>>5326152
>You need to get home. You can’t talk to any of your friends, but you can at least see how work is coming along on that front real quick.
Just a peek

>>5326152
Evening, Handler.
>You need to get home. You can’t talk to any of your friends, but you can at least see how work is coming along on that front real quick.
That way if we’re going to get black bagged or otherwise hazed in, we won’t cause any damage to the set.

>>5326152
>>5326152
>Might as well get back to the studio lot. No reason to not be bright and early for shooting tomorrow, you guess.
It's pretty late and I don't think Ms. Grace has time to visit us today - we've dumped A LOT of info on her just yesterday. We're going to have a meeting with our friends soon anyway, so let's focus on the movie.

>>5326152
>Might as well get back to the studio lot. No reason to not be bright and early for shooting tomorrow, you guess.
Maybe after tomorrow we can see how things are going.

Writing.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5326236
Wait, nevermind. I'mma flip for it.

1- Studio
2- Home

>>5326152
>5326152
>>5326167
>>5326172
>>5326238

Bah, you’ll just head home for now. You can get to the lot on time tomorrow, but you DO have a primary job, after all. Might as well at least check in with everything, late though it might be.

As you get back to your apartment, you quickly notice Mono and Prima talking with Nura just outside of HQ; the latter seems particularly interested in whatever they have to say, typing something out on a tablet. Nearby, Owlia is watching, but she seems to have something…different on than usual. In fact, it almost looks skintight- wait a minute.

“Eeeey!” She cheers upon spotting you. The other three turn to you and give greetings, but seeing that Owlia’s about to monopolize your time, they turn back to their own conversation. “Lookie lookie what I FINALLY managed! Ain’t I sexy!?” She strikes a pose, but you recognize that material, you think. You had gotten it off a mech job a while back. It was mana-absorbant, you think…though there’s clearly bulging parts of it that make the shoulders, hips, calves, and upper arms kinda bulky. Still, it’s clear there’s function behind them.

> “Depends on your definition of the word. Doesn’t exactly reach mine.”
> “I think you’re asking the wrong person. Try someone a bit…y’know.”
> “If by ‘sexy’ you mean ‘near impervious to mana’ considering what you’re wearing, then yes. Very sexy.”
> Other

>>5326313
>Hm. Looks great. Want me to test it?
>Got any more surprises for me?

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>>5326313
>>5326346
>Have you managed to fix the helmet?

>You had gotten it off a mech job a while back.
Ah, the biotech grafted armor. Had to literally carve up some poor alien bastard to get it. Didn't know we had enough material left after fixing Artificer Power Armor.

>>5326313
>"Alright, I'll ask the hard-hitting question here: does it have any pockets?"
>"Does it come with different sizes then?"
>"How well does it play with other layers of spell-protections?"
>"I'm assuming you've added other functions too aside from the main one."
>"In any case, I'll test it the next time I go out on a job."
Only took years for this eh?

>>5326313
> “I think you’re asking the wrong person. Try someone a bit…y’know.”
> “Besides, I’m a homewrecker only in the most literal sense of the word.”

>>5326313
>>5326361+
>Got any more surprises for me?
How does the suit look boss ? I'm thinking more futuristic instead of biotech like >>5326357

>>5326361
>does it have any pockets?
we're using holding bags anyway, just need to strap on a belt or a rig

>>5326313
>>5326346
>>5326357
>>5326361
>>5326363
>>5326381
You let out a light scoff. “I think you’re asking the wrong person. Try someone a bit…y’know.” You raise your hand a bit above your own height in symbolism.

She just laughs a bit. “Oh, don’t worry, I did! She said I looked horrendous and she hopes I’m not wearing it to bed.” You both share a small laugh at that. “Really though, she’s proud of me, so that’s nice.”

“Really, though, looks great to me,” you opine. “If it works, it works. Want me to test it?” You pause, looking it over, actually. “Well, I mean if it comes in different sizes, that is.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that! The size thing, I mean, I’m gonna ask you to test it eventually,” she elaborates. “It’s not like, ALL of the material you gave me; I had to basically reverse-engineer some of its functionality and weave it into metamesh along with- I told you how I was getting into nanomachines, right?” You think you recall something along those lines at one point. “Well, I found a bunch of them with some simple copy routines preprogrammed in! I was able to figure out enough so that they were able to mostly mimic the mesh’s functionality, and I used that to extend the effect through the metamesh I bought. But! The point is that it generally resizes to fit the user once you put the whole thing on if you can get in it- to a certain extent anyway.”

“Ohh, so it’s not all the base stuff?” you confirm. She nods. “Then did you manage to fix the helmet?”

“Had to,” she elaborates as she walks back into the HQ, motioning you to follow along. You do so. “It was pretty much key to letting me get the proper programs into place to let it do all that. I wasn’t able to fix it like it was new, though, had to rig some things up for that, too, so it doesn’t look quite like it used to. Honestly, Nura was a big help in that! I wasn’t expecting her to be so good with precision crystal work, especially without mechanical help, but turns out that REALLY helps when it comes to rerouting power and effects.” She scoffs, but not in a derisive way. “Lookit me, learning all this new stuff. It’s GREAT!” You both enter the lab area, and you see the helmet in question laying on a table. It’s far more…purple, than you remember, and seems to have three diamond shaped gemstones embedded in its forehead, and to either side of the skull area- the center gold, and the left and right ones green and purple, respectively. The visor is clear colored now, but it almost feels celebratory. “Here we are! You snap this puppy on-” here she snags the headpiece and does so- you can see the visor turn a light greenish, even, as it boots. “And bam!”

Oh. Well, good to hear all that, really. “Looks incredible. Think you really outdid yourself with this one, Owlia. Really.”

(cont.)

>>5326427
“D’awwww. Well, I guess it was worth the sleepless nights and constant headaches!” You’re not sure if she’s joking about that or not. “Anywho, I’m happy this sucker’s ready for field tests. I’m actually pretty confident in it!”

“Yeah?” you follow up. “How well does it play with other layers of spell-protections?"

“Eeeehhhhh,” she hedges, and you feel a frown coming on. “Depends. I had Nura and Mono do some quickie tests with it, and from the looks of it, it doesn’t really do anything to stuff that affects you internally, magic-wise. But anything that requires outside projection…” and here she takes the helmet off so you can see her grimace. “You miiight suffer some impotency. Trust me, I tried a BUNCHA tricks to get the mana expenditure past the mesh field with at LEAST 90% solubility, but nope. This stuff is good at what it does, for better or worse. I still need tests to see how bad it is. You should be able to squeeze SOMETHING out, I know that. Nura was able to.”

Ah. That explains why they were out there, you suppose. "Well, what about ways to make up for that? I'm assuming you've added other functions too aside from the main one."

“A couple,” she confirms as she places the helmet back down. “Mostly extra visions, that was easiest. Long-wave infrared, X-Ray, visualized echolocation- you can thank Mono for that one. Some limited hardening in response to physical trauma, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on that protecting you from everything. That’s about it.”

“Hm. So basically it’d prevent anything mana-based from getting at me, but I’m not going to be much for using mana myself,” you summarize.

“Well, I imagine if something strong enough was hurled at you it’d get through regardless. Again, testing!” Huh. Well, guess it probably won’t be a go-to. Still absolutely a nice option, though.

“Well, in any case, I'll test it the next time I go out on a job,” you confirm. “Although, one last question. And it’s pretty important.” You fix her with an unblinking stare, which seems to jar her for a moment as you lock eyes. “...does it have pockets?”

“...you get out of my lab,” she responds deadpan. There’s a moment of quiet, before she busts out laughing and you allow yourself a few as well. You feel like you’ve been getting more sociable as of late. Can’t say that’s bad, honestly. Weird feeling, but good. “No, but seriously, no way I could get them on this thing.”

“It’s fine, we have bags,” you dismiss. “Anyway, got any more surprises for me?”

“Nothing quiiiite yet, but ask again in a couple weeks and maybe we’ll see!” she says cheekily. Well, that’s curious, though you doubt she’s gonna spill anything right now. For now, though…

>Might as well go back and talk to one of the three that was out there, now that you have an idea of the subject matter.
>Time to turn in for the night. You’ve still got a fair bit on your mind, and you need a bit of you time.
>Wonder how Izumi’s day went? Did she get that kid that surgery yet or not?
>Other

>>5326428
>Wonder how Izumi’s day went? Did she get that kid that surgery yet or not?
It would be a good idea to check in with her about Jessica, especially since we promised we’d help.

>>5326428
>>Might as well go back and talk to one of the three that was out there, now that you have an idea of the subject matter.

>>5326428
>Wonder how Izumi’s day went? Did she get that kid that surgery yet or not?

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>>5326428
This suit might look impressive, but our Queenstone’s Robe shares the same niche. It might be necessary to think of some occasions to use it aside from the initial field test. That, and the robe doesn't inhibit our spell-casting. Having limited options SUCK.

Nevertheless, we now have more than two spell-resistant items, so there's that if we ever need to share.

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>>5326456
The Artificer Power Armor is also mana-resistant, and although it's not to the degree of Queenstone Robe or this Biosuit (or whatever should we call it?) - it offers much better protection against physical threats. We also have anti-magic sigil plates, they perform rather well.
We don't have to worry about protective gear of our newbies - however I still think they need some healing items so that they don't have to depend on others.
>>5326381
>I'm thinking more futuristic instead of biotech
The original was biotech, although maybe it'd visually transform depending on the world's tech level

>>5326152
what did you use for the 3D models ?

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Also it looks like Prima is in perfect condition, so what was all (this) about?

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...Wait a second
>“Hm. So basically it’d prevent anything mana-based from getting at me, but I’m not going to be much for using mana myself,” you summarize.
This means whoever wears it can neither use healing spells nor be healed by them. Also we forgot to dump our loot from the last mission.
>>5326428
>>5326437
>Donate Giant Beast's bones, meat and shell
>Point out that the wearer might not be able to heal others or be healed with spells
>Ask her to add an automatic medical system to the Biotech Suit and other armor she's working on
Prima and Nura are here, the three of them should be able to create some sort of medical injection system for the armor suits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oPGjA5-4AM&t=280s&ab_channel=MarphitimusBlackimus) - Nura said that she could make healing potions and we've already donated some materials. Maybe they can make an injector for Prima as well - it's kinda silly that our nurse-bot has no means to heal people with.
Alternatively they could focus on finishing the experimental Revitalization Barrier and add it to the armor instead.

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>>5326730
>>5326428
This is adequate and will fix a major fault of the suit.

>Depends. I had Nura and Mono do some quickie tests with it, and from the looks of it, it doesn’t really do anything to stuff that affects you internally, magic-wise.
So we'll still have our enhanced physical abilities as well as toughness, and buffing spells are still on the table. In exchange for being nearly impervious to blasting spells, our own blasters' effectiveness is reduced.
I call that a fair trade. It just needs to have some healing abilities or else it will have too many drawbacks.

>>5326730
>This means whoever wears it can neither use healing spells nor be healed by them.
huh? but the quote says
>it doesn’t really do anything to stuff that affects you internally, magic-wise. But anything that requires outside projection
as long as the healing is self healing, without any outside projection, it should be fine
from what I'm reading self healing and self buffs still work, just no magic blasts or stuff like that

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>>5327030
Miranda channels healing magic through her hands both for healing others AND herself. See pic related.
Also Miranda's not the only one who could be wearing the Biotech Suit - and only Izumi and Nura could heal themselves, meaning anyone else would be shit out of luck. It's still an adequate upgrade and Prima could get one as well.

>>5327172
huh, after we learned to channel stuff out from our legs so I thought we could do a hands free internal channel no problem

Hope everyone's doing alright. Starting writing.

>>5333730
Welcome back!

>>5326428
>>5326436
>>5326448

Might as well see how Izumi’s day went, you suppose. Last you checked, she was supposed to get that kid surgery to fix her up. A quick call is all it really takes as you head upstairs. “Hello?”

Ah, it’s good to be home. “Hey, ‘Zumi. How’re things going with you and the kid?”

“Oh, well, she’s scheduled for her surgery in a few hours. She’s been getting used to the Care House and all its facilities so far, though. Mr. Strace was kind enough to contact me for an update after her first day. She expressed some interest in gardening, apparently, but that’s for the future. Mostly she’s just asking a bunch of questions!”

Oh. Dang, you could’ve sworn it was supposed to be done today. Maybe it got delayed- or maybe you just lost track of what day it is for a minute there. “Well, good to hear she’s settling in, at least.”

“And what about you, then?” she asks. …Hm.

> “Nothing much. Movie’s coming along.” (Keep things light, don’t fret about it.)
> “I can’t talk about it, but I might need a night to destress sooner than later.” (Plan something fun.)
> “I was thinking about pushing myself a bit more on the job front. I think I want to hit A-Rank.” (See if she might be willing to push along with you.)
> Other

>>5333816
Boss you're missing a giant chunk of suggestions >>5326730
>>5326755

>>5333833
Looked like one person was posting additional stuff.

>>5333854
Yes that anon looked like he worked hard on it and I don't wanna have the whole thing discarded like that.

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>>5333816
huh the write-ins didn't pass?
> “Nothing much. Movie’s coming along.” (Keep things light, don’t fret about it.)
There's way too much on our plate already, I don't think we have any time for distractions. Also I thought she's already agreed to push along and get to A-Rank together with us.

>>5333816
> “Nothing much. Movie’s coming along.” (Keep things light, don’t fret about it.)
I hope the write-ins are touched on next post, just so we don't need to bring it up again

>>5333816
> “Nothing much. Movie’s coming along.” (Keep things light, don’t fret about it.)

...Look, I'll level with you all, I'm trying to run but nothing really good's coming to me today. I haven't really felt a good spark. At the same time, I don't really want to like, go on a long hiatus or anything like that, I'm not feeling THAT bad about it, and you're all already waiting like, a week and change for a few posts, which is appreciated. I'm trying to work through a bit of writer's block, I guess you could say.

Basically, thanks for the notices, but please pardon me if I screw up again. I'll include the rest in there in the upcoming post/posts.

>>5333873
Just get more you time next week boss, you've been running this thing for god knows how long. Writer's block is tricky to overcome, but usually just talking to people more works.

>>5333873
no problem boss.
if it helps, we could do a perspective check to another character and have miranda progress in the background.

...this weekend, likely. We'll be back at it. How it's gonna go, not sure. I'll figure something out.

>>5334016
Yeah, we did something like that last year. Although we've brought Miranda with us on the mission a week-or-so later and now she has even more stuff to take care of.
There's some things that Miranda gotta take care of ASAP - we have yet to cash in Investigator's favor before it expires and we certainly need to have a long talk with Ms. Grace about the 'Young Trust'. So maybe it'd be better to switch after that.
Actually, what can we skip in case if we decide to change perspective?
>the rest of the filming
>reward Gartoum as we've promised
>Care House kids lessons
>anything else?
Also the nerds are to busy with research, Lorelei is in the movie deal with Miranda and Izumi has her job + has to help Jessica in her first days in the Intersection - so the only options for perspective switch that wouldn't interrupt anyone else from important business would be Mono, Prima and Jago. Personally I think these three are underappreciated. And also underequipped.
What do you guys think of donating some motes to the HQ fund - as allowance for other SES members to buy gear with and to speed up research? Miranda has somewhere around 130+ Lotes and is going to receive 28 more after to movie is done. I don't remember anyone proposing any goals for which we should be saving up so much money. How does donating a hundred Lotes sound - 10 per member to buy gear with and 20 for research-only?

Alright, let's try this again. Writing as soon as I finish eating. Mind you, I broke a tooth yesterday, so.

>>5333816
>“Nothing much. Movie’s coming along.”
>>5333833
>>5333854
>>5333862
>>5333868
>>5333870

You dismiss it. “Nothing much. Movie’s coming along,” you note. “Got some materials I wanna give to Owlia, maybe talk with her a bit more about the suit she made, see what we might be able to do with it short term…probably need to talk to the kids, now that I’m thinking about it. And-”

You’re stopped for a moment by Izumi placing her hand on your shoulder. It wasn’t expected. “You know…” she says with the tone of someone trying to approach a topic they weren’t sure of, “...you CAN lean on us a bit more. I’ve been honestly a bit worried you might be running yourself a bit ragged.”

“Me?” That was a surprise. “Nah, I’m fine. Honestly, I just wasn’t expecting so much so quick. Feels like everything’s piling up.”

“And how many of those burdens did you take up willingly?” she asks gently. You don’t know if you appreciate the tone or not. “I’m sure you remember you’re the leader. That DOES mean you can delegate a bit.”

“I never thought YOU’D be saying that,” you fire back.

She only chuckles. “There’s a difference between neglecting duty and making sure you’re in good mental health to continue to do it. Rest is valuable. And I DO have some spare time,” she says. “Even with my library job.”

…hm. “Maybe. I wanted to run some tests with Nura and Owlia, see how their suit works with healing spells more thoroughly. Maybe ask about putting an autodoc system of some kind onto it if needs must.”

“And I can do that for you!” Izumi says cheerfully. “It wouldn’t be such a big deal, I promise!” She pats you on the back, and you only half-heartedly try to shake her off. “Now, last I checked, I was your second in command, right? Is there anything ELSE you’d like me to help with?”

> …no. Just the thing with Owlia.
> Well, if you’re offering… (what else?)
> Other

Hope this works out.

>>5341590
> Well, if you’re offering… (what else?)
- While testing the suit, she should ask them specifically how many motes they require to accelerate their research progress, because we're a rich girl in need of more toys.
- See if our junior members need more help with something (Mono, Prima, Jago). The latter 2 can be passed to Lorelei.

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>>5341590
>> Well, if you’re offering… (what else?)
>While testing the suit, she should ask them specifically how many motes they require to accelerate their research progress, because we're a rich girl in need of more toys.
Still waiting on non-lethal stuff, grenades and healing potions. They've said they were easy to make. The giant beast's bones could be used for Owlia's wand project and for creating mana-stone weapons of our own.
>Ask her if she could hold a few weapon handling lessons for our newer members. Suggest that they could also buy some better gear.
The Ranged Training Room should be finished by now.

>>5341590
>>5341629
+
I feel like missing sth buuuuut these are adequate ig

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>>5341590
>>5341629
>Ask Izumi what if she could help with reverse-engineer or improve mana-stone weapons
Some input from a weapon expert would help a lot.

Sweet, sweet delegation.

Alright, writing.

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>>5341639
>I feel like missing sth
Well, Izumi is conducting an investigation of her own - her friend has a problem with a competitor, the guy's profile, place and circle of friends are sketchy. Zipper already gave us some leads but Ms. Grace told us to stay low, so I don't think we should address this anytime soon.

>>5341590
>>5341613
>>5341629
>>5341639
>>5341649
You sigh. She DOES have a point, you suppose. “Well, if you’re offering…” You take a moment to think, speaking the tasks as they come to you. “While testing the suit, make sure you ask them specifically how many motes they need to speed up research progress, because I’m hoping for more toys from ‘em.” She giggles at that, but nods. “Yeah, like flashbangs and the sort. Supposed to have gotten those a while ago. And see if our junior members need more help with something. Y’know, Mono, Prima, Jago. Ask Lorelei for help with the bots if you want.”

“Help with what, though?” Izumi asks.

You shrug. “Maybe hold a few weapon handling lessons for our newer members. Probably would be a good idea to hint that they should invest in better gear, too. Who knows, maybe see about those manastone weapons. Maybe if they could be reverse engineered or something...”

“Sure thing,” she says. “None of that sounds like it’ll be too much fuss, though I’ll have to make sure that training day is on one everyone can participate. But see? We’ve got it handled, don’t worry!”

Hmph. Well, at least it’ll get done. “Thanks again,” you say a bit tiredly. “Maybe I SHOULD get a bit more rest.”

“You really should,” she agrees. With that, you get up, stretching. You’ll always have things to do, but for now…bed.

>Roll 3d100, best of three for tomorrow’s shooting.

Rolled 45, 90, 79 = 214 (3d100)

>>5341773

Rolled 54, 23, 53 = 130 (3d100)

>>5341773

Rolled 68, 19, 84 = 171 (3d100)

>>5341773
Wew been too long since I last rolled almost forgot how to

Adequate to great. Writing!

>>5341773
>>5341778
>>5341785
>>5341788
You manage to get up on time and get to the studio for shooting before anyone gets out of sorts. The first few scenes are…less great, but it only takes a couple retries, and you’re honestly not the only one; seems like several folks had trouble waking up. The lot of them share coffee, hot chocolate, and a few laughs at the stumbles- though the one time Nia barrels through, everyone sobers up REAL quick. Lorelei had had to drop the cake she was about to splat on someone.

That’s also enough to get you all into top form for the remainder of the day’s scenes; the lot of you essentially blow through them; you’re particularly proud of one scene where you actually had to pretend to cry and throw a tantrum, wrecking an entire room and nearly killing an innocent guy out of blind rage.

It was…easier than you might’ve expected. Maybe you DO really have some stress to work out.

What you weren’t expecting was when the Director came up to you, mentioning a last minute change in the script. Not the scene location, mind you, just a minor change…

“So the guy you’re supposed to be fighting against kinda isn’t gonna be available on account of getting some kinda surgery, I dunno. Whatever. Point is, he sprung it on us so now we needed to either delay the scene or get someone else to take over. You’re friends with that Lorelei girl, right?”

…huh.

—------------

About five minutes later, you’re standing across your friend and workmate in an instant matter-made factory floor, who’s bouncing around like you’re both about to get into a spar.

Well, that’s because you are, frankly. “So you’re really letting us just kinda go ham?” Lorelei confirms with a grin.

“Look, you’re both apparently professionals, and the last time we let you improve, it worked out for all involved. So frankly, just make sure you hit the one mark in the vat and we’ll just have a bunch of cameras around to record it.” No kidding, there’s like 8 of them. How did-

“Have they started yet?” Comes the voice of Nia. “No? Good.” She takes a reclining position in mid-air, chin on her fist as she clearly intends to spectate the scene, much to the surprise of- well, everyone. “Color me curious.”

…ooookay. You look to Lorelei, who just shrugs.

The Director, for his part, just breathes in, out, slowly. “Alright, you two, get into position! Vedder, you know your lines, Styles, yours don’t change! And NEITHER OF YOU BETTER BREAK THE CAMERAS!”

Right.

“...Action!”

Lorelei has WAY too big of a shit-eating grin on her face after you look up as intended, perched lying on the railing in an impressive display of balance and agility. “Heeeeey, didn’t know today was kid’s day at the factory! Sure you didn’t miss the play place, short stuff?”

…
…
…

That bitch.

The fight goes GREAT, in your opinion. But...

> You snuck in a headbutt for that one.
> She's getting voluntold to help Izumi now for sure.
> She's paying for drinks later.
> Other

>>5341893
>You snuck in a headbutt for that one.

>>5341893
>> She's getting voluntold to help Izumi now for sure.

>>5341893
> She's getting voluntold to help Izumi now for sure.
>You snuck in a headbutt for that one.
>Other
Suplux.

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>>5341937
Typo, but you know what I meant.

>>5341893
>>5341931
>Other
>Suplex

>>5341893
>>5341937
Give er' the one-two

resuming tomorrow. Felt good to do a bit again.

Writing shortly.

>>5341893
>>5341937
>>5341947
>>5341955

The fight didn't technically call for a headbutt. You normally don't really do them, honestly.

Which made it all the more satisfying when you'd cracked her one and her head snapped back, eyes bulging in surprise. Mind, that wasn't the end of the punishment.

One little fun fact you’d learned in all your years. Wrestling moves are usually horribly fake…but there’s a couple that you can do legitimately, stuff that was used for real before it found its way into performance art.

Suplexing her nearly on the back of her head was one of them. Dangerous move, but she’s a big girl. And she really SHOULD’VE known better than to try her luck. Which is why once the shooting ends for the day you simply meet her outside, raising an eyebrow. To her credit, she looks sheepish, holding the back of her head. “So was it worth it?” you ask archly.

Her eyes can’t meet yours, but the grin is still familiar. “...if I say ‘yes’ are you gonna do it again?”

You know she’s just yanking your chain. “Maybe.”

“Then nope, not at all!” The way she’s smiling makes you think otherwise, but you’ll drop it for now. “Anywho, that’s that for me, so…thanks for getting me the part!”

“Oh, that’s it? I thought you were coming back again.” That seemed to be her shtick.

“Nope, you killed me off for good!” she grins. “How horrible of you!”

“Well, it’s not like I pay much attention to scenes without me in them,” you admit. “Still, congrats. So, what’re you doing now?”

“Eh, I dunno. Relax for a couplea days and then probably hop back on the job grind. I feel like ACTUALLY kicking someone’s ass. Haven’t really done that in a while, y’know?” Huh.

>Might as well hang out for a bit. Maybe just let her talk.
>There’s something else you wanna do, actually. Gonna have to cut it here.
>Other

>>5343192
>>Might as well hang out for a bit. Maybe just let her talk.

>>5343192
>>Might as well hang out for a bit. Maybe just let her talk.
Might as well inform her about the very recent delegation.

>>5343192
>Might as well hang out for a bit. Maybe just let her talk.
>"Did you figure out that thing Izumi was dealing with yet?"

>>5343192
>>5343199
>Might as well inform her about the very recent delegation.
Yeah, I thought the vote to get her to help Izumi passed.

>>5343209
Especially now that Lori is done with filming.

>>5343192
>Might as well hang out for a bit. Maybe just let her talk.

Writing.

>>5343192
>>5343199
>>5343204
>>5343206
>>5343209
>>5343219
Well, it’s not like you’ve just hung out in a little bit. “Wanna get a snack or something?” she offers, and you can’t really see a reason to say no. Apparently there’s a small place she knows that sells some kind of meat-in-fruit product. Some sorta alien thing, apparently.

The result is the two of you eating in an open-air place for lunch, you having some sort of rainbow apple thing with a pork-tasting center. You’re not sure what Lorelei has, just that it resembles an oversized yellow strawberry. She’s mostly talking about some jobs she remembers enjoying; one in particular about her having to stealth around a magic old world that was basically ‘vampire central’, according to her. “Like, so many vamps. Luckily they all had the classic weaknesses. I wasn’t smelling like garlic for the whole time I was there, though, so totally had to get silver EVERYTHING. Got the crown and pendant they asked for, though. Also some sweet rings for me!”

“Neat,” you admit. “I think the most I’ve dealt with vampires recently was Izumi’s friend. Oh, speaking of, that reminds me. Wanted your help with some weapons’ training for your bots.”

“Oooh. Gonna get back to trying to get them up to speed better, huh?” she surmises. “Fair enough, though I think they’re doing an okay job. Still need to use those bodies more, weird as it is, but I think they at least did once.” Wait, did they? “I might be wrong, though. Either way, I guess I can spare some time. No real big deal.”

“Glad to hear it.” You allow yourself a bit of a relieved sigh. All things considered, maybe it was worth handing stuff off to lighten your personal load. “Izumi’ll probably reach you sooner than later.”

There’s a few more moments of silence, before Lorelei breaks it again. “What about you? Been hoping for a particular job lately or no?”

“Hmmm. Good question.” You have to admit it’s at least something to burn time on. You really need to worry about getting A-Rank right now, but IF you actually had your pick of a job type, it’d be…

>Something where I could just really let rip without worrying about anything extra, rider-wise.
>Something particularly tech-heavy. I have to admit I like those kinds of jobs.
>Something with some proper direct opposition. I kinda feel like I want a challenge.
>Other

>>5343273
>Something with some proper direct opposition. I kinda feel like I want a challenge.
>Bonus points if it's against an overlord or supervillain boss type. Those guys usually have fun souvenirs.

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>>5343273
>>Something with some proper direct opposition. I kinda feel like I want a challenge.
Last job technically was option one, up until we picked up a kid. I swear there was one anon who wanted to go on a mission with light-hearted setting but I have no idea how to describe it in Miranda's terms. Personally I wouldn't mind playing villain against a team of heroes like we did in the second mission.

>>5343273
>Something with some proper direct opposition. I kinda feel like I want a challenge.
I want something lighthearted instead. Minimal bloodshed, Gartoum and Pecker can be our wacky minions.

>>5343294
>Personally I wouldn't mind playing villain against a team of heroes like we did in the second mission.
So as a "fake" villain for newbies to train against? Because training new heroes would be fine with me, too...

I wonder how the Shining Hearts Squad are doing... And if they figured out the secret of the tablet yet.

Okay, I actually need to call it earlier than expected. I have a dentists' appointment early tomorrow to look at that broken tooth of mine. I guess use this to think about it, because it's kinda sorta obvious why that prompt happened.

>>5343273
>>5343300
This one PLEASE
I greatly enjoyed the MG training job

>>5343273
>Something with some proper direct opposition. I kinda feel like I want a challenge.

>>5343294
>but I have no idea how to describe it in Miranda's terms
I feel like wanting a mission where we're just fulfilling somebody's personal and maybe a little dumb request instead of going around saving/dooming an entire world would do the trick. Kinda like the mission where we were the summoned pet monster for the school kid.

>>5343312
oh yeah, didn't we give his sister Sal's coin so they could call us again?

>>5343318
>>5343312
Hmmm, I prefer revisiting the Flower Scouts/Shining Hearts more instead. Or having an entirely different group altogether.
Or something more unusual, like helping a retired MG reliving old glory.

>>5343312
>>5343318
That was a pretty good one as well. I’d be fine with either, although I really hope whichever isn’t chosen would still be waiting for us. I guess if I were to choose between the two, I’d go for the one we gave the coin to first.

>>5343273
>>5341893
>It was…easier than you might’ve expected. Maybe you DO really have some stress to work out.
Another reason why I'm voting for something that's less "serious". Goodness me, she needs a vacation run.

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>>5343328
>>5343336
Eh, either way my top priority is to deal with something actually challenging, my vote goes to a mission with proper direct opposition. Local mana recovery rate would come second.

>>5343273
>>5343294
>>5343300
supporting

>>5343300
same. i wouldn't mind a follow up with them

Hallo, folks. Run begins in about an hour and a half.

Writing. You want to be a Super Sentai-esque villain (but not really) again?

Yeah, that can happen.

>>5350734
Welcome back. Doesn't need to be Super-Sentai.
Something lighter, like a Saturday morning cartoon, to let off some steam and provide us with acting ideas.
A lot of room for free-forming.

>>5350734
It's alive! Alliivee!
>>5350740
We could try playing as someone else this time, might be cool. Except Lori since we already did that and it was great

>>5350769
>There was something you DID want to get done today…(what?)
Find a way to reward Gartoum.

>>5350769
>There was something you DID want to get done today…(what?)
Find a way to rewar..
>>5350776 Ah damn it, someone picked it up before me.
Maybe call Suzette (and ask about her progress too in the meantime).

>>5350769
>There was something you DID want to get done today…(what?)
Check up on Jessica and her first few days at the Care House. Has she gotten her surgery yet?

>>5350769
>Anything else to talk with Lorelei about?
Ask about Prima and Jago. Though I suppose we could just wait till we see them at the next meeting

>>5350769
>>5350776
>>5350781
These ones bossu

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>>5350769
>>5350776
>Modify our clothes stats
We don't have enough '-Intimidation' clothes and there's not enough options in the shop either - so let's get some custom made stuff.
>>5350778
We have several books on summoning that we've brought from his world, but every time we try to read it someone interrupts us. But asking spooky gals is not a bad option either, unless they ask something in return like the last time.

Writing.

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>>5350800
We already know a place where we could do that as well. Got a lot of motes to spare.

>>5350769
>>5350776
>>5350778
>>5350781
>>5350785
>>5350800

Thinking about it, there IS something you wanted to get done today. Heck, Lorelei might be able to offer some input. “So, I was actually thinking about rewarding Gartoum.”

“Shadow boy?” Lorelei confirms. “Huh. I would’ve thought he was the ‘my job is my hobby’ sort.”

You shrug. You didn’t know what he seemed like, personally. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been pulling his weight. I’m not sure what he might like, or even how to get it.”

“Well, getting the simple solution out of the way- have you asked him?” she suggests. “Might be something easy. Like a snowglobe or something, Iunno.” You…doubt that, to say the least. But, that might be the easiest option. “Do you know what he likes in general?”

You have to think on that, but really, all that comes to you is longshot guesses. “He seems like to play around and act, but aside from that, no,” you grouse. “I guess I’ll have to talk to him about it, see what he wants as a reward.”

“Hey, no shame in it,” Lorelei comforts. “But if you still need help, lemme know!”

“Yeah, I will,” you agree. “In the meantime, I should probably see how Izumi’s kid is doing. Her surgery should’ve happened by now.”

“Oh yeah!” Lorelei brightens up. “She gave me the details and oh my goodness she looks sooo adorable! I hope she’s fine now!”

“Let’s see,” you say simply as you call Izumi. “Hello?”

“Miranda, hi! If you’re calling about what we talked about the other day-” she starts, but you quickly dismiss that.

“No, nah. I was just wondering how Jessica was doing. She had her surgery, right?” you ask.

“Oh, she did, yes! Honestly, it all went rather well! Actually, she’s still going through some physical therapy. She needs to get back used to full musculature strength, you see.” She sounds happy, for sure.

“So she’s good to go now?” you confirm. “No issues?”

“None! And it revealed the answers to a few mysteries we’d been wondering about, too,” Izumi continues. “Turns out that she’s got a bit of a connection with plants. Chlorokinetic and whatnot. She’s obviously untrained and has no real clue how to handle it, but a few basic tests proved her aptitude.”

Well, that was good to hear. You’d suspected, but it’s nice to have confirmation. “No wonder she was so taken with the flowers.”

“She’s honestly more enamored with running around,” Izumi says with a laugh. “She’s not nearly as hungry any more, now that her natural biological processes have been stabilized. She’s…sort of in a state of suspended undeath, though. Which, I admit, is very odd.”

(cont)

>>5350852
“Wait, how can you be in a state of ‘suspended undeath’?” you ask. “That sounds like an oxymoron.”

“Honestly, I’m a bit baffled, too,” she admits. “As best they described it to me, she’s technically dead; her natural biological processes aren’t working like a normal human, but she nonetheless continues to function because everything she eats somehow gets converted into energy. Like…well, I suppose like how a plant has no bones or organs but is still ‘living’. She’s like that. The process of converting organic matter into energy is exceedingly efficient for her, it seems. While she wasn’t at first, she’s been learning to eat EVERYTHING on her plate, bones and all. It’s all energy, for her. More energy she has, the more responsive her abilities seem to be.”

Huh. Fascinating. Talk about a big eater, then…

>Anything else to ask?
>You need to make another call, then. One a bit more spooky in nature.
>Other

>>5350853
>Anything else to ask?
>Ask about what we talked yesterday
...the girl we've picked up from plantation house is literally a vegetable

>>5350853
>You need to make another call, then. One a bit more spooky in nature.
Izumi's fellow librarian would be best buds with this girl

>>5350853
>You need to make another call, then. One a bit more spooky in nature.
Weird powerset.
Let's push things along.

Writing!

>>5350853
>>5350875
>>5350901
“Well, I hope she doesn’t get into any trouble at the Care House with that. She’ll probably be in pretty high demand one way or another with that skillset. If she trains it, I mean.” Plant growers? Always welcome here, for sure. Speeding up crop growth is never unwelcome. Boring for your tastes, though.

“Oh, I’ve no doubt,” Izumi agrees. “But, I’ll keep an eye on her and keep her safe. I’m sure she’d love to see you, too.”

“I will if I have the spare time,” you allow. “In the meantime, I’m gonna head off. I have a couple more calls to make.”

“Aaaaand you’re in business mode again,” Lorelei half-snarks. “If that’s the case, I’ve got shopping to do. Peace!”

You wave her goodbye as you hang up, and dial a different number. “Hel-”

It takes a couple rings, but a familiar voice picks up. “You who know ze ancient ways, rejoice, for you ‘ave contacted ze Coven of Shadows, ze-”

“Hey, Suzette?” you interrupt.

You can hear a slightly disgruntled sigh on the other end. “Yez, zis is she.”

“Hi, it’s Miranda,” you open. “I was just calling because…well, I was wondering if you had any updates on that thing we talked about. You know, the list?” you hint.

“Ah. Non.” Oh. Well, shi- “Wait, no.” A moment, then sounds of some rummaging around. “Oui, I ‘ave found somezing.”

“...wait, do you have something or not?” you ask a bit annoyed.

“I do. I simply forgot.” Ah. “Audrey waz sleepfloating and ovaheard me. It was quite curious. ‘Owever, she also said zat it was very secret. I dare not give zis information ovah ze phone.” Right, then that just means you need to make- “-OR for free.”

> “...WHAT.”
> “And how much would it cost?”
> “Can I not just owe you?”
> Other

>>5350952
> “And how much would it cost?”
> "Fortunately my pockets are a bit larger at the moment. Need to ask you something else to sweeten this a bit though.."
She can point us to someone that can empower Gartoum.

>>5350952
>And how much would it cost?”
Could it be a mission offer? Izumi did a job for Knights Resplendent to seal the deal with them, maybe this'll be a similar thing?

>>5350952
> “And how much would it cost?”
> "Also, you wouldn't happen to have any coworkers who happen to be, quote, "In a state of suspended undeath", unquote, would you? I'll tell you more when I arrive."

>>5350952
>>5350976
>>5350981
If this is a mission offer then I'm sold

>>5350952
>>5350995
And this too

>>5350952
>>5350976
>>5350981
>>5350994

Part of you feels like you should’ve expected this. “And how much would it cost?” you ask, doing your best to not let the annoyance shine through.

“You ‘ave two options. Ze first is indeed a great contribution of motes. ‘Erhaps around three-hundred or so,” she suggests, and you have to stop from yelling. Three hundred?! That’s insane, even if your pockets are fatter than normal. “‘Owever, zere is something that can be done in exchange. Something more…typical.”

Ah. THIS, you might be able to guess. “A free job?”

“Oui. You will be allowed salvage rights and a minimum fee, of course- ozzerwise I doubt your ‘andler will permit zis.” True. “I will give you ze details when you arrive. Do you ‘ave any ozzer obligations today?”

“Well, not today, but I have this movie shoot I need to do-” you start, but you’re the one interrupted this time.

“Zat is fine, zo long as you don’t take too many days. Zis is, fortunately, a contract zat can wait. <i>Somewhat,</i> she points out. “Ze offer will not be ‘ere forever. Ozzerwise, we can conclude ze monetary transaction whenever you are able.”

…Grand. Well, then. You have a choice to make.

>I'll get you the Motes- if you can help me out with a smaller issue as well. (Pay out)
>I’ll see you after the last shoot, then. (Delay it)
>Alright, I’ll have to talk with the director…(Go now)
>Other

>>5351164
>Alright, I’ll have to talk with the director…(Go now)

>>5351164
>>I’ll see you after the last shoot, then. (Delay it)
>Ask Gartoum what he wans as a reward
Gotta finish the movie and get our pay. Once it's done Izumi would be ready with the report on R&D cost and newbies' training.
Anyone interested in custom clothes>>5350800?

God fucking dammit, can we finish with the filming already? We're almost done with it, why are you getting distracted? We can go on a mission after this.
There's already a huge backlog: Care House kids, Roller Derby, need to spend Investigators' favor before it's voided, have a talk with Ms.Grace about the Young Trust and other stuff minor stuff.

>>5351164
>I’ll see you after the last shoot, then. (Delay it)

>>5351164
>>I’ll see you after the last shoot, then

>>5351164
>I’ll see you after the last shoot, then. (Delay it)
While I'm dying to go on a job myself, we still need to see to using the favor before it expires. But after that it's mission time, no more delays.

Will try to post tomorrow. I will be available Friday this week for sure. Maybe Thursday.

>>5351164
Almost forgot, we should ask her if she knows someone that can make Gartoum stronger too + >>5350994 ask about another that can help Jessica familiarize faster.

Let's give our Pokemon more toys and tricks since he enjoys acting out and playing.

>>5351164
>>5351173
>>5351191
>>5351196
>>5351199

All things considered, you had better focus on finishing the movie shoot. “I’ll see you after the last shoot, then,” you say. “It shouldn’t be too long.”

“Very well. I will be waiting,” she says simply. “Au revoir.” And with that, she hangs up. You allow yourself a sigh. Well, you still need to get something for Gartoum, anyway. Not to mention a number of other things.

If nothing else, you’re going to make sure to take things slower from here on in. You’ve got way too much to do.

Well, in the long run, anyway. For now? Not so much.

>And you’re going to spend the time relaxing. Maybe even turn in early. You could use a long restful sleep for once…
>Might as well just ask Gartoum and be done with it, then go shopping proper.
>Y’know, considering the Care House, you should maybe check in on the kids. It’s been a bit.
>Other


Hope it works this time.

>>5352403
>>Might as well just ask Gartoum and be done with it, then go shopping proper.

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>>5352403
>>5352405
>pick up Izumi, Lori and newbies for shopping
We could get them new gear right now and actually have a vote on what they'd get>>5341773, just in case if Suzette's mission allows to bring more people with us.
I wonder how much cybernetic implants would cost - the catgirl investigator had some hidden biomechanical implant that helped her with hacking, so maybe we could find something compatible with Prima's and Jago's biomech bodies that'd allow them to retain some of their skillset like Prima's hacking and scan abilities. I still don't quite get how sturdy their minibot frames are - Prima got completely trashed in every mission she was in and one more time off-screen, while Jago's is somehow sturdier than his biomech one? I'm sure they could find more durable parts in the Intersection.
Izumi was about to say something about what we talked about yesterday>>5350852 - if it's about the research boost cost then we could transfer the motes now and might get some results before the start of the mission, simple things like grenades and non-lethal stuff (tasers, bear-sprays, miniature manastone water-cannon or smth). Nura also said that she could use Seither to modify minibot frames.
Lorelei is already in the middle of shopping so there shouldn't be an problems with calling her as well.

>>5352405
>>5352490
And it's about time we upgrade our turret. It could use something better than two burst-fire clockwork rifles. Maybe we could get extra parts for new ones - it's kinda unfair that Miranda hoards the only turret we have in SES.

>>5352493
>about time we upgrade our turret
Unless we're willing to spend some cash it's going to be on Owlia's giant to-do list
>unfair that Miranda hoards
Perks of rank! Though it's mostly just down to Miranda being the main character and us being magpies

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>>5352568
That's exactly what we've agreed on earlier in this thread
>>5341773
> “While testing the suit, make sure you ask them specifically how many motes they need to speed up research progress, because I’m hoping for more toys from ‘em.”

Besides, I was merely suggesting to replace the Clockwork Rifles from Artificer crossover with something more potent (and maybe reinforce the collapsible frame to support the added weight). Non-magical guns are extremely cheap anyway. A couple of old water-cooled Maxim guns could do the trick, although if we're going to make copies then others would have to go for something lighter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haDboA1k6vI&ab_channel=BrandonHerrera

>>5352403
>Might as well just ask Gartoum and be done with it, then go shopping proper

>>5352598
the m2 browning would be way better. bigger caliber, air cooled, and lighter

>>5352403
>Y’know, considering the Care House, you should maybe check in on the kids. It’s been a bit.
I know I’m probably in the minority, but we did promise to Jessica that she’d meet our students. Plus we can ask Gartoum now and find something while we’re buying stuff for our next mission or while on the job.

>>5352839
after the movie shooting. it shouldn't take that long to finish the shots

>>5352848
I was under the impression that after the filming we’d just head out on the mission.

Also, just a thought, but we should ask Suzette about the music box, how it affected Jessica, and if she thinks other songs could produce other effects.

>>5352782
>Ma Deuce
Ah. Problem is, it's around x1.5 times longer - making it awkward for our vertically challenged protagonist to pull out of her bag and deploy. And that's not all.
>bigger caliber
Means bigger recoil - making it less accurate.
>air cooled
https://youtu.be/BczhT1ByrXA
We'd have to either swap barrels or repair it with our gauntlets if it has to fire for too long. It's also an older design that still works to this day - so it'd fit more world settings.
>lighter
They actually have roughly the same weight.

A medium machinegun is a good all-rounder that's effective against a variety of targets: swarms of smaller creatures, human-sized targets or larger beasts/machines. We could buy armor-piercing ammo for it if you think fully-sized rifle cartridges don't seem powerful enough.

>>5352839
I think we should take newbies on the shopling trip early so that Loti and Izumi could train them later. Same goes for the research bill. If we do both of these things today then we'd get some results after the shooting and whatever comes next before the mission. Just planning ahead a bit - if rookies get the gear right before the job then there's no guarantee that they'd be proficient with it and if we won't provide motes for research earlier then we'd have to wait until the end of the mission for any results.

>>5352866
>Problem is, it's around x1.5 times longer - making it awkward for our vertically challenged protagonist to pull out of her bag and deploy.
im pretty sure she's capable of easily jank it whole in one go, which might be irrelevant because im pretty sure she still has to assemble the turret after taking it out of the bag

>We'd have to either swap barrels or repair it with our gauntlets if it has to fire for too long.
that's not a bad drawback. also that video is misleading; no one would program a turret to constantly fire like in the video

>A medium machinegun is a good all-rounder that's effective against a variety of targets: swarms of smaller creatures, human-sized targets or larger beasts/machines. We could buy armor-piercing ammo for it if you think fully-sized rifle cartridges don't seem powerful enough.
ok, in that case where the turret is supposed to be a mob cleaner, something smaller makes more sense but lets not use a maxim. you don't want to deal with barrel changes? i don't want to deal with liquid cooling a gun, that's just a recipe for disaster

>>5352892
>ok, in that case where the turret is supposed to be a mob cleaner, something smaller makes more sense but lets not use a maxim. you don't want to deal with barrel changes? i don't want to deal with liquid cooling a gun, that's just a recipe for disaster
Fair enough. Maybe some sort of tank-mounted version of general purpose machinegun made of aviation grade materials would be durable enough for our needs. They're already meant to be remote-controlled.

Does anyone know what we did with that Forest Bow from "My Agent In The Shadows", the one with the green orbs at either end? The Item Log says we found it but it doesn't say what we did with it, and it might be a good ranged weapon to test on the mission we're doing with the Guild of Shadows, since guns might clash with any narrative riders. I'm not seeing it on the Spreadsheet, either.

Also, think we should bring over that Spymaster's Mirror for Suzette? It might fit her style better than ours, and even if she doesn't need it's power, a spooky mirror that can see people with a blood sacrifice might interest one of the other members.

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>>5354291
We've voted to stash some of the items that Miranda didn't use in the community item pool, so that anyone in SES could use them. They're listed in the 'SES Headquarters' sheet.

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>>5352892
>>5352946
Ah, but the last time we were buying guns Handler asked us to provide some sort of real-life example. So no made-up weapons I guess.
Maybe something like this then:
https://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/u-s-a-machineguns/sig-sauer-mg-338-2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl3qfdvFmig [Embed]
It's larger caliber than what most medium machine guns use - .338 was originally designed for heavy sniper rifles and their armor-piercing rounds count as lower-end anti-materiel. It can cover more ground, light and not too bulky.
>>5352403
Speaking of heavy sniper rifles, is Izumi's rifle semi-auto or bolt-action?

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>>5354465
>Norma Magnum in the vid
>Lapua Magnum on the pic
...and I got the wrong image again

>>5354465
that's not the M250, right? anyways, it works for me. lets slap that bad boy in the turret

>>5354812
Nah, M250 is an infantry machinegun that uses the fancy new .277 fury round. Also they are both made by Sig.

Page 9.

33 Celsius here.

AC isn't working like I want it to.

Recovering from a root canal.

Gonna try to post. I want to get to the next job like y'all do.

>>5352403
>>5352405
>>5352782
Thinking about it, you might as well just ask the guy. “Gartoum, can you hear me?” you whisper. You’re not sure how much the Intersection’s natural dampening will affect him here, and you’d hate to have to go back home just to talk to him.

“...mmm?” Oh, thank goodness. It seems like there’s enough there for communication, at least. Though he sounds oddly sleepy. “Yes, then…?”

“I still need to reward you for more than pulling your weight last job. Anything you want in particular?” you ask outright.

“Ohhh…mmm…” There’s a pause of consideration. “Normally in this situation I’d ask for eternal servitude, but obviously that won’t fly here. Perhaps freedom…but I must confess, I’m not much of a fan of your little slice of elsewhere’s rules and I rather like not being bound to them on technicality. I think in this case, perhaps…” He trails off.

And for a minute solid, he’s just…quiet. “Hello?” you ask, just to be safe.

“I’m thinking!” he says quickly, though it’s still quieter than you’re used to with him. “I doubt you’d have a Rune of Deep Shadows anywhere about, so that’s out…”

“Pardon?” you press him.

“Rune of Deep Shadows. A little thing from my ‘hometown’ that gave a nice little oomph to my brand of shadow magic- gracious would I rather love one of those,” he explains. “Lovely artifact, that, and ever so useful. No, no, if you’re offering rewards, then I think what I’ll mostly likely be able to get is an exotic pet of my own. In a manner of speaking.”

…well THAT was unexpected. “Elaborate.”

“Of course. Really, it’s something I haven’t done in quite some time, so it’s only really now that I thought of the idea. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not exactly bound to one look. I’m rather a ‘fashion forward’ shadow.”

“Ah. You mean your shapeshifting,” you clarify as you clue in. “And you want something a bit less normal to take inspiration from?”

“Also eat,” he adds. “It IS how I make it work, after all. Horses, snakes, spiders, people, all the usual suspects have been done and they’re rather rote. I’m looking for a NEW costume to add to my repertoire. Something bold. Daring! Nightmare inducing! …and probably will take some time to assimilate- I’m quite good at what I do, but some things just take time.”

Hm. Well, that’s surprising. Also not something you can exactly just…GET, here. The eating bit, and all. So…

>...you’ll have to be on the lookout. Hopefully your next mission fits the bill.
>Is there any way you CAN get a Rune of Deep Shadows? There has to be something out there, right?
>Other

>>5356605
>Is there any way you CAN get a Rune of Deep Shadows? There has to be something out there, right?
C'mooon we know a spook house and have its' mistress on speed dial. He gets stronger, we get stronger, we'll both be happy.

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>>5356605
>Is there any way you CAN get a Rune of Deep Shadows? There has to be something out there, right?
>Ever heard of Spirit Stones? Could that be of any use for you?
>Do you think there might be something interesting in the book we got from King Ah-Rul?
Although we've donated it to the lab it didn't sound like it was high on their priority list. And some information on the Rune of Deep Shadows has been in the books from his world + we've brought a new one from dragon-girl mission.

>>5356605
+>>5356614
Juust pushing things along

>>5356605
>...you’ll have to be on the lookout. Hopefully your next mission fits the bill.
maybe nura could help us making something like that rune, but i feel it would be easier to wait for lysol or his sister to call us back to their world.
on the other hand, we can probably give him a new pet whenever we get a new mission; that sounds way easier to do

>>5356605
>Is there any way you CAN get a Rune of Deep Shadows? There has to be something out there, right?
>"I have to admit, getting the rune from your hometown might take a long while. There's still a chance to go back, but it'll only happen if Millicent's got a job dangerous enough to summon a spooky faerie with three eyes that radiates dark energy. Might be better to try to find something similar enough here as a stopgap until she takes the plunge."

>>5356605
Since we're going to be a villianous attraction soon, better think up costumes fast. And prepare for the hardest part of character creation.

Picking a name.

>>5356605
>>5356609
>>5356614
>>5356616
>>5356618

Hmm…a ‘Rune of Deep Shadows’. You COULD maybe ask Suzette, but…that’s a lot of favors you’re racking up with her. Might be worthwhile to explore other options first. “I have to admit, getting the rune from your hometown might take a long while. There's still a chance to go back, but it'll only happen if Millicent's got a job dangerous enough to summon a spooky faerie with three eyes that radiates dark energy. Might be better to try to find something similar enough here as a stopgap until she takes the plunge.”

“Siiiigh,” he verbally says. “The perils of bureaucracy.”

Something comes to mind in short order. “Maybe a Spirit Stone, if you’ve heard of those?” Or something similar, at least.

“Hmmm…perhaps, though I’d have to work some of my own black magic on one..” he murmurs. “Yes, that might be alright for now. Though, just to remind you, a ‘pet’ would also be an acceptable substitute.”

Yeah, but you can probably scrounge up a shadow rune replacement at one of the magic stores around here. Although you don’t have all day, exactly…

>So, what are you hunting for (besides a Shadow Rune of sufficient quality)? The more stuff you go after, the harder it might be to find it all.

It's too godsdamned hot, I'm gonna try again tomorrow- but probably earlier in the day

>>5356664
>a couple of new machineguns for collapsible turret(s) >>5354465
>call Izumi about the funds for R&D
>visit ‘Massati’s Boutique Garments’
we haven't learned anything about the job yet, but maybe we could get some custom-made stuff in advance and tweak some item stats>>5350800

>>5356664
>call Izumi about the funds for R&D
>Other
If the turret needs tinkering that much we can just delegate it to the nerds and hike up our loan a little bit. It's low priority in my opinion.

Our priority is improving Gartoum, so let's 100% focus on finding a good rune for today. Then before the final check if we don't have a good setup we can always have a look around.

>>5356694
>>5356682
>If the turret needs tinkering that much we can just delegate it to the nerds and hike up our loan a little bit. It's low priority in my opinion.
Alright, we can do that instead.
Although I thought you'd be more interested in acquiring new costume pieces, judging by your earlier post.

>>5356706
we can literally buy new stuff on the dress up time window. although right now is more important to ask ourselves if we *need* something. i'd rather have the motes we have right now funneled into SES than into clothing

>>5356664
>So, what are you hunting for (besides a Shadow Rune of sufficient quality)? The more stuff you go after, the harder it might be to find it all.
....other than the rune, nothing really?

>>5356664
>So, what are you hunting for (besides a Shadow Rune of sufficient quality)?
Other than that, perhaps a visit to Massati’s with the turtle bits we picked up, and if we have time, someplace that sells music box disks for Jessica.

>>5356713
>we can literally buy new stuff on the dress up time window
Thing is that most items in the store increase Intimidation - a stat that is already high. We've already bought most of the items that reduce it but most of them provide a tiny (-1) bonus when majority of the items that increase that stat give (+2) or more.

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>>5356664
>>5356730
I don't notice the scarcity. But if we're short on some -Intimidation items we can just buy outside of the normal dressup shop, nothing says we can't do it. I think it's pretty destructive to change our current clothing items' stats. What if we want to use the old bonuses in the future? Unless you're suggesting that we pay out of our own pockets once more and that we delay the update speed by one or two posts.

Since we don't have anything on the "Eye" slot other than the Clear Sunglasses (does that even count? ), let's buy something non-intrusive and simple to layer with our other wears, like eyeglasses and hats. A +5 Enchanted Specs of the Bookworm should do nicely. One of the many items on the table.

Or we can do something more extreme and get an entire schoolgirl costume instead, or an animal PJ suit. I'm voting for either Bear or Mouse, if we are ever mad enough to step in such realms.

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>>5356836
>I think it's pretty destructive to change our current clothing items' stats. What if we want to use the old bonuses in the future?
Are you talking about maintaining the same look when we return to the worlds we've visited? That scenario has happened only once - when we revisited the Flower Scouts. But during the second visit we've changed our costume and the girls didn't react at all.
Just bumping Intimidation-reducing items' bonus by a point or two shouldn't be such a big issue, they don't provide any special effects:
>Big n' Proper Bowtie (BOUGHT)
>(Plainness +2 / Humor +1 / Intimidation -3)

>Clear Sunglasses (BOUGHT)
>(Plainness +2 / Intimidation -2)

>Prim Gloves (BOUGHT)
>(Plainness +1 / Intimidation -1)

>Traveler's Backpack
>(Plainness +1 / Intimidation -1)
Maybe we could just add extra bits to change stats a bit (see picrel).
We also have unattuned clothes (purple cloak from the first job, couple of face-masking items and a couple of headbands from lord Kolm's tower) - could use them to create items with desirable stats.
>Since we don't have anything on the "Eye" slot other than the Clear Sunglasses (does that even count? ), let's buy something non-intrusive and simple to layer with our other wears, like eyeglasses and hats.
Sounds like you're suggesting to add an eighth slot for our clothes setup.

>>5356877
I might be, if Handler allows it. There's nothing keeping us from wearing glasses with our other headwears logically, except for the full-covering ones like the helmets.

And I don't even remember when this dressup system was made, years ago? Maybe it's time it gets looked at and refined.

Damnit, I thought it was gonna get cooler, not hotter. Still gonna post.

Oh, before I do, though, I have to admit:

>>5356682
>>5356694

>call Izumi about the funds for R&D

I'm not entirely certain what you mean by this. Did I forget something? Can you elaborate?

(And yes, new thread will be incoming shortly.)

>>5357480
Think you can refer to this post >>5341773

>>5357480
Izumi has volunteered to run some errands for us>>5341773

>>5356664
>>5356682
>>5356694
>>5356713
>>5356722
Thinking about it, probably there’s not much to worry about right this minute, but you do have one more call to make as you head out. “Hello? Miranda?”

“Zumi. Nearly forgot- I’m going shopping, and what’s the response for improving their R&D?” you query.

“Oh! Thank you for reminding me. I have it down here somewhere…ah! Right, so, they said that for everything you want done, they’d ‘optimally’ get around 200 Large Motes; they said that this was for automated testing supplies and automatons, extra analysis devices, and a few more things. In particular, they mentioned finally being able to get around to experimenting more with Ivonium.”

Damn. That’s…a lot. “Alright, thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” You hang up without much more fanfare on that front. Alright, then. You need to find a decent Shadow-esque rune…it’ll probably take a bit, but, time to see what you can dig up. There's some other stuff you could poke about, see if you can knock off, but that's the priority.

>Roll 1d100, best of three.

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>5357498

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>5357498
>XPND0

>>5357498
>>5357500
>>5357502
OOOOOOOOH we got a mythic

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>5357498
>>5357503
kek forgot my roll

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5357498

>>5357498
It occurred to me that scientists aren't always the best at financial optimization. I'm confident that if we have an economic adviser look over that bill, it will be significantly reduced.

>>5357511
cylia was the queen of her empire. im willing to bet that she has some basic understandings of finances at the very least

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>>5357498
Hmm, so right now Miranda has ~130 Lotes + reward for helping the Investigators (that we haven't received yet!) + we'll get 28 more once we're finished with filming. We've also sold quite a few items during the last HQ meeting so there should be a two digit number of Lotes in our HQ funds.
>>5351164
>“A free job?”
>“Oui. You will be allowed salvage rights and a minimum fee, of course- ozzerwise I doubt your ‘andler will permit zis.”
Doesn't sound like we'd get much out of this one.
>>5357511
>>5357498
Alright, I think we should call Sal about this. He's been rather unhelpful lately. Maybe he knows where we could get a discount or could invest a few Lotes himself. His bosses have other businesses, that might help with the former.

>>5357498
>>5357500
>>5357502
>>5357505
To your great fortune, as you wander around the Outgoer District, it’s not too much longer before you see a small shop; ‘Runes N’ Things’. It’s…well, it’s kinda a shack, in your opinion, though the paint job suggests that it’s a recent acquisition. Might as well take a looksee. “Hello, anyone here?” There’s a number of runes behind glass on the walls, each one of them with a digital card beneath showing what type of rune they are and what they do. There’s…a surprising lot of them- nothing intrinsically violent, you notice, but more benign like ‘Rune of Memory’, ‘Rune of Minor Levitation’, ‘Rune of Heating’, ‘Rune of Soft Light’, ‘Rune of Rhyming’ (what?), and so on. Some of these are…

“Hello!” You turn to the counter to focus on them; it’s a rather lovely harpy lass- one of the ‘humanoid with wings’ sorts. She’s about 2 feet taller than you, with bright red plumage and a dark red crest. She’s wearing what looks more to you like blacksmith gear than anything else, but her face is unmarred. “Welcome to Runes N’ Things! You’re our 50th customer, y’know!”

“Oh, neat,” you say idly. “Do I get a prize?”

“No,” she shamelessly admits. “But it’s neat!”

Right. “Okay, then, question. Do you have a ‘Rune of Shadows’ here or anything similar?

“Rune of Shadows?” she repeats. “Hmmm…I don’t think so on the shelves, but I can check and see what we have in stock! We might have a Rune of Shade, if that fits your bill! Or we can have it custom made! My associate’s rather skilled with making custom runes! Kiki!” she calls back.

“Yesh!?” a lispy voice rattles out.

The yelling is kinda shrill, really. “Do you know if we have a ‘Rune of Shadows’ available?!”

“‘e have a Rune of ‘hade!” is the response. Boy, that accent’s hard to make out.

“No, ‘SHADOWS!’ Like- I’m guessing you mean like the element, right?” she confirms. You nod. “Like the element!”

“Un uh!” is the response.

“Can you make one?!” she trills.

There’s a bit of silence. “...’abye! How hotent!?”

“How potent?” she repeats. “Effects vary depending on the individual, but Minor runes have a durability limit before they crumble from the power. Moderate Strength runes will likely need a repair, but they can last for a while. Major Runes are about as permanent as we can get them- if THOSE crack, you get 1 repair and refill free, and all others half off!”

“Lemme hear the prices, first,” you insist.

After some bandying about, you get an estimate, considering that apparently, she’s going to have to do some material hunting for something to properly dilute into ‘pure essence of shadow’ according to her:

>Minor Rune of Shadows: 3 Large Motes
>Moderate Rune of Shadows: 6 Large Motes
>Major Rune of Shadows: 10 Large Motes.
>Other

>>5357676
>Major Rune of Shadows: 10 Large Motes.
considering how convenient gartoum is, this is a great investment

>>5357676
>Major Rune of Shadows: 10 Large Motes.
Don't see why we should go after other options.
But also..

>Other
Ask Gartoum on what he thinks.
Ask the bird girl if they have something even MORE potent.

Also, will try to continue tomorrow.

>>5357676
>>5357681

>>5357676
>Major Rune of Shadows: 10 Large Motes.
>See if Gartoum wouldn't mind a Rune of Shade to experiment with as well.
>Ask her a bit about the possible difference between runes and sigils while Kiki's working on it.

>>5357676
>>5357687
Oh right
>Buy a Major Rune of Shadows for Nura as well. Pay for that one with HQ funds.
She could probably craft something to boost herself as well.

>>5357704
How much do we have in HQ funds at the moment? We can funnel some to the nerds.

>>5358694
I don't know. During the last team meeting we had 130L, then everyone chipped in so that we could purchase Ranged Training Area for HQ (150L) and the Blank Room for the lab(40L). Then we sold some items that we didn't use which got us around 18 Lotes for HQ.
That was, like, two weeks ago by Intersection time. iirc part of the mission rewards goes to HQ funds and I assume that everyone has completed at least one mission in the meantime (apparently Prima has been on at least three(3) missions).

NEW THREAD:
>>5358723
>>5358723
>>5358723