're kinda fibbing our alibi somewhat. but we're subtly suggesting that she moves shop so she can have a better environment to work with to keep her sanity instead of camping up in the mountains like a mad hermit.

>"So how did that art project turn out?" Offer to have all of us close our eyes (In Gina's case, turn off her halo momentarily) and give Julia the genuine satisfaction of getting our surprised reactions.

As for our exit strategy, tell her that we have plans and promises that we made to Gina and are currently backtracking. We'll stop by the Mining town when we're done with unfulfilled business.

>>3180760
see >>3180805

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>mfw voting ends right when all of my breaks at work start.
>Mfw the update is posted right after all of my breaks end.
Grah. Thank hell i can trust this games group of anons 9/10 to vote well though.

Good read so far, glad to see this is back up and running.

>>3180760
>>3180805

Julia’s eyes widen as you tell her the tale, and her jaw drops when you tell her that you rid the town of amalgams. The otherwise endearing expression is subverted somewhat by the tightness of her facial mask results in raw, scarlet skin being exposed under her eyes. You suppress a cringe and quickly switch topics.

“So Julia, how did that art project turn out?” you ask, raising the cup to your lips and sipping a brew of some herbal strawberry, wondering briefly how she managed to get a hold of these relics of a world that once was. She’s practically bouncing in the seat next to you as she answers.

“D-do you wanna see it? Like, r-right now?”

“Sure, why not?” B’ni says pointedly as she rises, leaving her tea untouched with green eyes locked on the tent’s exit. Julia laces her fingers through yours, and you’re vaguely aware of a sharp, hiss-like intake of breath from your left that goes unheeded by your host.

“It’s this way, I can’t wait to show you!”

You find yourself dragged bodily to and through the exit flap, your allies in hot pursuit as you stride out into the still mountain air.

“Keep your eyes closed! No peeking, okay?” Julia says airily, leading you by the hand as B’ni and Gina trail along behind you.

“Got it.” Gina says with a smirk, striding along beside B’ni who keeps stealing glances through her fingers to ensure her footing on the uneven ground. You feel yourself rounding the corner into her gallery and after a few steps she stops short of the center.

“Okay, you can open them now!”

Your eyes adjust, your breath hitching when you find yourself practically looking in the mirror for the second time today.

(Continued)

>>3180990

The life-size form is nearly identical to you physically, a nigh-perfect replica standing tall on a shifting swarm of wasps frozen in time under her right foot, with a single, large insect trod under her left. She reaches skyward, face determined and focused as her fingers graze a familiar set of spheres, each one nested in the other, a complex onion of a dozen detailed layers. Your eyes trail back down the sculpture in awe until you locate the placard, set on the base and just above the ground, a mere afterthought to the striking likeness that looms over it.

“Savior’s Ascension.” B’ni reads aloud, walking around Julia’s striking creation to examine it from every angle. You tear your eyes away from the statue’s visage and look to Julia, swallowing hard.

“It…it’s amazing, Julia. It’s fantastic, thank you.” You say, forcing as genuine a smile as you can muster at the girl before you, despite your reflection haunting your mind’s eye. Julia practically vibrates in place, a silent screech of happiness evident in her too-wide smile.

“It’s pretty great, Ms. Pickman.” Gina chimes in, gesturing to the piece’s torso with a smirk. “I can see you took some creative liberties with some curves, but I don’t think anyone here would complain.”

B’ni’s gaze snaps to the ground, a blush creeping across her face as Gina chuckles to herself, trotting off to examine the other items in the gallery.

“C-can you stay for dinner?” Julia asks, hands clasped tightly in front of her, the seams around her joints threatening to tear completely.

“We, uh…we can’t, as much as I would like to.” You say, guiltily watching the girl deflate before you. “There’s something I promised Gina I would help her with, but we’ll be coming back this way afterwards. Would you mind if we visit then?”

Julia immediately brightens up, emphatically nodding up at you.

(Continued)

>>3180995

“Of course!” she says, taking her hands in yours once more. “I’ll be moving down to the town and setting up a little studio, thanks to you.”

“Thank *you,* Julia. You’re amazing, and thank you for always being so accommodating.” You reply, a glance informing you that your allies have already started edging towards the path back down the mountain.

“Shu, you…you’re t-the incredible one, you’ve been such an inspiration t-to me.”

You look back down at her, Julia’s strawberry blonde hair and green eyes looking up at you as she…

No.

No no no.

“Shu, are you okay?” she asks, concerned dark eyes intent on your face, blonde strands falling about her shoulders as she tentatively reaches out. You grab her hand tight, the pressure you apply threatening to tear her overlay of porcelain skin.

“I…yeah, yeah I’m fine.” You say, heart in your throat as you blink away the last vestiges of an unwelcome memory. “Just…take care of yourself, Julia. Please be safe, alright?”

She nods at you, her meek smile masking questions she is too respectful, too unfamiliar to voice. You turn and rejoin your allies without a word, deciding against sparing a last look at the artist or her work.

You’ve seen yourself enough for one day.

(Continued)

>>3180997

The blizzard of dead skin that had assaulted you on your first journey up the mountain has long passed, resulting in a far more pleasant trip down the jagged calcite cliffs. Partway down the other side, you gaze out on the fields of skin to find that the rolling fields of hair once more cover the landscape in an undulating plain of wheat-yellow strands.

“So we’re going to rest before we get to the city, yeah?” Gina says pointedly, her focus on the horizon, pointed towards the Sororitas’ factory.

“I’m not really tired, so I’m up for anything.” B’ni replies in a chipper tone, then glaring at GG. “What do you need rest for, anyway? Shu’s been hauling you the practically the whole way.”

“Indeed, though I pride myself as a fair and just rider, and thus keep my trusty steed’s best interests at heart.” Gina says with a lofty air, patting your shoulders as she hops down from you back.

“Uh-huh.” B’ni chuckles, sticking her tongue out at the brunette. “So Shu, where to from here? There’s the factory, the town we passed up earlier, or we could cut straight to the city if you’re feeling…Shu?”

“Shu?”

You whirl around, having lost yourself in…

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” You say hastily, scanning the plains ahead of you, focusing as hard as you can on the here and now.

>> “…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”

>> ”I’d say let’s hit up that town now that acid rain isn’t a factor. If everyone’s game, it’s more on the way to the city so we’ll make a bee-line to it.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I will be pausing here for the evening and resuming tomorrow morning, with consistent posting all through the day with the evening free for plenty of progress. I will still be available for questions, criticism, and the like in the interim, so thank you so much for your continued participation and take care.)

>>3181000
>> “…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”

>>3181000

>You look back down at her, Julia’s strawberry blonde hair and green eyes looking up at you as she…
>No.
>No no no.
IT BEGINS. BHOP. You bloody devil.

> “…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”
>other: "Hey B'ni, how many of those skates can you make? I'm thinking of traveling in style." Have B'ni make 2 sets of bone skates for the trio to skate on when the coast is clear.
>other: Keep a trio of Swarmlings about while you skate the hairy flesh fields. Have 3 of them fly in a triangle formation high up. Hairy fields are good environments for speedsters and ambushers, but their game is given away by a Bird's eye view from a flying bug.

>Plan to get back into the mental groove by having another training session when you reach the factory.

>>3181000
>> “…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”

>>3181000
> “…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”

>a familiar set of spheres, each one nested in the other, a complex onion of a dozen detailed layers
OH SHIT
THAT'S THE ALIEN PLANET
WE'RE IN THE BOTTOM LAYER LIKE THE 9TH CIRCLE OF HELL
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
wait no
>A curious creation catches your eye, small and simple in the midst of its grandiose fellows. You approach a delicate half-sphere no more than half a meter in diameter, impossibly thin layers of flesh depicting a cross-section of something unknowable. The thinnest layer of epidermis comprises the largest part of the shell, with a thicker layer held below by a deliberate tube of flesh. Numerous intricate layers form an onion of multi-toned skin until, finally, the core holds a sphere composed of several sets of lips, curved in a series of smiles. “Favored’s Reward” reads the title.
Is that the grand prize for this fucked battle royale then?

>“It’s pretty great, Ms. Pickman.” Gina chimes in, gesturing to the piece’s torso with a smirk. “I can see you took some creative liberties with some curves, but I don’t think anyone here would complain.”
>B’ni’s gaze snaps to the ground, a blush creeping across her face as Gina chuckles to herself
I genuinely wonder when we're going to go full /d/ + /u/ with this quest, if ever.

>You look back down at her, Julia’s strawberry blonde hair and green eyes looking up at you as she…
>No.
>No no no.
Fuck outta here Data Shu.

>>3181000
Backing >>3181030 about Swarmling scout formation and training session planning, but not the bone skates part.

>>3181079
>going /d/egenerate y/u/ri
Watch it. this is a CHRISTIAN server.

>a familiar set of spheres, each one nested in the other, a complex onion of a dozen detailed layers
Anon. I think that's a diorama of the solar system's planets re-arranged as a spherical Matryoshka (nested) doll.

>Is that the grand prize for this fucked battle royale then?
Either that or that's "Mother", the eldritch entity keeping the entire Bio system alive.

Bloody lord, Julia's really insightful in the meta of the setting. I think she made a detailed diorama of the entire world(s?) in her dreams and Artistic musing. But which layer are we on? And Do we go up into the upper biosphere or down deeper into the planet? Also, where's the sun?
Just thinking about it is starting to make my head hurt.

>>3181079
>>3181196
Actually it may of been hinted at earlier that those spheres inside spheres is what earth now is, implying there may be more thsn one flesh layer over earth.

If Julia set's up shop in the town she may end up finding and eating whoever is in the pod.
We probably should have let her know about what we had done.

>>3181316
Yeah i agree, was surprised no one mentioned it. I guess we're gonna have to hope she has more humanity to show than just to us, and/or the note we left on the wall hints her off to us not wanting her harmed( as she seems to want to stay friendly with shu at least so she wouldn't want to upset shu by doing that.)

>>3181326
>>3181316
Dammit. that may have slipped my mind. I wasn't sure on how much to divulge on the newborn pod because I couldn't figure out her her MO when it comes to confronting daughters other than Shu and whatnot. The thought is going to gnaw at the back of my head until we get back to the mining town.

>>3181345
You know? I think, were thinking of this wrong. the worst case scenario wont be she ate her, i actually don't think she will even at the worst outcome.

Instead, worse case scenario is we come back to her being super excited, and she shows off the mutilated pod as materials for a new art peice.

She will either protect and/or befriend the daughter inside(due to us most likely), or were in for one hell of a disturbing scenario when we return. "L-look shu, look w-what i m-made, j-just for you!"

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>>3181357
>mfw your latter prediction comes true.

>>3181316
It may be worthwhile to go back to the pod and drop off another note, for Julia to let her know what we decided to do with it.

>>3181384
Waaay too much back tracking, and honestly if the note we carved into the wall isnt enough to hint to Julia not to cut it up, i don't think our note would do much.

>>3181371
>Mfw the ride never ends.
>Mfw we learn the dark side of friendship, and that friendship is not enough to escape or even prevent this worlds darkness.

>>3181392
I feel like Julia will notice the note. Maybe she can set up shop in the same building as the pod girl and use proximity to her as inspiration, be her guardian and all that

>>3181414
That sounds incredibly sweet and wholesome.

i change my mind, worse case scenario is that happened, but someone came along and killed and ate both of them, then specifically waited around just to mock us/ambush us for more power.

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>>3181430

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>>3181468
>mfw BHOP puts up a reaction pic. But I don't know what he's reacting to. the part where it's wholesome or the spoilers.
>inb4 BHOP puts up a smug face pic in reaction to my reaction just to rustle my jimmies.

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>>3181495

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>>3181468
>>3181510
>Mfw you feel like you gave a GM whos already good at making unexpected evil things happen inspiration for something even worse.

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>>3181515
>>3181510

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>>3181510
>No brakes on OP's ride, just a long fall off the cliff.

(Gentlemen, voting shall conclude nine hours from now, and I shall post shortly thereafter with a series of rapid updates throughout the afternoon and evening. Thank you for participating and I hope you have a great evening.)

>>3181815
Answer the fucking question
>When will we go full /d/ + /u/ with our allies in this quest?

>>3181000
>> ”I’d say let’s hit up that town now that acid rain isn’t a factor. If everyone’s game, it’s more on the way to the city so we’ll make a bee-line to it.”

I know I won't win, but If we get the opportunity to run into more people then great.

If we have to kill off lunatics and gain a level up or two, great.

If we meet and help some more rational people either getting them to join us or getting yet another wayward ally, then great.

>>3181917
Why do you have to be so aggressive with your fucking question.

Answer the fucking question

>>3180570
Ree
hate being late, the wraith girl was clearly protecting something(other than her lair)

>>3181000
>>> ”I’d say let’s hit up that town now that acid rain isn’t a factor. If everyone’s game, it’s more on the way to the city so we’ll make a bee-line to it.”

>>3182149
We can probably come back for it, chill.

>>3180990
fuck should have warned her about the cave something mean will come from the darkness and maul her

Not hoping for /d/, but hoping for

>We are undisputed queen of this realm of madness; where we rule, there is law in the realm of the wicked, but nature can and will take its course, and we do not oppose that. Shu and Gina being our most loyal, devoted, and powerful lieutenants, not out of fear or force, but out of sheer encompassing loyalty and love for the one who led them.

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>>3182159
>Shu and Gina

>>3182159
Damnit, I ALWAYS get their names mixed up for whatever reason. B'ni, you know what I meant.

Damnit, Bobby.

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>>3182206
>>3182209
You cut that out.

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>>3182159
>We are undisputed queen of this realm of madness; where we rule, there is law in the realm of the wicked, but nature can and will take its course, and we do not oppose that. Shu and Gina being our most loyal, devoted, and powerful lieutenants, not out of fear or force, but out of sheer encompassing loyalty and love for the one who led them.

SHU and Gina

Y̡͗ͪ͆͌̌̔̌̏̂̀̈ͩ̌͗̚͟͟e̸̡͒̇ͧ̆̎̊͟͞͠s̷̈̌͐̔͋̌̂̔ͭ̓̑̉̏̄̃ͤͩ̽.̡̡̋̂ͬ́͊ͭ͟͟͟

>>3180375
OP we're going to need an ability sheet at some point.

>>3182235
https://pastebin.com/A5MA9zeY

>>3181815
>>3182241
Just a suggestion, for future threads it may be a good idea to put that link im the opening post.

though im sure there will still be people who miss it and ask for it.

(Greetings Gentlemen, I am writing now, so thank you for your patience. I look forward to posting numerous updates for the next thirteen hours, and thank you for participating.)

>>3181917
>>3182159
(Also, that is completely up to you, Gentlemen.)

>>3181000
>> ”I’d say let’s hit up that town now that acid rain isn’t a factor. If everyone’s game, it’s more on the way to the city so we’ll make a bee-line to it.”

Stagnation is death. We should experiment with Gina to see how her activating her Neurotic Halo interacts with our swarm queen effects. Also, lets see if we can't try to combine or powers.
>Ask Gina and B'ni if they want to try mixing powers.
>Ask Gina to establish a mental connection using Swamling lvl 6 and Neurotic Halo
>Ask B'ni if she wants to try a variant of Chitinous Stalwart to attach 2 Swarmling to her shoulders and see if they can carry her/help her move even faster or have quick bursts of speed.

>>3181917
Please no fucking /d/. I don't mind a bit of /u/ but lets keep the focus on the action and world building yeah? Every single quest falls apart when waifus are a thing, just like what happened to Aspiring Emperor or Joker Quest.

>>3182345
Seconded. The only right way to implement a love interest in a quest is to introduce them right at the beginning and make it clear that they're the best option.

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>>3182345
>joker quest
Ironically, the waifu warring and the events that killed off the waifus get in the quest was what made the quest great. It really built character when shit hit the fan.

>>3182213
>>3182159
Bloody typos. I don't mind it if it comes to it, but please we gotta keep the character continuity consistent with what we've built. Going full Serial killer doesn't make sense where we are at right now.

>>3182344
I also kind of like the experimentation idea, but as far as we know when it comes to stats recorded by the pastebin, Shu is over leveled and Gina and B'ni are under leveled to a degree. Much of our fighting power comes from Shu's insane Swarmling ability.

Also, I find it odd that if Gina's original ability aside from Neuromancy jacks was her Laser eyes, then how did Kosi steal them without killing Gina?
Because that incident implies that Biomass abilities are modular and swappable between two living daughters.

>>3182358
At the start, yeah. The middle of the quest/focus on Mio/Chalice Queen stuff was easily the worst part of it, especially with us flipflopping around with Asuna instead of making the Joker Death Squad way earlier on and forming bonds that existed in both the Red and Real. Nothing's given me more feels than helping Haze grow, being saved by Daegal and Rook or the back and forth with Armaos.

Yeah, it'd be nice if we could lend some advantages to the other two girls. I don't think Gina's ability was laser eyes, I think Kosi stole those eyes because she's possessive and crazy and desired her. Gina was called a 'neuromancer archetype'.

>>3181000

“…Factory. We know it, it’s defensible, and as long as we don’t mess with that one room, we’re good. Does that sound good to everyone?”

“Aye, Cap’n.” Gina says with a quick salute, trotting down a less angular part of the cliff side. Your back squirms as three swarmlings free themselves from the numerous openings along your spine, testing brand-new, translucent wings against the mountain air before taking flight. The unexpected sensation of B’ni’s hand on the small of your back makes you turn to her, and you’re faced once again with kind emerald eyes and a warm (if toothy) smile. You hesitantly return her smile, focusing instead on the…

…like the new you please don’t go trust me you can trust me don’t know how to talk to you just want you to trust me please open up I feel so powerless feel like I can’t help y…

A foreign train of thought runs through your mind unbidden, spoken in a furtive, fearful voice. It’s the sort of nervous, jittery speech that B’ni hasn’t used since you met her, a fragment of her private thoughts that you have no business intruding on. Your smile falters slightly, but you maintain the façade for your companion’s sake…and your own crumbling peace of mind.

(Continued)

>>3182373
>>3182379
pssst
ctrl+s

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>>3182379

An uneventful trek across the follicle fields leads you back to where you met the Sororitas, a sprawling metal beast looming above as you and B’ni force open its stubborn metal doors. Your eyes adjust with painful slowness from the dim yellow light outside to the murky gloom of the factory…

...and you find it very different than how you left it.

Two rows of simple benches are lined up along the warehouse floor, rough-hewn things crafted from flesh and gristle, their hasty construction evident in their irregular forms. Sheets of skin stretched taught across clip boards of flattened bone are paired with every asymmetrical bench, and at the head of it all stands a similarly constructed podium, behind which a tapestry of ivory skin is stretched wide, marked up with some sort of blueprint, replete with a mess of squiggles and arrows, the meaning of which eludes you at this distance.

“Gina, any readings?” you whisper, your line of sight switching rapidly between your three active swarmlings as they clamber along the ceiling, eyes sharp for any sign of movement. Gina shakes her head and walks forwards, running a finger along the bench as her halo thrums, processing some unknown bits of data.

“No-one’s home.” She says, a single jack stabbing into the top of a bench, causing it to twitch slightly. “These things were made thirty-six, maybe forty-eight hours ago, give or take. Is this like a classroom, or…?”

“It’s a war room.” B’ni says from well ahead of you, having moved to the head of the benches to study the board of skin. “These are battle plans for a force of daughters about a dozen strong…Shu, you’re gonna want to look at this.”

You stride forward, the war plan coming into greater and greater relief as you approach, your heart sinking as you realize what it depicts. Your eyes dart to B’ni’s face, and it doesn’t take your ability to realize she’s come to the same conclusion.

“Yo, interpreting stuff on flat surfaces isn’t really my strong suit, so would you mind cluing me in on what’s up?” Gina says, walking over to join the two of you as your pulse quickens.

You’re not sure how to tell her that the elaborate plan of attack, the surgical battle plan you stand in awe of is a ruthless directive of how to take over Kosi’s city with a force of powerful Daughters.

>>Write-In

(Gentlemen, voting will close in one and a half hours. Despite work, I will endeavor to keep a brisk pace today.)

>>3182382
>"It's a map. Gina. A group of daughters came here to plan an expedition into Kosi's city. It's got battle plans, routes, the whole nine yards. Here, let me help you read it."
>other: Spawn some Camo-swarmlings and have them meld into the skin-map and bring out some elevated texture in the Ink so that Gina can read them with her halo.
>"B'ni, Gina, your thoughts? If you have anything to say about these battle plans, please say so now. I would like to hear everyone's opinions."

>>3182382
Such an unusualy big concentration of non-mad Daughters is bound to have something to do with the group the Dr. mentioned
>Study their plans to discern their powers, locations and if the either the Dr. or Explodey gal are with them
also this>>3182402

>>3182382
>>3182404
Also
>See if their plans mention a blob of little girls, if not send a bug scout to see if their room as been raided
If these new friends ate the Sororitas then I will support going full murder-hobo on their ass

>>3182382
These: >>3182402 >>3182404 >>3182406

>>3182382
THIS
>>3182402
>>3182404
>>3182406
Guys we might have to either go straight for Kosi's city now, or check the depths of the bunker past that dark elevator. Bungee tongue can help us get back up from there, and Gina's halo has light and radar.

>>3182418
The group might be too far away for all three of us to get to Kosi before they do.
However, B'ni might be able to make it on her own. I think we should give her a swarmling camosuit, though.

Just an idea.

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>>3182421
Speaking of B'ni, if she levels up the skates enough and has a swarmling armor suit on too, then does that make her Raiden or Sam?

>>3182418
You want to walk straight into 12 potentialy hostile girls?
We first must establish contact through the Dr. Explodey or the Sororitas
If none of them are present then
>Atempt to identify their leaders location through their plans
Hopefully she will call off the assault when we contact her, not only could we be usefull to her plans but also the thought of having 3 fresh unknown daughters raiding them when their occupied with Eyes should make us priority #1
Though I will support
>sending a bug to see if theres any surprises/signs of life down the shaft

>>3182424
I mean, IIRC one of Raiden's combos involves him attaching his sword to his feet and kicking shit with it, so B'ni is already kinda like him.

>>3182418
But you gave me a decent idea
If these new frens finds us too appetizing we can turn the fight into a siege
>have Gina fortify the shaft with terraform so that b'nni can melee them 1v1x12 while our bugs and armor support her

>>3182429
>>3182433
Found it. Raiden does that shit multiple times in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTIehCGZDms
and in this one too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbMzPgEHTJ4
Take notes BHOP

>>3182448
Shit, I thought it was only one of his combos where he did that, I guess it's actually all (or most) of his strong attacks.

>>3182451
MGR has a fuckton of depth to combat that most people never look into in a regular playthrough

>>3182382

“It’s a map, Gina.” You say, throat dry. “A group of daughters came here to plan an expedition into Kosi’s city. It has battle plans, routes, the whole nine yards. Here, maybe this will help.”

Gina’s playful demeanor drops completely, her mouth in a hard line as she comes to a stop before the board. You send your swarmlings down from the rafters and spawn another three, altering their collective physiology to the form that Doctor West gifted you. The alight on the map, their shells shifting to a creamy white, with dark text raising up along their shells as the slowly crawl across the board, allowing Gina time to process as her halo pulses every few seconds with gentle amethyst light. The longer she studies the map in silence, the more palpable her fear and panic become to your empathic sense, though she remains stoic in the face of the plans that spell a swift end to the hope she had been holding on to since you both met.

“B’ni, Gina, talk to me.” You say solemnly, shifting your gaze between your friends. “If you have anything to say about these battle plans, please say so now. I would like to hear ev…”

Gina turns on her heel without a word and breaks into a run, bolting towards the door as far as she can. B’ni immediately intercepts her, skates carving twin lines into the ground to bring her between GG and the door in the time it takes you to open your mouth in protest.

“B’ni. I love you girl, but I’m gonna need you to get the fuck out of my way.” The brunette says, her tone harsh and uncompromising as two jacks snake out from her sleeves.

“You’re not going out there alone, Gina…” You say as you approach, your swarmlings moving to support B’ni by the door. “…but that also means we’re not going out there without a plan.”

Gina’s jacks twitch anxiously as she cocks her ear towards you.

“I waited too long and now she’s in danger, Shu. I’m going there with or without…”

“Gina, stop.” You enter into range of her jacks, arms held to your sides with your palms facing her. “You’re not alone in this. I just want to form a plan so that we’re on the same page and not rushing in to make a bad situation worse, understood?”

Her cords writhe once, twice, then disappear back from whence they came, their owner letting out a bitter, shuddering breath.

“Fine. Five minutes, then I’m out the door.”

(Continued)

>>3182482

“I’ll make this quick, GG.” You say, releasing a tense breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “Who’s leading them, what are their numbers, and what’s their plan? Is there anyone we know in their team? West, Rath, anyone?”

“There was a list on the board of the girls involved, didn’t have anyone we know and it’s not like it had their stats handy.” Gina sighs, tapping her foot as she rattles off details. “Their leader is giving the team aerial support somehow and carpet bombing the city with some sort of chemical that her right-hand woman made. The chem-girl and her lieutenant are the heavy hitters and are using the tunnels to cut right to the center and disrupt things, the other ten are referred to by numbers and are thrown at the city as a distraction.”

You consider her words as she continues, her impatience evident as her tapping foot picks up the pace.

“They left two hours ago, so they’re almost through the first phase. The two main Daughters will be crippling the city’s defenses from the inside and clearing a landing area for their leader to cut straight to the core…straight to Kosi.”

B’ni shoots you a look from the open door, greaves slicing into the ground at her feet.

“If we don’t make a move now, then we’ve lost our chance Shu.” Gina says, turning fully towards you. You stare at your companion and bite your lip, running scenarios through your head until a counter-plan slowly begins to form.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, you have two hours to formulate a plan. If you require supplementary information regarding the group's plan to assist in your efforts, I will supply it within reason.)

>>3182483
"Before anything else, Gina, I want you to know that whatever we do from here is your call. Kosi is your friend. If you think there's still a chance that the old Kosi you know and love is still in there somewhere, then we'll work together and try to bring her back from... whatever she's turned into now. If you think there isn't a chance of that... then we'll figure things out from there."
"As for these other girls. They might have a plan to take down Kosi, but we have two huge advantages. The first is that we know all of their plans and strategies. The second is that they never took us into consideration as a factor. Wrench, meet gears."
"The priority is to take down the two main Daughters who are sneaking in to undermine Kosi's defenses. If they're stopped, then the whole plan goes to shit. Gina, you can manipulate the terrain in the tunnels to cut off passages and open up new ones for us. B'ni, you're the fastest goddamn person I've ever met. I've got my bugs. Together, we'll be able to stop them."

>>3182486
OP, what information is available regarding the girls who are attacking the city? Any names besides the numbers, abilities, chain of command?

>>3182486
Don't know how helpful it could be, but is there anything about what the chemical actually does?

>>3182486
do they have some means of distant communication?
Is there one particular daughter hanging back? (presumed party chat hub/mission control)
To clarify the "landing area for their leader" - will she be joining the two heavy hitters underground after harassing Kosi from the skies?

>>3182494

Leader: Mara
Code: "Marrow Dragoon"

2nd in Command: Diana
Code: "Lysergic Domina"

Lieutenant: Harriet
Code: "The Hollow Host"

>>3182495

None on the list or board, but it should be self-explanatory from her Code.

>>3182483
Okay, so out of all of us we are the only one that can do any kind of anti air support, so we're going to need to be the ones to try and take down the leader. We're going to have to try and disrupt her flight path, and come at her from an intercept course if we can. If we can disrupt her bombing run, that's half the work done. We don't know what these girls can do, but we do know that they all be distracted fighting Kosi...

...which gives Gina and B'ni a chance to get in and go straight for the girl herself. If we can convince her to bounce before she gets taken down, we might be able to make it look like everything went according to their plan while absolutely nothing went according to their plan. That's going to involve them moving fast fast fast. BUT. We are going to need to distract the flyer before they can approach, or at the same time so she can't get a warning out.

>>3182507

Domina is the squad leader, and all coms run through her with long-distance capabilities.

Yes, once Marrow lands she will rejoin Host and Domina to form the main offensive force to attack Kosi's core.

>>3182507
(There is no one hanging back, no.)

(Gentlemen, just to touch base with you before things get fun , does this evening work well for you all to proceed into the city? Voting periods will be cut to hour or half-hour segments to allow for a reasonable flow of the plan you decide to go with, as a forewarning. Does this suit you?)

>>3182527
yeah, sure.

>>3182527
Very well.

>>3182486
>ACTIVATE UNITY OF THE SWARM
>"We're going into combat mode."
>"Gina, if possible, use your wifi to relay information to me and B'ni and my empathy will help you relay instinctual orders back to you and B'ni."
>>3182509
>Marrow dragoon
Bone marrow, The Leader is a Calcium manipulator. Dragoon implies she's leveled her calcite abilities to an extreme. Dragoon is also a name for dragon riders.
So Mara is using Diana's acid to carpet bomb the city with a bone dragon Either that or Harriet is the one doing the Carpet bombing.
>Lysergic Domina
Lysergic is an alkaline acid typically found in fungi. She's using an acid that
>Hollow Host: Harriet
She's a swarmling type like Shu so she's probably also doing aerial support since the 'Host' implies she's harboring a hive of sorts.

>>3182495

Battleplan: WE'RE GOING TO PULL A HEIST. THE TREASURE IS KOSI. We are going to extract her from the city and save her ass. GET IN, GET OUT, HOT AND FAST. if They're going through the front door brute force, WE are going black ops stealth extraction.

Gina will also probably have the lay of the land. First part of the plan is that we need to establish contact with Kosi. We need two way communication between Shu and co. with Kosi.

Second part. Mobility:
Shu has her Frog tongue and B'ni has her skates.
is there any possibility that B'ni can make extra sets bone greaves for Shu and Gina to wear? If so, This will GREATLY help us in the mobility department.
>>3182527
One hour voting segments please.

>>3182527
This suits. OP, can we use our mental ability to contact people through our swarmlings? If so, we should have a swarmling per a squad.

Good luck on your hive raid OP.

wait
>Leader: Mara
>2nd in Command:Domina
So is the com hub the flying girl or the acid girl?
If its the Lysergic Domina as I said in>>3182426
Attempt to contact her via bug like we did with the Doctor
Hopefully she will call off the assault when we contact her if not, fighting a whole town while being raided by an unknown force is not the best of ideas, so some light harassement should force her to.
If all else fails then captured the two tunnel girls after blocking reinforcements with terraform.

>>3182539
Think a combination of your ideas and mine might work? We have ultimately the same goal.

>>3182483
Support this, but we can go over the plan when Gina activates her Wifi.
>"Gina activate your wifi. we'll walk and talk our battle plan to rescue your friend."
THEN CONVERSE IN WIFI
>>3182492

>>3182544
(Domina is on coms.)

Guys I think we need to clean up our plan here into a legible manner. We got like six different posts with different shit here.
>>3182492
>>3182513
>>3182539
>>3182541
>>3182544
>>3182546
Compile that shit niggas

>>3182509
How many daughters total aside from the 3 bigshots?

>>3182554

(Ten form the distraction force.)

>>3182539
They have aerial recom and higher numbers
I doubt we would be able to get away
Using diplo and intimidation would probably be our safest bet

>>3182556
>>3182552
So... we have a total of 13 daughters total. Powerful 2 lieutenants 1 raid captain.
10 of them are meatshields to serve as distractions.

Our objective: Save Kosi before the Raid Party kills Kosi. I find it funny that in normal raid parties, they come in to kill the raid boss but here we're trying to rescue the raid boss by extracting her from the city.

Our advantages: small team of 3, easy to infil in the chaos. Kosi's attention is focused on defending herself which means easier infiltrate and progress. Gina is a close friend of Kosi, so a non-violent solution may be reached once communication has been established.

Disadvantages: we're a small team. If we run into the raid party at any point, there WILL be problems.

Current actions: "Tell Gina to activate her wifi and get everyone in on the loop for faster communication while we move ahead. we'll plan and run at the same time. B'ni needs to craft 2 pairs of bone greaves for Shu and Gina. The faster the whole team gets to the city and Kosi, the more time and flexibility we can have. for infil, rescue and extraction."

>>3182560
Gina is feeling pressed for time.
The Raid party's objective is to destroy Kosi, to kill her for the Biomass and powers and to take control of a large city full of untapped resources that Kosi is sitting on. Our objective is to Extract Kosi from the city. I don't think there's any chance of negotiations between us and the raid party.

I have Dynasty Warriors music blaring, I don't know if it's appropriate or not.

>>3182552

So, we'll go over the plan via WiFi on the run as detailed in >>3182546, use them for coms as in >>3182541.

The basic idea, I think as we mostly agree is to essentially be a rapid-response defense force. Primary goal is get in and out, as detailed in >>3182513 and >>3182539 - in short, we need to get in contact with Kosi ASAP, convince her that we want her alive while the others want her dead and are trying to save her, Gina remaps the land so that we have the shortest possible route to her, we haul ass, extract, and maybe leave something as a parting gift for the enemy forces.

>>3182560
We have speed and higher maneuverability, minus the flyer. If they take forever to march while we can get there fast, it won't matter what they may be able to see. Furthermore, as a group of three, we've got less 'moving parts' to deal with, so to speak. Optimally, that means better cohesion. This is a time sensitive issue considering the acid bombing, so I wouldn't want to waste too much time on diplo. I'd rather try to get in ASAP, THEN once we have Kosi in a defensible position, try diplomatic actions. I STRONGLY doubt intimidation would work for exactly the reasons you gave that we 'wouldn't be able to get away'. Higher numbers and variety of powers. What's more? This girl managed to get a dozen daughters to work as a unit. Even if that unit is temporary and tenuous, that is one HELL of a feat with what we know.

>>3182562
Keep in mind that aside from Kosi's INSANE Bioabilities, she's sitting on a city's worth of untapped resources. Kosi by herself conquered a city with her powers alone. If the raid leaders can gain anything from the raid, it's the bio-abilities they get from CONSUMING Kosi. Even if they have to Sac the 10 other daughters because of the whole hunger and journey to the cord main objective that all daughters have ingrained deep in their souls, the net gains from Kosi's corpse would be worth more than that in the raid-leaders' eyes.

>>3182562
By itimidate I mean harass the ten girls above ground. If they're raided while attacking a whole town then they'll be forced to retreat
Without the gals above distracting Kosi the two girls bellow have no choice but to pull back

>>3182556
Are there any names on the distraction force that we recognize? Their involvement might be important to know because they could put a monkeywrench into OUR plans too.

>>3182566
>“There was a list on the board of the girls involved, didn’t have anyone we know and it’s not like it had their stats handy.”

>>3182566
Last couple posts said no, no one we know.

>>3182562
>>3182566
nope other than the 3 mains they're identified as numbers

>>3182569
>>3182567

And because of this fact, I feel I should mention...

It's risky business for certain, but we MIGHT be able to get one or two of the girls to defect if this is pointed out to them and we generally make a good enough case.

Again, I'm listening to Dynasty Warriors, though, so maybe that's affecting my judgement.

>>3182565
>“They left two hours ago, so they’re almost through the first phase. The two main Daughters will be crippling the city’s defenses from the inside and clearing a landing area for their leader to cut straight to the core…straight to Kosi.”
Anon. The distraction force has already done their part.
Gina is implying that they're already onto phase 2, meaning the Raid leaders are about to confront Kosi (in the flesh) now that the distraction force has kept her distracted long enough for the raid leaders to destroy Kosi's defenses.

>>3182570
>>3182562
The main problem with your plan is Kosi herself
You want to blitz to the underground girls and "rescue" Kosi.
What if she doenst want to be rescued, weakened by your previous fight I doubt you could force her.

>>3182571
Then we need to BOOK it. What's the highest G-force you think B'ni can hit- and what we can withstand?

>>3182573
It's still probably not a great idea to let this leader-girl run around with all those resources and all that power. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but the main priority right now is still getting to the hot zone at all.

There's only a couple of options if she's adamant on dying here, and only one of those options is anywhere near positive.

>>3182571
Welp if you're right then I shut up, we've got not choice but to blitz them

>>3182573
It's still a plan. Kosi is by herself. alone. she's facing a raid party of 13 daughters. 3 of which are burning through her defenses like putty because she was distracted. Gina shows up, establishes contact with her, tells her she wants to save her.
It's character in the dark that counts anon.

At best we can convince Kosi to unplug herself from the city and come with us. At worst we have to fight a grueling battle and mercy kill her. But the net gain is that we don't let Kosi get consumed by Domina, Mara, and Harriet.

>>3182582
This would be an ideal scenario. Kosi is too powerful for anyone to consume except ourselves and since that will be difficult, if we can somehow get the others to damage her significantly and then betray them and kill her simultaneously, that would be for the best.

So what's the FULL FUCKING PLAN here? To me it seems, minus the finer points
>Wifi on
>Skates on
>Rush the fuck to Kosi's core
>Take her by surprise, try to make it seem we're on her side
>Hopefully get her to unplug out or we mercy kill her
>Rush the fuck out of the city
I'm getting a real Payday 2 vibe here, I like it.

>>3182590
>then betray them and kill her simultaneously, that would be for the best
I somehow doubt Gina would agree

>>3182578
>>3182577
Then we are all in agreement?

If so, then lets finalize our plans.

>>3182486
>Activate UNITY OF THE SWARM. Have Gina turn on Wifi. and have B'ni start crafting 2 extra sets of Bone Greaves for everyone to wear.
>we walk and talk (rather speed skate) on wifi and go through our battle plan.

Battleplan: Get in, Get out. Beat the enemy to the prize and steal it right out under their noses.
>Establish Contact with Kosi. Communicate with her. Tell her that we're here to rescue her from 3 insanely powerful daughters.
>Avoid encountering the raid leaders. They're insanely powerful, Gina is underleveled and Shu can't handle all 3 of them if Harriet is a Swarmhost type like Shu.
>Make away with the loot: Grab Kosi and go. It's better if Gina can somehow get through to Kosi and have her give consent for the party to Take her away from the city.
>Secure the package (Plan B): If communication fails, we'll Kidnap Kosi by having Gina use Neuromancy to paralyze Kosi and try to take the fight to the mental battle to buy as much time. If/when once Kosi is paralyzed by neuromancy, Shu and Gina will carry Kosi and Gina by piggyback and get away from the Raid party, hopefully in a direction away from the incoming raid party.
>The Greatest Mercy is a swift death (Plan C): Gina will have to get up and personal for the Euthanization of Kosi using Shu's Baneling to inject a lethal dose of acid into her head and consume her. Gina will be the one to do this. Only Gina. It's something she's got to do herself.

Exfil:
>Make out like a bandit: Gina has the lay of the land. She can provide the fastest and most efficient route out of the city. Gina will piggyback on B'ni's back while Shu goes tongue swinging al la Spiderman. If we still have the extra set of bone greaves. We'll use them to get the mobility benefit in our escape.

>>3182595
That's a pretty good tl;dr version of THE PLAN.

>>3182603
Sounds about right. Only thing I would suggest is mentioning that there's 13, not 3.

>>3182603
>>3182608
3 insanely powerful daughters and 10 meatshields

>>3182613
Fair.

>>3182603
Now all we need is some good heist music to go with a master plan. Anybody have any suggestions?

>>3182603
Just oen things has OP established that B'ni can give other people greaves or that we could use them?

>>3182603
Ye this is good. This all the way.

>>3182619
Payday OST, 1 or 2? Or Hotline Miami OST, 1 or 2?

>>3182629
Lupin the 3rd. Unfortunately the urgency of the situation doesn't allow us the luxury to make out like a bandit with class and style.
It's still a good heist song to jam to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PQRrIhY-zU

>>3182624
(B'ni would typically only be able to craft a single pair of skates, but I'll address that in the next update.)

>>3182634
What about this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXtujxT9rzA

>>3182637
Gina's mental isolation shut down the com abilities of people she's jacked into?
In case we do run into throuble that would be more than usefull

>>3182662
It would be useful... if it weren't for the fact that Com leader Diana: Marrow Dragoon is flying high up in the air on a ANIMATED BONE DRAGON.

>>3182603
My worry is that Kosi wont be as distracted as we think, and most likely wont accept our help. She might very well not give us a good chance to paralyze her.

But i also cant see a much better plan unless we were to only focus on killing her, so i can get behind this.

>>3182674
Nah its the acid grill>>3182550

>>3182687
whoops.

also I would like to point out that BLOODY HELL shit escalates quickly.
I was expecting a Metal Gear mission where we sneak in to talk to Kosi and get her to stand down, but NOPE. We going PayDay HOT SHOOTING AND LOOTING.

>>3182701
On that front, I think it's good for all of us to remember- while plans are excellent, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Be prepared to think on the fly and have unexpectedly bad scenarios crop up.

>>3182701
>>3182702
About the exit plan its better we dont go full murder hobo we the tunnel girls if we run into them
long distance coms are invaluable so Domina would be perfect for a hostage situation

(Gentlemen, now that the voting period is up and the plan is established, it will take me a short time to assemble the next post between putting out fires at work. Quick-posting will begin approximately three hours from now. I commend you on assembling an excellent plan, and I look forward to seeing how you proceed.)

>>3182597
GG has to know that we can't allow fucking death beam eye lasers to be used by anyone else, fucking Kosi is already a death machine and the only reason we have a chance against her right now is that she seems to be immobile.

>>3182737
oh shit
>tfw Gina has a choice of getting her eyes back or not
>tfw she refuses but keeps the eyebeams and integrates it into her neuromancy terraforming just like Kosi

Wasn't there that whole issue with Kosi having a degenerative disease and that's why we didn't eat any of her the first time? Pass that info to Dragoon and she might back off.

>>3182742
Her eyes aren't the source of her powers, she's a neuromancer and her powers were never eye related. The fact Kosi is using her eyes for it is just indicative of how obsessed with GG she is.

>>3182743
>>3182742
>>3182746
I think the degenerative disease affects nerve tissue like ALS, which is why Kosi was confined and disabled. She might've been paralyzed from the waist down.

Also, since when did illnesses (Terminal, disabilatative or otherwise) stop a girl from getting turned into a daughter? Wraith girl had Terminal Bone Cancer and that didn't stop her from getting bone powers.

Also, I think Kosi is simply waiting for Gina to arrive and consume her. You know, be obsessively jealous to the point where you want to meld into your best friend become your best friend and whatnot? Because that's a scary side of friendship.

>>3182743
Kosi's so powerful that most daughters would be willing to risk that and even then, eating her doesn't mean you'd get her disease. If I was Dragoon, I'd risk it.

>>3182756
This is my thinking as well.

>>3182756
>since when did diseases stop a girl turning into a daughter

They never did? Kosi is clearly a daughter, she took and integrated Ginas eyes and a bunch of other abilities. The weird thing is that she still had the disease despite being wholly reconstructed inside an apocalyptic cocoon.

>>3182762
You aren't Dragoon. It might be worth a shot, if the initial attempt goes poorly.

>>3182651
This is really good, this has style and urgency at the same time. This is the music leading up to our rescue (?) of Kosi. When we pull it off and make our escape, that's when we segue into Lupin the 3rd.
>>3182634

>>3182766
Might of been a genetic disease, and/or her misfortune that the disease not geing removed was her 'malfunction' like with Shu having less memories than normal.

>>3182768
Yes, the worst possible option for Dragoon is she gets all the power of Kosi and never has to move again. The average option, and far more likely, is that she gets all the power of Kosi AND can still move.

>>3182918
My understanding of Kosi power is that it's just biomass control, like a more refined version of GG's terraform
It's uniquely op for camping, but it would work just fine on the move, theres no reason why it would make her unable to move

>>3182951
We don't really know about the main reason why Kosi can't move about, but I think she has a entrenchment mentality ("once you settle down, you don't want to move again" thinking). That combined with her health condition pre-apocalypse, she might've lived her life not bothering how to walk or something like that. Another possibility is that Kosi might've taken a biomass ability that's similar to Enigmatic Fault that firmly entrenches her to a singular location. Finally, Kosi's location (i.e. a large metropolis city) is a location that is ripe with resources that daughters would love to tap into for pre-apocalypse relics and supplies. Unfortunately, Kosi is in the way, and Kosi might have something that is legitimately worth investing in that she fiercely protects (possibly another unborn daughter pod, or rather a whole room full of daughter pods.)

>>3182986
Gina already told us that Kosi cant move due to her illness. She said it made it hard for her to get around before all of this, and was only getting worse, and becoming a daughter didn't stop that, nor did her frantic and deperate consuming of as many daughters as she could.

I think the fact any biomass she controls is toxic if absorbed is also a result of the sickenss but im not sure on that one.

Regardless, it is actually an interesting thought that she did end up with powers that worked well with her sickness, seems like more than just a coincidence, but who really knows?

>>3182986
While that would be interesting I doubt it
Remenber when we met GG
She basicaly GG's B'ni only Kosi Yandereness is much more overt...
While b'ni wants to monopolise the mc Kosi literally took GG's eyes

>>3182483

“We need open communication and speed.” You say, eyeing B’ni’s alabaster greaves. “I…I can activate an empathic field to allow us to communicate via intuition, but I leave that up to the two of you. If you’re not comfortable with it then…”

“Do it.” Gina says abruptly. “Shu, we’ve been over this. I trust you, B’ni trusts you. Make it happen…please.”

You glance to B’ni, who gives you a simple nod. Closing your eyes, you focus, feeling something tenuously expand from you and reach out to the minds of your two allies. Gina shudders as a chill runs up her spine when you connect with her, and when the field reaches B’ni you’re overwhelmed, a wave of relaxation, of sheer belonging washing over you. Your eyes meet hers, shining emeralds matching your gaze with a reassuring smile.

It is pure, sheer trust.

You sense a focused intent from Gina, an image of her jacks and B’ni’s boots blending together into something wholly new, but the boots are shining, marbled with what looks like…ah.

You’re almost mad you didn’t think of it yourself.

>>TRIPLE TECH UNLOCKED: BONELING SKIFF

>> An elegant combination of B’ni’s greaves and specially-crafted swarmlings allow all three of you to now traverse the fleshscape with incredible speed. Tethered to B’ni by a of GG’s cords, the greaves the three of you can wear allow B’ni to pilot the trio at once. While the tenuous connection and finicky steering make this tech ill-suited for combat, it is a godsend when it comes to exploration and outrunning pursuers.

Warm, moist air whips through your hair as you and your allies race along the fleshscape, as you reach out empathically one final time to confirm the plan.

“So we’re all clear?” you project, and you receive mental confirmation from the girls flanking you as you crest over a pale mound and bring the city into full view, smoke billowing from wreckage unseen, echoes of chaos reverberating through choked, narrow streets. It’s Gina that immediately picks up on the most unusual facet of the panorama that stretches before you, momentarily forgetting the empathic connection as she speaks aloud in awe.

“They have a goddamn meat dragon.”

(Continued)

File: AGoddamnMeatDragon.jpg (934 KB, 753x1200)

934 KB JPG

>>3183017

A colossal, malformed beast soars above Kosi’s city on vast wings of skin stretched taught on rail-thin bones, its vaguely reptilian form reminiscent of a gargantuan vulture as it makes lazy circles above creaking spires.

“Yeah, nope.” B’ni chimes in, steering the three of you down the hill and towards the pipe you escaped from a few days prior, though it feels like months have passed since you met the girl whose long brown hair flutters behind her. B’ni’s couldn’t look more at home with her goggles and leather jacket, her crimson scarf whipping along with the wind as she slices a path down and into the city’s depths.

You find the previously vibrant and pulsing biomass that once lined the tunnels is withered and grey, half-lidded eyes rolled up into their sockets on the walls. Gina reaches out through your bond, letting you know to be on the lookout for an active patch of biomass through which she can attempt the next phase of the plan, at the same time guiding B’ni as the three of you tear through the labyrinthine corridors, the innards of the city above.

There.

There, close to the escape route Gina had prepared for herself from her warehouse of sound, you see a patch of bright crimson biomass, a single eye, lid drooping. It lazily swivels to focus its red, puffy orb on you, but by the time its gaze locks on where you were the three of you have skidded to a stop in a side tunnel, B’ni’s mind racing with a hundred different things to say. The disjointed sentences narrow down to a dozen, then three, then one singular idea. She nods and you move as one, the familiar sensation of your swarmling zooming forwards, GG’s cord in hand as it spears just below the eye. It’s your tether to Gina that allows you and B’ni to hear and feel the surge of emotion that comes through with a simple phrase, projected into your minds from somewhere deep in the bowels of the city.

yOU cAME bACK tO mE

(Continued)

File: 0c366374702f2c54fdc0d0669(...).jpg (304 KB, 850x550)

304 KB JPG

>>3183021

“I’m here, Kosi. I’m here because you’re in danger. We don’t have much time…we don’t have any time at all.” Gina’s message rings with a frantic urgency, tempered by an undercurrent of guilt and fear. “You’re under attack, and we need to get you out of here.”

Kosi’s reply reverberates through you mind, your vision swimming from the mere afterthought of her complex and corrupted system.

oH sHIT

iS tHAT wHAT tHAT iS

i tTHOUGHT iT wAS gIRLSCOUT sEASON

wAS gONNA gET mYSELF sOME oF tHOSE sWEET-aSS tHIN mINTS

Gina rolls her eyes, the ghost of a smile playing across her lips. “I’m serious. You can’t stay here. They’re here to kill you, we’re here to save you. We need to get you out of here before they can reach you.”

yOU bROUGHT fRIENDS

gOTTA gET mE sOME oF tHOSE

Gina winces, and you put your hand on her back and trace circles between her shoulder blades.

iM dYING mAN

nO sENSE iN hAULING a cORPSE oUT tHROUGH tHE sEWERS

nOT kEEN oN bEING aNY pART oF a sHITTY eSCORT mISSION

nO oNE lIKES tHOSE

“Kosi, please.” Your friend pleads, her voice shaking. “I…I can get you out of here if you just let me. I’m begging you, just…please let me do this one thing, okay? I was a terrible friend, I…please just let me make this right.”

Something that might be a laugh roars like the crash of cymbals through your minds.

hA

tHIS iS aBOUT yOU

Gina’s shoulders fall as you see her practically shrink into herself from Kosi’s words.

jUST lIKE eVERYTHING eLSE

yOU eVEN dRAGGED sOME pOOR aSSHOLES aLONG wITH yOU

aLL tO mAKE yOURSELF fEEL bETTER

gLAD tO sEE sOME tHINGS nEVER cHANGE

Tears stream down Gina’s face from underneath her blindfold, her arms tight across her chest as she shakes. Her face tilts up to yours, a sense of defeat evident in the lines of her face, palpable in how she struggles to speak, fights to formulate a coherent argument to counter her friend’s utter condemnation.

yOU sEEM sMART

Kosi’s voice is louder, now, no longer filtered through Gina’s train of thought but directed solely, exclusively to you.

wHY aRE yOU hERE

wHAT cOULD sHE pOSSIBLY hAVE dONE

tO mAKE yOU tHINK

tHIS wAS a gOOD iDEA

>>Write-In

(Gentlemen, voting will close in one and a half hours, then we shall begin the one hour segments afterwards.)

>>3183021
>Dragon

It's a satisfying feeling when players can go 'Yup, we anticipated this and planned accordingly.'

>>3183022
> "Pretty much nothing. Figured it'd be worth it to get you out myself because...well, fuck. Considering how fucked up the world's gotten, friends, let me tell you, are fucking great. Helped me out of more than a couple of shit situations. A couple of which were my own doing! So yeah. I mean, we could get super cold and logical, but it's really kind of a backseat to 'because we wanted to.' "

She's a lot more mentally coherent than last we talked. Wonder why that is.

>>3183022
>"Oh no, ive known from the start, from the first moment we met you Kosi, that doing anything in this city was a bad idea. That this was always going to be a bad idea."

>"But it was Ginas bad idea, and shes done alot for us. Shes out friend, and friends try to stop friends from doing bad ideas...but when a friend refuses to not do a bad idea, you back them up, because friends come through for eachother when it really matters, not just when its easy."

>"Look, maybe Gina did make some mistakes, maybe she wasn't always the best friend she could be. But shes here now, and shes risking her life to try and save yours."

>"But more importantly, you shouldn't want to die, you shouldn't just accept your death. Maybe you only have a few weeks left, maybe a few dats, or even hours. But you should spend those peacefully and with someone who cares about you, not getting your ass bombed in by power hungry strangers."

>We wknt force you to accept our help, but know you don't have to be alone, and you dont have to die alone. At least, if nothing else, thino of it as giving those girls up there one last middle finger as their prize is taken from them."

>>3183022
this >>3183045
but should we also make a funny comment like "lol where was you being this chill the first time? sure your eyebeams are cool shit but that's no way to welcome people to your house" or something?

>>3183052
Might work in the first segment, such as...
>"Oh no, ive known from the start, from the first moment we met you Kosi and you thought a good welcoming present was a high pressure spray down, that doing anything in this city was a bad idea. That this was always going to be a bad idea."

>>3183022
"Kosi, you're being a lousy friend right now. Gina's been worrying herself sick over you. This isn't about her at all, you're just telling yourself that because you're looking for an excuse to lash out. I get it, you're sick, you're scared, you're alone. But it's not fair to Gina, because she's gonna do everything she can to save you. Same as us."

"Now listen up. This isn't up for debate. We're getting you out of here and we're gonna try to save your life. Those girls are dangerous, and our best chance of survival is if we work together on this. Ten minor enemies, three bosses, and a goddamn meat dragon. High difficulty setting, and you have three other players who want you to join their party to make this a Co Op mission."

"You say you want friends? Now's your chance."

>>3183022
> Just making good on a promise, repaying some favors, you know how it is.

>>3183022
>"She saved my ass from a vengeful daughter who had Terminal stage bone cancer. And now she wants to save your ass from a posse of 13 bitches, whether if you want to or not."

>"Turns out when you get consumed by a daughter, you join their head space Kosi. You get to watch through their eyes and pop up in their dreams from time to time to have a fireside chat."

>"Would you rather get nommed and share headspace of some thot who viewed you as a power-up or would you rather get nommed by Gina?"

>"Have I told you the time I got offered a choice by Mother? Guess what I did? I picked the fool's choice. I flipped mom off. So compared to that, this is much more sound."

>"And for the record, this wasn't about me, it's about you and Gina. You're slowly dying on a city-sized throne alone with a posse of bitches knocking down the gates to nom your paraplegic ass, Gina's slowly breaking apart and getting mad because she's feeling guilty, and both of you need some damn closure. Also she wants her eyes back."

>"Also, who wants the satisfaction of watching a raid leader's reaction when their prized "raidboss" goes missing after all that hardwork?"

>"Snark all you want, we're still gonna haul your ass past a dragon and 13 deadly thots."

>>3183041
It's because she's getting her snark on. She snarks at people to cope with the stress. "Humor keeps humanity afloat and all of that jazz."

>>3183078
I'd avoid most things that make it sound about Gina, since that seems to be what annoys her.

(Gentlemen, as there appears to be a general consensus on what to say, I may end voting in the next twenty minutes if that works for the sake of brevity.)

>>3183062
Calling her the lousy friend could easily backfire.

>>3183062
>>3183078
Also turning her being rescued into more of a threat seems like a bad idea. If she doesn't want to be rescued, telling her were giving her no choice could easily make her focus on stopping us over stopping the others. Shes the type that rips out her best friends eyes mates, when she is angry and no longer thinks of said friend as a friend, she might just be spiteful enough to make sure we fail and Gina cant even get closure in the end. She literally thinks shes going to die anyways, and could very well be right. This may to her be more about what she wants her last moments and death to be about, rather than saving her life. Lets not convince her dying being spiteful is the best option.

>>3183105
Agreed.

>>3183022
>Gina rolls her eyes, the ghost of a smile playing across her lips
>Gina rolls her eyes
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE BHOP

>>3183109

(Heh.)

>>3183078
>>3183105
>>3183082
well, then how should I amend my dialogue?

>>3183120
I think being less agressive and more of, ah, trying to argue the point to her might work. Less like shes in the wrong and more like she needs to understand the situation.

I like you pointing out to her that she might not actually get to rest in peace if consumed, but she actually may already know that considering everything.

The other issue is assuming she wants to be absorbed at all. Even if she makes amends, she might not want to stick around in Ginas or anyones head, so the whole 'who do you want to get eaten by' part might be a bit much.

I do agree with trying to convince her to come just to fuck over those attacking her though, I think that will fit with how she acts.

>>3183135
Well 20 minutes have passed, I do hop BHOP can select choice responses of the dialogue we've given him and formulate it so that it works best.

>>3183146
To be fair we could've all worked together on a perfect response and i feel like Kosi is the type who would listen to the first paragraph and interrupt us by saying 'fake and gay' and finding out how to send an image of her flipping us off right into our brains.

But probably not.

>>3183120
we already tried to bring in the snark, the first time we met her, that didn't go down so well

>>3183022

There's a moment of silence, a quiet consideration that passes between you and Kosi as you watch Gina hold a breath, one balanced on the knife's edge between hope and despair.

"You know, if you had been this lucid when we first dropped by, that would've been cool." you say, leaning against the tunnel wall. "Your beams are cool and all, but you were less than talkative before, Kosi. I like this version of you better."

A low laugh rolls through you like like a rumble of a timpany drum.

sORRY aBOUT tHAT

dYING bRINGS a cERTAIN cLARITY fROM tHE hUNGER

i tHINK iTS a lITTLE jOKE fROM gOD

jUST tO lET uS kNOW

hOW fUCKED wE aRE

bEFORE wE bREATHE oUR lAST

You wait a moment before you start to communicate, but she asked.

So you answer.

"I've known from the start this was a bad idea, from the first moment we met you I knew that doing anything in this city was a bad idea. It was always going to be a bad idea."

You study the fear-knit brow of the girl that stands beside you.

"But it was Gina's bad idea. She's our friend, and friends try to stop friends from doing bad ideas...but when a friend refuses to not do a bad idea, you back them up, because friends come through for each other when it really matters, not just when its easy."

You run a hand through your hair, drawing in a breath you don't really need as you continue in the face of Kosi's silence.

"Look, maybe Gina did make some mistakes, maybe she wasn't always the best friend she could be. But she's here now, and she's risking her life to try and save yours. But more importantly, you shouldn't want to die, you shouldn't just accept your death. Maybe you only have a few weeks left, a few days...maybe a couple of hours. But you should spend those with someone who cares about you, not getting your ass bombed in by power hungry strangers."

Your eyes hover on B'ni for a moment before returning to Gina's face.

"Listen. We won't force you to accept our help, but know you don't have to be alone, and you sure as hell don't have to die alone. At least, if nothing else, think of it as giving those girls up there one last middle finger as their prize is taken from them."

Another beat, another bated breath.

(Continued)

>>3183181

gINA

The brunette's head snaps up in attention, a thin trickle of blood running down her lower lip from where she's bitten down too hard.

yOU kNOW wHERE tO fIND mE

iLL cOVER yOU aS bEST i cAN

dONT dIE

A wave of gratitude practically explodes across your connection to GG as she makes a sound somewhere between a choking sob and a hysteric laugh. "I...thank you, Kosi. I'll be there soon, just please hold out as long as you can. I'm coming." Gina says, palm on the eyelid as her jack lips free, slithering back into the sleeve of her hoodie. You breathe in only to find the wind knocked out of you as Gina slams into you, her arms thrown under yours as she hugs you tight.

"Shu, I...tha..."

You put a finger to her lips with one hand, the fingers of the other wiping her cheeks free of tears.

"Don't thank me yet." you interrupt, glancing up the tunnel leading to the war-torn city just above. "This heist is just starting, so lead the way. We've got your back."

"Okay." she says, her voice firm, and despite the fear and uncertainty that plagues her aura, it is lined with the inimitable thread of hope. "Alright. Let's go save her."

(Continued)

>>3183186

Screams of pain, shouts of frantic orders bounce off the broken glass and forgotten alleyways of Kosi's city, the biomass that once covered every inch of the cityscape now a mottled collection of grey, rotting flesh and crimson stains, the eyes you find along the way either melted or sliced apart, their aqueous contents pooling on the city streets below as you run past pools of bright scarlet and milky white.

A girl stumbles out of a nearby corridor as you race forwards, and as she turns towards you she reveals her right arm to be a bloody stump. She opens her mouth to shout something but then her head is lost, sheared off by a spear of fluid that lances forth from whence she came. You don't stop as you race ahead, led by Gina who follows a path she committed to memory long ago. She hangs a sudden right as a terrible, screeching roar sounds from somewhere far too close for your liking, and Gina curses under her breath as something large crushes debris underfoot only a block or two away.

"Goddamnit, she landed." Gina shoots your way through your bond, not daring to speak and give the enemy any clue as to your whereabouts. "We're close, Kosi's this way."

She darts left, then right again, leading you down a series of biomass-encrusted streets until you're faced with the front of a moderately-sized building, the original purpose of which is lost to the heavy layer of biomass that makes it resemble a box of solid flesh than any man-made structure.. The wall of red flesh opens in a thin vertical slit, allowing the three of you to run in before it closes behind you, plunging you into darkness. A violet pulse bursts forth from Gina's halo, the entire room suddenly filled with light as it reflects off an innumerable host of eyes that contract as one in the sudden luminescence.

(Continued)

>>3183191

A question BHOP: How much Bio did it take for B'ni, Shu, and Gina to pull the Speed Skating Squad? How many swarmlings does it take for Shu to craft 2 extra sets of Greaves through Triple tech?
And is Shu still able to spawn swarmlings? If so, how many?

>>3183204
There's a checkmark box in the top left corner of the post (if you're on pc). Click it and go to the bottom of the page where there is a button marked [delete]. You're able to delete your post after 1 minute of posting it. But there is a limit to how long you can delete your post before the server locks it in (you can't delete a post too old, otherwise threads will be deleted left and right if OP decides to be a fag and delete the starting thread.)

File: Marrow Dragoon.jpg (486 KB, 1000x1500)

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>>3183191

In the center of the room, you see her, Kosi's frail form slumped in a wheelchair held aloft by thick, red strands of biomass trailing from Kosi's lower torso, her legs and the seat of the chair inextricably entwined to where you're uncertain where one ends and the other begins. A bare, feeble head raises to meet your gaze with a smirk, and you find yourself staring into a pair of glinting hazel eyes.

Gina's eyes.

Your ally steps forward, reaching out tentatively to her old friend.

"Kosi. I'm here." she says, her voice almost cracking as she speaks, her halo gently pulsing. Kosi's smile drops without warning, a twitch of crimson flesh catching your attention out of the corner of her eye.

The doorway behind you explodes inwards, a scarlet tendril slamming Gina aside before a spear of bone rips through it and into Kosi's torso. She screams as she is torn free of her throne of muscle and steel, hauled through the air on a cord of white muscle fibers and into the grasp of a gleaming white gauntlet. The being that is lit from behind by the harsh light of day stands a full head and a half taller than you, intricately layered bone armor cutting an imposing silhouette. One gauntlet holds Kosi fast by the throat, the other grips a long calcite lance, tethered to the knight's forearm by an undulating cord of fibrous strands.

Marrow Dragoon's helm tilts towards you, then to your allies, sprawled on the floor and struggling to regain their bearings in the aftermath of the explosive entrance. She turns, striding away without a word as Kosi struggles weakly in her grasp.

"Hey! HEY!"

Gina's shouts prompt the Dragoon to pause, deigning to half-turn back to the source of the noise. Gina stumbles forwards as you count six, seven, eight cords thrashing angrily out from underneath her hoodie.

"Give me back my friend, bitch."

Kosi's citrine eyes lock on Gina just before the crippled girl is thrown unceremoniously behind the alabaster lancer, collapsing in a heap on the concrete beyond. A flick of a gauntleted finger sends a two bone spurs forth, darting across the gap and stabbing through Kosi's hands and into the street below. As Kosi screams in pain, the knight merely spares a second-long glance to B'ni, then you, then finally Gina, before settling into a warrior's stance, spear at the ready.

"You desire my prize?" Intones a low voice that thrums from within the dense plating. "Then come claim it."

Shu the Defiant

Vs.

Marrow Dragoon

HP: 100%
BIO: 150% (6 Simple Swarmlings, 6/10 Active. Ravenous maw at the ready.)
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Close, prepared.
B’ni HP: 120%
GG HP: 100%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3183239
(Voting to close one hour from now, Gentlemen. Good luck.)

>>3183239
OY OY OY. BHOP WHY DO WE STILL HAVE 10 SWARMLING CAP? WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE 15 DAMMIT

>>3183246
(Apologies, copy-paste is my enemy. You have 6/15 Swarmlings Active.)

>>3183239
Oh fucking boy. Here we go.
>SHU; jump back, and give our good friend B'ni some armor, reactive armor. Shes gonna need it. Then convert our swarmlings into banelings with minilings inside, and have them fan out and aim for any opening they see. That armors gotta go, and acid is the way to do that.

>B'ni; accept the armor, and go for those new medium range attacks. The goal right now is harrasment and distraction, keep her at bay from our ranged fighters. If she sees a good opening, lets turn that armor into a weapon, and see if she cant pumel some acid into the armors joints and weak points, but only of she os sure she can get such a hit incwithout becoming a shishkabob.

>GINA; fall back a bit, and get your terraforming ass trying to keep this ficker at bay and generally pin her and harrass her. This may be able to give our banelings and B'ni openings, if not at least weaken the armor. Only, only if we know it is a sure fire thing, she may try and use her halo freeze frame on the chick, but that may bring her far too close for comfort, and would require stopping her terraforming. Of a baneling or B'ni temporarily blinds her or gets her movement imapaired we may get our opening though.

>KOSI; dont die and maybe try and free yourself to help. You didn't seem to need hands before anyways so maybe sacrifices need to be made here.

>>3183263
>Pretty sure Kosi is unavailable. Doesn't have any stats or anything, still an NPC.

Aside from that, I like most of that, but we need to keep in mind that she can probably bone shape a lot of things. We might need to get down and dirty ourselves, and not just our swarmlings to give someone that extra moment to react.

>>3183239
>>3183263
This but
>Gina: use terraform screw with her footing (looks like a tank not a dodger) and use the halo to scan for her two underlings
>Kosi: if you still can focus on keeping the scrubs at bay

I dunno if banes can use recursive swarmlings but if so have them focus on the gaps between the Dragoon's plates, attempt to jam themselves in and lock her joins

>>3183278
Oh, i know Kosi probably cant react, but it never hurts to try. And we should wait and see before we go into combat, and if so make sure we give ourselves armor too.

>>3183280
Good thought there with Gina.
I think they can. And that was my idea too, that or to eat her eyes from inside her helmet. Worth a shot if nothing else.

>>3183288
(Any type of swarmling may be made recursive, Gentlemen.)

>>3183263
you're right that acid is the way, but leave the armor
If she manages to get it in could we get DoT better yet if she could lock her joins that armor becomes a prison

>>3183263
(Am I correct in assuming your first act of creation will be a full suit of armor for B'ni?)

>>3183239
BATTLE PLAN:
Dragoon is built like a tank. a mighty glacier. Her abilities (if we can infer correctly from the fact that she controls A GODDAMN MEAT DRAGON) revolve around bone and muscle manipulation.
She ain't built for subversiveness. but she's tough as fuck.
We on the other hand are a group consisting of a speed skater, a Terraforming Neuromancer, and a Swarmhost.

OPTIONS:
We can't fight her head on. Dragoon plays to her strengths, she's at a hallway near the entrance where she can easily defend her prize Kosi.
She's daring us to throw ourselves at her and be impaled by lances of bone. Fine. We'll play her game. at first.
She's forgotten three factors. She's fighting alone. she parked the biggest amalgam that Gina can play with: A GODDAMN MEAT DRAGON. And Kosi isn't helpless. She still has homefield advantage.
Dragoon's weakness: Lactic acid build-up and high body temperature. Sure she can hit like a truck and take a truck to the face, but that massive body of bone and muscle means that she sweats like a mofo. We need to make her sweat.

>SHU: Spawn all the swarmlings, but have the Camolings spawn while camouflaged. Armor up B'ni in one full suit of Claymore-armorlings (6/15), and Armor Gina with Armored Camo-lings (13/15). that will leave us with 2 swarmlings left over. Make the last two swarmlings Camo-lings. One of the two will be a Camo-baneling. Hand that Camo-baneling to B'ni where she can plant that sucker onto Marrow and do it's dirty work by pumping lactic acid and stomach onto the muscle fiber joints that hold Marrow Dragoon's Bone armor together. The other Camoling will move towards Kosi and establish UNITY OF THE SWARM CONNECTION. Kosi now pings as a "friend" to us.
>vocally: "Gina Terraform the environment and get your jacks into her! (false information), B'ni, go make hit and runs! (False information), I need time to try and do something with my swarm (give Dragoon the impression that you haven't utilized all of your swarm when infact you already have)"

>Gina: Shu will armor you up in Armor-camo. Go hijack that giant meat dragon parked outside. B'ni will cover you by playing with Marrow Dragoon. You have stealth armor.

>B'NI: Run interferance. Play footsies. Shu will hand you a Camo-baneling, You need to get in and plant that camo-baneling bomb onto Marrow so Shu's Camo-baneling can work it's acid magic. In the meantime, occupy Marrow's attention by pulling feints no-hit&runs. your aim is to raise Dragoon's body temperature and lactic acid levels so that she'll tire out.

>Kosi: Play the helpless prize, but work your magic subtly by doing subtle terraforming to set Dragoon off balance. Shu will contact you via Camoling and get you connected via UNITY OF THE SWARM. When Shu says Gina's going to Terraform, Kosi is the one that's going to subtly terraform the environment.

>>3183299
Its thick armor from the sound of it. A single acid hit to an area might not even be enough to eat all the way through, and my idea was to aim for weak points. Imagine beong trapped im that as acid leaks into its openings...

But still, best to go off the assumption we may meed to break through it im some way, not just hope she lets us go for the obvious vulnerabilities she knows about. Still a good idea to go for them, only we shouldn't expect them to always be the opening were looking for.

>>3183306
Yes BHOP. Fuck yo 65% biomass cost gimme dat 40% discount were gonna need it.

>>3183298
Is Kosi still in the fight?
If not then have Gina instead blocking reinforcements with terraform

>>3183310
we're saying the same thing fren
totaly agree

>>3183313
(She is incapacitated, I'm afraid.)

>>3183316
Dang, thought so but never hurts to see if otherwise.

Again, i mean, she already thinks shes doomed, does she really need those pesky hands holding her down...?

>>3183308
I still like my plan much better but...
>>3183263
Making our banelings camo is a good idea, add that. Maybe B'nis armor too, but she might actually need to be seen is the thing. Thoughts guys?

>>3183308
>She's fighting alone
No she's not, worst case there are 11 daughters running as fast as they can to reinforce her
Leave the dragoon as our escape/clean up vehicle right now we need to focus on the big bad and it would be useless indoors

>>3183329
My thought right now is, kill the leader, the rest might back off. Either way, she is our current threat and thus our main focus at the moment, though yes like i agreed make sure Gina is aware of any coming company.

>>3183325
What I meant by baneling camo is handing B'ni camo-banelings to plant onto Dragoon herself. The Banelings will inject LACTIC acid (the stuff that makes you feel the muscle burn) into Dragoon's joints and wear her and her armor out eventually locking Dragoon up in her armor.

>>3183329
>"You desire my prize?" Intones a low voice that thrums from within the dense plating. "Then come claim it."
This implies that Dragoon's alone in the scenario and that the Lieutenants are either too wounded to reinforce or dead.

>>3183339
I mean, the banelings are already mobile, i feel like letting B'ni focus on herself and her own attacks is better, when we ourselves can already get our living baneling close by its own wings.

>>3183345
>>3183345
No it implies that she is a tyrant and that this attack was solely for her benefit
we should play it safe, we're already outclassed, if we get outnumbered then we're fucked
dam my slav posting

(Gentlemen, shifting your six swarmlings into Subversive Banelings will cost 60% BIO, just as a head's up. Going by your current plan, you will be left with 65% BIO and have a fully armored B'ni with reactive armor and six cloaked Banelings at your disposal.)

>>3183374
Confirm creation and conversion. Marrow Dragoon can throw bone spears out of her armor as ranged weapons, I would not want our swarmlings to be taken down too easily and pinned to the wall.

Also, BHOP, how many swarmlings does it take to fully armor someone up?

>>3183345
Their plan did seemingly rely on their distraction force, which we saw at least one member of get killed.

>A girl stumbles out of a nearby corridor as you race forwards, and as she turns towards you she reveals her right arm to be a bloody stump. She opens her mouth to shout something but then her head is lost, sheared off by a spear of fluid that lances forth from whence she came.

We also know their precise number as 13 in total. Which accounting for the Dragoon and the known dead leaves us with 11 incoming potentially.

>“Their leader is giving the team aerial support somehow and carpet bombing the city with some sort of chemical that her right-hand woman made. The chem-girl and her lieutenant are the heavy hitters and are using the tunnels to cut right to the center and disrupt things, the other ten are referred to by numbers and are thrown at the city as a distraction.”

We can also assume that if they weren't strong enough to be worth air-dropping in to help kill Kosi that their powers aren't suited for direct combat or they were otherwise not suitable. There is also the possibility that even if they aren't dead, that they are too injured to try and intervene. Not to mention that they aren't meant to try and get involved, just to distract and await the defences falling silent presumably.


Of course, you have no reason to regard the words of a lurker too highly but I'd be damned if I didn't say something.

>>3183374
I am ok with this. Keep in mind too, all biomass is toxic to absorb here. Our enemy cant repair her armor or make new weapons either.

>>3183377
(Five, and they do count against your total.)

>>3183374
We need the banes and b'ni to screen for our squishier members
And the recursive swarm as a much bigger potential as harassers
I say camo only two and have them go for her legs
>>3183377
>>3183383
what do you think?

>>3183390
How about a good split even and do three, one camo-baneling as a backup?

>>3183389
Huh. I would've sworn it took 6 swarmlings. Well that's good news.

>>3183390
I was thinking of having the CamoBanelings stealthily attach to Marrow Dragoon. And manually detonate them on key locations in Dragoon's armor to take Marrow dragoon by surprise and distract her when she moves to hit our squishier allies.

Sound idea, but make it a 4:2 ratio in Cloaked banelings to Nested swarmlings.

>>3183374
WAIT. one more thing. Spawn a droneling and have it patrol the envrionment for uncorrupted Biomass. If Marrow Dragoon throws out a Bone lance, send our droneling to break the bone down and deliver the calcium biomass to Shu.

>>3183374
So, forcyour sake, i thonk our finalized plan(of those that liked mine) is...
>SHU; jump back, and give our good friend B'ni some armor, reactive armor. Shes gonna need it. Then convert our swarmlings into 3 camo-banelings and 3 regular banelings, with minilings inside, and have them fan out. Two camobanes aom for her legs, another the face or stay as reserve, and the rest aim for any opening they see. That armors gotta go, and acid is the way to do that.

>B'ni; accept the armor, and go for those new medium range attacks. The goal right now is harrasment and distraction, keep her at bay from our ranged fighters. If she sees a good opening, lets turn that armor into a weapon, and see if she cant pumel some acid into the armors joints and weak points, but only of she os sure she can get such a hit incwithout becoming a shishkabob.

>GINA; fall back a bit, and get your terraforming ass trying to keep this fucker at bay and generally pin her and harrass her, go for the feet especially. This may be able to give our banelings and B'ni openings, if not at least weaken the armor. Only, only if we know it is a sure fire thing, she may try and use her halo freeze frame on the chick, but that may bring her far too close for comfort, and would require stopping her terraforming. Or a baneling or B'ni temporarily blinds her or gets her movement imapaired we may get our opening though. Have her also be on the lookout for enemy reinforcements.

>Overall goal; incapacite her and get through her armor, keep her out of where her clear advantages lie.

>>3183389
>Did the dragoon recover her spear from kosi's guts or did she create another?
>To be clear can she only shot spurs or can she create whole spears at a moment's notice

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111 KB JPG

>>3183239

B'ni leaps forward at the same moment five platelings tear free of your hive and swarm to latch on to your airborne ally. She lands in front of your foe with a heavy thud, clad from head to greave in black-green chitin, the glossy armor shining in the light that streams in from behind the Dragoon.

Neither fighter spares a word before they strike, B'ni's blazing fast left kick slicing right past Dragoon's visor, missing by a hair's breadth as the knight pulls back, tossing their spear to their off hand. With a sound like a blade unsheathing, the scythe on Gina's greave arcs left and backwards, closing the gap and screaming towards the other fighter's temple . The clash of bone-on-bone rings out as Dragoon's spear blocks the surprise attack with a fraction of a second to spare.

"Impressive." Dragoon's voice intones from within her plating. "You fight with skill beyond your years. How long have you been..."

Your hive hums with creation as B'ni kicks off from the ground and spins-mid air, driving a fierce kick into her foe's sternum that gouges a deep gash in Dragoon's peerless armor, launching B'ni back and away from your enemy's immediate reach. Acid trickles down the knight's off-hand, the tip of her spear glistening with crimson. You're not even sure when she had the chance to strike, but she's already drawn first blood from your friend.

Shifting focus, your six fresh creations take flight, four of them low to the ground as they blend innocuously into the concrete, slowly making their way towards your target while the other two arc overhead, obvious in their assault and begging to be cut down.

"Not one to mince words. I like that." Dragoon says with a chuckle as she swats the two large swarmlings from the air dismissively.

She doesn't expect it when their shells hold fast despite her otherwise lethal strike, latching on to her helm and giving Gina the opening she was waiting for.

(Continued)

So. we have a boss battle here.

Our win conditions:

>Either incapacitate Marrow dragoon enough that she can't use anymore Biomass or swing a sword

>Have Gina hijack Marrow dragoon and ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL

>We somehow rescue Kosi by keeping Marrow Dragoon distracted enough for Shu to free Kosi from the bone spikes that impale her hand.

Marrow's win condition:

>Buy enough time that reinforcements arrive

>Incapacitate 2 out of 3 members of Shu's group.
I kind of think another weakness to Marrow Dragoon is her armor and abilities. Muscle abilities have an innate weakness in such that any acid build up will eventually cause that muscle segment to lock up and become unresponsive. And muscle ligaments produce lactic acid naturally as they are being continually used. We can help speed up that process. Think of it as a heat gauge, the more Marrow moves about, the faster the heat guage rises up until the point where it overheats.

>>3183447
That's a weakness we all have though, and if anyone would be resistant/immune, it's a muscle manipulator

>>3183439

Six of Gina's eight furiously writhing cords stab into the remains of Kosi's biomass by her feet, an amethyst pulse the only warning before the entire concrete slab beneath the Dragoon tilts fiercely, throwing her off her feet and into the street beyond. GG lets out a yell of rage, then one of pain as her hand flies to her side, finding a handful of bone spurs shot through her abdomen just shy of piercing her stomach.

Marrow Dragoon rises to her feet and, with a wave of her hand, the daggers in Kosi's hands drag her down the street and away from the three of you at their creator's bidding, granting Dragoon ample room to fight without placing her prize in harm's way. She remains blissfully unaware of the swarmlings that cling to her armor, slowly injecting their payload deep within the grooves of her armor.

A flick of her right gauntlet precedes an explosion of bone and gristle, a second, shorter blade bursting forth from her calcite armor as she settles once more into her stance, bidding you onwards with a curt nod.

As the three of you stand in the entryway of Kosi's inner sanctum and prepare yourselves, you find that you're all too happy to oblige her.

HP: 100%
BIO: 95% (4 Subversive Banelings, 2 Recursive Banelings, 1 Simple Swarmling, 5 on Full Armor, 12/15 Active. Ravenous maw at the ready.)
ACT: 2/2
Threat: Close, prepared.
B’ni HP: 103%
GG HP: 87%

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>3183447
while it's that especialy true of armored targets Im' not sure if OPs' system accounts for stamina

>>3183469
>Have Bunny go in again, and have your non-covert swarmlings harry Dragoon as they fight.

>>3183469
Damn, out in the open. Not good.

>GINA; get a hold of the environment, find a spot safe from harm and use your halo to see from where she cant see you. Your job is to use spikes and slabs to keep her corralles into one location. No more backing up, no more runnong away, keep her where we want her.

B'NI; rush forward and do a feint, looking to aim for a weakpoint. When she goes to block, lock blades and do a disarm of her weapon. This gives us fresh biomass and lowers her own.

SHU; keep going for those joints and weakpoints, spawn us a TOUGHEST BOI we can to act as B'ni's personal guard bug.

SHU AND B'NI; If possible, and ACTions leftover, let's try another feint, but on where B'ni makes it look like she is trying the same weakpoint-then- disarm feint as before but last second have a baneling slam into a thicker part of the armor and have B'ni go for a HARD kick down on it, seeing if the combined acid and focused effort cant get a clean shot through.

FUCK. We need to get Kosi AWAY from Marrow Dragoon's bony claws. Literally.

>Shu: Impulsive swallow the bone daggers that keep Kosi impaled and convert the bone daggers into Biomass. Have the Recursive Banelings and the simple swarmling act as a fighter screen for B'ni. Have them tank the hits while the simple swarmling just hovers infront of Marrow's face, blocking Marrow's POV. If the recursive banelings and simple swarmlings die, then use another 65% Bio to craft a suit of CamoArmor. We need to get Kosi away from Marrow.

>B'ni: Play footsies with Marrow. You need to make Marrow move more actively. Feint and run. your object is to not duel Marrow, but to keep her occupied. Use your speed to your advantage.

>Gina: Terraform the area around Kosi. Your job is to block any bone darts That come our way.


>>3183458
>>3183475
I think Marrow Dragoon is more of a Bone manipulator than a Muscle Manipulator since her main abilities is basically Calcium Armory.

Guys. Our objective is to Retrieve Kosi and make like a bandit. Marrow is just leading us by the nose by manipulating the bone spikes that are in Kosi's hands.

>>3183500

Linking my post to >>3183469

>>3183469
We may as well make 3 more subversive Banelings, and send them on a kill mission with the others. Have the ones that are on her now latch to her face when they finish delivering their payload, obscuring her vision.

>>3183500
Paitence.
She knows our target. If we go for her too fast, were playing into her hands all the more. Wait til we incapacite her a bit more,our opening will show itself.

>>3183489
I am adding in that Shu or Gina should quickly absorb any weaponry we take off MD, as to prevent her feaky telekentic pull she seems to have. I still think getting rid of her weapons is a good idea, but only if we make sure she doesn't get them back.

>>3183500
>Shu: Impulsive swallow
This
We don't want Kosi being used as an emergency biomass reservoir