>>376844
Dude.

Sera sacrificed a thousand lives to US.

Of course he's blasphemous. We're all blasphemous.

"Can we wait until night?" I ask.

"...I'd prefer not to. Jesters can be pretty bad for any hostages."

"They might have hostages?"

"Captives is a better word. But yes, it's an outlier possibility. Does that change your plans?"

"No. Not really..."

I explain the first part of my plan to her:

"First, I need to get close enough to get line of sight on one of them - I'll cast a spell to make him sick. This should draw some attention from the other side - lightening the forces while I make my way around. If you want, you can try going in then, or I can disable one or two of the guards with darkness."

She thinks for a moment. "Go." she says. "But be careful."

While I do, another plan occurs to me - I could summon a demon on the exterior of the base, or once inside, within it. It may prove hostile to me, but there'll be a lot of other targets, too...

Either way, I've circled a quarter of the way around the tent. I concentrate on the open flap there - and Cast.

I taste shit. Not just the taste, but the texture, runny and filled with half-digested maggots, rotten meals, live insects, running down my tongue and into my throat...

I vomit onto the sands, but I rise and run back to where Rose was, then after her as she raises her weapon and fires thrice, the weapon roaring like her own bloodline. The sole guard falls, gun firing into the air.

Leave the demon summoning for a desperation measure.

No need to waste good sacrificial mater-- I mean, we don't want to hurt innocents.

tell Rose of Shar- uhh, Rose Avalon to stay in cover. you're going to summon a demon in the midst of the incoming opponents.

>>376984

uh. I doubt we could sacrifice these ones without getting caught.

I take it the spells were successful, though I think we should find way to make casting less, umm, distracting.. Really, you can not afford to start retching or vomiting in the middle of a fight. A solution must be found, since at how badly it seems to affect you, I doubt you will live long enough to get used to it at this rate.

Also, summoning a demon is too risky in this situation, as it is unlikely it would differentiate between friend, foe and hostage.

>>376984
Given that our ally seems to care about innocent hostages and such, it would seem prudent that we would only sacrifice any jesters who are incapacitated. Nobody will should be bothered by that. I am also not convinced you are completely fine with indiscriminately sacrificing everybody you come across, no matter what transpired in the vault(we do not actually know what happened there, other than people are dead and she has magic now).

Yeah, admittedly I was the one hoping for a Paladinfag run.

But yeah, these Jester bitches sound like they deserve a good sacrificing. Take 'em alive if you can manage.

We may be able to get 1 sacrifice out of this, might.

I run in behind Rose as she kicks over a table and ducks behind it. I join her, drawing my pistol and turning on the laser. A few seconds later, a hideous stench assaults me.

"oh god."

"What did you think they used on the tent? Paint?"

"oh, god."

She rolls her eyes, popping up to unload four rounds into another fellow with a large rifle while several more charge towards us around tables and chairs - and I get an idea.

my ears are filled with horrid noises as darkness engulfs the four men charging through a sort of dining area, the sound of wooden furniture colliding, screams of pain, and at least one cry of death - followed by shallow laughter that slowly fades. I pump 4 more rounds into the centre of the fog-like darkness, I don't think any hit as I slide back behind cover, a bullet missing me close enough to tear a gash in the sleeve of my suit.

You have earned the Trait: Combat Caster (Rank 1)

"Stick behind cover unless you've a clear shot." Rose says. "There's three more on us, at least five after that and Greyface. And there's so little Life-damned cover here..."

The area is a huge, circular bloodbath, with several different rings. At one end sit a few squat buildings, and one very lavish-looking (By bandit standards) room overlooking the area. Other than that, the only cover is tables, chairs, and... That's it. The men from the lookout are coming down at 2 o'clock, three of them...

To be honest I'm frightened, and I don't really want to move!

>>377068
So, if I get this right, there are four bandits ahead of you, stumbling around in Darkness tripping on tables and chairs. Three bandits are coming from the right side, at the 2 o'clock position with you facing the bandits in the Darkness. You are also in the tent, I think, so darkness should last ten minutes. Giving you time to deal with the incoming three bandits.

See if you can cast Pain on one of them. Preferably the leading one, if there is such a thing. If you are lucky, he might stumble and cause them to falter for a bit, giving you a good moment to shoot them. If you are not lucky, you will have at least messed with one of them.

>>377068
Shoot 3-4 times more into the darkness. Who knows if you might get lucky. This is to make sure that your foes in the darkness get confused about where you're going to be.
Then move to some cover, an upturned table, anything really. Just make sure you get a clear shot to the sentries that are coming down. Last of all reload.

try to aim from behind cover by listening. I mean, you've got like 4 ears, sheesh.

>I taste shit.
>I vomit
>my ears are filled with horrid noises
Is this backlash from casting spells? because those are some pretty crippling backlash effects and very dangerous to you in combat.

>>377116
Hence why I keep telling people that giving our enemies mutations is not an effective offensive tactic.

(That and the fact we have no guarantee we won't just be giving our enemy a WEAPON.)

Notice we had a similar effect when we muddled our own mutation and got an extra set of ears.

Plus, it's not like you can cast the spell fifty bajillion times in a millisecond.

>>377121
well, so far all the mutations we saw were either harmless or a powerup... so granting mutations to others in combat is pretty dumb, yes.

>>377122

>>/tg/317806

>>377122
As I've said we cannot use ourselves as yardstick because we got a perk to mitigate negative effects of mutations. Other's getting them may be able to get the same benefits we get with time but initially they will have problems.

>>377121
That I agree with. Pain and Sickness are better offensive spells because there is no guarantee the problems a new mutation causes will impact the opponents ability to fight.

>>377068
You have frightening presence. Make use of it. Ask Rose to loose a giant roar. Being Lion-Blooded make sure her roars are better than yours. Then follow >>377085

>>377155
"Rose, can you Roar for me?"

She raises an eyebrow, then takes a deep breath.

Fear is a funny thing. Amorphous and wild, I've learned a lot about it back home. Mostly? People don't want to die. There's something about the sound of a lion's roar that shocks you to the core - that tells you "The King is here, and he wants to kill you."

Rose turns, grasping the lip of the table as she rises, ad her mouth opens wide to show those wonderfully sharp fangs - a rumbling, peircing sound tearing from her throat.

Even nihilists like this are shocked by shocked by it. I emerge from cover to see them stopped cold, all three, and cast my hand forward.

>[Combat Casting]
>[Frightful Presence]

I feel hundreds of spiders on my body, but I don't let it phase me as I look down upon them.
"Run, mongrels!" I add in, as one of them screams in agony, gripping his arm as his gun falls to the floor...

>[Lucky Shot]
...And discharges, blowing away the top half of his head.

The other two look at one another, and I capitalize.
"Don't wait for me to make you die next, rats."

They catch the hint and flee past us, only for Rose to take two shots, and they both fall dead just outside.

"Impressive." Rose remarks.

The bandits in the darkness have calmed after wrestling with the furniture some more, and have seemed to decide it's better to simply wait.

Me and Rose have essentially dispatched all current threats. What now?

Look for Greyface. That bastard's gotta be around here somewhere.

>>377175
It would be unwise to leave them be. Even if they are in Darkness for the maximum duration, the spell could end at an inconvenient time, allowing them to come after you and attack your rear as you deal with Greyface and his five bodyguards.
If you can convince your ally to not kill them, this might be a good opportunity to incapacitate them with Sickness, Pain and aimed shots by your ally, preparing them for sacrifice, though it would require the ability to stop the spell(not sure you have that) or wait until it ends.
Waiting could be problematic, as it is doubtful Greyface, being a bloody clown, is going to wait until you two show up to confront him.

>>377194
I gotta say this guy is right. You've only delayed Grayface's bodyguards and delayed them by ten minutes, less now. Problem is now if you take them out, Greyface may try to run for it. If you go after Greyface, he'll probably delay you until his bodyguards come and you'll be screwed.

I'd take out the bodyguards first. Try not to kill them all, incapacitating them is better. If Greyface does escape, you'll have some people to interrogate, and when I say you, I mean Rose. If not, sacrifice away.

>>377175

ahem. you mean "Rose and I", young lady. grammar is very importaint, you know. but well done, with the roar. just tell Rose to try and take some jesters alive next time... for private reasons, of course.

I think you should try and find the captives as fast as you can- their (and our) safety should be our biggest concern right now.

>>377386
To avoid further problems if you two decide to work together after this mission, I think it would be best if you do not hide what you plan to do with any prisoners.
As long as you state that you have no plan on doing so to innocents, sacrificing murderers/bandits should be fine with her. Also, I dislike the idea of hiding a persons nature. More fun with all the cards on the table, heh.

>>377388
>RE: Sacrifice.

"We have a minute - the Darkness will fade in a bit, and I want to make something clear before we continue."

"Go on." Rose says, still checking ahead and around.

"How... How do mages and the like get spells normally? Do you know?"

"I never really stopped to ask. I just assumed there were still spellbooks out there or something."

"Uhm. Well. I have a book, but... I need to sacrifice living people to get more spells."

She rankles visibly - as if smelling something terrible. "And, and I might need to do that to any living, incapacitated Jesters."

She takes a deep breath, assembling a response. "So, if you could disable them, instead of -"

"Yes, I understand. But only bandits, people like this." she interrupts. "It's bad enough as it is - if you slaughter innocents for power, you're no better than they." she checks the slide on her gun. "And you know what happens to 'they'." she adds with gruesome finality.

"I understand."

"Now then. I'm sorry about this, but we need to hurry." she says, pulling something from her bag - a small sphere - and pulls a pin from it. She lobs it into the darkness. There's a loud bang, and a soft, gurgling cry.

"The prisoners are likely in the smaller building - the better-kept one likely houses Greyface, along with whatever..." she shudders, "Entertainment he may be enjoying."

I think for a moment.

"We should face Greyface now." I say. "So that we don't have to worry about him with the prisoners."

Rose nods, and we approach the door to the well-kept building, standing on either side of the door, hearing faint, faint music, and hyenalike laughter interspersed with random gunshots.

How should we make our entrance?

Man what's he already shooting at?

Well, we're not gonna get anywhere being stealthy thanks to, well, US. My suggestion is we go in hard and use our combined terrifying presence to disable as many of the fuckers as possible.

you should enter ballsily, say something creepy like before and cast pain on their boss to scare the shit out of his mooks.

Does anyone else think we should Pot one in the back of Rose's head after Greyface is dead, and then sacrifice anyone else alive (prisoners, any incapacitated Jesters).

>>377498
You think she trusts us enough not to expect that after all of this?

No, I don't think that's a good idea.

@@ Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2012/01/04(Wed)18:43 No. 377581 ID: d14d3e
Audio Harlequin_(Piano__advanced_version).mp3 - (1.08MB , Harlequin (Piano_ advanced version).mp3 )

>>377497
>>377495
>Go in hard

"Let's make a show. They like shows, right?"

Rose smiles, nodding, and she kicks the door down, hard. One-two shots, and she steps inside as I do.

It takes a little bit for me to actually take in the scenery.

Cue music.

It's terrible. Horrific, and terrible. Intestines hang from the ceiling like streamers - some not all that recent. Heads sway back and forth on strings like balloons, torsos decorate the walls with some skinned faces stretched into manic grins and sad frowns. Blood paints the walls in wild, looping patterns, smiley faces, and caricatures drawn in horrible mimicry of various terrible acts.

And opposite the door, at the other wall, sits a man on a throne of wood, blood, bone, and skin. At his ankles rest two women, and in cages nearby, children - some not even alive. His face is painted in white, highlighting the lines of his skull, smudged in many places to reveal grey skin. A wild black tangle of hair crowns his head. His body looks weak, wiry, and oddly stretched, his eyes yellow-green, his clothes a pale leather painted green, done up like a jester's tunic.

[Null]
"Come on, I thought I told you - this is for your family! Do you want them to die?" he asks, a little pistol - like mine - hanging casually from one hand. The boys - no older than ten or eleven, naked from the waist up and clothed in tattered pants from the waist down, fight with human femurs. Both have bruises and welts. They stop, panting, having reached the limits of exhaustion, and the man stands up and walks over, to whisper in their ears. They let out cries of agonised disgust and he laughs, a terrible, hyenalike laugh, and he turns to us. "Joys and raptures abound! We have an audience!" he says, grasping one of the ladies by the neck and holding her before him.

Wondering why Rose isn't acting, I look over to her, and see her on her knees, hand gripping her head tightly, while the man laughs harder. "Unfortunately, you forgot to buy a ticket. Good thing we have one right here!" he says, pulling the knife closer, the woman - with long ears, I note, crying out in fear - and pain, I notice. In fact... looking around, the children are either curled up in pain, or unconscious.

... He is using Psionics.
Inflict Pain and Cause Sickness on Greyface. Shoot him in the face if you get a clear shot.

>>377586
Fake being in pain. He's using psionics and you're unaffected by it. Get up close to him and show him that he or his psionics can't outsmart boolet.

Why not play a joke on this man, seems like he likes a joke.
The joke is simple, you pretend to suffer, then you make him suffer, then you shoot him, then you laugh.

If he keeps moving shoot him more.

Of course, pretending to suffer is easier when your spells make you sick.

>>377596
This might work, though we do not know if people capable of using psionics notice when it has no effect. Seeing as they influence the minds of others, I fear it is rather likely.

All in all, I think Pain and Sickness are your best bet. Doubtful spells need any other form of aiming than knowing who your target is and seeing him, so you should have no problems, even if he is using a human shield.

Chances are psionics need at least some form of concentration, so this should, hopefully, snap everybody out of it. I believe you should cast the spells on him in quick succession, concentrate on not succumbing to the feelings the casting will cause, and if the effects leave him staggering, which should cause him to release the hostage, try to get a few body shots in.

Now, how long with a good sacrificing take and can it be done on a dying victim?

>>377586
yes, lucky you, you are a null and as such resistant to psionic attacks.

Use inflict pain on him, if he doesn't immediately collapse then use Cause sickness

Uh, wait a minute... how do you AIM your spells? Can you miss? does him holding a hostage between the two of you run the risk of you hitting the wrong person with the spell? do you need line of sight to target someone?

Four stars on the plan to break his psionics with Pain and Sickness.

Yes, attack with Pain and Sickness. If you can, concentrate Pain on his head. As soon as the woman isn't in the line of shooting anymore, shoot at his center of mass.

>Pretend to be in pain
It's a little late for that.

>Cast Pain at him.
I stare him in the eyes - those mad, manic eyes. A vision flashes before me, something horrid, but my intense concentration blocks it out as I feel the energies race through my body and into him -

And he grunts. There is a bare moment, a pressure on my head, but nothing more. But that moment is enough. Rose is on her feet again, rushing forth - only to let out another horrible cry and fall onto her knees, doubling over as that pressure pushes against my head again. No opening.

Guess I have to use sickness... Again, the sounds assault my ears, something I really can't ignore. But it passes in a moment, and again the energy races through me and at him.

And he roars in agony, dropping the girl. Confused at the effect but taking my chance, I open fire as the girl drops to the ground. Three shots, for the centre of his body - surely I'll hit with one, right? At this range?!

The first shot goes very wide as I overestimate the pull my trigger has, the bullet thunking into the floor near his foot. The second goes too far to the left, my arm swinging too erattically in my panic - and the third, too far to the right, as I overcorrect.

Soon the effect of my spell ceases, or at least, he grows used to it, as he sways there, eyes half-lidded. With his hands at his side, I notice what my spell did - at the side of his head, there's a massive swelling, at least the size of an apple.

"Good show. Too bad you fucked up the finale. Looks like I'll have to fill in." he says, lunging forth, knife held in a strong reverse grip - those thin legs having more strength than I expect.

[Coward]

I let out a low cry of terror as I back away, falling on my ass and scooting as he slams the knife down, gouging a deep gash in my arm, and again -

entirely severing my pinky finger.

I let out a scream of pain and he laughs even harder.

No no no this can't be happening no no please i dont want to die!

that fucking Greybutt. cast everything on him- pain and sickness and shit. twice.

PLAGUE DISEASE. FOCUS ON THE LUMP, FOCUS THE SICKNESS ON IT!!!

Panicked spell casting seems more effective than shooting now, and sickness seemed to have larger effect

Summon demon?

Well, this seems to be going to hell rather swiftly..

No matter, he has closed the distance, and Sickness seems to distract him if the effect is big enough. Also, casting does not seem to take that much time, making it a nice, quick way to lash out with. That, and you are a shitty shot.
If you have the ability to focus the Sickness spell anywhere, try to aim it at the already present swelling on his head, hopefully making it worse or the arm that has the knife.

Alternatively, as I said before, he has gotten close, which means using Pain on him again could allow Rose to make it to him.

On the demon part, I think this is actually too chaotic of a situation to summon something over which you need to assert dominance over or achieve an accord with. Perhaps it would be best to summon a demon at a later date, where you could deal with it if it does not go well. It is a permanent summon, after all.

Wait, she already has a demon. Legion. Us. Can we manifest ourselves physically?

If not just cast Sickness repeatedly.

Summon demon might be a bad idea since the demon summoned is NOT LOYAL. Also it is considered anathema and means we will probably have to do away with our newfound ally.

Before you resort to it, how about hitting him with nausea again, it worked last time didn't it?

Well, use Sickness to screw up his mind, brain and equilibrium, then use your frightening presence when he is disorientated. Hopefully, this will give you enough time so you can reach your gun and shoot him.

>>377749
>>377745
>>377739
>>377726
>>377725

I attempt to focus a spell, bringing me more pain than even before as he drops to his knees to straddle me, holding the weapon high. The nausea courses through me, but I try to bring the spell to bear -

Only to lose it, forced to jerk my head aside as the blade slams into the where it had been moments ago.

Again, I draw the spell, but this time, the blade comes down and slams through my ear, and the resultant pain courses through my body. The third time, though, I run through the whole process as he raises the weapon, and let it off - though I'm starting to feel tired and woozy, and the spell doesn't feel like it's all it could be.

Nonetheless, he pauses, the swelling on his head twitching - and that's plenty of time for Rose to slam into him from one side, knife flying and nicking my thigh's armor. Rose brings her gun to bear, and one, two shots, ruins his hands with bullets to the wrists. I rise, unsteady, and feel a sharp stab in my back.

I turn slowly. Rose?
"It'll only hurt for a moment." she says, though everything is getting very blurry. "We need to get..." and then I can't hear anymore, everything going black. The last thing I feel is my book falling from my hand.

[DISCONTINUITY]

There's a soft, persistent beeping. My everything hurts. Uuuugh... Where...

My clothes don't feel right. They open at the back, except for a series of knots, all the way down. My underwear's gone. I don't feel the familiar weight of my possessions - but the book rests on the table beside me. I pick it up, reassured by the supple binding.

beep. beep. beep. There are tubes sticking into me, a thingy is clamped on my thumb. I notice sadly that my pinky is still missing. My arms are bared, and there's a scar where I was cut...

Sitting next to my bed, head rested on it and asleep, is Rose, though she'd not wearing as much armor and she's unarmed. Thus dressed, I notice better her curves and figure, and I feel... slightly jealous? She's pretty. Her ears flick towards me, and one eye opens.

"Hey, clown-killer. You feeling okay?"

I will live.
What happened after I passed out?

don't worry, you'll give yourself succubi traits once you get better at mutation.

so. are you feeling okay?

How is you ear and which one was cut, anyway? A mutation one or a real one?

A bit disappointing that no sacrifices could be made, due to passing out, but It is good you survived. This little mission seemed to have been beyond your current abilities, so you were lucky to live.

>>377839
I agree on this point. No purpose in being jealous as your current form is transient at best.

Ah, now might also be a good time to ask what plans Rose has, to see if you two will be working further together.

lessoned learned:
1. some enemies show uncanny resistance to spells.
2. spells take time to cast and can be interrupted.
3. spells have severe backlash when cast.
4. you need to get some hand to hand training from rose so you don't get killed so easy when an enemy closes in to melee.
5. allies are good to have.
6. you are not ready to take over the world
7. powerful (magic/psi) individuals are common enough that you need to rely on cunning rather then brute force.

I say we stay with rose longer, get some training in shoot and hand to hand combat (at least dodging aspect of it). Get better armor too. And finally

>>374983
>"Why do people trap the Gibbers?"
>"People trap'em to stickem in tubes and hand over to Olneigh for the lockup. They're right effective at keeping Psions like me in their place." he says. "Get near one of them and they'll set your brain bubblin'."

Get a gibber pet!

>>377856

or craft one into a living hat.

>smudged in many places to reveal grey skin
>massive swelling, at least the size of an apple.
>the swelling on his head twitching

Looking back I think Greyface was not quite a natural Psi. One thing we desperately need is more lore of what kind of beings and animals can be found in the wastes.

Another thing, did Rose pick our pinkie? Did we get it reattached or is it really lost?
For the near fuuture we should improve our shooting and knowledge, what kind of animals, beasties and people range the wastes and what other people know about demons.
Preferable with Rose, if she intends to stay close to us. Giving she waited on our waking in the hospital, I think chances aren't bad that she stays.

>>377879
As lovely as both ideas are on paper, I don't think Gibbers can be trained to restrain the instinct to mindrape everyone around them.

>>377891
>smudged in many places to reveal grey skin

Not sure this is as relevant as anything else, though.

>>374970
>I sit down at the bar and the barman looks up, grey yet pallid face smiling at me as he leans a little forward.

>"You new in town? I'm Johnathan Utah. Folks around here just call me Utah, or bartender. What's your poison?"

Pretty sure we've seen Greyface's like before.

I feel alright. There's no pain - missing a pinky feels weird, though. Rose seems to notice me staring at the stump.

"I, uh, couldn't find it." she mutters, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry. Had no ice to pack it, anyway." there's a pause, then she speaks up again. "Uhm. The doctor is seeing to the other kids, the ones who we managed to save."

"H-how many?"

"Seven. Seven children." she says. "We saved Seven children."

It seems such a small number. I mean... There were so many cages and there was a whole building...

"Only that many...?"

"Sera, when you deal with bandits as long as I have, you learn that even saving one child from them is a miracle. We... You... did great things yesterday. Once you're discharged, we're going to celebrate." she says with a soft smile. "I'll introduce you to Buster, even."

I smile back.

"Say, uhm. You and me..."

"I'm not sure if 'we' can be a thing, Sera. But... I'll see about it. You were quite helpful, even if you did nearly get yourself killed." she smiles. "But you're stuck here until the doctor clears you, 'less you feel like running around town in that gown."

"Alright. Are you going anywhere?"

"Nowhere to go. And you're decent company anyway."

Ask who Buster is.

Also, yay, Rose is keeping us company!

So, that crazy jester leader was talking about "your family"... was he just spouting crazy gibberish or do you know him and/or any of the victims?

>>377900
He was talking to the kids that he was forcing to fight to the death on stage.

Admit to being a bit disappointed about not having had a chance to sacrifice any bandits..

Also, while you are not going anywhere ask her if she knows anything about demons and demonic magic. Couldn't hurt to see if she has more knowledge on the subject.

I'm quite curious about, uh, how to say this nicely, her nature.

>>377914
We asked already, she said she was born that way and to not ask further... so lets not ask further.

>>377915

but I really wanna.

>>377899
This is awesome of her; be very thankful.

"Thanks for sticking around." I smile.

"It's no biggie." she waves it off, sitting on the bed again.

"So... who's Buster?" I ask.

"A friend. Works in the bar - well, not in the bar exactly, but... You get the..." she looks at me and stifles a giggle. "Oh, you've not been around long. Well, you'll see when you meet him. He's a right gentleman."

I'm not sure how to respond to that...

"I should have sacrificed Greyface..."

"Eh. There's a lot of bandits." she says. "Besides, most mages I know only know a couple spells anyway - they prefer to master and apply a few rather than only know the bare workings of dozens." she shrugs. "At least, that's what he said." she adds.

"What do you know about demons?"

"Not a whole lot - other than even the smallest of them is a bitch to fight. They're almost all at least as smart as a cat, if not as intelligent as a person. And all of them love to see us hurt, if only in different ways."

It isn't long before the doctor arrives, a tall man with a hound's dark fur and snout. His eyes are severe.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that all of the orphans suffered nothing untreatable - time will only tell if their poor minds will recover."
"And the woman?" Rose asks.
"She'll be alright, but none of the children were hers, apparently. She's adopting some, and it turns out she has some talent with healing magics - so she'll be helping out around here, when people are willing to take that sorta treatment."

The doctor turns to me.
"Miss Sera. You're alright, I just wanted to be sure I saw you on the way out. Jameson, he works the counter? He'll return your armor and weaponry. You're free to go. But one of the children wanted to see you."

He moves aside, and a small girl - no older than maybe ten - approaches. Her large blue eyes stare breifly at my horns, and I notice a jagged scar on her neck as she approaches. Tiny little wings covered in white down sprout from the sides of her temples, as well as a pair on her ankles.

She reaches out and hugs me, having to partially climb on the bed to reach.

"She can't talk." the doctor says. "Simple sounds, yes, but..." he shakes his head. "She also has some talent with healing magics - and has used it, it seems. "Anyway. Do you feel alright? You're free to go if you can stand."

I carefully get up, and while dizzy at first, make my way to the counter to get my things - changing back into my outfit in a nearby room.

I notice my backpack to be a bit heavier.

"There was some things I managed to pick up on the way out - some chip, some salvage that I sold. You got half that since I had to carry you back and pay for healing."

Where do I go now? Is there anyone in Transit I want to talk to?

>>377942

I can not help but think that this is one of those moments where we should ask the girl if she wants to come with us..

Other than that, take Rose up on her offer to go celebrate and meet this "Buster", who I think might be a mage, perhaps.

>>377950
well, why not. Adopting a child with healing talents will be SUPER useful. Plus she is adorable.
Naturally we can't take her into combat anytime soon, or while traveling with Rose though.
"Can you write dear?" if yes use writing to communicate with her.
Ask her or the doctor if she can't write:
her name, if she has any relatives.
ask the doctor where the children are going to stay, who will care for them, and whether you can visit. Goal is to build up the connection a bit more and then adopt her... and possible other children (especially any with the right talents).

Stick with rose for now, she is friendly, she accepts a lot of you (even sacrificing... as long as its bad guys) and you really need the assistance right now.

Just keep mum about demons and don't get drunk, as they say "in went the wine out went the secret"

She's got Angelic mutations? Interesting. Too bad she can't heal her own vocal chords, from the look of it. Or doesn't care to.

Adopting her might be dangerous to her health, though, if we intend to take her with us. Are we really about to go recruiting a child soldier?

In any case I suggest we go see Billy and Tammy and MAYBE Nickel before we go anywhere else?

Also ask dog-doctor if he sells medical supplies for on-the-go.

>>378013
>Doesn't heal self
He said she was working on it, but its not quite right yet. She can make sounds but not proper speech.

And we don't have to take her into combat for her to be super helpful, we can get a house in the city, have her in the house. We go out for combat while she gets a babysitter... and when we come home, magic healing!

>>378013
To be fair, I was not thinking in the child soldier kind of way. More in a traveling companion to care for. Since the world is a wasteland, I figure surviving alone is not so easy and I doubt there are THAT many people willing to adopt others.

Besides, we could either obtain a living space in this town for her to stay at when we do some missions and such or rent a room in an inn when ever we go to other towns so we are not separated, but still do not take her directly into danger.

Also, besides all of the above, the interaction provided from such a situation would be quite interesting from a plot perspective. Somebody to acquire things for, instruct, try to get to talk, etc..
Kinda hoping the next update wont be: "Ah, you want to adopt her? Well, she is one of the children the women adopted."

Thinking about the child makes me frown. One one hand, it would be nice to have a cheaper alternative to this. But on the other, caring for a child isn't exactly something you do in your spare time, either.

"Rose, about the gir-"

She fixes me with a gaze that roots me to the ground. Rose hasn't been angry with me the entire time I've known her, but now... Now I feel like a gazelle or something stalked by a lion.

I am honestly afraid of her.

"Children stay in town." she says simply, with such simple authority that I find myself nodding.

"Of course. H-how hard is it to get a home here?"

"In the station? You'd need a lotta chip. As for outside, just build a hut of your own."

Mmmf. I don't like either of those options. "Guards try to keep an eye on the shanty, but it's pretty big. You'd have more to worry about from other folk here than from outside - things taken, most often. The big R and other violent crime isn't as common, but..." she sighs. "Olneigh's needed for a reason, you know?"

The more I talk, the more it seems like adopting her would be a bad idea - she needs a real parent, not a wasteland adventuress. I'm barely 19, myself. More a big sister than a mom.

Moving from that subject...

"Doctor?"

"Yes?" he asks, looking up from a clipboard.

"Do you sell supplies?"

"... When I have spare. Unfortunately, most of my things come from Jamestown - with only Tinsel offering trade at the moment, I'm afraid I'm a little scant."

"Oh, okay."

I take a deep breath. "Well then. Shall we celebrate?"

"Sure." Rose says.

We make our way back to the bar, where Utah is standing in the centre of the room. It seems so strange to see him standing - his prescence behind the bar felt somehow permanent.

"Ah, the conquering heroes." he says. "You get a free round, on the house! Greyface was making us fellow orcs look bad, you have my thanks." he says. "What would you ladies like!"

"Morning roar, please~" Rose says, already relaxed. Her tail slowly makes a pendulum back-and-forth, not lashing, not still... more lazy. And when she walks, her hips...

"Sera?" he asks, and I'm jilted from my reverie. "Lass, Scarlet will probably talk to you in a minute, but what can Utah get you?"

I feel a blush come to my lips, and I stammer out that I just want what Rose wants. She quirks an eyebrow.

"Are... you sure? It's kinna heavy."

"I'm sure!"

He chuckles and begins to work as I sit down, noticing that my own tail is already mimicking Rose's. For the first time, I actually get a better look at the whole of the bar, or as Utah puts it, his Forget-the-world. The tables are littered with people of all sorts, and in the corner under the stairs rests the same man from before with the chilling gaze. The place feels warm, open, and somehow... soft.

And that's when I see Buster, as Rose calls to him. The first thing I notice is that he's really only wearing a very short set of cutoff jeans. ...Really short. His figure is slim, more like a runner or a swimmer, and fit. Soft brown fur covers his body, and long floppy ears droop on either side of his head, framing a slightly feminine face. His eyes, a solid green, glow softly in the dim light of the bar as he approaches, giving Rose a tight hug.

He has a little cottonball tail, but I hardly notice.

"Rose! How are you~?"

"I'm fine." she says. "This is Sera."

He turns to me, and despite myself I find color rising to my cheeks for the second time within the hour.

"Hey there~. What can I do for you?"

Oh.

Oh God.

Buster.

And he's a bunny.

(And apparently a whore.)

I get it.

Righty, first off, ask Rose if she thinks the girl will be okay or what her chances are.

Second, anybody willing to set: "acquire house in town" as a longer term objective? I am a bit undecided on that.

Thirdly, what type of STD's exist in this world and should Sera worry about that..

oh lawdy, sexy furry prostitutes. marvelous. welp, you moght as well introduce yourself to him- after all, Rose wanted you to meet him for some reason.

NO HEAVY DRINKING! Actually no drinking alcohol at all if you can help it.
Put the drink down, you have too many secrets that we KNOW will cause you be lynched to be able to afford to drink.

>(And apparently a whore.)
I don't think he is one. Just a player...
Rose was actually looking at having him as a potential ally in attacking the jesters.
>His eyes, a solid green, glow softly
I am pretty sure this means he is a powerful psychic, based on what we have seen thus far... Or maybe a mage. Do our eyes glow? Might want to ask about that.

>Thirdly, what type of STD's exist in this world and should Sera worry about that..
We are not ready to be knocked up so lets just avoid sex FOR NOW at least.
>Righty, first off, ask Rose if she thinks the girl will be okay or what her chances are.
Upvoting, we are concerned after all, we were serious in our concern for the children and we shall visit again even if we don't really care our reputation requires that we pretend to... although I must admit that I personally do care; I suck at being a villain :P
>Second, anybody willing to set: "acquire house in town" as a longer term objective? I am a bit undecided on that.
With the "conquer the world by might of force" plan on indefinite hold due to the sheer amount of POWERFUL individuals, "control it through subterfuge (at least for now)" is the remaining option and a house in town is a very good idea.

>>378131
Eh, I was just asking about the diseases in case it went that way by popular vote. I have no wish for Sera to get knocked up at this time.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree with every point you listed.

Wow, he is almost as attractive as Rose!

>>378135
Also like her is interested in us...
And we are apparently bi

>Where do I go now? Is there anyone in Transit I want to talk to?

I still want to know more about the 'Dark Tunnel'. That's the one place we haven't visited so far. And I don't mean going there to buy company. Just because it's a brothel doesn't mean it's not important. Quite the other way around in such waystation town a Transit.

>Second, anybody willing to set: "acquire house in town" as a longer term objective? I am a bit undecided on that.
I am willing to second acquiring a home as a long term goal. That may be house in town, not necessarily in Transit. On the other hand it may be a vault with a good water source or a wagon home with a nomadic tribe, perhaps of Lion-Blooded. Lets not get too specific with long term goals.

Blush furiously while mumbling incoherently. Obviously.

This would actually be a good time to know whether Sera has had sex before or not.

Best option, of course, would be a threesome.

That was the first place you visited.

>>378124
>NO DRINKING.

Spoilsport. I guess you're right, though.
"N-n-uh, I, er." Words fail me and Buster chuckles as Rose leans close to whisper to him.

"Rose, you know I'm better with... and prefer... men." he replies quietly, though he's not very good with subtle. "If you want me to get Ricky, or Scarlet..."

Rose waves it off, fixing him a look and whispering again.

"...Oh, it's like that." he says, and smiles with a little nod. He smiles back at me. "Listen, your friend rose bought you three hours of my time." he says, tapping the counter twice. When Utah looks up, Buster shows him three fingers, and is handed a red-colored shot glass.

he places this in my hand. "When you're ready to, ah, enjoy my company privately, hand that to the creepy-looking dude with the blue eyes." he says, pointing at the man under the stairs. "He'll tell you my room number and when I'll be ready for you. Don't worry." he leans close to whisper. "I'm very gentle."

Rose watches my face as Buster departs, and I find it hard to resist watching him go. A few seconds later, Rose bursts out laughing.

"Totally worth the chip for the look on your face."

"That was a prank?!"

"No, if you turn in the glass, it's the real deal. But if you're not ready for it, we can get a refund." she says softly.

I carefully set it on the counter, and look at my drink forlornly.

"Listen, Sera. You should know, a person's past don't matter all that much to me. You showed me well enough yesterday that whatever you did for your spells - you're walking the right path now."

The right path.

I still can't remember properly what happened in that vault. It feels strongly like I lost something important - but I can't place my finger on it.

You, too, feel something was lost there - though you can feel it more like a missing limb.

I nod quietly, absentmindedly sipping the drink. I almost cough it out. The taste hits me after the initial bitterness - like... coffee and cream and very, very strong liqueur. Rose giggles and downs her drink quickly, snapping the drink glass onto the counter with a refreshed look on her eyes.

"It's a little hot at first, but guzzling helps."

I stare down at the drink, the brown liquid reminding me of Buster's coat - and Rose's. I wonder if she's the same color all over...

>NO ALCOHOL

I think over the day, the horrible feelings of casting again and again, the sights I've seen, the lives I've ended - both at home (though I can't remember how) and in that tent. These will haunt me forever... Every sense it touched. The sight of those horrible, horrible paintings and gory decorations, the sounds of terrible laughter. The feeling of the gun in my hand, the book held tight in the other like a part of me. The solid earth under my back as Greyface straddled me... The smell and taste of blood in the air and in my mouth.

>NO

But...

>ALCOHOL

I could forget

>NO

For a little while

>Alcohol

It'd all go away...

>...

Fuck it.

I knock the drink back hard, swallowing it as soon as it slides past my tongue. The tastes that I barely touched before flicker into life, now - a full, hard hammer of grains, the softer but still earthy taste of coffee, the gentle coddling of cream. I feel the fire run down my throat and into my belly.

I feel warmth on my face and through my body, a soft buzzing in my head.

[Null Deactivated]
[Sensitive activated]

Something in my head clicks open, falls away. Barriers, something... strange falls.

I look up to Rose in worry at this strange sensation.

Is she alright? It's a pretty heavy drink to just throw back like that...
I hear
"Are you okay, Sera?" she asks, just after.
For the first time ever.

I blink, shake my head hard. Something rattles back into place.

[Sensitive deactivated]
[Null activated]

"Yeah. Another, please." I say. I can still stand up, the room isn't spinning - I just feel a little warmer, a little softer. A smile touches my face.

"Hey, Rose... What about, uh... Bad stuff?" I ask, tapping the red shot glass.

Rose smiles. "Everyone here is clean - but don't worry, if you don't check out with the Doc, we can clean you up." she wiggles her fingers a little to indicate the 'clean' to be done magically. "As for that other thing - Doc can handle that, too, so long's you visit the next morn." she says simply. "Don't worry, I didn't take you here to get you drunk and drag off to some spring mattress." she jokes, drinking her next serving.

"You're implying I'd mind, terribly."

Wait, what'd I just say!?

Rose chokes on her drink, nearly spitting it out, and I giggle at the normally confused lionblooded finally looking honestly flabbergasted. There's a long pause, a good one, as she raises an eyebrow.

"We'll see where the night takes us, eh? Utah, get her another - not so saucy, alright?"

"Rock and roll, coming right up."

"Hey, Rose. Is that girl gonna be alright?"

"She'll be fine. I wouldn't have left them if I thought them in rough hands. Don't worry. Tonight's for you! Enjoy yerself."

...
What sort of dialogue should I pursue with Rose?
Should I take up Buster's offer, or...?

>>378145
No idea what to ask about other than magic, demons and mutations..

Hmm, maybe ask her to tell you about the world on a more general scale? Like what the hell was the Calamity, how is exactly is the world dying, are there countries or is everything run more or less on a small scale, did tech cease working or just fell by the wayside due to the Calamity, etc..

>>378146
Not the place or the time to ask ANY of this.
That is all for tomorrow.

We are currently in a party and somewhat traumatized and need to wind down.

So obviously we should ask rose if she ever slept with buster.

This is so ending up as a rose/buster/us threesome

>>378148
Ah, right you are.

Obviously, Sera can not hold her alcohol very well, so while still coherent, tell Rose to stop you if you A) Become an embarrassing drunk, B) Become a sacrifice everybody/violent drunk or C) Become a mopey/I killed people drunk.
After that, drink until you black out or alternatively if you want to shack up with either of those two, that should probably be up to you, as opposed to the demonic voices of a book..

Either way, I am going to sit back and wait for a [DISCONTINUITY] and a more decision intensive moment, which will probably be tomorrow.

>>378145
Ah, I should have read a 'bar and brothel', not a 'bar' and a 'brothel' in >>374937. That hadn't gotten clear to me till the latest post.


Let's ask Rose to dance. I'm sure Utah can get some music going.


I think Rose figures Sera a virgin and tried to give us a good first time. You know with how little Rose wants to talk about Lion-Blooded, I figure she is a female nomad, a pride less individual.

Right now, I would say not to take up Buster's offer. Not ENTIRELY against it, but now's not the right time.

You should totally take Buster up on his offer. But you don't really know him, and though you trust Rose when she says he's a gentleman, you'd feel a lot better if she'd go with you. You know, just in case, just so that you could truly feel secure and enjoy yourself. Maybe forget how fucked up the world is for a couple hours.

>a full, hard hammer of grains, the softer but still earthy taste of coffee, the gentle coddling of cream

I never taste anything that eloquently. it's a shame everything's been destroyed, because you'd a made a pretty good gourmet back in the old world.

...I'm really confused about this whole Buster thing. is it common to order your fellow female mercs gay male escorts, or is there more to it than that?

Yaaaay

Sounds like an epic white russian right there. Except with like actual coffee in it or something.

I say take Buster up on his offer, he's adorable.

Do ask about his eyes, though.

@@ Shot!H508X.HbJ6 2012/01/07(Sat)12:21 No. 378205 ID: d14d3e
Audio Dean_Martin-_Ain't_That_A_Kick_In_The_Head.mp3 - (2.19MB , Dean Martin- Ain\'t That A Kick In The Head.mp3 )

I take the next drink offered to me, and drink it in one shot. Again, I'm assaulted by the variety of flavour - The rough strength of some brew of beer, with the hammer of grains, and the soft followup of some sort of syrupy flavouring. I noticed when he served it that the drink was layered, I guess it was on purpose. My head's really abuzz, now, as I smile dumbly at Rose.

"Hey, Utah." Rose asks. "Can we get some music?"

"Sure thing." he says, snapping his fingers. The jukebox in the corner whirrs to life.

Cue Music

"hey Rose, can... Can we dance?" I ask uncertainly. A gentle, careful question.

She smiles, setting down her drink and taking my hand with care as we move out to a clear space near the back. The closeness is surprisingly... warm. I rest my head on her shoulder, or rather, I nuzzle just below it, being careful about my horns. Time almost seems to slow. I'm surprised when she's the first to speak up.

"If you hadn't been there." she says softly. "I probably wouldn't have made it."

"No, I'm sure you could have done it. I'm... I wasn't that useful."

She laughs. "I lost it when he came at me..."

"Sera, I lost it right when we got into the room." she says softly. "If you hadn't had come along, I'd be dead - or worse. I'm stupid when it comes to kids. You kept me alive, and I'm thanking you."

"A-about that..." I say as we continue to swing around. "It's kinda... I mean, with Buster, it's my... I'm a..."

"You're scared, huh?"

"N-nervous. I'd feel safer with... you there."

I want to hide almost as soon as I say it, but her soft chuckle is something I can feel and hear, my ears nest to her chest as they are.

"I'll be there." she whispers. "Don't you worry."

I nod as the song slowly comes to an end and, before I lose my courage, pick up the shot glass. Wandering back to the man with the blue eyes, I present it to him.

He's huge. Wide and tall and covered with thick, rippling muscle, he simply nods.
"Room 3." he says, taking the glass.

I nod, and make my way up the stairs, not even stumbling. It feels like a dream as I enter the room and look around, the door creaking shut behind me. It's a nice room, honestly. It's kept clean, the bed, large enough to accommadate two people, is clean and made. It smells of strawberries. I've only had them once, but I'll never forget that smell.

Nervously, I sit heavily on the bed, and set the book aside, on the bedstand. It isn't until a few moments pass that I feel someone else sit beside me.

"Sorry if I lead you on about Buster." comes a soft murmur at my side - Rose's voice. Her hand touches my shoulder. "But... these are the best rooms in town. I wanted you to remember this - not a roll on a mattress in some hut." she says softly. "You can still get up and leave now, if you want..."


Stay or go?

I wonder if Rose licks herself clean like a cat...
Also, you should stay.

If you are fine with it, stay.

>>378206
Might be best not to ASK that question, though.

>>378205
STAY FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS UNHOLY.

I'm not even gonna bother voting on this one.

I wonder if the Calamity caused the ganja to go extinct. it goes way better with sex than booze. uh, I mean, that's what I hear, anyway.

>>378205
You are gonna stay. Hey, an idea. Use the time with Rose to cuddle and just say how at least Rose was brave and confident and strong while you were weak and you missed all your shots and you could have dropped Greyface but you didn't and dammit, you just feel bad.
It could be your emotions bursting after the whole getting stabbed issue or the alcohol or a mixture if both. Let's have a small breakdown up in here.

Stay... words just get in the way, use non verbal communication. A smile, reaching out ho hold hands, etc.

Stay. You've just realized you're too tipsy to get up again, after all.

>>378312

no. just don't talk.

Stay. If you aren't confident enough to pull her Rose into a hug with your arms, use your tail to pull her closer.

>Stay

"I... I'm not going anywhere." I find myself saying. I look up at her and she smiles in return, a hand rising to touch my cheek, then sliding back through my hair, gently pushing my head closer to hers. Without another moment's hesitation, she kisses me. If someone had approached me in the vault three years ago, and told me I'd be kissing a woman like this as my first, well... I'd probably call them insane.But here I am - her head tilting slightly, as she gently pushes me back onto the bed. It's... surprisingly soft, really. My heart races as she slowly pulls the zipper down on my jumpsuit. I can feel it, every inch - over my collarbone, between my breasts, over my belly, resting just below my navel. Her finger traces the line of bared skin and plain lingerie...

Is she purring?

She rises from leaning over me, knees on either side of my hips, and stretches. Her long leather duster with the armored shoulder is gone, I notice, leaving her in a sort of cross between a boiled leather cuirass and a tanktop. She smiles at me, unbuckling it and lifting it over her head before setting it aside, then undoes those slightly tight blue jeans and belt, sliding them off as well to set them aside, leaving her wearing only plaid panties. Gently, she reaches down and pulls my suit off, leaving me in my pale, white, simple undergarments.

She pauses - and I get a good look at her, while she does the same at me. Her head is crowned with a mane of red hair, truly red. Her name is apt. Green eyes seem to almost shimmer in the dim light. Her body is strong, but lean - slightly muscular, yet feminine. Her breasts...

Still small enough to have perk, but large enough to fill my hands. Her fur is dark brown all over - except for a long, bulbous line of tan that stretches from her chin to her crotch, an interesting pair of lines I trace from her neck to the sides of her breasts, stopping at the waistband of her plaid panties. Her tail lashes the air behind her.

Scars.

I almost didn't notice them - small, tiny pockmarks in her skin beneath the fur. Well-hidden. I don't even notice them until I touch them, constellations of tiny bumps and lines I find myself engrossed in. And beneath those, the skin itself, firm muscles and warmth. Each scar is a badge of a fight entered and won, or escaped. But ruminating on her nature, I don't think she's run that much. Still, I find my hands exploring her breasts again as she leans back down to kiss my neck, eliciting a gasp at the sudden novelty of feeling.She sucks softly at my neck, reaching behind me to undo my bra and pull it away, dropping it at the side of the bed with everything else as her head slides down my collarbone - anothe soft press of the lips there.

Her kisses touch the sides of my breast, her hand gently roving around its opposite, massaging me. And then her mouth latches onto my nipple, sending electricity through my body while her fingers toy with the other. I have trouble staying quiet, and I don't know what to do with my hands - opting to grip the sheets tightly. I feel a warmth in my belly, steadily building now. My breathing is more rapid and wild, my voice sometimes acting up without my consent. I can't move - The feelings running through my body paralyze me as she smirks, peeling away my last piece of clothing slowly.

...No one's seen me naked before. It feels so strange, I almost curl up, trying to hide the soft fuzz and special place. She leans close again, though she slips off her own panties as she kisses my neck again, finger teasing along my folds before finally slipping inside. And again, it's back to that wild feeling, that uncontrollability. The feeling mounts faster than before, heat rising in my body unexpectady. A tide begins to envelop me, and then my mouth opens, and -

[DISCONTINUITY]

I fall from the incredible hieghts, feeling slightly dizzy, a softness, a fuzzyness floating through my mind as I blink. Or maybe that's the alcohol? I don't even know anymore. I don't reall care.

Rose looks down at me, expectant. I kiss her again, enjoying that wonderful taste as I gently explore her. The firmness of her body is still unexpected, and so is the warmth. Even though a fuzzy sense of sleepiness invades my thoughts, I gently push it away, needing her to feel more. I get the sense I really don't understand what I'm doing. My hands feel clumsy, my fingers wonky. Even so, I work hard, slipping inside her, pushing against her, kissing, licking, my eagerness and desire making up for my lack of skill or knowledge or even talent.

It isn't long, or at least, it doesn't feel long, before she begins to shudder and shake beneath my ministrations, until she closes her eyes, her back arches, and she roars, making me blink but not pause, carrying her through it and slowing as she comes off the feeling, my own eyes fluttering as I realize how tiring it was, and curl up beside and atop her, my head resting atop her soft breasts in their warm valley, my knees pulling up, a hand resting on her belly. So warm...

The last thing I remember is the covers being pulled over us, and a gentle kiss being pressed upon my forehead.

[Thread complete!]
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>>378614

oh god why is Sera so damn adorable I thought the taint was evil and shit