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I like how they're too busy being upset at each other to see the obvious point of concern. If none of the three people they think knew about the oncoming hit did it....
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Sep 15, 2023 12:15
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She has a statue of ... jade emperor on her desk? That's a little on the nose.
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Sep 15, 2023 12:22
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FoolyCharged posted:I like how they're too busy being upset at each other to see the obvious point of concern. If none of the three people they think knew about the oncoming hit did it.... The most obvious read is that Aija organised it but didnt want to justify or explain herself to Devon. Meaning she has two hitmen at her back and call, that dont know about each other.
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Sep 16, 2023 03:29
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Elite posted:The most obvious read is that Aija organised it but didn’t want to justify or explain herself to Devon. Meaning she has two hitmen at her back and call, that don’t know about each other. Yeah, but someone else being on to them and is playing their own game is a much more fun read.
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Sep 16, 2023 07:24
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 content warning: war trauma/violence [BGM: Trick Score]   I think you should remember why we're doing all of this. It's so easy to simplify this situation and have doubts. But what we're doing, Devon, is important. People like to complain about Panthea, about how it is now. How short their memories are. Do they remember what it was like before I rose to power? Before I was elected? We were a shitstain on the map; a nothing. Now, we are a capital of thriving industry. Crime is down, prospects are on the up. We are slowly become a... well, a utopia. A place where everybody can live simply and happily. Exactly. Right now, we're just going through some growing pains getting to that utopian place is obviously a slow process. ...Made doubly so since I have to spend much of my time maintaining the status quo. People are inevitably attracted to seats of power, and the Governor's seat seems the most attainable. Get the wrong person in my seat, and all that power could be spent on personal luxuries and ill-thought-out policies. So of course, much effort must be spent on keeping me in my seat. Sacrifices must be made to keep me in my seat, because if I fell from my seat, it would be all for nothing. And because I spend so much time trying to keep my seat, the march towards a utopia moves ever slower. People complain that I haven't done enough in the relatively little amount of time that I've had. They aren't patient. Most people aren't. Rome wasn't built in a day... but finally, we're in a stable enough equilibrium that I can spend more time crafting this utopia and already, you can start to see the results of my vision. Obviously, I have to take small steps; anything too drastic will disrupt the balance. But, unlike most people, I am patient. I see the larger picture. We'll make this utopia together, Devon. And once we have, our last act can be cleaning away the filth we've ignored for the sake of stability. Then... retirement, in peace. We retire having been useful. More than useful, we'll have saved an entire city! If we pull it off, it'll be amazing. It'll be a dream. ...But you'd have to be dreaming that such results can be built without blood, sweat, and tears. Which is why your job is so important.I nodded. I'm not the first to attempt something like this... but I'll be the one to succeed. I've learned from the mistakes of the past.[BGM: Silence]  There won't be an Apis, ready to gore me to death. Not so long as I have you. Exactly, ma'am.Ms. Aija was exactly right. That was my value. Making sure that she could shape the city the way it needed to be shaped. Already, her policies were helping all of Panthea and she had only just gotten started on truly putting her plans into effect! If I could help make that happen, then my job would be worth it. So, in the name of these 'plans', it was worth it to become a killer? Who's to say these 'plans' would really work? No, no, I couldn't spiral now. But really, did I agree with any of this? Did these values hold up? I shook those thoughts away. Of course this held up. There are two simple truths in life. Without power, you cannot make change. Without tenacity, you cannot protect power. You can't deny either of those things, so Aija's logic held firm... and making a change by killing is the best I could hope for. It was the only way to make good use of my skillset. [BGM: The Wire]  I remember when I first joined the army. It wasn't out of any sense of patriotism I didn't give two shits about the war. In fact, I didn't really even know much about the war at all. The little bit I did know made me suspect that we weren't even on the right side of it all... though that was a bit above me. No, I joined the war for far less inspiring reasons. I didn't really have any meaning in life. I wanted to get away from home. I wanted to feel like a hero. I wanted to feel... something. And, on some level, I wasn't scared of dying. All of those factors combined with a random whim served to drive me right into the army. That was a real turning point in my life. For good or for bad... I still remained unsure. The glamorous ideal of army life that gets tossed around didn't reflect reality, at all. Well, that didn't exactly catch me off guard I'd already been warned not to expect much. Still, I was surprised by how mundane much of army life was in the beginning. It mostly consisted of the harsh training and strict regiment. I got in shape. I learned how to use weapons. I learned how to operate a base. I had a strict schedule. I had to show complete obedience. And you know? I kind of thrived in that environment.  I mean, dealing with a strict regimen was pretty much a non-issue. And I might not be able to excel at math or art or whatever, but I could do pushups and firing drills as many times as you wanted. It might've been brutal, but it was simple in a way I could appreciate. To improve, you just had to work I could handle that. So I worked. And I improved. I acted as a model soldier for a while... and while I got some slight acknowledgement from my superiors for this, not much came of it initially. For a long time, army life was aimless... and then, all of a sudden, things got a lot less boring. The base I was holed up in was the subject of a surprise attack. Before I knew what was happening, I could smell sulfur and hear gunfire all around we were caught completely unawares. Most of the soldiers I had spent time with, all died in the attack. I felt sad for them... but I'd never gotten particularly close with them. Nowadays, I don't even really remember most of them. This isn't one of those cases where I was traumatized or outraged by the deaths of my friends or anything; I'm only bringing up all their deaths to contrast with my survival. I remember that night with crystal clarity. I remember where, and when, I shot every enemy soldier. Despite so many of my comrades dying, I was oddly calm the whole time. It felt as though I was going to die any moment anyways, so... might as well play for the high score. Headshot. Double kill. Ultimately, I ended up killing dozens of enemy soldiers. I don't know exactly how it happened it's not like I was some god of war or something. I was just using my training to the best of my ability.  I still don't know why I was able to survive the attack. Maybe taking my training that seriously legitimately improved my skills to a significant amount over my peers? Maybe my cold demeanour during the incident allowed me to view things with an increased amount of logic? ...Maybe the 'luck of my bloodline' finally kicked in, when it mattered most. I don't know how to explain it. All I know is that, despite the numbers disadvantage, we won that battle... and the person who killed the most enemy combatants single-handedly was me. What happened afterwards was a blur. Reinforcements came; I was referred to a psychiatrist or something shortly after. That battle was the first and last time I was officially in combat during my army years. The war ended up ending pretty shortly after the incident anyway. Not because we won or lost, but... because the country just decided it wasn't worth fighting any longer. Time to just stop having people kill each other! Regardless, I was still applauded for my actions. I was actually given a pretty prestigious award for my heroic last stand; it was a nice looking medal. I remember the award ceremony. There were so many big shots in the room even my father bothered showing up. Everybody applauded... and I remember the weird dissonance in my head at that time. What did I do to deserve this? What I did, if you recall, was kill a couple dozen people to try and stay alive. I didn't think it was particularly notable. It wasn't even a demonstration of outstanding skill or anything. I still felt like my survival was a fluke. This was the most acknowledgement I had ever received in my life. And I was getting it for mass murder? It didn't really click for me then.  Shortly after being dismissed from the army, I fell into the darkest period of my life. I didn't understand things like I did now. See, chalking things up as 'murder' was missing the point. Killing people didn't really matter in the big picture people die all the time. Now, that doesn't mean we should just be stabbing random people for no reason, but there are plenty of times where a single death is outweighed by the good that death causes. In that last stand of mine, I might've killed a lot of people, but it was for a good cause. Because of my actions, the country had kept that base firm it helped end the war faster. Really, I'm grateful for my time in the army. When you do something for the first time, it opens a pathway in your brain. Every time you do it after the first time, that pathway opens up a little more. But it's the first time, when the pathway is still closed, that's the hardest. Because of that attack, the killing pathway opened for me. And, because of my time in the army, I had the skills that I was now putting to good use. [BGM: The Gungniri]  At any rate, I believe we should begin to discuss actually relevant business matters.Aija's words hit like a jolt of electricity. I had been zoning out. First and foremost, I must congratulate you for the Athen job. Excellently handled, as always. Thank you, ma'am. It is unfortunate that he will no longer be a donation stream for us, but sadly, it was an inevitability. As I said, the man got greedy... but not particularly smart. Knowing as much as he did, he still thought it wise to attempt to blackmail us? Ha! I would've thought him wiser than that. Well... perhaps he was back in the day. Age takes us all, after all, and Athen was barely holding on at that point. Sad to see... so sad to see. We shouldn't have let him know anything in the first place. Ah, that was an inevitability. That man was wise and powerful enough to hire investigators for anyone he got in business with, and not the type that could be handled. For the longest time, he was a sensible ally to our cause... I think it would be best to remember the time we had with him, and dismiss his latest transgressions as nothing more than a dying man's impulse. How merciful, ma'am. I believe in mercy. I respect mercy. I just wish I could afford to give it more often. 'Mercy in a world that gives none isn't mercy it is weakness.' My dad taught me that. Yes, that does track. Well, it's a true enough sentiment, sad as that may be. Hopefully one day we can afford to run you out of a job. Though it often feels like that day keeps getting further and further away...Ms. Aija looked wistfully out of the window. If I was more naive, I would've thought I might not be the only one having second thoughts about things.  Um, ma'am. I do sincerely apologize that I failed to fulfill the optional objective. I promise I'll try to do better in the future. Oh, that? It's fine. Honestly, thinking back, the flourish seems entirely unnecessary. Sure, it would've been nice to get the moral high ground for a bit having your constituents be falsely accused is a great look. I'm sure the Oracle would have had a field day with that... ah, but Mr. Shay spun the story wonderfully even without that addition. Honestly, you usually need to pay good money for the sort of press he provides. If I didn't know better, I would've thought I had him on my payroll.A top donor of Governor Aija's was murdered by an unknown assailant. That alone was enough material to string a number of conspiracies and sympathetic headlines. Since nobody had known about the blackmail thing, this murder looked to be a loss for Aija, not a gain. The important thing is, it appears no evidence was left tying you to the scene. You're still completely clean nothing even had to be scrubbed away. Good on that, by the way. So long as you're still able to do your job, you're still important. Thank you, ma'am. Ms. Aija leaned back in her chair, relaxing some. But, I know you tend to get in your head about your failures. I hope you don't obsess over the optional objective thing. Look at it this way if you're really that bothered about it, there's always the optional assignment.She was referring to Laverna. Apparently she had been called to the scene to help investigate the murder. She was the one who saw through my ruse and foiled the optional objective. When I heard about that, I felt vindicated; I knew that the usual crew wouldn't have seen through my ploy. Not that fast, at any rate. Laverna seemed to be reasonably intelligent, and in this business, that was a bad thing. She needed to be handled. I'll get right on that, ma'am. In fact, I've already begun making preparations. ...There are some oddities about her. My intel suggests tha Not so fast.Ms. Aija interrupted me, then reached down and placed a file on the table before me. Dealing with Laverna would certainly be useful; however, there is a slightly more pressing job. Now, granted, I am also making this an optional assignment, as there is no immediate need to deal with this individual. They don't pose a massive threat. But, that said, if you were to prioritize anybody, I would sooner see to it that he dies than Laverna. I consider him a bigger risk in the short-term.Silently, I nodded. Then, I picked up the file and began to thumb through it. Who was this punk, threatening Governor Aija's position?  Name: Lock Skills: *Gambling prowess *Experienced cheater *Professional conman Personality: *Exceedingly arrogant *Scheming *Skeptical *Intelligent Notable Traits: *May possess large amounts of money(?) Known Locations: *Spends most nights at Nohoi's Nest (underground casino) Attached to the file was a slightly blurry photo of the man. Terrible lighting, bad angle, but I could study the general make of him. That tacky suit and unkempt hair definitely helped on the identification front. I looked it over a few more times. Then I looked back up to Ms. Aija. Is this seriously all the information we have on this guy? Isn't information gathering part of your job? Yes, of course. Like a lot of this city's unscrupulous characters, information on him is scant. Is this not sufficeint for you to do your job adequately? No, of course not. I can handle things with this.It'd be a bit difficult, but nothing I couldn't deal with.
If you don't mind, could I know why we're dealing with him? Same reason as Laverna. He's an unknown factor that seems to threaten my position as Governor. The reason he is of higher priority than her is because he seems to pose an active threat, as opposed to a passive one. We're still unaware of exactly what he has in mind, but frankly, it would be preferable to deal with him before we do.
 That's all you need to know. Of course. Of course, ma'am.She was right; that was all I needed to know. If he posed a threat to keeping this city a safe place, then he had to be dealt with. In addition, he seemed to be a low-rate scammer, spending nights in lowlife underground casinos. There shouldn't be too much of a problem removing a character like this. The lack of info made dealing with him a bit of a problem, but I was patient, and I knew where he spent his time. He'd appear there before too long. Well then, if that's all you wish to discuss, you can go now. Your payment for the last job will be delivered shortly. Of course, ma'am. Trust that the Lock problem will be adequately handled in due time. Good. Oh, but don't stress over it too much, I meant what I said. It's unhealthy for you to wholly devote yourself to this business. You're of no use to anyone if you become unhinged. I'll practice moderation. And... I'll look for some sort of hobby. Excellent, excellent. Have a pleasant week, Devon. I look forward to our next meeting; perhaps then it can be a more personal meeting.I nodded, then left the room. But, inside my heart... I couldn't agree with that last statement. By the time of our next meeting, I would have dealt with the job. I'd show her my conviction by achieving results. I was a weapon. This city's weapon. Weapons were important; without them, evil would be undeterred, uninterrupted. But no... not just a weapon. There were plenty of people willing to turn themselves into weapons. I had to be a perfect weapon. When aimed at the target, I'd shoot posthaste. And never miss. Sorry, Lock. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy your last hours alive. [BGM: Silence]   I like Talei. She's fun, she's cute I'd love to get a drink with Talei. Not a big Secretary Gani fan, gotta be real here. And... yeah. Look, I don't have a lot more to say on this one. Not to say I didn't appreciate the scene. And you drat well better have appreciated it! This stack was exponentially more difficult to create, for obvious reasons. I'm just saying, nothing's jumping out to me to crack wise about. Nothing calls out to my soul. But... I should do something, you know? All right, here's an idea... Gambles. Gambles always put me in a good mode, and you like gambling, so let's gamble. So, let's see... what to gamble about...? Hmm... Let's make it something super peripheral to the actual plot, have a nice change of pace. Like... how about Devon's dad? You know, the one we got, like, a snippet about? I mean clearly the father hosed him up somehow, I don't think I'm blowing any minds with that revelation. Dollars to donuts Devon ends up reflecting on him some more before this is all over. In fact, I don't need to bet dollars to donuts or whatever that saying means, I know for a fact we get more information on him. You think the dad's still around? Or you think he's six feet under? Both seem possible, and there isn't a strong way to determine one way or another... The perfect bet! So, what do you say? Devon's father is dead.Thread was split down the middle so I got my partner (who hasn't read any of the LP) to vote with no context as the tiebreaker. I won't be counting that vote for the chips we're betting, though.  Cool. I have no opinions on this bet, because it's kinda sorta just random.  ...Wait, does that make it... a bad bet??? No. No way. No. This is a good bet. Now put down some chips!Because the thread was split, we're betting 50% of our chips - a cool, even 40, leaving us with a just as cool and just as even 40.  Cool. Good bet. Good talk. This was... good. Next update, it's back to Laverna at the top for our third round of cards! Mix. fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 20, 2023 01:00
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Still around.
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Sep 20, 2023 03:12
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Pipe Dream: Devon takes Lock out, has the truth exposed by Laverna, and eliminates Aija. Devon's father is dead. No particular deep reason behind guessing this, but we still need some sort of trigger for him to be so loyal to Aija's vision.
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Sep 20, 2023 04:56
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Dad dead, so what? Devon killed him, he was the first victim of the Cock Robin murders.
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Sep 20, 2023 06:47
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Hmmm...the way Devon spoke of his dad attending his ceremony, they aren't/weren't close, so it would be a more interesting choice if he were around than not. So I'll vote Still Around
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Sep 20, 2023 13:52
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Devon's father is dead. Thread was split down the middle so I got my partner (who hasn't read any of the LP) to vote with no context as the tiebreaker. I won't be counting that vote for the chips we're betting, though. Cool. I have no opinions on this bet, because it's kinda sorta just random. ...Wait, does that make it... a bad bet??? No. No way. No. This is a good bet. Now put down some chips!Because the thread was split, we're betting 50% of our chips - a cool, even 40, leaving us with a just as cool and just as even 40. Cool. Good bet. Good talk. This was... good.Next update, it's back to Laverna at the top for our third round of cards!
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Sep 21, 2023 03:25
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Alright, time for the post-Devon check in, round 2. Anyone shot up in your protag rankings? Any interesting connections you've noticed? Theories, thoughts?
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Sep 21, 2023 03:32
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Best to worst: Laverna Devon Thane Olif Mercury Vels Lock Laverna's twin is Olif. Devon might have noticed that Laverna has a twin through his investigation. Hard to say how the timeline is between "Thane" and Mercury's Thane. My guess is that Vels is the one Marduk wants on his side; otherwise, Vels is not a very useful perspective. I want Vels and "Thane" to intersect at some point. Lock is scum, and I would like Devon to eliminate him even if it furthers Aija's goals. EDIT: My previous post didn't have a full ranking, but I was consistent with Laverna being the best. Vels is still the most boring, but Lock plummeted to the bottom because of how poorly Bach was treated and how many holes are in his plan. NeoRonTheNeuron fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 04:47
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Best to worst: Laverna Thane Lock Devon Mercury Vels Olif Laverna still hits all the right beats as a protagonist. Has her own personality and a good supporting NPC crew. Thane shot way up in my rankings. They were very dull at first but now they have some actual NPCs to bounce off of. Lock's alright, his last chapter wasn't as fun as the first one. But still decent. Devon's okay? He's not super interesting, but he's got enough going on. Mercury's the least memorable for me so far. They're only ahead of the other two because they're not actively boring (Vels) or unlikable (Olif). Vels is too much of a spectator. Olif's walloftext style just doesn't do anything for me. And they're (so far) an unlikable troll.
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Sep 21, 2023 05:52
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quote:Name: Lock Devon is going to violently stress test the if it isnt explicitly forbidden then its allowed rule, when he shoots Lock in the face mid- gamble.
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Sep 21, 2023 13:52
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 [BGM: Silence]  There may not be rest for the wicked, but there isn't a lot for the detective, either. Once again, I was contacted by the police to help with one of their cases. So then, a bit late, I made my way directly to the scene of the supposed crime: Nohoi's Nest. Arriving there, the place was abuzz. [BGM: Opening Lead]  I let myself into the central restaurant, and saw a number of unscrupulous looking characters being interviewed by a familiar face.  Oh, hey Laverna! Pandora. Lovely meeting you. I assume you are taking witness statements? Yeah, I'm just sort of getting to know these guys. ...Getting to know them in regards to the crime, correct? I'm getting there I have a process. Ah, I understand. I would never judge another person's process. We each must walk our own road. Yeah, you get it!  Anyways, I assume you're here to help with the murder case? Why, naturally. Gotcha! Then, you're probably going to want to go downstairs. See, over there?Pandora pointed over to the closet, which held the staircase down to the underground casino. Yeah, there's a staircase there. Most of the others are down there. And why aren't you with them? Did they keep you out? Because if so, that's not acceptable. Oh no, I was the one who wanted to stay up here. I mean, an underground, illegal casino ran by a gang? How scary! And, uh, you're a police officer? Obviously? ...Right, right, just checking again. All right, well, I'll go and get a move on. Good luck!With Pandora's well wishes, I walked over to the closet and made my way down to the true Nohoi's Nest. This is where the real action was.  The place was unusually fully lit up, and all throughout the central room were sparse tables and open areas. You could really feel the blank space. I couldn't get far, however, before running into a familiar face.  Lav!Baldera rushed over to me and gave me a hug. Then, she recoiled a little bit.  Woah, Lav... Baldera, nice to see you. Ah, Laverna. I shouldn't be surprised. Lav, what's with the smell? What smell? Your smell, it's all, uh, floral and junk. Oh, you must be referring to my perfume. My sister told me I should try to be a bit more feminine, so this is what I ended up doing. It's L'Sterq.Seth leaned in and took a whiff, before also making a face. Little, uh, little strong, huh? Perfume is meant to be a pleasant smell, yes? Ergo, more perfume means more pleasant smell. Standard logic. ...You and I really need to hang out sometime, Lav. Anyways, speaking of your s-sister, we ended up going to speak with her. Oh? Apologies. Aw, she wasn't that bad, Lav. Though, I have to say, when I looked around the room she was staying at, I noticed a few things that made me think that it wasn't really her apartment, she just temporarily rented the room. God, is she still on that paranoid conspiracy crap? She is so embarrassing. Anyways, she's not an active suspect, if that gives you some comfort. I suppose. But we should move on to the case at hand, should we not? I figure, uh, Baldera decided to bring you in for this, too?  Incorrect, Mr. Johnson.Unbeknownst to Seth, Arrianne had walked over to join the group. As a matter of fact, I decided to hire Laverna's services. Is that r-right? That's something of a change of pace, huh? She has proven useful so far; I wished to see her in action some more. I'm sure she'll impress! I do nothing but. However, to get to that, I first must learn of the actual crime. Details, if you would? Not exactly a polite way of requesting. Yeah, get used to that. Anyways, uh, I guess I'll just get to it. Don't want to waste time.[BGM: Kicker]   To start, we received a call to 911. The voice seemed deliberately muffled, but at the very least we could tell that the witness was male. No need to beat around the bush, I'll just read out the transcript for you.Seth then ruffled through his pockets and took out a few folded sheets of paper. He then cleared his throat, and began to read. 'Uh, hello. Right now I am calling from Nohoi's Nest. I am sitting above ground, at one of the wooden tables, and I just witnessed a murder.' Then the operator asks for him to explain more, so he keeps going. 'First thing you need to know is that Nohoi's Nest has an underground gambling operation, a big casino. I was down there, gambling I know that's illegal, but I just went there to relieve stress. I'm not a criminal, and if I see someone die, I'm going to report it. 'I met this one guy, he claimed to be a big shot at Olympo... We got to talking, and before long, we'd decided to start a one-on-one poker gamble in a private room. Uh, that's a thing you can do. 'So we go over there, play a few rounds. The gambling is going well. It's an even match. Eventually I get thirsty; I ask if I can go get a drink at the bar, and my opponent agrees. 'I exit the room, but I must've come across as shifty because my opponent made sure to hide their cards as I passed by. I walked directly across the open area to the bar it's run by this guy named Ossa. I order a drink from him, sit down, relax a bit. 'I noticed a decorative knife that Ossa has hung up behind the bar; it's nice looking. I talked with Ossa a bit, he gave me some poker advice. Feeling more confident, I decided to go back to the game. 'I stand up, walk across the room, and open the door to the private room... and standing right in that doorway, I feel my legs begin to freeze up. My heart is plummeting. 'My opponent, the Olympo big shot, he's still in his chair. Only problem is... he's been stabbed several times in the gut. I don't even need to get any closer to know he's dead. So... I began to panic. I turned around, walked away, tried to catch my breath. 'I'm freaking out like I said, I'm not a criminal or anything, I've never seen a dead body before. And then, walking towards the exit stairs, I see this one guy... uh, he's got, like, slick black hair, leather jacket... kinda short, though he was slouching. 'Didn't get a great look at him, but... I saw him gripping something by his side. It was that decorative knife and it had flecks of blood on it! I ran after him, up the stairs, but once I got back up to the actual restaurant I couldn't see him anywhere. 'I asked the receptionist if he saw anyone leave in the last minute or two, but he claimed he hadn't. So... yeah, now I'm sitting here, reporting everything to you. 'I didn't know the guy who got stabbed very well, but, you know, it's my civic duty to report major crimes like this. So... I am. ...Uh, bye.' And then they hung up.[BGM: Silence]  Huh.A lot of details in there for a simple murder report. Couldn't he have done his job by just saying that Nohoi's Nest was a front, and a murder happened? ...Oh well, made my job easier. Getting that report, we made our way over to Nohoi's Nest immediately. We had long suspected an underground casino was there, and what's more, we had evidence to suggest that it was a Duat operation. Unfortunately, there was no hard evidence of this, and illegal gambling is a pretty light offense, so getting a warrant to actually search the place was more effort than it was worth. Of course, a first-hand account of a murder taking place in that casino changes things an awful lot. We got down here and raided the building ASAP. Unfortunately, uh, it looks like somehow the Duats got wise to the fact that the police were coming. I mean, once a dead body was found, they probably had to assume someone would call us, and we'd come snooping. The result of this is that when we got here, most of the evidence of this being a casino was disposed of, and everyone but the staff were gone. That... includes the witness. ...And the d-dead body. Huh? Yeah, we've got no lead on the witness right now. Barely a description. Hopefully he'll show up directly to the station soon enough, but if not... The fear is that he will be concerned by the fact that he was at an underground casino, and subsequently refuse to testify, afraid that we'd focus on the illegal gambling. The dead body is a bigger problem we've looked all over, and can't find hide nor hair of 'em. No bloodstains or anything either, though we've got forensics searching the place right now. If things stay the way they are, it's going to be real difficult to solve much of anything.[BGM: Ante Up]  Well, I'll give you this: it's certainly an interesting case. How bizarre... bizarre enough to be worth my time, that is! I expected as much that is another reason why I decided to call you to the scene. This situation seems somewhat up your alley. drat right this is up my alley! Okay, now I'm fired up. There's a bunch we need to do; first up, crime scene! Alleged or not, I wish to inspect it. Sure thing. Judging by the testimony from the call, we can more or less trace it back to a specific private room that one.Baldera pointed the room out to me, and I was off. I walked right over and entered the crime scene. It was already being inspected quite thoroughly by a number of officers wearing masks and gloves. Forensics team; got it. I stayed mindful of their work, and looked around from a distance. ...There wasn't much to observe. Directly facing the doorway was the chair on the furthest side of the table, and the closer one was facing opposite that. There wasn't any blood anywhere... ...I stepped back out of the room.  Well, that was pointless. Made that judgment call fast, huh? So far, I am unimpressed. We're not incompetent, Lav. If there were any clues, we'd have found them by now. Is that right? Yeah!
At any rate, viewing the scene with my own eyes gave me perspective. That was its true point. So then... it wasn't pointless? Next up, we need to interview the witnesses. I heard one specific name in the story given to us; am I right to presume this 'Ossa' fellow is currently under your care? 'Under our care' might be overselling it... but yeah, we've got him if you want to try interviewing him. Might be a bit tricky, though. All the more enticing, dear Baldera. Let us go give the big man the ol' tongue lashing.And, just like that, we walked over to the bar. Standing behind it was an incredibly bored looking gangster Ossa. So... how to tackle this? Hm... I thought for a second, before settling on an approach. Confidently, I walked right up to the bar, and began to lean on it. Ah! Ossa. Now isn't this quite the quaint coincidence, meeting each other in a place like this. The world is just so crazy.
[BGM: Dealing Hands]  Ossa looked me over with discerning eyes. Do I... know you? No but you will. Laverna Smyth, pleasure to be at your service.I held my hand out for a handshake. ...After a few seconds of it not being reciprocated, I retracted it, and continued in stride. So, you are the owner of this lovely little establishment?
I'm impressed! I really dig the ambiance down here I mean, you could do for a more subdued lighting pattern, but all in all I'd give this place top marks.Ossa turned to Chief Arrianne, who was standing behind me. Do I have to talk to her? Yes. Why are you so hostile towards me, Ossa? It's not you. It's the whole lot of you. I've got nothing to say to any of you regarding any of this.Baldera stepped up, eager to get involved. Let me guess, because you don't want to get your little underground casino scheme busted, right? Underground casino scheme? Whatever do you mean? This whole underground area! This place isn't in use. You have a literal bar table set up here! Not currently in use. I'm having it renovated to be an expansion of the restaurant. ...Slow process, to be sure. And this underground place is hidden behind a secret compartment in one of your storage closets? Hey, when I purchased the property, it already had that compartment. Will we find evidence of that? I don't know. Maybe. But since it was a secret compartment, maybe they hid it in the original blueprints. We found tons of gambling equipment and paraphernalia hastily shoved into one of your 'private rooms'! Oh, all that? I'm a gambling hobbyist... that's my collection. I like collecting defunct items from casinos all over the country, but my own place was getting too cramped so I moved it over here. Apologies about that. Someone called the police and gave testimony that this place was actually an underground casino. We looked where they told us to, and we found all of this! Some random person must've decided to have a laugh. The witness was able to identify this underground area! Huh. Good point. Must be a prank by one of the renovators maybe they don't like the pay. A prank that just so happens to coincide with all the casino equipment we found stuffed down here? They probably saw that I was storing my casino equipment here, and thought to incorporate that into the lie. That's... you're... ugh!In frustration, Baldera threw her hands up and walked away. She was having trouble handling Ossa. Uh, I hate to say it guys, but it's going to be near impossible to actually get any sort of indictment to stick with just this... I mean, unless we can get a bunch of witness t-testimony, which I doubt we'll be able to. Well, there you go.I slammed my fist on the bar. Who cares?! Huh? Ossa, I don't give two shits about whatever unscrupulous activities you have performed beneath this ceiling. For my part, I believe leaving my fate in the hands of gods recreationally in moderation is a wonderful experience. I do not begrudge the casino racket in the slightest; what I begrudge is murder! The ending of a life! That, and that alone, is my purpose here tonight: to discover the truth of such a heinous act. And, if you truly wish to obscure a crime most foul when it has occurred on your watch, well... you are no greater than scum.
...if. If there was a thing like an underground casino operating under here, then... I guess I could give a hypothetical account.A smile crossed my face. Excellent. A brilliant concession, I must say. I'm glad we can come to an agreement like this. So then... let me begin my questioning. On this hypothetical night that may or may not have occurred, do you remember the last person to approach your bar? ...No, I can't say I would have. Oh? Do all the faces blur together? No, I would remember faces. But, if this really was an underground casino, then earlier tonight I was occupied for most of the night. An important, VIP match would hypothetically have been taking place in one of the private rooms. I would have been officiating, and one of my workers would be tending bar instead... hypothetically. Objection! You claim you weren't at the bar during the end of the night (hypothetically). However, this contradicts the testimony of the 911 call! They clearly named you as the (hypothetical) bartender! What do you have to say to that (hypothetically)? Ossa just stood there for a couple seconds. Then, he shrugged his shoulders and threw up his hands. I don't know what to say. Maybe they mistook me for somebody else. I find it hard to believe anybody would mistake another bartender for you. Then your witness is lying. I was hypothetically officiating that private gamble. That's all I know. Is that the Duat line? Excuse me?Chief Arrianne took a few steps forward.  I said, is that what the Duats told you to say? Nobody has told me what to say. What exactly are you getting at? Bodies do not just disappear. Just like the evidence of this being a casino was disposed of, I think our dead body was, too. I do not know how much you know, Ossa. But I know have known that this whole little operation was a Duat-ran venture for quite some time. I allowed it to exist because it was the least of my problems, but a murder? That is now my problem. I have no doubt that you are responsible for dumping the body that we are looking for. The only question that remains in my mind is whether you dumped the body to keep your little casino operation afloat...Arrianne leaned in. ...or if this whole murder was also a Duat operation. Tell me now, and I will go easy on you. Woah. Coming on a little hard there, eh Arrianne? I looked over to Ossa to see how he'd respond. His face just hardened; any progress I might've made with him had just been wiped away. Let me get this through your thick skulls. Your whole presence here is a complete goose chase. Nobody died down here. Whoever called you? Lied. You are wasting your time. I will be the judge of that. Oh, judge away. Tear this place up all you want. But you won't find a lick of evidence that anybody died here; you're going to end this investigation with nothing to show for it.
I've nothing else to say to any of you. Keep pestering me if you want, but you won't get a worthwhile response.That ended the conversation pretty cleanly and thoroughly. Somewhat defeated, the four of us walked away from the bar.
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Sep 21, 2023 15:21
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Well thanks to some of the other cards we know who might have tipped the Duats off. The question is if there even was a murder in the first place, or someone plotting to expose the gambling den.
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Sep 21, 2023 16:00
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Well, we know two Olympo people who were at the casino at some point, Polly and Chara. I think the fact that one of the Olympo family died would be a much bigger deal, so I think Chara was murdered. If it was her, then it probably has something to do with the laptop she stole, so probably not the Duats?
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Sep 22, 2023 17:06
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It could also be Locke or no murder at all. Both him and Laverna were hitlist targets, and a goofy unsolvable murder(possibly because there was no murder) is an excellent way to put our plucky detective exactly where you want them. Locke didn't work for Bigass Corp Inc, but I don't exactly trust our caller, who is probably our killer.
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Sep 22, 2023 17:38
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Actually, I think Lock is our phone-caller. And I do agree that the phone caller is the killer, or an accomplice, but helping commit a murder then calling the police about it seems like the kind of gamble Lock would take.
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Sep 22, 2023 20:07
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 [BGM: Silence]  Well, that could've gone better. Indeed. You cannot hope to get any useful information out of criminal scum. This outcome was inevitable. If you say so, Chief.At this point, a plainclothes officer ran over and whispered something into Seth's ear. Seth nodded and dismissed her. [BGM: Challenger]  All right, I've gotta dip for a bit. Huh? You're really gonna bail on us like that? No. I'm g-going to try and help out. Apparently, we just got a report of some muted gunshots in the area. Right now? No, no, apparently this took place right around the time when we got the initial 911 call from our mystery witness. Don't ask m-me why we didn't get around to this until now, but, uh, it might be related. Then again, this isn't exactly a good part of town, so maybe they're unrelated... and it's only a single witness account of hearing the gunshots. Still, I'm gonna, uh, check on that.Seth nodded, and excused himself from the area. Baldera just sighed.  This case is a real headache, huh? I don't know how we're gonna put a dent in it we're just missing so much information. Indeed. Conspiracy cases are difficult. Conspiracy cases? Murders carried out and covered up by large numbers of people. It is logical to assume that the Olympo bigshot was a target of the Duats for whatever reason. Then all the employees worked together to hide the body and remove all traces of the crime. In fact, the reason we cannot locate the witness anymore may be because he, too, has already been 'handled'. No! How horrible... Actually cracking a conspiracy case is near impossible. We may be at a dead end... Are you all so sure about that? Huh? I think jumping to the idea that this is a conspiracy murder might be a little hasty. Oh? You have an alternate explanation? ...Nothing fully formed right now, Chief. I see.Baldera sighed once again. Gosh.[BGM: The Wire]  It's times like this that I really wished Isa was still with us. He was great with cases like this. Indeed. Isa, huh? This is the second time you've mentioned him. Mind filing me in? Oh, right. You never met him, huh Lav? Well, simply put, he was a previous officer on the force with us. He was, like, an incredible detective super respected. I... liked him quite a bit. And Seth, he and Seth were as close as brothers. He was certainly an effective officer, one of my best. He was pretty much family to us. You would've gotten along super well with him, Lav. He was really into the tricky mysteries that are your specialty. Like, there was this one murder case, with this one guy that looked so guilty. He destroyed his computer right after the murder, he threw away his shoes to try and hide the fact that he had ones that matched footprints we found he even bought a one-way ticket out of the country! We arrested him, interrogated him... but no matter how hard we investigated, it felt impossible to find any evidence that directly proved he had to be the culprit. ...But then Isa came in. He figured out that the guy we thought was the murderer? He was actually innocent! Instead, it was his close friend who did the murder. Our suspect had figured that out, and decided to start acting incredibly suspiciously; that would direct our attention towards him, trying to prove he did it, and the suspect could sit back safely knowing we'd never actually be able to put him in jail. Huh. Clever little trick. Right! Isa was great at seeing through things like that. Oh, oh, I haven't even told you about his biggest accomplishment! He foiled the assassination plot on Governor Aija! Really? All by himself? I mean... not all by himself, but he was the main force behind it. Wow. That is truly impressive. Right? Isa was... Isa was special. His intuition was great; he could figure out anything. It is truly a shame what happened to him. Yeah...Baldera looked down. For a moment, it looked like she was going to end things there... but then, she kept talking.  It's my fault. I should've been there. Do not say that, Ms. Vasquez I was the one who assigned those two to that case. Those two? Seth and Isa were working a pretty standard case. It was super late at night a store had been broken into and stolen from. Those two thought they had a lead on the culprit, so they were searching another area of the city. According to Mr. Johnson, the two had split up to try and search for the culprit more effectively, but all of a sudden he heard a gunshot. He ran over to the source, and saw the body of Mr. Dolus bleeding out. Further down the street, a hooded figure was fleeing the scene. Evidently, the two's hunch that the burglar was in the area was correct. Mr. Johnson opted to stay and try to treat Mr. Dolus's injuries, but it was too little, too late. How horrible. I'm sorry to hear that. I still remember that night. I heard Isa right up until the incident. Wait, you 'heard him'? How? Seth and Isa were using standard police radios to communicate their movements to each other as they swept the area. On a whim with nothing better to do, I turned into their channel to hear how the investigation was going. I heard Isa clear another random alley... Then silence for a couple minutes. ...Turned out that Seth was calling the hospital for Isa. Wow. It's... a sore subject for Seth. I'm pretty sure he blames himself even more than me for how it all went down. I extend my deepest condolences for this incident. Isa sounds like an absolutely fascinating character; I have no doubt that he was a treasure that is rightfully missed. Yeah, well. That's the risk being a cop poses. Even still, I never imagined Mr. Dolus of all people dying I always pictured him as this invincible force, though... maybe that was just projection. Projection?[BGM: Pip Count]  Well, he was the nephew of the great Apis. Probably where he got all that inherent skill from. Again, Apis... I'm not familiar. Apis was my predecessor, the previous Chief of Police. Yeah, Apis is a legend around here. Kind of responsible for whipping Panthea into shape when things were getting particularly bad. He did a lot of pretty remarkable stuff. I think most people associate him with the whole 'Governor bust' thing. ...Governor bust? The Governor at the time was apparently super dirty; he had connections to the Duats, and was caught taking a bunch of bribes. Luckily, he had appointed Apis, and Apis turned around and exposed all this corruption. It was really huge news at the time. Reducing Apis' influence to a single crime is to undersell him. He led the force with an iron fist; our department was never as strong as it was under his rule. There is a reason that such a large portrait of him resides back at Police HQ. At least that much is required to honor him. Nowadays, the force is really struggling. ...Uh, no offense, Chief! I just mean, we've got a lot less power. It is indeed difficult. We have limited funding. Additionally, I have had to lay off many officers who don't have the proper disposition to wield such power... but training new recruits is a timely proposition. All in all, it is a difficult situation. You should really bug Aija for more funding, Chief. I mean, you two are pretty close, right? Not at all; what would give you that impression? Oh, no need to hide it, Chief. I've seen you two talking together enough times to know that you've got a pretty good relationship with her. Which I think is a great thing! I'm a big Aija fan. But why don't you ask her for more money? It'd help out a lot.Arrianne sighed.  You do not understand, Ms. Vasquez. Difficult as it may be, it is better to have limited funding. Huh? How does that work? Let me extend this question to Laverna. Would you be in favor of a police state? Doesn't sound ideal to me. Woah, who's saying anything about police states? I'm just saying we should expand a bit. And I am saying it is preferable to have a smaller force of higher quality than a larger force of less. You might not understand this, Ms. Vasquez, but being a police officer is a great power. In many ways, you are above the law... but a lot of people cannot properly wield that power. As much as I hate the Duats, if you asked me who was more dangerous, an evil police officer or an evil Duat member, I would say the police officer every single time. After all, you can always throw the Duat member in prison. Maybe we are not the glorious force that Apis led. But... Apis' force had a dark side. If keeping our police force properly balanced means crime gets a bit worse, that is a sacrifice that must occur. Huh. I never really thought of things like that. Well... this is not a philosophy many in my position share.Hm. Interesting little insight into Arrianne's psychology. I'll file that away for later... but for now, we were wasting too much time. Enough casual conversation. I was brought here for one reason, and one reason alone; right here, right now, we are going to solve this murder case. Woah, solve it? With all the evidence we're missing? We don't even have a body, how do you expect to solve it? It certainly seems unlikely. Well... perhaps 'solving' it is an overstatement. However, I can certainly come close enough. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Ms. Vasquez is correct, Laverna. I don't know how you do your jobs; however, as police officers, we have no use for half-baked theories.[BGM: Double Down]  I bit my tongue at that. Look, just give me a chance to do my magic. If you leave thoroughly unimpressed, then no harm has been done. However, if I can solve The Murder That Never Happened, then you will truly be able to praise my name in full force. Well, when you put it like that, now I've got to hear what you're thinking. Give us your best shot. That is not your call to make. Oh, uh, right. You would do well to remember that. Now, Laverna: attempt your explanation. Seriously? Matter of principle. You could really stand to loosen up, Chief. ...Perhaps. So can I go now? Please. Excellent.I closed my eyes and put one finger to my forehead. Slowly, I rubbed my temple. I tapped it twice. I thought you already had an explanation. I do! Then why are you stalling? You're reminding me of Ms. Vasquez. ...Not a compliment. I'm right here, chief. Correct. The pause was for dramatic effect. ...But, seeing as I'm dealing with a couple of artless cretins, it's sort of ruined now. Cretins? I appreciate the pause, Lav! The way I see it, this crime is difficult to prosecute. A vague description of the victim... a vague description of the killer... no idea who the witness is... no physical evidence to find. We are aware this is the issue with this investigation. Really, there are only two characters in this story we can subject to scrutiny. We've already completed this step with one of the suspects. So then... why not the other? I don't follow... The witness. I wish to call into question his authenticity. Huh? Why would the witness be lying? He was the one who even brought this murder to our attention![BGM: Showdown]  A classic blunder, Baldera! Never skip to the motive it breaks the rules of mysteries. Who dunnit, how dunnit, why dunnit... this is the order the questions must be tackled in. I question how you intend to question the witness when we have no way of contacting him at present. There is no need for any additional questions! We already have his testimony; the account itself! Within it, I spotted three critical contradictions, and these contradictions shall unravel this whole event! Firstly: The Case of the Impossible Stab Wound.I began to walk over to the supposed crime scene. It was at this very spot that the crime was spotted by our witness - if that even is his real occupation. I would assume not. Our would-be Olympo victim met a grisly end in this room. Baldera, remind us, what was this supposed cause of death? Uh, he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest. Stabbed! Repeatedly. In. The. Chest. I heard. Where exactly was our so-called witness when he saw the scene of the crime? Uh, standing in this doorway, if I recall correctly. And where was the victim? There is no need to draw things out this long, Laverna; I understand what you're hinting at. If the victim was lying dead in his chair, you would not be able to see the stab wounds from the doorway. However, that only holds up if you assume he was playing at the closest chair. If he died at the farthest chair, this reasoning holds no water. Oh goodness, I simply didn't think of that! If only there was some possible way to figure out which of the seats our victim was supposed to be sitting at! Laverna. I do not find humor in sarcasm. Uh, right, sorry. The witness mentioned that the victim hid his cards as the witness passed by. If the witness passed by the victim, then they must've been at the closer chair. Ergo, the witness claimed to see something that they couldn't have. Okay, but just because you couldn't see the stab wounds immediately from the doorway doesn't mean the witness couldn't have seen them at all. He'd just have to take a step or two inside, and you'd get a decent side angle. But the witness himself mentions how his 'legs froze up' after seeing the sight, and that he 'fled right away'. We cannot take a witness's impromptu statement word for word. Having just witnessed a murder, it is reasonable to assume that he was too shaken up to be 100% accurate. Fair enough. If this was my only point, I'd be inclined to agree with you. A minor inconsistency like this isn't enough to draw any hard conclusions. Then get to your next points. Certainly!
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Sep 27, 2023 00:57
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Oh good. I didn't think there was a murder here. Ossa may be terrible for what he did to Bach, but he has fared well against Baldera, Laverna, and Arrianne. The Devil's theory was that Aija, the Police (Arrianne), the Duats, and Olympo (possibly with Kane at the Oracle) are working together. I do not get the sense that Arrianne is involved from this scene. Some people must be uninvolved; it's hard to explain why else they keep inviting genius detective Laverna into their circle. Not quite sure what the motive is for the prank call, other than to distract the police from something else.
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Sep 27, 2023 09:26
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I do like Arrianne, she has a bit of a dry wit that works as a nice contrast to Laverna. Plus she admits that ACAB.
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Sep 27, 2023 09:37
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Welp. I suppose accessory to murder isn't a huge stretch for a bought cop.  With all the police and Aija talk, I'm kind of surprised the chief being a political appointee hasn't gotten more spotlight. NeoRonTheNeuron posted:Oh good. I didn't think there was a murder here. Among other possibilities, it's already been stated that this duat den would never have been raided and dismantled without the murder call. It could be our hitman creating bait that would lure Lav in so he could do the hit on her.
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Sep 27, 2023 10:49
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The witness also, I believe, claimed to see blade from where he was sitting in the bar, then found the body, then saw someone with the blade...which would make it impossible for the murder to have actually be done with the blade he saw, as he claims. I don't think this is a setup for Laverna--the cops wouldn't be here if it was. I think someone wanted this den gone and made up a murder to get it cleared out. Maybe Locke covering his tracks? Also Seth definitely murdered Isa (or at least set him up to be killed), probably on Duat orders.
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Sep 27, 2023 14:53
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ZCKaiser posted:Also Seth definitely murdered Isa (or at least set him up to be killed), probably on Duat orders. Yeah, and he's definitely reporting to the Duat right now too.
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Sep 27, 2023 17:07
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 [BGM: Showdown]  So then, we have the Case of the Impossibly Traveling Knife. ...This one is a bit more straightforward. According to the witness, his killer suspect left with a decorative knife that's hung over at Ossa's bar. Oh, I get what you're getting at! How would this random person get hold of that knife? I mean, it's hung up behind the dang bar! It'd be pretty impossible to just steal something like that. That assumes it was, in fact, stolen. Our current understanding of the case includes the heavy possibility that Ossa helped dispose of the body. In that case, the knife could have been given to the killer directly, and Ossa could have been an active accomplice. Woah. I just thought Ossa was hiding things to try and keep us from prosecuting him on the whole 'casino' angle. Whatever the truth, I actually care not about the specifics of how the knife was obtained. I'm instead talking about the specifics of when the knife was obtained. Again, let me recount the sequence of events. The witness goes to the bar where Ossa is; he sees the decorative knife. He then, directly, heads back to the private room for the gamble, where he finds the victim stabbed to death. Dazed, he walks away, and happens to spot a suspicious individual holding the decorative knife with blood on it. The way the story was initially told to us, it is easy to miss a crucial detail. However, looking at it objectively, by the witness' own account, the murder must have taken place when he was at the bar, when he still saw the decorative knife there! So the suspect took the decorative knife when the witness was discovering the victim, and the true killer is someone else entirely with a completely different murder weapon. But I thought the witness said they saw blood flecks on the knife! It was dark, they were shaken up, they could have been mistaken. Or, they could have mistaken the knife the suspect was holdling for the decorative knife, when in reality they were two completely separate knives. I shall grant this is suspicious, but no points yet brought up conclusively contradict the witness. Chief, you present the arguments that the witness undoubtedly would use himself to try and weasel his way out of the situation; for that, I thank you. But... let us move to my last point: The Case of the Impossible Call. I fail to see how making a police call should be impossible. It's a sensational title, Chief. For a final time, think back to the testimony. After following the suspect up to the front restaurant, the receptionist said they didn't see anybody leave. The witness then sits down at a nearby table and calls the police. But... put yourself in the place of this witness. In your eyes, you definitely saw this murder suspect just walk up the stairs right before you came up; however, the receptionist is saying no one had left the store. What would you be thinking? There's two possibilities. Either the murder suspect did not, in fact, leave, but instead circled back and is hiding in the front store, and with such little space they'd probably be hiding in the restrooms right next to the tables... Or, alternatively, the receptionist just lied about not seeing the suspect leave, and is in on the murder attempt. In either situation, though, what sense would it make to sit down at one of the tables and, audibly, call the police and explain the situation to them? You just saw someone murdered, and you might be the only direct witness to said murder! Would you casually sit down next to either the real murderer's hiding place, or within earshot of the murderer's accomplice? Hell, even throwing away the murder aspect would you report the underground casino in earshot of the receptionist? And would that receptionist really just let a snitch leave? This all seems awfully implausible. Once again, Laverna, I would defer to the witness' panicked state of mind. By all accounts, calling the police in the restaurant seems like a poor decision... however, people react to stress in different ways. It is still plausible that they did not properly consider the situation. And again, if it was just this, then I'd say sure. Any of these points, on their own, don't prove anything. But I've found not one, not two, but three extremely odd points just in the witnesses brief testimony. Doesn't that seem too convenient?
It does. So then, you said you would move on to motive after explaining yourself? What do you propose is the reason for these contradictions? With how you've been talking, you seem to think that the witness is lying about their account of this murder. Why? Hey, hi, how are you, you're looking great. Just popping in to give you a sort of supplementary tutorial to the earlier one I did about Deduction scenes. See, sometimes you want to say the opposite of a statement to make your deduction work. Well, never fear, the inverser is here! You might see a purple ! to the left side of the screen when the statements are there; that's the inverser. Submit a statement with the inverser toggled on, and when you make your deduction that statement will instead say the opposite of what it once said. Convenient, right? ...Yeah, not really, it makes solving these harder. But hey, keep your chin up! I believe in you.[BGM: Pip Count]  Right, so, this is basically just the same, you just have the option of 'flipping' some of the statements to inverse it instead. Pretty straightforward still. X + Y + X + Y + X + Y + X. [X] - Seth misremembered something. - The caller is telling the truth. - The caller saw the supposed murder when the kill should have happened. - The caller could see the cause of death. [Y] - Or - And - Therefore Solution: The caller saw the supposed murder when the kill should have happened and the caller could not see the cause of death therefore the caller is not telling the truth or Seth misremembered something. [You won 7 chips!]  It's simple. I called this The Murder That Never Happened for a reason. It's always tempting to jump to a conspiracy, as any evidence against your preconceived conclusion is just a product of that conspiracy. When we didn't find a body, a weapon, any evidence of a murder in this casino, we chalked it up to Duat conspiring. When Ossa said he wasn't at the bar, we deemed him a liar. And when the witness tripped over their story, we gave him the benefit of the doubt, because he's all we had. But, if none of the evidence of a murder is adding up... why are we assuming a murder even happened? So, wait, you're saying this whole thing, it's... just a crank call? Seriously? It explains why the witness did not wish to be identified. Still, for all this to be just a prank? I didn't say it was a prank after all, this call got you to raid the casino, did it not? Were it a lesser crime, we wouldn't have arrived with such urgency and disregard for the restaurant owner's rights. If this casino is really run by the Duats, I think there'd be plenty of people who would have motive to shut down this operation. So in the end, you equate all of this to... just a waste of time? Well hey, you got to see my deductions in action! That may have been the biggest waste of time here. Had you not intervened, and no evidence was found, we would just end up in the same place as we are now. Okay, sure... but now you can end your investigation sooner, and on a more certain note, right? ...I suppose. Good job, then.Arrianne did not look particularly impressed. However, I had done my job I solved the case. She began to disperse the other officers, with the investigation now done. Looked like everyone would be leaving Nohoi's Nest soon enough. But, while Arrianne might have been done with me... I wasn't quite done with her. I approached her. [BGM: Kicker]  Hey, could we talk for a little bit? In private, I mean. Sure. Give me a moment to finish things up here, and we can have a personal conversation. Great, thanks.I walked over to a corner of the casino. Then I just stood around and waited for a time, watching as Arrianne finished things up. Once she was free, she walked over to me. Laverna. Perhaps I did not come off as... authentic, as I should have earlier. Let me extend my earnest thanks for your help today. After all, I was the one who called you over, this late at night. And that was some impressive deduction. Thanks, Chief; really, I was just trying to be helpful. And you were. I must ask, is there any reason you have no desire to join the force? Admittedly, I was hesitant about working with you... for a time.  But despite your eccentricities, I think you would be a valuable asset to my team. You would need to go through the proper procedures, of course, but if you wished to become an officer, I have no doubt you would be able to. I am humbled, ma'am. Really, that means a lot for you to say that to me. But if it's okay with you, I think I'd prefer to be a private investigator... for now. Why? I appreciate the freedom that being an independent contractor brings me. Being your own boss comes with many risks, sure, but it also has its own sort of security. More importantly, even though we can agree that my skills are useful, I think we'd also agree on my doubt that I'd mesh that well with being an official officer. As such... our current arrangement suits me just fine.
A sensible answer.There was a hint of suspicion in those words. She didn't fully trust my response.  I have looked into you, Laverna Smyth. Oh? How flattering. Considering how many times we have worked together, I would think that only customary. At any rate, you seemingly have an impressive resume. My website certainly boasts as much. Indeed. Your rating is certainly impressive almost five stars across the board, glowing reviews. What can I say? When I promise satisfaction, I am tasked with delivering. You can say a lot about me, but I am to put it lightly determined. I can see. You have been in Panthea for longer than I expected; you have reviews dating back all the way to almost two years ago. I'm surprised I hadn't heard about you until quite recently. Is that right? Well, to be fair, I had handled pretty low-rate cases for a long time. Got to build up trust, you know? It isn't surprising that the 'Caper of the Lost Cat' didn't come to your attention. Sure enough. Still, I try and familiarize myself with the private investigators of this city, so learning I was unaware of you for so long was a minor hit to my pride. Aw, there's no need for that. I also noticed that you haven't been taking as many requests as of late. Well, that's because I've been a lot busier lately after all, I'm now being called in to work on cases with you guys. I see. That makes sense. Uh, so... I had some stuff I wanted to talk to you about. Right, right. Please, proceed. Sure. So, I've been conducting an investigation of Maximillian Collins. You're still looking into that? But of course! It's an unsolved mystery, and there's nothing I hate more than that. True, true. I guess I simply question why you are so laser-focused on that murder, as opposed to any other Cock Robin murder. I just feel like there's weirder parts to that murder. I mean, forensics wasn't even able to confirm if the body was killed at the crime scene or moved there postmortem. How is a report like that 'inconclusive'? The cause of death was mostly the blunt force trauma. Bleeding was minimal, so determining if there was an appropriate amount of blood at the scene was a less reliable method. Sure, sure. Anyways, I decided to try and check up on the victim's movements and behavior before the murder; felt like it could be a good place to start. So, you are operating under the assumption that there was a motive to this kill? There usually is. At present, the Cock Robin Murders are designated as a serial killing case. Serial killers do not require motives. Maybe, maybe. But just... hear me out for a bit. Maximillian Collins was in a pretty poor financial state he'd been estranged from his parents and his sister for some time, and had numerous debts which were starting to compile interest. Apparently, a few days before his death he visited a storage locker site that housed a number of Veronica Collins' personal belongings that had yet to be distributed. Are you suggesting that he broke into that storage locker? I'm saying it seems like it could be possible. Veronica Collins was a prominent business woman in her own right, and was close friends with Odin Deisma. Who knows what sort of secrets she might have left behind? ...Who knows what someone down on his luck like Maximillian might do to try to raise cash if he was in debt? He was found dead outside a gala of influential people you see the dots? The ones you are attempting to connect? Sure. But this is pure supposition. Here's the kicker. It's something I noticed way back when we first found the crime scene.[BGM: Challenger]  Maximillian Collins' car was not present at the scene of the crime.
You can trust me when I say that it is a long walk from the start of the Forest to the gala's location. So, either he decided to walk that long trek to the gala Which is very possible. Walk all that way to a gala he wasn't invited to. ...Or, he got to the location in a car that wasn't his. I see your point. However, the fact remains, the false murder weapon was a bell. That is in line with the Cock Robin killings. Are you saying that someone at the gala was knowledgeable about the killing, and hoped to use it to their advantage? Or... are you saying that someone there is directly responsible? I'm not sure, I'm just raising possibilities. ...Speaking of which, I have a request for you, Chief. Oh? Go ahead. Would it be possible to get a list of the Cock Robin Killings? This would be kept fully confidential, of course. I could even sign something to that effect, if you wanted. That could probably be arranged. Awesome! Specifically, would you also mind including the officers first present at the scene of each of the murders? Oh. I see. You see? You do not become the Chief of Police, Laverna, by being an idiot. The Cock Robin Killings are identified by items placed on the victim's person postmortem. You suspect that this may be the doing of an officer, planting the evidence when they arrive. I meant no disrespect, Chief. Just, you know, it would square with the fact that you caught the killer of one of the victims but they didn't seem to know anything about the Cock Robin Killings. The alleged killer. We were unable to convict him. At any rate, you are not the first to suggest this line of inquiry. Seth proposed a similar theory. Unfortunately, it is incorrect; there is no common denominator, no single officer first present at all the scenes. Ah, that's a shame. ...All the same, I'd still like a copy of that list, if you would. Fine. Is that all? Actually, not quite. I have another question specifically about you, Chief Arrianne. Is that so.I took a breath and steeled myself. I might need to play this one a little bit more tactfully than usual. Just as you looked into me, I looked into you some. I wanted to know who I was working for, of course. And, I'm sorry for bringing up this tough topic, but I came across the news about your brother, Tahka. I'm so sorry for your loss. I appreciate the sentiment, but it has been years. I am fine. Still, it can be rough. I actually saw a speech you gave, where you referenced your brother's death. You talked about how it was a powerful motivator to do your job. To make sure that deaths like his never happened again. Right. I have to assume given context that means he was killed as a result of some sort of criminal activity? ...Tread lightly.Yeah, no kidding. Definitely didn't want to poke the bear on this. But... I was just too curious of a person too curious for my own good. I was just wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about that incident. There is nothing to tell. He was an unintended casualty caused by some general gang activity that case was standard, and has long since been closed. Got it, got it. You know, when I was looking into him some, I ran into a fun fact that I was super surprised I hadn't heard about until now. [BGM: Silence]  Your brother used to be Governor Aija's husband? Isn't that a weird little situation, huh?
Then, Arrianne did perhaps the one thing that was completely unexpected. She let out a small little laugh... then, recomposed herself. Wow. I actually admire this. I don't think any of my men would be this bold, Laverna. I...I didn't know how to respond. You're direct, I'll give you that. But... not more than you are misguided. Misguided? Whatever you are imagining, I can assure you, you are completely off the mark. I am not going to dwell on this; it is a bad standard to punish curiosity and speculation. But... leave it there, Laverna. My brother and his relationship with Aija neither of those things are remotely relevant. Bring it up again, and I am afraid I will not be able to brush things away with a good-hearted laugh.And, forcibly bringing the conversation to an end there, Chief of Police Arrianne Libera turned around and walked away from me. I was still missing a lot of pieces in the grand picture that was Panthea; I couldn't even tell who truly had ill-intent. But, based on everything I knew, there was one thing I was confident on. Tahka, his death, and the connection he represented between Aija and Arrianne was not, in fact, irrelevant. One way or another... I'd get to the truth of this. I'd get to the truth of it all.  Question! A question of the philosophical kind. Van Dine's 7th that's right, fucker, I'm bringing it back up! does it apply in this case? To restate: the rule says don't step to the plate if you're working with something less than murder. This was a reported murder, but if we take Laverna's word for it, it never really happened. So... does it break the rule, or not? On the face of it, seems pretty obvious, right? No murder. Breaks the rule. Done deal. But I don't know if I could write everything off that quickly. I mean, view it metaphysically. Doesn't the assumption that there is a murder count as a form of murder in and of itself? ...I swear I'm not high. Let me put it in a less pretentious way. That rule was created not because there literally needs to be a murder in the text, but because as humans we need a supposed death to even get invested. We have trouble getting invested in crimes less than murder, say nothing about fictional crimes. (We'll table the discussion of fictional fictional crimes for later.) So, if the supposed murder successfully projects the illusion of a killing, what difference is it from any other killing? And again, the actual damage of the crime can't be the metric we're measuring here. After all, it's an incorrect assumption to believe that murder is the crime that has the biggest ripple effect. A high-profile robbery of some antique painting could have far greater repercussions than the double homicide of some plain ol' Dick and Jane. Believe otherwise, and you're just naive. Not to mention espionage... no, no, save for certain people, murders don't really matter that much. Van Dine's 7th only matters because of the illusion it creates in the mind of the reader. ...At least, that's my assertion. What say you? Does this break said rule? I see your point, save for that stuff about murders. Exactly! Per usual, I speak the complete and total truth! Van Dine's 7th is intact! And murder isn't really that big of a deal! Yeah! You're fun. I like spending time with you. Anyways, I suppose it doesn't really matter too much. I mean, if we're talking about expectations, you're usually supposed to scale up the stakes, not decrease them. Insider tip, that's why third-rate mysteries will have a killer who kills, like, three people, and plans to kill one more person before they get caught. If the detective catches them before they kill the last victim, they'll have saved a life, and thus justified their presence. ...I suppose bringing a culprit to justice is also a worthwhile enough justification for some, occasionally. But that's a little more flimsy, especially when the killer is kinda justified. In my opinion, for a detective to actually be worthwhile, the situation must be notably made better by them finding the truth. That's why detectives that catch serial killers before they can finish their plans are 'worthwhile', if hackneyed. As for Laverna? Well... I suppose that remains to be seen. Next update, we're back to Lock.
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Sep 28, 2023 21:00
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 [BGM: Bidding]  Another night, another hunt at Nohoi's Nest. Only this time, I had moved on to bigger and better targets. Well... maybe 'bigger and better' was the wrong wording for it. But it was definitely the next step. Once again, I found myself nursing a drink by the bar. Who could blame me? The bar had a good view of the whole area, so it was pretty ideal for staking out like this. It had been a few nights of stalking, and I was yet to encounter my prey. Even though this was a relatively short amount of time, I was beginning to worry if, for whatever reason, they had decided to stop coming around here. They'd have incentive to. If they didn't show up, I'd have to come up with another plan, and I doubted that I'd be able to come up with anything better than I already had. Fortunately for me, it seemed my luck had finally come around tonight: over by the roulette wheel, Polly Deisma looked like he was in a good mood tonight. Fantastic. If you were looking for a dumb, rich rube, Polly Deisma was pretty much the best you were going to get in Panthea. I finished up my drink, and began to rise from my seat. Back to your usual tricks? Suddenly, Ossa spoke up. It was odd of him to start the conversation.  Just looking to have some fun in your establishment, Ossa. You should be happy about that! Don't think I approve of the little stunt you pulled with Bach. I don't care if you ended up letting him off the hook, it was messed up in the first place. You didn't care enough to say anything about it to Bach, though.He didn't respond. Instead, he just kept staring at me with a hard expression. I didn't waver, and held his gaze. ...You know the thing about luck, Lock? It runs out. That's why I make my own, Ossa! The way you're operating... when your luck runs out, it isn't gonna be pretty. Thanks for the tip, Ossa. I'll take it to heart. I just hope whatever you're getting out of all this is worth it. And like that, he turned his attention away from me. What was his deal? He was seriously going to try and lecture me? Wild. Luck only ran out for people who actually left their fate in chance's hands. I was smarter than every schlub who walked in these doors no chance in hell I'd end up like them. Anyways, I picked up the suitcase sitting by my side, and made my way over to the roulette table. Luckily, the player to Polly's right was on a particularly bad run of bets, and had just left the table in shameful defeat. I plopped down right next to him, and began to make some token bets. I played the first round standardly, and groaned when I lost. Next, I bet identically to Polly. He was gonna go hard on the First Third? So was I. When the ball landed on 4, I made sure to match Polly's level of celebration, whooping and hollering. [BGM: Raise]  That's what I'm talking about! Hell yeah, baby, hell yeah! What can I say, First Third never fails. It lands there more frequently than anywhere else, I'm telling you. Well, thanks for the advice. I only bet that way 'cuz I was following your lead. Really? Yeah, figured you seemed to know what you were doing. Guess you have good instincts at roulette, and I have good instincts on gamblers. Ha! Well, you're welcome. Glad to have helped.Polly held out his hand. What's your name? Lock. And yours? Polly. Polly. ...Wait, like Polly Deisma? He sighed a bit, perhaps somewhat hoping that I wouldn't bring up his real identity.  Guilty as charged. Woah. Didn't know I was in the presence of royalty. Oh, gently caress off! Am I wrong? Look man, I'm just, like, a dude. Fuckin' hate getting treated differently just because of my last name. I feel that, I feel that. You know your family's a bunch of assholes, right? Ha! You're telling me, I'm the one who has to live with them. ...Well, I think they get a bit too much hate in the public eye they're not, like, bad people or anything. Just got mixed the wrong way around. Well, money'll do that to you. You would know? Just fell into a small fortune. No kidding? Dead relative. We weren't very close, but they weren't very close with anybody. Wow, you don't say. Well hey, congratulations! No no, there's nothing to congratulate here. I was doing just fine before this. I've got a high-end job; I'm happy without it. Not many people casually brush off a small fortune. Disregarding it seems, uh, a little... privileged? I think? Really? You're gonna talk to me about privilege? All right, all right, glass houses and all, that's very fair. So, what are you looking to do with all that cash? Honestly? Just looking to have some fun with it. And, as a habitual gambling junkie... that means gambling it away until it's either gone, or I have even more money than I know what to do with. Fair enough, I guess. If you're already well off, there's no real point in hoarding your wealth. Only problem is, how to really gamble it? To be honest, roulette wheels and blackjack tables don't really feel like real gambling. I can see that. They're good to kill time, but as a real gamble they're a little flaccid. I'd like to bet big in a personalized gamble. Only problem isI held up my suitcase and slapped the side of it. There's 500 white chips of cash in this thing. And there's not exactly a long line of people with the capital to match a bet like that. No kidding.Even to a 'prodigal son' like Polly, this amount made him double take a little with surprise. He couldn't believe I'd just casually bring this amount to a place like this. ...And, just as well he shouldn't. The suitcase was mostly filled with phonies. I'd lined the top with legit cash, just for inspections and the like. But, generally speaking, it was stuffed to the brim with low-rate counterfeit, the type you could get a lot of for cheap.  Just like everything else about this approach, it was a setup. I even already had the perfect rigged gamble in my back pocket. It was just a matter of leading Polly to the bait. I'd take him for all he was worth, and get a bunch of cash. ...Well, a reasonable amount of cash. Enough to work as a stepping stone for the next phase of the plan. ...Mind if I take a look in that suitcase?Good, he was buying in. Be my guest.I held it up, and Polly opened the suitcase. He looked it over, and was quickly impressed. Frankly, for someone like Polly, I bet placing real bills only on the very top and stuffing the rest with printing paper would've worked. So, you're looking to just gamble that all away? Yup.As he drew back, I closed the suitcase and put it back by my side. Well... I mean, if you're looking for a high-roller to play against, I could do it. Really? Yeah. I mean, I'm not Art or Odin or anything, so that sum isn't something I could just sneeze at. But I'm just as likely to win it as I am to lose that amount...[BGM: Silence]   Not with that attitude, you're not. Ah!In his slightly inebriated state, Polly almost fell right off of his seat. He was taken completely unawares. Well, I couldn't blame him I also didn't notice the old man sneak up on us until he spoke up. Standing right next to me... was Odin Deisma. [BGM: Danrasu]  Gotta be honest, this was a curveball. O-Odin! What are you doing here? If my son is going to be wasting so many days in an underground pit, I figured it was worth seeing just how pitiful that pit is. As expected, the pit is fittingly... pitiful. A pit, full of pity.Odin spoke in a pleasant tone, clearly pleased at himself with his attempt at wordplay. This did not settle Polly's nerves. Look, it's really not that bad. Oh? Is that right?Polly just gulped.  What a waste, what a waste. I already knew of your proclivity for being useless, but it is still disgraceful to witness firsthand. Roulette? You're betting on roulette?!Suddenly, Odin reached forwards and began yanking on Polly's hair. Letting your fortune be dictated by a spinning metal ball is fitting for the most worthless beggars and fools! To claim fortune by dominating another with wits is one thing, but this mindless addiction is truly as worthless as you! Get off me! Besides, weren't you the one going on about how we've got luck in our blood or something, old man? As always, you fail to comprehend even the most basic of concepts. The fortune of the Deismas is not given to those who fail to grasp fortune for themselves. A feckless idiot like yourself could never truly make the most of your blood. Of all my children, you are the greatest disappointment. You've potential, but the ambition and demeanor of a common whore! Useless to the company, useless to the press, useless in gambling useless in life. Granting you the same floor as Art was a mistake. He actually made good on his potential, and knew how to follow in the Deisma way. And here you are, ready to be conned into giving away once more what is, by all rights, mine.Odin let that last statement linger. Polly just stood there, anger on his face but unable to vocalize anything. Finally, Odin just sighed, then pointed to the stairs. Get out, before you further disgrace the Deisma legacy. You don't get to tell me what to do! You may own everyone else, but you don't own me!...Despite saying that, Polly began to storm away, in the direction of the exit. And, just like that: my golden goose had wandered away. Just my loving luck. Finally the moment I got the whale on the hook, this old coot had to come in and completely wreck shop. God loving drat it. I assumed that because he had completely failed to address me, Odin had no intention of interacting with me. However, with Polly exiting, the man now turned to face me.  ...And now that leaves the two of us. Uh, sorry, didn't want to get in the middle of all that. Seemed like some family drama. You think me harsh? A little, yeah. Good. Maybe that will make one of my lessons finally drill through into that thick skull of his. But... we are no longer talking about that failure, we are discussing you. You say you fell into a good deal of fortune recently?Seriously? How long had this guy been listening in?? Uh... yeah, pretty much... I see. Apologies for the passing of your relative. Oh, well, we weren't incredibly close or anything. I would think that anybody who leaves you that sum of money is someone that matters to you, retroactively or not. I suppose. Not like I care that much about the money, though. Oh, I think you do. Excuse me? You weren't attempting to rid yourself of this cash just now. You were hoping to double it by scamming my foolish son, now weren't you?What? No, no, I I like that. Huh?[BGM: Bust]  Looking for a target, you couldn't find anyone more suited to be duped than that lumbering waste of my sperm. To seek him out takes tenacity; to put your fortune on the line, guts. It is good to know that there are still young people with the drive to take fortune into their own hands like that. I respect those with such will. ...Uh... thanks? I have taken an interest in you. Oh? It isn't a rare occurrence. I often have the whim to closer inspect those with potential, those like yourself. If you'd like, I'd much enjoy testing you to see just how much true worth you possess.What? E-excuse me? You wish to grasp fortune with your own two hands. Well, I look favorably upon those who are able to follow through with such ambition. Why, had I not acted exactly in that way in my youth, Olympo would certainly not be the titan that it is now. I have taken away your gambling partner then, shall I substitute in? If that idiot Polly lost a small fortune, bluster as he might, it would actually hurt him quite dearly. And, as much as that might be warranted, there's no need for such harsh discipline... yet. However, I have far more wealth than I know what to do with. At this point, throwing a chunk of it away to witness your true potential... this should keep me entertained for the night. I bit my tongue. What should I do? On the one hand, this was completely uncharted grounds; I had not predicted the Odin factor whatsoever. And I didn't exactly have the capital to pay out my debts if I lost. However... the fact of the matter is, if I wanted to move forwards, I needed to get my hands on a serious amount of cash. More than what I had on me. Without it, Bach's campaign would be dead in the water, and so too whatever I had hoped to do with it. The Polly option had pretty much just been completely wiped away. Without that on the table, I didn't have any other easy options for easy funding... ...Grasp hold of your fortune with your own two hands, huh? You know, as hosed up as this old man was, I could see where he was coming from. Making the most of the opportunities presented was the way you got ahead in life. The only way out is through. If this was the way through, then... I'd just have to go for it. You're on. You're saying that if I 'prove my value', I'll get your cash? Then, by all means I'm up to a challenge.Odin let out a hearty laugh.  With a mere moment's consideration, you charge forwards. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Now, is this unerring confidence... or a fool's rashness? Truth lies with the victor; let us determine it. Now, if I understand this place's system properly, there is a more... dignified location to duel? Uh, you'd probably be looking for the VIP private room, but that's Excellent.Without another word, Odin turned from me and went over to Ossa. The two had a brief exchange which seemingly caught Ossa off guard. Ossa, in turn, called over and talked to a nearby staff member, who he positioned working the bar. Then, he led Odin over to the other side of the room. Sheepishly, I followed the two. Ossa took out a pair of keys and unlocked a door; then, we entered into the VIP private room. It looked like the other private rooms, although in here the lighting was still hosed up. Good for me.  Before you begin, let me state perfectly clearly what my role in all of this is. I abandoned my role at the bar, because for a gamble with stakes this high... Ossa looked over to Odin. Frankly, any gamble with Odin Deisma involved, I feel the need to oversee it personally. Oh, Ossa. How you flatter me. I am not going to take sides. I am not going to take judgment. I am simply here to observe... and moderate. Let me be clear...Ossa was looking more at me than he was at Odin. I see any cheating, I see any rulebreaks, I see anyone trying to weasel out of paying what they're owed... There are going to be consequences. Serious consequences.Ossa looked back to Odin. This goes for both of you. Mr. Deisma, I know you're a big shot and all, but from day one my mission statement with Nohoi's Nest was a place of true fairness. I wouldn't have it any other way.[BGM: Double Down]  Odin's smug grin was really irritating. But... I had to keep my head on straight. The gamble hadn't even started I couldn't let him psych me out. Ossa had made it clear: sleight of hand tricks were too risky here. The only thing I could count on was my skill. The gamble will begin when both players agree to a clearly specified set of rules. Once the rules are laid, they are final, so be sure to get any clarifications you want out of the way. Sounds good to me. I assume if you're bringing me in here, Odin, you've got an idea of what you want to play? Naturally.Odin reached into his pocket and took out a special set of cards. There were only... thirteen of them, and they had what looked like constellations on the back. Did... he just happen to bring these?  We'll play with these. Mind if I check them out? Make sure they're not gimmicked? Be my guest.I reached over and started inspecting the cards. Meanwhile, Odin continued his explanation. The game that we will be playing is a custom creation of mine. I believe it is the best way to get to know someone. If I care enough about a person, I'll often trade standard introductions for a round of this game. So you're saying you've played this game a lot before? Doesn't that put me at a pretty severe disadvantage? Having me as your opponent in any context would be a severe disadvantage! Relax this game is easy to pick up. It isn't one like Chess or Mahjong where rote memorization is necessary. Even a child could reach the highest level of play in mere minutes, if they possessed the mind for it. Besides, I am the one offering you a chance to rise above your station. It's natural that you would be on the back foot! I... guess. So then... People are born with a certain lot in life. Either they are a ruler, or they are a dreamer. In most cases, the ruler shall walk as the ruler, and the dreamer shall walk as the dreamer. But... there is a rarest of cases where the dreamer can overtake the ruler. If the stars align perfectly... That is the name of the game: Star Alignment.  It is the dreamer's job to align the stars, so that they may rise above their station and seize power for themselves. A ruler's job, however, is not to simply laze about in complacency. That is the job of a fool looking to be dethroned. Any competent ruler will devote their time, and their resources, to making sure that the stars don't align that no dreamers will be able to prosper, so that they remain on the throne. ...Is there a point to this, or...? Listen well. I am explaining the rules of the game to you as we speak. As you've seen, the Star Deck is made of 13 cards, ranging from 1 star to 13 stars. At the start of each round, both players are dealt six cards, and the 13th card is placed face down to the side. Each round, one player acts as the Ruler, the other as the Dreamer, and the winner of the previous round gets to choose which role they wish to be. Starting with the Ruler, each player takes turns playing one of the cards in their hand in a line across the table. After all 12 cards are placed, the 13th card is flipped up and placed at the end of the line and then the round ends. If, at the end of the round, there is a star alignment, the Dreamer wins. If not, the Ruler wins. So... what is a star alignment? It is a set of three cards in a row, where the difference between the first and the second card equals the difference between the second and the third. So then, 1-2-3 would be a star alignment one is added between each card. 13-11-9 would be a star alignment; two is subtracted between each card. 3-7-11 would be a star alignment; four is added between each card. You get the picture. Seems a little complicated. Trust me, when you're in the game, it'll be painstakingly obvious. There's a second aspect of the game to be aware of. Each player also gets five chips each round Ossa! Fetch us 10 chips. The table you're at already has chips in the drawers.Odin then opened the drawers, and eventually found the chips. He took out five white ones, which he gave me, and he kept five more for himself. On your turn, you can also place any amount of your chips on a card. Once the chips are placed, they cannot be moved, and while you can place as many chips as you have on your turn, they must all be on a single card per turn. A chip placed on a face up card adds one to their value so, if there was a run of 2-5-6, and two chips were placed on the 6, it would be treated as 2-5-8. Huh. Winning a round scores you one point. Additionally, every chip you keep in your hand that is, every chip you don't place down gives you an additional point if you win. If you want to truly succeed, you must win while being frugal with your chips. The winner of the gamble will be the person who first reaches a total of 13 points. Do you understand these rules? ...Yeah, yeah I think I do. They're a little weird, but I figure I'll get the hang of it. Good. In that case, because this is a special case, I'll also add a final rule I sometimes introduce to keep things interesting. Interesting? Dude, this is my first time playing this game, no need to break out the advanced ruleset! Keh heh heh... this is the way to truly test your worth. Whenever somebody wins a round... they may make a single, simple change to the rules. What? How on earth does that work? Oh, I assume you wish to clarify what counts as 'simple', right? Very well; this is a serious match for you, so it makes sense you'd want to check such eventualities. A rule change must not reference either person's name, or be obviously directed towards a single person. It must be a single sentence without any conjunctions that relates to the core ruleset of the game already set out. ...Oh, and to prevent one side immediately capitalizing on a rule change by favoring the Ruler and the Dreamer and then giving themselves that role, the rule will only go into effect after the following round. Ugh... what a headache. I find the rule quite poetic. The winners in life write the rules - this is just the most literalized version of that truth. Well, I can't say I love it, but I'm pretty sure I don't get a say in this. You're a quick learner. All right, all right, well, while we're ironing things out, I want to settle on the stakes of this gamble. Your reward, right? That suitcase of yours is filled with cash equivalent to 500 white chips... correct? Right. Keh heh heh... Then I bet 1500! Wh-what?!?[BGM: Silence]  I was slightly taken aback by this figure. 1500... white chips? That was such a ludicrous amount, I was speechless. Odin, sir, I know I have some wealth to my name, but I can't bet that high. You're tripling what I wanted to bet with! Indeed I am. These days, I am numb to much in the world. It takes such extreme stakes to make me truly excited to play. 1500 white chips. I shan't play for a penny lower. Oh, and I won't be degrading myself by putting more at stake than you. Y-you're saying I need to cough up another 1000 white chips? Yeah, uh, not happening man. Tch really wasting all my time, saying you want to bet against me, then making me bet way more than I can afford? Not cool. Oh, you can afford this gamble. Uh... no I can't.[BGM: Trick Score]  Keh heh heh... What do you think the value of a human finger is? Let's say... the pinky. If you ask me, I'd put the value at, say... 500 white chips. And what do you know you have two pinkies right there! Wh-what?! The gently caress are you saying? I'm saying... you bet the contents of that suitcase, and for every 500 white chips worth of cash you are short... I get to make a clean cut with a knife. And my first two cuts will be your left and right pinky. What sort of psychopath are you?! What value would you get out of cutting my fingers? It's not what I gain, it's what you lose that gives it value. I am offering up a life changing amount of money, Lock if I offered to pay someone 500 white chips worth of cash to cut off their pinky, many men would make that trade. So then, how is this any different? You're... If you claim victory and defeat me, 1500 white chips worth of cash will be deposited within any bank account of your choice within a minute; Ossa here will ensure it. So then, do you accept?
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Oct 3, 2023 23:24
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Schadenfreude city right here 
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Oct 4, 2023 03:26
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Odin Deisma's hosed up.
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Oct 4, 2023 04:14
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Mix. posted:And like that, he turned his attention away from me. What was his deal? He was seriously going to try and lecture me? Wild. Luck only ran out for people who actually left their fate in chance's hands. I was smarter than every schlub who walked in these doors no chance in hell I'd end up like them. ... hmmm ... Mix. posted:...Despite saying that, Polly began to storm away, in the direction of the exit. And, just like that: my golden goose had wandered away. Just my loving luck. ... hmmmmmmmm ... Hypocrisy, someone once said, is a Greek word. And I do believe someone is about to find out what having their liver torn out repeatedly feels like.
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Oct 4, 2023 05:23
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An interesting game. The real game is about managing your chips; so long as the Ruler has chips, they can effectively negate any existing pattern on their turn. So for the Dreamer to win they have to do one of two things: make six patterns over the course of the game (ensuring the Ruler has to use all five chips to prevent them), or arrange the cards such that the Ruler has to use more than one chip on a card to ensure there's no pattern. The latter is a lot more difficult but I suspect the only real way for the Dreamer to win. And because the winner gets to pick their role, it's easy for Odin to trap an opponent in a role they don't know how to win as (and I suspect he can win as either role unless the opponent has a good grasp on how to play).
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Oct 4, 2023 15:01
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The other thing to keep in mind is that the winner can make rule changes, with honestly vague limits to the changes. For example, they could make it so The Ruler at the end of the last round wins, thus completely changing the nature of the game, or chips can be placed on multiple cards per round or chips are regained at the the end of a round. I think the key is going to be instituting a key rule in the game that forces a win, especially since the rule goes into effect at the end of the next round, which could theoretically be at the end of the final round, before the game actually ends.
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Oct 4, 2023 15:30
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Odin 100% knows there isn't really any meaningful cash in that suitcase, and he helpfully specified the first two cuts he'll make...but he'd get to make three by the terms of the deal.
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Oct 4, 2023 18:16
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Yeah, this seems unfair, but whatever? None of the "games" by Themis are fully-specified at face-value, so I'll try to enjoy the ride. For example, - You can reshuffle card orders at any time since it wasn't explicitly disallowed. - You can place any card between any other cards while still maintaining a geometric line - Who places the 13th card? Which end of the line? - Rules changing favors the first winner, since they can simply lay down the conditions for their victory right away (i.e., win threshold is the first to reach the # of points they already have). It doesn't even matter if they lose the next round terribly, since they are the first player to reach the victory threshold. In any case, this should be considered a 1-round game. ------------------------ Odin: "Of all my children" Odin has more kids than Polly and Art. This was also implied earlier by Art when discussing magic tricks. Ossa: "The gamble will begin when both players agree to a clearly specified set of rules. Once the rules are laid, they are final, so be sure to get any clarifications you want out of the way." Ossa tries to throw Lock under the bus w.r.t. Bach, but Ossa didn't give Bach anything more than a half-hearted "Let it be known, the rules are being laid." This gave Bach no way out of getting suckered. Odin: "That suitcase of yours is filled with cash equivalent to 500 white chips... correct?" Lock: "Right." It definitely is not right, and Odin is going to get 3 cuts. Sure, the first two might be for the pinkies, but what will the 3rd be for? Nightmare scenario: It's Lock who gets murdered here, and Odin who makes the call.
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Oct 4, 2023 18:33
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Nah, the third cut won't be fatal. This is mutually agreed on, even if neither party is on the level, and there's absolutely no incentive for Lock to just sit there and have his throat cut or whatever. Anything much short of that and the potential consequences for breaking the deal weigh a lot heavier.
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Oct 4, 2023 18:36
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One thing to note is that the rules seem to vastly favour the Ruler; there's nothing in the rules that say you can't place chips on a card that already has chips on it. Which means that it can be very easy to disrupt existing or potential alignments even if the Dreamer sets one up. The only upside is that you can't split chips between cards and the Dreamer goes last, which means if you get lucky once the 12th card is revealed, you can set up a win for the round with minimal loss.
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Oct 4, 2023 18:40
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Unless there's a trick I'm missing, this seems favored for the Dreamer. The Dreamer always places the 12th card (i.e., has the final chip placement for the round). With up to 5 chips of leeway, it should be trivial to force a star alignment on the Dreamer's last turn. The Ruler won't have any turns left to counter that attempt. As I mentioned earlier, this is a 1-round game. Since Lock is the Dreamer in Round 1, he should be easily wining this. Odin cannot counterplay a 0-5 chip placement since he won't have any more turns. Something seems wrong.
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Oct 4, 2023 19:22
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I'd imagine Odin, as the person who suggested the game, knows the various tricks and loopholes.
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Oct 4, 2023 22:21
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Also, i'm sorry but when did we veer into straight Kaiji territory? This is very reminiscent of the emperor and slave game, with the bonus finger-cutting of the lottery.
Regallion fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Oct 5, 2023 |
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Oct 5, 2023 14:51
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 [BGM: Trick Score]  Betting my fingers? That's... that's loving insane! There's no way I could... But... 1500 white chips worth of cash... With that amount... not just the Bach campaign, the options I'd have... ...I was already in this deep. All I had to do was beat this old man at a simple game of cards. I was great at this. The game described was a psych game, and that was my specialty. I could beat Odin. I had to beat Odin. And, worst comes to worst, I could just talk my way out of things. There was no way I'd actually lose my fingers, not with how I had set things up. The person I was facing... he was suggesting serious body mutilation just for fun just a bit of sport on a random night. This man was a monster. But... All right. I accept these terms.Odin began to laugh so hard it had transformed into a coughing fit by the end. Excellent! You truly are interesting, Lock! After all this buildup, you better not disappoint me! Lock's accepted the proposal, Ossa. The games can continue undeterred. So, who's gonna be Ruler first? We haven't played a previous round. We can flip a coin... or, rather, a chip.Odin took one of his white chips and held it up. Call it midair crown or not.Odin flipped the chip. No crown!Odin slapped the chip onto the table... then, he revealed it. Ah, it begins. The gamble has only started, and already my Ruler's luck is flowing in my blood. It's a single coin flip, man. Don't get overdramatic. I shall be the Ruler. Ruler deals.Odin reached over and grabbed the small deck. With so few cards, it would be easier than normal to try something, so I kept a close eye on Odin's movements. ...It was all legit, though, and by the time he began dealing me my six cards, I hadn't seen any moves. All right, what was I working with... ...A 2, a 6, an 8, a 10, an 11, and a 13. Pretty high scoring hand, this one. I... supposed that was good? Using reverse logic, I could deduce Odin had a 1, a 3, a 4, a 5, a 7, a 9, and a 12... except, well, he was missing one of those. That little bit of randomness kept me from being able to completely strategize. As the Dreamer, I had to create strings of equal distance; however, at least one of the cards used would be one that Odin provided. The simplest way for him to block off my opportunities would be to play smaller cards when I wanted to make a positive set, and larger ones when I was trying to make a negative one. In that case, Odin being limited to the lower valued cards was.... probably good for me? Before I could think much more on this, Odin placed his first card. [BGM: Burn Card]  A 5. Hmm. Odin was never going to deal a set into me. In that case... I placed an 11. By going this high, I was forcing him to play something extremely low, else I could make a negative string by playing a 6 and modifying the numbers later on with chips.  In response to my card, he put down a 3. I countered with an 8. I didn't want to use my 2 or my 6. Looking at what he had, those were likely to be useful in building a set. ...Then, Odin did something that surprised me: he placed down a 9. ...He must've known I had a 10 or, at least, thought it was quite likely. Well, still, I had to make the obvious move. I placed down a 10.  Odin just smirked, then placed down a 4. Okay. 5, 11, 3, 8, 9, 10, 4 the current line. If things stayed the course, I had a run in 8, 9, 10. Odin was probably going to use chips to mess that up, however he was just holding off, trying to make a move at the last possible minute. Well, I'd just have to think one step ahead. I placed down a 6. This should force Odin's hand. As expected, he played a 1 in response...  However, to my surprise, he placed a single chip on 8. 5, 11, 3, 8+1, 9, 10, 4, 6, 1. At this point, I had two chances to place chips, while he only had one. I had a 2 and a 13 left... A 7 and a 12 would be played after this... If I placed 4 chips on 4, I could make 10, 8, 6. To avoid that, he was likely going to gently caress up the 10 with his chips. ...If he made 10 into 14, there was nothing I could do to alter the 8+1, 9, 10 set into aligned stars. It was this late into the round that I was leaning a fatal but important lesson about Star Alignment: it's important to keep in mind the odd/even state of things. If the first digit in a set is odd, and the last is even or vice versa it's impossible to line them up with a second digit. I could try and set up a line where I put chips on 3 to make something like... ...gently caress, I couldn't quite manage anything like that because of the chip on 8. God drat it. This bastard was a lot more clever than he let on, huh? I kept running permutations of the next few moves, but whatever chips I placed down this turn, there was something that Odin could do next turn that would prevent me from getting a set in a single turn. However, I saw a single out... if he had a 7 in his hand, he had to place it.  So then, I placed down my 2 confidently and passed the turn to him. If he had a 7... this was check and mate. Heh heh heh... Typical weakness. Excuse me? When you see a chance for a surefire victory, you leap and pray for it. It should be obvious that had I a 7 in my hand, there's no way I would leave myself vulnerable like this.poo poo. It's not like you're a God. You could've been focused on survival and not have thought ahead far enough. And now the underestimation rears its head! I am a Ruler and a God. You should've kept looking for a line of play instead, you prayed, and I answer those prayers with a resounding 'No'! Cackling, Odin placed a 12 down and placed a single chip on the 6. 5, 11, 3, 8+1, 9, 10, 4, 6+1, 1, 2, 12... I had to play my 13, and the final card would be the 7. ...poo poo, there was nothing. Being able to make the last chip placement, it had seemed like I should be afforded a lot of power in how the round was decided, and yet... everywhere I looked, nothing lined up. [BGM: Trick Score]  Dejected, I placed down my 13. Very well, and let fate deal the final card!Odin reached over to the facedown card, slid it closer, and flipped it over. Sure enough, the final card was a 7. Let's see. 5, 11, 3, 9, 9, 10, 4, 7, 1, 2, 12, 13, 7. Do you see any aligned stars? No, no I don't. I get it, no need to rub it in.Odin cackled to himself. This means that, as the winner, I get one point... and I kept 3 of my chips, which means my score is actually 4.drat. This was a rough start. Just... getting a feel for things. This is more complicated than it looks. 'A child can pick this up in a few minutes', huh? I'm gonna call BS on that. Trust me, I spoke the truth. Art gave a worthy showing at the age of 12. He lost, of course, but it was a noble effort. His 12 year old son gave a 'noble effort'? Okay then. You made a critical mistake, Lock. Yeah, yeah, I know, I should've thought more moves ahead.Odin shook his head. Your hope of a victory blinded you. Because you wanted that sweet alignment of 1-4-7, you lost sight of the larger picture. I was able to foil your plans with a single chip on the very next turn. Had you looked at the big picture, you could've forced my hand, making me spend all my chips. I'd have only a quarter of the points I currently possess. Tch. Well, I don't really care how many points you have right now. I intend for this to be the last time you win any at all. Keh heh heh. What a mouth on this one. As you'll soon find, Lock, winning with any spare chips is a rarity. Every point is precious. Allowing me to steal 3 away like this is a mistake you will soon come to regret. Yeah, yeah, don't you have a rule change to implement or something? Indeed. As the winner, I decree... that the Ruler shall choose which cards the Dreamer is dealt. So I say, so it shall be done.Woah, that's... insanely powerful. Enough to pretty much guarantee games won. With this rule change, being the Ruler basically gets you the round. And... winning a round lets you choose to be the Ruler in the next one... so, thinking about it... this next round would decide the fate of the game. Okay, let's just get to the next round... Let me guess you want to be Ruler again? Keh heh heh... I suppose if I don't give you the chance now, you'll never see it again. Therefore, I shall let you wear the mantle of 'Ruler' for the coming round. Works for me. That means I deal, right? Indeed. I gave a solemn nod, picked up the cards, and began to shuffle them. I had to fight a pretty strong instinct not to try forcing anything. Ossa was still watching this, and if he caught anything, the bones in my hand would likely be forfeit. I dealt Odin six, myself six, and placed a 'dud' in the center of the table. So, what was I working with... 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 13. Okay. This was... a varied hand. Therefore, Odin had some combination of 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. I had learned a couple of things from the last game. The more extreme a card, the more critical it could be. On the one hand, extremely high or low value cards were pretty much impossible to be used as the middle card in a set, so placing them down could sometimes let them act as a wall. However, they also give the opponent a lot of flexibility to put an ideal middle card to try and force a set later. Therefore, I decided to take a trick from Odin's book and start in the middle.  I placed down a 5. Without missing a beat, Odin placed down a 1. I placed... I could afford to go as low as a 10 on this one, when faced with the extreme of a 1. I was expecting something like an 8 or a 7, but to my surprise Odin went the other way and placed down an 11. Well, gently caress me I guess maybe these extreme cards weren't so critical? After all, Odin just played either end of his hypothetical hand. I could try and get cheeky and play a 12 or 13, hoping to gently caress around with chips in the late game... but I learned last game that, even though I hosed it up, the Dreamer really got its power from being able to place the last chip. I didn't feel confident enough in my Star Alignment skills to properly handle a tricky end game... [BGM: Keep Hitting]  Instead, I went for a 3. Odin responded with a 6. Okay, so the current line was... 5, 1, 10, 11, 3, 6. I still had a 2, 12, and 13; meanwhile, Odin might have a 4, 7, 8, or a 9. Placing down a 12 or a 13 was just asking for trouble. ...I had stalled long enough.  I finally placed down my 2 which acted as something of a trump card. Odin responded with an 8. This was crunch time. 5, 1, 10, 11, 3, 6, 2, 8. ...poo poo, Odin could place 5 on 2 to make 6, 7, 8. ...gently caress, what if he had the 9? If that was the case, he could threaten me by placing it in between my 12 and 13 then last turn, he would put 5 on 9 to make it a 14. Alternatively, if I placed my 13 first, he could just make the 9 into an 11 with far less effort. That loses... That loses poo poo, what the hell? It was like the same situation as last time, but this time, instead of having no way to win, it felt like there was no way I could prevent myself from losing. I tried to keep a poker face... but, like a shark, Odin could smell my fear. Say, Lock... What? I wonder... Does that suitcase of yours really contain 500 white chips' worth of cash? ...gently caress. The hell are you trying to imply? Oh, nothing. Just that my son doesn't always properly vet things. ...But I do. I've been scammed one too many times to never not thoroughly inspect my winnings.
What were the rules again? Oh yes, for every 500 white chips short you were, I'd get a free cut with the knife. The first two would be the pinkies... but you know, I never specified where a hypothetical third cut would go.Odin reverted to his now typical deranged cackling. ...Focus. He's just trying to throw you off your game. He was never going to get a chance to check that suitcase. Actually, the bet specified that for every 500 chips short I was, you'd get a cut. That means that, if I have cash equivalent to even a single white chip in that suitcase, my debt of 1500 would be reduced by one. 1499 is only short two installments of 500 and then an additional 499. Oh ho ho, it appears you're right. So then, if you have even a chip over 500, I'll only get to collect a single pinky? Isn't that a shame. Let's hope you didn't think to pack anything extra in there.[BGM: Silence]  I played a 13, and placed a single chip on the 6. I just had to pray that Odin didn't have the 9. ...Of course, like clockwork, Odin placed down the 9. And... no other chips. ...Hold on a second. [BGM: Pip Count]  You know, sometimes the problems you're faced with are quite complex. You'll need to track multiple logical trains of thought at the same time. ...Don't worry, it's really not anything that fancy. Just treat it how you'd normally treat a logic train. Except, you know, you're following two at the same time. Simple! So, sometimes with these puzzles, there will be two different thoughtlines happening simultaneously, with the logic options appearing separately in one or the other. When this happens, instead of formatting the section like regular paragraphs as I did for Lock 1 and Lock 2, instead I'll just have each line individual with a dividing // between the two (as they're meant to represent the character dealing with multiple problems mentally at the same time). It's gonna be a little wonky to read, but, well, not really a better way I can do it since they're meant to be happening at the same time. How many chips can I get out of this round? // Hold on, can I win this round at all? Well, to figure that out, I need to figure out how many I need to spend. // Is there a way that Odin can create a Star Alignment? There's already an issue I need to fix. // Currently he hasn't, but the round's not over. I should start by fixing the [10, 11, 3/3, 6+1, 2/2, 8, 13] situation. // So, why don't we define his possible moves? If he just places a single chip on the 13, we've got a 2, 8, 14 alignment. // We both only have one more card. That's no good, that's no good at all. // He has one turn left. It's important that I prevent him from winning next turn. // He can alter [0/1/2] card value(s) from now until the round's end. On the other hand, I want to keep as many chips to myself as possible. // Yeah, he doesn't have a lot of power left. Few options. He's likely prepared to do whatever it takes to win, so I should respond in turn. // But that little bit of power is still a huge threat. I'll need to spend [no chips/1 chip/2 chips/3 chips/4 chips] to guarantee the win. // He gets to place the last chips. If I just place 2 chips on the 13, he'll be unable to make a Star Alignment. // If there are two opportunities to make an alignment, he can choose either. I haven't spent any chips yet, so I'd be left with 3 chips in that case. // I can only defend one this turn. Obviously, making off with 5 chips would've been ideal. // There [is/isn't] another potential Star Alignment [at 5, 1, 10/at 11, 3, 6+1/at 13+2, 9, 12]. But that was a pipe dream, one incredibly unlikely to happen. // Odin can only attempt one Alignment, and I can block it. All in all, 3 chips and a Round Win is more than enough to turn the tides to my side. // Which means, this round is mine! [You won 7 chips!] [BGM: Hatei Tsumo]  5, 1, 10, 11, 3, 6+1, 2, 8, 13+2, 9, 12... Yeah, no, there wasn't a single way he could align 3 cards in a row with a single turn of placing chips! I loving knew it! I knew that I was better at this game! I felt like I had covered all my bases, but I was worried about some unknown fear, some unknown move he'd make with his second-to-last turn. But no... Odin was all bluster, no bite. His first victory was just because it was easier to play as the Ruler and now, I'd be Ruler for the rest of the game. In fact, I'd even be netting a tidy 2 extra points, with 2 chips completely unused. Nice try, Odin, but scare tactics wouldn't work on me. I placed down my 12 card confidently, then placed 2 chips atop the 13. Odin then just flashed me a toothy grin. You rear end in a top hat... He placed his final card onto the table: the 7. Then he placed a single chip on it. ...Huh? Well, time to flip fate's final card.[BGM: Dance]  Odin then reached over to the face down card, and revealed a 4. So then, let us see... 5, 1, 10, 11, 3, 7, 2, 8, 15, 9, 12, 8, 4. The stars have aligned! 12 minus four is 8, minus four is 4!My face instantly flushed; I had completely missed that possibility. What the hell...? Could I have prevented this? No, even if I placed all four of my remaining chips on 12, he would've just had to put two more chips on 8 to make it 10, and I'd still be boned. What the gently caress? What the gently caress?!? Oh, and as I have four leftover points, that brings my score to... 9. Why, a mere four points away from victory! Lucky me. No, no, gently caress this! This is obvious bullshit!I spread out the cards and began squinting. This goddamn constellation pattern... there must be some markings on it, or something! I piled them up and kept examining them. ...poo poo, nothing.  How are you cheating?! Ah, you're starting to unravel. The show is truly beginning. Cut the poo poo, what are you doing? Easy, Lock. He's cheating! gently caress this, there's no way you can make the moves you've made unless you're cheating. And how do you figure that? That last round at first glance, from my perspective, it looks like a clever plan... but the only way you can strategize around that is if you knew the last card would be a 4. But, until the very end, that card could've been in my hand! No, I ruled out that possibility when you placed down the 2. What are you talking about? Simply put, there is a world of difference between the two of us. I command a nationally powerful company. You spend your time drinking in an underground casino. I thought there might be more to you... but no, you don't have what it takes. Instead, I'll enjoy watching you squirm as I slowly corner you.I felt physically nauseous. I knew this might be hard, but... what the gently caress was I up against? ...From this round out, the Ruler would get to pick the cards. And Odin would choose to be Ruler. It was over... ...No. It was over when I said it was. Nervously, I pushed down on my belt. I sat up straight. Odin wasn't going to get a chance to open that suitcase or cut my fingers off. I said that when I began this, and I said it because it was true. [BGM: Silence]  Well then, let us introduce a new rule. As the winner, I decree... by default, winning as the Ruler scores three points. So I say, so it shall be done.Odin's intent with this was painfully obvious. He'd win this round because he dealt the cards, and win a point. Then he'd be the Ruler again, win that round, and win another 3 points. He'd have 13 points, and I'd be dead in the water. Let me guess: you want to be Ruler now? I was merciful once, Lock. Never expect such courtesy twice. Fine. Just get to dealing.Odin happily complied with this order. However, instead of shuffling, he spread out the cards and gleefully looked them over. Is the symbolism in this a bit too on the nose? Well... it's not like this game has been one for subtle metaphors.Before I could question what that meant, Odin passed me my cards and I got the point. [BGM: Bust]  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Ha ha. I got all the lowest cards, and he got the highest ones. Different statures, and such. Arrogant piece of poo poo... not only was this meant as an insult, it actually trapped me pretty badly in terms of the game. Chips were useful to manipulate the cards to make sets, but when the base cards are High Low High or Low High Low, it's pretty difficult to straighten them out into anything sensible. Trying to get any alignment with the cards fluctuating from high to low seemed nigh impossible. However, I wasn't exactly content to just throw in the towel for the round just yet. I had 5 chips to work with, and the last say. My higher cards like the 5 and 6 could easily jump up to values of 10 or 11, which could complete sets if Odin wasn't careful. And there was one other spark of hope I had, based on what he had just said... Odin suddenly began the game with a thunderous motion. He slammed an 8 card onto the table. ...In theory, that was a perfect opportunity for me. I should push with my 6 maybe my 5 and force him to use his big guns like a 13 or a 12. But that would be the standard play; that would be the trap. Odin spoke about things being 'metaphoric'. Could it be that, in a haphazard moment of tripping on his own ego, Odin had carelessly given me the bottom six cards, and himself the top six? It would be amusing to him, and a decent enough strategy... but if he did, he would have opened himself up in a way he might not expect, because that would mean a 7 would be the final card placed. A 7 was low enough that, if I combined it by placing a 6 and some chips, it could be the low end of a set. Something like... 11, 6+3, 7. In that case, I couldn't waste my 6 on the trap this 8 threatened. [BGM: Silence]  Instead, I responded with a strong 1. And then, for the first time, I heard something I hadn't expected from Odin. I heard a sigh. Even until the end, you couldn't reach the truth.[BGM: Danrasu]  And then, very simply, he placed a 7. ...His earlier statement was the trap. If I played something even as moderate as a 4 or a 5, he probably would've been too scared to play his 7. He would've put it down later, and it'd be exposed, even easier to try and counter with a 6 plus chips. However, with this 1, he was able to put down the 8 and the 7 without any fear. The final hidden card was probably a 10, and the final card Odin would play would probably be a 9. I'd have nothing to respond with. Even if I put down my 6 now, Odin would respond with a 13, and I'd lose the war of altering specific values with chips. ...It was done. I could maybe force Odin to use all his chips, but there was no longer a path to victory this round. Reluctantly, I placed down my 6. Odin then began looking through his cards. However, before anything else could happen... [BGM: Silence]  A casino dealer burst into the room. Such impudence! You are interrupting a very important time, this is the climax, upon which the game turns!Ignoring this, the worker whispered something to Ossa. Ossa looked at the worker, back to us, then sighed. Sorry... but the match is postponed. What? What?A flash of pure wrath covered Odin's face. You little poo poo. Who exactly do you think you are talking to? I am very sorry, Mr. Deisma, but both of you have to leave right now. Wait, why? I'm mounting a comeback right now!Odin, who understood the game state, shot me a dirty look at this. [BGM: The Gungniri]  The cops are going to be raiding Nohoi's Nest any minute. Everybody needs to evacuate ASAP. My workers are already busy disposing of any evidence. The hell? What's this about? Why now? You think I know? The cops have probably suspected our operation for a long time; however, they let us operate in peace. They knew it was more trouble than it was worth to try and bust a place like this. So, if they've decided they're busting in here, then there's a big reason for it. That's... hold on, how do you even know about this upcoming bust? I have my ways. Anyways, it won't be a good look for anyone found here when the cops arrive especially you, Mr. Deisma. So, are you saying I have to flee this place, running around like a little girl? Actually, there's a quicker way for you two. This is the VIP gambling room. So? Without answering, Ossa walked over to the corner of the room. He picked up a long, thin metal rod that I hadn't even noticed until this point. Then, he began using it to poke the ceiling. With a bit of effort, he pushed away a tile on the ceiling, and down fell a wooden ladder. Secret escape hatch. Sick. I suppose that's preferable to fleeing on foot. Not much to it, just go up. Now if you'll excuse me... as you would imagine, I have a lot to deal with right now.Without another word, Ossa left the room, likely about to start putitng out the number of fires that had just popped up for him. Well, he didn't need to tell me twice. I grabbed my metal suitcase and made my way over to the ladder. I figured it was best if I went up first, since there was likely to be another hatch at the top of the ascent. Could a guy as old as Odin even climb this ladder? Yeah, this guy could probably do it. I climbed upwards. As expected, there was a wooden hatch at the top of the ladder I had ato give a solid push to open. At the top of the ladder, I found myself in a super dark, very cramped room. The only thing I could see was a single door; so, obviously, I grabbed the handle and pushed it open... and all of a sudden, I found myself in the middle of an empty alley not far from Nohoi's Nest. I looked back. Huh. A door that literally went nowhere. Well, it probably locked from the other side, and if I saw it while passing by I likely wouldn't give it a second thought. It only took a couple of moments for Odin to catch up to me. Yep, this guy was surviving on pure energy at this point. Some weird part of me respected it. Odin, meanwhile, looked none too happy walking out into the alley. [BGM: Trick Score]  Utterly disrespectful! Totally and truly, an insult. You won't see me showing up in that establishment again.Odin shot me a nasty look. Anyways, er, well, that sucks. Unfortunately, it looks like we won't get to finish that game... and we have no way of knowing who would've won. So, bet's off.Odin was not letting that fly, which... was frankly to be expected. No way of knowing? Boy, I had you on your knees it would have taken but minutes more to lop your head off! Well, you know, that's your interpretation of the facts. Interpretation?! Anyone witnessing that game would view it the same way! Even the dumbest of my sons would assess the situation as such. Gambling's a complicated beast. Anything can happen. Impudence! If you truly believe that, then let us resume the bet posthaste. Ah, I wish I could. Unfortunately, our place has been lost. Who had what cards? Which had been placed? I remember all of that! So do I! But who's to say our memories coincide? Without any proof, such memories would just be a he-said, she-said situation. I don't even accurately recall quite what the score between the two of us was. Tch. Ossa bore witness he could testify to such things. Ha. Odin, my good sir, I'm afraid you overestimate Ossa. He might've been watching, but I doubt he was paying that much attention to our gamble. If he could remember many details, I'd be surprised especially after dealing with the police, whatever comes of that. And that's the thing, the bet was made in Nohoi's Nest... but it remains unclear if the Nest will even remain by the end of the night. Who's to say how long it would take to re-open after this? Basically... There's no real way we can fairly continue with and enforce the bet. So then, it has to be called off permanently.Odin's brows furrowed. Anger turned to skepticism and suspicion. You. It was you who called the police, wasn't it? It was your attempt to weasel your way out of things. What?? Dude, what are you talking about? You knew you couldn't win, so your only way to escape my snare was to burn down the whole building. Okay, after that game I thought you still had all your wits about you even at your age, but I might've been mistaken. The two of us were in the same room the whole time, right? How exactly could I have called the police? You yourself? No, you didn't call the police, but that simply means you had an accomplice who did the deed for you. An accomplice? What, you think I just have somebody manning the phones 24/7, ready to make a crank call to the cops at a moment's notice? Hell, I didn't even know I was going to be gambling with you until earlier tonight! Before then, as you so accurately deduced, I planned to scam your son! Why then would I have my friend ready to call the police, and how would they know to? I mean, if I was winning, and then the police showed up, that would be a major blow, don't you think? We were inside a private VIP room, one that needed keys to enter. Or, what, do you think Ossa was in on it? He was my man on the inside? So then, your explanation? What, as to why the cops showed up? I don't know, man guess I lucked out?Slowly, the anger present in Odin dissipated... and then, he gave a slight smirk. Interesting. Interesting indeed. I was initially disappointed in myself, that I had become such a poor judge of character... but perhaps there is a glimmer of potential in you yet. ...Sir? I don't buy that hogwash about this being a happy coincidence for a moment. The only true luck that exists in this world is the type one makes for themselves. This was done by your hands plain and simple. Understandable. Respectable. Unorthodox, perhaps, but I've never shied away from the unexpected path. Why, in my own young days, many called my methods crazy, and look upon what I've created!Odin chuckled to himself, clearly lost in the moment... and then, instantly, he sobered up once more. However... I'll leave you with a warning, young man. Go ahead. I've gotten as far as I have in life, partly, by my ability to gauge the measure of a man in an instant. This confrontation has given me more than I needed for you.  I suspect that you wish to dominate the entire city of Panthea. That is the air of ambition you give off. You're not the first I've met to have this ambition, nor the second either. And I have this to tell you: as you are, your best course of action is to give up. ...The hell? Weren't you going on about a man grasping their own destiny? Of course. It is the most admirable thing one can strive for: the power to control one's fate. However, right now, your ambitions overshadow your talents. You don't have it in you to face down Panthea if the best you can manage is to flee from me. I am an old man, Lock, past my prime. There was a time, perhaps, when I was the best of the best. But that time has come and gone. Now, I am the baseline you have to overcome if you wish to conquer Panthea. Besting me is a requirement I make to anybody I back. Anybody you... back? Heh heh heh...[BGM: Silence]  You are a familiar character, Lock. I feel as though I've met you before. However, the past you defeated me; you could not. If you strive for power, all you will find is woe.With this last, cryptic message, Odin turned away from me and began to walk down the alley. The hell...? In a fit of uncharacteristic irritation, I shouted out at him. Oh yeah?! What the hell do you know?!Odin paused, turned around, and said a few simple words. Prove me wrong.And like that, he continued his exit. Annoyed, I turned around and left in the opposite direction. ...He was right, of course. My belt was a custom build from an online niche tech site. When I had pushed down on it, it pressed a button which gave an alert elsewhere. Back at his home, I had instructed Bach to keep the alarm nearby. If it went off, it was his job to place an anonymous call to the police informing them of a fake murder. The cops definitely wouldn't let that slide. The plan from the start was risky, even when it was just conning Polly. It was a sensible backup plan if things really went south. But I never thought I would've had to use it. ...Odin had beaten me. I tended to rely on surefire methods, like tricks, cons, and the like, but I had always thought at my core, I would come out on top. And yet... this old man had completely and thoroughly trashed me, at a game that should've been right up my alley! I had escaped with my life, sure... but I walked away with a briefcase stuffed with nothing but lies. I didn't have the capital needed to fund Bach's campaign, and I didn't have any other ideas on how to make that much in a short period of time. As I walked away, I simply felt... Aimless.  Well, that could've gone better, eh? Real swing and a whiff there from ol' Lock, huh? To be honest, after the poo poo he pulled last scene, I find it a little satisfying. ...Just a little. A good ol' classic comeuppance. But... I can't gloat too much. You can't really blame Lock for how things shook out. His attempt on Polly's fortune was blocked by completely unforeseeable circumstances. And, he had a good enough exit plan lined up from the start. Why not take a swing at a near-impossible task? And, going into a custom gamble against a genius like Odin that's as near-impossible as it gets. I mean, Lock should know that better than anyone, don't you think? Say what you will about the man, Odin Deisma did not get to his position in life through dumb luck. Sin and sacrifice, sure, but skill as well. Though... that has led to some cockiness on his part, to put it lightly. He made a big stink about Lock's lack of intelligence at the end there, but it's not exactly like they were on equal playing fields, you know? Forewarned is forearmed. Let's say that at the end of the scene, time rewound. Lock found himself at the start of the match against Odin, with his memories intact. He now had lived experience he was now familiar with the game. Would the outcome be the same? Would Lock still lose? Well... I actually know the answer to that question. Want to bet on it? ...Sure? Always up for a gamble, eh? Love it. Okay then, how you betting? Lock would still lose. A cynic, huh? Well, it's a cynical world... your bet, then?Most of the thread agreed he would probably still lose even if given another chance to face Odin, so we're only betting roughly 28% of our chips, which rounds down to a bet of 15 chips. Okay then. You know, we as a society love to idealize intelligence. We all have this idea that there are these natural-born geniuses that can make their way out of any situation, so long as it's reasonably possible. And sure, talented individuals who can overcome situations that most would falter at certainly do exist. You're speaking with one, after all. But the way we conceptualize it is all wrong. The use case of these so called 'geniuses' comes in the ability to make informed decisions in split-second scenarios, and to always be angling to keep them in favorable positions and out of bad ones. They can't hope to face down years of actual practice. In contrast to 'natural genius', the strength and potential of long-form practice is often downplayed in society, except by those who are acutely aware of what such practice can do. No natural genius would even be able to hold a candle to an experienced chess player in a game of chess. A natural genius wouldn't find themselves having to play against the chess player in the first place! Similarly, Lock's mistake in this scenario was not any particular blunder; it was underestimating just how much Odin had played 'Star Alignment'. As it happens, Odin has played 'Star Alignment' for many years, against many different players. You'd have to play a couple dozen times before even standing a chance. I highly doubt Lock would be able to beat Odin after five attempts, much less four, much less three. Certainly not two. Looks like you win. This feels a little cheap, a win like this... ah, but I proposed the bet in the first place, didn't I? Only myself to blame! What, you thought we were going to have to wait to find out how we did on that bet? Of course not! It was a hypothetical and nothing more - and it was barely an actual bet, you'd know how to answer more by judging what we know of Ez thus far.  This bet is one where, if playing it yourself, you could easily double most of your chips... or throw a lot of it into a pit, lost forever.In any case, next update, let's see how Vels is doing! Mix. fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Oct 7, 2023 |
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Oct 6, 2023 23:26
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