Muriel 2011/04/16(Sat)13:41 No. 297176 ID: d93696
File 130298648706.jpg - (157.19KB , 800x600 , page1.jpg )

Alright, so the idiots in the bar did not know much about Peter Lucky. If that told me anything at all, it is that he is no longer in this town.

I have no ink and no money, but a couple of other places to look. This city reminds me of Penn and my dusty childhood, and it is growing painful to stay here. I will want to find the guardsman who confiscated my things on the way back out. Before I go, I want to have a place to go to. It pretty much leaves Temple of the Sefa or the City Hall as sources for information on Peter Lucky that will not be a waste of anyone's breath.


The Temple is a place of worship honoring, above all, the Great Sefa, who founded the world and supplies it with his holy ink. Well, at least he did before the great shortage began. Also beheld in the temple is Li, for whom we the Liites are named. A herald of the Sefa, he drew the Li flats, and his ancestor, Pang, founded and named this city-state. The town's ink well is heavily guarded within the Temple.

City Hall is the center of law enforcement in the city-state, and the home of the mayor. From what I can tell, the Temple and the City Hall have checked each other's power since the beginning. I will need to find a way to make appointment with the mayor or his stewards if I wish to inquire here.

Where should I go first?

The Temple. (btw what drink did you get at the bar?)

>>297176

I think dealing with City Hall people will be easier for now...

>>297176
Iunno, I guess the Temple first?

Weren't there some kind of apartments you could check out? Ask around about your brother?

...let's look at that temple thing. It is probably more interesting than City Hall. (Votechange, woo.)

Temple

I highly recommend going to City Hall. Do you really want to deal with people that are speaking in fatalistic terms (in regards to the current shortage)?

sure, city hall.

Muriel 2011/04/17(Sun)01:09 No. 297324 ID: d93696
File 130302778729.jpg - (152.77KB , 800x600 , page2.jpg )

>>297180
What did I drink? Some fizzy stuff called 'Incompetence'. The logo was like...

▲
▲ ▲

I don't know, I can't even do it right

>>297192
My brother? I do not think that he would have hidden anything like that from me. I could ask around the apartment where Peter Lucky lived, as well.

Wow, this place is pretty big and old. I can only imagine what it must have been like to fabricate it. There are so many guards around that it looks more like a fortress than a temple.

Muriel 2011/04/17(Sun)01:12 No. 297326 ID: d93696
File 130302794228.jpg - (187.54KB , 800x600 , page3.jpg )

Alright, this is looking pretty familiar. There are a bunch of nuns and monks around, and even more soldiers. That big hole in the middle is the ink well. I think that it drains out in the bottom to valves where people are given their rations. Penn was only ever able to get ink once per month if we were lucky.

The soldiers look a bit young, but there are some old people in the clergy. Maybe they know a thing or two. There is a priest, a monk, and I think that that is a nun in the far corner near the corridor, but it is hard to tell with those big robes on.

>>297326
Talk to the Priest. They're more than likely to know their congregation, if this religion holds services to that effect.

>>297326
Let's talk to the priest and the monk at the same time since they're right there.

Can you buy a plush squid?

Talk to the monk.

Muriel 2011/04/17(Sun)12:45 No. 297413 ID: d93696
File 130306951987.jpg - (92.14KB , 800x600 , page4.jpg )

Muriel: "Excuse me, father. I have a few questions about someone who lived in Pang a number of years ago."

The two men in the peculiar hats look at me in unison, their conversation coming to a gradual halt. I did not realize at first how much louder I spoke than the two clergymen, as my voice echoed throughout the cavernous dome and even managed to turn the heads of the armed guards.

Priest: "Of course, child."

Muriel: "I want to know about Peter Lucky, because I want to find him to speak with him."

Priest: "Peter Lucky, you said?"

I nod, and the men exchange looks as though mutually considering how to tactfully provide an answer to the query. The priest is an old man, but the monk appears only to be in his thirties or so.

Priest: "I have not heard that name in a long time. I remember when he came through this town. He had a presence that made him known somehow. The young man was a magnificent fabricator. The stewards of our cloister who have trained lifelong wilted in comparison to him." There is a pause here, though the man tries to begin again twice unsuccessfully before carrying on, "He was, however, a raucous one. He was a good boy, but he could not keep himself out of trouble. Him and his friend, of course - the two of them were positively inseparable."

Muriel: "I believe that that was Penn. He was my older brother."

Priest: "Penn? Oh yes, of course. He was?"

Why did he have to ask? He could have just left it there. I nodded anyway, and the monk next to him placed his hand on my shoulder. I did not want to be touched, so I shrugged him off. The already morose-looking men donned frowns.

Priest: "I am sorry child. Uh... ehem. I wish that I could help you more."

Muriel: "Where did Peter Lucky go?"

Priest: "I wish that I knew. What a fascinating young man he was."

Muriel: "Thank you, father."

As I waved them off in my curt way, the monk followed behind for a few steps.

Monk: "Miss, I happen to know a thing. See, I was just about your age when Peter Lucky walked the city. After the Second Ink War, he left. He said that he was going to end the fighting and do big things. Uh... help people, he said. He just kept on saying that. I can hear his voice in my head even now with it."

Muriel: "Thank you."

I walked out of the temple alone again, even my bare footfalls echoing through the dome. If I had known that it would be this difficult to find Lucky, maybe I would have reconsidered, but what else am I going to do? This city is a dead-end. There are no jobs, and my house is literally a hole in the ground.

If this is what I have, should I be resigned to staying here until I get sick and die?

Muriel 2011/04/17(Sun)12:45 No. 297414 ID: d93696
File 130306954641.jpg - (118.04KB , 800x600 , page5.jpg )

AH! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT

There was a ground-shaking percussion coming from outside of the temple, followed by pattering like heavy rain. I can feel the floor rumbling still, and now people inside and out are shouting. There are bits of plaster and metal crumbling from the ceiling, and the soldiers are scrambling in through the front door. What is going on?!

Bears. Bears are attacking the city.

>>297414
could the ink shortage caused a neighboring nation to start a war for ink?

Probably just the wind. Walk out.

So we need to find Penn.

So, uh, what's with the Ink fixation?

>>297424
Ink can make things, simply by painting them in the air.

>>297424
Ink is the stuff of literal existence. All that is, comes from the Ink of Sefa. Yes, even people, and including our PLayer Character, Muriel. THe problmem is, that Ink will fade back into nonexistence unless refreshed with more ink, so everyone will die if the ink runs out. Hell, the world will stop existing when the Ink runs out.
Guess where the Ink comes from? The Great Sefa. Problem is, though, is that he's dead, so the world is already doomed to a very fast version of 'universal heat death'. I think. We covered this in the last thread.

>>297414
Fucking hell. Go find a guard and ask what's going on.

Muriel 2011/04/19(Tue)22:39 No. 297886 ID: d93696
File 130327799305.jpg - (174.13KB , 800x600 , page6.jpg )

I can not see anything out here! I can barely even breath. There is dust and smoke everywhere, and I can only hear gunfire and screaming! Am I going to die?

The temple is behind me, so I must be near the statue of Li in the town square.

>>297421
I know where Penn is! I buried him early this morning after he died of illness. I can not think about that now!

>>297416
Could it happen? Yes! There have been two Ink Wars in the past twenty years with momentary peace in between. What would cause this sudden violence?

Muriel 2011/04/19(Tue)22:41 No. 297887 ID: d93696
File 130327807990.jpg - (164.31KB , 800x600 , page7.jpg )

"Muriel!"

I think that someone just called my name.

"MURIEL!"

It is the guard who stopped me when I came into the city the morning! He found me in the dust! He gives me my CROWBAR.

Guard: "This is yours. Now you have to follow me, Muriel. Hurry!"

>>297887
follow him, but not too closely

>>297887
Go! Follow!

Waste no time! Grab your crowbar go! GO GO GO!

>>297887
Snag that bar of crow and follow him at a distance of about two people. Demand to know what is going on and what the hell happened to your supply of Ink.

Ask what's going on for sure, but let's move

Muriel 2011/04/26(Tue)18:13 No. 299489 ID: d93696
File 130386678801.jpg - (145.84KB , 800x600 , page8.jpg )

Guard: "Go toward the west gate! That way! Go!"

We run across the dusty courtyard. I can barely breathe! There is so much dust and debris. I can see only flames through the smoke, aside from what is the nearest to me.

There are bodies. What is going on?

The guard fires his rifle into the smoke. He sees something that I did not, but I do not dare stop to look. That is loud! I have not been so close to gunfire before.

I think that I am getting close to the west wall. I can see some apartments coming up.

Muriel 2011/04/26(Tue)18:13 No. 299490 ID: d93696
File 130386680526.jpg - (293.64KB , 800x800 , page9.jpg )

I think that I know where I am. I only now regret not coming into this smelly city more with Penn when I was younger. There is the west gate!

You may not believe me, but I hear a quacking noise in front of me. The dust is beginning to clear, and the quacking is becoming closer-


HOLY SQUID WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT

>>299490

SWEET ROLLER IT HAS A CHAINSAW FAIL.

RUN! RUN AWAY!

>>299490
uhh yeah, you're COMPLETELY outclassed here. run.

only hope is to run ungodly fast or get on it's back and use that crowbar.

>>299490
The fuck? RUN, DON'T JUST STAND THERE.

>>299490
Looks like your friendly neighborhood Rape-smith.
From the brand on his chest it looks like he's guild certified.

Run. Do not hide, flee. If you can draw him towards soldiers, they may be able to perforate him.

>>299499

>Rape-smith

I will find a way to use this in the future.

Also, wait for him to rear up, then dash through his legs. Nut him if you can do it without losing anything.

>>299530
Do this, but be sure to provide the free castration with the claw side of the crowbar. Be sure to yank down hard as you can.

Muriel 2011/04/27(Wed)00:55 No. 299585 ID: d93696
File 130389093374.jpg - (171.57KB , 800x600 , page10.jpg )

RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN

"HEEELP!"

I do not think that anyone can hear me over the gunfire! There are two things that I do reasonably well: fabricate, and run. I can not do the first without ink, and I can not do the second when my lungs are clogged with dust.

FFFFFUUU-

Muriel 2011/04/27(Wed)00:56 No. 299586 ID: d93696
File 130389096516.jpg - (196.09KB , 800x600 , page11.jpg )

-UUUUCK!

Oof!

Muriel 2011/04/27(Wed)00:56 No. 299587 ID: d93696
File 130389098819.jpg - (135.30KB , 800x600 , page12.jpg )

...

Muriel 2011/04/27(Wed)00:59 No. 299588 ID: d93696
File 130389118895.jpg - (61.57KB , 800x600 , page13.jpg )

My ears are ringing. I can not breathe...

Guard: "Fall back! DEFENSIVE FIRE ONLY! GET OUT OF THE CITY!"

...

Now it is quiet.

pull shirt over mouth. use cloth as a low tech filter.

>>299588
You've got to breathe. You need air to live! Try the cloth face covering, yes. Also, look around. Try to get up.

Muriel 2011/04/28(Thu)17:03 No. 300018 ID: d93696
File 130403539422.jpg - (56.26KB , 800x600 , page12-1.jpg )

Uh... ok. I think that my arm is moving but I can not feel it. Is that it? I think that the ground is rocking back and forth.

The guards are yelling still. I can not understand anymore...

Muriel 2011/04/28(Thu)17:03 No. 300019 ID: d93696
File 130403542057.jpg - (90.13KB , 800x600 , page13.jpg )

"Haah!" I shouted and took a deep breath of very fresh and dry air. My surroundings are a freshly drawn tent, and the guard who had my things was standing in front of my. I can see past him outside, and it looks dark.

Guard: "Are you awake for real this time?"

"What?"

Guard: "You woke up a couple of times shouting about someone named Peter Lucky, but went back to sleep."

>>300019
Sarcastically respond that you are not awake, and this is all an elaborate "talking in your sleep" situation in which you can respond to the other person.

>>300019
ask them what the hell happened

Muriel 2011/04/30(Sat)11:23 No. 300435 ID: d93696
File 130418779807.jpg - (76.87KB , 803x603 , page14.jpg )

"Who are you? What happened to Pang?"

Guard: "I'm Norbert Hong, of the 134¬th Polis Guard. It is not easy for me to explain what happened."

Muriel: "What were those things, then? Where are we?"

Norbert: "They came from the flats without warning. The watchmen on the wall did not even see them until it was too late. I remember hearing quacking after the first wall breach. None of us had ever seen anything like them before.

Sergeant Shuk ordered us to protect the ink well at all costs, but it was a slaughter. All of our best men and civilians were just being mowed down. I gathered my best friends Rowen and Dick and we mutinied. We started to round up everyone that we could find - starting with women and children - and led them out of the walls.

The beasts did not make any attempt to follow us. Captain Leo Sun joined the mutiny, and he was the last one out of the city. He told us that the monsters began to demolish the ink well and spill all of the ink over the ground to dry."

I began to cry. I am not sure which part of it came over me first, but much of it involved Penn. I am glad that he was put to rest before this catastrophe.

Norbert: "Cry fully, Muriel. None of us have any tears to hide tonight. There are around three hundred Liites left from Pang. Anyone who was seen by the beasts was attacked. The soldiers defending the ink were killed with special ferocity."

Norbert stopped for a moment, looking at me with curiosity, "How do you feel? That thing hit you pretty hard."

I had not even thought about it yet. I do not remember being hit. "I feel fine," I said. No broken bones - just a few scrapes and pulled muscles.

Norbert: "You are a girl Sefa blessed. If you are well, drink water, and then you may do as you want to, but do not try to return to Pang. It is not safe."

I wish that I had direction. I have felt like a failure ever since I realized that I would be spending the rest of my life in a hole outside of Pang.

What should I do? I could stay here in the camp for a while. I could run away, I guess. It looks like my things are here in the tent with me, including my nearly empty ink jar and Penn's brush.

For some reason, I do not want to leave Norbert. Should I thank him? I think that he carried me out of the city. He and his friends must have saved like a hundred old ladies, too.

>>300435
take a look around the camp

>>300435
Yes, you should thank him. Even though he mutinied, it was the right thing to do. The only thing to do, really.

Stay here a while. Get an idea of the state of the surrounding area, maybe fish up some more rumors about Peter Lucky.

Muriel 2011/05/07(Sat)11:30 No. 302259 ID: d93696
File 130479300659.jpg - (119.28KB , 800x600 , page15.jpg )

I thank Norbert rather daftly for saving my life, and he gives me a smile. I then tell him that I want to look around the camp for anything to do.

Norbert: "I think that anyone who can will be going to bed, but the bonfire will be on during the night. I would not be surprised if a few people cannot sleep tonight."

He reaches into the pocket of his uniform pants, and gives me a folded up map that looks like he just drew it in pencil in a few seconds. He is not a very good artist. Before he forgets, Norbert draws up a circle and writes 'you'. It looks like I am in the barracks for some reason.

The camp is strategically tucked away against the canyon wall. It looks like we are on the far east end of the Li Flats. This is the farthest that I have ever been.

Muriel 2011/05/07(Sat)11:31 No. 302260 ID: d93696
File 130479311224.jpg - (280.66KB , 800x600 , refugeecamp.jpg )

There is the bonfire in the middle. There is another small fire between the barracks tents. There are some soldiers walking around smoking and talking. I have no idea where to begin!

Norbert says that he has to go, but he will be around if I need him. I wonder which tent he is staying in?

With the city eviscerated, I feel like I have only a small chance of finding anyone here who knows about Peter Lucky. I really wish that I still had Penn to talk to, but he was always very uncomfortable talking about Peter.

Any ideas?

>>302260
did he say how long you where out?

Why don't you head to the Mess and see if its still open? A little comfort food might do you some good.

The Mess hall likely has the people most willing to talk while being the least busy, and there's also food there. So let's go there.

Muriel 2011/06/10(Fri)12:29 No. 311503 ID: cb0eb1
File 130773416390.jpg - (135.82KB , 800x600 , messhall-frame1.jpg )

The mess hall is alive with the sounds of chewing, anxious chatter, and silverware striking against trays.

There are two people sitting to my left. I can kind of hear their conversation - they are talking about someone named Falsto who was apparently in the army.

There is another guy sitting farther up. It looks like he might be missing an arm, and he is having trouble eating with his opposite hand.

There is an older woman sitting the farthest up the table to my right.

It smells like food.

>>311503

The older woman may have seen Peter. It seems he came to the city with gusto, but it was a very long time ago. You should focus on food right now, and then perhaps some way to survey what's left of Pang, and surrounding areas. Where relative to you was the Sefa laid to rest?

>>311503
It seems that Peter is most likely to be known by older people, so try asking the lady. Unless you can gauge how old the guy missing an arm is? Maybe he's a veteran or something.

Also get some grub.

Listen in on the conversation. They information they have to convey might be relevant. Who knows, they may even speak of Peter.

Muriel 2011/06/13(Mon)21:28 No. 313008 ID: e1359e
File 130802571628.jpg - (139.98KB , 800x600 , messhall-frame2.jpg )

>Where relative to you was the Sefa laid to rest?

Laid to rest? That... is a very frightening thought. I do not think that it is possible for the Sefa to die. Where? Um... I have not been outside of the Li Flats. I have no idea.

Now, onto the others. Hm, hm. Don't mind me, just a girl with a crowbar.

Luckily, my ears are quite large. I can hear the people speaking even behind me:

"... he was stationed outside of the Li Flats with otherlanders. He wrote, but I don't know why he's not back by now. Silly me - I thought the war had been over for sixteen years."

The other person waits a moment before responding, and sounds a bit concerned, "Don't worry. Falsto's a tough son-of-a-bitch. Besides, there is always some border to guard."

It sounds like they are talking about someone who is close to them. No one that I have heard of, but they might be worth talking to.

"Eavesdropping is a one way ticket into a not-your-problem. Don't you know that?" The woman in front of me says suddenly. Perhaps I need a better poker face.

She is not so old after all - probably in her mid thirties. I give her a sour look, and she smiles, "You remind me a bit of myself, don't you know? When I was younger. I just hope that you're smarter and don't get yourself knocked up."

I nod absently through her warning, and ask her about Peter Lucky.

She immediately chokes on her current bite, hacking it up onto her plate.

yeah, that is pretty bad for a poker face. anyway pat her back so she doesn't choke. sounds like we got a lead.

Oh shit, don't let her choke.

>>313008
Save here! Then, give her some water. Ask if she's okay then idly steer the conversation back to Peter.

>>313020
>>313110
She just coughed it up.
Offer her a napkin if there's one handy.

Muriel 2011/06/16(Thu)21:29 No. 314130 ID: e1359e
File 130828497691.jpg - (99.73KB , 800x600 , scorn.jpg )

I ask her if she is alright, and she snaps back at me that she is. After I ask her about Peter again, she clears her throat and begins to talk. She seems to be sour toward me now.

"I don't know why you would want to know anything about him. I don't know you, so I don't have to say a word to you."

Well, she clearly knows more than a few things. How can I get her to speak?

"he was with my brother, and peter is more famous then him so if i find peter i find my brother"

Ask her if you can sit next to her and talk, so that you can change the fact that she doesn't know you.

Or you can just tell her that you only want to find Peter Lucky to find your brother, who was with him last you knew.

>>313008

Wait, what? Why are there ink wars then, if you can still get ink from the Sefa? Nevertheless as it is probably the biggest thing, Peter would probably have been interested in it. Especially if he wanted to "end the fighting".

>>314130

Haha Peter was the one who knocked her up I betcha. You could say you don't know much about Peter. That should calm her from allying you with the scoundrel. Say you're a relative of one of his friends and have been trying to bring him the news that Penn has passed away.

>>314154
cause the sefa VANISHED. as in POOF gone to nowhere. they didn't lay it to rest cause there is NO BODY.

Muriel 2011/06/19(Sun)20:59 No. 315282 ID: e1359e
File 130854234479.jpg - (96.60KB , 800x600 , scorn2.jpg )

>>314132
>>314136

I know where my brother is. He died of a sickness last night and I buried him outside of our house.

>Say you're a relative of one of his friends and have been trying to bring him the news that Penn has passed away.

I tell her this, and she appears unconcerned, though she expresses some half-assed sympathy for my loss.

"Look," she says, "If I am going to make your life easier, I would expect the same. Bring me some ink, and I'll tell you what I know. Now go run off with a soldier boy and let me finish my food."

Squid, what a bitch

BLUH BLUH

Okay. Whatever. Get some food, sit near that other guy who might be missing the arm.

>>315282
Kindly (perhaps not so kindly) inform her that ink is in short supply and acquiring some would be difficult. Then, propose an alternative, like alcohol.

>>314155

Ooh vanished. That is a good deal more serious. Please disregard my ignorance then.

>>315282

BLuh. Good advice though. Go talk to someone else. You'll have to find out more about this lady before bugging her more about it.

>>315793
...I think the rarity of ink is the point of her asking, mate.

Muriel 2011/06/21(Tue)19:58 No. 316158 ID: e1359e
File 130871151776.jpg - (110.04KB , 800x600 , superarm.jpg )

>Get some food

Well, I have some Choop bars in my backpack, but I guess it could not hurt to get some real food. I will go grab some of that broth and a muffin.

>sit near that other guy who might be missing the arm.
>Go talk to someone else.

Ok, I will just go talk to the one-arm guy over

WOAH

He is really kind of fucked up.

I sit down with my tray of food, greeting him, "I'm Muriel Ming. I want to ask you a few things, if you'd let me."

His lip twitches once, but he does not make any objection.

I think that I should be careful about how I word my questions, or I might offend him.

Just say that you're asking around about Peter Lucky and he didn't seem busy.

>>316158
>>316158
Get down to brass tax and ask him about Lucky.

Also, ask him if he has any spare ink that you could borrow. I have a hunch.

Ask him about Peter LuWHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE JEZUS CHRIST

Muriel 2011/06/27(Mon)22:21 No. 318759 ID: e1359e
File 130923851030.jpg - (108.86KB , 800x600 , page16.jpg )

>>316685
As much as I want to, Penn told me not to ask about the war unless the veteran initiates the subject. If he was even in the war. He might have lost an arm in the DRENK factory or something.

I ask him about Lucky, repeating the now practically rehearsed words and feeling like a door-to-door saleswoman.

He looks at me in silence yet for a few more seconds, then says, "Lucky... hm, that is a name that I have not heard for a while. The fuck do you want to know about him for?"

I tell him that it is for personal research. I do not really even know what that means but it sounds legitimate.

"Lucky lived in the same barracks as me for a period of about three weeks, but I never saw him more than once, probably in the bathroom or somethin'. He was big shit back in the day. People were always talking about him. His regiment had its own fancy tents drawn up and everything. They were stoppin' there on their march to the Battle of Zikur."

I ask him where Lucky is now, and he shrugs. I think that his lazy eye is looking at my boobs but I do not want to say anything about it

Oh, and one more thing, I say. "Do you have any ink to spare?"

The guy looks over his shoulder, then leans toward me, lowering his gruff voice, "No, I don't got any ink for you, but..." he looks around again, then clears his throat, "I saw a group o' four guardsmen carrying a tank of it when they left the city. They put it somewhere in the camp, but I did not see where. I had to lead a pregnant woman and her dumbass husband out of Pang."

There is not much to do other than thank him, and he grins and calls me "cheeks".

I need to find and somehow acquire some of that ink. I have a hunch that it is the only supply of it for miles. To be honest, if I had been this pro-active during my youth, I would probably be a doctor or something

There are a few ways I can go about this:

A - Stealth (find the ink, sneak in, and take some)
B - Barter (find something to trade for ink from the soldiers)
C - Connection (befriend someone in the town guard, bum ink)
D - Violence (threaten a guard into giving me ink)
E - Seduction (seduce a guard for ink)
F - Service (do work, get ink)
G (additional suggestions) - ??? (???, get ink)

Your decision here will help to influence how Muriel approaches problems in the future

>>318759
Let's not go with seduction. :/

I'd be all for barter or service, but we are in a kind of end of the world scenario here, and I guess trade goods and money will lose value soon (same goes for ervice).

Violence and stealth will be most useful tools in the future, when society goes to hell, but we can still be violent or stealthy with the help of a friend. A friend is useful and has long-term benefits (no, not that kind of benefits).

I say Connections, C.

>>318759
hmm it's tough choice but I think I'd go with Service. It's simple and useful to be ready to get work hard to meet your goals, and a healthy respect for hard work is always a good trait. Plus Service can work well with Connections; by doing jobs for others you are meeting new people, forming connections and perhaps gathering a few favours in the process. People remember those that get jobs done.

If this were a proper video game, I'd create a second save file and choose seduction. Since it isn't, I'll go with connection.

>>318759
>>318759
I'd vote for A or E.

seduce everything

Seduction is always the answer, of course!

Is this a trick question? If you give the option people will pick "Seduce". Consequently, that has my vote.

C

>>318759
Herp derp seduction

Muriel 2011/06/28(Tue)17:08 No. 319109 ID: e1359e
File 130930610884.jpg - (152.74KB , 800x600 , page17.jpg )

oh god, that was just supposed to be to troll prudes. Welp, here we go.

I am not sure how much I am cut out for this. There are far better looking girls in this camp who didn't grow up in a hole in the ground. I have no social skills, so I will need some kind of help. The only reason I even know what boys look like in the pants is because I walked in on Penn with an intern from the city center once

Ok, I have to get out of this box. This is just another way to make connections, right? It does not make me any kind of whore or anything. People do this kind of thing all the time. I can fake confidence and maybe show off my drawing skills. I mean, the crowbar is not my best work, but it will show them that I can at least make metal. That is not as easy as it sounds! Ok, ok.

The first step, even before I get to the hard part of interacting with boys, will be to find out who knows where the ink is. I mean, they would not have that kind of thing out in the open, would they? No, of course not.

Ok, where to start. Where do I start? I only known Norbert by name. He was carrying me, so I do not think that he was with the ink tank. Maybe there is a clue, like an ink trail or something? No, that would be too obvious.

I can look at the map that Norbert gave me again to find out where to start, but I would have to guess if every soldier is even in on this.

At least people are out talking. It takes some attention off of me. Everyone is shaken up. There is an unusual amount of both laughter and crying, and I can smell some alcohol from somewhere.

This is just like before, though. Nothing complicated. I just need a lead.

>>319109
Consider the prudes thoroughly trolled

Ehh relax this will be easier than you think. You just have to use your natural feminine charms. These are soldiers your dealing with after all; guys who spend a lot of time with only other guys as company. They'll be highly susceptible to your mystique. Plus, if this fails horribly you could then try a MORE REALISTIC AND REASONABLE METHOD.

it's cause you stated it in irc before tallying the votes, meaning you brought attention to it.

if you really don't think you can do it then don't. seriously. friends (connections) are much better because the odds of them stabbing you in the back go down. while if you use seduction and don't put out they could get angry.
look around for a tent that seems to have more guards then the others.

The chances of a virgin who has questionable social skills, and who's brother is the only guy she's seen naked, successfully seducing someone are slim to none. Sorry to be blunt there, but I don't want you wasting time or getting yourself hurt when there are better ways to do this.

>>319109
How about keeping this as a backup plan?

I mean >>319141 has a point.

You can go the comrade route first, and if this does not yield the expected results, go down the bed-comrade route anyway.

Herpderp final solution joke

Oh, you're a virgin? Jeez. How'd that happen? Anyway, forget seduction. That's a bad call. Connections. Learn to flex those social skills!

Say you're a country girl looking to trade a good time for some info. You don't have to seduce anyone. Make yourself out as a piece of fresh meat and they will fight over you.

>>319109
Might want to shelve the seduction bit. Try to trace the smell of alcohol.

Muriel 2011/07/03(Sun)12:26 No. 321081 ID: e1359e
File 130972118284.jpg - (99.85KB , 800x600 , page18.jpg )

Yes... yes. I like this idea better. What could have been may have been horrific.

>>319349
I have always felt trapped, as if in a box in social situations. It is not so bad with only one other person, but in a crowd, I feel by myself. Boys do not really dig that. Plus I live in a hole and kind of only get to shower twice a week when I am in town.

>>319435
>>319416

This leaves me with a few options. I feel like I already have a friend here. Norbert the watchman seems nice, and he saved my life, so at the very least he is an ally. I could go find Norbert, or trace the alcohol smell. Or I guess anything else, but I can not think of anything smart right now. Where to?

Suggestion 2011/07/04(Mon)00:06 No. 321438 ID: b6ca92
File 130976316590.png - (24.15KB , 997x1030 , me-gusta.png )

>>321081
>me gusta
This is your expression. To this day I still have no idea what it's supposed to convey.

>>321081
Find Norbert for now. I don't know how drunks could help you in this situation.

In the interest of not causing another tie let's talk to Norbert and find out if there's anything we can do for him in exchange for ink.

Or maybe HE knows about Peter Lucky?

>>321081
Go the drunks. They're often loose with information with only a minor amount of coaxing. Plus, any social problems you may have would be less recognizable in their stupor. Hell, maybe alcohol might loosen you up as well.

>>321438

Liking something that usually isn't likable but you like it anyway cuz you're a creepy fuck.

Go find Norbert again and tell him you need to find Peter Lucky, or someone who knows about him. Names are good. Personal leads are better than ink theft.

I totally forgot about quests for a while. I'm happy this one is still going!

Muriel 2011/07/14(Thu)21:25 No. 326468 ID: e1359e
File 131070392693.jpg - (41.66KB , 800x600 , page19.jpg )

Bam banna badda (travelling music)

The alcohol smell is starting to fade, even though there is still a faint taste of the week lemon-lime fizz that I drank earlier buried somewhere beneath the crust of dust.

Muriel 2011/07/14(Thu)21:25 No. 326469 ID: e1359e
File 131070395933.jpg - (70.98KB , 800x600 , page20.jpg )

It looks like the smart soldiers are in bed already. It must be a lot of work to manage a camp this size.

I would bet that Norbert is in one of these tents. I can call-

"PSST"

I look around my feet for a FLATS SNAKE, but there does not seem to be one. Which tent should I look in

fi-

"PSST. HEY."

Muriel 2011/07/14(Thu)21:27 No. 326470 ID: e1359e
File 131070403218.jpg - (138.64KB , 800x600 , page21.jpg )

That guard is calling me from between two tents.

"Here is a bit of friendly advice: do not go sniffing around the barracks at night. You'll get in big trouble."

"From you?" I ask, since she seems like the one who should be yelling at me right now.

"No, no. Come here, I want to talk to you."

I go over, and she speaks. She seems to be very friendly, and sincerely out for my safety.

"My name's Layla, sharpshooter for the 134th Polis Guard. Listen, I need you to do something for me right now. Keep your voice down. I have a parcel that I need delivered for a very important matter. I can not deliver it since I am on night watch, and I can not have anyone see me go."

"What is it?" I ask, not expecting an answer. Surprisingly, her expression dissolves to concerned seriousness.

"You are a citizen, and you deserve to know. It is a court-martial charge against Captain Leo Sun and his men. Listen, the mutiny was well-intended. People's lives were saved, but this camp can not survive under the law of a bunch of mutineers. It is just not how the military works. If they double-crossed the sergeant in the city, then they can do the same to the people. I want you to deliver this to the second in command, Lieutenant Gerald Shin. He is part of a reorganization group, and he can help restore proper balance before Sun and his men become corrupt. This court-martial order will relieve Captin Sun of his duty."

Muriel 2011/07/14(Thu)21:27 No. 326472 ID: e1359e
File 131070407153.jpg - (93.27KB , 800x600 , page22.jpg )

I take a moment for my spinning head to absorb the information.

Layla then says, "This would be a great service to the Liite people. Oh, and I will make it worth your while with a nice jug of ink, too. What is your name? I will make sure that it is appointed to you."

Norbert will want to hear about this. He is one of Sun's men. But still, a whole jug of ink...

no, while it is a nice prize you would get a LOT of soldiers here against you if you did it, while informing sun and giving it to him will earn a lot of gratitude and while they may not give you a jug i am sure they will be willing to part with some.

Deliver that letter.

>>326472

Give a false name, take the letter, give it to Norbert.

>>326472
Don't deliver it. She's talking bullshit. These guys disobeyed orders to get people out of the city alive. You owe your life to one of them, and you need to go tell him about this.

>>326472
Give out a false name, take the letter, and deliver it to Norbert.

'reorganization group' my ass. This is a SECOND MUTINY. This time it's not just abandoning your post to evacuate citizens. This is the classic 'take over the ship' mutiny.

JUG. OF. INK.
JUG.

Do it.

>>326472
You're leaving anyways. And a JUG.

A jug of ink won't help you if you're dead. Your life comes before ink... sort of. Honestly you might not want to get involved in this at all, but if you tell Layla she probably will kill you so you don't rat her out.

Muriel 2011/07/18(Mon)18:10 No. 327798 ID: e1359e
File 131103783836.jpg - (115.14KB , 800x600 , page23.jpg )

I should take this to Norbert. Layla gives me the letter, her face glowing with what appears to be sincere delight.

"You are smart to be skeptical. Change is not an easy thing, but you must think of the Liites. Captain Sun and his men are bad people that happened to do one good thing. Now, what is your name?"

I look behind my shoulder, pretending to be distracted in order to offer myself a bit of time to think up a name.

"Tsu. Mary Tsu." As I speak the name, Layla squints for a moment, but then her bright smile returns.

"Our people will owe you a debt of gratitude, Mary. Lieutenant Shin can be found in the eastern-most barracks tent. Keep your head down, if you can help it."

I am not sure how I will ever find Norbert. If he happens to be in a different direction than Shin, then I will have to avoid being spotted by Layla.

Any bright ideas?

>>327798

"I'm going to head back where I'm expected first, and then sneak off to the right tent, ma'am. That should keep anyone from getting too suspicious."

"think i've lingered around here too long already. will leave a bit then come back when the suspicions have died down.

If he's in the easternmost tent, then circling around the tents would be the best way to 'keep your head down'. Tell her you're gonna do that, except keep circling around until you find a different guard and ask them where Norbert is.

IF you get caught by her, act like you have no sense of direction. She said easternmost so just pretend you got mixed up direction by looking at your map continuously and kinda just going around in circles, stopping every now and then before switching a direction.

Muriel 2011/07/23(Sat)19:47 No. 330370 ID: e1359e
File 131147566671.jpg - (133.79KB , 800x600 , page24.jpg )

>If he's in the easternmost tent, then circling around the tents would be the best way to 'keep your head down'. Tell her you're gonna do that, except keep circling around until you find a different guard and ask them where Norbert is.

I tell her this, and she seems to think that it is a wise idea. I wave good-bye and crack off with the court order in hand.

Muriel 2011/07/23(Sat)19:48 No. 330371 ID: e1359e
File 131147571085.jpg - (33.05KB , 800x600 , page25.jpg )

DANNA DANNA DANNA NAAAA

I wander around for a while, seeing less and less people walking around the camp. It is quieter now, which makes my footsteps on the graveled flats floor seem much louder. I also eat a Choop Bar because I am really hungry. (I have ELEVEN Choop Bars remaining). I am close now to the eastern barracks block, so I start to look around for mop-headed soldiers of average height that might resemble Norbert.

Muriel 2011/07/23(Sat)19:49 No. 330372 ID: e1359e
File 131147576452.gif - (665.27KB , 600x450 , surprise.gif )

Animated

It is a bit spooky out here at night. Maybe it is because I grew up in a hole, but wide open spaces make me feel like an ant in a magnifying glass. Trapped in space with no place to hide.

"Oh, hey Muriel! I was looking for you."

Muriel 2011/07/23(Sat)19:49 No. 330374 ID: e1359e
File 131147579655.jpg - (109.44KB , 800x600 , yeesh.jpg )

Wow, he looks pretty bad!

"I couldn't really sleep, and it looks like you're still up too. I wanted to ask you something..."

I guess I would look pretty bad too if I could not sleep after a day like today. This is my last opportunity to change my mind, or I can show him the order now. Then again, I wonder what he wants to ask me. I do not want to sound like a bum, too, but I still need ink. If that weird-face guy from the mess hall was not making shit up, there should be some at the camp.

>>330374
Ask him what's up. I think we should hold off on the letter business until we know what he wants. Also if we talk to him about the letter you're gonna want to do it quietly.

Just show it to him now, you've got a time limit. Layla will eventually get suspicious, and Norbert's commander will need as much time as he can get to prepare to outmaneuver Layla's faction.

Whatever personal stuff he has on his mind can wait.

It might do to pretend that you're hiding it from Norbert, so a certain sniper with a high powered rifle won't get any ideas that you actually intend to give up her agenda. Just do a really unconvincing attempt at hiding the letter. "Oh uh *stuffs it in pants* nothing, never mind! What letter? I didn't see a letter. Why don't we change the subject?"

>>330415
Do you really think she would murder someone in the middle of a camp of soldiers, right in front of another soldier?

>>330440
>kill both witnesses very quickly/skillfully
>plant evidence on one body
>use military grade silencer

>>330522
A suppressed sniper rifle is still REALLY loud.

Muriel 2011/07/26(Tue)18:37 No. 331942 ID: e1359e
File 131173064708.jpg - (85.15KB , 800x600 , page28.jpg )

Re-update with minor logistics correction

>Just do a really unconvincing attempt at hiding the letter.
>unconvincing

I do not think that I will have much trouble with that. You saw my poker face.

Ok, I will give it to him, but do so inconspicuously.

"Yeah..." he says, "well, since you're ok, that is good. I found out that my parents and my little brother are all alive and in the camp, which is also cool. I thought that maybe you might want to go get some tea or something. Maybe you don't like tea. That is all that Captain Sun lets us drink so I kind of developed a taste for it. Uh... well, whatever, I mean"

"Do you see this thing in my hands?" I interrupt in whisper, not making any gesture toward the envelope. I really hope that Layla can not read lips through a gun scope. Actually, fuck that. I would prefer that she is not looking at me through a gun scope at all, lips or not.

"Yeah..."

"I am going to drop it on the ground accidentally, and you should pick it up for me."

He nods, and we execute the motion. I walk toward a gutter between two tents, and he follows to open the envelope.

"This is bad. This will hold up in the Pangese legal system easily if a jury can be assembled under a judge here at the camp. There is no signature under the warrant. Where did you get this?"

>>331942
Some lady that thinks Sun and his men have a decent chance of being corrupt and will take advantage of the camp. Said she'd give you ink in exchange for the favor, don't give out the name though. She's just some lady.

Drop a hint you need ink for bribery to help in your quest for Lucky Pete and just turned down a convenient deal, but don't make it too strong a hint. Gotta make him guilty. Give the hint a subtle lament tone to it in structure and voice instead of the standard bitchy "I want this and I'm gonna get it from you" hint.

Muriel 2011/07/28(Thu)20:49 No. 333336 ID: e1359e
File 131191138190.jpg - (87.51KB , 800x600 , page29.jpg )

I tell him that another soldier offered me a jug of ink to put this order through the surviving legal system to overthrow Captain Sun's incumbent justice (my actual words are not that fancy and I think that I used a few wrong words but Norbert understands)

>Drop a hint you need ink for bribery
I don't know, asking for a reward for doing what I think is right seems a little sleazy

Plus, Captain Sun will probably not let me go unpaid for saving his ass and all of the asses of his soldiers from a skewed court trial and possibly a firefight.

"Who were you to take it to?"

"Lieutenant... Shin," I could not remember his first name. He nods

"Get some sleep, Muriel," Norbert says, "if you can. This will be cleared up by morning. Come see me in the mess hall at breakfast. I will be in uniform... uh, if that makes it any easier to find me."

Bed does sound pretty good. I need to get a change of clothes soon, too. I would have taken some from home, but I did not expect to be out long. Guess I'm not going back.

Where can I get some new clothes for tomorrow? I should try to avoid Layla. I can easily tell her that I delivered the order, but I am not a good liar and it would be very awkward

>>333336
Gerald Shin. Though I doubt there's more than one Shin.

New clothes? Oh crap. Do you have any money on hand? We can just go buy some from... someone. Shit, I doubt anyone actually brought clothes. You may have to ask whoever's running the official civilian services.

Muriel 2011/07/29(Fri)22:03 No. 334012 ID: e1359e
File 131200222618.jpg - (76.17KB , 800x600 , page30.jpg )

>>333423
There are tons of Shins, but only one General by that name, I am sure.

You are right. This is just day one... I am sure that some order will come out of this once the power struggles have all come to rest.

I'll just talk to Norbert tomorrow. He'll probably know a bit more about how this place is going to be run.

Just day one. I am going to get some sleep now. Wake me early.

End Chapter 1

You got it, toots.

HEY HEY LISTEN

Are you asleep yet?

Are you are you are you?

Is it time to wake up?

Is it time for presents? =D

Lean harder, you're almost there.