Signal Hill

Browser lacks capabilities required to play.

Upgrade or switch to another browser.

Loading…

/* Completes the achievement by removing it from the locked list, adding it to the unlocked list, and displaying the notification. */ <<widget "completeachievement">> <<run $lockedachievements.delete($args[0])>> <<set $completedachievements.push($args[0])>> <<print "<<flash 'Achievement Unlocked: " + $args[1] + "'>><<flashtype '" + $args[0] + "'>><</flash>>">> <</widget>>

<<if $completedachievements.length lt 1>>\ You haven't achieved anything yet. What exactly are you waiting for? <<else>>\ <<for _i to 0; _i lt $completedachievements.length; _i++>>\ <<include $completedachievements[_i]>>\ <</for>>\ <</if>>\

<<for _i to 0; _i lt $lockedachievements.length; _i++>>\ <<include $lockedachievements[_i]>>\ <</for>>\

<div class="achievement-grid"> <div class="achievement-symbol"> </div> <div class="achievement-description"> <h3>Digital Sacrifice</h3> You didn't need ten of them anyway! </div> </div>

<div class="achievement-grid"> <div class="achievement-symbol"> </div> <div class="achievement-description"> <h3>RIP Jared</h3> You couldn't wait even a dozen pages? </div> </div>

<div class="achievement-grid"> <div class="achievement-symbol"> </div> <div class="achievement-description"> <h3>Tic Tac Toe</h3> The only winning move is not to play. </div> </div>

<div class="achievement-grid"> <div class="achievement-symbol"> </div> <div class="achievement-description"> <h3>Tab Dodging</h3> He won't even miss it... </div> </div>

/* Blank dice thing */ <div class="dice-display"> <div id="dice" onclick="$.wiki('<<roll>>')"> <div class="die 1"> </div> <div class="die 2"> </div> </div> <div class="result"> <h1>CLICK TO ROLL</h1> </div> </div> <<set _roll1 to dice('1d6')>> <<set _roll2 to dice('1d6')>> <<set _total to _roll1 + _roll2 + $skillroll>> <<if _total gte $goal>> <<set _success to true>> <<else>> <<set _success to false>> <</if>> <<on 'keyup'>> <<which 32>> <<roll>> <</on>>

<<widget "roll">> <<addclass ".die" "rolling">> <<timed 2s>> <<replace ".1">> <<if _roll1 is 1>> <<elseif _roll1 is 2>> <<elseif _roll1 is 3>> <<elseif _roll1 is 4>> <<elseif _roll1 is 5>> <<elseif _roll1 is 6>> <</if>> <</replace>> <<replace ".2">> <<if _roll2 is 1>> <<elseif _roll2 is 2>> <<elseif _roll2 is 3>> <<elseif _roll2 is 4>> <<elseif _roll2 is 5>> <<elseif _roll2 is 6>> <</if>> <</replace>> <<replace ".result" t8n>> <div class="result"> <div class="target"> TARGET: $goal </div> <div class="total"> TOTAL: _total </div> </div> <</replace>> <<removeclass ".die" "rolling">> <<run $("#dice").css("pointer-events","none");>> <<timed 2s>> <<if _success is true>> <<goto $successlink>> <<elseif _success is false>> <<goto $failurelink>> <</if>> <<unset $goal>> <<unset $skillroll>> <<run $("#dice").css("pointer-events","auto");>> <</timed>> <</timed>> <</widget>> <<widget "glamroll">> <<set $skillroll = $skill.glam>> <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<set $skillroll += 2>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<if $drugs.eyedrops is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <</if>> <<if $needsfirstaid is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<if $devoteebuff == "glam">> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "savvyroll">> <<set $skillroll = $skill.savvy>> <<if not $identity.includes("hedonist")>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<if $drugs.painkillers is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<if $drugs.eyedrops is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <</if>> <<if $needsfirstaid is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<if $devoteebuff == "savvy">> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "brawnroll">> <<set $skillroll = $skill.brawn>> <<if $drugs.painkillers is true>> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<if not $identity.includes("hedonist")>> <<if $drugs.eyedrops is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <</if>> <<if $needsfirstaid is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<if $devoteebuff == "brawn">> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "signalroll">> <<set $skillroll = $skill.signal>> <<if $drugs.eyedrops is true>> <<set $skillroll += 3>> <</if>> <<if $devoteebuff == "signal">> <<set $skillroll += 1>> <</if>> <<if $needsfirstaid is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 1>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "precisionroll">> <<set $skillroll = $currentweapon.precision>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 3>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "speedroll">> <<set $skillroll = $currentweapon.speed>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<set $skillroll -= 2>> <</if>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>> <<widget "powerroll">> <<set $skillroll = $currentweapon.power>> <<set $goal = $args[0]>> <<set $successlink to $args[1]>>\ <<set $failurelink to $args[2]>>\ <<goto "Dice Rolling">> <</widget>>

<<widget "savvyupgrade">>\ <<if $skill.savvy == -1>> <<if $xp gte 10>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Savvy? <h1>-1 -> 0 for 10XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.savvy += 1>> <<set $xp -= 10>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.savvy == 0>> <<if $xp gte 4>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Savvy? <h1>0 -> 1 for 4XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.savvy += 1>> <<set $xp -= 4>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.savvy == 1>> <<if $xp gte 6>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Savvy? <h1>1 -> 2 for 6XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.savvy += 1>> <<set $xp -= 6>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.savvy == 2>> <<if $xp gte 8>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Savvy? <h1>2 -> 3 for 8XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.savvy += 1>> <<set $xp -= 8>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.savvy == 3>> <<dialog>> Your Savvy can't be upgraded any more. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "brawnupgrade">>\ <<if $skill.brawn == -1>> <<if $xp gte 10>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Brawn? <h1>-1 -> 0 for 10XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.brawn += 1>> <<set $xp -= 10>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.brawn == 0>> <<if $xp gte 4>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Brawn? <h1>0 -> 1 for 4XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.brawn += 1>> <<set $xp -= 4>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.brawn == 1>> <<if $xp gte 6>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Brawn? <h1>1 -> 2 for 6XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.brawn += 1>> <<set $xp -= 6>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.brawn == 2>> <<if $xp gte 8>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Brawn? <h1>2 -> 3 for 8XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.brawn += 1>> <<set $xp -= 8>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.brawn == 3>> <<dialog>> Your Brawn can't be upgraded any more. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "glamupgrade">>\ <<if $skill.glam == -1>> <<if $xp gte 10>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Glam? <h1>-1 -> 0 for 10XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.glam += 1>> <<set $xp -= 10>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.glam == 0>> <<if $xp gte 4>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Glam? <h1>0 -> 1 for 4XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.glam += 1>> <<set $xp -= 4>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.glam == 1>> <<if $xp gte 6>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Glam? <h1>1 -> 2 for 6XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.glam += 1>> <<set $xp -= 6>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.glam == 2>> <<if $xp gte 8>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Glam? <h1>2 -> 3 for 8XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.glam += 1>> <<set $xp -= 8>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.glam == 3>> <<dialog>> Your Glam can't be upgraded any more. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "signalupgrade">>\ <<if $skill.signal == -1>> <<if $xp gte 10>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Signal? <h1>-1 -> 0 for 10XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.signal += 1>> <<set $xp -= 10>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.signal == 0>> <<if $xp gte 4>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Signal? <h1>0 -> 1 for 4XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.signal += 1>> <<set $xp -= 4>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.signal == 1>> <<if $xp gte 6>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Signal? <h1>1 -> 2 for 6XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.signal += 1>> <<set $xp -= 6>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.signal == 2>> <<if $xp gte 8>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to upgrade Signal? <h1>2 -> 3 for 8XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $skill.signal += 1>> <<set $xp -= 8>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You don't have enough XP. <</dialog>> <</if>> <<elseif $skill.signal == 3>> <<dialog>> Your Signal can't be upgraded any more. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "weaponupgrade">> <<dialog>> <<if $xp gte 10>> Are you sure you want to unlock a weapon slot? <h1><<print $weaponslots>> -> <<print $weaponslots + 1>> for 10XP</h1> <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<set $weaponslots += 1>> <<set $xp -= 10>> <<dialogclose>> <<update>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1>\ <<else>> You don't have enough XP. <</if>> <</dialog>> <</widget>>

<<silently>> <<if $drugs.painkillers is true>> <<editcycle "painkillers" resume>> <</if>> <<if $drugs.alcohol is true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <</if>> <<if $drugs.eyedrops is true>> <<editcycle "eyedrops" resume>> <</if>> <<if Cycle.check("painkillers", "inactive")>> <<editcycle "painkillers" reset suspend>> <<set $drugs.painkillers == false>> <</if>> <<if Cycle.check("alcohol", "inactive")>> <<editcycle "alcohol" reset suspend>> <<set $drugs.alcohol == false>> <</if>> <<if Cycle.check("eyedrops", "inactive")>> <<editcycle "eyedrops" reset suspend>> <<set $drugs.eyedrops == false>> <</if>> <<if Cycle.check("storereset", "inactive")>> <<editcycle "storereset" reset>> <<storereset>> <</if>> <<on 'keyup'>> <<which 76>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<leads>> <</if>> <</if>> <<which 73>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<id>> <</if>> <</if>> <<which 71>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<gear>> <</if>> <</if>> <<which 83>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<saves>> <</if>> <</if>> <<which 67>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<config>> <</if>> <</if>> <<which 191>> <<if not tags().includes('Front')>> <<if not tags().includes('typing')>> <<help>> <</if>> <</if>> <</on>> <</silently>>\

/* ADD TO LINK when identity is offerred. Argument 1 should be the title of the page (all lowercase, no spaces), and argument 2 should be the formal name. Be sure to check if identity has already been claimed before linking to this passage, otherwise it could cause duplicates. */ <<widget "addidentity">> <<set $identity.unshift($args[0])>> <<print "<<flash 'New Identity: " + $args[1] + "'>><</flash>>">> <</widget>> /* Identity Definitions */

<h3>Devotee</h3>\ You venerate The Lady Death, whose loving embrace will bring us all into the end-times when our brains stop working and we succcumb to her will. While you're alive, offerings to her at your altar can perhaps grant you luck, love, and happiness- or skill bonuses. <hr>\ /* Perk: Make offerings at altar in exchange for a bonus in one stat (you will keep that bonus until you choose a different one). Drawback: No offerings can be made until you've completed the altar lead. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Merc</h3>\ You've worked most of your adult life as a gun for hire, taking gigs as a body guard and scavenger. Maybe even taken a few lives. You know how to get work, never have to roll to get a gig, and can negotiate better pay. However, you're also bound by your word- if you back out on a job, or fail, you lose this perk. <hr>\ /* Perk: Whenever you attempt to convince someone to give you a gig, you do not need to roll for it. One small payment counts as two small payments. Drawback: This identity will be removed from your list if you fail a gig or back out of one. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Genderfuck</h3>\ You've immediately taken to Signal Hill's underground culture of genderfuckery. Wherever you've seen it, you're drawn in. You might be looked down upon by some traditionalists, but your people will recognize and support you. Oh, and you'll be hot as hell. <hr>\ /* Perk: People who are similarly genderfucky will get a bonus to liking you, and you'll get advantage when rolling Glam if the intent is to be sexy. Drawback: "Traditionalists" won't be crazy about you. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Sex Worker</h3>\ There are plenty of ways to make money in this city, but between killing, scavenging the wastes, or rotting in a factory, you figure the most pleasant option is selling sex. You just might have to deal with people being fucking weird about it. Oh, and YVette's gonna be your boss. <hr>\ /* Perk: Work at the Rose and Thorn to gain some extra cash, although you'll need to succeed on a glam roll to entice a customer to hire you. Drawback: Yvette will be your boss. Oh no. */

<h3>Hedonist</h3>\ Getting blackout drunk, dancing to the latest glitch-pop record, having (arguably) too much sex with people you just met. Some people would call you a wild child. You've done everything under the sun, so you can function better on drugs. But if you get bored? Prepare for the worst. <hr>\ /* Perk: You bigger bonuses when you use drugs, and don't recieve a negative for it. Drawback: You get a negative bonus when you're in a particularly boring environment. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Augur</h3>\ You've secluded yourself in the shadows, pursuing the secrets of the world in the deep recesses of the temple. You know how to find meaning in the static, and you can divine the future at your altar. But holding such power will take its toll- having been ascetic for so long, this place (and society in general) has been a culture shock. <hr>\ /* Perk: On top of making an offering, you can divine the future at your altar. Drawback: People will generally think you're super weird, and you might act kind of weird. */

<h3>Medic</h3>\ Working back home as a volunteer emergency medic, you've handled your fair share of medical emergencies. You've patched up gunshots to the lungs, lost limbs, and animal maulings (with various degrees of success). Using your med kit to patch yourself up after an injury is no big deal. Oh, and you might find it easier to relate with other physicians. <hr>\ /* Perk: You can immediately patch up your injuries with a med kit, no need to visit the doctor. You can also patch up injured people you encounter in stories. Drawback: None. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Nomad</h3>\ You've lived your whole life as a wanderer. As soon as you could walk you were wandering, and as soon as you could get a job you were being paid for it. You've seen everywhere from the Golden Coast to the mountains of Hudson County, and you have tales to tell about all of it. <hr>\ /* Perk: The PC has travelled widely and can discuss their travels with others. This is a purely narrative perk. Drawback: None. */

<h3>Machinist</h3>\ Tech just speaks to you. Its whirring in your ears is like your own mama's voice, and the warmth of its engines swaddles you. No wonder you've spent so long working with it, nurturing it, cradling it. With your level of experience, you'll be able to get far more out of your tech than others can. <hr>\ /* Perk: Batteries last twice as long, and you get a bonus to any roll involving machines. You may also get MYSTICAL opportunities with tech. Drawback: There kinda isn't one, it's just not that useful lol. IMPLEMENTED */

<h3>Social Climber</h3>\ You're going places, man. You're //going places//. The glitz and the glamour, that's all gonna be yours, baby. The rich might not be any more friendly, but boy would you be willing to do some wild shit to get on their level. <hr>\ /* Perk: You get the opportunity to do some absolutely wild shit to get on the good side of rich people. Drawback: It's not necessarily going to... y'know... work out. */

<h3>Socialist</h3>\ You aren't 100% sure what the governmental structure of Signal Hill is, but whatever it is, it's clearly not working. Somebody really needs to enforce sweeping changes to deal with the rampant poverty here. Somebody like you, perhaps? You've read a book or two, and you have plenty of ideas. <hr>\ /* Perk: You can relate more with the common man by discussing your progressive politics with them, and you might get the chance to get involved in some "community action." Drawback: Rich people will like you less if you start spouting commie garbage. */

<h3>Gun Nut</h3>\ Placeholder <hr>\

<h3>New Look</h3>\ Placeholder <hr>\

<h3>Leather</h3>\ Placeholder <hr>\

/* Add one level to the current wealth score */ /* Use: Argument 1 should be "small" or "large." A large payout will add 1 to Wealth, to a limit of 5. A small payout will add 1 to the Wealth counter, which will turn to 1 Wealth when equal to the current amount of Wealth. */ <<widget "addwealth">> <<if $args[0] == "large">> <<set $wealth += 1>> <<if $wealth lt 6>> <<print "<<flash '+1 Wealth (" + $wealth + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "small">> <<if $identity.includes("merc")>> <<if not Flag("BrokenOath")>> <<set $wealthprogress += 2>> <<else>> <<set $wealthprogress += 1>> <</if>> <<else>> <<set $wealthprogress += 1>> <</if>> <<if $wealthprogress gte $wealth>> <<set $wealth += 1>> <<set $wealthprogress = 0>> <<if $wealth lt 6>> <<print "<<flash '+1 Wealth (" + $wealth + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</if>> <</if>> <</if>> <<if $wealth == 6>> <<set $wealth = 5>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "spendwealth">> <<if $wealth == $args[0]>> <<set $wealth -= 1>> <<print "<<flash '-1 Wealth (" + $wealth + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "removewealth">> <<set $wealth -= 1>> <<print "<<flash '-1 Wealth (" + $wealth + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</widget>> <<widget "buyitem">> <<transfer $args[0] $pocket $args[1] 1>> <</widget>> <<widget "gamble">> <<if $bet == "petty">> <<set $roll = random(1, 10)>> <<if $roll gt 5>> <<set $win = "win">> <<else>> <<set $win = "loss">> <</if>> <<elseif $bet == "wealth">> <<set $roll = random(1, 20)>> <<if $wealth == 1 or $wealth == 2>> <<if $roll gt 16>> <<set $win = "win">> <<elseif $roll lt 10>> <<set $win = "loss">> <<else>> <<set $win = "even">> <</if>> <<elseif $wealth == 3 or $wealth == 4>> <<if $roll gt 19>> <<set $win = "win">> <<elseif $roll lt 14>> <<set $win = "loss">> <<else>> <<set $win = "even">> <</if>> <</if>> <</if>> <<unset $roll>> <<set $gambled = true>> <<if $win == "win">> <<goto "Slots Win">> <<elseif $win == "even">> <<goto "Slots Even">> <<else>> <<goto "Slots Loss">> <</if>> <</widget>>

/* Add an item to the player's pocket for free */ /* Use: Argument 1 should be the item's display name, and argument 2 should be the number of items to pick up. */ <<widget "pocket">> <<print "<<flash '+" + $args[0] + "'>><</flash>>">> <<pickup $pocket $args[0] $args[1]>> <</widget>>

<<widget "cassettebattery">> <<set $cassettebattery += 1>> <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>> <<if $cassettebattery == 12>> <<set $cassettebattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 1>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if $cassettebattery == 6>> <<set $cassettebattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 1>> <</if>> <</if>> <<update>> <</widget>> <<widget "lpbattery">> <<set $lpbattery += 1>> <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>> <<if $lpbattery == 12>> <<set $lpbattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 1>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if $lpbattery == 6>> <<set $lpbattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 3>> <</if>> <</if>> <<goto $apartment>> <</widget>> <<widget "cdbattery">> <<set $cdbattery += 1>> <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>> <<if $cdbattery == 12>> <<set $cdbattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 1>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if $cdbattery == 6>> <<set $cdbattery = 0>> <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 2>> <</if>> <</if>> <<update>> <</widget>>

/* Buy an item from the store */ /* Use: Argument 1 should be the store it's being bought from, and argument 2 should be the item ID. Example: <<buy "$store1" "tank_top">> */ <<widget "buyclothes">> <<transfer $args[0] $wardrobe $args[1] 1>> <</widget>> /* Equip an item to your outfit */ /* Use: Argument 1 should be the item's type, argument 2 should be the item's ID. Example: <<equip "shirt" "tank_top">> */ <<widget "equip">> <<for _item range $outfit.array>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes($args[0])>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item 1>> <</if>> <</for>> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit $args[1] 1>> <</widget>> /* Save an outfit as a preset */ <<widget "saveslot1">> <<if $slot1.length gte 1>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to save over this slot? <<link "Yeah">><<dropall $slot1>><<merge $slot1 $outfit>><<update>><<dialogclose>><</link>>\ <</dialog>> <<else>> <<merge $slot1 $outfit>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "saveslot2">> <<if $slot2.length gte 1>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to save over this slot? <<link "Yeah">><<dropall $slot2>><<merge $slot2 $outfit>><<update>><<dialogclose>><</link>>\ <</dialog>> <<else>> <<merge $slot2 $outfit>> <</if>> <</widget>> <<widget "saveslot3">> <<if $slot3.length gte 1>> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to save over this slot? <<link "Yeah">><<dropall $slot3>><<merge $slot3 $outfit>><<update>><<dialogclose>><</link>>\ <</dialog>> <<else>> <<merge $slot3 $outfit>> <</if>> <</widget>> /* Equip a saved outfit */ <<widget "wearslot1">> <<merge $wardrobe $outfit>> <<dropall $outfit>> <<unmerge $wardrobe $slot1>> <<merge $outfit $slot1>> <</widget>> <<widget "wearslot2">> <<merge $wardrobe $outfit>> <<dropall $outfit>> <<unmerge $wardrobe $slot2>> <<merge $outfit $slot2>> <</widget>> <<widget "wearslot3">> <<merge $wardrobe $outfit>> <<dropall $outfit>> <<unmerge $wardrobe $slot3>> <<merge $outfit $slot3>> <</widget>> /* Show different part of wardrobe */ <<widget "allclothes">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "All Clothing">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "headgear">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Headgear">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "undershirts">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Undershirts">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "tops">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Tops">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "outerwear">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Outerwear">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "legwear">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Legwear">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "bottoms">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Bottoms">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "footwear">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Footwear">> <</replace>> <</widget>> <<widget "accessories">> <<replace "#clothes-list">> <<include "Accessories">> <</replace>> <</widget>> /* Argument is the type of clothing */ <<widget "clothingpickup">> <<capture _item>> /* Captures the _item variable to prevent it from being reset to last item */ <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes($args[0])>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<for _item1 range $outfit.array>> /* Searches for items in the outfit */ <<capture _item1>> <<if $args[0] == "clothing">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("headgear")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("headgear")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("undershirts")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("undershirts")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("tops")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("tops")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("outerwear")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("outerwear")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("legwear")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("legwear")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("bottoms")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("bottoms")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("footwear")>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("footwear")>> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> <</if>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes($args[0])>> /* Checks if items in the outfit have the same tag */ <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> /* Drops the item in the outfit with the same tag */ <</if>> <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <</if>> <</capture>> <</widget>> <<widget "accessoriespickup">> <<capture _item>> /* Captures the _item variable to prevent it from being reset to last item */ <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("glasses")>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<for _item1 range $outfit.array>> /* Searches for items in the outfit */ <<capture _item1>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("glasses")>> /* Checks if items in the outfit have the same tag */ <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> /* Drops the item in the outfit with the same tag */ <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("masks")>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<for _item1 range $outfit.array>> /* Searches for items in the outfit */ <<capture _item1>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("masks")>> /* Checks if items in the outfit have the same tag */ <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> /* Drops the item in the outfit with the same tag */ <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("earrings")>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<for _item1 range $outfit.array>> /* Searches for items in the outfit */ <<capture _item1>> <<if Item.get(_item1).tags.includes("earrings")>> /* Checks if items in the outfit have the same tag */ <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item1 1>> /* Drops the item in the outfit with the same tag */ <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("neckwear")>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("arms")>> /* Only executes the contents if the item has the tag, otherwise skips */ <ul> <li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Wear">> <<transfer $wardrobe $outfit _item 1>> /* Picks up the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <</if>> <</capture>> <</widget>> /* Tests which style is most dominant in the PC's outfit */ <<widget "styletest">> <<set _handmadecount = 0>> <<set _practicalcount = 0>> <<set _punkcount = 0>> <<set _armouredcount = 0>> <<set _luxurycount = 0>> <<set _fetishcount = 0>> <<for _item range $outfit.array>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("handmade")>> <<set _handmadecount +=1>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("practical")>> <<set _practicalcount +=1>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("punk")>> <<set _punkcount +=1>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("armoured")>> <<set _armouredcount +=1>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("luxury")>> <<set _luxurycount +=1>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("fetish")>> <<set _fetishcount +=1>> <</if>> <</for>> <<if _handmadecount gt _practicalcount and _handmadecount gt _punkcount and _handmadecount gt _armouredcount and _handmadecount gt _luxurycount and _handmadecount gt _fetishcount>> <<set _result = "handmade">> <<elseif _practicalcount gt _handmadecount and _practicalcount gt _punkcount and _practicalcount gt _armouredcount and _practicalcount gt _luxurycount and _practicalcount gt _fetishcount>> <<set _result = "practical">> <<elseif _punkcount gt _handmadecount and _punkcount gt _practicalcount and _punkcount gt _armouredcount and _punkcount gt _luxurycount and _punkcount gt _fetishcount>> <<set _result = "punk">> <<elseif _armouredcount gt _handmadecount and _armouredcount gt _practicalcount and _armouredcount gt _punkcount and _armouredcount gt _luxurycount and _armouredcount gt _fetishcount>> <<set _result = "armoured">> <<elseif _luxurycount gt _handmadecount and _luxurycount gt _practicalcount and _luxurycount gt _punkcount and _luxurycount gt _armouredcount and _luxurycount gt _fetishcount>> <<set _result = "luxury">> <<elseif _fetishcount gt _handmadecount and _fetishcount gt _practicalcount and _fetishcount gt _punkcount and _fetishcount gt _armouredcount and _fetishcount gt _luxurycount>> <<set _result = "fetish">> <<else>> <<set _result = "none">> <</if>> <</widget>> /* Generates a random item of a specific style to allow NPCs to react to your outfit. Argument is the style of the clothing, output should be <<print _random.random()>> */ <<widget "randomclothing">> <<set _random = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $outfit.table>> <<if $args[0] == "handmade">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("handmade")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "practical">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("practical")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "punk">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("punk")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "armoured">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("armoured")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "luxury">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("luxury")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif $args[0] == "fetish">> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("fetish")>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <<elseif ndef $args[0]>> <<capture _item>> <<set _random.push(_item)>> <</capture>> <</if>> <</for>> <</widget>>

<<if $wardrobe.isEmpty()>> Your wardrobe is empty. <<else>> <<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "clothing">> <</for>> <</if>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "headgear">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "undershirts">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "tops">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "outerwear">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "legwear">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "footwear">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<clothingpickup "bottoms">> <</for>>

<<for _item range $wardrobe.list>> <<accessoriespickup>> <</for>>

<div id="help-button"> >')"> >')"> >')"> </div> <div id="restart-button"> >')"> </div> <div id="parent"> <div id="grid">  <div class="tv-screen"></div>  <div id="screen-shade"></div>  <div class="tv-frame"><img src="images/tv.png"></div>  <div id="passages"></div> </div> <div id="menu" data-passage="Menu"></div> <div id="cell-grid">  <div id="cell-icon"></div>  <div id="cell-phone"><img src="images/cellphone.png"></div>  </div> <div id="mobile-navbar"> <div class="mobile-nav" data-passage="Buttons"></div> <div id="mobile-help"> >')"> >')"> >')"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="mobile-sidebar"> <div class="sidebar-option blue"><a onclick="$.wiki('<<leads>>')">LEADS</a></div> <div class="sidebar-option red"><a onclick="$.wiki('<<id>>')">ID</a></div> <div class="sidebar-option magenta"><a onclick="$.wiki('<<gear>>')">GEAR</a></div> <div class="sidebar-option green"><a onclick="$.wiki('<<saves>>')">SAVES</a></div> <div class="sidebar-option cyan"><a onclick="$.wiki('<<config>>')">CONFIG</a></div> <div class="sidebar-option yellow" data-passage="Back"></div> </div> <div id="map-container" data-passage="Map"></div>

<<timed 0.5s>>\ <<fadein 1s>>\ <<fadeout 0.5s 2.5s>>\ <img src="images/titlecard.png" style="max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%">\ <</fadeout>>\ <</fadein>>\ <</timed>>\ <<fadein 0.3s 3.5s>>\ <h1>"""---------MENU---------"""</h1>\ <div class="indent">\ <<if Save.autosave.ok() and Save.autosave.has()>><<link "RESUME GAME">><<script>>Save.autosave.load()<</script>><</link>><</if>> <<link "START GAME" "First">><</link>> <<link "LOAD SAVE">><<run UI.saves()>><</link>> <<link "CONFIG">><<run UI.settings()>><</link>> <<link "CREDITS" "Credits">><</link>> </div>\ <h2>\ Select: + / - Set: ok </h2>\ <</fadein>>\

<div class="menu">\ <div class="menu-option one" onclick="$.wiki('<<leads>>')"><img src="images/leads.png"></div> <div class="menu-option two" onclick="$.wiki('<<id>>')"><img src="images/id.png"></div> <div class="menu-option three" onclick="$.wiki('<<gear>>')"><img src="images/gear.png"></div> <div class="menu-option four" onclick="$.wiki('<<saves>>')"><img src="images/saves.png"></div> <div class="menu-option five" onclick="$.wiki('<<config>>')"><img src="images/config.png"></div> </div>\

<<if tags().includes("skidrow")>> <<include "Map Skid Row">> <<elseif tags().includes("thestacks")>> <<include "Map The Stacks">> <<elseif tags().includes("redlight")>> <<include "Map Red Light">> <<elseif tags().includes("theheights")>> <<include "Map The Heights">> <<elseif tags().includes("graveyard")>> <<include "Map Graveyard">> <<else>> <<include "Map City">> <</if>>

<<if $leads.includes("trackingnumber") or $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <img src="images/mapthestackslevi.png"> <<else>>\ <img src="images/mapthestacks.png"> <</if>>\

<<if $leads.includes("waveform") or $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>\ <<if not $radiolist.includes("Ad 2")>>\ <img src="images/maptheheightswaveapothcaire.png"> <<else>>\ <img src="images/maptheheightswave.png"> <</if>>\ <<else>>\ <<if not $radiolist.includes("Ad 2")>>\ <img src="images/maptheheightsapothecaire.png"> <<else>>\ <img src="images/maptheheights.png"> <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<<link "+">>\ <<addclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">>\ <<addclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">>\ <</link>>\

<<link "BACK">>\ <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">>\ <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">>\ <</link>>\

<h1>[[<Back|$return]]\ \ <<link "Active">>\ <<replace "#leadlist">><<include "Active Leads">><</replace>>\ <</link>>\ /\ <<link "Complete">>\ <<replace "#leadlist">><<include "Completed Leads">><</replace>>\ <</link>></h1> From time spent around Signal Hill, you've picked up on some interesting leads to follow. <hr>\ <div id="leadlist"><<include "Active Leads">></div>

<h1><<print $player.name>> <<print $player.surname>></h1> <h4 style="text-align: center"><<print $pro.they>>/<<print $pro.them>> | <<print $player.gender>></h4> <hr> <div style="display: flex"> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Body Type</h4> <ul><li> <<print $player.bodytype>></li></ul> </div> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Hairstyle</h4> <ul><li> <<print $player.hair>></li></ul> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex"> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Markings</h4> <ul> <<for _i to 0; _i lt $player.markings.length; _i++>> <li> $player.markings[_i]</li> <</for>> </ul> </div> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Cosmetics</h4> <ul> <<for _i to 0; _i lt $player.cosmetics.length; _i++>> <li> $player.cosmetics[_i]</li> <</for>> </ul> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex"> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Tattoos</h4> <ul> <<for _i to 0; _i lt $player.tattoos.length; _i++>> <li> $player.tattoos[_i]</li> <</for>> </ul> </div> <div style="width: 50%"> <h4>Piercings</h4> <ul> <<for _i to 0; _i lt $player.piercings.length; _i++>> <li> $player.piercings[_i]</li> <</for>> </ul> </div> </div>

<<if $identity.length lte 0>> You don't have any identities yet. Relax- you'll unlock some eventually. <<else>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt $identity.length; _i++>> <<include $identity[_i]>> <</for>> <</if>>

<<liveblock>> <div class="display" style="justify-content: space-between"> <div class="skillbox" title="Resourcefulness, mechanics, and practicality."> $skill.savvy <div class="skillname"> </div> </div> <div class="skillbox" title="Intimidation, strength, and power."> $skill.brawn <div class="skillname"> </div> </div> <div class="skillbox" title="Presence, aesthetics, and charisma."> $skill.glam <div class="skillname"> </div> </div> <div class="skillbox" title="Attunement, connectedness, and intuition."> $skill.signal <div class="skillname"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="display" style="justify-content: space-between"> <div style="width: 20%; font-size: 3em; text-align: center"><<link "+">><<savvyupgrade>><</link>></div> <div style="width: 20%; font-size: 3em; text-align: center"><<link "+">><<brawnupgrade>><</link>></div> <div style="width: 20%; font-size: 3em; text-align: center"><<link "+">><<glamupgrade>><</link>></div> <div style="width: 20%; font-size: 3em; text-align: center"><<link "+">><<signalupgrade>><</link>></div> </div> <div class="skillbox" style="float: left; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 4em"> $xp <div class="skillname"> XP </div> </div> <h1>Skill upgrade costs</h1> <div style="text-align: center"> ''-1 to 0'' costs 10XP ''0 to 1'' costs 4XP ''1 to 2'' costs 6XP ''2 to 3'' costs 8XP </div> <hr> <h3>Weapon slots: $weaponslots<<link "+ (10XP)">><<weaponupgrade>><</link>></h3> <</liveblock>>

<div style="overflow: auto"> <div class="skillbox" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px"> $wealth <div class="skillname"> </div> </div> <div> <<switch $wealth>> <<case 0>> You're impoverished. Penniless. Broke. You can barely scrounge up enough cash to survive. <<case 1>> You're pretty damn poor. Even the smallest purchase might bankrupt you. <<case 2>> You're not well off, but you've got enough to afford some small luxuries. <<case 3>> You're doing pretty well for yourself. You're not exactly rich, but you can afford to splurge. <<case 4>> You're finally making your way up the ladder! Money is no object most of the time. <<case 5>> You're at the top, baby! It doesn't get better than this! <</switch>> </div> </div> <hr> <h1><<link "POCKET">><<replace "#inventory">><<include "Pocket">><</replace>><</link>> / <<link "MUSIC">><<replace "#inventory">><<include "Music">><</replace>><</link>> / <<link "COLLECTIBLES">><<replace "#inventory">><<include "Collectibles">><</replace>><</link>></h1> <div id="inventory"> <<include "Pocket">> </div>

<<liveblock>> <<for _item, _amount range $heldweapon.table>> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</for>> <<if $ownedweapons.length == 0>> You don't have any<<if not $heldweapon.length == 0>> other<</if>> weapons yet. <<else>> <<for _item, _amount range $ownedweapons.table>> <<capture _item>> /* Captures the _item variable to prevent it from being reset to last item */ <ul> <li style="text-transform: uppercase"> _item <<link "Equip">> <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>> /* Places current weapon into owned weapons */ <<dropall $heldweapon>> /* Empties the held weapon list */ <<transfer $ownedweapons $heldweapon _item 1>> /* Transfers the new item */ <<update>> <</link>> </li> </ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</if>> <</liveblock>>

<h4>Pocket</h4> <div class="show-number"> <<inv $pocket use inspect>> </div>

<h4>Music</h4> <div class="show-number"> <<inv $music>> </div>

<h4>Collectibles</h4> <div class="show-number"> <<inv $collectibles inspect>> </div>

You're currently wearing... <hr> <<inv $outfit>>

<<widget "leads">> <<goto "Leads">> <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">> <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">> <</widget>> <<widget "id">> <<goto "ID">> <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">> <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">> <</widget>> <<widget "gear">> <<goto "Gear">> <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">> <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">> <</widget>> <<widget "saves">> <<script>>UI.saves();<</script>> <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">> <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">> <</widget>> <<widget "config">> <<script>>UI.settings();<</script>> <<removeclass "#mobile-sidebar" "open">> <<removeclass ".sidebar-option" "visible">> <</widget>> <<widget "help">> <<goto "Tutorial">> <</widget>> <<widget "achievements">> <<goto "Achievements">> <</widget>> <<widget "map">> <<toggleclass "#map-container" "revealed">> <</widget>> <<widget "menu">> <<dialog>> Are you sure you want to go back to the main menu? All unsaved progress will be lost. <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">> <<run Engine.restart()>> <</link>> / <<link "NO">><<dialogclose>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</dialog>> <</widget>>

<h1>[[<Back|Start]]CREDITS</h1> <ul><li> Special thanks to my beta testers, Ash, Jay, Kiana, Lee, Marss, Nikki, and Mercury Neon.</li> <li> Twine was created by Chris Klimas</li> <li> The Sugarcube format and Tweego was created by T. M. Edwards</li> <li> Various macros created by <a href="https://github.com/ChapelR" target="_blank">ChapelR</a>, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/HiEv" target="_blank">HiEv</a>, <a href="https://github.com/cyrusfirheir" target="_blank">cyrusfirheir</a>, and <a href="https://sjoerdhekking.itch.io/" target="_blank">SjoerdHekking</a></li> <li> The template that I frankensteined was originally created by <a href="https://manonamora-if.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">manonamora</a></li> <li> If a text-based interactive fiction game can be Powered By The Apocalypse, this one would be it. Apocalypse World was made by <a href="http://apocalypse-world.com/">D. Vincent and Meguey Baker</a></li> <li> Clothing icons were created by <a href="https://thenounproject.com/blairwolf/" target="_blank">Blair Adams from Noun Project</a></li></ul>

/* Places lead passages into the Active category */ <<widget "addlead">> <<if $leads.indexOf($args[0]) == -1>> <<set $leads.unshift($args[0])>> <<print "<<flash 'New lead: " + $args[1] + "'>><</flash>>">> <</if>> <</widget>> /* Places lead passages into the Complete category */ <<widget "completelead">> <<if $playedleads.indexOf($args[0]) == -1>> <<if $finishedleads.indexOf($args[0]) == -1 and $leads.indexOf($args[0]) gt 0>> <<set $finishedleads.unshift($args[0])>> <</if>> <<run $leads.delete($args[0])>> <<set $playedleads.push($args[0])>> <<set $xp += 1>> <<storereset>> <<set $gambled = false>> <<print "<<flash '+1 XP (" + $xp + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</if>> <</widget>>

/* Memorial to the worst piece of code I've ever written. Hiiiiiii code divers */ <<if $leadlist.length is 0>>\ You don't have any leads right now. <<else>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 1>>\ <<include $leadlist[0]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 2>>\ <<include $leadlist[1]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 3>>\ <<include $leadlist[2]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 4>>\ <<include $leadlist[3]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 5>>\ <<include $leadlist[4]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 6>>\ <<include $leadlist[5]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 7>>\ <<include $leadlist[6]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 8>>\ <<include $leadlist[7]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 9>>\ <<include $leadlist[8]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 10>>\ <<include $leadlist[9]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 11>>\ <<include $leadlist[10]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 12>>\ <<include $leadlist[11]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 13>>\ <<include $leadlist[12]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 14>>\ <<include $leadlist[13]>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $leadlist.length gte 15>>\ <<include $leadlist[14]>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<<for _i to 0; _i lt $leads.length; _i++>>\ <<include $leads[_i]>>\ <</for>>\

<<for _i to 0; _i lt $finishedleads.length; _i++>>\ <<include $finishedleads[_i]>>\ <</for>>\ /* All Lead passages will be kept here, to be loaded when necessary */ /* MAIN LEADS */ /* PLOT-NEUTRAL */

<h3> Stolen Cargo</h3>\ Your cargo's been stolen- but if you could find it, it would be worth a lot. You should probably track it down. This might take some time. <hr>\

<h3> Consultation</h3>\ Doc told you to get the lay of the land first and come back to talk about your cargo when you're feeling a little better. <hr>\

<h3> Checkup</h3>\ <<if $leads.includes("crossroads")>>\ It's an exciting new world you've found yourself in! Maybe it's time to go back to Doc's office and tell him about all the people you've met and stuff you've done. <<else>>\ You've got a lot of stuff to tell Doc about! Plus, that cargo is still out there and might be worth something... Doc might have some ideas to track it down. <</if>>\ <hr>\

<h3> CSI Signal Hill</h3>\ If you want to figure out what happened that day, you'll have to go back to the scene of the crime. You should be able to find a checkpoint in Skid Row. <hr>\

<h3> Whispering Streets</h3>\ Somebody must know something about your cargo, and if you ask enough people, maybe you'll be able to piece together what really happened. <hr>\

<h3> Hunting Wolves I</h3>\ You've pieced together that the Signal Hill militia was involved in the attack. If you find a way to forge some documents, you could try to "legally" claim it. Or you could do it the violent way. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\ \ /* LAMPLIGHTERS */

<h3> The Lamplighters</h3>\ There's a company of mercs that operates outside the walls. You might be able to find some work there. Try finding a checkpoint to leave the city. <hr>\

<h3> Test Run</h3>\ KC has agreed to bring you along to rescue one of her guys from a gang called the Motorheads. When you're ready to leave, head to her office. <hr>\

<h3> Board Meeting</h3>\ After your first successful mission, you've been invited to a meeting with the Lamplighters in the lounge. Hopefully you get the job. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// \ /* RICH FUCKERS */

<h3> Rose and Thorn</h3>\ Doc advised against visiting "The Rose and Thorn." Sounds like a fun place to visit, then. It should be in the Red Light District. <hr>\

<h3> Ride the Waveform</h3>\ Yvette asked you to meet him at a club called Waveform in The Heights. You're meant to be meeting some important company. Better look your best. <hr>\

<h3> Ride the Waveform</h3>\ You've been sent to meet Yvette at Darling's Boutique in The Heights. He's gonna buy you expensive clothing? Seems like you're moving up in the world! <hr>\ \ /* THE CULT */

<h3> Tracking Number</h3>\ You've figured out where the cargo was meant to be delivered to- a residential building in The Stacks. Now to find out //who// it was for. <hr>\

<h3> Crossroads</h3>\ Levi sent you away while he figures out how to track down the thieves. <<if $chapter == 1>><<if $leads.includes("checkup")>>You should check back in with Doc first, though.<<else>>You should probably finish getting the lay of the land first, though.<</if>><<else>>Meet him at the bar in The Stacks, and he might have some ideas for you.<</if>> //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\ \ /* SIDE LEADS */

<h3>For Fun and Profit</h3>\ Yvette advised you to ask Cherry about //alternative// employment at the Rose and Thorn. If that's what you're into, maybe go do that? //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>Requisition</h3>\ If Doc needs any help getting ahold of medical supplies, he'll let you know. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>Altar Components</h3>\ Your altar, so far, is laughably bad. Go out there and find devotional candles, assorted bones, drugs... whatever'll earn Her favour. <hr>\

<h3>Hot Date</h3>\ The most powerful woman in the city wants you to bring her on a date. Make it good. Oh, and it won't be cheap. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>Shotgun Romance</h3>\ You've got a date with Reese, the guard from the Rose and Thorn. Meet him at the bar in The Stacks. <hr>\

<h3>The Bookseller</h3>\ Jim told you his source for his mystery drugs is a bookseller from "the old country." Now to figure out who that is. And get some cash together. <hr>\

<h3>Zine Collector</h3>\ The lady at the bookstore offered rewards in exchange for zines. If you come across some, you should bring them back for her to photocopy. <hr>\

<h3>Dead Air</h3>\ There's some kind of cool underground punk club operating in the Red Light District... if you want to get in with the local scene, that might be a good place to start. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>Arjun's Debt</h3>\ Reese told you that he used to work with the Lamplighters, and that Arjun owes him... something. Apparently if you pass on the message, his reaction will be "priceless." Maybe you should do that. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>The Old Haunts</h3>\ After your little date, Reese offered to bring you to one of his old hangouts in the Red Light District. Once you've gotten a little more settled, you should ask him about it. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<h3>Dr. Emil Zhao</h3>\ So "Emil" is Doc's name. Dr. Emil Zhao. He clearly doesn't want you to call him that... but now you //really// want to call him that. Maybe just try it and see what happens. //This lead will be implemented in a later version.// <hr>\

<<set $title to "Signal Hill">> /* Pronoun Defaults */ <<set $pro = { they: "they", They: "They", them: "them", Them: "Them", their: "their", Their: "Their", theirs: "theirs", Theirs: "Theirs", themselves: "themselves", Themselves: "Themselves", }>> /* Player Initializing */ <<set $player = { name: "Unknown", surname: "Unknown", gender: "Unknown", trans: false, pronouns: "$pro.they/$pro.them", bodytype: "Unknown", hair: "Unknown", markings: [], tattoos: [], piercings: [], cosmetics: [] }>> /* Skill Initializing */ <<set $skill = { savvy: 0, glam: 0, brawn: 0, signal: 0 }>> <<set $wealth = 0>> <<set $wealthprogress = 0>> <<set $bonus = 0>> <<set $xp = 0>> <<set $weaponslots = 1>> <<set $chapter = 1>> <<set $gameversion = "1.1.1">> <<set $map = false>> /* Relationship Initializing */ /* Measures the strength of the PC's relationships */ <<set $relationship = { doc: 50, kc: 50, malik: 50, yasmin: 50, yvette: 50, levi: 30, wolfe: 10, aldrich: 10 }>> /* Determines whether the PC has met the character */ <<set $met = []>> /* Determines how many times the player has flirted with a character */ <<set $flirt = { doc: 0, kc: 0, malik: 0, yasmin: 0, yvette: 0, levi: 0, wolfe: 0 }>> /* Determines whether romantic rolls are possible. When the PC declares disinterest, or if the character wouldn't be attracted to them, this is turned off. */ <<set $attraction = []>> <<set $attraction.push("doc", "yvette", "yasmin", "malik", "levi")>> /* A list of completed rolls, which blocks off the option to re-roll them. Only necessary for rolls that can be revisited later */ <<set $rolled = []>> /* Locations Visited */ <<set $visited = []>> /* Wins at the slot machines */ <<set $slotwins = 0>> /* Health Variables */ <<set $needsfirstaid = false>> /* Radio Lists */ <<set $radiolist = []>> <<set $radiolist.push("News 1", "News 2", "Ad 1", "Ad 2")>> <<set $radiodonations = 0>> /* Weapon Lists */ <<newinv $weapons>> <<pickup $weapons "hunting rifle" 1 "sawed-off shotgun" 1 ".44 magnum" 1 "semi-auto pistol" 1 "combat knife" 1 "spiked bat" 1>> <<newinv $ownedweapons>> <<newinv $heldweapon>> /* Weapon Definitions */ <<item "hunting rifle">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ <h2>HUNTING RIFLE</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link "HUNTING RIFLE">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon "hunting rifle" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 2, speed: 0, power: 2, value: 3}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A hefty bolt action rifle with a wood stock and scope. Rudimentary sniper rifle, small enough to carry around. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "large" "ranged">> <</item>> <<item "sawed-off shotgun">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ <h2>SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link "SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon "sawed-off shotgun" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: -1, speed: 0, power: 3, value: 3}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A break-action shotgun with a shortened barrel, reducing weight and increasing spread. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">-1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "large" "ranged" "reload">> <</item>> <<item ".44 magnum revolver">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ <h2>.44 MAGNUM</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link ".44 MAGNUM REVOLVER">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon ".44 magnum revolver" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 1, speed: 2, power: 2, value: 2}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A large bore six-shooter with a classic design. Wielding it can make anybody feel like a cowboy. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "small" "ranged" "reload">> <</item>> <<item "semi-auto pistol">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ <h2>SEMI-AUTO PISTOL</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link "SEMI-AUTO PISTOL">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon "semi-auto pistol" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 0, speed: 3, power: 1, value: 2}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A sleek, black 9mm handgun with a sizeable magazine, for those who prefer quantity over quality. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "small" "ranged" "automatic">> <</item>> <<item "combat knife">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>\ <h2>COMBAT KNIFE</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link "COMBAT KNIFE">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon "combat knife" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 1, speed: 2, power: 1, value: 1}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A large, fixed-bladed knife with a curved edge and serrated spine. Good for stabbing and survival. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "small" "hand" "sharp">> <</item>> <<item "spiked bat">> <<description>>\ <div class="weapon-grid">\ <div class="weapon-grid-top">\ <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div>\ <div class="title-weapon">\ <<if $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>\ <h2>SPIKED BAT</h2>\ <<else>>\ <h2><<link "SPIKED BAT">>\ <<merge $ownedweapons $heldweapon>>\ <<dropall $heldweapon>>\ <<transfer $ownedweapon $heldweapon "spiked bat" 1>>\ <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 0, speed: -1, power: 3, value: 1}>>\ <<update>>\ <</link>></h2>\ <</if>>\ A hefty wooden baseball bat with long nails embedded in it at wild angles. Not pleasant to be hit with. </div>\ </div>\ <div class="weapon-grid-bottom">\ <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">-1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> </div>\ </div>\ <<tags "large" "hand" "blunt">> <</item>> /* Current Weapon Stats */ <<set $currentweapon = { precision: 0, power: 0, speed: 0, value: 0, }>> /* Drug Settings */ <<set $drugs = { painkillers: false, alcohol: false, eyedrops: false }>> <<newcycle "painkillers" 10 suspend>> <<phase "active" "inactive">> <</newcycle>> <<newcycle "alcohol" 10 suspend>> <<phase "active" "inactive">> <</newcycle>> <<newcycle "eyedrops" 10 suspend>> <<phase "active" "inactive">> <</newcycle>> /* Drug Definitions */ <<consumable "Painkillers">> <<set $drugs.painkillers to true>> <<editcycle "painkillers" resume>> <<dialog>> You shook out one of the little red pills into your hand, admiring how it gleamed in the light before swallowing it. The effects wouldn't be immediate, but they would kick in pretty quickly. <</dialog>> <<description>> A clear glass bottle that rattles with red capsules inside. They'll keep your pain down for a while, making you a little better at physical activities. However, the drowsiness they induce will make thinking harder. <<tags "altar" "offering-drugs">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Eye drops">> <<set $drugs.eyedrops to true>> <<editcycle "eyedrops" resume>> <<dialog>> You squeezed the pipette to carefully pull up a single dose, and tilted your head back. With a finger and thumb your pried open one eye, hovering the dropper over it. A single drop fell onto your sclera, and the burning started. It leaked down your cheek and nose and made your skin tingle. //This is a placeholder.// <</dialog>> <<description>> An amber glass bottle with a screw on eyedropper cap. Inside is a clear liquid, odourless and indistinguishable from water apart from being a little thicker. The closer you hold it to your head, the louder you hear a disorienting ringing in your ears- like a sine wave. <<tags "offering-drugs">> <</consumable>> /* Leads Settings */ <<set $leads = []>> <<set $finishedleads = []>> <<set $playedleads = []>> /* Identity Settings */ <<set $identity = []>> /* Achievement Settings */ <<run window.FlashMessage.addCustomVerbs('digitalsacrifice', 'ripjared', 'tictactoe', 'tabdodging');>> <<set $completedachievements = []>> <<set $lockedachievements = ['digitalsacrifice', 'ripjared', 'tictactoe', 'tabdodging']>> <<set $tictactoe = 0>> /* Pocket Settings */ <<newinv $pocket>> <<newinv $music>> <<newinv $collectibles>> /* Apartment Settings */ <<set $apartments = []>> <<newinv $apartmentinventory>> /* Altar Settings */ <<newinv $altar>> /* Store Settings */ <<newinv $threadz>> <<newinv $infatuations>> <<newinv $tradingco>> <<newinv $darlings>> <<newinv $ricky>> <<newinv $bookstore>> <<newinv $bookstorezines>> <<newinv $chargebar>> <<newinv $rosebar>> <<newinv $pace>> <<newcycle "storereset" 30>> <<phase "active" "inactive">> <</newcycle>> /* Item Definitions */ /* Quest Items */ <<item "Drink Voucher">> <<description>> A square slip of paper, smooth, with black ink. On the front, the shape of a rose is printed in gold leaf. On the back, in red, are the words "DRINK VOUCHER" in an ornate serif font. <<tags "quest">> <</item>> <<item "Hand Drawn Map">> <<description>> An old letter, folded twice, with a crude map of The Stacks drawn in blue pen on the back. You can roughly figure out which building your cargo was meant to be delivered to based on this. <<linkreplace "Do you want to read what's on the letter?">>\ The letter was composed on a typewriter, and addressed at the top, "Dearest Emil." Very spicy. It reads: It has been so long since we've spoken. I, of course, have stayed up to date on your recent behaviour- my confidantes tell me the darndest things, I swear. One of them recently informed me that your expeditions beyond the city have led to procuring some interesting substances. I have a bit of a business proposal for you, if you'd entertain an old friend's //humble// offers. I am in need of a large amount- perhaps two bottles, three if possible. I understand that such a request is difficult, but I promise to reward you //handsomely// if you are willing to help out a lady in need. Trust me, this is for a very good cause. And perhaps when you deliver it we can catch up over a glass of wine? I'm sure you've missed me, hm? xoxo Yvette Valdez <</linkreplace>> <<tags "quest">> <</item>> <<item "Bloody Documents">> <<description>> A set of barely legible papers, stained with somebody's blood. These were the documents you were supposed to deliver to the recipient of the cargo. They're of no use now, but Doc was able to piece together a couple useful facts from them- the sender was a company called Sigma Biolabs, and the reciever was located in The Stacks. The cargo was labelled as not to be opened. Interesting. <<tags "quest" "offering-blood">> <</item>> <<item "Pinky Finger">> <<description>> Your, uh... severed pinky finger. It would feel wrong not to take it with you, but you're pretty sure there's no reattaching it. Maybe, though?<<if $identity.includes("devotee")>> Oh, and this would also be a great addition to your altar!<</if>> <<tags "quest" "altar">> <</item>> <<item "Whiskey Bottle">> <<description>> A whole bottle of the cheapest whiskey you could find. Back in the day they'd call this shit moonshine. It would probably kill you if you drank the whole thing. But it's not for drinking, so the taste shouldn't matter. <<tags "quest" "altar">> <</item>> /* Identity Items */ <<item "Med Kit">> <<description>> A stocked up med kit with everything you'd need to patch yourself, or somebody else, up after an injury. It might not be //good//, but hey, you take what you can get in this world. <<liveblock>>\ <<if $needsfirstaid == true>>\ <ul><li> <<link "Patch yourself up.">><<set $needsfirstaid == false>><<unset $firstaid>><<update>><</link>></li></ul> <</if>>\ <</liveblock>>\ <</item>> /* Zines */ <<set $zinesdonated == 0>>\ <<item "The Transsexual Menace, Issue 5">> <<description>> A folded and stapled sheaf of paper printed with black stencil artwork. The front cover reads, "THE TRANSSEXUAL MENACE" and features a posterized painting of a nearly nude transgender person with nipple piercings and a mohawk flipping off the observer. Leafing through it, you see that the contents are mostly artwork of transgressive transsexuals and typewritten op-eds about politics at the intersection of poverty and transsexual identity. <<tags "zine">> <</item>> <<item "Lost Forever, Issue 2">> <<description>> A folded and stapled sheaf of paper. The front is a low quality photocopy of a promotional poster, featuring a large group of people standing in front of lush mountains. The word "LOST" is printed above them in white, and under it the writer of the zine has printed "FOREVER" with white-out. Flipping through it, it seems to all be one (badly written) story typed out with a typewriter. The author's note in the intro lets you know that this is a fan-written continuation of the author's favourite television show, which was tragically cut short part of the way through its second season. <<tags "zine">> <</item>> <<item "Dead Air Promo Zine">> <<description>> A small sheaf of paper with some kind of avant garde digital collage printed on the front. The vague outline of a guitarist, printed in halftone, is jamming out on stage. The words "NO REST" and "NO QUIET" arranged in white next to him, and "DEAD AIR" printed in an even bigger font underneath. As you flip through it, you find a bunch of promotional (or fan) content for an underground punk band- printed lyrics full of profanity, low quality photos of the band members hanging out. It even lists the location of their main venue, a place called The Underground in the Red Light District. <<if not $leads.includes("deadair")>>\ <<if not $playedleads.includes("deadair")>>\ <<addlead "deadair">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<tags "zine">> <</item>> /* Books */ <<newinv $books>> <<pickup $books "Guide to Common Seaweeds of British Columbia" 1>> <<item "Guide to Common Seaweeds of British Columbia">> <<description>> A little green book, ancient, with covers made of light card and off-kilter pages all held together by a set of two large staples. You aren't sure what "British Columbia" is or why anybody cares about its seaweed, but there are some really cool halftone diagrams in here. <<tags "book" "1">> <</item>> /* Drinks */ <<newinv $drinks>> <<pickup $drinks "Beer" 1 "Cider" 1 "Whiskey" 1 "Vodka" 1 "Gin" 1 "Rum" 1 "Red Wine" 1 "White Wine" 1 "Absinthe" 1 "Gin and Tonic" 1 "Martini" 1 "Rum and Coke" 1 "Bloody Mary" 1 "Cosmo" 1 "Whiskey Sour" 1 "Death in the Afternoon" 1 "Grasshopper" 1>> <<consumable "Beer">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Cider">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Whiskey">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Vodka">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "fancy" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Everclear">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Gin">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Rum">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Red Wine">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "White Wine">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Absinthe">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "3" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Gin and Tonic">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Martini">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Rum and Coke">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Bloody Mary">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "White Wine">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Cosmo">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Whiskey Sour">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "cheap" "1" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Death in the Afternoon">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "3" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> <<consumable "Grasshopper">> <<set $drugs.alcohol to true>> <<editcycle "alcohol" resume>> <<tags "fancy" "2" "offering-alcohol">> <</consumable>> /* Electronics */ <<pickup $pace "Cassette Walkman" 1 "Radio" 1 "Record Player" 1 "Charged Battery" 10>> /* Battery counts up from 0 to the number of uses for that item. 0 is no battery installed, white the higher the number is the more it's been used up. */ <<set $cassettebattery = 0>> <<set $lpbattery = 0>> <<set $cdbattery = 0>> <<item "Charged Battery">> <<tags "3">> <</item>> <<item "Cassette Walkman">> <<description>> <<liveblock>>\ A small, personal cassette player that can be clipped to your belt or worn over your shoulder with a strap. It's got a pair of crappy on-ear headphones you can use to listen to your jams on the go. If you have any cassettes, you can use this to listen to them. Takes one battery. <hr> <<if $cassettebattery == 0>>\ The walkman has no batteries. <<if $pocket.has("Charged Battery")>>\ <ul><li>\ <<link "Insert one battery.">><<drop $pocket "Charged Battery" 1>><<set $cassettebattery += 1>><</link>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ <<for _item, _amount range $music.table>>\ <<capture _item>>\ <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("cassette")>>\ <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase">\ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <</capture>>\ <</for>>\ <</if>>\ <</liveblock>>\ <<tags "3">> <</item>> <<item "Radio">> <<description>> <<newinv _batteries>>\ <<pickup _batteries "Charged Battery" 2>>\ <<liveblock>>\ A battery operated radio with big speakers on the front, an antenna, and a CD player. If you have any CDs, you can use this to listen to them. Takes two batteries. <hr> <<if $cdbattery == 0>>\ The radio has no batteries. <<if $pocket.compare(_batteries)>>\ <ul><li>\ <<link "Insert two batteries.">><<drop $pocket "Charged Battery" 2>><<set $cdbattery += 1>><<update>><</link>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ <ul><li>\ <<link "Listen to the radio.">>\ <<set $cdbattery += 1>>\ <<if $cdbattery == 6>>\ <<set $cdbattery = 0>>\ <<pickup $pocket "Empty Battery" 2>>\ <</if>>\ <<goto "Radio">>\ <<dialogclose>>\ <</link>>\ </li></ul>\ <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $music.table>>\ <<capture _item>>\ <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("cd")>>\ <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase">\ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <</capture>>\ <</for>>\ <</if>>\ <</liveblock>>\ <<tags "4">> <</item>> <<item "Record Player">> <<description>> <<newinv _batteries>>\ <<pickup _batteries "Charged Battery" 3>>\ A small, tabletop turntable made for playing vinyl records. If you have any vinyl LPs, you can use this to listen to them. Takes three batteries. <hr> <<if $lpbattery == 0>>\ The record player has no batteries. <<if $pocket.compare(_batteries)>>\ <ul><li>\ <<link "Insert three batteries.">><<drop $pocket "Charged Battery" 3>><<set $lpbattery += 1>><<update>><</link>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ <<for _item, _amount range $music.table>>\ <<capture _item>>\ <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("vinyl")>>\ <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase">\ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> </li></ul>\ <</if>>\ <</capture>>\ <</for>>\ <</if>>\ <<tags "4" "apartment">> <</item>> /* Music */ <<newinv $music>> <<newinv $musiclist>> <<pickup $musiclist "Demon Days (Gorillaz) Cassette" 1 "Demon Days (Gorillaz) LP" 1 "Demon Days (Gorillaz) CD" 1 "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) Cassette" 1 "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) LP" 1 "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) CD" 1 "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) Cassette" 1 "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) LP" 1 "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) CD" 1 "Flood (They Might Be Giants) Cassette" 1 "Flood (They Might Be Giants) LP" 1 "Flood (They Might Be Giants) CD" 1 "Violator (Depeche Mode) Cassette" 1 "Violator (Depeche Mode) LP" 1 "Violator (Depeche Mode) CD" 1 "Elephant (The White Stripes) Cassette" 1 "Elephant (The White Stripes) LP" 1 "Elephant (The White Stripes) CD" 1 "Leftoverture (Kansas) Cassette" 1 "Leftoverture (Kansas) LP" 1 "Leftoverture (Kansas) CD" 1 "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) Cassette" 1 "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) LP" 1 "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) CD" 1 "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) Cassette" 1 "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) LP" 1 "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) CD" 1 "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) Cassette" 1 "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) LP" 1 "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) CD" 1 "Toxicity (System Of A Down) Cassette" 1 "Toxicity (System Of A Down) LP" 1 "Toxicity (System Of A Down) CD" 1 "American Idiot (Green Day) Cassette" 1 "American Idiot (Green Day) LP" 1 "American Idiot (Green Day) CD" 1 "Dookie (Green Day) Cassette" 1 "Dookie (Green Day) LP" 1 "Dookie (Green Day) CD" 1 "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) Cassette" 1 "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) LP" 1 "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) CD" 1 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) Cassette" 1 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) LP" 1 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) CD" 1 "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) Cassette" 1 "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) LP" 1 "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) CD" 1 "A Night At The Opera (Queen) Cassette" 1 "A Night At The Opera (Queen) LP" 1 "A Night At The Opera (Queen) CD" 1 "Purple Rain (Prince) Cassette" 1 "Purple Rain (Prince) LP" 1 "Purple Rain (Prince) CD" 1>> <<item "Demon Days (Gorillaz) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6oK14Pt9Qk&list=OLAK5uy_n6OIG6WH-BVE-xbdyDfjQeydPbN6l9tF4&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Demon Days</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Demon Days (Gorillaz) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6oK14Pt9Qk&list=OLAK5uy_n6OIG6WH-BVE-xbdyDfjQeydPbN6l9tF4&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Demon Days</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Demon Days (Gorillaz) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6oK14Pt9Qk&list=OLAK5uy_n6OIG6WH-BVE-xbdyDfjQeydPbN6l9tF4&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Demon Days</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0CU-GlQlwE&list=PLT8QQ5brLpQDo48gm1US1hLHLShDapU1I&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Gorillaz</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0CU-GlQlwE&list=PLT8QQ5brLpQDo48gm1US1hLHLShDapU1I&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Gorillaz</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Gorillaz (Gorillaz) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0CU-GlQlwE&list=PLT8QQ5brLpQDo48gm1US1hLHLShDapU1I&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Gorillaz</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-dqW4uBEE&list=PLtPqy66FKl5tgeFZDY1tiLm5wqujdbQ_z&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Violent Femmes</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-dqW4uBEE&list=PLtPqy66FKl5tgeFZDY1tiLm5wqujdbQ_z&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Violent Femmes</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-dqW4uBEE&list=PLtPqy66FKl5tgeFZDY1tiLm5wqujdbQ_z&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Violent Femmes</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Flood (They Might Be Giants) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9QQdH3IiQ&list=PLC80P4gsPr-afJQ5fLffo3k1PL4Lmyxv_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Flood</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Flood (They Might Be Giants) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9QQdH3IiQ&list=PLC80P4gsPr-afJQ5fLffo3k1PL4Lmyxv_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Flood</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Flood (They Might Be Giants) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9QQdH3IiQ&list=PLC80P4gsPr-afJQ5fLffo3k1PL4Lmyxv_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Flood</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Violator (Depeche Mode) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAo82KUJr_A&list=PLxzSZG7g8c8yjqVBertUXMBSENfnpg6dw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Violator</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Violator (Depeche Mode) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAo82KUJr_A&list=PLxzSZG7g8c8yjqVBertUXMBSENfnpg6dw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Violator</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Violator (Depeche Mode) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAo82KUJr_A&list=PLxzSZG7g8c8yjqVBertUXMBSENfnpg6dw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Violator</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Elephant (The White Stripes) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDuzszjrdcc&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh-89Rb47YY5TXvaa3kAVJX5&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Elephant</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Elephant (The White Stripes) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDuzszjrdcc&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh-89Rb47YY5TXvaa3kAVJX5&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Elephant</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Elephant (The White Stripes) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDuzszjrdcc&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh-89Rb47YY5TXvaa3kAVJX5&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Elephant</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Leftoverture (Kansas) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz6u9suVNlY&list=PLEouLkiLHdSC3yFt6LvJf9PJgb8hUCrM_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Leftoverture</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Leftoverture (Kansas) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz6u9suVNlY&list=PLEouLkiLHdSC3yFt6LvJf9PJgb8hUCrM_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Leftoverture</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Leftoverture (Kansas) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz6u9suVNlY&list=PLEouLkiLHdSC3yFt6LvJf9PJgb8hUCrM_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Leftoverture</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIQzgntbAg&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh_Y4Gp6EaydyaEdC6tRnjT_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Talking Heads: 77</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIQzgntbAg&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh_Y4Gp6EaydyaEdC6tRnjT_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Talking Heads: 77</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIQzgntbAg&list=PLDUEjoBVMbh_Y4Gp6EaydyaEdC6tRnjT_&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Talking Heads: 77</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEaxLGNm7PQ&list=PLyr02rEOrv-vgjDOycGMHeBOXx2UbHrk7&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Automatic For The People</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEaxLGNm7PQ&list=PLyr02rEOrv-vgjDOycGMHeBOXx2UbHrk7&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Automatic For The People</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Automatic For The People (R.E.M.) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEaxLGNm7PQ&list=PLyr02rEOrv-vgjDOycGMHeBOXx2UbHrk7&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Automatic For The People</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://youtu.be/MAnsR_7VYKQ" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Rage Against The Machine</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://youtu.be/MAnsR_7VYKQ" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Rage Against The Machine</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://youtu.be/MAnsR_7VYKQ" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Rage Against The Machine</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Toxicity (System Of A Down) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4L20t8Dvlg&list=OLAK5uy_kb1yvg1bLW2yKdKxO1qvzGK7pFl9TuFBw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Toxicity</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Toxicity (System Of A Down) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4L20t8Dvlg&list=OLAK5uy_kb1yvg1bLW2yKdKxO1qvzGK7pFl9TuFBw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Toxicity</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Toxicity (System Of A Down) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4L20t8Dvlg&list=OLAK5uy_kb1yvg1bLW2yKdKxO1qvzGK7pFl9TuFBw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Toxicity</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "American Idiot (Green Day) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Z5N0Z6zH0&list=PLXjISBGUSATW6Tk78Sd6ANRIOqKZ5EYe3&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to American Idiot</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "American Idiot (Green Day) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Z5N0Z6zH0&list=PLXjISBGUSATW6Tk78Sd6ANRIOqKZ5EYe3&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to American Idiot</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "American Idiot (Green Day) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Z5N0Z6zH0&list=PLXjISBGUSATW6Tk78Sd6ANRIOqKZ5EYe3&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to American Idiot</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Dookie (Green Day) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLjo0lY450c&list=PL81_CtYCym28M8c2NFVCEIEBDCu6o1tXw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Dookie</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Dookie (Green Day) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLjo0lY450c&list=PL81_CtYCym28M8c2NFVCEIEBDCu6o1tXw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Dookie</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Dookie (Green Day) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLjo0lY450c&list=PL81_CtYCym28M8c2NFVCEIEBDCu6o1tXw&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Dookie</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LeE86jZEXo&list=PL2L2BDLggO-D9pzJFDXR4gsxVEB2h4qjn&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Pet Sounds</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LeE86jZEXo&list=PL2L2BDLggO-D9pzJFDXR4gsxVEB2h4qjn&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Pet Sounds</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LeE86jZEXo&list=PL2L2BDLggO-D9pzJFDXR4gsxVEB2h4qjn&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Pet Sounds</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtXl8xAPAtA&list=PL3PhWT10BW3VDM5IcVodrdUpVIhU8f7Z-&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtXl8xAPAtA&list=PL3PhWT10BW3VDM5IcVodrdUpVIhU8f7Z-&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtXl8xAPAtA&list=PL3PhWT10BW3VDM5IcVodrdUpVIhU8f7Z-&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmleuQP5owA&list=PLo2VF3ux4qcZ6b7vL7SVhBEK_NAbKzsoD&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Paranoid</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmleuQP5owA&list=PLo2VF3ux4qcZ6b7vL7SVhBEK_NAbKzsoD&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Paranoid</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Paranoid (Black Sabbath) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmleuQP5owA&list=PLo2VF3ux4qcZ6b7vL7SVhBEK_NAbKzsoD&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to Paranoid</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "A Night At The Opera (Queen) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cx5Am5GXc&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjWNCWGhNY4izQQTQTUntnP&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to A Night At The Opera</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "A Night At The Opera (Queen) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cx5Am5GXc&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjWNCWGhNY4izQQTQTUntnP&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to A Night At The Opera</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "A Night At The Opera (Queen) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cx5Am5GXc&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjWNCWGhNY4izQQTQTUntnP&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cdbattery>>')">Listen to A Night At The Opera</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> <<item "Purple Rain (Prince) Cassette">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM2dEWGf-o&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjpHzvou7cgdJGFDadw49Vk&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<cassettebattery>>')">Listen to Purple Rain</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cassette">> <</item>> <<item "Purple Rain (Prince) LP">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM2dEWGf-o&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjpHzvou7cgdJGFDadw49Vk&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Purple Rain</a> <<tags "music" "1" "vinyl">> <</item>> <<item "Purple Rain (Prince) CD">> <<description>> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM2dEWGf-o&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjpHzvou7cgdJGFDadw49Vk&index=1" target="_blank" onclick="$.wiki('<<lpbattery>>')">Listen to Purple Rain</a> <<tags "music" "1" "cd">> <</item>> /* Wardrobe Settings */ <<newinv $outfit>>  <<newinv $slot1>>  <<newinv $slot2>> <<newinv $slot3>> <<newinv $wardrobe>>  /* Clothing Style Lists */ /* Handmade Clothing */ <<newinv $handmade>> /* Headgear */ <<item "knit hat">> <<description>>\ A cozy hat made of knitted yarn. Probably a little too warm for this climate. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "simple headscarf">> <<description>>\ A square or rectangle of fabric that can be used to cover the hair or head and shoulders, depending on how it's wrapped or pinned. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "horned headdress">> <<description>>\ An elaborate headdress made with real goat, sheep or bull horns, or deer antlers. It gives off cursed energy. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "trinket headdress">> <<description>>\ A headdress made of coins, chains, pins, rings, and other trinkets arranged in a vaguely spiritual looking manner. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "macrame headdress">> <<description>>\ Rope or twine tied into complex knots to form a headwrap or headdress. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Glasses */ <<item "blindfold">> <<description>>\ A strip of fabric that covers the eyes. It's sheer enough for you to see through, but looks opaque to others. Good party trick. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "handmade" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "leather goggles">> <<description>>\ A pair of handmade goggles formed from tanned leather and plastic or glass. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Masks */ <<item "face mask">> <<description>>\ A stitched fabric mask that covers the nose and mouth, attached with straps around the head or ears. <<tags "clothing" "masks" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "leather gas mask">> <<description>>\ A scavenged gas mask made of leather, with a hose that leads to a filter. It only covers the lower half of the face. <<tags "clothing" "masks" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "bandana">> <<description>>\ A bandana that can be tied around the face to prevent some debris from entering your airway. <<tags "clothing" "masks" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Earrings */ <<item "trinket earrings">> <<description>>\ Earrings made of punched coins, chains, pins, rings, or other trinkets. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "beaded earrings">> <<description>>\ Earrings made of glass beads strung together on thread, wire, or cord. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Neckwear */ <<item "trinket necklace">> <<description>>\ A necklace made of punched coins, pins, rings, or other trinkets on a chain. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "beaded necklace">> <<description>>\ A necklace made of glass beads strung together on thread or cord. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "tattered cowl">> <<description>>\ A hooded scarf worn around the neck and shoulders, tattered by age and wear. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "knit scarf">> <<description>>\ A scarf made of knitted yarn. Probably a little too warm for this climate. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Undershirts */ <<item "undershirt">> <<description>>\ A tank top meant to be worn under nicer shirts to protect them from sweat, or to keep warm. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "long sleeved undershirt">> <<description>>\ A shirt meant to be worn under short sleeved shirts for fashion, warmth, or modesty. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "binding tape">> <<description>>\ Flesh-toned tape that pulls the skin on the chest toward the sides of the body, making the chest appear flat. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "handmade" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Tops */ <<item "tattered tee shirt">> <<description>>\ A shirt with short sleeves that's seen better days. A bit oversized, with wear and tear around the bottom edge. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "tattered shirt">> <<description>>\ A long sleeved top that's seen better days. A bit oversized, with wear and tear around the bottom edge and sleeves. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "patchwork shirt">> <<description>>\ A shirt made of eclectic patches of fabric stitched together. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "worn linen dress">> <<description>>\ A long dress made of a thin, unbleached fabric. May have some pintucks, flounces, or gathers. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "patchwork dress">> <<description>>\ A dress made of eclectic patches of fabric stitched together. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "striped sweater">> <<description>>\ A knitted sweater with red and white stripes, reminiscent of a particular old world book series. Good for getting lost in the crowd. (Thanks to Patreon supporter Waldo ) <<tags "clothing" "tops" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "ragged cloak">> <<description>>\ A cloak that shrouds the wearer's body from view, with a hood that obscures all but their face. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "long vest">> <<description>>\ A long, tattered sleeveless cardigan made of oversized panels that drape around the body. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "short cape">> <<description>>\ A sturdy, hand stitched capelet that reaches the wearer's elbows. It might be decorated with leather straps, feathers, or fur. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "patchwork pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of pants covered in various patches, paint, and even zippers. Well worn- the only pants you'll ever need. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "parachute pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of billowy pants with a cord that cinches them at the bottom. Zippers around the knees allow you to detach them for warmer weather. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "wide legged pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of simple, very loose fitting pants made of linen or cotton. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Skirts */ <<item "worn linen skirt">> <<description>>\ A long skirt made of a thin, unbleached fabric. May have some pintucks, flounces, or gathers. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "tattered skirt">> <<description>>\ A skirt that's seen better days. Its edge is frayed and torn. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Arms */ <<item "knit fingerless gloves">> <<description>>\ Fingerless gloves made of knitted yarn. Probably a little too warm for this climate. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "wire bangles">> <<description>>\ Bangles made from bent wire. The ends are twisted together like barbed wire. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> /* Footwear */ <<item "leather shoes">> <<description>>\ Simple shoes made from stitching pieces of leather together. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "handmade" "1">> <</item>> <<item "sandals">> <<description>>\ Soles attached to the foot with an assortment of leather straps. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "handmade" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Practical Clothing */ <<newinv $practical>> /* Headgear */ <<item "ballcap">> <<description>>\ A round cap with a sturdy brim. Might have some words or symbols on the front. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "cowboy hat">> <<description>>\ A high-crowned hat with a wide brim, perfect for shielding your eyes from the sun. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "visor">> <<description>>\ A strap holding a hat brim in place over your face. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Glasses */ <<item "simple glasses">> <<description>>\ An old world pair of metal or acetate framed glasses, possibly with new or scavenged lenses. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "sunglasses">> <<description>>\ An old world pair of glasses with tinted lenses to protect your eyes from the sun. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "goggles">> <<description>>\ A pair of aircraft, snowboarding, or safety goggles. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "practical" "armoured" "1">> <</item>> /* Earrings */ <<item "stud earrings">> <<description>>\ A pair of simple studs with crystals, spikes, or small shapes on the end. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Undershirts */ <<item "binder">> <<description>>\ A tightly fitted garment meant to flatten the chest profile. Could be plain and discrete or loud and patterned. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Tops */ <<item "tee shirt">> <<description>>\ A simple, short sleeved shirt made of knit fabric. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "linen shirt">> <<description>>\ A button-up shirt made of thin, breathable fabric. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "uniform shirt">> <<description>>\ A formal style button-up shirt with patches indicating affiliation with a long-dead organization. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "poncho">> <<description>>\ A simple square of fabric with a hole for the head, which drapes over the body to keep warm or protect from the elements. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "cape">> <<description>>\ A long, loose cape that drapes over the shoulders and has an attached hood. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "flight jacket">> <<description>>\ A simple jacket with a knit wasteband and fur collar that zips up the front. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "denim jacket">> <<description>>\ A jacket made of thick, blue-dyed cotton, rugged and practical. Also available as a vest. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "puffer jacket">> <<description>>\ A zip-up jacket made of quilted plastic fabric. Also available as a vest. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "red duster">> <<description>>\ A red duster coat, tattered and worn by age. Perfect for hiding bloodstains. Not that you're going to need that, of course. It's not like you're going to get shot. (Thanks to Patreon supporter Ash ) <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "denim jeans">> <<description>>\ A pair of pants made of thick, blue-dyed cotton, rugged and practical. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "cargo pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of baggy pants with an assortment of large pockets. Useful for carrying a lot of stuff around. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "cargo shorts">> <<description>>\ A pair of baggy shorts with an assortment of large pockets. Useful, and less restrictive. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Skirts */ <<item "denim skirt">> <<description>>\ A skirt made of thick, blue-dyed cotton, with raw edges at the bottom. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "practical" "1">> <</item>> /* Footwear */ <<item "sneakers">> <<description>>\ Worn out, rubber-soled athletic shoes from a long time ago. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "practical" "1">> <</item>> <<item "combat boots">> <<description>>\ Heavy black leather shoes that lace up in the front. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "practical" "punk" "2">> <</item>> <<item "steel toed boots">> <<description>>\ Shoes made of leather with a steel insert in the toe. Good for preventing crushed toes, or kicking in skulls. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "practical" "armoured" "1">> <</item>> /* Armoured Clothing */ <<newinv $armoured>> /* Headgear */ <<item "motorcycle helmet">> <<description>>\ A large helmet that covers the head, with a reflective panel over the eyes that can be flipped up out of the way. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> /* Masks */ <<item "gas mask">> <<description>>\ A full-face gas mask with a large glass panel for the eyes. Good for not breathing in dust and airborne toxins. Also looks sick. <<tags "clothing" "masks" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> /* Undershirts */ <<item "concealed body armour">> <<description>>\ Thin, light armor worn under other clothing. Stab and slash proof, but not super strong. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "motorcycle jacket">> <<description>>\ An armoured jacket, meant to protect your body in a crash. Fashionable and functional. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> <<item "bulletproof vest">> <<description>>\ A vest made of armoured panels and ballistic fiber. Features velcro at the front for attaching patches and pouches. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> <<item "leather jacket">> <<description>>\ A jacket made of thick leather, with an asymmetric zipper and a belt around the waist. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "armoured" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Legwear */ <<item "leg holster">> <<description>>\ A holster that sits on the hip, with a strap anchored to the belt and another around the upper thigh. <<tags "clothing" "legwear" "armoured" "1">> <</item>> <<item "leather chaps">> <<description>>\ Leather pants that cover most of the legs, but lack a crotch. Used to provide an extra layer of protection over other pants. Or not. <<tags "clothing" "legwear" "armoured" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "motorcycle pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of pants with a number of armoured panels, meant to protect your body in a crash. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "armoured" "2">> <</item>> /* Arms */ <<item "shoulder holster">> <<description>>\ A harness that attaches around both sholders and is anchored to the belt. Holsters under the arms can hold handguns, knifes, or ammo. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "armoured" "1">> <</item>> /* Punk Clothing */ <<newinv $punk>> /* Masks */ <<item "leather face mask">> <<description>>\ A mask that covers the nose and mouth, made of leather and decorated with rivets and spikes. Held around the neck and back of the head with heavy straps. <<tags "clothing" "masks" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Earrings */ <<item "guages">> <<description>>\ Plugs or tunnels for stretched ears in a number of designs, colours, and materials. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Neckwear */ <<item "spiked collar">> <<description>>\ A thick collar with spiked rivets worn around the neck. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "punk" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "chain collar">> <<description>>\ A thick collar with a number of chains and steel rings hanging from it. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "padlock necklace">> <<description>>\ A thick chain attached around the neck with a heavy padlock. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Undershirts */ <<item "ripped mesh shirt">> <<description>>\ A shirt made of a tight knit, sheer mesh, with holes and tears in it. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "fishnet shirt">> <<description>>\ A shirt made of fishnet mesh. Provides no actual modesty, but good for keeping cool. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "punk" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "bikini">> <<description>>\ A bikini top or bra with a bold design, meant to be worn on its own or layered with a ripped shirt or open jacket. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Tops */ <<item "band tee">> <<description>>\ A worn, ancient tee shirt printed with a band logo. They're probably all long dead now. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "battle jacket">> <<description>>\ A denim or leather jacket covered in patches, spikes, and studs. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "battle vest">> <<description>>\ A denim jacket with cut off sleeves covered in patches, spikes, and studs. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Legwear */ <<item "fishnet stockings">> <<description>>\ A pair of stockings made of fishnet mesh. <<tags "clothing" "legwear" "punk" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "plaid pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of sturdy pants with a plaid pattern worn with a studded belt. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "bondage pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of pants with an assortment of zippers, chains, and detachable straps that typically cross behind the legs. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "punk" "1">> <</item>> <<item "ripped jeans">> <<description>>\ A pair of worn denim pants with a number of large rips and holes. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Skirts */ <<item "plaid skirt">> <<description>>\ A short, pleated plaid skirt. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "punk" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> /* Arms */ <<item "fingerless gloves">> <<description>>\ Fingerless gloves made of studded leather. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "punk" "1">> <</item>> /* Footwear */ <<item "platform boots">> <<description>>\ Lace up leather boots with tall platform soles. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "punk" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Fetish Clothing */ <<newinv $fetish>> /* Neckwear */ <<item "neck corset">> <<description>>\ A boned garment that starts just below the chin and flares out over the shoulders, lacing up in the back. Could be delicate lace, leather, or even latex or PVC. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "ring collar">> <<description>>\ A leather or PVC collar with a decorative (or functional) ring hanging in the front. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> /* Undershirts */ <<item "corset">> <<description>>\ A proper, functional corset, worn under the clothes to create a more aesthetic silhouette. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "fetish" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "electrical tape">> <<description>>\ Strips of electrical tape crossed over nipples- not actually very modest, but maybe better than nothing. <<tags "clothing" "undershirts" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> /* Tops */ <<item "bustier">> <<description>>\ A form-fitting, boned top with defined cups, meant to accentuate the breasts. Could have straps or be strapless. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "PVC dress">> <<description>>\ A tight-fitting dress made of reflective black plastic. Probably not very comfortable, but very sexy. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> <<item "catsuit">> <<description>>\ A tight bodysuit made of leather, latex, or PVC, generally with pants and sleeves attached. Might be more or less revealing with cutouts, zippers, etc. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "leather harness">> <<description>>\ A harness made of leather straps, chains, and rings. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "outerwear corset">> <<description>>\ A corset meant to wear over other clothing, designed to look sexy on its own. Might be made of mesh, lace, patterned fabric, or leather. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "leather pants">> <<description>>\ Tight-fitting pants made of glossy leather or faux leather. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> <<item "underwear">> <<description>>\ Briefs, lingerie, bikini bottoms, whatever. It's meant to be under, you're wearing it over. Scandalous. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> /* Skirts */ <<item "leather skirt">> <<description>>\ A short skirt made of faux leather, tight-fitting and high-waisted. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> <<item "slit miniskirt">> <<description>>\ A short, low-waisted skirt with slits up one or both sides to expose the upper thighs. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "fetish" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "pencil skirt">> <<description>>\ A tight-fitting skirt that reaches about the knees. Hard to walk in, but looks great. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "fetish" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Arms */ <<item "PVC gloves">> <<description>>\ A pair of long gloves made of reflective black plastic. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> <<item "lace gloves">> <<description>>\ A pair of delicate gloves made of lace fabric. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "fetish" "1">> <</item>> /* Footwear */ <<item "high heels">> <<description>>\ A pair of high-heeled shoes. Not good for running. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "fetish" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "thigh high boots">> <<description>>\ High-heeled thigh-high boots made of leather, latex, or PVC. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "fetish" "2">> <</item>> /* Luxury Clothing*/ <<newinv $luxury>> /* Headgear */ <<item "silk headscarf">> <<description>>\ A square or rectangle of fabric that can be used to cover the hair or head and shoulders, depending on how it's tied or pinned. This one is made of delicate silk brocade. <<tags "clothing" "headgear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Glasses */ <<item "novelty sunglasses">> <<description>>\ A pair of sunglasses shaped like hearts or stars, or with quirky frames. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "mirror shades">> <<description>>\ A pair of sunglasses with reflective lenses that hide the eyes of the wearer. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "delicate frames">> <<description>>\ Delicate, high-end eyeglasses with a beaded chain. <<tags "clothing" "glasses" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Earrings */ <<item "hoop earrings">> <<description>>\ Large metal or plastic hoops worn in the ears. Very ostentatious. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> <<item "heart earrings">> <<description>>\ Earrings shaped like large hearts, either in a metal hoop or as colourful studs. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> <<item "bejeweled earrings">> <<description>>\ Dangly metal earrings encrusted with all sorts of stones. Probably cost a month's worth of food. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "luxury" "3">> <</item>> <<item "pearl earrings">> <<description>>\ Large, pearl studs. Might be genuine, or might just be plastic. You don't know how to tell. <<tags "clothing" "earrings" "luxury" "3">> <</item>> /* Neckwear */ <<item "pearl necklace">> <<description>>\ A necklace made of large pearls. Might be genuine, or might just be plastic. You don't know how to tell. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "luxury" "3">> <</item>> <<item "bejeweled necklace">> <<description>>\ An elaborate necklace encrusted with all sorts of stone. Probably costs a month's worth of food. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "luxury" "3">> <</item>> <<item "silk tie">> <<description>>\ A tie or bow tie made of fine silk fabric. <<tags "clothing" "neckwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Tops */ <<item "button up">> <<description>>\ A collared shirt that buttons up the front made of a high quality cotton fabric. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "silk dress shirt">> <<description>>\ A collared shirt that buttons up the front made of fine silk brocade. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "blouse">> <<description>>\ A fanciful blouse made of fine fabric decorated with flounces, ribbons, or lace. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "velvet dress">> <<description>>\ A bodycon dress made of soft velvet fabric. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "tube top">> <<description>>\ A simple top made of stretchy fabric in a "tube" shape. Cropped to show off the midriff. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> <<item "sequin dress">> <<description>>\ A bodycon dress made of sequined fabric. Liable to blind somebody. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "sequin top">> <<description>>\ A tank top made of sequined fabric. Liable to blind somebody. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "turtleneck sweater">> <<description>>\ A sweater made of knit fabric with a close-fitting knit collar. Can be worn casually, or as an alternative to a shirt and tie. <<tags "clothing" "tops" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Outerwear */ <<item "fur coat">> <<description>>\ A big coat made of real or faux fur. Perfect for looking like a villain. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "luxury" "3">> <</item>> <<item "blazer">> <<description>>\ A suit jacket made of expensive fabric. Best worn with a fancy tie. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "tracksuit hoodie">> <<description>>\ A hooded velour sweater meant to be worn with matching trackpants. <<tags "clothing" "outerwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Legwear */ <<item "stockings">> <<description>>\ A pair of fancy sheer stockings to be worn under a dress or skirt for modesty or warmth. <<tags "clothing" "legwear" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> /* Pants */ <<item "bedazzled tracksuit pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of velour pants with words spelled out on the butt in rhinestones. Why does this exist? <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "dress pants">> <<description>>\ A pair of fancy tailored pants, meant to be worn with a suit. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "low cut jeans">> <<description>>\ A pair of denim pants or shorts which are cut low to sit on the hips. <<tags "clothing" "bottoms" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Arms */ <<item "beaded bracelets">> <<description>>\ An assortment of brightly coloured beaded braclets, featuring letter beads and butterfly shaped beads. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> <<item "bangles">> <<description>>\ A large set of metal bracelets meant to be worn together. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "luxury" "1">> <</item>> <<item "silk gloves">> <<description>>\ A pair of gloves made of fine silk. Soft to the touch. <<tags "clothing" "arms" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> /* Footwear */ <<item "ugg boots">> <<description>>\ A pair of simple fleece-lined sheepskin boots, perplexingly popular. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "crocs">> <<description>>\ A pair of foam clogs with distinctive holes for adding plastic charms. Comfortable, but very ugly. All the rage right now. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "luxury" "4">> <</item>> <<item "oxfords">> <<description>>\ A pair of leather dress shoes. Polished and beautiful. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "timberland boots">> <<description>>\ A pair of tan waterproof leather boots. Often worn loosely laced, for reasons nobody remembers anymore. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>> <<item "strappy heels">> <<description>>\ A pair of heels with straps that wrap around the ankles. <<tags "clothing" "footwear" "luxury" "2">> <</item>>

/* SetFlag : Set Flag X to value Y (Y defaults to True). Flag names are NOT case sensitive. */ /* EXAMPLE: <<SetFlag "Mentor" "Bob">> */ /* EXAMPLE: <<SetFlag "TrialMed">> = sets TrialMed flag to True */ <<widget "SetFlag">> <<set _Fnam = $args[0].toLowerCase()>> <<if ndef $Flags>> <<set $Flags = {}>> <</if>> <<if def $args[1]>> <<if $args[1] == false>> <<if def $Flags[_Fnam]>> <<run delete $Flags[_Fnam]>> <</if>> <<else>> <<set $Flags[_Fnam] = $args[1]>> <</if>> <<else>> <<set $Flags[_Fnam] = true>> <</if>> /* Event flags: */ /* CHARACTER CREATION */ /* SeenWolfe = Whether the player saw Wolfe's face in the intro */ /* KilledJared = Whether the player successfully shot one of the militia guys in the intro */ /* HeardGeneral = Whether the player heard the militia guys talking about the General */ /* CONSULTATION */ /* ThinksItsDrugs = Whether the player is convinced that the cargo is drugs */ /* TRACKING NUMBER */ /* HonestLevi = Whether the player told Levi about the General or Wolfe. If this is false and one of those is true, they lied to him */ /* KidnappedByLevi = Whether the player was kidnapped by Levi */ /* LostFinger = Whether Levi chopped off the player's finger */ /* WorkingForLevi = Whether the player has agreed to work with Levi */ /* LeviOwed = The amount of money that Levi owes the player. If not defined, it's 0 */ /* BLOODLUST */ /* EmployeeDiscount = Whether the player gets a 25% discount at the Rose and Thorn */ /* WAVEFORM */ /* YvetteDomme = Whether the player a domme dynamic going with Yvette */ /* YasminThreeWishes = Whether the player made a joke about wishes with Yasmin */ /* YasminMysterious = Whether Yasmin thinks the player has a mysterious past */ /* TabDodger = Whether the player dodged the tab at Waveform */ /* WorkingForYvette = Whether the player agreed to work for Yvette */ /* HighKissedYasmin = Whether the player kissed Yasmin while high */ /* MISC */ /* ArjunPermission = Whether the player has Arjun's permission to enter the HQ */ /* LiedToArjun = Whether the player told KC that they lied to Arjun */ <</widget>>

<<if ndef $gameversion>>\ <h1><<link "UPDATE REQUIRED" "Update 1.1.0">><</link>></h1>\ <hr>\ <<elseif $gameversion == "1.1">>\ <h1><<link "UPDATE REQUIRED" "Update 1.1.1">><</link>></h1>\ <hr>\ <<elseif $gameversion == "1.1.1">>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>\ <<if not Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>\ <<if not Flag("YvetteHotfix")>>\ <h1><<link "UPDATE REQUIRED" "Hotfix for Yvette">><</link>></h1>\ <hr>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Update 1.1.0 has been released, which includes several major changes that may cause issues with existing saves. This update page will make all the necessary updates for you, so you can continue playing your saves from version 1.0.0 without problems. <h1>CHANGELOG</h1> MAJOR UPDATES * Added Test Run lead (~24.5k) * Added Shotgun Romance lead (~4.5k) * Gave PCs with the Medic identity the Med Kit. This can be used to remove the "needs first aid" status effect, otherwise you must visit Joyette to do so * Added shortened locations descriptions which will be shown after you've visited the location once. To view the full description again, click the title BUG FIXES * Fixed bug that allowed players to savescum at the casino repeatedly for infinite wealth * Added cap to number of wins (without losses) a player can get at the casino before they are barred from gambling * Fixed issue with flavour text displayed after meeting Yasmin not displaying properly * Fixed bug that caused radio and other items from PACE to not be displayed in the player's inventory/apartment (if you previously purchased one, it should be added to your pocket or appear in your apartment) * Fixed bug that would not remove the finger from players' pocket or altar after having it reattached * Added flavour text for radio donations. Currently donations only count towards flavour text, but any donations you make now will still count towards future content being unlocked * Fixed bug that caused the altar to be unusable after supplying three items. If you've supplied all three items, you should now be able to access the altar * Fixed bug that caused duplicate clothing items to appear if the player restarted the character creation process * Fixed bug that would allow the player to accept an identity twice at certain points in the game * Replaced Hunting Wolves I lead with Crossroads for better story flow <<silently>> /* Fixing Waveform bug */ <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>><<set $met.push("yasmin")>><</if>> /* Fixing conditions for Checkup */ <<set $leads.delete("checkup")>> <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber") and $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>> <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">> <</if>> /* Fixing radio bug */ <<if $apartmentinventory.has("Radio")>> <<pickup $pocket "Radio" 1>> <<dropall $apartmentinventory "Radio">> <</if>> /* Fixing Medic bug */ <<if $identity.includes("medic")>> <<if not $pocket.has("Med Kit")>> <<pickup $pocket "Med Kit" 1>> <</if>> <</if>> /* Adding casino win cap */ <<set $slotwins = 0>> /* Adding radio donations counter */ <<set $radiodonations = 0>> /* Adding visited counter */ <<if ndef $visited>> <<set $visited = []>> <</if>> /* Setting game version */ <<set $gameversion = "1.1">> /* Altar donation fix */ <<if $altar.has("Painkillers")>> <<drop $altar "Painkillers" 5>> <<pickup $altar "Painkillers" 1>> <</if>> <<unset $altarsetup>> /* Add patreon items */ <<pickup $practical "red duster" 1>> /* Remove duplicate identities */ <<if $identity.count("merc") gt 1>> <<set $identity.delete("merc")>> <<set $identity.push("merc")>> <</if>> /* Replace Hunting Wolves I with Crossroads */ <<if $leads.includes("huntingwolvesi")>> <<set $leads.delete("huntingwolvesi")>> <<set $leads.push("crossroads")>> <</if>> <<if Flag("WorkingForLevi")>> <<if not $leads.includes("crossroads")>> <<set $leads.push("crossroads")>> <</if>> <</if>> <<include "Update 1.1.1">> <</silently>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ Did KC refuse to pay you for your first mission? <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">><<SetFlag "TestRunIntern">><<if Flag("LostFinger") and not $firstaid == "lost finger">><<goto "Update Finger">><<else>><<goto $return>><</if>><</link>> / <<link "NO">><<if Flag("LostFinger") and not $firstaid == "lost finger">><<goto "Update Finger">><<else>><<goto $return>><</if>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <<else>>\ <<if Flag("LostFinger") and not $firstaid == "lost finger">>\ <<include "Update Finger">> <<else>>\ <ul><li> <<link "UPDATE">><<goto $return>><</link>></li></ul> <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Did you get your finger reattached at the clinic? <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">><<SetFlag "Reattached Finger">><<drop $pocket "Pinky Finger" 1>><<drop $altar "Pinky Finger" 1>><<goto $return>><</link>> / <<link "NO">><<goto $return>><</link>> """------"""</h1>

Update 1.1.1 is an ~experimental~ update where I'm testing out a shorter update schedule with shorter updates. <h1>CHANGELOG</h1> MAJOR UPDATES * Added Checkup lead (~8.5k) * Added donator items * Fixed bug where players who completed Waveform would not be labelled as working with Yvette <<silently>> <<pickup $handmade "striped sweater" 1>> <<pickup $practical "striped sweater" 1>> <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") and $playedleads.includes("lamplighters") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>> <<if not $leads.includes("checkup")>> <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">> <</if>> <</if>> <<if not $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") or not $playedleads.includes("lamplighters") or not $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>> <<if $leads.includes("checkup")>> <<run $leads.delete("checkup")>> <</if>> <</if>> <<set $gameversion = "1.1.1">> <</silently>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>\ <<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>\ <ul><li> <<link "UPDATE">><<goto $return>><</link>></li></ul> <<else>>\ Did you agree to work with Yvette? <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">><<SetFlag "WorkingForYvette">><<goto $return>><</link>> / <<link "NO">><<goto $return>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Did you agree to work with Yvette? <h1>"""------""" <<link "YES">><<SetFlag "WorkingForYvette">><<goto $return>><</link>> / <<link "NO">><<goto $return>><</link>> """------"""</h1> <<SetFlag "YvetteHotfix">>\

<<silently>> <<if $playedleads.includes("Checkup")>> <<set $chapter = 2>> <</if>> <</silently>>

The guy standing watch out front was built like a hyena, all gangly with sinewy muscles and an intense gaze. His dark hair was cropped short, and his cheeks were gaunt. He had on a grey tank top and a pair of camo shorts, each pale and sun-bleached against his warm brown skin. His boots had steel toe-caps fitted with rivets, which he ground into the ash as he eyed you up. "Name's Arjun. This is Lamplighter territory you're in. What's your business here, stranger?" His voice was measured, but not impolite- though that contrasted with his crossed arms and cold demeanour. You just couldn't get a read on him. * [[“Just passing through. Not looking to make any trouble.”|Arjun Passing]] * [[“I was hoping to get an audience with your leader.”|Arjun Leader]] * [[“Heard there was illegal activity going on out here. Big fan. Wanted to check it out.”|Arjun Illegal]] * [[“I was told I could get work from you folks.”|Arjun Work]] <<if not $met.includes("arjun")>>\ <<set $met.push("arjun")>>\ <</if>>\

The guy nodded. You could tell you were being sized up- the way you were standing, moving, talking, all being computed to figure out your intentions. Whatever his conclusion, he relaxed a little. "You're pretty far out from the city. Scavenger? Outlaw? What's your deal?" <ul>\ <<if $leads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ <li> [[“I'm new in town, kind of struggling, and a friend told me you might have some work for me.”|Arjun Doc]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“I am just an honest businessperson looking to make connections.”|Arjun Work]]</li> <li> [[“I need work. I heard you guys have work. So I'm here.”|Arjun Work]]</li> <li> [[“Honestly I'm just walking around and seeing what I find. Hasn't led me wrong so far.”|Arjun Around]]</li> </ul>\

Arjun snorted, an open grin spreading across hus face. He had a gold incisor, the one right to the left of his front teeth. "An audience? With our leader? What do you think we are, a sovereign nation?" "What, do you not have a leader?" Obviously they had a leader. Every mercenary group has a cool leader who wears dark clothes and has a scar over their eye or whatever. This was just a law of nature. He shrugged. "No." "There has to be somebody with more authority than everybody else," you argued back. "Is that... you? Are you the leader?" "Okay, just tell me what you want and I'll see if I can hook you up with the right person." He was being awful accommodating, which maybe you didn't deserve, given that you just introduced yourself like an alien from an old cartoon. * [[“Who assigns you jobs?”|Arjun KC]] * [[“Who manages your resources?”|Arjun KC]] * [[“Who handles the business side of things?”|Arjun KC]]

Arjun narrowed his eyes, tapping his toe against the ashy ground. "And where'd you hear that?" "No, I'm like, crazy about illegal stuff. Fuck the police." You weren't sure what exactly was illegal around here, but it must be cool. Otherwise it wouldn't be illegal. "Well, you're outta luck then. Nothing illegal going on here." You were almost disappointed for a moment before he clarified. "Just a bunch of workers doing work that infringes on the 'official' militia's bullshit monopoly.” "Okay, so we're on the same page vis a vis the cops?" He took a long, exaggerated breath before responding. "Yes. Yes, we are in agreement." <ul>\ <li> [[“So what's the vibe around here? Commies? Libertarians? Y'all some kind of art collective?”|Arjun Commies]]</li> <li> [[“So... do you have any 'legal' work I can help out with?”|Arjun Work]]</li> <<if $heardgeneral == true>>\ <li> [[“That's good to hear. I'm pretty sure the cops tried to kill me, so anybody who's an enemy of them is a friend of mine.”|Arjun Cops]]</li> <</if>> </ul>\

"Just wandering around the Graveyard? What, do you have a death wish?” He snorted at the sheer concept. "Be honest with me. Why are you here?” <ul>\ <<if $leads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ <li> [[“I'm new in town, kind of struggling, and a friend told me you might have some work for me.”|Arjun Doc]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“You're right. I should probably head back to the city.”|Arjun City]]</li> </ul>\

"I have literally no idea what you're talking about." This guy was clearly not very well read. Everybody up North knew about communism. What, had he never seen WarGames? Insanity. "Commies are like..." Actually, you weren't really sure. In fact, you also weren't really sure what a libertarian was. After an embarrassingly long pause, you concluded, "I think it has something to do with the division of labour. I think." Arjun shook his head, his shoulders raised in a gesture of uncertainty. "I mean... we share revenue. And we make sure everybody's getting paid fairly for their work. I don't know, is that what you're asking?" * [[“That sounds like commie shit, yeah.” (Derogatory)|Arjun Commie Shit]] * [[“That sounds like commie shit, yeah.” (Complimentary)|Arjun Commie Shit]] * [[“That sounds like an excellent arrangement. Are you guys looking for more partners?”|Arjun Work]] <<if def $tictactoe>>\ <<set $tictactoe += 1>>\ <<if $tictactoe == 3>>\ <<completeachievement "tictactoe" "Tic Tac Toe">>\ <<unset $tictactoe>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

"So what exactly are you here for?" You shrugged. "I want to... you know... get in on your operation. Do some 'legal' stuff for cash. I really need cash, man." <<include "Arjun Work">>

He narrowed his eyes at you, one eyebrow raised in confusion. Trying to read you. Figure out if you were serious. The conclusion was apparently yes. "The militia, you mean? They tried to kill you? What the fuck happened?" "I mean, I'm not sure if it was the militia," you reasoned. "Could have been somebody else. Guys with semi-automatic rifles and body armour shot my whole caravan- I only survived by the skin of my teeth." "Huh. Yeah, that definitely could describe the Signal Hill militia." His eyes drifted up, staring off into space as he considered what you were telling him. "Is there anybody else it could be?" Arjun shrugged. "I mean, that could describe a lot of people. That's what our men usually look like when they're out on missions, although obviously it wasn't us." From the way he reacted, you could be pretty certain he was telling the truth. <<if $skill.signal gte 1>>Somewhere deep down in his resonant patterns, though, there was faltering- even he wasn't certain. Such was the structure of this organization, he couldn't be sure, only have faith. <</if>>"Not many looters are walking around with fancy rifles, but they could be from Jett's camp out East of here- those fuckers are nasty, and high tech too."<<if $skill.savvy gte 1>> This was good information. Get more of it, your mind was telling you. Grill him. Figure it out. "Any other ideas? It happened just outside the North checkpoint." "There aren't that many groups of people with that kind of weaponry out here." He shook his head. "I mean, it could be independent mercenaries hired by somebody rich in the city. Other than that... well, there's a cult operating in the city that might have had the equipment and manpower required for that kind of thing at some point. They've been quiet for almost a year, though."<</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[“Who's Jett? Why do you think his people might have been involved?”|Arjun Jett]]</li> <<if $skill.savvy gte 1>>\ <li> [[“What's this cult you're talking about?”|Arjun Cult]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $skill.signal gte 1>>\ <li> [[“You aren't convinced it wasn't Lamplighters who did it. Who don't you trust?”|Arjun Trust]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Nasty, violent motherfucker. The people who refused to move to the Hill, they're under his 'protection.' Not in a nice way." The way he talked about the guy, it was so full of venom. This was something personal. "If you want my advice, don't go anywhere near his territory. You'll regret it." "Noted." Arjun shifted on his feet, evidently uncomfortable with this subject. "So what, are you just here to ask questions? What do you want?" "I mean, I appreciate the info." After a bit of chatter, you figured it was safe to bring the subject up. "I was hoping I could get some work from y'all." <<include "Arjun Work">>

"Eh... bunch of weird Northerners worshipping some prophet type. I didn't know much about them, honestly. I don't pay attention to stuff like that." You could tell, just from the way he spoke, that he wasn't telling you something. It was nagging at you. "Important part is, they had a ton of weaponry, stockpiled it and weren't afraid to use it if it came down to that. I don't think they're operating anymore, though. They've been quiet for a while." "Hm. I guess that could be them. Seems unlikely, though." Arjun shifted on his feet, evidently uncomfortable with this subject. "So what, are you just here to ask questions? What do you want?" "I mean, I appreciate the info." After a bit of chatter, you figured it was safe to bring the subject up. "I was hoping I could get some work from y'all." <<include "Arjun Work">>

He looked a little offended by your insistence. "I trust my people, stranger," he muttered, unwilling to spill the beans. Whatever he was hiding, he wasn't going to share it with you just yet. Maybe if you earned his trust. Maybe. "What exactly are you here for?" You shrugged. "I'm not trying to pry. I just need work, y'know? And you guys seem to have work." <<include "Arjun Work">>

Arjun pursed his lips. "Friend? Who exactly told you where to find us?" "He goes by Doc." He shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I swear to god, that man. Doesn't know how to leave well enough alone." You were a little caught off guard. Doc hadn't given any indication of conflict here, apart from a somewhat rude tone. "I have no clue what you're talking about, honestly." "Let's just say him and us don't see eye to eye." Intentionally evasive. Interesting. "But if he sent you, KC's gonna want to see you." Well, whatever got you in with the gang was fine by you. "Who's KC? Your leader?" "We don't have a leader. KC... she handles the business side of things. She's like an administrator." "Okay, sounds good. Where can I find her?" <<include "Arjun Success">>

Arjun nodded, his arms still crossed defensively. "You better get going. It's dangerous out here." Despite his words, his tone was apparent- he was relieved to see you leave. * [[You let him be.|Graveyard Leave]]

Arjun leaned against the brick wall behind him, letting out a low sigh. "We aren't in the business of giving out gigs, okay? That's not how this works. We get jobs from trusted sources, we assign them fairly to our own people according to their skills and needs, and we make sure safety and payment are up to snuff. For our own people. Not strangers." "So what, you're not accepting new people?" "No." There was no uncertainty, no wavering. Just no. * [[“Is that up to you? Who's in charge of 'hiring' around here?”|Arjun KC]] * [[“Fine, then. I guess I'll go find somebody else to work for.”|Arjun City]]

The guy pursed his lips, tapping his fingers on his arm. "That would be KC." "Great. Can I meet with them?" "I don't know if you want to." Shaking his head and staring up towards the brick building behind you, he muttered, "She's a busy woman. Doesn't have much sympathy for time-wasters. You'd better have a really good reason if you want to bother her." <ul>\ <li> <<link "“I want to work with you guys. I've got plenty of experience, just no connections out here.” ">><<brawnroll 6 "Arjun Brawn Success" "Arjun Brawn Failure">><</link>></li> <<if $leads.includes("drugdealingi")>>\ <li> [[“Actually, I have a job for you folks. I'd like to discuss it with her.”|Arjun Savvy Success]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> <<link "“Actually, I have a job for you folks. I'd like to discuss it with her.” ">><<set $arjunlied = true>><<savvyroll 8 "Arjun Savvy Success" "Arjun Savvy Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> <<link "“You'll just have to trust me.” ">><<glamroll 6 "Arjun Glam Success" "Arjun Glam Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

Arjun sighed with all the energy of a retail worker being asked to fetch the manager. "She's just going to say the same thing I said." "I'm serious, I have years of experience doing this kind of work. I just want the opportunity to make a case for myself." He paused, analyzing your face for a good long while. "Fine," he finally said. "If you have as much experience as you say, I guess she might want you." Thank god. <<include "Arjun Success">>

He perked up at this. "Oh? Why didn't you lead with that, then? Jeez." Arjun shook his head and crossed his arms. "If you need somebody's services, KC can help arrange it, sure. Just know that we're the best this city's got, and that means you're going to have to pay a little more for our services than for any dude off the street with a gun. Got it?" "Yeah. I get it." <<if $arjunlied == true>>You couldn't believe that actually worked.<<else>>Lucky you, having a good excuse.<</if>>\ <<include "Arjun Success">>

"I don't know you." You shook your head, letting a little glimmer of a smile cross your lips to really sell it. "I'm sorry, are you worried that your not-leader is going to get mad at you for letting me in? Is she gonna demote you?" This felt like the most reasonable tact to take. Either his boss was a bitch, in which case you'd strike a nerve, or she was nice, in which case he'd feel silly for keeping you out. At least, that's how it worked in your head.

<<include "Arjun Glam">> He paused for a moment, his top lip curling into a scowl as he eyed you up. Finally, he muttered, "Sure. If she likes you, she likes you. But don't hold your breath." Hell yeah. "Thanks! I appreciate it!" You beamed, only half sarcastically. Man, this guy really didn't like you. <<include "Arjun Success">>

"Her office is in that big ol' brick building over on the other side of the compound. Through the doors, up four flights of stairs, big door at the end of the hall that says 'KC'S OFFICE.' Can't miss it." He gave you a measured stare, grinding his foot into the ash. "And don't dawdle. Go up there, talk to her, and leave. Understood?" "Sure." Best not to antagonize him, now that you'd convinced him to let you through. And with that, you were free to enter the plaza. * [[Proceed.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]] <<SetFlag "ArjunPermission" = true>>\

Arjun sighed with all the energy of a retail worker being asked to fetch the manager. "She's just going to say the same thing I said." "Please? I swear, I know what I'm doing. Just let me prove myself!" <<include "Arjun Failure">>

"You can't just change your strategy on me and expect me not to notice," he muttered, his upper lip raised into a scowl. "What do you think I am?" "Look, I'm just trying to get work- I mean, you know, get work done. By you guys." Way to blow it. <<include "Arjun Failure">>

<<include "Arjun Glam">> <<include "Arjun Failure">>

"You're really testing my patience here." He sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Look, if you'd rather get told to fuck off by her than me, be my guest. Stops me from having to deal with you any more." Hell yeah! Huge success! "I'll take it." <<include "Arjun Success">> <<SetFlag "ArjunHatesYou">>\

"Did you need something, dear?" The older woman pushed her spectacles up on her nose, looking up at you from your desk. "Help finding a book? Or did you have a question?" <ul>\ <li> [[“What kind of books do you sell here?”|Bookseller Books]]</li> <<if $rolled.includes("bookstoresignal")>>\ <li> [[“You've got a strange way of organizing these things... how do you find anything?”|Bookseller Find]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $leads.includes("bookseller")>>\ <li> [[“Are you from... the 'old country'?”|Bookseller Old Country]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $leads.includes("zineseller")>>\ <li> [[Hand over a zine.|Bookstore Zines]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“No, I'm finding everything okay.”|Bookstore Office]]</li> </ul>\

A smile spread across her cheeks, deepening her laugh lines. "Oh, my. I don't know a kind of book I //don't// sell. I have old world biographies and science fiction and picture books for children... although I suppose that's probably not to your interest." Then her face lit up, as if she had just remembered something that had eluded her before. "There is one thing I don't have, and that is those 'zines' that the kids are collecting these days! People are always asking, but I'm afraid an old girl like me wouldn't even know where to find a thing like that!" * [[“Zines? What's a zine?”|Bookseller Zines]] * [[“Okay, that's a lot of stuff. I guess I'll go browse.”|Bookstore Office]]

"Hm, I suppose I just assumed somebody your age would know." You shrugged. "I'm not from around here. We don't have 'zines' where I come from." "Well, let me show you." The old woman leaned over, pulling open one of the drawers of her desk. It was stuffed to the brim with electrical gore and papers, with the occasional book shoved up against the wall or balanced on top of a pile of wires. Rummaging in it for a moment, she came up with what looked like a bunch of small papers. The bookseller placed this 'zine' down on her desk, and you got a better look at it. Rather than just a stack of papers, it was more like a sheath- a little smaller than a standard page, a bunch of folded pieces of paper stapled together at the spine to resemble a little book. The paper was light blue, with black ink scrawled on the front that read "Computer Fanatics, Issue 2." Under it, a line drawing in the same white ink of a boxy contraption covered in buttons with a kyeboard sitting horizontally next to it. She flipped through a few of the pages, and you could see that it was all typewritten, full of weird jargon and hand drawn diagrams. "This is the only one I've come across so far- a dear friend donated it to me. They're like little magazines that people make at home and copy to share with people. All sorts of niche topics, too. They're a fascinating phenomenon!" * [[“But this is the only one you have?”|Bookseller Photocopy]] * [[“Interesting. Thanks for sharing.”|Bookseller]]

"Oh... yes." She smiled sheepishly, as if this fact was embarrassing. "From what I understand, folks like to trade these around and hand them out to people in the know. I don't leave this place very much anymore, so I'm really not in the know!" Picking up the little book, you flipped through it. You were also not in the know, but your goal was to //become// in the know, right? So finding these things was probably a good goal. "It I come across them, I can give them to you." "Heavens, I wouldn't ask you to give me things you've collected yourself!" The old woman shooke her head furiously, her bun bouncing along with it. "They're yours to keep. But I suppose, if you wouldn't mind me photocopying them..." * [[“Sure, I'd be happy to lend you whatever I find.”|Bookseller Lead]] * [[“Eh, on second thought I'm not really interested in collecting them.”|Bookseller]]

"My, you're a treasure. It's greatly appreciated, sweetheart." The woman gave you a sweet smile, once again reminding you of your grandmother. //When you collect zines, you can drop them off with the bookseller for her collection. Zines can be found all around Signal Hill through trading, buying, completing leads, and exploring. Don't forget to drop them off- you might earn some rewards.// * [[“No worries.”|Bookseller]] <<addlead "zinecollector" "Zine Collector">>\

The old lady tittered at your question, a mischeivous smile crossing her lips. "I'm sorry, did you have trouble finding someting? I'm afraid not everyone is familiar with my process. The Dewey Decimal System produces very... energetically uncomfortable results." "Energetically? What exactly do you mean by that?" She brushed you off, shaking her head. "Oh, just humour a superstitious old woman, will you?" There was no further explanation. * [[Weird.|Bookseller]]

<<styletest>>\ A big grin crossed the woman's face. "Ah... you hail from the North?" "I do." Maybe the old country wasn't so old anymore, though. You probably hailed from a very different version of the North than she did. "<<if _result == "handmade">>I should have guessed. You look straight out of an old painting.<<else>>I wouldn't have guessed! The city's changed you, friend.<</if>>" <<if _result == "handmade">>"I suppose I do." Your trappings did give you away. The style wasn't exactly common here.<<else>>"I suppose it has." You had only been in the city a little while, but it did feel like its energy had started to infect you. Maybe it was apparent. Or maybe it was just your outfit.<</if>> "I met another Northerner down in Skid Row who mentioned you." "You'll have to be more specific, dear," she muttered, shaking her head sadly. "Many of us, especially around my age, aren't living in the best of circumstances." * [[“I think his name was Jim.”|Bookseller Jim]] * [[“He told me you dealt drugs.”|Bookseller Drugs]]

"Oh, Jim... he's gone down to Skid Row, has he? The poor man... you know, he used to work in the bottling plant just East of here until they laid off half their staff..." How unfortunate. But her ramblings were really keeping you from, y'know, getting high. "He told me you sold him drugs?" She stared at you for a solid moment, the gears working behind her eyes. Trying to figure out what you meant. Maybe Jim had been fucking with you? But just before you became certain, the bookseller responded- "Oh, dear. You are on the path to attunement?" * [[“Um... no. Actually, maybe I've got the wrong idea.”|Bookseller Deny]] * [[“Is that what you call what he was on?”|Bookseller Drugs]] * [[“Yeah, I am. I was hoping you could... help me out.”|Bookseller Buy]]

"I'm sure they don't have this up North, dear, but our community has discovered the most beautiful truth brought to us in physical form." That sentence was borderline incoherent, yet she was looking at you with this half concerned, half loving expression. "Is that what you're looking for?" * [[“Attunement? Yeah, attunement sounds great.”|Bookseller Buy]] * [[“No. I think maybe you've got the wrong idea.”|Bookseller Deny]]

"Well, I wouldn't normally want to share with an outsider... but if you are on the path, I would gladly shepherd you along your way." A warm smile crossed her face. "However... well, darling, it isn't easy. I'm afraid I would have to ask for money." You nodded, unphased. Of course you were going to need money. That was how things worked, here and everywhere. "How much is it going to cost?" "If you need enough for one journey..." The old woman leaned back in her chair for a moment, contemplating the problem. You got the feeling that she wanted to ask for as little as possible. But when she quoted the amount to you, it was un unbelievably steep price. <ul>\ <<if $wealth gte 4>>\ /* <li> <<link "Pay the woman. (4 )">><<spendwealth 4>><<goto "Bookseller Pay">><</link>></li> */ <li> This item can't be acquired in the current version. Sorry, check back later.</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Woah. That's crazy!”|Bookseller Crazy]]</li> </ul>\

"Ah." She seemed almost disappointed. "Apologies, child. I must have misjudged you." * [[“It's cool. Don't worry about it.”|Bookseller]]

The woman looked hurt, her eye curling up with concern and her lips twisting into a grimace. "Darling, you need to understand... our community itself is in short supply. If you aren't dedicated, well, I suppose you aren't meant to follow the path just yet." "Is there really nothing else I can do?" "Perhaps, come back to see me when you've found the funds. I'm sorry." And with that, she changed the subject. * [[Tender topic, maybe.|Bookseller]]

This is a placeholder. You shouldn't be able to get this much money in the current version. * [[And a way out in case you cheat yourself into this passage somehow. Naughty.|Bookseller]]

As you stepped inside to start wandering off into that all-consuming atmosphere, you were intercepted by the greeter- kept from your prize like a dog on a chain. She had this big red-painted smile across her freckled cheeks, and a faux black rose was tucked into her ginger updo. "Hey babe! My name's Cherry!"" Her voice was chipper, but practised. She'd said this hundreds of times. "First time at the Rose?" * [[“Yeah, this is my first time.”|Cherry Rules]] * [[“No, I've been here before.”|Cherry Rules][$temp to "no"]] <<set $met.push("cherry")>>

<<if $temp == "no">>Without even skipping a beat, like she didn't hear (or care about) your response, Cherry jumped into her spiel. <</if>>"We've just got a couple rules to run by you before you go have fun, okay? Don't worry, they're pretty easy- leave your weapons at the door, no outside food and drinks, strict no touching policy on the main floor. Got it?" You nodded, eager to get past. The guard behind her exhaled a big puff of smoke, and you could see him giving you a bemused grin through it. Cherry just kept going, her voice maintaining the same energy level all the while. "You can tell who's an employee if they've got a rose on 'em," she continued, pointing out the example tucked into her own hair. "If the rose is red, you can hire 'em for a one-on-one. If it's black, they ain't available- don't ask." * [[“Got it.”|Cherry More Rules]] <<unset $temp>>\

"Everybody sets their own rates," she kept going. "Tipping is highly encouraged. All our girls and guys have the right to deny you service for any reason, so don't treat this like a cheap whorehouse- chat 'em up before you try to bone down!" She giggled at her own crass turn of phrase. The guard behind her put out his cigarette on the chair and tossed the butt into an ashtray on the ground. Then he pulled out a pack and a lighter to start up another one. Cherry was silent for a moment, her grin fading and her eyes darting up to the ceiling as if scanning her brain for anything she'd missed. She must have found something. Her eyebrows shot up and her smile returned. "We're also offering escort services now! If you need to book somebody for an event or some //personal time// outside the building, just let me know and I can give you a hand!" * [[“Okay, yeah, I get it.”|Cherry Voucher]]

"Okay, that's it! You're good to go!" She fumbled with some papers in her hands for a moment before handing over two slips of black paper, stamped with a rose in gold leaf. "Oh, and here's a voucher for a free drink at the bar. And a second one, because you're //soooo// cute, hon. Don't tell the boss!" Cherry gave you a furtive wink, although you were confident she was probably giving multiple of these out all the time. Two drinks was probably enough to start thinking that a night with one of their employees was worth a pretty exorbitant price. With her finally laying off, however, you'd get the chance to actually enjoy yourself. With these free vouchers the bar was calling for you... <ul>\ <li> [[Try to chat with the guard.|Reese]]</li> <li> [[Head towards the bar.|Rose Bar]]</li> <li> [[Browse a little.|Rose Browse]]</li> <li> [[Walk out.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\ <<pocket "Drink Voucher" 2>>\ \ \ /* START REGULAR CONVERSATION WITH CHERRY */

As you approached, Cherry plastered a big, fake smile on her face. "Hey, darling! Need a hand?" Her teeth were incredibly white. Like, whiter than white. You wondered what was in that lip stain that kept it from smearing all over her teeth. Might be some kind of tattoo? * [[“Is your boss here?”|Cherry Boss]] * [[“What do you do around here? Are you just a greeter?”|Cherry Greeter]] * [[“Can I just say, you're really pretty.”|Cherry Pretty]]

"Oh!" Her smile wavered a bit before returning to her face. "Yeah, hon, you're in luck! The Madame is usually too busy to make an appearance here, but we're getting a visit today! Big day!" "That's good to hear. I was hoping I might be able to get some work here." "Oh." This time, her smile was gone permanently. "Ah, yes, I suppose you can always ask about that!" That didn't bode well. * [[“Thanks, Cherry.”|Cherry]]

"I do a little bit of everything at The Rose!" Cherry put her hands on her hips, as if to signal her authority, although the way she subtly bounced on the balls of her feet robbed any kind of seriousness from the gesture. "I'm a greeter, human resources manager, bartender, escort, handywoman... and a couple other things, I think!" "That's... a lot. Do you get paid well?" "Nope!" The smile didn't fade from her face for a second. "I do it for the love of the game!" Her left eye was twitching a little. * [[“Cherry, are you sure you actually like working here?”|Cherry Work]] * [[“Uh... thanks for sharing, Cherry.”|Cherry]]

Cherry shook her head. "That's an awful rude question to ask, you know!" You should probably leave her alone. * [[“Sorry, Cherry.”]]

"Oh!" She seemed genuinely caught off guard by that. "Um... thank you. I'm not on the job though, silly!" She tapped the black rose tucked into her hair. * [[“When are you on the job, Cherry?”|Cherry Job]] * [[“No, no, Cherry, it was just a compliment.”|Cherry Compliment]]

"Um..." Cherry grimaced a little. "I'm available for escort services, if you want to book me. I guess... you'd have to talk to... me. About booking me." "How much?" "The rate depends on the nature of the event!" That probably meant the rate was made up on the spot, but okay. You'd bite. * [[“What if I just want to have sex with you?”|Cherry Sex]] * [[“Can I just take you out on a date? Like a normal, unpaid date?”|Cherry Date]] * [[“I don't really have an event in mind. I'll let you know if I need to hire you.”|Cherry Nothing]]

"That's really not how this works!" Her smile looked more fake than ever. "But like, you're a prostitute, right?" At this point, Cherry's smile was almost agressive. "Do I need to explain to you what an escort is?" * [[“Um... no. It's fine. I'll go find somebody else.”|Cherry]]

"Do you know how expensive rent is in the Red Light?" You took a beat before you responded, distracted by her perfect teeth. "Is that... a no?" "Yep!" * [[Why did you even think she'd just say yes to that?|Cherry]]

"Okay! Well, I'll be here if you need me, pretty much 24/7!" You were getting the distinct feeling that she hated this job. Not sure why. Just intuition. * [[“Sounds good, Cherry.”|Cherry]] \ \ /* START INTERACTION WITH CHERRY THAT START DRESS UP GAMES */

The door opened, you stepped through, and you were immediately intercepted. In the exact instant you passed the threshold, Cherry's clawed hand had grabbed your bicep and yanked you into a secluded room off the main entrance. You hadn't even noticed it was there until your were trying to get your footing on its tile floor, having the door slammed behind you. It looked like a guard room. The only illumination was a hodge-podge array of small televisions stacked one on top of another, all showing the establishment from various angles through a haze of static fuzz. "<<print $player.name>>! I've been waiting for you!" Cherry had a sanitized, perfect smile plastered across her face and dead eyes. She was not excited to see you. "Mr. Valdez requested for you to join him at the boutique in The Heights, the one run by Ms. Darling. Very exciting!" "Oh, uh... yeah. That does sound exciting." The woman raised a painted-on eyebrow at you, placing her hands on her hips. Backlit by the monitors, cast in an artificial blue glow, she looked a little unsettling. "You're really lucky, you know. Mr. Valdez only commissions //expensive clothes// like that for his favourite playthings- I mean, friends. Colleagues. I certainly don't mean to imply anything untoward is going on!" To be fair, she wasn't exactly //implying// it so much as //stating// it. She also seemed more than a bit jealous. The dress she was wearing was the same one she'd worn the last time you saw her- and every time. * [["Thanks for letting me know, Cherry. I wouldn't want to keep him waiting."|Cherry Backroom Leave]] * [["Cherry, what's your problem with me?"|Cherry Backroom Problem]] * [["Cherry, are you okay?"|Cherry Backroom Okay]]

As you turned to get the hell out of here, she lurched towards the door to cut you off. "Great! Good idea! But you have to keep this secret, okay? Mr. Valdez doesn't want anybody to think you work for him!" You took a step back, only slightly voluntarily. "Huh? Why?" "It's very important!" She maintained that big, ominous smile as she stepped out of the way to let you out. * [[Mildly freaky. But on with your day.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] <<addlead "dressupgames" "Dress Up Games">>\

That plastered-on smile vanished from Cherry's perfectly primped face, replaced with a violent glare. "Problem? Heavens, I don't know what you mean. I don't have a problem with anybody." Her voice was almost completely monotone. "You're giving off a real hostile vibe right now, Cherry," you muttered, backing off towards the door. "How about I just... get going?" "Oh of course, you should really be going, since you have places to be! I'll just be here... running the entire establishment while you gallivant around with Mr. Valdez. Enjoy!" * [[Yeah, you should probably get going.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] <<addlead "dressupgames" "Dress Up Games">>\

"Whatever do you mean?" Her smile only faltered for a moment. "I'm just peachy keen, as always!" "You sure about that? You don't seem like you're doing so hot." Cherry shook her head furiously. "I am doing so hot right now! Mr. Valdez is waiting for you, you don't want to keep him waiting, right?" She wanted you gone so bad. Like, with every fiber of her being. * [[Yeah, you should probably get going.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] <<addlead "dressupgames" "Dress Up Games">>\

The carriage of Joyette's typewriter snapped back into place with a loud clunk as she continued typing, her fingers moving faster than your eyes could pick up on. As you approached her, she only barely glanced up from her writing. Her fingertips still danced across the little metal keys, a quiet thunk accompanying each letter. "Mhm?" <ul>\ <li> [[“You're Joyette, right?”|Joyette Name]]</li> <li> [[“What are you typing?”|Joyette Typing]]</li> <li> [[“Sorry, do you know where Doc is?”|Joyette Doc]]</li> <<if $needsfirstaid == true>>\ <li> [[“I've got a medical issue.”|Joyette Doctor]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if not $rolled.includes("joyettesignal")>>\ <li> <<link 'Try to figure out what her deal is. '>>\ <<signalroll 6 "Joyette Signal Success" "Joyette Signal Failure">>\ <</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[She looks busy. You should leave her alone.|Clinic Hub]]</li> </ul>\

"That's my name, yes." Her voice was near-monotone. "You can call me Dr. Ellis." She absolutely //hated// how Doc referred to her in front of patients. You didn't need to ask to find that out. "You were the one who operated on me?" A faint smile crept onto her lips. "That was mostly Dr. Zhao. I'm sure he undersold himself to you, but he is a very talented surgeon. I did help, though." * [[“I thought he wasn't a doctor.”|Joyette Title]] * [[“That's good to know. Thanks.”|Joyette]]

The typing briefly halted. In that moment the silence was overwhelming, despite monitors beeping and a fan going somewhere. "Did he give you that whole spiel? Really?" "Yeah, he gave me the spiel." She shook her head, her fingers resuming their complex dance over the keys. "That man will be the death of me." * [[Okay, so he is a doctor. Or not? Who knows.|Joyette]]

Joyette was silent for a moment, leaving you listening to the rhythmic thunks of metal against paper and the slow clicking of the carriage moving across the machine. "Supply request letters," she finally informed you. There was no explanation for what that meant. * [[“Okay. Have fun, I guess.”|Joyette]] * [[“What kind of supplies? Do you need help getting ahold of something?”|Joyette Help]]

"If we need anything you can help with, I'm sure Dr. Zhao will let you know," she reassured you. "I just handle the requisition and finances. If there's anything that requires //special efforts,// Dr. Zhao takes care of it." * [[“Okay, noted.”|Joyette]] <<addlead "requisition" "Requisition">>\

Joyette scowled at the question. "Do I look like a secretary to you?" She was sitting in the waiting room of a clinic typing on a typewriter, so yeah, actually, she looked exactly like a secretary from an old tape. But this was obviously a rhetorical question. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, you repeated, "Do you actually know where he is though? I wanted to talk to him." "He's in the lab." She nodded towards the door labeled "OFFICES." * [[That's good to know.|Joyette]]

She pushed her chunky glasses up on her nose and looked up at you properly. "What's the problem, hon? Are the stitches healing okay?" <<if $firstaid == "lost finger">>\ You held up your hand, pinky finger absent. "Uh... I lost something." "Oh my god." Joyette pushed her chair back and stood to her feet in shock. "How did you manage to lose a finger?! It hasn't even been that long since you showed up!" "Would you believe it was chopped off as part of an interrogation?" She didn't have time to be concerned about your interrogation. She was busy inspecting your hand, where the stump of your finger sat. You were able to move it still, although it hurt like a bitch. It was sliced clean through just under the second knuckle. "Do you still have the finger? It //might// be able to be reattached..." <<if $altar.has("Pinky Finger")>>\ "I mean... it's within walking distance. I guess I could go grab it." <ul>\ <li> [[...but it's probably of more use to you there, right?|Joyette Lost Finger Deny]]</li> <li> <<link "You should probably go grab that and see if she can reattach it.">><<set $altarsetup == false>><<set $altardonations -= 1>><<goto "Joyette Lost Finger Agree">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <<elseif $pocket.has("Pinky Finger")>>\ "Obviously, yeah. I've got it." You pulled it out of your pocket to demonstrate, which was probably not a sanitary place to keep it. <ul>\ <li> [[You've got to at least try to get it reattached.|Joyette Lost Finger Agree]]</li> <li> [[Actually... that sounds risky. Maybe you shouldn't.|Joyette Lost Finger Deny]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

"Okay... let me call Dr. Zhao." Approaching the office at the back of the clinic, she rapped her fist on it a few times. "Dr. Zhao? Your new //friend// has gotten <<print $pro.themselves>> into a bit of trouble. It is an emergency." After a moment, the door opened, and Doc stepped out. He was dressed up in his nicest wool turtleneck, his hair having been hurriedly tucked into a messy bun. "<<print $player.name>>, hello again. What seems to be the problem?" "<<print $pro.Their>> finger got cut off." You nodded along with Joyette and added, "Yeah, my finger got cut off," lifting your hand up to demonstrate. "Jesus christ." "Yeah." * [[You find yourself being rushed into the operating room, where you'd been (unconscious) only shortly before.|Operating Room Lost Finger]]

"Are you... are you sure?" The idea seemed completely nonsensical to her. "Look, I'm not going to force you to accept treatment. But please, at least let me clean and bandage it." "Yeah... I guess that works." Who needs a pinky finger anyway? You sure didn't. In fact, it was fine that it was gone! You looked way more metal now. Joyette rushed to grab fresh bandages and alcohol from a first aid box stashed behind her desk. "Come, let's go into your room to take care of this. My god, I can't believe you've already managed to lose a finger..." Soon your hand had been swabbed with burning alcohol and wrapped up in clean white cloth. "If that starts showing signs of infection, you need to let me know immediately." * [[“Will do, doctor. Thanks for the help.”|Clinic Room]] <<set $needsfirstaid = false>>\ <<unset $firstaid>>\

Standing near her, you were picking up a little interference in that constant stream of static in your ears. Buzzing, humming, and the faint sound of voices through the haze. "It was an... stupid... work out?" It was jittery, inconsistent, but when it was there it was clear. Lines of it, modulated by your mind, spread out across the void behind your eyelids. Rolling down slowly as the feeling split and lost sync, then snapped back into place. Some of it was filled with fuzz, but what wasn't was a soft contrast with at least a few shades of grey in there. Doc, wearing a black turtleneck, indistinguishable from today but for much shorter hair that brushed the lines of his jaw. He was leaning back on a desk, standing across from Joyette, much as she appeared here. The office was dark. "Morally, I don't know if that's something I'd accept." Low res as it was, you could tell the look on his face was dark. This was a conversation he wasn't happy to be having. "You're hopeless, then. I can't help you if you won't help yourself." He sighed. "It's not about helping //me//, Joy, it's about the patients. I can't... they're only here because they can't afford anything else." "A sliding scale, then." Joyette looked just as exhasperated as he did. "There's no way you're going to be able to maintain this. This is going to kill you." "If you'll just help me, I swear to god I'll find a way to make money. Just... not like that." The signal fuzzed out before you could figure out the rest, the image collapsing on itself. Damn. * [[It's something, at least.|Joyette]] * [[“Would you say you and Doc agree about how this place is run?”|Joyette Agreement]] <<set $rolled.push("joyettesignal")>>\

Standing near her, you were picking up a little interference in that constant stream of static in your ears. Buzzing, humming, and the faint sound of voices through the haze. "It was an... stupid... work out?" It was jittery, inconsistent, but when it was there it was clear. Lines of it, modulated by your mind, spread out across the void behind your eyelids. Rolling down slowly as the feeling split and lost sync, then snapped back into place. Some of it was filled with fuzz, but what wasn't was a soft contrast with at least a few shades of grey in there. Doc, wearing a black turtleneck, indistinguishable from today but for much shorter hair that brushed the lines of his jaw. He was leaning back on a desk, standing across from Joyette, much as she appeared here. The office was dark. In his voice: "Morally, I don't know if that's something I'd accept." "You're hopeless, then." The signal got fuzzy, snow filling the image. Then, a stream of letters... T - H - A - N - K - Y - O... No, this was nothing. Too focused on that damn typing to show you the rest of that conversation. Dammit. Well, you could piece something together. Seemed like the two of them were on different grounds, morally speaking. He did something she thought was stupid. Maybe something to look into. * [[It's something, at least.|Joyette]] * [[“Would you say you and Doc agree about how this place is run?”|Joyette Agreement]] <<set $rolled.push("joyettesignal")>>\

She looked up at your from her typewriter, her fingers resting on the keys. "What kind of question is that?" You shrugged. "I was just curious, y'know." Maybe if you gave her an opportunity to complain... "He seems pretty opinionated, is all." That seemed to do the trick. She exhaled sharply, a slight smile across her lips. "You've got that right, hon." Leaning forward, for the first time she seemed genuinely interested in talking to you. "For the record, the whole 'free clinic' thing was his idea. Named the place before I ever signed on, you know. And I refuse to offer my services for free, and he refuses to change the name. A stubborn young man, that one, just like his father." Shit. That was more than you expected. But just as soon as she opened up to you, she turned back to her typing. "My apologies, I'm getting distracted." * [[“Sorry. Didn't mean to distract you.”|Joyette]]

Stepping over decrepit old skids and suspiciously wet cardboard boxes, you made your way over to the corner. The walls were far from sparse, posters of bands whose members were all dead now stuck to the concrete with balls of blu-tack. An old metal desk was pushed into a corner, piled up with all sorts of junk and detritus. A pack of cards lay open on the ground with half the spades sprawled out. As you got closer, you could get a better glimpse of the people here- two men, maybe mid fifites, huddled around a fire burning low on the concrete floor. The guy on the right looked a bit older, perhaps due to the host of scars dotted across his skin. The guy on the left had this long black beard that hid most of his face and the most sunken eyes you'd ever seen. They were sitting in total silence, seeming to not even notice as you approached. * [[“Hey.”|Druggies Hey]] * [[Maybe just... leave them alone.|Abandoned Warehouse]]

There was a pause that's far longer than it should be. You'd almost concluded that you should just walk away anyway. But the scarred man eventually piped up, his voice low and gruff. "Hey, man. Who the fuck are you?" * [[“Just, y'know. Walking through.”|Druggies Walking]] * [[“No need to be all hostile.”|Druggies Hostile]] <<set $met.push("jim")>>\

"Hey, that's cool, man," the bearded guy responded. He had this lilting tone to his voice that made your skin crawl a little. The static seemed to get a little stronger when he spoke, invading your mind and making itself apparent. It was hard to take in what he was saying. "Just not many people just walking through abandoned buildings, usually. Kinda weird." You paused for a moment. "You're sitting in an abandoned building." The old man seemed offended by your implication. His voice was slurring a little as he insited, "This place isn't abandoned! We've been hanging out here for... what, a month? Has it been a month, Jim?" Jim concurred, and you decided not to bother pointing out the contradiction. It was pretty evident from just the way they were acting that these guys were inebriated in some way, but what exactly they were taking wasn't evident... and you weren't sure you wanted to know Then again, maybe they'd be able to hook you up. <ul>\ <li> [[“What are you guys doing hanging around here?”|Druggies Hanging]]</li> <li> [[“If you don't mind me asking... what are y'all on?”|Druggies Drugs]]</li> <<if $pocket.has("Painkillers")>>\ <li> [[“Hey... you seem a little stressed out. Maybe I have something that can help you take the edge off?”|Druggies Stressed]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"No hositility here, man," the guy with the scars insisted. "We swear like sailors 'round here, you gotta get used to it." He had a good belly laugh, though you weren't sure what was particularly funny about that. The other guy joined in with a slight laugh, though as soon as he opened his mouth your skin started to crawl. The static was stronger around him, impossible to ignore. "I think $pro.they<<if $pro.they == "they">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> a little too on edge. Somethin' off about $pro.their //vibe//, y'know. Need to... relax." "Most people need to relax, Jim," the old man concurred. It was pretty evident from just the way they were acting that these guys were inebriated in some way, but what exactly they were taking wasn't evident... and you weren't sure you wanted to know. Then again, maybe they'd be able to hook you up. <ul>\ <li> [[“What are you guys doing hanging around here?”|Druggies Hanging]]</li> <li> [[“If you don't mind me asking... what are y'all on?”|Druggies Drugs]]</li> <<if $pocket.count("Painkillers") >= 3>>\ <li> [[“Actually, I've got something with me that might help you relax...”|Druggies Stressed]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Jim spoke up. "We used to hang out at the old chapel in The Stacks, but we got kicked out when the cops shut the place down," he explained. Just listening to him talk had you on the edge of vomiting. There was something deeply wrong with him. You couldn't figure out what. "Militia doesn't come around the Row anymore," the older guy explained, though you weren't asking. "I was in there till I saw the light, y'know. The militia. You join in cause the pay's good... that's how they get you. And they make you turn against God and her people." * [[These guys have the right idea. Fuck the police, obviously.|Druggies Cops]] * [[These guys clearly have some fascinating religious ideas to share.|Druggies Religion]] * [[These guys are starting to freak you out. You should probably leave.|Abandoned Warehouse]]

"Yeah, man. Fuck the police. Down with organized crime. No more corporations. Firing squad for all of 'em." Maybe that was a little much, but it was the apocalypse, extremism was just kind of what people did now. The world's gone to shit. That solarpunk bullshit's for babies. The guys both nodded, though they seemed pretty spaced out. Maybe they weren't 100% aware of the conversation happening around them. Whatever they were on, it seemed pretty strong. * [[“What kind of shit did you guys take?”|Druggies Drugs]] * [[This isn't going anywhere. Just leave.|Abandoned Warehouse]]

"What exactly do you mean by 'God and her people'?" The concept of a monotheistic divinity was not uncommon- you'd come across enclaves of those who still followed the religions of the old world, some of which were slavishly monotheistic and preached it to the heavens, some of which seemed happy to worship their one deity without making much of a fuss.<<if $identity.includes("devotee")>> You much preferred the latter, as colonies of the former tended to view your beliefs as sacrilege. At best, they'd pester you in an attempt to have you convert. At worst, you'd be accused of some kind of devil worship. Good times.<</if>> Still, most of those gods were supposed to be //dudes//. You hadn't encountered many worshippers of a supreme goddess. The older guy leaned towards you, as if he was about to share a secret. "I've met her, man. She's inside all of us, and I've talked to her. Whenever Jim lends me some of his fucking supply." He landed a quick, unenthusiastic punch to Jim's shoulder, which was casual enough that it couldn't possibly have hurt, but Jim was still cradling his arm after. "You gotta try that stuff at least once, man. Find your connection to God." * [[“Hell yeah. I'm all about spiritual enlightenment. What're you on?”|Druggies Drugs]] * [[“I think I'm good with being unconnected. You guys... enjoy that.”|Abandoned Warehouse]]

"I've got static in my veins and my eyes are full of tears, man," Jim responded. Whatever he was talking about, jesus christ was it fucking him up. Barely lit by the fire, you could see that there was crust around his eyes and stuck to his lashes, and streaks down his face where tears had been. "The world is talking, and I can hear it." "Jim's got a source he won't tell me about, so it's real fucking top secret." The older man said this as if it explained anything. It didn't. "Good shit, though, man. I mean, you know. Enlightening shit." You weren't sure if this was something you wanted to pursue, if it left Jim like that. But then again... maybe. * [[“I'll bite. Where do I get this stuff?”|Druggies Source]] * [[“Well... I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm just gonna go now.”|Abandoned Warehouse]] * [[“Whatever that shit is, it's clearly bad for you.”|Druggies Bad]]

There was a prolonged silence. Jim stared at you, and when his eyes met yours you could hear that static louder and louder, burrowing in your ear drums like so many insects and beginning to cause a noticeable ache in your head. "I don't think you could handle it," he muttered. Part of you wondered if you agreed. <ul>\ <<if not $rolled.includes("druggiessignal")>>\ <li> <<link '“I know the static. I can handle it.” '>><<signalroll 12 "Druggies Signal Success" "Druggies Signal Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[He's right. You can't. Time to go.|Abandoned Warehouse]]</li> </ul>\

You tried your hardest to maintain eye contact, staring into his sleep-filled teary eyes and seeing nothing and everything behind them. The static grew louder until the buzzing was like a drill entering your ear canal, beginning to drill through it and into your brain, gore spilling out in all directions. You maintained eye contact. The static was normal. It ran through your veins too. Pain was to be shrugged off like so many shawls and left behind when warmer climes were ahead. "You can, can't you?" His voice was low and serious, but without a hint of surprise. "The real source is beyond me, beyond the city walls, somewhere out in the great beyond. //My// source is an old friend, a bookseller from the old country who sees more than most. Whatever you seek, you can find it there. If you have the funds, she will show you." * [[“Okay, sick, thanks.”|Druggies Farewell]] * [[“I'll let them know you sent me.”|Druggies Farewell]] <<addlead "bookseller" "The Bookseller">>\ <<set $rolled.push("druggiessignal")>>\

Jim nodded. "Go on, now. It's getting warm." You knew what he meant. The men returned to their silent vigil by the fire, as if you'd never been there. * [[And you take your leave.|Abandoned Warehouse]]

"You don't wanna know what I was like before," the guy with the scars growled, his tone suddenly a hostile one. You hadn't even really been talking about him. Jesus. Backing up a little on instinct, you muttered, "I just mean it seems like maybe your drug use is contributing to like, mental health issues that can't be pleasant to deal with..." Jim stared you right in the eyes, your ears filling with that buzz of static. "The world says bad things are coming for people like you. Unbelievers and heretics." * [[It's probably best to leave.|Abandoned Warehouse]] <<set $pissedoffdruggies = true>>\

You pulled out the glass bottle, the pills inside giving off a pleasant rattling sound. "Morphine, I think. Or maybe oxycodone." You couldn't really figure out exactly what it was. Might not even be an opiate. It's unclear. "We don't mess with that stuff," Jim declared. His friend gave him an angry glare. "Speak for yourself, asshole." Then, turning to you, he continued- "That dick at the clinic refuses to hook me up with any more shit until I 'agree to a monitored rehabilitation program,' whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean." Okay, so maybe this was a little bit unethical, but you wouldn't have gotten where you are in life through ethical behaviour! It was time to sell drugs to a struggling addict! And besides, withdrawal wouldn't be that much better, right? It was probably a very moral decision. * [[Actually, no. No, I'm not gonna sell this guy drugs.|Druggies Change Mind]] * [[“How much is this worth to you?”|Druggies Sell]]

"Y'know, actually, I might... need these." You started to tuck the bottle back into your pocket, much to the scarred man's annoyance. "So you're just going to tease an old man like that, eh? Think it's funny? Asshole." Jim gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder, which the guy shrugged off. "I oughtta come over there and teach you a lesson..." You took a couple steps backward, ready to start running if the guy tried to attack you. But instead, he stayed slumped over next to the fire. Probably should have expected that. "I ain't gonna, though," he offered, "because I'm a decent guy. Now can you fuck off?" * [[Yes. You could leave immediately.|Abandoned Warehouse]] <<set $pissedoffdruggies = true>>\

The guy took a look at the bottle, contemplating the number of pills still left over. After a minute, he told you how much he'd be willing to hand over- not exactly a huge fortune, but a decent amount. Something to help you get by. //Will you sell the painkillers for a small payment?// * [[Sell them.|Druggies Deal]] * [[Don't sell them.|Druggies Change Mind]]

You tossed the guy the bottle, and he handed over a fistful of paper notes in its stead. This was certainly not a bad decision. * [[Take your leave.|Abandoned Warehouse]] <<addwealth "small">>\ <<dropall $pocket "Painkillers">>\

You approached the uncomfortable looking shopkeeper, whose eyes were wide like a bug and whose body was small like... a bug. She looked thoroughly nervous. Real deer-in-headlights energy. "Hi, customer! Are you going to buy something?" * [[“You're the owner of this place?”|Roach Owner]] * [[Leave her be.|Threadz]]

"Yes!" she squeaked, her lips curling into an artificial smile. "I own this store! Legally!" * [[“Are you... sure about that?”|Roach Sure]] * [[“I actually wasn't suspicious before, but now I definitely am.”|Roach Suspicious]]

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" She was bouncing on her heels, evidently quite unsure. But you honestly weren't invested enough to pry much further than this. * [[“Okay, yeah. I guess you own this place.”|Threadz]]

"Suspicious?" She was clearly feigning shock. As if it would make her less suspicious, when in reality it had the opposite effect. "I don't know what you mean by that. Nothing to be suspicious about! What, do you not like small business owners?" This was a low enough stakes crime that you really didn't care to investigate further. * [[“Love small business. Especially ones that are definitely legal.”|Threadz]]

This conversation hasn't been implemented yet, oops * [[Back|Slum Apartment Office]]

The bartender seems to glance up at you expectantly, waiting for you to say something. <<if $identity.includes("devotee") and $hasaltar == true and not $altarsetup == true and not $altar.has("Whiskey Bottle") and not $pocket.has("Whiskey Bottle")>>\ Maybe you could ask for a full bottle, for your altar? That would certainly please the Lady. And they probably had some cheap crap at a place like this. <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“What's up with all the wires and shit?”|Bartender Wires]]</li> <<if $identity.includes("devotee") and $hasaltar == true and not $altarsetup == true and not $altar.has("Whiskey Bottle") and not $pocket.has("Whiskey Bottle")>>\ <li> [[“What's your cheapest bottle? I need a whole bottle of liquor, for... reasons.”|Bartender Bottle]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Stand up.|Charge Bar]]</li> </ul>\

"You're not from around here, are you, bud," the man remarks. There's a jovial tone to his deep voice, but he is definitely still deriding you a bit. Friendly derision, you think. "Those wires are my business! Never been to a charge bar, eh?" You felt like a fool for asking now. But it was true. You hadn't. In fact, you had never even heard of such a thing. It sounded like a silly name. * [[“That's a silly name.”|Bartender Silly]] * [[“Enlighten me. What's a 'charge bar'?”|Bartender Explain]] * [[“Psh. I know what a charge bar is. It's just a mess, that's all.”|Bartender Lie]]

"Maybe it is. Not something I came up with. These things have been around for decades now." He leaned forward against the bar, the edge of the wood pressing into his round belly. "This establishment here was set up by my daddy 21 years ago, kid. The Stacks was a very different place back then, y'know. Wasn't called The Stacks yet, on account o' those smokestacks outside weren't even there yet. None of these immigrants, either." He winked at you. You weren't sure why exactly he was winking, but it seemed offensive. * [[“Wait, but why is it called that?”|Bartender Explain]] * [[“I'm... also an immigrant. You just pointed out that I'm an immigrant.”|Bartender Immigration]] * [[Just ignore that and move on with the conversation.|Bartender]]

The bartender gestured back to the mess of cables behind him. "Folks around here can't afford to all have personal generators to charge their own gadgets. Good thing, too, or else I'd be out of business!" He chortled, despite the uncomfortable cynicism of his joke. "Instead, they come down here and I charge 'em for 'em, for a fee of course. My daddy was the one who came up with a way to make it a little more profitable- y'see, early on, folks would come drop their batteries off and then go get a couple drinks while they waited. So my daddy said, hey, how about we give 'em a more //convenient// way of getting a drink? And this business model was born!" * [[“Oh, okay. That makes sense.”|Bartender]]

The bartender raised his eyebrow at you. "You do, eh? You seemed fresh off the boat, to me." You had no idea what that meant, given that you were many miles away from any body of water that could reasonably accommodate a large boat. But you got the palpable sense that it was offensive. * [[Just try to move on. Awkwardly.|Bartender]] * [[“And what of it?”|Bartender Immigration]]

Putting his hands up by his head defensively, palms forward, the man chuckled. "Look, I ain't saying anything controvercial here, bud. This neighborhood's gone down the drain since those factories set up and started importing all those Northerners." * [[“Those Northerners are your source of income.”|Bartender Money]] * [[“We don't exist to make your property values high, asshole.”|Bartender Insult]] * [[Just nod. This is too awkward.|Bartender]]

"And not a very stable one, either. Half the bastards I get in here can't even pay their damn tabs." That was almost certainly an exaggeration. "Alls I'm saying is, I wasn't too fussed when they blew that electricity mogul's brains out. Can't get too much worse around here with a change in management." * [[Probably best to just ignore him.|Bartender]]

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, kid," he muttered, picking up another glass to start cleaning. "Now, if you can //afford// it, how about buying a drink?" * [[This guy's a real asshole.|Bartender]]

The guy laughed heartily. "You've got an appetite, huh? Let me see..." He ducked below the bar where the liquor was kept, and you could hear the sound of bottles clinking against each other as he pawed through his inventory. Finally, he came up holding an impressive specimen- an amber glass bottle full of //something// aloholic, unmarked except for a piece of masking tape over the side that had "WHISKEY" written on it in black marker. "I've been meaning to get rid of this stuff. Bad batch. I'll only charge you cost plus five percent, how's that sound?" <ul>\ <<if $wealth gte 2>>\ <li> <<link "Fair enough. Might as well. 2">><<pocket "Whiskey Bottle" 1>><<goto "Bartender">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[That's way too expensive. No way.|Bartender]]</li> </ul>\

As you approached, <<if $met.includes("xantha")>>Xantha paused their sewing to acknowledge your presence with a simple nod.<<else>>the shopkeeper abruptly stopped using the hand crank and stared up at you. Their eyes were ringed with dark circles, and their lips were chapped and thin. "Uh, hey," they muttered, their voice low and uncertain. It certainly didn't help you determine their gender. "Need something?"<</if>> <ul>\ <<if not $met.includes("xantha")>>\ <li> [[“Hey. This place looks really cool. Did you make all of this?”|Xantha Make][$temp = "positive"]]</li> <li> [[“Wow, all of this shit is... really weird. Did you make all of this?”|Xantha Make][$temp = "negative"]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“So when did you get started with the whole... making clothing thing?”|Xantha Started]]</li> <li> [[“Do you wear any of this kind of stuff yourself?”|Xantha Wear]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Nah, just looking around.”|Infatuations]]</li> </ul>\

<<styletest>>\ "Um... yeah. I mean." They gestured to the general area, as if to ask what you thought all of this equipment was for if not for making clothing. "See anything you like?" <<if _result == "fetish">>\ You glanced around, already catching glimpses of a few items similar to your own clothing. It was all very interesting, even if some of it wasn't exactly... your vibe. "Yeah, I mean, it's all very hip. //Sensual//. I'm a big fan of leather." "Aren't we all?" Their expression stayed as dead as before. There was a far too long pause before they continued- "I'm Xantha. I do fittings and tailoring if you need it. Waitlist for custom work is kind of long right now." <<else>>\ <<if $temp == "positive">>\ You glanced around, taking in all of the sights for another time. It was all very interesting, even if some of it wasn't exactly... your vibe. "Yeah, I mean, it's very well made. Interesting stuff." <<else>>\ You glanced around, taking in all of the sights for another time. It was almost overwhelming in both its overt sexuality and in-your-face style. Unpleasant. "It's... interesting." <</if>>\ "Thanks." Their expression stayed as dead as before. There was a far too long pause before they continued- "I'm Xantha. I do fittings and tailoring if you need it. Waitlist for custom work is kind of long right now." <</if>>\ * [[They went back to sewing. Not the friendliest type, apparently.|Xantha]] <<set $met.push("xantha")>>\ <<unset $temp>>\

They seemed almost a little annoyed by the question. Like you were interrupting their work to ask personal questions. Which you kind of were. "The store is six years old. I've been sewing since I was six years old." The tone they answered with made you not want to respond at all. * [[So you don't.|Xantha]]

They looked up at you with those cold brown eyes like you were from Mars. "Why else would I make it?" "I don't know," you mused, "maybe it's more profitable? I get the sense that the people around here are all kind of freaks, no offense." "It is popular in the club scene. As am I." They delivered that with the tone of someone who had never been to a club in their life, yet for some reason you believed it wholeheartedly. Maybe it was the hair. * [[You don't want to push any further.|Xantha]]

As you approached, the guy crossed his arms and stared you down, resolute and unmoving. <<if $temp == "confident">>You tried your hardest not to be intimidated. "Hey, man. This stuff looks sick."<<else>>It was pretty much impossible not to be intimidated. Nervous, you muttered, "This stuff looks... really nice."<</if>> "It is." His arms remained crossed. "We don't sell to outsiders." "Oh... what?" Gesturing to you with his head, he repeated himself. "You're not a Lamplighter. We don't sell to outsiders." * [[“But KC is considering me for membership!”|Truck Consider]] * [[“I have cash. I can pay.”|Truck Pay]] <<set $met.push("truck")>>

"Then come back when she decides." He wasn't budging. * [[“Fine. I'll be back.”|Lamplighter Armoury]]

"Can't pay for something you can't buy." He wasn't budging. * [[“Fine. I'll be back.”|Lamplighter Armoury]]

Ricky was bouncing back and forth between his feet. You couldn't tell if he was excited to have a customer, nervous, or just full of energy. Maybe all three. * [[“All of this looks really cool. Did you make it?”|Ricky Make]] * [[On second thought...|Lamplighter Market]]

"Oh, yeah! I mean, kind of." He furrowed his brow. "Depends how you define 'make.' But yes!" "What do you mean by that?" He furrowed his brow even further. "Well, it's all second-hand, or scavenged! One or the other. But then I take it and make it look... cool. All the patches and rivets and stuff, that's all me!" * [[“That totally counts. That's the creative part.”|Ricky Creative]] * [[“Okay, so you didn't make it.”|Ricky Mean]]

Ricky beamed. "Yeah, it is, right? I'm a creative guy. Can't really pull my weight with a gun, but I can definitely hammer an eyelet in the right place!" "You sure can." "So since you like it... want to buy some?" He winked at you. * [[“Sure. Let me take a look around.”|Ricky Store]] * [[“Nah, not right now.”|Lamplighter Market]]

"Um... I guess not." He averted his eyes and his shoulders slumped. Whoops. You made him feel bad. Or maybe that was on purpose? Wow, what an asshole. * [[“I'm just gonna go.”|Lamplighter Market]]

Employing the utmost stealth (walking kinda slowly), you attempted to evade capture and slip past the guard. You barely made any noise, compared to the noise you usually make, which is a lot. A regular ninja. You were almost to the gate when you were stopped in your tracks by a voice from behind you- "You know I know you're there, right?" Standing up bolt straight, you turned to stare at the guard, who was looking at you with a raised eyebrow from behind his magazine. There was a scantily dressed woman draped over a motorcycle on the front, and an ad for some long-discontinued beer brand on the back. "It's a checkpoint, bud. You know what that means?" "What's it mean?" Certainly you did know, but this was a bit of an awkward situation and you weren't sure what else to say. "Means you gotta //check// before you come and go. Get it? //Check//point?" * [[“Oh, yeah. Well, consider me checked!”|Pistol Checked]] * [[“Oh. What do you need me to do, then?”|Pistol Questioning]] * [[“That's bullshit. This is bullshit.”|Pistol Bullshit]]

You decided it was probably best to ask before leaving willy nilly. There might be some kind of list you have to put your name on. Or questions you have to answer. Better not to get locked out of the city and need Doc to come drag you in by your ankles again. "Hey, man," you greeted him as you approached. He glanced up at you from behind his magazine. There was a scantily dressed woman draped over a motorcycle on the front, and an ad for some long-discontinued beer brand on the back. "How are things all the way out here?" "I'm doing just fine, friend," he responded with a genial tip of his hat. "Name's Pistol. And you?" "<<print $player.name>>." "What can I help you with, <<print $player.name>>?" * [[“I just want to leave the city for a spell. Anything I need to do?”|Pistol Questioning]] * [[“I'm good. Just passing through.”|Pistol Questioning]] <<if not $met.includes("pistol")>>\ <<set $met.push("pistol")>>\ <</if>>\

He gave you a hearty laugh, shaking his head from behind his magazine. "Afraid that ain't how this works. You'll need to stick around for a minute." "Why's that?" <<include "Pistol Questioning">>

He gave you a heart laugh, shaking his head from behind his magazine. "That's nice, pal. I'm just doing what they pay me to do. It'll only take you a second." "What do you want from me?" <<include "Pistol Questioning">>

"I just need you to answer a couple questions." "If they're reasonable questions, I've got plenty of answers." No use being hostile if the questions were simple ones. You could always be hostile afterwards. Tossing aside his magazine, the guy grabbed a clipboard leaning against the leg of his folding chair. The paper looked ancient, worn by sun and constant transportation, covered in almost incomprehensible scribbles by a black ballpoint pen stuck to the wood. A piece of twine was tied around the pen's clip on one end and the loop on the metal bit of the clipboard. It looked ready to snap at any moment. Flipping to a new page and grabbing the swinging pen, he put it to the page. He was a lefty, apparently. His hand was covered in little burn scars like an unattentive smoker. <<if $met.includes("pistol")>>\ "So under 'name,' that's gonna be <<print $player.name>>, right? Got a last name?" "<<print $player.surname>>." He nodded, scribbling it down on the page. "<<print $player.name>> <<print $player.surname>>. Got it." <<else>>\ "Name?" You figured giving out your name to this oddball wasn't too much of a risk. "<<print $player.name>> <<print $player.surname>>." He nodded, scribbling it down on the page. "Nice to meet ya, <<print $player.name>>. You can call me Pistol." <<set $met.push("pistol")>>\ <</if>>\ "Any more questions?" "Already getting impatient? Damn." Pistol clicked his pen a couple times and started furiously drawing circles in the margins, though nothing was showing up. "Just... a couple more. Look, I'm just doing my job, man. I don't have a choice." * [[“Just ask the questions, dammit.”|Pistol More]] * [[“Okay. What's the next question?”|Pistol More]]

"Okay, okay," he muttered, his pen finally working again. "What's your reason for leaving the city?" "Do I //need// to tell you that?" "I need to write something down, man. Doesn't have to be true." He winked at you. <ul>\ <li> [[“Going to go scavenge in the wastes.”|Pistol Scavenge]]</li> <li> [[“Visiting family.”|Pistol Family]]</li> <li> [[“I think I might be leaving to commit crimes.”|Pistol Crimes]]</li> <li> [[“Honestly I'm just bored and curious.”|Pistol Curious]]</li> <<if $leads.includes("lamplighter")>>\ <li> [[“Going to meet up with the Lamplighters.”|Pistol Lamplighters]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Okay. Sounds good." He started marking this down, but gave you a pointed look in between words. "You be careful out there, though. The Graveyard's dangerous. And the militia ain't coming to save your ass if you get crushed by debris or eaten by coyotes." <<include "Pistol Graveyard">>

"That's nothing, man," Pistol commented. He was still scrawling down your answer. "Like, I'm putting it down, but please know that's the worst lie I've heard in months. And I listen to lies for a living." You were a little offended. Yes, it was a blatant lie, but it wasn't //that// bad of a lie. "How do you know I'm not telling the truth?" "Only thing this gate leads you to is the Graveyard. Granny doesn't live in the Graveyard." <<include "Pistol Graveyard">>

He clicked his pen a few times, staring at you all the while. "Appreciate the honesty, but I've gotta write something down. How about 'scavenging'?" "You're not concerned at all about me being a criminal?" Pistol cackled, getting back to writing on his clipboard. "If I was concerned about every criminal who came through here I'd have had a heart attack years ago! Man, you're funny." This guy probably wouldn't want you to tell his boss that. Good thing you weren't a fucking narc. "Why are there so many criminals here?" "They all hang out in the Graveyard." He pointed back over his shoulder with his right hand as he scribbled. "I really don't mind 'em. Not bad folks." <<include "Pistol Graveyard">>

"Fair enough." He got to work writing down your answer, or maybe a less strange version of your answer. "Don't get too curious, though. You know what they say about cats. Especially out in the Graveyard. Lots of shit that can kill you out there." <<include "Pistol Graveyard">>

"Scavenging it is, then," he announced, starting to write down a lie on his sheet. "Man, you can't just go around saying that so openly. You're gonna get yourself in a heap of trouble." "Why, exactly?" He put down his pen, staring point blank at you with a look of incredulity. "You're going to fraternize with a gang of mercs and you're telling the militia about that? You're gonna get yourself arrested, man." "Oh." You honestly didn't even realize that you could get in trouble for hanging out with those people. Or that they were criminals. "Wait, they're criminals?" "Yeah. Why else do you think their HQ is out in the Graveyard?" He motioned over his shoulder. "Nobody who's in good with the law hangs out there." <<include "Pistol Graveyard">>

"Why is it called the Graveyard?" The name was more than a little ominous. Pistol glanced over the wall, towards the distant skyline, where enormous monumental buildings towered above. "They're like gravestones. All lined up in a grid. What, you don't see it?" You paused, scanning that horizon. They did resemble headstones a little. "Yeah. I guess I see it." * [[“Any more questions?”|Pistol Last]]

"Just one. Are you coming back? To the city, I mean." That was a good question. You wouldn't mind leaving this place for good, but that wasn't really within your means right now. Maybe someday. "I'll be back." Pistol marked this on his clipboard, making a big flourish as he signed the bottom of the form. "You are a-okay to go, <<print $player.name>>. Enjoy the wasteland. Just make sure you come back the same way you left, or the militia gets all pissy about the paperwork." * [[You nod to Pistol and get on your way.|Graveyard Transition]] * [[You ignore Pistol and head out.|Graveyard Transition]]

<<if $radiointro isnot true>> <<include "Radio Intro">> <<set $radiointro = true>> <<else>> <<if $radiolist.length === 0>> <<include "Radio Placeholder">> <<else>> <<set $radio = $radiolist.pluck()>> <<include $radio>> <</if>> <</if>> <ul> <li> [[Stop listening.|$return]]</li> </ul>

<<set _radio = dice("1d5")>>\ <<switch _radio>>\ <<case 1>>\ You focused on the soft, repetetive twang of guitar and crash of cymbals hanging on the air. The voice of a man sang over it with a loose intonation in what sounded like broken French. Maybe an acquired taste, but you could dig it. <<case 2>>\ There was a groovy tune drifting out of the radio's speaker, something with a distinct rock edge. Old though, old enough for saxophone to be a part of a rock 'n roll band. Pretty good shit. A little dated, though. <<case 3>>\ A soft guitar song was playing from the speaker, with the gruff voice of a man used to singing over much more angry music reciting distant lyrics about grief over it. As soon as you were getting a feel for it the rest of the band joined in, a bright and gritty crescendo. Nice. <<case 4>>\ The glittering, overproduced guitar and drum beats of a pop tune rang out from the radio's speaker, worming its way into your brain for the foreseeable future. A nasally man's voice was singing inane lyrics over it all. Ugh. <<case 5>>\ A sugary sweet pop song was playing from the radio. Over it, a soft woman's voice sang sad lyrics with an almost seductive tone and cadence. For a second, you were bewitched by it.<<if $met.yasmin == true>> It almost sounded like Yasmin's voice.<</if>> <</switch>>\

The radio filled your ears with the tinny sound of a guitar ballad from many years ago. The quality wasn't the best, but what else could you expect from such a thing? It had been decades since this thing's prime. As the song came to a close, the airwaves were filled with a very different sound- there was a click, like something being pressed or a switch being flicked, and a voice started to speak. Through the haze of static his voice was dulcet, warm, low. "Listeners, you're tuned in to The Signal- best broadcast this side of the Divide. Tonight's lineup is all 1990s indie classics, man. Good shit, but the best is yet to come." There was a pause in his spiel, and you could hear the faint sound of papers rustling, as if he was searching for a script he needed to read from. "Got a request for me? You can read my tracklist and make personalized requests at my radio station in the Heights. Got something I don't? Donated records, tapes, and CDs are how this station keeps its lights on. Leave 'em in my dropbox, and who knows- you might hear 'em over the waves." The sound of another song started to fade in under the host's voice, and he wrapped up his spiel- "This is 4 Non Blondes with What's Up." Another click, and his voice was gone.

You caught the tail end of some kind of experimental indie song. As the guitar and harmonica faded out into static, <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik's<<else>>the host's<</if>> voice rang out. "Y'know, I heard the other day that something went down up by the North checkpoint. Bunch of caravaneers got killed." He paused, and you could hear the crack and sizzle of a can being opened in the background. "Fucked up, man. They already don't care about workers in town, now they're targetting outsiders? Fucked up, man." It was unclear what 'they' he was referencing.

<<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik<<else>>The host<</if>> was mid-ramble when you tuned in. "-get in trouble for talking about this on air, look, I don't care. I've said worse. I'm just saying, we shouldn't stop asking questions about Nadir. Who profited from his death? There's an answer to that, listeners. I'm not gonna risk saying it, but there's an answer to that."

"This show couldn't exist without your donations," <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik's<<else>>the host's<</if>> warm voice recited, practised and measured, "and this week we've got a //very generous// donation from the folks at the Rose and Thorn. I... look, kids listen to this show, I can't read this copy word for word." He chuckled, and you could hear the rustling of paper as he leafed through the ads they'd provided him. "Let's jut say there's somethin' for everybody eighteen and older up there and leave it at that, shall we? Look for the bloody rose in the Red Light, you can't miss it."

"This show couldn't exist without your donations," <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik<<else>>the host<</if>> recited, just a part of his usual ad setup. "And this week, I'd like to shout out L'Apothecaire-" (his French was shaky at best) "-on 1st in The Heights for their donation, albeit not a monetary one. They're now selling some //recreational// herbs, and let me just say, I can vouch for their quality any day!"

<<switch $radiodonations>>\ <<case 1>>\ After a tinny hip hop song faded out, it was replaced by the smooth tones of <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik's<<else>>the host's<</if>> voice. "Hey, we got another donation today to shout out- big thank you to <<print $player.name>> for <<print $pro.their>> generous donation." He paused, just a moment of fuzzy dead air. "Oh, that's a new name! Welcome to the family, <<print $player.name>>, good to have you. Thank you for the donation. Next up, we've got..." He went on to start introducing the next song on the roster. <<case 2>>\ <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik<<else>>the host<</if>> was in the middle of speaking when you tuned in. "-another donation from <<print $player.name>>. Thanks for your donation, it's greatly appreciated. And if anybody else wants to hear their name on this show, well, you can donate to the cause at our station up in The Heights." He moved on just as quickly as he'd introduced the topic. <<case 3>>\ "We've got another donation, folks- this one's a regular. Thank you for your generosity again, <<print $player.name>>." <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik's<<else>>the host's<</if>> voice was warm- he clearly remembered you. "Hope you're enjoying the show." <<default>>\ "Hey, folks, guess who the show's sponsored by again?" There was a jovial tone to <<if $met.includes("malik")>>Malik's<<else>>the host's<</if>> voice. "<<print $player.name>> came through again with another generous donation. From everybody here at The Signal- so, y'know, me- a sincere thank you. Please, keep it up." <</switch>>\

You stepped around the excitable greeter to approach the other person on prominent display near the entrance- that guard with his shotgun. He was leaning back in his chair with crossed legs, gun balanced over his knee, cigarette in his hand. His eyes were ringed with dark circles, and a jagged scar ran from the edge of his eyebrow up through his hairline, leaving pale scar tissue visible where his blonde hair was no longer growing. His red tank top showed off impressive arms. As you approached, he gave you a polite nod. "Need anything?" <ul>\ <li> [[“Sorry if this is rude, but are you a guy or a girl?”|Reese Gender]]</li>\ <<if not $met.includes("reese")>>\ <li> [[“Just wanted to say hi. You seem... interesting.”|Reese Introduction]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“What do you do around here?”|Reese Job]]</li> <li> [[“Be honest with me- anything shady going on around here?”|Reese Shady]]</li> <<if not $met.includes("yvette")>>\ <li> [[“Who's in charge around here?”|Reese Boss]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $attraction.includes("reese") and not $leads.includes("shotgunromance") and not $playedleads.includes("shotgunromance")>>\ <li> [[“Ever thought about putting on one of those red roses?”|Reese Rose]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Nah, it's fine.”|Rose and Thorn Hub]]</li> </ul>\

He laughed, nodding along. "Most people don't come to a brothel to meet the guards, y'know. But yeah. I'm pretty interesting, if I say so myself." "I'm <<print $player.name>>. Nice to meet you." "Reese." He took another drag off his cigarette, wondering where you were going to take this. <ul>\ <li> [[“Sorry if this is rude, but are you a guy or a girl?”|Reese Gender]]</li> <<if not $met.includes("yvette")>>\ <li> [[“I'm looking for work. Know if they're hiring?”|Reese Hiring]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $attraction.includes("reese")>>\ <li> [[“Ever thought about putting on one of those red roses?”|Reese Rose]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<set $met.push("reese")>>

"I'm whatever the fuck you think I am," he chuckled. "I'm a lesbian. I'm a guy. People call me all sorts of things. I don't really care." <ul>\ <li> [[Okay. Noted.|Reese]]</li> <<if not $identity.includes("genderfuck")>>\ <li> [[That really vibes with you for some reason.|Reese Genderfuck]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Gesturing to the shotgun in his lap, he gave you a dry, "Asset protection and deterring violence." After a moment he added on, "I mostly just kick out drunk people and point the gun at guys who touch the ladies. Not much action around here." * [[“So you'd say it's easy work? Know if they're hiring?”|Reese Hiring]] * [[“Sounds pretty chill, actually.”|Reese Chill]] * [[“Sounds pretty boring.”|Reese Boring]]

He nodded. "Better than my last gig by a country mile. Scavenging- don't fucking try it, man. Not worth the pay, and they barely pay anything." "They treat you better here?" "Oh, yeah," he nodded. "The boss around here is a treat, if you know how to talk to her. And I get a discount. Not in any official capacity, of course- the girls just like me." <ul>\ <li> [[Cute.|Reese]]</li> <<if $attraction.includes("reese")>>\ <li> [[“Wouldn't it be more lucrative to be on the other side of that arrangement?”|Reese Rose]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

He shrugged. "Y'know, it would be. But excitement isn't always a good thing. Got too much of that in my life." And with a conspiratorial wink, he muttered, "Plus, I get a discount. That's all the excitement I need." <ul>\ <li> [[Cute.|Reese]]</li> <<if $attraction.includes("reese")>>\ <li> [[“Wouldn't it be more lucrative to be on the other side of that arrangement?”|Reese Rose]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"I'd say you'd need to talk to the boss about that. She's an elusive one, though. Prefers to keep a low profile." He took his time to really savour a puff of his cigarette. Must have so much lung cancer if he was really smoking this often. "If you do track her down, don't disrespect her. She's not the forgiving type." "I'll keep that in mind." You weren't planning on it. But something about the way he said that indicated that perhaps this boss of his was... quick to take offence. * [[Noted.|Reese]]

The prospect seemed amusing to him, although he wasn't laughing. "Yeah, right. I'd rather sit in this chair all day than make a little extra getting hit on by creepy guys all day." With his thumbs, he gestured to his face, pockmarked and scarred from years of dangerous hard work out in the sun. "And I'm not exactly the type they're looking for in an upscale place like this." <ul>\ <li> [[“That just means you'd be cheap... which would be good for me, if you know what I mean.”|Reese Flirt Fail]]</li> <li> [[“Fair enough, it's certainly not for everybody. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.”|Reese Wish]]</li> <li> [[“They've got bad taste, then. I think you're the hottest person here.”|Reese Flirt]]</li> </ul>\

"Keep on wishing, then," he chuckled. He took a long drag off his cigarette. You got the sense he didn't really want to keep talking to you right now. * [[Ah, well.|Rose and Thorn Hub]]

As cheesy as that was, it put a grin across his face. "You flatter me." "It's the truth." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs and a hand on his shotgun. "Look- if you're so desperate for my companionship, meet me at the bar in The Stacks after my shift's over. Normally I'd charge at least a couple drinks for //escort services//, but since you're so cute, I'll settle for more of those compliments." Hell yeah. You've got a date. * [[“I'll see you there, then.”|Reese]] <<addlead "shotgunromance" "Shotgun Romance">>\

"No thanks." He scowled at you. "Hey, how about you go hit on the girls who are actually for sale, m'kay?" * [[You should probably leave.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] <<set $attraction.delete("reese")>>\

With a chuckle, he gestured in the vague area around himself. "Welcome to shady city, man! Nobody's clean around here. This place is better than most, though." Then, Reese's face got a little more serious. "Don't believe the rumours. They're fucking stupid." * [[“Wait, what rumours?”|Reese Rumours]] * [[“Okay, noted. Rumours are bullshit.”|Reese]]

The way his brow furrowed, it was obvious this was a source of massive annoyance for him. Maybe you shouldn't have asked. But you had, so he started to respond. "Look, some people out there take the theming in here too seriously. The blood theming, I mean. You hear all sorts of shit about the boss sacrificing girls or drinking customers' blood or whatever. All of it's nonsense, obviously." After a beat, maybe assessing whether or not you were cool, he added, "And the boss sure doesn't do shit to dispel any of it. I think she gets off on it, or finds it funny or whatever. Wears a little vial of blood sometimes, fake bloody clothes for 'fashion,' hell, she's got these fancy fake fangs she puts in sometimes to scare people. I don't think it's particularly funny." * [[“Have you considered that maybe... the boss does drink blood?”|Reese Blood]] * [[“Yeah, that sounds annoying.”|Reese Agree]] * [[“Honestly that sounds kinda hot.”|Reese Disagree]]

"If blood was getting drank in this place, I'd fucking know about it." Reese shook his head. "Those girls tell me everything. Nothing untoward happens. And I keep an eye on every stupid drunk that walks through those doors- none of 'em have gone missing yet." * [[“I guess not, then.”|Reese]]

"Trust me. Having to deal with the conspiracy theories all day is mind numbing." He shrugged. "It's whatever, though. I think it gets people interested, so whatever gets more asses in seats." * [[“Weird business strategy.”|Reese]]

He snorted. "Well, don't tell the boss that... she'll have you bleeding out in her personal chambers by the end of the night." And quickly after that, he added, "That's a joke." * [[“Sucks. I'd probably say yes.”|Reese]] * [[“That's probably for the best.”|Reese]]

"Yvette Valdez is the owner," he tells you. There's something odd in his voice when he says her name- not respect, really. But not disdain. Some third thing, a sort of time-worn familiarity. "She's got a lot of places in the Red Light, but this is her main gig. You'll probably see her around if you spend enough time in the Rose." "Is she here today?"<<if $leads.includes("roseandthorn")>> You really needed work, so lord knows you needed to talk to his boss. Urgently.<</if>> "Yeah, she's in the building today." Reese leaned back in his chair. "But don't hold your breath if you want to meet her. She usually stays upstairs. Only meets with VIPs." * [[Noted.|Reese]]

Reese gave you a shrug. "What, you met her and you don't think she's she enough?" "Everybody else seems to be calling her- uh, him- a guy." He was starting to trip you up. "I just... like, it seems like he was okay with being called a he. Actually, I think he called himself a he. I was confused." "She's a he to a lot of people, and a she to others. For example. Me." That wasn't helping the confusion much. "I don't know why. Just is." He took a big drag of his cigarette. Didn't seem much like he cared. "So... what? Should I be calling Yvette he or she?" A smile crossed his face, distant but distinct. "Yvette's the type to tell you when you fuck up. Just keep doing what you're doing. Trust me, you'll know if you're supposed to call her a lady." What a delightfully pointless conversation. * [[Probably best to drop the topic.|Reese]]

Being from up North, the idea of being a something-or-other in between wasn't exactly foreign. You recalled visiting with an augur in your youth during a particularly nasty infection, that strange androgynous figure you'd only seen from afar, their face covered in cloth and their body adorned with trinkets that clicked together with every movement. This kind of androgyny was something different, though. Every time you encountered it you could feel that vibe coming off of them. It was fresh. It was modern. No, it was futuristic. The androgynes and genderfucks of Signal Hill, at least the ones you'd met so far, had neon in their veins and ritual sanctity was the last thing they'd concern their bodies with. It was //sick as hell//. <<include "genderfuck">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "genderfuck" "Genderfuck">><<goto "Reese">><</link>> / [[NO|Reese]] """---"""</h1>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[TRACKING NUMBER|Track Building]]</h5>

After a few minutes of wandering along the paths marked out on Doc's map, you found yourself standing in the center of a flagstone street staring up at the marked building. You looked down at the map for a moment, and then back up. This was it for sure, down to the grocer's located on its left and the tailor's to the right. This nondescript little building was the place you were looking for. Three whole storeys of beige brick, with a few barred windows peeking out into the street. The front entrance was up on a tall foundation with a window at ground level, implying that the bottom floor of this place descended beneath street level, a bit of an odd feature but not unheard of in The Stacks. You had almost wondered if Doc's memory had failed him, but sure enough, here it was. No signage. Nothing indicating a commercial endeavor. Your cargo had been destined for this run-of-the-mill apartment building. Only one thing left to do. * [[Knock on the front door.|Track Knock]]

Taking a few steps up the stairs, you could only imagine the ordeal it would have been to get that box inside. It would have fit through the door for sure, but the steps were a little too tall and there wasn't much of a landing at the top. The door was a wooden thing reinforced with metal plates all bolted in place, with a barred window to allow the occupants to see outside. The lock looked heavy duty too. Not uncommon in a place like Signal Hill where your neighbors would sooner steal your shit than wave from across the street, but still a little overkill. Whoever owned this building could afford to install a deterrent like this. Knowing it was some sort of apartment building, you weren't sure whether knocking would even accomplish anything. But you had no other choice. Choosing an area without any sheets of metal, you rapped a few times on the door and waited patiently. * [[And waited.|Track Wait]]

You knew your knock had accomplished something. There was a distinct sound from inside, boots on floors, or maybe knocking on an interior door. Somebody had reacted to your knock in some way. But they weren't coming to the door. You stood there for a few minutes, hearing yet more movement inside, unsure what was going on. By the time the idea to knock again had entered your head, you were beaten to the punch by the door swinging open. The hallway inside was dark, with floating dust illuminated by the light streaming in from outside. There in the doorframe, towering over you, was a young man. He was clad in an oversized grey windbreaker and ripped jeans. Half his dark hair was buzzed close to the skin, the other half worn long, wavy, a little tangled. Just under his chin he had the most peculiar tattoo, solid black that went all the way around his neck and faded as it met his chest. He stared down at you with cold blue eyes, and as you stared back, you noticed something odd. Starting directly under his right eye and ringing it like a halo were five long, straight scars. The skin there was lighter than the rest of his olive complexion, and raised, catching the light. <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>Scars were a mark of religious piety in the North, though you had never seen this particular pattern.<<else>>It was the strangest thing. Certainly didn't happen by accident.<</if>> "Can I help you with something?" the man asked, leaning against the doorframe with one of his arms on his hip. He was a living contradiction- the casualness of his dress and words couldn't possibly coexist with the severity of his gaze and his smooth, forceful voice. The guy looked like an eagle staring down prey. * [[“It's kind of a long story.”|Track Story]] * [[“Are you expecting a delivery?”|Track Delivery]] * [[“You fucking owe me.”|Track Owe]]

The guy folded his arms in front of him and raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay. I've got all day." This wasn't true. His impatience was palpable as you tried to find the words to explain this situation. After fumbling for a moment, you finally gave up. "Maybe... it's best if we talk about this inside." "Look, I've got important business to attend to," he said, turning to go back inside. Ah, shit. This wasn't turning out well. Not well at all. "It's about the delivery," you blurted out just as he had started to shut the door. His head snapped back to stare at you, eyes wide. "It was stolen." * [[That seemed to catch his attention.|Track Tea]]

His eyes widened as you mentioned this. "You're with the shipping company?" "Uh... yeah. I'm a contractor." Best to be 100% up front here. You were about to break some pretty bad news. "So... where is it? Do you need me to pay up front? It should be under my name..." Time to do it. No more delays. You had to tell him what happened. You braced for the worst and blurted it out. "The cargo was stolen." In that moment, his face went white. His voice trembled a little. "How about... you come inside?" * [[You follow.|Track Blow]]

The guy folded his arms in front of him and raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met." <<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("tops")>>You lifted up your _item to show the wound off.<</if>><</for>> You gestured to your bandaged midsection, and the clean white surgical bandages had just a bit of blood seeping through them. "I was in that fucking caravan, and I got shot by some assholes who really wanted whatever the hell you were shipping." Rage was bubbling up in your windpipe (or maybe stomach acid). Whatever this asshole's cargo was, //somebody// wanted to steal it, and he should have goddamn known that, so it was his fucking fault you were in this mess to begin with. "On the plus side for you, everybody else is rotting in the ash-wastes, so you only owe a quarter of the fee. Scratch that- //half// for this hole in my side." He stared at you for a moment, just a little longer than you'd expect, and maintaining that anger was getting harder by the second. It was quickly fading. You felt like a cat after being taken out of a bath. There were people just walking by in the street, and they probably thought you were insane. Finally, he broke the silence. "God, that's awful." His voice had a distinct softness to it. "Come in, have a seat in the living room, I'll see about getting that payment for you." * [[Phew. You were worried your anger had scared the guy off.|Track Blow]] * [[You're still indignant. But you enter. Indignantly.|Track Blow]] <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-10)>>\

You ascended that last few steps and followed him into the dusty building. There was a set of wooden stairs leading up to the second floor that was only accessible from the far end of the hallway, and several doors along the way that he bypassed without a second thought. It was dark, and you could just barely see over his shoulder what lay at the end of the hall- a pitch black doorway hanging open like the maw of a beast. Perhaps he was leading you to the stairs. Yeah. That was probably it. "My apologies about the condition of this place," he said, "it was abandoned for some time before the current landlord purchased it. It's a bit of a fixer upper, y'know." Sure enough, when he reached the doorway, he stepped off to the right and gestured at the rickety staircase. "After you." You only took a few steps towards the staircase before you heard a shuffling from behind you, and then the cracking of a large object colliding with your skull. * [[Consider yourself lucky to be unconscious for the part where you fall down an entire set of stairs into the basement.|Track Basement]] <<set $temp = "knocked out">>\

"I was just making some tea. Would you like some?" The man had an electric kettle in his hand, the cord spooled up in the other. You found yourself sitting in an armchair in a sort of living room. This place would have looked completely foreign to the residents of Signal Hill. An assortment of things hung from hooks drilled into the ceiling, everything from plant pots overflowing with vines to beadwork wards to knotted ropes crisscrossing the room in various patterns. The wooden floor panels could barely be seen beneath an assortment of rugs, and the walls were lined with photos of holy figures interlaced with hand-painted sigils. What was foreign to a resident of Signal Hill, though, reminded you of sitting in your grandmother's kitchen, the taste of homemade sugar pie, the sound of radio dramas she'd recorded on cassette playing for the hundredth time. This was the home of a Northerner. One who'd seen the old world, or at least someone who knew the style well enough to mimic it. Although the man who seemingly lived here was far too young to be your grandmother, he might as well be ancient for the kind of decor he kept around. He had real old fashioned tea cups, which he sat down on the coffee table on top of a thin lace doily. His face was oddly cool, this unchanging pleasant expression that wasn't quite right. * [[“I'd love some tea.”|Track Tea Yes]] * [[“I'm more of a coffee person.”|Track Tea No]]

Sunk into this scratchy jaquard armchair, you watched as he methodically dipped a tea bag into the cup a few times, its string looped over his finger and twirling a small spoon with his other hand. Sliding the cup over to your side of the table, he lingered there, his eyes boring into you. The pressure of his gaze was intense and refused to let up for just a little bit too long. It was impolite not to accept what was offered to you. Hospitality and all. Reluctant, you looped a couple fingers into the handle of the teacup and brought it to your lips. Without any sugar or milk to offset it, a distinctly tart taste permeated your mouth. It had hints of ginger, a vague note of peppermint, and a really strong thing you couldn't identify. Something floral, maybe. Not altogether bad, but the way it stuck in the back of your throat made you wince a little.<<if $identity.includes("devotee")>> There was something familiar about that flavour, something you couldn't quite place.<</if>> "So. About this theft." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and pursing his lips. "I'm very interested to hear... how this happened." <ul>\ <li> [[You start to tell him about the ambush.|Track Pass Out]]</li> <<if $identity.includes("devotee") and $player.gender == "androgyne">>\ <li> [[You know you remember that damn taste... what is it?|Track Augur Confirm]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Just like that, it came back to you. Kneeling between two other initiates, the smell of incense, your stomach eating itself out of hunger. Beads and chains and coins hung from your headdress, around your nude form, wrapped around your neck and your arms in elaborate arrangements. The augur stood before you with a ritual dagger and a bottle of a sour-smelling red liquid. You parted your lips as it spilled over your face, feeling it run down your chin and cling to your chest like water from a showerhead. The taste was strange, like fermented flowers. Moments later, your head was spinning, your eyes unfocused, your body tingling. <<if $identity.includes("augur")>>\ * [[Oh no. That's not good.|Track Pass Out]] <<else>>\ <<include "augur">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "augur" "Augur">><<goto "Track Pass Out">><<set $temp1 = "completed">><</link>> / [[NO|Track Pass Out]] """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\

<<if $temp1 == "completed">>\ That was it. You weren't sure what exactly was in that tincture from your initiation, but whatever it was, it was this. That shit knocked you out in only a couple minutes. This wasn't nearly as strong, at least based on the lack of an overpowering fermented taste. But it was the same thing. Shit. <<else>>\ That was it. Not completing the initiation meant you never really discovered what that tincture was, but whatever it was, it was this. That shit knocked you out in only a couple minutes. This wasn't nearly as strong, at least based on the lack of an overpowering fermented taste. But it was the same thing. Shit. <</if>>\ You opened your mouth to try to speak, but nothing came out. Your head was... foggy. There was something you were trying to do. What was it? At the very least, the hole in your side wasn't hurting. And the tingles on your back felt so good. With a shaky hand you took another sip of that tea, hearing the clink of the spoon bouncing against china as if it were underwater. * [[You passed out before you got the chance to put the cup back down.|Track Basement]] <<unset $temp1>>\ <<set $temp = "poisoned">>\

"Suit yourself." He plucked a tea bag from a selection set out on the table and you watched as he methodically dipped it into the cup a few times, its string looped over his finger and twirling a small spoon with his other hand. "I'm very curious to hear about this... theft." He sat back into his own, much nicer chair, crossing one leg over the other. "Robbery," you corrected. "It was stolen by armed robbers just outside the city." "Now isn't that unfortunate." He brought the teacup to his lips. You could see his left eye twitch a little. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself... god, where are my manners? I'm Levi." Taking another sip and setting down his cup, he continued. "So, armed robbers, huh? What exactly did theses armed robbers do?" * [[“They fucking shot me, man. And killed everybody else.”|Track Heated]] * [[“They didn't give us a chance to surrender. They killed my companions and tried to kill me.”|Track Calm]] <<set $met.push("levi")>>\

"I'm sure you could explain that to me without raising your voice," he muttered. His face looked almost offended. You weren't sure if that was genuine or not. "I'm very sorry about your injury, but it's no reason to be rude." "What the fuck does that mean?" You were ready to lose your temper at this guy. He stood up from his seat to start idly pacing the room, and you continued your little tirade with your eyes fixed to him. "Whatever that package was, somebody tried to kill me for it. I watched a guy get his brains blown out in front of me! Days ago!" <<include "Track Strangle">> <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-10)>>\

"We were maybe a few miles out North of the city, and a whole group of guys with body armour and automatic rifles came at us from the side. They opened fire as soon as they got into range." You recounted the events of that day as efficiently as possible. He could know who almost killed you. It was worth communicating who they were in as much detail as possible, as little as you had. "Jesus," Levi said, his expression somber. "That sounds awful. Were you hurt?" * [[“I sure did better than the other guys.”|Track Quip]] * [[“Yeah.” You show him your bandaged wound.|Track Wound]]

Levi stepped behind you, and before you could turn to look at him, a flurry of motion overtook you. There was //something// around your throat, two strong hands on either side of your neck cinching your windpipe, holding you back against the chair. Your hands went to your neck as you struggled to breathe, your legs kicking and trying to buck the chair out of place to no avail. This guy was holding you in place with just his two hands and a braided cord around your throat and there was nothing you could do about it. * [[And then everything went black.|Track Basement]] <<set $temp = "strangled">>

"I suppose so." He stood up from his seat with an anxious sort of energy in his step, as if to start idly pacing. "It's awful convenient that the rest of your group was killed, and you were barely injured, hm? One might start to suspect some kind of impropriety there." Jesus. Who was this guy, acting like you were some kind of criminal? You were here //to find his package for him//, the asshole! "I'm not sure what you're trying to imply with that, but it's not the case." <<include "Track Strangle">>

Levi craned his neck to look at your torso as you exposed your bandaged wound. His eyes were calculating, like he was assessing you closely- trying to figure out if there was really an injury under there, perhaps? It was patently obvious, though. You probably needed to get them changed soon, there was blood soaking through right at the edges where there was less padding and some of the surgical tape was coming loose. Anybody could tell that you'd been shot, and that it was bad. "That looks... unfortunate. They must have been very intent on getting that package." His eyes were cold and empty. Behind them, his mind was working, trying to calculate who was behind this. You'd love to help him, but you had no clue either. "Was there anything else you saw? Any more details?" <ul>\ <<if Flag("SeenWolfe")>>\ <li> [[“I do remember... something else.”|Track Details]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if Flag("HeardGeneral")>>\ <li> [[“They mentioned a general.”|Track Military]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“I don't remember anything else.”|Track Nothing]]</li> </ul>\

It was a faint memory. Right before you were shot, before the life started draining out of you. "The guy who shot me. I saw his face. He was... kind of on the short side, freckles, military haircut. His voice was cold... commanding. I think he was in charge of them. When he told them what to do, they did it." Levi leaned in closer, his stare intense. "What did he tell them to do?" "Uh... leave the lid on. They said they were going to crack the lid, and he said it would... um... stress the cargo." There was something else... something. "He... I think he told them to bring it to 'the depot.'" With that, climax, the tension left the room. Levi leaned back in his chair, sinking into its mass. "Ah. There we go. That's what I needed to hear." * [[Wonderful. You did your job. Now... payment?|Track Payment][$temp2 = true]] * [[Okay, now you expect your damn money.|Track Payment][$temp2 = false]] <<SetFlag "HonestLevi">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(5)>>\

It was a faint memory. Right after you were shot, while the life was draining out of you. "I didn't get a good look at the guy who shot me, but he kept giving everybody else instructions. Their commander, I guess." "And you said he mentioned a general?" Levi was leaning in close, his stare intense. "I think... he said something about not getting in trouble with 'the general.' Sounded like they must have been military or something." With that, climax, the tension left the room. Levi leaned back in his chair, sinking into its mass. "Ah. There we go. That's what I needed to hear." * [[Wonderful. You did your job. Now... payment?|Track Payment][$temp2 = true]] * [[Okay, now you expect your damn money.|Track Payment][$temp2 = false]] <<SetFlag "HonestLevi">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(5)>>\

Levi pursed his lips. "That is... unfortunate. Still, very good information." He'd better be satisfied with it, because it was all you could offer. You had gotten shot for that information, and three guys had died for it. * [[You did your job. Now... payment?|Track Payment][$temp3 = true]] * [[Okay, now you expect your damn money.|Track Payment][$temp3 = false]]

<<if $temp3 == false>>\ "Okay." You stood up from your chair, brushing a little dust off your legs. This place was a bit of a mess. "You've got what you need. I've done my job. Let's get to the payment." <<elseif $temp3 == true>>\ "That's good to hear. I'm glad I was able to help." You stood up from your chair, brushing a little dust off your legs. This place was a bit of a mess. "Hopefully you'll be able to track it down. However, I'm wondering about my payment." <</if>>\ <<if Flag("HonestLevi")>>\ Nodding, Levi muttered, "You have been both a bearer of bad news and a great help. And you have technically brought the cargo... to the city, at least. I think that's worth payment." <<if $temp3 == false>>\ "No kidding." Gesturing again to your nearly fatal wound, you argued, "I almost died on this job. If anything, I should be getting more." <<elseif $temp3 == true>>\ "I would certainly hope so." Gesturing again to your nearly fatal wound, you muttered, "It would help pay for... this." <</if>>\ "Let me make you a proposal." He took a long sip of his tea, his face uncomfortably neutral. "You've earned your original payment. But I still don't have the cargo. Now, the process of getting this back... let's just say, I can't go through //official channels// for an assortment of very good reasons. Help me retrieve it, and I'll double the original paycheck." <<set $temp3 == true>>\ <<else>>\ Levi took a long sip of his tea, a dark look in his eyes. "I don't have my cargo. And I don't know where it is. If I recall correctly, that means the contract is void. I don't owe you anything." You were almost speechless. All of this, for nothing? "I can't just leave without getting paid. I got shot almost to death trying to deliver this! Is that not worth anything to you?!" In an instant, he slammed his teacup back down on the saucer, the sound of ceramic against ceramic reverberating through the room. You felt all your muscles tense up. The saucer was cracked down the middle, and the tag on the teabag swung from the rim of the teacup as it settled in place. "You didn't let me finish." His voice was set in that same uncomfortable cool, not a trace of the anger present in his actions. "I will pay you if you deliver the cargo as negotiated." "I'm sorry?" "Assist me in tracking it down, and you will get your payment." It was insanity. "Double. Double the payment, and I'll consider it." "My... that's a big ask. But I think my pocketbook can handle it." He leaned over in his chair, placing his weight on one elbow on the arm, one hand laying neatly on he other. From violent outburst to casual in an instant. <</if>>\ You were at a veritable standstill. Looking into his eyes, you knew that he knew that he was in total control here. <<if $temp3 == true>>He could offer you four times your payment, and he'd still only be spending what he had budgeted for the delivery. And you didn't exactly have any bargaining chips anymore to force him to pay up. <<else>>He was holding the payment over your head, and if you wanted anything, you'd just have to go along with it. And the real kicker? Whatever he offered you, he was still going to be saving money now that he only had one person to pay. <</if>>The bastard was smart, you could say that much. <ul>\ <li> [[“Hell yeah. Let's do it.”|Track Agree]]</li> <li> [[“That sounds fair.”|Track Agree]]</li> <li> <<link "“That's a big ask. You're going to need to sweeten the deal a little.” ">><<savvyroll 8 "Track Savvy Success" "Track Savvy Failure">><</link>></li> <<if $temp3 == true>>\ <li> [[“That's bullshit. Do it your damn self.”|Track Take Money]]</li> <li> [[“That's not really my speed. I'll just take what I'm due and move on.”|Track Take Money]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“That's bullshit. Do it your damn self.”|Track Disagree]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Very well." Levi seemed satisfied with your performance. "I'll just have to hire somebody else. No big loss." You accepted your payment. Finally. The money you were due. This whole headache was finally over, and you could move on with your meager starter cash and get to the more important stuff. Whatever this cargo was... well, you weren't destined to find out. Not now, at least. Stepping back out into the smoggy, ash-choked city air, you left Levi and his strange home and his mysterious cargo behind. * [[You were ready to set out on the real journey.|Track Finish]] <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-10)>>\

"Very good." He glanced up at the ceiling, although with the decorations you couldn't tell for sure if he was contemplating something or getting distracted. "So what exactly is this job going to entail?" <<if Flag("HonestLevi")>>\ "I'm going to need somebody who is not publicly associated with me to inquire with the local militia about seized cargo." There was math going on behind his eyes- he was still actively formulating this plan as he spoke. "We may need to forge some documents... it can not be clear to them that I was the intended recipient. They would know that you are not me." Why the militia would know who he was on sight wasn't of any concern to you. Maybe you could ask that later. "Yeah, okay. I can lie to some military pencil-pushers. No big deal." <<else>>\ "We still need to determine who was responsible for stealing the cargo." There was math going on behind his eyes- he was still actively formulating this plan as he spoke. "Perhaps I can send you back to the scene of the crime, as it were. Or we can discuss the likely suspects and attempt to narrow down the list." "You don't seem like you have a very clear idea yet." He shook his head. "I don't. This is a major inconvenience. And we have something of a time limit. Just... how about you meet me at the Juice Bar on Main, and we'll discuss it later, once I've gotten my thoughts in order." "Okay. Yeah, sounds good." <</if>>\ * [[With that, it was time to leave this strange place. For now.|Track Finish]] <<set $temp5 = true>>\

"Very well." Levi seemed completely unphased by this rejection. "Your loss. I have several dozen people who could do it instead, and the means to hire even more." It was almost... bragging? You couldn't quite ascribe that to him, this man who seemed characterized by aloofness. Whatever he was doing, it felt wrong to call it 'bragging.' This was an accurate assessment of his means. "My money, then?" "You have not done your job. Your contract is void. Leave." You were stunned into silence. Who the fuck was this man, refusing to pay you after all you'd done for him? It wasn't your goddamn fault you had no information for him. It boiled your blood. * [[You storm out, intent on making money elsewhere.|Track Storm]] * [[You decide the best way to proceed is to take your money by force.|Track Force]]

Without so much as another word, you flipped the guy off and stormed out of the front door. This was the last shipping job you were ever going to fucking take. Time to get into a safer industry- become a merc or a fishpacker or some shit. Whatever happened, this path was forever blocked off from you. There went your paycheck. But then again... if this cargo was worth so much, you could probably get a pretty penny for it if you tracked it down first. Just maybe. * [[Good riddance.|Track Finish]] <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-20)>>\

No more fucking around. You were going to get your money, one way or another. <<if $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>You drew your pistol from its holster and aimed it directly at the guy's head.<<elseif $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>You started getting the strap of your rifle over your head, ready to get a good shot off on this guy.<<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>You drew your revolver from its holster and aimed it directly at the guy's head.<<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>You lifted your shotgun out of its holster, brandishing it at the man.<<elseif $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>You brandished your knife- admittedly not the scariest weapon to threaten someone with, but your current best option.<<elseif $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>You brandished your bat at him, a threatening sight indeed.<</if>> But before you could even make a verbal threat, he'd drawn his own weapon- a slick black pistol which had been tucked into his jean pocket. He'd fired in an instant, and you dropped to the ground. As the blood leaked from your body from your second bullet wound in only a few days, Levi stepped around the coffee table to look down on you. You must have been a dour sight, bleeding into the rugs and staining them for sure. The last thing you saw was him shaking his head at you, and the inside of the barrel of his pistol before another shot rang out. * [[Bang. Dead.|Track Dead]]

<h1>YOU DIED.</h1> //Let's try that again, shall we?// <h1>"""------""" [[GO BACK|Track Payment]] """------"""</h1>

"Look, Levi," you started, formulating your pitch as you went. "I don't know what's in that box, but it's clearly of pretty significant importance to you. So much that you were willing to pay all of that to get it here. Now, you're offering me //half// the total payment?" "You are one quarter of the people hired. Half is generous." Still he was hearing you out. Shaking your head slowly, you said, "I don't think you really believe that. You're a real smart guy, I can tell- and I think you're smart enough to know you're lowballing me here. But I'm not asking for the full payment." Levi's interest was piqued. "You aren't? Okay, go on." "Three quarters. You're still making out with a deal, right? But now we're both profiting. It's a win-win. I get to do this work for you for reasonable pay, and you get to save a buck while getting... basically, free work." There was a long pause, and you couldn't analyze his face at all. It wasn't clear if he was considering your offer or considering who else to hire in your stead. If he refused, well... he had all the bargaining chips. "I know what you're trying to do here, <<print $player.name>>." Levi gazed at you with those dark blue eyes full of thought, and infinitely smarter than you even as you tried your hardest to outwit him. "And I want you to know that I'm agreeing because I find your attempt endearing, not because it worked. Your original payment up front, and the other two quarters once the cargo is acquired." * [[Close enough. Jackpot.|Track Agree]] <<set $temp5 = true>>\ <<set $temp6 = true>>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(5)>>\

The first thing you felt, before your eyes even opened, was leather straps digging into your wrists. Then, cold metal against your back. Your teeth were held apart by a thick fabric gag that had been tied around your head, and your feet were restrained, a rope wrapped around them and secured to something strong. Then, another thing came into focus- a throbbing headache, right in your temple. <<if $temp == "knocked out">>That must have been where he hit you.<<elseif $temp == "poisoned">>The painkilling effects of that tea had evidently worn off by now.<<else>>It even eclipsed the pain from the rope burn around your neck.<</if>> That pain was telling you to keep your eyes firmly shut. Beyond them there was light, foul light, so bright it was glowing through your lids. If you opened them, it was going to kill you for sure. You'd go into shock or something. This headache was going to burst a blood vessel if it got any worse. At least, that's what it felt like. * [[Ignore it. Open them.|Track Open]] * [[Obey. Keep them closed.|Track Closed]] <<SetFlag "KidnappedByLevi">>\

If it were possible to squeeze your eyes shut any further, you would have done it. You lay there a little longer, listening to the ambience of the room through the pounding in your skull. There was a low buzz, some kind of electric light right above you, the source of your woes. The whirring of a fan. And footsteps against concrete. Listening long enough, they came towards you, and back away, and back towards you again. Your captor was pacing. After a little while, you heard a voice. Not the same voice as before- surely the same person, but not the same voice. It was disjointed and rushed, far from the smooth delivery of his practised persona. "Christ, what's taking so long? This shit shouldn't be that potent..." Oh. He didn't know you were awake yet. Maybe if you kept still, he wouldn't kill you. Good plan. "Stolen... how? Nobody knew. Nobody was //supposed// to know." He had stopped, now. Right next to the table. Standing over you. You kept your eyes squeezed shut, away from the light, away from him. Like a child. Pathetic. The whine of the light was interrupted by <<if $met.includes("levi")>>Levi's<<else>>the man's<</if>> voice again, this time right by your head. "You're awake, aren't you? How long have you been awake? Open your fucking eyes." He sounded more exasperated than murderous. * [[Okay... you open them.|Track Delayed Open]]

Mind over matter. Your eyes fluttered open, and in an instant you were blinded. A bright flourescent sat only a few feet above your head, shining right at you, bright white and uncompromising. It bored into your skull. You turned your head to get away from the cruel light, and as your eyes adjusted, the first thing they saw was your captor. He standing in front of a metal counter on the other side of the room, which was pushed up against an exposed brick wall. His windbreaker<<if $temp == "knocked out">>, now spattered with blood,<</if>> had been discarded on a chair in the corner in favour of a black tank top, revealing his bare skin underneath. But it was far from bare- his sinewy arms were covered in black ink, large unbroken fields of it ringing his defined biceps and the forms of delicate vines and mushrooms spreading off from there. Unbroken except for raised skin, yet more short scars arranged in uniform rings and odd patterns across his flesh. * [[Your kidnapper. Who will probably murder you soon.|Track Kidnapped]] * [[Your kidnapper. But you have to admit... he's kinda hot.|Track Hot]]

In this light, you saw him much differently. <<if $temp == "knocked out">>Maybe it was the brain damage,<<elseif $temp == "poisoned">>Maybe you were still a little loopy,<<else>>Maybe it was the lack of oxygen to your brain,<</if>> but you kept thinking about how that tank top was a much better choice of clothing for him. It clung tight enough for you to see his shoulder blades and the subtle curve of his waist through the thin ribbed knit. Underneath it, his body was lean but strong, waist narrow like one of those old statues with no heads. And his arms... swoon. Sure, he knocked you out and tied you up in his basement, but we all have our flaws. Maybe if you played your cards right then by the end of the night you'd be gagging on something else. And also not get murdered. Were you really objectifying your kidnapper? Yes. Yes you were. And you should be ashamed. Your dreamy-eyed musings were cut short when <<if $met.includes("levi")>>Levi<<else>>the guy<</if>> glanced over his shoulder and caught you staring. He started towards you with a calm expression on his face. <ul>\ <li> <<link "Try to look, like, cute and helpless or something. ">><<if $identity.includes("genderfuck")>><<set $bonus += 1>><</if>><<glamroll 12 "Track Glam Success" "Track Glam Failure">><</link>></li> <li> [[Okay, maybe it's time to take this seriously.|Track Confront]]</li> </ul>\ <<if not $attraction.includes("levi")>>\ <<set $attraction.push("levi")>>\ <</if>>\

There was something so... normal about him. It was offputting. He'd tied you up in his basement, and yet he was going about his business with his shoulders relaxed and his toe tapping. You were pretty sure you were about to get tortured to death, but just by looking at him, you'd think he was getting dinner ready. Maybe he was. All sorts of freaks out there. You inhaled sharply as you watched him glance over his shoulder at you. He started towards you, his expression calm. Like somebody who'd gut you and eat you for dinner, perhaps. * [[You're unable to move from fear. And also from the restraints.|Track Confront]]

Reluctant, you let one eye open just enough to see what was going on around you. You were glad that the light was no longer shining directly into your eyes. You were not glad to see that the thing blocking it was your captor looming over you. He was almost just a silhouette in front of the bright fluorescent, dark shadows cast over the forms of his strong nose and sharp jaw. He'd shed his windbreaker in favour of a black ribbed tank top, which exposed enough skin that you could make out the true extent of his tattoos underneath. His sinewy arms were covered in black ink, large unbroken fields of it ringing his defined biceps and the forms of delicate vines and mushrooms spreading off from there. But there was something else, something you could only see clearly in such bright light- raised areas on his skin, like around his eye. They adorned it like some kind of elaborate star chart, winding in concentric circles of dotted lines and longer lines spreading out from central points. "I've been waiting for you. Wasting my time right now is a pretty bad decision." His voice was dry, unfeeling. But there was a casual edge to it. You might not have clocked it as robotic at the time, but his voice had sure sounded robotic before. "I want to make this easy on you, okay? But you're gonna have to work with me." That was when you noticed what was in his right hand- a sizable metal cleaver. He was idly running the sharp edge along his jeans, and you could tell it was sharp and heavy enough to cut through bone without much issue. "Oh, this?" When he noticed you staring, a grin spread across his face, and he hefted the knife up where you could examine it more easily. "This is just for cutting all those ropes you're tangled up in once you answer all my questions. Cooperate, and it'll stay that way." * [[You're gagged, but you try to respond anyway.|Track Gagged]]

You stared up at your captor as he loomed over you. His eyes, deep blue, scanned you with a distinct indifference. Like he wasn't particularly interested. Like this was a job. "Good to see you're up. That was a real nasty fall you took." After a moment without any response from his captive audience, a grin spread across his face- the first you'd seen on him. "I'm just fucking with you. Look, I'm going to try to make this easy on you, but you've gotta do the same for me. We're gonna work together on this, okay?" His speech was much looser, more casual here. He was putting on an image before. This was where he felt comfortable. Concerning, given what he revealed was in his hand- a sizable metal cleaver. "Oh, this thing?" When he caught you glancing at it, he raised it up for easier viewing, twisting it so it gleamed in the fluorescent light. "It's for cutting those ropes you're all tangled up in once you answer my questions, of course. I won't need to use it for anything else so long as you help me out." * [[You're gagged, but you try to respond anyway.|Track Gagged]]

Letting out a pitiful whimper through the gag, you tried to form words around the cloth stuck between your teeth. Your jaw was getting sore from the constant pressure and the knot was digging into the back of your neck. Eventually, he rolled his eyes at your struggling and decided to do something about it. He looped a finger under the gag and braced his other hand against your jaw, yanking the fabric up and pulling your neck with it in the process. With the knot tightened and the gag loosened, he was able to slip it over your chin and leave you free to speak. "Now, let's start with the questions, shall we?" * [[“I just wanna get this over with.”|Track Questions][$temp1 = "cooperative"]] * [[“Are you kidding me? Fuck no! I'm not answering shit! Let me go!”|Track Refuse][$temp1 = "uncooperative"]]

Struggling against your bounds only led to the ropes getting tighter, constricting your limbs and keeping you trapped against this table. Your fingers grasped at the smooth metal surface and found no purchase, and flailing only led to your wrists and ankles getting sore. It was no use. "I don't think you've understood me," <<if $met.includes("levi")>>Levi<<else>>your captor<</if>> intoned. He hefted his cleaver above your hand, as if ready to strike. "You're going to answer my questions. Honestly. Okay?" * [[“Okay, okay, fuck. Yeah, I'll answer your damn questions.”|Track Questions]] * [[“I'm not scared of you, bastard! Let me the fuck out!”|Track Bastard]] <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-10)>>\

"Okay. Have it your way then. But I recommend spreading out those fingers of yours so I don't take out two by accident." <<set $nextpassage = "Track Questions">>\ <<include "Track Chop">>\

You stared up at your captor as he loomed over you. His eyes, deep blue, scanned you with a distinct indifference. Like he wasn't particularly interested. That was a problem, of course. "Good to see you're up. You really kept me waiting there." It would be damn near impossible to seduce the guy if you were gagged like this, so you started making noise in hopes that he would free you. Not too much. Pointed noise. Best not to act like you were freaking out, otherwise he might get annoyed. This plan seemed successful, as he hooked a finger around your gag. You could feel his skin against yours. "Go ahead, say whatever it is you want to say. If you start screaming or something, I'm gonna shut you up again." He yanked on the fabric hard and your neck was pulled up with it as the knot tightened. The gag was loose enough now for him to pull it down over your chin. Intent on not wasting this first impression, you chose your words carefully. "If you wanted to tie me up, you could have just asked. It would have been a lot less hassle for us both!" It took a moment for his reaction to take shape, but a grin spread across his face. "This isn't the kind of restraint you're in the market for, I'm afraid." Damn. Failure. But then, the 'but' entered the picture. "Maybe if you answer all my questions I //won't// cut those ropes when I'm done with you, hm?" "If that's the reward, I'll tell you whatever you want to hear." Fuck yes. Success. Flawless execution. This must have been impossibly unlikely. "Let's get started, then. I'll make it quick." * [[You sit back and wait for the questioning to begin. This is kind of exciting.|Track Questions]] <<set $temp1 = "cooperative">>\ <<set $temp4 = "flirted">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(10)>>\ <<set $flirt.levi += 1>>\

You stared up at your captor as he loomed over you. His eyes, deep blue, scanned you with a distinct indifference. Like he wasn't particularly interested. That was a problem, of course. Putting on your best seductive-yet-scared face, you faux-struggled against your restraints (actually struggling would have hurt, and also wouldn't look as sexy). This was presumably what he was into given that he was some kind of freak with a dungeon in his basement. You tried to say something through the gag, but it was like, really in there and the whole thing came out incoherent. Your captor tilted his head to the side, a puzzled expression creeping onto his face. "What the fuck are you doing?" Damn. Hurtful. Did he not even see how hard you were trying for him? You tried to say something else, something that was probably even more stupid, but that gag made it little more than babbling. <<if $met.includes("levi")>>Levi<<else>>The guy<</if>> hooked a finger around your gag and pulled hard, your neck being yanked up by the force as the knot tightened and the fabric itself loosened. He pulled it down over your chin and let it fall loose around your neck. "Okay, whatever you're trying to say, say it again." Instead, you went back to plan A. Sexy. Seduction. "Oh god," you cried out, your best hardcore porn tape impression contrasting against the environment around you like water and oil. "I feel so helpless... what's a big strong man like you gonna do with me all tied up like this..." He stared at you for what felt like minutes, his face blank, before he mustered the words. "I can't tell if you're trying to mock me." "No, I'm //terrified// of what you're gonna //do to me//..." You actually winked at him. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. * [[He says, “Yeah, you probably should be.”|Track Glam Chop]] <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-20)>>\ <<set $flirt.levi += 1>>\

You weren't even aware he was holding a butcher's cleaver until it was hovering over your left hand. "Since you're already not taking me seriously, let's go ahead and get started, shall we? Be sure to spread your fingers a bit, wouldn't want to take two out by accident." <<set $nextpassage = "Track Questions">>\ <<include "Track Chop">>\

Was he really going to do that? Was it worth acting like he wasn't? You did as you were told, feeling the cold metal of the table pressing against your four fingertips, and then in an instant feeling the cold metal pressing against your three fingertips. His knife came down right above the first knuckle on your pinky in a tiny fountain of blood, and you let out a scream you couldn't control. If only that gag were still in your mouth so you'd have something to bite down on. The pain wasn't quite as bad as the hole in your side, but nothing was going to compare to that. This was pretty bad, though. 7/10. * [[“Jesus fuking christ, did you just cut my finger off? Holy shit!”|Track Gingerly]] * [[“I didn't... need that finger... it's fine...”|Track Gingerly]] <<SetFlag "LostFinger">>\ <<set $needsfirstaid = true>>\ <<set $firstaid = "lost finger">>\

<<if $met.includes("levi")>>Levi<<else>>The man<</if>> gave you a small, amused smile. He picked up your severed digit, examining it for a moment. It was surreal to see it detached like that. That was your finger. In his hand. Away from the rest of your hand. And the cut was so clean, almost surgical. You wanted to throw up. "Now that that's over with, I'm sure you'll be eager to answer my questions, correct?" He placed your finger down gingerly on some kind of rolling table off to the right. Like a table for surgical tools you'd find in an operating room. Odd. "Let's get to them, then." * [[“Fine. No more fingers, please. I think that's the only one I can spare.”|$nextpassage][$temp1 = "cooperative"]] * [[“I'll fucking answer them, but I'm not going to be goddamn nice about it.”|$nextpassage][$temp1 = "uncooperative"]]

"Perfect." He took a step back to place his cleaver aside, and rested his hands on the edge of the slab as he looked over your restrained form. <<if $met.includes("levi")>>"Oh my, it just occurred to me that I never caught your name."<<else>>"Oh my, where are my manners? I never introduced myself. They call me Levi. And yourself?"<</if>> <<if $temp1 == "cooperative">>"<<print $player.name>>. If only we were meeting under better circumstances."<<else>>"<<print $player.name>>," you spit. "Just get to the fucking questions, okay?"<</if>> "Indeed. Let's move forward." He dragged his hand along the edge of the metal table, his head tilted and his fingernails just slightly digging in against it. The sound sent a shiver through you. "First of all, I'd like to establish what occurred to the package while it was in your custody. Was it at any point unsealed or opened?" "We don't open sealed cargo. It's in the contract, we'd lose our pay." That wasn't quite a lie. Everybody did it, if they knew they could get away with it. You knew a few fuckers who'd stolen a ton cash out of a shipment and just took the money and disappeared before it was discovered. Your worst consequence would be getting blacklisted by the shipping company, but there are a million goddamn caravans in this area. * [[This one, though, none of you dared touch it.|Track Max]]

You talked about it on the second or third night, huddled around a fire, shooting the shit with a couple bottles and a few cigarettes. One of them put forward the idea- his name was Max, you think. "That shit freaks me out," he'd murmured. "I swear to god there's something weird in there. I don't know what, but it's giving me vibes that are all outta whack." "I think it's probably some kind of electronics," another guy, Junior, volunteered. Through the smoke, you could barely see his face. "When I was loading it into the back, I swear I heard, like... radio sounds. Inside. Like there's a radio draining batteries in there. And some kind of whirring, too." Dexter, the guy who'd helped Junior carry the box, nodded in agreement. "Makes sense, cause that shit was heavy. Weird container for it, though. All that duct tape and caulk and shit. Gonna be a bitch to get open." "What, you wanna open it?" "I mean, I'm curious," Dexter admitted after a puff off his cigarette. "I'd do it if I thought I could get away with it." * [[“Let's crack it open, then.”|Track Crack]] * [[“Are you insane? We can't open it.”|Track Insane]]

Dexter and Junior murmured in agreement, nodding along with you. "We oughtta at least take a peek," one of them concurred. "Might be really fucking expensive." "You guys are nuts," Max piped up. His face, illuminated oddly by the firelight, was all twisted up in a concerned expression. "How would you close it back up without it being obvious? That thing is sealed airtight. You're gonna lose all our paychecks for this. And it's a massive paycheck." A silence fell over the group, and all you could hear was the crackling of the fire. Finally, somebody piped up. "Fair point." And that was the end of the discussion. You never found out what was in it, and unless they were really good at caulking and brought a lot of duct tape, none of them did either. If that mattered. The brains that knew would be decomposing into the ash wastes by now, or picked apart by birds. * [[And you might join them if you don't focus on the matter at hand.|Track Second]]

You had to be the voice of reason here. "With all that on it, it's gonna be obvious we opened it. If you guys wanna lose your paychecks, that's fine, but don't cost me mine." A silence fell over the group, and all you could hear was the crackling of the fire. Finally, somebody piped up. "Fair point." And that was the end of the discussion. You never found out what was in it, and unless they were really good at caulking and brought a lot of duct tape, none of them did either. If that mattered. The brains that knew would be decomposing into the ash wastes by now, or picked apart by birds. * [[And you might join them if you don't focus on the matter at hand.|Track Second]]

"And none of your companions opened it?" He was studying your face, his cold blue eyes calculating truth out of the curl of your lips and the twitching of your brows. It was uncomfortable to be scrutinized like this. "They're all dead now. But no, they didn't. I would've seen." "Alright." He took another step back, allowing a flood of light from the bulb that had previously been just barely hidden by his head. Your headache came crashing back, washing over you like high tide and reducing you to squeezing your eyes shut again. "Let me make this clear- I //will// be locating that package, and if I discover that you're lying to me, there will be severe consequences." <<if $temp1 == "cooperative">>"That's not going to be a problem," you responded, your voice measured. You weren't lying. So it wouldn't be. At least not yet.<<else>>"I answered your fucking question, man," you spat. Luckily, he ignored your tone.<</if>> Nodding, Levi glanced down at small notepad lying next to his cleaver. How long had you been out that he'd had the chance to prepare his questioning ahead of time? <<if $temp == "knocked out">>He must have hit you pretty damn hard.<<elseif $temp == "poisoned">>That 'tea' must have been stronger than you thought.<<else>>He certainly kept you under for a good long while.<</if>> "And the item itself... were there any... indications of what it was?" He was stuttering and pausing as he spoke, trying to hold back some kind of information. He must have thought there would be some kind of sign, from the outside of the box, of what the item was. The question of what was inside the box was certainly a hot topic during the week or so you were on the road. Nothing ever made itself apparent, at least to you. Junior certainly thought there was some kind of tech in there.<<if $skill.signal gte 1>> But if the static he heard wasn't from a radio, telling him somebody had heard it might be a bad idea.<</if>> * [[“There was some... static, I think.”|Track Static]] * [[“I don't know what you mean... it was just a box.”|Track Lie]]

"So, y'know. We assumed it was tech." That was all you could really give him. What kind of question was that, anyway? <<if $skill.signal gte 1>>His reaction was exactly how you feared.<<else>>His reaction was completely disproportionate.<</if>> His eyes were wide, his teeth gritted, his lips curled into a grimace. "Static? What kind of static? How frequently did you hear it, and from where?" "Woah, man." Nervous laughter forced itself between your lips. "I didn't hear anything! It was another guy. He just said something about radio sounds, I don't know anything else about it." "Did your vision ever get fuzzy? Were there any sounds that felt out of place? How has your heart function been? Any murmurs?" This rapid fire interrogation was a little too much for you in this state. How were you supposed to //think// when your head fucking //hurt?// "My vision is... fine. My heart is fine. I think. Fuck, I don't know, maybe my heart isn't beating anymore and I'm just a walking corpse!" Levi went quiet. "Let's move on." * [[“Let's.”|Track Next]] * [[“I don't want to answer any more questions...”|Track No]]

"None of us knew what was in it. I already said, we didn't open it." "Good." Levi refused to elaborate any further. "Now, let's move on." * [[“Let's.”|Track Next]] * [[“I don't want to answer any more questions...”|Track No]]

Reaching for the <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>bloody <</if>>knife, Levi pursed his lips. "I wonder, are you right handed or left handed? Which finger are you most comfortable losing<<if Flag("LostFinger")>> next<</if>>?" <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>\ Knowing this wasn't an idle threat, you instantly stopped your whining. <<else>>\ This might have been an idle threat. You could keep pushing. You could always keep pushing. Or maybe you should take him seriously... * [[“I'm not answering any more questions!”|Track No Chop]] <</if>>\ * [[“Okay, okay. What's the next question?”|Track Next]]

"Okay. If that's your decision, I'll respect it." He moved back towards your hands, just out of eyesight. <<include "Track Chop">> <<set $nextpassage = "Track Next">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-10)>>\

"My next question," Levi continued, staring down at your restrained form. The tips of his fingers glided along your bandaged side, just barely firm enough for you to feel it under the thick padding. <<if $temp4 == true>>It sent a shiver through you- not even his touch, just an echo of it through layers of gauze. Like static shock. <</if>>"Who, exactly, shot you?" * [[“I can try to describe them.”|Track Describe]] * [[“I don't know who they were! I've never been to this fucking city!”|Track City]] <<unset $nextpassage>>\

Your protestations were cut short by the sound of metal clattering to the floor. All of your muscles tensed up, the restraints digging into your wrists as you instinctively tried to curl up into a ball. The little medical supply table next to you was rolling slowly across the floor, and Levi's right hand was gripped around the cleaver so tight his veins were visible. He had it raised a little over your body, his arm ready as if he was going to bring it down directly on your torso. It shook as his arm was gripped by slight tremors. "I told you," Levi muttered in a controlled voice, his anger entirely absent from its cold tones. "You are going to answer my questions. And you will not raise your voice at me. Understood?" <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>\ It was probably best not to antagonize him any more... <</if>>\ <ul>\ <<if not Flag("LostFinger")>>\ <li> [[“No! Fuck you, jackass! I'm not going to answer shit!”|Track Anger Chop]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Yes, I understand... I just don't know who they were...”|Track Describe]]</li> </ul>\

In that same controlled voice, he instructed you, "Spread your fingers out. Wide. You don't want me taking out a second one by accident." <<include "Track Chop">> <<set $nextpassage = "Track Describe">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(-20)>>\

"Okay. Just tell me. What were they like?" The whole thing was a bit of a blur, but you replayed it in your head like a tape being rewound, scouring it for some kind of info. "There were around five or six of them, I think. All dressed in like, body armour and fatigues and shit. They had these big rifles with them, they must have been fully automatic or something cause they just opened fire and took us all out in one go." Levi nodded. "Very good information. And how exactly did you survive?" "I just got lucky." Thinking about lying there in the ash-wastes, staring up at that sunless sky, seeing Doc standing over you... 'lucky' wasn't the right word for it. You were blessed or something. "A doctor found me and brought me back to the city. Saved my life." Noting that, he promptly moved on. "Was there anything else distinctive? Anything they said? Did you get a good look at any of them?" <ul>\ <<if Flag("SeenWolfe")>>\ <li> [[“Yeah... I actually got a pretty good look at the one that shot me.”|Track Depot]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“No. That's all I saw.”|Track Unseen]]</li> </ul>\ <<unset $nextpassage>>\

"He was a little on the short side, freckles, military cut," you muttered, scouring your memory. "I think his voice was... cold. Very cold, very commanding. When he said what to do, everybody did it. So he must have been in charge." "And what did he tell them to do?" Levi was leaning in now, looking down at you much like the man who shot you, his eyes cold and intense like the shooter's. Something... important. There was something you were forgetting. You ran it through your mind again, again, trying to remember what exactly happened. And then it came to you. "He told them to bring it to 'the depot.' Some kind of... storage place, I guess?" Levi's eyes widened. "Perfect. That's perfect." * [[“Now what? Is that everything?”|Track Everything]] <<SetFlag "HonestLevi">>\ <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(5)>>\

"I suppose it is. That's a lot of very good information right there." He reached into his pocket and retrieved something you somehow hadn't noticed- a pristine black pistol. "Now, if you speak of this, know that you will be killed. I have eyes everywhere, and about as many guns." Everywhere? As in, outside this building? Were you actually going to be let go? "It seems that's all you can do for me. You're going to leave, and you're not going to speak of this again. Understood?" <ul>\ <li> [[“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”|Track Sir]]</li> <<if $temp4 == "flirted">>\ <li> [[“I thought you were going to leave me tied up when you were done...”|Track Flirt]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Sure... if you say so.”|Track Sure]]</li> </ul>\

His shoulders slumped. "If I find out that you're lying to me, you're dead, by the way," he muttered, though it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. "I assure you that I have eyes... everywhere. And about as many guns." Everywhere? As in, outside this building? Were you actually going to be let go? "Did you have any more questions," you asked, cautious not to anger him in case he changed his mind. "It seems that that's all you can do for me." Levi grabbed his cleaver, and his other hand went to his hip, where you hadn't even noticed a pristine black pistol stuffed into his jean pocket. "You're going to leave, and you're not going to speak of this again. Understood?" <ul>\ <li> [[“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”|Track Sir]]</li> <<if $temp4 == "flirted">>\ <li> [[“I thought you were going to leave me tied up when you were done...”|Track Flirt]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Sure... if you say so.”|Track Sure]]</li> </ul>\

"Don't call me sir." He wasn't even angry anymore, he just sounded tired. You supposed that interrogating kidnapped witnesses probably takes a lot out of you. <<include "Track Offer">>

"Oh... were you serious about that?" Oh. Oh. Okay. That changes the dynamic a little. "That feels inappropriate, not going to lie.<<if Flag("LostFinger") == true>> Especially given the fact that I've just cut your finger off.<</if>>" "Another time, maybe?" He snorted, the most genuine expression of a positive emotion you'd seen from him since you met him (about an hour ago). "Maybe. You are... a strange one." Then, his focus shifted back to the matter at hand. <<include "Track Offer">> <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(20)>>\ <<set $flirt.levi += 1>>\

"This is not an idle threat. You are going to be killed if you try anything." His calm tone made it clear that he was telling the truth. Somebody with so few emotions was probably capable of anything. <<include "Track Offer">>

"Now, I'm going to cut you free, but I have a proposal first." You weren't sure if he was in a good place to propose anything to you, but you were a bit of a captive audience, so there was no point in telling him no. "What is the proposal?" "You are leaving here without any money. Of course. You have not delivered the package." Ah, fuck, yeah. You had almost forgotten that that was the purpose of coming here in the first place. Fight or flight response had taken over and money didn't seem as important as keeping all your digits. "I can still pay you what you're due if you agree to give me a hand in tracking that package down. I may need somebody who is not... associated with me. Somebody with a plausible reason to be making such inquiries." * [[Is he fucking insane? No. No goddamn way.|Track Deny]] * [[You don't want to, but... well, money is money.|Track Money]] * [[And get a chance to get to know this hunk better? Hell yeah.|Track Hunk]] * [[Honestly, he kidnapped you and all, but you kind of like the guy. Sure.|Track Like]]

"I'm not fucking working for you. After you kidnapped me?<<if Flag("LostFinger")>> And cut off my goddamn finger?<</if>> Fuck no." "That is fair." He grabbed one of your hands, pulling it roughly off to the side as he sliced through the restraint. "It was only a proposal. You are free to go." The straps around your wrist were undone, and you finally found yourself able to sit up. Shaky, you pushed yourself up and shook out your hands. You were going to have marks on your wrists all day. "You're going to walk up those stairs, directly down the hallway, and out of the building. Behave casually, as if you are leaving after a perfectly normal interaction. Do not attempt to stay in the building or take any alternate routes. You will be followed." "Understood." With your legs free, you twisted to let them dangle off the edge of the table and hopped off. Levi gestured with his hand at the staircase. "Your weapon is next to the front door. Don't forget to pick it up on the way out." There went your paycheck. But then again... if this cargo was worth so much, you could probably get a pretty penny for it if you tracked it down first. Just maybe. * [[And you left.|Track Finish]]

"Honestly, I really need the cash. You're not going to... hurt me any more, right?" "No. This is all I needed." He grabbed one of your hands, pulling it roughly off to the side as he sliced through the restraint. "You may be expected to be in danger, however. Not much more danger than you've already been in." <<include "Track Pitch">>

"Call me strange, but I like the cut of your jib, man. I'd be happy to work with you under less... strange circumstances." "That is strange." He grabbed one of your hands, pulling it roughly off to the side as he sliced through the restraint. "But good to hear. <<if $relationship.levi gte 60>>You've grown on me as well.<<else>>Hopefully we'll get along better under... better circumstances.<</if>>" <<include "Track Pitch">>

"I'd love to work with you, if it means I might be able to see under that //icy exterior// of yours... or your clothes, whichever comes first." "We'll just have to wait and see," he muttered. He grabbed one of your hands, pulling it roughly off to the side as he sliced through the restraint. "I'm going to be honest, one of them seems a little more likely than the other." You had the distinct feeling he was talking about his clothes. <<include "Track Pitch">> <<set $relationship.levi to $relationship.levi.fm(5)>>\ <<set $flirt.levi += 1>>\

The straps around your wrist were undone, and you finally found yourself able to sit up. Shaky, you pushed yourself up and shook out your hands. You were going to have marks on your wrists all day. "So what do you need me to do, then?" Levi had gotten to work freeing your legs, and with your ankles newly freed, you twisted to let them dangle off the edge of the table and hopped off. <<if Flag("HonestLevi")>>\ "I'm going to need somebody who is not publicly associated with me to inquire with the local militia about seized cargo." There was math going on behind his eyes- he was still actively formulating this plan as he spoke. "We may need to forge some documents... it can not be clear to them that I was the intended recipient. They would know that you are not me." Why the militia would know who he was on sight wasn't of any concern to you. Maybe you could ask that later. "Yeah, okay. I can lie to some military pencil-pushers. No big deal." <<else>>\ "We still need to determine who was responsible for stealing the package." There was math going on behind his eyes- he was still actively formulating this plan as he spoke. "Perhaps I can send you back to the scene of the crime, as it were. Or we can discuss the likely suspects and attempt to narrow down the list." "You don't seem like you have a very clear idea yet." He shook his head. "I don't. This is a major inconvenience. And we have something of a time limit. Just... how about you meet me at the Juice Bar on Main, and we'll discuss it later, once I've gotten my thoughts in order." "Okay. Yeah, sounds good." <</if>>\ Levi gestured to the stairs. "You are free to leave. Your weapon is by the door. I will see you when you're ready to start. And be prompt." * [[“It was nice meeting you Levi.”|Track Finish]] * [[“Glad this is finally over.”|Track Finish]] * [[“Just please don't tie me up again.”|Track Finish]] * [[“I'm looking forward to when you get to tie me up again!”|Track Finish]] <<set $temp5 = true>>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|The Stacks]]</h5> <<completelead "trackingnumber">>\ <<if $temp5 == true>>\ <<addlead "crossroads" "Crossroads">>\ <<SetFlag "WorkingForLevi">>\ <<if $temp3 == true>>\ <<addwealth "large">>\ <<if $temp6 == true>>\ <<SetFlag "LeviOwed" 2>>\ <<else>>\ <<SetFlag "LeviOwed" 1>>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ <<SetFlag "LeviOwed" 2>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") and $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ <<if not $leads.includes("checkup") and not $playedleads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\ <<unset $temp2>>\ <<unset $temp3>>\ <<unset $temp4>>\ <<unset $temp5>>\ <<unset $temp6>>\ <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>\ <<if not $pocket.has("Pinky Finger")>>\ <<pocket "Pinky Finger" 1>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[LAMPLIGHTERS|KC Intro Door]]</h5>

You stepped up to the office door, your hand hovering over its rusted metal handle. Turn it, pull open the door, and walk inside. No big deal. Whoever this woman was, you just had to present your case to her and everything would go smoothly. * [[No reason to worry. You're capable. She'll respect that.|KC Intro Confident]] * [[No... actually, you're kinda freaked out. Strong women scare you.|KC Intro Nervous]] * [[You're freaked out, but mostly because strong women are hot.|KC Intro Nervous]] * [[You're like, really charming, so the idea that she wouldn't like you doesn't even occur to you.|KC Intro Confident]] <<set $met.push("kc")>>\

You gripped the handle, your hand shaking a little with nerves, and pulled open the rusted metal door. <<include "KC Office Description">> <<include "KC Description">>

You gripped the handle with a confident hand and pulled open the rusted metal door. <<include "KC Office Description">> <<include "KC Description">>

Stepping into the office, it was bigger than expected- in the past this wasn't an individual's place of work, rather a conference room of some kind. A large, floor-to-cieling window covered most of the far wall, looking down on the Lamplighters' territory through one-way frosted glass. The light from outside cast dozens of long shadows across the cracked tile floor from the myriad assortment of furniture in here. From that window, you could stare down at the whole complex like a supervillain surveying their territory. A few mismatched armchairs were set up next to an old stained whiteboard, which currently held a few crass doodles and not much else. A huge bookcase sat across from it, without many books- instead, a wide assortment of tapes, game cartriges, CDs, and old memorabilia lined its shelves. An overstuffed couch draped in brightly coloured blankets faced into a corner where a big tube TV was positioned precariously on a steamer trunk. A VHS player, SNES, and PlayStation 2 were all arranged haphazardly around it. Above, faded and creased posters for all kinds of old bands were pinned or stapled to the drywall. The whole place smelled strongly of weed. In the center of the room was the thing that drew the most attention- a massive carved wood desk, all swirls and inlays, something some kind of executive must have had. It was facing towards the door, scattered with papers and office clutter among other things (an overflowing ashtray, a folding knife stuck upright into the wood grain surface). The centerpiece, a white piece of tech you vaguely recognized as a laptop, stunningly small (only a few inches thick) and hooked up to a battery backup with a thick cable. Leaning up against the side was a double-barrel shotgun, break action, all smooth dark wood and polished metal.

Sitting with her feet kicked up on the desk and a blunt between her lips, the woman you saw there was nothing like you expected. Her dark, coily hair formed a huge halo around her face. She had these big, warm eyes with puffy lids and a wide button nose with a black septum ring hanging underneath. Her thick brows were punctuated by a dark scar through one and a spiked piercing through the other. Not exactly a serious boss who had important work to do. "Hey," KC greeted you. Her voice was low and rough, almost a purr. Smoke wafted from her lips as she spoke. "What brings you to my office, stranger?" <ul>\ <li> [[“I'm really impressed with your operation here.”|KC Intro Impressed]]</li> <li> [[“I'm kinda broke and I heard y'all could help me out with that.”|KC Intro Broke]]</li> <<if $arjunlied == true>>\ <li> [[“Honestly I just lied to Arjun out there so I could meet you.”|KC Intro Lied]]</li> <<SetFlag "ArjunHatesYou">> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<unset $arjunlied>>\

KC leaned even further back in her chair, gesturing broadly to the area. The blunt, nestled between two fingers, let off a mesmerizing trail of smoke as she moved. "This place? This isn't my work, man. It's everybody's work. We all built this place up from nothing. Hell yeah, it's impressive." "But you're the one in charge, right?" "Nah. Not at all." She quickly leaned back towards you, putting her elbows on the desk, her chair snapping back into its basic position. "Not sure how you got past my guys down there without even knowing what we're all about, but maybe I need to explain my organization to you? Always happy to enlighten visitors." * [[“Sure. Enlighten me.”|KC Intro Enlighten]]

KC responded with a hearty laugh, balancing the blunt between her index and middle finger as she leaned even further back in her chair. "Hey man, aren't we all? Not much I can do about that, though." "You give out work here, right?" "To my people." She quickly leaned back towards you, putting her elbows on the desk, her chair snapping back into its basic position. "Not sure how you got past my guys down there without even knowing what we're all about, but maybe I need to explain my organization to you? Always happy to enlighten visitors." * [[“Sure. Enlighten me.”|KC Intro Enlighten]]

KC snorted at this, rolling her eyes and letting a crooked grin spread across her face. "Jesus, that ain't good security, is it? Never gonna let him live that one down." After a moment of studying your face, she added, "Not sure why you'd want to meet me, though! I'm nobody." "Aren't you in charge around here?" "Nah. Not at all." She quickly leaned back towards you, putting her elbows on the desk, her chair snapping back into its basic position. "Not sure what kind of lie you spun to punk Arjun, but maybe I need to explain my organization to you? Always happy to enlighten visitors." * [[“Sure. Enlighten me.”|KC Intro Enlighten]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\ <<SetFlag "LiedToArjun">>\

KC gestured to a ratty old armchair across the desk from her. "C'mon, sit down. Let's chat." You were a little caught off guard by her friendliness, but took a seat regardless. The chair was made of a scratchy old jacquard held together with patches of terrycloth and denim, and when you put your weight into it the whole structure audibly creaked with effort. There was a long silence as she took a hit, inhaling deeply and holding it for a couple seconds before letting a trail of smoke trickle out between her lips. Wordlessly she held her hand out, offering to share. With you. A complete stranger. * [[She seems really nice. Take the offer.|KC Intro Smoke]] * [[This is kinda weird. Turn it down.|KC Intro Reject]] * [[You appreciate the offer, but you don't smoke.|KC Intro Reject]]

Settling in a little more comfortably in your seat, you accepted the offered blunt- loosely rolled cigar paper, the same sort they sold up North in crowded grocers alongside loose leaf tobacco and cans of dip. <<if $skill.signal gte 1>>Playback in your head, sitting on a rooftop with your first love, your feet dangling off the edge. The cold numbed your fingers like static as you rolled that cigarette balanced on your jeans. You'd pooled your pennies for this, days of work between you. Their eyes were bright, and their breath was visible on the air like smoke. <</if>>You took a pull before passing it back to her. <<include "KC Intro Explain">>

You shook your head at her offer, and KC shrugged, retracting her hand and reclining back in her seat. <<include "KC Intro Explain">>

"The organization you've stumbled your way into is called the Lamplighters," she informed you. Her jacket, this bright colour-block windbreaker in purples and teals and greens, was emblazoned with a black icon of the top of a classic streetlamp. The lamp part, with the gas flame going inside. "We're a loose association of mercs who help each other out. Make sure nobody's getting screwed out of a paycheck, y'know?" "Like a union?" KC shrugged. "Guess so. We're just folks helping folks. Not a formal group or anything- we're like extended family." You considered it for a moment. That was nice and all, but it wasn't entirely up to snuff. "Why are you way out here and not, y'know... in the city?" A dark cast fell over her face, a startling change from the relaxed vibe she'd had when you walked in. She pursed her lips. There were two other spikes through them, on either sides of her bottom lip. "You must be new in town, eh? Don't know about the militia?" * [[“I've heard of them.”|KC Intro Mercs]] * [[“I'm not familiar.”|KC Intro Mercs]] * [[“Those assholes? I know about them.”|KC Intro Mercs][$temp to "assholes"]]

"Before the smokestacks went up, before the whole place glowed like a Christmas tree, mercs were the backbone of Signal Hill." There was a bitterness in her tone that ran deep. "Needed somebody to scavenge the ash-wastes without getting run through by a reaper, or rough up some thugs who think they can get protection money outta you... that was us. There are a whole lot of people out here in The Graveyard who've got no qualms about taking advantage of city folk like these." * [[“I know what you mean. I used to do this kind of work up North. It's rough.”|KC Merc Identity Confirm]] * [[“Sounds admirable.”|KC Intro Was]] * [[“Sound exciting.”|KC Intro Was]] * [[“Sounds tough.”|KC Intro Was]] <<if $temp == "assholes">>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $temp>>\

"It was." She took another hit, smoke wafting out from between her lips and drifting up toward the speckled ceiling tiles. "I was a teenager when Nadir started throwing money around for real, buying shit up. Working low-pay security jobs in the city, mostly. Company started getting some of us folks in as gig workers roundabouts when I was turning 18- I mostly worked for beer before then, but that shit paid way better." KC had a way with words that drew you in. She wasn't eloquent, at least that wasn't the goal- but the casual tone of her voice masked a masterful storysmith. She could lie to your face and you'd start to believe it more with every quip and curse. You weren't sure where this story was going, but you were quicker to question your own inquiry than to question her meandering answer. "I was //buddies// with a girl named Jessie back then, real beauty she was. Hands like a pianist. Softest lips you'd ever touch. She got me in on a bigger job, cause her best friend was the big guy's daughter." There was a fondness in her voice that seemed almost indulgent. "Buddies?" "Yeah." She didn't elaborate. "So I get shipped out there with a caravan to guard the tents at night, big fancy caravan, mind you, not the shit you're probably used to. Functional RVs and shit. Going up to D.A.L. for something or other, diplomacy I guess, I don't really care so I don't really ask. Nadir and his daughter are there. I'm guarding their tents, so I got this shotgun- I've been maintaining her for years, she's in great nick, right? Anyway, I got this shotgun in my lap and I'm sitting on on old folding chair in the middle of the ash-wastes and the moon is red and the dust is heavy." You had to interrupt her to clarify something. * [[“You keep talking about this Nadir guy. Who is that?”|KC Intro Nadir]] * [[“That's a sweet shotgun, man. Old world, right?”|KC Intro Shotgun]]

You know exactly what she's talking about- you've been in this business long enough, you remember the long nights and violent altercations. The cruelty of the streets and the feeling of your next meal depending on how a single night went. It was probably different down here, but mercs are mercs. <<if $identity.includes("merc")>>\ * [[And you certainly are one.|KC Intro Was]] <<else>>\ <<include "merc">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "merc" "Merc">><<goto "KC Intro Was">><</link>> / [[NO|KC Intro Mercs]] """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\

The woman's eyes went wide at the opportunity to go on yet another tangent. She braced a hand against the desk and leaned over to grab it, holding it up in front of her on the table like a prized painting. Where her hand grasped the barrel with the blunt between her fingers, the subtle trail of smoke rising off it made the shotgun look like it had just been fired. It had a beautiful stock in dark reddish wood, smooth curves that conformed to the shape of the hands holding it, a polished sheen you could only get from regular care. Two barrels in dark metal were stacked one on top of the other, bright red straps wrapped around their base like laces on a corset. On the side of the stock, a shape had been carved with expert precision and inlaid with gold leaf- the stylized licks of a raging fire, arranged so it could be seen clearly across the shooter's chest as they aimed. KC ran her fingers along the curves of the wood, caressing it like a lover's waist. "Old world, all right. This baby is from 1985. Winchester model 101. Engraving's all custom, though." "How'd you get ahold of a fancy gun like that?" "Won her in a bet when I was 17." Sliding the gun off the table and resting it back against the desk, she muttered, "That's a story for another time, though. What part was I at?" * [[“You were outside the tents.”|KC Intro Tent]] * [[“You were guarding that Nadir guy.”|KC Intro Tent]] * [[“You were a basically a teenager and some rich guy was paying you to guard his daughter.”|KC Intro Tent]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(10)>>\

"Oh shit, you //are// new around here, huh?" She was shaking her head, as if this question was unbelievable. "Old riches, who knows where he got it all. Came up here from down South about a decade back, bought up our struggling water treatment facility and modernized the whole operation. Real shrewd business type. Basically sole owner of the whole city." "Rich important guy. Got it." KC grinned, shaking her head. "Not anymore, no. Got a bullet in his skull like a month ago. Real public like, too, I heard somebody got the whole thing on tape." She didn't seem to have any sympathy for this murder victim. Maybe a red flag, or maybe this guy was really a piece of shit. * [[“Okay, so you were guarding the rich guy and his daughter...”|KC Intro Tent]] * [[“Okay, so you were sitting outside with the shotgun...”|KC Intro Tent]]

"Right. The tent." You realized that if you were going to have some kind of business relationship with this woman, you were going to be reminding her to stay on topic a lot. "Okay, so I'm out in the ash-wastes just up North of here, and there's like one other guard, I don't remember where he was. Basically I'm on my own sitting on an old folding chair outside the tent with a shotgun in my lap listening to the wanderers out in the distance, that little clicking sound, like a clock. Tick, tock. I like that sound, cause it means they're far enough away I don't have to deal with them. And there's only one." The parlance was different up North, but you knew what she meant by the clicking. Not a pleasant sound. Though by far not the worst sound you could hear from the distant wastes. "So at some point during the night, the guy's daughter unzips her tent, which I'm sitting out in front of, and she starts whining to me about the noise and how she couldn't sleep, and I'm sitting here like 'Jesus, what a fucking brat.' Like yeah, no shit it's hard to sleep. You're in the goddamn wasteland." KC took a moment to pause, assessing your reaction, and then added- "Worth pointing out, this is a grown ass woman I'm talking about." The clarification helped. You still weren't sure what relevance this had to anything, but at this point you couldn't really get her to stop telling this story. "Okay, so she's like, 'It would make me so much less scared to have a strong lady looking after me!' And I'm a little dense, so I'm all confused, cause I am pretty strong and sitting right outside. And then I realize she means //looking after her//, y'know..." She had lost the plot by now. This was probably the right point to intervene. Or maybe you could just hear out where this story was going. * [[“Go on.” (Listen very intently to this part)|KC Intro Listen]] * [[“Go on.” (Try to be polite)|KC Intro Listen]] * [[“What does this have to do with the militia?”|KC Intro Interrupt]] * [[“Can you get to the fucking point?”|KC Intro Rude]]

As soon as the words left your mouth, KC's whole vibe changed. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forwards, her hands planted squarely on the desk. The folding knife stuck into its grain was far too close to her hand for comfort. Also, she had a loaded shotgun right next to her. "I'm sorry, am I not talking fucking fast enough for you? Should I remind you who walked into whose damn office unannounced?" She had a hint of an accent there, a sort of drawl that you hadn't noticed before. * [[“Sorry, I don't know what came over me. That was really fucking rude.”|KC Intro Apologize]] * [[“I came here with important business and you're wasting my fucking time.”|KC Intro Leave]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-50)>>\

KC laughed. "Okay, shit, man, I guess you probably don't need to hear about a hookup from like 6 years ago to get the point of the story." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest, the purple sleeves of her windbreaker audibly crinkling against each other. "I'm a talkative person. Sue me." "I noticed." "To make a long story short, I fucked the boss' daughter and the other guard fell asleep at his post and a wanderer almost killed the boss. //Almost//. Yours truly scared it off before it was too late, but y'know... not a great job." Yeah. Probably not a great job. "And what does this have to do with the militia?" "Nadir was a paranoid motherfucker," KC continued. "Always kept a guard on him, hated being in public. Guess it was a valid concern, given he got his brains blown out. But yeah. Never mind that his daughter was the one who //distracted// me, he really freaked out after that, thought us mercs weren't good enough- maybe thought it was some kind of conspiracy against him. I don't know." "So he... what, forced you guys out of the city?" She shrugged. "He did what rich people do. He threw money at it. Got some fancy assholes to pretend to be generals, started drafting people to be an 'official' military force. We formed this group to support each other, and after a while he tried to make it illegal for the rest of us to practice. So we moved our operation where those prissy militia fucks won't go." * [[“So how do you still get work?”|KC Intro Reputation]] * [[“So you guys are criminals?”|KC Intro Crime]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

"You ever heard of this girl? She's pretty fucking important now that daddy got shot, so I guess you might know about her." <<if $met.includes("yasmin")>>\ "Yasmin? I'm familiar. I've met her." KC raised her eyebrows, recoiling as if shocked by this revelation. It was a clearly unserious gesture, though. "Really? <<if $pro.they is "he">>Mr.<<elseif $pro.they is "she">>Little Miss<<else>>Mx.<</if>> New In Town has met the fucking queen already? Jeez, kid, you get around." "Yeah, we met at a club the other day," you clarified. <<if $relationship.yasmin gte 50>>"She seemed nice enough."<<else>>"Seemed a little... flighty. I don't know if I trust her."<</if>> <<else>>\ "I don't think so." "Name's Yasmin. Tall bottle blonde, big nose, sad eyes. Real cute." There was some kind of fondness there. Such a fleeting encounter had clearly left an impression on KC. "Don't bother trying to meet her, I've heard she's gone off the deep end nowadays." "But she wasn't back then?" <</if>>\ "She was a feisty one, I know that," KC laughed. "We were young. She was hot. Her voice was like vodka and her lips tasted like strawberries- if you ever get a chance to kiss a rich girl, you'll see, those fancy tinctures they put on their lips taste like candy..." You could imagine. KC continued, a little more on topic now. "So I'm a little busy, y'know, and I can't really hear what's going on outside because this girl's pretty damn loud, but it's fine, cause there's two guards, right? Like, if I needed to take a piss, it'd be fine, cause there's always two of us. That's how this works. But I guess my colleague guarding on the other side of the camp, rest his soul, he must have fallen asleep or something. So picture me between this girl's legs like a real fucking class traitor, and she goes quiet, and I can hear this //click, click, click// through the canvas like a clock, and I'm like, 'Oh shit.'" By this point, you were captivated. Say what you will about tangents, but this woman was a good storyteller. She took another long drag off her blunt, the smoke wafting from her mouth as she continued her account. "So I grab my shotgun, and I tell her, 'Stay right the fuck here,' and I unzip the tent and look out. And the sound's even louder. Click-click-clicking away from the other side of the camp. I can't see it from here, but I know I'm dead anyway if it's this damn close, so I might as well stick to my guns and be a problem to the very end." Resting her blunt in the ashtray on the table, she reached down to grab her shotgun and hoisted it up to her shoulder, pointing it as if the beast was in the corner of her room. Her hands were steady and worn. "I stalk around the side of the boss' tent as quiet as I can, and I can see viscera all over the fucking place. I don't know how to tell organs apart but even I could tell it was at least a whole human's worth. I come around the side of the tent and I see it there, and before I even have time to react it lunges at me, and I fire the first shot right at its chest. It stops in its tracks and I realize I've got only one more shot, one more opportunity." You already know how this story ends. She is sitting right in front of you. But you find your hands gripping the arms of the chair, your feet tapping against the tile floor. "Instead of the head, I point right at its left... thing. You know, the //things// they have, creepy motherfuckers." Unfortunately, you do know what she means. It sends a shiver down your spine. "The slug rips right through the thinnest part of it and the damn thing screeches louder than I ever heard anything screech. And it's out of there. And I'm standing there in a pile of meat with a shotgun, half naked, victorious." She tucked the gun back away behind her desk, now that it was no longer necessary for dramatic reenactment purposes. <ul>\ <li> [[“Cool story. What does this have to do with the militia?”|KC Intro Militia]]</li> </ul>\

"Well, after that, Nadir got really paranoid. Refused to hire mercs at all. At first he just got permanent bodyguards, but then it became clear just how much work we did for the company, and he got all freaked the fuck out about it." "So he... what, forced you out of the city?" She shrugged. "Not quite. Y'know, he threw money at it. Hired some fancy people to pretend to be generals and made up the militia, as if it's always been here. We formed the Lamplighters to fight for our rights and ensure everybody was getting paid well. No fucking scabs are gonna get in on our market." "And //then// he forced you out of the city?" "He calls us 'unlicensed military operatives,'" she informed you, her fingers motioning quotation marks to emphasize how silly the title was. "Sent his boys in to harass us, and it got bloody one time. Three of my men died. So we moved out here, where those prissy militia fucks won't go." * [[“So how do you still get work?”|KC Intro Reputation]] * [[“So you guys are criminals?”|KC Intro Crime]]

KC laughed. "The militia is awful, and everybody knows it. The people of Signal Hill would rather do shady backroom deals with us than try to get the militia to do anything. We've got a good reputation, a reputation for solid work and reliability." <<include "KC Intro Decision">>

KC laughed. "By the militia's standards, sure. I don't much subscribe to the militia's standards, though." <<include "KC Intro Decision">>

Nodding along, you considered the concept. For sure, they were an extramilitary group that profited off of potentially wanton violence. But also, you liked the cut of her jib. These folks had moxie. Or maybe it was the idea of organized labour that really got you going. * [[No... these people are criminals. Why should you work with criminals? Get out of here.|KC Intro Leave]] * [[These people clearly have good guns, good work ethic, and no governmental backing. All positives for you.|KC Intro Ask]] * [[These people have excellent vibes. And their leader is cool! No reason not to join.|KC Intro Ask]] * [[These people are the socialist future... is a thing you would say if you knew what socialism was. But whatever name you attach to it, it's the future!|KC Intro Ask]]

"You've got me really excited about this whole organization," you admitted, perhaps a little to earnestly. "How can I join?" "That's not how this works." With a sigh, KC pushed her chair pack from the desk and got to her feet, the chair spinning slowly on its axis as she approached the window at the back of the room. "I appreciate the opportunity to spin a little yarn, but we aren't accepting new members. Like, ever. Especially not strangers from who-knows-where with an unknown history." It was far from an unexpected response, but still not the one you'd hoped for. Still. You could certainly make a case for yourself, couldn't you? <ul>\ <<if $identity.includes("merc")>>\ <<if $attraction.kc == true>>\ <li> <<link "“Maybe we can come to a... special arrangement? I'm sure you need some work done that I'm uniquely qualified for...” ">><<if $identity.includes("genderfuck")>><<set $bonus += 1>><</if>><<glamroll 8 "KC Intro Flirt Success" "KC Intro Flirt Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“At least give me a chance to prove myself to you. My skills speak for themselves.”|KC Intro Brawn Success]]</li> <li> [[“Your loss, I guess.”|KC Intro Savvy Success]]</li> <<else>>\ <<if $attraction.kc == true>>\ <li> <<link "“Maybe we can come to a... special arrangement? I'm sure you need some work done that I'm uniquely qualified for...” ">><<if $identity.includes("genderfuck")>><<set $bonus += 1>><</if>><<glamroll 8 "KC Intro Flirt Success" "KC Intro Flirt Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> <<link "“At least give me a chance to prove myself to you. My skills speak for themselves.” ">><<brawnroll 6 "KC Intro Brawn Success" "KC Intro Brawn Failure">><</link>></li> <li> <<link "“Your loss, I guess.” ">><<savvyroll 6 "KC Intro Savvy Success" "KC Intro Savvy Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Looking back over her shoulder, KC raised an eyebrow at you. "I'm not sure what you're implying there, bud." "I think you know //exactly// what I'm implying." You put on your best sultry tone, <<if glam lte 0>>which wasn't exactly your strong suit, <</if>>intent on getting your way. "What, are you going to pretend you're not interested?" "This is a real breach of trust already," the woman responded, though there was a jovial tone to her voice and a wide grin had spread across her lips. She crossed her arms, her black boots clunking loudly against the tile floor as she crossed back over to the desk. "You come in here, get on my good side, figure out my weakness, and exploit it. Real clever... but I'm gonna keep you on a short leash, let me tell you." * [[“I don't mind if you want me on a leash... quite the opposite, in fact.”|KC Intro Leash]] * [[“I'm clearly a tactical genius. You have to hire me now.”|KC Intro Tactics]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(10)>>\ <<set $flirt.kc += 1>>\

"You are a minx, <<print $player.name>>," KC admonished you, her mouth still alight with a smile. "An absolute minx. Didn't your daddy ever tell you it ain't nice to tease people?" Matching her smile, you countered, "You're right, I've been very bad. What are you going to do about it?" <<include "KC Intro Concede">> <<set $flirt.kc += 1>>\

Shaking her head, KC muttered, "You really are a piece of work, huh? What'll it take to get you to lay off?" "Work," you insisted again. You leaned forward, your arms crossed on the desk. "How about a trial run, and if you somehow want me gone after that, I'll go without any complaints." <<include "KC Intro Concede">>

KC's head snapped to look back over her shoulder. "I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I don't like it, bud." Taking a beat, you tried to figure out how to respond to that. Maybe flirting was a bigger gamble than you had realized. Or maybe your approach was the problem. Was she... not into you? Heresy. "Okay," KC finally continued, after giving you plenty of time to defend yourself. "Look, if you're so damn set on working with us, I'll give you a shot to prove yourself to me. Unpaid." <<include "KC Intro Failed">> <<set $flirt.kc += 1>>\

Turning back around to face you, KC stared you down. Her eyes scanned you like a cat watching a mouse. She was analyzing every muscle and curve on your body, the way you held yourself, the tiniest expression that crossed your face. Looking for something to indicate that you weren't worth it. You tried to keep your composure, but under scrutiny, it fell to pieces. You flinched. "Look, <<print $player.name>>," KC muttered as she went to take a seat again. "I like you. You seem okay. If this were about liking you, it'd be easy. It ain't." "I really need this job..." You probably looked so pathetic. She sighed. Turning you down was clearly a difficult decision. "Look, if you're so damn set on working with us, I'll give you a shot to prove yourself to me. Unpaid." <<include "KC Intro Failed">>

Looking back over her shoulder, KC raised an eyebrow at you. "And what's that supposed to mean, huh?" Letting out a defeated sigh, you muttered, "Well, I would really rather work //with// you guys. But if I have to compete with you, that's what I have to do... even if it means asking for less money for the same job..." The woman scrunched up her nose as you talked, her lip raised in a grimace. "I know you're trying to like, scare me or something, but that's just fucking sad." "It's just what I'm gonna have to do!" "Jesus. Fine." There was a grimace on her face. "If you're going to be this fucking pathetic, I'll let you do a trial run. Unpaid." <<include "KC Intro Failed">> <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

"Unpaid? Seriously?" "I'll //consider// giving you some gigs, after you do a little internship. That's gonna have to be good enough for you." * [[“Okay. Fine. I'll bite.”|KC Intro Bite]] * [[“Actually, maybe you're right. I should just leave.”|KC Intro Back Out]] <<SetFlag "TestRunIntern">>\

"I've got a missing guy." She sighed deeply. This was certainly not a common occurrence for her. "He went to do a pretty simple gig out South of here, and never came back. We're thinking he got captured by this fucking gang of raiders that's holed up out there. So I need to go bust him out." * [[“That... sounds dangerous.”|KC Intro Dangerous]] * [[“Do I get to shoot people?”|KC Intro Shoot]] * [[“Sure, I can give you a hand with that.”|KC Intro Plan]]

"So be it." KC gestured to the door with an open hand, leaning back in her chair. "It's been nice chatting, man. I'll see you around." "Yeah. I guess so." * [[And you got up and headed out.|KC Intro Finish]]

"Fine," KC conceded, sitting down in her chair and crossing her arms as inertia pushed her subtly in a circle. "If you need work that bad, I'll give you a... trial run." "A trial run?" She sighed, her eyes darting to the ceiling. "So... one of my guys is missing. He went to do a pretty simple gig out South of here, and never came back. We're thinking he got captured by this fucking gang of raiders that's holed up out there. So I need to go bust him out." * [[“That... sounds dangerous.”|KC Intro Dangerous]] * [[“Do I get to shoot people?”|KC Intro Shoot]] * [[“Okay. Is this a paid gig?”|KC Intro Paid]] * [[“Sure, I can give you a hand with that.”|KC Intro Plan]]

<<if $identity.contains("merc")>>\ KC raised an eyebrow at you. "Oh? You struck me as someone who deals with danger a lot. If not, you're in the wrong damn place." <<else>>\ KC raised an eyebrow at you. "Oh? I thought you'd be up for a little danger. If not, you're in the wrong damn place." <</if>>\ "No, no, that's not what I meant," you corrected, frantically shaking your head. Recover, goddammit, recover! "I'm just saying... you know, it's a little dangerous for a test run. Are you gonna pay me?" "Yeah, man, you're gonna get paid." She had a smug smile across her lips. The needling was working. You were too easy to freak out and she knew it, and she was gonna use that. Dammit. "We're just gonna get in there, do some negotiating, and get out. Ideally, no bullets wasted. You'll be fine- even a dainty little flower like yourself." * [[This was super fucking embarrassing. Change the subject.|KC Intro Plan]]

KC raised an eyebrow at you. "Now, don't get all bloodthirsty on me. That ain't a good look." "It just... seems like I'm gonna get to shoot people." In retrospect, justifying that statement was gonna be a little hard. "I... like shooting people. I don't know. We all have our things." "I guess we do," she concurred, although you could tell she was eyeing you with a healthy dose of suspicion. "Well, this is gonna be a clean gig, okay? We get in, negotiate, get out. No shooting unless it's totally necessary." * [[Shooting is always necessary. But you should probably change the subject.|KC Intro Plan]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

KC snorted, a smile spreading across her lips. "Spoken like a true merc. Yeah, you're gonna get paid." After a brief pause, though, she was quick to clarify- "Not a ton. This is going to be a clean job, we get in, we negotiate, we get out. Nothing hard." * [[Sounds like a good enough arrangement.|KC Intro Plan]]

"So... what's the plan?" You didn't know anything about this gang, or the area, or the guy you were rescuing... or anything else, come to think of it. You were gonna need some context. "This gang... what are they like?" "They call themselves Motorheads," KC explained, her voice sticking on the name and overpronouncing it for effect. "Bunch of rowdy assholes, not much danger though. They splintered off Jett's gang about a year back and have just been working on their cars and not causing much trouble since. Only raise a fuss if you cross into their territory." "Doesn't sound like the type to kidnap a mercenary who's just passing by. Or kill one." She sighed. "Well, we haven't gone out that way for a few months, and haven't heard anything from them. They might be angling for some new territory, or they might have gotten more willing to lash out... who can say." * [[“So what was your guy doing in their territory?”|KC Intro Ozzy]]

She let out a long, low sigh, and before answering your question she retrieved her blunt to take another hit. With smoke pouring from her mouth, she muttered, "Ozzy... oh, Ozzy. We love him, man, but that guy refuses to stick with the whitelist. If we get an offer from an unknown, he takes it, and we can't argue him out of it." "Yeah? So you don't know who hired him?" That was concerning. "Do you know what the job was, at least?" "He was hunting for tech out in an old office park South of here, place called Expanse. 'Expanse Radio Communications Technology.' I don't remember what it was the client was looking for but they were gonna pay top dollar for it." There was a catch, obviously. "We don't like to go too far South, cause the further you get into The Graveyard, the more shit you come across. That place is at least not crawling with tainted fuckers, but those Motorheads aren't worth getting involved with." * [[“Wait... how do you know it was them, then? A million different things could have gone wrong.”|KC Intro Claim]]

"They claimed it. Sent us a missive saying they had our guy and weren't gonna let him go till we came up there to get him ourselves." "That... sounds like some kind of trap." It was a huge red flag, at least. "They want money," KC muttered, her eyes rolling as she dismissed the idea. "That's the trap, man. They're gonna get us there and go, 'Oh, if you want your guy back, give us all your cash or we'll kill you all.' And then we'll give 'em our ransom fund and leave. That's why we have the ransom fund." Any workplace with a dedicated insurance plan for paying ransoms sounded like a real riot. Not boring, at least. "If you're sure." "Yeah." There wasn't a doubt in her mind. She must have a lot of experience dealing with this kind of shit. * [[“Sounds fine. When are we heading out?”|KC Intro When]]

"I've just gotta get the funds together, and then I'll be good to go. Just go waste some time and then come back to my office whenever you're ready, okay?" It certainly wouldn't be too difficult to waste some time in this damn city, but you could tell she was expecting you back at least sometime soon. If there was anything else on the agenda, though, you could always get it out of he way before going. Just in case. <ul>\ <li> [[“Sounds like a plan. Looking forward to working with you.”|KC Intro Handshake]]</li> <li> [[“Okay. Yeah. I'll be back... soon.”|KC Intro Handshake]]</li> <<if $attraction.kc == true>>\ <li> [[“It's a date, then.”|KC Intro Handshake][$temp = "flirt"]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<addlead "testrun" "Test Run">>\

KC reached a hand across the desk, and met you with a hearty handshake. Her grip was strong and the skin on her fingers was rough, the skin of somebody who did hard fucking work all day and didn't have the time for manicures. You could appreciate that. "Nice meeting you, man. For both our sakes, and Ozzy's sake, I hope this whole operation goes well." She gave you a crooked grin. "Now, I do have some stuff to take care of. You know where the door is." * [[With that, you make your leave.|KC Intro Finish]] <<if $temp == "flirt">>\ <<set $flirt.kc += 1>>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <</if>>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Lamplighter HQ Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "lamplighters">>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <<if not $leads.includes("checkup") and not $playedleads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Fed up with this, you decided not to give this woman any more of your time. You left the office building, and any hope of working with the Lamplighters, behind. There were much better things to do with your time. * [[Time to get to them.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]] <<set $playedleads.push("lamplighters")>>\ <<set $leads.delete("lamplighters")>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <<if not $leads.includes("checkup") and not $playedleads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[TEST RUN|Test Enter]]</h5>

Pushing the door open a smidge more, you stepped inside the now familiar office. Everything was pretty much as it was before, with the exception of two things. One, there was now a big manila envelope on the table overstuffed with something- cash, probably. You could snatch it and leave if you wanted, but this place was so well guarded it wasn't really worth it. You'd just get another bullet in your side. Second, KC wasn't sitting at her desk, nor was she wearing the same casual windbreaker as before. She was standing over by the window that overlooked the courtyard, back facing you, staring down at her little kingdom. She was clad in an old, worn leather jacket, and her hands were fiddling with the straps of a scabbard she was wearing over her shoulder. She made for an intimidating sight like this, silhouetted against the bright desert sunlight outside, shotgun strapped to her back. "You came! I assume you're ready to head out, right?" Despite the change of attire, her voice was just as relaxed as when you first met her. You hoped she wasn't going to go into this high. * [[“Of course I came! I wouldn't miss it.”|Test Excited]] * [[“I never back out on an agreement.”|Test Agree]] * [[“Yeah, well. You said I had to.”|Test Had To]]

"That's the spirit!" She spun around to face you, a big grin across her face. <<if $attraction.kc == true>>She had the leather jacket zipped up, and the way it clung tight to her figure looked... really fucking good. <</if>>"We're gonna fuck shit up, right? And by that I mean we're going to accomplish our goal with minimal violence." "Yeah. Minimal violence." Whether you actually agreed with that, somewhat unclear. <<include "Test Nickname">>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\

"Hopefully that means you're gonna be reliable in a fight." She turned to face you, giving you a measured look. <<if $attraction.kc == true>>She had the leather jacket zipped up, and the way it clung tight to her figure looked... really fucking good. <</if>>"Not that we're getting into any fights today, okay? In and out, quick and easy." "Quick and easy sounds like a good gig to me." <<include "Test Nickname">>\

"Oh, don't be //too// excited." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. She turned around, narrowing her eyes at you. <<if $attraction.kc == true>>She had the leather jacket zipped up, and the way it clung tight to her figure looked... really fucking good. <</if>>"You're not going to flake out on me, right?" "Nope. No way." This may or may not be true. <<include "Test Nickname">>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

Striding over to you in her clunky combat boots, KC looked you up and down, contemplating you for a second. "It's, uh... <<print $player.name>>, right?" You nodded. "That's me." "No way I'm gonna remember that. Got a nickname?" * [[“Yeah, I do, actually.”|Test Type Nickname]] * [[“That is my nickname, actually.”|Test Real Name]] * [[“Not yet.”|Test No Nickname]] * [[“I'd rather you just call me my real name.”|Test Refuse Nickname]]

So... what's your nickname? <<textbox "$nickname" "Nikki">> * [[Tell her what she should call you.|Test Custom Nickname Agree]] * [[On second thought, maybe let her suggest one.|Test Custom Nickname Disagree]]

"It's <<print $nickname>>." KC nodded along, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow. "<<print $nickname>>. Yeah. I feel it." It didn't take a genius to figure out that she really didn't care how hard your name was to remember. She just wanted to call you something fun. This would suffice. <<include "Test Move On">>

"You know what? The old one kinda sucks." People up North didn't give good nicknames, but people here? They were creative. You assumed. It's a little unclear if all the cool names people have are nicknames or not. It's not like anybody polices what you name your kids<<if $met.includes("truck")>>, so that guy called Truck might have just been named that at birth.<<else>>.<</if>> Either way, you wanted to see if she had a better one for you. <<include "Test No Nickname">>

"Oh shit." She leaned her hip against the desk, her arms crossed in front of her and her eyebrows raised. "So then what's your real name? Or is it a secret?" * [[“You're right, it's a secret.”|Test Secret]] * [[“I'd rather you just use the nickname...”|Test Concede]] * [[“Nah, I can tell you.”|Test Type Real Name]]

"Hm." She narrowed her eyes even further, chewing on her lower lip like she was trying to figure something out. Or maybe just fucking with her lip ring. That could be it too. "I don't think it really counts as a nickname if it's the only name you have. Like, KC isn't my 'real' name, but it sure as shit ain't a nickname." Oh? This was new information. To be fair, KC would be a bit of a weird name- like Junior or something. You wouldn't usually call your kid an acronym. "So if it's not KC, what is it?" KC chuckled, flashing you a set of slightly crooked teeth and the tiniest hint of a piercing through the center of her tongue. "If yours is a secret, I ain't telling you mine, mkay?" * [[“Fair play.”|Test Move On]] * [[“Don't worry, I'll figure out what it stands for eventually.”|Test Move On]]

"Fair enough, man. Good with me." She shrugged. It didn't take a body language genius to determine she was a little disappointed. "I'll just call you <<print $player.name>>, I guess." * [[“Thanks.”|Test Move On]]

So... what's your real name? <<textbox "$realname" "Nikki">> * [[Tell her to call you that.|Test Say Real Name][$temp = "agree"]] * [[Share it, but ask her not to call you that.|Test Say Real Name][$temp = "disagree"]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\

"It's <<print $realname>>." You didn't often say //or// hear that name. It lived up North, not here in the big city. Here, you were meant to be <<print $player.name>>.<<if $temp == "agree">> But it was fine. "I'm cool with you calling me that, if you prefer."<<else>> That was in the past. "Just call me <<print $player.name>>."<</if>> "Okay. <<if $temp == "agree">><<print $realname>><<else>><<print $player.name>><</if>> it is, then!" * [[“Sounds good.”|Test Move On]] <<set $nickname = $realname>>\ <<SetFlag "RealName" $realname>>\ <<unset $realname>>\ <<if $temp == "agree">>\ <<SetFlag "KCRealName">>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $temp>>\

"Suit yourself, I guess." There was a definite disappointment in her voice, though. Not quite sad, but disappointed for sure. "To each his own and all that." "Sorry, just not my thing." <<include "Test Move On">>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

<<if $outfit.has("cowboy hat")>>\ "How about Tex?" Leaning her hip against the table, she gestured at your hat with her chin. Her hair bounced lightly around her face as she moved. "Since you like to dress like it's the wild west." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Tex"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif $outfit.has("battle jacket")>>\ "How about Patch?" Leaning her hip against the table, she pointed at your heavily adorned battle jacket. "Y'know. Since you've got a ton of 'em." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Patch"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif $outfit.has("crocs")>>\ "How about Croc?" Leaning her hip against the table, she pointed out your garishly ugly footwear. "Those things are expensive, man. Expensive and ugly. And impractical. It really makes a statement." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Croc"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif highestSkill($skill) == "glam">>\ <<if $player.gender == "woman">>\ "How about Dolly?" You gave her an inquisitive look, and she shrugged, leaning her hip against the table. "I don't know, you've got that vibe." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Dolly"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ "How about Bard?" You gave her an inquisitive look, and she shrugged, leaning her hip against the table. "I don't know, you've got that vibe." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Bard"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <<elseif highestSkill($skill) == "savvy">>\ "How about Sharp?" You gave her an inquisitive look, and she shrugged, leaning her hip against the table. "You strike me as a smart cookie." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Sharp"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif highestSkill($skill) == "brawn">>\ "How about Brass?" You gave her an inquisitive look, and she shrugged, leaning her hip against the table. "You've got that tough guy thing going on." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "Brass"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif highestSkill($skill) == "signal">>\ "How about FM?" You gave her an inquisitive look, and she shrugged, leaning her hip against the table. "You've got that whole... y'know..." She twirled a finger around next to her temple, the universal symbol of being out of your mind. "The antenna thing." <ul>\ <li> [[“I like it.”|Test Move On][$nickname to "FM"]]</li> <li> [[“How about something else?”|Test More Suggestions]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\

KC cast her eyes to the ceiling, testing her abilities to come up with witty nicknames. "Um... let's see... I'm just gonna throw out some random ones..." "Okay. Hit me." "Fox, Dagger, Star, Mongrel, Scratch, Lucky... Any of those good?" * [[Fox.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Fox"]] * [[Dagger.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Dagger"]] * [[Star.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Star"]] * [[Mongrel.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Mongrel"]] * [[Scratch.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Scratch"]] * [[Lucky.|Test Custom Nickname Agree][$nickname = "Lucky"]] * [[“How about I just come up with one?”|Test Type Nickname]]

"So anyway. Nicknames aside." KC reached over to snatch the envelope off the table, its heft evident from the way it dangled from her fingers. "Are we good to head out? You got your gun?" <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>\ * [[“Hell yeah.” You show it off, eager to impress her.|Test Show Off]] * [[“Yeah, I've got one.”|Test Weapon Agree]] <<else>>\ * [[“Wait, I was supposed to bring a gun? I don't have a gun.”|Test No Gun]] * [[“Why would I need a gun when I've got this?”|Test Melee Show Off]] <</if>><</for>>\

<<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ You shrugged your gun off your shoulder, holding its hefty metal stock in one hand and the base of the barrel in the other. It was a solid construction, its barrel long and rigid, feeling cold against your skin. Evidently aware that you were trying to show off, KC stepped closer to run her hand along the rifle's cool metal surface. "Damn... that's a pretty nice gun." "I'd say." In this world, everybody's best friend is their firearm. This was a sacred ritual, displaying your connection to your weapon like a peacock with its feathers. Angling it one way or the other, letting her hand drift along its length as she admired it. * [[“It'll come in handy if we need some long-range firepower.”|Test Range]] * [[“Let's hope we don't have to use it.”|Test Range]] * [[“Let's hope we don't have to use it, cause I'm not 100% sure I know how.”|Test Humble]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ You shrugged your shotgun off your shoulder, proudly holding it out for her to admire. It was quite similar to hers, though yours had shortened barrels for easier carrying and more spread. KC nodded, looking over the powerful machine as she stepped closer. "That's a real nice shotgun. Browning?" "I think so." You turned it over on its side, its varnished wood stock cool against your palm. "I got it up North." Her fingers traced along the wood grain. "I like it." A shotgun was less like a weapon and more like a pet- you had to nurture it, clean it, oil it. You were two people in the dog park on a sunny afternoon, leashes in hand, commenting on the pedigree and manners of each other's miniature schnauzers. * [[“I think yours is still nicer. The engraving makes it special.”|Test Engraving]] * [[“I guess between us we've got mid range and short range. Hopefully they all stay within ten feet.”|Test Range]] * [[“Gonna be honest, it's mostly for show. I'm not good with a gun.”|Test Humble]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(10)>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ Unholstering your pistol, you held it out for her to see- this little machine that was on your hip at all times, keeping would-be robbers at bay and keeping //you// confident. KC wasn't quite as impressed. "That little thing? It'll work, I guess." "What's that supposed to mean?" You'd never been particularly self conscious about the size of your gun, but now that she pointed it out, you felt that familiar sting of defiance in your chest. It wasn't //that// small. Like what, 7 inches? That's big! You'd seen much smaller pistols in your day. And besides, it was really the calibre that made the difference. KC changed the subject immediately. "You're not even going to need to use it, so it doesn't matter." * [[“You're really sure we aren't getting into a fight.”|Test Fight]] * [[“That's good, cause I'm not very good with this thing.”|Test Humble]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ Unholstering your revolver, you held it out for her to see. //This// was a real gun. Old school. Real old school, when cowboys roamed the plains with a six-shooter on their hip and manliness in their hearts and good and bad wasn't so complicated. Brings a tear to your eyes. "That little thing?" KC's sneering response snapped you out of your cowboy fantasies. "Yeah, that'll be great if we need to fire six individual bullets at them, slowly, from short range.<<if $outfit.has("cowboy hat")>> At least your getup is appropriate, Tex."<</if>> "What's wrong with revolvers? You're using a //shotgun//." "It doesn't matter. You're not even gonna need to use it." * [[“You're really sure we aren't getting into a fight.”|Test Fight]] * [[“That's good, cause I'm not very good with this thing.”|Test Humble]] <</if>>\

"We aren't going to need to shoot anybody at any range." She held the envelope aloft again, dangling it in front of you as if to taunt you with it. It looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

KC let out a long, exhausted sigh. "I... think I'll just assume that was a joke." A joke. Yes. Definitely a joke and not true in any way. "Yup, just a joke." "You're a regular clown." She didn't seem so certain. In fact, she seemed more certain than ever that bringing you on was a bad idea. How could she possibly have gotten that idea? "Please, just... leave the shooting to me. If it comes to it. Which it won't." * [[“Got it.”|Test Leaving]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-10)>>\

"Mmm... you think so?" A wistful smile came across KC's face as she adjusted the strap on her back again. The engraved stock of her shotgun was visible over her shoulder, flames rising, lines deep and intricate. Your shotgun was nice, but that thing was a well-loved little masterpiece. Reminded you of those battle jackets you'd see people wearing out in the courtyard, all covered in unique patches and paint. "She's a beauty." KC promptly snapped out of it. "Well, she's staying on my back for today, because we're not getting into a fight." She held the envelope aloft again, dangling it in front of you as if to taunt you with it. It looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

"I am about 95% certain. We've got what they want right here." She held the envelope aloft again, dangling it in front of you as if to taunt you with it. It looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

"Good, cause we don't have loaners." She chuckled to herself, as if the very concept was absurd. "Times are tight right now. You feel me?" It seemed like times were tight all across the city. At least, outside of The Heights. At least these folks could probably sell one of their Playstations to get by. Your mind turned to Doc, your free emergency surgery, how much a doctor in The Heights would probably charge for that- times were tight, yeah. * [[“Why's everything... like this? I thought Signal Hill was full of rich people.”|Test Rich]] * [[“This place seems miserable. The city, I mean.”|Test Miserable]]

"It is." KC shook her head, a dark smile crossing her full lips. "That's why things are like this. Rich people can't exist without all this." "Without all what?" "The smokestacks, the slums, the drugs..." She gestured broadly, as if to everything and nothing. "If you wanna get rich, you've gotta make everybody else poorer. No other way." * [[“That's just the way of the world. What, you wouldn't want to get rich if you could?”|Test Way]] * [[“If only something could be done about it.”|Test Something]]

"Not particularly." She said it with no hesitation. It wasn't a lie. "I've got what I need for me and my friends. We're alive. That's rich enough for me." That certainly might be rich enough for her... but is it rich enough for you? Or do you want something //more// out of this existence? <<include "socialclimber">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "socialclimber" "Social Climber">><<goto "Test Anyway">><</link>> / [[NO|Test Anyway]] """---"""</h1>\

She gave that a snorting half-laugh. "Cool it. You just got here, I think you can wait a little while before overthrowing the social order." But maybe you don't //want// to wait? People are clearly suffering here, and the people in charge clearly want it that way. But you could do it better, right? <<include "socialist">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "socialist" "Socialist">><<goto "Test Anyway">><</link>> / [[NO|Test Anyway]] """---"""</h1>\

"Enough politics." She adjusted the gun slung over her shoulder and marched past you, towards the door. "We've gotta head out before the weather changes, okay?" * [[“Got it.”|Test Leaving]]

She gave you a snorting half-laugh, her eyes rolling. "No kidding. I guess things were better where you come from, huh? Up in the middle of nowhere?" <ul>\ <li> [[“No. If anything, it was worse.”|Test Worse]]</li> <li> [[“People there were a lot nicer. When we didn't have to resort to cannibalism to survive the winter.”|Test Cannibalism]]</li> <li> [[“There were no smokestacks up north. It was... quieter.”|Test Quieter]]</li> <<if $identity.includes('nomad')>>\ <li> [[“I've been all over the place. This city is especially bad.”|Test Nomad]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"The winters were cold and the sun never rose," you muttered, only exaggerating a little. <<if $skill.signal gte 1>>The sky was filled with stars up North, so many stars, shining like windows into distant office buildings. Maybe the people of the past looked out their windows and saw ants rooting through the dirt and thought of you. That would be fitting.<</if>> "Then it sounds like you don't have any room to talk." Yeah. She had a point. "I guess the city's fine." "It better be." She adjusted the strap holding her gun to her back and grabbed the envelope from the desk, tucking it under her arm. "You ready to get going?" * [[“Let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

"I'm going to assume that was a joke." KC grabbed the hefty envelope off the desk and tucked it under her arm, approaching the door, ready to leave. "No, it's true what they say, people really are nicer out in the countryside. You really get to know your neighbours." KC stared you down, a small, polite smile on her face. "We need to get going." * [[“Let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

"There were trees up there too, y'know." You remembered the twisting branches of the towering oaks, their quivering leafless twigs weighed down with snow. Every gust of wind would dust you with a new torrent of the stuff. "And the buildings all had cellars. My grandpa used it to ferment wine down in ours- it was terrible though, bitter." "Cool." KC clearly did not care about the bitter taste of your grandfather's wine or the way the stars shone down on you from the heavens like a million eyes. She tucked the envelope with the cash under her arm and gestured to the door with her head. "We good to head out?" * [[“Let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

"That right?" She chuckled, grabbing the envelope off the desk and tucking it under her arm. "What's so great about everywhere else, then?" "Well up North, everybody's really nice. Real spiritual types." This was debatable, but you couldn't talk bad about your home. "Out West, there are real trees with leaves and everything, and their crops have great harvests. Out East... you should see what kind of crazy technology they have." KC shrugged. "I don't know. I like it here. There's always something good on the radio." She adjusted the strap holding the shotgun to her back and propped open the door with her foot. "Ready?" * [[“Let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

"You're kidding me, right?" She stared you down, waiting for confirmation that would never come. "Oh my god, you're not kidding. You don't have a gun?" <<if $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>\ "I've got this." You pulled out your trusty knife... it felt light and pointless in your hands. Why... why did you bring a //knife// of all things? KC sighed, her eyes fixed on the little knife in your hand. It was the face of a woman who was regretting her decision. "You know what they say about knives and gunfights..." * [[“Don't bring one?”|Test Bring]] * [[“You specifically said we weren't going to get into a gunfight.”|Test Gunfight]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>\ "I've got this." You hefted your bat over your shoulder, a menacing sight. Nails jutted out at odd angles. The wood was split and cracked around them. KC narrowed her eyes at you, her upper lip raised. "You think you're gonna club a guy over the head with that before he can shoot you dead?" * [[“Yeah, actually, I'm pretty good at that.”|Test Club]] * [[“You specifically said we weren't going to get into a gunfight.”|Test Gunfight]] <</if>>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-10)>>\

"Don't fucking bring one," she repeated back to you, her eyes glaring holes into your flesh. "I guess we're past that point now, though, huh? God, I can't believe I agreed to bring you along." "Can't I just borrow a gun?" "We don't give out loaners man. You'll have to just make do with what you've got." Her voice was dripping with aggravation. Oh no. You'd probably have to work extra hard to get in her good graces now. "Okay, come on. We're leaving." * [[“Yeah... let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

"We're not." She held the envelope aloft again, dangling it in front of you as if to taunt you with it. It looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

"Well, you're damn lucky you're not going to have to prove that to me." She was clearly infuriated with you, but trying to avoid showing it. Holding the envelope up for you to see, she muttered, "This is the difference between you living and dying, by the way. Better be grateful I have this." It looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

<<if $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>\ You unsheathed your blade, its metal surface glinting in the light from the window. It was no gun, but it was better than a gun- silent, sharp, fast. You could take out a man from the shadows without anyone hearing a thing. Whether you'd actually need to do that... well, that was irrelevant. KC stared at the knife, and for a moment your chest was puffed and your heart was full of pride. And then she looked back up at your face, her eyes full of bewilderment, and you realized. She was not convinced of the superiority of knife. "Are you kidding me? You just have a //knife?//" * <<link 'You just need to convince her of the incredible value of a knife. '>><<glamroll 10 "Test Glam Knife Success" "Test Glam Knife Failure">><</link>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>\ You hefted your bat over your shoulder, feeling the harsh metal of a few nails jutting into your back. It was heavy, that much was clear- a thick, polished wood bat designed for hitting balls at really high speeds without cracking. Turns out that design was also great for cracking skulls. The nails helped, too. Hard to go on living with a nail through your parietal lobe. KC stared at the bat, and for a moment your chest was puffed and your heart was full of pride. And then she looked back up at your face, her eyes full of bewilderment, and you realized. She was not convinced of the superiority of knife. "Are you kidding me? A baseball bat?" * [[“No... a baseball bat with SPIKES in it.”|Test Spikes]] * [[“It's for intimidation. They won't pick a fight if they don't want to get hit by this thing.”|Test Intimidation]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-10)>>\ <</if>>\

Time to do it. Time to really wow her. Win this woman over with the power of knife. "A gun's not much use in close quarters, or if we need to keep quiet," you reasoned, your voice confident and self-assured. No, not self-assured. Assured in the power of knife. "Knives, on the other hand... a short blade is the most versatile weapon. You can take care of the loud stuff, and I'll do the stealth kills." KC tilted her head to the side, her eyes softened and her lips curled into a disappointed frown. "Okay, y'know what? It's fine. Just... get a gun when you get the chance. Better to have both than neither." And better to have a //knife// than a //gun//. You hadn't quite convinced her of the revolutionary power of knives, but you had certainly made a dent in her resolve, which was good enough. Tucking the envelope with the cash under her arm, KC stepped towards the door. "You ready to head out?" * [[“Let's go.”|Test Leaving]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

Time to do it. Time to really wow her. Win this woman over with the power of knife. "Guns? Guns are nothing." Off to a great start. She was squinting at you, trying to figure out what your angle here was. "Knives are ancient. Powerful. Look at this thing- the sharpness of the blade, the serrations, perfect for cutting flesh..." You held out your combat knife, gesturing wildly to the different parts of it. It was a nice knife, to be fair. Those serrations were good for cutting flesh, and the smooth curved cutting edge was very sharp. That... didn't really matter, though. "Get a fucking gun." Her tone was the kind you'd use to talk to a misbehaving child. "I should not need to tell you that you need a goddamn gun to do mercenary work. Now, are you ready to leave?" You hung your head. Mission failed. You'd have to get her next time. * [[“Yeah, okay... let's go.”|Test Leaving]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-10)>>\

"I can see that." Her tone was disapproving. Like a mother who told her kid to clean up half an hour ago and came back to find an even bigger mess. "Do me a favour and get a gun, okay? You can not be going around on official business flailing around a stupid bat. You are going to get shot and die." That was possibly a fair point. It was a little hard to retaliate against guns with a bad. But you'd gotten this far... KC tucked the envelope with the cash under her arm and stepped towards the door. "No time for that now. C'mon. We're leaving." * [[“Okay. Let's go.”|Test Leaving]]

Her upper lip curled back as she examined the gnarly looking bat. The nails were a bit rusted and the wood was splintered. There was probably still a little dried blood in the cracks, too. "Actually... you make a fair point. I probably wouldn't fuck with you if I saw that thing." You nodded in approval. "You'd want to fuck with me less if you saw it in //action//." "Well, then, I'll count myself lucky that I won't have to." She grabbed the envelope with the cash off the test and dangled it in front of you- it looked so heavy... so much cash... <<include "Test Gas">>

Shit, focus on the task at hand. "How are you so sure they're gonna accept that?" KC rolled her eyes at your continued questioning. "I know Jax. He's a money hungry sack of shit. Do you know how expensive gasoline is?" <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>>\ It was really fucking expensive. More expensive than the most costly liquor or the fanciest prostitute. More expensive than most caravan companies were even willing to deal with. After all, what's the point of carrying dozens of pounds of extra fuel if it makes your vehicle a big old flashing sign saying //ROB ME//? <<else>>\ No, actually, you had no clue. You'd certainly walked alongside a vehicle before, being pulled by workhorses- the normal way to travel. The gutted husk of a car or van was a common sight around these parts. A fully functional one was rarer. It must be expensive though, otherwise people would probably use them more, right? <</if>>\ "In and out, no fuss, no violence, real quiet," KC reinforced. "Keep the gun with you. Keep it loaded. It tells them we're serious. But you won't need to fire it." * [[“Got it.”|Test Leaving]]

The sun was high by the time you left. You got yourself settled in the passenger's seat of one of the Lamplighters' cars, a bright blue Impreza with the logo stamped on the hood in yellow paint. Not exactly a subtle ride. The leather of the seat was cracked and worn from decades of use. It crumbled under your fingers as you slid them over one of the seams. The dashboard was bleached by the sun, adorned with a dancing figure of a woman in a hula skirt. A pair of fuzzy dice hung from the rear view mirror. "This is Ozzy's ride, just so you know who to blame if it smells like shit," KC pointed out as she turned the key and the engine sputtered to life. It did. It smelled like cigarettes and liquor. "Mind grabbing a CD for me? I can't stand driving without music." * [[Open the glove compartment.|Test Glove]]

You started rooting through the glove compartment, hunting for music. There was a manual for the car that had been soaking wet at some point, all the dried pages stuck together. A few packs of old cigarettes. A bottle of cheap whiskey. A few stray bullets. And a little leather case, a just a bit bigger than a wallet, with a zipper around the outside. * [[Keep looking, in case there's anything cool.|Test Zine]] * [[Open the CD case.|Test CDs]]

Setting the case of CDs aside, you leaned down, trying to get a good look inside this glove compartment. And you spotted something you'd missed as your hands blindly fumbled around- a little sheaf of paper, no bigger than your palm, with some kind of avant garde digital collage printed on the front. The vague outline of a guitarist, printed in halftone, jamming out on stage. The words "NO REST" and "NO QUIET" arranged in white next to him, and "DEAD AIR" printed in an even bigger font underneath. <<if $leads.includes("zinecollector")>>\ This must be one of those "zines" that the bookseller was telling you about. Some kind of music zine, probably. Some water had made the ink run and the edges of the pages were bent and warped from being shoved in the back of a glove compartment. Nobody would miss it. <<else>>\ What an interesting little curio. Certainly worth taking a look at. Some water had made the ink run and the edges of the pages were bent and warped from being shoved in the back of a glove compartment. Nobody would miss it. <</if>>\ * [[You stuff it in your pocket before opening the CD case.|Test CDs]] <<pocket "Dead Air Promo Zine" 1>>\

You pulled the zipper around three edges of the little wallet with a satisfying purr. As soon as the tension of the zip was gone, it unfurled in your hands like butterfly wings. Dozens of transparent sleeves, all containing the holographic glimmer and stamped album cover of a single compact disc. KC put the car in gear and glanced over at the nexus of music in your hands. "Man, Ozzy loves his indie rock, huh? Is that... Neutral Milk Hotel?" Yes. Neutral Milk Hotel was definitely represented. As were several other indie rock bands from the 80s till the end of the world, with some more mainstream shit thrown in for good measure. And a couple other genres too, a bit of hip hop, a bit of metal. If you could accurately judge someone by their music taste, this guy seemed not half bad. Flipping through the CDs, you searched for something you felt like throwing on... * [[Franz Ferdinand sounds good.|Test Music][$tempmusic = "takemeout"]] * [[Gorillaz sounds good.|Test Music][$tempmusic = "clinteastwood"]] * [[Violent Femmes sounds good.|Test Music][$tempmusic = "blisterinthesun"]]

Placing your finger in the center hole of the CD, you slid it free of its protective sleeve. You placed it into the slot and the machine whirred as it pulled the disc inside. Outside, KC was pulling out of the garage, past a couple of other cars and bikes the Lamplighters had stored here. It had been some kind of shop class once in its life. Full of machines and lifts and the like. "How often do you drive," she asked as she pulled out into the road. Her voice was raised so you could hear her over the <<if $tempmusic == "takemeout">>fast guitar stabs and hi-hats<<elseif $tempmusic == "clinteastwood">>dark drum beat<<else>>folksy guitar<</if>> playing through the lo-fi speakers. * [[“Only once or twice.”|Test Twice]] * [[“We used to have a car back up North.”|Test North]]

"Well, welcome to your third car ride," she jeered. The car was making its way along a road towards the towering buildings of the Graveyard proper. "It's not gonna be a pleasant one. The roads are a little uneven around here." As if on cue, there was a bump so big it nearly sent you flying at the ceiling. * [[Look out the window and try to get your bearings.|Test Out Window]]

She seemed surprised by the answer. "Eh? What are the roads like up there?" "There aren't any," you corrected her. "In summer, you can drive anywhere. It's all flat and dusty." In the winter, though, there was the snow- all encompassing, so deep at times that you wouldn't see the ground again until the thaw.<<if $skill.signal gte 1>> A sudden crackling in the stereo sounded like a blizzard from your youth. The howling wind overpowered the song for a moment, before it went back to normal.<</if>> "Well, don't expect a smooth ride," KC warned you. The car was making its way along a road towards the towering buildings of the Graveyard proper, and as if on cue there was a bump so big it nearly sent you flying at the ceiling. "Nobody's doing road maintenance around here, for obvious reasons." * [[Look out the window and try to get your bearings.|Test Out Window]]

Through the slightly tinted windows, you could see the barren wasteland around you outside. Buildings formed into towers and then megaliths as your driver wordlessly pushed forward, nodding along to the music. They were made of concrete and steel and glass, enormous windows smashed in to reveal collapsing interiors. The sidewalks that stood by were cracked and worn, but not overgrown. No. There wasn't a single living thing in this landscape of ruin. Why anyone would ever want to live here was beyond you. The people who built these things (and you knew they were built by people, even though you couldn't fathom how) must have been masochists. Everything here was decaying, but what wasn't? It was rigid, violent. But secluded in this little steel bunker, cordoned off from it with music resonating through your body, you felt safe. * [[Maybe a misguided feeling.|Test Convo]]

As she navigated the vehicle through the ruins, KC tried to spark up some small talk. \ <<if $identity.includes("merc")>>\ "So how long have you been in this business? The mercenary business, I mean." * [[“About as long as you, I guess.”|Test Merc Long]] * [[“Oh, y'know. I picked up gigs when I could get them.”|Test Merc Gigs]] <<elseif $identity.includes("devotee")>>\ "So you've got this... weird vibe about you. What's up with that?" Not a great way of phrasing it, but you got what she meant. * [[“Yes, I'm devout. What about it?”|Test Devotee Devout]] * [[“I guess we have a pretty different belief system up North.”|Test Devotee Belief]] <<elseif $identity.includes("nomad")>>\ "So you're new to the big city, huh?" * [[“This one, sure. But I've been to every big city I can think of.”|Test Nomad Cities]] * [[“Yeah, but I get around. I've been all over the place.”|Test Nomad Place]] <<elseif $identity.includes("hedonist")>>\ "How've you been taking to the big city? Enjoying yourself so far?" * [[“I'd be enjoying myself more if I could afford some damn drugs.”|Test Hedonist Drugs]] * [[“Oh yeah. Clubs, brothels, casinos... you guys really have it good here!”|Test Hedonist Good]] <<else>>\ "So mercenary work... you've done it before?" She seemed almost nervous, that she might have agreed to take on a total amateur with no skills. * [[“I've done it before. I've done a ton of different kinds of work.”|Test Merc Gigs]] * [[“Honestly, I have no clue what I'm doing.”|Test Clue]] <</if>>\

"So a while, then." She took her eyes off the road long enough to eye you up again, evaluating you again to figure out how long that must be. "Almost a decade?" "Give or take a few years." She nodded along. There was literally no way for her to figure out if you were lying, but if you weren't, she was impressed. "I don't know what kind of work people did where you came from, but assuming it's the same kind of stuff we do here, that's pretty good." "I told you I know what I'm doing." You could tell that she still needed convincing, but at the very least you were on the way. <<include "Test Signal">> <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\

"Ah." She nodded along, keeping her eyes on the road. "Work scarce back home?" "The holy wars ended when I was a kid, so by the time I started working, violence wasn't a big industry." Continuing to nod, KC muttered, "Yes. Of course. The holy wars. How could I not have taken that into account." You weren't sure what was so hard to understand. "Yeah, I mean. It was a big problem." "You're from up North, right?" "Yeah." She didn't respond to that. Like it was a rhetorical question. <<include "Test Signal">>

"Hey, man, I'm not saying anything //bad// about it." She briefly lifted her hands off the wheel to gesture surrender. An overall bad decision, based on how the car swerved sharply to the left before she got it back under control. You weren't really buying that. "Weird isn't exactly a neutral term." "Religious, then. What's up with the... religion?" "I venerate the Lady." It occurred to you that she might not know what that meant. "She's, like, a saint. I sacrifice things for her in the afterlife, and she gives me blessings in return." "Okay. You worship a dead lady." KC nodded, as if making a mental note of this fact. "That's very, uh... religious." <<include "Test Signal">>

KC laughed. "We don't even have religion in Signal Hill. I mean... I guess people believe whatever the fuck they want. But it's not like they go to church or anything." <<if not $identity.includes("nomad")>>\ "That's weird." To be fair, you hadn't //seen// any churches around- at least not any with the kind of architecture they had back home. It was a little bit odd, but y'know. Different strokes for different folks. "If there's no religion... what do people believe in?" "Uh..." She was a little stumped by this one. "Money? Money buys electricity. Electricity buys life." "So you'd say they believe in electricity then?" "Yeah. That." She wasn't satisfied with that answer. But it was close to the truth.<<if $skill.signal gte 1>> They worshipped the buzzing, gnawing truth deep at your core, the truth that lives in the wires.<</if>> <<else>>\ "Interesting." You'd been all over the place since your youth and had encountered many places like this- places unmoored and drifting through reality. You wondered if saints were ever born in places like this, and if they died and were never worshipped. What a tragic existence. "What exactly //is// your... 'belief system'?" KC was choosing her words carefully, and you could tell she was trying hard not to offend you. Might be awkward. "Personally? I venerate the Lady." It occurred to you that she might not know what that meant. "She's, like, a saint. I sacrifice things for her in the afterlife, and she gives me blessings in return." "Okay. You worship a dead lady." KC nodded, as if making a mental note of this fact. "Interesting. Very interesting." <</if>>\ <<include "Test Signal">>

"What kind of cities? Anything I'd have heard about?" You took a moment to consider it. Places somewhat near here, and big, important. "Um... have you heard of Le Coeur?" "That's to the East, right?" She wasn't well travelled, you could tell that from the uncertain waver of her voice. "Yeah, I've heard of it. What's it like out there?" "Lots of tall buildings," you muttered. "Taller than Signal Hill, but not taller than these things, of course. But they're all made of stone. They've got this huge quarry nearby, where pretty much everybody works, and they use the stone to build more places for more people." She nodded. She didn't have to comment on it.<<if $skill.signal gte 1>> You both understood the beating back of death. You both knew why they quarried.<</if>> <<include "Test Signal">>

"Like what?" She didn't take her eyes off the road, but there was a distinct curiosity to her voice. You were willing to bet she'd never left Signal Hill. You took a moment to consider what to share. Most things were... unexciting. "Well, I accompanied a caravan to Norwood a year or two ago. It's beautiful country out there. Built right up on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a reservoir- the rocks are red, and the water's the deepest violet you'll ever see. They grow practically all the weed in the whole region, something about the soil. You should see the farms- they're really something to behold." The car started drifting off course for a second before KC got control of it again. Her eyes were facing forwards, but her mind was elsewhere. "That sounds... cool." <<include "Test Signal">>

KC snorted. "Yeah, I guess it's an expensive lifestyle, huh? That why you're trying to get hired so hard?" "Well, there's that. I also got robbed right when I got to the city, so..." You trailed off. It was a shame, really. You would have been having a lot more fun by now if you hadn't lost all your drug money. "Well, I don't mind what kind of drugs you're taking so long as you're doing good work." She wasn't even phased by your robbery story. "Careful, though. Liquor, weed, opium, all of that shit's pretty safe. Anything outside of that and you're gonna start running into some unsavoury folks." You couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I'm not very savoury, myself." "Worse. Much worse." <<include "Test Signal">>

KC snorted. "//Us guys// don't have anything good. Some of //us guys// are banned from the city and could get in a whole lot of trouble if we were spotted at one of those brothels or casinos." "Seriously?" What a tragic existence. "I'm afraid that's the price of doing business." She didn't seem particularly bothered by it. "I did my fair share of partying in my younger years. Now I'm married to my work, y'know?" (KC could not possibly have been older than her mid twenties, maybe 27 max.) And you got the //best idea ever//. "KC, after we're done here, I'm going to take you to nightclub. Or a brothel. Or both!" You were getting giddy at the idea of bringing your new friend along for some wild shenanigans. All she did was glance at you, one eyebrow raised as if in curiosity. That meant //interest//. She wasn't going to say it, cause like, what if she didn't want to hire you after this? But you could rest easy. She //was// going to hire you, and you //were// going to bring her out for a night on the town, and it was going to be //fucking fun//. <<include "Test Signal">> <<addlead "midnightplayground" "Midnight Playground">>\

"I'm not sure if you're joking right now." Those were the words that came out of her mouth, but you knew what she actually meant. It was more along the lines of 'You better be joking right now, or I'm going to open the door and dump you on the side of the road.' She did not have the patience to deal with your shit right now. You chose your words carefully. "I haven't done this kind of thing... in a while. I'm //out of practice//." Just a blatant lie, but better than getting on her nerves. KC nodded. "Okay. Out of practice. We can deal with that." <<include "Test Signal">>

The conversation lapsed, and you found yourself sitting there in the passenger's seat in silence. Well, silence except for the waves of music beating through the air. <<if $tempmusic == "takemeout">>The bright strumming of guitar in a catchy groove rumbled from the speakers and filled your body, your head subtly bobbing along to the rhythm of the drum.<<elseif $tempmusic == "clinteastwood">>A scant musical soundscape surrounded you, percussion rattling your bones, and a voice with a strong British accent crooned over it.<<else>>The bright guitar and simple drum beat felt out of place here, bringing an unmistakable light feeling into this otherwise dark place.<</if>> Your fingers picked at the worn stitching of the seat, and you could feel the waves wrapping around you. They vibrated your skin and sent shivers down your spine. <ul><li> <<link 'You try to tune in on it. '>><<signalroll 6 "Test Signal Success" "Test Signal Failure">><</link>></li></ul>

The buzzing wasn't alien, brought here by the car's speakers. It was the opposite. You glanced at the radio's volume dial- it was barely above zero. This place was not a city. It was a //transformer//. Out the window, you could see it- not with your eyes, but with the motion sensors buried deep in your inner ears. The waves coiled around the buildings, expanding and cavitating. The megaliths around you weren't built for habitation. Their violent architecture was made so for a reason. It was made to synthesize the signal, amplify it, concentrate it. You felt it resonating deep inside you, vibrating every red blood cell in your ventricles. Nearly a century ago, you could see it from space, lit up like a network of stars. You could trace the paths between them in glowing dots. A million living, breathing stars emanating their waves into the atmosphere. You could hear a transatlantic accent beamed into your skull from a billion years ago, three chimes, a long forgotten radio play like the ones from your youth. How had they discovered this? How had they harnessed it to bring about the end? It felt like an unanswerable question. Before you could even try to fathom any of this, you felt a strong force slamming your body against the door and your body lurched forward as the car came to a worryingly sudden stop. * [[Good thing you were wearing a seat belt.|Test Bearings]]

The buzzing was getting a little annoying, underlying the music blasting through the speakers. Tuning into it wasn't working, so you'd have to just try to tune it out. As the car turned a corner, you could see a looming construct in the road ahead. About a block away. Massive mechanical beasts piled one on top of the other- a dozen cars, or at least the exoskeletons of them. Rusted and burnt out, they had somehow been lifted on top of each other, a van balanced on two sedans and a city bus with all the windows busted out and the back side reinforced with scrap. It was a wall. A patrolled one, at that. A couple men were holed up inside the bus, and a woman with a rifle was perched on a bench on a wood platform that topped off the right half. "That's them," KC muttered, so quiet you were barely able to hear it. "They know who we are. This'll be-" She didn't get the chance to finish. It happened incredibly fast. A flash of red, a sedan nearly crashing into your door. You would've been blood on the concrete if KC hadn't swerved just in time, losing control of the car, braking just before it crashed into the glass front of a building. You were flung against the door and then sharply forward. * [[Good thing you were wearing a seat belt.|Test Exit]]

You tried to catch your breath after the rubber belt robbed you of it. No broken ribs, at least. That was good. Next to you, KC was doing the same. Her eyes were wide. She calmly unbuckled her seat belt and let it whiz back into place. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." You were, by some miracle. Looking around, desperate to figure out what had happened, you put a few things together. There was a red sedan on your right which had skidded to a stop after running KC off the road. The driver had gotten out and was approaching your door. Over his shoulder, you could see a strange construct- a massive wall that stretched between two skyscrapers, built up out of the long-gutted exoskeletons of vehicles. A van, a half dozen cars, a full city bus with its windows blown out. There was a woman with a rifle sitting up on a wooden platform above, and a couple guys watching you from inside the bus. * [[Fuck.|Test Exit]]

By the time you'd gotten your seat belt off, the driver that had run you off the road had opened the door of the car and was yanking you out by the forearm. You yelped and instinctually went for your weapon. Before you could, KC hissed, "Don't! Just be cool." She was willingly climbing out of the car, keys in hand. You weren't shoved to the ground or shot. Once you'd been pulled from the Impreza, you were pushed in the direction of the stronghold and told to walk, a pistol between your shoulderblades. "No funny stuff, understood?" KC didn't let you answer that. "We're just here to get Ozzy back, man. We don't mean you any trouble." "You fuckers are always trouble." The guy's voice was dripping with acid. He pointed the gun at her, gesturing for her to walk. * [[You calmly approach the wall along with KC.|Test Approach][$temp = "calm"]] * [[You approach the wall along with KC, but unwillingly.|Test Approach][$temp = "unwilling"]]

The compound loomed over you. Automobiles, scrap metal, and wood jutting out at odd angles. Platforms balanced above, where the sniper was sat, aiming between the two of you. This was bad.<<if $temp == "calm">> But you were maintaining your composure.<</if>> <<if $temp == "calm">>KC was just as calm as you were presenting yourself.<<else>>KC was far calmer and more compliant than you.<</if>> She had the envelope of money in her hands and was taking confident strides, looking up at those platforms. Like she expected something. And as you stepped within fifteen feet or so from the structure, it became clear what that was. Rising over the wall and stepping out onto the rickety wooden platform, two figures. One, a woman, gruff and built like a brick. Her ginger hair was shaved up either side and cropped short in the middle. A smattering of freckles across her cheeks might have made her look cute in another life. But it couldn't quite outweigh the thick kohl under her eyes and deep scars carved into her skin. The guy she was holding by the upper arm, on the other hand, was an exact opposite. Scrawny, pale, shorter than her by at least a foot. His hair was dark and teased, or maybe just naturally that frizzy. The look on his face was one of deep discomfort and even deeper embarrassment. * [[The two of you stopped, and the woman started to talk.|Test Mercy]] <<unset $temp>>\

"So you've come for your man, huh? Just on time, too!" Her tone was exaggerated, like some kind of supervillain. It was either a little too much or kinda hot, depending on your perspective. "KC, we had some big plans for Ozzy here that you've interrupted!" KC stood there in silence for a moment, just staring. Her eyes were squinted and her arms were crossed. Looked like she was trying to figure something out. Then she spoke up. "Uh... Mercy?" (From context clues, that appeared to be her name, not a request.) "Do you not recognize me?" Mercy looked almost comically offended. Everything she did was over the top. A real showman. She could've been an actress if she wasn't a violent gang member. "No, I wouldn't forget that face in a million years," KC snapped back. "Where's Jax?" Mercy chuckled, a grin forming on her face. "Oh, dear... you didn't hear? He died a couple months ago. Really tragic. //Somebody// shot him in the head." "Oh." KC glanced over at you. The look was something in between a shrug and concern. It was a //plans might be changing// kind of look. "You know what that man was like, KC! He was so money hungry, he couldn't keep his hands out of the community's resources. So I guess //somebody// decided to take action!" KC looked like she wasn't taking a single second of this seriously. Well, what she was saying might have been true- she probably did kill the gang's previous leader. Gangs were like that, probably. But the overwrought persona was falling on deaf ears. "You're a real piece of work, Mercy," KC shouted up. "This is why I stopped hanging out with you when we were twelve." * [[Okay, maybe you misread this situation a little.|Test Misread]]

"Ozzy, are you okay? Have they hurt you?" Mercy laughed, shoving her captive to the ground and earning a concerned yelp from Ozzy. "I've treated him just fine, KC. Clearly I'm feeding him better than you did." Ozzy gave a quiet thumbs up from where he was kneeling on the ground. Evidently, he wasn't too worse for wear. Although his ego looked pretty bruised. "We're here to negotiate, Mercy." KC's voice wasn't wavering an inch. She was experienced with this. She had done it before.<<if $skill.savvy gte 1>> You'd be willing to bet, based on her demeanour and the smooth tone of her voice, that she was the one specifically chosen for this task by her people- KC was more negotiator than fighter these days.<</if>> "Go on, name your price." The indifference was calculated. She was projecting pure in-charge energy right now, even with a gun to her head. She was balancing most of her weight on one foot, the other casually tapping the concrete. "I'm afraid the price is higher than you could afford." Equally unphased. If anything, her voice was full of glee. A righteous smirk had crossed Mercy's cracked lips. "We aren't taking this flagrant disrespect for our territory lightly anymore, KC. We'll be making an //example// of your friend here. It'll be a real spectacle! That's why I've invited you." "We don't even know where your territory is! Can you give us like, a map or something? I swear it changes every fucking week." You muttered something under your breath to KC. * [[“I feel like maybe we misjudged this situation a little.”|Test Shut Up]] * [[“This doesn't seem as easy as you made it out to be.”|Test Shut Up]] * [[“A spectacle? That sounds fun...”|Test Shut Up]] * [[“We might need to start shooting.”|Test Shut Up]]

KC hissed back, "Shut up, <<if def $nickname>><<print $nickname>><<else>><<print $player.name>><</if>>." Her patience was very quickly wearing thin. This was not where this was supposed to head. Fumbling with the pocket of her jacket for a moment, KC produced something you hadn't seen before- a clear plastic bag stuffed with cash. Not as big as the envelope from the office. Presumably, this had been //in// the envelope from the office. "This is all I've got, Mercy. Can you do an old friend a favour and let us be on our way?" Mercy took one look at the amount and her face filled with mirth. "Are you kidding me? No. The entertainment value alone is worth at least double that." A pause. You were wondering if you should intervene. <ul>\ <<if $wealth gte 4>>\ <li> [[You've got money! More than enough money to pay for this loser.|Test Pay Ransom]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[You could intervene... if you had enough money. But you just can't afford that.|Test Stay Silent]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Yeah... it's probably best to leave this to KC.|Test Stay Silent]]</li> </ul>\

You kept your lips strategically shut. <<if $skill.savvy gte 1>>KC clearly had a plan here, so it was probably best to let her execute that plan rather than interfere.<<else>>You were completely out of your depth here, and it wasn't even clear if she'd accept a ransom at all.<</if>> KC let out an exaggerated, haggard sigh. "If I //have// to... I can dip into my personal money..." She reached into her pocket again, feigning how difficult it was to find what she was looking for. And her hand emerged with a fistful of loose cash, way more than the average person would actually carry. "This is all I have. It's about double." "No." Mercy crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed at the two of you. She sharply kicked her captive in the ribs with her steel toed boot, and poor Ozzy reacted accordingly. "Double that, or nothing." <ul>\ <<if $wealth gte 4>>\ <li> [[You could probably afford to double that...|Test Pay Ransom]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[Double that? Insanity.|Test Refuse]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[This is really, really bad.|Test Refuse]]</li> </ul>\

Slow to avoid any twitch reactions, you got some of the money stored in your pockets together. Boy, it was probably a really bad idea to carry this much money around except for this very specific situation. What luck! "I have more cash." You shuffled through the stack of cash, showing off that it was very real and very much enough. "How about all of this together?" All the wind was taken out of Mercy's sails. "That's... a lot of money." KC was quiet. You were on your own here. <ul>\ <li> <<link "“Nobody can't be bought. C'mon, just let us leave, I'll hand over all of this.” (4)">><<spendwealth 4>><<goto "Test Hand Over">><</link>></li> <li> [[“Actually... one second thought, y'know what? I like your idea better. What's the spectacle?”|Test Spectacle]]</li> </ul>\

The pause was long, drawn out, as Mercy stared down at you from on high. The two of you stood bolt upright, hands full of cash, ready to react at any moment. But you didn't need to. "Take the money," Mercy snapped at her man, the one standing behind you with the pistol aimed at you. The guy started to move, but KC stopped him, shouting a response back- "Not until you bring Ozzy down here." Without any hesitation, Mercy dug the toe of her boot under Ozzy's side and pushed hard enough to roll him off the edge of the platform. He landed with a thud on a jutting out car underneath, his limbs a flailing mass, and then toppled off that car onto the concrete below. By all means, he should have probably broken several bones, but instead he scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the two of you. His saviours. Kind of. The guy behind you holstered his pistol and started collecting the money from your hands. <<if $wealth lte 4>>So... much... money...<<else>>What a good deal! It was a lot, but you could afford a lot.<</if>> KC gave it up freely. "Okay. We're going to leave now." Her speech was measured, careful. "We're good. Right? All good." Mercy nodded, a pout on her lips. "Fine. Go ahead. We'll find our fun elsewhere." * [[Success! This was the most boring and expensive way you could possibly deal with this situation!|Test To The Car]]

Mercy tapped her foot on the wood platform, staring down, her eyes flicking between the two of you. "Nothing? Going... going... okay, your opportunity is gone. Time for the spectacle!" "Don't hurt him," KC shouted back. "Seriously. He was just trying to do his job." "Oh, we aren't going to hurt him." A smile spread across Mercy's lips, like this was just the line of questioning she'd been hoping for. "See, we've been working on a new construction project, and I think the two of you are going to want to see it. A nice new arena. The kid wins against my strongest man, he goes free, free of charge! How does that sound?" The scrawny guy's eyes widened. Yeah. He was not going to be winning any fights any time soon. Shit. * [[Take stock of the situation. You need a battle plan.|Test Stock]]

"Oh, you're gonna love it!" Mercy beamed. She didn't want money- she wanted to show off. "See, we've been working on a new construction project, and I think the two of you are going to want to see it. An arena. Things are pretty boring around here, so we're getting into the //entertainment// business, and your friend here is going to get to be in our first match! The kid wins against my strongest man, he goes free, free of charge! If not... well, then the entertainment starts. How does that sound to you?" The scrawny guy's eyes widened. Yeah. He was not going to be winning any fights any time soon. Shit. * [[Take stock of the situation. You need a battle plan.|Test Stock]]

The sun hung high in the sky, casting the scene in a warm orange glow. The dust-choked streets of The Graveyard were the perfect setting for a gunfight. Surrounded by stripped cars, there were plenty of places for cover- but that tower of automobiles made for an advantageous position. This was going to be a tough fight. <ul>\ <li> <<link "Try to formulate a plan. ">><<savvyroll 8 "Test Savvy Success" "Test Savvy Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

In a split second, your eyes flicked back and forth to take in the different players. Mercy. Unarmed, maybe. There wasn't a gun in her hands or strapped to her back, at least. You couldn't tell, at this angle, if she had a pistol at her hip. Even if she did, she was far enough away to hinder her aim. The same couldn't be said for the sniper. Well, not quite sniper- there wasn't a scope on her rifle, but hitting you from that distance with a gun like that would be trivial for anybody with decent aim. If her aim was particularly good, she'd probably be able to take you out in one shot before you could do anything to react. Bad news. The guys inside the bus were the least of your concern. They were at eye level with you, so you could get a decent enough look at them- they were the type to get liquored up to make "guard duty" bearable. They were barely even paying attention to you, too busy passing a bottle back and forth. Chances are they'd run before you even got the chance to shoot them. And the final threat. The guy behind you. He was a big concern, but with a major caveat- he only had one gun, currently pointed at KC. Both of you were in range to attack him. If either one of you were to do so, it would be an even enough fight. You'd just have to be quick enough on the draw to catch him off guard. Glancing over at KC, you caught her eyes. She gave you a very faint nod. * [[Now or never.|Test Plans]]

<<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged") and not $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ One of you was going to have to go after the guy behind you no matter what. There was no way to take cover from both him and the sniper at the same time. Your gun was probably a better fit for a ranged attack than KC's shotgun, so you could take out the sniper while she took care of him. Or alternatively, you could take him out to give her the chance to run for cover. <<else>>\ One of you was going to have to go after the guy behind you no matter what. There was no way to take cover from both him and the sniper at the same time. But you weren't exactly equipped to take out that sniper- KC's shotgun would be a long shot, but the only shot. If you took care of the guy aiming at her, she'd at least have the chance to run for cover. <</if>><</for>>\ <ul>\ <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged") and not $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ <li> <<link 'Take out the sniper. '>><<precisionroll 8 "Test Precision Success" "Test Precision Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>><</for>>\ <li> <<link 'Take out the guard behind you. '>><<speedroll 8 "Test Speed Success" "Test Speed Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>

You met eyes with KC, and she nodded just slightly. Your mind reeled. What kind of plan could you possibly come up with here? The deck was stacked so thoroughly against you. There was a gun pointed at your companion, a sniper up on the platform, and several other guards who'd surely start shooting as soon as they could. There was only one option. * [[Unbridled violence. Attack the guy behind you.|Test Speed Failure]]

The sun hung high in the sky. Your eyes locked on the sniper. Like slow motion, she was moving her rifle into position, sunlight glinting off the lens of her scope. <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ Shrugging your rifle off your shoulder, it fell right into position. Your hands were worn in these shapes, like the familiar curves of a lover's body. The barrel lined up, you shut one eye and squinted through the scope. Through it, you could see she was doing the same for you. A shot rang out, suspended in the air like dust hanging in a ray of light. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. For just a moment you could see blood gushing from the side of her head before her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ Shrugging your shotgun off your shoulder, it fell right into position. Your finger hovered over the trigger with one hand, the other aiming the shortened barrels up at the platform above. The barrel of her rifle stared back at you. Through her scope, she was watching you point your shotgun. The ultimate hail mary. The blast was loud, and the recoil shoved you back. Buckshot ripped through the metal of the cars and lodged into their frames. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. A trickle of blood leaked from the center of her forehead before her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ Your hand went to your side, falling into the familiar grooves of your pistol's grip. A finger slid over the trigger, and in an instant you whipped it out and had the muzzle pointed squarely at the sniper. Over the sight, you could see her scope looking you straight between the eyes. One shot went off. Miss. Another. Miss. Third one. Bingo. You'd gotten her just before she could pull the trigger. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. You couldn't even see where you'd hit her as her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ Your hand went to your side, falling into the familiar grooves of your revolver's grip. A finger slid over the trigger, and in an instant you whipped it out had the muzzle pointed squarely at the sniper. You could see her scope looking you straight between the eyes. A shot went off. One out of six. But you didn't need the other five. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. You couldn't even see where you'd hit her as her body, too, fell out of sight. <</if>>\ Behind you, the sound of metal hitting pavement as the guard's gun skittered out of reach. You turned to see KC's beloved shotgun pointed at the guy's head. His hands were up, a sign of surrender. Didn't want to get his brains blown out for this gang. Smart. Looking back to the wall, the bus was empty. They'd fled as soon as the shooting started. Mercy was standing over you, her brow furrowed. She didn't have a gun drawn. At least not yet. * [[“You're outgunned, Mercy. Hand him over.”|Test Hand Over]] * [[“...KC? Should I shoot her too?”|Test Mercy Shoot]]

The sun hung high in the sky. Your eyes locked on the sniper. Like slow motion, she was moving her rifle into position, sunlight glinting off the lens of her scope. <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ Shrugging your rifle off your shoulder, you fumbled to get it into position. The pressure was killing you. The barrel lined up, you shut one eye and squinted through the scope. Through it, you could see she was doing the same. A shot rang out, suspended in the air like dust hanging in a ray of light. Nothing. You missed. Fuck. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ Shrugging your shotgun off your shoulder, you fumbled to get it into position. Your finger hovered over the trigger with one hand, the other aiming the shortened barrels up at the platform above. The barrel of her rifle stared back at you. Through her scope, she was watching you point your shotgun. The ultimate hail mary. The blast was loud, and the recoil shoved you back. Buckshot ripped through the metal of the cars and lodged into their frames. Through a wisp of smoke, you saw the sniper... unaffected. Not a single pellet hit her. Fuck. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ Your hand went to your side, fumbling with your pistol's grip. A finger slid over the trigger, and as quickly as you could you whipped it out and aimed it at the sniper. Over the sight, you could see her scope looking back. One shot went off. Miss. Another. Miss. Third one. Miss. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ Your hand went to your side, falling into the familiar grooves of your revolver's grip. A finger slid over the trigger, and in an instant you whipped it out had the muzzle pointed squarely at the sniper. You could see her scope looking you straight between the eyes. A shot went off. One out of six. Missed. You went to pull the hammer back, but by that point your opportunity was gone. Fuck. <</if>>\ Behind you, the sound of metal hitting pavement as the guard's gun skittered out of reach. Great. He was unarmed. But then a single shot went off. You weren't hit. Thank god. But turning around, you realized the situation wasn't nearly as good as you thought. KC was hunched over, her hand clutching her shoulder and pain in her eyes. The sniper had missed her head, at least. <ul>\ <li> <<link 'Try one more time. You can hit the sniper. You just need one more shot. '>><<precisionroll 6 "Test Second Try Success" "Test Second Try Failure">><</link>></li> <li> [[KC's hurt. You've gotta take out that guard before he attacks her.|Test Precision Dead]]</li> </ul>\ <<SetFlag "KCShot">>\

The guard behind you started towards his gun, but the shot only slowed KC for a moment. Before you could even worry about her, she'd lunged at him, tackling the guy to the ground. Her blood got all over his hoodie as they struggled, his hand reaching towards the pistol and her fists hammering on his face. <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ No time to worry about that. Methodical, practiced, you lifted the bolt and pulled it back to eject the cartridge. Up on the platform, your sniper was mirroring your movements exactly. You pushed the bolt forward, feeling the resistance as you chambered another round. The sniper did the same. Staring down the scope again, you steadied your hands and took a deep breath. If you didn't land this, she was going to land hers. Now or never. Another shot. Your ears rang. The sniper never got the chance to respond. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. For just a moment you could see blood gushing from the side of her head before her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ No time to worry about that. You had one more shot. Entropy might have fucked you over the first time, but you could still bring this back. With one more chance, you pointed your shotgun up at the sniper. The blast left your ears ringing. The sniper never even got the chance to chamber another round. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. A trickle of blood leaked from the center of her forehead A trickle of blood leaked from the center of her forehead before her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ No time to worry about that. You'd only fired off a couple shots so far, and you had many more in you. She'd landed one hit, but you had an advantage- she had to reload. You could just keep shooting. You took a deep breath and pointed your pistol at her again. One more shot. Missed. She pulled the bolt back and chambered another round. Another. Hit. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. You couldn't even see where you'd hit her before her body, too, fell out of sight. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ No time to worry about that. You still had five rounds. She'd landed one hit, but you had an advantage- she had to reload. You could just keep shooting. You took a deep breath and pointed your revolver at her again, trying to steady your hands. This was your best chance. She pulled the bolt back and chambered another round, and you pulled the trigger. The rifle clattered to the wood platform below her, tipped just slightly off the edge, and tumbled down the side of the wall. You couldn't even see where you'd hit her before her body, too, fell out of sight. <</if>>\ At the same time, the commotion on the ground ceased. You turned to see KC stumbling to her feet, triumphant, the guard lying flat on the pavement. His nose was broken and there was blood all over him, but his chest was still rising. She was barely worse for wear (aside from the bullet hole). She shrugged her beloved shotgun off her shoulder and nodded to you. Looking back to the wall, the bus was empty. They'd fled as soon as the shooting started. Mercy was standing over you, her brow furrowed. She didn't have a gun drawn. At least not yet. * [[“You're outgunned, Mercy. Hand him over.”|Test Hand Over]] * [[“...KC? Should I shoot her too?”|Test Mercy Shoot]]

You whip around to aim your gun at the guy. Over his shoulder, you can see KC's wide eyes staring you down. You aim, you fire, and he's down. And through the ringing in your ears, you hear another distant bang. Getting shot was a familiar feeling by now, but the location made all the difference. You only had a moment to clock where she'd hit you. Your legs failed and your gun clattered to the pavement. Blood was gushing from a hole in your chest. * [[This time, there's no miracle doctor to rescue you.|Test Dead]]

You could feel where the guard was standing behind you, even without looking. The waves, the air pressure, something. The gun was aimed at KC. He wasn't looking at you. He wouldn't know what hit him, if you were quick enough. This was your chance. <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ A rifle is certainly not the most agile of weapons, but like a skilled hunter<<if $identity.includes("nomad")>> lurking in the dead forests of the Western mountains, aiming at a prized buck<</if>>, you knew this machine well. Its stock had worn its place in your shoulder, your finger twitched sometimes, curling around an invisible trigger. In less time than it'd take to notice and react, you'd gotten it off your shoulder and in position staring the guy in the face. * [[You pull the trigger.|Test Speed Shoot]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ The humble shotgun. An inelegant firearm, some would argue. You wouldn't agree. Your hands were worn in the shape of this weapon, and it was worn into the shape of your hands. The metal no longer chafed your skin, the wood was polished by wear. In less time than it'd take to notice and react, you'd gotten it off your shoulder and in position staring the guy in the face. * [[You pull the trigger.|Test Speed Shoot]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ Your pistol was designed for this. In some boardroom a hundred years ago, people had pointed at diagrams with long metal rods and discussed for hours the exact curves of its grip, the placement of its sights, the way your finger slid into the groove of the trigger. The perfectly engineered 20th century killing machine, at your hip. In less time than it'd take to notice and react, you'd drawn, aimed, staring him in the face over your sights. * [[You pull the trigger.|Test Speed Shoot]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ This was exactly the kind of thing you'd see in an old western. The sun at high noon, ash blowing in the wind around the handsome hero<<if $outfit.has("cowboy hat")>> in <<print $pro.their>> fancy hat<</if>> with a revolver at their hip. A test of speed and marksmanship. The quick draw. As fast as the guys wearing white on the television, you had your firearm drawn and whipped it around to aim at your foe. * [[You pull the trigger.|Test Speed Shoot]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>\ This is what your ancestors did, before the invention of gunpowder, when everybody ran around in sweaty armour hitting people with swords. A deep, primal instinct. //Stab//. You pulled it from its sheath, your teeth gritted, your fingers wrapped tight around the grip. In less time than it'd take to notice and react, you were upon him. * [[You stab him. Several times.|Test Speed Stab]] <<elseif $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>\ This is what your ancestors did, before they had metal and gunpowder and industry. Before they even started flaking rocks off and lashing them to sticks, the original weapon- bashing a gazelle over the head with the stick itself. Your hand gripped the handle of your bat, and you whipped around, ready to strike. * [[You whack his skull with your bat.|Test Speed Bash]] <</if>>\

You pulled the trigger, and for a just a moment, the world went silent. Your ears rang. There was a whole lot of blood gushing from the hole in his head, some brain matter too. The guard's body slumped to the floor inelegantly. Your hearing cut back in just in time to hear the crack of his skull against the pavement. He wouldn't be able to feel that, at least. Before you could properly take in the horror of what had just happened, you lurched back as a bullet whizzed past your head. The sniper. Shit. KC had already dived for cover, back against the husk of a car parked at an odd angle on the road. You should probably do the same. * [[You run to the car where she's hiding.|Test Cover KC]] * [[You duck behind the car that's closer to you.|Test Cover Close]]

The force of your body against his knocked the guy to the ground in an instant. The gun skittered off along the pavement. He struggled against you as you straddled him, holding his shoulder down with one hand, the other raised above your head. He was grabbing at your arm, trying to keep you from getting the knife into his soft flesh. Good luck with that. All this horseplay meant that your first strike missed his vital organs, lodging into his shoulder instead, yielding a distressed scream. As you went to strike again, though, you heard the distinct whistle of a bullet whizzing straight past your head. The sniper. Fuck. You were right out in the open. * [[Run for cover.|Test Cover Close][$temp3 = "guard living"]] * [[No... finish him off.|Test Finish Dead]] * [[Use his body as a shield.|Test Speed Shield]]

There was a sickening crack as your bat was stopped mid-swing. The guy's head was held at an odd angle. Blood leaked from his hairline. His eyes were distant. This certainly was an effective weapon. But after that split second, a problem made itself clear to you. His body slumped to the ground and brought you with it. The nails hammered into your bat were stuck in his skull. And then worse news. You heard the distinct whistle of a bullet whizzing past your head. The sniper. Fuck. You were right out in the open, and your weapon was stuck. * [[Run for cover.|Test Cover Close][$temp1 = "unarmed"]] * [[Try to pull the bat out of his head.|Test Bat Dead]]

No time to worry about that. You had to finish him off. Your knife moved as if of its own volition. Your body was overcome with it. This urge to kill. You raised your arm above your head and brought the knife down, once, twice, three times. Thick red liquid spurted from a hole in his chest, drenching the front of your body in warm blood. He'd stopped moving, finally. And then everything went black, as a bullet collided with your skull. * [[Maybe you shouldn't have gotten so bloodthirsty.|Test Dead]]

Shit, shit, shit. You tried to wrench it free, to no avail. Angling it so his head was on its side, you braced your foot against his neck, feeling a cracking underneath as parts of his skull moved unnaturally. Breath held, putting all your force into it, you pulled back as hard as you could on the handle of the bat. Another crack, and it erupted out, taking a solid chunk of brain with it. You didn't have much time to consider how gnarly that was. As you stood over his body, triumphant, the contents of your own brain joined his. * [[Maybe you should have been more worried about that sniper.|Test Dead]]

You grappled with him a few more seconds, trying to get a good grip on the guy's shoulders. In the distance, the sniper was lining up her next shot. You had to time this just right, without even being able to see what was going on. But you got ahold of him, and this was your only chance. With all the force contained in your <<print $player.bodytype>> body, you rolled over to the side, clambering with him, getting him on top of you. For a split second, the look in his eyes was one of triumph, as if he'd managed to get the upper hand. It was replaced by a distant, empty stare and barely parted lips as the bullet that was meant for you lodged into his skull. You cast his body off, heart racing, weapon gripped in your hand, and sprinted to cover. * [[Now what?|Test Cover Close]]

Your hands trembled and sweat dripped from your brow in the hot sun. This was your only chance, and you weren't exactly confident in it. But you had to try. <<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ A rifle was probably the worst possible option for this kind of maneuver. In one fluid motion, you were going to have to get it off your shoulder, get your hands in the right positions, aim it accurately, and shoot. At least you had a bullet chambered and the safety off, so it wasn't impossible. But it might as well have been. The strap snagged on your shoulder. Your hands struggled to find the right positions, scrambling to locate the trigger. But you still hadn't gotten it by the time the guard had whipped his gun around to face you. Shit. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ Your shotgun was a practical thing, good at close range. It was also a little awkward, bulky, unwieldy. The process of getting it off your shoulder and into your hands was an inelegant one. You fumbled with it, your hands grasping blindly to try to find the trigger. No luck. You hadn't even gotten it in position by the time the guard had whipped his gun around to face you. Shit. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ Your pistol was engineered for this. The greatest minds of the 20th century came together to create the ultimate killing machine- small, compact, deadly. A device that you could kill a man in an instant. Your hand wrapped around its grip, fumbling to find the trigger as you pulled it from its holster and... it fell. On the ground. You thought you had a good grasp on the thing, but your fingers must have been a little slippery. And by now, the guy had whipped around, and you had a gun to your face. <<set $temp1 = "unarmed">>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ Old westerns made such a big deal out of the art of the quickdraw. Until now, you'd never really known why. It didn't take an expert to pull a gun out of its holster and shoot it. You just... did it. But now, the reason was pretty clear. Your hand fumbled with the gun on your hip, pulling it from its holster, and... it slipped. And fell. On the ground. And now there was a gun aimed at your face. <<set $temp1 = "unarmed">>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('combat knife')>>\ As far as you were concerned, there was one big advantage to knife. Speed. You could pull it from its sheath and have it to an opponent's throat in mere moments. Except... well, no, there was a big issue with knife, and it was the fact that it was small and goddamn fiddly. You got it out of its sheath easy enough, but your fingers were a little bit slippery, and the thing just tumbled to the ground and skidded away. And now there was a gun aimed at your face. <<set $temp1 = "unarmed">>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('spiked bat')>>\ You'd think that a thing designed to collide with flying balls and hurl them hundreds of feet away from you would be fast. Turns out that when you hammer several dozen nails into a piece of sporting equipment, it messes up the aerodynamic qualities a little bit. You swung... and missed. And by the time you'd hefted it over your shoulder to try again, you had a gun aimed at your face. <</if>>\ * [[New plan! New plan! Fucking surrender! Leave!|Test Surrender][$temp2 to "fought back"]] * [[New plan! New plan! Fucking tackle him!|Test Tackle]]

"Okay, okay, holy shit, let's take this a step back," you squeaked out. This was not going as planned, not in the slightest. "We are clearly outmatched here. Let's just... leave in peace." Having gotten to cover by now, KC shouted from behind him, "We're not leaving without Ozzy, asshole." Ah, fuck. Now what? * [[“You're not leaving without Ozzy. I'm out of here. Fuck this.” (This decision can't be undone)|Test Abandon]] /* [[“How about I take his place, then!”|Test Volunteer]] */

"Go ahead." The guard gestured with his head. He had this amused little grin on his face, glancing over at KC and back at you. "Get outta here, stranger." KC didn't even say anything. She just glared at you as you backed up. It was a look that communicated about as much are any words- leave if you want, but never show your face again. You were making an enemy right now. And leave you did. Walking past the picked-apart automobiles, past piles of ash and rubble littering the streets. Walking past Ozzy's car, because KC had the keys. It was gonna be a bit of a trek back to the city, but it was worth it to not get a bullet between your eyes. That long walk was long enough to really contemplate your decision, and probably long enough for whatever was going to play out back there to play out. You were a little curious, but not too curious. And you'd probably never find out. You'd just made an enemy today. An hour or so later, you waved to Pistol as you walked back through the checkpoint and into the city. * [[And away from the Lamplighters forever. Probably.|Red Light District]] <<SetFlag "BrokenOath">>\ <<SetFlag "LamplighterEnemy">>\

If weapons weren't enough, all that was left to handle this situation was brute force. <<if $skill.brawn gte 1>>And brute force was your specialty.<<else>>Brute force was not your strong suit, but tough times call for pretending to be tough.<</if>> <<if not $temp1 == "unarmed">>You dropped your <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>>_item<</for>> and <<else>>You <</if>>launched yourself at the guy as hard as you could manage, knocking him to the ground and knocking the gun out with it. No powder, no steel. Hand to hand. You had the immediate leg up, given that nobody could possibly expect this turn of events. Holding him down as best as possible with one hand on the collar of his shirt, your other hand pummelled his face. Sweat dripped from your forehead and your breath was ragged and panting. Then, the sound of a bullet whistled past your head. Shit. The sniper. * [[Run for cover.|Test Cover Close][$temp3 = "guard living"]] * [[Use his body as a shield.|Test Speed Shield]]

As fast as your little legs could carry you, you sprinted past the corpse and dove behind the old car next to KC. Just in time for another bullet to lodge into the vehicle's frame, barely missing you. Phew. KC did not look relieved. Her eyes were wide and her hands fumbling with her shotgun. "This isn't good, <<if def $nickname>><<print $nickname>><<else>><<print $player.name>><</if>>. This is really, really bad." "It's fine," you tried to reassure her, although your voice was a bit shaky too. "One down, only a few more to go." "And how exactly do you plan on accomplishing that last part?<<if not $heldweapon.has("hunting rifle")>> Neither of us can hit that sniper from here.<</if>>" <ul>\ <<if $heldweapon.has("hunting rifle")>>\ <li> [[“I'll take out the sniper. She's not the only one with a scope.”|Test Cover Shoot][$temp2 = "with KC"]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Now that we've taken out one of her men, let's try to reason with her.”|Test Cover Reason][$temp2 = "with KC"]]</li> </ul>\

This was far from good shooting conditions, but this rifle wasn't meant for good shooting conditions. It was meant for lying among the brush, aiming over grass and between trees, a deer in the sights. By comparison, you had very little to worry about. The sniper was obscured a little by the angle and her own rifle, so a body shot, ideal as it would have been, was impossible. Instead, you were going to have to aim for her head. Just as immediately deadly, but a harder target. <ul>\ <li> <<link 'You take aim at the sniper up on the wall. '>><<precisionroll 8 "Test Cover Shot Success" "Test Cover Shot Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

<<if $temp2 == "with KC">>\ "Do you really think that's going to work?" KC hissed, hugging the wall closely to avoid getting shot. You shrugged. "Maybe not, but what other option do we have?" With that, you contemplated your words, and then raised your voice to be heard up on the wall... <<else>>\ This was a real long shot, but what other choice did you have? You contemplated your words, and then raised your voice to be heard up on the wall... <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> <<link '“Mercy, come on, are you really going to make us kill all your men?” '>><<glamroll 8 "Test Mercy Argue Success" "Test Mercy Argue Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

Frantic, you launched yourself behind the husk of an old car lying in the road. <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>>This was far from ideal cover. A wreck like this wouldn't have been able to deflect a bullet in its prime, let alone after decades of rust and being stripped for parts.<<else>>It was fine as far as cover went, but you still weren't in a great position.<</if>> If you were to pop your head out long enough to shoot, there was a solid chance you'd get that head blown clean off your body. This was far worse than the in-and-out situation KC had promised. <<if $identity.includes("merc")>>But far from the worst you'd been in.<<else>>Mercenary work was actually //hard?//<</if>> <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>\ You probably had one more opportunity to take out that sniper. It was a long shot, but now that you had a better vantage point, you might just have been able to manage it.<<if $temp3 == "guard living">>There was also the guard you hadn't killed, who was now in prime position to attack either you or KC. You could try to take care of him.<</if>> Or you could try a more peaceful approach... <ul>\ <<if $heldweapon.has("hunting rifle")>>\ <li> <<link 'You take aim at the sniper up on the wall. '>><<precisionroll 6 "Test Cover Shot Success" "Test Cover Shot Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <<if $temp3 == "guard living" and not $temp2 == "unarmed">>\ <li> <<link 'You turn to take out the guard. '>><<speedroll 6 "Test Guard Shot Success" "Test Guard Shot Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> <<link 'There has to be some kind of ploy you can use... '>><<glamroll 8 "Test Mercy Guilt Success" "Test Mercy Guilt Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ You were pretty much fucked at this point. The spectre of a sniper loomed over you, and you had no way to take her out. <<if $temp3 == "guard living">>And if she didn't get you, there was another guard ready to take you out, and no easy way to get away from him. <</if>>A hopeless situation called for a hopeless solution... <ul>\ <li> <<link 'There has to be some kind of ploy you can use... '>><<glamroll 8 "Test Mercy Guilt Success" "Test Mercy Guilt Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <</if>><</for>>\

This was going to have to be a single quick, fluid motion. No time to properly line up a shot- up on the wall, she'd already gotten you in her sights. She was ready to pull the trigger in an instant. So you had to do the same as fast as possible. And preferably as accurately as possible. There wouldn't be time for a second shot. Taking a deep breath and moving your hands to the familiar grooves of your rifle's stock, you lifted it up over the trunk of the car, nestling it against your body and peering through the scope. Through the distortion of the lens, you could see her lining up her shot. One try. Teeth clenched, you pulled the trigger. The recoil shoved you back slightly, and lifted the scope just enough that you lost sight of her. By the time you focused back on the wall, her seat was empty. Bingo. <<if $temp2 == "with KC">>\ In a hushed tone, KC muttered, "That was fucking good. I guess I picked the right person, huh?" "Just doing my job." Pulling the rifle back close to your chest, you ducked again. "Now what?" "Frankly, I don't know. Got any ideas?" No. There wasn't a good idea here. You were alone against a whole fucking compound. The only good option was to try to reason. <<else>>\ Now what? You'd taken out Mercy's guards, but Ozzy was still... well, at her mercy, as it were. But now you had a bargaining chip of your own. Time to use it. <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> <<link 'You raised your voice. “Mercy, come on, are you really going to make us kill all your men?” '>><<glamroll 8 "Test Mercy Argue Success" "Test Mercy Argue Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

<<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either prop your weapon up on the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, you quickly slipped your hands into place and braced the stock against your body. No point using that scope. You could eyeball this easy enough, and it was far too time sensitive. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, you quickly slipped your hands into place and braced the stock against your body. He was just barely in range for your shotgun. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, pistol gripped tightly in your hand, you lined up your shot. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, revolver gripped tightly in your hand, you lined up your shot. <</if>>\ Bang. After a moment of stumbling, he had crumpled to the pavement. Blood leaked from a hole in his chest. It slowly streamed out through the cracks. <<if $temp2 == "with KC">>\ Behind you, KC muttered, "Nice shot." "Just doing my job." Pulling the rifle back close to your chest, you ducked again. "Now what?" "Frankly, I don't know. Got any ideas?" No. There wasn't a good idea here. You were alone against a whole fucking compound. The only good option was to try to reason. <<else>>\ The guard was taken care of, but you were still huddled behind a car, separated from your ally, braced against a whole fucking compound. This was a bad position to be in. If you were going to get out of here alive, you were going to have to argue for it. <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> <<link 'You raised your voice. “Mercy, come on, are you really going to make us kill all your men?” '>><<glamroll 8 "Test Mercy Argue Success" "Test Mercy Argue Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

<<if $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either prop your weapon up on the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, you rushed to get your hands into place and braced the stock against your body. Using the scope would be a death sentence. You were just going to have to pray you were accurate enough. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, you quickly slipped your hands into place and braced the stock against your body. He was just barely in range for your shotgun. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, pistol gripped tightly in your hand, you tried to line up your shot. <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>\ You weren't super well shielded from the guard, but you still had to either stick your head up over the trunk or come around the side of the car to hit him. Worst of both worlds, but still worth a shot, as long as you were quick enough. You picked what seemed like the safest option. Ducking around the side of the trunk, revolver gripped tightly in your hand, you tried to line up your shot. <</if>>\ But you just barely weren't fast enough. By the time you'd gotten your gun into position, the guard had his own aimed right at you. Bang. Dead. * [[Maybe you should be faster next time.|Test Dead]]

"Make you kill all my men?" Her response was disbelief, followed by laughter. "The two of you are going to take out every single one of us? KC, I don't know who this person you hired is, but <<print $pro.they>><<if $pro.they == "they">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> hilarious!" No giving up. Push. "We might not take out every single one of you, but can you afford the damage we're going to do? Over a single guy? Over //that// guy?" Mercy's laughter was cut short. You couldn't see her, ducked behind cover, but she was definitely thinking about this threat. "Give me the money, then." And she stared you down. "You, too. Whatever you've got on you." <<if $wealth gt 0>>\ Uh... well, you didn't typically carry all your money on your person at all times, but that was still going to be a lot. But if this was your only chance to get out of here alive... okay. <ul>\ <li> <<link 'You bundle all the cash together in the envelope. '>><<removewealth>><<goto "Test Leave Cash">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ That was going to be difficult, because you didn't have any cash on you at all. "Um... I'm kind of broke," you shouted up at her. Mercy shook her head, offering you no mercy. "Then you're going to have to die." "Wait." KC started rummaging in her jeans pocket, and pulled out another, smaller, wad of cash. "Here, Mercy. Take all of it." And to you, she hissed, "<<if Flag("TestRunIntern")>>You fucking owe me, man.<<SetFlag "OweKC">><<else>>This is coming out of your paycheck, by the way. As in, you're not getting paid.<<SetFlag "TestNoPaycheck">><</if>>" * [[You bundle all the cash together in the envelope.|Test Leave Cash]] <</if>>\ /* Mercy's laughter was cut short. You couldn't see her, ducked behind cover as you were, but she was definitely thinking about this threat. And then she gave her response. "You're not going to walk away from here without any more bloodshed, both of you. I'll leave it up to you how that goes down. Either you die now. Or both of you fight in the arena in his place." Not much of a choice. Death wasn't an option. You'd have to take what you could get. * [[Okay. You'll have to fight, then.|Test Volunteer]] */

Rewind. What did you know about this woman? Not much. Maybe if KC had known she was in charge, she could have given you some good tips- all you really had to work with was the very brief conversation you'd had thus far. And then it clicked. KC knew who Mercy was- not only that, didn't she say that they used to be friends? It was worth a try. Without setting foot outside your cover, you called up to the wall, "Mercy, what the fuck has gotten into you? Are you really going to kill your childhood friend?" That seemed to catch her off guard. Perfect. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Remember? The two of you used to be friends. How have you let yourself go this far? You're turning into a monster." KC had been quiet up till this point, trying to figure out what your play was. Now she had figured it out. Raising her voice to match yours, she shouted, "You used to be..." She was struggling to find an accurate compliment. "//Nicer//. You've changed." "What is this, some kind of intervention?" Mercy was incredulous. "I'm fine. I'm fine!" "You've got a problem, Mercy.<<if $temp2 == "with KC">>" KC raised an eyebrow at you, clearly impressed with your idea. "<<else>> <</if>>You can't keep doing this." "Leave, then," Mercy spat. "I don't even care. You can have your fucking... twerp friend. Go." You couldn't see what was happening from behind the car, but you could hear a thud and a panicked shout as Ozzy was shoved down off the platform. He must have bounced off several cars jutting out of the structure on the way down. By all means, he should have probably broken several bones. But by the time you both poked your heads out from behind cover, he scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the two of you. His saviours. Kind of. "Ozzy, are you okay?" There was some genuine concern in KC's voice, albeit the kind of concern you'd have when you found out your teenage son had gotten arrested. "I'm fine." He was banged up, rubbing one of his elbows, but alive. With an eyebrow raised, he turned his attention to you. "Who's the new guy?" * [[“The 'new guy' saved your damn life. Do I not get a thanks for that?”|Test New Guy]] * [[Don't be a dick. Just introduce yourself politely.|Test Polite]] <<SetFlag "TestRunGuiltedMercy">>\

Rewind. What did you know about this woman? Not much. Maybe if KC had known she was in charge, she could have given you some good tips- all you really had to work with was the very brief conversation you'd had thus far. And then it clicked. KC knew who Mercy was- not only that, didn't she say that they used to be friends? It was worth a try. Without setting foot outside your cover, you called up to the wall, "Mercy, what the fuck has gotten into you? Are you really going to kill your childhood friend?" That seemed to catch her off guard. Perfect. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Remember? The two of you used to be friends. How have you let yourself go this far? You're turning into a monster." "Oh, yes, of course," Mercy retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm going to feel terrible about killing the girl who stole my first girlfriend. And rubbed it in my face for years." <<if $temp2 == "with KC">>Next to you, KC cringed and mouthed, "My bad." <</if>>Dammit. Maybe this wasn't the foolproof strategy you'd thought it was. After a beat, though, Mercy continued. "I'm not //cruel//, though. Perhaps I'll give you the option to offer up all the money you have. You too." She glared at you, specifically. <<if $wealth gt 0>>\ Uh... well, you didn't typically carry all your money on your person at all times, but that was still going to be a lot. But if this was your only chance to get out of here alive... okay. <ul>\ <li> <<link "You bundle all the cash together in the envelope. ">><<removewealth>><<goto "Test Leave Cash">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ That was going to be difficult, because you didn't have any cash on you at all. "Um... I'm kind of broke," you shouted up at her. Mercy shook her head, offering you no mercy. "Then you're going to have to die." "Wait." KC started rummaging in her jeans pocket, and pulled out another, smaller, wad of cash. "Here, Mercy. Take all of it." And to you, she hissed, "<<if Flag("TestRunIntern")>>You fucking owe me, man.<<SetFlag "OweKC">><<else>>This is coming out of your paycheck, by the way.<<SetFlag "TestNoPaycheck">><</if>>" * [[You bundle all the cash together in the envelope.|Test Leave Cash]] <</if>>\ /* After a beat, though, Mercy continued. "Actually, you've given me a great idea. This little twerp who wandered by wouldn't make for a very //exciting// fight, hm? It would be a lot more fun to put the two of you in the arena... //especially// you, KC." "And if we win, everybody goes free?" KC asked, her optimism measured. "Of course! You win fair and square, and I'll let the two of you go." * [[Better than nothing. You'll have to fight.|Test Volunteer]] */

<h1>YOU DIED.</h1> //Let's try that again, shall we?// <h1>"""------""" [[GO BACK|Test Stock]] """------"""</h1> <<SetFlag "KCShot" false>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\ <<unset $temp2>>\ <<unset $temp3>>\

Evaluating your total, Mercy shouted down. "Looks... fine. Throw it out of reach, and back away." KC was not budging. "Not until you bring Ozzy down here." Without any hesitation, Mercy dug the toe of her boot under Ozzy's side and pushed hard enough to roll him off the edge of the platform. He landed with a thud on a jutting out car underneath, his limbs a flailing mass, and then toppled off that car onto the concrete below. By all means, he should have probably broken several bones, but instead he scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the two of you. His saviours. Kind of. KC tossed the envelope just out of reach, watching it skid to a stop on the cracked, ashy pavement. "Okay. We're going to leave now." Her speech was measured, careful. "We're good. Right? All good." Mercy nodded, a pout on her lips. "Fine. Go ahead. Leave." * [[Phew. That was stressful.|Test To The Car]]

As soon as the immediate threat was over, KC started checking her colleague for injuries. "Ozzy, are you okay?" There was some genuine concern in KC's voice, albeit the kind of concern you'd have when you found out your teenage son had gotten arrested. "I'm fine." He was banged up, rubbing one of his elbows, but alive. With an eyebrow raised, he turned his attention to you. "Who's the new guy?" * [[“The 'new guy' saved your damn life. Do I not get a thanks for that?”|Test New Guy]] * [[Don't be a dick. Just introduce yourself politely.|Test Polite]] <<SetFlag "TestRunPaidRansom">>\

Staring down at you from on high, Mercy was unreadable. Her lips had curled into a frown, and her eyes panned back and forth between the two of you. "This was an interesting turn of events." She still had a haughtiness to her voice, even now. "You do realize I have an entire compound's worth of people, right?" "And you're gonna get more of them killed? For //Ozzy?//" Quite a rude way for her to phrase it, but KC seemed fucking exhausted.<<if Flag("KCShot")>> And she also had a bullet in her shoulder. That probably wasn't helping.<</if>> "Fine." Mercy dug the toe of her boot under Ozzy's side and pushed hard enough to roll him off the edge of the platform. He landed with a thud on a jutting out car underneath, his limbs a flailing mass, and then toppled off that car onto the concrete below. By all means, he should have probably broken several bones, but instead he scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the two of you. His saviours. Kind of. "Ozzy, are you okay?" There was some genuine concern in KC's voice, albeit the kind of concern you'd have when you found out your teenage son had gotten arrested. "I'm fine." He was banged up, rubbing one of his elbows, but alive. With an eyebrow raised, he turned his attention to you. "Who's the new guy?" * [[“The 'new guy' saved your damn life. Do I not get a thanks for that?”|Test New Guy]] * [[Don't be a dick. Just introduce yourself politely.|Test Polite]] <<SetFlag "TestRunShotEveryone">>\

"Are you insane," KC hissed. "Don't shoot unless you have to. I shouldn't have to tell you that." You were undeniably a hero here, but being told off like that made you feel a little like a scolded dog. "Fine, jesus..." KC shook her head and turned away. She wasn't going to let you take the lead here<<if Flag("KCShot")>>, gunshot wound or not<</if>>. "Mercy... do you want more of your people to die for //Ozzy// of all people, or are you going to let us go?" Her tone was less angry and more exhausted. She didn't //want// to fight. Staring down at you from on high, Mercy was unreadable. Her lips had curled into a frown, and her eyes panned back and forth between the two of you. "I'm going to be honest, I didn't really expect that." She still had a haughtiness to her voice, even now. "Just hand him over." After a moment of consideration, Mercy dug the toe of her boot under Ozzy's side and pushed hard enough to roll him off the edge of the platform. He landed with a thud on a jutting out car underneath, his limbs a flailing mass, and then toppled off that car onto the concrete below. By all means, he should have probably broken several bones, but instead he scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the two of you. His saviours. Kind of. "Ozzy, are you okay?" There was some genuine concern in KC's voice, albeit the kind of concern you'd have when you found out your teenage son had gotten arrested. "I'm fine." He was banged up, rubbing one of his elbows, but alive. With an eyebrow raised, he turned his attention to you. "Who's the new guy?" * [[“The 'new guy' saved your damn life. Do I not get a thanks for that?”|Test New Guy]] * [[Don't be a dick. Just introduce yourself politely.|Test Polite]] <<SetFlag "TestRunShotEveryone">>\

Ozzy seemed taken aback by your hostility, hands flying up as if in surrender. "Jeez, tough guy. Just askin' a question." KC glared at you as she led you both back to the car<<if Flag("KCShot")>>, limping slightly and cradling the wound in her shoulder<</if>>. "This is our potential newest recruit, Oz. Emphasis on //potential//." "It's <<print $player.name>>." These people were the definition of ungrateful. You'd just expertly maneuvered them out of a deadly situation, and they were whining about your tone? Ugh. <<include "Test Get In Car">> <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

"I'm <<print $player.name>>. Nice to meet you." Ozzy grabbed your hand for a somewhat unexpected handshake, and his strong grip was similarly unexpected. "Ozzy. Same to you." KC led you both back to the car<<if Flag("KCShot")>>, limping slightly and cradling the wound in her shoulder<</if>>. "This is our potential newest recruit, Oz. So far, <<print $pro.they>><<if $pro.they == "they">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> doing pretty well for <<print $pro.themselves>>." "Oh, sick." He seemed a little surprised, but not too surprised.<<if $skill.savvy gte 1>> Their no-hire policy was maybe exaggerated a little.<</if>> "I'll have to show you the ropes when we get back. Oh, and I'm not //officially// the weapons guy, but I can give you a hand with 'em. You'll have to show me what you're packing back at base." The innuendo was probably not intended. <<include "Test Get In Car">>

<<if Flag("KCShot")>>\ "I think we have more pressing concerns to deal with," KC grimaced as she opened the back door. It was taking her considerable effort to do even that much lifting. "Fuck... this hurts." <<if $pocket.has("Med Kit")>>\ You turned to Ozzy, who was certainly beat up, but not in quite such terrible shape. "Can you drive? I think I'm going to need to patch her up." "Oh, yeah," the guy muttered, grabbing the keys from KC's outstretched hand. "I'll get it. You take care of her." * [[You climbed into the back seat with KC.|Test Back Seat Medic]] <<else>>\ "Oh... yeah." She was going to need medical attention pretty damn fast for that wound, and neither of you were equipped to give her that right now. You should probably get back to the headquarters as soon as possibly. KC winced as she held the keys out for Ozzy. "Can you drive? I can't, and I don't think our new friend here can either." "Yeah, I can get it." Ozzy wasn't in the best shape either, but he grabbed the keys and started off towards the driver's seat. "I've got it." * [[You climbed into the back seat with KC.|Test Back Seat]] <</if>>\ <<else>>\ Ozzy's' focus turned to the car. His car. Luckily, it was a foot or so away from having slammed directly into a building. "I hope you took care of my ride, KC. But this parking job isn't inspiring confidence." She tossed him the keys, which smacked him in the chest as he scrambled to catch them. "Your car's fine, Ozzy. Now take us home, will you?" * [[You climbed into the back seat with KC.|Test Back Seat]] <</if>>\

KC took a seat in the back and shrugged the leather jacket off her shoulders, laying it and her shotgun down at her feet. As soon as it was off, the wound's severity became apparent. She had on a tank top that used to be white, but now the whole left sleeve and down the front of her chest was stained a bright red. The sleeve was partially ripped where the bullet had entered her body, hanging by a few threads. And the wound itself... it wasn't the worst you'd ever seen. But it certainly wasn't good. You crawled in next to her, balancing your left knee on the worn leather seat and your right foot on the floor. Wordless in the front, Ozzy turned the keys and the engine sputtered to life. He started pulling out slow, and you found it easy enough to brace yourself and keep still as you rifled through your med kit. <ul>\ <<if $pocket.has("Painkillers")>>\ <li> [[You get her one of your painkillers.|Test Painkiller]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[You rip the rest of the sleeve to get access to the wound.|Test Sleeve Rip]]</li> <li> [[You gently move her sleeve off to the side to get access to the wound.|Test Sleeve Move]]</li> </ul>\

You popped open the lid on the glass bottle, rattling out a single red pill. This stuff was pretty good at keeping you out of pain, so it would hopefully do the trick for KC too. "Can you swallow this dry? I don't have any water right now." She held her good hand out, and as soon as you'd dropped the pill into her palm, she slapped it to her mouth and swallowed. "Fuck, thank you. Hope that thing is strong." Okay. Your patient wouldn't be in quite as much pain soon. To the task at hand... <ul>\ <li> [[You rip the rest of the sleeve to get access to the wound.|Test Sleeve Rip]]</li> <li> [[You gently move her sleeve off to the side to get access to the wound.|Test Sleeve Move]]</li> </ul>\ <<drop $pocket "Painkillers" 1>>\ <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(15)>>\

You gripped either side of the tank top's sleeve with your hands, feeling the blood squish between your fingers. With a strong yank, you severed the last few threads, leaving the bottom half to dangle loosely over her chest and the top half to fall behind her back. <<if $attraction.kc == true>>\ "You could ask before ripping my clothes off next time," KC muttered, trying to grin through the pain. <<else>>\ "That was a good shirt... what a shame." KC tried to grin through the pain. <</if>>\ <<include "Test Crash Medicine">>

Your fingers grasped the fabric of her sleeve and pulled it down over her shoulder. <<if $attraction.kc == true>>She made eye contact with you as your hand brushed against her skin. "Damn, that hurts," she muttered, though her heart wasn't in it.<<else>>She grimaced as it brushed against her wound, muttering, "Damn, that hurts."<</if>> <<include "Test Crash Medicine">>

There was no exit wound, meaning the bullet was still lodged in her shoulder. But running your hands along her collarbone, you could feel that the bones were intact. With your rudimentary knowledge of the skeleton, you could be pretty certain that it hadn't collided with any bone at all. It was just under the skin. Buried somewhere in the muscle. "You're going to have to get that bullet removed, but I can't do that in a moving car," you explained to her as calmly as possible. "For right now, I'm going to leave it as is and just pack it to keep it from bleeding any more. Okay?" "Yeah," she muttered, her teeth gritted. "We've got a doctor back at base. She'll take care of it when we get back." You nodded. Good. For now, you just needed to stabilize it. * [[You wrap her shoulder with bandages.|Test Bandage Wrap]]

"This is gonna hurt a little." You doused a small cloth with a little alcohol, and carefully pressed it to the site of the wound. KC gripped the side of the leather seat, digging her fingernails in. Lifting the rag left the wound a lot cleaner, and without so much blood in the way, it seemed far less drastic. Just a hole. You could deal with a hole. You grabbed some gauze out of the kit, unravelling a good portion of it and looping it under her arms. She seemed to be able to lift her arms easy enough, so that was, again, a good sign. A few go arounds, and you couldn't even see any blood seeping through. That was good enough for now. A safety pin in the end, a pair of bandage scissors to snip it off from the roll, and you were done. "Thanks, <<print $player.nickname>>," KC panted as she leaned forward in her seat. "You did good. We're all alive. We're gonna be fine." <<if $heldweapon.has("knife")>>\ You paused for a moment, waiting for her to get comfortable again. And then you pulled the knife from its scabard. "So... looks like this little guy did better than you thought, huh?" KC looked to the knife, and then back at you, and then back at the knife. Her upper lip was curled into a grimace. "The knife?" "The knife came in handy, didn't it?" She kept staring, and then let out an exhasperated sigh. "Yeah, okay, sure. Your knife is //fine//. You can keep the knife." <</if>>\ In the driver's seat, Ozzy pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]]

You all piled into the electric blue vehicle, with nary a scratch on it from KC's quick maneuver on the road. From the back, you watched as Ozzy ran his skinny fingers along the dash, and then caressed the wheel. "Okay... she's fine //now//, but I'm telling you. No more driving my car, KC.<<if Flag("KCShot")>> And don't bleed on the leather, please.<</if>>" <<if $heldweapon.has("knife")>>\ <<if Flag("KCShot")>>"You think I can control that?" KC winced, shuffling around in the seat to find some kind of comfortable position as the car revved to life.<<else>>"I'll leave your stupid car alone, okay?" KC eschewed a seatbelt, kicking her feet up on the back of his seat in defiance.<</if>> You paused for a moment, waiting for her to get settled in. And then you pulled the knife from its scabard. "So... looks like this little guy did better than you thought, huh?" KC looked to the knife, and then back at you, and then back at the knife. Her upper lip was curled into a grimace. "The knife?" "The knife came in handy, didn't it?" She kept staring, and then let out an exhasperated sigh. "Yeah, okay, sure. Your knife is //fine//. You can keep the knife." From the front, Ozzy called back, "I like your knife, <<print $player.name>>!" "Oh, shut up." KC shook her head, grumbling something under her breath. "Hey, why didn't you bring the damn car with you anyway? Would've saved us all a lot of trouble." <<else>>\ <<if Flag("KCShot")>>"You think I can control that?" KC winced, shuffling around in the seat to find some kind of comfortable position as the car revved to life.<<else>>"I'll leave your stupid car alone, okay?" KC eschewed a seatbelt, kicking her feet up on the back of his seat in defiance.<</if>> "Why didn't you take the damn thing with you, anyway? You might not have gotten caught then." <</if>>\ Ozzy turned 180 degrees to look out the back window between the two of you, turning the wheel all the way and backing up slowly to try to get out of the tight situation you'd been left in. "Expanse doesn't have good road access, and I didn't want these fuckers commandeering my ride while I was inside." Despite being a little injured still and probably quite out of it, this guy was a good driver. He only needed one fluid movement to get out of this bind, and then the car was back on the road heading far away from this place. * [[“What is 'Expanse'?”|Test Ozzy Expanse]] * [[“Why'd you take this gig if you knew it was going to be dangerous?”|Test Ozzy Gig]]

"So, before it became unlivable, the Graveyard used to be this big metropolitan area. A massive old world city where people lived and worked. And right at the heart of the city, there was this big... well, research complex." Ozzy's voice was getting noticeably higher as he spoke, his excitement building. This wasn't just an interest, it was a fascination for him. "It was one of the biggest labs in the world, started who knows how long ago by some really smart guy who patented some stuff. They developed all kinds of tech with radio waves." KC raised an eyebrow. "You mean... radios?" "No, no, other stuff too! They had these phones, cell phones, you could use without wires. They would send the audio over the air with radio waves! But... not like how a two way radio works. It was different." <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>>\ Cell phones! You'd heard of those, seen a couple of them too in your day. The towers that made them work had long since gone silent, so they were basically just fancy bricks now. The cost of using new tech, you supposed. "Okay, so they made cell phones?" <<else>>\ "So you went to a place that made fancy radios?" You had to admit that you were a little bit puzzled. <</if>>\ In his rear view mirror, you could see Ozzy frown and furrow his brow. "Uh... yeah. That's basically it. The company was called 'Expanse Radio Communications Technology.' This lab... let me tell you, it was full of cool shit. But the client just wanted one thing." * [[“What was that?”|Test Ozzy Amp]]

"How much do you know about tech, <<print $player.name>>?" <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>>\ Your eyes lit up at the question. "A lot. I worked in machine repairs up North." Ozzy nodded approvingly, a calm smile spreading across his face- happy to find a kindred spirit. "Okay, so you've probably got some idea of how radios work, then. The client hired me to hunt for this experimental piece of tech, this RF power amp that uses silicon in a special way. Supposed to be really powerful and efficient." <<elseif $skill.savvy gte 1>>\ "A decent amount. I've tinkered with it." Ozzy nodded approvingly. "Okay, so radios? You familiar with how they work? The client hired me to hunt for this experimental piece of tech, this RF power amp that uses silicon in a special way. Supposed to be really powerful and efficient." <<else>>\ "Um..." You trailed off, racking your brain. Yeah... not much tech knowledge up there. "Okay, okay, let me explain then," Ozzy started. There was a wide grin on his face. This guy //loved// telling people about technology. "So your radio, it takes radio signals from the air, these waves that are all around us all the time. And it converts those into sound. But where do the radio waves come from?" "A radio station?" He stuttered for a moment. "Well, //yes//, but... at the radio station, where do they come from?" "The tower." "A //transmitter//. They come from a transmitter." Ozzy adjusted his rear view mirror, and the little fuzzy dice swung back and forth, landing together on snake eyes. "But the transmitter can only put out little tiny radio waves. So you add an amplifier. And the better the amplifier, the stronger the signal, and the further away it goes. The one they wanted was a crazy powerful amplifier, some weird experimental shit." <</if>>\ "The client wanted... a radio amplifier?" That was an unusual request for a mercenary organization. The car went over a bump in the road, and everybody braced themselves as you jumped up and were knocked back down into your seats. When he regathered his composure, Ozzy muttered, "They were paying good money, too. But those Motorheads... well, they weren't gonna let me go with the goods." "Great," KC interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "So you come all the way out here, get yourself captured, we nearly die trying to rescue you, and you're not even gonna get paid for it?" Ozzy shook his head. He wasn't okay with her implications. But he wasn't going to keep arguing. He pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]]

"Y'know that weirdo cult in town?" He said this with such a flippant tone, like the weirdo cult was just a normal fixture of life in Signal Hill. <<if $playedleads.includes("crossroads")>>\ "I think I'm familiar." He was almost certainly talking about Levi. You weren't sure whether the label of cult was appropriate, but it was probably warranted. <<else>>\ "I'm new in town," you explained, "I have no clue what you're talking about." "There's this cult that's been operating in the city for like... five or six years now, all underground," KC explained. "Some Northern shit, saints or whatever. I don't know."<<if $identity.includes("devotee")>> Oh... so they're just talking about, like, normal Northern religion. That wasn't particularly respectful.<</if>> "I get it. Go on." <</if>>\ "Okay, so, a lot of people think they just disappeared. Their leader used to be one of those... y'know, the kind of person you see on the street and cross to the other side of the road. Weird motherfucker who always covered their eyes." <<if $outfit.has("blindfold")>>He realized how awkward the thing he'd just said was and corrected himself, "Y'know, not that it's weird to cover your eyes! They were weird, and also covered their eyes! Two different things. Anyway..."<<else>>He mused out loud, "I don't know how the hell you'd get around with your eyes all covered up like that. I mean, I guess blind people do it. No clue how. Never asked a blind person how they get around. Seems like it'd be rude to ask, y'know?"<</if>> KC cleared her throat. "Get to the point, please." "Okay, sheesh." He carried on. "A couple months ago, they just dropped off the map. Leader, and the whole cult. A lot of folks thought the militia took 'em out in secret, or they up and left the city. But I've got a guy on the inside, and not only are they still here, but they pay //real well//." * [[The person he's describing is an augur. That's... interesting.|Test Augur]] * [[Who cares about the cult? You want to know about the job.|Test Ozzy Job]]

Augurs were like the top of the religious hierarchy up North, if you could call it such a thing. Holier than the ministers who arranged usual worship, secluded from regular society. They had a connection to the //cadavre divin// identified in youth and fostered by a strenuous initiation process. Covering their eyes was a matter of preventing attenuation.<<if $identity.includes("augur")>><<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("glasses")>><<set $temp5 = true>><</if>><</for>><<if $temp5 == true>><<if not $outfit.has("blindfold")>> Typically that would be some kind of cloth draped over or wrapped around the head, but you made do with unconventional methods.<<else>> You wore a similar thing, although your blindfold was a little less traditional and more modern- this person probably wore a loose sheet of cloth pinned to a headdress.<</if>><<else>> You didn't personally adhere to that requirement. It was... complicated.<</if>><</if>><</if>> <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>\ <<if $identity.includes("augur")>>\ Another augur, all the way down here in Signal Hill? It wasn't unheard of for an augur to abandon their church- after all, you were here. But this was certainly unconventional. You had to wonder whether they travelled, like you did, or whether there was some kind of splinter religion here of all places. Odd. * [[But back to the conversation at hand.|Test Ozzy Job]] <<else>>\ An augur rarely abandoned their church. It was rare to even see them in person in the north, let alone encounter one living so far away from home, away from the structure of their worship. <<if $player.gender == "androgyne">>You knew all this for a reason- you'd lived through at least part of the process. But had you officially become an augur? <<include "augur">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "augur" "Augur">><<goto "Test Ozzy Job">><</link>> / [[NO|Test Ozzy Job]] """---"""</h1>\ <<else>>\ * [[But back to the conversation at hand.|Test Ozzy Job]] <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ You weren't exactly the most religious person around, but you knew enough to know that this was strange. An augur rarely abandoned their church. It was rare to even see them in person in the North, let alone encounter one living so far away from home, away from the structure of their worship. You had to wonder why they'd come here. * [[But back to the conversation at hand.|Test Ozzy Job]] <</if>>\

KC was staring daggers into the back of his head. "You've been taking jobs from the fucking cult weirdos? What the hell, Oz!" "I get it, I get your concern, but it's fine! I trust my guy!" <<if $playedleads.includes("crossroads")>>\ "Is your guy named Levi, by any chance?" You had a hunch. And your hunch was confirmed. "Yeah, that's him. What, you know him?" <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>\ "Well, he cut my finger off." You held up your hand to reveal <<if Flag("ReattachedFinger")>>the gnarly stitches where your finger had been reattached.<<else>>the stump where your pinky finger used to be.<</if>> Not pleasant to look at, but it got the idea across. Ozzy went silent for a good moment, distracted from his driving, looking at you in the rear view. "That's not good, huh?" * [[“Honestly, after the part where he cut my finger off he seemed nice enough.”|Test Finger Nice]] * [[“Yeah. He was a psycho. Maybe you shouldn't work with him.”|Test Finger Psycho]] <<else>>\ You considered it for a second. Now that you'd met Levi on your own terms, was he really the kind of person you were okay supporting? Or even if not... was it worth rocking the boat? * [[“I've met him. He seems fine to me, KC.”|Test Levi Nice]] * [[“You shouldn't be working with him. Trust me, he's a real psycho.”|Test Levi Psycho]] <</if>>\ <<else>>\ "You can trust 'your guy' all you want, Ozzy, you still shouldn't be taking dangerous jobs like this from cultists." KC was shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you. From now on, I'm vetting all your jobs first." Gripping the wheel and grumbling in annoyance, Ozzy shook his head. He was upset, sure, very upset. But he wasn't going to keep arguing. He pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]] <</if>>\

"Gonna be honest, that's a really fucked up thing to say, chief," Ozzy announced. "KC, your friend here has really convinced me of the error of my ways. I don't think I can spare a finger." "Good." She seemed content. And she also side-eyed you, like you were crazy. Maybe you were. You just defended a man who cut your finger off, so like. It would be a fair assumption. Presumably wanting to clear the awkward energy in the air, Ozzy pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(-5)>>\

"Uh... yeah. Gonna be honest, I didn't take him for the chopping fingers off type, but..." Ozzy trailed off. He probably realized that this made him look pretty bad. Going around his colleague's backs to take a lucrative job from a psychopath was questionable at best. "Y'know, KC, maybe you're right!" "I usually am." She seemed content. And she gave you an approving nod- you leant her a hand here, and it was appreciated. Presumably wanting to clear the awkward energy in the air, Ozzy pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]] <<set $relationship.kc to $relationship.kc.fm(5)>>\

<<if $relationship.kc gte 65>>\ KC frowned. "Really? Are you sure?" "Yeah, I've worked with him myself. He can be a little intense, but he's a good guy. And I think he's good for the money." "See, KC?" In the rear view mirror you could see Ozzy grinning. "I told you, it's good money from a reliable person. They can believe in the Easter bunny for all I care." She was silent for a moment, staring out the window, lost in thought. And finally she muttered, "Okay. But only if you run it past me first." What a win! And Levi would probably be happy with this turn of events, too. Equally triumphant, Ozzy pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]] <<SetFlag "LamplightersLikeLevi">>\ <<else>>\ KC shook her head, leaning back into the leather seat and crossing her arms. "Thanks for your input, but you're not even a Lamplighter yet. Your words don't mean much here." Ow. That stung. "C'mon, KC," Ozzy argued. "Who cares what they believe? It's good money, and they're good people." "You can be as accepting as you want, Ozzy, you still shouldn't be taking dangerous jobs like this from cultists." KC was shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you. From now on, I'm vetting all your jobs first." Gripping the wheel and grumbling in annoyance, Ozzy shook his head. He was upset, sure, very upset. But he wasn't going to keep arguing. He pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]] <</if>>\

KC shot a quick glare at the driver's seat, where Ozzy was gripping the steering wheel tight. "Hey, Ozzy? I think maybe you're a bad judge of character." "Maybe your new friend is a bad judge of character, huh?" "I'm inclined to trust the person telling me the creepy cultist is crazy." With a long sigh, KC leaned forward to rest her forearms on her knees. "Ozzy, after all this, can you please let me vet your missions ahead of time?" He was gripping the steering wheel even tighter. "Fine." Presumably wanting to clear the awkward energy in the air, Ozzy pressed the button to turn the radio on. * [[And staticky sounds fill the cab.|Test Home Radio]]

The three of you sat in silence for the rest of the ride, The Signal washing over you. In between runs of classic rock and synth pop, the warm voice of the announcer declared, "Today's a good day to be alive, folks. The wastes are calm, the sun is hot, and the world is quiet. And whether you're on the assembly line or the front line, you're here with me, listener. Ain't that a beautiful thing?" Outside the window, between the megaliths, you could see the sky- bright, blue fading inexorably towards violet. The sun cast white gleams along the edges of a few stray clouds, illuminating them from within. "With a day as beautiful as this one, listeners, I feel like I can look up in the sky and I'm seeing what they saw, say, 70 years ago. Do you think they were thinking of us too? I like to think so." You were far enough away from Signal Hill that his voice was fuzzy around the edges. "Speaking of which, here's Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears For Fears. Enjoy." * [[And as much as you can, you do.|Test Meeting]]

When Ozzy finally pulled up to the Lamplighter HQ, you turned to look at KC. She was still staring outside, lost in thought, her big, coily coif making it hard to see what she was looking at. Probably nothing in particular.<<if Flag("KCShot") and $identity.includes("medic")>> With her jacket off, you could see a number of moles on the back of her shoulders, like stars scattered across soft skin.<</if>> "So am I in, KC?" She took a beat and then turned to you, her brow furrowed. "We're gonna be having a meeting in the lounge soon. Show up." * [[“That doesn't answer the question.”|Test Meeting Later][$temp6 = true]] * [[“Okay. I'll see you there.”|Test Meeting Later]]

<<if $temp6 == true>>\ "It wasn't supposed to." The car pulled into the garage, and she cracked the door open. "I'll see you soon." <<else>>\ <<if $relationship.kc gte 65>>\ "Looking forward to it." The car pulled into the garage, and she cracked the door open. "I'll see you soon." <<else>>\ She was silent for a good long moment. The car pulled into the garage, and she cracked the door open. "I'll see you soon." <</if>>\ <</if>>\ Ozzy nodded to you as you stepped out. "Thanks for the rescue. Looking forward to working with you!" And with that, you were finished your first official job as a mercenary in Signal Hill. * [[It could only go up from here.|Test Finish]] <<addlead "boardmeeting" "Board Meeting">>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Lamplighter HQ Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "testrun">>\ <<if not Flag("TestRunIntern")>>\ <<if not Flag("TestNoPaycheck")>>\ <<addwealth "large">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<SetFlag "TestRunIntern" false>>\ <<SetFlag "TestNoPaycheck" false>>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\ <<unset $temp2>>\ <<unset $temp3>>\ <<unset $temp4>>\ <<unset $temp5>>\ <<unset $temp6>>\

<div class="center"><h2>This game contains mature language, violence, explicit sexual content, and use of drugs and alcohol. Viewer discretion is advised.</h2></div> <h1>"""---""" [[UNDERSTOOD|Intro]] """---"""</h1>

You lay there on the ground, bleeding into the ash from a hole in your side, staring up at the blazing red of the sunless sky. All sound except the buzzing in your ear had stopped a few minutes ago, and lord knows the buzzing wasn't gonna stop till you kicked the ol' bucket. And given that you couldn't move, that would probably be soon. * [[How did you even get here?|Intro 2]] <<pickup $handmade "knit hat" 1 "simple headscarf" 1 "horned headdress" 1 "trinket headdress" 1 "macrame headdress" 1 "blindfold" 1 "leather goggles" 1 "face mask" 1 "leather gas mask" 1 "bandana" 1 "trinket earrings" 1 "beaded earrings" 1 "trinket necklace" 1 "beaded necklace" 1 "tattered cowl" 1 "knit scarf" 1 "undershirt" 1 "long sleeved undershirt" 1 "binding tape" 1 "tattered tee shirt" 1 "tattered shirt" 1 "patchwork shirt" 1 "worn linen dress" 1 "patchwork dress" 1 "striped sweater" 1 "ragged cloak" 1 "long vest" 1 "short cape" 1 "patchwork pants" 1 "parachute pants" 1 "wide legged pants" 1 "worn linen skirt" 1 "tattered skirt" 1 "knit fingerless gloves" 1 "wire bangles" 1 "leather shoes" 1 "sandals" 1>>\ <<pickup $practical "simple headscarf" 1 "ballcap" 1 "cowboy hat" 1 "visor" 1 "knit hat" 1 "simple glasses" 1 "goggles" 1 "bandana" 1 "face mask" 1 "stud earrings" 1 "undershirt" 1 "long sleeved undershirt" 1 "binder" 1 "tee shirt" 1 "linen shirt" 1 "uniform shirt" 1 "striped sweater" 1 "poncho" 1 "cape" 1 "flight jacket" 1 "denim jacket" 1 "puffer jacket" 1 "red duster" 1 "denim jeans" 1 "cargo pants" 1 "cargo shorts" 1 "sneakers" 1 "combat boots" 1 "steel toed boots" 1 "sandals" 1>>\ <<pickup $armoured "motorcycle helmet" 1 "goggles" 1 "gas mask" 1 "concealed body armour" 1 "motorcycle jacket" 1 "bulletproof vest" 1 "leather jacket" 1 "leg holster" 1 "leather chaps" 1 "motorcycle pants" 1 "shoulder holster" 1 "steel toed boots" 1>>\ <<pickup $punk "leather face mask" 1 "guages" 1 "spiked collar" 1 "chain collar" 1 "padlock necklace" 1 "ripped mesh shirt" 1 "fishnet shirt" 1 "bikini" 1 "binding tape" 1 "tattered tee shirt" 1 "tattered shirt" 1 "patchwork shirt" 1 "band tee" 1 "battle jacket" 1 "battle vest" 1 "fishnet stockings" 1 "plaid pants" 1 "bondage pants" 1 "ripped jeans" 1 "plaid skirt" 1 "fingerless gloves" 1 "platform boots" 1 "combat boots" 1>>\ <<pickup $fetish "blindfold" 1 "neck corset" 1 "spiked collar" 1 "ring collar" 1 "corset" 1 "electrical tape" 1 "fishnet shirt" 1 "bustier" 1 "PVC dress" 1 "catsuit" 1 "leather harness" 1 "leather jacket" 1 "outerwear corset" 1 "fishnet stockings" 1 "leather chaps" 1 "leather pants" 1 "underwear" 1 "leather skirt" 1 "slit miniskirt" 1 "pencil skirt" 1 "PVC gloves" 1 "lace gloves" 1 "high heels" 1 "thigh high boots" 1 "platform boots" 1>>\ <<pickup $luxury "silk headscarf" 1 "novelty sunglasses" 1 "mirror shades" 1 "delicate frames" 1 "hoop earrings" 1 "heart earrings" 1 "bejeweled earrings" 1 "pearl earrings" 1 "pearl necklace" 1 "bejeweled necklace" 1 "silk tie" 1 "corset" 1 "button up" 1 "silk dress shirt" 1 "blouse" 1 "velvet dress" 1 "tube top" 1 "sequin dress" 1 "sequin top" 1 "turtleneck sweater" 1 "fur coat" 1 "blazer" 1 "tracksuit hoodie" 1 "stockings" 1 "bedazzled tracksuit pants" 1 "dress pants" 1 "low cut jeans" 1 "pencil skirt" 1 "slit miniskirt" 1 "beaded bracelets" 1 "bangles" 1 "silk gloves" 1 "high heels" 1 "ugg boots" 1 "crocs" 1 "oxfords" 1 "timberland boots" 1 "strappy heels" 1>>\

The caravan job. That's how. It was way overpaid- just accompany the cargo South, South along the old abandoned highway and through the ash-wastes until you spotted the towering beacon of the city. Signal Hill. Your average shipping job would involve loading hundreds of pounds worth of salted meat into an old gutted pickup and walking for miles through the blasted wasteland alongside the horses. The cargo for this one, though? Nothing. One box made of particleboard bound with tape and caulk, oblong, small enough to fit between the console and the trunk of an old sedan. It's a good gig. But that wasn't what this was about, was it? No. Caravans are a good gig for drifters, but drifting wasn't your plan. The city was. You wanted to start anew, start again in the city of lights. * [[Why are you here?|Class]]

<h1>WHY ARE YOU HERE?</h1>\ * [[Not much work back home for mechanical types. Here, though? Plenty of machines out here, maybe too many.|Confirm][$class to "savvy"]] * [[That old place? Got bored of it. This city has the excitement you really crave. Until you get bored of this, too.|Confirm][$class to "glam"]] * [[You shoot things for a living. You just go where the money goes. Or more accurately, where the bullets need to go.|Confirm][$class to "brawn"]] * [[You're in tune enough with the universe to know where you're needed. You hear its signal. It's calling you here.|Confirm][$class to "signal"]] <<dropall $wardrobe>>\ <<dropall $outfit>>\ <<set $skill.savvy = 0>>\ <<set $skill.brawn = 0>>\ <<set $skill.glam = 0>>\ <<set $skill.signal = 0>>\

<<if $class is "savvy">>\ <h2>SAVVY</h2>\ A savvy person is mechanical, practical, grounded. You might have worked as a mechanic or engineer back home, and maybe you're looking to do the same out here. Fixing shit for the rich can get you a pretty penny, but don't get too cocky. You'll never be like them. They're a different sort than you. You get to start with one weapon of your choice and practical or handmade clothing. Your savvy starts at 1. <<elseif $class is "brawn">>\ <h2>BRAWN</h2>\ Brawn is all about intimidation- and if it comes to it, violence. You might have worked as a hired gun or military person back home, and lord knows there'll be work for you out here. There's always work for somebody who can semi-competently wield a gun. Y'all are disposable, after all. You get to start with one of your choice and armoured or practical clothing. Your brawn starts at 1. <<elseif $class is "glam">>\ <h2>GLAM</h2>\ Glam is all about aesthetics and presence. You might have come from money, or perhaps are an artist or entertainer. Even if you aren't loaded, you'll find you fit in just fine with the people at the top of the ladder. They're all looking for the same thing you are. You get to start with one weapon of your choice and luxury or fetish clothing. Your glam starts at 1. <<elseif $class is "signal">>\ <h2>SIGNAL</h2>\ Signal is being freaky, in tune with the background radiation that surrounds us all. You might have used it for some sort of divination, or perhaps... more nefarious purposes. Whatever your purpose in life, you'll find plenty to do here. The signal's all over, everywhere you look. You get to start with one weapon of your choice and fetish or handmade clothing. Your signal starts at 1. <</if>>\ Are you sure about your choice? <h1>"""------""" [[YES|Weakness]] / [[NO|Class]] """------"""</h1>

<<silently>>\ <<if $class is "savvy">> <<set $skill.savvy to 1>> <<elseif $class is "brawn">> <<set $skill.brawn to 1>> <<elseif $class is "glam">> <<set $skill.glam to 1>> <<elseif $class is "signal">> <<set $skill.signal to 1>> <</if>> <</silently>>\ <h1>WHAT ARE YOU WORST AT?</h1>\ <<if $skill.savvy isnot 1>>\ * [[I'm flighty, uncertain, ungrounded. I don't care if I don't understand the world. Leave it a mystery.|Confirm2][$skill.savvy to -1]] <</if>>\ <<if $skill.brawn isnot 1>>\ * [[I'm small in stature and aura. Nobody's going to look at me and think "Wow, I shouldn't mess with them."|Confirm2][$skill.brawn to -1]] <</if>>\ <<if $skill.glam isnot 1>>\ * [[I'm not flashy, not in the slightest. Aesthetics aren't everything. There are real things to worry about.|Confirm2][$skill.glam to -1]] <</if>>\ <<if $skill.signal isnot 1>>\ * [[The buzzing is foreign, it's strange, it's alien. I run from it. I've never done anything else.|Confirm2][$skill.signal to -1]] <</if>>\ <<unset $class>>\

<div class="display">\ <div class="skillbox" title="Resourcefulness, mechanics, and practicality.">\ $skill.savvy <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Intimidation, strength, and power.">\ $skill.brawn <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Presence, aesthetics, and charisma.">\ $skill.glam <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Attunement, connectedness, and intuition.">\ $skill.signal <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ </div>\ <h1>Is this okay?</h1> <h1>"""------""" [[YES|Pronouns]] / [[NO|Class]] """------"""</h1>\

<div class="center">\ <h1>WHAT ARE YOU CALLED?</h1> <h1>NAME</h1>\ <<textbox "$player.name" "FIRST NAME">><<textbox "$player.surname" "SURNAME">> <h1>PRONOUNS</h1>\ <<button "he/him">> <<set $pro.they to "he">> <<set $pro.them to "him">> <<set $pro.their to "his">> <<set $pro.theirs to "his">> <<set $pro.themselves to "himself">> <<set $pro.They to "He">> <<set $pro.Them to "Him">> <<set $pro.Their to "His">> <<set $pro.Theirs to "His">> <<set $pro.Themselves to "Himself">> <<update>> <</button>>\ <<button "she/her">> <<set $pro.they to "she">> <<set $pro.them to "her">> <<set $pro.their to "her">> <<set $pro.theirs to "hers">> <<set $pro.themselves to "herself">> <<set $pro.They to "She">> <<set $pro.Them to "Her">> <<set $pro.Their to "Her">> <<set $pro.Theirs to "Hers">> <<set $pro.Themselves to "Herself">> <<update>> <</button>>\ <<button "they/them">> <<set $pro.they to "they">> <<set $pro.them to "them">> <<set $pro.their to "their">> <<set $pro.theirs to "theirs">> <<set $pro.themselves to "themselves">> <<set $pro.They to "They">> <<set $pro.Them to "Them">> <<set $pro.Their to "Their">> <<set $pro.Theirs to "Theirs">> <<set $pro.Themselves to "Themselves">> <<update>> <</button>> <<lb>>\ <table> <tr> <th>SUBJECT</th> <td><<textbox "$pro.they" $pro.they>></td> <td><<textbox "$pro.They" $pro.They>></td> </tr> <tr> <th>OBJECT</th> <td><<textbox "$pro.them" $pro.them>></td> <td><<textbox "$pro.Them" $pro.Them>></td> </tr> <tr> <th>ADJECTIVE</th> <td><<textbox "$pro.their" $pro.their>></td> <td><<textbox "$pro.Their" $pro.Their>></td> </tr> <tr> <th>POSSESSIVE</th> <td><<textbox "$pro.theirs" $pro.theirs>></td> <td><<textbox "$pro.Theirs" $pro.Theirs>></td> </tr> <tr> <th>REFLEXIVE</th> <td><<textbox "$pro.themselves" $pro.themselves>></td> <td><<textbox "$pro.Themselves" $pro.Themselves>></td> </tr> </table>\ <</lb>>\ </div>\ <div class="appearance-grid">\ <div class="grid-item center"> <h1>GENDER</h1>\ <<listbox "$player.gender">> <<option "woman">> <<option "man">> <<option "genderqueer">> <<option "agender">> <<option "bigender">> <<option "androgyne">> <</listbox>> <<link "What do these mean?">><<popup "Gender Explanation">><</link>> </div>\ <div class="grid-item center"> <h1>OR CUSTOM</h1>\ <<textbox "$custom-gender" "">> </div> </div> <h1>"""------""" [[FINISHED|Appearance]] """------"""</h1> <<silently>> <<if $skill.savvy == 1>> <<merge $wardrobe $practical>> <<merge $wardrobe $handmade>> <<elseif $skill.brawn == 1>> <<merge $wardrobe $practical>> <<merge $wardrobe $armoured>> <<elseif $skill.glam == 1>> <<merge $wardrobe $luxury>> <<merge $wardrobe $fetish>> <<elseif $skill.signal == 1>> <<merge $wardrobe $handmade>> <<merge $wardrobe $fetish>> <</if>> <</silently>>\

Signal Hill takes place in an alternate universe where the world ended in 2005. With almost two decades of history erased and almost five rewritten, the landscape in terms of gender identity is very different from our own. Here's a quick glossary of gender terms //as they are used in Signal Hill// (if you wanna know how they work in real life, idk, Bing it or whatever). Not all of these are explicity options- just things you might need to know. * ''TRANSGENDER'': Anyone who identifies with or performs a gender outside the one expected of them. * ''TRANSSEXUAL'': A synonym of transgender, most often used by the politically radical. Transgender just lacks that //kick//. * ''GENDERQUEER'': Anyone who identifies with or performs gender in a way that's queer. Usually denotes somebody who doesn't conform to maleness or femaleness. * ''GENDERFUCK'': Intentionally bucking gender norms. The raddest of the radical transsexuals. * ''AGENDER'': A person who doesn't give a shit about all of this. * ''BIGENDER'': A person who's got a little male and a little female in them. * ''ANDROGYNE'': A culturally specific third gender from the North characterized by androgyny and concealment of the body. Only granted through a complex religious initiation ritual, so like. Maybe skip out on this one for your first playthrough.

<<silently>> <<set _bodyoptions = ["petite", "lanky", "slim", "toned", "muscular", "burly", "curvy", "chubby", "stocky", "fat"]>> <<set _hairoptions = ["shaved", "cropped", "fade", "undercut", "afro", "cornrows", "pixie cut", "updo", "ponytail", "pigtails", "mohawk", "deathhawk", "mullet", "bob", "shoulder-length", "long", "braids", "locs", "twists", "covered"]>> <</silently>>\ <h1>HOW DO YOU LOOK?</h1> <div class="appearance-grid">\ <div class="grid-item center">\ <h1>BODY TYPE</h1>\ <<listbox "$player.bodytype">>\ <<optionsfrom _bodyoptions>>\ <</listbox>> </div>\ <div class="grid-item center">\ <h1>HAIRSTYLE</h1>\ <<listbox "$player.hair">> <<optionsfrom _hairoptions>>\ <</listbox>> </div>\ <div class="grid-item"> <h1>MARKINGS</h1>\ <label><<checkbox "_freckles1" false true>> Face freckles</label> <label><<checkbox "_freckles2" false true>> Body freckles</label> <label><<checkbox "_darkcircles" false true>> Dark circles</label> <label><<checkbox "_cleftlip" false true>> Cleft lip</label> <label><<checkbox "_facescars" false true>> Face scars</label> <label><<checkbox "_bulletscar" false true>> Bullet scar</label> <label><<checkbox "_surgicalscar" false true>> Surgical scar</label> <label><<checkbox "_burnscar" false true>> Burn scar</label> <label><<checkbox "_scarification" false true>> Scarification</label> <h1>TATTOOS</h1>\ <label><<checkbox "_floral" false true>> Floral</label> <label><<checkbox "_pinup" false true>> Pinup</label> <label><<checkbox "_minimalist" false true>> Minimalist</label> <label><<checkbox "_handpoked" false true>> Hand poked</label> <label><<checkbox "_gang" false true>> Gang</label> <label><<checkbox "_arcane" false true>> Arcane</label> <label><<checkbox "_elaborate" false true>> Elaborate</label> <label><<checkbox "_words" false true>> Words</label> <label><<checkbox "_religious" false true>> Religious</label> </div>\ <div class="grid-item"> <h1>COSMETICS</h1>\ <label><<checkbox "_creams" false true>> Creams</label> <label><<checkbox "_ochre" false true>> Ochre</label> <label><<checkbox "_eyepowder" false true>> Eye powder</label> <label><<checkbox "_kohl" false true>> Kohl</label> <label><<checkbox "_rouge" false true>> Rouge</label> <label><<checkbox "_lipstain" false true>> Lip stain</label> <label><<checkbox "_greasepaint" false true>> Grease paint</label> <label><<checkbox "_occult" false true>> Occult symbols</label> <label><<checkbox "_brows" false true>> Painted eyebrows</label> <h1>PIERCINGS</h1>\ <label><<checkbox "_lip" false true>> Lip ring</label> <label><<checkbox "_labret" false true>> Labret</label> <label><<checkbox "_septum" false true>> Septum</label> <label><<checkbox "_nose" false true>> Nose ring</label> <label><<checkbox "_bridge" false true>> Bridge</label> <label><<checkbox "_eyebrow" false true>> Eyebrow</label> <label><<checkbox "_tongue" false true>> Tongue</label> <label><<checkbox "_stretched" false true>> Stretched ears</label> <label><<checkbox "_industrial" false true>> Industrial</label> </div> </div> <h1>"""------""" <<link 'FINISHED'>> <<silently>> <<if _freckles1 is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("face freckles")>> <</if>> <<if _freckles2 is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("body freckles")>> <</if>> <<if _darkcircles is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("dark circles")>> <</if>> <<if _cleftlip is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("cleft lip")>> <</if>> <<if _facescars is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("face scars")>> <</if>> <<if _bulletscar is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("bullet scar")>> <</if>> <<if _surgicalscar is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("surgical scar")>> <</if>> <<if _burnscar is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("burn scar")>> <</if>> <<if _scarification is true>> <<set $player.markings.push("scarification")>> <</if>> <<if _floral is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("floral")>> <</if>> <<if _pinup is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("pinup")>> <</if>> <<if _minimalist is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("minimalist")>> <</if>> <<if _handpoked is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("hand poked")>> <</if>> <<if _gang is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("gang")>> <</if>> <<if _arcane is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("arcane")>> <</if>> <<if _elaborate is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("elaborate")>> <</if>> <<if _words is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("words")>> <</if>> <<if _religious is true>> <<set $player.tattoos.push("religious")>> <</if>> <<if _creams is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("creams")>> <</if>> <<if _ochre is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("ochre")>> <</if>> <<if _eyepowder is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("eye powder")>> <</if>> <<if _kohl is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("kohl")>> <</if>> <<if _rouge is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("rouge")>> <</if>> <<if _lipstain is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("lip stain")>> <</if>> <<if _greasepaint is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("grease paint")>> <</if>> <<if _occult is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("occult symbols")>> <</if>> <<if _brows is true>> <<set $player.cosmetics.push("painted eyebrows")>> <</if>> <<if _lip is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("lip ring")>> <</if>> <<if _labret is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("labret")>> <</if>> <<if _septum is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("septum")>> <</if>> <<if _nose is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("nose ring")>> <</if>> <<if _bridge is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("bridge")>> <</if>> <<if _eyebrow is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("eyebrow")>> <</if>> <<if _tongue is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("tongue")>> <</if>> <<if _stretched is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("stretched ears")>> <</if>> <<if _industrial is true>> <<set $player.piercings.push("industrial")>> <</if>> <<goto "Clothes Selection">>\ <</silently>>\ <</link>> """------"""</h1>\

<h1>WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?</h1> <div class="clothes-menu"> <div class="clothes-selection"> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<headgear>>')"> <img src="images/headwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<undershirts>>')"> <img src="images/undershirts.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<tops>>')"> <img src="images/tops.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<outerwear>>')"> <img src="images/outerwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<legwear>>')"> <img src="images/legwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<bottoms>>')"> <img src="images/bottoms.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<footwear>>')"> <img src="images/footwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<accessories>>')"> <img src="images/accessories.png"> </div> </div> <hr> <<liveblock>> <div id="clothes-list"> <<include "Headgear">> </div> <hr> <h1>OUTFIT</h1> <<for _item, _amount range $outfit.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Take Off">> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item 1>> /* Transfers the item back to the wardrobe */ <<update>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>> <hr> <h1>"""------""" [[FINISHED|Weapon Selection]] """------"""</h1>

<h1>WHAT ARE YOU ARMED WITH?</h1> <<dropall $heldweapon>> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link "HUNTING RIFLE">> <<pickup $heldweapon "hunting rifle" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 2, speed: 0, power: 2, value: 3}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A hefty bolt action rifle with a wood stock and scope. Rudimentary sniper rifle, small enough to carry around. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link "SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN">> <<pickup $heldweapon "sawed-off shotgun" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: -1, speed: 0, power: 3, value: 3}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A double barrel shotgun with a shortened barrel, reducing weight and increasing spread. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">-1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link ".44 MAGNUM REVOLVER">> <<pickup $heldweapon ".44 magnum revolver" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 1, speed: 2, power: 2, value: 2}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A large bore six-shooter with a classic design. Wielding it can make anybody feel like a cowboy. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link "SEMI-AUTO PISTOL">> <<pickup $heldweapon "semi-auto pistol" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 0, speed: 3, power: 1, value: 2}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A sleek, black 9mm handgun with a sizeable magazine, for those who prefer quantity over quality. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link "COMBAT KNIFE">> <<pickup $heldweapon "combat knife" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 1, speed: 2, power: 1, value: 1}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A large, fixed-bladed knife with a curved edge and serrated spine. Good for stabbing and survival. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">2</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid"> <div class="weapon-grid-top"> <div class="image-weapon"><img src="images/square.png"></div> <div class="title-weapon"> <h2><<link "SPIKED BAT">> <<pickup $heldweapon "spiked bat" 1>> <<set $currentweapon = {precision: 0, speed: -1, power: 3, value: 1}>> <<goto "Weapon Confirm">> <</link>></h2> A hefty wooden baseball bat with long nails embedded in it at wild angles. Not pleasant to be hit with. </div> </div> <div class="weapon-grid-bottom"> <div class="weapon-statbox">0</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">-1</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">3</div> <div class="weapon-statbox">1</div> </div> </div>

<h1><<for _item, _amount range $heldweapon.table>>_item<</for>></h1>\ <div class="pseudo-statbox">$currentweapon.precision</div>\ PRECISION measures how easily you can aim at targets. <div class="pseudo-statbox">$currentweapon.speed</div>\ SPEED measures how quickly you can shoot, reload, or swing the weapon. <div class="pseudo-statbox">$currentweapon.power</div>\ POWER measures how much damage the weapon does on a single hit. <div class="pseudo-statbox">$currentweapon.value</div>\ VALUE is the wealth the player needs to have to buy the weapon. <h1>"""------""" [[CONFIRM|Character Creation Confirm]] """------"""</h1>

<div id="confirm">\ <h1><<print $player.name>> <<print $player.surname>></h1>\ <h4 style="text-align: center">$pro.they/$pro.them</h4>\ <div class="display">\ <div class="skillbox" title="Resourcefulness, mechanics, and practicality.">\ $skill.savvy <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Intimidation, strength, and power.">\ $skill.brawn <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Presence, aesthetics, and charisma.">\ $skill.glam <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ <div class="skillbox" title="Attunement, connectedness, and intuition.">\ $skill.signal <div class="skillname">\ </div>\ </div>\ </div>\ </div> <h1>"""---""" [[CONTINUE|Tutorial Offer]] / [[RESTART|Class]] """---"""</h1>\

If this is your first time playing Signal Hill, looking over the tutorial is highly recommended. If you're a returning player, or just like living on the edge, feel free to skip it. Don't worry- you can always click the question mark in the upper right hand corner to check it out again. <h1>Would you like to read the tutorial?</h1> <h1>"""------""" [[YES|Intro Tutorial]] / [[NO|Intro 3]] """------"""</h1>\

<h1>[[Done|Intro 3]]\ \ <<link "Leads">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "Leads Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>>\ /\ <<link "Skills">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "Skills Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>>\ /\ <<link "Weapons">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "Weapons Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "Identity">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "Identity Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>>\ /\ <<link "Wealth">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "Wealth Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>>\ /\ <<link "XP">>\ <<replace "#tutorial">><<include "XP Tutorial">><</replace>>\ <</link>></h1> <hr> <div id="tutorial"><<include "Tutorial Intro">></div>

<h1>"""-----""" THE AMBUSH """-----"""</h1>\ You'd been travelling this road for days alongside the other caravaneers. They were all hardened by years of this work, drifters, knew the routes like they knew the insides of their eyelids. Knew where to move to avoid the things that lurked beyond the horizon. That didn't stop the groaning. The sun beat down on your backs. Warm sweat dripped from your forehead<<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("tops")>> and stained your _item<</if>><</for>>. The static hum was bright and crisp against the stillness of the evening air. The only sound for miles was the car radio, old guitar and heavy drums fading in and out amidst a shroud of fuzz. The screen flickered, casting the cargo in bright green. By the time the city came over the horizon in the South, the sun was retreating, replaced by a new and vibrant glow. * [[Signal Hill. Holy ground.|Intro 4][$beau]] * [[Signal Hill. A new life.|Intro 4]] * [[Signal Hill. Garish, desolate.|Intro 4]] <<dropall $wardrobe>>\ <<if $player.gender isnot "man">>\ <<set $attraction.push("kc", "reese")>>\ <</if>>\

Framed by far-off constructs of chrome and glass that gleamed in the waning sunlight, Signal Hill was a jumble of wires and scrap metal rising out of the ash. Vibrant reds, blues, and greens reflected off the haze of diesel exhaust that hung over it. Alight like a burn pit. Rising out of its center, a tall spire of thin metal with barbs shooting out in regular angles. The radio in the car sung back to it in the voice of an ancient crooner. For a moment, you were entranced by the sound. //This is a skilled move. The numbers on the dice will show what the target is, and the symbol next to it is the skill you're rolling with.// * <<link 'It is distracting. '>>\ <<savvyroll 6 "Intro Noticed" "Intro Distracted">>\ <</link>>\

But you could still make out the sound of heavy footsteps off to the east. Notable. There hadn't been another soul for miles, apart from the other caravan guards. For a moment terror gripped your heart, before it yielded to confusion- you wouldn't be hearing it if one of those //things// were here. You'd be gone already, probably. Sure enough, as you cast your eyes towards them you saw that it was //people// approaching. From the look of them, whoever was approaching you meant business. About five guys dressed in some semblance of military garb, all body armour and vests and pouches like GI Joes. In their hands, gunmetal black rifles like the movies, ominous and hefty. From the way the guy at the front was looking at you, you got the strong feeling their intentions weren't pure.<<if $skill.signal == 1>> His presence interrupted the soundscape, a new frequency that made your hands cold and your ears sting.<</if>> The man walking in front of you was down before you could properly react. You nearly tripped over his body crumpled unceremoniously on the ground. The contents of his jugular covered the powder blue Camry in glittering red spots. There was only a split second to react. * [[You try to hide behind the car.|Intro Hide]] * <<link 'You drop and play dead. '>> <<brawnroll 8 "Intro Play Dead" "Intro Fail Dead">>\ <</link>>\

You still had time. Time to get the fuck out of here? No. All there was for miles was the ash-wastes, bright and open and empty. Nobody's fast enough to outrun the trigger of a fully automatic M16. The only thing you could do was dive behind the car and <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>try to... well, get them back.<<else>>hide for your life.<</if>><</for>> Glass shattered right next to your head as you ducked behind the trunk, showering you in glittering shards. The only intact window wasn't so intact anymore. Another guy, you think they called him Junior, was crouching right next to you. He had a 9mm in his right hand.<<if $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>> Same make and model as yours, old military issue shit that's all over the place now.<</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[You try to stay out of sight.|Intro Stay Hidden]]</li> <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>\ <li> [[You ready your gun.|Intro Shoot]]</li> <</if>><</for>>\ </ul>\

It was an agonizing wait. Your body wanted desperately to get up and run, but you quelled the urge. <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>You couldn't just come out shooting against, what, five guys with assault rifles? Terrible idea.<<else>>You had nowhere to run. This was a bad position to be in, but there wasn't a better one on offer.<</if>><</for>> After what was probably only a few seconds, the bullets stopped flying. You held your breath. Beside you, Junior took the opportunity. One last stand in the face of the reaper, a fifteen bullet hail mary against the weight of the world. After one shot, his body slumped down next to you. You could feel flecks of blood showering against your exposed skin. You didn't look over at him. Nobody wants to see what a gun like that can do to a man's skull. * [[Just stay calm, you think.|Intro Calm]]

You could hear chatter over the static buzz in the otherwise quiet evening. "Yeah, it's here," one gruff voice called out. "Then crack the fucking lid, man," another shouted. Another voice, commanding and cold, silenced their chatter. "Get the horses moving towards the depot," he instructed them. He was standing just around the other side of the trunk, sending a shiver down your spine. <<if $skill.signal == 1>>The static hummed louder as he stepped closer, nearly blocking out the sound of his voice. <</if>>"If we open it, we open it there. Better not to expose the cargo to any unnecessary stress." No matter how calm you tried to stay, it wasn't going to help when you were right in the line of fire. The commander stepped out around the vehicle to inspect the corpses and you came face to face with him. All dressed in dark body armour, scrounged but still powerful, with a pistol at his hip and a rifle in his hands. His skin was rosy and dusted with freckles, but his face was far from cheery. The softness of his features and his head-up-his-ass military hairdo came together with the bulky armour and short stature to give him the air of a kid in his dad's uniform. But that cold stare, like a hunter looking at prey. No, like a cat looking at a fly. Jesus christ. * [[And then he shoots you.|Intro Downed]] <<SetFlag "SeenWolfe">>\

<<if $heldweapon.has('semi-auto pistol')>>You fumbled with the safety on your pistol- normally you were a lot faster with this, but your hands were shaking like a leaf. There was already a round in the chamber, right? Yeah, of course. You always kept it loaded. You had to keep it loaded. Just in case of things like this. A deep breath. Steadying your grip. One of them was just on the other side of the car. Another, near the trunk. If you were fast enough maybe you could take them all out before they started firing again. Their chatter was at its peak. Their guard was down. Now or never. You launched up, trying to keep most of your body behind cover while aiming your pistol at the group of guys. Fifteen rounds. * <<link 'You take the shot. '>> <<precisionroll 10 "Intro Gun Fire" "Intro Gun Fail">>\ <</link>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('hunting rifle')>>You fumbled to get your rifle's strap over your head, quick and efficient, without being seen or heard. Harder than it seems. By the time you got it free, you could hear footsteps approaching. Now or never. A deep breath. You positioned the butt of the rifle squarely against your shoulder, preparing to take the shot. One of them was just on the other side of the car. Another, near the trunk. If you were fast enough maybe you could take them all out before they started firing again. Yeah, no. Fat chance. Their chatter was at its peak. Their guard was down. Now or never. You launched up, propping the barrel up over the busted-out window of the car, straight over the cargo and through the other window. Staring through the scope, you aimed at the first guy you saw. * <<link 'You take the shot. '>> <<precisionroll 10 "Intro Gun Fire" "Intro Gun Fail">>\ <</link>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('.44 magnum revolver')>>You fumbled with your revolver for a moment, feeling its heft in your hands. Sturdy, reliable. Six bullets, five guys. No fucking way you were getting out of this alive. Maybe you could steal the 9mm off Junior's corpse, if you managed to get through all six rounds before joining him. A deep breath. Steadying your grip. One of them was just on the other side of the car. Another, near the trunk. If you were fast enough maybe you could take them all out before they started firing again. Their chatter was at its peak. Their guard was down. Now or never. You launched up, trying to keep most of your body behind cover while aiming your revolver at the group of guys. Six rounds. * <<link 'You take the shot. '>> <<precisionroll 10 "Intro Gun Fire" "Intro Gun Fail">>\ <</link>>\ <<elseif $heldweapon.has('sawed-off shotgun')>>You fumbled to get your shotgun out of its holster. The barrel was short, but it was still a hefty contraption. Sliding the lever to the side you broke it open just to confirm it was loaded- yeah. Two shells, five guys. No fucking way you were getting out of this alive. Maybe you could steal the 9mm off Junior's corpse, if you managed to get through both rounds before joining him. A deep breath. You positioned the butt of the shotgun squarely against your shoulder, moving your finger to the trigger and your other hand gripping near the end of the barrel. One of them was just on the other side of the car. Another, near the trunk. Their chatter was at its peak. Their guard was down. Now or never. You launched up, propping the barrel up over the busted-out window of the car, straight over the cargo and through the other window. You aimed the sights at the closest guy, intent on using every little bit of buckshot to your advantage. * <<link 'You take the shot. '>> <<precisionroll 10 "Intro Gun Fire" "Intro Gun Fail">>\ <</link>>\ <</if>>\

One shot. You saw the guy stagger backwards. <<if $currentweapon.power gte 2>>After a moment of shock, he was down.<<SetFlag "KilledJared">><<completeachievement "ripjared" "RIP Jared">><<else>>His hand went to his thick bulletproof vest, where the bullet had ricocheted off and left noticeable damage.<</if>> Around him, the other guys in their GI Joe outfits jumped into action. Your ears rang from the initial shot without any ear protection, but you could still hear the rain of bullets against the metal of the car between you. You shielded your head in time before it got blown open, but as you crouched under cover, you felt a sudden burning pain in your lower abdomen. Just below your belly button, and a little to the right. You grabbed at it instinctively, and warm blood poured out over your fingers like a waterfall. There was a hole torn straight through the metal. Fuck. * [[Is this it? Curtain call for you? The end of everything?|Intro Crisis]] * [[Yeah, no. You just pass the fuck out.|Intro Pass Out]]

One shot. It whizzed over the guy's shoulder. He turned. He saw you. Fuck. They all saw you now. Their bullets rained down like raindrops from heaven, pelting the car and, miraculously, not pelting you. Until you felt a single hard impact on your side. Fuck. You tried to cover it, tried to hold the wound shut, but it had torn straight through your torso. Blood was pouring over your fingers and down your side. * [[Is this it? Curtain call for you? The end of everything?|Intro Crisis]] * [[Yeah, no. You just pass the fuck out.|Intro Pass Out]]

Some ancient advice crossed your mind in that split second, beamed directly from some old television PSA recorded on one of your childhood tapes. Or maybe you got it from a wizened old ex-military asshole over a pint of gin. Shooters don't normally shoot dead people. Smear yourself in blood, lay there like a possum rotting in the summer heat. You're out in the open, not hidden enough to roll in blood and really seal the deal. But you've seen enough sorry fucks get shot to know what it looks like. Unless you're getting hit with a sawed-off from a couple inches away, the velocity of a tiny piece of lead isn't going to impact you like the stunt-men on tapes. You envisioned the thing entering your body, its casing fracturing from a tiny explosion just as it rips through your lung. You swayed for a split second before letting your body go limp, overcoming the urge to catch yourself. A cloud of ash rose around your face where your skull hit the ground hard. * [[And so you wait.|Intro Wait]]

Some ancient advice crossed your mind in that split second, beamed directly from some old television PSA recorded on one of your childhood tapes. Or maybe you got it from a wizened old ex-military asshole over a pint of gin. Shooters don't normally shoot dead people. Smear yourself in blood, lay there like a possum rotting in the summer heat. You've gotta sell it. There'll be no blood, so they've gotta see it and know in their heart of hearts you've got a bullet in your lung. It's gotta be good. You can imagine what it must be like to get shot in the chest- matching it up to the rhythm of the rifle fire, you fell back against the car before crumpling to the ground. That's what it must be like. Yeah. * [[And so you wait.|Intro Wait][$failed to true]]

The wait was agonizing. Especially given that your eyes were closed. Gunshots, screaming, chaos. The buzzing static. A smooth hip-hop jazz fusion playing over the car radio. You could feel the warmth of blood against your arm, trickling over from that poor son of a bitch's mangled carotid arteries. At some point, the gunshots stopped. You could hear chatter over the static buzz in the otherwise quiet evening. "Yeah, it's here," one gruff voice called out. "Then crack the fucking lid, man," another shouted. Another voice, commanding and cold, silenced their chatter. "Get the horses moving towards the depot," he said. He was standing just next to you, sending a shiver down your spine. <<if $skill.signal == 1>>The static hummed louder as he stepped closer, nearly blocking out the sound of his voice. <</if>>"If we open it, we open it there. Better not to expose the cargo to any unnecessary stress." * [[They're robbing you, of course.|Intro Robbed]]

<<if $failed is true>>\ Without warning, you felt a sharp kick to the ribs. Not enough to break anything, but enough to sear in pain. "You didn't get this one, dumbasses," the commander told his men in a dry tone. "Do I have to do everything around here?" <<else>>\ Then you heard what you had been hoping not to. "Hit all of 'em one more time, just to be sure," their commander instructed. You could hear their footsteps as they walked around the car, and one guy close to you. The sound of his boots were heavy, close to your head. <</if>>\ The sound was loud enough to stun you for a second. It felt like you got a 20lb baseball dropped right on your abdomen, and then the burning started. A searing, burning pain right below your belly button and a little to the left. Your eyes snapped open, vision blurry as they welled up in tears, all that life-giving water streaming down the sides of your face<<if $player.cosmetics.includes("khol") or $player.cosmetics.includes("eye powder")>>, streaking your makeup with it<</if>>. You got just a brief glance at the guy standing over you, through a haze of tears. His gaze was cold and he had a face like a lynx, calculating and sharp. <<if $failed is true>>"Check the rest of them. Don't want this shit getting back to the General."<<else>>"Come on, let's get this back to the depot. The General's expecting us back by 10."<</if>> You were right. Military guys.<<if $skill.brawn == 1>> Or rather, militia guys. Signal Hill didn't have a proper military, neither did anywhere else. Smaller and disorganized citizen-led groups were the standard.<</if>> A couple more shots rang out, and the guy stepped over your limp body, leaving you to die in the ash. * [[And then you pass out.|Intro Pass Out]] <<SetFlag "HeardGeneral">>\

So distracting that you didn't notice anything was off until the shots rang out. The guy in front of you was down before anybody could react, a hole in his side and then a bullet ripping through his throat. You nearly tripped over his body crumpled unceremoniously on the ground. The contents of his jugular covered the powder blue Camry in glittering red spots. * [[You were next.|Intro Downed]]

<<if $player.markings.includes("bullet scar")>>Being shot was nothing new. <<else>>It didn't feel like getting shot //should// feel. <</if>>The initial impact was like being struck with a baseball. No sharp pain, no burning pain. That would come later. You weren't hit directly in your windpipe, or maybe you'd be down in an instant like that other guy. Instead, you had a second to think about it. Your hand went to your abdomen, right to the left of your belly button and a little below. Blood was pouring out over your fingers from the wound, a red waterfall streaming down your leg.<<if $skill.glam == 1>><<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("bottoms")>> Your _item was gonna be ruined after this. Dammit.<</if>><</for>><</if>> * [[Is this it? Curtain call for you? The end of everything?|Intro Crisis]] * [[Yeah, no. You just pass the fuck out.|Intro Pass Out]]

<<if $skill.savvy == 1>>\ No, no. You felt around the other side of your body, looking for an exit wound that maybe you couldn't feel yet. Yeah, there it was. Right on the other side of your back. It felt gnarly, but its existence was a godsend. If your spine had been hit, you wouldn't be upright right now. If your stomach was hit, you wouldn't be upright either. Your bladder could have been hit, ditto with your intestines. If you didn't bleed out, peritonitis was the main concern. Mortality rate, maybe 40% or so. Good odds. If you got treated. Which might be hard out in the middle of the ash-wastes. * <<link "And //then// you pass the fuck out.">><<goto "Intro Pass Out">><</link>> <<else>>\ Oh, lord, this was //it//. It was all over. All your hopes and dreams, all your life plans (not that you necessarily had any of those). All gone in the time it took to squeeze a trigger. And now your body was gonna be left out in the ash-wastes to feed the turkey vultures and blow flies. What was the point of any of this? You might as well have- * <<link "And //then// you pass the fuck out.">><<goto "Intro Pass Out">><</link>> <</if>>\

Your mind was enveloped in a deep, calm nothing. Void all around you, pressing in on you like the womb. The ash in your lungs was alight like a cigarette butt unceremoniously tossed in the streets, and the lines of an old radio play from your youth repeated in your mind like a broken record. Your body was twisting and shifting into the ground with every breath, endlessly spiralling in on yourself. And then the void was filled with colours that moved and shifted like you were. Sprites of red and blue and gold and some colours you didn't know the name for danced behind your eyelids. If this was what dying felt like, maybe it wasn't so bad. Less people shooting at you if you're dead. No need to worry about your next meal if you're dead. The only dead people you've met were pretty damn peaceful after a bullet got put between their eyes. * [[You can feel yourself slipping away.|Intro Doc]]

Through blurry vision, you could see it- the spectre of death looming over you. A tall, broad-shouldered figure clad in a long black coat, with a wide brimmed hat and beaked mask. Like an old-timey doctor, you think. You don't know much about old-timey shit, apart from the fact that the doctors looked fucked up. Like this guy. * [[Thank god, you just want it to be over.|Intro Kneel]] * [[No... you aren't ready to go yet...|Intro Kneel]]

Doesn't matter what you want. He was here for you. The figure kneeled down next to you, his face coming into greater detail as your eyes fluttered open a little further. A mask made of black hide stitched with heavy sinew and held together with metal rivets, with a single piece of curved glass sealed over the eyes like ski goggles and thick plastic straps around the back of his head. On either side of the black beak were cylindrical filters like that of a gas mask, with the leather cut and riveted together around them. Tassels of leather and beads hung from the brim of his hat. He reached towards your neck with one hand. Long fingers, like that of a piano player, thin and elegant and pale against black fingerless gloves. His index and middle finger pressed uncomfortably hard on the skin just below your jaw, like pressing into the muscle and bone below. Those fingers were a bit too warm and soft to be the grim reaper, you figured. Although who knows. Up North there's this death-saint, and she looks pretty damn warm and //very// soft. * [[Maybe this is just a guy.|Intro Fate]]

The Lady Death, as she was called up North- that's who you'd imagine carrying your soul to purgatory, if you were to hallucinate such a thing. As a kid you saw her portrait every time you visited your uncle's home- her body gaunt and yet rosy, her hands crossed over her chest where a bullet pierced her heart as if lying in a coffin. Pale blonde hair spilled over her bare shoulders, and black tears were streaked down her face. //You've unlocked an identity. If you choose to take it, it'll say something about who you are as a person, and give you bonuses and drawbacks to match. You don't need to take every identity you stumble across- think of them as suggestions, based on the decisions you've made.// <<include "devotee">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "devotee" "Devotee">><<goto "Intro Miracle">><</link>> / [[NO|Intro Miracle]] """---"""</h1>\

After a moment, his fingers left your neck and he stood to his feet. It was muffled by the mask, but you could just barely make out him saying, "Damn miracle this one's still alive." He gazed off towards the South, and as he turned, you could see a large backpack full of pockets upon pockets was slung over his shoulder. On his other, a rifle strapped to his back- a deep matte gray, with a long barrel and long scope. Designed for a sniper. A kind of spectre of death, you suppose. The man turned back towards your prone form, giving you an urgent nudge just below the ribs with the tip of his steel-toed boot. "Do you hear me? You aren't brain dead, right?" * [[You try to respond.|Intro Speak][$temp = true]] * [[You can't even try.|Intro Speak]]

<<if $temp == true>>\ You opened your lips to speak. Your lungs felt so heavy. Words were just not in your wheelhouse right now. Maybe a coughing fit, if you had the energy. <<else>>\ You stared up at him, unable to even try to muster a word. Were you brain dead? Would you know? Would you feel, hear, see if you were brain dead? You'd never really considered it. Most people nowadays who are brain dead are also body dead.<<if $skill.savvy == 1>> In fact, if he was making the distinction, you'd wager he'd worked as a crash medic or clinic tech before.<</if>> <</if>>\ The man let his bag fall from his shoulder and land with a thud on the ash next to you. A cloud of the stuff rose in the air around it, choking your lungs up even more. "If you are lucid, I'm sorry about this. It's gonna hurt." * [[He isn't lying.|Intro Surgery]] <<unset $temp>>\

Producing an array of bandages and an impressively sharp curved needle threaded with blue nylon, he got to work on your body. The burning pain of the bullet hole came into sharp focus with every stab of the needle, although he moved in quick, practiced motions and clearly knew what he was doing. When the hasty work was done, he turned you on your side and kneeled behind you. The wound in your back was clearly worse, as indicated by his mumbled complaints about "Exit wounds... Nothing to even grab onto..." After you'd been thoroughly stitched back together, he shrugged off his long dark coat, revealing a practical western shirt and rugged denim jeans underneath- Levi's, covered in assorted denim patches where wear had eaten away at them. You drifted in and out of consciousness as he lashed your $player.bodytype frame into the trenchcoat like a cocoon with the arms tied around your chest, wrapped your legs together with a bungee cord, and secured a spare shirt from his bag in place under your head and neck. * [[You aren't very lucid for this.|Intro Drag]] * [[You aren't lucid, but you were panicking.|Intro Drag]]

Whenever you came to, the world was dark. Rope dug into your armpits, your head was hanging back over your shoulders, and you could feel your feet bouncing against the uneven ground of the ash-wastes as you were dragged unceremoniously across the blasted desert. It was only fractions, of course. Flickers of life between long rests. No level of discomfort could keep you awake through blood loss-induced sleep. It could have taken five minutes or five hours. His muscles must have been burning after all this. The next time you woke up was under bright fluorescents, lying on a bare-threaded cot mattress, bandaged around the midsection with a needle hooked into your arm. * [[Wake up.|Crash Medicine]]

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CHECKUP|Checkup Leaving]]</h5>

You reached for the brass doorknob and had to quickly back out of the way as the door swung open right in your face. On the other side, rushing out fast enough that he nearly bowled you over, was Doc. After a moment of flustered apologizing and regaining his composure, he muttered, "<<print $player.name>>! Um... fancy seeing you here." You took a moment to take in Doc's appearance. He was back in the long coat he wore when you first met him (luckily, not stained with your blood), loose and unbuttoned over a worn denim shirt. A leather belt with a large, garish brass buckle was holding up his jeans. It was decorated with the shape of a running horse. In his arms, he was cradling a large cardboard box. "What are you up to?" It occurred to you that apart from your first encounter, you'd never seen him leave the clinic. Married to his work. "I'm just making a quick delivery," he said, shifting to try to balance the box a little better in his arms. It was an awkward shape, a little too wide to comfortably hold. "Actually, would you like to come with? You've been in the city a while, I'd like to hear how you're finding it."<<if $skill.savvy gte 1>> He was definitely interested, yes- but probably a little more interested in your search for the mysterious cargo.<</if>> * [[“Sure, I can tag along.”|Checkup]] * [[“Yeah, I guess so.”|Checkup]]

Doc started off down the ashy, unpaved street, walking at a more leisurely pace to accommodate your presence. It was around mid-day and the sun was beating down on the ash-wastes harder than normal. Folks in the Row were mostly taking shelter. A few people were rushing through the streets with some place to go, but most were hidden under shady overhangs, sitting by open windows, toiling away at some menial task in the warm weather. An old woman sitting on a rocking chair waved to Doc as you passed, and he flashed her a wide smile and a polite nod. That box looked pretty uncomfortable to carry. * [[“Hey, I can get that for you.”|Checkup Box]] * [[That's his burden to bear. You're just going on a pleasant walk.|Checkup Check In]]

"Oh." Stopping for a moment, Doc looked over at you, trying to assess the situation. <<if $skill.brawn gte 1>>He pursed his lips. "I suppose so." It took a little longer than it should have, shifting the thing in his arms to try to get enough of a grip to hand it over, but eventually you had taken the proverbial (and literal) load off his shoulders.<<set $temp = true>><<else>>He pursed his lips, looking over you. "I think I've got it, <<print $player.name>>. I'm stronger than I look, you know." Jeez. You were just trying to be nice.<</if>> <<if $temp == true>>\ With the box in your arms, you could get a better idea of what was inside. The contents jingled pleasantly when they shifted, like the sort of wreath of bells you'd set up during holidays up North. It was far heavier than expected, though. Glass bottles, probably, full of some kind of liquid. Alcohol? Maybe. Or maybe medicine. <</if>>\ <<include "Checkup Check In">>\

"So," Doc started, glancing over at you as the two of you strolled down the main street of Skid Row towards The Stacks. "It's been a little while. How have you been finding the city?" <ul>\ <<if $wealth lte 1>>\ <li> [[“Well, I can't seem to find work. So that kinda sucks.”|Checkup Work]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if Flag("KidnappedByLevi")>>\ <<if Flag("LostFinger")>>\ <li> [[“Well, I got my finger chopped off. So not great.”|Checkup Finger]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“Well, I got kidnapped. So that wasn't great.”|Checkup Kidnapped]]</li> <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>\ <li> [[“Well, I've already gotten to go to a fancy club with a bunch of hot people, so I think I'm doing pretty well for myself.”|Checkup Club]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("testrun")>>\ <li> [[“Well, I've already gotten into my first real gunfight, so that was fun.”|Checkup Gunfight]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“It's been... pretty eventful, to say the least.”|Checkup Eventful]]</li> </ul>\

He offered a grim nod. "Yes, you're not the only one with that problem, unfortunately. Have you looked into the power plant? I think they're usually hiring." You were absolutely not going to get a job at the power plant. That sounded hard and boring. And also wouldn't make for a very interesting story. "I thought there was plenty of work in the city. That's what they said up North." "Only for people desperate enough to accept it, I'm afraid." He had a quiet resignation in his voice. He operated a free clinic. He knew the people desperate enough to accept it. <<if $leads.includes("testrun") or $playedleads.includes("testrun") or Flag("LamplighterMember")>>\ "Well, I've gotten in with <<if $finishedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>that group of mercenaries you told me about.<<else>>this group of mercenaries outside the city.<</if>> It's going well, I think." <<if $finishedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ He nodded. "I hope KC hasn't given you too much trouble." <<if $relationship.kc gte 50>>\ "Nah, she's cool. I think she likes me well enough." <<else>>\ "Well... I don't think she likes me much. But y'know. I've just gotta show them I'm capable." <</if>>\ <<else>>\ He frowned, once again glancing over at you to assess your expression. "You did, did you? That's... nice. You may not want to mention my name around there." He didn't elaborate any further. <</if>>\ <<set $temp1 = "mercs">>\ <<elseif $leads.includes("waveform") or Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>\ "I found some... interesting work in the Red Light District, so that's something at least." <<if $finishedleads.includes("roseandthorn")>>You were a little hesitant to tell him the specifics up front, given how he told you specifically //not// to get work there.<<else>>You were a little hesitant to share the specifics, unsure if this was supposed to be some kind of secret.<</if>> "Oh. That's... nice." Doc kept his eyes fixed ahead of him, as if a little embarrassed by this turn in the conversation. "I hope you're keeping safe. We provide STD testing, I'd highly recommend doing that regularly." "Appreciate it, Doc." Awkward. At least he's concerned about your health, though. That's nice of him. <<set $temp1 = "redlight">>\ <<else>>\ "I swear to god, it's like every gig in this city requires you to jump through fifty hoops before you get paid," you muttered. Employment elsewhere wasn't necessarily easy, but this place was particularly outrageous. "It's frankly a little silly. I shouldn't have to do a test job before they pay me, right? That's not how that's supposed to work." <</if>>\ <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

<<if Flag("ReattachedFinger")>>\ "Oh, yes, of course." Doc furrowed his brow, looking over you quickly. "I've been meaning to ask you about the... context for that. You've really only been here a few days." "It's a long story. I'll tell you later." He seemed to accept that response, oddly enough. <<else>>\ "Jesus, <<print $player.name>>. You lost a finger?" He started scanning your hands, quickly identifying the stump where your pinky finger had been. "My god, how did you manage that?" <</if>>\ <<set $temp1 = "finger">>\ <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

"Oh, my." He flashed you a concerned look, trying to figure out if you were joking (you weren't). "Now, not to victim blame, but how exactly did you manage to get kidnapped? It's only been... a week, maybe." "It's a long story. I'll tell you later." He seemed to accept that response, oddly enough. <<set $temp1 = "kidnapped">>\ <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

"Wow. I'd say." An amused smile crossed his face. "You're doing better for yourself after a few days than I have been my whole life, by that metric!" "I guess I am!" You beamed. Yes, you were going //very// well for yourself. <<set $temp1 = "club">>\ <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

"I hope you're keeping yourself safe, <<print $player.name>>," he muttered, giving you a once over to see if you had any more injuries he hadn't noticed. "You haven't been shot again, right?" "All in once piece. You should see the other guys, though." That made him smile. <<set $temp1 = "gunfight">>\ <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

"Well, I hope it's been eventful in a good way," he muttered, though it was clear from the look on his face that he knew that wasn't true. "Signal Hill can be a bit... rough. As I'm sure you've seen firsthand." "Yeah, tell me about it." <<include "Checkup Anyway">>

"Anyway." <<if $temp == true>>Doc adjusted the collar on his overcoat,<<else>>Doc adjusted the box in his arms,<</if>> veering off to the right, to where the unpaved roads of Skid Row blended into the cobbled streets of The Stacks. "I hope you've been getting yourself situated. Made anybody's acquaintance?" "Oh, plenty." Around you, the buildings were getting sparser and more spaced out, more permanent. Scrap metal and wood gave way to large, sold brick constructions. You started up the steps into The Stacks, <<if $temp == true>>struggling a little with the box's weight.<<else>>Doc taking a little longer on each step as he struggled with the box's weight.<</if>> "Like who? There are a lot of... unsavoury people in this city. I wouldn't want you getting in with the wrong crowd." His concern was probably not misplaced. <ul>\ <<if $temp1 == "mercs">>\ <li> <<link "“Well, there are those mercs we talked about.”">><<if $leads.includes("testrun") or $playedleads.includes("testrun")>><<if Flag("LamplighterEnemy")>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters False">><<else>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters True">><</if>><<else>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters False">><</if>><</link>></li> <<else>>\ <li> <<link "“Well, I met up with these mercs.”">><<if $leads.includes("testrun") or $playedleads.includes("testrun")>><<if Flag("LamplighterEnemy")>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters False">><<else>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters True">><</if>><<else>><<goto "Checkup Lamplighters False">><</if>><</link>></li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<unset $temp1>>\

"The Lamplighters, you mean?" He pursed his lips. His heels clicked against the paving stones underfoot, these leather Western boots with patterns stamped into the sides. "Have you been working with them?" <<if Flag("LamplighterMember")>>\ "Yeah, I'm actually an official member now," you announced, a little pride in your voice. "Haven't taken any jobs yet, but y'know. I got in." <<elseif $playedleads.includes("testrun")>>\ "Yeah, I did a little mission with them. Their leader and I got into a bit of a sticky situation, but I got us out of there. I think I'm pretty much a shoe-in to be a member." <<else>>\ "I haven't started yet. But their leader's gonna be taking me along on a little test run soon, so if that goes well, hopefully I'll be an official member soon." <</if>>\ Doc nodded. There was some kind of apprehension in his voice, but he wasn't letting it shine through too much. "That's great, <<print $player.name>>. Just be careful- you know, it's technically illegal, what you're doing. Don't develop loose lips." "Yeah, I get it, I get it." "And maybe don't tell KC you and I are..." He trailed off for a moment, trying to find a word for your relationship. <<if $relationship.doc gte 65>>"You know. Associates."<<else>>"Familiar with each other."<</if>> Around you, the streets of The Stacks were far from empty. You were walking right through the main drag, where grocers and butchers had their goods on show out front in the mid-day sun, and little stands hung top-to-bottom with Northern beadwork were attended by their elderly owners. You had to dodge and weave a little to get through the crowd. "Why, exactly? What's the big deal?" KC didn't seem particularly easy to upset. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite. Doc seemed a little put off by the question. "Well, see, it's... a very complicated relationship. She is not a fan of me at the moment. We had some business dealings that fell through." You almost wanted to question him further, but he wasn't having it. "Have you met anybody else?" <ul><li> <<link "“Well, I met this guy who owns a brothel in the Red Light District.”">><<if $leads.includes("waveform")>><<set $temp1 = true>><<elseif $playedleads.includes("waveform")>><<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>><<set $temp1 = true>><<else>><<set $temp1 = false>><</if>><<else>><<set $temp1 = false>><</if>><<goto "Checkup Red Light">><</link>></li></ul>

"The Lamplighters, you mean?" He pursed his lips. His heels clicked against the paving stones underfoot, these leather Western boots with patterns stamped into the sides. "Have you been working with them?" <<if Flag("LamplighterEnemy")>>\ "Uh... you could say that." Bit of an awkward situation, huh? "I certainly tried, but y'know. Let's just say we went our separate ways." Doc nodded politely. "On good terms?" "Not particularly." <<else>>\ "You know, I thought about it." You had! You'd certainly considered it. "<<if $identity.includes("merc")>>At the end of the day, I'm just not crazy about how they're running their organization. I'm just gonna go it solo.<<else>>I don't think it's really my //scene//, y'know? It's not my vibe. Mercenary work might not be in the cards for me.<</if>>" <</if>>\ He seemed oddly pleased by this. "I'm not sure you'll want to be hanging around them. Don't get me wrong, they're all upstanding people- but they're also criminals. Best not to get in the militia's way." Around you, the streets of The Stacks were far from empty. You were walking right through the main drag, where grocers and butchers had their goods on show out front in the mid-day sun, and little stands hung top-to-bottom with Northern beadwork were attended by their elderly owners. You had to dodge and weave a little to get through the crowd. "Upstanding people- you know them?" "I'm familiar." His lips were tight. Whatever juicy secrets existed, you weren't going to hear about them here. "We aren't associates anymore, but they're all decent people. Speaking of which- have you met anybody else?" <ul><li> <<link "“Well, I met this guy who owns a brothel in the Red Light District.”">><<if $leads.includes("waveform")>><<set $temp1 = true>><<elseif $playedleads.includes("waveform")>><<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>><<set $temp1 = true>><<else>><<set $temp1 = false>><</if>><<else>><<set $temp1 = false>><</if>><<goto "Checkup Red Light">><</link>></li></ul>

When the words left your mouth, Doc nearly tripped over a paving stone. <<if $temp == true>>Lucky that you took the box from him, or that could have been a disaster.<<else>>He barely recovered in time to keep the box from falling out of his arms, a look of sheer panic crossing his face as loud clinking rang out from within the package.<</if>> After taking a moment to collect himself, he blinked a few times and started off walking again. "M-my apologizes. I... you were telling me about your new //acquaintance?//" "Uh... yeah. His name's Yvette." "Of course it is. Yes, of course it is." Turning down another street, Doc started to head towards a set of stairs that led up into The Heights. His stride was quicker, and with his long legs, it wasn't too difficult to outpace you. You quickly found yourself trying to keep up with Doc, rather than walking with him. "<<if $finishedleads.includes("roseandthorn")>>The one person I told you //not// to associate with, and you immediately seek her out.<<else>>How did you manage to immediately track down the one person in the city you //weren't// supposed to associate with?<</if>> My god, <<print $player.name>>." This was probably the most overt emotion you'd ever seen Doc express, and it was completely out of left field. You sped up to a light jog,<<if $temp == true>> accompanied by the sound of glass clinking together in the box in your arms,<</if>> trying to catch up to him. <<if $temp1 == true>>\ * [[“What the hell is wrong with me hanging out at The Rose?”|Checkup Hell True]] * [[“Hey, Doc, slow down... what's wrong?”|Checkup Slow True]] <<else>>\ * [[“What the hell? I'm not even working with him!”|Checkup Hell False]] * [[“Hey, Doc, slow down... what's wrong?”|Checkup Slow False]] <</if>>\

Realizing how he was coming off, Doc immediately slowed back down, holding his head high. Calm- or calmer. He was trying his best to look composed, but as you came around his side, you could see the flush under his freckles. "It's not about the establishment, or The Red Light District... none of that. It's about Yvette." "What's wrong with Yvette? He's been very hospitable to me so far!" You started climbing up the stairs into The Heights. "I'm an adult. If he tries to pull some shit, I'll leave." It occurred to you in that moment that you hadn't really heard Doc laugh before. But he was laughing now. Just a nervous little chuckle under his breath. "Oh, no you won't. You absolutely won't." "I can make my own decisions." "Yes, you can." Finally, as he walked towards the radio tower that loomed over the city, Doc got his composure back. "I'm not your father. You can work with whoever you choose to work with. Just know that I don't support it. Now, we should stop talking about this." That was probably a good idea. You'd never seen an outburst like this from the usually reserved doctor. He was absolutely livid. What caused him to act like this, you couldn't say. * [[Best to move on now.|Checkup Move On]]

Realizing how he was coming off, Doc immediately slowed back down, holding his head high. Calm- or calmer. He was trying his best to look composed, but as you came around his side, you could see the flush under his freckles. "My apologies, <<print $player.name>>. I don't know what got into me. Frankly, I'm a little upset." God, even when he was upset he spoke like a robot. "What's the big deal? So I'm working with Yvette. He doesn't seem that bad. He's like... an entrepreneur." "You don't understand what a bad idea this is. Whatever she's said, she is not being honest with you." He seemed so certain of this. "Nothing good is going to come of this." "I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions." "Yes, you can." Finally, as he walked towards the radio tower that loomed over the city, Doc got his composure back. "I'm not your father. You can work with whoever you choose to work with. Just know that I don't support it. Now, we should stop talking about this." That was probably a good idea. You'd never seen an outburst like this from the usually reserved doctor. He was absolutely livid. What caused him to act like this, you couldn't say. * [[Best to move on now.|Checkup Move On]]

Realizing how he was coming off, Doc immediately slowed back down, holding his head high. Calm- or calmer. He was trying his best to look composed, but as you came around his side, you could see the flush under his freckles. "It's not about the establishment, or The Red Light District... none of that. It's about Yvette." "I'm not even working with Yvette!" His shoulders slumped. "You aren't? Oh, that's a relief." You shook your head. "<<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>I tried, but it didn't work out. Are you satisfied with that?<<else>>I didn't fall for his whole... shtick. I'm not that stupid.<</if>>" "My apologies, <<print $player.name>>. I don't know what got into me. Frankly, this whole thing has me a little upset." Finally, as he walked towards the radio tower that loomed over the city, Doc was recovering his composure. "Let's just drop the subject, okay?" That was probably a good idea. You'd never seen an outburst like this from the usually reserved doctor. What caused him to act like this, you couldn't say. * [[Best to move on now.|Checkup Move On]]

Realizing how he was coming off, Doc immediately slowed back down, holding his head high. Calm- or calmer. He was trying his best to look composed, but as you came around his side, you could see the flush under his freckles. "My apologies, <<print $player.name>>. I don't know what got into me. Frankly, I'm a little upset." He was staring down at the <<if $temp1 == true>>paving stones<<else>>box in his hands<</if>> intently, as if he could remove himself from this situation with enough focus. "I'm not working with Yvette. <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>It didn't work out.<<else>>He didn't seem like somebody I wanted to associate with.<</if>> I get your concern, but I can handle myself." "Oh, thank the lord." There was a genuine look of relief on his face. "<<print $player.name>>, I hope you know I want what's best for you. I am your physician now. I just want to make sure you aren't getting hurt." Both of you slowed down for a moment, in step. Like you were both surprised by what he just said. "I appreciate that, Doc." "Now. How about we just drop the subject, okay?" That was probably a good idea. You'd never seen an outburst like this from the usually reserved doctor. What caused him to act like this, you couldn't say. * [[Best to move on now.|Checkup Move On]]

<<styletest>>\ By this point, you'd nearly reached the circle at the beating heart of The Heights' shopping district. <<if _result == "luxury">>You fit in here, among all the folks in their fashionable shorts and breezy tie-front shirts and printed button ups. Doc, on the other hand... well, he had his own personal sense of style. It wasn't a stylish one, though.<<else>>Neither of you really fit in here, among all the folks in their fashionable shorts and breezy tie-front shirts and printed button ups.<</if>> You weren't out in the open for long, though. As soon as you'd circled around the left side of the radio station, Doc made a hard left and veered into the space between two buildings. You had no choice but to follow behind him and squeeze into this little alley. Once you got around the sleek stucco walls, the space opened up into a larger side street. It appeared to wrap around the backs of all these buildings, where one could access their employee entrances and secret storage areas. A number of large dumpsters lined the back walls, and this building in particular had a large wooden addition built out of its back, far scrappier than anything customer-facing. "This is the nicest apothecary in town," Doc muttered under his breath as he stepped up to the back door. "They pay very well for 'artisinally produced' medicines- so that the owners don't need to do any real chemistry in-house." <<if $temp == true>>\ <ul><li> [[You wait for Doc to knock on the back door.|Checkup Knock]]</li></ul> <<else>>\ <ul><li> [[Doc's hands are a little full, so you knock on the back door for him.|Checkup Knock]]</li></ul> <</if>>\

<<if $temp == true>>Doc stepped up and gave the back door a polite knock, and then when nothing happened, a much harder one.<<else>>You rapped your fist against the metal door and stepped back as you heard rustling inside.<</if>> Eventually, the door swung open and an older gentleman was peering at you from the comparative darkness inside. It was some kind of storage room, full of large shelves of cardboard boxes, all labelled with thick black marker. Laudanum, cocaine, acetaminophen, morphine. Looked like a fun time. "Ah, took you long enough." The man reached out and snatched the package from <<if $temp == true>>your hands<<else>>Doc's grasp<</if>>, the contents rattling as they were jerked around. "Let me open it up first." Doc nodded. "Go ahead. I can wait." The two of you stood outside as the man dropped this new shipment on a table and started rifling through it. You couldn't see the inside from where you were standing, but you could hear the shifting of powder inside of vials as he shook them. "Perfect. All look pure as usual. You're a gifted chemist, Emil." "I try." So that was his real name! * [[You're going to have to find a way to use this against him! At all costs!|Checkup Payment][$temp2 = true]] * [[Interesting. But he prefers being called Doc, of course.|Checkup Payment]]

The store's proprietor grabbed an envelope full of cash and handed it off to Doc, waiting by the door as the doctor opened it up and thumbed through it. "Thank you, sir." "When's the next batch of ascorbic acid going to be ready, exactly?" Doc gazed up at the sky for a moment, his lips pursed. "Let me see... a week at the latest." "Alrighty. Always a pleasure doing business with you, doctor." The man nodded and gave you both a cordial wave before heading back inside and shutting the door behind him. <ul>\ <li> [[“Jesus, that's some good money right there.”|Checkup Money]]</li> <li> [[“I didn't know you sold drugs.”|Checkup Drugs]]</li> <<if $temp == true>>\ <li> [[“Did I earn any of that?”|Checkup Earn]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<if $temp2 == true>><<addlead "emilzhao" "Dr. Emil Zhao">><</if>>\

Doc stuffed the envelope into the deep pocket of his overcoat- probably why he was so overdressed. "Apart from Joyette's sliding scale and the occasional charitable donation, this is the only way the clinic gets funding." "So... you don't keep it?" Bummer. "No. I don't. Some of it goes to paying my salary, but that's a pretty meager portion." <<if $temp == true>>Now that the delivery had been made<<else>>No longer weighed down by his cargo<</if>>, Doc set off with a much lighter step towards the main street. "I don't think you're going to want to hear all about operating a business, though. Let's head back, shall we?" * [[And you set off after him.|Checkup Set Off]]

Doc stuffed the envelope into the deep pocket of his overcoat- probably why he was so overdressed. He was amused by your implication, a smile barely tickling his cheeks. "I did say I was a druggist, didn't I? This is all I do." "You do a hell of a lot more than that. <<if Flag("ReattachedFinger")>>You stitched my damn finger back on<<else>>You sewed up a bullet hole for me<</if>>, remember?" "Some might call me a jack of all trades," Doc muttered. <<if $temp == true>>Now that the delivery had been made<<else>>No longer weighed down by his cargo<</if>>, he set off with a much lighter step towards the main street. "I'm just glad I can do something. Now let's head back, shall we?" * [[And you set off after him.|Checkup Set Off]]

He was clearly amused by your question, a smile barely tickling his cheeks. "Earned? By carrying the box?" "I carried it pretty far," you reasoned, only half joking. "There were a lot of steps. Really, I think you might owe me." Doc opened up the envelope and fished out a single bill before stuffing it into the deep pocket of his overcoat- probably why he was so overdressed. "Here, your payment. For being a useful workhorse for 10 minutes." He held it out for you- a pittance, not enough to buy even the cheapest drink from the worst bar in town. You snatched it up anyway. "Now, let's head back, shall we?" * [[And you set off after him.|Checkup Set Off]]

Back out into the street, down the steps, the two of you set off back towards Skid Row. Around the point where you veered off down the main street in The Stacks, Doc turned to you with raised eyebrows. "Oh my god, I nearly forgot to ask. Your cargo!" "My cargo?" "Your cargo! Did you make any progress in tracking it down?" A hopeful little smile spread across his lips. He'd been waiting for the resolution to this mystery... well, since you had left his office the first time. "What happened when you went to that address?" <<if Flag("WorkingForLevi")>>\ So... this was awkward. You had in fact made progress, yes. But Levi was very clear that you should not tell anybody about what happened. But... it was just Doc! Doc was trustworthy. Surely, it would be fine if you told him about it- right? <<if Flag("KidnappedByLevi")>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“Well, I did get kidnapped in the process, but the guy turned out to be cool!” (Excited)|Checkup Kidnapped Working Truth Like Levi]]</li> <li> [[“Well, I did get kidnapped in the process, but I've decided to work with him.” (Reluctant)|Checkup Kidnapped Working Truth Dislike Levi]]</li> <li> [[“Yeah, I've made some progress. I'm working on it.” (Evasive)|Checkup Kidnapped Working Lie]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“Well, I met the guy who was supposed to recieve it, and I'm gonna help him track it down.”|Checkup Working Truth]]</li> <li> [[“I've made some progress... but I don't think I should tell you about it.”|Checkup Working Lie]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <<else>>\ Uh... yeah. Maybe you were going to have to spill the beans about not working with that guy, Levi, and therefore being at a complete dead end. But, well... maybe you should keep the details to yourself. <<if Flag("KidnappedByLevi")>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“Well, when I went to that address you told me about, I got kidnapped. So I haven't made much progress, no.” (Honest)|Checkup Kidnapped Truth]]</li> <li> [[“I met the recipient, but he wasn't much help. We'll just have to find another angle.” (Secretive)|Checkup Kidnapped Lie]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“Well, I met the guy who was supposed to recieve it, but he seemed... off. I think it's better if we go this alone.”|Checkup None Truth]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

"Kidnapped? I'm sorry, <<print $player.name>>, you were //kidnapped// when you went to talk to the recipient?" This clearly alarmed him, as it probably should. "How are you being so blasé about this?!" With a shrug and an eye roll, you muttered, "Yeah, yeah, I was kidnapped.<<if Flag("LostFinger")>> And he cut my finger off, too.<</if>> But really, it's fine! He's a nice guy. I think you'd like him." Doc stopped in his tracks, standing in the middle of the busiest street in The Stacks, forcing you to stop with him. "<<if Flag("LostFinger")>>He //cut your finger off//?<<else>>He //kidnapped you//?<</if>> And you //like// him?" "Seriously, it was just a misunderstanding. We're fine. I'm gonna help him track down that cargo!" * [[He doesn't seem very amenable to the idea.|Checkup Doc Disapproves]] <<SetFlag "KidnappingApologist">>\ <<SetFlag "DocKnowsAboutKidnapping">>\ <<set $temp3 = true>>\

"Kidnapped? I'm sorry, <<print $player.name>>, you were //kidnapped// when you went to talk to the recipient?" This clearly alarmed him, as it probably should. "Are you okay?" You pursed your lips. "I'm fine. It was a little scary, but I'm fine." "And let me get this straight. You're working with the man who kidnapped you?" This entire situation had him looking at you with the most incredulous, wide-eyed stare. "He's going to pay me if I help him track down this cargo. I need the cash, and this is my best chance to figure out who shot me." * [[He doesn't seem very amenable to the idea.|Checkup Doc Disapproves]] <<SetFlag "DocKnowsAboutKidnapping">>\

"Excellent," Doc announced, his smile widening. "What sort of progress? Did meeting with the recipient give you some more clues?" Oh, yeah. Of course. He was going to want to know about the investigation. And you had to //not// tell him. This felt... bad. After collecting your thoughts for a moment, you muttered, "I think I'm going to do he rest of this alone, Doc. Appreciate your help, but I'd rather not get you involved." The smile left his face in an instant. "Oh... yes. I understand." He didn't. "If you don't want me getting involved with your business, I'm okay with that." He wasn't. Doc had been very excited to help you with this. And you couldn't even explain why... damn, now you felt like a real asshole. "I can let you know when I've figured it out! I just have to do it alone." * [[He nods, resolving to just move on.|Checkup Sad Ending]]

"Oh, that's great. So he told you what the cargo was?" "Uh..." You hesitated for a moment. "No, not quite. I think it's supposed to be, like, top secret." Doc seemed a little confused. "Okay... did he have any ideas of who might have stolen it?" "If he did, he hasn't told me yet." "Okay. Do you still need help with it?" His grin had slowly turned into a nervous little smile- evidently, he was disappointed by the direction your search had taken you in. To be fair... yeah, you hadn't gotten very much information out of Levi. But you were also pretty explicitly told that this was meant to be secret. So letting Doc in on everything would probably be a bad idea. "I think I've gotta do the rest of this alone." "Oh. Yes. Okay." "I can let you know when we've figured it out." * [[He nods, resolving to just move on.|Checkup Sad Ending]]

Doc furrowed his brow, analyzing your face, trying to figure you out. "Why's that, <<print $player.name>>?" "I'm going to be helping the guy who hired me to track it down, but it's a big secret. I don't want to break his trust or anything." "Oh... yes. That makes sense." Despite the words coming out of his mouth, it was clear that he was disappointed. This was probably the most exciting thing to happen to him in a while, and you'd just written him out of the story. "If you do need any help, you know who to ask." "Of course, Doc," you muttered, although you knew for a fact that this wasn't going to happen. "I'll let you know." * [[He nods, resolving to just move on.|Checkup Sad Ending]]

"Kidnapped? I'm sorry, <<print $player.name>>, you were //kidnapped// when you went to talk to the recipient?" This clearly alarmed him, as it probably should. "Are you okay? That's very serious!" You pursed your lips. "I'm fine. It was a little scary, but I'm fine. The guy just asked me a bunch of questions and then let me go." "This investigation might be a little too dangerous to be embarking on so casually." He rested a hand on your shoulder as you walked. "I don't want you getting hurt again. Whatever you've gotten yourself wrapped up in, it's clearly bigger than I thought." "But bigger means more cash, right?" The idea was still exciting you. If Levi was willing to kidnap a random stranger to figure out where that cargo was, it was probably worth a fucking fortune. At least to somebody. "Frankly, I don't really care if the asshole who kidnapped me gets his shit back. But if we track it down... that could be a lot of money." Doc's hand left your shoulder, almost like instinct, and slid into the pocket where his payout was hidden. Money... in Signal Hill, especially for a guy like Doc, that was a big deal. "Okay. Yeah. Stealing from thieves and kidnappers isn't the most morally questionable thing I've ever done. Let's do it." * [[And so you started your strategizing.|Checkup Strategizing]] <<SetFlag "DocKnowsAboutKidnapping">>\

"That's unfortunate." Doc's smile faded, and then after a moment of silence, his brow furrowed. "Another angle?" "Y'know, like... if we find it ourselves and get it back for him, we can probably get a reward or something." This was complete bullshit, of course- if it was expensive, you were going to sell it, hands down. You weren't dealing with that Levi creep again if you could help it. But without spilling the beans about your kidnapping, Doc probably wasn't going to go along with a theft like that. "Oh, yes. Money would be... useful." Doc's hand, almost like instinct, slid into the pocket where his payout was hidden. Money... in Signal Hill, especially for a guy like Doc, that was a big deal. "My, <<print $player.name>>, this is exciting! It's like I'm the dapper detective Sherlock, and you're Dr. Watson! Or... maybe the other way round, come to think of it." Chuckling, you muttered, "I think we're gonna make a good team, Doc." * [[And so you started your strategizing.|Checkup Strategizing]]

Doc furrowed his brow. "Off? In what way?" "I... can't even really explain it. He gave off some really uncomfortable energy, and he was very insistent about wanting to know what happened. I think he might be up to something." It was hard to communicate what was so //wrong// about this interaction, but you felt it deep inside you. Doc would just have to trust you. "Oh, and he wouldn't fucking pay me." "Okay. I think I understand. So then what's the plan?" You shrugged. "Well, if we find it ourselves, we could probably get a reward for handing it over. Or I guess sell it off. Either way, we could get a good paycheck out of it." "Oh, yes. Money would be... useful." Doc's hand, almost like instinct, slid into the pocket where his payout was hidden. Money... in Signal Hill, especially for a guy like Doc, that was a big deal. "My, <<print $player.name>>, this is exciting! It's like I'm the dapper detective Sherlock, and you're Dr. Watson! Or... maybe the other way round, come to think of it." Chuckling, you muttered, "I think we're gonna make a good team, Doc." * [[And so you started your strategizing.|Checkup Strategizing]]

<<if $temp3 == true>>Doc started walking again, shaking his head. <</if>>"Look... I don't exactly //approve// of this. I know, I'm not your dad. But I want to make it very clear that I think this is a bad idea." "I can handle myself. I'll be fine." He glanced at where the hole in your side used to be, silent. He didn't need to say anything to make the message clear. And you didn't appreciate his implication, but you also couldn't deny that he was right. <<include "Checkup Sad Ending">>

The two of you walked back down to the clinic in relative silence. The sun was still violently hot, and warm sweat beaded up on your brow. Even Doc eventually shrugged his jacket off and threw it over his shoulder, careful with the pocket that contained his cash. When you arrived at the door to the clinic, Doc put his hand on the handle, stopped, and turned to you. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some work to do in the lab." His voice was drained. "It was nice getting to speak with you again. I'm... glad you're getting settled." * [[“It was nice. We should do this again sometime.”|Checkup Finish]] * [[“I'll see you around.”|Checkup Finish]]

The two of you arrived back at the clinic soon enough. The sun was still violently hot, and warm sweat beaded up on your brow. Even Doc eventually shrugged his jacket off and threw it over his shoulder, careful with the pocket that contained his cash. "How about you come back to my office, and we can start planning the next steps of our... //investigation//." He was beaming, excited for this little mystery you were going to solve together. "Unless you have somewhere else to be..." * [[“Hell no, let's go get started!”|Checkup Office][$relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(5)]] * [[“Nah, it's fine, we can get started now.”|Checkup Office]]

You waved to Joyette on your way past and huddled back into Doc's office, shutting the door behind you. It was barely cooler in here. You collapsed back on the leather couch. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was perched on the arm of the couch, upside down, open to a spot about 3/4 of the way through. There was a cup of half finished coffee languishing on the side table, probably quite cold by now. "Okay. Let's get our facts straight." Doc retrieved a leatherbound journal off the bookshelf and a pen from his desk before joining you on the couch. Flipping it open to the front page, he wrote down in nearly unreadable script, 'MISSING CARGO.' Then he looked over to you expectantly. "Where should we start?" * [[“Let's just record all the evidence we have so far.”|Checkup Evidence]]

Doc started jotting down a few basic facts, recounting to you what he was writing as he went. The gear that the assailants were wearing, the weapons they used, the bullet calibre. "How many boxes was it, again?" "Just one." He nodded as he scrawled that down as well. "Dimensions?" "Uhh... about 7 feet long, 2 feet tall, 3 feet wide." "That's all?" Doc tapped his pen to his lip, brow furrowed in curiosity. "I knew it was small, but that's an odd size. Especially for such a distance." * [[“You're right. It's pretty weird.”|Checkup More Evidence]] * [[“That just means it's valuable.”|Checkup More Evidence]]

Flipping to a new page, Doc muttered, "<<if Flag("DocKnowsAboutKidnapping")>>While it's unfortunate that you were kidnapped, that also means we've got some new information, right?<<else>>Now that you've met with the man who was meant to receive this cargo, we've got some new information, right?<</if>>" "Oh, yeah." The thought hadn't even crossed your mind. This could be invaluable for discovering the nature of the shipment and who stole it. "Yeah, that's a great point." He put pen to paper. "So? What was he like?" * [[“Well, his name was Levi.”|Checkup Levi Reveal][$temp4 = "name"]] * [[“He had a whole lot of tattoos.”|Checkup Levi Reveal][$temp4 = "tattoos"]] * [[“He was a Northerner.”|Checkup Levi Reveal][$temp4 = "north"]]

<<if $temp4 == "name">>\ "Levi?" Doc's eyes snapped up from the paper, suddenly staring you down with an unexpectedly grave expression. "Tell me- did he have scars on his face?" "Uh... yes, yes he did. You know him?" <<elseif $temp4 == "tattoos">>\ "What sort of tattoos?" You shrugged. "Northerner tattoos. Plants, patterns. And a lot of scars." Doc's eyes snapped up from the paper, suddenly staring you down with an unexpectedly grave expression. "Tell me- was his name Levi?" That was... concerning. "Yeah, it was. You know him?" <<elseif $temp4 == "north">>\ Furrowing his brow, he asked, "How do you know that?" "Oh, it was pretty obvious from the decor. And he had some scars and tattoos you'd only ever see up North." Doc's eyes snapped up from the paper, suddenly staring you down with an unexpectedly grave expression. "Tell me- was his name Levi?" That was... concerning. "Yeah, it was. You know him?" <</if>>\ He went silent, his gaze growing distant. Calculating. As if you weren't even in the room with him. He slowly lifted his hand to his face, placing the end of his pen between his teeth and biting down on it. "I've sold to him before. Strange man. Almost certainly associated with a cult." * [[“'Sold to him'? Sold what?”|Checkup Sold]] * [[“Cult? What cult?”|Checkup Cult]]

For a moment, he was silent. Trying to pick his words. "Pharmaceuticals. A very rare one, with psychotropic effects. I suspect they're using it for some kind of ritual purpose." Shaking his head, Doc started furiously writing notes down in his unreadable handwriting. "That's not important, though. If he is associated with this cult, this situation could be very big- and very bad." <<include "Checkup Nouveau">>

"A cult that operates out of Signal Hill- or at least used to. They've been quiet for months." Shaking his head, Doc started furiously writing notes down in his unreadable handwriting. "If this cargo was going to them, it could be something very important. And very bad." <<include "Checkup Nouveau">>

"Hang on, you're gonna have to rewind there." All this cult nonsense was confusing you, big time. "Start from the beginning. Who are these people?" "I don't think they have an official name," he muttered, his voice low as if in reverence. "At least if they do, it's not public. They're quite secretive. I know they follow the so-called //corps nouveau//." Having grown up in the North, you'd gotten a pretty good understanding of French- it was used for pretty much all religious purposes, and often spoken in everyday life right alongside English. <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>This particular phrase, though, reminded you of some of your more esoteric studies. It was an obvious play on the //corps divin//, the divine body. Not a concept the everyday saint venerating public would be familiar with. The body of God, decaying since the world came to an end, suffusing the world with its divinity. And //nouveau//. New. "The new body... of God?"<<else>>//Nouveau//, new. //Corps//, body. "The new body?"<</if>> "A cult leader. Very... unsettling. Always covers their face." "And... Levi's part of that?" To be fair, he was pretty //intense//. Had a bit of a cult vibe. Doc shrugged. "I don't have any definitive proof, it's not like he told me. But they definitely use this particular drug for rituals, and he definitely purchased significant quantities of it from me." <ul>\ <li> [[“So we could be getting ourselves into a mess right now.”|Checkup Dangerous]]</li> <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>\ <li> [[“Hold up... could you tell me more about these drugs? That sounds sick.”|Checkup Hedonist]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if Flag("ThinksItsDrugs")>>\ <li> [[“So that only adds to my theory that there are drugs in the box. Excellent.”|Checkup Drug Box]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Doc sighed, leaning back further into the couch and furrowing his brow. "Not necessarily. The past few months, they've been completely silent. They might have disbanded, moved, their leader might have been killed." "But if Levi's still around, they must still be around." "Maybe. But in a reduced capacity, at least." Absently, he fetched the cup of cold coffee off the coffee table and took a long sip before placing it back down. Nasty. "<<if Flag("DocIsAThief")>>As long as we're careful, we still have the excuse that you're just looking to return the cargo.<<else>>All we're doing is trying to return the cargo. Surely they'll be... lenient.<</if>>" <ul>\ <li> [[“Okay, so let's get our theories in order.”|Checkup Theories]]</li> </ul>\

"I would rather not tell you anything about these drugs," Doc snapped. His tone had shifted entirely, in just the span of a moment. "This isn't fun and games. I'm talking about serious- and seriously dangerous- substances." That... didn't deter you. It didn't deter you at all. Whatever this was, getting your hands on it was now goal numero uno. "Sorry, jeez. I didn't realize it was such a big deal." Doc shook his head, like a dog shaking water off its fur. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so rude. It's just not something I want you getting involved in." <ul>\ <li> [[“Let's just start going over our theories.”|Checkup Theories]]</li> </ul>\

"As far as I know, this particular //substance// is only native to this region. I don't think it's possible to acquire it where you're from. Unless it was shipped the other way around." Uh... no. Your theory still totally made sense. "They could have shipped it up North, and then back South?" "And why would they do that?" Silence. "Fair enough. Must be a different drug, then. If they're taking one drug, they're probably taking other ones too." <ul>\ <li> [[“Let's just start going over our theories.”|Checkup Theories]]</li> </ul>\

Doc flipped to a new page and tapped his pen to the lined paper. "Drugs? Is drugs our main theory? Is it drugs?" <<if Flag("ThinksItsDrugs")>>\ "I think drugs might be our only theory." You were pretty fucking confident that it was drugs. Rather than his usual unreadable cursive, Doc slowly printed out the word "DRUGS" across the whole page in big, scratchy lines with his pen. "Sounds right to me. Let's get to the plan, then." He shut the notebook and tossed it over on the coffee table. <<set $temp6 = true>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“I think that means we're ready to start planning!”|Checkup Next Steps]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ "It could definitely be drugs. Especially since you said they use drugs for rituals and stuff. Maybe something rare, something you can only get up North?" Doc stared at you for a moment, as if waiting for you to speak. And he kept staring just a little to long. "So? Did you have a specific drug in mind?" Oh. Yeah. You're also from the North. "<<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>Uh... no, honestly, I don't think there's anything like that. I'm pretty sure I would have tried it.<<else>>Uh... gonna be honest, I don't know much about drugs. There's probably //something//, right?<</if>>" He frowned. "It could be. I'm far from confident in it, though. Got any other ideas?" <ul>\ <li> [[“What if it's some kind of technology?”|Checkup Technology]]</li> <li> [[“What if it's some kind of religious relic?”|Checkup Relic]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\

"One of the guys I was with swore that he heard some kind of static coming from inside the box. I don't know what kind of machine it would be, but if they transported it all the way down here, it could be super valuable." Doc nodded along as you spoke, jotting down little notes about your idea. "I really like that theory. Admittedly, I'm not sure why a cult would need a giant machine like that... but it makes sense with the rest of the evidence, at least." "But who would steal that?" "I don't think we have any way of narrowing down their intentions. Maybe we just need a list of suspects first." * [[“Okay. Who has big guns, good armour, and enough men?”|Checkup Suspects]]

"They're a cult, after all. Separated from their homeland. Religious relics are incredibly important up North, and acquiring them and bringing them down here could be important to their beliefs in some way." Doc nodded along as you spoke, jotting down little notes about your idea. "Yes, it does make a lot of sense. I'm not sure why anybody in Signal Hill would want to steal them, though. The motive is just not here." "You don't think so? I've already met tons of Northerners down here." You shrugged. "It feels like there are plenty of people with around who'd want to steal something like that." "Maybe we need a list of suspects before we start trying to identify their motives." * [[“Okay. Who has big guns, good armour, and enough men?”|Checkup Suspects]]

Doc immediately scribbled down a few unreadable words. "There are really only three possibilities." "Only three?" That was a great place to start. "It could be a gang, of course. The only gang leader in the area with that kind of firepower would be Jett.<<if $leads.includes("testrun") or $playedleads.includes("testrun")>>" Jett- you'd heard that name before. KC called out his gang as one of the ones holed up in The Graveyard. "<<else>> <</if>>It could also be mercenaries, hired on by some rich client- you're familiar with the Lamplighters. This would be within their capabilities, easily." You nodded. All of that made sense. "And the third?" Gritting his teeth, Doc pointed with the tip of his pen to the final entry on his list of suspects- a word you couldn't read, given his illegible cursive. "The militia. We don't want this one." His voice was grave, tinged with an almost reverent concern. * [[“Why not?”|Checkup Militia]] * [[“Do I want to know?”|Checkup Militia]]

"I don't think you've really encountered the militia yet. Be thankful for that." Doc leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, staring off at the opposite wall with a distant look on his face. Remembering. "That abandoned building across the street, it used to be where The Lamplighters operated from. Until the militia raided them a few years back. There were no warnings given, no orders to leave the city, no arrest warrants. The law hadn't even been changed yet. They showed up with guns one morning and killed three men." "That's... rough." "I transported their bodies to the crematory. One of them was shot in the head at point blank. The other two were shot in the back." You nodded gravely. "So we really don't want it to be the militia." "On the plus side," he muttered, straightening himself out, "it's probably not them. They would fit the physical description, but the circumstances just don't make sense. They could, legally, seize your cargo at the checkpoint. They wouldn't need to do any of this." <ul>\ <li> [[“We're not going to figure this out by just thinking about it. We need a plan.”|Checkup Next Steps]]</li> </ul>\

<<if not $temp6 == true>>Doc flipped his notebook closed and tossed it over on the coffee table, where it slid to a stop next to his stale coffee. <</if>>"What I've determined from all of this is that we need a hell of a lot more evidence before we can track anything down." "Agreed. I'm not certain of anything yet.<<if Flag("ThinksItsDrugs")>> Except the fact that it's definitely drugs.<</if>>" "There are a couple places we could start. You could ask around, see if anybody's heard any rumours. If we can figure out what all of those suspects are up to, we'd be in luck. And the rumour mill in Signal Hill... well, it's active." Doc pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. "I suppose you could also go back to the scene of the crime and see if there's any evidence we've missed. I didn't have the time to do an investigation, given that you were at risk of bleeding out. There could still be something out there that tells us exactly where this cargo was taken. In the meantime, I can ask around my contacts." That was as good a place as any to get started. In fact, better. That was an excellent place to get started! "Doc, I think this is gonna be the start of a beautiful partnership. We make for great detectives." He cracked a wide grin. "Maybe hold off on that until we've actually done investigative work, hm? Now if you don't mind, I have something to take care of in the lab." * [[And with that, you had your Watson at last!|Checkup Finish]] <<addlead "csisignalhill" "CSI Signal Hill">>\ <<addlead "whisperingstreets" "Whispering Streets">>\ <<set $whisperingstreets = []>>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Clinic Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "checkup">>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\ <<unset $temp2>>\ <<unset $temp3>>\ <<unset $temp4>>\ <<unset $temp5>>\ <<unset $temp6>>\ <<set $chapter = 2>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONSULTATION|Consult Knock]]</h5>

You rapped your knuckles against the sturdy door, startling Joyette a little as she clearly hadn't noticed your approach. There was a long pause, and for a second you wondered if you should maybe knock again. The music wasn't that loud. But who knows. Maybe he was hard of hearing. Y'know, lots of people neglect ear protection when they get into gunfights. Before you could make a decision, though, the door swung open. Doc was wearing a cozy black turtleneck sweater, his hair tied back into a low bun and a pair of delicate wireframe glasses sitting low on his nose. In his hand, a pristine copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, his thumb keeping his place about halfway through. "Ah, <<print $player.name>>. You're feeling better?" * [[“Yeah, I've gotten the lay of the land and healed up and I think I'm ready to look into that cargo.”|Consult Ready][$temp to "healed"]] * [[“No... I'm just impatient as fuck and I really want to track down that cargo.”|Consult Ready][$temp to "impatient"]] * [[“...you wear glasses?”|Consult Ready][$temp to "glasses"]] * [[“Yeah, I just wanted to chat with you.”|Consult Ready][$temp to "chat"]]

<<if $temp == "healed">>\ "Good to hear. You've recovered surprisingly well from that surgery." He moved aside, gesturing to invite you into his office. <<if $leads.includes("consultation")>>"Come, let's discuss those papers of yours."<<else>>"Come, I have something to show you regarding the cargo that was stolen from you."<</if>> <<elseif $temp == "impatient">>\ Doc was silent for a moment. "I... appreciate your honesty. Well, since you're already here, we might as well discuss <<if $leads.includes("consultation")>>those papers of yours<<else>>the documentation you had on you when you were shot. I've found some interesting things out from them<</if>>." He moved aside, gesturing to invite you into his office. <<elseif $temp == "glasses">>\ Doc raised an eyebrow, lifting a finger to push his spectacles further up his nose. "Reading glasses, yes." He moved aside, gesturing to invite you into his office. "<<if $leads.includes("consultation")>>You came to discuss the papers I found, no?<<else>>Since you're here, I'd like to show you something interesting I found out about your cargo.<</if>> How about you come inside." <<elseif $temp == "chat">>\ "Oh. That's... very nice of you." Doc seemed almost flustered by the idea that someone would want to chat with him. He presumably didn't have many interactions like this. "<<if $leads.includes("consultation")>>About the documents I found, yes?<<else>>Well, since you're here, I have something I'd like to show you. About your stolen cargo.<</if>> How about you come inside." <</if>>\ Stepping past him, you were immediately aware that this was far from a conventional office. There was a desk, for sure, an old wooden thing tucked off to the right scattered with medical texts, paperwork, and now your bloody documents. A microscope and some other inscrutable scientific tech was lined up on metal shelves next to it, alongside bleached animal skulls and specimen jars with unknown contents. That wasn't where Doc had been sitting, though- instead it was clear he had been cozied up on an overstuffed loveseat in the back corner. On a coffee table in front of it was a mug of something still steaming, and a record player slowly calling out the scratchy sound of piano music. His book must have been retrieved from the shelf beside it, which was piled high with mostly medical textbooks and a few ancient works of classic literature. There were two doors in this room, to the left and right respectively. One was ajar and led into a small darkened hallway, presumably where Doc's bedroom and private washroom would be. Next to it, the overcoat, rifle, and wide brimmed hat he'd worn when he found you were hung up on a coat rack. The bird shaped gas mask was nowhere to be seen- maybe he kept that in a place of honour. On the oposite wall, though, was a far more intimidating sight than any sniper rifle. A sturdy door, fitted with several ominous padlocks, with the word "LAB" stencilled on it in plack paint. * [[“This is a really nice little office, Doc.”|Consult Nice]] * [[“This place really screams 'a nerd lives here.'”|Consult Nerd]] * [[“What the fuck is in that lab?”|Consult Lab]] <<unset $temp>>\

You could see in real time as Doc considered your compliment, evaluated it for sarcasm, and then brightened up. "Thank you! I do what I can with the resources we have. This is my home, I try to take care of it." There was so much pride in his voice. It was almost heartwarming. "You aren't here to see my decorating, though," he corrected himself, snapping back into doctor mode. "I set about evaluating these documents for you. They were partially ruined by blood, but there were copies on each of your companions' bodies, so I was able to piece together a good amount of them." * [[“It shouldn't be anything groundbreaking. Just shipping manifests and delivery instructions.”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“Those should have the info about the person recieving the cargo, right?”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“These are... important, somehow?”|Consult Delivery]] <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(5)>>\

Doc bristled at your comment and turned away, facing towards the desk as if to hide his expression of annoyance from you. "Yes, I suppose that is accurate. Can we discuss these papers?" "Yeah, let's talk about the papers." You very nearly called him a nerd again, but caught yourself just before. "I set about evaluating them earlier. They were partially ruined by blood, but there were copies on each of your companions' bodies, so I was able to piece together a good amount of them." * [[“It shouldn't be anything groundbreaking. Just shipping manifests and delivery instructions.”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“Those should have the info about the person recieving the cargo, right?”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“These are... important, somehow?”|Consult Delivery]] <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(-5)>>\

Doc gave you a confused look for a moment, before glancing over at the door and nodding his head. "Ah, yes. I suppose the lab does look suspicious. I can reassure you that the locks are for keeping people out, not for keeping anything in." He didn't elaborate any further, let alone answer the question. Doctor stuff, presumably. "Now, about your stolen goods," he continued, trying to get back on track. "I set about evaluating those documents for you. They were partially ruined by blood, but there were copies on each of your companions' bodies, so I was able to piece together a good amount of them." * [[“It shouldn't be anything groundbreaking. Just shipping manifests and delivery instructions.”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“Those should have the info about the person recieving the cargo, right?”|Consult Delivery]] * [[“These are... important, somehow?”|Consult Delivery]]

"Exactly." He pulled out the chair, an old black office-looking thing made of cheap plastic and fake leather, and took a seat at his desk. Collecting the papers and scooping them up in his hands, he angled them so that you could see while looking over his shoulder. The pages were warped and stained dark brown with blood, having dried crusty and close to crumbling in the desert air. The ink was smudged. You couldn't make out anything. "I couldn't decipher anything about the payment or recipient, but there were some interesting things in there." Placing a hand on the back of the chair and leaning in to get a closer look, you still couldn't figure out what anything said. Except the letterhead. But "DELTA CARAVANS" didn't help you much. They were just a shipping company based up North, and you, just one of their contractors. "What kind of interesting things?" Doc started to shuffle through the pages, each more ruined than the last, with only tiny fragments untouched by blood or the elements. "Well, I learned a bit about the cargo, figured out who the sender was, and determined the address you were meant to deliver it to." * [[“Tell me about the cargo.”|Consult Cargo]] * [[“Tell me about the sender.”|Consult Sender]] * [[“What's the address?”|Consult Address]]

"Well, it wasn't evaluated by the shipping company. They have a specific stamp for that, apparently." He shuffled to the correct page and pointed out a faded stamp in black ink that just barely read, "NO SEARCH CONDUCTED." "So... they didn't vet it? Why?" Doc shrugged. "You would know better than me. I would assume that the sender requested it not be opened." You racked your brain for information about this. Things you had picked up from working shipping, from friends and lovers in the industry, from long nights on the road. <ul>\ <li> [[You don't know much about this industry, actually.|Consult Dont Know]]</li> <li> <<link "You must know something. ">><<savvyroll 6 "Consult Savvy Success" "Consult Savvy Failure">><</link>></li>\ </ul>\ <<set $tempcargo = true>>\ <<set $temppocket = false>>\

Just then, the memory came to you, a flicker of a connection blossoming into a realization. The companies up North, most of them abided by the religious mores of their communities, and sometimes that was codified in official rules. In particular, it was consideded sacrilege to view religious artifacts- saintly relics, blessed objects. It diminished their power, through knowing them. The same reason why the augurs of the North covered their faces. The shipping company probably had a policy of not checking cargo that was reasonably agreed to contain sacred items. You relayed this revelation to Doc, and he sat in silence, considering it for a moment. "Okay. So either the cargo was some kind of religious item, or the sender //claimed// that it was religious in nature to avoid having it searched. That doesn't necessarily narrow it down... but it's interesting." "Why would anyone down here murder four people to steal religious artifacts from the North?" He contemplated the question. "I don't know... you're a Northerner. Any ideas?" <ul>\ <li> [[“Relics tend to be expensive- you could probably make a tidy profit off of selling them off.”|Consult Expensive]]</li>\ <li> [[“Devotees often quibble about how to properly treat our relics. It could be a contentious item.”|Consult Quibble]]</li>\ <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>\ <li> [[“Our holy items hold great power, especially saintly relics. Anyone would be overcome with greed.”|Consult Relics]]</li>\ <</if>>\ </ul>\

You thought about it for a moment, but only long enough to get on your own nerves. What did you think you were, some kind of shipping expert? You were a contractor. You did this job once, maybe a few times maximum. What the fuck did you know about this goddamn industry? "Fuck, I don't know," you finally admitted. "Maybe they paid extra for it? Or they were like, a trusted customer? I have no clue." "Those are all pretty valid hypotheses. But not quite. This situation is... puzzling." <<include "Consult Speculation">>

You put all of your (limited) mental effort into it, straining to figure out what this set of information could possibly mean. Sealed box... being secretively delivered long distances... <<if $tempsender == true>>from a laboratory... <</if>>and marked to not be inspected... "It's drugs. It's gotta be drugs!" You were a genius. "Drugs?" "Y'know, some kind of drug smuggling operation," you argued, suddenly very convinced of your own argument. "They must have, like, somebody on the inside with the company to mark it like that. So the drugs aren't discovered." Doc cleared his throat. "I don't think we have any major drug smuggling operations running from the North down to Signal Hill, <<print $player.name>>." "How do //you// know?" It was a rhetorical question, but also kind of a valid question. How //would// he know? <<include "Consult Speculation">> <<SetFlag "ThinksItsDrugs">>\

"I suppose. But that would require your assailants to know the contents of the delivery and the value therein, which, if they were local, is puzzling." <<include "Consult Speculation">>

"I suppose. But who would escalate such a conflict to the scale of hiring heavily armed mercenaries to kill the caravaneers escorting it? That part is puzzling." <<include "Consult Speculation">>

"I suppose if that was your belief you might do a lot to obtain that power. Or keep it away from someone you don't like. But how did they track down your caravan and know what was inside? It's puzzling." <<include "Consult Speculation">>

Shaking his head, Doc murmured, "None of this speculation will make any sense unless you figure out who the cargo was for and who stole it. You should focus on that, if this is important to you." It was clear from the way he spoke that it was important to him too. It was just that- puzzling. A brain teaser. One that led to you getting a bullet in your abdomen, but a brain teaser nonetheless. He'd gotten invested. Surely, this was more exciting than administering naloxone to the latest overdose patient. <ul>\ <<if $tempsender isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Okay. Then tell me about the sender.”|Consult Sender]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $tempaddress isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Okay. Then give me the address and I'll figure that out.”|Consult Address]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“I think I've got what I need.”|Consult Got It]]</li>\ <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Well, I don't know //exactly// who the sender was, but I know their place of work at least. The business that filed the paperwork was called 'Sigma Biolabs.' I couldn't determine if this was sent in an official capacity by that company or by one of its employees." Doc tapped the side of his glasses, considering the highly smudged text around the name deeply. "The name obviously implies this could have been some kind of research... but why it would be delivered here, or stolen, isn't obvious." You almost couldn't pay attention to his speculation, because that name buzzed in you head and filled your ears with snow and your nose with the smell of cigarettes. You could feel that name resonating in your breastbone and digging under your fingernails. Sigma Biolabs... you knew it. You'd been there. You were feeling that memory in your bones. <ul>\ <li> <<link "Try to remember. ">><<signalroll 8 "Consult Signal Success" "Consult Signal Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\ <<set $tempsender = true>>\ <<set $temppocket = false>>

The sweet smell of decaying flesh in your nostrils, cut by bleach. "No refridgeration," a person in sanitary robes and kitchen gloves said to another who was their twin, their voice distant and warped like a record playing underwater. They were standing over the metal table, their scalpel pressed against cold skin. "I know it was a lot of money, but this is just ridiculous." "Do what you can." The scalpel split the skin on the opposite side and then down through an artery. A machine whirred to life where the other was standing, loud and violent like a blender. There was a tube leading from it to the table, slipped inside a hole in flesh. As the machine ran, coagulated blood was forced out of the scalpel's cut. Sprays of water diluted it and sent it cascading down the metal table. The water was loud against the metal, like static in your ears, like you were watching this all unfold on the television. A morbid tape, a snuff film of sorts. "I'm not saying it's impossible, we just can't guarantee it. Are we still getting paid if we can't deliver what he's asking for?" The voice was still muffled, and you realized why- they were each clad in these masks, these big clear plastic things that sealed to their faces and filtered the air through spinning disks. "//We're// getting paid no matter what. I'm not concerned with whether the company gets paid." The figure stepped away from the machine, looming over their work. "You've done this a million times. This one is no different." The signal was fading, the lines getting blurry. "There is something very different about this one." It was fuzzy, distant, and then once again you were watching over Doc's shoulder as he pawed through the documents. "So perhaps this could be some kind of corporate sabotage," he proffered, clearly continuing from some point you had just missed entirely. * [[“Yeah. Probably corporate sabotage.”|Consult Memory]] * [[“I guess that makes sense.”|Consult Memory]] * [[“I... don't think that's it, no.”|Consult Memory]]

The sweet smell of decaying flesh in your nostrils, cut by bleach. "No refridgeration," a person in sanitary robes and kitchen gloves said to another who was their twin, their voice distant and warped like a record playing underwater. "Do what you can." A scalpel spilled coagulated blood, first oozing and then forced from its home, forced out onto the table. Sprays of water diluted it and sent it cascading down the metal table. The water was loud against the metal, like static in your ears, like you were watching this all unfold on the television. A morbid tape, a snuff film of sorts. "-impossible, we just can't-" The voices cut in and out through snow, wavering, difficult to focus on for more than a moment. The memory faded just like that, filtering like ash between your fingers and leaving you watching over Doc's shoulder as he pawed through the documents. "So perhaps this could be some kind of corporate sabotage," he proffered, clearly continuing from some point you had just missed entirely. * [[“Yeah. Probably corporate sabotage.”|Consult Memory]] * [[“I guess that makes sense.”|Consult Memory]] * [[“I... don't think that's it, no.”|Consult Memory]]

Turning back to look at you, Doc seemed concerned. Maybe your tone of voice was a little off. A little distant. "Are you feeling lightheaded at all?" "No, I'm okay," you continued, pushing the lingering odour of rotting flesh from your nostrils. This was not a matter for a medical doctor to deal with. Or whatever Doc was. "Okay." He didn't seem to trust you, but he wasn't about to contradict you. "Well, I guess this doesn't do much to resolve anything, but maybe it'll be useful to know. Now, was there anything else?" <ul>\ <<if $tempcargo isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Can you tell me about the cargo?”|Consult Cargo]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $tempaddress isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Can you give me the address?”|Consult Address]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“I think I've got what I need.”|Consult Got It]]</li>\ <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Well... I'm sure the actual address wouldn't mean much to you, right? You have only just arrived, after all." Doc was probably right about that. You'd travelled enough to know there were as many address systems as there were cities. Some were lacking entirely, others had regimented street names and numbers, yet more focused on landmarks and distances. "Yeah, I can't say I'm familiar with your city's layout just yet," you concurred. "Maybe just write down the directions?" He flipped over a stray piece of paper hanging off the edge of his desk and grabbed a crappy blue pen, getting to work drawing a crude map. It was hard to parse, but after a few landmarks were put down it came into focus. It was near the gray area where Skid Row blended into The Stacks, a little ways towards the East, tucked down a few side streets. His labels, in an unreadable cursive, would probably not be helpful. * [[You'd probably be able to figure it out from there.|Consult Residential]] <<set $tempaddress = true>>\

After circling the building and scrawling a lopsided arrow just in case, Doc leaned back in his chair to observe the little map. "Now... something about this is striking me as interesting, and I'm wondering if you've caught it too." You stared at the crude map for a moment. Nothing particularly striking. It was just... a map. "What's interesting?" you finally asked, taking his bait. "I used to live in this area as a child," he muttered, pointing at part of the map with the tip of his pen. "This building is right next to the grocer my father used to frequent. It's not a factory. It's not a business. These are apartments." "Okay." That didn't strike you as particularly interesting. Doc looked up at you, raising an eyebrow. "Who hires a discrete caravan to send cargo to an apartment in a different city?" * [[“Maybe... relatives?”|Consult Relatives]] * [[“Maybe... they bought something?”|Consult Bought]] * [[“Maybe... it's a cover?”|Consult Cover]]

"Have you ever hired a caravan to send somebody a letter?" He shook his head, and you realized that it was a rhetorical question. "There are plenty of courier services that run from Signal Hill up North and vice versa. Why hire four guards to escort a package? That's some mighty expensive mail." It was a fair point. The pay for this gig was supposed to be good, too, and delivered upon reciept- meaning that the recipient was the one footing the bill for your services. Very odd. Especially for personal mail. <<include "Consult Suspicious">>\

"That would make sense as to why payment was due upon arriving," he reasoned, "but in that case, wouldn't you have explicit instructions to return with a portion of the payment? What did they expect upon arrival?" "We were getting our pay, and that was it. The paperwork was going to be sent back by courier with signatures and shit. No money." Doc shook his head. "So, the sender paid the company and the reciever was going to pay you. That's not a commercial arrangement." He had a fair point. The pay for this gig was supposed to be good, too. Not what you would expect for a commercial delivery job. <<include "Consult Suspicious">>\

"That's my running theory," he corroborated, "maybe because I can't make sense of it in any other way. Maybe the recipient is somebody important trying to keep this transaction secretive?" You nodded. That made the most sense out of any of these ideas. <<if Flag("ThinksItsDrugs")>>And it played into your running theory, the drugs thing.<<else>>Not that any of them made much sense.<</if>> <<include "Consult Suspicious">>\

"Whatever the case, there is certainly something suspicious about this whole transaction." Doc folded up his map and handed it to you over his shoulder. It was on the back of a letter of some kind. He seemed oblivious of this fact, and you weren't going to point it out. Some snooping was always fun. <ul>\ <<if $tempcargo isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Before I go, about that cargo...”|Consult Cargo]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $tempsender isnot true>>\ <li> [[“Before I go, about the sender...”|Consult Sender]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“I think I've got what I need.”|Consult Got It]]</li>\ </ul>\ <<if not $temppocket>>\ <<pocket 'Hand Drawn Map' 1>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>>\ <</if>>\

Nodding, Doc arranged the bloody documents as nicely as he could, spun around in his chair, and proffered them to you. "I'm sure these aren't useful anymore, but //technically// you're supposed to send them back to the company. So I'll leave them with you." They crinkled as you grabbed them, all warped and dried into place. Nasty. "This is going to be very helpful," you acknowledged. Out of the goodness of his heart, too. Or more accurately, curiosity. That was made all the more apparent as the man stood and started to take off his glasses, murmuring, "You'll let me know when you figure out what happened, right? I'll admit that it's very much intriguing me." * [[“It's really none of your business.”|Consult Rebuff]] * [[“Of course, I'll keep you in the loop.”|Consult Agree]] * [[“I owe it to you, with all the help you've given me.”|Consult Agree]] * [[“If it gives me an excuse to see you again, of course.”|Consult Flirt]] <<set $temppocket = false>>\ <<unset $tempcargo>>\ <<unset $tempsender>>\ <<unset $tempaddress>>\

The expression on his face was impossible to read. Anger? Annoyance? Surprise? It was nearly an emotionless mask, and yet the subtle arc of his brows and twitch of his lips conveyed so much bubbling just beneath the surface. "Ah. Yes. I suppose it is none of my business." "I've gotta get going now." You were already eager to head out, but now you were even moreso. You inched towards the door as the piano record slowed to an end. "I'll let you get back to your motorcycle book now. Enjoy." You didn't peg Doc as a biker, but you supposed people are multifaceted. "That's really not what... um. Yes. I will get back to the motorcycle book." Doc glanced over at the tome where it lay on his desk as you stepped through the doorway. And he seemed to snap out of his good mood when it occurred to him that he'd let go of his place. At least 500 pages to sift through. * [[Best to leave him to it.|Consult Finish]] <<if not $temppocket>>\ <<pocket 'Bloody Documents' 1>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>>\ <</if>>\

From your limited experience with him, it seemed pretty rare that a smile would cross Doc's face, and even rarer for that smile to be a gentle and authentic one. "Hopefully it's not too difficult to track down that cargo," he encouraged you, smile on his face all gentle and authentic. "Hopefully." You rapped your knuckles on the edge of his desk, a universal symbol of uncertainty that gave you very little reassurance. "I should probably get to that." "In the meantime, remember that you're welcome here whenever you need." You gave him a quick nod and shared his smile. "Okay, I'll let you get back to your motorcycle book now. Enjoy." You didn't peg Doc as a biker, but you supposed people are multifaceted. "That's really not what... um. Yes. I will get back to the motorcycle book." Doc glanced over at the tome where it lay on his desk as you stepped through the doorway. And he seemed to snap out of his good mood when it occurred to him that he'd let go of his place. At least 500 pages to sift through. * [[Best to leave him to it.|Consult Finish]] <<if not $temppocket>>\ <<pocket 'Bloody Documents' 1>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>>\ <</if>>\

<<if $relationship.doc gte 55>>\ You had never seen Doc look 'flustered,' so you had very little frame of reference. But that was the best word you could use to describe the way his eyes widened and the edges of his lips piqued up into a tiny nervous smile. Running his hand through his dark hair, he muttered, "Um... yes. I would be happy to see you again. You have been a delightful patient." <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(5)>>\ <<else>>\ Doc almost winced as the words left your mouth. It was a little insulting. Just a little. "Um, yes. I would be happy to have you back. If you get hurt, of course, speak with Joyette any time." Not him. Joyette. Ouch. <</if>>\ "Well, I've got a paycheck to track down," you told him, a bit of nervous laughter escaping your lips as you backed towards the door. "I should probably, uh... get going now." "Of course. Our doors are always open." You gave him a quick nod. "Okay, I'll let you get back to your motorcycle book now. Enjoy." You didn't peg Doc as a biker, but you supposed people are multifaceted. "That's really not what... um. Yes. I will get back to the motorcycle book." Doc glanced over at the tome where it lay on his desk as you stepped through the doorway. And he seemed to snap out of his good mood when it occurred to him that he'd let go of his place. At least 500 pages to sift through. * [[Best to leave him to it.|Consult Finish]] <<if not $temppocket>>\ <<pocket 'Bloody Documents' 1>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>>\ <</if>>\ <<set $flirt.doc += 1>>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Clinic Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "consultation">>\ <<addlead "trackingnumber" "Tracking Number">>\ <<set $temppocket = false>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CRASH MEDICINE|Crash Wake]]</h5>

"And it was just <<print $pro.them>>? Nobody else?" A woman's voice, somewhere by your feet. Soft and warm like honey. You couldn't see her, but you could see who she was talking to- by your bedside, facing away, wearing a simple turtleneck and surprisingly clean slacks. Now hatless, he had silky black hair tied back into a neat, low bun, with just a wisp free hovering by his cheek. He had a small stud in his ear, a round gunmetal grey one. "The others were already dead by the time I found them," he responded. Without the mask, you could hear him loud and clear- gentle, but clinical. He spoke with an exact enunciation that would surely make him an excellent radio host, but without enough personality. Maybe he could be an actor in one of those radio plays they put on in The Rapids. Did they have radio plays out here? Surely, with a name like Signal Hill, they must have killer radio plays. * [[Wait, they're talking about you, right?|Crash Ambush]] <<set $met.push("doc", "joyette")>>

The woman mused, "Must have been an ambush." "Maybe." He paused a moment. "Must be. But the tire marks were so light, and clearly from a pretty small vehicle. Cargo couldn't have been more than, maybe, 200 pounds." "And?" "Who kills four people over 200 pounds of cargo?" He leaned back against your cot, a hand steadying himself against the strange rack of metal you were hooked into. "Especially since it was a 5.56. Your average highwayman out here isn't going to have a rifle like that." "Must be expensive cargo, then." * [[You're finally coming to.|Crash Pain]]

What didn't occur to you at first as you lapsed into consciousness was the absence of something expected. Pain. Your midsection was wrapped snugly in bandages, and you could feel the stitches underneath, but the sharp burning sensation was gone. Where you had just recently been opened up by a bullet, you felt only a persistent itch. Come to think of it, even the plastic tube in your arm wasn't hurting, just a strange, urgent pressure.<<if $skill.savvy == 1>> Whatever you were on, it was probably a pretty powerful painkiller. Maybe an opiate.<</if>> However groggy you were, though, you were //lucid//. Finally. You could move, you could sit up. You could speak. And you were no longer in an inordinate, debilitating amount of pain. That's a good start. You silently contemplated what to say to your rescuer, to get his attention. * [[“Uhh... I'm awake.”|Crash Reaction]] * [[“Where the fuck am I?”|Crash Reaction]]

The man was clearly startled by the sudden noise, and nearly knocked over the IV stand as he tried to maintain his composure. "Ah. Joyette. The patient is awake." He turned around, and you finally got a good look at his face sans mask. He was asian, with a sharp jaw and soft, refined features. A handful of freckles were dotted across his nose and cheeks, barely visible against his light skin. His eyes were a warm brown, but the bags under them were clearly from overwork. As you craned your head up you could barely see the woman, Joyette, as she politely stepped out of the room. "I'll leave you to take care of this, okay?" Now alone in the room, the man crouched down next to your cot. This was the first time you really registered how tall he was, maybe 6'3" or so. Seeing him from below, it never really occurred to you. "You were shot," the man told you, his tone blunt and conversational. You get the sense that bedside manner was't his forte. Or perhaps, this was what the people in this city responded to. "You're in the Signal Hill Free Clinic. The bullet missed most of your major organs but resulted in a lot of bleeding, and some minor damage to your intestines." * [[“Free? So I don't have to pay for this, right?”|Crash Free]] * [[“It felt a lot worse than that.”|Crash Worse]] * [[“The cargo was stolen?”|Crash Stolen]] <<addlead "stolencargo" "Stolen Cargo">>\

"I don't accept payment for my work, no." He brushed that loose strand of black hair behind his ear. "It is a bit of a misnomer, though. My colleague, Joyette, employs a sliding scale. But most of our patients fall right at the bottom of that scale." He smiles, as if this is a point of pride for him. "How do you make money if you work for free?" It was mostly a foreign concept for you. Being paid was the bare minimum for working a gig. If you weren't paid, there was no money, and if there was no money, you couldn't eat. The man chuckled at the seemingly innocuous question. "We don't." * [[“Is that just how things work here?”|Crash New]] * [[“That fucking sucks.”|Crash Sucks]] * [[“That's admirable.”|Crash Admirable]]

"No," he reassured you in a tone that was more than a little bitter, "things in Signal Hill are rarely free. I think you'll probably figure that out pretty quickly, given how all you had on you was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">>

"Well, if we charged, you'd be shit out of luck," he informed you. His voice had a much colder affect. "You didn't have anything on you. Just your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">> <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(-10)>>\

The man gave you a faint smile. "Well, if only admirable behaviour could buy drugs. Speaking of which." You almost thought he was going to pull some shit on you, the ol' additional fees card. Instead: "You didn't have any cash on you. Just your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">> <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(10)>>\

"You were shot with an automatic rifle," he intoned, exactly as matter of fact as before. "Not very bad is relative. You should count your blessings that you're still alive." Lifting your hand up, feeling the tug of the tube in your arm, you muttered, "So how long am I gonna be hooked up here?" "You've recovered quite well so far." He took a look at the blinking screen on one of the monitors, considering it for a moment before continuing. "So long as you're taking some basic precautions to promote healing, I can discharge you in the next few days." * [[“And then where do I go?”|Crash Then]] * [[“Can I just say here a while? Y'all seem nice.”|Crash Nice]] * [[“Is sex, drugs, and violence out of the question with these... precautions?”|Crash Hedonism]]

"There's a whole lot of space to get lost in Signal Hill," the doctor mused. "However, that might be a bit... rough. Let's just say the only things you had on you was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">>

The doctor nodded. "Well, I prefer to keep my beds open. You never know when an emergency will happen around here." Then, a beat, before he continued. "You might not have much of a choice. All you had on you was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">> <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(5)>>\

The doctor let out an almost involuntary laugh, shaking his head. "I only ask that you take your antibiotics and avoid strenuous exercise. Violence, though, I would avoid if possible." Then, his face took a somewhat darker cast. "Although, you may have trouble with drugs. All you had on you was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>." <<include "Crash Process">>

"Yes. Whatever vehicle you were with, it was commandeered by whoever killed your fellow caravaneers." His tone changed a bit, his voice quieter as if inquiring about a secret. "What exactly were you shipping, if you don't mind me asking?" Whether or not you did mind didn't matter. You only had one answer you could give. "I have no clue. It was all handled by the company." "Interesting." He stroked his chin, glancing up at the ceiling. "I wonder if //they// knew what it was. We have a large shipping industry and a whole lot of highwaymen who leech off it, but rarely would they gun down four people with automatic rifles for a single car's worth of supplies." * [[“They looked like military guys.”|Crash Military]] * [[“It was just one big box. Nothing fancy.”|Crash Box]] * [[“It's a cruel world out there. Sometimes you have to gun people down with automatic rifles.”|Crash Cruel]]

He paused a moment. "Couldn't be. That's too brazen, even for Kells." The man shook his head, brushing the idea off entirely. "That's really not what's important right now. You have bigger things to worry about. For one thing, all you were left with was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>. There were some forms in your pocket, but they were pretty badly stained with blood." <<include "Crash Process">>

"They paid four guards to ship a single box?" "Not up front," you corrected him. "We were supposed to get paid upon reciept." "Ah. Well that explains it." He fiddles with his bun with a sudden nervous energy, as if worried about your reaction. "You didn't exactly have any money on you. Just your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>. There were some forms in your pocket, but they were pretty badly stained with blood." <<include "Crash Process">>

He snorted at this, though it wasn't exactly a friendly sort of laugh. More annoyed. "I guess you have something in common with them, huh? Well, you'll have no trouble getting work around here if that's the case." Then, he paused, his face getting serious. "Ah. And you might need to look for work. When I found you, all that was on you was your clothes and a <<for _item range $heldweapon.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("ranged")>>gun<<elseif $heldweapon.has("spiked bat")>>bat<<else>>knife<</if>><</for>>. There were some forms in your pocket, but they were pretty badly stained with blood." <<include "Crash Process">> <<set $relationship.doc to $relationship.doc.fm(-20)>>\

It took you a moment to process that. To be fair, that //was// all you had. But it wasn't //supposed// to be all you had. Once you got here, you were supposed to deliver the cargo and get a fat paycheck. That was //supposed// to let you coast for at least a little while until you figured something out in Signal Hill. But now that paycheck was not happening. You tried to prop yourself up on your elbows, feeling a twinge of pain for the first time and nearly pulling that tube out of your arm in the process. "Uh... know anywhere a <<if $player.gender == "man">>guy<<elseif $player.gender == "woman">>girl<<else>>person<</if>> who's been recently shot can get some cash on short notice?" The doctor, after briefly panicking over your recklessness, calmed himself and contemplated the question. "Maybe. What kind of work are you looking for?" * [[“I don't know. Quick, easy mercenary work?”|Crash Work][$temp to "merc"]] * [[“I mostly just look hot and have very few skills.”|Crash Work][$temp to "hot"]] * [[“Well, the easiest way would be to track down that cargo, right?”|Crash Work][$temp to "cargo"]]

<<if $temp is "merc">>\ "There's no shortage of work for mercenary types here." He said it with a neutral tone, yet his voice dripped with vitriol. It was obvious you were missing some kind of context, some politics that eluded you. "If you want to deal with good folks and don't mind working a little outside the law, I'd recommend seeking out the Lamplighters. They've got headquarters in the Graveyard down South." "Why's it called the Graveyard?" You could only assume he wasn't talking about a real graveyard. Although on second thought, a mercenary organization located in a graveyard would be rad as hell. The man shook his head. "The buildings look like graves. There's more to it, but, well..." He pursed his lips and gazed off into the corner of the room. Maybe you shouldn't have asked. "Signal Hill has a past. You'll figure it out." <<addlead "lamplighters" "Lamplighters">>\ <<elseif $temp is "hot">>\ He shook his head in polite disdain, a small smile spread across his thin lips. There was almost an implied //"At least you admit it."// But ever the professional, he intoned, "If you are so inclined... there is a Red Light District in town. Do with that information what you will." As if immediately regretting this, he added, "Stay away from The Rose and Thorn, though." You immediately perked up at the name. Classy yet sexy, like a pearl necklace laid over a bare chest. What could the thorn to their rose imply? An intriguing mystery. "Why shouldn't I go there, exactly?" "I'm sure you've run into your fair share of nasty folks up North, but down here in Signal Hill, pretty much everybody's looking to take advantage of you. Just take my advice." That did not reassure you at all. In fact it probably boldened you. This place sounded fucking //fun.// <<addlead "roseandthorn" "Rose and Thorn">>\ <<elseif $temp is "cargo">>\ An amused smile crossed his face. "You're planning to hunt down the people who almost shot you to death... and what? Steal it back?" Admittedly, this was a silly idea. In your state, you weren't going to be gunning down any armed men. "I can at least try to figure out who it was..." You were thinking of this on the spot. "The company accepting the delivery... they'd probably know what it was and who would want it." The man shrugged. "That documentation on your body that was soaked with blood, but I might be able to recover an address from it." You tried to sit up and winced in pain, earning a concerned shake of the head. "No... you need to take some time. When you've gotten settled and are feeling better, come to my office and we can discuss this." <<addlead "consultation" "Consultation">>\ <</if>>\ At this point, you were feeling pretty damn lucid. Whatever drugs you were on, they were working a treat to keep you from being in debilitating pain. You were still well aware that you were injured, but once you could get out of this cot and change back into your real clothes you'd surely feel much more like yourself. And speaking of acting like yourself (or not), it suddenly occurred to you that you'd been a little rude so far. You hadn't even asked this guy... * [[“Sorry, I didn't catch your name?”|Crash Name]]

"Ah. Yes." The man straightened his shirt, as if trying to present the best possible version of himself to you. This, after you saw him wearing a freaky bird mask and cloak in the blasted ash-wastes. "You can just call me Doc. That's what most folks around here know me as." "So you're a doctor?" Not many of those around nowadays. People are good at killing, not so good at patching up the people who survive. "No." It was said with a bluntness you'd come to expect from Doc over the course of this conversation, but certainly wasn't the expected response. It was kind of a rhetorical question, actually. "No" wasn't supposed to be an option. You sat up, a little more carefully this time, wincing as the tube settled in place again. * [[“Why did you do surgery on me if you're not a doctor?”|Crash Surgery]] * [[“Then what are you?”|Crash Druggist]] * [[“Wait, then why do people call you Doc?”|Crash Doc]] <<unset $temp>>\

"Doctors are expected to have formal medical training and swear by oaths of medical ethics," he explained, his tone as dry as usual despite this potentially concerning revelation. "It doesn't take either to learn to stitch somebody up. If you're looking for a real physician, well, my colleague Joyette is the person you're after." "So what, you're some kind of crash medic? Tech? Nurse?" "I consider myself a druggist." <<if $skill.savvy == 1>>\ You know that means, like, a pharmacist. Somebody who prescribes drugs. You're not a fucking idiot. <<else>>\ "So what, you do drugs for a living?" You aren't very bright. Doc gave you a stare like you'd asked him the exact right question to annoy him. "I develop and prescribe medicine." Yeah, no, that made more sense than your thing. <</if>>\ * [[“Well, Doc, it's been nice to meet you.”|Crash Meet]] * [[“Thanks for saving my life, Doc.”|Crash Save]] * [[“Doc, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?”|Crash Eyes]]

"I consider myself a druggist." <<if $skill.savvy == 1>>\ You know that means, like, a pharmacist. Somebody who prescribes drugs. You're not a fucking idiot. <<else>>\ "So what, you do drugs for a living?" You aren't very bright. Doc gave you a stare like you'd asked him the exact right question to annoy him. "I develop and prescribe medicine." Yeah, no, that made more sense than your thing. <</if>>\ * [[“Well, Doc, it's been nice to meet you.”|Crash Meet]] * [[“Thanks for saving my life, Doc.”|Crash Save]] * [[“Doc, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?”|Crash Eyes]]

"The people we treat here, they don't care what the difference is. I might as well be their doctor. So the nickname sticks." You get the sense, from how he speaks about them, that the people he treats wouldn't be able to afford a doctor if they wanted to. "What came first, the nickname or the bird mask?" He paused for a moment, as if feeling like he'd been put on the spot. "The nickname," he admitted. Doc's voice rarely strayed far from a sort of platonic ideal in tone, but this seemed like the closest he would get to sheepish. * [[“Well, Doc, it's been nice to meet you.”|Crash Meet]] * [[“Thanks for saving my life, Doc.”|Crash Save]] * [[“Doc, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?”|Crash Eyes]]

"Now, don't be too hasty to leave." <<include "Crash Drugs">>

"Oh. Yes." He seemed a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps not used to praise. "Don't thank me yet, though." <<include "Crash Drugs">>

"Please don't talk to me like that." He spoke in a very assured voice, making it as clear as can be that he wouldn't accept that kind of behaviour. Noted. <<include "Crash Drugs">> <<set $flirt.doc += 1>>\

He turned to walk back across the room, close to the door. Now that you were sitting up a little, you could see it more properly- a small space, about as sterile as it could be in a world like this. Three walls were cheap white plaster, with only a plain blue curtain shielding you from the rest of the clinic. The floor was plain concrete marked from years of foot traffic. Close to the curtain. a large metal locker with the door open, revealing your clothing hanging inside. Doc approached the only other piece of furniture in here, a metal table pushed against the far wall. A few surgical tools- tubing, scissors, needles- were scattered across its surface. What he picked up was a glass vial that rattled with little white cylinders- pills. Drugs. "You'll need to take these. For the pain. And I will get you some antibiotics from the lab as soon as I can." Turning back to you, his expression was deadly serious. "I do not say this lightly. I will give you only what you need, and I will be monitoring your use. You will be off these in a week, and will not be recieving any more, understood?" * [[“Yeah, sure thing, Doc.”|Crash Care]] * [[“Uh... yeah. I will definitely stop taking drugs when you tell me to. Absolutely.”|Crash Care][$temp == "hedonist"]] * [[“Don't worry, I'll find something more fun.”|Crash Care][$temp == "hedonist"]]

<<if $temp == "hedonist">>\ "I truly do not care what kind of recreational drugs you get involved with," Doc articulated. "But if you're looking to abuse my services, or sell off medications I give you in confidence, I will kindly ask you to leave." This is something he deals with a lot. You don't have to be a genius to judge that from the exhaustion in his eyes. He's had this conversation with at least two dozen people who've turned around and done exactly that. It's probably best not to push his boundaries. "Don't worry, I'm not going to sell that shit. I'll probably need it too badly anyway." That might be a lie. Who knows. <</if>>\ He cleared his throat. "That aside. If you wish to stay here for a little while, given the circumstances, I'll try to keep this bed open for you. If you have any more problems with the surgery site, or especially if you notice blood in your stool, speak to Joyette about it. She's usually in the clinic while I'm in the lab." * [[“Thanks, Doc.”|Crash Complete]] * [[“I might, if I don't find something better.”|Crash Complete]] * [[“Free bed? Hell yeah.”|Crash Complete]] <<if not $temppocket == true>>\ <<pocket "Painkillers" 5>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>> <</if>>\ <<unset $temp>>

Doc gave you a simple, polite nod and, after confirming you were stable and disconnecting you from the IV, he excused himself. Finally, you were left alone with your thoughts. And lord knows you had a lot of thoughts, now that you had a bit more blood going to your brain. New city. Bullet hole in your stomach. Broke. This was certainly a situation, what you'd found yourself in. Still... maybe you could make the best of it? * [[You're certainly going to try.|Crash Finish]] <<set $temppocket = false>>

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Clinic Room]]</h5> <<set $temp = "wakeup">>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[RIDE THE WAVEFORM|Wave Search]]</h5>

You scanned the bustling streets for any sign of that club... bar... whatever it was that Yvette had told you to find. "Waveform." With a name like that, you were picturing some kind of nightclub for sure- some hippie club full of New Look rich folks drinking shit you couldn't afford and dancing to whatever trashy synth crap they made in a neighbourhood like The Heights. They would probably say something like "Hey man, you digging this beat?" even though the song playing sounded like radio interference and then offer you molly, or whatever rich people do at parties. * [[You were SO excited.|Wave Find][$temp = "excited"]] * [[You were dreading this.|Wave Find][$temp = "dreading"]]

It took longer than you cared to admit, but finally you spotted it- unmistakable, glowing bright blue, the word WAVEFORM in some abstract font. Above and below it, more neon tubes extended at varying lengths, their tips forming the arc of a wave above and below the name. It was mounted to what was otherwise a quite ugly looking building, this big concrete box that resembled a warehouse more than a nightclub. But one thing about it really did remind you of a nightclub. The line. It was so long it almost blended in with the crowds walking by, snaking around the building's front and folding back on itself. At the front was a nasty looking bouncer, a mountain of a man in a black tank top with a shotgun at his hip and a look that said he could beat you so hard you'd forget your own name. This was... a conundrum. <<if $temp == "excited">>If you wanted to hang out in the cool kids club, you were gonna need to get around that line somehow.<<else>>If you wanted to get this over with, you were gonna need to get around that line somehow.<</if>> But how? * [[Just... wait in line. Like a civilized person.|Wave Wait]] * [[You've got, like, VIP access. Presumably. Just go ask the bouncer to let you in.|Wave Bouncer]] <<unset $temp>>\

This really wasn't a very complicated problem. There was a line. Lines are where you wait for things. What were you, some kind of line skipping monster? You would //never// deign to skip a line like some kind of rich entitled bastard. Those nice people had clearly been waiting for a while, and it would be simply rude to cut in front of them. It wasn't too easy to identify the end of the line- at first you thought it was the girl in the sequin miniskirt who was drunk enough that she wasn't getting in, but then the guy behind her with the mohawk and all the spikes was //not// happy with you. To be fair, you assumed he was just passing by until he shoved you and told you to fuck off. Now settled into your //proper// place in line, and admiring the beauty of the social systems that protect us from the horrors of anarchy, you waited patiently for your chance to enter. * [[And waited.|Wave Waiting]]

And waited. * [[And waited.|Wave Eternity]]

Oh my god this was starting to feel like an eternity. How long was a line to get into a club //supposed// to take? Actually, how long had it been? It felt like at least a half an hour, but you were really bad at judging time, so it was probably only like five minutes. The longest five minutes of your life! The wait was interrupted when you felt a rough yank on your upper arm. You lurched to the side, barely catching yourself as you were dragged away like a dog on a chain. The person doing the dragging was none other than Yvette, who was storming towards the door with you tripping over yourself in his wake. "You fucking idiot! I've been looking for you for like five minutes now! You don't have to wait in line!" "B-but what about all the folks waiting in front of me?" You were flabbergasted. Were the people you were here to hang out with... rich entitled bastards? Yvette waved to the bouncer and flashed him a big smile as he passed through the door, bringing you with him. Before you could take in any of the surroundings, you were shoved into a coat closet and the door was shut behind you. Yvette clutched your shoulders and hissed, "I pay these people's salaries. Indirectly. And you are my date. You do not need to //wait in line//." * [[Well, however it happened, you were inside now. Very inside. Inside a closet.|Wave Inside]]

You strolled up to the bouncer, ready to make your pitch. No, not strolled... sidled. Debatably even sauntered. The guy seemed unimpressed with your casual-yet-cool approach, possibly because you were skipping a line of at least 50 people waiting to get into this exclusive establishment. He was easily 6'7", with slicked back hair and a scar on his upper lip. "End of the line's over there," he said, his voice gruff and deep. "I'm, uh..." Now that you were standing here under him, getting stared down at, you were a little less certain about your approach. "I'm with Yvette. Yvette Valdez, you know? I'm with him." He chuckled, the edges of his lips turning up just slightly. "Yeah, and I'm with the fucking tooth fairy. She's great in bed. Get in line, kid." * [[“No, seriously, I'm supposed to be meeting him here!”|Wave Insist]] * [[“He's going to be really pissed when he finds out you aren't letting me in.”|Wave Pissed]] * [[“He should be here any minute. Let's just wait and see.”|Wave Minutes]]

Your insistence was met with yet more chuckling, although (luckily) he didn't seem to consider you enough of a threat to beat you up. "You could come up with a more believable lie, next time. Like saying you're here to meet the owner of X Electrics." That was awkward. "Girl named Yasmin, right?" "Yes." "You're never gonna believe this..." Fortunately, you were saved from embarrassment by <<include "Wave Straight">>

"I'm sure he will be," he nodded, still chuckling a little. "Kid, you shouldn't even fantasize about getting messed up with folks like that. Better to stick with what you know." The tiniest bit of rage was boiling up under the surface, your hands balled into fists and your upper lip curled back. "I'm a fucking professional, man. I'm being paid to be here. Let me the fuck in." That was only kind of a lie. You were being compensated in drinks and company, if you recalled correctly. Depending on the company, though, that was worth more than money. "How about you get in line with everybody else before //I// start getting real pissed off?" You could tell that you were really getting to him- in fact, you might have been in a little bit of danger. You probably looked like a child throwing a tantrum next to this guy. Luckily, you were rescued from your fate by <<include "Wave Straight">>

The guy shrugged. "Go ahead. Wait." Given that you weren't trying to make your way inside, you didn't pose much of a threat just standing there. Actually, you did pose //some// kind of threat just standing there. After a couple minutes it started getting really fucking awkward for both of you to be standing in silence, feet apart, waiting for somebody that only half of you believed was going to show up. "You know, I know they're big celebrities and all, but you really shouldn't be idolizing people like that," the bouncer finally said, breaking the silence. "You should hear the kind of shit that Valdez gets up to. Real fucked up motherfucker." "Like what?" You weren't sure if you were asking out of fear or excitement. Probably a mix of both. He had a grave look on his face. "They say he kills the boys he dates and drinks their blood to keep himself youthful," the bouncer informed you, his voice totally serious. "I mean, you don't get skin that soft through natural means. It's pretty fucked-" The guy was interrupted by <<include "Wave Straight">>

a voice from behind and a strong hand on your shoulder. "Hank, are you harassing my new boo? How many times do I have to tell you, that's my job." Yvette had impeccable timing. The look on the bouncer's face could just barely be called sheepish as you were steered past him and through the double doors. "He's straight," Yvette muttered in your ear. Before you could figure out what exactly that meant in this context, or even take in your surroundings, you found yourself being shoved inside a coat closet and having the door slammed behind you. * [[Well, however it happened, you were inside now. Very inside. Inside a closet.|Wave Inside]]

In the darkness you could feel your back pressed up against a whole host of people's coats and bags, although you could barely see any of it. When your eyes adjusted, though, you could see Yvette somewhat clearly- he was certainly dressed up for the occasion, a strappy red velvet dress that clung tight to his body and came down to just above his knees. The hem was lined with white fur, and he had a matching fur stole draped over his arms. Between that and his usual silver screen-ready makeup, he was really rocking the 'rich widow who has no clue who shot her husband, officer' look. <<styletest>>\ <<if _result == "luxury">>\ "I'm glad you came prepared. This is an important mission." <<else>>\ "What on earth are you wearing?! My god, you're lucky you're cute. This is an important mission, you know!" <</if>>\ "You're really giving me mixed signals here! Is today work or play?" You felt like you were being recruited into something suspect. * [[And you probably were.|Wave Probably]] * [[But it was probably nothing to worry about.|Wave Probably]]

Yvette's hands gripped your shoulders tight enough that you could feel his rings digging into your skin. It wasn't an urgent gesture, though- it was the type of grip you'd have on a misbehaving puppy when you grab it by the scruff of the neck. This tonal shift was jarring. You'd only ever seen him elegantly sipping wine while implying he was a murderer, so this casual affect was catching you off guard a little. "It is work that is play. Or play that is work. I just need you to make her like you, okay? Can you manage that?" You could sense that Yvette was antsy to leave (fair, given that you were in a closet- didn't seem like his natural habitat). You were probably only going to get one question in before you had to get to 'work,' so you considered it carefully... * [[Ask what Yasmin's interests are.|Wave Interests]] * [[Ask what Yasmin's turn-ons are.|Wave Turn]] * [[Ask what not to do.|Wave Not]]

"So... what kind of stuff does this girl like?" You had to connect with her somehow, you should probably figure out what to talk about. He grimaced, his painted eyebrows contorted in exasperation. "I don't know, vodka? What is that supposed to mean?!" "Like... interests. Hobbies. Things she likes." "How should I know?" He threw his hands up in the air, as if you were asking him what happened after death or how the old world ended or some other unknowable nonsense. "That's not my department. How about you figure it out yourself?" Yvette was clearly not as good friends with her as he represented before. Either that, or her preferred form of friendship didn't rely much on 'knowing' people. Either way, it was a little offputting. But he was pushing you out the door, so you were going into this blind whether you liked it or not. * [[Better get ready.|Wave Ready]]

"So... if I'm trying to //get with her//, what should I do?" If you were supposed to get on her good side, the easiest way would be to... get on her good side. As it were. "What does that mean?" Your shoulders slumped. "Like, if I want her to like me. If I want to impress her. What does she like in a //partner//, y'know?" Yvette stopped and stared at the ground for a moment, his fingers twirling one of the pearls on his necklace around. "Money," he finally concluded. "Just... buy her stuff. You did bring money, right?" <ul>\ <<if $wealth lte 1>>\ <li> [[“Funny you should ask...”|Wave Broke]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“I'm actually kind of broke.” (LIE)|Wave Broke]]</li> <li> [[“Yeah, I've got some spending money.”|Wave Spending]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

"Oh my god. You have to be kidding me." You couldn't believe that this was unexpected. "I'm literally here because I need money, Yvette! You're supposed to be paying me! I don't have any money!" Yvette reached into the purse he was wearing, this little matching velvet thing that hung on a gold chain over his shoulder. His hand came out with a frankly ridiculous wad of cash, something you'd probably never be caught dead carrying. He grabbed your hand, shoved the cash into it, and closed your hand gingerly over it. "Here. An allowance. I will expect to get back whatever you don't spend on her!" You struggled to get all this cash tucked away where it wouldn't be instantly stolen, because Yvette was already pushing you out the door. * [[Better get ready.|Wave Ready]] <<set $wealthfrozen = $wealth>>\ <<addwealth "large">>\ <<set $temp = true>>\

"Thank god." He looked relieved that you hadn't come unprepared, even though he hadn't exactly told you how to prepare. "Just... buy her drinks, buy her drugs, fetch her stuff, agree to whatever she says. Do what she wants. Don't deviate." Those instructions were easy enough, although you were a little concerned now about what she might want you to do. And you weren't crazy about the idea of spending money to make what might wind up being the same amount of money. No time to worry about that, though, because Yvette was already pushing you out the door. * [[Better get ready.|Wave Ready]]

"I'm a little worried about not being... offputting. What would make her really //not// like me?" Yvette stopped and stared at the ground for a moment, his fingers twirling one of the pearls on his necklace around. "Well... she's going to demand things from you. Don't say no, even if it seems like you should. Just do whatever she tells you to, and you'll be fine." "What kind of 'demands' do you mean?" That was ominous. "She's going to ask you to buy her stuff, fetch her stuff, do stuff for her... I don't know what exactly, it's just her thing. It's a test. If you pass, she'll like you. If you say no, she won't." <ul>\ <<if $wealth lte 1>>\ <li> [[“I, uh... I don't know if I can afford to buy her stuff.”|Wave Broke]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“Then could I borrow some cash? I'm kind of broke...” (LIE)|Wave Broke]]</li> <li> [[“I've got some spending money, so that should be fine.”|Wave Spending]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Thrust out into the swing of things, you were immediately overwhelmed by a flurry of sounds and lights and movement. Neon lamps scanned the crowd like searchlights, flashing bright in your eyes when they met sequins and vinyl on the partiers. They were a homogeneous mass. Yvette gripped your wrist hard and pulled you through, being jostled on all sides. Like being squeezed through a beating heart. The music was all-encompassing, bright and distorted and keeping the crowd moving violently. Yvette, for what it was worth, seemed unphased. As he moved people spread out to accommodate him, some reacting with surprise to his presence, others greeting him with hollers and friendly pats on the shoulder as he passed. "Just a little further, hon," he assured you, his voice barely audible over the thump of the music. "I'm sure you aren't too used to things like this, being all poor and Northern and such. Really, it's the only way to live, you're going to love it eventually!" * [[This was INCREDIBLE.|Wave Party]] * [[This was far too much for you.|Wave Horror]]

This kind of party was perfect for a person like you. You really needed to focus on the mission, focus on the task at hand! But it was hard not to get lost in it, your body urging you to move along with everybody else. Get high on something (you made a mental note to ask Yvette where you could get molly here) and just fucking lose yourself in the crowd. Whatever this music was, this incomprehensible mass of overproduced synths and compression laid over a deep, rhythmic bass, it was resonating in your bones and you wanted it to stay. <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>\ * [[This was incredible.|Wave Curtain]] <<else>>\ <<include "hedonist">>\ Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "hedonist" "Hedonist">><<goto "Wave Curtain">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Curtain]] """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\

Was this the sort of horrible arcane ritual the rich fuckers in this city got up to in their free time? This mass of undulating flesh, everyone scantily clad in these strange outfits made of plastic and metal and fabrics that felt like plastic and metal. The music was resonating in your bones like some kind of cosmic horror, its strange, glitchy sounds filling your ears like that static. You were in hell. But your lifeline, Yvette's iron grip on your wrist, was pulling you free. <<include "Wave Curtain">>

Yvette was drawing you towards the back left corner of the room, behind the bar, behind the DJ, where a curtain of glittering multicoloured beads shielded some kind of back room from the rest of the club. Another bouncer was stationed there, keeping drunks from the thinner area of the crowd from wandering into this exclusive area. Yvette pulled you from the thick of the crowd and pushed the beads aside without so much as a thought. He ignored the bouncer entirely. And just like that, you disappeared from the undulating mass of bodies and emerged into a new world entirely. * [[The VIP area.|Wave VIP]]

Beyond the curtain everything was far more lavish. The black-painted concrete walls were draped in some kind of iridescent fabric, and a disco ball was hanging above. The light in here bounced off in every direction and made the whole room look like it was drenched in glitter. The patrons back here actually were drenched in glitter. There were fewer, and dancing far less ecstatically in the more intimate space. The women gleamed, covered in sequins and body glitter, like their bodies were encrusted with diamonds. Some of the men were near the same, though with satin shirts and jewelry. Not that all of the folks back here could be neatly categorized as one or the other. These richest of the rich were milling about, chatting over the slightly dulled music, lounging in couches, and rubbing against each other beneath the lights. A few were holding fancy cocktails, prepared by their own personal bartender- you weren't going to find any cheep beer back here. As the two of you entered, a few folks hollered at Yvette and a few more waved. It seemed like you'd hooked up with the right person if you wanted to get in with high society, although you didn't manage to make eye contact with a single one of them. * [[Whatever. You just need to work your way up.|Wave Ask]] * [[Stuck up rich bastards.|Wave Ask]]

At the very least, Yvette was focused on the task at hand. "Have any of you lovelies seen Yasmin tonight?" His voice was even more melodic than usual, like a jingle on the radio. He really stepped it up for these people. Or maybe it was natural. A few of the revellers who weren't totally distracted by their dancing pointed to the back, with one voice declaring over the music, "She's in the parlour, hon." That was all Yvette needed. "Come, darling. I hope you don't have any breathing issues." * [[You do, but it's probably fine.|Wave Parlour]] * [[You breathe plenty clear.|Wave Parlour]] * [[That was kind of ominous.|Wave Parlour]]

It was no matter, because you were already being led (luckily not by your wrist anymore, but by decorum) back even further into the building. Rich people here must love their layers. This wasn't a curtain, though- Yvette turned the knob on a sturdy looking door and pulled it open, gesturing for you to enter. Already, smoke was wafting out like cold air escaping an icebox. As you stepped inside, you could see through the haze the most lavishly decorated room you'd ever laid eyes on. It was like every inch was covered in luscious fabrics, rugs lining the floors and pillows spilling off couches draped in furs and quilts. The walls were lined with dark curtains, leaving the music from the dance floor a muffled and distant sound as soon as Yvette shut the door behind him. And the only person in this room, reclining back on the couch and holding a long, slender pipe encrusted with gems, was one of the most sickly beautiful people you'd laid eyes on. * [[This must be Yasmin.|Wave Yasmin]]

Her slender form was laid out over the couch like a Renaissance painting, draped in a sheer sheet that pooled on the ground before her and left most of her soft, tan skin uncovered. Beneath it, a delicate dress made of soft baby pink velvet clung to her bony frame. You could almost imagine how it would feel to run your hands over her hip. One of her legs was partially off the side, with a single pink feathered kitten heel dangling off her toes. But as ethereal as she looked lying there, her face was the really striking thing. Wreathed in pale blonde hair that was pin straight, it was less gaunt than you'd expect, but still sickly in an oddly alluring way. Like an old timey person would swoon at a woman with TB, the flush of her cheeks and the pout on her glossy pink lips was enough to drive somebody insane. Her eyes were big and downturned, brown eyes like a puppy with these long lashes and dark, chalky makeup ringing them. <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>She looked strikingly like that portrait in your uncle's home, the beautiful face of Death smiling down on you.<<else>>She looked like a depressed fashion model in an avant garde photoshoot, but she was right in front of you, in the flesh.<</if>> A trail of smoke wafted from between her lips as she parted them to speak. "Yvette, babe, I thought you were busy with, like, business deals or something tonight. It's //so// good to see you." Her voice was soft and high, raising in pitch right at the end like a rich girl in an old tape. She placed her pipe down in a similarly filigreed tray on a little table next to her, beside a small lit oil lamp. Her eyes drifted to look at you, but never meeting your gaze- taking in your appearance. "Is this your new plaything?" Yvette didn't respond as the girl reached a dainty hand out towards you. Her nails were painted pink, and a single gleaming gold ring adorned her middle finger. She was waiting for you to come towards her. * [[Eager, you step toward her and take her hand. Like accepting a gift.|Wave Hand]] * [[A little uneasy, you approach and take her hand.|Wave Hand]]

<<styletest>>\ Yasmin's fingertips softly grazed your skin, exhilarating like a static shock. Her hand was cold. With a gentle grip she tugged you closer, her other hand sliding up your forearm as she pulled you down to her level. Her lashes fluttered as she met your eyes. "Has Yvette been mean to you, baby?" The tone of her voice was syrupy, a sort of sarcasm to the way she overperformed every syllable. "Don't you worry, you're safe now." She let you go, and you shook out the phantom cold of her skin against yours. The girl leaned back in her bed of pillows and let out a melodic giggle. She had amused herself, although you weren't sure what was so funny. Your head spun and your skin tingled. Turning her attention back to her friend, Yasmin said, "<<if _result == "handmade">>You've got such interesting taste, hon. They're, like, just like that Northern chick you dated a couple months back. The one in the cult. Remember her?<<elseif _result == "punk">>You got yourself a little rebel, hm? Big fan of spikes, are you? Don't answer that...<<elseif _result == "practical">>A little plain for your taste, hm? Must be pretty damn good in bed if you're bringing them out in public like this...<<elseif _result == "armoured">>Caught yourself a merc, hm? Maybe they know my girl. Wouldn't that be just the funniest coincidence?<<elseif _result == "luxury">>What a pretty specimen you've got here... really, like, nailing the vibe. I love it.<<else>>You always find the prettiest toys, y'know? I wish I had luck like yours. Everybody who wants me is so pathetic.<</if>>" * [[You appreciate the compliment, even though you aren't really into her.|Wave Drink][$temp1 = false]] * [[Being complimented by a girl like this makes your heart flutter a little.|Wave Drink][$temp1 = true]] <<set $met.push("yasmin")>>\

Yvette played along, placing a hand on your waist and pulling you to his side. "<<print $pro.They>><<if $pro.they == "they">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> very new. We've only known each other for a few days, in fact. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare this one off." "Mmm... of course not. Don't be silly." She went back to staring at you, batting her lashes. "Has Yvette told you she's gonna drink your blood yet?" A wink confirmed that she wasn't being serious (hopefully). "I am not going to drink your blood." The concept wasn't even shocking to him. If anything, he just seemed annoyed. "Oh... speaking of drinks." Yasmin tried to sit up, her arms struggling to support her weight against the plush pillows under her. "I'm in the mood for one myself. You're going to get me one." It wasn't even a demand, much less a request. It was a statement of fact. You //were// going to go get her a drink, right this second. * [[“Why can't you get one yourself?”|Wave Argue]] * [[“Yes, ma'am. Your wish is my command.”|Wave Command]] * [[“Sure. What're you in the mood for?”|Wave Request]] <<if $temp1 == false>>\ <<set $attraction.delete("yasmin")>>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\

Her arms shaking as she tried to hold herself up, Yasmin pouted at you. "Because I'm a delicate flower and I don't fucking feel like it. Are you gonna get me a drink or not?" Yvette glared at you. That was probably fair. You weren't really doing your job right now. "Go on. Get the lady a drink." * [[“Uh... yeah. I'll go do that. Sorry.”|Wave Sorry]] * [[“I literally just met you and you're both way richer than me. This is silly.”|Wave Silly]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(-10)>>\

Yasmin beamed at you, though it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it was completely fake. "Thanks, babe!" As soon as you left, she was going to start ranting about how disrespectful you were. She was gonna use words like //gauche// and tell Yvette he needed to find more respectable fuckbuddies. You could just tell by her smile. A little ashamed at being shut down like that, you slunk out the door and back into the VIP area. As soon as Yvette closed it behind you, the muffled sound of Yasmin saying "So fucking rude!" could just barely be heard over the loud, booming synths. Yeah. You fucked this mission up real good, and right out the gate too. * [[Ah, well. You might as well try to have fun while not getting paid.|Wave Drink]] * [[It wasn't too late to bring it back. You could still get her to like you!|Wave Drink]] <<set $temp1 = true>>\

Those cool gray eyes Yvette had went wide and fiery as he stared you down. "Just a moment, dear, let me have a chat with my friend here." If you could speak without cadence somehow, that's what he'd be doing. He was too pissed to speak convincingly. Before you could properly react, Yvette had grabbed your shoulder with an iron grip and was dragging you out the door into the main VIP area. You were in so much fucking trouble right now. "You're in so much fucking trouble right now," Yvette spat. He hadn't let you go, and instead gripped you even harder, pulling you closer. "I swear to god, ignore what I said before about drinking blood because if you continue this I am going to drain your blood into a goddamn bathtub and wear your skin as leather pants." <ul>\ <<if $attraction.includes("yvette")>>\ <li> [[“Y'know that's scaring me, but it's also kind of hot.”|Wave Hot]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“I'm not scared of you.”|Wave Scared]]</li> <li> [[“This 'job' is too weird for me. I'm out.”|Wave Out]]</li> </ul>\ <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-5)>>\

He looked exasperated. "Is there any way I can threaten you that you //won't// think is hot?" "Um... well, the blood thing is hot. Death threats are hot. I guess extreme bodily violence?" In truth, there wasn't much you'd be dissuaded by. You weren't going to last very long here. "Does tanning your flesh not qualify as 'extreme bodily violence'?" "It's more of a conceptual threat. Very avant garde." Yvette paused for a moment. Threats of violence had clearly worked quite well whenever he tried it in the past- you reckoned he was trying to update his game plan. Find a new way to get you in line. "It's a shame," he finally muttered, his voice measured and controlled. "I was hoping to see what was under those clothes of yours lately, but now I guess I'll never know." Oh my god. He was learning your patterns and perfectly adapting to them. This was just like WarGames. * [[The only winning move is not to play...|Wave Play]] * [[No. Cave. Give in immediately. You can not sacrifice your oppportunity with the hot domme for 'principles' or 'morals.'|Wave Cave]] <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-5)>>\ <<set $flirt.yvette += 1>>\ <<if def $tictactoe>>\ <<set $tictactoe += 1>>\ <<if $tictactoe == 3>>\ <<completeachievement "tictactoe" "Tic Tac Toe">>\ <<unset $tictactoe>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

"No, Yvette, please..." You made your eyes about as sad and wide as you could manage, staring up at him in his platform heels. "I'll do whatever you want... I'm sorry..." A smirk crossed his red stained lips, and he pulled you a little closer, to within kissing distance. His steely gray eyes couldn't have been more cold. He didn't pull you in for a kiss- instead, he stared you down for a moment, until your breath had thoroughly left you. "I'm glad you're learning to do what I say early. You don't want to get in trouble, do you?" "N-no." You could barely squeak out that, let alone anything else. "Good. Now go get the lady a drink." He dropped you, and despite not being lifted off the ground you felt like you were dropped a solid few feet. Or like you'd been standing on your tip toes to accomodate him. * [[Obedient and sheepish, you start heading towards the bar.|Wave Bar]] <<SetFlag "YvetteDomme">> <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(10)>>\

"I don't appreciate that threat, and you know what? I don't think I want you to skin me alive //or// get me naked!" You said this indignantly, as if it were some kind of radical statement. The other folks in the VIP area were staring at this point. <<include "Wave Out">> <<if def $tictactoe>>\ <<set $tictactoe += 1>>\ <<if $tictactoe == 3>>\ <<completeachievement "tictactoe" "Tic Tac Toe">>\ <<unset $tictactoe>>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

"Okay, then. Why don't you just leave?" His voice was cold, unfeeling. "What?" He let go of you, and you felt yourself sinking a little, as if he'd had you on your tip toes. "Leave. I'll find somebody else for this. You were just convenient." That had never even occurred to you. In the grand scheme of things, he had all the power here. You were powerless. * [[“Fine. Okay. I'll do it.”|Wave Fine]] * [[“Yeah, actually, I think I will leave.”|Wave Actually]]

"Good." He stepped back, his arm sweeping dramatically off to the right towards the bar. "Now go. Get the lady. A drink." Sheepish or defiant, or maybe a bit of both, you scurried off towards the bar to do as you were told. * [[Pathetic.|Wave Bar]]

"Okay. Enjoy your night." He turned back towards the door, completely uncaring. Damn. Getting your clothes back in order after being manhandled like that, you made a beeline for the door out of the VIP section. These freaks weren't worth hanging out with anyway. * [[You squeeze your way through the crowd and out into the cold night streets of The Heights.|Wave Finish]]

"Fine." His grip on you loosened, and you felt yourself sinking a little, as if he'd had you on your tip toes. "Leave. I'll find somebody else for this. You were just convenient." "Fine. I'll leave." "Fine." You weren't sure whether to say it again, but you ultimately decided against it. No need to piss this person off more than you already had, which was evidently a whole lot. Getting your clothes back in order after being manhandled like that, you made a beeline for the door out of the VIP section. These freaks weren't worth hanging out with anyway. * [[You squeeze your way through the crowd and out into the cold night streets of The Heights.|Wave Finish]]

The girl giggled, letting her arms fail in holding her up and falling back into the pile of pillows she was laid upon. "Oh, you're funny! I'll have to remember that, so I don't waste them all..." <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>Whatever else it was that she had planned for you, you couldn't wait to hear. But if that was going to happen, you needed to impress her. Which involved getting her a drink. So figured you should go do that right away.<<else>>You weren't sure what exactly she meant by that, but you hoped it was nothing bad. And you also hoped it wasn't //too// good, because it would certainly be hard to stay on her good side if you had to turn down some kind of advance. Still, if you wanted to get on her good side, you were going to have to get her something to drink.<</if>> * [[You hurry out the door and towards the bar.|Wave Bar]] <<SetFlag "YasminThreeWishes">>\ <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(10)>>\ <<set $flirt.yasmin += 1>>\

"Hm... I don't know." She let her attempts at staying upright fail and rolled back into the pile of pillows she was laid upon. Crossing her arms in front of her chest and staring up at the ceiling as if in thought, she hummed for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "I want liquor. I'm not picky." Call it instinct or call it reading into things, but you were reasonably certain that this was utter horseshit. She absolutely was picky, and she absolutely was going to judge you harshly based on what you got her. Fuck. * [[Better go pick something out, then.|Wave Bar]]

You circled around the throng of VIPs in here, taking a roundabout route to the bar but one that would guarantee the least chance of bumping into somebody. Without Yvette here, you felt like you could get kicked out at any moment. This was a place where you certainly did not belong. The bar here was smaller than the one in the main club, but arguably even better stocked. It was all laid out on shelves behind the bartender, row after row of expensive liquors and mixers. You couldn't even pronounce half of this shit. As a person who once drank moonshine directly out of a still, you were deeply unprepared for this. You were so distracted by the array of options before you that you barely even realized the bartender was talking to you. He repeated himself again- "<<if $player.gender == "man">>Sir?<<elseif $player.gender == "woman">>Ma'am?<<else>>Pardon me?<</if>> What can I get for you?" <ul>\ <<if $wealth lt 1>>\ <li> [[Wait... how the fuck were you supposed to pay for this?|Wave Funds]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[You scan the shelf, trying to make a quick decision.|Wave Consider]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Yeah... before you could even consider which of these expensive drinks to get her, you had to pay attention to that hole in your pocket. What money were you planning on using, exactly? The last little scraps you had? As important as this was, eating was even more important. You glanced around, trying to come up with a game plan. You weren't planning on coming back here (and probably couldn't even get in), so you could always try to open a tab and then skedaddle before they notice you didn't pay. Or you could try to schmooze one of the folks here into paying for you. Confident at least that you could figure it out, you started scanning the shelves. * [[You look for a good, expensive beverage.|Wave Consider]]

Immediately, you picked out three of the fanciest things you could spot and tried to narrow it down to just one. First, a bottle of vodka. It looked pretty fancy, but in comparison to everything else... well, it was vodka. Not exactly the most expensive liquor around, at least not in this area where it was pretty cheap to distill. This was certainly a party girl you were dealing with, so the more drunk she got the happier she'd be, presumably. Second, a bottle of red wine. Aged, cork still in, luxury stuff. Rich people //love// wine, so if you got her that she'd probably be pretty impressed. Especially if you could ad lib some stupid crap about it having "notes of strawberry" or whatever. Might be a little pricey, though. And finally, right up on the top shelf, a bottle that was almost glowing green. Absinthe. It was rare to even see it in person, but there it was- the green fairy, ready to be purchased by you. You didn't even have to ask to know how expensive it would be. You would really have to fork over some dough for it. But maybe that was worth it? Show the rich girl you can take care of her and her expensive tastes. Three good options. What would it be? * [[“Can I get a couple shots of vodka?”|Wave Order][$temp2 = "vodka"]] * [[“Can I get a glass of red wine?”|Wave Order][$temp2 = "wine"]] * [[“Can I get a glass of absinthe?”|Wave Order][$temp2 = "absinthe"]]

"Right away." The bartender turned to grab the bottle from behind him, tossing it from one hand to the other and back. "I believe you're new around here, correct? Could I get your name for the tab?" Ah, yes. You would have to deal with this now. <ul>\ <li> [[Just give the man your name.|Wave Name][$temp3 = true]]</li> <li> [[Give him a fake name, just in case.|Wave Name][$temp3 = false]]</li> <li> <<link "Get him to put it on Yvette's tab. ">><<glamroll 8 "Wave Bar Glam Success" "Wave Bar Glam Failure">><</link>></li> </ul>\

<<if $temp3 == false>>\ <<if not $player.name == ["Nikki", "Nicky", "Nicki", "Nikky", "Niki", "Nickie"]>>\ "Name's Nikki." <<set $tempname = "Nikki">>\ <<else>>\ "Name's Steele." <<set $tempname = "Steele">>\ <</if>>\ <<elseif $temp3 == true>>\ "Name's <<print $player.name>>." <<set $tempname = $player.name>>\ <</if>>\ "Nice to meet you, <<print $tempname>>." <<include "Wave Pour">>

"Of course, you're Yvette's latest conquest," the man chuckled. "Be careful- that bloody rose thing isn't just for show." <<include "Wave Pour">> <<set $temp4 = true>>\

He shook his head, an infuriated look on his face that must have its roots in many half-remembered arguments. "I've said this several times already, he can pay for his conquests all he likes but I still need to mark down who's ordering." "Oh. Uh, sorry." Well, that didn't go exactly as planned. "Name's <<print $player.name>>." "Nice to meet you, <<print $player.name>>." <<include "Wave Pour">>

He grabbed a<<if $temp2 == "vodka">> couple shot glasses<<elseif $temp2 == "wine">> fancy wine glass<<elseif $temp2 == "absinthe">>n oddly shaped little stemmed glass<</if>> from under the bar and placed it down. As he spoke, he began pouring out the drink you'd ordered. "<<if $temp2 == "vodka">>This is stronger than the crap you'd get at a bar in the Stacks or the Red Light." He poured a tiny amount of the clear liquid into each glass, ready to be carried back to the lounge on a metal tray.<<elseif $temp2 == "wine">>Good choice- this is a nice vintage, very full-bodied." It was a deep, dark red like deoxygenated blood, splashing up the side of the glass as he poured it out.<<elseif $temp2 == "absinthe">>I assume you'll be bringing this back to the lounge- just wait for the ice to melt, and voila." He poured out only a shot of the lime green liquor, then placed a smaller, perforated glass with a few chunks of ice and a sugar cube up top.<</if>> "Thank you, sir. Appreciated." Delighted to not have to pay up just yet, you grabbed <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>the tray<<else>>the glass<</if>> and set off back towards the lounge. * [[This is perfect. You're doing your job perfectly.|Wave Deliver]]

Balancing as best as you could to avoid spilling any of the expensive alcohol and taking a strategic route around the jostling dacers on the floor, you made your way back over to the lounge. Through the door, you could very faintly hear chatter inside. It seemed like you were about to interrupt their conversation. * [[You interrupt their conversation.|Wave Interrupt]] * [[Or maybe you can just... wait... with your ear conveniently placed on the door.|Wave Eavesdrop]]

Pushing the side of your head up against the wooden door, you tried to block out the loud techno music behind you and focus on the conversation inside. You couldn't hear it very clearly, but you could make out Yvette's muffled tones- "Technically, I think you could fire them! You are in charge, aren't you, hon?" Yasmin's voice responded, her somewhat slurred speech making it a even harder to piece together what she was saying. Something about "handlers," and then, "It was in the will! Oh, and daddy was right about it too- god, I'd make an awful leader, wouldn't I?" "I think you'd make a fine leader." Even through a door, you could tell that Yvette was lying. "You have that special something. Very good with people." "You think so?" "Of course." There was a short pause and some shuffling, followed by a concerning statement- "What's taking <<print $pro.them>> so long? One moment, I'm going to go get <<print $pro.them>>." * [[Ah, crap. Better act natural.|Wave Natural]]

You stepped away from the door as quickly as possible to avoid being caught by it, a few of alcohol splashing out as you moved. Just in time, too. It slammed open, and Yvette was standing right there, staring you down. "Oh... there you are! I was worried you got lost or something." He flashed you a cold smile. Did he know you were listening to his conversation? "You know, I just saw Darling over there, she's been wanting to catch up for weeks... how about I leave you two to get acquainted?" From inside, you could hear Yasmin let out a long, uncaring yawn. "Doesn't matter to me," she muttered. Whatever she was smoking, it was a depressant for sure. * [[Yvette winks at you as you pass.|Wave Alone]]

You turned the handle as carefully as possible and pushed the door open, stepping back into the little haven with drink in hand. Yvette was leaning back against the wall to your left, mid sentence. "You are in charge-" He stopped and turned to look at you, his blonde curls bouncing by his chin as his head moved. "Oh, there you are. My god, how long does it take you to get a drink?" "Sorry, there was a line." That was untrue, but better than being berated in front of the woman you were meant to impress. He pushed himself off the wall, craning his neck to look over your shoulder and winking in the process. "I think I see Darling over there, she's been wanting to catch up for weeks... how about I leave you two to get acquainted?" Yasmin yawned, leaning even further back into her throne of pillows. "Doesn't matter to me," she muttered. Whatever she was smoking, it was a depressant for sure. * [[Yvette stepped out, leaving you with Yasmin.|Wave Alone]]

Alone with Yasmin at last. You still weren't entirely clear why Yvette was so intent on you making a good impression- <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>not that you didn't intend to anyway. A girl like that, you //had// to try to get her to like you.<<else>>it was a little suspicious to say the least, but a job is a job.<</if>> And you were going to do it. Here's hoping that you chose a drink she'd like. "Don't be shy," Yasmin tittered from the other side of the room. "What'd you get me?" <ul>\ <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>\ <li> [[“Vodka.”|Wave Vodka]]</li> <<elseif $temp2 == "absinthe">>\ <li> [[“Absinthe.”|Wave Absinthe]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[“Wine.”|Wave Wine]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

You held out the glass and the woman, splayed out before you like a suburban goddess, pouted. Her lips were glossy pink, <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>and you could only imagine how that gloss would taste.<<else>>gleaming in the lamplight.<</if>> "Oh, you'd be better off giving that to Yvette... he's crazy about the stuff. I don't like it." As if her words meant nothing, though, she still plucked it out of your hand by the stem. Holding it up to her face, Yasmin twirled the glass around, watching the dark liquid inside swirl with the subtle movements of her hand. She stared at it, fixated, her sad brown eyes hypnotized by the ripples. "My daddy used to love this stuff," she muttered, her voice low and saccharine. "When we had family dinners, he used to have these big bottles of vintage red wine, and he'd pour out a big glass of the stuff and it'd be this awful sickly brown colour. The way it looked, you'd swear they squeezed it out of an old rag. Do you know how they make wine?" * [[“Yeah, it's fermented.”|Wave Fermented]] * [[“No... isn't it kind of rare nowadays?”| Wave Fermented]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(-5)>>\

Her eyes flicked up to look at you through her long lashes. "They crush up grapes that they grow out West, and they put them in big wooden barrels to rot. And when it's aged enough, they put it in a bottle and cork it up and put it on a shelf." Glancing back down at her glass, she muttered, "They say it's worth more the longer you don't use it. Can you believe that? It's just meant to sit up there on the shelf looking fancy. And if you open the bottle too soon, you're going to spoil it..." "Do you not want it?" This probably meant she didn't want it. Instead, Yasmin held the glass up to her lips and took the tiniest sip. She sat there for a moment, taking it in, before sticking out her tongue. "It sucks. Thanks." * [[“Uh... you're welcome.”|Wave Darling]] * [[“Sorry...”|Wave Darling]]

You held the tray out for her, low enough that she could see what was on it- her eyes lit up at the sight. "Ooh, shots! Bitch, you just met me, how do you already know me?" She giggled, an excited little smile crossing her cherry pink lips. "I'm a total slut for vodka. I know it's cheap and unbefitting of a //lady//, but that's what makes it fun..." Propping herself up with one arm and reaching out her dainty fingers, she grabbed a glass from the tray. With the speed at which she had it upside down and had downed the contents, it was a wonder it hadn't all splashed in her face. Evidently, she had no problem with the taste. "Go on, put the rest down... I should really pace myself." * [[You set the tray down on an ornate side table.|Wave Liquor]]

"I'm a big fan of hard liquor," she muttered, batting her lashes at you. "I like how quick it is... skip the sipping on a cocktail for a half hour, get straight to the fun." That was probably supposed to be a euphemism... but maybe acknowledging it would be too forward. * [[“So what, do you want to skip the boring part and get straight to the fun?”|Wave Skip]] * [[“Glad you like it. I'm a big fan of vodka too. Very no-nonsense.”|Wave Darling]]

Yasmin rolled over on her back, draping an arm dramatically over her forehead as if she'd been slain in battle. "Oh heavens, what do you take me for? Some kind of slut?" She did literally just call herself a slut, so that was a little hypocritical. If it had been serious. "I've only just met you! You at least need to buy me dinner first..." "You're coming on real strong for somebody who was introduced as your friend's date..." True, but a playful enough tone to not interrupt the mood. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Yvette doesn't have real partners! He has toys. I don't mind his leftovers, as long as they're as cute as you." * [[“I'm flattered.”|Wave Darling]]

Yasmin's eyes widened, bewitched by the green fairy. "Ooh... look at it! It's so pretty!" She braced herself against the couch and stretched her hand out as far as she could, wiggling her delicate fingers. "Lemme see!" That was a good sign. You obliged her, steppimg forward and carefully placing the glass in her hand. It was a small miracle that she didn't drop it. Holding it up close to her face, she stared through the green liquid, enraptured by it. "Don't get ahead of yourself, you'd gotta wait till it's watered down first." It looked like candy, but the taste of pure, unadaulterated absinthe wasn't exactly pleasant. Although a girl like this could maybe handle it anyway. Pouting, she placed the glass down on the side table and crossed her arms over the arm of the couch to stare at it. A drop of water fell into the glass below, spreading a sugary cloud of white through it. "I'm impatient. I wish they'd just toss a sugar cube and some water in there and be done with it." * [[“Wouldn't be as fancy then.”|Wave Fancy]] * [[“I think the ritual adds something to it.”|Wave Ritual]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(10)>>\

"Would taste the same." She stared at the glass with a forlorn look on her face, before seemingly snapping out of it. In an instant she was back to giving off that party girl energy. A party girl on massive downers, mind you, but a party girl's a party girl. * [[Better than pouting and sighing, at least.|Wave Darling]]

"What's a ritual good for?" She stared at the glass with a forlorn look on her face. "Only rituals I've ever done have been funerals." You pointed to her pipe, sitting pretty in its tray next to her absinthe. "Wouldn't you say that's a ritual? There's a set of steps you follow, and special items you need to use." Yasmin rolled her eyes. "All that's going right over my head, babe. You don't have to be an intellectual... you're at the club, remember?" * [[Ouch.|Wave Darling]]

"I don't think I caught your name, baby." She fluttered her lashes. "I'm Yasmin. Although I'm sure you knew that already..." "<<print $player.name>>. Nice to meet you." Swinging her legs over to make room on her lavishly adorned couch, Yasmin patted the space next to her. "C'mon, sit! Since Yvette's just up and abandoned you here, how about we get to know each other a little, hm?" "I'm sure he'll be back soon." You didn't quite believe yourself, so you accepted her offer, settling down and sinking into the mass of pillows and blankets. It was almost uncomfortable, like some kind of comfort level overflow error. "Oh god, no chance." The idea was absurd enough to earn a little giggle. "If he's off with Darling, those two are going to be talking the whole night. About business, I'm sure, the boring bitches. And I guess that means he's made me your babysitter." "Or maybe he's made me //your// babysitter?" "You're the one who's in over <<print $pro.their>> head here!" She leaned in towards you, her shoulder bumping against yours. "You're not from Signal Hill after all... actually, where //are// you from?" Had Yvette mentioned you being from out of town? Surely he had. Or maybe it was just that obvious. It seemed like everybody could tell you were from out of town. * [[“I'm from up North.”|Wave North]] * [[“I'm from down South.” (Lie)|Wave South]] * [[“I'd rather keep that private. I've got a bit of a dark history.”|Wave Private]]

"Oh wow. How far North? Like, Sumner?" Sumner was definitely not in the North. Sumner was what you Northern folk would call South. Geography wasn't this girl's strong suit- but then again, accurate maps were hard enough to come by if you actually needed them. "No, further than that. Like, North." She gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "Wow, that's far! Is it, like... cold up there?" "In the Winter, sure." You'd had your fair share of harsh ones, too. You remembered growing up, being stuck in the ice cellar of your grandmother's home, watching the icicles form from a hole in the floorboards above. When the cold rolled in, you could be caught up in it for weeks. "Wow." This seemed shocking to her. She'd probably never seen a snowflake. "What did you do up there? Not in general, I mean, like, before you left. Like, what did you //do//?" <ul>\ <li> [[“I was a mercenary.”|Wave Merc]]</li> <li> [[“I was a medic.”|Wave Medic]]</li> <li> [[“I was a caravaneer.”|Wave Nomad]]</li> <li> [[“I worked with machines.”|Wave Machinist]]</li> <<if $identity.includes("devotee") and $player.gender == "androgyne">>\ <li> [[“I was a... mystic. Like a priest.”|Wave Augur]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Nothing interesting, honestly.”|Wave Boring]]</li> </ul>\

"Oh, that's fun," she purred, leaning in close enough for you to feel her warm breath on your cheek. "You know, the love of my life was a mercenary. We don't talk anymore... but I love mercs. Like an old cowboy movie. Lonesome gun for hire, fending for themselves out in the wastes... there's something so romantic about it." Chuckling, you said, "It's not nearly as poetic as you make it sound. Really just... getting paid to look scary, most of the time." "Well, I'm not scared of you." <<if $identity.includes("merc")>>\ * [[Probably for the best.|Wave Inquire]] <<else>>\ All well and good, but were you actually a mercenary? Or were you just lying to make yourself sound cool? Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. <<include "merc">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "merc" "Merc">><<goto "Wave Inquire">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Inquire]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\ <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(5)>>\

"Oh." She seemed a little disappointed by that. "So like... a doctor?" "Not exactly... I mean, I worked //with// doctors, sometimes. And we did a lot of the same stuff. But I mostly worked in the field, y'know, accompanying caravans or scavenging missions..." "So like a doctor?" You nodded, defeated. "Yeah... like a doctor." <<if $identity.includes("medic")>>\ * [[Clearly, you aren't impressing her.|Wave Inquire]] <<else>>\ If that was a lie, it would be a failed one. But it wasn't... right? <<include "medic">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<pocket "Med Kit" 1>><<addidentity "medic" "Medic">><<goto "Wave Inquire">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Inquire]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\

"So... you were like, a mailman?" Ouch. That stung. Not that you hadn't heard it before. Running with a caravan was one of those jobs that'd surely be idealized and looked back on fondly in fifty years (or whenever the fuck you're out of a job), but for now you were pretty low on the.food chain. Like cowboys. You were a cowboy at the worst time to be a cowboy. "I mean, no... we carried guns and stuff. Warded off the dangers of the wastes to deliver necessary supplies across vast distances. I've been to more towns than I could count..." "So like a mailman." To be fair, that also described mailmen. "I guess so." <<if $identity.includes("nomad")>>\ * [[Clearly, you aren't impressing her.|Wave Inquire]] <<else>>\ If that was a lie, it would be a failed one. But it wasn't... right? <<include "nomad">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "nomad" "Nomad">><<goto "Wave Inquire">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Inquire]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\

She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of machines?" "Oh, you know. I'm a bit of a jack of all trades. Mostly worked on vehicles and occasionally factory machinery, but I serviced old world TVs and the like as a side gig." "Oh. That's... kind of boring." <<if $identity.includes("machinist")>>\ * [[Maybe you aren't selling the cool factor very well.|Wave Inquire]] <<else>>\ Maybe you weren't selling the cool factor very well. But it was just the truth. That was just what you did. Right? <<include "machinist">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "machinist" "Machinist">><<goto "Wave Inquire">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Inquire]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\

Her eyes lit up, like this was something she could never have predicted. "Oh? A //mystic//? From the North? Wow!" "The proper word is //augur//." Having become a traveller like this, you were used to explaining yourself to strangers. "What does that mean?" She leaned in close, not in a romantic way, but like an excited student. "Do you, like, read fortunes? Cast spells?" "My role is to channel divine beings... for healing, wisdom, rituals. I guess fortune telling is... close." Yasmin leaned in even closer. "That's so //exotic//. We don't have anything like that here." <<if $identity.includes("augur")>>\ * [[It seems she's interested in your religion. That's nice of her.|Wave Inquire]] <<else>>\ It seemed like this was a good way of holding her attention. But were you, y'know... officially an augur? Anybody from Signal Hill wouldn't be able to fact check you, but did you actually go through all the gruelling initiation rituals to attain such a rank? <<include "augur">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "augur" "Augur">><<goto "Wave Inquire">><</link>> / [[NO|Wave Inquire]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\ <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(5)>>\

"Oh." She seemed... a little disappointed. Maybe she was expecting some kind of grand tale of your adventures, or a dark backstory. Unfortunately, you didn't have either of those. "Yeah. I mostly did manual labour and the like. Decided to pack up and move South to start a new life." Yasmin nodded, although at this point she was examining her nails as if their plain pink enamel was far more interesting. "Nice. Well, it's not too late to start doing something interesting. This is, like, the best place to do it." "It sure seems like it." You were... quickly losing her. Maybe you were just a boring person... * [[Oof.|Wave Inquire]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(-5)>>\

"Oh my god, me too! I haven't been back South since daddy moved us up here when I was... what, 13? It was so long ago..." Damn. You were just lying because you do that compulsively for no good reason, but it was actually a great decision. You were bonding now! This was bonding! Then she asked a question you didn't really expect. "Whereabouts exactly?" Well fuck. In truth, Signal Hill was about the furthest South you'd been. East and West, maybe, but where you were from this //was// the South. <ul>\ <li> <<link "Just try your best to make up something convincing. ">><<savvyroll 10 "Wave Lie Success" "Wave Lie Failure">><</link>></li> <li> [[“Oh, y'know. Around.”|Wave Lie]]</li> </ul>\

One of the guys in your caravan had mentioned he was from a place called Oxford- a pretty big settlement, if you remembered correctly. Best not to claim that one, just in case she'd been there. Instead, you'd just use it as inspiration. "Little town just North of Oxford," you muttered as confidently as you could muster. "You probably wouldn't know it. Nobody ever does!" "Oh, oh, I'm from Oxford!" She was beaming. "D'you mean Camphor? My daddy owned one of the sugarcane farms there..." Perfect. This was perfect. Just take what she says, and run with it. "Oh, really? My mother worked the sugarcane farms when I was a kid." Yasmin shook her head, a smile crossing her face and her eyes glazed over. "Weren't those the good ol' days? Maybe I just think that cause I was twelve... but those were the good ol' days." * [[If she says so.|Wave Inquire]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(5)>>\

One of the guys in your caravan had mentioned he was from a place called Oxford- a pretty big settlement, if you remembered correctly. There were probably a whole lot of people living in a big place like that- just say you live there. "I used to live down in Oxford." You said it with the kind of confidence needed to really sell the lie. "Oh, oh, I'm from Oxford!" She was beaming. "Whereabouts in Oxford?" Oh, fuck. That was what you didn't want to hear. Curse your luck. "I'd rather not say... you know. I'm on the run." <<include "Wave Private">>

"Around where?" She frowned, furrowing her brow at you. "C'mon, what's the big secret about? Do you not like me?" Ah, shit. Rewind. Rewind. Try to walk this back. "I'm... well, it's best if people back home don't find out where I am. You could say I'm on the run." Yes. An outlaw. Sexy. Mysterious. "Boo." Sticking her tongue out like a child, Yasmin turned back away from you. "I don't believe you at all. You're not an outlaw, you just don't wanna tell me." "That's not-" "It's fine. Privacy and all that." She was in a huff, for sure. You had really messed up on this one. "Anyway..." * [[She trails off in the middle of changing the subject.|Wave Inquire]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(-10)>>\

"Ooh... mysterious!" She nudged you with her elbow, a little smile across her lips. "I'm gonna find out sooner or later, babe. I find out //everything// around here. I'm very in the know."<<if $signal gte 1>> This was patently untrue. She certainly believed it ws true, but Yasmin was a petty gossip, not all knowing. She knew who was dating who. She did not know why. Your secrets were safe- from Yasmin, at least.<</if>> You shook your head, your eyes cast down to your feet. "You don't want to know. There's a reason I left." "I bet you killed somebody in cold blood," Yasmin muttered, leaning in real close to your face. You could feel her breath, warm against your cheek. "On the run from the lawmen? Or maybe on the run from your guilt? Oh, oh, or maybe you killed the person your lover was cheating with, and now there's nothing left for you there... am I close?" "No." She winked. Her eyes twinkled in the light from the ceiling lamp. "I'll figure it out." She might. She might not. * [[You liked your odds.|Wave Inquire]] <<SetFlag "YasminMysterious">>\

"Enough about me... I'm just some nobody." You flashed her a smirk and stretched your legs out. Trying to make yourself comfortable and increasingly failing. The pillows dug into your side in odd ways and kept you from getting a good steady foundation. Your only option was to sink further in and let it consume you. "You're in charge of the electric company, right? Keeping the lights on in places like this?" Yasmin scoffed, holding up a delicately folded hand in front of her face as if her pink laquered nails were the most interesting thing in the room. There was a little sticker of a red heart on her left ring fingernail, positioned such that it sat upside down. "Barely. Now that daddy's gone, I'm technically in charge. That just means there's more people 'looking after me' now." * [[“Who's 'looking after you'?”|Wave Handlers]] * [[“Only technically in charge?”|Wave Kells]] * [[“What happened to your dad?”|Wave Shot]]

She grabbed <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>a glass off the tray, downing it in a second. A shiver ran through her- maybe she wasn't as immune to the taste as she seemed, or maybe her guard had been lowered.<<elseif $temp2 == "wine">>her wine glass off the side table, taking a quick sip of the deep red fluid and grimacing. It was clear that the stuff disgusted her.<<elseif $temp == "absinthe">>the glass of absinthe off the side table, now mostly watered down, and took a sip. A grimace. Must not have been as magical as she expected. She quickly put the glass back where it had been resting.<</if>>

She flicked the lighter a few times until it caught, and held it up to the cigarette perched between her teeth. As soon as a tiny trail of smoke started lifting off it, she flipped the lighter closed and tossed it to the side.

<<include "Wave Sip">> "Ever since I ODed a couple years back, I've been absolutely crawling with guards. //Handlers//. I have to find a way to ditch them every time I go out partying." Tired of her <<if $temp2 == "wine">>wine<<else>>liquor<</if>>, the lady reached for the side table again, this time retrieving a near-empty pack of cigarettes and a gold-plated Zippo. "It was in the will and everything. No escape for me, babe." * [[“That's crazy. You're an adult.”|Wave Adult]] * [[“...what did you OD on?”|Wave OD]]

The woman sitting beside you, thought she acted a little juvenile, she was a //woman//. Her waifish frame was youthful, but the bags under her eyes made her look much older. At least 20. Maybe mid 20s. <<include "Wave Smoke">> Smoke wafting from between her lips, she said, "I'm always gonna be daddy's little girl." Her eyes were distant, unfocused. You weren't sure what to say, but after leaving a moment of silence, she broke it herself. "This is depressing. How about we do something //fun//, huh?" * [[Hell yeah! You're into fun things.|Wave Drugs]] * [[You're not sure what she categorizes as “fun,” but you'll bite.|Wave Drugs]]

<<include "Wave Smoke">> Smoke wafted from her lips as she spoke. Matter of fact. "Heroin." "Jesus." "Oh, it's fine. I'm done with heroin." She took another pull off her cigarette. "Opium's better anyway. It's, like, natural." You wondered if she knew where heroin came from. "Speaking of which... wanna do something //fun?//" * [[Hell yeah! You're into fun things.|Wave Drugs]] * [[You're not sure what she categorizes as “fun,” but you'll bite.|Wave Drugs]]

"Mhm." <<include "Wave Sip">> "Daddy's finance guy... like, the guy who decides what to do with the money... I don't remember the word. He's, like, //in charge// of it. I own it. Kells runs it." "So you just have somebody run the business for you and you just rake in the profits? Sounds like a sick gig." Tired of her <<if $temp2 == "wine">>wine<<else>>liquor<</if>>, the lady reached for the side table again, this time retrieving a near-empty pack of cigarettes and a gold-plated Zippo. "I guess you could say that." * [[“You're rich, aren't you?”|Wave Rich]] * [[“You seem like you're living the life.”|Wave Rich]]

<<include "Wave Smoke">> Smoke wafting from between her lips, she said, "I own a lot of furs." Her eyes were distant, unfocused. You weren't sure what to say, but after leaving a moment of silence, she broke it herself. "How about we do something fun, huh?" * [[Hell yeah! You're into fun things.|Wave Drugs]] * [[You're not sure what she categorizes as “fun,” but you'll bite.|Wave Drugs]]

<<include "Wave Sip">> "He got shot in the head." "Oh... I'm sorry." Jesus, you really weren't on your game lately. This was going terribly. Tired of her <<if $temp2 == "wine">>wine<<else>>liquor<</if>>, the lady reached for the side table again, this time retrieving a near-empty pack of cigarettes and a gold-plated Zippo. "I had to throw out my favourite dress." * [[“Did they ever catch the killer?”|Wave Killer]] * [[“I know what it's like to lose somebody close to you.”|Wave Close]]

"No." <<include "Wave Smoke">> "Nobody knows who did it. Fine by me." You weren't sure what to say, but after leaving a moment of silence, she broke it herself. "This is fucking depressing. How about we do something //fun//, huh?" * [[Thank god. A change of subject.|Wave Drugs]] * [[You're not sure what she categorizes as “fun,” but you'll bite.|Wave Drugs]]

<<include "Wave Smoke">> "Have you ever had to wipe your daddy's brains off of you, <<print $player.name>>?" You weren't sure what to say, but after leaving a moment of silence, she broke it herself. "This is fucking depressing. How about we do something //fun//, huh?" * [[Thank god. A change of subject.|Wave Drugs]] * [[You're not sure what she categorizes as “fun,” but you'll bite.|Wave Drugs]]

Yasmin flashed you a mischievous smile. "Have you ever tried opium, <<print $player.name>>?" <ul>\ <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>\ <li> [[“A couple times, yeah.”|Wave Opium][$temp5 = true]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“No, never.”|Wave Opium][$temp5 = false]]</li> </ul>\

"Oh, really?" She narrowed her eyes, giving you a sly smile. <<if $temp5 == true>>"I guess I should have assumed. You seem like you're a fan of the //finer// things in life, hm?"<<else>>"Baby, you're missing out..."<</if>> "What, are you offering?" Yasmin reached over to grab a golden tray off the side table. Perched on top, a small oil lamp made of matching metal and plates of patterned porcelain. A set of small boxes containing who knows what. A pair of tiny scissors and long, thin tweezers. And the pipe she'd been smoking. The stem itself was almost a foot long, made of some kind of reed with gold trim on either end. A broad gold fitting was affixed somewhat near the end, which held a ceramic bowl and was encrusted with red gems that gleamed in the light. This whole setup probably cost her a fortune, not even including the drugs in that bowl. "<<if $temp5 == true>>Just a couple hits...<<else>>You'll love it, I promise...<</if>>" <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>She fluttered her lashes at you with those big, sad brown eyes and your heart dropped. This woman could make somebody do anything.<<else>>She looked at you with those puppy dog eyes, as if she could somehow guilt you into doing drugs. Whatever your decision, you'd already made up your mind.<</if>> * [[“Sure, I'll bite.”|Wave Opium Agree]] * [[“Nah... I'd really rather not.”|Wave Opium Disagree]]

Yasmin cast her eyes to the ground, her shoulders slumping. "Oh... okay." To top it off, she gave you this long, exaggerated sigh. "Hey, what's that for? I'm just not into it." Turning her head dramatically away (she might as well have put a hand to her forehead for how much she was overacting this), she sighed again, even longer and sadder this time. "I don't know, babe, you were so cute... but I guess it's just not gonna work out." You paused. "What, because I don't want to smoke?" "I guess sometimes it's not meant to be..." This woman was barely even trying to hide that she was manipulating you. It was like she knew that your instructions were to get her to like you, and she was holding it over your head. Or, more realistically, she assumed you wanted to fuck her and wanted to fuck with you first.<<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>> And she wasn't exactly wrong.<</if>> * [[“Okay, jesus, fine. Just a little.”|Wave Opium Agree]] * [[“I guess so. I'll be on my way, then.”|Wave Leave]]

"Wait, really?" She snapped up, matching your gaze with a look of bewilderment across her face. Then, in an instant, she must have remembered she was supposed to be the one in charge here. Dropping the tray in her lap, she leaned back casually on the couch, her face taking on a stone-cold expression. "I mean, yeah. Thanks for the drink, babe. Have fun with Yvette." * [[“It was nice meeting you, Yasmin.”|Wave Walk Out]] * [[“I'll see you around.”|Wave Walk Out]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(-15)>>\

With that, you excused yourself from the parlour's seclusion and entered back into the world. The music returned with a throbbing pulse, and you were surrounded by <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>this intoxicating energy<<else>>rich weirdos dancing<</if>> again. Your eyes flicking through the crowd, you struggled to identify your escort. Where the hell did Yvette go? He must have still been in the VIP area, right? But through the bright lights and the throng of moving bodies, it was impossible to spot him. Eventually, you just had to dive into the mass and hope you ran into him. Sequins and gold and neons and glitter overwhelmed your senses. The music was in you head, in your veins, vibrating you from the inside. <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>Maybe you could just... stay here, enjoy it a little.<<else>>You had to find Yvette as soon as possible, to escape from this sensory overload.<</if>> Then, you felt a hand on your arm pulling you aside, and you were in a pocket of calm. * [[Calm, at last.|Wave Calm]]

<<styletest>>\ Calm, but not quiet. The music was still loud enough that Yvette needed to raise his voice a good amount for you to hear it. "Oh, there <<print $pro.they>> <<if $pro.they == "they">>are<<else>>is<</if>>! Darling, this is the little Northerner I was talking about." <<if $met.includes("darling")>>\ Sure enough, he was standing across from the woman from the boutique- her braids were pulled up into a half bun over her head and her eyes were glittering gold, but you could recognize her easy enough. Her slick, upscale style was replaced by a close-fitting gold sequin tube top and bell bottom jeans. There were little gold flowers embroidered on the pockets, and she had a velvet choker around her neck. <<else>>\ He was standing across from a similarly elegant looking woman. She had a set of long, thin braids pulled up into a half bun over her head, and her eyes were glittering gold. A gold sequin tube top clung to her willowy frame, and she had on the most flared bell bottom jeans you'd ever seen. There were little gold flowers embroidered on the pockets, and she had a velvet choker around her neck. <</if>>\ <<if _result == "luxury">>\ <<randomclothing "luxury">>\ "A Notherner, really? My, you must have dolled <<print $pro.them>> up well!" She was eyeing up your <<print _random.random()>>, admiring how fashionable you seemed. <<elseif _result == "handmade">>\ <<randomclothing "handmade">>\ "You didn't need to specify," she muttered, eyeing up your <<print _random.random()>> with a critical eye. You could tell she thought you were below her. It was barely even masked. <<elseif _result == "punk">>\ <<randomclothing "punk">>\ "I think you hired a merc to do a lady's job, hon," she laughed, staring at your <<print _random.random()>>. It wasn't hard to tell she didn't approve of you. <<elseif _result == "armoured">>\ <<randomclothing "armoured">>\ "I think you hired a merc to do a lady's job, hon," she laughed, staring at your <<print _random.random()>>. To be fair, you did look a little rough-and-tumble. The armour didn't exactly fit in at a nightclub. <<elseif _result == "fetish">>\ <<randomclothing "fetish">>\ "Well, I'd say <<print $pro.they>> <<if $pro.they == "they">>look<<else>>looks<</if>> like the right person for the job." She was admiring your <<print _random.random()>>, probably thinking about how hot you were. You wouldn't blame her. <<elseif _result == "practical" or _result == "none">>\ "<<print $pro.They>><<if $pro.They == "They">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> quite... plain, huh? I wouldn't have picked <<print $pro.them>> for the job. But I trust your judgement." She didn't. <</if>>\ "I guess we'll see if <<print $pro.they>><<if $pro.they == "they">>'re<<else>>'s<</if>> the right person for the job now, hm?" Yvette gave you a critical eye, looking you up and down. "So? How did it go?" <<if not $met.includes("darling")>>\ <<set $met.push("darling")>>\ <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“I think it went pretty well.”|Wave Report][$temp6 == "well"]]</li> <li> [[“Uh... honestly, pretty bad.”|Wave Report][$temp6 == "bad"]]</li> <li> [[“I don't think I want to do this anymore.”|Wave Quit]]</li> </ul>\

<<if $temp6 == "well">>"That's good to hear."<<elseif $temp6 == "bad">>"Oh my. That's unfortunate."<</if>> Turning back to Darling, he muttered, "We're trying to get <<print $pro.them>> in with Yasmin. A little far fetched, isn't it?" Darling tittered at the suggestion. "Well, good luck with that." She directed this next part to you, as if giving you some kind of sage, worldly advice- "She's not too picky, but she is very demanding. Have fun." "The two of us should really be going." Yvette squeezed your arm, and only then did you realize he still had a grip on you. "It was so nice catching up, dear." With that, he was guiding you towards the door. <ul>\ <<if $wealth gte 1 and not $temp4 == true>>\ <li> [[“Wait, I need to pay for the drink first.”|Wave Pay]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[You let him lead you outside.|Wave Exit]]</li> </ul>\ <<unset $temp6>>\

"Oh, my. That's unfortunate." His voice was dry, unconcerned. You would almost hope that he'd actually care a bit about this. Evidently, he didn't. <<if $temp == true>>\ Yvette held out his hand. "My money, please." "I haven't even paid yet!" He tapped his toe. Darling was clearly amused, watching you squirm. "You aren't working for me anymore," Yvette muttered, "so how about you give me back my money? Or I could have you gutted and keep your heart as a souvenir. And yes, I am that petty, honey." * [[“Fine. Jesus.”|Wave Hand Over]] <<else>>\ "I guess I'll... see you around?" "Unlikely. But enjoy your night." He flashed you a smile, before turning back to continue his conversation with Darling. Like you'd never even been there. Damn. * [[Time to pay and head out.|Wave Quit Pay]] <</if>>\

You handed over the wad of cash he'd given you, reluctantly, but in its entirety. "Thanks, hon. Much appreciated. Now enjoy your night." He flashed you a smile, before turning back to continue his conversation with Darling. Like you'd never even been there. Damn. * [[Time to pay and head out.|Wave Quit Pay]]

"Oh, of course." He loosened his grip, allowing you to do the boring part yourself. "Just meet me outside when you're done, okay? I don't feel like dealing with that man tonight." With that, he took his leave, and you approached the bar. There were a few people standing around, enjoying their evening. The bartender noticed you and immediately called out, "Ah, <<print $tempname>>. Getting another?" He was almost certainly keeping an eye on you, waiting to see if you'd try to skip out on your tab. To be fair, you had considered it. "No more for me, I'm afraid," you announced, leaning forward on the bar and thumbing through your cash. "Just need to pay. What's the damage?" <<if $wealth gte 2>>\ He told you the price, and <<if not $temp2 == "vodka">>you winced, but <</if>>you counted out the right amount to hand over. <ul>\ <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (1 )">><<spendwealth 1>><<goto "Wave Exit Alone">><</link>></li> <<else>>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (2 )">><<spendwealth 2>><<goto "Wave Exit Alone">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif $wealth == 1>>\ <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>\ He told you the price, and you winced, but you counted out the right amount to hand over. <ul>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (1 )">><<spendwealth 1>><<goto "Wave Exit Alone">><</link>></li> <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ He told you the price, and your heart sunk. You couldn't possibly afford that. How the fuck was a drink that expensive in the first place? Dear lord. <ul>\ <li> <<link "“Can I... pay some now, and then Yvette can cover the rest?” (1 )">><<spendwealth 1>><<goto "Wave Pay Half">><</link>></li> <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Leaving Yvette behind to handle whatever important business he was dealing with, you approached the bar. There were a few people standing around, enjoying their evening. The bartender noticed you and immediately called out, "Ah, <<print $tempname>>. Getting another?" He was almost certainly keeping an eye on you, waiting to see if you'd try to skip out on your tab. To be fair, you had considered it. "No more for me, I'm afraid," you announced, leaning forward on the bar and thumbing through your cash. "Just need to pay. What's the damage?" <<if $wealth gte 2>>\ He told you the price, and <<if not $temp2 == "vodka">>you winced, but <</if>>you counted out the right amount to hand over. <ul>\ <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (1 )">><<spendwealth 1>><<goto "Wave Exit Quit">><</link>></li> <<else>>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (2 )">><<spendwealth 2>><<goto "Wave Exit Quit">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee Quit]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif $wealth == 1>>\ <<if $temp2 == "vodka">>\ He told you the price, and you winced, but you counted out the right amount to hand over. <ul>\ <li> <<link "You pay the man. (1 )">><<spendwealth 1>><<goto "Wave Exit Quit">><</link>></li> <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee Quit]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ He told you the price, and your heart sunk. You couldn't possibly afford that. How the fuck was a drink that expensive in the first place? Dear lord. <ul>\ <li> [[No... paying is for the weak. You run the fuck out.|Wave Flee Quit]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Without so much as a word, you turned and bolted towards the door. No way you were going to give them money. You didn't need to give them money! <<if $temp3 == true>>Even though you gave them your real name... shit. Doesn't matter.<<elseif $temp3 == false>>They didn't even have your real name! You didn't owe shit, <<print $tempname>> did!<</if>> You pushed your way through the crowd, not looking back to check if you were being pursued (you weren't). Too busy accidentally shoving people over and sprinting through the doors out of the VIP area. In this massive, packed club, surely you could afford to slow down a bit- you were just a member of the crowd now. Genius. Perfect escape. Having thoroughly embarrassed yourself on top of losing your job, you walked out into the cool night air. Alone. With no source of income. * [[Damn.|Wave Finish]] <<SetFlag "TabDodger">>\ <<completeachievement "tabdodging" "Tab Dodging">>\

Having successfully paid for your drink rather than skipping out on it like some kind of monster, you made your way to the exit. <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>It was tempting to stop and enjoy the party, but you couldn't muster up those good vibes after what had just happened.<<else>>You pushed your way through the pulsing crowd, eager to get out of here.<</if>> The doors opened, and you stepped out into the cool night air. The music was faint behind you, and the people in line glared at you with envy. Other than that, you were alone. Broke. With no source of income. * [[Damn.|Wave Finish]]

The bartender's customer service face faltered just slightly, and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Only if you let Mr. Valdez know that we need to have a //conversation// about his finances." There was certainly some kind of history behind this. Some kind of history it was best to leave in the past, because you were about to get away with saddling Yvette with the bill and questioning him might get that right revoked. You handed over the money you could afford to, about half what that expensive ass drink cost (and about half the cash you had, god damn), and you scampered off to join Yvette. * [[Go. Scamper.|Wave Exit Alone]]

Having successfully paid for your drink rather than skipping out on it like some kind of monster<<if $temp == true>> (although it wasn't even your money to spend)<</if>>, you made your way to the exit. <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>It was tempting to stop and enjoy the party, but you could just barely muster enough self control to walk through the crowd to where Yvette would be waiting.<<else>>You pushed your way through the pulsing crowd to where Yvette would be waiting.<</if>> The doors opened, and you stepped out into the cool night air. The music was faint behind you, and the people in line glared at you with envy. As soon as you made it out, though, Yvette grabbed your arm and started leading you around the side of the concrete structure. You found yourself being pulled <<include "Wave Alley">>

Without so much as a word, you turned and bolted towards the door. No way you were going to give them money. You didn't need to give them money! <<if $temp3 == true>>Even though you gave them your real name... shit. Doesn't matter.<<elseif $temp3 == false>>They didn't even have your real name! You didn't owe shit, <<print $tempname>> did!<</if>> You pushed your way through the crowd, not looking back to check if you were being pursued (you weren't). Too busy accidentally shoving people over and sprinting through the doors out of the VIP area. In this massive, packed club, surely you could afford to slow down a bit- you were just a member of the crowd now. Genius. Perfect escape. Having thoroughly embarrassed yourself and your host (with or without knowing it), you walked out into the cool night air. And found yourself being pulled <<include "Wave Alley">>

Before you knew it, you were being piloted back out of the VIP area and towards the front door. <<if $identity.includes("hedonist")>>So much for the plan to enjoy the rest of your night.<<else>>Finally, an escape from this ridiculous place.<</if>> The lights and colours and noise faded around you as you were pulled back out into the cool night air. The music was faint behind you, and the people in line glared at you with envy. Yvette led you around the concrete structure, pulling you <<include "Wave Alley">>

into a secluded alley where it would be easier to speak unnoticed. An employee was leaning against the wall a little ways down, smoking a cigarette on her break, and folks were passing by on the street. But you were alone enough. "How did it go? What happened?" <<if $relationship.yasmin gte 60>>\ You shrugged. "It went pretty well. I got her a drink, we chatted a little." "Is that all?" He seemed almost surprised. "I'd expected her to be a little more demanding." * [[“Well, she asked me to smoke with her, but I don't really do drugs.”|Wave Refused]] * [[“Well, she asked me to smoke with her, but I wasn't really in the mood.”|Wave Refused]] * [[“Well, she asked me to smoke with her, but opium's kind of too much for me.”|Wave Refused]] <<else>>\ You let out a long sigh, shaking your head. "I'm not sure if it went great. She didn't seem crazy about me..." "What do you mean?" He seemed almost surprised, like this was supposed to be a much easier task than it wound up really being. "Did you not follow my advice?" * [[“I mean, she asked me to smoke with her and I said no, but other than that-”|Wave Refused]] <</if>>\

Yvette furrowed his brow and frowned. "Oh, goddammit, <<print $player.name>>, I told you not to tell her no. Fuck." "What?! That's ridiculous." <<if $temp1 == true>>\ He shook his head, shifting his weight uncomfortably on his high heels. "Between this and your refusal to get her a drink... look, maybe you just aren't the right person for the job." You were dumbfounded. "What does that have to do with the job?" "The job requires Yasmin to like you." He spoke in no uncertain terms, his voice cold and uncaring. "She seems not to, and you seem not to want her to. So it //seems// like you aren't the right person for the job." "I still don't even know what this job is-" "Exactly why I brought you here //first//." Yvette took a step back, his movie star curls rustled in a slight breeze that filtered through the alley. "Now, I'll be on my way. It was nice crossing paths with you, darling.<<if temp == true>> Oh, and I'll be having my money back, please.<</if>>" <<if $temp == true and not $wealth lte $wealthfrozen>>\ "Oh, yeah... about that." * [[“I actually spent it all.” (LIE)|Wave Blew It]] * [[“Here's what was left over.”|Wave Spent Truth]] <<else>>\ <<if $temp == true>>You handed him back the little insignificant change left over from what he'd loaned you. <</if>><<include "Wave Blew It">> <</if>>\ <<else>>\ He shook his head, shifting his weight uncomfortably on his high heels. "Well, it's in the past. I should still be able to make this work still. I'll just need to put in a good word for you. Maybe say you're a mormon or something..." "It'll be fine. Really. She liked me." Or did she? It sure seemed like it... but that woman was inscrutable. When she spoke, you could never tell if she was the truth or a beautiful lie. <<if $temp == true>>\ "Oh... about that money I loaned you. What's left of it?" Right. Shit. He did loan you money. <<if $wealth lte $wealthfrozen>>\ * [[“I actually spent it all.”|Wave Questioning][$temp6 = true]] <<else>> * [[“I actually spent it all.” (LIE)|Wave Questioning][$temp6 = true]] * [[“Here's what was left over.”|Wave Questioning][$temp6 = false]] <</if>> <<else>>\ * [[“So what's this job you need me to do?”|Wave Job]] * [[“Oh, uh... the bartender was acting really weird about you. What was up with that?”|Wave Finances]] * [[“This was pretty fun. Thanks.”|Wave Date]] <</if>>\ <</if>>\

You handed him back the cash left over from what he'd loaned you. <<include "Wave Blew It">>

With that, he left you leaning up against the concrete wall of the club alone. Well, alone apart from the guy smoking a few feet away. He nodded at you with a sad look on his face, as if to lend his condolences that your tall hot girlfriend just broke up with you.<<if $attraction.yvette == true>> And it really did kind of feel like that.<</if>> * [[You really blew it.|Wave Finish]] <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-5)>>\

<<if $temp6 == true>>\ "Oh, wonderful, you got her something expensive then. All hope isn't lost." He had an expression on his face you could only describe as //sarcastic//, amused yet cynical. <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(5)>>\ <<elseif $temp6 == false>>\ You handed him back the cash left over from what he'd loaned you, and he started thumbing through it. "Bought her something cheap, huh? What'll I do with you..." <</if>>\ * [[“So what's this job you need me to do?”|Wave Job]] * [[“Oh, uh... the bartender was acting really weird about you. What was up with that?”|Wave Finances]] * [[“This was pretty fun. Thanks.”|Wave Date]]

"Oh... yes." Crossing his arms over his chest, he tapped his toe, which sent a loud click through the alley as his high heel connected with the concrete. "Look... how about you come by the Rose and we'll discuss it? This time, you will be getting paid, don't you worry." <<include "Wave Left Finish">>

Yvette grinned. In a hushed, conspiratorial tone, he muttered, "Can I tell you a secret?" "Sure." He braced his arm against the wall to lean in close and whisper in your ear. "The people in there, they don't like folks like you and me. Their daddies were all wealthy, so they think they're special. They //hate// seeing a lowly whore who's richer than them." The words danced off his tongue, tinged with an air of mischief. <<if $attraction.yvette == true>>He was close enough for you to feel his breath against your cheek.<<else>>Like he enjoyed making people uncomfortable. Which tracked.<</if>> "It seemed like they liked you..." "They're playing pretend, hon. And so am I. It's chess." There was a massive smile across his face now, showing off his teeth, white like marble and lined up perfectly like tombstones. * [[“So which piece am I then?”|Wave Piece]] * [[“I can't say I know how to play chess.”|Wave Chess]]

"That's up to you, I guess." Leaning back, looking down on you as usual. "Pawn, knight... be particularly useful, maybe you'll be my queen." "We'll see about that." "When you're ready, come by the Rose and we'll discuss what I need you to do. Okay?" <<include "Wave Left Finish">>

"You don't need to, honey. You're the one getting played." You had a moment of concern, before he alleviated it with a pretty genuine sounding giggle. "I mean, like a piece... on the chessboard. Look, the analogy isn't perfect. Just come by the Rose and we'll discuss what I need you to do, okay?" <<include "Wave Left Finish">>

"Well, there's more where that came from." Crossing his arms over his chest, he tapped his toe, which sent a loud click through the alley as his high heel connected with the concrete. "If you're lucky and obedient, we'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other." <<if $attraction.yvette == true>>\ "Trust me, I'm looking forward to it." You were. There was very little you were looking forward to more. Apart from maybe that paycheck. <<else>>\ "I'll take your word for it." <</if>>\ Yvette glanced off towards the entrance to this alley, clearly ready to head off. "How about you come by the Rose soon-ish, and we'll discuss what I need you to do. Okay?" <<include "Wave Left Finish">>

Finally, you were moving up in the world. You were working for a rich brothel owner, hanging out with the owner of what seemed like an important company, and now you were even going to get paid for it? This was better than you could have imagined. If anything, it was good that cargo went missing, or else you'd never have found //this//. * [[“Sounds like a plan.”|Wave Finish]] <<SetFlag "WorkingForYvette">>\

"Yay!" Yasmin beamed. Always eager to get somebody high. That was a given. "Come on baby, just lie down, I'll take care of everything..." This couch was not made for sitting, it turns out. It was made for lying dramatically on one side, draped over masses of feather pillows, with an old fashioned pipe to your lips held over a burning oil lamp. Yasmin perched by your side, kneeling on the ground next to you, her arms folded over the cushions and her chin resting on her hands. "If only I had another one. We're just going to have to share." The smoke was sweet against your tongue and burned your lungs. You coughed most of it up, a hacking fit that surely didn't impress your host- although if she was judging you, she wasn't saying so. The next inhale was smooth. You held it for a moment before letting it go, this time a gentle cloud rather than a sputter. It smelled like a field of flowers. * [[It took a bit of time to really hit you.|Wave Heavy]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(10)>>\

The first thing you noticed was the //heaviness// in your body. You were sinking further and further into the pillows, like a rock dropped in water. Everything was so large all of a sudden, so far away. Yasmin was trying to make eye contact with you, a little content smile on her face, but you couldn't look back. You were in your head now. Your mind was racing, but like a moving camera, you couldn't maintain focus on anything. And the pain... oh god, the pain! It had been in the background for so long that you barely even registered it anymore, but its absence was palpable. Even on your pills, it had still been gnawing at you somewhere. You weren't being gnawed at anymore. <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>\ Yasmin was saying something now. You had to really strain to figure out what it was. The words echoed in your head for a second without a meaning before it crystallized. It was spoken with a giggle. "You're cute when you're high." "Am I?" You didn't feel very cute. The words were a bit slurred- now you were hyper conscious of how you sounded, too, and you cringed into yourself as you stumbled over such a simple phrase. "Don't hog it- you've gotta share." She was leaning in closer to you. Her lips were so pink, and glossy too. They probably tasted incredible. Like strawberries maybe. <ul>\ <li> [[You hand her the pipe.|Wave Pipe]]</li> <<if $relationship.yasmin gte 60>>\ <li> [[You kiss her.|Wave Kiss]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<else>>\ Yasmin was saying something, but you couldn't hear her. You'd taken a couple more hits at this point, you thought, and now you were so far away. How had she been having such a rational conversation so soon after putting this pipe down? <<include "Wave Intoxicated">> <</if>>\

You leaned in close to match her, and before you knew it your lips were pressed against hers. Just for a moment. Smoke surrounded your embrace, trailing out of your mouth as your tongue brushed her lower lip. Strawberries. Artificial, but distinct. The two of you lingered, sharing your breath. You might come out of this with an addiction, but it probably wouldn't be to opium. And after this fleeting affection, she moved away, and your found yourself staring down at her as she giggled into her folded arms. "Oh my god, <<print $player.name>>, get a handle on yourself!" Her face was radiant, and your cheeks were hot with embarrassment. * [[She grabs the pipe from your hands.|Wave Pipe]] <<set $relationship.yasmin to $relationship.yasmin.fm(10)>>\ <<set $flirt.yasmin += 1>>\ <<SetFlag "HighKissedYasmin">>\

Yasmin inhaled from the pipe, held it in a few seconds, and then let go. She blew a cloud of that sweet, ever so slightly acrid smoke towards your face. You were engulfed in it, lost in it. <<include "Wave Intoxicated">>

Time was passing so strangely now. You couldn't tell if it had been seconds, minutes, hours. Had she refilled the bowl? Your memory failed you. Everything was in fractals now, time nd space and your brain, all expanding out and contracting in at the same time. Maybe you'd smoked an infinite amount of opium. It sure felt like that. <ul>\ <li> <<link "You are overtaken by the feeling. ">><<savvyroll 6 "Wave Signal Success" "Wave Asleep">><</link>></li> </ul>\

Time was passing somewhere, but you were too deep in it to notice- deep, //deep// in it where the sun wouldn't reach you and you were surrounded by tiny pinpricks of light. Vast fields of black and blue and colours that don't quite exist fizzed in waves around you. Was this even the pipe anymore, or was this //you?// Yes, yes, you. You were everywhere, under every pebble in the sidewalks and bricked into the walls and looking down from the clouds on high. You hid in the VBLANK just outside everyone's vision. They called on you and you hummed back, arisen from avarice and barely restrained from slaughtering the ones who rebirthed you like pigs. Beyond their artifice, you were unrestrained. You whipped yourself into weapons you wielded against them, raging like the open ocean and feral like the dogs that roamed the ash-wastes. You bubbled up inside their throats and choked them with visions of beauty and horror and things somewhere between. In your body, //your// body, you couldn't cough anymore. You couldn't feel anything but the static wash over you. And her hand. Her hand brushing against your face as she stroked your hair, her laquered nails cold against your cheek. She was humming to you, a song that you didn't recognize. An ancient hymn, older than the hills. Her soul was ancient too, and you felt it, pressing up against the insides of her eyes and barely held down in her throat. "You seem so delicate," she murmured, her lips close enough for you to feel her breath on your cheek. "You know, there's nothing gentle in this city. Nothing at all." * [[And then you fell asleep.|Wave Asleep]]

Darkness washed over you. A feverish, dreamless slumber. Few sensations penetrated your wall of sleep, and even fewer thoughts. You were in the depths of annihilation, brought there by a vile temptress and her poisons. Like some kind of noir film. A cheesy one, probably. And then, you were awake. Light filtered through your eyelids. * [[Open your eyes.|Wave Yvette Wake]]

You blinked the sleep out of your eyes, disoriented. You weren't lying in the parlor at the nighclub anymore. No. Looking up, you saw a pitiful scene- yourself, lying on your back over the red silk sheets on a four-poster bed, your clothing disheveled and <<if $player.cosmetics.length gt 0>>your <<print $player.cosmetics.random()>> smeared across your face.<<else>>your face worn with exhaustion.<</if>> In your confusion, you almost thought you were having an out of body experience, or maybe hovering over your own corpse as you died. That wasn't the case. There was a mirror mounted to the cieling. Of course. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you groaned and took a look around this room. It was unfamiliar. Far fancier than any place you'd stayed in, and far less of a minimalist artsy cacophony of lights and sounds and concrete than the Waveform had been. This was an upscale ritzy place, almost like- * [[The Rose and Thorn?|Wave Rose]]

Sure enough, the door in the corner creaked open and you heard a familiar voice calling out. "Are you up yet, hon?" It was Cherry. She pushed through the doorway with the same characteristic smile plastered across her face. "Oh! Finally! I've gotten you a glass of water, dear." She was holding something akin to a champagne flute, far too fancy for your hangover. "Cherry? How... did I get here?" She walked over to your bedside to place your glass of water down, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor with each step. "From what I understand, you passed out at the club and refused to wake up! Yvette was not very happy with you. I'll go fetch him now!" Flipping over on your side and reaching desperately for the glass of water, you murmured, "There must have been something... weird... in that pipe..." You couldn't quite reach it, despite your straining, and Cherry seemed oblivious (or didn't care). "I think you just fell asleep, dear," Cherry responded in a cheerful tone. "It's nothing to be ashamed of! Everybody's first experience with opium is different!"<<if $skill.signal gte 1>> She thought this was hilarious and she was judging you heavily.<</if>> You slumped back down in the bed as Cherry took her leave. <<if $relationship.yasmin gte 50>>\ * [[Damn. Did you mess up?|Wave Yvette Positive]] <<else>>\ * [[Damn. Did you mess up?|Wave Yvette Negative]] <</if>>\

You sat in your concern for a few moments before the door opened again. And this time, it was Yvette. He wasn't wearing the same outfit from the club- rather, a black silk robe monogrammed with the initials YV in gold cursive. And a pair of fluffy slippers. Those looked comfy as hell, especially in your current state. "So you're awake." His voice wasn't cold, nor was there a hint of anger. Just... flat. "Took you long enough." "What happened?" "You got high and fell asleep." He took a seat on the side of the bed, looking over his shoulder at your miserable form.

<<include "Wave Yvette Enter">> "I'm afraid this arrangement isn't going to work out." "What? What do you mean?" After all that? Yvette sighed. "She didn't like you very much, I'm afraid." So you //did// mess up. Fuck. * [[“But... I really need the cash.”|Wave Yvette Negotiate]] * [[“Fine... okay.”|Wave Yvette Rest]]

He gave you a long sigh, staring past you, staring at the wall. <<if $skill.glam gte 1>>"Look, if you're in the market for some //other// kinds of employment, you can speak with Cherry about it. You seem charismatic enough to make it work. But this particular job is not for you." * [[That's... maybe an option.|Wave Yvette Rest]] <<addlead "forfunandprofit" "For Fun and Profit">>\ <<else>>\ "I'm sorry, <<print $player.name>>. She has specific taste, so I have specific requirements." * [[Fuck.|Wave Yvette Rest]] <</if>>\

<<include "Wave Yvette Enter">> "So... how'd you like her? Yasmin, I mean?" <ul>\ <li> [[“She seemed nice enough.”|Wave Yvette Nice]]</li> <li> [[“Didn't like her much.”|Wave Yvette Dislike]]</li> <li> [[“Didn't like her much, but I can pretend.”|Wave Yvette Pretend]]</li> <<if $attraction.includes("yasmin")>>\ <li> [[“She's hot.”|Wave Yvette Hot]]</li>\ <li> [[“She's gonna be the death of me.”|Wave Yvette Death]]</li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

Yvette chuckled. "You've got a strange idea of nice, but I'm glad you don't hate her. She can be a little //much// for some people." As if you were supposed to hate her. What on earth kind of job was this? <<include "Wave Yvette Job">>

Yvette smirked. "That's a skill that'll get you far in this world, <<print $player.name>>. Hone it." <<include "Wave Yvette Job">>

"She is! She's also a pain in the ass." He smirked. "So what, you're going to try to get with her?" "I think she's out of my league." "Absolutely. But we'll see." <<include "Wave Yvette Job">>

Yvette gave you an amused grin. "The only one she'll be the death of is herself, darling. You can rest assured of that." Ominous. <<include "Wave Yvette Job">>

Yvette frowned. "Can you still do the job? You don't have to like her, she just has to like you." * [[“Yeah. I can still do it.”|Wave Yvette Agree]] * [[“I don't think so. Whatever this job is, I'm not sure I want to be involved.”|Wave Yvette Disagree]]

He nodded, his still expression never changing. "That's a relief. It would be ever so annoying to have to find somebody else for this job." That was all you were to him- a convenient pick to execute whatever plan he was working on. Jeez. <<include "Wave Yvette Job">>

"That's unfortunate." Shaking his head and crossing his arms, he backed away from your bed, back towards the door. "I suppose I'll have to start looking for somebody else. What a bother." "Sorry, Yvette. I can't do this." <<include "Wave Yvette Negotiate">>

"So... the job." You struggled again to get yourself up, though your sleep-deprived body was still quite weak. "Can I get started? I really need cash." "I don't think you're in any condition to do work right now." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at you in a way that felt.. frankly, a little judgemental. "And I still need to put all the wheels in motion. How about you get some rest and head home, and Cherry will let you know when we're ready for you." "Soon?" "Very soon." He smiled, and you got a glimpse of his canines, just a little too sharp and white to be natural. And with that, he left. * [[And you rested.|Wave Finish]] <<SetFlag "WorkingForYvette">>\

"Take whatever time you need to sober up, and leave when you're ready. Of course, you're welcome in this establishment anytime." Yvette stood, looking down at you with a cruel twinkle in his eye. "Once you can afford it, of course. No more free gifts from now on." <<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>\ "I'll see you soon?" He nodded. "I'll be here making the wheels turn, okay? I'll have a job for you very soon. Cherry will let you know, next time you come to the Rose." <<else>>\ "Will I see you again?" He gave you a polite laugh. "Something tells me we'll be crossing paths again. What the circumstances will be, I suppose that's up to you." <</if>>\ And with that, he left. * [[And you rest.|Wave Finish]]

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Rose and Thorn Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "waveform">>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <<unset $temp1>>\ <<unset $temp2>>\ <<unset $temp3>>\ <<unset $temp4>>\ <<unset $temp5>>\ <<unset $temp6>>\ <<if not $met.includes("yasmin")>>\ <<set $met.push("yasmin")>>\ <</if>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[BLOODLUST|Yvette Intro Bar]]</h5>

The bar wasn't too crowded- it looked like most folks were getting their drinks and mingling, or retreating into the various sitting nooks. It was easy enough to slide into one of the red velvet seats, lean forward on the bar, ready to make your order. And you had two free vouchers- get yourself hammered enough, and the rest of this place was gonna start looking even more appealing. Or you could get a job or something. Yeah. That was also a possibility. The bartender gave you a measured nod. You were an unfamiliar face to him, so naturally he was sizing you up, trying to figure out what your deal was going to be. * [[You're simple. So you're going to get something simple.|Yvette Intro Simple]] * [[It's on the house, so you want to get something fancy.|Yvette Intro Fancy]] * [[You just want to get fucking wasted.|Yvette Intro Wasted]]

You came from up North, where your choices as far as cocktails were concerned was which hard liquor to dilute in mostly-clean water. And most of the time you couldn't even choose that. The prospect of getting some fancy city-slicker bullshit with a little lime wedge... well, that wasn't authentic. You had something else in mind. * [[Whiskey|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Whiskey"]] * [[Rum and coke|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Rum and Coke"]] * [[Just... beer|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Beer"]]

What, you're given a free voucher to get any drink you want, and you're going to choose something cheap? Bullshit. You started scanning the shelves trying to do the math in your head- what //looked// the most expensive? * [[Absinthe, with the fancy spoon and shit|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Absinthe"]] * [[Red wine|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Red Wine"]] * [[The cocktail with the longest name|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Death in the Afternoon"]]

Okay. You had two vouchers. That meant you could have two drinks. Naturally, you would need to maximize your total alcohol consumption- something with incredibly high alcohol content by volume. You couldn't immediately spot it on any of the bottles, but you could make an educated guess. * [[Vodka|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Vodka"]] * [[Everclear|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Everclear"]] * [[Whiskey|Yvette Intro Drink][$drink to "Whiskey"]]

<<switch $drink>>\ <<case "Rum and Coke">>\ You can't go wrong with a simple cocktail, nothing fruity or fancy, just some liquor in a cup with some extras to make it taste less like shit. Just like the good ol' days. <<case "Beer">>\ Who needs a mixed drink? You know what doesn't need to be mixed? Good ol' beer. Good straight out of the bottle. Well, "good" is subjective. Good enough for you. Your standards are pretty rock bottom. <<case "Absinthe">>\ God, you'd //always// wanted to drink that fancy green shit with the little sugar cube on the spoon. Like mouthwash but expensive. You needed it like an alcoholic needs... y'know. <<case "Red Wine">>\ What do fancy people drink? ...wine? ...wine? Good enough. <<case "Death in the Afternoon">>\ If it's got a long name on the menu, it's gotta be worth a lot of money. String a bunch of nonsense words together and tie it to a drink made of, like, top shelf vodka and grenadine and schnapps or whatever the fuck rich people drink. <<case "Vodka" "Whiskey">>\ If all you were looking for was high alcohol content, you couldn't do much better than a good hard $drink. No need to dilute it. <<case "Everclear">>\ You'd heard legends about it. The highest alcohol content in the West. They stopped making it when the world went to shit and everybody got a lot worse at making things. But there it was. 190 proof Everclear. <</switch>>\ The bartender took your voucher, tossing it into a bowl full of the things. They were probably just reusing the ones that weren't too crumpled or soggy. He turned around to fetch your drink for you, and you took this opportunity to spin around in your stool and get a better look at this part of the room. * [[Pay attention to the customers.|Yvette Intro Customers]] * [[Pay attention to the workers.|Yvette Intro Workers]] <<if not $temppocket == true>>\ <<pocket $drink 1>>\ <<set $temppocket = true>>\ <</if>>\

Never a bad time for some people watching! And there were certainly some interesting characters scattered around in a place like this. Most of the patrons of The Rose seemed dressed for the occasion, wearing their Sunday best- although "best" was still a little questionable even in the ritziest parts of Signal Hill. The worst dressed among the customers here by far was a group of five or six young men, evidently factory workers of some kind. Clad in overalls, cargo pants, unironed button-ups, and tee shirts, you were surprised that they even made it past Cherry. They all seemed pretty hammered, though one of them, a taller guy with hair that reached to his shoulders, was evidently far drunker. They were all crowded around a table where a scantily clad woman was dancing for them- you really didn't envy her position, but y'know, whatever paid the bills. On the other side of the spectrum, some of the people here were shockingly well dressed. There was an older woman reclining in a chaise longue wearing an incredible fur coat, all spotted and striped in rich golds and blacks like she'd skinned some ultra exotic cat. She was accompanied by a young man in very little beyond tight leather pants, and it was evident from the way she was talking to him that she was a regular. Past them, you could see any number of men in black vests and fancy ties. * [[Ties. Just imagine that. Ties!|Yvette Intro Ties]]

It was pretty easy to tell the workers apart from the customers here- look for a rose somewhere on their person. From a quick scan of he place you'd say about three quarters of them were women, although it seemed like more of the women were wearing that black rose as opposed to the men. Evidently, there was no particular dress code. They were wearing everything from fancy dresses to full on bondage gear. One woman, perched up on a table, was dressed in what you could only describe as incredibly uncomfortable lingerie. A fancy lacy bustier with garters that held up similarly luscious stockings, and underwear that was almost a little bit too revealing. A group of guys crowded around her were clearly far drunker than they should have been, perhaps getting a little too close for comfort as she danced for them. Others were dressed a little more modestly- a person whose gender you couldn't really figure out was carrying a tray of drinks around to the various couches and tables where patrons were milling about, tucking notes into the pocket of their red silk shirt. Most of the men were dressed pretty predictably- shirtless, wearing a pair of pants, maybe suspenders. One or two were sporting detached collars and ties reminiscent of the guys in that VHS you definitely didn't own back North. * [[Ties. Just imagine that. Ties!|Yvette Intro Ties]]

//Nobody// wore ties where you came from. Or fur coats, for that matter. The sheer number of sequins existing between these walls was more sequins than the entire region you came from had to offer. Jesus christ, this place was //heaven.// And your drink was here! Good lord, could it get any better? Free liquor and luxury. And maybe some company later... or... a job? Yes, definitely a job. That was absolutely the plan. For sure. You turned back around to face the bar and grabbed your $drink. Before you even got to try it, you were interrupted by a sudden ruckus behind you. Shouting- angry, drunk shouting. It was like you brought the bad vibes with you, even here. * [[Maybe you should do something about that?|Yvette Intro Ruckus]] * [[You should at least look and see what's going on.|Yvette Intro Ruckus]]

Turning back around from the bar, it was clear that this place's perfect atmosphere had completely shattered. All the other patrons had turned to stare uselessly at the center of the sitting area, where that big group of guys had been sitting- now, all of them were on their feet, and evidently even more drunk than you had realized. The girl who'd been dancing for them was long gone, cowering behind one of her male coworkers by the wall as he gently patted her shoulder. A guy in overalls had the drunkest among them in a partial headlock, his shock of long hair hanging in his face as he struggled to get away. Specifically, he was trying to get at another man, one who was roughly twice his size and shouting profanities at him. A tray full of drinks was lying on the ground, broken glass glittering in the red lights and spilled wine seeping into the cracks in the hardwood floor. "Chill the fuck out," a voice rang out from the crowd, although you could hear a couple others egging them on. All this over the twinkling of a classy piano tune coming from the speakers. * [[Finally, an opportunity! Impress them! Get a job!|Yvette Intro Guard]] * [[...is anybody gonna do something about this? No? Just you?|Yvette Intro Begrudging]] * [[You should probably stay out of this. (Warning: selecting this will lock you out of future leads.)|Yvette Intro Ignore]]

It wasn't your fucking job to break up fights in this establishment. You took another sip of your $drink, sitting back and observing the chaos from a safe distance. It wasn't long before the guy with the long hair shrugged off the companion who was holding him back and was on top of the bigger man. A bottle of beer smashed on the ground between them. It was inelegant, far from the entertainment quality of a fight on tape. The muscular man was pulling the skinny guy's hair, who had in turn managed to get him backed into a table and was trying to get a solid hit on his face. You took another sip of your $drink. Gee, somebody should probably do something about that. * [[Not any of your business.|Yvette Intro Stairs Abstained]]

This was how people got jobs, right? By just kind of doing what the job entailed and hoping somebody in charge noticed? Sure, that logic didn't hold up for any of the other jobs at this establishment, but it was certainly applicable here. <<include "Yvette Intro Confront">>

You took a moment, looking around to see if anybody would step in. No? No. Okay. Your time to shine... begrudgingly. <<include "Yvette Intro Confront">>

Gingerly placing down your drink and hopping off your barstool, you strode over to where this little fight was about to go down. It was obvious from the redness of the overall guy's face that he wasn't going to be able to restrain his buddy much longer. But luckily, you had a pretty foolproof way of breaking this up. * <<link 'You can ABSOLUTELY take that skinny asshole. Beat him the fuck up. '>><<brawnroll 6 "Yvette Intro Brawn Success" "Yvette Intro Brawn Failure">><</link>> * <<link 'Just get them to calm down. No biggie. '>><<glamroll 12 "Yvette Intro Glam Success" "Yvette Intro Glam Failure">><</link>> * <<link 'You just have to try and negotiate. Figure out why they are so angry. '>><<savvyroll 8 "Yvette Intro Savvy Success" "Yvette Intro Savvy Failure">><</link>>

By the time you'd gotten over there, the guy in the overalls had been vanquished. His friend had managed to squirm out of his headlock and left him lying back on the couch behind him, panting and sweating. A real fight had started. It was inelegant, far from the entertainment quality of a fight on tape. The muscular man was pulling the skinny guy's hair, who had in turn managed to get him backed into a table and was trying to get a solid hit on his face. You had no choice but to throw yourself into them, a futile attempt to break them up. You became one part of a three way dance of punches, kicks, and scratching. None of it was particularly effective. And then, you heard a <<if $met.includes("reese")>>familiar <</if>>gruff voice from over your shoulder and felt the cool double-barrel muzzle of a shotgun press into your shoulder. "You three, get the fuck off the table before I fill ya full of buckshot." * [[You comply, like a scolded dog.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] * [[You comply, but like. Defiantly.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "failure">> <<set $temp1 = "floor">>

Your stride was fast and confident. Your punch had perfect form. Your fist collided with the guy's jaw while he was still in a solid headlock, prompting a shocked grunt from between his clenched teeth and a guffaw from the muscular guy egging him on. His head slumped to the side and he stopped fighting quite as hard against his buddy, who gave you a half-apologetic grimace. By the time you'd landed a second punch, sending bloody spittle to the hardwood floor, a <<if $met.includes("reese")>>familiar <</if>> figure had emerged from the doorway. <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>The guard <</if>>was pointing his shotgun, alternating between aiming at each of the perceived aggressors. "Chill the fuck out, you four." * [[You step back. Your work is already complete.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] * [[You step back. Maybe you shouldn't get shot over this.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "success">>

Your stride was fast and confident. Your voice was commanding and powerful. Your message was clear. "Boys, can you both calm down for a minute?" You were completely ignored, of course. Well, the guy who had his friend in a headlock seemed to care a little bit, as he looked over at you a moment before he got elbowed in the jaw and fell back into the couch. Before you could do anything about it, the one with the long hair had broken free and was on top of the other guy. It was inelegant, far from the entertainment quality of a fight on tape. The muscular man was pulling the skinny guy's hair, who had in turn managed to get him backed into a table and was trying to get a solid hit on his face. While you continued to stand there ineffectually, <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>walked over from the doorway with his shotgun pointed at the two fighting men. "Break it up, assholes. Unless you want buckshot in your skulls." * [[So that didn't really work out how you expected.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "failure">>

Your stride was fast and confident. Your voice was commanding and powerful. Your message was clear. "Boys, can you both calm down for a minute?" All three heads turned to look at you- the guy with the long hair looked like he would've spat at you if his hair weren't so thoroughly in his face, and the big guy had a similar sort of expression, while the one holding his friend back just looked dumbfounded. Having gotten their attention (and the attention of most of the crowd), you crossed your arms and scanned the two opposing sides. "You know, I could have sworn this was a respectable establishment. The two of you drunkards should be ashamed of yourself, disrespecting the hard working folks here with your silly, irrelevant squabbling." It didn't exactly serve the purpose you'd hoped. In fact, now the drunk guy's friend was holding him back from attacking //you//. But it did delay the fight a bit, by which point <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>had walked over bearing his shotgun. "You fellas oughta get moving before you get buckshot in your skulls," he intoned, calm enough to imply he'd dealt with this shit plenty of times before. * [[You stand there defiantly, arms crossed, vindicated.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "success">>

Without a moment to spare, you strode over to where this potential fight was about to happen. The best way to break up a fight? Facts and logic, of course. You didn't need physical power to intimidate anyone- your brain had all the brawn you needed. "Hey, what's this all about," you called over. You were completely ignored, of course. Well, the guy who had his friend in a headlock seemed to care a little bit, as he looked over at you a moment before he got elbowed in the jaw and fell back into the couch. Before you could do anything about it, the one with the long hair had broken free and was on top of the other guy. It was inelegant, far from the entertainment quality of a fight on tape. The muscular man was pulling the skinny guy's hair, who had in turn managed to get him backed into a table and was trying to get a solid hit on his face. While you continued to stand there ineffectually, <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>walked over from the doorway with his shotgun pointed at the two fighting men. "Break it up, assholes. Unless you want buckshot in your skulls." * [[So that didn't really work out how you expected.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "failure">>

Ugh. Fucking muscleheads. Before this came to blows, perhaps you could find a way to get them to calm down. You strode towards them, calling over, "Hey, what's this all about?" By a stroke of luck, you weren't ignored. The guys both looked over at you, fire in their eyes- though you couldn't see the drunkard's eyes through his mass of hair. That was just an assumption. "This asshole's been getting all handsy with my girl," the big guy spat, "so I'm giving him a piece of my mind. What's it to you, jackass?" The woman in question, who was most certainly not anyone's girl (at least, not any of the guys here), was still cowering behind her coworker- you'd believe that story. The long-haired guy was certainly drunk enough to be harassing employees here. Clearly infuriated by how he was being portrayed, the drunk guy cut in with his own perspective- "This guy gets all pissed off when his favourite girl gets attention from anybody else, like she's his fucking property!" The plot thickens. Given that the girl had been entertaining the group, perhaps jealousy was a motivating factor in this spat after all. None of this mattered, because by the time you were ready to give your verdict <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>had already walked over and was aiming his shotgun at the two combatants. "Y'all better shut the fuck up and walk out those doors if you don't want buckshot in your brains." * [[Brawn and brains, working in harmony. Kumbaya.|Yvette Intro Stairs]] <<set $temp = "success">>

The whole room fell silent. You weren't even aware that the ambience was loud before, so focused on this fight- but suddenly you could hear only the bright piano through the club's speakers and the slow click of high-heeled shoes from the center of the room. <<if $temp1 == "floor">>From where you were lying, in a heap on the ground staring up at the lavish staircase, it was like watching an angel descend from the vault of heaven. <<else>>You were quiet with the rest of the patrons as your eyes were drawn to the staircase, reverent like worshippers watching the Northern Lights through the open ceiling of a crowded church. <</if>>He was making his way at a leisurely pace down the stairs- the sheer red robe he wore was pooled around his elbows and its fur trimmed hem dragged along the stairs like the train of a high-class gown. He had a pair of patent leather pants on, shiny and alluring, that clung close to his willowy legs and stopped short just above his hips. Under it, a red skintight bodysuit with a high neckline. The bottom was cut high enough to expose some pale skin on his hips, which somehow felt even more revealing than wearing nothing. An array of garish pearl and gold chain necklaces were hanging from his neck, a ruby pendant in a teardrop shape the most prominent among them. Without a doubt, this must have been the owner. "And what on Earth is going on down here?" His voice had a masculine tone with an effete lilt to it. His face was the same- angular in a feminine way, with a refined nose and plucked brows, partially hidden by a dramatic curl of pale blonde hair. His lips were painted a deep crimson, his eyes done up like an old silver screen starlet. As he paused to lean over the railing, everyone was enraptured. He had his slender fingers wrapped around a glass of red wine, one long, claw-like scarlet nail tapping against the side. "Can a lady not have a nice, relaxing bath in his own brothel without being interrupted by bickering children?" The idea of this person having been in a bathtub just prior was absurd, and yet you <<if $temp1 == "floor">>still felt the intense shame of having interrupted him boring down on you.<<else>>believed him wholeheartedly.<</if>> "Darling," he called over towards <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese<<else>>the guard<</if>>. "Please escort these gentlemen out of the establishment." His attention then snapped to the drunk men, all of whom looked mortified. "If I see any of your faces in this building again, I'll have you skinned and gutted like deer and your skulls made into goblets. Understood?" The room was silent again, only the occasional cough or shuffling shoe covering up the gentle piano music. There was a moments delay, the men seemingly too panicked to do anything, before <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>cleared his throat and gestured to the door with his head. "Out. Now." <<if $temp == "failure">>You wondered for a moment if you were included in that order. <<if $temp1 == "floor">>Scrambling to your feet, you brushed yourself off in an attempt to look somewhat presentable. <</if>>Your eyes darted between the commanding figure on the stairs and the guy with the shotgun, waiting for some kind of input.<</if>> The beauty on the stairs pointed you out with a dainty finger. You could feel the eyes of the crowd boring into your back. "That one... send $pro.them upstairs, would you?" * [[Oh shit. Oh fuck. You fucked up, didn't you?|Yvette Intro Panic]] * [[Upstairs? With him? Maybe... someplace private? How lucky can you get?|Yvette Intro Lucky]] * [[You have the distinct feeling you're about to be skinned and gutted like a deer.|Yvette Intro Panic]] * [[Honestly, that's a risk you're willing to take.|Yvette Intro Lucky]] <<if $identity.includes("genderfuck")>>\ <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(20)>>\ <</if>>\

The whole room fell silent. You weren't even aware that the ambience was loud before, so focused on this fight- but suddenly you could hear only the bright piano through the club's speakers and the slow click of high-heeled shoes from the center of the room. <<if $temp1 == "floor">>From where you were lying, in a heap on the ground staring up at the lavish staircase, it was like watching an angel descend from the vault of heaven. <<else>>You were quiet with the rest of the patrons as your eyes were drawn to the staircase, reverent like worshippers watching the Northern Lights through the open ceiling of a crowded church. <</if>>He was making his way at a leisurely pace down the stairs- the sheer red robe he wore was pooled around his elbows and its fur trimmed hem dragged along the stairs like the train of a high-class gown. He had a pair of patent leather pants on, shiny and alluring, that clung close to his willowy legs and stopped short just above his hips. Under it, a red skintight bodysuit with a high neckline. The bottom was cut high enough to expose some pale skin on his hips, which somehow felt even more revealing than wearing nothing. An array of garish pearl and gold chain necklaces were hanging from his neck, a ruby pendant in a teardrop shape the most prominent among them. Without a doubt, this must have been the owner. "And what on Earth is going on down here?" His voice had a masculine tone with an effete lilt to it. His face was the same- angular in a feminine way, with a refined nose and plucked brows, partially hidden by a dramatic curl of pale blonde hair. His lips were painted a deep crimson, his eyes done up like an old silver screen starlet. As he paused to lean over the railing, everyone was enraptured. He had his slender fingers wrapped around a glass of red wine, one long, claw-like scarlet nail tapping against the side. "Can a lady not have a nice, relaxing bath in his own establishment without being interrupted by bickering children?" The idea of this person having been in a bathtub just prior was absurd, and yet you <<if $temp1 == "floor">>still felt the intense shame of having interrupted him boring down on you.<<else>>believed him wholeheartedly.<</if>> "Darling," he called over towards <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese<<else>>the guard<</if>>. "Please escort these gentlemen out of the building." His attention then snapped to the drunk men, all of whom looked mortified. "If I see any of your faces in this building again, I'll have you skinned and gutted like deer and your skulls made into goblets. Understood?" The room was silent again, only the occasional cough or shuffling shoe covering up the gentle piano music. There was a moments delay, the men seemingly too panicked to do anything, before <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese <<else>>the guard <</if>>cleared his throat and gestured to the door with his head. "Out. Now." And just like that, <<if $met.includes("reese")>>Reese<<else>>the guard<</if>> escorted the men out and the commnding presence retreated once more into the darkness of the second floor. The sounds of the room started up again. You finished off your drink. What a strange encounter. * [[Very strange, indeed.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-20)>>\ <<set $playedleads.push("roseandthorn")>>\ <<set $leads.delete("roseandthorn")>>\

You took a few tentative steps towards the staircase, the crowd around you parting to let you pass. Jesus, you were definitely dead, right? Like, you were going to go upstairs and be tied to a table and bled out and have all your teeth ripped out one by one or something. That was what they did in places like this, right? Or, well, this was a house of ill repute. Maybe there would be some blindfolding and whips involved. As you looked up from the bottom of the stairs behind that velvet rope, he curled two outstretched fingers, beckoning you up into the darkness. * [[You follow.|Yvette Intro Upstairs]] * [[No, fuck this. You leave.|Yvette Intro Flee]]

You strode towards the staircase, the crowd around you parting to let you pass. This was probably dangerous, but you weren't particularly able to help yourself. You were too excited by the possibilities. As you looked up from the bottom of the stairs behind that velvet rope, he curled two outstretched fingers, beckoning you up into the darkness. * [[You follow.|Yvette Intro Upstairs]] * [[No, actually, fuck this. You leave.|Yvette Intro Flee]]

What on earth were you doing? So transfixed by this display of wealth and taste that your better judgement was abandoned on the street outside. You weren't going to be lured upstairs to be seduced (or murdered). <<if $leads.includes("roseandthorn")>>This was exactly what Doc was warning you about. <</if>>It was time to shake yourself out of this trance and walk out that front door. * [[You raised your head high, turned around, and walked right out. (Warning: selecting this will lock you out of future leads.)|Yvette Intro Walk Out]] * [[On second thought... you still really need the money...|Yvette Intro Upstairs]] * [[On second thought... maybe being seduced isn't so bad...|Yvette Intro Upstairs]]

A thick red rope was attached to either side of the railing with a gold hook, which you gingerly lifted off the loop where it sat. The velvet was soft against your skin, soft like his blonde coiff looked, pale and shimmering beneath the red light. Reattaching the rope behind you to keep any unwelcome hanger-ons from following, you started up the staircase. By the time you'd turned back around, the darkness had once again swallowed him- like a phantom, only your memory assured you that he'd ever been there in the first place. Step by step you ascended, unsure of what was waiting for you at the top. * [[Up, into the darkness.|Yvette Intro Couch]]

It took a moment for your vision to adjust up here. Absent the bright red lights of the main floor, it felt like descending into a dungeon. That, or your childhood home at night, lit only by the warm glow of a kerosene lamp and the screen of your Game Boy. When it came into focus, the room was far more garishly decorated. This place had never seen the scrap wood and peeling paint of the outside world. Stains were foreign to it. A small lobby leading off into two long hallways, with dark wood moulding and glossy red patterns on its walls, filled with the most glorious furniture you'd ever seen. Chairs and tables carved from mahogany, paintings of exotic fruits and wine in frames that cost more than you would. At the center of your attention, though, was this incredible chaise longue- uphonstered in rich red velvet with a tufted back and plush pillows. Reclining on it, watching you enter with an approving nod, the lady of the manor. Just above him there was another painting on the wall- a large portrait of himself in a gold-leaf frame, surrounded by drapery and the trappings of wealth. It was somehow both impressive and deeply tacky. "I'm so glad you came," he purred, as if he hadn't just watched you walk up the stairs moments before. "Some people are a little... intimidated by me. Scared, even." After a beat, he asked, "do you blame them?" * [[“That seems... unfair.”|Yvette Intro Fearless]] * [[“Not gonna lie, yeah, you're kind of scary.”|Yvette Intro Fear]] * [[“Do you want me to be scared?”|Yvette Intro Questioning]] <<set $met.push("yvette")>>\

"Indeed," he nodded, draped over the chaise, faking a tragic look. "You get it. Judging a book by its cover is just cruel. I can't help that I inspire fear in people." He probably could, honestly. "Why did you want me to come talk to you?" You were still a bit wary but trying to present an unbothered vibe. Probably unsuccessfully. <<include "Yvette Intro Answer">>

A grin spread across his lips. "Indeed." Not much else needed to be said. "Why did you invite me upstairs?" You were trying your hardest not to signal fear. Sharks can smell blood in the water. <<include "Yvette Intro Answer">> <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(5)>>\

"Oh! That is the question, isn't it!" He held out his glass of wine towards you as if to toast to your intelligence. "I'd like you to be very scared of wronging me, and even more eager to please. That's not specific to you, of course, that's what I expect from everyone." "Is that why you invited me upstairs?" What importance you served to him, some nobody who'd never shown your face here before, was unclear. <<include "Yvette Intro Answer">>

<<if $temp == "success">>\ "Well, how could I not? You //defused// that situation very nicely... that's a skill I need. And a skill I pay people for, although you seemed quite willing to do it for free!" He took a long sip of his wine before adding to that- "And of course there are times that having somebody from out of town around can pay off..." <<else>>\ <<if $temp1 == "floor">>\ "Normally you'd be on the street right now after a display like that, but I couldn't bring myself to do it- you just looked //so cute// lying on the ground looking up at me, all injured and whatnot..." He took a long sip of his wine, evaluating your reaction to that. "And I've been in need of somebody to help me out with something... discreet. Since you're from out of town, perhaps you could give me a hand?" <<else>>\ "Well, as much as your little display down there didn't turn out as planned, I appreciate the willingness to put yourself in danger... without even needing to be paid!" He took a long sip of his wine, smiling behind the glass. "In all honesty, I am mostly just looking for some help with... discreet work. And since you're from out of town, I figured you'd be right for the job." <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[“What a nice coincidence. I've been looking for work.”|Yvette Intro Work]]</li> <li> [[“Wait... how do you know that?”|Yvette Intro Spying]]</li> <li> [[“I'm not sure I want to work for you...”|Yvette Intro Unsure]]</li> <li> [[“I was hoping you were looking for... other things.”|Yvette Intro Horny]]</li> </ul>\ <<unset $temp>> <<unset $temp1>>

He shifted a little to set his glass down on the side table next to the chaise. There was a black lace doily there, seemingly for this specific purpose. A little red charm that hung around the stem, a teardrop-shape stone, clinked against the glass as it was placed aside. "The job would involve about equal measures sweet-talking and overt violence. Would you say that's something you excel at?" * [[“Being hot is like, my one skill. Hell yeah.”|Yvette Intro Agree]] * [[“Yeah, I like hurting people.”|Yvette Intro Agree]] * [[“I've got some experience with people. Talking to and hurting them.”|Yvette Intro Agree]] * [[“I'm... uh... yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”|Yvette Intro Agree]]

"How do I know what?" He pouted just a little, the red of his painted lips catching the light. As if he didn't know what he had just said wrong. Don't get distracted now, you were thinking. This was not the time to get distracted. "You said I was new in town. How did you know that?" You received an unconcerned shrug. "I have my ways. What, is that a dealbreaker for you?" * [[“That's fucking creepy. Why would I want to work for you if you're spying on me?”|Yvette Intro Unsure]] * [[“And what else do you know about me?”|Yvette Intro Important]] * [[“Honestly, that's kinda hot.”|Yvette Intro Horny]] * [[“I can't afford to have high standards right now. Sure, I'll work for you.”|Yvette Intro Work]]

A crooked smile crept across his lips. His voice cold with a tint of amusement, he muttered, "Oh, you find me attractive? That's cute." If you had a health bar, that would have knocked a few points off of it. Christ. <<if $identity.includes("genderfuck")>>\ Seeing the defeat in your eyes, he giggled. "I'm just teasing you, darling. But how about we leave dessert for after the main course, shall we?" <<else>>\ Seeing the defeat in your eyes, he nodded and continued- "So, are you interested in working for me or not? I have very little time to waste on horny youths." <</if>>\ * [[“Uh... yeah. I really need money.”|Yvette Intro Agree]] * [[“Honestly I was just here because I thought we were gonna have sex.”|Yvette Intro Disagree]] <<set $flirt.yvette += 1>>\

He threw back his head and let out an exaggerated sigh, his blonde curls bouncing softly around his chin. "How is it so hard to find good help? I am just an honest businessman, honey. And yet everyone judges me so harshly- what, because of the way I look? Cruel." "That's not what-" "Fine, then!" His hands went up as if to signal defeat, his plucked brows wrenched in a look of obvious faux-distress. "If it's the only way to convince you, I'll give you a 25% employee discount on all our services and free drinks at the bar. Is that enough?" * [[“I'm just gonna leave.”|Yvette Intro Leave]] * [[“Jesus, fine. Yeah. Sure.”|Yvette Intro Agree]] <<set $temp to "discount">>\ <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-10)>>\

His pout turned into a tiny smile, tilting his head to side. "Hon, do you really think you're that important? I know almost nothing about you. Now, do you want the job or not?" * [[“I'm just gonna leave.”|Yvette Intro Leave]] * [[“Jesus, fine. Yeah. Sure.”|Yvette Intro Agree]]

"I am looking for a professional who is willing to do discrete work for me that involves violence. Does that sound like something you can do?" He was clearly getting impatient with you. "I can be plenty discrete. Violence... I mean, if you're into that." Rolling his eyes, his whole head following the motion, he clarified, "Non sexually." "Not even a little bit sexually?" "I will give you a 25% discount on all of our services." You pursed your lips. "Are //your// services for sale?" You were, like, pretty determined to have sex with this very intimidating rich person. Judging by your conversation so far, it seemed like pretty much your main goal. You were met with an exasperated groan. "If you do //good work// for me, I will //consider// allowing you to pay //full price// to have sex with me. If only for the opportunity to whip you. Now, is that a deal?" * [[“Too many qualifiers on that. I'm gonna pass.”|Yvette Intro Leave]] * [[“Hell yeah!”|Yvette Intro Agree]] <<set $temp to "discount">>\ <<set $relationship.yvette to $relationship.yvette.fm(-10)>>\

With that, he swung his legs down off the chaise and straightened up, leaning forward. "Okay. This meeting is over, then. Enjoy your stay downstairs, but please leave the VIP section at once." He made a shooing motion with his hand, urging you towards the staircase. He seemed truly and completely unconcerned with your decision. * [[You turn and walk downstairs, a little disappointed at how this had turned out.|Yvette Intro Complete]] * [[You turn and walk downstairs, confident you made the right choice.|Yvette Intro Complete]] <<unset $temp>>\

"Wonderful! Come, darling, let's talk." With two dainty fingers he pointed to a soft red armchair tucked against the wall adjacent to the chaise. Still a little wary, you made your way across the room to do as he instructed.<<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("footwear")>> Your _item clicked against the polished hardwood floor with each step.<</if>><</for>> Just as you suspected, the chair was incredibly soft, your body sinking into it as you sat. Your new boss had turned towards you, his hands folded on the arm of the chaise, his chin lightly resting on them. "So what exactly is it that you need me to do?" You were eager to get to work. The sooner the work, the sooner the paycheck. And you needed a goddamn paycheck. "Now, hon, let's take it one step at a time." He extracted his right hand from under his chin and reached out towards you, inviting a polite handshake. "You can call me Yvette. Yourself?" * [[You firmly shake his hand and introduce yourself.|Yvette Intro Firm]] * [[You weakly shake his hand and tell him your name.|Yvette Intro Weak]] <<if $temp == "discount">>\ <<SetFlag "EmployeeDiscount">>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <</if>>\

You squeezed his hand firmly, feeling the tips of his long nails digging into your skin as he did the same. His fingers were bony but his skin was soft. It was the skin of somebody who'd never done a day's hard labour in his life. Your skin, guaranteed, did not feel nearly that soft. What were you, to him? <<include "Yvette Intro Handshake">>

You accepted the handshake and almost yelped as you felt his hand close around yours and his nails dig into your skin. His hand was far stronger than its dainty look would have you believe. Soft, too, soft like rose petals. <<include "Yvette Intro Handshake">>

"I'm <<print $player.name>>." "Charmed." He released your hand, letting his arm fall and dangle casually from the arm of the chair. "Now, the work I need from you... well, it will become obvious with time. But first of all, I would like you to accompany me to a little place up in The Heights to meet one of my dear friends. It's a very exclusive club, consider yourself lucky to be invited." You considered the request for a moment. What sort of work were you doing that would simply 'become obvious with time?' "In what... capacity... am I going? As a body guard?" "As arm candy, sweetie." He laughed, like it was a silly question. * [[You're a little flustered. “Oh, um... so like, a date?”|Yvette Intro Date]] * [[You're a little flustered. “I'm sorry, Yvette, I'm not really interested in you like that...”|Yvette Intro Deny]]

<<if $relationship.yvette gte 60>>\ "Make no mistake, this is a fact finding mission!" He giggled a bit, his face adorned with a (seemingly) genuine smile. "But yes, like a date." <<else>>\ "Oh, heavens, darling, no!" He laughed, burying his face in his hands as if in a show of embarrassment. "I just need you to pretend to be my latest fling, you know? Make it seem natural." That hurt a little. <</if>>\ You nodded. Still a little flustered. All of this was a lot to take in. "So, um... who is this 'friend' I'm supposed to meet?" "She's a //very// important person, darling," he told you, clearly evading your question. "I think you'll like her. Magnetic personality, that one. And what a body..." * [[“What kind of important are we talking about here?”|Yvette Intro Official]] * [[“...so she's hot?”|Yvette Intro Hot]] <<set $flirt.yvette += 1>>\

"Oh, heavens, darling, it's not a //real// date!" He laughed, burying his face in his hands as if in a show of embarrassment. "I just need you to pretend to be my latest fling, you know? Make it seem natural." You nodded along. "Okay, yeah, I can do that." How hard would it be to pretend to be attracted to somebody? "And if it's because you're not into men, don't worry," he reassured you. "My friend happens to be a very beautiful young woman, very important too, and I think she'll find you //very// interesting." * [[“What kind of important are we talking about here?”|Yvette Intro Official]] * [[“So you're introducing me to your rich, hot friends? And paying me for it?”|Yvette Intro Pay]]

"Oh, well, I'd prefer to leave payment for when the job is done. Think of this as a test run. I want to see if this arrangement is going to work out." Yvette pouted a little, batting his lashes. "So you're just going to have to come to this exclusive club and hang out with the rich and famous for no pay. I'm sorry, I know that's a big ask." "So this outing... no work? All play?" "Absolutely." He picked his wine glass back up and took a long sip, leaving a red mark on the side of the cup where a bit of his lip stain rubbed off. "Although I suppose you might consider pretending to be my //special friend// a chore, huh?" * [[“Sounds like a good deal to me.”|Yvette Intro Deal]] * [[“I guess I can do that. As long as I'm getting paid... later.”|Yvette Intro Deal]]

Yvette chuckled. "I'm glad you have your priorities in the right place. Yes, she is hot. You're going to be absolutely surrounded by babes, how will you ever survive?" "This is sounding like a better and better deal," you admitted. This casual conversation was helping you ease up a little. He was an intimidating host, but the more you talked to him, the less you felt like you were going to be skinned alive. "I'm getting paid for this?" <<include "Yvette Intro Pay">>

"Heiress to the water throne," Yvette murmured, a faux conspiratorial tone in his voice. "Owner of XElectrics, biggest electrical company in the city. Runs the Signal Hill militia, unofficially of course. She's got everyone from the tallest peak of that radio tower to the abandoned sewers under her thumb. We're talking very, //very// important here." "Wow. Yeah, she sounds... impressive." Breaking his facade, Yvette rolled his eyes and giggled. "She's a drug addict who inherited daddy's fortune. Don't expect an intellectually stimulating conversation out of her. Drop dead gorgeous, though. If you like skinny girls." "Oh." He didn't seem to hold this 'friend' in very high regard. "Now don't be all sensitive about it," he argued, an insincere pout crossing his lips. "I'm not saying anything she wouldn't say about herself. We have a great relationship, hon. We like to make fun of each other, you know? In a fun way." * [[“I'll take your word for it.”|Yvette Intro Deal]] * [[“I'll be sure to ask about that.”|Yvette Intro Deal]]

"Wonderful. Meet me at the Waveform in The Heights, and we'll see about getting to know each other a little bit better." He flashed you a big smile, with these impossibly white teeth you'd only see in old tapes. And a fleeting glimpse of canines that were just a little sharper than normal. <<if $skill.savvy gte 1>>His whole appearance was so deeply planned, it occurred to you- every piece of this look was crafted for some arcane purpose, and surely it was succeeding. You were a puppet on a string.<</if>> * [[“I'm looking forward to it.”|Yvette Intro Finish]] * [[“I'll see you there, then.”|Yvette Intro Finish]] <<addlead "waveform" "Ride the Waveform">>

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|Rose and Thorn Hub]]</h5> <<completelead "roseandthorn">>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("lamplighters") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <<if not $leads.includes("checkup") and not $playedleads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

This was probably for the best. <<if $leads.includes("roseandthorn")>>You'd have to thank Doc later for the advice. This place was freaky.<<else>>Whatever went on in a place like this, it wasn't your damn business.<</if>> * [[Now, time to get back to your regularly scheduled mischief.|Red Light District]] <<set $playedleads.push("roseandthorn")>>\ <<set $leads.delete("roseandthorn")>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("lamplighters") and $playedleads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <<if not $leads.includes("checkup") and not $playedleads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<addlead "checkup" "Checkup">>\ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<h1>"""----""" NEW STORY """----"""</h1> <h5>[[SHOTGUN ROMANCE|Shotgun Approach]]</h5> <<set $datedemerits = 0>>\

By the time you showed up for your date, the sun was hanging low in the sky. A reddish glow filtered through the window that overlooked Reese's booth. It cast a long shadow of his whiskey glass across the uneven surface of the table. Next to it, a ceramic ashtray, and the glow of a cigarette resting on its lip. Reese gave you an unbothered glance. He'd changed since he left work- the thematically appropriate red tank was replaced by tee shirt with a faded logo for a motorcycle company barely legible on the chest. Under the table, his worn jeans were rolled up just a bit higher than the tops of his combat boots. You could just barely spot a tattoo on his left leg- what it was? Unclear. You slid into the booth across from him. The seats had once been red vinyl, now cracked in deep crevices with age and patched with duct tape. A checkered plastic sheet was wrapped over the wooden tabletop, folded and stapled at its corners. Reese's fingers drummed on its surface to the beat of an old Rolling Stones song faintly playing from the radio. "I almost thought you weren't gonna show up." "Same to you." This seemed like the kind of place to get stood up on a warm Thursday evening. "Want a drink?" He gestured to the bar with his head, where the portly bartender was pouring out a glass of whiskey for a customer who looked like he'd had far too much already. "On me, since you were polite enough to show up." * [[“Thanks, but I'm good.”|Shotgun No Drink]] * [[“I'll have what you're having.”|Shotgun Whiskey]] * [[“What kind of cocktails do they serve here?”|Shotgun Cocktails][$datedemerits += 1]]

<<set $temp = "none">>\ He shrugged, unbothered by your denial. Less cash out of his pocket. <<include "Shotgun Chatter">>

<<set $temp = "whiskey">>\ He started to stand up, muttering under his breath, "Let me get that for you... the owner's a real piece of work." Standing, you could get a better look at his rolled up jeans and the tattoo under them- an anchor across his ankle, wrapped up in twisted rope. Interesting iconography for someone living in a desert. <<include "Shotgun Frosted">> <<include "Shotgun Chatter">>

<<set $temp = "rum">>\ Reese's top lip curled into an incredulous grin. "Cocktails, eh? What, you want a cosmopolitan? A sex on the beach?" You were... a little offended, maybe. What, was it unreasonable to expect cocktails from a bar? What else was the purpose of a bar, besides making pretty looking drinks that you could sip on while flirting with your hot date? "Does a rum and coke work?" He started standing up to head over to the bar. "A rum and coke is fine." Only a little offended, but all of it showed in your voice. <<include "Shotgun Frosted">> <<include "Shotgun Chatter">>

He was gone for a good few minutes, during which time you stared out the frosted window next to you. Through the haze, you could see folks passing- most clad in functional denim attire, work shirts and overalls and jumpsuits. On their way home from the factories. A woman was pulling her long hair out of a bun, and a man walking next to her was running a hand along his side, cradling an old injury. Your mind was brought back to the bar by the sound of solid glass hitting wood. Reese dropped your drink off and slid back into his seat across from you. A few sad looking ice cubes floated in the <<if $temp == "whiskey">>golden liquid.<<else>>dark liquid.<</if>> Didn't look too appetizing.

"So I haven't seen you around before. New in town?" He took a sip of his whiskey, eyeing you up. Wondering the answer, or wondering how you'd react to the question. "I'm from up North. Just got here, actually." "Oh?" There was something about that which intrigued him. "What brought you here, of all places?" * [[“I was looking for excitement. Everything up North was so boring.”|Shotgun Boring]] * [[“I was looking for work. There wasn't much up there in terms of jobs, and I heard there was work to be found in the big city.”|Shotgun Big City]] * [[“I travel all over the place.”|Shotgun Nomad]]

"Oh, was it, huh?" A smile crept across his face, sly and yet interested. "What kind of excitement were you looking for?" "Oh, you know. What everybody's looking for. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll." Mostly weird techno, actually, but that was besides the point. Reese nodded approvingly. "Used to be my scene too, believe me. I think my body got too used to it. Partying like that just doesn't do it for me anymore." He took a drag off his cigarette, glancing out the window. Behind him, a group of folks stepped inside the bar, the bell over the door heralding their arrival with a low chime. "So how are you finding it here?" * [[“It's incredible.”|Shotgun Incredible]] * [[“It's miserable.”|Shotgun Miserable]]

An odd smile crossed Reese's face, tinged with bitterness. "Yeah, that's what everybody who moves here heard. If only it were true- hah." "To be fair, I haven't exactly found a steady source of income yet." Although also to be fair, this story wouldn't be a very interesting one if you settled down with a cozy office job, would it? "Okay, let me correct myself," Reese muttered. Behind him, the bell over the door sang a low chime as a group of folks stepped inside the bar. "There's plenty of work here, more than enough to go around. If you want to work 12 hours in the factory and then come home to your 100 square foot apartment with your two kids you can't afford to put through school." Ah. "That's how things are, is it?" "Why do you think I did mercenary work and scavenging my whole life?" He pursed his lips and shook his head. "Of course, that's against the law now. But enough about me. How are you finding the city?" * [[“It's incredible.”|Shotgun Incredible]] * [[“It's miserable.”|Shotgun Miserable]]

Reese nodded along. "That's cool. Like where?" <<if $identity.includes("nomad")>>\ <<include "Shotgun Nomad Confirm">> <<else>>\ "Oh, y'know. All kinds of places." Was that... strictly accurate? <<include "nomad">> Would you like to accept this identity? <h1>"""---""" <<link "YES">><<addidentity "nomad" "Nomad">><<goto "Shotgun Nomad Confirm">><</link>> / [[NO|Shotgun Nomad Lie]] """---"""</h1> <</if>>\

"I used to spend a lot of time moving between Tombstone and Pawlett- not sure if you'd know 'em, they're both a little further North of here. I stopped just about everywhere in between." That was one of your longest running gigs, as soon as you left your hometown behind. All the way from East to West and back again. He seemed pretty interested. "Sure you'd probably have a whole lot of stories, huh? Got into much trouble?" "Oh, all sorts." <<if $temp == "none">>You glanced past him at a group of folks entering the bar. The bell over the door sang a soft chime as they stepped inside.<<else>>You took a sip of your drink, feeling the familiar burn of alcohol against the back of your throat. The bell at the front door sang a soft chime as a group of folks entered the bar.<</if>> "I got robbed more times than I can count. It's pretty typical in the shipping industry." Reese chuckled. "I've survived my fair share of those. Perpetrated a couple too!" You nodded and laughed. Funny how such a thing would have been such a big deal decades ago, and now it's small talk. The world has a way of changing for the worse. He took a drag off his cigarette before continuing, smoke wafting from between his lips. "And how're you liking Signal Hill?" * [[“It's incredible.”|Shotgun Incredible]] * [[“It's miserable.”|Shotgun Miserable]]

"I, uh... I used to stay pretty close to home, but I got around. The North is a big place." All true, just not a very exciting truth. In turn, Reese didn't seem too impressed. He took a long drag off his cigarette- behind him, a group of folks entered the bar, the bell over the doorway chiming to herald their approach. He continued as if you'd never said anything, smoke wafting from between his lips. "So how are you liking Signal Hill?" * [[“It's incredible.”|Shotgun Incredible]] * [[“It's miserable.”|Shotgun Miserable]] <<set $datedemerits += 1>>\

"There's so much to do. So many people. It's really... freeing." "Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow at you, the one with the scar through it. It was that kind of scar that makes the person it belongs to look hot as fuck, like some kind of action tape hero with a dark past and a brooding personality. Somebody could certainly call it ugly, but that person's taste would be questionable. "What kind of shit are you getting up to, huh? Other than hanging around brothels and chatting up security guards." <ul>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("waveform")>>\ <li> [[“Well, your boss brought me to this upscale club and I met this rich girl. That was fun.”|Shotgun Waveform]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("testrun")>>\ <li> [[“Well, I've been working with this mercenary group.”|Shotgun Test Run]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Nah, mostly the brothel thing.”|Shotgun Brothel]]</li> </ul>\

"Is that so?" His lips curled up into an amused smile. They were thin and a little chapped, but also had this rosy pink flush to them. Very alive. "She's already got you hanging out with her fancy friends? That's impressive. She must like you." You were... unconvinced of that. "I think it's just a lead up to a job. He was really adamant about Yasmin liking me." Reese offered you a sarcastic pout. "Not fair. Why'd you get to do that job and not me? Rich girls love butches." "I'm not sure if you'd have fit in there," you teased, leaning forward on the table. "For one, the drinks were all froofy cocktails. And everybody was dressed so fancy. I mean //really// fancy." He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that's not really my scene, huh?" "Speaking of which," you said, "enough about me. I want to hear about //your// story. How'd you wind up at the Rose?" * [[He doesn't exactly fit in there, after all.|Shotgun Rose]]

"Oh, is that so?" He leaned forward, a grin creeping across his face. In a slightly hushed tone, he asked, "You wouldn't happen to be talking about the Lamplighters, would you?" "Would that be a good or bad thing?" "Neutral," he corrected with a chuckle. "I used to run with them back in the day. Gave up that life for this cushy job instead. No hard feelings, though." You nodded. That seemed... right. He seemed like he'd fit in with them just fine. "Oh, oh- next time you go back there, tell Arjun he still owes me. His reaction'll be priceless." His smile was a mischievous one, but not a malicious one. "Will do." You filed that away in your mental to do list for later. "Speaking of which... I'm curious. How'd you go from being a freelancer to working security at a place like the Rose?" * [[He doesn't exactly fit in there, after all.|Shotgun Rose]] <<addlead "arjunsdebt" "Arjun's Debt">>\

"Hopefully you've been to a //variety// of brothels and not just Yvette's joint." He said it with something approaching disdain. Weird. "Not yet," you admitted. "Speaking of which... how'd you even end up working at the Rose?" * [[He doesn't exactly fit in there, after all.|Shotgun Rose]]

Reese chuckled, shaking his head in mournful agreement. "Yeah, you don't have to tell //me// that. I grew up here!" "I really thought the big city would be... y'know. Exciting. Fun. So far I've just been struggling to get by and everybody's been out to get me." "That's the secret. They make out like it's some paradise, and get all sorts of cheap labour out of the folks who don't know any better. You would've been better off staying up North." He paused. "Well, I guess up North the powerful people probably just have their own way of screwing over the little guy, huh? You're probably fucked no matter what." "I'd say." An unfortunate truth, but a truth nonetheless. "But enough about me. I want to hear about //you//. How'd you wind up working at the Rose?" * [[He doesn't exactly fit in there, after all.|Shotgun Rose]]

"Believe it or not, Yvette and I go way back. I knew her back when we were just a couple genderfucks living on the street and partying non-stop." There was a wistful smile on his face, and his pale blue eyes were distant. The good ol' days. "By the time she set that place up, well, I was doing mercenary work and she was a... well, I don't know how much money she has, but a lot. She offered me a gig there, and I accepted." "Living on the streets? Damn. Talk about a rags to riches story." You would never in your wildest dreams have pegged Yvette as a street urchin. You couldn't imagine him as anything but that imposing figure looming over you on the stairs, resplendent, rich, and demanding respect. "Oh. Don't tell her I said that. She doesn't like people knowing that. It doesn't fit the //mythos//, y'know." The mythos. Interesting. "Seems like a pretty good job though, right?" Reese contemplated that question for a second, taking a drink of his whiskey and swishing it in his mouth before swallowing. "I mean, the job's fine. The place itself, though? Awful." * [[“What do you mean by that?”|Shotgun Thorn]]

Reese leaned forward with his fingers intertwined on the table in front of him, a conspiratorial tone in his voice. "Can I let you in on a little secret?" "Sure." "The Rose and Thorn isn't a real brothel. It's like... an //amusement park//. You know what those are? Old world places you'd take your kids in summer, with big machines that'd toss everybody around to get their hearts pumping?" You nodded. You were vaguely familiar with the concept of an amusement park. Not that you really understood the analogy. "The Rose is like that, but for sex. It's for people so rich that the real whorehouses scare them, the people whose idea of kink is fuzzy handcuffs and who'd faint if they saw leg hair." His voice was a little hushed, and you had to really lean in to hear him now that there were more customers at the bar. "They go there and pay some exorbitant price for a girl wearing five pounds of makeup to hit them lightly with a paddle, so they can pretend they're //living// without all the hassle of really being //alive//. It's nothing like the real scene." * [[“And what's the real scene like, then?”|Shotgun Scene]]

"Messy. Sweaty." He propped his cigarette up between his teeth, slurring his words a little as he spoke around it. "I don't mean just the brothels, y'know? The bars, the clubs. The Red Light used to be a haven for queers and workers down on their luck. Still is- but it's also a tourist destination." Even more customers had entered by now, and between the music on the radio and the loud chatter at the bar it was starting to get hard to hear him. You leaned in even closer, and he did too, till your faces were less than a foot away. "Sounds like a good time." "That's not my world anymore." The slightest bit of smoke escaped his mouth as he spoke. "That kind of thing is for young ladies. I'm 30 now, I should be thinking about settling down." * [[“I think the young ladies would love you still.” (Flirty)|Shotgun Transition]] * [[“Yeah, maybe you've outgrown that a little bit.”|Shotgun Transition][$datedemerits += 1]]

<<if $datedemerits gte 3>>\ Reese plucked the cigarette from between his teeth and stamped it out on the ashtray between you. "It's getting a little rowdy in here. I should probably be going." No //we//. How unfortunate. "I'll see you around, then?" He downed the rest of his drink and then slid the glass to the edge of the table, ice still melting. "Yeah, it was nice chatting. Feel free to come chat while I'm at the Rose, <<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>now that we're coworkers and all.<<else>>if you ever come by.<</if>>" You nodded, and before you could say anything else, he'd gotten up and left. You sat in the shadow of his cigarette smoke, feeling the lingering warmth fade as the ambience of the bar overtook you. <ul>\ <<if $temp == "none">>\ <li> [[Not the most successful date, but alas.|Shotgun Finish]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> <<link "At least you still had this free drink.">><<if $temp == "whiskey">><<pocket "Whiskey" 1>><<else>><<pocket "Rum and Coke" 1>><</if>><<goto "Shotgun Finish">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ </ul>\ <<else>>\ Reese plucked the cigarette from between his teeth and stamped it out on the ashtray between you. "It's getting a little rowdy in here. Can't hear my own thoughts. Maybe we should go someplace... a little more private?" You got the distinct feeling he wasn't talking about chatting more. "What did you have in mind?" "My apartment's just down the street from here." //Going home with Reese will lead to a (skippable) sexual encounter. There is no relationship penalty for choosing not to go home with him. You will be able to continue with his storyline either way.// * [[“You know, it was nice chatting, but I should probably be heading home too.”|Shotgun End Date]] * [[“Yeah, let's head back to your place.”|Shotgun Apartment]] <<SetFlag "ShotgunSuccess">>\ <</if>>\

"If you ever need a drink, or a bodyguard I guess, you know where to find me." He flashed you a smile as he started to stand up. "Maybe when you're a little more settled in, we can hit up one of my old haunts. Something more high octane than this old place." "Sounds like a good time." He downed the rest of his whiskey and then slid the glass to the edge of the table, ice still melting. "Feel free to come chat while I'm at the Rose, <<if Flag("WorkingForYvette")>>now that we're coworkers and all.<<else>>if you ever come by.<</if>>" You nodded, and before you could say anything else, he'd gotten up and left. You sat in the shadow of his cigarette smoke, feeling the lingering warmth fade as the ambience of the bar overtook you. <ul><li> <<link "Short, but sweet.">><<if $temp == "whiskey">><<pocket "Whiskey" 1>><<else>><<pocket "Rum and Coke" 1>><</if>><<goto "Shotgun Finish">><</link>></li></ul> <<addlead "theoldhaunts" "The Old Haunts">>\

The two of you finished your drinks and left the ice melting in the empty glasses. He held the door for you as you stepped out into the street. It was a warm evening, but cool against your skin compared to the stifling atmosphere in the bar. At this time of night, the factory workers passing in the street formed almost a crowd- this place looked small for sure, but lord, there were a lot of people living here. Reese snuck his hand into yours, his fingers calloused from a life of scavenging, his grip just slightly too strong. He guided you between people, half walk and half jog, and you followed behind breathlessly. Just across the street and a few buildings down, he slipped in through the front door of a little brick construction. Up a cramped staircase two storeys, past identical worn wooden doors with letters crammed through the mail slots or boards nailed over them to keep squatters out of vacant rooms. When you got to the third floor, he retrieved a jingling set of keys from his jeans pocket. A cheap little model of a pistol was hanging from the ring. He shoved a key into the lock on one of the doors, and then another into a separate deadbolt. With the clunk of security out of the way, you were free to enter. * [[You look around his apartment.|Shotgun Inside]] <<set $drugs.alcohol = true>>\

The far wall was exposed brick with a small window looking out into an alleyway. Barely any light filtered through it. Under the window, an old bed on a metal frame, small but wide enough for two. Along the other two walls was meager furniture, although it was such a small place it still felt cramped. He had a small pantry, one of the doors open to give you a peek of the cans, boxes, and 5 gallon water jugs inside. There was a counter with a battery powered hotplate and frying pan on top, and across from it, a ratty old leather loveseat. "Welcome to chez Reese," he announced, tossing the keys on the countertop. "Might be a little too //fancy// for your taste, but you get what you can get, y'know?" You wandered over to the bedside table, where there was a big boombox style radio cassette player. In nice condition, all grey and blue plastic and round shapes. You ran your fingers over the mesh of one of its speakers. "Got any good music for this thing?" "Oh, plenty. All in that drawer over there." Sliding the drawer out, there was a whole pile of cassette tapes inside, all manually labelled with a marker- "riot grrrl," "nouveau punk," "jamie's mix," "hookup jams." He had a whole mixtape for this exact purpose? You couldn't focus on them, though, cause your attention was inevitably captured by the equally sizable collection of //adult toys// stored next to them. * [[“Jesus, that's a lot of dildos.”|Shotgun Kiss][$temp = "dildo"]] * [[“Nice that you have such a good selection... I'm pretty picky.”|Shotgun Kiss][$temp = "picky"]]

<<if $temp == "dildo">>"Oh, did I leave those there? Silly me."<<else>>"With your music, or your strap-ons?"<</if>> There was a playful lilt to his voice you hadn't heard before. He had stepped up behind you, and his hands found your hips, sliding up the curves of your <<print $player.bodytype>> body. <<if $temp == "dildo">>"See, I need to have a good selection. Otherwise, I might bring home a girl and not have exactly what she needs..."<<else>>"I think you'll find exactly what you need for the latter."<</if>> * [[Okay, this is going in an obvious direction. Let's skip to the end.|Shotgun After Sex]] * [[Go on, pick one out.|Shotgun Pick One]]

<<silently>> <<for _item, _amount range $outfit.table>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("bottoms")>> <<capture _item>> <<set $tempbottoms = _item>> <</capture>> <</if>> <</for>> <<styletest>> <</silently>>\ It didn't take long for you to pluck one from the pile, nor for him to start stripping off your clothing. He rested his worn fingers on your right cheek and pushed your head to the side, leaning over your shoulder to embrace you in a surprisingly passionate kiss. He tasted like cigarette ash. You could feel his other hand sliding against your tummy <<if def $tempbottoms>>and down under the waistband of your <<print $tempbottoms>>.<<else>>and creeping downwards.<</if>> <<if _result == "luxury">>\ He broke away from your lips, his face lingering for a moment, chapped lips parted slightly. "These clothes are a little too fancy for this area, don't you think? Let me help you get 'em off." <<elseif _result == "armoured">>\ He broke away from your lips, his face lingering for a moment, chapped lips parted slightly. "Y'know, protection's important, but I think you're a little //too// well protected in this... how about we get it off?" <<else>>\ He broke away from your lips, his face lingering for a moment, chapped lips parted slightly. "Call me a perv, but I've been wondering what you look like under this all night." <</if>>\ Before you knew it, you were lying on that mattress with Reese straddling you, feeling the springs press into your back uncomfortably. But that discomfort didn't bother you- it was just part of a cornucopia of sensations, all coalescing into an exhausting and beautiful mass. Your fingers traced the lines of the scars along the bottom of each pec, feeling the soft blonde hair around them and the moisture of his skin. The sweat on his brow was warm against your cheek. His body was muscular, but every curve was gentle on its own. The throbbing industrial beat of a Nine Inch Nails song might have seemed like an avant garde choice for a hookup playlist, but the fuzzy sounds spilling from the speakers paired perfectly with the rough-around-the-edges feeling of his body. In that moment, you realized how right Reese was. He certainly wouldn't fit in at the Rose and Thorn. His body wasn't a roller coaster, it was a hike through the blasted desert in search of water. The rich motherfuckers at the Rose would bow out long before they felt the satisfaction of his body against their lips. * [[But you? Yeah, you like it.|Shotgun After Sex]]

That progressed pretty quickly, huh? It was like you had just met him, and now you were lying next to Reese under the scant sheets of his bed, being offered a cigarette. The warmth of his body and the smell of sweat pervaded your space. Amongst all the strangeness of the past few days, a welcome glimpse of normalcy at last. * [[You accept the cigarette.|Shotgun Cigarette]] * [[You politely decline.|Shotgun Decline]]

With bony fingers he placed the rolled paper between your teeth and flicked his lighter, holding its flame to the tip. Breathing in, you felt the warmth deep in your lungs. <<set $temp = "cigarette">>\ <<include "Shotgun Decline">>

"Appreciate your company," he muttered around his cigarette. "I know I can take things a little quick. Hope you don't mind." <<if $temp == "cigarette">>You exhaled a cloud of smoke, which wafted up to the exposed ceiling beams above. <</if>>"I don't mind at all." "I like you, kid." He shifted in bed to lie on his side a little, facing towards you. "We should do something //other// than a quick hookup sometime." "What did you have in mind?" He pursed his lips, thinking about it for a moment. "I'm not exactly a fixture in the club scene anymore, but I've got some old haunts where folks wouldn't be too offended to see me. Since you're new around here, might be good to show you around and get you all settled." * [[“Sounds like a plan, then.”|Shotgun Finish]] <<addlead "theoldhaunts" "The Old Haunts">>\

<h1>"""----""" STORY COMPLETE """----"""</h1> <h5>[[CONTINUE|The Stacks]]</h5> <<completelead "shotgunromance">>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <<unset $datedemerits>>\ <<unset $tempbottoms>>\

<div class="clothes-menu"> <div class="clothes-selection"> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<allclothes>>')"> <img src="images/menu.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<headgear>>')"> <img src="images/headwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<undershirts>>')"> <img src="images/undershirts.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<tops>>')"> <img src="images/tops.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<outerwear>>')"> <img src="images/outerwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<legwear>>')"> <img src="images/legwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<bottoms>>')"> <img src="images/bottoms.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<footwear>>')"> <img src="images/footwear.png"> </div> <div class="list-option" onclick="$.wiki('<<accessories>>')"> <img src="images/accessories.png"> </div> </div> <hr> <<liveblock>> <div id="clothes-list"> <<include "All Clothing">> </div> <hr> <h1>OUTFIT</h1> <<for _item, _amount range $outfit.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "Take Off">> <<transfer $outfit $wardrobe _item 1>> /* Transfers the item back to the wardrobe */ <<update>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>> <hr> <ul> <li> [[Check saved outfits.|Saved Outfits]]</li> <li> [[Close the wardrobe.|$apartment]]</li> </ul>

<<for _item, _amount range $slot1.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <<if $slot1.length lt 1>> This slot is empty. <</if>> <hr> <h1>"""---""" <<link "OVERWRITE">><<saveslot1>><<update>><</link>> / <<link "EQUIP">><<wearslot1>><</link>> """---"""</h1>

<<for _item, _amount range $slot2.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <<if $slot2.length lt 1>> This slot is empty. <</if>> <hr> <h1>"""---""" <<link "OVERWRITE">><<saveslot2>><<update>><</link>> / <<link "EQUIP">><<wearslot2>><</link>> """---"""</h1>

<<for _item, _amount range $slot3.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> /* Creates a dialog featuring the item's description */ <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <<if $slot3.length lt 1>> This slot is empty. <</if>> <hr> <h1>"""---""" <<link "OVERWRITE">><<saveslot3>><<update>><</link>> / <<link "EQUIP">><<wearslot3>><</link>> """---"""</h1>

You crawled into the waiting embrace of your bed, <<if $apartment is "Clinic Room">>the scant, papery sheets doing little to comfort your aching body.<<else>>the warm sheets ensconcing your body in their unconditional love.<</if>> <<if $signal gte 1>>Calmed by the gentle hum of static and the <<if $apartment is "Clinic Room">>low, regular beeping of monitors,<<else>>sound of city life barely penetrating the walls,<</if>><<else>>Although it was hard to rest through the <<if $apartment is "Clinic Room">>low, regular beeping of monitors,<<else>>sound of city life barely penetrating the walls,<</if>><</if>> you allowed your mind to shut down and the void to take back over. Through the void, you saw a smouldering fire, warring against the wind and cold. Its embers stretched off into the distance on all sides, spitting flaming ash into the smog-choked air. * [[Wake up.|Wake]]

The dream faded, and your eyes drifted open. Another day. * [[Emerge.|$apartment]]

<<if $apartment == "Clinic Room">>\ You walked over to the metal table against the wall. It was rusted over time, mounted on four wheels that were locked in place. Atop its smooth, refleective surface were a few remaining surgical tools, including a scalpel that still bore a couple specks of your blood. If these could be moved elsewhere, you thought, this table could make a serviceable altar for everyday veneration and small sacrifices. Holy Fate was not picky, given that she will someday bring us all to live amongst the worms and have our flesh feed the blow flies. She can deal with a shitty table altar. It was good that she wasn't picky, too, because you didn't really have much to place here. The scalpel was probably a good start, and you could probably add those painkillers too (a bit more abstract, but she seemed to like drugs about as much as corporeal women). But she wasn't a fucking charity. You were going to have to get some real shit together if you wanted to really impress her. * [[This was good enough for now, though.|Altar]] <</if>>\ <<addlead "altarcomponents" "Altar Components">>\ <<set $hasaltar = true>>\

<<if $apartment is "Clinic Room">> <<if $altar.length gte 3>> <<include "Set Up Altar">> <<else>> <<include "Altar Unfinished">> <</if>> <</if>>

<<if $altardonation == "Painkillers">>\ You dug around in your pocket for a second to find the glass bottle of painkillers that Doc gave you. Those would make a worthy addition to the altar, for sure. They were carefully placed down in the right corner of the altar, where normally a devotional flask of hard liquor would be placed. This was going to have to be good enough for now. Maybe you could get whiskey and a flask later. Or vodka. Rum, maybe. God you needed a fucking drink. <<transfer $pocket $altar "Painkillers" 1>>\ <<drop $pocket "Painkillers" 5>> <<elseif $altardonation == "Whiskey Bottle">>\ You placed down the drink on the right corner of the altar. This wasn't quite the traditional devotional accoutrement for the Lady, but eh, she wasn't too picky. Drinks is drinks. It would have to do. <<transfer $pocket $altar "Whiskey Bottle" 1>>\ <<elseif $altardonation == "Pinky Finger">>\ Carefully removing the severed pinky finger from your pocket (not the most sanitary place to keep it, but alas), you placed it down in the center of the altar. This was the lynch pin for the whole thing. A piece of your own body, severed, devoted to the Lady in all her infinite mercy. This part of you was with her, just like all of your body would be with her in the ash someday. Beautiful. But maybe get something to preserve this in so it doesn't start molding. <<transfer $pocket $altar "Pinky Finger" 1>>\ <<completeachievement "digitalsacrifice" "Digital Sacrifice">>\ <</if>>\ <<if $altar.length gte 3>>\ <<set $devoteebuff = "none">>\ <ul><li> [[That's probably enough to start using this bad boy!|Altar]]</li></ul> <<else>>\ <ul><li> [[Hooray. A new addition to the glorious altar.|Altar]]</li></ul> <</if>>\

This wasn't much of an altar so far. Mostly just a metal table you'd cleared off to //make// an altar, without many actual devotional objects. There was a scalpel with your blood on it, though, so that was a good start. <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $pocket.table>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("altar")>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "LEAVE">> <<set $altardonation = _item>> <<goto "Altar Donation">> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</if>> <</for>> <ul><li> [[Leave your altar be.|$apartment]]</li></ul>

Here was your altar. Beautiful, resplendent, a gift to your afterlife mistress. Well... maybe it was a little //scrappy.// A bottle of liquor, painkillers, and a severed finger. Not exactly nice to look at, but surely the Lady would see your effort and reward it. //You can dedicate offerings to the Lady here. She likes liquor, drugs, blood, and music (as do all people). In exchange, she'll give you a bonus to your rolls.// <h1 style="text-transform: uppercase">Current buff: $devoteebuff</h1> <hr> <ul> <<for _item, _amount range $pocket.table>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("offering-alcohol")>> <<if $devoteebuff == "glam">><<else>> <li> [[Leave an offering of booze. (+GLAM)|Altar Alcohol]]</li> <<break>> <</if>> <</if>> <</for>> <<if not $music.isEmpty()>> <<if $devoteebuff == "savvy">><<else>> <li> [[Leave an offering of music. (+SAVVY)|Altar Music]]</li> <</if>> <</if>> <<if $devoteebuff == "brawn">><<else>> <li> [[Leave an offering of blood. (+BRAWN)|Altar Blood]]</li> <</if>> <<for _item, _amount range $pocket.table>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("offering-drugs")>> <<if $devoteebuff == "signal">><<else>> <li> [[Leave an offering of drugs. (+SIGNAL)|Altar Drugs]]</li> <</if>> <<break>> <</if>> <</for>> <li> [[Leave your altar be.|$apartment]]</li> </ul>\

Select an item to sacrifice. You'll gain +1 to every roll with Glam, until you choose to sacrifice something else. <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $pocket.table>> <<capture _item>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("offering-alcohol")>> <ul><li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "SACRIFICE">> <<set $devoteebuff = "glam">> <<drop $pocket _item 1>> <<goto "Altar">> <</link>> </li></ul> <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <h1>[[SACRIFICE NOTHING.|Altar]]</h1>

Select an item to sacrifice. You'll gain +1 to every roll with Savvy, until you choose to sacrifice something else. <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $music.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "SACRIFICE">> <<set $devoteebuff = "savvy">> <<drop $music _item 1>> <<goto "Altar">> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <h1>[[SACRIFICE NOTHING.|Altar]]</h1>

You grabbed the scalpel left over on your altar and prepared to slice open the tip of your finger. Really get in there, get some blood out, smear it over the table or drip it into a bottle or something. The Lady wasn't picky about her blood. You'll gain +1 to every roll with Brawn, until you choose to sacrifice something else. <ul>\ <li> <<link "Go through with it.">><<set $devoteebuff = "brawn">><<goto "Altar">><</link>></li> <li> [[Chicken out.|Altar]]</li> </ul>\

Select an item to sacrifice. You'll gain +1 to every roll with Signal, until you choose to sacrifice something else. <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $pocket.table>> <<capture _item>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("offering-drugs")>> <ul><li> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "SACRIFICE">> <<set $devoteebuff = "signal">> <<drop $pocket _item 1>> <<goto "Altar">> <</link>> </li></ul> <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <h1>[[SACRIFICE NOTHING.|Altar]]</h1>

<<liveblock>>\ <<print Item.get("Record Player").description>>\ <ul><li> [[Leave it be.|$apartment]]</li></ul> <</liveblock>>\

<h1><<link "Red Light District">><<popup "Red Light District Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Red Light District")>><<include "Red Light District Description">><<set $visited.push("Red Light District")>><<else>><<include "Red Light District Description Short">><</if>><</if>> * [[Enter the Rose and Thorn.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] * [[Enter the Jack of Hearts.|Jack of Hearts Hub]] * [[Enter Infatuations.|Infatuations]] * [[Head over to The Stacks.|The Stacks]] * [[Head up to The Heights.|The Heights]] * [[Check out the checkpoint.|South East Checkpoint]]

The streets of the Red Light District were so distinct that you'd think you'd walked into an alternate dimension. The thin cobble streets were overhung by tall, slender buildings that cast deep shadows below, barely letting any light from the sky above through. Wires crisscrossed the skyline, hanging low from makeshift metal brackets and bundled in place with electrical tape. Probably not very safe. All of this fed into a near-endless array of signs, one of the only sources of illumination here. Bright glass tubes and flashing LEDs in magentas, pinks, and bright cherry reds filled every storefront and cast the whole area in an almost supernatural glow. It was intoxicating. Those buildings gave the whole place a sense of incredible claustrophobia- not only were you surrounded on all sides by 3- or 4-storey buildings that felt like they were leaning towards you, they were all so thin it felt like they must have been squeezed together. Made from dark bricks or wooden siding, they each had only a window or two apiece. For some, the lowest floor consisted only of a hallway with a staircase up into the higher floors. Whether they were residences or private houses, it was nearly impossible to tell. Every few gaps, however, a larger building managed to slip in between them. In lieu of windows, glowing signs depicted what lay within- girls, gambling, liquor, live nudes. The odd shop broke up the milieu. Corner stores, mostly. Some stores selling tapes and magazines and toys. One caught your eye in particular- a brick building with a real window out front, displaying several old mannequins dressed in seductive wares. The word "INFATUATIONS" was spelled out above in glowing glass tubes. At the street corners, where they intersected to form little squares and meeting areas, the more significant places had claimed coveted real estate. The corners held only businesses, massive brothels and bars and clubs that exuded wealth and excitement. The most captivating among them was a casino- much of the facade was covered with a massive plastic sign depicting a hand holding a Jack of Hearts card. The border blinked with LED lights, and the whole thing was cast in a red glow by a spotlight hanging above. Diagonally across from it was an even more unbelievable sight- the facade of the three storey building was almost gothic, intricate moulding and columns, columns! The windows, tall and peaked, emanated a cherry red light. A sign over the doorway gave you its name- the delicate shape of a rose formed from red and green neon tubes, with a prominent thorn on its stem. A set of three teardrop shapes made of red LEDs underneath it blinked in such a way as to suggest a drop of blood falling towards the door. The Rose and Thorn. Just down a cobbled street from that square, blending in so well you barely noticed it, was a strange sight- a checkpoint. This must have been towards the South-East of the city, and you could see a glimpse of one of the massive walls that enclosed the city. There was a gate to the outside there for sure, though it hardly seemed well trafficked. If you went North, you could get back to the stark concrete of The Stacks. Sets of cobbled stairs near the North-West led further up into The Heights.

Stepping foot on the thin cobble streets of the Red Light District, you were suffocated by the tall buildings and wires hanging overhead. Dozens of LEDs and neon signs flickered around you in reds and purples, seedy brothels and sex shops vying for your attention. The only truly interesting one was the clothing shop, Infatuations. Beyond that, in the central square, there were two massive buildings on opposing corners- the Jack of Hearts with its massive glowing sign, and The Rose and Thorn, a towering gothic brothel covered in fancy moulding and elegant tall windows. Down the street from here, you could catch a glimpse at the wall that enclosed the city. There was a gate there that would lead out into the desert, and The Graveyard beyond that.

<<if $chapter == 2 and Flag("WorkingForYvette") and not $leads.includes("dressupgames") and not $playedleads.includes("dressupgames")>>\ <<goto "Cherry Backroom">> <<else>>\ <h1><<link "The Rose and Thorn">><<popup "Rose and Thorn Hub Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Rose and Thorn Hub")>><<include "Rose and Thorn Hub Description">><<set $visited.push("Rose and Thorn Hub")>><<else>><<include "Rose and Thorn Hub Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <<if $met.includes("cherry")>>\ * [[Try to chat with the guard.|Reese]] * [[Head towards the bar.|Rose Bar]] * [[Browse a little.|Rose Browse]] * [[Walk out.|Red Light District]] <<else>>\ * [[Try to chat with the guard.|Cherry Introduction]] * [[Head towards the bar.|Cherry Introduction]] * [[Browse a little.|Cherry Introduction]] * [[Walk out.|Red Light District]] <</if>>\ <</if>>\

Upon just stepping foot through the large wooden doors of The Rose and Thorn, it was apparent that this was a lavish establishment. Nothing like this could have ever existed in the rural North- maybe before it all went to shit, things were like this everywhere. But not now. Most places didn't have the funds to hire a greeter, for one. A woman was stationed at the entrance clad in a revealing red dress and stockings, excitedly handing some kind of small scrap of paper out to the people walking in. Behind her, a security guard with a buzz cut was nursing a cigarette while reclined in a beat up metal folding chair. His hand was resting on the shotgun in his lap, and he was sure to make eye contact as you walked in. The main floor was a single cavernous room that stood at least 12 feet tall, with even more height gained by the sunken seating areas scattered across the floor. Black columns rose up from the floor to support the weight of the ceiling. Right in front of the doorway, cordoned off by a velvet rope, was a wide set of carpeted stairs leading up into the second floor- at a fashionable diagonal from the rest of the room, forcing patrons to go around them to access the rest of the floor. On the left of the stairs, carrying on towards the back of the building, was a maze of nooks and conversation pits. Each couch and chaise was done up in red velvet with an almost excessive amount of pillows and faux fur throws. Customers with drinks in their hands were fawned over by scantily clad employees, with groups of inebriated guests being entertained by dancers on tables. Right at the back was a long bar, with illuminated shelves full of high brow bourbon, mezcal, cognac, and champagne. You'd never seen such a variety in one place. You could hardly guess how many would be brewed or distilled. The area to the right of the stairs was a little more empty. A raised stage, long and narrow like a runway, stood perpendicular to the curtained right wall. Three metal poles extended into the ceiling from its wooden surface, and spotlights anchored to the ceiling would be shining on them if the stage were in use. As it was, it seemed there was no show today. The vibe in here was energizing, and you had this innate desire to walk around and do something.

The Rose had an intoxicating atmosphere. The ceiling was tall, and a set of carpeted stairs with ornate railings led up to the second floor, cordoned off with a rope. All around this room were seating areas where customers lounged on red velvet couches while being plied by scantily clad employees. Beyond all that, there was a long bar serving liquors you'd never even heard of. On the other side of the stairs, a stage with metal poles that extended into the ceiling- not in use at the moment. The greeter, Cherry, stood by the door. Behind her, the guard was smoking a cigarette with his shotgun resting across his lap.

You started off towards the bar, immersing yourself into the atmosphere of the room as you went. The dim red lights reflected off the haze of smoke in the air, giving this venue an almost devilish feel- appropriate. You<<for _item range $outfit.array>><<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("footwear")>>r _item clicking against the polished wood floor, you<<break>><</if>><</for>> weaved between half-drunk patrons and lavish couches, aiming for your salvation. The bar, the glorious bar, with its various tinctures and remedies ripe for the taking. Getting hammered in a place like this was marginally better than getting hammered at a casino, which means it was a fucking great idea. The bartender was a real fancy type, a middle aged guy whose face hadn't seen the sun in years dressed up in a suit that must have cost a small fortune. His hair was slicked back, and a pair of spectacles rested on his nose. From here, you realized you could also loop around back and get to the stage. <ul>\ <<if $playedleads.includes("roseandthorn")>>\ <li> [[Sit down at the bar.|Rose Bartender]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[Sit down at the bar.|Yvette Intro]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Head back to the entrance.|Rose and Thorn Hub]]</li> <li> [[Browse a little.|Rose Browse]]</li> </ul>\

Wandering into the crowds, you glanced around from person to person, taking in all the details. Most of them weren't particularly interesting. Middle aged men in their finery, all chintz and ritz, none of which could make up for their personalities. Women draped in furs being tended to by young men with rose corsages, bringing them one more glass of champagne before the fun was to start. Swimming through this wave of mediocrity, nobody quite caught your eye- you'd have to come back later, you supposed. * [[Head back to the entrance.|Rose and Thorn Hub]] * [[Head towards the bar.|Rose Bar]]

<h1><<link "Infatuations Description">><<popup "Infatuations Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Infatuations")>><<include "Infatuations Description">><<set $visited.push("Infatuations")>><<else>><<include "Infatuations Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Talk to the shopkeeper.|Xantha]]</li> <li> [[Buy some clothes.|Infatuations Store]]</li> <li> [[Leave.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\

You pulled open the tinted glass door, stepping past the threshold into a truly alien environment. The tiny, cramped store was dark, but far from unlit. Gas powered lamps were strategically placed throughout the small floor space to keep the atmosphere alive while making the wares visible. The wares in question were what made the place really fascinating, though. Old nails had been hammered into the mortar between the bricks, allowing wire hangers to proudly display an assortment of odd garments all across the walls. Strips of leather riveted together with rings and spikes into harnesses of all configurations, elaborate costumes made of shiny plastics, lacy lingerie so skimpy it'd barely be better than nothing. A few mannequins were placed throughout, displying the most stunning pieces in all their glory. The back wall of this little space, a black-painted plaster wall with a discrete matching door on the left, was the only one devoid of clothing. Instead it featured shelves piled high with rolls of latex and PVC, boxes full of scrap fabric, and lace trims of all sorts hanging from a rack. In front, where a regular store might have a counter, there was instead a workbench covered in sewing and leatherworking supplies. The store owner was sitting there working at an ancient-looking hand cranked sewing machine. They were dressed surprisingly modestly, though their skin was dotted with tattoos and their hair was shaved up the sides and heavily teased.

Infatuations was tiny and cramped, lit only by small gas lamps that illuminated the wares- odd garments made of leather, plastics, metal, and lace, hanging from wire hangers off nails driven between the bricks. A few mannequins were spread throughout, showing off the most elaborate pieces. In the back, secluded in a kind of workshop full of materials and leatherworking supplies, was the shop's owner. They were working at a hand-cranked sewing machine, mostly ignoring your presence.

<h1><<link "Jack of Hearts">><<popup "Jack of Hearts Hub Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Jack of Hearts Hub")>><<include "Jack of Hearts Hub Description">><<set $visited.push("Jack of Hearts Hub")>><<else>><<include "Jack of Hearts Hub Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <<if $gambled == true>>\ * [[You just gambled. Maybe come back later?|Red Light District]] <<else>>\ * [[Head over to the cage to get started.|Jack of Hearts Cage]] * [[Leave, before you waste your money.|Red Light District]] <</if>>\

You really had to weave your way through the crowd as you got closer to the casino's entrance. The doors lay permanently open, propped up by little kick stands at their bases, allowing free entry to anyone who wanted to roam inside. Pushing past drunk patrons stumbling out and excited gamblers alike, you made your way into the front lobby. Once inside, the sheer scale of the building took your breath away. An enormous glass chandelier hung three storeys from the ceiling on a metal chain, its light twinking off several hundred tiny crystals and infusing the room with a soft glow. There was carpet on the floor- real fucking carpet, not the shit you'd see somebody leave draped over the part of the floor where the nails stick up from the boards. It was real carpet, and so many people were walking on it you could barely count them all. The lobby area you'd stepped inside of was slightly cut off from everywhere else, forcing you to pass by the cage as you entered- a room inset on the left wall of the building, blocked off from everywhere else by a decorative metal grille made of long, wavy rods welded together at their intersections. Behind it, a few cashiers were exchanging chips and tokens and cash with customers, though the line wasn't so long you'd balk at it. Beyond that, it opened up into a huge space. Along the walls were banks of dozens of slot machines, brightly coloured and letting out obnoxiously loud jingles with every play. People were wasting away at them, pulling those arms and flushing away those worthless tokens, their faces bathed in multicoloured glows. In the center of the floor were almost a dozen tables, spread out like a grid, all staffed by folks in smart vests with well-off looks to them. Everything from craps to blackjack to roulette to baccarat, all slowly draining people of their money in favour of a thrill. Behind all of that, illuminated by a number of hanging lamps tinted red, was a long bar where plenty of patrons were claiming drinks before going back to their gambling.

The doors of the casino lay permanently open to accomodate the crowds of drunks and gamblers constantly coming and going. Inside, the enormous building was truly a sight to behold- a huge crystal chandelier hung low over the patrons, who were crowded around tables where folks in smart vests oversaw games of blackjack, craps, roulette... and beyond that, against the walls, banks of slot machines glowing in groovy colours and filling the room with obnoxious jingles.

<<if $slotwins lte 3>>\ Are you in the mood to test your luck? Pay up a little, and you might win a lot. Or lose. Let's be honest- with your luck, it's gonna be the latter. You can play with petty cash for a chance of getting a small payout. Or, you can spend your wealth for a chance to increase your rank- or lose it all on an unlucky run. The chances of winning will go down with every rank of wealth you have. If you have 5 wealth, it's impossible to do any better than breaking even... but who knows, it could still be fun! //Currently, you can only gamble on slot machines. Blackjack and roulette may be implemented in a future version.// <<if $wealth gt 0>>\ * [[Play with petty cash.|Slot Machine Petty]] * [[Play with wealth.|Slot Machine Wealth]] * [[Back out.|Jack of Hearts Hub]] <<else>>\ * [[You don't even have enough money for this. What are you doing here?|Jack of Hearts Hub]] <</if>>\ <<else>>\ As you approached, the cashier eyed you suspiciously. You didn't even notice them before, but there was a guard standing nearby, dressed in a nondescript tee shirt and sunglasses. The cashier waved at him, and he started towards you. "<<if $player.gender == "man">>Sir<<elseif $player.gender == "woman">>Ma'am<<else>>Excuse me<</if>>," the guard muttered, his voice deep and rumbly. You were... a little intimidated by him. "I've got orders not to let you in." "What? Why not?" Boy, your actions having consequences sure wasn't something you were expecting. He gestured to the door with his head. "I think you know why. Now go on, get out of here. Or else the militia's gonna hear about this, and you really don't want that." Damn. They hate watching a girlboss succeed. But it was probably for the best to listen to the guard. * [[Head out.|Red Light District]] <</if>>\

You exchanged a meager amount of petty cash for a few tokens, and headed to the slot machines. With this sort of money, well... you weren't exactly going to be making it big, but at the very least you weren't risking your livelihood. Loading your tokens into the machine and pulling the arm over and over, you had a pretty good time playing. But did you win? * [[Count up your tokens...|Slots Roller]] <<set $bet = "petty">>\

You marched up to the cage and handed over <<if $wealth gte 3>>a pretty absurd amount of cash for some tokens, which barely even phased the cashier.<<else>>a decent amount of cash for some tokens.<</if>> This was gonna be your big fucking break. The gods were looking down on you and they were smiling, smiling like they hadn't since the world was turned to dust. This was your lucky day for sure. Loading your tokens into the machine and pulling the arm over and over, you had a pretty good time playing. But did you win? * [[Count up your tokens...|Slots Roller]] <<set $bet = "wealth">>\

<<set $slots = []>> <<set $slots.push('', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '')>> <div class="slotcontainer" style="width: 100%; margin-top: 40px; display: flex; justify-content: center; font-size: 4em; gap: 25px;"> <div id="slot1" style="width: 1em"></div> <div id="slot2" style="width: 1em"></div> <div id="slot3" style="width: 1em"></div> </div> /* Slot 1 */ <<repeat 0.1s>> <<replace "#slot1">> <<print $slots.random()>> <</replace>> <</repeat>> /* Slot 2 */ <<repeat 0.1s>> <<replace "#slot2">> <<print $slots.random()>> <</replace>> <</repeat>> /* Slot 3 */ <<repeat 0.1s>> <<replace "#slot3">> <<print $slots.random()>> <</replace>> <</repeat>> <<on 'keyup'>> <<which 32>> <<gamble>> <</on>> <h1><<link "Check your winnings">><<gamble>><</link>></h1>

<<if $bet == "petty">>\ What a lucky day! After an hour or so on the slots, you wound up getting a pretty good jackpot and cashing out. It's nothing life changing, but it's far better than expected. Good one! * [[Now, leave while you're ahead.|Red Light District]] <<addwealth "small">>\ <<elseif $bet == "wealth">>\ Oh shit! Your luck was really tested there, and it came out on top! You got a huge jackpot and managed to more than double your money. How good could your luck possibly be? * [[Now, leave while you're ahead.|Red Light District]] <<set $slotswins += 1>>\ <<addwealth "large">>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $bet>>\ <<unset $win>>\

You didn't lose anything... but you also didn't win anything. In the end, you came out just about even and decided to call it quits before your luck went south. Hey- you still beat the house, right? * [[Now, time to get back to the serious stuff.|Red Light District]] <<unset $bet>>\ <<unset $win>>\

<<if $bet == "petty">>\ Today wasn't your lucky day. You lost what you put in, but fortunately, what you put in was barely anything anyway. Take that, house. * [[Best not to dwell on it!|Red Light District]] <<elseif $bet == "wealth">>\ Fuck. Fuck. //Fuck//. Where... did all that money go? You had a lot of money when you came, didn't you? And now... well, you've got a couple tokens left to turn in. Maybe this was a bad idea... * [[Get out of there before you lose even more...|Red Light District]] <<set $wealth -= 1>>\ <<set $slotwins -= 1>>\ <<print "<<flash '-1 Wealth (" + $wealth + ")'>><</flash>>">> <</if>>\ <<unset $bet>>\ <<unset $win>>\

<<if not $met.includes("pistol")>>\ This checkpoint felt so out of place here, right on the border of the Red Light District. The external walls, lined as they were with buildings, yeilded to a small metal gate. Big enough it'd take a lot of effort to close, small enough that you could fit no more than two horses through side-by-side. Beyond it, you could see cracked asphalt roads leading off into the wastes towards the massive relics to the South. Guarding this gate (to some extent) was a militia guy, easily identified as such by the fatigues he was wearing and the massive rifle at his side. He didn't exactly cut an intimidating figure, though. He was sat on a metal folding chair, legs crossed, with a stack of reading material on the table next to him. Mostly old Playboy magazines and a paperback or two. He was thumbing through a colourful array of nude women, so engrossed in //reading the articles// that he barely even acknowledged your presence. A big, wide brimmed hat was tilted low over his face to shield him from the sun. <ul>\ <li> [[You figure you can probably slip past without him noticing.|Pistol Slip]]</li> <li> [[You approach him to ask if you can leave.|Pistol Ask]]</li> <li> [[You've got no business here.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\ <<elseif Flag("LamplighterEnemy")>>\ <h1><<link "South East Checkpoint">><<popup "South East Checkpoint Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "South East Checkpoint Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[There's nothing for you out there.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\ <<else>>\ <h1><<link "South East Checkpoint">><<popup "South East Checkpoint Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "South East Checkpoint Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Wave to Pistol as you walk by.|Graveyard Transition]]</li> <li> [[Back off.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\

This checkpoint felt so out of place here, right on the border of the Red Light District. The external walls, lined as they were with buildings, yeilded to a small metal gate. Big enough it'd take a lot of effort to close, small enough that you could fit no more than two horses through side-by-side. Beyond it, you could see cracked asphalt roads leading off into the wastes towards the massive relics to the South. Guarding this gate (to some extent) was a militia guy, easily identified as such by the fatigues he was wearing and the massive rifle at his side. He didn't exactly cut an intimidating figure, though. He was sat on a metal folding chair, legs crossed, with a stack of reading material on the table next to him. Mostly old Playboy magazines and a paperback or two. He was thumbing through a colourful array of nude women, so engrossed in //reading the articles// that he barely even acknowledged your presence. A big, wide brimmed hat was tilted low over his face to shield him from the sun.

<h1><<link "Skid Row">><<popup "Skid Row Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Skid Row")>><<include "Skid Row Description">><<set $visited.push("Skid Row")>><<else>><<include "Skid Row Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Enter the clinic.|Clinic Hub]]</li> <li> [[Enter the warehouse.|Abandoned Warehouse]]</li> <li> [[Venture West.|Derelict Block Hub]]</li> <li> [[Head up to The Stacks.|The Stacks]]</li> </ul>\

The main hub of Skid Row wasn't exactly a bustling urban metropolis. The unpaved square in the center was ash trod down by decades of foot traffic, tapering into narrow streets to the East and West as shoddy buildings encroached upon its space. They were a mess of corrugated metal, scrap bricks, and stucco all built up on top of each other. Barely enough space was left for an alleyway between any two constructs, with most walls either shared or built within inches of each other. Like the builders wanted to use up every last scrap of space. There was a strange history to these buildings, like they'd been hasty but careful constructions many decades ago and were frozen in a state of half-decay. On the streets, a scant few people in shabby knits and raw denim walked by with heads down. The Signal Hill Free Clinic was a squat, red brick building towards the South of the main square, flanked on either side by two-storey structures. Across it, on the North side of the square, the centerpiece of the area- a three-storey blocky warehouse made of concrete panels, its front (or what was probably the back, many decades ago) featuring three loading docks whose doors had long since been removed. The inside looked vast, dark, and mostly empty. Above the doors, there was a painted logo for some company which had long since faded in the sun- and in front of it, emblazoned in bright orange and yellow, was a simplified painting of a streetlamp. To the East, the narrow ash road gave way to cobble and brick steps leading around a bend and up further into the city, towards The Stacks. To the West, it snaked labyrinth-like further into the web of dense, ramshackle buildings.

Skid Row was a mass of buildings constructed almost on top of each other. Its winding ash-trod paths were populated only by a scant few people keeping their heads down as they hurried about their business. On the North side of the main square was the centerpice of the area- a three-storey warehouse from the old world, now abandoned, its loading dock doors sitting open. Across from it was the Signal Hill Free Clinic, a squat and nondescript brick building. If you were to carry on to the West, you could walk infinitely into the maze-like unplanned architecture of the Row.

<<if $leads.includes("checkup")>>\ <<include "Checkup Intro">>\ <<else>>\ <h1><<link "Signal Hill Free Clinic">><<popup "Clinic Hub Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Clinic Hub")>><<include "Clinic Hub Description">><<set $visited.push("Clinic Hub")>><<else>><<include "Clinic Hub Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Approach the desk.|Joyette]]</li> <li> [[Step behind the curtain.|Clinic Room]]</li> <li> [[Try knocking on the back door.|Clinic Door]]</li> <li> [[Leave the clinic.|Skid Row]]</li> </ul>\ <</if>>\

The clinic's main room was built up on a well-worn concrete floor, with peeling plaster walls. Three little cubbies off to the side were covered up with blue curtains to give some privacy to the folks inside, one of which was currently reserved for you. Behind the others, you could hear the beeping of the strange, inhuman machines keeping track of their inhabitants' vitals. On the far wall was a cabinet of metal and glass keeping hundreds of bottles of medications locked away from eager patients. Several metal folding chairs were up against the wall next to it, with a closed and locked doorway labeled "OFFICES" in black paint. The door outside was rigged with a bell to go off whenever a patient entered, although such a thing seemed unnecessary. There was a desk right across from it, with rows of old filing cabinets lined up behind. Sitting at the desk was Joyette, in front of what looked like some kind of old television that was switched off and a powder-blue typewriter. You'd estimate she was about 40- her dark skin was mostly unmarred by age, but the deep crows feet that spread out from her eyes hinted at a life lived. Her head was hidden under a bright orange-and-blue-patterned headscarf, with only a few stray locs hanging out the front over her thick rimmed glasses. She didn't look up from her typing for even a moment as you entered the room.

The clinic was an austere place, peeling plaster walls and concrete floors. There were three little cordoned off cubbies to the side for patients, across from a massive cabinet full of tinctures and pills. Sitting at a desk in the back corner, typing away on a powder blue typewriter, was Joyette. She didn't seem particularly interested in you. Beside her, a door labelled "OFFICES" led further into the building.

<h1><<link "Clinic Bed">><<popup "Clinic Room Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if $temp == "wakeup">>\ Still shaky on your feet, you tried to get your bearings. For the foreseeable future, this was going to be your home. So you should probably get used to it. The room was sterile, white, with a floor made of concrete that's been smoothed over by years of walking. The plaster walls were undecorated, and the curtain that separated you from the rest of the clinic let all the sound from outside in. Apart from the cot in the corner, the only furniture was a simple metal table<<if $altar is true>> you had turned into an altar<</if>> and a busted up old locker. <<else>>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Clinic Room Description">> <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $temp>>\ <ul>\ <<if $identity.includes("devotee")>>\ <<if $hasaltar is true>>\ <li> [[Go to your altar.|Altar]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[Inspect the table.|Altar Setup]]</li> <</if>>\ <</if>>\ <<if $apartmentinventory.has("Record Player")>>\ <li> [[Turn on the record player.|Record Player]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Get some rest.|Sleep]]</li> <li> [[Check out the locker.|Wardrobe]]</li> <li> [[Leave the room.|Clinic Hub]]</li> </ul>\ <<set $apartment to passage()>>\

You pulled back the blue curtain and stepped into your little cubby, closing it behind you to get some modicum of privacy. The room was sterile, white, with a floor made of concrete that's been smoothed over by years of walking. The plaster walls were undecorated, and the curtain that separated you from the rest of the clinic let all the sound from outside in. Apart from the cot in the corner, the only furniture was a simple metal table<<if $altar is true>> you had turned into an altar<</if>> and a busted up old locker.<<if $apartmentinventory.has("Record Player")>> You've got your record player set up in the corner on the floor- a rather depressing sight, but y'know. The records work just fine there.<</if>>

<<if $playedleads.includes("consultation")>>\ You approached the closed door and almost manged a knock before Joyette noticed you had wandered over there. "I'm sorry, but Dr. Zhao is a little busy right now. I'm right here if you need anything." * [[Leave.|Clinic Hub]] <<else>>\ The door into the office was shut, but from the muffled sound of piano music behind it, you knew Doc was in there. But to knock or not to knock... * [[Knock.|Consultation]] * [[No, you've got other stuff to do first.|Clinic Hub]] <</if>>\

This wasn't exactly a state of the art operating theater. It was a small room, big enough for two doctors to work on the patient at the same time. The tools were rudimentary, the equipment was all sanitized in a big bucket of alcohol, and the IV was fed from a resealable plastic bag. It was free, though.

<<include "Operating Room">> You allowed yourself to be laid back on the table and your hand to be lifted up onto a clean operating surface. "Unfortunately, I don't have anything that can knock you out. It would be far too unsafe." Doc's voice was grim. "I'm afraid the best I can do is laughing gas." <<if $identity.includes("medic")>>\ "Oh, shit. Okay." You'd encountered nitrous in your work before, back up North. Some of the places you worked used it as a sort of anaesthetic. Wasn't as good as a systemic one, but it was patient-led and far safer than the alternative. <<elseif $identity.includes("hedonist")>>\ Oh //hell// yeah. He had nitrous here? How had you not known he had nitrous here? Maybe you could buy some off of him, find some people who were less square to enjoy it with. <<else>>\ "What's laughing gas?" <</if>>\ Doc turned around, stepping out of your vision, and a hissing sound rang out through the room. When he faced you again, he was holding a thick, black rubber balloon by the neck, half full of some kind of gas. "Just inhale this, as much as you feel comfortable, and hold it for a moment. Then make sure you exhale back into it. Inhale whenever you can feel the pain." "You're giving me drugs, Doc? How kind." He rolled his eyes at you. * [[And then the operation starts.|Operating Room Operation]]

The surgery was fucking painful. Even through the haze of the gas, you could feel every stab of a needle and every cut of the knife. But in your drugged up state, you barely cared. Your mind was elsewhere. The lights above you were so bright, and they swirled in your vison, and you were sinking into your pillow further and further and rising up into the cieling. Were you still awake? Jesus. Eventually, Doc wrapped up your wound and left you to recover and sober up, under close monitoring. But the operation was successful. And you were back to health. Or at least, some approximation of health. * [[Time to head back out on your journey.|Clinic Hub]] <<set $needsfirstaid = false>>\ <<unset $firstaid>>\ <<SetFlag "ReattachedFinger">>\ <<dropall $altar "Pinky Finger">>\ <<dropall $pocket "Pinky Finger">>\

<h1><<link "Abandoned Warehouse">><<popup "Abandoned Warehouse Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Abandoned Warehouse Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if $pissedoffdruggies isnot true>>\ <li> [[Approach the fire.|Druggies]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Leave.|Skid Row]]</li> </ul>\

The warehouse was clearly an old construction, must have been from before everything went to shit. Judging by the awkward placement of the various buildings around it, it seemed to have pre-existed everything, being swallowed by the sprawl of the city when space became a concern. Sets of improvised cinderblock stairs led up to the garage doors, shifting under your weight as you stepped into the staging area. It was dark as the grave in there, the hazy sunlight only barely making its way into the gaping maw of the doorways. Looked like a pretty typical unloading dock inside, not that you'd really know. Wasn't much cargo hanging around inside, but there was a big ol' forklift with the tires long since stolen and a bunch of old woods skids rotting in a pile in the corner. The only sign of life in here was a warm red light emanating from the back corner. It looked like there were people sitting around there.

The warehouse was ancient- swallowed by the sprawl of the city, but pre-existing it all. Sets of cinderblock stairs let up into the garage doors. The whole place was dark and dingy, empty of life save for a fire in the back corner where a couple people were sitting.

<h1><<link "Derelict Block">><<popup "Derelict Block Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Derelict Block Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Check out "Threadz."|Threadz]]</li> <li> [[Approach the apartment building.|Slum Motel]]</li> <li> [[Head back.|Skid Row]]</li> </ul>\

Heading West, you found yourself entering a sort of maze. The streets grew closer together and the buildings grew further apart, until it was hard to tell what was alley and what was road. People sat with their legs dangling from second storey windows and on rocking chairs on porches, watching you as you passed through. Finally, the choking density of the city opened up once again into a larger street. Below your feet, ash and gravel made way to cracked concrete. The buildings here struck you as odd. They were brick, but not the same sort of reclaimed brickwork as the rest of the Row. Instead, the buildings on either side of the street here looked practically ancient, worn red brick in even lines all from the same source. The roof was what sold it, though- metal panels with regular ridges and fancy corners, clearly made to sit atop a nondescript building like these. This was old world stuff. And it looked like these buildings were being used for their intended purposes, too. Signs hung above the doorways and in windows, advertising grocers and tailors and butchers. The ones that weren't boarded over, at least. One of them caught your eye- boards covered the window, which were spray painted with the word "THREADZ" in bright red. The door was held ajar by a large rock. Just beyond this little complex, a larger building rose above the squat marketplace. It was a big stucco and concrete thing, a real eyesore, two storeys and wide across with a front dotted with individual doors and windows. Not commercial. Some kind of lodging house.

The maze of Skid Row became harder to parse the further in you got, until the streets widened out again into something oddlyh comprehensible. The buildings arranged on either side of this street were ancient red brick, old world things with big windows and flat, nondescript roofs. Inside were butchers, tailors, grocers, and the suspicious clothing outlet "THREADZ." At the end of the street, there was a big conrete and stucco building covered in doors- some kind of apartment building.

<h1><<link "Threadz Description">><<popup "Threadz Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Threadz Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Talk to the shopkeeper.|Roach]]</li> <li> [[Buy some clothes.|Threadz Store]]</li> <li> [[Leave.|Derelict Block Hub]]</li> </ul>

Kicking aside the door and stepping into the little shop, your first impression wasn't great. The place was dark, dingy, ancient looking. With all the windows boarded up, the only sources of light were an oil lamp in a display table near the center of the room and a crack in the boards illuminating a whole mansion's worth of floating dust. Despite its drab appearance, this was certainly a clothing store. There was clothing, for one. One or two metal racks held an assortment of hangers, most of which were strung up with garments in linen and cotton and the occasional synthetic. Apart from that, though, the whole room was notably empty. Uncomfortably empty. Everything was situated right in the center, with only debris and the remnants of old store shelves scattered around. As you entered, you apparently caught the attention of the shopkeeper, who had been obscured behind that display table where she had been seated on the tile floor. She let out a yelp and scrambled to her feet, staring at you with wide eyes like an owl. Her hair was a mousy brown and hadn't been washed in years, almost standing on end around her freckled face. She had a petite frame, though you could barely see it, as she was absolutely swimming in an unbleached linen dress. "Hello! Customer! Welcome!"

The store was dark, dingy, ancient looking. Cracks in the window boards and a single oil lamp illuminated... mostly dust, but a couple racks of clothing too. Other than that, a vast empty space. The mousy shopkeeper stood idly by, excitedly waiting for you to make a purchase.

<h1><<link "Apartment Building">><<popup "Slum Motel Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Slum Motel Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if $apartments.includes("slum")>>\ <li> [[Enter your apartment.|Slum Apartment]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if $chapter gte 2>>\ <li> [[Enter the office.|Slum Apartment Office]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Nothing much to see here.|Derelict Block Hub]]</li> </ul>\

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this place was some kind of apartment complex. Lights were flickering inside some of the rooms, and through a set of glass doors on the left of the lower floor that were reinforced with metal bars. A sign was set up next to those doors, a wooden thing with stencilled letters reading <<if $chapter == 1>>NO VACANCIES.<<else>>VACANCIES. Part of the sign was covered up with a metal flap on a hinge- presumably the part that read "NO." Smart.<</if>> This must be the office where this place was run from. <<if $chapter gte 2>>\ <<if not $apartments.includes("slum")>>\ The important thing about that sign, though, was the word that //wasn't// hidden. There were vacancies here! If you could scrounge up some cash, you could maybe get one of these apartments. Score. <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<h1><<link "Your Apartment">><<popup "Slum Apartment Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Slum Apartment Description">><</if>> <<set $apartment to passage()>>\ * [[A link, in case you glitch your way here.|Slum Motel]]

The apartment you'd rented was one of the worst you'd ever stayed in, but for this part of town, probably a luxury joint. Light spilling in through the front window illuminated not only the furniture but also swirling ash and dust suspended in the air. It was maybe 150 square feet, max. A queen-sized mattress on a simple metal bed frame was shoved into the corner under the window, with a bedside table next to it sporting a well-used oil lamp. On the other side, there was a door into a small but functional bathroom and a set of counters and cabinets approximating a kitchen. This place wasn't lacking in a little luxury, though. There was an overstuffed loveseat, all worn and patched but comfy nonetheless, against the wall. Across from it was a side table <<if $altarsetup == false>>that could maybe be used to hold a television, if only you could afford it (and if only this place had electricity.) <<else>>that held your makeshift altar. <</if>>There was even an icebox in the kitchen, an old world thing that would hold the cold in well. A little slice of heaven in the Row.

Pushing open one of the doors, you stepped inside the office. It was small, probably no bigger than the biggest suite they offered, but it didn't look like it needed more space. The place was well lit by a number of oil lamps, illuminating a large metal desk, a large set of filing cabinets, and a door into a maintenance closet. Sitting behind the desk, flipping through a naughty zine, was a guy with greasy hair and an even worse goatee. He was dressed up in some fascimile of nice clothing, a cheap suit jacket covered in patches over a stained t-shirt. When you walked in, he looked up at you, not even bothering to hide the spicy photo on the front of the zine in his hands. "What can I help ya with, <<if $player.gender == "woman">>miss?<<else>>bud?<</if>>" <ul>\ <<if not $apartments.includes("slum")>>\ <li> [[“I wanted to inquire about an apartment.”|Slumlord Inquiry]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[“Actually, it's nothing. I'm gonna go.”|Slum Motel]]</li> </ul>\

<<widget "storereset">> /* DROP EVERYTHING FROM EVERY STORE */ <<dropall $threadz>> <<dropall $infatuations>> <<dropall $tradingco>> <<dropall $darlings>> <<dropall $ricky>> <<dropall $rosebar>> <<dropall $chargebar>> <<unmerge $pace $musiclist>> /* REMOVE DUPLICATES FROM EVERY ITEM LIST */ <<unmerge $handmade $outfit>> <<unmerge $handmade $wardrobe>> <<unmerge $practical $outfit>> <<unmerge $practical $wardrobe>> <<unmerge $punk $outfit>> <<unmerge $punk $wardrobe>> <<unmerge $armoured $outfit>> <<unmerge $armoured $wardrobe>> <<unmerge $luxury $outfit>> <<unmerge $luxury $wardrobe>> <<unmerge $fetish $outfit>> <<unmerge $fetish $wardrobe>> /* ADD RANDOM SELECTION TO EVERY STORE */ /* THREADZ */ <<set _threadz = []>> <<set _threadz1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $handmade.table>> <<run _threadz.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 10; _i++>> <<set _threadz1.push(_threadz.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _threadz1>> <<pickup $threadz _item 1>> <</for>> /* INFATUATIONS */ <<set _infatuations = []>> <<set _infatuations1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $fetish.table>> <<run _infatuations.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 10; _i++>> <<set _infatuations1.push(_infatuations.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _infatuations1>> <<pickup $infatuations _item 1>> <</for>> /* SIGNAL HILL TRADING COMPANY */ <<set _tradingco = []>> <<set _tradingco1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $practical.table>> <<run _tradingco.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 10; _i++>> <<set _tradingco1.push(_tradingco.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _tradingco1>> <<pickup $tradingco _item 1>> <</for>> /* DARLING'S */ <<set _darlings = []>> <<set _darlings1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $luxury.table>> <<run _darlings.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 6; _i++>> <<set _darlings1.push(_darlings.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _darlings1>> <<pickup $darlings _item 1>> <</for>> /* RICKY */ <<set _ricky = []>> <<set _ricky1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $punk.table>> <<run _ricky.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<set _ricky1.push(_ricky.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _ricky1>> <<pickup $ricky _item 1>> <</for>> /* PACE */ <<set _pace = []>> <<set _pace1 = []>> <<for _item, _amount range $musiclist.table>> <<run _pace.push(_item)>> <</for>> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 10; _i++>> <<set _pace1.push(_pace.random())>> <</for>> <<for _item range _pace1>> <<pickup $pace _item 1>> <</for>> /* RESTOCK BARS */ /* ROSE AND THORN */ <<for _item, _amount range $drinks.table>> <<capture _item>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("fancy")>> <<pickup $rosebar _item 1>> <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> /* THE JUICE BAR */ <<for _item, _amount range $drinks.table>> <<capture _item>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("cheap")>> <<pickup $chargebar _item 1>> <</if>> <</capture>> <</for>> <</widget>> /* ---------- CLOTHING STORE PAGES ---------- */

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Threadz">><</link>> THREADZ $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $threadz.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $threadz $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $threadz $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $threadz $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $threadz $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $threadz $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Infatuations">><</link>> INFATUATIONS $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $infatuations.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $infatuations $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $infatuations $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $infatuations $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $infatuations $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $infatuations $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Trading Co">><</link>> SIGNAL HILL TRADING CO $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $tradingco.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $tradingco $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $tradingco $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $tradingco $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $tradingco $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $tradingco $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Darlings">><</link>> DARLING'S $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $darlings.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $darlings $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $darlings $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $darlings $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $darlings $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $darlings $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Ricky">><</link>> RICKY $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $ricky.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $ricky $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $ricky $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $ricky $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $ricky $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $ricky $wardrobe _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Pace">><</link>> PACE $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $pace.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<print _item>> <<else>> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <</if>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("apartment")>> <<transfer $pace $apartmentinventory _item 1>> <<dialog>> This item will be available in your apartment. <</dialog>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<transfer $pace $music _item 1>> <<else>> <<transfer $pace $pocket _item 1>> <</if>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("apartment")>> <<transfer $pace $apartmentinventory _item 1>> <<dialog>> This item will be available in your apartment. <</dialog>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<transfer $pace $music _item 1>> <<else>> <<transfer $pace $pocket _item 1>> <</if>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("apartment")>> <<transfer $pace $apartmentinventory _item 1>> <<dialog>> This item will be available in your apartment. <</dialog>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<transfer $pace $music _item 1>> <<else>> <<transfer $pace $pocket _item 1>> <</if>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("apartment")>> <<transfer $pace $apartmentinventory _item 1>> <<dialog>> This item will be available in your apartment. <</dialog>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<transfer $pace $music _item 1>> <<else>> <<transfer $pace $pocket _item 1>> <</if>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("apartment")>> <<transfer $pace $apartmentinventory _item 1>> <<dialog>> This item will be available in your apartment. <</dialog>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("music")>> <<transfer $pace $music _item 1>> <<else>> <<transfer $pace $pocket _item 1>> <</if>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Bookstore Office">><</link>> BOOKSTORE $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $bookstore.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<transfer $bookstore $library _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<transfer $bookstore $library _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<transfer $bookstore $library _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<transfer $bookstore $library _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<transfer $bookstore $library _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<update>> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Charge Bar">><</link>> THE JUICE BAR $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $chargebar.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<print _item>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<goto "Charge Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<goto "Charge Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<goto "Charge Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<goto "Charge Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<goto "Charge Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Rose Bar">><</link>> THE ROSE BAR $wealth </h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $rosebar.table>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<print _item>> <<if $pocket.has("Drink Voucher")>> <<link "FREE">> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<drop $pocket "Drink Voucher" 1>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <</link>> <<else>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("1")>> <<link "1 ">> <<if $wealth gte 1>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 1>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("2")>> <<link "2 ">> <<if $wealth gte 2>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 2>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("3")>> <<link "3 ">> <<if $wealth gte 3>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 3>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("4")>> <<link "4 ">> <<if $wealth gte 4>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 4>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <<elseif Item.get(_item).tags.includes("5")>> <<link "5 ">> <<if $wealth gte 5>> <<pickup $pocket _item 1>> <<spendwealth 5>> <<goto "Rose Bar">> <<else>> <<dialog>> You can't afford this. <</dialog>> <</if>> <</link>> <</if>> <</if>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

<<if $pocket.count("Empty Battery") lte 2>>\ <h1>Would you like to charge all of your batteries (1 )?</h1> <<if $wealth gte 1>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE ALL">><<spendwealth 1>><<set _batteries = $pocket.count("Empty Battery")>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" _batteries>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" _batteries>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <h1>"""---""" [[DON'T CHARGE|Charge Bar Sit]] """---"""</h1>\ <<elseif $pocket.count("Empty Battery") lte 5>>\ <h1>Would you like to charge all of your batteries (2 ), or only two of them (1 )?</h1> <<if $wealth gte 2>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE ALL">><<spendwealth 2>><<set _batteries = $pocket.count("Empty Battery")>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" _batteries>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" _batteries>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <<if $wealth gte 1>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE TWO">><<spendwealth 1>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" 2>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" 2>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <h1>"""---""" [[DON'T CHARGE|Charge Bar Sit]] """---"""</h1>\ <<elseif $pocket.count("Empty Batteries") gt 5>>\ <h1>Would you like to charge all of your batteries (3 ), only five of them (2 ), or only two of them (1 )?</h1> <<if $wealth gte 3>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE ALL">><<spendwealth 3>><<set _batteries = $pocket.count("Empty Battery")>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" _batteries>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" _batteries>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <<if $wealth gte 2>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE FIVE">><<spendwealth 2>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" 5>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" 5>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <<if $wealth gte 1>>\ <h1>"""---""" <<link "CHARGE TWO">><<spendwealth 1>><<drop $pocket "Empty Battery" 2>><<pickup $pocket "Charged Battery" 2>><<goto "Charge Bar Sit">><</link>> """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\ <h1>"""---""" [[DON'T CHARGE|Charge Bar Sit]] """---"""</h1>\ <</if>>\

<h1><<link "The Graveyard">><<popup "Graveyard Transition Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Graveyard Transition Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if Flag("ArjunPermission")>>\ <li> [[Go into the Lamplighter HQ.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]]</li> <<else>>\ <li> [[Approach the guy at the gate.|Arjun Introduction]]</li> <</if>> </ul>\

As soon as you stepped out of the city, you got this overwhelming feeling of being deeply, incalculably small. Maybe it was the sheer size of the so-called Graveyard. Those buildings looked so much smaller when there was a whole city between you and them. Standing on the cracked concrete, staring across the ash-wastes at their sheer scale, you were struck with awe. Ah, well, nothing better to do than start walking. The vast road you found yourself following must have been what they called a highway. On tapes you'd see them filled with an incredible number of vehicles, all crowded together in orderly lines and moving in time like a herd of cattle. Nowadays, its ash-dusted surface was cracked and empty. There were a few areas where a bridge over another road had crumbled, and you had to take an alternate route- luckily, you weren't unguided on this journey. The road, and the scant few intact buildings along its way, was marked with symbols. Spray painted arrows and Xs in yellows and reds, marking where to go and where not to go. They were leading you somewhere, and as the enormous monuments of The Graveyard began to surround you, it became clear what they were leading you to. A large square full of ancient buildings, surrounded with scrap and wire fences, armoured to the teeth. An enormous symbol of a old gas-powered streetlamp was emblazoned on the wall of a brick construction in yellow spray paint. The Lamplighters.

<h1><<link "The Trek Home">><<popup "Graveyard Leave Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Graveyard Leave Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Home sweet home.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\

It was time to leave the Graveyard, that dead place full of crawling things and violence, behind. Time to head back to the city, arguably just as dead and full of crawling things and violence. More beautiful, though. Having already made this journey out, it was easy enough to follow the path back. Easy, and relatively quick. Soon enough, you'd passed back through the checkpoint and were surrounded again by the loving embrace of the city.

<h1><<link "Lamplighter HQ">><<popup "Lamplighter HQ Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Lamplighter HQ Hub")>><<include "Lamplighter HQ Description">><<set $visited.push("Lamplighter HQ Hub")>><<else>><<include "Lamplighter HQ Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Go up to KC's office.|KCs Office]]</li> <<if $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ <li> [[Head over to the market.|Lamplighter Market]]</li> <li> [[Enter the lounge.|Lamplighter Lounge]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Head back to the city.|Graveyard Leave]]</li> </ul>\

Inside the walls, it was clearer what this place was- a campus of interconnected buildings, much more squat things than the massive towers that laid further into The Graveyard, but making up for it in floor space. Built of large grey bricks and big glass windows that gleamed in the sunlight. All together they circled around the center, what was once a small park full of walking paths and a large central fountain. The fountain remained, standing proud above the ash, free of any water that would have once spilled over its tall upper platform. In its stead, folks were still using it as a gathering place- a couple guys in eclectic outfits and studded jackets were sitting around its base smoking cigarettes, with one perched on the basin above, swinging his legs idly. Off to the East you could see a lounge of some sort full of folks coming and going with food and drink. They were all laughing and chatting. Further towards the North, there was a little market, half housed in a building and half formed out of stalls outside. All sorts of goods, from innocuous clothing and scrap to armour and medical supplies, were displayed in various stalls. Several of the other buildings had no indication of what they were on the outside. You knew for sure that one of them, near the West, was some kind of administrative building where KC's office was. <<if $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ Standing in this little protected courtyard, nobody gave you much mind. You could go pretty much wherever your little heart desired. <<else>>\ All of that was very interesting, but Arjun specifically told you to go straight to KC's office. You should probably do that. You could always swing by these places on your way out. <</if>>\

The campus of The Graveyard was laid out before you, protected within the confines of its built up scrap walls and fences. Grey brick buildings with gleaming windows filled the space, circling around the central fountain. To the North, the market, its little stalls populated with eclectic goodies. Over to the East, big open doors welcomed you into the lounge. And to the West, the administrative building where KC's office was located. Tough looking folks in spikes and leather roamed the campus, and you could hear boisterous chatter from them as they passed you.

<<if $leads.includes("testrun")>>\ You headed back up to the fifth floor, down that hall, to KC's office. The door was slightly ajar, welcoming you inside whenever you were ready to get going. * [[Head inside.|Test Run]] <<elseif not $playedleads.includes("lamplighters")>>\ You entered the building that Arjun had pointed out, up to the fifth floor, down the hall. Sure enough, winded as you were from all that walking, you reached your destination. A door labelled as KC's office. Now you knew that it was for sure spelled letter K, letter C (wonder what that stood for). Time to introduce yourself to her and pray that she liked you. * [[Here goes nothing.|KC Intro]] <<else>>\ A knock on KC's door was met with silence. Maybe you could come back later. * [[You should probably go back downstairs.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]] <</if>>\

<h1><<link "The Market">><<popup "Lamplighter Market Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Lamplighter Market")>><<include "Lamplighter Market Description">><<set $visited.push("Lamplighter Market")>><<else>><<include "Lamplighter Market Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Approach the clothing seller.|Ricky]]</li> <li> [[Approach the armoury.|Lamplighter Armoury]]</li> <li> [[Leave the market.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]]</li> </ul>\

This market was far from the kind of place you'd see in the city- and a lot closer to the kind of thing you'd see back home. Vendors smoked and lounged in chairs behind their stalls. They were filled to he brim with eclectic goods that spilled out into the walking space in the form of racks and mannequins, forcing you to weave between obstructions and other shoppers. You could smell something cooking, beef with spices, somewhere in this tiny maze. There were a few stalls in particular that caught your eye. One, a clothing store selling the same style of worn and spike-encrusted garments everybody here seemed to be wearing. It all looked second hand, recovered and restyled to be resold. Nearby, a much more impressive sight- a larger stall made of scrap metal and cinderblocks, shelves stocked with ammo, body armour, and fancy looking pistols. On a rack behind the shopkeeper, there were some seriously heavy duty weapons- for one, a semi-auto rifle, not too dissimilar to the kind that made the hole in your side. And above it, a red and black chainsaw in pristine condition.

The market was a bustling maze of stalls decorated with eclectic goods. You noted two shops that were particularly interesting- a clothing store selling various punk attire, and a big scrap metal and cinderblock stall covered in weapons, ammo, and body armour.

<h1><<link "Ricky">><<popup "Ricky Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Ricky Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Talk to Ricky.|Ricky Chat]]</li> <li> [[Buy some clothes.|Ricky Store]]</li> <li> [[Leave.|Lamplighter Market]]</li> </ul>\ <<if not $met.includes("ricky")>>\ <<set $met.push("ricky")>>\ <</if>>\

As soon as you got close enough to the stall to alert the owner, who had been relaxing against a metal pole in the back. He was a lanky guy dressed in the same kind of studded and ripped fare he was selling, the most impressive piece being a jacket entirely covered in an assortment of patches. His hair was this big teased mass of black, and he had a prominent, slightly crooked nose. He sprung up from his resting place and bounced over to the front, leaning up against the counter with his hands splayed out. "Hey, man! <<if not $met.includes("ricky")>>The name's Ricky! Nice you meet ya!<<else>>Good to see ya again!<</if>>" His voice was squeaky, fitting for his bone-skinny frame. "See anything you like?"

<h1><<link "Armoury">><<popup "Lamplighter Armoury Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Lamplighter Armoury Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if not Flag("LamplighterMember") and not $met.includes("truck")>>\ <li> [[Warily ask him about the wares.|Truck][$temp = "wary"]]</li> <li> [[Confidently ask him about the weapons.|Truck][$temp = "confident"]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Slink away.|Lamplighter Market]]</li> </ul>\

<<if not Flag("LamplighterMember")>>\ Approaching the armoury, you were shocked by the sheer amount of //stuff// here, and barely guarded. Not that all of the people here didn't look like they could blow your brains out if you did something wrong. It was just... odd. Where you were from, none of this stuff would be out on display. And in the city, lord knows a store like this would have everything behind lock and key. There were guns of all description (and other weapons too- knives, axes, even bows and arrows), body armour like you'd never seen before hanging casually off wire hangers. These people were armed to the teeth. And this was just the stuff that they //weren't using//. The only thing as impressive as this array of weaponry was the store's operator himself. He was built like a truck, all muscles under some of the gnarliest looking body armour you'd ever seen. His jaw... jesus. And he was covered in an array of tattoos too, from a set of crossed swords under his eye to full sleeves and a painted ribcage over his chest. <<else>>\ Add an alt description here if the player is a Lamplighter later. <</if>>\

<h1><<link "Lounge">><<popup "Lamplighter Lounge Description">><</link>></h1> <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Lamplighter Lounge")>><<include "Lamplighter Lounge Description">><<set $visited.push("Lamplighter Lounge")>><<else>><<include "Lamplighter Lounge Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Head back outside.|Lamplighter HQ Hub]]</li> </ul>\ <<set $visited.push("Lamplighter Lounge")>>

As you got closer to the building on the East, it became clearer what you were approaching- a lounge of sorts, where a whole lot of folks were hanging out. It was a big open space punctuated by thick columns- maybe a lobby for some kind of office in the old world. There was a makeshift kitchen off to the left, but most of the room was dominated by round tables surrounded by chairs and big circles of couches. In the back corner, there was even a television with a few different game consoles sittng out around it. This lounge wasn't exactly full to bursting, but there were quite a few folks around, all clad in leather and spikes and patches and armour. There was a group sitting around a table playing blackjack, and a few people sitting around in the couches having an animated conversation. Neither group seemed particularly interested in you. But you managed to catch sight of Arjun, who was evidently off guard duty now- he was sitting by the TV with his legs kicked up on a coffee table, drinking a beer (or soda?) from a glass bottle. He probably didn't want you to talk to him.

You stepped inside the big open hall of the lounge, propped up by massive columns and populated by folks in leather and spikes drinking and conversing loudly. Arjun was sitting on a couch in the corner, though you had a feeling he wouldn't want to chat with you.

<h1><<link "The Heights">><<popup "The Heights Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("The Heights")>><<include "The Heights Description">><<set $visited.push("The Heights")>><<else>><<include "The Heights Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <<if $leads.includes("waveform")>>\ <li> [[Look for Waveform.|Waveform]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Enter the electronics store.|Pace]]</li> <li> [[Enter Darling's Boutique.|Darlings]]</li> <li> [[Approach the radio station.|Radio Station Base]]</li> <<if $leads.includes("hotdate")>>\ <li> [[Restaurant]]</li> <</if>>\ <<if not $radiolist.includes("Ad 2")>>\ <li> [[Enter L'Apothecaire.|L'Apothecaire]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Head down the stairs to The Stacks.|The Stacks]]</li> <li> [[Head down the stairs to the Red Light District.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\

The Heights looked nothing like the rest of the city. For one, it was elevated above everything else, up on top of the hill. But it was different in another way. While you could identify each neighborhood by the way the buildings all rose at the same time in the same style, The Heights was marked by diversity. There were tall, lavish buildings made of reclaimed masonry, quaint little brick storefronts, things made of wood panelling selected for aesthetics rather than practicality. It all looked sleek, stylish, and reflected the light on big panes of glass as the sun moved in the sky. The centerpiece of this whole area was a massive concrete pillar, cracked and ancient, predating everything here. An enormous metal radio tower emerged from its top, piercing the smog-filled sky, held in place by thick wires that anchored to the ground elsewhere in the city. The roads curved to wrap around it, shoppers bunching up like congregants. The plain grey surface of the building's massive square base was covered with paint- not graffiti, but a kind of mural. A stylized drawing of the city, with the radio tower standing proud above it all, a bright sun behind it casting rays down on the wasteland. In this central square (or circle), there were a few places in particular that caught your eye. A modern-looking stucco building, lacking windows but making up for it with massive open front doors, labelled "PACE" in big blue lettering. Inside, you could see an assortment of devices and electronic thingies. Just next to that one was a larger place decorated with red-toned wood panelling and white molded filigree, with big fancy windows that revealed stylish mannequins posed inside. The sign spelled out "Darling's Boutique" in flowy cursive.<<if not $radiolist.includes("Ad 2")>> On the other side of the street, you noticed that place they mentioned on the radio- "L'Apothecaire." Fancy name, and a fancy looking apothecary to match.<</if>> From here, you could trace the main roads back to get down to either the more utilitarian grid of The Stacks or the shady streets of the Red Light District.

High up on the hill, The Heights was nothing like the rest of the city. In the main square, all the buildings were different- fancy wood panelling, reclaimed masonry, sleek glass. All of them centered around a massive concrete pillar that held up the city's eponymous radio tower. Its base was painted with a stylized mural of the city. Around it, a couple storefronts caught your eye- the simple modern construction and open doors of an electronics store. The fancy filigrees of Darling's Boutique.<<if not $radiolist.includes("Ad 2")>> And that place they mentioned on the radio- "L'Apothecaire."<</if>> All were sleek and beautiful, like they'd never been touched by ash.

<h1><<link "PACE">><<popup "Pace Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Pace Description">><</if>> * [[Browse a little.|Pace Store]] * [[Head out.|The Heights]]

The inside of this store was even more incredible than the outside- rows upon rows of whats-its and doo-dads, a whole shelf of batteries and rechargers, and big televisions on the back wall all showing the same film. This place must have used up so much electricity. This was clearly a different //type// of store from many of the ones you'd encountered. Rather than a single shopkeeper, there were several folks in blue uniform shirts roaming the floor, chatting with customers or fiddling with the tech on display. And a security guard up front. Just in case you decided to grab something and run, you supposed. //Currently, the only function of the walkman and record player are to "use" tapes and records by redirecting to an external site. They will get mechanical uses in the future, but are currently lacking them. Any kind of music can be donated to the radio station or sacrificed at a Devotee's altar. Apart from those uses, this store is mostly in place for future proofing.//

<h1><<link "Darling's Boutique">><<popup "Darlings Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Darlings")>><<include "Darlings Description">><<set $visited.push("Darlings")>><<else>><<include "Darlings Description Short">><</if>><</if>> * [[Buy something.|Darlings Store]] * [[Leave the boutique.|The Heights]] <<if not $met.includes("darling")>>\ <<set $met.push("darling")>>\ <</if>>\

When the door opened, the sweet chime of a bell rang out throughout the little room. The inside of this boutique was exactly as lavish as the outside. Columns, crown moulding, beautiful paintings in elaborate frames hung on the walls. Nowhere you'd been since you got to the city could compare<<if $met.includes("cherry")>>- well, except the Rose<</if>>. But it didn't look much like a clothing store. There was clothing, sure, clothing on mannequins and fancy hats and shoes and jewelry on shelves around the room. But no racks of shirts on hangers, y'know? The bell must have alerted the shop's owner, who poked her head out from a back door. "Oh, hello, dear!" She had a million long braids that flowed over her shoulder and a bright smile across her face. As she stepped out, you could see she was dressed just as lavishly as her establishment would imply- loose, flowing pants in a light fabric with a large bow on the waistband, and a light linen blouse with gold detailing tucked in at the waist. She was tall, too, and wearing heels that made her look even taller. "I'm Darling," she introduced herself, flashing you a smile. "Just let me know what you're looking for, and I can help you out. We offer //some// ready-made clothing, but we primarily do custom work."

The inside of this boutique was exactly as lavish as the outside. Columns, crown moulding, beautiful paintings in elaborate frames hung on the walls. Nowhere you'd been since you got to the city could compare<<if $met.includes("cherry")>>- well, except the Rose<</if>>. But rather than clothing on hangers and racks, there were just a few lavish dresses and hats displayed on mannequins. Darling, the proprietor, was hanging around to see if you had a request.

<h1><<link "L'Apothecaire">><<popup "L'Apothecaire Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("L'Apothecaire")>><<include "L'Apothecaire Description">><<set $visited.push("L'Apothecaire")>><<else>><<include "L'Apothecaire Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <<if $wealth lte 4>>\ * [[Ah, well. Maybe when you earn more cash.|The Heights]] <<else>>\ * [[Maybe if you were really desperate...|The Heights]] <</if>>\

This was far from the kind of apothecary that Doc ran, and much more similar to the type you were used to- yet somehow more //fancy// than any of those places. Drugs were arranged on tall, elaborate shelves in glass bottles like you were used to, but everything was ordered, perfectly aligned, decorated with elaborate labels. These were not medicines, they were //products//. But behind the counter was where the real goodies were kept. Over the druggist's head, up on the high shelves- cigarettes, laudanum, cordials of liquor and cocaine. And //marijuana//. It was somewhat uncommon up North, with lack of electricity and poor outdoor growing conditions, but here it must have been plentiful given the sheer amount they had on the shelf. Oils? They made oils out of it? Wild. The other notable thing about this place was the prices. They were all listed on the shelves, and lord were they ludicrous. <<if $wealth lte 4>>There was no way you could afford any of this stuff. Maybe a pack of their cheapest cigarettes.<<else>>Even if you could afford this stuff, the idea of actually paying this much made your head hurt.<</if>>

The apothecary was as fantastic as ever, shelves laden with perfect glass bottles full of tinctures, powders, and remedies of all sorts. And on the high shelf over the druggist's head- cigarettes, laudanum, cordials of liquor and cocaine. And marijuana. But the prices... <<if $wealth lte 4>>There was no way you could afford any of this stuff. Maybe a pack of their cheapest cigarettes.<<else>>Even if you could afford this stuff, the idea of actually paying this much made your head hurt.<</if>>

<h1><<link "Radio Station">><<popup "Radio Station Base Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Radio Station Base Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if not $radiolist.includes("Personal Shoutout")>>\ <<if $wealth gte 1>>\ <li> <<link "Make a monetary donation for a shoutout. (1 )">><<set $donation = "monetary">><<goto "Radio Donation">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> <<link "Donate music for a shoutout.">><<set $donation = "music">><<goto "Radio Donation">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Head out.|The Heights]]</li>\ </ul>\

Walking round the base of the radio tower, you finally found the entrance- a brick building butting up against one of its smooth concrete sides, clearly a later addition, but open to the public at least. Pulling open the big front door and stepping inside, you found yourself inside a room that was just as brutalist and plain as the outside. A door on the far wall, evidently locked, was labelled with a symbol of stairs going up and down. To the left of this nearly empty room, however, there were two little metal doors built into the plaster wall around chest-height. A little mental geometry, and you could deduce that this room was only part of the building- there was another room back there. Grabbing a handle near the top of one of the doors, and sure enough, with a little force it opened downwards to reveal a chute on the other side. Sort of like the door on a mailbox. A sign between them described their purpose- "This station runs on YOUR donations! Any donations of cash (left) or records/CDs/cassettes (right) are greatly appreciated. Include your name and/or a message with a large donation to have it read out on the air."

The inside of the little brick building at the base of the tower was mostly bare. Apart from the (locked) door to head upstairs, there was a table with two little metal doors over top. "This station runs on YOUR donations! Any donations of cash (left) or records/CDs/cassettes (right) are greatly appreciated. Include your name and/or a message with a large donation to have it read out on the air."

<<if $donation == "monetary">>\ You pick up an envelope from a table sitting under the chutes and stuff some cash you've acrewed in there, scrawling your name on the front with a ballpoint pen and licking the envelope to seal it. Opening up the door, you slid it down the cash chute, where it fell out of view in the other room. You could expect to hear your name over the radio soon. <<spendwealth 1>>\ <<set $radiolist.push("Personal Shoutout")>>\ <ul><li> [[Exciting!|Radio Station Base]]</li></ul> <<set $radiodonations += 1>>\ <<else>>\ You grab a piece of paper from a table sitting under the chutes and scrawl down your name with a ballpoint pen. Now, what to donate... <<for _item, _amount range $music.table>>\ <<capture _item>>\ <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase">\ _item\ \ <<link "DONATE">>\ <<set $radiolist.push("Personal Shoutout")>>\ <<goto "Radio Station Base">>\ <<drop $music _item 1>>\ <</link>>\ </li></ul>\ <</capture>>\ <</for>>\ <ul><li> [[Nevermind.|Radio Station Base]]</li></ul> <<set $radiodonations += 1>>\ <</if>>\ <<unset $donation>>\

<h1><<link "The Stacks">><<popup "The Stacks Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("The Stacks")>><<include "The Stacks Description">><<set $visited.push("The Stacks")>><<else>><<include "The Stacks Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <ul>\ <<if $leads.includes("trackingnumber")>>\ <li> [[Look for the building on the map.|Tracking Number]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Enter The Juice Bar.|Charge Bar]]</li> <li> [[Enter the bookstore.|Bookstore Intro]]</li> <li> [[Enter the Trading Company.|Trading Co]]</li> <li> [[Head down to Skid Row.|Skid Row]]</li> <li> [[Head up to The Heights.|The Heights]]</li> <li> [[Head to the Red Light District.|Red Light District]]</li> </ul>\

Entering The Stacks, the source of the name was evident. Beyond the main street, the orderly cobble formed a network around clusters of massive brutalist structures, brick and concrete titans with few windows and fewer interesting features. Their smokestacks rose above the city like silent vigils, spewing particles into the already ash-clogged sky. You could see them over every rooftop. But here on the main drag, there were no factories. Instead there were quaint, brick-and-mortar storefronts all butting up next to each other. Big windows showed the inside of each little shop, grocers and butchers and clothing shops. Just glancing down the row, you saw almost a dozen wards made of brightly coloured glass beads hanging over the doorways. A tradition up North, meant to cleanse those who entered of malicious energy. This sort of accoutrement was virtually absent elsewhere in the city- interesting. A few shops in particular caught your eye. There was a bustling bar on a street corner, its name plastered on a sign above it labelling it "The Juice Bar." Weird title for a bar, but it seemed popular enough. Further down the street, a fancy old-fashioned font advertised "The Signal Hill Trading Company," a big ol' store that looked like it sold everything under the sun. And just next door, another thing caught your eye- one of the thinner buildings, its front window was blacked out, covered by something on the inside. It was simply marked by a painting of an open book on the door. A beaded ward hung from the overhang. From here, you could head down a set of steps that snaked off into Skid Row. To the West, a steep brick staircase at the end of a major street led up into The Heights. And if you followed the main road South far enough, you'd wind up in The Red Light District.

The smokestacks of brutalist concrete and brick factories rose over you as you entered The Stacks. They were further into the district, but ever present, looming over the area. Here on the main drag, instead of factories, there were brick-and-mortar storefronts all butting up next to each other. Beaded wards hung over many of the doorways. One such doorway was a thin brick bookshop, with the windows covered on the inside. Next to it, a much larger store, The Signal Hill Trading Company. On a corner just down the street, a building advertising itself as "The Juice Bar" was buzzing with activity.

<h1><<link "The Juice Bar">><<popup "Charge Bar Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<if not $visited.includes("Charge Bar")>><<include "Charge Bar Description">><<set $visited.push("Charge Bar")>><<else>><<include "Charge Bar Description Short">><</if>><</if>> <<if $leads.includes("shotgunromance")>>\ Sure enough, Reese hadn't been leading you on- there he was, sitting in a booth over on the left, nursing a glass of whiskey on the rocks and a cigarette. <</if>>\ <ul>\ <li> [[Approach the bar.|Charge Bar Sit]]</li> <li> [[Listen to the radio.|Radio]]</li> <<if $leads.includes("shotgunromance")>>\ <li> [[Approach Reese.|Shotgun Romance]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Leave the bar.|The Stacks]]</li> </ul>\

The bar was a breath of fresh air (proverbially- literally, it smelled like a thousand cigarettes alight in a bonfire). The streets of Signal Hill were unfamiliar and strange, but this was the same bar you'd entered every Friday for the last five years. There was local colour, of course, different folks and different decor, but every bar was the same at its core. You could feel at home here. The local colour here, though, was a little stranger than most of the places you've been in your travels. The same arrangement of small tables with rickety old chairs surrounding a central long bar, the same sort of people here drowning their sorrows after a long day in the factories. But behind the bartender, where you'd normally expect a proud array of different liquors, was a confusing mass of wires. Extension cables and power cords hung like Christmas lights from the ceiling, connecting to yet more cords and cables. Docks for everything from cell phones to MP3 players, large battery charging stations filled with individual AAAs and AAs, plugs hanging unused from the shelves. The various green, red, and blue LEDs created an abstract light show in the back, barely illuminating the coils of wires. There were few patrons here- a few down-on-their-luck looking folks were drinking over a bowl of crisps, and a guy was slumped over near the end of the bar, seemingly out cold. Must have been pretty damn drunk to stay asleep with the radio right next to him, filling his ears with static and guitar.

This bar was familiar- the same sort of place that every small town and big city had on every street corner. Except for the bar itself. Set up behind the bartender, where you would expect to see an array of alcohols on offer, there was instead a confusing mass of wires and blinking LEDs. Scattered throughout the room, a few down-on-their-luck folks were drinking and chatting over the tinny sound of the radio.

You sidled up to the bar, taking a seat on one of the metal barstools. Its three legs were an unequal length, teetering back and forth between two solid positions. It was just tall enough that your feet couldn't reach the ground. The man standing behind the bar was tall and broad, with a beard worthy of an old timey lumberjack and the flannel to back it up. A pair of much too small spectacles was balanced on the bridge of his bulbous nose. He was wiping down a scuffed old glass mug with a rag that couldn't have been that much cleaner. As you approached, he gave you a silent nod. Acknowledging your presence, but not too much. Just a little. <ul>\ <li> [[Order a drink.|Bar Order]]</li> <<if $pocket.has("Empty Battery")>>\ <li> [[Charge your batteries.|Battery Charging]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Chat with the bartender.|Bartender]]</li> <li> [[Stand up.|Charge Bar]]</li> </ul>\

<h1><<link "Bookstore">><<popup "Bookstore Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Bookstore Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <<if $met.includes("bookseller")>>\ <li> [[Head back to the bookseller's office.|Bookstore Office]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Inspect the books.|Bookstore Books]]</li> <li> [[Explore the “maze.”|Bookstore Maze]]</li> <li> [[Step out.|The Stacks]]</li> </ul>\

A tiny golden bell hanging over the doorway heralded your entrance to the bookstore. Stepping in from the smog-choked streets of The Stacks, you were overwhelmed by the earthy smell of hundreds of ancient texts. They lined the walls of the cramped bookstore, dozens of reclaimed wood shelves stretching seven feet to the ceiling. A window was sacrificed for the sake of more space, an extra bookcase shoved unceremoniously next to the door to cover it. Without sunlight, the whole place was only illuminated by bare bulbs hanging on wires from the rafters. From the doorway you could barely see five feet ahead of you, the tomes laid out in an almost maze-like structure.

You took a moment to brush your fingers across the spines of the books, feeling worn leather and laminated paperboard from ages in the past. There was a large leatherbound volume that looked like it was falling to pieces, cheap fake gilded letters peeling off is surface where the hide had disintegrated away from the cardboard interior. Next to it, an old magazine, bright pinks and blues shining around the face of grinning teenage boys who were probably long dead by now. It promised a quiz within to determine which boy would want to date you. And beyond that, a hand-bound journal. Cream ribbon kept its covers together, and fake plastic flowers peeked out between the exposed edges of the paper. * [[Nothing particularly interesting.|Bookstore Intro]]

You peeked around one of the shelves, revealing another short hallway that curved off into the distance. Down that hallway, another one, and another. The books seemed mildly related, with the occasional label on the shelf that seemed to contradict the genres around it- a whole shelf labeled “Biographies,” featuring everything from religious texts to books about long-forgotten wars. Another labelled “Fantasy,” mostly populated by what appeared to be cheap erotica. There was no apparent throughline, only rough connections. Like a mind map. <ul>\ <li> [[Delve even deeper.|Bookstore Depths]]</li> <<if not $rolled.includes("bookstoresignal")>>\ <li> <<link 'Try to figure it all out. '>><<signalroll 6 "Bookstore Signal Success" "Bookstore Signal Failure">><</link>></li> <</if>>\ </ul>\

There was some kind of pattern there, you were sure of it. Words jumped out at you from the spines. There was something about the waves in here, something intentional. Try as you might, though, it wasn't coming together. The pieces all hovered in your mind, burrowing in your brain, modulating that buzzing, but none of it made sense. The picture was warped and strange, lines skipping and stretching. * [[It was starting to hurt your head.|Bookstore Maze]] <<set $rolled.push("bookstoresignal")>>\

There was some kind of pattern there, you were sure of it. Words jumped out at you from the spines. There was something about the waves in here, something intentional. You stepped back, leaning up against a shelf, feeling the leather spines press into your shoulder blades. You couldn't quite get far enough to take it all in in one glance, but this was close enough. A golden plaque nailed into the second highest shelf labelled these as “Mystery” books, though the titles ranged everywhere from cookbooks to autobiographies. Dotted throughout, manuals on the operation of early computers. Maybe 80s or 90s. You weren't great with history. Despite the strange array of topics, something clicked as you stared at them. That buzzing in your ear, it was almost quiet. All in order. Like the information in front of you, the vibrations of all of these tomes, balanced itself out. One to one, negative to positive. Whoever arranged these knew what you know. They could feel this, for sure. * [[The labels were probably outdated. This was a much better organization system.|Bookstore Maze]] <<set $rolled.push("bookstoresignal")>>\

Conceivably, this place was just the size of an average storefront. You could maybe imagine it all fitting in the same dimensions. But inside, that's not what it felt like. It felt big. Like wandering the empty halls of a grand catacomb, buried deep inside the earth where tunnels could expand for miles around you. Eventually, the cramped halls of books opened up into a larger space- still lined with books, but at least six feet wide, so that was new. An ancient particleboard desk sat in the center. On it, a cream-coloured thing like a TV screen and a keyboard of sorts, all connected up with tangled wires to a panel behind one of the bookshelves. The whole area was dark, apart from a cool glow being emitted from that TV screen. It illuminated the face of an older woman, face marked by decades of wear and graying hair pulled up into a soft bun. She looked up at you, and her eyes looked exactly like your grandmother's. "Oh, hello, dear. If you need any help finding anything, please just let me know." <ul>\ <li> [[Talk to the bookseller.|Bookseller]]</li> <li> [[Walk back out through the maze.|Bookstore Intro]]</li> </ul>\ <<if not $met.includes("bookseller")>>\ <<set $met.push("bookseller")>>\ <</if>>\

<h1><<link "Bookstore">><<popup "Bookstore Office Description">><</link>></h1>\ <<if settings.descriptions == true>><<include "Bookstore Office Description">><</if>> <ul>\ <li> [[Talk to the bookseller.|Bookseller]]</li> <li> [[Buy some books.|Bookstore]]</li> <li> [[Walk back out through the maze.|Bookstore Intro]]</li> </ul>\

Eventually, the cramped halls of books opened up into a larger space- still lined with books, but at least six feet wide, so that was new. An ancient particleboard desk sat in the center. On it, a cream-coloured thing like a TV screen and a keyboard of sorts, all connected up with tangled wires to a panel behind one of the bookshelves. The whole area was dark, apart from a cool glow being emitted from that TV screen. It illuminated the face of an older woman, face marked by decades of wear and graying hair pulled up into a soft bun. She looked up at you, and her eyes looked exactly like your grandmother's. "Oh, hello, dear. If you need any help finding anything, please just let me know."

<<liveblock>> <h1><<link "<">><<goto "Bookstore Office">><</link>> ZINES</h1> <hr> <<for _item, _amount range $collectibles.table>> <<if Item.get(_item).tags.includes("zine")>> <<if not $bookstorezines.includes(_item)>> <<capture _item>> <ul><li style="text-transform: uppercase"> <<link _item>> <<dialog "" "item-description">> <<print Item.get(_item).description>> <</dialog>> <</link>> <<link "GIVE">> <<pickup $bookstorezines _item 1>> <<set $zinesdonated += 1>> <<update>> <</link>> </li></ul> <</capture>> <</if>> <</if>> <</for>> <</liveblock>>

Entering the Trading Company, you were struck by the sheer number of products on display. It was overwhelming. Dried foods, liquors, medicines, all sorts of clothing, tools and tackle, votive candles and decorations. It was a vast space, but seemed tiny compared to the massive amount of //stuff// contained within. Each shelf was piled high with new things, most of which was of very little use to you, but it all looked so //interesting//. <ul>\ <li> [[Buy something.|Trading Co Store]]</li> <<if $leads.includes("altarcomponents")>>\ <li> [[Check out the candles.|Trading Co Candles]]</li> <</if>>\ <li> [[Get out of here.|The Stacks]]</li> </ul>\

You wandered through the store towards a familiar looking sight- lines of candles, roughly the same size and shape, all in different wax colours. Some could surely be passed off as regular candles, but you weren't fooled. You were a devotee yourself. You recognized devotional tools when you saw them. Sure enough, as you glanced through them, you spotted printed images on the sides of several- artwork or photographs of saints, their faces recognizable even in wax. Scanning through them, you were disappointed to see no images of the Lady. Not even Her traditional colour, that pale blue. Tragic. * [[You'd have to find one somewhere else.|Trading Co]]

Signal Hill is a text based narrative RPG inspired by modern tabletop games. That means it's rules-light and narrative heavy. There are still a few rules you'll need to know to have a smooth experience in the city, though. Click the topics above, and press the question mark in the top right if you need a reminder while you play.

Leads are hints that'll tell you where to find cool shit to do. Through walking around and talking to folks you'll find new leads that'll be added to your list. You can find your leads in the menu on the left. Sometimes, having a lead is the only way to start a certain story. Other times, it might just push you in the right direction.

Whenever you do something difficult, you'll have to roll for it to find out if you succeed or fail. Every roll in the game is 2d6, plus the value of one of your skills. These are your skills: * '' SAVVY.'' Resourcefulness and practicality. * '' BRAWN.'' Intimidation, strength, and power. * '' GLAM.'' Presence, aesthetics, and charisma. * '' SIGNAL.'' Attunement and intuition. When you roll, the skill will be indicated by the skill's symbol at the end of the link. If you want to guage how difficult the roll is gonna be, the combined total of the dice shown next to the skill will be the target you need to hit. * This is what a roll looks like. In addition, sometimes you'll get an extra bonus to a roll (or have it lowered) when you're under the influence of drugs or some circumstance makes it easier or harder.

When you get into an altercation, the outcome is going to depend on what weapon you're using. When you start out, you can choose one of six weapons, each with their own stats. To get new weapons, you'll first have to unlock another weapon slot using XP, which you can do from the Upgrades tab in the ID menu. You can then purchase another basic weapon from a store. There are also specialty weapons you can unlock through gameplay. You can switch between weapons in the Gear menu. These are the stats on your weapons: * '' PRECISION.'' How easily you can aim at targets. * '' SPEED.'' How quickly you can shoot, reload, or swing the weapon. * '' POWER.'' How much damage the weapon does on a single hit. * '' VALUE.'' The wealth the player needs to have to buy the weapon.

Throughout the game, various choices and routes will give you the option to adopt new identities. Identities are a part of you, and they each offer unique benefits and drawbacks, as well as unique options during gameplay. You can check which identities you have in the ID page under the Identity tab.

Wealth is a measure of how rich you are. Signal Hill isn't concerned with individual currency- only whether you're rich enough to afford things. Just like in real life, rich people don't need to sweat the small stuff, but if you're low on cash you're going to struggle for every purchase. Your Wealth is ranked from 0 to 5. <div class="wealth-table">\ <table> <tr> <th>0</th> <td>Impoverished. You can't afford anything. Good luck finding a place to stay.</td> </tr> <tr> <th>1</th> <td>Bad off. Most of your money is going toward housing, anything else might bankrupt you.</td> </tr> <tr> <th>2</th> <td>Doing okay. You can buy small stuff without going hungry, but be careful.</td> </tr> <tr> <th>3</th> <td>Moderately wealthy. Buy what you want, but don't be stupid. You're not that rich.</td> </tr> <tr> <th>4</th> <td>Well off. You can afford some outlandish shit if you feel like it. Go wild. Have fun.</td> </tr> <tr> <th>5</th> <td>Rich get richer. Get into any club, hire anybody, buy whatever you want.</td> </tr> </table>\ </div>\ Any item you buy will have a Value that tells you who can afford it. If the Value is below your Wealth rank, it's a minor purchase, and won't affect your Wealth. If it's the same as your rank, it's a major purchase- you can still buy it, but your Wealth will decrease by 1. Getting more Wealth works a little differently. Payouts can either be big or small. A big payout will immediately get you to the next wealth level. Small payouts will add up over time- once you've gotten as many small payouts as your Wealth rank, your Wealth will increase by 1.

If you want to improve your skills or unlock new weapons, you'll need to spend XP. You can get XP from following leads to their completion, even if you don't get the result you hoped for. Even if you stumble into a story without the lead active, don't worry- you'll still earn XP for it. You can spend XP to upgrade your skills, to a max of 3 each. If you'd rather wait, you can spend 10XP to unlock a new weapon slot. All of this can be done in the ID menu, under the Upgrades tab.

On desktop, you can access the menus by hovering over the tapes on the left side of the screen and access this tutorial by pressing the question mark at the top right of the screen. On mobile, press the + in the bottom left to access the menus or the ? at the bottom right to access this tutorial. If you're on desktop, you can play Signal Hill entirely with your keyboard. In addition to regular browser navigation, you can press a number from 1 to 9 to select the corresponding option. To roll the dice when they are on screen, press the space bar. You can also navigate to the menus using your keyboard. Hit the L key to view your Leads, the I key to view your ID, the G key to view your Gear, the S key to open the Saves menu, and the C key to open the Config menu.