>Quick Update. Archive done. All thanks to Penny. Big salutations from her. https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Missval


So, you were dead, apparently. At least officially, because you’re absolutely sure that you haven’t been in an accident nor anything similar for quite a few years. Indeed, even if some Grimm attacked you it would be very unlikely for them to kill you, for you were quite the prodigy at Haven…

…yet the information was in front of you. The android girl Vespera was waiting for your response, but it was hard to form something coherent when you were so confused and stupefied by all of this. Maybe this was a mistake?

But your instincts. They told you this wasn’t a mistake. The thing happening to your health. The weird machine. How you were branded as KIA. Was it all connected somehow? You needed answers…

“Hey, hey!” The Vespera girl repeated herself time and time again, snapping her fingers in front of your face. For how long was she doing this? “Oh, finally. For a moment there I thought you were gonna pass out. Are you ok? You suddenly turned pale, Miss dead-name. Hello?! Anyone in there?!” she kept saying, bothering you.

You decided to swallow your pride. You didn’t trust anyone back there at Haven. It all stank just so much. Something was amiss. And, as much as the hostages were still in trouble you didn’t sense they were in imminent danger.

It was healthy from time to time to put yourself first.

“I… need your help” you whispered softly. You managed to hold in your tears, but barely. You’re sure anyone else would have ended up broken by the stress, but you were quite used to it, being an ex-team leader and all.

“…what?” The android girl answered. All of her copies turned her eyes on you, confused, even those far away that weren’t withing hearing range.

“Look. If you think… this is confusing to you, then it is far worse for me. I don’t know why I was branded dead. I’m not supposed to be dead. I was just retired, but then a train happened, some weird machines…” you started to explain, the rhythm of your voice breaking as you continued, but then, the girl interrupted you.

“Shush. Shush. Take a deep breath. Never let the cameras catch you like this. In fact, let me do the talking and if you want to add something then just do it. Ok?” the Vespera girl said. Her tone being far friendlier than before.

You took a deep breath again. “Fine…”

(2/?)

A few minutes of conversation happened. You talked to her a little bit about your condition, who you truly were, why this distressed you so much. You didn’t know what to tell her in order to not say too much, but it was a better alternative than lying.

“Hmm… I don’t envy your situation, Miss Suzume. So, this sudden honesty I suppose is because you want my help?” Nocturne replied, thinking while watching you.

You just nodded with your head.

“Hmm…” the girl said, turning around and watching the empty glass in front of her while moving it in circles. The tint of a smile started to appear on her face. This unnerved you a little.

“First of all. Thank you for being honest with me. That’s quite the rare commodity in this city. Second, and most important. That was a mistake. You shouldn’t be so open to others. Information can be a quite the poisonous blade on the wrong hands.” She said, smiling.

“Are you… are you threatening me?” you couldn’t help but exclaim. You felt how the hairs at the back of your head started to spike up a little.

“No. Not at all. I mean, I can, but there’s no need for us to be enemies. At least not in private. If I was truly an evil person I would sure as hell take advantage of this with no shame, but I think it would be far better for me to scratch my back as you can scratch mine.”

Oh no. Not this again.

The girl laughed a little bit. “That killer look on your face is so violent, so dangerous. I love it. Even a Beowulf would crap its pants with that glare of yours.” She continued laughing. “Fine. Let’s have a deal. A full-fledged huntress such as yourself should have an easy time for this, I assure you.”

“I don’t like being a pawn.” You answered. You couldn’t help but feel the poison on your voice.

“Well, first you must know the rules before you can be a player. So, you in? You can only win with this deal I offer. I know what I’m talking about.” the girl asked. Her soft smile wasn’t reassuring at all.

>Ask for more details. Listen to her first before agreeing to anything.
>Thank her for her help, but deny her offer. Working for underground criminals wasn’t something you liked.
>You still needed to think about all of this. Too much new information at once. Better rest first, ask for her contact, deal with this later.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6016858
>Ask for more details. Listen to her first before agreeing to anything.

>>6016858
>>Ask for more details. Listen to her first before agreeing to anything

>>6016858
>You still needed to think about all of this. Too much new information at once. Better rest first, ask for her contact, deal with this later.

>>6016858
>>Ask for more details. Listen to her first before agreeing to anything.

>>6016858
>You still needed to think about all of this. Too much new information at once. Better rest first, ask for her contact, deal with this later.

>>6016858

You saw the glass of gunk and whatever mix of foul substances still untouched in front of you. Are you seriously willing to do this? All for the sake of information? Maybe it wasn’t needed. After all, you were a very good fighter. You’re sure you could fight your way through all of this, deal with whatever is in your head, know why you were branded KIA, all this thing with the “Black Sheep”, deal with this Diva…

Yeah, no. You felt overwhelmed. If an opportunity presented itself, it would be rash to just ignore it. Asking for a little bit more information wouldn’t hurt. If what she proposed to you was just unappealing then… then you could just do things on your own. You weren’t obliged to accept… you think.

You drank the full contents of the small glass in front of you, trying to drown your emotions in this poison. After slamming the glass on top of the counter you turned around to watch Vespera. You felt tired.

“I need to know the details before I agree to anything. You got that right?” you exclaimed. God, the taste was awful on your throat. It felt like it was burning. It fell flat inside your guts. You were sure that drinking water directly from a sewer would be just slightly less pleasant.

“Good. You are smart. Excellent. Just pretend we never met. I just need you to go back towards your headquarters, give them back your scroll and tell them that it was malfunctioning! See? Absolutely no risk involved!” the android replied. She was ecstatic.

“Stop with the games. I know that’s not everything.” You replied, feeling defeated. This sucked.

“Clever, aren’t you? Yeah, that’s right. I need to fiddle with your scroll for a bit. Need to spike it. Do you know what that means?” Nocturne replied in a condescending manner.

“You mean… putting a virus in it?” you replied, unsure of the term. Technology was not really one of your strong suits.

(1/?)

“Exactly! We’re going to get along just fine. I’m so tired of working with dull heads whose only motivation is getting money for their next drink.” Vespera said. She turned around as some of the guards that were still around the bar patrons looked confused. “Not you, of course. You’re my best.” The girl laughed a little bit talking to her own subordinates.

“Right… however, I’m afraid I can’t just go back empty handed. You see, I have to do something for them first.” You replied, starting to feel a little bit light-headed.

“Oh? Oh, right, of course. I’m sure they told you to do something for them. Care to tell me what it was? It isn’t related to my new club, right?” Vespera said, probably referring to how she wants to take over this nightclub and take control of it.

Choose 1:
>Tell her the truth. You were tasked to finding a fighting club somewhere and make whoever is in charge indisposed to continue. Surely she knows what you’re talking about, with her being such a influential figure here in the city.
>Tell her only a half-truth. You didn’t trust her yet, so it might be wise to skip the important parts. She would surely try to take advantage of whatever you tell her.
>Withhold as much information as possible. It would be unwise to tell anything useful to someone like her.
>Other (Write-in)

And also Choose 1:
>Agree to give her your new scroll. You never wanted to work for ‘The Black Sheep’ in the first place. If they duke it out then that’s for the better.
>Refuse to give her your new scroll. If those criminals that ‘hired’ you discovered about your betrayal you’re sure they would do anything to deal with you. And more problems? No, thank you.

Picking the first options to reach 3 votes.

>>6018786
>Tell her only a half-truth. You didn’t trust her yet, so it might be wise to skip the important parts. She would surely try to take advantage of whatever you tell her.

>Refuse to give her your new scroll. If those criminals that ‘hired’ you discovered about your betrayal you’re sure they would do anything to deal with you. And more problems? No, thank you.

>>6018786
>Tell her only a half-truth. You didn’t trust her yet, so it might be wise to skip the important parts. She would surely try to take advantage of whatever you tell her.
>Agree to give her your new scroll. You never wanted to work for ‘The Black Sheep’ in the first place. If they duke it out then that’s for the better.

>>6018786
>Tell her the truth. You were tasked to finding a fighting club somewhere and make whoever is in charge indisposed to continue. Surely she knows what you’re talking about, with her being such a influential figure here in the city.
>Agree to give her your new scroll. You never wanted to work for ‘The Black Sheep’ in the first place. If they duke it out then that’s for the better.

>>6018786
>Tell her only a half-truth. You didn’t trust her yet, so it might be wise to skip the important parts. She would surely try to take advantage of whatever you tell her.

>Refuse to give her your new scroll. If those criminals that ‘hired’ you discovered about your betrayal you’re sure they would do anything to deal with you. And more problems? No, thank you.

Just one more vote to break the tie. I trust in y'all.

>>6018786
>>Tell her only a half-truth. You didn’t trust her yet, so it might be wise to skip the important parts. She would surely try to take advantage of whatever you tell her.
>>Refuse to give her your new scroll. If those criminals that ‘hired’ you discovered about your betrayal you’re sure they would do anything to deal with you. And more problems? No, thank you.
I hope I didn't screw this up for everyone

>>6018786

“No. It isn’t related to this club.” You started to explain. “It is related to something else. To be fair, I was just somewhat sidetracked because, well, of the show outside this club. That’s how I noticed you. And how could I sleep at night not interfering with what you were about to do?”

As the words started to escape your mouth you felt something warm inside your chest. Like a spark that was once again burning up like a fire. Was it the alcohol or your confidence? Maybe both. It was called ‘liquid courage’ for a reason.

“And I’m sorry.” You closed your eyes, leaving the silence hang on for a second, forcing her to fill in to avoid the awkwardness. Quite the devious social strategy from your part.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” Vespera answered, taking the bait, her face turning slightly to one of surprise.

“It is true. I am new to this city. I don’t know how things really work here, but it doesn’t matter. I am truly thankful for all the information you gave me, don’t get me wrong, but I’m sorry.” You closed your eyes for a moment, building up your confidence. “I’m not going to give you my scroll. And that is my final decision. I may not be a ‘player’ yet in this place, but if I just do blindly what everyone tells me to do then I’ll never become one in the first place. I need to put my feet firmly on the ground first, don’t you think?”

Vespera kept quiet for a second. She just didn’t know how to respond. It appears she never expected you to just refuse her offer like that. And you couldn’t judge her neither. For a second there you indeed felt helpless, weak, desperate, but taking decisions on fear was never a good idea.

“That’s not fair.” Vespera answered back, still astonished. She wasn’t angry, nor sad, nor happy. Nothing at all. She still seemed surprised. Like a kid whose toy was just taken.

“I know. Its not fair. You helped me, and I’m not helping you back.” You smiled softly after saying this. You stretched out your body behind the counter, grabbing a nearby bottle of… something. Alcohol was never your strong suit, but it felt right, somehow.

“You know I have hostages, right? With guns pointing at their heads?” Vespera spoke up, her tone of voice changing to be somewhat firmer. You couldn’t help but laugh a little bit.

“I know, I know. Quite the violent person you are, right? And I don’t blame you. You want this club so much because… well, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.” The cap of the bottle on your hand flew after a flick with your thumb. You started taking its contents with no care in the world. Such an awful taste.

(1/?)

“What matters now is that, well. You helped me. And my way of saying thanks is by giving you a chance to get out of here mostly unharmed. You and your… robot army-sisters or whatever they are.” You continued to explain. The alcohol was definitely taking its toll on you. But hey, you had to fish bravery from somewhere, right?

“And what’s preventing me from shooting these bastards right here and now? I know you’re fast, but you can’t possibly be that fast.” Vespera asked in a causal tone of voice, almost as if she was genuinely curious about your (nonexistent) plan.

You pondered for a second, exaggerating your movements on purpose. “Nothing. You’re right about that. If those guards of yours decided to pull the trigger, then… well. Poof. Bye bye mousies.” You said, laughing again. “However, if you decided to do that… well… to put it bluntly, I would hunt you down. I’m a Huntress because I decided to help people. I hunt monsters. Grimm are just one type of them. People are sometimes worse, don’t you agree?” You started to drink almost the entirety of the bottle now. Your words started to trip on themselves, but it didn’t matter.

“You can’t do that.” Vespera answered now, far more aggressive than before. Yet, even when close to being wasted due to the drink, you noticed that she was now on the defensive.

“I can and I would. Its what my job title says. Huntress. I hunt. Besides, its not like I have anything to lose. To my friends I am a dead woman. I haven’t spoken to my family in years. No one else besides me, behind me nor in front of me. Just me, me alone versus the world.” You slammed the bottle down into the counter in front of you.

“So… care to find out what this empty shell of a Huntress is willing to do to kill a monster like you?” You said to her, turning around and watching her with what you think was a devious glee. You could barely feel your smile. Would your creepy symptom arise now that the occasion called for it? It would really help you out.

The empty bottle at your side fell to the floor. It wasn’t on purpose. Most likely it was misplaced near the edge of the counter, and it ended up falling on its own. The sound of glass breaking was enough to put a stop to all the songs in the background. All the twins of Nocturne were watching you. Even the guards turned around to look at you. They all looked astonished. Unnerved.

“Whoops. My bad. I’ll clean that up later.” You laughed a little bit at the irony of the situation. Or maybe was it desperation? Hard to know when your head was spinning this bad.

The silent nightclub started to feel eerie. And it was all thanks to you. You weren’t going to let this girl just push you around, but in the end, she helped you. You weren’t lying at all. You indeed were sidetracked into all her business. You just hoped your words reached out to her so that the hostages wouldn’t had to die.

(2/?)

File: TheBlindMouseRoom.jpg (388 KB, 1024x1024)

388 KB JPG

Finally, the android at your side stood up. All of them did. They started to head towards the exit. The movement from her hand towards the Grimm-costumed soldiers was enough to make them stop aiming their guns towards the patrons as they started to move behind the divas.

Vespera turned around to look at you. Her fake smile appeared again. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Shelly Suzume.” She bowed slightly. “It is a real shame we couldn’t work together. I wish you good luck. I hope your death isn’t violent nor painful.” The girl finished, starting to walk out of the establishment.

“What’s that supposed to mean, my little butterfly?” You asked her as she was leaving the club, laughing a bit. Was she really threatening you?

“Don’t worry about me. I will not lift a finger against you. It’s just that… there’s a reason why Kuchinashi has almost no Huntsmen nor Huntresses around. Good bye.” The girl said, her smile softly disappearing. They all finally got out of the establishment.

As weird as those words sounded, you couldn’t think too much about them. Your head was buzzing, after all. You felt numb to almost everything. To anger, to fear, to sadness. Your hangover would surely be painful.

After a few minutes of helping the patrons get out of their bindings they started thanking you profusely. They were not only siblings, but triplets, actually. Who would have thought? They gave you a key to a nearby private room. You were not only drunk, but tired, and they promised you a safe haven at their establishment as a way of thanking you for saving their lives.

And now you were alone with your thoughts inside a dimly and dirty room. Empty bottles, music equipment and some pictures were going to be your roommates for tonight. Your courage started to disappear. A strong headache came. Your eyes hurt, both by the drink and by the tears that you were holding back all this time.

>You were just too tired. Sleep right now. Let the pillow heal your thoughts at least a little.
>Maybe getting out and having some fun outside would be good for your mental health. This was the city of a thousand pleasures or something, right? Might as well have a taste.
>Call your old friends. Call the headmaster. Your family. Anyone. It didn’t matter. What for? Well… you wanted answers. You wanted them to know that you were still alive. You still cared for them, after all.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6022362
>>Maybe getting out and having some fun outside would be good for your mental health. This was the city of a thousand pleasures or something, right? Might as well have a taste.

>>6022362
>Maybe getting out and having some fun outside would be good for your mental health. This was the city of a thousand pleasures or something, right? Might as well have a taste.

>>6022362
>You were just too tired. Sleep right now. Let the pillow heal your thoughts at least a little.
We're already intoxicated. Better not do anything else we regret. Likewise, calling up old friends runs the risk of blowing our cover. Whoever wanted to kill us and/or erase our identity is probably powerful and well-connected-- and letting them know their little ploy failed is the fastest way to get them trying again. I have a few guesses as to who it could be based on lore knowledge from the show, but... it's too early to say anything definitive.

>>6022362
>>You were just too tired. Sleep right now. Let the pillow heal your thoughts at least a little.

>>6022362
>You were just too tired. Sleep right now. Let the pillow heal your thoughts at least a little.

>>6022362

Saying your head was a mess was a big understatement. Everything was spinning, you had trouble walking, you heard noises from places where they shouldn’t be and you were tripping against things that weren’t even there. You decided to just sleep on the dirty mattress. You wanted to recover as fast as possible.

As your conscience started to drift away into the river of dreams you saw yourself in the middle of a vast wasteland. The sky was red, plenty of thunder could be heard in the distance, flashes of white illuminated the sky at random intervals, and a vast and rocky landscape assaulted your eyes.

Weirdly enough, when you moved, you saw the floor very close to your face. You were fast. Clouds of dust lifted as you jumped towards a nearby tall pillar. You fell down again, landing with almost no problem. You snarled. Were you an animal? Everything felt weird. You had no sense of direction. Only instinct. Plenty of other beasts were doing similar things. Snarling. You recognized their white masks. They were Grimm. So, you were one too?

You moved towards a nearby black pond. The water was calm, yet eerie. Its blackness extremely unnatural. As you moved on top of it you saw your face. But your face wasn’t there, only a feral and animalistic mask, similar as all of those around you.

Fear started to get ahold of you again. You ran back. You ran as fast as you could, yet you felt something else inside your head. As if someone was calling you by your name, yet no sound was heard. When your gaze raised up you saw all the other Grimm do the same. They started running, following the voice. The voice was calling as well, but you couldn’t hear it very well. You only saw all the other Grimm follow it blindly. Like a starving dog that smelled fresh meat.

A figure was far away into the distance. Flying. Was it a human? What did it want? Why was it calling you? What did it want with you? Was it even paying attention to you?

KNOCK! KNOCK!

You slowly opened your eyes. Your throat felt dry. The dim light was bright enough to make you wince in pain. Your head was still spinning. As you started to get up from your bed you noticed how wet it was. Was it sweat? Yes, look like it was. You were sweating all night. You felt the cold on your back. What a weird and vivid nightmare. At least it was over.

The knocking on the door was heard again. As you decided to stand up you decided to quickly grab your two sabers and keep them close to you. Better be safe than sorry.

“Who is it?” You decided to ask softly towards the other side of the door. Assassins? Bandits? An entire army? It could be anyone, really.

(1/?)

“Miss Susie? Miss Susie! Guys, it’s her! Miss, can you please open the door? We want to see you!” An excited young voice of a male could be heard. Plenty of people were at the other side of the door. They were quietly exchanging words between them. Some in amazement, some in surprise. They didn’t sound hostile at all.

“Please answer my question first. Who are you?” You replied back, not sure what to make of the situation.

“We are admirers! We saw your fight yesterday! It was awesome! Can you please come out? We paid a good amount of Lien to the owners because they told us you were in here! We want to meet you!” The same young man said with full excitement and joy.

As you opened the door what you saw was… unexpected. Almost a dozen men and women were outside watching you with glee. As they saw you opening up the door, they started to cheer you up. “Its her! Its her!”. The noise of the celebration was good enough to remind you of your hangover. This felt horrible.

“What do you mean by admirers? I’m not following. Don’t take this the wrong way, but how do you know of me?” You asked them, very confused.

“Don’t you know, miss? Everyone in the city saw what you did! You saved the owners of the Blind Mouse, you fought against the famous Vespera! And you won! Almost every display on the city is showing your fight! May I have your autograph, miss?”

You blinked a few times. A little bit perplexed. Wondering. How did everyone in the city know about what happened? Sure, there were some scrolls recording you, there was the speech about heroism and all, a few drones here and there recording and taking pictures…

Things were starting to click into place.

“If I may ask, who uploaded the video of what happened yesterday?” You asked the group of fans, trying to confirm your suspicions.

“Oh! It was miss Vespera herself! She claims that you’re the heroine this city needs! I’m sure it will take only a matter of days before everyone in Mistral knows who you are! That’s so cool! Can I have some of your hair? It is for my sister. She’s outside waiting for me.” The fan exclaimed. In unison all the other ones started to ask you for things. Autographs, a touch, a memento, a signature. You’re sure one at the very back wanted a kiss. Gross.

>Play into the heroine act. Be a good idol for them. Who knows, maybe this popularity could help you on the long run?
>Downplay what happened. I mean, sure, you liked being famous. The cheers made you feel good, but you don’t like being the center of attention. At least not in this way.
>Excuse them all, and try to escape as swift as possible. There was a window nearby. You had a mission. Plenty of them, in fact. Being a celebrity was not one of them.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6023124
>>Downplay what happened. I mean, sure, you liked being famous. The cheers made you feel good, but you don’t like being the center of attention. At least not in this way.
I gotta catch a train, ill sign autographs later

>>6023124
>>Play into the heroine act. Be a good idol for them. Who knows, maybe this popularity could help you on the long run?

>>6023124
>Downplay what happened. I mean, sure, you liked being famous. The cheers made you feel good, but you don’t like being the center of attention. At least not in this way.

>>6023124
>Downplay what happened.
I think that our cover may have been blown, considering >I’m sure it will take only a matter of days before everyone in Mistral knows who you are! Hope Sora's ok...

File: KuchinashiStreetsDay.jpg (309 KB, 1024x1024)

309 KB JPG

>>6023124

>Trait Gained! Unwilling Celebrity, Minor (Kuchinashi): People sometimes talk about you. Yet you try to shoot them down when you can. Some people respect your wishes, admiring you in silence, yet a small group of hardcore fans will surely appear, infatuated by your humbleness and down-to-earth behaviour.
>Character Sheet as of now: https://pastebin.com/ibq7c0km

“Look, hey, hey! Listen!” You told the crowd of admirers in front of you. They got quiet after a while, giving you their attention with big smiles on their faces. “I know that you think that I’m a heroine or something, but… But that’s not the way things are. In truth I just did what anyone else would’ve done. There’s no need to blow this out of proportion.”

“But that’s no true, miss. Most of us wouldn’t have done that. What you did was truly heroic!” One of the girls in the crowd said. Most of them agreed with her.

“I know, but… but I’m sure that given the circumstances you would have done the same! Don’t think of myself as someone different from you all. I just… had the tools at my disposal to do what I had to.” You started to stutter a bit. Talking with a single individual was one thing. Dealing with a crowd, however… that was an entirely different beast. “For example, you! At the front! If someone from your family was in a similar situation you would have intervened, right?”

You pointed to a random guy within the group. He appeared to be nervous, looking around as if you mistook him from somebody else. After a while of trying to evade your question, he gave in. “Yeah… yeah I think I would…”

“See?” You continued with your speech. Far too many speeches in such a short amount of time. If you kept going you were sure you would become an expert in no time. “I am no better than you all. I just did what I thought was right. That desire to do the right thing? All of you have it. So please, don’t think I am someone special.”

The crowd remained silent, looking amongst themselves. Solemn smiles were found within them. You’re sure your words reached out the heart of some of them, but by the way some of them smiled you knew that some of them liked you more. This wasn’t… ideal, to say the least.

“Look…” you sighed. You were still tired. Your headache was a constant reminder of your priorities. “…I know you want a hero to save you all. We all do. However, I can’t be that heroine. Sorry to burst your bubble. If I had to give you all a piece of advice, well, if you so desperately want a hero, then try to become one, ok? Now, I need to get going. And please… don’t follow me.”

Most of them tried to avoid meeting gazes with you. Some of them felt embarrassment, sadness. Maybe even guilt? But you just couldn’t satisfy their wishes. You easily walked past them, ready to get out of this nightclub.

(1/?)

And then you heard the sound of a photo being taken behind you. One of the fans was holding his scroll, aiming at you. After the flash he just smiled awkwardly at you, saying ‘Sorry’ repeatedly.

After walking out the door of the closed nightclub the bright light of the sun blinded you like you never imagined it. You had to instinctively cover them with your arm.

“Hey, its her! Miss Susie! Please! Over here!” A girl near the corner of a street started to greet you. Did you know her? No, no you didn’t. A group of what you think were her friends noticed you and they all started to walk towards you with friendly smiles. Most other people on the street just turned their faces to watch you, talking amongst themselves while pointing fingers at you.

“Hmm… nope.” You exclaimed, mostly to yourself, as you turned around and started to run quickly towards a nearby empty street, trying to escape those that followed you. While running you had to grab a nearby dirty cloak to cover yourself. Time to go incognito, at least for a while.

After some minutes of tactical retreat, you finally reached a new unknown street. Most people were ignoring you, which was a good sign. Some piece and quiet, finally.

Now that you had more time and freedom on your hands, you had to think what to do.

>You had some money on you. Maybe look for some upgrades for your gear? If you find something quite valuable then you’re sure you could use your fame as a bargaining chip (As a last resort, of course).
>Information was key. A nearby quest board was nearby, where contracts were given to huntsmen. You weren’t looking for something in particular, but maybe you could find some useful information there.
>Just walk on your own. Look around the city for clues on… whatever. The thing about this place being almost empty of huntsmen, maybe something related to that fightclub, rumors, etc. Anything could happen.
>Go somewhere else (Write-in)

>>6024151
>Information was key. A nearby quest board was nearby, where contracts were given to huntsmen. You weren’t looking for something in particular, but maybe you could find some useful information there.

>>6024151
>>Just walk on your own. Look around the city for clues on… whatever. The thing about this place being almost empty of huntsmen, maybe something related to that fightclub, rumors, etc. Anything could happen.

>>6024151
>Information was key. A nearby quest board was nearby, where contracts were given to huntsmen. You weren’t looking for something in particular, but maybe you could find some useful information there.

>>6024151
>Information was key. A nearby quest board was nearby, where contracts were given to huntsmen. You weren’t looking for something in particular, but maybe you could find some useful information there.

>>6024151

With your identity concealed you decide to go towards the mission board, ready to investigate and find more information about… anything, really. You’re even amazed those mission boards were still used here, given the fact that apparently the population of Huntresses and Huntsmen was quite low.

As you walked towards the large screen in the middle of the market square you couldn’t help but notice that it was broken. Almost. The top half appears to barely function, the light-blueish screen flickering as the only digital ‘contracts’ made for Huntsmen and Huntresses that appear to be shown have the tag of “ON HOLD”. The latest time tagged in those says “IN PROGRESS: 5 WEEKS AGO”. All of the others show much longer times. Two months. Three months. Not only that, but no mission was shown as ‘Finished’ or anything similar. Quite… unusual.

The bottom half of the mission board, however, was completely broken due to a large crack in the middle of the device. The reason as for why is unknown. However, people here in Kuchinashi have adapted to this setback by crudely writing contracts, missions and… advertisements in pieces of paper, nailing them on the broken electronics. “Just like the old days…” you mutter under your breath, inspecting their content.

Since the “official” missions seem to be of little to no help, you decide to instead investigate the pieces of paper crudely hanging from nails and pieces of metal. Most of them seem to appear quite useless, however.

“Want to earn some quick cash? Head to the Helman’s Dust Refinery! Now offering clean beds and warm meals!”
“Tired of living on the dirty streets? Don’t worry! Big and clean apartment just for you! And completely free! Call this number!” In small handwriting it says “Only for female humans. No faunus allowed unless you pass a physical inspection. Only between 16 and 20 years of age.” Gross.
“Scientist looking for individuals with silver eyes. Big cash reward just for some quick tests. Pay tripled for those that pass an easy exam. Direction attached by scanning this code.” Weird, but whatever.
“Get out! Dirty Faunus!” a small note says, with the crude drawing of a cat human with crosses instead of eyes and some goofy stinky lines. Below the note with different handwriting there’s a message that says “lick my fur, hummy”.

(1/?)

File: Advertisement1.jpg (259 KB, 1024x1024)

259 KB JPG

Plenty of other pieces of paper said similar things. Some offering shady jobs, some advertising clear scams, with the nasty and crudely notes written mocking names you didn’t knew here and there. However, a few of them seemed to be… different, to say the least.

A piece of paper had the logo of the White Fang. Plain and simple. And a direction attached. So the White Fang had some influence here? Made sense that such an infamous organization had a base in this city. You take out the embroidery that Sora gave you some time back, reminiscing a bit.

Another piece of paper had quite an artistic depiction of a dangerous face with a wide grin and big horns. There was no direction attached, nor scroll number, nor code nor anything. In order to find out if this was important or not it would require quite a hard investigation.

As much as you tried looking for anything else on the mission board nothing else decided to catch your eye. You felt that you were scraping at the bottom of a barrel for options.

You decided to…

>Go towards the place written on the White Fang’s paper. Maybe they could help you somehow?
>Follow the lead of the weird mask. This would require some skill from your part, since it was possible this was just a dud. But who knows what you could find out about this?
>Inspect some of the earlier papers. You had a hunch. (Choose one of the other advertisements)
>Go and investigate somewhere else in the city. Wander for a bit.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6026665
>Go towards the place written on the White Fang’s paper. Maybe they could help you somehow?

>>6026665
>Go and investigate somewhere else in the city. Wander for a bit.

>>6026665
>Follow the lead of the weird mask. This would require some skill from your part, since it was possible this was just a dud. But who knows what you could find out about this?

>>6026665
>Follow the lead of the weird mask. This would require some skill from your part, since it was possible this was just a dud. But who knows what you could find out about this?

>>6026665
>Follow the lead of the weird mask. This would require some skill from your part, since it was possible this was just a dud. But who knows what you could find out about this?

I'm gonna need a dice check. Best of three. 3d10. DC 21, Crit 25

Rolled 7, 3, 6 = 16 (3d10)

>>6029373

Rolled 10, 7, 5 = 22 (3d10)

>>6029373

Rolled 2, 10, 8 = 20 (3d10)

>>6029373

>>6030141

You grabbed the paper on the mission board depicting this weird mask. Was it drawn by hand? Apparently, it was. Quite the skilled artist we have here. Once you folded it inside your hand you decide to wander around, looking for clues or anything that might be of help.

As you walked around you saw a few merchant stalls and apartment buildings play a heavily edited recording of you fight with Vespera last night with screens of various sizes. Some words similar to that of a commercial played alongside those small clips. “Is this the new heroine of Kuchinashi?”, “A new rivalry has appeared! Which star shall remain in the spotlight? Which one shall bite the dust?” and the like.

As you continued walking you saw how some people were watching those clips with a fair deal of attention, whispering amongst themselves.

“Quite the good-looking gal that has arrived here. Do you think she stands a chance?” said a rough looking man
“Who cares? As long as she isn’t boring then I don’t mind.” Was the reply of a scrawny individual besides him, drinking from a bottle.
“Hey, you two lads. I have genuine autographs from her! You interested in getting one? Trust me, they are cheap and the real deal!” another man said while getting out of an alleyway, talking to those two men.

You never gave autographs to anyone. So, they were obviously forgery. Was all of this just… a show for them? Some entertainment? Were you being used as a product without your consent?

That damn android girl. Using you just as a publicity stunt. If the opportunity arises again, you’re sure you will have at least a few not-so-friendly words with her. The amount of disrespect was unbelievable, enough to put you in a foul mood.

While you were walking and fuming by watching all the propaganda of yourself you then felt someone bump with your shoulder. You almost fell, but you easily regained your composure. You turned around to see who did that.

“Hey! Watch where you’re… oh…” an tall man with a round belly and quite the rough looking beard and a blind eye said as he turned around. He easily towered over you by at least two heads.

You softly touched the handle of your blades near your hip, hidden still within your clothes. Were you getting mugged?

“Sorry, miss. Didn’t see you there. I’m afraid I can’t see very well sometimes. Are you ok?” the man said in an apologetic voice, pointing at his faulty eye. All sense of danger was quickly evaporating.

“…yes, yes I’m okay. I’m also sorry for bumping into you.” You answered the rough looking man, feeling more at easy with him, but still having your guard up. He didn’t look to threatening at all.

“No, no. Don’t worry. It was my fault. No need to apologize… Hey, you kinda look like that new girl, right? Susan or something?” the man continued talking, getting closer to watch your face beneath your hood.

(1/?)

You instinctively started to walk backwards, slowly, trying to get away from him after being a little bit creeped out. “Oh, um… yeah, I know, but…” you started stuttering, yet the man interrupted you.

“Oh! I know! You’re a fan, right? Yeah, that’s an amazing cosplay you got there. A little bit early, don’t you think?” the man said, laughing to himself a little bit. “Who knows if that girl’s gonna survive this city, after all!”

“What do you mean if I… erm, well, she’s gonna survive?” you asked, a little but puzzled by the one-eyed man.

“Well. I can’t blame ya. You youngsters always fall head over heels when any new pretty face arrives in town. She’s not the first nor the last one to watch over this city. At least give her a few weeks before dressing as her, don’t you think? It’s a little bit creepy if you ask me.” The man continued rambling, half-ignoring your question.

You continued stuttering, not really knowing how to react to this weird individual. “Well… thank you for your concern, but I need to go.” You said to the man, turning around and trying to walk away from him.

“Hey, hey! Don’t leave me hangin’ here! And besides, what’s that on your hand? Is that what I think it is?” the man replied while pointing at the paper of your hand, the drawing of the mask.

“Oh, um… this? Oh, don’t worry, its just a…” you tried to diffuse the situation, but the man quickly interrupted you again.

“If that’s what I think it is then I’m afraid I must tell you to stop, miss. Quite the dangerous place that is. You better stop investigating, this city surely doesn’t need more senseless death. Leave that to outsiders.” The man continued rambling, yet this time this felt strange.

You opened the paper towards him, showing him the drawing. “You mean this thing?” you asked him. This guy knew something.

“Of course, I know that drawing! Someone paid me quite generously to hang that on almost every mission board in the city!” the man said proudly. You were quite lucky.

“Then, can you please tell me who hired you to do that? It is quite important for me to know. Please.” You talked to the man with a firmer voice.

“Well… um… I’m not sure if I should tell ya miss... I don’t want for either of us to get into trouble…” he started telling you. Looks like he wouldn’t give this information for free.

>Try to persuade him. Trying to be reasonable. Discreet. Astute.
>Intimidate the man. You could easily overpower him if you wanted, but just scaring him a little bit would be enough.
>Use your ‘fame’ for your advantage. Reveal yourself to the man as the (somewhat) famous huntress currently popular in the city.
>Agree with him and say goodbye, yet secretly trail behind him to seek out information.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6031576
>>Try to persuade him. Trying to be reasonable. Discreet. Astute.

>>6031576
>Try to persuade him. Trying to be reasonable. Discreet. Astute.

>>6031576
>>Use your ‘fame’ for your advantage. Reveal yourself to the man as the (somewhat) famous huntress currently popular in the city.

>>6031576
>Try to persuade him. Trying to be reasonable. Discreet. Astute.

>>6031576

(No dice roll needed for this one due to various circumstances)
“Look, mister… erm…” you started talking with the man. His body language was giving a heavy air of… drunkenness. “…what was your name again?”

“Oh! Call me Rufus, miss. And yours?” the man answered eagerly again, his mood shifting slightly between a happy fellow and a blue melancholic.

“Alright. Rufus. So, listen. I really need you to help me out with this. It is very important for me to find these guys. People are in danger, Rufus, and you know it. Helping them out is bad enough, but covering them too? That’s not good. Not at all, and you know it.” You started explaining to him. His faced looked down, appalled, almost ashamed. The guilt was clearly hurting him, and your tone of voice wasn’t that aggressive at all. Calm, actually.

“I know, but…” he started to explain. You interrupted him. Nail your point in an assertive yet calm way was the best option. And also, you wanted to teach him that interrupting others was bad manners.

“No buts. Those people that you’re helping are bad. And I want to stop them. You can help me out. I might not look like it but I’m someone strong, so don’t worry about me. You can be strong, too. You just need to tell me who gave you that paper, alright?” you tried to convince him, using a language and a tone of voice that even a kid would understand. Surely this would get the message across better for someone that was likely under the influence of… something.

“Hmm… no, miss. No. I’m sorry. I understand your message, clear as a sunny sky, however I just can’t. If something were to happen to me, well… I have some mouths to feed back at home, you know?” he explained, a somber look on his face.

“Rufus… please…” you crossed your arms, talking to him softly. His look clearly suggested that he wanted to help you, but he didn’t want to relent.

(1/?)

“No, I’m sorry, miss. I’m afraid I can’t help you.” The man said, taking out his scroll and tapping on it, as if distracted. You felt a slight tint of rage arise from within you aimed at his apathy. “Oh, by the way. If you’re ever thirsty or in the lookout for quite some hardcore stuff then please go with me. I have some amazing brews back at my place.” He exclaimed, aiming his scroll at you so that you could see it.

Instead of a direction, there was a message written on it. ‘Follow me. They are watching.’ The man was smiling at you, and after a few seconds he stuffed the scroll back into his half-open jacket. “So? Interested? I have fair prices, I assure you. And everything is as healthy as it can get.”

Quite suspicious. Was he telling the truth? Hard to tell. The street wasn’t empty at all, a few people here walking and hanging around unknown establishments. Not only that, but everything was very well illuminated. You wanted to turn around to look out for whoever was watching you two, but you knew doing so would clearly sell Rufus out.

>Follow the man, play his game. This was a good way for your pursuers to feel at ease. This would most likely lower their guard.
>This smelled like a trap. Refuse his offer and keep investigating on your own. If what he said was true then you were confident you could handle whoever or whatever was following you.
>Other (Write-in)

No matter the option picked I’m going to need another Dice Roll, best of three as always
>3d10, best of three, DC 16, Crit 25

Rolled 2, 12, 6 = 20 (3d20)

>>6034543

Rolled 10, 1, 2 = 13 (3d10)

>>6034568
Corrected dice

Rolled 1, 6, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>6034543

Rolled 6, 10, 6 = 22 (3d10)

>>6034543

>>6034702
Almost Crit, nice.

Now gonna need a vote for what to do, first to get 3 votes gets chosen.

>Follow the man, play his game. This was a good way for your pursuers to feel at ease. This would most likely lower their guard.
>This smelled like a trap. Refuse his offer and keep investigating on your own. If what he said was true then you were confident you could handle whoever or whatever was following you.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6035236
>Follow the man, play his game. This was a good way for your pursuers to feel at ease. This would most likely lower their guard.

>>6035236
>>Follow the man, play his game. This was a good way for your pursuers to feel at ease. This would most likely lower their guard.

>>6035236
>Follow the man, play his game. This was a good way for your pursuers to feel at ease. This would most likely lower their guard.

>>6035236

“I think I’ll… accept your offer.” You said to the distraught man, trying to use your enhanced hearing to see if something weird could be heard around you.

“Oh, wonderful! I got a blend right at home fit for someone like you! It starts with a base of Emberwine heated close to a boiling point. Right when bubbles appear I start adding a blend of Sunblaze from Vacuo, Silverthorn and…” the man started babbling while turning towards an unknown street to you.

“Don’t distract me, please.” You calmy said to the man, trying again to concentrate on your surroundings. His rambling was making your investigation somewhat more difficult.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Its just that I’m very passionate about my hobby. You see, a good drink can easily calm the mind of just anyone! Or maybe to the contrary, maybe that ‘anyone’ wants to have a party, and a blast! Some people frown on me because I tend to use quite a good amount of Grimmroot on my beverages, but I assure you, the side effects can easily be remedied by another mix of my own made from Ale, Flarepepper, Cinderbark…” the man continued rambling, ignoring your plea.

You sighed. This was pointless.

While the man continued with his explanation in the background you decided to focus again on your surroundings, trying to find anything suspicious while you two continued walking.

And what you actually heard was… silence. Not many things were heard. To the contrary, it seemed as if people were actively getting away from you two. A few whispers here and there, quiet conversations and the like. “It would be best if you leave right now.” “Please, sir, get inside your home”.

You couldn’t really count how many people were saying these things, talking and whispering behind walls and inside hidden alleyways, but definitely something was happening. They were quite a few as they continued vacating your surroundings from civilians discretely.

After a few minutes had passed nothing unusual happened. Rufus was still rambling, as your senses started to work again once you stopped focusing on the sounds surrounding you.

“…and then no one heard from him ever again! Ha! So, yeah. That’s the story of how I received that medal from Ironwood himself. I just need to find it, but I assure you it is inside here somewhere…” Rufus finally finished his rambling, stopping in front of a door at the side of an alleyway.

“Just… let me try to open it…” Rufus continued, grabbing a keycard from a pocket inside his pants. He moved that same keycard in front of a panel at the side of a door, and nothing happened except for the sound of a distorted ‘BEEP’ . The door remained locked.

(1/?)

“Darn this thing. I’m sorry miss, but years haven’t been kind to my home. If you had any idea how much it costs to fix this thing….” He moved the keycard again towards the same panel. ‘BEEP’ .

As Rufus fumbled again and again with his own keycard you decided to focus once more on your surroundings.

Nothing could be heard around you. Almost as if the city was suddenly empty. Most people would discard this as just being in a very out-of-place part of the district, but you just knew that it wasn’t true.

You focused once more. And finally, you heard it. Quiet breathing. From quite a few noses. How many people were watching you two? It was hard to tell. There were at least half a dozen individuals hidden somewhere. You really wanted to turn around and inspect better your surroundings, but you didn’t want to give up this advantage of fake ‘ignorance’ to your pursuers.

‘DING!‘

“Finally! Please, miss. Suit yourself. I present you my sweet home. Sit whenever you want. And sorry about the mess.” Rufus exclaimed, opening the door so that you could go in first.

Once you entered the room you saw… something unexpected. It was a small one-room apartment with no windows. A dirty bed was almost blocking the door, but thanks to your slender frame you easily squeezed in.

There were bottles everywhere. Some empty, some full of unknown substances. Jars filled with what appeared to be dry plants and herbs, spices and all the like. A makeshift lab was at the other end of the room, surrounded by unknown tubes and chemistry equipment. At the side of such laboratory was a deflated cushion with an old cat and a dog hugging each other. They were very old. They lifted their heads in unison as you entered the room, watching you with suspicion.

(2/?)

“Hnng!” Rufus groaned behind you, moving the bed forcefully with his leg so that he could fit inside just after closing the door. “There we go! But don’t worry, I’m sure in a few months once my creations become popular, I’ll get a bigger place, I assure you!”

He pushed you to the side, apparently not on purpose, as he approached both of his pets. “These are the babies that I talked to you about earlier! The beautiful minx is called Star, and this big and smelly boy is Rebel. I’ve been taking care of them ever since I found ‘em.” He started petting the old animals. They remained on top of their cushion, being barely able to move most likely due to their old age. The cat started purring.

You decided to sit at the side of the bed, watching the room again while Rufus was giving care to his… ‘babies’. At the side of the bed, you saw a broken photo frame of a man and a woman smiling together while hugging, and a small kid between them of almost six years of age, if you had to guess. The face of the woman on the photo couldn’t be seen due to the photo itself being ripped apart.

>Remain silent, wait for him to start talking. Surely, he wanted to follow you because he had info to share with you, right? Info about the drawing.
>Ask him more about his past. Sure, you wanted information, but it would be rude to just ask him directly. Maybe this would make him friendlier.
>Good manners where a luxury you didn’t have right now. Be direct with what you know and what you want. Ask him about the drawing, his contractor, the men following you, everything.
>Other (Write-in)

>>6037624
>Ask him more about his past. Sure, you wanted information, but it would be rude to just ask him directly. Maybe this would make him friendlier.

>>6037624
>Remain silent, wait for him to start talking. Surely, he wanted to follow you because he had info to share with you, right? Info about the drawing.

>>6037624
>Ask him more about his past. Sure, you wanted information, but it would be rude to just ask him directly. Maybe this would make him friendlier.

>>6037624
>Ask him more about his past. Sure, you wanted information, but it would be rude to just ask him directly. Maybe this would make him friendlier.

>>6037624
>Ask him more about his past. Sure, you wanted information, but it would be rude to just ask him directly. Maybe this would make him friendlier.

Gonna post a reply soon, technical malfunctions and such

>>6040908
No problem qm

>>6037624

Maybe it was a good idea to get to know him better. He seemed friendly enough, surely a rarity in this slum of a city.

“So, um… Rufus. I couldn’t help but notice, but is this you in the picture?” you asked him while pointing at the man from the picture frame in your hands.

Rufus turned around slightly to watch you, and he turned back towards his pets after a quick glance, talking with his back turned against you. “Aye. That was me. A long time ago. I know that I’m not as handsome right now as I was back then, but that’s how time works, lad. One day it will happen to you, too.” The man said, scratching behind the ears of the dog, Rebel.

“Oh… I’m aware of that. Don’t take offense, but you look very young in this photo.” You said, taking notice of a small silver medal hidden close to the side of his vest.

“Aye. Two decades, at least. Maybe three. I don’t really count things that aren’t that important. I was somewhat of a soldier, a high rank at that, but military deals and a family don’t blend at all together, so I had to retire.” The man continued talking.

“Soldier? From where?” You asked him, taking a look around his room again. Besides the unhealthy number of bottles, jars and trash you also managed to see the glimpse of what seemed to be a closed cabinet. It was half-broken, so you could see somewhat the inside of it. There were some clothes, with the colors of…

“Atlas, miss. And well, soldier isn’t the right word. Bodyguard sounds way better. Yeah, it does. A convoy needed transportation? I had contacts for that. A VIP wanted to feel safer? Me and the boys were eager and ready. Dangerous or important materials needed to be guarded for a day or two? No one would even take a whiff or whatever you wanted guarded. I miss those days.” Rufus answered, the taste of melancholy could be felt on his voice.

(1/?)

“I see… If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to-“ You started asking him again, yet were quickly interrupted by a now serious voice coming from the same man that was petting his cat.

“Don’t… don’t go there, miss. I’d appreciate it. I’d prefer if that topic is not touched. Don’t take offense, miss, I’m sure you understand.” Rufus said to you, sadness dripping from his voice.

Taken slightly aback by his somewhat change in demeanor you decided to keep quiet. Apparently, his family was a touchy subject. And you couldn’t really blame it for it. If this was something he wanted to keep private you had no reason to push further. You weren’t mean like that.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Three loud bangs could be heard at the door while you both were still inside this extremely small room. This startled not only you, but also the pets started growling in hostility towards whatever was making this noise. Rufus just sighed in response.

“Mr. Mul? I know you’re in there. Please, don’t make this hard for us. Open the door.” The voice of a younger man could be heard at the other side of the door, banging once again.

Rufus started to get up, away from his pets, walking towards the door with a frustrated expression.

>Let him open the door, just watch and stay vigilant.
>Offer to open the door to him. If this was dangerous then you’re sure you could defend him much better if he was at the back.
>Say something to the guy at the other side of the door (Write-in)
>Other (Write-in)

>>6041555
>>Offer to open the door to him. If this was dangerous then you’re sure you could defend him much better if he was at the back.

>>6041555
>Offer to open the door to him. If this was dangerous then you’re sure you could defend him much better if he was at the back.

>>6041555
>Offer to open the door to him. If this was dangerous then you’re sure you could defend him much better if he was at the back.
New thread QM?

>>6047895

Indeed we will.

NEW THREAD HERE: >>6049681