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Your name is Shu, and in the artistic, vibrant city of Arcadia, there is Nothing wrong.

Nothing has crept into this haven, and Nothing has scrubbed the artisans’ labors from the walls. Nothing has hollowed out one of the four leaders of this illustrious settlement, with another under its thumb. Nothing sits beside one of your closest allies, his existence hanging by a thread that threatens to be cut by an errand slip of the tongue.

Nothing is wrong in Arcadia…and you’re here to ensure that Nothing fails.


Half of Arcadia’s ruling Council is now firmly on your side, bound by the suspicion of one of their own - Levia, the tall, striking Flesh Artisan who you fear has been hollowed out, the thing behind her uncharacteristic behavior impersonating her for ends unknown. Magnus and Aeren - Arcadia’s original founders and most fervent guardians - have joined forces with you to root out this threat to hearth and home, and as of a few moments ago a trio of Levia’s own supporters have come to you for guidance.

Deep within the endlessly winding tunnels that clog Arcadia, you and Rath find yourselves glancing between the three doppelgangers that stand before you. Regina, Gretchen, and Karen - despite their very different personalities, the three girls before you are identical, each of their taught, emaciated frames pale as pale as ivory, their perfect hair and too-large eyes staring at you as if asking what comes next.

You wish you knew, yourself...but with a gentle hum in your ear, you get the answer.

“Miss Shu, she’s getting impatient.” Dorian warns, his voice taught at the other end of the line. “I don’t think we can hold Levia here for much longer without her getting suspicious.”

“Whoever’s impersonating Levia seems to be getting nervous...and she’s not even hiding the fact that she wants to get back to Nero’s side.” Magnus adds darkly. “How do you want us to handle this, Shu?”

~~~

Previous Vein: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/4342085/

Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Body%20Horror%20Quest

Character Abilities, Ver 4: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IGq15jshM2iDN8J2yvYF6fdP9yu9JSPDs2FCEYAJ6As/edit?usp=sharing

Trypophilic Hive, Ver. 3: https://pastebin.com/bUWG6TNF

Relics, Ver. 7: https://pastebin.com/kHzW2hbd

Dual Techs: https://pastebin.com/2jZ5Zhyx

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bodyhorrorquest?lang=en

Quest Fan Works: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1comL20X2jUrPO0p7QMdFinwAwdXHre2F9A5bdXif7_k/mobilebasic
>>
Inhaling a deep breath, you review what you’ve learned thus far in your time exploring Arcadia’s meandering halls and bare calcite corridors. Drawn to this settlement by rumors of infighting fueled by an artistic dispute, you’ve found that the threat runs far deeper than mere intellectual squabbling, however violent it might’ve been. A being with the power to reduce anything to nothing at all has scraped and cored Arcadia’s art to the bone...leaving behind only a system of pipes and the glowing filigree that are the fruits of Nero’s creativity. Aeren informed you not long ago that the whole of Arcadia was designed by Magnus to be a mobile fortress, capable of standing up to the behemoth Amalgams that threaten the safety of countless settlements throughout the remains of Earth.

Flesh Artisans’s influence on the gristle and sinew they’ve touched marks it, changes it fundamentally as it attunes to their will...and with Nero and Levia’s artifice the only kind left in Arcadia, the keys to the kingdom are in their hands. Functionally, though? It’s all Levia, since Nero’s unhealthy attachment to the other girl has shifted the balance of power in the older woman’s favor. B’ni’s still off talking with Nero while Aeren prepares the meeting space that Magnus and Dorian will be leading Levia to once she’s ready to meet with you all privately...though the timing and actions you’re about to undertake have yet to be decided.

You’re honestly more of an improvisationalist, at heart.

>>Have Magnus and Dorian delay Levia a little longer while you attend to urgent preparations.

>>Let Levia...or whatever’s wearing her skin...meet with you, and you alone while the others work on whatever plan you craft. You’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.

>>Invite her in - the stage is set, and it’s about time you and the rest of the Council have the chance to speak as a group before you have one-on-one interviews.

>>Have her arrive, and then start off the one-on-one interviews with a Daughter of your choice.


>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
>>4386337
>Your name is Shu, and in the artistic, vibrant city of Arcadia, there is Nothing wrong.

>Nothing has crept into this haven, and Nothing has scrubbed the artisans’ labors from the walls. Nothing has hollowed out one of the four leaders of this illustrious settlement, with another under its thumb. Nothing sits beside one of your closest allies, his existence hanging by a thread that threatens to be cut by an errand slip of the tongue.

>Nothing is wrong in Arcadia…and you’re here to ensure that Nothing fails.

Oh, very nice intro, there. That's quite creepy and evocative.

Good morning, BHOP and everyone else in the thread.
>>
>>4386337
Nice to see you bhop.

I've been binge watching gameplay of Library of Ruina as well as Lobotomy Corp. I think it's something that's right up your alley. Not to mention this by Mili song perfectly fits a quest like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOj_A3aZxGs

>>4386338
Are your eyes buttered for this show?
>>
>>4386338
>Phone Aeren and Isabelle. If they think they're getting through to Nero, intercept Levia and the others on the way to the meeting hall to help slow her aproach.
>>If they think Neros not budging, simply let things flow towards the meeting as it will.

>Regardless, leave Rath and the triplets to keep rounding up support where they think they can, especially from inside Levia and Neros ranks.
>>Supposedly Levia has had workers on the pipes. maybe that means she has had to let someone go unaffected a bit more by whatever they truly are... and if the Triplets or Rath can get even a sliver of info on them, it might give us a massive edge.
>>
>>4386338
>Let Levia...or whatever’s wearing her skin...meet with you, and you alone while the others work on whatever plan you craft. You’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.
>>
>>4386349
i really dont want Levia alone with anyone to be honest.

>>4386341
and good morning back.
>>
(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM today, Eastern Time, with posting to resume thereafter. I do hope everyone had a good break, and that you’re having a pleasant day.)

>>4386341
(Thank you so much, I'm glad it hit well.)

>>4386342
(I was *just* thinking about picking this up, actually.)
>>
>>4386353
glad to be back aswell.

been a busier week than i expected, but thats just what happens sometimes. which is a shame because a game i was looking forward to a bit came out and i havent gotten to touch it much. that being said im think you might like it. 'Otherside' on steam, if you're interested. very interesting premise and some brutal but very neat mechanics so far. nothing like only being able to heal via sacrificing another character to really make every hit you take make you flinch.
>>
>>4386353
Good to see its back. I hope your week was good OP.

>>4386338
Supporting >>4386345
>>
>>4386352
Here's the thing, if we don't address levia, then Levia will be even more suspicious. We're supposed to keep up the appearance of an unbiased Moderator/Arbitrator, and the fact that we haven't even talked to Levia means we're already showing a bias.
>>
>>4386375
yes, and even in my vote that is a thing we may do.
that does not mean we have to speak to her alone though. we didnt for anyone else either, if you think we need an excuse.
>>
>>4386353
Cradleton Chapter 8's taking longer than expected due to the Nuances that need to be balanced when it comes to character interactions.
>>
>>4386354
(I got Othercide *literally* the moment it was released, because I fell in love with the concept, the art, and the accessibility – colorblind mode is wonderful to have. Also, funny story – I named one of the Daughters ‘Rath’ since her hairstyle reminded me of her…and lo and behold, she soloed the second boss and took her down all by herself after her other two companions were lost. It was probably one of the most spectacular moments I’d ever had in a tactical game aside from FF Tactics. I hope you have fun with it, because I’m having a blast.)

>>4386379
(I’m glad to hear that you’re writing more on it! I wasn’t able to get much of anything done last week on account of work and planning Mrs. BHOP’s birthday this past weekend…which went wonderfully, I must say.)
>>
>>4386488
hah, glad to hear it.
barely gotten to play it much, but yeah its fun so far. not even past the first boss yet, and so far im stumped as to how you're supposed to overcome him, but im sure i'll figure it out.
>>
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>>4386338

[Aeren, B’ni – how’s Nero?] You ask, fearing the answer. [Do you think you’re getting through?]

“I…I don’t want to jinx it, but I think it's working.” Isabelle replies, cautiously optimistic. “She’s admitted to me that Levia doesn’t seem right, and she’s worried that something's wrong. We're still at it…how’d you and Rath make out with the triplets?”

You can practically hear B’ni wince on the other end of the line.

“Not that you…I…nevermi-“

[It went well, actually. They were receptive to what we had to say, and they say they’re prepared to do whatever it takes to help us with this imposter] You interject, sparing B’ni from tripping over her words any further. [Look, Levia’s on her way now, so do you think you and Aeren can intercept her and the others to help slow them down? I’ve got a few other things that I want to work on before we all meet, and I need all the time you can give me]

“You got it!” Aeren chimes in, cheerful and dutiful in equal measure. “B’ni and I got this, so do what you gotta do!”

[Thank you…both of you]

“See ya!”

“Be safe, Shu.”

With that, the swarmling nestled against your ear canal ceased to vibrate as the line goes silent, and your neck tingles as it re-adjusts its positioning against your ear as you shift focus back to the eerie triplets standing before you.

“Round up the support you can, preferably from within Levia and Nero’s ranks if you can. That goes for you too, Rath.” Comes your marching orders, spoken aloud. “Levia’s supposedly had workers on the pipes, so that means that she’s had to have someone go largely unaffected by whatever she’s got running through them in order to even build the damn things. So, if you all can get even a sliver of info on them, it might give us a massive edge.”

“Consider it-“ Begins one of the doppelgangers, before the other two declare. “Done.”

The trio simultaneously bow to you, their torsos snapping perpendicular to their lower bodies before they take their collective leave.

“You ever been torn between being turned on and intimidated as hell?” Rath muses aloud, watching them go.

“I’m dating Gina…” You reply with a solemn nod. “…so, yeah. All the time.”

The redhead snorts a little laugh, holding her gaze straight ahead for a long moment before she speaks again.

“If I can be real with you for a sec…I can’t help but feel like we’re dicking with something way above our weight class, y’know?” She says, looking up at you questioningly as her eyes shimmer with pure heat.

“So what’s the plan, Shu?”

>>”We get Levia here, then we confront her. Hope it snaps Nero to her senses, then figure out where to go from there.”

>>”I don’t know, yet…best bet is to just react to what Levia does when we all meet.”

>>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)
>>
>>4386726

>“If I can be real with you for a sec…I can’t help but feel like we’re dicking with something way above our weight class, y’know?”

When are we not Rath.... when are we not....
>>
>>4386726
>"I dont know yet, hopefully meeting Levia or something else will give us a bit more to work with."
>"Biggest issue will simply be figuring out how exactly her ability works and its limits. If she could just 'nothing' away anyone or anything willy nilly, we already would have lost this."

>>4386733
way too true for sure.
>>
>>4386726
>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”
>>
>>4386739
(Gentlemen, to clarify - is there anything that you wish to work on or accomplish before Levia arrives, or are you simply waiting for news from the Triplets and Rath about their findings?)
>>
>>4386726
>>”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, badly.”
>>Write-In
>"Maybe she's outside our weight class, yeah, but the big problem right now is that we just don't know what she can do. Obviously there are limits, we wouldn't be here right now if there weren't, but what are they?"

Also, it occurs to me that Eldritch Cancellation is probably a Nothing power, isn't it? Does weird things with causality and isn't supposed to be wielded by a Daughter, sounds like it to me. I don't think that's an important realization, just a thought I had.

On a further thought, I wonder if the reason 'A' has messed up memories about Alpha (the First Awake, not West Alpha) is because she had a Nothing power, too. She did know Mara, maybe they shared whatever experience got Mara and Magpie Eldritch Cancellation. That could be why 'A' has this weird twisted thought of "Alpha is dead, but is still doing things", there was a weird causal warp she used to escape death on a technicality and it's messing with 'A''s already-confused mind.

>>4386897
We could meet up with Dorian and Magnus, if it's Aeren and B'Ni that are running interference on False Levia now. See if they had any insights into her during their conversation.
>>
>>4386897
>>4386900
wait, but we were supposed to run interference on false Levia if Isabelle and Aeren were making progress with Nero, which they said they were. damnit i chose a bad time to misread the update and need to get some sleep i guess.
>>
(Writing now, Gentlemen.)
>>
>>4387003
Ah, shit, you're right. Looks like there was a misunderstanding, it was us who were meant to intercept Levia. BHOP, can we get a retcon? It was meant to be us buying time for Aeren and B'Ni not the other way around.
>>
>>4387004
>>4387003
wait so what is going on?
why are we asking Isabelle and Aeren to intercept Levia when they are making progress with Nero, when that is basically the opposite of what we want if they are making progress with her?
>>
>>4387003
>>4387013
>>4387017
(....Christ, I'm dumb. I totally misread that vote. Absolutely, allow me to correct that in the fiction.)
>>
>>4387013
>>4387003
>>4387004
Clearly we are having a case of the "Mondays". Bhop. we're anons are getting confused here.
>>
>>4387020
(No no, I had a case of it - looking at your earlier vote that led to the prior update of mine, it was clear that you mean to use yourselves as a blockade against Levia to allow B'ni and Aeren more time to work with Nero and get her to open up. *I* messed that up.)
>>
>>4387022
You did, yes, but we also didn't notice you had made that mistake until right now, so it's not just you that's a bit out of it. Let's just chalk it up to Monday, we're all a bit disoriented.
>>
>>4387022
so whats the plan then?
technically, the winning vote for this session is 'individual meetings', but Levia is the only one we need to do one with anyways, so thinking about it while the context of how and why we do it would change, we kinda double voted on doing the same thing in base idea here anyways.
its just what Isabelle and Aeren are doing that is the issue.

and yes, as other anon said, our fault aswell for not catching it. i apologize profusely to you and others actually for that, as it being my vote that won it does feel like a stupid thing to misread and miss like that. as i said, i needed to get some sleep real badly so i guess i was more out of it than i thought.
>>
(In fact, all that being said — I may actually adjourn here for the evening for a two-fold reason. First, to allow time to recalibrate the vote and for me to re-write what I'd written thus far to account for and correct my mistake. Second, my wife is dealing with a personal matter that arose over the weekend, and it's one that deserves my full attentions to.)

(Thus, I shall extend voting another four hours, with the update set to post tomorrow at 12:00PM, Eastern time. Thank you for your understanding, and I thank you all for catching my error.)

>>4387037
(Mrs. BHOP and I have been sleeping horribly, so I think we're all pretty much in the same boat, here.)
>>
>>4387037
(I am intending to write it as though Shu realizes that the true key to winning this whole thing comes down to Nero, and that letting Aeren and B'ni work with her is the best bet, thus marching towards Levia to stall her as much as you can to give them the time they need.)

(That being said — you all are the players and are in control, so if you'd rather do something else or have it corrected a different way, then please let me know and I'll happily make it happen.
>>
>>4387038
oh, well no offense to the other anons, but if your wife needs you then fuck us, dump us in a shallow grave and go and help her with what she needs. im sure a man of your caliber knows plenty of necromancy anyhow.

but seriously, you deal with what you need to, i understand. and honestly? you would think hatching chicks would be kinda easy. but no, its a bit more of a stress thing but it still starts to catch up to you, heh. sleep is for those not raising animals, i guess.

>>4387041
no, that sounds good enough. better than a retcon at least, and technically fits with the current winning vote aswell.

Hope your afternoon and morning goes well BHOP.
>>
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>>4387041
>>4387038
>"Don't Worry"
>"Otter Squad"
>"Hold fort!"
>>
>>4387051
(I just read what you wrote aloud to my wife and she's laughing her ass off , so that is greatly appreciated, my friend.)

(But hey, you and the other writers here are important to me as well, and I never want you to feel like I am brushing you all off. Communication is important to me, so I try to be forthright.)

(A restful evening and a pleasant evening to you and yours, as well.)

>>4387062
(Okay, that's adorable - I'll bite. What's it from?)
>>
>>4387038
Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that your wife is having trouble. Please, go address that, that's obviously more important. See you tomorrow, BHOP, and I hope everything works out alright. Try to get some sleep tonight.
>>
>>4387062
that strange catgirl appears to have emergency rats in bottles for some reason.

>>4387065
and its appreciated, truly. Both the commitment and the honesty.
But any feelings of brushing us off do not change how real life like to shank folks to steal their peeled off bread crusts at times, so trust me, i understand that sometimes you just have to do others things that are far more important, or just need some time for yourself or others.
>>
>>4387065
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts?tags=arai-san_mansion
Kemono Friends, dumped into what is pretty much a Silent Hill apartment building. You don't need to know Kemono Friends to enjoy it, god knows I don't.
>>
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>>4387065

Look up "Arai-san Mansion" on Danbooru.

It's about kemono Friends exploring a shady apartment complex where they signed their leases...said apartment complex is completely eldritch.

>pic related as example.
You'll see the horror if you examine the picture close enough.

>>4387075
The rats in bottles is there for safety reasons.
And They're technically Giant Otters.
>>
>>4387081
>>4387085
this is neat but also kinda a horrible way to read a 'comic' even if it may have little continuity.

but still, looks interesting, thanks for sharing.
>>
>>4387081
>>4387085
(I'm smacking myself in the face, because I think you or another person posted that in the last Vein, and I got so wrapped up in other stuff that I didn't remember to look at it more in depth. I think I'll start now, while Mrs. BHOP's wrapping up work. Thank you so much for the reminder!)
>>
>>4387093
Yes I did. you're welcome for the reminder. May your read into Arai-san's Mansion give you inspiration.
>>
>>4387096
(Oh, it will. Much appreciated, friend.)
>>
>>4387090
Am the linked Anon.
Wanted to apologise but i wont be around today. On top of possibly not having internet til late today to sometime tommorow, not just me, but all my roommates aswell had an absolutely terrible morning even without the loss of internet, so i just need some time to unwind.

Also, on an amusing note, i lost internet pretty soon after my joke about Bhop throwing us in a shallow grave. I think maybe Bhop is way more powerful than i gave credit to.
>>
>>4388082
(Even though I'm cackling at what you've said, I'd certainly never discard any of you, so no worries there. Odds are it will be a slow day of updates anyway since we have a hurricane coming through where I live and Mrs. BHOP and I are still dealing with the fallout of an ex-friend who's just about as delusional as pre-resurrection B'ni.)

(Which is kind of ironic, since B'ni was her favorite character...hrm.)
>>
>>4388082
I'm sorry to hear you had a difficult morning, anon. I hope the rest of your day gives you the chance to relax some. Shame your internet will be down, though, we'll try to give you something good to come back to.

>>4388094
Ah, geez, that sounds rough. It's always awful dealing with the demise of a friendship like that. And you're in the path of the hurricane, too? Wow. Well, stay safe, BHOP, and may you and your wife get through the difficulties you're having with this former friend.
>>
>>4388094
Oof, sounds rough, both the friend and the hurricane.
Wish you the best on both BHOP.
>>
>>4388094
>A bloody hurricane storm bowling over bhop.
I hope you find Cardinal and Snowbird as good company!

Stay safe.
>>
>>4388100
Thanks to you too by the way for the well wishes as well.
Id say something about folks having a better day, but it sounds like its jinx season suddenly.
>>
>>4388094
Hmmm... I hope the situation clears up on your end OP as far as a hurricane can clear up.

So no stress and best of Luck
>>
>>4388082
(I'm also sorry to hear you all had such a hard morning, and I truly hope that it improves!)
>>
>>4388136
Thanks, though i assumed your last post was your way of saying as such.
>>
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(Gentlemen, an update - I am back home safely, though the power went out at work and is likely to do so here judging by how the lights keep flickering, so the update is trapped in technical limbo. Thus, I'll try to reconstruct it here for when power returns, and I'll keep you all updated as to when to expect the next post. Thank you all for your patience, and if you are also caught up in all this, then stay safe.)
>>
>>4388196
No pressure OP. Just glad to hear your safe
>>
>>4388196
Sure thing, BHOP. Take as much time as you need, and stay safe.
>>
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>>4386726

”Individual meetings, like I said. We need more info, and badly.” You answer with a sigh, returning the shorter girl’s earnestly questioning eyes as you shrug. "Maybe she's outside our weight class, yeah...but the big problem right now is that we just don't know what she can do. Obviously there are limits, we wouldn't be here right now if there weren't, but what are they?"

“Well, I may not be the Doc or Gina when it comes to all the flesh sciency business aside from crafting…” Rath grumbles, stretching one arm across her chest as she pulls it with the other. “...but so help me God I’m gonna put boots to ballsacks and figure this shit out.”

“Heh, I believe it.” You reply with a warm, trusting smile, placing a hand on her shoulder with an affectionate squeeze. “Be safe, Rath.”

She just flashes you that cocksure grin of hers before darting off into the featureless corridor before you, disappearing into the darkness beyond. You wait, passing the seconds by counting your own footfalls, incessant and circular in the meeting room as they echo rhythmically throughout the corridors that surround you. Finding yourself well and truly alone for the first time, you finally notice an undercurrent of sound that hums a low, almost imperceptible song. Edging closer to a nearby wall, you cock an ear closer to Nero’s handiwork, listening to the tone that whines like neon…but there’s something deeper to it than that. A rise and fall, akin to a heartbeat.

A heart that beats in time with its creator. All the power in Arcadia, thrumming in time with a little girl’s soul. You almost feel off your game, realizing that it was staring you in the face this whole time.

You have no idea what day it actually is...but it sure as hell feels like a Monday.

[B’ni, Aeren?] You suddenly declare, placing a hand against the wall as your commling buzzes to life. [Change of plans. If we’re going to have any hope of coming out on top, then Nero’s the key to it. I’ll run interference with Levia, so you two just do everything you can to help Nero understand what’s going on and get to the heart of the matter. Understood?]

“I…yeah, absolutely.” B’ni replies. “Just do what you gotta do, Shu.”

With dutiful pace, your feet carry you down the corridor towards the massive courtyard at Arcadia’s center, defiance informing every foot fall…

...and soon enough, they’re answered in kind.

Ahead of you, a tall, lithe frame glides into view from just beyond your sight, Levia’s peerless form flanked by Dorian and Magnus, stern-faced and just out of her range of vision.

“Shu!” The hollow beauty declares, throwing her arms wide as she approaches you with an ivory smile. “Just the person I wished to see. I was just telling the boys that I was hoping to walk and talk with you while we made our way back to the girls.”

(Continued)
>>
>>4388576

“The talking I’d absolutely be up for, but I would like to give Aeren and Nero a little time to finish work on the meeting space they’re working on. Good bonding time, I think.”

“Indeed.” Magnus intones, stepping around to your side as he addresses his fellow Councilmember. “I have to say that this divide between the two of us caused Aeren a great deal of heartache, and just as you and I spent time with the crowd, it might be best to let our introverted counterparts have some time to recharge.”

“Aw, but our team’s spent so much time apart.” Levia pouts. “I’d hate to keep everyone at arm’s length when it’s been so long since we were last together.”

“Actually, now might be a good time to get started on the one-on-one talks, if everyone’s still up for that.” You supplement, glancing between Magnus and Levia as the former nods.

Levia, for her part, just stares at you for a moment, her piercing gaze trained on yours for a long second before she smiles.

“Of course, I’d love to get started.” She says, turning to Magnus. “Ladies always go first, but in the interest of fairness I’d be happy to let Magnus have the first sit-down.”

“Oh, now I don’t think that would be very fair.” Dorian chuckles, shooting you a look of worry that nevertheless is kept from weighing down his airy, jovial voice. “Ladies first, I-“

“I insist.” Levia interrupts coolly, her eyes locked on yours. “Or we could walk and talk on the way back to the others. Either way, I think I’ve left Nero alone for much too long.”

“She gets nervous when she’s away, you see.” Levia adds, her teeth gleaming white.

Her smile’s gone on too long, you realize. Far too long to be anything more than a baring of fangs. She’s on to the fact that something’s up, but she’s yet to dispense with the niceties. In fact, she’s yet to do *anything* openly against you or the other Council members…

…why?

>>Take a moment with Magnus to debrief with him before you move on to your next Councilmember of choice.

>>Engage Levia alongside Dorian (with the Silver Key at the ready) to give B’ni and Aeren all the time they need.

>>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>>Alright, if she wants to play games, then you'll throw her a curve ball — confront Levia about possibly abusing Nero to throw her off the scent.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume at approximately 3:00PM tomorrow...assuming my workplace has power, that is. I’ll keep you all updated since my power at home just came back on, so I hope everyone has been safe and had a decent day. Thank you all for your patience, participation, and enthusiasm, and I hope you all have a good evening.
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>>4388577
The Jig is up apparently. Levia's on to us.
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>>4388581
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you tomorrow, and I hope the storm gives you no further troubles.

>>4388587
Oh, I'd be surprised if she wasn't on to us from the beginning. She just felt that playing along was most effective.

So, what do people think we should do here? Our primary goal remains distraction to give further time for B'Ni and Aeren to work on Nero. We don't have to interview False Levia here, but we do need to occupy her. Maybe we could engage in some meaningless small talk to keep her distracted and not focusing on what our game is.
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>>4388577
>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>"Do you view Nero as a daughter?"
>"It must've been a heavy responsibility, being an adoptive mother."
>"Do you think our daughters would get along? Nero and Amara? I think they could be wonderful friends if given the chance. Although Amara can be a bit on the mischievous side."
>"It's a struggle I tell you, being a parent, wanting what's best for them."
>"Sometimes, you get to gentle with them...and sometimes...you grip their hand too tight to notice that you're hurting them."
>"You got any fun stories you and Nero? Playdates with friends? field trips with others? Collaborative works with fellow artists?"
>"From one adoptive mother to another, I'm concerned about Nero as a child."
>"I'm simply afraid of parental abuse."
>"You're not abusing her are you? God, I hope this isn't the case. You and I know what it's like to be under the thumb of tyrannical abuse."
>"She seems to have lots of admirers but very few friends. I can't help but wonder, where are her friends?"
>"But where's are they? The place seemed so empty. I thought a place as safe as Arcadia would have tons of children's drawings and what not."
>"Can you tell me what happened? Or were they simply gone? As if none of those things happened to exist?"
>"Something better not have happened."
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>>4388587
>>4388613
the jig was probably never not suspicious. but so long as she still has some reason to 'play the game' we should try and make sure we can confront her on our terms, or are at least more prepared for when she turns on us.

>>4388613
walk and talk is our best bet. we can still squeeze more time out, without forcing her to break the game just yet.
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>>4388615
i just dont think confronting Levia on those topics is really a good idea. real Levia might take offense, and fake Levia might not care and find it a wonderful excuse to use to twist us asking to keep Nero on her side. If we needed more proof of what Levia was, maybe, but we have more than enough to know she is at least a real threat, 'nothing' or not regardless, which i would say we have enough proof by now of that aswell.
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>>4388887
Hey there anon.

>>4388890
Any suggestions, edits, or add-ons to what appears to be the only vote on this update?
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>>4388890
How about this? Similar discussion, similar ability to delay False Levia, but less confrontational and able to be twisted away from under the guise of being offended.

>>4388577
>>Write-In
>Slowly, place a hand on her shoulder. Keep a gentle, familiar tone while speaking. Don't let her see us sweat.
>"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too. I've also got a little girl who means the world to me."
>"You don't have to pretend it's her that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?...when I see one. It's tough, being away from your kid."
>"They're so serious, these children of the Crucible. So certain they have to be strong for you, carry the weight of the world on their little shoulders. It's kind of sad."
>"You just want to tell them that everything will be okay. Hold them tight and never let them go."
>"I think that can be bad for them sometimes, though. You don't mean to hurt your kid, but it happens. You grip too tight and don't realize you're smothering them."
>"I'm going to be honest with you: I'm a little worried about Nero. It doesn't seem that she has any friends here. Does she? I overheard some people talking earlier, and they actually sounded a bit afraid of her. There's admiration for her talent, but no one wants to get close."
>"And then when we had that forum, she wasn't all too eager to speak up. I think Nero's social skills are stunted. Listen, I don't want to be that mom who tells other women that they're raising their kids wrong, but I have to ask: Are you sure you're not leading her to be too dependent on you?"
>"I think a little time away from you won't hurt her. It might even be good for her, encourage her to be more active in conversations. She seems to be really getting along with Isabel. It's actually kind of cute, this little fangirl, reminds me of my Amara with Orwell. I'm sure she'll be fine without you for a little while, with Isabel to distract her and Aeren to make sure she's safe."
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>>4388577
>If she’s this on-edge being around you, then you may as well walk and talk on your way back to Nero, Aeren, and B’ni.

>"So, Can you tell me a bit about yourself? your journey, meeting Nero, how you came to be here?"
>"How about your side of things? what you were really trying to do that helped start all of this, your real intentions, if you dont mind?"
>"Im just trying to make heads or tails of all this so i can help put it to a rest without any further loss of life.... whatever may truly be happening within these walls."

throwing her a mild bone at the end here, just to give her a possible out and see how she reacts.
Shes already on to us, so its not like her getting suspicious is a worry. But i think its still within the 'games rules' enough not to give her a reason or excuse to bow out just yet aswell.
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>>4388893
>Any suggestions, edits, or add-ons to what appears to be the only vote on this update?
Yeah, sorry I didn't post anything earlier. I get all perfectionist and wind up revising a thousand times before posting anything, when we get a long voting period. It's a bad habit, I should post the basic initial draft quickly and then revise it with thread input.
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>>4388893
>>4388897
well like i said, i just simply disagree with the topic of approach in the first place, in my opinion.

real Levia i think might take it the wrong way, as from what we know real Levia wouldn't need to be asked those questions.
Fake Levia doesn't care enough to not just brush them off, and possibly twist them to her advantage. we need questions Fake Levia would 'care' about more, such as time fillers she can use to put us at ease, or general questions. things she would have to know but might stumble on without realizing it, over things that feel like an intervention on as massive a topic as adoptive motherhood is.

I just cannot see such a heavy topic working for us with an imposter.
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>>4388914
Yeah, I can see that logic. My thinking was that requiring to put on a show of emotional investment would be a good time-filler in its own right, but you're right that even with it being less confrontational and more solidarity she could still potentially shrug it off with platitudes. I think there's some I can take from mine, but yeah, I'll try to revise it to require her to put more effort in to coming up with lies and have it delay her more.
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>>4388914
>>4388921
I can see your point. I wrote this on the idea that we were to prod Levia into figuring out what part of Levia is still real and what isn't Levia. I had forgotten that we already figured the Levia was fake.
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>>4388615
>>4388577
Changing my vote to support >>4388900
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>>4388577
>>Write-In
>Slowly, place a hand on her shoulder. Keep a gentle, familiar tone while speaking. Don't let her see us sweat.
>"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too. I've also got a little girl who means the world to me."
>"You don't have to pretend it's her that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?...when I see one. It's tough, being away from your kid."
>"Well, I won't keep you, then. We can talk on the way."
>Start out walking, but keep it to a leisurely stroll.
>"So, how did you find Nero? The two of you were already together when you came to Arcadia, right? Must be an interesting story there. Did you start collaborating on art first and then your relationship formed, or were you already looking out for her when you decided to start doing art?"
>Listen to response about Levia's possibly-fictional past
>"Well, maybe I'll get to see one of your collaborations some day, now that the fighting is over. From what I heard it was all really beautiful, it would be a shame for it to be lost over...what exactly was the problem? I know what got Magnus upset, but I've just got his side of it. If you don't mind telling me, what was it that you took issue with? Clear communication, it'll help us prevent things like this from happening in the future."
>>
(Gentlemen, I just arrived back home after a maddening day of work, so Ill have the update posted as soon as I can finish it. Thank you for your patience, one and all.)
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>>4389649
hey its fine, take your time.
unwinding after working on a project all morning myself.
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>>4389649
Take your time and a small breather if you need to. If you are all worked up while writing you will only increase stress that way.

Happened to me some time ago..... i nearly exploded afterwards
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>>4388577

"Hey, it's okay. I get it, I'm there too.” You say with a chuckle, running your hand along the back of your neck with mock sheepishness. “I've also got a little girl who means the world to me, so you don't have to pretend it's Nero that gets nervous when you're apart. I know a worried...Mom? How would you describe your relationship with Nero?”

“Complicated.” She answers with a demure chuckle.

“Well, whatever your relationship, I know care when I see it. It's tough, being away from your kid."

“The hardest thing in the world.” Levia agrees, her gaze still locked on yours — appraising every gesture, every syllable as she shifts her negligible weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, I won't keep you just standing around here, then. We can talk on the way."

Gesturing for you and the other gentlemen to follow, you and Levia eventually match each other’s pace, though you’re sure to keep it as leisurely as possible without coming to a dead stop.

"So, Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Your journey, meeting Nero, how you came to be here?" You begin, keeping your voice as light as possible.

“Nero and I, we traveled together for some time before we heard tell of this place...it’s hard to call a place ‘home’ in this world, but I can’t think of a better place than Arcadia. Wouldn’t you say so, yourself?”

“Hm.” You nod, waiting for her to continue...and she just keeps staring straight ahead, your steps echoing down the corridor in perfect harmony.

"How about your side of things? What you were really trying to do that helped start all of this? Your real intentions, if you don't mind?" You say, shifting the discussion away from her past and to something that should prove to be an easier talking point...or, at least, one she can bluff her way through. "I’m just trying to make heads or tails of all this so I can help put it to a rest without any further loss of life...whatever may truly be happening within these walls."

“Honestly? It was about freedom of choice, if I were to boil it down to its bare essentials.” Levia replies after a few thoughtful moments, her eyes now straight ahead. “The entire point of Arcadia is for artisans to have a place to feel free to be themselves. To wrest something of a silver lining from this whole apocalyptic mess. Existence doesn’t have to be binary...and in seeing that Magnus strove to embrace one side of this physical spectrum, I thought it only right to offer a few discreet tweaks if his patients weren’t keen on such a stark example of craftsmanship.”

(Continued)
>>
>>4389803

“That being said…” She adds, casting a look back at the two young men that follow behind you. “...what I did was in direct violation of our tenets, and a matter that I should have brought up with Magnus personally before going behind his back. He and many in Arcadia viewed it as a rebuke — or perhaps an invalidation — of their ideals and sense of self. I never intended it to be anything of the sort.”

“How did it get to this point, then?” You ask, hoping to dig a little deeper into the heart of the matter.

“Pride.” She answers, simply. “Pride, and not wanting to admit I was wrong to do what I’d done. Magnus’s pride, too, though I should’ve been the one to broach the topic of peace in the first place.”

Her sudden titter of laughter comes as something of a surprise, a wind chime that dances down the corridor and deep within your ears.

“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.

“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”

Just as quickly as it crossed her face, her expression shifts into something far more refined as she coaxes a few errant strands of flaxen hair out of her face with a shake of her head. “I must say, this is somewhat refreshing.”

“How so?”

“This is the most conversation I’ve had since this whole thing started.” She laughs, leaning in conspiratorially before adding. “Nothing against them, but the triplets aren’t much for stimulating dialogue.”

“Glad you’re back among the living, then.”

“And what a lively bunch you and your family are!” She giggles, shooting Dorian a playful wink over her shoulder. “So, tell me...what’s next for you all? What exciting new adventure have you all set your sights on? As grand as Arcadia is, I’m sure it isn’t aren’t the last stop for the great Defiants.”

The willowy blonde’s oceanic eyes seem to pierce into your very soul, as you find yourself staring up into them when you turn to face her. She hasn’t let anything truly slip through dialogue, but the subtle hastening of her footsteps have spoken volumes in the silent war between your pace and hers. You’re certain she wants you out of Arcadia sooner rather than later...either to have you out of the way before she enacts whatever she’s plotting, or just because she’s not terribly fond of your presence.

Either way, she’s waiting for your answer.


>>”The Cord, ultimately...but I’m sure we’ll get pulled away from that one way or another.”

>>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”

AND

>>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.

>>Talk a little about you and your family to try and prompt conversation.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall tentatively remain open for the next three hours. I must admit that I am rather drained from the day's events, so I may extend voting until tomorrow if a second wind doesn't come soon, but I'll keep everyone informed, regardless.)

>>4389656
(I do hope your project went well.)

>>4389664
(I, too, tend to let things settle and simmer until they get overwhelming. I'm trying to be better about it, but understanding my own energy limits been something I've been working on for some time.)
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>>4389810
It's clear you're having a very rough day, so I think it's best if you extend the voting for overnight.

Have a picture of a menacing Pollen Lord. Let it stand menacingly and ward away stress
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>>4389832
(That is adorable and has absolutely made me feel better through hearty chuckling. Much appreciated.)
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>>4389810
Yeah, I'd say extend the voting period, BHOP. Take some time to rest. I'm sorry your day's been rough.
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>>4389805
>“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.
>“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”
So was she a nihilist before gaining Nothing, or did it cause her personality to shift? On the one hand, the Crucible tries to fit the power to the Daughter, so if she was already like this I could see the Crucible giving her causality-erasure. On the other, being exposed to some sort of cosmic entropy would definitely convince anyone of the futility of the human experience.

>“This is the most conversation I’ve had since this whole thing started.” She laughs, leaning in conspiratorially before adding. “Nothing against them, but the triplets aren’t much for stimulating dialogue.”
Well, yes, you've been avoiding them. Your story's slipping, dear.
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>>4389847
Then we should give what "fake" Levia craves behind the facade: philosophy. Something to pit her Nilhism against.
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>>4389853
Maybe. Not sure how to work that into this conversation, though.
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>>4389856
Let me work my magic.
>>
Okay, here's a thought: What if we convinced False Levia that our continued presence here was contingent on the existence of something? Something that she'd then want to unmake so that we'd have never had a reason to stick around, giving us the chance to observe her erasing it while protected by the Silver Key, thereby gaining us information on her powers? Saying it's dependent on one of our party really liking Almath would be the easiest way to goad her, but that would also sacrifice them and is unacceptable. Are there any inanimate objects we can use as bait to draw out her erasing process? Like...I don't know, tell her we first came here to see a specific statue or something. I'm trying to think of targets and none are coming to mind.
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>>4389805
This is very wordy. Feel free to edit.
>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”
>"Not just because of this whole settlement debacle. It's because I haven't gotten to know the people I find interesting better, and so far you're one of the most interesting people I've met in this settlement.
AND
>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.
>"I'm asking because I would like to know the philosophy behind your words and actions. Sorry, it's a habit I've picked up. Many of the people I've had to fight tell me of their grounding philosophy that drives them."
>"Art and philosophy go hand in hand rather well, I'm sure you're itching for an outsider's perspective."
>"So what's the driving philosophy behind your art?"
>"No, I don't mean the work you've done on the triplets. I mean the work you've done on the side. The blank canvases you've hung up on the walls. The empty sky in the council room."
>"It's got your handiwork and signature."
>"Levia, I'm not accusing you of anything wrong. I just want to know if I read the message you've painted onto your work correctly."
>"'Art is beautiful fleeting thing, eventually it all fades away into nothing.' that's what I'm reading from your work. It's a beautiful message."
>"I'm not saying that what you've done is completely wrong Levia. Sure, it frightens others when they don't know what's going on, but the meaning of your works will amount to nothing if the philosophical message of your work cannot be conveyed properly for people to spread your idea."
>If Levia asks about what we make the idea of "Nothing" or what the meaning of life in this Crucible, or if she makes an argument for Nihilism.
>"You make a good argument I'll give you that."
>"Let me tell you something Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I can get the basis of Nihilism. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...It's horrifying to say the least."
>"But it also gives me a contrast to see what truly matters."
>"Nihilism has a place and a time. Everything amounting to nothing in the end is hard to argue against."
>"But it also gives meaning to what nothing is compared to what is absent."
>"Art is beautiful and fleeting thing, eventually it all fades away in the end. But the presence of nothing means the absence of something, it's meaning letting us ponder and comprehend."
>"That, I appreciate. And yet, I cannot help but wonder: The cosmos is heading towards complete entropy, and Nihilism will win out in the end, so why are you so keen about hastening the end of everything and washing away the art pieces we've yet to see?"
>"The message of sent through an art piece won't be received if there's nobody to see it."
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>>4389833
Bhop...I can't help but get the feeling that Mili's "String Theocracy" is a theme song for Levia.
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>>4389810
>>4389832
>>4389835
(I do believe that I will take your advice, Gentlemen. I'll leave voting open until 9:00AM Eastern time tomorrow, with posting tor resume at approximately 3:00PM. I wish you all a pleasant evening, and I do believe that I will try and get a very early night's sleep.)
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>>4389889
Or, we get ourselves so involved that any of Levia's attempts to erase our presence will backfire catastrophically. Like how Levia can't erase Nero without causing the entire settlement to collapse in on itself.
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>>4390005
Have a nice sleep, BHOP. See you tomorrow, and thanks for running.

>>4390010
Maybe. It depends on how immune to paradox she is. In theory, we're already protected by setting into motion the events that lead to her being freed, but we can't rely on that until we know the limits of her powers.
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>>4390021
Any opinions on my write-in?
I worded it with the intent on catching her by critiquing her art, and engaging in discussing the philosophy of her works. Is it too blatant of a write-in?

>>4389656
Update on Cradleton Chapter 8

Still slow going, trying to refine the specifics.
Current contents of the chapter have put me in a spot where I'm forced to decide whether or not to sacrifice part of the introduction to major Cult fighters in favor of keeping the story firmly in Carter's personal perspective in future chapters to preserve Narrative perspective continuity, or zoom out in favor of getting a god's eye view of the story and include the cast but turn the narrative super chaotic.
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>>4390030
>Any opinions on my write-in?
Yeah, sorry, just...not feeling well all of a sudden, and it's making it hard for me to focus on writing. Not sure what this is about, maybe something I ate.

Right, the write-in. I think it's overly direct. I like the idea of engaging with her philosophy, but going "hey, why do you like nothingness so much, don't just erase everything" is way too unsubtle. Even if we aren't trying to maintain the pretense of the two of us not knowing the other knows, that's way too overt in addressing her.

Also, just as an aside, the philosophy of nihilism is centered largely on the idea of making meaning despite the inherent meaninglessness of the cosmos. So if we did dispute her nihilism, it should be on the grounds of "you're not getting the point of it" rather than nihilism just being wrong.
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>>4390042
Ah. I see.
So more subtle, less overt. Philosophy is still a good angle of approach.

Let me get dinner and I'll go back to the writing.
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>>4390005
Hey BHOP, I dont know if you've ever played the game Warframe, but they are putting out an open world update that is all fleshscape. You might want to look for some different inspiration.
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>>4390047
Yeah, I'm going to duck out for a bit myself, gonna take a walk around the block and see if that settles my stomach. I'll try to give more involved feedback/write-in work of my own when I get back.
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>>4389965
>>4389805
Amending my vote to this.

>”Honestly? Arcadia’s so pleasant we may stay a little while...if that’s alright with the Council.”
>"Not just because of this whole settlement debacle. It's because I haven't gotten to know the people I find interesting better, and so far you're one of the most interesting people I've met in this settlement.
AND
>Ask Levia something else, either to ferret out her true intentions or chip away at the facade.
>"I'm asking because I would like to know the philosophy behind your words and actions. Sorry, it's a habit I've picked up. Many of the people I've had to fight tell me of their grounding philosophy that drives them."
>"Art and philosophy go hand in hand rather well, I'm sure you're itching for an outsider's perspective."
>"So what's the driving philosophy behind your art?"
>Respond accordingly.
>Try to toss the ball back at Levia and lure her into engaging into philosophy.
>"So...What do you make of Nihilism?"
>Let Levia ask the "why"
>"I'm asking because of the walls. There's nothing on them, it's an empty blank canvas, and I've been struggling to find the proper term for what could best describe a blank canvas."
>Prod Levia into giving us her view of Nihilism and have her prod us back with how we view Nihilism.
>>
>>4390049
(That sounds absolutely incredible. I want to play Warframe just to get Nidus, but I know its all a bit of a grind. Thanks for the heads up about the update, as I hadn't heard about it at all!)
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>>4389810
hah, it didnt. going to have to do something slightly different as the soil here is more rock than not, but it is what it is.

>>4390005
>>4390052
ah, shame to see im not the only one a bit out of it.
do apologies, but i myself took the advice we give Bhop, and when my body told me i needed to just keep sleeping, i decided it was probably a bad idea to fight it.
still, never like to have to see others have to make the same decision, but it is what it is.

i'll catch up on the write-ins then, see where i stand.
>>
>>4390010
>>4390021
we simply do not know how much if at all she is bound by paradox. it could be she doesn't have to care. all we do know is there is a limit to her scale of deletion, otherwise there would be no war in the first place.

I have to say though, she must be able to allow some form of paradox. an artist community, but the only artwork left is hers and Neros? nothing left of the original founders works, not even into the walls? while it might not be to the same level as deleting one of the founders themselves, to say such a thing could not cause a paradox, however small, i think is just wrong.

my guess is both in literal size and amount she is deleting, along with the 'weight' of what she is deleting, increases cost.and as we know even if her ability isnt bound by the rules in what it does, she and how it works still can be, id imagine even if she is extremely high level we and the founders are a pretty high cost.

...our companions though? maybe, but alot more risky. i mean, its too risky still even to test it on ourselves, but still.

>>4389889
not a terrible idea i just cant think of anything. best i could think of is, risking Dorian bringing up a piece of art he has made he wishes to bring here to show off once this is all over, but while she could then just delete the one piece of artwork, she might just get rid of Dorian to avoid a 'repeat problem'.

if we could say the Silver key defended from deletion, not just forgetting things, then him getting close and in its aura might make it worth it. but we simply dont know how far its protection goes, only its better not to risk it not being near 'Levia'.

>>4390059
im not sure about saying we will stay. both because im unsure we will, and if provoking her like that is a good idea.

i also think the first line needs some work. the 'people i have had to fight' part could be taken VERY wrong, especially if she thinks we are on to her.
otherwise just not a fan of the whole second part about nihilism in general.
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>>4390454
Fair points. Remind me again, are we trying to stall her, or are we trying to provoke her and oust her identity?
>>
>>4389805
Vote;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, cant say i know anyone who is, but i do think you're wrong."
>"They amount to mistakes."
>"but mistakes that are a part of you, and part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."
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>>4390463
stall her. She herself at this point has at least given us cause to think something is up, even if we didn't already know she is an impostor.

If you think we can get her to subtly use her ability while we are as safe as we can be with the key though, it is not a bad idea at all. i suppose that would technically be on some level provoking her though, but doing so is still not off the table, its just not our main goal in my opinion.
>>
>>4390454
>my guess is both in literal size and amount she is deleting, along with the 'weight' of what she is deleting, increases cost.and as we know even if her ability isnt bound by the rules in what it does, she and how it works still can be, id imagine even if she is extremely high level we and the founders are a pretty high cost.
I'd assume it's something along the lines of the "importance" of a thing to the timeline, with mass only mattering in regards to larger things having bigger impacts on history. I think that in regards to her personal timeline and whether she could get paradox-fragged, Rath is probably close to as protected as Shu is. She had significant interaction with Isabel, too, and it's the chain of events around Isabel that lead to the Nothing Daughter escaping. Dorian should have some protection since he was involved in letting us catch up to Isabel for Almath, but otherwise he didn't play a major part in how that went down. Like, he was in some fights against her, but it's possible to imagine a world where we handled those fights without needing her so the timeline still progresses without him.

>if we could say the Silver key defended from deletion, not just forgetting things, then him getting close and in its aura might make it worth it. but we simply dont know how far its protection goes, only its better not to risk it not being near 'Levia'.
Even then it would be tricky, because she'd try to delete him and then know something was up when he didn't stop having have existed. "The Defiants have a way to protect against my powers" is not a piece of information I want her realizing before we get into a fight with her. If we even do, as you said it's unclear if the Key can protect against erasure or just against knowing something's been erased. We've had it on the people near her just in case, but that's not us actually knowing.

>>4390463
Stall, with a secondary goal of gathering any information on her abilities that we can. But that's quite secondary, it's unlikely we'd get anything this way.
>>
Actually, here's another thought: Does False Levia know that we know she has Nothing powers? She knows we know she's an imposter, but I don't think we've done anything that would reveal our suspicions about her powers. Unless she can sense the Silver Key and knows what it does, then even our poking the pipes wouldn't twig her because she'd assume our knowledge that they're causality-erasing would be erased. Can we use that, get her to assume we'd be confronting her without the knowledge that she can warp history and make a mistake because of that?
>>
>>4390467
I like the idea of your write in, but the tone it takes feels too confrontational due to the immediate call-out.

We're trying to stall her, not confront her.
>>
>>4390471
>I'd assume it's something along the lines of the "importance" of a thing to the timeline, with mass only mattering in regards to larger things having bigger impacts on history.
ah, my bad, importance is kinda what i meant by the fancy way i wrote 'weight', but i guess i should of just said that. im... unsure why i didn't, happens sometimes.

still dont think she has to care about paradoxes personally. though they might increase the price heavily, i could see that.

>Even then it would be tricky, because she'd try to delete him and then know something was up when he didn't stop having have existed.
fair, but figuring out some of how her ability works before the battle would help alot. But as we both said, even if it was worth the tradeoff it is not worth the risk.

actually...

>>4390091
BHOP, how noticeable are our jacks, the Dominous, and our swarmling based jacks?
would Levia notice us trying to check her and her build out if we tried, or would she only know if she had an ability as a counter measure? i THINK we can look at such info if we jack into someone?

>>4390476
unsure honestly.

>>4390486
is it confrontational? didnt think so myself, but alright. i guess the two lines and their transition into eachother about perfection and the artists maybe, but i was hoping that came off as more Shu getting lost in thought or something.
>>
>>4390486
>>4390497
oh, im still not awake as i thought i guess.
your issue was with the first line being right to the punch, or at least too hard with how it arrived there, got it.

>>4389805
>>4390467
Amending Vote;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, thats understandable, and im sure anyone reasonable is aswell."
>"But i am unsure i agree they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"
>"They amount to mistakes."
>"but mistakes that are a part of you, and part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."
>>
>>4390524
Reads much better. when it comes to the initial transition between the answer into the discussion with the Vice/Virtue philosophy.

I also had another thought or point to make depending on how conscious Levia has over her power of 'nothing', it can easily tie in with the concept of mistakes and vices.

>Vices exist because they serve as an ever present reminder of what you can improve upon. To erase them is to forget about what motivates you to improve in the first place.
>Sure you can choose to forget and undo your mistakes, but then where's the meaning if you don't learn the lesson in the first place?
>>
>>4390532
not bad in idea but certainly those lines are a bit too on the nose over us knowing what her ability is i think.
>>
>>4390538
I don't really think so when you consider levia's line here:

>“Pride. Envy. Wrath. Sloth. Symptoms of the whole wretched human condition. Every last one, ultimately futile.” She muses, a wry, crooked smile curving at Levia’s lips as she meets your eyes once more.


She's very dismissive of the idea of vices, and seems to want to do away with them with her implications.

>“It all amounts to nothing in the end, doesn’t it?”

This line felt like a slip of the tongue, but also hints at the fact that she's frankly aware of the situation. The line feels like a sarcastic snark about her own situation. She's flanked by people who clearly are on to her.

The line I quoted was made to challenge her darker impulse against the temptation that if she were to use her power of 'nothing', (if she's frankly aware of that power in the first place which all signs point to "yes"), then we would have her give pause and examine the meaning of choice and what it means to "undo" a choice"
>>
>>4390497
(The Jacks are noticeable, while the swarmling-based jacklings are only noticeable upon close inspection. The Dominus Leash is the least noticeable of the three, but any of the three have the potential to trigger awareness if the target possesses skills that alert them to scanning.)
>>
>>4390543
eh, i still just disagree.
i just dont think she was hinting at anything enough with those lines to allow us to get away with being so on the nose about 'erasing' things.

>>4390545
hrm, alright.
well then a jackling or leash would be a gamble on if she has one of those, which is better than before, but still a gamble.
>>
>>4390524
I'm not crazy about the "they amount to mistakes" line. Not on its own, as a single-sentence line, comes across as too definitive. I'd actually combine it and the line below it.

>They amount to mistakes, and mistakes are a part of you, part of being human.

>>4390543
How about something like "Our mistakes mean to us what we allow them to mean. It's true, some people refuse to learn a thing from them, insist that they never mattered and should just be forgotten. Some people think that because they could make those mistakes, nothing else matters either. But some people learn from them."
>>
>>4390549
alright.

>>4389805
>>4390524
amending vote again;
>"Well, Im not sure. We always are taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but its never that simple. Never a straight path, even when folks dont need our help, and im sure someone will."
>"Not that i mind giving out help, of course. Just hope for some stability along the way too is all."

and

>"So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, thats understandable, and im sure anyone reasonable is aswell."
>"But i am unsure i agree they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"
>"They amount to mistakes, but mistakes are a part of you, part of being human."
>"You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is out of reach, always, i do find, and striving for it is the bigger mistake i usually find."
>"Oh, im sorry. im talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way. of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but im sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it."
>"But, i'd love to hear more of your opinion on all this Levia. you said this was about 'Freedom' yes? Which i cannot tell you how much i respect that, truly. I merely am curious. Usually us freedom loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so i guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."
>>
>>4390545
>>4390547
>>4390549

Oh God. I think I found the basis of the power of 'Nothing': 5D Multiverse Chess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBzX1ybigmw
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349230/5D_Chess_With_Multiverse_Time_Travel/
And yes, it's an actual game.

I'm sure the Crucible can play the game, but our brains?
>>
>>4390553
>>4390549
Another idea to throw out there: The Artist's Paradox.

Without it, Artists cannot improve and become who they are, and yet the paradox exists to turn artists into their own worst critic as they look back and see the imperfections of their previous works.
>>
>>4389805
Supporting >>4390553

>>4390555
There's definitely some multidimensional stuff going on with the Crucible's systems. How often do we pull mass from seemingly nowhere?
>>
>>4389805
Supporting >>4390553


I racked my brain to come up with anything i felt was missing but for the last two hours i found nothing... so i will be happy to support this.
>>
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>>4389805

"Well, I’m not sure.” You admit, slowing your pace just a hair as you make a show of pondering her question. “We’re always taking steps to get closer to the Cord, but it’s never that simple. Never a straight path even when folks don’t need our help, and I’m sure someone will."

“You always have so much on your plate. It’s truly impressive how much you juggle on a daily basis.” Levia commends you with a note of genuine appreciation in her airy voice.

"Not that I mind giving out help, of course. Just hoping for some stability along the way too, is all." You quickly amend with a sideways grin before you get back on track. "So, not a fan of the seven deadly sins then? Well, that’s understandable, and I’m sure anyone reasonable is as well…but I’m unsure if I agree that they amount to nothing, if you would be willing to listen?"

With a tilt of her head, the girl next to you acquiesces with a curious arch of one perfect eyebrow.

"In my opinion, they amount to mistakes, yes — but mistakes are a part of you, part of being human. You need something to grow off of, to learn from, even if that something isn't always perfection. Hell, perfection is always out of reach…but striving for it is the bigger mistake, I usually find."

“Is that so?” Levia murmurs, the hint of a smile tugging at the taught corners of her mouth.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I’m talking to artists, so that might come off the wrong way.” You chuckle with a shake of your head. “Of course, nothing wrong with striving to get ones work as great as it can be, but I’m sure even an artist knows a work must come to a stop at some point, regardless of how one feels about some details of it.”

Glancing sideways, you realize that Levia’s just staring straight ahead, nodding along thoughtfully as she tries to subtly pick up the pace.

“But I’d love to hear more of your opinion on all this, Levia.” You say pointedly, easing up on your walking speed as Levia reluctantly follows suit. “You said this was about 'Freedom', yes? Which I cannot tell you how much I respect that, truly. I’m merely curious. Usually us freedom-loving hicks know how much it is tied into allowing for mistakes, so I guess your thoughts on the sins just come as a bit of a surprise, given where your stance this all started from came from in the first place."

“Ha, forgive me, Shu — I didn’t mean to wax too terribly philosophic back there, and I’d certainly never refer to your or any member of your family as ‘hicks’. You believe in what you fight for, and that’s to be admired.” The taller girl replies with a gentle, reassuring smile. “As far as mistakes go, I’m of the opinion that to err is human and to forgive, divine.”

“Ah, you’ve read Alexander Pope, then?” Dorian chimes in with a smile.

“Nope! I think I heard it on Glee or something like that.” Levia cheerfully replies, and you watch as Dorian’s face just falls.

(Continued)
>>
>>4391213

“So you clearly respect the notion of freedom.” You say, trying to reign Levia’s focus back in so that you can control the ebb and flow of your idle conversation.

“Conceptually? Of course.” She admits. “But in reality they’re fleeting notions, at best.”

“How so?”

“While it’s true that many people merely fail to exercise their agency and claim that they have no true handle on the direction their life takes, there’s also a sizable amount of people that simply *don’t* have any agency for one reason or another.” Levia explains, her voice harder-edged than what you’ve gotten used to hearing from the willowy blonde. “Through birth or circumstance, nature or nurture, it’s nothing more than a roll of the dice. Advocating for peoples’ agency is a worthy goal, yes…but it’s ultimately unattainable. Eventually the accumulation of power will rob a people group of their empathy, and then, regardless of political affiliation, those in power will take steps to ensure that they maintain that power perpetually. Control — some people have it, and others never will. It is, inherently, unfair.”

“Isn’t fighting against that a worthy goal, regardless?”

“More people will suffer than not, so the net sum of the entirety of human experience is a miserable negative. It may be worth fighting for pockets of freedom and equity, but you have to go into that fight knowing that what you do will, either in your lifetime or those that come after, be doomed to crumble.”

“So if fighting for equality is untenable and ultimately pointless, then what do we have left?” You ask.

“It’d be better if-“ She starts to answer, pausing as she allows herself to reset with a hasty intake of breath and a wide smile. “…if everyone were truly equal. That’s what we’re trying to do here in Arcadia, after all.”

She turns to look at you, and for the first time since you’ve met her you think you’re seeing the real person behind those stunning blue eyes.

“Now, don’t get me wrong — I have nothing but respect and admiration for those strong enough to fight the good fight. Those who strive to make things right for the oppressed, no matter the cost and regardless of how ephemeral that equality may prove to be.” Levia says, and despite the difference in height you feel like you’re on equal footing, somehow. “Arcadia was founded on the principles of freedom and choice, and it’s for that very reason why Nero deserves a place here.”

She’s been so engrossed in the conversation that she’s failed to notice that you and she are now stopped dead in your tracks. Levia appears to be eagerly awaiting your response, and you’re unsure if this is a trap, or perhaps another distraction…

…or is she legitimately engaged?

>>Continue the dialogue with something else that’s on your mind.

>>Give her a prompt, then quickly and quietly touch base with B’ni and Aeren.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours. I hope everyone is doing well, and that you’ve all been able to get some well-deserved rest.)
>>
>>4391217
>>4391215
>>4391213
>She’s been so engrossed in the conversation that she’s failed to notice that you and she are now stopped dead in your tracks. Levia appears to be eagerly awaiting your response, and you’re unsure if this is a trap, or perhaps another distraction…

>…or is she legitimately engaged?

Yes. This is exactly what I'm hoping for. Philosophical discussion. Teasing out her driving philosophy and raison de etre.
>>
>>4391215
>Continue the dialogue.

>"Its only futile if you let it be." say simple, but warmly.
>"The problem with perfection i find, is perfection is objective. One persons suffering is anothers fuel to live. Ones torment maybe be anothers passion, and i do not mean with just the extremes. One person may be terrified to the point of panic of turtles due to one biting them while young, while another adores and raises them with true passion and love."
>"To put such a person in a room with a turtle would be inhuamne... just as taking the turtle from the other would be just as much so."
>"Humans are imperfect... all of us. no matter what we think is right... we cannot be certain it actually is, for everyone... and its no one persons place to decide that for everyone else."
>"People speak of equality as if all they are doing is ending the pain of those unfairly treated... while ignoring how many they will stifle or drag down, screaming and violently, people who did nothing wrong more often than not."
>"Freedom. Its not about equality, at least not of outcome. Its not about ending suffering. Its about making sure, as much as is humanly possible, you give everyone the same chance... but at the end of the day, the outcome is their and those around them to build. Otherwise... you will have to enact upon everyone cruelties just as harsh as what you say you are trying to avoid."
>"You end suffering where you can... but you dont decide how they move on from it, or how they live their lives."
>Chuckle, and shrug.
>"Otherwise, you may aswell strap everyone to a bed and never let them do anything, but what then would even be the point in living?"
>>
>>4391217
it wqas good enough... i noticed that some pieces of Software are still missing for my new computer to run my higher end games efficiently... so i tried to fixed that got frustrated and then went on to model some new fur for one of my models... since i used a much smaller head and all...... and a new Tongue for my Demon Engines new head.

So yeah it was alright i guess.... though i am really lookin gforward to tomorrow where i can test myself against a friend in the new 40k edition.


I hope your day went well and it wasn't to stressful
>>
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>>4391217
could be better, wasn't able to get as much done today as i wanted, but it is what it is. got time, best to take thing at the pace the weather and my body will allow.
otherwise, a boring but not terrible day.
>>
I feel like there's something worth biting on, with her talking about Nero deserving a place here. That's something she's just bringing up, it's not tying back to earlier points. Why is she saying that, where's she going with this?
>>
>>4391246
i mean, were you assuming 'Levia' had no 'good reason' for whatever she was doing here?
she killed and replaced someone and got an entire settlement to fight, and yeah thats bad and we can go after her for that. she also seems to have an over arching moral stance we cant abide by.
that doesn't mean she at her core doesn't mean well, and assuming that, its not hard to imagine even as a fake she would not wish bad on a child. She may even have to some degree genuinely grown close to Nero while impersonating Levia.
>>
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>>4391217
I'm doing fine, but had a bit of a rough morning. Tortured my brain with a game of 5D Multiverse chess. Worth it.

>>4391236
Making slow progress on Chapter 8 of Cradleton, there's a ton of additional nuances and characterizations to the cast that requires me to do some hard thinking. As of right now, I'm about 3/4ths the way through editing and filling in the latest draft.
Waiting for some feedback on Chapter 7. Hope you get to find the time to give Chapter 7 a read.

Also, Had a relic idea that I'd like to submit for review:

>Heart-sworn stake: A Scarlet nail that bleeds molten gold from its head, this relic serves as a binder of a contract, and the enforcer of oaths and secrets. While not as severe and powerful as those bound by Geas-bound contracts, the Heart-sworn stake nonetheless just as powerful by providing the those a physical mean to hold others accountable, where the driver of the stake sets the sworn oath/secret and the punishments forged into the stake in exchange for granting the secret keepers powerful boons. The more precious the secret and the more punishing the terms for breaking the oath, the stronger the boon. The relic can be removed under certain conditions forged in the oath.
>>
>>4391250
That's not what I'm saying. My point is that "Nero deserves to be here" is not a thought that had come up before in this conversation. False Levia is introducing that idea right here and now, in the middle of a discussion about the ultimate futility of existence. I want to know the connecting thought between those ideas, why she's saying it now. I think that might be key to figuring out False Levia's motivations.
>>
>>4391215
Supporting >>4391232


I cant think of anything i am personally missing..... Equal opportunity to at least try..... yeah everything and everyone here that got into the competition and now have to be their own lucks smith.

And i cant think of any way to bring the Nero thing she just dropped into the conversation.... thats just so out of left field...... its kinda off putting
>>
>>4391254
>Heart-sworn Stake

Seems interesting..

can one stake be used to make more than one contract or does it need to be forged into it upon creation?

Otherwise how is that secrets value determined? Does it depend upon the severity it would have for the person whose secret would be known?
>>
>>4391256
i mean, not hard to figure out i suppose.
Nero probably went through alot of suffering, and while imperfect, some core ideals 'Levia' seems to have seem to be in Arcadia.
well, assuming this is all true and not bullshit, but it seems genuine.

she seems to be saying it because the mask slipped a bit. Nero is probably backstory wise a good example of her 'no control' thoughts, and Arcadia is a place that apparently is trying to equalize and fix that. makes perfect sense to me how that connects to what she is saying, no hidden strings needed.

plus, her motivations seem clear enough, or at least my guess is, she has her own thoughts and plans for what humanity should come and what should be done. so she plans to use the walking mech city to help her "win" the crucible, albeit im sure she is smart enough to know she has to win it in a round about way. she seems to think everyone should be an equal 'clone' in terms of what they are, and what they are given in life, so is how she is coming across.
>>
>>4391254
sorry about chapter 7, ill try and find the time to read it properly.
glad to hear you are at least not wholly stonewalled on chapter 8 though.

>Relic
seems interesting enough.
>>
>>4391267
It still just seems weird to me, that she's talking about Nero deserving to be here. Like her position is being challenged. By us? Does False Levia think we want to take Nero away, not just stop her plans? I guess she could have conflated the ideas together, and is starting to forget that she's planning on taking advantage of Arcadia for some scheme. Become the mask, so the speak. Maybe we can put those thoughts into conflict, then, trip her up by making her consider the contrast between "what is good for Nero" and "what is good for my plan". Give me a bit, I'm going to try to write something up.
>>
>>4391283
maybe, i guess i just disagree its a strong enough point to work off of, certainly not by itself for sure. Its odd, it might be something, but we also cant be sure it means much of anything. She doesn't seem like much of an individualist, and otherwise how much she cares about Nero can be highly called into question by replacing Levia in the first place. even if she does having done something to the real Levia calls into question her right to care aswell as how sound anything she does for her is.
>>
>>4391283
>>4391287
She might also just try to trip us up into revealing our hand.

She probably still wants to know why we really came here.
>>
>>4391291
...have we hidden why we came?
regardless, we have no reason to hide it, and it wouldnt be lying either, nor really tip her off.
it was on a list of settlements that may be dubious, and it turned out to be correct.
>>
>>4391297
no we really didnt.... sorry i think i meant she still wants to know why we are still sticking around when everything seems to be going well....

I might just be a bit to tired havent been sleeping good over the last couple of weeks.
>>
>>4391256
>>4391250
>>4391246
I think I have an idea as to what Levia's going on about with Nero.

She wants Nero to be free of the pressures and choices of others. She chose to settle in Arcadia because of the notion of freedom and wants to provide for her. But she tolerates the idea of the choices of people overriding others. She's got a bone to pick with Magnus and Aeren because she sees them as those whose choices overrides the decisions made by others considering that both Magnus and Aeren are in positions of social power.

Ultimately, I think it all comes down to Nero's decision, but the deck is already stacked against Levia which she views as a case of "I had no control in the first place."

>>4391264
One Oath/secret per stake. Oath is declared upon the benefactor driving the stake into the secret keeper.
Benefactor can remove the stake, but doing so will lobotomize all relevant information pertaining to the secret from the secret keeper, and remove the buffs gained from keeping the secret. The buffs can also be removed if the Benefactor that drove the stake into the beneficiary declares that the entrusted secret no longer holds value.

The weight of the buffs are determined by thus, and is tailored to automatically aid the beneficiary:
Buff strength = [(weight of punishment) + (Weight of Oath)] / (Importance to Benefactor)

Examples:
>weak buff = [ (Punishment that Lobotomizes the keeper of relevant information) + (All information tangentially relevant to secret must be silenced at all costs) / (Old Shame) ]
>Moderate buff = [ (Punishment that forces the keeper to fight if disobeyed) + (An oath to safeguard the benefactor's base) / (Benefactor's base holds valuable relics)]
>Strong buff = [ (Punishment that kills the keeper for betrayal) + (Oath to safeguard benefactor at all costs) / (Benefactor literally dies)]
>>
>>4391305
ah, yeah sorry to hear that. im a night person myself naturally so being up for voting times can sometimes be iffy for me aswell.

as for what you meant, i can see it, though still unsure we have hidden or lied about it. we want to help make sure everything gets settled peacefully. thats not a lie, its just a reality breaking daughter might have plans that get in the way of that.

>>4391306
i guess i can sorta see it, but i think at that point Levia is falsely equating them being in power with them making others decisions, or moreso, ignoring they are in power because clearly people want them to be in power. technically, its everyone elses decision to have them be in charge, not theirs. and the fact fighting happened at all is proof of that.

ironically for showing signs of being a collectivist over an individualist, it kinda feels like 'Levia' might be underestimating the power of numbers.
>>
>>4391306
And she's maneuvered herself into a position of social power, and is manipulating another person in a position of social power, all to get physical power that she can use to force the world to be what she wants.

>>4391312
My understanding is that she hates what she sees as the futility of progress, how nothing you do to make the world a better place can't be undone. She wants to gain power so that she can force the world to become better and stay that way, not realizing (or at least, repressing the idea) that this would make her just as much an uncaring tyrant as any she might overthrow.
>>
>>4391320
>>4391312
Some thoughts and quoted greentext.
>“More people will suffer than not, so the net sum of the entirety of human experience is a miserable negative. It may be worth fighting for pockets of freedom and equity, but you have to go into that fight knowing that what you do will, either in your lifetime or those that come after, be doomed to crumble.”

To that I will take a page from an Old Man of the Mountain:
"All that lives, dies, and in dying, life finds value. The meaning of value is inherently subjective, yet you say the entire life experience of humanity is a zero-sum negative as if you viewed it through the lens of a god-like arbiter. And earlier you told me that those who accumulate power lose their empathy and lose sight of themselves."

"The problem that I think we humans face in this struggle is the scale in which we try to apply our notions."

>“It’d be better if-“ She starts to answer, pausing as she allows herself to reset with a hasty intake of breath and a wide smile. “…if everyone were truly equal. That’s what we’re trying to do here in Arcadia, after all.”

That's strange. Levia referring to herself as "we"? or is it she twisting up Arcadia's initial purpose of being a safe haven for artists and the notion of freedom of expression?
>>
>>4391321
My preferred quote is Robert Ardrey.

>We were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at? Our murders and massacres and missiles, and our irreconcilable regiments? Or our treaties whatever they may be worth; our symphonies however seldom they may be played; our peaceful acres, however frequently they may be converted to battlefields; our dreams however rarely they may be accomplished. The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses.

If the default state of humanity is suffering, then the fact that we're doing any good at all means we're winning. "Everything sucks" is neutral, a score of zero. Any improvement is a point on the positive side.

>That's strange. Levia referring to herself as "we"? or is it she twisting up Arcadia's initial purpose of being a safe haven for artists and the notion of freedom of expression?
The second, I'd say. That's her correcting her cover, I think she was going to say something far more nihilistic before she caught herself.
>>
>>4391320
seems likely yeah.
I guess the best thing i can think to say to her would be, we have made clear, undeniable progress, and trying to force it to stick unnaturally or through force is just taking steps back in different ways, but ways that may lead to even further steps back in retribution.

also something about how her and others just seem to despise humanity for what it actually is, and there is no point to what they want if it requires literally changing what humanity is, or forcing them through power to pretend to change. at the end of it all, so often what these people seem to want would basically require making humans into unthinking drones, to which point, well, what IS the point?

>>4391321
she caught herself, so i think the 'we' was simply her remembering who she is pretending to be.
her being an impostor certainly makes this harder to figure out.
>>
>>4391215
>"Curious isn't it?"
>"The two of us strive to change the world for what we perceive as what's best for the world, and yet we do our best to keep our kids safe and happy."
>"There's a certain paradox...or rather problem that I see."
>"You can't truly change the world and make everyone truly equal while providing what's best for Nero."
>"It's the problem that we humans have to face and question ourselves in this death game. It's a problem of scale. The farther we zoom out, the higher the daughters climb in power, the closer we are to climbing the cord, everything starts to lose their meaning due to the sheer weight and scale that we have to grapple with."
>"Let me tell you something Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I find the sheer inhuman distance I've inadvertently put between myself and that of my loved ones. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...The amount of power that I've accumulated...it's horrifying and dehumanizing at the same time. I found myself turning more and more into a machine that seeks to solve problems than finding out what I am. I wasn't really connecting with my daughter."
>"There's a choice to be made when it comes to power and control. Power tends to rise more quickly than a person's actual grasp of control."
>"And the more power I gained, the more distant I became in relations to my family. Eventually I had to make a choice. I had to take control and set a limit for myself. How much power am I willing to grab in exchange for becoming more distant from my family?"
>"I know you're the kind of girl who would grab at any hint of power, be it social, political, or divine, to grab that power and use it to change the world and make it so that Nero doesn't have to suffer. But now I have to ask you this question as someone who also would do anything for her daughter, but who also knows their limit and the danger of power. What is your limit? Where do you draw the line? Are you willing to sacrifice your relationship to Nero in exchange for wiping the slate clean, putting everyone on the planet on equal footing and resetting the game back to zero?"
>>
>>4391215
>"Tell me Levia, if we were to wipe the slate clean and go all the way back to the dawn of humanity, how much technological, humanitarian, social, and all other progress would we lose?"
>"No Relics, no bio-tech, no knowledge, no art, no music, no ice cream, no TV shows of Glee..."
>"There's a lot we'd lose."
>"You know, that reminds me of that one Car commercial with that Poem...Called "See it through"...is that right Dorian?"
>"The point that I'm making is not that the fighting is futile. The fight itself will always be there."
>"But it's not the fact that billions of us died in the futile struggle, it's about the progress we made. Yeah the numbers are mindboggling, and even I get scared from seeing it."
>"It's more in the fact that when we fail, when we fall, we make sure that we fail forwards. We earn a single inch while reaching for a mile."
>"Hitting the big reset button's no better than starting from scratch all over again."
>>
>>4391215
>>Write-In
>"I can't deny that there's still a lot to be found wanting in humanity. For all our progress, we're still the inheritors of all that dangerous evolutionary baggage the apes left us. We've got a long way to go, a lot of problems to fix, and it's definitely possible for us to backslide."
>"I wish there was a more certain way to advance. To just make everyone be good and treat each other decently and know it will stick. But that's a paradox, isn't it? If you force your will on everyone to respect each other and not abuse power, you're violating the very ethic you're insisting is right. You can't use tyranny to overcome tyranny, all you've done is replaced one entrenched power with another. Worse, it tells people that this is how it should work, that it's an appropriate way to get the world you want."
>"I think that the best we can do is just to give people the tools to make a better world themselves. Free them from oppression, give them opportunity and chances to better their lives, and let them loose to work. It won't solve everything. I'm sure that there will still be abuses of power that people need to be protected from. But I don't expect it to solve everything. It's a process, the important part is that we move forward."
>"Maybe that's slim comfort to those suffering while we work on getting things right. But it doesn't make it incorrect. The world can improve. The world has improved. We are born from risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. Suffering is the default, the baseline, the expected. So if the world isn't perfect, then that's not us failing to live up to an ideal. That's us exceeding expectations. It's a slow game, but we are winning."
>>
(Gentlemen, I'm terribly sorry to do this, but I'm afraid that I need to pause here for the evening. Between the onset of a fever and aches, I do believe I may be coming down with something...alternatively, workplace stressors may simply be taking their toll physically. Thus, I shall give everyone a status update in the morning to know what to expect tomorrow.)

(That being said, I would like to say that everyone's write-ins are absolutely spectacular, and I was wondering if you all would be willing to allow me to take a few select lines from each to weave into the next update — with your permission, of course. Alternatively, if you'd like to work together to combine various aspects of your write-ins, you're more than welcome to do that, as well.)

(Once again, my sincerest apologies for the interruptions on my end. I'd hoped that August would start off better than July ended, but no rest for the wicked, I suppose. In any case, I hope everyone is doing well, and that you have a good evening.)

>>4391235
(I do hope you have a good time testing your skills against your friend tomorrow, then.)

>>4391236
(Pacing oneself is important, indeed. I hope you find your second wind, soon.)

>>4391254
(Ha, I was intrigued to see if you'd actually tried it out. Also, glad to hear you're still writing! Additionally, the Heart-Sworn Stake is an intriguing creation, and one that is made all the more so by the rules you laid out above. Nicely done!)
>>
>>4391502
hey, if you're coming down with something, even just work stress, you know we understand. Still though, thank you, truly, for always keeping us informed and being honest. Im sure you know we are more than understanding, and we do kinda just end up repeating ourselves here, but the intent of why i still want to say i greatly appreciate.

as for the write-ins, i'll let others take a ringer at writing up a compromise first. there are some parts of the others ideas i was iffy on, but im willing to hear them out.
that being said, even if we ourselves do not come to a solid conclusion, as you asked, yes, i am willing to let you add-in some lines you like as you think you can make it work.

One thing i would like to ask though is, when can we expect an update, or regardless if you do end up continuing, can we expect the usual 3pm?

>Pacing oneself is important, indeed. I hope you find your second wind, soon.
as do i.

also, pic related reminds me of the meatball pic you used to post often, except probably meatball you as you are now when everything is going crazy.
honestly? i think we all just need to come to terms with the fact 2020 is just crazy nonsense for everyone and everything. there is no escape, the elder ones have claimed this year.
>>
>>4391502
Oh, of course, BHOP, go get some rest. Geez, I'm sorry to hear you're getting so run down. I hope things get better for you soon. Thanks for running as much as you were able to, tonight, I appreciate that you're so dedicated. I'd much rather you be in top shape, though, so I'm glad you're getting some rest now.

As for combining write-ins, I'm open for that. I don't really have any good ideas on combining them, myself, if I did I'd probably have tried to do so already. If you think you can make it work, though, great. I'd be willing to see what you've got.

Sorry for the late response, by the way, I was out taking an evening jog.
>>
>>4391502
What tier would you rate the Heart-sworn stake?
>>
>>4391502
>>4391619
Bhop...I don't want to jinx it...but please be safe. Take care of yourself. Keep yourself quarantined just in case. Call your employers, tell them of your current health condition, get tested for good measure and call in sick. Better be safe than sorry.
>>
>>4391502
Go ahead. This is why we enter such write-ins.
>>
>>4391525
>>4391605
>>4391619
>>4391629
(Thank you all for your kind words,and I'd expect that if I am well enough to go to work tomorrow then I'll update at 3:00PM Eastern time, as per usual. However, I'll keep you all updated.)
>>
(Gentlemen, I'm happy to day that close to ten hours of sleep have done wonders for my overall wellbeing. Barring another patently ridiculous day of work, I shall be updating at around 3:00PM today, Eastern time.)
>>
>>4392237

Glad to hear you have slept Well OP and are feeling better

I sadly wont be around so i hope your Friday goes well and you will have a good weekend
>>
>>4392237
glad to hear, and hope it keeps that way.
but if it doesn't, we understand. Fridays do also tend to be a day where folks rope people into plans aswell.
>>
(Gentlemen, Ill be updating shortly after I return home. Thank you for your patience and I do hope you're doing well.)
>>
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>>4391215

"It’s only futile if you let it be." You say simply, yet with a warmness to your tone that prompts a smile out of the girl that looms over you. "The problem with perfection I find, is that perfection is objective. One person's suffering is another's fuel to live. One torment may be another's passion, and I do not mean with just the extremes. One person may be terrified to the point of panic of turtles due to one biting them while young, while another adores and raises them with true passion and love."

“I....*think* I follow?” She remarks, clearly amused at your example.

"Well, to put such a person in a room with a turtle would be inhumane — just as taking the turtle from the other would be just as much so." You continue, smiling despite yourself as you ride this metaphor for all it’s worth. "Humans are imperfect...all of us. No matter what we think is right, we cannot be certain it actually is, for everyone...and it’s no single person’s place to decide that for everyone else.”

A self-amused smile crosses your lips, a small sound issuing from your throat that’s akin to a small, wry laugh.

"Curious isn't it?"

“What is?” Levia asks, one eyebrow in a perfect arch.

"The two of us strive to change the world for what we perceive as what's best for the world, and yet we do our best to keep our kids safe and happy." You admit with a sigh. "There's a certain paradox...or rather, an inherent problem that I see with that — you can't truly change the world and make everyone truly equal while providing what's best for Nero."

“Or for Amara.” The other girl adds, intrigued by your line of reasoning. “And I’m curious, Shu…what paradox do you see?”

"Well, it's the problem that we humans have to face and question ourselves in this death game…it's a problem of scale. The farther we zoom out, the higher the daughters climb in power, the closer we are to climbing the cord, everything starts to lose their meaning due to the sheer weight and scale that we have to grapple with." Comes your explanation, and as you speak you reluctantly resume your walk with Levia…though her pace is considerably more reserved and less urgent than before. "Let me tell you something, Levia. Having a Hive Mistress as a core, it has a dehumanizing element. Through my swarm, I get to step back and see a small glimpse of the grand scale of everything. It's not a god's eye view, but it's close enough that I find the sheer inhuman distance I've inadvertently put between myself and that of my loved ones. The Insignificance of myself, the scale of which everything works...The amount of power that I've accumulated...it's horrifying and dehumanizing at the same time. I found myself turning more and more into a machine that seeks to solve problems instead of finding out what I am. I wasn't really connecting with my daughter."

(Continued)
>>
>>4392775

“I can empathize.” Levia admits quietly. “We’ve all been granted power…power beyond what we’re prepared to control. Power that we can’t entirely predict, where the fallout can be something we can’t even imagine.”

"Exactly!” You exclaim, pleased to be on the same page. “There's a choice to be made when it comes to power and control. Power tends to rise more quickly than a person's actual grasp of control. And the more power I gained, the more distant I became in relations to my family. Eventually I had to make a choice. I had to take control and set a limit for myself. How much power am I willing to grab in exchange for becoming more distant from my family?"

“I see…so. Who do you think I am?” She asks quietly, and your breath hitches in your throat before she adds; “Where do you think I fall on that spectrum you just described?”

"I…I think you're the kind of girl who would grab at any hint of power, be it social, political, or divine…but it’d be to use that power to change the world and make it so that Nero doesn't have to suffer.” Comes your earnest answer — regardless of which Levia you’re talking to. “But now I have to ask you this question as someone who also would do anything for her daughter, but who also knows the dangers of power; what *is* your limit? Where do you draw the line? Are you willing to sacrifice your relationship to Nero in exchange for wiping the slate clean, putting everyone on equal footing and resetting the game back to zero?"

“I…” She begins, hesitantly. “…if such a thing were possible, then I presume that none of us would be around to care, then would we?”

"Tell me Levia, if we were to wipe the slate clean and go all the way back to the dawn of humanity, how much technological, humanitarian, social, and all other progress would we lose?" You demand, pressing the question. "No Relics, no bio-tech, no knowledge, no art, no music, no ice cream, no TV shows of Glee...there's a lot we'd lose."

“True.” Levia admits brusquely, and she opens her mouth to continue before shutting it again, gesturing towards you to continue.

"You know, that reminds me of that one Car commercial with that poem called ‘See it Through’... do I remember that right, Dorian?" You ask, glancing behind you as Dorian gives you a genteel nod.

"The point that I'm making is not that the fighting is futile. The fight itself will always be there." You explain, holding Levia’s gaze even as the two of you walk. “But it's not the fact that billions of us died in the futile struggle, it's about the progress we made. Yeah, the numbers are mind boggling, and even I get scared from seeing it. But it's more in the fact that when we fail, we make sure that we fail forwards. We earn a single inch while reaching for a mile."

You shrug as you stare into the endless blue of Levia’s gaze.

"Hitting the reset button's no better than starting from scratch."

(Continued)
>>
>>4392776

“Then what do you suggest as the alternative?” Levia asks quietly.


"Freedom. It’s not about equality, at least not of outcome. It’s not about ending suffering. It’s about making sure, as much as is humanly possible, that you give everyone the same chance... but at the end of the day, the outcome is theirs and those around them to build. Otherwise, you’ll have to inflict cruelties upon everyone just as harsh as the ones you were trying to avoid." Comes your honest answer, your words echoing down the corridor in time with your footfalls. "You end suffering where you can... but you don't decide how they move on from it, or how they live their lives."


Another chuckle, another shrug as you find yourself walking the well-tread ground of you philosophy.

"Otherwise, you may as well strap everyone to a bed and never let them do anything, but what then would even be the point in living?"

“There wouldn’t be, if they still existed.” Levia replies thoughtfully while inhaling a deep breath. “So what of humanity as whole? All the positives still don’t outweigh the positives, where I’m concerned.”

"Oh, I can't deny that there's still a lot to be found wanting in humanity. For all our progress, we're still the inheritors of all that dangerous evolutionary baggage the apes left us. We've got a long way to go, a lot of problems to fix, and it's definitely possible for us to backslide. Believe me, I wish there was a more certain way to advance. To just make everyone be good and treat each other decently and know it will stick. But that's a paradox, isn't it? If you force your will on everyone to respect each other and not abuse power, you're violating the very ethic you're insisting is right. You can't use tyranny to overcome tyranny, all you've done is replaced one entrenched power with another. Worse, it tells people that this is how it should work, that it's an appropriate way to get the world you want."

“What if you didn’t have to worry about tyranny?” Levia counters. “What if no one had to worry about anything ever again, if you had the option?”

"I think that the best we can do is just to give people the tools to make a better world themselves. Free them from oppression, give them opportunity and chances to better their lives, and let them loose to work. It won't solve everything. I'm sure that there will still be abuses of power that people need to be protected from. But I don't expect it to solve everything. It's a process, the important part is that we move forward."

Levia scoffs, and you can’t help but chuckle.

(Continued)
>>
>>4392780

"Maybe that's slim comfort to those suffering while we work on getting things right, sure.” You confess. “But it doesn't make it incorrect. The world can improve. The world *has* improved. We are born from risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. Suffering is the default, the baseline, the expected. So if the world isn't perfect, then that's not us failing to live up to an ideal. That's us exceeding expectations. It's a slow game, but we are winning."

The sound of Levia’s footfalls slows to a stop, and when you turn on your heel to look back at her you find the other girl simply staring at you, a forlorn look in her eyes.

“You really believe that, don’t you?” She asks softly.

“I do.” You confess. “I know it’s not for everyone, and I’d never force it on anyone...but it’s what I believe, even after everything I’ve seen in this world.”

“I...thank you.”

“For what?”

“For helping give voice to some nagging thoughts I’ve been having for a while, now.” Comes Levia’s solemn answer. “Ever since I met Nero, really.”

“So for quite some time, then.” You say, and she just shakes her head.

“No time at all, really.” She replies. “Not in the grand scheme of things.”

Your eyes are locked with hers, unblinking as Magnus and Dorian stand mere feet away, bodies tensed as the two of you just allow a deafening silence to build between the two of you.

“Didn't mean to get too heavy on you there.” You finally say, gesturing towards the passage ahead. “Anyway, shall we-”

“It’s okay.”

You blink.

“I’m sorry?”

“We don’t have to pretend anymore, Shu.” Levia says, voice low...almost sad, in some way. “It’s okay. I don’t want to fight you, or Magnus, or...or anyone, anymore.”

She chuckles, darkly.

“You’ve nothing to fear from me. So, Shu...be honest.”

A breath in, a breath out.

“Is there something you want to say to me, after all this dancing about?”

It’s so very quiet in the hall, now.

As though the world just ends, where the darkness begins.

>>Confront Levia with what you know.

>>Think of something else to say, to delay her before you reach Nero.


>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the weekend. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours, with posting to resume Monday morning of August 10th at 9:00AM, Eastern time. Thank you all again for your patience, participation, and kindness, and I hope you all have a restful weekend. I’ll be around, so if you have any questions or concerns then please feel free to reply to this post with them and I’ll address them as soon as possible.)
>>
>>4392799
>Sigh, but give a genuine, warm chuckle.
>"Am i that crap at poker facing? guess its just not the game for me."
>Hold out a genuine, honest hand to shake.
>"Well then. Im Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly."
>"And you might actually be...? and please dont say something like 'i am nothing', because i really dont think thats true."
>"...I dont want to fight you, I never did. not for a second, and i dont just mean because your ability is terrifying as hell."
>"and listening ot you, the real you here? You sounded... perhaps misguided, if you dont mind me being blunt. but not bad, not evil... and ive had to put enough good hearts down because they went astray..."
>"I guess its simple. Why? Why did you do this to Levia? to this Settlement? why and what were you planning?"
>"All i want, ever wanted... was the truth, the truth and to stop and prevent suffering. heh, nothing more, nothing less, than that."
>>
>>4392801
well, sorry this week went so bonkers, but honestly? again, i think thats just the theme of 2020. thank you for running what you could though.

I will say though, i am kinda iffy on this write up. I think our write-ups were too far apart, i dont think they ended up meshing or flowing well with what you kept and where you did, though in part because i also think you took too much, and at times it felt like there were points where it would of been better to stop as what 'Levia' said felt like it was a good place to respond, over what you ended up having to do, which was sometimes move on to another point/topic i dont think was always the best response.

im ok with and with the idea of you combining our posts, and i commend you for trying, but i think they were too far apart this time and too much was tried, and so it was just very much very 'meh' to me in the end, whereas i think even if i didnt agree with them, any individual vote by itself would've landed better as they were written coherently as a singular thing and flow/topic.

sorry if this is a bit harsh, but i do think it needs to be kept in mind and said for if you are going to try and combine posts. again, i am not against the idea at all, only dont think it worked this time.
>>
>>4392816
(Hey, that's completely fair, and I appreciate your input. Yeah, as a client of mine said earlier today, 2020 is just a wash, it feels like.)

(In any case, thanks for contributing, and I do hope you have a decent weekend.)
>>
>>4392822
hope your weekend is good aswell.
will be busier than im used to, but for good reasons.
>>
>>4392801
See you Monday, BHOP. Thanks for running, and leaving us a fun cliffhanger.
>>
>>4392799
>you can't help but laugh and chuckle at yourself. A stress laugh of relief.
>"Oh...Finally we get to stop playing the game."
>Look at her with a relieved smile.
>"So what tipped me off?"
>Heave a sigh of relief and look at her with an honest smile.
>"To answer your question, I wanted to know the person behind the mask.
>"You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face. You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy."
>Hold out a genuine, honest hand to shake.
>"Well then, lets formally introduce ourselves. No more pretenses. Im Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly. Nothing more, nothing less."
>"And you might actually be...? and please dont say something like 'i am nothing', because i really dont think thats true."
>"Levia might be the name you wear as a mask, but you do have your own name right?"
>"How else am I supposed to get to know and remember the honest woman standing in front of me?"
>Offer her a 'fuzzbuzz' of truce.
>"So...The cat's out of the bag...all of Arcadia wants to know...is simply three things. Who are you, what did you want from the settlement, and why did you take on Levia's name and face..."
>"All I want, ever wanted...was the truth of this situation, and a way to prevent further suffering that arose from the conflict. Nothing more, nothing less."
>>
>>4392908
eh... i think the Fuzzbuzz is a little much-for now at least.
she needs to earn it, its a symbol we hand out to friends and allies, not truce deals. we dont even know her real name or face, let alone if this will end peacefully. she doesn't WANT to fight anyone, but that doesn't mean it wont still happen.

I mean, its looking like it probably wont and i hope it does not, but still. quell expectations and avoid jumping the gun too much and all that.
>>
Man, I just do not like how she said that we have "nothing to fear". Please don't let that be wordplay setting up for her betraying this parlay. If you kill us do it cleanly, False Levia, don't make our deaths a pun. If you try that, I've got a really stinker to say back when we kill you, so be prepared for mutually assured destruction.
>>
>>4392886
(It's my pleasure, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.)
>>
(Also, after this particular story arc concludes one way or another, I was considering doing a side-story Vein while I took some time to properly tweak the system and do the level conversions. Thus, while I'll have an official vote in the near future, what are some side stories [past or present] that you all would like to see? Current party members, other Daughters, prior Crucibles - you all exploring different facets of the Crucible inspires me still, so I'm intrigued to see what you all might be interested in seeing.)
>>
>>4393362
depends on what you wish honestly.
if you want to somewhat keep things confined and relevant to this story/Crucible, id very much say stick to side characters for side stories.

however if you are looking for an excuse to stretch your writing muscles a bit and do something different to keep things fresh and your interest up, a wholly different crucible would do wonders to allow that to some degree.

only thing i can think to say would be to stay away from our party members if you do a side story in this crucible, can be pretty finky to have that line up with canon. Julia possibly being the exception due to how removed she currently is.
>>
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>>4393362
oh, and any help you may need for all that stuff is still on the table, just to let you know.
>>
>>4393362
Surprise us. Take a story from any of the cast. Carter's story being the exception as his chronicle of Cradleton has yet to complete (to my immense frustration).
Also, I've yet to receive feedback on the tier rating on the Heart-sworn Stake.

I've got something that can serve as inspiration for that French Guillotine Daughter: A Broadway musical song befitting her name called "Madame Guillotine"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYR6qmRq6aM


>>4393387
Update on Chapter 8 of Cradleton. It's still 3/4ths done...but I'm taking a momentary break, the muse needs time to recover because filing government paperwork is such a mood killer.
But I've added something new to the meet and greet.
>>
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>>4393394
yeah that kind thing sounds like exactly how to kill ones muse, but i do hope it returns.
>>
>>4393362
Oh, that sounds fun. Some thoughts on what side-stories could be interesting to see:

>A past Crucible where something we consider very basic to our Crucible didn't exist yet, to give us some interesting contrast.

>The mission the Midnight Crew took for Paloma to retrieve rare pottery, during which Jackie found her sword.

>The Barbers just going on a wacky adventure hunting for autographs.

>A look at Laoc and how it's rebuilding, told through the medium of the Hyenas' kid playing with the Many that Amara left her.

>One of the foreign Daughters running into (and then through) opposition on their journey to the Cord, if you think you can do it without too much spoilers.

>(If the outcome of this arc allows it) Dorian discussing art with some of the Arcadians, just getting to spend some time with other artists.

>Something with some of the Dream Daughters we don't get to see often due to them not being in Shu's head. Rath's dreamscape, or maybe those two engineer Daughters in Francine that were too busy to meet us.

>>4393394
Ooph, sorry to hear you've had to deal with some tedium. My condolences on the current lack of inspiration.
>>
>>4393417
(Oh, these are all absolutely marvelous ideas. Very nice, thank you for sharing your thoughts.)
>>
>>4393394
(I thought I had, my apologies. Maybe that post got eaten. I'll review it and post my thoughts tomorrow, thank you for the reminder.)
>>
>>4392799
>>Write-In
>"Heh. Yeah, I was getting a little unsubtle there, wasn't I? Can you blame me, though? You were actually starting to say something real, I couldn't help but be intrigued."
>"Speaking of real, before we go any further would you care to exchange names? It would feel more natural if I wasn't mentally referring to you as 'False Levia' all the time. I'll go first. Hi, I'm Shu. Some people call me the Defiant, or occasionally the Hunter of Gods, but there's no need for that sort of bombast. And you are?"
>"So. Mind telling me why you're doing this? I've got a pretty decent grasp of the what and how, but I'm still not sure what exactly is the point of it. It must be a pretty compelling reason, though. Nobody goes to such lengths without a hell of a motivation driving them, if your ambitions were less grand there were much easier plans you could have committed to."
>"So please, help me understand the real you, not this act you're putting on. I don't want to fight you, either. All I want is for this mess to be resolved with no one else being killed or erased from the timestream, and if we're going to get that it starts with us establishing that understanding."
>>
>>4392799
>>4392908
i am specifically voting against the Fuzzbuzz part.
otherwise its not too different from mine and all votes so far are basically along the same lines in terms of idea, i just highly disagree with giving her a Fuzzbuzz at the moment.
>>
>>4393744
Yeah, FuzzBuzzs are for friends, not enemies (and she definitely still is one) that we're tentatively seeking an accord with.
>>
>>4393744
>>4392908
>>4392799
I'll agree to my fellow anon's suggestions, and add in the amendment of not offering a fuzzbuzz.
>>
Guys, look back at BHOP's post:

'It’s so very quiet in the hall, now.

As though the world just ends, where the darkness begins.'

Nero is listening to us right now. Take that into account.
>>
>>4393886
Huh. Yeah, actually, that's very possible. Shadows and silence, those are her things. I was just taking that as the symptoms of some weird space-time warp that False Levia was doing to isolate us, but it could be Nero being here, instead. Good catch, anon.
>>
>>4393886
>>4394254
i've got a feeling if it is Nero, then its kinda 'too late' for us to do anything though. She either listens to what the impostor has to say, or she goes in for the kill on the person who took out the one person she really cares about.

Or she hasn't realized its an impostor just yet but we cant really move forward from here in all reality without properly putting that in the open, so said issue is kinda going to pop up regardless, if not already here.

...i dont want it, but i also have to admit, the idea of our dialogue opening up here with us trying to speak only for Nero to come flying in and kicking fake Levia in the face kinda cracks me up.
>>
>>4394261
I was thinking that it would matter in so far as the tone of the conversation could influence how readily Nero attacks. We need to be aware that Nero might act at any point, if False Levia says something that angers her enough, and attempt to keep the conversation from reaching that point. Though yes, it would be hilarious if we try to talk only for Nero to immediately attack.

Granted, I'm still not convinced that False Levia really intends to just talk. I'm just really worried that "nothing to fear" is wordplay, given that we do have to fear her Nothing. I'm probably wrong, but the thought is going to be bothering me until we're got everything sorted out.
>>
>>4392908
>>4392799
>>4393762
Amending my vote to factor in the assumption that Nero is listening in on this conversation.

>you can't help but laugh and chuckle at yourself. A stress laugh of relief.
>"That's a relief, finally we get to stop dancing around the issue and talk honestly."
>Heave a sigh.
>"So what tipped me off?"
>"You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face. You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy. There were also contradictions in your statements, you talk about freedoms and philosophy with honesty, always wanting to speak more about your personal opinions but you seem to catch yourself at the last second. I wanted to hear more of that personal opinion of yours."
>"Well then, lets formally introduce ourselves. I'm Shu. some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of gods.... but i prefer just Shu honestly."
>"And honestly, I don't want to turn this confrontation into violence."
>"Before we let Nero in on the conversation...I have several questions to ask you."
>"What is your real name?"
>"What happened to Levia?"
>"Why did you bother going this far to void-out the truth?"
>"What are you trying to achieve from this masquerade?"
>"Do you still care for Nero as a person?"
>"All I want, or ever wanted...was the truth about the situation facing this settlement. I've gotten the the truths from their side of the story, now all that's left is to learn about yours."
>"And hopefully piecing the two halves of the truth will give me a clear picture."
>>
>>4394635
im honestly not sure thats necessary.
that and if she is only causally listening in over heavily, mentioning her by name is the best way to get her to suddenly start paying closer attention, which i personally do not want at the moment. going to be hard enough to get her to understand this in person, let alone if shes hearing it in whispers as if we are trying to keep it from her.

>>4394305
Im not sure myself. I think shes being honest in that she doesn't want to fight(and by extension delete us), but you are right that doesn't mean she hasn't ruled it off the table, nor does it mean she might not have other plans. Im sure if you work at it, theres plenty of ways in the Crucible to 'deal with' people without killing them or leaving them in a torturous state.
>
'sorry Shu, but i have to leave you in a pocket dimension til this is all over. you mean well and i agree with some of what you said, but i dont think your heart can do what really needs to be one. i'll let you and your family out once ive ended all this.'
actually im very surprised no one has tried something akin to this yet.
>>
>>4394643
>actually im very surprised no one has tried something akin to this yet.
Well, Magpie kind of tried something similar. Not as long-term, but she was trying to incapacitate us long enough for her to do what she felt needed to be done. We just fought back too hard.

Blarg. Still angry about Magpie. I liked her, and don't like that we'll have to get an explanation second hand instead of from her. I hope the version of her backed up in the Cord is recent enough for a "what the hell, Magpie".
>>
>>4394695
yeah, Magpie was... it was what it was.
and she made things so damn complicated too. the stupid and confusing as hell mix of clearly wanting to do what she was and being a willing participant, while also being geased to not talk about it.

confusing and strange combo indeed.
>>
>>4392801
A reminder that I'm still waiting on your tier rating on the Heart-sworn Stake relic.

>>4394705
>>4394695
>>4394643
well when you put it that way...Levia might be intending to pull it off. Considering that much of our team's battle prowess have long relied on us to make the proper judgement call with our battlefield awareness and control, Levia's smartest move if she were to take us out of the picture is to void us and put us into an alternate dimension asap. We would need the silver key to stay anchored in our current dimension.
>>
>>4395205
>We would need the silver key to stay anchored in our current dimension.
BHOP said that has an area of effect, so we should be safe so long as we don't get separated from Dorian. Or if he passes it off to us before we do. But yeah, if this does go bad we're definitely False Levia's first target. I'm still hoping she can't afford the cost/backlash of the paradox she'd get from erasing us, but that doesn't preclude her having other causal powers that could work on Shu.
>>
>>4395220
dont think other Anon was talking about her deleting us, as that defeats the idea i mentioned he was playing off of.

>>4395205
which conversely i agree it might be something she may attempt, though i was being a bit.. overblown(?) with my example of a pocket dimension. doesn't fit what her 'nothing' ability seems to do, nor is it the only say to peacefully keep someone locked up, it was just the first that sprung to mind. plenty of other ways she could probably do it, within the confines of normal crucible abilities.

...does bring up the question of how Mother kept not just her, but all those things she did locked up.
I also do wonder what else she had locked up, and why. Caron mentioned the Titans and the two Daughters were just the only ones we needed to worry about, not the only things locked up now released.
>>
>>4396034
>dont think other Anon was talking about her deleting us, as that defeats the idea i mentioned he was playing off of.
No, I got that. I was saying that she hopefully can't delete us, but that doesn't mean she can't do other weird spatio-temporal things to us. Like locking us away in a pocket dimension.
>>
(Gentlemen, due to a rather chaotic weekend, I must push back resuming the Vein a day as I've gotten precisely zero time to write the next update. Thus, we shall be resuming on Tuesday, August 11 at 9:00AM, Eastern time. As somewhat of a silver lining, I'm expecting a busy day tomorrow, so odds are I'd be waylaid regardless.)

>>4395205
(I'd say that it sounds like a Tier-3 Relic, but its effects are so unique that I'm actually having a hard time placing it.)
>>
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>>4397169
hey, i understand, and thank you for letting us know. Sorry to hear your own weekend was pretty subpar aswell though. Hope your Monday somehow makes up for it and i suppose see ya Tuesday.
>>
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>>4397169
Thanks for letting me know about the grading of the Heart-sworn stakes. But given the very variable nature of the stakes, I think I'll try and rein in parts of the details and restrictions of the relic to make it more...comprehensive. Regardless, this will help me move forward with chapter 8 of Cradleton. I've run into a rather...perplexing snag as of late.
>>
>>4397169
Hey, no problem, BHOP, we get it. Sorry to hear your weekend has been hectic. Even more sorry to hear that you expect your Monday to be just as hectic. See you Tuesday, friend.
>>
>>4397186
oh damn, i like that gif. something bout the eye socket hits a nerve, nicely done to whoever drew it, thanks for sharing.
>>
>>4397189
here's the artist behind the picture:
Fair warning half of it's nsfw.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts?tags=yuta_%28nvkdighqqs94fg%29

the artist behind pic related is gia.
>>
>>4397195
ah, thanks.
Gias art there looks familiar too, but thanks for them too nonetheless.
>>
>>4397198
Found time for Chapter 7 yet?
>>
>>4398162
sorry, not yet.
>>
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>>4392799

"Heh...yeah, I was getting a little unsubtle there, wasn't I?” You say with a stress-relieving chuckle and a small shrug. “Glad we can finally stop playing this game.”

“That makes two of us…” The girl before you says with a faint smile, glancing behind her and towards Magnus and Dorian before adding; “...maybe more, now that I think about it.”

“Can you blame me, though? You were actually starting to say something real, I couldn't help but be intrigued. So, what tipped you off?"

“Trying to delay me for so long, if I’m being honest...that, and your glacial pace.” Comes her bemused answer, a genuine grin tugging at the corners of her narrow mouth.

“Well, I wanted to take the time and get to know the person behind the mask."

“Hm...so then what gave me away, if I might ask?”

“You have a distinct tell that separates you from the identity you wear on your face.” You explain, keeping her between you and the boys, the pair tensed and at the ready even in the face of this seemingly peaceful exchange. “You have your own identity, your own ego, your own personal tastes, your own philosophy apart from who you were pretending to be...and speaking of which…”

You extend your hand with a genuine smile, an act that raises (not)Levia’s eyebrows and the alarm of your two allies behind her.

"...I think it’s time we formally introduce ourselves. No more pretenses. I’m Shu.” You say, wiggling your fingers as Levia continues to regard the offered limb with abject shock. “Some call me the Defiant, some the Hunter of Gods...but I prefer just Shu, honestly. Nothing more, nothing less. And you might actually be...? And please don't say something like 'I am nothing', because I really dont think that's true."

She laughs, a bark of amusement that’s so at odds with the airy veneer she’d worked so hard to fake up until this point. She hesitates, at first, whether or not to take your hand...but when she does, she smiles.

“...Selene.” Comes her answer. “It’s a pleasure to truly meet you, Shu.”

"Likewise Selene.” You say, seeing Magnus and Dorian relax ever so slightly out of the corner of your eye, the Silver Key clutched in the latter’s hand. “ So — mind telling me why you're doing this? I've got a pretty decent grasp of the what and how, but I'm still not sure what exactly is the point of it. It must be a pretty compelling reason, though. Nobody goes to such lengths without a hell of a motivation driving them, if your ambitions were less grand there were much easier plans you could have committed to. So please, help me understand the real you, not this act you're putting on. I don't want to fight you, either. All I want is for this mess to be resolved with no one else being killed or erased from the timestream, and if we're going to get that it starts with us establishing that understanding."

She’s quiet, and then…

“What do you know about the Deprived?”

(Continued)
>>
>>4399727

You blink, wondering if you misheard her wording until she chuckles under breath.

“Not much, if that’s your reaction. Some people say it’s the thirteenth class of Daughter, but the truth of the matter is that we’re less a special Pokemon and more like Missingno. We’ve got powers that spit in the face of what a normal Daughter should be capable of, and we’ve even got a unique way of leveling, to boot. We can level up and grow just like you and the rest, sure...but our Cores can only increase in power by *using* our powers, and often. I could devour all the biomass in the world, and it wouldn’t do anything to bolster this power of mine.”

“What brought you to Arcadia, then?” You ask, fearing that you already know the answer.

“Well, to answer your earlier question, I was about ready to make my move on the Cord when Mother locked me away.” Selene explains, holding herself still and quite keenly aware of the fact that she’s surrounded. “After I was freed, I found that she’d stripped me of all I’d worked towards. All my work, every life I’d taken and erased — gone. Nothing reduced to nothing, if you want to get poetic. So, I realized that if I were to get back where I was then I’d need to erase a great many things, and very quickly...but that’s the unfortunate thing about my Core. I can only see the full ramifications of what I’m about to erase at the moment of impact. I can either pull my punches or go all out, but whatever I do it will inevitably influence the things that’ve experienced it first hand. So, the question for me was this; where can I go to where I can mitigate the aftermath of my power, a place that is, for all intents and purposes, a ‘closed loop’.”

“And Arcadia was the answer.” You supply, and Selene nods.

“It was. The art that once decorated these walls was fuel, and with the dispute between Magnus and Levia having thrown everything into chaos, I found my opportunity.”

“Wait, so you took Levia’s place after she and Magnus had their blow-up?”

“I did. My powers don’t allow me to take the memories of those that I erase, but I’d been watching the Council for several days, just out of the corners of their perception until that fateful day when these two had their confrontation.” She says, gesturing languidly between her body and the young man behind her, never once taking her eyes off yours. “The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and while I can’t pretend to know what flight of pride or fancy made Levia do what she did, I can say that the timing couldn’t have been better.”

“All of this...and for what, exactly? Power?” Magnus asks through gritted teeth, about to take a step forward before Dorian seizes his shoulder. “And more importantly...where is Levia?”

(Continued)
>>
>>4399728

“Right here.” Selene replies, running her hands along her sides as she turns her body ever so slightly towards Magnus. “It’s not much in terms of biomass, but it’s enough to prevent people from forgetting about her entirely.”

“She...she’s-”

“Dead? Oh, very much so, and of all the regrets I have for this whole stupid plan, she’s not one of them.” Selene interrupts with a snarl, rounding on him. “You had no idea what was happening right under your noses, did you? The wolf in sheep’s clothing that preyed upon that poor girl, and who was trying to get her talons in others, still?”

Magnus is about to open his mouth to reply when the woman before him swiftly holds up her hand.

“You know what? Don’t answer that. You probably don’t recall enough about her to reflect on the clues you and Aeren missed...and once I’m done with this thing, then none of you will remember her at all. You’re better off…” Selene says flippantly, turning back to you. “...believe me. Honestly, I was making my final preparations to leave when you and the rest of the Defiants wandered in.”

“Are you implying we’d let you leave?” Magnus spits.

“Are you implying you could stop me?” Selene fires back coolly, shifting her gaze back to yours. “Listen, you said you didn’t want this to come to blows, and I believe you. I hope you believe me when I say that I don’t want it to, either…”

Her mouth is a grim line as she regards you with a forlorn expression.

“...I can't take the risk.” She says.

>>”I have to ask — why art? Surely there’s something else at would make a better target for your powers?”

>>”Sounds like you were just about through with Arcadia...so why are you still here, exactly?”

>>”Tell me more about the Deprived...is everything you know coming from first-hand experience, or did it come from somewhere else?”

>>”So you were just planning to abandon Arcadia once you’d leveled your Core enough? What was next on your agenda...the Cord, or something else?”

>>”If you’ve absorbed practically all of the creative output of Arcadia, then your Core must be pretty close to where you were before Mother imprisoned you...not trying to pick a fight here, but why are you so intent on keeping things civil, now?”

>>”How did Mother keep you locked up, with what you can do? I thought it took some effort on her part to interact with Daughters in anything other than a ‘pestering’ capacity.”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, it’s good to be back. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM Eastern time, with posting to resume thereafter.)
>>
>>4399729
>"And i dont want to this to come to blows either... but even if you are right about Levia, you have to understand its not that simple. You still abused the situation for your own gain, instead of revealing the truth about her. Abusive or not, you still took all Nero had and twisted her emotions, instead of fixing them. You still abused an entire town, deleted parts of them, both people and things, for your own gain."
>"Selene... I Really want us to come to an understanding here, i really want this to end peacefully.... but if you think we can let your, or even trust you, to just walk out of here, without anything being done about this... then im sorry but you're wrong."
>"Its one thing to ask for us to forgive you and try and move on, its another to expect you wont have to give or prove to these people you deserve it, or to not have to make up for it. And no, i dont quite expect any grand ideas you have to make everything better for humanity will quite be enough."
>Sigh, and shrug.
>"If anything, things like that are exactly what people wont want to hear from you, or trust you with after this... and can you really say they wont have a point?"
>"You could avoid us asking these questions at all Selene, true... but you cant avoid the legitimacy of them that would stick in your mind... and i'd hope running from what you have done like that wouldn't be what you want either."

sorry, i do have further questions for her myself, but the way she is looking at this situation really needs to be addressed and discussed first, and how she responds will decide if we can move on to questions. at best i thought of adding a "look, maybe if you answer some of our questions, we can all better understand this and come to better terms here, alright?"
but my problem with that is it feels like its cutting off any further response we might have to her response down.
>>
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>>4399733
glad to see you back aswell.
Monday go how you thought it would? regardless, hope somewhere along the way you found some time to recuperate.
>>
>>4399733
Good morning, BHOP. Nice to have you back.
>>
>>4399741
(Oh, I stayed well over yesterday to deal with the mountain of work I had. The whole issue is that we normally have four people working, though one of those is in training. I've been left with the trainee, while the other two working from home have been having constant connectivity issues to where my work load has effectively tripled, on top of addressing my associates questions and queries.)

(This has been going on since the initial outbreak, hence why I've been a bit slower to update than I'd like.)
>>
>>4399737
There's also a matter of keeping the populace of Arcadia from jumping the gun and plunging head first into a fight and getting themselves erased from Selene. You have to keep that in mind.

Also, I think what would make Selene cooperate is that we ask her the questions of the why's, the how's, what HER perspective is, but immediately calling her out and accusing her of abuse might go about it the wrong way. Because what I'm seeing right now in this update is that Selene thinks what she's doing is for the best for everyone if she keeps her mouth shut. And we need to address the fact that she's been keeping a poor communication record.

She needs to explain what she sees in Levia, explain how exactly what her powers did, what ramifications that she saw in erasing Levia. But on top of that, we have to make sure that Arcadia doesn't kill themselves in their attempt to lynch Selene.
>>
>>4399744
oh lord that sounds agonizing.
but yeah thats just how it is. My dads talked about that. what he used to just be able to walk over and ask someone about in like two minutes, he now has to spend hours on a back and fourth e-mail chain to figure out.

Hang in there BHOP, and know we understand you need your time to do what you need to do.

>>4399746
well, i dont really disagree, but i was more of just addressing the heart of the issue, which is she is blatantly trying to say she wants/for us to let her just walk away, or well that she intendeds to, damn be what else we try.

kinda hard to properly address anything else when she is kinda saying "let me/I will just get away with this." I think maybe its the fact she isnt at all saying it like 'this is for the best', but like 'you couldn't stop me is you tried' kinda chin held high nonsense.

Im trying to convey to her its not about IF she can get away with it, its about IF she should. And i dont think whoever Levia was by itself is the full extent of the issue there, only part of it.

Plus, if she thought she could take on all of Arcadia, she wouldn't be so nervous. take on alot? make it a horrible, horrible 'blood'bath? sure, undoubtedly, it just wouldn't make sense for her to be acting this way if she thought she could win all on her own.
>>
>>4399752
>>4399737
You know what's bothering me? The fact that for all the efforts Selene has taken to erase all the work on the wall, she's kept Nero's intact. If she were truly callous, she would have brushed Nero off and gotten what she wanted. But throughout the whole thing during the council meeting, Selene actively tries to keep Nero in the dark and make it gentle for her. Hence her nervousness and anxiety and the need to return to Nero. To erase Nero's memories before her opinion could turn into something that Selene would regret.

And I think it's something that we can tease out and have her confess. She wants to keep things civil because she genuinely cares for Nero. Otherwise she would have not erased Levia specifically. She would have erased someone else.
>>
>>4399759
i didnt really ever think she was callous though.
>>
>>4399762
True, but the fact of the matter remains that Selene cares for Nero.
>>
>>4399759
Well, it also appears that she considers Levia to have been an acceptable target. But then again, it seems that Levia was also in the game of grooming Nero as a weapon, so it's entirely possible that the fact that she was mistreating Nero was part of why she considered her an acceptable target.

Also, she apparently hasn't erased Levia yet. She's killed her and is wearing her as a suit. Presumably she picked up a Flesh Artisan skill like Penny Dreadful's, somewhere.

>>4399762
I think she's at least a little callous, given that she sees nothing wrong with murdering a woman and wearing her as a suit. She's just not as callous as we thought. Which is good.
>>
>>4399763
ok?
I guess i just dont see or disagree with the point then.
I mean , i suppose it may help, but it still feels like it ties in to a more over arching issue of her not realizing after all she has done, we both cant just let her walk away, nor trust her decisions if we did, without her giving us more to try and work with here.

>>4399766
well, no, i dont think thats really callousness. If levia was indeed actually an abusive monster, then its make perfect sense for her to not feel sorry over what she did to/with her. Callousnes is more unfeeling, or uncaring. She very much seems to actually care about what LEvia was and did, and how that justifies what she did.
>>
>>4399768
>well, no, i dont think thats really callousness. If levia was indeed actually an abusive monster, then its make perfect sense for her to not feel sorry over what she did to/with her. Callousnes is more unfeeling, or uncaring. She very much seems to actually care about what LEvia was and did, and how that justifies what she did.
It's one thing to kill a person you think is despicable, it's another to hollow their corpse out and wear them like a suit. That requires a degree of detachment that I'm comfortable calling callousness. You can commit murder in a moment of passion, making a skinsuit requires premeditation.
>>
>>4399774
i'd agree if it wasn't for the Crucible in general. I dont think its 'callousness' that makes everyone ok with consuming corpses for level up points, i think what is 'natural' or 'necessary' has simply changed.

I think her even being ABLE to take on Levias identity is part of that. she clearly has some ability to do that, and it simply falls under the category of 'survival' and 'tools of survival', which again, think is a very different issue/thing than callousness.

Now whether it is still right or wrong, that is still fully up for debate.
>>
>>4399776
Maybe. I agree that everyone in the Crucible has become to some degree apathetic about defiling corpses. The flesh is no longer sacred, which I think is appropriate given that the body horror super powers encourage Daughters to think of their bodies as tools rather than essential parts of them. Also because of how consuming a Daughter preserves their mind inside your own dreamscape. A body isn't the person, it's just something that contains the person.

But I still think that "wearing the corpse like a suit" is another step up the chain. It's a much more intimate and prolonged interaction with the corpse. You're not briefly defiling it for the moment it takes your squigly feeder-tendrils to absorb the meat. You're enveloped in it, constantly reminded of how you killed this person and are disrespecting their existence by assuming their identity. It needs more detachment than you'd need to consume another Daughter. So much detachment that we can't negotiate with Selene? I hope not. I don't think so. But she's still at least a little bit more unhinged than the average Daughter.

Speaking of Selene's psychology, what do we make of the fact that every other Deprived we know of committed suicide? Granted, that's just three data points, and from an alien species with somewhat different base psychology from humanity. But still interesting. Given how the Crucible assigns Cores, were the powers the source of the suicidal tendencies or the result?
>>
>>4399729
>"You've kept Nero's artwork intact. Why did you leave it intact until now?"
>"Do you really care for Nero? You wouldn't have taken Levia's place otherwise and take great care to keep up appearances. You could've taken Magnus's place. You could've taken Aeren's place, but you chose Levia."
>"So why Levia?"
>"You have to understand its not that simple. You still abused the situation for your own gain, instead of revealing the truth about her. Abusive or not, you still took all Nero had and twisted her emotions, instead of fixing them. You still abused an entire town, deleted parts of them, both people and things, for your own gain."
>"And unless you come clean and explain, that would just make you just as bad, if not worse than Levia."
>"If you want to keep things civil, if you truly want to make others understand your perspective, and change your views about you, then we need that sit down and talk with Arcadia now."
>"Because as of right now, what all of Arcadia can remember of Levia is the mask that she puts up in public before you took her place."
>"And now that Levia's dead, and the jig is up, Arcadia will want answers."
>"And I'm sure Nero will want answers too."
>"I know that you genuinely don't want to come to blows and take half or all of Arcadia down on the way out, but clamming up and leaving everyone in the dark and not explaining things is not the right way to go about it."
>"Poor communication kills, and more often than not poor communication leads to disaster. And from personal experience, It's cost me the Monastery, and the tragedy of having to kill someone I wanted to I call a friend."
>"And if this track record of poor communication keeps going? It's going to end up wiping Arcadia off the map as well instead of leaving it intact. An outcome that everyone doesn't want."
>>
>>4399729
>>4399737
Amending Vote;
>"I dont want this to come to blows either Selene... But you need to help us understand, need to explain things more."
>"You need to understand that... Even if you meant well, even if you were right on some things... you still chose to abuse the situation for your own gain, over trying to help it come to a close."
>"We cant ignore that, and its one thing to ask for us to try and forgive you, its another to ask us to expect you to not make up for it, or to trust your judgment without a second thought too."
>"And can you blame us? Can you really look me in the eyes, and say we have no reason to question if we can just let you walk out those doors?"
>"Sure... you can prevent us from even asking that question... but can you stop yourself from asking it?"
>"What about Nero? the Settlement? People they loved are gone, things they put all their hopes and dreams into were taken from them. The fact you made them forget doesn't change that. The fact it never happened now doesn't mean no damage was done."
>"Are you really going to just walk away from all that? Run away from what you have done?... do you really want to? Really want to leave Nero with a hole in her mind? With an emptiness? Leave this settlement a husk?"
>"Will that really justify whatever it is you are doing? Can you really move forward telling yourself you are the one to bring this to a close while leaving that behind you?"
>"We dont want to fight you... so please, help us to not have to. Not by making us forget, but by doing whats right. By helping us to understand what and why you did it, who Levia was... and by coming to a comprise, together, to make things right. Both here and for Humanity."

this better folks?
>>
>>4399783
I wish I could comment on it more, but I have an appointment with Amara's worst enemy: The Dentist.
>>
>>4399783
Looks pretty good. There are some other things I want to address with her, but there's not really any place to say them right now. Mainly I want to challenge her plans for what comes next, but that can wait as a clincher for after we've discussed moral issues.
>>
>>4399784
>Dentist
(Godspeed, and good luck. The Joyous salute you.)
>>
>>4399781
i still dont think such a focus on Nero is exactly a good, well, focus, but my main issue here is this one doesn't really focus or even mention the fact she wants and can just kinda make us not ask those questions.

as i kinda tried to hit harder at with my second iteration, we need to hit at the fact she shouldn't WANT to just delete things or run away from them, instead of finding a solution here. but i feel like most of what you said she can just wave off due to her ability allowing her to.

>>4399784
ah dang, but still, hope it goes well.

>>4399780
true, but i still think its not callous. i guess maybe im being too literal. Callousness is usually seen as emotionlessness, and by definition it is an uncaring and cruel attitude. I just dont think Selene is being either uncaring she is doing it, or doing it to BE cruel to Levia. She just sees it as a necessity for what she thinks she has to do. even if Levia is someone she can justify doing it to, i still dont think that would me she does or would have to be uncaring she is doing it, or doing it out of cruelty.

we may be getting into minor semantics here though i will admit, but i still enjoy the conversation so no harm no foul.

>Speaking of Selene's psychology, what do we make of the fact that every other Deprived we know of committed suicide? Granted, that's just three data points, and from an alien species with somewhat different base psychology from humanity. But still interesting. Given how the Crucible assigns Cores, were the powers the source of the suicidal tendencies or the result?
not all. we still have the 'everything' in our crucible we think is alive. and did they all commit suicide? the teleport daughter i didnt think did so, and i cant remember how the third died.

>>4399787
yeah, as i said earlier, theres plenty of questions to ask, but i think we need to address her mindset overall and some things she hinted at or outright implied first. get the groundwork done, then do 20 questions, if that makes sense.
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>>4399790
>not all. we still have the 'everything' in our crucible we think is alive. and did they all commit suicide? the teleport daughter i didnt think did so, and i cant remember how the third died.
I thought our theory was that the Everything girl wasn't a Deprived (nice to have a name for the class, now) but the twelve-way super-hybrid that BHOP was hinting at. She might be, it's certainly possible, but I was just going with Daughters we know had the class.

As for the three Hexane Deprived: The first retro-causally jumped off a cliff. The second is implied to have been seeking death in combat when Silvis fought her. The third killed herself via indeterminate fashion after reaching the Cord. Three Hexane Deprived, all with some degree of suicidal impulse.

>yeah, as i said earlier, theres plenty of questions to ask, but i think we need to address her mindset overall and some things she hinted at or outright implied first. get the groundwork done, then do 20 questions, if that makes sense.
I really want to bring up the Nothing to her if she says she's going back to the Cord, ask her if her powers have let her see them. Telling her that the Crucible is just the game of a bunch of bigger versions of her and the Cord is the bad ending seems like a delightful way to knock her off her game.
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>>4399797
>I thought our theory was that the Everything girl wasn't a Deprived (nice to have a name for the class, now) but the twelve-way super-hybrid that BHOP was hinting at.
well yes, but it felt very implied that by doing so she had essentially become a deprived, hence getting locked up. It seemed implied her combining all classes did something funky beyond just a hybrid taking every class into account.

but to be fair, we have so little info on what she even actually is, no one can really say for sure.

>I really want to bring up the Nothing to her if she says she's going back to the Cord, ask her if her powers have let her see them.
oh, thats an interesting one, im fine with that once we get to it.

>Telling her that the Crucible is just the game of a bunch of bigger versions of her and the Cord is the bad ending seems like a delightful way to knock her off her game.
i was very much under the impression she already knew. its been implied its pretty commonly known info now, due to word of us spreading so rapidly. cant see why someone of her caliber wouldn't honestly. her knowing she cant win the standard way though doesnt change the fact there are other ways to 'win' though.
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>>4399802
>i was very much under the impression she already knew. its been implied its pretty commonly known info now, due to word of us spreading so rapidly. cant see why someone of her caliber wouldn't honestly. her knowing she cant win the standard way though doesnt change the fact there are other ways to 'win' though.
People know we think the Crucible is a trap and that the way to win it is to crash the game. I don't think the knowledge that there are a bunch of void gods watching the game and its outcome is widespread yet. I think that giving her some perspective on "You know the stuff you do? There's a monster with even bigger and nastier versions of it that's in charge of this mess. What's your plan for it?" should unsettle her some.
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>>4399807
oh, thats what you meant.
i mean, maybe?
my biggest issue is actually we have no idea what 'nothing' can do. we only call her nothing because she is a void that somehow feels like a thing, not because she has nothingy-voidy powers per say.

i mean, she did bend space-time, sure, but that wasn't the same thing, or even technically resulted in the same thing. i mean, telling her might still be something to do, i just dont think the two beings ability sets are that related.
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>>4399727
Huh... Selene..... that is a nice name.

Though the other person that wears the same name would probably not appreciate or approve of her doing.
>>4399744
That sounds terrible OP..... The whole crisis really threew you a curveball hasn't it.

My own work has been getting more taxing as well recently wat with the high temperatures and having to work outside now that i have changed departments after my vacation.
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>>4399788
>>4399790
back from the dentist. No cavities. And he told me some useful hints to prevent future appointments with the dreaded dental drill.
>Flossing and brushing the gums are the key
>Flouride and dairy products go hand in hand to help prevent cavities. The Emzymes found in dairy products (including ice cream) help bind the fluoride to the teeth.

>as i kinda tried to hit harder at with my second iteration, we need to hit at the fact she shouldn't WANT to just delete things or run away from them, instead of finding a solution here. but i feel like most of what you said she can just wave off due to her ability allowing her to.
The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.

>>4399783
>"You need to understand that... Even if you meant well, even if you were right on some things... you still chose to abuse the situation for your own gain, over trying to help it come to a close."
I think an apt comparison between Levia and Selene on the topic of abuse might also help put things to perspective. If Selene thinks Levia's abusive, we could pull a Teapot and kettle comparison.
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>>4399902
>The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.
but... she does. if she can understand that, and is human, which she is proving to be, she can indeed think about how using her ability might effect things, and whether she can justify using it or not. she very much has the foresight, or at least is capable of having it, and seems to have said enough to imply she already does. its not unfair nor impossible for her to understand to try and get her to think before acting, and bring it up in some form or another.
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>>4399902
>The rub with Selene's DELET ability is that Selene doesn't know the exact consequences unless she actually deletes a thing. It's all or nothing for her. She doesn't have the foresight to contemplate the rammifications.
She doesn't know the full ramifications. I think the emphasis is on "full". Like, she can tell "if I delete this person, they'll never have done X", but she doesn't automatically know how the timeline will change with X never having happened. She just has to guess as to what she can erase that will have minimal unwanted consequences, which is why she came to Arcadia in the first place.
>>
so... any further thoughts or anything from folks?
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>>4399783
This looks solid. I can't think of anything else to add. Sorry... i am pretty tired after working Most of the day in the sun trying to remove 15 year old stickers from a truck...
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>>4400048
ah, alright.
the sun being a current issue for my own projects, i wholly understand.
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>>4400042
sorry for the silence, but I can't help but feel that if we don't ask her the questions of clarifications now, we may never get the chance to know later with the dialogue as both arcadia and Selene will start taking chances the moment hostility arises.
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>>4400063
and i disagree.
it just doesnt really fit with the feel of the situation or what we need to ask.get though to her otherwise at the moment. our focus needs to be more on getting the tension down and making her understand, not asking actual questions just yet.

plus like i said, i highly dislike yours as it just doesnt feel like it at all comes at her at the angle taking into account how supposedly easily she may be able to avoid those questions, over the point of what the questions actually mean.
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>>4399729

"I don't want this to come to blows either Selene...but you need to help us understand, and we need you to explain things a little more." Comes your earnest plea, taking a tentative step forwards. "You need to understand that...that even if you meant well, even if you were right on some things, that you still chose to abuse the situation for your own gain over trying to help it come to a close."

“Yeah, I…” She begins, heaving a sigh as she simply nods. “…yeah. I get that.”

"So I hope you understand that we can’t ignore what’s been done.” You emphasize. “It’s one thing to ask for us to try and forgive you, but it’s another to ask us to expect you to not make up for it or to trust your judgment without a second thought, too…and can you blame us? Can you really look me in the eyes, and say we have no reason to question if we can just let you walk out those doors?"

She shrugs, and you add; "Sure...we both know you can prevent us from even asking that question, but can you stop yourself from asking it? What about Nero? The Settlement? People they loved are gone, things they put all their hopes and dreams into were taken from them. The fact you made them forget doesn't change that. The fact it never happened now doesn't mean no damage was done."

“I know, I just…it’s a lot, okay?” Selene mutters, screwing her eyes shut. “I suck, I *know* that. I hurt a lot of people, but I figured if I could just…leave. Once all this was over. No one would remember me, and they’d be free to do whatever until I climbed the Cord and ended this whole thing."

"So are you really going to just walk away from all this? Run away from what you have done...and do you really want to?” You push, catching a glimmer of doubt flash across her face the moment the words leave your lips. “Do you really want to leave Nero with a hole in her mind? With an emptiness, while leaving this settlement a husk of what it once was? Will that really justify whatever it is you are doing? Can you really move forward telling yourself you are the one to bring this to a close while leaving that behind you?"

Conflict clouds her expression, her eyes not daring to meet yours as she glances at everything around the corridor but your own gaze.

"We don’t want to fight you, Selene.” You echo, a second step bringing you less than a meter from the young woman you’re addressing. “So please, help us to not have to. Not by making us forget, but by doing what’s right. By helping us to understand what and why you did it, who Levia was...and by coming to a compromise — together — to make things right. Both here, and for Humanity."

“You know what’s funny? I think if you and I had met before Arcadia, then I wouldn’t have cared.” Selene admits with a wry, half-cocked smile. “But that was before…before-“
“Nero?” You supply, and the girl simply nods.

(Continued)
>>
>>4400093

“Nero.” She echoes, continuing to nod as she finally meets your gaze. “She’s just…she’s been through so, so much, but she still smiles. Even with everything that Levia did to her, she kept smiling — and it made me wonder what the fuck was wrong with me, y’know? I *hate* this world, before and after the Crucible hit. Everything I’ve seen up to this point were just…just nails in the coffin if I ever got the chance to do anything about it.”

She chuckles, the sound almost inaudible under her breath.

“But Nero? She’s been through more than I ever had…and that made me mad at first, right? Like her whole situation was another big goddamn check mark on why we should’ve never existed in the first place. But the more I watched, and the more I saw of her, I…it was inspiring. Here’s this kid who’s a third my age, just tanking all the world’s bullshit like it’s *nothing*, and smiling all the while.”

Selene inhales a long, trembling breath.

“Before I met her, I wanted to erase everything. Wipe the slate clean of humanity. If I’m being honest, every time I’m reminded of what Levia’s done, a big part of me still does.”

“But is that really the sort of world you want to create?” You quietly ask. “Is that really what you’d do once you took the throne?”

“I…I don’t know, anymore.” She admits. “But if I won, then I really wouldn’t have a choice.”

“There’s *always* a choice, Selene.” You stress, taking her hand in yours. “You always have-“

“No. No, the Deprived aren’t like normal Daughters. We don’t *get* a Choice…we get a Revelation, once we’ve used our powers enough.” She interrupts, her voice cold. “We’re told by Mother exactly what an aberration we are, and what happens if a piece of glitched code tries to win. We see examples across the Crucibles’ histories, showing what happens to each and every one of us.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“A system shock of the highest order. Complete erasure of this strain, down to its core. The current species, the prior participants — everything, completely obliterated as the entire thing comes crashing down.”

“No-one’s forcing you to win, Selene.”

“It doesn’t matter if I win or lose, Shu…my fate’s the same as that of every Deprived when the endgame’s reached.” She counters with a dark chuckle. “The second a winner’s decided, every single Deprived is purged from the system. They’re a virus. A mistake. A glitch that was never meant to participate in humanity’s future. Don’t you get it?”

She meets your eyes once more, hot, angry tears in her own.

“I was never meant to be here, Shu. And I figured, before all this, that I may as well delete it all, anyway. ‘Cause no matter who wins or what happens…”

A sad, ironic smile slashes across the girl’s stolen face.

“…I’m dead either way. ”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours, with posting to resume shortly thereafter.)
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>>4400104
>Smile
>then, chuckle.
>step forward, keep doing so if she backs off, but step forward until you reach her...
>And give her a big, nice hug.
>"Selene... I understand. Maybe my fates not as sealed but... i know what its like to look in the mirror, and know you were never supposed to exist."
>Chuckle, and pull back to meet her face.
>"But when i said no one was forcing you to win? i meant it. Because we dont plan for *Anyone* to win Selene."
>"Not me, not my family, not the Council. No one."
>"No one takes the throne, no one does what Mothe,r what the Crucible wants."
>"We've found another way Selene, another hope, another option... and while i cant say it will be perfect, while i cant say it wont be messy... I can say, that its hope. Its hope for everyone, to survive, to be given a second chance... and that includes you."
>"Dont let Mother, dont let the Crucible tell you what you can or cant be."
>"Dont let your doubts, your fears, the world tell you what has to happen."
>"They're wrong."
>Give her shoulders a squeeze.
>"And take hope, help us give others hope, in fighting, in finding another path."
>"Because there is one, and the only person who can say otherwise... is yourself."
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>>4400104
OH this is a goddamn Joke... because we will win.... not the way the system intended but the way we want to.

>"No your not... You see there is a way.... A way people have attempted but failed at until now."
>Tell her that there is a way to continue forward when we take the cord an bend it to our will to set humanity free from the cycle of the crucible and give them the chance to make things right.... in the human way the chaotic way. There will be injustices and atrocities committed but humanity will prevail. She can be a future of Humanity and help guide its fate not by erasing things but adding to the future she wants to see.

Honestly no sure if this is good..... but fuck it before i go to sleep in an hour or so i might add my two cents on this entire thing can of worms we opened
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>>4400104
>"I had the opportunity to talk to the alien species that your powers are sourced from; the Tindalos hounds."
>"The hounds know how and when they die. Down to the detail. But that doesn't mean they spend their time moping about and watch the clock tick down."
>"I asked the eldest hound Ringo, what it feels like to know when and how they die. And in the words of Ringo...she answered"

><It is liberating.>

><I can devote my mind and time to ensuring I make the most of my existence>

><Fear of what is to come has no place in a life well lived>

><Just as becoming lost in what has been is an endless pit>

><My people believe that the past is a lesson, existing to clarify and better the present>

><I now know that our perspective, while beneficial to your kind, is still a difficult one to muster>

><For us, such a perspective is merely a fact of existence, and easy to grasp>

><For one of your kind to strive towards it is a testament to courage and wisdom, and worthy of respect>

>"It's not all doom and gloom, Selene. You know when and how...you'll die. What's left up to you is what you make of the time in between."

>"All that lives, dies, and in dying, life finds value."
>"So if it comes to the end, that doesn't mean you'll be forgotten Selene."
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>>4400139
im... against this.
first, i dont think her ability came from them.
second, i just disagree it fits at all. in part because we nor she have experienced what ringo have, so we cannot really confirm or agree with it.He's both a different species and with something kinda beyond our comprehension, we cant be sure being able to see what he does would be the same for us, her, or our species.

second, im just not sure i actually think we would fully agree with it. respecting his take on it is different than agreeing with it.

thirdly, we.... can kinda, quite literally, and by our own plans, give her an out. the way she thinks she will die we kinda actually cant let happen, so it invalidates all of that in terms of its connection to her situation.
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>>4400150
fair
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>>4400153
and holy carp i got those numbers horribly wrong on those points. i apologize for that, even if it doesn't matter.
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>>4400171
Is that a Magmamermaid?

That looks hella nice. Do you have the artist written down?
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>>4400260
it is, and it is nice yes.
i do not but it is on the picture.
though sometimes those are hard to read, especially when they make it yellow on an yellow-orange piece of artwork.

@Yamanobe-saya
...unless those are 9s and its s9y9.
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>>4400267
Thank you.... i think i missed that signature.......

damn its hard to see when you are admiring that creature. Just so easy to miss in the colour. Any way Thanks a lot
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>>4400276
no problem, and enjoy.
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>>4400104
>>Write-In
>"Ah. I get it now, why Ozmas...Mother...let you out. She's a tired, bitter old thing that just wants everything to end because she's lost hope of ever getting what she wants, so she let you loose in the hopes that you'd be just like her. That your despair at your situation would overwhelm everything else, and you'd destroy it all because you saw no point not to."
>Step forward, take her hands.
>"But you didn't. Yeah, you did some shit here, and make no mistake, we will need to address that. Still, you found compassion. You were distracted from your nihilistic purpose by care for Nero. Whatever awful things have happened in your past to make you despair, whatever horrible fate awaits you now, you're still able to care. Ozmas certainly can't say that about herself. You're better than her. Take pride in that."
>"I know you're scared because of what ending the Crucible means. And I can't say that I wouldn't be, in your position. If I wasn't planning what I'm planning, hearing your story would make me scared for myself. I'm a glitch in the Crucible too, technically. But Selene, I need you to understand: What you fear, I will never let come to happen. No one is winning the Crucible."
>"The Cord is a trap, Selene. There's no future to participate in, if someone succeeds in climbing it. All the business about the new Mother getting to shape the world as they desire? It's a lie. We're all dead if someone ascends, not just you. Maybe we'll die a little bit later, but we're dead all the same. The Crucible has no use for a species whose members would try to win it."
>"The only way any of us are getting out of this alive is if we break the system. That's what I'm aiming for. I'm going to hack the Cord, take control of its functions, and bypass the entire process. Force it to end without any winners. Everyone lives. That includes you."
>"I'm not saying this is going to be easy. I know it's not. But there is hope for you, Selene. There's hope for all of us. It doesn't have to end the way anyone but ourselves say it does. It's going to be a struggle, I won't lie about that. But I think it's one that's worth it."
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>>4400448
im not a fan of this either.
making too many assumptions about Ozmas while i also disagree she is a good focus here.
Ozmas just released everyone, then tried to come to us to offer aid. I mean, we really dont know much, but that still doesnt fit what you're accusing her of, aswell as the mood she had upon contacting us.

Moreso, it also kinda ignores how she released, well, everything. Seems way too impersonal for what you're accusing her of. Not a fan of her either, but still dont like using her as a scapegoat when its both unnecessary and doesn't fit the bill.
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>>4400455
I guess I could phrase it better. I'm not trying to say that Ozmas specifically released Selene for this purpose. But I do think that Ozmas released everything in the hopes that it would lead to the Crucible ending, and that this is why she thought releasing Selene could do that. Mostly I was trying to draw a comparison to Ozmas so as to say "you're a better person than you think you are, an external observer could underestimate you but you've shown that you're more than that surface read".
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>>4400468
eh, i still dont think thats the case.
It felt alot more like a 'fuck it, im done' kinda thing than a 'fuck it, lets see if this works' kinda thing. Aswell as it still feels like a very unnecessary comparison.
>>
(Gentlemen - wifi issues strike again, as neither my wife nor I have been able to get online for the better part of the day. Thus, I shall extend voting an additional two hours, and hopefully I'll be able to post this update before day's end. Barring that, I'll figure out some way to finagle it to where I can post early tomorrow morning.)
>>
>>4400543
oof, sorry to hear.
well, take your time then, and hopefully you can find something swell to occupy your time til then.
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>>4400545
(Goodness, I love that artist so much. Thank you for posting their art so often!)
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>>4400547
hah, same, and its no problem.
they are indeed wonderful.
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>>4400543
>>4400545
IT's fine. take care of yourfels first.
blegh. crashed halfway in the day and had to nap.

Chapter 8 feels like it's nearly done. after my last writing session on it. Worked out some kinks in the plot and expanded the back and forth dialogue.

Have a cute sluggy daughter
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>>4400569
sounds good.
still working on finding the time for Ch.7, sorry.
its half me wanting to make sure it gets the attention and mood it deserves, and half legitimate other things popping up.

I'll get to it, but i'll get to it right, over just trying to get it done.

>>4400543
and last one i think i have for now from them, though im sure if i dug into their twitter and pixiv enough i could dig more up.
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>>4400569
oh, and thats a cute... cute... er....
well thanks for sharing, yeah, it is a cute... well its oddly cute.
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>>4400543
Thanks for keeping us informed, BHOP. I hope your connectivity issues resolve, but if not: Thanks for running, and I'll see you tomorrow.
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>>4400577
fair enough. I've been also taking my time with chapter 8. it's at the finicky part where depending on where I end the chapter, will force me to revise the future chapters. And if all goes well for both chapters 7 and 8, then I'll be finally past the big pre-climax hurdle after months of writing.
But I don't think it's ever going to be that simple. Chapter 7 also has some rough spots that I can intuit that warrants some careful editing in that sense due to the rather jarring pace that I get when reading those sections I think. Or it could be me being half-tired.
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>>4400591
well, we'll see when we get to it.
Im sure you'll work it out though, regardless of what ends up happening.
>>
(Gentlemen, the internet is still out at home so I will be writing the update at work this morning, and posting it between 12:00 and 3:00, depending on how work goes today. Apologies for the rather tentative nature of things, but due to my other associates' internet issues at home the workload has has only gotten heavier, so thank you all for bearing with me.)
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>>4401439
I figured.
you do what you need to do... and i guess even can. just dont let the workload drown you either.
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>>4401439
Its okay OP.

The week seems only to get rougher. Just make sure you dont overwork yourself and i hope your day will work out well.
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>>4401439
Oh my. Such bad luck for you, BHOP. Well, I will be at a doctor's appointment during the likely posting time, so I'll see you later, friend.
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>>4401439
It's all good OP! Thanks for letting us know in advance, feel free to post at a time that works for you.
>>
>>4400104

You can’t help the smile that crosses your lips, any more than you can stop the chuckle that escapes them as you take a step forwards.

“W-what’s so funny?” Selene stammers, stepping back even as you continue to close the gap. “What’s wrong w-“

She’s stunned into silence when you wrap your arms around the other girl, and you hold up a gentle hand to stop Dorian from darting forwards when a small, shocked noise issues from Selene’s throat.

"Selene...I understand. Maybe my fate’s not as sealed but...I know what it’s like to look in the mirror, and know you were never supposed to exist." You explain, pulling back a bit to watch as her gaze darts between your eyes, searching for answers. "But when I said that no one was forcing you to win? I meant it. Because we dont plan for *anyone* to win, Selene."

Her eyes widen with surprise as you nod, answering her unspoken question.

"Not me, not my family, not the Council. No one. No one takes the throne, no one does what Mother what the Crucible wants." You say, watching her eye cloud over with a blend of bitter denial tinged with a shimmer of impossible hope. "We've found another way Selene, another hope, another option... and while I can’t say it will be perfect, while I can’t say it won’t be messy...I can say that it’s *hope.* It’s hope for everyone, to survive, to be given a second chance... and that includes you."

“But…but Mother told me that the Deprived-“

"Don’t let Mother or the Crucible tell you what you can or can’t be." You interrupt with a kind, yet firm tone. "Don’t let your doubts, your fears, the world tell you what has to happen…they're wrong, Selene. *You* are in control. So take hope, help us give others hope — in fighting, in finding another path. Because there is one, and the only person who can say otherwise...is yourself."

“You…you’ can’t be…” Selene begins, shaking her head as her words begin to fail her in the face of your defiant, unblinking gaze. “…you’re really serious, aren’t you? You…you can win in a different way? You’re serious about this, right? You’re not just messing with me, you’re not just spinning something to get me to-?”

“Never. I know my family and I can do this…but we can’t do it alone.” You emphasize, holding her fretful gaze. “And we can’t do it without first setting things right in Arcadia, as best we can.”

“This whole thing, I…I don’t even know where to start with disentangling what I’ve done to this place…and the people in it.” She mutters, drawing in a shuddering breath as she casts a guilty glance down the corridor behind you. “How the hell am I going to fix this? My power, it destroys. It erases problems. I don’t *fix* things, Shu.”

Well, as for how to repair this whole mess that Arcadia’s unwittingly fallen into…

…you might have an idea or two.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours. It may be the last update today depending on whether or not the internet is back at home, so I'll be playing it by ear for now. Thank you for bearing with my chaotic schedule, and I hope you are all having a pleasant day.)
>>
>>4401754
>"One, one of your abilities destroys... but that doesn't mean they all have to. It doesn't mean you cant get others."
>"And even if it did? People helped before the Crucible, people built and rebuilt with plain, ordinary hands, bit by bit, together. You dont need your core to fix this.. you just need to try, and do what you can."

>Sigh, and be honest.
>"It wont be easy. It will take time, and hard effort to try and turn this place around. And maybe it wont always be what it once was... but it can still shine just as bright, even if in a new way."
>Look to Magnus, then to Dorian.
>"...But besides that... im happy to offer me and mines word and help to fixing this... but i think theres a few other people, who may know better what this place needs to rebuild... and who may be better suited for the task.... If you're still willing to make amends with them... and them you?"
>>
>>4401760
>>4401754
Wow. I never thought it would end up like this.

And this is with us not even using our empathy powers to send waves of emotions.
>>
>>4401802
we never needed it to be honest, and what times it did help still wouldn't of worked so well if our wordsmithing wasn't so in tune.

but yeah, interesting outcome. i was expecting her to try something. not a 'no, i have to kill you anyways' type thing, but something.
also, Selene really should do her research, it sounds like once she got out she more or less just beelined for her plan to climb the cord, over accurately catching up on what she had missed.
>>
>>4401760
No worries.

>>4401876
>Selene doing her research an homework
It does somewhat bother me as such that we'd have isolated communities who just *know* what we can do due to the skinternet. Either word of mouth travels as fast as a Neuromancy brain pulse or every living daughter on the planet took at least one level in skintalker just to get an internet connection and keep up with current events.

Also, I've made progress on chapter 8 and got it to a point in the plot where I feel comfortable enough to begin work on chapter 9 due to the how the natural flow of the story went in chapter 8. I'll have to make some changes going forward however. Chapter 8's in its final stages of putting up pictures and going through multiple-read throughs to make sure the plot is consistent with what I've written so far.
>>
>>4401893
only a few need to actually have Skintalking. IF you have a skintalker that tells her friends and who each tell their friends you can have thousands of distribution centers for information spread out over the entire planet.

SO word of mouth travelling quickly is easy especially since a skintalker will be valuable for any community to have at least one of
>>
>>4401893
im sure its just skintalking, while rare, is still common enough that any longstanding settlement or large group will end up with some. makes sense too, as their designed around team-play to an extent.

and well, once you have access to it, getting word of events out isnt the hardest to do.

sounds like good progress, nice to hear.
>>
>>4401754

"One, one of your abilities destroys... but that doesn't mean they all have to. It doesn't mean you can’t get others." You say comfortingly, squeezing the girl’s shoulders. "And even if it did? People helped before the Crucible, people built and rebuilt with plain, ordinary hands…bit by bit, together. You don’t need your core to fix this…you just need to try, and do what you can."

With a sigh, you move on to a more bitter truth, one that needs to be voiced here and now; "It won’t be easy. It will take time and hard effort to try and turn this place around. Maybe it won’t always be what it once was...but it can still shine just as bright, even if in a new way."

"But besides that...” You say, glancing between Magnus and Dorian behind Selene. “…I’m happy to offer me and mine’s word to help fix this. That being said, I think there’s a few other people who may know better what this place needs to rebuild Ones who may be better suited for the task.”

Selene turns, and for the first time in this entire conversation, she meets Magnus’ eyes — bright blue and vibrant orange, reflected in each other ad infinitum.

“If you're still willing to make amends with them...and them, you?" You ask, and in the moments of silence that follow, you fear that Magnus’ hesitation might tear this whole thing apart, until…

“I’d like to start by saying that I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to it.” He finally intones, arms folded. “However, I want to discuss it with Aeren, and then with Nero. The Council needs to be in agreement on this, and given what happened to Levia I’d imagine that it’s not going to be something Nero takes lightly.”

“Yeah, she…you’re right.” Selene admits, looking down at the hands that don’t belong to her.

“Good to hear.” He says brusquely, turning to you. “Once we’ve decided on a proper course of action, then we can…we can…”

He pauses, staring down the hallway and prompting you to turn, witnessing a most unusual sight. The corridor brightens…no. No, that’s not quite what happens.

The shadows that clung tight to the corridor ahead of you recede, slithering back down from whence they came, and then…

…the ground beneath your feet begins to tremble, the corridor’s glowing filigree shifting from radiant white to a disgusted, pallid yellow.

It feels as though the whole of Arcadia is shaking with pure, undiluted rage as Magnus just mutters a pair of syllables, aptly summing up what’s going through your mind.

“Oh, fuck.”

>>Leave Magnus to look after Selene while Dorian swiftly returns you to B’ni, Aeren…and Nero.

>>All of you, or nothing — have the four of you return to Nero and the others.

>>Leave the three of them here, with Dorian awaiting your orders…you’ll rejoin Nero and the others by yourself on the back of a Knightling.

>>Hold off on reacting until you’ve touched base with Aeren and B’ni.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next thirteen hours, with posting to resume at approximately 3:00PM, Eastern time. Thank you all for your patience, participation, and enthusiasm, and I hope you have a restful evening, one and all.)
>>
>>4402087
Oh fuck. Nero's angry. Something isn't right.

>All of you, or nothing — have the four of you return to Nero and the others.
>>
>>4402087
>All of you, or nothing — have the four of you return to Nero and the others.

Look Nero, i get it, i really, really get it.
and NO ONE is saying there should be no punishment, nor amends made, hell we even implied such was expected.
however, people eat eachother and slaughter eachother in the name of simple, necessary survival everyday in this world. It sucks, it doesn't make it right, but when someone is willing to take a different route and make up for their mistakes, its best to at least hear them out. Its why we have jails, instead of executing each and every prisoner afterall.

Now, whether we can get a abused, clingy kid to understand that....

>>4402094
no, no, i think its actually quite understandable and even a bit right for Nero to be upset, at least from an emotional angle.

>>4402090
and thank you for running. i do hope your afternoon is restful and enjoyable BHOP.
I myself have come to the conclusion i must get ahold of a jackhammer of some form for my project, so my morning tomorrow will be interesting, i suppose.
>>
>>4402090
Thanks for running, BHOP. I wound up missing most of today's posting, but this was still pretty interesting. Now, to talk down Nero.

>>4402100
I hope she's willing to hear us out and acknowledge that we did just say "hey, let's go get Nero's input, because she's been greatly impacted by what Selene's done and deserves a say". Come on, Nero, please acknowledge that we're trying to do right by you, even if you're angry right now. Don't activate the super robot mode of this place and go stampeding.

>I myself have come to the conclusion i must get ahold of a jackhammer of some form for my project, so my morning tomorrow will be interesting, i suppose.
Sure sounds like it. Any morning where you're jackhammering is an interesting morning.
>>
>>4402103
at least unlike last time we are already inside the giant rampaging monster. but yes, please hear us out, we did say to include and take you into account. And look we have our crazy ex-stalkerish family slaughtering friend talking to you, and she is like, your role model(out of our group). us giving second chances and giving them to people like this really shouldn't surprise you.

>Sure sounds like it. Any morning where you're jackhammering is an interesting morning.
indeed, though its mostly because the heat in my state midday is agonizing,so its gotta be early morning and/or later in the afternoon.
>>
>>4402087
>>All of you, or nothing — have the four of you return to Nero and the others.
>>Write-In
>Contact Aeren and B'Ni on the move, get a status report on Nero.

Oh, hey, something I just remembered: You know that sonic weapon that Mary thought Nero might be making? So yeah, Nero has the keys to two giant doom machines. Please, Nero, do not start throwing a tantrum with your sonic cannon-equipped biomecha.
>>
>>4402100
>>4402103
(It's my pleasure, I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far.)

>>4402100
>>Jackhammering
(Somehow, I forgot what you did, so that threw me for an amusing loop.)
>>
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>>4402087

“All of you, on me!” You declare, a Knightling erupting from your hive and spreading its emerald wings wide. Dorian’s body crackles with scarlet lightning, while Magnus’s feet erupt with molten flesh, seeping into the floor as he and the young man beside him lower themselves into runner’s stances. Selene plucks expertly at the fingers of her right hand with that of her left, and in a single fluid motion the skin at her wrist gives way to reveal something that defies description. It’s a hand, to be sure…but as you struggle to make sense of the foreign limb, you see each curling digit like the flare of a dying star, photo-negative against reality itself.

Shaking your head to free yourself of the inexplicable sight, you leap astride your swarmling as Dorian and Selene dart forwards, the former leaving a streak of crimson light behind him, while the latter is drawn forward with a sweep of her hand, carving through reality itself as she’s ferried forwards through non-existence. You and Magnus are hot on their heels, neck-and-neck as your hand flies to your ear, pressing against the construct nestled within.

“B’ni! Aeren! Status update!” You demand through the commling, only to be met with an ear-splitting howl of rage that the swarmling struggles to interpret as anything other than an unintelligible screech. The sound only grows in intensity as you draw closer, the vibrations emanating from the room ahead makes it feel as though the rattle the teeth from your skull…until the corridor yawns open before you, and you see what’s happened.

The meeting space Aeren labored over has been rendered unrecognizable by the living shadows that flail and writhe over every surface as the entire space shudders with the depths of a rage that threatens to tear Arcadia apart. At the center of the room stands Nero, her face twisted into an expression of grief and fury, with Aeren held fast at Dorian’s side while Isabelle struggles to stand in the face of Nero’s overwhelming fury, frantically trying to make her voice heard over the child’s din.

“I…I can erase what’s left!” Selene yells to you over the deafening howl, frantically gesturing at her own pilfered form. “It’ll stop thi-“

“What did Shu *JUST* fucking say about powers?!” Magnus bellows furiously, racing to Aeren’s side as your mind reaches out to B’ni’s.

[B’ni what is she-]

“She’s pissed!” Comes her frantic, if obvious answer. “She’s mad that you all were so calm about Levia! About Selene! She knows the real Levia’s dead, and she’s not in the mood to negotiate!”

[Didn’t she hear what we said about talking it over with everyone?!]

(Continued)
>>
>>4403324

B’ni’s answer is cut short by another guttural howl from the obsidian-wrapped girl at the center of the whirlwind of stygian chaos, a flash of light landing to your left the herald of Rath’s hasty arrival. A halo of a dozen glowing arms have erupted from her back, fists clenched as the red-head’s eyes dart from Selene, to Nero, then back to Selene before finally rounding on you.

“WHAT?!” Rath yells in abject confusion.

Your rapid-fire explanation lances through her commling as a second, high-pitched whine begins to sound from all around you, joining Nero’s furious howl in a cacophony of rage. And as you’re reminded of Mary’s theory of a sonic-based weapon being built by the youngest Councilmember, you realize that the furious young girl you’re staring down now has sole access to not merely one, but *two* weapons of world-shattering potential.

Just when you thought that things were well in hand, too.

“We can talk to her if you can get us close!” Aeren yells, her Artisan-augmented voice slicing through the hurricane of sound. “Magnus and I, we can do this!”

“Link me to Nero!” B’ni pleads across your psychic tether, Aeren’s words having been aimed solely at you. “I think I can get through to her!”

Glancing to Rath, you find her with a dozen fists clenched as tight as her jaw, her fiery eyes locked on the nexus of shadow as you struggle with how to defuse the wrath of a girl whose pain could annihilate hundreds…

…you can only hope that you do the right thing.

>>Charge forward with B’ni and establish a Neuromantic link…if you can.

>>Help Aeren and Magnus get to Nero to try and talk her down.

>>As much as you hate to admit it, Selene’s solution is the straightest path to victory…let her erase what’s left of Levia.

>>Go on the offensive — as long as Nero’s still standing, she’s a threat.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
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(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours. Pic related is pretty much how this week continues to go, but at least I was able to beat Othercide last night with the last twenty minutes before I went to bed. Very fun experience, and one I'd highly recommend. I hope everyone is doing well and staying as cool as possible, and that your day continues to improve.)
>>
>>4403326
>You trust Isabelle with this. Her experiences and perspective fit the bill better, and while the Council may technically care more for her, the fighting between the two sides was legitimate, and murks the waters there.
>See if you cant get a Leash Tether onto both Isabelle and Nero to establish the link, but if not...
>...Have Dorian, Rath, and your Swarm help you Get Isabelle close to establish a direct physical one, but if that too fails, then still get her as close as you can to...
>...form Platelings in the form of inward disks around Isabelle, so anything she says you can at least increase in volume to try and get Nero to hear.
>>
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>>4403330
ah, well sucks to hear your weeks still being bumpy, but glad you enjoyed Othercide. still haven't played that nearly enough, but i'll try and find the time... as if my list of things to do isnt already full.

doing alright myself. Could be better, if things wouldn't keep causing delays or whatnot, but nothing is actually a 'dear god this must happen NOW' type thing anyways, so im just trying to remember that to forget my annoyance the delays still cause.
>>
>>4403324
>while the latter is drawn forward with a sweep of her hand, carving through reality itself as she’s ferried forwards through non-existence
She has The Hand? Man, good thing we're not fighting her, I don't want to go up against that.

>“I…I can erase what’s left!” Selene yells to you over the deafening howl, frantically gesturing at her own pilfered form. “It’ll stop thi-“
No, Jesus, Selene. Bad. Leaving aside the moral issues of you trying to solve everything with causality reversal, you told us that you don't know what erasing something will do until after the fact. For all we know, erasing Levia will make the situation worse.

Hey, here's something I've been wondering: What's Nero's relationship to Granny Van? She's Levia's grandmother, was she close to Nero as well? Or was their relationship something that Selene wound up unmaking by accident?

>>4403330
Ouch. Sorry to hear that, BHOP. I hope the weekend does you better. Glad to hear you had fun with Othercide, though, that game does look like it would be to your liking.
>>
>>4403344
good question, though im sure BHOP would have us find out In-Character.

my guess is poor. Levia, the real one, hated her grandmother, so i cant see Nero at all liking her.
>>
>>4403330
Nice at least something good came from your week OP. Sucks to hear that the rest of the week was so bad.

I have been playing code Vein on and off during the week after having to set up again my work tablet since it somehow died completely during my vacation...... i was wondering why i didn't get any E-Mails form work
>>
>>4403326
>>4403336
>If her screams are sonic based, then we need something that could absorb her sonic screams like a microphone fuzz...or...or a fuckton of Fluffy Fuzzbuzzes.
>Spawn Car-sized Fuzzbuzzes with their fuffly fur set to MAXIMUM FLUFF. The fur will help absorb and muffle the damaging sound waves and even out the volume control.

>>4403344
Good point about Granny Van. Let me go and flip through the archives.
>>
>>4403347
>>4403344
>“I knew my granddaughter, False Ascendant.” The old woman spits back in reply. “Lev may have wished to salt the earth I walked on after all her father filled her head with, but she was still my blood, goddammit.”
>>
>>4403352
could we also surround Isabelle herself with fluffy fur? That could also help dampen the soundwaves in case Nero smashes away the Fuzzbuzz with shadows and attacks Isabelle directly
>>
>>4403336
I agree with this plan, but I'd like to suggest a few additions for the sake of improving B'Ni's chances:

1. Attach a Succling to B'Ni so we can keep a Dominus Bloodline on her regardless of Nero's darkness cutting line of sight.

2. Attach a Psyling to B'Ni so she can benefit from Psychica Spiralis. Gives her some additional defense and means she can't be knocked back further than melee distance, should help in getting close through the waves of sonic blasts.

3. Make the Platelings instead Plate-Spritelings, attuned to B'Ni. Spritelings give exponentially stacking stat boosts to Spirit Shells, we want B'Ni to be as strong and tough as she can be to survive the sonic maelstrom.
>>
>>4403352
>>4403361
wait, technically Isabelles body is one of our constructs? know its doesn't work that way in terms of it instantly sprouting compared to us working her like clay or whatever, but cant we just make HER fluffy, over surrounded by fluff?

Id question why we didnt already but i guess our dream team is all young adults or older teenagers, so being fluffy, cute, and hugable might not be their style over smooth and slim.
then again, if Amara ever realizes we could've made them all super hugable and we didn't, we might be in serious trouble.

>>4403362
add what you wish, so long as it doesn't contradict the main idea im for it.
though im not sure at what point we're just drowning BHOP in minorish details heh.
>>
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>>4403352
While we're at it, we could have Magnus restructure the walls into an anechoic chamber. It's possible to build the surface of an object so it absorbs nearly all sound that impacts it. One of the simplest ways is to cover it with wedges placed at ninety degree angles to each other. That would keep Nero's sound blasts confined to here.
>>
>>4403361
>>4403374
i'll possibly try and consolidate everyones ideas in a bit for BHOPs sake though, but in part i dont want to keep adding to it and end up with like ten amended votes while we're still discussing it.
>>
>>4403374
>>B'ni
>>Fluffy

(Incredible.)
>>
>>4403377
can he do that though?
hard to know, as all thats supposedly left is Nero and Levias touches to the architecture, and i mean that literally as Levia used her core on that stuff, so the 'artists imprint' that was discussed might not be there, meaning Nero has significant control/blocking ability to that.
>>
>>4403379
that is fine kinda why i was asking yyou instead of already writing down a full vote.....

But yeah a fluffy Isabelle might get us in trouble later(with our adorable dauhgter) but might safe us right now....

And we might be able to make it up to her later....

well we certainly wont be able to find out if we get blasted into chunks by soundwaves
>>
>>4403383
Can we give her antenna that look like rabbit ears, while we're at it?
>>
>>4403383
bhop, on a scale of 1-to-10, how upset or disappointed would Amara be in us if she finds out we could've made the Spiritus Shells fluffy?
>>
>>4403389
nows not the time for that, considering Spiritus alterations actually do take time. think one usually takes... 2? 3? turns to build?
antenna might not seem like it would take much, but seconds can count and unlike some other things we can do, it is indeed actually seconds over near instant.
>>
>>4403390
She'd promptly make a Joyous clone and tackle every one of them and stay there like a limpet. And I don't think she'll accept a Spiritus shell without a designated fluffy spot for her to latch onto.
>>
>>4403394
Oh, I didn't mean now. Sorry, I got a bit ahead of myself, was thinking about what we'd be doing later when showing it to Amara.
>>
>>4403390
(14.)

(In all seriousness, she'd really just be thrilled at the prospect of your Dream Daughters being extra-cuddly.)
>>
>>4403400
>14
>"and it was on that day, i learned that i should fear my adoptive daughter a bit." Shu said while chugging back a milk jug of hard booze.

but glad she would take it in stride... by her standard at least.

>>4403399
ah, fair enough, though at the end of the day i think any alterations should be with out DDs consent.
oooh, a nice comprise might be just like, the elbow joints and a kinda overly fluffy collar like you see on moths. depends on the individual though. i could see some not wanting any, while Holly would probably go 'full fluff' in a heartbeat.
>>
I'm thinking, is there anything else the rest of our party can do to assist? The only thought that really comes to mind is that sound distorts from moving to one medium to another, so Dorian and Aeren using their mist forms could mess with the transmission of the hypersonic waves out of the room. But I don't know how much that could realistically contribute, they're not that dense so the speed of sound through them should be close to what it is through air.
>>
>>4403408
probably not worth in compared to how much Dorian might be able to just help Isabelle push through any blockage.
>>
>>4403387
>>4403377
Much of the art that's on the walls and ceiling have been erased by Levia and reduced to a blank canvas, which basically means it's free real-estate save for the spots occupied by Levia and Nero's artwork.
>>
>>4403423
but Nero already controls all of it.
>The meeting space Aeren labored over has been rendered unrecognizable by the living shadows that flail and writhe over every surface as the entire space shudders with the depths of a rage that threatens to tear Arcadia apart.
>over every surface as the entire space shudders
>>
Good Night Anons.

Good Night OP.

While i would love to continue contributing i have to get out of bed an hour earlier than usually since i have to meet up with someone out of town for work
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>>4403429
night, hope things go well though.
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>>4403427
Huh, that's a good point. Would Psychica Spiralis help out here by forcing her to make checks to control the terrain, or do you think she's so amped up at this point that she'd power right through them?

>>4403429
Good night, anon. Get some restful sleep, and I hope your work meeting goes well.
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>>4403431
it would still be something she has to burn resources to beat i think, even if it otherwise doesn't work.
>>
>>4403429
(Sleep well, and dream even better.)
>>
Okay, how does this look for a consolidated plan?

>>4403326
>>Write-In
>Activate Psychica Spiralis for damage protection, knockback resistance, and additional difficulty to Nero's terrain manipulation
>Attempt to establish a Dominus Bloodline to Nero. If it fails, then
>>Spawn a Succling, attach it and a Dominus Bloodline to B'Ni.
>>Spawn sets of Platelings with FuzzBuzz-style fluff for you and B'Ni, try to dampen the sound that way. Apply the Spriteling template to them, attuned to B'Ni, to boost her stats.
>>With the help of Dorian, Rath, and any swarmlings we might generate as needed, try to get close to Nero so we can establish a physical connection with our cords between her and B'Ni.
>>>If that also fails, make speaker-swarmlings and use the link to B'Ni to let her talk to Nero at enhanced volume to communicate that way.

>>Have Aeren and Magnus do whatever they can to limit the collateral damage inflicted by Nero.
>>
>>4403447
seems fine overall but the second and third line need work. we arent trying to talk to her, so we need a Dominous on Isabelle to connect her to Nero, but yours would make it to where we only ever attach a Dominous to Isabelle if we fail to attach one to Nero.

im sure BHOP would get what we mean, but he's made mistakes before as hes only human, so better safe than sorry i think.
>>
>>4403454
we as in Shu isnt trying to talk to her, we are trying to make it so Isabelle can talk to her, to better explain things myself.
>>
>>4403454
Good point. Okay, slight revision.

>>4403326
>>Write-In
>Activate Psychica Spiralis for damage protection, knockback resistance, and additional difficulty to Nero's terrain manipulation
>Plug a Jack into B'Ni.
>Attempt to establish a Dominus Bloodline to Nero, facilitate psychic communication between her and B'Ni. If it fails, then
>>Spawn a Succling, attach it and a Dominus Bloodline to B'Ni as a redundancy in case physical connection is broken while approaching Nero.
>>Spawn sets of Platelings with FuzzBuzz-style fluff for you and B'Ni, try to dampen the sound that way. Apply the Spriteling template to them, attuned to B'Ni, to boost her stats.
>>With the help of Dorian, Rath, and any swarmlings we might generate as needed, try to get close to Nero so we can establish a physical connection with our cords between her and B'Ni.
>>>If that also fails, make speaker-swarmlings and use the link to B'Ni to let her talk to Nero at enhanced volume to communicate that way.

>>Have Aeren and Magnus do whatever they can to limit the collateral damage inflicted by Nero.

>>4403456
Don't worry, I got what you meant. Kept the Bloodline despite having us jack into B'Ni, just as an extra precaution.
>>
>>4403466
Er, I meant "Also kept the bloodline", as a way to explain my decision there. Sorry, now I'm the one who's being slightly unclear in how they phrase things. But hey, we all get what we mean in general, right?
>>
>>4403454
>>4403466
(I appreciate you all clarifying things, truly.)
>>
>>4403472
its no problem.

>>4403466
yeah, that is good. much more clear.
>>
(Gentlemen, I have been bamboozled. I was informed that my wifi was back up and running, only for it to die again. Thus, I shall be postponing the update until tomorrow morning. What I shall do tonight is complete the update, then post it at 9:00Am, Eastern time tomorrow by bringing my laptop to work. However, I wanted to see if this would work with everyone to keep the Vein on relative track. Let me know your thoughts, for I can postpone it further if that time does not work for everyone.)
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>>4403697
I can make that work, just hope it works for you though.
sorry to hear about your Wifi, truly. is it alright to just call this year fucking cursed as fuck? because im just not seeing any other explanation at this point.

have some cute sharks to try and help out your day a bit.
>>
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>>4403697
I'm fine with this.
Have a gif of a bumble bee receiving the pets.
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>>4403697
That works fine for me, BHOP. I'm sorry to hear your wifi is still giving you some trouble. Thanks for running as much as you could tonight, and I'll see you in the morning.

Oh, and if we're doing cute pictures, have some wormy mittens. SpecEvo projects make for some bizarre creatures, but sometimes they're weirdly cute despite their horrible tentacle faces.
>>
>>4403326

Your orders lance across your allies’ commlings as your Psychica Spiralis flares to life, arcane spirals erupting across the vast space, tearing at the writhing shadows as they struggle to break Nero’s stranglehold of the terrain. Following up immediately with the Dominus, it spears through the air towards Nero and through the buffeting winds and vibrating distortions of light and sound. It’s as your slender tether it deflected that you realize that the lights, the sounds...they’re all waves, vibrations that she controls with effortless rage. That rage, at losing someone she held so dear, who didn’t deserve an ounce of that endless love—love now twisted into something coarse and ugly.

Perhaps it’s only fitting that the girl who could understand Nero’s pain is standing mere meters away.

[B’ni?] You say, heart filled with resolve as you extend a pair of jacks from your wrist. The girl’s emerald eyes shimmer, realizing what you’re asking her to do.

[Do it]

Taking both, she spears one into the small of her back while holding the other in a deathgrip with her right hand. The first step she takes to trudge into the heart of the storm, and she’s enveloped in a suit of downy, chitinous armor to match the set you gird yourself with, the jacks unspooling from your wrist as B’ni struggles against the buffeting winds and slashing shadows as Dorian, Rath, Magnus, and Aeren leap into the fray.

With a hateful screech, Nero sweeps an arm towards you and your fellows, and a torrent of living shadow lunging forth from your surroundings as a wall of obsidian knives hurtle towards you. They’re carves to shreds faster than thought as your scarlet speedster arcs past, the imposing wall reduced to tattered shreds of fading darkness. Nero’s follow-up is stillborn as her shadows are arrested mid-strike, Magnus’s molten flesh billowing forth to drown out the stygian darkness with a wave of boiling skin.

Nero howls again, and it’s only your own hardened focus and the foresight of crafting your downy armor that allow you to remain standing in the face of Nero’s assault of sight and sound. Dorian’s slowing as B’ni falters, nearly blown back when Rath leaps forwards to steady her old foe.

Suddenly, B’ni lifts her helm and frantically mouths a single syllable to Rath, motioning with her arms in an upwards sweep...and Rath’s face practically lights up. With a fluidly enthusiastic motion, you watch as she seizes the other girl by the collar of her plateling armor, another six arms grabbing onto her back as your brawler takes aim at the eye of the hurricane…

...and—without a second’s heistation—flings B’ni bodily into the heart of the chaos.

(Continued)
>>
>>4404450

Somehow, above the howling vibrations and the high-pitched whine of some ungodly device from somewhere deep within Arcadia, the thunder-like peal of B’ni going supersonic cuts through it all with a single, resounding crack. In the blink of an eye your ally and the troubled young girl collide in mid-air, the former sending the latter hurtling against the far wall as the flailing shadows stutter and fail.

The eye of the hurricane is plucked out in a single, decisive throw.

B’ni and Nero slam into the unforgiving calcite wall, tumbling down with a terrible crunch as B’ni breaks the younger girl’s fall. The sound and fury that held Arcadia in its grasp simply fades to silence in the absence of its diminutive conductor, but the deafening quiet that takes its place is no comfort. As one, you and the others race to the crash zone to find Nero cradled in B’ni’s arms, the older girl having shielded the younger from the bone-shattering impact, your jack plunged into the smaller girl’s chest.

“Good god, is she-?”

Dorian flickers into existence before the pair, reaching out a deftly placing the first two fingers of his left hand against Nero’s neck.

“Pulse is slowed...she’s under.” He declares after a moment’s pause, reaching over to check B’ni before realizing that there’d be no pulse to be found. “B’ni...she did it.”

“Rath…” You begin, slowly turning to face your ally. “...what the hell did she say to you?”

“In a word?” Your brawler asks with a self-satisfied chuckle, eight hands planted on her narrow hips while the remainder are folded behind her head.

“Yeet.”

A flicker of your own Neuromantic power through the pair of jacks confirms Dorian’s hypothesis—B’ni and Nero are tethered with each other, drawn into a mutual Dreamscape….

...but as seconds stretch into minutes, hope turns to worry.

“Something’s wrong.” Aeren mutters, pacing nervously back and forth while chewing on her lower lip. “It shouldn’t be taking this long, what is she-”

“It’s alright.” Magnus intones, reaching out a gentle hand to stop the girls’s cyclical stride. “It’s alright, Aeren. Let Shu and her family do what they do best.”

“Miss Nero is in good hands.” Dorian supplements with a hopeful smile as her regards the two Council members. “If there’s anyone here who can connect with what Nero’s been going through, it’s Miss Isabelle.”

Rath’s silence draws your attention, and when you meet her citrine gaze, you catch the unmistakable shimmer of doubt before she turns her eyes to your dreaming ally.

She’s not convinced...and as for you?

You can’t help but worry.

>>Have patience...you trust B’ni to do what needs to be done, so you’ll give her the time to do it [Stay in the Real].

>>Hours in the Dreamscape are mere seconds in the real...something’s wrong [Infiltrate the Dream].

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I hope everyone is doing well today. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM Eastern time, with posting to resume shortly thereafter.)

(Also, well done on the armor - without it, B'ni would've been obliterated.)
>>
>>4404452
>Give Isabelle a bit more of a chance. The dreaming isnt always the same, and this isnt exactly a simple situation.
>Place the Silver Key in Isabelles palm though and close her hand around it, while keeping your own there and your Neuromancy ready. She has her time, but you're here the half second its no longer tolerable to continue this or she even twitches in need.
>>
>>4404462
are you telling me if this goes well, we can tell Amara a 'fuffy bunny' saved the day?
oh she will adore that.
>>
>>4404450
>...and—without a second’s heistation—flings B’ni bodily into the heart of the chaos.
Fastball Special!

>>4404452
>>Have patience...you trust B’ni to do what needs to be done, so you’ll give her the time to do it [Stay in the Real].
>>Write-In
>Monitor B'Ni's health. We know that if you die in the dream you die in real life, if she's taking any damage then we should be able to get some sort of sympathetic sense of it.
>Be ready with the Silver Key and our Neuromancy if/when it becomes necessary.

The time differential isn't constant. Especially in B'Ni's case, as I recall. We'll give her some more time and only go in if it looks

>>4404462
Man, that armor has been so good to us throughout this quest. Sometimes I wonder what we'd ever do if we hadn't picked Consume all the way back on Meg. Then I remember that we also Consumed the Neurotic Halo off of her, and I really wonder how different the quest would be without that.

>>4404466
We both can and should.
>>
>>4404466
>>4404468
I could make an adorable storytime out of that and make it cute al la Kirby's dreamland.
>>
>>4404468
>>4404462
yeah, id argue Meg was actually our most important consume/victory in alot of ways, hell even just for the Halo alone. sure, we have had 'technically' more important defeats, but its so arguable how possible or how cleanly we would've been able to do those without the Halo, or yes, the Armor.

makes me wonder if BHOP was sweating bullets over if we would pass the halo up haha.
>>
>>4404452
>Hand Isabelle the Silver Key, put it in her palm.
>Hold the Isabelle's hand who now holds the Silver Key.
>"I'm here for you if you need me Isabelle."
>>
>>4404466
(Absolutely.)
>>
>>4404452

Patience wins out as you resolve to trust B’ni to do what needs to be done. A flicker of your Neuromantic power across the line tells you that she and Nero are safely ensconced in the world of dreams. Wordlessly, the young man beside you hands you the Silver Key…and when you nestle it in Isabelle’s hand, you find that you can’t quite bring yourself to let go.

"I'm here for you if you need me, Isabelle." You whisper under your breath. “I’ve got you.”

Seconds feel like they stretch into hours, and when there’s a small sound from the figures before you it all snaps back to feel like no time at all. B’ni’s the first to open her eyes, and the first thing she does it to gently reach out to wipe away the tears that’ve started to roll down Nero’s obsidian cheeks. She’s cuddled up in your ally’s downy armor, with B’ni pulling off her plateling helmet and tossing it aside as she leans forward to offer a gentle word to the young girl.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s a lot, I know. It’ll feel like more than you can stand for a really, really long time...but it’s not forever, okay?” B’ni whispers gently, holding Nero away from her a little to let her breathe. “Just remember that. Remember that it’s not going to feel like this forever. It’ll change. I promise it will.”

Nero just nods, and as B’ni sits there with the younger girl in her arms, Magnus and Aeren cautiously approach. The young shadowmancer sniffs, looking up at the pair with her large, luminous eyes as B’ni slowly rises to help Nero to her feet.

“Lev…the girl. That other girl…where is she?” Nero asks, glancing around the vast arena.

“Away, for right now.” Aeren answers gingerly. “She doesn’t have to come back at all, if you don’t-“

“No, we…can we talk? You, me, and Mag?” The other girl pleads, giving B’ni a nod of assent. Magnus and Aeren accept gladly, with B’ni taking a knee and giving the other girl a warm hug before returning to your side along with Dorian and Rath, the four of you giving the Council some privacy as you walk to the other end of the open space.

“How long were you and she in there?” You begin.

“Two, maybe three days?” She replies with a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair as she walks alongside you.

“Holy shit.” Rath murmurs, glancing between the two of you. “Why?”

“I’m not…eloquent, like Shu is. I’m not good at making pithy sayings or punchy speeches, so...I showed Nero everything. All of my context—how I was Levia and Nero, at different times. Victim and victimizer, both. How I got what she’s going through. Where she’s been.” B’ni explains softly, staring off into nothingness.

“Is she going to be okay?” Dorian asks.

“Right now? No.” She answers solemnly. “But in time, I think she will be. She’s a stronger person than I am, and I’m getting there…so will she.”

Isabelle’s quiet for a long moment, and then…

(Continued)
>>
>>4404711

“Shu?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you do this every goddamn day?” She mutters.

“Oh, y’know…” You trail off with a grin as you glance between your allies. “...I get by with a little help from my friends.”

“...Jesus.” The other girl snorts, shaking her head with a weary grin. “A Beatles reference? Seriously?”

“Hey, I mean it...I think that’ll be true for that girl you helped, too.” You muse, motioning over to where Nero now sits, leaning against Aeren while Magnus crouches next to the odd pair.

“I hope so…” B’ni says quietly, and then a moment later, she adds;

“...and thank you."

You turn, meeting B’ni’s earnest, emerald gaze.

“Likewise.” Comes your equally earnest reply.

“And I wanted to thank you, too.” She says, nodding towards Rath as the red-head cocks a suspicious eyebrow. “I couldn’t have gotten to her without you.”

“Anytime.” Rath fires back, grinning maniacally. “Literally any time. Fuck, I’ll do it again right now, if you wanna.”

“You know what? If the offer’s open in the future, I’d like to experience flight without having to tear a limb off.” B’ni replies with cautious smile. “Dismemberment sorta sours the novelty, y’know?”

Her rebuttal earns an appreciative chuckle from Rath, and even Dorian cracks a subtle smile as he regards the two former foes sharing a moment of post-combat camaraderie. Scanning the room, it takes you a moment to locate the last player in this bizarre game you’ve played in Arcadia, and when a figure shifts in the far-off darkness, you spy your target.

Levia...or rather, Selene stands at the periphery of the vaulted space, half-hidden in the natural shadows that hang where the corridors meet the room. For a moment, you think she’s about to do what she promised she wouldn’t — escape, leaving Arcadia behind along with the mess she escalated to this point.

But she’s just standing there with a small, sad smile that plays on her lips as she watches Nero, cradled between Magnus and Aeren in the middle of the vast space. The young man looks back, catching Selene’s eye and causing her to stiffen under his piercing gaze...only for him to give her a silent nod, which she returns after a moment’s hesitation, born of surprise or perhaps reluctance to accept the meaning behind the simple gesture.

You’re not sure what happens next. You never are, really…but with where thing stand right now, you have a feeling that Arcadia is going to be okay.

The only question is what to do, now.

>>You’ve done enough, here. The Council may not be entirely well, but you trust them to take things from here. Say your goodbyes, and let them sort out the rest.

>>Speak with Selene one-on-one, to ensure that she’s going to stick around long enough to make this right.

>>Wait a while on Nero, Aeren, and Magnus, then see where they plan to take things now that the dust has settled.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)
>>
>>4404713
>Speak with Selene one-on-one, to ensure that she’s going to stick around long enough to make this right.

We need some closure and a new start for Selene and Nero.
>>
>>4404713
>speak with Selene one on one. you have a few questions, and would like to give the council their time before you say proper goodbyes.
>"So... that ended better than it could've. Glad it all worked out though."
>"...You doing ok? Im sure you're not doing well, but... ok considering everything?"
>"...I have a few questions i think, but, Im not going to press you for them... plus, i think i'll know where to find you when you're ready for them, no?"
>>
>>4404713
>>Speak with Selene one-on-one, to ensure that she’s going to stick around long enough to make this right.
>>Write-In
>While we're doing that, get Rath to find the triplets and tell them that while the problem isn't exactly resolved, Arcadia is no longer under direct threat and they can calm down from their preparations.
>>
>>4404713
>Tell Isabelle one thing "Amara is gonna kill me if she finds out i can make you cuddly and i have kept it from you... DO you mind staying in this until she has at least seen you?"
>>Speak with Selene one-on-one, to ensure that she’s going to stick around long enough to make this right.
>>Make sure that the triplets will be infromed that violent intervention wont be necessary and that Arcadia is save for the moment... Though there might be a shock for them if they decide to join us.
>Give whoever goes to meet with the triplets a commling to stay in touch in case things change suddenly on either end.
>>
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>>4404713

“Say, could you go check on the triplets?” You request, turning to Rath. “Let them know that a violent intervention won’t be necessary and that Arcadia’s safe for the time being.”

“Aye, cap’n.” She says with a three-handed salute, checking her commling’s integrity with one of her spare limbs. “You, uh...you want me to tell them about Levia?”

“Just let them know that they need to come back to the Council with an open mind, for now. No specifics.” Comes your measured reply, and with that, she’s off.

"Y’know, before I forget…” You say, shifting your attention to B’ni. “...Amara is gonna kill me if she finds out I can make you cuddly and I’ve kept it from you. So, do you mind staying like this until she’s at least had the chance to see you?"

“Uh...o-okay?” B’ni replies, looking down at her fluffy self and running her hands through the striped, downy armor. “If you think it’ll make her happy, then sure.”

“Excellent. Now, if you two don’t mind, I’d like to have a private chat with our resident doppelganger.”

“By all means. We’ll await Miss Rath’s return.” Dorian says with a curt nod.

“Shu? Take this, please? Just in case?” B’ni suddenly cuts in, thrusting the Silver Key back into your hand.

“I don’t think I’ll need it...but I appreciate the forethought.” You say with a smile...and after bidding the pair a temporary goodbye, you approach the girl that lurks in the corners of perception.

"So...that ended better than it could've. Glad it all worked out, though." You announce, walking up to Selene as she fiddles with the fingers of her dominant hand, the skin at the tips of her borrowed digits being tugged back into place,

“Is Nero going to be alright?” Selene asks immediately, concern writ large in her fretful expression.

“To paraphrase my companion? She’s not right now, but she will be.” Comes your honest answer. “Are *you* doing okay? I'm sure you're not doing well, but...okay, considering everything?"

“As well as can be expected...I’m more worried about them, if I’m being honest. They’ve been through so much, and most of it because of me.”

“It sounds like a lot of that was also Levia’s doing, but I’m glad to hear you’re taking ownership of some of what’s happened.” You comment with an appreciative nod. "Now, I have a few questions for you, but I'm not going to press you for them right now. Plus, I think I'll know where to find you when you're ready for them, no?"
To your surprise, Selene shakes her head.

“No, you...you’ve got a long, hard road ahead of you, Shu, and depending on what those three decide, it might be awhile before I can atone for what’s happened. I’m not sure what I can do to help, but if you’ve got questions, then I’ll answer them as best I can in the here and now.”

She takes a breath, and then...

“So, what do you want to know?”

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the weekend. It seems like this Vein has a bit more life in it yet, so I’ll likely be wrapping it up in the middle of next week as there’s a few more things I’d like to accomplish in this one, and that’ll let there be less time to pass between this Vein and the next. I will, of course, be keeping an eye on this Vein as closely as my spotty internet will allow, so if you all have any questions, comments, or criticisms, then I welcome them all. I wish everyone a restful weekend, and be safe.)
>>
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>>4405111
have a nice weekend bhop.

We'll come up with a few questions for you by the end of the weekend.

And I'll be slowly proof-reading my way through chapter 8 before publishing it and possibly review chapter 7 to make some edits.
>>
>>4405109
>"I appreciate it, truly. And if theres anything you want to ask in return, know im willing to hear you out too."

>"I guess, lets start off simply enough. Who are you, Selene, really? How was your time in the crucible, before you got boxed away?"
>"What can you tell me about how Mother locked you away, and the others if you know anything? Seems... like it would be difficult, but what im really interested in is why. From what i've heard, those like you are still killable, and from what i've seen, Mother was not against putting down threats to the Crucible. So... why lock you, and i guess other things, up instead?"
>"...and other threats i may need to know about i might not be aware of? Just wondering if your unique circumstances got you any interesting information i guess."

>"...do you know about a being that is 'nothing'. its... hard to explain, but, to put it simply, i may of accidentally had contact with something that has a connection to *all* Crucibles, not just ours and... well she gave off a similar feeling to your core ability, in some ways at least."
>>
>>4405111
thanks for running, and i hope your weekend is restful or at least entertaining aswell.

>>4405109
>>4405130
oh, and adding in;
>"...would it be possible i could meet the real Selene, the real face behind the mask? Or... is that just not going to work out, like a 'cant put it back once off' kinda thing, so we'll have to wait til you can stop being Levia in full?"
>>
>>4405111
(Also, because I forgot to state the obvious—the Vein shall resume on Monday, August 17th at 9:00AM, Eastern time.)
>>
>>4405133
ah, yeah just caught that and was going to ask, but thank you regardless.
again, i do hope you can in some form make up for how bad this week has treated you this weekend.
>>
>>4405111
Thanks for running, BHOP! Looking forward to Monday already!
>>
>>4405111
>"You said that Levia was a horrible person. That she was doing terrible things to Nero and Arcadia, and that she'd do even worse if you hadn't intervened. Can you tell me more about what you meant? And if there are parts you don't want to go into detail about, I understand."

>"The things you've erased with your ability, can you remember them in detail? Or are some things lost even to you, like with most other people?"

>"You know quite a bit about your class, the Deprived. Have you ever encountered other Daughters with the same class? And if so, could you tell me what their abilities are like, to give us more of an idea on what to expect from them?"
>>
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Latest draft of Chapter 8 is done. But I'm holding off on publishing it until I've got all the details of chapter 9 and possibly Chapter 10 done.

Writer's tip: When you're dealing with a dangerously intelligent character who says he has a plan to deal with a problem, the character demands a certain amount of dedicated pre-writing and pre-planning done beforehand to justify the level of how much planning and fore-thought the plotter has put into their solution to solving the conflict, which can sometimes be at odds with the author. Blindsiding such a plot makes it all the more difficult if he's too smart.

pic related is how I feel when it comes to the writing sometimes.
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>>4405109

"I appreciate it, truly—and if there’s anything you want to ask in return, know that I’m willing to hear you out, too." You preface, with Selene giving you a small nod before you launch into what you’ve been waiting to ask. “I guess, let's start off simply enough; who are you, Selene, really? How was your time in the Crucible, before you got boxed away?"

“Unique, if I’m being succinct...but you’re not asking for the Cliff Notes version, I guess.” She answers with a sigh, folding her arms and leaning up against the bare calcite wall. “Early game was easy, ‘til I realized that erasing stuff wasn’t doing the Hunger any good. Took me a while to figure out how to off an Amalgam without using my Core...let me tell you, my first kill would’ve made Wile-E-Coyote proud. Once I had some basic Flesh Artisan powers, the rest came pretty quick. Normal powers to leave enough to consume for my Daughter powers, and my Core for the rest. I thought the Crucible was as good as mine until Mother saw me as too much of a threat. Spent some time stewing, then got out when all hell broke loose.. Figured I needed to power-level to get back to where I was and, well...you know the rest.”

"Speaking of which, what can you tell me about how Mother locked you away, and the others if you know anything? Seems.. like it would be difficult, but what I'm really interested in is why. From what I've heard, those like you are still killable, and from what I've seen, Mother was not against putting down threats to the Crucible. So...why lock you, and I guess other things, up instead?”

“Closest thing to an explanation I ever got was Mother gloating that since I wasn’t supposed to exist anyway, it wasn’t costing her anything to use the full extent of her ‘administrative privileges’. Her words.”
Selene spits irritably. “As for why she didn’t just kill me, I’m not entirely sure...but my bet is that she was hoping to use me for something.”

"Considering the time you spent confined, are there any other threats out there that I might not be aware of? Just wondering if your unique circumstances got you any interesting information, I guess."

“Everything Mother put away was no joke, but most of the Daughters just wanted to finish the Crucible which is how they ended up on Mother’s naughty list. Then again, they may still be at the power they were at when they went in, unlike me. It was chaos when we were all let out, and several of the Daughters that escaped went mental as the three Apocalypse Amalgams scattered, too. I’d be surprised if many who got caught made it out of there alive, honestly. The only way I did was because of my powers, and even then, it was a close call.”

(Continued)
>>
>>4408857

"Hm...just out of curiosity, do you know about a being that is 'Nothing'?” You ask, Selene fixing you with a quizzical look. “ It’s... hard to explain, but, to put it simply, I may have accidentally had contact with something that has a connection to *all* Crucibles, not just ours and...well, it gave off a similar feeling to your Core ability in some ways."

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t...but hearing that, the fact that this may all be some cosmic joke played by some fucking comedian makes me want to punch its face in.”

“That makes two of us.” You reply with a chuckle, and as she mirrors your slight laughter, a thought occurs to you. "Hey, would it be possible I could meet the real Selene, the real face behind the mask? Or... is that just not going to work out, like a 'cant put it back once off' kinda thing, so we'll have to wait till you can stop being Levia in full?"

“Uh, I’d rather not, if that’s okay.” Comes her reluctant reply. “It’s not like I’m shy, but my real body isn't exactly easy on the eyes...and hey, don’t make that face. I’m not being down on myself—I mean it literally isn’t easy to look at, which is why I usually stick to my stealth form. The side-effects include headaches, vomiting, sometimes dysentery. Useful in combat, but I really don’t want anyone emulating Oregon Trail for the sake of my own comfort. So as skin-crawling as it is to wear what’s left of her, it’s probably better that I keep it on, for now.”

"Gotcha….so, You said that Levia was a horrible person. That she was doing terrible things to Nero and Arcadia, and that she'd do even worse if you hadn't intervened.” You say, treading into some delicate territory that makes Selene wince at the recollection. “Can you tell me more about what you meant? And if there are parts you don't want to go into detail about, I understand.”

“She was...abusive, in just about every way.” Selene says, choosing her words carefully until she shakes her head. “Sorry, it’s just...whatever I delete, I can recall with infuriating amounts of detail. There are some things I’d really rather not dredge up unless I have to.”

"No no, that’s perfectly fine. So the things you've erased with your ability, you remember them in detail? Or are some things lost even to you, like with most other people?"

“Oh, I remember it, all right...or maybe it might be better to say that whatever I erase is etched into my memory with a hammer and chisel. What I’ve deleted is actually more easily remembered than my own thoughts, sometimes. They can get kind of intrusive, so I try to be a little more selective about what I delete, as opposed to when I first started out...it’s part of the reason I haven’t erased more of Levia, aside from the other obvious issues. This may be my Core, but there’s still a lot I don’t know.”

(Continued)
>>
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>>4408858

"You know quite a bit about your class, though. The Deprived, you said?” Selene nods. “Have you ever encountered other Daughters with the same class? And if so, could you tell me what their abilities are like, to give us more of an idea on what to expect from them?"
“I’m sure there are other Deprived out there in the Crucible, but I’ve only ever met one other personally...and that was only because she sought me out, first.” She answers with a shrug. “Actually, most of what I know about the Deprived came from her, since she’d done her research. I learned how we can ‘gift’ parts of our power to people at the cost of making them like us, along with everything the Revelation granted me. She seemed impressed by what I could do, since she said all her Core let her do was see the connections between things, and a little bit of how things might play out. I told her that it seemed like it’d be a pain in the ass to level up, and she agreed.”

“Do you think she’s still around?” You ask, and Selene just chuckles.

“I sure hope so...I’d hate to think someone like Marrow Dragoon would bite it.”

You blink.

“...What did you just say?”

“Marrow Dragoon. She’s like me.” Selene repeats, a little taken aback by your reaction. “It was pretty early on that I met her, and she seemed to just be genuinely curious about someone else like her.”

“I...how’d she find you? Did she say?” You ask, swiftly regaining your composure.

“She said she’d taken notice of my work and took it upon herself to track me down. I asked her flat-out how she did it, and how she even knew that something was off, but she played cagey.” Selene says, clearly a little miffed at the mystery that remains unanswered. “Although I did notice she kept this weird chrome ball with her while we were talking, but I’m not sure what it was for. Anyway, we just talked for a little while. She asked me...well, a lot of the same questions you’re asking me now, come to think of it."

You just nod, mulling over everything Selene’s told you up to this point...as well as reflecting on your previous interactions with Mara. The settlements, the Deprived, and the troubling confrontation with Magpie—you have to wonder if it’s all connected, in some way. Regardless, you and your family’s plan remain the same, and you have to keep focus on the here and now if you’re to keep moving forwards.

>>Ask Selene something else on your mind [Write-In]

>>Ask Selene if she’d be willing to grant you a portion of her power, as she alluded to earlier.

>>Say your goodbyes to Selene for now, then attend to your next item of business.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I hope you had a pleasant weekend. Voting shall remain open until 3:00PM, Eastern time with posting to follow thereafter, if Monday isn't...Monday.)
>>
>>4408859
>"I understand if you wish to keep it under wraps but, Can you tell me more about how your ability actually works, and its limits?"
>"though in truth, that might be something the council may wish to hear, as a compromise to feel at ease. In part im also curious just how much it would've cost us to beat you... and maybe more importantly, im trying to grasp how much damage you actually did here, no offense. But its not like we can actually look at things normally to figure that out."

>Let things trail off a bit, but give her some info in return, in exchange for some more questions.
>"So... did... Marrow Dragoon give you anything? try to help you out with anything, guide you at all? I ask because... to put it simply... I've met her and... she lied, to be blunt about it. or at least, she was very alright with hiding what she was from us. But perhaps more importantly... what you said is adding to a pile of questions about her im not liking. She... Well, i think there is not one settlement so far we have encountered she didn't have a hand in creating, to give you an idea of what we're dealing with, and awhile ago we thought her an ally, one whos even helping hold off anyone winning the Crucible for us at the moment... but im starting to have to question her motives more and more the more i learn."
>Sigh, and shrug.
>"Sorry, thats probably not the type of stuff you want to hear. Its just i put alot of trust in her, and now that she isnt wandering around to defend her secrets, alot of them are starting to seem questionable when revealed. Questionable and messy, to be more blunt about it."
>>
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>>4408859
and also god diddly damnit Mara stop adding things to the list!

>>4408861
boring weekend if im being honest.
>>
>>4408888
(Mine was, too. A high point was that since finishing Othercide I've had a tactical itch to scratch, and Mechanicus has been just what I've been looking for, so I got past the tutorial mission last night once I had some spare time.)
>>
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>>4408893
well overall better than it being horribly hectic, though a big storm yesterday knocking my power on and off again for like two hours being both the most interesting thing to happen and in part why it was boring calls that into question.

regardless, good luck with your monday BHOP.
>>
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>>4408893
also, i just found this and... oh boy, did it make me laugh.
truly, the most gallant of steeds!
>>
>>4408927
(...Wh-where did you find that? That's hilarious.)
>>
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>>4408936
Odori77 on twitter, who appears to probably be the author of this wonderful Gunenstein character i posted earlier, though language issues makes that hard to confirm.
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>>4408888
>>4408861
In terms of weekend things, it's "relatively uneventful". As for Cradleton, I've managed to get a breakthrough on the final confrontation. There are still some details that I need to iron out before I can get chapter 8 and the confrontation chapter published.

And I've had some relic ideas made for the chapter that I would like you to review to make sure the power rating is what I think it is...But I'm hesitant on posting them for they are powerful items that will be featured in Cradleton. Are you okay with being mildly spoiled by the story?
>>
>>4408953
im ok with a bit, and if you think its necessary than so be it.
you could always spoiler them or put them in a document, instead of posting them normally, if you think its an issue.

also, that image is quite disturbing, nice find.
>>
>>4408953
(By all means, and as >>4408962 mentioned, you're welcome to post a link if you like.)

(Also, an excellent picture.)
>>
>>4408983
>>4408962

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZBziCwHEPpytLWb1pKDJhOqZ8w1wV3d-QD7kQhL589o/edit

Here's the link to the document. I've set up the document so that you can comment and post your thoughts on it.
>>
>>4408859
Bah, just getting a chance to check the thread today. This hasn't been a rough Monday, but it has been a busy one. I suppose that's not a terrible thing, though.

Mara had the Silver Key. Of course she did. Come to think about it, we never did ask Yurei where she got it, did we? Mara having given it to her makes as much sense as anything. I wonder where she got it, though. Maybe from that mission to check out the Crucible's deep mechanisms that I still suspect she went on with Magpie even if the exact how of that mission must be different from what I assumed.

>since she said all her Core let her do was see the connections between things, and a little bit of how things might play out
Okay, so she's obviously lying about her abilities. Eldritch Cancellation is definitely a Deprived ability, I was guessing that even when I thought it was just a Deprived power she had picked up rather than her Core. Even if it's a capstone to the skill, I can't see how "cancel causality to temporarily become inviolate" is an extension of clairvoyance, so she must have a more active component to her Core. Keeping that detail in reserve, I guess.

The "gifting people power" explains how she gave it to Magpie, too. What does "making them like us" mean, though? The deleted save file? Damn it, are we never going to get a chance to yell at Magpie? Are we going to open up the Cord and it will turn out that getting Eldritch Cancellation kept it from saving backup data of her, so with the main one deleted we have no opportunity for "what the fuck, Magpie"? Oh, I will be disappointed in that case.
>>
>>4409105
think Selene said they only get deleted upon game completion and/or interfacing with the cord, no? so cord Magpie should still be around.
...unless not becoming a dream daughter counts or involves interaction with the cord i suppose.
>>
>>4409105
>>4409117
(I will go ahead and say that Magpie's Cord backup is still active.)
>>
>>4409131
Oh, good, I've got some yells saved up. But if that's not what it means, then we should definitely ask Selene for details.

>>4408859
To add in where it fits in the next post, along with the questions about her limits and asking about Mara's actions from >>4408885:
>>Ask Selene something else on your mind [Write-In]
>"So what does 'making them like you' actually involve? I...knew...a Daughter who in retrospect Mara probably gave power to, and she seemed normal enough as Daughters go. Is it just the 'deleted when someone wins the Crucible' part, or are there other changes? You said something about what your Revelation granted, can you tell me more about that? If you feel comfortable with it, of course."
>>
(Gentlemen - life saw fit to throw the most hectic Monday yet at me, so I'll be updating as soon as I am able. Thank you all for bearing with me.)
>>
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>>4409231
right, new rule.
any game or universe i make in the future, Mondays are feared as the day the eldritch nightmares control with an unmerciful hand.

but on a serious note, sorry to hear that, but its not unexpected. still, we understand, you do what you need to do.
>>
>>4409231
No problem, BHOP. Sorry to hear your Monday's rough. We'll see you when we see you, take as much time as you need.

>>4409233
Reminds me of that old Wondermark story arc where the Evermonday consumed the world. You won't have to be crazy to survive the existential dread of eternal Monday, but it helps.
>>
>>4409105
>>4408888

am>>4408953

Thanks for the comments. however, I don't think I've gotten a tier rating on the Monster Mask.

not on mobile, on different PC.

You know, that explains plenty about the information that Dart Raffleflower told us (as a refresher, she's the flower prostitute we fought and killed in Laoc, who now resides in Francine's dreamscape as a lewd teasing woman).

Dart "Raffleflower" (I know it's Rafflesia, but Raffleflower just sounds more amusing/cheeky) said that she heard rumors that Mara refuses to climb and win because she technically can't win for a reason. Now we know. She's a Deprived Daughter.

And I think it's safe to say that if we ever take a power that belongs to a deprived daughter, we'd be deleted as well the moment we interface with the Cord because it would be safe to say that the Cord does an auto-software check and a scan to see if the ascendant has a Deprived ability in their person.

But that also begs the question. The Silver Key is a relic that even "EVERYTHING/NOTHING" can't brush away due to how it functions as a multi-dimensional immovable rod/anchor point. Why would Mara give away that relic if it technically allows her to survive? Unless it can't help her survive the deprived deletion protocol...that might be why she gave it away...

Also, it rather stands very strangely that Mother couldn't lock Mara away with her admin powers.
>>
>>4409259
>And I think it's safe to say that if we ever take a power that belongs to a deprived daughter, we'd be deleted as well the moment we interface with the Cord because it would be safe to say that the Cord does an auto-software check and a scan to see if the ascendant has a Deprived ability in their person.
Yeah, definitely not something to risk. I guess we could give it to one of our non-Neuromancer party members, but even then I don't want to chance it.

>But that also begs the question. The Silver Key is a relic that even "EVERYTHING/NOTHING" can't brush away due to how it functions as a multi-dimensional immovable rod/anchor point. Why would Mara give away that relic if it technically allows her to survive? Unless it can't help her survive the deprived deletion protocol...that might be why she gave it away...
Either that, or Mara is confident that she doesn't need it. That she can keep the Crucible from being won until someone crashes the system all on her own, so any protection from being deleted it might provide is irrelevant to her. What I want to know is how she knew it would be a defense against other Deprived abilities. We guessed because of our run-in with the Nothing. Did Mara encounter another Deprived while the Key was in her possession? Or, another possibility, did she get it off of someone she fought who was immune to her own Deprived powers?

>Also, it rather stands very strangely that Mother couldn't lock Mara away with her admin powers.
Very. Given that Mara is trying to undermine the purpose of the Crucible, you'd think that she'd be the easiest for the administrator to take action against. Selene thinks that she was kept alive so Ozmas could use her. Fine. But why didn't Ozmas try to just delete Mara? It can't have just been because of the Silver Key, because she gave that up to us with no expectation that Ozmas would be distracted by our little mess at Almath. Maybe Mara's gotten strong enough that she can't be deleted anymore? Or maybe Ozmas is still plotting something, and Mara being alive is part of it.
>>
(Gentlemen, I've attempted to muster the energy to finish the update, but it's just not working. I believe I may try to take a nap or something to hopefully recover my energy, but barring that, would everyone be alright if I updated tomorrow morning at around the same time I did today, or would you prefer an update in the afternoon? Let me know, and I hope everyone is doing well today.)
>>
>>4409376
Take care silent. If you're not feeling it, then take the day off. The curse of MONDAYS is strong this week. You deserve it.
>>
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>>4409376
hey, it happens. just dont force yourself to do what you're not up for. ITs a monday, we understand.

as for day, the morning will work, but either works. seems like mornings are sometimes sketchy for you though so really whichever works for you.
>>
>>4409233
>>4409237
>>4409231
...I am sorely tempted to write a hilarious/horriffying omake involving "Mondays on the Crucible."
>>
>>4409408
it would be fitting.
>"Crucible Mondays. so terrible even Mother feels them."
or hell,
>"Crucible Mondays, so terrible even the Cord feels them."
would be more accurate nowadays.
>>
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>>4409376

Just stumbled onto Ar Tonelico music. And I have to say, if Skin-talking was converted from the Tintalian tongue to the human tongue then the constructed language resulting from the fusion would be the constructed language and song of the sung in Ar Tonelico would be the perfect vessel for song-based skintalking where Alien tongues and human tongues sing in harmony.

It also helps that the songs are rather awesome to listen to from the rather alien con-language and the vocal overlaps make for a rather hypnotizing melody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGaM07Pc-nI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPcXWAnhn2I

https://conlang.fandom.com/wiki/Hymmnos
>>
(Good Morning, Gentlemen. I'm writing the next update now, and I intend to post it at 11AM. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you're having a great morning.)
>>
>>4408859

"I understand if you wish to keep it under wraps but, Can you tell me more about how your ability actually works, and its limits?" You gently prompt. “Though in truth, that might be something the council may wish to hear as a compromise to feel a bit more at ease. In part I’m also curious just how much it would've cost us to beat you...and maybe more importantly, I’m trying to grasp how much damage you actually did here, no offense. But it’s not like we can actually look at things normally to figure that out."

“No, it’s fine. I figure talking to you will give me some practice as to how best to streamline my explanation to them.” Selene says, chuckling under her breath. “Early levels just let me delete random parts of things, and I didn’t have any say in it. Now, I can control on-impact just how much of a thing I delete, but the amounts are still kind of randomized. In addition to being able to dodge in and out of people and Amalgams’ perceptions, my later levels let me infuse other objects with the same properties.”

“Interesting…” You muse, recalling the mysterious pipes that became the crux of your investigation. “Now, about the after-effects when you delete things—how does that work?”

“That’s the hardest part, really, ‘cause the further out in causality I try to look, the fuzzier it gets. Most people in the Crucible are kind of solitary, so fighting them in the past didn’t change a whole lot. But as it’s dragged on things have gotten more and more entangled, so if I were to try and delete, say-“

“Me.” You interrupt, slightly throwing Selene for a loop. “Let’s use me as an example.”

“Uh…sure. So, if I were to try and delete you, then the people connected to you would be affected in ways I couldn’t begin to imagine. I mean, just going off of what I’ve gathered thus far, if you were gone then the Monastery would’ve made its way to the Cord by now, on top of a host of other unforeseeable issues that would arise.”

“…So when you said earlier that you couldn’t take the ‘risk’ of fighting me, then…”

“Yeah. You’ve kind of made yourself indispensable, existentially speaking.” Selene finishes with a shrug. Trying to shake off the thought of all your work being undone along with the chill that it brings down your back, you decide to shift focus to an equally unpleasant topic.

"So, did...did Marrow Dragoon give you anything? Try to help you out with anything, guide you at all?” You ask tentatively. “I ask because, to put it simply—I've met her and she…well, she lied, to be blunt about it. Or at least she was very alright with hiding what she was from us. But perhaps more importantly, what you said is adding to a pile of questions about her I’m not liking. She...well, I think there is not one settlement so far we have encountered she didn't have a hand in creating, to give you an idea of what we're dealing with.”

(Continued)
>>
>>4410323

“It wasn’t all that long ago we thought her an ally, one who’s even helping hold off anyone winning the Crucible for us at the moment...but I’m starting to have to question her motives more and more the more I learn." You explain with a shrug and a sigh. "Sorry, that’s probably not the type of stuff you want to hear. It’s just that I put a lot of trust in her, and now that she isn’t wandering around to defend her secrets a lot of them are starting to seem questionable when revealed. Questionable and messy, to be more blunt about it."

“Yeah, no….I can tell you put a lot of faith in her.” Selene murmurs, glancing guiltily over to where Nero sits. “Really, Marrow Dragoon and I just talked about powers and our respective journeys up to that point. She seemed interested in my Revelation, and she told me a little about the power-gifting thing, but that’s it.”

"Speaking of which, what does 'making them like you' actually involve? I...knew...a Daughter who in retrospect Mara probably gave power to, and she seemed normal enough as Daughters go. Is it just the 'deleted when someone wins the Crucible' part, or are there other changes?”

“Dragoon said that it was more the ‘deletion’ part, as far as she knew.” Selene replies after a moment of recollection. “Nothing else changed, at least nothing that she was aware of.”

“Also, you said something about what your ‘Revelation’ granted, can you tell me more about that? If you feel comfortable with it, of course."

“Ah, well…the Depriveds’ situation was laid out before my mind’s eye, and I got to see how each of them ended up. Like, *all* of them, since the very first iteration of this Crucible. There were things I couldn’t fully understand, but one thing was clear—there wasn’t a single one that still exists in the Crucible’s code, and I got a very detailed explanation of just how broken the Deprived are. He was very explicit on that point.”

“Wait.” You say, ‘He’?”

“Well, I guess that was one odd thing. I’m pretty sure it was a guy’s voice that explained it all, but it was like a lot of different people were talking at once—guys and girls, but I guess the fact that I heard a guy’s voice stood out to me.” Selene replies, thumb and forefinger cupping her chin. “At the time, I figured it was some sort of AI stand-in for Mother. She never really bothered to talk to me, so it seemed on-brand for her to not care…at least, until I became too much of a threat to ignore.”

You nod as a self-satisfied smirk crosses Selene’s lips, taking it all in as the echo of that chaotic voice comes crawling up your spine, the voice that belongs to a thing that leers out at you from beyond time and space. Just out of reach…

…for now.

>>Ask Selene something else on your mind.

>>Say your goodbyes, and go speak with [Write-In]

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next four hours, and I hope everyone’s having a good morning thus far.)
>>
>>4409892
(Also, looking forward to listening to these soon, thanks for sharing!)
>>
>>4410325
>Say your goodbyes for the moment with a hug, then go and check in with your family.
>Both let them know what happend and how you may of solved things peacefully, aswell as see how all of them are faring.
>>Take special note to try and get in touch with Orwell and Amara, and if you cant, ask the others if they have heard anything or can see about checking in on them until you can get out of here.

>Lastly, if the rest doesn't devour your time, check on Rath and the Triplets.
>>
>>4410327
well, i slept in, which i actually haven't done in awhile, but im not sure if that is a good or bad morning.
>>
>>4410325
>"Thank you for your time Selene."
>Check in with the family.
>Check on Nero, Rath and the Triplets
>Before you leave: Dispense the Fuzz Buzzes.
>>
>>4410325
>>4410334

>“Ah, well…the Depriveds’ situation was laid out before my mind’s eye, and I got to see how each of them ended up. Like, *all* of them, since the very first iteration of this Crucible. There were things I couldn’t fully understand, but one thing was clear—there wasn’t a single one that still exists in the Crucible’s code, and I got a very detailed explanation of just how broken the Deprived are. He was very explicit on that point.”

This is getting more and more complicated and mysterious. Ringo said her kind was visited upon by the Crucible where upon the Skintalking class and the deprived were spawned from it as if she and her kind were not the first civilization to in the strain's iteration. And yet Everything/Nothing implied they appeared in the Crucible's first iteration. Something doesn't add up. Does Everything/Nothing imply that this Crucible strain started off as a spawn of another Crucible strain, but then became its own strain after encountering the Tindalos hounds?

Because if we're viewing this through a virology and mutations lens by having the tindalos hounds act as a "mutation catalyst" to spawn a completely different strain it would make sense. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense.
>>
>>4410357
i dont think the deprived are what the Tindalos spawned. the Deprived i dont think are a 'class' in the same way others are, all its really doing is grouping abilities that shouldn't exist together.

what Ringo was talking about sounded more like an actual class with defined rules, but was still not allowed. or is how i interpret it.

>>4410331
>>4410345
not a usual question, but given the current vote how can we expect things to go?
because i dont think now feels like a good time to send out Fuzzbuzzes aswell as the way the Anon is voting is much too impersonal for me, but it does bring up the fair point of if we will have another chance.

though that being said i would still prefer to just not hand them out this time and keep the impact of handing them out intact, over rushing to impersonally hand them out just to do so.
>>
>>4410357
It's possible that Ringo is just wrong. The Tindalos have an oral history, maybe some details got mixed up over the eons. They were an early Crucible, so knowing that there's this thing very similar to them in the Crucible's code got them just assuming that it was derived from them.
>>
>>4410345
>>4410325
Rescinding my own vote.
>>
>>4410365
(As far as you can tell, things seem to be winding down in Arcadia. Thus, you'll have time to touch base with family before you approach the Council, so you'll have another chance to distribute your calling card.)
>>
>>4410375
alright, then yeah we can wait to do it more personally i think.
>>
>>4410375
I hope Orwell and Amara are available to talk this time around. Both because I get nervous when they don't respond and because I want to show Amara the Fluffy B'Ni.
>>
>>4410400
I just had a thought. what if we planted antennas on b'ni's head and covered it in fur to make it simulate the appearance of rabbit ears?
>>
>>4410413
im not sure we need to actually do that to get the idea of rabbit ears, though like i said the main thing for me is making sure they consent to any permanent changes like that.
>>
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>>4410413
I was thinking something more along the lines of moth antenna.

>>4410414
Weren't we just going to do it until we got the chance to show Amara? It's all part of the platelings that B'Ni is wearing, she can take them off once we've shown our daughter the cute fluffy.
>>
>>4410434
maybe.
but even if Amara answers we might not be seeing her for awhile.
plus her just wearing a suit is different than her herself being fluffy. anyone can wear a fluffy outfit, but its not the same.
>>
Oh, and since I forgot to actually vote:

>>4410325
Supporting >>4410333
>>
>>4410375
>>4410376
>>4410400
This is getting out of hand. Now there are TWO of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QHsEaryuMY
>>
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>>4410434
oh, speaking of cute moths, i have another one for the collection.
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>>4410325

“Alright, I think that was everything on the docket to ask.” You finally say, planting your hands on your hips with a satisfied nod.

“If anything else comes up, you know where to find me.” Selene replies, prompting an arched eyebrow from you.

“You’ll be sticking around, then?”

“If they’ll have me, that is.” She answers with a solemn tilt of her head. “I’d like to stick around to try and make things right, but I respect whatever they decide.”

“Alright, well…I’m not headed out before saying goodbye to everyone as a group, but for what it’s worth…” You trail off, reaching out and gently pulling the girl into your arms. “…bye for now, and know that I’m really happy we didn’t come to blows.”

“That makes two of us, Shu.” She replies with a warm smile, and with that you take your leave, taking a moment to check in with the rest of your family. You duck into a nearby corridor that still gives you a clear view of Selene and the other Council members, the latter of whom are still immersed in what looks like a deep discussion. Your initial blurt of information is a swift, succinct recap of recent events, and you don’t have to wait long before you get an equally swift reply.

“Mom! Mom, I flew!”

All pretense is dropped by your young ward as Amara’s voice excitedly cuts across the connection, instantly drowning out Gina and Johanna’s responses and ushering a sigh of relief from your chest. “I made friends with a buncha super-cool girls and we went flying but first I had to fight their leader who was all like ‘bloodsplosions!’ but I summoned a buncha Joyous and then we-“

“We’re fine! Everything’s fine!” Orwell hastily chimes in as your brow furrows. “Nobody’s hurt and everything’s good!”

“I made friends through incredible violence!” Amara cheerfully adds, Orwell’s muffled groan barely audible. “Just like you!”

Oh, goddamnit.

“Amara, sweetie…we need to talk about that later, but I just want to know—you’re okay, right? Did anyone get hurt?” You ask, feeling your blood pressure sharply rise.

“Nope! We set rules first, so that nobody would get wounded! Talk first, then violence, *then* re-talk!” Your little girl’s happy to inform you, clearly very proud of herself. “They said I had to prove myself ‘fore I could fly, and I really wanna fly, so I proved it!”

“I…good. Good, I’m glad.” You sigh, massaging your temples as you practically feel Gina give you ‘the look’ across the Crimson Cord. “How’s everyone else doing?”

“Private Heather Neeson and I have excellent news to report.” Comes Johanna’s brusque answer, with November’s correction of rank just barely audible in the distance. “We’ve negotiated terms of mercenary protection for any settlements we request of the Soldiers in return for information regarding old-world technology.”

“Wait, what? Like, Hexane?”

(Continued)
>>
>>4410578

“Negative. Walkie-talkies, cell phones, and any Bluetooth-related items from the Earth of old.” Johanna informs you. “They’ve been working on an integrated coms network to talk freely and privately between them.”

“Oh….neat.” You say, a little surprised. “Anyway, what about everyone else?”

“Francine and I are wrapping up, and about ready to head home unless there’s anything else you’d like for us to attend to, sooner.” Gina replies with an audible grin. “I figure we can all touch base back when we’re in touchin’ range to swap notes and the like.”

“How about Holly and Uzu, how’re-“

“You’ve saved me.” Uzu breathlessly interrupts. “You called in the middle of the third tea break we’ve had since Holly and I arrived. The Green Hats have been lovely and very informative, but there’s only so much liquid of dubious origin one can take alongside home-spun yarns.”

“My sympathies.” Gina counters with a smirk.

“Holly and I will likely be returning to the Roost shortly—how’s Isabelle doing?”

“Honestly? She did a bang-up job here.” You admit, glancing around to see that she and Dorian aren’t within your line of sight. “I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it when we get back, but yeah…I think things went fairly well, all things considered.”

Despite recent events. All’s gone well aside from the revelations from Selene—and, to a lesser extent, Amara—so you can’t help the urge that begins to tug at your feet and heart, in tandem.

The Cord’s call can’t be silenced, after all.

>>Try to track down Rath and the Triplets…and wonder whether or not that’d make a good band name.

>>Try to get a hold of Tinker Tailor to see if she’s made any headway on the Altar’s Relic.

>>…You need to talk with Orwell. Alone.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)
>>
>>4410580
>try and get ahold of Tinker Tailor to see if she’s made any headway on the Altar’s Relic, while you go and look for Rath and the Triplets. Kill a bird while looking for another, or some saying like that.

also Amara,
>“I made friends through incredible violence!”
my damned sides, that was spectacular. and also worrying, but mostly spectacular.
>>
>>4410580
>…You need to talk with Orwell. Alone.
Amara's behaving in a very disturbing fashion...as her adoptive mom we need to take responsibility.
>>
>>4410578
>“I made friends through incredible violence!” Amara cheerfully adds, Orwell’s muffled groan barely audible. “Just like you!”
>“Nope! We set rules first, so that nobody would get wounded! Talk first, then violence, *then* re-talk!”
...well, it's better than I feared. Still not great. Let's talk to her about how we made friends without violence, this time. Okay, we had to tackle Nero, but that doesn't count. Yeah, definitely got to break her out of the idea that the violence is the first recourse. It's sadly common that we need to do it, in the Crucible, but it ideally should be the backup plan.

Flew, though, huh? Was that under her own power with her air jets, or does one of the Lords of the Flies have a construct/Unnatural Predator body that they could all ride on? Or wait, jetpack Relics, that's also a possibility. Whatever it is, I'm glad she did make friends with other girls her age. We should introduce them all to Nero if we get the opportunity, have them exchange phone numbers. Bio-phone numbers. Whatever, you know what I mean.


>>Try to get a hold of Tinker Tailor to see if she’s made any headway on the Altar’s Relic.
>>
>>4410586
im not sure its actually all that disturbing, albeit more because of the natural issue with the Crucible in general.
we're also missing some details we can pickup later. maybe if it didn't sound like it ended well i'd agree, but it seems like nothing we need to rush to.
plus, im positive Amara will fill us in on the details herself once we meet in person.

>>4410592
im not sure she thought it was though? she even said they talked first, and it sounds like it may of only came about once she wanted to fly... whatever that means. we'll see when she blabs our ear off about it later i would reckon. Im still wondering why we couldn't get in touch though. hopefully it was just the area they were in like we thought.

>>4410582
also, minds a bit fuzzy, but we hit all the potential settlements on Magpies list with this, right? least as far as we could gather in the first place, of course.
>>
>>4410607
>im not sure she thought it was though? she even said they talked first, and it sounds like it may of only came about once she wanted to fly... whatever that means. we'll see when she blabs our ear off about it later i would reckon. Im still wondering why we couldn't get in touch though. hopefully it was just the area they were in like we thought.

Yeah, okay, not the first recourse. She's not that bad. But the general idea that making friends through violence is normal and okay and not a breakdown of polite discourse. We don't want her getting too used to making friends that way.

And yeah, it is weird that they couldn't get in touch, but if Amara was busy having an honor duel and then flying she might just have not wanted to come to the phone until she was done. Not sure why Orwell wouldn't have, maybe she was too nervous watching over Amara and making sure she was alright. Regardless, they're clearly fine now, so whatever it was it's not something to worry about too much.

>also, minds a bit fuzzy, but we hit all the potential settlements on Magpies list with this, right? least as far as we could gather in the first place, of course.
No, we're still missing a few. The Dig Dug-Outs, the Maker's Mark, and the Scarlet Herons. Scarlet Herons and Maker's Mark are low priority for going Hunger spiral (and the Herons are nomadic so we can't go visit them anyway), but the Dig Dug-Outs kind of worry me. They're digging to find God, we know that things get weird underground, I don't want them going the way of the Bone Ghost from way back in the Town of Rust's mines. Maybe we should send someone there now that we have manpower freed up. Even if we're exploring further west, we're still not going to take the whole party. While one team is headed for the Cord, another could go into the tunnels.
>>
>>4410628
ah right, but if i remember those two we said were low priority because we basically were guaranteed to meet them later anyways.

as for the Dig Dugs, im not too worried about them myself, but if we do go, it should probably be something Shu does herself, and probably with a bigger group than we usually do... or at least did here. im unsure how important it could actually be but it is a weird and potentially very weird place and group, and even if its not violent i could see us needing some extra support in other ways.

personally though im not too worried and would like to at least see about other things, if not just give Shu a break from something so set in stone, to instead let her(and probably some of our family) unwind with some exploration.
but we will see how things play out once all our family is back together, info has been tossed around, and everyone has unwound a bit. for all we know Orwells message box is overflowing with something urgent we need to get too, though i hope not.
>>
>>4410607
>>4410628
(Amara was busy dueling, while Orwell was busy muttering 'oh god oh fuck oh man oh shit' during the proceedings, so they had their own things going on.)
>>
>>4410655
Bloody duels between children are probably something that no one is really comfortable watching. It's easy to forget sometimes that Amara and the Lords of the Flies are all in the age range of six to ten. It is fucked up that they're so calm about mutilating each other. I do worry what the youngest generation of the Crucible is going to grow up into, these semi-feral children who see nothing wrong with "bloodsplosions" and cutting people in half with bone katanas. Fuck, that should be what Shu does post-Crucible, start an orphanage and raise all these kids to make sure they're socialized properly.
>>
>>4410655
haha, well alright makes sense.

oh, random question BHOP, but did any vegetarians/vegans make it into the Crucible... any still around and sane?

>>4410662
that is an option yeah. we'll see how necessary/viable it is once this is all over of course.
>>
>>4410666
>oh, random question BHOP, but did any vegetarians/vegans make it into the Crucible
Here's a truth that would make them faint. the parts where you eat fruits from...they're basically like meat. So in a sense, you're eating the meat off of a plant or a fruit/veggie.
>>
>>4410671
Yeah, but it doesn't have a nervous system. Very few vegetarians/vegans have an issue with the idea of eating meat on the level of the physical substance, they just don't like the thought of eating something that once had a mind.

Although, that actually makes the Crucible better for them in some ways: For a lot of vegans, the issue is that animals can't give consent for their body to be used that way. But you eat a Daughter, they can (after the fact, admittedly) give the okay for what you did. I've long advocated that cannibalism should be considered ethical under veganism, the Crucible is a perfect test of that viewpoint.
>>
>>4410666
(There's one in the Green Hats, actually. She's a fun sort, and she's certainly not alone. You either had to adapt or go insane, so the vast majority adapted and/or found ways to alter the physiology of those they consume to be something a bit more palatable, at least to their eyes.)
>>
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>>4410683
im sorry but i cant stop laughing at the logic of
>"I made this pile of meat apple shaped and added apple flavoring, therefore it is an apple."
i mean, i get it from a sanity perspective, but still, pic related is some of the looks i imagine they get.
>>
>>4410699
(Oh, it's darkly hysterical.)
>>
>>4410708
>>4410699
that picture that I posted with the organs being replaced with fruits and veggies come to mind. or a skin soda.

update on Cradleton: I've hit another snag after reading through the outlines for chapter 9/10 (the confrontation chapter).
>>
(Gentlemen, I'll be stepping out for an early dinner but shall update upon my return. I hope you're having a pleasant day, one and all.)
>>
>>4410828
Have fun at dinner, BHOP. See you later.
>>
>>4410828
enjoy your meal BHOP, and having a decent enough day, thanks for asking.
>>
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>>4410580

“Alright everyone, the others and I should be wrapping up here shortly.” You say, casting another furtive glance over towards the Council as they rise from their seats on the floor, with Magnus striding over to Selene as you continue to speak. “We’ll all meet up back at the Roost shortly, alright?”

A round of affirmatives ring in your ears as you start walking to where you last sent Rath, taking a moment to reach out to her assigned partner who’s still back at the Altar…

...you hope.

“Tinker, are you there? I was wondering if I could have a sitrep on the Altered Altar’s Relic, if you’re still out that way.”

“Ohhellomoshimoshihello.” Comes her frenetic and immediate reply. “Somuchfunsoveryfunhavinganexcellenttime.”

“I’m...glad to hear that. What’ve you been up to?”

“Relicefficiencyupsevey-sixpercentoutputincreasedthreefoldHungereffectsmitigatedandventedtosurroundingbiomasssososososomuchmoreefficientsoveryfunmuchbetterthanitwasbefore.” She answers breathlessly. “NotaperfectsolutionnonononotbyalongshotbutitwillbeenoughtoallowthesettlementotexpandandstaysaneuntilyoucompleteyourmissionIassumethisissuitableyes?”

“Very much so.” You say, breathing a sigh of genuine relief. “Thanks for sticking around to help the Altar after I called Rath here.

“...Iwasunawarethatsheleft.” Tinker says after an uncharacteristic half-second of consideration. “NomatterIwillcontinuetorefinethediffusalRelicforawhilelongerbeforeIreturntotheEngines.”

“You mean the Dragon’s Roost?” You correct her, eyebrow arched.

“...Yesthataswell.”

Bidding the girl a goodbye that she swiftly returns, you round a corner to find Rath and the Triplets in the middle of making their way back to you.

“Hey there!” Greets your red-haired brawler with cock-sure grin, striding up to you with the air of a job well done. “News is spreading like wildfire, so Arcadia should be ready to hear from the Council whenever.”

“Thank you for that, Rath. And thanks to the three of you, too.” You say, nodding to each of the unnerving blonde doppelgangers in turn. “I appreciate your willingness to hear me out almost as much as your willingness to help.”

“No trouble at all, we assure you. It’s been a pleasure to help you and your wonderful family.” Says Regina, placing a hand on Rath’s shoulder as the other two girls each place a hand on Rath’s shoulders, the much shorter girl’s cheeks beginning to glow with a bright orange light. “In fact, I want to thank this firecracker of yours for bringing the good word. Don’t we, girls~?”

One by one, the girls plant a trio of kisses on your shocked ally’s cheeks.

“Thank you-

“-for telling us-”

“-Rath~” The trio coo, in perfect harmony...and in that moment, you’re not sure who’s enjoying this more; your utterly flustered red-head, or the triplets who’re clearly having a delightful time making her that way.

(Continued)
>>
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>>4411002

“If you girls are quite done, I’d like to have my best fighter back if you please.” You sigh, trying to hide your amused smirk under a veneer of business-like focus.

“Oh, if you insist.” Gretchen giggles, ushering your awestruck ally back to your side with a wink. “We’ll await word from the Council, but if there’s anything else wither of you’d like, don’t be afraid to ask, alright?”

“We’ll bear that in mind.” You reply, giving the triplets a wave goodbye before you set to the task of steering Rath back to the main chamber.

“Shu?” She starts, looking up at you with a goofy smirk.

“Yeah?”

“I think I like it here.”

“I don’t doubt it.” You reply with a grin of your own, and within a matter of minutes the two of you arrive back in the main chamber, met at the entrance by B’ni and Dorian. “Hey, you two—any updates?”

“The Council’s speaking as one at the moment, making proper introductions and the like.” Dorian informs you, hands clasped behind his perfectly straight back.

“Wait, so Nero’s talking to Selene?” You ask, surprised.

“Just for a moment or two, after which Aeren will take Nero elsewhere and Magnus will show Selene to where she’ll be staying.” He replies, and you follow Dorian’s eyes as he glances over his shoulder to find the quartet notably tense….but talking, all the same.

“Like I said; Nero’s stronger than me.” B’ni murmurs, her body turned to face the Council in the distance.

“Maybe...but what you did took some guts, too.” Rath counters, folding her arms across her armored chest.

“Meh.” Comes B’ni dismissive reply, but when Rath issues a low growl of disapproval from her throat, she realizes that she missed the compliment entirely. “Oh, uh...yeah. Yeah, I guess it did. Thanks.”

“You are welcome.” Rath replies deliberately before turning to you. “So! Where to next, fearless leader?”

Honestly, you’re not quite sure, yourself. All you know is that you’ve got to keep moving forwards, one way or another…

...but you’ll make sure that momentum will never come at the expense of warm goodbyes.

>>Say your ‘goodbyes’ and ‘good lucks’ to the Arcadian Council, and return to the Dragon’s Roost.

>>You’d like to ask them where they plan to go from here, and if there’s anything they’d like to ask of you before you leave.

>>Part ways with the Council for now, and while you’re on your way back home, you’d like to take a moment to [Write-In].

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, I shall be pausing here for the evening. Voting shall remain open for the next twelve hours, with posting to resume at approximately 3:00PM, Eastern time. Thank you all for your patience, participation, and enthusiasm, and I wish you all a restful evening.)

>>4410741
(This picture is the worst...I love it.)
>>
>>4411008
>Check to make sure the Council doesn't need anything else from you, before heading home.
>Make sure to make the goodbyes personal, and the Fuzzbuzzes moreso. Make sure to give Nero an extra moment, if she is up for it.
>>
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>>4411013
thanks for running, and hope you have a good night.
>>
>>4411013
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you tomorrow.
>>
>>4411008
>>You’d like to ask them where they plan to go from here, and if there’s anything they’d like to ask of you before you leave.
>>Write-In
>Leave them a communicator swarmling so if they ever need our help they can call.
>Also a FuzzBuzz for any of them that want one. Buff FuzzBuzz with terra-cotta coloration for Magnus, wispy-fluffed FuzzBuzz for Aeren, pitch black FuzzBuzz with extra-louding purring for Nero.
>>
>>4411008
Supporting >>4411074
>>
>>4410578
>bloodsplosions
>"I made friends through incredible violence!"
*wheeeze*
Reach Friendship Through Violence, indeed.
Because Friendship is a continuous hugging motion.
>>
>>4411999
Wait, does that make Cheruem her version of White Chain? Stuffy martial artist, dissatisfied with her species' complacency, technically has no gender but has embraced female identity, has poor social skills when not discussing fighting evil, would push themselves to destruction to do what they see as right...yeah, sounds like we've got a White Chain.
>>
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>>4411008

Rath, Dorian, and B’ni follow your lead as you cross the distance between you and Arcadia’s ruling council...the three that remain, along with the one whose future in this barren city remains to be determined. The quartet fan out as you approach, leaving Nero to your left with Aeren beside her. Magnus is to their right as a powerfully-built buffer between them and Selene, who’s standing a little further back to grant the other three a respectful distance while remaining part of the conversation.

“Me and mine are going to head back to base here soon, but I wanted to offer our help with anything you’d like assistance with—now or in the future.” You begin, glancing between Magnus, Aeren, Nero, and Selene.

“After everything you’ve done so far, I feel like asking anything more would just be taking advantage at this point.” Magnus says, his level tone leaving his level of seriousness ambiguous. “I think we’ll take it from here...but we’re only able to do that because of what you and yours have done for us. And for that, you have my eternal thanks.”

“And *you’re* welcome back any time!” Aeren chimes in taking Magnus and Nero’s hands in hers with a dazzling smile. “Arcadia’s doors will always be open to you and anyone else that calls themselves friends of the Defiants!”

You look to Nero, and she meets you with her white, luminous gaze, wide-eyed and questioning.

“You’re leaving?” She asks simply, and the tenor of her disappointed voice reminds you so much of Amara that it hurts.

“Shortly, yes.” You admit reluctantly. “We have to-”

Without a word she slips by you in a fluid cloud of shadow, reappearing behind you with her arms flung tightly around B’ni’s waist. Your ally kneels, Nero’s arms still fast around her as she returns the gesture, whispering something to her that you can’t quite make out. Nero gives her one last squeeze before stepping back, returning to Aeren’s side as B’ni just gives her a thumb’s up paired with a meek smile

“If any of you need to reach us, you’re welcome to use these.” You declare, four commlings buzzing over to the waiting hands of the four Daughters before you. And then, as you meet B’ni’s eye with a subtle nod another pair of commlings flit from the holes along your spine—one for B’ni, one for Nero. “Feel free to reach out to any of us, at any time. We’re here to help, so don’t be strangers.”

“Much obliged.” Magnus intones before turning to Dorian. “There are a few things I think we may have to discuss soon, if you’ve got the time.”

“It’d be my pleasure, good Sir.” Dorian replies with an enthused grin, and Aeren can barely restrain her squeal of excitement at the budding bromance.

(Continued)
>>
>>4412143

“Now, before we go, I’d like for you all to have something a little less function and a little more form.” You say, and with a thought a trio of newborn FuzzBuzzes dart from your hive to land among the three Council members, customized for each of them with loving detail.

For Magnus, a terra-cotta colored swarmling, its bulkier frame crafted to mirror Magnus’ own refined physique. Aeren’s delighted with her own—its light, airy fuzz dancing around its shells as it flits around its new owner like an excitable cloud. Meanwhile, Nero’s almost disappears against her flesh as it nestles into her open palms, and she’s confused at first until a low, steady purr begins to emanate from her new pet.

“I heard that you give those out wherever you go.” Selene chuckles, looking between the FuzzBuzzlings that flit about their owners before looking back to you with a smile. “I like that a lot.”

“When all this is over, I’d like to take the time to get to know the real you...and then I’ll make you one that fits you perfectly. All your own.” You reply with a smile of your own.

“I’d like that, too.” She says.

“Where are you all headed from here?” Dorian asks primly, turning his attentions to Dorian.

“We rebuild. We create. We move on.” Magnus replies solemnly. “The four of us still need to have a few more private discussions before we address the collective as a whole, but I think we’ll get there sooner rather than later. Arcadia’s been standing for some time now, and I fully intend that with the caliber of people that we have here that it will outlast any of us.”

“I certainly hope it does…you seem to have a good thing going here, so once again, if there’s anything we can ever do to help, then we’re just a swarmling away.”

After another round of hugs you bid the Council a fond farewell, at least for the time being. You and your allies make your way back to the heart of Arcadia, passing a few assorted Daughters on the way until the space opens straight up to the Crucible’s crimson sky, looking for all the world like you’re staring out the barrel of a loaded gun.

Standing there for a moment, you take it all in—Selene, Mara, and the rest of this whole bloody mess that you’ve wrestled to a manageable state. Running through your mental checklists, you try to see if there’s anything else you’d like to tackle before bringing your family back together…

…though if you’re being honest, there’s nothing you’d like more that to warp back to their side without a second thought.

>>Go straight to the Dragon’s Roost to reunite with your family…you can’t wait to see everyone again.

>>Send the others on ahead…there’s something you’d like to do before your family reconvenes.

>>Write-In

YOU ARE IN CONTROL
>>
(Gentlemen, voting shall remain open for the next three hours.)

>>4412052
(This...I like this.)

>>4411999
>>4410585
(Very glad to see that Amara's still amusing. I missed writing her.)
>>
>>4412144
>>4412148
>“Where are you all headed from here?” Dorian asks primly, turning his attentions to Dorian.
ah shit BHOP, is Dorian starting to lose it?

sorry, couldn't help myself, the mental image was hilarious.
>>
>>4412144
vote;
>Go straight to the Dragon’s Roost to reunite with your family…you can’t wait to see everyone again.

nothing we really need to do more important than getting everyone together for info and storytime and some unwinding.
>>
>>4412152
(Christ...the idea of Dorian with sanguine sock-puppet versions of himself and the main cast is just too good.)

(Also, my apologies for the gaffe; running on little sleep, so the next update will likely cap off the Vein, just as a head's-up.)
>>
>>4412163
He's already running around with familiars of his mom and sister, why not copies of everyone else he cares about?

And I'm sorry to hear you haven't gotten much sleep, BHOP. I hope you get some rest, after this.
>>
>>4412144
>>Go straight to the Dragon’s Roost to reunite with your family…you can’t wait to see everyone again.
Ultimately our trip here didn't turn out to be bad, but it was certainly stressful for Shu and the party. Let's go get some comfort from seeing our loved ones before planning our next move.
>>
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>>4412163
ah, sorry to hear that, but i figured it was something like that.
its fine, no one is perfect afterall, and boy is this year trying to prove that readily.

i'd say you need a vacation but im worried given how things have gone any vacation you take will just end up having the same level of troubles but vacation wise, heh.
>>
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>>4412144

While still staring up at the sky, you withdraw Escher’s Gear from your pocket and hold it outstretched, allowing your gaze to fall upon it when you feel Rath, Dorian, and B’ni’s hands make contact with the ceramic cog. At the speed of thought, space churns around you as you and your allies are whisked across the Fleshscape, and when reality finally slows to a stop it’s to deposit you safely back within the familiar walls of the Dragon’s Roost.

You’ve beaten the rest of the family there, but you’re not left waiting on them for long before Gina and Francine arrive, engaged in a frenzied technical dialogue even up to the point where Gina throws herself into your arms with a joyful laugh. Rath skirts around the two of you to catch Francine’s attention, and the two of them scurry off to the Forge room just as Holly and Uzu haul themselves up the stairs to emerge in the living room. B’ni moves with a speed that even startles Dorian as she races over to their side, halting just before them as the two girls promptly scoop their friend up in a delighted hug. Johanna joins them mere moments later, with November scooting around the gaggle of girls as she bee-lines to the Forge room, waving at you and Gina as she makes her way to her niece. Lastly, Amara practically flings herself into the room with unmatched enthusiasm, followed by Orwell who gives you a nervous wave as your young ward leaps into your and Gina’s arms.

There will be time enough to review, to plot, to plan...but right here, right now? You just take a moment to breathe. The sounds of your family chatting away, the feeling of Gina and Amara right here next to you, the sensation of being surrounded by the people that’ve made hell into something bearable...even Tinker Tailor, the wiry and inscrutable girl skittering just out of view and slinking off to whatever she gets up to.

Mara gave you the Dragon’s Roost to call home, but it really isn’t...at least, not in a traditional sense. It’s not so much the place as the people that fill it, you realize, that gives this expansive space the feeling of comfort that it brings you.

Home is where the heart is...and yours? Yours is right here, forever and always.

No matter what comes next.

>>Forty-Sixth Vein: Closed
>>
(Gentlemen, thank you all for your enthusiasm and participation, as always. The 47th Vein is set to open on August 31st at 9:00AM, Eastern time. Thank you all for bearing with my rather unpredictable schedule, and I am looking forward to taking the time needed to make the character sheet adjustments that I’ve been trying to finish for some time now. I’ll continue to monitor the Vein in case any questions, concerns, or criticisms arise, and I welcome them all. I wish everyone reading this at present and those who are catching up a very pleasant week, and I look forward to seeing where you all take things from here. Take care, one and all.)
>>
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>>4412484
well, thank you for running BHOP.
Dont take this the wrong way, but im glad we finally got this chapter of the story wrapped up. Think for reasons outside of any of our control or actual amount written Arcadia felt like it dragged on a bit. Still, i look forward to what comes next, and thank you again for putting your all into it as best you could.

I hope this coming week goes well for you, and as stated before, i'll be around if you decide you need any help, but I trust you can handle it as you deem you should.
...or life will throw metaphorical wrenches at you, but we'll see i suppose.
>>
>>4412494
(I'm going to level with you—I'm kind of relieved to be through the Arcadia arc myself, as much as I love some of the characters involved. There are just so many other places I want to show off and new characters I'm looking forward to introducing that it felt like it took forever...and the numerous delays certainly didn't help, either. Still, thank you for sticking with it, and I'm very excited for the options I'll be presenting to you next.)
>>
>>4412484
>>4412504
Thanks for the ride as always bhop. I think I've have a rather fitting description for this thread when I come around to archive this vein.

But given that this vein is on the 7th page...I have a good estimate that this vein will fall off the board within a week barring any new activity on the board.

Given the slow pace of irl events, this is a fitting end to the Arcadia arc.

On a related note. Progress with Chapter 9 and the rest of the Cradleton story has been going smoothly. And the spoiler relics are undergoing a tuning process, so expect chapters 8,9, and possibly 10 to be published, barring any additional plotholes that I discover while writing.
>>
>>4412484
Thanks for running, BHOP. See you on the 31st. I hope you have a nice week and a half.

>>4412504
It will be fun to be headed westward again. While we've been seeing plenty of interesting things lately, they've all been in the same general area. It's kind of felt like we've been reactive instead of proactive, even if we're cutting problems off before they become problems, just because we're not literally moving forward. I'm looking forward to more adventures.

>>4412543
>I think I've have a rather fitting description for this thread when I come around to archive this vein.
So do I. Can I propose my own? "Even in Arcadia, there Shu was." It's a bit of an obscure reference if you're not an art major, but it actually works super well for this arc. The reference is to Nicolas Poussin's painting "Et in Arcadia ego", "Even in Arcadia, there I am", about the inevitability of death and how humanity creates art and beauty in an attempt to contest that inevitability. Pretty fitting for Selene and this Arcadian Collective.
>>
>>4412484
Question: is this the end of an ACT/arc?
>>
>>4413429
(I would say so, yes.)
>>
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>>4413481
(Also...)

(Skinternet.)
>>
>>4413502
a meat computer would be interesting.
curious though, do you use the computer til it rots, or til the heat of it running cooks it to your liking?
>>
>>4413558
(Oh, I'd imagine it would cook itself well enough. To find one that wouldn't over heat would be rather rare...)

(...I'll see myself out.)
>>
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>>4413566
i dont know whether to laugh til i pass out or boo you out of the room.
pic unrelated but its the closest to an appropriate excuse to post i i can think of.
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>>4413566
Very clever pun, well done.
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>>4412484

>"There was much ado about "nothing". For even in Acadia, there Shu was. End of the 5th Arc/Act."

>46th vein Archived

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/4386337/

>>4413566
>>4413502
>>4413585

Clearly the valuable meat computers are the frozen ones that can stay cool under the processing pressure.
>>
>>4413634
Yay, my nerdy art history reference got in.
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>>4413645
There's also a Shakespearean reference in the first half: "Much ado about Nothing".
>>
>>4413634
>>4413645
(An excellent summary. Very well done, you two.)
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In regards to what I theorized here >>4409105 about how there had to be more to Mara's Core for her to have Eldritch Cancellation, I was looking back through some old Veins and saw that we actually have been told what the reason is already.

From Vein 40
>Ah, here’s two juicy little rumors for you – the first is that while most everyone assumes her Core to be related to that impressive suit of armor she’s so famous for, it’s actually a Calcite Armorer power she merged with her actual Core power…though as for what it is, no-one’s been able to determine. Sure, she *says* she’s a Calcite Armorer Core, but people that’ve seen her fight have reported things they can’t explain, particularly when she’s fighting seriously.

So yeah, it's that it's a hybrid. The Steelshell is Calcite/Fibrous/Deprived, that's how she got defensive themes mixed in with the causality stuff. On the plus side, this means that we don't have to wonder what exactly she's hiding. On the minus side, this means that if we ever do get into a fight with her we'll have to contest something that can only be called QUANTUM DRAGON ARMOR.
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>>4413925
That begs the question: What exactly defines a Deprived class daughter? Their parameters and capabilities?

And who else among the living and the jailbroken have a deprived class ability?
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>>4413990
we know the first question, the deprived class is any ability that is not supposed to be allowed by the structure and rules of the crucible.
which, is pretty broad and open to interpretation, and only somewhat defined by other rules, such as what falls into other classes for example.
It may also involve being a threat to the Crucible itself, but, judging by the Hexxanes game that may not actually be necessary criteria.
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>>4413990
Hard to say. From the examples we have, it's clearly something to do with time, space, and causal links. But those traits aren't exclusive to the Deprived, since Magpie's teleportation was Vitruvian and Karma said that the causality-reversing Daughter in the Hexane Crucible was initially mistaken for a weird Flesh Artisan. So without seeing a Daughter do something really weird that couldn't be anything other than a "broken" power, it's hard to say who has a Deprived ability and who doesn't.
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>>4414173
>>4414008
Well didn't Selene say that all Deprived class daughters are slated to fail? And that to have a Deprived Daughter ascend the Cord and take the throne completely erases the Cord Strain through a cascade error induced by the Deprived code?

>“No. No, the Deprived aren’t like normal Daughters. We don’t *get* a Choice…we get a Revelation, once we’ve used our powers enough.” She interrupts, her voice cold. “We’re told by Mother exactly what an aberration we are, and what happens if a piece of glitched code tries to win. We see examples across the Crucibles’ histories, showing what happens to each and every one of us.”

>“…What are you talking about?”

>“A system shock of the highest order. Complete erasure of this strain, down to its core. The current species, the prior participants — everything, completely obliterated as the entire thing comes crashing down.”

So I think the defining trait of the Deprived is that they are deprived of victory, of winning. Because their powers are a lethal threat to the Cord itself.
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>>4414263
What if it's intentional? This lethal flaw has arisen in the exact same form independently in multiple strains of the Crucible. Maybe it's a designed feature, meant to get rid of old and malfunctioning Crucibles. Crucibles that aren't working right are more likely to produce self-destruct responses in the form of Deprived, and that way the Crucibles remain genetically competitive over the long term.

Also, Selene made explicit something here that's been implied before: The Crucible stores at least some of the races it's consumed long-term. What do you think the odds are going to be that when we end the Crucible and re-embody everyone, we'll also wind up resurrecting a lot of alien civilizations? Maybe not all of the worlds the Crucible has ever eaten, but at least the past couple. We could wind up sharing the Earth with the Hexane and whoever came before them.
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>>4414263
well yeah, but being such a threat is still based off of their ability being a glitch, and thus not intended for the Crucible.

>>4414314
I dont think that is the case. otherwise it wouldn't be an exemption of Mothers restrictions to capture and contain Depraved, nor would the Crucible be able to hold them. Instead, the Crucible actually allows extra leeway and power towards defeating or containing them if it deems such necessary, which would imply it does not want them. If they were intentional though, they themselves would be more resistant to such countermeasures at least, but they clearly are not.

also, im unsure its actually storing the races, over just info on them. it storing the info of all past Crucibles makes sense, but isnt the same as it storing the actual races or other parts of them, which we have actually been told it does delete all but a select few parts of, such as those individuals who have made pacts with it, or classes that were introduced by them, and possibly the odd leftover relic or so.

actually, that is an oddity i wonder on.
It was implied Relic forging is super new, like just last Crucible new. Yet i think its also been implied older Crucibles had relics, just in far lesser numbers and with caveats to their existence, over of course being made in the crucible. Yet i think Jackies sword may be the only one we have seen, which seems odd. Maybe 'natural' relics are just so rare manufactured ones drown them out in numbers, making them harder to spot and less worth searching for in general?

wait no sorry, two, two 'natural' relics. i forgot about Ginas mp3, though i am unsure if it actually has true relic status.
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>>4414352
>I dont think that is the case. otherwise it wouldn't be an exemption of Mothers restrictions to capture and contain Depraved, nor would the Crucible be able to hold them. Instead, the Crucible actually allows extra leeway and power towards defeating or containing them if it deems such necessary, which would imply it does not want them. If they were intentional though, they themselves would be more resistant to such countermeasures at least, but they clearly are not.
Oh, yeah, good point. Well, that just leaves me with no explanation for why the exact same mutation has occurred independently in multiple Crucibles, other than "the Crucible Makers fucked up really bad". Oh god, is that the answer? I hope not, that would be frustrating to deal with, if they couldn't keep their creations from spontaneously generating suicide codes.

>also, im unsure its actually storing the races, over just info on them
I suppose, but "prior participants" sounds like it's actually storing people and not just information about them. Maybe it's not storing entire races, but just individuals that it found notable. That would fit with the Tindalos being unique for their race surviving the Crucible, while still allowing for there to be alien Daughters preserved in the Cord.

>Maybe 'natural' relics are just so rare manufactured ones drown them out in numbers, making them harder to spot and less worth searching for in general?
Probably. Also, the Relics made by means other than Hexane technology would be much older and have been through more cycles, so there's more chances they've been destroyed by the events of a Crucible or just left behind when a new iteration is born.
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>mfw found a plothole in Cradleton.
>mfw said plothole makes plot advancement neigh impossible without creating further plotholes
>mfw theoretical solutions make plot advancement even more complicated.
>mfw I'm losing track of the sequence of events
>mfw I realize the power balance could be upended and render the mood completely anti-climatic.
>mfw I've theoretically written myself into a corner.
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>>4419149
Update: found a fix.
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>>4419149
>>4419236
(Me, literally any time I try to be clever. That said, I'm glad you found a fix so swiftly!)
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>>4419149
>>4419236
>>4419247
oh, well, glad that rollercoaster got solved at least. sometimes simply mentioning it to others can help, so glad it did.

have goth Rath, or something akin to that.
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>>4420094
>>4419247
I'm putting Chapter 7 under lockdown...again. The reason this time is due to a character inconsistency that I've found when it comes to Andersen.
It won't really impact much of the plot, but it will alter the tone and his motives behind his actions.
Sorry.
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>>4420666
oh, well hope you get it hammered out how you wish. Its fine, Life has been.... well its 2020 still, i'll leave it at that.



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