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Inhaling a deep breath, you review what you’ve learned thus far in your time exploring Arcadia’s meandering halls and bare calcite corridors. Drawn to this settlement by rumors of infighting fueled by an artistic dispute, you’ve found that the threat runs far deeper than mere intellectual squabbling, however violent it might’ve been. A being with the power to reduce anything to nothing at all has scraped and cored Arcadia’s art to the bone...leaving behind only a system of pipes and the glowing filigree that are the fruits of Nero’s creativity. Aeren informed you not long ago that the whole of Arcadia was designed by Magnus to be a mobile fortress, capable of standing up to the behemoth Amalgams that threaten the safety of countless settlements throughout the remains of Earth.

Flesh Artisans’s influence on the gristle and sinew they’ve touched marks it, changes it fundamentally as it attunes to their will...and with Nero and Levia’s artifice the only kind left in Arcadia, the keys to the kingdom are in their hands. Functionally, though? It’s all Levia, since Nero’s unhealthy attachment to the other girl has shifted the balance of power in the older woman’s favor. B’ni’s still off talking with Nero while Aeren prepares the meeting space that Magnus and Dorian will be leading Levia to once she’s ready to meet with you all privately...though the timing and actions you’re about to undertake have yet to be decided.

You’re honestly more of an improvisationalist, at heart.

>>Have Magnus and Dorian delay Levia a little longer while you attend to urgent preparations.

>>Let Levia...or whatever’s wearing her skin...meet with you, and you alone while the others work on whatever plan you craft. You’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.

>>Invite her in - the stage is set, and it’s about time you and the rest of the Council have the chance to speak as a group before you have one-on-one interviews.

>>Have her arrive, and then start off the one-on-one interviews with a Daughter of your choice.


>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

>>4386337
>Your name is Shu, and in the artistic, vibrant city of Arcadia, there is Nothing wrong.

>Nothing has crept into this haven, and Nothing has scrubbed the artisans’ labors from the walls. Nothing has hollowed out one of the four leaders of this illustrious settlement, with another under its thumb. Nothing sits beside one of your closest allies, his existence hanging by a thread that threatens to be cut by an errand slip of the tongue.

>Nothing is wrong in Arcadia…and you’re here to ensure that Nothing fails.

Oh, very nice intro, there. That's quite creepy and evocative.

Good morning, BHOP and everyone else in the thread.

>>4386337
Nice to see you bhop.

I've been binge watching gameplay of Library of Ruina as well as Lobotomy Corp. I think it's something that's right up your alley. Not to mention this by Mili song perfectly fits a quest like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOj_A3aZxGs

>>4386338
Are your eyes buttered for this show?

>>4386338
>Phone Aeren and Isabelle. If they think they're getting through to Nero, intercept Levia and the others on the way to the meeting hall to help slow her aproach.
>>If they think Neros not budging, simply let things flow towards the meeting as it will.

>Regardless, leave Rath and the triplets to keep rounding up support where they think they can, especially from inside Levia and Neros ranks.
>>Supposedly Levia has had workers on the pipes. maybe that means she has had to let someone go unaffected a bit more by whatever they truly are... and if the Triplets or Rath can get even a sliver of info on them, it might give us a massive edge.

>>4386338
>Let Levia...or whatever’s wearing her skin...meet with you, and you alone while the others work on whatever plan you craft. You’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.

>>4386349
i really dont want Levia alone with anyone to be honest.

>>4386341
and good morning back.

(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM today, Eastern Time, with posting to resume thereafter. I do hope everyone had a good break, and that you’re having a pleasant day.)

>>4386341
(Thank you so much, I'm glad it hit well.)

>>4386342
(I was *just* thinking about picking this up, actually.)

>>4386353
glad to be back aswell.

been a busier week than i expected, but thats just what happens sometimes. which is a shame because a game i was looking forward to a bit came out and i havent gotten to touch it much. that being said im think you might like it. 'Otherside' on steam, if you're interested. very interesting premise and some brutal but very neat mechanics so far. nothing like only being able to heal via sacrificing another character to really make every hit you take make you flinch.

>>4386353
Good to see its back. I hope your week was good OP.

>>4386338
Supporting >>4386345

>>4386352
Here's the thing, if we don't address levia, then Levia will be even more suspicious. We're supposed to keep up the appearance of an unbiased Moderator/Arbitrator, and the fact that we haven't even talked to Levia means we're already showing a bias.

>>4386375
yes, and even in my vote that is a thing we may do.
that does not mean we have to speak to her alone though. we didnt for anyone else either, if you think we need an excuse.

>>4386353
Cradleton Chapter 8's taking longer than expected due to the Nuances that need to be balanced when it comes to character interactions.

>>4386354
(I got Othercide *literally* the moment it was released, because I fell in love with the concept, the art, and the accessibility – colorblind mode is wonderful to have. Also, funny story – I named one of the Daughters ‘Rath’ since her hairstyle reminded me of her…and lo and behold, she soloed the second boss and took her down all by herself after her other two companions were lost. It was probably one of the most spectacular moments I’d ever had in a tactical game aside from FF Tactics. I hope you have fun with it, because I’m having a blast.)

>>4386379
(I’m glad to hear that you’re writing more on it! I wasn’t able to get much of anything done last week on account of work and planning Mrs. BHOP’s birthday this past weekend…which went wonderfully, I must say.)

>>4386488
hah, glad to hear it.
barely gotten to play it much, but yeah its fun so far. not even past the first boss yet, and so far im stumped as to how you're supposed to overcome him, but im sure i'll figure it out.

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>>4386338

[Aeren, B’ni – how’s Nero?] You ask, fearing the answer. [Do you think you’re getting through?]

“I…I don’t want to jinx it, but I think it's working.” Isabelle replies, cautiously optimistic. “She’s admitted to me that Levia doesn’t seem right, and she’s worried that something's wrong. We're still at it…how’d you and Rath make out with the triplets?”

You can practically hear B’ni wince on the other end of the line.

“Not that you…I…nevermi-“

[It went well, actually. They were receptive to what we had to say, and they say they’re prepared to do whatever it takes to help us with this imposter] You interject, sparing B’ni from tripping over her words any further. [Look, Levia’s on her way now, so do you think you and Aeren can intercept her and the others to help slow them down? I’ve got a few other things that I want to work on before we all meet, and I need all the time you can give me]

“You got it!” Aeren chimes in, cheerful and dutiful in equal measure. “B’ni and I got this, so do what you gotta do!”

[Thank you…both of you]

“See ya!”

“Be safe, Shu.”

With that, the swarmling nestled against your ear canal ceased to vibrate as the line goes silent, and your neck tingles as it re-adjusts its positioning against your ear as you shift focus back to the eerie triplets standing before you.

“Round up the support you can, preferably from within Levia and Nero’s ranks if you can. That goes for you too, Rath.” Comes your marching orders, spoken aloud. “Levia’s supposedly had workers on the pipes, so that means that she’s had to have someone go largely unaffected by whatever she’s got running through them in order to even build the damn things. So, if you all can get even a sliver of info on them, it might give us a massive edge.”

“Consider it-“ Begins one of the doppelgangers, before the other two declare. “Done.”

The trio simultaneously bow to you, their torsos snapping perpendicular to their lower bodies before they take their collective leave.

“You ever been torn between being turned on and intimidated as hell?” Rath muses aloud, watching them go.

“I’m dating Gina…” You reply with a solemn nod. “…so, yeah. All the time.”

The redhead snorts a little laugh, holding her gaze straight ahead for a long moment before she speaks again.

“If I can be real with you for a sec…I can’t help but feel like we’re dicking with something way above our weight class, y’know?” She says, looking up at you questioningly as her eyes shimmer with pure heat.

“So what’s the plan, Shu?”

>>”We get Levia here, then we confront her. Hope it snaps Nero to her senses, then figure out where to go from there.”

>>”I don’t know, yet…best bet is to just react to what Levia does when we all meet.”

>>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4386726

>“If I can be real with you for a sec…I can’t help but feel like we’re dicking with something way above our weight class, y’know?”

When are we not Rath.... when are we not....

>>4386726
>"I dont know yet, hopefully meeting Levia or something else will give us a bit more to work with."
>"Biggest issue will simply be figuring out how exactly her ability works and its limits. If she could just 'nothing' away anyone or anything willy nilly, we already would have lost this."

>>4386733
way too true for sure.

>>4386726
>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”

>>4386739
(Gentlemen, to clarify - is there anything that you wish to work on or accomplish before Levia arrives, or are you simply waiting for news from the Triplets and Rath about their findings?)

>>4386726
>>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”
>>Write-In
>"Maybe she's outside our weight class, yeah, but the big problem right now is that we just don't know what she can do. Obviously there are limits, we wouldn't be here right now if there weren't, but what are they?"

Also, it occurs to me that Eldritch Cancellation is probably a Nothing power, isn't it? Does weird things with causality and isn't supposed to be wielded by a Daughter, sounds like it to me. I don't think that's an important realization, just a thought I had.

On a further thought, I wonder if the reason 'A' has messed up memories about Alpha (the First Awake, not West Alpha) is because she had a Nothing power, too. She did know Mara, maybe they shared whatever experience got Mara and Magpie Eldritch Cancellation. That could be why 'A' has this weird twisted thought of "Alpha is dead, but is still doing things", there was a weird causal warp she used to escape death on a technicality and it's messing with 'A''s already-confused mind.

>>4386897
We could meet up with Dorian and Magnus, if it's Aeren and B'Ni that are running interference on False Levia now. See if they had any insights into her during their conversation.

>>4386897
>>4386900
wait, but we were supposed to run interference on false Levia if Isabelle and Aeren were making progress with Nero, which they said they were. damnit i chose a bad time to misread the update and need to get some sleep i guess.

(Writing now, Gentlemen.)

>>4387003
Ah, shit, you're right. Looks like there was a misunderstanding, it was us who were meant to intercept Levia. BHOP, can we get a retcon? It was meant to be us buying time for Aeren and B'Ni not the other way around.

>>4387004
>>4387003
wait so what is going on?
why are we asking Isabelle and Aeren to intercept Levia when they are making progress with Nero, when that is basically the opposite of what we want if they are making progress with her?

>>4387003
>>4387013
>>4387017
(....Christ, I'm dumb. I totally misread that vote. Absolutely, allow me to correct that in the fiction.)

>>4387013
>>4387003
>>4387004
Clearly we are having a case of the "Mondays". Bhop. we're anons are getting confused here.

>>4387020
(No no, I had a case of it - looking at your earlier vote that led to the prior update of mine, it was clear that you mean to use yourselves as a blockade against Levia to allow B'ni and Aeren more time to work with Nero and get her to open up. *I* messed that up.)

>>4387022
You did, yes, but we also didn't notice you had made that mistake until right now, so it's not just you that's a bit out of it. Let's just chalk it up to Monday, we're all a bit disoriented.

>>4387022
so whats the plan then?
technically, the winning vote for this session is 'individual meetings', but Levia is the only one we need to do one with anyways, so thinking about it while the context of how and why we do it would change, we kinda double voted on doing the same thing in base idea here anyways.
its just what Isabelle and Aeren are doing that is the issue.

and yes, as other anon said, our fault aswell for not catching it. i apologize profusely to you and others actually for that, as it being my vote that won it does feel like a stupid thing to misread and miss like that. as i said, i needed to get some sleep real badly so i guess i was more out of it than i thought.

(In fact, all that being said — I may actually adjourn here for the evening for a two-fold reason. First, to allow time to recalibrate the vote and for me to re-write what I'd written thus far to account for and correct my mistake. Second, my wife is dealing with a personal matter that arose over the weekend, and it's one that deserves my full attentions to.)

(Thus, I shall extend voting another four hours, with the update set to post tomorrow at 12:00PM, Eastern time. Thank you for your understanding, and I thank you all for catching my error.)

>>4387037
(Mrs. BHOP and I have been sleeping horribly, so I think we're all pretty much in the same boat, here.)

>>4387037
(I am intending to write it as though Shu realizes that the true key to winning this whole thing comes down to Nero, and that letting Aeren and B'ni work with her is the best bet, thus marching towards Levia to stall her as much as you can to give them the time they need.)

(That being said — you all are the players and are in control, so if you'd rather do something else or have it corrected a different way, then please let me know and I'll happily make it happen.

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>>4387038
oh, well no offense to the other anons, but if your wife needs you then fuck us, dump us in a shallow grave and go and help her with what she needs. im sure a man of your caliber knows plenty of necromancy anyhow.

but seriously, you deal with what you need to, i understand. and honestly? you would think hatching chicks would be kinda easy. but no, its a bit more of a stress thing but it still starts to catch up to you, heh. sleep is for those not raising animals, i guess.

>>4387041
no, that sounds good enough. better than a retcon at least, and technically fits with the current winning vote aswell.

Hope your afternoon and morning goes well BHOP.

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>>4387041
>>4387038
>"Don't Worry"
>"Otter Squad"
>"Hold fort!"

>>4387051
(I just read what you wrote aloud to my wife and she's laughing her ass off , so that is greatly appreciated, my friend.)

(But hey, you and the other writers here are important to me as well, and I never want you to feel like I am brushing you all off. Communication is important to me, so I try to be forthright.)

(A restful evening and a pleasant evening to you and yours, as well.)

>>4387062
(Okay, that's adorable - I'll bite. What's it from?)

>>4387038
Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that your wife is having trouble. Please, go address that, that's obviously more important. See you tomorrow, BHOP, and I hope everything works out alright. Try to get some sleep tonight.

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>>4387062
that strange catgirl appears to have emergency rats in bottles for some reason.

>>4387065
and its appreciated, truly. Both the commitment and the honesty.
But any feelings of brushing us off do not change how real life like to shank folks to steal their peeled off bread crusts at times, so trust me, i understand that sometimes you just have to do others things that are far more important, or just need some time for yourself or others.

>>4387065
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts?tags=arai-san_mansion
Kemono Friends, dumped into what is pretty much a Silent Hill apartment building. You don't need to know Kemono Friends to enjoy it, god knows I don't.

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>>4387065

Look up "Arai-san Mansion" on Danbooru.

It's about kemono Friends exploring a shady apartment complex where they signed their leases...said apartment complex is completely eldritch.

>pic related as example.
You'll see the horror if you examine the picture close enough.

>>4387075
The rats in bottles is there for safety reasons.
And They're technically Giant Otters.

>>4387081
>>4387085
this is neat but also kinda a horrible way to read a 'comic' even if it may have little continuity.

but still, looks interesting, thanks for sharing.

>>4387081
>>4387085
(I'm smacking myself in the face, because I think you or another person posted that in the last Vein, and I got so wrapped up in other stuff that I didn't remember to look at it more in depth. I think I'll start now, while Mrs. BHOP's wrapping up work. Thank you so much for the reminder!)

>>4387093
Yes I did. you're welcome for the reminder. May your read into Arai-san's Mansion give you inspiration.

>>4387096
(Oh, it will. Much appreciated, friend.)

>>4387090
Am the linked Anon.
Wanted to apologise but i wont be around today. On top of possibly not having internet til late today to sometime tommorow, not just me, but all my roommates aswell had an absolutely terrible morning even without the loss of internet, so i just need some time to unwind.

Also, on an amusing note, i lost internet pretty soon after my joke about Bhop throwing us in a shallow grave. I think maybe Bhop is way more powerful than i gave credit to.

>>4388082
(Even though I'm cackling at what you've said, I'd certainly never discard any of you, so no worries there. Odds are it will be a slow day of updates anyway since we have a hurricane coming through where I live and Mrs. BHOP and I are still dealing with the fallout of an ex-friend who's just about as delusional as pre-resurrection B'ni.)

(Which is kind of ironic, since B'ni was her favorite character...hrm.)

>>4388082
I'm sorry to hear you had a difficult morning, anon. I hope the rest of your day gives you the chance to relax some. Shame your internet will be down, though, we'll try to give you something good to come back to.

>>4388094
Ah, geez, that sounds rough. It's always awful dealing with the demise of a friendship like that. And you're in the path of the hurricane, too? Wow. Well, stay safe, BHOP, and may you and your wife get through the difficulties you're having with this former friend.

>>4388094
Oof, sounds rough, both the friend and the hurricane.
Wish you the best on both BHOP.

>>4388094
>A bloody hurricane storm bowling over bhop.
I hope you find Cardinal and Snowbird as good company!

Stay safe.

>>4388100
Thanks to you too by the way for the well wishes as well.
Id say something about folks having a better day, but it sounds like its jinx season suddenly.

>>4388094
Hmmm... I hope the situation clears up on your end OP as far as a hurricane can clear up.

So no stress and best of Luck

>>4388082
(I'm also sorry to hear you all had such a hard morning, and I truly hope that it improves!)

>>4388136
Thanks, though i assumed your last post was your way of saying as such.

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(Gentlemen, an update - I am back home safely, though the power went out at work and is likely to do so here judging by how the lights keep flickering, so the update is trapped in technical limbo. Thus, I'll try to reconstruct it here for when power returns, and I'll keep you all updated as to when to expect the next post. Thank you all for your patience, and if you are also caught up in all this, then stay safe.)

>>4388196
No pressure OP. Just glad to hear your safe

>>4388196
Sure thing, BHOP. Take as much time as you need, and stay safe.

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>>4386726

”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, and badly.” You answer with a sigh, returning the shorter girl’s earnestly questioning eyes as you shrug. "Maybe she's outside our weight class, yeah...but the big problem right now is that we just don't know what she can do. Obviously there are limits, we wouldn't be here right now if there weren't, but what are they?"

“Well, I may not be the Doc or Gina when it comes to all the flesh sciency business aside from crafting…” Rath grumbles, stretching one arm across her chest as she pulls it with the other. “...but so help me God I’m gonna put boots to ballsacks and figure this shit out.”

“Heh, I believe it.” You reply with a warm, trusting smile, placing a hand on her shoulder with an affectionate squeeze. “Be safe, Rath.”

She just flashes you that cocksure grin of hers before darting off into the featureless corridor before you, disappearing into the darkness beyond. You wait, passing the seconds by counting your own footfalls, incessant and circular in the meeting room as they echo rhythmically throughout the corridors that surround you. Finding yourself well and truly alone for the first time, you finally notice an undercurrent of sound that hums a low, almost imperceptible song. Edging closer to a nearby wall, you cock an ear closer to Nero’s handiwork, listening to the tone that whines like neon…but there’s something deeper to it than that. A rise and fall, akin to a heartbeat.

A heart that beats in time with its creator. All the power in Arcadia, thrumming in time with a little girl’s soul. You almost feel off your game, realizing that it was staring you in the face this whole time.

You have no idea what day it actually is...but it sure as hell feels like a Monday.

[B’ni, Aeren?] You suddenly declare, placing a hand against the wall as your commling buzzes to life. [Change of plans. If we’re going to have any hope of coming out on top, then Nero’s the key to it. I’ll run interference with Levia, so you two just do everything you can to help Nero understand what’s going on and get to the heart of the matter. Understood?]

“I…yeah, absolutely.” B’ni replies. “Just do what you gotta do, Shu.”

With dutiful pace, your feet carry you down the corridor towards the massive courtyard at Arcadia’s center, defiance informing every foot fall…

...and soon enough, they’re answered in kind.

Ahead of you, a tall, lithe frame glides into view from just beyond your sight, Levia’s peerless form flanked by Dorian and Magnus, stern-faced and just out of her range of vision.

“Shu!” The hollow beauty declares, throwing her arms wide as she approaches you with an ivory smile. “Just the person I wished to see. I was just telling the boys that I was hoping to walk and talk with you while we made our way back to the girls.”

(Continued)

>>4388576

“The talking I’d absolutely be up for, but I would like to give Aeren and Nero a little time to finish work on the meeting space they’re working on. Good bonding time, I think.”

“Indeed.” Magnus intones, stepping around to your side as he addresses his fellow Councilmember. “I have to say that this divide between the two of us caused Aeren a great deal of heartache, and just as you and I spent time with the crowd, it might be best to let our introverted counterparts have some time to recharge.”

“Aw, but our team’s spent so much time apart.” Levia pouts. “I’d hate to keep everyone at arm’s length when it’s been so long since we were last together.”

“Actually, now might be a good time to get started on the one-on-one talks, if everyone’s still up for that.” You supplement, glancing between Magnus and Levia as the former nods.

Levia, for her part, just stares at you for a moment, her piercing gaze trained on yours for a long second before she smiles.

“Of course, I’d love to get started.” She says, turning to Magnus. “Ladies always go first, but in the interest of fairness I’d be happy to let Magnus have the first sit-down.”

“Oh, now I don’t think that would be very fair.” Dorian chuckles, shooting you a look of worry that nevertheless is kept from weighing down his airy, jovial voice. “Ladies first, I-“

“I insist.” Levia interrupts coolly, her eyes locked on yours. “Or we could walk and talk on the way back to the others. Either way, I think I’ve left Nero alone for much too long.”

“She gets nervous when she’s away, you see.” Levia adds, her teeth gleaming white.

Her smile’s gone on too long, you realize. Far too long to be anything more than a baring of fangs. She’s on to the fact that something’s up, but she’s yet to dispense with the niceties. In fact, she’s yet to do *anything* openly against you or the other Council members…

…why?

>>Take a moment with Magnus to debrief with him before you move on to your next Councilmember of choice.

>>Engage Levia alongside Dorian (with the Silver Key at the ready) to give B’ni and Aeren all the time they need.

>>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>>Alright, if she wants to play games, then you'll throw her a curve ball — confront Levia about possibly abusing Nero to throw her off the scent.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume at approximately 3:00PM tomorrow...assuming my workplace has power, that is. I’ll keep you all updated since my power at home just came back on, so I hope everyone has been safe and had a decent day. Thank you all for your patience, participation, and enthusiasm, and I hope you all have a good evening.

>>4388577
The Jig is up apparently. Levia's on to us.

>>4388581
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you tomorrow, and I hope the storm gives you no further troubles.

>>4388587
Oh, I'd be surprised if she wasn't on to us from the beginning. She just felt that playing along was most effective.

So, what do people think we should do here? Our primary goal remains distraction to give further time for B'Ni and Aeren to work on Nero. We don't have to interview False Levia here, but we do need to occupy her. Maybe we could engage in some meaningless small talk to keep her distracted and not focusing on what our game is.

>>4388577
>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>"Do you view Nero as a daughter?"
>"It must've been a heavy responsibility, being an adoptive mother."
>"Do you think our daughters would get along? Nero and Amara? I think they could be wonderful friends if given the chance. Although Amara can be a bit on the mischievous side."
>"It's a struggle I tell you, being a parent, wanting what's best for them."
>"Sometimes, you get to gentle with them...and sometimes...you grip their hand too tight to notice that you're hurting them."
>"You got any fun stories you and Nero? Playdates with friends? field trips with others? Collaborative works with fellow artists?"
>"From one adoptive mother to another, I'm concerned about Nero as a child."
>"I'm simply afraid of parental abuse."
>"You're not abusing her are you? God, I hope this isn't the case. You and I know what it's like to be under the thumb of tyrannical abuse."
>"She seems to have lots of admirers but very few friends. I can't help but wonder, where are her friends?"
>"But where's are they? The place seemed so empty. I thought a place as safe as Arcadia would have tons of children's drawings and what not."
>"Can you tell me what happened? Or were they simply gone? As if none of those things happened to exist?"
>"Something better not have happened."

>>4388587
>>4388613
the jig was probably never not suspicious. but so long as she still has some reason to 'play the game' we should try and make sure we can confront her on our terms, or are at least more prepared for when she turns on us.

>>4388613
walk and talk is our best bet. we can still squeeze more time out, without forcing her to break the game just yet.

>>4388615
i just dont think confronting Levia on those topics is really a good idea. real Levia might take offense, and fake Levia might not care and find it a wonderful excuse to use to twist us asking to keep Nero on her side. If we needed more proof of what Levia was, maybe, but we have more than enough to know she is at least a real threat, 'nothing' or not regardless, which i would say we have enough proof by now of that aswell.

>>4388887
Hey there anon.

>>4388890
Any suggestions, edits, or add-ons to what appears to be the only vote on this update?

>>4388890
How about this? Similar discussion, similar ability to delay False Levia, but less confrontational and able to be twisted away from under the guise of being offended.

>>4388577
>>Write-In
>Slowly, place a hand on her shoulder. Keep a gentle, familiar tone while speaking. Don't let her see us sweat.
>"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too. I've also got a little girl who means the world to me."
>"You don't have to pretend it's her that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?...when I see one. It's tough, being away from your kid."
>"They're so serious, these children of the Crucible. So certain they have to be strong for you, carry the weight of the world on their little shoulders. It's kind of sad."
>"You just want to tell them that everything will be okay. Hold them tight and never let them go."
>"I think that can be bad for them sometimes, though. You don't mean to hurt your kid, but it happens. You grip too tight and don't realize you're smothering them."
>"I'm going to be honest with you: I'm a little worried about Nero. It doesn't seem that she has any friends here. Does she? I overheard some people talking earlier, and they actually sounded a bit afraid of her. There's admiration for her talent, but no one wants to get close."
>"And then when we had that forum, she wasn't all too eager to speak up. I think Nero's social skills are stunted. Listen, I don't want to be that mom who tells other women that they're raising their kids wrong, but I have to ask: Are you sure you're not leading her to be too dependent on you?"
>"I think a little time away from you won't hurt her. It might even be good for her, encourage her to be more active in conversations. She seems to be really getting along with Isabel. It's actually kind of cute, this little fangirl, reminds me of my Amara with Orwell. I'm sure she'll be fine without you for a little while, with Isabel to distract her and Aeren to make sure she's safe."

>>4388577
>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>"So, Can you tell me a bit about yourself? your journey, meeting Nero, how you came to be here?"
>"How about your side of things? what you were really trying to do that helped start all of this, your real intentions, if you dont mind?"
>"Im just trying to make heads or tails of all this so i can help put it to a rest without any further loss of life.... whatever may truly be happening within these walls."

throwing her a mild bone at the end here, just to give her a possible out and see how she reacts.
Shes already on to us, so its not like her getting suspicious is a worry. But i think its still within the 'games rules' enough not to give her a reason or excuse to bow out just yet aswell.

>>4388893
>Any suggestions, edits, or add-ons to what appears to be the only vote on this update?
Yeah, sorry I didn't post anything earlier. I get all perfectionist and wind up revising a thousand times before posting anything, when we get a long voting period. It's a bad habit, I should post the basic initial draft quickly and then revise it with thread input.

>>4388893
>>4388897
well like i said, i just simply disagree with the topic of approach in the first place, in my opinion.

real Levia i think might take it the wrong way, as from what we know real Levia wouldn't need to be asked those questions.
Fake Levia doesn't care enough to not just brush them off, and possibly twist them to her advantage. we need questions Fake Levia would 'care' about more, such as time fillers she can use to put us at ease, or general questions. things she would have to know but might stumble on without realizing it, over things that feel like an intervention on as massive a topic as adoptive motherhood is.

I just cannot see such a heavy topic working for us with an imposter.

>>4388914
Yeah, I can see that logic. My thinking was that requiring to put on a show of emotional investment would be a good time-filler in its own right, but you're right that even with it being less confrontational and more solidarity she could still potentially shrug it off with platitudes. I think there's some I can take from mine, but yeah, I'll try to revise it to require her to put more effort in to coming up with lies and have it delay her more.

>>4388914
>>4388921
I can see your point. I wrote this on the idea that we were to prod Levia into figuring out what part of Levia is still real and what isn't Levia. I had forgotten that we already figured the Levia was fake.

>>4388615
>>4388577
Changing my vote to support >>4388900

>>4388577
>>Write-In
>Slowly, place a hand on her shoulder. Keep a gentle, familiar tone while speaking. Don't let her see us sweat.
>"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too. I've also got a little girl who means the world to me."
>"You don't have to pretend it's her that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?...when I see one. It's tough, being away from your kid."
>"Well, I won't keep you, then. We can talk on the way."
>Start out walking, but keep it to a leisurely stroll.
>"So, how did you find Nero? The two of you were already together when you came to Arcadia, right? Must be an interesting story there. Did you start collaborating on art first and then your relationship formed, or were you already looking out for her when you decided to start doing art?"
>Listen to response about Levia's possibly-fictional past
>"Well, maybe I'll get to see one of your collaborations some day, now that the fighting is over. From what I heard it was all really beautiful, it would be a shame for it to be lost over...what exactly was the problem? I know what got Magnus upset, but I've just got his side of it. If you don't mind telling me, what was it that you took issue with? Clear communication, it'll help us prevent things like this from happening in the future."

(Gentlemen, I just arrived back home after a maddening day of work, so Ill have the update posted as soon as I can finish it. Thank you for your patience, one and all.)

>>4389649
hey its fine, take your time.
unwinding after working on a project all morning myself.

>>4389649
Take your time and a small breather if you need to. If you are all worked up while writing you will only increase stress that way.

Happened to me some time ago..... i nearly exploded afterwards

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>>4388577

"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too.” You say with a chuckle, running your hand along the back of your neck with mock sheepishness. “I've also got a little girl who means the world to me, so you don't have to pretend it's Nero that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...Mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?”

“Complicated.” She answers with a demure chuckle.

“Well, whatever your relationship, I know care when I see it. It's tough, being away from your kid."

“The hardest thing in the world.” Levia agrees, her gaze still locked on yours — appraising every gesture, every syllable as she shifts her negligible weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, I won't keep you just standing around here, then. We can talk on the way."

Gesturing for you and the other gentlemen to follow, you and Levia eventually match each other’s pace, though you’re sure to keep it as leisurely as possible without coming to a dead stop.

"So, Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Your journey, meeting Nero, how you came to be here?" You begin, keeping your voice as light as possible.

“Nero and I, we traveled together for some time before we heard tell of this place...it’s hard to call a place ‘home’ in this world, but I can’t think of a better place than Arcadia. Wouldn’t you say so, yourself?”

“Hm.” You nod, waiting for her to continue...and she just keeps staring straight ahead, your steps echoing down the corridor in perfect harmony.

"How about your side of things? What you were really trying to do that helped start all of this? Your real intentions, if you don't mind?" You say, shifting the discussion away from her past and to something that should prove to be an easier talking point...or, at least, one she can bluff her way through. "I’m just trying to make heads or tails of all this so I can help put it to a rest without any further loss of life...whatever may truly be happening within these walls."

“Honestly? It was about freedom of choice, if I were to boil it down to its bare essentials.” Levia replies after a few thoughtful moments, her eyes now straight ahead. “The entire point of Arcadia is for artisans to have a place to feel free to be themselves. To wrest something of a silver lining from this whole apocalyptic mess. Existence doesn’t have to be binary...and in seeing that Magnus strove to embrace one side of this physical spectrum, I thought it only right to offer a few discreet tweaks if his patients weren’t keen on such a stark example of craftsmanship.”

(Continued)

>>4389803

“That being said…” She adds, casting a look back at the two young men that follow behind you. “...what I did was in direct violation of our tenets, and a matter that I should have brought up with Magnus personally before going behind his back. He and many in Arcadia viewed it as a rebuke — or perhaps an invalidation — of their ideals and sense of self. I never intended it to be anything of the sort.”

“How did it get to this point, then?” You ask, hoping to dig a little deeper into the heart of the matter.

“Pride.” She answers, simply. “Pride, and not wanting to admit I was wrong to do what I’d done. Magnus’s pride, too, though I should’ve been the one to broach the topic of peace in the first place.”

Her sudden titter of laughter comes as something of a surprise, a wind chime that dances down the corridor and deep within your ears.

“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.

“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”

Just as quickly as it crossed her face, her expression shifts into something far more refined as she coaxes a few errant strands of flaxen hair out of her face with a shake of her head. “I must say, this is somewhat refreshing.”

“How so?”

“This is the most conversation I’ve had since this whole thing started.” She laughs, leaning in conspiratorially before adding. “Nothing against them, but the triplets aren’t much for stimulating dialogue.”

“Glad you’re back among the living, then.”

“And what a lively bunch you and your family are!” She giggles, shooting Dorian a playful wink over her shoulder. “So, tell me...what’s next for you all? What exciting new adventure have you all set your sights on? As grand as Arcadia is, I’m sure it isn’t aren’t the last stop for the great Defiants.”

The willowy blonde’s oceanic eyes seem to pierce into your very soul, as you find yourself staring up into them when you turn to face her. She hasn’t let anything truly slip through dialogue, but the subtle hastening of her footsteps have spoken volumes in the silent war between your pace and hers. You’re certain she wants you out of Arcadia sooner rather than later...either to have you out of the way before she enacts whatever she’s plotting, or just because she’s not terribly fond of your presence.

Either way, she’s waiting for your answer.


>>”The Cord, ultimately...but I’m sure we’ll get pulled away from that one way or another.”

>>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”

AND

>>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.

>>Talk a little about you and your family to try and prompt conversation.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall tentatively remain open for the next three hours. I must admit that I am rather drained from the day's events, so I may extend voting until tomorrow if a second wind doesn't come soon, but I'll keep everyone informed, regardless.)

>>4389656
(I do hope your project went well.)

>>4389664
(I, too, tend to let things settle and simmer until they get overwhelming. I'm trying to be better about it, but understanding my own energy limits been something I've been working on for some time.)

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>>4389810
It's clear you're having a very rough day, so I think it's best if you extend the voting for overnight.

Have a picture of a menacing Pollen Lord. Let it stand menacingly and ward away stress

>>4389832
(That is adorable and has absolutely made me feel better through hearty chuckling. Much appreciated.)

>>4389810
Yeah, I'd say extend the voting period, BHOP. Take some time to rest. I'm sorry your day's been rough.

>>4389805
>“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.
>“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”
So was she a nihilist before gaining Nothing, or did it cause her personality to shift? On the one hand, the Crucible tries to fit the power to the Daughter, so if she was already like this I could see the Crucible giving her causality-erasure. On the other, being exposed to some sort of cosmic entropy would definitely convince anyone of the futility of the human experience.

>“This is the most conversation I’ve had since this whole thing started.” She laughs, leaning in conspiratorially before adding. “Nothing against them, but the triplets aren’t much for stimulating dialogue.”
Well, yes, you've been avoiding them. Your story's slipping, dear.

>>4389847
Then we should give what "fake" Levia craves behind the facade: philosophy. Something to pit her Nilhism against.

>>4389853
Maybe. Not sure how to work that into this conversation, though.

>>4389856
Let me work my magic.

Okay, here's a thought: What if we convinced False Levia that our continued presence here was contingent on the existence of something? Something that she'd then want to unmake so that we'd have never had a reason to stick around, giving us the chance to observe her erasing it while protected by the Silver Key, thereby gaining us information on her powers? Saying it's dependent on one of our party really liking Almath would be the easiest way to goad her, but that would also sacrifice them and is unacceptable. Are there any inanimate objects we can use as bait to draw out her erasing process? Like...I don't know, tell her we first came here to see a specific statue or something. I'm trying to think of targets and none are coming to mind.

>>4389805
This is very wordy. Feel free to edit.
>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”
>"Not just because of this whole settlement debacle. It's because I haven't gotten to know the people I find interesting better, and so far you're one of the most interesting people I've met in this settlement.
AND
>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.
>"I'm asking because I would like to know the philosophy behind your words and actions. Sorry, it's a habit I've picked up. Many of the people I've had to fight tell me of their grounding philosophy that drives them."
>"Art and philosophy go hand in hand rather well, I'm sure you're itching for an outsider's perspective."
>"So what's the driving philosophy behind your art?"
>"No, I don't mean the work you've done on the triplets. I mean the work you've done on the side. The blank canvases you've hung up on the walls. The empty sky in the council room."
>"It's got your handiwork and signature."
>"Levia, I'm not accusing you of anything wrong. I just want to know if I read the message you've painted onto your work correctly."
>"'Art is beautiful fleeting thing, eventually it all fades away into nothing.' that's what I'm reading from your work. It's a beautiful message."
>"I'm not saying that what you've done is completely wrong Levia. Sure, it frightens others when they don't know what's going on, but the meaning of your works will amount to nothing if the philosophical message of your work cannot be conveyed properly for people to spread your idea."
>If Levia asks about what we make the idea of "Nothing" or what the meaning of life in this Crucible, or if she makes an argument for Nihilism.
>"You make a good argument I'll give you that."
>"Let me tell you something Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I can get the basis of Nihilism. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...It's horrifying to say the least."
>"But it also gives me a contrast to see what truly matters."
>"Nihilism has a place and a time. Everything amounting to nothing in the end is hard to argue against."
>"But it also gives meaning to what nothing is compared to what is absent."
>"Art is beautiful and fleeting thing, eventually it all fades away in the end. But the presence of nothing means the absence of something, it's meaning letting us ponder and comprehend."
>"That, I appreciate. And yet, I cannot help but wonder: The cosmos is heading towards complete entropy, and Nihilism will win out in the end, so why are you so keen about hastening the end of everything and washing away the art pieces we've yet to see?"
>"The message of sent through an art piece won't be received if there's nobody to see it."

>>4389833
Bhop...I can't help but get the feeling that Mili's "String Theocracy" is a theme song for Levia.

>>4389810
>>4389832
>>4389835
(I do believe that I will take your advice, Gentlemen. I'll leave voting open until 9:00AM Eastern time tomorrow, with posting tor resume at approximately 3:00PM. I wish you all a pleasant evening, and I do believe that I will try and get a very early night's sleep.)

>>4389889
Or, we get ourselves so involved that any of Levia's attempts to erase our presence will backfire catastrophically. Like how Levia can't erase Nero without causing the entire settlement to collapse in on itself.

>>4390005
Have a nice sleep, BHOP. See you tomorrow, and thanks for running.

>>4390010
Maybe. It depends on how immune to paradox she is. In theory, we're already protected by setting into motion the events that lead to her being freed, but we can't rely on that until we know the limits of her powers.

>>4390021
Any opinions on my write-in?
I worded it with the intent on catching her by critiquing her art, and engaging in discussing the philosophy of her works. Is it too blatant of a write-in?

>>4389656
Update on Cradleton Chapter 8

Still slow going, trying to refine the specifics.
Current contents of the chapter have put me in a spot where I'm forced to decide whether or not to sacrifice part of the introduction to major Cult fighters in favor of keeping the story firmly in Carter's personal perspective in future chapters to preserve Narrative perspective continuity, or zoom out in favor of getting a god's eye view of the story and include the cast but turn the narrative super chaotic.

>>4390030
>Any opinions on my write-in?
Yeah, sorry, just...not feeling well all of a sudden, and it's making it hard for me to focus on writing. Not sure what this is about, maybe something I ate.

Right, the write-in. I think it's overly direct. I like the idea of engaging with her philosophy, but going "hey, why do you like nothingness so much, don't just erase everything" is way too unsubtle. Even if we aren't trying to maintain the pretense of the two of us not knowing the other knows, that's way too overt in addressing her.

Also, just as an aside, the philosophy of nihilism is centered largely on the idea of making meaning despite the inherent meaninglessness of the cosmos. So if we did dispute her nihilism, it should be on the grounds of "you're not getting the point of it" rather than nihilism just being wrong.

>>4390042
Ah. I see.
So more subtle, less overt. Philosophy is still a good angle of approach.

Let me get dinner and I'll go back to the writing.

>>4390005
Hey BHOP, I dont know if you've ever played the game Warframe, but they are putting out an open world update that is all fleshscape. You might want to look for some different inspiration.

>>4390047
Yeah, I'm going to duck out for a bit myself, gonna take a walk around the block and see if that settles my stomach. I'll try to give more involved feedback/write-in work of my own when I get back.

>>4389965
>>4389805
Amending my vote to this.

>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”
>"Not just because of this whole settlement debacle. It's because I haven't gotten to know the people I find interesting better, and so far you're one of the most interesting people I've met in this settlement.
AND
>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.
>"I'm asking because I would like to know the philosophy behind your words and actions. Sorry, it's a habit I've picked up. Many of the people I've had to fight tell me of their grounding philosophy that drives them."
>"Art and philosophy go hand in hand rather well, I'm sure you're itching for an outsider's perspective."
>"So what's the driving philosophy behind your art?"
>Respond accordingly.
>Try to toss the ball back at Levia and lure her into engaging into philosophy.
>"So...What do you make of Nihilism?"
>Let Levia ask the "why"
>"I'm asking because of the walls. There's nothing on them, it's an empty blank canvas, and I've been struggling to find the proper term for what could best describe a blank canvas."
>Prod Levia into giving us her view of Nihilism and have her prod us back with how we view Nihilism.

>>4390049
(That sounds absolutely incredible. I want to play Warframe just to get Nidus, but I know its all a bit of a grind. Thanks for the heads up about the update, as I hadn't heard about it at all!)

>>4389810
hah, it didnt. going to have to do something slightly different as the soil here is more rock than not, but it is what it is.

>>4390005
>>4390052
ah, shame to see im not the only one a bit out of it.
do apologies, but i myself took the advice we give Bhop, and when my body told me i needed to just keep sleeping, i decided it was probably a bad idea to fight it.
still, never like to have to see others have to make the same decision, but it is what it is.

i'll catch up on the write-ins then, see where i stand.

>>4390010
>>4390021
we simply do not know how much if at all she is bound by paradox. it could be she doesn't have to care. all we do know is there is a limit to her scale of deletion, otherwise there would be no war in the first place.

I have to say though, she must be able to allow some form of paradox. an artist community, but the only artwork left is hers and Neros? nothing left of the original founders works, not even into the walls? while it might not be to the same level as deleting one of the founders themselves, to say such a thing could not cause a paradox, however small, i think is just wrong.

my guess is both in literal size and amount she is deleting, along with the 'weight' of what she is deleting, increases cost.and as we know even if her ability isnt bound by the rules in what it does, she and how it works still can be, id imagine even if she is extremely high level we and the founders are a pretty high cost.

...our companions though? maybe, but alot more risky. i mean, its too risky still even to test it on ourselves, but still.

>>4389889
not a terrible idea i just cant think of anything. best i could think of is, risking Dorian bringing up a piece of art he has made he wishes to bring here to show off once this is all over, but while she could then just delete the one piece of artwork, she might just get rid of Dorian to avoid a 'repeat problem'.

if we could say the Silver key defended from deletion, not just forgetting things, then him getting close and in its aura might make it worth it. but we simply dont know how far its protection goes, only its better not to risk it not being near 'Levia'.

>>4390059
im not sure about saying we will stay. both because im unsure we will, and if provoking her like that is a good idea.

i also think the first line needs some work. the 'people i have had to fight' part could be taken VERY wrong, especially if she thinks we are on to her.
otherwise just not a fan of the whole second part about nihilism in general.

>>4390454
Fair points. Remind me again, are we trying to stall her, or are we trying to provoke her and oust her identity?

>>4389805
Vote;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, cant say i know anyone who is, but i do think you're wrong."
>"They amount to mistakes."
>"but mistakes that are a part of you, and part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."

>>4390463
stall her. She herself at this point has at least given us cause to think something is up, even if we didn't already know she is an impostor.

If you think we can get her to subtly use her ability while we are as safe as we can be with the key though, it is not a bad idea at all. i suppose that would technically be on some level provoking her though, but doing so is still not off the table, its just not our main goal in my opinion.

>>4390454
>my guess is both in literal size and amount she is deleting, along with the 'weight' of what she is deleting, increases cost.and as we know even if her ability isnt bound by the rules in what it does, she and how it works still can be, id imagine even if she is extremely high level we and the founders are a pretty high cost.
I'd assume it's something along the lines of the "importance" of a thing to the timeline, with mass only mattering in regards to larger things having bigger impacts on history. I think that in regards to her personal timeline and whether she could get paradox-fragged, Rath is probably close to as protected as Shu is. She had significant interaction with Isabel, too, and it's the chain of events around Isabel that lead to the Nothing Daughter escaping. Dorian should have some protection since he was involved in letting us catch up to Isabel for Almath, but otherwise he didn't play a major part in how that went down. Like, he was in some fights against her, but it's possible to imagine a world where we handled those fights without needing her so the timeline still progresses without him.

>if we could say the Silver key defended from deletion, not just forgetting things, then him getting close and in its aura might make it worth it. but we simply dont know how far its protection goes, only its better not to risk it not being near 'Levia'.
Even then it would be tricky, because she'd try to delete him and then know something was up when he didn't stop having have existed. "The Defiants have a way to protect against my powers" is not a piece of information I want her realizing before we get into a fight with her. If we even do, as you said it's unclear if the Key can protect against erasure or just against knowing something's been erased. We've had it on the people near her just in case, but that's not us actually knowing.

>>4390463
Stall, with a secondary goal of gathering any information on her abilities that we can. But that's quite secondary, it's unlikely we'd get anything this way.

Actually, here's another thought: Does False Levia know that we know she has Nothing powers? She knows we know she's an imposter, but I don't think we've done anything that would reveal our suspicions about her powers. Unless she can sense the Silver Key and knows what it does, then even our poking the pipes wouldn't twig her because she'd assume our knowledge that they're causality-erasing would be erased. Can we use that, get her to assume we'd be confronting her without the knowledge that she can warp history and make a mistake because of that?

>>4390467
I like the idea of your write in, but the tone it takes feels too confrontational due to the immediate call-out.

We're trying to stall her, not confront her.

>>4390471
>I'd assume it's something along the lines of the "importance" of a thing to the timeline, with mass only mattering in regards to larger things having bigger impacts on history.
ah, my bad, importance is kinda what i meant by the fancy way i wrote 'weight', but i guess i should of just said that. im... unsure why i didn't, happens sometimes.

still dont think she has to care about paradoxes personally. though they might increase the price heavily, i could see that.

>Even then it would be tricky, because she'd try to delete him and then know something was up when he didn't stop having have existed.
fair, but figuring out some of how her ability works before the battle would help alot. But as we both said, even if it was worth the tradeoff it is not worth the risk.

actually...

>>4390091
BHOP, how noticeable are our jacks, the Dominous, and our swarmling based jacks?
would Levia notice us trying to check her and her build out if we tried, or would she only know if she had an ability as a counter measure? i THINK we can look at such info if we jack into someone?

>>4390476
unsure honestly.

>>4390486
is it confrontational? didnt think so myself, but alright. i guess the two lines and their transition into eachother about perfection and the artists maybe, but i was hoping that came off as more Shu getting lost in thought or something.

>>4390486
>>4390497
oh, im still not awake as i thought i guess.
your issue was with the first line being right to the punch, or at least too hard with how it arrived there, got it.

>>4389805
>>4390467
Amending Vote;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, thats understandable, and im sure anyone reasonable is aswell."
>"But i am unsure i agree they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"
>"They amount to mistakes."
>"but mistakes that are a part of you, and part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."

>>4390524
Reads much better. when it comes to the initial transition between the answer into the discussion with the Vice/Virtue philosophy.

I also had another thought or point to make depending on how conscious Levia has over her power of 'nothing', it can easily tie in with the concept of mistakes and vices.

>Vices exist because they serve as an ever present reminder of what you can improve upon. To erase them is to forget about what motivates you to improve in the first place.
>Sure you can choose to forget and undo your mistakes, but then where's the meaning if you don't learn the lesson in the first place?

>>4390532
not bad in idea but certainly those lines are a bit too on the nose over us knowing what her ability is i think.

>>4390538
I don't really think so when you consider levia's line here:

>“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.


She's very dismissive of the idea of vices, and seems to want to do away with them with her implications.

>“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”

This line felt like a slip of the tongue, but also hints at the fact that she's frankly aware of the situation. The line feels like a sarcastic snark about her own situation. She's flanked by people who clearly are on to her.

The line I quoted was made to challenge her darker impulse against the temptation that if she were to use her power of 'nothing', (if she's frankly aware of that power in the first place which all signs point to "yes"), then we would have her give pause and examine the meaning of choice and what it means to "undo" a choice"

>>4390497
(The Jacks are noticeable, while the swarmling-based jacklings are only noticeable upon close inspection. The Dominus Leash is the least noticeable of the three, but any of the three have the potential to trigger awareness if the target possesses skills that alert them to scanning.)

>>4390543
eh, i still just disagree.
i just dont think she was hinting at anything enough with those lines to allow us to get away with being so on the nose about 'erasing' things.

>>4390545
hrm, alright.
well then a jackling or leash would be a gamble on if she has one of those, which is better than before, but still a gamble.

>>4390524
I'm not crazy about the "they amount to mistakes" line. Not on its own, as a single-sentence line, comes across as too definitive. I'd actually combine it and the line below it.

>They amount to mistakes, and mistakes are a part of you, part of being human.

>>4390543
How about something like "Our mistakes mean to us what we allow them to mean. It's true, some people refuse to learn a thing from them, insist that they never mattered and should just be forgotten. Some people think that because they could make those mistakes, nothing else matters either. But some people learn from them."

>>4390549
alright.

>>4389805
>>4390524
amending vote again;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, thats understandable, and im sure anyone reasonable is aswell."
>"But i am unsure i agree they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"
>"They amount to mistakes, but mistakes are a part of you, part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."

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>>4390545
>>4390547
>>4390549

Oh God. I think I found the basis of the power of 'Nothing': 5D Multiverse Chess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBzX1ybigmw
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349230/5D_Chess_With_Multiverse_Time_Travel/
And yes, it's an actual game.

I'm sure the Crucible can play the game, but our brains?

>>4390553
>>4390549
Another idea to throw out there: The Artist's Paradox.

Without it, Artists cannot improve and become who they are, and yet the paradox exists to turn artists into their own worst critic as they look back and see the imperfections of their previous works.

>>4389805
Supporting >>4390553

>>4390555
There's definitely some multidimensional stuff going on with the Crucible's systems. How often do we pull mass from seemingly nowhere?

>>4389805
Supporting >>4390553


I racked my brain to come up with anything i felt was missing but for the last two hours i found nothing... so i will be happy to support this.

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>>4389805

"Well, I’m not sure.” You admit, slowing your pace just a hair as you make a show of pondering her question. “We’re always taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but it’s never that simple. Never a straight path even when folks don’t need our help, and I’m sure someone will."

“You always have so much on your plate. It’s truly impressive how much you juggle on a daily basis.” Levia commends you with a note of genuine appreciation in her airy voice.

"Not that I mind giving out help, of course. Just hoping for some stability along the way too, is all." You quickly amend with a sideways grin before you get back on track. "So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, that’s understandable, and I’m sure anyone reasonable is as well…but I’m unsure if I agree that they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"

With a tilt of her head, the girl next to you acquiesces with a curious arch of one perfect eyebrow.

"In my opinion, they amount to mistakes, yes — but mistakes are a part of you, part of being human. You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is always out of reach…but striving for it is the bigger mistake, I usually find."

“Is that so?” Levia murmurs, the hint of a smile tugging at the taught corners of her mouth.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I’m talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way.” You chuckle with a shake of your head. “Of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but I’m sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it.”

Glancing sideways, you realize that Levia’s just staring straight ahead, nodding along thoughtfully as she tries to subtly pick up the pace.

“But I’d love to hear more of your opinion on all this, Levia.” You say pointedly, easing up on your walking speed as Levia reluctantly follows suit. “You said this was about 'Freedom', yes? Which I cannot tell you how much I respect that, truly. I’m merely curious. Usually us freedom-loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so I guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."

“Ha, forgive me, Shu — I didn’t mean to wax too terribly philosophic back there, and I’d certainly never refer to your or any member of your family as ‘hicks’. You believe in what you fight for, and that’s to be admired.” The taller girl replies with a gentle, reassuring smile. “As far as mistakes go, I’m of the opinion that to err is human and to forgive, divine.”

“Ah, you’ve read Alexander Pope, then?” Dorian chimes in with a smile.

“Nope! I think I heard it on Glee or something like that.” Levia cheerfully replies, and you watch as Dorian’s face just falls.

(Continued)

>>4391213

“So you clearly respect the notion of freedom.” You say, trying to reign Levia’s focus back in so that you can control the ebb and flow of your idle conversation.

“Conceptually? Of course.” She admits. “But in reality they’re fleeting notions, at best.”

“How so?”

“While it’s true that many people merely fail to exercise their agency and claim that they have no true handle on the direction their life takes, there’s also a sizable amount of people that simply *don’t* have any agency for one reason or another.” Levia explains, her voice harder-edged than what you’ve gotten used to hearing from the willowy blonde. “Through birth or circumstance, nature or nurture, it’s nothing more than a roll of the dice. Advocating for peoples’ agency is a worthy goal, yes…but it’s ultimately unattainable. Eventually the accumulation of power will rob a people group of their empathy, and then, regardless of political affiliation, those in power will take steps to ensure that they maintain that power perpetually. Control — some people have it, and others never will. It is, inherently, unfair.”

“Isn’t fighting against that a worthy goal, regardless?”

“More people will suffer than not, so the net sum of the entirety of human experience is a miserable negative. It may be worth fighting for pockets of freedom and equity, but you have to go into that fight knowing that what you do will, either in your lifetime or those that come after, be doomed to crumble.”

“So if fighting for equality is untenable and ultimately pointless, then what do we have left?” You ask.

“It’d be better if-“ She starts to answer, pausing as she allows herself to reset with a hasty intake of breath and a wide smile. “…if everyone were truly equal. That’s what we’re trying to do here in Arcadia, after all.”

She turns to look at you, and for the first time since you’ve met her you think you’re seeing the real person behind those stunning blue eyes.

“Now, don’t get me wrong — I have nothing but respect and admiration for those strong enough to fight the good fight. Those who strive to make things right for the oppressed, no matter the cost and regardless of how ephemeral that equality may prove to be.” Levia says, and despite the difference in height you feel like you’re on equal footing, somehow. “Arcadia was founded on the principles of freedom and choice, and it’s for that very reason why Nero deserves a place here.”

She’s been so engrossed in the conversation that she’s failed to notice that you and she are now stopped dead in your tracks. Levia appears to be eagerly awaiting your response, and you’re unsure if this is a trap, or perhaps another distraction…

…or is she legitimately engaged?

>>Continue the dialogue with something else that’s on your mind.

>>Give her a prompt, then quickly and quietly touch base with B’ni and Aeren.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours. I hope everyone is doing well, and that you’ve all been able to get some well-deserved rest.)

>>4391217
>>4391215
>>4391213
>She’s been so engrossed in the conversation that she’s failed to notice that you and she are now stopped dead in your tracks. Levia appears to be eagerly awaiting your response, and you’re unsure if this is a trap, or perhaps another distraction…

>…or is she legitimately engaged?

Yes. This is exactly what I'm hoping for. Philosophical discussion. Teasing out her driving philosophy and raison de etre.

>>4391215
>Continue the dialogue.

>"Its only futile if you let it be." say simple, but warmly.
>"The problem with perfection i find, is perfection is objective. One persons suffering is anothers fuel to live. Ones torment maybe be anothers passion, and i do not mean with just the extremes. One person may be terrified to the point of panic of turtles due to one biting them while young, while another adores and raises them with true passion and love."
>"To put such a person in a room with a turtle would be inhuamne... just as taking the turtle from the other would be just as much so."
>"Humans are imperfect... all of us. no matter what we think is right... we cannot be certain it actually is, for everyone... and its no one persons place to decide that for everyone else."
>"People speak of equality as if all they are doing is ending the pain of those unfairly treated... while ignoring how many they will stifle or drag down, screaming and violently, people who did nothing wrong more often than not."
>"Freedom. Its not about equality, at least not of outcome. Its not about ending suffering. Its about making sure, as much as is humanly possible, you give everyone the same chance... but at the end of the day, the outcome is their and those around them to build. Otherwise... you will have to enact upon everyone cruelties just as harsh as what you say you are trying to avoid."
>"You end suffering where you can... but you dont decide how they move on from it, or how they live their lives."
>Chuckle, and shrug.
>"Otherwise, you may aswell strap everyone to a bed and never let them do anything, but what then would even be the point in living?"

>>4391217
it wqas good enough... i noticed that some pieces of Software are still missing for my new computer to run my higher end games efficiently... so i tried to fixed that got frustrated and then went on to model some new fur for one of my models... since i used a much smaller head and all...... and a new Tongue for my Demon Engines new head.

So yeah it was alright i guess.... though i am really lookin gforward to tomorrow where i can test myself against a friend in the new 40k edition.


I hope your day went well and it wasn't to stressful

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>>4391217
could be better, wasn't able to get as much done today as i wanted, but it is what it is. got time, best to take thing at the pace the weather and my body will allow.
otherwise, a boring but not terrible day.

I feel like there's something worth biting on, with her talking about Nero deserving a place here. That's something she's just bringing up, it's not tying back to earlier points. Why is she saying that, where's she going with this?

>>4391246
i mean, were you assuming 'Levia' had no 'good reason' for whatever she was doing here?
she killed and replaced someone and got an entire settlement to fight, and yeah thats bad and we can go after her for that. she also seems to have an over arching moral stance we cant abide by.
that doesn't mean she at her core doesn't mean well, and assuming that, its not hard to imagine even as a fake she would not wish bad on a child. She may even have to some degree genuinely grown close to Nero while impersonating Levia.

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>>4391217
I'm doing fine, but had a bit of a rough morning. Tortured my brain with a game of 5D Multiverse chess. Worth it.

>>4391236
Making slow progress on Chapter 8 of Cradleton, there's a ton of additional nuances and characterizations to the cast that requires me to do some hard thinking. As of right now, I'm about 3/4ths the way through editing and filling in the latest draft.
Waiting for some feedback on Chapter 7. Hope you get to find the time to give Chapter 7 a read.

Also, Had a relic idea that I'd like to submit for review:

>Heart-sworn stake: A Scarlet nail that bleeds molten gold from its head, this relic serves as a binder of a contract, and the enforcer of oaths and secrets. While not as severe and powerful as those bound by Geas-bound contracts, the Heart-sworn stake nonetheless just as powerful by providing the those a physical mean to hold others accountable, where the driver of the stake sets the sworn oath/secret and the punishments forged into the stake in exchange for granting the secret keepers powerful boons. The more precious the secret and the more punishing the terms for breaking the oath, the stronger the boon. The relic can be removed under certain conditions forged in the oath.

>>4391250
That's not what I'm saying. My point is that "Nero deserves to be here" is not a thought that had come up before in this conversation. False Levia is introducing that idea right here and now, in the middle of a discussion about the ultimate futility of existence. I want to know the connecting thought between those ideas, why she's saying it now. I think that might be key to figuring out False Levia's motivations.

>>4391215
Supporting >>4391232


I cant think of anything i am personally missing..... Equal opportunity to at least try..... yeah everything and everyone here that got into the competition and now have to be their own lucks smith.

And i cant think of any way to bring the Nero thing she just dropped into the conversation.... thats just so out of left field...... its kinda off putting

>>4391254
>Heart-sworn Stake

Seems interesting..

can one stake be used to make more than one contract or does it need to be forged into it upon creation?

Otherwise how is that secrets value determined? Does it depend upon the severity it would have for the person whose secret would be known?

>>4391256
i mean, not hard to figure out i suppose.
Nero probably went through alot of suffering, and while imperfect, some core ideals 'Levia' seems to have seem to be in Arcadia.
well, assuming this is all true and not bullshit, but it seems genuine.

she seems to be saying it because the mask slipped a bit. Nero is probably backstory wise a good example of her 'no control' thoughts, and Arcadia is a place that apparently is trying to equalize and fix that. makes perfect sense to me how that connects to what she is saying, no hidden strings needed.

plus, her motivations seem clear enough, or at least my guess is, she has her own thoughts and plans for what humanity should come and what should be done. so she plans to use the walking mech city to help her "win" the crucible, albeit im sure she is smart enough to know she has to win it in a round about way. she seems to think everyone should be an equal 'clone' in terms of what they are, and what they are given in life, so is how she is coming across.

>>4391254
sorry about chapter 7, ill try and find the time to read it properly.
glad to hear you are at least not wholly stonewalled on chapter 8 though.

>Relic
seems interesting enough.

>>4391267
It still just seems weird to me, that she's talking about Nero deserving to be here. Like her position is being challenged. By us? Does False Levia think we want to take Nero away, not just stop her plans? I guess she could have conflated the ideas together, and is starting to forget that she's planning on taking advantage of Arcadia for some scheme. Become the mask, so the speak. Maybe we can put those thoughts into conflict, then, trip her up by making her consider the contrast between "what is good for Nero" and "what is good for my plan". Give me a bit, I'm going to try to write something up.

>>4391283
maybe, i guess i just disagree its a strong enough point to work off of, certainly not by itself for sure. Its odd, it might be something, but we also cant be sure it means much of anything. She doesn't seem like much of an individualist, and otherwise how much she cares about Nero can be highly called into question by replacing Levia in the first place. even if she does having done something to the real Levia calls into question her right to care aswell as how sound anything she does for her is.

>>4391283
>>4391287
She might also just try to trip us up into revealing our hand.

She probably still wants to know why we really came here.

>>4391291
...have we hidden why we came?
regardless, we have no reason to hide it, and it wouldnt be lying either, nor really tip her off.
it was on a list of settlements that may be dubious, and it turned out to be correct.

>>4391297
no we really didnt.... sorry i think i meant she still wants to know why we are still sticking around when everything seems to be going well....

I might just be a bit to tired havent been sleeping good over the last couple of weeks.

>>4391256
>>4391250
>>4391246
I think I have an idea as to what Levia's going on about with Nero.

She wants Nero to be free of the pressures and choices of others. She chose to settle in Arcadia because of the notion of freedom and wants to provide for her. But she tolerates the idea of the choices of people overriding others. She's got a bone to pick with Magnus and Aeren because she sees them as those whose choices overrides the decisions made by others considering that both Magnus and Aeren are in positions of social power.

Ultimately, I think it all comes down to Nero's decision, but the deck is already stacked against Levia which she views as a case of "I had no control in the first place."

>>4391264
One Oath/secret per stake. Oath is declared upon the benefactor driving the stake into the secret keeper.
Benefactor can remove the stake, but doing so will lobotomize all relevant information pertaining to the secret from the secret keeper, and remove the buffs gained from keeping the secret. The buffs can also be removed if the Benefactor that drove the stake into the beneficiary declares that the entrusted secret no longer holds value.

The weight of the buffs are determined by thus, and is tailored to automatically aid the beneficiary:
Buff strength = [(weight of punishment) + (Weight of Oath)] / (Importance to Benefactor)

Examples:
>weak buff = [ (Punishment that Lobotomizes the keeper of relevant information) + (All information tangentially relevant to secret must be silenced at all costs) / (Old Shame) ]
>Moderate buff = [ (Punishment that forces the keeper to fight if disobeyed) + (An oath to safeguard the benefactor's base) / (Benefactor's base holds valuable relics)]
>Strong buff = [ (Punishment that kills the keeper for betrayal) + (Oath to safeguard benefactor at all costs) / (Benefactor literally dies)]

>>4391305
ah, yeah sorry to hear that. im a night person myself naturally so being up for voting times can sometimes be iffy for me aswell.

as for what you meant, i can see it, though still unsure we have hidden or lied about it. we want to help make sure everything gets settled peacefully. thats not a lie, its just a reality breaking daughter might have plans that get in the way of that.

>>4391306
i guess i can sorta see it, but i think at that point Levia is falsely equating them being in power with them making others decisions, or moreso, ignoring they are in power because clearly people want them to be in power. technically, its everyone elses decision to have them be in charge, not theirs. and the fact fighting happened at all is proof of that.

ironically for showing signs of being a collectivist over an individualist, it kinda feels like 'Levia' might be underestimating the power of numbers.

>>4391306
And she's maneuvered herself into a position of social power, and is manipulating another person in a position of social power, all to get physical power that she can use to force the world to be what she wants.

>>4391312
My understanding is that she hates what she sees as the futility of progress, how nothing you do to make the world a better place can't be undone. She wants to gain power so that she can force the world to become better and stay that way, not realizing (or at least, repressing the idea) that this would make her just as much an uncaring tyrant as any she might overthrow.

>>4391320
>>4391312
Some thoughts and quoted greentext.
>“More people will suffer than not, so the net sum of the entirety of human experience is a miserable negative. It may be worth fighting for pockets of freedom and equity, but you have to go into that fight knowing that what you do will, either in your lifetime or those that come after, be doomed to crumble.”

To that I will take a page from an Old Man of the Mountain:
"All that lives, dies, and in dying, life finds value. The meaning of value is inherently subjective, yet you say the entire life experience of humanity is a zero-sum negative as if you viewed it through the lens of a god-like arbiter. And earlier you told me that those who accumulate power lose their empathy and lose sight of themselves."

"The problem that I think we humans face in this struggle is the scale in which we try to apply our notions."

>“It’d be better if-“ She starts to answer, pausing as she allows herself to reset with a hasty intake of breath and a wide smile. “…if everyone were truly equal. That’s what we’re trying to do here in Arcadia, after all.”

That's strange. Levia referring to herself as "we"? or is it she twisting up Arcadia's initial purpose of being a safe haven for artists and the notion of freedom of expression?

>>4391321
My preferred quote is Robert Ardrey.

>We were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at? Our murders and massacres and missiles, and our irreconcilable regiments? Or our treaties whatever they may be worth; our symphonies however seldom they may be played; our peaceful acres, however frequently they may be converted to battlefields; our dreams however rarely they may be accomplished. The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses.

If the default state of humanity is suffering, then the fact that we're doing any good at all means we're winning. "Everything sucks" is neutral, a score of zero. Any improvement is a point on the positive side.

>That's strange. Levia referring to herself as "we"? or is it she twisting up Arcadia's initial purpose of being a safe haven for artists and the notion of freedom of expression?
The second, I'd say. That's her correcting her cover, I think she was going to say something far more nihilistic before she caught herself.

>>4391320
seems likely yeah.
I guess the best thing i can think to say to her would be, we have made clear, undeniable progress, and trying to force it to stick unnaturally or through force is just taking steps back in different ways, but ways that may lead to even further steps back in retribution.

also something about how her and others just seem to despise humanity for what it actually is, and there is no point to what they want if it requires literally changing what humanity is, or forcing them through power to pretend to change. at the end of it all, so often what these people seem to want would basically require making humans into unthinking drones, to which point, well, what IS the point?

>>4391321
she caught herself, so i think the 'we' was simply her remembering who she is pretending to be.
her being an impostor certainly makes this harder to figure out.

>>4391215
>"Curious isn't it?"
>"The two of us strive to change the world for what we perceive as what's best for the world, and yet we do our best to keep our kids safe and happy."
>"There's a certain paradox...or rather problem that I see."
>"You can't truly change the world and make everyone truly equal while providing what's best for Nero."
>"It's the problem that we humans have to face and question ourselves in this death game. It's a problem of scale. The farther we zoom out, the higher the daughters climb in power, the closer we are to climbing the cord, everything starts to lose their meaning due to the sheer weight and scale that we have to grapple with."
>"Let me tell you something Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I find the sheer inhuman distance I've inadvertently put between myself and that of my loved ones. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...The amount of power that I've accumulated...it's horrifying and dehumanizing at the same time. I found myself turning more and more into a machine that seeks to solve problems than finding out what I am. I wasn't really connecting with my daughter."
>"There's a choice to be made when it comes to power and control. Power tends to rise more quickly than a person's actual grasp of control."
>"And the more power I gained, the more distant I became in relations to my family. Eventually I had to make a choice. I had to take control and set a limit for myself. How much power am I willing to grab in exchange for becoming more distant from my family?"
>"I know you're the kind of girl who would grab at any hint of power, be it social, political, or divine, to grab that power and use it to change the world and make it so that Nero doesn't have to suffer. But now I have to ask you this question as someone who also would do anything for her daughter, but who also knows their limit and the danger of power. What is your limit? Where do you draw the line? Are you willing to sacrifice your relationship to Nero in exchange for wiping the slate clean, putting everyone on the planet on equal footing and resetting the game back to zero?"

>>4391215
>"Tell me Levia, if we were to wipe the slate clean and go all the way back to the dawn of humanity, how much technological, humanitarian, social, and all other progress would we lose?"
>"No Relics, no bio-tech, no knowledge, no art, no music, no ice cream, no TV shows of Glee..."
>"There's a lot we'd lose."
>"You know, that reminds me of that one Car commercial with that Poem...Called "See it through"...is that right Dorian?"
>"The point that I'm making is not that the fighting is futile. The fight itself will always be there."
>"But it's not the fact that billions of us died in the futile struggle, it's about the progress we made. Yeah the numbers are mindboggling, and even I get scared from seeing it."
>"It's more in the fact that when we fail, when we fall, we make sure that we fail forwards. We earn a single inch while reaching for a mile."
>"Hitting the big reset button's no better than starting from scratch all over again."

>>4391215
>>Write-In
>"I can't deny that there's still a lot to be found wanting in humanity. For all our progress, we're still the inheritors of all that dangerous evolutionary baggage the apes left us. We've got a long way to go, a lot of problems to fix, and it's definitely possible for us to backslide."
>"I wish there was a more certain way to advance. To just make everyone be good and treat each other decently and know it will stick. But that's a paradox, isn't it? If you force your will on everyone to respect each other and not abuse power, you're violating the very ethic you're insisting is right. You can't use tyranny to overcome tyranny, all you've done is replaced one entrenched power with another. Worse, it tells people that this is how it should work, that it's an appropriate way to get the world you want."
>"I think that the best we can do is just to give people the tools to make a better world themselves. Free them from oppression, give them opportunity and chances to better their lives, and let them loose to work. It won't solve everything. I'm sure that there will still be abuses of power that people need to be protected from. But I don't expect it to solve everything. It's a process, the important part is that we move forward."
>"Maybe that's slim comfort to those suffering while we work on getting things right. But it doesn't make it incorrect. The world can improve. The world has improved. We are born from risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. Suffering is the default, the baseline, the expected. So if the world isn't perfect, then that's not us failing to live up to an ideal. That's us exceeding expectations. It's a slow game, but we are winning."

(Gentlemen, I'm terribly sorry to do this, but I'm afraid that I need to pause here for the evening. Between the onset of a fever and aches, I do believe I may be coming down with something...alternatively, workplace stressors may simply be taking their toll physically. Thus, I shall give everyone a status update in the morning to know what to expect tomorrow.)

(That being said, I would like to say that everyone's write-ins are absolutely spectacular, and I was wondering if you all would be willing to allow me to take a few select lines from each to weave into the next update — with your permission, of course. Alternatively, if you'd like to work together to combine various aspects of your write-ins, you're more than welcome to do that, as well.)

(Once again, my sincerest apologies for the interruptions on my end. I'd hoped that August would start off better than July ended, but no rest for the wicked, I suppose. In any case, I hope everyone is doing well, and that you have a good evening.)

>>4391235
(I do hope you have a good time testing your skills against your friend tomorrow, then.)

>>4391236
(Pacing oneself is important, indeed. I hope you find your second wind, soon.)

>>4391254
(Ha, I was intrigued to see if you'd actually tried it out. Also, glad to hear you're still writing! Additionally, the Heart-Sworn Stake is an intriguing creation, and one that is made all the more so by the rules you laid out above. Nicely done!)

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>>4391502
hey, if you're coming down with something, even just work stress, you know we understand. Still though, thank you, truly, for always keeping us informed and being honest. Im sure you know we are more than understanding, and we do kinda just end up repeating ourselves here, but the intent of why i still want to say i greatly appreciate.

as for the write-ins, i'll let others take a ringer at writing up a compromise first. there are some parts of the others ideas i was iffy on, but im willing to hear them out.
that being said, even if we ourselves do not come to a solid conclusion, as you asked, yes, i am willing to let you add-in some lines you like as you think you can make it work.

One thing i would like to ask though is, when can we expect an update, or regardless if you do end up continuing, can we expect the usual 3pm?

>Pacing oneself is important, indeed. I hope you find your second wind, soon.
as do i.

also, pic related reminds me of the meatball pic you used to post often, except probably meatball you as you are now when everything is going crazy.
honestly? i think we all just need to come to terms with the fact 2020 is just crazy nonsense for everyone and everything. there is no escape, the elder ones have claimed this year.

>>4391502
Oh, of course, BHOP, go get some rest. Geez, I'm sorry to hear you're getting so run down. I hope things get better for you soon. Thanks for running as much as you were able to, tonight, I appreciate that you're so dedicated. I'd much rather you be in top shape, though, so I'm glad you're getting some rest now.

As for combining write-ins, I'm open for that. I don't really have any good ideas on combining them, myself, if I did I'd probably have tried to do so already. If you think you can make it work, though, great. I'd be willing to see what you've got.

Sorry for the late response, by the way, I was out taking an evening jog.

>>4391502
What tier would you rate the Heart-sworn stake?

>>4391502
>>4391619
Bhop...I don't want to jinx it...but please be safe. Take care of yourself. Keep yourself quarantined just in case. Call your employers, tell them of your current health condition, get tested for good measure and call in sick. Better be safe than sorry.

>>4391502
Go ahead. This is why we enter such write-ins.

>>4391525
>>4391605
>>4391619
>>4391629
(Thank you all for your kind words,and I'd expect that if I am well enough to go to work tomorrow then I'll update at 3:00PM Eastern time, as per usual. However, I'll keep you all updated.)

(Gentlemen, I'm happy to day that close to ten hours of sleep have done wonders for my overall wellbeing. Barring another patently ridiculous day of work, I shall be updating at around 3:00PM today, Eastern time.)

>>4392237

Glad to hear you have slept Well OP and are feeling better

I sadly wont be around so i hope your Friday goes well and you will have a good weekend

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>>4392237
glad to hear, and hope it keeps that way.
but if it doesn't, we understand. Fridays do also tend to be a day where folks rope people into plans aswell.

(Gentlemen, Ill be updating shortly after I return home. Thank you for your patience and I do hope you're doing well.)

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>>4391215

"It’s only futile if you let it be." You say simply, yet with a warmness to your tone that prompts a smile out of the girl that looms over you. "The problem with perfection I find, is that perfection is objective. One person's suffering is another's fuel to live. One torment may be another's passion, and I do not mean with just the extremes. One person may be terrified to the point of panic of turtles due to one biting them while young, while another adores and raises them with true passion and love."

“I....*think* I follow?” She remarks, clearly amused at your example.

"Well, to put such a person in a room with a turtle would be inhumane — just as taking the turtle from the other would be just as much so." You continue, smiling despite yourself as you ride this metaphor for all it’s worth. "Humans are imperfect...all of us. No matter what we think is right, we cannot be certain it actually is, for everyone...and it’s no single person’s place to decide that for everyone else.”

A self-amused smile crosses your lips, a small sound issuing from your throat that’s akin to a small, wry laugh.

"Curious isn't it?"

“What is?” Levia asks, one eyebrow in a perfect arch.

"The two of us strive to change the world for what we perceive as what's best for the world, and yet we do our best to keep our kids safe and happy." You admit with a sigh. "There's a certain paradox...or rather, an inherent problem that I see with that — you can't truly change the world and make everyone truly equal while providing what's best for Nero."

“Or for Amara.” The other girl adds, intrigued by your line of reasoning. “And I’m curious, Shu…what paradox do you see?”

"Well, it's the problem that we humans have to face and question ourselves in this death game…it's a problem of scale. The farther we zoom out, the higher the daughters climb in power, the closer we are to climbing the cord, everything starts to lose their meaning due to the sheer weight and scale that we have to grapple with." Comes your explanation, and as you speak you reluctantly resume your walk with Levia…though her pace is considerably more reserved and less urgent than before. "Let me tell you something, Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I find the sheer inhuman distance I've inadvertently put between myself and that of my loved ones. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...The amount of power that I've accumulated...it's horrifying and dehumanizing at the same time. I found myself turning more and more into a machine that seeks to solve problems instead of finding out what I am. I wasn't really connecting with my daughter."

(Continued)

>>4392775

“I can empathize.” Levia admits quietly. “We’ve all been granted power…power beyond what we’re prepared to control. Power that we can’t entirely predict, where the fallout can be something we can’t even imagine.”

"Exactly!” You exclaim, pleased to be on the same page. “There's a choice to be made when it comes to power and control. Power tends to rise more quickly than a person's actual grasp of control. And the more power I gained, the more distant I became in relations to my family. Eventually I had to make a choice. I had to take control and set a limit for myself. How much power am I willing to grab in exchange for becoming more distant from my family?"

“I see…so. Who do you think I am?” She asks quietly, and your breath hitches in your throat before she adds; “Where do you think I fall on that spectrum you just described?”

"I…I think you're the kind of girl who would grab at any hint of power, be it social, political, or divine…but it’d be to use that power to change the world and make it so that Nero doesn't have to suffer.” Comes your earnest answer — regardless of which Levia you’re talking to. “But now I have to ask you this question as someone who also would do anything for her daughter, but who also knows the dangers of power; what *is* your limit? Where do you draw the line? Are you willing to sacrifice your relationship to Nero in exchange for wiping the slate clean, putting everyone on equal footing and resetting the game back to zero?"

“I…” She begins, hesitantly. “…if such a thing were possible, then I presume that none of us would be around to care, then would we?”

"Tell me Levia, if we were to wipe the slate clean and go all the way back to the dawn of humanity, how much technological, humanitarian, social, and all other progress would we lose?" You demand, pressing the question. "No Relics, no bio-tech, no knowledge, no art, no music, no ice cream, no TV shows of Glee...there's a lot we'd lose."

“True.” Levia admits brusquely, and she opens her mouth to continue before shutting it again, gesturing towards you to continue.

"You know, that reminds me of that one Car commercial with that poem called ‘See it Through’... do I remember that right, Dorian?" You ask, glancing behind you as Dorian gives you a genteel nod.

"The point that I'm making is not that the fighting is futile. The fight itself will always be there." You explain, holding Levia’s gaze even as the two of you walk. “But it's not the fact that billions of us died in the futile struggle, it's about the progress we made. Yeah, the numbers are mind boggling, and even I get scared from seeing it. But it's more in the fact that when we fail, we make sure that we fail forwards. We earn a single inch while reaching for a mile."

You shrug as you stare into the endless blue of Levia’s gaze.

"Hitting the reset button's no better than starting from scratch."

(Continued)

>>4392776

“Then what do you suggest as the alternative?” Levia asks quietly.


"Freedom. It’s not about equality, at least not of outcome. It’s not about ending suffering. It’s about making sure, as much as is humanly possible, that you give everyone the same chance... but at the end of the day, the outcome is theirs and those around them to build. Otherwise, you’ll have to inflict cruelties upon everyone just as harsh as the ones you were trying to avoid." Comes your honest answer, your words echoing down the corridor in time with your footfalls. "You end suffering where you can... but you don't decide how they move on from it, or how they live their lives."


Another chuckle, another shrug as you find yourself walking the well-tread ground of you philosophy.

"Otherwise, you may as well strap everyone to a bed and never let them do anything, but what then would even be the point in living?"

“There wouldn’t be, if they still existed.” Levia replies thoughtfully while inhaling a deep breath. “So what of humanity as whole? All the positives still don’t outweigh the positives, where I’m concerned.”

"Oh, I can't deny that there's still a lot to be found wanting in humanity. For all our progress, we're still the inheritors of all that dangerous evolutionary baggage the apes left us. We've got a long way to go, a lot of problems to fix, and it's definitely possible for us to backslide. Believe me, I wish there was a more certain way to advance. To just make everyone be good and treat each other decently and know it will stick. But that's a paradox, isn't it? If you force your will on everyone to respect each other and not abuse power, you're violating the very ethic you're insisting is right. You can't use tyranny to overcome tyranny, all you've done is replaced one entrenched power with another. Worse, it tells people that this is how it should work, that it's an appropriate way to get the world you want."

“What if you didn’t have to worry about tyranny?” Levia counters. “What if no one had to worry about anything ever again, if you had the option?”

"I think that the best we can do is just to give people the tools to make a better world themselves. Free them from oppression, give them opportunity and chances to better their lives, and let them loose to work. It won't solve everything. I'm sure that there will still be abuses of power that people need to be protected from. But I don't expect it to solve everything. It's a process, the important part is that we move forward."

Levia scoffs, and you can’t help but chuckle.

(Continued)

>>4392780

"Maybe that's slim comfort to those suffering while we work on getting things right, sure.” You confess. “But it doesn't make it incorrect. The world can improve. The world *has* improved. We are born from risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. Suffering is the default, the baseline, the expected. So if the world isn't perfect, then that's not us failing to live up to an ideal. That's us exceeding expectations. It's a slow game, but we are winning."

The sound of Levia’s footfalls slows to a stop, and when you turn on your heel to look back at her you find the other girl simply staring at you, a forlorn look in her eyes.

“You really believe that, don’t you?” She asks softly.

“I do.” You confess. “I know it’s not for everyone, and I’d never force it on anyone...but it’s what I believe, even after everything I’ve seen in this world.”

“I...thank you.”

“For what?”

“For helping give voice to some nagging thoughts I’ve been having for a while, now.” Comes Levia’s solemn answer. “Ever since I met Nero, really.”

“So for quite some time, then.” You say, and she just shakes her head.

“No time at all, really.” She replies. “Not in the grand scheme of things.”

Your eyes are locked with hers, unblinking as Magnus and Dorian stand mere feet away, bodies tensed as the two of you just allow a deafening silence to build between the two of you.

“Didn't mean to get too heavy on you there.” You finally say, gesturing towards the passage ahead. “Anyway, shall we-”

“It’s okay.”

You blink.

“I’m sorry?”

“We don’t have to pretend anymore, Shu.” Levia says, voice low...almost sad, in some way. “It’s okay. I don’t want to fight you, or Magnus, or...or anyone, anymore.”

She chuckles, darkly.

“You’ve nothing to fear from me. So, Shu...be honest.”

A breath in, a breath out.

“Is there something you want to say to me, after all this dancing about?”

It’s so very quiet in the hall, now.

As though the world just ends, where the darkness begins.

>>Confront Levia with what you know.

>>Think of something else to say, to delay her before you reach Nero.


>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the weekend. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours, with posting to resume Monday morning of August 10th at 9:00AM, Eastern time. Thank you all again for your patience, participation, and kindness, and I hope you all have a restful weekend. I’ll be around, so if you have any questions or concerns then please feel free to reply to this post with them and I’ll address them as soon as possible.)

>>4392799
>Sigh, but give a genuine, warm chuckle.
>"Am i that crap at poker facing? guess its just not the game for me."
>Hold out a genuine, honest hand to shake.
>"Well then. Im Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly."
>"And you might actually be...? and please dont say something like 'i am nothing', because i really dont think thats true."
>"...I dont want to fight you, I never did. not for a second, and i dont just mean because your ability is terrifying as hell."
>"and listening ot you, the real you here? You sounded... perhaps misguided, if you dont mind me being blunt. but not bad, not evil... and ive had to put enough good hearts down because they went astray..."
>"I guess its simple. Why? Why did you do this to Levia? to this Settlement? why and what were you planning?"
>"All i want, ever wanted... was the truth, the truth and to stop and prevent suffering. heh, nothing more, nothing less, than that."

>>4392801
well, sorry this week went so bonkers, but honestly? again, i think thats just the theme of 2020. thank you for running what you could though.

I will say though, i am kinda iffy on this write up. I think our write-ups were too far apart, i dont think they ended up meshing or flowing well with what you kept and where you did, though in part because i also think you took too much, and at times it felt like there were points where it would of been better to stop as what 'Levia' said felt like it was a good place to respond, over what you ended up having to do, which was sometimes move on to another point/topic i dont think was always the best response.

im ok with and with the idea of you combining our posts, and i commend you for trying, but i think they were too far apart this time and too much was tried, and so it was just very much very 'meh' to me in the end, whereas i think even if i didnt agree with them, any individual vote by itself would've landed better as they were written coherently as a singular thing and flow/topic.

sorry if this is a bit harsh, but i do think it needs to be kept in mind and said for if you are going to try and combine posts. again, i am not against the idea at all, only dont think it worked this time.

>>4392816
(Hey, that's completely fair, and I appreciate your input. Yeah, as a client of mine said earlier today, 2020 is just a wash, it feels like.)

(In any case, thanks for contributing, and I do hope you have a decent weekend.)

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>>4392822
hope your weekend is good aswell.
will be busier than im used to, but for good reasons.

>>4392801
See you Monday, BHOP. Thanks for running, and leaving us a fun cliffhanger.

>>4392799
>you can't help but laugh and chuckle at yourself. A stress laugh of relief.
>"Oh...Finally we get to stop playing the game."
>Look at her with a relieved smile.
>"So what tipped me off?"
>Heave a sigh of relief and look at her with an honest smile.
>"To answer your question, I wanted to know the person behind the mask.
>"You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face. You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy."
>Hold out a genuine, honest hand to shake.
>"Well then, lets formally introduce ourselves. No more pretenses. Im Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly. Nothing more, nothing less."
>"And you might actually be...? and please dont say something like 'i am nothing', because i really dont think thats true."
>"Levia might be the name you wear as a mask, but you do have your own name right?"
>"How else am I supposed to get to know and remember the honest woman standing in front of me?"
>Offer her a 'fuzzbuzz' of truce.
>"So...The cat's out of the bag...all of Arcadia wants to know...is simply three things. Who are you, what did you want from the settlement, and why did you take on Levia's name and face..."
>"All I want, ever wanted...was the truth of this situation, and a way to prevent further suffering that arose from the conflict. Nothing more, nothing less."

>>4392908
eh... i think the Fuzzbuzz is a little much-for now at least.
she needs to earn it, its a symbol we hand out to friends and allies, not truce deals. we dont even know her real name or face, let alone if this will end peacefully. she doesn't WANT to fight anyone, but that doesn't mean it wont still happen.

I mean, its looking like it probably wont and i hope it does not, but still. quell expectations and avoid jumping the gun too much and all that.

Man, I just do not like how she said that we have "nothing to fear". Please don't let that be wordplay setting up for her betraying this parlay. If you kill us do it cleanly, False Levia, don't make our deaths a pun. If you try that, I've got a really stinker to say back when we kill you, so be prepared for mutually assured destruction.

>>4392886
(It's my pleasure, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.)

(Also, after this particular story arc concludes one way or another, I was considering doing a side-story Vein while I took some time to properly tweak the system and do the level conversions. Thus, while I'll have an official vote in the near future, what are some side stories [past or present] that you all would like to see? Current party members, other Daughters, prior Crucibles - you all exploring different facets of the Crucible inspires me still, so I'm intrigued to see what you all might be interested in seeing.)

>>4393362
depends on what you wish honestly.
if you want to somewhat keep things confined and relevant to this story/Crucible, id very much say stick to side characters for side stories.

however if you are looking for an excuse to stretch your writing muscles a bit and do something different to keep things fresh and your interest up, a wholly different crucible would do wonders to allow that to some degree.

only thing i can think to say would be to stay away from our party members if you do a side story in this crucible, can be pretty finky to have that line up with canon. Julia possibly being the exception due to how removed she currently is.

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>>4393362
oh, and any help you may need for all that stuff is still on the table, just to let you know.

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>>4393362
Surprise us. Take a story from any of the cast. Carter's story being the exception as his chronicle of Cradleton has yet to complete (to my immense frustration).
Also, I've yet to receive feedback on the tier rating on the Heart-sworn Stake.

I've got something that can serve as inspiration for that French Guillotine Daughter: A Broadway musical song befitting her name called "Madame Guillotine"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYR6qmRq6aM


>>4393387
Update on Chapter 8 of Cradleton. It's still 3/4ths done...but I'm taking a momentary break, the muse needs time to recover because filing government paperwork is such a mood killer.
But I've added something new to the meet and greet.

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>>4393394
yeah that kind thing sounds like exactly how to kill ones muse, but i do hope it returns.

>>4393362
Oh, that sounds fun. Some thoughts on what side-stories could be interesting to see:

>A past Crucible where something we consider very basic to our Crucible didn't exist yet, to give us some interesting contrast.

>The mission the Midnight Crew took for Paloma to retrieve rare pottery, during which Jackie found her sword.

>The Barbers just going on a wacky adventure hunting for autographs.

>A look at Laoc and how it's rebuilding, told through the medium of the Hyenas' kid playing with the Many that Amara left her.

>One of the foreign Daughters running into (and then through) opposition on their journey to the Cord, if you think you can do it without too much spoilers.

>(If the outcome of this arc allows it) Dorian discussing art with some of the Arcadians, just getting to spend some time with other artists.

>Something with some of the Dream Daughters we don't get to see often due to them not being in Shu's head. Rath's dreamscape, or maybe those two engineer Daughters in Francine that were too busy to meet us.

>>4393394
Ooph, sorry to hear you've had to deal with some tedium. My condolences on the current lack of inspiration.

>>4393417
(Oh, these are all absolutely marvelous ideas. Very nice, thank you for sharing your thoughts.)

>>4393394
(I thought I had, my apologies. Maybe that post got eaten. I'll review it and post my thoughts tomorrow, thank you for the reminder.)

>>4392799
>>Write-In
>"Heh. Yeah, I was getting a little unsubtle there, wasn't I? Can you blame me, though? You were actually starting to say something real, I couldn't help but be intrigued."
>"Speaking of real, before we go any further would you care to exchange names? It would feel more natural if I wasn't mentally referring to you as 'False Levia' all the time. I'll go first. Hi, I'm Shu. Some people call me the Defiant, or occasionally the Hunter of Gods, but there's no need for that sort of bombast. And you are?"
>"So. Mind telling me why you're doing this? I've got a pretty decent grasp of the what and how, but I'm still not sure what exactly is the point of it. It must be a pretty compelling reason, though. Nobody goes to such lengths without a hell of a motivation driving them, if your ambitions were less grand there were much easier plans you could have committed to."
>"So please, help me understand the real you, not this act you're putting on. I don't want to fight you, either. All I want is for this mess to be resolved with no one else being killed or erased from the timestream, and if we're going to get that it starts with us establishing that understanding."

>>4392799
>>4392908
i am specifically voting against the Fuzzbuzz part.
otherwise its not too different from mine and all votes so far are basically along the same lines in terms of idea, i just highly disagree with giving her a Fuzzbuzz at the moment.

>>4393744
Yeah, FuzzBuzzs are for friends, not enemies (and she definitely still is one) that we're tentatively seeking an accord with.

>>4393744
>>4392908
>>4392799
I'll agree to my fellow anon's suggestions, and add in the amendment of not offering a fuzzbuzz.

Guys, look back at BHOP's post:

'It’s so very quiet in the hall, now.

As though the world just ends, where the darkness begins.'

Nero is listening to us right now. Take that into account.

>>4393886
Huh. Yeah, actually, that's very possible. Shadows and silence, those are her things. I was just taking that as the symptoms of some weird space-time warp that False Levia was doing to isolate us, but it could be Nero being here, instead. Good catch, anon.

>>4393886
>>4394254
i've got a feeling if it is Nero, then its kinda 'too late' for us to do anything though. She either listens to what the impostor has to say, or she goes in for the kill on the person who took out the one person she really cares about.

Or she hasn't realized its an impostor just yet but we cant really move forward from here in all reality without properly putting that in the open, so said issue is kinda going to pop up regardless, if not already here.

...i dont want it, but i also have to admit, the idea of our dialogue opening up here with us trying to speak only for Nero to come flying in and kicking fake Levia in the face kinda cracks me up.

>>4394261
I was thinking that it would matter in so far as the tone of the conversation could influence how readily Nero attacks. We need to be aware that Nero might act at any point, if False Levia says something that angers her enough, and attempt to keep the conversation from reaching that point. Though yes, it would be hilarious if we try to talk only for Nero to immediately attack.

Granted, I'm still not convinced that False Levia really intends to just talk. I'm just really worried that "nothing to fear" is wordplay, given that we do have to fear her Nothing. I'm probably wrong, but the thought is going to be bothering me until we're got everything sorted out.

>>4392908
>>4392799
>>4393762
Amending my vote to factor in the assumption that Nero is listening in on this conversation.

>you can't help but laugh and chuckle at yourself. A stress laugh of relief.
>"That's a relief, finally we get to stop dancing around the issue and talk honestly."
>Heave a sigh.
>"So what tipped me off?"
>"You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face. You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy. There were also contradictions in your statements, you talk about freedoms and philosophy with honesty, always wanting to speak more about your personal opinions but you seem to catch yourself at the last second. I wanted to hear more of that personal opinion of yours."
>"Well then, lets formally introduce ourselves. I'm Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly."
>"And honestly, I don't want to turn this confrontation into violence."
>"Before we let Nero in on the conversation...I have several questions to ask you."
>"What is your real name?"
>"What happened to Levia?"
>"Why did you bother going this far to void-out the truth?"
>"What are you trying to achieve from this masquerade?"
>"Do you still care for Nero as a person?"
>"All I want, or ever wanted...was the truth about the situation facing this settlement. I've gotten the the truths from their side of the story, now all that's left is to learn about yours."
>"And hopefully piecing the two halves of the truth will give me a clear picture."

>>4394635
im honestly not sure thats necessary.
that and if she is only causally listening in over heavily, mentioning her by name is the best way to get her to suddenly start paying closer attention, which i personally do not want at the moment. going to be hard enough to get her to understand this in person, let alone if shes hearing it in whispers as if we are trying to keep it from her.

>>4394305
Im not sure myself. I think shes being honest in that she doesn't want to fight(and by extension delete us), but you are right that doesn't mean she hasn't ruled it off the table, nor does it mean she might not have other plans. Im sure if you work at it, theres plenty of ways in the Crucible to 'deal with' people without killing them or leaving them in a torturous state.
>
'sorry Shu, but i have to leave you in a pocket dimension til this is all over. you mean well and i agree with some of what you said, but i dont think your heart can do what really needs to be one. i'll let you and your family out once ive ended all this.'
actually im very surprised no one has tried something akin to this yet.

>>4394643
>actually im very surprised no one has tried something akin to this yet.
Well, Magpie kind of tried something similar. Not as long-term, but she was trying to incapacitate us long enough for her to do what she felt needed to be done. We just fought back too hard.

Blarg. Still angry about Magpie. I liked her, and don't like that we'll have to get an explanation second hand instead of from her. I hope the version of her backed up in the Cord is recent enough for a "what the hell, Magpie".

>>4394695
yeah, Magpie was... it was what it was.
and she made things so damn complicated too. the stupid and confusing as hell mix of clearly wanting to do what she was and being a willing participant, while also being geased to not talk about it.

confusing and strange combo indeed.

>>4392801
A reminder that I'm still waiting on your tier rating on the Heart-sworn Stake relic.

>>4394705
>>4394695
>>4394643
well when you put it that way...Levia might be intending to pull it off. Considering that much of our team's battle prowess have long relied on us to make the proper judgement call with our battlefield awareness and control, Levia's smartest move if she were to take us out of the picture is to void us and put us into an alternate dimension asap. We would need the silver key to stay anchored in our current dimension.

>>4395205
>We would need the silver key to stay anchored in our current dimension.
BHOP said that has an area of effect, so we should be safe so long as we don't get separated from Dorian. Or if he passes it off to us before we do. But yeah, if this does go bad we're definitely False Levia's first target. I'm still hoping she can't afford the cost/backlash of the paradox she'd get from erasing us, but that doesn't preclude her having other causal powers that could work on Shu.

>>4395220
dont think other Anon was talking about her deleting us, as that defeats the idea i mentioned he was playing off of.

>>4395205
which conversely i agree it might be something she may attempt, though i was being a bit.. overblown(?) with my example of a pocket dimension. doesn't fit what her 'nothing' ability seems to do, nor is it the only say to peacefully keep someone locked up, it was just the first that sprung to mind. plenty of other ways she could probably do it, within the confines of normal crucible abilities.

...does bring up the question of how Mother kept not just her, but all those things she did locked up.
I also do wonder what else she had locked up, and why. Caron mentioned the Titans and the two Daughters were just the only ones we needed to worry about, not the only things locked up now released.

>>4396034
>dont think other Anon was talking about her deleting us, as that defeats the idea i mentioned he was playing off of.
No, I got that. I was saying that she hopefully can't delete us, but that doesn't mean she can't do other weird spatio-temporal things to us. Like locking us away in a pocket dimension.

(Gentlemen, due to a rather chaotic weekend, I must push back resuming the Vein a day as I've gotten precisely zero time to write the next update. Thus, we shall be resuming on Tuesday, August 11 at 9:00AM, Eastern time. As somewhat of a silver lining, I'm expecting a busy day tomorrow, so odds are I'd be waylaid regardless.)

>>4395205
(I'd say that it sounds like a Tier-3 Relic, but its effects are so unique that I'm actually having a hard time placing it.)

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>>4397169
hey, i understand, and thank you for letting us know. Sorry to hear your own weekend was pretty subpar aswell though. Hope your Monday somehow makes up for it and i suppose see ya Tuesday.

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>>4397169
Thanks for letting me know about the grading of the Heart-sworn stakes. But given the very variable nature of the stakes, I think I'll try and rein in parts of the details and restrictions of the relic to make it more...comprehensive. Regardless, this will help me move forward with chapter 8 of Cradleton. I've run into a rather...perplexing snag as of late.

>>4397169
Hey, no problem, BHOP, we get it. Sorry to hear your weekend has been hectic. Even more sorry to hear that you expect your Monday to be just as hectic. See you Tuesday, friend.

>>4397186
oh damn, i like that gif. something bout the eye socket hits a nerve, nicely done to whoever drew it, thanks for sharing.

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>>4397189
here's the artist behind the picture:
Fair warning half of it's nsfw.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts?tags=yuta_%28nvkdighqqs94fg%29

the artist behind pic related is gia.

>>4397195
ah, thanks.
Gias art there looks familiar too, but thanks for them too nonetheless.

>>4397198
Found time for Chapter 7 yet?

>>4398162
sorry, not yet.

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>>4392799

"Heh...yeah, I was getting a little unsubtle there, wasn't I?” You say with a stress-relieving chuckle and a small shrug. “Glad we can finally stop playing this game.”

“That makes two of us…” The girl before you says with a faint smile, glancing behind her and towards Magnus and Dorian before adding; “...maybe more, now that I think about it.”

“Can you blame me, though? You were actually starting to say something real, I couldn't help but be intrigued. So, what tipped you off?"

“Trying to delay me for so long, if I’m being honest...that, and your glacial pace.” Comes her bemused answer, a genuine grin tugging at the corners of her narrow mouth.

“Well, I wanted to take the time and get to know the person behind the mask."

“Hm...so then what gave me away, if I might ask?”

“You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face.” You explain, keeping her between you and the boys, the pair tensed and at the ready even in the face of this seemingly peaceful exchange. “You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy apart from who you were pretending to be...and speaking of which…”

You extend your hand with a genuine smile, an act that raises (not)Levia’s eyebrows and the alarm of your two allies behind her.

"...I think it’s time we formally introduce ourselves. No more pretenses. I’m Shu.” You say, wiggling your fingers as Levia continues to regard the offered limb with abject shock. “Some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of Gods...but I prefer just Shu, honestly. Nothing more, nothing less. And you might actually be...? And please don't say something like 'I am nothing', because I really dont think that's true."

She laughs, a bark of amusement that’s so at odds with the airy veneer she’d worked so hard to fake up until this point. She hesitates, at first, whether or not to take your hand...but when she does, she smiles.

“...Selene.” Comes her answer. “It’s a pleasure to truly meet you, Shu.”

"Likewise Selene.” You say, seeing Magnus and Dorian relax ever so slightly out of the corner of your eye, the Silver Key clutched in the latter’s hand. “ So — mind telling me why you're doing this? I've got a pretty decent grasp of the what and how, but I'm still not sure what exactly is the point of it. It must be a pretty compelling reason, though. Nobody goes to such lengths without a hell of a motivation driving them, if your ambitions were less grand there were much easier plans you could have committed to. So please, help me understand the real you, not this act you're putting on. I don't want to fight you, either. All I want is for this mess to be resolved with no one else being killed or erased from the timestream, and if we're going to get that it starts with us establishing that understanding."

She’s quiet, and then…

“What do you know about the Deprived?”

(Continued)

>>4399727

You blink, wondering if you misheard her wording until she chuckles under breath.

“Not much, if that’s your reaction. Some people say it’s the thirteenth class of Daughter, but the truth of the matter is that we’re less a special Pokemon and more like Missingno. We’ve got powers that spit in the face of what a normal Daughter should be capable of, and we’ve even got a unique way of leveling, to boot. We can level up and grow just like you and the rest, sure...but our Cores can only increase in power by *using* our powers, and often. I could devour all the biomass in the world, and it wouldn’t do anything to bolster this power of mine.”

“What brought you to Arcadia, then?” You ask, fearing that you already know the answer.

“Well, to answer your earlier question, I was about ready to make my move on the Cord when Mother locked me away.” Selene explains, holding herself still and quite keenly aware of the fact that she’s surrounded. “After I was freed, I found that she’d stripped me of all I’d worked towards. All my work, every life I’d taken and erased — gone. Nothing reduced to nothing, if you want to get poetic. So, I realized that if I were to get back where I was then I’d need to erase a great many things, and very quickly...but that’s the unfortunate thing about my Core. I can only see the full ramifications of what I’m about to erase at the moment of impact. I can either pull my punches or go all out, but whatever I do it will inevitably influence the things that’ve experienced it first hand. So, the question for me was this; where can I go to where I can mitigate the aftermath of my power, a place that is, for all intents and purposes, a ‘closed loop’.”

“And Arcadia was the answer.” You supply, and Selene nods.

“It was. The art that once decorated these walls was fuel, and with the dispute between Magnus and Levia having thrown everything into chaos, I found my opportunity.”

“Wait, so you took Levia’s place after she and Magnus had their blow-up?”

“I did. My powers don’t allow me to take the memories of those that I erase, but I’d been watching the Council for several days, just out of the corners of their perception until that fateful day when these two had their confrontation.” She says, gesturing languidly between her body and the young man behind her, never once taking her eyes off yours. “The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and while I can’t pretend to know what flight of pride or fancy made Levia do what she did, I can say that the timing couldn’t have been better.”

“All of this...and for what, exactly? Power?” Magnus asks through gritted teeth, about to take a step forward before Dorian seizes his shoulder. “And more importantly...where is Levia?”

(Continued)

>>4399728

“Right here.” Selene replies, running her hands along her sides as she turns her body ever so slightly towards Magnus. “It’s not much in terms of biomass, but it’s enough to prevent people from forgetting about her entirely.”

“She...she’s-”

“Dead? Oh, very much so, and of all the regrets I have for this whole stupid plan, she’s not one of them.” Selene interrupts with a snarl, rounding on him. “You had no idea what was happening right under your noses, did you? The wolf in sheep’s clothing that preyed upon that poor girl, and who was trying to get her talons in others, still?”

Magnus is about to open his mouth to reply when the woman before him swiftly holds up her hand.

“You know what? Don’t answer that. You probably don’t recall enough about her to reflect on the clues you and Aeren missed...and once I’m done with this thing, then none of you will remember her at all. You’re better off…” Selene says flippantly, turning back to you. “...believe me. Honestly, I was making my final preparations to leave when you and the rest of the Defiants wandered in.”

“Are you implying we’d let you leave?” Magnus spits.

“Are you implying you could stop me?” Selene fires back coolly, shifting her gaze back to yours. “Listen, you said you didn’t want this to come to blows, and I believe you. I hope you believe me when I say that I don’t want it to, either…”

Her mouth is a grim line as she regards you with a forlorn expression.

“...I can't take the risk.” She says.

>>”I have to ask — why art? Surely there’s something else at would make a better target for your powers?”

>>”Sounds like you were just about through with Arcadia...so why are you still here, exactly?”

>>”Tell me more about the Deprived...is everything you know coming from first-hand experience, or did it come from somewhere else?”

>>”So you were just planning to abandon Arcadia once you’d leveled your Core enough? What was next on your agenda...the Cord, or something else?”

>>”If you’ve absorbed practically all of the creative output of Arcadia, then your Core must be pretty close to where you were before Mother imprisoned you...not trying to pick a fight here, but why are you so intent on keeping things civil, now?”

>>”How did Mother keep you locked up, with what you can do? I thought it took some effort on her part to interact with Daughters in anything other than a ‘pestering’ capacity.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL

(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM Eastern time, with posting to resume thereafter.)

>>4399729
>"And i dont want to this to come to blows either... but even if you are right about Levia, you have to understand its not that simple. You still abused the situation for your own gain, instead of revealing the truth about her. Abusive or not, you still took all Nero had and twisted her emotions, instead of fixing them. You still abused an entire town, deleted parts of them, both people and things, for your own gain."
>"Selene... I Really want us to come to an understanding here, i really want this to end peacefully.... but if you think we can let your, or even trust you, to just walk out of here, without anything being done about this... then im sorry but you're wrong."
>"Its one thing to ask for us to forgive you and try and move on, its another to expect you wont have to give or prove to these people you deserve it, or to not have to make up for it. And no, i dont quite expect any grand ideas you have to make everything better for humanity will quite be enough."
>Sigh, and shrug.
>"If anything, things like that are exactly what people wont want to hear from you, or trust you with after this... and can you really say they wont have a point?"
>"You could avoid us asking these questions at all Selene, true... but you cant avoid the legitimacy of them that would stick in your mind... and i'd hope running from what you have done like that wouldn't be what you want either."

sorry, i do have further questions for her myself, but the way she is looking at this situation really needs to be addressed and discussed first, and how she responds will decide if we can move on to questions. at best i thought of adding a "look, maybe if you answer some of our questions, we can all better understand this and come to better terms here, alright?"
but my problem with that is it feels like its cutting off any further response we might have to her response down.

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>>4399733
glad to see you back aswell.
Monday go how you thought it would? regardless, hope somewhere along the way you found some time to recuperate.

>>4399733
Good morning, BHOP. Nice to have you back.

>>4399741
(Oh, I stayed well over yesterday to deal with the mountain of work I had. The whole issue is that we normally have four people working, though one of those is in training. I've been left with the trainee, while the other two working from home have been having constant connectivity issues to where my work load has effectively tripled, on top of addressing my associates questions and queries.)

(This has been going on since the initial outbreak, hence why I've been a bit slower to update than I'd like.)

>>4399737
There's also a matter of keeping the populace of Arcadia from jumping the gun and plunging head first into a fight and getting themselves erased from Selene. You have to keep that in mind.

Also, I think what would make Selene cooperate is that we ask her the questions of the why's, the how's, what HER perspective is, but immediately calling her out and accusing her of abuse might go about it the wrong way. Because what I'm seeing right now in this update is that Selene thinks what she's doing is for the best for everyone if she keeps her mouth shut. And we need to address the fact that she's been keeping a poor communication record.

She needs to explain what she sees in Levia, explain how exactly what her powers did, what ramifications that she saw in erasing Levia. But on top of that, we have to make sure that Arcadia doesn't kill themselves in their attempt to lynch Selene.

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>>4399744
oh lord that sounds agonizing.
but yeah thats just how it is. My dads talked about that. what he used to just be able to walk over and ask someone about in like two minutes, he now has to spend hours on a back and fourth e-mail chain to figure out.

Hang in there BHOP, and know we understand you need your time to do what you need to do.

>>4399746
well, i dont really disagree, but i was more of just addressing the heart of the issue, which is she is blatantly trying to say she wants/for us to let her just walk away, or well that she intendeds to, damn be what else we try.

kinda hard to properly address anything else when she is kinda saying "let me/I will just get away with this." I think maybe its the fact she isnt at all saying it like 'this is for the best', but like 'you couldn't stop me is you tried' kinda chin held high nonsense.

Im trying to convey to her its not about IF she can get away with it, its about IF she should. And i dont think whoever Levia was by itself is the full extent of the issue there, only part of it.

Plus, if she thought she could take on all of Arcadia, she wouldn't be so nervous. take on alot? make it a horrible, horrible 'blood'bath? sure, undoubtedly, it just wouldn't make sense for her to be acting this way if she thought she could win all on her own.

>>4399752
>>4399737
You know what's bothering me? The fact that for all the efforts Selene has taken to erase all the work on the wall, she's kept Nero's intact. If she were truly callous, she would have brushed Nero off and gotten what she wanted. But throughout the whole thing during the council meeting, Selene actively tries to keep Nero in the dark and make it gentle for her. Hence her nervousness and anxiety and the need to return to Nero. To erase Nero's memories before her opinion could turn into something that Selene would regret.

And I think it's something that we can tease out and have her confess. She wants to keep things civil because she genuinely cares for Nero. Otherwise she would have not erased Levia specifically. She would have erased someone else.

>>4399759
i didnt really ever think she was callous though.

>>4399762
True, but the fact of the matter remains that Selene cares for Nero.

>>4399759
Well, it also appears that she considers Levia to have been an acceptable target. But then again, it seems that Levia was also in the game of grooming Nero as a weapon, so it's entirely possible that the fact that she was mistreating Nero was part of why she considered her an acceptable target.

Also, she apparently hasn't erased Levia yet. She's killed her and is wearing her as a suit. Presumably she picked up a Flesh Artisan skill like Penny Dreadful's, somewhere.

>>4399762
I think she's at least a little callous, given that she sees nothing wrong with murdering a woman and wearing her as a suit. She's just not as callous as we thought. Which is good.

>>4399763
ok?
I guess i just dont see or disagree with the point then.
I mean , i suppose it may help, but it still feels like it ties in to a more over arching issue of her not realizing after all she has done, we both cant just let her walk away, nor trust her decisions if we did, without her giving us more to try and work with here.

>>4399766
well, no, i dont think thats really callousness. If levia was indeed actually an abusive monster, then its make perfect sense for her to not feel sorry over what she did to/with her. Callousnes is more unfeeling, or uncaring. She very much seems to actually care about what LEvia was and did, and how that justifies what she did.

>>4399768
>well, no, i dont think thats really callousness. If levia was indeed actually an abusive monster, then its make perfect sense for her to not feel sorry over what she did to/with her. Callousnes is more unfeeling, or uncaring. She very much seems to actually care about what LEvia was and did, and how that justifies what she did.
It's one thing to kill a person you think is despicable, it's another to hollow their corpse out and wear them like a suit. That requires a degree of detachment that I'm comfortable calling callousness. You can commit murder in a moment of passion, making a skinsuit requires premeditation.

>>4399774
i'd agree if it wasn't for the Crucible in general. I dont think its 'callousness' that makes everyone ok with consuming corpses for level up points, i think what is 'natural' or 'necessary' has simply changed.

I think her even being ABLE to take on Levias identity is part of that. she clearly has some ability to do that, and it simply falls under the category of 'survival' and 'tools of survival', which again, think is a very different issue/thing than callousness.

Now whether it is still right or wrong, that is still fully up for debate.

>>4399776
Maybe. I agree that everyone in the Crucible has become to some degree apathetic about defiling corpses. The flesh is no longer sacred, which I think is appropriate given that the body horror super powers encourage Daughters to think of their bodies as tools rather than essential parts of them. Also because of how consuming a Daughter preserves their mind inside your own dreamscape. A body isn't the person, it's just something that contains the person.

But I still think that "wearing the corpse like a suit" is another step up the chain. It's a much more intimate and prolonged interaction with the corpse. You're not briefly defiling it for the moment it takes your squigly feeder-tendrils to absorb the meat. You're enveloped in it, constantly reminded of how you killed this person and are disrespecting their existence by assuming their identity. It needs more detachment than you'd need to consume another Daughter. So much detachment that we can't negotiate with Selene? I hope not. I don't think so. But she's still at least a little bit more unhinged than the average Daughter.

Speaking of Selene's psychology, what do we make of the fact that every other Deprived we know of committed suicide? Granted, that's just three data points, and from an alien species with somewhat different base psychology from humanity. But still interesting. Given how the Crucible assigns Cores, were the powers the source of the suicidal tendencies or the result?

>>4399729
>"You've kept Nero's artwork intact. Why did you leave it intact until now?"
>"Do you really care for Nero? You wouldn't have taken Levia's place otherwise and take great care to keep up appearances. You could've taken Magnus's place. You could've taken Aeren's place, but you chose Levia."
>"So why Levia?"
>"You have to understand its not that simple. You still abused the situation for your own gain, instead of revealing the truth about her. Abusive or not, you still took all Nero had and twisted her emotions, instead of fixing them. You still abused an entire town, deleted parts of them, both people and things, for your own gain."
>"And unless you come clean and explain, that would just make you just as bad, if not worse than Levia."
>"If you want to keep things civil, if you truly want to make others understand your perspective, and change your views about you, then we need that sit down and talk with Arcadia now."
>"Because as of right now, what all of Arcadia can remember of Levia is the mask that she puts up in public before you took her place."
>"And now that Levia's dead, and the jig is up, Arcadia will want answers."
>"And I'm sure Nero will want answers too."
>"I know that you genuinely don't want to come to blows and take half or all of Arcadia down on the way out, but clamming up and leaving everyone in the dark and not explaining things is not the right way to go about it."
>"Poor communication kills, and more often than not poor communication leads to disaster. And from personal experience, It's cost me the Monastery, and the tragedy of having to kill someone I wanted to I call a friend."
>"And if this track record of poor communication keeps going? It's going to end up wiping Arcadia off the map as well instead of leaving it intact. An outcome that everyone doesn't want."

>>4399729
>>4399737
Amending Vote;
>"I dont want this to come to blows either Selene... But you need to help us understand, need to explain things more."
>"You need to understand that... Even if you meant well, even if you were right on some things... you still chose to abuse the situation for your own gain, over trying to help it come to a close."
>"We cant ignore that, and its one thing to ask for us to try and forgive you, its another to ask us to expect you to not make up for it, or to trust your judgment without a second thought too."
>"And can you blame us? Can you really look me in the eyes, and say we have no reason to question if we can just let you walk out those doors?"
>"Sure... you can prevent us from even asking that question... but can you stop yourself from asking it?"
>"What about Nero? the Settlement? People they loved are gone, things they put all their hopes and dreams into were taken from them. The fact you made them forget doesn't change that. The fact it never happened now doesn't mean no damage was done."
>"Are you really going to just walk away from all that? Run away from what you have done?... do you really want to? Really want to leave Nero with a hole in her mind? With an emptiness? Leave this settlement a husk?"
>"Will that really justify whatever it is you are doing? Can you really move forward telling yourself you are the one to bring this to a close while leaving that behind you?"
>"We dont want to fight you... so please, help us to not have to. Not by making us forget, but by doing whats right. By helping us to understand what and why you did it, who Levia was... and by coming to a comprise, together, to make things right. Both here and for Humanity."

this better folks?

>>4399783
I wish I could comment on it more, but I have an appointment with Amara's worst enemy: The Dentist.

>>4399783
Looks pretty good. There are some other things I want to address with her, but there's not really any place to say them right now. Mainly I want to challenge her plans for what comes next, but that can wait as a clincher for after we've discussed moral issues.

>>4399784
>Dentist
(Godspeed, and good luck. The Joyous salute you.)

>>4399781
i still dont think such a focus on Nero is exactly a good, well, focus, but my main issue here is this one doesn't really focus or even mention the fact she wants and can just kinda make us not ask those questions.

as i kinda tried to hit harder at with my second iteration, we need to hit at the fact she shouldn't WANT to just delete things or run away from them, instead of finding a solution here. but i feel like most of what you said she can just wave off due to her ability allowing her to.

>>4399784
ah dang, but still, hope it goes well.

>>4399780
true, but i still think its not callous. i guess maybe im being too literal. Callousness is usually seen as emotionlessness, and by definition it is an uncaring and cruel attitude. I just dont think Selene is being either uncaring she is doing it, or doing it to BE cruel to Levia. She just sees it as a necessity for what she thinks she has to do. even if Levia is someone she can justify doing it to, i still dont think that would me she does or would have to be uncaring she is doing it, or doing it out of cruelty.

we may be getting into minor semantics here though i will admit, but i still enjoy the conversation so no harm no foul.

>Speaking of Selene's psychology, what do we make of the fact that every other Deprived we know of committed suicide? Granted, that's just three data points, and from an alien species with somewhat different base psychology from humanity. But still interesting. Given how the Crucible assigns Cores, were the powers the source of the suicidal tendencies or the result?
not all. we still have the 'everything' in our crucible we think is alive. and did they all commit suicide? the teleport daughter i didnt think did so, and i cant remember how the third died.

>>4399787
yeah, as i said earlier, theres plenty of questions to ask, but i think we need to address her mindset overall and some things she hinted at or outright implied first. get the groundwork done, then do 20 questions, if that makes sense.

>>4399790
>not all. we still have the 'everything' in our crucible we think is alive. and did they all commit suicide? the teleport daughter i didnt think did so, and i cant remember how the third died.
I thought our theory was that the Everything girl wasn't a Deprived (nice to have a name for the class, now) but the twelve-way super-hybrid that BHOP was hinting at. She might be, it's certainly possible, but I was just going with Daughters we know had the class.

As for the three Hexane Deprived: The first retro-causally jumped off a cliff. The second is implied to have been seeking death in combat when Silvis fought her. The third killed herself via indeterminate fashion after reaching the Cord. Three Hexane Deprived, all with some degree of suicidal impulse.

>yeah, as i said earlier, theres plenty of questions to ask, but i think we need to address her mindset overall and some things she hinted at or outright implied first. get the groundwork done, then do 20 questions, if that makes sense.
I really want to bring up the Nothing to her if she says she's going back to the Cord, ask her if her powers have let her see them. Telling her that the Crucible is just the game of a bunch of bigger versions of her and the Cord is the bad ending seems like a delightful way to knock her off her game.

>>4399797
>I thought our theory was that the Everything girl wasn't a Deprived (nice to have a name for the class, now) but the twelve-way super-hybrid that BHOP was hinting at.
well yes, but it felt very implied that by doing so she had essentially become a deprived, hence getting locked up. It seemed implied her combining all classes did something funky beyond just a hybrid taking every class into account.

but to be fair, we have so little info on what she even actually is, no one can really say for sure.

>I really want to bring up the Nothing to her if she says she's going back to the Cord, ask her if her powers have let her see them.
oh, thats an interesting one, im fine with that once we get to it.

>Telling her that the Crucible is just the game of a bunch of bigger versions of her and the Cord is the bad ending seems like a delightful way to knock her off her game.
i was very much under the impression she already knew. its been implied its pretty commonly known info now, due to word of us spreading so rapidly. cant see why someone of her caliber wouldn't honestly. her knowing she cant win the standard way though doesnt change the fact there are other ways to 'win' though.

>>4399802
>i was very much under the impression she already knew. its been implied its pretty commonly known info now, due to word of us spreading so rapidly. cant see why someone of her caliber wouldn't honestly. her knowing she cant win the standard way though doesnt change the fact there are other ways to 'win' though.
People know we think the Crucible is a trap and that the way to win it is to crash the game. I don't think the knowledge that there are a bunch of void gods watching the game and its outcome is widespread yet. I think that giving her some perspective on "You know the stuff you do? There's a monster with even bigger and nastier versions of it that's in charge of this mess. What's your plan for it?" should unsettle her some.

>>4399807
oh, thats what you meant.
i mean, maybe?
my biggest issue is actually we have no idea what 'nothing' can do. we only call her nothing because she is a void that somehow feels like a thing, not because she has nothingy-voidy powers per say.

i mean, she did bend space-time, sure, but that wasn't the same thing, or even technically resulted in the same thing. i mean, telling her might still be something to do, i just dont think the two beings ability sets are that related.

>>4399727
Huh... Selene..... that is a nice name.

Though the other person that wears the same name would probably not appreciate or approve of her doing.
>>4399744
That sounds terrible OP..... The whole crisis really threew you a curveball hasn't it.

My own work has been getting more taxing as well recently wat with the high temperatures and having to work outside now that i have changed departments after my vacation.

>>4399788
>>4399790
back from the dentist. No cavities. And he told me some useful hints to prevent future appointments with the dreaded dental drill.
>Flossing and brushing the gums are the key
>Flouride and dairy products go hand in hand to help prevent cavities. The Emzymes found in dairy products (including ice cream) help bind the fluoride to the teeth.

>as i kinda tried to hit harder at with my second iteration, we need to hit at the fact she shouldn't WANT to just delete things or run away from them, instead of finding a solution here. but i feel like most of what you said she can just wave off due to her ability allowing her to.
The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.

>>4399783
>"You need to understand that... Even if you meant well, even if you were right on some things... you still chose to abuse the situation for your own gain, over trying to help it come to a close."
I think an apt comparison between Levia and Selene on the topic of abuse might also help put things to perspective. If Selene thinks Levia's abusive, we could pull a Teapot and kettle comparison.

>>4399902
>The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.
but... she does. if she can understand that, and is human, which she is proving to be, she can indeed think about how using her ability might effect things, and whether she can justify using it or not. she very much has the foresight, or at least is capable of having it, and seems to have said enough to imply she already does. its not unfair nor impossible for her to understand to try and get her to think before acting, and bring it up in some form or another.

>>4399902
>The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.
She doesn't know the full ramifications. I think the emphasis is on "full". Like, she can tell "if I delete this person, they'll never have done X", but she doesn't automatically know how the timeline will change with X never having happened. She just has to guess as to what she can erase that will have minimal unwanted consequences, which is why she came to Arcadia in the first place.