>You're pretty sure this was too stupid to count as combat.
Well at least they took your "humiliate them till they leave us alone" analysis seriously. It's good to be listened to?

Were the bandits worth carrying any loot worth making eyes over?

>-____________ <---Alice is feeling dirty, tired, and a bit pissed off.
These bandits are probably sufficiently miserable and humiliated we can't find any fun in humiliating them further.

A shower (or a swim?) would address 2, possibly 3 of those problems. And you can always find something (someone) to eat or something (someone) to hit afterwards if you still feel you need to.

>Do you even want to know what happened?
They shot someone up the butt, or got to her food when the bandits weren't paying attention. What's to know?

Well, you know you're not getting in a prank war with any of these maniacs anytime soon, that's for sure.

Bored Max 2017/05/25(Thu)17:15 No. 804451 ID: 95aee2
File 149575770886.png - (42.28KB , 798x698 , warning.png )

You start packing up your stuff. As you're almost done, Lieutenant Overkill walks over. She puts her hands on her hips, frowns at you, and starts talking.
"Congratulations, once again you make me feel like we need a lot more target practice. The guy you shot is going to live, with no brain damage even."
"I tried to put him down, but not six feet under. I chose the right lung to take the fight out of him, but also be survivable with medical attention."
"'Chose the right lung' you say, and the worst part about it is I'd bet on you telling me the truth. Well thank you, someone else doing it would've made a corpse, and apparently we want these ones alive for some dumb thing. The main reason I came here to talk to you is about their reinforcements. We don't need you for it, but do you want to go on to the bonus round?"
"If you don't need me yet you're better off without. I'm stiff, hungry, dirty, and have too much unspent physical energy and tension to deal with before I can do a good stalk again. Should I leave up the blinds?"
"May as well take 'em down. These fools didn't notice any of your decoy camo without heat and EMF behind it to catch on the sensors. Need anything or should I go back to dressing prisoners in prison overalls?"
"What's my share of the loot?"
"We'll have to see what's left after we get done killing all the bugs and doing triage on the captured stuff. We don't hope for much that's useful besides the HMGs."
"Most of it is usually crap or common stuff, but bandit loot can have all kinds of unexpected treasures mixed in. I'd like to take a look through it, searching for cool things."
"You and everyone else, but maybe you earned it. I'll put a note in my report about it. Please let us know when you're ready for more, with all these prisoners to watch we will need you out in the field on missions."

*

The shower was long, and it helped. Late dinner in the mess is solitary for you, because you're not in a fit state for conversation right now. This does not stop you from being the object of conversation, however.

"It's not a long story, the teargas and flashbangs worked, and everybody else was in too much pain and confusion to do anything except this one guy. His eyes were swollen shut and running with tears, and he was swinging around a chain gun towards us. It looked like he was going to spray and pray with it, and he may have hit some of us. But nope, creepy sniper girl stopped him with one bullet."
"I saw the video of her job audition. Twenty four people, twenty four bullets. Her idea of a missed shot is when it's outside 1 MOA off. It's unreal."
"No, no, it's very real. I'm sure those skills are the result of more live fire, live target, full shit shooting experience than I will ever get. It makes me wonder how such a young'un got so experienced."
"Creepy sniper girl is owed I say. The tenacious asshole could've hit us if nobody got him in time, he could have even killed someone. There's little I wouldn't do for her right now."
"Would you let her fuck your girlfriend? She has been known to spend 'quality time' with Splendor if you know what I mean."
"I might not still be alive without her, and my life for my girlfriend is a fair price. She scares me too much so I might need help to get it up for her, but I'd even let her fuck me."
"Oh sure, you'd 'let' her. After seeing her dressed up nice yesterday I'd pay for the chance to treat her to drinks, dancing, and a massage, eh? Am I right?"
"She also has good hearing, and doesn't seem to like people talking about sex at the dinner table. Try keeping your fantasies a bit more private if you sluts want to have a smidge of a chance."

You're not sure if it is nice to be appreciated. For starters, not even your stupidity is interested in the people discussing lewd hypotheticals about you. The men are all at least one of too short, weak or flabby, and while some of the women look strong enough none of them have the generous front and rear bumpers you want. It says something that your inflamed, animal, breeding lust is beyond the point self-service can help without taking hours, and you're still not interested.
All this excess physical energy has got to be spent somehow though. You need to do something.

What are you doing with your pent-up energy and tension?
-Run half a marathon. I need the exercise.
-Heavy bag for over an hour, until my arms and legs finally are all slowed down.
-Exercise later: Track down Splendor as soon as possible.
-Exercise later: It's ladies night at Gloria's place, and as their angel on high people will be buying me all the drinks. What do I wear?
-____________ <---Alice is clean and fed, and has too much physical energy to sit around.

Are you planning to meet with Splendor this evening?
-Only for conversation. I'm trying for two whole days without giving in to my *her* lust.
-Fuck it, and fuck her. If she's going to tell me she likes my fetishes, I'm going to do some of them with her again.
-Perhaps later, it depends what happens next.

>Creepy sniper girl
Sounds like Spade really needs to up his game for sticking you with a nickname.

>What are you doing with your pent-up energy and tension?
>-Heavy bag for over an hour, until my arms and legs finally are all slowed down.
Sure, let's hit something. Without air quotes or an implied meaning, even.

>Are you planning to meet with Splendor this evening?
I really want to talk to someone we can trust about all the awakening nonsense Truth dropped in our lap. Moniker aside, she hasn't been your most reliable source. Or at least, a source who's judgement you really trust.

As for stupid stuff, I guess we'll see.

Bored Max 2017/05/27(Sat)19:52 No. 804780 ID: 95aee2
File 149593995424.png - (55.36KB , 745x1053 , bgloves.png )

With dinner finished, you clean up after yourself and send a message to Splendor asking about her schedule this evening. Next, you go back to your room to get together a good outfit for exercise and stuff it in a gym bag. The plan now is to go release some pent up energy and aggression at the gym.

As you arrive at the gym, you get Splendor's response on your Slate: "Processing prisoners. Will make time for you before Snow. Current est. 2 hours or less."
Your mission is clear: You have to commit as much violence as you can on the 91kg bag, and be ready to visit Splendor inside of two hours. Time to get serious. In the changing room you quickly strip down to your sportsbra, socks and panties, then add tight shorts and running shoes. Next you add the boxing-gloves, elbow pads and kneepads from the locker with your name on it. Those are important, because you don't want to have to stop because of excess damage to you or the bag.

As you exit the change room, the object of your desire awaits you. There it swings, suspended from a frame of four heavy log towing chains, stitched together from cured hide with more leather. There's someone else hitting it, but when you enter the part of the gym with weights and boxing equipment people turn to look at you, including him. The man obligingly gets out of your way with a smile, and goes over towards an unused fixed weight set. You tell him, "Thank you," and get to work.

*

"People are calling this one 'creepy sniper girl?' Shit, she isn't creepy. She is flat out terrifying, that's what she is. She looks so happy doing violence that would kill somebody twice her size, ten times over."
"Definitely punching above her weight class, yeah. She looks like she'd be out of skin on her knees, elbows and knuckles by now without the protection. Is she practicing to try and kill a bear with her bare hands?"
"Don't stare. Go back to your own workout, now, or else I'm putting you in the ring and inviting her to give you some motivation."
"Oh fuck no. But that gives me an idea. For her nickname, I think she earns the name 'Firepower.'"
"Not bad, I'll send that one to the Captain for the list."

*

You had to pace yourself to avoid cramping, but you feel great. The use of the facilities and the latest shower had you humming to yourself, and you haven't been in this good a mood since... yeah, not dwelling on that now. You also arrive in front of the door to Splendor's office ten minutes early.
She gets there two minutes after you do, obviously fresh from a shower herself. "Hi Alice!" She hugs you, engulfing you in the black cloak of her loose hair. Your awkwardness with hugging her back isn't entirely due to the sluggishness of your muscle response, but you like trying to re-learn to hug people with her help. You think you're getting better at it.
After giving you a peck on each cheek, she lets go of you and unlocks the door to her office, bringing you to the facing couches and sitting down. As usual when she's having a private meeting with you, she's wearing high heels, thigh-stockings, and a dress that is too short to fully conceal her pubic area. This time the high heels are pink sandals with straps that go partially up her calves, the stockings are shimmering white and go about halfway up her thighs, and the dress matches her stockings but doesn't make it more than halfway down her ass standing up. Is that even still called a dress when it's that short, or is it a shirt with a flared hemline? The thong she's wearing is this pink, lace thing with as much patterned gaps in the stitching as thread, giving you a partial view of... somewhere you're trying not to stare.
As usual she waits until you know she has seen you looking between her legs to do it: She leans back and hugs one of her knees to her chest so you get a better view. Then she asks, "So, what's new?"

Splendor knows pretty much everything about you that you're willing to say. She's been helping you get a handle on PTSD and your other difficulties.
-Talk about yesterday's panic episode at Gloria's Place. Splendor needs to know about the difficulties I've been having to help me.
-Psychic powers! I need to talk about those because I don't trust what Truth has to say, or did say.
-Ask what the deal is about these gods. Hellfire knows something about Truth being a dumb bitch last night, and the upper staff here must understand what she's up to better than I do.
-It's important to find out what she got from the prisoners during interrogation, including whether they know that Red Sonja is still alive.
-____________ <---Anything else on your mind?

Splendor is also a retired whore. You respect that for her sex and sexuality is professional skill and experience more than dumb, animal appetite.
-I have more important things to discuss than my filthy, stupid, desires. At least for now I do.
-I should talk to her about clothing, and behaviour, for handling social expectations better. And dating, I don't know much about dating.
-I need to talk about Gloria... and Truth, I need advice.
-I should talk about how to date men, and maybe Lieutenant Snow. I was lucky to get my first boyfriend without any dating at all.
-____________ <---Splendor isn't charging. It's her job as counsellor and security to help you keep your mind and libido together. You're very sure she likes you, and loves doing this part of the job.

>Will make time for you before Snow.
Does Alice know Spendor is sleeping with Snow? It was mentioned, but OOC. >>802081

>Firepower
Literally what you do, plus redhead pun. There's a keeper, I think.

>Spendor's appearance
Well, she's sure putting on a show for you. Not sure how much of that is because she likes you, versus a calculated effort to make you comfortable / amenable for the therapy angle (I mean it's almost certainly both, it's the ratio in question).
>It's her job as [counselor] and security to help you keep your mind and libido together. You're very sure she likes you, and loves doing this part of the job.
Asked and answered, then.

>Splendor knows pretty much everything about you that you're willing to say. She's been helping you get a handle on PTSD and your other difficulties.
Hearing you have someone to actually talk to about stuff is a lot more positive and healthy than I was expecting. Go sex-hippies?

>-Talk about yesterday's panic episode at Gloria's Place.
>-Psychic powers! I need to talk about those because I don't trust what Truth has to say, or did say.
>-Ask what the deal is about these gods. Hellfire knows something about Truth being a dumb bitch last night, and the upper staff here must understand what she's up to better than I do.
>-It's important to find out what she got from the prisoners during interrogation, including whether they know that Red Sonja is still alive.
...can we just go all of the above? Asking Spendor about psy stuff seems the most pressing thing personally, followed by getting another opinion on this god business being pretty important to the tactical situation (and also people poking into your personal business).

We can mention we had a panic attack (and that they helped handle it) for full disclosure, but I don't really want to focus on it. We can probably find out the tactical distillation of the interrogations later, but it would be nice to know if they were talking about Red Sonja.

>Splendor is also a retired whore. You respect that for her sex and sexuality is professional skill and experience more than dumb, animal appetite.
So... following that chain of logic, would you feel better about yourself if you harnessed your sex drive by selling your body for money, instead of continuing being at the mercy of animal instincts as a time wasting inconvenience?

As for the actual options for discussion: punt, and see how much time we burn on the other stuff first?

Bored Max 2017/05/29(Mon)03:11 No. 804974 ID: 95aee2
File 149605270094.png - (80.67KB , 752x533 , splendorleg.png )

You choke down the dirty ideas Splendor arouses, and begin talking with her. She quickly settles down to merely keeping her legs wide enough apart so you can look at the pink lace.

First you talk about how you were halfway to shooting Fluffy yesterday. Splendor tells you not to worry over it, because worrying is the worst thing you can do. Getting stressed and afraid without clear and present reasons to be makes it more likely to happen. Then she repeats her advice to get it under control better: That you should manage your stress more proactively, get more familiar with your environment, make friends, and get to know people so they startle you less.
It would be great advice if you were planning to stay here in Fort Hippie with these people. On the other hand, friends and lovers to hug could help improve your quality of life.

You saved the most stressful topic for after you're warmed up to talking: You tell a short version of the story of Truth's weird meeting with you last night. Splendor facepalms and grumbles as you tell it, mumbling she is tempted to bend Truth over her knee and spank her. She assures you there can't be a secret murder cult in Fort Hippie. She doesn't know much about spontaneous power development besides knowing that it is a thing that can happen, which is pretty rare. She's never heard of your tendency to notice people looking at you being a kind of psychic thing. Splendor suggests Truth could be telling the truth, since she is the most capable psychic in Fort Hippie, trained by the Children of God special forces, and she can do everything she can plus more.
Splendor explains what she does know: Psychic powers are mostly sensory, and they operate on one other person at a time the psychic is focusing on. There are psychic powers which can be used to command and influence someone, or even hurt them, but the effects are mostly focused, limited, and temporary. Some of them need physical intimacy to work, which requires a lot of time or the psychic grabbing someone using a violation glove. The power Truth tried to awaken is the one psychics are most known for. It lets her look inside someone's head and know if you're telling the truth, what you're feeling, learn some of your intentions, and what you want from her.
Splendor spreads her legs a little wider and winks after the last part, so you hurry on to the next subject before you can blush full tomato red... or worse.

You ask what Splendor can tell you about gods. It's not her specialty, but she hears that most of them are in a constant battle to exist. They act to gain followers and adherents, and through followers to influence the world mostly to gain a larger following. They also act to achieve other goals, which usually have something to do with their meaning and area of focus, or supporting their followers.
She isn't very frightened of Many Crows because she thinks he has a single, serious follower hidden in Fort Hippie, and that he or she is one of the non-key personnel. She's pretty sure there's no secret murder priest around because priests can't do the whole invoking their deity thing without a cult to do the rituals. She thinks he is boasting of his follower to mess with people and get them chasing a non-issue. The Colonel, Doctor Marco, Blue Smoke, and Truth are people who would know more about it than she does, and she suggests you ask Blue Smoke or Truth for more information.
When you complain how Truth seems crazy at best, she tells you Truth has never been known to lie during the half a year she's lived here in Fort Hippie. She thinks Truth just got off on the wrong foot with you because she was worried you were a secret murder priest here to kill everybody, and after saying so she facepalms again. Still holding her face, Splendor adds that Truth is surprisingly awkward for a priestess.

Your curiosity leads you to ask about the interrogations and the other ops. According to Splendor, these bandits don't know much of interest except for one thing: Nice dragged along a doctor who isn't loyal or happy to be stuck helping out the bandits. You're amused by the story of how Snow's group used painted claw strips across the road and an ambush to take all four bandit trucks sent as reinforcements. There were more wounded than in your sneak attack though, two gunners were thrown from their turrets, and the lead truck spun off the road and crashed into a tree, tearing up its driver and shotgun rider pretty badly. The day's tally for enemy captures is twenty five in the jail, and five more restrained in the hospital, with no kills. They also got two intact and eight destroyed technicals. Half the initial force is captured with only minor friendly casualties.

The talk winds down from there. You start to complain about how sex is a big, unwelcome distraction for you most of the time when your conversation is interrupted by Snow's knock on the door.
Splendor calls out, "Sorry, the prior session is running late, give me a couple minutes." She whispers to you, "So, are you going to watch today? Also, would you like a little, temporary, psychic help with your panic issues? If you want the help, there's the quick and disturbing way, or if you can wait until Snow's gone there's the slow and fun way."

Are you going to watch?
-Why wouldn't I watch Snow being a filthy animal? I like seeing him grunting and sweating as he tries to squirt his slime in Splendor. The way she plays with that is fun too.
-Eh, not today. That slut is always putting his dong in the wrong hole, and I've seen that already.
-____________ <---Go ahead and make a specific suggestion what to do besides watching Snow and Splendor go at it.

Do you want the psychic help?
-Hit me with that violator glove thing you were talking about, Splendor. It's not even a guess that 'the slow and fun way' means she's talking about extended physical intimacy, probably of the sexual kind.
-At least it's a good excuse to give in to my urges. Why not get my head fucked in the same appointment as some physical fucking with a skilled practitioner?
-No. No, no, absolutely no.

>>804974
>Are you going to watch?
>-Why wouldn't I watch Snow being a filthy animal? I like seeing him grunting and sweating as he tries to squirt his slime in Splendor. The way she plays with that is fun too.

>Do you want the psychic help?
>-At least it's a good excuse to give in to my urges. Why not get my head fucked in the same appointment as some physical fucking with a skilled practitioner?

Let's go Maximum Redhead and let Alice work off some steam, so she can deal with Gloria (and Truth) with a little bit less Stupid in her system.

>you should manage your stress more proactively, get more familiar with your environment, make friends, and get to know people so they startle you less.
Arguably that's what you were doing when you were set off. Progress? Sort of?

>It would be great advice if you were planning to stay here in Fort Hippie with these people.
Well, that bandit siege does a good job of keeping you here with these people, for the time being.

>Splendor adds that Truth is surprisingly awkward for a priestess.
Yeeeeea-up. Got that. Maybe when we stop being annoyed at her we can sympathize and accept her as a member in the sisterhood of socially awkward crazies (Wait if we have that in common is Gloria attracted to awkward weirdos?).

>psy stuff
I was kind of hoping on there being something in there if stress awakenings are bullshit, and if there are alternatives.

>>804974
See, okay? Splendor asks before fucking with you, literally, metaphorically, or head magically. Is that so hard, Truth?

>Are you going to watch?
That whole "She Gives and Truth spying on all your private sex stuff" thing is making you feel really guilty at the prospect of the same thing to Snow, now. (Stupid gods, ruining your fun). I mean, you know Splendor doesn't mind, and there's a good chance Snow would be into it if he knew, but like hell are you asking him.

>Do you want the psychic help?
Still of the opinion Alice should be leery at the prospect of her brain getting magic powers, even if letting Splendor fuck your head is a lot more attractive than the option Truth presented.

Professional physical relief and a temporary does of not-crazy sounds really tempting though.

Bored Max 2017/05/30(Tue)02:59 No. 805152 ID: 95aee2
File 149613839414.png - (59.64KB , 611x397 , hearts.png )

You get up to go, but stop where you're standing as you consider Splendor's offers. As you stand there she walks up to you wraps her arms around your back. Your arms almost reflexively wrap around her as she presses against you, and rubs her left cheek against yours. Her hair swirls around you again, tickling your right ear. It takes you a moment to notice that this puts her ear so close to your mouth you could easily kiss it or whisper into it.

You have a momentary pang of conscience about the hypocrisy of spying on Snow, and how you really wouldn't want him spying on you, but it passes. You know he gets a lot of his dates, and some of his spending cash, from male stripping nights at Gloria's Place. Those are on Wednesday night most of the time. You bet he would like it far too much if he heard you were watching him with Splendor, so you won't tell him.
Plus, you can't give up your conspiracy sister: There is no way Splendor has told him about it, or wants it to stop. There's also the human rights angle to this: You think it's fair for you to stalk shameless sluts and watch them act like animals. It's fair because if he was being a sapient, rational human, aware of his surroundings, and in control of himself, he'd be able to catch you watching him. The closer you get, the hotter it is.

You whisper back, "F... fine. You've teased me into it. I want the slow and fun way, and a front row seat for the pre-show."
Splendor turns around, and bends over ass-up as she gets her keys from her purse. Straightening back up, she turns back to you and puts her keys all the way down in your right jeans pocket. She leans in to nibble your right ear and whisper, "I'll do my best to reward you for your patience." Then she grabs your ass with both hands, turns you around, and gently pushes you towards the door.

When you open the door you see Snow waiting in the chair beside it. He smoothly stands up and says, "Good evening, nice job out there with the six bullets today."
"Not bad with your two truck engines and the charge afterwards holding a shotgun. You're worth respecting on the battlefield yourself."
You both smile at each other, and you continue walking away. Almost immediately you can feel him staring at your ass, so you give it a little wiggle, and turn around to catch him at it. You were right of course, and you raise an eyebrow at him and blink. He winces his eyes shut, puts his hands together flat, fingers up, and makes a small bow towards you before he spins to the side and goes into Splendor's door.

*

Later....
Much later....
Very much later, you are a naked, sweaty, slimy, panting mess on top of Splendor. Her black hair is held back and away by gravity pulling it over the arm of the couch, and your red hair is tied up in pigtails because the braid was a mess. Looking down at your crotch, you see your throbbing, red, private lips jammed in Splendor's glistening, black vulva. Looking back up, there she is about to kiss you on the cheek.
After kissing you, she disturbs the quiet to comment, "The way you blush all over during an orgasm is pretty, and hot. I still want pictures and video of it, eh?"
"There are pictures and video. You'll get them."
"Yes, yes, the promised land of the private blog, which you've told nobody else about and won't tell me how to get to."
"Fucking Truth knows. Her voyeur goddess gave her the URL and a password."
"Shit, no wonder you're so pissed at her. Maybe you should hate-fuck her."
"What?"
"Spread her legs, put your clam on her clam, squeeze her melons, and express your anger by rubbing your clit against her clit. Attack the bitch with your sex drive, it's a dangerous enough weapon."
"I haven't had sex with too many women, but I don't think consensual sex is likely to work. It would start being rape if it was a true punishment, wouldn't it?"
"Give it time. I'm sure if you keep trying you'll find a girl who doesn't like it when you give her the full treatment, but always begs for more. For now, get your fingers out of my asshole, this towel is soaked and sticky. We need to clean up this place--and each other--first, before we do more fucking. We could also take a break to chat for a while before we go back to it, y'know."

What's next after post-sex clean up?
-I need more sex of course. Splendor knows the first hour only took some of the edge off for me, and we need to keep going.
-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about how people get psychic powers.
-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about the hot mess I've got with Gloria and Truth.
-Bed early, after a run and a snack first. These people need me and Splendor for stuff in the morning, so I should send us both to bed early.
-____________ <---There are many things Alice could think of here. For instance, she only had half a dinner so she could exercise after. Food at the mess, or Gloria's Place, could be a good idea.

Truth has access to your private blog, so there may be no point in trying to keep it secret around here any more.
-I have not given up yet. I will try grabbing Truth by the neck with both hands before I do give up.
-Splendor is hot, and I could use her help making videos of us for the blog. Her I don't mind having access as much.

So... did she fuck with your head or not? Can you tell? Hopefully it's not just a placebo, even if it's a very nice placebo.

>revenge sex
Remain skeptical. Hippies.

>stripper nights
Hippies! Definitely something in the water.

>what's next
>-I will restrain myself and cuddle, and talk about how people get psychic powers.
>and talk about the hot mess I've got with Gloria and Truth.
Honestly these seem the most pressing issues to discuss with the psychic you trust and your sex-therapist.

>Truth has access to your private blog
To be fair, she only continues to have access because you haven't changed the password. Her god broke in once out of paranoia, she probably won't break in again just because Truth is horny or curious.

If you continue to not change the password that means you want her to have access. (The fact it didn't occur to you till now may indicate you wanted her to keep access).

Personally, I'm still pretty skeptical how sexy video of you and ex-es you had a specularly messy, ends-in-murder tier breakup, even if none of the bodies are you three. Maybe it's time for a new blog? Or some curation of existing content?

Leaning towards letting Splendor in, though.

Bored Max 2017/06/01(Thu)19:19 No. 805528 ID: 95aee2
File 149636999076.png - (25.15KB , 854x534 , foldoutbed.png )

AirConditioning: .dice 1d2 feepbot: AirConditioning: d2 : 1
----

Cleaning doesn't take long, aside from Splendor fingering your ass in the shower. When it's done and you're dry, you take your clothes to the fold-out bed. She is waiting for you there, lounging on her side with one knee up, one knee out, and smirking. Her hair is fanned out across most of the bed, leaving only the spot with the towels on it for you to lie down on.

You sit down on the side of the bed, and grab your Slate. After skipping past the messages, you give Splendor access to your private blog. It is done. You put your Slate back in your jacket, and cover your blushing face with both hands as you tell her.
"I sent you the login and password Truth has. It belongs to Thistle and Dragonfly, and I plan to send them a new one and shut that one down. I promise to give you a personal one before I leave Fort Hippie."

Splendor reaches up to you, and pulls you down on the bed with her. You eagerly lie back on the stack of towels, and pull your right knee up to your chest. She gets her Slate, leaves it beside your head, and climbs on. After kissing you on the cheek, she starts watching one of the videos.

After the video ends, you hold her hips steady to stop her from distracting you for a moment, and ask Splendor how people get psychic powers. She pulls a sheet over top of you both, pulls her hair to the side, and settles down on you. She looks up info on her Slate as she explains.

"It's meditation, lucid dreaming and imagination exercises in the beginning. When you are good at it, the next step is developing an ability. You can try to do this using online guides, but it works much faster and better to have a teacher who knows the ability teach you how it works. You have to have a good grasp what you should be sensing when the ability works, so you can build up your idea of it. When your idea gets good enough then you have an ability you can use. The last step in developing an ability is to practice it until you can use it reliably.

"There are two other known ways to get psychic abilities, but they are pretty uncommon. The less uncommon one is spontaneous development. It happens under physical, mental or social harm and threat, and each person has different triggers for it. It usually only lets someone cut through the time spent practicing an ability, although sometimes people get other abilities this way. If the internet doesn't lie, the first person known to use a command, like I used on you just now, got it that way. He stopped a guy from doing shotgun fellatio by making him hand over the gun, according to the story.

"There are also self-taught psychics. Those are really rare, and it mostly happens to people who do so much lucid dreaming and other vision hunting they stumble on things. I don't see you as the type to sit around with a hash pipe all day."

Well, that was interesting and informative. You consider how absurdly unlikely it sounds for you to ever get psychic powers. For one thing, you try not to get lost in your head because you don't want the nightmares to haunt you while you're awake too. For two, psychic powers could be useful but the time it takes to use them is an opportunity cost both in and out of action. For three, you're a busy girl with loot to gather, hidden bunkers to establish, and spouses to hunt down and marry. Getting psychic powers sounds like something for bored housewives, and people who want social jobs that need them.

Then, after another small orgasm you stop moving your hips because you realize something: You are hungry, thirsty, and if you don't go to Gloria's Place for ribs right now you're stuck with soup from the mess.

You're trapped between two appetites, which wins out?
-Fuck it, I need this. Keep going!
-Splendor has already shown me the dress she wants to stretch across me when she drags me out. And the slutty underwear. I'll do it, because she wants to.
-I want advice on how to handle Gloria before I even consider visiting her place wearing that kind of dress. I must miss out on ribs, and slow down to talk some more.
-Wait, it is getting late, and we should both be up in the morning. Bugger, I need to get a snack and go to bed.
-____________ <---Hungry, thirsty, horny, haunted, anxious, and worried are six of the things Alice is feeling.

Do you check your messages?
-No, messages from Gloria and Dragonfly both should be opened in private.
-Both of those will be embarrassing, and Splendor might be able to help me deal with it.

>Well, that was [...]
What, no, Alice, you're rationally considering the advantages to having and the costs to earning psychic powers instead of fretting out over bullshit magic in your messed up crazy! It's almost like... oh right, Splendor made you not-crazy for now. So that's how that feels.

Although it's worth pointing out bored meditation time might work the next time you're on a long stakeout like today. Unless that compromises awareness?

>Dragonfly
Must have seen those for-Gloria pics you uploaded. Or the angry rant.

>what do
I say go out and eat. Ask Splendor to come with if she hasn't eaten.

Try to weasel out of the dress though. You just want to eat, not make another spectacle! Even if you'd do it for her.

(And if you're still horny after there's the possibility of going home with someone).

>Do you check your messages?
You could check Gloria's message since you're heading there to eat anyways. Gives Splendor something to advise (or tease) you about on the walk over.

Save Dragonfly's for later. Probably serious stuff, and you don't want to be down now, and you can't have Splendor help you through literally everything all the time. She's got other things to do, after all. You can talk to her about it later if it's bad.

Bored Max 2017/06/03(Sat)03:08 No. 805699 ID: f09223
File 149648448328.png - (15.42KB , 504x302 , bar.png )

"Uhm, Splendor?"
"Yes love?"
"I need to keep going, but only had a bit of greens earlier so I could work out. Right now I can still get something from Gloria's Place, but if we keep at it much longer then the soup is all I can have for dinner."
"Oh, that is a good reason to stop. The mess all day soup is good, but I'll use the excuse to take you out on a date. Back in the shower for a five minute scrub, quick, quick."

*

You complain, "I still don't see why the dress is necessary."
Splendor laughs, and assures you, "Trust me, it is. I wish I had time to put makeup on you too, but you're pale and cute enough to be alright."
You're walking arm in arm with her, wearing short dresses. It was all you could do to avoid the heels, and the purse. You've got your holster, and a duty belt with your stuff, over top of the blue dress. The dress is armless and shoulderless; the neckline doesn't plunge very far, the hemline is halfway down your thighs, and it is pleated below the waist. At least people can't stare at your ass with the skirt in the way. Underneath, the padded bra offers fair support with no wire digging in. What's lower down isn't too weird at least.

The noise and chatter in Gloria's Place hits you as Splendor drags you through the front door. She's greeting people left and right, and you're getting cheers, looks, compliments and propositions yourself as well. You manage to handle it all, with a steady stream of greetings, thank yous, and sarcasm in the right places on the way to the bar. Splendor on your arm makes you find your voice, because you would be even more embarrassed if she helps you speak up.
You get to the bar, and struggle to sit down. As you're fidgeting and fiddling to get your skirt arranged correctly, Splendor orders for you.
"So, Eel, my blushing date here needs ribs. All the way spicy, and everything she has needs to have absolutely zero sugar in it, or else."
"Your date... wait, I've heard this story. This is the girlie my boss lady has been after, isn't she? Let me move the bowl of mints out of harm's way then."

You pout as you watch the pretty mints go far, far away. While you do so, Splendor orders herself a mint julep and says you both need lots of water. Eel-Key grins, pours you both large glasses of ice water, and gives you a bunch of mint leaves. Your saviour.

"Hello Miss Alice. You probably don't remember me, but I wanted to express my appreciation for your help with us not having any casualties so far. Hey Eel, what she's having, one more on me."
This guy is Golder, one of the Lieutenants if you remember right. He's the pretty Asian man who is too skinny. He smiles, waves, and goes back to his table, where people raise their glasses towards you in a toast now that you're looking at them. This is your most pleasant reason to blush all day.

Suddenly boobs! Gloria's strong arms seize your head and upper body, and your face is pulled into her cleavage as she greets you. "Hi Alice, I was worried you wouldn't come over today. Thank you for bringing her here Splendor, and dressing her up pretty too."
"Sometimes a girl likes to show off how she's been able to score with the shy cutie nobody else has had any luck with yet."
"Here I was thinking she might be a total virgin. How badly did you ruin her?"
"Not at all, nothing is wrong with her that wasn't that way or worse before she got to town. Actually, Alice, do you mind if I talk with Gloria about you?"

Ugh, but you're here for food!
-"If you have to talk about sexual topics, would you please at least keep it where I can't hear while I'm trying to eat?"
-"Wait, what? No way, a good counselor doesn't share her patients secrets with anyone."
-____________ <---At least Splendor asks, even if sometimes she asks things which shouldn't even be asked.

Really Gloria, boobs in the face are very distracting when you're here to eat.
-Gloria starts feeding you when the ribs get here.
-You at least salvage the dignity of feeding yourself.
-Somehow you manage to convince your would-be lover you really don't like to mix food and sexuality, and she doesn't sit in your lap.
-Flop over, pretend to pass out. It might work to convince Gloria you really can't handle the teasing and flirting.
-____________ <---Large breasts are like any other things, they are either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a hazard, that is your problem.

>You pout as you watch the pretty mints go far, far away. While you do so, Splendor orders herself a mint julep
I think she's teasing you.

>Actually, Alice, do you mind if I talk with Gloria about you?
Um. So long as I can trust you not to spill all my dread secrets or spoil my appetite, here.

>Really Gloria, boobs in the face are very distracting when you're here to eat.
>-You at least salvage the dignity of feeding yourself.
If you starve to death you won't be distracted by boobs or doing anything else for that matter.

Bored Max 2017/06/04(Sun)11:05 No. 805845 ID: f09223
File 149659953320.png - (66.43KB , 466x330 , ribs.png )

It is a bit muffled when you respond, "Um. So long as I can trust you not to spill all my dread secrets or spoil my appetite, here."
Splendor laughs, and says, "Have some faith in my professional discretion as a counselor, ice chewer. Gloria, pick a lap and let's chat a bit."

Gloria relaxes her grip to holding you comfortably, and straddles your lap. You return the hug as she settles on you. Turning to Splendor she says, "You have my attention, or at least a big piece of it."
"First of all, I'm teaching her to enjoy hugs, but she really doesn't like flirting or conversation about sex and sex-related topics. Especially not while she's eating."
"I was starting to get a feeling."
"Also, she is physically attracted to Truth. Alice is just so angry with her she would rather choke her than hug her."
Gloria pouts and turns back to you. She starts to ask, "What did she..." then shakes her head and says, "I'm sorry, it can't be a pleasant topic."
Before you can say something, Splendor continues, "One last thing, if you tell Alice why, she may have an easier time with how much you flirt and tease," then takes a sip of the drink in front of her.

Gloria sighs, and murmurs to Splendor in a low voice, "Good idea. If I'm trying to build a friendship with her, I should tell her about that." She leans over to your right ear and whispers, "PTSD. I'm not so bad I get the flashbacks where I don't know where I am, but sometimes I do get the panic attacks and the violent mood swings. Trying to stay at least a low level of aroused all day helps my stupid lizard brain part decide it's time to fuck, and not time to point a gun."

Eel clears his throat and asks, "Hey there, the ribs will be here shortly, but there's a drink with your name on it to make too. What is it?"
You know what you want. "Are we good for a pepper burn Bloody Mary? I want thick tomato pulp, and I want it salty, sour, and burning hot spicy."
"Can do, but we are in Canada here. You should do the far superior Caesar instead, eh?"
"What's the difference?"
"Clam broth replaces part of the tomato juice. A proper one has a lime slice along with the celery, but we can give you a slice of sour apple. Do you want to try it, or are you someone who can't do shellfish?"
"Yes please. I like clam juice on its own, so that sounds good."

Oddly, Gloria is blushing as she suggests, "If you're going to be eating ribs maybe I should be providing the lap to you instead of the other way around. Or am I too distracting?"
"I won't say no to your lap, but I thought you would be busy on a night of celebration like tonight."
"Silly me, I keep thinking of... never mind. So many laps, so little time. Be back to check on you two lovely ladies later."

*

Ribs are good, and it's a subtle difference, but the clam juice in the drinks made it better. You are enjoying the leftover ice and celery with Gloria in your lap, and feeling full.
Gloria is finishing up an old war story: "It turned out those bandits were so hard to find because none of them had any clue how to use maps or any direction sense. In the end, three of them converted--two to Unitarians, and one became a Sunni Muslim. The others took classes and were attending Waterloo last I heard."
You swallow your latest piece of celery to say, "Yeah, there's nothing sadder than a bandit who only does banditry because they think they have to. Lots of them don't want to give it up though."

Eel-Key yells out, "Last call!" and Gloria spins off of your lap into action, kissing your left cheek on her way to fill an order.
Splendor gracefully stretches up into a standing position, and gently pulls on your right arm. "Come on, we should leave before the crush. Maybe get to work on a thank you gift for our nice hostess?"

A thank you gift? Splendor is probably teasing you again.
-"Avoiding crowds is good, I could use some privacy and quiet right now."
-"I should thank people who sent me drinks, first. If he wasn't busy being bouncerly I'd give Fluffy a hug goodnight too."
-"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?"
-____________ <---Last chance to talk to someone before closing.

What happens next?
-I need the naughty time, for so many reasons.
-It is late. I do need some exercise to burn off all those calories I ate, but it is past time for bed.
-____________ <---Coming up on the witching hour here. Alice would normally have been asleep by now, but you can still do a thing or two because all the waiting left her with so much energy.

>PTSD
Well, you've got that in common, at least. Explains why she got it when you were freaking out the other day.

>clam juice
These people are all trolling you now.

>A thank you gift? Splendor is probably teasing you again.
>-"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?"
Yes, probably teasing you.

>What happens next?
>-I need the naughty time, for so many reasons.
But with who?

Bored Max 2017/06/05(Mon)19:59 No. 806197 ID: f09223
File 149671795656.png - (9.68KB , 263x328 , crow1.png )

The Caesar is Canada's most popular mixed drink, and a fair test of being familiar with Canadians. Alice not knowing of it is a sign of her cultural deprivation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(cocktail)
----
"You're talking about some sex thing, aren't you?" you accuse, without much bite. You have enough booze in your system you are managing calm and sociable. It took nearly enough to get a slight buzz.
Splendor feigns innocence, sounding close to plausible. "Oh my, we are being a touch forward tonight? I was thinking of how the lady is known to like chocolate. You could afford to get her some."
You fell for it, again, it seems. She can always give you a clean answer for when you're expecting a dirty one, and the other way around. You deal with it: The last of your ice water gets drunk, the ice goes in your mouth to crunch along with the last of those peppermint leaves, and you accept Splendor's arm. On your way out you salute each of the four people who bought you drinks with the last stick of celery.

As you go, waving to people who wave at you, you hear a conversation about you of course:
"I never would have guessed she cleans up so nice, but doesn't get any less scary wearing a cute dress."
"Yeah, eating ribs with drinks which look like blood... yeah. Not needing the napkin to eat ribs is also... damn."
"Those are Caesars she was having. Drinking four of those in one night means she is a true Canadian, and it is okay for us to adopt her."
"Do you know proper care and feeding instructions for a sniper?"

The door closes. You banish the overheard chatter from your mind and respond to Splendor's proposal. "I can afford it? I haven't had any chocolate since a long time ago. It comes from jungle places, right?"
"Waterloo lets us order it by the shipping container through them. It works out to two ounces being close to as expensive as what you had in her place tonight."
"Two what? Tell me what that is in a normal measurement, please?"
Splendor pulls her Slate out of her purse as she walks, and you have to make sure she does not trip in the darkness as she checks for you. "Between fifty-six and fifty-seven grams."
"So, a bit expensive to get a half-kilo. Maybe later, if I give something so pricey to her while I'm still on strangling terms with her wife it might be a problem, eh?"
"Fine, I admit it. I was hoping to add a few more orders so I can send for the next container of brown happiness."

*

Splendor only managed another hour of fun before promising to make a house call in the morning to finish it up. It was way past normal bedtime so you went straight there. You're saving Dragonfly's message for later.
Right now, things do not make much sense. Somehow you're naked, in a grassy field, under a starry night sky, and you can see as though it is daylight out. You are not cold or uncomfortable at all, and you can't see any shadows, which makes no sense unless a thing is happening you always try to avoid. You had better not be having a lucid dream.

"Yep, you are," answers the talking crow in the tree.
The tree wasn't there a little while ago, and now it is, which confirms you're dreaming. At least this is a lucid dream instead of a nightmare.

"And you're quick enough on the uptake too, so this should be a good visit. I will tell you one thing you need or want to know, your choice. Aside from that, because you have called me, we can also have a little bit of a chat. Sorry, we're not on first name terms for this, because you did not formally call me. So I can't name you, and there are consequences if you try to name me. Let's avoid inviting those until you know what it means and can make an informed choice about it."
You are holding an old, double-barrel shotgun loaded with birdshot. Your sleep is disturbed enough already without extra fucking around to make it worse.

"No need to be so unfriendly. Ask if you want me to go away so badly, or decide I'm not here. It would be a wasted opportunity though, help with the nightmares and flashbacks is the least I would give you for free."

Oh chainsaw sodomy, this is metaphysical bullshit. You do not do dream walking for a reason.
-Decide the crow is not here.
-Ask the crow to leave.
-I don't go bird hunting much, and I also don't have to run out of shells here. I'll take a shot, and see what happens.
-I did not intentionally call this crow. Just tell me something I need to know, and go away.
-I did not intentionally call this crow. Just tell me something I want to know, and go away.
-You do not expect much from a crow. Could be worth it to ask what the help is still.
-What else does this crow want to give me for free, and how free is this free anyway?
-____________ <---Alice is happy this isn't a nightmare, but very much wary and a bit annoyed too. Who the heck is this crow?

>She can always give you a clean answer for when you're expecting a dirty one, and the other way around.
Psychic cheater. Or savvy social skills cheater.

>Who the heck is this crow?
We know who He is, but we can't name Him. Because naming Him has consequences.

"If you're who I think you are, I've heard you tried to claim me. Which I don't much appreciate."

>help with the nightmares and flashbacks is the least I would give you for free
"Trust enough to fuck with my head doesn't come easy, or cheap. There's only one person alive who has it right now."

Bored Max 2017/06/06(Tue)12:17 No. 806324 ID: f09223
File 149677662453.png - (15.15KB , 376x384 , crow3.png )

You decide the crow can't read your thoughts, memories, or anything here but the scene you're envisioning together. Then you speak up, "If you're who I think you are, I've heard you tried to claim me. Which I don't much appreciate."

"I'm not... no, we've never met. I may know who has earned your ire, are they perhaps more than one crow? I do share certain... attributes in common with them, but I have no... ah... plurality or deific pretensions." The crow tilts her head up and says, "I am a crow, and I am not a crow, but I am not one of many, Miss. Look up for a hint what my name is."

This beats a nightmare for now at least, but you don't have any way to know how much this crow is lying. So, to stop her from wasting both of your time you give her a warning. "In any case, trust enough to fuck with my head doesn't come easy, or cheap. There's only one person alive who has it right now."

The crow laughs. "You never thought it was weird she is the only woman you've ever been very attracted to who is less than buxom? As far as she sees she really does have your best interests at heart, so I'm not going to tell you not to trust her. I would caution that her idea of your best interests does not match your own. Frankly, for the most part it's flat better though.
"Also, please don't lie to me. I know you let two others fuck with your head, quite often. What they want from you is straightforward at least, but I'd call you wise for breaking away from their orbit if you meant to do it. Instead, I will call it the silver lining to the accident of fate and circumstance which took away Joe.
"But no, I am a spirit. I am not a goddess, swollen with power, and seeking to bind people to me in exchange for easy answers. I have a bit of knowledge, a bit of wisdom, a bit of sight, and a bit of insight. I keep an eye on things because it's all I can do usually. In this case where I am sent with a mission, I can try to teach you a thing or two if you like."

Glaring, you point out, "You seem to know an awful lot for a crow who has just met me."

She tilts her head to the side and looks at you like you said something stupid. After a moment she shakes her head and says, "Mostly by looking at the trails between you and others, and what you were leaving open and visible when I got here. There's another reason of course, your parents sent me to check up on you, because it's a lot easier for me to do it than for them to do it. They want grandchildren of course, and your mom is frightened of what might happen to you. She was hoping the ordeal you had when Joe died would keep you from ever chasing battle again. Your dad has a little more faith in your ability to survive, but doesn't know why you're taking the risk."

Shaking your head you respond, "This story you're spinning isn't very consistent. I called you, but my parents sent you? Which one is it?"

The crow blinks, and seems a bit irritated as she gives you more vague details you can't verify. "Both. It took a fair bit of effort to get here, all the way from there. It is a long way from there. It's a bit worrying I did it so fast, it says you have a sufficiently big grudge, or ambition, or enough of each, to shine out to me. If I can see it, so can the they who meddle and presume so much. They're a lot more sticklers for form, so you have to know and intend to call them, or sincerely want to call them, instead of merely calling them by being in and of their domain. You're not begging for unearned power, or tracing a sign, so you're not the problem the priestess needs to find. If you want more specifics, we can have this conversation because I am asked to report on you by yours, and to do what I can to help you. The answer you want, or the answer you need, whichever it is, you get that one from calling me."

How much of this crow babbling hints and details is showing off, being helpful, or being bored and trying to start some shit?
-I'm curious what kind of help she thinks she can offer, let's ask for a list.
-Get the answer 'I need' and let's stop. I have to consult someone about who and what this thing is.
-Get the answer 'I want' and let's stop. I want to know ____________ <---This blank could be auto-filled, vaguely filled, or specifically filled.
-If this bird's really here to chat with me on behalf of my parents, I want to know how they are.
-____________ <---What do you want from the crow, or to say to the crow?

This crow is a bit annoying. Hints and smart-ass criticism that might all come from your own memory does not impress you.
-I'm shooting the crow, she is enough of a bitch to earn it.
-Decide the crow is male, I'm curious what might happen.
-Nah, I'm not messing with the crow yet. I can do that later if I really need to.
-____________ <---Want to try messing with the crow?

>You never thought it was weird she is the only woman you've ever been very attracted to who is less than buxom?
Hey, you're allowed to be deep! And she's a professional.

And I mean, you sorta think the whole sex thing is weird, what's one more wrinkle?

Don't rise to the obvious bait, Splendor has earned enough trust for that.

>I know you let two others fuck with your head, quite often
Oh come on, how many psychics do you even know? Is this camp some redheaded breeding experiment? (Or is bird brain being less literal).

Although the important bit is if that's present tense or past tense "let". If there were other people who had that trust before, that doesn't mean they have it now, or that you were necessarily lying.

>How much of this crow babbling hints and details is showing off, being helpful, or being bored and trying to start some shit?
So... since all of this is unverifiable dream babble, you got any references on your resume? Anyone who can vouch for a spirit animal not-a-god visiting from the land of dead parents?

>-____________ <---Want to try messing with the crow?
Decide the crow is a hippo.

Bored Max 2017/06/06(Tue)22:54 No. 806536 ID: d35c6b
File 149681489268.png - (109.72KB , 640x360 , hippo1.png )

You facepalm and ask, "So... since all of this is unverifiable dream babble, you got any references on your resume? Anyone who can vouch for a spirit animal not-a-god visiting from the land of dead parents?"

The crow blinks. "Short answer is yes, but you wouldn't be able to process it. If you get to the priestess early enough in the day after you wake up she would be able to confirm that you weren't visited by a deity, but saying more than that would require a bit of the old augury reaching into the deep and all. That costs, has its risks, and I doubt she feels quite that indebted to you. Other people may be able to do it, but they won't, or at least I do not see it as likely. You will have to take on faith that a lesson I give isn't some tedious and boring plot to steal your precious bodily fluids. Or don't, give me the finger and tell me to take a hike."

Hold in the smirk, hold in the smirk, hold in the fucking smirk. You psych yourself up to mess with the crow while keeping a straight face, "I might be more inclined to do that if you weren't a hippo."

The crow hippo perched on an upper branch of the tree doesn't look right. For one thing, she's not falling through all the branches and crashing to the ground. For another thing, there seems to be some disagreement over whether the hippo is a hippo or a crow, and so you can only sort of see the hippo as a hippo.
She is not terribly amused, "Oh, fun. Are we enjoying stupid lucid dreaming tricks for children here? I'll put up with it because you were denied a proper childhood, but it's pretty annoying."

"What is the point of a conversation with you when I have no way to know if you're lying about anything or everything I see?" you ask.

"If I teach you something, the test of whether it works is if it does work. If you're really suspicious you take what I tell you to someone else you trust to check what I said for tricks and traps first. If you're too suspicious for that, I leave knowing I tried. In that case I can tell your folks that you're wary enough of spirits not to trust me because I say so, and they can take some comfort in it." She starts preening her feathers. The hippo goes all cosmic starry sparkles, because you're not sure how to translate the idea of a crow preening her feathers to a hippo.

A ripple propagates through the dreamscape, but doesn't change anything. This is inside your mind, and you know you have ultimate control here. The crow hippo glares at you and asks, "Are you going to quit this nonsense or is it really amusing you that much?" She cocks her head and continues, "Because I don't have to sit here and take it if you're not interested in what I can offer as help. What that is, for the most part, is ideas and patterns. How to develop your personal magnetism, your vision clarity and control, a few techniques and skills including some psychic powers. Some entertainer talents might... actually, wrong person. You hate the spotlight, so there isn't much point in teaching you how to light up a crowd, draw stares with your stripping, or how to keep more people than you would go to bed with at once addicted to your crazy. You're also smart and wary enough to stay the hell away from action you haven't already won, so you don't need stormtrooper tricks.
"Y'know what? Fuck it. It's healthy for you to be skeptical of whether or not I am some asshole out to get you, so I'll leave and come back later after you've had a fair chance to do some consultation. Quickly now, before I completely run out of patience: What do you want to know, or should I tell you something I'm pretty sure you need to know?"

This crow hippo is getting more and more annoyed.
-Double down on it, she is a hippo!
-Oh fine, I'll stop. Even if she is a part of those assholes who shall not be named this is not doing anything useful, and the joke is getting old.
-____________ <---You could try something else here. Lucid dreaming fun, yay?

Are you interested in spirit gifts from the clearance rack?
-What are those psychic powers she says she can teach me?
-Personal magnetism? Hum... it would be nice to, wait... is this even a good idea?
-Vision clarity, why would I even want this, no really?
-Hold on, entertainer talents?
-A spot of stormtrooper badass chutzpah could make the difference in living or dying if I do screw up, tell me more.
-Nah, tell me a thing I need to know.
-Nah, tell me something I want to know. ____________ <---Whaddaya wanna know?
-____________ <---Asking a spirit you've just met for tricks could be entertaining even if it isn't useful.

>I doubt she feels quite that indebted to you
*Snort* She should. Good morning Truth, wakey wakey, I'm here to inconvience you so you can start making up for the other night.

I wonder if we flat out tell her the bird said she wouldn't look deep enough if she'd take it as a challenge?

>test whether what I tell you works or have it verified
Not-a-bird isn't properly paranoid. Teaching you a skill that works in no way verifies the information she's offering, and the later is the more serious (since it concerns your parents, and things you need or want to know). Learning a skill ex nihilo is just evidence this wasn't just a dream (although not absolute proof. No reason you couldn't spontaneously come into powers and internally justify them with an imaginary spirit guide).

>dream bird hippo is impatient
Well gee, maybe she shouldn't have messed with a sniper then. Cause we got patience in spades. We can do this all night. (Sure beats a nightmare).

>You could try something else here. Lucid dreaming fun, yay?
We could make her a person, just to see if she goes the mystic little girl or old woman route. Or if she tries to pander to you with tits.

Proooooobably should let up though, if and when we ask her for anything.

>Are you interested in spirit gifts from the clearance rack?
Okay. So, if we're treating this as something we can't trust yet, that rules some things out.

No storm trooper tricks. A good first test is not something you would be relying on to save your life in a bad situation. Similarly, anything that seriously messes with people around and the way they think you has consequences we don't want if it goes wrong (and maybe not even if they go right), so no magic charisma or appeal. Also rules out serious information. For now.

What would be ideal is a paroul trick. A prank, even. Some little way to mess with someone, prove this was real, and entertain ourselves a little in the process, without committing to anything more yet.

Bored Max 2017/06/08(Thu)00:27 No. 806787 ID: d35c6b
File 149690686381.png - (18.16KB , 378x467 , crow3.png )

The hippo in a tree joke is done, so you let it go. "Okay, fine, sorry for trying to make you a hippo. I am a bit curious what you look like as a person, though."

The woman drops out of the tree, and walks up to you, her long black hair swaying and fluttering loose. She is a smooth skinned adult who could be anywhere from 18 to 80. Her height is a little bit shorter than you and she is a few shades less pale as well. She has black eyes, sunken cheekbones, a big nose, and her mouth has thin and pale lips. She's skinny, nearly gaunt, and wearing an armless and shoulderless dress of black feathers full length to the ground. This bird is utterly flat, and her arms are skin and bone. With a frown she asks, "Fine, so you have seen it now. Are we done with the stupid lucid dream tricks yet?"

You stop messing with the crow and say, "Yes, thank you. Back on topic, even if the power, skill or trick you teach is legitimate, it does not guarantee the validity of your information. Why should I take it?"

The crow takes off and flies back to her perch in the tree. She ruffles her feathers and turns back to you. "You are poking at the part where I am not able to lie. I am only allowed to respond to your call on the beyond so long as I do give you information you want, or information you need. You usually do not get a choice of which. Instead, you go in with a question, and come back with what our side thinks you should have, collectively. It takes individual action, like me giving you a choice, to send you back with something other than the one answer you would have had. This is a good thing for you: The question you were seen as asking on the way here gets you a dumb answer, so very dumb."
The crow covers the side of her head with a wing, in a gesture you somehow know carries the meaning of a facepalm, and murmurs, "So dumb," one more time. Then she continues, "But, let me be as clear as I can, since you are a bit... less than fully informed. I. Could. Not. Be. Here. And. Lie. About. That. It's common knowledge for people who dip their toes into the other side, the key term you can use to look it up on the internet is 'spirit intercession.' It's a hard rule, and it goes for big scale shitbags doing it too."

One dismissive snort later, you have to admit the crow is being pretty emphatic on this. You don't plan to rely on just her say so, but there is not much else to cover on the topic here and now. So, you work out the implications of her offering free spirit gifts out loud. "Very interesting, if it is true. If the conversation and the gift are the parts of this where you are allowed to lie, I'd better not ask for something I might try to use in a life and death situation."

The crow deadpans, "Brilliant, you've worked out perfectly how I must not have a reputation because you haven't heard of it. Of course I'm going to lie, cheat, and steal, because I can. Do go on."

You point at the crow and keep going. "I don't even know if you have gifts to offer. It could be another lie, right? So this calls for a test. A thing I can test later whether you really gave me something, but nothing I would rely on."

She blinks, and says, "Ignorant, suspicious, jumping to conclusions. Yep, this is one way clever people come up with really dumb ideas. Here is the limit, I can give you two gifts, no more. If it turns out you have something useless, you may be screwed: You have to be good or lucky for the trade-in value to buy a good replacement, and most spirits don't have my extra incentive to do well on the gifting.
"But fine, a trick, I can teach you a trick. Want to learn to perform guitar for an audience? Other musical talent and skill is available too, including a lovely singing voice. The voice would take the most social practice and courage so maybe it's not your best option. The stripping thing can be surprisingly useful away from the stripper pole if you're willing to sacrifice the dignity. The seductive arts are not foolproof, and you'd need to boost your personal magnetism to get the most out of it, but it would help you keep together a relationship with more than one lover. The nerdy talent of reading from things is... yeah, no, if you fuck it up that's no good. Psychic power is probably too useful, and getting some of it would screw up your poker winnings. Considering poker has been your most effective method of dating people, okay fine, it is a fair reason. But ha, here's a perfect miss for you: A doctor's semi-psychic focus talent of last resort healing. It's too useful, risky, difficult, and emergency situation driven.
"You must not take the boost to your personal charm which can make it easier for you to get social attention and talk people into what you want. It would be too helpful for your weird threesome marriage plans, and it does not matter if I was asked to try and give you this gift in specific. The touch from this side which makes it easier for you to handle dreams, visions and psychic powers would also be too damn helpful."

The crow is annoyed, she's glowing red with anger, but is still offering spirit gifts. Interesting.
-So, this crow is offering two gifts, not one? What is the real limit?
-Oh my, if I had the courage to get up on stage Gloria could use me as a lead guitarist on Fridays and Saturdays. She's okay, but she's a better singer and drummer.
-Ask about one of the other gifts the crow mentioned. ____________ <---Which one?
-Ask about something the crow didn't mention, which I hope is a gift I can get from the spirits. ____________ <---What are you chasing?
-Ask if I can take a rain check, for after I have done my checking up on the crow. I don't know she isn't the jerkfaces yet, or scum in her own right.

Is there a thing I want to know enough to blow a mystic answer on it?
-I want to know: ____________ <---What is it?
-The spirit thinks she knows something I need to know? I want to know what it is.

>that rant and wall of sarcasm.
Pfffffff. She's adorable when she's angry.

Burst out laughing. Okay, I still don't know if you're fucking with me or not, but I think I like you.

>Of course I'm going to lie, cheat, and steal, because I can. Do go on.
Let's take a step back and attempt a little bridge mending.

You get that the paranoia isn't personal, right? We both know I have no basis for this kind of spiritual stuff to start from. And even if you're 100% on the up and up, you're only casually offering to change the way I think, change how people think about me, or give me powers. That's scary serious enough even if it works right.

>The crow is annoyed, she's glowing red with anger, but is still offering spirit gifts. Interesting.
Unless faking that you're getting to her is part of the sales pitch, sticking around through anger and insult strongly implies she has a skin in this game. Say, her spirit rep suffers if she can't close the deal. Or she's not allowed to be the one who hangs up. Or she really does have a personal reason to care about you, enough to preserve through your pigheadedness.

...why is two the magic number? Usually it's 1. Or 3. Or 7 or 13 or 108. Two is for chosen ones or opposites, things like that. (What? Look you gotta know a little about how stories are structured for game design).

I think we should see if we can take the rain check. We've already confirmed we know nothing about this, maybe you'll be better off after you've had a chance to do some research online and hassle Truth way too early in the morning (small bit of payback, yay).

Is there anything you can provide I can use to show this wasn't just a less tramautic than usual dream that doesn't come with a terrible opportunity cost? (Turning Truth's trick around on her and casually mentioning some stupid and/or embarrassing little thing we should have no way of knowing would be hilarious. A childhood screwup. The color of her underwear. Something dumb).

Bored Max 2017/06/08(Thu)22:55 No. 806988 ID: d35c6b
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There's something you find so very cute and funny about the way this crow is ranting at you, and you crack up. It takes a while to get the laughter under enough control to say, "Okay, I still don't know if you're fucking with me or not, but I think I like you."
The woman drops back out of the tree and says, "Thanks?" Now she looks confused, and it is adorable.

"You know the wariness is not only about who or what you are, right? We both know I know nothing about this, so I can't trust a thing without it being blind faith. Even if you are a reputable... crow, you're casually offering to change the way I think, change how people think about me, or give me powers. It's not a decision to take lightly even with absolute trust."
She grimaces and frowns. After a sigh she grumbles, "I guess I do not expect trust at this stage. You could have expressed your uncertainty less rudely earlier, but at least you do not seem to be trying to offend me now." A pair of glasses appears on her nose and she pushes them up, then they disappear again.

Soberly you ask, "So, why two gifts? In storybook logic it's a weird number for this kind of thing, and a bit pointy."
With a shrug she answers, "Limit of what can be done. You can get two, each on a separate occasion. Any more in total, or at a time, and it fails. In the future you may or may not be able to get two more.
"Another limit, your parents paid for two gifts and three visits. The best pattern has me start with a gift this morning. On the second visit I check on the first gift, address issues, and give a second gift. On the last visit I check again for issues, address those, and I leave with another successful job to my credit. But I guess my credentials didn't get here fast enough for that: You don't do much dream walking, do you?"

You shake your head and admit, 'No, never, I didn't intend to do it this time either. It's often a waste of time when it works, and there are risks too. It is not worth it."
She smirks, and says, "You aren't wrong. The risk versus reward balance is worse without being all the way good at the trip and the vision. Some psychic vision drills, the mystic touch, or enough practice can help."

You blink, and ask, "Can I get more than one of those things, put them together to make this easy, maybe conquer my nightmares for good?"
A raised eyebrow is all you get at first. "Sorry, no. You're not bad, and you don't have far to go to reach the practical limit. Just one of the above."
"What about getting the psychic training, and two gifts, so that I effectively have three gifts worth of stuff?"
"Good luck. To learn things the normal way takes time and effort, and means giving up whatever else you would do with the time. In the end these gifts can't give you much you couldn't do yourself. What they can do is save you time learning, and give opportunities you didn't get another way. They won't give you the impossible, make you superhuman, or let you skip out on practicing a skill. So no, a gift for piano won't do much without a couple hours per day in front of a piano from then on."

You sit down in the grass, laying the shotgun across your knees, and ask, "So, no gift for me right now I guess. What should I bring back to the other side as proof this wasn't a weird hangover dream?"
A blackboard hangs down out of the night sky, and the lady begins writing on it. "You have options, each has their own costs and issues.
"One is, invoke me by name before this is done. It would give me permission to mark you as a person of my interest, and make it easier for people to know we talked, and who I am. The second fastest option.
"Another is to invoke someone else by name. It could be good to call on a certain someone who told her priestess it was a matter of life and death to harass you. Since she is deity tier it would give her a pass on all future voyeurism, which goes in the minus column. It also goes in the plus column, because the flapping cloaca squad who shit all over your life already has this permission, and some balance might be nice.
"The bad option is to waste your answer on something stupid you don't need to know but couldn't otherwise know. Please, give me a little credit for figuring out something you need to know a lot more than that.
"You don't actually need to do anything special. We have an introduction, and you would know my name and can tell others of me by name in the waking world. This is the slow option, and has no side effects.
"The one I suggest, eh... invoke me or go back with my name. That said, you could do worse than calling on Truth's boss, and it would speed this all the way up. But she is a goddess, even if you would like her T&A."

Thanks for the options list, spirit crow teacher lady.
-I can bitch out Truth's crazy boss, directly? I am doing this. She Gives, I call on you to account for yourself!
-Night Sky really isn't being subtle with all the hints at her name. I should confirm it is her name, and invoke her.
-An introduction to Night Sky is the safest option, I should do this.
-Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is.
-____________ <---You can try other things, including an amazingly bad idea.

You are naked. Does it matter? Should you change it?
-No, I look good and I know it. Where else am I going to get to show off without being embarrassed about it?
-Regular hunting getup, I don't want my sensitive bits hanging out.
-This is a chance to try out wearing the slutty outfit Gloria gave me. I should use it.
-____________ <---Alice's imagination is the limit, which may not be as free as it sounds.

>it would give her a pass on all future voyeurism
Considering the degree of voyeurism she got up to without a pass, doesn't seem like we're giving up much.

>Bitch out Truth's crazy boss
I suspect that will be less than satisfying. Hippie god will be all contrite and understanding, and she'll apologize and it was all for the greater good and she'll be massively hot while doing so. She's too equipped to undercut a nice, satisfying angry rant by being sympathetic.

>the flapping cloaca squad who shit all over your life already has this permission
Wait. How much can he get out of that? Because if there's an eye in the sky who can feed some bandit priest real time intelligence on your position or any meeting you're a part of, that's a serious fucking problem re: not getting yourself and everyone else here raped and killed.

>waste answer on Truth's underwear
Hey there's a line between things you can tell me in casual conversation and things that count as magic gifts of information. I just gotta find it.

>Night Sky really isn't being subtle with all the hints at her name
Logical assumption would be there are rules, again. She's not allowed to just say it. That, or she benefits in some way (spirit points?) if she gets you to say her name instead of just introducing herself. (Or if we wanna go max paranoia again: it's not her name and she benefits / screws you over if she misleads you into misnaming her without a direct lie).

>You can try other things, including an amazingly bad idea.
Invoke the names of both gods you're aware of and watch them fight! Haha, no. You like your brain better not as collateral damage.

>what do
I say invoke Night Sky's name. I doubt that has more serious consequences than giving her a tether, and if it turns out she is up to something, crow-dreams are preferable to your nightmares.

>-No, I look good and I know it. Where else am I going to get to show off without being embarrassed about it?

>-Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is.
Playing off this more (cause it's funny).

I mean, does that even take a magic answer? You're not even asking for yourself, it's just a matter of bringing balance back to the world! There's a great imbalance in the force, where one redhead unfairly exploited her access to supernatural to access embarrassing personal information on the other. We'd just be righting the natural order. Spirits are big on that, right?

(If joking around gets a freebie, cool, but no, don't waste your free magic answer on this otherwise).

Bored Max 2017/06/10(Sat)00:09 No. 807146 ID: d35c6b
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"Look, I need to know about Truth's underwear. It's important, it just is."

There is an audible smack as the woman facepalms. "At the risk of hearing it, I want you to tell me why this is so important."

You don't know how to convince this bird, but you try to sell it anyway. "It's a matter of bringing balance back to the world. Truth unfairly exploited her access to the supernatural to get fucktons more embarrassing info than that about me. Isn't the balance in the cosmic force a problem which needs urgent attention?"

She removes her hand from her face, and stares at you. After a while she accepts that you need her to say it, and she says, "No, no she didn't, and no it isn't. Yes, I am speaking for the goddess in the second part of that, please don't ask me to ever do it again, it feels disgusting."

"Hey, there's a line between things you can tell me in casual conversation and things which count as magic gifts of information. I just gotta find it."

The glasses reappear, she pushes them back up her nose as she paces, and then they disappear once more. "Or you could ask. General knowledge is fine, although most spirits won't give you a thing for free. I am getting credit for telling you things from this side you should already know. Yes, this is one of the reasons why mystic people love to babble about it. I'm not saying it only for the pay either, nobody told you you're marked by them birds, and it bugs me when I get mistaken for them. Advice is fine as long as I don't tell you anything you couldn't easily figure out."

You unload the shotgun and start cleaning it as you ask, "Advice? Well, we have an example topic here. Can you give me advice on finding out what's under Truth's clothes, and if so, how much?"

She pointedly turns away from where you're sitting and says, "Now is not the best time to be thinking with your clit. But fine, it does make a clear example.
"I could tell you lots. To start, you may have already found out if you didn't blame Truth so much for what her goddess told her, and told her to do. You already know you would get hot dates with Truth if you joined her cult. You could try asking her wife. It may be her goddess is feeling sorry for her test, and might give you things, plural, for free if you called on her. I could tell you the they you mistook me for are almost certain to be amused with your grudge against her. The they would be very generous to you if you called on them, because they like you a lot. But please, I could do without you picking a fight between me and a goddess so you can find out what Truth wears the really dumb way.
"Side note, I can't tell if the they are watching this meeting because the mark means they do not have to be obvious about it. You of all people ought to know when anyone is looking at you, from anywhere. Who is?"

This you can do. "I know an angry feeling I don't like has tried to look in, and a crazy hot feeling is trying, but neither has the push to do it. Somehow you are looking at me while you aren't."

The crow lady grimaces, still looking away, and says, "She can't until you invite her in without it costing her a fair bit. They can push their way in and watch, but it costs them when you resist or you're in the waking world. Your talent can tell you if it does happen. And this vision is of both me and you, so looking away won't do much when this is all in my mind as much as yours."
She goes back to the blackboard, to a blank section of it which wasn't there until now it is, and starts writing more down. "Moving on, syntax and procedure. Proper procedure for an introduction in this case involves a greeting, identifying yourself, and either asking or challenging me to name myself. That is all it takes.
"An invocation requires you to begin with the name of whoever, 'I call on you to,' and a purpose. It does not have to be those exact, 'I call on you to,' words, but they are unambiguous so use them. Depending on what the purpose is, the spirit, or fucking hell the god, may respond and be present, and it can let them mark you as one they have an interest in depending on what happens."

You need a steady boyfriend and girlfriend, this is getting ridiculous. Neither of those are here, so you need to do something.
-Fine, "Hi there, I'm Alice. Who are you? Thanks, now please tell me what I need to know."
-I should get this introduction and invocation over with before I mess up my sheets.
-So this is what her goddess feels like? Oh gentle, tender sodomy it is hot. She Gives, I call on you to make up for your bullshit!
-____________ <---Oh Alice, you hornball.

Anything else before you wake up?
-____________ <---Is there?

>Alice should know when Many Crows is watching
So we're not a massive, unwitting intelligence leak in Fort Hippie's defense, good.

>[Many Crows is] almost certain to be amused with your grudge against [Truth]. [T]hey would be very generous to you if you called on them, because they like you a lot
Ugh. There's a creepy feeling- an embodiment of murder and death and the driving force of banditry likes you and wants to shower you with gifts. Way worse than normal people staring at your ass. We have a divine stalker.

Also geeze, come on, how fair is it that even the evil gods are sucking the fun out of holding onto a righteous grudge?

(I mean, arguably, there is some logic in taking whatever any god will give you for free while the freebies are hot, but the costs and consequences of doing so almost certainly aren't worth it).

>what do
The crow has here first, and (so far as you know) hasn't done anything to earn your ire, unlike... that goddess who does the sex giving. I feel like you should do the introduction and asking what you need to know with her before even considering letting She Gives in, much less letting her cut in line.

Also I feel like letting She Gives make up for her bullshit by mindfucking you into jelly sets a bad precedent.

>Oh Alice, you hornball.
No more naked times. Imagine yourself into something ridiculously conservative.

Bored Max 2017/06/10(Sat)22:28 No. 807270 ID: d35c6b
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Pause, take a deep breath, you want to be sure you are thinking clearly. You can feel that it will have lasting consequences if you do any of the things the crow has described. To try and clear your mind, you stand up and imagine yourself into hunting gear with ghillie. Dressing up for battle usually has a bit of a focusing effect on you, and it helps now.
Next, you reload the shotgun, decide the cleaning kit you were using is where it should be, and sling it across your back. You want it to be a combat shotgun, loaded with buckshot, so it is.
You are as ready as you're going to be, so it's time for the introduction.

"Hello and welcome, I am Alice. Who are you, and are you friend or foe?"
"Greetings Alice, I am Night Sky. I am neither yet, but perhaps will be a friend. Pleased to meet you."

She is pleased, you can feel it. Knowing who she is makes her attempt to pretend she's human much less effective, she is no woman. You can tell she is one crow, and only a crow. She stops wasting the effort of pretense, and goes back to her perch in the tree.
You adjust to knowing who Night Sky is, and you can feel her grudges. From those grudges come ambitions, this crow seeks big things. She hates all the gods, but some more than others. She wants them to implode, to cease their push for more, to halt and fail in their grasping for what should not belong to them. It's a cold, cold anger. You also feel something comforting from her, which is eerily familiar somehow.
As you continue getting used to knowing who Night Sky is, she preens a bit and waits for you to take your next move. You feel respect for your unwillingness to be rushed. You also know she is pleased with your unwillingness to take the insidious lures the gods cast out as gifts. This crow has issues, but it is good to know someone tries to stand up to the gods.

You don't know what to do from here, so you say so. "I'm not sure about if I want to do the invocation. Can I get the piece of info you think I need first and make up my mind on it?"
"No. The information comes last, because it is what allows me to be called all the way from there to you. It wouldn't help you with the decision much anyway, if at all. I don't see how it would be too useful outside the waking world.
"But, I can advise you further. The purpose is something you can specify in as much or as little detail as you please, and it matters what you invoke someone for. A spirit, or god, does not have to come at your call. I am already here, obviously, but if you call on me for a reason I don't like I could, and may, throw your answer in your face and leave.
"Here are two choices of purpose I will suggest to you. One is calling on me to establish my purpose in seeking you, and who I represent, and this would be a good way to make things clear. For the second, you I will try to help as best I can, if you call on me to push back on the trespasses of the gods. I can't match their resources and powers, but I am capable of more than they think."

That is interesting, but it leads to a very pointy question. "If I invoke you, am I picking a fight or a side?"
"No, you would not be. I am not a combatant."

Feeling Night Sky's frigid anger is making you the wrong kind of calm. It is the sort of calm you feel when you are about to do something, an intentional and violent thing. You are not fond of the gods you know, and they earned it, but this is not what you should concentrate on. The question before you is if you should invoke Night Sky, and how. The round is dealt, is it time to raise, call or fold?

So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
-Invoke her to reveal why she seeks me, and who she represents.
-Fuck it, those two gods picked a fight, and I don't intend to lose by giving up. I invoke her to kick divine ass.
-Uhm, no. If merely introducing ourselves affects me this much I have reservations, even though I like this bird's style.
-____________ <---Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Or not.

Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
-Now is not the time.
-They'll get theirs. Nobody can be that big a set of assholes and get away with it forever, can they?
-Deep breath, they like me for some buggered up reason I'm sure I would despise. For now I must pass under their notice, but I need to learn how to kill a god.
-____________ <---Is evil laughter appropriate here?

>>807270
>So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
>-Fuck it, those two gods picked a fight, and I don't intend to lose by giving up. I invoke her to kick divine ass.

Ugh, a tough choice. Night Sky has at least hinted at why she was sent and we might be able to pick at that later, and being able to hang a DUMB GODS KEEP OUT sign on our brain is really too good to pass up.

>Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
>-Now is not the time.

That's sounds like Night Sky's influence. her 'frigid anger' could definitely be down to a desire for vengeance.

>You feel respect for your unwillingness to be rushed.
Hmmm. Then what was the impatience earlier? Was that just an angry reaction to the suspicion or perceived personal insults? Had respect not yet been earned? (Or was it really part of a sales pitch / manipulation)?

>So Alice, are you going to invoke Night Sky?
It... occurs to me we can probably invoke her more than once. The invocation is the terms for inviting something in, right? We could theoretically invite her back, outside of this specific agreement. And if her grudge against gods really is a driving motivation, she would probably be pretty amenable to being invoked on those terms. (And would probably more accommodating on the price than if you asked her for something else).

>-Invoke her to reveal why she seeks me, and who she represents.
Let's get everything clear.

>Thoughts of who Uncle Joe's true killer must be pass through your calm.
>-Now is not the time.
Think about this when you don't have someone else's grudge in your head-space. Survival versus revenge (versus just wanting to live your fucking life) is your call, not someone else's.

(If we really do decide we want to kill a god, a bullet in the brain of everyone who worships him would probably do it. Plus there's She Give's campaign to end the age of banditry, and Night Sky's war against the gods. Those two would probably make unhappy allies, but they both want Many Crows gone).

Bored Max 2017/06/11(Sun)20:25 No. 807385 ID: d35c6b
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Oh bleeding assrape! You get it, they marked you because you killed one of their followers by leading him or her into death. Probably chief dumbshit was their follower, yeah, that would make some fucking sense of how the fuck those assholes did it to you. He was such an idiot, there is no way he could've become a chief and stayed a chief for long without a lot of help. You lead their devoted follower to his painful death, and those crazy assholes took it as worship. It's all circumstantial, so you need to verify it first. But now you may have a god to get revenge on for Joe's death.
Wait, if it's true that's a bad thing, isn't it? You carefully turn away from your dark musings on how much pain you owe those filthy, stinking, birds. Inhale, take in a deep breath and concentrate again, this time on how now is not the time.
Clarity sounds like a really good thing right now, and you have to admit to yourself you're more than a little tempted to invoke Night Sky's aid against... oh so much hate. But, can you do both?

"Excuse me, I need to ask more questions."
"We are getting a bit shorter on time, but continue."
"Is there a limit to how often, or how, I may invoke you other than how you choose to respond to it?"
"You have to be dream walking, but otherwise no. If you don't think your problems with the gods require my help yet, but you do later, you can invoke me then. How well that works depends on what you need, if I am busy, and if I'm in range to respond. Usually I could ask someone else to go in my place, if I'm too busy or not close enough, but this is not a guarantee like a god could give. If you accept my mark it would make it much easier for me to reach you, but it is not required."
"Can I protect myself from being spied on and interfered with by gods?"
"A little bit, but I don't know about anything strong. If someone were to mark you and build a relationship with you, it would make it more difficult, rare, or costly for others on our side to deal or interfere with you without their permission. A god can simply beat through it if they want to, it only takes time and effort. From what I've seen, gods protect their followers in the same way, and a god's protection is worth more because gods are a bigger threat if they decide to be. It's more of a warning sign who you are pissing off in those cases."

Now you're out of useful questions you can think to ask again, besides how to kill a god. You aren't asking that last one yet. Instead, you do something else:
"Night Sky, I call on you. Why do you seek me, and who do you represent?"
Oh boy, if a crow could smile she would be. "See, I didn't trick you into it, I am telling you everything. Know Alice, know why, and know who."

Mom and dad are still watching from the other side, and they're worried. Of course they want to see you, but not so early. They want you to have a full and happy life, with lots of children, like they didn't get the chance to. Don't worry mom and dad, it already was the plan.
Now you know what the weirdly familiar, comforting warmth coming from Night Sky is. Mom sent you a bit of her charm. It couldn't be cheap for them to do this, and you can't find it in your heart to say no.

"I understand. Please do it, and thank you."
"One gift paid for, one gift delivered. Be more charming, you crazy pervert."
Whoa, you feel different.

Night Sky sends a feather from over in the tree to stick in your hair, and says, "This is a mark. If you don't like it, it will fade over time. For now we have unfinished business, and it will not fade until it is done. For best results wait at least a day, but no more than three, to call on me to get the second gift. But, I feel for you kid, so if those fat, pushy assholes push too far, call me."

Light starts to appear on the horizon, a straightforward sign Night Sky is going soon. She speaks up one last time to say, "You are due to wake up Alice, so here is the last piece of business. Today you should trick them, trap them, taunt them, and make the right occasion to steal their doctor. Go personally to do that part, you'll like it. Have fun!"

End Chapter 2: All Things Come To Those Who Wait

>>807385
Woo we made friends! With a spirit of the dead who wants to make war on the gods. I'm sure it'll be fine.

And we have an excuse to take a small petty revenge on Truth by waking her up entirely too early to verify this was real.

Bored Max 2017/06/11(Sun)23:54 No. 807407 ID: d35c6b
File 149725045860.png - (124.25KB , 1024x1024 , charselect.png )

Chapter 2 Score
-Enemy kills: 0 Wounded: 1
-Enemy matériel damage: 4 truck engines, 1 HMG Capture: 2 Intact Enemy HMG technicals, 3 with damaged engines, one with damaged engine and HMG, weapons and other salvage from the trucks and 18 bandits
-Enemy otherwise defeated, Captured: 18 Driven off: 0
-Victories and losses: 1 / 0

-Sexy people fucked, Men: 0 Women: 1
-Oral sex Given: 2+ Received: 1
-Handjobs given and received: How do you count that?
-Other fucking: 0 Masturbation: 5

-Big game hunted/assisted: 0/0
-Small game hunted/assisted: 2 / 0
-Loot acquired: A share in the above matériel capture, duty pay, hazard pay, free drinks, a sexy lady bought you dinner, and some of your mother's charm
-Ammo spent: 1 good quality .30-06 bullet, 5 good quality Raufoss 211s
-Ginger eaten: 2 large roots and 2 smaller roots nibbled or otherwise consumed over the course of the day

Per chapter violence assessment: A lot of waiting, and a good performance when the moment came.
Per chapter sexuality: Lesbian. If you spaced it out during the day better that would have been enough girly sexy time, but you didn't bag your man quota.
Per chapter wealth change assessment: Need to make sure they pay you a good share of your capture, could've gotten more if you went for the bonus round. You snared a couple squirrels while you were bored out of your mind, but had to send the skinned and gutted carcasses back in ice.
Final verdict: A lot of waiting, a little action, Alice learned some of her people's culture. The enemy lost half their force not long after their initial deployment, down from 20 main line trucks and 60 raiders to 10 and 30. These bandits were disappointingly poorly prepared for combat against an established enemy in wooded terrain.

I didn't mean to make them such complete mooks, they would have been more threatening in more open terrain. I couldn't even blame the dice, the odds were that bad against them.

Chapter three begins soonish. Do people want to try character gen on one of the other two open character classes yet--businessman or scavenger?
Should I put the off-cuts here, in a dis thread, or hide them until the end of the quest?

I wonder, if in retrospect, we should be annoyed to have gotten a magic gift after deciding we wanted to wait. Oh well, Alice's own fault for trusting magic feeling certainty and saying yes.

>I couldn't even blame the dice, the odds were that bad against them.
Yay for a well planned ambush.

>Should I put the off-cuts here, in a dis thread, or hide them until the end of the quest?
Cut offs make logical sense here. If you wanted to make a dis thread for other stuff, by all means.

I'm fine keeping this story going. If anyone else wants to perspective swap they'll have to speak up.

Bored Max 2017/06/12(Mon)16:51 No. 807533 ID: d35c6b
File 149731147613.png - (34.18KB , 300x286 , notsodead.png )

***Cutting Room Floor***

This chapter was harder to write than the previous one. After the waiting scene was over I ended up having a bit of trouble dealing with the protagonist's drives, the players' interests, and the other strong personalities in the town, while figuring out what should happen. The possibilities are combinatorial and a tad fractal even in places to try to plot it out. Most of those off-cuts I was glad to abandon though, because they sucked.

There is one off-cut I was sorry to see go abandoned, and this one is because the players didn't choose the funny option. Maybe I had not established and stressed the mutability and unreality of the dream sequence strongly enough at that point.

*

Visions can go fuck themselves, you have enough problems between your ears without some damn thing poking at it to make it worse. You shoulder and aim the shotgun, then blast that fucking crow.

Now there's a corpse of a crow lying on the ground. The talking corpse asks, "What did you do that for?"
What the? You blast it with the other barrel!
The corpse speaks up again, "No really, this is in both our imaginations. You can't harm me here, only agreements and promises matter here. So why would you shoot me with an imaginary shotgun?"
You swing the smoking shotgun on your back and answer the corpse, "I don't fucking want a vision, okay? Just go away."
Flies start circling and picking at the corpse as it says, "Can't do that yet, sorry. If you want to do this really quickly though, accept the gift I was sent here to bring to you, and I'll give you the answer and leave."

This bullshit pisses you off, but you know you're not trapped in a vision. You can just decide this corpse isn't here and wake up, at the risk that will dump you back into a nightmare. Eh, maybe better a nightmare than risking depression, anxiety, attention deficit, unresponsiveness to stimuli, or the rest of the list of things that can go wrong when someone goes dream walking who isn't prepared for it. On second thought, if any of those were going to happen to you from this dream trip, it probably already did, and this does beat reliving your ordeal in Groundhog Annex again with extra bullshit.

The corpse speaks up, drawing you out of your muddled and annoyed considerations. Scratch that, this time the buzzing noises of the flies are making the talking sounds now. "Look, I'm here because I have a job to do. Let me do that job and I promise I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can. Both of us will be better off for it, too, I promise. Invoke me to speak only truth and I'll repeat this. I don't have time to waste lying, and I have a reputation to keep for not doing so."
You snap at the corpse, "Do you have to be so disgusting?!"
Suddenly the crow is perched in the tree again, and answers, "No, but I thought I should respect your intent and skill with the firearm. Sorry if that feels like I'm making fun of you. Honestly, I'm a little bored and I can't remember the last time someone shot me. It seemed like it could be fun."

Bored Max 2017/06/13(Tue)17:14 No. 807762 ID: d35c6b
File 149739929287.png - (15.68KB , 307x197 , oats.png )

Chapter 3: Fate, Prophecy, and Slapstick Comedy

It's nearly late, you slept late enough to be awoken by your alarm for once. You silence the buzzing before the first full buzz finishes, then you wrap yourself into a robe and use the facilities.

When you're done, you consider your schedule for the day. You kept Splendor up rather late last night, and she almost certainly had a long and difficult day as well, so there's no way she is going to make the threatened house call on you so early. It's raining out, so you dress to run and put a rain slicker on to go to the gym.

A surprise awaits you in the gym, you catch Truth on one of the other treadmills jogging. After a moment's pause you decide it shouldn't stop you from doing what you came here for, and get ready to run. You go for a good running speed until you get through your standard morning 3km. As you get ready to leave again you notice Truth giving you an odd look, but she just waves and turns back forward to continue with her jog when you look back.

The shower was mercifully free of leering this morning, so you're in a pretty good mood when you get to breakfast. Oatmeal, apples and tea works fine for you, like it usually does.

As you finish the first apple Truth sits down in front of you and greets you: "Good morning."
You respond in kind, "Good morning," and spoon up some oats.
She eyes your pungently spicy oats for a moment with a wary look of alarm on her face, then shakes her head and turns to her food. She cuts open an English muffin, and asks, "I apologize if speaking about this is out of turn, but do you know you have a black feather, which isn't real, stuck in your hair?"

It is good to have confirmation that you weren't only seeing the proverbial pink elephant.
-*"Thank you for telling me about it Truth, it's good to know I don't need to spend time sobering up when I have so much to do today. How are you?"*
-"Apology accepted, for that much."
-"Not much interested in talking about it, but thank you for telling me."
-"Thought so, didn't know so until you said it. Thanks priestess."
-____________ <---Alice feels a bit odd, but it's nothing which impairs her. The opposite.

Do you need to talk to Truth, and how deep in conversation with Truth are you willing to get right now?
-*She is wound so tight, but you're sure you can get her to tell you something, or talk her into it.*
-Not at all. I don't actually need to but I'll excuse myself to go to the bunker as soon as I can.
-The minimum of politeness is a thing I can do.
-If she goes for the meat I'll go for the blood and guts.
-____________ <---Conversational goals and topics go here.

>do you know you have a black feather, which isn't real, stuck in your hair?
"Well, technically, I didn't know it was really there until you confirmed it. So thanks for that.

"Can you tell anything about it, besides the fact it's there?"

Going for independent verification here- we could just tell Truth what happened, but we want to see if she confirms any of what Night Sky said without leading the witness. A big one is if she can tell we were visited by a spirit and not a god (since I'm sure Truth's first panicked thought was "oh shit, did Many Crows get her after all").

>Do you need to talk to Truth, and how deep in conversation with Truth are you willing to get right now?
>-*She is wound so tight, but you're sure you can get her to tell you something, or talk her into it.*
Let's give that Mom-charm a test drive. If we fluster, confuse or get the better of Truth at all, consider that a petty bit of revenge.

Also, honestly, she is the closest thing we have to an expert in spiritual magical nonsense to consult in the real world. We do honestly want to run this by her, make sure Night Sky's stories seem to check out, and (after we've let her sweat and peer at the feather) confirm we didn't strike a deal to put the murder in Murder of Crows.

I kinda wanna give her a hard time about She Gives' attempted visitation. Just toss it into the conversation. "And could you tell your god, the next time she decides to go knocking at my brain, turn the volume down on the sex-happy-bliss radiation? It's distracting." (I didn't let Many Crows in either (busy night). I'd like to keep my negotiations with bullshit supernatural entities to one at a time).

Also honestly, Many Crows cheering for it kind of takes all the fun out of holding a grudge. Not that we're not gonna try to extract petty payback from Truth until her tab's paid off.

Bored Max 2017/06/14(Wed)01:21 No. 807853 ID: d35c6b
File 149742847718.png - (34.87KB , 303x264 , truthseggcheddarsausagemuffin.png )

With a smile you answer, "I didn't know it was really there until you confirmed it, so thank you for saying so. Is there anything else you could tell me about it?"
Truth blinks, and says, "Besides the fact it conflicts, vigorously, with the tears of blood Many Crows left on you? It's pretty, it's radiating darkness and stars like a halo, and I have no idea who it comes from, which rules out all the gods. Also, you're glowing a little, more than you did on Monday I'm sure. Is everything alright?"
"A little something happened to me this morning."
"What happened?"
"A visit from a spirit, one I had never met before."
"Do you know the name of the spirit?"
"Yes, her name is Night Sky."

Truth pulls back from you, but sits back normally after a moment. "Your friend does not seem to like me much. Did you trade away something to her?"
"No."
"Did you promise something to her?"
"I promised to call on her two more times. The feather is her mark, which will remain until she has visited me two more times, or longer if I want to keep it."
"What are you supposed to call on her for?"
"Delivery and service. She is working as a courier, gave me a gift someone else sent to me."
"Someone else sent you a gift, and this spirit delivered it? Do you know who?"
"Yes, and yes. One thing though, your goddess tried to push her way into the meeting, and the feeling of her doing it was a distraction. Could you ask her to tone down the sex-happy bliss radiation in future?"

Truth looks puzzled, but not alarmed. She answers, "I'll let her know you didn't like the feeling, but what she feels like to people tends to depend more on them than her. This meeting had nothing to do with Many Crows did it? Eh, probably not, they are their own spy, servitor, and army on the other side."
Your smile is all sweetness and warmth as you answer, "No, aside from them trying to push their way in too, and Night Sky telling me things which helped me make a guess how those assholes put their mark on me."
She purses her lips and looks directly at you. Yes hon, you're pretty. It's distracting, but I am being good and not smashing your face to solve the problem. She asks, "And how is that, what did you do?"
You frown and grumble this part out. Even with help you can't paint a happy picture on how you feel about it. "This is only a guess, and I need to confirm it. What I think is those stupid birdbrains decided I was worshiping them when I lead one of their devoted followers into a trap, and killed him, painfully. Or, they did not like him and feel they owe me one for killing him, that could be it too."

Truth looks at you a little more warily, blinks, and says, "I see. They do sometimes mark those who kill their followers, so your idea is worth looking into. But how did you do this dream walk?"
You go back to smiling and speaking normally as you answer, "By accident. I drank a bit more alcohol than I normally do last night, I had four free Caesars. Also, I had a long day spent waiting half-asleep, so I got some vivid dream time before I woke up today. And whoops, some of it was dream walking. It was better than the horrible nightmares, and I made a friend, so I'm putting this one in the win column. I got lucky."

Truth chews slowly for a while. She sips some ginger tea and says, "You really should get someone to help you with it if you are going to do those two dream walks to meet your new friend. I'm as qualified as it gets for helping with this kind of thing, but I can understand if you don't, or she doesn't, want me to help with it. Splendor can get you fully competent help, and maybe is some herself."
You offer her a smile and respond, "Thank you Truth, that's a good idea. How are you doing, by the way?"
She puts down her muffin, and flops forward onto the table, on her arms, and grumbles, "I am lost. Many Crows is making a fool out of me. It's alarming when one of their followers plays the long game because they usually aren't that smart without a priest to keep them in line. I can't imagine where a priest would hide a cult in this town though."

Pitiful, in a word that is how you feel about Truth right now, she's pitiful. Come on Truth, a redhead does not mope, we get angry and do things.
-*I'm sure she hasn't looked in the right places yet. I'll talk her through it.*
-I'll suggest Truth does a better job of cooperating with the local security.
-I pointedly suggest that if her usual search methods resemble what she did to me, it is too slow and too hostile to get anywhere.
-I'm not a people specialist who knows what she should do, and I don't feel any great desire to comfort her either.
-____________ <---A good opportunity to help, sympathize with, or kick Truth while she's down.

Go back to your room and wait for mistress like a good sex slave?
-*I've never done it before, but I want to try being the domme today.*
-What? No! Sex is filthy, weird, and stupid, so Splendor will have to hunt me down. If I'm lucky I can escape on mission before she gets me.
-Sigh, I will do it as soon as I can. No use to try and escape what I need.

Hmmm. Zen niceness out of nowhere is a little weird. Truth clearly doesn't know how exactly to take it, either.

>can't find Many Crow's guy
Dumb question, but are you sure whoever is being influenced is an enemy asset, and not, say, someone who now likes killing more than they should on our side of the fight?

One idea: if whoever it is has the same kind of senses Truth does, we might be able to make them making our feather (especially with the knowing when people are looking trick). Of course, that's making assumptions about capabilities, and hoping an undercover asset can't control their reaction, so not the most failproof plan, but maybe worth trying. (You'd have to try it soon, while it's still new. Later, they may have seen it already).

Is she getting any help on this anti espionage mission, or is she going it alone again? (Scold here, at worst, if she isn't. No need to make it pointed, she's already down).

>pitiful, help
>a redhead does not mope, we get angry and do things
Come on, Truth. Where's the crazy bitch who invites armed killers somewhere private and then pokes the bear as hard as she can? You do not let hiding beat you.

>Go back to your room and wait for mistress like a good sex slave?
Already? Geeze. How does Splendor get anything done.

Defer decision for now I guess. Depending on how this conversation goes, we might get caught up in a bout of spy hunting.

>-*I've never done it before, but I want to try being the domme today.*
Look, I appreciate the help with the charm, Mom, but I don't need you telling me what to want in bed.

Bored Max 2017/06/15(Thu)19:23 No. 808187 ID: d35c6b
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You pause, and shake your head to dispel the strange feelings you are having about.... Oh bugger it mom, just no! After a deep breath you shift focus back to the situation at hand. Your kindness and consideration has disarmed Truth far too well. You made the mess, which means it's time for you to put her back together.

You start by trying to get a handle on her problem. "This may be a dumb question, but how are you sure whoever is being influenced is an enemy asset, and not someone in the staff?"
Truth doesn't lift her head up as she answers, "Nobody has those marks in the staff. I checked all the regular forces, and key staff. They have people gifted by spirits who can do it too, all I did was verify for them."
"You're sure that whoever does have a mark, it is not possible they don't?"
"It's one of the things Many Crows does, they mark people they are interested in to watch and talk to them more easily. All of their followers, and a lot of others too. It would be the first known exception if they do not have a mark."

You eye Truth's breakfast muffin sandwich as you continue. She only took two bites from it. "Any chance we can get a reaction out of them seeing me, my mark, and the feather I have?"
"Slim to none. It varies, but the big power is reserved for the proven veterans in Many Crows' service as a rule. There are known exceptions, mostly for things like recruiting VIPs and favour trades."
"How big is big power here anyway?"
"In gifts? Stuff I have, the protection, the ability to see the spiritual by divine revelation, the gift to control and direct a crowd of people, the trick to make a person do a thing they don't want to do. I don't have that last one, and few priests get all four of those. She Gives doesn't like the last one, and said I don't need it anyway because... oh never mind."

You eat more oats as you consider it. In their place you wouldn't invest much spirit mojo in chief dumbshit and the other greedy morons like him either. They are tools at best, people to keep happy with shiny toys, and use up at will, before they can self-destruct. But even a moron, in the right place, at the right time, with the right info, can win or stall a war. If there is a problem at all, you bet that is it.

You keep asking questions, to try to make sure you know what Truth is up against. "How do you know there is a problem to find?"
"They did things, to taunt us. Messages with secrets burnt into the paint of my temple wall. Security put up more cameras and now they can't do it any more without being caught, but it's a warning they can do more."
It sounds like a stupid kid prank to you. "Are you at least cooperating well with the security here? It looks like a bit of a snipe hunt, and you need help, eh?"
"Partially. I do work with them, they had me check on the prisoners we got yesterday. They are happy to have me check all the soldiers and key people, and security has an open file on the problem. But, I burnt through a lot of my credit when I insisted we had to test if you are or are not a random mark. They think She Gives is bad at local issues and should stick to higher strategy."
Too easy, do not agree now, not out loud. "Hold on, what is a random mark? I think I need to hear about this."
"Many Crows is smarter than I like to admit. They mark a lot of people for any excuse they can come up with for it. It hides their real followers in a sea of false ones."
"Oh, I see. It also tempts you to crack down on false marks, which builds up grudges they can work on to turn a person to their side, and the real ones get to see it happen to a fake first to tell them when to duck."
After a while Truth lets out a tiny, whispered, "Yes."

Now this is too far, time to hit Truth with some motivation. "Come on Truth, moping does not suit you, or the problem. Where's the crazy bitch who invited an armed killer somewhere private and poked her sensitive side with her secrets to see what would happen? This can not be too hard, sneaky prey which hides and evades is as easy to hunt as anything. Put a trap where you know they will go."
At least you got Truth to lift her head up on her arms and look you in the eye. She grumbles, "Poking you to test if you are a problem did us all so much good, didn't it? And if I knew how to build a trap for a clever asshole without knowing who they are or what they're after, I would have already done it."

Ugh, this is like leading a mare to drink when she doesn't want to.

Should you try harder to motivate, or pass off the problem?
-I will sell Truth on an asshole catching trap. Fort Hippie has so many nice folks it may be easier to hunt an asshole by searching for those.
-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
-Eh, I tried, and she's an adult who can handle herself by now I think.
-*She just needs a hug. Too bad I can't easily slip off the sports bra to give her a better kind of hug.*
-____________ <---It is hard to concentrate on what's in her head when you want to grab her neck, or maybe lower down, yes her neck.

Are you personally interested in this issue now?
-I wasn't before when it made Red Tits the Pirate here go after my booty in the bad way?
-*This smells of fools fooling fools into foolish fuckups. It's not my skill set or a mess I want to get dirty with.*

Even Truth is sucking the fun out of holding a grudge at Truth! As does that stupid pile of birdmeat apparently getting the better of her.

>Poking you to test if you are a problem did us all so much good, didn't it?
You damn well could have gone about it smarter, but confirming the loyalties of the head-case shooter in your midst was the right call. (Especially with the prejudicial intel you'd been given).

Look I'm not exactly the people skills expert (...although maybe with Mom's gift you can fake that enough to combine with your own hunting skills to think up a pretty good asshole trap), but rule one in hunting is patience. Stop letting him rattle you just because you don't have results yet.

>-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
There's something fitting about throwing a broken Truth at Gloria after she did the same to you.

>Are you personally interested in this issue now?
How are you supposed to take any satisfying payback if Truth is too mopey for it to be fun? Plus it's annoying seeing your creepy stalker winning anything.

Mom's probably right that long term counter-intelligence work isn't exactly your skillset, but we can maybe kick Truth out of her funk and make sure other people are doing it right before we go out to shoot more bandits today.

>>808187
>Should you try harder to motivate, or pass off the problem?
>-Finish breakfast, pack up Truth's muffin in a doggie bag, and drag her back to her wife. She is the expert in Truth moods, not me.
Gloooooriaaaa! Fix your girlfriend!

>Are you personally interested in this issue now?
>-I wasn't before when it made Red Tits the Pirate here go after my booty in the bad way?
Sneaky Asshole is the reason Truth tried to do dumb things to us instead of Stupid things. They still need to pay for that.

Bored Max 2017/06/17(Sat)04:14 No. 808501 ID: d35c6b
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After checking your messages your deployment isn't until... ten?!? Whatever, you shake your head as you finish up breakfast. You put your second apple and a couple ginger roots away for later.
Truth managed to take one more bite of her muffin, but most of it remains. It takes you four seconds to wrap up her leftovers and hold them out to her. She gives you a puzzled look when you're done, but takes it.

"Why did you do that?" she asks.
"Because we are going to see your wife."
"Gloria? She is in the beginning of breakfast rush about now, too busy."
"Fluffy does the cooking, right? If I have to put on the frilly apron and carry plates, I'll do it."
"Gloria would make you dress up a lot more than only putting on the apron, I know what outfits she has set aside for it."

You sigh and extend a hand to pull her to her feet. Of course her front side does more than just a little bit of jiggle when she stands up. Why did you watch?
Oh bugger Truth, they heave when you are standing still. It is so dis.... "Yes, they're big. And thank you, I wanted you to reduce me to a pair of breasts. If you need to touch them so badly you can't stop staring, make a date with my best friend would you? You said we are going to see her, I think."
You close your eyes, let go of her hand, and mumble, "I need hazard pay to do this."
"Why do we need to see Gloria now?"
"Because my, uh, analysis of the situation suggests you have been taking it way too seriously. You need to do patience better to hunt. Also, I have an idea why you may not have caught the problem yet. I think you are overestimating your prey because he or she gets a lot of help from the feathered fuckers."

You start to walk, leading Truth to her wife, as you explain:
"Don't focus on the clever part of your idea of who you're up against. With the right plan and someone coaching them every step of the way, even a moron could do what you saw, right?"
"It would take tools, we don't even know how it was done. Our best guess is some kind of laser etching...."
"Not important. The word you should be focused on is asshole. Who the fuck burns people's secrets on the side of a building? An asshole, they have to be an asshole to do it."
"Yes, fine, the people who follow Many Crows tend to be jerks. So?"
"Fort Hippie has the nicest people I have ever met. Many of them are way too nice. Around here, asshole is a minority demographic you can target by profile because most of the population is not, eh?"
"What? This sounds stupid. But go on, I may as well hear the rest of it. What would you do?"
"You make a trap to get assholes, that's what you do. Leave out some shiny loot, or a chance to be a prick and not get caught. If there are things Many Crows is after you know of, those can be bait too. The hard part is setting and monitoring the bait without being too obvious, but you want to see who is interested and doesn't take it as much as who does. I am not the best at urban shit, get someone competent to set the trap."
"I am amazed you think you are bad at it. But first, why do you think we need to make a list of all the addicts and children who have self control issues in Fort Hippie? It's what your trap ideas would catch."
"They are your list of prime suspects: I would bet on it, he or she is an asshole who isn't too bright. Who else is easy for a creepy ass murder god to talk into stupid mischief, in a place where the people are nice and nobody is hungry or needy? Your guy, or gal, is a moron with more spite than sense. If the crows know how to plan there are at least two to find here, fallback resources is an important part of any good plan."

Oh good, now Truth is mad, yep, she is properly mad. You hold on to her arm and lead her the rest of the way. She glares at you, but allows herself to be led. She grumbles, "Your analysis is horrible, and your plan is vicious and immoral. Worst of all, I hate the fact it is the best idea I have about what to do to handle the problem."
As you get to the front door you say, "On that note, we are here. I brought you here because I was sure my idea would either not work as motivation for you, or it would work too well."

Do you submit to the waitress outfit?
-Eh, more clothes and all it costs is my dignity. How much of it do I even have to lose?
-Oh shit, I forgot about this part of Truth throwing me at Gloria on Monday. But no, no way, not going to happen!
-*A very pretty girl has been playing dress-up on me, including cute things to go under it all. I have been playing far too hard to get.*
-____________ <---Other reactions, or any preferences for the outfit Alice gets dressed in, go here.

Splendor helped you make a series of short videos last night, The Fetishes of Alice. Did you send them to Gloria?
-Yes, I did it the moment they were done. I asked her for help with it because it would mean I don't have to talk to her about sex stuff, she can just do me.
-No! I did NOT send them to her!
-*I sent them this morning. The titles should help even if she didn't have time to watch any yet.*
-____________ <---I'm not sure what other options you might think of here, which Alice would do.

>your deployment isn't until... ten?!?
Part of you wonders if the fort is taking this war seriously enough.

>Your analysis is horrible, and your plan is vicious and immoral.
Well, this is what happens when you to come the antisocial sniper with a social problem. Remember, to catch a jerk, you gotta think like a jerk.

>Do you submit to the waitress outfit?
Do it. I mean, clothes appropriate to a given task at least make more sense to you than other things you've been forced into. (...plus hey, if we want to be a good girl for mistress later, it is the right kind of outfit for it).

>-*A very pretty girl has been playing dress-up on me, including cute things to go under it all. I have been playing far too hard to get.*
Yes, probably. Although if we're throwing Truth at Gloria and someone needs to watch the bar, and if we have an appointment with Splendor this morning and deployment at ten, there may not be time to do anything about that now.

>Splendor helped you make a series of short videos last night, The Fetishes of Alice. Did you send them to Gloria?
...yeeeeeeeeees.

Not immediately though, that kind of thing takes courage to work up to!

>I'm not sure what other options you might think of here, which Alice would do.
Well, theoretically, we could have not sent all of them at once. Drawn things out a little bit by releasing them in teasing bits.

Bored Max 2017/06/18(Sun)17:07 No. 808909 ID: d35c6b
File 149783085169.png - (14.56KB , 500x500 , service.png )

Later....

Shit, shit, shit, bugger, shit, bugger, bumfuck, shit! You hate this! None of the customers are trying to feel you up or grab you at least. Maybe openly carrying a knife and a gun helps with that part? Whatever it is, you'll take it, not having to cut off someone's hand for offending you means you do not get in trouble for doing it. On the other hand, the looks and the stares are grating on your nerves. It's more than just a few looks, it's more than just a bit of leering, you are getting *stared at* as you take orders, wave the Slate you were handed for this at other people's Slates, and hustle food and dishes back and forth.

It's no surprise why some people stare at you. Your legs, ass, abs, and what little bust you have are all presented for it. Truth dressed you in a padded bra, a boob-tube, and a miniskirt which would be too tight if it weren't also far too short for it to get in the way. Then she undid your braid and redid your hair in twin buns. Why did she change your hair? After you re-armed yourself, put your boots back on, and went down for final approval, Gloria put the frilly apron on you, kissed you on both cheeks, and went up to her wife.
According to the chatter you can overhear, your annoyed and embarrassed scowl completes the outfit. People think you are adorable, a dangerous predator as cute as she is deadly. At least you get tips.

Truth skips down the stairs with a glowing smile. As soon as you are done carrying back the latest round of dishes to the kitchen she seizes you in a hug. Your face pressed into her cleavage is making you go all the way red again, and you lose focus.

You don't get it, but somehow the breasts are talking to you. They say, "Thank you Alice, I owe you at least one for this. You gave me an idea I can chew on, and the fix I needed to sort out my mood. Now I'll wear the frilly apron, and you should go prepare before Gloria insists on thanking you for...." Truth abruptly releases you, takes the frilly apron away, and is singing as she puts it on and takes over for you. You barely have time to wonder, 'What is going on?' before you are seized, and carried off as prey by the owner of this place.

Much later, and then some more time after that....

It still bothers you how things turned out at Gloria's Place. At first it was going so well, or badly, but either way you were getting what you need. Then Splendor called. It is true that you did sound a little weird on the phone, but she didn't have to tell Gloria to do that! Ugh, at least your mind is as clear of the lust hazes as you can get without a man helping too.

Now you are a passenger in a pickup, the day shift reinforcements headed out to the ruined old hotel the failed raiders are fortified in. It is carrying smoke grenades, more teargas, an old concert sound system, a small generator, lots of rope, shiny claw strips for the road, some shovels and pickaxes, two chainsaws, a few wood axes, and lots of gas cans.

The situation you are driving towards is interesting. The five people who were on overnight harassment duty have shot out every sensor the would-be raiders have which isn't protected behind concrete walls. They did a number on them: The opposing force is short on sleep, less than half their trucks still work, and they are dug in behind cover pointing out of improvised gun emplacements to try and stop your side from doing more and worse to them. When you get there and send the night crew home, it will be you, Lieutenant Overkill, and ten regulars trying to keep up the pressure and wear down the enemy.

The hotel is a single floor building with rooms on both sides of its main hallway, along with a main entrance on the front side. It is built on the west side of a north-south highway, and its front--a long side--is aligned with the road it's built near. It had an office, a utility room, and eighteen guest rooms when it was still in good shape, but whether or not it still does is a matter for semantics focused on how to define the word 'room.' The roof is partially collapsed, making most of the eastern (road side) rooms open to the outside. Many of the windows aren't broken yet, somehow, but you don't expect all of them to survive this action. The enemy trucks are parked out front since the broken up concrete and gravel out front is the only part of the area nearby, besides the road, which is not covered in trees and brush.

The enemy are in there, pointing guns out suspiciously from the rooms, and a couple of them are on what's left of the roof.

You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
-Keep firing random potshots at them from all directions, to wear out the enemy. They have limited ammo, and nerve.
-Use some smoke to set up tripwires and other fun of course. Make a sustained feint to try and lead the enemy into a sortie through the traps.
-First, we put claw strips and roadblocks on the road so they can't escape. We haven't broken their spirit enough to let them go yet.
-____________ <---Simple classics are a nice start when you are trying to build an increasing sense of dread, but there is a time limit.

What else did you take with you to try and defeat these guys, and how do you intend to use it?
-____________ <---Weapons? Building supplies? Cans of silly-string?

>>808909
Pffff. Alice, at some point you are going to accept that every person in this fort is conspiring to get you laid, and that you kind of like it. (I mean, it plays to your kink, and it beats the heck out of being frustrated by stupid urges all the time).

Also, geeze, Gloria's a serious threat if she can make Truth and your worlds in quick succession.

I guess this means we made up with Truth? Oh well, still gonna prank her if we get a good opportunity.

>bothered about the phone thing
It's your own fault for picking up. (And she kind of owed you a little payback for standing her up).

>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
>-Use some smoke to set up tripwires and other fun of course. Make a sustained feint to try and lead the enemy into a sortie through the traps.
Of the three choices, this one seems to live up most to the advice. Just making them panic by taking potshots all day isn't really tricking them. Gotta bait them into some traps. Make them believe things that are false.

If any of the bastards from yesterday's ambush are along, they might be a good source of vicious ideas to tap, after whatever they did to that poor bandit's butt.

>What else did you take with you to try and defeat these guys, and how do you intend to use it?
Well our standard loadout of guns, obviously. As for trap stuff... cord or rope of some kind would be useful in setting foresty traps, which Alice has experience with. Maybe some netting to conceal a ditch or hole the enemy might run over? Um. Fire crackers or something stupid like that would be good tossing in broken windows to scare em. Maybe used cans too, if we wanted to give them fake grenade scares.

The pepper spray pellets from before might work, but it feels like that would actually mop things up too quick if the spirit's advice is to toy with these fucks.

>>808909
>>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
>You get it. Night Sky told you to trick them, trap them and taunt them, but her instructions are not specific about how, or when. What do you do?
Who's the crackest crack-shot with NLOS weapons? You've got a truck full of teargas and smoke grenades: occasionally pop some teargas and let it waft over them, to get them riled up but not effective enough to actually flush them out. Then when they're used to bracing themselves for pain whenever they see smoke, drop a whole lot of the smoke canisters right onto their heads and fire a few shots in from different angles. Let them panic trying to get out of the 'tear gas' and maybe even catch some of themselves in the crossfire. Once they make their way out and realise it's just smoke, drop some teargas right into the middle of the cloud in the confusion. Lets see their commander try and force his men back into gas while he insists it's just smoke!