2/3 Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)14:10 No. 957926 ID: 5fc3a0
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"Agh fuck it fell! Pillet why I gotta play jenga with energy?"
>"Because you suck at controlling it. If I had a tenth of your power I'd kick your tiny ass."
"You mean you could kick my ass?"
>"I mean that I would! Your power was meant for me!"
"Too bad, I own over 90% of all the energy. No one can get more than a tenth of my power."
>"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts."

I practice my telekinesis to set the tower back up again, and Pillet pulls her phone out.

>"A private chatroom?"

3/3 Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)14:12 No. 957928 ID: 5fc3a0
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I peer onto her phone. She's connected to a chat with 2 other people. 'Pillet', 'Phantom Mask', and 'Anonymous1759'. After a moment, messages start getting sent.

Anonymous1759: I have Phantom's missing key.
Anonymous1759: <Image Embed>
Anonymous1759: I'm beginning a long term auction. The entry fee is 10 full crates of food. Each time you bid, you must deliver at least 10 more crates, and each person must wait 24 hours before making another bid. This will continue until one of you fails to bid. Then I will surrender the key to the winner.
Phantom Mask: Prove this photo isn't an edit. Write B@Q-B8B onto a piece of paper, put it next to the key, and take several pictures at different angles. Upload the album.

He follows directions. It looks like the real thing.

>"Looks like this is happening, Delli."

Anonymous1759: Get your 10 crates of food ready, and I will have further details on when and where to deliver them.

So, what stops you from letting the other person 'win' the auction then taking the key from them? The fate of the city is worth more than a few dozen food crates. Even if it is a real key, this 'auction' has got to be a trick.

>>957930
Agreed, just find a way to put a bomb in one of the food crates and mount a raid. No sense bidding on an auction with no credibility from a guy who can't prove he even saw the key.

Think of the jenga! Restrain yourself from acting rashly.

>>957928
...hmm. Considering how valuable that key is, the "auction" will probably continue for a long time, as each participant will take more and more drastic measures to gather food to bid with. At some point, whoever's running the auction will have sole possession over most of the food supply of the city.

...do you need to eat? This could cause a famine. If you don't need to eat... how much can you eat in a day? Could the auctioneer just eat all of it to gain power and eventually rival yours?

Well may as well gather food for one day's worth of food while we decide how to handle this in the long term. If we're trying to win the auction the smart thing to do is immediately seize or destroy every food production or storage facility we can get to. Depending on how fast the food production is, we could just go after the storage facilities.

Technically all the food in the city should belong to you so, this seems kinda easy. I mean, we can just bid anything we want, and once we win the auction, we simply procure the amount that we bid.

A few questions that I'd ask is, is the entry fee something that you pay even if you don't win? Similarly, are the 10 crates per bid considered a fee that has to be paid either way as well?

Why not just like... Put a gps tracker within the food in the crates with a slightly more obvious tracker on one of the crates itself, then whenever it stops/all the trackers stop responding you go over and beat the shit out of the people there, worst case you get information.

Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)14:58 No. 957939 ID: 5fc3a0
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We don't need to eat, but since it gets power...

"How much can a person eat in a day?"
>"Not 20 crates, I'll tell you that. But if this is a group? Then maybe, yeah, and their leader can kill the others if they want it all on one person."
"So this is all a ploy for power..."
>"Damn, you're right, I thought this was for charity! No shit. It'll take a longass time to rival your powe, but it's going to be a pain if we have 50 mid-powered guys hassling our rank and file."
"We could just let Phantom win, then take the key from her."
>"Haha, no. I don't know who this anonymous guy is, but I bet Phantom is way better at hiding a key. Shit, my guys haven't even been able to find a lot of her farms, and those are bigger than keys."
"How hard is a farm to find?"
>"Underground farms exist, you know."
"Right. Still, we should have way more food output, right?!"
>"I'm sure we do, but I'm betting Phantom can easily do 10 crates a day. I bet she has a ton stockpiled for emergency, too."
"And I don't suppose if we lose the auction, we get our entry fee back?"
>"Haha, no, this guys trying to gouge both of us in a bid war. And he can try it too, because keys are a buyer's market."
"Right. Okay. Let's stick a bomb in a crate then."
>"Or a tracker. That's worth a shot. Hey, speaking of Phantom, she sent me a private message. She wants to know if we're going to play along."

What kind of countermeasures are possible to stop you from spying on the delivery and figuring out whose lackeys are arranging transport?

>>957939
Ask her if she also realized this is a ploy for power. Tell her you have no interest in fueling another rival, and you're sure she doesn't either. Tell her she should try to find the auctioneer in her own way, and so will you.

I guess. Ask Phantom what's her plan. Other than bidding. And if she'd be interested in working together with you to scam the seller.

Just say "Yeah" for now but still obviously go through with our plan. Just because Phantom seemed alright doesn't mean it's worth risking... What is this key for again? Lifting the magic fog around this place? Well in any case a little bit of subterfuge is nothing that can't be talked over afterwards.

>>957939
You know what this means, right? You've gotta get good at controlling your energy.

Maybe you can get more food by selling, like, power favours? Exchange IOUs that say "good for one (1) feat of power, so long as it's not something that hurts anyone or is for asshole purposes or anything like that".

Anyway, whatever you go with will probably require at least looking like you're playing along.

>She wants to know if we're going to play along.
Haha hell no. But we'll tell her yes. But she'll know we're lying. But we'll know she knows and she'll know we know she knows.

Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)16:12 No. 957949 ID: 5fc3a0
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I go back to controlling my energy. I don't think Pillet was bluffing when she said she could beat me with only 10% of my raw power.

Pillet dials someone.

>"Pillet?" asks Phantom. Apparently Pillet has her on speed dial.
>"Yeah it's me, hey. I've got you on speaker. Delli's here."
>"Oh. Hi, Delli."
"Hi, Phantom."
>"Okay stop smooching." says Pillet.
"Did you also realize this is a ploy for power, Phantom?"
>"Yesss?"
"Okay nevermind. Pillet said you were asking if we were going to play along with this auction, and yeah I will. This person did find the key and I do want to get it, and I don't care about food anymore."
>"I don't believe you."
"Wow okay you're right. You're enough rivalry for me. I mean we should at least pretend to play along at first. Can we find this guy?"
>"Maybe."
"What's maybe?"
>"What it is, is that I'm not telling you. I agree that we should at least play along to begin with and prepare our crates of food, but I'm not going to be strung along for weeks."
"I figured if I were serious about this, I'd just wildly outbid you beyond what you could deliver."
>"Maybe he's hoping that'll happen. Maybe after we put in our fees, he's going to drop additional 'rules' on us. With 10 crates needed for each bid, he might remove any sort of minimum bid, but make a maximum bid."
"That'd be fucked up!"
>"Yeah don't give him ideas, Phantom!"
>"You guys are in a secure spot, right?"
"We are. You have a plan?"
>"Simple trackers with the food, to begin with."
"We were going to do the same."
>"Good. We can push back, because there's no other group that can pay what we can pay, and they clearly want to get as much as they can from this. Then again, they are reckless."
"How so?"
>"You're still planning on opening the fog chamber with the keys, right? And removing the fog?"
"Yeah I guess so."
>"And it's generally accepted that the fog is what makes us immortal. So they're willing to remove their own immortality, and ours, just for some food."
"Say, what's stopping me from spying on the delivery?"
>"Not much at first, and they'll assume you will at first. Their countermeasures will be more about making sure you can't secretly follow wherever the goods go. I'm willing to work together, as they're going to try to take advantage of the idea that we're at each others throats. We might even be best off pretending we're trying to undermine each other."
>"Haha, pretending." says Pillet.

How does the internet even work here?

And remind me why we have not killed every person in town then razed it to the ground and shoved all the re spawns into concentration camps? Sure its not polite but neither are the idiots who want to keep everyone trapped in limbo with them forever.

How many keys are we down? Just this one or are there more? (has been a bit.)

If you do not participate in some fashion they might just continue the auction and stop sending you info about it. So we should do something about it probably.

Send yourself in one of the food boxes? All hidden under the sweet sweet chocolate? Then you bust out and save the day.

Also keep practicing you idiot or you will not be top dog for long. Age and treachery beat youth and vigor any day.

Ask Phantom if that means your date (or whatever chill session you had planned) with her tomorrow is canceled.

One nice thing about having all this power is getting to practice with it. This mess could take years if that key keeps getting lost. So practice every moment while you are doing other stuff.

As for the mystery auction people they would give you the key if they wanted the haze gone. And they would give it to Phantom if they just wanted there lives.

Whoever has it wants power. Either by getting food from you or by luring you into a trap and stealing yours. Your girlfriend made the power you have. Someone else could figure out a way to steal it or kill you.

I already voted for you to hide in the food and let yourself get delivered to there mystery location. Everyone else should have pretty tiny powers right now so for a bit you are superman.

>>957949
Well if we're gonna pretend, may as well be convincing. Ask Phantom what she's willing to sacrifice to keep the auctioneer from suspecting that you're working together. Or mostly working together, anyway. Kindof.
You'll go wreck havoc on whatever she gives you, then you can throw in like 50 crates which seems reasonable for a big opening bid where your opponent is crippled.
Wait, won't it be basically impossible for the auctioneer to hide the way they're transporting the food? If you bid enough all at once he's gonna need to bring in a lot of trucks or make multiple trips, which will either leave lots of tracks or be easy to follow.

1/3 Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)17:45 No. 957962 ID: 5fc3a0
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"So what're you willing to sacrifice to keep them from thinking we're working together?"
>"We'll sacrifice our planned hangout until further notice."
"Damn. Okay."
>"Well, I'll be in contact." Phantom hangs up.

I get back to practicing this jenga thing.

"How's the internet work, Pillet?"
>"What? Like in general? Do I look like I know?"
"Hm. I assume there's like, some floating satellite up there, or one of those radio towers or something. Hey what happens if I raze the whole town?"
>"Then I hope you like sleeping on rubble. At least there wouldn't be as many bastards hunting down the keys."
"Yeah, but then we'd need to be immortal in order to spend the eternity it'd take for just you and me to find a single key in the rubblestack. And I don't want to do that anyway."

I can feel the three other keys in my pocket. The other gang leaders didn't break theirs, so it's only Phantom's that's missing.

"Okay, I'm going to leave the details to you since I'm not a people person."

Not like Pillet is any better at being a people person, but she likes doing it.

2/3 Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)17:45 No. 957963 ID: 5fc3a0
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Sure enough, the next day, Pillet gets a private message from the anonymous dealer where and when to deliver the crates. I guess he's giving us and Phantom separate dropoffs. We're told only one person is allowed to deliver the goods, underneath some underpass at night that just screams shady deals. After the deal is made, we'll be allowed to make our opening bids.

Pillet has one of her weird rebel people do the delivery after all the crates are packed up. She didn't tell me all of her plans, but I know that the boxes are picked up by several people!

They're moved to a different truck and driven off to a new location, and then taken off that truck.

3/3 Delli 2020/03/04(Wed)17:46 No. 957964 ID: 5fc3a0
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Then someone opens up my box, moves the food, and finds me.

>"... Uhhhhh. Right, er, looks like I found some contraband."
"Huh?"
>"The boss said we should expect contraband, so that's what we're lookin' for here. I sure didn't expect the contraband would be you, so that's gonna give me some weird nightmares tonight. So er... I think we're gonna have to wait for you to get out and fly away so we can continue working, that'd be great."

Yeah but now I can just hover over you for days. Watching all the time. When you go to pee I will be there. When you sleep I will be there. Just watching and judging.

Eventually you will have to take me to your boss. So why not we get this over with and bring them to me so we can chat?

Munch on chocolate bar and hand him one.

"Would you believe I just happened to fall in? Anyway obviously I'm going to need to fill the space that my body'd been taking up, aren't I?... Got any spare food on you?"

Reach out ever so slowly and place a tracker on his forehead. Then silently float away.

"It was worth a shot at least."

You know Phantom is in the Box next to me right?

>>957967
While hilarious, That is unfortunately a very bad tactical decision, as then they'll know what they're looking for, and since it's unlikely these people are opening up the food to find the trackers we (hopefully) placed in them, but they might start being more through if we give them trouble. But all the same if we just float above them menacingly they'll probably be more reckless! Keep >>957965 in mind for if/when it's required, just don't threaten them immediately.

>>957964
>that's gonna give me some weird nightmares tonight
“Oh yeah? Well you’re gonna give me some weird nightmares! Because holy shit, I thought you were gonna eat me! Do you know how scary you are?! With your mouth and all those sharp teeth in them! Damn!”

>>957964
It seemed marginally clever-er than the expected trackers (you say, pretending not to have included trackers).

Because if he doesn’t put this crate back together and say he disposed of the contraband, you know his face now and there’s an eternity’s worth of sleepless night surprises you can throw at him from here on if he doesn’t.

“I’m not wearing pants.”

"Sorry buddy, this is no longer a case of contraband and weird nightmares. It's a stick up!

Point your finger gun at him and get the others lined up against a wall before you take a picture of them for later identification.

Yeah let's gather some information on them. Also check out the trucks.
You will eventually have to leave so that they can continue with the delivery, of course. Fly off, make note of the location, see if there's any way to follow without being noticed, like hide in clouds or something.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)02:07 No. 957991 ID: 5fc3a0
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"Yeah well your toothy face is going to give me nightmares!"
>"Do you really need to be mean?"
"No I meant it in like a flattering, you're kind of scary look, not a - look nevermind! This was worth a shot but you found me! I'll just hover over you from now on, watching you have nightmares about me! Until you show me your boss."

He turns to the side.

>"Hey Boss!"
>"Yeah? You find something?"
>"Delli's in here!"
>"What do you mea - oh shit."
"You're the boss?"
>"I'm not the boss, if you get me, I'm just in charge of these guys. So - everyone stop what you're doing until Delli leaves! Delli, any other contraband you want to talk about?"
"Phantom's in the box next to me."

The searcher next to me shakes her head.

>"Nice try." says this boss. "Whatever it was you were trying, anyway. Whatever. Please get out of the box and leave."
"I'm not wearing any pants."
>"We're all adults here, aren't we? Come on out."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)02:07 No. 957992 ID: 5fc3a0
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"Way to call my bluff." I say, shimmying around a bit before getting out of the box.
>"Huh, you really aren't. Start searching that box again, Kulton." says the boss, and the toothy guy starts looking at the crate I was in.
>"I found his pants in here!" Kulton says. I think he just took them off. Also there's empty wrappers in here, I think he's been eating some of this stuff."

I get my phone out and raise my finger. I'd slap a tracker on one of their foreheads, but I didn't think to bring my own trackers for this.

"Everyone get on the wall so I can take your pictures, before I start blowing people up!"

They look at their boss for confirmation.

>"No!" he says. "That's enough. The boss said to forgive you for pulling something like this on the first delivery, but not if you push us around. Get out of here, or else I'm going to pull out my phone and report that you failed to deliver."

"You guys take all the fun out of being an unkillable jackass."

Fly away, be pretty obvious about. Leave your pants behind because who cares.

Start calling pillet and tell her your part of the plan didn't work out

>>957993
this

Shoot him and take his phone!
Then interrogate the lackeys and finish what you were saying you were gonna do.

"Come on, just one group selfie before I go! It'll be fun!"
Your pants are done for, there's no getting them back.

Well, if we failed to deliver, it would probably mean that we're out of the game and that Phantom wins. And we can't have that. I'd also assume that if the real boss doesn't get a response from these guys in time, that he would presume they're dead and that we failed.

It looks like we'll need to find another way to find their boss and the key. To begin with, I doubt these food crates will ever come anywhere near the boss or their prized possession, so hmm.

That said, you should totally kidnap that cute girl in the middle back there before leaving.

"Dang it you guys are being way to reasonable about this. Not being a murderous sociopath is probably working against me."

"What happens if I blow up all the food and neither of us end up delivering?"

Before you leave make sure to very carefully float over to the main guy and teabag him before leaving. Just slow zeppelin of junk making a beeline to his dome.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)05:17 No. 957999 ID: 5fc3a0
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"Well there goes the fun in being an unkillable jackass."
>"This might be news to you, but it's it's not so fun being the bottom line!"
"Yeah, I know. Hey what happens if I blow up all the food?"
>"... failure to delivery for sure."
"I mean Phantom's delivery, too."

They shuffle their feet around."

>"You're giving us knowledge above our paygrade." The boss is looking like he's getting impatient, too.

I float out the window. Pretty sure even if I took this guy's phone, someone else would report the failure. There's no cloud cover or anything, so I doubt I can get away with tailing them.

2/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)05:18 No. 958000 ID: 5fc3a0
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I call Pillet.

"Hey Pillet."
>"Hey."
"My hiding in the boxes didn't work."
>"Never coulda seen it coming. The tracker's moving. Did you find anything out when they found you out?"
"Not really. Their trucks had their license plates removed, they didn't say who their boss was, and so on."
>"Wow, nothing? Head on back, then, we'll just wait. Maybe Phantom's feeling generous with information."

If its dark out they cant see you following the trucks if you stay up high. Worst case you get a bit lost and have to fly back home.

Keep practicing power stuff. (Can people sense that? Can you do stealthy things with powers?)

I still think that kidnapping one of them would've been a good idea since it would allow us to question them and learn more about their boss or about their agenda. Actually, maybe if you did it right now, without them noticing it, they might think the person simply went awol.

They have to have lights on to drive if it's as dark as this, right? Just float high above the streets and see if you can see trucks moving and to where. If you don't see anything, that's confirmation at least that they're not using the roads and must have some other route.

Honestly, there's no reason why you can't tail these trucks the old fashioned way. You just need a pair of binoculars so you can tail the rebel funkie making the next drop off and then the trucks. From above the city, as high as you can go without the fog kicking you back into town.

Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)07:51 No. 958015 ID: 5fc3a0
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"Hold on, maybe I can follow them." I look down. "Nevermind they just through a tunnel. Annnd it's the Spaghetti Tunnel, named for its unnavigable roads. Maybe if I follow them..."
>"You think they forgot to have any sentries there to make sure they weren't followed?"
"Mayyybe. Mayyyybe not. Ugh, they might have someone who can sense power too, I don't know."
>"If you can't even suppress your own power, get back here and work on that!"
"I've been trying, but suppressing the most power anyone's ever had in history has proven difficult, Pillet!"
>"Try more than anyone in history has ever tried, then!"
"You're being kind of a bitch right now!"
>"If you don't think you're up to the task, lemme kill you! Come back to base unless you think you can get literally a single piece of information from a single person in that group!"

Maybe I should've kidnapped one of them, but they all stuck together and I'm pretty sure the boss would've said 'failure to delivery' as he loved saying. If I follow them, it'll be risky. Well, worst case is that they don't play along and then Phantom gets the key I guess, but then I just have to find the key anyway!

Retire and go back, grandpa.

You can go all super hero and stick yourself to the bottom of a truck near them. Then quietly sneak along and what the fuck where did all these trucks come from?

Did they just exist here before people came? Have you all been here so long it all got reinvented? How big is the town?

Anyways if you can't sneak after them get back home and prep for the next mission.

1. Get trackers.
2. Find out if you can use your powers for more than basic stuff.
3. Practice power use.
4. Let Pillet come up with a nice plan if she is so smart.
5. Be nice to your girlfriend you doof.
6. Get map of spaghetti mess for future trips.
7. Explore said interchange.
8. Accidentally get into a fight over said intersection and collapse the entire fucking thing so the next shipment can not sneak around down there.
9. Use your powers to burrow around all over a hundred feet under town to find hidden area's
10. Fly straight up for a hour.

>>958015
ask pillet if there is a power for scrying if you try hard enough

...Wait a second, I just thought of two very important questions. The first and less immediately pressing one is: How hasn't overpopulation utterly fucked (heh) over this town? I mean, when you're immortal I imagine sex becomes more and more appealing as you run out of other things to do, and since more children mean more people that will grow up to make more children, it seems like things would get out of hand very fast.

The second and far more important matter is: Why don't we just give Pillet all our power? Not to put you down or anything Delli, but I think even you can admit she's far more qualified for it and if she asked you to do something you'd do it with minimal questioning, so why not cut out the middle man and be able to brag about having the most powerful girlfriend in the world and also not have to deal with that responsibility yourself. This all comes at the cost of... Being dead for a month? Since it's not like Pillet would get rid of the haze with you dead. And if you're worried about her only wanting you for your power or whatever, do remember that she was your sorta kinda maybe girlfriend even when you were just a random goon.

And now for two far less meaningful questions: One, what species even is Pillet? Two, have you put out for her?

There's always tomorrow.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)13:38 No. 958045 ID: 5fc3a0
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I guess I'll explore the interchange later. Or get a map or something.

I float back to base.

"Is there a power for scrying?"
>"For what?"
"Like... magic crystal ball, viewing... them."
>"Never heard of anyone with that ability, nope. So how many people were there, when you were found?"
"I guess about 6 or 7?"
>"Hmm, and they had a bigger boss? Let's see... I put a tracker in each of the ten boxes. One of them just showed up again. The rest must still be underground." She gestures at her computer, where there's a blip on her map. "You can check it out, but I've got a guy nearby otherwise."
"If you're so smart, how about you come up with a plan?"
>"We put a bounty on information leading to these guys. They can't all be loyal, and I'm sure a lot of the people you spoke with wanted some of that food for themselves. If I had your power, I'd be flying around underground right now to see what I stumble on. You can probably fly through ground like most people could fly through air, too bad you're one lazy goat."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/05(Thu)13:38 No. 958046 ID: 5fc3a0
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>"Yeah well, you're one lazy... what are you anyway?"
"Who cares."

I guess I could fly around to see what I find. I know flying upwards will just get me to the fog, and it'll spit me back out in a random spot, but downwards might have cool ruins or something I don't know. She is right though and I feel like every moment I spend not blowing something up or threatening to blow something up is squandering the power.

Maybe she should have it. I mean, she probably would treat me well. And we weren't dating or anything before I got her powercluster, but she always seemed welcoming to me. It's a miracle I remembered her number, because I don't remember her well before I got this power. I'm struggling to remember, and I vaguely remember a time when there were there were less people. Less towering buildings. Even less vehicles, and the vehicles that did exists were practically just 4 wheels on a box powered by energy batteries, because people weren't as good at making materials from their own energy.

So, I think she'd treat me alright even if I went back to square one. It is true that she's more competent than me with using power, so she could make better use of it.

But on the other hand... that's kind of scary. Her bigger plan is to remove immortality. Maybe it's still me on my power high, but I don't know if I'm on board with that anymore.

What's the point of immortality if it means staying here? Get digging!

This is why you should, for the time being, focus on staying alive and staying powered up. Remember how the gangs were assholes to everyone? Literally by not doing anything you're passively improving the lives of everyone else here. And making all the high functioning big-plan lunatics cool their freaking jets and start having dialogue with each other about this has been a pretty good start. Just remember, "immortality" might be nice now, but at some point it's going to be a living hell, either when overpopulation ruins things or the landscape becomes so completely destroyed over time that it's impossible to build back from. You don't have to end it now, but you should plan that sometime in the future it'll have to happen just for the sake of escaping when it comes time.

>>958046
Go dig around underground and find cool shit.

Well giving ultimate power to someone else is kind of a big decision, and it's not one you really make on the spot. Good thing digging around gives you a lot of time to think! Try looking around where the trackers last dissappeared and see if there's anything there first, just to have an idea on what to do.

Dude you have been here in a funk so long that a civilization has grown up around you. Are you actually happy or just not miserable?

Regardless its your power until its not and if you get all the keys you will be the one to decide anyways.

So go explore for sweet ruins!

Slap your bitch's butt before you go.

Pillet has been here so long her species went extinct in the outside world. Heck you have been here since forever.

Just get the keys and decide later. And go ruin hunting cause that sounds like learning sweet mysteries about this place.

If the key was destroyed and you had to wait it out, it might make sense to let yourself get killed by Pillet. But until then, it would hinder the current situation.

Tell her that violence isn't going to get us the key here. We'll need to be more overt.

I also think that the chance their boss having direct contact with anyone in their group is low. At least if they were smart. If I was them, I'd only communicate with their own group through electronic means.

Ask Pillet if she knows any radio technicians or hackers that might be able to trace signals or devices in the city.

Immortal life is meaningless though. Emotions, experiences, even loved ones; all of it means nothing without mortality. Death is an important part of that cycle, to deny it is to deny life. You’re not living, you’re just sort of existing. Haze town is nothing but an endless purgatory.

Pillet is right, breaking out should be your goal. And maybe she does deserve your powers, but that’s a big decision and shouldn’t be made too quickly. For now, see what you can find underground. But try not to wreck too much shit on your way.

Just go back to jenga, Delli. But maybe try it with a big stack of furniture pieces to see if it's a bit easier than focusing on a very small set of jenga blocks.

You have to keep her honest. She'll do anything to achieve her goals, which is dangerous. The fact that you haven't been using your power to break sit and hurt people is a good thing.

Try flying underground, without causing earthquakes if you please.

Look, to be frank man, the reason a lot more people aren't on your case is because they don't really see you as a threat. Everyone knows you're kind of a goof by now and that's probably relazing to them. Give the power to someone who everyone things is smarter and more ambitious and people will be a lot more stressed and willing to try more desperate things.

No offense, like. This is public perception.

>If you don't think you're up to the task, lemme kill you!
How much of your time in the bedroom is her half-playing half-totally-serious doing stuff that could result in your death?

>>958046
If you went back to square one, you probably wouldn't be able to pseudo-flirt with phantom anymore. No reason to talk to you if you're a scrub, and she'd probably resent you passing the power back to Pillet, since she's more of a direct threat / harder to deal with, than you.

>>"This might be news to you, but it's it's not so fun being the bottom line!"
>"Yeah, I know.
Honestly, this is your best reason for holding onto these powers. You still remember what it's like to be a powerless guy on the bottom, which gives you a perspective more in common than any of the powered types. So long as the jerk with powers has perspective, the situation has improved somewhat.

>just fly through solid ground looking for a hidden base
If you did that, wouldn't that just cause collapses and stuff above ground? You're not a geologist, you don't know what dirt and rock not to break.

...if whoever is doing this understands your level of power, it's probably not an obvious underground base. Or anything that would look out of place if you started blowing shit up. I bet they took the stuff underground as cover, and wherever they're holed up, it blends in, like a normal warehouse or shop or something. A grocery store or something would kind of be a perfect place to hide all these food deliveries.

1/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)05:05 No. 958107 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158349991911.png - (209.66KB , 800x800 , 237.png )

"You know what, Pillet, flying around underground doesn't seem a half bad idea. While I'm down there, do we have any hackers or whatever to figure out who the boss is? Or that anonymous guy from the chatroom?"
>"That's mostly Phantom's bag, but I can go heckle the communication tower, they might keep records on who connected to what."

She gets up and I slap her butt.

>"Har har get to doing something, dork."
"Yeah yeah."

I'll hang onto my power now anyway, even if Pillet obviously wants it. At least she hasn't tried to kill me in my sleep or during sex. Yet.

2/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)05:05 No. 958108 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158349993422.png - (208.24KB , 800x800 , 238.png )

I fly underground and I only make my tunnel as wide as myself so that I don't cause earthquakes.

I'm mostly just finding the same kind of old town ruins that were around when I met Pillet. They go pretty deep, and I can go deeper still. I run into the fog a few times and get spat back out into town, but I go back down again. I figure if there's anything good down here, it'll be on the border of the fog.

3/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)05:05 No. 958109 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158349994698.png - (189.45KB , 800x800 , 239.png )

Oh! This time I crashed into something weird.

Huh, I think this was Phantom's gang logo decades ago.

Carefully inspect it and clear out a wider area before considering breaking it.

Is this stone and you were flying thru earth before? Or is it some weird haze town mystery stone/metal that can still bruise your snoot even with all the power you have.

Was that half rip in the "tape?" there before or did you just cause it by running into it?

Long story short see if you can burrow around it to get a feel for its size and location and how anyone would have gotten in here in the first place. If you can find its entrance and sneak in that way we can avoid messing it up on the off hand chance you want to use it for cool stuff later. No use ruining a nice secret base really.

Try to open the way in a way that doesn't cause a cave-in to whatever space is behind there.

>>958109
well it says not to break and phantom probably knows whats in there so just go stright up and call phantom instead of jinxing it.

Take a picture of that 'do not break tape' that's almost broken, see what either Phantom or Pillet have to think about it once you get phone signal again. It might scare their pants off which would be funny. DON'T break it, it's probably a booby trap for exactly what you're doing.

Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)06:59 No. 958118 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158350675879.png - (198.08KB , 800x800 , 240.png )

This surface feels like some kind of artificial material. I didn't hurt myself flying into it, but it's so much tougher than the earth and rock I've been going through, that I rammed straight into it and got my snout dirty. I still put a crack in it and messed up the tape, so I can definitely break through it easily enough. It's probably not the food auctioneer's base I'm after. Come to think of it, they're probably delivering to a grocery store or something.

I circle around it a little bit. It's covered in this tape, and I think it's a sphere. Then I find a hatch.

Now, I could call Phantom or Pillet and see what they make of this weird thing, but I don't get reception down here. I'd have to fly all the way back up, and that could take entire minutes. And the hatch is right here.

Pfff, caution, patience, fuck all of that nonsense, go right ahead.

Burrow around the area a little bit more before opening things. If this room does not have a tunnel attached to it or the ruins of one, then its some sort of long term storage that only a high powered person could access.

Once you check for entrances to the surface go ahead and open the door. You know you don't have the self control to wait.

Think, yon gote! What if this is some sort of trap and you get merked so some other shmuck with less moral fiber than you gets all your power? Pillet will be pissed and you wont have super powers to save yourself with!

Call Pillet, be smart! A couple minutes up and back is a lot shorter than however long Pillet will keep you dead!

Pillet would say open it, Phantom would say get away from it.

You also can't fly away because there's a chance you wouldn't be able to find your way back with all the convoluted tunnels that you made.

Anyway, I think this may be the same energy growth chamber that Pillet used to grow the energy which you stole in the beginning.

Open up the kinder surprise. By spinning that wheel mind you.

Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)07:27 No. 958125 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158350847458.png - (209.44KB , 800x800 , 241.png )

I know I don't have the self control to wait. Especially since I don't know if I could find my way back here easily. I open up the hatch.

>"Hello. Were you the one causing the tremors outside?"
"Uh yeah."
>"Okay. You must be new. Where is your mask?"
"I'm Delli. I'm not a mask wearer."
>"Oh."

>"Please leave."
"No."
>"What do you want, then?"
"What is this place?"
>"A library."

>>958125
A library open only to Phantom's people? Ask if you can check out a book. Walk around anyways.

>>958125
"Why is this place however many hundreds of feet below ground? Why are you all wearing masks? What does that sign behind you saying "Olley" mean?"

Of course if he starts giving you shit just flex your power.

Eat the books. This will let you gain their power.

Tell them that you'd like to read Dynastic Towers by Van Quela.

Also, ask them how do they live down here. Do they get any visitors?

Let's keep things close to the vest, at first. What's stored here? What can they do to stop you? If they hesitate, do as you please. If they say "nothing"? Be careful. Phantom likes to play spy games, and the other gang leaders probably weren't really her friends.

"Why did it say "do not break" outside, and uhhh is it a problem there's kind of a crack-slash-dent in the side of this place now? Also how long have you been in here if you don't know who I am, I'm not being snotty or anything like I genuinely figured all you folks would know by now."

Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)07:55 No. 958134 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351012962.png - (134.39KB , 800x800 , 242.png )

"What do you guys do down here? Also how?"
>"We read and research. We don't eat or get visitors often, but we're all recluses down here, so it's okay. We also tend to the books, and the library. For instance, we'll be doing repairs on the outside since it sounds as though you may have hollowed out our surroundings some."
"Yeah I may've cracked the side when I ran into it. Why'd the outside say do not break, anyway?"
>"Many of the bookshelves reach to the wall. You'd be risking damaging or destroying lots of knowledge if you broke in. On behalf of our work and the authors whose work only exists here, thank you for not forcing your way in."
"Why's this so hidden anyway?"
>"Many books hold dangerous knowledge, some of which Phantom's rivals would not want. Or at least, that's how it was when this library was made."

>Eat books to gain their power
Maaaan if only it worked that way...

"Can I check out a book?"

She types, then I hear an instant message chime a moment later.

>"That may depend on the book."
"How about Dynastic Towers?"
>"Hmm... all of our copies are checked out, currently. Phantom says she could give you a copy herself, but she also questions if you have better things to do right now."

No, indulging curiosity is the noblest pursuit of mankind. Also f*rries. What're the masks for?

>>958134
"...Probably." But still take a quick walk/fly around to see if anything catches your eye.

Tell her to ask Phantom if she'd be ok with you sexing this nerd.

Other than that, check if there's any books on the short history of this city, or any books that teach on effective use of one's power.

>>958134
You can pick up that book next time you meet phantom face-to-face. A book on how to train your power control would be appreciated. Let's get that and bounce. Let Pillet know about this pace.

So did you and the others here write all the books yourselves?

And what sort of knowledge would be considered dangerous?

Take a short tour of the library. It's good that this place exists. If it was not so secret it likely it would have gotten blown up at some point.

Let the librarian know you will keep there secret. Find out how to get back here properly though.

I mean yes, but you've probably never seen a library this cool before. C'mon, at least ask when their hours are.

1/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)09:22 No. 958151 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351534436.png - (140.22KB , 800x800 , 243.png )

"What sort of books are considered dangerous?"
>"I wouldn't know, I keep away from those."
"Well while you've got Phantom on the line, can you ask her if it's okay with me hitting on this nerd?"
>"What ner - Oh!"

Haha I got her riled up.

>"No I - that isn't appropriate. I've heard you were dating Pillet?"
"Yeah whatever she's probably cheating on me right now anyway. Why're you wearing that mask anyway?"
>"Phantom's gang is an entire team. We wear masks to remind us that our identities as individuals aren't as important as our part of the gang."
"So how come it's known as Phantom's Gang?"
>"Because the public misunderstood out name. We were the Gang of Phantoms, plural, not Phantom's Gang. That is most likely how Phantom lost her original name, too."
"Huh, okay. Well tell Phantom no, I really don't have anything better to do than indulge my curiosity."

2/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)09:22 No. 958152 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351535576.png - (230.13KB , 800x800 , 244.png )

I float around and check out the books. There's a lot of people here on computers, typing up with a book in front of them. They might be digitizing books here for posterity, and that makes sense because I'm finding a lot of books that either look like they're going to explode into an atmospheric hazard if I touch them, or like they're more useful as an isolated petri dish of bacteria than as some kind of knowledge bank.

3/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)09:23 No. 958153 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351538962.png - (221.85KB , 800x800 , 245.png )

While I'm looking, another one of Phantom's goons come running at me - oh that is Phantom. She must've flew here as soon as she could.

>"What are you doing here? Is it just because it's hidden that it appeals to you as some kind of forbidden fruit?"
"... Yeah?"
>"Ugh, it's just a library, like a personal project, it's not nearly as rivetting as it must be in your head."
"But look at all these books. I just found that this whole section is entirely devoted to book about training one's energy!"
>"There's a whole section of books like this in public libraries. Better ones, too, improved upon the books you see here!"
"Oh. Are there books on the history of the city?"
>"Yes, also in public libraries, like Dynastic Towers. That one takes the best of many books on the history of the town and distills it into a thorough outlook of our history, and even manages to make it sound like a story rather than a boring timeline of names and dates."
"You seem really uncomfortable with me here, you know."
>"This is a project I started in a past life, and you, a bomb, just rolled into the middle of it! Of course I'm nervous! How did you even find this place?"
"I just sort of dug down."
>"You did not come straight down."
"Well no I was curving around all over the place searching for cool stuff."
>"Cool stuff?! Like a library?"
"Forbidden secret library. We've been over this."
>"It's Olley's Memorial Library, Delli! You decided it was forbidden on your own!"
"I'm pretty sure the front desk secretary decided that."

That mask is not hiding her flustered face at all.

Bully her into submission as you demand to know her innermost secrets.

>>958153
get phantom to show you her favorite romance novel

Phantom you know I am not a crazy power mad idiot by now. I am not going to wreck your personal library or hurt anyone here or tell anyone about it.

Cept Pillet maybe? But now would be the time to bribe me if you want it totally secret.

Ask her how to get in the proper way in the future and show you around. It is a very nice little project she has here.

(If you make her give you a tour you can tell if she has secret stuff hidden here by watching her flustered levels as you move around the building.)

Oh wait ask who Olley is and why this is a memorial to them.

>>958153
Remind her that blushing looks real good on her. Ask if she brought a copy of dynastic towers with her. She said herself that you have better things to be doing so if she wants to expedite this process she should have brought a copy for you. This place seems more like a preservation project than a library, honestly.

Maybe this is where she keeps her fanfiction.

>[Pillet] is probably cheating on me right now
Oof. You sure your relationship is healthy? Or is sleeping around just kind of a side effect of being immortal?

Anyways yes bully the Phantom but not too much since you do want to keep her at least more or less on your good side.

>>958153
Ask if she’s got any books on the keys and the fog? There’s gotta be a reason someone designed an off switch for the whole immortality thing.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)10:23 No. 958164 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351899380.png - (143.09KB , 800x800 , 246.png )

"What makes you think I'm going to wreck your personal library?"
>"Nothing, but nothing makes me think you won't either."
"Well I won't. So who's Olley?"
>"I don't know, no one remembers."
"So..."
>"Yes, it's ironic, I know."
"How about a tour. You can show me your favorite romance novel!"
>"I don't have high opinions of that stuff."
"Hm."
>"But if you insist... fine, a tour, but don't we have more important things to do? The auction is still going on, and our anonymous contact of course got riled up that we tried to follow him."
"Huh? I've been letting Pillet deal with that..."
>"Well all of your trackers were found, and a couple of my spies were spotted."
"Right, did you find anything about them?"
>"Not really. He chose Pillet the first to up the bid, so she did just before I left for here."
"Oh, okay."
>"You sound oddly disinterested in the keys."
"They aren't going anywhere, Pillet's on the job probably and right now I'm in your cool library."
>"Thanks."
"Huh?"
>"For calling it... nevermind."
"Blushing looks good on you, you know."
>"I am not blushing!"
"Mhm."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)10:24 No. 958166 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158351907629.png - (160.48KB , 800x800 , 247.png )

>"Are you... are you hitting on me? Aren't you and Pillet dating?"
"Yeah and if I slept with another girl she'd pat me on the back and say good going! Yeah but like I told your secretary, she's probably cheating on me right now anyway so it's okay."
>"Gods, she is such a bad influence... or were you always like this? I'm going to ignore why in town you would tell your secretary that, but is your relationship with Pillet at all healthy?"
"You care?"
>"I'm... conflicted, about it."
"Well rest assured that I'm not dating Pillet for my health, Phantom! I can't think of anything about that girl that's healthy."
>"No kidding... but then... really, are you okay with that, if she does it? Or is it just because she'd be okay with you doing it?"
"Whenever I think about who she's cheating on me with, my mental image is her and Soletta and that's pretty hot."
>"That's enough, I'm sorry I cared! I don't mind a quick tour I guess, but I've never given one before. It's just historical books."
"Seems like a preservation project."
>"It's that, too."
"I'd like to see books on the keys and the fog."
>"That's dangerous knowledge, Delli, for you. Because I don't think you're a scholar, you're going to read a little bit of the books for awhile, get bored, and leave with only a little knowledge on the topic but with all the power to experiment with it."
"And that's dangerous how?"
>"It's dangerous in the same way that it's dangerous to try to make explosives with only a little bit of knowledge on how to make them. It's safer to know either as much as possible, or nothing at all. That's especially true on this topic, where there's so much misinformation."

Study her hips and titties then.

"Well you had better point me in the right direction then!"

"So how long have you been in Haze Town?" (don't mention just yet that you might be old enough to have been here since day one.)

"Honestly Phantom if you want me to not use the keys you should teach me as much as possible so I can make a educated choice on the matter."

Chat with her and find out what sort of neat research she has done on things.

>>958168
It's a fair point to see if either of you have the time and patience to learn more about her stance about the keys.

Tell her that you got her to guard you from misinformation and that if there would be anyone who you'd trust to be able to give you a proper synopsis of things, it would be her. Besides, her spying endeavors are on pause right now and this place looks cozy (and private) enough for you to put her on your lap and rub her ears while she reads you stuff.

>>958166
Ask her if there's any cool forbidden knowledge that wouldn't be dangerous in your hands.

That's true. But hey, when you get all the keys you're going to want to be a friggin' consummate expert in this stuff. Maybe ask to see her favorites, and ask if any of her employees would be willing to at least write a review or something of the most important parts and biggest misconceptions.

Could you quickly reassess how completely irresponsible you think I am? I'm already plenty dangerous on my own and I haven't wrecked anything. Not even your secret forbidden library!

I'm thinking that's not the whole truth though, if a figurative botched chemistry experiment went off in my face it'd be good for you 'cause I'd be dead and my power would become untethered!

1/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)12:44 No. 958207 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158352749103.png - (242.86KB , 800x800 , 248.png )

"How long've you been in Haze Town?"
>"At least 5 lifetimes plus this one. It's too blurry beyond that."
"Wow, uh, that's some kind of memory record."
>"It's not, if you have the resources to help you remember each time. I wish I could remember farther, still. How far back do you remember?"
"One. I think. Maybe more but they blur together? I never thought much about my own rebirths."
>"Hm. If you die repeatedly in a single lifetime, it does make it more difficult, so that makes sense. And you are death prone."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Phantom pauses for a second when I say that.
>"I found out that just before you got Pillet's power cluster, you picked a fight at the vending machine. It's not a stretch in logic to think that people who pick fights like that are death prone, right? Just how many times have you died since you were born?"
"You know what that's enough on that! That was past me, new me is a powerhouse! One that's hardly blown anything up since I blew you up! Maybe it's time to reassess how irresponsible I am?"
>"... I'll try."
"Okay, then point me in the right direction to learn about keys. If you want me to not use the keys, you should teach me as much as possible, unless you don't think the educated choice is the right choice?"
>"I think you'd be better off learning how to be good manager, since you have the effective power to be in charge."
"I left Pillet in charge of that."
>"That's incredibly irresponsible. Is there really nothing else you want to study? You must find the study of at least one topic enjoyable. I can help you with just about anything."
"Maybe if there's other forbidden knowledge, that's less dangerous!"
>"Such as?"
"Such as your hips and tits!"
>"Oh my god."
"And you sure can help with that!" I wink.
>"Fine. If it distracts you from half-assedly studying keys... follow me."

I think she's joking, but she actually turns around and walks. I play along, but there's no joking as she leads me to some dark, forgotten corners of the library, and the worse the lighting gets the sleazier I start feeling.

"Phantom, you know I wasn't serious? You don't have to - "
>"Here."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)12:45 No. 958208 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158352751507.png - (225.14KB , 800x800 , 249.png )

She hands a book to me.

>"This is an anatomy book. It's not much, but it should tell you want you want to know."

Even with her mask she can't keep a straight face, because she fucks up and lets out a snrk.

"... you god damned sassy little rabbit, you got me."
>"Ha, ha. Really, take it. It's not an anatomy book, I was joking. It's a list of hypothesis on what the keys could be and where they came from."
"Just hypothesese?"
>"It'll give you a good idea about how little is really known about them and how many guesses exist. It's an okay foundation for what to expect in your studies, if you're serious about this."
"What else you got?"
>"Right now, you'll have to take more by force. When you're done with that book, I'll quiz you on it. If you pass, I'll give you more options for new books, and quizzes on those will unlock more. Oh, and Dynastic Towers will be extra credit. We can make a little game of it. Is that okay?"

Bite it, Delli. How do you know that isn't how it works? You haven't checked since you became the big strong guy. And goats can eat anything.

Well, not with that mask still on, lookin' like it was made out of a paper plate.

But yeah, might as well play along. It will help build up rapport with her, and as much as I'd love to perform strip quiz you are actually here to learn things, and you can surely bargain for a date if you get everything right.

"Yeah that sounds fun actually. And will be a good way to grade my attention span."

"Honestly though from what you are telling me all these books are just people pondering on what they keys do via study right? So no hard answers just lots of thoughts?"

"Also what prize do I get if I pass your quiz?" Then give her a half suggestive leer.

Tell her your earliest memory of Haze town and see if she has any idea how long ago that was in comparison to her.

This is literally exactly what you want.

Also being a manager sounds kind of good but like, the cool manager that just makes sure people don't murder each other while everyone does what they're good at. Look, you're new at this, they all know you are. But now that you're here, you might at least try to be a little better at it. Whatever "it" is.

Tell her you didn't really use to get much opportunity to read in your current life so... it seems more interesting than blowing stuff up at this point.

Also, does that mean you can't borrow her ears while you read? It would help you concentrate!

>>958208
"so your saying I should take you by force then Phantom?" if she can gotcha you you can gotcha her right back

>>958208
Sure.

Playing games and taking by force, damn and I was supposed to be the flirty one. I will concede and take up your threats of a good time. Do I need a library card?

1/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)13:50 No. 958223 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158353141705.png - (136.53KB , 800x800 , 250.png )

"So I should take you by force then, huh?"
>"I'm afraid every time you say something like that, because I'm afraid that one of these days, it won't be a joke."
"Eesh. Yeah, I'll play along with the book game thing. Do I get any other prizes for passing your quiz?"
>"The more you show restraint for me, the easier it'll be to reassess you. So whether or not it's a prize depends on how much you care about my esteem."

>Are you sure you can't eat books for their power
>Bite it
>Goats can eat anything

2/3 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)13:51 No. 958224 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158353148715.png - (169.70KB , 800x800 , 251.png )

>"Just so you know, that book is the original version hand written by the author himself, over two centuries ago after lifetimes of study. My esteem for you is building slowly, but it is building, and your teeth are half a centimeter away from losing all of it."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)13:52 No. 958225 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158353155191.png - (125.51KB , 800x800 , 252.png )

I pull the book back out.

"Okay okay. This is by far the most disgusting tasting paper I've ever had anyway. Hey, I'm curious how far back I can remember and the most distant memory I I have was hanging out at an unpopulated vending machine."
>"An unpopular vending machine?"
"Yeah I can't remember the name of it, but it only served really shitty coffee and artificial food, neither of which gave energy. So no one really cared, but me and some pals hang around it. I remember it being really cold, and I might've been playing hookey or something? I guess that's not much to go off of, now that I said it."
>"It's not, but I think I know those. It served coffee at a temperature so high that you had to wait like half an hour before you could even drink it?"
"Yeah!"
>"Right. They disappeared about thirty years ago, when Splicer made artificially supplied vending machines illegal. But, they were around for a long time, so if you don't remember anything else, then all we can say is that you remember at least thirty years back."
"Oh, okay. That's not far at all, huh. So I guess that's it. Should I get a library card or something?"
>"No, I'll have books taken back and delivered to you directly. Is there anything else you want while you're here?"
"Can I rub your ears again?"
>"I have things to do."

Maybe apologize about the "by force" comment. You're (1) used to being completely pathetic so that isn't really anything people could take seriously, and (2) used to pillet, who is pillet, and you probably don't need to elaborate on that re: bad influences

Oh well. Tell her that you'd want to check the section on energy because you'd like to find out if there's any way to use your energy to learn faster. Unless she knows it's not possible, in which case you're ok with leaving.

It was nice seeing her cute self again.

>>958225
but are they more important then the pride and accomplishment of having wonderful ears? its not like I am here to distract you while Pillet raids all the energy or something crazy like that

"But do you have better things to do?"

fffine, only because that by force comment is still fresh. Are you operating any other underground facilities I ought to know about?

>>958227
Yeah, maybe apologize

Also, thirty years? is that okay? are we okay?

"What is the proper way to come down here? I do not want to be leaving tunnels everywhere or accidentally damaging your library."

"Also what is your advice for dealing with the key bandits? I know either one of us want the other to have it but we are also not going to let them get strong on months of our food stores. I am going to attempt to be as subtle as possible but push come to shove things are likely to get blown up."

"You know while I do like Pillet I am not her. I don't know what will happen if I use all the keys but maybe its better than living in a fog where 30 years passed like a day. "

"But life could be good here if people like me did not have to live in a haze and be killed on the drop of the hat because someone tried to steal there food."

Head on out and either loop around a bit looking for more secrets or head back home to read.

That is not a direct no.. regardless, let's head out for now. Thank her for humoring you.

Phantom is a cute librarian nerd!

>aren't you dating Pillet
She didn't object when we hit on Phantom right in front of her. As I recall, she egged it on.

>book on management
>leaving it to Pillet is bad
Haze town was pretty shitty under the gangs, and while Pillet has talent for... being a rebel leader, she really hasn't shown a talent for making life not suck for people. If you want life to not suck for the non-super-powered people, like you used to be, maybe that would be a good thing to read?

You don't have to be a master bureaucrat to learn how to avoid some obvious mistakes, at least.

>>"I have things to do."
Ears and things, and rubbing them is a thing to do!

Yeah, okay. Sorry for busting into your library. Was hoping to stumble across our blackmailer's secret base, didn't think I would stumble across one of yours.
...actually, come to think of it, you and the gangs probably have a lot more secret bases than our mystery person, if I just search randomly.

Hmm, maybe she can give you an area to search?

1/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)16:04 No. 958245 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158353945503.png - (149.98KB , 800x800 , 253.png )

"Are they better things, beyond the the pride and accomplishment from having great ears?"
>"Thank you, but yes, I strive for things better than my ears."
"And it's not like I'm distracting you from Pillet raiding everyone for their energy!"
>"Why did you need to distract her?"
"Huh? Wait has she actually been doing that?"
>"Yes?! Who do you think she is? I haven't complained because it's not like she's going around maiming random civilians on the street, but she's been picking off a lot of smaller gangs. Every day I hope she bites off more than she can chew gets killed."
"Damn, that's my girlfriend you're talking about."
>"And even if you're not Pillet, her amount of influence right now is alarming."
"If you say so. Oh before I forget, I'm looking for books on how to control my own energy."
>"Hrm..... Try 'You and Yourself'. You don't need my library for that, you can find it in the main town."
"Did you hesitate to tell me even that?"
>"Yes. I'm giving you advice on how to get stronger despite how we're enemies. You do remember that, can you?"
"I forget it while hanging out with you. Hey, how do I get to this place properly anyway?"
>"... I... I'll tell you if you study well. Until then, I'm just going to deliver your books to you."
"Hah okay well sorry for busting into your library. Apparently if I search randomly, I'll be finding all sorts of gang leader hideouts. So do I need to study well to get your advice on dealing with the key bandits?"
>"I'm not giving you advice on that. What part of 'we're enemies' don't you get?"

She takes my wrist and leads me away. I'd crack a joke, and it's not like she gave me a 'no' on rubbing the ears, but...

2/2 Delli 2020/03/06(Fri)16:04 No. 958246 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158353946736.png - (184.93KB , 800x800 , 254.png )

"Uh, hey, sorry about the bad jokes. I'm used to being so pathetically weak that no one can take me seriously. Definitely not used to power."
>"But now you are in power, and your perspective I and the other original gang leaders lost means you should know better. You know what it's like to have someone extraordinarily more powerful than you make demands. You know how little it matter whether or not they're joking, because they get to hurt you based than the impression you left on them. You know how worthless your own feelings are when you're too powerless to stand up for them."
"... You know, this is the second time today I've felt bad for this crap, but you know how to drill it home."
>"I'm relieved you have the conscience needed to feel bad about it, and I hope that for as long as possible, it stays that way. I don't dare hope it'll last forever. I believe your power is going to change you for the worse. You certainly don't take your position seriously."
"Hey, that's not fair - "
>"Don't you dare tell me you take your position seriously until you put on some pants.

She led me to a hatch, and she opens it now.

>"This leads directly into the fog. After you, please."

Wait a minute, you didn't leave the keys in your pants pocket did you?

>into the fog
Do you really need to leave that way? You can just go out the way you came in.
...would you lose the keys if you went into the fog?

Oh, oops! Cover your groin. Ask her why she didn't warn you sooner!

Thank her for her time, and off you go. And get that "You and Yourself" book on the way back to Pillet from some library.

Something gives me the impression she won't follow you at all.

Alright then, here's a question- if everybody comes back from death anyway, what's there to take seriously? Life goes on no matter what disasters befall us, but here not even individuals are lost. If I die, someone else will gain my power and to 90% of people that will mean no difference at all.

Fall over backward into the hatch while blowing a kiss. You don't even need to wait for a response if you don't want to hear it!

Check for secret murder blender.

Ask how you should come back in the future. Sure she will be delivering books but you do not want to keep cracking the walls with your nose.

Point taken. Try to pay better attention to your phrasing. And definitely remember the power corrupts thing, it's absolutely not just a saying.

She isn't being totally fair to you. After all, if you hadn't pushed for it, she probably wouldn't have come out on Valentine's day. But she seems to tend towards being scared as hell of everything, be it being weak despite enormous sprawling gang resources, losing immortality, or other stuff, so it's probably good if you tell her you'll lay off and try to pay more attention to other people's perceptions of you.

Also maybe tell her to call you out if you start to act excessively like a dick. Or if she's afraid to, tell pillet to do it since she definitely won't hesitate to talk shit to you.

As chummy as we might be acting, it's worth getting a second opinion on where that hatch leads. Ladies first!

>>958250
It's fine, I think? He ran into the fog a few times here. >>958108 It just warps you back.

>Pillet killing gangs
Hmm. Maybe you should talk to her about that. Which gangs is she picking off, and why? Do they deserve it?

>I believe your power is going to change you for the worse.
Did you think it changed you for the worse, when you were in power?

"As your enemy who holds most of the power in this town, I'd argue that my increasingly destructive boredom and immortality is precisely why the fog must go."

Down the hatch, Delli.

>>958246
You really should find out what exactly you can do with your powers.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)09:58 No. 958347 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158360392503.png - (147.05KB , 800x800 , 255.png )

I check to make sure I was at least wearing my boxers. No one's called me out on not wearing pants since I took them off. My keys are still safely tucked in under my shirt, too.

"What's there to take seriously when we don't die?"
>"Because it still takes effort to live well! I thought you'd know this."
"As the enemy that holds almost all the power in town, maybe my destructive boredom and immortality is a reason why the fog's got to go."

I look down. It is just fog, there's no secret murder blender, not like that'd be much of a threat now.

"Oh, uh, one more question. Did power change you for the worse, do you think?"
>"Of course it did, but it's not like I was a hero to begin with. That was Splicer."
"... Splicer? That asshole that messed with me and tried to bribe me with food to give up or something?"
>"I'd say one and the same, but he used to be the closest thing this town had to a people's hero. He's changed the most. Then again, when he confronted you, he spent so long not killing you that he must still have a soft heart."
"Oh?"
>"That's a tale for another time. Please go."
"Ladies first?"

She pauses.

>"Ladies first." She gestures at me to go in.
"That's the spirit. Call me out if I'm being a dick, okay?"

I fall backwards through it.

2/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)09:59 No. 958348 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158360397121.png - (179.00KB , 800x800 , 256.png )

Once I pick up the book she recommended, I get back to base.

>"You were gone for awhile! Find something cool?" asks Pillet.
"Phantom's secret library."
>"Oh shit, I started doubting that it existed. You know how to get there?"
"Kind of? Phantom said she'd tell me how to get there after after 'studying well'. Uh I'll tell you later. Have you been going around beating up gangs, Pillet?"
>"Hell yeah! Before you get all conscientious objector on me, they're basically a buncha upstart dicks trying to fill in a power vacuum that doesn't exist."
"Cool. So find anything out the auctioneers, Pillet?"
>"Not yet!"
"Not so easy, huh?"
>"Shut your mouth, I did capture someone. There was one tracker that got visible, and it's because someone was a traitor. They grabbed a huge backpack full of candy from the crate and fled, and it just so happened they grabbed one with the tracker in it. So we stole it all back and kidnapped him, but now he wants a huge price to spill the beans on who's behind this."

Yeah sure lets go take a look at him. If his info is solid we can drown him in food.

I thought Phantom said that they removed all the trackers.

>him
Eh. Is he cute?

>>958348
give him 2 crates of food or an energy blast to the face. next time he respawns you can just pick him up and offer the same deal

Flat out ask her if she'd be mad with you sexing up Phantom if you got the chance.

>>958348
Could be a secondary extortion racket. Pay ‘em off and put better-hidden trackers on the second payoff. Tell Phantom’s people, too, get some spies on this guy when they abscond with their prize. If they’re legit, we get to know more about our key kidnapper, if they’re not, we take the food back and put this guy in house arrest with only a bunch of really hard puzzles for entertainment. If they start solving ‘em all with no trouble we know they’re s mastermind type. Or a puzzle addict.

>>958348
Phantom said that this power is gonna change me for the worse. Do you think I’m gonna turn into an asshole?

>>958348
Hey ask her how much sex she's been having while you're away. You wanna hear some details.

Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)11:46 No. 958369 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158361037038.png - (81.67KB , 800x800 , 257.png )

"Okay let me go meet this guy."
>"Sure." She leads me to an elevator. We're high up, and apparently he's all the way down at the subground levels.
"Phantom told me they removed all the trackers."
>"One on accident apparently! So getting chummy with Phantom, are you?"
"Yeah uh... I think we could've been friends at least if we weren't in such a weird rivalry."
>"Nice. Too bad she's such a scheming little thing. Be sure she's not manipulating you, yeah?"
"I don't think she is. You know, I think she's scared. Of everything."
>"Yeah. The higher the tower, the longer the fall, and that girl's got a fear of heights. You made her fall badly, but left her high enough to be able to fall again."
"Yeahhh about high towers, she told me this power's going to change me for the worse. Do you think I'm going to turn into an asshole?"
>"Yeah, probably."
"Oh... you, too, huh."
>"Yeah, that's part of why I want your power. I'm immune to turning bad, because I already am the biggest bitch in town. You, though, you're at your best as a mid-level, captain level fighter."

I just realized this could've gone faster if I just jumped out the window.

>"Don't be so down about it. I'm shielding you from the worst of it by doing your grunt work for you, so stay light hearted."
"I still don't know what exactly is going to turn me into an asshole."
>"I wouldn't know, but I bet some of it's because no one likes the guy at the top. Everyone looks at you scornfully, and because you still give a shit, that'll weigh on you over time. Maybe Phantom fell hard enough that she can be liked again. You know, this might be a transformative time for her, so be nice to her."
"Yeah but I mean it's not like I'm gonna bang her."
>"Haha I didn't say anything about banging her, you nerd. There something you wanna tell me?"
"No, I just blurted it out because I'm a perverted fuck. I doubt she'd sleep with me even if I wanted. Wait would you even be mad if I did?"
>"Fuck no man, live it up while you're alive."
"Have you been having sex?"
>"Soletta's the secretary, what do you think? Shit, do you even remember who I am?"

>>958369
"A rebel leader, right? Something along those lines at least."

And while I can't blame Pillet for tapping Soletta's ass the least she could do is invite us. Or like, record it.

>>958369
Tell her you need a detailed report.

>>958369
"69 nice" soon."the host of game night?"

I guess we could call this an open relationship.

Did you bring your book with you? You should read it while sitting in the room with the prisoner. Just to make him nervous haha.

>>958369
One hell of a firecracker.

I don't remember a bunch of stuff apparently, but I always suspected.

Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)13:19 No. 958379 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158361595820.png - (120.10KB , 800x800 , 258.png )

"I don't remember a lot of things, apparently. Some kind of intense firecracker that's never gone out."
>"You're goddamn right."
"Do me a favor and record it."
>"I do, nerd. Sometimes. Enough times. Whatever. Check your email."
"I guess we could call it an open relationship."
>"The second it's not, we're going to have to have one of those serious talks couples have or whatever."

I start reading You and Yourself the rest of the way. Pillet shows me to a holding cell with the guy inside.

>"Oh, you're finally here."
"Yeah. For your information, I'll either offer two crates of food or a blast to the face."
>"'Scuse me? You sayin' my information ain't worth shit? Don't treat me like some schmuck that thinks that two crates of food is a fortune, because I know for a real fact that for you, supplying two crates to know who's behind this is nothin'. Get serious."

Really? All it took to get you to betray them before was a backpack full of snickers.
Two food crates, or we include you in the next ante.

>>958379
how much do you think is reasonable then? for that matter how much do you think I have. prepare for blasting.

Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)13:32 No. 958383 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158361677469.png - (128.00KB , 800x800 , 259.png )

"So you'd betray your guys for a backpack full of chocolate bars, but now you're acting like you're above two crates?"
>"That's right."
"How much are you asking?"
>"Now we're talking. 8 crates of food. 4 right away plus some cash so I can rent a truck to carry it off. Then I'll tell you what you wanna know, then you drop off the rest of the crates for me."

How would we know that what you're gonna tell us is true?

This guy doesn't expect any threats you make to have any backing, obviously. Sort of a good thing for the city if you have all the power and no-one fears you, but, eeeh, it's getting in your way right now.

...He'd betray his guys for a backpack of chocolate bars, and he expects us to give him food and money BEFORE he gives the information? You know what, just let him sit there until he understands his negotiating position. You're not impatient enough to ask Pillet to cut his nutsack yet.

>Phantom getting some love from the people back after her fall.
From what you saw in the secret library, she might've never lost it, at least from nerd-members of her gang - and she was real overly protective of the place. Might've been her sanity spot.

Still, 's fair she gets a fair shake back. We're the ones being the villains, anyway. A crude and caprine-ious overlord and his beloved hench-Moriarty-ess... or somesuch.

>Remember who I am?
Weeeellll... you think, but your memory is shot as all hell, so, y'know, maybe you don't as well as you think you do? The oldest, foggiest memory you've got is hanging at an artificial vending machine that served cold non-empowering coffee. Like, about, maybe, 1x life ago? Thirty years back, at least?

Which, uh... how long have you actually known each other? How much does Pillet remember? Phantom says she can recall about five lifetimes and that's with a fair amount of help and prep.

See, crap like that is why the immortality business has to go - you're not even functionally immortal if the years just drag by and you forget everything! Plus the whole the way things are set up letting a goof being in charge because they accidentally too powerful'd. You're still on board, is what you're saying.

Say, Pillet. Is remembering a ton something that's providing you extra incentive to keep fighting? Is it the fact that you forget the reasons why you started doing something why all the power eventually gets to your head?

... like, how did Splicer 'turn bad'? Way Phantom was talking, he was a folk hero at some point. People change, you get that, but, like, it shouldn't be impossible for someone to have and stick with principles.

If anything, Pillet's HELLA sticking to her principles, and has been for a long while.

>>958383
go back to discuss with pillet and ask her why she thought 8 crates was unreasonable. Counter offer to work for you under Pillet +2 crates and once the key is found 6 more, that way he doesn't need the truck or to risk getting mobbed by random people on hte street for the crates or Phantom's gang abducting him

>>958383
Give him a (non-fatal) blast to the face, then agree.

When he complains, point out he now knows you keep your promises.

No. you'll give him 4 crates and some money on the spot for the info or you'll just have to come in there and personally rip off his hands and feet then cauterizing the stumps so they wont heal up. And if he gets the bright idea to off himself to respawn, well, it's not like he'll have the chance with the people watching him, and if you so happen to catch wind of this, well, his eyes and ears will be next.

Good thing is though, the worst thing you'll have to do is remove a hand, since he'll talk easily. Might even be able to get away with "doing things slow" and just breaking some fingers.

Also, this is 110% a play from Phantom to see how quickly you'll abuse your power, so while you need to show you aren't completely just going to fuck around with your power, but also not give Phantom a reason to distrust you.

"You are vastly overestimating my attention span. Let's just go with 5 and the truck and we never see each other again. You aren't the only guy I need to deal with right now."

>>958383
Ah. Haggling. Raising stakes. You can play this game.

He can have 8 crates, which he can access here whenever he wants. You'll be his candy bank, and you'll allow a max withdrawal of half a crate per week, meaning he comes here and fetches 'em. If he's gonna 'tray his group, he 'trays 'em good and proper, alright?

Or he can have 2 crates, some cash and a promise to get Pillet off his ass. She hunts gangs who get too overpowered, so if he runs off with 8 crates and makes a gang, she'll hunt his ass down for the joy of it.

A 2 crate gang, though? Probably alright. You're literally having his best interests in mind here.

1/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)14:17 No. 958394 ID: 5fc3a0
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"How do we know you won't be lying?"
>"I was in the group so I already know shit, that girl knows it, and I already betrayed them anyway just by leaving so why would I lie?"
"Maybe I'll just leave you in there until you understand your own position in bargaining."
>"Yeah, and when I get bored and you're still jerking me around, I'll blow myself up!"

Oh yeah, unless there's a way to totally block anyone's energy, they can just off themselves. Torture can't even be used as a bluff. And that's what it'd be. I don't even think Pillet would torture people.

>"I know you want my information more than you're letting on!"

Hm, then again, I'm starting to realize I don't know Pillet well at all. I feel like I've known her for a long time, and I probably have, but I just can't remember any details before the power cluster incident.

>"Why're you gawking at me, huh?"
"Oh, sorry, zoned out. Anyway I keep my promises."
>"Huh?"

I open the door, because I mentioned he either gets 2 crates or a blast to the face.

>"Where the hell are your pan - "

I give him the blast.

2/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)14:18 No. 958395 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158361949258.png - (154.12KB , 800x800 , 261.png )

For a second I thought I forgot what a 'non-lethal' blast was and killed him, but he's fine.

>"Fuck! Ugh, fine, two crates! It's Finnigin."
"What?" Oh that worked better than expected.
>"Finnigin! I work for Finnigin!"

Pillet taps me.

>"Gang leader? Spikes on the back of his head? Looks pissed off constantly? Kinda like this guy actually. Seems like Fishface is trying to climb back up his tower."
"Oh yeah that guy."
>"How bad have you forgotten things, damn?"
"No that's just because I never cared about him."
>"Hey!" Our prisoner speaks up again. "Can I get some bandages to go with those crates? I still want rental money too."

Yeah sure.

>>958395
well the thing about abusing power is you easily start abusing others so helping the people you hurt in the path to getting what you want is important. give him what he wants except the rental.

Oh would it kill you to say please?

>>958397
This

>Can I get some bandages to go with those crates? I still want rental money too.
Yeah, no prob. Go make some friends you won't feel like betraying over candy.

>"How bad have you forgotten things, damn?"
Dunno. Do you remember how we met?

"I did say 2 crates OR a blast, but I guess I'm generous."

Ok but, how would a little bit of food help him obtain this goal? Also, doesn't he know what happens if gives us the key?

>>958395
Stop being a jerkass to this guy and give him a decent reward.

Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)14:50 No. 958410 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158362142327.png - (165.18KB , 800x800 , 262.png )

"Okay whatever. Pillet get him his stuff."
>"Okay guy, 4th level basement, tell 'em Pillet sent you."
"Hey what do you even want the food for anyway?"
>"So that I don't halfta be at the bottom of the food chain all the time!" he says, which makes sense, and he runs off.

I turn to Pillet.

"So where were we?"
>"I know a couple secret hideouts of Finn's, but if he's got half a brain he's picked up and moved out of those. And he's got about half a brain, so it's a coin toss."
"Hey here's an odd question. Do you remember how we met?"
>"You were a farmer. I was a raider. We fought a lot, haha. Remember anything about that?"
"... not even a little. Does not even sound familiar."

Man it's just truck rental money, give it to the guy. And yeah, bandages are good.

Dude, try to think up how to farm. Farming things. Tools you'd use, things you'd want to do at what times, how different plants do things. Is there even any farming knowledge there whatsoever?

Still, it's Pillet. She's been a real help and also your GF. Even if she's lying her ass off it's not like you're going to just turncoat on her.

>>958410
Try to remember if you know anything about being a farmer. Do you think you could keep any plants alive if you had to?

>>958410
Ask Pillet how long ago that was, and how many times she thinks you've died since then.

Delli, horny goat weed farmer extraordinaire. That's your forgotten legacy.

Everyone seems to have better memory than you. Fighting Pillet... Phantom was right, you really are death-prone lol

Eh, does that mean you have to go out and check these hideouts? Can't Pillet's lackeys do it? I'd prefer reading these books first.

>>958410
Heh, sounds like you'd resent the crap out of her for that - unless it ended up being one of those neat rivalries where she stole and you chased and a good ol' time was had by all from the break from serf-like boredom.

Or not. Perhaps better for her that you don't remember. Still sucks you can't, but them's the breaks in this rum ol' world. Sounds like it was a ways back, though. She can remember far?

You should probably go clear Finn's old hideyholes from the bucket list and put Pillet on figuring out where he might've gone with all half of his brain.

Don't be to huge a dick to the guy you just blasted. A bit of slapping around is ok but if you start doing that to much woops there you go being a evil dick.

All he wanted was not to be like you before you got stronk. Remember the little people Delli cause if you get got you will be one of them again.

So give him a bit extra.

Then ask Pillet what you farmed.

>>958410
If Finn is so desperate to get back on top that he's shoveling all this food in his mouth, the only thing he'll end up doing is making himself fat. Unless he's been burning off energy to keep himself thin, which is what Pillet did on Valentine's when she was eating a bunch of chocolate.

If he's been burning off energy like that, then it would be pretty noticeable if he's been shooting off into the sky. So since we haven't seen energy blasts randomly flying into the sky, it's safe to say that he's hiding underground somewhere.

>>958439
>Give him extra.
Only if he gives us a location on where to look. If he doesn't have a location, then he doesn't get any extra.

Delli, My man. You do realize that what Pillet means by "We fought a lot" is "I killed you a bunch" and more than likely gave you her number as some sort of disrespect. And you absolutely know her well enough not to give her the benefit of the doubt on that sort of thing.

And to go a step further, has she done anything even remotely romantic towards you? Sex doesn't count what with the casualness she treats it, and her basically deciding your relationship is open without the serious talk such a thing should require also is a decent bit concerning, no matter if you were ultimately okay with it. (Even though you didn't 100% seem to be, at least not with how it came up.)

1/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)18:19 No. 958448 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158363394804.png - (103.98KB , 800x800 , 263.png )

"Hmmm."
>"What?"
"I'm trying to think of how to farm. Farming things. See if there's any memory about it still in me."
>"And? Think you could keep plants alive?"
"I could... water... them? Yeah no it's gone. Didn't I resent you for raiding my crops? Did you just end up killing me a lot?"
>"Are you kidding? You chased us off, you were scary as fuck! We had numbers though so we still could hit you, but we also let you regrow and thrive enough to keep going. The other farms are the ones who burned down your horny goat weed and completely ruined your business before taking over your land."
"... I did not grow horny goat weed."
>"How would you know with your fucked up memory!" She's laughing, but she has a point. She's probably lying about that, but I don't think she'd lie about the whole thing in general. "Hey, when's your last memory of me?"
"The last memory that I can actually remember the details of? Uh, when I called you after I got your power cluster?"
>"Wait, just last month?! How'd you even remember my number or even just to call me?"
"You were saved on my phone. And I remember you telling me to give you a call if I was in trouble, but hell if I remember when or where you told me that."
>"Haha, well I'm glad I managed to keep that number."

She looks at me a little weird.

>"You kept blowing yourself up, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
>"You cut contact with me. You said you had enough of this town and were retiring. The only 'escape' you can get is dying and spending a month in the fog, and there's people who spend all their time there. I didn't think you'd be the sort, I just thought you were just chilling underground and retiring from fighting. But if your memory is so bad... Delli, you can recover memories from one death, if you give it time to heal. But if you die over and over again, one after the other... Fuck. I didn't know."
"Funnily enough, I don't remember any of that. But you might just be right. It sounds right. The last time I woke up, I felt like I was forgetting something. I thought it was just something I meant to do right before dying and couldn't remember what it was, buuuut now that I'm thinking about it..."

2/2 Delli 2020/03/07(Sat)18:22 No. 958450 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158363416754.png - (91.55KB , 800x800 , 264.png )

"I think I forgot to blow myself up again. I wandered around on autopilot for so long that I just sort of assumed I always lived like that. Maybe it was only a few years ago, but it felt like minutes and decades at the same time. I left some of my stuff at a death bank though, and got my phone back from there. Shit. I gave myself amnesia, huh. I wonder why I remember an old vending machine from 30 years ago."
>"... Wait hahaha that old shitty coffee maker? You remember that?"
"Yeah? You were there?"
>"Hell yeah I was there. We're together a lot. That's why I always let you leave me without a fight, because we've always come back together no matter what. Maybe when we have more time to ass around, we can check out memory lane and see if you remember more."
"Yeah. Hey uh, how long ago was I a farmer?"
>"Don't you want to go check out those hideouts of Finn?"
"Don't we have people to do that for us?"
>"Yeah but I'm changing the subject because I'm not telling you how far back I remember."
"Whhhyyy?"
>"Don't wanna."

>Are you kidding? You chased us off, you were scary as fuck!
Weird to think of yourself as scary. Well, at least before you became an accidental god, now of course you're scary.

>>"Don't wanna."
Fine. It's rude to ask a lady her age, and since we're all stupid-immortal, asking how far back your memories go is about as close as we can get.

Go hunting for gangster bases.

...and see if you can use your superpowers and riches to order an old shitty vending machine on whatever part of your internet sells old retro stuff for way too much.

"Man, we were just getting into what felt like a sort of solemn realization of what living under the fog's been doing to us and it was all tender and junk. Kind of. Almost. Oh well."

>>958450
Arright. You’ll just trust her on this one. Let’s go get Finn.

Chickeeeen. Fine, let's see what traps he's left for us. but QUIETLY. Pillet is no doubt watching our movements, if she puts two and two together she'll know what's up as well.

>>958450
Seems like a good time to be concerned but your apathy levels are threatening to rise. Ask if you should stop pushing the subject. Though curiosity is demanding you ask if you two ever dated before.

Hmm. We've gone past the point of red flags into... Whatever red flags usually warn about.

Here's a few retellings of what Pillet just said, this time reading between the lines a bit:

>>"Didn't you raid my shit?"

>"No! You, one random and suicidal goat, scared us, one of the biggest factions in town, away! Those other random jackasses though? They fucked your shit right up, the land-grabbing whores! Sure is convenient you can't remember anything to the contrary!"

>>"Wait, you were there with me by that random coffee machine 30 years ago?"

>"Obviously! We go way back, and I can always remember our good times together and that's why I'm okay with you always leaving me, because you always forget about why you did, so we'd always end up get back together! What, you want to know why you always left me? ...Don't wanna tell you."

And if you need a reminder of at least one time Pillet fucked you over, recall a month ago when you first got back in contact with her, you said something along the lines of "You killed me 12 years ago to make the power cluster!" with a rather clear implication you didn't exactly consent to being another part of the super sayian macguffin.

Worried the answer would worry me?

Well unless you know a way of recovering memories just consider me a whole new person. If we do end up together a lot this is your chance to swoop me up.

Honestly if I was that miserable its a good thing I forgot.

>>958450
>gave myself amnesia
Hmm... isn't that pretty close to dying and being reborn? I wonder if you could use this to achieve Pillet's goal without lifting the fog? Spawncamp people until they got amnesia, so that life feels more interesting again and the town livens up a bit.

>>958457
No need for paranoia re: memory fakey bull. Delli said vending machine, did not mention it was a coffee maker, but Pillet even specified it was a crappy one.

>>958460
Grim, would require an organization to be responsible for it, and doesn't even seem to work 100%. Some asshole could also hide and take over once everyone else who knows stuff has forgotten how to, y'know, create power clusters or whatnot.

>>958462
It could be done in stages, there are libraries to preserve knowledge, and if some guy tries to hide and come out later as some kind of weird razputin we can just kill them?

>>958460
The town would basically be destroyed by all the fighting involved in this, no matter if Delli had help or not.

>>958450
We could check out the hideouts, but as soon as we hit one, Finn will be alerted and go into hiding again. So unless we have a way to either hit all of them at once or figure out which specific hideout to hit, we can’t go after Finn.

I kinda like this >>958442 idea. We offer to give that guy extra crates of food if he gives us a location to start our search.

Ask her if you're her son.

Go read books.

Poking around a bunch of potentiality hideouts sounds like a job for spies, not the strongest man in the city. Time to delegate like a boss.

You've got books to read and powers to practice.

Just go read some books and practice bigger-than-standard-set Jenga.

1/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)06:11 No. 958503 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158367307742.png - (85.25KB , 800x800 , 265.png )

"Well that was almost a tender, solemn realization of what the fog's been doing to us. Almost. Sort of."
>"We've had enough solemn realization!"
"Okay. Unless you know of a way to recover my memories, then, you can consider me a new person - "
>"No."
"No?"
>"Amnesia isn't death. People own their past even if they forget it." I guess to her, then, there's no amnesia based solutions to immortality.
"If that's how you feel, well uh... wait can we get a location from that guy that just went up the elevator before us?"
>"Oh, yeah."

Pillet makes a call, but no luck. He didn't know any locations, only Finnigan's name.

"So wait, if we get together a lot, does that mean I leave you a lot?"
>"Only if a couple times a century is a 'lot'."
"Why do I leave?"
>"Sometimes you just wanna chill for awhile, and I'm not into that!"
"Then I come back because...?"
>"Because you had your break, and wanted to fight again."
"Somehow I think there's more to it than that."
>"Yes, Delli, summing it up in two sentences might be generalizing centuries of off and on dating. So how about Finn's bases, huh?"
"Sounds like a job for spies. And help. I've got energy training to do, and books to read."
>"Okay, nerd, I'll look into Finn's stuff."
"Hey we're not something weird like mother and son right?"
>"No, goddamn, I'd have told you that by now."

2/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)06:11 No. 958504 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158367308507.png - (152.06KB , 800x800 , 266.png )

It's not like I stopped having questions for Pillet, but the elevator stopped and she got off, while my study room is higher up.

I study, but it's hard to focus. My lack of memory is making my relationship with Pillet feel a little bit more one-sided than I thought it was.

3/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)06:11 No. 958505 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158367310041.png - (144.39KB , 800x800 , 267.png )

I end up looking to see if there's a sale for that old coffee machine, but I end up looking at catalogues for retro and historic stuff I don't know about. I'd probably do it all evening too, but I hear a knock at the door.

>"Come in."

Soletta shows up.

>"Hi, Delli?"
"Yeah?"
>"Status report. Pillet's spies got found and killed in Finnigan's hideouts. Pillet ran after them, but by the time she got to those hideouts, any gangs had already packed up and moved. She's running after them while the trail's was as hot as possible, but right now she's mostly just sending her guys to start rounding up ex-Finnigan gang members and drilling them for information."

That sucks. I guess we'll need to go then. Ask her where you should go and proceed to go there.

Learned anything from the books?

>>958506
Do this while trying not to stare at her tits.

Also, I thought pillet said she was farmer before, too?
>>>921238

I wonder why she also fought us...

>>>/questarch/921238

Time for an object lesson. Go out there and save your girl's butt. If it's gone loud, you can do loud.

1/4 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)08:42 No. 958516 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158368214099.png - (131.86KB , 800x800 , 268.png )

"Guess I gotta go. Where should I be going?"
>"Here, I'll show you on a nearby map. I'm sorry I interrupted you."
"No I'm just reading this energy control book and it's saying nothing but basic stuff like 'find your core' and 'meditate' and whatever."
>"Oh, they all say that. Okay, go to this building, dig straight down, then..." She gives me directions. It's pretty far underground. I hope Pillet's okay. Aside from her general well being, I have questions for her and I don't want to have to wait a whole month for answers! Especially if she dies too quick and starts losing memories, to, since -
>"And then bust through the wall you find."
"Er, shit, I zoned out. Say that again."
>"Which part?"
"All of it!"
>"... From the top, then."

2/4 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)08:42 No. 958517 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158368217609.png - (246.39KB , 800x800 , 269.png )

Somehow, I focus for long enough to learn the directions and to bust through those walls.

3/4 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)08:43 No. 958518 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158368219192.png - (291.12KB , 800x800 , 270.png )

>"Who the - ?! More of them?!"
>"... No! It's Delli! We're okay, it's Delli!"

Pillet's not here.

4/4 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)08:43 No. 958519 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158368221918.png - (237.35KB , 800x800 , 271.png )

Those guys in the back have gang tattoos on them. Must be Finnigan's.

>"Damn, almost cleaned up!" One of them yells. "You two go back and give the evac order! Me and the rest'll hold 'em off!"

Ha ha, "hold 'em off" he says. Knock out "those two" and then bowling ball the rest of the pins. Gotta look for your girlfriend.

>>958505
Well, that sucks. Do we have a compensation package for guys working for us who get blown up? It's not death, but maybe we should offer something to make up for the month of lost time, possible amnesia, and resetting their power level.

>Soletta
Hey, we don't have a relationship going back centuries I've forgotten, right?

>>958519
Just shoot everyone with a blast just strong enough to embedded them in craters in the wall. Good luck holding anyone off it you can't move because you're being hugged by rock!

For a plan of attack, just gat everyone except the two behind the one barking orders. The spotless one looks like a coward, so he'll probably break easy, but the scaly one might have better information.

Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)09:15 No. 958524 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158368410758.png - (233.74KB , 800x800 , 272.png )

"Hold 'em off?" From behind him, I knock out one and blast the other into the wall. "Where's Pillet?"
>"... Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
>"She went under the north overpass! We've been trying to hold off Finn's gang from pursuing her!"

Yeah just push everyone away and go straight for the goal. They're just a distraction.

"'kay. Grab a few of these who might know something, then retreat. Don't kill 'em unless they try fighting back. If they wanna blow themselves up that's fine, but losing memories sucks."

Blast every tattooed guy in the room, non-lethally (ish). Pause at the last guy and ask him a question.

"Wait, do the tattoos last or do you re-apply 'em every time?"

Then head for the overpass.

Take out all the opponents here before you go, for your pals, it's good manners.

>>958525
This, but... you know what? You're practically all-powerful. Grab the most important-looking person from Finn's bunch and drag them along with you, just for shits and giggles. They might be useful as a hostage or maybe as a makeshift projectile. Make it clear to them that the latter option is growing more appealing to you by the minute.

Take their pants. Surely one of them should fit you.

1/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)11:12 No. 958540 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158369115706.png - (184.57KB , 800x800 , 273.png )

I blow up all the tattoo bearers, probably non-lethally. I stop at the person I blasted into the wall, and I pull his face out.

"I got a question for you."

"Do you guys need to re-apply that tattoo every time you resurrect?"
>"Y...yes?"
"Neat. What size pants you wear?"
>"38-30?"
"Too big, dang."

2/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)11:12 No. 958541 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158369116335.png - (270.58KB , 800x800 , 274.png )

I carry him with me to the overpass. Maybe I can make a hostage out of him.

The overpass here is a big portion of Spaghetti Tunnel. This time I can follow it, because of the trail of destruction I see.

Maybe I should have some kind of severance package for people who die while on the job, for missed months, and... no, if I got fat paychecks for dying on the job, I'd have all sorts of 'accidents'.

3/3 Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)11:15 No. 958543 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158369132361.png - (304.36KB , 800x800 , 275.png )

The trail leads me to a building with a hole put in it, so I go in. Pillet's here!

"Pillet! Are you okay?"
>"Honestly? Fuckin' embarrassed. I overstepped, and this fatass must've been chugging food non-stop."
>"Basically, yeah." Finnigan shows me his grip on her. "I might not be as fast as I used to be, but I'm thinking I'm quick enough to kill your girlfriend if you take another step closer."
"... I don't suppose you care about this guy's life?"
>"He one of mine? Either way don't care, no. So here your choice. If you think I'm wrong and wanna chance it, then try to off me before I can off your girl. Or you don't play that risk, you let me go, and you get my promise that once I get a bit of distance from ya, I let Pillet go."

"What you think Pillet?"

Toss the guy at them to distract the big guy as you say this.

Then zoom around his side fast using the body as visual cover so you can get next to him or behind him to take him out.

>>958543
ask pillet if phantom showed up since a mask is on the floor.
also if she is cool with being dead for a month while you take him hostage?

You have an awful track record with calling people's bluffs, so for now just chill.

Ask Pillet if this guy ever kept his promises before.

Really not sure what your promise is worth, there bud. Seems win/win for you to get me to go and then just kill her anyway. No offense.

Time to test out that fancy power control practice. Pull that guy lying behind him into him to make an opening before you gun at him full force.

I don't really want to be bored for a month so yeah, get out of here. You bought yourself another round in the key blackmail game.

Also, I'm doing this this where I actually keep my promises, so if you wanna just drop her and go, you're fine.

If Pillet really disagrees, she can just blow herself up.

>>958548
>Bad luck calling bluffs
"Huh, yeah. Guess I do care enough to let your fat ass go. Unless she wants to blow herself up. Anyway, before you go, let's talk like civil people. Ask him questions while I can threaten him with casual murder if he casually murders you, Pillet. Like, where's the key, and was it even the real one?"

Delli 2020/03/08(Sun)12:02 No. 958558 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158369414925.png - (173.13KB , 800x800 , 276.png )

Hmm... I could try fancy, efficient power control. I've been practicing that stuff for a whole, like... 8 hours or something? That's probably not enough to make a difference.

"You mind dying, Pillet?"
>"You think you can find that key without me? The answer to that is my answer to you."

On second thought, I won't be too hasty on calling that bluff.

"Kinda seems win/win for you to backstab me, or rather Pillet, once you get distance."
>"It ain't. I got a reputation. Not such a good one for making nice deals, but a stellar one for keeping them."
"Pillet? Is that at all true?"
>"He's an asshole, but yeah. I don't think he'd fuck up any trust he could get with you, especially not when all he'd gain by breaking his promise is my weak energy."
"Okay well just in case this goes bad, I wanna ask you and him some questions. Like, was that key real?"
>"If I was gonna do an auction with a fake key, I woulda done it weeks ago." says Finnigan.
"Where is it now?"
>"Gettin' moved, and no, I ain't telling you where."
"Oh, by the way, is Phantom here?"
>"Yeah." Pillet answers that. "Phantom did a raid, that's half why I rushed in like this. Heh, Finn, you're weirdly talkative. Are you buying time to get the key as far from here as possible?"
>"Could be, but I'm thinking I don't need to. Key's far enough away by now, and I'm just tryin' to save my own ass."
"Wait a second, why do I have to follow your promise? Can't I promise I'll let you go, if you let Pillet go?"
>"Yeah, 'bout that. After both you and Phantom responded to my little auction with trackers, spies and raids, I might have a few trust issues with ya. So no, I'm not gonna work that way."

Blah blah this is boring.

Shoot his head off while he is distracted talking.

Tell him that, ok. But you're keeping this guy here, because he looks like his brother or something, and you'll release him after you know Pillet is safe.

Ask him why he needs all the food for. But don't ask him too many questions, so he doesn't accidentally get any smart ideas.

>>958558
to be fair he should have know this would happen cause he likely would have done the same thing, its not like you promised not to do so.

Tell him you're just going to keep following him until he lets her go. Might as well just let her go now so he can walk freely.

>>958563
I agree.

let's not try to get Pillet killed... yet.

Ok, here: how about you take some more of his guys? They're not worth that much to him, sure, but in numbers, maybe that would be enough to feel a little security? Just until he lets Pillet off. Then maybe you can re-build a little trust yourself, but letting them go.

>>958558
Hey come on, trying to suborn the auction was the whole point!

But yeah, fair enough. Get your butt out of here, I'll trust you to let Pillet go, if you don't, this gets uglier, blah blah blah blah. You score a point for getting away this round or however gang competition is supposed to work.

Oh be honest what did you expect.

>>958558
I mean, killing him is not very constructive anyway. Just let him go so you can get Pillet back. Make note of what direction he goes and try to follow him after Pillet is released.

So, wait, if we upheld our end of the bargain and kept bidding, you'd actually sell the key to us if we were the highest bidder, despite everything we want to do? Because, it really seemed like you were gonna extort us until you became powerful enough to fuck me up so us getting the key wouldn't even matter.

Anyway.

If you mess with and hurt Pillet, I'll let her kill me once she respawns, so there.

Oh, and how many lifetimes back do you typically remember?

>>958558
“Listen buddy, I’m gonna give you two options.

Option 1: You kill Pillet, then I kill you. And when Pillet respawns, I’ll let her kill me and she’ll have all of my power.

Option 2: You let Pillet go right now and I’ll let you leave.

If you want my advice, I’d pick Option 2 if I were you. I know you said you had trust issues with me, but I’m pretty sure you can trust me when I say if I gave Pillet my power, you wouldn’t like what she’d do with it. She won’t goof around like I do, she’d be constantly hunting you down.”

"You are quite possibly the worst. I'm gonna go a few blocks that way and wait. If Pillet doesn't show up in the next ten minutes I'm going to make sure you regret crossing me."

Walk off, you don't have the precision to surprise laser snipe his face right off.

Delli 2020/03/09(Mon)04:08 No. 958633 ID: 5fc3a0
File 158375208101.png - (138.08KB , 800x800 , 277.png )

"Did you really think we weren't going to suborn the auction?"
>"Nah, I thought you two would. But just cause I expect it doesn't mean I respect it."
"Alright, fine, I'll let you go, but if you make a fool out of me and make me regret this, I'm going to let Pillet kill me and use my power. So don't mess around with me or her! Also I'm keeping this guy until Pillet's back!"
>"Suits me."

I still kind of want to blow him up in his fish face, but he didn't lose concentration once during our conversation! He can keep eating his food to regain his power base I guess for now.

He moves to another room and around a corner. Then I hear someone call out to him.

>"Boss! We ran, but, Phantom intercepted us! She got the key!"
>"You're fuckin' with me!"
>"Sorry, boss..."