|
Rockopolis posted:Banish both Decision is locked in, update should be some time tomorrow.
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2019 09:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 14:57 |
|
|
"Take Harrison back with you." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRoAAlUn9QY  What? No! Move it. Whatever happens over there, it couldn't happen to anyone nicer. The bargain's been struck. I will have one new soldier for my efforts this night. drat you all. Screw you, General. And screw your war! I hope your people die. I hope they CHOKE.A gunshot, followed by a splash.   Jesus! The bond is broken. When I return home, I will have no path back here. Then leave. For God's sake. Just LEAVE. There's been enough bloodshed. Yes. My people need me. With or without an army. Good bye. I pray we will not meet again.  ...and then twist, leading with your elbow. Aim for the solar plexus. And I could subdue you that way? No. But someone else? Perhaps. There she is. Vicki!  Vicki! Is it true? Did Harrison order me to kill you? You don't remember? I'm... not sure? Last thing I remember I was talking to Harrison. Then I'm waking up in the storage room with a splitting headache. Came here to the dock and found this lady. She told me to wait here for you. What... happened? Where's the Captain? She's gone. She's not coming back. I... I don't know why, but I think that's a good thing? You have no idea. Right. The less I know, the better. But I do know one thing. I'm sorry. For... everything.Donny leaves. So do you guys have a wizard clubhouse or something? We have a headquarters, yes. How do we get there? Magic carpet? No. The ferry. And then the subway. Yeesh. Well, let's jet. The 10:05 ferry's leaving any minute.Fade to black.   Good evening. I trust you are rested after last night? I admit that I am... jealous. To be out at sea again... well, it would be like old times."I should have brought you along." Apologies are unnecessary. Besides, setting sail would be different without my mother present."Was your mother a Jinn as well?"  She was... not. Formidable, but merely human. I do not often dwell on the past, but I dare not forget it. I am the daughter of the Pirate Queen of Ulster. And her legacy lives through me."Your mother was a pirate?" I did not say pirate. I said pirate QUEEN. She had a whole fleet of ships. She ruled the waters of half the old Irish kingdoms before she was through. Her portrait hangs in the study. She was... a formidable woman. But, in the end, merely human. Though it has been centuries since she passed, I still remember her. Every time I swing this blade on my back."How's Vicki settling in?" We have spent the morning conversing. She seems quite... eager. Anxious to prove herself. I have seen her sort before. Recruits like her are the first to throw themselves into danger. And are the first to get themselves killed. I have grown fond of her. I hope that does not happen."Any thoughts on that last mission?" Harrison's death was... not your doing. Do not blame yourself. All her choices were the result of selfishness and greed. They caught up with her. That is all.  Hey there. You're awake. That was quite the harbor cruise last night. Most people would pay good money for that."I didn't do much sight-seeing." You mean you didn't glance once at the Statue of Liberty? I guess you're a real New Yorker after all. But seriously. The brass ones on that guy. Showing up in the middle of the harbor like he did. Supernatural creatures used to be more... skittish. They worked in the shadows. They're getting BRAVER. Bolder. Flexing their muscles in front of mundanes. And if that goes unchecked... Well, we know where that leads. Don't we?"No I don't. Where does it lead?" People rising up. People falling down. ... Sorry. I'm not making a whole lot of sense, am I? Many centuries ago, there was a Fire Mage. His name was Aldin. He got bold, too. He killed people with his power. Whole villages. Armies. Nobody could stop him. He was my great-grandfather. So yeah, I know where this leads. And it's never anywhere nice."Why did the General make you think of him?" Because the General attacked us in the middle of the HUDSON RIVER. It was a small thing, but that's how it starts. Someone with power using it where they shouldn't. Aldin got too bold and too powerful. Someone had to do something about it. So the families of his victims got together. They made a deal with the fae of the Unseelie Court. How they did it, I don't know, but they turned themselves into... hunters. They were dedicated to one purpose and one purpose only. Stopping and killing Aldin by any means necessary."Fae? As in fairies?" Fairies. Elves. Whatever you want tot call them. They're trouble with a Capital T. And they infused the Hunters of Aldin with unimaginable power."You don't look happy about that." I am and I'm not. Aldin needed to die. He was... well he was insane. No question. And after a long, bloody battle, they did it. Aldin was dead. But the Hunters weren't done. Not by a long shot. They decided ALL Fire Mages had to die. And they've been doing it ever since."Can they be stopped?" No. When my power... manifested, they were drawn to me like a homing beacon. They wanted to kill me. Mandana and Kalash found me just in time. They... helped me fake my death. Threw the Hunters off my trail. And I've been here ever since. So yeah. Monsters working out in the open never leads to anything good. People WILL fight back. One way or another. And innocents have to pay the price. Every time."How's Vicki adjusting?" Surprisingly well. Better than I did, back in the day. Of course, I was setting fire to everything I touched. So... there was that."Any thoughts on our last mission?"  Harrison was a nasty piece of work. But honestly? If I was faced with the same fate, I might have done the same thing. I don't judge you for making that call. You tried to avoid bloodshed. It backfired. It... happens. Vicki peruses the liquor collection.  So this place is real. It's all real. You know, when I got up this morning, I thought I dreamt it all. But everything's changed. People are... remembering. Remembering that people died. I heard Vinny crying all night. He doesn't understand. How could he? I wanna tell him, but... that would be a really bad idea. Anyway. I'm ready to get to work."You're settling in okay?"  I'm fine. Just show me the monsters and I'll take em out."How's Donny doing?" Donny? He's super pissed. He's not sure what happened, but he knows he was tricked. He's doing his best to make it right. Not that it really CAN be made right."What's happened on Staten Island since we left?" The station's a madhouse. All the victims' families are flooding the place, demanding answers. The cops don't know what to say. You'd think I'd feel a bit of... I dunno. Vindication or whatever. But I just want to move on. I can't change what happened to all those people, but if I can stop it from happening to anyone else? I'm ready and raring to go. I have been reading the reports of your last mission. It has been a long time since I have seen one of the mer-folk. To hear they are so... changed distresses me greatly."If you need to talk, I'm a good listener." I thank you for that. The past and the present are sometimes... difficult to... reconcile. The mer-folk once lived in harmony with humanity. This is several thousand years ago, of course, but... They were peaceful. Playful. Loyal to their allies. All they asked in return was to live in peace. Now I hear they are fighting for their lives Fighting wars? Building armies? *sigh* I suppose our world is not the only one that has evolved. Regardless, one must not live in the past. If you are ready, we will start the meeting.  I am glad to see you made it, Detective Santina. Uhh... you don't need to call me that. I'm no detective. Not anymore. My daughter speaks the truth. For a full year, you were on a mission to ferret out the truth at great risk to yourself. Is this correct? Yeah. Who else was gonna do it? Then it is settled. You are a detective. "One who detects." Speak no more of it."What about that giant sea monster? Can we speak of that?" Yes. I was just getting to that. The jinn were great friends of the mer-folk once. I remember them quite fondly. I am grateful you let the General live, but not at the expense of Joy Harrison's life. Not by our hand. She killed herself, sir. Sometimes a nasty perp does you a favor and ices themselves. Saves paperwork and manpower. Not to mention lives. ... What? Pulling that trigger made things better for everyone. I ain't gonna pretend otherwise. That was... harsh, but truly spoken. Darn right. You all did good work last night, considering the circumstances. But my question still stands - why? Why is the demon doing this? What does it have to gain? We, um, still don't know. Have you investigated the Bronx as instructed? No. Not yet, father. Then perhaps you will find our answers there."Maybe we missed a clue in the Village Eye. A clue only a cop could see." I don't see any cops. So I guess you'll have to settle for me. You all know your duty. Report back when you have new information. Meeting adjourned.  Yeah. you get used to that.Eli appears to wait patiently. The steam wafting from his fingers betray his eagerness. Mandana is smiling slightly to herself. Eager to discover what lies ahead. Vicki is coiled up tighter than a cobra. Ready to spring at a moment's notice. Anytime you're ready. The hour grows late and the trail grows cold. Let us be off. We getting out there or what?I'm a little confused about the timeline here, but I think it kind of makes sense? The way I understand it, Vicki came back here with us last night, but then went back home to sleep. She then came back here this morning to talk to Mandana, before heading back to Staten Island in the afternoon to check in with Donny and see what was going on with the other cops. Then came back here again for the meeting. And I guess Paige is just a night owl since she seems to sleep all day, every day and wake up just in time to say hi to everyone and then attend the meeting in the evening. Two questions today:
Because So if you want to take Eli and Vicki to the East Village but definitely want to take Mandana if we go to the Bronx and prefer Eli to Vicki then you'd write something like "Voting for the East Village with Eli, but if we go to the Bronx then take Mandana and Eli." If your preference is the same regardless then you can just write it once, like "Go to the Bronx, taking Vicki and Eli" or whatever.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 04:46
|
|
|
"Voting for the East Village with Mandana, but if we go to the Bronx then take Mandana and Vicki." let's make it a girl's night out.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 05:29
|
|
|
Take Vicky and Mandana to the Bronx.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 05:46
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:I'm a little confused about the timeline here, but I think it kind of makes sense? The way I understand it, Vicki came back here with us last night, but then went back home to sleep. She then came back here this morning to talk to Mandana, before heading back to Staten Island in the afternoon to check in with Donny and see what was going on with the other cops. Then came back here again for the meeting. And I guess Paige is just a night owl since she seems to sleep all day, every day and wake up just in time to say hi to everyone and then attend the meeting in the evening. I think she saw the mess at the station and talked with Donny first thing in the morning before heading back to the Unavowed and talking with Mandana later in the morning. Families wouldn't wait until the afternoon to find out what's going on with their missing relatives that they suddenly remembered were murdered, and that way Vicki only makes one trip back to sleep and get whatever stuff she needed from her place.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 07:05
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:
I think this might be referring to Grace O'Malley, aka Granuaile/Grainne Mhaol. She was a pretty interesting lady. I still like Eli better but I suppose it's his turn to stay behind, so take Vicky and Mandana to the Bronx.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 09:59
|
|
|
Eli and Vicki should go to the Bronx. Humans night out!
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 12:45
|
|
|
Ever dedicated to being the Wrongvoter huh Slaan?
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 12:47
|
|
|
Aww those hunters killed Eli's family didn't they? He's carefully avoided saying what happened to them but if fire maging runs in the family...
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2019 17:18
|
|
|
There's actually surprisingly little that's different in this from when you're a cop. I guess it makes sense but what stuck out to me is that Vicki still got shot at a nightclub. I was honestly expecting that to not come up at all.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2019 04:36
|
|
|
It reminds me of Dragon Age: Origins, actually. In effect, the factor that determines who your protagonist is wherever Duncan decided to be that day. It's implied that all the backgrounds happen, but only one of the origins gets saved by Duncan. Here, it feels like the protagonist you end up being is whichever one the demon ended up possessing long-term. The starts all happen, but in a different order depending on whatever the protagonist's background is.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2019 05:46
|
|
|
Let's be thorough. I vote we go to the East Village and bring Mandana. Really wish we could have brought her to the encounter with the fishman, but alas. If I'm outvoted, Vicky and Eli to the Bronx, under Slaan's "Human party!" plan, but I'd rather go to the village, so...
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2019 09:19
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:And I guess Paige is just a night owl since she seems to sleep all day, every day and wake up just in time to say hi to everyone and then attend the meeting in the evening. Well, she WAS a bartender for what, nearly a decade? Or maybe I'm mixing up my timetables. East Village with Vicki and Mandana
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2019 11:10
|
|
|
Kitfox88 posted:East Village with Vicki and Mandana
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2019 07:52
|
|
|
Stop me if you don't want this answering Tiggum; but I assume going off the events of this chapter that roughly speaking variations of the events of the 3 backstories for our character happen in some capacity, just the one we pick we're around to slightly influence? Be great to see the remaining 'actor' intro when (/if?) it's appropriate if so. Anyway, finally got time to check the LP out. Enjoying it alot, nice to be back in the 'Blackwell universe'.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 21:05
|
|
|
Paused posted:Stop me if you don't want this answering Tiggum; but I assume going off the events of this chapter that roughly speaking variations of the events of the 3 backstories for our character happen in some capacity, just the one we pick we're around to slightly influence? Pretty much. Like with this one, the specific details are changed a little bit. Instead of Paige shooting everyone and getting away, it was Morino who shot several people and Vicki who killed him. We don't know exactly what caused it, but presumably there was some supernatural element that caused Vicki to become void-touched.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 02:42
|
|
|
I had finished this game recently b/c it was recommended to me by a friend I just want to say it's real good, buy it. Mandava is great. (everyone is actually really charismatic- the VA work is real good)
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2020 03:16
|
|
|
Ramc posted:I had finished this game recently b/c it was recommended to me by a friend I just want to say it's real good, buy it. Mandava is great. (everyone is actually really charismatic- the VA work is real good) Yeah, just finished it myself, so glad I did it myself, the story was amazing. Also a certain future glowing character, to keep it as vague as possible might be one of my favorite video game characters of all time, not just the game  .
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2020 06:55
|
|
|
By popular demand posted:Voting for the East Village Shei-kun posted:Vicki Tiggum fucked around with this message at 09:55 on Jan 2, 2020 |
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2020 09:44
|
|
|
 So this is how you guys travel? By subway? It's all we have the budget for, most of the time. Budget constraints. Yeah, I get that. But what about an EMERGENCY? Emergency? Yeah, like, let's say some monster is about to rip the mayor's arm off. You're gonna take the subway? Don't be foolish. Yeah. The mayor would just grow a new arm. Right. Wait. What? It's a... long story. Nevermind. I don't wanna know. Vicki surveys the area through half-open eyelids. Her hands twitch slightly.  After you, I guess.  Vicki? Vicki Santina? Is that you? Oh. Hey Cory. How's it going? You know. Standing in the rain guarding a wreck. You? Eh. Things sucked. Might be getting better. Catch up later? Sure. It's good to see you."You two know each other?" Sure. He's a cop, isn't he? There's not as many of us as you think. We all talk.Wikipedia indicates that there are well over 30,000 police officers in New York City. "He could see you through the veil? Is he void touched?" Eh? No. Kalash asked me if I wanted a veil. I told him no.  Jesus. Did a crate of Miracle-Gro explode? It was a large spillover of life energy, but... essentially yeah. That's kind of it. This the stiff? That's him. Right. Let's take a look. He's covered in moss. Grass. Weeds. It's kind of... taken over his skin. Yeah. My best guess is that he's being absorbed by the life energy in the room. What. He's being EATEN? Are we safe in here? It's LIFE energy. It doesn't kill. As long as we're alive, we're fine. Fine, but if I turn into a plant-woman I'm coming after you. Anyway. Good news. His hands are still pretty human-ish."What good are his hands?" Not his hands. His FINGERS. As in fingerprints. Aand... got em. That's the easy part. Now I just gotta call in a favor.She makes a phone call. Yeah, Donny? It's me. I'm sending you a file. Fingerprints. Could you get them analyzed for me? Yeah, it's dead rear end urgent. Well, la dee dah. Look at Mr. Responsibility. Too busy to help out his own sister. Nah, I'm just yanking your chain. I get it. Get back to me when you can.She hangs up. Donny's swamped. This'll take some time. Might as well hit the Bronx. See if we can dig something else up.She's right. We'll head back to the subway station. So Eli. You used to be normal like me, right? I was an accountant, if that's what you mean. Almost fifty years ago. Huh. What was it like going from that to... this? Well, the supernatural world wasn't as DENSE as it is now. So maybe I had it a bit easier than you. But then again, I had to fake my own death and never see my family again. So who's to say?Next: A Bronx Tale
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2020 04:53
|
|
|
Fingerprints don't immediately come back with a positive? CSI! YOU LIED TO ME! 
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2020 05:12
|
|
|
Eli, I want that long story about why the mayor's arm will grow back
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2020 13:10
|
|
|
Hey Eli. Whatcha reading? "Draft Week." It's a personal account of the 1863 Draft Riots. If you wanted a personal account, you can ask me. I was there. I know, but I thought I'd read an account WITHOUT gremlins in it first. My version is more accurate. Jesus. Forget I asked. There's an ad for some kind of historical drama on the wall. We're a bit out touch as far as pop-culture goes. A vile stench wafts from the tattered trash bags. The MTA officer surveys the area. He is glowing over his cup of coffee. There's still not a drop of rain on Eli. Lucky guy. Vicki is coiled up tighter than a cobra. Ready to spring at a moment's notice.  My dad used to tell me stories about this neighborhood. "The Bronx is burning" and all that. That had nothing to do with me. What? No. I was being... whadayacallit. Figurative. Oh. Right. Sorry. You spend enough time with Mandana, you forget metaphors exist. Evening, folks. Markus? Is that you? Santina! Long time no see. I thought you pulled the pin. I did. Turns out retirement doesn't suit me. But what about you? I heard you, uh, had some trouble? Some, yeah. Working through it. Right. Right. Glad to hear it."You two know each other?"  Sorry. This is Markus. He used to work the ferry. Yep. I got to ride the boat all day while you cops did the real work. If I remember right, you stopped your fair share of creeps. Well. Here's a secret. When your beat is a boat, the bad guys got nowhere to go."You worked the ferry? What was it like?" It was a sweet gig in the summer, I'll say that much. Sunshine. Free hotdogs from the commissary. 360 degree views of Lady Liberty. But in the winter? Forget it. It got so cold and damp my uniform would turn to ice. After five years of that, it was time for a lateral move. The subway might be filthy, but it's WARM."Lousy night to be out, huh?" The damp doesn't bother me much. Not as long as I have my jitter juice here."Has anything... strange happened in the area recently?" I work the subway, lady. I see five strange things before noon. You're gonna need to be a lot more specific than that."Thanks. See you around." Stay dry out there."You ever been to the Bronx before, Eli?" Sure. My old firm had a branch close by. I used to come up here a lot. This area was... different. Everything was falling apart. Everyone was angry. Or looking for a reason to be. Looking around now, it's easy to forget. This place seems almost quaint, these days."It feels so weird being back here." Yeah. That must be... slightly awkward. But you know what? That wasn't you. Just focus on leaving the area a little bit better than when you arrived. It's all you can do, but maybe that's enough. That's why we're here. To get the shitheel who started this. I'm not saying to ignore that feeling. Just.. stoke it. Use it as fuel. You'll need it."You know anything about the Bronx, Vicki?" Nah. My family never came up here unless the Yankees were playing. Jeeze, that reminds me. I haven't been following the game at all this season. I need to catch up or my dad and I will have nothing to talk about. You know. Assuming he ever talks to me again."How're you holding up, Vicki?" I'm FINE. Enough with the touchy-feelie stuff.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAdIy8snxJU  Fruit and vegetables crowd the displays of this empty convenience store. Public payphones, like the one outside it, never work any more.  "...and that's really it," says the woman. "I'm screwed. And this is... kind of weird. Why am I telling you all this?" "Maybe because I was the first to ask what was wrong," we say. "You know what? You're right. Nobody ever asks how I feel. Nobody. I just... don't know what to do. I knew that room at the Eddings house was too good to be true. I KNEW it." "Would you rather complain? Or do something about it?" "DUH. Of course I want to do something about it. What do you suggest?" "First, you need to buy a few things..." The vision fades.  So is this a regular thing with her, or what? You could say that. I'm thinking of packing a pillow for next time."Anyone got any aspirin?"  Er. No. I don't think that would help with demon flashback visions in any case. You SEEM okay."That girl seemed troubled. I... hope she's okay." Whatever your demon wanted with her, it probably isn't good. Anyway. The woman in the vision said something about the Eddings house? Shouldn't be hard to track down. I've had worse leads. Right. Let's go.Maybe Markus can point us in the right direction? You keeping out of trouble, Santina? Nope. I'm trying to stop some. That's what I like to hear."Do you know where the Eddings place is?" ... Now why would you be asking about that?"I'm sorry. Did I says something wrong? You look upset." Oh, don't be sorry. It's just a nasty business is all. It's at the end of Morgan Ave. Just west of here."Thanks very much." Sure. You be careful out there.  Cute place. Pretty typical, as these things go. You DID see Markus's face, right? I don't think anything here is typical. *sigh* It never is.The mailbox is empty and the front door is locked. I guess we'll try around the back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph5JV262TRQ  Someone's writing messages on the window.   Huh?The text fades from the window and is replaced by the word YES! Color me crazy, but...WE NEED HELP! :(  Yeah. The window is talking to us.PLEASE! Oh good. So I'm not going nuts.GET IN HERE! BREAK THE WINDOW! C'MON JUST BREAK IT The water tap is rusty and won't turn on. The roses are flourishing though. So.. this veil thing you put on my gun. Nobody will be able to hear it? It's more complicated than that, but essentially yeah. Right. Cool.She points her gun at the window. Although wait. The GUN is veiled, but that window isn't-She fires. Sorry. What? Nothing. Never mind.The window's broken, but still a bit high to get to. Fortunately Eli can give us a boost up there.  We're lucky we didn't cut ourself on the glass coming in. There are two notes on the fridge. The first reads "I MADE WAFFLES!! ENJOY! -A". The second says "Please don't touch the quinoa! -D" Bright and garish teatowels hang on the oven. The oven mitts above are quite... colorful. There are bits of crockery and cookware about. Nothing we need right now. A small screwdriver lies abandoned on the floor. We'll have that. The phone line seems to have been cut and the clock has stopped at 3:30. More text appears on the remaining window, right in front of our eyes with no apparent source. "Who are you?" I'm a ghost woooooooo :) "So this house is haunted?" Not by me. Please hurry. Go this way <---  "Very funny." I KNOW! Quick. You can unlock the door from this side. On the easel is a picture of a face splattered with something that is *probably* red paint. Beside it is a photo of a man ad a car above another photo, of a woman and a dog.   We open the door. There you are. I heard you talking. Is someone in there? Let's go in and see for ourselves.Back inside. Hi guys! You made it!  Okay. Time to cut the crap. State your name. Now.I'm KayKay "KayKay's a ghost, apparently." Woooooo  Really? You don't act like any ghost I've ever seen.That's cuz I'm - s,'p,'e,'c,'i,'a,'l - I'm a spirit guide.  A spirit guide? You mean you're bound to a spirit medium? One close by?Yes!! He's upstairs. He needs help! Go Go Go Go Go Go   The HELL! It's... just a plastic hula dancer. Sorry. Bit jumpy. It's this house. Something about it ain't right. My dad had one of those in his car. I wanted to shoot that one, too.There's an empty green jade bowl on the chest of drawers and three abstract oil daubings on the wall, which look to be the work of an amateur. The tacky plastic hula girl seems to be motion activated. We'll take it. End of the hall! HURRY! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s30ylfj7QCU  The man sits cross-legged in the middle of a glowing circle. He's chanting quietly to himself. The ghosts are fuzzy and indistinct. They stare blankly ahead, barely noticing we're even here. Aside from the people, alive and dead, the room contains a plain but clean ceramic sink, a kitschy little bathroom decoration above the toilet and neat fluffy towels, just waiting for a relaxing bath.  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change... Courage to change the things I can... And wisdom to know the difference. Aaauuughhh! That isn't helping! Living one day at a time... Enjoying one moment at a time... Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace. Rouuughhh! I said PEACE."Logan? Is that you?"  ...He stands up. No. No way that's you. I'm hallucinating from hunger. Where the hell have you been, man? I've been worried about you."Worried? Aren't you upset that I, you know, killed your brother?"  Upset? Course I'm upset. He was my brother. But I know you didn't kill him. Not really. Something possessed you. It wasn't your fault."Wait. You know about that?" Er. Yeah. Look. It's complicated. Someone told me. Someone who was there. It's too much to to get into right now. Who are your friends? I'm Eli Beckett. This is Vicki Santina. My name's Logan Brown. I used to buy too many drinks from Paige. And now... I could really use some help."Does it have to do with those ghosts over there?" ... Hold on. You... you can SEE them? Like, actually see them? Well, sure. Kind of. Ghosts all look the same, don't they? ...Just what do you mean?"They look like grey floating clouds." Clouds? No no. That's not right at all. I see people. Two women. One man. They're confused. And angry. Not exactly easy to talk to. Hold it. You can see them AND talk to them? Yeah. So you're the one KayKay told us about. The Bestower. Yeah, uh. That's me. You know your stuff. You're here to help these ghosts pass on. That's right. Only things went a bit... wrong."Tell us what happened." Auuughhhh!The room shakes. Crap.He sits back down and addresses the ghosts. Easy. Easy, now. Auuughhhh!The room shakes again. Shhh. Just relax. Okay. She's calm. For now. I... kind of need to focus. Can you help me, or what?"What do you need us to do?" Back to taking my order, huh? Just like the old days. I need to know their names. It's the best way to get through to them. Can you do that? Figure out their names?"You can't ask them yourself?" I've tried. They won't listen to me. Which is why I need their names. So we go pound the pavement. Just like any other investigation. I... guess? Whatever it takes. I'd go myself, but I'm kinda trapped."Got it. We'll be back."  Thanks. Seriously.Should be pretty straight-forward. Based on the picture down stairs I'm guessing that one of these ghosts is named Art, and there are two bedrooms so we'll check them for anything that can identify the others.  The desk is heaped with science homework. The dresser is spilling over with rumpled articles of clothing. Tidiness does not seem to have been the inhabitant of this room's strong point. The post-it note above the desk has the words "BUY EARPLUGS" written in very hard, angry letters. The bookcase is full of dry textbooks and a few dog-eared romance novels. There's a picture of an adorable kitty on the wall, and next to it is an image of oppressive suburbia - neat houses crammed closely together. Beside that is a fisherman's guide to common North-Eastern pike. The metal trash can is full of ashes.  From the consistency, it looks like notebook paper. Or at least, it was. Jesus. Burning documents in a trashcan. Could've burnt the whole place down.Obviously this is another opportunity for Eli to use his fire reading trick. But we'd better go outside to do it since Vicki's so worried about burning the house down. In the meantime we'll have a look at the other bedroom.  The faint whiff of marijuana smoke and the peace sign suggest the inhabitants were hippies. A cosy bed is heaped high with pillows. In the corner is a comfortable chair, padded with cushions and draped with warm blankets. The night tables have a single drawer each. There's a piece of paper with a poem on it in one of them and a photo sitting on the other. A heavy wooden closet lies against the far wall next to an oval mirror ringed with an old wooden frame.   Vicki investigates the closet.  Huh. Some 70s reject clothes. A tacky umbrella. An old doll..."Nope. Nothing we need in here." Well, let's go and read that burned note. Eli? I was thinking about something you said. Yeah? Yeah. About never seeing your family again. How'd you do it? I didn't have a choice. But it wasn't easy. And it still isn't. There were times I came VERY close to knocking on their door. Usually I stopped myself. Usually? Um. Yeah. Mandana and Kalash MIGHT have locked me in the basement a few times. Sounds rough. Well. It was what it was."Hey Eli? Can you fire read that note from the trashcan now?"  Sure. Just a sec.   Art, Jess and Dana. And the dog's name's Mary Jane, if that's going to help. Better go tell Logan. So Vicki? What about your family. Have you spoken to them since... well, everything? I'm a disgraced cop from a cop family. I don't think I'm ready for the Sunday barbecue quite yet. I mean, Donny tolerates me. But the rest? How can I talk them about... all this? Want my advice? Find a way. And don't wait too long. I get what you're saying. But not yet. Maybe when all this is done.Back upstairs. "I found some names. Dana, Art and Jess." You sure? Let's try it.He stands up and addresses the ghosts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxzcVi1Wc4o Are those your names? Art? Jess? Dana? Art? Jess? Dana?  Auuuggg! What the hell did you just do! No. NO! Please. There's no need for this! Art? Dana? Jess? Just...relax, fellas. Please! Relaxxxx.The ghosts seem to calm down, but the room remains dark. That was close. Close? CLOSE? Those ghosts went geist! Geist? Poltergeist! It's what you get when ghosts go bad. Like... really really bad. But I've only ever read about them in books. It doesn't actually HAPPEN. At least... it shouldn't. Not anymore. Well it happens now! These ghosts attacked us. They tried to tear KayKay apart! We barely got this circle up in time. You need to tell us what's going on. Fine. I... think I've got things under control. If you have questions, ask 'em now."What is that circle you're standing in?" Oh this? KayKay taught me how to make it. Ghosts can't cross it. Not just ghosts. It keeps out ANY spiritual energy. I've got something similar in my lab. You do? Sure. When you're experimenting with unstable magic, it's smart to be behind a protection circle. But it took me WEEKS to prepare. You're telling me that you whipped this up on the spot? Me? I just drew the circle. It was KayKay who turned it on. Amazing. You both must be incredibly powerful. We're just doing a job. One day at a time. Or we would. If we weren't stuck here."How long have you been here?" Two or three days, maybe? I had some energy bars in my pocket. That got me through the worst of it. But yeah. It won't be long before my shoes start to look very tasty."What happened here?" Like I said, we came here to put these ghosts to rest. Usually it doesn't take much., We talk to them a bit, learn who they are, try and get through to them. But these three? They got violent. Ugly. They went after KayKay. Tried to rip her to shreds. Poor kid was terrified. ...kid? She's ten years old. Jesus. Is she okay?Well, she's dead, so... Last time I saw her, yeah. We got this circle up. It calmed them down long enough for her to escape. We've been separated ever since. If she comes in here, the ghosts attack her. If I leave this circle, the ghosts attack ME. So... you see my dilemma here. You couldn't call anyone? All this spiritual energy screws with my phone. But even still, I couldn't bring anyone else in here. Too dangerous."Why aren't the ghosts attacking us?" Because they don't know you're here. Ghosts barely see other people. Only me. And KayKay. As long as I don't provoke them, they won't go crazy again."Why couldn't we see KayKay outside?" She's a spirit guide. Not a pure ghost. Different rules. KayKay and I are bonded at the soul. Only I can see her. It's the way it's always been."Have ghosts attacked you before?" No. Ghosts are normally... harmless. Confused and alone, but harmless. Usually I could talk them down. Find some point of connection. Get them to trust me. But these guys? They won't even listen. They just... hate. That adds up. We've seen a huge escalation of supernatural threats recently. Seven hundred percent at minimum. So things are just going to get worse? They already have. ... Well, one thing at a time. Let's focus on getting me out of here. Then I'll worry about how screwed I am."How do you usually help a ghost move on?" It... depends. Usually we talk to them. Convince them they're actually dead. Sometimes an object works. Something that they're attached to. Something that reminds them of who they are."So what can we do to help you?" I don't know! With other ghosts, KayKay does most of the talking. Ghosts relate to her more. Being a ghost herself. But I'm on my own this time. These three won't listen to me. They're just so... angry. So I hope you guys have some ideas. Because I'm out. Well, like I said. Geists don't just APPEAR. Something happened. Something related to their deaths. If we can figure that out, maybe we can... help them. An investigation, huh? That I can handle."Sit tight, Logan. We'll be back." Believe me. I'm not going anywhere.Next: Geistbusters. Tiggum fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Jan 6, 2020 |
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 06:31
|
|
|
Cool new party member. I like the little characterization touches like how he's experienced enough to bring some power bars on his ghost job in case things go longer than expected. It's pretty obvious bringing him back to talk to the other ghosts will give us some info we didn't have.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 07:14
|
|
|
God, as callbacks go, this one is amazingly done. "The last ghost that was saved." At least she seems to generally enjoy what she's doing. The thing that sort of bothers me is why you can't offer to get some food for Logan.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 11:01
|
|
|
Keldulas posted:The thing that sort of bothers me is why you can't offer to get some food for Logan.  I guess the idea is that you'll deal with the ghost situation quickly and he'll just be able to leave anyway, but I do think you should be able to get him some food in the meantime just in case. Like, maybe (extremely minor spoilers follow) if you don't get him any food then you all go out for steaks afterwards as actually happens in the game, but if you do get him food then he could have a line about being disappointed about not getting the steak he was looking forward to because he already ate convenience store food. I did actually try to go get him some food but Vicki just complains that you're "leaving Logan to rot" and won't let you. I can't remember if I tried it in my first playthrough (in which I brought Eli and Mandana on this mission) but I assume one of them has a similar line.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 12:10
|
|
|
A two line: "Should I step out to get you a snack?" -" It'll have to wait. " Would have been sufficient.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 12:31
|
|
|
Keldulas posted:God, as callbacks go, this one is amazingly done. "The last ghost that was saved." At least she seems to generally enjoy what she's doing. Yeah  I wonder if we'll meet anyone else we know.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 13:53
|
|
|
I love KayKay's interactions with the party here. The "Hiiiiii!!!" was weird at first, but it makes perfect sense once you know what's going on. Cute!
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 16:09
|
|
|
Iunnrais posted:I love KayKay's interactions with the party here. The "Hiiiiii!!!" was weird at first, but it makes perfect sense once you know what's going on. Cute! My favourite is quote:BOO
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 16:59
|
|
|
KayKay is the best.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2020 17:40
|
|
|
Well, good news we have some friends, bad news we are going to have to see what happened here and its our body's fault. Its going to be bad.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 01:03
|
|
|
You can hardly be blamed for what your body does. It'd be almost as ridiculous as me feeling guilty about my bad breath or chronic flatulence.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 01:17
|
|
|
You should show what happens if you try to throw the brick at the window before having a party member break the glass,
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 03:58
|
|
|
You missed the funniest line from Kaykay, when you try to break the window yourself with a brick. Also, you can't give him any food because that would break the circle around him and then everyone's hosed.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 05:02
|
|
|
In-game, all it says is that it 'blocks spiritual energy'. So, I'd believe that someone can't put their arm through it since they also have a soul and everything. However, I don't see how just throwing him a sandwich would screw things up.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 05:11
|
|
|
Keldulas posted:In-game, all it says is that it 'blocks spiritual energy'. So, I'd believe that someone can't put their arm through it since they also have a soul and everything. However, I don't see how just throwing him a sandwich would screw things up. Living humans must be able to pass through it since it took Eli weeks to set one up in his lab and there wouldn't be much point if he couldn't get in and out of it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 05:47
|
|
|
Really want a mini 'What if?" short, of how things would have gone with the Blackwell ladies if they had Kaykay rather than Joey. Hopefully less dogs would be drugged, and less cigarettes smoked. Not that it's really important, but there been any indication of the rough time frame of the setting since the last game of that series yet?
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 21:11
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:Living humans must be able to pass through it since it took Eli weeks to set one up in his lab and there wouldn't be much point if he couldn't get in and out of it. Eh, in that case, I'd believe that it took weeks to set up, but he can turn it on and off at this point.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 21:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 14:57 |
|
|
Paused posted:Really want a mini 'What if?" short, of how things would have gone with the Blackwell ladies if they had Kaykay rather than Joey. Hopefully less dogs would be drugged, and less cigarettes smoked. Probably more cigarettes smoked, a bubbly 12 (I think?) year old would probably have grated on Lauren's cynicism more than Joey's wisecracks. I think she'd have got on well with Rosa though
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2020 21:35
|
|