Anomorphous 2013/01/19(Sat)20:38 No. 486412 ID: 46d9f8
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You jab the needle into yourself and push the plunger. You hope with all your might that you won't regret this and put the empty needle back into the mousehole before heading out the door into the alley. Your place of work is about a ten minute walk away, but you're hungry as hell. There's a food vendor along the way but you need some kind of special chip or something to activate it, since it's meant for the higher ups.
What do you do, Jack?

The hole has revealed unto you its bounty. Accept its gift into your veins!

Break into the vending machine? I mean, hell is an awful level of hungry to be. Justifies a bit of vandalism and theft, no?

You're a daring renegade who plays by his own rules, Jack! Shake that vending machine a bit. Maybe something will fall out.

Anomorphous 2013/01/19(Sat)20:51 No. 486421 ID: 46d9f8
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The vending machine has always been so damn huge, mostly because you're in a different district. Damn Clubs are so huge everything needs to be sized up around them. There's three huge buttons, though you can only reach the bottom two without assistance. You've tried pressing them before but the machine just buzzed at you and flashed red, and nothing got vended.

You consider trying to break in but unless something like a hoverbike hits it at top speed it's probably not even going to dent. Clubs are huge, muscley bastards, so everything needs to be reinforced around them, too. Your stomach growls unpleasantly.
What do you do, Jack?

You know what, that thing's so huge I bet you could crawl in through the dispenser slot!

Anomorphous 2013/01/19(Sat)20:59 No. 486425 ID: 46d9f8
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Hmm... the flap is the kind that folds up so it makes it a little difficult but... HA! Your upper body is now in the vending machine! You can see three rows, each with something in them that match the symbols on the buttons. The only food you've seen before is compressed grain, and these smell so heavenly. This hurts a lot, so you guess that just taking one will do, considering how huge each portion is.
Which one do you take?

Only ever had compressed grain? You poor dear. Well then, take the drumstick! Meat, glorious meat!

Anomorphous 2013/01/19(Sat)21:17 No. 486427 ID: 46d9f8
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You grab the crispy brown one and heave, yanking it out of the machine and nearly crushing yourself with the huge morsel. You push the flap open and drag it out onto the street. Goddamn is this thing huge, you probably won't even be able to eat half of it! It smells so good, though, and you take a few bites.

Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew this tastes like... like death! It tastes like the bottom half of a sewage pipe! Good lord how can anyone stand this? You manage to keep the bite you took down, supposing it's better than nothing, and rush off to the factory, holding your worried stomach tightly.

wait it smells good but tastes bad? obviously you derive nourishment from inhaling. Like a god.

Anomorphous 2013/01/20(Sun)09:36 No. 486502 ID: 46d9f8
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Not wanting to think too hard about the strange food, you open the door and rush into the factory. Seems the robots are still working, and are nearly finished with the first hoverbike of the day. At least your stomach calms down, and you take a seat on the floor.
You're pretty sure you actually get food by eating it, like a normal person, considering how you eat normal food when you find it. You think idly about how nice it would be to have something to pass the time until the robots break down, instead of just sitting here and watching them build a hoverbike out of spare scrap.

>>486502
Break them on purpose?

Anomorphous 2013/01/20(Sun)10:03 No. 486508 ID: 46d9f8
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You chuck a piece of scrap metal at the closest arm, the cheap plastic casing easily denting from the impact. You chuckle to yourself a bit as you putz with the signaller under the conveyer belt, calling for impact repair technicians. You think. Man you have no clue how to operate this damn thing. You are enjoying the rebellious streak, however.

Have you thought about getting another better job? Do you have any training or skills you could use?
Also have you thought about driving away from everything with one of those hoverbikes, though i doubt that they have fuel inside them.

Anomorphous 2013/01/20(Sun)10:56 No. 486514 ID: 46d9f8
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Thought about it? Hell yes you have. Have the monarchy ever considered getting you a different job? Hell no. You've had this job since you reached the working age. You think about what kind of skills you have, and you guess you're pretty good at things like GETTING OUT OF WORK and GETTING A GOOD DEAL at shops, not that you have money, but when you did...
The last time you saw someone jump on a hoverbike and ride away was the first time you ever saw a co-worker be torn apart and eaten by a Club policeman. Judging by how he screamed you don't want to go through that. You do, however, reach over and touch the hoverbike, feeling the coarse metal that it's made of. You have no idea HOW to ride one anyway.

Anomorphous 2013/01/20(Sun)12:24 No. 486524 ID: 46d9f8
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Oh, here's the technician. These little Spade bastards always creeped you out, just silently appearing from hidden tunnels, fixing the robots, and heading back in. He looks at you suspiciously, probably due to you being so close to the hoverbike, but quickly gets to work, jumping up onto the conveyor belt and pulling the plastic out from the dent, bending it back into shape, and putting it back. He just kinda stands around, looking for more things to fix or something after the job is done. Creepy little bastard.

Monarchy eh? So is the King/Queen chosen by god or what? And how do those Spade bastards differ from you, Jack of diamond.

Also is that a scrap pile behind the conveyer? If it is you should loot something from it that will allow you to act vengeance on the spider back home, like a long metal tube.

Anomorphous 2013/01/20(Sun)14:31 No. 486533 ID: 46d9f8
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The monarchy is purely hereditary, not that the Queen ever seems to die or even age. She has about 20 sons and daughters, all of them the spoiled noble brats you'd expect them to be.
Spades, from what you can remember from school, are bred and raised to work perfectly with the tech of the land, able to build a perfectly functional radar out of a spoon and copper wire or something. They seem to lack on the social and physical side, considering how quiet and meek they act around you.
You search through the scrap box that's used to provide repair materials and find a long clubby thingy, perfect for reaching high places!
What do you do now, Jack?

Check behind that sign "praca whatsamawah" with your reachy thing.

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)10:59 No. 486707 ID: 46d9f8
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Hrm. Almost.... there-oops! Ah well, you never understood what was on the sign anyway. Probably in some weird language that isn't even used anymore.
You look back up and find that weird symbol again, this time in dark black paint. You experimentally poke it with your clubby thingy, and nothing happens.

>>486707

Alright, how long is your workday going to be, anyway?

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)11:17 No. 486711 ID: 46d9f8
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You usually work from sun-up to sun-down, which some days goes by quick and others is an eternity of sitting around bored. Today you feel like you could probably leave whenever the hell you want, though that's probably the rebellious streak speaking, the rest of you doesn't want to be beaten. You lean on your clubstick and think for a bit about how different today has been, which you haven't really done before. You shrug and look around the empty factory, wondering where they get the scrap for the box from, why there's only one machine and conveyer belt in this huge warehouse...

>>486711

It's too bad you don't have a broom, chair, notebook and a pencil. Sweeping up dust, lazing about and doodling would probably make your job a lot more interesting, if what I'm understanding is correct.

You said you had this job since you since you reached the working age, but how old are you and what is the minimum working age in this dystopia?

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)12:31 No. 486718 ID: 46d9f8
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You figure that while you're thinking about one thing you might as well remember everything you were told about the city.
In the time before time, there was only one race capable of building things. They called themselves the Hu-n, and were spread all across the planet. Something they called the End happened, and everything was wiped out except for the city, which was protected by the cliff it's built into. The entire structure is made out of a rock that is completely white, no matter what happens to it. It also drains the color from things that it runs into contact with, which is why the sky, the buildings, and the people are all a bright white color, and why those symbols are so strange.
Ever since the collapse of the Hu-n, the People, which is who you are now, have lived in the city and maintained it, split into four castes. Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds. Hearts are negotiators, able to read and interpert the languages and signals sent by the other castes and each other very easily. So easily, in fact, that all of them are royalty and nobles. Diamonds are able to do fantastic feats of physical and mental agility, some of the oldest said to have supernatural powers, and they age much slower than the other three. Clubs are strong, but slow, both mentally and physically. However, they are far from stupid. A Club can rival a computer with sheer genius if he has time to think, but they rarely do, instead being used as heavy lifters. The Spades run the city from behind the walls, keeping the machines up and running, the vendors stocked, and the lights on. They have quick and nimble minds and fingers, able to build and repair machinery like it was an instinct.
The Queen is currently a Heart, and there have been Kings in the past, both of them in every suit. The records will never admit that people like you who go hungry every day exist though, being too busy recording what families start what trends through the decades.
You are currently 250 years old, and your job started at age 14. Being a diamond, you don't really mind the monotony or the long workdays. But today, something feels different.

If only you could reach that sign to see what's in the eyeball compartment thing!

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)13:06 No. 486721 ID: 46d9f8
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It's not a compartment, it's drawn on with ink.

>>486721

Huh. I could swear I saw something moving in there.

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)13:49 No. 486724 ID: 46d9f8
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Nope, see it's just a- *clk*
The hell? The entire wall it was on moved back a bit. Well... it's still not a compartment. Maybe a switch of some kind, or...? You honestly have no clue.

Did it open any doors or change anything?

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)14:24 No. 486727 ID: 46d9f8
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You hear someone calling out your name to the left, and can see an odd figure in the doorway.
You lose focus of your surroundings as you mind suddenly concentrates on the person calling your name, and you find yourself unable to do anything but stare at their silhouette.
(d100, highest of three to do an action other than stare like an idiot)

rolled 36 = 36

---

EMERGENCY DODGE PROTOCOLS ENGAGED

rolled 49 = 49

---

Something else sounds good...
Maybe dodging or something like that...

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)15:05 No. 486733 ID: 46d9f8
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You manage to shake yourself free- barely -and wrench yourself against the wall, causing pain to shoot up from your bruised ribs. There's a roar and a taste of ionized air as a sphere of pure metal blasts out of the arm's rails and crashes noisily to the stone floor. The voice and figure that called your name have disappeared, and your heart stays in your throat for the moment.
The arm powers down and hangs dormant, the smell of electricity leaving the room.

That's not supposed to happen! Get the spade back here, these machines are vengeful broken!

Anomorphous 2013/01/21(Mon)15:50 No. 486735 ID: 46d9f8
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No fucking way are you going NEAR that thing! The panel is on the conveyer belt, remember, and you can hear the machinery starting up again.
Judging by the sounds you have time to take care of one thing before you hoof it outta here.

Why are you fleeing? It's been established that this equipment is flimsy and prone to breaking down; smack it a few times with your club, then call in help.

But before that press the Eye icon again, it's glaring at you again. Also, once you press it, prepare to dodge again, because I think the button press was what made the machine arm aim at you...

Anomorphous 2013/01/22(Tue)15:04 No. 486948 ID: 46d9f8
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You hit the icon again, causing it to click and depress into the wall yet again. Nothing happens other than some whirrs from the still-restarting machinery, and you smash the base of the claw hard with your club, causing it to crack and fall, the bottom half breaking quite a bit.
You wonder idly why you were so scared for a second there, probably because it's the closest you've ever come to death. You kick the machine again for good measure, leaving a foot-shaped hole in it.

Well now the Spade'll be mad at you.

Anomorphous 2013/01/22(Tue)16:26 No. 486984 ID: 46d9f8
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You know what!? If that creepy little bastard wants to be angry at you for breaking a machine that tried to kill you, you're just gonna fucking club him. You are NOT in the mood for Spade shenanigans, Diamond shenanigans, Club shenanigans, or least of all Heart shenanigans!
You are pissed as hell at everything, and your stomach still hurts from that fucking weird meat.
Your hand hurts from gripping this shitty club so tightly but you don't even care.

It must be your RABBITEARS hat making you a strict vegetarian. Dash it on the ground in anger!

Anomorphous 2013/01/22(Tue)17:10 No. 487005 ID: 46d9f8
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You'll do better than that! You rip your hat off and tear it in half! Fuck you hat! Fuck you crazy ass railgun machine! Fuck you shitty club! Fuck you creepy Spade asshole! Fuck you stupid eye picture! FUCK. EVERYTHING!

You sit there with the scraps of your favorite hat, the one you've had since so long ago that you can't even remember. Your heart beats angrily in your chest, and you sigh. Today is NOT your day.

maybe you should sit down and talk a breath
try to calm down

yeah it seems like your world kind of sucks but getting yourself worked up and upset isn't going to help

OH NO WHY DID YOU JUST TEAR OFF YOUR EARS

>>487005

Alright, take a breath and calm down. Once you feel more or less okay, call the Spade Repair Service. Though get that sign out of the way, it's blocking the hidden access way. Once the Spade arrives, talk to him, tell him of the Eye Button and murderous machine and ask him if you can help in [u]any[u] way. To hell with racism, you were almost killed and there are probably tons of other people out there who may get killed, no matter who they are Diamond, Spade, Club or Heart.

Anomorphous 2013/01/27(Sun)17:32 No. 488183 ID: 46d9f8
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STAT GAINS FROM SUCCESSFUL ROLL: Compassion +1 Willpower +2 Reflexes +2

You spend a moment concentrating on calming yourself, sighing loudly as you drop the remains of your hat. You set your staff against the wall and step over to the console, hitting the button for mechanical repair specialist. There's the scraping of the hatch opening, and a Spade steps through. He's wearing a set of welding goggles, and has a welding glove on his hand. He takes a look at the clubbed-to-shit machine, then to you, and sighs as he heads over to the panel. You step away and let him call for a Club lifter to assist him in the repair.
You'd tell him about the how and why of the machine breaking, with all that goes with it, but the only ones who know the languages of the other Suits are hearts.

What's to stop it from attacking you again, then?

Who told you that only Hearts knew the languages of the Suits? A Heart?

...try saying hello.

>>488239
Yeah sure at least attempt some communication.
If nothing else you can at least time to get across the idea that the machine became dangerous and started acting of its own accord.
Surely you won't get in trouble for this, right?

>>488240

Maybe something like point towards the symbol on the wall, to machine, yourself and then the metal sphere embedded in the floor and miming dodging and then destroying the machine?