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2 We will have the power of (a) God and anime on our side.
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Jan 26, 2019 02:56
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| # ? May 19, 2024 00:44 |
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2. If we're gonna be tailed, the best we can do is something to make our tail stand out.
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Jan 26, 2019 03:41
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2 We do need to get the lay of the land in our hotel base, but wandering around a hotel when everyone's filing out to get to a con is suspicious as hell. Just go to the con now and give your floor a sweep when you're coming back and can say you got lost on the way back to your room.
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Jan 26, 2019 04:19
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Ah, something I forgot to ask but is probably appropriate, especially since 2 is getting a whole bunch of votes: If she's going to the convention, is Helen dressing up as something, or just going in her normal clothes? This increases the degree to which people are going to pay attention to you, but likewise increases the degree to which people think you are a normal weirdo. Unless otherwise stated, Orpheus is getting a costume of some kind, since the robes are a little... too serious for this sort of thing. Also for now I am going to assume that he remains manifested since having him poof out of thin air would be suspicious and most of his danger sensing abilities are linked to his ability to be affected by the world, but if you really want him to remain in spirit form please state so. Jossar fucked around with this message at 10:20 on Jan 26, 2019 |
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Jan 26, 2019 10:16
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2. Give him a fancy looking sacrificial knife to look like a cultist in some anime while I dresses up as the greek style sacrifice. Sew icon or sticker on robe if necessary.
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Jan 26, 2019 13:43
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2. Yes, she should go in costume.
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Jan 26, 2019 14:29
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2. Go to the con. Cosplay. Keep Orpheus out and in costume as well.
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Jan 26, 2019 17:35
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1 We know mages are shitheads and possibly could have the whole town set with detection magic.
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Jan 26, 2019 19:57
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Nomadic Scholar posted:1 We know mages are shitheads and possibly could have the whole town set with detection magic.
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Jan 26, 2019 20:54
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Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj0ChLVTpaA I mean, I came for the cons right? Well no, the Servant standing next to me thumbing through the newspaper makes it clear that this isn’t why i’m here at all. But i’d still kind of hoped that since it was going to be here… That I could have some fun before the war started. Since I had to make a trip out here anyway, might as well get the most out of it. I’d already bought passes for both the conventions that were going to be here. I even explained on the website that I was going to have some difficulty giving a name for the second pass because I didn’t know which of my friends was going to show up until the last minute. It wasn’t even a lie, so to speak. But there’s no way that we’re going to just walk into the convention undisguised. We’re kind of weirdos. So we have to at least make it look like we’re “trying” to be weird. I head over to the closet and pull out a duffel bag that I have mentally marked as the “disguise bag”. After rummaging around for half a minute I pull out a brooch and a mask and hand them to the young man now sitting on one of the beds reading the newspaper. ...wait, when did he get there? He really is too fast when he wants to be. “Okay Assassin, I don’t suppose that thing comes with a hood? Would be really convenient if it did.” He nods and puts down the newspaper, before flipping up a hood that was perfectly concealed in the folds of the robe. Pretty convenient, but I suppose he probably needs to keep his face obscured for a lot of his weird cult stuff. I continue: “Great, put this mask on and put brooch on near your neck. Just need to pin it to the fabric.” A faint clinking sound can be heard as the pin breaks off and falls to the floor. “Sorry.” He turns to me and sheepishly apologizes. The concept perfectly conveyed, even though his face is now obscured behind the mask. Good thing that brooch was probably the cheapest thing I bought for this trip. At least I now know that the robe is harder to pierce than it looks. I shake my head. “Okay, good enough. If somebody asks you what your costume is, you’re one of the priests from this extremely silly show about a police officer from the underworld. They won’t ask which priest, it’s a show that barely makes any sense anyway.” He… wobbles? I’m not sure if that’s the right word but that’s all that comes to mind when he’s that heavily covered up. He wobbles when I mention the word “show.” I’m pretty sure that if he wasn’t wearing that mask, he’d be practically glowing with excitement. Right. I’m taking the best Greek musician that there ever was to the modern day equivalent of a theatre festival. He’s either going to go apoplectic at how pathetic the whole thing is or he’ll be so excited that i’ll have to expend a command seal to drag him out at the end of the day. Does… Does this mean he’d actually be stronger if I had him fight in the middle of the convention hall? That’s not something I really want to think about. Especially as he’s now practically bouncing up and down with euphoria at the thought of all the people that are going to be there. “So does that mean… Y’know… Since there’s an audience and all… I thought that I could maybe...” I feel awful about this. He’s so obviously excited. And saying no to him feels like the equivalent of being a big bad thundercloud showing up to ruin a picnic. Or taking a puppy away from a child. But letting Orpheus play in front of an audience would be a disaster. Maybe I can let him down gently? “Assassin there are schedules for these things, you really think they’ll just let you play?” The young man jumps off the bed, and walks over to a side table where I have schedules for the convention placed. He picks one up and comes back over to me, practically shoving the schedule in my face. “But there’s a sing-a-long panel from 1 to 2!” drat you, anime nerds. Now this is going to be a lot harder. And the worst part is… That it really would be fun. It’s the sort of thing I’d like a lot, especially with such an amazing singer helping us along... “It’s not like as an Assassin I would automatically charm the entire audience, it would just be really good! I won’t even use the lyre! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…” Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KljDgiJM6Ck Fine. Maybe it’s that I really want to hear him sing for myself. Or just that he’s going to be moping for the rest of the day. He can really be quite the drama queen, huh? At the very least, since he didn’t turn on the supernatural charm to make me give way… I can sort of trust him to not cause a disaster now that he’s gotten the hang of being physically manifested. "...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..." “Okay, maybe if you’re on your best behavior and nothing bad happens we can see…” “Thank you so much!” And there he goes, running for the door. What have I gotten myself into? Ah, I forgot! I yell at Assassin to hold on for a bit as in the middle of this whole thing, I never managed to get dressed! I drag the duffel bag to the bathroom and get dressed in this sort of light blue body suit… More tasteful and practical than the actual thing this character is based on, though. The outfit is also extended at the arms down to my wrists to cover my command seals. I throw on a red hooded cloak… Pretty similar to Assassin’s now that I think about it, but brighter and a little shorter since it’s relying on the underlying garment to cover my legs. I throw on a pair of matching boots and a couple of brass bangles. No time for the contacts or hair spray… Although I was probably going to avoid those anyway to have an excuse for keeping my hood up. There, now we’re ready to head out. I walk over to Assassin and tell him that we’re ready to get going. We walk through the hotel, not paying it much attention. After all, it’ll be here when we get back. I’m willing to assert that my fellow masters will leave this place standing for at least a day. Once outside I am thankful for the second layer as it is fairly cold outside, and I intended to walk to the convention center as it is only a short distance away. At least it’s sunny, since rain would make things much harder, especially if it’s also cold. On my way, I give a little bit more of a glance to my surroundings, than I did for the hotel as this is likely to be important. Apart from the fact that I actually need to look where I am going in order to make it to the place. On this side of the street there’s my hotel, another hotel, and a small patch of undeveloped wilderness. If you wander all the way through in the orthogonal direction to the street, it leads to a large pond. Keep wandering through, you’ll eventually end up emerging in the back of a much fancier hotel. But if you don’t switch off from the street, then next to the wilderness is the convention center. It used to be a warehouse, but that changed when all the warehouses got moved further down the road. Across the street from all this are a bunch of big corporate headquarters for a bunch of miscellaneous companies. The real reason why all of this stuff is here, not conventions. I think if you go in the opposite direction from how this all started that’s the way into town proper? Summerfield is supposedly a nice town, but it’s hard to notice when the convention puts people out on the edge of town near the corporate and industrial stuff. Though I guess I should be glad that there isn’t much heavy industry here apart from one or two random factories. Me and Assassin make it to the convention center without too much problem. Except that turns out to be something of a problem. I’m so used to waking up at dawn that I thought I was being slow and putting off my day. But there’s still forty-five minutes before the convention opens. A line is forming in front of booths with tables for purchasing tickets, and a separate one is forming in front of the building for entry. I suppose there’s no getting around it, just going to have to stand out here in the cold for a while... After waiting on line and grumbling for 10 minutes, something changes. An East Asian woman in her mid-thirties with short black bangs and glasses, wearing a blue dress with sleeves, and carrying a clipboard, comes out of the convention center. The eyes of most of the entry line are on her as she heads over to one of the ticket booths. She starts talking with one of the people supervising the process, a Caucasian man in his 50s in a plaid green shirt and tan khakis, about something. The man shakes his head and the woman, apparently frustrated, throws her hands up in the air before storming off. I couldn’t make out the conversation, but with servant empowered hearing or his "secret" powers Assassin apparently did. Even though it looked like he was just staring off into space again. He informs me that this was the event organizer, who just got notification that the organizer of a headlining cosplay competition bailed at the last minute due to a family emergency. Given that people had already signed up, she was trying to see if there was anyone on the staff free that could try and salvage this thing. But the man at the ticket booth said that the early morning rush was larger than they’d expected... Since people were showing up to buy tickets for other days of the con, so they didn’t have to worry about standing in the ticket line with their friends and family later. Assassin says that if I really don’t like the cold I could just volunteer to MC the competition while he kept watch in the crowd. It might also help us investigate a large number of people while hiding in plain sight… And it would be a shame to see all the hard work of all the cosplayers and costumers put to waste. Of course what he isn’t saying is that i’d have to be up there in front of everyone myself. I wanted to stand out a little bit, but I didn’t want to be the center of attention! Besides, if he's got super senses, wouldn't he be better off at seeing if something was off than me? Vote 1. Go along with Assassin's plan. 2. Have him judge it instead while you hide out in the crowd. 3. No this is dumb, we'll just wait on the line a little while longer and go play some video games, or go to an anime viewing, or look at the merchandising booths, or try to find a celebrity signing autographs, or... If you pick number 3, feel free to offer an activity. I will count votes for 1 or 2 together as "MCing the Event" so they aren't beaten by a split vote. Jossar fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Jan 27, 2019 |
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Jan 27, 2019 20:00
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1. Go with Assassin's plan. It's risky, yes, but given his skill set, he's more likely to be able to reconnoiter the area while remaining undetected than we are.
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Jan 27, 2019 20:18
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Go along with Assassin's Plan
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Jan 27, 2019 20:26
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1. While we don't want to be the center of attention, having him do it could be disastrous.
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Jan 27, 2019 20:40
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1. Go with assassin's plan.
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Jan 27, 2019 22:17
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Jan 27, 2019 22:26
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1. We're gonna have to face this problem at some point. The big problem is whether or not Assassin's gonna try charming us while we're up on the stage.
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Jan 28, 2019 03:56
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Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tJ06_qtmbc Alright, we’re doing this. I give Assassin a very specific set of instructions on how to get through the line. Past the convention, and into the specific hall where the contest is being held. More importantly, I also try to set down some ground rules for the competition itself. “Assassin?” “Yes?” “We’re just trying to do some reconnaissance. Please don’t make a scene.” “I wasn’t…” “I’m serious. I’d rather that we not get anything out of this, i’d rather…” My arms tremble as I think about this next part. “I’d rather look like an idiot on stage in front of everyone than blow our cover. It’s only random anime fans here, i’ll never see them again after the convention is over anyway. Report if you find something suspicious, but don’t do anything apart from contacting me, unless they’re trying to do something to you.” Assassin responds to this by shaking his head. I’m pretty sure he’s pouting under that mask, but obviously I can’t confirm it. “I really wasn’t going to do anything flashy! I can do subtle, honest!” He’s not helping his case here, but if I don’t want to babysit him all day it’ll have to do. I leave Assassin alone as I walk out of the line and head over to the ticket booth. Obviously I shouldn’t know what’s happening here. So the first step to make things look normal is to have the supervisor “bring me up to speed.” As I approach the older man, he looks me over with a look that suggests dread at something else going wrong. Nevertheless he motions for me to proceed. “Hey, I couldn’t help but notice that something’s wrong?” The man sighs and leans one of his arms against the pole supporting the booth. “Yeah, you and half the line, miss. We’re about to announce that the ‘Start the Con the Right Way: With Cosplay!’ event is canceled. Organizer couldn’t show up for some reason.” He pauses for a second before continuing. “Sorry kid, i’m gonna take a wild guess here and say that you were one of the people who was really looking forward to it, but that’s just how things go at these events sometimes.” I give what I would consider to be a pretty good showing of shock and dismay before collecting myself and exclaiming: “But there’s a ton of people here who came early just for this!” Visibly annoyed, the man stops leaning on the pole and puts both of his hands on his waist. He then leans over to me and says in a firmer tone of voice. “Kid, there’s nothing I can do. Now unless you want to take over the whole thing yourself I suggest that you get off my case and back in l…” “I do!” My shout takes him by surprise... Easy as pie. Most people see what they want to see. And when this guy sees a teenager dressed up in costume, Arguing heart and soul that the show must go on? Of course he’s going to give in, as long as he can find an excuse for it. He doesn’t want to be the bad guy here, now does he? Nobody does, if they can help it. Everyone wants to be the hero in their life. Everybody wants to think that they’re doing the right thing, now matter how selfish they are. “Hell, why not. Not like we care what you people do in the event halls as long as we don’t get sued.” He takes a radio talker off his belt, turns it on, and begins to speak into it. “Hey Tina, it’s Paul, one of the con goers wants to try and take over the event that just got canceled.” “No, I don’t know if she has any experience but she seems pretty set on doing it.” “I mean we were gonna cancel the thing anyway, can’t be worse than that.” “Then just bring a copy of the forms, it’s not like you don’t have a billion copies of them lying around anyway.” Only after this rapid fire barrage of conversation does Paul get back to me. “Congratulations, just have to sign a few forms and it’s your problem now. Good luck with the show.” I plaster the biggest smile imaginable on my face. “Thank you so much, I promise you won’t regret it!” After a few minutes, Tina, the woman in the blue dress from before, still looking fairly stressed, comes back with a frankly daunting pile of forms. Forms detailing all the numerous and various things for which I assume legal responsibility if something bad happens during the event. She double checks that I have a badge to be able to enter the convention… Even scans me with a metal detector and makes me take my stuff out of my bag. This is really over zealous! Does she think i’m going to blow up the convention center? … Actually I can’t say that this wouldn’t be out of the question if I was really desperate to win the War. It’s probably for the best that i’m traveling light though. And most of the components relating to magecraft look like costuming gear anyway. Only then does she give a nod of approval and let me start writing. Apart from physically getting through all the forms, this turns out to be the easy part. After confirming that I was going to participate in the Holy Grail War, I had a number of conversations via email with the Church Supervisor. One of the things that I discussed with the Supervisor was what I should do if something relating to the war happened in public. His answer was to give me a fake last name to give to the authorities, as well as the identity of a “guardian” who was actually a member of the Church. He told me that the Church would cover up the War “to a certain point.” But beyond that the participants would have to rely on their own abilities. It makes situations like these easier... But it is kind of concerning to know that a man of the cloth is so used to this that he had the information prepared in advance. After I sign the forms, Tina leads me inside the convention hall at a relatively brisk pace. It’s pretty large but I don’t get to see most of it as she quickly ushers me through the main merchandising hall. We reach the auditorium where the big panels and events are to be held throughout the day. It’s far larger and more professional looking than I thought. It has a stage and everything! But before I can start having second thoughts about this… Tina hands me a microphone and a set of cue cards with the information that the convention received. The cue cards list the names of the characters that the registered cosplayers are dressing as. Along with the name of the shows that they come from. In some cases there is a little bit of extra information provided by the participants. But the vast majority of them remain blank. The event organizer then blithely comments: “I hope you’re good at improv.” Before running off to go and handle one of the thousand other tasks on her plate. And indeed that’s probably what it’s going to come down to. I have 10 minutes before the convention opens and people start filtering in. And even if it isn’t a very large stack of cue cards… I’m not really in a position to familiarize myself with everything. As I wander into the auditorium and into the wings of the stage, I tell myself… At least expectations aren’t that high. I’m not replacing a professional, at least from what I heard the staff say. So as long as I can do at least a halfway competent job, I can let the cosplayers do most of the work. And it’ll be considered a great success. Really the only reason i’m panicking is because i’m going to be in front of all these people. Outside of school I haven’t spoken in front of more than one or two people for years! And this is the sort of thing I hate the most! Even if it’s on a subject I really like. Especially because it’s a subject I really like! I’d rather just be having a conversation with my nonexistent friends about it. Shooting Facebook messages back and forth at 2 AM about how this anime was awesome or sucked. But instead I have to pretend to be bright and upbeat and peppy in front of all these... I’m shaking again. And more importantly, there isn’t any time left. I pop my head out from behind stage right and see that the audience is filing in. There’s a few stragglers but the majority of the con goers are in their seats. All of the people planning on participating in the contest have lined up in the right aisle. They weren’t told to go anywhere else and that’s the side that has a staircase leading up to the stage from the audience. Alright Helen, I tell myself. Just have to calm down. I know at least one person in this audience well enough. Just pretend that i’m addressing Assassin… Or the individual cosplayers.. Even if i’m saying “everybody” instead. I turn on the microphone and tap it a few times to make sure it works. As expected, there’s that loud noise that shows up whenever you test a microphone. Never fails. But the audience starts to get excited because that means the show is about to begin. I take a deep breath and walk out onto the stage. There must be over a hundred people here. Twice that? It’s a bit of a blur. And they’re all applauding. Well, at least Assassin is making it easy to focus on him. It’s just barely noticeable. I wouldn’t know it if I wasn’t linked. But he’s the first one to applaud. After the applause dies down I raise the microphone and… Well there’s a false start. But after a second I try again. “Greetings ladies and gentlemen, my name is Helen and I am so very happy to welcome you all to the first event of Summercon 2019, ‘Start the Con the Right Way: With Cosplay!’” That thunderous crash comes yet again. Ugh. It’s all I can think about. I don’t have a set of rules detailing how this is supposed to go… So I suppose I can just get to the point however I want. “Now we have a l..lot of wonderful people here who spent a lot of time and energy on these costumes, so I won’t take up too much of your time. I’ll announce the costumes and then they can take the stage to show off their stuff! Cheer the loudest for your favorites and then the best of the best will take the stage again in the final round! Winner there is the Dawn King of Cosplay, the best of the early risers!” With those words i’ve condemned myself to my own personal hell. At least there’s some variation as laughter rings throughout the audience instead of applause. Assassin still the first to respond, though only by a little bit. “Ahhhhhhh, but some of you may have the same costume. Unfortunately there was a bit of confusion in organizing the line so I may need all of those with the same costume to come up at once unless you’re in a group. But don’t worry, I won’t let the show move on until the audience has has a chance to cheer for everyone!” This is met with murmurs throughout the audience, Turning to grumbling acceptance: On the one hand everyone wants to have their special place in the sun. But it would be a much bigger pain in the rear to reorganize everything now. Also it gives people the opportunity to take group shots, Which forgives a wide multitude of sins. I only wish that Assassin wasn’t the first one to start the grumbling in the audience against me though. Isn’t he supposed to be on my side? What is he doing? Just reading the mood of the audience so he can do what they do first? Can’t think about that though, the contest is about to begin. My changes appear to have made things a decent bit shorter. Certain costumes are very popular. Anything associated with Naruto for instance. A ton of Hatsune Mikus. When it comes to costumes Some of them are done pretty well. Some are just awful. But i’m just not seeing anything particularly special. At least in the sense of magecraft. Keeper of the Secret Cult A posted:”And even though the costumery is alright, the majority of the cosplayers themselves leave much to be desired.” Aaah! Not the time Assassin! Not the time, even if no one can hear you! Keeper of the Secret Cult A posted:”Cut it out!” Not. Thinking. About. It. I am very much committed to not thinking about my servant trying to play the field of attractive cosplayers. That is precisely the opposite of what I am doing. I am now exceptionally dedicated to focusing on hosting this competition well. So I don’t have to think about it. Fortunately enough there is something interesting for the next cosplayer…  This girl’s managed to put together a really good cosplay of… Q from C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control? I’m not quite sure who that is, but the costume’s perfectly seamless. From the frilled pink dress, the turquoise hair, the pink floral attachments… To the slightly more suspicious horns, pointed ears, and blackened hands/legs. Apparently appropriate to the character, she’s even eating a fake dollar bill while on stage. I flub something together and cringe internally at how bad it is compared to the effort put into the costume... Well at least the audience seems to be loving her. A few more folks pass by, same as before, but then… Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. A person steps onto the stage dressed in a suit of armor. No a set of robes that give the impression of armor because of a few pieces of armor. But that doesn’t spoil the overall effect which is...  Magnificent. The audience goes wild. There’s practically a novel written on this index card. But i’m going to try and keep it light. Sort of. “Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is the legendary King of Vale from RWBY! The most notable differences between here and the source are the use of a more extensive color scheme of black, grey, and multiple shades of green in the robes. Which I am lead to believe is some kind of reference? There’s also a metal cover over the torso with a ton of filigree and the addition of boots and a set of gauntlets.” The person under this whole elaborate setup shifts the golden sword to rest in one hand and waves to the crowd. A wide smile can be seen on their copper colored face as they do so. I guess there’s always a few people who go overboard with this kind of thing. The pattern continues to assert itself. A few more humdrum costumes before another big deal costume shows up. I actually know the show for this one though! At least enough to give the cosplayer a spectacular entrance. “Next up we have, uh… some kind of Zaku from the Gundam series?” The man in the suit gets the reference and there’s a bit of mirth in the cosplayer’s voice as he takes the stage and reply: “This is no Zaku, girl. No Zaku!”  “My mistake, it appears to be the MS-07 Gouf, from the original Mobile Suit Gundam!” Everyone gasps in awe as a human sized replica of the Gouf steps onto the stage. It’s obvious that it is a costume rather than an actual mecha. But that only makes it all the more impressive… Even if it is a little clunky. It even comes with a Heat Rod that bends just like in the show. Of course people are oooing and awwing for another reason. Something that I have to address. I mean i’d rather not but… Have to look good for the audience. I walk over to who wandered onstage with the Gouf. A little Asian boy about 7 years old dressed in a cardboard box. Decorated to look like a Gundam. He even has a separate pair of beam sabers, Also made out of cardboard. “Hey there little guy, what’s your name?” “Johnathan!” “And i’m guessing you made this all by yourself?” “Yup” “Awesome! Well, normally we’d have you compete separately… but I guess in this case it’s fine that the two of you came up here together. Otherwise it would be really hard for the audience to decide who to vote for!” The little boy laughs and the audience cheers. Mission accomplished. I mentally picture wiping sweat off my forehead with my hand, As I head back to the side of the stage. Now back to the endless parade of uninteresting costumes. Is this only supposed to be an hour? It feels way, way longer than that. At least we’re finally down to the last one…  As Lelouch here walks out on stage I prepare to announce the costume, but… The person out on stage holds his arm out to tell me to stop. With a flourish he then brings his arm back and up across the mask. At which point part of the mask retracts, revealing a single purple eye with a red V emblazoned on it. The clearly obvious result of a contact lense. Also music starts playing from a hidden set of speakers in the suit. Music: https://soundcloud.com/lord-snowman/code-geass-lelouch-of-the-rebellion-r2-ost-21-the-master “I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you all…” At this point the guy in the suit lowers his arm with a dramatical flourish to gesture at the audience. “To vote for me!” The audience applauds. It’s about as fun of a conclusion as I could have hoped for, Given that the incessant sound of hundreds of hands refuses to stop. The four I listed before are the ones who come back to the winners’ circle. A bit of a formality as the only two who come close… Are the Gouf suit and the King of Vale. As I am about to announce the winner. A familiar voice pipes up in my head to interrupt the proceedings. I make it seem like i’m just riling the audience up for dramatic tension for 5 minutes and head back behind stage. Keeper of the Secret Cult A posted:”Okay so… there’s two possibilities. Well-informed hunches really, this isn’t an exact science.” I have to go back out there and announce the winner. I’ll worry about it after the show. Vot(ing Ritual) Who won the contest? It doesn’t have to be one of the two selected, but it must be one of the four people up there. Who do you want to speak to, after the show ends? (Or maybe get Assassin to do it, since you’ve HAD it with people for the next few hours.) 1. The cosplayer dressed as the King of Vale. 2. The serious looking woman in the audience. Jossar fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Jan 29, 2019 |
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Jan 29, 2019 04:35
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Two.
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Jan 29, 2019 04:41
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1) Gouf wins. The kid put his suit over the top. 2) Have Assassin talk to the woman. We don't have a good excuse to talk to her ourselves, and if we want to we can probably track down the King of Vale when we have the energy to actually talk to a cosplayer again.
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Jan 29, 2019 05:14
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Gouf gonna give it to 'em. 2. She seems sketchy and should promptly be ruled out if applicable.
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Jan 29, 2019 05:48
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Contest winner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKqs1JLDbp4 Have Assassin talk to (or at least keep an eye on) the serious woman.
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Jan 29, 2019 05:56
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Gundam pair 1. Vale Try to unmask both of them.
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Jan 29, 2019 14:10
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Gouf. 2. Have Assassin talk to the woman.
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Jan 29, 2019 20:39
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Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc51cnV6YJI I walk back out on stage an announce that the winner of the contest is the Gouf. Unfortunately there isn’t anything more tangible than a title and the thrill of victory. Was there supposed to be a trophy? If so, it never made it here along with the original event organizer. The crowd, yet again… Cheers. And the father/son duo have a look of wonder on their faces. Fortunately enough the other contestants don’t appear too annoyed. The girl dressed as that monster-thing has her own little gathering of admirers. While the guy dressed as Lelouch heads back over to his group of friends. They wish him congratulations. Half-jokingly saying they’re amazed he made it to the final four. The person in the King of Vale costume stays on stage to talk shop with the Gouf “pilot”. They even happily agree to let the kid sit on their shoulders while doing so, In place of the somewhat exhausted parent who is glad for the brief moment of respite. Of course none of this is my problem any more. As soon as I made the announcement. While the contestants were doing their thing, I headed backstage and asked Assassin to try and track down the woman he saw in the crowd. He asks me what he’s supposed to talk about. And what should he say if she brings up something from the modern world? One of those things that isn’t covered by his grail knowledge? I think for a moment before responding. I tell Assassin to just try and sound the woman out. Basically try to let her know that you know what she’s there for. If she’s part of some secret game or cosplay thing then just try to play along. If she’s confused then act embarrassed and say that you mistook her for someone else. But if she acts like she’s in the know and starts talking about magic stuff… Then he should just say he’s a freelancer who got caught up in the war my mistake. And wants to try and partner with someone else who knows how this works in exchange for not being killed. Or at least set some ground rules so this thing doesn’t turn into a bloodbath. So he goes off. And i’m sitting here in the darkness of the backstage. Glad to be alone for the moment. And waiting. I really hope that this doesn’t take too long though... Since there’s going to be another group using the place in a half hour. It’s all good though. The cosplayers are still visible talking on stage, Even from here in the wings. So as long as they’re still out there, I still have a bit of time. While i’m sitting here thinking about this, Assassin pops back up next to me. And I nearly scream in surprise. He puts a finger to my lips… As the universal gesture for telling someone to be quiet. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” “My most sincere apologies.” “I wasn’t expecting you back for another few minutes at least, what gives?” “She was rather to the point…” That sounds like a positive result though. He didn’t say: “She was confused.” or… “She told me to quit being a weirdo.” or... “I got challenged to the con’s collectible card game.” “Told me to name a time and place for if we wanted to have our servants duel, or for me to show up and hand over my command seals. I mentioned the alliance, but her exact words were ‘I am above hiring some mercenary ruffian to win the war for me, when I can very well do it myself!' I received a name if that helps though: Abigail Delmas Astaire. Now I don’t suppose there’s anywhere around here I could get a drink? I need one after talking to her...” I’ll process the implications of the rest in a second. First I have to give Assassin the bad news. “You don’t ‘need’ a drink, you’re a servant. Besides, they won’t sell you any alcohol without a form of identification.” A look of horror dawns on his face. Presumably he was hoping to get blitzed at some point, While occupying the material world. I should probably take note of that. In case he tries to sneak off to an after-party later. That’s the last thing I need. Assassin trying to find the closest modern equivalent to his old religious rites: A rave at 3 AM with everyone high on ecstasy. “Nothing? What do you people drink then?!” “Water, it’s safer than it was in your day anyway. Besides, I couldn’t even buy you anything if I wanted to, it’s against the law for me too.” Assassin groans and then leans back against the backstage wall, Quickly slumping down to the floor in a comedically over exaggerated fashion. Meanwhile, on to more important matters. Astaire. I remember the name from lessons on the world of mages, that my parents gave me. That’s the name of the family that manages the Eleventh Department of Mysticism at the Clock Tower. The Archaeology Department, better known as “Rocks Road.” It’s supposed to be a place for pure academics, Away from the politics of the rest of the Clock Tower. But it's also the one that deals with history. So I suppose it makes sense that someone from there would be interested, In a war fought with figures of history. With that haughty demeanor, She must be someone who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Or a first rate instructor of the department. Or, knowing how the Clock Tower works, both. No wonder she feels confident going out and scouting for the competition. Although… Even so, isn’t it a bit much to be that arrogant when dealing with servants? That’s something that can be used against her in the future. Although she’s clearly not entirely stupid. She didn’t give a location where we could find her and catch her off guard. By asking for a location where the servants can duel, She clearly doesn’t intend to show up in person in the future. And might even trap the place in advance, although, She might deem that below her pride as a magus. Or just her pride as a human being. Of course i’m not above doing that, I want to win! While we were having this conversation the last of the people standing in the auditorium started wandering off. I suppose I could try and track down that other person. They do stand out in a crowd after all. But it’s going to be a bit more obvious to everyone here that i’m looking for them… And this is just the first hour and a half. Still have the rest of the day to burn. Vote Set up a time and a place for a duel? In any case, because of Keeper of the Secret Cult A you can contact Abigail later, but she won’t speak to you except for this unless something big’s going down. If this is accepted, I will have a freeform mini-vote asking how you prepare the field, if at all. 1. Yes, this is what we’re here for after all. 2. No, there’s way too many ways this could go wrong. Look for the King of Vale, but in public rather than just asking them to meet you backstage? 3: Yes, gotta meet them all! 4: No, there’s people watching that are more subtle than Abby. If you do nothing that alters your current course, there is an assumption you’re just going back into the con to do something casual for a few hours… before Orpheus drags you to that sing-a-long.
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Jan 30, 2019 02:40
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three. We should avoid fair fights and stick to murdering people in their sleep like true heroes of justice.
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Jan 30, 2019 03:12
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Stairmaster posted:three. We should avoid fair fights and stick to murdering people in their sleep like true heroes of justice. The two votes aren't mutually exclusive. But i'll count this as a vote for 2 and 3 based on what's described, unless something different was intended.
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Jan 30, 2019 03:17
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2,3
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Jan 30, 2019 03:51
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2 and 3.
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Jan 30, 2019 06:11
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I want to tell Abigail we'll go to her duel and just not attend to gently caress with her, but for the sake of not pissing her off I'm voting for 2. Also, 3. We need to have some idea where we stand with them.
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Jan 30, 2019 16:35
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A little busy for the next day or two, so update is delayed.
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Jan 31, 2019 04:16
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1 and 2
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Jan 31, 2019 23:26
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Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rLMVGryR0E The noblewoman from the tower could rot for all I care. I’ve got bigger fish to fry… And even if I didn’t, Assassin really isn’t an “honorable duel” type. I briefly consider trying to set up some kind of plan. To have her show up and waste her time or fight someone else in my stead. But no matter how fun the first is… It’s a bit too petty. And more importantly, likely to make Assassin public enemy number one, Since the woman will probably talk about it to people in the war. At least the ones she considers worthy fellow contestants. Which to be honest are probably non existent. No, i’m better off trying to deal with other problems. I really would rather trust Assassin’s hunches rather than nothing. So I guess we’re tracking down that cosplayer. Unfortunately, the problem I note as I sneak out of the auditorium with Assassin through the back… Is that they’re nowhere to be seen. One would think given how much of a stage presence they had, they’d stand out more. But there are a ton of places in the convention to be at. And even if the majority of the people here are dressed normally. There are still a lot of people in costume. So it can be hard to tell one from another. At least at a casual glance. And especially because i’m trying to not make it look too hard like i’m staring. Unlike someone… Assassin is back to his thing where he’s staring off into space. I can’t tell this because of his face obviously. As it’s still concealed behind a mask. But once we headed back into the convention center proper. I kind of had to poke him a few times to get him moving again. He’s probably just overwhelmed by everything. Or all the people. It’s not the largest gathering of people known to man. But it’s still a couple of hundred people packed into a pretty tight space. So it gives the feeling of being a much bigger venue than it is. Something that is annoying me to no end after the costume contest. But that’s just the nature of how this war is going to be. Wandering around in large groups of people punctuated by brief moments of isolation. It’s a small price to pay if I can get what I want. Especially if it means never having to deal with stuff like this again... Ah no wait, there they are. The person in the King of Vale costume appears to be congregated… With a number of similarly dressed cosplayers. There is a common theme for all of them, In that they’re all twenty-somethings, At least they appear to be? And that their costumes are absolutely fantastic. That is something… That I really didn’t want to be the case. Because it increases the likelihood that this was just a really charismatic cosplayer… Someone confident and capable of owning the outfit In this moment, I also realize another problem… In that a bunch of these characters are based on stories. For instance the girl dressed up in the costume… That looks like she’s goth Little Red Riding Hood with a scythe. Even if there was some level of attraction in the crowd based on the “story.” And not the individual show or effort put into the costume… It would be overlaid by the story she’s carrying with her. Unless one of these people is a master and is just using that to hide themselves and their servant in plain sight. It’s a bit bold, if true, But still more sensical than the Clock Tower mage… Who just showed up and didn’t even bother to hide it. I notice that none of the five people gathered here have their hands visible, Except Red over there. But maybe i’m thinking about this too hard, And winding myself in circles. I approach the group... And then immediately find myself approached by the King of Vale. Who definitely seems shorter off the stage, Though still pretty big in the sense of being well built. Unfortunately though, there is one thing I fail to notice. And that leads to the most devastating of consequences. As I am grabbed and practically lifted off my feet, In a friendly bear hug. Assassin gets exceedingly nervous for a second and looks prepared to pull out his lyre... Before I am brought back down and let go. Yes, I made the worst of all con mistakes. And forgot to notice someone carrying a “Free Hugs” sign. The King of Vale turns to Assassin and asks: “Would you also like a hug?” “No!” Assassin is pretty firm in his denial here, A bit panic stricken even. He shakes his head vigorously so the point can be made clear in case he wasn’t heard. He then takes the lead in the conversation… As I am currently too dazed from the sequence of events. “That was not appropriate.” A look of horror comes over the cosplayer’s face “Oh, i’m so sorry! I just saw her coming over to us and since we had the sign out…” “Just… don’t do it again. I must say that I do admire your costumes though, they seem rather extravagant for a festival of this type.” A smile comes across the King of Vale’s face, immediately replacing the look of consternation. ...man, they do really light up a room when they smile, huh. “Oh yeah, Monica worked reaaaaaallly hard on all of these!” The cosplayer points back to one of their fellows, a girl dressed up like… Some kind of blonde cowgirl? She’s kind of embarrassed by the King of Vale cosplayer pointing this out, and blushes as she blurts out: “Rab, c’mon! It’s not like Lawrence didn’t put in a lot effort finding stuff that worked well at flea markets, and craft stores, and…” With that, a guy dressed in some kind of white knight getup steps forward from the rest of the group and with somewhat of snarky air about him responds: “Yeah but you’re the one who on top of the sewing, put a lot of time into adjusting everything to make sure it fit all of us, even our latecomers. That’s why we all agreed that we weren’t going to let you worry about anything this con and just focus on having fun. Because you’d just worry yourself to death if we let you…” “That’s not…!” Lawrence casually pokes Monica on the nose, saying “boop”, before she quiets down and the whole group laughs. Apparently it’s some kind of injoke for the group or the show. The last guy, at least from the perspective of your notice, with a red jacket, dress shirt and tie, and blue hair on which rests a pair of goggles, speaks up: “C’mon guys… we’re all missing out on what’s important here! Lunch! We wanted to get back here in time for the sing-a-long so we gotta go head out now if we want to get back to the hotel and eat in time.” The girl in red pipes up: “Always neat and organized as usual, Bill.” She then turns over to myself and Assassin and continues: “Hey, why don’t we invite them? Me and Lawrence made more than enough food, and we have to find a way to make it up to the guy’s friend here for Rab traumatizing her!” Rab responds with a somewhat questioning/somewhat curious tone of voice: “You’re the ones who told me that people at these things liked hugs.” Monica again: “But we also said you had to make sure first!” “My mistake, it won’t happen again. I’ll be way clearer next time! Anyways, I got excited because I recognized her from before from the costume contest.” The group’s knight in shining armor looks quizically at Rab for a second: “You mean the one you lost, right? What were you even dealing with?” “A human sized MS-07 Gouf from the original Gundam series, lovingly recreated, complete with a bendable Heat Rod as a prop, and also the cosplayer brought his kid up to the stage in a Gundam costume.” As I give a detailed description of the costume that won, Everyone in the group is momentarily surprised by me talking. I know it’s because it’s the first time i’ve spoken so far… But I can’t help feeling it’s because i’ve outed myself as a nerd. I mean we’re all nerds here. But as the nerd that’s even nerdier than other nerds. Fortunately, Lawrence rescues me by continuing his previous line of discussion with Rab: “So it was like that huh? No wonder you lost. Can’t beat bringing a kid up to the stage.” “He was so cute! I even got to hang out with him after the show!” This seems like a decent enough group. If one where I don’t really belong. But I am starting to get kind of hungry. Even if the lunch I planned was going to be more of a quick on-site thing… No, getting distracted. The real question is whether I think there’s anything useful I can still obtain here. Or these are a bunch of convention goers with whom i’d just be wasting my time. Alternatively… Maybe this is some kind of trap. After all, leaving the convention, heading out of the way to their hotel… It seems a bit too convenient doesn’t it? Maybe i’d just be better off ducking out and heading to the video game pavillion which is right here anyway. A good enough excuse. And apparently playing Japanese video games has started to become something of a fashion among some mages… After a certain famous Lord of the Clock Tower was noted to spend a lot of his free time on them. Vote 1. Accept the lunch invitation. 2. Run away and go play video games! Jossar fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Feb 2, 2019 |
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Feb 2, 2019 17:37
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1. Nothing like some tasty Con food!
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Feb 2, 2019 21:44
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1 All fate story needs a food event.
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Feb 2, 2019 23:24
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1 We're killing time either way, might as well not be obviously alone at this con.
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Feb 3, 2019 00:58
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1 we can't just let this group run free before we know all of them aren't involved in the hgw
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Feb 3, 2019 02:00
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1. Go get some food.
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Feb 3, 2019 05:19
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Okay, so I have a pretty clear idea of which option people want. But do people have any particular questions they would like to ask/approaches they'd like to take? I'd rather answer things to people's satisfaction than leave things half-done.
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Feb 3, 2019 22:15
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I say we try to talk about what everyone does when it's not con season. Any mages and servants are probably too weird to have a normal-sounding excuse here, and if they aren't it's just some small talk over con food. Also, if anyone asks this is our friend Ozzy from Greece, he's gone through some poo poo lately so we're showing him a good time at the con.
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Feb 4, 2019 17:59
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“Did you know my greece friend here *pat shoulder* didn’t know about anime until he told me about it on Discord two weeks ago?” *Respond to shock at fillty casual* “i know, he barely know a thing about this (anime) world, like literally. Can you believe it?” *interupts their brief questioning* “he is studying to be a mythologist specialized in greek pantheon and will nerd out over it. So i make him watch an anime with greek gods in it, can you guess what it is? “Good guess. He loves it so much he flew all the way here to join me in this con. Now i have to show this sheltered kid what is it like to appreciate 2D. You guys have any advice?” “Good idea, that would be a good start for sure, but even the basic themed story could be too much for him since he is sure a cry baby. In fact, happier and sunny anime would be better for him. You guys have any recommendations? Sunny things aren’t my type of genre.” “Hmm, i never heard of that title, can you give me a brief description of it? No spoilers of course.”
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Feb 4, 2019 18:27
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