Baron 2023/10/10(Tue)18:56 No. 1074479 ID: fd2dfa
File 169698938381.png - (0.96MB , 2983x2241 , 148.png )

The sewers are a pain in the butt. Thankfully I remember where all the connector hubs and other spots gangs like to use as havens so we avoid any conflict down there. You do NOT want a gunfight in the sewer...but I don't think Vidi would care.

Nunnette complains about everything from the smell, the narrow passages, the low light, and Rezans in general. I guess I can get her frustration but that last one feels stupid. Or maybe I'm still on a rush and not thinking straight.

We climb back out near the station and-

"Oh crap."

The place has been ransacked...

"Well zat plan is ruined."

"No. We still go in."

"What?! Why?", Nunnette's voice actually cracked that time. I think this is really getting to her.

"Unless they know what to look for, looters won't have taken everything. And my mother may still be there. I have to make sure!"

"Crazy! You Rezans are all crazy!"

"Pff, your woman's funny Sergei. Hey can I keep this guy's jacket?"

Baron 2023/10/10(Tue)18:57 No. 1074481 ID: fd2dfa
File 169698944785.png - (138.53KB , 1000x1000 , 149.png )

Like I suspected, the solitary cells were left untouched. This is where we keep criminals that are too violent to share a room with others while we wait for tranport from the mainland to pick them up. It's also where we store a lot of riot gear because these doors are built to withstand anything short of an artillery barrage.

"Hello! Someone out there?"

"Guildmaster?! What are you doing here?"

"Being stuck! Me an' everyone else from the house got moved down here when the station was attacked! We've been here for hours now, and it smells like pee!"

"Is my mother in there?!"

"Uh...no. But she might have been put in another cell. Can you please let us out? There's no toilet and no privacy in here!"

Baron 2023/10/10(Tue)18:57 No. 1074482 ID: fd2dfa
File 169698946627.png - (406.32KB , 1000x1000 , 150.png )

That's going to be tricky. The solitary cells only have two sets of keys for every door. One held by the chief, and the other by the deputy in charge of this floor. And I saw what was left of the deputy sprawled in the breakroom. No keys. And this lock is real complex. I can't open it. Can't even make a workaround. But maybe...

"Vidi!"

"Whaaaaaaat?"

"Hurry up and help get this open!"

"Fiiiiiiine."

Vidi sulks over and tries to rip the door off. It doesn't budge.

"The fuck? How-HNG! HRMM! FFFFFGRRAAAAGH!"

No matter how hard she pulls, even when she does the meaty muscle tentacle thing, it doesn't move.

"FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT DOOR!", and Vidi pulls her gun-

"WAIT VIDI DON'T! The bullets will just bounce off and hit us!"

"What's going on out there? Sergei, who else is out there?"

>Action?

>>1074482
I guess the door is magically reinforced? What about the wall or ceiling?
Ask the guildmaster where the deputy is. Tell him that's Vidi helping you, but give no further explanation.

>>1074490

The deputy was in the breakroom, what's left of him at least. No keys. Where's the chief?

Er, sorry I meant the other one, the chief.

Baron 2023/11/03(Fri)22:09 No. 1076397 ID: fd2dfa
File 169907454212.png - (601.28KB , 1959x1154 , 151.png )

Right. The chief. When things go south, he'd head to his private armory. He always boasted that even if the whole building collapsed, that would be the one part of the structure left standing. Only one way in, and he could defend that for days! But with what happened, I bet the boss is on a hair trigger.

"Chief...it's Sergei."

No answer.

"Chief?"

I knock on the door.

"We don't got time to be fucking around Sergei."

"Wait!"

Vidi moves to kick the door in before I can stop her-

Baron 2023/11/03(Fri)22:09 No. 1076398 ID: fd2dfa
File 169907455129.png - (491.98KB , 1959x1154 , 152.png )

g-OW! FUUUUUCK!

Just like I thought, machine gun fire! Chief had it aimed at the door the moment he heard something.

"CHIEF STAND DOWN! IT'S SERGEI!"

Still nothing. I dunno if he can hear me over his own gun! That's a damned RR-90! Those things can keep firing as long as you got ammo and I know chief would be sitting on a pile of it!

I think he smelled the hegemony uniform and your sister and assumed you were compromised.

Pull Vidian back and keep her from mauling your boss.

>>1076398
Just get away from the door. If the gunfire doesn't stop within 10 seconds then I guess we can just go somewhere else.

Baron 2023/12/06(Wed)15:09 No. 1078814 ID: fd2dfa
File 170190417617.png - (471.19KB , 1959x1154 , 153.png )

He's got a good sense of smell, but I don't think he'd be that trigger happy. Would he?

"Augh that hurt! And you ruined my jacket you ffffFFFFFFFUCKER!"

"Vidi wait! Don't kill him!"

"IMMA KILL HIM!"

"Vidi!"

"He's dead!"

"Please don't ki-"

"No I mean he's been dead like for a long time."

"Huh?"

Baron 2023/12/06(Wed)15:09 No. 1078815 ID: fd2dfa
File 170190419259.png - (1.33MB , 2261x1701 , 154.png )

"This asshole was all rigged up see?"

Looking inside, first I see lines of...empty gun racks. Well the racks are empty, drawers and cabinets are still full of ammunition. Who the hells takes all the guns but leaves the ammo behind?

"Someone rigged this guy up. Finger's tied to the gun. Once the door opened, it set the body off. This was planned."

"'Ow do you know?"

Vidi gives Nunnette a look. "You're still here?"

"Ow do you know who zis was planned?"

"What, it's obvious. Little shit works here. It's fortified as all hell. And look what they did to the place. They came here for a reason."

"Looting?"

Vidi snorts. "Nah! That was just a bonus. Booby trapping this guy was too. Anyone coming in behind them would get shredded. Course they didn't plan for me!", she smiles at that. "They were hoping to find Sergei. They couldn't find Sergei so-"

...they went for my family.

"Mom?!"

Baron 2023/12/06(Wed)15:13 No. 1078816 ID: fd2dfa
File 170190442284.png - (1.24MB , 3000x2000 , 155.png )

"Hey! Sergei's mom!"

"Next time someone might be behind that door Vidi..."

"Oh S-sergei! There's two of you now?"

"You said this was packed."

"What are you ta-"

"Don't lie to me Jenwin! Not a second time!"

I can see it now. He was lying again. It's just him.

"I know they came here for my mother. Where is she?"

He looks away. There's shame. Or maybe guilt...

"They finally came. The ones who sent the letter. I...I tried to get everyone out Sergei. I really did. But there were so many of them. I-your mother. We got here. To the station. And they just followed us. The chief didn't lock us down here. I ran. I ran down here. I didn't even look back."

"Oh so that's what I was smelling. It was fear-piss!"

I can't even tell Vidi to stop. It's true. Jenwin is a coward. I want to be angry at him I should be angry at him!




But I can't...

"This was a waste of time. They took my mother. I need to find her."

"They're probably taking her back home."

"How do you know this?"

Vidi shrugs "It's what I'd do. Lot of those guys are in the sirassate. Nobody cares about them out there."

The Guildmaster calls out. "Wait! Let me come along! ...please?"

Leave them here. They can use the LMG and reams of ammo upstairs to defend themselves - maybe even re-rig the deadman trap.

>Your old boss is dead
Well.

Take the guildmaster, leave Vidi. Tell him if you see him again you're going to kill him.

Either he goes with you or stays here to see if the rioters or starvation kills him first.

At least you won't have his death on your conscience. Ar best he might be useful. Weirdos with plot relevant tasks seem attracted to him like a magnet

Baron 2024/01/24(Wed)17:07 No. 1081780 ID: fd2dfa
File 170614486789.png - (759.80KB , 2249x2313 , 156.png )

It's tempting. It really is tempting to just leave the guildmaster and let him deal with this crap by himself and his flock of followers. But I just can't do it. If he wants to come, he can come. If not, good luck to him. Me on the other hand...

Baron 2024/01/24(Wed)17:08 No. 1081781 ID: fd2dfa
File 170614491260.png - (776.10KB , 1937x1306 , 157.png )

Riot club's heavy in my hand. Bigger and weightier than the usual guardstick. But the glow really helps navigate the tunnels.

And as I suspected, the tunnels are filling up with people trying to escape the surface fighting. And they're getting clogged at the first sublevel. I heard the gunshots when the cultists found their way down. I can still hear them. Sound travels far in the transit tunnels. But they are also a maze for people who don't know what to look for. I'll admit I don't know EVERY turn in this place, but I know the obvious chokepoints, and to stay the hells away from them. Sure enough, more shouting and gunfire down that passage. The cultists are running into the gangs, and they are much better armed than your typical civilian.

"Um Sergei", I hear Nunnette grunt out. "Where exactly are we going? And 'ow much longer until we arrive?" she squeezes against Vidi as they fight for the same space. The tunnels are narrow in some points and for some damn reason both she and Vidi fight to be closer to me. I can't fathom why. It's not like Nunnette likes me, and she isn't enough of a threat that Vidi thinks she'd be a danger. Maybe they just irritate each other.

"There's a couple of hard points. They were built to serve as a sort of escape tunnel if the city was ever bombarded."

"And from zere?"

"Depends on what we find."

"In other words you have no fucking idea."

"I didn't hear you give any ideas."

"I would have just killed everyone..."

Baron 2024/01/24(Wed)17:09 No. 1081783 ID: fd2dfa
File 170614496445.png - (1.25MB , 4000x4000 , 158.png )

Hardpoint 22 is the closest. I think that slides along the coastline. Hopefully the boats aren't damage-whoa. The fighting somehow managed to get ahead of us!

"Oh! Ah Sugar Hair!"

"Sergei..."

"Right! Sergei! Over here!"

"Anders! Bellany! What's-"

"I-we", she gestures to Anders. "Decided to do a bit of digging. Went through a lot of paperwork. Anders helped keep people from being suspicious."

"I threatened to bite them..."

"Turns out there was a long list of people that were slated for 'decommission'. I realized something was wrong when it turns out some of the names on that list had an unexpected transfer to the first wave during the initial invasion. I didn't think anything of it at the time, soldiers get shuffled regularly. But after what you said, I started thinking decommission wasn't just a discharge. So I went and found every soldier on the list with me!"

"Then the shooting started..."

"It all happened so fast. The palace was overrun as we were about to leave. Soldiers and rebels all killing each other. Then soldiers started shooting soldiers, it was terrible! I think we were the only ones to get out!"

"We were closest to the garage...first to leave...didn't look back."

"Yeah but how did you end up down here?"

"Luck more than anything. The local police in the sublevels here actually helped get us to Hardpoint. A good thing too. Apparently some of those rebels were holding this place before we arrived. I don't think we could have broken through if these nice Rezans didn't know the maintenance tunnels."

"Wait. Rebels. Did they take any of the boats?"


"Funny you mention that, but yes. A couple are missing, but if you're planning on getting to the mainland, you can come with us! The whole operation is a bust. Fleet's gone, the troops are in disarray. We need to get back home and report this failure."

"Except we're in Imperial territory....All ports are enemy controlled...."

"I don' think we have much choice Anders. It's stay here and I honestly don't see us getting any help on the island, or negotiate our way on those Avarr lines?"

"Or held hostage..."

"Would you rather stay here?"

>Come with me
>Well good luck to you
>I can't leave, not yet.
>[other]

>for some damn reason both she and Vidi fight to be closer to me. I can't fathom why
Literal brain damage from mind control side-effects, forcing her to be attracted to you. Another thing to confront the cult over.

Vidi may be sociopathic, but deep down there's a girl who knows she should be getting parental affection and always gets everything but that. So she's latching on to you.

>Options
At the end of the day, you're still a high-ranking officer of the Empire and the Hegemony will gladly do some 'decommissioning' themselves if you hand yourself over for 'asylum' and not defection. These cult bastards had months to plan a contingency in case you simply up and fled, so you can't boat back to the capital either.

If any of your party members want to chance it on a spare ship or retreat with Anders (Nunnette in particular), now's the time.

Baron 2024/02/25(Sun)21:29 No. 1084556 ID: fd2dfa
File 170892536658.png - (234.54KB , 1800x1500 , 159.png )

These boats aren't equipped to get anywhere near anything the Hegemony holds. Not that it helps me. I'm a governor in name only. Hells even that was just given to me as a cover. And the island I was supposed to oversee is burning.

None of it matters though. Those things, the fuckers that orchestrated my birth, that followed my mother everywhere she went, that tried to kill me or convert me? All of them. They got me involved in something I don't want to be involved in. And now they have my mother. I need to find her.

...I feel terrible. Not emotionally. Like-

Baron 2024/02/25(Sun)21:29 No. 1084557 ID: fd2dfa
File 170892539877.png - (245.28KB , 1800x1500 , 160.png )

"HURK!"

"I take zis is your first time on a boat?"

Baron 2024/02/25(Sun)21:30 No. 1084558 ID: fd2dfa
File 170892542371.png - (1.24MB , 2698x1671 , 161.png )

"Thanks gods I'm off that thing."

"You should be thankful you are an 'eavy sleeper."

"And how the hell'd you puke on my shirt? You didn't even eat anything!"

"Where is zis anyway?"

"Port Ho Kyon. Just about everything we get on the island comes from this city. It's easily one of the biggest cities in the mainland. Not just because it is important for our home. But because it's a hub that trades with the rest of the continent."

"...what Jenwin said."

"It's about as neutral an Imperial city will be to Hegemony agents. They'll probably keep you for a brief interrogation and let the rest of you go...should be about ten years, give or take a month."

"TEN YEARS?!"

"Why do you care? You're Rezan."

"Anders is not! Zey do not deserve to be locked away for so long!"
>Action?

Ask if the interrogation period is meant to be an indirect punishment based on the wild differences in age demographics between competing nations, or if the bureaucracy really is that messed up.

Baron 2024/03/05(Tue)16:30 No. 1085547 ID: fd2dfa
File 170968504378.png - (2.36MB , 2825x3129 , 162.png )

"That doesn't seem rather fair. Is that period just punishing her for being Hegemony, or is this a bureaucracy problem? Not everyone lives as long as a Rezan."

"Anders certainly won't!"

"No, but that's how it is. Communication between the Empire and the Hegemony is only done through a few channels, and none of them are direct. If your occupation went through as you planned, it still would have taken a decade just to establish who should talk with who. A problem with your Hegemony is that it is a collection of powers that don't like to share. Anytime the Empire wants to talk, all the member states argue with each other who gets to be the one act as the representative, who will be the second voice in case the first cannot speak, the third voice if the first two representatives cannot be reached and so on. A lot of waiting and arguing before any response is sent and actual talks can start. And then there is what each side prioritizes. Military related agreements always take precedent, followed by trade deals, negotiations for repatriation of annexed territories, safe escort of sovereign civilians, and near the bottom is prisoner exchange.

That's lowest priority as nobody wants to dig through their byzantine records to find out who was taken, which member state they were from, their extradition procedures, and determining how valuable they are by rank. Anders, from what you told me dear Nunnette, is a pencil pusher at best. She's of little value to the Hegemony. The Empire likely won't need to hold her the ten years if the Hegemony tells them Anders is not worth anything to them. Then I'm afraid she'll be stuck here, an officer in a city of her enemy."

"Ow do you know so much about Hegemony relations?"

Jenwin gives Nunnette a pitying look. "My dear Nunnette, I'm a guildmaster of prostitutes and brothels. Half my employees are Hegemony that came to this forgotten corner of the Empire to be forgotten. They're the ones telling me all about their system so its easier to get their brothers, their sisters, their parents, or spouses out here."

"That doesn't explain how to keep Anders out of prison."

"Oh there's a couple ways. None of them exactly legal. You'll likely have to leave once you get them out before port authority realizes what you did."

"Well then we should-"

Wait. We're on the mainland. Jun Ma Zen is on the mainland. Alicia might be here! And if Alicia is here...would Viv be here?

"Um...Sergei? Is everything alright?"

"Uh Jenwin. Do you know where Jun Ma Zen is?"

"What? Oh yes that would be a three hour walk west of the city. Why? Do you think hiding out in the ass end of the prefecture will keep authority from finding you? Forget it. You'll have to leave this province altogether."

"No, no! It's that-"

>There's something I have to do (Go to Jun Ma Zen)
>Just curious.(Help Anders and leave)

>>1085547
So... the Hegemony is a proper, honest-to-the-gods democracy, but there has been no work done on improving or compromising against the inherent weakness of long-term tribal arguing. On principle.

"Y'know, less people would join the bad guys if the good guys didn't present sitting around solving nothing as a virtue."

And to that effect, I think we should work on getting Anders and the other Hegemony grunts to defect. Really, she saved your mid-official ass (somehow), that should count for a lot. Vivian and her team can wait, they're elite agents and they've waited through worse.

Baron 2024/04/01(Mon)12:43 No. 1087601 ID: 1e0c72
File 171200060030.png - (54.31KB , 800x600 , 4.png )

Giant explosion, everyone dies again.

Sergei? Sergei?? SERGEEEEEEIIIII

Baron 2024/04/14(Sun)15:03 No. 1088770 ID: 7a1a17
File 171313222280.png - (1.40MB , 2140x1908 , 163.png )

Good point. I don't really have many options left to me. Which means I'll probably need all the help I can get. I'd feel better with Viv but she probably wouldn't be sticking around waiting for me would she? She'll be long gone. And better they come with me than rotting in an Imperial holding block. Well time to see if my lessons in speaking paid off.

"Heyha, are you done with my assistant?"

"Your assistant?"

"Your assistant?"

"Yes, Miss Bellany is my assistant, and the best that I've had. And I would like to have her back now."

"And you are?"

"G-Governor Sergei. I believe you've heard of me."

"No."

"Well that sounds like your problem, I'm sure Miss Bellany can confirm my character, as can everyone else with me. Perhaps you know the honorable Jenwin?"

I gesture to the guildmaster and he gives a polite wave to the harbormaster.

"So if you don't mind I'd like to get settled in while I wait for you to get reclaim my island-"

"Wait just a moment! She's Hegemony!"

>Quick, bullshit something fast.

>>1088770
"Captain Balzhemund lent his slave to me as a favor, after his experimental Gormoamhi cyborgs went rampant and tried to kill me. Said he'd pick her up in 50 years. And yes, I know Balzhemund's a human. Or at least, he was.
Guy's a @#$%ing maniac. Did you know he sleep-experimented on himself to replace his jaw? Point is, I fully intend to process Anders' complete defection to the Rezan Empire to keep her the @#$% away from him."

Baron 2024/07/11(Thu)19:48 No. 1094147 ID: 855371
File 172075250998.png - (888.78KB , 2073x2004 , 164.png )

Oh that's a good idea. Formal enslavement of a foreign citizen is a huge diplomatic and bureucratic hassle, and nobody wants to get trapped in that! But just to make sure...
"Captain Balzhemund lent his slave to me as a favor, after his experimental freaks went rampant and tried to kill me. Said he'd pick her up in 50 years."

"Sergei?! What are you-"

"Shh! I'm saving you from a prison cell, let me talk and play along. Yes, before you ask, that's a hegemony name, we are all survivors of the island. And between you and me I think those fellows across the wasteland are getting crazier. Did you know he sleep-experimented on himself to replace his jaw?"

"Really?"

"Not the point. Point is Anders is my property now and thus a defector to the empire. I am going to process her integration. She's already completed her paperwork, but the process was only halfway through before we had to flee right?"

"Hmmm? Uh. Y-yes? Yes I already filled out my-"

"Forty five twenty three"

"-Forty five twenty three! I worked on that for days too!"

"So here's where we can go. Either you take her off my hands and repeat the entire process, with a forty five-seven Variant six, which means you'll be on call at the Office of Registrars for the next two weeks and you had better have your own paperwork on hand, or..."

"Move along."

And just like that Anders is 'mine'. I take her by the arm as we walk off.

"Now hold on, you don't own me."

"And forty five seven is an application for a hunting license. I suggest we leave before he figures either of those things out."

"And just how are we going to do that?"

Jenwin coughs to get our attention "Um if you don't mind carrying me along for a while longer..."

Baron 2024/08/02(Fri)16:05 No. 1095217 ID: 7a1a17
File 172263995298.png - (1.32MB , 2682x3241 , 165.png )

"You're still here?"

"Let him talk Vidi..."

"Sergei. I know you have every reason to be upset with me. And I understand why, but your mother and I were more than just work mates. We were friends. I dare say even family. I raised you when she was busy, don't you remember?"

"What does this-"

"What I'm saying is I want to help. You may still be a de facto governor. But that title means nothing without the money a real governor would have to throw around. I can help you get out of the city. I can help you and your uh "property" get out of the Empire before the authorities learn about what happened. And I can get you-all of you- out today."

"That's all good Jenwin, but I need to find my mother. I can't just 'get out'"

"That's the good part Sergei. These methods can also get you to the Sirassates."

"Okay, now I'm listening."

"Well there are two ways. One is with the Avars. They're perhaps the only people who have an established line that can navigate the Wastes and reach their destination with very high certainty."

"Very...high."

"Nothing in the Wastes is a guarantee. But if you need to get to the sirassates quickly, that would be your best choice."

"I always wanted to ride one of those big bird trains. But daddy only ever let me ride in a trunk."

I'm not even going to try to figure that one out.

Baron 2024/08/02(Fri)16:06 No. 1095218 ID: 7a1a17
File 172263996164.png - (959.49KB , 1200x1476 , 166.png )

"...what's the other option?"

"You know those air trawlers?"

"The ones that nobles use for their vacations and hunting trips?"

"They also do trips down to Empire-friendly sirassates. They skirt around the wastes to avoid the worst of it. It will however take longer. I do not know for sure how your mother is being taken, but those are likely your best options."


>Take the Avar line
"I WANT TO RIDE THE BIRD TRAIN!"
>Take the bird train
>Take the airships

Vidian, we'll ride the birb train if you promise not to kill any of the birbs while you're riding the birb train.
And yes, that includes one hour before and after the birb train ride.

Bird train seems good.

Suggestion 2024/09/15(Sun)23:02 No. 1097466 ID: 855371
File 172646654023.png - (490.47KB , 1000x1000 , 167.png )

Alright, bird train it is. Still impressive to see them. I hear about them, and I see them in posters, but to see one up close is always a sight to behold. They're more like moving fortresses. How those little avars managed to construct stuff like this I'll never figure out.

"How are the bird trains this big?! There were never this big where I came from?"

"Probably because those were local lines. The ones used for traveling the wastes are pretty big so they can just crash through anything that gets in the way"

"Now remember the Avars run the train. No attacking them-"

"-no eating I know I know!"

She's really excited about getting onto the train. None of the usual threats of violence or scaring away smaller creatures.

Suggestion 2024/09/15(Sun)23:04 No. 1097467 ID: 855371
File 172646666593.png - (798.94KB , 2285x1200 , 168.png )

Jenwin got us aboard real quickly. I keep forgetting just how deep the guildmaster's pockets are. Usually to get aboard you need to book months in advance, as an on-site pass costs you an arm and a leg. Wait.

"So this will get us directly to the Sirassates Jenwin?"

"Well barring the few stops to take on supplies and unexpected detours, yes."

"And just how many detours on average have you experienced?"

"At least one or two per trip. Remember the wastes can be treacherous even to the prepared. It should only add an extra day for every stop though."

"Day? How long do these trips take?!"

"Sergei, don't you remember how far the Sirassate is?"

Jenwin looks back at me when I don't answer.

"Sergei..." Oh gods the disappointment tone. Even now after everything, hearing that tone leaves me with a pit in my gut. "Your mother paid so much on your schooling. What were you doing in your geography classes?"

"Uh...helping a friend?"

Helping them skip class to go gambling

>It seems I can finally relax for a while.

>>Stay with Jenwin and ask about mother
>>Find Vidian and make sure she hasn't eaten anything or anyone
>>Find Bellany and see how she's adjusting

>Geography
Those suck. They force you to memorize the twisted shape of foreign countries so you forget to ask questions about the people living in it or how badly your empire is screwing those people over.

>Talk to
Vidian needs constant supervision. Can you transfer us to someone else so we can multitask?

Keep an eye on Vidian. Not necessarily too close, but in the same coach and within shouting range.

Baron 2024/09/30(Mon)16:50 No. 1098057 ID: 7a1a17
File 172774020688.png - (584.88KB , 1400x1200 , 169.png )

Agreed. I don't really like learning about geography. Especially the Hegemony. Feels like those borders change every week, and I have to memorize the new ones, it's such a pain! And then there's the Wastes, and that's just impossible-literally impossible-to figure out.

Oh right Vidian. You sure I can't check on Bellany or spend some time figuring out what she and,you know, you guys did to Nunnette, or...yeah Vidian is probably doing something unspeakable and I'll have to stop her. I left the orb-you guys- with Nunnette. You can talk to her directly about what you did and maybe figure out how to undo it. After asking around if people saw someone who looked like me but scarier, they pointed me to a maintenance tunnel the birdfolk use. Oh gods I hope she isn't eating them, we need them to run the train!

"Vidi? Are you in there?"

"Hiss-sish, tick tick, click clack click clack, hiss-sish, tick tick, click clack click clack."

"Vidi, you aren't eating anyone are you?"

"Last time I was on a train I had to hide in a trunk. When I was riding with the army on their boats, I had to hide in a box. I could hear the music of the machines, but it was so dull and quiet in my hiding place."

"Music?"

"Don't you hear it?"

She's pointing to the pistons and pipes that line the walls.

"Everything is so ordered and straight here. All I ever get to see are dull walls or rock and sand, or meaty pits. Lines of metal and steam are so different, and they make music. You lived with this stuff little shit, how don't you even hear it?"

"So wait. Are you telling me you like engineering?"

"Is that what it's called when you make metal sing?"

"No, that's when you build machines. I guess when you make the machine work correctly it makes music."

"Then I guess I'm an engineering."

"That's not-nevermind."

"Hiss-sish, tick tick, click clack click clack, hiss-sish, tick tick, click clack click clack."

She seems...fine?

Oh gods, she's one of those "hit it with a wrench" engineers, except all her skill points are in bio-modification.
Her shapeshifting gives her extremely precise perception, so she can hear the exact noises that mechanical devices make. That means she could point out problems in machines before anyone else can.
I wonder how she'd do when working with non-compliant mechanisms.

So... I guess you should spend some time teaching Vidian all the stuff Empire engineers do for their country. We'll swap to Nunnette.

multi-classsiinnggg

Baron 2024/10/13(Sun)13:22 No. 1098585 ID: 7a1a17
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Wait I don't know the first thing about engineering! Don't leave me wi

"I can safely say I never saw my career going in this direction."

"Desertion, aiding ze enemy, dishonorable discharge complete with a first class ride to ze pits of 'ell?"

"I was thinking more about the ride. Never in my life would I have been able to afford something like this on my salary."

"Hot! Hot! Too hot!"

"So that's ze price for defection eh? Hot bath and a train ticket..."

The bathrobe is comfy though...you're listening to me aren't you?

Now we are.
Also yes, this is the price for defection, though consider the fact that's the lightest thing to get you here. Most folk on this train are sure to have done way worse to get this kind of money.

Well, either way, I have a feeling defection is gonna end up being the least of your worries.
At least if this train is as good as they say and we don't have too many detours we'll arrive before our quarry and won't have to chase them down.
If it does take too long... Well, we might be able to do something, if we can (maybe?) stop time, we can probably speed up a train. Though the avians might be pissed when their train takes ten years of wear in an hour...

There's an important concept called criminal intent; your actions are not only the sum of the movements and decisions you performed, but the motivations behind them. Under a system of law that judges criminal intent, why you did something matters as much as what you did. Without this principle, true criminals could Karve up a victim and indirectly force them to perform murders in public, and then the victim would always be on trial because their hands performed the murder, while the one who orchestrated the attack could only be charged with illegal enslavement.
Of course, the reason most criminals can't just claim they went insane when they did crimes is because you'd have to find evidence proving that they had good intentions; innocent until proven guilty, but suspicious until proven well-intentioned.
In your case? You're trying to remove a cancer that has frequently subverted the coalition rule of the Hegemony, started unnecessary wars, and performed crimes against sapience. Your defection is an unfortunate side-effect of surviving their wrath. I'd say any jury that knew the full facts would be obligated to issue you a full acquittal with honors. All that remains is collecting a portfolio of evidence to vindicate your actions.
...
Also we'd like to see you kiss Anders.

Baron 2024/10/27(Sun)23:23 No. 1099120 ID: 855371
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Oh I do not doubt this train is full of malcontents and other ne'er-do-wells with more money than sense. I'm just thinking how easy it is for Anders and Bellany to desert. Granted they had little say in matter. It's just. I'm not sure, musing, perhaps I am trying to distract from my own betrayal. There is such a stigma on my kind in the hegemony. That we would betray them for our own race at the drop of a hat. I spent my entire career trying to prove that isn't true. And yet look at where I am now.

I am aware of intent. I am aware that circumstances were beyond my control, but the paper shufflers and the power play toadies aren't going to see it that way. They have their agendas. I'll be lucky if my citizenship is stripped for this. If I'm not, my family...best not to think of it. It will distract me. You are correct that it is the least of my worries, and certainly something that will only dull my senses. This may be a luxury line, but that doesn't change that I am still in a den of vipers running through land both the Empire and Hegemony consider the most dangerous place on the planet.

My primary concern is what Sergei and his sister have done to me. I still feel...pulled. Like I need to be near him in case he is in danger. I want to say I don't like it. But I admit with the way my life is going, its usefulness may outweigh my desire to be rid of it. Still I want that option at least, so if you have a way...


"Where is...the dryer...?"

"I told you, use a towel, you're dripping water everywhere!"

How is kissing Anders or Bellany supposed to help?

It isn't. We just are a randy set of advice givers. We give good advice, bad advice, and horny advice, inclusive.

Well, we could try to sever it, though to be honest the way it happened in the first place is still uncertain. We'd at least have to be physically present- since you're not Sergei -but it should be as simple as willing it. Well, if that doesn't work it might be something that has to be done in the Space Between instead. Simply put, it's a big maybe. Worst case scenario we command you to "be yourself" or something and it lessens the effect. Though, that may just make the urge to be near Sergei stronger. Like I said, still vague, who said it even has that effect?

>>1099122
Clarification: Kissing Anders counts as all 3.
Also, they should look into fashion, I think their unique fur pattern would lend itself well to dressing up. Ah, not Rezan fashion though, as much as I've grown fond of it, the colors wouldn't suit them.

Baron 2024/11/14(Thu)16:22 No. 1099789 ID: 855371
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Compulsion on a level like this is something that I have not seen in Hegemony Domoniores, nor have I seen it in what Hegemony records have of Rezan Karving. A lo lo lo that sounds like such a headache. I suppose I should only attempt something when I am with Sergei and he is away from that ghastly sister of his.

"Bbbbrrrbrbrbr!"

"Oh stop being such a fussy fuzz Anders"

"You should listen to Bellany. A towel would save you so much trouble."

I will NOT kiss all 3. Anders is simply Anders and Bellany is Bellany. Besides, I already tried dating Anders. It did not work out. He is too much of a grumpy asshole when he's in a sour mood, and he's sour most times of the day. We cut things off amicably, and I prefer it stays that way. Kissing him will just give him bad ideas and he'll try his awkward flirting again. It is so pitiful and clumsy!

I will however listen to any ideas you have about fashion. When it comes to aesthetics, Anders is about as creative as a brick on a flat wall.

Wear socks with sandals
Wear slacks under bras
Wear t-shirts with holes cut to shreds by saws

Wear abnormal stuff. You want to attract the right kind of nobility and keep the wrong kind motivated to look away.