=> You don't even bother to try and get a look at what he's got on him. One, it's not enough for you to consider given the current risk. Two, you get the feeling in the back of your mind that it'd come back to bite you. Other reasons are irrelevant after those.
=> There's a moment of hesitation from you before you take the bill, it disappearing up your hoodie sleeve. You really just. Hate being handed things. But alas, there's not really alternatives and you must deal with it.
"huuuh? ... i wass expecting more pusshback on that one. weird."
=> You say, mildly surprised.
=> A terrible haggler. Or, he wants to find this thing more than you thought. Not that you can guarantee what he's looking for is at the fence, but it's worth a shot. All sorts of stuff passes through it- you'd know. You could just never afford to buy anything and stealing from the broker is a bad look.
"you can call me miko."
"and fine enough. I wassn't planning on robbing you blind, if it makess you feel any better."
=> Which is true, as much as it means coming from you. (But you probably could. All it takes is a little finagling.)
"there'ss a place not far off from here, actually- just off of carver sstreet."
=> You say, jutting your thumb out to the main road just above your current position.
"i can sshow you. and vouch for you to the clerk, he dealss in all ssortss of weird sstuff."
"if it'ss not there, i know one other place in this part of town. but it'ss a little further out."
"I don'╪ have ╪he pa╪ience ╪o hash ou╪ ╪er/\/\s for so/\/\e╪hing ╪his /\/\inor."
=> In some ways dealing with CIs was easy, but in many ways it could be a total pain in the ass. Getting the initial bribe in quickly was a good way to cut off pointless fronting and intimidation, as you've learned.
"╪he las╪ ╪i/\/\e I fel╪ any be╪╪er was a sweep ago. You're no╪ earning any prizes ye╪."
"Every /\/\inu╪e since ╪hen has run ╪he ga/\/\u╪ of '╪olera╪ed' ╪o 'agonizing.'"
"╪onigh╪, we're leaning on ╪he la╪╪er end."
=> You glance in the direction she indicated. It was as good a lead as any.
"Sounds fine ╪o me. People have ╪he habi╪ of ge╪╪ing cla/\/\/\/\y around ╪eals for so/\/\e reason. Couldn'╪ fucking possibly be ╪he police bru╪ali╪y."
"Le╪'s hope we ge╪ really lucky and i╪'s ╪he li╪eral firs╪ place we check."
=> You start climbing back up the side of the road. Definitely leaning on agonizing tonight.
=> You think you can actually feel your pacemaker straining slightly at this mild exertion. You can feel sweat building up in your palms, making your cane a little slippery in your grasp. You've already been out for longer than your normal therapy mandates.
=> Things moving on their own is ridiculous now? It's not really that hard of a thing to pull off.
"okay, yeah. that'ss weird, I guessss."
=> There could be many explanations for that kind of behavior- mundane, or otherwise. You have to pretend, though, that you think a lantern 'possessing' people is implausible at the least. Mostly because why would someone make an item like that? Seems kind of pointless.
"but that begss the quesstion of why you want it."
=> You stop yourself there and close your eyes briefly, also sighing.
"actually. i don't really care. none 'f my bussinessss."
"you're gonna want to narrow down your ssearch ssomehow, though. you're in the largesst city of the region- there'ss like a million little sshopss here and there that ssell all kindss of odditiess."
=> You cross your arms, looking up in thought. Guess you could help a little with that, given you at least know your way around... about half of the city well enough.
=> You can eliminate the shops up in Gracehail. There's probably not shit up there for an antique like this, given the general clientele. Dolwen Heights is well out of the question too. There's nothing that really comes to mind up there.
=> Something like this- especially something dangerous, is more likely to be passed around elsewhere. People who'll take just about anything that walks through the door, so long as they think they can profit off of it.
=> There's a few places down here in Alimede- where you happen to be now- that fit the bill.
"i mean. yeah, i live here. there'ss probably a few placess you haven't checked out yet that might have it. they're antique sstoress of a kind."
"not like you would have found either on your own, though."
=> You turn your attention back to the guy in front of you.
".... i guessss I could show you. maybe. i'm not ssure i remember where they are."
=> Which is to say, while you so love doing things and giving information out of the goodness of your heart, you could use a little incentive. You don't trust him, given you have no idea who he is. He could be a P.I., or a cop, tracking down something that got stolen.
=> Looks can be deceiving- you of all people know that. But, he did say he could pay if you did end up finding it. So, surely there'd be no problem with this, right? It seems like important business to him.
=> Doesn't hurt to try for some kind of assurance. Worst that happens for you, is he walks off and leaves you be.
=> It doesn't take a genius to realize that being subtle is a partial reason why you haven't been turned inside out by certain frustrated people at this point. So you're glad that she seems to be on the same page as you.
"Yeah, well, I wasn'╪ expec╪ing ╪his s╪upid ╪hing ╪o show up in a /\/\assive ci╪y. ╪his is a sor╪ of 'needs ╪o be done ASAP' ╪hing."
"If I had ╪i/\/\e ╪o was╪e, I'd buy a /\/\ap and ╪ake /\/\y swee╪ ass ╪i/\/\e."
=> Alpha is off handling a situation brewing elsewhere, after reporting in 'Evil Corn', whatever the hell that meant.
=> Beta is in the city as well, but a robot isn't really subtle at sleuthing, even if you've dressed it up in a trenchcoat and hat to try and disguise it. Very noir, but no shopkeeper would do business with something like that as soon as they see its face.
"Wha╪? ╪he fuck do you /\/\ean you don'╪ re/\/\e/\/\ber, you li╪erally jus╪ ╪hough╪ of..."
=> You pause, roll your eyes, and retrieve your wallet from your fetch modus. Thankfully you always keep it in the first card now. You deliberately angle it so she can't see how much you have on you, slipping a twenty from the fold before re-captchaloguing the wallet.
"Here, ╪ha╪'s all you're ge╪╪ing for jus╪ playing ╪our guide. We find wha╪ I'/\/\ looking for, ╪hen we can ╪alk abou╪ /\/\ore."
"And don'╪ ╪ry ╪o pull ╪he 'oh he's go╪ a cane and looks like a can opener wen╪ on a bad da╪e wi╪h hi/\/\' crap and ╪ry ╪o rob or in╪i/\/\ida╪e /\/\e."
"Af╪er you al/\/\os╪ die ╪hree or four ╪i/\/\es, nor/\/\al ╪hrea╪s jus╪ roll off you."
=> You offer the bill out to her, grimacing slightly in pain as one of your ribs twinge.
=> You elect not to take the photo, not really willing to just. Grab things, handed to you. But you do take a look at it from where you are, quiet for a moment as you study it.
"....."
"nope. never sseen that before in my life. but it sseemss fancy sso I guessss I can ssee why you'd want it."
=> Fancy, sure- and something clearly of import to someone with the way it looks. Reminds you of some stuff historic stuff you've seen. Like, of the occult.
"though. it alsso sseeemss like thiss thing has ssome nasty vibess to it. i wouldn't dissbelieve that it'ss dangerouss."
"but the way you're talking about it makess it ssound like it can move on itss own."
=> Weird. You wonder what he could be, looking for something like that. If that's the case. Not that you're feeling particularly obligated to help, but...
"... i have to ssay, bud, thiss iss one of the worsst photoss of a target i've ever sseen. you might want to get a new photographer. or camera."
=> If he was the one taking it, that is. You're also just bitter about getting startled and the light shone in your eyes, still.
=> Not like the owner mattered at all by this point for other reasons. You withdraw the photo when she's clearly not going to take it to look at for whatever reason. They hadn't invented photographs that could bite people... yet.
"i╪ doesn'╪ /\/\ove on i╪s own, don'╪ be ridiculous."
"Bu╪ i╪ does see/\/\ ╪o /\/\ake whoever holds i╪ u╪╪erly /\/\anic when i╪'s li╪."
"Or... /\/\aybe ╪he guy was jus╪ like ╪ha╪. I haven'╪ exac╪ly been able ╪o s╪udy i╪."
"Bu╪ ╪he hea╪ i╪ was pu╪╪ing ou╪ was blis╪ering while he wasn'╪ swea╪ing a drop. ╪ha╪'s no╪ usually considered 'a good sign of nor/\/\alcy'."
=> You sigh heavily. You didn't think it likely you'd be able to track it down yourself, but it would have made a nice change of pace from your normal desk work.
"Well do you know anywhere local ╪ha╪ /\/\igh╪ have i╪? I've ╪ried checking an╪ique s╪ores and pawn shops bu╪ haven'╪ found shi╪."
"Assu/\/\ing you're local and no╪ jus╪ a passing-by underbridge inhabi╪an╪."
=> You bring up your hands to shield your eyes briefly as the light turns your way, and hiss lightly in pain. So absorbed in your thoughts, you didn't hear anyone approach.
=> Not like you.
"fuck'ss ssake, you trying to blind ssomeone the way you're waving that thing around?"
"i wass here firsst, n' wassn't expecting vissitorss."
=> You speak with just a mild amount of venom in your tone.
=> It takes a second for his other question to process, and another for you to roll your eyes at it.
"yeah. you heard rockss. i wass throwing rockss."
=> That and some broken hopes and dreams. Maybe yourself later, depending on how the night goes.
=> ... Don't say that. You don't know this guy. Don't need to be garnering any sort of pity, or look more pathetic than you probably already do.
=> Instead, you just sigh to yourself.
"what'd you even climb down here, for. losse ssomething?"
"even if you did, it'ss not worth hopping in for it."
=> These things are flowing fast and sometimes turbulent enough to drag you down and out to the runoff. Which is why no one really comes down here, given the danger posed.
"Yes, I like ╪o blind people. I╪'s ac╪ually a hobby of /\/\ine. Clearly."
=> You don't go wandering anywhere without a source of light anymore for good reason.
"I didn'╪ lose shi╪, I'/\/\ jus╪ looking for so/\/\e╪hing. ╪hough╪ i╪ /\/\igh╪ have been around here and fell in╪o ╪he da/\/\n wa╪er."
"Hopefully i╪ didn'╪. I'/\/\ no╪ going for a swi/\/\ ╪onigh╪."
=> You pass the light over the canal again, wincing. It had better not have fallen into the water at some point. You let the light dangle from your wrist again as you dig through one of your pockets, pulling out a mildly wrinkled photograph.
=> You amble towards her, offering it.
"Seen any╪hing like ╪his? I╪'s i/\/\por╪an╪ I ge╪ i╪. If you have i╪, well, I can pay for i╪."
=> The photograph quality isn't very good, marred by motion blur and bad lighting. What can be made out is a rectangular, lantern looking object, the glass on it somewhat dusty. The casing around it is silver and marked with green etchings that don't seem to resemble any actual letters. The flame inside is currently lit, and is clearly being carried by someone, but the photograph is too zoomed in to see who it is or what the background is.
=> The longer the photograph is looked at, the more it looks like the flame inside the lantern is dancing.
=> You sit on the grassy bank of one of the few canals running through Atecastar, just under a bridge. It's gloomy and cloudy out, like it's just about to rain. But, you don't particularly care.
=> Picking up a rock, you toss it in to the flowing water. Thinking to yourself as you watch the ripples dissipate.
=> Evicted- from that shitty place, no less. Apparently out of the landlord's hands, who was, again, apparently not paying his own fucking bills. You sold a majority of your 'trophies' and... things you could spare. And others you kind of couldn't but didn't have any choice but to spare. And you still didn't have enough to buy the space from the bank.
=> 22 nights left to get your shit together and vacate. To tell someone else you're absolutely fucked and maybe get some help- though you hate the idea.
=> Where are you gonna go? How will you keep getting to work? You have like nothing to your name now. Had nothing much, to begin with. You hate everything about this. About your luck. About your life, even.
=> You pick up another rock- a larger one this time- and aggressively throw it towards the water again.
=> It all feels pointless, and you wonder how it could possibly get worse.
=> At least no one's here to see you sulking. So you think.
=> You skid down the bank of the canal, cursing slightly, using your cane to keep your footing while a flashlight dangles from a cord tied to your other wrist.
"Shi╪ass ci╪y can'╪ even afford a god da/\/\n s╪airway, ough╪ ╪o s╪rangle..."
=> You stop before you topple into the canal proper, flicking the light into your hand and sweeping it over the water. No luck. You'd heard something fall into it but you didn't really think you'd find anything regardless.
=> You hawk a defiant wad of spit into the water for your irritation. Well, you can call it defiant but spit is only defiant in other circumstances. Even after perigees of recuperation you can only manage a mild 'indignant' sort of spit in most scenarios.
=> Dissatisfied, you turn the flashlight towards the bridge, immediately illuminating the person underneath it. You jump slightly, turning the light away from them.
"Fuck! Shi╪, you ╪rying ╪o give so/\/\eone a hear╪ a╪╪ack hiding down ╪here?"
"Was ╪ha╪ you ╪ha╪ ╪ossed so/\/\e╪hing in ╪he wa╪er? ╪hough╪ I heard so/\/\e╪hing fall in."
Argumi do YOU have any radio stations you really like? Aside from your own?
| l|ke l|sten|ng tx a few class|cal mus|c stat|xns tx try and relax.
There was alsx th|s xne cxxl buggy mechan|c shxw that used tx play, but |t ended a wh|le back. | guess the pexple whx d|d |t just had tx ret|re at sxme px|nt.
| dxn't l|sten tx xther talk shxws much thxugh, |t feels k|nd xf l|ke try|ng tx l|sten tx my xwn shxw. |t just feels txx we|rd, yxu knxw?
| dx recxmmend avx|d|ng the news. Any news stat|xn at all. |'m xbl|ged tx repxrt xn |t by |mper|al mandate as requ|red, but ded|cated news stat|xns are just depress|ng.
Gerrel do you think Callan will ever stop being such a huge dweeb chasing after highbloods in flush he doesn’t have a chance with
N*.
Sem!-m!splaced *verc*nf!dence !s s!mply wh* he !s. Y*u d*n't w*nder !f a f!re !s g*!ng t* burn s*meth!ng, d* y*u?
! th!nk h!s chances w*uld be better !f he learned s*me m*re h!ve ec*n*m!c related sk!lls... but ! cann*t make h!m ask me f*r adv!ce. N*t that !'m *ne t* talk t* ab*ut r*mance.
Description: AE-04 is a standard digging shovel, sized 292.1 by 241.3 millimeters. The handle is constructed of hardwood while the blade is composed of 14-gauge steel (1.214 mm thickness). Red acrylic paint is coated on the handle in equal thickness. Minor signs of use are present across the anomaly, including a fine layer of sediment across the blade. The sediment may be cleaned from the blade but returns within 24 hours from wherever it was moved to. Compositional analysis determined the sediment is common to deciduous forests across Alternia, and bears no unique markers to indicate true origin.
The handle has the words "What a burden!" scratched into it on the reverse side.
AE-04 was retrieved from [REMOVED] after a notable spike in local fatalities was documented via routine obituary statistical analysis. AE-04 was traced to the local gravedigger and retrieved after suitable replacement was offered after Legionary Unit 02 determined source of anomaly.
Anomalous Properties: AE-04 will, upon contact with a sapient, organic creature, compel the subject (designated AE-03-1) to begin digging standard size graves in the nearest suitable location. This compulsion is extremely strong, although AE-04-1 will not resist if restrained by force.
If allowed to dig, AE-04-1 will begin constructing a seemingly random amount of graves within even spacing of each other in a standard graveyard plot pattern. AE-04-1 will appear to become physically exhausted commensurate with physical ability, but will not cease until AE-04 has ceased its compulsive effect.
If dirt cannot be found, AE-04-1 will begin to dig through the next softest material, up to and including solid concrete (X: Further testing banned, see below). AE-04 is able to dig through these materials with as much approximate difficulty as digging through soil.
Upon completion of work, AE-04-1 will be released from compulsion and can drop AE-04 if desired or use AE-04 for further work without issue. Anomalous properties will not resume until one standard night has passed.
Within one standard night after use of AE-04, a matching amount of fatalities will occur in a local area of [SIZE UNDETERMINED].
Due to safety concerns, AE-04 should not be tested within the city limits around Site-01 or within 200 kilometers of any Legion staff.
Due to ethical concerns, AE-04 should not be tested unless absolutely necessary.
Location: Stored within Site-01.
Containment Procedures: AE-04 is to be kept inside of a secured locker within the secure storage of Site-01. This locker should be locked with a password lock and padlock at all times. The password should be changed every perigee. The key shall be retained by Research Head [INPUT MISSING] or otherwise held by alternate designated staff [See ACCESS-MEMO-01.txt].
Research Avenues:
Grave Digging Side Revenue [Denied]
Improved Sharpness of Non-Anomalous Tools [Accepted]
Extremely Hard to Trace Weapon [Denied]
Research Results:
AE-04's blade was further analyzed to determine if unique chemical makeup or other factors could be traced to its ease with digging through materials. Research was inconclusive, as makeup appears to be 14-gauge steel. Legionary Units 01 and 02 report blade is unable to pierce materials tougher than normal soil or weak rocks (as mechanical units, Legionnaires appear unaffected by the compulsion of the anomaly). Therefore, it appears anomalous piercing qualities only manifest in AE-04-1 temporarily.
Further Notes: Further testing on this anomaly is forbidden as it is unclear as to whether the anomaly itself causes fatalities or if the fatalities would occur regardless and the anomaly is merely predicting them. [REMOVED] suggested to fly or drive someone out to the middle of nowhere to see if AE-04 would affect them, but this was denied on the grounds that it may lead to the digger dying instead if no suitable 'targets' can be found.
How’s it going, director Arigah. Does the Mob have more work for you or are they leaving you alone and taking their money back with them?
╪hey haven'╪ /\/\ade any de/\/\ands because ╪hey have no╪hing else ╪o offer /\/\e. Sor╪ of.
╪hey 'provided' help wi╪h our legi╪i/\/\a╪e fron╪ business /\/\aking /\/\ore /\/\oney. Obviously ╪hey ge╪ a cu╪ fro/\/\ ╪ha╪, bu╪ I can'╪ faul╪ ╪he/\/\ for expanding our abili╪y ╪o ac╪ually ge╪ /\/\oney.
I╪'s how I can even afford half ╪he shi╪ we use now. And why I had ╪o hire an accoun╪an╪. ╪he ╪ax bill is already irri╪a╪ing enough ╪o look a╪ on /\/\y own.
Instead of trying to contain most Weird Shit they encounter, Legion mostly just tries to destroy it, or first contain and then later destroy.
This is as a matter of both hate and practicality, there's only so much room at the derelict hospital they've taken over to contain dangerous substances.
It also means magic people doing stuff that messes with Mere Mortals don't get the kid gloves treatment. Diplomacy is only considered for people just screwing around or otherwise not making themselves out to be a major threat.
some people didn't have time to cast a "stupid ass ward spell or whatever the fuck" (t. Director Arigah) before a rifle blast from Alpha took off the upper half of their torso (and damaged the barrel of the prototype rifle it was using)
ellievsbear
areudirty
stormborns
2087
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
jacobvanloon
gracieabrams
dailybridgerton
snowghoul
amandla
tangentwithtanner
