Explain to him that you're a student at Pang University (or whatever its called) and that this supposed weapon is actually an entry into local Inking contest at said University, with its theme being duality. Then explain that if you leave it with him, you'll won't be able to put anything into the contest, since you don't have any more ink on you.

Muriel 2010/09/01(Wed)14:30 No. 224641 ID: 272add
File 128337662051.jpg - (128.55KB , 800x600 , inpage9.jpg )

>>221966
"I am not stupid, and you are not here to open boxes. If you are, then you are probably a thief."

>>222103
"I do not like the tone that you are taking with me. The city guard are the only ones using firearms. Everyone else inside is under the same restriction that you are. Now give me the crow bar and any ink that you have, or I will not let you into Pang. These things will be returned to you when you leave. Who are you, anyway?"

>>224641
"Fine, take the crowbar, but I'm here because I'm all out of ink."

>>224660
don't admit that. just give him the thing and the jar.

Give him the crowbar, but not the ink nor brush. If he inquires, tell him you used what little ink you had to make the crowbar.

>>224641
Give him your stuff. No reason to make him any more suspicious than he already is.

Muriel 2010/10/10(Sun)19:51 No. 241889 ID: d93696
File 128676549741.jpg - (147.17KB , 800x600 , iqpage10.jpg )

>>224673
Hm, unfortunately, I DID use what little ink that I had to make the crowbar. I might as well give him my empty phial.

>>224882
I gave him the backpack to rummage through. Inevitably, he find the ink and brush and examines it scrupulously.

"Muriel Ming," I reply to his question without thinking. Chances are, if he knows of the name, then he knew Penn. It is still odd to me that he was alive just a day ago.

He returns my backpack with the Choop Bars and Drenk, keeping the brush, phial, and crowbar. "Your things will be returned to you. Just behave yourself in there."

Muriel 2010/10/10(Sun)19:53 No. 241893 ID: d93696
File 128676559443.jpg - (138.43KB , 800x600 , iqpage11.jpg )

CREEEEAAAAAK.


One moment, please...

Muriel 2010/10/10(Sun)19:54 No. 241895 ID: d93696
File 12867656643.jpg - (117.98KB , 766x850 , iqinventory TWO.jpg )

INK and BRUSH and CROWBAR removed.

Muriel 2010/10/10(Sun)20:02 No. 241899 ID: d93696
File 128676612643.jpg - (191.18KB , 800x600 , iqpage12.jpg )

A The Choop Bar and Drenk factory, currently in limited commission due to resource and ink shortage.

B A tavern, "The Corner Box".

C City Hall, the governmental center of the city state.

D The Grand Temple of Li of the Sefa.

E Electricity pylon, also in limited commission.

F One of several apartment buildings to house the citizens of Pang.

G A statue of Pang, ancestor of Li. This is mostly a place where young couples make out.

-> To DOWNTOWN PANG.

Where to first?

to the tavern. rumors and stuff.

Check out that electricity pylon. It looks interesting.

Head to the apartments. See if any of them are registered under Lucky.

You're here to track down Peter Lucky. Do you know anything about him other than his skill with a brush?

Would he have been registered at City Hall? Would he be known at the Grand Temple? The tavern? These seem better options than wandering door-to-door at the apartments, but if you have no other leads then F is an acceptable choice.

B, the tavern.

Everybody knows that mysterious old friends of close family are always drunks.

Let's be genre savvy and go to the tavern.

Be on the lookout for an AIRBRUSH. Barring mechanical deposition devices such as the BUBBLEJET PRINTER, it is the most efficient method for laying down the thinnest possible layer (i.e. using the least amount of ink) without losing pigmentation.

Muriel 2010/10/12(Tue)21:55 No. 242728 ID: d93696
File 128694572854.jpg - (266.42KB , 800x600 , iqpage13.jpg )

It looks like the bar, then, is the place to go. I have never been in there. Penn took me into Pang when I was younger and went in himself, but generally not for long. It feels odd now not to be the one waiting outside.


Wow, there are a lot of drunk guys in here. As I enter, they all at once eye me with varying degrees of... something. I wonder how long it is been since they have seen a lady-face inside.

>>242481
I will keep that in mind, I suppose. Anything is better than that old brush.

>You're here to track down Peter Lucky. Do you know anything about him other than his skill with a brush?

I only know that Peter Lucky is from Sohpiatown. Oh, and Penn mentioned that Lucky was not his real name. If only I could remember what it was.

Don't take drinks from strangers.

Do you have cash or whatever to actually pay for a drink? This would have been a good thing to check before coming here.

Sooo, time to play it cool. Head to the bar, grab a drink - something hardcore, like a shot of that Old Crow stuff or maybe the Pink Dragon. Let them know that you're looking for a man, goes by "Lucky." First name Peter. A friend of the family, met back in the war.

You really should try to remember what Lucky's name is.

>>242728
Ignore everyone but the bartender, but if more than one of them starts to approach you, be wary. We need to ask for information and get out quick.

>>242728

Guy at the bar closest looks tipsy. Guy at the bar farthest is being a lion. Sit right between them.

Where are all the lady-faces? If something happened to them this could imminently concern you.

>>242728

Maybe he's Peter Rabbit, otherwise known as the Lucky Rabbit, or Peter Lucky.

Muriel 2010/10/14(Thu)16:44 No. 243572 ID: d93696
File 128709987015.jpg - (266.21KB , 800x600 , iqpage14.jpg )

>>242802
I take a seat between the two, and the others in the back already begin to crowd. I think the reason that women do not come in here often is because it is a smelly dive filled with lewd boozers. The man to my left startles me by touching my shoulder, then tells the barman, "Get this girl a drink of her choice on my tab."

I never have been much of a socialite if that is not obvious. I spent most of my childhood holed up in that hovel with Penn. I have never had a drink before.

The bartender is probably in his late forties, and a bit bony. "Well it looks like you have it made, young lady. What will you have?"


...

Muriel 2010/10/14(Thu)16:44 No. 243573 ID: d93696
File 128709989598.jpg - (207.64KB , 800x620 , inkquestliquors.jpg )

Which drink should I choose?

Let's stay classy.

Umlauts are classy. Try the Lüqor.

the incompetence looks like it's for new people, get that. also say that you are mostly looking for information.

>>243573
Incompetence looks like it would make for a hardy tope.

As their ad campaign goes, if you drink Incompetence it's like admitting you don't know how to liquor.

>>243572

Smelly, huh? It's definitely full of booze. But lewd? Wouldn't the lewd men be going where the girls are? The ones who come to the bar are certainly flat footed and fancy free, but I can't imagine their ultimate goal involves female companionship. In fact they'll probably attempt to get you to leave, by pretending to be lewd and creeping you out. It's a territorial sort of thing, harkening back to the days of the red tent. A worldly bar wench will know this and simply abuse their ill mannered advances for a free bar tab, then make herself scarce that the regulars can enjoy their ordinary regularity.

>>243573
pink dragon

first time drinking?
pink dragon will prolly taste sweet, stay away from the strong stuff

you see, im the one that usually does shenanigans to get the characters laid in a strange attempt of trolling the lack of social development in games, and im tottaly not seeing what this is about.

a nameless dude just made a move on you, no cantrip, charms or beauty let alone relevance to your goals, and now you are picking weird alcoholic drinks whose content you do not know.

are you hoping for a "interesting" night, that he somehow knows this dude you are looking for or that you can cold shoulder a fugly dude in a rought bar without getting bitchslapped?

wait i think i see a plot device.

if you can use ink spot to make other stuff, get it. at least we can make a weapon if shit gets real.

>>243781
>Ink Spot
Too obvious. In a world where ink runs everything, and is being rapidly depleted, do you really think any actual ink will be found in a drink at some diver bar, that isn't even being kept in a cabinet?

Is this going to be one of those rape things?

I'll throw my vote in for Pink Dragon.

Pink Dragon

Im gonna second Lüqor but pink dragon? god damn it why? D:

INCOMPETENCE

LETS DO THIS

Incompetence all the way in.

Incompetence sounds delicious, go for that.

Muriel 2010/10/16(Sat)21:15 No. 244526 ID: d93696
File 128728890653.jpg - (163.33KB , 800x468 , iqpage15.jpg )

>>243898
There very well might be ink in there, depending on the age of the drink. Either way, it does not look cheap, and this guy buying me a shot does not look rich. I agree, though, and probably would not try it. Liquid ink is actually highly toxic at a certain quantity because it dries inside of the organs.

>>243583
I do not really understand men all that well. They are at once direct and convoluted. If what you say is true, then you certainly would not have to tell me twice not to spend too much time in places like this.

>Is this going to be one of those rape things?
Wow, I hope not!


***

"Uh..." my thoughts are more coherent than my speech, admittedly, and I do not read well. "In...comp...eh...tence. The one with the triangles."

He looks to be the most gathered of the group of guys as he pours me the clear, bubbly drink. I give it a few sniffs before sipping it. It is odorless, and very weak. It tastes like sparkling lemon water. The man to my left seems to be smiling at me still.

So the drink initiates social behavior? This does not seem all that difficult. "I am looking for a guy named Lucky. First name Peter." The quiet rabble falls silent for a moment.

"What was the name?"

"Peter Lucky," I repeat, and the men to my right and left appear puzzled. The bartender, however, immediately smiles.

"There is a name that, sadly, I have not heard in a number of years," his voice has a relatively high timbre, but is nasally, "The last time I saw him was, hm, about fifteen years ago. He was living in an apartment right on the square. He barged in here and bought the whole house a round of drinks."

"Why did he do that?" I ask.

"Heheh, yeah Barty, where's my free drinks?" one of the others chimes in in a bassy, throated tone. Forced laughter ensues.

Bart the barman begins again twice unsuccessfully over the crescendo of chatter, then finally continues, "He said... he said that he was off to do big things. Haha. Him and his friend were war buddies. You know, I've never seen that guy draw, but from what I hear he could do some pretty great shit."

"Where is he now? Do you-"

Bart interrupts me, "What are you doing asking about him, anyway? You can't be as old as the war's end, can you?"

"I am seventeen. When the war ended, I-" What is that noise outside? All of the large-eared men seem to notice as well, turning their attention to the source. It sounds like popcorn popping.

Hah, what a compliment. Don't worry about the popping noise for now; it's probably nothing. Ask about available work for a decent sketcher; you could maybe use those fine tuned hands for something? Anyway finish your drink, thank your benefactor and the bartender, then go out to investigate that popping noise!

>>244526
It must be someone roasting corn over a fire. I suggest you look outside for a moment and then hide in a closet until you don't hear anything anymore or they think you're dead.

>>244526
GUNFIRE

HIT THE DECK

check it out. it must not be a normal thing otherwise everyone in here would already know.

DIVE FOR COVER! MOVE MOVE MOVE

The muffled crack indicates supersonic rounds, and no audible report means the rounds are arriving from far enough away that the gun itself is inaudible. Rifle rounds will go through the walls and bar of this building with absolutely no problem, so ducking will do little good.
If the sound is coming from the square you just left (I think from this angle that's the far wall?), then ask the bar man if you can use the door behind him, and take the rear exit.

Ask out loud "Is that gunfire?"

be calm, dont panic unless everyone does that too. you have nil offensive and defensive power, making yourself noticeable so soon is sure death.

also date rape, here we go!

>>245220
Concurred.

saged because I don't know if it's cool to bump week-old updates