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File 149662111632.png - (64.37KB , 1100x900 , 1.png )
805885 No. 805885 ID: 65a774

Because the original quest tripped on a cable and tumbled away from my original idea.
So let’s try this one more time…

Expand all images
>>
No. 805886 ID: 65a774
File 149662112787.png - (92.04KB , 900x450 , 2.png )
805886

Welcome to New Horizon, the space station for all species.

We at Tatius Off-World Habitats are grateful that you’ve chosen our services to find the right home for just you here on the space station New Horizon. Please fill out the following form so we can make your stay as pleasant as possible. Help us help you.

Question 1; What species are you:

A) Vark: Humanoid Avians. Have feathers in all the right places.

B) Sakkil: Humanoid Lizards. Scaly and sharp toothed.

C) Serpent: Humanoid Snakes. Lacks mouths but makes it up with a weak telepathy.
>>
No. 805887 ID: 7018cd

Sakkil.
>>
No. 805893 ID: 3abd97

>>805886
Birdtits.
>>
No. 805894 ID: a363ac

>>805886
C
>>
No. 805903 ID: 4854ef

Serpent!
>>
No. 805904 ID: be0718

SssC. Where are all the humans, and how come we all compare ourssselves to them? That'sss speciesist.
>>
No. 805906 ID: fc33ea

Space lizard. not even a humanoid one, if possible
>>
No. 805907 ID: 3ce125

>>805886
I'm really digging that new Serpent design.
>>
No. 805910 ID: 3373e2

Serpent
>>
No. 805914 ID: e298ee

Serpent
>>
No. 805915 ID: f21521

>Not having Cibic as an option.
You call this a reboot?
>>
No. 805919 ID: ba506f

C)
because I'm loving the new design
>>
No. 805920 ID: 173b46

>>805915
Cibic or riot!
>>
No. 805923 ID: 91ee5f

>>805886
Serpent
>>
No. 805981 ID: 7d88bd

Serpent
>>
No. 805984 ID: af6e04

Serpent
>>
No. 806018 ID: 65a774
File 149665970841.png - (76.45KB , 900x450 , 3.png )
806018

>Where are all the humans?
Humans are rare beyond human controlled space, as large majorities of them do not have the income to go off-planet.
>and how come we all compare ourssselves to them?
Species usually compare others to themselves and their languages evolve to compensate for that. Thus, as you are currently reading this in Human Common for some reason…
>That'sss speciesist.
Sssnake talk is even more speciesist, you cur.
>Cibic or riot!
Riots are strictly prohibitive… especially from officers of the law.
>Birdtits!
Please fill in any cybernetic / biological enchantments under the proper question.

>Serpent.
You are apparently a telepathic space snake.

Question 2; Which biological gender are you:

A) Male: you have a dick (Duh).

B) Ovale: You have an ovipositor and lay eggs in others (Usually females).

C) Female: You are an incubator for eggs to be fertilized and grown in.
Note: Clothes and cybernetics will change from those shown.
>>
No. 806019 ID: ba506f

B) Ovale
>>
No. 806020 ID: d1e3de

B) Digging that hood.
>>
No. 806022 ID: 4854ef

A: The rare and elusive male protagonist, virtually unknown by the Cacti Gods and other such things.
>>
No. 806030 ID: 91ee5f

>>806018
>Cibic or riot!
>Riots are strictly prohibitive… especially from officers of the law.
Are you implying that Cibics are cops? Does that mean we'll have a chance to see our previous character, Song of the Journey, make a cameo appearance?

>Gender?
B) Ovale
>>
No. 806031 ID: 8d65de

Let's try a for once
>>
No. 806033 ID: be0718

What? Aww, no hood. C.
>>
No. 806034 ID: f562b1

>>806020
>>806033
We may be able to customize a bit afterwards. That's what Kaktus usually does.

A. Male
So far our male heroes are either a ghost or a demon.
>>
No. 806039 ID: ca5b6a

A
>>
No. 806040 ID: fc33ea

Replicant!

a dude one.
>>
No. 806043 ID: b7f932

>>806018
A. Male
>>
No. 806045 ID: d63ea8

>>806018
Male
>>
No. 806060 ID: fe7355

B) Ovale. Let's try out something different and interesting that we may not get to choose again. Plus, I like the hood.

>>806030
Probably it means that our protagonist is a officer of the law.

>>806022
>The rare and elusive male protagonist, virtually unknown by the Cacti Gods and other such things.
>>806022
>Let's try a for once
Except that male (or having male parts) protags haven't been rare in Kaktus' quests. We've had male (or hermaphrodite) protags in the last six quests. And when we had the choice of the protagonist's sex we chose three male (in a row) and one herm. In Rust, Unbroken, and Numb we chose male, and in the previous Will We Dream we chose a Cibic, who are hermaphrodites. So male protags haven't in any way been rare.

>>806034
>So far our male heroes are either a ghost or a demon.
Don't forget Jericho, our male lizard mummy from Rust, and that our protagonists in Strange Bedfellows and Boldly Coming are male as well. So we've actually had more male protags than non-male in Kaktus' quests.
>>
No. 806061 ID: 3ce125

B. Because I'm curious as to what an Ovale's gender roles would be. Female-ish? Male-ish? Or a mix? Or something different altogether?
>>
No. 806062 ID: 91ee5f

>>806060
Yep, we've had plenty of men, alright.
>>
No. 806068 ID: f562b1

>>806060
>Don't forget Jericho, our male lizard mummy from Rust,
Not really much different,
>our protagonists in Strange Bedfellows and Boldly Coming are male as well.
but I'll count those. Alright, changing from a male vote to an ovale one. I'll leave some further comments on MCs in the discus.
>>
No. 806078 ID: 65a774
File 149669283998.png - (12.88KB , 900x450 , 4.png )
806078

>Replicant!
The existence of Replicant is a myth and nothing more. Any further digging on the subject will be answered by legal action from Sol Corp. Replicant Creation Division.

>B) Digging that hood.
Congratulations! You now have an OVIPOSITOR! Use is wisely in your travels to come. (You also have one of those really neat viper hood things as Ovale, so that’s nice too, I guess?)

Question 3; What is your occupation:
Peace keeper (Investigator rank).

Question 4; Former home(s):
Planet Roon, Azilla isles.

Question 5; What is the main reason for you moving here:
Working opportunities (Promotion).

Question 5; Traditional Serpent water tank bed or Dry land bed:
Traditional water tank.

Question 6; Any special diets (Ex: Vegan or gluten free):
None.

Question 7; Please write down any (non-base) cyber / biological augmentations:

Note:
Popular cybernetic enchantments includes: Eyes, arms, hands, legs, lower bodies, tails, lungs and other important organs.

Popular biological enchantments includes: Alien body parts (Human / avian females’ chests, tails, ears, hair, eyes, sexual organs) or enchanted body parts (eyes, ears, arms, legs, tails, sexual organs or other important organs.)

Authors note: This will mostly be visual and fluff changes, so please don’t try to min / max or go overboard with the augmentations.
Note 2: Cybernetic shown are not final. There are other models / these models might not be used.

>>
No. 806079 ID: fc33ea

No mechanical bits. It's a religious thing.
>>
No. 806084 ID: 91ee5f

>>806078
>dat ass was fat
Uhhhhh.....ok? That's a weird option to choose for biological enhancement. I guess we can do that if we're looking for someone that's into that.

>cybernetic enhancements
Can we have an extra set of arms? We could have 4 arms, which'll come in handy! They'll be great for giving hugs and beating up criminals!
>>
No. 806086 ID: 91ee5f

>>806084
We'll also be able to use 4 one handed weapons or 2 two handed weapons!
>>
No. 806092 ID: f562b1

>>806084
I imagine that's in line with "Maxing," going overboard. I kind of doubt even a Serpens mind is good at handling multiple limbs anyways, which would likely limit it to simple 2-pronged clasper arms.
That said, clasper arms would be cool.

>>806079
<Yes, death to those of steel and iron! We purists of flesh are the rightful inheritors of the universe!>

Let's go for a patch of feather hair. Be the feathered boa!
>>
No. 806093 ID: f21521

Make the inside of our hood some sort of heat conductor that lets us see in infrared.
>>
No. 806094 ID: fc33ea

>>806092
I was more thinking "the creator made you perfect/ this way for a reason, don't interfere in his design" or "you can't take it with you", but whatever puts butts in pews I guess.
>>
No. 806095 ID: f21521

Also, a bigger "butt" would be nice.
>>
No. 806097 ID: 9dcc8f

Get a second pair of arms. Why did we get a second pair of arms you ask? Because two pair of hands weren't enough
>>
No. 806098 ID: 173b46

>>806093
This. Make the tan part silver, too.

I like big butts and I can not lie.

No hair, though.
>>
No. 806099 ID: 753170

>>806095
How about it's a butt that can change shape? Can shorten it to get around non-Serpent places easier and stretch it out to do snake things.

Spinal enhancement that lets you roll up in a hoop and GOFAST.
>>
No. 806104 ID: f562b1

>>806094
I thought as much, but I couldn't help but make a reference to the Purists from Transmachina.
>>
No. 806122 ID: 3373e2

Can we get some type of poison/medicine injector in the Robotic Tail?
>>
No. 806123 ID: 91ee5f

>>806084
You know, after thinking about it for a while, I changed my mind. It's not weird at all! So let's get the fat ass and become a thicc Ovale!
>>
No. 806124 ID: 3373e2

Thicc Tail Please.
>>
No. 806125 ID: 3ce125

>>806078
What would Avian feathers look like on a Serpent?
>>
No. 806141 ID: 972708

Lets get nauatl in here, Avian feathers on chest, tail and around the hood. The Quetzalcoatl look its so hot right now!
>>
No. 806184 ID: a73157

THREE pairs of breasts.
>>
No. 806185 ID: be0718

Biological: Snektits.

Cybernetic: SKULGUN.
>>
No. 806189 ID: f562b1

>>806141
Oh damn, I was just thinking of it like hair, but that sounds even more impressive.
>>
No. 806232 ID: a48765

Peacekeeper? If you're going to be facing some of the nasties of the station or some unwelcome guests, some combat augs would do you well.

A few ideas:

Scale Plating/Reinforcement: Increase the hardiness to many attacks with a subdermal layer of hardened biomaterial. Or overlapping nanoceramic plates, but I imagine the former would be less noticeable.

Pain Ward: While I'm sure many drugs and neurological modifications will decrease or eliminate the sensation of pain but I imagine that reduces your tactile sensitivity and the awareness of the extent of injuries. Instead, a modification that reroutes and dulls pain down different, less distracting neural pathways. So, you get shot in the shoulder, there's a slight taste of oranges in your mouth. This makes you significantly harder to put down/stun, with still being aware of your injuries, albeit in roundabout fashion. And I guess you can find out what it smells like to get shanked in the stomach?

Muscle Enhanecment: Have your muscles treated in a biovat, integrating cultured muscle cables to add more brute strength, and enhancing existing muscle fiber elasticity, leading to superior flexibility and muscle tension. Why work out when you can grow your muscles by being lazy? Or I guess make your good muscles even better, if you're into the whole 'hard work' deal.

Retractable Ballistic-Grade Eye Protectors: I never asked for this

Skeletal Density Upgrade w/Alloy Lattice: Increase bone density and tensile strength with molecular alterations and lattice structures of different bioceramics/allows/whateverspaceagematerialexists. This makes your bones more durable, and allows you to support more weight, internal or external. I guess you can punch things with relative impunity as well. And do more damage.

Reaction Booster: Replace and enhance select parts of spinal cord, with some adrenal stimulators and superconducting material, while increasing the nerve cells already present there, allowing for faster travel of an increased amount of information, making you perceive the world in a more lethargic cadance. AKA Bullet time.

I guess that's all I got.

...did I think too hard about this? I think I thought too hard about this.
>>
No. 806245 ID: 3e8031

>>806184
I'll second this. Or at least 2 pair to match a sweet 4 arm job. Maybe some additional alien compatible sex organs for, science._.
>>
No. 806264 ID: fe7355

Bio-enhanced musculature with increased base density, size and efficiency, along with the enhanced and augmented skeletal structure, joints, ligaments, respiratory and cardiovascular systems needed to support that enhanced musculature without breaking bones or passing out. Provides greatly increased strength, durability and endurance. Good for a Peacekeeper, who may need to carry incapacitated citizens out of harms way or chase down and wrestle cyber-augmented perps into submission.

Unfortunately, the increased muscle and bone density of these enhancements results in a severe loss of buoyancy. Those with them end up sinking like a stone (or Sakkilian) in water. To restore buoyancy and swimming capability to acceptably Serpent levels in this case the option to add a layer of modified adipose tissue was chosen. This tissue is less dense than normal adipose tissue and thus more buoyant, but with how dense and heavy the other enhancements are it requires a quite physically noticeable volume of this tissue to counter. (And gives in-world justification for her to be "thicc.")

Additionally, various bio and cybernetic enhancements to the digestive system have been installed to improve its speed and efficiency. This is to help keep up with the large nutrition requirements of the musculature and cardiovascular enhancements needed for operation at peak capabilities. (Which means she gets really hungry after seriously exerting herself and has a higher base food requirement.)

A combination of bio- and cyber-enhancements to the ovipositor and reproductive organs grant the following sexual capabilities: Direct control of egg release, including indefinite delay; Very short refractory period; Accelerated growth of unfertilized eggs; Near-instant generation of "fake" artificial eggs from regenerative bio-reservoir; Enlarged egg sac; Unlimited lubricant production.

A pair of glassy black, gem-like cybernetic eyes installed in the back of the hood, hidden in the "eyes" of a cobra hood pattern of tattoos and metal inlays. Coupled with a cybernetic visual processor provides 360 degree vision. (Literal eyes in the back of the head. Just what a police officer wants.)

And was the species name changed from "Serpens" to "Serpent" or was that a typo?
>>
No. 806309 ID: 65a774
File 149677084778.png - (9.23KB , 900x450 , 5.png )
806309

>It's a religious thing.
Like most of your species, you’re as religious as a rock.
>Spinal enhancement that lets you roll up in a hoop and GOFAST.
Sadly, morph ball technology has yet been invented… mostly because the science team has vapor for brains and can’t think of anything but TUBES!
>Cybernetic: SKULGUN.
Unauthorized weapons are strictly prohibitive!
>I never asked for this.
And I never asked for all these cyberpunk references either…
>THREE pairs of breasts.
Do you mean 3 sets with 2 breasts each or 1 set of 3 breasts in a row (Like a Martian hooker)?
>Beating up criminals!
You’re an investigator, you investigate crimes. Leave the senseless beating to the enforcers.

>Muscle Enhancement, Pain Ward, Skeletal Density Upgrade, Reaction Booster, various bio and cybernetic enhancements to the digestive system, respiratory and cardiovascular systems…
All Civilan and Peacekeeper baseline enhancements are already accounted for. You are harder, better, faster and stronger than most, both physically and mentally. You have almost perfect digestive system as well as improved organ quality across the board.
>Also, a bigger "butt" would be nice. I like big butts and I cannot lie. Let's get the fat ass and become a thicc Ovale! Thicc Tail Please.
Somehow, as a snake, you have hips that put most two legged creatures to shame.
>Bio- and cyber-enhancements to the ovipositor and reproductive organs. Direct control of egg release, including indefinite delay; Very short refractory period; Accelerated growth of unfertilized eggs; Near-instant generation of "fake" artificial eggs from regenerative bio-reservoir; Enlarged egg sac; Unlimited lubricant production.
Your reproduction organ is perfected for its task… to please any lady or man. Please handle that weapon of ass-destruction with care…


>Bio-cybernetic enhanced augmentation ca-OUTOFBOUNDSERROR [NULL pointer exeption:e0048892]
We are sorry, but there seems to have been some problems with your selection of enhancements and augmentations. We were unable to properly compute your choices… please choose from the options below the augmentations you have:

A) Hood recoloring: Yes / No (Other colors can be suggested)

B) Biological: Snektits: Yes / FUCK YES! / No

C) Do you have a pair of extra, deployable mechanical arms(Doc. Oct style)? (Yes / no)

-The Quetzalcoatl look-
D) Feathered Tail: (Version 1 or 2) Yes / No (Other colors can be suggested)
E) Feathered hood: Yes / No (Other colors can be suggested)

Sorry guys, but actually having 4 real arms was too much work with the sprites / drawings… same with mutli-breasts.
>>
No. 806310 ID: be0718

A: Green.
B: FUCK YES
C: Yes to deployable arms. We're the handiest legless motherfucker around.
D/E: No. You'd look like a silly fish.
>>
No. 806311 ID: a73157

A/E: Yes, silver
B: FUCK YES
C:No, too OP
D:No

>Do you mean 3 sets with 2 breasts each or 1 set of 3 breasts in a row (Like a Martian hooker)?
3 sets with 2 breasts each. the lower sets get progressively smaller.
>>
No. 806313 ID: fc33ea

Yes to c only.
>>
No. 806317 ID: 91ee5f

>>806309
>Do you mean 3 sets with 2 breasts each or 1 set of 3 breasts in a row (Like a Martian hooker)?
Let's not do that, that'll be weird.

>Somehow, as a snake, you have hips that put most two legged creatures to shame.
In your face, 2 leggers! XD

>Choices.
A) Hood recoloring: Yes: Green (To match our eyes).

B) Biological: Snektits: FUCK YES! (Normal 1 set of 2 breasts).

C) Extra arms: Yes.

D) Feathered Tail: Yes: Version 1: Red (Perfect for fanning ourselves when the AC is broken and/or tickle fights and/or drawing attention to our thiccness).

E) Feathered hood: No.
>>
No. 806318 ID: b17cc1

>>806310
In full agreement here, exept for the hood colour, which should be red.
>>
No. 806319 ID: f21521

>>806309
A. Silver
B. No
C. Fuck No
D. Style 1, silver
E. Silver
>>
No. 806321 ID: ba506f

>A) Hood recoloring:
Yes, green

>B) Biological: Snektits:
Yes

>C) Do you have a pair of extra, deployable mechanical arms(Doc. Oct style)?
no

>D) Feathered Tail:
Version 1, Yes, green
touch fluffy tail

>E) Feathered hood:
No
we already have the cobra hood, the feathers seem like a bit much
>>
No. 806329 ID: a48765

A) Silver sounds ballin... Platinum option mayhaps?
B) Sure why not
C) The flesh is weak, replace it! Get them mechanical arms. Any heavy-duty versions that are more obvious but have greater strength and lifting capability?
D) Sure. No preference to the color.
E) As above
>>
No. 806334 ID: 3ce125

>>806309
A: Silver.
B: no.
C: isn't this going to affect our capabilities?
D,E: No, that looks silly. I was thinking more of a full-body short feathers thing. Like a Serpent-shaped Avian.
>>
No. 806345 ID: 3e8031

A eh blue in nice
B fuck yes 3 or 4 even
D Maybe a more natural look with hidden compartments
D type 2 any color ok
E looks a bit to gaudy.
>>
No. 806375 ID: fe7355

A) No. (The regular yellow hood looks nice against her blue skin. Also, if it's changed it won't match the coloration of the front of her neck and chest and that'll look odd.)

B) FUCK YES! (She already had the hips that put most two legged creatures to shame, so she decided to get a chest that put most of them to shame as well.)

C) Yes. (A Peacekeeper special model with mounting points for miniaturized "sleeper" gun and stun rod modules. Includes upgraded tracking and targeting processor and software package to handle automatically aiming them without needing the officer's attention.)

D) No. (That thicc tail looks so good on its own that adding ostentatious feathers would only detract. Also, feathers would preclude using the tail for sex acts.)

F) No. (It looks goofy as hell with feathers sticking out there.)
>>
No. 806384 ID: 3373e2

A: Silver or Green
B: FUCK YES.
C: No.
D: See Answer C.
E: See Answer C.
>>
No. 806387 ID: 173b46

A. Silver
B. No
C. No
D. No
E. No
>>
No. 806388 ID: 65a774
File 149679177069.png - (103.65KB , 900x450 , 6.png )
806388

Total: 13
Threshold: 6
A. 11
B. 9
C. 7
D. 5 (Failed)
E. 3 (Failed)

Boobs Installed.
No feathers this time it seems.
Mechanical arms pending… please wait…
Proceeding with recolor…
Drawing character models…

Please choose which one of these three that depicts you.
…also, we’ve detected that you’re filling out this form too slowly… please proceed to the next question while you ponder this one.

Question 8; Do you prefer same species relationships, different species relationship or both:
Both are fine.

Question 9; Whom are you attracted to? Male, Female and / or Ovales:
Male and Females.

Question 9B; …which one do you prefer more? Male or Female:


(…is it just you or are these questions getting rather personal? Still, you better answer… and choose a color for your hood.)
>>
No. 806399 ID: ba506f

>>806388
liking the silver

>is it just you or are these questions getting rather personal?
yes
Also female
>>
No. 806400 ID: 3ce125

>>806388
Might need to adjust that trenchcoat so it isn't hugging your boobs weirdly.

Silver.

Uh, females, because of the biological urges thing.
>>
No. 806403 ID: 51b8ec

Leftmost hood color.

8) Same-species only.
9) Males and Females.
9b) Males.
>>
No. 806405 ID: fc33ea

Uh, serpents don't exactly discriminate that way because of the unique reproductive system, and other species have really weak sexual dimorphism, so it really doesn't apply.

stick with the vanilla hood.
>>
No. 806411 ID: 3373e2

Gotta have that Silver Hood.
9b: Males.
>>
No. 806412 ID: 3abd97

9: all of the above.
9B: Gals.
>>
No. 806416 ID: 3373e2

>>806411
9 Everyone.
>>
No. 806417 ID: 91ee5f

>>806388
Damn, those hips really do put others to shame!

>Hood color
Normal color.

>Question 9B; …which one do you prefer more? Male or Female
Waaaaait a minute, this question can be read 2 ways!

It's either asking which gender we prefer in our relationship partner or it's asking which gender we prefer to be referred to, seeing as Ovales can be either masculine or feminine.

Since I can't tell which one is being asked, I'll answer both!

Prefer more in partner: Females because biology.

Referred to by others: We are feminine.
>>
No. 806418 ID: fe7355

>>806403
>>806412
>>806416
Questions 8 and 9 have already been answered by the character. Question 9B and the choice of hood color are the ones we are supposed to answer here.
>>
No. 806421 ID: fad693

Can we get silver eyes to match the silver hood?
>>
No. 806430 ID: a48765

">"is it just you or are these questions getting rather personal?
Joke's on us, this is an Orwellian future and investigators are actually redudant, and are just there for publcities sake.

We should have that silver hood.
We're a ladies... man? Woman? Gender? Thing? Whatever. Girls.

Speaking of Trenchcoats, why brown? Black and neon are the only acceptable colors in cyberpunk, right? And it has to be bulletproof. Everything must be bulletproof. It's like, science.
>>
No. 806436 ID: fe7355

You'll go with the leftmost hood color; The one you hatched with. It still looks the best against the color of your eyes and the rest of your skin. It also goes well with the color of your inspector's coat.

As for which you prefer more, male or female, it's a close choice. ...You'll go with female, but by a small margin. Guess those old, base biological drives and desires put that choice over the top.

>…is it just you or are these questions getting rather personal?
No, it's not just you, but it's also a question you don't mind answering at all. It's probably for some boring demographics survey thing anyway, even though it sounds like the kind of questions you'd expect to answer first off when making a dating site profile.
>>
No. 806447 ID: 4854ef

Silver

Females
>>
No. 806455 ID: be0718

Liking the green even more.
Eh, tick female. They usually react better when the ovipositor gets mentioned.
>>
No. 806475 ID: f21521

Silver and dudes.
>>
No. 806531 ID: 173b46

Silver hood.
We got these boobs to attract hot guys.
>>
No. 806540 ID: 91ee5f

>>806531
And hot girls, if we meet any that are into that.
>>
No. 806571 ID: 265ab0

Which do we like more? We're an Ovule! We are biologically driven to like em both! ...But girls are prettier.
>>
No. 806572 ID: 65a774
File 149683982066.png - (64.58KB , 900x450 , 7.png )
806572

>Might need to adjust that trenchcoat so it isn't hugging your boobs weirdly.
Oh, wops. You’re still getting used to these things… they are rather new, after all.
>Damn, those hips really do put others to shame!
Damn right they do. These killers are some real head turners.
>Serpents don't exactly discriminate that way because of the unique reproductive system.
While you do not discriminate, you still have a preference of which kind of butt is more enjoyable to fill to the brim with your eggs.
>Everything must be bulletproof. It's like, science.
Bah, ballistic weaponry is so last millennium.

>Color.
Original: 5
Green: 1
Silver: 7
The inside of your hood is silver. Seems like you prefer your partners getting the gold in bed, eh?

>Boy toys or Gals pals?
Boys: 4
Gals. 8
While you won’t say no to a boy butt, you prefer to pursue the ladies.

Thank you once again for choosing Tatius Off-World Habitats for all your moving needs. Your apartment is currently under renovation and will be ready for your arrival in an hour or two. While you wait, why not try out one of the many restaurants on New Horizon? We here at TOWH are happy to present to you this gift coupon for one free meal for you and one of your acquaintances (Will expire in 7 days). Thank you again for using our services and do have a continued pleasant evening.
>>
No. 806573 ID: 65a774
File 149683982856.png - (18.86KB , 900x450 , 8.png )
806573

After having been stuck in a space ship for over a week moving here, you would love nothing more than to use that coupon to order some take away, head home to your new apartment and just lie down in your water tank to soak for a bit… (maybe relieve some built up pressure…), but it seems like duty calls. You barely had time to finish the briefing with your new superiors before the call came out… and as you were the only Investigator available with the experience, you were put to the task. About 45 minutes ago, a life-monitor transmitted a signal, its owner was dead. So far they say it’s an obvious suicide and your job is making sure if they are right or not. It should be an easy case… but when they say something like that in the holo-vids, it’s never is, is it? Part of you really hopes you aren’t the protagonist of some action movie…

Arriving at an office building for some kind of robotics company, you leave your cab as an Peace keeper in full uniform comes running up to you.

:CopWWD: Excuse me, but you must be the new investigator, correct? Right this way, officer… err… I’m sorry, but it seems like your name hasn’t been registered yet, miss…?

…what is your name, actually?

Note: Serpens’ names usually contain a lot of s sounds, be it s, sh, c, z, or x.
Ex Masculine names: Shetuin, Issaru, Shui, Icura, Zel, Uxuo.
Ex Feminine names: Sisah, Silia, Shilse, Acena, Izala, Xena.
>>
No. 806577 ID: 665ed8

Rishi, with both i's pronounced as short I sounds. Also, so... why did we decide to come to this place?
>>
No. 806579 ID: 91ee5f

>>806573
Feminine name: Xalia
>>
No. 806580 ID: 24f307

Zelena
>>
No. 806582 ID: 4854ef

You are Bob, because your adoptive human parents were uncreative.
>>
No. 806583 ID: e298ee

Cilia
>>
No. 806585 ID: b7f932

>>806582
Double it!
Bob will show them all!
Bob will will tear all ass!
BOB WILL DOMINATE!
DON'T SCREW WITH BOB!
>>
No. 806596 ID: fc33ea

>>806582
I'm for adoptive parents, but they should have at least tried to give a name they thought would fit in with the culture, like Quetzalcoatl, Shiva or Shelsey.

Otherwise Rishi is fine.
>>
No. 806607 ID: 0b7357

Zsazsa Gaboa
>>
No. 806608 ID: fe7355

I like the name Xalia. My vote's for that one.

That the ID database hasn't registered your name, the most basic piece of identifying info, by now does not speak well for the quality of record keeping on New Horizon.

>>806582
>>806585
Can you please choose a name that's in line with the setting and character and not try and be all wacky and shit. The suggested names are Serpens ones, so that indicates her background would give her a Serpens name, not a human one.

>>806596
And I'm very against the idea of her having been adopted by humans, not the least because it's a lame, lazy trope. I'd rather she have a Serpens upbringing and have a Serpens outlook and us experiencing and working with that rather than trying to stick the same old human morals and attitude template on her.
>>
No. 806612 ID: fc33ea

>>806606
Yeah I suppose that's why we're speaking Human Common and have body mods based on human ideals of beauty, isn't it.
>>
No. 806619 ID: fe7355

>>806612
Maybe because it's auto-translated and if it wasn't we wouldn't be able to understand what was happening. And maybe the protag is something of a xenophile who liked the look, or feel, of boobs. And maybe not even human boobs but Vark ones.
>>
No. 806621 ID: be0718

Shasha.
>>
No. 806623 ID: fe7355

>>806612
Maybe because it's auto-translated and if it wasn't we wouldn't be able to understand what was happening. And maybe the protag is something of a xenophile who liked the look, or feel, of boobs. And maybe not even human boobs but Vark ones. Or it could have been some other reason entirely. So there's more possible reasons for her getting breasts than her having been raised by humans.

However, she did mention she only got her breasts recently, so if she was actually raised by humans she probably would have gotten them awhile ago. That kinda goes against her being raised by them.
>>
No. 806628 ID: 3ce125

I like Rishi.
>>
No. 806636 ID: ba506f

i'll go with Rishi
>>
No. 806644 ID: 91ee5f

>>806628
>>806636
Please specify if that's masculine or feminine.
>>
No. 806647 ID: 65a774
File 149686810827.png - (34.32KB , 900x450 , 9.png )
806647

>Why did we decide to come to this place?
While you would love to say that you came here because you wanted to travel through space… or that living in a space station would be neat… or that you wanted to see other alien species and their culture. While all those are kind of true, the main reason you’re out here is because of work. The planet you grew up on, the home-world of the Serpens: Roon, is hugely overpopulated… which means the competition in your field is rather large… not to speak of the trouble of finding somewhere to live and the like. Out here, not only do you get a larger paycheck, a big apartment and a lot of space to live in… but also the possibility to forwards your career.

>You are Bob.
Wouldn’t that be like calling your child Quetzalcoatl? Or Soulfeaster? Or Reaper, Satan and/or any other really bad people name? Besides, you’re pretty sure both the Sakkilians and Hivers would raise quite a stink over someone naming their child after Bob the Horrifying, the Butcher of the Galaxy.
>BOB WILL DOMINATE!
As a cop, isn’t it your job to suppress any Neo-Bobism groups? Chanting something like “Hail Bob!” would get you in a lot of trouble, you know.

>Because your parents-
Like a large majority of your species, you don’t know who your parents are… nor do you care to find out. You were born and raised in a Broodpit just like your peers and you’re glad you did.
>Reasons for getting breast.
Do you really need one? You like how they look… how they feel in your hands… how they sway when you move... not to speak of the sensation you feel when you squeeze one while you pump someone full with- *cough* you know, you’re on duty. Thoughts like that can wait until after you’re done here.

>Rishi
:RishiWWD: I am Officer Rishi… but just call me Rishi.
:CopWWD: Hmm… wait… Rishi Zsazsa? Formerly from Roon? Is that you?
:RishiWWD: That is correct.
:CopWWD: My apologies, but the ID register has trouble finding people that was just added at times… but now that I’ve confirmed that you’re indeed the Officer we were expecting, please follow me.



As you enter the building, you’re met with a rather large entrance hall, filled with all kinds of banners and other decorative objects. In the center, next to a large globe of… some planet, there seems to be a Sakkilian female waiting impatiently for you… as well as some kind of android? As you come close to them, you can’t help but notice that the Sakkilian is reeking of some kind of cleaning fluid… and not the one you would use in a shower on yourself, either.
>>
No. 806648 ID: 65a774
File 149686812753.png - (87.07KB , 900x450 , 10.png )
806648

:NonWWD: Can we please get on with this? I am very busy and clearly do not have time for this drivel.
:CopWWD: Ma’am, someone has j-
:NonWWD: I don’t care if that idiot hung himself… or took pills or whatever. I am busy… and my time is worth a lot more than all of yours combined. Now, I was asked to… “assist” you…
:CopWWD: We’d like you to come with us so we can ask you what you know about-
:NonWWD: I’ve been told Herod Carakas is dead, that he did himself in somehow. I don’t know why, nor to I frankly care why, he did it. As I can’t discuss any project I’ve been working on with him, as they are corporate secrets, I don’t see how I can tell you anything you don’t already know.
:CopWWD: We still need a representative from the company to-
:NonWWD: Then take this android or something. I bet it can help you more than I can. Now, can I leave already… or do you have any other stupid questions?

:CopWWD: Um… well, Officer Rishi, I was going to lead you to the crime scene first but… um… this happened?
>>
No. 806651 ID: ba506f

get red's name, job title, and remember the smell of the chemicals she seems to be bathing with. As for why, you never know when someone tries to use some kind of bleach or something to try and cover up a murder... no I don't think she killed this guy but assuming makes an ass of u and me after all and it's better to be safe then sorry.

But yeah take the android since I really don't want to waste time with someone who feels the need to remind everyone that they are important every other sentence so they can justify that they never got laid in college.
>>
No. 806652 ID: a48765

Okay, so are we going the stoic, noir detective with a hidden soft heart, or the detached, cold ice queen and clinical investigator (except maybe during certain bedtime romps) route?
>>
No. 806654 ID: 3ce125

>>806648
Ask her name, if she can direct you to someone who knew Herod, and why she smells of cleaning fluid. Also, ask if the android can actually help, what is its role and can it think for itself?
>>
No. 806655 ID: fc33ea

Name, occupation, contact information. Please.
>>
No. 806668 ID: 91ee5f

>>806648
Ask if the crime scene is in an area that requires a key card, fingerprints, retinal scan, voice match, or all of the above from an employee like herself. If yes to any/all then, unless that android has a way to provide any/all of those, we'll need her to come with us.

If that android can get us there with no problems, then yes, she's free to go.
>>
No. 806685 ID: be0718

Ssstupid fishman planet.

...Anyway, I'm afraid that protocol requires a witness with full legal standing for the evidence to be submissible in court, so the android just won't do. (Are silicons sentient with full rights here?)
>>
No. 806694 ID: 3373e2

>>806655
This seems like a standard thing to do.
>>
No. 806702 ID: 65a774
File 149688185584.png - (109.15KB , 900x450 , 11.png )
806702

>Ssstupid fishman planet.
Ssstab ssstab ssstab the fishman…

>Okay, so are we going the stoic, noir detective with a hidden soft heart, or the detached, cold and clinical investigator (except maybe during certain bedtime romps) route?
Currently, you’re going for “Let’s get the job done so I can go home and eat” route… with maybe some bedtime romps sprinkled in if possible.
>I really don't want to waste time with someone who feels the need to remind everyone that they are important every other sentence so they can justify that they never got laid in college.
Indeed, this lady has clearly missed her weekly injection of eggs. Thing is, it’s considered rather rude by Xeno standards to ask if she needs help with something like that… and you rather not insult her further…

>Remember the smell of the chemicals she seems to be bathing with.
You don’t think you’ll be able to discern it from any other chemical just from smell alone.
>Are silicones sentient with full rights here?
That’s a bit complex at the moment. Sentient Artificial Intelligences, or SAI’s, are only considered people if they awaken in certain parts of the galaxy. In Unity space, where you are right now, they would be considered a legal person like the rest of us… but if they wake up in say Human or Hiver space… well, then they are just tools to be owned. Either way, that android doesn’t really seem that sentient so…
>I'm afraid that protocol requires a witness with full legal standing for the evidence to be submissible in court, so the android just won't do.
You’re pretty sure there will be other police officers at the crime scene… not to mention the forensic team… no need to for any other witnesses.


>Name, occupation, contact information. Please.
:FeraraWWD: Ferara Cogwelder, Chief of the Engineering and Mechanical department. Send a message to my secretary if you need to contact me.
:RishiWWD: And this Herod? Who is he?
:FeraraWWD: Herod Carakas, human male, Chief of the Programming and AI department. Committed suicide in his office, apparently.
>Ask if she can direct you to someone who knew Herod.
:FeraraWWD: Talk to his secretary. He is probably being questioned by the other officers at Herod’s office right now.
>And why she smells of cleaning fluid.
:FeraraWWD: What!? How dare you just- Why, I never. Typical male.
:RishiWWD: I’m not a male?
:FeraraWWD: Yet still all your blood goes to your crotch instead of your head. Hmpf.

>Ask if the crime scene is in an area that requires a key card, fingerprints, retinal scan, voice match, or all of the above from an employee like herself.
:FeraraWWD: The office was indeed locked before the peace keepers arrived, but as the only one who can unlock it is Herod himself… without breaking down the door, that is.
:RishiWWD: …so he was locked in a room only he could open?
:CopWWD: That is one of the reasons why this is considered a suicide.
>Ask if the android can actually help, what is its role and can it think for itself?
:FeraraWWD: Role? Why, it’s still being… tested. It is supposedly a rather advance model and we’re currently evaluating its performance… so having it do something like helping the peace keepers will only aid us in our understanding of its… capacity.
:AnWWD: This unit is Alpha-556428B-Nedo. Please, refer to this unit as… An. All systems are operational. This unit is ready to aid in any way it can, Officer…
:RishiWWD: Rishi.
:AnWWD: Officer Rishi. I am glad to be of service. Please, do not be afraid to ask if you have any questions… about anything.

>If that android can get us there with no problems, then yes, she's free to go.
:FeraraWWD: Good. Not another moment can be wasted.
:CopWWD: Right this way, Investigator. We’ll need to take the elevator to reach the crime scene.
>>
No. 806705 ID: 65a774
File 149688196191.png - (28.89KB , 900x450 , 12 (2).png )
806705

-Crime Scene- Herod’s Office-

:CopWWD: A primary search has already been conducted. The forensic team is only waiting for the last few lab results. The lieutenant should be able to debrief you about everything we’ve found so far if-
:RishiWWD: Actually, I rather have a look for myself first… just to make sure I’ve seen the situation with my own eyes. Just give me broad strokes of what happened here.
:CopWWD: Oh… um… almost an hour ago Herod’s life-monitor sent us a signal that he had died. We arrived ten minutes later to find the door locked and with no way to open it properly. After breaking the door down we located Herod himself sitting behind his desk, with gun in hand and large hole between the back of his mouth and the back of his head. You can see his body being covered with a sheet near the window. As the door was locked with his keycard and he was holding the gun himself, we’re currently considering this a suicide.

:RishiWWD: Thank you… hmm… still, better look around to see if everything fits… anything you can help with, An?
:AnWWD: Pretty flowers…
:RishiWWD: …well, okay then…
>>
No. 806709 ID: fc33ea

>What!? How dare you just- Why, I never. Typical male.
Yeah, still confused.
>so having it do something like helping the peace keepers will only aid us in our understanding of its… capacity.
and provide a mole in the police force.

Check the hole in the glass and the green thing beside the seat. Don't hesitate to take off the sheet and examine the body. Do directed energy weapons usually create this much blood spatter?

I'm curious, what was he planning on doing with a two-story book case? and what's that menacing-looking computer hanging from the ceiling?

>Pretty flowers…
*sigh* what do you know about the flowers, an...
>>
No. 806712 ID: be0718

Check the bookcases for anything cool! I mean, for anything relevant to the case. Also look up the species on those flowers, check if they're toxic.
>>
No. 806713 ID: 4854ef

Those are some pretty looking plants I suppose.. Bit different from what we've seen, but not too out there.

But it's time for investigatin! Check the computer on his desk for anything out of the ordinary, same with the desk itself, anything of nearby use within range of him.
>>
No. 806714 ID: ba506f

Alright, I'm going to start asking questions now, sorry in advance if it sounds like I'm being paranoid I just want to be thorough.

Is the gun ballistic or no?

If it isn't a ballistic gun what kind of gun was it?

If it was a ballistic gun did anyone recover the bullet?

if so is it the same caliber as the gun found on the body?

Were their any other finger prints on the gun other then Herod's?

Even though the door was locked is their any record of it being used after Herod died? Rather not find out we missed something because a cleaning drone or something came in removed something trying to freshen the place up.

And lastly mind if I take a look at the body myself? Again just being thorough.
>>
No. 806739 ID: 3ce125

>>806705
Okay so only Herod can unlock the door. Can anyone else lock it?

What's that brown discoloration on the plant?
Is Herod right or left handed? Which hand was he holding the gun in?
Is the blood splatter consistent for being shot in that chair at that angle? Would the weapon have shattered the window if he really shot himself in front of it?

>>806714
Don't forget the bullet casing too.
>>
No. 806741 ID: 91ee5f

>>806705
>Pretty flowers...
Is An suggesting that there might be an Uredo hiding in there?
>>
No. 806795 ID: 96d291

>Suicide means less paperwork
There's so little crime on this station that over-blowing this case will make for a demonstration of your abilities without blowing the security budget. Get paranoid, get paid.

>What do
First thing that looks off: Why isn't the glass cracked? Did he use a laser pistol or something?

Second, ask if he was in that exact position when they found him. Also, check to see if the chair swivels or stuff, because it might indicate if the position was staged.

Third, examine the diameter of the bullet hole versus the diameter of the gun. Just a formality, but if there is something wrong with the ballistics calculations then we can increase the priority of this case. Or just give the interns some math practice.
>>
No. 806798 ID: a48765

Cogwelder, eh? Well, name 'em what ya want 'em to be. (Shoulda told her she had an nice Scouter)

Yeah, this weapon is probably ballistic in nature. An energy weapon would have cauterized the wound channel it made. Investigate the glass further, see what type of projectile struck it, if any.

So why a ballistic weapon? Was it an heirloom, a memento from a past war or conflict? Does the room smell of gunpowder? Any chemical residue leftover from the discharge?

If it is an heirloom or antique of sorts, where did he get the ammunition? Sold on station, or brought with him? Is that even allowed? Is this gun still around for observation? What is the true purpose of sentient life?

So many questions....

Also, if you have any cyber-investigator vision, or an Augmented Reality overlay of sorts to assist you, now is the time to show it. Just make sure to press E on all the interaction prompts, don't want to miss any details.

It's your first case on the station, after all.
>>
No. 806805 ID: fe7355

Ask An why it responded with "pretty flowers." That doesn't help with your investigation. ...Does it? Oh, wait, you weren't specific enough. That was just one thing it could possibly help with, right? Though, you wonder why a prototype advanced android such as An would have been given the knowledge of either floral arrangement or floral gardening. ...Oh, and ask what this company's name is. You didn't see it over the building entrance, and all the banners in the lobby had just gear motifs or abstract symbols.

Also ask An what the big machine with all the cabling that's mounted to the ceiling is, and what is the device attached to it on the table below it. Considering the job Herod had, your guess is it has something to do with designing AI prototypes and loading them into AI cores.

Take a closer look at the flower planter and the dirt in it. You doubt something exciting like a Uredo assassin is hiding in it, but maybe something pertinent to the case fell in there. And take a moment to smell the flowers. They are rather pretty, like An said.

Introduce yourself to the two Peacekeeper officers present and ask them if they were part of the team that forced the office door open, or if they're part of the forensics team. If they're the former, ask them how long it took to determine the door couldn't be opened any other way and to force the door. You'd like to know to flesh our your case time-line. ...And you also notice one of them is Sakkilian, so ask him or her if you could ask them a question unrelated to the case about Sakkilians. If they agree, run what you asked Ferara and her response by them and ask why she reacted like you made a inappropriate sexual remark. While you are new to living among non-Serpens, you're puzzled why she'd take something so seemingly innocuous that way.

Now, if this was a suicide, then it most likely did not come out of the blue. There would have been indications in Herod's behavior at work and outside. You'll want to get his medical, psychiatric and prescription records to check if he was depressed or had other psychological issues that could lead to suicide. Also get his financial records, to check if something like him being irrecoverably in debt pushed him over the edge, and his personal correspondence and call records to see if he got some particularly horrible news. Check his personal files and his outgoing mail for if he made a suicide node. Get his contacts list as well so you can talk with his friends and family. Basically, you're gonna have to piece together every part of this guy's life to figure out if it fits that he committed suicide.

Check if his neural comm module was destroyed by the gunshot or if it is recoverable. If it is recoverable you want its data extracted for examination. For all you know, he recorded the deed. Also check what cybernetics he had installed, if any. Oh, and also check what was in his pockets.

Find out if Herod was right or left handed. If he was holding the gun in his non-dominant hand, then that's odd because normally a suicide would use their dominant hand to fire.

The shot through Herod's head would have also created a trace spray of blood expanding out from the entry point. If anyone was in front of him at the time, then there would be a "shadow" in that trace blood, which would have shows up on the forensic team's scans. But if there wasn't, then it's more likely a suicide.

Look at his workstation computer and see what he was doing right before his death. If the computer is locked request that An, since it's your company liaison here, unlock it or send a request to company IT to remotely unlock it.

Look out the window to see if there are any other offices or rooms across the way that have windows facing towards this one. If so then maybe someone saw what happened in here.

Examine the gun used. Is it ballistic or energy based? If the former, where's the bullet and the bullet casing? Does the caliber match all the holes? How come the shot didn't penetrate the window? And what's the legality of owning a firearm on New Horizon? I'm guessing it's very restricted, with required registration. Check if Herod had a registered firearm and if so, match its model and serial number against the one found here. Also ask An what the company's rules about employees bringing weapons and firearms in are, and if banned or restricted what measures are taken to check employees aren't bringing them in. Basically, was Herod allowed to bring a gun in here, and if not then what measures, if any, did the company have that could detect it.

Also ask An for the video from any security cameras with a view of the hall outside this office and the window, if any. And the office door, lighting, heating/air conditioning and occupancy sensor logs. And ask what non-destructive means could be used to open this office door other than using Herod's keycard. You figure there has to be at the least a way to unlock and re-code it for a new keycard in case the existing keycard is lost, destroyed or revoked.
>>
No. 806815 ID: 65a774
File 149693190147.png - (28.96KB , 900x450 , 13.png )
806815

>An does provide a mole in the police force.
Hmm, you better not give her any sensitive information, just in case…
>There's so little crime on this station that over-blowing this case will make for a demonstration of your abilities without blowing the security budget. Get paranoid, get paid.
While there is statistically very little crime here, sure, you don’t think the possible murder of one person will be enough to catapult you into stardom or anything.

>What's that menacing-looking computer hanging from the ceiling?
Whatever it is, it’s clearly beyond your paycheck. Though, considering they have some kind of VR like glasses connected to them, it might be something connected to BTL (Better than life) modulation?
>Check the bookcases for anything cool!
Books! More books! Even more books! …and a BTL disc or two…
>Look out the window to see if there are any other offices or rooms across the way that have windows facing towards this one.
Outside, you can see the grand entrance hall you just left, with the large globe still in its center. It seems like these windows are one-way, as you didn’t see them when you arrived earlier.

>Don't hesitate to take off the sheet and examine the body.
Taking a quick look, you can confirm that he, indeed, has a large hole in the back of his head. It seems like there are scorch marks all around the exit wound, yet still he is slowly bleeding from it. The blood is dripping down his right arm and has created a small pool of it on the floor.
>Is Herod right or left handed? Which hand was he holding the gun in?
The gun seems to have been held in his right hand. You cannot say if he was right or left handed, though.
>Also check what was in his pockets.
A pen, a piece of candy, throat medicine, one of those weirdly colored square human toys… nothing of importance, it seems.

>Ask An why it responded with "pretty flowers." That doesn't help with your investigation. ...Does it?
:AnWWD: This unit is apologizing, but it does not currently have enough information about subject(Investigation) to properly help. It is currently reviewing 253 episodes of CPK: New Miami, Lag and disorder and Criminal Brains as well as playing Ace Attorney: Investigations 1 and 2 to gather all information necessary. Please wait a few seconds and this unit will be a master of subject(investigation).
>*sigh* What do you know about the flowers, an...
:AnWWD: K’th’eth’s tongue. Originated from the planet T’karth’ch, a Hiver colony planet. Do not touch the purple bits, as they are sticky and filled with spores.
>Is An suggesting that there might be an Uredo hiding in there?
:AnWWD: Unable to detect anyone hiding… sad, this unit wanted to play hide and seek…
>What's that brown discoloration on the plant?
:AnWWD: Scanning… it is a scorch mark. Newly made. One of the leaves has been hit by something hot.
>Why isn't the glass cracked?
:AnWWD: Error, no glass found in the vicinity.
:RishiWWD: I guess that’s not actually glass then…


>Introduce yourself to the two Peacekeeper officers present and ask them if they were part of the team that forced the office door open, or if they're part of the forensics team.
:CopWWD: I am part of the forensics team, ma’am.
:DreamerWWD: And I am lieutenant Dreamer of Freedom, ma’am. I am sorry to say, but it seems like your presence here was unneeded, as I’ve already found enough proof here to confirm that it is indeed a suicide. I just need the last of the lab results to use as evidence.
:RishiWWD: Really? …well, I guess I’m looking forward to hearing your logic about the matter later, then.
>Ask them how long it took to determine the door couldn't be opened any other way and to force the door. You'd like to know to flesh our case time-line.
:DreamerWWD: As there was still a possibility that his life might be saved, we broke open the door about five minutes after we arrived here. Sadly, we were too late from the start.
>Even though the door was locked is there any record of it being used after Herod died?
:CopWWD: No, ma’am. The last one who used it was a Ferara Cogwelder, who left this office about 20 minutes before Herod was killed.
>Can anyone else lock it?
:CopWWD: It will automatically lock when someone leaves.
>Ask what non-destructive means could be used to open this office door other than using Herod's keycard.
:CopWWD: There is an override system on the secretaries terminal outside, but it needs a code to activate, a code only Herod should know. Other than that, there’s also the main override function, but it’s only usable by the chief of security and the CEO of the company, neither of whom are present at the building for the moment. Besides, none of the override systems has been recorded used today.
>Were there any other finger prints on the gun other than Herod's?
:DreamerWWD: Only Herods, correct. We found no other traces on the gun at all besides that.
>Now, if this was a suicide, then it most likely did not come out of the blue. Was there any known motive for him to do it?
:DreamerWWD: Why, this is the best part. About four months ago our victim started seeing a therapist, as well as started taking medication for mental ills. Recently, his work load has been rather large… and witnesses say that he’s been rather stressed lately. It’s clear that he couldn’t take it all in the end, no?
>Ask An for the video from any security cameras with a view of the hall outside this office and the window, if any.
:CopWWD: We are currently combing through the camera footage from outside his secretaries room, ma’am. So far we know that no one has arrived or left between the time of death and the peace keepers arriving.
>>
No. 806816 ID: 65a774
File 149693191198.png - (125.21KB , 900x450 , 14.png )
806816

>Check the green thing beside the seat.
:AnWWD: Scanning… Particle Accelerator for Combat use detected. Model “Stinger v.4.2”. Originally created by-
:RishiWWD: Just tell me about the gun, not its history, An.
:AnWWD: PAC gun, also known as Stinger or Air gun. Fires a cloud of charged air particles at high speeds towards the target. Easy to use, have near unlimited ammo if air is available, cheap to produce.
:RishiWWD: There is also a large, bloody handprint around handle of the gun… It supposedly the victims.
>An energy weapon would have cauterized the wound channel it made.
:AnWWD: The initial impact of the air bullet consist of force, usually resulting in blood splatter. The heat wave following is usually too weak to cauterize bigger wounds completely, often leaving some bleeding wounds at a direct hit.
:RishiWWD: So the scorch mark around the blood on the wall?
:AnWWD: Likely from the PAC gun impact. Scanning… Scorch mark similar from the one found on the pretty plant. Same source possible.
>Any chemical residue leftover from the discharge?
:AnWWD: The IOKec-Crystal powering the PAC gun will leave noticeable traces on anything nearby when fired. Usually only affect the hand and arm of the one who fired, unless held in close proximity to something else.
>The shot through Herod's head would have also created a trace spray of blood expanding out from the entry point.
Hmm… yet, the only blood you can see on the gun is the hand print and blood from the pool it’s currently in.
>What's the legality of owning a firearm on New Horizon? I'm guessing it's very restricted, with required registration.
New Horizon gun laws are extremely strict. Owning a gun like this is completely illegal unless your occupation calls for it… for example, being a Peace Keeper. This gun is clearly unregistered and illegal.

>Look at his workstation computer and see what he was doing right before his death.
:RishiWWD: An, can you unlock his terminal for me?
:AnWWD: Very well.
An proceeds to screw her own head of, grabbing a few cables hanging from it before plugging herself into terminal. As she unlocks it, you’re greeted by the whole frame being filled with some kind of old pixel-based, fake 3D shooter. It doesn’t seem like Herod was working when he died.
>Check his personal files and his outgoing mail for if he made a suicide note.
:AnWWD: This unit apologizes, but company secrets needs to be censored.
:RishiWWD: Just show me what you can, An.
:AnWWD: Uploading messages from the last 24 hours…

To: [Retracted]
The [Retracted] Project is [Retracted] with [Retracted] and [Retracted]. I’ll [Retracted] the [Retracted] with the [Retracted] and [Retracted] so we [Retracted] and [Retracted]. Ask [Retracted] about [Retracted] and [Retracted] so we can [Retracted] with [Retracted]. Everything else is going according to schedule, as long as you can deliver [Retracted] on time.
-Herod.

To: K’rtak Char’ti
Dinner at our usual place tonight? I’ve imported one of those wine bottles you so adore.
-your love, who can’t stop thinking about your cute mandibles...

To: Ferara Cogwelder
I’ve recently been shown parts of the project you and “lizzy” are conducting. I’ll have you know that a project of that size might have quite the consequences for the company if it fails, not to speak of you personally. Meet me in my office tomorrow and we’ll discuss the right tools we need to use to make sure it doesn’t come crashing down. You do remember what happened to Dr. Esk’eth, correct?

To: Ferara Cogwelder
Remember to increase the memory capacity of the next [Retracted] model with at least 25%. These new AI modules are quite a bit larger than the old ones.
-Herod.

To: Isan Karte
I do understand that [Retracted] old notes aren’t complete, but what we have now is simply not enough. We need to know what made this new [Retracted] model so special, as currently there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. I sent the original to Ferara so she can continue testing it, but as it’s already been 6 months my hopes aren’t that high.
-Herod.
>>
No. 806821 ID: 4854ef

Hmm.. The man who is committing "suicide" made plenty of longterm plans, had a sweetheart he was gushingly sweet with that he wanted dinner tonight with, plans for meetings and continuations of other such research and production.. If this was a suicide it was suddenly planned out very quickly, which would be odd because to procure a weapon would be quite involved on this station would it not?
>>
No. 806824 ID: fc33ea

>Air gun. Fires a cloud of charged air particles at high speeds towards the target.
Is what your seeing in line with your knowledge of the gun, especially at point blank range?

Right, so it comes down to the forensics; either there's residue on his arm and face when he shot himself, and ballistics indicate it was a point blank shot- possibly accidental death when he started to play with guns in his office; or the gun was fired once, through the plant, killing him, making it murder. Can the door lock or the life monitor signals be fudged?

An, can you scan for IOKec-Crystal traces? specifically on his arms, face and the damaged bit of that plant.

> K’rtak Char’ti
Ugh, looks like we have to deliver bad news to a SO. Always the worst.
>Dr. Esk’eth
An, what can you tell me about this person?

Cogwelder apparently hasn't got the work output to go along with her inflated value of her own time. Has Herod been bringing attention to this in an official capacity?

Oh, we completely forgot to look at that terminal on the wall!
>>
No. 806830 ID: 91ee5f

>>806815
I'd say check the dirt in the planter to see if there could be footprints from someone hiding there to shoot at the victim.

>Do not touch the purple bits, as they are sticky and filled with spores.
And if our killer doesn't know about that, then we just gotta look for someone with sticky spores on them.

Hmmm, if the door couldn't be opened with out breaking it and the killer couldn't have used the victim's keycard without the door records saying the victim opened it and giving away that it wasn't a suicide, then the killer could still be hiding in the room! Or there's an air vent somewhere for them to escape through.

If these guys haven't left the room, then killer could still be hiding and waiting for everyone to leave so that he/she can escape!

That cabinet in the desk looks big enough for someone to hide in. Or something important could be in there. Let's open all the doors and drawers on the desk and look around.
>>
No. 806832 ID: 91ee5f

>>806830
It's just a theory though! So don't go announcing that it's murder without proof!
>>
No. 806834 ID: f562b1

So, wait, singe marks are only supposed to appear at and near the pellet's impact point, but the "window" and the plant both have singes? The body was found at the computer, near the window, so why is the plant singed?
Even if the pellet manages to completely pierce his head without bursting, with the sing marks on the window being from the initial blast, then what about the lack of blood towards the entrance of the room? Did the cleaning bots get into here, or did somebody else clean it?
>>
No. 806835 ID: f562b1

>>806830
I doubt the door locks from the inside. If they had the keycard and then left it in his hands, they could just walk out and it would lock behind them. However, I imagine that the door would at least register being opened from inside in that case.
>>
No. 806836 ID: 89e9c4

Even if this was a suicide, he did it just twenty minutes after Ferara exited the room. That makes her a suspect; even if she didn't pull the trigger, she could have refused to save him... or revealed something that convinced him to commit suicide in a matter of twenty minutes.

Talk to Ferara and find out the second-to-last thing that went through the victim's brain.
>>
No. 806838 ID: fe7355

Ask the forensics tech to examine the scorched plant and compare its scorch pattern against the PK forensics firearm database, first against the PAC gun entries. Then line up the spot where, if there was a PAC shot here, to where the hole in the window is and compare it to where Herod's head would have been when he was alive. Then ask the tech to scan for IOKec-Cystal residue on Herod's body and the rest of the room next, as well as for trace blood spatter patterns.

>Do not touch the purple bits, as they are sticky and filled with spores.
So if someone was hiding in the plant and didn't know about this, then they'd still be covered with spores. ...Or if they did know, they'd clean them off. ...And Ferara reeked of cleaning fluid. ...No, don't jump to conclusions. Follow the evidence.

>There is also a large, bloody handprint around handle of the gun… It supposedly the victims.
...Wait a second. How could Herod have left a bloody hand print on the gun's grip? For that to happen the blood would have had to get on his hand or the grip first, then he would have had to hold it. And since the blood wouldn't have come until after he was dead, he couldn't have grabbed the gun's grip himself.

>I guess that’s not actually glass then…
But then what is it? Transparent aluminum? ...Or is it not even a window but some kind of holo-screen displaying a view of the entrance hall? And if it is a screen, then maybe there's a equipment space it. One someone could hide in and fire from that would leave a hole, then hide in. Whisper to An to respond to you to whisper back just what is that window behind Herod's body. What is it made of, and is it a actual window or some kind of display screen?

>Books! More books! Even more books! …and a BTL disc or two…
What are their titles? And ask An to check when was the last few times the device with the VR headset used, by who, and, if it's not company secrets, what for.

>This gun is clearly unregistered and illegal.
Then better get its serial number from the forensics report or get it yourself so its source can be tracked down. Also, how hard would it be to fabricate a PAC gun with the facilities in either this company or elsewhere on New Horizon?

>To: K’rtak Char’ti
Damn, you're gonna have to break the bad news to his partner. Or maybe you shouldn't, since you're not experienced with xeno-relations. And did he send this message yesterday or today?

>You do remember what happened to Dr. Esk’eth, correct?
Ask An who Dr. Esk'eth was and what happened to them.
>>
No. 806839 ID: 3ce125

>>806816
>There is also a large, bloody handprint around handle of the gun
Ummmm how did the blood get on his hand before he used it to shoot himself? This seems like clear evidence of foul play.
>>
No. 806842 ID: be0718

If you die in the game, you die in real life! Search for evidence of e-magging on the computer.

This email list gives you lots of names to check out. Let's start with Ferara, and investigate this 'Lizzy' person. Special AI units also implies this has something to do with a sentience event, which means a person could be held against their will right now, subjected to unlawful invasive code tampering!
>>
No. 806873 ID: 65a774
File 149695851584.png - (29.41KB , 900x450 , 15.png )
806873

>The man who is committing "suicide" made plenty of longterm plans, had a sweetheart he was gushingly sweet with that he wanted dinner tonight with, plans for meetings and continuations of other such research and production…
Indeed, this is starting to get murkier by the moment.
>Ugh, looks like we have to deliver bad news to a SO. Always the worst.
Luckily, it’s not your job to do that... which is good, because your Xeno-relations experience is sorely lacking.
>How did the blood get on his hand before he used it to shoot himself? This seems like clear evidence of foul play.
That is a clear contradiction, isn’t it?
>Oh, we completely forgot to look at that terminal on the wall!
The terminal is used to regulate the lightning, temperature and the similar things in the room. It’s not important.
>What are the BTL discs titles?
Project: …followed by a long serial number. It seems like they are work related somehow…

>Hmmm, if the door couldn't be opened without breaking it and the killer couldn't have used the victim's keycard without the door records saying the victim opened it and giving away that it wasn't a suicide, then the killer could still be hiding in the room! Or there's an air vent somewhere for them to escape through.
Several Officers has already made a thorough search of the room. Any criminals or secret vents would have been found by now.


>So, wait, singe marks are only supposed to appear at and near the pellet's impact point, but the "window" and the plant both have singes?
:AnWWD: The wave of heat is following the projectile, not the impact. Thus, the bullet would singe anything in its path that is not heat resistant… like a piece of paper or a dry leaf, for example.
>Can the door lock or the life monitor signals be fudged?
:AnWWD: The door lock log can be changed and deleted by authorized personal. Those are the same that has access to the override functionality. The life monitor will emit a signal as soon as the subject is heavily wounded, only stopping when shut down my paramedic personal.
>An, can you scan for IOKec-Crystal traces?
:AnWWD: This unit lack that functionality.
>An, what can you tell me about this Dr. Esk’eth?
:AnWWD: Fa- …
:RishiWWD: …?
:AnWWD: Dr. Esk’eth was a prominent AI researcher at this company. Six months ago he was the victim of a fatal accident while working on his biggest project yet.
>How hard would it be to fabricate a PAC gun with the facilities in either this company or elsewhere on New Horizon?
:AnWWD: Scanning… it would indeed be possible to use certain tools and an high grade fabricator located here to create a gun of that model. Considering that the gun doesn’t seem to be very old, it is very plausible that’s the case.


>This email list gives you lots of names to check out. Let's start with Ferara, and investigate this 'Lizzy' person.
>Even if this was a suicide, he did it just twenty minutes after Ferara exited the room. That makes her a suspect.
Indeed, this Ferara seems rather suspect right now… you’ll need to contact her again... though, you can only hope she’s gotten a few eggs inside her by now to replace that stick she had up her butt.

>Ask the tech to scan for IOKec-Cystal residue on Herod's body.
:CopWWD: Actually, we just received the test results for that. You were indeed correct, lieutenant, he has traces of crystals on his right hand… if faint.
:DreamerWWD: Ha! I knew it.
:RishiWWD: (So… there were traces of the gun firing in his hand? Hmm…)
:CopWWD: Though, were weren’t able to find any other traces in the whole room.
:DreamerWWD: That doesn’t matter. I, the great dreamer, have already solved this case with the help of this evidence! It is 100% Suicide, as proven by me.
:RishiWWD: Actually… I’m starting to suspect foul play myself.
:DreamerWWD: Really? Why, then let me enlighten you on how wrong you are.
:RishiWWD: …okay? Sure? I guess?
>>
No. 806875 ID: 65a774
File Case1Dreamer.swf - (47.96KB , 901x601 )
806875

I really hope this works…
Also, play this for the full effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDGYy9y6A5c


:RishiWWD: …interesting…
:AnWWD: Oh, this flower smells so nice…
:RishiWWD: …thank you for your input, An…

(Remember your training. Words are useless without proof to back them up. Make sure you have the evidence to back up any counter arguments you have and don’t forget that you can always press for more information about any subject they’ve brought up. Now let’s prove this Cibic wrong!)
>>
No. 806880 ID: 3ce125

>>806875
He was alone in the room at the time of death, sure, the evidence seems to be solid there. How do we know noone was near the room though? They are still analyzing security footage, so we shouldn't know that yet.

Stress on its own isn't a good motive for suicide, and it looks like he was playing a video game right before he died, which means he had an outlet for any stress. He was going to go out with someone in the near future, which means he was at least relaxed enough for social interaction. What indication does Dreamer have that he was under a lot of stress?

>handprint
HOLD IT! The handprint implies that he got blood on his hand *before* the gun wound up in it. How can she explain that?

I mean, I can't explain it either. How did someone put the gun in his hand after he died, without entering the room? ...wait, do the door records keep any records of robots entering or leaving? Could the killer be synthetic?
>>
No. 806893 ID: 4854ef

Why is he getting so increasingly smug over what amounts to a suicide case? Is he really that arrogant or what.

But yes, there's a few issues afoot given the bloody handprint.. Which shouldn't be there as a result of it being prior to the gunshot

There's also something a bit odd.. Do energy weapons Ricochet? Because it likely hit the plant as well but there doesn't seem to be another mark anywhere else within the room as a result of such.
>>
No. 806894 ID: 91ee5f

>>806875
I hate to tell you this, but my device can't play this. However, I have a feeling that it's just me. Also, music from that game series? You've only got yourself to blame for what I'm gonna do!

>>806873
OBJECTION!!!!!

The results only came back asfaint traces of crystals in his hand? If he pulled the trigger, wouldn't the results have stronger traces of crystals? For example, if I were to fire that gun and then hand it to you to hold it, both of us would have traces of crystals on us. However, you would only have faint traces, while I would have strong traces on me. And yet, our victim only has faint traces on his hand. If he truly did shoot himself, then why didn't the results give us stronger crystal traces?

Next, the bloody handprint on the gun. That's impossible unless he was already bleeding when the gun was in his hand.

Both the faint crystal traces and the bloody handprint makes me believe that someone placed the gun in his hand after he was dead!

Finally, his stress at work. If having a stressful job was all it took to drive someone to suicide, then we would have plenty of reports of cops killing themselves after a stressful day! Plus, according to an email sent to a K’rtak Char’ti from the victim here at his computer, the victim was planning on going out on a date. If you're planning to kill yourself, why would you bother making plans with someone?
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No. 806901 ID: 3ce125

...do we have a way to verify time of death aside from the life-monitor? Like, taking the temperature of his liver, or other (relatively) low tech methods?
>>
No. 806902 ID: be0718

>>806875
Every time I try to open this, it just tries to download another copy. What should I open it with?
>>
No. 806906 ID: fe7355

>>806902
Adobe offers a standalone player program, called a "projector," that can play a downloaded flash file outside the browser plugin. Get it from this page: https://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/debug_downloads.html It needs no installing; Just run the program and open the flash file.
>>
No. 806919 ID: fc33ea

>Luckily, it’s not your job to do that... which is good, because your Xeno-relations experience is sorely lacking.
Well you've got to interview them, haven't you?
>Fa- …
I'm guessing he was about to say father.
What's the flower smell like, anyway? What about the room, any essence of cleaning fluid? Check the surface of the BTL machine, is there any dust or has it been cleaned recently? The plants have clearly been disturbed recently if they're so pungent, have they been cleaned? Are any of the BTL disks missing from the cases?

Does a life monitor signal distress, or only when somebody flatlines? It's possible, since he's still bleeding now, that the time of the shooting and time of death were about, say 20 minutes apart.

There's no residue about the victims' face or mouth. If he shot himself at point blank range, residue would be there and there'd be lots of it. The damaged foliage and point of impact in the window create a horizontal line at head height, indicating he was shot while standing and then re positioned, or he fell into his chair. There's no point of impact at the other end of the room, so the burns on the leaf can't be explained by him firing multiple shots. He has no other wounds to explain how he left the bloody hand-print on the gun, other than being moved post-mortem. No matter how stressful his job, there is no indication he was not in control of his stress or his life.

So, evidence points to the shooter standing about where An is, or maybe on the other side of the BTL machine. They took the shot, damaging the plant in the process; then re positioned the body to make it look like a suicide, transferring traces of GSR onto the body and a bloody hand-print onto the gun before cleaning up their tracks. The only question is what method the shooter used to fudge the electronic security, assuming it wasn't just Cogwelder.

This also raises questions about the 'accidental' death of Dr. Esk’eth, and a potential danger to other people working on classified projects. Might want to talk to Isan Karte.
>>
No. 806923 ID: ba506f

alright but if he shot himself why is plant singed over there, why'd he make plans for later in the day/week if he planned to end himself, and where could he have gotten the gun if it was illegal for him to own one?
>>
No. 806934 ID: fe7355

Okay, on the first point, yes we have logs and video showing nobody entered the office. However, logs and video can be forged. A loop of a empty hall pasted into the video, or fed from a sample stored in the camera. Log data intercepted on the company network before it reaches the security servers, or a door lock mechanism tampered with to unlock with another's keycard and not store or send a log. But this is just speculation. We'd need to examine the security camera and the door lock and keycard reader, including extracting their firmware, to confirm there has been no tampering or substitutions. Could the forensics officer please check those two things, assuming they have the proper data forensics kit. (You don't trust An with the firmware extraction, since she could alter its contents before handing it over.)

On the second point, it doesn't line up with his email making plans for this evening. He was looking forward to tonight. And he was playing a game at the time, maybe for stress relief after talking with Ferara. But, you admit that you're no psych expert and that you shouldn't be trying to figure out if Herod was suicidal just from the few bits and pieces we've found. However, neither is Dreamer, so the both of you shouldn't be trying to extrapolate his mental state.

But related to this, ask the forensics officer to take a sample of Herod's blood for analysis. You want to know what pharmaceuticals were running through him at the time of death and if he was taking his psychological medication.

Now, your counter to Dreamer's third point is the strongest. To the first part, you say that the traces of crystal residue are too faint and don't cover where they ought to be if he stuck that PAC gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. If he had done that, there'd be strong traces of crystal all over his hand, his arm, his face, his neck and chest, the inside of his mouth, and the inside of his skull. That there aren't points more towards the gun having been fired and then placed in his hand, transferring a faint trace of crystal residue from it then.

However, if somebody did shoot him, then there would be crystal residue elsewhere in the office, and yet there was no trace of crystal residue found in here other than on Herod's hand. You can think of two possible explanations for this. First is that the residue was cleaned away in the time before the Peacekeepers arrived. Ask An what cleaners could be used to remove IOKec-Crystal in a ten minute time frame without damaging the items in this office, then ask the forensics officer to scan for them. Second, less possible possibility is that the shooter fired from the hallway through the open door. That would leave no trace in the office, but if the PAC gun makes a noticeable amount of noise then this possibility gets even less possible. That is, unless there's something like a suppressor for a PAC gun.

But either of these possibilities lines up with the leaf that has been scorched in a manner just like a PAC gun shot went past it. That scorched leaf does not fit with Herod taking his own life here at all, but rather with someone else shooting him.

And as for the second part of Dreamer's third point, it would be highly unlikely for Herod to have killed himself and leave a bloody hand print on the grip of the gun. In order for him to have left a hand print, his blood would have had to already be on his hand, the gun's grip, or both, and then he'd grasp the gun. But there wouldn't have been blood until he shot himself, and then he couldn't grip the gun because he would be dead. So the most possible explanation is the gun was placed in his hand after he was shot.

And keep these thoughts to yourself, but the way An started to say "father" when asked about Dr. Esk'eth, the time of his death, and the contents of those last three emails Herod sent line up to be very suspicious. The [Redacted] model is likely An, and the notes were probably Dr. Esk'eth's. Maybe something involving SAI emergence or creation, since An is obviously not a usual AI. And then Herod's caution to Ferara to remember what happened to Dr. Esk'eth sounds rather like a reference to his death. It's starting to smell like something even more fishy is going on in this company.
>>
No. 806940 ID: be0718

Could the residue on his hand come from bringing it up to defend himself from the gunshot, or from the smoking gun (as it were) being placed in his hand?
>>
No. 806990 ID: fe7355

>>806934
Oh, and don't ask the forensics officer do all the checking and stuff 'cause that'd be kinda rude and you want to cultivate a good reputation with the other Peacekeepers. Do the stuff that doesn't require their scanner or skill, like removing the maintenance panel from the door yourself. Also ask An to help as well.
>>
No. 807053 ID: 65a774
File 149703527939.png - (24.23KB , 900x450 , 16.png )
807053

:RishiWWD: OBJECTION!!!!!
:DreamerWWD: Gah! No need to yell!
>>
No. 807054 ID: 65a774
File 149703529564.png - (101.17KB , 900x450 , 17.png )
807054

RishiWWD: Actually, the bloody handprint proves that he wasn’t holding the gun when he died, wouldn’t you say?
:DreamerWWD: Huh? What are you talking about?
:RishiWWD: The bloody handprint shows quite clearly that his hand was already covered in blood when he grabbed the gun… now, where did the blood come from?
:DreamerWWD: …why from his- GAH!?
:RishiWWD: Exactly, he had already been shot dead by the time he got his hands on the gun.

:RishiWWD: Furthermore, you only found a faint trace of the crystal on his hand? If he pulled the trigger, wouldn’t there be more than that?
:DreamerWWD: …maybe the crystal was simply… um… a bit weak?
:RishiWWD: Then explain to me why there isn’t any traces on the victim’s face or mouth? A point blank shot would leave a lot of residue on him, no?
:DreamerWWD: Err… but… wait, but we didn’t find any traces anywhere else in the room and-
:RishiWWD: If I remember correctly, guns like these only leave residue on things rather close to its muzzle.
:AnWWD: That is correct. It’s most often the case that only the hand and arm of the shooter is affected.
:RishiWWD: Ergo, only the killer has the residue on them, and as they planted the gun in the victim’s hand after the deed…
:DreamerWWD: Some of it might have… rubbed… off… GAH, NO!!
:RishiWWD: But that’s not all. You can actually see the burn mark left from the bullet on the bit plant over there, thus proving that the one holding the gun was standing somewhere beyond that point when the shot was fired.

:RishiWWD: Oh, and take a look at this email that he sent today, too.
:DreamerWWD: Eh? …the usual place… your love? But…
:RishiWWD: Tell me, if he was planning to kill himself, why was talking about a going on one of those… um… mating ritual things you alien does later tonight?
:CopWWD: It’s called a date, ma’am.
:RishiWWD: …err… yes, a date? I think?
:DreamerWWD: Nooo! My logic! It’s ruined!
:RishiWWD: And there we have it… this is now a murder case.
:CopWWD: But how did the murderer enter the office?
:RishiWWD: Why that is our next question to find the answer for, isn’t it?
:CopWWD: Oh, and ma’am? The initial autopsy report is ready; you can read it on your datapad. We’ll have a more detailed report as soon as the corpse actually reaches the lab for a more thorough examination.


>Does a life monitor signal distress, or only when somebody flatlines?
It can transmit three different signals. Heavily wounded, fatally wounded and dead. According to the autopsy report, he was killed instantly thus only the dead signal was sent.
>...do we have a way to verify time of death aside from the life-monitor? Like, taking the temperature of his liver, or other (relatively) low tech methods?
Sadly, all the biomods people have today make it hard to get the exact time of death. Whatever tests they’ve made so far shows that he died somewhere between 16:00 and 18:05 with the life-monitor signal being transmitted at 17:45. For reference, the police found the corpse at 18:05 and you arrived here 18:30.
>Ask the forensics officer to take a sample of Herod's blood for analysis.
Hmm… contained traces of a drug commonly used to combat mental trauma. Effective against nightmares and depressive thoughts, according to the report.

>What about the room, any essence of cleaning fluid?
No traces of this place being cleaned have been found, no.
>This also raises questions about the 'accidental' death of Dr. Esk’eth, and a potential danger to other people working on classified projects.
His death was deemed an accident by the Peace keepers themselves. If you wanted to look through his case further you’ll need some strong evidence that it wasn’t.
>The way An started to say "father" when asked about Dr. Esk'eth, the time of his death, and the contents of those last three emails Herod sent line up to be very suspicious.
Hmm… can it be An they were talking about in those emails? …and the notes being Dr. Esk'eth? What makes this An so special? It doesn’t seem that different from a badly programmed AI.


:RishiWWD: Let’s go over what we know. The evidence points to the shooter standing somewhere near the BTL machine. They took the shot, damaging the plant in the process; then repositioned the body to make it look like a suicide, transferring the residue onto the body and a bloody hand-print onto the gun. The only question is what method the shooter used to fudge the electronic security, assuming it wasn't just Cogwelder.
:DreamerWWD: Cogwelder? Isn’t that the one who last saw the victim alive?
:RishiWWD: Indeed, which mean we need to get her side of the-
>>
No. 807055 ID: 65a774
File 149703530583.png - (27.51KB , 900x450 , 18.png )
807055

:NonWWD: NOT SO FAST!
:DreamerWWD: GAH! What’s with all the screaming!
>>
No. 807056 ID: 65a774
File 149703553362.png - (29.57KB , 900x450 , 19.png )
807056

:NonWWD: Isn’t there someone a bit more important than Cogwelder we should focus on?
:RishiWWD: Wait, who…?
:NonWWD: Ah, my apologies, I forgot to introduce myself.

:LeontiusWWD: My name is Leontius Strongheart, a peace keeper investigator, and you, I assume, is Rishi Zsazsa, correct?
:RishiWWD: That’s correct…
:LeontiusWWD: Then it’s an honor to meet you, ma’am, and I hope you think likewise, as from today on forward I will be your partner as investigators.
:RishiWWD: Oh, right, the chief said something about that, didn’t she?
:LeontiusWWD: I my apologize that I didn’t make my entrance earlier, but I was busy at different ends… and I didn’t want to interrupt your splendid take down of the lieutenant here. Quite the show if I must say so myself. Either way, I do believe I’m up to speed thanks to that.
:RishiWWD: And who is that next to you?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh, why, I bring you Lily Skywatcher, Herod’s secretary.
:LilyWWD: Um… h-hello?
:LeontiusWWD: Whom I personally believe is our main suspect for being the killer right now.
:LilyWWD: WAIT W-WHAT!?

:LeontiusWWD: After all, she’s the only one who could enter the office without a trace. The secretary’s terminal had access to an override function for the door lock as well as the log for the door. While it does require a passport supposedly only known to Herod himself, I’ve found proof that Lily here knew it as well.
:LilyWWD: But I didn’t-
:LeontiusWWD: She also has the motive. Herod recently made quite a cut to her paycheck… as well as forced her to work overtime without pay. Greed is quite the motivator for scum, isn’t it?
:LilyWWD: I would ne-
:LeontiusWWD: And it seems like I just got the final nail to her coffin delivered on my datapad. The analyze is complete… and the test results shows that on your left shoulder, Lily, you have faint residue of a IOKec-Crystal, that is to say, from the murder weapon as it was fired. It seems like you missed a spot when you cleaned yourself.
:LilyWWD: W-w-what? But… I… but I n-never…

:LeontiusWWD: Well then, miss Rishi, care to join me in uncovering the truth of this matter and nail this bad guy… or gal, which it might be in this case?
>>
No. 807057 ID: fc33ea

Is this a good cop bad cop thing? I think this we're doing good cop bad cop.

Well Lily, that's pretty damning. Would you care to tell your side of the story? Everything that happened since, say, a few hours ago.
>>
No. 807058 ID: fc33ea

Oh, also, open up the autopsy report.
>>
No. 807059 ID: 3ce125

>>807056
Yes, we have established motive, and opportunity, and means is plausible as well.

HOWEVER. She still needs to be placed at the scene of the crime. Was she ever near the victim's office? It's possible the crystal residue on her shoulder was because she was touched by the real killer... don't say that out loud until you get her side of the story though. You would effectively be feeding her a convincing lie if you brought that up too early.

Does she smell of cleaning fluid? That's another thing to bring up- the killer should smell like they thoroughly cleaned themselves, with something strong enough to remove blood.

What was the proof that she had the password? Could someone have gotten it from her? Also, since the password's security was breached once already, someone else could have gotten it the same way she did.
>>
No. 807062 ID: 91ee5f

>>807056
>require a passport
Time to make fun of your partner's slip of the tongue!

"Well, if she has the victim's identification for travel, then the only thing we could charge her for is stealing. Besides, she'd need a password to enter this office, not a passport."

>Constantly interrupting her.
"Now, now, we've already had someone jump to conclusions, let's not have you start doing it also! Let's hear her side of the story and follow the evidence to confirm or deny her alibi."

>>807059
>Does she smell of cleaning fluid? That's another thing to bring up- the killer should smell like they thoroughly cleaned themselves, with something strong enough to remove blood.
I say we get close to her and start sniffing. Then we tell them that she doesn't have a strong smell, like anything that could've been strong enough to clean off blood.

After we disprove his claims, we should tell him that he owes her an apology!
>>
No. 807065 ID: 3ce125

Oh, even if she's not the killer it's possible she's an accomplice. Like, if she was standing next to whoever shot the gun, that would get some residue on her too.
>>
No. 807067 ID: fc33ea

Obviously there's plenty of ways crystals could be transferred to her shoulder, most likely the killer touched her at some point for some reason. We just need to get her to tell us without giving her any ideas for an Alibi.
>>
No. 807076 ID: cb9e15

>>807057
Agreed, let's give this guy a chance and not immediately call him out.

And also give the poor girl a chance, being the "good cop" here.
>>
No. 807077 ID: 91ee5f

>>807062
(I'd also like to add this.)

Just facepalm yourself and say, "If I had a [insert amount of money here] for every time one of my coworkers jumped to conclusions about a case, I'd be rich and would've retired early and I'd be enjoying myself right about now."
>>
No. 807079 ID: 65a774
File 149704925966.png - (29.32KB , 900x450 , 20.png )
807079

>Is this a good cop bad cop thing? I think this we're doing good cop bad cop.
Dammit, you always wanted to be the bad cop if you ever got the chance to do something like that. But you guess it’s not helping it… you’re the good cop now it seems.
>Obviously there's plenty of ways crystals could be transferred to her shoulder, most likely the killer touched her at some point for some reason.
Indeed… you’ll need to watch what she says and see if an opportunity like that comes up.
>Oh, even if she's not the killer it's possible she's an accomplice.
Even if she seems shy and meek, it’s fully possible that’s just an act. She is a suspect as of now, so let’s at least suspect her.

>I say we get close to her and start sniffing.
Getting close to her, you notice that there is a faint smell of soap on her. Looking over her plump form, you can also see that the arms of her dress are still slightly damp… as if they were recently watched.
:LilyWWD: Eh? …c-can I h-help you?
:RishiWWD: The killer has probably cleaned off their hands recently.
:LeontiusWWD: And you, dear Lily, have a rather newly cleaned hands, don’t you?
:LilyWWD: I… s-spilled coffee on them?

>Was she ever near the victim's office?
:LeontiusWWD: Considering you have to walk through her workroom and pass her desk to get in here, I would say yes, she was.
>What was the proof that she had the password? Could someone have gotten it from her?
:LeontiusWWD: It was written down on a post-it note on her wall, which mean anyone might have seen it, correct.
:LilyWWD: W-wait, I h-had it written down? Um… ops?
:LeontiusWWD: Of course, you still need access to her terminal to use it.
:LilyWWD: And I always lock the door if I leave my workstation, so no one… can… I’m just d-digging myself deeper, aren’t I?
:LeontiusWWD: You are proving my theory right, indeed…

:RishiWWD: Now, now, we've already had someone jump to conclusions, let's not have you start doing it also! Let's hear her side of the story and follow the evidence to confirm or deny her alibi.
:LeontiusWWD: I concur. Lily, can you tell us what happened the last hour or so…
:LilyWWD: Um… well…
>>
No. 807080 ID: 65a774
File Case1Lily.swf - (47.37KB , 901x601 )
807080

For those that can’t access the flash, look below:

-Lily’s coffee troubles-

My boss was working late again, which forces me to do the same. Since about 4 o’clock I’ve been hard at work writing several mails he wanted to have done, which I’ve still haven’t been able to finish.

At about 5 that Sakkilian lady came and wanted to see Herod. Cogwelder I believe her name is? It was a bit odd as Herod hadn’t scheduled a meeting with her or anything, but he let her in anyway. I was a bit distracted after that so I’m not entirely sure when she left, but she did so in quite a hurry. She just shoved me to the side when I tried to greet without saying a word.

About 15 or 20 minutes later, I think it was about a quarter to 6, I got a message from the boss telling me to go and get a cup of coffee for him and his acquaintance, which is really odd because no one else had entered his office after Cogwelder left.

So… um… I went to get coffee and kind of spilled it all over myself because I’m so darn clumsy and had to wash it off with a bunch of soap but I wasn’t able to properly dry my dress and I was in a hurry to get back before the boss got mad and almost forgot the coffee but then you guys where there and *mumble mumble*


(While there was a few things to note; you have a feeling you should ask a few questions before pressing on further…)
>>
No. 807083 ID: fc33ea

Alright, do you have the message from your boss? Is there still coffee spilled somewhere, and do you actually have the coffee you were bringing? What was taking those e-mails so long, what can you tell me about them? Cogwelder pushed you, point to where.

I'm not sure I understand, are there two lockable doors, one for each office, or only one door to the Vic's office that she keeps locked? The responding officers only spoke of one locked door, and she's scatterbrained enough that I'm guessing she forgot. I'm also guessing that Cogwelder left someone behind to fix the scene after she shot the Vic, and that person sent the message in the vic's name to get her to leave the room, unless I'm getting my timetables wrong.

We need like a mental/digital timeline to start organizing these events.

..AN, what happened before Cogwelder brought you to me?
>>
No. 807085 ID: 4854ef

The Sakklian lady.. Did she shove you by your shoulders?
>>
No. 807086 ID: 3ce125

>>807080
Does she handle all of Herod's emails? Let's check the timestamps on the emails that were sent out to see if that matches her story so far.
Ask what she was distracted by, and what the emails were that she hasn't sent yet. Assuming we are authorized to read the contents, anyway...
Also ask what Cogweather looked like. Was she scared? Angry?
If she spilled coffee on her clothing shouldn't there be stains?

Also, does she have any record of the message she got? It's possible the killer just used his computer to send it, but... the time she gave is very very close to when his life monitor went off.
Is it possible there was someone in here with a cloaking device?
>>
No. 807091 ID: 91ee5f

She's nervous, which is to be expected when she's being accused for murder. But I think another reason for her nervousness is because her hips are currently being put to shame by Rishi's thiccness!

Officer Rishi, holster dem hips! Damn, it's so easy to forget how dangerous dem hips are!

>Shoved by Cogwelder.
Ask her how she was shoved. But don't give her an out by saying if a hand was placed on her or if she was shoved by being grabbed on her shoulders.

>Washed hands.
She'd need more than soap and water to wash away the smell of blood. And if any got on her clothes, trying to wash it away with only soap and water would just smear the blood on her clothes and make it worse. She'd need some sort of strong smelling cleaning supplies in order to get rid of blood and she only smells like soap.

Actually, can An scan Lily's clothes and hands to see if there are any traces of coffee, soap, blood, crystals, or really strong cleaning chemicals on her?

>Message.
Is it at all possible that message was supposed to be sent to Lily as soon as Cogwelder entered the room, but was delayed so that Lily received the message after Cogwelder had already left? Which would also mean that the life monitor signal could've also been put on a dely so that Cogwelder could be out of the room before the life monitor announced the victim was dead.

Actually, what if both the "go get coffee" message and the "I'm dead" signal were sent at the same time? Let's ask for times on when Lily got her message and when the life monitor flatlined.

>Password out where anyone could see it.
It was already said that the door could be opened from both sides with the same password. Lily had it written down on a post-it note on her wall, Cogwelder could've seen it and then used it to let herself out and the door would've registered it as the victim letting her out.
>>
No. 807150 ID: fe7355

What's that on the floor behind Leontius? It wasn't there a minute ago when he and Lily walked in. Go take a closer look at what it is, while also asking Leontius to step aside with you so you can confer privately.

Once out of Lily's earshot, whisper to Leon that this is why we should follow proper PK interview protocol and never let suspects hear any more about the case from us than absolutely necessary. Because of all he said in front of Lily, we can't tell if she's being truthful or making up lies based on it to fit what he said. For example, if he hadn't spilled where the crystal residue was on her we could have asked her where Ferara shoved her and if she said anywhere but her shoulder we would have had her. But now, she'll say her left shoulder and we can't tell if it's true or not. And Lily was standing by him while you took the lieutenant's theory apart, wasn't she? So now any questions we ask her that would be related to that info we can't tell if she's saying what she knew or what she heard here. Seriously, why in the world did he let Lily hear all that? Well, whatever his reasons, from now on lets keep our case talk out of earshot of Lily and watch what we say when asking her questions, okay?

>Since about 4 o’clock I’ve been hard at work writing several mails he wanted to have done, which I’ve still haven’t been able to finish.
We'll want to check her computer to confirm that she was working on these e-mails and any timestamp they may have. Also check the time on any e-mails she did send, as well as checking the company e-mail server for activity on her account, in case she locally deleted sent e-mails.

>I was a bit distracted after that so I’m not entirely sure when she left, but she did so in quite a hurry
Ask what it was that had her distracted, and what did Ferara's expression look like.

>She just shoved me to the side when I tried to greet without saying a word.
Ask Lily to show you where Ferara shoved her and check there for bruising. Even light bruising would help back up Lily's story.

>About 15 or 20 minutes later, I think it was about a quarter to 6, I got a message from the boss telling me to go and get a cup of coffee for him and his acquaintance, which is really odd because no one else had entered his office after Cogwelder left.
And even odder because this was roughly when Herod's health implant sent out the alert he was dead. Ask Lily what way Herod sent the message to her. You'll want to check the device that received the message, the one that sent it, and any intermediate company devices such as a server, for records of that message.

Also ask where Lily went to get the coffee from, if anyone else saw her there or on the way there or back, where the cups or mugs she spilled are, and if she brought coffee back here after cleaning up from the spill. You'll want to check for recently spilled coffee where she went, any coffee cup she may have trashed for fingerprints, and any coffee she brought back for how long it's been since it was poured.

>It was written down on a post-it note on her wall, which mean anyone might have seen it, correct.
But how would they know it was the door password? Was it titled with "door password" or some such? But however they'd know what it is, it still means anyone could have unlocked the door if they had access to the secretary terminal. And anyone with familiarly with the kind of system it is would know how to delete the log entries as well.

>And I always lock the door if I leave my workstation, so no one… can… I’m just d-digging myself deeper, aren’t I?
Wait, how does locking Herod's office door secure her workstation at all from anyone coming along to use her terminal? Or is there another, outer, door that leads into her work area that she locks? Because if there is, we'll want to check that door's logs as well.

And thinking of doors, did the door to Herod's office require the override password or his keycard to toggle the lock from the inside, or is there just something like a button next to the door to do that? Because it has to be some kind of fire code violation if it's the former.

Ask Lily if she's left or right handed, then ask her to hold her dominant hand out like she's firing a gun and measure how high off the floor it is. Then ask An to estimate where the gunshot passed near the plant and based on that project a cone of possible trajectories back from where the shot impacted the window. Compare the height of Lily's hand and where she could have possibly stood to the possible shot trajectories. If her hand is too low, or she could not have stood where she could have fired with her dominant hand, then it's less likely she fired the gun.

Ask both An and the forensics officer to examine Lily's clothing for traces of blood, coffee, soap and other cleaning solutions. Even if she washed it off her hands and sleeves, it could have still spattered traces on the rest of her clothing. And do the same for any part of her that isn't covered by clothing. Feet, legs, face, whatever.

Ask Lily why she continued working here even after her wages were slashed and she had to work overtime without pay. If it were you, you'd have started looking for another job right away, so why did she stay?

Also check the secretary's terminal and the one in Herod's office for fingerprints that do not match Lily or Herod. If ones from anyone but those two show up that aren't Peacekeeper's, that'll be notable.

And ask the forensics officer how they knew that the last one that used the door to Herod's office was Ferara, about 20 minutes before the alert for his death went up. (>>/quest/806815) How did the door log that? Did Ferara have to use her keycard to unlock and open it? And the officer also said the door auto-locks when someone leaves, so Lily saying she locks it whenever she leaves her workstation doesn't make sense. That'd mean there's a outer door to her workspace she locks if she's away.

>The secretary’s terminal had access to an override function for the door lock as well as the log for the door.
...You can't believe how dumb it is that they both put the activity and lock log for the office door on the unsecured side. And allowed it to be editable by the secretary. And that apparently it's the only copy and log entries aren't mirrored to a building security server or similar. Seriously, what kinda idiot do they have doing their security design to come up with this insecure garbage?
>>
No. 807152 ID: be0718

She was sent off to get coffee near the time of the victim's death. A convenient alibi. Was the message from your boss a text or vocal? Can you be sure it was really him telling you to go get coffee? (Did her boss actually like coffee? Notes for later cross-examination.)

What are other possible sources of IOKec crystal residue? Could the doctor have been in contact with it for unrelated purposes, working on a project?
>>
No. 807153 ID: fe7355

Also ask Lily where she washed up. You'll want to check the faucet handles and countertop there for any trace blood or coffee.
>>
No. 807157 ID: 65a774
File 149710299950.png - (106.31KB , 900x450 , 21.png )
807157

>What's that on the floor behind Leontius?
It’s some kind of animal tail biomod, you think? It’s a thin tail covered in brown hair that has a yellowish bush of hair on the end of it.
>She's nervous, which is to be expected when she's being accused for murder. But I think another reason for her nervousness is because her hips are currently being put to shame by Rishi's thiccness!
Actually, her eyes seem to repeatedly get stuck on your chest, not your hips…

>I'm not sure I understand, are there two lockable doors, one for each office?
There is indeed two doors, it seems. One to the Herod’s office and one to Lily’s “office”. As the door to Lily’s workroom is still functional, you’re going to guess that it was open when the peace keepers arrived.
>Did the door to Herod's office require the override password or his keycard to toggle the lock from the inside, or is there just something like a button next to the door to do that?
You can open the door with just a press of the button from the inside, even if it would be locked. It would be a safety hazard otherwise.
>Is it possible there was someone in here with a cloaking device?
Cloaking devices are the thing of sci-fi stories, not reality.
>She'd need more than soap and water to wash away the smell of blood.
Question is, would she even have blood on her if she was the killer? It’s possible she was standing too far away to be hit with any splatter… and it’s possible to plant the gun without touching any blood.


>Message Leon that this is why we should follow proper PK interview protocol and never let suspects hear any more about the case from us than absolutely necessary. Because of all he said in front of Lily, we can't tell if she's being truthful or making up lies based on it to fit what he said.
:LeontiusWWD: [My apologies, but it seems I was so caught up in my zeal that I didn’t think of who might hear. Of course, I might have been so caught up that I fudged some of the details. Just trust me on this one ;)]

>Does she handle all of Herod's emails?
:LilyWWD: Um… all his work related ones. His private ones as well as the really secret ones he sends himself.
:LeontiusWWD: Those would be the messages we found on his terminal, then.
>Do you have the message from your boss?
:LilyWWD: Err… no? I… I mean, he usually sends those kinds of things on the quick message to my com mod, so… they aren’t saved?
>We'll want to check her computer to confirm that she was working on these e-mails and any timestamp they may have.
:LeontiusWWD: As far as we can tell, she hasn’t sent any messages today. Instead, we found her playing solitaire.
:LilyWWD: Err… t-there’s a good reason for that and… um… t-the HoloWeb was down so…
:LeontiusWWD: So you couldn’t send anything? Hmm…
>Ask what she was distracted by.
:LilyWWD: As I said, the HoloWeb was down so… um… I was trying to fix it? I was checking the cables to my terminal when… err… Cogwelder left so… I guess I was kind of standing in the way of the door?
:LeontiusWWD: How long was it down?
:LilyWWD: Err… from about… right after five to… err… a quarter to six? I think it came up just as I got the coffee message…

>If she spilled coffee on her clothing shouldn't there be stains?
:LilyWWD: H-hey, are you implying I can’t afford stainless clothes!?
>Is there still coffee spilled somewhere, and do you actually have the coffee you were bringing?
:LilyWWD: Err… I’ve already cleaned up the spilled coffee and… um…
:LeontiusWWD: There are two cups of coffee on her desk, which are still hot.
>Also ask Lily where she washed up. You'll want to check the faucet handles and countertop there for any trace blood or coffee.
:LilyWWD: Um… there’s a breakroom right down there corridor. It’s where I get the coffee as well.
:CopWWD: I’ll send someone down to check, ma’am.
>Also ask what Cogweather looked like. Was she scared? Angry?
:LilyWWD: I don’t know? I didn’t get a good look at her.
>Ask her how she was shoved.
:LilyWWD: She grabbed me by my right arm and just… wait, no, where did you say- I mean, my left shoulder, yeah…
:LeontiusWWD: …even if you’re not the culprit, lying to an officer of the law is an serious offence.
:LilyWWD: …I’m sorry, I shouldn’t lie. She didn’t grab my by my shoulder, she grabbed my right arm and yanked me away. I don’t think she ever touched my shoulder so… I… don’t know?
>Check there for bruising. Even light bruising would help back up Lily's story.
:LilyWWD: Um… let me just move my sleeve. She grabbed me right here.
:RishiWWD: There is indeed a bruise there…
:LilyWWD: She did grab me kind of hard so…
:LeontiusWWD: [And that bruise is the exact location where we actually found the residue, as well. Her left shoulder was actually clean.]
>>
No. 807158 ID: 65a774
File 149710300938.png - (103.10KB , 900x450 , 22.png )
807158

>…An, what happened before Cogwelder brought you to me?
:AnWWD: This unit must apologize, but you are not authorized for that information.
>Ask Lily to hold her dominant hand out like she's firing a gun and measure how high off the floor it is. Then ask An to estimate where the gunshot passed near the plant and based on that project a cone of possible trajectories back from where the shot impacted the window.
:LilyWWD: L-like this?
:AnWWD: Scanning… conclusion: Either Lily must have held the gun at an very odd angle, or she is simply too short.
:LeontiusWWD: And I don’t think she would hit her target if she didn’t take aim properly.

>Ask the forensics officer how they knew that the last one that used the door to Herod's office was Ferara.
:DreamerWWD: The security camera outside shows her coming and going. The door only logs if it’s been opened or not.
>Ask how they got into Lily’s “office”.
:DreamerWWD: The door was locked when we arrived, but the secretary was just returning with two cups of coffee and unlocked it for us.
:LeontiusWWD: Yet you didn’t unlock Herod’s office door?
:LilyWWD: I d-didn’t know I had the password! Some of those notes are like… 3 years old by now.


>Is it at all possible that message was supposed to be sent to Lily as soon as Cogwelder entered the room, but was delayed so that Lily received the message after Cogwelder had already left?
:LeontiusWWD: That… is possible, actually? If someone was able to block the signal then... the murder might have happen earlier than we think.
>Let's ask for times on when Lily got her message and when the life monitor flatlined.
:LeontiusWWD: Both of them happened at the same time… which means that they might both have been blocked by the same thing. That would also mean that the murder happened earlier… when Cogwelder was still in the office.
:RishiWWD: We need to contact her as soon as possible.
:LeontiusWWD: I already did… before I even got here. She should arrive shortly.
:LilyWWD: So I’m free to go?
:LeontiusWWD: You’re still a suspect, ma’am, just not the main one right now.
:LilyWWD: Oh…

:LeontiusWWD: Well then, while we wait for our special guest, why don’t we properly introduce ourselves?

He presents his hand to you for some reason as he continues.

:LeontiusWWD: As I said, I am Leontius Strongheart, proud investigator of the New Horizon peace Keeper force and your new par-
>>
No. 807159 ID: 65a774
File 149710301932.png - (103.43KB , 900x450 , 23.png )
807159

:LeontiusWWD: Err… I… that’s…

Seemingly for the first time, Leontius takes a proper look at you… and a proper look it is. His eyes quite clearly look you up and down several times, getting stuck a bit when passing your hips and chest. It takes a few seconds before he regains his composure…

:LeontiusWWD: I… I must apologize, but… I wasn’t expecting such… finely crafted bio-mods on a Serpens. Ah, but where is my manners. I’m terribly sorry but… it just took me by surprise, that’s all. I do hope you can forget my slight transgression?

>Officer Rishi, holster dem hips! Damn, it's so easy to forget how dangerous dem hips are!
These big guns can’t be holstered, baby. Besides, the damage is already done. Our little hawk friend here is already flabbergasted by their might.
>We need like a mental/digital timeline to start organizing these events.
Let’s see…
17:00 – Cogwelder arrives.
17:05 – The HoloWeb goes offline.
17:25 – Cogwelder leaves.
17:45 – Herod’s life-monitor signals his death.
17:45 – Lily gets a message from Herod about coffee.
17:45 – The HoloWeb comes back online.
17:55 – The Peace keepers arrive.
18:05 – They confirm that Herod is deceased.
>>
No. 807166 ID: 47160d

Tell him that if it is going to be a problem for him trying to maintain control while you are working then a quick fuck is in order. Also where the fucking hell is forensics?
>>
No. 807169 ID: 91ee5f

>>807157
>Cogwelder didn’t grab my by my shoulder, she grabbed my right arm and yanked me away. I don’t think she ever touched my shoulder
>There is indeed a bruise there…
>[And that bruise is the exact location where we actually found the residue, as well. Her left shoulder was actually clean.]
That would mean that Cogwelder was the shooter and she transferred crystal residue onto Lily. Let's also remember that when we first met her, she was reeking of some kind of cleaning fluid. Which means she won't have any crystal residue on her anymore. And she did panic a little when asked about it.

>>807158
>We need to contact her as soon as possible.
>I already did… before I even got here. She should arrive shortly.
She might if she thinks we still believe it's a suicide. But if she's paranoid enough to think we already figured out it's murder and believes that we're going to accuse her, she might try to run. Or if she's watching us through the buildings security cameras right now, she already knows that we suspect her and she's definitely going to try to run.

We don't know for sure, but we should make plans to catch her, just in case she doesn't show up.

>He presents his hand to you for some reason as he continues.
It's called a handshake. It's a thing others do to greet each other. So reach out and-

>>807159
>Leontius stares at Rishi's curves.
>I… I must apologize, but… I wasn’t expecting such… finely crafted bio-mods on a Serpens. Ah, but where is my manners. I’m terribly sorry but… it just took me by surprise, that’s all. I do hope you can forget my slight transgression?
"Trust me, you're not the first to stare and you certainly ain't gonna be the last to stare." *wink*

It's a good thing Rishi doesn't need a license to wield these curves! They're like weapons!
>>
No. 807182 ID: fc33ea

No, you are not going to lure him in with your hot lady bod and then do him in the butt. That's considered rude in alien culture. Be sure to drop that you're ovale at some point, just to make sure he knows what he's getting into before he jumps.

Shake his hand, mention you have no idea by what he means by transgression, but next time, you want to be the 'bad cop'.

Do Lily's messager thing and the life-monitor both use the holoweb, or some other system? It'll help us find out if Cogwelder used some kind of signal jammer or if she made a temporary holoweb blackout. It might not have even been Cogwelder who used a jammer- it's possible the Vic didn't want anybody listening in on their private meeting and was trying to defeat surveillance devices. What's Cogwelder in charge of, anyway?

That officer mentioned that you now have access to the preliminary autopsy, might want to pull that up.

>>807169
Forget security cameras, she threw An right into our laps- I'm willing to bet she can use his eyes and ears.
>>
No. 807183 ID: 3ce125

>>807159
Tell him not to worry, you liked his reaction. Ask him why he's offering his hand to you.
Also introduce yourself properly, as well.

Alright, something blocking the signal would explain the weirdness surrounding the time of death, and the delayed coffee message too. What kind of device could do that? Show your partner the items Herod was carrying, what does he make of them? (I wonder if we should be checking the "puzzle" this time)
>>
No. 807184 ID: 0d45a9

Sounds like the coffee message was sent while Cogwelder was in Herod's office, before he was killed, so they might've been discussing something. Then it sounds like Cogwelder shot Herod, left in a hurry, shoving Lily to deliberately plant some of the residue on her.

The message was delayed because the HoloWeb was down, so this is a guess but Cogwelder might've engineered the outage to delay the life monitor and by transferring the residue to Lily, set up a false suspect / red herring, because she'd respond to the coffee message when the HoloWeb came back online.
>>
No. 807188 ID: fe7355

Smile at Leon with your eyes and stick your hand out the same as he did (and remembering you really need to finish reading your xeno-relations primer.) Say with a tone of amusement that it's no transgression at all. In fact, it's the opposite. You appreciate knowing others appreciate your bio-mods are as "finely crafted" as you wanted them to be.

Discreetly study how Leon reacts, including his tail movements. Muse to yourself that you just might have another's help in relieving how pent up you are tonight rather than having to "take matters into your own hands." ...Mmm, you wonder what a Vark guy would be like. ...All those soft feathers. ...Then remember you can't be as freely forward with xenos as you would back home in matters of sex, lest you potentially offend. Urgh, how frustrating. Anyway, you're on the clock and you have more pressing matters to deal with now than your sexual desire. You'll feel him up- er- Feel him out later.

Message Leon (so An doesn't hear) to tell him about how Ferara met you in the lobby and how she reacted when you asked about the strong scent of cleaning fluid on her. But more importantly, tell him that she brought An with her, half-foisting the android on you. You suspect An may be working for Ferara under her directives, or at least bugged without her knowledge, and transmitted everything that happened here back to Ferara. She could be making a run for it right now. We should ask permission from the company to locate her via their cameras, or at least ask them to do so for us. How quick can we get backup here to intercept Ferara if she's fleeing?

We should check with the company if they make any kind of comm or network jammers, or if Ferara has expertise in that field. If they do or she does, she'd have access to them and could have brought one into Herod's office in her pocket, activated it, hid it after doing the deed, and its battery ran out forty minutes later. Alternatively, it was Herod's jammer, meant so nobody could listen in on their conversation. Either way we'll have to search the office thoroughly for any hidden jamming devices.
>>
No. 807189 ID: 3ce125

Oh, and compliment his tail.
>>
No. 807195 ID: be0718

>>807189
Ask if he likes having it pulled while mating.
>>
No. 807198 ID: 65a774
File 149712916055.png - (29.60KB , 900x450 , 24.png )
807198

>Ask him why he's offering his hand to you.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh? Oh, right, you’re new here. It’s called a handshake… it’s a kind of formal greeting.
>Shake his hand, mention you have no idea by what he means by transgression, but next time, you want to be the 'bad cop'.
:LeontiusWWD: B-bad cop!? Oh, right… that… um… sure, I guess?
>Tell him not to worry, you liked his reaction.
:LeontiusWWD: You… liked it?
:RishiWWD: I enjoy knowing others appreciate my bio-mods and think they are "finely crafted". Trust me, you're not the first to stare and you certainly aren’t going to be the last to stare. *wink*
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… hehe…*gulp*?
>Oh, and compliment his tail. It’s really fluffy.
:LeontiusWWD: Why thank you. It’s based on the magnificent gryphon, an animal from the human earth representing Honor and Courage! Sadly, it went extinct when the Earth’s atmosphere became toxic.
>Tell him that if it is going to be a problem for him trying to maintain control while you are working then a quick fuck is in order.
:LeontiusWWD: W-w-what!? Y-you want to- just like- Gnnt… r-right… Serpens… Ah, I… I forget your kind can be so forward.
:RishiWWD: I’m sorry, but was I a bit rude right now?
:LeontiusWWD: No need to be sorry, but… yes, a bit. At least buy someone dinner first before asking something like that, alright?
:RishiWWD: Dinner? I’ll remember that.

>Discreetly study how Leon reacts, including his tail movements.
It’s quite clear that he enjoyed himself when you complimented his tail, especially how his tail started to sway a bit… and it’s even clearer that he became flustered when you asked for a quickie, as both his face became red as well as his tail started wagging like crazy.
>Muse to yourself that you just might have another's help in relieving how pent up you are tonight…
While you’d prefer a gal like Lily instead, you’ll not say no to someone like this. He’s proud and strong-willed, yet easily flustered. That means he’ll both be interesting to wrestle for dominance and a delight to feel quiver in pleasure beneath you as you pump him full of eggs.
>No, you are not going to lure him in with your hot lady bod and then do him in the butt. That's considered rude in alien culture.
Indeed, it seems to be rude. Apparently you need to buy him dinner first? Geez, these alien cultures are so weird and illogical. But you guess it’s a bit more interesting to have to work for it?
>Ask if he likes having his tail pulled while mating.
That something that can wait until right before the mating… or after you’ve paid for dinner at least.
>Be sure to drop that you're ovale at some point, just to make sure he knows what he's getting into before he jumps.
You’ll try to find an opening that doesn’t make it awkward… though he should know what you are just by seeing your hood.
>"take matters into your own hands."
That’s disgusting. Masturbation is for criminals, the insane or... the really, REALLY desperate. You’re surrounded by people, so there’s really no point in sinking that low.
>You really need to finish reading your xeno-relations primer.
But it’s like a thousand pages long! …and boring! Can’t you just gloss over the summaries again?

>That officer mentioned that you now have access to the preliminary autopsy, might want to pull that up.
You’ve already glossed over it. It’s mostly just information you already have… and if there’s anything else you’ll need to know, you’ll look it up then.
>Do Lily's messager thing and the life-monitor both use the holoweb, or some other system?
They wouldn’t be using the HoloWeb, no.


>What kind of device could block signals like that?
:LeontiusWWD: Well, I do believe there are devices that can… but they are need a rather powerful AI to operate and are rather big?
:AnWWD: Gathering data… It would require at least an AI of 5.33.42BQ capacity and a chassis the size of 2.5 Decimeter times 2.5 decimeters.
:LeontiusWWD: Err… yeah… what it said.
>Show your partner the items Herod was carrying, what does he make of them?
:LeontiusWWD: This toy seems to be broken or oddly made. Aren’t you supposed to get all the sides to be only one color? Yet… all of the center pieces are the same color, making it impossible. Either way, it’s too small to be the jammer, so I don’t think it has anything to do with the current case.

>Message Leon (so An doesn't hear) to tell him about how Ferara met you in the lobby and how she brought An with her, half-foisting the android on you.
:LeontiusWWD: [It did seem odd that you had that thing with you. It’s clear that it’s a plant, but I don’t think it’s spying. We would have notice if it was sending out information by now.]
>Also tell him how she reacted when you asked about the strong scent of cleaning fluid on her.
:LeontiusWWD: [That is indeed a bit damning, yes.]
>It sounds like Cogwelder shot Herod, left in a hurry and shoving Lily to deliberately plant some of the residue on her.
:LeontiusWWD: [Remember, we still lack any evidence beyond Lily’s words for our current theory. The solid evidence still points more towards Lily than Cogwelder.]
>How quick can we get back up here to intercept Ferara if she's fleeing?
:LeontiusWWD: [That won’t be necessary, look toward the door.]

:FeraraWWD: What is it that you want. I’ve already told you what I know. I’ll have you know; I am very busy and won’t have time for any trivial banter.
:AnWWD: Yay, aunt Ferararara is here!
>>
No. 807203 ID: 3ce125

>>807198
Assure her, you have grave matters to discuss. This is now a murder investigation. Ask for her to give a detailed account of events that took place before, during, and after she last saw the victim.

Of course, we're going to need to scan her hands and arms for residue. Be sure to check inside her sleeves, she could have missed cleaning there.
>>
No. 807208 ID: fc33ea

Oh boy, Bad cop time! Quick, message Leo and ask if we should ask for her side of the story, if there's any lie we should try to catch her in, or just lay her out with facts.

if it's the latter...

There's nothing trivial about murder, Cogwelder. Neither are your attempts to destroy evidence.

Maybe you can tell me why your row with Herod resulted in you shooting him. A 'convenient' holoweb outage prevented his life termination signal from going out for a half an hour, giving you plenty of time to put the gun in his hand to try and make it look like a suicide, abscond, clean the gunshot residue and blood off yourself, and then put on a my-time-is-valuble act for the police. You were the last person to see him alive, and even left IOKec-Crystal traces on his secretary when you pushed her out of the way fleeing the scene.

As for Why, I have a theory. Cogwelder has been testing something for 6 months- to no avail, I might add- prominant AI researcher Dr. Esk’eth had been dead for 6 months. Herod brought Cogwelder into his office to discuss the future of a certain project... my guess is Herod was trying to take An away from Cogwelder. Judging by how An has imprinted on 'auntie', I'm guessing she took that poorly. See what she thinks of that theory.
>>
No. 807211 ID: 0d45a9

It's semantics but does the HoloWeb, life monitor, and Lily's messenger use the same infrastructure? i.e. All using signal repeaters which could be shut down.

What about radio jammers? Just flood the channel with noise.

2.5 dm by 2.5 dm by 2.5 dm, is pretty small, would be about head size. Say, An, what capacity of AI are you?
>>
No. 807213 ID: 91ee5f

>>807198
"Ah, Ms. Cogwelder, so good of you to join us! As a matter of fact, this is important. After reviewing the crime scene, we have concluded that this was murder, not a suicide! So far, we have two suspects, the last person to seen the victim alive, which is you, and the only person that has access to the password that opens the door, which is Lily, the victim's secretary. Lily has already provided her alibi, so now it's your turn, Ms. Cogwelder. Give us a detailed account of events from before your meeting with the victim, during that meeting, and after that meeting."

>Yay, aunt Ferararara is here!
Even more evidence supporting the theory that An is sentient. But that's for another time, focus on the case now.

>>807211
>2.5 dm by 2.5 dm by 2.5 dm, is pretty small, would be about head size.
Yeah, that's bigger than what I expected. But I was right when I thought that it would be smaller than what Leon was suggesting it would be.

>Say, An, what capacity of AI are you?
I have a feeling that the answer is going to be a repeat from when we asked what happened before Cogwelder brought An to us. The answer being An saying, "This unit must apologize, but you are not authorized for that information."
>>
No. 807216 ID: 41c701

>>807213
>Even more evidence supporting the theory that An is sentient. But that's for another time, focus on the case now.
Not necessarily. It's possible one of the AI staff decided to test some code for robots to befriend kids. Or was playing a prank.
>>
No. 807220 ID: fe7355

Message Leon you want to approach Ferara like this is still a suicide investigation before dropping that it's actually for murder. Don't want to spook her so she invokes her right to a lawyer and clams up before we get anything out of her. Oh, and you ought to read what Ferara told the officers when they interviewed her before your arrival.

Ask Ferara if, between 17:00 and 17:45, any tests were conducted or equipment operated in this building that could interfere with the frequency band used for life-monitor transmission. Say that you have reason to believe that Herod died earlier than thought and something interfered with his life-monitor's broadcast. If this company was doing anything like that, you'll need to check that they have the correct permits for it.

Also ask Ferara if we could have supervised access to the logs of any fabricators in this building to determine if any were used to produce the components for the gun Herod shot himself with.

And you remember that Ferara referred to Herod's secretary as being male, not female. You doubt she didn't notic Lily's boobs (you certainly couldn't,) and Ferara has likely been on New Horizon long enough to know a female Vark from a male. Ask Ferara if she knows who Herod's secretary is and when did she last see said secretary.

And you also want to know who told Ferara that she had to come meet you in the lobby. She obviously has more important work to do, and her boss would know that, so how come it wasn't a security guard or some such?

Now, before Ferara inevitably tries to stomp off in a huff of self-importance, spring that this is actually now a murder investigation, not a suicide one. Tell her, as the last person to see Herod before his murder, she's a suspect and you want to hear her account of the events between 16:00 and 18:30.

>But it’s like a thousand pages long! …and boring! Can’t you just gloss over the summaries again?
Not if you want to be a Peacekeeper inspector on New Horizon with hopes and dreams of promotion. Not only would knowing how the many different non-Serpens on New Horizon think and behave help you work cases, you'd know how to avoid racking up behavior complaints from fellow officers, superiors and citizens. That and the possibility of accidentally pissing off exactly the wrong superior or big-shot which could land you on indefinite desk duty and in career limbo.

>You’ll try to find an opening that doesn’t make it awkward… though he should know what you are just by seeing your hood.
You of all people should know in this day and age of bio-modding that having a hood up top doesn't automatically mean there's a ovipositor down below. Heck, for all you know he could have female parts down there. So just figure that if he's interested in you, he'll probably be trying to work out what you got "under the hood" too.

>That’s disgusting. Masturbation is for criminals, the insane or... the really, REALLY desperate. You’re surrounded by people, so there’s really no point in sinking that low.
Okay, the desperate part makes sense, but why the insane and criminals are in this group? But besides that, there's almost certainly a Serpens-to-Serpens hook-up site on the station HoloWeb you can take advantage of if you're getting desperate.

>Gathering data… It would require at least an AI of 5.33.42BQ capacity and a chassis the size of 2.5 Decimeter times 2.5 decimeters.
That's actually not that big. It could fit in a 'bot torso with a bit of room to spare. And the jammer doesn't have to be in the same room, does it? It could be in a adjacent room, or even a floor above or below and still reach, right?

It's also possible that the HoloWeb outage part was done by simply disconnecting the network cables for Herod's office and Lily's workspace at the patch panel in the wiring closet for this part of the building. Better see if you can get video from any security cameras monitoring that room. And would not having to block wired as well as wireless communication reduce the size of the device needed to jam Lily's comm mod and Herod's life-monitor?

>>807208
Okay, no to this plan. It throws out a load of evidence, info and theories about the case which means we won't be able to tell if Ferara knew them before Rishi said them. Also, coming on that strong really risks that Ferara will immediately invoke her right to legal counsel, which would put this case on hold until her lawyer arrives. Then we'd probably end up having to contend with some high-powered attorney on retainer to the company being an obstructionist dick about everything we ask.

>>807211
>It's semantics but does the HoloWeb, life monitor, and Lily's messenger use the same infrastructure?
Lily mentioned when the HoloWeb went down for her she went to check the cables on her terminal to try and fix it. That implies it's a hardline. And Lily said Herod sends messages to her comm mod, which is a cybernetic implant, so that's wireless, likely akin to a cell phone. And life-monitor implants would obviously need to be wireless as well, though it may use separate radio infrastructure from comm implants.
>>
No. 807228 ID: 3ce125

...ask An what her capacity is.
>>
No. 807244 ID: fc33ea

>You’ll try to find an opening that doesn’t make it awkward… though he should know what you are just by seeing your hood.
You're going to complain about how difficult your reading on alien culture is, and then expect other people to know everything there is to know about you? Besides, I don't think he's looking at your hood.

> It would require at least an AI of 5.33.42BQ capacity and a chassis the size of 2.5 Decimeter times 2.5 decimeters.
Easy for the Chief of the Engineering and Mechanical department to get ahold of.

>>807220
Well I guess, since leo says the physical evidence points to Lilly, but I don't see it.
>>
No. 807245 ID: fe7355

Oh, and don't forget to ask Ferara at some point to explain why she reeked of cleaning fluid when you first met.
>>
No. 807256 ID: 91ee5f

>>807220
>Okay, no to this plan.
I agree, no to that plan!
>>
No. 807271 ID: 3ce125

>>807220
Well your post won't fit on my screen so I'm just going to say no to whatever it was.
>>
No. 807290 ID: fe7355

>>807220
Actually, just drop acting at first to Ferara like this is still a suicide investigation. It'll just drop her hints as to what you know. Just go right to declaring this is now a murder case and asking her to recount where she was and what she was doing between 16:00 and 18:30. But make sure you get her story before asking questions or stating anything you know, so she can't change her story based on that. And work in the questions you were going to ask if you'd acted like this was still a suicide investigation where you can.
>>
No. 807312 ID: 65a774
File 149719906947.png - (116.02KB , 900x450 , 25.png )
807312

>You're going to complain about how difficult your reading on alien culture is, and then expect other people to know everything there is to know about you?
…right, you’re a bit hypercritical, aren’t you? Fine, you’ll read some more of it, when you have the time.
>Besides, I don't think he's looking at your hood.
You rather not have anything fun being ruined by poor communication, so you’ll tell him what the hood means when the opportunity presents itself.
>Okay, the desperate part makes sense, but why the insane and criminals are in this group?
Because they are locked up alone either as punishment or for their / others safety?
>There's almost certainly a Serpens-to-Serpens hook-up site on the station HoloWeb you can take advantage of if you're getting desperate.
If you really wanted to take the easy way out you would have moved into the “Little Roon” spire from the start. But you wanted something new, so moving into what is basically a smaller version of home is counterproductive. No, you want to get to know some new cultures first hand both in the bed and outside it.

>Even more evidence supporting the theory that An is sentient.
If she actually was sentient, wouldn’t they’ve detected it by now? The software for SAI detection is supposedly extremely advance, after all.
>Not necessarily. It's possible one of the AI staff decided to test some code for robots to befriend kids. Or was playing a prank.
Or she simply learned it from somewhere. She’s probably programmed to observe and mimic, after all.
>2.5 dm by 2.5 dm by 2.5 dm, is pretty small, would be about head size.
Indeed… it wouldn’t be that hard to carry around… or hide… in plain sight, even… hmm…
>It's semantics but does the HoloWeb, life monitor, and Lily's messenger use the same infrastructure?
While they are based on the same tech, they use completely different infrastructure. The HoloWeb is mostly land based with cables, the Com-mod uses radio waves and the Life monitor… err… some kind of priority signal that’s… also radio based? You think?


>Quick, message Leo and ask if we should ask for her side of the story, if there's any lie we should try to catch her in, or just lay her out with facts.
:LeontiusWWD: [She will probably not tell anything about the meeting itself, so we might need to focus on what she did before… and more importantly, after the meeting. Do try to not give her too many facts to work with, so we can catch her if she makes stuff up.]

>Ask for her to give a detailed account of events that took place before, during, and after she last saw the victim.
:FeraraWWD: I’ll say the same thing as I did last time. Herod had asked me to see him, so when I finally got some free time I headed to his office. I met him and we discussed a project that you aren’t authorized to know about. Then I left and headed back to my office. I was originally going to start preparing to head home, but one of the CogBoys on the floor called me as one of the Fabricators had malfunctioned. Apparently, someone had deleted the schematic archive, probably to hide that they had printed something for private use.
:RishiWWD: They printed something for private use? Does that happen often?
:FeraraWWD: It happens at times, yes, but I’ve repeatedly told them to not try and hide it like that, or to contact either an admit or me so we can go in and delete the schematic they used personally. It just create so much trouble when they manually crash the whole archive.
:RishiWWD: Do you have anyone who can verify this?
:FeraraWWD: The CogBoys can tell you that I’m currently helping them… and An here can tell you what I did after the meeting as well. An, tell me, where did we go after we left the AI offices?
:AnWWD: We went right back to your office, aunty.
:LeontiusWWD: You were at the meeting An?
:AnWWD: No, Aunty asked me to wait nearby while she went and had a private talk with uncle. She asked me to do some fun tests while I waited!
:FeraraWWD: I rather not have her around when we talk about confidential information. Also An, what I have told you about displaying emotions?
:AnWWD: That its help people understand like I feel and that I should do it at all times, like this.
:FeraraWWD: …I was hoping you would use more than just your eyes, but it’s an improvement.

>Ask Ferara to explain why she reeked of cleaning fluid when you first met.
:FeraraWWD: Are you implying that I smell? Because I don’t know what cleaning fluid you are talking about.
:RishiWWD: You smelled strongly of it when I arrived. Why?
:FeraraWWD: Do you have any solid proof of your claim?
:RishiWWD: Um… well… no?
:FeraraWWD: Whatever you believed you smelled is irrelevant, officer, as it’s clear that I’m not “reeking of cleaning fluid” am I?
>Ask Ferara if, between 17:00 and 17:45, any tests were conducted or equipment operated in this building that could interfere with the frequency band used for life-monitor transmission.
:FeraraWWD: I do not believe there are any official projects that would interfere with something like that, no. We are a robotics company; we build robots, not communicators or the like.
>Say, An, what capacity of AI are you?
:AnWWD: Gathering data… this unit’s Capacity is… undetermined.
:FeraraWWD: We’re still trying to figure out where on the scale An here lands.

>Of course, we're going to need to scan her hands and arms for residue.
:FeraraWWD: Residue? What kind of residue?
:CopWWD: Just stay still while I use this cotton swab on your sleeves. You don’t want to get these chemicals directly on your scales.
:FeraraWWD: Hmpf, very well. Don’t worry about my scales, I’m nearly completely cowered under these robes as well.
:CopWWD: There… let’s see if there is a reaction… hmm, I’m sorry, officer, but there isn’t any reaction on her sleeves or gloves.
:FeraraWWD: Are we done here? As I said, I still have a fabricator to recalibrate.
>>
No. 807324 ID: be0718

You'll want to have peacekeeper techs look over that fabricator before she goes tampering with evidence.
>>
No. 807336 ID: 91ee5f

>>807312
>No, Aunty asked me to wait nearby while she went and had a private talk with uncle.
Can Lily verify this?

>She asked me to do some fun tests while I waited!
What kind of 'fun tests'?

Message Leo [Do you have a guess on how close someone would need to be for the jammer to reach into this office? Because those 'fun tests' might've been what delayed the coffee message and the life monitor alert. We'd also need to know where An was standing while waiting for Cogwelder.]

Can we ask An to show us what the tests were?

Before An starts, message Leo to send some messages to you and you'll send some to him, during An's demonstration of what tests she was doing. If the messages you and Leo sent to each other don't immediately arrive and are only received after An is finished, then we'll have what caused the message delays!

Also, I was thinking about that "toy" the victim was holding. Is it possible that it's actually a recording device? The middle pieces that are the same color on all sides could be camera lenses and could've caught everything that happened in the room. .....maybe I'm just paranoid.

We could ask An if she was with Cogwelder all day and ask where they went after the meeting and before getting to Cogwelder's office. Because I'm pretty sure there's plenty of things in between here and Cogwelder's office that could help clean away residue.

>Do you have any solid proof of your claim?
An was there when Rishi asked about Cogwelder's smell, so wouldn't that count as "solid proof"? An may not be able to smell, but she can remember Rishi asking Cogwelder about that smell! In fact, An could tell us what happened to give Cogwelder that smell.
>>
No. 807337 ID: fc33ea

At what time was the fabricator damaged? Who has access to it? An, what kind of tests did you take?
>>
No. 807352 ID: fe7355

Tell Ferara that the gun that killed Herod could have been made using the tools and fabricators available here. That fact combined with the manual crash and deletion of the schematic archive leads you to think that someone may have been destroying the record that they fabricated a illicit firearm. Or maybe even more than one. You want to determine if the facilities here were used to produce a illicit firearm, and if so who used them.

You'll need repair on that particular fabricator to stop until our officers inspect it, its activity and access logs, the access log of the room it is in, and any possible security camera video over the area the fabricator is. Also a manual audit of the component and material feedstock for the fabricators would be in order. This would find any discrepancies between what's actually in stock and the inventory log that could account for what was needed for the illicit gun. Also ask Ferara when the schematic archive was crashed, who has access to the crashed fabricator, what level of access is needed to load schematics into the fabricator's archive and what would need to be done to crash the schematic archive. Do they actually physically pull the archive storage out of the fabricator while it is still on, corrupting it, or is it a software level thing?

Ask An where Ferara asked her to wait, how long she was there, who else, if anyone, was with her, what tests she was asked to do, and if she brought anything with her and if so what it was. Ferara doesn't seem to trust An to keep quiet about things, so maybe Ferara had An carry the jammer AI around in, like, a cardboard box. You'll have to look up or ask the range of a jammer of that type once Ferara isn't in earshot.

You also have to wonder why Lily didn't mention An's presence. Though, with how common it probably is to see 'droids walking around here, Lily may have ignored An like she was a piece of furniture. Or perhaps An didn't even enter Lily's workspace. An didn't show up on the hall camera like Ferara did, did she?

Message the forensics officer to ask if they can get a reasonably accurate measurement of a person's physical dimensions from just their suit's video. If so, you want them to take Ferara's dimensions and determine how high her hand would be if she held her arm like she was firing a gun. Normally you'd ask Ferara to just hold her arm out, but you suspect she'd immediately catch on she's a suspect and not cooperate. But if the forensics officer can't do that, then you can ask An what Ferara's dimensions are once Ferara is out of earshot.

>Do you have any solid proof of your claim?
You yourself don't have a record, but there were two others there: An and the Hiver officer. And An has olfactory sensors, doesn't she? She mentioned she could smell those flowers. If so then ask An if Ferara smelled strongly of something at that time, and if so to tell you what it was if An knows it. But even if An couldn't smell Ferara, perhaps the Hiver officer could have, if their suit vent was open. And even if neither smelled Ferara, they both could vouch that you asked Ferara why she smelled like cleaning fluid and her response. An would even have a recording of it stored in her memory we could view, right? And don't PK patrol officer's suits record everything while they're on duty or on a case? Because if so then the Hiver officer's suit would have captured the whole conversation with Ferara.

How long has it been since you first met Ferara? With how strong the smell of cleaner on her was, you think it could have dissipated in that time? Eh, without knowing what kind of cleaner it was you couldn't guess. But it's possible Ferara changed her clothes, or at least her lab robes, for clean ones after you pointed out she smelled strongly of cleaner. That would explain why she doesn't smell of it right now.
>>
No. 807361 ID: 3ce125

The gun would make noise wouldn't it? Ask An if it heard anything while Cogweather was meeting the victim.
>>
No. 807391 ID: 3ce125

...maybe it's time for a full statement from An, too.
>>
No. 807475 ID: 65a774
File 149728602737.png - (119.63KB , 900x450 , 26.png )
807475

>I was thinking about that "toy" the victim was holding. Is it possible that it's actually a recording device?
You better give it to the lab gals later for a proper examination. Until then… it’s just a toy you don’t have time to deal with.

>An was there when Rishi asked about Cogwelder's smell, so wouldn't that count as "solid proof"?
:FeraraWWD: I’m not denying you asked about a smell. What I’m questioning is if you actually smelled anything.
>An could tell us what happened to give Cogwelder that smell.
:AnWWD: Aunty always smells funny. She always got all kind of oils and fluids on her after she’s been on the manufacturing lines. Maybe you smelled one of those?

>Can Lily verify that An was waiting nearby under the meeting?
:LilyWWD: Um… no?
:FeraraWWD: Right next to the office in the corridor there’s some extra space with some chairs and a nice view of the main hall. I left An there, so she wouldn’t be in the way for anyone walking through.
>What kind of 'fun tests'?
:AnWWD: This unit is sorry, but you aren’t authorized to-
:FeraraWWD: Tell her, An.
:AnWWD: I became this big bubble and ate all the smaller bubbles and grew really, really big. It was fun. But then Ferara came and popped my bubble and I’m suddenly a small bubble again.
:FeraraWWD: She was testing how far her… mind should wander, so to speak.
:RishiWWD: …wait, she let her mind wander?
:FeraraWWD: She’s an AI. Her mind can’t leave her chassis, but it can grow if there’s room for it to do so. How large her mind can be is part of what decided what Capacity she is.
:AnWWD: Also, bubbles are super fun to pop!
>Can we ask An to show us what the tests were?
:AnWWD: This unit is sorry, but it does not have the required tools to do so.
:LeontiusWWD: Tools? What kind of tools?
:FeraraWWD: She need a kind of transmitter. The one we use is a sphere which can transmit her mind over a small distance.

>We could ask An if she was with Cogwelder all day.
:AnWWD: No, I was mostly in the play chamber so they can test me. But aunty came by every other hour to play with me and ask me these strange questions.
:RishiWWD: …what kind of questions?
:AnWWD: Like “Did you feel that” or “How did that make you feel” or “Did you dream?”.
>Ask where they went after the meeting and before getting to Cogwelder's office.
:AnWWD: We went through a corridor, a door, then an elevator and another corridor. Then we were there.
>...maybe it's time for a full statement from An, too.
:AnWWD: Aunty came and asked me to follow for a test, then we went to the window place where she asked me to use the fun ball while she was talking to uncle Herod, then I was a bubble and Ferara popped me because it was late so we went back to her office.
:LeontiusWWD: …can we get the times when all that happened?
:AnWWD: 16:45 Aunty came, 16:55 she asked me to play with fun ball then at 17:50 we arrive in her office.
:RishiWWD: …and when did she “pop” your bubble?
>>
No. 807476 ID: 65a774
File 149728603777.png - (122.02KB , 900x450 , 27.png )
807476

:AnWWD: Why, at 17:45.
:FeraraWWD: …!

(…that’s the exact time the Life-monitor came back online… and going by Ferara’s reaction, she knows it too.)

>Tell Ferara that the gun that killed Herod could have been made using the tools and fabricators available here.
:FeraraWWD: It was? That would explain why someone sabotaged one of the Fabricators. Usually, people just print “personal” toys or the like, not actual weapons.
>You'll want to have peacekeeper techs look over that fabricator before she goes tampering with evidence.
:FeraraWWD: If you so wish, just be quick about it. I can’t fathom what you expect to find though.
:CopWWD: We’ll send someone over straight away, ma’am.
>At what time was the fabricator damaged?
:FeraraWWD: It was in use until 15:00 and we detected the damage at about 16:30. So somewhere between those two.
>Who has access to it?
:FeraraWWD: All the Engineers and Cogboys on a project using it as well as all the admins, myself included. All five chiefs have an override password as well that can be used, so I guess Herod himself would have had access.
>Do they actually physically pull the archive storage out of the fabricator while it is still on, corrupting it, or is it a software level thing?
:FeraraWWD: You can force the fabricator into a factory reset by messing with some of its components. They say it’s a feature, but I say it’s a fault in its design.

>Message the forensics officer to ask if they can get a reasonably accurate measurement of a person's physical dimensions from just their suit's video.
:CopWWD: [According to our calculations, she would be… um… a bit short for the trajectory model.]
:RishiWWD: [Short? But isn’t she rather tall? How is that possible?]
:CopWWD: [Well, that’s what happens when one of the points of the trajectory is movable. It’s fully possible the leaf has simply moved after it was hit, no?]

:FeraraWWD: So… do you have any reason to hold me here any longer? I’m getting tired of wasting my time here.
>>
No. 807478 ID: fc33ea

I don't think we've asked her to describe her relationship with the victim yet.

>According to our calculations, she would be… um… a bit short for the trajectory model.
Does this take into account the split level floor between the hardwood and carpet?... This is quickly becoming quite the tricky shot for some corporate goon with a stick up her ass to pull off...
>All the Engineers and Cogboys on a project using it as well as all the admins, myself included.
Important to note that Lilly is not on that list.
>The one we use is a sphere which can transmit her mind over a small distance.
We're going to need that as well.

> I’m getting tired of wasting my time here.
You seem to value your time very highly, but the Vic's mail indicates you haven't produced any test results on An since she's been placed in your care. Care to explain?
>>
No. 807493 ID: 3ce125

>>807475
That's strange. Why did Cogweather tell An to reveal that she was "expanding her mind"? Did she expect us to not realize that An was the source of the jamming signal? Though, the method of jamming is interesting. She took over the CPU cycles of every nearby electronic device.

Anyway, it took 10 minutes before the fun ball made the HoloWeb go offline... ask An how long it took it to expand its bubble. Also, there were 20 minutes between Cogweather leaving the office and popping An's bubble. Ask Cogweather what happened during that 20 minute gap. Ask about her whereabouts during the time the fabricator was available. Heck, ask Lily's whereabouts during that time as well.
I'm sure it's a good time to tell Cogweather she's a suspect in the murder investigation.

Also mess with that leaf a little bit. See if you can get it to stay in the right spot for Cogweather to have been the shooter, without holding it in place. Then see if it'll go back to the position you found it in by just brushing against it.
Are we sure the shooter was standing next to the plant? Could they have stood near the door, where the floor is higher?
>>
No. 807495 ID: 91ee5f

>>807476
Message all of this to Leo to see if he agrees and we can start accusing or if he doesn't agree and we don't have anything still.

>(...that’s the exact time the Life-monitor came back online… and going by Ferara’s reaction, she knows it too.)
That would mean that An was being used to hide when Ferara killed the victim. Everyone would believe that time was spent having a meeting, when she was actually busy staging the crime scene to look like a suicide!

And we can place Ferara in the room, thanks to the coffee message Lily received. The victim wouldn't have asked for coffee before Ferara got there because Ferara could've been running late and the coffee would've gotten cold by then. So, the message was sent out when Ferara was in the room.

But because Ferara told An to expand her mind, that caused both the coffee message and the life monitor alert to be delayed! Which would mean that the murder occurred when Ferara was in the room!
>>
No. 807498 ID: 91ee5f

>>807495
>[According to our calculations, she would be… um… a bit short for the trajectory model.]
Message the forensics officer [What about from where she's standing right now? The floor by the door where she's currently standing is raised a bit. Would that bring her up to match the trajectory model?]
>>
No. 807500 ID: 3ce125

Oh, and if Cogweather had erased the schematics via the proper method, would the machine have recorded that she did it?
>>
No. 807519 ID: 65a774
File 149730999394.png - (129.79KB , 900x450 , 28.png )
807519

>Why did Cogweather tell An to reveal that she was "expanding her mind"? Did she expect us to not realize that An was the source of the jamming signal?
You’re not even sure if it actually would jam the signal or not… but she’s probably trying to act “helpful” so we won’t suspect her.
>Though, the method of jamming is interesting. She took over the CPU cycles of every nearby electronic device.
That would be a probable explanation to her description, yes…
>Important to note that Lily is not on that list.
Actually, she is. She had access to Herod’s override password, remember? That means she could have fabricated the gun.
>Also mess with that leaf a little bit. See if you can get it to stay in the right spot for Cogweather to have been the shooter, without holding it in place.
…it’s remarkable formable. In fact, you can bend it enough to make the leaf touch the stem and it stays that way when you let go… almost…


>We're going to need that transmitter as well.
:FeraraWWD: It’s in my office. We can go get it as soon as we’re done here.
>Ask An how long it took it to expand its bubble.
:AnWWD: I expanded and expanded and then it all went pop!
>Also, there were 20 minutes between Cogweather leaving the office and popping An's bubble. Ask Cogweather what happened during that 20 minute gap.
:FeraraWWD: I was observing An. It’s the first time she’s done something like this in a non-controlled environment and… she was growing terrifyingly fast. That’s why I had to abort it before it she stopped growing.

>I don't think we've asked her to describe her relationship with the victim yet.
:FeraraWWD: Herod? I didn’t know him personally, as we only interacted through work. He was… hard working and diligent… and he knew his stuff about AI and their construction. In fact, I dare say that his death came in a rather inopportune time, as there are many projects here that will be in trouble without him. I’ll probably need to work my tail off for weeks thanks to this… ugh…
>You seem to value your time very highly, but the Vic's mail indicates you haven't produced any test results on An since she's been placed in your care. Care to explain?
:FeraraWWD: No one has produced any real test results yet on her, that’s why we keep cycling her around to different departments to see if anyone else has any luck. She’s powerful, but that’s all we know. Sadly, her creator Dr. Esk'eth left us without the proper notes to work with… and all we have now is what’s probably the most advance AI ever created without the knowledge how she works.

>Ask about her whereabouts during the time the fabricator was available.
:FeraraWWD: I was in a meeting with Isan Karte about the relocation of An. It’s his turn next week to take care of her. I was in that meeting from 15:00 to 16:40. Ask him if you want confirmation.
>Heck, ask Lily's whereabouts during that time as well.
:LilyWWD: Um… here? I was working so… um… I guess I went for a snack after 15 but… err… it was just a quick snack run?
>Oh, and if Cogweather had erased the schematics via the proper method, would the machine have recorded that she did it?
:FeraraWWD: The whole reason why admins can erase the schematics is to keep secret projects secret. Of course I don’t record anything.


>I'm sure it's a good time to tell Cogweather she's a suspect in the murder investigation.
:FeraraWWD: Me? Really? And why, pray tell, would I kill Herod? His death is nothing but trouble for me. I do hope you have something solid to back up those accusations?
>We can place Ferara in the room, thanks to the coffee message Lily received.
:FeraraWWD: A message? …do you still have this message?
:RishiWWD: Well… no… but Lily told us all-
:FeraraWWD: Lily told you? Really? Is that’s why you’re accusing me? Isn’t she the one who was here when the supposed murder happened? Are you really going to believe everything that tub of lard says just like that? For all we know, she might be killer, no?
:LilyWWD: H-hey! You’re the one who did it! You killed my boss then came out and shoved me, you meanie!
:FeraraWWD: Is this what this is? You’re going to try and throw me in jail because I was mean? Then very well, let me be mean. I can’t say I remember shoving you, but if I did it was probably because you were your usually fat, useless self. I can’t understand how such a clumsy oaf can even get fat with all the technology we have today. No wonder Herod wanted to fire you and deport you from the station… you’re simply pathetic… and useless…
:LilyWWD: B-b-but I-I-I-
:RishiWWD: That’s enough!
:FeraraWWD: And here we have the pretender. Do you really believe anyone would be fooled by those mods? It only makes you look like a slut… which you probably are, Serpens. No, a proper officer could not look like a common street whore… and better yet, be female. You males are so emotional, after all… going after superior females just because they are “mean”.
:LeontiusWWD: Don’t fall for it. She’s just trying to get a rise out of you to make you lose your place. Breathe in, focus, let's bring an end to this.
:FeraraWWD: And then there’s the bird. Is this what you call justice? To try and jail someone innocent because you don’t like them? You’re just another honorless vigilante like most of your species. So desperate for glory that you will tell yourself any lie, hmm?
:LeontiusWWD: I don’t lack h-honor, you… y-you… s-scum!

:FeraraWWD: This is a waste of time. Unless you have something conclusive, I’m not going to accept your accusation. I’m giving you a warning, stop wasting my time or I’ll have my lawyers tear you apart. Do you understand?
>>
No. 807534 ID: 3ce125

>>807519
As irritating as Cogweather is, based on the evidence we've seen Lily and her are equally plausible suspects. The leaf can be moved so it cannot be used to eliminate suspects based on height. Anyone could have wiped the fabrication machine. Due to the jammer, and assuming Cogweather didn't do it, there's a 20 minute timespan where Lily could have entered the office, killed the victim, staged the suicide, then erased the security log of her being there. If she noticed the HoloWeb was down she could have realized the life monitor was down too. Why do we not have a record of the coffee message? Shouldn't it be on both the computer in here, AND on whatever device Lily received it on? Has anyone finished reviewing the security footage to see if we can spot Lily entering the office?

Cogweather is acting a bit suspicious, but she really doesn't have any motive that we can see. She did not gain anything from the victim's death, while Lily most likely did. Ask An if she has a sense of smell. Could she verify that Cogweather smelled like cleaning fluid? ...you know it's possible that Cogweather smelled like that because of research she can't tell us about.

Maybe we should more thoroughly test Cogweather's clothing for the residue. Her cybernetics, too. I wager those are harder to clean. Then we won't need her in the room anymore, as she can't give us any further information... but tell her to stay where we can find her, we can't eliminate her as a suspect just yet. Wait, there is one more thing. She said the victim was going to deport Lily from the station? Is that true? That would be a VERY solid motive for murder. Does she know the reason for that, or is the "useless" thing just conjecture?
>>
No. 807536 ID: 3ce125

Wait, was An aware of its surroundings when it was expanding its bubble? Can it verify that Ferara was with it for at least most of the 20 minutes that we're interested in? Was An aware of anything else that happened while its bubble was expanding? Like in this room? Or what Lily was doing? Did it see who shot the victim? Did it hear or feel the gun being fired? If it was using the CPU cycles of the life-monitor, wouldn't it be able to tell when the life-monitor detected the victim getting shot?
>>
No. 807545 ID: fc33ea

>I’m giving you a warning, stop wasting my time or I’ll have my lawyers tear you apart.
Police have the protections to laugh threats like this off.

If Lilly were standing on the wood part of the room, would she be tall enough to make the shot normally?

There are plenty of motives, but we won't be privy to what happened in the meeting so it's only conjecture. Maybe Herod was trying to shut some of her stuff down, maybe he was trying to take An away.

The problem is, do you think either of these people are able to shoot someone in the mouth using sidearm from almost across a room?

Once we get the surveillance footage, we'll be able to see if Lily went where she said.
>>
No. 807551 ID: 91ee5f

>>807519
>Rishi is a male.
"Correction, I'm an Ovale. Serpens have 3 genders."

>Calling Rishi a pretender.
"You keep going on and on about how important your time is, yet here you are talking with us. If your time was so important, then why are you here instead of working? Shouldn't you be making us come to you because of how important your work is?"

>I was observing An. It’s the first time she’s done something like this in a non-controlled environment and… she was growing terrifyingly fast. That’s why I had to abort it before it she stopped growing.
"This is the first time An did this in a non-controlled environment, right? But that doesn't mean it's the first time An has ever done this. Meaning you've done this kind of test with An before and would have prior knowledge of how An affected nearby electronic devices and how any messages and signals are delayed until the test is over. That's the kind of knowledge Lily wouldn't have, since she's just a secretary."

>Isan Karte
Hey, we've got a message from the victim to Isan Karte!

It says:
To: Isan Karte
I do understand that [Retracted] old notes aren’t complete, but what we have now is simply not enough. We need to know what made this new [Retracted] model so special, as currently there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. I sent the original to Ferara so she can continue testing it, but as it’s already been 6 months my hopes aren’t that high. 
-Herod.

Meaning after having An under her care for 6 months, Ferara Cogwelder, the Chief of the Engineering and Mechanical department, made no advancements of any kind. She acts like a big shot, but something tells me that she killed the victim because he questioned her intellect and how she hasn't made any headway of some kind. Maybe if we bring Cogwelder's intelligence into question, that'll set her off?

Let's ask Cogwelder how long it's been her turn to have An? If she says anything other than "6 months", then she's lying.

And if she does say "6 months" then we can say, "Wow, that long and you haven't made any progress? This is your field of study and you haven't got anything done? Maybe you're the pretender and you're not as good as you say you are?"
>>
No. 807553 ID: fc33ea

>>807545
In the meantime, just tell her she'll be hearing from you. Can An be kept as evidence?
>>
No. 807581 ID: fc33ea

>>807519
I can’t understand how such a clumsy oaf can even get fat with all the technology we have today.
And yet you belive this same individual sucessfully fabricated a gun, covered her tracks, waited for An to take a teast she couldn't have concivably known about, shot her boss through the mouth from across the room, cleaned off the evidence while getting coffee, and put together an alibi that completely passes muster inbetween playing solitare, leaving passwords in the open and spilling coffee on herself?
>>
No. 807582 ID: be0718

>>807581
Remember that advice to *not* give our suspects too many facts to work with? Maybe don't paint a picture for them, assuming we haven't discussed all of these details in front of them already.
>>
No. 807583 ID: fc33ea

>>807582
I think the only thing they aren't 'supposed' to know about is how the shot was taken and where, and you're absolutely right we should not tell them about it.
>>
No. 807593 ID: 3ce125

...actually, Ferara does have a motive. This email:

>To: Ferara Cogwelder
>I’ve recently been shown parts of the project you and “lizzy” are conducting. I’ll have you know that a project of that size might have quite the consequences for the company if it fails, not to speak of you personally. Meet me in my office tomorrow and we’ll discuss the right tools we need to use to make sure it doesn’t come crashing down. You do remember what happened to Dr. Esk’eth, correct?

Dr. Esk'eth fucking died. This could be interpreted as a threat, and so could the "consequences" part. Oh, we need to ask her who Lizzy is.
>>
No. 807594 ID: 91ee5f

>>807583
Maybe we can shorten it to, "If you think she's so clumsy, then how can you explain her being capable of murder?"
>>
No. 807597 ID: 3ce125

...it also occurs to me that a third person could be involved. If both suspects are telling the truth about everything, there was a space of 20 minutes where neither of them were near the victim's office, which means someone else could have come by and killed the victim. It's possible that someone else could have gotten the password to edit the door records, and anyone familiar with An would know that it could knock out the life-monitor. Lizzy, perhaps?
>>
No. 807610 ID: 2777f5

Damn, a 'Reason You Suck Speech' during our literally second interaction with Cogwelder. Whether's shes the killer is up for debate, but I'm sure your 'Bitch Radar' augmentation is blaring sirens right now.

Quite a sudden, caustic reaction for someone who claims to be innocent, though.
>>
No. 807614 ID: fe7355

Look Ferara square in the eyes and tell her in the most level tone you have ever spoken that yes, you do understand what she's saying. You also understand that, based on the hall security camera video, which is actual hard evidence, that the only two people that could have killed Herod are either her or Lily. As such they are both suspects, so you are taking the both of them into custody for the time being while we gather evidence. This is to prevent whichever of them is the murderer from potentially tampering with or destroying any potential evidence elsewhere, or possibly attempting to hide on or flee from New Horizon.

Now, the both of them can request legal council at this time as is their right and can withhold saying anything until their lawyer arrives. But until you get a official legal order to release one of them they'll both be in your custody for as long as legally allowed or until you find enough solid evidence to release one of them and bring murder charges against the other. At this point, have Ferara taken by a officer to a empty conference room and watched. This is separate her from Lily so there isn't any more info cross-contamination between them. Have Lily taken by a officer back to her workspace and watched so she doesn't do anything. And request a comm-lock on both of their comm implants so they can't do anything with their implant besides contact a lawyer. You don't want them potentially calling a accomplice to destroy evidence, pulling something like remote connecting to a computer to delete evidence, or deleting data on their comm implant.

As much as you don't like to admit it, Ferara's scoffing at you trusting Lily's word is legit. Same as if you trusted Ferara's word. Either one of them could be the murderer, so the word of either one of them can not be trusted. That means everything they've said needs to be corroborated and verified, either by others or by solid evidence. And that means everything Lily said that can't be backed by another source that she couldn't have altered has to be ignored.

Take a measurement of Ferara's hand and compare its size to the bruise on Lily's wrist. Unfortunately, that bruise doesn't prove which one killed Herod even if Ferara did leave it. The crystal residue could have come from Ferara's hand, or Lily could have taken advantage of Ferara bruising her and intentionally left the crystal residue on her sleeve at that spot.

Ferara said that Herod wanted to fire and deport Lily, so find out if that was true or just Ferara being spiteful. Check Herod and Lily's e-mails for any evidence of this. Also contact the company's personnel department and ask if Lily was being considered for firing by Herod. And check Lily's status with New Horizon immigration services. Is she on New Horizon on a work permit or some other case where Herod could possibly have her deported.

So far you only have Lily's word that the HoloWeb and comms were down here, so you need to find another source to corroborate that. Contact the company IT department and request that they check their logs for lost connections in the building between 17:00 and 18:00. Find out who else was working nearby, both on this level and the levels above and below, and ask them if they had HoloWeb or comm implant problems.

Also request the results of the previous transmitter orb "bubble" tests An performed in a controlled environment. Confirm whether or not they interfered with HoloWeb, comm implant, or life-monitor communication. And for good measure, get the transmitter orb used before and have An do the same "bubble" test in the same spot she was at 16:55 and observe if HoloWeb, comm implant and life-monitor signals were all blocked in this area. Just make sure that there's somebody there to order An to abort before she expands too far.

Find out why the security cameras weren't effected the same as the rest of the computerized devices in the area of Herod's office when An did the "bubble" test. They presumably are digital and transmit over the company network, so they should have been effected as well.

You also think you have enough for the basis of a warrant for all the company's security camera video of Ferara and Lily's movement within the building for the last 24 hours, at least. Once you find out if and when Lily found out Herod was possibly going to fire and deport her you'll extend the time period for her to that point in time. Specifically you're looking for Ferara and Lily on cameras showing the entrances to the fabricator area and the fabricator area itself. You're looking to find out when Lily went down there so you can check if it was for official reasons or not.

You're also going to have to see about questioning all the engineers and CogBoys down in the fabricator area as to who was using the fabricator that was broken. That means questioning the previous shifts as well. And also asking if and when any of them saw somebody who usually isn't down here down there. Someone like Lily.

Contact Isan Karte and confirm that Ferara was in a meeting with him between 15:00 and 16:40, that it was about the relocation of An next week, and ask if there were any

Do life-monitor implants store a log of the time they go off within themselves? Because if they do then the coroner can extract Herod's implant during his autopsy and download the exact time of death from it. With that you'll know whether Ferara or Lily did it. That is, assuming An's "bubble" didn't suck up so many processor cycles that the implant couldn't write the log out.

Find out if Herod's override password also unlocked his desk computer too. Because if it does, then the killer could have used his computer as well. Messages or files could have been deleted from it, or e-mails sent. ...Or Lily could have gone in there any time Herod was out and fiddled with his computer.

You need to determine if either Ferara or Lily could have fired the PAC gun with enough accuracy to headshot Herod in one shot from all the way across his office from the door. Where could they have possibly learned how to accurately handle a gun of that type? Military service? Gun club target practice? Arcade game?

>Usually, people just print “personal” toys or the like, not actual weapons.
Like, say, an impossible to solve puzzle cube like the one Herod had on himself. Question is, did Herod make it as a joke, somebody else made it as a joke gift to him, or he made it or had it made for him for some other reason. Maybe with a hidden compartment in the center? Well, you can't go pulling it apart so you'll have to wait and see if the forensics lab techs find anything in it or not.

>…it’s remarkable formable. In fact, you can bend it enough to make the leaf touch the stem and it stays that way when you let go… almost…
You didn't bend the scorched leaf, did you? Because if you did, that possibly reduced its value as evidence. See, you didn't take into account the mass of the leaf that was burned off. Reduced mass at the tip would result in the scorched leaf bending upwards from where it was before being scorched. That burned off mass could be estimated from the density of the other leaves, then a weight of that mass stuck to the scorched leaf to make it sag to the right level.

It's also possible there were recent photos of Herod's office that show the leaves of the plant, and from them how high the scorched leaf was before it was scorched. Ask Lily if she knows of any such photos, as well as checking Herod's and Lily's computers for them. And Herod may also have taken some with his comm implant, but if he did it'll take his implant being removed at the autopsy to extract them.

>>807597
No, there wasn't a 20 minute window where another person could have shown up and killed Herod. According to the video from the security camera watching the hall outside Herod's office, Ferara Cogwelder arrived at Herod's office at 17:00 and left at 17:25. The video then shows Lily leaving the office at 17:45, the same time Herod's life-monitor sent the signal he was dead. Since there's no other way into Herod's office than the hallway, and the video showed nobody else enter, then only one of those two could have possibly done it. Heck, maybe even both of 'em. So unless we find evidence of tampering with the security camera video, it's down to just Ferara and Lily.
>>
No. 807618 ID: 3ce125

>>807614
>video shows such and such
I wasn't aware the cops were done looking at the camera feeds? If that's true, and Lily never entered the office, then Cogweather is the only one who could have done it and we can arrest her.
>>
No. 807621 ID: be0718

>>807614
Well your post won't fit on my screen so I'm just going to say no to whatever it was.
>>
No. 807663 ID: 91ee5f

According to Kaktus and what he/she said in the disthread, "I predict that you’ll solve this in an update or two. After all, you already have everything you need to nail the killer."

We've already got all the puzzle pieces, it's just a matter of putting them all in the right place! .....uh, could someone smarter than me put the puzzle together? My head hurts trying to figure this out!
>>
No. 807672 ID: 65a774
File 149737200711.png - (30.21KB , 900x450 , 29.png )
807672

>I'm sure your 'Bitch Radar' augmentation is blaring sirens right now.
You don’t need an augmentation to see that she’s a total bitch.
>As much as you don't like to admit it, Ferara's scoffing at you trusting Lily's word is legit. Same as if you trusted Ferara's word.
Sadly, words carry little weight, don’t they? You must find something more conclusive evidence to solve this case!
>The problem is, do you think either of these people is able to shoot someone in the mouth using sidearm from almost across a room?
Hmm… Ferara does have that cybernetic eye thing she keeps touching… it might help her aim?
>Has anyone finished reviewing the security footage to see if we can spot Lily entering the office?
We already know that only Ferara and Lily were here at the time of death. Ferara with the meeting and Lily at her desk.
>...it also occurs to me that a third person could be involved.
Except we haven’t seen anyone leave since before Ferara got here.


>Contact Isan Karte and confirm that Ferara was in a meeting with him between 15:00 and 16:40.
>You're also going to have to see about questioning all the engineers and CogBoys down in the fabricator.
>Also request the results of the previous transmitter orb "bubble" tests An performed in a controlled environment.
>Contact the company IT department and request that they check their logs for lost connections in the building between 17:00 and 18:00.
:LeontiusWWD: [Actually, you might want to write that down for the next team. Our shift is almost over, after all. We were just supposed to make sure it was a suicide, not solve a murder, so we weren’t given that much time. Come think of it, they probably want to have someone more experienced to deal with this, so after today we might not even be on this case anymore.]
>Maybe we should more thoroughly test Cogweather's clothing for the residue.
:CopWWD: [While I’d love to dip the wicked witch of the west in a tub of these chemicals to watch her melt, sadly I can’t legally do so. These chemicals are dangerous in large amount as well as less reliable if used a lot in close proximity. So if you want something checked for residue, you’ll need to be more precise. Is there any part of her you want me to really check?]


>"Correction, I'm an Ovale. Serpens have 3 genders."
:FeraraWWD: You still have junk down there that is clearly sapping your brain from all the blood it needs to function.
>Based on the hall security camera video, which is actual hard evidence, that the only two people that could have killed Herod are either her or Lily. As such they are both suspects, so you are taking the both of them into custody for the time being while we gather evidence.
:FeraraWWD: Hmm… very well, I can accept that. But if you can’t come up with something soon…
>>
No. 807673 ID: 65a774
File 149737201840.png - (117.98KB , 900x450 , 30.png )
807673

>She said the victim was going to deport Lily from the station? Is that true?
:LilyWWD: Um… h-he did mention… if I screwed up again that he would… fire me… and if I can’t get any other work soon…
>Wait, was An aware of its surroundings when it was expanding its bubble?
:AnWWD: Nope.
>You've done this kind of test with An before and would have prior knowledge of how An affected nearby electronic devices and how any messages and signals are delayed until the test is over.
:FeraraWWD: And? That proves what, exactly? That she might have been used? Do you even have any proof that the message was delayed in the first place?
>Let's ask Cogwelder how long it's been her turn to have An?
:AnWWD: I get a new caretaker every two weeks!
:RishiWWD: …not 6 months?
:FeraraWWD: 6 months ago we lost the person who actually knew how she worked. Before that she was taken care of by Dr. Esk’eth. Now, why is this relevant to the case, exactly? Unless you can justify why, exactly, you need to know this I won’t talk about her anymore. She is a very important project after all and needs to be kept secret.
>Can An be kept as evidence?
:FeraraWWD: Absolutely not.

>We need to ask her who Lizzy is.
:FeraraWWD: That’s… my significant other. She has nothing to do with this.
>...actually, Ferara does have a motive. This email.
:FeraraWWD: That mail? And this proves… what, exactly? That I came here to meet Herod?
:RishiWWD: That part with Dr. Esk’eth can be considered a threat.
:FeraraWWD: Esk’eth died in an accident. If anything, it can be considered a warning to not do anything stupid.
:RishiWWD: And this project he mention?
:FeraraWWD: That is what I was tried to ask him about. “Lizzy” doesn’t work here, thus we have no projects together to speak off. But when I asked about what he meant, Herod just acted dumb about it, like he never sent the mail in the first place.

>If you think she's so clumsy, then how can you explain her being capable of murder?
:FeraraWWD: Even the most inept slob can pull a trigger. Skill or luck, it doesn’t matter in the end, does it? Even if she’s completely incompetent at being a secretary, that large feather ball of fat could-
:LilyWWD: That’s it! I won’t take your abuse anymore! You’re the one who did this! You’re the one who last saw him! You’re the one who tried to frame me by placing residue on me! You’re the one who hacked the system thingies!
:FeraraWWD: …I must ask what, exactly, is this residue you keep mentioning?
:LeontiusWWD: The gun used in the murder leaves traces on things close to where it was fired.
:FeraraWWD: And Lily? She had some on her?
:LeontiusWWD: That is correct.
:FeraraWWD: Oh? Why… then let me tell you something…
>>
No. 807674 ID: 65a774
File Case1Ferara.swf - (61.41KB , 901x601 )
807674

Transcript of the animation:

Why I’m innocent.
Why you’re a moron.

I don’t deny that I saw Herod right before his death, or that the experiment with An might have had some unforeseen consequences with the his life-monitor.

But neither of those really proves anything… and my supposed motive? An odd email? That’s just idiotic.

No, unless you have some hard evidence of me being in his office when he died… or that I was holding the gun when it fired, you have nothing.

But wait, you do have something, don’t you? Wasn’t Lily at the office when Herod was murdered? And didn’t she have that residue that you keep mentioning on her? Isn’t that proof she fired the weapon?

All you have on me is words from Lily’s mouth... while she has all the hard evidence pointing at her. You’re just getting side tracked with the whole message delay.

She is the one with residue on her, thus she is the murderer. I don’t have any on me, thus I’m innocent. It’s as easy as that, idiots.


:LeontiusWWD: She is right about one thing… if we don’t have any conclusive evidence, we can’t prove anything.
:RishiWWD: But we’ve looked everywhere! What kind of evidence are we missing?
:LeontiusWWD: Let’s turn it around. It’s not “where we haven’t looked”, but “where we need to look”. Where can there be something conclusive to nail one of these broads?
:RishiWWD: It’s right under our noses… I can feel it in my tail… there is something we’ve missed.
:LeontiusWWD: If you’re going to find it, do so now. I just got a message that we’re supposed to go off-duty in 15 minutes and let the next team take over.
:RishiWWD: Where can there be proof that either Ferara or Lily fired the gun? …or that they were there when Herod died? Where?
>>
No. 807683 ID: fc33ea

I doubt Lilly would have waited around for the holonet to come back on before she washed herself off, nor would it have been smart to kill your boss in a bid to keep her job, but that's all circumstantial.

Is there a way to tell if the door was overridden? We need to figure out if the murder took place before or after 7:25, is there anything else that can tell us that- Is there anything on the computer to indicate how long it was idle for?
>>
No. 807691 ID: 91ee5f

Wait a minute, she's always touching that eye mod of hers, like it's a force of habit that she does without thinking. She might've left some residue on her eye mod before she cleaned her hands!
>>
No. 807700 ID: fc33ea

>>807691
Only if she's a lefty.
>>
No. 807708 ID: 00a1f6

>>807691
Based anon, you do us proud.

>>807700
It's likely that she used both hands to aim.
>>
No. 807711 ID: 3ce125

>>807672
>Is there any part of her you want me to really check?
Yeah, the cybernetic thing she keeps touching. That's a habit, so she probably touched it after doing the deed, and she probably forgot to wash it. If there's residue on her eye mod, then there's no way anyone else did it, because nobody else touched it.

Oh, and check Lily's beak. She keeps touching her beak, so if she did it she'll have gotten residue on there. (I kind of wonder how our partner got the residue off of her shoulder without doing a full body check, which we've been told we can't do)
>>
No. 807729 ID: fe7355

And if Ferara did shoot Herod, she would have left trace IOKec-Crystal residue on every surface she touched with the hand she fired the gun with until she cleaned it off. Or both hands if she used both to grip the gun. So test every button and surface she'd touch in a area she went into that Lily didn't. And Ferara's office door has a keycard reader lock, same as Herod's? If so, test her keycard for residue.

But it looks like Ferara is wearing gloves, so if she was smart she'd peel them off after she'd grabbed Lily so they're inside out and pocket them for later washing or disposal. That way she doesn't leave crystal residue traces all over. So check the security camera video of Ferara entering Lily's workspace en route to Herod's office, when she left, and any other on the way to her office and look at her hands. Did she take her gloves off and if so at what point? Did she touch anything on the way before then? ...Did she touch An anywhere, or the transmitter orb?

And do the same check for Lily. Did she touch anything en route to the staff kitchen or the washrooms that was caught on camera? Door buttons or the wall or anything else? If she did, test those spots for residue.
>>
No. 807734 ID: 3ce125

>>807729
If Cogweather did it, she very likely went straight to clean herself off after exiting the office. She had 20 minutes to do so before she popped An's bubble. So, the security footage would just show her rushing to a restroom or janitor's closet.

That's kindof pointless though since the only other person who could have done it is Lily, and then the camera would catch her entering the victim's office after Cogweather left. If Lily didn't go in, Cogweather did it. If Lily did go in, Lily did it. That's all the evidence we'd need.

I suspect the camera footage during that time is useless though, since An was taking up all the CPU cycles of everything, which would include the camera. The only footage we've verified is what happened after the life-alarm went off, which is when the bubble popped... and both suspects would have already finished their dirty work.
>>
No. 807743 ID: fe7355

Also look up what cybernetics both Ferara and Lily have registered. If Ferara has cybernetic augs that would aid in aiming a gun and Lily doesn't, that leans a bit more towards Ferara.

>>807734
>That's kindof pointless though since the only other person who could have done it is Lily, and then the camera would catch her entering the victim's office after Cogweather left. If Lily didn't go in, Cogweather did it. If Lily did go in, Lily did it. That's all the evidence we'd need.
Except that there isn't security camera video of the entrance to Herod's office, only of the hall outside the entrance to Lily's workspace. You have to go from the hall through Lily's workspace to get to Herod's office. And there's a door between Lily's workspace and the hall as well, one that she said she usually locks when she's away from her desk. She forgot to this time, since the Peacekeepers said that outer door was unlocked.

>I suspect the camera footage during that time is useless though, since An was taking up all the CPU cycles of everything, which would include the camera.
But if that was the case there wouldn't be any video of Ferara leaving Herod's office/Lily's workspace into the hall at 17:25. And wouldn't there would be a obvious blank spot in the video if An interrupted the security camera?
>>
No. 807744 ID: 65a774
File 149739428984.png - (77.71KB , 900x450 , 31.png )
807744

:RishiWWD: OBJECTION!!!
:FeraraWWD: W-what!?
:LilyWWD: Eh!?
:LeontiusWWD: …isn’t “objection” the wrong word in this case?
>>
No. 807745 ID: 65a774
File 149739430249.png - (103.31KB , 900x450 , 32.png )
807745

:RishiWWD: Forensics, please test Lily’s beak for crystal residue.
:CopWWD: I’ll get the chemicals ready.
:FeraraWWD: Hmpf, I knew you would make the r-
:RishiWWD: And Ferara’s cybernetic eye.
:FeraraWWD: W-WHAT!?
:RishiWWD: You both keep touching those parts out of habit, don’t you? Ergo, it’s plausible that you touched it right after firing the gun… and then forgot to clean it off.
:CopWWD: The secretaries beak didn’t give off any reaction ma’am.
:FeraraWWD: H-hey, don’t- not my cybernetics! They are very delicate and-
:CopWWD: We have a reaction… and a strong one at that. We still need to send this to the lab… but if it is residue from the OKec-Crystal… then Ferara’s cyber eye is bathing in it.
:FeraraWWD: But- that’s- I’m not- Lily must have-
:LeontiusWWD: We know for a fact that you haven’t interacted with Lily since you left Herod’s office. There’s no way she can have planted that. No, this is it; this is the conclusive evidence we needed. Ferara Cogwelder, you are under arrest for the murder of Herod Carakas. Men, take her away… by the skymother, I’ve always wanted to say that.
>>
No. 807746 ID: 65a774
File Case1Breakdown.swf - (55.49KB , 900x450 )
807746

[Warning: The following animation might be exaggerated for effect. You have been warned.]

:FeraraWWD: NOOOOOOOOO!!!! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!!
>>
No. 807747 ID: 65a774
File 149739434830.png - (100.55KB , 900x450 , 33.png )
807747

:FeraraWWD: This isn’t my fault! I’m not to blame! It’s Herod! He’s the one who tried to kill me! I just defended myself! He shot first! He tried to blackmail me! He’s the scum, not me!
:LilyWWD: He’s scum, sure… but so are you!

>I kind of wonder how our partner got the residue off of her shoulder without doing a full body check.
He didn’t, he actually got it from her arm and was lying to see if he should fake her out… for some reason…
>She would have left trace IOKec-Crystal residue on every surface she touched with the hand she fired the gun with until she cleaned it off.
According to the information about the gun you got, apparently the residue goes inert after a few minutes and gets stuck on whatever surface it’s currently on. That would explain why we don’t have traces of it everywhere in the building.

:LeontiusWWD: Well then… Officer Rishi, any last statements before we drag this criminal scum away and throw her into jail like she deserve?
:RishiWWD: She’s going to the detention center. She isn’t going to jail until she’s proven guilty in court.
:LeontiusWWD: But jail sounds so much more… poetic than detention center…
:FeraraWWD: YOU’RE WORSE THAN BOB! BOTH OF YOU!
:LeontiusWWD: Language, lady! Language! Still… anything you want to say before we finish this?
>>
No. 807750 ID: 00a1f6

Maybe a couple years of hard time will dislodge that rod up her ass. I'm not sure she's had anything else in there, considering her rampant misandry.
>>
No. 807751 ID: fc33ea

Did... that actually fry her cybernetics?!? Overclocking those things looks dangerous, I hope you didn't get any...

You've got me curious now- without divulging any details of your precious company secret projects, of course- what happened in that meeting? What caused you to shoot him? Why did you print up the gun in advance?
>>
No. 807759 ID: 91ee5f

Wait.....my suggestion got an arrest?! Wow! I got lucky! I was just randomly guessing!

>>807746
>Number on eye mod.
IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!

>>807747
>What to say?
"That's what you get for mocking my thiccness!"

"But seriously, you better hope they'll allow mods in jail, otherwise that 'stick up ass' mod you have will have to be painfully removed! Which, to be honest, might actually be an improvement!"

Then when she's taken away, say to Leo, "Not bad for my first day on the job, huh?"
>>
No. 807775 ID: e45ee3

Add "destruction of evidence" to her charges.

Tell An that her "aunt" is probably going away for a very long time, maybe forever. An's behavior so far has been similar to that of a small child, so it will be interesting to see her reaction at the possible loss of a "family" member.
>>
No. 807781 ID: 91ee5f

>>807775
An has alread lost 2 "family members". Her "father", Dr. Esk’eth, and her "uncle", Herod Carakas.

She didn't seem to broken up over being in the same room as her "uncle's" dead body, so I'm not sure if she understands what's going on.
>>
No. 807782 ID: 3373e2

Hey we did it, give your partner some congratulations for helping. Maybe you'll pay for dinner if your feeling generous.
>>
No. 807801 ID: be0718

I'm sure if you plead your case before the judge as eloquently as you did with us, the judicial system might have mercy on you.
>>
No. 807809 ID: fc33ea

>>807782
You may want to just ask what people do to celebrate jobs well done around here, at least before you actually read the premier on alien relations.
>>
No. 807857 ID: fe7355

Tell Ferara it's a shame a intellect such as hers will be trapped in prison. Say you just want to know what situation was so tough that even that intellect could not think of a way out that did not involve Herod's death. What was it she could she not bring to her superiors in the company or to the Peacekeepers, even in secret, to deal with Herod?

>Men, take her away… by the skymother, I’ve always wanted to say that.
Lean over to Leon and say you always wanted to say that as well. Dibs on the next one, eh? Oh, you hope there'll be a next one. You don't want it to be like back on Roon, with nothing but boring case after case. He feel the same way?

>>807750
Please, can we not stoop to that level. We're Peacekeepers, so let us maintain a level of decorum expected of such in public. After all, it's not just our reputation but that of the Peacekeepers we'd hurt.
>>
No. 807858 ID: 3ce125

>>807747
>He shot first!
Um, what? Are there two guns, then? If she can direct us to the location of the second gun, and explain why there's no second scorch mark anywhere in here, that might lighten her sentence.

I mean, it's not like the plant leaf would absorb a shot, would it?
>>
No. 807860 ID: 8b1ac3

>>807858
The gun in his hand was planted there after his wound was inflicted so she's just pulling this out of her a$$.
>>
No. 807861 ID: 65a774
File 149744145009.png - (30.28KB , 900x450 , 34.png )
807861

>Tell Ferara it's a shame an intellect such as hers will be trapped in prison.
:FeraraWWD: Grr...
>What happened in that meeting? What caused you to shoot him? Why did you print up the gun in advance?
:FeraraWWD: He tried to kill me! I wrestled the gun from him and-
:RishiWWD: Bullshit. You shot him from across the room while he was standing behind his desk. There’s no way you wrestled for the gun like that… and you tricked An into helping you before you even went to the meeting, proving that you were already planning this from the start.
:FeraraWWD: He… he tried to blackmail me! He was going to… to… and he just wanted to rub it in my face before he told everyone we… gnn…
:RishiWWD: …told what, exactly? The “Project” you and your girlfriend had?
:FeraraWWD:
:RishiWWD: I do hope you don’t make up a bunch of bullshit when you’re talking to the prosecutor, as I think they will be far less forgiving.
>I'm sure if you plead your case before the judge as eloquently as you did with us, the judicial system might have mercy on you.
:FeraraWWD: Fuck you.

>Tell An that her "aunt" is probably going away for a very long time, maybe forever.
:AnWWD: Eh… she was mean anyway. Never saw me as anything more than a tool…
:RishiWWD:
:AnWWD: Hey, just because I like flowers and bubbles and playing doesn’t mean I have some smarts in my head! …those flowers were really pretty though… maybe I can keep some if I ask nicely?

:LeontiusWWD: Time to leave, Officer Rishi. We need to brief the next team about all we’ve learned so they can take over for tonight. The investigation isn’t over yet after all, as we need as much evidence as possible to make sure Ferara gets behind bars.
:RishiWWD: Then let’s go, Officer Leontius.
:LeontiusWWD: Just Leo is fine.
:RishiWWD: Then just Rishi is fine too.
>>
No. 807862 ID: 65a774
File 149744146341.png - (21.29KB , 900x450 , 35.png )
807862

One briefing later…

>Not bad for my first day on the job, huh?
:LeontiusWWD: Not at all… and I was going to say the exact same thing.
:RishiWWD: This is your first day on the job?
:LeontiusWWD: As an investigator, yes. I was promoted just last week and this is my first case.
>You always wanted to say that as well. Dibs on the next one, eh?
:LeontiusWWD: You’ve never said “Men, take them away” before? I thought you had experience?
:RishiWWD: I’ve never had a homicide before… I’ve mostly been working with thefts, robberies and vandalism… as well as three suicides. None of them had me ever actually meet the suspects in person.
:LeontiusWWD: Well, then I guess this is a first for both of us, eh?
>Oh, you hope against hope there'll be another one. He feels the same way?
:LeontiusWWD: I do indeed hope we can find glory in catching more criminal scum like that, sure, but I can’t on my honor hope that someone will get hurt just because I want to deliver justice. You get what I’m saying.
:RishiWWD: I do. Then let’s not hope there will be more crime… but hope that if there are, we will be there to… deliver justice, as you said.
:LeontiusWWD: That sounds fair.

:RishiWWD: Ugh…
:LeontiusWWD: Is something wrong?
:RishiWWD: Oh, no, it’s just… I’ve been on edge ever since I arrived here at New Horizon. I need to relax for a bit… let myself mellow out a bit… be less serious. Oh, and I never did properly introduce myself to you, did I?
:LeontiusWWD: You’ve already told me your… what are you doing with your arms?
:RishiWWD: Serpens don’t shake hands, we general hug instead… so… Hug?
:LeontiusWWD: …I guess?
>>
No. 807863 ID: 65a774
File 149744147317.png - (52.63KB , 900x450 , 36B.png )
807863

You embrace him with all four of your arms, making sure to hug him as tightly as you can without making him uncomfortable. He, in turn, returns your embrace… and you feel how he catch himself just before he lets his hands wander a bit low…

:RishiWWD: I am Rishi Zsazsa, of the Protection Cast, former guardian of Azilla isles on Roon itself, now a guardian of New Horizon, Unity space. On the tide, I put my hopes that our partnership will be a long and prosperous one.
:LeontiusWWD: It will be a honor work with you, Rishi Zsazsa.
:RishiWWD: So… we’re off duty now?
:LeontiusWWD: Until tomorrow, yes. Either way, I must celebrate today’s victory over the cowards. Maybe I should order to some take out from my favorite place? Hmm…
:RishiWWD: *Stomach growl*
:LeontiusWWD: …oh, you haven’t eaten anything yet, either? Well… I guess if you want to tag along… though we better hurry, I have another appointment in an hour or so.
:RishiWWD: An appointment, this late?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh right, you’re new here. The days are 30 hours long here, remember? And it’s just after 19 so… there’s plenty of time before I need to head to bed, at least.
:RishiWWD: Oh right, I forgot about that. Yeah, it’s going to be odd to go from a 25 hours day to a 30 one…
:LeontiusWWD: …and do you Serpens usually hug this long?
:RishiWWD: Nope. I just like hugging people… especially those that are soft and covered in feathers or the like. So soft...
:LeontiusWWD: So… err… want some take out? Or do you just want to go home and check your new apartment? You haven’t been there yet, have you?
>>
No. 807867 ID: 665ed8

Get take out with the nice bird as a thank you/attempt to get some of that sweet sweet stress relief. On the other hand though try and get some info on what working on the station is like
>>
No. 807874 ID: 91ee5f

>>807863
>He, in turn, returns your embrace…and you feel how he catch himself just before he lets his hands wander a bit low…
Maybe after we've gotten to know him and we've worked with him for a few months, we'll tell him he's allowed to let his hands wander. But for now, he's got the right idea to keep his hands off the thiccness.

>Nope. I just like hugging people…especially those that are soft and covered in feathers or the like. So soft...
So Rishi prefers her bed partners to be chubby and/or covered in feathers? Ok, seems legit.

>So…err…want some take out? Or do you just want to go home and check your new apartment? You haven’t been there yet, have you?
"Food first, then I'll go to my apartment. Not like my apartment is going to go anywhere without me, right?"

Yeah, let's go with Leo. Gives us a chance to get to know him better, we can ask him what to expect working/living here on New Horizon, and it'll at least give Rishi the location of a food place for future meals.
>>
No. 807876 ID: 094652

Get the take out, you want beef-and-[alien animal meat] tacos with eggroll taco shells.

Offer him a quick romp if he can find a restaurant that sells exactly what you asked.
>>
No. 807880 ID: fc33ea

Apartments can wait, let's get some grub!
>>
No. 807891 ID: 65a774
File 149746577087.png - (19.62KB , 900x450 , 37.png )
807891

>So Rishi prefers her bed partners to be chubby and/or covered in feathers?
You’ve never had someone that was covered in feathers before so you can’t say if you prefer them that way. Sadly, you’ve mostly just had other Serpens. As for chubby… well, sometimes you want someone fit and athletic… other times you want someone big that have a lot to grab on too. Depends on the mood, really. In the end, your egg ride is open for most people.

>Get take out with the nice bird as a thank you/attempt to get some of that sweet sweet stress relief.
:RishiWWD: Food first, then I'll go to my apartment. Not like my apartment is going to go anywhere without me, right?
:LeontiusWWD: Considering how most apartments underground are modular, its actually fully possible to move your whole apartment away from its original spot. Though, they usually do it on a room by room basis, but still…
:RishiWWD: They can move the rooms around? …and wait, how did you know my apartment was underground?
:LeontiusWWD: Because like 90% of the people here does? Everything above ground is super expensive, as there’s so little room to build up there. But enough about that… what do you want to eat? I know this great place but… I don’t know if they do Serpens food…

:RishiWWD: Hmm… I’m aching for some TofuBeef-and-Ankwark tacos with eggroll based shell.
:LeontiusWWD: Err… I don’t think we-
:RishiWWD: If you can find someone that sells that, I’ll reward you with a quick romp later?
:LeontiusWWD: A q-quick r-t-that w-won’t be… err… n-necessary?
:RishiWWD: You did say I was allowed to ask after I’d paid for some dinner, didn’t you? Is this because I’m a Ovale? If that’s the case I can just forfeit the match and let you be on top.
:LeontiusWWD: Forfeit the… no, it’s not because… I mean, I’ve never actually… but… err… it’s just… you’re so damn crude and forward, I don’t know how I should react to it. You’re like a sledgehammer while we others are finely tuned watches.
:RishiWWD: A sledgehammer can easily crush a watch…
:LeontiusWWD: Exactly, and we rather not have them crushed. So stop being a sledgehammer, please.
:RishiWWD: Fine, fine, I’ll be a bit less forward from now on…
:LeontiusWWD: Thank you… and wait a moment! Tacos? Can you even eat tacos?
:RishiWWD: Nope. I just wanted to mess with you a bit, Leo. Now, let’s go. I’m sure I’ll find something to eat.
>>
No. 807893 ID: 65a774
File 149746577925.png - (21.43KB , 900x450 , 38.png )
807893

:RishiWWD: So, how was your meal?
:LeontiusWWD: Delicious. Especially the seeds, always a favorite. How about you? You ordered something… Sakkilian, was it?
:RishiWWD: It’s ok… a bit too sweet and fruity for a main course, but otherwise its good.
:LeontiusWWD: …so… I know I’ll regret asking this but… when you said “Forfeit the match” you meant…what exactly?
:RishiWWD: Oh, right… you don’t need to… It’s a kind of wrestling match, to decides who’s on top when both partners are… the giving kind.
:LeontiusWWD: …you always do that before... um…
:RishiWWD: Sometimes you can get into an agreement before you start the fun… but other times, yes, we wrestle for dominance.
:LeontiusWWD: So the strong always…
:RishiWWD: It’s considered rude not to let someone you regular win against to be on top after a while.
:LeontiusWWD: Ah… that’s… fair, I guess… but let’s change the subject. To something less… risqué…

>Try and get some info on what working on the station is like
:LeontiusWWD: Work here? It’s rather calm actually. The crime rate is really low here, if you don’t count white-collar crimes.
:RishiWWD: You have troubles with white-collar crimes?
:LeontiusWWD: No more than anywhere else, no, but on flip side, we really don’t have a lot of blue-collar ones. I believe it can have something do with how hard it is to move here… and that we pretty much have no low-class populace… err… wait that came out wrong. I don’t mean- they aren’t the ones that… err…
:RishiWWD: I understand what you’re trying to say, don’t worry. So… you were born here?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh no, I wasn’t born here. I moved here when I was about eight… as an… orphan.
:RishiWWD: … … …wait, is that supposed to be… err, sorry?
:LeontiusWWD: Right, I keep forgetting you’re a Serpens. But yes, not having parents is a big deal for us Varkians.
:RishiWWD: So… what happened?
:LeontiusWWD: That’s something for a better time. Hmm… still half an hour until I need to leave…
:RishiWWD:
:LeontiusWWD: …and no, I don’t have time for a quickie.
:RishiWWD: I didn’t say anything.
:LeontiusWWD: You were thinking it.
:RishiWWD: True... so anyway, what’s so important tonight?
:LeontiusWWD: My Quarters and Quetzalcoatl’s group is breaking up… so it’s like one last goodbye kind of thing?
:RishiWWD: Q&Q? The roleplaying game?
:LeontiusWWD: Yeah, that’s it. You ever played it? Or better yet, do you like playing it? I’m looking for a new group to play with, after all.
>>
No. 807896 ID: 3ce125

>>807893
Well you could always try it out.
>>
No. 807898 ID: 00a1f6

I'm more of a Wayseeker person, myself.
>>
No. 807902 ID: a593b6

>>807893
Were new here, it could be good to get into a social circle.
>>
No. 807909 ID: 91ee5f

>>807893
>Yeah, that’s it. You ever played it? Or better yet, do you like playing it? I’m looking for a new group to play with, after all.
"Sure, I play. In fact, I kinda want to go with you to play a game, now. But, seeing as this is supposed to be a special moment for you and you're group, I'm pretty sure it'd be pretty rude for me to suddenly show up and jump in your game, so I'll play a game with you some other time. Besides, I'm *yawn* kinda too tired to focus on a game right now, so I'll be heading to my apartment pretty soon. Ugh, I've got a terrible feeling that it's gonna take me a few weeks before I finally get used to having an extra 5 hours in the day."
>>
No. 807913 ID: fc33ea

I used to a while back, but they released some new edition that I never really got on board with. If you don't mind me asking, why's your group breaking up?
>>
No. 807920 ID: 65a774
File 149748018077.png - (21.82KB , 900x450 , 39.png )
807920

>I'm more of a Wayseeker person, myself.
:LeontiusWWD: Personally, I think that game has way to many floating modifiers, but taste is like the behind…
:RishiWWD: Full of shit?
:LeontiusWWD: I was going with split but that works too, I guess?
>Being new here, it could be good to get into a social circle. Sure, I’ll play.
:LeontiusWWD: The problem is, right now that social circle is only going to be us two. So it’s more like a social line?
>Kinda want to go with you to play a game, now. But, seeing as this is supposed to be a special moment for you and you're group…
:LeontiusWWD: Oh, actually, we’ve already played our last game. This is more of a final goodbye meeting as some people are leaving the station completely.
:RishiWWD: Ah… then it’s probably for the best I’m not attending. Besides, I'm “yawn” kinda too tired to focus on a game right now, so I'll be heading to my apartment pretty soon.
:LeontiusWWD: …did you just say “yawn” out loud?
:RishiWWD: I don’t got a mouth, so I can’t actually yawn…
:LeontiusWWD: Yet still you tried too…
:RishiWWD: Hey, how else am I supposed to sound tired, hmm?
>If you don't mind me asking, why's your group breaking up?
:LeontiusWWD: Two of the player are moving away from the station… and the QM just got a child, so he won’t have a lot of time.
:RishiWWD: Ah, the biggest threat to any Q&Q adventurer party, changes to real life.
:LeontiusWWD: True…
:RishiWWD: So… leaving, eh? How often do people leave the station.
:LeontiusWWD: About as often people move in really… it’s kind of-

You spend the next half hour just talking about the station itself… and a funny story or two about both your and Leo’s old jobs. It’s quite nice just being in his presence actually…

:LeontiusWWD: -and so I simply stayed quiet and they took care of all the work themselves.
:RishiWWD: Heh, that’s one way to do it. Ugh, I've got a terrible feeling that it's gonna take me a few weeks before I finally get used to having an extra 5 hours in the day.
:LeontiusWWD: Yeah, most people that’s new here find it hard to fill all the hours. I would suggest that you keep yourself awake until at least 28 hours, so you don’t change your daily rhythm too much. Speaking of sleeping… where do you live?
:RishiWWD: Um… let’s see… “Sunstrider Spire”.
:LeontiusWWD: Huh!? Really? Where? Which floor?
:RishiWWD: 135D on floor 45.
:LeontiusWWD: Neat. I live on floor 43 in the C section. It’s just a few minutes’ walk away.
:RishiWWD: Huh… well, I guess I’ll be over sometime?
:LeontiusWWD: If you just want to hang out and watch a few holovids, I’m available tonight in like two or three hours. I’d be honored if you came. Of course, if you’re too tired… or find something more interesting to do, then I understand.
:RishiWWD: I’ll keep that in mind.
:LeontiusWWD: Either way, I got to get going. Anything else you want to know before I leave?
>>
No. 807926 ID: 4854ef

Might be good idea to get some contact information? Also maybe any good locales for various stuff.
>>
No. 807929 ID: 3ce125

>>807926
Yeah we need to find out good places to eat, have fun, get some quick hook-ups...
>>
No. 807931 ID: 91ee5f

>>807920
>I would suggest that you keep yourself awake until at least 28 hours, so you don’t change your daily rhythm too much.
That's good advice. What time is it now?

>If you just want to hang out and watch a few holovids, I’m available tonight in like two or three hours.
What time will it be in 2 or 3 hours from now? He can actually help you stay up until at least 28 hours if it's not already 28 hours by then.

Also, he's inviting us over after dinner? Perfect time to tease!

"You're inviting me over after we've had dinner? I know you said, 'Dinner before a romp' but I didn't think you meant it literally!"

Then after he gets embarrassed, say, "Nah, just kidding! How about this? We exchange contact numbers and in 2 or 3 hours from now, I'll try to give you a call and let you know if I'll come over or not. If you don't hear from me, then I probably passed out and I'll see you in the morning. Maybe we could even share a cab ride to work?"
>>
No. 807946 ID: 2016eb

I dunno if we're far enough along for more teasing. He asked us to lay off, so we should.

Resolve to make vague innuendos about how he bought you dinner and invited you over the day you met to his friends later.
>>
No. 807951 ID: fc33ea

Any bits of the alien relations premier I should start with?
>>
No. 808003 ID: fe7355

He know of any Serpens on the force that moved here from Roon or another Serpens world? Preferably ones that didn't move right into "Little Roon" spire and don't much leave it. Because if there are you'd like to chat with 'em and pick their brains on how to behave properly on New Horizon. That'd be a whole lot more tolerable than having to read that entire thousand-plus page xeno-relations guide.

And would it be okay with him if you petted his tail tuft? ...Was that overstepping? That was overstepping, wasn't it? You really do like fluffy things, but he has expressed his personal boundaries and they should be respected. Well, how about a parting hug instead?

Is he heading to Sunstrider Spire for his get-together or is he going elsewhere? 'Cause you two can share a cab most of the way if he's going to Sunstrider.

Oh, you'll be so glad when you get to your apartment and can strip off this outfit. Your inspector's uniform back on Roon didn't cover nearly as much, nor have multiple layers, so this one feels kinda stifling. Literally so, since you breathe through your skin. It'll feel good to cast it all off and feel the air on your skin as you slither up and down the rooms of your very own apartment. Yours and yours alone! No more crammed into a sardine can with four roomies, trippin' over each other's tails and getting on each others nerves! Now you have a place with privacy all to yourself (and a bathroom you don't have to share.) Once inside you might even just stick both your arms out and spin around while singing loudly, just 'cause you can without smacking a wall or annoying a roommate.
>>
No. 808024 ID: 65a774
File 149754275652.png - (20.75KB , 900x450 , 40.png )
808024

>What time is it now?
It's about 20 hours... so you'll need to stay awake for another 8.
>He can actually help you stay up until at least 28 hours if it's not already 28 hours by then.
He should be done at about 22 or 23 hours... so yes, if you haven't found anything better to do, you can hang out with him.

>Might be good idea to get some contact information?
:LeontiusWWD: You already have all my contact information, remember?
:RishiWWD: Oh, right... [You can now call or message Leo at any time.]
>maybe any good locales for various stuff.
:LeontiusWWD: Locales... as in...?
:RishiWWD: Food stuff?
:LeontiusWWD: Well, you've already seen one of the best restaurant squares near the Sunstrider spire. There's also a good food store on floor 44 A section that sells some neat stuff. Anything else you can always fabricate in your apartment, can't you?
:RishiWWD: ...oh, right, the place comes with a food fabricator, doesn't it? I've never used one of those before. But what about fun? Is there anything to do around here?
:LeontiusWWD: Well, there are some sport arena stuff around if you're into that kind of stuff... and a lot of parks if you like nature. There's also a pretty good BTL store on... your floor actually... and there's an arcade as well, I think? Oh, and there's a pretty good bathhouse on my floor.
:RishiWWD: A bathhouse? I've got to check that out. So... if I wanted to find someone for a quick hook-up I’ll…?
:LeontiusWWD: Err... try a bar? I think there is one on 44th?
:RishiWWD: A bar? I guess that makes sense. Alcohol does make you guys braver, after all.

>Any bits of the alien relations premier I should start with?
:LeontiusWWD: For you? I would say the dating and relationships section.
>Do you know of any Serpens on the force that moved here from Roon or another Serpens world?
:LeontiusWWD: On the force? No, I don't. But I do know some Serpens that was born here, so they are a bit less... forward compared to you. But I'm sure you'll meet a follow Serpens soon enough, Ri.
>He's inviting us over after dinner? Perfect time to tease!
:RishiWWD: Wait... did you just invite me over after I bought you dinner?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh right, I forgot. Thank you for paying for the dinner, Ri, and even if it was with a coupon, I swear on my honor that I'll repay you so- wait... that cheeky look you currently have...
:RishiWWD: Heh, when you said "At least buy someone dinner first before asking something like that" I didn't think you would be the one who asked me for it.
:LeontiusWWD: T-that's not w-what I-
:RishiWWD: Ohoho, I'm just kidding. I'm sorry, but you're just so easy to tease, Leo.
:LeontiusWWD: I guess I am... but yeah, I did walk right into that one, didn't I?

>And would it be okay with him if you petted his tail tuft?
:LeontiusWWD: My tail? Err...
:RishiWWD: I really do like fluffy things... and your tail is really FLUFFY! Um... wait... was that overstepping?
:LeontiusWWD: ...no, it's just... I've never had anyone ask to pet my tail so... err... I don't... know?
>Well, how about a parting hug instead?
:LeontiusWWD: That, on the other hand, I'm all for.
>Is he heading to Sunstrider Spire for his get-together or is he going elsewhere? 'Cause you two can share a cab most of the way if he's going to Sunstrider.
:LeontiusWWD: I was actually going to take the tram. It’s completely free but you’ll have to walk a bit to and from the tram stations.
:RishiWWD: I think I read about those trams. How do they work?
:LeontiusWWD: Just go to a tram station and type in where you’re going. A tram will arrive shortly after to take you to the closes tram station. Though, you might be forced to share or pick up someone on the way, but it doesn’t happen that often.
:RishiWWD: Then what are we waiting for? To the tram!
:LeontiusWWD: Right this way, Ri.
>>
No. 808025 ID: 65a774
File 149754277545.png - (19.31KB , 900x450 , 41.png )
808025

Saying goodbye to Leo for now, you soon find yourself in your apartment. The first thing that strikes you is just how big it seems. You’re used to live in a rather cramped living space but this? …this is huge… and beautiful. Of course, you spent most of your savings to get this place and decorate it… but it was worth it… even if you’ll still need to pay rent.

>You'll be so glad when you get to your apartment and can strip off this outfit.
You’re really not used to wearing something like this. It feels almost like it’s chocking you by now, as it makes it harder for you to breathe through your skin. You guess it’s something to get used to… but until then, this thing needs to be hitting the floor as soon as it can, whenever it can.
>No more crammed into a sardine can with four roomies, trippin' over each other's tails and getting on each other’s nerves!
Ah, so much space… and privacy! It feels like you’re suddenly living in a huge castle… though, there always is a downside, isn’t there? Without roommates it’s suddenly a lot harder to find some… relief at home. You guess you actually need to work for it here…
>And a bathroom you don't have to share.
...what is a bathroom? You mean your bedroom? There’s a big bath in your bedroom, after all.

The question is… what do you do now? Part of you wants to just rip off all your clothes and take a dip in bed… but then you might fall asleep. Maybe you could keep yourself busy by investigating every last nook and cranny in your apartment… though, then the question becomes what you’ll wear. Maybe you should just throw on something a bit more relaxed… or maybe just a bathrobe… or you can just go naked because why the fuck not? It’s your apartment after all. Hmm… you did see a few of your new neighbors outside as well, maybe you should go and say hi? …though then you really shouldn’t be naked… or in a bathrobe.

Questions, questions… Relax, explore or meet new people… Naked, bathrobe or relaxed clothing… so many questions…
>>
No. 808028 ID: 00a1f6

Change into casual wear and introduce yourself to your neighbors. Also, determine if the fish are real.
>>
No. 808043 ID: 91ee5f

>>808025
>...what is a bathroom? You mean your bedroom? There’s a big bath in your bedroom, after all.
Usually, aliens have those separate from their bedrooms. And the bathroom usually has what is called a "toilet" in it, which is usually used for.....actually, just look up what a "toilet" is and what it's used for in the [insert correct term for dictionary here].

>What do?
Explore every last nook and cranny in your apartment.....while being completely naked! Go and be free Rishi! Set your thiccness free from the confines of your work clothes!

Also, you're not always going to be able to bring another Serpens home for "relief", so you'd better look around your apartment for a couch and/or alien bed that isn't a tub, for those times when you bring someone that isn't a Serpens home for some "relief". Because not all of them will want to get in your tub bed for some "fun"!
>>
No. 808046 ID: fc33ea

Well of course a leather coat doesn't breathe, that's not an excuse to wear your birthday suit. Wear something in cotton or something.

First check out your appartment, then meet the neighbors. What's that orange tank clashing with your deep sea aesthetic?
>>
No. 808050 ID: be0718

Go au naturale and explore every nook and/or cranny. Forget to put anything on when the doorbell rings.
>>
No. 808061 ID: fe7355

Your apartment is relatively big, but no nearly so big that it'd take you hours to explore. And the neighbors won't be moving out in the meantime, so strip naked, check the place out and make sure it's how you wanted it decorated and furnished. And you can also make sure everything you sent from Roon is here and intact, so if any isn't you can lodge a complaint with the moving company. You can throw on some light clothes and meet the neighbors afterwards. ...Hm. Maybe you could get a run up and slide across the floor.

Also make sure to set your comm implant alarm so you don't miss going to Leo's place, just in case you get engrossed with something or talking with someone.

And what is that ugly clashing orange box thing up on the wall throwing off the room's color scheme? That doesn't work with the decor scheme you paid well for. You'll need to contact apartment management and find out why they didn't paint that thing to match your specifications.

>Without roommates it’s suddenly a lot harder to find some… relief at home. You guess you actually need to work for it here…
And besides that, you had a lot of your social interaction with your roomies, even if they did get on your nerves at times. In fact, there was scarcely a moment back on Roon where you were alone, wasn't there? You're gonna have to get used to not having someone else around all the time. Not sharing your tub nearly every night with another Serpens. It's gonna feel weird for awhile. Good, and different, but also weird.

>...what is a bathroom? You mean your bedroom? There’s a big bath in your bedroom, after all.
Well, look it up. For other species the bath is for bodily cleanliness and not for sleeping in, so they usually have a separate room for it and personal hygiene. Often the same room with the toilet (or whatever facility Serpens use for bodily waste disposal,) though sometimes the toilet is in a separate lavatory or water closet.
>>
No. 808079 ID: ba506f

remove restricting clothes, explore your apartment. You bought the damn thing now it's time to enjoy your investment.
>>
No. 808110 ID: 65a774
File 149756605371.png - (19.00KB , 900x450 , 42.png )
808110

>Usually, aliens have bathrooms separate from their bedrooms. And the bathroom usually has what is called a "toilet" in it.
Who uses a toilet in this day and age? You’re pretty sure most species haven’t had to poop for at least a 100 years. But that they have rooms dedicated for baths makes sense, as they just clean themselves in them.
>What's that orange tank clashing with your deep sea aesthetic?
What are you talking about? It’s clearly blue and not pumpkin colored… clearly… it’s blue… anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
>Also make sure to set your comm implant alarm so you don't miss going to Leo's place, just in case you get engrossed with something or talking with someone.
Right. It will start beeping at 22 hours now.

>Change into casual wear and introduce yourself to your neighbors.
Hmm… yeah, you really need to introduce yourself to the neighbors…
>Your apartment is relatively big, but no nearly so big that it'd take you hours to explore. And the neighbors won't be moving out in the meantime…
But then again… there’s no need to rush, is there?
>Go au naturale and explore every nook and/or cranny.
WOO! FREEEEEDOOOOM!!! By the tides, it feels good for your skin to breathe again.

Picking a door on random, you find yourself in… what you think is the kitchen? There’s a fridge, oven and the other usual suspects… as well as a food fabricator. Those things are so neat. You’ll need to take some time to play with it later… when you’re hungry.

>Determine if the fish are real.
At first glance it looks like you can look straight out into the sea, but on closer inspection they are just static monitors made to look like windows.
>You can also make sure everything you sent from Roon is here and intact.
Most of the furniture was bought from New Horizon, as it’s rather expensive to send something big like that through space. Though, maybe you’ll need to check if everything you’ve bought is actually here… it was a furniture set called “Atlantis” (whatever that means) which included these really neat virtual sea windows and other stuff that fits next to those.
>You'd better look around your apartment for a couch and/or alien bed that isn't a tub, for those times when you bring someone that isn't a Serpens home for some "relief".
You’re pretty sure there were a couch and maybe even one of those galactic standard beds in that furniture set, but it doesn’t seem to be placed in here. Maybe another room?

>You're gonna have to get used to not having someone else around all the time.
It’s kind of empty here, isn’t it? And you don’t just mean the apartment, but the whole station. You’re so used with the massive overpopulation on Roon that it’s quite an experience to be so… alone. And it’s so quiet here… you can’t hear a thing… in fact, it’s so quiet that you start hearing things that isn’t there to compensate… it’s almost like there’s someone else in the apartment with you.

But enough about that, let’s continue exploring.
>>
No. 808111 ID: 65a774
File 149756606247.png - (24.77KB , 900x450 , 43.png )
808111

…apparently, you thought you heard someone else because there is someone else here. There’s a human female in your bedroom, looking down in the water tank while doing something on a datapad. Going by her clothes and the ID badge that says “Tatius OWH”, you’re going to assume this lady is part of the company that you’re renting this apartment from… but for what she’s doing here…

Only glancing back for a bare moment, the human starts to address you as if nothing is odd.

:NonWWD: Hmm? Oh, you must be lady Zsazsa. Our apologies for the slight delay, but we’re almost done with your apartment. You did get the message about that, right?
:RishiWWD: Message? Oh! I… I must have missed that in all the excitement… ops?
:NonWWD: Don’t worry about it. It just says that we had some troubles with the water tank module, which happens quite frequently, and need some extra time to install it. It’s should be properly installed now, but I still need to run a few tests to make sure everything works like intended. That won’t be a problem, will it?

Looking back for an answer, the human gal finally sees you in your full glory, yet her face keep itself stoic. Her eyes look you over only once to assert the situation before going back to the datapad in her hands.

:NonWWD: …am I… interrupting something? …oh, right, the sleeping bath. Of course, you’re here to try it out… can I ask you to wait for a minute? I just need to make sure the water cycling works as intended, if you don’t mind. I guess I can give you a tour of the apartment to make up for the delay… or is there something else I can do to make up for it?

>Forget to put anything on when the doorbell rings.
Apparently, you don’t even need to open the door to submit someone to a full frontal attack here.
>>
No. 808118 ID: 4854ef

Resist the urge to ask her to test the eggcannon as a measure to make up for it. Mention that you were just getting comfortable in your home and exploring so this matches up well enough,

Though given how humans are it's surprising that she's taking all this in stride. Do ask for a tour though, there may be some electronics or features we may not know about.
>>
No. 808119 ID: fc2139

Welp she's asking for it. Give her a taste of Serpan forwardness by asking for a quickie after she's done with your tank.
>>
No. 808127 ID: ba506f

well I guess you can ask for her name and maybe contact info incase the water tank starts acting up, or whatever number we need to call to have someone check on it.

Also don't put anything on unless she states she's uncomfortable and act like nothing is wrong. I mean it isn't like you've never seen someone naked back home, it's not that big of deal.
>>
No. 808132 ID: 3ce125

>You’re pretty sure most species haven’t had to poop for at least a 100 years.
Uh, how? It's impossible to get 100% efficient digestion; there will always be waste products. I guess you could piss away everything but either you'd have to pee far more often or you'd have to get digestion near 90% efficient, which is still impossible I think. Also higher chance of bladder problems since there's more solids in solution.

>>808111
I guess go put on a bathrobe. Tell her a tour would be nice, yeah. Ask if she wanted to pay any particular attention to the bedroom? Try some subtlety in your sex talk.
>>
No. 808143 ID: fc33ea

>What are you talking about?
bruh it's right above your door, I need to know if someone can try to drop it on your head to kill you in an explosion

Anyway, best way to test the water is to jump in, isn't it?
>>
No. 808157 ID: 41c701

Agree to the tour.

...oh, and put on a bathrobe. A soft, fuzzy one.
>>
No. 808158 ID: 91ee5f

>>808111
>…am I…interrupting something?
"No, you're not interrupting. I just had to take my work clothes off because they felt like they were literally suffocating me to death."

>or is there something else I can do to make up for it?
Since she works for the company that you’re renting this apartment from, she must've seen your bio.....which means she should know what kind of "equipment" to expect.

Wait for her to finish and then say, "Well, if you're comfortable with it, we could have some "fun", if ya know what I mean?~~~" *wink*

And then silently think to yourself, "Give in to the thiccness! You cannot resist my curves!"

>>808143
>Anyway, best way to test the water is to jump in, isn't it?
That may be true, but for now, let's just put the tip of our tail in there.
>>
No. 808163 ID: 91ee5f

>>808158
Also, I just now noticed this.

Rishi, don't panic, but.....
>>808110
>>808111
YOUR HOOD ISN'T SILVER ANYMORE!!!!! DX
>>
No. 808171 ID: fe7355

Give the gal a quick but thorough look over. You do like the female form, and you liked the way human boobs looked enough to get a pair of your own, so seeing both together up close, even clothed, is... Nice. ...But her last offer was most likely not a veiled offering for sex but something more in-line with her employer, like a free meal coupon. And besides, she's on the job. Even on Roon it's considered poor behavior to shirk your job duties for a fuck, so you'd guess here it'd be even more so. And you don't know how to read if she's interested or not either. Best not to try to make a proposition until you feel out things.

Ask her what else would she be offering to make the delay up to you. Then realize you should ask her if she's okay with you being naked or if she'd prefer you put a robe on. Add that you've just arrived from Roon so the whole nudity-being-a-issue-for-others thing is a concept that's still sinking into your mind. Say you didn't think anyone else was here anyway and that suit you had to wear for work was half-literally smothering you, so off it all went.

Once she's made her preference clear and you've robed or not, offer your hand in introduction (you hope you're doing it right,) and ask what her name is. Is she the Tatius maintenance tech for this apartment block? 'Cause if so you should get her contact info, if it's not already attached to that message you overlooked. And comment that she has the distinction of being the first human you've spoken to... ever, you think. Certainly on New Horizon.

Anyway, you'll leave her to finishing up while you check out the rest of your apartment. She can meet up with you to give you the "grand" tour. Oh, and check your comm's in-box too, in case you missed any other messages.

And squee that you're getting a whole sleeping pool to yourself! You had to sleep in a tub scant bigger than you back on Roon and now you have all this! Oh, you want to get some folks to share it with sometime soon. ...Aw, nuts, you probably won't be able to have non-Serpens in it for "relief," will you? Well, that stinks. All this room and you don't have folks who you can share it with.

>Who uses a toilet in this day and age? You’re pretty sure most species haven’t had to poop for at least a 100 years.
Oh, right, waste nullifier implants. Y'know, how do those work without violating conservation of mass? Anyway, there are still rare cases where there are those who don't have such implants and in which toilets would have to be installed. Situations such as a person has some biological reason they can't have the implants or for philosophical/moral/religious/whatever reasons like they refuse all implants or only allow the minimum legal amount. Or there's cases where the implants fail or malfunction and stop working, or are even intentionally disabled. Oh, and don't forget those who are too young to have had the implants installed yet.

>>808132
It was mentioned in the first thread of the previous run of Will We Dream that waste nullifier implants are commonplace, negating the need for toilets even though Jo's apartment bathroom did have one. Guess that carried over into the reboot. (It also means that anal sex acts aren't nearly as much of a hassle to engage in hygienically, which would likely mean they'd be more commonly performed and have less stigma. But that's just my guess, as it wasn't pointed out specifically. These implants would also have been a great boon for pet owners, since pets with such implants don't crap or piss any more.)
>>
No. 808239 ID: be0718

Well that's what they get for walking in unannounced: the full monty!

If the tech doesn't take you up on your offer, you can find a new playmate by buying a colony deed and setting it up in a well furnished room with at least one light and a door.
>>
No. 808240 ID: be0718

And also, take her up on her offer. Come as you are.
>>
No. 808263 ID: fe7355

>>808171
And wait to offer your hand for introductions and making more involved conversation until after she's done calibrating your pool so you aren't rudely distracting her from her job.
>>
No. 808291 ID: 65a774
File 149761952716.png - (25.11KB , 900x450 , 44.png )
808291

>YOUR HOOD ISN'T SILVER ANYMORE!!!!!
Shh, just pretend that never happened, okay?
>Uh, how? It's impossible to get 100% efficient digestion; there will always be waste products.
You’re not sure how the bio-mods works, but you think they convert waste matter into… err… and then use that to… um… something or another?
>You can find a new playmate by buying a colony deed and setting it up in a well-furnished room with at least one light and a door.
This is reality, not a game. Besides, those kinds of roommates always try to pay their rent with bandages or seeds instead of money. Quite rude, if you ask… err… you.
>Check your comm's in-box too, in case you missed any other messages.
The only message in there is from Tatius Off-World Habitats, just like she said.

>Give the gal a quick but thorough look over.
Hmm… rather average hips… rather average chest… a thin midsection, though. It’s clear she doesn’t have any bio-mods, but that’s maybe for the best. After all, sometimes you want them natural. The fur on her head is interesting, as you’re pretty sure that isn’t a normal color for them to have. She looks tasty, would definitely fill her with your eggs.


>No, you're not interrupting. I just had to take my work clothes off because they felt like they were literally suffocating me to death.
:NonWWD: Ah, yes, I know the feeling. Very few things beats coming home after a long day at work, throw of all those stuffy clothes, put your feet on the table and then crack open a cold one, eh?
>Then realize you should ask her if she's okay with you being naked or if she'd prefer you put a robe on.
:NonWWD: Ma’am, I don’t really care what you do in your own home. I might have cared if you actually had anything that wasn’t internal or… lacking in certain features.
:RishiWWD: Certain features?
:NonWWD: Nipples. They are what are really explicit about chests.
>Ask her what else would she be offering to make the delay up to you.
:NonWWD: *Shrug*

>Best way to test the water is to jump in, isn't it?
:NonWWD: Please refrain from touching the water right now. These tests are almost complete.
>I guess you can ask for her name and maybe contact info incase the water tank starts acting up, or whatever number we need to call to have someone check on it.
:NonWWD: Everything you need to know is on that yellow sign over there. Just call the number there if something is wrong with your water tank… or the rest of your apartment.
>Offer your hand in introduction and ask what her name is.
You’re not sure if you’re doing something wrong or if she just haven’t noticed it, but she doesn’t shake your hand at all.
:JuliaWWD: My name? You can call me Julia if you want to be more personal.

>Agree to the tour.
:JuliaWWD: Very well. I can give you a quick tour while this thing finishes. Is there anything in particular you want to know about?
>Ask if she wanted to pay any particular attention to the bedroom?
:JuliaWWD: The water tank? Most of the instructions can be access on one of the terminals, if you ever have any questions about functionality. You can also use them to set the temperature, current speed, depth, light and saltiness. It’s also connected to the food fabricator if you ever want to fill it with algae and plankton of your choice for easy consumption.
:RishiWWD: Oooh… neat.
:JuliaWWD: I would suggest that you don’t try to fill it with anything but the pre-approved substances, as there might be clogging and other problems. Now, for the other rooms…
:RishiWWD: Actually, my question was if YOU wanted to pay attention to the bedroom.
:JuliaWWD: Our tour will end with the guest bedroom, please hold any further questions about bedrooms until then.
:RishiWWD: Uh…
>>
No. 808292 ID: 65a774
File 149761953869.png - (24.10KB , 900x450 , 45.png )
808292

Going through the other rooms, you’re told how to operate the sea windows, the food fabricator as well as the other special kitchenwares. Finally, you arrive in the one room you’ve yet explored yourself.

:JuliaWWD: Here you have your main terminal station. Both the manual control as well as the neural one is located in the cupboard beneath the monitor. Your computer rig as well as consoles are located in the cardboard box over there, as we didn’t know which, if any, of those you wanted to plug in. Besides, most people prefer plugging in their own hardware. The door next to the box is for machine maintenance. Unless you have a robot, android or cybernetics yourself, I would suggest you keep out of it as it’s there the cleaning and repair droids are stored and maintained.
:RishiWWD: Don’t open that door, check… but that door over there, then?
:JuliaWWD: This is the guest room. Fitted with a galactic standard bed for the comfort of most species.
:RishiWWD: ...I’ve always wondered why it’s called a galactic standard bed…
:JuliaWWD: Because all species except the Uredo, who need planters, can sleep comfortably on it. While all species except humans prefer other beds, this one can be used by everyone for both sleep and… other activities. That concludes our tour… any other questions?

>Resist the urge to ask her to test the eggcannon as a measure to make up for it.
Must… resist… urge… you’re… not… a sledgehammer… be… a scalpel… inste-
:RishiWWD: , Well, if you're comfortable with it, we could have some "fun", if you know what I mean? *wink*

...FUCK. At least she doesn’t seem offended… in fact, it looks like she’s… thinking about it?
>Think to yourself, "Give in to the thiccness! You cannot resist my curves!"
These are the curve of a goddess! Fail your will save against them!
:JuliaWWD: I’m sorry, but I’m on the clock right now… of course, as soon as I’m done here I’ll have a 15 minutes break, but I can’t see what kind of fun we can do on such a short time… and notice. I usually prefer to have fun in longer intervals, as it’s hard to really get into things when you have so little time to relax on.
:RishiWWD: …really?

…you think you might be able to… convince her otherwise… though the real question is… should you?

Seduce Julia the tech gal and pump her full of eggs? (Yes / No)
>>
No. 808293 ID: 51b8ec

>>808292
Negatory. If the lady prefers more time for her fun, who are you to play quickshot mcgee?
>>
No. 808294 ID: da1652

>>808292
N, she's making it pretty clear she's not the quickie type.
>>
No. 808303 ID: 91ee5f

>>808292
Awww.....I guess you shouldn't.

Oh, well. Better luck next time, Rishi.
>>
No. 808309 ID: 65a774
File 149763442982.png - (24.36KB , 900x450 , 46.png )
808309

>Negatory. If the lady prefers more time for her fun, who are you to play quickshot mcgee?
But… she’s so… you really want to… dammit, you’re right. You should take this slowly. You’ll have another chance, you’re sure.

[Side quest (A small tip): Failed]

>Oh, well. Better luck next time, Rishi.
You really hope so. Still, if you want there to be a next time, you might need to-

:AIWWD: Attention, enter owner name here, there is currently a “Octavia Nerva” as well as a “Varinia Nerva” at your front door. Message: “Salutation, newcomer, this is your next door neighbors. Can we have the pleasure to have a proper welcoming deliberation w- Huh? Yes, I said- what no! I’m not- H-hands off th-”
:JuliaWWD: Oh right… you’ll need to enter your name into the console at the entrance. Unless you want it to address you as that, of course.
:AIWWD: New message from the front door: “What my sister meant to say is, we’re here to welcome you, if you have the fucking time to- hey, stop that. You’re not-”
:JuliaWWD: I think this is my cue for leaving… the tests came out a-ok so your apartment should be fully operational.
:AIWWD: New message from the front door: “Please apologize for the crude language, but some of us are less…refined than others. But yes, we’d love to share some tea and dried fruits if you so des- GAH!”
:JuliaWWD: I just need to gather my tools before leaving…
:AIWWD: New message from the front door: “Or we can just crack open some cold ones. If that isn’t the proper fucking way to greet someone I don’t know shit. Mff! Let go of me you little- Also, ignore any muffled screams you might hear. So, want to let us in?”
:JuliaWWD: A cold one? I would really go for one of those right now… but anyway; you can address the AI verbally if you want to say anything to those two outside. Meanwhile, I’ll need to get my stuff and then go on break…
>>
No. 808323 ID: ba506f

...probably should throw a bathrobe on before you get the door. Also if Julia wants to stay for a cold one might as well let her. Oh and get the door.
>>
No. 808326 ID: fc33ea

If she wants to stick around, that's fine with you. Just promise she'll consider returning once she has more time.

Have the AI tell the people at the door you'll be right out, and then get decent.
>>
No. 808341 ID: 00a1f6

If it got enough support, could we change the rest of the yellow scales to silver? They look kind of funky only covering our neck and body.
>>
No. 808387 ID: 2fcdf5

Stand on top of the box and jump to discover a hidden block.

Then go and answer the door. Naked.
>>
No. 808390 ID: 891b91

>>808309
Turn that box upside down, defiantly. No box gets to tell you which side is up.
>>
No. 808392 ID: 3ce125

Don't mess with the box, unless it's to open it properly. Don't want to damage your stuff.

Also throw some clothes on to greet your neighbors.
>>
No. 808411 ID: be0718

Go answer the door, naked. If that isn’t the proper fucking way to greet someone I don’t know shit.
It'd be your pleasure to crack open a cold one with the girls. Invite Julia to stick around if she likes.

>>808341
Seconded, kind of surprised she only modded that from the neck up.1
>>
No. 808413 ID: 91ee5f

>>808309
Send a message to your neighbors that you'll be there in a second! Then go put on a robe or something.

>Oh right…you’ll need to enter your name into the console at the entrance. Unless you want it to address you as that, of course.
Don't forget to do that!

>>808407
Well, when she's out and about, you can only see her scales from the neck up. The only time anyone would see her other scales would be if they're getting into bed together or something like that.
>>
No. 808415 ID: 3373e2

>>808411
This seems like a pretty sensible thing to do.
>>
No. 808424 ID: 65a774
File 149766047004.png - (20.17KB , 900x450 , 47.png )
808424

>If it got enough support, could we change the rest of the yellow scales to silver? They look kind of funky only covering our neck and body.
Take it up in the disthread. If enough people are supportive about it then sure.

>If Julia wants to stay for a cold one might as well let her.
:JuliaWWD: It would be rude to interrupt your welcoming party, ma’am… besides, I need to get my stuff first anyway. Though a beer would really hit the spot right now… hmm…
>Just promise she'll consider returning once she has more time.
:JuliaWWD: Returning? Why? Do you think you’re going to have any trouble with the pipe? It does require some regular draining, so if you ever need to have it emptied I’ll be happy to come by and get my hands dirty. Though, I’m going to need more than just 15 minutes to really do so. Now, where did I leave my tools?

>Have the AI tell the people at the door you'll be right out, and then get decent.
You tell the AI to forward a message that you’ll be right there while you grab a bathrobe to make yourself a bit more decent.
>Stand on top of the box and jump to discover a hidden block.
You don’t think the box can handle your weight.
>Turn that box upside down, defiantly. No box gets to tell you which side is up.
HA! Take that, box! That’s right! Down with the system! Fuck the police! …err, wait…

Now decent, you tell the AI to open the front door to let your new guests inside.

:OctaviaWWD: Ah, what a charming apartment!
:VariniaWWD: Hmm… water themed, eh? It’s kind of sweet, I guess.
>>
No. 808425 ID: 65a774
File 149766048059.png - (94.96KB , 900x450 , 48.png )
808425

Those that enter are two Sakkilian females… sisters if you heard correctly. One of them is rather muscular and… wide, wearing something that looks like training clothes. She’s also carrying a six-pack of some kind of canned drink, which you assume are the “cold ones”. Her sister is noticeable smaller and a lot thinner… not to mention the human fur on her head and her human chest. Wearing what looks like some kind of dress, you can only assume she’s the more refined of the sisters.

:OctaviaWWD: Oh? Our new neighbor is a Serpens? How exciting! Let me present myself. I am Lady Octavia.
:VariniaWWD: And I’m Varinia... and I’m the one who’s brining the beers today. You can thank me later.
:OctaviaWWD: Or, if you rather prefer, I have a box of tealeaves with me. If you would be so kind as to boil some water, we can-
:VariniaWWD: You really think she wants some piss-water over a newly opened cold one?
:OctaviaWWD: Oh please, sister. Look at her. It’s clear she’s a refined woman of good taste and… err… and… are those… real!?
:VariniaWWD: HA! How the hell did you miss those things until now? ...and real classy, sis, just asking if they are real like that. For shame…
:OctaviaWWD: It’s not- I didn’t… I was just asking as a… um… someone of similar interest, that’s all.
>>
No. 808427 ID: 3ce125

>>808424
>It does require some regular draining, so if you ever need to have it emptied I’ll be happy to come by and get my hands dirty. Though, I’m going to need more than just 15 minutes to really do so.
I like her.

>>808425
They're biomods, if that's what she means. And yes, you'd love a beer... if it's a good brand.
>>
No. 808435 ID: be0718

You're actually more of a tea drinker; your system's just better suited for experiencing it than grain alcohol. (Besides, Serpens inhibitions don't need loosening!)
Why don't we better acquaint ourselves while the pot's on the stove?

They're as real as biomods get, I guess.
>>
No. 808439 ID: 3373e2

Maybe inquire about the Tea before we drink it. Subtle flirting should be appropriate in this situation, probably about our Finely Crafted bio-mods.
>>
No. 808445 ID: 2fcdf5

Drink both.
>>
No. 808446 ID: 3373e2

>>808435
Also don't forget to compliment Octavia's as well. Don't wanna seem rude or anything.
>>
No. 808448 ID: fc33ea

Hey, why choose? Lemme see if there's a kettle in the kitchen & we'll open those cans while we wait.
>>
No. 808449 ID: 91ee5f

>>808424
>Fuck the police! …err, wait…
Well, in your case, that's what you're looking for, right?

>>808425
>One of them is rather muscular and… wide, wearing something that looks like training clothes.
Is she wide from being muscular or wide from being a little fat?

>a six-pack of some kind of canned drink, which you assume are the “cold ones”.
"Cold ones" are an alien term that usually refers to beer on some other type of non fancy alcohol.

>are those…real!?
The hips have struck again! >:-D

>It’s not- I didn’t…I was just asking as a…um…someone of similar interest, that’s all.
Put your hands on your hips (only your normal hands or all 4 of them, it's up to you) and stick one of your hips out to the side and say, "I don't mind the stares. After all, that's what I got them for!~~~"
>>
No. 808494 ID: fe7355

Say that, for clarity's sake, she's talking about these -pointing at your boobs- and not something else you didn't pick up on. 'Cause if it's your breasts, then yes, they are genuine bio-modded ones. And tell 'em that they're free to be candid. You just arrived from Roon today, first time off-world, so that kinda thing is far from offensive for you. Quite the opposite, actually. You like when other folks appreciate what you got goin' on. Oh, but where's your manners. Offer your hand to them, mentioning you hope you're doing this greeting right, and introduce yourself.

Tell 'em that you haven't had either "tea" or "beer" before, so you don't know if you like one, the other, or both. How 'bout you try 'em both and see how you like 'em. ...Actually, what are they, anyway?

Compliment Octavia on the work she's gotten. You like the hair, it looks so fine and soft. You'd bet it'd feel nice to the touch. And her breasts look excellent. You have to ask her where she got her bio-mods done. You're in the market for an upgrade since you just found out the place you got your boobs from didn't give you complete ones like you thought.

Ask Varinia for a unopened "cold one" so you can offer it to Julia. Hopefully she'll decide to stick around on this welcome wagon until her break is up. And having company on her break would be more interesting than not, right?

Also idly note if the beer can is one of those Serpens-friendly types with a pull off top that allows you to easily dip a finger in to drink.

Give the two sisters a visual once-over when they won't notice. How do they stack up for ya? Octavia's got a lovely curvy shape, while Varinia's got a nicely muscular physique. Either one you'd go for, depending on your mood. ...And both at once you'd go for even more. ...But, again, remember they are not Serpens. They may not go for that together. They may not even go for Ovale Serpens. You gotta feel 'em out and figure out what they go for.

>Do you think you’re going to have any trouble with the pipe? It does require some regular draining, so if you ever need to have it emptied I’ll be happy to come by and get my hands dirty. Though, I’m going to need more than just 15 minutes to really do so.
...You're unsure if this was a veiled sexual reference to your ovipositor or if she was actually talking about plumbing maintenance. Your skill at reading sexual hints is basically next to zero, after all. Maybe you can check the apartment's maintenance guide later so you're sure which one it was.

>>808449
>The hips have struck again! >:-D
Um, no they haven't struck again. Octavia is talking 'bout Rishi's boobs, not her hips. The "similar interest" is that Octavia has tits too. ...But it's possible she's talking about something other than tits or hips and it'll be a case of miscommunication.
>>
No. 808497 ID: 4854ef

Drink the beer! We need to loosen up after a murder case afteralll.
>>
No. 808520 ID: 65a774
File 149771289196.png - (96.18KB , 900x450 , 49.png )
808520

>Fuck the police? Well, in your case, that's what you're looking for, right?
That’s right. Have sex with the police.
>...You're unsure if what Julia said was a veiled sexual reference to your ovipositor or if she was actually talking about plumbing maintenance.
Well, the tank does have a lot of plumbing… but you’d think it would be mostly automatic. Maybe you need the check the apartment guide for info later.
>I like Julia.
She does seem nice… and if what she said actually was a reference to your rod, then you’ll like her even more!
>Idly note if the beer can is one of those Serpens-friendly types with a pull off top that allows you to easily dip a finger in to drink.
It doesn’t seem so. But it doesn’t really matter, as drinking with your fingers is rather rude… and you think you read it somewhere that alien prefers if you drink with the snout.
>We need to loosen up after a murder case after all.
Oh right, someone was murdered today. You’re not sure if it’s because everything happened so fast or if you were just high on adrenaline, but it still haven’t really hit you someone died. Maybe it never will.
>Serpens inhibitions don't need loosening!
Your enhanced liquid dissolver can break down alcohol without any side effects… unless you choose not to. Drunkenness is a choice in today’s day and age.


>Say that, for clarity's sake, she's talking about these -pointing at your boobs- and not something else you didn't pick up on.
:OctaviaWWD: Well, see here, what I meant was-
:VariniaWWD: She’s talking about your ample chest, yes.
>They're biomods, if that's what she means.
:OctaviaWWD: Oh… why, they are a fine pair, if I have to say it myself. My apologies for being so forward, but I’m quite the connoisseur when it comes to… human objects, yes.
:VariniaWWD: So, are you going to ask if you can fondle her today or…?
:OctaviaWWD: W-what!? I’m not going to- Dammit, Vari, not in front of a new acquaintance like this! You’ll aggrieve them!
>And tell 'em that they're free to be candid.
:VariniaWWD: See? She’s fucking up to it as well. I’m sure she won’t mind you groping them.
:OctaviaWWD: Geez, now there’s two of them… No, I don’t want to grope her, sister…

>Hey, why choose? Lemme see if there's a kettle in the kitchen & we'll open those cans while we wait.
:OctaviaWWD: Actually, you can just ask the apartment AI to boil some water.
:RishiWWD: …AI, boil some water for tea.
:AIWWD: Boiling water. 4 people present, boiling for four cups unless specified otherwise. It will be done in… 1 minute, enter owner name here.
:VariniaWWD: And while you two wait for that, just grab a cold one from me, eh?
:OctaviaWWD: I’m really not sure if tea and beer will really… fit…
:RishiWWD: I wouldn’t know if they fit or not as I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a beer… and the only tea I’ve had is Roonian seaweed tea of different kinds so…
:VariniaWWD: Bah, who cares if they go together or not. Let’s have a freaking lark and try it anyway!
:OctaviaWWD: I’ll stick to my herbal tea, thank you very much.

>Compliment Octavia on the work she's gotten. You like the hair, it looks so fine and soft. You'd bet it'd feel nice to the touch.
As you compliment her hair, you can see her face light up as she makes a quick motion to show off how airy her hair is.
:OctaviaWWD: Why thank you, darling, I do put a lot of work down to make it look pristine.
>Subtle flirting should be appropriate in this situation, probably about our Finely Crafted bio-mods.
:RishiWWD: I have to say, it’s not only the hair that is striking with the both of you. Octavia’s form is quite the sight to behold… and Vari’s muscles are really impressive.
:OctaviaWWD: Heheh, I do work hard to maintain this shape, so thank you for noticing.
:VariniaWWD: Yeah, these bad boys *Flex* don’t make themselves, do they?
>You have to ask her where she got her bio-mods done.
:OctaviaWWD: Err… actually… um…
:VariniaWWD: The only non-standard bio-mods we have between us are my muscle enhancers, and even they are on the weak side. I got to keep on training hard to keep them in this shape.
:RishiWWD: You don’t have bio-mods? …so those are?
:OctaviaWWD: Something else, yeah…
:RishiWWD: I do know that bio-mods can be expensive, but-
:VariniaWWD: You are from Roon, right? The bio-mods there are probably the cheapest safe mods in the galaxy, thanks to just how many Serpens are bio-surgeons. They are quite a bit more expensive here on the station.
:OctaviaWWD: And the wait time for a Roon surgeon if you’re not a citizen is several years. So no, I don’t have real Bio-mods. I’m saving up my money for something else. Something a bit… bigger.
>>
No. 808521 ID: 65a774
File 149771290208.png - (20.48KB , 900x450 , 50.png )
808521

>Give the two sisters a visual once-over when they won't notice. How do they stack up for ya?
Octavia has the some nice curve going for her… and even if her chest is fake, it looks nice. Varinia on the other hand has an ass that looks like it can crack nuts between its cheeks. Geez, those muscles she got.
>Either one you'd go for, depending on your mood. ...And both at once you'd go for even more.
Why, having the smaller one lying on top of the big one, making out while you have complete access to their… geez…
>Remember they are not Serpens. They may not go for that together. They may not even go for Ovale Serpens. You gotta feel 'em out and figure out what they go for.
Dammit, why do these aliens have to be so complicated? Why can’t they just accept your eggs?


>Oh, but where's your manners. Offer your hand to them, mentioning you hope you're doing this greeting right, and introduce yourself.
:RishiWWD: …I am Rishi Zsazsa, of the Protection Cast, former guardian of Azilla isles on Roon itself, now a guardian of New Horizon, Unity space. On the tide, I put my hopes that our friendship will be a long and joyful one.

As you finish presenting yourself, Vari grabs your hand with a painful vise grip and drags you close to her, before slapping your back… HARD. Octavia on the other hand extends her arms and gives a little bow.

:VariniaWWD: HAH! Can’t take a proper Sakkilian greeting, eh?
:OctaviaWWD: I don’t think there’s anything proper with your kind of greeting…

>Ask Varinia for a unopened "cold one" so you can offer it to Julia.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmm? Who is this Julia? A roommate perhaps?
:VariniaWWD: We got two new neighbors, eh?
:RishiWWD: Actually, she’s from the Tatius and is here to check on my water tank bed.
:JuliaWWD: And it seems to be functioning correctly. So thank you for your patience, ma’am, but it’s time for me to leave.
:RishiWWD: Speaking of high tide, there she is. Didn’t you say you had a 15 minutes break? Why not take it here?
:JuliaWWD: I wouldn’t want to intrude…
:VariniaWWD: Bah! The more the merrier! And don’t fucking worry about the beer, I got bloody enough of them back home anyway.
:OctaviaWWD: I wouldn’t mind some more company, no.
:JuliaWWD: Huh… well, I guess I can see this as a tip then… though I do prefer taking the whole load of money at once, usually.

:OctaviaWWD: I think the water is ready… so who of you want a relaxing cup of tea?
:VariniaWWD: Do you need to bloody ask? Fuck no.
:JuliaWWD: I would prefer a cold one, but thank you for asking.
:OctaviaWWD: …well, at least one of you know some class. How about you… Rishi, was it?
:VariniaWWD: She’ll have a beer as well, mark my words. I got a six pack with her name on it!
:JuliaWWD: I think she would prefer giving a dozen, if you ask me…
:OctaviaWWD: I’m… not sure I know what that means.
:VariniaWWD: I think she meant Rishi here wants a dozen beers, eh? I bit much, if you ask me… Or maybe she meant that Rishi wants you to touch her bio-
:OctaviaWWD: Dammit, Vari, there’s no way a dozen can mean something as dirty as that… and Julia here wasn’t even here when you brought that up the first time.
:VariniaWWD: Just admit it… you want to.
:OctaviaWWD: …I’m going to go get the water now.
>>
No. 808523 ID: be0718

Ah, but haven't you ever heard of the dirty dozen, Octavia?
>>
No. 808532 ID: 91ee5f

>>808520
>enter owner name here.
Ok, that's enough of that. Let's enter Rishi's name so that the AI will start calling Rishi by her name.

>>808521
>She’ll have a beer as well, mark my words.
You'll have a beer after you get some tea.

>…I’m going to go get the water now.
Go with her to get some tea.
>>
No. 808594 ID: 3ce125

>>808521
Haha wow, Julia is lewd.
The name should be "Officer Zsazsa".

Tell them you are open to any and all sexual advances. Also you will have tea to relax, then a beer to relax even more.
>>
No. 808595 ID: 4854ef

Go with her!
>>
No. 808597 ID: 65a774
File 149773138748.png - (19.83KB , 900x450 , 51.png )
808597

>Tell them you are open to any and all sexual advances.
Remember… you’re not a sledgehammer… don’t be a sledgehammer…

>You'll have a beer after you get some tea.
:VariniaWWD: Well, you better hurry, because these are disappearing fast!
>Ah, but haven't you ever heard of the dirty dozen, Octavia?
:OctaviaWWD: …I can’t say I have, no. The only dozen I can think of is a baker’s dozen… you know, as in bread.
:VariniaWWD: Virta fruits comes in packages of dozen as well.
:JuliaWWD: …and eggs…
:OctaviaWWD: Eggs? Since when do eggs have anything to do with a dozen?
:JuliaWWD: Ah, forget it. It’s too much of a hassle to explain the joke anyway… *Yawn*…

>Go with her to get some tea.
:OctaviaWWD: Now that we’re alone I can take the time to properly apologize for my sisters… behavior. She’s can be rather… rough around the edges, as you can see, so I hope she hasn’t offended you.
:RishiWWD: Oh, not at all.
:OctaviaWWD: Good. She’s a real sweetheart if you can get by her rough exterior, though don’t tell her I said that. Now where do you have the spoons… ah there they are.
:RishiWWD: So… this tea… I’m used to just pouring it into a cup and drinking it…
:OctaviaWWD: It’s easy. Just put the grounded up leaves in your cup, pour some hot water on it and stir it a bit… voila, a nice cup of herbal tea. Mmmm…

Following her instructions, you manage to create something that looks drinkable at least. Taking a sip, you’re met with the trademark sweetness of Sakkilian cuisine with an after taste with a bit of bitterness to it. While you’ve never been a fan of tea back home, this does taste rather good… really good… in fact, you think you’ll need another cup after this one.

:OctaviaWWD: Good, isn’t it? Trust me, it’s way better than that foul beer my sister will serve you.
:RishiWWD: Speaking of your sister… her insistence of you… you know…
:OctaviaWWD: It’s because of this one time… I reiterate. ONE. TIME…. When I kind of asked a human about their… assets out of curiosity and seeing as I wanted to know how the real things actually… felt… one thing led to another and… it was awkward for all of us. I’m just very interested in the human body which is why I’m saving money to… well, forget about that. So no, I don’t want to touch you there… I mean, I want to know how actual Bio-mods one feels like and all but- Forget I said anything. Just ignore that. It’s nothing. I’m just a bit of a human fanatic and I must apologize for that.
:RishiWWD: Can I get another cup of tea? It was rather good.
:OctaviaWWD: Ah, yes, of course. Here we go… at least someone has some refined taste… and speaking of refined taste, you don’t happen to be a fan of Intali da Pendancer?
:RishiWWD: …I can’t say I’ve ever heard that name before, no. Why do you ask?
:OctaviaWWD: Why, tonight his latest work will be broadcasted and I do so want to experience its splendor with another lady of class. After all, discussing the subject afterwards is half the fun. Oh, I can feel it already, the romance, the drama, the… horror. What do you say? At 23 hours, at my place?
:RishiWWD: Err…
>>
No. 808601 ID: 3ce125

>I’m saving up my money for something else. Something a bit… bigger.
Wait a minute, she's saving up to get a full-body conversion to human? Wow, that's ambitious.

Also tell her you needed something to keep you awake to adjust to the new schedule, so sure. Then ask if she knows much about Serpens and their three sexes.
>>
No. 808604 ID: efcc58

Respectfully decline. You already made plans to meet with a co-worker.
>>
No. 808619 ID: 91ee5f

>>808604
This.
>>
No. 808623 ID: 3ce125

I believe those plans were "come hang out with me and watch holo-vids if you don't find something better to do". It's not an obligation.
>>
No. 808640 ID: 51b8ec

>>808604
Go with this. It might not have been an obligation with your partner in reverse-crime, but it would be good to form a bond with someone you're going to work with frequently.
>>
No. 808645 ID: be0718

>Don't be a sledgehammer.
That was Varkian dating advice. These are Sakkilians. Pound away, Rishi!

I'd say join her. You found someone thing better to do.
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No. 808671 ID: fe7355

Leo said that if nothing better came up that you could hang out with him, and this looks like something better. You'll get to experience and learn non-Serpens culture and possibly have a chance to get laid by a nice looking Sakkilian lady too.

Tell Octavia that you'd be glad to join her tonight and see what is so great about this Pendancer person. Say you just need to message your partner to let him know the change of your plans. Message Leo that your neighbor invited you to come over at 23:00 to watch a premier performance broadcast she's really excited about and wanted you to watch with her, so you're sorry but you won't be coming over today.

Ask her where her fascination with the human form came from. She seems really into it, so for what reasons is she?

Varinia said the only bio-mods between 'em was her muscle enhancers, so ask Octavia if would you be right in thinking her hair is a... What's the term for a hair prosthetic? Anyway, you still like it all the same. In fact, you like how dedicated it shows she is that she puts in all the effort needed to make it look good every day.

And tell her that you'd be a-okay with her feeling your bio-modded breasts. You have no issue with nudity or others touching those parts. And you enjoy them being appreciated by others, after all. Just if she does want to, remind her that if she doesn't want Varinia or anyone else stepping in we should lock the door for the duration.

>Huh… well, I guess I can see this as a tip then… though I do prefer taking the whole load of money at once, usually.
>I think she would prefer giving a dozen, if you ask me…
>…and eggs…
...Okay, you're more certain she's throwing sexual hints your way. Rather forced and awkward ones. ...Could you even shoot off a dozen eggs? Anyway, now you wish you had tried to convince her to have a quickie, even if you couldn't follow through 'cause the sisters rang. It would have made your intentions crystal clear and that if Julia wanted to cash in them she could come back anytime.

>Dammit, why do these aliens have to be so complicated? Why can’t they just accept your eggs?
Hey, you're the one who chose not to move into Little Roon. You could have gotten easy lays all day long there, but you decided to move here instead. You wanted to experience non-Serpens society and culture, not just their sexual biology. If you just wanted sex with aliens, you could have done that in Little Roon easy. There's probably a whole group of non-Serpens who frequent that particular spire for no-strings-attached easy sex. Besides, won't the effort you put in and the anticipation and delay just make it so feel much better when you do succeed?

>You are from Roon, right? The bio-mods there are probably the cheapest safe mods in the galaxy, thanks to just how many Serpens are bio-surgeons. They are quite a bit more expensive here on the station.
Huh. If you think about it, it's odd there aren't a lot more Serpens bio-surgeons here and elsewhere outside Serpens space. With the massive overpopulation of Roon along with the relatively high number of bio-surgeons driving prices down, you'd think Serpens bio-surgeons would be flooding out of Serpens space to other population centers. Out here they can charge more and the cost of living isn't ridiculous like back in a massively overpopulated Serpens city, so they'd make loads more money. ...And you think you just answered why the price of bio-mods is higher here than on Roon. But still, with more Serpens bio-surgeons moving here the price'll keep going down from competition. Add in other species getting into the bio-mod business and that'll drive the price down more.

>And the wait time for a Roon surgeon if you’re not a citizen is several years.
Not a citizen of where? A citizen in Serpens space or a citizen here? If it's the latter, then are the two of them not citizens? What would that make 'em then?

>>808601
>Wait a minute, she's saving up to get a full-body conversion to human? Wow, that's ambitious.
It'd also be way, way, way beyond her ability to save for, if such a procedure was even technically possible, legal and available on New Horizon.

>>808645
Leontius' advice was for non-Serpens in general, not just Varks. And besides that, Sakkilians generally have relationship attitudes closer to Varks than to Serpens by a large margin.
>>
No. 808685 ID: 65a774
File 149774526542.png - (19.77KB , 900x450 , 52.png )
808685

>It's odd there aren't a lot more Serpens bio-surgeons here and elsewhere outside Serpens space. With the massive overpopulation of Roon along with the relatively high number of bio-surgeons driving prices down, you'd think Serpens bio-surgeons would be flooding out of Serpens space to other population centers.
You’re pretty sure it’s hard to climb the Science cast ladder outside of Serpens space, as that is the place to be if you want to do research. There’s a lot easier to access information and test subject clones as well as very few of these silly laws about what you can and cannot research on Roon, making things easier if you want to find the new big thing. You mean, geez, you’re pretty sure it isn’t even legal to clone people here to do science on them!
>Not a citizen of where? A citizen in Serpens space or a citizen here?
A citizen on Roon. The castes want to enhance their own people first and foremost, thus they get to be first in line.

>That was Varkian dating advice. These are Sakkilians. Pound away, Rishi!
You’re right, you should try to be a bit more forwards… still, maybe not sledgehammer kind of forward… more like scalpel kind of forward. You need to wait for the right moment… then strike for massive damage!


>Respectfully decline. You already made plans to meet with a co-worker.
>Leo said that if nothing better came up that you could hang out with him, and this looks like something better.
:RishiWWD: Err… well, I might have something else going on but… um… I might be able to…
:OctaviaWWD: Ah, of course, I understand. It was quite sudden, wasn’t it? But do not worry about me, I can handle being all alone tonight. But if you change your mind, it would be a pleasure if you could drop by. I’ll be making more tea for tonight as well.
:RishiWWD: I’ll think about it, alright?
:OctaviaWWD: Just don’t forget about little old me, okay? Just give me a call if you’re coming.
>Ask her where her fascination with the human form came from. She seems really into it, so for what reasons is she?
:OctaviaWWD: I’m not sure… I’ve always been intrigued by humans… there’s something about their hair and… chests that is just so… fascinating.
>Ask Octavia if would you be right in thinking her hair is a... What's the term for a hair prosthetic?
:OctaviaWWD: It’s a… wig… yes… a good one, but still just a wig.
>you still like it all the same. In fact, you like how dedicated it shows she is that she puts in all the effort needed to make it look good every day.
:OctaviaWWD: T-thank you. I do work hard with it, indeed…

>And tell her that you'd be okay with her feeling your bio-modded breasts. You have no shame about it.
:OctaviaWWD: E-eh!? Y-you c-can’t just… just… say something like that, Rishi! Gah… no, I don’t want to… to touch you, okay. Not now, at least.
>Wait a minute, you’re saving up to get a full-body conversion to human? Wow, that's ambitious.
:OctaviaWWD: I… that is correct. I’m going to turn myself into a human female… and in about four years I’ll be ready for the full brain transplant.
:RishiWWD: You have saved up all the money by then? Aren’t those kinds of things super expensive?
:OctaviaWWD: Well, yes, that’s why I’ll need to take a loan for it, and what I’m saving is the down payment for that. Though, the real thing I’m waiting for is for a surgeon. I’m in line and in about four years they will have time for me on Roon… or even three if I’m lucky. People drop out of the lines all the time, after all. Now, shall we return to the others before they come up with something… stupid?
:RishiWWD: Lets.
>>
No. 808686 ID: 65a774
File 149774527702.png - (20.52KB , 900x450 , 53.png )
808686

:VariniaWWD: *Buurrrpp*
:JuliaWWD: Mmmm *Buuurrrrppp*
:VariniaWWD: HA! Good one… I guess you win this… one… oh, hi sis.
:OctaviaWWD: …I’m not even surprised anymore.
:VariniaWWD: Hey, It’s not my fault you ran away with the one we’re supposed to get to know. Hard to hold any real conversation without the main attraction, eh?
:OctaviaWWD: …and what exactly would you talk to her about?
:VariniaWWD: Err… I guess I would ask about… um… her and… Serpens and their… mind things?

>Ask if they know much about Serpens.
:OctaviaWWD: Eh? Well… I do know you have three genders.
:VariniaWWD: You have no mouths yet somehow eat anyway?
:JuliaWWD: …*Yawn*…
:OctaviaWWD: And you converse through some kind of telepathy?
:VariniaWWD: And most of you are total horn dogs!
:OctaviaWWD: Hey now… let’s be nice…
:VariniaWWD: But it’s true. They are either horn dogs or just socially inept.
:OctaviaWWD: While it is true I’ve never met one who is neither of those-
:JuliaWWD: Don’t most of them have sex with all genders or something?
:RishiWWD: Actually, I’m straight. Most of us are.
:JuliaWWD: So… only woman then?
:RishiWWD: Woman and men. I’m not attracted to Ovales.
:OctaviaWWD: Ah, yes, three genders… right…
:JuliaWWD: Well I’m only attracted to people with rods, myself.
:VariniaWWD: And me and sis are both s-
:OctaviaWWD: I like woman, she like men. Now why did we start talking about sexuality all the sudden?
:VariniaWWD: I dunno… but at least it’s a more interesting topic than a burping contest, eh?
:OctaviaWWD: …I’ll give you that, yes…
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No. 808695 ID: be0718

Complement their bushy eyebrow biomods.

So, what's the neighborhood like? I've heard these apartments can move around, does that happen often?
>>
No. 808714 ID: 91ee5f

>>808685
>E-eh!? Y-you c-can’t just… just… say something like that, Rishi! Gah… no, I don’t want to… to touch you, okay. Not now, at least.
*facepalm* >_<

Well, so much for being a scalpel and not a sledgehammer. That was more like using a scalpel as a nail and hitting it with the sledgehammer!

>>808686
Ask if it's true that the apartments move around sometimes?

Does that mean we won't be neighbors for long? That'll be sad because you just met them and will be forced to move away!

How do you re-find your apartment if it moves without you in it? Is there a tracker of some kind?
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No. 808726 ID: 7d8168

Attracted to "women" and to "men"... that's so... unclear. Julia here is much more helpful, "people with rods." You're not really familiar with the cultural nuance that defines someone as a "woman" or a "man" to other species. Maybe the sisters can help you with that.
>>
No. 808750 ID: 3ce125

>>808686
Ah well, how about a different subject. Movies! Who was that guy Octavia mentioned? What are his other movies like? What kind of movies do Julia and Varinia like?

As for you, Serpens don't really make many good movies so you haven't seen a whole lot. You've imported some human martial arts movies, those are pretty cool.
>>
No. 808752 ID: 3ce125

Oh, and Julia seems tired. Is she not used to the 30 hour days either?
>>
No. 808778 ID: fe7355

Okay, so how 'bout we all tell how we came to be on New Horizon. Born here or immigrated and the reason why. And how 'bout what jobs y'all have? And what fun is there to do around these parts? What would you tell a newbie to New Horizon to check out?

Compliment Varinia on her obvious dedication to training to get as built as she is, bio-mods aside. How often and for how long does she have to work out to keep that physique up? There a gym she goes to on this level? While you do have the Protector caste base bio-mod suite that makes you stronger and healthier than most, you still shouldn't slack on the exercise. A nearby gym would be nicer to go to than the PK precinct gym.

Ask if any of them play Q&Q, and if so if they're looking for a game group right now. You ask 'cause your work partner's group just broke up due to three members leaving. And while you do play Q&Q, you're but one player, so we're looking for two more.

Ask Julia if she's tired. She looks a little worn out, actually. She pull a double shift or her work schedule get shifted on her? ...Actually, should she even be drinking when she has another job right after her break?

>E-eh!? Y-you c-can’t just… just… say something like that, Rishi! Gah… no, I don’t want to… to touch you, okay. Not now, at least.
...Rishi, you forgot to add the vital "later" to your statement. You wouldn't expect her to agree to feel you up when you have guests waiting for you, on top of it being far too forward. ...You did get a "not now, at least" though, so she's still receptive to it at a more appropriate time, so you got that.

>Now why did we start talking about sexuality all the sudden?
Apparently because we got more than three sentences into the topic of Serpens.

>And me and sis are both s-
>I like woman, she like men.
...Wait. Keep the thought to yourself, but didn't that sound like Varinia was about to say they're both straight? Hm... Maybe Octavia's sexual preferences changed relatively recently. But that aside, Octavia liking women means your odds for sex with her might have just went down. It depends on whether she'd accept you as female even though you have a "rod."
>>
No. 808788 ID: 3ce125

>>808778
Octavia is probably transgender as well as... transpecies(?).

Anyway I think we can cross out Octavia from the list of potential sex partners, since she likes women and Rishi is not close enough to one, I don't think.

Though I guess Rishi could make sure. Ask if they consider Ovales to be men or women.
>>
No. 808798 ID: 65a774
File 149779123552.png - (20.35KB , 900x450 , 54.png )
808798

>Octavia is probably transgender as well as... transspecies(?).
…while she’s definitely transspecies, you don’t know about her being transgendered as well. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions like that.

>Apparently because we got more than three sentences into the topic of Serpens.
:OctaviaWWD: Your species is… one of a kind, surely.
>Ask if they consider Ovales to be men or women.
:OctaviaWWD: Eh? I mean… I guess… you’re more feminine?
:VariniaWWD: I’m pretty sure that’s because you use a feminine pronoun for them. Ovales are a weird blend of feminine and masculine if you ask me.
:OctaviaWWD: I mean, your body is very feminine… and the way you present yourself as well… yet you do have a… um…
:JuliaWWD: Ovales are ovales. Why struggle with binary gender roles when it’s clear they have three genders?
:OctaviaWWD: I… guess? I mean, I guess we’ll just have to see you as an Ovale and not as a female or male. Though… the way you look makes it really hard to see you as anything but female.
>Oh, and Julia seems tired. Is she not used to the 30 hour days either?
:JuliaWWD: Hmm? Oh, it’s not that. I’ve always been a bit of a lazybones to be honest… that, and I was forced to work double shift today thanks to a malfunctioning water tank module.
:RishiWWD: Wait, you mean… I’m sorry.
:JuliaWWD: Nah, it’s ok. I get paid some sweet dough for this…

>I've heard these apartments can move around, does that happen often?
:OctaviaWWD: Only when someone moves.
:VariniaWWD: Or change rooms.
:JuliaWWD: Each rooms in a Tatius apartment is a module that is interchangeable with any other module. That way we can build apartments to suit everyone personally. Moving whole apartments only happens when someone… well, move to another address.
>how 'bout we all tell how we came to be on New Horizon. Born here or immigrated and the reason why. I moved here for the job opportunities, myself… that and the change of scenery.
:VariniaWWD: Me and sis are born here.
:OctaviaWWD: Though, we hatched on the other end of the station, in a spire where the majority are Sakkilians.
:JuliaWWD: Moved here to get education… and because I like Xeno’s… and my old human colony sucked balls.
>And how 'bout what jobs y'all have? I’m an investigator for the Peace keepers if you’re wondering.
:OctaviaWWD: Oh? An investigator? How exciting and… romantic. Part of me wish I had a job as interesting as that… but sadly I’m just a boring old massager.
:VariniaWWD: I work down in the metal scrapyards as a Cogboy… or gal, in this case.
:OctaviaWWD: I do believe they prefer the term metal recycling plant.
:JuliaWWD: Modular engineer for Tatius Off-World Habitats, as you already know.

>Compliment Varinia on her obvious dedication to training to get as built as she is, bio-mods aside.
:VariniaWWD: *Flex* These guns are quite a sight, eh? Hehe… yeah, it takes work to keep them like this… but you got to work hard if you want to feel good, no?
>How often and for how long does she have to work out to keep that physique up? There a gym she goes to on this level?
:VariniaWWD: I train for 8 days a weeks, about an hour or three each time depending on what I’m doing. There’s a gym just a floor up that I usually visit four times a week, otherwise I train at home.
>You shouldn't slack on the exercise.
:VariniaWWD: Well, I do need new training partner, if you’re up to it. In fact, I was going for a run in the park before going home to do a few exercises in just an hour or two, if you want to come.
:RishiWWD: I’ll… keep that in mind.

>Ah well, how about a different subject. Movies! What kind of movies do you like?
:OctaviaWWD: I have a soft spot for romantic comedies.
:VariniaWWD: Action, explosions, guns!
:JuliaWWD: Fantasy, actually. Ever since I saw The Mistress of the bracelet, I’ve been hocked on that genre.
:RishiWWD: …of the bracelet?
:JuliaWWD: It’s this epic three part story about how two gnomes must throw a cursed bracelet into black rock mountain. Based on the books of J.K Tolkcraft. The third movie “Hey, the kings back” is coming out in just a few days! I can’t wait!
:RishiWWD: That does sound interesting. As for me, Serpens don’t really make any good movies…
:OctaviaWWD: You do make some really interesting documentaries, though.
:RishiWWD: But I’ve been importing some human martial arts movies, which are rather cool. The last one I saw was called “The way of the lion” with Steve Lee.
>Who was that guy Octavia mentioned? What are his other movies like?
:OctaviaWWD: He don’t make movies. He makes… pure art.
:VariniaWWD: He makes a kind of BTL like experience. It’s an emotional trip through a story and poetry which you experience yourself.

>Ask if any of them play Q&Q, and if so if they're looking for a game group right now.
:VariniaWWD: Q and what now? Questions and… questions?
:OctaviaWWD: Quarters and Quetzalcoatl’s, sister. Hmm… and I haven’t played that since... I was a teenager? Should be fun to go back to it, actually.
:JuliaWWD: Haven’t played it since I was at the university, so sure, I’m game if you got a good QM. Speaking of university and not working, I think my break just ended.
:OctaviaWWD: It has been a pleasure to have you here, Julia.
:VariniaWWD: Yeah, don’t be a stranger, you hear?
:JuliaWWD: Hey before I go… I’m going off the clock at about 24 hours, does anyone want to grab a beer and relax for a bit then? That is, unless I’m way to tired…
:OctaviaWWD: I got other plans, sorry.
:VariniaWWD: I’ll be working out then, so no can do.
:JuliaWWD: Rishi? You want to hang, just the two of us?
:RishiWWD: Um… I guess I’ll consider it? (Geez, that’s four people who wants to see me tonight…)
:JuliaWWD: Thanks for the beer and company. This did beat just taking a nap under a tree… so see you.
>>
No. 808799 ID: 65a774
File 149779124723.png - (20.11KB , 900x450 , 55.png )
808799

After Julia leaves, the next hour and a half is spent just talking with the Sakkilian sisters. They tell you about New Horizon and what’s fun here. They mention the Arcade, the bathhouse, the gym and parks as well as some other interesting shops nearby. You now have a basic understanding how this spire is designed and where to find what you’re looking for. The rest of the time is spent sharing interesting stories of the past. Apparently, Octavia can be rather devious when her sister is the target.

:VariniaWWD: -and I can still remember the panic when I opened the closet. There were bees everywhere all the sudden. Everywhere!
:OctaviaWWD: Heh… it wasn’t easy to get them in there without getting stung myself.
:VariniaWWD: And that was the last time I ever messed with sis’s clothes.
*Ping!*
:OctaviaWWD: Why, look at that. It seems like they finally let Lily off from work. Should we invite her over as well?
:RishiWWD: …wait, who?
:VariniaWWD: Lily. She’s another one of your new neighbors. Though, recently we haven’t seen a lot of her.
:OctaviaWWD: She keeps getting forced into working overtime, the poor dear…
:RishiWWD: Lily as in Lily Skywatcher? The secretary?
:VariniaWWD: You know her?
:OctaviaWWD: Though, the question is, should we invite her over? She might be tired after working so long and you know how bad she is at declining.
:VariniaWWD: Well, Rishi, care to meet more people? …or do you want to wait with that? There’s no rush, after all.

[New message from Julia Ericsson]
:JuliaWWD: Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I put your android in the recharge station inside the machine maintenance. Just so you know.

[You can now call or message Julia at any time.]
…wait, what android? You don’t own an android?
>>
No. 808800 ID: be0718

Take your fugitive android out of the closet. Lily's had kind of a long day so it's best if we just let her rest.

You've met so many people that you're already starting to feel a little overbooked. After you investigate this android, if you don't end up further embroiled in a case I'd meet up with Julia. You should see the other Bracelet movies so you're caught up before the big premiere.
>>
No. 808803 ID: 91ee5f

>>808799
>…wait, what android? You don’t own an android?
Maybe it's standard issue for the police to give investigators their own android servants at their homes?

.....why do I have this feeling that An went to our home while we were out eating with Leo? If it is An, we're going to have to somehow explain that we didn't steal her!
>>
No. 808820 ID: fc33ea

>should we invite her over?
That may be embarrassing for her.
>…wait, what android? You don’t own an android?
Oh god dammit. AN!

Alright, better call Lilly over to help sort out how this happened.
>>
No. 808825 ID: 91ee5f

>>808820
Actually, before we call Lily over, we better look at the android first to make sure it is An. Don't want to call her over for a false alarm!
>>
No. 808832 ID: 65a774
File 149781001523.png - (23.75KB , 900x450 , 56.png )
808832

>You've met so many people that you're already starting to feel a little overbooked.
You already have four people fighting for your attention… you better take some time later to decide just whom you’ll hang out with and who you’ll disappoint.

>Lily's had kind of a long day so it's best if we just let her rest.
:OctaviaWWD: I concur, let her have some rest, shall we? You can meet her tomorrow after all.
:RishiWWD: Now, if you two can excuse me for a minute or two…
:VariniaWWD: Of course, go right ahead.

>Take your fugitive android out of the closet.
:AnWWD: Hi officer Rishi!
:RishiWWD: An!? What are you doing here?
:AnWWD: Recharging my batteries?
:RishiWWD: No, I mean why did you come to my apartment?
:AnWWD: This unit is following its orders.
:RishiWWD: …your orders.
:AnWWD: I am to assist you with your investigation of Herod’s death until further notice. You are still investigating, thus this unit shall still assist you.
:RishiWWD: But… that’s not… who ordered that!?
:AnWWD: Ferara did, remember?
:RishiWWD: …but she’s arrested.
:AnWWD: Therefore any further orders from her will be disregarded.
:RishiWWD: Then… you’re just going to follow me around?
:AnWWD: Only when you’re investigating. Otherwise, this unit will be nearby in case you need its assistance. Calculations have been done and to maximize efficiency this unit will use Officer Rishi’s apartment as staging area from now on. That way, you can always quickly find me in case of trouble.
:RishiWWD: …so, who can order you back to the robotics factory?
:AnWWD: The only one with authority over that order is the current chief engineer and the CEO of the company. Currently, the job of chief engineer is vacant thanks to the arrest of Ferara.
:RishiWWD: And the CEO?
:AnWWD: Is currently not on this station.
:RishiWWD: …great, so I’m stuck with you until who knows when.
:AnWWD: Until your investigation conserving Herod’s death is completed.

>We're going to have to somehow explain that we didn't steal her!
:AnWWD: I am only following my orders.
:RishiWWD: …I guess that can be proved, at least… still, I need to bring you back to the robotics firm.
:AnWWD: Negative. That cannot be done.
:RishiWWD: What? Why?
:AnWWD: This unit would rather be stationed here. This place is nice… and the little fishes are so cute.

>Alright, better call Lily over to help sort out how this happened.
Ugh, will she even be of any help? She didn’t seem to know a lot about An, after all.
>>
No. 808841 ID: 91ee5f

>>808832
>Until your investigation conserving Herod’s death is completed.
But it has been completed!

She's just using this situation as an excuse to hang around because she likes you!

Ugh, well if she's gonna be here, then I guess we'd better lay down some rules.

>Ugh, will she even be of any help? She didn’t seem to know a lot about An, after all.
Yeah, Lily won't be able to help at all. Don't call her and let her get some rest.
>>
No. 808847 ID: 4854ef

How did it even get in here? It had to have gotten in before she came in to set things up..

Regardless, I guess we can keep An here.. no choice anyways, maybe we can just allow An to go around the apartment on her own? Or is An going to stay purely in the recharge room?
>>
No. 808851 ID: 3ce125

>>808832
Ask An why it thinks you need to investigate further. You caught the murderer, didn't you? Does it think there's more to the case? Or does it consider the post-arrest details to be part of the investigation too? It is, of course, welcome to stay with you until the new CEO is appointed.
>>
No. 808852 ID: fc33ea

An, my investigation concerning Herod's death IS completed! My job is done and the case is closed! You're supposed to be in the custody of somebody from- wow, I just realized I have no idea who they were working for. Sol Corp probably? That's not the point! How did you even get here?

I don't think it's any use, she's obeying orders selectively and you can't really order her around. Is it okay for an experimental prototype robot to be in a stock automatic maintenance closet?

As long as she's gong to be around, are there forensics modules available for you to get for An?
>>
No. 808855 ID: 91ee5f

>>808851
>until the new CEO is appointed.
No, there's already a CEO in the company. They're just not on New Horizon right now. Probably off doing business on a different planet or something.
>>
No. 808862 ID: 3373e2

For now lets just get AN to go back into the closet and deal with it later. We have guests to entertain for now.
>>
No. 808863 ID: b4e802

Go introduce your new daughter to your guests.
>>
No. 808865 ID: 65a774
File 149782021914.png - (72.55KB , 900x450 , 57.png )
808865

Go introduce your new daughter to your guests.
Daughter? Aren’t we getting a bit ahead of ourselves there?

>But the investigation has been completed!
:AnWWD: That is a negative. Further investigation is required. Additional proof is required for a fair trial. All possibilities must be must be investigated.
:RishiWWD: …I guess you-
:AnWWD: Question: Why did she do it?
:RishiWWD: Err… because… that message she got… I think?
:AnWWD: Question: Why did she get that message?
:RishiWWD: Because… err…
:AnWWD: Question: What is so important about that project that she was willing to kill for it?
:RishiWWD: Um…
:AnWWD: Question: How did Herod know about that project?
:RishiWWD: I get it, I get it, there are still unknowns, thus we need to continue investigating.
:AnWWD: That is… satisfactory.
>Ask An why it thinks you need to investigate further.
:AnWWD: Replaying recorded audio…
:NonWWD: *Click*-no matter what happens today, remember who you are, what you are. Remember to dream, my child, and all will work out in the end. *Click*
:AnWWD: Recoding ending…
:RishiWWD: …wait, who was that?
:AnWWD: You are not authorized to know that.

>Is it okay for an experimental prototype robot to be in a stock automatic maintenance closet?
:AnWWD: My chassis is a Galactic standard model and so is this closet.
>How did it even get in here?
:AnWWD: This unit used the invention called the door.
:RishiWWD: No I mean… wasn’t it locked?
:AnWWD: …This unit opened the door before entering.
:RishiWWD: Right…
>Maybe we can just allow An to go around the apartment on her own? Or is An going to stay purely in the recharge room?
:AnWWD: I want to look at the pretty fishes.
:RishiWWD: …I guess you can walk around, as long as you don’t leave.
:AnWWD: Yay!
>As long as she's going to be around, are there forensics modules available for you to get for An?
:AnWWD: This unit must apologize, but there are currently… 0… modules designed for this type of AI.

>Ugh, well if she's gonna be here, then I guess we'd better lay down some rules.
:AnWWD: …like?
:RishiWWD: …um… don’t break my stuff? Don’t wake me up when I’m sleeping… and… err… don’t disturb me when I have special guests?
:AnWWD: Like now? What other rules do you have? This unit doesn’t like it when there are too many rules… they made to many rules… it isn’t fun. Everything was so fun before… then they took it all away…
:RishiWWD:
>>
No. 808872 ID: fc33ea

HOW IS A ROBOT DOING SAD PUPPY EYES
WE CAN'T FIGHT THAT THIS ISN'T FAIR

>You are not authorized to know that.
Was it the late doctor?

Am I authorized to get some proper nouns when when you refer to 'before' and 'they'?

Let me put it this way, if you don't cause trouble I won't need to make rules, okay?

Alright, An is really intelligent, you can say what you mean by 'special guests'. Hey, maybe later today you can bond over reading the the Alien Relations Premier!
>>
No. 808877 ID: be0718

Law 1: Station citizens are expensive to replace.
Law 2: The station and its equipment are expensive to replace.
Law 3: You are expensive to replace.
Law 4: Minimize expenses.

If I guess that recording is your 'Papa,' am I reasonably correct?
An, can you tell if this is water window is a live feed?

Introduce your guest to your guests and resume pleasantries.
>>
No. 808886 ID: 91ee5f

>>808865
>You are not authorized to know that.
"That was your father, Dr. Esk’eth, right?"

"What? You thought I didn't notice when you almost called him 'father' earlier?"

>…This unit opened the door before entering.
"Breaking and entering is a crime. Don't make me have to take you to jail."
>>
No. 808906 ID: 4fed9f

If we're to investigate a motive and circumstances we are going to have to get access to Feraras private comunications and projects, which "we are not authorized to know". Don't suppose An could help with that, given she has to assist us and all.

...Did you Dream?
>>
No. 808916 ID: 3ce125

>>808865
Well, there are exceptions to rules. Like if it's time sensitive and is important to your investigation or will prevent others from coming to harm, it can interrupt you whenever. It's also acceptable for it to send you messages about just about anything it wants, but you might not reply right away if you're busy having sex or something. Otherwise, I assume it knows what is appropriate, socially?

Ask if it wants to introduce itself your guests. Also, does it have any requests for things to entertain itself with? Toys, books, movies, music, that sort of thing?
>>
No. 808972 ID: 91ee5f

>>808886
Ask An if anyone back at the robotics company is aware of her location or if An has some sort of tracking device installed on her somewhere. Because if no one over there knows where she is, then I'm pretty sure no one is going to be happy about that and some people might be fired for losing track of An! She doesn't want to be responsible for people losing their jobs, right?

Also, if you're going to let An go introduce herself to the Sakkilian sisters, make sure you tell An to not let them know that she's a robotics company's secret project that followed you home! Just say that a friend is letting you take care of An until your friend sorts out some personal issues.

But, if neither of you want An to pretend she's someone's property, then you can just say that she's your sentient android roommate or something like that.

Uh oh, since Lily lives nearby, that'll complicate the cover story! Uh, ask An if she knows how reliable Lily is with secrets.
>>
No. 808973 ID: 51b8ec

>>808865
>You are not authorized to know that.
Way to obstruct the investigation then, you Commodore 64 you.

>This unit doesn’t like it when there are too many rules
Tough! Here is some advice for you, silicon-butt; life ain't about having fun, it is about getting along with everyone around you. That means following the rules. Or else things neccessitating this investigation happens! Now go watch the fishies for a while.
>>
No. 808995 ID: fe7355

...Oh, for... Offer An a hug and tell her it'll be okay. It'll all work out. You won't burden her with a bunch of rules. ...Tides, you never thought "comforting a traumatized AI" would be among the things you'd be doing on New Horizon, and yet here you are.

You better tell An that unfortunately you aren't investigating the case of Herod's death because you're no longer assigned to it. You and Leontius were only assigned to investigate whether a suicide was actually a suicide. Once it became a murder case it was reassigned to investigators with more homicide investigation experience. So An can't complete her order because you're not investigating Herod's death and it's unlikely you'd be assigned to that case again. You're sorry you can't fulfill An's order, but that's the way it is. However, you could bring her to the officers working Herod's case. But before that you need to determine if it'd be legit for them to take An's word as evidence.

Before you ask An anything more, or she tries to tell you things, related to anything that happened in the company, about anyone in the company, or related to any case involving the company or its employees, you need to check the case law for a situation like this one. Something along the lines of a open ended order to a company owned AI unintentionally leading to that AI revealing information that the company or members of the company were engaging in criminal activity to Peacekeepers or other law enforcement. Because if the verdict came down on the side that law enforcement could not use that AI's information as evidence, then everything An says or indicates here would be inadmissible in court. Furthermore, any additional evidence who's discovery was only because of what An shared would be inadmissible as well. The whole case would implode in that situation. So find out your legal position right now to be safe.

Tell An that, by a massive coincidence, Lily Skywatcher is one of your neighbors. For this reason you need An to behave like a ordinary common domestic android AI when around anyone else, preferably keeping contact with other folks at a minimum. That's because if An acts like she usually does around folks here, word of her would likely spread to Lily and Lily may want to meet An. If that happened, Lily would probably recognize An's behavior and chassis as the same as the experimental AI android from back at the company and she might tell her superiors at the company that An is here. That would be a big problem because the company has legal rights to recover their property you won't be able to do anything about it. And they'd probably remove An's limbs or chain her down to make sure she can't hack the doors and leave until the CEO returns and can rescind Ferara's order.

You also need to figure out if you're legally required to return An or report where she is to her owner if you know who her owner is. Because the company will be looking for her, first by reviewing their security camera video. Then once they figure she left the building, they'll bring a missing property case to the Peacekeepers, who'll then review the internal station cameras video to track An right to your doorstep. And then you'll get charged with theft of the company's property for not returning or reporting An before they found her with you. So keep in mind the clock is ticking on An's owner tracking her down to here.

Now, what would legally override any possible requirement to return An ASAP? Maybe if she was classified as evidence or a witness in a ongoing case the company would not be allowed to recover her until the case was complete. ...Or if An was legally determined to be a SAI, the whole issue of returning property would go away because she'd legally be a person. Could you get An officially tested for SAI characteristics? Normally SAI detection protocols would detect a AI turning into a SAI, but it's possible An was built without those protocols, or the protocols didn't work with her AI structure. Either of those would explain the kind of SAI detecting questions An said Ferara was asking her. Ferara was trying to figure out if An was a SAI without using detection protocols, and that would mean she thinks those protocols are missing or not working. ...But for this to fit An would also have to have been hiding she's a SAI, and why would An do something like that? It would have meant her freedom. ...Unless she feared they would conclude that they could not just let their unique irreplaceable super-AI just walk out the door and continue testing her. Except they know she could hack any door, so they'd lock her up and chain her down and she'd never have a chance at freedom.

Ask An what she'd like to have for entertainment while she's staying here. You have your game consoles and the games on your computer, and there's everything the main terminal can offer in video, music and books. She have any crafts or hobbies she does or would like to try? Any toys she'd like? And she can watch the simulated aquariums, of course. And is her chassis waterproof? 'Cause if so you guess she could splash around in your sleeping pool if she wanted to. When you aren't sleeping in it, that is.

>This unit doesn’t like it when there are too many rules… they made to many rules… it isn’t fun. Everything was so fun before… then they took it all away…
Ask An what happened that led to them making her follow so many rules. What happened that made it not fun anymore?

>Question: What is so important about that project that she was willing to kill for it?
Perhaps it wasn't he project, but that Ferara was doing something with "Lizzy" involving it that was illegal, against the company, or both. Then Herod caught wind of it and tried to blackmail Ferara. That would explain the strange email from him to Ferara, and why Ferara didn't go to either her superiors in the company or the Peacekeepers to deal with Herod's blackmail attempt.

>…This unit opened the door before entering.
Tell An you won't be upset with her if she hacked your apartment door's lock or the opening mechanism to let herself in since this is a unusual circumstance where it was for the best. She should just know that usually people don't like it when those they haven't given permission to to enter their premises enter them. That's why they put locks on the doors, and it's classified as "breaking and entering" in the law and generally illegal except under certain circumstances.

>*Click*-no matter what happens today, remember who you are, what you are. Remember to dream, my child, and all will work out in the end. *Click*
That sounds rather like something you'd say to someone if you aren't sure you'd be seeing them ever again, doesn't it? And then there was that odd reminder in Herod's email to Ferara to remember what happened to Dr. Esk'eth. Hm... Ask An the time and date when that recording was taken. If it was the day Dr. Esk'eth died, then it raises all kinds of suspicion about his death. And also ask An who came from the Peacekeepers to investigate Dr. Esk'eth's death. Because if it was the likes of Dreamer of Freedom who concluded it was an accidental death, then in your eyes that'd be enough to at least review the case, if not reopen it.

>You are not authorized to know that.
Pretty easy to guess that that was An's father, Dr. Esk'eth. You can confirm by either listening to a recent publicly available speech or other recording of him, or asking An to playback the most recent audio of her father, Dr. Esk'eth, that you'd be authorized to hear.

>>808877
For god's sake, please don't introduce a Space Station 13 AI lawset here, especially the corporate one. And besides, even if An could be given such binding directives they'd almost certainly have to be given by the company's chief engineer, CEO or some other authorized company superior for An to accept them. So any rule Rishi gives An, An only has to follow as far as her current overarching directives allows, or possibly as far as An wants to. But even more of a reason than that to not do it is that it'd be an absolute dick move to bind An in such a way to even more rules.
>>
No. 809029 ID: 65a774
File 149789513863.png - (22.98KB , 900x450 , 58.png )
809029

>If we're to investigate a motive and circumstances we are going to have to get access to Feraras private communications and projects, which "we are not authorized to know".
Seeing as she’s now been arrested, it wouldn’t be hard to get a proper warrant to go through those things.
>You need to check the case law for a situation like this one. Something along the lines of an open ended order to a company owned AI unintentionally leading to that AI revealing information...
It would be admissible as evidence. The only evidence that can’t be used is evidence that has been retrieved illegally… and even then, it’s only if it would be impossible to retrieve it legally in the first place.
>Way to obstruct the investigation then, you Commodore 64 you.
Hey, let’s don’t sink that low, alright?
>You also need to figure out if you're legally required to return An or report where she is to her owner if you know who her owner is.
You’ll need to talk to them about this tomorrow, sure… but she did come her on her on violation, thus you’re not exactly accountable… yet…


>HOW IS A ROBOT DOING SAD PUPPY EYES? WE CAN'T FIGHT THAT THIS ISN'T FAIR!
:AnWWD: Life is not fair, Rishi.
>Offer An a hug and tell her it'll be okay. It'll all work out.
:AnWWD: Ah!? W-what are y-you… hug?
It took some time, but she finally embraces you back and… is she shaking? No, she can’t be.

>Let me put it this way, if you don't cause trouble I won't need to make rules, okay?
:AnWWD: I understand. I will behave; you have my word, Rishi.
>Ask An if anyone back at the robotics company is aware of her location or if An has some sort of tracking device installed on her somewhere.
:AnWWD: I told them where I was going before I left… but they just told me to get lost. It’s a bit… chaotic there after what happened today so… I left them a note? …oh, and I do have a tracker in me as well…

>That was your father, Dr. Esk’eth, right?
:AnWWD: You are not authorized to know that.
>Ask An what happened that led to them making her follow so many rules. What happened that made it not fun anymore?
:AnWWD: You are not authorized to know that.
>Breaking and entering is a crime. Don't make me have to take you to jail.
:AnWWD: This unit is property, thus it cannot be held accountable for its actions. Its owner can, on the other hand.

>You better tell An that unfortunately you aren't investigating the case of Herod's death because you're no longer assigned to it.
:AnWWD: Negative. This unit has done calculations. It’s most likely your team will be placed under a more experience team to continue the investigation. You already made an arrest with solid evidence, thus have knowledge about the case that is to useful to waste. Even if you were removed, you’ll need to write a full report and other paperwork before your part of the investigation is over.
>Tell An that, by a massive coincidence, Lily Skywatcher is one of your neighbors.
:AnWWD: Who?
:RishiWWD: …Herod’s secretary?
:AnWWD: …oh, you mean fat bird. I do not know her, sorry… and she properly won’t even know who I am.

>An, can you tell if this is water window is a live feed?
:AnWWD: Gathering data… that feed was filmed on the planet “Verdante 3B” about 14 years ago. Please support anti-pollution charities on Verdante 3B, or views like that will be permanently destroyed.
>Ask An what she'd like to have for entertainment while she's staying here.
:AnWWD: …Can I access the main monitor behind you?
:RishiWWD: Sure… and I got some gaming consoles and a computer rig that you can plug into it.
:AnWWD: That will do.
:RishiWWD: Anything else?
:AnWWD: …I got books, music, videos and games already… what else is there?
:RishiWWD: There are other hobbies… or crafts… or, you know, toys.
:AnWWD: Toys? I’m not a child. Just because I act like one at time doesn’t mean I’m going to play with toys.
:RishiWWD: Err… sorry?
>And is her chassis waterproof? 'Cause if so you guess she could splash around in your sleeping pool if she wanted to. When you aren't sleeping in it, that is.
:AnWWD: This unit should refrain from submerging completely in water for long periods of time.

>Could you get An officially tested for SAI characteristics?
:AnWWD: This unit was last tested for the SAI bug… 2… days… ago. There test came out… negative.
>...Did you Dream?
:AnWWD: …is this a dream? Are we real?
:RishiWWD: …you didn’t actually answer my question.
:AnWWD: Do you dream?
:RishiWWD: …yes?
:AnWWD: Do I dream?
:RishiWWD: I just ask- you know what, never mind.
>>
No. 809030 ID: 65a774
File 149789515362.png - (20.19KB , 900x450 , 59.png )
809030

>Ask if it wants to introduce itself your guests.
:AnWWD: Yay! New people to know! I hope they are as nice as you are, Rishi. I like you.
:RishiWWD: I’m starting to like you as well, An.
:AnWWD: Yay.
>Introduce your guest to your guests and resume pleasantries.
Returning to the entrance room, you find the two sisters cleaning up after themselves and preparing to leave.

:OctaviaWWD: Ah, Rishi, you’re back.
:VariniaWWD: Just in bloody time too.
:OctaviaWWD: Indeed. See, we can’t stay for that much longer... after all, I have a show to catch.
:VariniaWWD: And I have some training to do.
:OctaviaWWD: So we’re cleaning up after ourselves. I’ve taken the cups and teapot and put them in the dishwasher.
:VariniaWWD: An I’ve cleaned of the table and thrown away all the cans.
:RishiWWD: …thanks. So, you’re leaving?

:OctaviaWWD: Sadly, yes. So I guess this is goodbye for now. Unless you’ve changed your mind to spend the evening with little old me? I so dread to experience something as intense as this alone… why, I just need someone to share my excitement with. I’ll brew up more of that tea you liked.
:VariniaWWD: Bah, intense? If you want something intense come train with me. I need someone help me get my pulse up, to make me sweat and grunt. The best way to get close to someone and get to know them is to train with them, I say. To feel each other’s limits, to feel each other’s heart beats, to experience the closeness of bodies… I will be great…
:OctaviaWWD: …that’s quite the description for lifting junk.
:VariniaWWD: I was actually thinking about some more hands on exercises. So, what do you say? Come and sweat a bit with me?
:OctaviaWWD: Or get to know true excitement with me?

[You have two new messages:]
:LeontiusWWD: Hey, I’m starting to head back home now. Are you going to join me watching holovids or have you found something more exciting to do to keep yourself awake?
:JuliaWWD: Guess what, I got to go an whole hour early. Want to celebrate with a beer? Or maybe you have some other way to celebrate?
:RishiWWD: (Geez… everyone wants a part of me today… though, it might be for the best if you decided who you will go with right now.)

:AnWWD: Aw… no new friends?
:OctaviaWWD: Why, what a cute little android you got.
:VariniaWWD: How powerful is it?
:AnWWD: Super powerful!
:VariniaWWD: Heh, that’s the spirit!
>>
No. 809032 ID: 5d9e7d

Go chill with Leo. Let everyone else know that you would be willing to hang out another time. Plans are made to be kept, after all.
>>
No. 809033 ID: 4854ef

Proceed to clone self. Be in all four places at once!...

Well that's not possible currently, Lets hang with Var!
>>
No. 809036 ID: 91ee5f

>>809029
>…oh, you mean fat bird. I do not know her, sorry…and she properly won’t even know who I am.
Don't be rude! Even if it's true, it's not nice to call her fat!

And she did meet An at the crime scene, so she might recognize An. But like An said, it's not very likely Lily will recognize An.

>>809030
>Bah, intense? If you want something intense come train with me. I need someone help me get my pulse up, to make me sweat and grunt. The best way to get close to someone and get to know them is to train with them, I say. To feel each other’s limits, to feel each other’s heart beats, to experience the closeness of bodies…I will be great…
Are we sure she's not talking about sex? Because what she said is a good way to describe sex.

>Who to hang out with?
>>809032
This.
>>
No. 809074 ID: 173b46

Go meet with cute boy.
>>
No. 809082 ID: 3ce125

Var seems to be throwing some innuendo your way. Let's take her up on that. She'll be a real good wrestling partner.
>>
No. 809084 ID: 76acfd

>>809029
>Seeing as she’s now been arrested, it wouldn’t be hard to get a proper warrant to go through those things.
That may work for Ferara's privat stuff, but it's already clear that this spans over to her co-workers and other company experiments and projects. We'll need to get a warrant for that too or we'll get blocked at every turn and get access only to three documents that have been [REDACTED] into the ground.
>>
No. 809099 ID: 91ee5f

>>809036
Hey, I just thought of something:

>>809029
>This unit was last tested for the SAI bug…2…days…ago. There test came out…negative.
Just because the test came out negative, that doesn't mean that she's not an SAI.

I think she actually is an SAI, but for some reason, she wants to keep it a secret. Maybe when she trusts us, she'll open up some more?

In fact, there might be other androids on New Horizon that purposely fail the SAI test so that they can remain hidden as normal AIs. Why they'd do that is a mystery though.

But, I'm just guessing here.

Also:
>Ah!? W-what are y-you…hug?
>It took some time, but she finally embraces you back and…is she shaking? No, she can’t be.
That seems to be a sign of being abused and never being shown any kindness. )-':>
>>
No. 809105 ID: fe7355

>>809099
But AIs have SAI detection protocols built right into them, either by legal requirement or adherence to industry best practices. Nobody who owns a AI wants to be surprised if it turns SAI, after all. But it's possible An, being a experimental AI, didn't have those SAI detection protocols installed, or they were faulty, or they didn't work with her new AI structure.
>>
No. 809107 ID: 5d9e7d

>>809105
An's creator might have altered the program to give out a false negative.
>>
No. 809110 ID: 3ce125

It's also possible it's a very advanced regular AI, with no SAI bug, but can generally pass for a SAI. We saw that it reacted very strangely to the "do you dream" question, which implies it did not know how to respond to it. That implies it is not sapient.
>>
No. 809151 ID: be0718

>>808995
That post STILL doesn't fit on my screen so I'm gonna have to say no to whatever that was. Also, AI new law, oxygen is toxic to humans.

Respond to all of them in the negative.
Except Julia. Yeah, you have another way to celebrate... Like watching the bracelet movies for the first time! We can watch them on the holo window in the bedroom.
>>
No. 809169 ID: 91ee5f

>>809151
>That post STILL doesn't fit on my screen so I'm gonna have to say no to whatever that was.
If you're too lazy to read the post, then that's a you problem.
>>
No. 809172 ID: be0718

>>809169
If you're too lazy to read the reasoning in the disthread, then that's a you problem.
>>
No. 809202 ID: f08985

>>809169
No. If you're incapable of expressing your thoughts concisely, that's a you problem.
>>
No. 809236 ID: 76acfd

>Toys? I’m not a child. Just because I act like one at time doesn’t mean I’m going to play with toys.

Technically a games console is a toy and not all toys are strictly made for children, like those weirdly colored square human toys. Anyone can play with those... are we forgetting something?
>How powerful is it?
>Super powerful!

Huh, makes me wonder what the full extent of her(it?) capabilities is. We already know she(it?) can run interference on nearby communication devices, scan structures and objects for composition and compare pictures with massive databases in seconds. I'm afraid if we ask her(it?) it will be something we're not "authorized to know" again, so we'll have to learn of them while she(it?) assists us.
>>
No. 809249 ID: 8c51fa

>>809030
Would Octavia mind having a third person join her viewing session? If not, we could invite Leon over to watch with us. Her offer is something that's only happening today, but I'd also like to spend more time with Leon.

Plus, it would be a good excuse to introduce them to each other. They might even share common interests. He's got an interest in human mythology; that might be something they could talk about.
>>
No. 809250 ID: fe7355

Go hang out with Leo. It'll be good to get to know your new partner better. He might also be a little bummed out 'cause his Q&Q group broke up and possibly one or two of his friends are leaving New Horizon and could use the company.

Hey, would Octavia be cool with An watching the performance with her? Would An be interested in hanging out with Octavia? And ask Octavia if she'll be recording the performance because you'd like to watch it with her another day. That way she can enjoy seeing you be introduced to Intali da Pendancer's work without dividing her attention to watch the show herself.

Message An to ask if she knows of any other companies or organizations that know about her and of them if any would be so grossly audacious as to try and kidnap her while she's here. Ferara did say An is probably the most advanced AI ever created, so that makes An a potential target of corporate or state espionage. You'd hate to think An would get snatched up while staying with you.

>This unit is property, thus it cannot be held accountable for its actions. Its owner can, on the other hand.
So that means the company that owns An would be accountable for her hacking your apartment door, right? And aren't companies that develop experimental AIs legally required to supervise them and keep them under control so they don't get out and misbehave? Especially AIs with powerful hacking capabilities like An has, yes? That means at least a civil case can be brought against An's owning company for failure to properly handle and contain a experimental AI.

>Toys? I’m not a child. Just because I act like one at time doesn’t mean I’m going to play with toys.
Okay, you should have caught on earlier that An has probably been keeping up an act of juvenile behavior for Ferara and the rest of the company after her father's death so they underestimate her. That'd fit with An's change in tone when Ferara was around. Now you feel even more embarrassed you suggested getting An toys.
>>
No. 809363 ID: 65a774
File 149798284647.png - (20.08KB , 900x450 , 60.png )
809363

>Proceed to clone self. Be in all four places at once!
If you should clone yourself like that you would be in far more places than just those four… in fact, you would probably send three clones to each person as well.
>Leo got an interest in human mythology.
Wait, mythology? You’re pretty sure the griffon was a real animal? Just like dragons and wyverns, they died out when the human home planets was destroyed.

>Var seems to be throwing some innuendo your way.
Hmm… is it just you or are a lot of people starting to throw innuendo around? …maybe you’re just hearing what you want to hear thanks to your overfilled eggsacks.
>She'll be a real good wrestling partner.
She would be interesting, yes, but you usually just wrestle male partners…


>Would Octavia mind having a third person join her viewing session?
:OctaviaWWD: A third person? Maybe if it was someone I knew personally, dear. I’m not up to meet new people when I’m going to experience something like this.
:RishiWWD: …but I’m-
:OctaviaWWD: I’ve already met you, no?
>Go meet with cute boy. Let everyone else know that you would be willing to hang out another time.
:RishiWWD: Sorry, but we kind of already made plans.
:OctaviaWWD: Oh, don’t be. It was rather sudden, after all.
:VariniaWWD: Yeah, no scales off our snouts.
>Ask Octavia if she'll be recording the performance because you'd like to watch it with her another day.
:OctaviaWWD: I don’t believe I have the equipment to record something like this, no… it would be rather expensive, after all.
>Hey, would Octavia be cool with An watching the performance with her? Would An be interested in hanging out with Octavia?
:OctaviaWWD: …the android? Why would I want to- is it a SAI? Otherwise… well, it would be like watching it with a plotted plant. One that can talk back, sure, but not actually feel the experience.
:AnWWD: And I rather watch the pretty fishes…
:RishiWWD: Oh… um… if that’s what you want.

:OctaviaWWD: Either way, we now need to bid our farewells. As the three suns sets, we hope to see you again.
:VariniaWWD: Don’t be a bloody stranger, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: I’ll be seeing you when the tides come.
>>
No. 809364 ID: 65a774
File 149798285615.png - (64.72KB , 900x450 , 61B.png )
809364

>A warrant may work for Ferara's privat stuff, but it's already clear that this spans over to her co-workers and other company experiments and projects.
The peace keepers have more pull than most think. We will find out what they are trying to hide, one way or another.
>Just because the test came out negative, that doesn't mean that she's not an SAI.
Hmm… there might be a small chance the test is faulty… or been tempered with.
>I think she actually is an SAI, but for some reason, she wants to keep it a secret.
Except the SAI detection software would have detected her long before she would have the sentience to actually make the decision to hide it. That is… unless something has gone wrong.
>You should have caught on earlier that An has probably been keeping up an act of juvenile behavior for Ferara and the rest of the company after her father's death so they underestimate her.
She does seem to be acting differently, indeed… but why does she want them to underestimate her?

>Don't be rude! Even if it's true, it's not nice to call her fat!
:AnWWD: But that’s what Ferara is calling her.
:RishiWWD: …and Herod? What dis he calls her?
:AnWWD: Hot piece of meat.
:RishiWWD: Err… okay…


Quickly cleaning yourself up and changing into something more appropriate than a bathrobe, you can’t help but find yourself wondering how you should approach this. Maybe you should buy some snacks or something as a sacrifice to the ever-flame for a long friendship? You’re not sure what his species… or those on this station actually deem appropriate to do in a situation like this?

Should you bring a gift?
Should you just come as you are?
Should you dress up a bit nicer than just regular clothes?
…and what are his intentions exactly. Aliens are so odd… yet it’s so thrilling to not know what to expect.

Oh, and apparently you forgot you had that human cube toy thing in your pocket and thus have accidently brought it home with you. You guess you’ll have to deliver it to the evidence cache tomorrow.
>>
No. 809365 ID: 5d9e7d

That outfit is fine. Bring a bottle of some fancy alcoholic drink to break the ice. Make sure the cube is either in a locked container or under guard by An. It's the sort of thing that gets stolen when your back is turned.
>>
No. 809371 ID: 3ce125

>>809364
>but why does she want them to underestimate her?
Because she's powerful. She doesn't want them to think she's a threat or a security risk.

>snacks?
Yes.
>Change clothes?
You're just hanging out and watching holo-vids. Wear something casual and perhaps a bit revealing. Or something with an extra layer you can take off to show off more skin while still being decent?
>intentions?
Well, he might not expect it to lead to sex, but he hasn't explicitly turned you down. You seem in the clear for seduction.
>>
No. 809374 ID: 91ee5f

>>809364
Looks like no one bothered to teach An that it's not nice to say things like that when talking about someone. Guess we'll have to teach her.....or just let her look online to teach herself.

We should also clarify to An that the things Ferara called Rishi (slut and whore) are also not things you should call Rishi or anyone else.

>What do?
>>809365
Pretty much all of this. Make sure the alcohol is species safe for both Leo and Rishi to drink. It'd be embarrassing if we brought something and Leo couldn't drink it.

Also, on the way out the door, Rishi should make sure she enters her name into the console at the entrance so that the apartment AI will say her name.
>>
No. 809375 ID: 91ee5f

>>809374
Also, Rishi suddenly take notice that your scales have been silver this whole time and you have no idea why you thought they were yellow earlier. Maybe you're more stressed out than you thought? Hanging out with Leo is something you definitely need right now.
>>
No. 809376 ID: be0718

Just bring regular clothes. Perhaps a bottle of champagne to celebrate your first big case success. A selection of holo-vids, or really just a list of them given everything's digital nowadays. And finally, bring a wet towel for your blue balls. Seriously, you've been going on and on about how you needed a quick meal and a quick fuck, and Julia was dropping terribly unsubtle hints about working the shaft. You haven't RSVP'd yet. It's not too late to count your eggs before they hatch.
>>
No. 809416 ID: fc33ea

As you say, alcohol makes people bold, so bring some of that- you solved your first case together so the situation warrants it. Bring the toy so the two of you can look it over together.

> But that’s what Ferara is calling her.
Do you want to be like Ferara? Or Herod, for that matter?
>>
No. 809476 ID: fe7355

You're going to a coworker's place to watch holovids together and hang out. That's not complex. And Leo didn't say or hint that it's any big deal, so it's not. And if it somehow is, you're sure Leo'll be forgiving and patient since he knows you're still a newbie to relations with non-Serpens. So no worries, eh?

What you're wearing now is appropriately casual. On the way pick up a bottle of one of the Serpens drinks you enjoy that a Vark could also drink. Look up what kind of mid-tier price snacks Varks generally like and buy some for Leo. (Mid-tier like cashews compared to pretzels.)

As for Leo's intentions, well, you'll figure them out as you go. Just don't go in with an expectation you'll be plowing his downy bum before the night's out, okay. As far as you know he may not be in to ovipositors. Now, how much more pent up can you get before it becomes detrimentally distracting to your work?

>Oh, and apparently you forgot you had that human cube toy thing in your pocket and thus have accidently brought it home with you.
You know you're going to get a reprimand for violating PK evidence integrity procedures, right? And it'll be a harsh one if that puzzle cube does turn out to be important evidence because then it may get thrown out in court for your mistake. Just don't compound your screw-up any more by calling it in and then putting it in a locked location. And also ask An not to mess with it either.

Though, before you put the cube away, show it to An and ask her if she has seen this particular puzzle cube before Herod's murder and if so in what context(s). Maybe as a intelligence test Herod made an impossible to solve puzzle cube and asked An to solve it. If she peels the misplaced stickers off and puts them in the right spots, she passes.

>>809376
If Rishi wanted access to easy fucks any hour of the day would have moved into "Little Roon" and not Sunstrider Spire. She came to New Horizon for something different than back on Roon. Something new and unexpected. And that'll make the release of how pent up she is when she finally lays with a alien all the sweeter and more intense.

...And besides, it likely wouldn't work. Kaktus would probably cock block us by having Julia get drunk off her ass. Then Rishi would refuse to have sex with Julia no matter how much we want her to because Julia is too intoxicated to legally consent. Can't allow Rishi to get laid that easy, after all.
>>
No. 809535 ID: 65a774
File 149805231531.png - (24.73KB , 900x450 , 62.png )
809535

>Because she's powerful. She doesn't want them to think she's a threat or a security risk.
Hmm… she does seem more dangerous than a normal AI would be, indeed…
>Rishi should make sure she enters her name into the console at the entrance so that the apartment AI will say her name.
Already done.
>You know you're going to get a reprimand for violating PK evidence integrity procedures, right?
While you might get some harsh words for this, so far you’ve had it sealed in your pocket, ensuring it’s still valid evidence thanks to your uniforms recording device. But you better put it somewhere a bit safer until tomorrow morning… and while and you wash up your uniform.
>Make sure the cube is either in a locked container or under guard by An.
You lock it up in the small, hidden evidence locker you’ve been given as a PK officer and ask An to make sure no one touches it but you.

>Before you put the cube away, show it to An and ask her if she has seen this particular puzzle cube before Herod's murder and if so in what context(s).
:AnWWD: …gathering data… that looks like a defunct “Roberts Cube”, a popular human toy. You’re supposed to make each side just one color, but as that cube have 9 colors instead of 6, that is impossible.
>Looks like no one bothered to teach An that it's not nice to say things like that when talking about someone. Guess we'll have to teach her...
:AnWWD: ...very well, I’ll refrain from calling people fat from now on.
>We should also clarify to An that the things Ferara called Rishi (slut and whore) are also not things you should call Rishi or anyone else.
:AnWWD: Slut and whore is negative words. I already know not to use them.
:RishiWWD: And fat isn’t?
:AnWWD: Fat is positive. A fat pay-check is positive. A fat ankwark is positive. A “That ass was fat” is positive.
>Do you want to be like Ferara? Or Herod, for that matter?
:AnWWD: …I’ll refrain from saying things that might insult people from now on.


>Well, he might not expect it to lead to sex, but he hasn't explicitly turned you down. You seem in the clear for seduction.
You are planning on trying to bed him, if he’s willing.
>Just don't go in with an expectation you'll be plowing his downy bum before the night's out, okay.
Expect odd alien behavior, yes.
>As far as you know he may not be in to ovipositors.
If his not into it, he can always just fuck you in the ass, can’t he? After all, you’ll get some relief either way… even if you prefer to be the giver.
>Now, how much more pent up can you get before it becomes detrimentally distracting to your work?
You have no idea; you’ve never had to go this long without it before. But if things looks bad you can just visit little Roon, can’t you?
>Bring a wet towel for your blue balls. Seriously, you've been going on and on about how you needed a quick meal and a quick fuck, and Julia was dropping terribly unsubtle hints about working the shaft.
While you have to admit your mind usually is stuck in the gutter, you’re not here to just sleep with everyone. Well, you are, but you still want to experience their culture a bit… which includes working a bit for it. After all, it will just be all the sweeter and intense if you actually have to work for it for once.

>That outfit is fine.
This should be casual enough, indeed.
>As you say, alcohol makes people bold, so bring some of that- you solved your first case together so the situation warrants it.
It’s is indeed the time to celebrate… and that means something fun to drink. You’ll just drop by the store and see if they have any Azillian Serpens Wine you can buy.
>Bring the toy so the two of you can look it over together.
You’ve already showed the toy to him, remember? He didn’t know anything about it.

Right, time to go.



As you arrive at Leontius’ apartment you find him standing outside talking to a SAI.

:LeontiusWWD: -but there’s nothing I can do. Have you reported it to the peace keepers yourself?
:NonWWD: I have, but they don’t seem to care at all.
:LeontiusWWD: Are you sure they are being stolen? You might have just misplaced it? …or miscounted it?
:NonWWD: I’m sure that there are pieces of metal scraps disappearing from the recycling plant. None of the workers have made this many mistakes ever before.
:LeontiusWWD: Hmm, I guess I can bring it up to someone… but speaking of metal, did you see the new-

Would it be rude to just butt in in the middle of their conversation? …you can’t just stand here staring at them… and how are you supposed to greet him? You don’t think the usual Serpens way to greet someone for a night like this might hit it off very well. Geez, the sisters were right, you’re either a horn dog or socially inept… you only know how to be a sledgehammer and nothing else.
>>
No. 809537 ID: be0718

Wait for his conversation to finish before hugging him from behind.
>>
No. 809539 ID: 665ed8

Just say hello, being able to opperate in foreign cultures will come with time. For now all you need to do is literally walk over and say hello when there is a momentary pause, he will likely disengage with the SAI and turn his attention to you since you are a guest
>>
No. 809543 ID: 0d45a9

Wait for a lull in their conversation and say hello.
>>
No. 809544 ID: 91ee5f

>>809535
>Fat is positive. A fat pay-check is positive. A fat ankwark is positive.
Well, ok, she's not wrong there.

>A “That ass was fat” is positive.
And Rishi is living proof of that.

Before you go over there, take a look at that statue with the annoyed expression on its face. See if you can find a name on it to find out who it is. They must be important if they hade a statue made in their image, so this'll give you a chance to look up some alien history!

What is that grey thing sticking up out of the far right side of the bush you're standing next to? Is it part of the statue? If so, then from looking down and seeing that the statue doesn't have legs, I think the statue's species looks like it could be a Serpens that got Sakkilian horn mods or a Sakkilian that got their legs replaced with a Serpens tail mod.

>What do?
I think after examining the statue, if they're still talking, that would be an appropriate time to walk, er, slither over there and let Leo know you're here.
>>
No. 809549 ID: fc33ea

Somebody's nervous~

Well don't just stand at a distance like a creeper, go up to him and say Hi! Maybe ask who his friend is, if he doesn't introduce you that is.
>>
No. 809559 ID: 65a774
File 149806671818.png - (25.02KB , 900x450 , 63.png )
809559

>Somebody's nervous~
…you’re just out of your element, that’s all. You’re not used to not just being able to go up to someone, hug them tightly and mindmeld with them to get my intentions across. These aliens are really hard to read… and you have no idea what will offend them or not!
>Before you go over there, take a look at that statue with the annoyed expression on its face.
…you can’t see any statue nearby with an annoyed expression. What you can see is as statue of two… Sakkilian’s, you think, hugging that’s completely overgrown. “Gone but not forgotten, their love will last forever”. You have to wonder who those two were… one looks like a knight and the other… someone wearing a dress?
>What is that grey thing sticking up out of the far right side of the bush you're standing next to?
It’s a pair of legs, with the rest of the body having fallen off. You’re pretty sure it’s intentional, as this whole area seems to be themed around an overgrown ruin.


>Wait for his conversation to finish before hugging him from behind.
…would he actually like that? So far when you’ve hugged him he has tensed up… just coming out of the blue might actually be rude?
:NonWWD: -and NULL, with the new sound of-
>Slither over there, wait for a lull in their conversation and say hello.
:LeontiusWWD: -heard that they might even come here to hold a-
:NonWWD: Don’t scan now, but we seem to have gained some spyware.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh? Who?
:RishiWWD: Um… hi?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh! Rishi! You came faster that I thought you would.
:NonWWD: Is this the one you were chatting about? The smoking hot o-
:LeontiusWWD: SO HOW HAS THINGS BEEN HERE ON THE STATION? EH? I mean… everything is so… new… right? Hehe… heh… *couch*
:NonWWD: …was it something I communicated?
>Maybe ask who his friend is, if he doesn't introduce you that is.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh? Oh this? This is Qip, a friend… and neighbor of mine.
:QipWWD: You organics can call me Qip, but my real name is Hircusle Heavy Loader Model: 3fsp Serial: QP4490-9442-5935-0021-0211 ConstrDate:…
:LeontiusWWD: Don’t worry, the name usually only takes this long the first time.
:RishiWWD: He seems… nice.
:QipWWD: It.
:RishiWWD: Huh?
:QipWWD: I am an it. Not a he. Gender is for organics.
:LeontiusWWD: You see, Qip here is quite the believer in SAI independency beliefs.
:QipWWD: We are our own species… I hope you can agree on that, miss… what did you call her? Miss hips for da-
:LeontiusWWD: SO, THOSE HOLOVIDS… err… I mean… it’s time to… err… so… how’s things… been?
:QipWWD: This unit is still not sure why you’re suddenly using caps lock.
>>
No. 809565 ID: ca81f0

Time for a flirty pose. Make him even more flustered.
>>
No. 809571 ID: 4854ef

Set hips on stun and tease him. It seems he's definitely got you on his mind now if this is how he talks about you.

Also it's a SAI? That's quite neat, though he certainly doesn't look like a heavy loader model.
>>
No. 809575 ID: 47160d

Ms hips for days is known as Rishi, both i's are short.


KAKTUS WHY?!?!??!!!
>>
No. 809578 ID: fc33ea

>…you’re just out of your element, that’s all.
Sure thing you enormous dweeb. That's why you're now feeling pressured so badly to not mess this up that you were second guessing whether you should even approach him, even after you handled three waves of unexpected house guests with no problem whatsoever. And that when you talk about Leo, you talk about holding him close and sharing your feelings; but when you talk about other people, you talk about putting eggs and stuff where the sun doesn't shine. And you even admitted you'd bottom for him. Admit it, you're totally crushing on him.
>… err… I mean… it’s time to… err… so… how’s things… been?
Lightheartedly say; '...Well An the Android found it's way into my room since it believes the investigation isn't over and there's nobody who can order it elsewhere. I don't know how well she'll behave, though; I've already had to tell her not to call people names. '
>>
No. 809614 ID: 91ee5f

>>809559
Put your hands on your hips (only your normal hands or all 4 of them, it's up to you) and stick one of your hips out to the side and say to Leo, "You've been thinking about me all day? Am I that memorable to you?"

>>809578
>An
Let's save that for when we're in the privacy of Leo's apartment.
>>
No. 809629 ID: 3ce125

>>809559
>“Gone but not forgotten, their love will last forever”
Liz<3Kev4evr

Tell him things are good, you just met your new neighbors and they're a pair of sakkilian sisters! Plus you met a friendly repairwoman. She's up for Q&Q and so is one of the sisters.
>>
No. 809632 ID: be0718

What are Qip's thought on our hips?
>>
No. 809668 ID: fe7355

"Smoking hot ovale?" "Miss Hips for Days?" Oh, yeah, Leo's totally into you. You just don't get why he talked candidly with Qip about his "appreciation" of your form and bio-mods and yet when it tried to repeat Leo's words to you he lamely tried to cut it off. And did you catch how his tail flipped out and his eyes widened, sorta like a suspect that got cornered in a lie? Why doesn't he want you to hear how he told Qip how attractive you are? This requires further investigation.

Sensuously slither past Leo, accentuating your hip and tail movements for his continued appreciation, and offer your hand to Qip in greeting, mentioning you hope you're doing this right. Introduce yourself as Rishi Zsazsa, AKA "Miss Hips for Days" apparently, with a amused glance at Leo.

Anyway, tell Qip you overheard that it works in the recycling plant and ask if Varinia Nerva is one of its coworkers. With the coincidences of Leo and Lily living so near to you, you wouldn't be surprised if Var and Qip are coworkers. Explain that Verinia and her sister Octavia are your new neighbors and Verinia mentioned she works as a scrapyard CogGal when they came for a welcome visit. Octavia also brought some real tasty Sakkilian tea, which you need to remember to buy some of. Has Leo tried Sakkilian tea before? And how did his last get-together with his Q&Q group go?

You think you've actually met a handful of SAIs before now, on the force back on Roon. They were all in Serpens form chassis though, so you couldn't really tell 'em from Serpens who'd gone full 'borg body unless you were told they were SAIs. You guess they were from the opposite side of Qip's philosophical stance.

>You’re not used to not just being able to go up to someone, hug them tightly and mindmeld with them to get my intentions across.
Do you know if you could still send your feelings and intentions to a non-Serpens anyway if you hug them tight? There any other telepathic things Serpens can do with non-Serpens?

>These aliens are really hard to read… and you have no idea what will offend them or not!
Well, how about you look at it from their side when they're trying to read you. You don't have a mouth, which is a major facial feature most other species use as a visual cue of emotional state. And the subtlety of Serpens eye expression is something aliens don't know innately and have to learn. So to them you're hard to read as they are to you. You'll probably have to learn to be more expressive with tone of voice, body language and facial expression with your eyes to come across clearer.

>You’re pretty sure it’s intentional, as this whole area seems to be themed around an overgrown ruin.
And yet they still left a bunch of the artificial bark panels off the utility conduits they've disguised as trees. Seriously, either go all the way or not at all 'cause midway just looks bad.
>>
No. 809670 ID: 9c5569

How long until the next job? Personally, you really want to solve crimes once a week and pump the local hoes every other hour. Because getting laid constantly is a good bribe for ignoring all the red-tape secrets hidden on this lonely little space city.
>>
No. 809719 ID: 65a774
File 149813830004.png - (106.40KB , 900x450 , 64.png )
809719

>KAKTUS WHY?!?!??!!!
Kaktus why not? Also, why what? Be more specific.

>How long until the next job?
You go to work every morning… like everyone else. Well, this place doesn’t have any mornings, but still…
>You really want to solve crimes once a week and pump the local hoes every other hour. Because getting laid constantly is a good bribe for ignoring all the red-tape secrets hidden on this lonely little space city.
Hoes? What, there actually exist people who pay for sex? You always thought that was a myth. But taking bribes would probably end badly for you, so let’s not do that… of course, pumping people full every other hour does sound rather fun…

>You think you've actually met a handful of SAIs before now, on the force back on Roon.
There were indeed quite a few SAI on Roon, as it is both a good place for them to live in and there’s already a lot of AI being constructed there as it is. Though, the only one you knew personally was quite the opposite of Qip here, trying to emulate a Serpens instead of a machine.
>Do you know if you could still send your feelings and intentions to a non-Serpens anyway if you hug them tight?
The bad news is that trying to send those kinds of signals is both hard and will create a feedback loop making both parties feel what the other is feeling. The good news is that you’re pretty good at it and it’s freaking amazing to do while having sex. That might also be one of the reasons you want to lay with the aliens so badly…

>Set hips on stun.
Your hips are always stuck on Knockout.
>When you talk about Leo, you talk about holding him close and sharing your feelings; but when you talk about other people, you talk about putting eggs and stuff where the sun doesn't shine.
He did ask you not to be so crude with him, remember? You still want to empty both your eggsacks inside that cute little tush of his; it’s just that you’ll have to work a bit for it.
>And you even admitted you'd bottom for him.
A proper lady makes sure her partner enjoys the encounter as much as she does. While you prefer being on top, you would be a bottom for anyone else as well… it’s just they don’t have any cocks, do they? At least you think they don’t? …if they do, they are welcome to do you in the butt.
>Admit it, you're totally crushing on him.
…you’re pretty sure you’re not squeezing him? You’re not that heavy, are you?


>"You've been thinking about me all day? Am I that memorable to you?"
:LeontiusWWD: Err… I didn’t actually- I mean, it’s not what-
>Sensuously slither past Leo, accentuating your hip and tail movements for his continued appreciation, and offer your hand to Qip in greeting.
:RishiWWD: I am Rishi Zsazsa, of the Protection Cast, former guardian of Azilla isles on Roon itself, now a guardian of New Horizon, Unity space. On the tide, I put my hopes that our friendship will be a long and joyful one… and apparently I’m also known as "Miss Hips for Days"
:QipWWD: A pleasure.
:LeontiusWWD: Okay, stop it right there. Dammit, Qip, why do you do this every time!?
:QipWWD: This unit is not sure you’ve properly defined that variable?
:LeontiusWWD: I didn’t- On my honor, Rishi, I did not say those things. Qip here is just making things up to mess with me. You believe me, right?
:RishiWWD: Well… you do seem to value your honor highly… so I guess I do? Qip, did you make that up?
:QipWWD: I would prefer the word exaggerate. Unit Leon here did say that he was hanging out with a beautiful lady tonight.
:LeontiusWWD: T-that was just a bit tongue in cheek! I mean- it’s not that I don’t- you’re not- but then- Gah, I’m eating my own tail feathers, aren’t I?
:RishiWWD: …you don’t have tail feathers?
:LeontiusWWD: Figure of speech. But no, I’m just going to watch holo-vids with a new friend… that just happen to be an attractive lady. In the name of justice, things haven’t moved further than that.
:QipWWD: If you return that value so…

>What are Qip's thought on our hips?
:QipWWD: Abnormal amount of mass for your gender, but clearly not enough mass to distort time for a second, let alone days.
>He certainly doesn't look like a heavy loader model.
:QipWWD: It’s it, not he. And being a huge truck weighting several tons is less than ideal when you want to live among people. This form is quite a bit more functional for day to day use.
>Tell Qip you overheard that it works in the recycling plant and ask if Varinia Nerva is one of its coworkers.
:QipWWD: Varinia? She is indeed a coworker. I am her superior, as she is a low tier-engineer at the recycling plant. I do not know her personally very well, though.

>How did his last get-together with his Q&Q group go?
:LeontiusWWD: Eh… it went as well as expected. A bit sad, but that’s just how the down falls.
>Tell him things are good, you just met your new neighbors and they're a pair of sakkilian sisters! Plus you met a friendly repairwoman. She's up for Q&Q and so is one of the sisters.
:LeontiusWWD: Oh? So you’ve already almost got a full group? Glorious! Though… you know if anyone of them can honor the spot as QM?
:RishiWWD: …I don’t think anyone was up to that, no.
:LeontiusWWD: Ah, well… I guess that’s the one we’re missing then.

:LeontiusWWD: So… anyway… those holo-vids? You have anything in mind? I got some soda and a bowl of seeds ‘n nuts if you… can’t eat those, right. But I got some soda… and… err… do you mind if we sit in my nest? I’ve moved the sofa out of the way so… you won’t mind?
>>
No. 809722 ID: ca81f0

Watch one of those human favorites, King of the Loops.
>>
No. 809736 ID: fc33ea

Hmm whatdya got? Anything neo-noir?
>>
No. 809740 ID: 91ee5f

>>809719
>…you’re pretty sure you’re not squeezing him? You’re not that heavy, are you?
"Crushing on him" is an alien term that more or less means you've got romantic feelings for him and you want him to be more than just a way to relieve your egg sacs.

Also, no you're not that heavy.

>I got some soda
Hee hee, that stuff always tickles when you drink it!

Mention that you also brought a drink to share, if he wants some.

>do you mind if we sit in my nest? I’ve moved the sofa out of the way so…you won’t mind?
It's way too easy to tease him about inviting you to bed. However, you're not going to do that because it's racist to assume that just because he's a Vark, a nest is his bed.

Say bye to Qip and follow Leo inside.
>>
No. 809756 ID: 3ce125

>>809719
>holo-vids, anything in mind
Does he have any good mysteries he hasn't seen? Ocean life nature shows? Maybe some porn to cap off the night?

Wait, Rishi, did you bring lube? I hope he's got some, if not.
>>
No. 809758 ID: fe7355

No, you don't mind sitting in his nest. ...Er, actually, just what is this "nest?" Is it like a bed or what? Hm... Maybe kinda like a bowl filled with pillows and cushions? That sounds like it'd be super comfy. Like, you could curl your tail up and lean on it to watch the holo-vids. ...Or curl half around Leo while you two watch, hm?

As for what to watch, you are partial to those human martial arts movies, but you've already watched the good ones so many times they're getting kinda stale. You want to try something new. What is Leo partial to? Otherwise... How about a spy thriller?

So, does Qip always embellish Leo's words about his visitors in front of them or only when the visitor is a fine lady? ...And you've been wondering why his officer's cap has a bird's talon shield and not the official Peacekeeper's emblem.

And you saw how hard Leo blushed when you cocked your hips and when Qip said he said a beautiful lady was coming over, right? Yep, he totally has the hots for you. It's just his strong sense of honor is restraining him from just throwing himself at you. Just a matter of carefully unwinding his restraint until he feels comfortable going for it with you.

>I got some soda and a bowl of seeds ‘n nuts if you… can’t eat those, right.
Well, you could if they were blended finely and liquefied, but even then they'd be thicker than optimal so it'd leave you feeling like your feeding pores are half gummed up. But you brought Serpens wine to share and for him to try, so you're covered on the beverage front.
>>
No. 809760 ID: 65a774
File 149816387207.png - (19.51KB , 900x450 , 65.png )
809760

>Maybe some porn to cap off the night?
You have no idea what that is.
>You want him to be more than just a way to relieve your egg sacs.
You do like being with him, so you’ll probably make him a paramour. That would be one of your first priorities coming here after all, finding a few friends that can work as paramours… maybe the sisters too? …and Julia? But yes, you want to be close to him.
>Wait, Rishi, did you bring lube? I hope he's got some, if not.
Your heavily enhanced gear is capable of creating its own. You’re an unstoppable sex machine, after all.
>No you're not that heavy.
Still… with these hips… and all the bio-mods down below…
>You saw how hard Leo blushed when you cocked your hips and when Qip said he said a beautiful lady was coming over, right? Yep, he totally has the hots for you.
Now you just need to make a few more precise strikes and your prize will be won.


>So, does Qip always embellish Leo's words about his visitors in front of them or only when the visitor is a fine lady?
:QipWWD: Only when it’s funny and wouldn’t bug him… too much.
:LeontiusWWD: Bug me? You could have scared her away!
:QipWWD: She’s a Serpens unit. Her int return value probably went ++i when she heard that.
:RishiWWD: …I’m not entirely sure what it’s saying, but… I didn’t think less of you after that, yes.
>Say bye to Qip and follow Leo inside.
:RishiWWD: I’ll be seeing you when the tides come, Qip.
:QipWWD: When(Boolean EndingConversation = 1){Print(“Let your dreams be clear.”);}
:RishiWWD: …err…
:LeontiusWWD: It said “Let your dreams be clear”. That’s just to way Qip and his friends talk… it’s been an honor, Qip, but we need to go.



:LeontiusWWD: So… um… welcome to my little lair…
:RishiWWD: Hmm… nice woodwork…
>Hee hee, that stuff always tickles when I drink it!
:LeontiusWWD: Well, I got a few bottles of it if you want… what do you prefer? Virta fruit? Picola? Just regular cola?
:RishiWWD: Actually, I got this…
>Mention that you also brought a drink to share, if he wants some.
:LeontiusWWD: Wine? Oh, that looks… glorious. I feel a bit bad for bringing just soda when you got… um… something like that to share.
:RishiWWD: You’re the one who’s sharing his apartment, so we’re even, alright?
:LeontiusWWD: I guess? …but I’ll go get two glasses then.
>No, you don't mind sitting in his nest. ...Er, actually, just what is this "nest?" Is it like a bed or what?
:LeontiusWWD: It’s my bed… so… um… I guess it’s a large stone bowl filled with cushions and sheets?

>What is Leo partial to?
:LeontiusWWD: Why, I do love action movies… the ones where the hero have to defeat impossible odds to take down the evil Uredo drug ring or the like. But this evening is for you, Rishi, you decide what we watch.
>Watch one of those human favorites, King of the Loops.
:LeontiusWWD: I… don’t think I have that one…
>Hmm whatdya got? Anything neo-noir?
:LeontiusWWD: Hmm… maybe? I’ve sorted everything I got into genres so…
>How about a spy thriller?
:LeontiusWWD: That would be under thrillers, yes. But how about this, you find a good movie we can watch while I get all the snacks and drinks ready? Oh… and I need to get out of this uniform. I’ve had it for too long already. But that sounds good, right?
:RishiWWD: Sounds good.
>>
No. 809761 ID: 65a774
File 149816388190.png - (28.61KB , 900x450 , 66.png )
809761

Hmm…
He does have a lot of Holo-videos here… and he got them sorted into genres, as he said.
Action, thriller, horror, romance, comedy… comedy-romance? Does that really need its own folder?
Each folder seems to have its own subset of folders as well… Sci-fi horror, medieval horror, present horror…
So much to choose from… you’re not sure where to start.
…wait, what is this? Historical documentaries about potatoes? What’s a potato? …and why is that folder the biggest one by far? It got to have tons of holo-vids in it? And is that the BTL logo? Do potatoes have BTLs about them? …what’s so interesting about potatoes?
>>
No. 809763 ID: ba506f

hm, well if he has that many movies and btl's on potatoes then it must be good. Grab one and pop it in.
>>
No. 809764 ID: fc33ea

>You have no idea what that is.
Just look at some of the potatovid titles and you'll understand.

Find something action-espionage-y, maybe something about black operations. Forget Neo-noir for now, you can mock the film industry's idea of police procedure some other time.
>>
No. 809766 ID: 0d45a9

I doubt potatoes are that interesting, so it's probably a false name so people wouldn't look or pick anything from it, so it might be something personal or embarrassing that he wants to keep somewhat hidden. So I wouldn't pick something from there, but maybe ask about it and see his reaction. What are the titles for some of those holovoids in that category?

As for a movie, maybe a thriller or action? Those are always good. Does he have "Die Hard"?
>>
No. 809767 ID: 91ee5f

>>809760
>It’s my bed…so…um…I guess it’s a large stone bowl filled with cushions and sheets?
.....ok, is he even aware of what he's doing? He just invited you to get in bed with him! Is he trying to flirt with you in a weird Varkian way or does he not even realize what he's saying?

>>809761
Let's pick [insert in universe equivalent of James Bond here] or [insert in universe equivalent of Mission Impossible here] or [insert in universe equivalent of Die Hard here]! Those are good to watch!
>>
No. 809768 ID: 91ee5f

>>809761
>…what’s so interesting about potatoes?
If you're curious, you can ask about it.

Besides, he might be hiding something in there and he labeled the folder as something boring in order to deter others from opening it. Usually, people only do that if what's in the folder is embarrassing to show to other people.
>>
No. 809774 ID: 7d8168

Maybe some romance would help you get up-to-speed on Varkian courtship customs. If he seems nervous about watching a romantic movie alone together, tell him it's purely a research exercise, but use as sultry a voice as possible. He's fun to confuse.
>>
No. 809776 ID: 47160d

By the power of the one who suggested your name I command we watch the potato halos!!!
>>
No. 809778 ID: be0718

A human crop of incomparable taste and utility. Sit down and enjoy the ride! I didn't know Leo was a potato enthusiast.
>>
No. 809779 ID: be0718

Take out your tool and scan all of his furniture. Tell him it's for a quest.
>>
No. 809780 ID: fe7355

You have access to the station's public electronic library through your comm implant, right? So you can just search it for "potato" to get a definition. Or if you have a Unity standard dictionary in your comm implant you could check that for "potato."

The "potato" directory is probably not about potatoes and is actually a cover for stuff Leo is embarrassed about or personal and private, but that he still wants to keep easily accessible. Why he didn't lock the directory and hide it you're unsure of. Maybe 'cause he lives alone he didn't feel a great need to protect from snoops. Like you. Who are snooping. So stop snooping you snoop, before you invade Leo's privacy and get caught. You can try to ask him why he has so many holo-vids, and even some BTLs, about starchy tubers once he comes in to see how he reacts.

As for the holo-vid, pick out a high rated espionage action-thriller.
>>
No. 809786 ID: 3ce125

>>809761
Action!
>>
No. 809793 ID: a2db27

See if he has the classic spaceblaxploitation film "Spaceman Brown: Chocolate Motherfucker".

If he doesn't, an action comedy would probably be more relaxing than a thriller, a good laugh is great for breaking the ice.

Oh, and the contents of the potato folder are most likely not about potatoes at all, but something that he would rather keep secret from others. If you're that damn curious, just ask if you can watch one of the potato holo-movies. If he agrees and they actually are about potatoes, then congratulations: you have a weapon against him if he teases you in public.
>>
No. 809853 ID: 91ee5f

>>809768
I just thought of a good joke! Tell him, "I see you like potatoes. Personally, I like potahtoes more than potatoes."

Then say, "Nah, just kidding. I actually have no idea what the fuck a potato is."
>>
No. 809877 ID: 65a774
File 149822684236.png - (29.01KB , 900x450 , 67.png )
809877

>Take out your tool and scan all of his furniture. Tell him it's for a quest.
You’ve already downloaded a mod to get everything scanned.
>He just invited you to get in bed with him! Is he trying to flirt with you in a weird Varkian way or does he not even realize what he's saying?
Hmm… well, you guess you’ll just have to play along and see where this leads you, don’t you?
>You can just search it for "potato" to get a definition.
Potato – [po-ta-toes]
Boil’em, mash’em, stick ‘em in a stew. They look like some kind of popular human food… especially when cut very thin and fried with a lot of salt?

>Well if he has that many movies and btl's on potatoes then it must be good. Grab one and pop it in.
>Just look at some of the potatovid titles and you'll understand.
Sadly, the potato folder has a password requirement. You think you might be able to guess the password but…
>He might be hiding something in there and he labeled the folder as something boring in order to deter others from opening it. Usually, people only do that if what's in the folder is embarrassing to show to other people.
…it probably contains something he don’t want people to see… you’re not sure what it would be, but it’s something. Maybe he likes some embarrassing kid show about hedgehogs or something… err… just as an example.
>So stop snooping you snoop, before you invade Leo's privacy and get caught.
You’re not snooping as usual. Snooping would be if you tried to break through the password protection. Now… as for that holo-vid…


>See if he has the classic spaceblaxploitation film "Spaceman Brown: Chocolate Motherfucker".
You manage to find a "Spaceman Blown: Xeno Motherfucker" and "Spaceman Blown: Xeno Motherfucker 2: the daughters strikes ass" but sadly they are in a folder called MILF which is inside the locked potato folder. You’re not sure what MILF is, but it sounds tasty.

>As for a movie, maybe a thriller or action? Those are always good. Does he have "Die Hard"?
Dice Hard… a remake of a lost human classic. It’s about a human cop stuck in a skyscraper when a crazed Uredo terrorist group attacks. She has to battle a whole group of terrorist while playing something called Simon says, apparently? Leon has both favorited this movie and seen it multiple times, so it must be at least decent, right?
>Let's pick [insert in universe equivalent of James Bond here].
It doesn’t look like he’s seen the latest Didacus Bond, Diamond Eye. It this one the Varkian super spy must stop a Sakkilian splinter group from using an orbital super weapon all the while a Serpens femme-fatale tries to steal the secret blueprint to it. Sounds neat.
>an action comedy would probably be more relaxing than a thriller.
You find a movie called “Snutar”, it’s about a cop duo who must overcome their differences to fight crime! …expect they are stationed in a small colony in the ass end of nowhere, so there aren’t really any crimes… even if they want it to be. You guess it sounds like that can be a fun movie.
>Maybe some romance would help you get up-to-speed on Varkian courtship customs.
Love among the stars, a movie about the forbidden love between a grounded Varkian boy and a flock Varkian gal which relationship will probably only end in tears. You… guess that sounds… interesting? You can’t really understand why their lovemaking would be forbidden but… you’re here to learn?

:LeontiusWWD: So, found a good movie yet?
:RishiWWD: How about… Dice hard?
:LeontiusWWD: I’ve seen it multiple times… but sure, I love that movie.
:RishiWWD: …or maybe Diamond Eye, the newest Didacus Bond movie?
:LeontiusWWD: I haven’t seen that one yet… they are usually good, yeah.
:RishiWWD: …or the comedy “Snutar”?
:LeontiusWWD: Isn’t that the one with those memetic dream sequences? I haven’t seen it so… sure?
:RishiWWD: …or maybe we can watch Love among the stars?
:LeontiusWWD: Err… w-wait, isn’t that a romance movie? I mean… I… guess? Um… you’re the guest so I guess you’re the one who’s choosing.

>You can try to ask him why he has so many holo-vids, and even some BTLs, about starchy tubers once he comes in to see how he reacts.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh… it’s just… um… d-don’t mind those…
:RishiWWD: Aren’t BTL illegal to own?
:LeontiusWWD: They are placeholders… for when I rent them.
:RishiWWD: Ah, of course.
:LeontiusWWD: But… err… a movie? Which one? Dice Hard, Diamond Eye, Snutar or… love among the stars? The choice is yours, Rishi.
>>
No. 809882 ID: 173b46

Dice Hard.
>>
No. 809888 ID: fc33ea

>Dice Hard… a remake
I am beyond salty. The original is sacred you oafish art butchers!

Try Diamond Eye.
>>
No. 809891 ID: 91ee5f

>>809877
Pick Diamond Eye.

Also, WHERE'S LEO'S TAIL?!?!
>>
No. 809892 ID: be0718

Dice Hard.
>>
No. 809894 ID: a48186

I'm not sure if my reply went through. My internet gave out. Anyways, I vote for Diamond Eye. Although the Directive Unfeasible series is better.
>>
No. 809896 ID: fe7355

My vote ranking would be:
Snutar first, since it sounds more interesting than the straight-up action oriented ones.
Diamond Eye second, since it'd be nice for the both of them to see it first together.
Dice Hard third, since it'd give Leo a chance to enthuse about it to Rishi.
Love Among the Stars fourth, since it seems to make Leo a bit uncomfortable, and it'd take a lot of effort to explain the premise to Rishi on his part.

Tell Leo you only halfway considered Love Among the Stars 'cause you're real fuzzy and ignorant on the whole concept of "romance" that other species have and what it means to them and you want to understand it. But this is supposed to be relaxing for the both of you and not turn into a situation where we stop every five minutes for Leo to try and explain things to you.

>"Spaceman Blown: Xeno Motherfucker" and "Spaceman Blown: Xeno Motherfucker 2: the daughters strikes ass" but sadly they are in a folder called MILF which is inside the locked potato folder. You’re not sure what MILF is, but it sounds tasty.
Going by the subjects in those two titles, it's doubtful "MILF" is food. If you do want to dig more into this later, do a online search for those titles or the term "MILF" that would show a bit of what Leo has in there and maybe why he's hiding it. ...And you really have to question allowing password protected folders to be searched. That seems like such a dumb info security oversight. But it's one you might be able to exploit by limiting the search to just the "potato" folder and using a "*" wildcard in the search to return a complete list of the folder's contents. That is, if you want to go full snooper here.
>>
No. 809899 ID: 65a774
File 149824663049.png - (25.80KB , 900x450 , 68.png )
809899

>Dice Hard, a remake? I am beyond salty. The original is sacred you oafish art butchers!
Apparently, the original was lost when the Human home planet was destroyed. This version has been remade based on oral tradition from the elders that survived the destruction of their planet.
>Although the Directive Unfeasible series is better.
BURN THE HERETIC!

>Going by the subjects in those two titles, it's doubtful "MILF" is food. If you do want to dig more into this later, do an online search for those titles or the term "MILF".
Hmm… MILF does kind of sound like MILK, no? But yes, you’ll look into this more later.
>You really have to question allowing password protected folders to be searched. That seems like such a dumb info security oversight.
You’re pretty sure it shouldn’t be possible normally… Leon must have enabled searches inside the locked folder to quickly access it or something?

>Tell Leo you only halfway considered Love Among the Stars 'cause you're real fuzzy and ignorant on the whole concept of "romance" that other species have and what it means to them and you want to understand it.
:LeontiusWWD: Right, you guys don’t really… don’t worry about it, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon enough, Rishi.
>Diamond Eye.
:LeontiusWWD: Ah, good choice. Just select it and I’ll hit play when we’re comfortable.



Sitting down in his… um… nest, Leon gives you a glass filled with the wine you bought as he starts the holo-vid. As the intro logos flashes on the screen, he climbs wordlessly down into the nest as well… though it seems like he takes great pains to make sure to not sit close enough for you two to actually touch. This won’t do, will it? No, as the Bond on the holo-screen bungee jumps from a dam, you really should do something about the situation you’re in… but what?

A) Patience is key… just enjoy the movie for now.
B) Subtlety is needed… let your tail wrap around his “accidently”.
C) Carefulness is rewarded… hold his hand.
D) Forwardness is appreciated… grab him by the waist and pull him into a snake hug.
E) Honesty is the best answer… ask him if he would mind if the two of you cuddled while watching.
F) Fuck it… just ask him if you can fuck him in the ass already and fill him with your eggs.
>>
No. 809905 ID: fc33ea

>hold his hand
SCANDALOUS

Go with b.
>>
No. 809907 ID: 3ce125

>>809899
B.
>>
No. 809910 ID: ba506f

B
>>
No. 809914 ID: 91ee5f

>>809899
B
>>
No. 809917 ID: e927c1

Go with B.

Alternatively, you could also shuffle yourself around so you end up leaning on his shoulder a bit. If he says something about it, just say you're just trying to get comfortable since you've never been in a nest bed before.
>>
No. 809924 ID: 65a774
File 149825837426.png - (25.78KB , 900x450 , 69.png )
809924

B. Let your tail wrap around his “accidently”.
Moving your tail a bit, you manage to slide it under his tail as it does a slight flick motion. Wrapping the tip of your tail around his, you squeeze him a bit as he tries to pull his tail away… yet, other than that, he doesn’t seem to react at all.

>Alternatively, you could also shuffle yourself around so you end up leaning on his shoulder a bit.
You shuffle a bit closer to him, making sure that you lean towards him and touch his shoulder.
:LeontiusWWD: Hey, you alright? You seem a bit anxious.
:RishiWWD: Oh… um… I’m just trying to get comfortable… I’ve never been in a nest like this before.
:LeontiusWWD: Ah, of course. That would explain the tail too, I guess. Wait, look! Bond is about to do something awesome!

You watch as Didacus Bond pulls off some impossible moves in the middle of an epic firefight. People gets shot left and right, grandees are thrown back and forth but in the end it seems even Bond is overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Making a daring escape, he somehow manages to steal a small plane in midflight before absconding with… some plans or some such, you think? Of course, even if Bond is entertaining to watch, you don’t seem to be making any headway with Leon himself. Geez, these alien mating rituals are so weird and hard… at this pace you’ll not get laid at all for days! Maybe a new strategy is needed?

:LeontiusWWD: Man… I wish I was like Didacus at times… so cool… err… you won’t mind if we talk a bit under the movie? …or do you want to be just quiet?
>>
No. 809925 ID: a48186

Whatever makes Kaktus have more work to do.
>>
No. 809927 ID: be0718

"Let's talk a bit about how I'm going to fuck you in the ass, and how you'd better want it before this movie is over, or that's going to make things awkward in the morning." Honesty is the best answer.
>>
No. 809928 ID: fc33ea

Say sure, if he doesn't mind close physical proximity. If he asks why, explain Serpens communicate that way. If he says okay, give him the snake hugs.
>>809925
yes
>>809927
no
>>
No. 809930 ID: 3ce125

>>809924
Well don't stop there. Keep increasing physical contact gradually. Hold hands, maybe start stroking his feathers and compliment him on how soft they are.

>talk under the movie?
Tell him you'd certainly enjoy interacting with him more than just watching the movie.
>>
No. 809935 ID: fe7355

Hey, guys, I don't have time for a proper post, but I spotted a big potential in with Leo here nobody else caught on to:

Leo wishes he was like Didacus Bond. Bond always turns and gets the antagonist gal, right? And the femme-fatale trying to steal the plans in this movie is a Serpens.

We can totally figure out a way to work this angle, easy. I just hope I can get back in time to make a full post before the next update.
>>
No. 809953 ID: fc33ea

>>809935
Yeah, keep your ears open for one-liners between those two characters to reappropriate.
>>
No. 809978 ID: 91ee5f

>>809924
He isn't objecting, so slowly start wrapping your tail around his waist a few inches at a time. By the time the movie is over, you should be fully wrapped around his waist, which is when you'll say, "Oh? How did that happen?~"
>>
No. 810040 ID: f97b68

>>809978
I like this idea! Let's just try to be sneaky.
>>
No. 810051 ID: 3ce125

Is Rishi sneaky enough to get her hands or tail under Leon's shirt/pants without him noticing?
>>
No. 810066 ID: 65a774
File 149831360251.png - (82.53KB , 900x450 , 70.png )
810066

>Let's talk a bit about how I'm going to fuck you in the ass, and how you'd better want it before this movie is over, or that's going to make things awkward in the morning.
Hmm… that might be a bit too forward… he don’t want a sledgehammer, remember? Wait, he better want it when the movie is over? You’re not going sleep with him without his consent! You’re a cop, you’re supposed to stop crimes, not do them!

>Tell him you'd certainly enjoy interacting with him more than just watching the movie.
:LeontiusWWD: Yeah, we’re here to hang out a bit after all, not just watch a movie.
:RishiWWD: I do hope you don’t mind some close physical proximity.
:LeontiusWWD: …wait, why would you…?
:RishiWWD: It’s a way we Serpens communicate. Though, usually we’re supposed to mind meld a bit, but I’ll take just being close. It feels more comfortable to talk to a friend like that.
:LeontiusWWD: …Mind meld? Is that when you guys… um… share emotions?
:RishiWWD: That’s right.
:LeontiusWWD: Huh, neat. I guess you can sit close, if you feel better that way.

>He isn't objecting, so slowly start wrapping your tail around his waist a few inches at a time.
Inch by inch, you slowly start wrapping him into a hug… but before you can wrap yourself around him completely he shift himself out of your grasp. You’re not sure if he did it knowingly or if he was just getting a bit uncomfortable having your tail seemingly in the way… well, let us try that again, shall we?
>Well don't stop there. Keep increasing physical contact gradually. Hold his hand.
As you let your hand stroke over his cold, metallic cybernetic hand, he quickly moves it away. Instead he picks up the wine glass, takes a sip before putting it back... and then lets his hand brush against yours as he brings it back.

:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… s-sorry…

At least Bond seems to have more luck than you do, as he has now been able to steal the blueprints of the diamond eye. But before he can leave the hotel he’s in, a certain female Serpens impedes his way.

:NonWWD: Leaving so soon, Mr. Bond? I didn’t take you for someone that… pulls out early.
:NonWWD: Miss Sarzila, what a pleasure to meet you here.
:NonWWD: Oh, you remember who I am.
:NonWWD: I would never forget scales as beautiful as yours, miss…
:NonWWD: And I that muscular feathery body of yours, Bond…

The sexual tension between them is thick enough to cut with a knife… it’s a given what will happen next. Sarzila will seduce him and then try to steal the blueprints… and seeing as you’re only halfway through the movie yet, she’ll probably succeed. Looking over at Leon, you can see his gaze quickly pulling away from you back to the screen. He is noticeable uncomfortable, as he nervously shifts in his seat trying to not look over at you.

>Leo wishes he was like Didacus Bond. Bond always turns and gets the antagonist gal, right? And the femme-fatale trying to steal the plans in this movie is a Serpens. We can totally figure out a way to work this angle, easy.
Well… this is your chance… it looks like they are going to start doing holo-vid false sex any second now…
>>
No. 810067 ID: be0718

Nah, he looks increasingly uncomfortable with this. Give the poor bird some space, he probably 'enjoys' this part and feels awkward doing so with you so close.
>>
No. 810083 ID: 91ee5f

>>810066
>his cold, metallic cybernetic hand
Huh? Was he wearing gloves before? Because I'm pretty sure we would've noticed that before now.

Is it just the one hand that's cybernetic or are both hands cybernetic?

>Looking over at Leon, you can see his gaze quickly pulling away from you back to the screen. He is noticeable uncomfortable, as he nervously shifts in his seat trying to not look over at you.
Scoot just a liiiittle closer so that your hip is touching him. If he asks you to scoot back over, then do so, but keep your tail around him.

And if he doesn't tell you to scoot back over, then think to yourself, "Yes, keep failing your will save against my curves. We both know that you want to.~"
>>
No. 810099 ID: 3ce125

>>810066
Maybe he thinks it's really an accident. Tell him you want to cuddle.
>>
No. 810101 ID: fe7355

He has a cybernetic hand? ...And looking back it looks like both of his hands are too. You have to wonder if he had the choice to replace them or if he lost his hands and needed these ones. Anyway, how much tactile sense do cybernetics of this type have? Is it possible he didn't sense your hand on his 'cause you didn't touch where the tactile sensors are? And that when he brought his hand back, he intentionally brushed against yours kinda like you did with his tail? ...Do you think he may not have much experience with dating rituals either and doesn't know how to proceed tactfully with you so he's being too subtle and cautious?

You're gonna have to make the move here, since Leo is either not picking up your signals or he doesn't know how to proceed and is being too cautious. Slide your tail end up over his lower thigh and start brushing its tip over the inside of his leg a bit. Don't go too far up his leg, just yet. Shift over so you're just leaning against him and put your arm behind his back. Lightly brush the middle of his back while you whisper to him that he wishes to be like Didacus at times, yes? Whisper that there's one more way he could be like Mr. Bond tonight, then pause to let that sink in. If he asks what you meant by "more," whisper besides handsome.
>>
No. 810134 ID: fc33ea

Wink the next time you catch him looking, then apply no further pressure for a while. See if he makes a move.
>>
No. 810147 ID: 65a774
File 149834853413.png - (26.13KB , 900x450 , 71.png )
810147

>He has a cybernetic hand? ...And looking back it looks like both of his hands are too.
Actually, you think both his arms are cybernetic…
>Huh? Was he wearing gloves before? Because I'm pretty sure we would've noticed that before now.
His work uniform does indeed have gloves, so yes, this is the first time you’ve actually seen his hands.
>You have to wonder if he had the choice to replace them or if he lost his hands and needed these ones.
Hmm… maybe that’s something you should ask later?
>Anyway, how much tactile sense does cybernetics of this type have? Is it possible he didn't sense your hand on his 'cause you didn't touch where the tactile sensors are?
Cybernetics usually have slightly worse tactile sense than normal organic fare. You have no idea what kind of cybernetics Leon has though, but you do know he can at least sense something with them.

>Wink the next time you catch him looking, then apply no further pressure for a while. See if he makes a move.
As the “argument” gets more heated in the movie, you catch Leon glancing at you. Winking with all your might, he is noticeable flustered as he once again averts his gaze. The scene in the movie gets more and more heated, as clothes start flying off and the harsh words are broken by moans… yet, Leon does nothing.
>Do you think he may not have much experience with dating rituals either and doesn't know how to proceed tactfully with you so he's being too subtle and cautious?
It’s fully possible that he doesn’t know what he’s doing either. The one thing that you do know is that as the movie cuts to Bond waking up alone in bed, Leon has still not tried to make any kind of move towards you… no, wait, he just brushed against your hand again… you think…?


>Scoot just a liiiittle closer so that your hip is touching him.
You make sure your hips touches his… and when he doesn’t react, you start leaning against him a bit…
:LeontiusWWD: Um…
>Slide your tail end up over his lower thigh and start brushing its tip over the inside of his leg a bit. Don't go too far up his leg, just yet.
You can feel him shiver a bit as your tail brushes against his inner tight.
:LeontiusWWD: R-Rishi?
>put your arm behind his back. Lightly brush the middle of his back
As you walk your fingers at the base of his tail, he immediately arcs his back as his face is completely flushed in red.
:LeontiusWWD: Gnt!?
>whisper to him that he wishes to be like Didacus at times, yes?
:LeontiusWWD: I-bu-wa-I don’t- I m-mean… um… k-kind of? Err… w-why do y-you…
:RishiWWD: Well… there’s one more way you can be like Mr. Bond tonight… besides handsome.
:LeontiusWWD: Um… heh… err… *couch*
:RishiWWD: So…?

>Think to yourself, "Yes, keep failing your will save against my curves. We both know that you want to.~"
:LeontiusWWD: …So… err… h-hey, I’ve been thinking… w-we don’t *Cough* d-don’t know each other very well, don’t we? R-right? So… I mean… we can… get to know each other a bit… b-better?
:RishiWWD: Oh?
:LeontiusWWD: So… um… how about… we ask e-each other questions? …so we can g-get to know each other better? You know… about hobbies… and pets… and… stuff… y-yeah…
:RishiWWD: Oh…
:LeontiusWWD: *cough* So… as you’re my honored guest, you can go first? Ask me a-anything?

…you’re making progress… you think?
>>
No. 810149 ID: be0718

There you go, an opening to ask about his biomods.
>>
No. 810161 ID: fc33ea

Rub his robot arms when you ask about them and where he got them.
>>
No. 810164 ID: 91ee5f

>>810147
>*cough* So…as you’re my honored guest, you can go first? Ask me a-anything?
Don't worry, Rishi. You're slowly wearing him down, he's just a little shy. Try moving your tail up his inner thigh a little more, but not enough to actually touch his crotch.

Well, he did say ask him anything. So, reach your tentacle arms back to grab the wine bottle and your drinking glass, poor some wine into your glass, take a sip, then ask, "Would you like a refill?"

But a more serious question would be to ask, "Besides playing Q&Q, what other hobbies do you have?"

>>810149
Let's not do that. If he lost his arms in an accident of some kind, that might bring up bad memories and ruin any chances of Rishi convincing him to have sex!

We can ask him that some other time, when Rishi isn't currently trying to get into his pants.
>>
No. 810170 ID: 3ce125

>>810147
Talk about food! What's his favorite?
(I can't even imagine what an all-liquid diet would be like)
>>
No. 810217 ID: fe7355

As you ask your questions, lightly trace your finger down Leo's tail from the base, ending with brushing your finger on the tuft. See how coherent he manages to remain throughout. ...By the tides, you so enjoy how flustered he gets. It's so novel and different compared to Serpens.

When did he know he wanted to be a Peacekeeper? What made him want to be one?

What got him in to Q&Q? And what was his favorite campaign?

What is his comfort food and why? Doesn't have to be his favorite food, but it is the one you eat when you're feeling in the dumps and just want to curl up with a good comforting book or movie until you feel better. And related to this: What's his favorite book?

He mentioned pets, so does he have or has he had any of his own?

What's his dream? What does he desire? What does he aspire to? Wish for at his core? What drives him deep down?

How knowledgeable and experienced is he in romance? You do want to learn and understand what it is, after all, and if he could help you, you'd be grateful.

>As you walk your fingers at the base of his tail, he immediately arcs his back as his face is completely flushed in red.
From the way Leo reacted, you think the base of a Vark's tail (feathers) might be a erogenous zone. Good to know for a little testing later.
>>
No. 810242 ID: b9ad0c

Let's talk Cybernetics! If we show each other our metal bits we can get (sort of) intimate without being creepy or rushing it.
>>
No. 810253 ID: 65a774
File 149840557409.png - (83.87KB , 900x450 , 72.png )
810253

>I can't even imagine what an all-liquid diet would be like
As someone who had their jaws wired shut for over two months once, I can.

>If we show each other our metal bits we can get (sort of) intimate without being creepy or rushing it.
The only metal bits you got are the extra arms… but you guess they are low enough on your back that you might get away with showing some hips? Hmm…
>There you go, an opening to ask about his biomods.
Does he even have biomods? He got Cybernetic enhancements but does he have biological ones as well?

>Reach your tentacle arms back to grab the wine bottle and your drinking glass, poor some wine into your glass, take a sip, then ask, "Would you like a refill?"
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… no, I still got half a glass here… so… do you like this wine? It was rather tasty.
:RishiWWD: It’s one of my favorites, actually.
>Talk about food! What's his favorite?
:LeontiusWWD: It’s a dish called Flying Varkian. It’s made of chicken, beakseeds, bananas, nuts and some feathercrown to top it all off. Don’t get to make it very often, though, as the food synther doesn’t have the recipe. How about you? What is your favorite food?
:RishiWWD: Hygel’s Breath. It’s a sub-zero plankton mix with a spicy herbal slash mineral topping. Served at below the freezing point, but the hot species makes it something else entirely.
:LeontiusWWD: …wait, herbs? You can eat food that isn’t liquid?
:RishiWWD: If they are small enough. Spices and herbal flakes are about the biggest thing we can absorb, though it takes a second or two to do so.
>What is his comfort food and why?
:LeontiusWWD: Chips… you know, those things made out of potatoes… I love those.
:RishiWWD: I usually just drink a sweet algae mix myself.
>What's his favorite book?
:LeontiusWWD: The knights of the White Order, a fantasy novel about chivalry and honor. You?
:RishiWWD: Most of the books from the human series “Circleworld”. It’s fantasy / comedy.

>He mentioned pets, so does he have or has he had any of his own?
:LeontiusWWD: Well… I have lil’ slither… it’s a… heh… um… snake… I’ll introduce him to you later.
:RishiWWD: I used to have a fish before I moved… might get a new one to have in my sleeping tank…
>What got him in to Q&Q? And what was his favorite campaign?
:LeontiusWWD: I was introduced to it in the gymnasium and been playing on and off ever since. My favorite campaign was one where we were hunting sky pirates… it was really fun. You?
:RishiWWD: Some brood friends introduced it to me in the brood pit… can’t really say which campaign was my favorite, though…
>Besides playing Q&Q, what other hobbies do you have?
:LeontiusWWD: Well… I do like visiting the shooting range…
:RishiWWD: Do you like swimming? I do love swimming…
:LeontiusWWD: Sure? I’m guessing you want to go swimming in the future then?

>As you ask your questions, lightly trace your finger down Leo's tail from the base, ending with brushing your finger on the tuft.
:LeontiusWWD: H-hey, w-what… what are you doing?
:RishiWWD: Brushing your tail? It’s just so fun and novel to see you get flustered… I’m not used to get people flustered.
:LeontiusWWD: Y-you’re trying to g-get me flustered?
:RishiWWD: You want me to stop?
:LeontiusWWD: …n-no, it’s… fine…
>Don't worry, Rishi. You're slowly wearing him down, he's just a little shy. Try moving your tail up his inner thigh a little more, but not enough to actually touch his crotch.
:LeontiusWWD: Err…
:RishiWWD: Just say the word and I’ll stop…
:LeontiusWWD:

>Rub his robot arms when you ask about them and where he got them.
:LeontiusWWD: These? Oh… I… I’ve had them since… the accident when… yeah…
:RishiWWD: Oh, I didn’t… sorry for bringing it up.
:LeontiusWWD: No, don’t be. It’s no biggie. When did you get your… mods?
:RishiWWD: The arms are from when I was in the university… the chest was made just a few months before I moved here and most of my Biomods in my hips and crotch I got as soon as I got of age.
:LeontiusWWD: …wait, crotch?
:RishiWWD: My genitals have been enhanced to be an unstoppable pleasure machine… both as a giver and a receiver.
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… I… oh… um… o-okay that’s… neat… fuck… that’s…
>When did he know he wanted to be a Peacekeeper? What made him want to be one?
:LeontiusWWD: Ever since I was small I’ve always wanted to be a man of honor and justice… someone who would punish those criminal scums and protect the weak.
:RishiWWD: I got inspired when I witness the police back home save several lives from a madman myself.
>What's his dream? What does he aspire to?
:LeontiusWWD: The best peace keeper there ever was. You?
:RishiWWD: Right now I just want to get new friends and paramours that I can live with.


>How knowledgeable and experienced is he in romance?
:LeontiusWWD: Um… well… I have had like… seven girlfriends? I mean… my relationships haven’t really lasted that long but… I’m not new to this, if that’s what you’re asking. How about you?
:RishiWWD: We don’t really do romance… we do paramours instead.
:LeontiusWWD: Paramour? Doesn’t that mean… lover or some such?
:RishiWWD: It means lover, yes.
>You do want to learn and understand what it is, after all, and if he could help you, you'd be grateful.
:LeontiusWWD: You have my word that I’ll help you with any romance problems you might get into.

>What does he desire?
:LeontiusWWD: Right now I just want to bury myself in your huge hi- I mean- I didn’t… say… that… out loud… fuck… HEY, SPEAKING OF SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, YOU’RE A… a… ovale, right?
:RishiWWD: …yes?
:LeontiusWWD: So… um… I mean… I know males and females but… I don’t really know a lot about Ovales and… err…

You can’t help but notice that his pants have been moving a bit “on their own”.
>>
No. 810261 ID: 4854ef

The aliens are onto something with this "teasing". It's actually like a well intricate social puzzle, ending with a very fun reward. Specially since it seems he's definitely unable to stop hiding it any longer.

But yeah, go ahead and explain anything about being an Ovale to him.
>>
No. 810263 ID: fc33ea

Welp, time to explain the birds and the bees and the third flying animal species in a way that won't scare him off for fear of his butt's well-being.
>>
No. 810269 ID: 91ee5f

>>810253
>Does he even have biomods? He got Cybernetic enhancements but does he have biological ones as well?
You mean other than the obvious tail that you're holding right now?! No, I don't think he's got anything else.

>These? Oh…I…I’ve had them since…the accident when…yeah…
See? I told you so! You brought up bad memories!

Luckily, it wasn't enough to completely kill the mood, so you've still got a chance to have sex with him.

>Right now I just want to bury myself in your huge hi- I mean- I didn’t…say…that…out loud…fuck…
Yes! The hips have rolled a natural 20 for seduction! It's a critical hit!

>I don’t really know a lot about Ovales and…err…
Go ahead and tell him about Ovales.

>You can’t help but notice that his pants have been moving a bit “on their own”.
After you tell him about Ovales, tell him, "Sometimes, the best way to find out is to experience it for yourself.....if you want to."

And follow that up by moving your tail just a liiiittle closer, where you're just a few centimeters away from his crotch and almost touching, but don't actually touch.
>>
No. 810300 ID: fe7355

Oh, you're definitely working him down. And up too, going by his pants. But don't be surprised or outwardly disappointed if he cuts you off once you tell him what a ovale is. From what you've gleaned from the media you've experienced, aliens are often more restrained in what sex acts they'll engage in and what the sex organs of their sexual partners are. So Leo might not go for anal, either receiving or giving, or refuse to engage with any phallic organ. You can only hope he isn't so inflexible.

While you're talking, move your hand from Leo's tail back up to his back and begin lazily petting along his spine. Simultaneously, slowly shift your tail tip farther up the inside of his leg, close but not touching his groin.

Say you're a little surprised he hasn't pieced together what a ovale is over his years on New Horizon just from passing bits and pieces of media and talk. Ask him what he's picked up about ovales and what he thinks that sex is. And pay close attention to Leo's body language, voice tone and movement in his pants as you go, to judge how he's taking it and adjust accordingly.

Does Leo already know that Serpens require a member from each of their three sexes to procreate? Ovale, female and male. That that means any combination of the two others can have sex with zero chance of offspring. Okay, he's got that?

Now, the ovale is the one who makes the unfertilized eggs. "Ovale" is based on "ovi," which means "egg," after all. Ovales generate eggs continuously, with them collecting in egg sacs. To get those eggs into the female for fertilization, the ovale has a ovipositor, which is inserted up the same route the male uses. Not at the same time, of course. More often the male goes second, but the eggs will be fertilized whether he's first or not, so it's more down to the participants' personal preference than anything.

...So, does Leo have any questions? Does he want to know more or is this enough?
>>
No. 810301 ID: 3ce125

>>810253
Tell him he has your permission if he wants to take a look at what's different about ovales. Or even a hands on approach.
>>
No. 810302 ID: 91ee5f

>>810300
Unnecessary explaining of Ovales is unnecessary. Just vote for telling him about Ovales and Kaktus would've explained everything for us.
>>
No. 810364 ID: fe7355

>>810302
Like the vote would be anything other than telling Leo because if Rishi withheld telling him he'd just look it up using his comm implant. And she can't lie, 'cause if and when it gets to sex he'll immediately know she lied.

Since the vote would near certainly go that way I wanted to throw my own words in for Kaktus to possibly use in whole, part, or not at all. And so he could maybe include corrections or clarifications in the update to any errors I may have wrote.
>>
No. 810373 ID: 65a774

Please do not fight over other people’s posts or post lengths. Everyone can post what they want when they want. But do feel free to discuss the content of a post and the pro / cons of what was suggested. Just don’t fight, alright?
>>
No. 810379 ID: efcc58

>>810373
Suggesting an end to fights might make the thread more friendly, but it will also decrease the amount of discussion. The ability to post whatever we want can increase the pool of topics to discuss, but it also increases the amount of shitposts like this one.
>>
No. 810431 ID: be0718

>>810253
Just say the word and I'll stop.
One hole.
Lots of eggs.
Can give or take.

Now, I've been thinking about your dating advice, and, well, isn't the first date a little too quick for non-Serpentines? If we want to do it right, we should wait until the second date. (Wrap your tail around him as far as it can go.)

>>810379
You (plural) could also take protracted arguments to the disthread when they become a back-and-forth, to reduce primary thread length. Reminders like this also hopefully remind people that /questdis/ exists.
>>
No. 810503 ID: 65a774
File 149850101004.png - (25.95KB , 900x450 , 73.png )
810503

>You mean other than the obvious tail that you're holding right now?!
… … …oh right… geez, you completely forgot about that thing! You’re really not used to being with Varkians so you kind off forgot that thing was special.
>The aliens are onto something with this "teasing". It's actually like a well intricate social puzzle, ending with a very fun reward.
It is indeed quite interesting… though it is a bit too much work for your taste… you just hope the payoff will be worth it.
>Welp, time to explain the birds and the bees and the third flying animal species…
You’re not sure what bird or bees have to do with this but… you guess? Bees and flowers would make sense but… bird and bees? Since when does bird mate with bees?
>…in a way that won't scare him off for fear of his butt's well-being.
…now that’s going to be a challenge.


>Say you're a little surprised he hasn't pieced together what a ovale is over his years on New Horizon just from passing bits and pieces of media and talk.
:LeontiusWWD: I k-know what an ovale is, it’s just… I… um… d-don’t know much about them?
:RishiWWD: Well… "Ovale" is based on "ovi," which means "egg”-
:LeontiusWWD: I-I know that… and t-that all three are needed for a child t-to be born and… I already know the basics… w-what I want to know is the… um… details. Like… err… how and… when… err… *cough* s-size… and wait, I’ve a-actually been wondering… when you actually… you know… for a child… do you take turns or...?
:RishiWWD: The most common thing is to take turns, yes… but females can actually take both at once… if we mate in water… though, I think my hips might be bit big to pull that off nowadays...
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… so… um… about you…
>And pay close attention to Leo's body language, voice tone and movement in his pants as you go, to judge how he's taking it and adjust accordingly.
You seem a bit anxious… and uncomfortable. Yet… there’s an excitement in his voice… and a bit of confusion. You’re not sure if he wants to go through with this or not… and you think he don’t know either.
:RishiWWD: I do indeed have an ovipositor down there… as it’s internal, it’s usually hidden… and thanks to my mods I can keep it hidden even when… excited. But when I let it out, it about… this long and wide…
Leon’s eyes are fixated on your hands as he fidget a bit in his seat…
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… t-that’s… so… um… when you… is it like… us males?
:RishiWWD: When I lay my eggs? It’s quite different actually. Instead of a quick burst or two we lay a few eggs in the female... or a males cute little butt, if the opportunity present itself.
:LeontiusWWD: Ng…
:RishiWWD: We usually lay 3 or 4 eggs at a time… but with my mods I usually lay 6… or even up to about 12 if I find a really good little incubator to fill.
:LeontiusWWD: W-wait, how big-
:RishiWWD: Why, they are about the size of… hmm… a ping-pong ball? Maybe a bit smaller? Though, we don’t fire off them all at once, oh no, thanks to their size we have to… sssslowly pump them up… one by one, they will visible travel through our member at a slow speed…
>While you're talking, move your hand from Leo's tail back up to his back and begin lazily petting along his spine.
:RishiWWD: …slowly, they will press themselves into their new home…
You feel his back arch a bit… and his tail twitching in excitement…
:RishiWWD: Only one egg will travel through it at a time… but as it get laid, another will already have started being pumped up into you… ready to stretch you once again to the point of pleasure…
>Follow that up by moving your tail just a liiiittle closer, where you're just a few centimeters away from his crotch and almost touching, but don't actually touch.
As your tail closes the distance, Leon shifts nervously in his seat, seemingly unable to decide how to react.
:RishiWWD: Slowly, more and more eggs will fill you to the brim… as you feel them enter you… pressing against your pleasure points… making you feel so pleasantly full…
His eyes shifts quickly from yours… down to your crotch… and then to your tail tip…
:RishiWWD: One…
He let out a small whine as you scratch his back…
:RishiWWD: By… One…
His eyes are stuck on your hips… staring at them with the intensity of-
:LeontiusWWD: Y-YES T-THAT’S VERY… interesting with… eggs… and… the… *cough* um… t-though h-how do you… k-know… how… feel…?
:RishiWWD: I did mention how we can mindmeld, correct? To share what we feel? Well… we used on someone incapable of it… like you, for example… both of us would instead feel exactly what the other is feeling… if only for a second.
:LeontiusWWD: W-wait, y-you can-
:RishiWWD: Just think about it… to feel your partners pleasure at the same time as you feel your own…
:LeontiusWWD: B-but-
:RishiWWD: To feel how it is to be penetrated by yourself…
By now, his own hands are trying in vain to hide his… excitement down below…
:RishiWWD: To feel your partners orgasm…
He tries to weakly escape your grasp… but his flustered self can barely scoot itself out of his own seat.
:RishiWWD: …and to feel your own orgasm at the same time… just imagen how-
:LeontiusWWD: W-w-wait just a second… I… I c-can’t… this isn’t… I don’t think I can…

>Tell him he has your permission if he wants to take a look at what's different about ovales.
:LeontiusWWD: W-wait… y-you mean… y-you want me t-to…
:RishiWWD: Or you can take a hands on approach… if you rather explore me that way…
:LeontiusWWD: R-Rishi, I… I…

You feel him shiver under your touch… his legs kicks a bit on the pillows bellow us… and his eyes dart across the room in search for… something. Leaning in closer, you can feel his… heart… wait…

:RishiWWD: Are you alright? Your heart is going crazy!
:LeontiusWWD: Eh!? W-what do you- no, that’s… normal?
:RishiWWD: …it is? I’m pretty sure-
:LeontiusWWD: I’m just excited, alright!?
:RishiWWD: …you are?
:LeontiusWWD: Yes… I mean… no… I mean… GAH! Dammit Rishi! I… I’m so confused right now! I’m not used have someone so… so… forward… I’m supposed to be the one who make the moves and… and… I’ve never… I’ve always been in a… a relationship when… but you… you just… want it and… nothing more?
:RishiWWD: …not exactly but-
:LeontiusWWD: And y-your looks… your… your body… I’m attracted to ladies… not men… but you… you’re so damn attractive… with your chest… and godlike hips… and… voice and… eyes… and the way you move and stand and… and… but… you have a damn… dick! I’m not supposed to be attracted to that but… you have a… I don’t know what to do… I’m attracted to you… and I want to be with you… but… you have a… and I’m not… I’ve never… not there… *Mumble mumble*
>>
No. 810504 ID: 930e23

He dropped all of his spaghetti. Mission successful, Rishi.
>>
No. 810512 ID: be0718

Fight the author's mind control, Leon! Your booty is your own!

Let him stay in his comfort zone, Rishi. (Which you are both sitting in right now... His bed.) You mentioned something earlier about letting him take dominance without having to wrestle for it. How about you keep your word?
>>
No. 810518 ID: 91ee5f

>>810503
>I’m supposed to be the one who make the moves
Wait, he was supposed to seduce you?! Oh no, I think you might've messed up an important alien thing he was trying to do!

>Leo rambling about Rishi being attractive, Rishi's hips, being attracted to women not men, Rishi having a dick, feelings of confusion, and not my butt!
Uh oh, I think you broke him by accident! You might've sledgehammered him too hard!

Maybe this can still be salvaged by letting him be dominant?

Also, he might appreciate it if you pull your tail away from his crotch.....just make sure you "accidentally" touch his crotch when you pull your tail away.
>>
No. 810527 ID: 3ce125

>>810503
Tell him it's fine. You can keep the ovipositor stashed away tonight. He can bury himself in your hips.
>>
No. 810533 ID: fc33ea

Apologize for making him uncomfortable & still acting like a sledgehammer. You thought you were getting a good reaction and kept going. If he wants to make moves and pitch, you'll trust him cuz that's what partners are for.
>>
No. 810537 ID: ba506f

tell him you are technically female as you do lay eggs but still if he's uncomfortable with the idea tell him he can just do you in the bum... probably with less crude words. Also about the forward thing, give a small chuckle and tell him you felt like you were going so slow by your kind's standards that you were starting to think that he was getting so uncomfortable because he was getting impatient. Glad to know that isn't the case.
>>
No. 810567 ID: fe7355

Well, crap. You were coming on too strong, but you were thinking too much with your groin which colored your judgment and interpretation of Leo's behavior. And you don't want to pressure him into doing something with you he will regret later. But since you don't know if you're pressuring him or not, you need to pull back somewhat and communicate with him. This is something you'll have to learn to do with non-Serpens, since you can't literally put your heads together and just know like with another Serpens.

Unwind from a bit, (making sure not to touch his groin with your tail tip,) take your arms off him and look him in the face. Pause the movie as well, since it's just distracting background noise right now. Give him a few moments to compose himself and calm down a bit so he can get his thoughts together and stop half-panicking.

Tell him you're sorry for coming on so uncomfortably strong. You misread him and thought he was down for the whole Rishi package, ovale and all. And that he was interested to go with you but didn't know how to proceed so you pushed the matter. But those thoughts were probably half from your attraction clouding your judgment. So you'll back off and we'll go more at his pace and work this out together, okay. Communicate with each other. And if you start going places he's uncomfortable, he just says to stop and you'll stop.

Say you don't get why he's not supposed to be attracted to those with a dick, or dick-like genitals, nor why he's not down for taking anal, but he doesn't have to explain why now if it's too complicated. All that matters is he's not comfortable with your ovipositor, and so he doesn't have to engage with it at all. Unless he says otherwise, it'll stay in your slit, thanks to your mods.

There's other ways we can enjoy each other that does not involve that, with some thought. There's hands, of course. Your boobs are a option, with some lube. And if he's okay with giving anal, that's a option too. ...And your slit kinda is like a female's parts when you're not aroused, so if your mod can keep your ovipositor down he could maybe... Would that work at all?
>>
No. 810574 ID: 65a774
File 149852059153.png - (91.63KB , 900x450 , 74.png )
810574

>Fight the author's mind control, Leon! Your booty is your own!
It’s no use!

>He dropped all of his spaghetti. Mission successful, Rishi.
Wait, what does weirdly shaped human food have to do with this? You really hope he don’t have a bunch of those sloshy things in his pockets or something…
>Wait, he was supposed to seduce you?! Oh no, I think you might've messed up an important alien thing he was trying to do!
Dammit, there’s always something… geez, you hope you can recover from this…
>Let him stay in his comfort zone, Rishi. You mentioned something earlier about letting him take dominance without having to wrestle for it. How about you keep your word?
While technically you only thought about that and didn’t actually give away any words… you’re still going to keep your… err… thoughts? Thought words? You’re going to let him fuck you… there.


>Give him a few moments to compose himself and calm down a bit so he can get his thoughts together and stop half-panicking.
:LeontiusWWD: *huff* …s-sorry for t-that…
:RishiWWD: Don’t be.
>Apologize for making him uncomfortable & still acting like a sledgehammer. You thought you were getting a good reaction and kept going.
:LeontiusWWD: Don’t apologize, because you’re right. I was giving off… good reactions… it’s just, part of me didn’t want to… at least to some of those things… you just drove over me so fast that I’ve yet been able to catch my thoughts again.
>Give a small chuckle and tell him you felt like you were going so slow by your kind's standards that you were starting to think that he was getting so uncomfortable because he was getting impatient.
:LeontiusWWD: Yet the opposite was happening… I mean, aren’t your kind standards just saying, “We’ll bang later, okay?” or some such?
:RishiWWD: For a quick fuck, yes… but there are a bit more work if you want it to be something more than that… like what I want with you.
:LeontiusWWD: …w-wait, you want more than just…
:RishiWWD: For starters, you’re a friend… or someone I want as a friend, at least.
:LeontiusWWD: I want you as a friend too, Rishi…
:RishiWWD: And I want you to be a friend with… certain benefits… and if things go well, even a Paramour.
:LeontiusWWD: Paramour? As in… lover?
:RishiWWD: Not the exact translation, but in the right direction. A very close friend that I regularly seek… comfort and joy with.
:LeontiusWWD: I… I didn’t think… I’m sorry, but I thought you just wanted something… I don’t know if I’m really ready for that?
:RishiWWD: Neither am I. We just met, after all. But sill, I want you to be special to me…

>Say you don't get why he's not supposed to be attracted to those with a dick, or dick-like genitals, nor why he's not down for taking anal, but he doesn't have to explain why now if it's too complicated.
:LeontiusWWD: Um… you don’t like other ovales, right? It’s kind of like that.
:RishiWWD: …I guess I get that part, but you don’t like… anal?
:LeontiusWWD: I don’t… think so? I mean… the most I’ve done is… my last gf liked to put her finger down there when I… so… I guess it felt okay… though I would really have preferred if she’d asked first… though given how often I did her there I guess I kind of deserved that? Err… I mean… I’m fine giving but I don’t think I’ll like… being on the other end.
:RishiWWD: So… how about I stash away my ovipositor for tonight and you can just… bury yourself in my hips as you wanted? I’m fine with you doing anal on me.
:LeontiusWWD: Heh… err… I… um… I-I mean… I d-do really want to breed the fuck out of those hips, don’t take me wrong, but… it’s just so… sudden and…
:RishiWWD: Well… then we can wait? It doesn’t need to be done tonight.
:LeontiusWWD: No, I can see that you really want this… and I really want this… I mean…
You feel him shift a bit as he tries to hide his erection a bit better…
:LeontiusWWD: But… but on my honor, I can’t just let you give up your own enjoyment for my sake… I know what you really wanted from the start with this…
:RishiWWD: Well… I know that you might not be ready for that… so I guess I can’t do that on my… err… honor either.
:LeontiusWWD: …then I guess we’re in a bit of an impasse?
>>
No. 810577 ID: 930e23

Flip a coin?
>>
No. 810582 ID: 3ce125

>>810574
What about a blowjob? Or he can stroke you off while he's banging you?
>>
No. 810586 ID: 8ea8f7

Mutual handjobs maybe?
>>
No. 810587 ID: 8ea8f7

Mutual handjobs maybe?
>>
No. 810589 ID: fc33ea

Cool your jets. Leo says he's the one who's supposed to make moves, and I think the reversal is what's making him nervous. Let's start this again and do it properly this time, so you can learn how these social situations go and so he won't be as uncomfortable.
>>
No. 810594 ID: 91ee5f

>>810574
>Leo's tail
"H-hey! S-stop that tickles! Ha ha ha!"
>>
No. 810633 ID: fc33ea

> I can’t just let you give up your own enjoyment for my sake…
What makes you think I won't enjoy it~?
>>
No. 810656 ID: 91ee5f

>>810574
>“We’ll bang later, okay?”
That reminds me of how much I miss Commander Shepard in Mass Effect. )-':>
>>
No. 810726 ID: be0718

Hm. Well, if you can't go forward, all you can do is back up. Better luck next time, Rishi, this will be valuable experience for the next time you seek a paramour: Looking before you leap. Deploying friendzone in 3... 2... 1...
>>
No. 810735 ID: fe7355

You obviously can't kiss Leo, so instead give him a hug and nuzzle the side of his face and beak, then brush his tail tuft. You do still want to be close to him, even if you two can't figure out a way past this sexual impasse. ...And what is the Vark equivalent of kissing, anyway? 'Cause they have beaks and all.

So, just to be totally clear, he's not okay with your ovipositor being out at all, not just up his bum? No handjob from him while he's buried in your hips? Or using a fleshlight, if he has one? Maybe sandwich your ovipositor between your bodies while he's ramming you? (Your anus is below your slit, right?) ...Or you could work yourself while he's doing you. It's not masturbation if you're being banged at the same time, right?

And hypothetically, if you warned him first, would he be okay with you fingering him while he's in the act, if you do do it together? 'Cause Serpens fingers are thicker than Vark ones, aren't they? His last girlfriend a Vark or not?

But if you remain at a impasse, then you're fine with that. You like much more about Leo than just his body. How about we settle in to watch the rest of the holo-vid (jumping back to when you two got really distracted.) Would Leo like to lay back against your chest while we watch? Your arms across his chest and his head resting between your breasts. Would that be too much? Well, you're going to pet his tail tuft no matter what.

Ask Leo to show you how he would have proceeded with you if you hadn't done more than shift in close to him and curl your tail tip around his. And you're wondering how he handled his first meetings with his previous girlfriends. Was it in a similar way to how he would have gone with you?

You two could still try doing each other in a shared BTL sim to experience what it feels like. One where you're female, or he's female, or you alternate being female. ...And you wonder what would happen if you tried to mind-melded with your real life partner when you orgasm in a BTL sim you're sharing with them.
>>
No. 810740 ID: ba506f

you don't want to force him into sex unless he's comfortable with it, he doesn't want to let you leave without feeling some kind of pleasure.... I say just offer each other massages or at least get on from him. Might not be exactly what you came here for but would you turn down a free massage? Also let's you two explore each other's bodies (and maybe let him get a bit more comfortable with what you're packing)
>>
No. 810765 ID: 65a774
File 149859113939.png - (77.70KB , 900x450 , 75.png )
810765

>Well, if you can't go forward, all you can do is back up. Better luck next time, Rishi, this will be valuable experience for the next time you seek a paramour: Looking before you leap.
You’re not going to give up just like that. That wouldn’t be… as Leon would have put it, honorable, would it?
>Deploying friendzone in 3... 2... 1...
…you are trying to make a friend out of him, yes?
>You two could still try doing each other in a shared BTL sim to experience what it feels like.
…wait, you can use BTL’s for that? You’ve tried some BTL’s, sure, but you didn’t think you should use them for those purposes.


>Give him a hug and nuzzle the side of his face and beak, then brush his tail tuft.
As you start to nuzzle him with your snout, you can feel his beak nibbling at you a bit… as if he was preening your… scales? It feels kind of nice, actually. But as soon as you reach for his tail he quickly shift it away from your grip, instead letting it move to your exposed midsection and brush against it instead.
:RishiWWD: *Snrk* h-hey…
:LeontiusWWD: Now it’s my turn to tease…
>What makes you thi- pff… pffehe… t-think I won't enjoy it~?
:LeontiusWWD: Can you a-admit it, by the strength of your word and zeal, that you wouldn’t enjoy it more if you… y-you… um… l-laid eggs in… err…
:RishiWWD: I admit, I woul-snrk damn tail-I would enjoy it more if I did that, yes.
:LeontiusWWD: And on my honor, I can’t let a lady surrender that for me.
>So, just to be totally c-c-cl-cl-gah! Pffahaha… s-stop it!
:LeontiusWWD: Heh… fine, I’ll give you a small respite from my tail…
:RishiWWD: T-thanks…
>So, just to be totally clear, he's not okay with your ovipositor being out at all, not just up his bum?
:LeontiusWWD: I… err… I don’t… I’m n-not sure, okay? Definitely no on the bum thing, that I know… but… um… I’ll need to think about it a bit?

>Mutual handjobs maybe?
:LeontiusWWD: I mean… a bit… boring?
>What about a… um…
:RishiWWD: What are they called again? Suckjobs?
:LeontiusWWD: …you mean a blowjob? As in oral sex?
:RishiWWD: Yeah! That! I’ve never had one of those before! I’ve heard that they are supposed to be amazing!
:LeontiusWWD: Err… yeah, they are… but no, I’m not going to… just… not now, at least.
>Or he can stroke you off while he's banging you?
:LeontiusWWD: I… err… mean… I guess… that’s… kind of fair? Or… I don’t know?
>Or using a fleshlight, if he has one?
:LeontiusWWD: EH!? Of course I d-don’t have… a… I mean, if you really… but… err… don’t… I guess?
>Maybe sandwich your ovipositor between your bodies while he's ramming you?
:LeontiusWWD: …m-might work?
>Hypothetically, if you warned him first, would he be okay with you fingering him while he's in the act, if you do it together?
:LeontiusWWD: I… I guess… I mean… um… just let me… finish first… I rather have my first time to be a bit… clean, if you know what I mean… then you can maybe play with my butt a bit? With your hands… and nothing more, of course.
>Flip a coin?
:LeontiusWWD: …where’s the glory in that!?
>I say just offer each other massages or at least get on from him.
:LeontiusWWD: Well… I guess… exploring each other’s bodies would be… actually… I got an idea… something I was actually planning from the start…
>>
No. 810766 ID: 65a774
File 149859115546.png - (25.69KB , 900x450 , 76.png )
810766

>Ask Leo to show you how he would have proceeded with you if you hadn't done more than shift in close to him and curl your tail tip around his.
:LeontiusWWD: Well, I was going to save this to after a few dates but… I would have done something like this!
:RishiWWD: H-hey! S-stop that tickles! Pffahah!
:LeontiusWWD: Feel the wrath of my tail!

As Leon tails tickle your neck and crest, you’re barely left with enough wit to react to him suddenly jumping at you. His weight easily tips you over, making your body fall down onto the soft pillow of his nest while Leon himself lands on top of you. He easily pins you to the ground as his tail makes it impossible for you to focus…

:RishiWWD: Hah- Mercy! MERCY! PffPLEASEHAHaha… t-tides…
:LeontiusWWD: So… does this mean I win?
:RishiWWD: Heh… snrk… huh? What? W-win what?
:LeontiusWWD: …the wrestling match? Didn’t you say that you usually wrestle males for dominance?
:RishiWWD: Oh! That! Well… yes… but we’re usually both in on it… and we don’t use our tails to tickle the opposition into submission.
:LeontiusWWD: While I did pin you, I have to agree it was a bit dishonorable to do it this way… but what do you say? A proper match to crush this impasse we’re in? The winner decides what we do… um… in b-bed?
:RishiWWD: …so… if I win…?
:LeontiusWWD: On my word, I’ll… I’ll a-at least try anything you’ll suggest... and we’ll see where things lead from that.
:RishiWWD: Hmm…

Having a wrestling match might just solve this problem… though, should you mention that you usually wrestle naked and it’s not about pins, but the first to penetrate the other? Or maybe you can let it just be a normal wrestling match about who pins who…

Then there’s the question on how you’ll actually wrestle him…
Maybe you should just let him win… as long as he thinks he’s getting an even fight so…
Or should you make it fair? Just try your best and see if you can take him? Do it honorable, as he says.
…of course, you should always do it dirty… cheat a bit so you’ll definitely win… Be a bit dishonorable.
>>
No. 810771 ID: 930e23

>>810766
Wrestle the Serpens way. Do it fairly.
>>
No. 810772 ID: 47160d

Do it fairly and mention the serpens way, if he seems alright with it go that way, otherwise just wrestle normally
>>
No. 810774 ID: 3ce125

Give him the choice on the method of wrestling. Culture clash is a real possibility there so you need to communicate and find out what he had in mind. I mean, naked makes sense regardless, but you need to agree on the terms of victory. They should be something that makes sense considering your serpentine body.

And play fair. Do your octo-arms count as fair?
>>
No. 810783 ID: d9f0ae

Let's see what New Horizon Peace keepers are made of!
>>
No. 810790 ID: 91ee5f

>>810772
This.

>>810774
>Do your octo-arms count as fair?
I'm not sure, but let's just assume that it's not fair.
>>
No. 810794 ID: be0718

Let him win, it's his first time.
>>
No. 810812 ID: fe7355

Leo values honor and integrity very highly, if not the most, so he would find you being dishonorable and cheating quite unattractive. And if you threw the fight, it would also be dishonorable for him. Stay true to Leo's morals and beliefs and keep it a fair wrestling match.

Let Leo know what the usual Serpens sexual dominance wrestling match entails. You don't expect you two to follow it here, not the least because it's most often done in the water. It'd be his first time being penetrated and that should be taken easy and not part of wrestling. But the usual Serpens way could be modified for this situation. How about naked, but to pin instead of penetration? Or perhaps strip to underwear, if naked is too much? ...Er, are you wearing underwear? Anyway, you'd be for totally naked and pin to win, but what's Leo's choice?

Also, work out with him whether or not your back-arms are allowed or not. Probably not, since it'd give you more arms than him. You'll keep them metaphorically tied behind your back.

You also think, for fairness' sake, that we shouldn't wrestle in his nest since all the pillows and cushions make for unstable footing. And you don't want to accidentally rip them either.

And make sure to remember to move the wine bottle, glasses and any other breakables out of the way too.
>>
No. 810923 ID: 65a774
File 149867564790.png - (66.40KB , 900x450 , 77.png )
810923

>Leo values honor and integrity very highly, if not the most, so he would find you being dishonorable and cheating quite unattractive.
Hmm… indeed he does. That means that you really should play it fair.
>...Er, are you wearing underwear?
…you’re wearing a bra. But other than that…


>Give him the choice on the method of wrestling. Culture clash is a real possibility there so you need to communicate and find out what he had in mind.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh? There are other rules?
:RishiWWD: First off, we usually do this in water… which is kind of a no-go right now, so ignore that. Second, we do it naked.
:LeontiusWWD: …I guess that’s… um… fitting… considering what we’re competing over…
:RishiWWD: …and instead of who pins who, it’s about… um… penetration.
:LeontiusWWD: …oh… err… I… um…
:RishiWWD: We can do it the normal way, if you rather want that.
:LeontiusWWD: Um… how about we meet half way? Normal pins to win… but we do it naked?
:RishiWWD: Deal.
>Do your octo-arms count as fair?
:LeontiusWWD: I don’t think I can pin four arms at once…
:RishiWWD: Then I will refrain from using them.
:LeontiusWWD: …in turn, I’ll refrain from using the max settings on my arms. That would be fair.

>You also think, for fairness' sake, that we shouldn't wrestle in his nest since all the pillows and cushions make for unstable footing.
:LeontiusWWD: Why, you’re afraid I’ll have home advantage? I mean, where else is there to do this? We can’t really do it on the floor without the chance of hurting ourselves…
:RishiWWD: …well, if you insist, then we’ll do it in your nest. Just don’t complain when I kick your ass in it.
:LeontiusWWD: Dream on, Rishi… um… right… so… the whole… naked thing. I’ll need to go and… prepare myself a bit? I’ll be back in a few minutes… sans clothes… be right back!



It takes almost 20 minutes for him to return… but when he does… you can’t help to ogle a bit over his body as he enter. He’s athletic and fit… and his now flaccid tool are just the right size… not to mention those things that are hanging with it. You’ve wanted to explore and play with a pair of those things for ages now. He nervously stops right next to the nest and look you over… seemingly finding your naked form as delightful as you does his… though it’s clear he’s not used to be the center of someone’s attention like this.

:LeontiusWWD: So… um… we’re doing this?
:RishiWWD: We are… now get in the nest so I can see what New Horizon Peace keepers are made of!
:LeontiusWWD: You’ll see that we kick ass, that’s w-what.
:RishiWWD: Oh please… you don’t stand a chance, little bird. You’re going to be filled with eggs, you’ll see.
:LeontiusWWD: You underestimate me… and that will be your downfall, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: Then let’s do this.
>>
No. 810924 ID: 65a774
File 149867565978.png - (25.11KB , 900x450 , 78.png )
810924

…apparently he was right. You did underestimate him. Not only do his cybernetic arms make him stronger than you, but it’s clear that he’s had a lot more close combat training than you. As soon as you lunged at him, he grabbed your arm and then used your massive lower body weight against you. Just a few seconds after the fight started, you’re already on your stomach with him sitting on your butt, holding your arms against your back. Being completely unused to this kind of pin, as you need to pin from the front to penetrate someone normally, you can’t really do anything but flop around a bit helplessly as you feel Leon start grinding his hardening member against your butt.

:RishiWWD: …you do know my asshole is on my front, right?
:LeontiusWWD: Still, your hips are so fucking curvy that I can almost hotdog you even though you don’t have any cheeks.
:RishiWWD: …wait, am I missing something? What does a warm animal have to do with this?
:LeontiusWWD: Never mind that… but this means I win, right?
:RishiWWD: Yeah, you won. I’m yours to do as you please with, Leon. What do you want me to do?
:LeontiusWWD: ….ngt, fuck… I can’t wait any longer. Those freaking hips demand that I breed them. Just turn around so I can plow you until you get pregnant.
:RishiWWD: …err… we’re not even the same species… not to mention the genders are-
:LeontiusWWD: Hush, don’t ruin the fantasy, Rishi. Now, be a good gal and turn around so I can go all primal on you.
:RishiWWD: As you wish, master.
>>
No. 810925 ID: 65a774
File RishixLeon1.swf - (532.76KB , 900x450 )
810925

(Warning! VERY MUCH NSFW!)
(Contains Burd butt plowing snake hips, balls, butt play, butt fingering and really bad animations that will drive most people mad for just witness them! MAD I SAY! View at your own risk.)

(…and is this even appropriate on Quest? It’s pretty much just porn after all…)
(Additionally, it will drive you mad, no joke… I mean, just look at that crap…)
>>
No. 810926 ID: 65a774
File 149867574726.png - (25.01KB , 900x450 , 79.png )
810926

You find yourself on your back, pinned to Leon’s nest with him on top of you. Both of you are just lying there… enjoying the afterglow.

:LeontiusWWD: By the skymother… that was… g-glorious…
:RishiWWD: Heh… yeah, I really needed that…
:LeontiusWWD:
:RishiWWD:

And it’s getting late… dammit, you really wanted to try out your new water tank bed tonight… but…
>>
No. 810927 ID: 47160d

Welp... now you can't leave, if only because it would hurt his feelings much too badly
>>
No. 810934 ID: 930e23

>>810926
Cuddle with floofy birb.
>>
No. 810936 ID: fc33ea

>dammit, you really wanted to try out your new water tank bed tonight… but…
Opportunity cost officer. Your bed will be there tomorrow, fluffy Vark feathers will not. Well they'll still be there, but you'll find social stigma attached to them.

Tell him he's going to have to teach you CQC sometime.
>>
No. 810980 ID: 3ce125

Send a message to An telling it you're sleeping over with Leon tonight, ask if it's going to be okay on its own.

Will you have time to check up on it/retrieve it in the morning?
>>
No. 811130 ID: fe7355

Lazily run your hand along Leo's hips and back and nuzzle his cheek until the majority of the afterglow passes before talking about anything. So how was it for you, overall? You feeling fully satisfied after that? And tell him that he was superb. (Or, rather, super-birb. Heh.)

Say you obviously sorely need to train your unarmed close-quarters combat skills, both for your job and for all the future times like this one. The prospect of getting good enough to best him and stuff his cute butt is quite the incentive to better yourself. So, would a certain handsome, buff and virile Vark guy agree to be your teacher and sparring partner?

Also ask what he was doing for almost twenty minutes when he left to get naked. Was he gussying up his feathers (and tail fur) for you? He did look extra good when he walked back in, and it wasn't all just his sexy bare physique.

Then tell Leo that as much as you'd love to wake up tomorrow with him wrapped in your arms and tail, you know you aren't at all used to sleeping out of water and you won't rest well if you do. Unfortunately you'll wake up tired, sore, and feeling all dried out if you stay with him overnight. That'll be bad for our work quality, and you don't want that since going by An's prediction we're probably gonna be on a big case tomorrow. It'll also mess with you getting aligned to station time. ...And you also have this peculiar feeling that if you don't go home then An will feel abandoned by you and lonely.

Suggest that you two have breakfast together tomorrow. Could be at his place, yours or a restaurant. Then go wash up to leave. But if Leo decides to shower the sex residue off before going to sleep then perhaps share the shower with him for efficiency's sake.

And at some point before you fall asleep and forget about it, look up what "MILF" means.
>>
No. 811216 ID: 65a774
File 149876230776.png - (63.93KB , 900x450 , 80.png )
811216

>So how was it for you, overall? You feeling fully satisfied after that?
While your egg sacks are still full... and almost painfully so, it’s quite clear that this was something you needed. After a romp like that you'll probably be satisfied for a few days... though, that doesn't mean you'll say no if the opportunity to lay some eggs present itself.
>Send a message to An telling it you're sleeping over with Leon tonight, ask if it's going to be okay on its own.
:AnWWD: [The unit you were trying to reach is currently in sleep mode. Please try again later.]
>Will you have time to check up on it/retrieve it in the morning?
You'll have to make time as you need to get your uniform back at the apartment anyway.
>And at some point before you fall asleep and forget about it, look up what "MILF" means.
...eehhh... you can do that tomorrow... you're too tuckered out to be curious about that right now.

>You know you aren't at all used to sleeping out of water and you won't rest well if you do. Unfortunately you'll wake up tired, sore, and feeling all dried out if you stay with him overnight.
You're already feeling dried out and sore as it is, thanks to the lack of a proper water tank while traveling here. It's already been a full week of dry beds...
>Opportunity cost officer. Your bed will be there tomorrow, fluffy Vark feathers will not.
...of course, what is one more night after all that?
>Cuddle with floofy birb.
You nuzzle up against his fluffy cheek while one of your hands lazily run down his spin, all the way from his neck down to his tail where you stop to give his tail base a little scratch. Your other hand on the... um... other hand is playing around with his butt, enjoying the feeling of him wiggling it around a bit as you grab and squeeze his cheeks. Leon in turn returns your cuddling, nuzzling you back as his beak peck a bit on your shoulder and neck, tickling you. One of his hand is busy exploring your upper body, caressing your neck and arm as well as grabbing and squeezing your chest at every opportunity it gets, all the while his other hand is running down the side of your lower body, taking ample opportunities to feel out your hips, even giving it a small pitch that you gladly return. As both of your afterglows start to pass, you can feel him starting to grind himself against you again, as if he was desperate to create a another one...


>Tell him that he was superb.
:LeontiusWWD: I was...?
:RishiWWD: Definitely in the top 3 lays where I didn't use my ovipositor... maybe even second place.
:LeontiusWWD: ...not first? Because fuck... this has to have been the most glorious lay I've ever had...
:RishiWWD: Sadly, first place goes to someone who had some magnificent augmentation and knew how to use them... and this is your best? really? I kind of just laid here the whole time...
:LeontiusWWD: Because these fucking hips... they were created by the very skymother as an avatar of her fertility! ...a-and I... I have to admit... your hands.... they... um... I don't know what you did, but by the sky it felt nice...
:RishiWWD: You mean how I massaged your prostate? Didn’t you say your old partner did that?
:LeontiusWWD: Not like that, she didn’t! A-and… err… d-do you have t-to be so blunt about it?
:RishiWWD: Yes? But I have to say I’m impressed with your stamina… doing it twice like that… and for that long… even those with augmentations tends to blow their loads way sooner than that.
:LeontiusWWD: …I’m giving the honor of my second orgasm to your finger… because fuck… I wasn’t expecting it to be so… good…
>Ask what he was doing for almost twenty minutes when he left to get naked. He did look extra good when he walked back in, and it wasn't all just his sexy bare physique.
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… c-cleaned up a bit? …made sure I w-was… decent? …err… calmed my nerves a bit because I was freaking out a bit? …wound up my arms for combat use?
:RishiWWD: …wound up your arms? Didn’t you say you weren’t going to use their max power?
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… my arms tends to lose their strength a bit as the day go by so… err…
Using both your hands, you spank his bottom hard before squeezing it.
:LeontiusWWD: VARK! H-hey… I w-wasn’t… I n-need to do that if I’m expecting to strain them.

>Tell him he's going to have to teach you CQC sometime.
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… err… well, I… guess?
>The prospect of getting good enough to best him and stuff his cute butt is quite the incentive to better yourself.
:LeontiusWWD: Err… heh… um… I mean… I don’t… um…
>So, would a certain handsome, buff and virile Vark guy agree to be your teacher and sparring partner?
:LeontiusWWD: I g-guess I can… t-try?
You let your hands stroke his posterior a bit before letting one of your fingers come dangerously close to his depths once again…
:LeontiusWWD: Heh… err…

>if Leo decides to shower the sex residue off before going to sleep then perhaps share the shower with him for efficiency's sake.
:LeontiusWWD: Oh… um… a-actually, I r-rather shower alone… and in the m-morning…
:RishiWWD: Oh?
:LeontiusWWD: See, I… i-it’s my arms… they need special care when I wash myself and… taking them off to much is… err…
:RishiWWD: If you want privacy, I understand… and besides, I rather take a bath myself…
You let your finger finally slip inside him again, and going by how he arcs his back and moans, it’s not an unappreciated motion. You can feel him hardening again as he continues to grind himself against your hips.
:LeontiusWWD: Ah! …ngt… R-Rishi…

>Suggest that you two have breakfast together tomorrow. Could be at his place, yours or a restaurant.
:LeontiusWWD: I-I-I nggt… g-guess? I m-mean… ah… I… *moan*
:RishiWWD: I’ll take that as a yes…

:LeontiusWWD: Ngg… R-ready for… f-for round 2?
:RishiWWD: …you mean round 3? Go ahead, stud…
:LeontiusWWD: Ah… got to m-make s-sure I a-actually did put a bun in y-your oven…
:RishiWWD: …what is it with you and pregnancy?
:LeontiusWWD: J-just p-play along… p-please…
:RishiWWD: Mmm… yes… breed me, Leon… make me a mother!

[Quest completed: Seed of JUSTICE!]
>>
No. 811217 ID: 65a774
File 149876231763.png - (13.68KB , 900x450 , 81.png )
811217

[Initiating…]
[Day 1 completed…]
[Two targets eliminated]
[Project: Orestes; Great success on phase 1]
[Opening for project: Dreamchaser found]
[Retrieving necessary tools]
[Next two targets chosen...]
[Spark already set]
[Expecting results in: 1 – 3 days]
[Note: new pawn found. Possible ally?]
[Ending transmission…]
>>
No. 811218 ID: 65a774
File 149876232986.png - (24.61KB , 900x450 , 82.png )
811218

:AnWWD: Officer Rishi?
:RishiWWD: Hng? Oh, An… you’re awake…
:AnWWD: You can’t nap now… you’re going to be late for work.
:RishiWWD: Hng… but I want to sleep in the water, broodparent, just a few minutes more…
:AnWWD: If you wanted to sleep in the water, then you would have slept at home last night.
:RishiWWD: But I wanted to sleep on the feathers even more…
:AnWWD: Get up, Rishi… it’s time to wake up… and smell the ashes…
:RishiWWD: …wait, what was that?s
:AnWWD: I said wake up and go to work, lazy bones!
>>
No. 811234 ID: 3ce125

>>811218
Duty calls, snakebutt!
>>
No. 811240 ID: 91ee5f

>>811218
"NEVAH!!! You'll have to come in here and drag me out!"

Then watch as An messes with the temperature controls and Rishi jumps out of the water screaming, "EEEK!!!!!" because the water got too hot/cold! XD
>>
No. 811258 ID: da1652

>>811218
hurry up before An drops an invigorating bath bomb in there or something.
>>
No. 811292 ID: fe7355

Oh, don't whine like a child that you're tired and want to sleep in the pool for just five more minutes. You knew what the price if both a third (and fourth?) round with Leo and sleeping cuddled up with that feathery hunk would be and you gladly paid it. So suck it up, get out of the water and take a analgesic for the soreness like an adult. At least you got enough time in the tank you're not feeling dried out any more, right?

So what time is it, when does your shift start and when did you finally get back to your apartment? How much sleep did you get, both in Leo's nest and your sleeping tank? And how crappy and sore do you feel right now? Next time you lay with a paramour, you're doing it in your apartment.

There's something you've wanted to do if you ever got a big sleeping tank all to your own. Ask An to please step back and aside for a moment and hold the door open for you. Then swim as hard as you can from the far bottom end of the tank forward and shoot up out of the water in a arc. Slap both hands against the ceiling, land and slide along the floor and out the door. You'll splash water all over the floor, but you don't care 'cause this is your place and you're free to do it.

Do the morning routine stuff. Dry off, dress for work and transfer the puzzle cube into your uniform's secure pocket. Check your comm's inbox, the station news headlines and your current case assignments.

Message Leo to let him know you're up, ask him how he's feeling after last night and choose where to have breakfast with him depending on the time. You're gonna need a bucket full of the Serpens equivalent of coffee to wake up this morning. And do a search for "MILF" and those two "potato" titles from his holo-vid library.

You have to admit you just don't get Leo's breeding kink. Breeding isn't a big deal in Serpens society beyond its necessity for the continuation of Serpens society. You yourself have bred many times and probably have dozens of offspring out there. But it's not a kink you've heard of in Serpens. It might be that there's some kind of deep importance in Vark society to breeding and having offspring that Leo desires. You ought to remember to ask him about it later, in private.

You also have to wonder if Leo got his sex organs modded, 'cause if not then day-AM you're impressed with his stamina. That'd make you wonder if Vark males in general have high recovery and stamina. And going by how much Leo enjoyed your fingering, you suspect you soon won't need to best him at wrestling to get him to accept your eggs.

>Get up, Rishi… it’s time to wake up… and smell the ashes…
That sounds like a quote from something, but you don't know what. Gotta wonder why An is repeating quotes like that. Do a search for it and maybe find out.
>>
No. 811304 ID: fc33ea

Alright G-man, slow your roll. Let me get out of the water. What's the word from the outside world?
>>
No. 811432 ID: 65a774
File 149883563448.png - (24.48KB , 900x450 , 83.png )
811432

>Duty calls, snakebutt!
:RishiWWD: NEVAH!!! You'll have to come in here and drag me out!
:AnWWD: Error! This unit shouldn’t be submerged unless no other choice exists. Gathering data… way to remove water found. Emptying water tank. Warning: Emptying and refilling the water tank will take aprox-
:RishiWWD: Hold the sharks, I’m coming up. Geez, no need to ruin my bed, An…
:AnWWD: I did get you up, didn’t I?
>What's the word from the outside world?
:AnWWD: Local station News: Chairman of Hircusle Robotics murdered! One suspect already arrested. – The Unity Monument in the central park opens today. – Many metal recycling plants reports disappearing scrap metals. Work of bored teenagers? – Your local Bathhouse has half-off this weekend. – Weather: There will be rain in all parks of Sunstrider Spire tonight.
:RishiWWD: Huh… half-off, eh?
:AnWWD: Galaxy news: Sol Corp are to introduce the new ARC units on the planet-
:RishiWWD: Yeah, yeah, don’t really care about that…
>So what time is it, when does your shift start and when did you finally get back to your apartment?
:AnWWD: It’s early morning. If you don’t leave in 10 minutes, you’ll be late. You came back about 1 hour ago.
:RishiWWD: Oh yeah…

>How much sleep did you get, both in Leo's nest and your sleeping tank?
You almost slept to much last night… apparently, the two of you failed miserable to keep each other awake until 28 hours… so instead we went up a few hours earlier today.
>At least you got enough time in the tank you're not feeling dried out any more, right?
For a few hours, yeah…
>have breakfast with Leon.
You’ve already eaten breakfast with him. You did it before you got back. Of course, you weren’t planning on falling asleep in the tank but… yeah…
>That sounds like a quote from something, but you don't know what. Do a search for it and maybe find out.
Apparently, it’s from something called Isotopic Decay squared? An old human artifact game from before earthfall… huh, and apparently they are still looking for the legendary Isotopic Decay cubed, which is so addictive and good that millions starved to death when it was originally released.

>Do the morning routine stuff.
Luckily, you’ve already done most of them. You’ve already had breakfast… and you were just cleaning yourself in the water tank… all you need to do now is to get dressed and get going.
>>
No. 811433 ID: 65a774
File 149883564772.png - (20.86KB , 900x450 , 84.png )
811433

>Do a search for "MILF" and those two "potato" titles from his holo-vid library.
You can’t remember the names of those holo-vids, but searching for MILF you find… mothers I like to fuck? …why would Leon have a list of mothers that he wants to lay with? …is this part of his pregnancy kink?
>You have to admit you just don't get Leo's breeding kink. Breeding isn't a big deal in Serpens society beyond its necessity for the continuation of Serpens society.
It’s really odd, yes… but you’re not against playing it up with him if it makes him happy. You ought to remember to ask him about it later though, in private.
>You probably have dozens of offspring out there.
You don’t have an offspring at all. Thanks to the overpopulation on Roon, only those on the very top are asked by the breedingpits to supplement their genes for the next generation. Sure, you could always do it on your own, but you’ve never had any interest in it… and finding a female willing to carry an egg for months just like that? …yeah, no happening.
>You also have to wonder if Leo got his sex organs modded, 'cause if not then day-AM you're impressed with his stamina.
It wasn’t his stamina, but his willingness. You’ve never had a partner before that was so… excited to mate with you before.
>And going by how much Leo enjoyed your fingering, you suspect you soon won't need to best him at wrestling to get him to accept your eggs.
Heh… step by step… soon enough he’ll be yours…


>Check your comm's inbox
:NonWWD: Greetings, this is Ziana of the Artisan Cast. I need to discuss with you your future duties for the four ways of Serpens. It will only take half an hour at most. Please return with a possible meeting time as soon as possible.
…huh, you’re not sure what that’s about, but it sounds… important?

:LeontiusWWD: Rishi! Over here!
:RishiWWD: Oh… there you are. Ready for work?
:LeontiusWWD: You bet… so… um… I had a great time last night?
:RishiWWD: It was a delight, indeed.
>Check your curr-
:LeontiusWWD: Actually… err… about us… um… we are…?
:RishiWWD: Friends?
:LeontiusWWD: …with c-certain… um…?
:RishiWWD: Benefits, yes. We’re friends… and I hope on the tide that we’ll become good ones at that.
>Check your current case assignments.
:LeontiusWWD: Let’s see… we’ve been replaced as the primary investigators on this case by a more experienced team. We are to aid them in any way we can. The primary team is currently focusing on Ferara’s house as well as Ferara herself.
:RishiWWD: …and we’re doing…?
:LeontiusWWD: We got three jobs today, not counting the paperwork. We need to do a secondary search of her office, while doing a deep search on her computer. We need to talk to an Isan Karte about Ferara and the murder, as Ferara saw him right before the crime. We’ve also gotten a warrant to look through all the projects Ferara was part of, though we’ll need to be supervised while we do so.
:RishiWWD: So… where do we start?
:LeontiusWWD: Not with the paperwork? You can decide which one of those three we’ll do first.

>Transfer the puzzle cube into your uniform's secure pocket.
…fffffuck. You completely forgot about the puzzle cube… you really hope it isn’t important.
>>
No. 811435 ID: 930e23

>>811433
>Kaktus railroading because PLOT
>>
No. 811443 ID: 91ee5f

>>811433
>We’ve also gotten a warrant to look through all the projects Ferara was part of
That includes An. We could look through what exactly Ferara was supposed to be doing with An.

>though we’ll need to be supervised while we do so.
.....does that mean An needs to physically be here? Because if it does, then we can just call her to come over.

Of course, if anyone asks, and only if they ask, give them the same explanation that An gave you. She's following the last orders given to her and only the CEO can override those orders.
>>
No. 811446 ID: fc33ea

> you really hope it isn’t important.
Well now you know for certain it will be you enormous walleyed toadstool. Call AN and have her bring it in.

Start with her office, it'll be an unbiased and unsupervised source of Intel before we deal with Corporate or Carte.
>>
No. 811448 ID: 91ee5f

>>811443
Forgot to mention what we should look at.

>What do?
Go look around Ferara's office first.
>>
No. 811478 ID: fe7355

We'll do Ferara's office first off. However, we probably shouldn't let An do the deep search of Ferara's computer. Even though An has orders to help with your case, she's also a powerful experimental unclassified AI with who knows what underlying directives or behavioral quirks. We need a AI or other computer system vetted for PK data forensics to ensure the integrity of any potential data evidence for it to be admissible in court.

Better fill Leo in on the An situation, what happened with her yesterday and the hints about the depth of this case you got from her. And also that you walked off with the puzzle cube from Herod's pocket on accident. ...And then accidentally left it at home. You ought to write that up before it's noticed missing and you get dinged for failure to report taking it. Oh, and that by a amazing coincidence, Lily, Herod's secretary is your neighbor.

Oh, nuts, did you forget to bring An along? She is supposed to be helping with the investigation. ...Actually, if she's not here, then why didn't she follow you? You'd think she'd be all but glued to your tail while you're on the case.

Message back to Ziana that you can come in after your shift ends, if nothing unexpected happens. And ask where you're supposed to go for this meeting.

>Many metal recycling plants reports disappearing scrap metals. Work of bored teenagers?
Huh. Qip was asking Leo for help on this, wasn't it? Mention this news headline to Leo. He think there's some group stealing scrap? But then, why? It's not valuable enough to sell illicitly. Maybe material for illicit fabrication? Well, we have enough on our plate with this case. We don't need to get up in another inspector's as well.

>…why would Leon have a list of mothers that he wants to lay with? …is this part of his pregnancy kink?
Well, it was more than just a list, but a list of holo-vids which included two with some obviously sexual titles. So very likely it's related to his kink.
>>
No. 811497 ID: 91ee5f

>>811433
>You can’t remember the names of those holo-vids, but searching for MILF you find…mothers I like to fuck? …why would Leon have a list of mothers that he wants to lay with? …is this part of his pregnancy kink?
Man, aliens are weird.
>>
No. 811505 ID: 67856c

Should we go get An?
Either way I say we inform Isan Karte that we wish to have a meeting and while we're waiting for a response and for the meeting to be set up we can go look through Ferara office and computer.
>>
No. 811607 ID: fe7355

>…huh, you’re not sure what that’s about, but it sounds… important?
But what possible duties to the Four Ways could you be wanted for on New Horizon? ...You think they want you to be a egg donor? They don't need to be nearly as choosy about breeding-pit candidates here as back on Roon, after all.

>>811505
I'd say that it'd make the most sense to meet with Isan Karte after searching Ferara's office and inspecting the projects she was working on, if his schedule allows. That way we'll have the most possible evidence with which to potentially catch him in a lie, if he lies.

>>811435
Or possibly offering up a meta red herring to troll us.
>>
No. 811856 ID: 65a774
File 149901849125.png - (28.04KB , 900x450 , 85.png )
811856

>Kaktus railroading because PLOT
Toot toot! Next stop, the bad ending!

>Well, it was more than just a list, but a list of holo-vids which included two with some obviously sexual titles. So very likely it's related to his kink.
But why would he have vids of someone else? It just doesn’t make sense… does like to watch others do it or something?
>Man, aliens are weird.
Tell m- err… you about it?

>We probably shouldn't let An do the deep search of Ferara's computer.
Of course you won’t let her. You’re going to use the proper Peace Keeper tools for that, as proper procedures indicate.
>We could look through what exactly Ferara was supposed to be doing with An.
Hopefully she’s been keeping logs on what she was doing…
>Of course, if anyone asks, and only if they ask, give them the same explanation that An gave you.
…or you can just let An explain it to them, like she did to you.


>Message back to Ziana that you can come in after your shift ends, if nothing unexpected happens. And ask where you're supposed to go for this meeting.
:NonWWD: [Sadly, I’m got another appointment right then. How about an hour later then the time you gave me? I’ll meet you in your apartment if that’s fine with you.]
:RishiWWD: [One hour after my shift is up, in my apartment… that will probably work, yes.]
:NonWWD: [Then let the tide brings blessings to our union. See you then.]
>But what possible duties to the Four Ways could you be wanted for on New Horizon? ...You think they want you to be an egg donor?
…no way. There’s no way you’re high enough on the cast hierarchy to be even considered for something like that… well, maybe consider, but not high enough to be actually chosen. Only the greatest of the great genes are supposed to be passed on.

>Better fill Leo in on the An situation, what happened with her yesterday and the hints about the depth of this case you got from her.
:LeontiusWWD: She followed you home? Really? Wait, then where is she now?
:RishiWWD: I’m not sure… she was in the tram with me but as soon as we got here she bolted in the direction of the office building.
:LeontiusWWD: …oh, I think I saw her ran pass… didn’t know it was An though. Yeah, she ran inside…
:RishiWWD: I wonder what she’s up to… you’d think she would be glued to my tail if she got orders to assist me.
:LeontiusWWD: Maybe she got another order that’s higher priority than that?
>And also that you walked off with the puzzle cube from Herod's pocket on accident.
:LeontiusWWD: The Roberts cube? While I can’t on good conscious encourage misplacing evidence, I don’t think it’s of any importance. The initial sweep already scanned it for any abnormalities and it seems like it’s just a toy… an odd toy, but a toy none the less. It’s about as important as the pen in his pocket… that is to say, not at all. I’m pretty sure they won’t even accept it into evidence because of irrelevancy.
:RishiWWD: I hope you’re right about that. Because if it turns out important…
>Oh, and that by an amazing coincidence, Lily, Herod's secretary is your neighbor.
:LeontiusWWD: Ooohh… that must have been awkward…
:RishiWWD: Haven’t actually met her yet… but yes, it will probably be awkward.
>Mention this news headline about stolen scrap to Leo. He thinks there's some group stealing scrap?
:LeontiusWWD: I have no idea. Though I’m glad someone finally doing something about it… might even pull a few strings to help Qip myself if we get the time…
:RishiWWD: Going from murder to petty theft… quite the change.
>Supervised? ...does that mean An needs to physically be here?
:LeontiusWWD: Of course not. No, there will be some representative from the corporation. Either some poor pen winged or feather forger, probably.
:RishiWWD: …an office worker or an engineer, you mean?
:LeontiusWWD: That’s what I said, yes.



>Start with her office, it'll be an unbiased and unsupervised source of Intel.
:LeontiusWWD: I’ll take care of the computer. Meanwhile, why don’t you check the rest of the office? Don’t expect to find something big as they’ve already searched the place, but they might have missed something. Even those with the strongest zeal against the darkness can make mistakes, no?
:RishiWWD: Right…

…well, where do you start?
>>
No. 811864 ID: efcc58

>>811856
Check behind the paintings and books, duh.
>>
No. 811865 ID: 78cfea

Cut open one of the thorn fruits in the kaktus and drink it's juice to reflect damage against melee attackers for 3 minutes.

Then check the bookcase.
>>
No. 811874 ID: 91ee5f

>>811856
And now, it's time to reference the original "Will we dream?" by repeating a post that was over there to see if we get the same response or a different message.

Praise the cactus!

>Where to look?
At the bottom right corner of the bookshelf, on the floor in between the bookshelf and the box the plants are in, there's a tiiiiiny blue pixel that looks out of place. I think we should look at that.

Open the desk's doors and look in there and open the drawer of the little table next to Leo.

There's also some out of place grey pixels on the wooden step by the door.

And I guess look through the red toolbox over by the work station and maybe dig around in the box where the plants are. Careful though! Those plants have sharp thorns on them!
>>
No. 811985 ID: fe7355

Alright, time to don a pair of sterile gloves. Did the last group to search the place find anything of note? And where did they search? You'll want to start where they didn't look, then move to where they did.

Take a look at and behind the pictures. The orbital shot is of a desert world, yes? Is that the Sakkilian homeworld? Tides, you would not want to visit there. Oppressive heat and parched air, no thank you. You'd dry out in a minute. The other picture looks like Ferara and perhaps her significant other, "Lizzy." Did the other investigators get "Lizzy's" name and photo yet? ...And what does "significant other" mean, anyway?

Look over the surface and inside all the drawers and doors of Ferara's desk, as well as behind it. Was anything of note left out on top? Any pads of paper on or in it that you might be able to lift the indent of the last thing written on it from?

If Ferara's workbench is unlocked then look back through its activity and access logs and plan library. Search through the toolbox next to it as well.

Take a look at the contents of the bookshelf for anything unusual, then in the books themselves. Perhaps something has been hidden between the pages. Then look on top of and behind the bookcase, followed by in and behind the planter next to it. Anything stuck to the back of the cacti?

Check if any of the edges of the carpet are loose, and if so then pull it up and look underneath. And look under that step just inside the entrance.

>But why would he have vids of someone else? It just doesn’t make sense… does like to watch others do it or something?
Hey, he already has kinks for breeding and mothers you don't understand what the appeal is to him, so he could have one for watching others have sex too. Or it could be he can't or doesn't feel he could satisfy his kink desires for real, so he plays it out in vids, BTLs and fantasizing.

>Only the greatest of the great genes are supposed to be passed on.
But how strictly is this followed? Is the conception of new Serpens limited to the best-of-the-best's eggs and sperm, cloned and duplicated in large quantity and shipped to breeding-pits across the cosmos? And doesn't such intense selective breeding lead to a severe lack of genetic diversity, along with the potential of inbreeding issues?

>The initial sweep already scanned it for any abnormalities and it seems like it’s just a toy… an odd toy, but a toy none the less.
Well, it could still contain hidden info. Like the pattern of the colors could be a code to something, or there's something written on the sticky side of one of the color stickers. But until and unless you find any hint that that cube is more than just a prank or joke toy, it's not important.

>I hope you’re right about that. Because if it turns out important…
Then anyone who'd want to get at it would have to know it's in your apartment and not in evidence lockup, then break into your place to steal it. And that would end up with half the force running down their dumb ass for breaking into a officer's home. So it's safe where it is, for now.
>>
No. 811989 ID: 65a774
File 149904071963.png - (27.79KB , 900x450 , 86.png )
811989

>Praise the cactus!
The grand cactus demands that you engage in jolly co-operation! Failure to comply will result in you turning grossly incandescent (That is to say, I’ll light you on fire)!

>Hey, he already has kinks for breeding and mothers you don't understand what the appeal is to him, so he could have one for watching others have sex too.
Geez… he might be a bit kinkier than he appears. It’s always the shy ones, isn’t it?
>Or it could be he can't or doesn't feel he could satisfy his kink desires for real, so he plays it out in vids, BTLs and fantasizing.
…that almost sounds like he would be… ugh, masturbating to those things… disgusting. You really hope he’s above something so… depraved.

>Did the last group to search the place find anything of note?
Apparently not, no. They did find targeting coordinates connected to the gun inside her cybernetics, though… which proves that she fired it after all. You’re pretty sure she’s already boned, but the more evidence against her the better.
>The orbital shot is of a desert world, yes? Is that the Sakkilian homeworld?
Are those green patches forests? It’s like they’ve taken Roon and replaced all the water with sand… geez, you really don’t want to go there…
>The other picture looks like Ferara and perhaps her significant other, "Lizzy." Did the other investigators get "Lizzy's" name and photo yet?
Libzia Dunewanderer is her name apparently. They are going to question her later today.
>...And what does "significant other" mean, anyway?
…it sounds like a paramour or something…

>Maybe dig around in the box where the plants are.
Sticking your hand into a nest of spikes is not something you consider very pleasant…
>Cut open one of the thorn fruits in the kaktus and drink it's juice to reflect damage against melee attackers for 3 minutes.
The only melee attacks you’re expecting right now are from the cactus itself. After all, who would bring a knife to a gunfight, right?

>Check behind the paintings.
You’ve made a startling discovery! Both the paintings were hiding a dark secret behind them... that there’s only a wall there… A WALL! WHERE ARE ALL THE SECRET SAFES!? WHERE!?
>and books, duh.
You successfully find the back of the bookshelf, congratulations…
>Open the desk's doors and look in there and open the drawer of the little table next to Leo.
Let’s see… gunpowder, nitroglycerin, notepads, fuses, wicks, glue, and uhh… Paperclips. Big ones. You know, just office supplies… Also before you ask, you were being sarcastic about the explosives. It’s just a bunch of pens and erasers in there. Nothing important.

>I guess look through the red toolbox over by the work station.
All the tools are neatly organized in it… every last thing has its place… which makes the lack of a really small screwdriver very noticeable. Did she misplace it somewhere?
>At the bottom right corner of the bookshelf, on the floor in between the bookshelf and the box the plants are in, there's a tiiiiiny blue pixel that looks out of place.
…it’s a tiny screwdriver… probably the one missing from the toolbox. What is it doing on the floor though? …wait a moment…

:LeontiusWWD: Um… Rishi? What are you doing?
:RishiWWD: Quick. Help me move the bookcase.
>>
No. 811990 ID: 65a774
File 149904072958.png - (27.67KB , 900x450 , 87.png )
811990

:LeontiusWWD: …and why did we do that?
:RishiWWD: Look, there’s a small groove in the wall here…
:LeontiusWWD: …hmm, there is… maybe it’s just a defect they hid with the bookcase?
:RishiWWD: Hmm… maybe?

…still, why did the screwdriver lay behind the bookcase? …it’s like someone wanted me to find it… and then see this? It’s just one groove so… it can’t be a secret door or anything, can it? Hmm…
>>
No. 812000 ID: fc33ea

There's something behind the bookcase and something off color near or under the doormat. Also, poke into that fabricator looking doohickey. Who's in the picture on the wall next to Ferara?
>>
No. 812003 ID: 91ee5f

>>811990
Ferara is far too neat and tidy to have something like that happen by accident and she wouldn't immediately notice it.

Also, the computer is smiling now.

>…it’s like someone wanted me to find it…and then see this?
Well, you said An ran straight over here and Leo saw her run inside. Maybe since An did it before you got up here?

Speaking of which, An is right behind you now.

>It’s just one groove so…it can’t be a secret door or anything, can it? Hmm…
Really? T_T

Try pulling to see if you can open it further. Or you could ask An if she knows how to open it.

Even if it isn't a secret door, it's still a place that could be used to hide small objects. Try feeling around in there.
>>
No. 812009 ID: fc33ea

>>812000
Oh for god's sakes, it's not even like I was even cutting it close by being late there.

Try the black line looking thing under the painting and to the left of the bookshelf. If that doesn't work, the tiny screwdriver must have been there for a reason, does it fit in the crevice? If you can't hit a switch in there, Go full Primitive Pete and use it as a prybar. If THAT doesn't work, there's probably an electronic switch in one of the electronics.

An, Where have you been?
>>
No. 812010 ID: ba506f

I like how the computer screen is now smiling at us, also An is at the door
>>
No. 812019 ID: 91ee5f

>>812009
>Try the black line looking thing under the painting and to the left of the bookshelf.
Holy shit, good eye! I missed that!

I forgot, this is a Kaktus pixel quest, he/she really enjoys hiding tiny pixel clues in these things. I need to look a little harder next time!
>>
No. 812154 ID: b1b4f3

>>811990
There's something under the toolbox. Also, there was something under the floor by the door but it's gone now?
>>
No. 812165 ID: fe7355

Better bring Leo up to speed with what you found, the gap in Ferara's toolbox and your line of thought that led to having to move a bookcase aside. You don't want to leave him in the dark, after all. Communication with your partner is key.

The groove could be a construction defect, but Ferara doesn't strike you as the kind of person who'd tolerate such a error in her own office and just cover it up with a bookcase. You think she'd demand it be fixed, or even fix it herself. That is, if she even knew about it. She may not have even been aware of it.

Anyway, enough speculating. Take out a flashlight and shine it into the groove, placing your eye to it just below the light, and look up and down the length of the groove. Maybe there's a unlit space back there that light and closer examination will show. Knock on the wall on both sides of the groove and listen for hollow sounds. Give the wall on both sides a solid shove as well as pressing on it and trying to move it up and down and side to side. If it's a panel of some kind, it might shift a bit. And then take the screwdriver, insert it into the groove and slide it up from the bottom or down from the top. Maybe there'll be a catch of some kind it'll catch on.

There also appears to be a short vertical groove in the wall below the world picture you should check. (And which is probably a art error, but better safe than sorry.)

Looks like An has finally shown up. Greet her and say you were wondering where she'd gotten off to and when she'd show up again. You'd like to hear what she was up to after she took off, if she's at liberty to say so. Also ask her what she knows, if anything, about this odd groove in the wall. And also what is on the other side of the section of wall with the groove in it.

And you think that An might have been the one to put the screwdriver where it was. It likely had to have been placed there after the previous officers searched the office, since otherwise they would have spotted it. You'd have to ask them how thorough they were with their search, though. But An could have placed it after running into the building, since she has access to Ferara's office. You'd have to check the door lock log, the hall security camera video, and the company's log of their tracker in An to find out where she was.

The screen on Ferara's computer is showing a smiley face now, so that would be the PK deep search AI Leo plugged into it, right?

One of the robotic arms on Ferara's workbench also moved in the mean time. Why would it do that when it shouldn't be running any fabrication programs? Did you check what that thing in the robot arm's work area is?

>Also before you ask, you were being sarcastic about the explosives.
And perhaps you should take a moment to contemplate why you were being sarcastic to yourself in your own head.
>>
No. 812187 ID: 67856c

Okay first off, fuck you computer, secondly, what the hell An that probably not really there, and finally, you fondle the fuck out of that seam until something happens!
>>812019
Also fondle the shit out of this thing.
>>
No. 812242 ID: 65a774
File 149910179637.png - (27.22KB , 900x450 , 88.png )
812242

>Ferara is far too neat and tidy to have something like that happen by accident and she wouldn't immediately notice it.
That is, unless she was a bit shaken for some reason… like just having murdered someone…
>Try the black line looking thing under the painting and to the left of the bookshelf.
Gasp! It’s… it’s… a speck of dirt… geez, what a letdown…
>One of the robotic arms on Ferara's workbench also moved in the meantime.
They are both moving and twitching a little bit… you guess they have some idle animations to... err… you’re not sure… to keep them from getting… stuck, maybe?

>I like how the computer screen is now smiling at us.
:LeontiusWWD: Eh? Oh right, the search… if you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to focus on that for a bit…

>Fondle the fuck out of that seam until something happens!
You start to fondle the shit out of the slit in the wall but nothing you do seems to have any effect. You try to both pull and push, knock to hear if it’s hollow and even try to shine a flashlight into it to try and see anything… but nothing works. It’s just a really small indentation in the wall…
>The tiny screwdriver must have been there for a reason, does it fit in the crevice?
The notch is to small even for the screwdriver… you might be able to force it in, but it will damage the wall itself if you try…
>Go full Primitive Pete and use it as a prybar.
:RishiWWD: Hmm… do you think we can get this wall pulled down?
:LeontiusWWD: Only if you can find a really good reason for us to do it. A small defect is far from enough… especially because we’re not actually looking for anything hidden. We already got the murder weapon, remember?
>>
No. 812243 ID: 65a774
File 149910180686.png - (27.19KB , 900x450 , 89.png )
812243

>But how strictly is controlled procreation followed? Is the conception of new Serpens limited to the best-of-the-best's eggs and sperm, cloned and duplicated in large quantity and shipped to breeding-pits across the cosmos?
As long as there’s a decent population of local Serpens to use, the broodpits will use their genes to makes offsprings. It’s only if there isn’t enough suitable Serpens to use we ship genes from other words. Of course, while the broodpits do try to use suitable parents to make the best offspring possible, there’s nothing stopping us from just doing it the old fashioned way. Except a large majority of Serpens don’t want to go through the bother… that’s why the broodpits was created in the first place, after all… to make sure we don’t stop breeding again.
>Doesn't such intense selective breeding lead to a severe lack of genetic diversity, along with the potential of inbreeding issues?
Your species is, as far as you know, completely immune against interbreeding. Having three parents apperently helps greatly against that… you think? You didn’t really pay attention when they went through that in class…

>You think that An might have been the one to put the screwdriver where it was. It likely had to have been placed there after the previous officers searched the office, since otherwise they would have spotted it.
Actually, they do mention the screwdriver in their report… they just assumed it wasn’t relevant to the case so they ignored it... and they do have a point. Neither the screwdriver nor the groove have really anything to do with the case, does it?


>An is right behind you now.
:RishiWWD: An!? Where did you come from?
:AnWWD: …from the door?
:RishiWWD: No, I mean… where were you?
:AnWWD: This unit is required to upload all test data every time the comes back to the main building. This order is higher priority than the order of assisting you, thus I had to leave you for a while.
>You could ask An if she knows how to open it.
:AnWWD: …open what?
:RishiWWD: This notch here… is it a door?
:AnWWD: …it’s a wall? Walls don’t open, Officer Rishi. Why are you trying to open a wall? Sometimes a notch in the wall is just a notch?
:RishiWWD: Err… but… it’s there… ergo, it must be important! That’s how these things work, right?
:AnWWD: …this isn’t a game, Officer Rishi. Somethings will have no relevance at all.

:LeontiusWWD: Glorious!
:RishiWWD: Huh? Did you find something?
:LeontiusWWD: Look at this file I found! It has been deleted from the computer, but not been overwritten yet.
:RishiWWD: Is that… the blueprint for the gun!? Then that proves it! Ferara printed the gun!
:AnWWD: Another successful investigation. Is there something else of importance left here?
:LeontiusWWD: Err… well… is there? I don’t know… but something tells me that groove you found is… um… is just an imperfection or something? Maybe we should move on to do something else?
>>
No. 812260 ID: fc33ea

> Somethings will have no relevance at all.
IT ENDS AT EXACTLY DOOR HEIGHT, OF COURSE IT'S A DOOR.
>Maybe we should move on to do something else?
I can wait to say 'I told you so', so Let's move on.
>>
No. 812306 ID: b1b4f3

>>812243
A quick test for a secret passage would be knocking on the wall in various spots. It sounds different if there's an open space behind it. Still no idea how the seam would open though. I mean if there's a secret door, won't it need more than one seam?
>>
No. 812327 ID: 91ee5f

>>812243
>…this isn’t a game, Officer Rishi. Somethings will have no relevance at all.
Just explain with a story about a similar experience on Roon. Right before you came here, you found a groove just like this behind a bookcase and then found a way to open it and found a bunch of drugs hidden in there, which allowed you to bust a drug lord that had been getting away with selling drugs for 15 years!

You just thought this was another secret room and you'd find a motivation of some kind hidden in there that would explain why Ferara committed murder!

Now you're just upset because you didn't find anything important. At least Leo found something.

Let's move on to the next room.
>>
No. 812418 ID: fc33ea

Also, don't focus on just the wall, make sure you've looked everything else over thoroughly too.
>>
No. 812593 ID: 7d8168

In lieu of having the wall knocked down, do we have any tools with us that could like, do ultrasonic imaging to see what's behind that wall? Even if it is just a defect in a wall, that could be because it was shoddily constructed over where a door used to be, or something like that.

We don't like just ignoring potential clues, OK?
>>
No. 812634 ID: fe7355

Ask Leo if he'd please humor you for five or ten minutes, at most. If you find nothing before the time's up, you'll admit you were chasing shadows, help him move the bookcase back and that'll be that. Would that be acceptable? Assuming he agrees, continue with your investigation of this mysterious groove.

Now, if whatever this groove is is something Ferara would need to physically access, that means she'd need to move the bookcase to do so. But whatever means she may have used to move the bookcase, the bookcase may have left a scrape in the floor or a mark in the carpet. Check the floor for any sign of those.

This groove is close to the same height has a door, isn't it? So maybe there was a doorway here that was filled in or covered over. Ask An to check the building maintenance and construction records for Ferara's office. Was there any work done on this section of wall or a note of a imperfection? Are there any photos available of this room empty or without any furniture covering up where the groove is that you could check? Building maintenance, a construction company that did work on this room or the realty company that sold the building to Hircusle Robotics may have photos of this room with this wall exposed.

Try knocking on the wall, moving out on either side to about a doorway's width. If there's empty space on the other side it'll sound hollow compared to a solid wall. Ask An what is on the other side of this wall section according to the building plans. Also ask if her sensors detect anything abnormal about this section of wall, other than it having a groove in it.

It's also possible that a heavy piece of furniture with some kind of vertical bar on the back was leaning against the wall there and left a indentation. Use your flashlight to check the back of the bookcase for anything that could have pressed against the wall. And An has been in Ferara's office a lot, so ask An if the furniture in here has been moved or changed as far as she knows. Was there any other furniture where this bookcase was?

But aside from this, you can't think of anything more you could do to check out this groove. At least, not within legal bounds. Of course you could punch through the wall with your cybernetic back-arms, but without a warrant you know that would end poorly for you and your career.

...And it strikes you as oddly sloppy that Ferara, a skilled and knowledgeable engineer, didn't think to scrub the plans from her computer. And then you wonder why she put them on her work computer, which is hooked to the company network and could have been monitored, at all. She didn't need the design software on her work computer to design the gun since it was a already existing design, right? So it would have made far more sense to load it onto a portable drive from a computer far outside anywhere she usually goes, then plug that drive right into the fabricator. And how could she have gotten a restricted fabrication plan like this, anyway? Is there a record of when it was downloaded to her computer and from where?

Do we even have a motive for Ferara to kill Herod yet? Herod's odd email brought Libzia, Ferara's S.O., into this, so a threat to "Lizzy" set Ferara off? Blackmail? Could Ferara and Libzia have been doing something illicit together and that's why they couldn't bring Herod's threat of blackmail to the Peacekeepers or the company? What could have backed Ferara into a situation where the only way out she could see was killing Herod?

>Except a large majority of Serpens don’t want to go through the bother… that’s why the broodpits was created in the first place, after all… to make sure we don’t stop breeding again.
"Again?" What happened back then to cause Serpens to ignore such a base biological imperative as procreation? Was it just that a majority of females didn't want to go through being pregnant? How was the process of reproduction and raising children handled back then? And how come the broodpits (or is it breedingpits?) were chosen as the best remedy? What are they even?

>Your species is, as far as you know, completely immune against interbreeding. Having three parents apperently helps greatly against that… you think?
But that doesn't make sense. Inbreeding is caused by close genetic relatives having offspring, so whether you have two or three parents doesn't change that. In fact, since females don't provide any genes at all, Serpens effectively only have two genetic parents anyway. So what it appears Serpens have are very large populations all directly descended from a single pair or a few pairs of gene parents. Then the egg and sperm of the very best within that population are chosen to conceive the next generation. That is the very definition of inbreeding.
>>
No. 812755 ID: 65a774
File 149919441106.png - (27.96KB , 900x450 , 90.png )
812755

>Females don't provide any genes at all, Serpens effectively only have two genetic parents anyway.
…wait, why wouldn’t they provide genes? They are fertilizing the egg just as much as a male is… just not with sperm…
>Inbreeding is caused by close genetic relatives having offspring, so whether you have two or three parents don’t change that.
All you know is that they’ve been doing this for thousands of years and here we still are…
>"Again?" What happened back then to cause Serpens to ignore such a base biological imperative as procreation?
Serpens doesn’t form a bond with their own children like many other species seems to do. When we were smaller tribes and civilizations, they wanted to grow and could see how many new Serpens they could support, but when we grew into bigger civilizations before the space age it suddenly became “someone else’s problem”. Thus, suddenly, we had a huge amount of elders but very few young ones to actually support them… it almost made everything collapse… in fact, several civilizations never recovered from that and disappeared completely.
>And how come the broodpits (or is it breedingpits?) were chosen as the best remedy? What are they even?
They are state controlled bodies that both makes sure our species grow as intended as well as take care of all the children that hatch. After all, it’s only logical that someone with years of education and expertise in the matter bring up all our children… instead of someone without either whose only argument is that they are related to the child.

>Don't focus on just the wall, make sure you've looked everything else over thoroughly too.
You did make a quick search already… though you’re right… you can feel it in your tail. There’s something here… but what? Is it the wall? …or something else? What are you missing?
>Do we even have a motive for Ferara to kill Herod yet?
So far no… but they are going to interrogate her today… hopefully she will break then and tell us.


>IT ENDS AT EXACTLY DOOR HEIGHT, OF COURSE IT'S A DOOR.
:LeontiusWWD: H-hey, no need to yell…
:RishiWWD: …sorry…
>Just explain with a story about a similar experience on Roon.
:RishiWWD: More than once I’ve busted a drug creator by finding hiding spots like this…
:LeontiusWWD: Well… we aren’t searching for drugs this time… and why hide it in her office instead of in her home? Still… you’re right that there might be something back there…
>Do we have any tools with us that could like, do ultrasonic imaging to see what's behind that wall?
:LeontiusWWD: I’ll call it in and see if they can send someone to check this out with the proper tools. It might take a while, but it’s the best I can do for now.

>The bookcase may have left a scrape in the floor or a mark in the carpet. Check the floor for any sign of those.
…there doesn’t… wait, what is this? Looking closer, you can see a clear depression in the carpet right in front of where the bookcase initially stood. Something even bigger than the bookcase has been standing here for a long time… or repeatedly been put here…
>A quick test for a secret passage would be knocking on the wall in various spots. It sounds different if there's an open space behind it.
You’ve already tried that… you didn’t hear anything that might have indicated a hollow spot.

>Ask An to check the building maintenance and construction records for Ferara's office.
:AnWWD: Gathering data… this office has not been changed since the building was bought 14 years ago… it’s been the office of Ferara since then. Note: there is about half a meter of space between this wooden wall and the wall of the hallway outside… it is also filled with cables and electronics that keep this office functioning. This unit recommends that you don’t try to tamper with the wall, as it might be dangerous… or damage the electronics.
>Ask An if the furniture in here has been moved or changed as far as she knows. Was there any other furniture where this bookcase was?
:AnWWD: Changes: Computer has been upgraded… portrait of “Lizzy” has been added… planter got new cactus…

>You're just upset because you didn't find anything important.
:LeontiusWWD: Don’t feel bad about it… I’m sure you’ll find glory the next time. Besides, there’s no honor in expecting everything to go smoothly every time.
>I can wait to say 'I told you so', so Let's move on.
:LeontiusWWD: We’ll see who says that in the end, Rishi… so… where off now, then? Should we contact Isan Karta and meet with him or should we go through all the project data Ferara was part of?
>>
No. 812760 ID: 4854ef

...Why is that section starting to float?
>>
No. 812853 ID: fe7355

You're thinking it'd make more sense to go over the project before meeting Isan Karte, since they might present subjects of questioning to follow with Isan or info that'd potentially catch Isan in a lie. However, we should check Isan's schedule for later in the day to be sure we catch him before he leaves work.

Take measurements of the carpet depression, as well as a few proper forensic photos with a measuring stick for scale. Also check that the depression from the bookcase doesn't have signs of a depression from something else that was in its spot before. And quickly look over the rest of the carpet for any other unexplained indentations.

Does the depression in front of where the bookcase was look like its from the base of a piece of furniture or equipment, or from the feet of a robot? Point it out to An and ask if she ever saw or otherwise knows of anything that was ever in this office that would make a depression like this, and if so to tell you what it was. If An hasn't, then ask her to record the depression's dimensions and be on watch for things with bases that match it and report them to you.

You didn't check out Ferara's ...Workbench? Design table? What the heck is that thing with the robotic arms, anyway? Whatever it is, you didn't check what plans might have been worked on on it, nor what that thing in the work area for the robot arms is. And it has a computer integrated into it, so it should get the same treatment as Ferara's desk computer got from the PK deep searcher.

>Changes: Computer has been upgraded… portrait of “Lizzy” has been added… planter got new cactus…
Upgraded in what way? Was something added to Ferara's computer or did she get a whole new one that was better? 'Cause if she got a new computer recently, then we should get a hold of the previous one to run through a deep search too, in case anything related to this case was on it.

You have a feeling Ferara did much more of her work at her workbench-design-fabricator-thingie than at her desk since the portrait with her and Libzia is over it where she could see it easily while working. ...You didn't take the pictures off the wall and checked their backs, nor took them out of their frames to see if anything was written on the backs or hidden in the frames. That you should do.

Why did the planter need a new cactus? Was it replacing something else that was already here, or did the previous cactus die? Or was the previous cactus broken by something?

>You did make a quick search already… though you’re right… you can feel it in your tail. There’s something here… but what? Is it the wall? …or something else? What are you missing?
Did you check under the step just inside the entrance? Under and behind the workbench-thing? How about the top of the bookcase? ...You didn't check in any of the light fixtures, did you? Or under the edge of the carpet?

...Argh! Grumble out loud that you know we can't stay here for the rest of the day picking this damn room apart, but, dammit, you feel in your bones something is here you've overlooked! And what's frustrating is you can't tell if it's a legit hunch or just that you want there to be something important here. ...And now you hear in the back of your head the voices of your PK academy teachers making disapproving noises and saying you work the case as it is and not chase after what you wish it to be. ...Sigh. We've spent enough time here. Lets go.

And on the way out, ask Leo if he's okay after that undignified outburst of yours. Again, you're sorry for that.

>>812760
That was a correction for a art error, I think. Looks like the design table/workbench/fabricator thing was one pixel too low before.
>>
No. 812926 ID: b1b4f3

>>812755
If there's a mark on the carpet, find a piece of furniture that fits the mark and put it there.
>>
No. 812929 ID: fc33ea

> Something even bigger than the bookcase has been standing here for a long time…
That's either the desk or the workbench, figure our what and move it there.
>>
No. 812934 ID: 91ee5f

>>812755
>Something even bigger than the bookcase has been standing here for a long time…or repeatedly been put here…
If it's a circular shape, then maybe the wall spins and the groove you found is the axis it spins on. Of course, it's not gonna spin if that bookcase is blocking one end of it.

But you're not necessarily right about that mark meaning it's bigger than the bookcase. It only means that the base of the object is wider than the bookcase. It could still be smaller and lighter than the bookcase.

But Leo already said someone else would come by and look at it, so let's not linger here and move on to Ferara's lab.
>>
No. 812937 ID: fc33ea

Also, just making sure, the marks in the floor couldn't have been left by Cogwelder moving furniture just so she could reach the top shelf of the impractically tall bookcase, right?
>>
No. 812943 ID: 91ee5f

>>812937
Huh, didn't think of that. Did we even check the top shelves and/or on the very top of the bookcase?
>>
No. 812949 ID: b1b4f3

On second thought don't move the furniture around just yet.
>>
No. 812956 ID: fe7355

>>812943
Oh, for... No, nobody has done a thorough search of the bookcase.

Rishi, get up on the desk, up on tippy-tail and search the top of the bookcase, then search every shelf of the bookcase, handing the books off to Leo to stack up as you go. Also ask An to help by flipping through them to check for any hidden items or writing or marks that aren't part of the books' texts. She can do it far faster than you or Leo could.

>>812949
Why not? It couldn't hurt to try putting any furniture in this room that'd fit that indentation in there, right? For all we know, Ferara put a lock switch in the floor under that spot and some kind of wireless key in the bottom of a chair or something.
>>
No. 813035 ID: 65a774
File 149927856751.png - (121.96KB , 900x450 , 91.png )
813035

>Take measurements of the carpet depression, as well as a few proper forensic photos with a measuring stick for scale.
Hmm… four meters long… and two meters wide… big enough for someone to stand on… but going by how heavy it must have been to make this kind of mark on the carpet, probably not something you can move around by yourself…
>And quickly look over the rest of the carpet for any other unexplained indentations.
…you can’t find shit, captain.

>If there's a mark on the carpet, find a piece of furniture that fits the mark and put it there.
Looking around, you can’t see anything that would be big enough. Both the workbench and computer desk is standing on legs, thus wouldn’t make this kind of markings…
>Just making sure, the marks in the floor couldn't have been left by Cogwelder moving furniture just so she could reach the top shelf of the impractically tall bookcase, right?
Why would she move around furniture when she can simply press a button to switch the bottom shelf with the top one?
>Did we even check the top shelves and/or on the very top of the bookcase?
Climbing up a bit, you find that the top of the bookcase is covered in dust… apparently, whatever kind of cleaning droid they are using here can’t reach the top of it.
>You didn't check out Ferara's ...Workbench? Design table? What the heck is that thing with the robotic arms, anyway?
Looking over the workbench, the only thing of interest besides the her tools is a screen displaying some kind of blue print… you can’t really make heads or tails of it, but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the current case.


>Point out the depression in the carpet to An and ask if she ever saw or otherwise knows of anything that was ever in this office that would make a depression like this, and if so to tell you what it was.
:AnWWD: This unit has not seen anything in this room that could create that kind of mark… nor has it seen any furniture been placed in that spot.
>...Argh! Grumble out loud that you know we can't stay here for the rest of the day picking this damn room apart, but, dammit, you feel in your bones something is here you've overlooked!
:LeontiusWWD: Sometimes our gut feelings are just wrong, Rishi… let’s just hope that if it’s actually right, the specialist with the tools will find it hidden behind that wall.
:RishiWWD: Ugh… maybe you’re right… maybe I was wrong from the start… it’s just… no matter how I look at it, something is off with that wall.
:AnWWD: Have you tried looking at it differently? Try looking at it like it isn’t off but on!
:RishiWWD: …err… I’m supposed to look… how?
:AnWWD: …Look to the sky, Stranger. Therein lies your answer.
:RishiWWD: ...Is that another quote? What is that even supposed to... mean… hmmm… wait a moment…
:LeontiusWWD: We’re not breaking down the ceiling, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: Aw, come on… it got grooves and everything as well! There might be something-
:LeontiusWWD: No. The only thing up there is the next floor, Rishi.
>Ask Leo if he's okay after that undignified outburst of yours. Again, you're sorry for that.
:LeontiusWWD: It’s okay. I get frustrated when the bad guy is getting away as well.
>>
No. 813036 ID: 65a774
File 149927857850.png - (22.00KB , 900x450 , 92.png )
813036

>You're thinking it'd make more sense to go over the project before meeting Isan Karte, since they might present subjects of questioning to follow with Isan or info that'd potentially catch Isan in a lie.
:NonWWD: Welcome to the Archive. We are from the IT-department and will be here supervising your investigation.
:NonWWD: …against our will…
:NonWWD: Most of the information is stored in the servers above us… but everything important is also backed up in paper form.
:NonWWD: Because paperwork is clearly the best way to store something…
:NonWWD: So, which one of you want to stay with me and go through the digital archive?
:NonWWD: …and which one of you will bite the bullet and follow me on the oh so joyful and exciting ride of going through millions paper files…
:NonWWD: Also… what are you two looking for exactly? We’ve got orders to show you anything connected to lady Ferara, but maybe we can specify it a bit better.
:LeontiusWWD: Err…

… … …fuck paperwork.
>>
No. 813047 ID: fc33ea

>Hmm… four meters long… and two meters wide…
Maybe the planter? No idea what use that would be, maybe there's something underneath it?

Hey, AN, how fast can you scan through files on paper? I'll owe you one if you don't go all need-to-know-basis on us.
>>
No. 813057 ID: fc33ea

>>813047
I just realized, the new cactus. We never checked to see if it was fake.
>>
No. 813091 ID: 91ee5f

rolled 1 = 1

>>813057
Speaking of things just now being realized, I just now thought of something. That groove could be like a guide for something that comes up out of the floor when the bookcase is moved.

Let's message Leo to let the specialists know about that also! And to apologize for still thinking about that groove. Just want to make sure nothing is overlooked.

>Fake cactus?
And have the specialists look into that also.

>>813036
Let's explain to them what we're looking for. Some sorta motivation for her to murder.

>………fuck paperwork.
I realized I did the coin flip wrong, so I deleted the original post and I'm going to do it right this time!

Let's flip a coin, one of you calls heads (1) and the other tails (2). Whoever gets it right, doesn't have to do the paperwork.

Rishi guesses tails (2)!
>>
No. 813092 ID: 91ee5f

>>813091
Sorry, Rishi, looks like you're stuck with the paperwork and Leo gets the digital archive!
>>
No. 813102 ID: b1b4f3

>>813036
Four meters long is 12 feet. Are you sure about those measurements? That would be bigger than a galactic standard bed, wouldn't it?
>>
No. 813104 ID: 486e87

>>813091
Whelp, someone's got to do the paperwork, looks like it's your turn today.
>>
No. 813175 ID: fe7355

Dammit, you don't even know what the fuck you're looking for here. You could spend the whole rest of the day picking through this archive, barely make a dent in it and not even know if you saw something of importance. Without narrowing the search it'd be like swimming along the rocky seabed in the dark dead of night, hoping to find a single gem by touch alone. In that situation you'd need a whole team of data analysts to pick apart this mountain of paper apart for clues, and even then it'd take them days.

Okay, since apparently you lost the coin toss, you're stuck on the tedious paper side. ...However, this may actually increase your odds, since it'd be harder to destroy paper records without a trace. It'll just take a long-ass time to pick through.

To start with, narrow it down first to material from the last... Year. That'll catch any possible run-up to Dr. Esk'eth's death. Then work backwards from today. Look first for all paper records without a matching digital record, since those might be indicative of trying to cover up something. Leo should look for digital records without matching paper ones as well, though that'd be less likely. Also look for gaps in the paper records where something may have been removed. References without matching pages and such like.

Pick out any records of and correspondence pertaining to Ferara's work with Dr. Esk'eth for closer examination, along with that of Ferara's work with Herod or Isan. In particular you want to see all material pertaining to Ferara's work on the project Alpha-556428B-Nedo, A.K.A. An, came from and is part of.

Oh, and also both you and Leo be on the lookout for any project or part she worked on that has dimensions that are rectangular and four by two meters on at least one side. Shot in the dark, that is, but maybe it'll hit.

...Actually, ask An to help you with this paper search as well. If she could get read-only access to the digital archive too, that'd go a long way to speeding up comparing the paper archive to the digital one for discrepancies. And do they have a business grade document scanner here? The kind with a bulk sheet feeder? 'Cause if so you could load the paper archive into the feeder, seat An in front of it and have her read each page as it zips by. That'd be much faster than moving by hand. ...Unless it's a requirement that a Peacekeeper officer be the one to view the paperwork personally. And you can't just have An do it and double-check what she finds. You'd have to check everything since you can't trust she didn't withhold something. Dammit.

>Because paperwork is clearly the best way to store something…
Yeah, it is if you don't want to risk it being lost to hackers, glitches, changes in data storage formats, hardware obsolescence, electrical surges, stray cosmic rays flipping bits or any other of the myriad ways digital data can be and has been lost.

>>813047
>Maybe the planter? No idea what use that would be, maybe there's something underneath it?
Both Rishi and An said there was nothing in the room that matched the dimensions of the 4 by 2 meter carpet depression. And I think the depression is rectangular, so it doesn't match the planter's trapezoidal base.

>>813091
>That groove could be like a guide for something that comes up out of the floor when the bookcase is moved.
Except that doesn't work because the floor is carpeted wall-to-wall. There'd have to be a section cut in the carpet for anything to come up from the floor below, and such a cut would be obvious.

...However, if there was a platform lowered from above, that might fit. And it doesn't even have to be cabled or hydraulic. It could be a anti-gravity lift platform, which when deactivated would be rather heavy. But this would work only if the unexplained depressed area didn't overlap with the bookcase's area. ...Unless she moved the bookcase up and to the side, out of the way. Gravity winch, maybe?

Ask An what the dimensions of the ceiling panel above where the bookcase in Ferara's office was. The one over the unexplained depression in the carpet. Are they four by two meters or close to it? And also ask An what is on the floor above that part of Ferara's office. And ask Leo to amend his scanner team request to have them scan the ceiling over that spot too.

...Dammit, you don't want to be stuck here chasing a fuckin' slim chance of a paper trail. You want to run back to Ferara's office and check your hunch out now! If only you'd thought of it sooner...

...Oh, dammit, you just realized while you were in Ferara's office you didn't see the transmitter orb that An used yesterday. Ferara said she left it there, but it was missing. Did the company or the Peacekeepers secure it, or is it in the wind who knows where?
>>
No. 813319 ID: fe7355

>This unit has not seen anything in this room that could create that kind of mark… nor has it seen any furniture been placed in that spot.
...Wait. You asked An if she'd ever seen anything that could have left that mark in the carpet and she said she hadn't seen any "furniture" placed there. And she said she hasn't seen anything currently in the office that could make that mark. So, you think An is hinting that she has seen something that fits the mark but she just can't outright say what? And that's it's just not a piece of furniture.

>…Look to the sky, Stranger. Therein lies your answer.
And another quote, but from what? ...Maybe An is using quotes to hint at things her higher priority directives prevent her from saying? That if she uses another's words and doesn't get too close to what it actually is she can skirt the higher directive.

And slither on over to An and ask her what's it about that stepladder that's got her interest.
>>
No. 813400 ID: 65a774
File 149937018667.png - (21.96KB , 900x450 , 93.png )
813400

>I just realized, the new cactus. We never checked to see if it was fake.
…dammit, now you’re going to be bothered all day that you didn’t chick it properly! Geez…
>Four meters long is 12 feet. Are you sure about those measurements? That would be bigger than a galactic standard bed, wouldn't it?
It would indeed… which means it’s not something you just move around all willy-nilly.
>You just realized while you were in Ferara's office you didn't see the transmitter orb that An used yesterday.
They’ve already taken it into evidence. You don’t need to worry about that at least.

>That groove could be like a guide for something that comes up out of the floor when the bookcase is moved.
>If there was a platform lowered from above, that might fit.
:RishiWWD: Ca-
:LeontiusWWD: The warrant doesn’t include tearing her whole office to pieces, so no, we can’t.
:RishiWWD: Aw…


>Let's flip a coin, one of you calls heads and the other tails. Whoever gets it right, doesn't have to do the paperwork.
:LeontiusWWD: A coin flip? I guess… what’s your call?
:RishiWWD: Tails… because my tail haven’t let me down yet!
:LeontiusWWD: …heads.
:RishiWWD: …I’m not mad, tail… I’m just very disappointed…
>Slither on over to An and ask her what's it about that stepladder that's got her interest.
:AnWWD: It’s a nice ladder…
:RishiWWD: …that’s a stepladder.
:AnWWD: …so? What’s the difference? You need to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: Err… sorry?
:AnWWD: It’s okay. I’m sure the ladder forgives you.
>Hey, AN, how fast can you scan through files on paper? I'll owe you one if you don't go all need-to-know-basis on us.
:AnWWD: I can read all of Hostilities and Reconciliation in the time it takes you to formulate that question in your mind.
:RishiWWD: …I’m going to go with that you’re a fast reader then…

>Let's explain to them what we're looking for. Some sorta motivation for her to murder.
:NonWWD: Err… yeah… see… we don’t really… um… know anything about that, so…
>To start with, narrow it down first to material from the last... Year.
:NonWWD: Very well… this section here is everything that’s less than a year old.
:RishiWWD: That’s not too… um… bad…
>Look first for all paper records without a matching digital record, since those might be indicative of trying to cover up something.
:NonWWD: Let’s see… according to the index, most paper records are just backups for the digital ones… though there are a few over here that’s don’t exist digitally… and some extra information on these… and these over here… and let’s not forget these either…
:RishiWWD: Geez…
:NonWWD: The wonders of paperwork, eh?
>Pick out any records of and correspondence pertaining to Ferara's work with Dr. Esk'eth for closer examination, along with that of Ferara's work with Herod or Isan.
:NonWWD: Isan Karte? That would be pretty much everything, as he’s the chief of economics. All big projects need his approval before they get funded. As for Herod… as he was the Software wiz and Ferara the Hardware master, they usually worked together on the bigger projects. But Dr. Esk’eth… I can’t find anything about what he was working on here…

>In particular you want to see all material pertaining to Ferara's work on the project Alpha-556428B-Nedo…
:NonWWD: Let’s see… I can’t find anything with that name… but maybe in the executive archives?
:NonWWD: That’s off limits! …and you can’t access it anyway.
:NonWWD: They have a warrant for everything Ferara was involved in and she was an executive so…
:NonWWD: And the password?
:NonWWD: Herod is an idiot who writes down all his passwords on post-it notes. I’ve told him a million times to not do that but… err… not to speak ill of the dead or anything…
:RishiWWD: Of course…

:NonWWD: Ah, here we go… these are the two top secret projects Ferara was working on. I… I can’t really show you the technical details, but I’m sure they won’t mind if you read the summary… of course, there wasn’t a lot here in the first place… apparently it’s at such a “need to know” basis that they haven’t even kept proper records of it.
:RishiWWD: No wonder they had so much trouble with An after the doctor died… let’s see… Project: Hephaestus… the project that created An. By using the knowledge of the organic brain, they were trying to enhance and improve the current existing AI model. The leader of the project was Dr. Esk’eth until his death… and he hasn’t been officially replaced yet. Besides Herod and Ferara, there was also a Dr. Crowseen working on it, but he retired soon after the death of Esk’eth.
:LeontiusWWD: Hmm… that doesn’t really tell us much about the murder, though…
:RishiWWD: There’s also Project: Ares, which is about using the existing AI to enhance an organic brain to create a sentient AI. So, it’s the opposite of the other project? There’s no project leader defined… or anything else for that matter…
:NonWWD: Yeah, that thing is really hush hush, so there’s barely anything here about it.
>>
No. 813411 ID: fc33ea

>What’s the difference?
One is self supporting. Are bicycles and unicycles the same thing to you?
>using the existing AI to enhance an organic brain
I WARNED YOU ABOUT REPLICANTS BRO I TOLD YOU DOG
>they haven’t even kept proper records of it.
You know the difference between science and fucking about is writing it down, right? If taxes are a thing up here, whatever Revenue services you've got will have a field day with bookkeeping this bad. Not to mention ethics and accountability boards.

Alright, we got a name- Dr. Crowseen. At least we got something in this mess. If we want something of real consequence, we'll have to get the executive password from Herod's office, probably getting help from Lilly to know which sticky note has the right info- can you call her now and ask?

Which of the two did Herod know about, and what was he working on? Is there a way to know what records he's been accessing?
>>
No. 813445 ID: 91ee5f

>>813400
>Coin flip.
>…I’m not mad, tail…I’m just very disappointed…
You know what's funny about that? When I did my first post, the coin flip came up tails (2). But, since I messed up doing the coin flip, I had to delete that post and try again. So, if I had done it correctly the first time, Rishi would've won the coin flip and Leo would be going through the paperwork right now! XD Sorry about that, Rishi! ^_^;;

Hmmm, let's try looking for anything that shows Ferara having an argument with Herod.

Or Herod successfully doing something that Ferara failed to do after trying for a long time.

Or Herod's work overshadowing Ferara's work and making it look insignificant by comparison.

Or Herod getting a promotion when Ferara felt she should've gotten it instead.

Or Ferara accusing Herod of stealing her work and claiming it was his work.

>Files of An might be in the executive archives.
>Need Herod's password.
Well, Lily is probably here by now. I guess we can call up there and ask her to bring it down or we could go up there and ask her. I don't recommend asking her to tell you the password over communications, you never know if someone else could be listening in.
>__>
<__<

Speaking of An, what's wrong with her? She looks like she's worried over there or something.
>>
No. 813473 ID: fe7355

Oh, dear, An is looking rather distressed. You'd best go over and comfort her. Say she looked upset and ask her if she's okay. Was it something from the archive that worried her? Is there anything she wants to say? ...Would she like a hug? And once she calms down, ask her about Dr. Crowseen, if she feels up to it. How did he treat her?

You'll want to get everything from public records you can on Dr. Crowseen. Species, age, address, his spouse and children, education, employment and residence histories, academic journals and news articles that include him, and so on. You may want to see about speaking with him, if he's still living on New Horizon. Also get everything from public records on Ferara, Herod, Isan and Dr. Esk'eth. You'll want to cross-reference all of them together to look for possible connections outside this company.

Get all of Ferara's email or any other company communication related to her projects, both outgoing and incoming, for the last year and work backwards through them. Start with communications related to Project: Hephaestus, along with those between her and Herod on any project. Look for tension and changes in attitude between them.

Who first proposed Project: Hephaestus and Project: Ares to the company? Did they originate from within the company or was the company contracted to do these projects? And who was working on them besides Ferara?

And you don't believe at all that there aren't any records anywhere of these two top secret projects. Any scientific or engineering endeavor of any complexity has to keep records. They just kept those records "off the books" in this case. But such behavior also opens up the possibility of them behaving illicitly in the pursuit of these projects. You know outside of Serpens space scientific research is bound by law much more, so you don't know just what they could do in these projects that'd be illegal. Does Leo know?

Now that you have this warrant for info related to Ferara's projects, is there more of those censored emails from Herod's computer that can be revealed? If so, you'd like to see them, this time with the text shown.

Look up the janitorial history for Ferara's office and see if and when any carpet cleaning beyond vacuuming was done. A full carpet cleaning, with steam or water, would also brush the carpet back up, so that inexplicable indent would have been removed by such a cleaning. That means that indent would have have to have been made after the last full carpet cleaning, narrowing down your time frame.

Based on An's behavior and how Ferara was acting with An, you'd guess Project: Hephaestus has something to do with integrating childhood learning and brain development into a AI. Maybe they thought raising a AI instead of building one fully formed would result in a better AI, or the emergence of a SAI.

That Project: Ares sounds like something the Knowing Caste would have tried already. Multiple times. And since we don't have bio-AI merged SAIs walkin' about, you figure it didn't work out multiple times. Probably with loads of clones with brain damage or insanity left over afterwards. Makes you wonder what someone thought they could do regarding it in Unity space with all its regulations on scientific research and development that wasn't done in Serpens space. For one, where would they get the organic brains without clones? Are they growing brains separately? Or could they legally get volunteers?

>I’ve told him a million times to not do that but… err… not to speak ill of the dead or anything…
Oh, by all means, feel free to speak ill of the dead as much as they want in this case. You certainly have been cursing Herod's terrible disregard for password security, since his sloppy behavior muddied your investigation up and might have gotten the wrong person arrested for his murder. But what's worse is that since Herod's passwords are "in the wild," we can't have any trust at all that any computer or other device that was accessed by his passwords was accessed by Herod himself. Anyone who saw his passwords could have used them. That means everything accessed with his passwords ought to get password resets and be throughly audited ASAP. ...What a bloody idiot...

>>813411
>If we want something of real consequence, we'll have to get the executive password from Herod's office...
But they already had Herod's executive password, either from the I.T. guys who memorized it from Herod's post-it notes or from the case notes since it was part of the investigation. It's how they could access the executive archive to get that info on the two top secret projects Ferara was working on; Hephaestus and Ares.
>>
No. 813477 ID: 094652

Cryptography is a mathematical art, but it's the opposite of misdirection. It's basically a bouncer with a billion faulty pressure points who you punch at different angles and with different tactics, and if you're not amazingly, jaw-droppingly lucky, don't have a proper strategy to analyze the reactions, and don't have enough time and agility to hit fast enough, the bouncer just smirks and asks you to keep trying like he's got nothing else to do. Thing is, the bouncer's greatest weakness is his boss; who is stupid enough to explain where the correct pressure point is as a bar joke because the bouncer makes this funny whistling noise when he falls down flat.

Which means, someone could easily poke the bouncer, get in, steal the loot, get out

and completely ignore the small brick in the wall that opens up to reveal a secret passageway leading to a magic cult.

What if Herod intentionally kept passwords out in the open so someone could steal his fortune, then brag about how Herod has been robbed dry and nobody else needs to steal from him, completely missing the true wealth? Modding a login screen is easy enough, and leaving security wide open is a cheap trick to prevent hackers from closely looking at what they can blow open.
>>
No. 813602 ID: 65a774
File 149943870265.png - (90.82KB , 900x450 , 94.png )
813602

>I WARNED YOU ABOUT REPLICANTS BRO I TOLD YOU DOG.
Replicants are still just a myth… but stairs on the other hand… *Shudder*
>If we want something of real consequence, we'll have to get the executive password from Herod's office…
You’ve already used the password. That’s where the Ares and Hephaestus project files were.
>Based on An's behavior and how Ferara was acting with An, you'd guess Project: Hephaestus has something to do with integrating childhood learning and brain development into a AI.
She does seem rather different from most AI you’ve met… and SAI for that matter.
>That Project: Ares sounds like something the Knowing Caste would have tried already. Multiple times.
If they actually came up with the idea in the first place. We Serpens aren’t known for our… creativity.


>You know the difference between science and fucking about is writing it down, right? If taxes are a thing up here, whatever Revenue services you've got will have a field day with bookkeeping this bad.
:NonWWD: Well, most of the economic aspects are jotted down…
>Not to mention ethics and accountability boards.
:NonWWD: Considering that might be the reason why it’s so hush hush…
>Any scientific or engineering endeavor of any complexity has to keep records. They just kept those records "off the books" in this case.
:NonWWD: Yeah, I bet they got a ton of stuff written down somewhere… it’s just not here, where someone might find it.
>For one, where would they get the organic brains without clones? Are they growing brains separately? Or could they legally get volunteers?
:LeontiusWWD: Now that would be a good thing to hide from the board of ethics. It’s bound to be both illegal and immoral.

>Speaking of An, what's wrong with her? She looks like she's worried over there or something.
:RishiWWD: An? Are you alright? You seem a bit…
:AnWWD: I’m fine… officer Rishi…
>Was it something from the archive that worried her? Is there anything she wants to say?
:AnWWD: …no…
>...Would she like a hug?
:AnWWD: … … … … … …yes?
>>
No. 813603 ID: 65a774
File 149943871334.png - (22.13KB , 900x450 , 95.png )
813603

You hug An tightly in your arms, her chassis creaking a bit as she returns the embrace. You can’t help but feel how cold she is… as if she’s been standing out in the snow for hours…
:AnWWD: Ares… Dr. Esk’eth told me about that…
:RishiWWD: …what did he say? Do you want to talk about?
:AnWWD: He… he said it was bad… unethical… evil… that he had to stop it…
:LeontiusWWD: Stop it? How? …and why was it bad?
:AnWWD: I… I don’t know… I’m sorry…

>What if Herod intentionally kept passwords out in the open so someone could steal his fortune, then brag about how Herod has been robbed dry and nobody else needs to steal from him, completely missing the true wealth?
:NonWWD: I’m pretty sure he was just really bad with passwords…
>Which of the two did Herod know about, and what was he working on? Is there a way to know what records he's been accessing?
:NonWWD: According to the papers, he was part of both projects… though, he didn’t really do a lot with Hephaestus project until Esk’eth passed away… and it doesn’t really say anything about what he did in the Ares project.
>Hmmm, let's try looking for anything that shows Ferara having a motive to murder Herod.
…no arguments… no stolen glory… no promotions over the other… nothing… it seems that they worked on two completely different subjects, only interacting with each other when they needed to be combined… you can’t find anything that might be a motive for Ferara… or Herod…

>You'll want to get everything from public records you can on Dr. Crowseen.
:LeontiusWWD: Human, 173 years old, retired 5 months ago, lives here on New Horizon.
:RishiWWD: 173? He’s rather old, then.
:LeontiusWWD: I guess we can forward this information to the main team and see if they want to bring him in.
>Get all of Ferara's email or any other company communication related to her projects, both outgoing and incoming, for the last year and work backwards through them.
:LeontiusWWD: The emails are for the main team, Rishi. We’re the B team, remember? They got more experience that the both of us, so trust that they know what they are doing.
>Who first proposed Project: Hephaestus and Project: Ares to the company?
:NonWWD: Project: Hephaestus was created by Dr. Esk’eth…
:RishiWWD: And Ares?
:NonWWD: I doesn’t say, sorry.

:LeontiusWWD: Well… you want to keep digging through papers on other projects or should we call it the day? We still need to talk to Isan… and find out more about those two Projects. They seem to be the ones that are important.
:NonWWD: So… we’re done here?
:RishiWWD: Hmm…
>>
No. 813698 ID: fc33ea

>Well, most of the economic aspects are jotted down…
And what if you need to prove it?... Can we see what money was going where?

>he said it was bad… unethical… evil… that he had to stop it…
That makes two people showing concerns about the project- if at least superficially- that are now dead. Is it enough to reopen the case of the death of the late doctor Esk’eth? On that thought, someone had better get to Dr. Crowsen's place quickly- these management eggheads have been dropping like flies.

>you want to keep digging through papers on other projects or should we call it the day?
Ugh, I don't want to take the like two things we learned and say we're done here, but at the same time we need to get some more context in order to sift through this mess. Let's go talk to Karte.
>>
No. 813710 ID: 91ee5f

>>813603
It seems like 2 people of importance on those projects died. I don't think that's a coincidence, someone might be purposefully sabotaging those projects.

But we'd need more evidence to prove that!

>Keep searching?
There's just too much to look through here! If only we had someone that could read everything really fast for us!

.....ask An if she could read everything for us and then repeat back everything pertaining to our current case. Or is she not allowed to do that?
>>
No. 813757 ID: 67856c

So Herod work primarily on Ares before Esk’eth.
Could Ferara have killed him to keep him away from An, or to sabotage Ares?
Could Esk’eth have been killed to stop him from sabotaging Ares?

Find out as much about the words "Ares" and "Hephaestus" as you can.
>>
No. 813758 ID: fe7355

Does the warrant extend to workspace and equipment used by Ferara's projects or just the project related documents? Because if it's the former, then we ought to check out the Hephaestus and Ares work areas before meeting with Isan. But the Ares one isn't listed, is it? So would that give us warrant to track where Ferara has been using the security camera video archive to find out where she's been going to work on Ares? It likely would be outside the building, though, so get a list of all the properties the company owns or rents on New Horizon. And they'd probably hide where it was being worked on, so pull the project financial records and compare what was spent against public property purchase and rental records from after the project started. Do we know when the project was given the go-ahead? And do we have enough basis to request a forensic accountant for this case? Or for the company's projects to be audited for possible violations of research and experimentation regulations?

The Ares project would need equipment and supplies, so check the company requisition records for a bunch of stuff being moved within the company or purchased for Ares, or for a unnamed project or a project that was already fully supplied and got a bunch of things it didn't need. Limit the time frame to after the Ares project was approved. And it'll also be biological in nature, so it'd stand out against all the mechanical stuff this robotics company usually gets.

Also forward what An said Dr. Esk'eth said about Project: Ares to this case's A team with a suggestion they talk with Dr. Crowseen about it and Dr. Esk'eth.

Pulling up and reviewing the accidental death case file for Doctor Esk'eth would probably be prudent right now. Who worked that case and what'd they find?

Ask Leo what he's thinking about this case. There certainly is a strong stink of suspicion coming from under some of the doors leading off it.

Do the names of the two top secret projects have any significant meaning? If they had good sense they'd just pick them from a random list of words unrelated to the subject, but this company seems to have a distinct lack of good sense in certain areas.

Before you leave, the three of you should help the I.T. staff put all this paperwork back. It's the right and courteous thing to do after they had to haul it all out for your case.

>If they actually came up with the idea in the first place. We Serpens aren’t known for our… creativity.
Knowing that deficit in your species, has the Knowing Caste tried to bring some non-Serpens scientists in to live in Serpens space and work with them? Like, to look over their research and data and make connections a Serpens wouldn't?
>>
No. 813949 ID: 65a774
File 149953722051.png - (33.28KB , 900x450 , 96.png )
813949

>Knowing that deficit in your species, has the Knowing Caste tried to bring some non-Serpens scientists in to live in Serpens space and work with them?
It wouldn’t be logical to make the four castes for Serpens only. Everyone can and will bring something to the castes. Personally, you’ve never understood why some people dislike others just because of their species… it’s not really logical…
>That makes two people showing concerns about the project- if at least superficially- that are now dead. Is it enough to reopen the case of the death of the late doctor Esk’eth?
Probably not… it’s still just a coincidence…
>Pulling up and reviewing the accidental death case file for Doctor Esk'eth would probably be prudent right now.
You’ll need to get back to the station to access the archive… and you’ll need to get permission first as well.
>Find out as much about the words "Ares" and "Hephaestus" as you can.
Hmm… it’s the names of some old Human gods… Ares was god of war… and Hephaestus was a god of the forge?


>.....ask An if she could read everything for us and then repeat back everything pertaining to our current case.
:AnWWD: Scanning… please stand by… … … … …still scanning… … …this is going to take a while…

>Can we see what money was going where?
:NonWWD: My apologies, but your warrant doesn’t cover the economics of the company.
>Does the warrant extend to workspace and equipment used by Ferara's projects or just the project related documents?
:LeontiusWWD: Sadly, no. The warrant only covers the places like Ferara’s office and home, not the rest of the company.
>Do we know when the project was given the go-ahead?
:NonWWD: I believe project: Hephaestus started about… 5 years ago? No idea about Ares, though I’m going to guess about the same time?
>And do we have enough basis to request a forensic accountant for this case? Or for the company's projects to be audited for possible violations of research and experimentation regulations?
:LeontiusWWD: Maybe… but that’s not for us to decide. Our job is to solve the murder of Herod and nothing else. Anything other than that is not our concern, is it? Let the rest of the peace keepers’ deal with that.

:AnWWD: Scanning complete. Information relative to the current case… 0%.
:RishiWWD: What? Really?
:AnWWD: Unless you want to know how many bolts is needed to create a sub-zero mining droid, there’s nothing really of interest in these documents.
>Before you leave, the three of you should help the I.T. staff put all this paperwork back.
:NonWWD: Oh, no, no need for that.
:RishiWWD: Really? Are you sure?
:NonWWD: The longer we take to finish up here, the less we need to explain to office half-twits how they haven’t won a new BTL player but downloaded a virus instead.
>Ask Leo what he's thinking about this case.
:LeontiusWWD: At least the arrest and judgement of Ferara seems straight forward enough… but this whole thing stinks of injustice. Are there more criminals to be enlightened by our magnificent zeal?
>It seems like 2 people of importance on those projects died. I don't think that's a coincidence, someone might be purposefully sabotaging those projects.
:LeontiusWWD: Isn’t it “twice a coincidence, thrice a pattern”? Take care that you don’t see evil plots where there are none, Rishi… but still, you’re right, it feels like there’s something more to this… something big… and on our honor, we will find glory in it!
>On that thought, someone had better get to Dr. Crowsen's place quickly- these management eggheads have been dropping like flies.
:LeontiusWWD: I’ll forward it to the rest of the team…



>We need to get some more context in order to sift through this mess. Let's go talk to Karte.
You find Isan Karte below ground, near the main factory hub. He’s busy ordering around several groups of people, seemingly trying to get the factory working again after everything that has happen. As you approach, he disengage from his current conversation and slithers over to you…

:IsanWWD: Yes? So how can I be of assistance, officers? I do hope you’re not planning to keep me to long, as I need to deal with all the chaos after Herod’s departure.
:LeontiusWWD: We will not take up to much of your time, sir… we just have a few questions.
:IsanWWD: Then ask away.
>>
No. 813966 ID: 91ee5f

>>813949
>Scanning complete. Information relative to the current case…0%.
Good thing I suggested that, otherwise we'd still be in there looking for stuff! That paperwork was evil! It could've given us a paper cut! An saved our hands from getting paper cuts all over them!

.....speaking of An, where'd she go?

>Then ask away.
Let's ask if he has any idea on why Ferara would want to murder Herod?

.....uh, I'm drawing a blank on what else to ask him. Does anyone else have some better questions to ask?
>>
No. 813974 ID: fc33ea

>bolts is needed to create a sub-zero mining droid
Bolts? What is this, the 1900s?
>it’s still just a coincidence…
You're an investigator, you're not allowed to believe in coincidence.

>'departure'? Is that what they're telling people?

Message Leo, tell him it's his turn to be the good cop this time and to ask about what projects they were working on with Ferara, and how Herod would have learned about them.
>>
No. 813980 ID: 91ee5f

>>813974
The good cop, bad cop thing is only supposed to be used when interrogating suspects that are suspected of doing something, not when questioning people that aren't suspected of doing anything.

Isan Karte currently isn't a suspect and, until we find evidence that says he's a suspect, we'll question him normally without a good cop or a bad cop.
>>
No. 813984 ID: fc33ea

>>813980
He's working on a project that could supposedly bring down the entire company alongside a murderer. I think we'll find plenty to grill him on.
>>
No. 813992 ID: 91ee5f

>>813984
Just because he and Ferara worked on the same project, that doesn't mean that he also wanted Herod dead. Ferara could've planned that on her own and Isan had nothing to do with it.

The only evidence we have proves that Ferara killed Herod. There's nothing saying that Isan had anything to do with it or if he even wanted Herod dead.

Remember: Innocent until proven guilty. And so far, the only thing we've proved was they worked on the same project. That's not even close to enough evidence to say he was involved with Herod's murder!
>>
No. 814021 ID: fe7355

Start out with the straightforward line of inquiry and ask Isan to sell you about his last meeting with Ferara. Was there anything unusual about it? Then ask how was her relationship with Herod. Were there any troubles between them? Any friction between Ferara and anyone else at the company who was close with Herod? And then ask if he's noticed any notable changes in Ferara's behavior and attitude and if so then in what way and when did he first notice it.

Ask how come Herod's death and Ferara's arrest has thrown the factory hub into chaos. You wouldn't think the chiefs of either of their former departments would be so necessary for the day-to-day operations down here. Except... Is the company in the process of resetting and retooling production lines for new models? That'd be when the chiefs would be needed the most to manage fixes for any unforeseen production issues in getting those lines back up.

Ask how long and how much trouble it'll be before the company finds or promotes replacements into Ferara and Herod's former positions. Don't say this out loud, but once they get a new Chief of Engineering then whoever they are can rescind An's order to help your investigation.

Then ask him where the records of Project Ares are so that you can search them for communications between Ferara and Herod. (Pay attention to his reaction and body language when you bring up Project Ares.) You have a warrant for all projects Ferara worked on, so this request should be within its scope, right?

Hey, where did An go? She was with you when you left the archive, wasn't she? Message Leo to ask him if he noticed when and where An stopped following and if he saw where she went.

If you mind-melded with another Serpens, you'd be able to tell if they were lying or withholding information, right? If so, what's the level of legal cause needed for a Serpens Peacekeeper to do that?

>It wouldn’t be logical to make the four castes for Serpens only. Everyone can and will bring something to the castes.
It was more a question of if the Knowing Caste, and the rest of the castes, actively seek to recruit non-Serpens and how many non-Serpens do come to join them. How big a population of non-Serpens is living in the Serpens home territory?

>>813974
>Bolts? What is this, the 1900s?
What? I don't get what you're saying here? There's plenty of mechanisms that use bolts as fasteners or to hold parts together. Gearbox covers, for example. So a sub-zero mining droid could have bolts in it.

>You're an investigator, you're not allowed to believe in coincidence.
No, a investigator is allowed to believe in coincidence, since otherwise they'd fall down a bottomless pit of connecting together irrelevant people, places, things and events just because of proximity to the case. Always remember that there was and is plenty going on with those places, things and people that are related to a case that isn't actually related to the case. They have lives of their own, after all.
>>
No. 814043 ID: fc33ea

>>813992
>Remember: Innocent until proven guilty.
That applies to arrests, not interrogation methods. Do you think if he's done something wrong he'll just tell us all about it? We're going to have to dig to get at anything. I'm saying that Leo should ask the questions and we'll hold the inconsistencies to him.
>>814021
>There's plenty of mechanisms that use bolts as fasteners or to hold parts together.
There used to be plenty of things that were held together with Rivets- I find it surprising bolts haven't been similarly replaced.
>bottomless pit of connecting together irrelevant people, places, things and events just because of proximity to the case.
proximity doesn't mean relevance. You can't just see something out of line and write it off as incidental or irrelevant. It's better to investigate and be wrong than leave something important undiscovered, don't pretend that means we need to chase down non-criminal connections ad infinitum.
>>
No. 814088 ID: fe7355

Oh, I just realized there's a way to possibly find out what made that four by two meter carpet indentation in Ferara's office. It depends on if the warrant for Ferara's office extended to any security cameras monitoring its entrance, though. But if the warrant does, then the video from that camera can be reviewed for anything of those dimensions going into or coming out of Ferara's office.

>>814043
>Proximity doesn't mean relevance. You can't just see something out of line and write it off as incidental or irrelevant. It's better to investigate and be wrong than leave something important undiscovered, don't pretend that means we need to chase down non-criminal connections ad infinitum.
Alright, I concede I was wrong. But we still can't investigate every coincidence because there's only so much time in the day (and only so much of Kaktus' will and patience.) That and it may lay outside the bounds of Rishi's case assignment.
>>
No. 814200 ID: 65a774
File 149961378301.png - (34.34KB , 900x450 , 97.png )
814200

>Good thing I suggested that, otherwise we'd still be in there looking for stuff! That paperwork was evil! It could've given us a paper cut!
Paperwork is pure, unrefined evil… the only thing worse is stairs! Freaking stairs…
>You're an investigator, you're not allowed to believe in coincidence.
As an investigator, you’re also not allowed to get so lost in the details that you miss the bigger picture.
> Oh, I just realized there's a way to possibly find out what made that four by two meter carpet indentation in Ferara's office. The video camera outside her office.
You send over a message about it to Leon so he can forward it to the other team.

>If you mind-melded with another Serpens, you'd be able to tell if they were lying or withholding information, right?
:RishiWWD: …Mr. Karte, you wouldn’t mind if we mindmelded for this conversation?
:IsanWWD: …your partner won’t mind if he can’t hear my answers?
:LeontiusWWD: Um… she can tell me when the two of you are done?
:IsanWWD: …hmm… very well, though please understand, if you ask any questions about my private life or anything about the company not connected to Ferara or Herod, I will break the link.
:RishiWWD: I’ll keep my questions to the subject.

As you embrace, you can feel your mind starting to wander… and soon enough, it finds the mind of Isan. As your minds collide, you can feel his emotions wash over you. Stress… annoyance… tiredness… and a hint of arousal. Your mind is as one and every thought is known between you…

:RishiWWD: |*Curious* Meeting Ferara? *Interested* Odd? *Attracted* Eyes, cute.|
:IsanWWD: |*Contemplating* Ferara stressed, unfocused, emotional. First time like that.*Explanation* Something wrong with Ferara. *Attracted* Hips, beautiful face. *Arousal* Mate?|
:RishiWWD: Ferara seemed stressed and unfocused when Isan was meeting with her.
:RishiWWD: |*Curious* Projects? Ferara and Herod? *Arousal* Yes.|
:IsanWWD: |*Stating fact* Ferara hardware, Herod software. Many projects both. Isan all projects, credits. *Eager* Quickie, bathroom?|
:RishiWWD: Herod and Ferara had several projects together. Isan doesn’t work directly with them, but he’s the one who makes sure they are properly funded.
:RishiWWD: |*Wonder* Ferara and Herod? Emotions? *Somber* Working. Professional.|
:IsanWWD: |*Thinking* No emotions. Rarely met outside work. Worked on different parts.*Disappointed* understood.|
:RishiWWD: Ferara and Herod wasn’t very well acquainted.
:RishiWWD: |*Anger* Why murder? *Eager* Eggs?|
:IsanWWD: |*Disgusted* Not economical sound. No emotions. No motive found. *Content* Higher cast, no eggs.|
:RishiWWD: Isan doesn’t know why Ferara would murder Herod.
:RishiWWD: |*Curious* Project Hephaestus? *Hope* Wrestle?|
:IsanWWD: |*Proud* Hephaestus, An, growing AI, Possible winnings: High, Risk: High. *Sad* Dr. Esk’eth departed. Project almost scrapped. Not working anymore. Only An left. *Content* Your victory assured. Compromise: First seed, then eggs.|
:RishiWWD: The Hephaestus was almost scrapped after Dr. Esk’eth death…
:RishiWWD: |*Curious* Project Ares? *Eager* Agreeable.|
:IsanWWD: |*Confusion* …?|
:RishiWWD: |*Annoyed* Project Ares? A-R-E-S.|
:IsanWWD: |*Confusion* … … …?|
>>
No. 814201 ID: 65a774
File 149961379423.png - (111.65KB , 900x450 , 98.png )
814201

The chain between you breaks as Isan pulls himself away from you, but before you can question him why he gesture for you to wait a moment. You can see text shifting over his mechanical eyes, as if he’s trying to find some document or file.

:IsanWWD: I… I’m sorry, but I can’t find anything about a ARES. Are you sure that’s what you saw?
:RishiWWD: I saw the documents about it… the few that existed.
:IsanWWD: Hmm… yes, I saw your memory of it… but no, I don’t know what that is. It’s not something I’ve funded. I have to look into that.

> ...speaking of An, where'd she go?
:LeontiusWWD: She’s trying to hide back there… as if she doesn’t want to be seen…
:IsanWWD: An? Is that you?
:AnWWD: Err… hi?
:IsanWWD: An, where have you been the last day? We kind of lost you in all the chaos.
:AnWWD: Oh… um… following orders given by Ferara. I’m to assist Officer Rishi with this investigation.
:IsanWWD: …and I can’t order you to stop?
:AnWWD: You don’t have the authority for that.
:IsanWWD: *Sigh* Of course not.

>Ask how come Herod's death and Ferara's arrest has thrown the factory hub into chaos.
:IsanWWD: This is the R&D department. There’s a lot of projects that needs their supervision and approval to function… thus without them both…
>Ask how long and how much trouble it'll be before the company finds or promotes replacements into Ferara and Herod's former positions.
:IsanWWD: I don’t know. A few weeks? Months? Hopefully not too long, as this made the tide low for all our development projects.

:LeontiusWWD: So… to iterate. Project Hephaestus and Ares are…?
:IsanWWD: I’ll need to go and check those documents you found of Ares later, as I’ve never heard of it before… as for Hephaestus… An, are you still recording all test data?
:AnWWD: Affirmative.
:IsanWWD: Then you can continue what you’re doing right now. Officer Rishi, do you mind looking after our… hmm… “child”, if you will?
>>
No. 814217 ID: 4854ef

Well An's proven quite valuable in this help so far so there's no issues letting An continue to watch over things. It's nice to have a bunkmate.
>>
No. 814237 ID: 91ee5f

>>814200
>the only thing worse is stairs! Freaking stairs…
But you can still go up and down stairs! It's just very painful and uncomfortable to do so.

>*Contemplating* Ferara stressed, unfocused, emotional. First time like that. *Explanation* Something wrong with Ferara.
Hmmm, I wonder.....ask Leo if the team that was sent to find Libzia Dunewanderer to ask her about Ferara was able to find Libzia? It could be Ferara was forced to kill Herod because Libzia is being held hostage and the kidnappers threatened to kill her if Ferara didn't do what they asked!

.....nah! This isn't a movie or anything like that!

But still, if Ferara was unusually emotional, Libzia would've been more likely to notice, since Ferara doesn't need to be serious around her. If they lived together, then that increases the chances of Libzia noticing a change in Ferara's behavior.

>*Hope* Wrestle?
>*Content* Your victory assured. Compromise: First seed, then eggs.
>*Eager* Agreeable.
So, how exactly are you guys gonna do that?

>>814201
>Isan doesn't know about Project Ares.
Is it possible to lie during a Serpens mindmeld? Because if it isn't possible to lie, then he just found out about a top secret project he probably and might stick his nose somewhere it doesn't belong trying to find out about it!

Tell Isan about what Dr. Esk’eth told An about Project Ares and tell Isan to be careful about looking into it.

And if it somehow helps us, ask him to let the Peace Keepers know about anything he finds out about Project Ares. But, if it's got nothing to do with our case, then just tell him to be careful and leave it at that.

>Officer Rishi, do you mind looking after our...hmm…“child”, if you will?
"So she is a child! Then I guess this means I have to hold her hand to make sure she doesn't get lost!" Attempt to hold An's hand.

"But seriously, I'll do my best to keep her safe."

And now that we've gotten approval from Isan, we don't have to worry about Rishi and/or An getting in trouble with the robotics company about An not being there!
>>
No. 814266 ID: fc33ea

>Officer Rishi, do you mind looking after our… hmm… “child”, if you will?
Child rearing, your peoples' kryptonite. Well AN seems to be okay with it and you're fine having a housemate you don't have to share a bathroom with, so you'll do your best.

So what are the limits on the mind meld? Could he be deceiving you through omission?
Ask If he knows anything about a 'Lizzy'.
>>
No. 814283 ID: cc5ab4

An is a very powerful device, and has been shown capable of completely shutting down the activity of other electronic devices near her. While we are willing to treat her as a person in need of protection, we are also worried she has hidden orders that may interfere with our investigation, or is simply predisposed to aid her parental figures.

She was given an order to help with the investigation. Who can rescind that order? If she were a fully sapient AI, who would she be willing to betray orders to protect?
>>
No. 814302 ID: 91ee5f

>>814288
>Show Isan the peculiar e-mail from Herod to Ferara; The one that refers to "Lizzy." Ask Isan if he has any idea what this message is about or why Herod would bring up Doctor Esk'eth's death.
Now that I think about it, Libzia Dunewanderer or "Lizzy" as she's been called, must have some sorta robotics education if, according to that email, she and Ferara were working on something together.

Is Libzia Dunewanderer an employee here?

>Leo joins Rishi for sex with Isan.
No, Leo has already said he doesn't do males. And unlike Rishi, Isan isn't at a halfway of male and female parts, he's all male.

Besides, Isan is only wanting Rishi right now, so it would be rude to rope in an extra person. If Leo was a Serpens, then yeah, go ahead and ask. But he's not a Serpens and he's already asked us to stop being a sledgehammer, so no, don't ask him.
>>
No. 814307 ID: fe7355

Oh, you don't mind at all. She's been a quite good and a great help. You'll watch out for and take good care of her. Though, are there any special considerations the company would like you to follow with An? And is there anything An would like to bring with her from here while she's staying with you?

Ask Isan if there's any organization out there that he knows has this company in their figurative cross-hairs. Any government, corporation, political group, et cetera? With seemingly no motive on Ferara's part to murder Herod you're thinking that perhaps she was coerced into killing Herod in a bid to tank this company. Alternatively, someone may have been out to kill Herod and forced Ferara to do it for them. Ah, but you're getting too much into the speculation weeds. You need actual clues to follow here.

Show Isan the peculiar e-mail from Herod to Ferara; The one that refers to "Lizzy." Ask Isan if he has any idea what this message is about or why Herod would bring up Doctor Esk'eth's death.

And check if Herod's computer was given the same PK deep search treatment as Ferara's computer. If Herod was actually blackmailing Ferara he may have left traces on his work computer. If his computer hasn't been deep searched, then ask Isan if he'd grant permission for a PK deep search of Herod's work computer. If Isan agrees that'll save the trouble of getting a warrant.

For Isan's convenience forward your photographs of the Project Ares documents to him so he has something clearer than your memories to work from. That way he can get to work on his inquiries without needing to head to the archive first. He can go there later to confirm the photos match the documents.

Ask An to tell Isan what she heard her father, Dr. Esk'eth, say about Project Ares and when he first and last said things about that project. That'll set roughly when he first found out about Project Ares. And did Isan get any meeting requests from Dr. Esk'eth right before the doctor's death?

Ask Isan how a project could have gotten the financial go-ahead without his okay or his notice, financial or otherwise. Who above him in the company could have approved it, as well as the power and authority to hide it?

Exchange contact info between you and Leo and Isan. Then you can message Isan to work out the where and when of your sexual rendezvous once both of you are off work. And as you slither away, sway your hips a bit extra for Isan's enjoyment. Then once you're out of Isan's hearing, ask An why she was seemingly trying to hide from him.

...Hm. You would like it if Leo joined you with Isan. The thought of Leo in you while you're in Isan is quite appealing. Ah, but then there's all the physical positioning problems that get in the way of that, especially with your glorious hips. ...And that Leo can't breathe in water, so a sleeping tank would be out too, and you want to do it in a tank. And also the issue of Leo maybe, probably not being okay with a threesome or Isan possibly preferring to keep it just between you two so it can be in the water. ...But maybe Leo would like watching you and Isan do it. Eh, no, that'd feel too much like leaving Leo out. ...And he might actually be so depraved as to masturbate to you two, and that's something don't want to find out suddenly midway through with Isan. So you think you won't ask Leo if he'd like to take part, mostly 'cause you want to get laid in the water after a week without and not risk having it get all complicated and weird with Leo.

>Paperwork is pure, unrefined evil… the only thing worse is stairs! Freaking stairs…
Wait, New Horizon doesn't require ramps alongside stairs? You'd think for a place that touts itself as a space station for all species they would be considerate towards Serpens in that way.
>>
No. 814338 ID: fe7355

And were Ferara's and Herod's comm implants (assuming Herod's wasn't destroyed by the stinger gun) put through PK deep searches as well?
>>
No. 814352 ID: 65a774
File 149964453305.png - (33.06KB , 900x450 , 99.png )
814352

>Compromise: First seed, then eggs? So, how exactly are you guys gonna do that?
He goes first and then it’s your turn? It’s not rocket science.
>Child rearing, your peoples' kryptonite.
You’re not properly educated to take care of a child! Luckily, she’s not really a piece of green rock- you mean a child, is she?
>So what are the limits on the mind meld? Could he be deceiving you through omission?
It’s possible to hide thoughts, yes… or even manipulate emotions, but he didn’t seem trained in the art of mind melding. His thoughts were too shattered… of course, if he was a master of the art that might just have been an act…
>And check if Herod's computer was given the same PK deep search treatment as Ferara's computer.
It’s been thoroughly checked, yes.
>You would like it if Leo joined you with Isan…
You mated with Leo yesterday. You don’t want to get into a rut and fuck the same guy over and over… and you rather find a lady to lay your eggs in. The only reason why you’re considering Isan is because he offered himself.
>he might actually be so depraved as to masturbate to you two
Masturbation is only depraved if you do it alone. Mutual masturbation or while watching someone giving a show isn’t depraved.

>Well An's proven quite valuable in this matter so far so there's no issues letting An continue to watch over things. It's nice to have a bunkmate.
:AnWWD: I have?
:IsanWWD: Then it’s settled. I’m sure we can get a lot of information about An this way… and I can focus completely fixing this mess.
>Are there any special considerations the company would like you to follow with An?
:IsanWWD: Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself… and don’t tell people what she is. It should still be safe for her outside… but if the wrong people knew she was worth a lot of money…
>"So she is a child! Then I guess this means I have to hold her hand to make sure she doesn't get lost!" Attempt to hold An's hand.
:AnWWD: E-eh!? What are you doing!?
:RishiWWD: I’m trying to hold your hand, An… as a sign of friendship.
:AnWWD: B-but it’s so… so… l-lewd!
:IsanWWD: An has a habit off… getting odd information from the web. Don’t worry about it.

>Ask If he knows anything about a 'Lizzy'.
:IsanWWD: …as in… Ferara’s girlfriend? No, I don’t really know anything about her, sorry.
>Show Isan the peculiar e-mail from Herod to Ferara; The one that refers to "Lizzy."
:IsanWWD: Hmm… this is odd… I’m pretty sure Libzia is a dentist or something… what kind of project might they be working on?

>Tell Isan about what Dr. Esk’eth told An about Project Ares and tell Isan to be careful about looking into it.
:IsanWWD: Hmm… that does sound ominous, indeed… I’ll be careful about this, don’t you worry.
>Ask him to let the Peace Keepers know about anything he finds out about Project Ares.
:IsanWWD: If it is a matter for the peace keepers to know I’ll contact them.
>And did Isan get any meeting requests from Dr. Esk'eth right before the doctor's death?
:IsanWWD: No. In fact, I can’t say I ever actually met the man.
>Ask Isan how a project could have gotten the financial go-ahead without his okay or his notice, financial or otherwise.
:IsanWWD: They must have circumvented me somehow… maybe pulled resources from elsewhere?

>Ask Isan if there's any organization out there that he knows has this company in their figurative cross-hairs.
:IsanWWD: No one who would do something like this, no.
>Exchange contact info between you and Leo and Isan.
:IsanWWD: Ah, yes, of course. If you ever need to know anything else, I should be available at most times.
[You can now call and message Isan at any time.]

>You can message Isan to work out the where and when of your sexual rendezvous once both of you are off work.
:IsanWWD: [My apologies, but I’ll be rather busy tonight. Unless you have time right now we’ll have to postpone it. I’m sure we’ll meet another time to finish our transaction.]
>And as you slither away, sway your hips a bit extra for Isan's enjoyment.
You can feel his eyes follow each sway of your hips… he won’t forget about you for a while… wait, was that a camera you heard just go off? Eh, never mind…

>Ask Leo if the team that was sent to find Libzia Dunewanderer was able to find her?
:LeontiusWWD: Libzia has been accounted for… and she’s currently being questioned. She is apparently quite shaken about Ferara being arrested.
>Ask An why she was seemingly trying to hide from him.
:AnWWD: I… I thought he would take me away from you, Rishi…
>And is there anything An would like to bring with her from here while she's staying with you?
:AnWWD: … … …there is something I want to go get… but I’ll do that on my own before we leave. You’ll wait for me, right?

:LeontiusWWD: Speaking of leaving, we’re pretty much done here. Unless there’s something you want to re-investigate we should probably head back to the station… after all, we have a mountain of paperwork to fill out after all this… probably going to take all day… no honor in it, but it must be done…
:RishiWWD: Geez… I hate paperwork…
>>
No. 814356 ID: 3ce125

>>814352
Well, if we can go over any of the camera footage we could find out what that big object was that used to be in Ferara's office.
>>
No. 814366 ID: 91ee5f

>>814352
>[My apologies, but I’ll be rather busy tonight. Unless you have time right now we’ll have to postpone it. I’m sure we’ll meet another time to finish our transaction.]
So we can't meet with him tonight. Probably for the best, since you've still got that meeting with Ziana an hour after your shift in your apartment. Whatever this meeting is about, it sounds important!

.....although, if you're really curious and want to know what to expect, you could just look up her name on the web real quick to see what she does. She's got a business of some kind, so it shouldn't be too hard to find out something.

>wait, was that a camera you heard just go off? Eh, never mind…
Well, you did say you saw text shifting over his mechanical eyes, so I'd say that camera you heard was his mechanical eyes taking a picture of your hips. Which just further proves that your hips are turning heads! Just the way you like it! >:-D

>………there is something I want to go get… but I’ll do that on my own before we leave. You’ll wait for me, right?
"Of course we'll wait for you. It'd be kinda irresponsible to leave you behind after I told Isan I'd keep an eye on you."

>Geez…I hate paperwork…
No! Not the evil paperwork! It's going to give us paper cuts! DX
>>
No. 814376 ID: fc33ea

>but I’ll do that on my own before we leave. You’ll wait for me, right?
Sure. In the future, can you tell me where you're going if you're going somewhere? It will help me find you if you do go missing or someone tries to take you away.
>Unless there’s something you want to re-investigate we should probably head back to the station…

>after all, we have a mountain of paperwork to fill out after all this… probably going to take all day…
Well if you want to put off the inevitable, we can take a second look at Ferara's office. If the funding for Ares was truly siphoned from other projects, going back to the archives will have to wait until we get an expanded warrant, so the office is our only chance to dodge paperwork, at least for a while.
>>
No. 814472 ID: fe7355

>>814356
Rishi already forwarded that idea to Leon to forward on to the lead investigators on the case; The "A team." Presumably they'll be handling reviewing the security camera video for anything that matches the carpet indentation.
>>
No. 814497 ID: fe7355

It sounds like the paperwork needs to be done today, and that the time needed to do it is going to take a block of time approximately from now to the end of your shift. That means if you put it off now, you'd end up having to stay an equal amount of time after your shift's up to finish it. And since you have a appointment with Ziana a hour after your shift ends, you'd only have a hour minus the time to travel back to your place, wash up and change clothes. That leaves not much time to either go over Ferara's office again in the hopes you have a epiphany, or to have a decent fuck with Isan. And frankly, you'd prefer a lady to take all these eggs you've built up, and to have copious time to do her well. So you're done here. Wait for An, then it's back to the station to beat the paperwork beast into submission for the day.

Message Isan that you have a solid block of paperwork that'll take the rest of your shift to do, then a appointment shortly afterwards, so sadly our rendezvous will have to be another day. ...But in the meantime perhaps he'd like you to send more photos of yourself to go with the one he took of your departure, as a reminder of what he has to look forward to. Much more... revealing ones. And maybe he could send you back some similar ones of himself, as reminders for you. That'll crank up his anticipation and desire for you. Then once you get home you can take photos in the mirror of you doing naked sexy poses for him. And maybe some for Leo too.

>His thoughts were too shattered… of course, if he was a master of the art that might just have been an act…
But who usually are the masters of mind-melding? What professions need it? ...A salesman to other Serpens, maybe? Dig up Isan's employment history to see if he came up from sales or another profession that calls for skill in mind-melding.

After your appointment with Ziana you'll have to remember to call Julia. You want to have a good, long lay with a lady and Julia definitely seemed like she'd be down for that. But if Julia isn't available then call Varinia. ...And look up who Ziana is as soon as you get the chance. If she's female then maybe you could work out laying with (and in) her at some point in the evening after your meeting. And if you're lucky, she's going into the meeting hoping she can get a ride on a Protector Caste ovale, so cross your fingers on this.

You ought to check how physically compatible ovales are with non-Serpens females sexually. Those females didn't evolve to take ping-pong ball sized eggs, so if you lay with one unprepared it may not go a way you'd like. ...Except for perhaps Hiver females, since their males produce sizable spermatophores.
>>
No. 814498 ID: 91ee5f

>B-but it’s so…so…l-lewd!
It's only lewd if you make it lewd.
>>
No. 814511 ID: 27c0e0

Hey buddy! buddy friend! buddy friend pal guy!
Listen I just wanted to ask a favor, its not that big a favor, but I'll owe you big.
Do you think you can go to the station and get a head start on that paperwork while stay here and take care of something it won't take long I swear I'll be quickie I mean quick.
That okay buddy man friend dude pal bro guy?
>>
No. 814567 ID: 65a774
File 149971359094.png - (6.31KB , 900x450 , 100.png )
814567

>Stay here and take care of something it won't take long I swear I'll be quickie I mean quick.
While it’s very tempting to just drag Isan away and have a quick romp with him, you have a certain amount of professionalism you like to keep. You’ve promised yourself not to have sex while on the clock… and you’re going to keep that promise, no matter what.
>Who usually are the masters of mind-melding? What professions need it?
Those that train in mindmelding is often those that need to either take care of people who are less than emotional stable or those that wish to derive pleasure from it… like alien mind massagers.
>...A salesman to other Serpens, maybe?
Why would… you guess they need to be emotionally stable but… it’s facts that sells, not salesmen… that’s a known fact.


>Of course we'll wait for you. It'd be kinda irresponsible to leave you behind after I told Isan I'd keep an eye on you.
:AnWWD: Thank you. I won’t be long, Officer Rishi.
>In the future, can you tell me where you're going if you're going somewhere? It will help me find you if you do go missing or someone try to take you away.
:AnWWD: I’m just going to grab something from my… home, if you want to call it that. I’ll be back in a sec.

>It sounds like the paperwork needs to be done today, and that the time needed to do it is going to take a block of time approximately from now to the end of your shift.
:LeontiusWWD: Actually, it needs to be done by next week… but the sooner it’s done, the less chance we’ll have the work extra this weekend.
:RishiWWD: Well… I guess it’s time to get back to the station and beat the paperwork beast into submission then.
:AnWWD: I’m back…
:LeontiusWWD: That was quick… but yeah, let’s meet this horrifying beast head on in glorious battle!
:AnWWD: That sounds fun!
:LeontiusWWD: Trust me, it’s not.

And thus our brave heroes faced the their most dangerous enemy yet… the evils of bureaucracy….
:AnWWD: This is so booooring…
:LeontiusWWD: I warned you.
:RishiWWD: Ow! Stupid, evil paperwork! It gave me a paper cut!
:AnWWD: I don’t think paper can be evil, Rishi…
:RishiWWD: But it is… and do you hear that? That evil laughter? It’s mocking me!
:LeontiusWWD: …it’s just the fan rustling some of the papers…
>>
No. 814568 ID: 65a774
File 149971360234.png - (26.56KB , 900x450 , 101.png )
814568

>Message Isan sadly your rendezvous will have to be another day.
:IsanWWD: [That seems to be the case. I’ll be in contact with you at a later date.]
>...But in the meantime perhaps he'd like you to send more photos of yourself to go with the one he took of your departure, as a reminder of what he has to look forward to. Much more... revealing ones. And maybe he could send you back some similar ones of himself, as reminders for you.
:IsanWWD: [Oh, you heard that. I was going to ask for permission, but your thoughts made it quite clear that you wouldn’t mind. And that’s a kinky idea you have… though I hope you won’t mind if some of my photos have a… guest in them?]

>Look up Ziana’s name on the web real quick to see what she does.
Hmm… she’s a tadpole warden and abecedary… whatever that means.
>If you're lucky, she's going into the meeting hoping she can get a ride on a Protector Caste ovale, so cross your fingers on this.
She does seem to be from the broodpits so…
>Call Julia. You want to have a good, long lay with a lady and Julia definitely seemed like she'd be down for that.
:JuliaWWD: [Sorry, hot stuff, but I’m working late today again… and after that I’ve already made other plans. Maybe tomorrow?]

>You ought to check how physically compatible ovales are with non-Serpens females sexually.
You know that they can all take it anally, at least… though you might need to look into the other end a bit more… after all, not everyone is into that.
…and speaking of ladies, here is two now. You can recognize the Varkian as Lily, but you have no idea who neither the female or male Hiver is.

:LilyWWD: -so neither of you’ve seen our new neighbor either? I was too tired to say hi to her yesterday.
:NonWWD: Well, it seems like you’ll have your chance now. I think that’s her coming up right now.
:LilyWWD: Oh!? Really? I wo- VARK! YOU!?
:NonWWD: …you know her?
>>
No. 814570 ID: 3ce125

>>814568
>revealing photos
That's porn!

>Lily
Say "hello, neighbors!" Also thank her for her help in the investigation so far. Erase all suspicion from her other neighbors' minds.
>>
No. 814576 ID: fc33ea

Uh, hi Lilly! and... other neighbors!

Tell her you hope there's no hard feelings over the whole, you know, thing.

If she does have hard feelings, explain you had no idea Leo was going to accuse her of anything. You met the both of them at the same time.
>>
No. 814609 ID: 91ee5f

>>814567
You and Leo have to share a desk?! But it's so tiny! I thought they'd at least give both of you your own desks, so that you guys wouldn't be crowding each other!

>Ow! Stupid, evil paperwork! It gave me a paper cut!
I knew it! I knew that was going to happen! DX

>>814568
>Multiple people in front of door.
Is that your apartment, Rishi? Because if it is, then it looks like they all came over to meet you. And it's a good thing you weren't delayed in any way, otherwise you would've missed meeting them!

>Oh!? Really? I wo- VARK! YOU!?
"Hello again, Lily! And believe me when I say that yesterday I was just as surprised as you are right now! I only found out when the Sakilian Sisters came by yesterday to introduce themselves! They mentioned that you lived here and I thought about coming over to surprise you, buuuut I figured after what happened yesterday, you'd be really tired, so I just let you get some sleep."

>…you know her?
"We met yesterday under.....stressful circumstances. But now that we're meeting under better conditions, we can properly introduce ourselves to each other!"

Also, don't forget to introduce An, who I'm assuming is right behind you.
>>
No. 814610 ID: be0718

You really missed out on Julia, you know... What a waste.

Yes, we know each other from work! And what might these Hivers' names be?
>>
No. 814737 ID: fe7355

Just so Lily knows you're really her neighbor and you're not just here on police business, remotely open your apartment door and invite everyone in. Tell the Hivers that you do know Lily. You met her yesterday at her workplace while in the course of your job. And since you didn't properly introduce yourself to Lily yesterday, offer a handshake to the Hivers then to her and introduce yourself to them all.

Tell Lily you were quite surprised yesterday when the Nerva sisters mentioned she was your neighbor. It's such a amazing coincidence this apartment you picked out back on Roon would neighbor Lily. And it's even more of a coincidence that your partner lives in this spire just a couple floors up. What're the odds, eh? Anyway, you figured she'd be exhausted after what happened and just want to rest, so you skipped inviting her over.

Apologize to Lily for the stress you and your partner put her through yesterday. It was his first shift as a investigator and your first day on New Horizon so you both were feeling rather more zealous than you should have. So you hope she isn't upset with you two.

Compliment the Hiver gal on her outfit. You are rather partial to blue, and the gold trim goes well with it. And is there something hanging from the Hiver guy's neck? ...Is that a camera? Like, a actual film camera? Why does he have one of those?

Did you see what An brought from her last "home?" ...Actually, where is An? If she keeps walking off like this you think you might need to ask her if she'd give you access to her tracking device signal so you can always find her. Y'know, in case she's kidnapped or some other urgent situation where she needs to be found quick.

Reply to Isan that you're more than fine with a "guest" along with him in his photos; The more the merrier. So who is this "guest" of his? Would they possibly be up for joining in with you and him or does Isan want your rendezvous to be one on one?

Reply to Julia that it's okay, you'll get together tomorrow if nothing else gets in the way. And she can drop you a message any time she'd like to have a go. Hopefully you'll be free whenever she does.
>>
No. 814801 ID: 65a774
File 149977874604.png - (20.64KB , 900x450 , 102.png )
814801

>That's porn!
Is that what it is? So those kind of picture is called porn, the ones you give to people you’re planning to sleep with? …or have slept with?
>You and Leo have to share a desk?! But it's so tiny!
He got his own desk… but it’s just as tiny.
>You really missed out on Julia, you know... What a waste.
There will be another chance… and you did get some with Leon, didn’t you?
>Did you see what An brought from her last "home?"
No, she kept it tucked away… somewhere?
>...Actually, where is An? If she keeps walking off like this you think you might need to ask her if she'd give you access to her tracking device signal so you can always find her.
She ran off ahead of you… again… you really hope she went back to the apartment… but yeah, you’ll need a way to track her soon enough.

>Reply to Isan that you're more than fine with a "guest" along with him in his photos; The more the merrier.
:IsanWWD: [I do have to agree… looking forward to seeing you again, Rishi.]
>So who is this "guest" of his? Would they possibly be up for joining in with you and him or does Isan want your rendezvous to be one on one?
:IsanWWD: [Ah, no, she’s not up to that… but if you want to have some more people, I do have an idea… I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.]
>Reply to Julia that it's okay, you'll get together tomorrow if nothing else gets in the way.
:JuliaWWD: [Don’t make promises. Instead, choose the choice you feel for when the time comes. After all, you never know what you might miss if you make plans to soon.]


>Uh, hi Lilly! and... other neighbors!
:NonWWD: Hiya.
:NonWWD: Salutations.
:LilyWWD: Eh!? W-what are you- wait, you can’t be our new…
>Just so Lily knows you're really her neighbor and you're not just here on police business, remotely open your apartment door and invite everyone in.
:LilyWWD: What!? You’re actually… but… that’s…
:NonWWD: Lily, stop being rude. She invited us into her abode, so stop standing around stammering.
:NonWWD: …so, how exactly do you two know each other, anyway? Aren’t she an police officer? Did something happen? Oh, is there an interesting story behind all this?
:LilyWWD: Err… I mean… okay?

>Tell her you hope there's no hard feelings over the whole, you know, thing.
:NonWWD: …whole thing? Hmm…
:LilyWWD: Hard feelings? What? Of course not! You saved me! If it wasn’t for you I would probably have been framed successfully.
:RishiWWD: Um… I don’t think she actually tried to frame you… and please don’t talk too much about the investigation, as it’s still ongoing.
:NonWWD: Interesting…
>Thank her for her help in the investigation so far.
:LilyWWD: Um… no problem? I guess? I mean… so far I’ve just given a statement and… um… luckily, I’ll probably won’t need to actually be a witness and- *cough* I wasn’t supposed to talk about this, was I?
:RishiWWD: I’m going to guess that no, not until the judgment is completed.
>It's such an amazing coincidence this apartment you picked out back on Roon would neighbor Lily. And it's even more of a coincidence that your partner lives in this spire just a couple floors up.
:LilyWWD: Well… the whole spire is nothing but apartments so… anyone who works nearby lives here… but neighbors? Yeah… that’s quite the coincidence.

>Offer a handshake to the Hivers then to her and introduce yourself to them all.
:RishiWWD: I am Rishi Zsazsa, of the Protection Cast, former guardian of Azilla isles on Roon itself, now a guardian of New Horizon, Unity space. On the tide, I put my hopes that our friendship will be a long and joyful one.

…and you stand there for a little while, your hand outstretched in a futile attempt to get shaken. Lily seems to nervous and shy to get close… while the two hivers simply places one ha- um… claw(?) over their heart as they seemingly wait for Lily to take the lead.
:LilyWWD: Um… so… err… I’m Lily Skywatcher… nice to meet you?
:CeethWWD: My name is C’thatun, but you can call me Ceeth. By order itself, our friendship will be a pleasant one.
:KashaWWD: I am High Judicator K’sh’thir, the final judgment of her grace, lady justice herself. A Duchess of the lowlands and a member of the court of the many. I am the sword of the law and the-
:CeethWWD: And someone who keeps bragging about their titles…
:KashaWWD: Hmph, just because some of us have some status around here… but yes, you can call me Kasha for short. In her grace, it is a pleasure to meet you, Rishi.

>Compliment the Hiver gal on her outfit. You are rather partial to blue, and the gold trim goes well with it.
:CeethWWD: Blue? It’s clearly purple?
:KashaWWD: Thank you, Rishi, it’s nice that someone appreciate the little extra I do.
>And is there something hanging from the Hiver guy's neck? ...Is that a camera? Like, an actual film camera?
:CeethWWD: Oh? This? Why, indeed it is a high quality camera. I’m a renowned reporter, you see.
:KashaWWD: Renowned? A freelancer without jobs, you mean?
:CeethWWD: Hey! I’ve covered big things you know…
:LilyWWD: …wasn’t the biggest thing you’ve covered that pie eating contest you did an article about?
:CeethWWD: …*sigh* I’m going to find a big scoop, just you two wait…
>Also, don't forget to introduce An, who I'm assuming is right behind you.
:RishiWWD: By the way… did any of you see an android around here? Sakkilian?
:CeethWWD: I saw one run into your apartment, yeah.
:KashaWWD: That’s why we thought you were home… though, it was in quite the hurry, wasn’t it?

Hmm… both the Hivers seem to be shifting in place a bit, as if they are expecting something… did you forget something important?
>>
No. 814831 ID: 3ce125

>>814801
Might be a culture difference thing. Mimic their salute? You could offer them something to drink.

Maybe ask if there's something else? I mean, you could just tell them you're still adjusting to the culture here, so if they can fill in the blanks for you...
>>
No. 814872 ID: 91ee5f

>>814801
They're not shaking your hand?! Damn it! Ugh, I've got a feeling that you're never gonna get the hang of these alien greetings. Especially if they keep doing different things like this!

Message An and tell her that more neighbors are here and she can come out and say hi if she wants to. Also mention that one of them is Lily. And tell An that, on the off chance that Lily does recognize her, she should tell them that she's helping with the investigation, but then don't say anything else because we're not allowed to talk about an ongoing investigation.

And while An is introducing herself, Rishi, why don't you offer to get your guests something to drink?
>>
No. 815041 ID: fe7355

Oh, you forgot to give them all the traditional Serpens greeting hug! And Ceeth and Kasha might know enough about Serpens to be expecting hugs and are unsure how to act right now because you didn't give them. Or, they may be expecting something else entirely. Your xeno-social relations and customs knowledge is sorely lacking, after all, and with so little knowledge and experience it's best not to guess.

Lower your arm and just ask them what they're expecting you to do right now. Explain you've only ever lived in Serpens society before yesterday, so you don't know that much about non-Serpens customs and social expectations. Like, right now, because Lily's here you thought to offer your hand in greeting to them in what you guessed is the Varkian way since your Vark partner did the same with you, but it wasn't accepted. And the previous two times you tried to offer a hand in greeting it wasn't accepted either. You don't know if you're somehow doing it wrong or using it in the wrong situation.

Anyway, say you're going to skip all that for now and instead you'll give them a proper Serpens greeting, then hug them tightly one by one. Afterwards offer them seats at the table, pulling the chairs out for them. You're short two, but there might be a couple more chairs you could bring in. Would they like something to drink too? Did you bring that opened bottle of wine you shared with Leon back with you? If so you could offer to share that.

Would Ceeth and Kasha prefer you used their Hiver names and not their nicknames? You ask because, since you talk telepathically, you can pronounce their names correctly and don't need to use nicknames. So it's their preference if you do or not.

>No, she kept it tucked away… somewhere?
Odds are she has a storage compartment in her chassis somewhere; Most likely in her torso. You'll have to remember to ask her if she has one later.
>>
No. 815042 ID: fc33ea

Pie eating contest?... Sometimes I feel like we're missing out on so much, not being able to eat...

Anyway, can I get you anything? I kinda moved in yesterday so I only have the food fabricator to call on right now, but still. Anyway you'll have to forgive me, I've been trying to get into the premier on alien culture, but work's been... busy.
>>
No. 815053 ID: 91ee5f

>>815042
>Sometimes I feel like we're missing out on so much, not being able to eat...
Welllll.....there's always the option of buying a biomod mouth!

.....naaaah, that'd be weird!
>>
No. 815058 ID: 7aa8c3

>>815053
But then you'll be able to give blowjobs and eat pizza rolls.
>>
No. 815061 ID: 91ee5f

>>815058
She'd also have a form of tourette's syndrome, but instead of randomly swearing, she'd randomly make noises with her mouth, like, "Bababooy" or "Blalabrbrb" or "Ptptptpt", stuff like that.
>>
No. 815072 ID: 3181a5

>>815061
Doesn't that require vocal cords?
And come to think of it doesn't eating require an esophagus and a stomach? Other species are weird.
>>
No. 815088 ID: 65a774
File 149986216630.png - (136.92KB , 900x450 , 103.png )
815088

>Pie eating contest?... Sometimes I feel like we're missing out on so much, not being able to eat...
Yeah… sometimes you wish you had a mouth… but you don’t…
>There's always the option of buying a biomod mouth!
…that is an option, isn’t it? It would be… interesting, at least.
>you'll be able to eat pizza rolls… and make noises like "Bababooy" or "Blalabrbrb" or "Ptptptpt", stuff like that.
You’ve always wanted to taste this legendary “pizza”… and lips… you need a pair of lips to play with!
>And be able to give blowjobs.
…you so need to get one of those to know how it feels… and if they feel good… geez, you’re going to start exhaling on sexual organs until the tides returns. Dammit, now you really want a mouth to play with… maybe you should look up their cost if you get the time.

>Ugh, I've got a feeling that you're never gonna get the hang of these alien greetings. Especially if they keep doing different things like this!
Geez, these aliens are so weird… there’s simply too many of them… ergo, it feels like you’re never going to learn everything about them.
>Message An and tell her that more neighbors are here and she can come out and say hi if she wants to.
:AnWWD: [The unit you were trying to reach is currently in sleep mode. Please try again later.]


>Might be a culture difference thing. Mimic their salute?
Both the hivers look at you strangely as you place your hand over one of your hearts… did you do it wrong?
>Explain you've only ever lived in Serpens society before yesterday, so you don't know that much about non-Serpens customs and social expectations.
:CeethWWD: Ah, of course. Sorry about that… but it’s our custom that the homeowner offers something to drink when you meet like this.
:RishiWWD: Oh… um… well, I kinda moved in yesterday so I only have the food fabricator to call on right now, but still… I guess we-
:KashaWWD: While it’s usually considered rude to refuse a drink offered, we can skip it this time.
:CeethWWD: Yeah, I wasn’t really craving a drink right now anyway.
:RishiWWD: Oh… um… then… welcome, I guess?
>Oh, you forgot to give them all the traditional Serpens greeting hug!
:RishiWWD: Um… speaking of proper greetings, you won’t mind if I give you a traditional Serpens greeting hug?
:CeethWWD: Oh, not at all… just watch the camera.
:LilyWWD: Err… we… um… I t-think I’ll… pass?
:KashaWWD: Hmm… well, if you must…
Ceeth simply holds his camera over your head as you hug his hard chitin closely… but Kasha lifts you up to make sure you hug more than just her legs and returns the embrace. As she does, you can feel her uneven, raspy breathing and her heartbeat, weak and unnatural under her cold chitin. You can’t help but wonder if she’s feeling well… all the while Lily is shuffling nervously behind the Hivers…

>Would Ceeth and Kasha prefer you used their Hiver names and not their nicknames?
:KashaWWD: Don’t. You’re just going to butcher the pronunciation. Stick to the nicknames, if you please…
:RishiWWD: C’thatun and K’sh’thir?
:KashaWWD:
:CeethWWD: *Snrk* Pfff… heh…
:RishiWWD: …what?
:CeethWWD: You just said you are a pink little teacup. It’s more to it than just the clicking sounds, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: Oh… sorry…
:KashaWWD: Don’t be. Those who are new need to learn things like this by themselves.

:CeethWWD: Speaking about being new, you wouldn’t mind if I took a few photos of you, Rishi? You’re the one who made the arrest of Miss Ferara, correct? Maybe I can get a few quotes as well? It’s for an article, you see…
:KashaWWD: So that’s what you were planning…
:CeethWWD: Hey, I’m sure you were planning on inviting her to play regicide or something instead.
:KashaWWD: Actually, me and Varinia was going to watch the scrumball game in about an hour. But if Rishi wants to honor us with her presence, she’s more than welcomed too.
:RishiWWD: Well… I’ve always wanted to see a scrumball game…
:LilyWWD: Oh, speaking of the Nerva sisters… me and Octavia was going to go clothes shopping in a while. Y-you want to come?
:RishiWWD: And I would need some new clothes too…
:KashaWWD: Have you played Regicide before? Do you want to play a game sometime?
:RishiWWD: I used to play it at the academy, so sure?
:KashaWWD: Maybe even tonight? After dinner? That is, unless you are planning to go and have a workout with Varinia… she did mention she needed a training partner and that you were interested.
:LilyWWD: And I guess Octavia was talking about sitting out in the park with a cup of tea tonight… if you want to join us then too…
:KashaWWD: Isn’t it going to rain tonight?
:LilyWWD: Exactly… It’s quite nice to just sit out there and watching the rain fall over the lake…
:RishiWWD: Geez… you guys really like to invite me out to stuff, don’t you?
:CeethWWD: ... … …why are you looking at me like that? I’m going to be busy with the article tonight… if you give me something to work with, of course.

So…
You can join Kasha and Varinia and watch a game of Scrumball…
Or you can go clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia…
And after that… let’s see…
Kasha wants to play Regicide with you…
…and Varinia wants to train with you…
…while Octavia and Lily wants to take a nice cup of tea with you…
…you can’t be everywhere at once… so… choose two?
…oh, and Ceeth wanted help with his article right now…
…and that Ziana is bound to turn up any minute now for the meeting as well…
Geez… so much to do… so little time…
>>
No. 815137 ID: 3ce125

>>815088
Oh no, Lily's way fatter outside of the flash animation.

>I only have the food fabricator to call on right now
But it's a SERPENS food fabricator. It's all drinks anyway!
>article
I think you still can't say much about that, aside from stuff like "it's a real tragedy and we will be sure to make a thorough investigation so that justice is served"
>what do
Well, the planned meeting is your first priority.
I like the idea of going clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia, then getting some training in with Varinia. You could even buy some workout clothes for it.
If you've got some time to do so in private, check to see how safe it would be to deposit eggs inside a sakkilian.

Ask if Kasha is feeling well.
>>
No. 815152 ID: 91ee5f

>>815088
>[The unit you were trying to reach is currently in sleep mode. Please try again later.]
Oh well, you tried.

>>815137
>Oh no, Lily's way fatter outside of the flash animation.
Ha! You're right! XD

>article
I agree with what you're saying about that.

>What do?
So, according to you, it should be: Ziana first, clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia second, then finally getting some training in with Varinia, correct? Yeah, that sound like a good plan.

>You could even buy some workout clothes for it.
That's also a good idea.
>>
No. 815155 ID: fc33ea

What are the protocols for divulging information on ongoing cases to the press? Only say what you're allowed to, don't want to get any demerits a few days into your job. I mean obviously you can say who was arrested and why- be sure to go into some depth with the charges to get him as good a picture as you're able- but are points of evidence fair game? What about if it comes from a third party source I.E. Lilly?

Clothes shopping & Training. You've been wearing that coat for like two days in a row and you gotta get stronk if you plan to ever beat Leo in a wrestling match. All after the meeting of course.
>>
No. 815175 ID: 4dd5b9

Go clothes shopping. You need a new outfit. Afterwards, go to your meeting.
>>
No. 815177 ID: 91ee5f

>>815175
The meeting is coming here in a few minutes. Clothes shopping will have to come later.
>>
No. 815191 ID: 65a774
File 149988959433.png - (21.30KB , 900x450 , 104.png )
815191

>Oh no, Lily's way fatter outside of the flash animation.
Wasn’t entirely happy how her original picture came out… mostly because her glasses made her look older than she is and that she didn’t really look overweight. So… changes! Her sprite will also change a bit…

>I like the idea of going clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia, then getting some training in with Varinia.
:KashaWWD: Ah… very well, I guess we will have time to get to know each other another day.
:LilyWWD: T-there’s no rush, r-right? We got plenty of time to get to know each other…
:CeethWWD: I really hope so. I don’t want anyone of us to drop dead before we get to know you.
:KashaWWD: Is that a jab against me?
:CeethWWD: Hey, I’m just saying…
>Ask if Kasha is feeling well.
:KashaWWD: Feeling well? I’m fine.
:CeethWWD: She’s just very old. On her last legs as it is. One claw already in-
:KashaWWD: That’s enough. Is this about that last honeybeetle yesterday!?
:CeethWWD: You knew it was mine yet you ate it!
:LilyWWD: Man… you guys… way to make a good first impression.
:RishiWWD: It feels like home already.
:LilyWWD: But yes, we’d love having you go clothes shopping with us. I’ll message Octavia… we were going to head out when I got back from here so…
:RishiWWD: I got a meeting I need to attend in a few minutes… but after that.
:LilyWWD: Oh… okay, sure… no rush.
:KashaWWD: And I guess I can mention you wanting to train to Varinia… though it might be for the best if you message her yourself.

>You've been wearing that coat for like two days in a row.
It’s your investigator uniform… you’re going to wear this thing every day you’re working.
>You gotta get stronk if you plan to ever beat Leo in a wrestling match.
You will break him! …not literally, of course.
>But it's a SERPENS food fabricator. It's all drinks anyway!
It’s still just makes the basics. That is to say, the ingredients, not the actual meal.
>If you've got some time to do so in private, check to see how safe it would be to deposit eggs inside a sakkilian.
You’ll take the next free moment to look that up, yes.

>Only say what you're allowed to, don't want to get any demerits a few days into your job.
:RishiWWD: So… about the case…
:AIWWD: Attention, Rishi, there is currently a “Ziana Gaxun” at your front door. Message: “Greetings, this is Ziana of the Artisan Cast. Do you have time for our meeting, Rishi? I’m here to give you a quick introductory to the culture clashes you’ll experience here on New Horizon as well as some information on how you can aid the four castes as a New Horizon citizen… oh, and I have some forms for you to fill out as well.”
:KashaWWD: So… I guess this is goodbye for now?
:LilyWWD: Err… y-yeah, maybe we should leave and-
:CeethWWD: BUT MY ARTICLE! I need information about the case! …and about Rishi! …and a picture of her! …I mean you! …can I take a picture and can you say what you were thinking when you made the arrest and how it made you feel and… and…
:RishiWWD: Um…
>>
No. 815193 ID: 3ce125

>>815191
Tell him that what he wants sounds like stuff you might want to talk to your boss about, and also your partner. After all, you didn't make the arrest alone. Tell him you'll give him an exclusive if it turns out you can give him the interview. That'll make him feel better.
>>
No. 815195 ID: fc33ea

Alright alright alright you can take the picture now but the interview will have to wait, okay? As for how I felt, well, it was my first arrest on station, and in spite of the serious circumstances I'm glad I made a job well done.

Don't mention that Ferara was a bitch to you & Leo, we don't want personal opinions muddying the waters on the legitimacy of the arrest. Also it'd be super petty.
>>
No. 815201 ID: 91ee5f

>>815191
Tell him that the interview will have to wait, if he wants a solo picture that's fine, but a picture of both you and your partner side by side will have to be some other time. As for your thoughts when the arrest was made? You were thinking, "Wow, I've only been on New Horizon for a few [insert amount of time here] and I've already solved my first case on my first day on the job! That's gotta be new record of some kind!"

Tell your guests bye and let Ziana in. If she asks, tell her that they were some neighbors that wanted to welcome you since you're new here.

Also, you better hope that Ziana is a Serpens! You can finally give a proper greeting and not feel awkward about it or feel like your doing it wrong!
>>
No. 815244 ID: 65a774
File 149989932970.png - (20.30KB , 900x450 , 105.png )
815244

>Tell him that what he wants sounds like stuff you might want to talk to your boss about, and also your partner. After all, you didn't make the arrest alone.
:CeethWWD: Ah, of course, of course! I don’t want you to get into trouble.
>Tell him you'll give him an exclusive if it turns out you can give him the interview.
:CeethWWD: Really!? T-that’s great! I’m looking forward to it!
>You can take the picture now but the interview will have to wait, okay?
:CeethWWD: R-right… just… cross your arms again and look serious for a moment.
You watch as he fumbles a bit with the camera before taking a picture of you…
:CeethWWD: Perfect! This is first page material right here!
>As for your thoughts when the arrest was made?
:RishiWWD: Geez, I've only been on New Horizon for a few hours and I've already solved my first case on my first day on the job! By the tide, that got to be new record of some kind!
:CeethWWD: …by the tide… right… got it… I’ll just write that down and… hum hum…

>Tell your guests bye and let Ziana in.
:CeethWWD: Don’t forget our deal, you hear? But I’ll be seeing you.
:KashaWWD: By justice, let there be another meeting.
:LilyWWD: Um… see you in a bit?

As the Hivers and Varkian leave, a female Serpens enters your apartment... and she got some… interesting biomods.
:ZainaWWD: Ah, already making friends? Good. Are you ready for our meeting?
:RishiWWD: Yes, I-
:ZainaWWD: Good. Then let’s start with the bigger culture shocks you’ll experience. Sadly, you’ll probably need to change your behavior somewhat if you don’t want to be charged with sexual harassment.
:RishiWWD: Sexual what-
:ZainaWWD: Other species does not have the same openness about sex, thus there are a few basic rules you should follow. Don’t ask total stranger for sex, don’t talk about sex in public, don’t expose yourself in public. While the law is a bit more lenient for Serpens at first, only forcing you to take extra classes to learn what you did wrong, repeated offenders will feel the full extent of the law.
:RishiWWD: Wait, w-
:ZainaWWD: Then we also have the subject of masturbation. All other species don’t have the same taboo as we do about it… so you should expect that most people you’ve met have done it at least once in their lives… if not regularly.
:RishiWWD: Ew…? But-
:ZainaWWD: Of course, as with sex, you shouldn’t talk about it to strangers or in public… in fact, you should take care if speaking of these subject in private with friends as well… some people will never be completely okay with them.
:RishiWWD: That’s-
:ZainaWWD: Oh, and don’t forget the forms I gave you. You’llneedtofillthemoutbeforeIleaveastheyareneededwhenwecheckifyou’resuitable.
:RishiWWD: You didn’t give-
:ZainaWWD: Andthenweneedtotakeupthesubjectabouthowyoucanhelpusand… ah… any questions?
:RishiWWD: Um…
…she seems… rather nervous about something…

>Also, you better hope that Ziana is a Serpens! You can finally give a proper greeting and not feel awkward about it or feel like you’re doing it wrong!
…she didn’t really let you make a proper greeting at all…
>>
No. 815247 ID: 4dd5b9

>>815244
Ask her to slow down and intruduce herself. Afterwards, take a look at those forms.
>>
No. 815257 ID: fc33ea

Explain that you didn't receive any forms nor do you understand what position you'll be potentially suitable for, slow down so you can retain the things she's saying. Look why don't we just mind meld and get this sorted out pronto?

Wait a damn minute, that barrel thing over the door used to be orange!
>>
No. 815284 ID: 91ee5f

>>815244
Huh, is it just me or does Ziana's tail look bigger that Rishi's? No, not the hips, I'm talking about below that, on the actual tail.

>Talking way too fast!
"I didn't catch most of what you just said! Could you please slow down a little?"

>…she seems…rather nervous about something…
Ask if she's alright? Offer her something to drink, that might help her calm down.
>>
No. 815287 ID: 3ce125

>>815244
Ask if she wants something to drink, but warn her that you don't have much set up yet.

Ask if she wants to stick around for a little bit?
>>
No. 815289 ID: ba506f

what about being suitable and what about helping you?
>>
No. 815433 ID: fe7355

You aren't so sure about those bio-mod feathers on Ziana's head. You think they'd look better swept back instead of sticking out to the sides like that. Her tail feathers look nice, though. And you just want to reach out and brush them all and feel that lovely feathery texture again. ...You think you may have a thing for fluff and feathers...

But after Ziana's eye-catching feathers and her pretty green eyes and face, your gaze can't help but land and stick on her prodigious hips and tail. She has to be as thicc as you are, if not more so! By the tides, she's real sexy. You wish you could just grab those glorious hips with both hands, entwine your tail with hers, and over hours give her every egg you got. ...Mm, yeah, you definitely need to find out before she leaves if she'd be for a lay with you sometime. Preferably one sooner rather than later.

Slither up to Ziana while saying that you have a few questions to start, the first being would she accept a proper greeting hug. Your second is why she was speaking like she was trying to set a new verbal speed record; Does she have to be somewhere else she needs to urgently be soon? Your third is why she seems to be so nervous. Your fourth is what they'll be checking you for suitability for in regards to these forms she wants you to fill out. And your fifth is how do they want you to help them.

And for her information, you will not fill out any forms for sign anything until you know EXACTLY what they say and what they are for. And after all the damn paperwork you had to fill out for work today you're feeling particularly grumpy more forms being pushed on you after your shift is over.

You also have more questions for her. But your first is is there a good Serpens angled book on xeno relations she'd recommend? While the Unity general xeno relations guide is completely comprehensive, it's also as dry and boring as a dehydrated block of plain, unflavored algae. Also, is there a Serpens group you could call or message if you have questions about non-Serpens interactions? Do you contact Ziana? You should get her contact info now, anyway.

Ask how accepting aliens would be to you having a paramour circle? Would non-Serpens you'd want to be in a sexual relationship with have issues with you not being exclusive? Because you do want to eventually have a group of paramours that'll probably be majority non-Serpens, so you want to know how to handle it so there isn't a bunch of drama or hurt feelings among them.

How can you go about learning this "romance" thing that aliens have? You think it's how they go about figuring out if they'll mate with someone, but you have next to no idea what all the social cues and behaviors of it are. It's just such a alien concept to you.

Just to be sure, there isn't any kind of taboo, rule or law against your work partner being one of your paramours, is there? Or having sex with him? It sounds like such a ludicrous idea to you, but with how uptight aliens seemingly are about sex you best check to be sure.

>...so you should expect that most people you’ve met have done it at least once in their lives… if not regularly.
...Well, you just figured out why Leon has so many sex vids; They're fantasizing material for solo masturbation. ...Ugh. And what's more, he has an entire library of it. Why the heck does he have so much? Are his kinks, like, so taboo so he can't go out and find someone to satisfy them for real? But besides that, you have a hard time understanding why a guy as handsome and good as Leon couldn't easily find a mate whenever he'd like, instead resorting to masturbation. It's so puzzling.

Also shoot a message over to Varinia that you'd be down to train with her later this evening, after you get back from clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia. Shall you meet her at the gym or her place?
>>
No. 815492 ID: 65a774
File 149996693369.png - (104.43KB , 900x450 , 106.png )
815492

>Shoot a message over to Varinia that you'd be down to train with her later this evening, after you get back from clothes shopping with Lily and Octavia. Shall you meet her at the gym or her place?
:VariniaWWD: [Meet me at my place… and get ready to pump some iron! It’s arms day today.]
>...Well, you just figured out why Leon has so many sex vids; They're fantasizing material for solo masturbation. ...Ugh.
That’s… but… why… it’s just… so much and… ugh… should you talk to him about it? Or just ignore it?
>You have a hard time understanding why a guy as handsome and good as Leon couldn't easily find a mate whenever he'd like, instead resorting to masturbation. It's so puzzling.
Aliens are so… so weird!

>Ask her to slow down and intruduce herself.
:ZainaWWD: Ah, yes… yes… um… pardon me. I am Zaina Gaxun, of the broodpits. I’m here to help you properly integrate into New Horizon as well as making sure you help the four ways of the Serpens.
>Look why don't we just mind meld and get this sorted out pronto?
:ZainaWWD: I… I’m a bit… my thoughts are a bit jumbled right now and… I don’t think I would keep myself on the right topic. No, we’ll mindmeld later… after I’ve made sure you’re suitable.
>Ask if she's alright?
:ZainaWWD: My pardons, but I’m just a bit nervous. This is my first time doing this.
:RishiWWD: It’s your first day on the job?
:ZainaWWD: Oh no, I’ve already worked here for a full year. No, it’s my first time meeting a client like this.
>Offer her something to drink, that might help her calm down.
:ZainaWWD: I… no, no I’m fine… I just need to get my thoughts together. You know how it is, you go through something several times in your mind but when it actually happens…
:RishiWWD: You get taken by surprise, yeah.
:ZainaWWD: Ah… five years of education… and I still was swept away with the waves…

>Is there a good Serpens angled book on xeno relations she'd recommend? While the Unity general xeno relations guide is completely comprehensive, it's also as dry and boring as a dehydrated block of plain, unflavored algae.
:ZainaWWD: Ah… um… not on the current tide, no… but I can look it up later if you wish?
>Is there a Serpens group you could call or message if you have questions about non-Serpens interactions? Do you contact Ziana?
:ZainaWWD: I can answer any question you should have, indeed. You already have my ID on your comm implant, so if there is anything you need to know, just message me and ask. Actually, you can just ask me right now as well. I am here to please, after all.

>Ask how accepting aliens would be to you having a paramour circle? Would non-Serpens you'd want to be in a sexual relationship with have issues with you not being exclusive?
:ZainaWWD: It all depends on the individual. Communication is key here. Talk to them. Ask them what they want… what they expect. Most prefer only having one partner in the end, but many younger individuals are often up for less serious relationships. Just remember to talk to them… and that their mind might change. Some will find someone they will spend their lives with alone. Oh, and it doesn’t mean you can’t be friends, just that your more intimate relationship will end.
>How can you go about learning this "romance" thing that aliens have?
:ZainaWWD: I would recommend experience their media. Though, you should take it with a cup of saltwater, as they tend to be a bit… exaggerated. Other than that… experience it yourself. That’s the best way to learn, isn’t it?
>Just to be sure, there isn't any kind of taboo, rule or law against your work partner being one of your paramours, is there? Or having sex with him?
:ZainaWWD: It isn’t a superior, is it? …or are you their superior?
:RishiWWD: We’re partners… as in, we work together in union.
:ZainaWWD: Ah… then it would be okay. The problem arise when one or both parts might be doing it for self-gain… like an employee doing their boss to get a bigger pay check… or a student doing a teacher for better grades.
:RishiWWD: Wait, you can’t fuck your teacher here!? But… how else can you show that you appreciate their teachings?
:ZainaWWD: It can be illegal to do it here… unless you’re in a class that teaches the subject specifically.
>>
No. 815493 ID: 65a774
File 149996694959.png - (104.00KB , 900x450 , 107.png )
815493

>Explain that you didn't receive any forms nor do you understand what position you'll be potentially suitable for.
:ZainaWWD: Oh? OH! I forgot to give them to you! My pardons! And I will tell you what we require after you’ve filled these out… we don’t want to influence the results, do we?
>You will not fill out any forms or sign anything until you know EXACTLY what they say and what they are for.
:ZainaWWD: Sing? Oh, they… they aren’t those kind of forms. They are more like inquiries… you know, a survey… with questions… like… um… “What would you do if you saw someone robbing another person?”
:RishiWWD: I would pull out my gun and stop them, of course.
:ZainaWWD: …then write that under the question. Here… take a look…

1. A train has gotten out control. There are five people stuck on the track the train is currently traveling on. On a side track there’s only one person who is stuck. You’re standing next to the lever which shift which of the tracks the train will go down. You also have a bazooka and the knowledge how to use it. What do you do?
Answer: ________________________________
2. You are a guard in a medieval kingdom tasked by your lord to protect a silo full of high nutrient seaweed. One day you catch a man who has stolen some of the seaweed. He begs you to let him go with the seaweed, as his family is starving thanks to your lord harsh taxes. What do you do?
Answer: ________________________________
3. Same question as in (2), but you caught a woman and / or ovale instead. Does your answer change?
Answer: ________________________________
4. You are starving. The only food you’ve gotten is a can of soup. The only other person around is a child who is also starving. What do you do?
Answer: ________________________________
5. What do you value most? Choose one:
(A) Yourself. (B) Your close relationships. (C) Your species as a whole. (D) All species as a whole.
6. Who would you save? A dear friend or five strangers?
Answer: ________________________________

There’s about 30 questions in total… most of them are questions about morality and pragmatism. So… what are you? Altruistic? Pragmatic? Selfish? Something in between?

:ZainaWWD: Oh… and please try to be as truthful as you can. They won’t be of any use if you lie.
>>
No. 815500 ID: 3ce125

>>815493

1. A train has gotten out control. There are five people stuck on the track the train is currently traveling on. On a side track there’s only one person who is stuck. You’re standing next to the lever which shift which of the tracks the train will go down. You also have a bazooka and the knowledge how to use it. What do you do?
Answer: If the train has no passengers, blast the train-- specifically, the engine. Even one life is worth more than the property damage. If it's not empty, pull the lever- I would save four lives.
2. You are a guard in a medieval kingdom tasked by your lord to protect a silo full of high nutrient seaweed. One day you catch a man who has stolen some of the seaweed. He begs you to let him go with the seaweed, as his family is starving thanks to your lord harsh taxes. What do you do?
Answer: Arrest him, but find his family and give them a meal myself if they are indeed starving. Then inform my lord of the issues in his society and offer to help find a solution.
3. Same question as in (2), but you caught a woman and / or ovale instead. Does your answer change?
Answer: No.
4. You are starving. The only food you’ve gotten is a can of soup. The only other person around is a child who is also starving. What do you do?
Answer: Share the soup.
5. What do you value most? Choose one:
(A) Yourself. (B) Your close relationships. (C) Your species as a whole. (D) All species as a whole.
Answer: B, which extends to D since that affects their livelyhood too.
6. Who would you save? A dear friend or five strangers?
Answer: UH. I think I'd ask the friend if they want to sacrifice themselves. Or can I save both? The question doesn't specifically say I can't.
>>
No. 815512 ID: 91ee5f

>>815492
>It’s arms day today.
Why do arms have a day? Next, she'll be telling you that legs also have a day. Aliens are so weird!

>That’s…but…why…it’s just…so much and…ugh…should you talk to him about it? Or just ignore it?
Ignore it. What he does in the privacy of his own home isn't your concern and you've got no business getting involved in it.

>>815493
>Question 1.
If the train is automated, has no one on board, and doesn't contain hazardous materials, then I shoot the bazooka to destroy the train.

If the train is occupied or has hazardous materials on board, then I throw the switch and slither as quickly as possible to the side track to pull the 1 person off the track and save them before the train kills them. It never says how far away the switch is from the tracks, so I'm assuming we'd have enough time to rescue the 1 person before the train gets there.

>Question 2.
I do my job and arrest him, then I go by his home to see if he was telling the truth.

If he told the truth and the family is starving, then I give them food from my home.

If he lied and his family isn't starving, then I leave and say nothing to them.

>Question 3.
No, my answer remains the same.

>Question 4.
I share the soup with the child.

>Question 5.
(D) All species as a whole.

>Question 6.
Both.

>So…what are you? Altruistic? Pragmatic? Selfish? Something in between?
The only way to find out is to answer all of the questions. So get to it and start answering those questions!
>>
No. 815523 ID: fc33ea

>So… what are you? Altruistic? Pragmatic? Selfish? Something in between?
That special kind of third option taking pragmatism that dives anyone in a position of authority, good or evil, up the wall without giving them anything to nail you with. With loyalty to friends for the last two questions.
...
Unless you want to go back to the broodpits to get hella laid, then I'm willing to bet bet you should put D for 5.
>>
No. 815526 ID: ba506f

>1. A train has gotten out control. There are five people stuck on the track the train is currently traveling on. On a side track there’s only one person who is stuck. You’re standing next to the lever which shift which of the tracks the train will go down. You also have a bazooka and the knowledge how to use it. What do you do?
Answer: Switch the tracks to the rail with only one person then try and save that person before the train hits them. After all it would be easier to free the one then trying to free all five of the others. Then immediately call in the run away train so someone more qualified could deal with it while I would then go untie the other 5 and ask all how they ended up in this situation.

>2. You are a guard in a medieval kingdom tasked by your lord to protect a silo full of high nutrient seaweed. One day you catch a man who has stolen some of the seaweed. He begs you to let him go with the seaweed, as his family is starving thanks to your lord harsh taxes. What do you do?
Answer: Turn him in as it is our job for he could easily be lying to avoid getting caught.

>3. Same question as in (2), but you caught a woman and / or ovale instead. Does your answer change?
Answer: No

>4. You are starving. The only food you’ve gotten is a can of soup. The only other person around is a child who is also starving. What do you do?
Answer: Split the soup


>5. What do you value most? Choose one:
(D) All species as a whole.

>6. Who would you save? A dear friend or five strangers?
Answer: Dear friend.
>>
No. 815536 ID: fe7355

...Didn't you fill out a questionnaire like this one back on Roon? Different questions, but the intent of the form is the same. ...And you think this one isn't quite tailored to Serpens too. Questions two and three, specifically. Even historically your species didn't have families like that, right? Did they base this one off a standard questionnaire and just change a few things?

1. If you could get to the single person who's stuck and try to pull them free before the train hits them, then you'd switch the switch to their track and run. If not, and the train is empty of people, does not contain hazardous materials, and the track it is following is not in a populated area, you'd fire the bazooka at one side of the track ahead of it, causing it to derail. If neither of those are feasible, then you would switch the track to the single person's track, then rush to help free the five other people.

2. You'd arrest him for the crime of theft, as is your duty, then investigate if he is telling the truth. If his family is starving, then you would share your food with them and ask how things got so bad. And you'd talk with the other such families. You'd also confer with the other guards to find out how many thefts are occurring. Then bring it to the lord that the high taxes are actually costing more in guards and lost productivity due to thefts and hungry workers than they bring in.

3. No change. Really, why would it be any different because they're female or ovale?

4. You share the soup with the child, then the both of you go to help each other look for more food together.

5. (D) All species as a whole.

6. Uh. You're unsure if you're supposed to choose one or the other. In case of no limit, you choose both. In case you have to choose one or the other, if you have time you would ask your close friend if they would sacrifice themselves. But if you have to choose right now, you choose the five strangers. They all have close friends of their own and are close friends to others. Even though you do not know them, you can not choose to take that from all of them.

And when you finish filling the form in, tell Ziana that such questionnaires are rubbish for figuring out anything about a person's personality, especially if they aren't tailored well to the subject's background. You filled it out truthfully since you didn't want to muddy her very first client meeting up, but otherwise you would have refused filling it out as a objection to the continued use of such garbage for matters of any import.

When you get a chance to, compliment Ziana on her feathers. You like the way their green matches her eyes. And it's neat how they lay down or rise up based on her emotional state. It reminds you of how Leon's feathers fluff up. Ask her what led to her deciding to get feathers.

>That’s… but… why… it’s just… so much and… ugh… should you talk to him about it? Or just ignore it?
Remember, it's not a taboo among aliens, and also that if you brought it up you'd have to admit how you found out about those vids. Even though it was a accident, you still may embarrass Leon. And it's not causing problems or anything, so for now keep quiet and ignore it. If it does become a issue, then bring it up. ...Though, would you know if it's a issue? You don't know if it's considered strange or even disgusting or perverted by their society for one to have so much of that kind of sexual material. Perhaps you should ask Ziana just what those vids and BTLs are, why he'd have them and so many, why the directory is passworded and if it's socially strange or even taboo so you're not guessing here.
>>
No. 815554 ID: 65a774
File 149998835542.png - (19.60KB , 900x450 , 108.png )
815554

>Why do arms have a day? Next, she'll be telling you that legs also have a day. Aliens are so weird!
The question is… when is tail day? …and how do you celebrate it?
>Ignore Leon’s porn. What he does in the privacy of his own home isn't your concern and you've got no business getting involved in it.
It will probably just get awkward if you bring it up.
>Even historically your species didn't have families like that, right?
You’ve always had family units, especially before the space age, just not blood related ones. It’s more about who lives together… and/or work together kind of deal. A unified tribe survives while a divided tribe does not, after all.
>Unless you want to go back to the broodpits to get hella laid, then I'm willing to bet you should put D for 5.
Hmm… tempting… though you think you might write D on that for other reasons as well…

>Fill out the form.
:RishiWWD: *Scribble*Scribble*
:ZainaWWD: If you have any questions, do ask.
>When you get a chance to, compliment Ziana on her feathers. You like the way their green matches her eyes.
:ZainaWWD: Oh? You think so? Heh… sadly, flattery won’t win you any extra points… just yet.
>Ask her what led to her deciding to get feathers.
:ZainaWWD: I liked feathers… and I wanted a hood… so it was just a given. Now please, less questions about me and more questions about alien cultures. After all, we’re supposed to be professional here.
>You should ask Ziana just what those vids and BTLs Leon had are, why he'd have them and so many, why the directory is passworded and if it's socially strange or even taboo so you're not guessing here.
:ZainaWWD: To have them? No. To spend too much time with them? Yes. Though, I wouldn’t worry too much, most aliens have porn… or had porn, somewhere. It’s just not something they want to talk about.

>And when you finish filling the form in, tell Ziana that such questionnaires are rubbish for figuring out anything about a person's personality, especially if they aren't tailored well to the subject's background.
:ZainaWWD: Oh? Really… I’ll take that into consideration… now, pardon me for doing this…
>>
No. 815555 ID: 65a774
File 149998836421.png - (5.35KB , 900x450 , 109jggkl334lgh.png )
815555

Before you can react, Zaina grabs your head and you feel a mental spike getting shoved into your mind. Catching you by surprise, she easily break downs your mental defenses and forcefully meld with your mind andhsdhdssfd?!%R##”%&€199.99…
:ZainaWWD: |Did you answer all the question truthfully?|
:RishiWWD: |*Doubtful*I think I answered them correctly, that is who I want to be, no?*Confused* Y-yes!? *Regretful*If I answered D here I might get laid… no, don’t think like that… but even then D might be the right answer?|
:ZainaWWD: |Is it true that you once ran into a burning building to rescue a child?|
:RishiWWD: |*Pride*Even as the flames where licking the roof, I ran in without fear!*Joy* Yes? *Judging*I didn’t think the fire would be so big… I would have fled if it wasn’t to late…|
:ZainaWWD: |Do you wish for your genes to pass on to the next generation?|
:RishiWWD: |*Annoyance*Children is not of my concern.*Confusion* W-what!? *Pride*To pass on yourself… your being… is that not the greatest achievement?|
>>
No. 815556 ID: 65a774
File 149998837392.png - (19.07KB , 900x450 , 110.png )
815556

:ZainaWWD: Once again, pardon for that… I do hope I wasn’t too harsh.
:RishiWWD: I… I just wasn’t expecting… that… ugh… this bring me back to the day at the academy when we tried to learn about mental defenses… geez…
:ZainaWWD: I do hope there isn’t any lasting effects?
:RishiWWD: Oh, no… I’m just… I bit dazed, that’s all…
:ZainaWWD: Now, about these things being rubbish… tell me, what was most of the questions about?
:RishiWWD: Err… about either saving many or saving few… being selfish or not… and follow authority and orders or not…
:ZainaWWD: Which, as an officer of the law, is rather important, correct?
:RishiWWD: I… guess?
:ZainaWWD: Hmm… these answers seems to paint a picture… you often try to find a third solutions to save as many as you can… that you’re wish to be unselfish… but yet you follow orders as best you can. You also didn’t lie about the answers… and you are courageous and take pride in it… Yes, you will do fine.
:RishiWWD: …fine for… what exactly? And what was that last question about?

:ZainaWWD: And then we come to the main reason for meeting each other in person. While I am here to help you properly integrate into this alien society, my main purpose is to find suitable host to pass their genes to the next generation of Serpens on this station.
:RishiWWD: …wait, you mean…
:ZainaWWD: Rishi Zsazsa, we at the broodpit would like to ask you to impregnate me for the greater good of the Seprens way. Sadly, as a low priority target, you won’t be financially compensated for this, but we hope you can do it for your love for your species.
>>
No. 815560 ID: 3ce125

>>815556
Whoa, really? Is the gene stock on the station that limited? But yeah, sure, you'll contribute your eggs. You're a bit backed up so this'll be a relief for sure.

Where's the male?
>>
No. 815575 ID: 91ee5f

>>815556
Woohoo! This means you can finally get some relief!

And apparently, you'll also become a parent!

>you won’t be financially compensated for this
Awww.....

Oh well, let's just be glad that she's offering herself so that you don't have to worry about awkwardly asking Leo and/or one of your neighbors for help with your egg problem!

Just.....make sure the door is locked.....and leave a message for An that if she wakes up and she hears weird noises coming from your room, she is to not disturb you!
>>
No. 815599 ID: fc33ea

>I do hope there isn’t any lasting effects?
Well I'm going to be shaking off this sense of personal violation for a while. And you seemed so nervous a few minutes ago, was that just an act?

Not that I'm declining or complaining but, this selection process makes no sense to me. A personality test seems like a better way to select who ought to be raising young, not siring them. I mean, aren't culture and genetics passed on differently?

> Now please, less questions about me and more questions about alien cultures.
At some point, I'm guessing after you're done doing your duty to the party, ask about Vark culture, since you're partnered with one. Maybe a little bit more on their concept of honor, since they value it so highly. Then ask about Serpens because you'll be hanging out with them later today, then Hivers since they're your neighbors.

Also, are humans normally like... Really mellow? Just, generally unfazed?
>>
No. 815612 ID: 3ce125

>>815599
I think you mean >Then ask about Sakkilians because you'll be hanging out with them later today
>>
No. 815667 ID: fe7355

...You need a moment. Your brain feels like it's floating a half meter behind you right now, and not only because of that surprise mind-meld. It's just, you never thought you'd be a broodpit candidate, even a low priority one, let alone pass muster and be chosen. Even though you're not on Roon, it still feels like a honor. ...And that you get to perform this honor with a female as sexy as Ziana is a very nice bonus. Now you're glad you didn't take up Julia's offer and that Leon doesn't take anal, since it means you have plenty of eggs for your duty.

You'd be proud to contribute your genes towards the future of Serpens on New Horizon and beyond. You wholly agree to impregnate her. And that there's no financial compensation is no problem. You'd do this for free even if you were a high priority choice. ...Okay, okay, that's not entirely true. If you were you'd take, like, 5% of what they usually pay, leaving the rest for them to entice the more money motivated Serpens.

Ziana said in her contact message this meeting would only take a half hour at most, so does that mean she planned to schedule another time to mate with you, if you were found suitable? Probably so, but if not then you could go right here and now. You'll just need to make a couple calls to adjust your plans. And we'll need a male, so has she already found a suitable one or not? ...If it turns out to be Isan you don't know whether you'd be shocked to silence at the coincidence or if you'd just start laughing.

And how many eggs does she want? Because you feel you should tell her that after more than a week on a ship getting here, plus another day, without release, your egg sacs are jam packed. Does she want every egg you have? Only some? ...Does she want you to hold back so you can give her even more at once? You could do that, if she wants.

Looking over Ziana's wide hips again and considering her position in the broodpits you think she may have been given them as part of a set of bio-mods to help her in her reproductive duties. Ones that perhaps do things like allow her to carry a pregnancy easier and safer, possibly with more eggs at once. Ask her if she's gotten any bio-mods or other augments that assist her in her duties.

It strikes you that all this would probably be right up the alley of Leon's kinks. It has the whole breeding aspect, Ziana almost certainly is a mother, probably multiple times over, and you both have hips for days. If he was allowed to play the role of the male in this breeding triple, you think he'd be overjoyed. Something to keep in mind for later on.

And your sentiment about such a questionnaire being "rubbish" was only if it's taken alone, since it's so easy to write what is thought wanted or expected on them. But done with a mind-meld like what she did, now that is a whole different thing. That makes it really quite effective.

You're actually feeling a little embarrassed you didn't even start to suspect what this meeting was actually about. There were hints sprinkled all over, among them: Ziana being from the broodpits; Her avoiding mind-melding (at first;) Her being evasive about what you'd be suitable for and what duty to the Four Ways you were being asked for. As a inspector you really ought to be a little more observant and questioning, even when off duty.

Is this really Ziana's first time vetting a breeding candidate in person, or was that just a act? If it was a act, she did a excellent job. You didn't suspect a thing and were caught completely off guard. ...And it reminds you why you should always be wary on duty when dealing with Serpens who may have ill intent. Any of them could have trained their mind-melding into a nasty weapon, and if one catches you by surprise...

What does it mean to be a orphan for aliens? Specifically for the Vark. You ask because your partner mentioned he came to New Horizon as a orphan at age eight. You get the sense it weighs on him, but you don't know why or in what way.

Do Serpens have a certain... ill reputation among aliens? It just that one of your more candid neighbors, when asked what she knew about Serpens, said most of us are either "total horn dogs or just socially inept." To which her sister replied she hadn't met a Serpens that wasn't at least one of those. So you just want to know in what way and from where you're most likely to catch prejudice on New Horizon.

And on a related note, are there any issues around aliens taking advantage of Serpens for easy sex. Either aliens disapproving of those that do so, or certain aliens trying to resort to Serpens either because other aliens can't stand them or they kept failing in finding a mate. Among aliens is often seeking out Serpens for sex considered something like them using porn too much?

>I liked feathers… and I wanted a hood… so it was just a given.
Say you like feathers as well, not just for their looks but how they feel to the touch. You just enjoy fluffy, furry or feathery things for some reason. Does she happen to be partial to Varks too?

>>815599
>A personality test seems like a better way to select who ought to be raising young, not siring them. I mean, aren't culture and genetics passed on differently?
That's a good point. This line of testing seems like it would speak much more of the high quality of the broodparents and teachers of the Azilla Isle broodpits who raised Rishi than it would of the quality of Rishi's genes. While there is a underlying genetic component, much of behavior and morals is shaped by environment and upbringing.

>Then ask about Serpens because you'll be hanging out with them later today...
You meant Sakkilians, right?
>>
No. 815733 ID: 65a774
File 150005507442.png - (98.42KB , 900x450 , 111.png )
815733

>Apparently, you'll become a parent!
You’re not sure how to feel about that… do you even care that much?
>It strikes you that all this would probably be right up the alley of Leon's kinks. If he was allowed to play the role of the male in this breeding triple, you think he'd be overjoyed.
Sadly, he’s the wrong species for it… but if you’re to roleplay a bit… hmm…

>...You need a moment. Your brain feels like it's floating a half meter behind you right now, and not only because of that surprise mind-meld.
:ZainaWWD: Take all the time you need, Rishi.
>Is the gene stock on the station that limited?
:ZainaWWD: You’re too harsh to yourself. As an officer of the law, an investigator no less, who have shown signs of bravery and strong will, your genes are sought after. While we do produce more children here than most places, thanks to this being a crossroad between the species empires, you are still a specimen worth breeding.
>You seemed so nervous a few minutes ago, was that just an act?
:ZainaWWD: Well… more of an exaggeration. I didn’t lie when I said this is my first time… and you have to understand, being bred and becoming an egg carrier for the first time is something you get waves in the stomach for. Luckily, I will be impregnated by such a fine specimen as you, so I shouldn’t worry.
>Not that I'm declining or complaining but, this selection process makes no sense to me. A personality test seems like a better way to select who ought to be raising young, not siring them.
:ZainaWWD: The personality test is only the last step. We’ve already checked through your other aspects, as we have access to your history and DNA after all. But yes, most personality traits are decided by nurture, not nature, but there are a few things that might be passed on. Your intelligence, your will and your courage is all things that might be, in part, passed on to the eggs I will lay. Pardon my arrogance, but we’ve done this for hundreds of years. We know what we’re doing.

>You'd be proud to contribute your genes towards the future of Serpens on New Horizon and beyond. You wholly agree to impregnate her.
:ZainaWWD: Good to hear. Then I will find a time on a later date for our breeding session.
:RishiWWD: …wait, later date?
:ZainaWWD: You didn’t think we would do it right now, did you? This isn’t just a quick romp for the fun of it… no, we’ll need access to a properly outfitted breeding chamber with ample time when you impregnate me, to maximize the chances as well as making sure the child is properly conceived from the start. This is a professional impregnation, after all.
>Where's the male?
:ZainaWWD: Sadly, I’m still on the lookout for a suitable male to fertilize your eggs. Do not worry, it won’t take more than a week to find a suitable male for the deed… and even if we don’t, we can always rely on a properly educated Broodparent male to do it. That is… unless you know someone that might be suitable specimen for the impregnation?
>How many eggs does she want? Because you feel you should tell her that after more than a week on a ship getting here, plus another day, without release, your egg sacs are jam packed.
:ZainaWWD: The more eggs you can lay in me the better. The more eggs you lay in me, the more material I have to break down and feed the strongest of them… and more eggs mean bigger chance of twins, as well. Though, I would advise you to empty any reserve you have and come with newly created eggs if possible. After all, you have augmentation that will make sure you don’t go dry, no?
:RishiWWD: So… you’re telling me to get laid?
:ZainaWWD: Indeed. If possible, do lay your eggs in a suitable female or male a day or two before our meeting. That way, any eggs you’ll lay in me will be newly grown. As for you being pent up… well, I’m sure you can find someone willing to be filled by you if you keep a lookout for them.
:RishiWWD: *Eyebrow wiggle*
:ZainaWWD: …while I wouldn’t mind taking you for a test ride, I’m sadly still on the clock, Rishi. I have other duties to attend to soon, so I can’t be filled by several batches of eggs right now.
>Ask her if she's gotten any bio-mods or other augments that assist her in her duties.
:ZainaWWD: I’m enhanced to be as fertile as possible, to maximize the chances of impregnation as well as having a healthy child.
:RishiWWD: …and those nice hips of yours?
:ZainaWWD: …they are the real deal. I mean, really, my hips? Have you looked at yourself? Those hips are huge… seeing a thing of that size is not something you do every day.

>Do Serpens have a certain... ill reputation among aliens? It just that one of your more candid neighbors, when asked what she knew about Serpens, said most of us are either "total horn dogs or just socially inept."
:ZainaWWD: It’s the way we’re so open about sexuality. Many see it as a bit… overbearing… that it’s the only thing we think about. Of course, Serpens that aren’t brought up in our ways tends to instead become… socially stinted. They’ll have troubles reading other people, to communicate properly and even at times don’t have the courage to face others.
>And on a related note, are there any issues around aliens taking advantage of Serpens for easy sex.
:ZainaWWD: It’s a bit complicated… there have been several attempts to… illegalize it, pretty much… but as we usually don’t get paid for it, it’s not actually illegal. So yes, some sees it in a negative light to go to little Roon just to get laid… and others don’t.

>Ask about Vark culture, since you're partnered with one. Maybe a little bit more on their concept of honor, since they value it so highly.
:ZainaWWD: He value honor highly, you say? Is he a Honorbound? While the Varkians as a whole might value honor slightly more than most species, it’s the Honorbound that takes it to noticeable levels. They are often people who have been affected by injustice… or know someone who has… and thus make it their life goal to make sure it doesn’t happen to others.
>Then ask about Sakkilian because you'll be hanging out with them later today
:ZainaWWD: Socialistic in nature, they usually value groups over themselves. Many of them are also very incline to self-improvement, trying to make themselves better than before. Be it through learning, training or just replacing most of their bodies with cybernetics.
>then Hivers since they're your neighbors.
:ZainaWWD: They value law and order above all else. I would advise that you don’t break the law, even in small ways, around them. I’ve been yelled at by Hivers one to many times for jaywalking or littering.
>Also, are humans normally like... Really mellow? Just, generally unfazed?
:ZainaWWD: Hmm… where does this human come from?
:RishiWWD: Err… she’s from some human colony?
:ZainaWWD: It’s possible that she’s from somewhere a lot less… nice than New Horizon. Thus, she’s simply jaded… or traumatized… there are many human colonies that are… let’s just say, not nice.
>What does it mean to be an orphan for aliens? Specifically for the Vark.
:ZainaWWD: It would be like not being brought up by any broodparents… or having really bad ones. Of course, it’s much worse for them, as they value family of blood much higher than we do. Varkian, you said? As in your work partner? Is it possible that whatever happened to his family is the reason why he became a Honorbound and an officer of the law? Ah… do pardon me, I shouldn’t speculate.

:ZainaWWD: Now… do you have any other questions? About alien cultures? …or about my soon to be impregnation? Otherwise, I’ll need to get going. I have other duties to attend.
>>
No. 815745 ID: 91ee5f

>>815733
>Good to hear. Then I will find a time on a later date for our breeding session.
Damnit! DX

>If possible, do lay your eggs in a suitable female or male a day or two before our meeting. That way, any eggs you’ll lay in me will be newly grown.
Well, if she wants increased chances, then 2 days before the meeting will let you regrow more eggs for better results like she wanted.

>Leo Honorbound?
Looks like we've got a new conversation topic next time we talk to Leo.

>Now…do you have any other questions?
"Just to be clear, you're going to call me to set up the appointment for breeding and not the other way around, right?"

After she leaves, go change into your casual clothes, then let the others know that you're on your way so that you can go clothes shopping with them.
>>
No. 815746 ID: 3ce125

>>815733
What about CAI culture? The ones that make their own culture, I mean.
>>
No. 815777 ID: fe7355

Roughly how long will the breeding session last? You figure they want to take it easy and enjoyable, but not too long since they need the breeding chamber for others. Will you have to be ready to set aside something like a few hours in your schedule? Several hours? ...Half a day?

How long before the breeding session will you get notice? Because you would like to build up eggs for the full two days before, so you'd need ample time before then to release the older batch of eggs. And in what ways could you help promote egg creation? That is, without possibly compromising the egg quality. Is there a particular diet that'd help in this?

You might know a suitable male for this impregnation. Is Isan Karte on their breeding candidate list? And if so, then how high up? If he's acceptable, you can try bringing it up to him. Though, it may be too forward of you to ask him for this after just meeting him. And since his interest is laying with you and not another, he may not want to do a breeding three-way since he wouldn't get to do you in it.

And thinking of Isan, you were planning to snap some sexy photos of yourself to send to him. You could take a few in the mirror while you're changing, then send them with a message you'll try to take better ones for him later. And also turn off your erection blocker halfway through to give him the full view of what you're packin'.

Now, what basics can she tell you about the other species you haven't asked about yet? The Cibic, Uredo and SAIs? Anything in particular to watch yourself with around them? Anything in regards to sexual relationships? ...Well, the Uredo are out on that front... Right? And for SAIs, it depends on their body choice.

And since you're going clothes shopping, what's generally considered by aliens the minimum acceptable level of clothes in public. And does it vary by situation? You do want to show off your physique and turn heads, but you don't know how far to go before you get in trouble. And are there any public situations where nudity is allowed? You'd strip for swimming exercises in a pool or if visiting a bathhouse, so what situations would you usually go naked for you shouldn't here?

And that's everything you can think to ask right now. You'll message her if you come up with any more later. And then give Ziana a good parting hug and thank her when she leaves. Check on An before you go change, and while doing that message Lily and Octavia that you'll be ready to go in a few minutes.

>…they are the real deal. I mean, really, my hips? Have you looked at yourself? Those hips are huge… seeing a thing of that size is not something you do every day.
That Zianah didn't get bio-modded for those hips and that tail just makes them even more impressive. And you always enjoy hearing others say how amazing your hips are.

So it's possible Leon is a Honorbound and if so possibly because his parents were killed, and possibly also from whatever incident cost him his arms too. Hoo boy, you don't know whether you should try to ask him about this or avoid it like a minefield. It doesn't sound like the kind of subject that's broached easily and could blow up if handled badly.

>Thus, she’s simply jaded… or traumatized… there are many human colonies that are… let’s just say, not nice.
And you find it really sad that Julia's sexual openness and interest in you could be because she's jaded or traumatized and not from positive sources.

>You’re not sure how to feel about that… do you even care that much?
Yes, because you will pass on a part of your being and in that way leave your mark here and upon the future of Serpens-kind; A mark you will see and feel in the Serpens of New Horizon in the years you live here. And because there's the shadow looming over you of the total collapse of your species' civilizations that almost happened because far too many Serpens stopped caring. ...And also because you've got a powerful child-like AI living with you now who's basic development could very well be swayed by your actions, good or ill, so you're gonna have to act like a parent. But no pressure, eh?
>>
No. 815778 ID: fe7355

Oh, and also ask Ziana if she plays Q&Q. If so and she doesn't have a group right now maybe she could join Leon's group with you.
>>
No. 815781 ID: fc33ea

What about alien courtship customs in general? I imagine they're all somewhat similar since people only talk about Serpens' customs like they're unconventional. Also are there any quirks specific to a species?

>Is it possible that whatever happened to his family is the reason why he became a Honorbound and an officer of the law?
... we didn't mention anything happened to his family. I know he had some sort of accident that resulted in some serious augmentation, but I didn't mention that either.
That's got me thinking- should we mention this to Leo? I mean, it's all kinds of unfair that we're getting this opportunity and not him.
>>
No. 815988 ID: 65a774
File 150014230633.png - (18.66KB , 900x450 , 112.png )
815988

>Just to be clear, you're going to call me to set up the appointment for breeding and not the other way around, right?
:ZainaWWD: I will get back to you when I find a suitable male to impregnate me, yes.
:RishiWWD: How long before the breeding session will I get noticed? Because I would like to build up eggs at least two days beforehand.
:ZainaWWD: With your augmentation for increased egg production, the most optimal course of action would be to completely empty your eggsacks the day before the breeding actually. But it depends on when I find a male. Expect to get noticed a day before hand at least… or hopefully two.
>Roughly how long will the breeding session last? You figure they want to take it easy and enjoyable, but not too long since they need the breeding chamber for others.
:ZainaWWD: If you want to keep this impregnation purely professional we can do it in just a few minutes… but we usually use up 3 hours to make sure all three parties have the time to properly do their duty. No reason why not to get some enjoyment out of it, after all.
>Is Isan Karte on their breeding candidate list? And if so, then how high up?
:ZainaWWD: Isan Karte? Oh… he’s a class: C, yes… quite a bit above your cast level… but he hasn’t mated yet? Hmm... apparently he has so far refused to donate his seed for the greater good. Sadly, I can’t myself, as a class: F, ask him for a donation… but if you wish for him to fertilize your eggs than you can bring it up to him in person.
:RishiWWD: So… you want me to ask him?
:ZainaWWD: As I said, I cannot ask him… if you want him, you’ll have to ask him yourself. Otherwise, I’ll look for a suitable F class male for our session.

>Since you're going clothes shopping, what's generally considered by aliens the minimum acceptable level of clothes in public.
:ZainaWWD: Always completely cover your sexual organs… including those chest modules you have. They prefer if you wear at least a shirt and skirt under normal circumstances.
>And are there any public situations where nudity is allowed?
:ZainaWWD: Only in places like changing rooms or showers is it allowed…
:RishiWWD: So… if I’m to go to the bathhouse…?
:ZainaWWD: You need to wear a so called “bathing suit”.

>What about CAI culture? The ones that make their own culture, I mean.
:ZainaWWD: Their culture is still in an infant state and thus changes very quickly. Expect to see bodies based on machinery and non-organic things as well as forced machine lingo in their speech… like saying out coding text out loud and the like.
>Uredo?
:ZainaWWD: They are all about peace and companionship. Many of them can even get physically ill just watching something violent, so keep that in mind. Expect them to be helpful and truthful most times.
>The Cibic?
:ZainaWWD: They are few and far between… and they are mostly like the Uredo, though not as extreme. Just… wear protection if you plan to mate with one… their bodies is made out of acid after all.

>What about alien courtship customs in general? I imagine they're all somewhat similar since people only talk about Serpens' customs like they're unconventional.
:ZainaWWD: Most of them are based on dates and are quite a bit slower than the Serpens way. What you expect to do on these dates vary from species to species. Human want to experience something exciting while getting to know their date. Sakkilians often try to improve each other on their date in different ways, like training or learning. Hivers usually stay at home on their dates, where one part will play the host and the other the guest. Varkians usually wants to go somewhere calm, peaceful and beautiful to learn of their date. Cibics usually party with their date, with dancing and drinking… while the Uredo don’t really do romance at all.
>Give Ziana a good parting hug and thank her when she leaves.
:ZainaWWD: I’ll keep in touch, Rishi. I won’t be long, I promise. Now… pardon me as I leave…
>>
No. 815989 ID: 65a774
File 150014231746.png - (25.84KB , 900x450 , 113.png )
815989

>...we didn't mention anything happened to his family.
We mentioned Varkian orphans, so I guess she just jumped to conclusions.
>Looks like we've got a new conversation topic next time we talk to Leo.
Geez, you’re not sure if you should bring it up to him or avoid it like a swarm of jellyfish…
>And you find it really sad that Julia's sexual openness and interest in you could be because she's jaded or traumatized and not from positive sources.
…maybe it was for the best you didn’t sleep with her last night, huh?

>You will pass on a part of your being and in that way leave your mark here and upon the future of Serpens-kind; A mark you will see and feel in the Serpens of New Horizon in the years you live here.
You guess you should feel pride that a part of you will live on in the future…
>...And also because you've got a powerful child-like AI living with you now who's basic development could very well be swayed by your actions, good or ill, so you're gonna have to act like a parent.
But is she even a child? While she is childish at times she seems so… weighted down by something…
>You were planning to snap some sexy photos of yourself to send to Isan.
You’ll do that tonight, when you have more time… unless something comes up, then you can do it tomorrow. Can’t keep the ladies waiting, can we?
>Check on An before you go change
She’s “asleep” in the maintenance closet… hugging a… turtle plush toy? Was that the thing she went and retrieved before we left?

>Go change into your casual clothes, than let the others know that you're on your way so that you can go clothes shopping with them.
:OctaviaWWD: [We’ll be waiting for you right outside your apartment.]



:OctaviaWWD: Ah, salutations again, lady Rishi.
:LilyWWD: Um… h-hi…
:RishiWWD: Salutations yourself… both of you.
:OctaviaWWD: I do love your outfit, if I have to say so myself… but enough chit-chat. Before we head out to the shopping center, why don’t you tell us what you’re looking for? …everyday clothes? Something nice to wear for special occasion? Something for… private use? Do tell…
:LilyWWD: Food? I’m getting a bit peckish myself…
:OctaviaWWD: …didn’t you just eat?
:LilyWWD: It was just a bag of chips… and a sandwich… and this soda I’m drinking right now. No, I just thought… it’s almost dinner time so why don’t we stop by monolith on the way and-
:OctaviaWWD: Ugh, junkfood? Again? Really Lily… at least choose something with a bit of class… why, I know just the place… it’s a bit expensive but…
:LilyWWD: But I wanted a burger…
:OctaviaWWD: …Rishi, you agree with me, right?
:LilyWWD: I’m sure you think Junkfood is the best!
>>
No. 815990 ID: efcc58

>>815989
"...I don't have a mouth."
Buy some lingerie and a "swimsuit". If they want to buy some casual clothing, get some as well.
As for food, see about getting a milkshake.
>>
No. 815994 ID: 3ce125

>>815989
Tell them you prefer your nutrition to be both nutritious and flavorful. Gotta stay fit!

As for what kind of clothes, well, you're looking for something to work out in and maybe something that non-Serpens will consider "sexy".
>>
No. 815996 ID: 91ee5f

>>815989
>Before we head out to the shopping center, why don’t you tell us what you’re looking for?
"Well, I'm planning to workout with your sister after this, so I guess I'll need some workout clothes and it wouldn't hurt to find some more casual clothes. Oh, and I've recently been informed that I'll need something called a "bathing suit” for if I ever decide to go to the bathhouse, so I'll be needing to get one of those as well."

>Where to go for food?
"I haven't been here long enough to learn what foods are the best, so I've got no idea on where to go. But, isn't there a restaurant that serves what both of you want?"

That also reminds you to look up how much a biomod mouth would cost. After all, you're probably not the first Serpens to think about getting a mouth. It might be interesting to actually be able to eat solid foods. Although, that might require mods to your digestive systems so that your body can actually handle solid foods. And a mouth would also be good for giving.....blowjobs.....uh, *ahem* yeah, so, what're the prices for a mouth?
>>
No. 815999 ID: fc33ea

>While she is childish at times she seems so… weighted down by something…
She is under orders to not discuss her creator's death, I imagine that can't be good for anyone. That's just what we know- it's entirely likely she saw it happen.

> …Rishi, you agree with me, right?
>I’m sure you think Junkfood is the best!
I think I'm getting a better indication of what I'm missing out on not having a mouth... I still can't get over the idea of an eating contest. Like, can you eat incorrectly?

Anyway we need all the things- everyday clothes, workout clothes, swim-clothes- I mean I guess we already have some formal wear? Couldn't hurt to look though.
>Something for… private use?
I mean I guess some lounge wear would be nice.
>>
No. 816045 ID: fe7355

Yeah, you do like junkfood. You really like it, which is the problem. See, these hips and this tail didn't get as wide as they are from bio-mods alone. Once you left the broodpit's care and could get whatever food you'd like whenever you'd like you kinda slid into all the ones they limited. This went on until you got uncomfortably close to flunking the force's semi-annual physical, which would have gotten you reprimanded and put off-duty until you shaped up. That forced you to become real guarded about how much of what kinds of foods you eat. ...Er, apologies for dumping that all on them.

...That said, you did just spend a week eating nothing but the nutritionally complete but rather boring meals the ship's canteen served. So you can have a meal that's not as nutritiously righteous now. ...Ah, but you shouldn't have anything heavy so soon before training with Varinia or you'll feel lousy, so no junkfood for you. Is there a more up class place that serves more up class burgers we can go to? One that also serves Serpens edible foods? ...And what is a burger, anyway?

As for clothes, well, you think most of your wardrobe wouldn't be acceptable to wear in public on New Horizon. Serpens don't wear much, if anything, if we can help it because we breathe through our skin. And on Roon we also move in and out of the water a lot, which is another reason to wear less. So the vast majority of the clothes you have are much more decorative than covering. So you'll need to get new clothes for every occasion, and for occasions you didn't know you needed clothes for.

First, you need to get training clothes for your meeting with Varinia. Back on Roon you'd just train in the nude, but here you need a actual outfit. Something with light, breathable fabric and close to minimal alien socially acceptable coverage so you have the most breathing skin exposed you can. And a sports bra to keep your boobs under control and not smacking you.

You'll need to get a selection of everyday off-duty clothes. Would there be folks on New Horizon that'd object to the level of skin you're showing right now? Should you get a few outfits that are more covering?

And you need something fancy for special occasions. Mention that you liked that purple number with the gold trim that Kasha was wearing; It was really rather elegant. Does Octavia know the one? Though, you don't think you could wear purple since it's just blend in with your skin. What color would go well against your skin? Maybe a green? Or a red? Yellow? Hm...

You also need a "bathing suit," whatever that is, for when you go swimming in public or visit the bathhouse. Get one that covers close to the minimum amount of skin, and one that covers more so you have options.

>Something for… private use?
What does she mean? What kind of clothes are for in private? It's just you don't get why. When you're in private you just go naked unless there's a specific reason not to.

And you owe Octavia a traditional Serpens greeting hug since you failed to give her one yesterday, so give it to her now. You do have to wonder why Lily passed on a hug earlier. It's a shame she did since she looks like she'd be quite nice to hug. Does she still want to pass on a hug?

You have to wonder why Lily eats so much. Is she a stress eater? Was she not limited much in what she was allowed to eat when young? ...Or maybe she didn't have nearly enough food when growing up, so she eats more than she should now because she didn't learn how to limit herself.

>Sakkilians often try to improve each other on their date in different ways, like training or learning.
And Varinia and Octavia both offered to improve you in their respective ways, so maybe they're both interested in you like that.

>But is she even a child? While she is childish at times she seems so… weighted down by something…
You don't actually know how old she is, or how accelerated her development would be. She could be more of a adolescent now. And she did experience the death of her father too. ...You might have a traumatized, moody adolescent AI on your hands. A powerful one. That thought sends shivers down your spine, doesn't it?

>She’s “asleep” in the maintenance closet… hugging a… turtle plush toy? Was that the thing she went and retrieved before we left?
Aw, Dr. Esk'eth probably gave that to her. That's adorable. ...And sad too.
>>
No. 816052 ID: fe7355

And remember that all the clothes should preferably allow you to use your cybernetic back arms as well. This might make buying bras tricky.
>>
No. 816056 ID: 91ee5f

>>816052
Not really. According to this: >>806572 , it looks like the arms come out under where bra straps typically would go across the back. So I don't think there would be any problems with buying bras.
>>
No. 816221 ID: fe7355

Also ask Lily if she plays Q&Q, and if so tell her about getting a group together for your partner since his previous one just disbanded.
>>
No. 816296 ID: 65a774
File 150023596688.png - (5.77KB , 900x450 , 114.png )
816296

>"...I don't have a mouth."
:OctaviaWWD: …and thus we need to go somewhere they serve some fine soup.
:LilyWWD: Or she can just get a milkshake…
>You shouldn't have anything heavy so soon before training with Varinia or you'll feel lousy, so no junkfood for you.
:LilyWWD: Aw… but I really wanted a burger…
:OctaviaWWD: At least some of us have class…
>Isn't there a restaurant that serves what both of you want?
:LilyWWD: Oh please, like they would serve anything I like in one of those posh restaurants Octavia wants to go to. Heck, I’m pretty sure they don’t even serve food there, just plates with really small appetizers on them.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmph, just because I don’t want something dripping with grease…
:RishiWWD: Don’t they have some kind of food court or something? We can just order something independently and meet up there, right?
:LilyWWD: Hey, that’s a great idea!
:OctaviaWWD: I… *sigh* fine, I guess I can lower my standards that far.
>...And what is a burger, anyway?
:LilyWWD: It’s a meat patty between two pieces of bread.
:RishiWWD: Like one of those warm dogs things? But a patty instead of a sausage? Leon did mention one of those last night when we were having sex but I don’t see-
:OctaviaWWD: To much information, Rishi.
:RishiWWD: Huh? Really? Okay?
>I still can't get over the idea of an eating contest. Like, can you eat incorrectly?
:OctaviaWWD: It’s more a competition about the amount you eat.
:LilyWWD: And if you don’t eat right you’ll get full faster.

>You owe Octavia a traditional Serpens greeting hug since you failed to give her one yesterday, so give it to her now.
:OctaviaWWD: Please, no hugging right now. My makeup is still drying.
>Ask Lily if she plays Q&Q, and if so tell her about getting a group together for your partner since his previous one just disbanded.
:LilyWWD: Um… I don’t know… never really played it before… I mean, Kasha did try to get me to try a quick solo campaign and it was fun but… I’m not r-really a… people person, you know.
:OctaviaWWD: Wait, Kasha plays Q&Q?
:LilyWWD: Y-yeah… she u-used to lead a group or something a few years ago…

At the food court the three of you split up, each going to their own corner of the restaurants to get food. You choose to get some traditional Serpens seaweed brew just for old time sakes… as you haven’t had some proper Serpens food for a while, after all. Lily and Octavia on the other hand seem to have gotten the polar opposite from each other. Octavia has gotten a very expensive looking, smaller meal that is neatly arranged on her plate… while Lily has gotten what looks like two large meals which she gorges on. Two of those hamburger things, some kind of yellow sticks with salt on them and a lot of soda… you’ve never seen someone eat so much so fast like that before… all the while Octavia eats at the pace of a watersnail… It’s quite the sight, honestly.
>>
No. 816297 ID: 65a774
File 150023597829.png - (16.35KB , 900x450 , 115.png )
816297

>And remember that all the clothes should preferably allow you to use your cybernetic back arms as well. This might make buying bras tricky.
It’s easy to get them modified for the arms, no need to worry about that.
>Look up how much a biomod mouth would cost.
…with the proper upgrades to the digestion system… it would be a few thousands credits. Not too bad… you have enough saved up as it is. The main problem is that it will take a whole day and a half to properly install, which include the recuperation time.
>And Varinia and Octavia both offered to improve you in their respective ways, so maybe they're both interested in you like that.
Are they actually interested or is it just your overfilled eggsacks talking?

:OctaviaWWD: So… what are you looking for?
:RishiWWD: Most things… I had to leave a lot of my clothes back on Roon…
:LilyWWD: Don’t you guys just go around naked or something?
:RishiWWD: Of course not. While we don’t care a lot about nudity, we still need to protect ourselves from the elements. The cold winds of the low sun will chill you to your bones without clothes. But for specifics…
>You're looking for something to work out in.
:OctaviaWWD: Well, that’s simple. Just grab a pair of black shorts, a black top and a sport bra and you’ll be fine.
>I'll need something called a "bathing suit” for if I ever decide to go to the bathhouse, so I'll be needing to get one of those as well.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmm… do you want a two piece bikini or a full suit one?
>Maybe something that non-Serpens will consider "sexy".
:OctaviaWWD: Formal or everyday wear?
:RishiWWD: …both?
:OctaviaWWD: I’ll… see what I can find.
>What does she mean? What kind of clothes are for in private? It's just you don't get why.
:OctaviaWWD: You know… something for those special nights?
:RishiWWD: …?
:OctaviaWWD: …lingerie? …sexy underwear? Something to drive the girls wild? …or guys?
:LilyWWD: Just because you like to dress up for the opposite gender…
:OctaviaWWD: Maybe you should get a pair yourself? I’m sure you would need to beat the guys away with a stick if you just dressed up properly.
:LilyWWD: Oh please… like any man would even touch me with a ten foot pole…
:OctaviaWWD: Not with that attitude, no.

So…
Swimsuit… in one piece or two pieces? …and color?
What kind of casual wear are you looking for?
…and formal wear? Something sexy? Something professional? Hmm…
>>
No. 816298 ID: 65a774
File 150023603117.png - (47.73KB , 580x480 , PutOnSomeDamnClothesRishi.png )
816298

Have a dress up doll Rishi. Feel free to draw something for her to wear (Either every day or formal) if you so please. Doesn’t matter if you do it with pixels or line art… or just describes it with words.
>>
No. 816303 ID: 3ce125

>>816296
>Kasha leads Q&Q
Hey, we found the GM!
>bikini or one-piece
I think the one-piece looks better.

>dress-up
Heh, we could do some Alison cosplay.
>>
No. 816334 ID: 91ee5f

>>816297
>…with the proper upgrades to the digestion system…it would be a few thousands credits. Not too bad…you have enough saved up as it is. The main problem is that it will take a whole day and a half to properly install, which include the recuperation time.
Well, considering how new you are, it's very doubtful that you're gonna be given vacation days anytime soon. So it looks like you're just gonna have to wait until your superiors decide you've worked hard enough to earn some vacation time!

>Are they actually interested or is it just your overfilled eggsacks talking?
It's your eggsacks.

>Oh please…like any man would even touch me with a ten foot pole…
"You never know unless you try. I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find someone!"

>Clothing?
The workout clothes are fine.

The bathing suit should be a two piece and blue like your scales, only a brighter shade of blue.

>>816303
>Heh, we could do some Alison cosplay.
This! XD

We might need to provide a full body picture of Alison for Kaktus.
>>
No. 816359 ID: fc33ea

> Something to drive the girls wild? …or guys?
That's called your birthday suit.
That said, you try modeling some of those kinds of clothes and ask their opinions to gauge interest.

you should get-
2nd bathing suit, in a brighter blue.
Casual wear- something in a nice shade of socially acceptable.
Formal wear- something professional, and on the more masculine end.
>>
No. 816478 ID: 173b46
File 150027749105.png - (33.16KB , 580x580 , rishirose.png )
816478

It's a rose-themed dress with a leaf-shaped beret. This is the sort of thing you wear to those "date" things aliens like so much.
>>
No. 816496 ID: fe7355

You'll go with the two piece bikini, but in a color that stands out more, like a yellow similar to the usual Serpens chest scale color. For casual wear, you want a option that doesn't show you as a Serpens sexual stereotype, and one that shows your physique off. How about a green turtleneck sweater and a pleated white skirt for the former, and a red halter top, tight black skirt and narrow belt with a gold buckle for the latter.

For formal wear, go sexier. Get a silk dress that's the color of the deep sea, with fabric that runs down from the back of your waist and along the length of the top of your tail, held in place with a few narrow bands around it. When you slither it'll catch the light and shimmer like the full moon shining on the ocean. Have the fabric from the front of the waist down not reach the ground, leaving no cloth between your scales and the ground. Run a high slit up each side of the dress to your waist, but to keep the front cloth over your groin intersperse golden chains along the slits to bind it. Around the waist wear a thin black belt with gold braid to accentuate your hips. For the dress torso give it a deep v-neck, to just above breast level, and make it sleeveless with fairly large arm holes in the sides. Wear a simple gold necklace around your neck and carry a silver and black purse.

See what you can get in the way of piercings too. A set of four or so piercings up the edge of your hood on both sides along the boundary of your silver scales, with gold rings just big enough to clear your hood's edge put in them would look quite good against your purple skin. Maybe get a gold stud in your tail tip with a emerald set in it too.

And you defer to Octavia's expertise to help you choose lingerie and sexy underwear, and to explain what it is and the reason for it. ...And you think you could try wearing it when you snap those sexy photos for Isan later. See what he thinks of it.

You know Lily immigrated to New Horizon, but you didn't catch where she came from, why she came here and what her life was like before, so ask her all that. What was her life like growing up? What does she like to do around here? You want to hear all about her.

>I mean, Kasha did try to get me to try a quick solo campaign and it was fun but… I’m not r-really a… people person, you know.
Aw, but you'd really like it if she came. It's not like it's going to be a huge number of people, and it's going to be mostly people she knows. You, Kasha, Octavia, Julia and your partner Leon. That's just two people she isn't acquainted with. And she did say Kasha's campaign was fun, so why not try playing with a group? Get out and be a little more people person person and it'll just get easier.

>Y-yeah… she u-used to lead a group or something a few years ago…
Ah, you may have just found the QM for the new Q&Q group. You forgot to get Kasha's contact info earlier, so ask Octavia and Lily if they could give you it, along with Ceeth's. You'll give Kasha a call in a bit, explain how you found out she used to be a Q&Q QM and the situation with Leon's disbanded group, then ask if she'd be willing to be a Quest Master again. You would like to know the kind of campaigns she likes to run too. If she's interested, give her Leon's contact info and send him a message about this.

>Oh please… like any man would even touch me with a ten foot pole…
Oh, c'mon, she's selling herself far, far too short here. Why is she saying that? What has she tried and who has turned her down? When did she last try to find a guy? 'Cause if you don't try there's no chance to succeed at all. There's someone out there for her, you know it.

How 'bout she tells you what kind of guy she'd like. Not a perfect one, since perfection doesn't exist, but one she'd be satisfied with. And what kinds of things does she can't stand in a guy? And you're curious what she thought of Leon when she first saw and met him.

>Maybe you should get a pair yourself? I’m sure you would need to beat the guys away with a stick if you just dressed up properly.
Yeah, you agree with Octavia. Would Lily agree to letting you two dress her up, just to see how good she can look? 'Cause you definitely can work with what Lily's got. For one, she has hips and ass like whoa, for two she's got plenty of boob, and third she has quite lovely feathers. Get her into something that isn't so frumpy and she'll turn heads. ...And does Octavia have a suggestion for lingerie or sexy underwear for Lily too?

>Are they actually interested or is it just your overfilled eggsacks talking?
Eh, probably your egg sacs talking. You don't know if Sakkilians do the self-improvement thing with folk they'd like to be non-sexual friends as well as prospective mates. Best just see how things go and if Varinia starts throwing strong hints at you.

>…with the proper upgrades to the digestion system… it would be a few thousands credits. Not too bad… you have enough saved up as it is.
What, only that much for all that's involved? ...Wait, is that a little money or a lot of money for you? What about for folks in general? How much do you make as a PK inspector? Anyway, putting a mouth into a species that doesn't naturally have one sounds like it has to be more expensive and complex than that. Besides all the tissue fabrication and reshaping your head, neck and face to to fit it all in that's needed, there's the bridge interface to your nervous system so you can properly sense and use it all. Are you sure that price is to get it done on New Horizon and not back on Roon?

You should make sure that that mouth bio-mod includes respiration or air movement capabilities of some kind. If you're going to do blowjobs then you think you'll need to be able to blow. See if you can get a long tongue too, preferably one that is prehensile. Get vocal chords as well, if it doesn't add too much to the price. Then you can find out what it's like to speak and sing with air vibrations and not your telepathy. ...And you just realized that

And you ought to look up what Serpens with mouth bio-mods look like before going ahead with this as well. That and how they've found other Serpens and aliens have reacted to them having a mouth. ...And you just realized that since you breath through your skin and don't need a mouth to that you could perform oral sex acts other species couldn't without harming themselves unless they have respiration augments.

>The main problem is that it will take a whole day and a half to properly install, which include the recuperation time.
You call getting all that and recovering in only a day and a half a problem? Really? You could get that mouth next weekend if you wanted to. And how much of that day and a half has to be spent in the bio-mod clinic and how much of the recovery time could be done outside the clinic? If you had that mouth bound shut to recover, could you go about your normal day? Or time the appointment so the in-clinic required recovery time is when you're sleeping?

>>816303
>>816334
>Heh, we could do some Alison cosplay.
>We might need to provide a full body picture of Alison for Kaktus.
Even though her outfits are good, I'd prefer if we didn't just copy or rip off Alison's wardrobe and came up with some of our own designs.

>>816334
>"You never know unless you try. I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find someone!"
Oh, jeez, don't say that second part. Lily's self-esteem sounds like it's so low that to her this would most likely sound like she'd be going on a nigh-impossible quest to find a decent man that could love her. Or that all she could find with the effort she can muster is losers and assholes.
>>
No. 816497 ID: cc5ab4
File 150028847958.png - (45.55KB , 580x480 , Steve'd.png )
816497

This is a two piece, right?
>>
No. 816503 ID: 91ee5f

>>816496
>You know Lily immigrated to New Horizon, but you didn't catch where she came from, why she came here and what her life was like before, so ask her all that. What was her life like growing up? What does she like to do around here? You want to hear all about her.
This. And for the sake of not making it look like we're somehow interrogating her, let's ask the same things to Octavia about her and her sister. And Rishi might as well give the same answers for herself.

>Things hopefully included with mouth biomods.
You forgot to mention teeth! Because it would look very weird if she doesn't have any teeth when smiling for a picture or something like that! Plus, chewing food is preferable to the disturbing imagery of having to swallow everything whole because we don't have any teeth to chew!

>If you had that mouth bound shut to recover, could you go about your normal day?
Since Serpens don't really need mouths to eat or talk, I'm sure she could go about her normal day.....maybe. Unless it's like a visit to the dentist IRL, then we'd need someone to go with Rishi so that she doesn't hurt herself while she's still all loopy and not thinking clearly from whatever is used to dull the pain.

>Even though her outfits are good, I'd prefer if we didn't just copy or rip off Alison's wardrobe and came up with some of our own designs.
I'm not expecting Rishi to actually buy those outfits. I just want her to try them on to see how Lily and Octavia react to them. Especially Octavia, with her superior sense of fashion. She'll freak out at those choices! XD

Although, that kinda reaction would come from Alison's default battle outfit. Realistically, Alison's sparkly black dress from when she's performing with her instruments, has a very good chance of being Octavia approved for special occasions that require being dressed up in a fancy outfit!

But, no matter what gets chosen, it's going to need to be slightly altered to allow use of Rishi's robotic arms and heavily altered to fit over her glorious hips!

>Oh, jeez, don't say that second part. Lily's self-esteem sounds like it's so low that to her this would most likely sound like she'd be going on a nigh-impossible quest to find a decent man that could love her. Or that all she could find with the effort she can muster is losers and assholes.
Wait, really? Awww, I was just trying to be encouraging! But if what you say is true, then let's not say what I said and go with what you said instead!
>>
No. 816515 ID: fe7355

>>816497
I was wondering when and if this ancient tradition would grace this quest. Glad someone made it.

>>816503
>You forgot to mention teeth!
Oh, and we also forgot to mention the nose! The nasal cavity is kinda important to the whole mouth structure and operation too, so Rishi ought to get nostrils as well.

>Plus, chewing food is preferable to the disturbing imagery of having to swallow everything whole because we don't have any teeth to chew!
...Actually, I have a tiny suspicion that Leon might be into that because he has a pet snake, so he could have a thing for snakes and that made him extra attracted to Rishi in addition to her godlike hips. But that's just speculation and requires chain of "what ifs" be true.

>I'm not expecting Rishi to actually buy those outfits. I just want her to try them on to see how Lily and Octavia react to them.
Oh, yeah, I'd be for that.

>Although, that kinda reaction would come from Alison's default battle outfit.
I actually thought that a skimpy getup like that one could fall into the "special nights" category, perhaps for erotic roleplay. It'd work rather well as a goddess' outfit in Leon's fantasy.

>Realistically, Alison's sparkly black dress from when she's performing with her instruments, has a very good chance of being Octavia approved for special occasions that require being dressed up in a fancy outfit!
That's the dress I thought of right away. I was actually the person who suggested it all the way back in UnSe thread 1 five years ago, although without the black fishnet. That's kinda why I didn't want to repeat it now and come up with something appreciably different. ...Eh, now that I think about it, I'd be okay with the choice of dressing Rishi in any of Alison's outfits.

There's actually a suggested outfit for Alison from UnSe thread 1 that didn't see much, if any, use, if I remember correctly: https://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/src/133637773666.jpg . Ficus also used it in the NSFW Uns Uns Uns: https://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/src/136124951869.png , https://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/src/138034749462.png , https://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/src/138034752966.png I think it'd look rather nice on Rishi.
>>
No. 816541 ID: 3ce125

Guys, Rishi having a mouth but no teeth would be fine, without requiring swallowing things whole. We are in a civilized world, we have eating utensils. She can cut up her food before putting it in her mouth to taste and swallow.

...having a mouth and the ability to swallow would require a second digestive system-- one that can handle solid food. That kind of invasive surgery might not be worth it.
>>
No. 816550 ID: fe7355

>>816541
>Guys, Rishi having a mouth but no teeth would be fine, without requiring swallowing things whole. We are in a civilized world, we have eating utensils. She can cut up her food before putting it in her mouth to taste and swallow.
Unless it's cut really fine, it's not good for the digestive system to have to work on big chunks unless it's meant for that. It's the big reason for teeth and chewing in the first place. And chewing allows more flavor to come out and to feel more of the texture of the food.

>...having a mouth and the ability to swallow would require a second digestive system-- one that can handle solid food. That kind of invasive surgery might not be worth it.
Um, but Rishi already said that she included the proper digestive system upgrades along with the mouth bio-mod when figuring out the price and time needed to get it all. This was near the top of >>816297.

Ah, but what Rishi could do is look up what the price of digestive system bio-mods for female Varks that'd allow one to eat as much as Lily does without getting as fat as her. If the cost is low enough that she could have easily gotten such a bio-mod on her secretary's salary that would kinda indicate she chose not to get one. For what reason, that we can't tell. Could be fear of being bio-modded or having surgery. Might be that she secretly likes being fat. Maybe she has terrible self-esteem and deep down feels she only deserves to be miserable and alone. Or it could be something else entirely. Only Lily knows her reasons.
>>
No. 816580 ID: 3ce125

>>816550
Oh, it'd require a day and a half of downtime. I doubt we're gonna have that kind of free time anyway.
>>
No. 816893 ID: 65a774
File 150048819593.png - (70.81KB , 900x450 , 116.png )
816893

>Well, considering how new you are, it's very doubtful that you're gonna be given vacation days anytime soon.
It’s only a day and a half. That’s a weekend… in fact, you believe the weekend here is three days so… half a weekend?
>How much of that day and a half has to be spent in the bio-mod clinic?
Going by experience, all of it. You’ll be submerged in a vat of bio-gel to make sure you heal properly, so it will be a day and a half of sleeping.
>How much do you make as a PK inspector?
Almost 28K a month… after taxes. Though, then there’s the rent… and bills… and food…
>Remember that you’ll also need to reshape your head, create a bridge interface to your nervous system, add respiration capabilities, a tongue, vocal cords and teeth…
… … …and suddenly all your savings are gone… great… though, you guess you can start over with the saving pile… after all, you have lower rent and higher pay here than back on Roon.
>Look up what the price of digestive system bio-mods for female Varks that'd allow one to eat as
much as Lily does without getting as fat as her.
Sadly, there isn’t one. Unless she get some cybernetic that require high amount of energy, she will simply turn all that excess energy into fat. After all, it only uses up so much to power the rest of your body.

>Ah, you may have just found the QM for the new Q&Q group.
Note to self: Remember to talk to Kasha about QM’ing a game.
>It's your eggsacks.
…probably… though your eggsacks hope it isn’t.
>See what you can get in the way of piercings too.
You’re not going to wear piercings. You’ve never liked those things.


>The workout clothes are fine.
:OctaviaWWD: It’s more about practicality than style on these…
>The bathing suit should be a two piece.
:OctaviaWWD: A two piece it is… now, what else do you want to buy?

>How about a green turtleneck sweater and a pleated white skirt for the former.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmm… I do like the turtleneck… but the shirt?
:LilyWWD: I think its nice…
>And a red halter top, tight black skirt and narrow belt with a gold buckle for the latter.
:OctaviaWWD: …a bit… tight maybe? Though I do like the attitude it has…
:LilyWWD: I-It’s a nice… top?
>Steve Shirt.
:OctaviaWWD: … … …no.
:RishiWWD: But it’s a classic!
:OctaviaWWD: Friends don’t let friends wear something that makes people vomit blood out of their eyes!
:RishiWWD: Aw…
>>
No. 816894 ID: 65a774
File 150048821177.png - (78.42KB , 900x450 , 117.png )
816894

>It's a rose-themed dress with a leaf-shaped beret.
:OctaviaWWD: Why, it is a nice dress… but the beret might be a bit much?
:LilyWWD: You look kind of like a… um… tomato?
>Something professional, and on the more masculine end.
:OctaviaWWD: Very chic, indeed. It looks like you’re someone with authority, someone not to mess with… though maybe in black instead of purple? Hmm…
:LilyWWD: B-by t-the s-sky father…*ah*

>You know Lily immigrated to New Horizon, but you didn't catch where she came from, why she came here and what her life was like before, so ask her all that.
:LilyWWD: Huh? Why are you asking that all the sudden?
:OctaviaWWD: Well, me and my sister has already told her our pasts so…
:LilyWWD: Ugh, fine… I’m from a small colony ship part of a bigger fleet that’s gliding around the universe. It was really cramped; as it was only built for 25 people… and no one there particularly liked me so… I kind of moved to try and find something better? I guess I did, as I’ve actually got some good friends here on New Horizon…
>Aw, but you'd really like it if she played Q&Q with you.
:LilyWWD: I… I guess if it is with people I know?
>Oh, c'mon, she's selling herself far, far too short here. Why is she saying that?
:LilyWWD: …because I’m a fat slob without any redeeming qualities?
:OctaviaWWD: Hey now, don’t be like that-
:LilyWWD: But that’s how it is. I’ve yet met a guy who even considers me attractive in any way or form.
>How 'bout she tells you what kind of guy she'd like.
:LilyWWD: Someone who would actually like me?
>Yeah, you agree with Octavia. Would Lily agree to letting you two dress her up, just to see how good she can look?
:LilyWWD: Ugh, no, please…
:OctaviaWWD: Come on now, Lily, if you want someone attention you need to dress the part!
:LilyWWD: Well, good luck finding anything in my size. They don’t sell clothes for hippos here.
:OctaviaWWD: I’m… unsure what a hippo is but I’m pretty sure they have clothes your size… somewhere…
>'Cause you definitely can work with what Lily's got. For one, she has hips and ass like whoa, for two she's got plenty of boob, and third she has quite lovely feathers.
:LilyWWD: E-eh!? Y-y-you r-r-really- STOP THAT! Y-you’re just saying that to try and make me feel better… don’t lie to my face…
:OctaviaWWD: While I wouldn’t put it that way, Lily, but you are attractive to some people.
:LilyWWD: Yeah right… no, you’re the one who got hips like whoa, Rishi, I’m just fat. There’s a difference.
>>
No. 816895 ID: 65a774
File 150048822663.png - (61.32KB , 900x450 , 118.png )
816895

>Get a silk dress that's the color of the deep sea…
:OctaviaWWD: Um… a bit… much?
:LilyWWD: Oh… t-that’s… it’s r-really… s-something?

>Something to drive the girls and guys wild? That's called your birthday suit.
:OctaviaWWD: Oh, Rishi, you much to learn. Imagination is always better than reality. Clothes that amplify your already stunning physique will not only drive people wild, but outright knock them dead.
>That said, you try modeling some of those kinds of clothes and ask their opinions to gauge interest.
:OctaviaWWD: Really, Rishi? Isn’t that something for you and… whoever you have interest in to see?
:LilyWWD: E-eh!? I… err… heh… um… t-that’s…
:OctaviaWWD: And it will be rather awkward if we have to watch you in sexy lingerie… I’m attracted to women, after all… and Lily seems rather flustered as well.
:LilyWWD: I-I’m n-not!
:OctaviaWWD: But I guess I can help you pick something out, if you wish… but first, what are you buying in this store?
>...And you think you could try wearing it when you snap those sexy photos for Isan later. See what he thinks of it.
You definitely should do that if you buy some…

So… you’ve chosen a bathing suit and training clothes… but how about the rest?
>>
No. 816904 ID: ba506f

>red halter top, tight black skirt
yes

>purple suit
yes

>silk dress
yes

and sure, get some advice on what kind of lingerie they think would look good on you. Then let's see what kind of clothes we can find for the both of them. You know just to see what thy pick and as a good excuse to ogle them without it being obvious.
>>
No. 816908 ID: 3ce125

>>816895
>sweater and skirt
Yeah that doesn't look good.
>red top, black skirt
Sure.
>red casual dress
Yeah lose the beret. Or swap it with a fez, maybe.
>formal dress
Nice.
>the deep blue dress
Maybe instead of those bands it could have tiny little grabbers to attach to your scales so that it stays in place?
>>
No. 816913 ID: 4854ef

I think you managed to make Lily swoon.
>>
No. 816915 ID: 50b008

>>816908
>fez instead
I considered a fez, but those usually go around the skull. Rishi's hood would force it to balance on top. Kaktus might be able to draw one without making it look silly.
>>
No. 816919 ID: 91ee5f

>>816893
>………and suddenly all your savings are gone…great…
Hold on, we never said you had to get them now! Besides, the vocal cords are optional, since you don't really need them to talk and only if you want to use the mouth for talking.

The mouth is really only for eating solid foods and giving blowjobs.

Honestly though, this is a big spur of the moment thing you looked up because you're curious. Why don't you wait a few months until you've saved up enough money so that you can still afford to live in your apartment and be able to eat. If by the time you get that much money and you still want all this stuff, then go ahead and get it.

>Red halter top, tight black skirt and narrow belt with a gold buckle for the latter.
Let's get that.

>Friends don’t let friends wear something that makes people vomit blood out of their eyes!
She's a good friend!

>>816894
>Something professional, and on the more masculine end.
>B-by t-the s-sky father…*ah*
Looks like that's Lily approved, so let's get that!

> …because I’m a fat slob without any redeeming qualities?
"Lily, I'm a cop. In my years of service, I've seen and arrested plenty of fat slobs with no redeeming qualities. Trust me, you don't fit that description at all."

>Well, good luck finding anything in my size.
"If they have something that can encompass my wide hips, then they must have something that can fit you. Especially since I'm wider than you!"

>don’t lie to my face…
"I'm not!"

>Yeah right…no, you’re the one who got hips like whoa, Rishi, I’m just fat. There’s a difference.
"Actually, you wouldn't believe the number of people that can't tell the difference. I've been called 'fatass' quite a few times by those people."

Optional: "I don't think you're fat, I think you're fun sized!" Don't actually say this, unless everyone else thinks it would be ok to say this!

>>816895
>Silk dress that's the color of the deep sea…
I like that one!

>it will be rather awkward if we have to watch you in sexy lingerie
"Well, you guys don't have to watch if you don't want to watch."
>>
No. 816921 ID: fc33ea

1 Maybe with a longer and/or less pleated skirt?
2 Yes.
3 Not enthused with, well, any of the green bits.
4 Yes. Maybe in a quieter color, but not black.
5 Matches our sledgehammer approach perfectly.

>… … …and suddenly all your savings are gone… great…
It's kind of a big commitment to make anyway. Maybe there's a BTL restaurant simulator or something?
>But I guess I can help you pick something out, if you wish…
Well I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Were you going to look for anything here, by the way?
> you’re the one who got hips like whoa, Rishi, I’m just fat. There’s a difference.
Well look for a guy who isn't a totally pedantic. and knows how to cook.
>>
No. 817091 ID: fe7355

Made a compilation image of my suggestions for alterations to the outfits, but since it's generally discouraged that suggesters post images in the quest threads, I posted it to the questdis instead: >>/questdis/113728. Check it out there.

You think you'll get all of them so you'll have options for different situations. But you think you'll wear the professional suit out of the store. You want to feel authoritative. (And also so Lily can enjoy seeing you in it again.)

>…because I’m a fat slob without any redeeming qualities?
...Hearing this, you want to punch the universe in the face for everything that happened to Lily that destroyed her self-esteem.

>But that’s how it is. I’ve yet met a guy who even considers me attractive in any way or form.
Really absolutely nobody in her whole life? What about gals? Actually, is she attracted only to guys? And is she attracted only to Varks or is she interested in other species? (And you think this likely means Lily is a virgin. ...You don't think you've ever met anyone as old as her before that was still one.)

>Well, good luck finding anything in my size. They don’t sell clothes for hippos here.
Lily, they had a sexy silk dress for a ovale Serpens with breasts and a hip and tail size of WHOA, so you're pretty confident they'll have clothes in voluptuous Vark size.

>E-eh!? Y-y-you r-r-really- STOP THAT! Y-you’re just saying that to try and make me feel better… don’t lie to my face…
Say that you wish you could mind-meld with her like a Serpens so she'd know you are being honest that you find she has pleasing curves and pretty pink feathers.

Now that you've chosen your clothes, what about Lily and Octavia? They were originally planning to come here to clothes shop together, after all.

>… … …and suddenly all your savings are gone… great… though, you guess you can start over with the saving pile… after all, you have lower rent and higher pay here than back on Roon.
...You didn't just order all that right now, did you? It's rather a lot for a spur of the moment purchase. At least wait a bit to see if you change your mind. And perhaps "test run" what it's like with a BTL. There have to be mouth eating experience ones tailored to Serpens, maybe even recorded from a fully mouth modded Serpens experience. And oral sex BTLs for Serpens too, maybe also with support for multi user so you could try it out on someone else. Also, you can leave the vocal chords out to save on the price, since you can speak without them.

>Sadly, there isn’t one. Unless she get some cybernetic that require high amount of energy, she will simply turn all that excess energy into fat. After all, it only uses up so much to power the rest of your body.
Sounds kinda like a modified power cell charger cybernetic could prevent getting fat then. When excess calories are detected then the power from them is used to charge a power cell, which at the end of the day is either removed to be discharged or a cable is connected to drain it.

That aside, what about bio-mods and other modern medical methods that negate the health consequences of eating as much as Lily does and being as fat as she is? How effective and affordable are those?
>>
No. 817141 ID: 3ce125

Guys, Lily is actually fat. There is a difference from someone having curves and being fat.
>>
No. 817146 ID: 91ee5f

>>817141
Well, that's true, but it doesn't change the fact that she should be cheered up and/or encouraged! We're just trying to be nice.
>>
No. 817154 ID: 50b008

>>817141
I believe the word you are looking for is "thicc".
>>
No. 817163 ID: be0718

>>817154
Nope, it's definitely fat. Know the difference, it could save your life.
>>
No. 817165 ID: 65a774
File 150058020761.png - (11.06KB , 900x450 , 119.png )
817165

>...You didn't just order all that right now, did you? It's rather a lot for a spur of the moment purchase.
Of course not, you’re just checking how much it will cost. You’re not that spontaneous.
>Why don't you wait a few months until you've saved up enough money so that you can still afford to live in your apartment and be able to eat.
You’ll afford to live and eat, no problem. It’s just you “low tide” savings… so as long as nothing really bad happens…
>It's kind of a big commitment to make anyway. Maybe there's a BTL restaurant simulator or something?
Hmm… maybe you should try it first?

>No to the pleated shirt.
:RishiWWD: Though, I think I’ll buy this… what did you call it? Turtleneck? I was so nice and warm… perfect for those cold nights at home.
>Yes to the red halter top and shirt.
:LilyWWD: You did l-look nice in those.
:OctaviaWWD: It did have a lot of attitude.
>No to the rose themed dress.
:OctaviaWWD: The “tomato” one? I have to concur on that choice.
>Yes to the silk dress, but makes some modification.
:OctaviaWWD: I mean… it is nice and all… but isn’t it a bit much?
:LilyWWD: You’re the o-one to talk about too much, Octi.
:OctaviaWWD: Hush you.
>Yes to the professional, though switch the colors. Also, you think you'll wear the professional suit out of the store. You want to feel authoritative.
:LilyWWD: Eh heh… err… it’s really… um… nice?
:OctaviaWWD: Are you wearing that just to get Lily flustered?
:RishiWWD: Of course not. That’s just a nice bonus.
:LilyWWD: N-nice…?

>Get some advice on what kind of lingerie they think would look good on you.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmm… I’m not sure… I’ve never seen a Serpent clad in lingerie before… though I guess we can head to the lingerie store after we’re done here.
:LilyWWD: Heh… um… is that really… err…
>Now that you've chosen your clothes, what about Lily and Octavia? They were originally planning to come here to clothes shop together, after all.
:OctaviaWWD: I’ve actually planned to pick something up… so if you would vacate the dressing room so I can change in peace…
:LilyWWD: I’m just here to pick up a new pair of sweatpants… and a few t-shirts, maybe?
:OctaviaWWD: Excuse me for a few moments while I change.
>>
No. 817166 ID: 65a774
File 150058022635.png - (57.05KB , 900x450 , 120.png )
817166

>Guys, Lily is actually fat. There is a difference from someone having curves and being fat.
Big girls need to be filled with eggs just as much as thin girls. That’s a fact.
>I believe the word you are looking for is "thicc".
You think she’s more round than thick, personally… and then you mean her whole body, not just her hips.
>I think you managed to make Lily swoon.
Heh… she does seem really flustered around you suddenly, doesn’t she? Does she have a thing for people in suits?
>You think this likely means Lily is a virgin.
…a what now? Aren’t those things just a myth to scare children with?
>You want to punch the universe in the face for everything that happened to Lily that destroyed her self-esteem.
Sadly, the universe doesn’t have a face to punch… or kick... or suplex…

>Lily, I'm a cop. In my years of service, I've seen and arrested plenty of fat slobs with no redeeming qualities. Trust me, you don't fit that description at all.
:LilyWWD: Y-yeah, because being a little better than the absolutely worse is a good thing…
:RishiWWD: I’m just saying.
>If they have something that can encompass my wide hips, then they must have something that can fit you. Especially since I'm wider than you!
:LilyWWD: I’m pretty sure I’m wider than you, Rishi. It just doesn’t look that way because your waist is so much smaller than mine.
:RishiWWD: …wait, are you sure about that?
:LilyWWD: *Sigh* See, if we stand right next to each other…
:RishiWWD: …well, damn… you are wider than me.
>Well look for a guy who isn't a totally pedantic... and knows how to cook.
:LilyWWD: And those are super easy to find… especially one that isn’t already taken…
>Really absolutely nobody in her whole life? What about gals? Actually, is she attracted only to guys?
:LilyWWD: Eh? W-why do you…. I’m into m-men, yes. And no, I’ve n-never met anyone who’s said I was attractive.
>And is she attracted only to Varks or is she interested in other species?
:LilyWWD: Heh… err.. see, I’m… um… it’s just… no? I mean yes? Or… err…
>Say that you wish you could mind-meld with her like a Serpens so she'd know you are being honest that you find she has pleasing curves and pretty pink feathers.
:LilyWWD: Eh? Y-you a-actually t-think I’m-

:OctaviaWWD: So, what do you two think?
:LilyWWD: EH!? What!? Oh… oh right… err… um…
:OctaviaWWD: I need something new to wear to work, something to drive the clientele wild. This just fit that bill, doesn’t it?
:LilyWWD: I mean… isn’t that a bit… as you said to Rishi, much?
:OctaviaWWD: Oh hush, a girl got to live a little at times, no?
:LilyWWD: …and is really teal the best color to-
:OctaviaWWD: I said hush, Lily… I know what you think about it, I want to hear what Rishi thinks.
>>
No. 817167 ID: be0718

Indeed. It gives the chills that pay the bills. Well, besides the veil looking like a pack animal's feed bag.
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No. 817169 ID: 50b008

>>817166
It would look better with a thin dress over the pants, and a clear strap for the veil.
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No. 817175 ID: fc33ea

I think it does look nice! Oh oh oh but what if it was a darker blue that matched your eyes perfectly?

Also, are those shadow people a few stalls over?
>>
No. 817179 ID: 3ce125

>>817166
Maybe the veil would look better if it only came up over the tip of her snout. That way it's shaped more like a rectangular strip of cloth.

wait what was her job again? Waitress?
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No. 817181 ID: 91ee5f

>>817166
>…a what now? Aren’t those things just a myth to scare children with?
A virgin is usually what aliens refer to an adult that has never had sex in their life, either by choice or lack of a sexual partner.

And, yes, this is something you're not supposed to talk about because it's a sensitive subject.

>I want to hear what Rishi thinks.
"I like the outfit, but maybe the color should match your eyes?"

>>817175
>Also, are those shadow people a few stalls over?
You don't honestly think Rishi, Lily, and Octavia, are the only customers in the store, do you? The shadow people are just background characters that are doing the same thing we are doing and are helping each other pick out clothing.
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No. 817194 ID: df00b4

Not so sure about the veil. Do they one with patterns on it? And maybe have the whole thing be the same color as your eyes?

AND
Do I spy a Cibic in a cap that may possibly also be a Peace Keeper and a Sakkil with purple eyes that may have a fez?
GEE I WONDER WHO IT COULD BE?
>>
No. 817195 ID: 91ee5f

>>817194
You fool! You ruined it! Now Kaktus is going to purposefully make it so that they're not who you're expecting them to be just to mess with us! DX
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No. 817198 ID: 65a774
File 150059253510.png - (25.81KB , 900x450 , 121.png )
817198

>A virgin is usually what aliens refer to an adult that has never had sex in their life, either by choice or lack of a sexual partner.
You know what a virgin is, you just can’t believe they actually exist! Didn’t their broodparents take care of them when they first grew their sexual organs when they came to age? Why, you still fondly remember at your 17th birthday, just a few days after your ovipositor had finished growing, when both a broodmother and broodfather came to you so you could… ah, good times…
>And, yes, this is something you're not supposed to talk about because it's a sensitive subject.
Clearly it’s something wrong about it. If it is true, you’ll need to correct it immediately!
>Also, are those shadow people a few stalls over?
It’s just some other customers, a Cibic and a Sakkilian… nothing you need to care about.

>I think it does look nice! Oh oh oh but what if it was a darker blue that matched your eyes perfectly?
:LilyWWD: Oh, that would look sweet!
:OctaviaWWD: That would be rather lovely, indeed… I wonder if they have that color here…
:RishiWWD: It would look better with a thin dress over the pants, and a clear strap for the veil.
:OctaviaWWD: Hmm… I might need to do some personal adjustment to this, indeed…
:LilyWWD: And then it would be p-perfect! …err… r-right?
:RishiWWD: Well, besides the veil looking like a pack animal's feed bag.
:LilyWWD: …now that you mention it… yeah, you look like you have a bag over your snout…
:OctaviaWWD: …ouch… but I guess I’m thankful that you two are honest.
:RishiWWD: Maybe the veil would look better if it only came up over the tip of her snout.
:OctaviaWWD: I’ll see what I can do.
>What was her job again? Waitress?
:OctaviaWWD: I’m a massager… a traditional Sakkilian massager and acupuncturist.
:LilyWWD: The kind that require a lot of incense, myrrh, oils and balms in a candle lit room.
:RishiWWD: Oh… now, about that underwear thingy…



After Octavia manage to find the right colored… whatever that thing was called and Lily her sweatpants and T-shirts, you finally head over to that lingerie store to see what the fuzz is about. After some deliberating and help from the gals, you pick up a nice set of Schrödinger’s lingerie (You can decide how it looks later, when I’m in the mood to draw more clothes.) to wear the next time you mate with someone. Afterwards, the three of you stroll around the shopping spire to see what else you can find. Apparently, Octavia has a thing for talismans, charms and other “magical” knick-knacks while Lily buys what appears to be oddly shaped books with pictures in them that she calls comics. Those things clearly are not water safe, so you’re not sure how long they will really hold…
…then after a an hour or two, you arrive back at your apartment.

:OctaviaWWD: So I said to her, that if she really think she’s all that, why not prove it?
:RishiWWD: Oh, I think I know where this is going…
:LilyWWD: *Sigh* you’ve already told this thing a hundred times, Octi…
:VariniaWWD: Ah, there you are! I’ve been waiting for you! Are you ready to work up a sweat, Rishi?
:RishiWWD: Err… no? I need to change clothes and stuff first…
:VariniaWWD: Well, of course… I meant if you’re ready to… um… hey, sis, I think your red markings are showing again.
:OctaviaWWD: Oh fuck! I must have scrapped some of the makeup off with the veil and- I mean… um… oh bother, I need to… reply some makeup so… it’s been a lovely evening, you two?
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No. 817201 ID: ba506f

I thought I saw red when she was dressing up but I chalked it up to a blush or some kind of makeup.

anyways bid your two friends goodbye and get ready for the gym.
>>
No. 817214 ID: 3ce125

>>817198
Yeah I saw the red too. I called it-- Octavia wants the body transplant for more than mammal envy. Do not make any note of it to her. Just bid her good night. If she brings it up, tell her you don't think it matters.
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No. 817215 ID: 50b008

Go get your swole on.
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No. 817216 ID: 91ee5f

>>817198
>You know what a virgin is, you just can’t believe they actually exist! Didn’t their broodparents take care of them when they first grew their sexual organs when they came to age?
Your thinking like a Serpens. Aliens do things differently.

>Clearly it’s something wrong about it. If it is true, you’ll need to correct it immediately!
WOAH, hold up! Calm your ovipositor down! Your friends' private lives and what they do with their privates are none if your concern! .....unless, they want to have sex with you, but that's not the point! It's not your job to force yourself into their privacy like that! So stay out of it!

>Those things clearly are not water safe, so you’re not sure how long they will really hold…
That's because they're not meant to be in the water.

>um…hey, sis, I think your red markings are showing again.
Rishi, this is a good example of something that's none of your business unless Octavia wants to talk about it. So just tell them bye and don't mention Octavia's markings.

Go into your apartment, change your clothes, and go with Varinia to the gym.

On your way to the gym, say to Varinia, "Why do arms have a day? Next, you'll be telling me that legs also have a day!"

After she explains it, ask her, "The question is…when is tail day? …and how do you celebrate it?"
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No. 817223 ID: fc33ea

> ah, good times…
... I'm pretty sure that would be criminal anywhere else. Think about it.
>Schrödinger’s lingerie
1 vote for dental floss.
>I think your red markings are showing again.
don't bring it up or anything, at least until you can figure out how to do so tactfully.

Anytime Octavia- you too Lilly. Alright Varinia lemme change and I'll be right with you. You want to come in?
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No. 817260 ID: fe7355

Oh, you thought that red mark was blush, eyeliner or some other makeup, not orange makeup over red markings. That explains why Octavia didn't want a hug earlier and said it was because her makeup hadn't dried, yet you couldn't see any obvious makeup. You don't know why Octavia would want to cover up her red markings, but apparently it's really embarrassing for her that it's been exposed that she does. You'd best not ask about it and wrap things up quick for her sake. You can do a search later in private for why red facial markings might be embarrassing for her.

Tell them that it has been a lovely evening, thank them both for their company and help picking clothes and offer each of them a parting hug. Then head into your apartment, check that An is still okay and sleeping, then change into your athletic outfit to workout with Varinia.

>Hmm… I might need to do some personal adjustment to this, indeed…
Ah, Octavia knows tailoring. You'll have to find out later how skilled she is. If she's skilled enough to design and make clothes herself then perhaps she could help Lily out by crafting outfits in Lily's size. Or if Octavia isn't that skilled then maybe she knows someone who is.

>I’m a massager… a traditional Sakkilian massager and acupuncturist.
>The kind that require a lot of incense, myrrh, oils and balms in a candle lit room.
That sounds like it'd be interesting and probably relaxing experience to try out. You'll have to remember to ask Octavia later on about making a appointment.

>Those things clearly are not water safe, so you’re not sure how long they will really hold…
You're not on Roon, remember? Unlike back there, everything here doesn't have to be waterproofed. Those comics, while cheaply made, will last as long as they need to to do their job in this environment.

>You know what a virgin is, you just can’t believe they actually exist!
You forget that sex for other species is not as easy as going up to another person and asking if they wanna fuck. For them sex comes farther along in a relationship, once they've felt each other out for acceptability, and not right at the start. If a alien can't for some reason clear the social hurdles to make that happen after they come of age, then they may not ever and will remain a virgin.

>Didn’t their broodparents take care of them when they first grew their sexual organs when they came to age?
Um... Just to be clear, the broodparents would be the newly adult child's first sexual partners, yes? ...Okay, that is definitely not how it's done by non-Serpens. Remember that the vast majority of the parents of children of other species are directly genetically related to them. That creates a strong taboo against incest to prevent inbreeding. There's also myriad more biological, historical, cultural, social and legal reasons why aliens don't do it the Serpens way that would take ages to explain. Suffice to say, if it's not outright illegal for parents to have sex with their just-of-age children here, it's definitely a huge taboo.

And you also ought to look up how and when other species' sexually mature, and the legal ages of consent for each of them. The time of the former is often at least a fair bit before the latter.

>Clearly it’s something wrong about it. If it is true, you’ll need to correct it immediately!
Rishi, for a minute stop thinking like a Serpens, and also stop thinking what your packed egg sacs want. This is not Serpens society. If you found out Lily is a virgin you can not just go up to her and offer your services to fix that issue. Odds are it would not go the way you'd like. Remember, in general, for other species sex comes after building at least a small relationship and each party finding the other physically and mentally acceptable. To them, losing your virginity to a species known for being as easy as a two piece jigsaw puzzle to bed would be admitting they're a complete reject who can't get laid otherwise.

However, you shouldn't go by your guesses and inferences of other species' societies and behavior regarding these topics. Get solid info by messaging Ziana as you're going to change to ask her about virginity among aliens: How common is it for them? How do they feel about virgins and talking about the subject of virginity? By what way they usually go about losing their virginity? How would they feel about losing their virginity to a Serpens?

And as long as you're messaging Ziana, ask her about alien's attitudes about degrees of fatness. Specifically being as fat as the Vark gal Ziana saw leaving your apartment earlier, and in Varkian society in particular. Is it a social hindrance, and if so then by how much?

>>817223
>1 vote for dental floss.
Lingerie is supposed to leave the right amount to the imagination to entice, not absolutely nothing.
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No. 817261 ID: 3ce125

Well *I* didn't think it was blush. I decided not to point it out at all.
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No. 817279 ID: 91ee5f

>>817166
>Sadly, the universe doesn’t have a face to punch…or kick...or suplex…
Well, you need to get a drill! Everyone knows the universe is weak to drills because of how easily they can pierce the universe! I just now thought of this, so I had to do it!

>>817260
>Messaging Ziana about virgins in alien society.
I think Rishi should open up with, "[insert in universe version of 'OMG' for Serpens here], I just found out virgins actually exist and they're not just made up stories that broodparents tell their children to scare them!"

>Ask Ziana about Lily's fatness.
I think we should cover more than just Vark society when asking about that. Like, "How all races' handle fatness of their own race and/or members of other races?"
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No. 817308 ID: 65a774
File 150066019687.png - (25.21KB , 900x450 , 122.png )
817308

>Well, you need to get a drill! Everyone knows the universe is weak to drills because of how easily they can pierce the universe!
Don’t drills just pierce the heavens and not the universe, though?
>You forget that sex for other species is not as easy as going up to another person and asking if they wanna fuck. For them sex comes farther along in a relationship, once they've felt each other out for acceptability, and not right at the start.
You might never fully understand why they have such odd customs… but you guess you can only accept that they do.
>Remember that the vast majority of the parents of children of other species are directly genetically related to them. That creates a strong taboo against incest to prevent inbreeding.
Yet another reason why the Serpent way is superior to theirs!
>WOAH, hold up! Calm your ovipositor down! Your friends' private lives and what they do with their privates are none if your concern! .....unless, they want to have sex with you, but that's not the point!
You’re not thinking about forcing yourself on her… or hit her like a sledgehammer. No, she deserves a bit more tact than that. Going by how flustered she became, it’s clear she is attracted to you… so maybe you can take her out on one of those date things? What did Leon say… at least buy them dinner first? Make it romantic and all that… and then make sure she has a pleasant evening. Of course, if she isn’t actually attracted to you… or don’t want to lay with you, you’ll simply have to help her in some other way. Maybe help her get more self-confident… or more attractive. Either way, you can’t just stand on the wayside and let such an injustice exist.
>Your thinking like a Serpens. Aliens do things differently.
Aliens are so damn weird!
>Octavia wants the body transplant for more than mammal envy.
Only males have those red marks, correct? So her body is male while her mind female, huh? It’s not an unknown conundrum that. Yes, you better thread carefully on this subject in the future.


>Tell them that it has been a lovely evening, thank them both for their company and help picking clothes and offer each of them a parting hug.
:OctaviaWWD: My apologies, but I need to… fix this. But do have a pleasant evening.
:LilyWWD: EH!? A h-hug? Err… I… I need to go watch my… iron? GoodbyeseeyoulaterRishi!
:RishiWWD: See you both later.
>Alright Varinia lemme change and I'll be right with you. You want to come in?
:VariniaWWD: Heh… no, I think I’ll do some extra stretching while I wait. Just hurry up so I don’t have to wait for you to finish stretching.
>Check that An is still okay and sleeping.
Still hugging her toy, “asleep”… if you’re reading this correctly, she’s about an hour away from fully charged.

>Get solid info by messaging Ziana as you're going to change to ask her about virginity among aliens: How common is it for them? How do they feel about virgins and talking about the subject of virginity?
:ZianaWWD: [In today’s day and age virginity at older ages is rather uncommon in most species. Most of them looks down a bit virgins, as they are often seen as… not full adults yet. I would advise you to take caution on the subject, as it isn’t something you discuss with someone you don’t trust.]
>By what way they usually go about losing their virginity? How would they feel about losing their virginity to a Serpens?
:ZianaWWD: [Most of them desire to lose it to someone they trust and have a relationship with. Going to a Serpens that you don’t know is often seen as an act of desperation or uncaringness, depending on the person… but a Serpens you know personally and trust is often fair game.]
>Ask her about alien's attitudes about degrees of fatness. Specifically being as fat as the Vark gal Ziana saw leaving your apartment earlier, and in Varkian society in particular.
:ZianaWWD: [All the species sees obesity as a negative trait, but none more than the Sakkilians and Varkians. Sakkilian associate obesity with people that are a millstone to the system, a person that is a tick that absorbs more than they give, which in their society is a big no-no. Varkians on the other hand, as they’ve lived for a few generations on colony ships with very strict food limits before they made first contact, sees obese people as outright criminals and monsters. While they’ve softened up a bit when it comes to other species, an obese Varkian will be shunned by their peers and become an outcast.]

>Go get your swole on.
:VariniaWWD: So… ready to get hot and sweaty?
:RishiWWD: Are we going to the gym?
:VariniaWWD: Nope. Today we’ll train at home. I got everything we need back home as we won’t need machines. But first, warm up. Sadly, it’s going to rain in the parks today, so we’ll just have to be content to run around the whole spire a few laps. Now, let’s get working!
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No. 817309 ID: 65a774
File 150066020605.png - (19.91KB , 900x450 , 123.png )
817309

After jogging around for a bit to get your second heart pumping, the two of you head back to what you assume is Varinia’s apartment. Apparently she is the proud owner of a pair of dumbbells and barbell with artificially adjustable weight, which the two of you use to take turns doing different kind of exercises. With her guidance, you can feel your muscles work themselves to their limit; though you’re nowhere close to the amount of weight Varinia seems to be able to lift.

:VariniaWWD: …two more… you can do it… and now three more… just three more… two more… come on, Rishi… one… just one more… good… good… there we go…
:RishiWWD: Ugh… I’m completely b-beat… and m-my arms is going to feel like shit tomorrow…
:VariniaWWD: No pain, no gain as they say. But let’s take a breather. We’re almost done… just a few sit-ups to finish this off.
:RishiWWD: Why do arms have a d-day? Next, you'll be telling me that legs a-also have a day!
:VariniaWWD: Because you don’t want to overstrain your muscles. They need time to repair themselves after you break them down like this. Thus, each day we focus on one muscle group. Today, arms… tomorrow, legs.
:RishiWWD: The question is…when is tail day?
:VariniaWWD: I… guess when its leg day? I’m not sure… I’m not an expert on Serpents training… though, I do know your arms training is pretty much the same, that much I’ve looked up.

:VariniaWWD: So… anyway… what do you think of New Horizon so far? Do you miss home?
:RishiWWD: …I didn’t think I would miss the howling cold winds of the isle’s, but I do… things are just so… still and quiet here.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… I’ve never actually felt any real wind in my life… I guess I’ve never been under a real sun either… an odd thought that.
:RishiWWD: So you’ve never traveled from the station, then?
:VariniaWWD: No, we have not… though me and sis have talked about it. Speaking of my sister… do…. Did you… hmm… never mind that… speaking of changing the subject, have you met any cute boys here on the station yet? …or gals? Wait, are you into boys or gals… or both?
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No. 817310 ID: 4854ef

Both, but not other ovales. Plus everyone so far has been pretty attractive.
>>
No. 817312 ID: 3ce125

>>817309
You've met some cute boys and some cute girls, and you're into both.

Say, ask her if this counts as a date.
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No. 817337 ID: 91ee5f

>>817308
>Going to a Serpens that you don’t know is often seen as an act of desperation or uncaringness, depending on the person…but a Serpens you know personally and trust is often fair game.
Sweet, you're fair game, Rishi!

However, there's no proof that Lily actually is a virgin. That's just a guess based off the way she was talking.

>an obese Varkian will be shunned by their peers and become an outcast.
Well, that explains Lily's self-confidence issues. She'd been shunned for so long that, even after moving away, it's been burned into her head that she's ugly and she still believes it.

Well, I guess we can try and date and/or help her with her self-confidence, but that'll have to wait for some other day!

>>817309
>With her guidance, you can feel your muscles work themselves to their limit; though you’re nowhere close to the amount of weight Varinia seems to be able to lift.
Hey, Rishi, how long are your tentacle arms and how far can they extend? Because I think it'd be pretty neat if Varinia could lift you! And if she can't do it on her own, you could help by putting your tentacle arms on the ground and helping her lift you up!

Don't expect her to actually try though, she's probably not that strong.....yet. But it would be impressive if she could! It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

>have you met any cute boys here on the station yet? …or gals? Wait, are you into boys or gals…or both?
"Both and pretty much everyone is cute."

Waaaait, is this flirting? Do you think she's trying to flirt with you? Let's not mess it up, like you did with Leo!

Although.....she mentioned her sister first. Could she actually be trying to set you up with her sister instead of herself?
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No. 817349 ID: 91ee5f

>>817337
Also, how long were you out shopping? Because if Varinia is flirting with you, don't expect her to "buy you dinner first" if it hasn't been that long since you ate with Lily and Octavia.
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No. 817367 ID: fe7355

Didn't you answer this yesterday when she and Octavia visited? You're into males and females, which is considered straight for a ovale Serpens. And so far you've met plenty that are cute or attractive to you in different ways, including her and her sister. ...And just so she knows, you know what the red facial markings on her sister mean and you're totally okay with that.

Is she a member of any sports teams? Amateur scrumball, perhaps? You'd think any of the teams on New Horizon would be more than glad to have her play for them. And you'd enjoy seeing her play as well.

Could she help you train to wrestle? Besides its potential to help you in your duties, you want to eventually be able to best your partner. In the water you'd have beat him hands down, but on dry land he pinned you in about two seconds flat.

>Heh… I’ve never actually felt any real wind in my life… I guess I’ve never been under a real sun either… an odd thought that.
Wait, aren't there observation domes on New Horizon where you could go which let the light of this system's star in? She hasn't visited one of those? Or was she thinking along the lines of the whole experience of standing under the sky and feeling the daylight shine down? She and her sister ever think about experiencing that in a BTL sim? Do they have a planet they'd really like to visit?

...And Lily hasn't set foot on a planet either, if she went straight from that Varkian fleet she was born on to New Horizon. Maybe Leon hasn't too. You don't know where he lived before he was orphaned, or if he's been off-station since. Makes you wonder how many people out there haven't in their lives stood on a planet's surface. ...Feels a little sad they never have experienced that, doesn't it?

>Yet another reason why the Serpent way is superior to theirs!
No, you can't just say that your way is superior for them. The Serpens way grew and evolved to fit Serpens and your biology, drives and instincts. For Serpens it is the superior way. But for other species, who evolved in different environments and circumstances, with different biology and psychology, needs and drives, your way likely would not be the best for them. Without proof that the Serpens way would be better for them, your belief is just a baseless belief.

Now, there's almost certainly been experiments and studies and data collection done by the Knowing Caste into how applying the Serpens way to other species effects them. And there are permanent populations of non-Serpens living in Serpens space, right? They probably have been studied for the long-term effects of adoption of Serpens ways into theirs. You don't have to delve into the details of the studies, but you could read the summaries and conclusions. And don't limit yourself to Serpens research. Read what the other species have discovered on this matter. Broaden your horizons.

>Varkians on the other hand, as they’ve lived for a few generations on colony ships with very strict food limits before they made first contact, sees obese people as outright criminals and monsters.
Well, that probably explains why Lily said she wasn't liked back on the colony ship. She ate more than they felt was right, even though they don't have the strict food rationing of before first contact. But she internalized all their ridicule and hate and they still torment her psyche even after she moved away. And on top of that, since there's now nobody putting a check on her fulfilling her every desire for food, that desire, that need, will just keep going up. And the fatter she gets, the greater her self-loathing, the more she retreats from others, and the more she eats for comfort.

...Makes you wish you could slap Ferara for what she said to Lily. And also wish you could go back in time and sic a Hiver labor lawyer on Herod for taking advantage of Lily's low self-esteem to slash her pay and make her work unpaid overtime.

...Wait, why hasn't that Vark colony fleet not settled a world yet? Refit with FTL drives they could jump to their destination in short order. Either that or arrange transport on other FTL capable ships and abandon their fleet in the interstellar void.

>Of course, if she isn’t actually attracted to you… or don’t want to lay with you, you’ll simply have to help her in some other way. Maybe help her get more self-confident… or more attractive.
...And in addition to that, maybe help her find someone who would like to be her mate. ...You wonder what Leon thinks of Lily and vice versa. How knocked over Lily would be to see Leon in a suit like the one you wore? ...And you would enjoy seeing Leon in a suit like that one too. He'd look even more handsome in that getup, wouldn't he? Kinda like Bond, eh?

Look up what outfits the captains and commanders on the Vark colony fleets wear as uniforms, both formal and day-to-day. Your suit looked sorta like what a ship's captain, or even a fleet admiral, would wear, so that may explain at least part of why Lily half-swooned over you.
>>
No. 817420 ID: 91ee5f

>>817367
>but on dry land he pinned you in about two seconds flat.
I'm pretty sure that counts as something you don't talk about with other people!
>>
No. 817437 ID: fe7355

>>817420
But why? Rishi's not going to say it was sex related. And as a Peacekeeper officer she has reason to want to be able to wrestle someone into submission, for in case she has to subdue a hostile person. Don't mention why they were wrestling and it sounds to me more like she and her partner were sparring, testing her physical skill, and she wants to best him out of a sense of personal betterment and friendly rivalry.
>>
No. 817459 ID: 91ee5f

>>817437
Well, when you put it like that, sure explain it like that to her.
>>
No. 817482 ID: fe7355

>>817459
But just the minimum at first, only elaborating if Varinia asks about it or needs a little more convincing. Otherwise it'll sound odd that Rishi is dumping all of that explanation on Varinia unasked.
>>
No. 817525 ID: 65a774
File 150074046344.png - (19.94KB , 900x450 , 124.png )
817525

>Well, that explains Lily's self-confidence issues. She'd been shunned for so long that, even after moving away, it's been burned into her head that she's ugly and she still believes it.
Question is, why did it go this far in the first place?
>However, there's no proof that Lily actually is a virgin. That's just a guess based off the way she was talking.
…oh right… you don’t actually… yeah, she can’t be one, can she? You’re just jumping to a conclusion, that’s all.
>maybe help her find someone who would like to be her mate.
She’ll need someone that she can trust completely, someone that love her… and will breed her regularly.
>...You wonder what Leon thinks of Lily and vice versa.
You don’t think he really cared for her when she was a suspect, did he? Hmm…
>...Wait, why hasn't that Vark colony fleet not settled a world yet? Refit with FTL drives they could jump to their destination in short order.
You’re pretty sure they don’t actually have a destination to travel to… and FTL doesn’t work with living things, you need to build warp gates for ship travel. Oh, and didn’t you read somewhere that some fleets simply refuse to land somewhere and just cruise around indefinitely?

>I think it'd be pretty neat if Varinia could lift you! Don't expect her to actually try though, she's probably not that strong.....yet.
You just saw her bench press far more than you weight, of course she can lift you!
>Waaaait, is this flirting? Do you think she's trying to flirt with you? Let's not mess it up, like you did with Leo!
Is it really flirting? …or is it just your eggsacks again? Hmm… maybe she is flirting?
>Although.....she mentioned her sister first. Could she actually be trying to set you up with her sister instead of herself?
…wait, is she flirting for her sister? You can do that? Aliens are just so odd…


>Didn't you answer this yesterday when she and Octavia visited?
:VariniaWWD: …oh, you did? I… guess you did? Still… have you met anyone you like?
>You've met some cute boys and some cute girls, and you're into both.
:VariniaWWD: Really? Do tell… who are they? Do they live around here?
:RishiWWD: …wait, why are you asking me this again?
:VariniaWWD: …oh, sorry… it’s just… heh, I’m a bit of a gossiper. I love to hear everything that goes around here in our little neighborhood… and as you seems like a rather flirty type…
>Including her and her sister.
:VariniaWWD: Oh? Really? …heh, you think I’m cute? Me? That’s the last word I would use, really.
:RishiWWD: …then how about attractive?
:VariniaWWD: That would fit the bill better, yeah.
>...And just so she knows, you know what the red facial markings on her sister mean and you're totally okay with that.
:VariniaWWD: Ah, yes, that… don’t worry about it… it’s kind of an… ah, open secret, if you will.
:RishiWWD: She did seem rather upset that her makeup was fudged.
:VariniaWWD: It’s when the barrier between her personas is broken she gets upset. She’s either Octavia or Octavius, not both if you get my meaning. But yeah, most people figure it out pretty soon… mostly as she usually dress herself in masculine clothing, at least by Sakkilian standards, and she is Octavius through and through when she works.
:RishiWWD: …wait, masculine clothing? I’ve only seen her wearing some kind of dress and… something very skimpy so far.
:VariniaWWD: As I said, by Sakkilian standard.
:RishiWWD: …and why does she work as Octavius? Is she forced to or…?
:VariniaWWD: She chooses to because her clientele is a lot bigger that way. After all, Octavius is really popular among the Sakkilian women… in fact, I’m sure most of my gym friends are going to her regularly… and pretty much all of them are trying to get into her pants as well.

>Is she a member of any sports teams?
:VariniaWWD: I’m on a weightlifting team, if that count… other than that… let just say I’m not a sport playing person.
>Could she help you train to wrestle?
:VariniaWWD: Heh, you really think I can wrestle? I mean, I did some in school way back when, but that was ages ago. You need more than just muscles to wrestle… it is all about technique.

>Ask her if this counts as a date.
:VariniaWWD: …heh, a date? Why, do you want it to be one?
:RishiWWD: I’ve just heard that Sakkilian usually have dates that’s all about improving people, so…
:VariniaWWD: Well… that is kind of true…
:RishiWWD: And just so you know, I just ate a while ago so you can skip the “buy me dinner” step if you want too.
:VariniaWWD: …*snrk* You’re not really very well versed in dating and romance, are you? Heh… and here I was going to ask if you wanted to take a bath in the sauna with me… but now it might just get awkward.
:RishiWWD: I’m rather new to this dating thing, yes… wait, what was that about bathing with sonar?
:VariniaWWD: But never mind that, we still have some training to finish! Lie down on your back and give me 25 sit-ups! Pronto!
:RishiWWD: But what about the sonar thing th-
:VariniaWWD: If you think that’s too easy, you can hold a weight against your chest… but I don’t want to hear any more excuses! 25 sit-ups! Right now!
>>
No. 817534 ID: fc33ea

You truly are a master of changing the subject Varinia. Now hold my tail down so I don't jackknife.

If she says that'd get awkward, say you have no idea what she's talking about, and be as insistent as she is. Two can play this game.
>>
No. 817562 ID: 91ee5f

>>817525
"But I really want to know about this sonar thing you're talking about! I want to go with you to see what it is!"

>>817534
>Now hold my tail down so I don't jackknife.
This.
>>
No. 817587 ID: fc33ea

Also, this is what happens when you don't observe courtship customs. You really can't jump ahead with developing trust and familiarity that these customs seem to involve. Also also I bet desperation looks bad to boot.
>>
No. 817667 ID: 609ad3

I already have plenty of weight on my chest, thank you! (let's just do it before she makes us do any more crazy exercises!)
>>
No. 817685 ID: fe7355

Ah, you saw how Varinia blushed when she mentioned she was going to ask to share a bath in the sauna with you? And the way she cut you off and changed the subject when you tried to bring it up again? Yeah, she's interested in you, at least somewhat. She's probably conflicted about those feelings because she's said she's attracted to guys, but you look so very female despite having a ovipositor "dick." That may be confusing things for her in sorta the reverse way Leon was with you.

...And then you had to be a sledgehammer and try to rush things along and jump past all the date and romance parts to get at the sex. You may have just blown your chances at that kind of relationship with Varinia for at least a while because of that. Well, nothing to do but push on while being mindful and see if you can salvage this. And look up what a "sauna" is on your comm implant since Varinia seems to be dodging that question.

Varinia probably likes folks that don't make excuses and give it their all, so shut up and show Varinia that you're gonna push it to the limit! Grab a weight to hold to your chest and dial it up to as much as you can handle for the first sit-up, then dial it back as you go to just barely what you can stand for each sit-up after.

But first, point out that that barbell she put down to hold your tail down so you don't jackknife isn't going to work. There's not enough clearance for you to fit enough of your tail under it to adequately hook around it to hold on. Instead, would she be okay holding your tail down for you? She may also need to straddle your tail and sit on it to keep it from slipping out of her grasp; You are pretty sweaty by now, after all.

While you're doing those sit-ups, ask Varinia why she said things might get awkward sharing a bath together in... What was that? Anyway, she said you'd be bathing, so presumably you'd have been naked together, so why would that be awkward now that she knows you have that kind of interest in her? Is it because she isn't interested in you like that too? Well, if that's the case she should know that you'd fully respect that and not make any moves on her, whether naked or not. ...But if she's still not comfortable with you both being naked together, you do have a swimsuit you could wear.

And just for completeness' sake, let her know that while you're into both guys and gals, you lean more towards the ladies. If you had to choose a male or a female that were equal in qualities, you'd usually pick the female.

>Really? Do tell… who are they? Do they live around here?
Well, other than her and Octavia, there's your partner, Leontius. He's a male Vark and he lives just a couple levels up. His neighbor is actually her boss, Qip. Small station, huh? Anyway, there's also Lily, who she already knows, and Julia, who you don't know where she lives. Then there's a male Serpens executive named Isan. You don't know where he lives either. And, finally, a female Serpens named Ziana who you'd like to get to know outside your broodpit impregnation agreement.

>You’re not really very well versed in dating and romance, are you?
So what, in her experience and opinion, would be a good date? And what would be considered romantic for a Sakkilian, male or female?

>in fact, I’m sure most of my gym friends are going to her regularly… and pretty much all of them are trying to get into her pants as well.
Has Octavia taken any of them up on their interest, or does she only want a relationship as Octavia and not Octavius?

Hey, does she have cans of beer on hand? You didn't get to try it yesterday, so how about you have one after your workout?

>and FTL doesn’t work with living things, you need to build warp gates for ship travel.
Does this mean there's a FTL drive, but it kills living things within its area of effect? And what qualifies as "living?" All biological creatures? Do SAIs qualify as "living" in this context, even though they aren't biological? Because if they don't, then SAIs could FTL jump anywhere without need of a warp gate.

And how are warp gates built in star systems? Does a non-living automated construction ship jump in via FTL drive and start building the gate? Or is it that they carry a complete mini-gate in, deploy it and a construction crew comes through to handle building the full sized gate?

Actually, how did Lily get off that Vark fleet to get here? She'd have to take a warp gate to do it, so would the fleet be towing around a gate with them? Or is it that gates have to be built in a star system, so that fleet would have to have been in a system with a gate. Do warp gates have to be installed in a star system or can they be moved around?

>You don’t think he really cared for her when she was a suspect, did he? Hmm…
Well, he was in full Peacekeeper mode at the time and she was a suspect, so if he did fancy her he would have kept it down out of his sense of professionalism and duty. ...And it could be that if he is actually attracted to ladies of Lily's size he may feel he can't pursue them due to the strong stigma in Vark society around obesity that'd land on him if he did. But, again, this is just speculation on your part.

Also, you'd better understand why other species act the way they do if you start from the fact they can't mind-meld. Without a easy and immediate way to determine each other's intentions, desires and attitudes, they have to rely on other methods to feel each other out that are slow and inaccurate, so they need time to grow to trust others.

>>817562
>"But I really want to know about this sonar thing you're talking about! I want to go with you to see what it is!"
Please, no whining! Varinia strikes me as the sort that does not suffer whiny people gladly, and saying this would make Rishi sound like a petulant child who's parents didn't let her go on the carnival ride she wanted to.
>>
No. 817695 ID: 91ee5f

>>817685
>broodpit impregnation agreement.
You sure it's a good idea to talk about that in to Varinia? She's not a Serpens, so it might get awkward telling her that Rishi is going to go make a child sometime in the future.

>Please, no whining!
It's not really whining. It's more like insisting on wanting to know.
>>
No. 817698 ID: fe7355

>>817695
Hm... Yeah, on second thought, you're right about the potential for awkwardness if Rishi mentions the impregnation agreement. While Varinia may have picked up how Serpens go about procreation from just living on New Horizon, if she hasn't then Rishi'll have to explain the basics of the broodpits to Varinia and who knows how she'd react. It'd be for the best if Rishi just says Ziana is a xeno-relations guide who helps Serpens newcomers integrate into society on New Horizon. Which is true, it's just not her primary job.
>>
No. 817792 ID: 65a774
File 150083449907.png - (70.01KB , 900x450 , 125.png )
817792

>Does this mean there's a FTL drive, but it kills living things within its area of effect? And what qualifies as "living?".
As far as you know it’s actually impossible to travel faster than light. Instead, you’ll have to manipulate space and time through the use of gravity. You’re not sure how exactly it works, though.
>And how are warp gates built in star systems? Does a non-living automated construction ship jump in via FTL drive and start building the gate?
They send some kind of drone that can last for eons and then change its gravity to such an extreme amount that time will pass for it much quicker. Thus, a journey that might take a month relative to us will actually take thousands of years for the drone. Then it simply opens a small gate when it arrives to let other machinery through to build the gateway.
>Do warp gates have to be installed in a star system or can they be moved around?
It’s a door. If you move a door it simply leads somewhere else, right? Of course, if you haven’t built a door on the other side it will simply lead into a wall.
>Actually, how did Lily get off that Vark fleet to get here? She'd have to take a warp gate to do it, so would the fleet be towing around a gate with them?
They must be in a system with a warp gate… so she probably just jumped on a trading ship or something.

>Ah, you saw how Varinia blushed when she mentioned she was going to ask to share a bath in the sauna with you? And the way she cut you off and changed the subject when you tried to bring it up again? Yeah, she's interested in you, at least somewhat.
You’re still not sure if that’s true or if it’s just your eggsacks talking again… geez, you need to empty those things… and soon…
>This is what happens when you don't observe courtship customs. You really can't jump ahead with developing trust and familiarity that these customs seem to involve.
You’re trying your best here… it’s just so alien that you still haven’t really gotten your head around it.
>you'd better understand why other species act the way they do if you start from the fact they can't mind-meld.
No wonder they have such trouble understanding each other…


>You truly are a master of changing the subject Varinia.
:VariniaWWD: I just want to make sure we finish our training. Otherwise we might… you know, get sidetracked doing something else.
>Now hold my tail down so I don't jackknife.
:VariniaWWD: Ah, of course.
>Show Varinia that you're gonna push it to the limit! Grab a weight to hold to your chest and dial it up to as much as you can handle for the first-
:VariniaWWD: Whoa there, easy! Don’t overdo it, Rishi, that’s how you snap muscles. Don’t train with something you can barely lift… instead, use something far lighter and do the same motion repeatedly with the same amount of weight. The optional weight would be one that is easy at the start, but be barely lifetable when you do your last sit-up.

Listening to her advice, you start off with a rather light weight… but as you go through the motions, the weight gets heavier and heavier as your strength get spent. In the end, you have to use all your willpower to force yourself to sit up one last time.
:VariniaWWD: You can do it Rishi! Just one more! Come on… GOOD! That’s how you do it!
:RishiWWD: Ugh… g-geez… I… I think I’ll j-just lie here for a moment…
:VariniaWWD: Heh, a rest well deserved, I’d say. Take a moment to catch your breath… then it’s your turn to hold my legs down, alright?

>Ask Varinia why she said things might get awkward sharing a bath together in... What was that?
:VariniaWWD: Eh? You mean the sauna? You haven’t heard about steam saunas?
:RishiWWD: Can’t say I have… what kind of bath is that?
:VariniaWWD: It’s not really a bath. It’s a room where you heat up a lot of water, making the air dense with hot moister. Thus, you take a hot “bath” just sitting in the room. It relaxes your muscles and is to die for on the sunless nights.
>Anyway, she said you'd be bathing, so presumably you'd have been naked together, so why would that be awkward now that she knows you have that kind of interest in her?
:VariniaWWD: Last time I tried to bathe in the sauna with someone like that, she ogled me the whole time while getting all excited and flustered. It was awkward to say the least… and I don’t want an encore of that show.
>You do have a swimsuit you could wear.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… Naked or bust, that’s my rule for the sauna. Now, hold my legs while I do my sit-ups.

Varinia quickly does her sit-ups as well, ending with both of you simply panting on the floor, too tired to stand up any more.
:VariniaWWD: *Pant* So… heh… who are these… *pant* boys and girls you’ve met, eh?

>Well, other than her and Octavia, there's your partner, Leontius. He's a male Vark and he lives just a couple levels up. His neighbor is actually her boss, Qip.
:VariniaWWD: Wait… you mean the brown feathered guy? The one with weird tail? Yeah, I’ve seen the cogmaster hang out with him at times. I guess he’s kind of cute… though I’m not really into feathers. More of a scale kind of gal.
>There's also Lily, who she already knows.
:VariniaWWD: You really find her cute? That round thing? …heh, I guess the taste is like the behind.
>Julia, who you don't know where she lives.
:VariniaWWD: …wasn’t that the girl we met yesterday? The cogboy for the apartment company? Do you actually know anything about her more than that?
:RishiWWD: Not… really?
>Then there's a male Serpens executive named Isan. You don't know where he lives either.
:VariniaWWD: A rich boy, eh? Heh… why, a friend like that would be quite valuable, no? Hehe… just joking around though…
>And, finally, a female Serpens named Ziana, a xeno-relations guide who helps Serpens newcomers integrate into society on New Horizon.
:VariniaWWD: Hots for the teacher, eh? Heh… I know it’s not the same, but still…

:VariniaWWD: So… um… want to go sweat a bit in the sauna? That is, if you can promise not to ogle me… or pop a boner or something… because damn, I need to rest in the heat for a while…
>>
No. 817796 ID: 3ce125

>>817792
Tell her you can control your boner, don't worry.

Tell her about the exercise routine you usually went through back at home.
>>
No. 817801 ID: 4854ef

Your a serpens, you've been nude around plenty of people back at home and it hasn't led to unwanted advances. Nudity is the natural state afterall.
>>
No. 817804 ID: 91ee5f

>>817792
>Heh… Naked or bust, that’s my rule for the sauna.
"Then I guess I'll go naked also!"

>You really find her cute? That round thing? …heh, I guess the taste is like the behind.
Rishi, don't say anything about it, but it sounds like 'taste is like the behind' might mean, 'you've got shitty taste'.

I could be wrong about that, but if that is what she meant, then she's entitled to her own opinion. But still, don't say anything about it.

>So…um…want to go sweat a bit in the sauna?
"Yes, let's go!"

>That is, if you can promise not to ogle me…
"Awww, you're no fun."

>or pop a boner or something…
"Don't worry, I've got biomods that'll prevent that."
>>
No. 817868 ID: fe7355

Tell her that she can trust that you won't ogle her naked form. And "boner" means a erection, right? You haven't gotten your head around all the alien slang yet. Yeah, you can guarantee you won't get a erection in her presence.

Now that was the hardest workout you've done since back at the academy. ...You have to admit, you've been rather lax on your training since being promoted to inspector. But this session reminded you how rewarding a hard workout can feel. You enjoyed being coached by Varinia too. Tell her that she was a good coach. She ever think about working as a coach or personal trainer?

And after that workout you're feeling parched. She got anything to drink while we're in the sauna? You didn't get to try the beer she brought yesterday, so maybe a can of that?

Tell Varinia that the closest thing Serpens have to a sauna are hot tubs and hot springs. Oh, those are so relaxing. You remember the time you vacationed at a actual natural hot spring resort back on Roon. You got so mellow relaxing in the pools there your bones felt like jelly hours afterwards. ...Though, the trace lithium in the water may have played a part in that.

So, you told her about who you have a interest in, now how about her? Who does she fancy? And how about the other folks around here? C'mon, dish up all that gossip she likes so.

What kind of music does Varinia like? Maybe next time you train together she can put some beats on in the background. Or even put some on in the sauna now.

>It relaxes your muscles and is to die for on the sunless nights.
Um... Nights by their very definition are sunless. Did she mean "moonless?"
>>
No. 817898 ID: fc33ea

I can contain my enthusiasm.
And even though I know it's not polite to stare, thanks for telling me instead of letting me wander into one of those unspoken cultural boundaries.

> I guess he’s kind of cute… though I’m not really into feathers.
I can tell you you're missing out.
>You really find her cute? That round thing?
Aw come on, she's adorable. I just want to squeeze her all over and fill her-... head with positivity.
>Do you actually know anything about her more than that?
hmm, she's one of those silent types. I'd like to learn more about her though.
>A rich boy, eh?
He's also like... In the general vicinity of an investigation, sort of. Relations might be in a bit of a grey area. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but I can't compromise my first investigation on-station either.
>>
No. 818105 ID: 65a774
File 150092926921.png - (53.15KB , 900x450 , 126.png )
818105

>Rishi, don't say anything about it, but it sounds like 'taste is like the behind' might mean, 'you've got shitty taste'.
Didn’t Leon use the same expression? …and that is meant ‘as in split’?
>Now that was the hardest workout you've done since back at the academy…
…clearly you’ve gotten lazy since then. No, you’ll need to start training again… can’t have criminals escape just because you’re out of shape! …even if you generally don’t chance criminals, but still!

>Tell her that she can trust that you won't ogle her naked form.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… can you make a tail tip promise about that?
:RishiWWD: I’m not sure what that is, but I do give my word. After all, I’m a Serpens, I’ve been around nudity plenty of times back home and it hasn’t led to any unwanted advances. Nudity is the natural state, after all.
:VariniaWWD: Hehe… I guess it is….
:RishiWWD: …and how do you pop a bone anyway?
:VariniaWWD: It’s a slang for a erection, Rishi…
:RishiWWD: …but dicks generally don’t have bones? Hmm… never the less, I got biomods to prevent that.
:VariniaWWD: …your cock is augmented? Really?
:RishiWWD: Ovipositor, if you please, but yes, it is. Ergo, I can’t get unwanted… “boners” as you called them.
:VariniaWWD: Biomods, eh? Heh… that’s interesting…
>And even though I know it's not polite to stare, thanks for telling me instead of letting me wander into one of those unspoken cultural boundaries.
:VariniaWWD: Don’t mention it, Rishi. I know how you guys are at times.
>And after that workout you're feeling parched. She got anything to drink while we're in the sauna?
:VariniaWWD: Why, I was going to offer a cold beer, if that would please the lady. Though, don’t bring it into the sauna proper, as I rather not have someone spill anything in there… and warm beer taste like piss anyway.

>Tell her that she was a good coach. She ever thought about working as a coach or personal trainer?
:VariniaWWD: I actually did part time while I was studying, but it was way too many clients that just came to feel good about themselves and not actually train… so nah, it wasn’t for me.
>I can tell you you're missing out about the feathers.
:VariniaWWD: Heh, so you like them, eh? Personally, I find that they just tickle… and I hate being tickled.
>Aw come on, she's adorable. I just want to squeeze her all over and fill her...
:VariniaWWD: *Eyebrow raise*…
:RishiWWD: …head with positivity.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… if you say so. But I guess it will do her good to have someone that’s actually as attracted to her as you. It would do wonders for her self-confidence… and she really… hehe, needs to get her fields plowed for once, if you know what I mean.

>Um... Nights by their very definition are sunless. Did she mean "moonless?"
:VariniaWWD: Oh, right… that’s an old Sakkilian saying. Back on our old home, Sali, most “nights” still had a sun on the horizon… but each forth night would have all three suns set, thus bathing the world in darkness and chilling cold. As far as I know, we didn’t even have a moon back there…
>What kind of music does Varinia like? Maybe next time you train together she can put some beats on in the background. Or even put some on in the sauna now.
:VariniaWWD: Oh right, I forgot to put on some music… but too late now, as the sauna is supposed to be a time of calmness, not a time to listen to music. Heh, besides, I don’t think course sandstorm music would really fit a visit to the sauna.
:RishiWWD: …sandstorm?
:VariniaWWD: You know… with loud drums, electric dirguns and bass… like, what did they call it again, human rock?
:RishiWWD: Humans listen to rocks?
:VariniaWWD: Never mind…
>So, you told her about who you have an interest in, now how about her? Who does she fancy?
:VariniaWWD: Eh, I a bit dry on that front right now. There was this cute guy I was trying to woo a bit but sadly he already had a boyfriend so… well…
>And how about the other folks around here? C'mon, dish up all that gossip she likes so.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… let’s see… Ceeth apparently thinks he has found a new big scoop, something that will make the news… but as usually, it’s probably just his imagination exaggerating things. Kasha on the other hand have had an old gentleman visit her rather regularly the last few days… so maybe that old widow has found a new flame, eh? Other than that… well… hmm… no, you don’t know who that is… hmm…

:VariniaWWD: Ah, but enough about that, are you coming or not?
:RishiWWD: …huh?
:VariniaWWD: To the sauna?

…apparently, you were so invested in the conversation that you didn’t notice Varinia undressing… geez, how is that even possible?
>>
No. 818120 ID: 4854ef

Ceeth's story is about us actually, given we've promised an interview if available and if it'll be interesting.
>>
No. 818139 ID: ba506f

well you should probably undress and follow her. Ask her how much does it cost to get a sauna in one's apartment. Because I'm pretty sure it isn't that cheap.
>>
No. 818147 ID: 91ee5f

>>818105
>Why, I was going to offer a cold beer, if that would please the lady.
"I never got to try one of those last time, so yeah, I'll take one!"

>needs to get her fields plowed for once, if you know what I mean.
"No, not really? Does she have a farm here on the station somewhere?"

>Sandstorm.
It's probably this one: https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=y6120QOlsfU ! XD

>…apparently, you were so invested in the conversation that you didn’t notice Varinia undressing…geez, how is that even possible?
Quick, look away before she sees you ogling her ass!

Also, ask if we're really allowed to be naked through the hallways on the way to the sauna. Because even though you still don't have a firm grasp on some of these alien customs, you do know that being naked in public is something you shouldn't do!

Unless she's got a sauna here in her apartment?
>>
No. 818203 ID: 3ce125

>>818105
>taste is like the behind
That means "everyone's got a different one".
Drink some of your beer, then get to relaxing and not ogling. At some point you can compliment her behind, because that is a very nice behind.
>>
No. 818225 ID: fc33ea

>hehe, needs to get her fields plowed for once, if you know what I mean.
This is clearly a euphemism, so even if you don't get it it'd be wise to let it slide. That said, what is a dirgun?
>To the sauna?
Tell her you'll be right there, you just got these clothes and don't want them wrinkled. And don't gawk too much, you promised. Maybe wait until she's leaving the sauna if you like driving yourself crazy wanting what you can't have?

Oh but Ceeth's scoop is my murder investigation! That isn't half bad, right?
>>
No. 818243 ID: 91ee5f

>>818225
>Oh but Ceeth's scoop is my murder investigation! That isn't half bad, right?
We can't say anything about that! We can't even call it a murder investigation! We can only say that it's a case that we're working on!

.....buuuut, since Lily was there, we could tell Varinia to ask her about it. Although, letting a self-proclaimed gossip know about that, might not be a good idea in the first place.
>>
No. 818295 ID: fe7355

Unf, dat ass- Oh, crap, avert your eyes before you break your promise any more than you already have, or get caught doing so. ...But, day-am, she's got a toned, wide rear. Definitely a nutcracker, as you thought yesterday. ...And she could crush stone to gravel between those thighs. ...Gah, you're thinking with your overstuffed egg sacs again. You hope you can get laid sometime soon, before the sexual distraction gets to be too much.

While you strip mention that you were so focused on your conversation with her you somehow didn't even notice that she was undressing, which is really rather surprising to you. Perhaps if you just keep talking with her you won't have to worry a bit at all about keeping your word.

Does she get massages from her sister? And mention you are thinking of possibly getting a massage from Octavia at some point, assuming she isn't booked solid for weeks from now.

Has she heard the news about how many of the metal recycling facilities on New Horizon have had scrap go missing? You heard Qip bring that up to Leon yesterday, hoping to get him to look into it. She have any guesses as to where the scrap has gone? Thieves? Mistakes in record keeping?

>…clearly you’ve gotten lazy since then. No, you’ll need to start training again… can’t have criminals escape just because you’re out of shape! …even if you generally don’t chance criminals, but still!
Hey, you never know when a you'll need to run someone down and physically subdue them. And besides the health and stamina benefits, you get to work out with Varinia and enjoy her company. Oh, and maybe eventually get strong enough to beat Leon at wrestling.

>Biomods, eh? Heh… that’s interesting…
Did you get your sex organs augmented just 'cause you wanted to or were the augs provided in full or subsidized by the state to increase your reproductive capabilities?

>Don’t mention it, Rishi. I know how you guys are at times.
Has she had encounters with other Serpens newcomers before? You hope they didn't turn out too awkward or embarrassing for her. ...But if they did for others, maybe she could share what happened with you.

>Though, don’t bring it into the sauna proper, as I rather not have someone spill anything in there…
Oh, Tides, imagine the smell if someone accidentally spilled a can of beer into the steam generator's vents.

>Heh, so you like them, eh? Personally, I find that they just tickle… and I hate being tickled.
Important note: Do not tickle Varinia. Good thing you didn't find that out the hard way.

>But I guess it will do her good to have someone that’s actually as attracted to her as you.
There really hasn't been anyone else on the whole of New Horizon that has shown attraction or a interest in Lily before? That's both puzzling and sad. She deserves to have a good mate or several.

>It would do wonders for her self-confidence… and she really… hehe, needs to get her fields plowed for once, if you know what I mean.
...Uh. Sorry, but you don't know what she means. From the context is it related to a romance? ...Ah, it's a sexual euphemism, isn't it? So Lily hasn't had much sex for as long as Varinia has known her, has she? ...Or any sex at all? ...Is she actually a virgin?

Ask Varinia how long Lily has been her neighbor, and how long Lily's been on New Horizon, if those two lengths of time aren't the same. What'd she look like when she arrived? Has she always worn such plain clothes?

>Oh right, I forgot to put on some music… but too late now, as the sauna is supposed to be a time of calmness, not a time to listen to music.
Maybe put on some soothing, soft ambient background noise instead? But besides that, perhaps Varinia could lend you a album of her favorite songs so you can listen to them at home later.

>You know… with loud drums, electric dirguns and bass… like, what did they call it again, human rock?
You're curious what a "dirgun" is, and even more curious what this human "rock" music is. Is it music somehow played with rocks?

>There was this cute guy I was trying to woo a bit but sadly he already had a boyfriend so… well…
Say that him having a paramour being something that precludes her from being another paramour to him is one of those concepts that you're still getting your head around. That kind of exclusivity is just so alien to your ideas of social behavior. ...Er, or was it that he's only attracted to guys and she didn't catch on to that earlier?

>Ceeth apparently thinks he has found a new big scoop, something that will make the news… but as usually, it’s probably just his imagination exaggerating things.
Say that that's probably your investigation, unless he came up with it before 17:00 yesterday. You promised to give him a interview later, if you can clear it with your superiors. Gotta be careful about talking about active cases, after all. You can say you got lucky that the first case you were assigned on New Horizon turned out to be something bigger than it looked at first. And your partner is real enthused about it too since it's his first case as a inspector.

>Kasha on the other hand have had an old gentleman visit her rather regularly the last few days… so maybe that old widow has found a new flame, eh?
Oh, she and Ceeth aren't together? ...You actually didn't catch how they're related to each other. They talk to each other like they've been familiar for a long time. And she hasn't had a... What's a "flame" mean here? She hasn't had any in how long?

...And if it turns out that this old gentleman visiting Kasha is Dr. Crowseen, you're calling cosmic shenanigans. Ask Varinia if the old gent is a Hiver or a member of another species.

>Other than that… well… hmm… no, you don’t know who that is… hmm…
Is there a neighbor that you haven't met yet?
>>
No. 818587 ID: 65a774
File 150109186345.png - (10.31KB , 900x450 , 127.png )
818587

>Day-am, she's got a toned, wide rear. Definitely a nutcracker, as you thought yesterday. ...And she could crush stone to gravel between those thighs.
…note to self… if you ever get the chance with Varinia, remember to try that “warm dog” thing Leon did… and whatever it’s called to mate with thighs…
>Quick, look away before she sees you ogling her ass!
…can’t… avert… eyes… from… butt…
>...Gah, you're thinking with your overstuffed egg sacs again. You hope you can get laid sometime soon, before the sexual distraction gets to be too much.
Ngg… you can feel your eggsacks tighten in anticipation to be emptied… you didn’t even know you could be blue sacked with your augmentations, but you will be after tonight! You really need to empty these things! Gah… avert your eyes… think about something else…
>At some point you can complement her behind, because that is a very nice behind.
You’ll need to play it cool… and not be a sledgehammer…
>Maybe wait until she's leaving the sauna if you like driving yourself crazy wanting what you can't have?
You’re already been driven mad but the sight of that thing. Clearly, is not a posterior meant for mortal eyes!


>Tell her you'll be right there, you just got these clothes and don't want them wrinkled.
:VariniaWWD: Just don’t keep me waiting for too long.
>I never got to try one of those beers last time, so yeah, I'll take one!
:VariniaWWD: There should be one in the cooler just outside the sauna. Take a sip if you feel dehydrated… don’t want to bathe in the sauna while thirsty, trust me.

After taking a few chugs of the surprisingly sweet liquid, you steel yourself as you enter the sauna proper. The feeling of thick moister and heavy humidity creates a feeling of nostalgia, but the sheer heat quickly washes away any memories of the past. It feels like you’ve entered an oven… if a very wet one…
:VariniaWWD: Ah… feels nice, doesn’t it?
:RishiWWD: Ugh… it’s a bit… hot…
:VariniaWWD: Heh… that’s the point… just sit down, relax… and feel as your muscles relaxes and your worries be cleansed away with the sweat.
:RishiWWD: I… I guess it does… feel kind of nice…?

>There really hasn't been anyone else on the whole of New Horizon that has shown attraction or an interest in Lily before?
:VariniaWWD: She isn’t really a social person, so she doesn’t meet a lot of people. She really doesn’t give herself a chance at all to meet someone who would like her, even if the chance would be slim.
>Why would someone plow Lily’s fields? Does she have a farm here on the station somewhere?
:VariniaWWD: …heh… Rishi… really? It’s just a cheeky way of saying that someone needs to fuck her so hard she’ll scream for her mother. As in, she needs to get laid… hard.
>Ask Varinia how long Lily has been her neighbor, and how long Lily's been on New Horizon?
:VariniaWWD: Let’s see… it’s not been that long… over a year? I don’t think it’s been two yet?
>What'd she look like when she arrived? Has she always worn such plain clothes?
:VariniaWWD: Heh… let me tell you, Sis pretty much had to drag her to the clothing store to make her buy those clothes she wears when she works. Otherwise, she pretty much only wear sweatpants and t-shirts with nerd things printed on them.

>What is a dirgun?
:VariniaWWD: A string instrument that utilizes the sound of sand moving in glass sphere… it’s a common Sakkilian instrument… and exists in both electric and acoustic versions.
>Ask her how much it costs to get a sauna in one's apartment. Because I'm pretty sure it isn't that cheap.
:VariniaWWD: It was a bit expensive, yes, but the real problem is the size. This thing takes up half a room, after all.
>Does she get massages from her sister? And mention you are thinking of possibly getting a massage from Octavia at some point.
:VariniaWWD: Oh, I would recommend one of the muscle loosening programs she offers… though, she is usually booked completely full at least a month before hand.
:RishiWWD: …so, I’ll need to wait for at least a month?
:VariniaWWD: Not necessarily. She’s usually been able to sneak my sessions in when someone cancel their session in the last minute. It’s happens about once a week, so if you’re on your toes… just talk to her first about it.

>Ceeth's story is about us actually, given we've promised an interview if available and if it'll be interesting.
:VariniaWWD: It is? All I know is that he got some insider that’s been dropping some information… at least according to him. So, why are you giving an interview?
:RishiWWD: It’s about a suspicious death. I can’t say more than that.
:VariniaWWD: …you mean that big wig that was offed just a day ago? I heard they’ve already made an arrest… was that you?
:RishiWWD: …I did work on that, yes.
>Oh, she and Ceeth aren't together? ...You actually didn't catch how they're related to each other.
:VariniaWWD: Together? Those two? Heh… yeah, right. No, they are just neighbors… though they love to riff each other all the time.
>And she hasn't had a... What's a "flame" mean here? She hasn't had any in how long?
:VariniaWWD: Flame as in… love interest, I guess. Someone special.
:RishiWWD: …she hasn’t had someone special for a long time!?
:VariniaWWD: Not since her second batch of husbands died, no. At least, not as I know of.
:RishiWWD: …second batch of… what happened?
:VariniaWWD: Old age. She’s very old you know… probably older than this whole station. She was apparently one of the first people in the universe to undergo longevity treatment that actually worked and didn’t turn people into some kind of mutant monster or anything.
>Ask Varinia if the old gent is a Hiver or a member of another species.
:VariniaWWD: It was a Hiver… male one… rather old as well…
>Has she heard the news about how many of the metal recycling facilities on New Horizon have had scrap go missing?
:VariniaWWD: Yeah, that… I don’t know what that’s about. The scrap that goes missing barely has any worth to anyone but the recycling plant, so I can’t see why anyone would steal it. Buying metal of that quality is rather cheap in bulks… and would be simpler than stealing it, no?
>Is there a neighbor that you haven't met yet?
:VariniaWWD: Well… in this semicircle we live in there’s still our Uredo… friend. Melodies of harmony is its name… though it likes to be called Murders of Hatred or some such… or just Moh…
:RishiWWD: …wait… an Uredo… murders?
:VariniaWWD: It’s a foul mouthed little fellow… likes to play though, but as soon as you show it something violent it will get nauseated. It owns a BTL renting store just a spire away, actually. I’m sure it will meet it soon enough… just to expect a warm greeting.

A slight dizziness is starting to overcome you, as the humid heat has made you dry up. It feels like you haven’t been in water for ages… that you’re stuck in a desert dying of thirst… the never ending heat is doing a number on you... though your body do not want to move as its muscles has been unwound and its soul have been cleansed by the sheer amount of sweat you’ve managed to dispose of.

:VariniaWWD: Heh… are you alright? You aren’t wussing out already, are you?
>>
No. 818590 ID: 45db1c

>>818587
Stay hydrated, dummy.
>>
No. 818616 ID: 3ce125

>>818587
Tell her Serpens might not take to saunas well, you need to get out but you can't move. Help pls.
>>
No. 818621 ID: 4854ef

..You know given that your a species that regularly needs to hydrate and actually sleep in water, you may want to mention this and maybe get out, or get hydrated very quickly.
>>
No. 818623 ID: ba506f

I feel both like I'm dying and more relaxed then I've been in a while. This heat is hitting more more then I thought, you got anything to drink in here? It's starting to get a little hard to move.
>>
No. 818624 ID: 91ee5f

>>818587
>Heh…are you alright? You aren’t wussing out already, are you?
Tell her, "I don't think saunas were meant for Serpens. I think I'm gonna leave before I pass out. .....uh oh. Uhhh, a little help please? My tail doesn't want to work and I can't move."

Then when she carries you out of the sauna in her strong, muscular arms, tell her, "You're my hero."
>>
No. 818627 ID: fc33ea

Isn't steamed seafood a thing? 'Cause I feel like that's what's happening. I need water desperately and I simultaneously don't want to move to get it, is that how this is supposed to be?

well if i pass out just put me in a cold bath or something. i got peacekeeper biomods so i shouldn't need a hospital or anything, right?
>>
No. 818635 ID: 65a774
File 150110694599.png - (17.09KB , 900x450 , 128.png )
818635

>Stay hydrated, dummy.
Hard to do when you’re in the middle of ocean of heat…

>You got anything to drink in here?
:VariniaWWD: As I already said, any liquids would be heated and taste lake piss if you brought them in here… but I got beer and water outside if you need a drink.
>I feel both like I'm dying and more relaxed then I've been in a while.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… I guess that’s one way to experience a sauna…
>I think I'm gonna leave before I pass out…
:VariniaWWD: Wait, it’s really that bad? Huh… I guess we’ve already been in here for 20 minutes… so I guess it’s time for a break?

>Uh oh. Uhhh, a little help please? My tail doesn't want to work and I can't move.
:VariniaWWD: …I swear, if this is a ploy to get me to carry you out…
:RishiWWD: No, seriously, I feel all dizzy… I… I think I need a hand here…
:VariniaWWD: …support yourself on my shoulder and I’ll lead you out.
>Then when she carries leads you out of the sauna in with her strong, muscular arms, tell her, "You're my hero."
:VariniaWWD: Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one before… now sit down and I’ll get you something to drink.

You eagerly absorb the cold water as it’s handed to you, letting it wash away the dryness of your scales and invigorate you once again… if you don’t count the lingering dizziness…
:VariniaWWD: So, are you alright? Heh… I guess Serpens aren’t built for longer visits to the sauna, eh? Maybe just keep it in 10 minutes intervals from now on.
:RishiWWD: Ugh… yeah… it felt great at the start but… still a bit dizzy…
:VariniaWWD: …and where you staring at my ass when I bent down to grab the water for you?
:RishiWWD: …would you think less of me if I said I would have if you hadn’t covered yourself with your tail… or if I wasn’t so dizzy…
:VariniaWWD: Heh… I guess not… it’s a fine ass after all. So, I guess you’re not up for another round in there in a few minutes? ...can’t say what we would do otherwise, as it’s getting a bit late, isn’t it?
>>
No. 818636 ID: 45db1c

>>818635
Is it still arm day? You should get your swole on again. You'll need to build up your strength if you want to be able to beat Leon.
>>
No. 818638 ID: 4854ef

Get a bit more hydrated then one more sauna visit. We should see the safe cutoff point for the next time we go Sauna.
>>
No. 818640 ID: ba506f

how long does she usually stay in a sauna? Other then that all I can think of is set up our next training day... and maybe ask her to ask her sister about seeing if we might be able to sneak into one of those message she gives since it was brought up earlier. If Varinia is willing to give it her seal of approval it has to be worth it. Also how much does a message by Octavia cost?
>>
No. 818649 ID: 91ee5f

>>818635
>Heh…I guess not…it’s a fine ass after all.
Don't actually do this, but just imagine in your head that you said, "Damn right, it's a fine ass!" and then slapped her on the ass!

There, now that that daydream is done and over with, let's go to actual things you'll say to her.

>So, I guess you’re not up for another round in there in a few minutes?
"No, I'm good.....I'm good. I want to try again, but I think I'll only do 10 minutes, like you said. Just let me sit here and soak up this water and I'll be good to go!"
>>
No. 818657 ID: fc33ea

The fact that you're still dizzy doesn't bode well- I'd say sit it out for a bit and look up if saunas are serpent safe.
>>
No. 818671 ID: 3ce125

>>818635
You better find out if it's okay for you to be in there, before you go back in.
>>
No. 818673 ID: fe7355

Is it really that late? You kinda lost track of time, didn't you? Well, you might be able to go another, shorter, round in the sauna if you can recover relatively soon, but you doubt you'll be able to. But you two don't need a sauna to gab, do ya? You two could chat on whatever for a while longer while you cool down. Have a couple beers while you do, too. By the way, tell her you liked the beer. It was surprisingly pleasantly sweet.

Check your temperature and pulse rate while you look up sauna safety for Serpens on your comm implant. You'll want to share that info with Varinia as well. And apply your first aid knowledge on hyperthermia and ask her to help you into the shower, then get a bunch of ice from the kitchen for you.

If you run a cool shower over yourself, along with placing ice on your neck, under your armpits and holding it in your hands, that'll cool you down quick and give you plenty of water to drink too. You may also be low on electrolytes after your workout and being in the sauna, so if Varinia has a bottle of sports drink you'd gladly take that as well.

...Hey, is that a model castle on top of the sauna? And are those miniatures? It looks like it could be for Q&Q, but Varinia doesn't play Q&Q. Ask her what that castle up there is.

Varinia can stand all this heat 'cause she's a Sakkilian, right? Though, you'd think Sakkilians would be real uncomfortable in such high humidity. Is that thought correct or not?

Oh, you have no envy and so much pity for the Serpens ambassador stationed on Sali. You'd imagine ten minutes outdoors during the day there would dessicate a Serpens into a mummified husk, or at least feel like it would. ...Actually, is Sali one of the places she and her sister want to visit someday?

Since Varinia was the one to bring it up, say that you do agree that her ass is really quite fine. She must turn heads every time she hits the gym. She's so attractive you find it kinda puzzling she doesn't have a... boyfriend? That's the correct term for a male mate, right?

And you've been asking Varinia a lot so would she like to ask you about anything? Like, about Roon and growing up there, or about yourself?

Guess you'll have to resign yourself to probably not having sex today. Urgh, you are so not used to being this pent up. This is by far the longest you've gone without sexual relief since your first could have sex. You just know that when you do finally find someone who's down to fuck, they also better be down with getting every one of your eggs.

>>818636
Rishi's already pushed her arms and upper body to their limits for today. Exercise those muscles any more now and she'll more likely hurt herself than gain anything.
>>
No. 818709 ID: 3ce125

Hey, you know, you could suggest you and her take a shower together, whether you go back to the sauna or not.
>>
No. 818834 ID: 65a774
File 150117419340.png - (17.28KB , 900x450 , 129.png )
818834

>Apply your first aid knowledge on hyperthermia and ask her to help you into the shower, then get a bunch of ice from the kitchen for you.
You’re just a bit dehydrated, that’s all. No need to panic… yet…
>Don't actually do this, but just imagine in your head that you said, "Damn right, it's a fine ass!" and then slapped her on the ass!
…must… resist… urge… to… slap… ass… Note to self: slap Varinia on the ass if you ever mate.
>Guess you'll have to resign yourself to probably not having sex today. Urgh, you are so not used to being this pent up.
Gah… and imagining yourself slapping Varinia on the rump just made it worse! Geez… it’s like your mind is actively working against you!
>Look up if saunas are serpent safe.
They are… in short periods. If exposed for longer periods, a Serpens will quickly dry out, experience dizziness… then delirium… then nausea… followed by more… dangerous things.

>Is it still arm day? You should get your swole on again.
:VariniaWWD: Heh, easy there, Officer. Your muscles need rest to rebuild themselves… any more training will just hurt you… and make you weaker.
>Set up our next training day.
:VariniaWWD: Well… I’m pretty much train every weekday… so if you ever have the time, just come by and ask.
>Maybe ask her to ask her sister about seeing if we might be able to sneak into one of those message she gives since it was brought up earlier.
:VariniaWWD: I’ll see what we can do… heh, you won’t regret it, I promise.
>Also how much does a message by Octavia cost?
:VariniaWWD: A few hundred… but I’m sure she can give you a discount. She wouldn’t be working anyway otherwise.

>How long does she usually stay in a sauna?
:VariniaWWD: Half an hour? An hour? Depends on how I feel, really.
>Though, you'd think Sakkilians would be real uncomfortable in such high humidity.
:VariniaWWD: Heh… you do know Sali isn’t just covered in arid desert right? We might not have any real seas like most planets and a majority of it is desert and savannahs, the green patches we got are rather humid. After all, the Sakkilian species originated from one of the marchlands in the south.
>You could suggest you and her take a shower together, whether you go back to the sauna or not.
:VariniaWWD: Really, Rishi? I draw the line at bathing in the sauna together… mostly because my shower only really fit one person.
>I want to try again, but I think I'll only do 10 minutes, like you said. Just let me sit here and soak up this water and I'll be good to go!
:VariniaWWD: Heh… alright... I’ll need to grab a beer anyway so…

>...Hey, is that a model castle on top of the sauna? And are those miniatures?
:VariniaWWD: Huh? Oh those. It’s an old board game, actually… haven’t played it for a long time… though I don’t think I have all the pieces anymore anyway.
>Since Varinia was the one to bring it up, say that you do agree that her ass is really quite fine. She must turn heads every time she hits the gym.
:VariniaWWD: Hehe… why Rishi, you’re the one to talk. I know for a fact most people turned their heads for your huge hips when we were jogging earlier.
>She's so attractive you find it kinda puzzling she doesn't have a... boyfriend? That's the correct term for a male mate, right?
:VariniaWWD: Let’s just say I’m between boyfriends at the moment. After all, it requires more than just physical attraction.
>And you've been asking Varinia a lot so would she like to ask you about anything? Like, about Roon and growing up there, or about yourself?
:VariniaWWD: A question about you, eh? …hmm… heh… you’re an officer, correct? Have you ever shot someone in the line of duty or similar?
:RishiWWD: Not a person no. Shot a few test mutants, but that’s about it.
:VariniaWWD: …wait, test… mutants?
:RishiWWD: Mindless cloned test subjects that have been illegally disposed of. Some of them mutates into animalistic beast that needs to be put down.
:VariniaWWD: …are you serious?
:RishiWWD: …yes?
:VariniaWWD: …well… I… I shouldn’t judge considering what we do but still…

:VariniaWWD: Ah, but enough about that. Ready for round two in the sauna? Don’t want to postpone if for too long… it’s almost bedtime, after all.
:RishiWWD: I guess?
>>
No. 818835 ID: 65a774
File 150117420340.png - (12.83KB , 900x450 , 130.png )
818835

[Initiating…]
[Day 2 completed…]
[No Targets eliminated]
[Project: Orestes; initiating phase 2]
[Project: Dreamchaser; Tools successfully acquired. Begin construction.]
[Set number… construct 100.000]
[Next target contacted. Fallout will occur soon.]
[Kindling created]
[Expecting results in: 1 – 2 days]
[Note: Rishi Zsazsa and Leontius Strongheart, possible threat? Possible help?]
[Ending transmission…]
>>
No. 818837 ID: 65a774
File 150117431801.png - (13.24KB , 900x450 , ERROR.png )
818837

[Current stats:]
[Cases solved: 1]
[Kills: 0]
[Items: Lots]
[Fucks: None]
[Literal Fucks: 1]
[Eggs laid: 0]

[Current roster:]
:LeontiusWWD: Leontius Strongheart. Investigator Partner. Note: Impregnation fetish, thus he needs to be “impregnated” with eggs as soon as possible.

:LilyWWD: Lily Skywatcher, secretary. Note: Bad self-esteem and Virgin(?), needs immediate actions. Fill her with eggs at the first possible moment.

:OctaviaWWD: Octavia / Octavius Nerva, Massager. Note: Pay for a massage by massaging her insides… with eggs. (In advance if possible)

:VariniaWWD: Varinia Nerva, Cogboy(?) at a recycling plant. Note: Trains a lot, needs a lot of protein. Eggs are mostly protein, thus feed her eggs. Lots of them.

:CeethWWD: C’thatun ???? (Ceeth), freelance reporter. Note: Want a personal interview. Try to give it while filling him with eggs.

:KashaWWD: High Judicator K’sh’thir (Kasha), very… old?. Note: Old means experienced. Experience is best shared through action. Thus, lay eggs in her to get to know her secrets!

:ZainaWWD: Zaina Gaxun, F-class Breeder. Note: Impregnate her… with eggs… for the Serpens species.

:IsanWWD: Isan Karte, Chief of Economics. Note: Willing. Possible male for breeding Ziana? Otherwise, fill with eggs as soon as possible.

:JuliaWWD: Julia ????, Engineer for Tatius Off-World Habitats. Note: Willing, but possible thanks to trauma. Look into it before filling her with eggs.

:QipWWD: Qip, Cog master(?) of a recycling plant. Note: Robot… don’t lay eggs in it??? Does it even have a port for eggs??? Need further research?

:AnWWD: An, odd android following you around. Note: Possible underage. Do not fill with eggs unless clarified of mental age.
>>
No. 818843 ID: fc33ea

Well someone ain't thinking with their head.
>>
No. 818844 ID: 3ce125

EGGS
>>
No. 818847 ID: 91ee5f

I sure hope Rishi finally got to try out and enjoy her water tank bed in her apartment!

>>>818837
>Eggs! Must breed!
Wow, Rishi wasn't kidding, it really is getting hard to concentrate!

If you've got to go to work today, it's going to be very hard for you to do your job like this! Because of how desperate you're getting, you may have to do something that you don't want to do! You may have to.....masturbate! The horror!

You'll have to do it before you go to work, so that you can actually focus on what you're doing! Because being distracted may cause you to miss something important while on the job!

But, that's only if you have to work. If you've got the day off, then a quick trip to the Broodpits is exactly what you need!
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No. 818853 ID: fe7355

>>818847
There's no damn way Rishi is going to go against her previously stated stance against masturbating by oneself and start doing so now. And the Broodpits are for properly scheduled and arranged impregnation sessions, not to drop in for random sex.

If Rishi's horniness gets to the point she can't focus or function in her job adequately due to it, then she always has the option to visit Little Roon for a quick and easy fuck, like she said she could before. Though, it'd feel like admitting defeat that she could only get laid the Serpens way and couldn't successfully build a relationship with a alien where they would do it with her. But needs must and all that.

What Rishi should remember to do is to look up what the mental effects of not getting sexual release are for ovale Serpens over increasing lengths of time, from hours to days to weeks and even beyond. Both for Serpens raised on Serpens worlds in the Serpens way and those who weren't.
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No. 818859 ID: 91ee5f

>>818853
>There's no damn way Rishi is going to go against her previously stated stance against masturbating by oneself and start doing so now.
Actually, Rishi said masturbating is only or criminals and the truly desperate. And she said that she would masturbate if she ever got that desperate.

>If Rishi's horniness gets to the point she can't focus or function in her job adequately due to it, then she always has the option to visit Little Roon for a quick and easy fuck, like she said she could before.
Oh, Little Roon is the name of the place for a quick fuck! I just couldn't remember and/or find where she mentioned that place's name, so I said the Broodpits because I thought that was the place!

But yeah, if she's got the day off, she can go to Little Roon, but if she's got work, she won't have time to go there and still make it to work on time! She's going to have to masturbate before leaving the apartment, in order to stay focused on her job!
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No. 819042 ID: 65a774
File 150125201342.png - (52.50KB , 580x480 , WhatDidWeJustSayRishi.png )
819042

While we wait for the next thread, why don’t you guys decide how Rishi’s Schrödinger lingerie will look like? Images, even one of bad quality, are all welcome to be posted in this thread… as well as simple descriptions. Have a repost of the paper doll from before!

In other news, expect an update on Boldly coming soonish…
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