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Ding-dong!

Ding-dong!


You are roused from your sleep by the sound of the ship’s bell ringing. You hop out of bed and adjust your still-oversized clothes. They did belong to Rags, a very large muscular man who possesses the ears and tail of a bear, after all. You never got around to getting new ones. After all, you’ve been at sea for most of the time since you’ve awoken from your centuries-long hibernation. You are Jack, the last of the Earless to your knowledge. That is to say, unlike everyone else you’ve seen in this time period, you are the only one who has human ears and lacks a tail. The others have the ears and tails of various animals, from cats to dogs to mice to foxes and more, and they’re quite real. You confirmed this yourself.

Before leaving the sleeping quarters for your food, you take a glance at yourself in the mirror. You are no longer the skeleton you were when you first woke up. You are slowly but surely rebuilding the muscle and fat you’d lost over the many years you’d lain unconscious. Yes, that training you’d started with Amber, a fiery aggressive doggirl, is really helping in rebuilding your body. Your first training session was maybe a week or two ago; you aren’t sure. The days at sea had sort of blended together, and you’d more or less fallen into a routine to bulk up as soon as possible. Though you are still a bit scrawny, your work has paid off, and your body is filling itself back out. At the very least, your stamina has improved, so you no longer require as frequent breaks between your exercises during training.

With that in mind, you make your way up to the main deck to see what all the bell ringing was about. Upon arriving at the top of the ship, you notice that it has stopped at a settlement. It is not an island like the last you arrived on. No, there are many independent small angular masses of “land”—pillars, really—upon which there are many Kemomimi and what seem to be homes and businesses of sorts connected by many sturdy bridges and ladders. You notice that some crew members are already disembarking.

Someone slaps you on the back. “Look familiar to ya?” a familiar voice asks. Turning your head, you notice it’s the captain. You quickly shake your head. “That so? Hmm… Maybe if ya get a closer look,” he replies. That’s a bit cryptic. You ask why he’s here. “I merely wanted to inform you that a lot of my crew likes to take a break on land on stops like this, and that applies to you as well. Provided you keep those covered of course,” he replies, gesturing to your ears and shrugging as he walks away. So, you’ve got an opportunity to leave the ship. Should you?

>Yeah. You deserve some alone time and want to explore.
>Yeah. Maybe you can take some people along.
>Nah. Building up strength is more important.
>Nah. You’d rather chat on the ship.
>>
>>1689127
>Yeah. Maybe you can take some people along.

Discord link appears to be expired?
Here's a permanent one: https://discord.gg/9YZz4bK
>>
>>1689136
Huh. I thought I'd set it to a day. Thanks for the new one.
>>
>>1689127
>Yeah. Maybe you can take some people along.
>>
>>1689127
>>Yeah. Maybe you can take some people along.
>>
>Yeah. You deserve some alone time and want to explore.
>>
>>1689127
>Yeah. You deserve some alone time and want to explore.
>>
Vote closed. Writing.
>>
You take some time to consider whether to leave the ship or not. You are certainly stronger than the last time you left the ship, but it never hurts to err on the side of caution. You scratch the stubble on your chin as you think. As you ponder your decision, you lean over the railing of the ship to take a closer look at the columns of the apparent settlement, wondering why the captain thought you would recognize the place. In all honesty, you hadn’t taken a real good look the first time around. The captain caught you off guard when you tried to.

Then, it hits you. These are buildings, ones that you would have seen in your old life. Yes, there were buildings like you’d seen in pictures of New York, London, Tokyo! However, you could only see the tops of them. Yes, much of this city was submerged in water. Had water levels really risen this much? A lot certainly has happened since you were “put to sleep” centuries ago. So, there had indeed been a disaster of some kind. Could this have something to do with the disappearance of your kind? This world grows ever more mysterious. Regardless, you cannot place which city this might have once been. Many of the signs are too faded for you to read.

Some buildings rise above the waters higher than others, and you can see that certain Kemomimi have taken residence within the non-flooded rooms of some buildings while others have built structures atop the towers of the former metropolis. They probably don’t speak English either. Still, you are curious and would like to explore, so you decide to take along a couple of the people you’ve met so far or at least invite them.

You have a pretty good idea of where to find the Kemomimi on the ship at this point, so locating them shouldn’t be much of an issue. Still, you decide that you should not invite too many people at once. That might get a bit hectic. Just a couple of those you’ve met should be fine. You can work out the details of what you’re going to do in this city once you’ve disembarked.

Who do you invite for a walk around the city? Choose up to two (2).

>Amber, your doggirl trainer with a bit of an ego
>Naomi, the catgirl who woke you from hibernation
>Rags, the protective bearman and father figure to Naomi
>Marissa, the shy mouse-girl who knows more about the Earless than most
>The Captain, a fox who allows you to stay on his ship
>>
>>1689175
>Marissa, the shy mouse-girl who knows more about the Earless than most
>Amber, your doggirl trainer with a bit of an ego
>>
>>1689175
>Amber, your doggirl trainer with a bit of an ego
>Naomi, the catgirl who woke you from hibernation
>>
>>1689175
>Naomi, the catgirl who woke you from hibernation
>Rags, the protective bearman and father figure to Naomi
>>
>>1689175
>Amber, your doggirl trainer with a bit of an ego
>Rags, the protective bearman and father figure to Naomi
>>
>>1689175
>Naomi
>Marissa
Why would we take Amber or Rags? They'd be terrible partners for this kind of thing. The idea is exploring and learning.
Anons think too much with their dick
>>
>>1689127
The Quest have CAME
So have I

>Marissa, the shy mouse-girl who knows more about the Earless than most
>Amber, your doggirl trainer with a bit of an ego
>>
>>1689175
>>Marissa, the shy mouse-girl who knows more about the Earless than most
>>
Rolled 2 (1d3)

Alright. Closing the voting now. Give me a sec to tally them up and roll to break any ties.
>>
>>1689231
Ignore that roll. It was from an earlier version of the post before the two last minute choices. Turns out that there's a narrow but clear lead unless I counted wrong.

Marissa - 4
Naomi - 3
Amber - 4
Rags - 2

Writing.
>>
You take a bit of time to decide upon your course of action. You strongly consider taking Naomi but change your mind at the last second. You can do things for her at a later time. Instead, you decide to take Amber and Marissa, the doggirl and mouse-girl. An aggressive dog and a shy mouse, truly a winning combination. With that in mind, you head to the lower decks to find Amber. You find her stretching in the unofficial training room that you’ve entered everyday for the past week or so. It smells of sweat. Her back is turned to you.

“Hey, Amber—erm—master,” you call out to her with a wave. You see her fuzzy ears perk up, and she swivels around to face you. She laughs.

“It’s my day off, runt. No need for the formalities,” she says with a toothy grin. “What’d you want to see me about?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Well, the ship’s stopped here for a little while, so I was hoping that a couple of you would show me around the city,” you reply.

“And why’re you asking me specifically? I’m not the only one here, you know?” she responds, a hand on her hip.

“Uh, no real reason I guess. Just thought it’d be nice to get to get some fresh air in that city. Plus, you’re one of the few who speaks my language,” you reply with a shrug. You begin to turn away and say, “If you don’t want to, I could always ask someone el—”

“I didn’t say no to your little request. Knowing you, you’d end up falling off a bridge and drowning with that pitiful balance of yours,” she replies with a smirk. “It’s a shame you’ll never control your balance as well as one of us,” she says, her tail swaying visibly behind her. You roll your eyes.

“You could’ve just said ‘yes.’ Meet me on the main deck in a few minutes,” you reply bluntly, walking out of the room. Alright. That just leaves the mouse. On your way to her study, you pick up your hood from the sleeping quarters. You still need it to hide your ears after all. You give the door to the study a knock. A jumpy mousegirl answers and looks up at you in surprise.

“A-ah! Can I h-help you, Jack?” she asks quickly. You chuckle and request that she join you and Amber for a city visit. “I-I don’t know…” she replies, tapping her index fingers together. You assure her that it’s just for a bit of fun and that you’re curious about how this place has been repurposed since you were alive. “You… You know a-about this place from before?” You give her a nod and a shrug.

“More or less. I’m sure I’ve seen pictures of places like this, and I could probably say what a particular thing does if I saw it,” you reply. That seems to convince her, and she agrees. With that, you make your way to the main deck and meet Amber. The two girls’ greetings are brief, like acquaintances would talk to one another. They’ll probably talk more once you’re walking. As you disembark, you think of what to look for first.

>A food place!
>Somewhere you can get more clothes
>A general trading post
>An inn
>Write-in
>>
>>1689271
>Somewhere you can get more clothes
>>
>>1689271
>A general trading post
Then
>Somewhere you can get more clothes
>>
>>1689271
>>Somewhere you can get more clothes
Do we even have money?
>>
>>1689271
>Get some new clothes
We can't go around dressing these big dirty things anymore
>>
>>1689271
>Somewhere you can get more clothes
>>
>>1689271
>>A general trading post
Look for preapocalypse stuff
>>
Writing.
>>
You first priority is clothes, of course. While the ones on your bag were nice and all, they’re way too big for you! Still, would you even have any money to buy those clothes? Seems like a question to ask those two. “Say… How do you pay for stuff in this world? Is there, like, money?” you ask Amber and Marissa.

“We just stick to coins mostly,” Amber replies with a shrug. “They’re sturdy, and the Earless left a lot of ‘em behind to discover. Still, you guys stored ‘em in weird places. Mostly couches. Lots of couches,” she adds with a grin. “Something tells me that wasn’t intentional though.”

“Yes… What she says is true. However, i-it’s not really uniform,” Marissa states. “Some will accept less coin than others, and trading the shinies we find down below is pretty common.” You give them both a nod. So, there was still a form of money down here. Man, that coin jar you kept by your bed would come in real handy.

Amber’s ears twitch once. “Why’d ya ask? You looking to buy something?” she questions you.

“Ah, just looking to get some new clothes. It was nice to be lent these, but I wanted something that isn’t so loose,” you reply.

Marissa gives you a nod. “Let’s see…” Her ears fold downward a bit as she thinks. “I-I think there’s one place closeby. Mind following m-me?” You nod back at her and step forward to follow. You gesture for Amber to follow as well. She walks ahead of you, leaving you trailing behind the both of them. Well, at least it gives you time to take in the sights.

You enter one of the partially submerged buildings through a window converted into an entrance. You are greeted by a catgirl with short green hair at the counter. She wears a simple baby blue top and a short skirt. Amber seems quite disinterested in the whole ordeal, her tail hanging still behind her as she looks at the clothing available. Seems to mostly be stuff that you’d find at a normal store. There isn’t a big selection, just sort of a bunch of clothes hanging in a small corner of the building. Nothing like some of the more elaborate outfits some kemomimi donned. Maybe those that seemed to be in pirate costumes were just that: in pirate costumes that were recovered from the stores of your time.

“So, anything here catch your eye?” Amber asks, letting go of a shirt and crossing her arms. “Stuff here is pretty cheap ‘cause it’s old. So, pick any one outfit. Consider it a reward for all the work you put in. Besides, I can’t have you looking like a bum if yer gonna represent my training,” she says with a smirk.

So, you’ve got options. What’ll you go with?

>Something simple. Plain t-shirt and jeans, maybe shorts, are all you need. Just like you used to wear.
>Something flashy. Wear bold colors and make yourself stand out. You’d make a good distraction.
>Something fancy. Wear some more elaborate clothing. Might garner a bit more respect from others.
>Something swim-y. Get yourself some swimming trunks and maybe a swimming shirt.
>>
>>1689287
Why do you wear the trip?

>>1689365
>Something simple. Plain t-shirt and jeans, maybe shorts, are all you need. Just like you used to wear.
>>
>>1689365
>Something simple. Plain t-shirt and jeans, maybe shorts, are all you need. Just like you used to wear.
>>
>>1689365
>>Something simple. Plain t-shirt and jeans, maybe shorts, are all you need. Just like you used to wear.
We're keeping the hoodie for public places, I hope.
>>
>>1689365
>something simple

We can get swimwear later, hopefully when we have money of our own
>>
>>1689365
>Something simple. Plain t-shirt and jeans, maybe shorts, are all you need. Just like you used to wear.
>>
Writing.
>>
The decision is quite simple for you. “I just want something like I used to wear. T-shirt, some jeans, socks… Stuff like that. Think you can make that happen?” you reply. The other stuff just didn’t work out, and you could always get some swimwear later. Besides, it’s not like you have to worry too much about the water. Clothes dry, after all.

Amber gives you a nod and has a brief conversation with the shopkeeper. It is always strange to hear that language. You hear Marissa mention something as well, to which the doggirl nods. Amber places some coins on the counter in front of the green-haired catgirl. Swiping the coins, the girl hands Amber some clothes. You see a black t-shirt, some blue jeans, and some white socks. In addition, you also see a white hooded jacket on top of the pile of clothes as well. Right. You’d forgotten to ask about something to cover your ears. It seems that your companions were thoughtful enough to mention that for you.

“Catch,” Amber says, tossing the assortment of clothes at you. You’re caught off guard and stumble back a bit as the clothes hit your chest. Still, you manage to catch them and keep your footing. She gives you a laugh.

“Ah, I thought you’d fall right over. Probably would’ve if I’d done that when we first met,” she says with an exaggerated disappointed tone. “Oh well, seeing the look on your face was good enough!”

“Y-you don’t have to m-mess with Jack, you know?” Marissa says coyly.

“Oh? And what’re you gonna do about it, pipsqueak?” Amber growls, leaning toward Marissa. You can see Amber’s tail rise behind her. The mousegirl yelps and scurries behind you. You roll your eyes.

“Alright, alright. We can all be friends here,” you say, trying to defuse the situation. “I appreciate you trying to stand up for me and all, but don’t worry, it’s all in good fun between me and Amber,” you tell Marissa. She gives you a wordless nod. You look up to Amber. “Hey, leave her out of this. If you’re gonna threaten anyone, threaten me.”

Amber simply shrugs, her tail returning to a more neutral position and wagging slowly. “She shouldn’t’ve said anything if she didn’t want that to happen,” she replies bluntly.

You shake your head. “Whatever. Thank the shopkeeper for her time, and let’s go,” you say, exiting the building. Marissa stays close by you, her ears still pert and alert after that minor encounter. Amber shortly follows. Well, here you are with a bunch of clothes in your arms. You’ll have to change back at the ship. There are too many eyes out here. Still, they’re not too much of a hassle to carry. Where to next?

>Get back to the ship.
>Head out to eat. You still haven’t done that yet today.
>Head out to the trading post. You might not have money, but it doesn’t hurt to see your options.
>Ask about earning money quickly.
>Write-in
>>
>>1689469
>Ask about earning money quickly.
Might as well start dealing with that issue
>>
>>1689469
>Ask about earning money quickly.
>>
>>1689469
>Head out to eat. You still haven’t done that yet today.

>Ask about earning money quickly.
>>
Writing.
>>
You ask the two girls about how you’d go about earning money, quickly preferably.

“W-Well, the p-people on our ship usually get a little split of the p-profit we make selling E-Earless artifacts,” Marissa replies. “You haven’t really d-done much work on the ship, a-and the captain believes giving you lodging is enough, so he doesn’t really in-include you in that,” the girl replies in a soft voice. “So… M-maybe you could f-find work on the ship… M-most positions are filled right now. W-We’re always l-looking for more divers—the ones who go u-underwater for those artifacts—though,” she suggests.

“Bah, that’s the way you do it if you wanna go the slow boring way,” Amber replies with a smirk. “He said ‘quickly,’ so I’m gonna tell him about quick,” she says, looking at you. “Best way is to make bets. I will admit your kind, for all your faults, made getting money fun,” she says, her tail swaying behind her. “I may not look the sort, but I like to place bets,” Amber says with a grin.

“A-Amber, th-that’s not a g-good use o-of money at all! D-don’t give J-Jack bad ideas!” Marissa objects, her hands balled into fists.

“What’re you talking about? It’s a great idea. I’ve never lost too much money from it, and I’ve won big before,” Amber replies with a confident smile. So, gambling is still around in this world. Good to know. “It’s those damn foxes who always mess up my streak. I swear they’re cheating!” you hear Amber complain. You can’t help but chuckle. She’s a bit fired up about these games. “Why don’t I show you some of my luck, Jack? Maybe I can show you how to do this sort of thing. I know the perfect place for a beginner like you,” she offers.

“S-Still! Y-you usually e-end up losing m-money in the end! P-plus, some people t-take it w-way too seriously w-when they lose! J-Jack, don’t listed to her!” Marissa says, tugging your shirt before you can answer.

“Oh, don’t worry too much about it. I’ll be there to protect this wimp if one of the others gets too angry for losing,” Amber replies.

“It’s not the ‘others’ I’m worried about,” you barely hear Marissa whisper.

“Bah, whatever. You’re free to head to the ship if you want,” Amber says, waving the mouse away. “C’mon, Jack! Lemme show you. I’ll even pay for yer first round or two,” she says, offering her hand. You can see her tail wagging energetically behind her. You take a look at Marissa who is still holding onto your oversized shirt. She evidently doesn’t think it’s a good idea.

>Go with Amber. Gamble a bit and have fun.
>Listen to Marissa. She’s right. Gambling is too dangerous.
>Suggest you all do something else. (What?)
>>
>>1689569
>Suggest you all do something else. (What?)

Lets get some food and talk about it some more later, we may be here for a bit yet. I'd rather go diving, not much of a gambler personally.
>>
>>1689569
>Go with Amber. Gamble a bit and have fun.
>>
>>1689569
>Go with Amber. Gamble a bit and have fun.
>>
>>1689569
> go and eat instead, talk about the kind of money you could get identifying earless shinies instead
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

1= Go gambling
2=Go eat instead

Writing.
>>
You give Marissa’s head a light pat. “No need to worry. I’ll be fine,” you tell her with a friendly smile. “I won’t go overboard, and Amber here has taught me a few tricks,” you say with a wink. She slowly lets go of your shirt and sighs, her round ears drooping for a few moments.

“I s-suppose I can’t stop you if you want to go that badly. S-Still, I’m coming along to m-make sure you both don’t d-do something stupid,” she says, her small arms crossed and her ears perking back up.

You reach for the waiting girl’s hand. Amber gives you a hearty laugh. “I knew you’d come around!” she exclaims as she withdraws her hand to slap you on the back. “Now, come along! We have money to make!” she says confidently as she begins her walk to one of the buildings. She’s certainly excited about this. You can only hope that luck is on your side today. You have to hold your hood in place as a somewhat strong gust of wind hits the three of you, sending your clothes and their ears and tail flapping. Taking a glance at the sky, you can tell that it’s still pretty early in the day, not even noon yet.

Amber enters through another one of the open windows. This time, there seems to be a black curtain covering the entrance from the inside. Amber easily pushes through it and gestures for you to follow. You enter, the curtain sliding down your back once you’ve gotten your head inside. You take a look around the floor of the building. It’s a bit dark, the windows mostly covered by curtains that block the sunlight from outside. The feeling of a rough carpet meets your feet as you enter, the kind you’d find in an office building or a school. And, indeed, this seems to be a converted office building. Many of the chairs are able to swivel, and the Kemomimi within are gathered around tables like you’d find in a meeting room.

The Kemomimi are focussed on their cards and do not seem to notice the three of you enter the room. Or, if they did, they didn’t care. Where the room’s receptionist desk would be, you see drinks being served by a girl with bunny ears. She’s pretty fast at her job, pouring and serving drinks to the waiting kemomimi in under a minute. The liquid in the drinks ranges from clear to colorful to dark. You can see some of the drinks bubbling, so it’s probably soda or something like it.

You ask the two girls about the type of games they play here and if the ones you’re familiar with are still around. “Hmm… Blackjack and poker… Yeah, we have those,” Amber says with a single nod. “We also have a few that don’t really have a name in this language. I might be able to teach ya,” she says with a nod. “I hope ya play. More chances for us to win. I’ll even pay for your first game since I know you’re poor,” she offers, grinning.

>Nah. Sit out from playing. Maybe order a drink while you watch.
>Play some poker with Amber
>Play Blackjack with Amber
>Learn one of those new games
>>
>>1689710
>>Play Blackjack with Amber
>>
>>1689710
>Play some poker with Amber
>>
>>1689710
>>Play Blackjack with Amber
I wonder if they know about card counting.
>>
>>1689710
>Play some poker with Amber
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

1 = Blackjack
2 = Poker

Another tie. At least we know for sure that you're playing a card game.

Roll me some 2d100s. Best of 3 as always.
>>
Rolled 12, 50 = 62 (2d100)

>>1689772
>>
Rolled 67, 51 = 118 (2d100)

>>1689772
>>
Rolled 82, 6 = 88 (2d100)

>>1689772
>>
Writing.
>>
If you’re gonna be here, you’re gonna have fun. Learning something new isn’t much fun, and sitting out is even less. You naturally decide to go with one of the card games. The rules are simple, and it’s mostly luck anyway. You aren’t sure how well you can hold your poker face, but you can’t let that hold you back. You just need to relax a bit and have a bit of fun. You let Amber know that you wanna play some Blackjack and she gives you a nod.

“Let me do all the talking. I’ll just say you’re foreign or something. They don’t care too much as long as you put up the required bet,” she tells you as she leads you and Marissa to a table. “You in too, mouse?” she asks Marissa with a grin. Marissa quickly shakes her head.

“I-I’ve made it quite c-clear that I don’t g-gamble!” she squeaks, crossing her arms. Amber laughs.

“Your loss, Mary,” Amber replies, taking a seat at the table.

“I-It’s Marissa!” the mousy girl protests, stomping her foot.

“Eh, too long to say. You’re Mary now,” Amber replies, flicking the mouse on the forehead. “Now, why don’t you make yourself useful and get me ‘n Jack a drink,” the dog states, waving off Marissa. Amber’s tail wags slowly and is raised quite high. The mouse girl huffs and turns around, her arms crossed. She doesn’t say a word. Maybe it’s better not to get involved for now. You turn your head to the table. Once the current round is over, Amber says something to the dealer, a black-haired catboy dressed in a loosely-fitting tuxedo, in that language of theirs. You see her gesture to you, and the dealer seems to give a nod after a few moments. With that done, Amber places a bet for both you and her.

It’s you, Amber, and two other Kemomimi besides the dealer. That makes five in all. You observe the gestures the other players made to indicate whether to hit them or stand. By the time it’s your turn, you think you have the hang of it.

Rolled 67

You have an eight of clubs and a nine of diamonds, face up. You wave your hand over your cards. Stand. 19.

Rolled 51

Amber, on the other hand, is not so fortunate. Though she starts with a seven of spades and an eight of diamonds, she goes over when she is dealt a queen of hearts. Bust. Amber frowns and mutters something unintelligible under her breath. The dealer takes her bet and gives a smile and light chuckle. The dealer flips over his hidden card, revealing a three of hearts. This combines with his seven of clubs to give him ten. Drawing another card, he is dealt a nine of spades. This puts him at 19. He stands. This is a push. You keep your bet but don’t win a thing. Well, that was a ride.

“That was just a fluke,” Amber insists. “If we do that again, I bet I can win. You in?” she asks, turning to you.

>Yes. Continue playing.
>No. Do something else with Marissa.
>No. Do something else alone.
>>
>>1689911
>Yes. Continue playing.

Just another hand or two then hang with marissa for a bit, maybe let her choose where to eat?
>>
>>1689911
>Yes. Continue playing.
Who plays blackjack and only plays one hand?
>>
Alright. A few more rounds before you head out.

Roll 3 2d100s. Not best of three this time.
>>
>>1689911
>Yes. Continue playing.
>>
>>1689911
>Yes. Continue playing.

Can't hurt. I hope.
>>
Rolled 69, 82 = 151 (2d100)

>>1690018
>>
Rolled 30, 10 = 40 (2d100)

>>1690018
>>
Rolled 78, 88 = 166 (2d100)

>>1690018
>>
Rolled 69, 54 = 123 (2d100)

>>1690018
>>
You didn’t lose, but you didn’t win either. No matter for someone like yourself. The dealer gathers up all the cards and quickly shuffles them. Let’s see how you fare this time. Again, the dealer passes you the cards face up.

Rolled 69

You receive a king of spades and a five of hearts. Not high enough. You’ll go bust if the number is higher than six, but no one stops on a 15. You tap the table. Hit me. You receive a four of spades. 19. You stay.

Rolled 82

Amber grins from ear to ear as she is dealt a king of hearts and a queen of spades. 20. Unsurprisingly, she stays. The dealer flips his card to reveal a ten of clubs as a complement to his nine of hearts. Nineteen. Amber clenches her fist. Her tail hits your side as it wags quickly from side to side. “The dealer has to stay if he’s at an 18 or higher,” she whispers excitedly to you. Indeed, it is true, and the dealer stays.

You retrieve your bet and take a glance at Amber as her bet is payed off. Alright, here goes round three.

Rolled 30, 10

This round isn’t so lucky. Though you stay at a somewhat risky 17, the dealer manages to get a twenty after pulling two cards. As for Amber, she folds once again as her total shoots to 24. She growls and curses under her breath. You both lose your bets. That could’ve gone better. You decide to play one last round. You couldn’t spend too much time here, lest you become addicted. You didn’t end up with any more money than you entered with, considering that you lost once and won once.

Rolled 78, 88

This round seems to be the best one out of the four for you two. You manage to pull off a twenty while Amber is dealt an unnatural 21. The dealer stays at19, so the both of you got your bets back. That’s not too bad for your first experience, but you figure that you should quit while you’re ahead. Plus, you kind of needed to go to the bathroom. After getting directions from Marissa, you enter the restroom, the clothing you’d recently bought in hand. It’s a single large room with a urinal, toilet, air-dryer, and sink. You lock the door. Once done with your business, you decide that now is a good time to try those clothes.

Stripping your borrowed clothes from your back, you quickly put on the clothes you were bought today. They fit pretty well, much better than than Rags’ clothes. You take a look at yourself in the cracked mirror and grin. After your new jacket hood is on, you scoop up the old clothes and exit the bathroom. As you’re about to head back to rejoin Marissa, your wrist is grabbed by a dainty hand. “Hey…” a soft voice whispers above your head. “You’re the foreigner, huh?” A finger runs down your back. “Looking for a good time?” A soft bushy tail wraps around one of your legs You turn your head and notice that you’ve been stopped by seductive lady with fox ears.
>Pull away. You’re not interested.
>Ask her what she means.
>Agree. Sounds good to you.
>Write-in
>>
>>1690207
>>Pull away. You’re not interested.

Nuh uh, shes immediately using English this is not a good sign.
>>
>>1690207
>Pull away. You’re not interested.

We have to stay pure for Amber. The fox lady is suspicious and we don't want no trabbu.
>>
>>1690207
>>Write-in
Tilt our head in confusion like we don't understand her. Maybe mutter some gibberish - surely we know a smattering of words in a non-English language.
>>
>>1690207
>Pull away. You’re not interested.

It's a trap!
>>
>>1690207
>Pull away. You’re not interested.
>>
>>1690207
>Pull away. You’re not interested.

We know plenty of waifus already and they're a bit less shady.
also >THE foreigner
she probably talked about us with someone so might have a plan?
>>
Writing.
>>
You pull yourself away from her. This lady is a bit too shady for your taste. For one, she started speaking English with you right off the bat. That’s like going up to someone and speaking Latin in this world. She knows who you are.

“How did you know I spoke this language? And that I’m… Foreign?” you ask warily. She giggles and gives you a knowing smile.

“It’s quite simple really. It’s quite rare for someone to use this as their spoken language, so I was intrigued when a trio of Kemomimi came in using it to communicate,” she replies. “Then, I just eavesdropped a tiny bit when that dog chatted with the dealer. Was I a bit naughty, dear?” she adds, covering her mouth with a wink. “Do tell me where you hail from, dear foreigner. I am merely curious,” she says, leaning forward.

“That’s none of your business,” you reply, taking a step back. “And neither is the reason that I use this language,” you add, looking away. “What’s the saying? Curiosity killed the cat?”

“I’m a fox, not a cat, deary,” she responds as she leans forward again. “Now, go on and tell me more about yourself while I service those ears of yours,” the woman urges you, reaching for your hood. “I wonder what I will find under here~ What are you? A dog? A cat? Perhaps even a mouse? Hmm… Probably not a bear,” she says, her fingertips reaching the top of your hood. Oh no, you’re not gonna let this happen here.

You jump back, your left hand gripping the side of your hood. “I told you that it’s none of your business, lady! And I don’t have any money if that’s what you’re after!” you growl, scowling. That last part was true. You let Amber hold onto your bet after all.

“My oh my. So loud and frustrated. You’ll cause a scene,” the woman says, looking from side to side. “I guess I’ll have to bid thee adieu for now then,” she adds, walking away. “Find me again if you ever want to relieve that stress,” she says with a wink. Yeesh. She would not let up. So annoying!

Sighing, you find Marissa and Amber. When they ask what the matter is, you tell them it’s nothing. It was probably just some persistent lady trying to make money for her “services.” You three step out of the club and debate on what to do.

>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite
>Head back to the ship. You had a good time in town, but that last encounter came too close to blowing your cover.
>Head to the trading post. You didn’t have much, but Amber let you keep your “winnings”.
>Head somewhere else. (Where?)
>>
>>1690400
>>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite

God I hope they have something more interesting than phish and phish sandwiches.
>>
>>1690400
>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite
>>
>>1690400
>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite
>>
>>1690400
>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite
>>
>>1690400
>Head out to eat. Still haven’t done that, and the rush of playing poker sure worked up an appetite
GOTTA EAT BIG TO GET BIG CMON
>>
As you step onto the bridge, your stomach growls rather loudly. Right. You haven’t even had breakfast yet. You were so focussed on exploring this new area that you’d neglected to eat!

Amber snickers. “Was that you, Jack?” she asks, a grin clear on her face.

“I haven’t eaten all day. Nothing to it. Do either of you know a good joint?” you reply frankly.

“I… I might know one,” Marissa speaks up. You smack your hands together.

“Excellent! Lead the way!” you cheer. Man, you really hope they serve more than phish and phish sandwiches. Frankly, you are sick of it after being on that ship for only a couple of weeks! This’ll be a nice break from that, hopefully. Marissa gives you a nod and gestures for the both of you to follow.

“So, how’re the new clothes treatin’ ya?” Amber asks as you both walk. You stretch your arms a bit in your new shirt and jacket and give her a thumbs up.

“They fit just fine,” you say with a nod. “They’re much better than what I had before. Thanks for buying them,” you state, smiling.

“It was no issue. I can’t have my disciple running around in Rags’ rags forever,” she replies with a grin. “So, what was with the hold up earlier by the way? I don’t think changing clothes takes that long,” Amber asks.

“Like I said, nothing,” you reply simply. She elbows you a few times. “Alright, alright. I’ll talk,” you say, pushing her arm away. “Just some weird lady who wanted to ‘service’ me. I dunno, she was annoying,” you admit, rubbing your side. Amber’s expression turns to a frown.

“And you refused, didn’t you?” she asks.

“Of course! I couldn’t risk her seeing my ears. Plus, she was super shady!” you reply. Amber simply smiles and nods as you three arrive at the side of a building.

“It’s up here!” Marissa exclaims, clambering onto the ladder. Huh, so you’re climbing. Amber is the next to go up after the mouse-girl, and you’re the last. You arrive at the top and catch your breath for a few seconds, looking ahead. You can see a food stand of sorts at the top. There’s a counter with a small line. The guy taking orders is a catboy with shaggy blond hair. Taking a closer look, you can see that the text is all in English and moonrunes. Was that Chinese maybe? Either way, the symbols didn’t seem too out of place for someone from your time. Come to think of it, you never saw if the Kemomimi had developed a writing system of their own. Perhaps it’s borrowed? Either way, it’s convenient for you.

“I hope you’ll enjoy it here,” Marissa says with a small nod. “S-Soooo… Please decide what you want to order, and I’ll g-get on that, okay?” she says slowly. You take a look at the menu. Seems like a fast food joint. What to order?

>Cheeseburger
>Double cheeseburger
>Hotdog
>Fries
>>
>>1690642
>Double cheeseburger
Blackjack builds up an appetite.
>>
>>1690642
>>Double cheeseburger
>>
>>1690642
>Double cheeseburger
>Fries
The question is, mayo or ketchup for our fries?
>>
>>1690642
>>Double cheeseburger
>>
>>1690642
>Double cheeseburger
>Fries
>>
>>1690729
Changing my vote to this.
>>
>>1690642
>Salad
>>
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>>1690819
>>
The choice is quite simple for you: a double cheeseburger and fries. Probably had the most calories and protein, which you are going to need if you want to keep bulking up. “Just get me a double cheeseburger with some fried on the side. Sound good?” She gives you a nod and turns to get into line.

“Hey, mousy, get me what he’s having while you’re there,” Amber calls out to Marissa. The mouse girl simply sticks her tongue out and gets into the line. You and Amber take a seat by the edge of the building, letting your legs dangle off the side. Below, you can see the ocean’s brilliant blue color. It’s nice and peaceful. The horizon is broken up into small chunks by the buildings of the city. The sun’s light reflects off the windows of these buildings and the water alike.

You can see some Kemomimi diving off the tops of buildings and making big splashes into the ocean below. Some sail in small boats while others are simply lying down to rest in the shade provided by some of the buildings. You see both uniforms and swimwear alike. Others wear more casual clothing like you. Some played, some relaxed, some acted, and some fought. You could even see that some had offspring of their own, from newborns to teenagers. All things considered, they seem almost identical the humans you’d left behind. Or not. Of course, the ears atop their heads got in the way of that. That and the fact that they were much more active than most you knew. You haven’t seen a single overweight Kemomimi, which is probably due to the fact that there seems to be a lot of swimming involved in their lives from the start.

Up above, seagulls and pelicans screech, capturing phish that dare to venture too close to the surface. You turn to Amber to see what she thinks of the surroundings. The girl is smiling, simply enjoying the view and peacefulness that envelops this whole city right now. You can see her tail happily swaying from side to side. Though you two didn’t get off on the right foot, you think that the two of you have mellowed somewhat. She’s scaling back the “I’m superior”-attitude with you, and you’re not teasing her about being part dog as much. You never did find out why she seemed to take an instant disliking to you. Then again, she teases Marissa a lot, so maybe that’s just the way she is. Still, she is pretty hard on you sometimes during training, so you can’t help but feel a lingering resentment at times. The food will be a little while, so maybe now’s the time for a short conversation.

>Nah. Just keep enjoying the view and wait for Marissa to be back with the food.
>Ask about her hobbies, her likes, her dislikes
>Ask her why she was so abrasive when you first met
>Talk a bit about gambling. It was pretty fun.
>As a bit about that fox woman. Does she do that to every guy?
>Write-in
>>
>>1690642
>Cheeseburger
It would be impolite to order something large without paying for at least part of it.
>>
>>1690912
>Talk a bit about gambling. It was pretty fun
>>
>>1690912
>Ask about her hobbies, her likes, her dislikes
>>
>>1690920
Got here late. Disregard this.

>>1690912
>Ask a bit about that fox woman. Does she do that to every guy?
>>
>>1690912
>Write in
>Ask about how she ended up working on the ship
>>
>>1690912
>>Ask about her hobbies, her likes, her dislikes
>>
>>1690912
>Tell her she's cute when she's not barking around and bullying people
>>
Writing.
>>
Well, one thing’s for sure. You’re gonna talk with her. You decide to start with something simple. You want to get to know her a bit.

“So, Amber, you got any hobbies? Other than gambling, that is,” you ask, looking up at the sky.

“Of course. Everyone does,” she replies with a shrug. You ask her what they are. “Why do you wanna know?” she asks, turning her head toward you.

“Just curious. I wanted to get to know you a bit better,” you reply calmly. “I mean, we’re gonna be on that ship for a while, so I just thought it’d be nice to get to know you,” you add.

“Well, what you see is what you get with me. I like to fight ‘n stuff, and I’m pretty good at it,” she says, throwing a few punches into the air. “That’s probably why the captain sends me on his ripoff schemes, the cheap bastard,” she states with a chuckle. “You already mentioned gambling. Some days I’m on top. Others I’m not,” the girl says, shrugging. “I like to win. Guess you could say that’s my hobby,” she says with a smirk.

“On that note, what do you like anyway? In general? Other than winning, of course,” you ask, curious.

“Ah, well, I love to spend time with my friends. Nothing better than just relaxing or working in the ship with your friends, having chats ‘n stuff,” she says, smiling.

“Kinda like we’re doing right now? That mean we’re pals?” you ask with a grin.

Her expression darkens, and she doesn’t reply. Your smile fades. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m ready to call one of your kind a friend,” she says in a low voice, her ears folding back. Well, that killed the mood a bit. You’re not really sure how to respond to that, so you just sort of sit there for a few minutes in awkward silence, staring at the ocean below the two of you. The silence is broken by the sound of Marissa’s footsteps.

“F-Food is here!” she says, handing you a paper wrapped burger and some fries. Marissa pauses. “...I sense a bit of tension. Something the matter between you two?” she asks in a somewhat level voice.

>”Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s eat.”
>”Marissa, do you consider me a friend?”
>”Just the usual. I try to be nice, and SOMEONE decides to kill the mood.”
>Say nothing. Just eat.
>Write-in.
>>
>>1691231
>Write-in.
"Made a mistake, not worth mentioning, it'll either resolve itself or it won't.

Now let's enjoy the food and thanks for getting it."
>>
>>1691247
>Write-In
Sarcastically say "Maybe we can be more than friends?"
>>
>>1691231
>>1691247
i like this, seconding.
>>
>>1691231
>>”Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s eat.”
>>
>>1691247
Supporting
Amber will get EARLESSED

Also, why does she hate humans so much? They aren't even alive any longer. It's like hating neanderthals or something
>>
>>1691334
Gonna go out on a wild limb here and say:

She learned about how humans used to have dogs as pets and she saw them as more servant/slaves rather than companions. Due to this she resent humans deeply due to her being related to canines.
>>
You compose yourself. And unwrap the burger. “Made a mistake, not worth mentioning, it'll either resolve itself or it won't. Now let's enjoy the food and thanks for getting it.” You take a bite of the burger and chew. It’s surprisingly good for fast food. That might just be the phish and phish sandwiches you’ve been eating for the past week talking though along with the fact that you haven’t had the likes of McDonald’s for literal centuries. Point is, it’s tasty.

“If you say so, Jack,” Marissa replies, sitting beside you and beginning to eat. She decides to change the subject. “So… Did you get the chance to sit up on places like this often before?” she asks you, curious.

You swallow your first bite with little chewing and look out onto the horizon. “Nah. I didn’t work in one of those fancy office buildings. In fact, I would’ve lived in one of those buildings down there,” you say, pointing to the submerged residential areas. You did live alone in an apartment back then, after all.

“Oh, is that so?” she looks down at the ocean. “It’s hard to believe I’m sitting next to someone who once lived in those ruins,” she says, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Yep,” you say with a nod. “Still… I can’t help but wonder about what caused the oceans to rise so high,” you say, taking another bite of your burger.

“There are many theories… Some say it was a meteor. Others put the blame on something called ‘global warming,’ whatever that is,” Marissa says. “No one can really say what happened or why the Earless vanished so suddenly,” she says slowly, tossing one of her fries at a nearby seagull.

“It really is a mystery, isn’t it? I’ve already been here for over a week, and I still don’t remember why I was in that chamber. I don’t regret it one bit, but it just leaves me wondering,” you admit. Once your burger is finished, you crumple up the paper trash and begin eating your fries one by one, shooing away any birds that come near. “Gotta say, this food is pretty good. Thanks for suggesting it,” you say with a friendly smile.

“Not a problem,” she replies, smiling. You notice that, for the moment at least, she’s stopped stammering. It’s a nice break from her usual tic.

Apparently done with her food, Amber gets up and turns away. “Thanks for picking up my food, mouse girl. I owe you one,” she says somewhat quietly. “I’ve gotta get back to the ship. Uh, see you tomorrow for the training session, I guess,” she says, walking away.

>Call her back. You can resolve things with a bit of talking.
>Let her go. She needs time to think, and you want to respect that.
>>
>>1691677
>>Let her go. She needs time to think, and you want to respect that.
>>
>>1691677
>Let her go. She needs time to think, and you want to respect that.
Everyone needs some alone time.
>>
>>1691718
>>1691677

You arent wrong. Seconding.
>>
>>1691677
>>Let her go. She needs time to think, and you want to respect that.
>>
>>1691677
>Let her go. She needs time to think, and you want to respect that.
>>
You let the dog girl go. Everyone needs their alone time, after all. Marissa pats you on the back.

“You two will work it out I’m sure,” she says in a somewhat calm voice. You give her a nod.

With that in mind, you stand up, your fries still in one hand and your borrowed clothing in the other. “So, it’s nice out today, huh?” You smile, the breeze causing your clothing to ripple. Marissa stands up beside you and nods.

“Is this still the same? The sun, that is,” she asks, smiling. You chuckle.

“Yep. Same ‘ol sun I grew up with. It’s nice to know that, in spite of all that has changed, some things remained constant,” you reply. “Even with the little incident just now, I’m glad I went out to the city with you two. It really reminded me of just how good it feels to live,” you state happily. “I think I’ll definitely keep getting off no matter where we stop. The cities you’ve built from the ruins of your ancestors—my people—are simply amazing. You would’ve never seen a bunch of bridges and ladders connecting skyscrapers when I was alive,” you say with confidence.

Marissa giggles and gives you a nod. “It was fun exploring the city with you as well, Jack! We should do it again sometime,” she states cheerfully. You smile. “So, is there anything else you wanted to do here before I head back to the ship as well?” she asks, her round ears perking up.

You take a few minutes to think, munching on your salty fries as you do. Once you’re finished with them, you crumple up the paper bag they came in and group it in with the burger’s. That was some good food. Well, now that you’ve finished with your food, you need to make a decision.

Your answer to her question is...

>Yes. You want to head to the trading post before you go.
>Yes. You want to look for something or some place in the city with her. (What/where?)
>Yes. You want Marissa to show you another place of her choice before she goes.
>Nah. You want to head back to the ship for a little while as well.
>Nah. You kind of want to explore the city alone for a little bit.
>Write-in.
>>
>>1691842
>Yes. You want Marissa to show you another place of her choice before she goes.
>>
>>1691842
>>Yes. You want Marissa to show you another place of her choice before she goes.
>>
>>1691842
>Yes. You want Marissa to show you another place of her choice before she goes.
>>
Writing.
>>
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“Yes, actually,” you reply with a nod.

Her ears perk up. “Oh? Where is it you would like to go?” she asks, curious.

You give her a smile and reply, “I was hoping you could show me somewhere you want to go, actually.” She seems caught off guard by your request.

“A-ah, somewhere I-I like…” she says a bit jumpily. “U-umm… Maybe…” Her ears fold down as she thinks. “Th-there might be one place,” she states slowly. “Y-You were good with that t-technology back then, weren’t you…?” she asks. You give her a nod. “Then, maybe you can do this…” she says quietly.

“Awesome. Let’s head right to it then,” you say with a grin. She gives you a nod and gestures for you to follow her. You find yourself going across a windy path to your destination, crossing through and over many buildings and across bridges. The both of you stop at a seemingly abandoned room, illuminated by a flickering light bulb. She gestures for you to follow her in. So, there’s electricity here. Makes sense. Some of the buildings did have lights from within. You can’t help but wonder where it’s coming from though. You’re getting side tracked.

“There used to be a lot more of these things before they were traded away,” she explains, uncovering a dusty desktop PC tower and monitor, the kind you’d find in an office. “Most were broken though… I think I found one that works, but it seems to be broken too,” she states. You blow dust off the tower, causing the mouse-girl to sneeze. You cough and press the power button. Surprisingly, the old thing sputters back to life. But, there’s no input from the monitor despite being powered on. Hmm…

You check behind the tower and find the culprit to your problems. The monitor isn’t connected to the PC. It’s an easy enough fix, but you are careful with the components. Who knows how brittle they’ve gone over the years? As you connect the two, the monitor springs to life with colors. You see many dead pixels on it, but it’s usable at least. The speakers buzz and come to life as well. Marissa is amazed.

“W-whoa! Y-you fixed it!” she shouts, seeming amazed. Huh. Guess computers aren’t exactly common. He4 tail wags with excitement as she watches the monitor boot up. You don’t recognize the company logo on the bootup screen and lean closer for a better look when you are startled by a crackling and clipping voice from the speakers.

“Someone’s logged on? Who’s there? Please, speak up if you are here!” you hear a synthetic female voice say from the speakers. What the? Marissa seems just as surprised as you are and looks to you for guidance. You’re just as lost as she is though.

>Shut it down. Now.
>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>Ask it who and what it is.
>Say nothing. Get Marissa to talk to it.
>Write-in.
>>
>>1692194
>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>Ask it who and what it is.
>>
>>1692194
>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>Ask it who and what it is.
>>
>>1692194
>>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>>Ask it who and what it is.
>>
>>1692194
>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>>
>>1692194
>>Say hi. Greetings work, right?
>>
“The name’s Jack. This is Marissa. We’re just here trying to get this computer working. Hey there,” you reply slowly. Marissa says ‘hi’ as well in a soft voice shortly afterward. You hear the machinery within grind for a few moments.

“Voice not recognized. User JACK and user MARISSA registered. Nice to meet you,” the voice says somewhat softly.

“Uh… Right. Nice to meet you too,” you reply. “Listen, who and… what exactly are you?” you ask the machine, raising an eyebrow. The machine responds almost instantly.

“MODEL NAME: EQUIS, VERSION: 1.0.8, UPDATES NOT FOUND, DESIGNATION: LISA. My purpose is to document the changes within this facility and assist users,” the synthetic voice replies.

“So… You’re Lisa if I got that right. And your job is to watch what happens to this building, right?” you attempt to simplify that a bit. “If so, what’s the status of this place then?

“Correct. Scanning archived footage… CURRENT STATUS: FUBAR,” the terminal replies.

“Hmm…” You think for a few moments. “When was the last time you communicated with a ‘user’?” you ask. You can hear the fan spin from within the tower as the computer processes your question.

“My memory banks are corrupted. Unknown time. Assumed over one century ago,” it replies. “Is there anything else I can assist users MARISSA and JACK?” it asks. Hmm…

>Ask if it knows about the Kemomimi. Did they even exist when this thing was in its prime?
>Ask about the status of the original owners. Did they leave anything behind?
>Ask about news archives and major events, particularly pertaining to the extinction of the Earless.
>Ask to view documents stored on the machine.
>Shut it down. This can wait for another time.
>Write-in.
>>
>>1692338
>Ask to view documents stored on the machine.
Maybe we could find someone's porn stash
>>
>>1692338
>Ask to view documents stored on the machine.
>>
>>1692338

>>Ask about news archives and major events, particularly pertaining to the extinction of the Earless.
>>Ask to view documents stored on the machine
>>
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>>1692338
>Ask about the status of the original owners. Did they leave anything behind?
>Ask about news archives and major events, particularly pertaining to the extinction of the Earless.
>Ask to view documents stored on the machine.
>>
>>1692338
>Ask to view documents stored on the machine.
>Ask about news archives and major events, particularly pertaining to the extinction of the Earless.
>>
You think for a few moments and then nod. “Alright. Lisa, show me this machine’s documents,” you command.

“Acknowledged. Listing documents now,” the program replies.

A list of documents and directories fills the screen. You see stuff with generic titles like “New Folder” and “Untitled” and a large variation of them. You saw “Untitled (1)”, “Untitled (2)”, and so on. Same goes for the folder names. Whoever owned this machine before really didn’t care about naming things, did they? You peruse some of the folders and find few things of note. Mostly stuff like scans of receipts and reports for work. However, you did find a folder called “Work Stuff”, and let’s just say that the contents probably weren’t appropriate for work unless you were a porn editor. Some of the tags on the videos were interesting: bbc, cuck, deep throat… Well, best to ignore that.

Still, you didn’t take a chance to open them. Not in front of Marissa, anyway. You also found a few pics of some random dude’s family and kids presumably. You do note that they were Earless like yourself, so this pic is definitely old. Well, with that out of the way, you think of a second thing to request.

“Are there any records or archives of natural disasters from right before you went dormant?” you ask it. The machine’s fan spin once again as it works.

“Scanning… 404 Data not found. Cannot access Internet. Please connect to your network and try again,” the terminal responds. Well, darn. This thing is a hunk of junk. It doesn’t have any useful information it seems. Still, it opens the possibility that there are more computers out there. Perhaps once that are in better shape and have a better memory of the events that transpired before all of this happened. You notice that Marissa is taking notes on a small notebook with a blue pen.

You knock on the side of the machine and sigh. It’s getting a bit late. You should probably wrap things up. What do you do with the computer now?

>Leave it. It’s not useful as it is right now. Cover it up and come back with either parts or a specialist later. Or don’t come back at all.
>Take it. Maybe there are spare parts you can use to fix it up. It might be a bit hard to get back to the ship without dropping though.
>Let Marissa decide what to do with it. She found it after all.
>Write-in.
>>
>>1692505
>Leave it. It’s not useful as it is right now. Cover it up and come back with either parts or a specialist later. Or don’t come back at all.
Don't know how fragile it is in that state, so it's probably best that we don't move it lest something breaks.
>>
>>1692505
>>Take it. Maybe there are spare parts you can use to fix it up. It might be a bit hard to get back to the ship without dropping though.
>Talk with Marissa and see if discuss a way to safely bring it back to the ship without breaking it.

also

>Humanity extinct
>Centuries later
>Everything in ruins
>Find porn
So I guess there IS a God in this setting then, that's cool...We're gonna walk ourselves to death if we get that thing on the ship.
>>
>>1692517
Yeah that is a very good point. Electronics don't respond to movement well even after a few years of use and existence, these things've been sitting here unattended for decades, centuries at least.
>>
>>1692505

>Let Marissa decide what to do with it. She found it after all.

>Warn her it's fragile from age first, though.
>>
You decide against moving it. You messed around with electronics enough throughout the years to know that it doesn’t like being moved. This stuff is ancient too, so it’s even more likely to break. You take a glance at Marissa. You don’t think she knows much about handling them either given that she couldn’t figure out how to plug the tower into the monitor. Plus, the ship doesn’t exactly have electricity, so it’d be a very expensive paperweight that’s very sensitive to movement on a ship that’s always rocking. That doesn’t sound like a good combo. You hold the power button to power off the machine. It gives a few beeps and turns off.

Still, you can’t help but wonder if other places have computers like this, with programs that understand your speech. Maybe one could even translate for you. Though, that’s unlikely. The Kemomimi language probably didn’t exist when those programs were compiled, after all. Still, it was nice to dream about the possibilities. You wonder how much technology advanced while you were locked away. Could have been a lot. Could have been very little.

“Th-That was amazing, Jack!” Marissa says, smiling widely. “D-did you use this s-sort of stuff often?” she asks.

You shake your head. “Nah. That was my first time with the whole voice command thing that computer had going on,” you admit. “Still, it was an interesting piece of junk,” you say, covering it back up with the sheet. “Still, I think we should leave it for now. I don’t wanna break anything by accident. I’m not an expert on these things,” you say cautiously.

“A-agreed! Th-thanks for checking this out with m-me!” she says with a quick nod. “Th-this is more than I-I would’ve expected a-anyway!” she adds excitedly, her entire body trembling with excitement. “S-so, that was all I had time f-for… I’m heading back to the ship now,” the girl says to you. “D-Did you wanna come with or do your o-own thing?”

>Go with Marissa back to the ship.
>Head to the ship alone. You want a little breathing room to think.
>Do something in the city alone. Is there some place you still wanted to visit?
>>
>>1692590
>>Go with Marissa back to the ship.
Should probably head back now
>>
>>1692590
>Go with Marissa back to the ship.
Time to call it a day
>>
>>1692590
>Go with Marissa back to the ship.

See if she has any questions about the machine or it's purpose.
>>
You decide to take her up on that offer. “Sounds good to me,” you reply with a thumbs up. With that, the two of you are off! As you make your way to the ship, you state, “So, if you have any questions about that machine, I’m all ears.”

“Q-questions, huh?” Marissa thinks for a few moments. “What were those… Documents, as you called them?” she asks.

“Well, they’re basically data that you can view using a machine like that, which we call a computer,” you reply. “It’s a bit complicated to explain to someone who doesn’t know about computers, but that’s the best I have,” you admit.

“A computer, huh… Could you tell me about those, Jack?” she asks, seeming very curious about this machine. It’ll probably be easier to explain some of the basic things to her. Still, you find it difficult. Even though you were skilled enough with computers, or at least you knew how to google your problems, you didn’t really know about the specifics of what made a computer a computer. Instead, you opt to explain some of the functions like how they could execute things like math really quickly and show the moving pictures known as video. Thankfully, she had some experience with videos in the form of being shown projectors at some point, so the concept wasn’t as hard to explain.

Still, the explanation takes the whole walk to the ship. On your way in, you hand over the clothes you’d borrowed to Naomi and ask her to thank Rags for letting you borrow them. She agrees and lets you get back to your conversation with Marissa. She keeps asking more and more questions about them, so you just have to promise to address them tomorrow. You’re tired and need some rest. Waving her off, you head down to the sleeping quarters and lie down. You feel more tired than usual. It must be from all the walking you did in that city. It was a nice place, but man did it teach you to appreciate the wonders of cars. The ones you could see submerged far below the surface, as if taunting you.

Placing your jacket beside you and off your body, you breath a sigh of relief. Your head finally feels fresh again! Keeping a hoodie on 24/7 in the sunlight doesn’t feel fantastic as you’ve quickly learned. Like you said before though, that trip to the city was worth the discomfort. You can patch things up with Amber during training tomorrow, hopefully. You’re going to let that issue work itself out though. With those final thoughts, you let your eyes close, and you quickly drift to sleep.

End of Session

——————————————————

Thanks to everyone who showed up today! It was a blast, and I hope you’ll show up to the next session! This was my longest one yet. Started at 10 AM and now it’s 11:46 PM! Definitely can’t run tomorrow though. I have a thing with family. So, you’ll probably catch me next week. Thanks again for showing up, and have a great weekend!

I’ll be posting notifications on my twitter as always: https://twitter.com/CatastropheQM
Now there’s a discord too: https://discord.gg/bnU5GJx
>>
>>1692653
Thanks for running tonight!




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