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Cyouni posted:Wait is that what triggered the explosion? I never actually figured that out, and usually abused Burning Heart to get around that. On further testing, it seems like the self-destruct on the wizards always triggers. When they sing the gloomy song, they'll either follow up with Fig Attack or Pomegranate Attack next turn. Fig Attack just has AT Delay and Pomegranate has a chance of insta-ganking you on hit, which might've been what their Analysis entry was talking about. Sorry about that. I'll head back into the post and revise it tomorrow. If I'm still wrong and the self-destruct triggers based on specific attacks (I went back and tested with Normal attacks/arts/S-Crafts), please let me know. Stabbey_the_Clown posted:The path leading to the temple is actually where the "A Bell That Cannot Ring" music starts, to set the ominous mood long before you reach the door. I'll revise that. Thanks! Rabbi Raccoon posted:Am I the only one who thinks the character sprites would be right at home in Ogre Battle 64? No nose or mouth and I must scream. Pyre of Word Salsa fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Nov 10, 2021 |
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Nov 10, 2021 04:28
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| # ? May 5, 2024 00:12 |
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Part 87: “I'm da greatesht gambler this sh‘tate has ever seen!” First thing’s first: unequipping Noel. She’s bailing soon and won’t be returning to the party for the remainder of the game, so yoinking everything from her is a good idea. Mining Town of Mainz (Evolution)    I'm always impressed by how much faster we travel with your car. Let‘s hurry and ask the town mayor for details on the case. Sounds good, man. If I remember correctly, it was the house in the back of town.   Apologies for making you come all this way. Truth be told, I intended to go see you in the city, but...Please, don‘t worry about that. We were in the area, so stopping by wasn't an inconvenience or anything. So, would you mind explaining the Support Request to us?Of course. Please take a seat. I’ll pour some tea. Just one second.  Yes, precisely. You see, he's a gambler at heart. People have even told me that he would go to the city's Entertainment District on weekends to gamble at the casino...The fact that he hasn't contacted anyone for two whole weeks has us worried. Everyone around town is wondering where he's gone or if something happened to him. That‘s...definitely strange. There may be some specific reason he hasn't returned, such as being involved in an accident... Hmm. At the very least, I hope he wasn't attacked by the monsters that have started to appear on the city outskirts... What if the miner is just a drat good gambler? A guy could make a killin' in the casino, if he plays his cards right. If I were him and that happened, I'd be chillin' in Mishelam with a drink in one hand and the other around a pretty lady's waist. Yeah, I doubt that's the case… For starters, he isn‘t you. Randy makes a valid point about gambling, though. We cannot ignore the possibility.Hmm… I don't mean to interrupt, but I don't see that happening. Why's that?You said he loves to gamble. Are there any other relevant qualities about him we should know of?Haha, well, Gantz is the least serious person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, but… while he may love gambling to death, he's absolutely horrible at it. On top of that, he's got the luck of a man who would keel over from a splinter. Every time he comes home, his wallet is as drg as a desert. In that case, he might make some cash in the lottery, but, without any real skill, I doubt he'd win much in a poker game. Perhaps he took out a sum of mira and ran off before the loan sharks could catch him...? W-Well, that‘s another possibility to consider.That was actually one of the scenarios we considered before you arrived.Though, if that was true, I think we would have heard from him by now... Understood. Mayor Bickson, you can leave finding Gantz to us. For now, we'll start with investigating the casino and other places he may have visited.Thank you, Lloyd. I'll leave this matter in your hands, then.Of course, sir. Let me write down your phone number while I‘m here…Later, outside:  It‘s probably about time we head back to Crossbell City,We still need to gather more information before the day is done, so, yes, we should return before it gets dark. Could you give us a ride, Noel? Yes, of course! Hop in, and we’ll move out.Afternoon in Crossbell    Trust me, I plan to return the favor as soon as I can!I think you're giving us too much credit here, Sergeant Major.Yeah, dude. We should be thankin' YOU for inviting us on this crazy adventure.Guys, about what happened in the temple… I think we should contact Crossbell Cathedral and have them sort things out from here on. I concur. If the ruins are, in fact, related to an artifact, our hands are tied.Right. That'd make it the church's jurisdiction.Either way, l'll discuss things with the deputy commander and figure out what to do. So, are you guys going to start asking around the city now?Yep. Starting with the casino. Could you contact us if the CGF learns anything?About Gantz, you mean? Of course.  Well, it was nice while the car lasted. Drive safely! Thanks for all the quartz!  Arc-en-Ciel    You guys ready? Let's find ourselves a miner and hit the slots, too!We're only going to be doing one of those things, Randy.Considering we aren't undercover, there is absolutely zero reason for us to play.Agreed. Angway, let's just stick with questioning employees and customers.Perhaps that will lead to some clue about Gantz‘s whereabouts.Yeah, yeah, Buncha killjoys. Okay. Now, we COULD just hunt around for information. But just hear me out here…  WOOOOO, GAMBLING! gently caress YE-  …Oh.  No, not today.We actually wanna ask you something.Lloyd asked about the missing miner.  Missing? That's preposterous. He came here earlier. Guy managed to make a killing, too.Wait, really? And he was winning, you say...? Cmon, Drake. You must be thinkin' of someone else, right? Y'see, we‘re lookin‘ for a miner from Mainz. I doubt he has the skill OR intuition needed to stay afloat here.I assure you, I know the man. It all started about two weeks ago... It'd been a while since I last saw him, but I swear it was like he was a completely different person. Thanks to him, my dealers are in the middle of a losing streak. We've lost almost… 500,000 mira to him now? Five hundred THOUSAND?! That is an exorbitant amount of money...There's no friggin way, man… He‘s gotta be cheating, right?As I'm sure you know, we are professionals. If someone was cheating, we would notice. Besides, he not only has shown incredible talent, but miraculously good luck as well. Everybody here would like to know how in the world he turned into a gambling phenom.Interesting...This is quite different from the story Mayor Bickson gave us. Excuse me, sir. Apparently, Gantz hasn't returned to Mainz yet… Do you have any idea where he‘s staying?Ah, yes. Last I heard, he's staying at the hotel across the street. The deluxe suite on the top floor, no less.Well, I guess he does have the mira for it.Seriously, though, that place is crazy expensiveIn any case, I am surprised we were able to find him this easily‘Likewise. We should go and pay him a visit. Oh geez, it’s night ALREADY?! It was JUST one game of roulette (said every gambling addict)! What the gently caress?  We need to go and speak with Gantz,Right, let's head over to the hoteL The VIP rooms are on the top floor.Imagine hitting the jackpot and livin' the baller life in a five—star hotel. drat, I'm jealous as hell.Focus on the problem at hand, Randy.  Hotel Millennium is our next objective. Gantz is on the top floor, so it's just a short travel there.   I got curious, and I decided to check how much a typical room cost at Hotel Millennium again. Five hundred THOUSAND mira, huh? Uh, going from what we know of this guy’s habits so far, booze and drugs may be inevitable. But what would I know of the dude?  Hostess:Oh, my. Long time no see. Haha. Pleasure seein' you again.Gantz:Who da hell're you people? *hic* Excuse us, sir. We're with the CPD. You must be Gantz from Mainz.Gantz: Th—That‘sh right… Ain't I metcha shomewhere before? *hic* Have we?I recognize this man… Did we not save him from war hounds during the Mainz incident?Oh, you're right!  Gantz: *buuurp* So, whatcha want? Well, we received a request from the mayor of Mainz… A request to track you down.Gantz:The mayor'sh lookin‘ for me? What for? *hic* C‘mon, man. You've been here for, like, two weeks without contactin' anyone, geah? Everyone's all worried about your They thought ya went missin'.As such, we were requested to find you.Gantz:M‘kay? Well, ya found me. Congrats. So can ya go ahead an‘ buzz off now, eh? I ain't ever goin' back to that hellhole for as long as I live.” *hic* Wh—Why's that?For what reason?Gantz: Bwahaha! Ain't it obvious?! I'm da greatesht gambler this sh‘tate has ever seen! And it ain't just my killer skill at t' tables! *hic* Oh, geah. Lady Luck is my bitch, too!  Gantz, go home, you’re drunk. Wait a second...Watch it...Are you sure that's what you want? Everybody‘s worried sick about you. You could at least contact the mayor and give him some peace——  Gantz: Hey, ladies! How 'bout I take guns to that fanshy shmancy resort this weekend? Ya can pick whatever you want from those boutiques they got, too, *burp* Bill's on me! Hostess: Wooooow, really?! Hostess: Teehee... We can‘t wait to go! One trip outside later…  Ain't much we can do about him. Dude‘s way too full of himself,Yeah, you're probably rightRegardless, we're still obligated to inform the mayor of the situation. It‘s not our right to force him to return to Mainz. Indeed. It was his own conscious decision....What's on your mind, Lloyd? You look like something's bothering you.Yeah, so here‘s the thing… He was just an amateur gambler who played casually. I doubt he's nearly lucky or sharp enough to be good… Yet somehow, he's suddenly on multiple winning streaks? No matter how I analyze the situation, it just doesn't add up.That‘s true...Yeah, that sure sounds fishy to me. Ya think he'd tell me all his tricks if I butter him up with a few drinks?Are you not already a skilled gambler, Randy?Only when I'm on a hot streak, my friend! Not a chance in hell I'd pull off wins for two consecutive weeks and win half a million mira. Pretty sure you'd only be able to pull that off if you were as skilled as Jack.Jack's a fictional character, Randy‘Gambler Jack is the collectible book series in Trails in the Sky SC. The link I posted leads to the whole book, in case you want to read it. The hostesses leave the hotel room.  Whoa! Take it down a notch, sweet-cheeks. Can I ask you two hunnies somethin' real quick? I'm just a lil' curious about this Gantz fellow in there.Hostess: Go right ahead. Hostess: Ooh, what is it? Is he involved in some sorta crime? Nah. It ain‘t nothin' like that. Just wonderin' if he's always been such an arrogant jackass. Even with the few drinks he had, he laid the attitude on a bit thick, eh?Hostess: Hmm. Yeah, I can see what you mean. It‘s true, he wasn't nearly as cocky when he first started gambling… But as time went on, his victories began to feed his ego. Though we're just hostesses, so we don‘t really mind. Yeah? I see, I see... So it's safe to say that the arrogance wasn't stemming from alcohol, right?Hostess: Personality aside, that man is something else. It‘s almost as if he could see through the cards while they were laid down. He must have razor—sharp senses, Hostess: No kidding! It's totally insane, to be honest. He even won straight up bets at the roulette table, too! You think he can read the dealer's mind? That does sound most impressive...*sigh* Sounds more like a superpower than being perceptive.drat it! Why couldn't Aidios have blessed me with such wonderful talents?!...Hostess: Anyway, that‘s about all we know about Gantz. Hostess: Are we good to get back to work? Yep! You've been real helpful. Think I'll come see you cuties again when I get some free time 'round here,Hostess: Teehee. I won't get my hopes up, but I‘ll be waiting for you, Hostess: Anyway, I'm going to go back to work now.   Yeah. Give me a second. I'll call him.Lloyd pulled out Mayor Bickson‘s phone number and dialed it.  Oh, so you've called. Were you able to find any information on Gantz?Well, about that...Lloyd explained everything that happened to Mayor Bickson. I...am finding it hard to believe that such a thing has happened A man like Gantz striking riches from gambling and living in a luxury hotel?We tried to reason with him, but he refuses to return to Mainz. So we figured, the least we could do was report the situation to gou.Oh, no, you've done exemplary work. If this is truly the case, then I shall make my way to the city tomorrow and speak with Gantz directly. Thank you for your hard work.We're just doing our jobs, sir. If we can be of further assistance, then please don‘t hesitate to contact us again. We'll keep helping if we can.Thank you… I'll be counting on you all.Lloyd hangs up.  Well, he was definitely surprised about Gantz. He said he'd be coming to Crossbell City tomorrow so he can speak to him.Doubt there's a better man for the job, to be honest....What’s wrong, Tio? You've been quiet for a while now. Is something bothering you? No, not particularly… It was a long dag, so I am feeling a bit fatigued.No kidding... Investigating those ruins earlier took a toll on me.The sun has already set, so perhaps we should return home. KeA‘s awaiting our return, right?Indeed she is. It is as if my exhaustion is completely erased when I see her smile.Haha. I don't know if I'd go that far. I do get what you mean, though.Geez. Talk about a group of doting parents, eh? Let‘s hurry on home and see our little KeDo!The Starry Sky Misty in the Night One quick trip back to the SSS later:   Oh, you‘re back! Yay!  Yup! I'm always ready to roll! You're late... Was there a lot of work today?Hehe, more or less.Bet we would have keeled over if we didn't have that nice car to drive 'round in.I second that... Hey, Tio. You look super tired, Are you all right?Yes. I'll be fine. Hmm... Since I'm so full of energy, I don't mind sharing some with you! Heehee... *snuggle*Ah...Haha, that's KeA for you.Heh. Never seen medicine that potent. Hehe, perhaps a KeA hug is stronger than a wonder drug.Thank you, KeA. I think I'm sufficiently recharged. I'm glad!Come to think of it... Is the chief not home yet, KeA?The chief...? Oh, he's over in his office. A visitor came by, and he‘s still talking with him.A visitor? That's pretty rare, considering the time.Do you remember what he looked like? Hmmm...he's an old man with a BIG beard. He kinda reminds me of a bear. I think the chief called him something like a...lawyer.Oh, Mr. Grimwood's here?Why‘s he stoppin‘ by so late?Shall we go greet him while we have the opportunity?I will leave all that to you. I'm on kitchen duty tonight.You all right with cooking for everyone? If you want, I could take over for you tonight.No, I already made preparations for dinner earlier. It should be almost ready. KeA, hold on for just a little while longer, okag?Oh, Tio, Tio! can I help you get the food ready?!You want to? Well, then, you’ll be my sous chef.    Oh, sorry to be intruding when it's so late.So it was Mr. Grimwood after all.It‘s not every day you decide to visit us.Yes, well, I had some matters to discuss with Sergei. Since I was in the neighborhood, I took the opportunity to stop by.Matters to discuss? Yeah, I‘ll cut to the heart of it It‘s about KeA's identity.O-Oh, then did you…?You guys figure anything out?!Unfortunately not… It seems a request was also submitted to the guild, but I, at Sergei's behest, explored another possibility. Unfortunately, it wasn't—no... Actually, I'm pleased to sag the possibility I looked into was a bust.You were happy it was a bust?Right... It was pertaining to a story several years back. There were multiple cases of child abductions, primarily being focused in the Calvard Republic. Child abductions?! H-Horrible...Points and Lines   Each country's army, police forces, the Bracer Guild, you name it... Everyone cooperated to put an end to that mess.That‘s crazy...It‘s the first I've heard of it...Same here. Since it was kept under wraps, it must have been pretty drat serious.Yes… Eventually, the case was closed. Due to its nature, in the end, the case was treated as strictly confidential. Only reason I know about it is because I was involved, serving as an adviser.P-Please, hold on a second. You're saying there‘s a chance KeA could be one of the victims from this whole abduction incident?!I thought the same thing, so I searched through the case records again… To my relief, I wasn't able to find any children who matched KeA's description. For the record, the men responsible for those horrors were almost all arrested, and the rest committed suicide. Today, | simply came to inform Sergei of my findings.I see...I'm relieved that KeA wasn‘t a part of that, but the fact that it actually happened...I would've ended up telling you about all this eventually. Anyway, we're back to square one with KeA.Well, no skin off our back, right? Just gotta keep lookin' after the kiddo until we find one of her relatives.Right, I‘d appreciate it if you kept sheltering the child here. But in case we can't end up finding a relative… we should consider entrusting her to a foster family, or to a church orphanage.H-Hold on...B-But...You all need to wrap your heads around those possibilities. Adopting a kid and properly raising them? That‘s not something you can jump into half-assed. No matter how adorable she may be.Th-that might be true...It's probably a bit more difficult than takin' in a stray kitten or somethin'...I'm sorry, everyone. Sounds like I brought down the mood a bit. You all just returned from a long day of work, correct? I imagine you have a report to finish, so it's about time I excuse myself.No, please wait. The truth is, there's something we were planning on consulting you about...Oh? With me?Lloyd explained the situation with the missing miner to Sergei and Mr. Grimwood. So you were working on a missing persons case… Heh. Sounds like a job for the SSS, all right.It didn‘t seem like anything illegal was going on, so we just left him how he was. I wonder if we should have tried a little harder to get him to go home.Hmm, well, that's a complicated question. If a bracer tried to, there's a possibility that he'd listen to reason, or at least negotiate, but… If a police officer tried to pull that move, odds are that the whole situation would turn into a giant fiasco… It‘s an exceedingly fine line.l was afraid you'd say that...The guy is old enough to make his own decisions, so, unfortunately, it‘s none of our business. If he were just some brat, we could have given him a spankin‘ and taken him home.Heehee, that's true.However, gou mentioned he gained gambling skill, luck, and intuition...like he was a different man?...Ian? Something about this rub you the wrong way?Well, it might just be coincidence, but... Lately, two other similar stories have come to my attention...No kidding?You tellin' me there‘s not one, but THREE lucky bastards who hit the jackpot?!No, no, it's a bit different. The stories I heard about involve a stockbroker who works for a securities firm, and the manager of a trading company. Recently, both companies sustained heavy losses and were almost in the red, but… in the last few days, they seem to have experienced an incredible rebound. I could hardly believe it until I saw the numbers. Especially that stockbroker... Story goes that he bought and sold stocks with unprecedented luck and intuition, as if he could see the future.Sounds pretty familiar.Haha, don‘t worry. I'm sure it‘s only a coincidence. From what I've heard, their attitudes have changed in addition to their skills. They've supposedly become extremely arrogant. That tidbit piqued my interest.That‘s definitely strange...  You want to check possible ties, I presume?Yes, if possible.Something catch your attention, chief?When you're in this business, Lloyd, it never hurts to have all the information you can. It‘s as simple as that.Ah, I understand… (Guy told me something like that, too… That the decisive factors in an investigation are intuition and the information you uncover...)Well, then, I'll get out of your way now. If you ever have anything bothering you, don‘t hesitate to stop by my office. I'll do everything in my power to help out.Thank you very much, Mr. Grimwood.
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Nov 20, 2021 22:16
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When I played through this chapter, I did my usual "talk to everyone" bit, and I did hear a few things about this guy who was on a super hot streak, and there was a locked room in the hotel I couldn't get into. I did wonder at the time if that was miner Gantz, but I kinda went "nah, no way", because I'd also talked to Gantz in earlier chapters as part of my "talk to everyone bit", and knew he was bad at gambling. I did not expect Gantz to suddenly have become a super-gambler. I felt it was most unusual.
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Nov 20, 2021 23:02
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The game does a really good job at making this seem relatively minor while still instilling a sense of foreboding.
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Nov 22, 2021 22:08
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Part 88: “From how carefree you sound, I bet you don‘t know anything at all, right?” Revache & Co.    We've been trying to impede them, but their resilience was most unexpected… Hmmm. How curious. l was led to believe that they didn't have the manpower to accomplish such a thing. Did their boss finally involve himself in their restoration efforts?That‘s the strangest part. The Killing Bear was nowhere to be found. This appeared to solely be the work of subordinates. The reports state that they only brought enough for a small army. Not only that, but there were no war hounds present, either.How interesting. Now I'm even more curious. Had this been a battle of numbers, Heiyue should have come out victorious. Did they employ those Reinford heavy machine guns, perhaps?Yes, actually. Their main forces appeared to have been armed with them. However, the report also mentions that their battle prowess has skyrocketed.Interesting. I get the impression Don Marconi is trying his damnedest to appease the speaker and quell his rage. I don't recall any new reports of jaegers being employed or any training exercises being held, either. Hmm. Very peculiar, indeed!Are you implying that they've acquired a trump card right under our noses?Precisely. When comparing our respective trump cards, get the feeling that theirs is extraordinary. Much like Master Yin. I believe that theirs is a wild card——one that can turn the tides of battle at a moment's notice. The screen shakes suddenly as Cao and Lau hear gunshots from the rooms below. Demonic Drive  Ah, yes. Speak of the devil, and he shall come.A Heiyue goon bursts into the room.  Member: A group of men draped in black are unloading rounds into the building! Revache, I think! There's about ten of them, and the Killing Bear isn't one of them! There are only ten measly grunts? Hurry it up and finish them off, then! And don't worry about the police! This is self-defense, so anything goes!Member: W-Well, the thing is… Those guys aren't human, I'm telling you! They're holding massive machine guns with just one hand! Another Heiyue goon rushes into the room to report.  Member: It‘s only a matter of time before they reach us, sir! D-drat it... If only Master Yin was here! I don't think I‘ll be able to outwit them in a barbaric situation like this.Master Cao, you don't mean…?We're leaving, Lau. Relying on Yin for a petty squabble like this would be a stain on Heiyue‘s name.Come. Let us demonstrate our might as the conquerers of the Eastern Order. Welp, that happened. I’m sure hearing gunshots is a normal occurrence in these parts. It’s too bad about all the vases and antiques that probably got smashed in the ensuing chaos, though. We reconvene with the SSS the next day: During Mission Accomplishment  You're telling me that KeA cooked all of these sunny-side up eggs for us?She sure did. Her technique was so good that I found myself taking mental notes while watching.Fried eggs with a bit of runny yolk. Nice.Get a load of this bacon, too. It's, like, perfectly crisp.She does seem to have quite the knack for the culinary arts. Yesterday's cream stew was basically her own creation. Are you sure you haven't had any prior cooking experience, KeA? I dunno. Maybe? Whenever I cook, it's like my hands are moving on their own...Well, I guess it's true that cooking is more through personal experience than anything else, but...(...the fact that she's THIS talented at her age is pretty amazing.) Hey, Tio! l was wondering… Do you feel okay today?You look fine, as far as I can tell...But don‘tcha think it'd be better to take the day off and rest?No, I'm fine. After all, I went to bed quite a bitearlier than usual yesterday. Hmm. You can, if need be.I don't think we have any urgent requests to take care of, so we can always wait and see how you're feeli——Lloyd’s ENIGMA rings.     Yeah, yeah, I know already! Now, where the heck are you? What are you doing right now?!J-Jona...? Wow, I wasn't expecting a night owl like yourself to be awake this early in the morning.Hah! Implying I didn‘t pull an all—nighter! But enough about that! It doesn't matter! From how carefree you sound, I bet you don‘t know anything at all, right?Don't know what, exactly?So you don't know. Well, then, I, the great and brilliant Jona, will do you a favor! In the dead of night yesterday... Well, technically today, I guess, but that's beside the point. Either way, Heiyue's office building was raided by someone!What?!They were caught completely off guard, too! No offense, all defense, y‘know? Apparently, they took some SERIOUS damage. If you ask me, it had to have been done by those Revache guys!It's not outside the realm of possibility… Thanks for the heads up, Jona.Haha! You owe me one, Lloyd!Jona hangs up.  Yeah. Something crazy's popped up.Lloyd relayed the information he heard from Jona to the rest of the Special Support Section. I-Is that really true, Lloyd?!That‘s freakin' insane!It‘s bold to pull off such a thing in the city, even if it was in the middle of the night.Whaaat?Interesting development… If true, I'd bet anything that the First Division has already jumped on the case. If it bothers you that much. go check it out. But only after you finish eating.Will do, sir!Oh, right. Will you be good to go, Tin?Yes, of course. We can walk over to the Harbor District after we finish our breakfast Next time, we’ll head out and check out the damage done by Revache & Co.’s goons. You’ll notice that we don’t have any Support Requests right now, and that’s because they don’t unlock until after we take a look at Heiyue. So until we progress with our next objective, we’ll be holding off on the Support Requests/NPC/Back Alley Doctor Glenn bullshit for the future.
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Jan 6, 2022 21:31
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The Crossbell games do a good job of letting the domino's fall one by one. In Sky and Cold Steel, poo poo tends to go sideways all at once. I like this pacing better
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Jan 7, 2022 02:19
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A big shootout definitely suggests that order is starting to fall apart, and there's also a mystery about it because earlier Revache wouldn't make such brazen moves because they didn't want to risk losing their support from diet members or being outright stopped by the Bracer guild.
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Jan 11, 2022 21:36
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Part 89: “Are you feeling okay, man? Who said anything about losing?” During Mission Accomplishment   A raid will do that.Yep, this confirms it. I'm seein' traces of heavy weaponry all over. 'Least they didn't resort to blowin' em up with explosives. Hey, Franz… How's the situation looking? We rushed out here as soon as we heard the news. I don't know much, yet. All I've heard is that shots were fired in the middle of the night. Dudley and the others are in the middle of conducting an investigation.It sounds like the First Division took on the case immediately.Well, they are highly coordinated.We'd like to ask the members of Heiyue some questions. Do you mind letting us inside?Uh… I suppose I could...? I was only told to not let civilians pass through here. You'll have to make up an excuse to Dudley for me, though.Of course. Thanks for helping us out.Heiyue Trade Company (Evolution)  Heiyue has seen better days. And by “better days”, I mean I’m surprised someone didn’t commit a good arson while they were at it. Oh, well… maybe Heiyue was looking for an excuse to re-wallpaper the place anyway.  Hell, there’s even a door. I’d like to think one of Revache’s redshirts just got really roided up and decided to just rip it off its hinges before beating a bunch of kung-fu fighting fuckers with it, Yakuza-style.   We wish to collaborate with you, so would you be willing to share details of the raid with us?You'll have to forgive me. After all, it was late into the night… I haven't the foggiest idea of whom the assailants may be, or why they targeted our humble company. Even so, it appears you were able to mount an efficient defense. The first and second floors are devastated, yet this room remains spotless. How in the world were you able to fend off assailants armed with heavy machine guns?I'll admit, it was tricky, However, the assailants managed to escape our grasp, I'm afraid. Many of our men were sent to St. Ursula. Dear, oh, dear. What a disaster.You have my condolences. If you'll——The SSS give a solid knock on the door.   Emma: Wh—What's the Special Support Section doing here? Why, good morning, Detective Bannings. I see the rest of you are in attendance, too.Pardon our interruption, Cao. I know you're busy with the aftermath of the raid, but could I borrow a minute of your time?Anything for you, my friend. If you'll excuse us then, Dudley. I appreciate you having stopped by.drat...! We'll step aside, then. (Try to get what you can out of him.)(Ah... Yes, sir!) I hear you all had quite the adventure on the final day of the Anniversary Festival, correct?I'm assuming Yin has already informed you. As you know, the Special Support Section doesn't follow conventional investigative protocol. And with that in mind, how about you go ahead and tell us your true intentions?Oh? What’s this?L-Lloyd?There's no point wasting our time with his usual song and dance. Not only that, but we have a lot of ground to cover with Cao. I figured I'd get straight to the point.Whoa. Pretty gutsy move, eh?Lloyd can be quite audacious when he wants to be.Haha… Hahahaha! Exactly as I had anticipated, Mr. Bannings! I knew I was right to have hopes of you. Very well. I'm not particularly fond of trivial exchanges, anyway. If your questions are within the realm of my knowledge, I will provide the answers you seek.Thank you, Cao. I wanted to ask you about these three topics. We’re given these three options to work with here. The conversation doesn’t progress until we ask all three, so we might as well start from the top: The Assailant’s True Identity Is it safe to assume Revache is behind last night's raid? Can you say for certain that there's any chance it was carried out by a third party?Doubting the possibility entirely, are we? If you would elaborate for them, Lau.Sir. The assailants may have been masked to conceal their identities, but there's no doubt it was Revache's men. Their weapons and combat style were completely identical. Those types of things would be difficult to replicate.That does make sense...In that case, something's still rubbin' me the wrong way. I hear you Heiyue dudes are all pretty drat good martial artists. Your main man Lau here looks like he could hand out beatings left and right.You flatter me.I'm sure Revache doesn't have a shortage of combat pros, but none of them could match up with you guys one-on-one. So then, how'd you guys get trashed so hard by a handful of their thugs? Was that old Killing Bear leadin' the charge or something?No. I don't believe the esteemed general manager of sales was present. Neither were his hand-picked ex-jaeger friends. We believe Revache's regular combat personnel to be behind the attack.If that's the case, then how?Though their techniques were simple, their speed and power were beyond comprehension. They were able to brandish those heavy machine guns single-handedly. Our defenses were easily crushed by their unnatural strength. They overtook the first two floors with ease.No foolin'?...It wasn't only limited to their power and speed, either. They had inhuman endurance, as well. And thanks to that, I had to put into practice a few dangerous techniques.D-Dangerous techniques?You seem pretty knowledgeable about combat yourself, Cao.I am nothing but an amateur compared to Master Yin. The assailants' identities may have been concealed with their masks, but they were most certainly members of Revache. Their tactics were simple, but their power and speed were beyond belief. Their endurance was most impressive, too. I'm most curious to find out what means they went through to attain such strength.Future Interactions   Oh... What kind of question is that? Take a moment to ponder on what kind of organization Heiyue is. You've found your answer, correct?...So, you're after revenge.Oh, please. Keep such scandalous rumors to yourself. I've been merely referring to crisis management. At the end of the day, we only seek profits. And in situations where our profits are threatened, it is my sworn duty to crush our antagonizers through the appropriate methods. I fail to see what's so strange about that.What an annoyingly shrewd man.Does requesting assistance from Heiyue's main office lie among those 'proper methods'?He's callin' in the big guns from Heiyue's main office?Awfully blunt, aren't we? My reputation is on the line. I have no such plans at this moment. Furthermore, there is no guarantee the main office will respect my wishes. They may intervene regardless....Well, I should be able to stave off direct intervention for a little while, at least. Either way, we lack the proper knowledge on Revache's current state, so we don't have an effective countermeasure for them. We're simply investigating their movements for the time being... ...through our most reliable and cooperative employee, in fact.You requested Yin's assistance?He's the best of the best for these kinda undercover missions, yeah?KeA’s Identity   Ah...Are you sure, Lloyd?Hmm... KeA, you said? Is that a person's name? Or perhaps, some kind of code?...Forgive me for speaking out of line. You're more serious than I expected. All I know is that KeA is the name of that little girl you took into custody after the Schwarze Auction. Well, and that our dear collaborator offered you a small piece of advice there.    'Inside the trunk is a bomb, which will only serve to jeopardize Revache's position.' We were able to receive that piece of information via our own networks. We've had no means of discerning who this informant was, as of yet. However, in some ways, that only made it more credible. We wanted to be certain, so we asked our dear Master Yin to go check on it. Even in my wildest dreams, I never expected the true identity of the bomb to appear in the form it did.drat, looks like he's gonna feign ignorance till the very end.Let's assume you're telling the truth. Do you have an inkling as to who that informant might have been?Logically speaking, a bombshell of this magnitude points to the actions of a Revache defector. However... ...taking into account the skill required to convey the information to us, they must be adept. At any rate, this is as far as our knowledge regarding KeA goes. I'd appreciate it if you believed me.Understood. Thanks for answering us honestly.  Yes, for the moment. I appreciate your cooperation. Do you mind if I give the department an outline of what we discussed?Do as you like, my friend. By the way, Detective Bannings.Yes?I'll be honest with you. This raid was far beyond what I thought Revache was capable of. I was under the impression that I was fully cognizant of their strength, connections, and patterns. Yet, they were able to pull off such a brazen attack on us in their weakened state. They've splendidly surpassed all my expectations....I must say, I am unbelievably excited for what's to come. I cannot recall a moment in the last few years where a situation didn't proceed in the way I had planned. I can finally wield my intellect to crush my foes without remorse. This truly is an indescribable joy.Smug bastard.You're......unbelievable.Do not think for one second that I will allow the police to ruin my fun. Although... You're special, so I'll grant you a unique opportunity, so to speak. Will you be able to broker a resolution between both groups before Heiyue begins its all-out retaliation? I'll be eagerly awaiting your next move.During Mission Accomplishment   They gave us plenty of useful information to work with, but... I can't believe they suggested the high possibility of a full-blown conflict.If things keep heatin' up the way they have, then it's about to get real messy. We're screwed if they decide to have a firefight in the middle of town.Additionally, we have to consider the possibility that Heiyue may call for reinforcements. This is all sounding a bit too ominous.It sounds like we have a bit of time still, judging by what Cao said. At any rate, we can't leave Revache unchecked any longer. We need to start looking into it before Heiyue mobilizes their forces.I agree.Shall we visit each of the districts and question the citizens?No. I think it's time we go straight to the source. Let's go get our answers from Revache directly. You're kiddin', right?!We may have gone there once before, but still...That was before the incident at the auction. Are we not acting too recklessly?Yeah... I can't imagine they'd overlook anything outside of KeA's case. There's something else I'm concerned about, though.What might that be?Garcia's movements. We've quarreled with him before, but he never seemed the type to be reckless. I was under the impression that he had a strong command over his subordinates.Good eye. He used to be a well-known jaeger commander, in fact. Didn't think he'd order his men to launch an assault on Heiyue like that.While there's a chance he ordered the attack on Heiyue, it's entirely possible that his subordinates acted independently. I'd certainly like to get to the bottom of this.I agree. It'd be a good idea to search for clues around their base. Do you guys want to head there now?*sigh* We don't have a choice, do we?As long as we remain outside of the perimeter, the level of risk will be low.Let's go have ourselves a little stakeout! Probably less “stakeout” and more “bluntly ask for information” or “violently apprehend”, but no one accused the SSS of being particularly subtle.   They're lookin' way more pissed than I was expectin', too.Impatient, excited, vigilant, anxious... I am detecting a wide range of emotions from them.There's no mistaking it. They must be on high alert for any retaliation from Heiyue. This isn't going to be easy. For now, ascertaining Garcia's movements should be-- Revache & Co.  drat, that monster managed to conceal his presence? Hmph. It's you guys. You have the audacity to show your faces around here after all the poo poo you've put us through?Tch... I won't make any excuses. Our deal with you only concerns KeA and KeA alone.Then we're understood. If you use our deal as an excuse to come waltzing into our territory, I'm going to beat the ever-loving hell out of you....Well, aren't we a dangerous old dude? I'm fully aware of why you're snooping around. However, you won't be getting a single word out of me on that matter. If you understand, then get lost!drat…Garcia leaves them for the Revache HQ.  If, hypothetically, you were to attack an armed enemy stronghold... ...would you attack from the vanguard, leaving everything to brute strength?Hah. An honest jaeger like myself would never adopt such a poor strategy. I'd wait until the conditions were favorable and wreak the most havoc while minimizing casualties. Wouldn't you do the same...Son of the War God?Don't you ever call me that again. ...But yes, that's how jaegers operate.Is that so? Thank you. I appreciate the answer.Heh... You're a strange kid. But anyway, you'd better not come in here unprepared. You hear me? I promise you'll be torn to shreds.During Mission Accomplishment  He looked like he was tense, but also a little worn out...So it wasn't just me, then. He said a few nasty things, but I felt like it didn't have the usual bite to it.He expressed signs of fatigue. I can relate with him on that front... What in the world happened to Revache? Doesn't suit 'em, makin' faces like that.  Woman, you have a knack for appearin' in the most random places, don'tcha? What can I say? My reporter's spirit guides me to the juiciest of scoops! Anyway. Let's proceed with the usual give-and-take session, shall we? I'll be anxiously awaiting your arrival at the jazz bar! ♥  If she plans to talk, we'll hear her out. We should be cautious around her. I don't want us accidentally leaking anything to her.Duly noted.Well. On to the bar, then…  Oh, look who's finally arrived. Sudden, I know, but do you all have any tidbits about the Heiyue raid you're willing to share? I'm sure Cao showered you with all sorts of delightful details over at his office.Quick to the punch, aren't you?Actually, how were you even aware we visited Heiyue?Well, if you must know, I found out this morning. As I was about to interro--I mean...ask Cao some questions, I saw ol' Duddles barge in. Right as I was wondering, 'What's up with that?' you all entered after him. Then, once Dudley left with his partner and that classic scowl on his face, you came out looking mighty worried. With that kinda look covering your mug, I'd be shocked if you DIDN'T hear anything!You're deceptively sharp... Were we that obvious?Still, Grace, I think you know better than anyone that we can't casually disclose information about an open investigation.Of course I know that, you silly goose! That's why I proposed a bit of give-and-take. After all, aren't you dying for some details on Garcia Rossi?Always the pro at danglin' the bait right under our noses, eh?To put the cherry on top, I might have some news about that so-called 'auction,' too... Whispers say Revache screwed the pooch and incurred the wrath of the speaker... Surely you want to know how these two matters might be related? No?*sigh* All right, I'll bite. However, everything about Cao is strictly off the record, got it? I can't stress that enough, Grace.Fade out as the party catches Grace up with the situation.   Yeah... Unfortunately, it is. As things stand, both groups seem to be trying not to involve the public, if that's any consolation, but...Well, no matter which way you cut it, this raid was too abrupt. Ignoring that it happened in the dead of night, a raid near OUR news agency? Not to mention, it was right down the street from the IBC... Sounds like this decision was a little rushed, right?Yes, that's true... If things went south, this incident could have shaken the continent, destroying Crossbell's reputation as Zemuria's trade capital.You have a point there. Hmm, that also might make the info I got my mitts on not necessarily false...This information you got your hands on...Are you willing to share it now?Okay, fine. It's my turn now, eh? You see... This whole fiasco originated from inside the mafia. Lately, I've been hearing rumors that Garcia Rossi's control over his goons has been, well, lacking.Is that even possible?Yeah, I'm having a hard time buyin' it... I can't imagine subordinates defying that monstrous old geezer.Well, you can choose to believe it or not. I'm just saying, maybe it's possible that the incident in the Downtown District and the gunning for Mainz's rights might not have been on Garcia's orders. It seemed like some of the mafiosos on the lower rungs were looking to climb up. If clout inside Revache is what those rookies were after, then that would explain them stepping out of line and getting busted.Hmmm...P-Please, can we back up a second? You're saying that last night's raid was carried out by junior members of the mafia?!Given the scale of the attack, I personally lean towards no, but... ...considering all that's happened, you can hardly blame Garcia for his big outburst earlier, right?True... There wasn't a sign of his lil' entourage anywhere.  According to what I've been able to gather, Marconi is desperately trying to atone for his giant blunder at the auction. Naturally, he's buttering up Speaker Hartmann, who was left less-than-pleased at Mishelam... He's even trying to lure more influential figures of Crossbell into his fold.Influential figures? Who exactly?Cutting right to the chase. Well, simply put, it's Republican Faction diet members. I've heard he's met with the CGF commander, too.Really? Is he attempting to suppress Heiyue's political influence in Crossbell?And maybe meeting with the CGF commander is related to Revache's weapon smuggling...Yeah, wouldn't be surprised. Gotta remember, that moron of a commander is also one of Speaker Hartmann's cronies. Since the commander is in Marconi's pocket, I reckon he's usin' him to win back the speaker's favor.Bingo. That's what I was thinking, too. I knew a nice chat with you guys would help me get all my thoughts in order! Haha, score! This turned out to be a fruitful little info swap!I hate to admit it, but it's been helpful for us as well. In fact, now that we've sifted through all of the details, I still feel like there's something we're missing.Care to elaborate?We've been able to arrive at a convincing motive behind each action thus far, but... ...they're all haphazard, like they aren't acting as one, singular organization. I felt like Revache had a particular 'style' to their operations, characteristic of the darkness that lies in the city. But in these cases, I just don't feel it.So that's what you mean...Hmm... Now that you mention it, I'm inclined to agree.An efficient system created to take advantage of the mira reserve known as Crossbell... For an organization such as Revache to deviate from that system is highly irregular.So in other words, there's an element to this case that threw Revache out of whack... Somethin' like that?Right... It's just a gut feeling, though. Cao's description made it sound like these raiders who attacked Heiyue possessed unnatural amounts of strength, too... It's possible that could be the reason behind Garcia's strange attitude.Wow, I should have expected this from you, Lloyd. You're a sharp kid, aren't ya? Hey, if you get canned, how about joining me at the Crossbell Times? We can aim for the Fulitzer Prize together!Uh, I'll have to pass... And for the record, I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me worry more than I have to.Remind me again. What's the Fulitzer Prize thing she's so up in arms about?It's a prestigious international award given to the most outstanding journalist of the year.Lloyd’s ENIGMA rings.    Oh, the mayor? What's going on? Is there some sort of problem regarding Gantz?W-Well...you see... I'm at that Barca Casino at the moment... H-He started acting strangely, so I decided to call you...'Strangely'? What exactly do you mean?He's been engaged in a poker match with another customer for quite some time... The atmosphere has gotten kind of severe... It might actually get violent. Anyway, could you come over quickly and help sort this out?!U-Understood, sir. Barca Casino, right? We're close by, so we'll be there shortly.Okay, I'm counting on you!Mainz's mayor?You mentioned somethin' about the casino, Lloyd?Yeah, apparently, Gantz might be getting into some sort of violent situation.Did he somehow provoke his opponent during a match?With Gantz's ego and crazy luck, I could totally see it happening.Well, we'd better hurry on over and assess the situation. All right, off to Barca we gooo!   Yeah, really. We’ve already used our fade-in, fade-out excuse for exposition for today. See the Zemurian wiki for cliffnotes. Arc-en-Ciel  I think a fight is about to break out!Quickly take us to where Gantz is playing, sir!O-Of course. We don't have time to waste. Gantz could blow at any second!Huh?Wasn't Gantz the one provoking his opponent?Meanwhile…    Gah! Are you kidding me? Wasn't expecting you to pull out a hand that strong on our last round...Gantz: Hah! This is my true talent! You tied one too many games using those tricky hands of yours, but that's coming to an end! C'mon, show us your hand! Might as well give up while you're at it, too! Huh? Are you feeling okay, man? Who said anything about losing?Gantz: A-Are you kidding me?! The only way you'd be able to beat me is with a royal straight flush! There's no way you could have-- And that's where you're wrong, pal. What hands beat a royal straight flush usually depends on the rules, but... ...rules or no rules, it's obvious that this blows your straight flush outta the water.Gantz: Wh-Wh-What...? Don't screw with me, you drat cheat! Drake! You're his accomplice, aren't you?! Well, screw you, too! I-I assure you, I am nothing of the sort! I swear upon Aidios Herself! And during my careful observation of the match, I saw nothing that suggests Mr. Arundel was cheating!Gantz: Can it! How the hell am I supposed to buy that crap?! Gantz marches over and lifts Drake by the collar. Gantz: I've got luck and intuition on my side! I'm supposed to be unstoppable!  S-Sir, please calm yourself...Seriously, dude. Take a chill pill. Poker's just a game of luck, after all. All it means is that your luck has run out, bud.Gantz: ... Gantz violently slams Drake against the wall, before turning to Lechter.  Gantz: I refuse...to believe this crap… Gambling should be a piece of cake after using that stuff...    You have to calm down, Gantz! (What's with this insane strength?!)Stop this madness, Gantz!Well, if it isn't my favorite pals. How's it hanging?*sigh* I don't know what I was expecting...How can one man be so suspicious? It is unfathomable.Quite the class clown we got here. An acquaintance of yours, guys?Sorta? Not like we know squat about him, though.Whoa, hold the phone! A five of a kind versus a straight flush?! What the hell even happened here?!It was a real nail-biter, Randy. I was on the verge of losing everything. I can barely keep up with this...At least we were able to neutralize the threat before anyone was hurt.Gantz: LET ME GO, drat IT! LET ME GO! I CAN'T LOSE! I CAN'T LOSE!!!  
Pyre of Word Salsa fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Feb 4, 2022 |
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Feb 3, 2022 22:53
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quote:[img]https://lpix.org/3522463/Cao.png[/img Broken image link here. Sounds like someone's getting into illegal performance-enhancing drugs, always a fun time. I should really get back to the Trails series.
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Feb 4, 2022 01:33
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I really love how this game builds to it's climax. You can almost hear Lloyd screaming in his head "DON'T PANIC DON'T PANIC AHHHHHHHHH"
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Feb 4, 2022 01:38
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Everything is accelerating and I love it.
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Feb 10, 2022 12:22
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This chapter has a bunch of strange things which are individually alarming, but there doesn't seem to be a clear connection. That adds to the unease of the chapter.
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Feb 11, 2022 04:39
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Part 90: “I never liked him anyway.” C.P.D. −Crossbell State Police Department−  He may not have been the hardest worker, but he was a kind man. There's not a soul in Mainz who disliked him...Mayor Bickson… I don’t know what to say.For a nice guy, he sure was pretty violent for a sec there. Hell, I wasn't expectin' that both of us would need to hold him down.Yeah, I couldn't believe how ridiculously strong he was....Listen, guys. This is just my impression, but, uh... ...you think the guy could've been on some kind of drugs?P-Pardon me?!What is the basis for that assessment?Judging by their silence, I think Lloyd and Tio seem to agree with me.Agree… is a strong word.I don't want to say anything unsubstantiated, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. We can't rule it out.Th-That's preposterous... Gantz? On drugs? I refuse to believe it! He's just an ordinary miner, you hear me?! There's no way he'd be able to get a hold of such dangerous--Sorry, sir, but hasn't it been almost half a month since he arrived in Crossbell City? Keep in mind that he earned quite a bit of mira during his stay, too. Can you say for certain that he couldn't have taken advantage of that wealth?I won't stand for this slander! You mentioned that you're a Crossbell Times journalist, correct? Know that if you write some libel piece based on pure speculation, I will lead Mainz and its people in protest!Oh, c'mon. Take it easy for a second. I don't plan on writing an article on this, mister....Would you do us a favor, Mayor Bickson? I'd like to go through Gantz's personal belongings, if that's all right with you.You, too?!I don't intend to imply anything, sir, but there are too many coincidences piling up here. His sudden violence, that inhuman strength, the complete change in personality... All of these aspects are eerily similar to past cases. And in Gantz's case, we also saw an absurd development in his gambling skills.Might be 'cause he took some stimulants to boost his perception or something. That'd explain that freakish intuition. People kept tellin' us how it was like he could read people's minds, y'know.It is entirely possible. I can only speculate that if I were to gamble, I would likely be more adept than your average person. Sorry, Tio Tot. You know I didn't mean it like that.I am aware. Do not worry. Mayor Bickson, I understand you wish to keep Mr. Gantz's reputation intact. However, please envision the scenario where he is, in fact, consuming drugs... If the situation were to remain unhandled, it could pose a threat to himself and others.Th-That may be...I could think of a bunch of possible side effects that might crop up. ...Very well. I fear I might have been slightly inconsiderate. Go ahead, Lloyd.All right.   About as high as a patient whose doctor decided to feed them an IV drip of cocaine and Red Bull, yes. AND artificial blue raspberry flavors. Do you think it does that thing with candy that colors your tongue blue   Pretty shade of blue...but what the heck is it?...We can't rule out the possibility that it's harmless medicine yet. Maybe he has some kind of chronic disease we don't know about.Did he ever mention anything about that, sir?From all my interactions with him, no. Of course, I can't say for sure.Interesting. Would you mind if we hung on to these pills for now?Please do.Listen, though! I beg you...do not spread this around, for Gantz's sake!Of course, sir. We'll make sure to take his reputation into consideration. Also, could we leave him with you?Yes. I'll take care of him. I'll try to speak with him once he wakes up.Thanks. That'd be great. Definitely didn't see that one coming.Really? I woulda thought the mafia was big into the drug trade.The contrary, actually. Illegal drugs hardly ever show up in Crossbell. Drugs are messy business, y'know? One misstep and they'll spread to neighboring countries like the plague. I've heard the First Division monitors them closely, thanks to pressure from Erebonia and Calvard. So I guess Revache is smart enough to read the room on that one.I suppose that makes sense.Yeah. They made sure to cover that back at the police academy. Still, something about these pills... Sure, but they're still suspicious as hell....Something wrong, Tio?No, it is nothing. It must be my imagination. More importantly, what do you intend on doing with the pills, Lloyd?Good question. I'm thinking this case is too much for us to handle alone. For now, let's go talk with the chief.Yes, he may know what to do. While we're at it, we should give our report on the Heiyue raid.We got mafias fightin' each other AND a chance of illegal drugs now, too? Winks at the player through the screen. Hisayoshi Takeiri: “Good enough, right?” Toshihiro Kondo: “Sure, why not? Add in a few more “ha ha”s in there, though. Y'knooow, I've only known you guys for four months... ...but I'm starting to think that you've matured a lot since we first met!You think...?What's with the sudden praise?Flattery will get you nowhere, I hope you know.No, I'm serious! I've got some pretty high expectations now. Almost as high as the ones I had for your brother, Lloyd. Y-You know, I don't think I ever got a straight answer last time you brought up Guy. So...did you know my brother, Grace?Oh, yeah. Back when I was still a newbie at the CNS, he helped me out more times than I can count. And in the end, his case went cold... At the very least, I'm happy that the team he wished for finally became a reality.What...?What do you mean, Grace?Oopsie. Sergei might get angry at me if I say too much. Anyway, I've got an event to cover, so I'm going to have to head out. Oh, and I won't write any articles about the drug stuff, as tempting as it is. Bye byeee, everyone!  *sigh* Another addition to the pile of things we have to think about.…It’s beginning to exceed capacity. Are you concerned about what she told us, Lloyd?Oh, well...Even if it's concerning Guy, I don't really have time to think about it. The Heiyue raid, Revache's current situation, and now these blue pills... We have a lot on our plate. For now, let's put aside what Grace told us and ask the chief how we should proceed.Understood.All righty, then. Back to the SSS!Welp, all right. Off to Sergei, then.  Or at least, that’s what we WOULD do if there wasn’t DP up for grabs. Instead, according to the guide I’ve been going over, we need to check in with three different groups of people before we report in. Lloyd, maybe you should make it clear what your priorities are before talking in this instance… First, we need to chat with Rixia:  Plie: Oh, you noticed it, too? I've been getting some weird vibes from him. It's as if he's a completely different person.  ...Excuse me, is everything okay?Plie: Oh, the police officers have arrived. It's nothing serious. We were just conversing about Nikolai. Right, apparently, Nikolai's been engaged in some special training lately. It's paying off, too. His technique and strength have improved considerably. The strange thing is, his personality seems to have changed as a result.Huh? Ya think his personality's gone haywire?Well, I suppose it's possible... How often do people completely change overnight, though? I wonder about that. I think people can change as long as they are motivated to do so, however. I'm sure Nikolai must have had a life-changing experience like that. …Right. Going a little power-drunk on your newfound talent, huh? Lloyd, just arrest this man. I don’t need a warrant to know he’s clearly high as a kite.  Next, we’re checking into the house neighboring Mayor MacDowell’s mansion in the Residential District. You know, just a little girl alarmed that her pops spiked his morning coffee with a “multivitamin” (that’s blue raspberry flavored).   Sumia: It's just that...uhm... For the last little while, Father's been acting... Bond: Hahaha! You goddamned morons! Sumia: ...What has happened to Father? (Hmm? He seems really off to me for some reason...) Should’ve named your kid “Stocks” for the ultimate pun, since you like trading with the stock market. Actually, don’t do that on second thought. Our final destination before we report in is Downtown. We need to talk to some of Wald’s henchmen.  Slash: Huh? B-But it was one-on-one...and Wald told us to quit your bitchin'. Huey: You think I can just ignore this?! Something happen, guys?Huey: Yeah, you could say that. Dino, that idiot... Slash: Dino challenged one of our leaders, Jed, to a fight. It was totally insane, too. They kept tradin' blows until it was decided by an elbow to the jaw… Huey: He's just a newbie, yet he somehow managed to take down Jed?! Impossible! I'll never forgive that bastard!  Same. That’s everyone, then. Time to head back to the SSS.  Interrogating Heiyue really take you that long?No, actually. We may have just stumbled into another case.But we'll include it in the usual report, along with details on the Heiyue raid.Points and Lines Fade out as the SSS go over the day’s events.  S-Sorry. Was it too convoluted, after all?No, it’s not that. It's just, this series of events... I'm starting to think that it might all be connected.You do?Seriously?!How do you figure that?...I know a lot's gone down in the last day or two… but I want you to try to connect the dots. Better buckle up, Lloyd. We're going to need those detective skills you've been honing if we want to get anywhere with this.S-Sure, leave it to me.Today, we were able to discover roughly three pieces of key evidence. The information we heard from Cao about the raid on Heiyue... ...the intel we exchanged with Grace about the current state of Revache... ...and everything we learned about Gantz, the miner from Mainz.So there has to be something that ties the three things together, right?Hmm... Y'know, I'm not there just yet, but I'm starting to see the big picture here.For now, let's sort through what we know. Time to play another round of detective, I guess. Did you know that Lloyd aced Cluedo back in the academy? True story! I’m not lying. Look it up.   We receive 2 DP as a bonus if we answer the pop quiz correctly here on the first try, which is what I did. The only thing that happens if we answer them incorrectly is Lloyd looking slack-jawed and an idiot in front of everybody. So let’s just cut to the chase:  You think these factors overlap?They're definitely suspicious, that's for sure.I think so, Elie. If we take a closer look, we can see certain things linking the cases. The enhanced strength displayed by the mafiosos who raided Heiyue... Gantz and his spontaneous gambling skills... They may seem independent of each other, but they both deal with the augmentation of their hidden potential. ...The mafia must have started acting as the distributor for these illegal drugs. And the general public were not the only ones affected by them. Revache must have been using them to strengthen its henchmen. Is that the general idea, Lloyd?Yeah, more or less. But, in the end, it's still just another theory.However, if that's how it is, wouldn't it explain a lot? Maybe that's why Garcia's influence has started to wane...So a bunch of those mafiosos took the drugs to toughen up and, as a result, it gave 'em all big egos. Is that it?Nicely put, everyone. By the way, remember the rumors Ian told us about yesterday?Of course! The trader and that stockbroker...!You think those two are already under the influence of the pills?!Who can say? At this point, that's nothing more than pure speculation. However, things are beginning to come together, piece by piece... You feel the same way, don't you?Yeah. You took the words out of my mouth, actually. But if I'm being honest, I don't think the Special Support Section will be able to handle a case of this size. We might even need to call in the First Division for support, given that the incidents revolve around the distribution of illegal drugs.Heh. Perfect timing, Lloyd.Perfect timing? What are you...?KeA barges into the room, uninvited.  What's wrong, KeA?Are you getting hungry?Nope, not yet! I brought a visitor. He's super grumpy, but he said he really needed to talk to you.Grumpy...?Detective Dudley enters the room. Grumpily.  Detective Dudley!You're late. If this is about the same thing we discussed earlier, do you mind if we go ahead and begin?Sounds good to me. Fill them in, too, if you don't mind.I don't exactly have time for jokes, Sergei! This isn't something rookies should know about, and--Actually, I think the information they've found will end up being pretty useful to you and your investigation. C'mon, it won't take any time at all.Are you insane...?Then again, I did leave the Heiyue investigation to the Special Support Section. Perhaps it should be fine, then... N-No! What in the world am I saying?Um, Chief... If we're that much of a bother, we can always just leave the room.That won’t be necessary. They don't call Dudley the ace of the First Division for nothing, after all. I'm sure he realizes what he needs in a situation like this. Tch. You win this time. Listen up. The information I'm about to disclose is strictly confidential... It does not leave this room, otherwise there WILL be consequences! Got it?!Y-Yeah. That won't be a problem.Ooooh, is this a secret? I love secrets! Tell me, too! K-KeA, that’s not a great idea...There should be some leftover sweets in the kitchen. Why don't you go share some with Zeit, okay? C.P.D. −Crossbell Police Department−  After the raid on Heiyue, we received orders to devote all our resources to quell any disputes between them and the mafia. So, we recently had to end on our investigation into the mystery drugs circulating throughout Crossbell.Really?!The First Division was investigating the blue pills, too?Indeed. It's been a few days since the decision was made now. Frankly, I'm shocked that you were able to uncover as much as you did.How exactly did the First Division find out about the drugs in the first place?We were tipped off about them by a longtime informant of ours. Of course, we couldn't act on her word alone, so we did some digging of our own... And from what we could gather, it just seemed like a silly urban legend. I mean, medicine that grants wishes and can bestow happiness? Nevertheless, we couldn't ignore drug trafficking allegations and were in the middle of compiling a list of involved citizens before it was put on ice....What? Why are all of you looking at me like that?Looks like we hit the jackpot. Show him, Lloyd.Yes, sir. What...?Take a look at this, Detective. Are these what I think they are?!We found them on a certain source during our investigation today. We were allowed to keep them on the condition that we protect their identity.Lloyd explained in great detail what had transpired prior to Dudley.   Dudley, about the order to stop the drug investigation... Any idea who made the call?It had to have been someone high up. Our chief didn't agree with the decision, but he enforced it nonetheless.What a mess.Wait a moment, please. Does that mean someone high on the CPD's chain of command gave in to the mafia's demands?!That's unbelievable...C'mon, how low can you go?The situation appears quite grave.Hey, Dudley. It's clear that you came to me because you don't trust the department brass. That being said, what's your move?... To be honest, I didn't intend to do anything about the drug investigation. If any of us were to take action, our bosses would do whatever they could to interfere. But, as a member of the police, it'd be too frustrating to let this go.Detective Dudley...Easy, then. Leave the investigation to the Special Support Section.Lloyd, Elie. You, too, Randy and Tio. From here on out, the SSS will be informally collaborating with the First Division. You four will take over their investigation into these drugs in their stead, since they currently have their hands tied.Yes, sir!Understood!And in return… we'll get every bit of intel the First Division has about Revache. Sound fair?Are you mad?! Regardless of the circumstances, we can't just go handing out top secret intelligence...Can't say I particularly care, Dudley. You're stuck in a stalemate and you know it. But by all means, do whatever strikes your fancy.Tch... Stubborn as ever. Fine. You can have whatever information your grubby hands want.Heh. Glad we could come to an agreement.Oooh, so we're doin' the First Division's work for 'em now, is that it?I can feel the superiority washing over me already.*glare*Yikes. Yeah, never mind.Let’s not jinx ourselves, Randy.Hmph. Whatever. All right, you gained my permission to handle the drug investigation. How do you actually plan on proceeding, though?About that... We already hold the key in our hands. All we need to do is figure out what the drug is made of, somehow.Not a bad start. Do you have any idea how to determine that? Who to go to? Based on what we know, we can assume that this is a new, never-before-seen drug. Using the forensic tools back at HQ is out of the question, as I have no experience with them and would be easily caught.Well, there goes that idea. You know, maybe we should just ask the medical college for assistance.You must be talking about that doctor, right, Lloyd?Medical college...? You're referring to St. Ursula, aren't you?Right. We know a doctor there who specializes in pharmaceutical research, actually. I've heard nothing but good things about his work, so there might be a good chance he could figure out the drug's composition.Hmph. That's a stroke of good luck.And it might just be our best option. If you can, could you put together a report of the First Division's intel and send it to us by the end of the day? I want them to decide how to approach the investigation for themselves.Fine. I'll send it over as soon as I can. Well, then, I should go. Thank you for your cooperation, Sergei.Likewise. Oh, and don't forget to give them well wishes, too.Ugh...Listen well, you four. If you do anything stupid, this entire situation might nosedive. Understand? Notwithstanding your investigation into the drugs, leave dealing with the mafia to the First Division! Stay close to the ground, behave, and most importantly, don't get in our way!  Anger is one way of hiding one's embarrassment, is it not?Maybe so. Also, he has a stronger sense of justice than I initially presumed.Yeah. I think we can trust him.I'd vouch for him. Hell, most of the First Division is driven by diligence and their distaste for injustice, same as Dudley. Sadly, most of them are sticklers for the rules, making them pretty obstinate.So, you going to head to St. Ursula right away?That's the plan, at least. Well, if we have some time, I'm sure we'll try to knock out a few support requests.After all, we didn't have time to leave the city this morning.Sounds like it's about to get busy! I say we just tackle the requests little by little as the day goes on.Heh. Glad to see you're all raring to go. Now, I know we're cooperating with the First Division, but don't get too excited.
Pyre of Word Salsa fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Feb 13, 2022 |
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Feb 12, 2022 03:01
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Might be 'cause he took some stimulants to boost his perception or something. That'd explain that freakish intuition. People kept tellin' us how it was like he could read people's minds, y'know. As an amusing an image as this is, I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be Randy's portrait.
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Feb 12, 2022 06:39
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Tch. You win this time. Listen up. The information I'm about to disclose is strictly confidential... It does not leave this room, otherwise there WILL be consequences! Got it?! Similarly, while funny, this is probably Dudley.
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Feb 12, 2022 09:33
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Or are Tio and Sergei getting ready for the Crossbell Police Talent Show? You should see his Fran impression. He's been working on it for months
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Feb 12, 2022 14:59
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Everything's been corrected since the last update. Thanks for the heads up!Rabbi Raccoon posted:Or are Tio and Sergei getting ready for the Crossbell Police Talent Show? You should see his Fran impression. He's been working on it for months Tio's been practicing on stilts for her Randy cosplay. Fran merch at the CPD's open house night is big cringe for Noel, though. Their mom, on the other hand... Randy stepped on a rake and couldn't make it.
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Feb 13, 2022 00:27
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