>>717977
Nah, man, leave it be. Think of it like this:

If he's hiding something illegal or dangerous, he might do something bad to you out of fear of getting caught.
If he just doesn't want you snooping around his stuff, you'll be pissing off somebody who's potentially unhinged and might do something bad to you out of spite.

Looking any further would just be a Lose/Lose situation for you.

This round goes to Jim for thinking ahead. Just keep thinking of food and how hungry you are.

And how you're sitting next to a bag of meat.

Fresh meat.

cmon aren't you a liiiittle curious how it tastes

hey man do you have some beef with hank. because people taste like veal apparently

>>717977
The less you know, the better. Sleeping dogs and curious cats and all that.

Dunno if going through his stuff is a great idea right now, what if he really is a serial killer and ends up having a grudge on you if you do check out what's in the bag
Though you could try and make it look like you didnt, although that would be kinda risky

>>717978
This is good reasoning. If you're still curious, just have Jim tell you what's inside when he returns. Better to gauge a person from interactions between yourself and them than little paranoid leaps your mind makes when you haven't had any.

>>717977
>Should you keep digging?
And put your fingerprints all over this possible murderers personal belongings?
No way

Don't continue this guy is dangerous. Just close the bag and have a talk with jim.

yknow what you should probably do what the paper says

getting on the bad side of someone who is probably very good at murdering people doesnt seem like a good idea

Artsekey 2016/05/10(Tue)17:36 No. 722475 ID: dd4cbd
File 146292698379.jpg - (185.07KB , 800x600 , ps57.jpg )

>>The less you know, the better. Sleeping dogs and curious cats and all that.

You don't dig any further in Jim's bag. The note's specificity makes you UNEASY, as does the RED INK and the SARCASTIC HEART. You feel like you don't know him well enough for him to be able to JOKE AROUND WITH HEARTS LIKE THAT.

You zip his bag back up, and take another minute just to yourself to calm down. The night outside is calm and clear-- absolutely nothing like you'd expect it to be when you're trying to bury bodies. It's STRANGELY CALMING.
But then it's not, because you remember that saying about calm stuff happening before a storm and oh SHIT what if the storm hasn't even hit yet??? Holy shit. You might just be riding the TITANIC here.

Before your paranoia and worry can totally consume you, you HEAR PEOPLE TALKING OUTSIDE.

Artsekey 2016/05/10(Tue)17:55 No. 722478 ID: dd4cbd
File 146292814503.jpg - (78.97KB , 800x600 , ps58].jpg )

You GET OUT OF THE CAR and see the silhouette of JIM AND ISAAC against the headlight of JIM'S MOTORCYCLE. They look like they're talking about something-- you can tell it's a laid back conversation.

Suddenly, you aren't HANK anymore. You feel like you kind of wasted your time as Hank, honestly. All of that good snooping you could have done, the lawful decisions you could have made... all stuck in a pit filled with uncertainty and fear. Fuck that!

Instead...

Make sure that patsy Hank kept his paws off your bag.

Artsekey 2016/05/10(Tue)18:30 No. 722489 ID: dd4cbd
File 146293024061.jpg - (237.16KB , 800x600 , ps59.jpg )

You are JIM an HOUR BEFORE YOU REUNITE WITH ISAAC AND HANK.

You've just arrived at THREE STONES GAP. You left Isaac and Hank about fifteen minutes ago because you know you need a SHOVEL and other IMPORTANT STUFF.

You CHECK YOUR STATS even though you didn't particularly WANT TO. It's always good to know what your assets are before you go into the shit, you think.

You are more CUNNING and PERSUASIVE than Isaac was, you realize, and you are FANATICALLY LOYAL. Your DETERMINATION is through the roof, and your RHYTHM is INSANE.

This means you will NEVER miss a beat in conversation. Your ability to lie is BASICALLY PERFECT, but your ability to talk your way out of situations is WEAK. You have no VISUAL or VERBAL TELLS for when you're making stuff up, but you have to be VERY CAREFUL about what comes out of your mouth.

You get off your MOTORCYCLE, parked on the SOUTH SIDE of Three Stones Gap. You can hear the faint thudding of music coming from beneath the bridge.

You know you'll find YOUR OLD FRIENDS down below. Your old smoking buddies. You haven't seen them in MONTHS, but you know they'll have the ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES YOU'LL NEED.

You also want to tell them goodbye.

--INVENTORY--
BLACK SHIRT
BLACK JEANS
SILVER CHAIN NECKLACE
MOTORCYCLE HELMET
SWISS ARMY KNIFE

You take a moment to REFLECT. Do you have anything else you need to CHECK before you GO REUNITE WITH YOUR OLD FRIENDS?

This takes place while Hank and Isaac are at the End of the Echo. It's a slight hop back in time to cover both sides of the story. Play wisely!

>>722489
Reflect on your LATENT PSYCHIC ABILITIES.

Your PARACHUTE.

Seduce Issac.

eat some drywall, it probably tastes like corn chips

Artsekey 2016/05/11(Wed)15:28 No. 722592 ID: 647886
File 146300571912.jpg - (116.54KB , 800x600 , ps60.jpg )

>>Reflect on your LATENT PSYCHIC ABILITIES.

They aren't latent. You've KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT for YEARS.



>>Seduce Issac.

Eventually. You're going to get to that, but you've got a lot to do between now and then.

Like, for example, picking up this shovel from your old stoner friends, getting rid of Hank, and STARTING YOUR CROSS COUNTRY CRIME SPREE.
That's going to take a few months, you figure, and will provide ample opportunity for SEDUCTION.

Besides, he isn't even here right now! You sent Isaac with Hank to the END OF THE ECHO, and they're probably there waiting for you RIGHT NOW. All this thinking is WASTING TIME.

You slide down the side of the bank with a practiced ease. There are string lights underneath the bridge, only on after eleven P.M., and you can see everything clearly.

The bridge has three flat sections underneath it, and each section is connected to the next by a few wooden planks. YOUR OLD FRIENDS decided it was a perfectly safe way to walk over the deceptively dangerous river below.

It looks like only a few people are around tonight. You recognize TONYA, SCOTT, and JEZIBEL from back in the day. They're sitting around an old radio along with two people YOU DON'T KNOW.

Nobody has seen you. It looks like they haven't started smoking yet.

You know they save the last bridge platform for storage, and you know that's probably where your things are. you can't get there without walking by your old friends-- platform one leads to platform two, and platform two leads to platform three on the north side of the river.

What do you do?

>>722592
take off your pants and walk in on them waving your dick about like a helicopter

Utilize your INSANE RHYTHM to spit fire as you retrieve your stuff.

Kill them one at a time without being seen.

Part your hair in the opposite direction. They'll never realize it's you.

If you talk to them then leave with a shovel that's gonna be sketch if the cops question hem. Be unseen. If they catch you then you can lie your way out of it, no problem. They already trust you.

So, what's this about getting rid of hank? So early? He's been useful so far.

>>722594
How could you NOT dick helicopter in? Nobody messes with dick helicopter.

>>722625
You're already burying one body. A few more won't hurt.

>>722665
Like these guys are new to dealing with cops. As long as they don't know the specifics, it's all fine. Walk over, say Hi, maybe get a couple new names, but let them know you've got some things that need doing tonight and get your stuff.
>>722676
Given the lack of persuasion, that would just draw in too much attention. Best to keep to simple, laid-back things, like "aint worth your time, don't worry man."

recall what Jezabel looks like and why she's useful.

>>722676
Actually, dick-helicopter in and then SEDUCE THEM ALL with your INSANE RHYTHM DICK-HELICOPTER.

recall why theyre useful
just be casual, say hi, and move on

Artsekey 2016/05/13(Fri)18:02 No. 723003 ID: 647886
File 146318776714.jpg - (269.09KB , 800x600 , ps61.jpg )

>>How could you NOT dick helicopter in? Nobody messes with dick helicopter.

>>Actually, dick-helicopter in and then SEDUCE THEM ALL with your INSANE RHYTHM DICK-HELICOPTER.

God, you would. You so would. In fact, there's so much dick helicopter in you that you UNZIP YOUR JEANS before remembering that there are TWO STRANGERS hanging out with your old friends. They might do something DRASTIC like PUNCH YOU. In the dick.
Seeing as you're planning on using that later, you RE-ZIP YOUR TROUSERS and save this SICK MANEUVER FOR LATER.

>>Like these guys are new to dealing with cops. As long as they don't know the specifics, it's all fine. Walk over, say Hi, maybe get a couple new names, but let them know you've got some things that need doing tonight and get your stuff.

You go ahead and walk up to the first bridge support platform. You see JEZEBEL and TONYA, and they see you too. The two STRANGERS are off to the right, and it looks like they're occupied with one another. You're pretty sure Scott is TAKING A WHIZ BEHIND THE BRIDGE INTO THE RIVER.

Tonya has CUT HER HAIR since the last time you saw her. You've known her for about FOUR YEARS, and you're aware that she partakes in DRAG RACING. By day, she works as a PHYSICAL TRAINER downtown. By night, she RIDES THE STREETS AND TAKES NAMES. You figure she'll join a BIKER GANG eventually.
She could also kick your ass. You know this because you used to FAUX-BOX with your pals back in the day. When she sees you, she looks VAGUELY INTERESTED and you can see the START OF A FRIENDLY SMILE.

Jezebel looks the same as ever. She doesn't TALK MUCH, but when she does it's often POIGNANT and INTELLIGENT. You've told her a lot about yourself, including YOUR VISIONS ABOUT TH FUTURE. She thought you were CRAZY and for a while you thought she was RIGHT. She looks like she's better friends with Tonya than she used to be, and when she sees you she looks DISMISSIVE and a little HURT.

Jezebel's dad is a cop. She HATES HIM.

The two STRANGERS look completely engaged with one another. The shorter one looks kind of YOUNG and CUTE. You can't guess the age of the WALKING VOID that has his arm draped around her, seeing as his face is mostly covered by his trademark "I'm being rebellious and trying weed for the first time" look.

Scott is /still/ taking a piss. God, Scott.

Scott was a GOOD FRIEND OF YOURS, but then JEZEBEL told him about your obsession with that RED-HEAD GUY YOU KEPT TELLING HER YOU SAW. You guess she had GOOD INTENTIONS, but you STOOD YOUR GROUND when Scott confronted you about the whole 'future sight' thing. It caused a SCHISM in your relationship. You and Scott don't HATE EACH OTHER, but hanging around them got AWKWARD after that. He got INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED with your PERSISTENCE ON THE ISSUE, as did JEZEBEL. They told you to KNOCK IT OFF AND GET HELP or LEAVE.

So, you left.
It paid off.
You kind of want to say 'told you so'.

Speaking of Scott, he flunked out of college three years ago and passes drugs around to the new undergrad students every year. That's how you MET HIM. He's kind of a low-life.

"Hey," You say, offering a wave.

"If it isn't Cockatiel," Tonya chuckled, taking a long drag from her cig. You don't smell any WEED, which is kind of weird, but you guess it's early in the night. "Long time since you flew by."

Jezebel rolls her eyes, looking away towards where SCOTT IS PISSING. She rethinks this and looks back at you.

"No kidding." You say.

"What's with the getup?" Jezebel asks, her tone aloof. You're dressed in ALL BLACK, much like VOID MCGEE over there.

Scott pokes his head around the corner, and you can hear him zip his pants.
"JIM, MY DUDE." He practically YODELS, "Jim-- Jimmy John, I thought you woulda /died/ by now, man! Where the hell have you been?"

It looks they MISSED YOU, at least a LITTLE.

It's time to tell them where you've been and what you've been up to. What do you say?

>>723003
"Eating drywall, covering up murders, you know. Crazy guy shit."

>>723003
I have a date with destiny, and she's got a thing for shovels!

Being a man with the plan, it seems destiny had a thing for me after-all.

Though keep the info low, but mention that you've been doing well though things have been a bit more hectic then usual.

"Y'know, the usual. Eating drywall, covering up murders-- Crazy guy shit. Crazy life shit."

You say it over your shoulder as you WALK PAST SCOTT towards the FLIMSY PLYWOOD BRIDGE that will lead towards the SECOND SUPPORT PLATFORM.

The absurdity of your claim and your RHYTHM make your statement come off as HUMOROUSLY NONCHALANT. Scott thinks you're joking.

"That's sick, man. Life's sick." He follows you because he wants to KEEP TALKING TO YOU. He looks like an EXCITED PUPPY. Or he would, if he wasn't wearing a SAFETY VEST and OVEN MITTS. He doesn't have a lot of cash-- or he didn't when you knew him. He was a COUCH SURFER, but given all the STUFF SITTING ON THE SECOND SUPPORT PLATFORM, it looks like he lives here now. It's good to know someone is always doing worse than you are.

"Where're you going, dude? I've got some beer-- why don't you sit for a while and catch us up on all the crazy shit you've been doing. You graduating this year? Oh-- oh! Jimmy, you've gotta meet Amy and Rod. They're a fuckin' riot!"

You assume Amy and Rod are the two strangers you saw earlier.

"Would, but can't. Got a date with destiny, and she digs shovels." You WINK at him.

That seems to THROW SCOTT OFF. Your SUAVE RHYTHM makes you look SELF ASSURED, CONFIDENT, and CAPABLE.

"...So you came back for your shit." Scott surmises, now more bitter than excited. "Fine, whatever. <i> Whatever. </i>"

He acts like he's going to stop talking, but he's NOTORIOUSLY BAD AT SHUTTING UP.
"You ever find that red-head fuck?"
Scott ISN'T VERY SMART, and he's VERY SENSITIVE.
"Hope your imaginary friend was worth leaving all this--" He motions to the SQUAD underneath the bridge. Its a motley crew. "Behind."

You think they're EXPENDABLE.

You think they might be USEFUL.

Amy's not bad looking, maybe you can use her to manipilate Isaac.

You don't give a shit about them right? Right. Then we should conjure up a situation to let one (or all) of them take the fall for this. It'll be much easier than just burying a body and hoping no one ever finds it.

Tell Scott you want his help.

Expendable and not giving a shit are two different things. Don't just throw them under the bus, get your stuff and do it right. HOWEVER, they could be involved in this just enough to where should something unforeseen go horribly wrong, the heat falls on them instead of you.

Jim is doing a fine job of manipulating Issac on his own.

Ideally, what we want them to do is start a fire at, or near Brokeland College. Doesn't matter if they get caught, because these criminal masterminds will LEAVE EVIDENCE, and they will establish that the fires being set having nothing to do with any missing students.

Really just thinking aloud, though.

>>647886
"Well, you guys certainly didn't try too hard to keep me around."
Play up the bitterness, guilt them into being guilty while you get your shit

Id say something along the lines of 'yeah actually, busy night ahead' to the 'did you find the redhead' part.

Why are you so loyal to isaac? I know meeting some dude after 'dreaming' of him for a long time would make you likely to stick with him, but you seem way beyond that.

Guys, he's loyal. He loves his friends. Don't be idiots.

Artsekey 2016/05/15(Sun)16:31 No. 723470 ID: f6a008
File 146335506496.jpg - (125.67KB , 800x600 , ps63.jpg )

>>"Well, you guys certainly didn't try too hard to keep me around."
>>Play up the bitterness, guilt them into being guilty while you get your shit

>>Id say something along the lines of 'yeah actually, busy night ahead' to the 'did you find the redhead' part.

"He's not an imaginary friend, dickmunch. In fact, I've got a pretty packed schedule tonight."

Scott's quiet while you CROSS THE LAST PLANK TO THE STORAGE SUPPORT. The shovel is propped up against the stone, easy to see and easy to grab.

===INVENTORY===
+ ONE OLD SHOVEL
---------------

You prop the shovel on your shoulder and turn back to start your walk back to shore. Scott's staring at you like he's trying to PIECE SOMETHING TOGETHER. You know it'll take him a while.

"I found him," You clarify, shrugging with a small smile. "His name's Isaac."

Scott looks SPEECHLESS. "... you aren't serious."

>>Why are you so loyal to isaac? I know meeting some dude after 'dreaming' of him for a long time would make you likely to stick with him, but you seem way beyond that.

"Dude, look," Scott looks FRUSTRATED, "I told you-- Jezebel and I told you to go get help. You were having weird trips, that's all! You can't just drag some guy who fits the bill into..." He trails off. He looks CONCERNED.

"I didn't drag him into anything," you say, "it all fits, Scott. All of it. He's the guy. He's my guy."

"Jim, the guy you used to talk about was a fuckin' murderer -- a serial killer, dude. Are you telling me this ginger guy you met kills people?" He asks it like he expects you to say NO and realize how ABSURD THIS PURSUIT IS. He even laughs a little.

You don't know a lot of things. You don't know WHY YOU CAN SEE THE FUTURE. You don't know why you can only see ISAAC'S FUTURE , but you do know his future INVOLVES YOU.
You know he spends the rest of his life with you.
And you want that life to be as LONG AS POSSIBLE.

You decide to WALK PAST SCOTT rather than continue this potentially INCRIMINATING conversation. Scott GRABS YOUR SLEEVE FIRMLY.

"What's the shovel for?"

...You regret TELLING SCOTT AND JEZEBEL about what you used to see in your DREAMS ABOUT THE FUTURE. They know EVERYTHING YOU SAW ABOUT ISAAC. You used to talk about it a lot when the visions were worst because it CONFUSED YOU and explaining it out as weird dreams HELPED.

You know you and Isaac end up TOGETHER.
You know Isaac ends up one of the most WANTED MEN IN AMERICA.
You know you'll be his ACCOMPLICE.

You told Scott and Jezebel this OVER A YEAR AGO, recounting it as a CRAZY DREAM. It looks like Scott remembers it, at least a LITTLE.

>>So, what's this about getting rid of hank? So early? He's been useful so far.

HANK was never supposed to be involved. He was SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE FALL AT THE DORM for the FIRE after you handed him the can of INCRIMINATING AEROSOL, but you can fix that later. You're sure the future is SET IN STONE one way or another.

>>723470
It might not be as ironclad as you think, beyond it all revolving around Isaac.
If you play your cards right you might get the twinky ginger AND the hefty military man.

>>723471
wonk

"[deadpan] you are not gonna like this answer. [beat] i found the man for me and hes really into sexy construction workers, sooooooooooooooo"

i mean.
pretending sex was involved worked out for us before.

Only so much we can do here, if we KNOW Isaac is eventually wanted for his actions tonight.

I don't think Jim is strong or ruthless enough to silence these witnesses, so lets just try to fly under radar.

Shrug/shake him off. He knows the answer to that just as well as you do.
It'd be easy for him to "trip" and fall off the bridge. I'd rather not add to the number of people dying tonight though, so I'd say only do it if you can for sure get the others to save him.

>you want that life to be as LONG AS POSSIBLE.
...Do you have a reason to think that it would otherwise be cut short?

>>723470
Future invariably cannot be ironclad.

What you are miscalculating is his past. Issac is BEST FRIENDS with Hank. You can see future bits but your predictions miscalculated Hank's importance to Issac and vice versa.... Threeway?

Hank appears a to be a rare catalyst capable of creating different futures. From what I can see, Six different futures stem from him right now.

Two were recently cut off from possibility, the perfect one, where he takes the fall for the fire, and the opposite one, where Issac called him first, approached this differently, and ended up not becoming a serial killer.

The Third would be where Hank goes to the police. Your foresight and careful planning so far has prevented this from happening, but its not out of possibility yet.

Fourth would be you killing or seriously harming hank in such away that you alienate Issac from you before he fully blossoms, ending your time together.

Fifth would be that you successfully remove Hank from the picture without alienating Issac.

And Sixth, and by far most difficult, would be to Corrupt hank into another accomplice.

As it stands, the most likely outcomes are negative. Things are not going to plan, no matter how much they seem to be. Tread carefully.

Utilize your INSANE RHYTHM to rap your way out of the situation.

Do an interpretive dance.