Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:12 No. 1102573 ID: 7b2ea9
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: "..."
: "..."

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102574 ID: 7b2ea9
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: "Oh. You're new. Or at least new to me."
: "Uhm... Hi."
: "Are you entirely new?"
: "I don't know what that means..."
: "Have you done this before?"
: "I... don't know if I've ever done anything before."
: "I see. Do not be alarmed. I am certain you will pick things up before long and I'm here to help you find your footing."

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102575 ID: 7b2ea9
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: "Since you are not used to thinking, you should make contact with the Peanut Gallery. Just put in the earpiece."
: "Oh. Okay... uh... It hm... It doesn't seem to want to stay in there..."
: "Here. Let me."
: "Thank you."
: "There you go."

Oh I see. It loops over the ear. They have cold fingers...

: "Uhm... hello, Peanut Gallery? Test, test?"
: "You do not actually have to speak out loud. They will interface directly with your mind."
: "Oh. Okay."

Test, test?

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102576 ID: 7b2ea9
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They start rummaging about in the inside of their jacket.

: "While you get used to that, check your inside pockets for mission orders. I don't seem to have them."

They come up with a pack of cigarettes instead and open it to find that it is full. Imitating my companion, I slide my hand into the left inside pocket of my jacket and quickly find a folded sheet of paper. I pull it out.

: "Something like this?"
: "Probably. Let's have a look."

They move closer to peer over my shoulder as I unfold the paper. There are actually two sheets here.

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102577 ID: 7b2ea9
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One is a form of some kind.

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102578 ID: 7b2ea9
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The other looks like a letter.

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:13 No. 1102579 ID: 7b2ea9
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: "What the- Why is that almost entirely blacked out?"
: "That's not unusual. The instructions are simple enough."
: "'Identify and neutralize anomaly by means' is simple?"
: "Relatively speaking, yes. Most likely we will know the anomaly when we see it. Until then, we investigate. Simple."

They're so matter of fact about all this stuff. They speak in such a quiet voice. Calm, collected, almost... bored? Or maybe they're tired?

Silicon 2025/01/18(Sat)13:14 No. 1102580 ID: 7b2ea9
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They step out of my personal space and just... look at me. I'm guessing they're waiting for me to... do something? Ask a question?

Show them your own professionalism, with a snappy salute. And a cool catchphrase.

Check inventory

"So, if the anomaly will be obvious, then we should check over there in that gas station? It appears to be the only thing of note in the vicinity."

Why don't you get a sword?

First: Question EVERYTHING. It tends to be how you survive.

Do you want to survive? Is surviving a thing you're supposed to do?

Interface with us? Hi! Gladii, I take it? We are new to this as well, I think. Anyways, I agree that the distant structure seems to be the only thing of importance around here.

well, seems we don't know much here, that's alright, the world knows and it isn't a good secret keeper.
Seems you can requisition something, that being said you have no idea what to requisition yet, don't worry about it getting to you, it will probably be the some way YOU got here.
no need to ask what to investigate, there is exactly one place here that isn't wasteland.
Might as well ask what... well what gender they are first, then ask what [they] have done before

Where is your... everything stored when you don't exist? Are your starting minds cloned from a master engram or created from scratch?

>>1102578
>Heus! Ex nihilo omnes fiunt.
It's Latin. Translation: "Hey! Everybody comes from nothing."
Maybe that's supposed to be like "Hey, everyone starts from nothing.", which is to say, it's okay to be new to things.

>>1102579
"by and means". Maybe that's supposed to imply "any" means.

>>1102580
Alright then. I guess we should look around a bit. We need to find the anomaly, identify it, and then neutralize it. We can destroy it, obviously... ask if anomalies can be... uh, taken out of wherever you are and moved somewhere else for storage, would that count as neutralizing it?

Oh, as for "looking around" there's an obvious place to do that. That structure in the distance.

Point out that such censorship could potentially be altering your orders. It's likely that your orders might actually be to identify and neutralize threats to the anomaly. I'm which case your actual mission would be to neutralize Agent Fera there.

Don't mention this, but we aren't the normal "Peanut Gallery" like Agent Fera thinks we are. We're actually the auditing committee. You as are proxy, will Audit Agent Fera. Determine her competence and loyalties. Ask questions. Push boundaries. Follow your instincts. You were chosen for this assignment for a reason.

Hello! We'll be your voices-in-your-ear for the evening. Nothing to do but look at that gas station.
>>1102597
It's more like "Ho! From nothing, all appears.", give or take what 'fiunt' means in particular here. But additionally, I'm pretty sure I recognize the suits of Tarot in that flower; pentacles, cups, swords, (crystal balls?,) and wands. The thirteenth trump is Death, and that's the flower on the flag he holds. Neat seal, in all.

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102841 ID: ed299d
File 173780928087.png - (393.79KB , 1500x1000 , C01_01_A.png )

> Show them your own professionalism, with a snappy salute. And a cool catchphrase.
Uhm! Uh! Uuuuhhh!

: "One for all! And all for one!"
They stare. Unmoving.
: "... the Peanut Gallery?"
: "Uh yeah..."
: "You'll have to learn to filter their input."

I don't think they liked it.

> Interface with us? Hi! Gladii, I take it? We are new to this as well, I think.
Oh. I am Agent Gladii? I suppose that makes sense, since I'm clearly the junior agent. Can't really get much more junior than me. Then they must be Fera.

> well, seems we don't know much here, that's alright, the world knows and it isn't a good secret keeper.
That sounds very wise. We'll see if it's true.

> Seems you can requisition something, that being said you have no idea what to requisition yet, don't worry about it getting to you, it will probably be the some way YOU got here.
Certainly possible. I guess magic must be real??

> It's Latin. Translation: "Hey! Everybody comes from nothing."
> Maybe that's supposed to be like "Hey, everyone starts from nothing.", which is to say, it's okay to be new to things.
Oh that is very heartening! Thank you! Good Motto. Oh I should have used that for the catchphrase!

>It's more like "Ho! From nothing, all appears.", give or take what 'fiunt' means in particular here. But additionally, I'm pretty sure I recognize the suits of Tarot in that flower; pentacles, cups, swords, (crystal balls?,) and wands. The thirteenth trump is Death, and that's the flower on the flag he holds. Neat seal, in all.
Oh? Oh, hey yeah, I thnk you#re right! Good catch! Well that seems a bit ominous. Or a lot ominous, actually. And what's with the extra suit? I don't think... crystal balls, or whatever that is, are in the tarot.

> "by and means". Maybe that's supposed to imply "any" means.
I don't think so. The mission order says 'by BLANK and BLANK means. That could honestly be anything, but whatever it is it's something... specific. Honestly, how is anybody supposed to work like this?

Is it just me or is it kinda hot out here?

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102842 ID: ed299d
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> Check inventory
Oh, good idea! I should see what else I have!

I stick my hand in the right pocket of my jacket and feel something hard and smooth and rectangular. I get it out and... it's a hand mirror. Hmm...

Before I can check the rest of my pockets, Agent Fera interrupts me.

Fera: "A word of advice: I recommend only looking inside your pockets when you really need something, never before. Just stick to gently patting yourself down, until then. Anything you check is set in stone where it would not have been otherwise. The Agency generally provides useful things, but useful things are only useful in context, do you understand?"
Gladii: "Nnnnnot... Reaaallyy..."
Fera: "An example, then: Say I pat myself down and find I have one item in my left inside pocket. Knowing this already limits the item to things that fit in there and have a certain weight et cetera, but beyond that, it remains unknown."
Fera: "Say I pull it out now. It may be a small bottle of sunscreen. That is certainly useful, but there are other ways to avoid sunburn, so it is not vital. Later I encounter a locked door and -- having checked all my pockets -- I know for a fact that I have no way of opening it. I will have to go look for a key."
Fera: "But say now I had not checked. Say I never found sunscreen in my pocket. Now, standing before the door, it is still possible that it holds a set of lockpicks. The chance at lockpicks is -- then and there -- preferable to sunscreen."
Gladii: "I... see."

I guess that makes sense... Does that make sense? Should I wait and check for more stuff later?

Gladii: "I have a mirror here. That doesn't seem to have any immediate use."
Fera: "It's not always immediate. But it will come in handy at some point."

I do pat my other pockets carefully. They all seem to be empty except for my left jacket pocket.
...
Well I know what a pack of tissues feels like even through the fabric of the jacket. Damnit.
Maybe we're lucky and Fera still has some... ambiguous goodies.

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102843 ID: ed299d
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I return the mirror to my pocket.

> "So, if the anomaly will be obvious, then we should check over there in that gas station? It appears to be the only thing of note in the vicinity."
> Anyways, I agree that the distant structure seems to be the only thing of importance around here.
> no need to ask what to investigate, there is exactly one place here that isn't wasteland.
> Oh, as for "looking around" there's an obvious place to do that. That structure in the distance.
I'd really like to get out of the sun, so I decide to get us moving before I ask more questions.

Gladii: "So, if the anomaly will be obvious, then we should check over there in that gas station? It appears to be the only thing of note in the vicinity."
They turn their head to look toward the distant gas station and nod.
Fera: "I agree. It is the best place to start."

And we start walking.

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102844 ID: ed299d
File 173780931097.png - (142.41KB , 1500x1000 , C01_01_D.png )

> First: Question EVERYTHING. It tends to be how you survive.
> Do you want to survive? Is surviving a thing you're supposed to do?
I do like the idea of surviving. Honestly, if surviving isn't what I'm supposed to do, then I'm not sure I care for what I'm supposed to do.
So I guess I'll question everything.
Gladii: "What is the universe?"
There's some twitch in their face. Not sure if it's amusement, or annoyance. I'm not even sure I didn't imagine it.
Fera: "I understand that you're curious, but if you ask me about everything you don't know, we'll never get anything done. Let's shelve the philosophy for now and focus on the mission, shall we?"
Still don't know if they're annoyed or amused. That flat affect and the sunglasses make them so hard to read!

> Where is your... everything stored when you don't exist? Are your starting minds cloned from a master engram or created from scratch?
Uh... Yeah sure why not?
Gladii: "Where is our... everything stored when we don't exist? Are our starting minds cloned from a master engram or created from scratch?"
Fera: "More philosophy, hm? Well, that's at least somewhat mission-related, so... The short answer is: I do not know. Nobody knows."
Gladii: "Nobody?"
Fera: "As far as I am aware."
Gladii: "Do you have... a guess?"
They sigh.
Fera: "Fine, I will try to sum up my best conjecture: I believe we are stored nowhere. When we're not here, we do not exist. And as to what base we are created from: It is unclear. Some Agents used to be human. Some did not. I was never human. I like to think that I was..."
They trail off. There's something strangely wistful in their voice.
Fera: "Immaculate."

Fera: "That's all we have time for right now."

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102845 ID: ed299d
File 173780932887.png - (443.88KB , 1500x1000 , C01_01_E.png )

> Why don't you get a sword?
Gladii: "So why don't I get a sword?"
There is a pause where we walk in silence before they turn their head to look at me.
Fera: "Because you're not me. Nobody gets a sword like this. To have a sword is part of what makes one Agent Gladii."
They pronounce it very confidently. Like Glah-dee-eye.
Gladii: "But I don't have a sword."
There is another pause.
Fera: "You... you are not Agent Gladii. Is what I am saying."
Huh?
???: "I'm not? But I... I thought..."
Gladii: "I assure you, I am Agent Gladii. And according to our mission order, you must be Fera."
I hastily pull out the mission order again.
Fera: "It says 'Lead Investigator'!"
Gladii: "I see now. You assumed -- since you're new -- that I would be in charge. Well, not so. And before you ask: I do not know why the Agency makes these decisions, if indeed decisions is what they are. But this is your mission. I will support you."

No pressure!!

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:48 No. 1102846 ID: ed299d
File 173780933706.png - (425.64KB , 1500x1000 , C01_01_F.png )

> Might as well ask what... well what gender they are first, then ask what [they] have done before
Fera: "Okay, then... Agent Gladii, am I saying that right? Uh... I'm sorry, I hope this isn't a weird question. What gender are you?"
Gladii: "Swords."
If that's a joke, they're delivering it in absolutely perfect deadpan.
Fera: "Your gender is swords?"
Gladii: "No, but that's the closest thing I have."
Fera: "And what uh... what pronouns does... does swords use?"
Gladii: "They're all equally ill fitting. Use what you like. Or stick with my name. I don't care."
Fera: "Okay."
I think Gladii might be a bit strange.

...

Gladii: "What pronouns should I use for you?"
Fera: "Mmmmhh... Gosh, they're all good, aren't they? I'll ask the Peanut Gallery."
Gladii: "You do that."
Hey what are good pronouns?

Fera: "What have you done before?"
Gladii: "What do you mean?"
Fera: "What sort of missions and whatnot?"
Gladii: "What I have done is not what you will do. I urge you to focus on the task at hand."

> Alright then. I guess we should look around a bit. We need to find the anomaly, identify it, and then neutralize it. We can destroy it, obviously... ask if anomalies can be... uh, taken out of wherever you are and moved somewhere else for storage, would that count as neutralizing it?
Fera: "What exactly does 'neutralize' mean, anyway? I assume we can destroy the anomaly. Are there other ways I should be aware of? Can it be, like, captured? Stored?"
Gladii: "It usually means destruction, yes. Capture missions are rare and explicit. My advice: Keep it simple. Don't question it. Get it done and move on."

>Point out that such censorship could potentially be altering your orders. It's likely that your orders might actually be to identify and neutralize threats to the anomaly. I'm which case your actual mission would be to neutralize Agent Fera there.
Fera: "I'm a bit worried that all that censorship might alter the meaning of the orders. What if we're doing it wrong? What if we're supposed to neutralize threats to the anomaly?"
Gladii: "The Agency does not set us up for failure. We're not here to play guessing games, we're here to solve a problem. Stop fretting."

>Don't mention this, but we aren't the normal "Peanut Gallery" like Agent Fera thinks we are. We're actually the auditing committee. You as are proxy, will Audit Agent Fera. Determine her competence and loyalties. Ask questions. Push boundaries. Follow your instincts. You were chosen for this assignment for a reason.
Okay, now I know for a fact, that you're messing with me! At least I'm not the only one confused about the names.
Fera: "Hey can the Peanut Gallery lie?"
Gladii: "It can. As I said: you need to filter. There is a reason I don't use it these days."

You guys are on thin ice!!

Mmmmhh... Some ice would be great right about now.

Silicon 2025/01/25(Sat)04:49 No. 1102847 ID: ed299d
File 173780935056.png - (278.23KB , 1500x1000 , C01_01_G.png )

We arrive at the gas station and I quickly cross the road to step into the shade. Still very hot, but at least now I'm not also getting bombarbed by sunlight. Looking around, the place makes a clean but somewhat worn impression. The paint's flaking off almost everything here. Some of the markings on the building have been bleached out by the sun.

There are two cars. One is a cop car marked 'District-247 Sheriff'. That doesn't mean much to me. The other car is a beat up little thing, but apparently civillian.

I try to peer into the interiour of the gas station, but it's dark in there, so all I can see is the reflection of the sunbaked wasteland behind me.

Agent Gladii eventually catches up to me at their languid pace. They stop next to me and simply look about themself. I don't get the impression they're about to take any kind of initiative.

Barge in, clutching your stomach, and call for help. Try to vomit. See how each person reacts.

The censorship bars on your mission orders work just like your inventory. As long as you don't know what your mission is it could be anything that fits behind the black bars. Be wary of the cars, this might be a "From a Buick 8"-type situation. Tell agent Gladii to stick her head in the window of the civilian car and snoop around.

The two of you match two of the symbols on the seal, you're the swirly one next to "OMNES", et Gladii is the sword next to "NIHILO". So, maybe there's three other suits of agents in the agency, matching the other symbols.

By the way, gladii is the plural form of the latin word for "sword", if I'm not mistaken. I think freta might be the plural form of "sea", but I'm not entirely sure.

Anyway, you should knock on the front door, wait a bit, then enter if nobody answers. If you meet someone do not tell them about the Agency, you mission, or that you didn't exist until very recently. And don't tell them you take orders from an assortment of weird voices in you earpiece, or they'll think you're insane.

>>1102850

By any and all means, by none and no means, by crafty and clever means, by brutal and thuggish means, your orders will be whatever you really need them to be!

Anyway the only anomalous thing you've seen so far is this gas station. So... blow it up?

Ha ha, what a twist with the names of the characters, a promising start!

>What are good pronouns.
Too early to tell. You've only begun existing and we know nothing about the local area. Physically, you and Gladii appear femenine, so the locals might refer to you as such. We'll see if that works out for you.

Tell Gladii we should pay attention to the names of the locals and come up with fake first names that are incounspicous.

I was about to ask if we had a time limit, but from what little we know of Gladii, the answer will likely be: "we have all day and it will likely take less than that."

So, yeah, keep it simple, enter the station, peruse the wears listen to what whoever is inside is talking about, and maybe see if you have any money to buy something and make small talk with the clerk.

You've got this.

>>1102846
"Woe-man and Fe-Male you are based on body bumps so s-he and he-r are your Pro-Nouns" "So we are Pea-Nut Gallery not seeing much of either, but wel-come to Peek-a-Boo! In all its in-credible un-certainty" "how can you know its tissue paper beyond thinking you know the feeling clear your mind of its Perm-anence how can you be Un-Certain if you have not directly observed it it can be soft and quiet or soft and crinkly, it can even be hard if packed so it can be many things depending on its packaging perhaps if its tissue paper its merely the wrapping around something else"
"Take a Peek inside yourself, perhaps its what you expect the most inside if you purple swirl is truly Agent Fera and not Gladii"

>>1102857
"In-Side the Gas-Station that is"

So this is gonna sound weird but work with me here. Could you focus on the essence of an an animal- say, a wolf, and then literally sniff around?

Apologies for the name confusion! Lovely to meet you, Fera!
>Which pronouns?
Feminine pronouns seem to suit you at a glance, but really which pronouns you use depends on how *you* feel your gender to be. Perhaps you could just use any/all of them, if you don’t have a preference to a specific set?

>Pack of tissues :(

Maybe not! Seems inventory stuff needs as much ambiguity as possible for maximum effectivity. Think of it like Shrodinger’s Cat. As long as you don’t open the mystery box, it could be anything! Even a boat! All you know right now is that you *at least* have a mirror, and something that *feels* like how a pack of tissues might feel, on first impression. The more things it *could* be in your mind the better. It could be a packet of dehydrated anything!

>What Do?

Let’s take a peek inside first. Are there even people in the store? If there are, I’m not sure they’d appreciate their cars being snooped about without their consent. Best to check on if anyone else is even real before we make any assumptions.

>>1102847
So yeah, just note: we're the Peanut Gallery, but honestly, that should tell you a lot about us. We comment on everything and are very inquisitive, so yeah, we're gonna be nosy and question everything if we're not given something solid to give advice towards. A lot of that is going to be figuring out all the details of our situation to figure out what we can or can't do. Just 'rolling with it' isn't really our style.

Also we do have feelings, so just an fyi. If folks get snippy with us, expect us to get snippy right back. We got little to lose.

Anywho, do a quick loop around the station just to see if there's anything that strikes you as 'out of place' or otherwise suspect about the area. Footsteps going in a weird direction, an item that doesn't seem to fit the area lying around, something like that. If there's nothing, might as well see if you can get inside somehow.

We're called the Peanut Gallery because we're here for the show; if nothing is going on, YOU are the entertainment.
A place, with Doors! You should try to use them first, otherwise you have Mx.Sword here.
And given you haven't looked down below, you don't currently HAVE a gender most likely.

>>1102856
>money
Maybe the packet of tissues is actually a packet of money? Also, possible trick - things could theoretically be hidden inside other things, so until you e.g. check between the mirror and its backing, you don't know there isn't a credit card there. Bottles could have things at the bottom, electronics could have things hidden in the cases, etc. Sortof an emergency last ditch resource.

>>1102868

Unfortunately, while the Agency filled your pockets, the same probably doesn't apply to things lying around the gas station. You never know though. Maybe someone came before you, leaving clues!

>Hey what are good pronouns?
Nobody uses Xie/Xem anymore, why not try those on?

>Some ice would be great right about now.
Check around the back for one of those gas station ice machines. The two of you don't look like you're taking the heat well.

>>1102842
>already identified the other item
Nuts. Alright, we learned something new. Tell your partner- she shouldn't even check her pockets until she needs something, because having vague information on the size, shape and density of an object might be too much to allow it to be maximally utilized. Though, I suppose knowing you have at least one item is useful information? It's a bit of a tradeoff.

>>1102846
>pronouns?
She/they seems versatile enough for your appearance. Saves time if you don't care.

>>1102847
Alright, no anomalies immediately obvious. I'd start by checking the inside. Both doors. Might have to get the bathroom key from the station attendant though.

Suggestion 2025/01/25(Sat)18:25 No. 1102889 ID: 4a0685
File 173785833503.png - (303.19KB , 565x606 , LESBIANMOMENT.png )

>>1102575

M-m-mommy

Pronoun suggestion! You're Fera! How about using Fe, like She?
"She picks up her book and dusts herself off."
Becomes
"Fe picks up fer book and dusts ferself off."

Very you!

For Gladii, since their pronouns are none, you should probably just not refer to them.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:54 No. 1103471 ID: 1d6973
File 173901926102.png - (1.03MB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_A.png )

OOC: Introducing my cool new co-artist Broeckchen!

> Apologies for the name confusion! Lovely to meet you, Fera!
Hey that's okay. I was also confused. This is a confusing situation, right?

> "So we are Pea-Nut Gallery not seeing much of either, but wel-come to Peek-a-Boo! In all its in-credible un-certainty"
Uh... Thank you? Okay could you please not get weirder? This whole situation is already a lot and now I am wondering if you're trying to tell me something by injecting these weird pauses into the words.

> Anyway the only anomalous thing you've seen so far is this gas station. So... blow it up?
Hmm, iiiiinteresting idea? I mean I wouldn't know how to accomplish such a thing. Plus, it might be highly irresponsible. So I'll put that in the 'maybe' column for now.

> M-m-mommy
What?! Hey are those scissors?! No! I know what you're trying to do! You stop that right now!

> Also we do have feelings, so just an fyi. If folks get snippy with us, expect us to get snippy right back. We got little to lose.
Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I don't mean to be snippy, I'm just under a lot of stress right now and you... or some of you... are lying to me. Can we please uh... agree to pull together, here? Please?

> [Various musings about inventory ambiguity]
Okay, then. If you guys say I should take this seriously, I will. I guess you're right. Just because it feels like a pack of tissues doesn't mean it is a pack of tissues. Or that the pack of tissues doesn't also contain something else.
I need us to communicate clearly about this, so I'll propose a bit of protocol here. Let's see... If you want me to actually take out an item and check what it really turns out to be, you'll uuhhmmm... you'll say 'Collapse item'. And like... replace 'item' with whatever. 'Collapse left jacket pocket', for example. Is that good?

> [Various pronoun and gender suggestions]
I guess I don't mind just rolling with whatever people use for me. Might be interesting to see what kinds of vibes I give off. Seems you generally see me as female so far? Interesting.

> Pronoun suggestion! You're Fera! How about using Fe, like She? "She picks up her book and dusts herself off." Becomes "Fe picks up fer book and dusts ferself off." Very you!
Ooooh I like that! It's pretty simple, but personal! I think I'll try that on!

Fera: "Agent Gladii, I have decided on pronouns."
Gladii: "... Very good, Agent Fera."
Fera: "Please refer to me as 'Fe/Fer'. Works just like 'She/Her', except with an F at the start."
Gladii: "Sure."

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:54 No. 1103472 ID: 1d6973
File 173901927287.png - (426.17KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_B.png )

> If you meet someone do not tell them about the Agency, you mission, or that you didn't exist until very recently. And don't tell them you take orders from an assortment of weird voices in you earpiece, or they'll think you're insane.
Okay, I can play my cards close to the chest. If you change your mind later on and want to share that sort of thing with somebody, please explicitly tell me that!

> The two of you match two of the symbols on the seal, you're the swirly one next to "OMNES", et Gladii is the sword next to "NIHILO". So, maybe there's three other suits of agents in the agency, matching the other symbols.
I'm a swirl? I don't think I follow. That would make me the mysterious fifth suit. Wait, are the major arcana a suit? Sixth suit, then. Or is that what the swirl means?

> By the way, gladii is the plural form of the latin word for "sword", if I'm not mistaken. I think freta might be the plural form of "sea", but I'm not entirely sure.
Well now I feel even sillier over the name confusion. their name is literally 'Agent Swords'?
Ah, but I'm not Freta. I'm Fera. What does that mean? Sounds like 'feral'. That can't be it, can it?

> So this is gonna sound weird but work with me here. Could you focus on the essence of an an animal- say, a wolf, and then literally sniff around?
I guess it can't hurt to try?
I close my eyes and focus, I picture myself as a wolf. I concentrate really hard on being one with the wolf. I picture fur, tooth and claw, distant howling in the moonlit night, a world of greys, a world of scents and tastes and savage death.

I sniff the air, take it in. Take it all in...

...

Honestly I can't even smell the sweat underneath the powerful stench of gasoline. I don't think that worked.

Gladii is looking at me. They look the same as before, completely blank expression but I could swear they're judging me.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:54 No. 1103473 ID: 1d6973
File 173901927986.png - (532.10KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_C.png )

> Let's take a peek inside first. Are there even people in the store? If there are, I'm not sure they'd appreciate their cars being snooped about without their consent. Best to check on if anyone else is even real before we make any assumptions.
I don't know how to tell if anybody is 'real' or not, but I can check who's present I guess. I walk right up to the big window and raise my arms around my head to block as much of the outside light as possible.
There's some kind of convenience store inside. I can see exactly one person, sitting behind the counter. They seem to be asleep.

> Tell Gladii we should pay attention to the names of the locals and come up with fake first names that are incounspicous.
Fera: "There's a guy in there. We should pay attention to whatever name or names he gives and come up with similar names. To blend in, you know?"
Gladii: "I've rarely bothered with that kind of deception. It's not like we have to worry about somebody tracking down our places of residence or families, after all."
Fera: "Why's that?"
Gladii: "We do not have any."
Fera: "Oh."

> I was about to ask if we had a time limit, but from what little we know of Gladii, the answer will likely be: "we have all day and it will likely take less than that."
Ahahaha yeah. Either that or like 'I do not know. Nobody knows.'

> Be wary of the cars, this might be a "From a Buick 8"-type situation. Tell agent Gladii to stick her head in the window of the civilian car and snoop around.
On the one hand, it seems a bit callous to make Gladii do something we think might be dangerous. On the other hand, they're more experienced and -- I'm guessing -- less likely to get killed if something does happen.
Well surely the Agency wouldn't immediately put me in charge of something super deadly, right? Right?
Fera: "Could you take a look at the little car behind the gas station, Agent Gladii? See if you can find anything of interest."
Gladii: "Mmh-hm"
And off they go at a relaxed pace.

> A place, with Doors! You should try to use them first, otherwise you have Mx.Sword here.
> Alright, no anomalies immediately obvious. I'd start by checking the inside. Both doors. Might have to get the bathroom key from the station attendant though.
The door at the front has no handle or door knob, so I just push against it slightly. It resists the motion but it does open just a tiny crack. So it's not locked. I can get in this way. But I'll check around outside first.
The bathroom door is locked, however. Will have to snoop in there once we acquire the key.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:54 No. 1103474 ID: 1d6973
File 173901928618.png - (235.40KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_D.png )

> Anywho, do a quick loop around the station just to see if there's anything that strikes you as 'out of place' or otherwise suspect about the area. Footsteps going in a weird direction, an item that doesn't seem to fit the area lying around, something like that. If there's nothing, might as well see if you can get inside somehow.
> Check around the back for one of those gas station ice machines. The two of you don't look like you're taking the heat well.
I follow Agent Gladii and take a look behind the gas station. There is, unfortunately no ice machine, which sucks. Really sucks.
But there are two more doors. The one on the left is locked. The right one does open, but a careful peek confirms my suspicion that it just leads to the convenience store.
The only thing lying around here is pieces of the little car's left headlight. And looking around the larger area, I spot nothing but an endless expanse of dirt and rocks.
No sign of other people. Something seems off about that.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:54 No. 1103475 ID: 1d6973
File 173901929678.png - (609.08KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_E.png )

I regroup with Gladii in the shade in front of the convenience store.
Gladii: "I have taken the liberty of examining both cars. Nothing struck me as particularly unusual. The small car is messy. Empty packs of tobacoo, two open packs of chewing gum, clothes strewn on the rear bench. That sort of thing. And it looks like it recently collided with something. Perhaps it was hit by another car."
Gladii: "The Sheriff's car is cleaner, orderly. The only personal touch there is a little skull sticker on the trunk."
Fera: "I see. Thank you, Agent Gladii."
They simply nod.

> Anyway, you should knock on the front door, wait a bit, then enter if nobody answers.
> So, yeah, keep it simple, enter the station, peruse the wears listen to what whoever is inside is talking about, and maybe see if you have any money to buy something and make small talk with the clerk.
> "Take a Peek inside yourself, perhaps its what you expect the most inside if you purple swirl is truly Agent Fera and not Gladii"
> "In-Side the Gas-Station that is"
All right, listen. I hear you. I appreciate the appeal to simple good sense, but...

> Barge in, clutching your stomach, and call for help. Try to vomit. See how each person reacts.
... this just makes a lot of sense to me! We're looking for an anomaly, right? Shaking the gas station guy up a little might cause him to reveal something! Maybe if he sees me staggering about and puking everywhere, he'll be like 'Oh god did the giant fly get you, too???' and then we'll know there's a giant fly. This is a great plan.

> You've got this.
Oh hell yeah I do!
Also thanks.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:55 No. 1103476 ID: 1d6973
File 173901930308.png - (497.64KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_F.png )

I violently throw open the gas station door!
THWACK!
Gas Station Guy: "Bwagh!"
Fera: "Help! Help, please! I need help!"
Gas Station Guy: "Huh?! Wha-?!"

I stumble behind the middle shelf to break his line of sight for a moment. I stick a finger down my throat, but unfortunately that doesn't get me anything but some impotent gagging. So much for the cool vomiting plan. Oh well.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:55 No. 1103477 ID: 1d6973
File 173901931087.png - (532.19KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_G.png )

As I approach the counter, the gas station guy gets up and hurriedly heads toward the big fridge on the side. He looks very spooked.

Gas Station Guy: "Okay, alright, please be calm. Uh... Sit? Floor should be reasonably clean."
Fera: "Please! I need your help!"

I bump against the counter and dramatically slide down to the floor. Gas station guy grabs a large bottle of water from inside the refrigerator, twists it open and holds it out to me at arm's length. I can tell he's trying to act calm and composed, but he's breathing heavily.

Silicon 2025/02/08(Sat)04:55 No. 1103478 ID: 1d6973
File 173901931744.png - (644.30KB , 1500x1000 , C01_02_H.png )

I take the bottle and drink the cool water in big gulps. Oh it's divine! Pure, sweet ambrosia.

Gas Station Guy: "Easy, easy! You're gonna throw up if you go too fast. There's no hurry."
I set down the bottle.
Fera: "Puhaaaa! Thank you. That... That already makes me feel much better."
He smirks nervously.
Gas Station Guy: "Yeah I- I bet. Heatstroke's no joke."
Fera: "What's your name?"
Gas Station Guy: "Ah, uh... David."
Okay, Peanut Gallery, it's your time to shine! What's a good name that fits with David?

Oh also, I guess what should I ask David about?

Hi, guys! ♡

Ooooh, I wonder if you can collapse items in external sources like you can with your own suit? That would open up completely new possibilities, since a trunk fits much heavier and bigger things than a pocket!

Also a name that fits with David? Goliath, duh!

>>1103478
He seems normal. Ask where the sheriff is. We saw their car outside, but he's the only one in here...
You can use the name "Rose".

Quick take your clothes off
It's not like you're going to exist long enough to embarrass yourself on the internet

Ask David if he's seen anything strange or unusual around here. Don't discount the possibility that he might be the anomoly. Don't let your guard down.

Also, if we assume David's car is the civilian car, that means the sheriff's car might be the anomoly.

Use your earbud to contact Gladii and have her switch to investigating the Sheriff car.

Unless the driver of the cop car walked off into the desert they are either in the bathroom or tge locked room in back. Stay on your toes.

Rose is a hood name, and Gladii cam be Gladys. Cover story is that you where on your way to a industrial inspection job when your car broke down about a mile from here. So you walked here but the sun was too much.

Ask him if there's anyone here could give you a lift after you recover.

Ask him why this gas station is named "Thought".

Silicon 2025/02/17(Mon)12:17 No. 1103911 ID: 59ec04
File 173982345441.png - (1.26MB , 3000x2000 , C01_03_A.png )

> Ooooh, I wonder if you can collapse items in external sources like you can with your own suit? That would open up completely new possibilities, since a trunk fits much heavier and bigger things than a pocket!
I'll be honest I'm still not completely sure what the difference is between collapsing an item and just... looking inside a pocket and finding something that was always there.

> Use your earbud to contact Gladii and have her switch to investigating the Sheriff car.
I think the earbud connects me to you guys, only. The Peanut Gallery, that is. I sure hope Gladii can't hear all my thoughts!

> Also a name that fits with David? Goliath, duh!
Oh that could be fun...

> You can use the name "Rose".
> Rose is a hood name, and Gladii cam be Gladys.
Mmh, right. Gladii also needs a name. Heck let's go with Rose and Gladys, I'm trusting you.

> Cover story is that you where on your way to a industrial inspection job when your car broke down about a mile from here. So you walked here but the sun was too much.

Fera: "Hello, David. I'm Rose. We were on our way to an industrial inspection and our car broke down up the road a ways."
David: "Ah, 'we'?"
Fera: "My partner Gladys and I."
And as if on command, Gladii comes in through the front door.
Fera: "Oh here's Gladys now."

David stands as Gladii walks over to us. Once they're face to face there is a an awkward silence before Gladii sighs and then speaks.
Gladii: "Yes, hello I'm... Gladys."
David fetches another bottle of water and hands it to Gladii.
David: "David. Pleasure to meet you. Rough day, huh?"

This is odd. He's nervous, but not any more nervous than before. I figured Gladii's sword would have gotten some kind of reaction, but he seems to be taking that in stride.

Silicon 2025/02/17(Mon)12:17 No. 1103912 ID: 59ec04
File 173982345917.png - (594.19KB , 1500x1000 , C01_03_B.png )

> Ask him why this gas station is named "Thought".
Fera: "Nice gas station you have here. Why's it called 'Thought'?"
He chuckles.
David: "That's funny, I've been asked that before. But it's not 'Thought'. Not sure where you're getting that from. It's German. Literally just means gas station."
Fera: "Oh."

Okay that was slightly embarrassing but I think he's relaxing a bit. Still palpably nervous, though.

> Ask him if there's anyone here could give you a lift after you recover.
> He seems normal. Ask where the sheriff is. We saw their car outside, but he's the only one in here...
> Unless the driver of the cop car walked off into the desert they are either in the bathroom or tge locked room in back. Stay on your toes.
> Ask David if he's seen anything strange or unusual around here. Don't discount the possibility that he might be the anomoly. Don't let your guard down.
> Also, if we assume David's car is the civilian car, that means the sheriff's car might be the anomoly.

All right, I'll keep an open mind. David might be the anomaly. The cop car might be the anomaly. It certainly is strange that there's a car and seemingly nobody to drive it here.
In any case I think I have an idea how to keep this investigation low-key.

Fera: "Thank you again for the water, David. It's really mercilessly hot out there."
David: "Don't mention it. Uhm, if you want my advice: take off your jackets out there. The black fabric turns the sunlight straight to heat."
Fera: "Ah, yeah... Uh, since we're stranded here, is there anybody who could give us a lift once we're properly hydrated?"
David: "Well, if you're not in too much of a hurry, I can take you back to town myself once my shift is over."

Silicon 2025/02/17(Mon)12:17 No. 1103913 ID: 59ec04
File 173982346468.png - (591.47KB , 1500x1000 , C01_03_C.png )

Fera: "What about the Sheriff? Is he still around?"
David clears his throat.
David: "Oh uh... right. The Sheriff. I mean he must be if... if the car's still here uhm... Or, or maybe someone picked him up while I was asleep..."
... So David's a terrible liar. I'm not sure what he's hiding, but he's hiding something.

Silicon 2025/02/17(Mon)12:17 No. 1103914 ID: 59ec04
File 173982346811.png - (599.80KB , 1500x1000 , C01_03_D.png )

David: "Look, just... take it easy and my shift'll be over before you know it and then we can go."
There's a finality to it. He does not want to discuss this further. And his hands are fidgeting.

David: "Damn, uh you don't happen to smoke, do you? I ran out of cigarettes and man, I could really use one right now."

A convenience store clerk. Who's out of cigarettes. Yeah this guy is definitely looking pretty anomalous rn =.=

>>1103914
Cigarettes? Hey, a pack of cigs could feel like a pack of tissues. Try to collapse your item into those cigs. If you still wind up taking out tissues then oh well, no loss.

There's only one place the sheriff could be. The bathroom. At some point you're going to have to ask for the bathroom key.

>>1103914
Isn't it illegal to be smoking at a gas station? You know, because of gas?

Check your pockets for some cigarettes.

>>1103916
...maybe they don't sell them here? We can't see all the shelves.

>>1103917
Hopefully it isn't cigs or tissues but instead a wad of cash. Then you can buy him cigs and get lots of snacks!

>>1103926
Oh that could be useful. The bathroom might be for paying customers only or something...

Hmm… if he’s hiding info, and he’s jittery from withdrawals, we might be able to get some info out of him if we collapse “pack of tissues” pocket. If we can land the cigarettes, we can bribe him into telling us what’s really going on here. Info first, then give cigarettes.

>>1103918
It is in fact -not- illegal.

Also Tanke is only "Gas Station" in German. It's "Thought" in like half a dozen languages. Other translations include "Thin" and "Pantyhose".

This entire place (and everyone and everything within) could have been an incorrectly collapsed thought or something. If that's the case We'll either need to untangle the riddle and try to revert the anomaly- or work to super-collapse it to make the anomaly properly real... I'm doubly suspicious as this place has power, is in the middle of nowhere, but has no visible infrastructure powering it. Underground lines wouldn't normally be run over such vast distances, and I didn't see a generator or solar panels.

Let's test the cashier to see if he's real!
Ask him about himself, his past, his family, his home, and the town nearby.

A construct would probably only have vague ideas of what those might be- if anything. Someone real would have detailed memories of such.

For all we know it's "Tanker" and the R fell off.

Theres one place that you could do with checking out.
Ask david for the keys to the toilet.
While out there gladys can check out his car a little closer while you delve into the darkest of places.
Warning.
If that gas station toilet is clean, it may be the anomaly

^Hey, where's my peanuts? I was promised peanuts, right?

The "not tissues" in your pocket is a bank roll.
Buy a pack of cigs off the rack and tell him they're his.

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:16 No. 1104548 ID: 1d6973
File 174116976907.png - (482.68KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_A.png )

> A convenience store clerk. Who's out of cigarettes. Yeah this guy is definitely looking pretty anomalous rn =.=
> ...maybe they don't sell them here? We can't see all the shelves.
Fera: "You don't have cigarettes?"
David: "There's been all kinds of supply bottlenecks lately. World's falling to pieces I swear."
Fera: "It is?"
He gestures vaguely.
David: "Well, y'know... Like..."
He pauses.
David: "I don't know how to explain it. You're not feeling it? I thought everybody's feeling it..."
Fera: "Not me."
David: "Well anyway, d-do you have cigs?"

> There's only one place the sheriff could be. The bathroom. At some point you're going to have to ask for the bathroom key.
> Oh that could be useful. The bathroom might be for paying customers only or something...
Fera: "Hang on, I'll check. Uh... Quick question. Can I get the key to the bathroom?"
David: "Oh. Yeah of course. Here you go."
David reaches under the counter and produces a small key with a big ridiculous keychain, which he sets on the counter.
Fera: "Thanks."

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:16 No. 1104550 ID: 1d6973
File 174116978313.png - (162.13KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_B.png )

I take the bathroom key. How cute!

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:16 No. 1104552 ID: 1d6973
File 174116980010.png - (488.76KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_C.png )

> Cigarettes? Hey, a pack of cigs could feel like a pack of tissues. Try to collapse your item into those cigs. If you still wind up taking out tissues then oh well, no loss.
> Check your pockets for some cigarettes.
> Hopefully it isn't cigs or tissues but instead a wad of cash. Then you can buy him cigs and get lots of snacks!
All right, you said the magic word, so I'm collapsing the item aaaaand it's a pack of tissues.
I sigh.

Just to be sure, I open it and root around in it a little to make sure there aren't any bills hidden in there. Oh uh... I guess they're both looking at me. Uhm... I try to play it off cool by patting over my other pockets. (Nothing there except for the mission orders, the requisition form and the hand mirror.

I turn to Gladii.
Fera: "Do you maybe have cigarettes, Gladys?"
Gladii: "... Yes."

They're holding a pack of cigarettes and it hits me like deja vu. Right, I've seen that before. And I completely forgot.
Now that I'm looking at it more closely, it's a bit odd. The packaging is nondescript to a fault. Just plain white.

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:16 No. 1104553 ID: 1d6973
File 174116981426.png - (568.22KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_D.png )

David's eyes light up.
David: "Aw sweet!"
Gladii: "Do you have a lighter?"
David: "Yup!"
He reaches around one of the little display stands on the counter to grab a fresh lighter.

> Isn't it illegal to be smoking at a gas station? You know, because of gas?
Fera: "Not inside the gas station!!"

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:17 No. 1104554 ID: 1d6973
File 174116983334.png - (490.90KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_E.png )

David: "...so all things considered, the likelyhood is actually quite low especially if no gas has been pumped in a while. But of course, given the consequences it's best to keep some distance."

When David finally gets his cigarette, he pauses. He turns it over in his hand, looks more closely at the tip, then Gladii and then me. He looks a little confused, sceptical. Finally, he shrugs, lights it up and takes a deep drag.

David: "Mmh. Not bad."

I hope this'll make him a bit more open to answering questions. But just as I'm about to ask, the smoke hits my nose and... That's not tobacco. It's got such an overpowering and distinctly herb-like scent.

Well he doesn't seem to mind. I can practically watch the tension melting from his shoulders.

Silicon 2025/03/05(Wed)02:17 No. 1104555 ID: 1d6973
File 174116984005.png - (475.97KB , 1500x1000 , C01_04_F.png )

David: "So. Rose."
He says this carefully. Like he's about to drop a bombshell.
David: "You're not actually industrial inspectors, are you? This is some X-files thing? You're like... experts for weird shit?"

Fera: "Uh..."

My eyes dart over to Gladii, who is busy lighting a cigarette. They give no reaction whatsoever. What now? Should I just go along with it? Might make asking more questions easier, I guess...

And what should I ask about?

STONER GLADII SWEEP??? wait have they just been fucking folded the whole time. is that why they're so chill. make a note to investigate later

anyway, this is good. he wouldn't be saying that if he didn't think you'd have some reason to be here. keep it light: "if we were, what kind of thing could we help out with, around here?"

>>1104555
Tell him you're definitely inspectors, but you are very curious to know why he would think you're here about weird shit. Has he seen anything weird?

"Let's just say not even the conspiracy theorists have theorized us. It'd be better for you if you just explain everything you've seen so we can do our job, and we'll go back to not existing in your life."

Play it coy, like "well if we were we couldn't tell you could we? Wink"

Ask if he's asking because he's seen something strange

He's asking because of the Suit and Tie get up, Gladi's glasses, and your earpiece.
It SCREAMS X-files/Men in Black.

Smile and say "I can neither confirm nor deny that, citizen."
Is a famous phrase used by the CIA. Just as good a yes without inadvertantly collapsing yourselves.

"Why do you ask? Have you seen anything weird lately?"

>>1104550
ANOMALOUSLY cute?
...
..
.
No. Just cute. Dammit.

>>1104555
Oh, you are inspectors, just focused on more the fundamental mechanisms of reality.
Uh.
Maybe just say "you might very well think that, but i couldn't possibly comment." Or something like that.
Then, casually ask seen anything weird, you guys excluded.
I mean, no offense, but you are kinda weird.

>>1104567
Keep it simple, this works.