2/4 teegee 2018/11/13(Tue)03:30 No. 910513 ID: 891b91
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A few minutes pass before the pocket door suddenly slides open.

"--is too time-sensitive. We really can't afford to delay this any longer, Cider. If we miss this opportunity it'll--"

"Iva, iva -- you worry too much, Matteo! I'll have the arrangements made tonight and get back to you. Everything will be fine, trust me."

"...If you say so. Sah-ha, aye-yema."

A stern-looking man strides out of the room, but your presence startles him when he catches you out of the corner of his eye. "O-oh!" He shouts in distress. He regains his composure quickly, though, giving you an annoyed look. "Cider, I think the new sigarzghar's here to see you," he calls back into the room.

"Grazzi, Matteo! Coming!" A voice rings out from within.

Matteo turns to you and gives you a curt bow. "Sah-ha," he says mechanically, before marching down the hall and out of sight.

3/4 teegee 2018/11/13(Tue)03:31 No. 910514 ID: 891b91
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"Ah, meravilyuz, Sigarzghar! You're back on your feet, I see," Cider exclaims as she steps into the doorway, smiling at you with lidded eyes as she beckons you into her quarters. "Please, jidhlu -- come in, come in!"

4/4 teegee 2018/11/13(Tue)03:33 No. 910515 ID: 891b91
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You cross the threshold and step into a compact, dimly-lit room. A large, ornate rug extends from the entrance to the back of the room, serving as a placemat for the unevenly-arranged furniture: a plush couch laden with pillows, a couple of leathery beanbag chairs, a weathered fold-up chair, and a circular coffee table centered between them. A large, shaded window spans the back wall, through which filtered sunlight spreads across the room; in front of it, a kneeling desk rests against the wall, festooned with a scattering of miscellaneous documents and writing implements. A thurible is chained to the ceiling in the center of the room, diffusing the gentle scent of incense into the air.

"Now, I'm sure you have many questions, fyura sabiha," Cider continues as she saunters deeper into the room, her robes trailing behind her like the train of a dress. She gestures to the furniture gathered around the central coffee table. "But first, have a seat and get comfortable, hmm? Sit anywhere you like, I'll only be a couple minutes." She disappears through the archway in the right wall.

The folding chair looks like the most comfortable seat.

Ok not really, but it will help keep you attentive and not too relaxed to get too tired to listen. Sit there.

Sneak a peek through the archway to see what she's doing. You never know what kind of dangerous things she could be hiding in there.

As far as where to sit, I think the couch would be the best. We'll need those pillows. Also, you should smell them to see if there's any familiar scent there.

>>910515
BEANBAG CHAIR

Take a quick discreet peek through the window then take a seat on the couch.

>>910517
The right idea. It's also a test, since you don't let someone choose unless you want to see the choice.

>>910559
Seconding this. These guys seem like either resistance fighters or the mob. Since the govt doesnt seem to have gone to shit, they are probably the mob. Tread carefully.

Also be careful what you think about. We dont know what they may be able to do in your head and you dont want to compromise people by thinking the wrong thing.

Also - and use your best judgement on this - if you think it is safe to do so, bring up this guy's striking resemblance to the tentatwins (darker and sans tentacles, yet the similarity is there). With their speaking a different language, they may be part of this organization.

Try asking the guy what kroy-vons are.

>>910517
>it will help keep you attentive
> >>910512 >They discharged you from the infirmary shortly after you awoke this morning, and led you here
We just woke up and you're already worried about being attentive? Also, wouldn't it be better to simply stand then?

>>910559
>It's also a test
That sounds a bit paranoid to me. So if someone invites you to their home and offers you a choice between tea and coffee, you immediately think the person is somehow testing you? Isn't it more likely that she's simply being polite?

>>910571
>this guy's resemblance to the tentatwins
> >>/questarch/909424 >a woman
It's a woman. And I don't see any resemblance at all. Snout, ears, hair, eyebrows, fur patterns, tentacle arms, the size itself... they're as dissimilar as they could possibly be.

>>910574
>test... paranoid
You would be correct if we were just invited into someone's house in a good neighborhood, but we aren't. Plus, these guys are throwing up a lot of mafia flags.

>snout, ears... proportions
On the contrary, these are the exact things i think are so similar. This one looks a bit less lithe as the other two (and is missing the tentacles) but i would believe it if someone told me the twins were this character's nieces.

Additionally, i use guy as gender neutral since i couldnt remember which they were. Tbh though, your response seems kind of overly critical...

>>910574
We woke up without any idea where we are exactly, in an infirmary that is seemingly housed on private property and haven't been told anything at all yet.

Paranoia and suspicion are entirely warranted, given that we lost three whole days after evidently going comatose next to a pair of drug mules.

>>910574
A choice between tea and coffee is a choice between two mostly equal things. Here you have been told to take a seat and have the choice between several seats of very different quality. It's definitely a test. I doubt it's a mafia test. I personally think it's more of a personality test. As such, recline on what looks like a chaise in the background.

>>910515
If this is a test (which is a non-zero possiblity) then we should stand.
It isn't overtly hostile or disrespectful, but makes it clear we aren't naive enough to get comfortable here.
We seem like we're easy to take advantage of, tbh, so putting on a brave face is probably a good idea.

>>910608
That's what I figured- personality test.

>>910515
Go for the sofa.

>>910515
Couch time

The couch looks comfy.
Also, it would let you see both entrances to the room.

We were asked to take a seat, so I think the choice to remain standing would be seen as being defiant (or worse, contrary), so we sit. I say go for the chair. Not for gaming a test, but for merely practical reasons; we like to stay attentive, and aren't that concerned with indulging ourselves on such a trivial matter as butt-position; we are perfectly capable of being professional.

There's also the half-standing resting-your-ass-on-the-couch-armrest option. Kind of the worst of all worlds and makes you look like a tool option. But if this is some kind of personality test there could be some value in taking an option that doesn't make you look like you're actually crazy, but also probably doesn't fit on their roadmap.

Would definitely make you look like a tool though.

Sit on couch, examine stuff on table.

Actually, I’m changing my vote to sitting on the sofa, specifically not in the center. If asked to explain our reasoning:
“The folding chair sacrifices comfort and dignity, and the beanbag chair sacrifices professionality and ease of movement. The sofa sacrifices none of that, and gives a decent view of all possible exits to boot. Also, if I sit to one side like so, I guarantee that I don’t rob my gracious host of the seat she was planning on using, no matter what that’s going to be.”

And yeah, if there’s nothing else to do, perusing the table of its contents (see what I did there?) seems like a good way of spending time.

Gotta take the beanbag chair for sure

>>910840
I wouldn't vocalize the thought process. Giving them anything, including how wary we are or how canny we are, for free is a bad idea.

Beanbag chair!

Be unpredictable and put the beanbag on the sofa. Then finger the beanbag.

>>911019
Hence why I said we should say this if we’re pressed to explain. I never said we should say this out of the blue.

>>911123
I'm saying we should never talk about it.

Bean bag all the way. and ask what Sigarzghar means.

Sit cross-legged on the table. Stare at her defiantly when she returns.

Beanbag, definitely. Maximum comfort must be achieved.

1/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:49 No. 918154 ID: 891b91
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>Sneak a peek through the archway to see what she's doing.
Sticking close to the wall, you creep up to the archway and poke your head around the corner; past the threshold is a small kitchenette. The room is furnished with a sense of careful economy: the walls are lined with cooking implements, cabinets, and appliances, while the limited counter space is left free of clutter. With her back facing you, Cider hums to herself cheerfully as she pours steaming water into a teapot. As she turns to stow the kettle, she notices you and smiles warmly. "Just fixing some tea for us," she explains. "It's one of my favorites: an earthy oolong, but with a hint of orange, kind of like Earl Grey. It should only be a couple minutes, make yourself at home!"

2/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:49 No. 918155 ID: 891b91
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>Take a quick discreet peek through the window
Quietly, you make your way past the archway and spread the drapes gently, and the bright glow of the sun, or whatever it is, streams in from above. The window is actually a sliding door connected to a narrow balcony; eyeballing the height, you'd wager that this is the third or fourth floor of the building. You can't see what lies below it without going outside, but the line of rooftops in the distance curves down and to your right, suggesting that this place is at the top of a hill.

3/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:49 No. 918156 ID: 891b91
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>Also be careful what you think about. We dont know what they may be able to do in your head and you dont want to compromise people by thinking the wrong thing.
You consider the idea that these people -- Vesper? You aren't sure -- might have the ability to read your mind, if the effect the glyph had on you is any indication. Being cautious about your thoughts comes to mind, but, ironically, you feel like you'll need to think about what thoughts you ought to censor, if you can even truly pull off such a thing. You have no idea how you'd be able to tell whether they're reading your thoughts, anyway.

>examine stuff on table
A pair of strange objects rest on the circular coffee table. The purpose of the bell-like item is unclear to you, but judging from the crumbs of ash beside it, you'd guess that it has something to do with the incense burning in the thurible. The square card is more mysterious; you reach out and touch it, prompting a hologram to leap to life from its surface. A still, three-dimensional photo of a small group of people hovers in the air before you, and you quickly recognize a couple of them. In the center is Cider, who has been captured in mid-laughter as she pulls in the the pair of friends (or so you assume) flanking her. Everyone involved seems happy to be there -- except for Matteo, who stands rigidly off to the side in an almost military fashion, with a sour expression spread across his face.

Unsurprisingly, tapping the square card again dismisses the holographic photo.

4/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:49 No. 918157 ID: 891b91
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You get the sneaking suspicion that Cider might be testing your personality, based on where you choose to sit; you aren't sure whether that's just your imagination talking. It occurs to you to try something provocative to "beat" the test, but you dismiss it; you think it might be best if you feign innocence for now.

The sofa seems comfortable enough; you plop down on the left-hand cushion, since it gives you the best view of all possible exits, as well as leaving room for Cider, should she want to sit on the couch as well.

>you should smell pillows to see if there's any familiar scent there.
You grab the nearest pillow and give it a whiff, although it makes you feel like some kind of weirdo. The pillow smells mostly like the incense flooding the room, leading you to assume that Cider uses the stuff quite a bit. Deeper in, however, there's a subtle, pungent undertone that you can't quite place, something that's been there or has built up there for a long time now. Your best guess is that this is just a musty old pillow with musty old smells.

5/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:49 No. 918158 ID: 891b91
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The tinkling of porcelain rings out from the kitchenette, startling you; you nearly throw the pillow across the room out of panic, but you manage to regain your composure and quickly stuff the thing between yourself and the arm rest.

"Ah, here we are -- a nice pot of tea!" Cider returns through the archway, daintily toting a basket-like tray by one hand. She carries herself with a serene elegance, which, combined with her thick robes mostly obscuring the movement of her legs, makes it seem almost like she is gliding across the floor. You wonder briefly whether the thick robes are meant to conceal her stature. It strikes you as a futile effort, however, as the robes still drape over her features in a way that hints at them unmistakably: wide, girthy hips; a pear-like figure ending in a round rump; and a heavy bosom that fills out the top half of her attire. You feel a brief twinge of envy as you reflexively compare them to your own modest assets.

6/6 teegee 2019/01/18(Fri)03:50 No. 918159 ID: 891b91
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Cider sets the tray in the center of the table, then fills a pair of mugs with tea, handing one of them to you. "Here you go, Sigarzghar, it's still pretty hot, but once it cools off I think you'll find the citrus makes it quite pleasant," she says, smiling at you warmly.

You sniff the tea suspiciously, but nothing seems out of the ordinary to you aside from the aforementioned hint of orange; as Cider takes a few cautious sips of the hot liquid, you decide that it's probably safe to drink it. A long moment passes quietly as she savors the stuff, and you begin to wonder whether you should say something.

"I like to meet one-on-one with newcomers," she begins suddenly, finally breaking the silence. "It helps with getting accustomed to us and how things work around here, if one's curiosity is first satisfied. You no doubt have questions, which I'll be happy to answer to the best of my ability. Ask me whatever you'd like -- nothing is off-limits."

>We seem like we're easy to take advantage of, tbh, so putting on a brave face is probably a good idea.
You give her a defiant look in response, saying nothing at first, but she just looks back at you patiently, taking the occasional sip of tea. You get the strong feeling that she has a lot of experience with this sort of opposition, judging from her lack of response. "I understand if you'd rather not ask anything right now -- no pressure! The offer's always open, if you change your mind," she adds.

>ask what Sigarzghar means.
You sit there for a moment, before finally deciding that you're better off with more information about your situation than less. You start off with an obvious question: "What does 'Sigarzghar' mean?"

"Translated literally, it means 'little tree,' or 'sapling.'" A sip of tea punctuates the statement. "We use it as a title for newcomers; our calling here is to help Sigarzghars grow into Jarmus, blossoming trees. Once you become a Jarmu, you'll be ready to reintegrate with the outside world." Another sip of tea. "A Jarmu may choose remain here and dedicate themself to our work, eventually becoming a Qatra, meaning 'drop,' as in the drop of petals and the bearing of fruit." A long sip. "I am a Qatra, as is Matteo, whom you met in the hall earlier."

Question 1:
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!
I stared at some stupid piece of paper and BAM I'm in a hospital! Then you bring me to this apartment and treat me like I'm your newest member and is this even the same space station?!"
Question 2:
"What is it that you do, anyway."
Question 3:
"I need a job, where can I find the nearest bounty board?"

...Yeah, Cider puts on such a warm and friendly face I bet she's done this a hundred times and is an expert at reading people and suckering them into a deal they can't refuse.

Start with small questions, let's try not to betray how intelligent and resourceful we can be (though given they took all of our possessions that already might be spoiled).

If she gives you an answer you aren't happy with, just go with it and ask something else. Don't put on a poker face, she's likely to notice and will probably see through it instantly.

In fact, it's probably best to act like you are completely out of your depth here, which shouldn't be hard. Tricky bit is acting like someone slightly dumber than yourself.

"So, you rehabilitate people here? From what exactly?"

"I... I think there's been a misunderstanding; I'm not a Zom- sorry, Sigarzghar. I just found that paper in the trashcan in the evac office toilet and accidentally looked at the rune too long. (By the way, the 'lock-in' function on that is way too quick on the draw. You should maybe tweak that.) ... I mean, didn't you think it was weird that it activated there of all places? Anyways, I have a friend that's probably wondering what happened to me, and a lead on a potential murder case that's... probably gone cold, I realize."

>>918158
You could nonchalantly ask if there is a body mod place available and the costa of such a service if you really want to enhance your figure. I mean, might as well ask on your own terms in a way that is as dignified as possible rather than risk getting embarassed later should they have been reading your thoughts.

Additionally this could be useful later on for less cosmetic-type mprovements if the need arises.


--

As about factions. You could tip your hand slightly and ask if it would be possible to find some friends you made (dont mention names or descriptions for now).

>>918158
>the robes still drape over her features in a way that hints at them unmistakably: wide, girthy hips; a pear-like figure ending in a round rump; and a heavy bosom that fills out the top half of her attire.
>You feel a brief twinge of envy as you reflexively compare them to your own modest assets.
I mean, if you had any of that on your body right now, you’d look kinda ridiculous. You should worry about making yourself a little taller first, that way when you do get around to wanting to get any of those other assets, they’ll fit on your body better.

Although, with no money, any sort of body modifications you’d want, you wouldn’t be able to get any of them for quite a while.

>>918159
>rehabilitation
“Can you rehabilitate someone that doesn’t know if there’s something wrong with them? Because I’ve got amnesia and I don’t really remember anything about myself.”

>>918177
>took our stuff
I thought we gave our stuff to Quincy so that she could get them through customs for us? That way she’d give them back to us when we met up with her.

>>918189
>You could nonchalantly ask if there is a body mod place available and the cost of such a service if you really want to enhance your figure.
Might as well. Wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?

Might want to ask if you would owe any money or something for getting their help before we get into asking serious questions.

>>918192
We gave the dustbender to quincy so she could sneak it through customs for us. We had everything else on hand when the alarm went off and now that we've woken up, everything is gone except the clothes on our back.

>>918159
Okay first ask why you were in a coma. Was that symbol supposed to do that to you? Second, ask where you are(though I suspect you're in the Vesper building). Third, ask exactly what Taffa Syndrome is. You need to confirm whether or not you have it.
Fourth, ask what dust is. It has to do with Taffa Syndrome and the drug itself but the information you found didn't go into details. This question might already be answered from the description of Taffa Syndrome though.

>>918158
If you keep staring at her body like that, she's going to think you're mentally undressing her.

Which is fine if you're into girls, but this seems like the time you don't want to give her the wrong idea, so you might want to be careful with how long you stare at her.

>>918189
>Body mod place?
Yes, let's ask about that.

>>918196
>Stuff is gone
Then let's ask where it is so we can get our stuff back.

>>918201
These are good questions to ask.

>>918192
>>918201
>amnesia
>taffa

Lets not show our hand completely. We should keep any possible vulnerabilities to ourselves (even the obvious ones like the amnesia). Explicitly asking for help would show them that we trust them and that we are willing to open up to them. We are not ready for that. Keep this a business relationship for now.

>>918159

Cool, we're part of a secret society and/or cult, now!

Keep staring at her chest. If she notices, explain that you were just wondering what her breast size was.

As for the less important things, you can ask about
- glyph's purpose; what exactly happened when and after you looked at it
- vesper goals and why are they helping taffa syndrome sufferers
- your possessions
- wards and ward affiliations
- the opportunity Matteo was talking about

I vote a vague but firm inquiry. i.e.:

"What's the game? Why help me? Philanthropy? Or is there a deeper motive?" Open with that in an earnest, but not hostile tone. You won't be tricked, but you're also not openly hostile.

>>918221

Oh, good point! How DOES that funky glyph thing work and how did we get here rather than a stall in a public restroom?

"Sorry but I don't have time for that, I've got plans to take care of." Basically see if you can just leave. And also, think about doing that anyway.

I mainly want to know what happened after we passed out. Who discovered us unconscious in the bathroom, what kind of crazy things were happening while the alarm was going off?

>>918205
But what if she could actually help with the amnesia? We might end up missing out on getting some real help if we don’t tell her.

>>918205
We were brought here because we looked at the Vesper glyph, do you really think they aren't already convinced we've got Taffa Syndrome?

>>918281
Those aren't necessarily connected. Yes we looked at the vesper glyph and apparently spent three days completely out of it, but so far we haven't been given any information as to how we ended up under Cider's care. Or even what business/organization Cider represents.

>>918287

This guy gets it. It's not normal to go comatose for a couple of days like that, and we really have no explanation as to why we're HERE (wherever here is), rather than back in a public restroom.

I still say we at least make an attempt at making this seem like a big misunderstanding. If we do a good enough job of it, Cider will either A): Believe us, and send us on our way until we're ready to actually seek help for the larger issue at hand after we're settled down, or B): Not believe us, but think we're convincing enough that we can already be considered a Jarmu - we did essentially hit the ground running after we woke up, after all; a few quick pointers on how stuff specifically works around here (government, socio-economic situation, culture, important groups, how dust and frequency works, etc.), and we can be on our way. Ask for exactly that if we don't end up convincing her, because again, we have several things we're leaving in the lurch by staying here.

>>918287
>>918307
The glyph was a thing people with Taffa Syndrome were supposed to look at. I repeat: if you have Taffa Syndrome you're supposed to look at the glyph.
We looked at the glyph, therefore they think we have Taffa Syndrome, even if that's not true. The coma may be normal or it may have been an unexpected complication, it doesn't matter.

>>918328
They haven't said whether or not we have it though. Aside from how long we've been unconscious because of the stupid coma paper we know basically nothing about our current situation, because they've told us exactly jack and shit.

Assumptions are dangerous things to make in such an information blackout that's been heavily enforced by Cider here.

And if we did have taffa syndrome and this IS Vesper that got us out of that bathroom, they would have said something about it by now.

teegee 2019/01/24(Thu)03:48 No. 918847 ID: 891b91
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"Wait, reintegrate with the outside world? What does that even mean -- are you saying you're putting me in some kind of rehab? I don't even know who you people are!" You protest.

"People in the outside world probably see our work merely as a form of rehabilitation, yes," Cider admits, closing her eyes as she punctuates it with a long sip from her mug. "We don't view it in such rigid, medical terms, however... what we do is more holistic than a simple rehab program. As for who we are, here on Red Shelf we call ourselves Vina-nijma, meaning 'guiding star,' but the outside world knows us as the Vesper Society. Our mission is to aid those whom the outside world rejects and mistreats: those poor souls suffering from amnesia caused by the abuse of raw taffa. We offer them a home, a family, and most importantly, an opportunity to discover themselves as a new person, rather than being shackled to the lives of their qabels -- their predecessors."

"But what does that have to do with me? I've never touched raw taffa."

"Sigarzghar, you--"

"Penny," you interrupt her. "My name is Penny."

"...Penny," she begins again, slowly and deliberately, "you're suffering from taffa syndrome. Your qabel, the person who inhabited your body before you, drank raw taffa to erase her memories. She died, creating you in the process. You woke up in an unfamiliar place, unable to remember who you are or how you got there; You were covered with a strange, red powder -- this was your qabel's own dead dust, killed by the taffa and expelled by your body during her death throes. You found our flyer, and eventually you looked at the capture-glyph printed on it, which exploited a vulnerability in your dust to temporarily take control of your body and deliver you here. In your case, it made itself known to police officers who were fortunately nearby to handle some kind of disturbance, and they then brought you to us."

"I... I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not a zom-- sorry, I mean, uh, 'cigar-scar?' I don't have taffa syndrome. I just found that flyer in the trash near the Concourse customs and looked at it for too long... I mean, didn't you think it was weird that it was activated in a bathroom, of all places?"

"Penny, we know you have taffa syndrome. Think about it for a moment: if our capture-glyphs could work on just anybody, do you really think the powers that be would let us distribute them, let alone produce them? We're a small ward, we don't have the power to decide that for ourselves. We're allowed to do it because the glyphs only work on people suffering from the syndrome. The optical vulnerability they exploit is created by taffa poisoning, by killing dust that would prevent the glyph's signal from reaching the rest of the system." Her demeanor darkens, her visage turning solemn. "And we aren't the only people who can produce these glyphs... body hunters and other traffickers use them too -- because in the outside world, who's going to care if a 'zombie' goes missing? It's better that we take advantage of that vulnerability -- and fix it -- before someone else with far worse intentions does."

This is outrageous! Demand that she bakes you something as compensation.

And what exactly does “fixing this vulnerability” entail?
Also, you make it feel like i’ve just been abducted by a cult... shit, this is a cult, isn’t it?

"I mean... did it at least sound convincing to someone who doesn't know how that works? I was thinking I'd at least be convincing enough to graduate to Jarmu already. I mean, the idea of me being forced to kidnap me doesn't seem appealing, so I guess you make a fair point. Still, that whole 'discovering and establishing the new you' thing you're talking about? I was in the middle of doing just that when I decided to give that rune a harmless glance before throwing it away, thinking it would just bring up info like that business card I found. I do in fact have some irons in the fire already; a friend I still need to meet up with, and a possible lead on a possible murder case. Is there any way to expedite this process?"

>>918853
Probably patching their backdoor they made to Penny's brain.

--

Ask what other memetic exploits you are currently vulnerable to. Concede that you have TS, but ask her how you can trust her. Ask her if she has ever seen the movie Total Recall; are you even in reality right now?

>>918847

Say, a little waspishly, that you are certainly loath to be taken advantage of. Begrudgingly settle down into the couch and admit that perhaps you're a little unfairly blaming them for the scare of your life - if you could have felt scared, at least - and WOULD like a PRIMER ON BASIC FACT-OF-LIFE STUFF and a bit of Q&A. Add, with a grimace, that getting KO'd out of nowhere was really not the best way to get introduced. You were doing fine, and feel tricked by their 'capture-glyph', and now you apparently have to 'qualify' to even leave their ward? It's inconvenient.

How you can 'fix' this exploit in your mind and how long will you have to beware holographic pop-up ads in bad neighbourhoods?

Ask what happened to your stuff. Have all your possessions been confiscated, or are they around here somewhere? You had a few people you wanted to talk to at Gansett and in the Councourse. Those plans were a TAD disrupted by what has happened. What's required for you to leave, and how long does it take to get it?

>>918863
Sure, do this

>>918865
This is still too trusting. Additionally, it sort of seems confrontational which isn't a good approach at the moment.


If we absolutely need to, we can ask for the primer and such, but lets try to find out as much as we can on our own instead of just what one resource says.

We might be able to ask for a newspaper(equivalent) and/or (e)books on life.

We clearly know some things, but we definitely dont know others.

>>918863
If everything Cider just said is true, then the backdoor is already there because of taffa syndrome and pretty much anyone with the know-how and awful intentions can take advantage of it.

As for what to do next... Try not to cry, fail and then cry a lot.

Okay yes fine I probably have taffa syndrome but I'd still like some answers.

Where's all the stuff I had on me? Some of it I think was pretty important in ways I don't quite know yet and speaking of there where some other things I was planning on doing before everything went to shirt and I'd still like to do them so am I allowed to leave, are you people in charge of me now, are there things I'm not allowed to do or places I'm not allowed to go?

Oh and also something that's important, YOUR FUCKING GLYPH PUT ME IN A COMA FOR THREE DAYS!
The fuck is that all about? Is that normal? I should hope not cause if that's the case then I'm lucky that I decided not to use it when I first woke up in that ruined city or I would've been taken away like the other three.

Well aside from all that the only other questions I have are if it's normal to still kind of have memories from my past and if you can think of any significance of a red fox and a blue fox both of which have both their eyes on one side of their faces?

>>918847
>red dust is dead dust
Shit, that means those other people in the basement were zombies too. They got taken away, we should report that.
Also ask if the vulnerability is permanent. Are you going to have to avoid looking at those glyphs forever?

Then ask what you'd need to accomplish to be considered a Jarmu, and how long that'd take. You made a friend and agreed to go scrapping with her.

>>918847
“So what you’re saying is that you brainwashed me to come here to let you fix me to prevent me from getting brainwashed and kidnapped by body hunters and other traffickers. Is that right?”

“Because if you can help fix whatever is wrong with me so that I don’t get affected by those glyphs anymore, then that’s what I want. I don’t like the idea of someone else using those glyphs to kidnap me!”

>>918883
>Are you going to have to avoid looking at those glyphs forever?
Cider told us that she’d help fix that so that we’re not affected anymore. And she said that we should let her fix that before someone else with far worse intentions uses those glyphs to kidnap us.

"Okay. Still, is it normal for four people to enter a suicide pact in the same taffa den? And why do I think I'm a human?"

>>918847

Okay, okay ... let's walk things back a bit.

What we know of the things is thus:

- She knows WAY more about our circumstances than she has any reason to unless this really IS a more common occurrence than we realize.

- Everything Cider has described insofar mirrors our experiences.

- We don't know anything beyond one hell of a migraine after looking at the thing and blacking out, so ... maybe this glyph deal isn't so ludicrous after all.

- Taffa is something serious. Something really, really bad, and "dust" can evidently be used to alter one's own body / mind / metaphysical qualities.

If so -- and this is a BIG if -- that means that two very important items need to be inquired about: the "dust gun" in the case that we talked to Pompadour-chick about (I forget her address), and the vial of maybe-it-was-medicine.

Does Cider have either of those? If so, can she show you the medicine bottle and help make sense of it?

She's right; we've got gaps. Big ones. Really, huge, gaping holes in who and what we are (because right now, we don't even know WHAT we are). Cider's the only chance we've got right now, and it doesn't look like we'll be receiving many other choices.

Here's a question to mull over.

What if someone forced someone else to consume raw taffa? Wouldn't that be murder without a corpse? What if your past self was assassinated? It is an interesting word choice on Cider's part to say that your past self died. I mean, you are still you, you just dont have memories, but memories arent the only thing that is you.

>>918894
That's a matter of opinion. Different people are going to have different views on personhood.

>>918894
Cider has only explained the aftereffects of taffa syndrome as it relates to our current status and hasn't talked about the entire process from start to finish.

Which I'm sure is absolutely horrifying.

I think the most important thing here is to remain collected. An emotional outburst would get you nowhere. Try to breath, organize your thoughts, and think about what you want to say.

I think you should ask what happens to you next; what kind of process exactly does she want to send you through? how long does it take? Can you leave at will?

Ask that last one very carefully, phrase it hypothetically. If pushed, state that you have friends you would wish to see on the outside, but don't name names whatever you do.

i wanna know why we were in a coma

>>918889
>>918880
yeah what was with those fucking dogs

"I apologize if I sound frustrated, but I didn't much appreciate being put in a coma. couldn't a phone number, or a alarm or something sufficed without the knockout? Or at least a written warning of me being put in a coma after looking at the glyph? I felt a little bit lied to..."

>>918938
this. Lets just stay calm. No need for outbursts.

>>918964
Drug mules from the looks of things. They were gonna get busted so they freaked out and started flushing the goods.

Goddamn, imagine carpetbombing enemy population with aerosolized raw Taffa and pamphlets with carefully crafted glyphs.
Ultimate non-lethal weapon.

>>918847
If she can fix us so that we don't get brainwashed anymore, then I say that we should let her fix us!

No yelling. Stay calm. Even on the diminishingly rare chance that these people have it in for you, an outburst isn't going to do anything positive for your situation.

>emotion is bad
It makes people empathize with you! If she's actually legit she'll care if we're upset. If an emotional outburst actually hurt things, this is a situation we definitely need to escape.

>>919064
You can express anger without yelling.

>>919115
And that could be interpreted as unfeeling, or intimidating. Is that what you want to do, or who you want Penny to be? I like an emotional, fiery Penny, personally.

[spoiler]I'll leave it there, any more definitely needs to go to the discussion thread.[/thread]

Well, the fact that they seem pretty culty and they're obviously willing to employ mind control to drag people in against their will, rather than just seek them out and offer help raises so many red flags.

....ask to be let go. See if they'll either help you get on your feet, keep their hooks in you, refuse to let you go, or throw you out without help so you have no choice but to come to them.

>>919205
The flyers are a method for seeking out and trying to help. Yes, it's mind control but so far this could be so much worse than waking up in someone else's personal clinic.

>>919207
That is what it looks like on the surface, but who knows what may be underneath that.

>>919288
We're going to need time and information to figure that out one way or the other. Oh hey look, we've got both right now.

Say you're glad that you got a genuine Vesper Society glyph page and not some malicious impostor page. You say this because just thinking about it a bit, you think it'd be easy for those with nefarious intent to make glyph page books that look just like the Vesper Society's except for a different glyph. You assume the Society has to have had such trouble before and those in it who distribute the books are always on the lookout for fakes.

teegee 2019/02/02(Sat)04:00 No. 919736 ID: 891b91
File 154910882376.gif - (186.54KB , 1024x1024 , 1-003-1.gif )

I changed Cider's text color to grey to make it a bit more readable when using tgchan-BLICK's invert colors feature.

"Fine," you acquiesce, settling into the couch and folding your arms, "I don't remember anything before four or five days ago." Or much during the past three, thanks to you, you think to yourself, suppressing the urge to say it out loud. "But why put me in a coma for three days? Don't you find that worrying?"

"It is worrying, especially because we haven't figured out what caused it." Cider sighs -- you get the impression she was hoping you wouldn't ask. "It's never taken more than a couple of hours for newcomers to wake up, once we've deactivated the glyph's programming. Until you came here, that is. Our best guess is that there is something unusual about your dust's structure -- but as for what it is, or why it's there, we don't know. What's important, though, is that you're here now, safe with us."

"Okay, you say I'm safe, but what about those glyphs? Didn't you say you'd fix things so they wouldn't affect me?"

"Our capture-glyph patches the vulnerability automatically, actually. We think it should have been successful in your case, but we're a bit wary of testing it out to make sure. I think you should... be careful around glyphs for now, just in case."

"Well, that's reassuring. Are there any other mind control devices out there that I should know about? And how do you know there aren't people making fake copies of your glyphs, to get people like me?"

She either ignores or doesn't notice your sarcasm. "None that we know of. If they exist, we're as in the dark about it as you are. As for counterfeits, traffickers have tried it before, so we make the rounds pretty regularly to swap out our books. With the right equipment, we can test them and find out what they're programmed to do, so when we find fakes we pass them off to the authorities. It's not a perfect solution, but it does help make counterfeiting a bit more trouble than it's worth, for them."

"Great. So I guess I need to become a, uh, 'jarmu' to get out of here?"

"Penny, becoming a jarmu is about more than 'getting out of here.' It's about grounding yourself in a community and, within that context, coming to learn who you are, independent of the qabel who came before you. Will you then be able to leave Red Shelf of your own accord? Yes, not because we let you, but instead because you'll be truly capable of making that decision for yourself."

"I've already been 'discovering myself' and managing on the outside just fine, so far. The fact that I made my way from the ruins of the old city to the Concourse on my own demonstrates that I'm pretty capable, if you ask me. I've even made a few friends along the way, one of whom I was on my way to meet before your glyph threw a wrench in my plans. So I think I'm more than capable of handling life on the outside, and I'd like to leave."

"Penny... please, let's not make this difficult," she pleads, her placid demeanor breaking slightly to reveal an image of genuine concern. "At least give our way of life a chance, I promise it'll help you more than you think."

"Well, if I play along and do things your way, maybe you could take my experience into account and expedite things a bit, at least?"

"It isn't my choice to make, I'm afraid. Graduating a sigarzghar to jarmu is decided by a majority vote among all qatras, so the most I could do is put in a good word for you with the others. And I can't do that in good conscience until I'm convinced you're ready to thrive in the outside world."

You sigh -- your frustration is rising, but you're doing your best to remain calm. "Okay, then," you respond coolly at first, before tempering your demeanor, "what do I have to do to become a jarmu? More importantly, how long does it take?"

"As I said, becoming a jarmu is to become a part of our community, and through that come to understand who you are as a person. Family is an integral part of that, and to that end our community here is split up into seven dars, or houses, one of which you will join. As a member of a dar, you will take part in its collective responsibilities to the community -- and be compensated for your work, of course -- in order to learn a trade you can use to support yourself in the outside world. While our community is fairly tight-knit overall, your housemates will naturally be those you grow closest to, forging friendships that help complete you as a person." She takes a moment to finish her tea, setting the mug aside. "Eventually, based on your progress, the qatras leading your dar will recommend you for graduation to jarmu. The amount of time it takes to reach that point varies from person to person, but in most cases it takes between two and five years."

... OK THEN! These jobs, can you give some examples on what they are and how much do they pay. Is it at least minimum wage or are they more like internships where I should be happy to be getting anything at all. I'm not expecting a high paying job like a doctor or anything but I do want to know if I'm at least getting the same wage as an unskilled worker like a factory worker on an assembly line who could at least make enough to live off of or if I'm living off charity with a few bucks thrown my way here and there.

Also how much does room and board cost? Both for living in one of these dars and... I don't know a cheap apartment. I want an idea on what the poverty line is around here.

Look I acknowledge that going back now is probably dumb without any actual skills but at least It’s real, it’s hard to take your “offer” as anything but a joke or a scam when I seemed to be doing well enough on my own.
You’re basically asking me to give up on the life I was partway through building myself so I can do it again but in a “safe” gated community where the big bad real world can’t hurt me. I know it wasn’t much of a life yet but i’d only just started.

But how about this... I’ll spend a day or so here to see what it’s like and decide afterwards whether or not I stay for real, sound good?
On an unrelated note, where are my things?

Sounds more and more like a petty but creepy cult.

Time to tell her that if she doesn't allow you to leave right here, right now, no strings attached, then it's nothing more than that.

Five years? Definitely a cult. That's the kind of time frame that by the end of it, they're going to say "no no, you need another year, at least!" and never let you go.

But it's way easier to escape if they don't know you want to. Also maybe there's others who want to leave. So lie and say you'll give it a shot.

...Yeah, this basically is a friendship cult. Everything that Cider here is offering comes with some very massive, sprawling strings attached. Five years is a hell of a long time to work with when your goal is to convince someone that yes they can leave but they should totally stay instead.

Lie and say you'll go along with it.

>>919736

Take a deep breath and re-calm down. At least it was an honest answer.

State matter-of-factly and without (much) rancor:

You, Penny Ainsley, being of sound mind and body feel just fine - surprisingly, perhaps, but you do - and not to belittle the work of the Vespers, but you do not want to stay on Red Shelf for years of 'pseudo-familial integration'. You want the independence to move around - and you want to talk with people you've already met. You had a line on a potential job and information on what may be a missing person from down in the Old City to pass on. In a pinch, you have holo addresses you could call or send messages to.

You get what the Vespers seem to be about, but you don't seem to require their services as they intend to give them. If they really want to help, then yeah, there's plenty they could do for you that you'd want and you'd even repay it with work or money, but if Cider wants you on board for a years-long process... she should sell you WAY harder on why this is to your benefit. Cigar tzar or zombie - you are apparently high-functioning enough to not act as a child (or worse). Your main stumbling block is your ignorance, and that, thankfully, has a fairly simple cure.

Now, what happened to your stuff?

And, in her breadth of experience with sufferers of Taffa Syndrome, do people tend to remember anything from their old lives?

"I... get the feeling arguing with this is pointless. I still have some questions, though:"

Start counting on your fingers.

"1: Getting the potentially easy solution out of the way; are you legally allowed to hold me here against my will?

"2: What's your policy on contact with the outside? I want to let my friend know I'm okay at least, and if I can't finish the investigation I ended up inadvertently starting, I can at least turn in my evidence and testimony to someone who can. I'm pretty sure the victim's employer will be interested in picking up the lead.

"3: Can you tell me what each dars specializes in? I'm particularly interested in information services or investigative positions, as that's what I feel I'm best suited for.

"4: What's the fastest it's ever taken to graduate to Jarmu? I'm just curious about what the current record is right now."

>>919736
>The amount of time it takes to reach that point varies from person to person, but in most cases it takes between two and five years.
This is the point where, if you’re drinking your tea, you spit it out is surprise! Also known as a spit take.

>>919736
So this is like college, where you're not allowed to drop out.
Well, you have one advantage here. You might be able to recover more memories. Tell her you'd like to make investigating your unique condition your first priority, since you remembered something during your coma. Something related to one of the items you were carrying. Where are those, by the way?
Also yeah ask what kind of jobs you can train for. May as well get some training while you're here.
Lastly ask how you can use email. You don't know your own address.

Remember to inquire as to the possibility of your past-self being murdered. While self-inflicted amnesia may be the most common, it seems like it would be fairly easy to assassinate someone without a trace.

"Is there a sorting hat that picks my dar? Because if there is, I am NOT ending up in Hufflepuff." Say this in a comedic deadpan. (Is that too meta?)

Go for a noncommittal sarcastic response. Don't make it backhanded. I understand how frustrating all this is, but Cider is obviously entirely convinced of her own self righteousness. The harder you push, the less she'll listen. If you try and say 'this is unfair' she'll respond sympathetically, but in her mind she'll immediately write you off as a 'lost sheep' in need of guidance.

Agree to jump through her hoops, but continue to sound apprehensive, or she'll become suspicious.

We'll figure out how to escape later.

>>919763
emphasis on escape.

This seems to be a safe place for now for us to take control of our mental and cyber security.

>>919782
As was just mentioned, the glyph should have patched the security hole in our head it used.

Given that our case is out of the norm, though... Well, it doesn't sound like Vesper has the facilities needed to investigate our coma instance further.

>Two to five years
This is sounding more and more like a trap.

Seconding asking about if they can legally keep you here.

>>919792
We are not in control. We have been told they fixed it, but until we have access to our own interworkings to see what is there, we are not in control. We dont just want a pre-setup pc, we need to be a power user!

>>919810
It's not a good idea to perform anything remotely resembling brain surgery, on yourself. We also can't trust Vesper with it, so long as we're under their friendly thumb. The best case is that we get out, re-establish ourselves elsewhere and then quietly start doctor/technician shopping.

Let's not outsource our desktop upgrades to this place, their couch smells like sex and they might be daft enough to fully enable cortana, mcafee and goodness knows what else when we asked them to install linux.

Lets not talk about what we saw during our coma, specifically that building we saw before waking up from the coma. If we plan an escape at some point, and they remember you talking about that building, they most likely will know that you will head that way at some point.

>>919815
I am saying we can learn to do it ourselves while we are relatively safe here and then escape once we are done.

>>919736

Well, let's discuss options and scenarios:

All of this sounds a little too good to be true. We've only seen two, maybe three other people in our waking time here, yet she talks about the place as though it's huge and large enough to house a hundred people or more -- a commune, essentially.

Which is fine, and getting paid to do some basic duties and just live a while is probably better than we can get outside, BUT -- and this is the important part -- being stuck here in a place we know nothing about, and know next to nothing about ourselves, for an upwards of five years ...?

That's asking a lot of someone who may have just "survived" suicide.

On the other hand, we could leave, because Cider has given us every indication that, while severely reluctant, we are allowed to do so. But if we do so, there's no knowing if this glyph thing isn't going to turn us into a walking space-case again and we know nothing.

So in that cases, courses of action: we ask Cider about our stuff, where it went, and if there was anything on our person -- like a mysterious bottle with a faded label -- which might give us a sense of who we are or were.

From there? The success rate. How many wake up in a pit down on the surface with nothing but a bottle of some kind of medication and their "dust" or whatever it is sprayed all over the ground in front of them, and then manage to miraculously become this "jarmu" thing through what sounds a lot like a form of group therapy?

I'm all for staying here, as that's definitely the best option for us now, but we first need to take care of the unfinished business that we left behind. We need to get the dustbender back from Quincy (or at least tell her that she can keep it), we need to contact Delaney with the evidence, and inquire about their agent Moira.

So tell her that you'll agree to her wishes, under the condition that she lets you talk to a few people on the Gansett shelf first.
Altho, I suppose all of those could be done right here, through holo, while Delaney can simply send someone to fetch the evidence case.

Agreed, we should stay for now but stay on guard and find ways to escape and learn what Vesper really is. Be patient and dont give away your plans. It's likely others may have similar plans as well...

It might be worth taking advantage of anything they give you for the time being, although I'm worried about if they have any procedures to prevent runaways. They can't be so stupid as to not anticipate such attempts.

Also, you're gonna have to play it ICE FUCKING COLD. In a manner of speaking. They probably expect you to start out that way and then slowly subvert you somehow. But above all, you cannot let them do that. Trying to 'fit in' also runs the risk of 'becoming the mask'. You don't know what you were, but you at least know what you are right this second- you create who you are every day you live. THAT'S what's important.

Found a thing that may be relevant:
http://vesper.org/

>>920132
Sweet summer child...

if this really is a cult, we're never going to be allowed to do any of that. We'll likely be unable to even have a phone and any computers we're allowed access to will be loaded with a keylogger and other such things.

>>920560
Why are you spoilering that? If they start restricting our freedom then we escape. Don't act like we can't say no once we say yes. The only time that's applicable is when contracts are involved.

Everyone freaking out about being trapped here are missing the fact that they took control of Penny's body to bring her here. If they wanted to do something sinister, then they wouldn't have ceded it back to her.

>>920562
That's not how cults work. Getting us here is all they really need to ensure, after that it's all emotional exploitation.

1/2 teegee 2019/02/10(Sun)04:19 No. 920579 ID: 891b91
File 154980116670.gif - (297.10KB , 1024x1024 , 1-004-1.gif )

Your stomach drops at hearing that figure. "Two to five years?!" You're lucky that you haven't touched your tea, otherwise you probably would have sprayed it all over the place.

"Yes, Penny. I understand that may be a little shocking to you, but keep in mind that we are essentially helping you build your personality and identity up from practically nothing. It's lengthy and takes significant effort, but the end result is much better than the treatment offered elsewhere. We seek to help you create genuine memories, rather than the soulless, artifically-constructed ones they force on our kind in hospitals."

"So my choice is between being forced to live here for up to half a decade, or having phony memories forced on me? What if I don't want to go through with any of this? Are you even legally allowed to keep me here against my will?"

"We are legally obligated to keep you here, in effect. Or, rather, you are required by tripartite law to stay here with us or go to a hospital, due to your condition. If the police had found you before you used our glyph, you would have been taken to a hospital -- and one of us would have visited you there, to try to convince you to come here instead. I refuse to keep anyone here against their will, however, so if your heart is truly set on leaving, we can bring you to a hospital and leave you in their care. I apologize if that doesn't seem like much of a choice."

"Well, you're right about that -- it doesn't feel like much of a choice. But I guess I'd rather be stuck here for years than having some doctors mess around in my head, so... I guess I'll stay here and play along." It's a lie; you have zero intention of remaining here any longer than is necessary. While these people strike you as a bunch of cultists, you think you'll probably have better luck escaping from them than from a hospital. Maybe you can even find a few others who want out, too, and take them with you. "But before, um, my coma, I was trying to get to Gansett Shelf. I'd still like to go there, if possible."

"Wonderful!" Cider practically beams at the news, and there's no outward indication that she suspects your lie at all. "I know all too well how frightening this all is, but someday you're going to look back on this decision and realize it was one of the best you've ever made. Mark my words! As for visiting Gansett Shelf, I'm sure we can arrange for a chaperoned trip sometime soon. Now, shall we get started with getting you settled in, or was there anything else you wanted to know?"

"Well, I had a bunch of stuff on me before I used the glyph, but after I woke up yesterday it was all gone. Where is it?"

"Don't worry, all of your things are in your temporary quarters. Our standard procedure is to go through newcomers' possessions, just to make sure there isn't anything dangerous or illegal. While you had a couple questionable items, it was nothing that we could justify confiscating; the objects you've collected are part of the beginnings of forming your own identity, so we try to tamper with it as little as possible."

"Questionable?" You ask.

"Just a couple minor things. One was a medicine bottle, we think, although we weren't able to identify what it might have held. I assume it was just some junk you grabbed for one reason or another, but it did raise a couple eyebrows. There was also the evidence case -- there was some blood inside it, so we cleaned that out since it was a biological hazard. Out of curiosity, did you already have these things when you first woke up?"

"No, I found them in an abandoned shop." It's a partial lie, but you think it's probably for the best if she thinks you just happened across the vial. "So uh, is there a sorting hat that picks which dar I'm joining? Because if there is, I am NOT ending up in Hufflepuff." The look of confusion on Cider's face tells you the joke flew right over her head.

"Hufflepuff? Is that a reference to something, or..?"

"It is, it's a reference to --" you pause when you realize you aren't sure what you were referencing. "Um, I don't remember, actually."

Cider chuckles knowingly. "Ah, well, don't let that worry you. It's very common for a new sigarzghar to find small fragments of their qabel's memories left over here and there. They'll fade over time, like dreams."

"Oh," you reply, mulling it over for a moment. You suppose that explains the vision you had during your coma -- just a sliver of your past self's memory that wasn't wiped out completely. "Well, anyway, I meant to ask how you choose which dar I'll join."

She smiles. "The choice is made mutually between you and the dar's leadership. The qatras in each dar will decide whether their dar should invite you to join them; you'll be given a day or two to become acquainted with those that invited you, and then you'll announce your decision at your ismijiet -- your naming ceremony -- where you'll take on the name of your dar, becoming a fully-fledged member. I expect that tomorrow we'll have some invitations for you."

"Do the dars specialize in certain fields?"

"Yes, actually. Dar Ormi serves as the shelf's administration and local government; dar Nevian specializes in finance and commerce; dars Blin and Zahra handle maintenance of the shelf, with dar Blin focusing on engineering and dar Zahra focusing on construction; dar Grixti staffs our eateries and cafeterias; dar Balzan is home to our artists and entertainers; and dar Funtana -- my dar -- is our medical and spiritual center."

2/2 teegee 2019/02/10(Sun)04:19 No. 920580 ID: 891b91
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You start to ask about the kind of pay offered by the various dars, but you're interrupted by someone knocking suddenly.

"Come in!" Cider calls to the door, prompting it to slide open.

A very fluffy, maned creature steps into the room. "Cider, Polenta's waiting to see you downstairs--OMIGOSHISTHATTHENEWSIGARZGHARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Her voice becomes an energetic shriek as she bounds over to you and scoops you up into a bear hug.

Cider doesn't miss a beat -- apparently this is very normal behavior for this person. "Wow, it's already eleven? How time flies!" She observes your helplessness for a moment before continuing. "Penny, this is Jarmu Rosalyn, one of my aides. I'm late for a meeting with Qatra Polenta, so I'm afraid I have no choice but to cut things short. I'm sorry for not giving you more of my time, please know that my door is always open -- well, figuratively speaking -- so feel free to stop by anytime you'd like to have a chat. Now, unless there is something on your mind that truly can't wait until later, Rosalyn will take things from here and help you with moving into your quarters and getting acquainted with life here."

"Your name is Penny? That's so cuuuuuuuuuuute ahahaha!" In her excitement, Rosalyn squeezes you a bit tighter than you'd prefer.

Start shaking your head back and forth since your arms are pinned. Hopefully they'll get the hint and at least relax their hold on you.

Any who... Whether or not Cider bought our lie, ask if Rosalyn here is going to give us a tour (without further bear hugs) and answer questions.

DOWN GIRL DOWN!

>>920579
>"We are legally obligated to keep you here, in effect. Or, rather, you are required by tripartite law to stay here with us or go to a hospital, due to your condition. If the police had found you before you used our glyph, you would have been taken to a hospital -- and one of us would have visited you there, to try to convince you to come here instead. I refuse to keep anyone here against their will, however, so if your heart is truly set on leaving, we can bring you to a hospital and leave you in their care. I apologize if that doesn't seem like much of a choice."

"So you're gonna play-pretend with a "us versus them" scenario that you're the better choice despite being 2 to 5 years worth of ball-and-chain? what about conveniently leaving a window open or doors unlocked so that I can leave without all the hassle from either choices? or doesn't that fit with your "benevolent ruler" image you like to cultivate?"

>>920586
ffs don't actually call them out on their bullshit. We trying to be sneaky about getting out from under their thumb.

>>920580
Tell her to be gentle! Geez, gotta wonder (out loud) how helpful someone this excitable could be.
No extra questions right now, for Cider.

>>920586
Are you serious? We just lied about wanting to stay here, it would be a terrible idea to ask how we could leave illegally.

Ponder the unsettling fact that you could easily fit your head inside Rosalyn's toothy maw. Offer a pained "Ex-squeeze me." to hint to her that she should perhaps stop breaking your back as if readying to stuff you into her mouth like a broken pretzel.

Say that it's nice to meet her - your full name's Penny Ainsley - once she lets go, and offer a more normal handshake. If she's an aide to Cider, you'll want to stay on her good side to get gossip and information from her - not that I think this will be hard, the way she's acting. (Must've embraced her new identity perhaps a little too enthusiastically.)

You'll want to learn more about the Dars and what they do, but my immediate impression is that Funtana - Cinder's spiritual/medical one - and Blin/Zahra - engineering/construction - could be good ones to join. The former because we appear to have a few vague memories intact that seem to indicate scientific, biological/dust knowledge, so training medical know-how might be in our bailiwick and could trigger additional memories. If any skill-memories survived, that'd be a useful way to shortcut some of the training-for-life they seem to think you require.

The latter, Blin/Zahra, because if they're surveying and constructing things, they'll have hovercars or whatnot. If we really want to make a break for it off this shelf one day, having access to those could be handy.

Request that Cider think about two things, no need to answer right away:

1 - Is it possible to form new Dars, to start a focus on new skills and industries? This will indicate a go-getting attitude that may lull Cider even more into a false sense of security regarding your acceptance to stay here.

2 - Are there temp jobs for the Dars that you can help out with, given the community festival that's apparently taking place soon? That way you can get to help out and experience multiple Dars' ways of doing things before you decide (and you get to scout out what they actually do and which might grant you the best means to escape, if you so wish).

>>920579
>dar Grixti staffs our eateries and cafeterias
Hey, Penny, since you seemed to be envious of Cider‘s body, maybe going into the food business would help you get the same curves that she has?

>dar Funtana -- my dar -- is our medical and spiritual center.
Then again, you could also get into the medical studies to get access to body mods, if you want to get some curves that way.

>>920580
>In her excitement, Rosalyn squeezes you a bit tighter than you'd prefer.
“I.....can’t.....breathe!”

"Stop playing Rubik's cube with my skeleton!"

Also, they don't know Terra A.D. 2000 pop culture. That's not weird. What is weird is that you do. Keep using references and see if they can jog your memory.

>>920580

Teeth. Teeth. TEETH.

Ask if anybody else got admitted to Vesper within the last few days.

Don't tell them this but I remember when we first woke up, there were a few other unconscious just like we were. And then later we saw some authority figures come down presumably to the place where you woke up to. Perhaps they bring those unconscious people here to

I'd aim for Balzan primarily, with Blin as a backup, also be sure to ask if it's possible to modify... assets?

If this doesn't end in self acceptance we will have failed Penny.

Motorboat the excited lady.

Dar Ormi actually might not be a bad one; with this you'll be plugged into all the know regarding the local politics, useful information to have...and manipulate, if possible.

dar Nevian would be similar, but you'd have to really work that silver tongue- you could make powerful allies by slipping someone a few extra bucks in their paycheck here and there later on (or maybe skim a few cents off the top for you), or maybe doing some 'creative accounting' to make sure projects that would benefit you happen. dar Blin would be excellent if you wanted to figure out escape paths and general lay of the land, and dar Zahra for if you want to know structural weakpoints and get your hands on potentially high quality tools for digging.

With your own emergent skillset, you might be more brainy than brawny, though, and while dar Funtana might seem like a good fit for that, you'd be under the direct and most CERTAINLY watchful eye of the boss lady herself (even if she'll be pretending she's not to look nice), so I'd not recommend that one.

On the whole, I'd recommend dar Ormi, if only because I think it fits with her analytic style of thought.

Dars Blin and Funtana both seem good because they use more brains than brawn, but offer more practical skills than the other brainy dars. Preferably Funtana over Blin so we can learn more about Dead Dust, because it seems like there's something seriously messed up about people having "dust" in them that can "die" and it doesn't sound natural at all. Funtana and Blin seem like our best bet for going back to that old, dead city we found ourselves in before we came here, and I think there are mysteries there we have a destiny to investigate.

Hug the excited lady back, cause if we're gonna be stuck in this cult for a while we better start making friends.

>>920621
As stated, I don't like the idea of getting into dar Funtana simply because we'd be under the perview of High Leader Cider herself, and we'd probably get away with far less 'questionable' things (that would allow us to better prep for escape) than we would if we were a degree or two separated.

>>920580
Ask to be let down please.

Just buy yourself some space in the hug with your hands. Also try averting your eyes. This isn't such a bad place to stay, all things considered!

>>920594
All of this.

Well, hug her back I suppose. Also, motorboat, but without motor.

"Hello soft lady~"

Seems she likes to meet new people? Ask her if she always gets this excited.

As far as choosing a dar goes, as Cider said, let's wait to see which invitations we get and get more info on the dar's.

I think Ormi might be the best fit for our mindset. They'd be the closest to security and information services, after all.

I still think we should mention that there were three others that got taken away, as well as those two foxes.



And also maybe ask what their policy on fraternization is?

Ask about martial arts. While they definitely aren't a militaristic organization, martial arts is more than just fighting. They probably have something to some degree.

>>920580

Once all the TEETH aren't so close to your everything, we should ask Cider which house she feels we are most likely to enter — essentially a thinly veiled way of asking what she thinks our personality is or will be.

Cheep like a small mammal in distress. Like a hamster or a rabbit.

>>920850

Perhaps like a ... cutebold?

1/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:47 No. 922053 ID: 891b91
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>Ponder the unsettling fact that you could easily fit your head inside Rosalyn's toothy maw.
>Teeth. Teeth. TEETH.
You quickly regret thinking about this, and silently hope that you haven't stumbled across a den of cannibals.

Wriggling your body, you attempt to buy yourself a little more breathing room, but Rosalyn's strength is too much for you. "I....can't.....breathe!" You gasp out, hoping she'll ease up on you, but apparently she can't hear you over her own shrieking!

>Motorboat the excited lady.
>motorboat, but without motor.
You get a crazy idea -- frankly you're a little embarrassed by it, but drastic times call for drastic measures. If you can't get through to Rosalyn with your voice, maybe you can communicate through her chest! You jam your face into the mounds before you; while her breasts are fully concealed beneath her top, the soft, stretchy fabric quickly gives purchase as your snout plunges into the pillowy depths. They're remarkably soft, and as you begin violently shaking your head left and right -- made more difficult by the heftiness of her chest -- you can't help but think that in a different context you might actually enjoy this.

Your lips graze past a nipple poking through the fabric, thick and stiffened from the sudden attention, eliciting a loud squeal from Rosalyn.

2/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:48 No. 922054 ID: 891b91
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She bursts out laughing and loosens her grip on you, nearly dropping you in the process as she hastily sets you down. "Whoa, nelly!" She cackles, idly massaging her breast. "That's the friendliest welcome I've had in months!"

Cider chuckles. "Roz, I'm pretty sure that was Penny's way of telling you it was time to put her down."

"Damn, I might have to hold you upside-down next time!" She notices your immediate look of concern. "Kidding, kidding!"

"Um, how about we start over? It's... nice to meet you, Rosalyn." You raise your arm up, offering your hand to her. "Not to mention, um, interesting. I'm Penny Ainsley."

Roz grasps your hand and gives it a firm shake. "Rosalyn ta' Balzan, but just call me Roz." She flashes a toothy grin whose exact meaning eludes you. "Seems like we're doin' things a little out of order here, but eh -- when in Rome!"

When in Rome? It sounds familiar, and you know what the expression means, but... Rome? What is that, exactly? You feel like you should know, but you're drawing a complete blank. You decide to dismiss the thought for now, but it still prods you a little from the back of your mind.

3/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:48 No. 922055 ID: 891b91
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"Well, Penny, it was very nice meeting you," Cider interjects, "but I really need to get changed for that meeting. Rosalyn will take things from here and help you get settled in."

Roz nods in agreement. "C'mon, let's go scope out your room."

With that, you follow her out into the hall. "So, do you always get that excited, Roz?"

She grins sheepishly. "Yeaahh... kinda. People say I overdo it, but I really, really can't help it. I just love it when we get newcomers!"

"Oh, speaking of," you add, "Has there been anyone else new here in the past few days? Or am I the only one?"

"Funny you should mention that! A new girl joined us a couple days ago, and you two'll be rooming together 'til your ismijiet. Her name's Mint, and she's a real sweetie!" Roz frowns a little. "The past couple days've been tough for her, though. She's been getting some killer nightmares, they've really done a number on her mood. So, y'know, be extra nice to her, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try." The two of you start heading down a flight of stairs. "So uh, that's it? No one else?"

"Nah. Before you and Mint, the last time we had newcomers was maybe a few weeks ago. Why do you ask?"

"Well, when I woke up a few days ago, I was in a room with a few other people. They all had the red powder on them, like me, but they were still unconscious. I saw them being led onto a ship later on, so I thought maybe they'd ended up here."

"Did you see a metal spine kinda thing on their backs and running up their head?"

"I saw guy putting something like that on one of them, yeah."

"Ooh, ouch. I hate to break it to ya, but those people? They were hollow. Like... the lights are on but no one's home."

"You mean they're braindead?"

"Nah, not braindead. They just took such a big overdose of taffa that it wiped 'em out completely." She continues speaking as the two of you start heading down a hallway several floors down. "The spine thing controls the hollow body, makes it easier to move 'em around. I hate to say it, but by now some guy's prolly fixing 'em up for the black market."

4/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:48 No. 922056 ID: 891b91
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Roz finally stops at a fairly nondescript door. "Anyway, here we are, room 136!" She chirps as she swings the door open.

The room is relatively small, with a bunk bed pushed up against one wall and a closet, standing mirror, and a couple chests of drawers bordering the opposite wall. Ample light streams in through a bay window, which spans the width of the room. A thin, lanky girl sits on its cushioned seat with her back to you, gazing outside.

5/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:48 No. 922057 ID: 891b91
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"Mint, sweetie," Rosalyn calls out cautiously, "We have a new friend for you -- this is Penny, she's a sigarzghar too... you two are gonna be roommates for a little bit, okay?"

"...Okay," Mint finally responds in a tiny, forlorn voice. She doesn't so much as turn her head to acknowledge you.

"Is there anything I can get you? Something that'll help you feel better?"

".....No thanks, I'm fine." She punctuates it with a small, despondent sigh.

"Okay sweetie, well, you just let us know if you need anything at all, okay? We wanna help you."

"I know, thank you..."

6/6 teegee 2019/02/18(Mon)03:48 No. 922058 ID: 891b91
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"Alright!" Rosalyn starts again, her previous enthusiasm fully returned. "How about we get you out of this ratty old thing --" she tugs at your jumpsuit for effect "-- and put together a wardrobe for you, hmm?"

no that's... wait, how long have we been wearing this thing? Yeah, maybe some fresh clothes will be nice. hell while you're at it ask if they have a shower or a bath around her that you can use. I mean sure we're planning on ditching these guys when we can but doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the free room and board they're offering.

>Motorboat save
This becoming a thing made me chuckle.

>When in Rome
Ask Roz about the saying. Does she know what it means?

... and if she doesn't, what does it mean that you both kind of knew it? That you were once part of the same culture or group who used similar idioms?

>>922058
Sure, you wouldn't mind a second set of clothes, but you'd like to keep the jumpsuit. It's got deep pockets and if you pick one of the worker dars, you may as well save some money on getting work clothes.

Say, that's a thought. Does receiving the clothes, food, room and board put you in some kind of immediate or long-term debt? Obviously you're not receiving everything for free... are you? How is that kind of stuff tracked here?

(When you remove the jumpsuit, check the innards for a tag or logo for signs of manufacture or even sharpie-written name initials - the clothes you were wearing when your old self overdosed are a clue in and of themselves of who they used to be.)

>>922058
Can we also get some food? Being asleep for a few days without eating means we’re most likely starving right now!

>wardrobe
Sure. How do we go about picking our wardrobe? I hope they have some options because my mind is empty. Except for some sort of standard crop top with thicc boardshorts.

>>922060
>Say, that's a thought. Does receiving the clothes, food, room and board put you in some kind of immediate or long-term debt? Obviously you're not receiving everything for free... are you? How is that kind of stuff tracked here?
If I remember correctly from the previous thread, isn't Vesper non-profit? I think we're fine as far as money goes.

Scary, human (or rather people) trafficking on those hollow people. That could of been us if things got worse. I hope those people weren't someone we knew in our past life. If so, we might have to save them maybe.

anyway, Mint has been having nightmares? we had a dream while we were unconscious that felt very real. Perhaps ask if sigarzghars tend to have weird dreams often. (Don't mention what you saw in your own dream. keep it a secret)

also, I'd leave Mint alone until she feels better. Let her approach you when she is ready.

Lastly, the clothing, we'll get new clothes, but ask if we can keep the jumpsuit for later... (unless she literally tears the jumpsuit off your body, as she seems very forceful... oops, try not to think about how lewd that is)

If we are changing clothes, we should look for clothing with lots of pockets on the top and bottom, for inventory space. Just planning ahead.

Rome is or was a city-state in Italy. At one point it was an empire that encompassedthe entirety of the mediterranean. By the way, what planet are we on?

>>922058
Wardrobe good, would like to keep the jumpsuit, though. The pockets are hella useful.

As for what kinda wardrobe? I think we're more cool with stuff that's comfortable, yet practical. Pockets are a must on all things, and it needs to cover us well enough. Maybe something light, yet with darker colors for casual wear (and fashionable contrast).

>>922060
Agreed, but don't put it so harshly. Just ask 'do I owe anything for all of this?'

>>922067
>>922064

I'm thinking she'd look good in cargo pants? Shirt is variable. I dunno about a jacket or anything like that, though.

>>922058
Ask her what her belt's for.

>>922071
So what? camo colored cargo pants, tanktop and pilot jacket?

>Rome
Oh good, you're not the only one with dead knowledge from a planet your qabel could never have experienced under normal circumstances. Ask if they have any theories about these phrases - maybe it's just cosmic alien dust that siggies are susceptible to when they reincarnate.

>New wardrobe
"Does it come with a bra, or is that also an alien concept to you? No, no, I like your prominent independence from support."

>Mint
"Roz, did you hug the joy out of this fluffy little pastry?"

>>922058
Wow, she is not ashamed of her body.

Get something utilitarian

>>922078
how about sports bra and cargo vest

>>922102
>sports bra and cargo vest
So next you're gonna say army boots and a punk haircut along with the cargo pants, just to complete the 90's punk hacker look?
Punk hacker Penny.

>>922105
Shit, i forgot the fingerless gloves and color tinted sunglasses, can't go without them.

>>922105
need that good pp

>>922078
Sounds nice, actually!

>>922082
Also let's not talk about that out loud.

>>922058

Let's keep the jumpsuit but make it look a bit less like our GRANDMA's jumpsuit.

Cool onsie-thing with more of trunks (just above the knee?) and shorter sleeves because we aren't afraid of showing off our TOTALLY SOFT AND SNUGGLEABLE BODY.

And maybe a neat top as well, like those cool jackets worn open, like you see on cool characters.

... oh, AND UNDERGARMENTS, PLEASE GIVE US SOME UNDIES ALREADY, TOOTH LADY.

>>922110
Since you're obsessed with showing off the soft floof, then it'd make more sense to trim clothing down to something like a two-piece sports swimsuit, strapon thigh pockets for carrying things and maybe a optional jacket if the inherent floof isn't insulating enough against the elements.

>>922134
might as well just go naked.

Clothes would be great. Underclothes especially.

Also could she quickly give the definitions for the more unique words when she says them? Just to get us used to them.

teegee 2019/02/23(Sat)02:15 No. 922876 ID: 891b91
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"Sure, I guess," you reply, "but if I could just get some underwear that'd probably count as the best thing that's happened to me all week!"

"Can do!" She pauses, studying you for a moment. "Hmm. Sports bras okay? Er, no offense or anything."

"Sure, and none taken," you say diplomatically as you shove a wave of embarrassment to the back of your mind. "Oh and, what was that word you said earlier? Ismee-shit?"

Roz chuckles. "I'm sorry, I keep forgettin' that you're new to all this jargon. It's ismijiet-- that's the naming ceremony where you'll announce which dar -- uh, house, that is -- you're gonna join."

"...So um, do I have to pay for any of this? And is there a bath or shower somewhere I could use? I could really go for one right about now."

Roz shakes her head, smiling. "Nope! It's all charity, paid for by the dars. And sure, we can go down to the bathhouse once we've put together a few outfits for you! I could use a deep shampooing myself." She glances past you, to Mint. "Hey Mint, hon, you're welcome to come with, if you'd like!"

"...no thank you," Mint squeaks out, hesitating for a moment.

"All right sweetie, you just let me know if you need anything."

"I will.."

Roz nods, then turns her attention back to you. "Alright, wardrobe time!" She snatches the zipper of your jumpsuit and cheerfully yanks it down to your navel.

"H-hey!!" You exclaim in shock, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to wrestle the zipper back from her.

"Relax Penny, it's just us girls here!" Roz chuckles -- she seems to think this is much less of a big deal than you do. "Besides, I can't figure out what size you wear while you've still got this baggy thing on!"

I don't see how that's a relevant reason! She's already proven to be too frisky for the "all girls" line. I mean, you do have to undress to get new clothes, but that doesn't mean you have to go at her pace! Set up some boundaries, like "hands off" and "no more references to cunnilingus".

>Everything's gratis
Hm, no 'debt' per se, though you're still pigeonholed into become a working, contributing member of the Vespers. All charity must be funded somehow. At what point do you start earning your own pay - and is any of that pay diverted to Vesper causes, as seems likely? Who/what funds the charity?

>>922876
Well, she's grabby, but not wrong. All girls, and Mint isn't even watching. Carry on removing your jumpsuit - with help if she's still at it - while grumbling to Roz that she's gotta stop surprising you like this, you hardly even know her - or know if you're into girls like her!

Then realize you may have accidentally doth protested a little too much.

>>922876
>clothes
>bath
Don’t forget to ask for food! You’ve been asleep for 3 whole days, you must be starving right now!

>>922877 agreed, can't have random strangers forcefully stripping us without permission. Jump backwards away from her and tell her "I know it's just us girls here, but I know how to undress myself, thank you very much". we can't be too submissive.

Wonder if the bathhouse is mix gender bathing. Hope that it is not mixed gender bathing...

...

secretly hope it is mixed gender bathing

>>922880
That's what I'm wondering, too. Even charities have to get funding from somewhere, even if it's donations. It's part of why I want to go dar Ormi. That level has a lot of oversight, most likely, but also a lot of potential power to wield.

This place just keeps getting better and better. :|

Quickly wrap your arms around your chest to keep the jumpsuit from falling off entirely.

"E-even so!"

"If you're going to continuously invade my personal space, at least invite me to dinner first"

Struggle to keep your clothes on, even if your efforts accidentally cause your clothing to get ripped off accidentally by her in the progress. You're pride is at stake.

Tell Roz she should relax a little and slow down. You can do things on your own.

>>922876

At least wait until we're somewhere to properly measure!

(I guess this is turnabout for our motor-boating, huh ...)

If it makes you uncomfortable to be naked in front of her, than you should tell her so. You can be firm without being rude.

Though, in my opinion, you shouldn't feel awkward or embarrassed about being naked. You should feel comfortable in your body with or without clothes.

You're cute regardless of clothing.

Tell her if it's fine for you to be naked then she should be naked too.

>>922978
This. Use an excuse that you want to try her suit on.

>>922978

Oh! This is clever.

>>922978
Errybody get nekkid.

>>922876
Didn't you say when you first woke up that you felt like you used to be a dude?

Wait, you both remembered to close the door... right?... right?!?

1/3 teegee 2019/03/01(Fri)03:27 No. 923824 ID: 891b91
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You clutch an arm around your chest, attempting to keep the jumpsuit from falling down. "E-even so! Let's take a bit slower, okay? I hardly even know you, let alone whether I'm into girls... and you could at least invite me to dinner first!"

In retrospect, you think you might have said too much.

"Whoa now, don't take my horsin' around so seriously!" Roz chides you, laughing. "Far be it from me to judge you for your preferences, but I wasn't hittin' on you! Now c'mon, let's get this jumpsuit off already."

You hop backwards a step, inadvertently dragging the zipper all the way down before Roz finally relinquishes her grip. "I can undress myself, you know!"

>Don't forget to ask for food! You've been asleep for 3 whole days, you must be starving right now!
Actually, you ate last night and this morning at the clinic. It was crappy hospital food, but food nonetheless. You are starting to feel a little peckish, but it can wait until after you're no longer indisposed.

>Didn't you say when you first woke up that you felt like you used to be a dude?
You don't remember thinking anything like that, but your memory about that whole situation is a little fuzzy at this point.

2/3 teegee 2019/03/01(Fri)03:27 No. 923825 ID: 891b91
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"Alright, alright," Roz chuckles. "We'll go at your pace."

"Isn't there somewhere a little more private than this? Maybe a dressing room?"

"These bedrooms are as private as it gets around here, y'know."

You walk over to the door and swing it shut. "Fine, but we're keeping this closed."

"Man, Penny, you really gotta lighten up! What's the worst that could happen?"

"Someone could see me naked!"

"Well, if I'm gonna help you put together a wardrobe, then I'm gonna see you naked, aren't I? And Mint too, if she turns around to watch!"

"Not likely," Mint yawns. "I'm too tired to care about seeing naked people..."

"Fine, then someone else could see me."

"So? What's so bad about that?"

"I... I don't know! If you don't think it's so bad, then why don't you get naked?"

"Eh? What for?"

"Maybe I'd be more comfortable with it that way. Besides, I wanna try on your outfit."

Roz giggles. "There's no way this thing'll fit you, but I'm sure I can find something like it in your size. Or make it myself, if push comes to shove."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's reluctant about getting naked!"

"Ha! You sure about that?"

"Sure looks like it to me."

"Is that so?" Roz flashes a toothy grin.

3/3 teegee 2019/03/01(Fri)03:27 No. 923826 ID: 891b91
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Roz's clothing hits the floor, defying your expectations.

"There, feel better now?"

... you did not think this though did you?

>>923826

"Oh no. She's hot" in 3, 2, 1, …

In all seriousness, though, you're around two people who seem at ease with you. Maybe things started a bit faster than you were comfortable with, but you've set some boundaries and (over)played your hand.

Time to lighten up and just do our best to roll with it.

...Is nudity not a taboo in this world? So far, 3, maybe 4 people we have met didn't seem to care about any sort of nudity (the guy who saw you unzipped your jumpsuit at the beginning when you were seeing what gender you were didn't seem to care, Quincy wasn't wearing underwear when you first met her, and now these two don't seem to care, even when the door was open)

Not to mention, there was a strip club outside we saw earlier that had a hologram of a nude girl pole dancing... uncensored.

ask "is nudity not taboo or something? Is public nudity even legal?"

"...Fiiiine, I'll remove the stupid jumpsuit... but I'm not throwing it out, I'm still keeping it for later"

Afterwards, nervously strip your jumpsuit off with a slight embarrassed shiver. Once your jumpsuit is removed, cover your naughty bits, you have your dignity to protect after all.

(...Later question yourself if you actually enjoy the embarrassment of being seen naked by strangers)

>>923826
Try not to stare at her chest and try not to be jealous of her being bigger than you.

Fail and continuously stare and become jealous of her size compared to you.

>>923826
....yes.

On the bright side, this is an awfully effective way to learn whether you are into girls or not!

Then again, you might just be into Roz... she seems like a category in of herself.

Repeat after her and drop your clothes, except you'll probably be taking an embarrassed pose as compared to her content one.

>>923826
Confusedly admit to yourself that you felt 'something' just now.

Save yourself for Quincy!

>>923826
First you should realize she shaved her crotch specifically.

Secondly notice that even if you were the same size as her, Roz would still be bigger than you in every way (Optional: realize you have the big gay)

Thirdly attempt to step up to her calling your bluff and let her figure out your measurements with seemingly no tape to do so with in sight.

>>923869
Also do all this while doing that peek through your hands thing.

Honestly, realizing we aren't completely straight and admitting as such is an excellent excuse for us to admit that that suggestion was a mistake and ask her to put her clothes back on.

Well then. penny, you know the saying "beat them at their own game"? This is the opposite of that saying.

At best, you can turn sideways so that you aren't looking directly at her and she can't directly get as much of an eyeful as you just did before stripping your jumper off and demanding a towel or a sheet or SOMETHING.

Realize the fact that you just got a lady out of her clothes less than an hour after you met her. You must be devilishly charming.

Well, when a girl removes her clothes in front of you, it's only polite to do two things, not necessarily in this order: remove your own clothes, and develop a boner.

You might have a little trouble with the latter of the two, so you have to develop a... Wide-on, that's the word, instead.

1/4 teegee 2019/03/02(Sat)04:30 No. 923968 ID: 891b91
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"...Yes," you respond, hesitating for a moment. "But I can't say I was expecting you'd actually do it."

Roz giggles. "Never try to bluff a nudist about getting naked! Now c'mon, it's your turn."

"Fiiine, I'll take this stupid thing off," you moan, finally shrugging the jumpsuit off your shoulders and letting it pool around your ankles. Instinctively, your hands shoot to your chest and crotch in a subconscious attempt to save your dignity, and you turn away to deny her a better view of your body. "Now can I get a towel or a sheet or something?"

"Hey, relax," Roz reassures you, "It's only while I measure you, then you can get dressed again if you want."

>... you did not think this though did you?
You didn't think Roz would call your bluff!

>Realize the fact that you just got a lady out of her clothes less than an hour after you met her. You must be devilishly charming.
You're pretty sure this says more about Roz than it does about you.

You sigh. "Okay, let's just make it quick. Also, I'm keeping the jumpsuit," you add, pulling your eyes away from her chest. "I think I might see about modifying it into something a little less drab."

2/4 teegee 2019/03/02(Sat)04:30 No. 923969 ID: 891b91
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"I can help you with that! Fashion's kinda my thing, it's what I do over in Balzan. I bet I can make it into somethin' really cute!" She flashes that toothy grin again. "...Or something risque, if you'd prefer. Just think about what you'd like and we can talk about it later." She paces closer to you. "Alright, arms up -- I can't take measurements with 'em in the way like that. You really gotta learn to be comfortable in your own skin, y'know!"

Reluctantly, you pull your arms away from your privates, leaving yourself fully exposed, and you shudder gently at the realization of what you're doing. Roz takes another step forward, inadvertently giving you an up-close view of her groin, prompting you to cover your face in embarrassment.

3/4 teegee 2019/03/02(Sat)04:30 No. 923970 ID: 891b91
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>First you should realize she shaved her crotch specifically.
You give into temptation and peek at the smorgasbord of supple, gray flesh and wooly fur standing before you. It's not just her crotch -- her breasts and abdomen lack fur as well. You aren't sure whether she specifically grooms herself that way, or if she just naturally doesn't have fur there. Or maybe a combination of the two. Either way, the sight leaves you quivering, ever so slightly.

>On the bright side, this is an awfully effective way to learn whether you are into girls or not!
Yes. Yes, it definitely is. And you can safely say now that you're into girls -- you admit that you think Roz is, well, pretty hot. Particularly now that she's in her birthday suit.

>you have to develop a... Wide-on, that's the word, instead.
You're pretty sure you already have!

>Then again, you might just be into Roz... she seems like a category in of herself.
There's definitely a physical aspect to your attraction, but Roz certainly has a... unique personality, to say the least. You really aren't sure where your attraction to her lies on the spectrum between "attracted to women" and "just attracted to Roz", at the moment, but given your... biological reaction to seeing her body, you'd wager this isn't limited to her.

>Save yourself for Quincy!
Quincy... why did she pop into your head just now? You guess Roz kind of reminds you of her, and looking back on it you think you felt pretty attracted to her as well, although the situation you were in at the time made it difficult to acknowledge that fact. Still, it's a little early on for you to worry about saving yourself for anyone, you think.

4/4 teegee 2019/03/02(Sat)04:31 No. 923971 ID: 891b91
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"Hey, c'mon now, you don't need to cover your eyes. I don't look that bad, now do I?" She chuckles.

>Honestly, realizing we aren't completely straight and admitting as such is an excellent excuse for us to admit that that suggestion was a mistake and ask her to put her clothes back on.
You remove your hands from your face and do your best not to stare, but the temptation is rising. "Okay, now I definitely know I'm into girls, which is making the fact that you're naked much more awkward for me, so could you please put your clothes back on?!" You grab your jumpsuit from the floor, clutching it against your chest defensively.

"Sure, if that's what you want. But is it because you wanna look at me and feel like a weirdo for it? 'Cause you really don't need to feel that way, I'm totally fine with it, everyone has urges after all. I'd prolly find it flattering, even."

>When you remove the jumpsuit, check the innards for a tag or logo for signs of manufacture or even sharpie-written name initials - the clothes you were wearing when your old self overdosed are a clue in and of themselves of who they used to be.
Feeling blindsided by Roz's question, you distract yourself for a moment by peeking down the jumpsuit's neck to see if there's a tag. Sure enough, you find one sewn to the inside. There's some text printed across it:

PROPERTY OF DELANEY SECURITY SERVICES LLC
IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO
306B ABLEWILD BLOCK
GANSETT SHELF

Huh. Guess that could explain our (normally) calculating nature. Best not to think too hard into it, though. Just another item for the ticket line when we eventually get in contact.

"Look, maybe I just don't like getting turned on unless I explicitly want to be. Does that make me a weirdo?" "Look, can you please just put your clothes back on and get this over with so I can do the same?"

I guess we aren't modifying this jumpsuit after all.

Heh, don't get too wet from Rosalyn's survey of your body. Come to think of it, you really ought to rub one out relatively soon. And we know what you'll be thinking about when you do.

Matteo of course! Those strong arms of his holding you tight, that annoyed look on his face, you just can't forget about it!

Anyway, get your measurements taken and then you can dress back up. Should ask Roz how long it would take to produce your wardrobe and what should you do while you wait.

Awesome, we are learning so much about ourselves. so it seems we are into women, and we were in some way involved with Delaney... (still doesn't explain why we were going commando...)

Now I wonder this: are we exclusively gay, or bisexual? Are we also into men as well as women? It would probably be more fun if we are bisexual

Also, the jumpsuit really brings home the fact that we really need to get to Delaney. For now, we should not let Vesper know about us being involved with Delaney and keep that a secret... just in case.

um... oh, right! you're still naked. I think to get off the mind about nudity and avoid making us even more nervous, we should probably ask Roz about her history with Vesper.

Hang on, so what's the 'property' here - your jumpsuit or your (past) self?

Just something that needs to be taken into account, given that we know that Taffa'd husks of people are sold on the Black Market. We might need to first investigate whether or not this is just an innocuous request for if you're an employee who was lost on the job - and whether you were an employee or an indentured servant of sorts.

>>923971

Oh. Shit.

What if whatshername, the one whose card we had was our partner ...?

>>923971
Obscure the tag from Roz and sober up from your sexual fantasies for a second to consider things while she takes your measurements.

Those clothes could've been put on you. Your old self might've just happened to be a random Delaney overdosing on suicide drugs. Or you may have accompanied Moira Elgin, the Dust Forensic Specialist down into the Old City. Two Delaney employees down there at roughly the same time doesn't seem like a coincidence. So what's the story? Your old self and Moira pursued a lead down in the Old City, Moira got shot, runs off to heal and hide her evidence case... and your old self goes off to take suicide drugs? Seems hella suspect. Maybe your old self was forced to do raw taffa. Would be hard to prove, which makes it a good cover-up. Heck, maybe Moira got hurt trying to escape the same fate your old self suffered.

That means even if you're legally a 'new person', you'll get wrapped up with this case and Delaney LLC if you contact them. You might also get a real lead on who your old self might've been, since missing personnel tends to stand out - and on that note, the Vespers probably DON'T want you pursuing this lead, since it goes against their entire philosophy of breaking with your past life and discovering the new you. So keep your suspicions of your old identity a secret, as well as your plans to contact Delaney - which you should do relatively soon. At the very least you should report your past life's 'death' and the thing with Moira's bloody shirt and the dustbender.

Hm. Something else.

Remember 'Preston?' He got nervous around you and wanted to leave while you were talking to him and trying to fish for information - while at the same time being interested in you, your conversation with Quincy and trying to fish for the location where you found Moira's stash. I think he might've recognized you - or your suit. He certainly seemed uncomfortable in your presence, and he seemed surprised that you didn't know or recognize Moira. So, here's a theory.

Preston is familiar with you - or with Delaney uniforms and recognized you were wearing one - and he may be, or work with or for, someone who did not want Delaney poking around in the Old City. He seemed to know of Moira and was interested in her wherabouts, so he may be connected to her investigation in a bad way. Seeing you - a Delaney person - when he didn't expect you to, carrying an evidence case, exacerbated his nervousness. He may have initially thought you were playing mind games with him - but then realized you were probably a zombie. He might've been scared you'd come to recognize or remember him - because that can definitely happen.

I admit this is a bit conspiracy theory-ish, but for now, note the fact that Preston's nervousness and confusion makes a lot more sense if he knew the old you - or your clothing - were Delaney and he thought you should recognize or know of Moira. That he was interested in the whereabouts of where you found Moira's belongings is a red red flag.

Actually... crap.

He saw you pass over the dustbender to Quincy and then skipped in line to be the next number out after her. If Preston did have connection the the case, Q could have gotten in trouble over the 'bender already. You should try calling to her address, see if she and the 'package' are still alright. Insist to Roz you just remembered you had a meeting planned with a new friend and that you need to tell them what happened. How quickly can you get access to a ... whatever they use for communicating here? Surely holo-calling people is permissible even for new Zigarettes?

>Quincy...why did she pop in your head just now?
...Because Quincy was assertive, unashamed and liberated. Who acted genuinely, had an upfront behaviour but didn't seem to take advantage of you, even though she was in a position to do so, and even though she had no qualms about breaking some laws? Quincy is an adventurous go-getter with standards.

Of course you'll see whether she actually pawned your stuff before you fawn too much over these fantasies.

Speaking of, you'll want an outfit that both passes well in society, and lets you go cross country for the kind of jobs, remember, that you owe her. That means tough leather, shin guards and thick boots, miss Croft. Should I draw something for you?

>>923991
also, clothing that can help you carry lots of stuff, plenty of pockets.

>>923992
And hidden pockets for contraband.

>>923991
All good.

But if Roz is offering, you might as well. It's positive for both of you!

>>923994
I'd be wary of Roz, actually. And I'd pick carefully the kind of people to add my circle.

You could, just saying, get to know them beforehand.

And let's be honest, you mostly liked Quincy for her big teeth, her aggressive pompadour and the fact that she called you a pancake. It's not like you really need more of a reason.

Ask about humans. You think you were one, but you certainly don't look like one.

I wouldn't jump to conclusions and immediately say we work for Delaney. Even though we had the jumpsuit on, we were still kind of underdressed for work if we were working for them (lack of shoes, lack of underwear). For all we know, our past self could have wound up naked somehow, and either found that jumpsuit, or was perhaps given that jumpsuit to wear until we find something better to wear.

In any case, we should make sure we don't throw out the suit and keep this Delaney thing a secret.

Dose she have eyes?

>>923984
>>924018
>Preston
>Delaney
>Bidnis Card
>Moira's Dead?
>The dustbender
>etc.

I'm not sure that keeping this secret will be safer for us. Especially not if our past self might have gotten tangled up in this shit before our CURRENT self did so again.

Actually, once we've gotten measurements and spoken with Roz about whether our other personal effects are here (the stuff we were found with), let's go see if we can't talk to Cider again. In confidence. Ask her again about the business card and medicine bottle on our person.

Explain what we found in the jumpsuit and say that there's a chance you're involved with what might be an investigation into the Old City. Say that we started remembering things -- finding the blood-stained jacket with the business card and case, a strange fellow at the intake office who acted odd and rashly with no few questions about the woman on the business card and our affiliation to her, and another woman named Quincy who we really, REALLY need to check in on to make sure she's okay.

Because there's a chance we just gave her the evidence case without realizing what we'd done.

Not to be paranoid, but we're in over our heads right now, Cider's right that we need help to figure out who we are now, and as it stands, she and the other, uh ... Jarmus or whatever are the only ones who can probably authorize us to go talk to Q and we damned well could use a chaperone.

heh, this quest is currently more nsfw than teegee's specifically nsfw quest.

--

So this is probably a decent time to talk about body modding is you are interested in such a thing. Interest was expressed at getting a more well endowed body, and now that we know about this security thing, it might be pertinent to up our height and build so we can better defend ourself.

>>924115
We could ask that... Unpopular opinion maybe, but I kind of like Penny the way she is now though...

>>924115
A mid-term goal of finding more out about how body modding actually works would be good, though I think Penny's fine the way she currently is. Nor is bulking up necessarily that much of an advantage in a society that has, y'know, guns and stranger things.

>>924089
We're better off holding our cards close to our chest and saving being honest for when we're out of options or actual emergencies. Cider may have come across as a patient matronly figure and she may legitimately be so, but she's also a leader in an organization whose primary business is making people forget their past life ever existed while trying to turn them into productive 'family members'. The cult-ishness is strong, she is going to oppose us pursuing Penny's past, and we don't know to what extent the noble intent the rest of the organization espouses is real.

That a criminal underground would permit the Vespers to scavenge their zombies is strange already - I mean the book was right there and the goons let Penny go like it was usual procedure - especially when, as Cider chillingly suggested, they could just instead hack our head using symbols, if they wanted.

There may be some connection between the Vespers and criminal underground in the Old City. Perhaps they pay them whenever a zombie happens and it gets back safe. Like a referral fee.

>>924151

Agreed. Adorable flat cutebold for life.

>>924115
>Interest was expressed at getting a more well endowed body
Might wanna put a pin in that while still investigating the past and why the whole taffa thing happened, and focus on something more practical.
Those huge floppy ears and tails isn't exactly practical and a little more muscle mass wouldn't hurt, and a small stature can be played to a advantage.

>>924156
Have to agree with all this. It seems like things are a-okay on the surface, but I've got some questions for the Vesper Society that probably wouldn't fly in polite...well, society. I think we need to learn more about our oh-so benevolent caretakers before we entrust too much to them.

Let other women be endowed. You stay fluffy and adorable.

>>924151
>>924157
>>924158
Regardless of whether we alter our more aesthetic traits (which penny did express interest in at one point if i recall correctly), i think it is more important we do some body modification to improve our physical performance, either by increasing our stature and musculature, reinforcing our body, or increasing our agility.

Apropos of nothing, new far-out theory. Think it's possible Moira turned herself into Penny, using bodymodding? She had the tech - the dustbender - on hand and as a Dust expert she may have had the experience to use it that way. Perhaps it could've helped her deal with those gunshot wounds, too, and she may have wanted to disguise herself after getting in the kind of bind that got her hurt.

Perhaps, in her altered state, she got captured and fed raw taffa by the criminal element.

It seems within the realm of possibility, if unlikely.

>>924408
I'd disagree simply because any paramilitary(security, police, etc. i.e. using military tactics) group worth their salt is never going to send someone in solo. It will always be a group of at least two, although it is usually at least four.

>>924411
Like, say, four people, perhaps?

>>924411
>>924412
Ow, my reading comprehension. I should take a break from theorizing.

(Sorry to intrude, but I just had to move a bunch of posts and I'd prefer I didn't have to do that again, so I'd appreciate it if people read >>/questdis/128189 real quick before posting any further suggestions. Ta.)

Let's get some new clothes that are suitable for heavy physical activity in hostile environments. After all, you'll need an outfit for after you've busted out of this joint. Especially if the plan is still to go scavenging with Quincy.

i.e. Fatigues, thick leather, sturdy gloves, tall waterproof boots, multiple layers. Things of that sort.

It would be far too suspicious to ask after the good stuff (Kevlar, ceramics, ballistic fibers), but so long as you can play it off like you simply want some tough work clothes; I'm pretty sure you'll be able to get most if not all of this stuff from these Vesper folks.

As much as 'cute' clothes would be lovely, frivolous attire is for people with time for frivolous activities. Forgive my saying so, but you don't seem to have that sort of lifestyle right now, Penny.

>>924511
If we are going for physical activity in unknown conditions, lets go with Crye combat gear.

>>924514
That would be nice, but very sus.

We can't up an ask for military specific combat fatigues from Vesper, there's a certain chance they'd see straight through that, and a guaranty they'd find it suspicious.

One day maybe, but not today.

>>924530
idk, as long as we dont go for the helmet and vest, we should be able to get away with the boots, pants, top and gloves and just pass it off as a fashion statement or for utilitarian reasons. We did show up in a jumpsuit, after all.

>>924566
Yeah, because asking for a partial outfit from a brand mainly purchased and/or supplied to soldiers isn't suspicious as hell.

Just tell Roz that you honestly feel more comfortable in work clothes than anything too fancy since, to be brutally honest, the jumper is the only thing you've had since you woke up.

And when she inevitably insists otherwise, suggest a compromise for a normal outfit (pants, shoes, etc) that isn't too extravagant.

So practical yet something that can be written of as being "cosmetics"?
I'd assume sportsbra, tanktop, pilot jacket, cargopants inspired workpants, underwear and something like construction worker workboots or work shoes.
Optional but highly recommended if going that route: aviator sunglasses.

1/4 teegee 2019/03/14(Thu)03:12 No. 925678 ID: 891b91
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"Look, maybe I just don't like getting turned on unless I explicitly want to be. Does that make me a weirdo?" You ask, concealing the jumpsuit's tag in one hand. "Can you please just put your clothes back on and get this over with so I can do the same?"

"Nah, doesn't make you a weirdo, I guess it'd be pretty distracting if you aren't used to it." Roz shrugs, stooping down to pull her singlet back up. "Alright, arms to your side and straight out," she commands, stuffing a breast deeper into her suit.

You do as she says, dropping the jumpsuit on the floor, but it confuses you when she starts "measuring" you by briefly placing her thumbs on various spots on your arms and back. "Don't you need a tape measure for that?"

Roz chuckles as she moves on to measuring your bust, carefully avoiding touching you in ways you might not appreciate -- or that you might appreciate more than you'd prefer. "Nah, I've got a mod for that. It's basically a virtual tape measure, real handy for my work."

>Dose she have eyes?
You guess she does, but you can't think of a way to ask that wouldn't come off as rude. She'd probably laugh, but still.

"How does modding work, anyway?"

"It's simple, really. You just go to a salon, tell 'em what you're looking for, and if they can do it they'll program a bender and zap you. It isn't cheap though, even my tape measure ran me like 500 chits."

>Heh, don't get too wet from Rosalyn's survey of your body.
There isn't much danger of that -- compared to her previous behavior, the way she is going about measuring you feels quite clinical. Professional, even.

>Come to think of it, you really ought to rub one out relatively soon.
Considering that you have no memory of ever having masturbated, yeah, maybe some self-love would be in order at some point. If you can get some private time to yourself, anyway.

>And we know what you'll be thinking about when you do. Matteo of course! Those strong arms of his holding you tight, that annoyed look on his face, you just can't forget about it!
So far, you can't say Matteo's made a great impression on you, regardless of his physical qualities. Maybe you'll find him more likeable if you see him in a less sour mood, but for the time being you doubt you'll be thinking of him while in the throes of self-passion.

>Now I wonder this: are we exclusively gay, or bisexual? Are we also into men as well as women? It would probably be more fun if we are bisexual
You honestly don't know, at this point. You don't feel repulsed at the thought of dick and male bodies, but who the dick's attached to you probably matters more than the dick itself. You figure the window-licker is probably the nicest guy you've met so far, but... c'mon, he's a window-licker. (You do admit, though, that that tongue might've been more intriguing if it were attached to a more appealing person.) You think you'll probably get a better idea of how you feel about guys once you meet more of them.

2/4 teegee 2019/03/14(Thu)03:12 No. 925679 ID: 891b91
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"What about body modding?"

Her hands work their way down your torso, presumably measuring its circumference in different spots. "As far as I know it's mostly the same kinda deal, but I think some body mods are grafted on. I really don't think you need it, though, there's nothing wrong with the way you look now!"

"Oh, I was just curious, don't worry. So uh, is nudity not taboo or something? You aren't the first person I've met who's been so... nonchalant about it."

"Here on the shelf? Nah, we're pretty tolerant of it, for the most part. Plus there's the bathhouse, although we do have a small private section with stalls if you really don't wanna deal with the whole communal nudity thing. Other places... it depends on what ward is in charge, really."

"So in other words, I'm gonna have to get used to seeing naked people from time to time."

Roz shrugs, moving on to measuring your legs. "Yeah, pretty much. I think I might be the biggest offender there, but if it really bothers you I can try to avoid you when I'm havin' a 'fuck clothes' day." She chuckles. "Or, y'know, you can always join me. The more the merrier!"

"Um, I'll think about it. Hey, can I ask you a weird question?"

"Shoot."

"Why do I feel like I'm a human when I don't look like one?"

"What do you mean, 'don't look like one'? I mean, yeah, of course you're a human, what else would you be? We all are."

That just raises more questions, but you decide to drop it for now. "...I guess that makes sense. Oh and, do you know where my stuff is? I was told they brought it here."

"Should be in one of those drawers." She tilts her head towards the chest of drawers nearest to the door.

3/4 teegee 2019/03/14(Thu)03:12 No. 925680 ID: 891b91
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>Does she have eyes?
You guess she does, but you can't think of a way to ask that wouldn't come off as rude. She'd probably laugh, but still.

>Theories about Delaney, Moira, Preston, etc.
The fact that your jumpsuit belongs to Delaney raises all sorts of ideas and questions about your predicament and who you used to be, with no real answers in sight beyond guesswork. One thing seems certain, though: whoever you used to be, you were wrapped up in this Delaney thing, and maybe you were even connected to whatever happened in that ice cream shop. And so far you aren't convinced by Vesper's whole "you are a new person, let your old life go" ethos, so contacting Delaney to find out more information seems like your best move going forward.

"Also, a few days ago I had set up a meeting with a new friend, but I missed it for obvious reasons, so I really need to tell them what happened. How quickly could I get access to a... whatever you use for communication? Holo, I guess?"

"Hmm. We've got a bunch of hololinks on the shelf, but a sigarzghar using them so early on might raise some eyebrows. I think I could vouch for ya, though. You wouldn't be the first sigarzghar who had a legit reason to make a call, anyway. You swear you just wanna get in touch with this person to explain yourself? Nothing else, right?"

"Yeah, that's it, I swear."

"Alright, I'll see about getting someone over at Ormi to set up an account for you. Just need a username, so be thinking about what you wanna go with."

"No password?"

"Not one you need to remember, your dust'll take care of that. Anyway, that's all the measurements I need! I'm gonna go grab some stuff for you to try on!"

Relieved, you grab the jumpsuit again and start slipping your legs into it. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd rather have work clothes than anything fancy, though."

"Work clothes, gotcha! But don't think that'll get you out of tryin' on some cute stuff too! I'll be back in a few, just hang tight!"

4/4 teegee 2019/03/14(Thu)03:12 No. 925681 ID: 891b91
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With that, Roz heads out the door and disappears down the hall.

"Hey," Mint sighs, finally looking back at you. "You're new here, right?"

"Yes," you respond, a little surprised. She's been so quiet that you'd almost forgotten she was there.

"... Can I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure, I guess."

"Do you feel like there's something... wrong with this place?"

>Do you feel like there's something... wrong with this place?
uhh, well it does feel like it gives off a bit of a cult vibe doesn't it?

Not sure if it's just this place though or the station all together. Right now I'm planning on just experiencing as much as I can and then decide what to do next.

why, what kind of vibe does this place give you?

>>925681
"... if there were something wrong with this place, it wouldn't be wise to talk about in the open." *hint hint*

This could still all be a trap to figure us out but.
Yes, ever since we woke up this place has felt off.
First reason I can think of is the No Leaving (I mean come on if you want someone to trust you give them some freedom, denying them that only makes it seem like your trying to limit their movement and access to information).
Second no contact or calls without permission and probably monitoring (limiting info/freedom again).
Told not to try and find out who you are/where.
Cult like structure that's based around large set groups (allows for the separation of people based on their personal traits for better indoctrination a common practice of cults).
We're given no info about this place that can be corroborated by someone with no ties or connections to their organisation.

I mean, yes, but nothing more specific than the obvious cult vibes. You notice anything specific, Mint?

>>925681

It's very … purple?

>>925681
oh fuck yeah, but whatchagonnadoaboudit?

I mean, creepy cult here, cyberpunk furry dystopia out there, mind stuck in the 21st century somehow. Yeah, there is definitely something fucky, but not much you can do. Not that we are overly nonchalant and carefree-far from it-but we pick our battles and those sorts of existential questions arent useful when we have better existential questions like whether we are hacked right now and what we can do about our personal internal defenses.

And how to get combat gear! (I think penny should feel most comfortable in combat gear, whether this is a past life thing, paranoia thing, or just some random quirk, i think it should be a thing, regardless of how belligerent or combat-heavy she ends up being).

Also... did you change color? You seemed a hell of a lot more, well, mint-colored a moment ago.

All the time, if there’s something about this place that isn’t fucky then i’ve yet to find it.

>>925691
>Also... did you change color? You seemed a hell of a lot more, well, mint-colored a moment ago.
This is due to an art error that occurred back in >>922057, which I failed to notice until now. I neglected to enable a color-correction layer in that panel; the green you see on her there is her base fur color, but it should look more like it does in >>925681 due to the color of the ambient light.

>"Look, maybe I just don't like getting turned on unless I explicitly want to be. Does that make me a weirdo?" You ask, concealing the jumpsuit's tag in one hand. "Can you please just put your clothes back on and get this over with so I can do the same?"

Btw, this was beautifully concise.

>>925694
aww, i was hoping she was part chameleon.