Am I missing something? You seem to be acting like your life is over when all that's happened is that you missed your sister's wedding and you'll be in the slammer a little while longer.

You can even look at this as a sort of good thing, since Sal has markedly improved over only a few days spending more time with him may do really good things, and sometimes doing a good thing is it's own reward. I mean a real reward is probably better but you take what you can get.

We weren't trying to keep them from having a murder spree, or whatever. It just felt like the right thing to do.

tippler 2021/02/13(Sat)18:03 No. 987977 ID: eedbeb
File 161326819855.png - (111.05KB , 1000x900 , p90.png )

"That's an uncomfortably morbid view to have on indirectly getting someone murdered." you say mutinously.

Amelia tilts her head to the side to consider you, small smile on her face. Your eyes are mostly dry and now you’re starting to feel mad.

“You didn’t even tell me he was a murderer when I got here. I could be in danger, right now.” the frustration of the past day makes you raise your voice.

Amelia doesn’t react to your shouting. “I would never put you in danger.” she says. “I only meant that it’s my job to look after Sal, and you shouldn’t put his needs above yours.”

>“You didn’t even tell me he was a murderer when I got here. I could be in danger, right now.” the frustration of the past day makes you raise your voice.

That was probably a bad sentence to raise your voice in. Sal could have probably heard that.

just take deep breaths to calm your anger and ask if you can call your sister again.

It was the right thing to do.
"It's not your problem". Isn't that sort of thinking why you're here? Because you didn't care enough about other people and broke the laws of reality too close to an inhabited planet?

>>987981
Very good point. See how she reacts to you saying that.

tippler 2021/02/13(Sat)20:24 No. 988003 ID: eedbeb
File 161327667159.png - (77.31KB , 1000x900 , p91.png )

You change tactics. “Isn’t the whole point of this place to care about people? What’s wrong with caring about Sal’s well-being?”

“I didn’t mean any offense by my comment, your caring shows you’re a tender soul. That said, you shouldn’t be motivated by the fear that Sal could cause harm.” Amelia says.

“It has to be a factor.” you sputter. “I’m not going to forget he’s a murderer.”

Amelia looks amused, and it makes you madder. You’re about to open your mouth again when there’s a sharp knock on the door.

>"WHO IS IT?!"

Sal or not, we should just open it

Just let Amelia answer it. You're kind of upset with her and you would rather have her be preoccupied with whoever is at the door so that she'll leave you alone.

>>988003
Ok to put every motivation in one place:
You didn't want to fuck up his rehabilitation and get someone killed.
You didn't want to get on his bad side and, while him attacking you was very unlikely, it's possible he'd interfere with your test.
Lastly, he came to you. He was obviously reaching out. Turning someone down when they're at that low a point in their lives... is just not cool, when the drawbacks for you are frankly minor.

tippler 2021/02/14(Sun)07:10 No. 988038 ID: eedbeb
File 161331545770.png - (91.83KB , 1000x900 , p92.png )

>”WHO IS IT?!”

Sal sticks his head through the doorway, disgruntled look on his face. “Don’t shout.” he says.

"S-sorry. It's not you that I'm actually mad at. I don't regret spending time with you. I guess I'm more frustrated with myself for flubbing the test than anything else - I'm a teacher, goddamnit! If there's anyone who could complete this already short course in half the time, it should be me. I should have had this down, even without it having my undivided attention."

Ask if he wants to come in and chat.

tippler 2021/02/14(Sun)11:11 No. 988045 ID: eedbeb
File 161332987750.png - (119.11KB , 1000x900 , p93.png )

“Sorry.” you grumble. “I’m in a bad mood because I failed my test.”

Sal looks between you and Amelia and nods. “That sucks.”

“Want to chat for a bit?” you ask.

The fish brightens and sits down across from you.

Now's a good time to finally hug Sal, preferably while mean mugging the hell out of Amelia

>>988047
Seems kinda out of left field.

Sal might not like to be touched. Don't invade his space. Hugs aren't always welcomed by everyone.

I mean, he might like hug, but right now it would be awkward as hell for the both of you, and feel fake as hell.

Ask Sal if he knows about physics.

>>988047
we're an adult, lmao

lets not do spiteful things like that.

>>988048
I don't know, Amelia doesn't seem to take our internal conflict with Sal very seriously

Man, don't do anything weird. Just use Sal as a sounding board to bitch at the same way we've been doing with the guard. Relax, decompress until you're in the right headspace to focus on the objective: GTFO.

tippler 2021/02/14(Sun)13:21 No. 988062 ID: eedbeb
File 161333771392.png - (127.89KB , 1000x900 , p94.png )

“Do you know how to fly, Sal?”

Sal shakes his head.

“Well apparently I don’t either.” you grumble. “I should get credit for doing so well on the physics section. Just because I can’t use a military grade ship doesn’t mean I’m useless.”

Sal bobs his head. “Physics is good.”

Amelia sits back against the bed and you pointedly ignore her.

“Yeah, you like physics too? What did you study in school?”

“MechE. Was okay.”

Did you follow up on that career?

Tell us about MechE, would be a good distraction.

>>988062
How'd that work out for you?

There's no reason to get mad at Amelia. She probably doesn't enjoy her job and although you could take what she said as a little condescending, she probably does know what she's talking about.

It is literally her job to kill Sal, so she probably has what you'd call a unique relationship with him.

>>988062
Is that short for mechanical engineering?

...mech piloting?

Man MechE sounds neat. Part of me always wanted to work with my hands, but I figured with my coordination I'd end up cutting off a finger.
Ever make anything cool?

tippler 2021/02/14(Sun)19:56 No. 988125 ID: eedbeb
File 161336137214.png - (144.95KB , 1000x900 , p95.png )

“Mechanical engineering? That’s pretty cool, part of me always wanted to work with my hands and make stuff.”

Sal shrugs.

“And how’d that work out? I bet the job market is great for engineers.”

Sal waves one hand in the air, motioning at the cell.

“He’ll get a job once he’s released.” Amelia pipes up. “Maybe in three or four more years.”

"3 to 4 years? How long has his sentence been so far?"

That's great.
As for ourself, we can look forward to no end of familial ridicule, a disappointed sister, and a borderline homicidal mother once we're out.
Honestly, after the hot, streaming mess this entire affair has been, going back to teaching would be a blessing.
After a generous vacation to recuperate, of course.

>>988130
Teachers? Vacationing? Ha!
Unless it's summer I guess.

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)08:08 No. 988172 ID: eedbeb
File 161340532713.png - (130.30KB , 1000x900 , p96.png )

That’s sooner than you would expect. “How long have you been in prison, then?” you ask Sal.

“He’s the longest resident by far, been here for maybe three years.” Amelia answers.

You slump against the bed. “I wish I was from this planet. You guys are too nice.”

“We do pay our educators very well.” Amelia says mischievously.

Well, you did mention you dont get paid a lot as a math teacher, and no one respects you at home... people here on the other hand do respect you and if they pay their teachers better, maybe you should just move to this planet and become a math teacher here.

Ask if after you call your sister if you can be allowed to go to a job postings website and find a teaching job on this planet

>>988172
Well then that's something to keep in mind. Just up and leaving everything you know off a suggestion sadly isn't something you can really do though, so such thoughts will have to wait, probably until you're a free Monty.

That's for future planning. But- yeah this whole society actually seems super great, from a surface-level perspective. Consider the value of moving.
...after we GTFO, which remains the core goal. We're putting off calling our sister by keeping this conversation going.

I do have two good questions, though I dont know if Monty should ask them.

Why killing and eating fish, especifically?

And how does Amelia cope with looking after and genuinely caring for the guy she has to kill if he commits murder again?

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)11:01 No. 988185 ID: eedbeb
File 161341569475.png - (109.83KB , 1000x900 , p97.png )

>”Amelia, how do you cope with looking after and genuinely caring for the guy you might have to kill?”

Maybe a bit of a bold question, but you’re genuinely curious.

“If I care for him, he’s less likely kill again.” says Amelia. “There’s still more work to do, but we’ve built a relationship on trust and understanding.”

She pauses. “Also I’m pretty hardcore.”

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)11:01 No. 988186 ID: eedbeb
File 161341571168.png - (128.61KB , 1000x900 , p98.png )

You’ve calmed down enough that you’re ready to call your sister. You nod to Amelia and she takes you out of the cell to the now familiar universal phone.

The operator takes a while to get a connection, and the person who picks up isn’t your sister.

It’s your mother.

Immediately bring the phone to Amelia or record the conversation. Do not hang up.

Just tell her what's happening, she'll find out anyway so it's best to handle it now that you are safe from her in prison.

Mommy, I got arrested for warp speeding across a solar system the GPS didn't tell me it was illegal warp through and now my talking lamp lawyer won't let me blame the GPS and the police won't let me leave.

"Mom, why do you have [Sister's Name]'s phone?"

If she asks where we are/why we aren't here: "I got arrested for speeding. I already went over this with [Sister], she understands. I tried to test out of their course early but failed. Sorry."

Nice and polite. However, if she wants to turn this into a shame-argument, go on the offensive for once. Rip her a verbal new one as you explain in excruciating detail just who is responsible for your reluctance to come to these events, how every gathering is just giving her another chance to shame you publicly, how, if she's loathing your conversations as much as you are, you're fully ready to take the final step and simply... stop answering the phone for her.

If that finally puts a chink in her armor, ease off and admit that you're just as frustrated with your current place in life as she is, but teaching is what you're good at. You won't deny that you don't get paid enough, though, but you're looking to change that soon.

>Mom, before you even start, let me explain.

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)12:43 No. 988199 ID: eedbeb
File 161342178144.png - (158.89KB , 1000x900 , p99.png )

“Monty, is that you? Brynn is busy getting ready, I was just in the dressing room and I heard her phone ringing.”

You hunch against the phone booth and grit your teeth. “Yeah, mom, it’s me.”

“Brynn told us all about your adventures. I assume this call means that you won’t be joining us.” she says.

You don’t know what it is about your mother that makes you feel like shit. She hasn’t even said anything bad yet, you just can feel the disappointment through the old fashioned receiver.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’ll be out by tomorrow evening, probably.”

“Well, thank you for telling me and I’m glad you’re safe. Guests are coming now and I have to make sure the photographer is ready.”

"I think "safe" doesn't quite cover everything about my situation, but I'm sure I'll be alright. You'll never believe what I have to tell you once I'm out of here."

What does your Mom do for a living?
Does she have connections?
Maybe she can help you out?
At least if you TRY to take advantage of whatever influence your mother may have, at least she'll think you're not too proud to ask for HELP to get to the wedding reception, or to get there sooner.

Maybe if she works in software or has experience with AI lawyers, should COULD help out.

Moving out of your planet and finding a job in this planet is sounding more and more appealing.

>Mom, why didn't you warn me ahead of time that there's a ban on warp in this system? It would have spared us both worlds of trouble.

Yeah, could you pass this message along to sis too? Thanks and sorry again.

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)15:48 No. 988214 ID: eedbeb
File 161343288084.png - (134.71KB , 1000x900 , p100.png )

Your mom doesn’t hang up, and you wonder if she’s waiting for you to say something. You consider asking for help getting a different lawyer, but her upper middle class influence probably doesn’t extend that far.

"Safe doesn't quite cover everything about my situation, but I'm sure I'll be alright.” you finally say. “Let Brynn know, if you can.”

The call ends and you have one thing left to focus on: passing the flight portion of the test.

looks like section 3 was our undoing, so lets focus on that.

I thought it was just the situation but... are you always this up tight? Like I get that this is a situation to be on edge about, but it's starting to feel like you might have an anxiety issue.

Why were you speeding yesterday anyway if you could have gotten there if you left a few hours ago? And don't blame the ups, it tries to to drop you to sub light speed when entering inhabited systems by default for a reason.

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)17:53 No. 988221 ID: eedbeb
File 161344038984.png - (105.19KB , 1000x900 , p101.png )

>>988219

monty was trying to make it to the welcome party the first day, which I mistakenly called the reception earlier in the quest. he’s missed that, and now he’s missing the wedding because he lost a 7:3 dice roll. sad.

>>988221
It doesn't change the fact that he was clearly worrying too much about the consequences. Even if your mom does chew you out later, it's not the end of the galaxy. You've learned your lesson about procrastinating, and you're also ready to turn the page to a new chapter in your life so your mom won't even have as much to complain about when you do show up for the next event.

>>988214
Get to it, then. Practice the simulator for the rest of the day, focus on the advanced stuff you had trouble with.

Also, practice the combat simulation.
Blast those nazi-communists out of the sky!

If you drove at ftl speeds in reverse around the planet the wedding's on, could you create a reverse time bubble on the entire planet and rewind time three days?

We’re gonna have to get some kind of super gift to make up for missing the wedding.

tippler 2021/02/15(Mon)20:25 No. 988236 ID: eedbeb
File 161344950396.png - (142.41KB , 1000x900 , p102.png )

While Amelia walks you to the tutoring room, you have an epiphany. Maybe missing the wedding wasn’t as bad as you had thought. When you were procrastinating, it had felt like a gargantuan task, but now you can finally see it from the other side.

Your mom hadn’t even been that mad and you know Brynn understands. Everything is okay. You’ve even made some friends in here.

The weight that you’ve been carrying around since you got to prison eases.

>Amelia, I think I just had a self-revelatory moment. I've been making a huge issue out of what amounts to very little. I'll still be able to see my family after this, and I'll be able to congratulate my sister in person. I can't do any anything about being here as it was always out of my hands, and while I admit to being at fault, it's not something that should be held against me. I'll leave this prison wiser and better off, and that's a positive by every account. I'm not about to say that going to prison is the best thing to ever happen to me, but I am glad my situation worked out so well for me.

>>988239
In addition “This prison is pretty nice, all things considered.”

>>988236
Can you really call Sal a friend though?

In a way, the pressure is off now. Take your time and study down with Peppy.

tippler 2021/02/16(Tue)09:46 No. 988262 ID: eedbeb
File 161349759622.png - (132.52KB , 1000x900 , p103.png )

> ”Amelia, I think I just had a self-revelatory moment. I've been making a huge issue out of going to prison, but I'll still be able to see my family and congratulate my sister in person tomorrow. I missed the wedding, but I'll be leaving this place wiser and better off.”

A broad smile spreads across Amelia’s face. “That’s great to hear, Monty.”

You start smiling too, and your good mood doesn’t falter as Amelia hands you off to Pepper.

Time is the one thing we've got now, we should be able to mellow out and have a better focus on the sim

Feels good man.

Right, let's ride those good feels to success.

>>988262
Alright time to grind away at the flight sim. Try the combat sim a few more times too, maybe you can get good at it?

tippler 2021/02/16(Tue)18:10 No. 988293 ID: eedbeb
File 161352783194.png - (169.81KB , 1000x900 , p104.png )

Your newfound confidence doesn’t make you a good flier, but it helps you stay positive while you grind away at the simulations. You even try a few advanced evasive maneuvers in the battle sim, and Pepper nods with approval.

After two hours of practice, you’re certain you can pass the test.

-Take the test now
-Spend more time (hanging out) in prison

Let's not make the same mistake twice and do the test as soon as we can, hanging out comes immediately after

I mean, if you deffo aren't gonna make even the reception, might as well hang out. Get Sal and Amelia's contact info at the very least. Sal is interesting enough to keep in touch with, and having a contact on the ground with Amelia will help if you do indeed want to get a teaching job on this world.
If they treat thier to prisoners this well maybe you'll finally get some respect in your job as well if you were here.

Take test.

Strongly consider not having a serial murderer on your contact list.

>>988298
I don't care, he's our friend

More. Time.
You cannot risk failing this exam a second time because... well, you never did find out what the prison can do to those who 'fail reform'.
And make sure you quick quiz yourself on the previous sections!

tippler 2021/02/16(Tue)19:55 No. 988301 ID: eedbeb
File 161353414436.png - (139.20KB , 1000x900 , p105.png )

You can’t be more prepared for the test than you already are, and you resolve to take it immediately after dinner. You thank Pepper and find your way back to the cafeteria, where Sal and Amelia have already claimed a table.

You’re feeling optimistic and even ask for Amelia’s number, for networking purposes. Sal doesn’t have any contact information to share, but Amelia assures you she can give you his number once he gets a phone.

Honestly, you'd appreciate that.

Nice. Now if we ever have to kill a fish we know a guy.
Try to plunge Amelia to see if she has any more info about teaching jobs on this planet. Considering you had an on-call tutor for flight... there's not any crimes involving math you could help teach about, are there?

tippler 2021/02/17(Wed)09:18 No. 988323 ID: eedbeb
File 161358230761.png - (137.78KB , 1000x900 , p106.png )

On the walk back to your cell, you ask Amelia if she has any info about teaching jobs here.

“Sure, we have positions open for tutors at the prison, and math teachers are always in strong demand. I’ll send you some links.”

You thank her, and head to your computer to take the test.

tippler 2021/02/17(Wed)09:18 No. 988324 ID: eedbeb
File 161358232069.png - (136.75KB , 1000x900 , p107.png )

>You pass

You sigh with relief and see that Amelia has already approved you to leave. Your ship is waiting for you at the entrance garage.

Anything you’d like to do before you depart?

We should say our goodbyes to Sal and promise to keep in touch when we can, and definitely make sure to ask if he's cool with hugs
Can't wait for 3ed3c3 to have a tantrum to rival "There is no Tanks in Terraria"

Hang out with sal 1 more time

It is time to say our farewells, call the family to announce our imminent arrival, and call Feiss to FIRE HIS FLAT, PLASTIC BUTT.

Oh yeah, and tell Sal you will see about teaching math here so you two might meet again

Just call Feiss and ask if there's anything you can do to fix the time bubble.

And brace yourself for a "your sentence has been extended".

congratulations Monty! Waste no time and jump into action. Be sure to say goodbye to Sal. You probably will never see him again, but you genuinely enjoyed being his roommate, for however short the amount of time. Thank Amelia on your way out. She's right, she is pretty hardcore. Now skedaddle!

Also probably call your family at let them know you're on your way.

>>988328
>fire Feiss
On what grounds? As far as we know, he did everything by the book.

Tell Amelia goodbye and that you hope you'll see her again. And Sal too I guess.

tippler 2021/02/17(Wed)12:43 No. 988335 ID: eedbeb
File 161359463702.png - (155.46KB , 1000x900 , p108.png )

>Call Feiss

“Feiss, I’m cleared to leave prison. Is there anything else I need to do?”

“No. You’re free to go.” drones the lamp.

“Well, in that case, you’re fired!” you cackle.
“Our contract ended when you completed your coursework—“

You smirk and hang up. Pettiness feels good.

tippler 2021/02/17(Wed)12:44 No. 988336 ID: eedbeb
File 161359465478.png - (130.97KB , 1000x900 , p109.png )

Sal is standing in the living room, and actually turns to look when you come in.

“Hey buddy, I’m about to head out. It’s been a good day and a half getting to know you.”

Sal nods in agreement.

“Hug?” you ask, opening your arms.

Sal shakes his head furiously.

“That’s fine. Hope I see you again one day.”

tippler 2021/02/17(Wed)12:44 No. 988337 ID: eedbeb
File 161359466533.png - (108.29KB , 1000x900 , p110.png )

Thanks for reading!

Yay! We did it! We - ok well technically we failed, but we had fun doing it!

Thanks so much for running. It was always a joy to see a new update!

This was a very fun quest

>>988337
That was some good, wholesome fun.

What a cool quest! Thanks for sharing!

Do you have an art page or Twitter we can follow you on?

Wholesome/10

Definitely a feel good read, we need more of these in our lives.

Best quest I've read in a while. Thank you!

Excellent, we did it guys! We broke out of prison (by serving our time and walking out)!

And it looks like maybe we needed this anyway.

Epilogue?