In a dark place, a made-man struggles against his bonds. Before him, several tools glimmer and sway gently along the wall, the strange bald druggist who knocked him out playing with them. The room is barely illuminated from the streetlights, passing cars, and electric billboards of Level 4. True darkness and silence is not common here.“...It's always women, prostitutes. Transient kids. People who won't be missed. That's no fun. I think doing it to men is much more fun; but not because you're a boy. More because it's not somebody you'd expect. It could be anybody.””You want money? I got money. Pacelli connections.”“You will be next great creation. Worth far more then any amount of dirty criminal money.”“Who da fuck... wait, you're from Level 2?”The man doesn't say anything, instead the stranger brandishes a razor, testing its sharpness against a finger, turning to the mobster. He looks over his captive, eyes looking for the juciest piece to cut first. The mafioso tries to pull out from the rope, the chair squeaking. He sweats. Bribes will certainly not work.“You'd be smart to let me go, psycho. I'm a dangerous man, and I know dangerous people!”He grins at the mafioso with a golden tooth. “Exactly. That's the fun part.”
“Hey Max, thanks so much for watching my kid brothers! My parents are busy and I really need to get to this job interview. It'll only be for about three hours.””No problem!” You say, smiling.“I don't have much to pay you...””Oh, you don't need to pay me anything. I don't need any money.”“You sure? Thanks, I'll bring you a pack of those protein poofs you like for dinner.””Sounds great!”Your name is Max Montagu and you live on Level 5. Within the sparse and uncomfortable walls of yet another government supplied & rent controlled microapartment; you offered to help watch a friend's brothers for a bit. He's one of the few people you know who has a chance to move up in the city; up to Level 4. Just like Cheryl. You didn't ask for a reward, after all, your UBI is enough to cover all basic expenses.”Marbles? Huh, I never had many of those when I was your age. I remember bigger kids would always just steal stuff like that; better to not get attached.”“Nobody has stolen them from us; and we've played with them in the street before!” Carlos's brother says.”Hmm... guess times have changed.”
...In no small part thanks to yourself.Your name may be Max, but that's your secret, ordinary identity. You're also known by another name; the ruthless and powerful vigilante known as The Mask! With your own hands, tonfas, and various other gadgets you have managed to put a serious dent in the “punk culture” of Level 5. Women walk the streets alone without fear, and UBI collection day is no longer a time of stress and secrecy as people try to avoid the big bodied “tax collectors” looking to take a cut. You even managed to take down the strongest and biggest bully of your entire Level; the Viking; and thwart his plans of making himself the petty king of people who already have next to nothing.https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6170571/The Mask has grown a reputation. Known for silence, seriousness, and a single-minded determination to defeat those who prey upon the innocent. And now? He's even known as a killer. At least just for one man; the Viking; who you burned. In a way, it sort of worked out. You've been recovering from that battle for the past few months; taking it easy and not going out on patrol, and this fearsome reputation has helped keep things quiet. It seems the myth has grown; word on the street the reason the Mask killed the Viking was because he saw your face. Given that he almost killed you, you aren't upset about having killed him back. You had your reasons.But given you lost the mask at the DeliDiner, not being back there by the owner or found anywhere; you can't exactly just step back into that role again. You suppose it helped contribute to the legend. Though you have been feeling a little restless recently; you used to punch criminals in the face, and now you're babysitting. How much do you want to return to being the Mask?>Not at all; it's only something you do by necessity>A little excited; it gives your life meaning>Thrilled; you want action, danger, and fame!>It's your True Self
>>6332504>It's your True SelfIt's not a mask. It's our face.
>>6332504Oh cool, we're already back.>Thrilled; you want action, danger, and fame!None of that "Ooooh Bruce Wayne is the REEEEAL mask" bullshit
>>6332506Man, I hate that trope. Max isn't even some obsessed mentally ill tweaker like Batman. He's clearly got an actual life, even if he likes being the mask.
>>6332504>A little excited; it gives your life meaningKilling the Viking was a reality check. A lot to think about.
While these threads tend not to be as contentious as other quests I run; please know that future votes may have a no 1-Post ID rule; especially for big or controversial choices. This is your opportunity to secure a thread ID just in case.
>>6332560Might as well make a post, then, even if I am undecided on this vote.
>>6332504>Thrilled; you want action, danger, and fame!>>6332507Agreed
>>6332550Agreed. Making out with that caked-up librarian was nice, but almost being murdered by some huge asshole wasn't.>>6332509>>6332507I like the trope, but Max isn't Rorschach or Batman. Agreed.>>6332504>A little excited; it gives your life meaning
Truthfully, you want to put the Mask back on. You enjoyed it. You aren't obsessed with it, nor does it define your entire life... but it is special. And seeing the positive and real change you can make in the world when you leave befine the confines of your normal identity and limitations; humble and quiet Max, a Level 5 citizen for life and government charity case; actually a vigilante.You've built a bit of a reputation with the Mask, but it also represents a certain ethos. Your current heroic ethos is to protect the innocent over punishing the guilty, to avoid confrontation when possible, and to maintain a serious and ominous presence as The Mask. But your main impetus for it all? Just because it's the right thing to do.You shake yourself from your thoughts, looking down at the kids playing underfoot, shooting marbles around. You feel a little awkward just standing here, but like most people on Level 5, Carlos doesn't exactly have anywhere to sit. No furniture. Kids annoying you a bit, so you've been doing your best to tune them out, but it's only for a few hours...“You like this game?””It's alright. I feel like it could be better. Maybe we can give the marbles special powers!?”“Naw... that's too complicated. Just use the big marble as the shooter, that's easy to remember, so all the kids can play it.””Kids on level 3 and 2 probably could by gyroscopes or whatever in the marble and cheat anyway...”“I don't think they'd do that. That'd defeat the purpose of the game. It's supposed to be about skill.””Hehe, that would be kinda cool though. I wonder if Reggie would-”
...In the meantime, you've spent your time getting back into shape. After your climatic battle with the Viking, in which you almost died, you've had to take things slow and recover. The drugs from the city's admittedly very good, free healthcare helped a lot, but even then didn't totally fix everything; the rest would take time. You lost a few teeth and almost had your jaw fractured, though you were kindly given immediate replacements and have no trouble chewing anymore. The punch to your side was much worse; causing significant internal damage and organ bruising, fracturing your rib, and causing a constant pain whenever trying to run, bend, or lift weights. This put a serious damper on your training and rehabilitation. Thankfully, the Mask not being needed on Level 5 any more meant you could give it time to heal. But now? You're back to normal.You train in the garage, feeling good. You strike at your dummies and twirl your tonfas, the sweat and smell of good-health give you motivation to continue. As far as you can fathom, you are about as physically strong as you can get given your genetics, diet, and age allow. You've reached a plateau and you won't be able to get any more out of regular training. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And besides, given Level 5's criminal undercurrent of punk culture? You proved yourself the strongest on the whole level. I mean, you beat the Viking didn't you? Maybe you should feel a little proud.While you are almost fully recovered completely, and reached a natural stopping point, you feel as though trying to optimize your body just a few more percentage points, using up the last few excess bit of calories and protein you can squeeze out of your low-impact lifestyle, you might be able to shift the needle just ever so slightly. If you can improve yourself just a little bit more; what would you like to focus on?>Strike just a little bit harder and take down foes faster>Jump just a little bit higher and be more agile>Be just a little bit tougher and more resilient to pain
>>6333101>Jump just a little bit higher and be more agileIn a scenario where we aren't dealing with weapons, agility is probably the best choice, if only so we can maneuver ourselves and escape from the police better.
>>6333101>Be just a little bit tougher and more resilient to painWe took quite a beating, and that may not be the last time it happens.
>>6333117I suppose my logic is that I'd rather not get hit than to get a hit and take it, and that being a little rougher isn't gonna save us from things like actual weapons.
>>6333101>Be just a little bit tougher and more resilient to pain
You think back, considering your time as the Mask so far, and your greatest challenge... against the Viking and his gang. You are the strongest on Level 5 now, but not physically. You beat the Viking, but it was mostly luck and quick thinking; physically, you could never beat a man like that. Being a little physically tougher and having more endurance? That would help even out the scales. You decide to maximize your training with core excercises, pain, and endurance training. Toughen up, or die.But in the meantime... You've been studying with your mind too. Visiting the library constantly, learning as much as you can about the city's construction and architecture. Huge amounts of information is just missing, especially about things like exact coordinates or dimensions, but most of the utilities and water-line information you can get. It's only thanks to your librarian friend, Nancy, that you can efficently get access to the information that you need!“Look Max!” Nancy says, putting her hands to her side and swaying happily. “Noticshe anything different?””Oh... You have a Level 5 Visitor's badge? But we're on Level 5!”“Pfft... Itch's for visiting Level 4! The Flea Market sells rare books sometimes. I've been promoted enough I'm allowed to vischit once a month to pick up things for the Level 5 library! Isnch't that great!?”Truthfully, you're a little remiss about her getting a promotion, given how much she's helped you. You couldn't have made your Mask equipment without the library and her help. But you've already decided that you'd respect her decision no matter what. It'd be selfish to try and keep her here just to help you. If she manages to get promoted and actually move up to Level 4 like Cheryl well... good for her. Even if you feel a little left behind.”That's great, Nacny. By the way, I was looking for engineering books on hydrodynamics, especially since it seems hard to learn about the city waterworks with what's avaliable...”“Oh yeah... That's more restricted schection stuff. Even I can't access that. Maybe as the head librarian I could but... oh by the schway; what's all this for?””Huh?”“You told me that you were schtudying for a job. But last time it was explosions and high-pressure fluid dynamics, and the time before that it was anatomy and schowing clothes! What job could possibly combine all these things?!”Uh oh. Nancy is getting a little suspicious. Your rather eclectic knowledge needs for vigilante work has raised some kind of red flag. What should you say?>Yes, because I'm the Mask.>It's just an excuse to come see you (flirt)>Tell her to mind her own business>I just find it interesting!>Other (Write In)
>>6333634Part of me wants to flirt with her, but I really do like Cheryl. Telling her we're the Red Mask is a bad idea, though, we can't risk her safety.Any idea of some other excuse?
>>6333634>WRITE IN: I'm studying for multiple jobs. I like to keep my options open.Try to spin it as us not wanting to put all of our eggs into one basket, something like that.
>>6333634Lispy nerd girls are cute, and we already made out with her in our secret identity, while Cheryl has shown less interest. So...>It's just an excuse to come see you (flirt)but ALSO +1 to >>6333647 because if she buys the excuse, she'll still want to know why we're borrowing more random books, anyway.
>>6333647I'll +1 this. Not the flirting idea though. >>6333659Huh? Cheryl has been pretty damn chummy with us. If we actually tried we'd have been able to move forward with her last thread too.
>>6333634>It's just an excuse to come see you (flirt)Nancy's cute, she's single, she's known us a long while. And we've already kissed her.I LIKE Cheryl, but our relation with her has been friendly/professional. Besides, we have no idea what her social life is like up there on the higher level.
Hmm we are at an tie. Someone should break it. I mean I guess you could do both, but that's not usually how these votes work.
>>6333647SupportingI don't like flirting, we shouldn't get too promiscuous, especially not as out civilian persona.
>>6333647+1
“...I like to keep my options open! I'm studying for multiple fields, you know.”“Max... if you like it itsch fine, but you know that the only people who get promoted are really good at schtuff, right? You schould probably focus on one thing.””Well, then in that case,” You say casually, with a smile, putting your elbow up on the nearby bookshelf. ”Then I do it just so I can see you more!”Nancy looks a little taken aback. “Wha- me?” She lets out a little mouse-like eep! of surprise, and instantly blushes at the unintentional sound.”Yeah! My favorite librarian!” You say, to defuse the situation.“Oh!” She crosses her arms, angrily, not liking what she now percieves as a joke, at her expense. “Why'd you have to go and make me do that!?””Oh come on Nancy... I was just fooling. Will you help me find this book?”“You know the schelves by now... Nonfiction, Aisle 4. I tschink it's on the bottom schelf.””Thank you~”You don't mind flirting with Nancy. It's harmless, at least in your eyes. To compare yourself to her you think you're a catch, but come to think of it, she might only have eyes for your alter-ego. Why have boring old Max when she could have the Mask? It must be all the exercise boosting your testosterone or something; you'd never be this confident before. Or maybe it's just because you don't have the same kind of feelings for Nancy as you do for Cheryl...You manage to get the books you need from the library. Information on the deep infrastructure of the city is sketchy at best; but you did manage to get the kind of schematics you needed. You are trying to find a way to move between different levels of the city, and you might have just found it.The city of Panopolis has the structure of a layered cake. Each level of the city is basically an independent city on its own built on top of each other; each specalized to fit the needs of the population. Level 5, your level, is the largest and lower level of society; filled with the “dregs” like you who survive on government assistance and charity from the upper levels. Many are resentful, but in a way, it's very freeing and peaceful. However, allowing the poor and rich to rub shoulders wouldn't make sense; so the city is segregated. Each level's population is controlled, and not allowed to move between levels easily. Those from higher levels can to a lower level easily, but the opposite requires very special permission. The only way to move between levels are through government security checkpoints which will turn you away if you try to move to a level you aren't supposed to be on without a good reason. Many on Level 5 have never even been to Level 4, and have no idea what it's even like or what life is like there, leading to much resentment but also mystery.
To be fair, you have been on other Levels before, but only as a kid. You had to do some medical tests and stuff on Level 3, some randomized control group thing. Bad memories of white-walled clinics where they made you eat raw milk and drink warm milk and run on a treadmill and stuff like that. But you barely remember anything from what you saw up there; and especially not as an adult, you've never visited. You've always kinda wanted to see what it's like. Secretly, you wonder if it's as rich and fancy and nice as everyone on Level 5 says it says, but you have a feeling that isn't the case. Cheryl seems to think Level 4 is as bad as Level 5, just in different ways. Now you'll have to be the judge of that.But how to get between the levels? That's where your research has finally paid off. While the government checkpoints are basically fullproof; there are some large elements of infrastructure that span between levels. The most promising of these are the washes; massive water canals that let the waste water from higher levels flow down from each level, getting more polluted each time until they reach Level 5, where its reclaimed, sieved, and processed. You know from basic hydrophonics the water can't just fall straight down; it would make too much noise or cause a splashdown effect and throw up an unacceptable amount of irritants into the air; so the canals have to be at a gradual slope. You also know like most things in the city, it's built to last with as little human maintence required as possible, so there are unlikely to be any grates or floodgates within. The main problem? The washes are not on a set schedule, and fill with rushing water very quickly, which would be deadly to attempt on foot. But vehicles on every level of the city only operate on approved roads and pathways; drawing directly from the hidden LeyLine power system built into every city street. So that thwarts that attempt too.Except you have a motorcycle.With a reliable supply of biodiesel from the owner of the restruant you saved from the Viking, you can finally keep your, or Cheryl's Dad's you suppose, motorbike fully gassed up and ready to go. And you can take it anywhere you want! City roads be damned!You'll admit, it's a bit of a risky plan. But you've studied the blueprints and distances; and you think you can make it. With an average body of water passing thru the washes every 30 seconds, you'll have just enough time at full speed and acceleration to make it up the waste-water channel into the next level of the city. You've practiced gunning it on your bike out in the vacant parking lots at the edge of the city, and timing your progress, and improved your skill at driving the bike. You can make it.
Maybe you've become addicted to the adrenaline of fighting punks and putting your life on the line. This is pretty dumb, even for you. Still, you just can't take all these gifts and advantages you've been given by pure luck and let them go to waste. Who else on Level 5 could ever get to even see Level 4 without a decade of work or special connections? Much less visit it whenever they want?! The curiosity has been killing you. And besides, Cheryl mentioned something about crime families on Level 4. If things remain quiet on Level 5, well that's a good thing, but maybe the Mask could find a new purpose on a new Level...You gas up your bike and head to the wash. You wait until the early morning, where the least water rushes through, and time the waves. Every 30 seconds on the dot; with a few taking an extra second or two to come down, and sometimes even a minute between splashes. You just gotta time this right...Finally, you find your opportunity. You accelerate along the wash and ride down the ramped parapet into the wash proper, your tires slicking with the leftovers of the previous wash just passing by you to give you the maximum amount of time to make it through the concrete tunnel. You speed up as fast as you can go while maintaining control of the bike, feeling great relief at the long and straight sloped tunnel ahead of you; the lights of your bike illuminating the darkness as you drive even faster. The smell of metallic, stale water is all around you as you ride through the deadly damp tunnel, like the bowels of the city itself.Then, you hear a rumbling and the sound of water. What!? It's only been fifteen seconds, max!? You dread for a moment thinking you were off by your count, but then you realize the sound isn't the same as a normal emission; this is a small dump of water, like from a smaller, private resevoir on Level 4. What rotten luck. The oncoming water is nowhere near as much as a full release of the wash; not enough to wash you away with it and certain death, but it's still not good. Even an ankle deep stream of water has enough force to cause you to lose control, or could push you back enough to cause you to miss the timing for the real flood to come before you've managed to make it.You have to think fast. What are you going to do?>Go full speed and just power thru>Ride along the edge of the tunnel and ride above the water with centrifugal force>Look for a side tunnel or service area you can use to avoid the dangerous floodwaters
>>6334808I'm not quite sure, would powering through it be a test of our endurance? Or would it just end with "And then the bike slips and you go down lol"?Ideas?
>>6334808>Ride along the edge of the tunnel and ride above the water with centrifugal forceCoolest.
>>6334808>Ride along the edge of the tunnel and ride above the water with centrifugal forceCOOLNESS.
>>6334808>Ride along the edge of the tunnel and ride above the water with centrifugal forceRide the tiger, like Dio said.
>>6334808>Look for a side tunnel or service area you can use to avoid the dangerous floodwaters
You pick up speed, deciding in fractions of a second what to do. You never tried a stunt like this before, but you know that trying to ride right thru that water is a disaster waiting to happen, and there is no guarantee you'll find a safe place to hide away. No, you have to just ride over it. You drive along the smooth tunnel walls, ending up using your momentum to cling to it as you ride above the rushing water. Quickly, you swing back towards the tunnel's bottom as the last of the water trickles past, gaining a bit more speed then anticipated and fishtailing up the other side of the tunnel's wall."Oh, shit!!!"You oscillate between the two sides of the tunnel, even as the light of the end of the tunnel draws closer. You know you've only got a few seconds before the next wave comes; and this one will be many times larger and faster; going back and forth like this has made your progress shorter, even though you're going faster then before.You grit your teeth and angle your bike, with a final push, break out the mouth of the tunnel and fly up the curved side of the open-air wash right on level 4. You jump the edge of the canal right as the next huge wave of water is released; the water rushing down to Level 5, as if you weren't ever there. You made it to Level 4."Yeee haw!"Coming to a stop on foreign concrete, you look around, happily having exited the tunnel in a quiet and backalley area. You expected that; you just had a feeling Level 4'ers wouldn't be as comfortable around big open industrial projects or machinery like Level 5'ers are. But the first thing that hits you is how quiet it is.Hmm...
You inch your bike forward, riding it in neutral until you reach the main street. You look around, taking it all in. So... this is Level 4 huh?The first thing that hits you is the smell. Level 5 smelled very strongly of metal, and sometimes of dusty from the wasteland outside the city blown in. Various industrial machines and recycling centers gave Level 5 a unique soundscape. You'd also always see a few people; small groups of women traveling in groups, individuals moving quickly and quietly as to not draw attention, and finally punks; in groups or alone, but always looking for trouble. Here though, you don't see anyone. The smell is all different too; you notice the lack of industrial and metals, but wet paint and cleaning chemicals. Everything is bright and lit up; and the ads. Everywhere you look, you see advertisements. You are flooded with information quickly; names of brands and shops and deals and insurance for your insurance. You gawk at the cars parked just... out here, on the side of the street. Almost nobody owns a vehicle on Level 5 unless it's specifically for a job and those are always heavily locked up in garages, like the one Cheryl's left to you; they'd get stolen too easily or be vandalized. Even a bike would get its tires slashed by some punk looking to ruin someone's day. People just... leave them out like this here? So strange. Come to think of it, you should probably find a place to park your bike.Seriously, where is everybody? It's late morning, almost noon. Based on the demographics you looked up; Level 5 is the biggest level in space but has almost the same population as Level 4, which means Level 4's density should be much higher...What should you do first?>Check out the shops>Locate any interesting landmarks on this level>Find something new you can't find on your own Level of the city>Try to find somebody and strike up a conversation>Keep on the lookout... for CRIME!
>>6335679Hmm, personally, I would have tried looking for some sort of way to make an easier connection between the levels. Truth be told this is a poorly planned out travel. It's not like we're just moving to level four right? We have a lot of stuff we still need on level 5. The garage. The library books. Gasoline for the bike.Not exactly sure what to do here that won't get us IDed
>>6335684+1 if viable. Practical choice, anon!>>6335679If not, >Find something new you can't find on your own Level of the citybut if we happen to see any crime, stop it for sure.
>>6335684The wash/tunnel system is your secret "connection" between the levels. Normal people can't cross it because of the lack of a vehicle. You are not permanently relocating to level 4.
...While not saying this to complain about low voter turnout, I have noticed a drop in this thread. I think it's because of the high amount of filler updates. I'm not sure why my prompts are very weak this time; maybe too much setting exposition and not enough action. I'll amend future updates for something a bit more interesting, which will hopefully be more fun to interact with.
>>6335853It's not because of filler. It's just that I don't really know what to answer on this kind of situation. These choices just aren't very clear.
>>6335855This is just sort of an "explore level 4" option since I know people were excited to see and break it up into chunks for smaller more manageable updates. I'm trying this over 4-5 post monsters that make me want to kys
>>6335857No, I get it, but its more that like I said, it feels like a weird scenario due to our situation. I guess if it was something solely about exploration I'd pick like, >Find something new you can't find on your own Level of the cityIt's just that it feels odd because we haven't really properly found a way to operate on this level so walking around feels weird. Where would we even park our bike? It's very clearly different than anything else these other people have. And then there's there's fact that we're still dressed in our hero stuff. Do we just go into a store wearing a cape?
Don't be discouraged BananasQM, I am reading your thread and enjoying it ^_~ yay (and I do not even like superheroes)Your cool water motorbike sewer tunnel passage scene made me think of this pic related heheBut in terms of honest feedback, could it be related to your ultradark game cover intro image, >>6332502I am not sure what other anons see with the contrast settings on their screens, but your Concrete Stratosphere image looks totally black and barely discernible, usually your illustrations are very bright eye-catching vivid colours, so perhaps it is just the unfortunate near pitch black dark image that means some people have not seen it
>>6335679>find landmarks, and>find vantage point / elevated overlook, to survey layout of this city level>>6335853>>6335875I don't think the choice prompts are weak, they are fine!
>>6335679>Locate any interesting landmarks on this level>>6335875I think Souv actually has a point. If you don't read the catalog really carefully you have no idea what this thread is.
>>6335935I have noticed that less eye-catching OP images make it easier for me to miss when my fabourite quests update. That said, the little sliver of whute in black/dark blue has been enough to catch my eye so far.
>>6335679>Locate any interesting landmarks on this level
>>6335679>Locate any interesting landmarks on this level>>6335935I must admit I didn't find this quest all that easily myself. The first image doesn't feature the name of the quest, doesn't picture the MC of the Quest (or any known quest character) , and isn't immediately recognisable as your style.
You decide to look for any interesting landmarks on this level; things that set it apart. You don't notice any great works of art or beautification, even though this level is much nicer then Level 5, you think it's much more dedicated towards commercial products. That was until you notice the timepieces. Everywhere you look; clocks. Lots of them; and there are even large towers with digital displays showing you the current time. 11:59 AM. You see a few identical towers far in the distance of this level; acting as landmarks you guess.Just then, it changes over to noon. There is a soft electric chime that comes from the digital clock tower; indicating it is noon. Just like that, the city seems to wake up. Within mere seconds there is the hints of activity, then in a minute the streets are suddenly flooded. Hundreds, thousands of people file out of the quiet office buildings to the street.It's lunchtime.You've honestly never seen so many people before. Massive crowds cram the sidewalks, go towards their cars, and traffic begins to pick up. You find a parking space for your bike and worry about it getting hit by one of the larger vehicles but no, the streets keep moving with traffic. It's like the city just woke up. You smirk. While there is no punk culture on Level 4, there is certainly it's own culture. Work culture. With every business just letting out for a lunch break, it's like everyone here is on a tight schedule; all in the pursuit of business. Even the sidewalks, which you're used to having all for yourself on your level, is starting to feel a little crowded. Honestly? It's making you feel a little nervous. Do you have a phobia of crowds? It's certainly making you uncomfortable, and you start to notice you feel like you're running out of breath. Are you having a panic attack? You never had one before.>Go find a less populated street to calm down>Sneak to the back alleys to be alone>Try to strike up a conversation to pass the time>Other (Write-In)
>>6336680>Sneak to the back alleys to be aloneA hero with Enochlophobia? We gotta work on that. It makes sense, though. If you've never been in a giant crowd before, suddenly being in the midst of one must feel intimidating.Also, reminder for the future, if we ever find ourselves able to do stuff more permanently on this level, let's buy protein stuff. A commercial place like this ought to have protein powder. Or at least some real meat.
>>6336680>Sneak to the back alleys to be aloneMaybe we'll even find CRIME
You had to the alleyways to catch a break, finding a little solace away from the crowds. You didn't think you had some kind of weird phobia and, to be honest, you still don't. It's just not your kind of scene to get smashed in with a bunch of random people going about their business. But seeing all these people walking, talking, doing stuff fast; like they got places to be and you'd just get in the way, you don't know, you just need a second. You slip away off the main street, and come face to face with a new thing; a food cart wafting an incredible odor! You've seen these on level 5 as well. Redmeat burgers, fries, tacos... way more selection then the normal hotdog carts on your level! You get a bit closer to see about maybe getting another one of those chocolate shakes, like the one Cheryl got you, but you recoil from the price listed like a vampire from the sign of the cross. Just then, you feel someone push up behind you."Let me get a seat, I'll eat my meal in 15 minutes! Then you can serve 4 customers for lunch break!""I'll eat mine in 10!""Eight!"The food attendant points at him with a ketchup smeared gloved finger. "Sold! Hey kid, if you ain't buying anything, stop taking up window space!"You step away; even a back alley is too crowded for you at the minute. You walk along a bit further...>Quest continues tomorrow
>>6337344An auction for a damn seat? Crazy shit. Sounds like a corpo hellhole. Seriously though, I still think we need to find a way to have a more permanent place on this level if we want to strike against their crime life. We can't much keep doing trips back and forth every day. We'd get found out right quick.Maybe Cheryl can help us on this...she knows this place longer so she'd be able to give us advice on what's up with it. I don't think Level 1 will be bad so long as we don't vanish like, permanently. We just need to peak our head down and beat up anyone who gets too cocky every once in a while.
Past the food trucks and the chaos of the busiest district, you cross the alleyways, finding some people still out there smoking, a few enjoying the lunch break, and then nobody as you go past air conditioners and the dumpsters behind residential apartments. It's quiet back here; but you feel strange being back here without your Mask. You aren't meant to be skulking in your first visit to the level. Just then, you find an opening into a quiet street. You look to the left and right, finding the sudden lowering of the height and property values of the building calming and comforting. There is a bit of urban decay here; it reminds you of Level 5. It's less intimidating. You look at the street sign and see its name; simply Sixth Street.You look across the buildings; instantly seeing a homey feeling in the old signs advertising businesses. Just a few streets away you parked your bike underneath signs that read out AccuAccounting and InfiniCorp and Business-Protocal-Solutions. And here? Right across the street? You see Smith's Thrifts. By no means do you feel welcome on this level, at least not in the income bracket for it, but you'd take a million Smith's Thrifts and the homey atmosphere over the slick and shiny corporate big money monoliths. You're feeling a bit peckish. The food cart was a bit out of your price range; maybe Smith's Thrifts would be better? Do they even sell food there? Might as well find out.Taking the time to cross the street of the humble store, you hear a little bell chime and you are welcomed by the store owner, the infamous Mr.Smith if your intuition is correct. He looks up from his paperwork or crossword or whatever he's got on the cracked countertop and gives you a wave.“Hello! On a lunch break?””Oh no, erhm, yeah?”“No problem if you're in a rush. Just let me know if you need help finding anything.””How do I, uhh, check out the items? Do you get them?”The older man gives you a confused look, then smiles.“No no, just bring what you want to buy to the front. Unless you need help, just let me know.””Oh, uhh, ok. Thank you.”You disappear into the back of the store. It's not the small talk you mind, just the crowds.
You're allowed to just... walk around with the products? It's a little surreal. The few stores on Level 5 are not like this. Usually, those are small buildings with a glass booth you're supposed to ask for what you want from the back; though it's only a place you visit once every few months when you need something you can't recycle or get for free from the government. It's a strange feeling to be trusted like this. You can already see how easy it'd be to steal from Mr.Smith here. You could just put any of these small things in your pockets. He isn't even watching you!You look over the prices. This is supposed to be a thrift store on Level 4, right? Well... the prices are a little steep, but not that much different then Level 5 honestly. Food is pretty close, and a lot of these household items you can't even buy on Level 5, so it's not easily comparable. You grab a protien bar and, for one of the few times in your life, feel tempted to steal it. But you don't, just putting it back on the shelf. It wouldn't be right to steal from Mr.Smith, especially when he was so friendly and nice to you. You suppose, for Level 4, this is probably a very honest and cheap part of the city. Sixth Street seems like that. People have money and use it, unlike the rest of the Level, but it isn't as soulless and capitalistic. You like it. The subtle ambience of the coolers in the back of the store wash over you; and you finally feel relaxed.*CRASH!*Just then, a brick flies in through the window.
You duck down under the aisles, instantly on alert. You peak out, seeing nobody else in the store, the sudden noise scaring poor Mr.Smith. Just then, the bell chimes and some new people walk in. You watch from the back of the store, hiding, wondering if they saw you from outside... but they seem totally focused on the store owner, not even looking in your direction.“Heyyoo Mr.Smith! Remember us?”“What- did you throw a brick in through my window! What the devil!? Are you going to pay for that!?””Hold on there old man-” the slick gangster says, shrugging. ”We warned you this would happen! Don't you remember? We were offering you our services as protection from trouble, and you decided not to pay.”You aren't sure what is happening here, but it's clearly a shakedown. You look over the men; seeing a group of four. One is better dressed then the others, and is clearly the leader. The others are standing around menacingly. Not too unlike the punks on level 5, but a bit different. Is this one of the crime families Cheryl was telling you about...?“H-Hold on.” Mr.Smith stammers. “I don't- I don't have any money.””Ahh, but our services are very important. You could avoid hooligans damaging your store.” He motions, and one of the goons taks an iron pipe and smashes a display, causing a shower of now-ruined merchandise to fall onto the floor. Mr.Smith holds his head in his hands, shaking his head.“Please... times have been hard. I don't have the money to replace the store's merchandise!””It's a monthly payment, very simple. Most people on Sixth Street already pay, but the amount we told you last time? It's gone up.”“This- this is extortion!””No,” The gangster laughes. ”This is a special offer from the Pacelli family. We're resonable, you know? Surely you got something. Some family jewelery, some insurance packed away in the safe... let's work out a deal.”You've heard enough. You don't have all your equipment with you, this was supposed to be a scouting mission, but you've covered your face with your cape. Now it's time to decide on how to stop this.>Yell and get the attention of all four at once>Take out the guy in the back with stealth>Help Mr.Smith escape by giving him a sign >Other (Write-In)
>>6337805Hmm...I think we could take them, but if we did, Mr.Smith would know exactly who we are once the Red mask appears (same cape). And then we'd be in danger.
>>6337805>Take out the guy in the back with stealth
>>6337805>Does the Thrift-store have a mask somewhere around it we could wear in this moment? Or any useful items that could help us in this under-equipped situation?>Take out the guy in the back with stealthDon't want to escalate things loudly, that'd only quickly make things worse for Smith. And if Smith runs, his store is at their mercy.
>>6337915+1
>Let them rob/intimidate/wreck this store. Afterwards, secretly stalk and follow this gang back to their den of iniquity, the secret CRIME LAIRreconnaissance requires patience
While you don't have your old mask... you still aren't going to let this happen. With your face disguised properly, you creep up from the back of the store to the distracted goons; taking out the closest to you with a chokehold. You pull him back, squeezing him until he stops moving around, and quickly flinging him against the floor to stun him into uselessness. You aren't exactly a trained assassin however, and you don't expect to stay hidden from long with his struggling. He hits a can on the way down, it falling from the shelf from the loud clatter, and interrupting the extortion happening just in front of you at the front of the store.
"Wha- who da fuck is this guy?"The boss gangster, well dressed and in-white, though carrying no weapon, turns. He scowls."A wannabe vigilante? No way there are two of them now. Boys, deal with him."The two gangsters advance towards you. The way they carry their weapons is different from the guys on Level 5. Punks on Level 5 often carried weapons along with them; but they always held them out far from the body, shakily, waving them for intimidation. Blades were dull and swung to hit faces, arms; to leave scars and gain notoriety. The mobsters are organized and move forward cautiously, acting more defensively. They're violent criminals, but not at all possessing the rough sense of honor as the punks on Level 5 did. They aren't nearly as big and strong, but you shouldn't underestimate them.
And with this action; you've begun your nasty habit of getting involved in other people's business. But simply? You just can't let things like this happen anymore. It's become second nature to be a nosy little prick.The well-dressed mafioso seems to be the leader of this group. But you have to deal with his weapon-wielding goons first. With one out; how do you want to deal with the other two?Knife Goon>Disarm with the hook of your tonfa and beat down>Keep at range and smash his face with angular strikes>Pull him and make him fall on his own knife (Lethal)>Other (Write-In)Pipe Goon>Trick him into smashing a ceiling light and then going in for a beat down>Weave under his pipe and get in close with handle-strikes>Grab his pipe and overpower him with it>Other (Write-In)
>>6338876I have a write-in against knife guy.
>>6338882(I am actually serious by the way If there is line a metal food can there is no reason to not just yeet it as a distraction.)
>>6338896If there's like a metal food can*
>>6338876Knife Goon:Kek, do this: >>6338882Pipe Goon:>Trick him into smashing a ceiling light and then going in for a beat downEnvironmental advantage!
>>6338876KNIFE GUY>CAN HIMPIPE GUY>Trick him into smashing a ceiling light and then going in for a beat down
>>6338872I just realized, >wannabe vigilanteHe can't be talking about The Mask, right? Knowledge between tiers seems to be very restricted. Could there be a vigilante on this tier too?
The goon with a knife is clearly a more serious threat, likely to pull and slice your wrist if you attempt a disarm maneuver. You haven't practiced this much against the punks...Sneakily, as he approaches, you grab a convenient can of food off the shelf while he's distracted. The tip of your other baton-hand being menaced by the knife, which he stabs the air once for emphasis, before you reel back and give it to him.WHAM!The heavy can of food slams him directly in the face, stunning him and popping open, getting his mustache all dirty from the spray of gunk. You come in with a quick swipe or two to finish him, while his buddy approaches down the aisle with his long pipe.
He makes an awkward half movement, and, realizing he can't do very long swings within the confines of the shop's aisles, he stops a moment. You put up your guard to the sides, and stick your head forward to act as a target. He draws back, raising his pipe up to dome you- perfect!With a rapid rise; you slam his pipe back- but not to disarm him or hit him directly, just to shove it into the light fixture just above. His metal pipe shatters the glass tube and he shudders in place; electricity coursing through him; your baton material isn't conductive, so you had no risk of shocking yourself with the maneuver. He's hurt badly, but you know there are safety features that prevent such accidents from being fatal; the outlet shuts off in a second and he falls over to the ground, defeated.You turn to the mafioso in charge, who has since let go of Mister Smith, and taken a step back. His confidence is totally rattled; perhaps not expecting you to so easily defeat his hired muscle."Hey! S-Stay back!"You take a step forward over the unconscious bodies of his guards and muscle; he didn't even bring a weapon. Clearly, he thought his intimidation factor would be enough. At least the Viking backed up his desire to be a ruler with strength...Popping a half squat, the mafioso shrinks back as you get closer. You almost think he's about to surrender, but don't lower your guard as he suddenly pulls something out with a mechanical click.
"DIE WANNABE!!">Dodge (Hits Mr.Smith)>Attempt to deflect (50% chance to work or he escapes)>Throw a baton at him (temporarily loses one baton)>Rush him down before he can use whatever this is (take injury but guarantee his capture)>Use your last stun bomb
Write-Ins are also allowed but consequences may be added or changed or w/e. Normally I would just list prompt choices without the consequences but I figured this time it'd be interesting to show them.
>>6339923>Use your last stun bomb
>>6339923>Use your last stun bombI'd rather not risk it.
>>6339923>Throw a baton at him (temporarily loses one baton)Let me show you its features HA HA HA HA!
*TINK*"Wha-"*KABOOM*!>Quest continues shortly
You rush in to close the distance while he's blinded; defeating the mook with a powerful series of attacks. While it was the last stunning bomb you had left, carried hidden in a pocket for just such an occasion, you figure it was worth it to prevent him from deploying his mystery weapon.*WHACK! SLAM!*With the criminals defeated, you make sure to disarm him of his pocket weapon and wipe the blood off your hands; now staining is nice white suit. A shame, but it is his fault after all.“You... You stood up to the mafia...””You alright?” You ask Mr.Smith, who nods.“You saved my store. They've been going after all the businesses on Sixth Street, forcing the owners to pay huge sums of “protection money” or else they ruin their business. I refused them because I can't really afford it...””No trouble.”“Oh!” Mr.Smith says suddenly, noticing the approaching bright lights outside. “Peace Keepers are here; just in time.” He says, sarcastically. “Go out through the back!”You nod, and take your leave. You doubt the criminals will face much justice from the police, but hopefully your beating will teach them a lesson for now. You feel invigorated again! The Mask is back, baby!
In the alleyway behind the shop, you examine closer the weapon the mobster almost used on you. It seems designed to be concealed, with mechanical springs under great tension hidden in its mechanism. You point it at a wall and pull the trigger, causing it to make a snapping sound and release a bolt that pierces the drywall, taking a bit of wiggling to get the dart out.Damn, you would not want to get hit by that! Getting hit in the arm or leg would really slow you down, and a shot to the body could be seriously debilitating, or perhaps even lethal. You don't know if it could really pierce bones or your skull, but it's certainly very dangerous. While not quite as lethal as “the gun”, you still would not want to mess with this. This is a level of sophistication far beyond anything you encountered in Level 5. Maybe you got in a bit over your head...>You almost died! (Lose your Nerve, but become more cautious in the future)>Mentally prepare for the newfound dangers>Surrender the weapon to the Pks and hopefully make the charges stick (Lose opportunity to research it)
>>6340875>Mentally prepare for the newfound dangersNew technology unlocked! Arsenal upgraded!
>>6340875>You almost died! (Lose your Nerve, but become more cautious in the future)A valuable lesson.
>>6340875Hmm, but what does "becoming more cautious" mean here exactly? Does it mean we're better at avoiding getting shot?
>>6340875>Mentally prepare for the newfound dangers
>>6341023I'll explain. The idea is that you temporarily "lose your nerve" (a mechanic introduced in the previous thread) where you are unable to reach your greatest heights of heroism until you do something rash, irrational, or stupid to get your zest for life back; but in exchange for taking this "debuff" you would gain an accelerated training sequence more prepared for future dangers or something like that. Also influences how you want the character to pan out; being either more realistically written with minor PTSD and stress from dangerous situations or more idealistic and heroic.
>>6340875>>You almost died! (Lose your Nerve, but become more cautious in the future)Caught up.Haven't claimed an ID but can use my usual trip if that help on that "controversial" vote
>>6341036I see, I see. Yeah, I think it's worth it. If these guys have actual ranged weapons we really need to be able to deal with them.>>6340875>You almost died! (Lose your Nerve, but become more cautious in the future)
Hey all, sorry about the delay this time. I am going to begin working on the update now, scheduled for tomorrow at the usual time (~12-14 hours from now)
You look over the bolt, the weapon, feeling suddenly very in over your head. What are you doing here? A humble little Level 5 resident playing with the big boys and big money on Level 4? Are you stupid or something? This is the mafia, nothing like the little punks you've spent your time fighting! And you just let that one draw this on you and almost kill you. You're a bit shaken. Not scared for your life, but suddenly feeling a little foolish. Are you really arrogant enough to think you're going to dismantle organized crime you know nothing about? Stay in your lane, kid. That's how you feel. You aren't invincible, and only the protection of your anonymity has prevented way worse things from happening to you then the Viking's crushing fists or a few goons and their little pokey knives.You pocket the bolt and launcher, returning to the streets as just Max, a tourist to Level 4, trying to disappear into the crowds as the lunch break ends and people file back into the many offices and buildings; back to the grind, just like you should be. Keeping your head down and not making a fool of yourself, acting like something you're not...
Your name is now Cheryl Elmore, and you are currently on the crime scene. The Killer has struck again.The Killer is the nickname of Panopolis's own home-grown serial killer. Some other nicknames have included "the torturer" or "the shadow man", but these names were considered too dehumanizing, and only The Killer has stuck. Serial Killer still exist today, but their incidence rate has dropped to almost nothing. The same psychology profile and warning signs of psychopathy; torturing small animals, sociopathy, inability to express emotions, manipulation; are pretty well filtered and corrected in the early population of the city. Strong support networks and social services tend to fix these problems before they become a reality. Still, this one apparently slipped through the cracks. You also know this is the same man who killed your father; though none of the other Peace Keepers seem to believe you.The Killer seemingly strikes at random. While much of his profile is similar to others; A middle aged man, implications of partialism, premeditation, and a below average level of intelligence; he is a bit unique in his choice of victims. Instead of mostly targeting women, his victims seem more random, but especially unique is his targeting of self-secured men. You think this could be hints of a homosexual nature, but this is only a theory. The way he preens over his victims, tying them down in a chair and torturing them before killing them? It just seems a little twisted. More then a normal serial killer anyway. Yes, you are motivated by revenge. The slumped over corpse of the mafia man beheld the same fate as your very own father.You were always close to your Father. He was a very traditional manly man; but always supportive and always loving. You loved hearing his stories about "the good old days" he'd tell you; stories from his own grandfather. He supported you in everything you wanted to do; when you were first interested in art, then animals, and then when you began to move towards social work and even becoming a Peace-Keeping officer. Though as you became older and learned of your duties, you began to have disagreements. It wasn't serious, but you did disagree on one crucial thing. You thought all people were good deep down, and they just needed the right environment to bring it out. Your father would disagree; he told you that evil exists in man. "Evil is a construct of society", you'd tell him, which is something your job taught you. It was something you saw every day in the desperate and honor-based culture of the punks and social issues of Level 5. But now? You know your Dad was right after he was pointlessly and cruelly murdered. You know it's irrational, but you blame yourself in a small part. Sorry for not listening to you, Dad, maybe if I did, you'd still be here today...
You've worked hard to move up to Level 4 as a fresh Peace-Keeper and social worker. Then, it turned out, it wasn't enough. Evidence of the Killer's movements are higher up the chain; Level 3 or above, meaning you don't have access to them without being on that level of the city. The entire reason you worked your way up to Level 4 was to get answers, and now it turns out that won't be enough. It's been hard staying motivated, but you keep thinking on what you're gonna do when you finally find him. From the few eyewitness reports and the psychology profile; you know he's bald and travels between levels of the city, and remains at large. When you find him? You aren't going to catch him and bring him in; you're going to kill him. Simple as that.In the meantime though, this most recent Killing is not official classified as one of the Killer's works. You volunteered to come along specifically to get evidence and answers, and it's been frustrating how they don't seem to want to listen to you."Boss, I'm pretty sure we know who did this. The Serial Killer.""Cheryl. We do not use such dehumanizing language. They are persons-in-crisis.""...""Besides, the victim is a member of the Pacelli crime family. This is highly likely to be a mob connected killing. He could owe money or maybe displeased a superior.""But isn't the Pacelli family the strongest in the whole Level? It seems like they'd do this to one of their enemies. And it's a ritualized killing, not just a bolt'ing in a dark alley...""Officer Cheryl, you are reaching. You're a good cop, but don't make this about your obsession with "the Killer", alright? It's not going to look good on either of our reports."Maybe your boss is right, but something about this crime scene feels off to you. Looking down at the feet of the victim, you see the scrapped up impacted floor, a mixture of blood and pulled teeth, and an unusual placement of his foot. Like he was using it for something before he died. Something about it is fishy, but you don't really know what yet.
"Boss, I think there is a clue here we're overlooking. I think the victim was trying to tell us something before he died.""Huh? Are YOU a forensic technician? A pathologist? A coroner?""...No?""So why are you acting like you know better then our own experts? Besides, how could he communicate anything while he was being tortu- err- being battered with unknown intentions by our mystery assailant? His hands were tied up!""I just know it.""Uh huh. Cheryl... don't forget you are own probation here. I don't want you to get in trouble again; so please don't jump the gun on this one. Unless you're absolutely sure."You feel a bit of self doubt. Maybe your boss is right, but at the same time, you can't shake some feeling here that this is important. It's not just a mob killing. But what if you're wrong?>Advocate for yourself>Let it go
This prompt is also kind of boring and linear. Not sure what else to put here, I'll allow a write in if it's more interesting.
>>6342193>Let it goThis isn't for official channels. it's for The Mask.
"You know we can't come to conclusions about things we don't have direct evidence of. I think this one is a wrap; a disagreement over business associates. The killing could have been a disagreement that went bad, or the result of stress. We need crisis management on this immediately; at least if we can identify the one responsible."No no no, that can't be right...You know something here is up, but how are you supposed to prove it?>Reenact the scene yourself>Double check the crime scene from every angle>Ask for floodlights to be brought in to this dark room>Other (Write-In)
>>6342266>Ask for floodlights to be brought in to this dark roomCan't really examine the crime scene if she can't actually see it.
>>6342266>Ask for floodlights to be brought in to this dark roomIt says that it looks like he was using his foot towards something...the only thing I can think of is that he was using it to send a message, right? It's definitely the foot, but It can't be an "angle" thing like pointing at something because then it wouldn't look like it was being "used", just that it was pointing somewhereAlso, I gotta say, I do like Cheryl. She gives me that sort of "Final Girl" vibe.
>>6342266>Ask for floodlights
Maybe they aren't taking it seriously enough, or maybe you're reaching a bit for clues. You can't shake some of your self doubt; but you won't let this opportunity go to waste. The city officials don't seem to want to link this up with the other Killings; but you know better."Let's get some flood lights in here. Forensic team! We need to go over this area with a fine tooth comb! Where are the cameras taking snapshots!?"Your boss smirks approvingly, seemingly turned his attitude around. "Showing leadership... now THAT is level 4 thinking!"Maybe he was trying to save you from some of the grisly details, but you have to see everything. Regardless of how bad it looks. The corpse is illuminated better, and the telling signs jump out at you. But something about his foot keeps bothering you. Was he trying to leave a message somehow..."Hey, turn the lights over here!"You get down to the floor, staying just far enough to not contaminate the crime scene. You look closer, seeing a very, very light shadow. The lights seem to create the contrast you needed."Can we dap up some of this blood? Just around here?""Careful Cheryl...""Look!"
There was a message. The light helped you see it; but the detail was easy to overlook."Huh. Would you look at that.""Something about his shoe bothered me. This one was more worn then the other; and its position looked different. He scratched a message in the floor; using his own pulled tooth!""But when would he have time to do that...""I think he did it when the Killer's back was turned; just enough time to leave a warning. And look where the tooth is, right in the middle of that circle. It has a meaning."There, scratched into the floor, is a very lightly scratched word; GOLD. Based on how the human knee can turn and bend, it seems he was trying to scratch this word in."Gold... Hmm. This mafia man might have been trying to confess his crime in the last second. Have there been any gold heists in the past few months? Tell all repositories to up their security! Or maybe he was killed for a big score, and trying to warn his superior-"Your boss is a fucking idiot. But you aren't mad about it. This is all you needed. This guy was a low level mafioso; he doesn't give a shit about his Capo' and how much money he could earn him. In this moment; the only reason someone would scratch a message like this is for the purpose of revenge. He wanted to let everyone know who did this to him. And you know exactly what he meant.Later, the investigation team chalked up the message as to being an attempt of desperation to escape, or a hint at future criminal enterprise. But you know better. The position of that tooth, the same one he put under his shoe to scratch in his message, was too specific. He put it right in the middle of the "o" in Gold. You know exactly what this criminal meant by that. It means the Killer, the same one who killed your father, has a gold tooth. You are now just one step closer to finding him. And when you do? You'll get some of your own revenge.
You are now Max again. You are currently exploring Level 4. Soon, the work day will be over, and after that people will go about the nightlife. You'll slip back down to your Level at night time; after the coast is clear and people are less likely to see your activity. For today? You'd think your trip to Level 4 was... mostly successful.To be honest, some of the reason you wanted to come up to this level was just pure curiosity. You've lived basically your whole life on Level 5, and just seeing what it was like up here was interesting. But you always assumed it'd be like... a capitalist paradise. You assumed everyone here was just rich and happy, and you were left below in poverty land. But now you're not so sure. Sure, people don't walk the streets in pairs and people can leave out their property without it being stolen by some faceless goon but, the way people talk in guarded tones about certain figures, the way people bow their heads to well-dressed men walking the streets... No, there is injustice here too. It's just different. More organized.Maybe that's something the Mask could do something about.You still aren't sure exactly what your plans are long term. But you'd like to know a bit more about the Mafia, the crime families, and exactly what you can do. You already saved one store owner, even though it nearly killed you, and that gave you some of the confidence you needed to know that Level 4 may be the next battleground for the Mask. But this is nothing like the punks you lived with for years; you'll need to do some reconnaissance. What's the plan?>Give Cheryl a surprise visit and ask her about the crime families>Hang around the shops and try to overhear anything about the mafia>Look up any records or archives about the crime families of this level>Go to the seediest part of town and just ask around for them (Restores your Nerve)>Other (Write-In)
>>6343020>Give Cheryl a surprise visit and ask her about the crime familiesI wouldn't mind restoring our nerve, but it feels criminal not to ask Cheryl about the crime families when that's literally her job.
>>6343020>Ask Mr. Smith for more information on the mafia.
>>6343094That's a horrible idea, Mr.Smith is just some random shopkeeper, he's not gonna start talking about the mafia in detail. And the more we speak to him the bigger the chance he's able to recognize us and rat us out.Sure, he might not *want* to, but the mafia guys might pay him a visit after they connect the guy who beat them up to the mask.
>>6343020>>Give Cheryl a surprise visit and ask her about the crime familieskissing her for nerves purposes?
>>6343126Two times in a row?
>>6343162two different gals under two differents identities. Why not?
>>6343240Well, that certainly sounds like the sort of idiotic drama that a comic book hero would go through.
”MAX!?””Oh, hey Cheryl. Just got off work?””What are you doing here?!””I wanted to see you! I thought it'd be less creepy to just meet you after your shift then stalk you on your way home so I can visit you there.””No- I meant- What are you doing on Level 4???”Cheryl looks around nervously. It's clear she's on edge, like she expects everyone else to know you're on the wrong level of the city. She probably doesn't know how illegal this is; nobody does really. There's no punishment or charges for it because it doesn't happen. She visibly calms down after the surprise wears off, nobody is looking for scruffy looking dudes trespassing onto this level; especially not right outside the Peace Keeper headquarters.You talk for a while, but wanting some privacy, Cheryl takes you into her car, and then begins to drive. You can't lie, you feel a little... inadequate. Cheryl seems so much more grown up then you; being a bigshot on Level 4. You feel a little jealous. You wonder if she thinks you're just some kid.”Did you want me to drive you to the checkpoint? It's pretty far.””No need. That's not how I got here.””I'm not even going to ask...”
Cheryl's apartment...She's got a living room, full kitchen, at least one (two?) rooms, a seperate bathroom, even a little balcony. She's living the high life! Your little box on Level 5 is nothing in comparison. Cheryl is even kind enough to cook you some food after you mentioned how pricey the food was on this level; you suppose she took some pity on you.”Oh my God... this is so good. What is this!? This is amazing...”She rolls her eyes. ”It's just some instant oatmeal. I didn't have any powered Molk, so I just used water and heated it in the microwave.””You have a microwave!?”She goes off to change, and by the time she comes back, you feel much better. You needed something to eat. You want to thank her again, but she seems a bit more serious.”Max... what's the real reason you came to Level 4?””You know why.” You say, in-between bites. ”I wanted to help you with the crime families on this level, like you said. The Mafia. Something only The Mask can do.””Crossing levels of the city just to play at being a vigilante...””I'm not playing though!”
”Listen Max... I appreciate you came to ask me about my expertise in the subject, but we've got it under control.”You snort. ”What do you have to deal with the mafia? Criminal therapists? Anger-Management SWAT teams?””...They're called crisis managers.”You laugh, half choking on some oatmeal. ”Oh, come the fuck on.””Max! That's not important. The point is... this is dangerous stuff. These Mafia men are nothing like the punks on Level 5. Those are just schoolyard bullies. This is organized crime. They kill people who get in their way all the time.””Was the Viking a schoolyard bully?””Look Max. I know you mean well, but I won't be a part of this any more. I'm not going to help you.””W-What!? Cheryl... I need your help with this! I need to get the info on the crime families. You already helped me with the punks!””Yes, I did, and I regret it. How do you think I'd feel if you went and died because of my “help”?! I'm encouraging your behavior!””I woulda died without those bombs you gave me-” You interrupt her, choking on some oatmeal. She gasps.”BOMBS?! YOU MADE THEM INTO BOMBS!?” Oops.”Cheryl...””No Max. This time, I'm putting my foot down. Go back to Level 5. You've done great work there, everyone is so much safer now, enjoy your life!””Enjoy poverty. Easy for you to say, look at this.” You motion. How quickly she forgot; she was a Level 5'er just like you not long ago.”It's not like that... I just don't want you to get hurt. Please just do this for me, won't you?”It seems like Cheryl doesn't want to help give you information on the crime families. She doesn't want to help you get yourself killed, it seems. But her information, especially as a Peace Keeper on level 4, would be invaluable for your investigation. While you aren't exactly sure what you're trying to accomplish yet, you just know you won't be able to get far without her help.>Try to convince her you can handle it>Argue you just want to protect the vulnerable people on this level from the Mafia; like the people on sixth street>Call her a coward for not helping>Tell her you're going to do it anyway; so you might as well help me>Respect her wishes even if you aren't happy about itNo write-ins are allowed.
>>6343957>Tell her you're going to do it anyway; so you might as well help meShe doesn't HAVE to help us. We won't force her. But if she thinks she's protecting us by doing this, she's wrong. She's just ensuring we do what we're going to do with grater personal risk. She of all people should recognize that sometimes a calling to justice, or revenge, is not something you can turn away from just because someone with a badge tells you to look the other way.
>6343957>Argue you just want to protect the vulnerable people on this level from the Mafia; like the people on sixth street
>>6343957>Respect her wishes even if you aren't happy about it.It is enough that Max can protect level 5. Access to level 4 materials and resources can help that and even be a potential source of wealth. She can always call on us later.
>>6343957>Argue you just want to protect the vulnerable people on this level from the Mafia; like the people on sixth street"This isn't about us, it's about all of them. You think the Mafia won't reach downward to 5 if they get strong enough?"
>>6344083Why would the Mafia reach down and not up?
>>6343957Would the "protect the vulnerable" option include mentioning the entire thing with Mr.Smith? I feel like that would be something he should say. He walks into a random store, literally at random, and it instantly gets threatened and messed up by some mafia bigshot who threatens an innocent old guy.
>>6344096I guess I should add, I want to vote for >Argue you just want to protect the vulnerableBut I'm saying that I want him to mention that, specifically.
>>6343957>>Tell her you're going to do it anyway; so you might as well help me
>>6344086Never said they wouldn't. They'll reach in any direction they can to grab as much as they can.
>>6344127Based on my understanding of the setting, level 5 is so fucking poor compared to even level 4 that it's not worth the trouble to get directly involved.
>>6344096>>6344097Welp, I guess I'm not getting an answer before the update. I'll just keep my vote for>Argue you just want to protect the vulnerable people on this level from the Mafia; like the people on sixth streetAnyways and hope that it does that.
”Come on Cheryl... There are people here who need my help. People are preyed upon by the mafia on this level, just like the tax collectors of Level 5. Don't you remember?””Yes Max I know. We are doing our best to stop the corruption and extortion. It's just something too complex for brute force to solve.”You almost want to tell her how you stopped the mob from doing exactly that with your “brute force”, but you stop yourself. Should you tell her about your encounter today? If you do, that might just prove her point given you ran into trouble your very first time on Level 4, plus you'd have to admit you were almost shot by a crossbow. Maybe that would just freak her out more. Before you can figure if you should or not, the moment has passed.”I'm going to do it anyway, with or without your help.””Take down the entire mafia? All of the crime families?””Well, uhh, no. Not necessarily...””You can't Max. It's too dangerous. I don't want you getting involved.””What are YOU going to do about it? Snitch on me for swapping between levels?””If you don't listen to reason...””Go ahead then! Ruin my life for trying to do the right thing!””Maybe I will!””Fine!”Fine!”You get up, and storm towards the door, making a show of it. Just before you do, you notice something fuzzy jump up on a piece of furniture.”Oh! I didn't know you had a cat!””Whiskers? She's usually shy around new people. I'm surprised she came out to say hi.””Whose a good kitty!?”It doesn't seem to have the same reaction as your genetically modified pet rat. People on higher levels can have more and more “advanced” animal companions. You think all the dogs are on Level 3. You take a moment to stroke the animal's cheek, and it turns to rub into your finger. You turn to Cheryl after the deescalation.”...I'm going now. Be seeing you.””On Level 5. Right?”You don't want to get into a shouting match again, so you just leave. It's a shame Cheryl won't help. Maybe you'll be able to convince her another time, until then, you're on your own.
You begin to make the long trek back to your motorcycle. It's halfway across this level, but by the time you get there, it'll be night time and the coast will be clear for you to go home. You're exhausted anyway; this first day exploring level 4 was a real journey you'd say. You'll need a moment to decompress.But along the way, something catches your eye. In a small tailor shop, you notice a suit proudly on display with a certain color- that's your color! The same color as your favorite hoodie you had to save up for months to get back on Level 5, before you stitched it into your hood and cape as The Mask. It's a bright red color, and seemingly rare and uncommon. You wonder if it's environmentally protected or something, you never seem to see anyone else wearing it. You decide to have a little peek, even though you know you can't afford it. In a way, you feel the jealousy creeping up. Why did you have to be born on the shittiest Level of this whole city? You'd never be able to afford a nice suit like that in your whole life. But if you were born on this level, you could buy all the red hoodies you wanted, maybe even a whole suit, just like the well dressed mafiosos....You notice a pair talking in the store, more like one yelling at another. They're milling about the suit and seem to be arguing over it. The taller customer looming over who you can only assume is the store owner and yelling at him. You creep a bit closer to listen in.
“Waiting list!? I ain't going on no stinking waiting list!””P-Please sir... it's my policy. What would my other clients think!?”“I'm more important then your other clients. Do you have any idea who I am?! I work in the Level 4 Labor Admittance bureau! Don't tailorshops like yours need talented seamstresses? Well guess what, only five will get promoted from Level 5 to work on this level every year. This year? Might only be three, maybe, just one. What're you gonna do to make sure your store gets one, huh? Or you might not get any clients at all if you can't sew up their damn clothes. Know how much it costs to get on my “waiting list”?””W-Wait, h-hold on...”“You think I can't ruin you? Call my friends in the Bianchi's?” The man says, finally turning to notice you standing behind him. “The fuck are you looking at, punk?””A leech.”“Wha-”>Protect the store owner from this intimidation tactic verbally>Teach this guy a lesson (Restores Nerve)>Leave before he can call up his mob connections
>>6344788Hmm, now this is an issue. I wanna teach him a lesson, but if we do, won't they be able to trace it back to our face once we start acting on level 4?
>>6344788>Teach this guy a lesson (Restores Nerve)yolo
>>6344788>Protect the store owner from this intimidation tactic verballyCheryl thinks we're some immature kid acting out. Let's not prove her right.
>>6344788>>Teach this guy a lesson (Restores Nerve)
>>6344788>Leave before he can call up his mob connections.We need a new mask. Right?
He lets go of the shopkeeper to point his finger directly at your chest, jabbing at you with it."DON'T YOU GIVE ME NO LIP BOY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO- ACK!" You grab his outstretched finger with your hand, twisting it. He bends trying to keep it in a more natural position, clearly in a great amount of pain."Didn't your mother teach you it's not polite to point?""Ow! OW OW! LET GO!""Only after you apologize."He's shorter and weaker then you, not a serious threat to a masked vigilante. He doesn't know you beat up three armed assailants earlier today no sweat. You twist his finger again, feeling a bit of sadistic pleasure in having such an easy time in controlling him; but you don't let it get to your head. This is purely to teach him a lesson."Ow! Okay! Sorry!""Not me, you idiot! The storekeeper you were so rude towards. Why don't you apologize to him?""Ow! Okay- Sorry for yelling at you! And trying to- uhh- Ouch! Skip the wait list!""And you'd be happy to go on the wait list at the end. Fair is fair, right?""Yes! Please put me at the end of the wait list! Thank you!"Satisfied, you let him go, he nurses his finger. He looks angry, like he wants to say something else, but seeing your confident expression, he says nothing, and instead makes for the exit."...I can't believe you did that.""I think he deserved it. He was looking like he wanted to get violent with you.""Yeah, people like that always talk big but back off the moment someone with a spine stands up to them... thanks.""You shouldn't let people like that extort you.""It's just... not that easy. Don't worry, I won't report you to the Peace Keepers or anything.""By the way, about that waiting list; you don't need to pay to get on it, do you?""No. And if you'd like, I could put you above our friend here..."While not exactly the bravest thing in the world to stand up to; a loudmouth bureaucrat who thinks he's a lot more important then he is, you still feel good for yourself. You just can't stand bullies like that, and some people refuse to learn things politely and properly. You feel like you've regained your nerve.
The fancy electric car pulls up beside the sidewalk, as the man examines his red and pulled finger."Hey, you're an associate of the Bianchi family, aren't you?""Wh- What's it to YOU!?""Mr.Pacelli sends his regards."You hear a scream of pain and duke behind the clothing racks, pulling the older tailor down with you as you spin to look out towards the front of the store. It was muffled through the glass, but the unmistakable sound of someone being killed. The flinging bolts hit the glass and side of the building with dull, quiet thumps. Repeating crossbows angle from the windows, menacing the storefront with a drive-by killing; before the windows roll up and the car drives away. You take a look at the corpse; blood oozing from the many bolts flung from the advanced weapons at point blank range. He didn't have a chance."H-Holy shit!""Stay here, call the Peace Keepers. Don't worry, I don't think you or your store are the intended targets.""W-What about you?!""Are you kidding? That was the mob! I'm getting out of here!"Two criminal acts in one day? Maybe you are a magnet for trouble, just like Cheryl was worried about! You take your leave down a quiet alley; working your way back to your bike. You've had quite enough of Level 4 for one day...>Quest continues tomorrow
>>6345891>>6345894Thanks for the update, QM.Looks like this was an easy way to get nerve back with only positive outcome...
We're really gonna need a way to deal with those bolt launchers
>>6345929>Looks like this was an easy way to get nerve back with only positive outcome...Yeah, I'm not sure. I really like the mechanic but I tended to want the choices/consequences for regaining your nerve to be more serious, like kissing Nancy, asking Cheryl on a date unprompted (ignored because I felt it was "too easy" and not fitting the conversation they were having at that update), asking for a promotion at work, or revealing you are the Mask to one of your close friends or something to that effect would be the type of thing you needed to do to get your nerve back. Standing up to a rude guy with only a minor possible consequence of getting the cops called on you for assault or something is very minor given the setting so this one was a bit of a freebie, but given it was self inflicted nerve loss I was mostly fine with it. Losing your Nerve isn't meant to be life or death either, you could complete the thread without it, it just wouldn't let you do the "cool" things at the end like standing up to all the punks in the diner and the like.
>>6345964sure; I like some of the option to be "risky" and some quite safe, keep us on our toes.
You make your way back to the commercial district of Level 4. As the business day winds down, so do the people, with the nightlife beginning as the shops close. You have a few hours of walking left to do after the Cheryl excursion, so you're bone tired, but thankfully nobody will be around when you pull your bike down into the city's sewers and make your way back to your level. You miss your sleeping bag, and your rat...Your bike is exactly where you left it, with a sigh of relief. You logically knew it wasn't likely to get stolen on this level at all, but Level 5 habits die hard. You go to the little parking meter and click the button absent minded, only for it to click back at you and print out a piece of paper. What is this...?It's your fee. The parking space wasn't free. AFTER TWO HOURS PARKED, AN ACCELERATED RATE IS IMPOSED. You had your bike here all day. You guess you really didn't think about it. Finally, you read the total, and feel a sinking weight in your stomach.This is... three months of your UBI payments. You couldn't pay this off even if you didn't eat for three entire months; because you already spent some of this month. Even if you broke into your savings hidden in that nook in the floorboard, you still are no where close to this. What are you supposed to do!? The ticket even has a little picture of your bike and your face when you went to claim the ticket; you guess these parking meters all have little cameras in them.PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE AT ANY PARKING'CO CENTER. UNPAID BILLS WILL BE SENT TO THE OPEN COLLECTIONS MARKET AFTER ONE MONTHYou aren't sure what that means, but you do not want anyone to know about you having an outstanding parking bill. You're trying to keep your movements between levels a secret! You get the feeling if you pay the bill off before then, you'll be safe, but letting it fester could mean risking leaking your identity. What are you going to do to get this kind of money... You've got to get home and you'll have to sleep on it. Unhappily, you slip the parking stub in your pocket and get on your bike, making the journey back to the wash and back home. Thankfully, because water and waste flows downhill, your trip back home to Level 5 will be much less risky then going up...
Meanwhile, in the skyline of Level 4, a high-class building stands. Scrapping the bottom of Level 3; this luxury apartment building made for the rich and powerful has its highest and most prestigious levels totally bought out by just one individual for him and his family. Special permissions to allow the construction of a greenhouse; an herb and plant garden mar the buildings otherwise sleek outer design and silhouette. All for their greatest client; the Pacelli family.Having work everywhere in the city, owner of many patents and business, Mr.Pacelli is well regarded regardless of the rather negative rumors about the source of his income. It's an open secret that he is head of the Pacelli crime family; the strongest and most powerful of the crime families on Level 4; running the scene behind the curtains and becoming fabulously rich. He seems content with this reputation; as his nickname in the city is for his favored pastime. He is known as the Gardener, or Don Pacelli. But what's his real name?>Mario>Romeo>Philippe>Giuseppe>Other (Write-In)
>>6346235Is this a puzzle of some sort? Pull up the previous threads...
>>6346238No just literally pick the name, I haven't decided on his name yet lol
>>6346235>GiuseppeBadabing Badaboom
>>6346235>Other (Write-In)boyardee
>>6346235>Cesar
>>6346235Cesar
Cesar is a good name, we'll go with that.In the meantime; this might be a good time for the mid-thread check in. How are you all enjoying the thread so far? Currently my biggest regret and pain point is the update speed, which is slower then my normal output. I do have excuses for it especially in December, but I don't like giving them and hold myself to a higher standard. I also think this thread's pacing is quite slow, but that's partially because it's meant to be a slowburn introduction to Level 4. I'd like to know how the players feel though.
>>6346714I don't mind it. I won't say it's mind-blowing or anything but it's not a bad thread. As for the pacing, it's a weird thing because having slower pacing for the "civilian" parts of a superhero story isn't bad per say, but I feel like there's something missing that I can't quite describe. I doubt anyone ever watched a playthtough and much less played it, but I once watched a playthrough of Arkham Shadow and the parts where you played as Malone felt like it had the best possible pacing I've ever seen in a "hidden identity section" in a story.
>>6346714No worries, we know that you do it for free and that you have a life to live.
>>6346715>but I feel like there's something missing that I can't quite describe.yeah I feel the same way, not sure what, maybe because it's too lonely and introspective instead of more about the characters relationships.
>>6346725No, that's not quite it. It's just...the "vibe" so to say? It feels like something is missingI used the Arkham Shadow example because the daylight sections where you just walk around felt like the exact thing you were trying to do but successful.
>>6346727
>>6346714I like the worldbuilding, its very coherent and logical and feels lived-in. Mysteries and mysteries, and this maybe soulless and efficient or maybe sadistic and sinister undertone that the actions of those running the city give off. I'm getting Matrix Trilogy and Snowpiercer vibes in the best kind of way. Max is a great main character and his development is interesting. He is a bad dude down on Floor 5 but Floor 4 is a different animal and a foreign place. This thread is less mechanically crunchy in feeling but I'm really enjoying the exposition.
Update is being worked on at a slow but steady pace. Hopefully tomorrow.
>>6346714I'm enjoying it fine, and desu in December I am also so busy that a slower pace sort of suits me. I'm not aroudn to vote every day.>>6346756I feel similarly. It's a slow boil, but not bad. SO far it just feels a little less superheroic than like a material realist sci-fi story. More Cyberpunk Edgerunners than Batman Beyond right now, you know? Not bad, just different.>>6347121Waiting warmly!
Cesar Pacelli is your name, that's right. You are the patriarch of the Pacelli crime family; though nobody would ever call it that to your face. And nobody calls you Cesar; you're just “the boss”. Though a strange nickname that has stuck, The Gardener, you've also become quite fond of. You think it's fitting for more then one reason. In you exclusive greenhouse at the top of your family's penthouse; you tend to the herbs for tonight's dinner. Fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano; they make all the difference in a meal. Your dumbass kids all claim they can't taste the difference, but that's because they spend too much time flapping their gums and not appreciating what you've made from them. Dried seasonings are common on level 4, but a fresh herb garden? A luxury few can dream of; something you have made possible.Your family does do things that are “illegal”, that is true, but you did what you had to to get ahead, above the huge corporations and generationally wealthy on this level. You worked to get where you are today. From your father's humble beginnings into the empire you've created. The “law” is merely what those in charge decide should be the rules; which always end up benefiting them. They'd do the same thing in your position; which is why you know you're a success story. Yet despite this, they continue to demean you. Just like that broad always by the mayor's side...”Mr.Pacelli, we simply have to stop meeting like this. I've already looked over your file...””Look at the gains! My networth is even higher then last time. Higher then anyone else on Level 4, isn't that right?””That is correct, Mr.Pacelli. Your wealth is unparalleled. Significantly higher then most citizens on Level 3 as well.””Which is why I should be advanced, right? I've proven my worth. To the city.””That's just the thing. What exactly has your money accomplished? Some charity work, perhaps, but what about advancement of the human species? Where is the progression of art, science, technology, culture? You don't possess the exemplorary skills or intellect in any relevant fields. You just aren't level 3 material.””How can you... Are you saying I'm not good enough!?””Cesar; you and your family are clearly very successful and very happy here, on Level 4. This is the third special appeal you've made for your citizenship level, and given your age, I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. From now on, I'll be denying your requests automatically. I advise you to enjoy your life and riches on this level of the city. Good day to you, Mr.Pacelli.”...Not level 3 material, huh?
The table is set for dinner. Spaghetti.”My loyal capos... I have gathered all of you here today for a very important reason. As you know, one of the members of our little family, a soldier, was killed. Tied to a chair in a dark alley, teeth pulled out, all that shit. Brutally murdered. This... is an insult. It's a slap in the face of the Pacelli name. An insult to me! I've been moving in secret thus far, but now it's time for all of you to know my plan. It will soon be time to go to war with the other families on Level 4. It's time to destroy them.”“Dad!” Your idiot son, Joey, speaks up. “But... the truce!” He raises an arm to protect himself from the golden fork you launch at his head from across the table, sauce splattering his sleeve.”SHUT UP! They broke the truce first! No family can kill another made-man of another family without permission; it's that simple!””I thought it was that mean ol' serial killer! That's what the news said!””Oh no, Freckle.” You say, softer then when you spoke to your idiot eldest son. You speak to her more like you would a child then an adult woman. ”...The news always lies. They want us to not question what happened, to not take action; keep everyone quiet and orderly.”“Don Ceasar...” The older man says, halfway in an effort to calm you. Dario, your Consigliere, always trying to play devil's advocate. “...We don't know what family performed the attack. If we should take action, it should surely be against that family in particular?””You're right...” You say, before slamming your hands down dramatically. ”...But it doesn't matter. We are the strongest crime family on the level, and the others are weaker. They are likely working together at this point. That's why I already put out hits on all major allies and associates of the other families. But I need all of your help. Each of your rackets and businesses? Your debtors? Squeeze them. You need to make as much money as possible. Then, we will recruit more soldiers, and buy up the supply of weapons from The Crafter. Then, finally, we will move to destroy them all. Do you all understand? And not just them; we will move on to the businesses, the corporations, the banks. We will soon be the Rulers of this level. So much so, even the city itself will have to bow to us. That will be the Pacelli legacy. My family name I have given to you...”
*CLUNK! WOOSH- THUNK!*You block the first tennis ball by the machine, the second rolling out at a different angle. You have to be faster. These are only a very rough approximation of what you're trying to accomplish.*CLUNK! WOOSH- SPLAT!*Hmmph.You are back to being Max again. In your garage on Level 5, you've been digging around a bit more, finding an automatic ball throwing machine that belonged to Cheryl's dad. Apparently, he had a dog at some point. This made you very surprised when you found out.You could just... have a dog? On Level 5? Ever since the cities took over the world and the people all moved to them to allow the natural world to heal; pet and animal ownership has been heavily controlled and restricted, and commerical farming of animal products was outlawed entierly. While there was once a call for total animal emancipation, there were a lot of domestic animals that simply couldn't survive in the wild. As such, these animals could still become pets, but pet ownership became a status symbol. People on Level 5, like you, don't have the space or resources to properly care for larger animals; so only small mammals like rats or insects are allowed as pets. You have a rat, and he's a good rat, but it's not really the same as a dog is it?Cheryl has a cat; you know Level 4 is more open, with cats, birds, bunny rabbits and other animals being acceptable as pets. Level 3 is where people can have dogs finally. As for Level 2 you don't really know, they seem more “enlightened” about the whole thing. So the thought of a man just having a dog on this level of the city just blows your mind. Honestly? You're a bit jealous. Owning this garage, owning all these violent tapes, a gas motorcycle with none of the restrictions of an electric one, having a pet dog... Man people in the past had it easy. You keep getting the feeling like things were just better before you were born. And people used to own land and stuff before the cities were around; like actual land where they could farm. That seems like a dream today. Totally unimaginable for anyone today. But society can't just get worse like that, can it? What's your opinion?>Yes, society and the world is just degrading>Yes, but only because the rich are getting richer and nobody challenges them>No, things are just changing, some better and some worse>No, these changes were made for a good reason>Other (Write-In)
>>6347511>Things are getting better for some people even as they get worse for othersIts not all wealth, either, as Cesar's scene showcases. The city has an elite who are elite for reasons beyond the financial.
>>6346714It's a fun and interesting quest. I doubted it at first but you are "cooking" as the kids say.Honestly, I am curious about the setting. Eventually I want to learn about level 1 or what lies outside the city.One thing that bugs me is the scale of panopolis. It supposedly has 50 million people, but with the impact our previous actions had on level 5, it feels like a much smaller place, almost like a small town really. (But don't let numbers get in the way of a good story)
>>6347581Yeah. Originally it was going to be more cyberpunkish, with things like "punk culture" having a social media presence to it which explained the mask vigilante style, but that conflicted with the other idea of tech segregation (where Level 5 was literally in like a 1800s tech era where all the lamps were gas powered, Level 4 was like 1940s to 50s, Level 3 was modern day, etc.) so I ended up just making a big number to explain why it's such a massive city megalopolis. If it makes you feel better, we can just say the city is smaller or you're really well known in one "sector" of it, which is just a portion of the city system.
>>6347511>Yes, but only because the rich are getting richer and nobody challenges them
>>6347511>Yes, society and the world is just degradingWhile you could certainly blame it on a rich people thing, I just don't think Max has the knowledge of the people on the top to tell this. As far as he's concerned, the world is just generally kinda shitty. The fact that most of the earth is seemingly a wasteland is plenty proof of that.
>>6347584>the other idea of tech segregation (where Level 5 was literally in like a 1800s tech era where all the lamps were gas powered, Level 4 was like 1940s to 50s, Level 3 was modern day, etc.Oh, interesting. Is that why there are gyro buses? I previously rationalized it as being due to lithium batteries not being renewable enough or something
>>6347600The concept was partially scrapped because I also wanted electrical appliances/familiarity with things in the modern day, so it's just a bit of a mess. I liked Gyrobuses as a sort of "shitty but eco-friendly public transport" system that was juxtaposed with getting a masculine gas-guzzling motorcycle. So yes lacking the lithium batteries was part of that. Every level of the city just has LeyLine power for devices (invisible charging under the floor/roads) that make it impossible to travel far from the cities since there is no way to power vehicles or charge anything; I decided to introduce it in the first thread just to breed more familiarity with the basic infrastructure setup.
>>6347511>No, things are just changing, some better and some worse
>>6347511Yes. There are no guarantees in life. This is home because this is where your friends are. Gratitude is a challenge sometimes, living in the shadow of those who had it good in the old days, but would you rather not feel the ambition to have and do more?
You can't just believe society is just “degrading” all the time. Wouldn't that mean it would have to end eventually? No, it's just that, in the times you have been born, you simply live in a society where some people take advantage of the situation better then others; to the detriment of others. That's one of the reasons you wore the Mask. You probably can't correct it by yourself, but maybe this is your way to rebel...After your little “adventure” on Level 4, you also took the opportunity to use the tools and workshop in the garage to take apart the mysterious weapon used against you by the mobster. The hand-held crossbow is of a surprisingly complex yet compact design. Obviously, the weapon isn't a legally produced item, yet its workmanship is very high; this wasn't produced in a back alley somewhere with a screwdriver. At least some kind of machining had to be used to make this; and Level 4 isn't known for its industrial output. You check the watermarking on the metal and sure enough find a mark for L5S; Level 5 Source. While you don't know who makes these, the parts clearly get made and then shipped or smuggled to Level 4 from right here on Level 5.The crossbow can be held in a pocket or inside a coat before being pulled out and deployed. When the trigger is pulled once, it releases a spring mechanism to push out the limbs of the bow; which are otherwise held tight and flush with the main body to keep it small enough to be concealed. Then, a tension coil rapidly pulls back the bowstring supplying the force the string needs to be fully cocked; before a single trigger pull can loose the bolt, which is kept in place by several clamps so it doesn't rattle free from the flight-groove when being moved around in some gangster's pocket. The design isn't as powerful as a crossbow could be with these materials, but seems to focus more on coneniance and concealment. The weapons you saw from the drive-by bolting of the man from the tailor-store were more complex; seemingly having an internal magazine of bolts that were reloaded and the string pulled back by a single motion; a pump-action crossbow capable of rapid fire.After the fight at the thrift store; you felt very worried about this weapon. You feel much more relieved now. Yes, it's dangerous, but as prone to mechanical failure, sabotage, and countering as any other. You feel more confident now that you under it better. Still, you will have to train more... and even the odds. If the mafia has better weapons, then you will have to expand your arsenal as well. But you don't exactly have the same level of resources as the mafia...
”So what do you all do if you need some money? Like, extra money?”The room goes quiet. You've spoken the forbidden words of power; which have nothing to do with your fantasy game campaign. Talking about money on Level 5 is a bit of a taboo; after all, everybody has very little of it, it's easy to bring up bad blood of it being stolen or spent poorly, and those with more money don't want to open themselves up to people begging them or having it taken from them one way or another. It's a tough subject, but you'd like at least a little something.“I mean... Carlos has a job. That's extra money, right?””Yeah... but it takes a few months in the apprenticeship and internship programs to actually get paid the first time. Most of what I earn is being saved for exams to maybe be advanced to Level 4.”“Good for you!””Oh yeah, obviously a job...”“Do you need money, Max? I could loan you enough for food for a few days, if you're really desperate. I'd want it back next UBI day though, I need all of next month's myself for new shoes.””No no, I wouldn't ask for that. What about you, Nathan?”“Well, I got extra UBI money permanently once I had a kid. The more dependants you have, the more the government gives you. They also gave my wife a one time charge-card when the baby was born to pay for diapers, formula, stuff like that. It was also impossible to steal since you had to put in a pin and they'd just give her a new one if it got lost or whatever. It was really nice, I wish they gave us all our UBI payments like that.””Well...” You smirk. ”Nine months might be a long time to wait...”“Do you have a girlfriend, Max? Maybe ask for her help with that.” Nate smirks.”Yeah!” Jason says. ”You're like second tallest of all of us; and pretty lean. You'd think you'd be the best with women!”“I'm literally married with a kid.””That doesn't count. Wait- Max is blushing! He's thinking of someone~”Oops. You don't know how this subject came up, but now you're a little embarrassed. They want to know about your “girlfriend”, but you don't have one! Really! At the same time though, admitting it might give you the confidence to make it more real. What do you think?>Tell them about Cheryl>Mention Nancy>Play up a fictional girlfriend to avoid these kinds of questions>Don't tell them anything and play it off cool>Just pretend like you don't have any interest for right now and avoid this embarrassment!
>>6348344>Tell them about Cheryl>Mention NancyGet their input on our dilemma!
>>6348404That seems like a good idea, but I wouldn't want to actually say their names.
>>6348441I should specify, I don't want to specifically tell them we've got an interest in Nancy the Librarian and Cheryl the Cop from Level 4I *do* however think telling them about our dillema of the two girls we kinda like would be good. I don't know what option that would be.
>>6348443It's an acceptable write in>Bring up the situation but don't name names
>>6348444Alright, sure>>6348344>Bring up the situation but don't name names
>>6348444>Bring up the situation but don't name names
On one hand, I like the write-in.On the other...>Tell them about CherylI don't like that ugly Nancy
>>6348557Nancy is cute, though.
"Well... there are two girls actually.""OH! Max is a player, two chicks at once!?""...And you're trying to pick between them, right? And you aren't sure which one you're further along with?""Yeah. One we're just friends, the other, I kissed...""What are their bodies like?""Shut up Jason, quit being such a little nerd virgin.""It's alright, Nate. One is a bit of a tomboy, kinda flat, but athletic. She has an active j- err- lifestyle. Mature and very down to earth. I think I have feeling for her, she's really helped me out a lot and seems to like me too.""And you kissed her?""No. It was the other one. She's kinda short, stacked, really shut in and kinda ditzy and unkept, but very cute underneath. She could be a real looker if she put in the effort. I kissed her in a... moment.""You feel guilty, Max?" Carlos said; almost as if questioning your actions. Somehow he cut through it all through a profound sense of right and wrong.Nathan shakes his hand. He's the married one, so you'd trust his opinion over the others."Look Max, it's just a kiss. I wouldn't go that far to think you're bound up for life or anything like that. At this point, you need to see which one you're more compatible with, ESPECIALLY long term. Whichever you aren't; make sure to let her down gently if she's crazy into you, but she's probably got a few guys in a similar spot to you. Go with your gut on this one.""Wh-What. Why did you have to say that...""Be realistic Max! Everybody knows girls have way more romantic experience then guys do. Especially girls who are sporty or around guys a lot. It's just how things work. Don't be intimated, ultimately, she'll be the one to pick. Don't play up a character or act like something you're not; you'll only regret it later. Women have intuition for this kind of thing."Cheryl... could have seen other men? The idea makes you uncomfortable for some reason. You aren't saying she's a slut or anything but... she is a bit older then you, you think, and she's worked for a long time. For Nancy you knew she's probably in the same boat as you are, but Cheryl could be seeking a way more experience partner. Come to think of it, she could straight up have a boyfriend on Level 4 and you'd never know! Well, unless you were a creep and stalked her or whatever. You aren't sure if you're going to do that, but you already feel a little possessive and jealous. You shake the feelings from your head for now. You have more immediate concerns over guy-talk. You need a job.
We aren't hiring at the moment.No position we offer is entry level.You can join our unapid internship program for a few months to see if you'd be a good fit for this company.With unfettered access to Level 4 from your home on Level 5, and with the parking ticket on your head, you realize you simply need to find a job. It's the only way to generate the money you need, and it's a unique advantage only someone like you had. You don't really think there's any way to make that kind of cash on Level 5 in the time you need it. But it's been difficult.You assumed, given the heavy work and business culture of Level 4, it'd be easy to find work. But it's actually really hard! You don't have a resume, or know the first thing about working! How are you supposed to have work experience to get a job if you can't get one!? You've tried the more expensive business district; making sure to keep your bike just on the sidewalk or down an alleyway for a few minutes at a time to prevent getting another huge fee. It's been rough going here. You should have known better; the people on Level 4 work their whole lives and compete constantly; high level business executives rub shoulders with office workers and team leaders. It's not an environment you can easily break in to. Level 4 is iconic for its massive office buildings and high-density skyscrapers; you just assumed you could get a job there. They turn you away quickly and effectively, almost as if they can smell the welfare on you. You need to lower your expectations and standards.You end up going to Sixth Street. The poorer part of Level 4; and talking to the individual business owners. Here, they're much kinder. They actually tell you what you'd need to get hired, or offer some helpful advice."Oh sugar... This is a medical office. Unless you have some medical training, there's nothing we can really offer you here.""Heh, sorry for wasting your time.""... I didn't say that! It's not a waste, sugar. Everyone's gotta start somewhere. Why not try next door?""..."It was your last resort, but you end up going there anyway.
"I-It's you!""Hey... Mr.Smith.""I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Those mobsters made a mess of my store... Can't afford to repair it all at once... My subtle way of saying that if you came looking for a reward, I'm sorry but I really can't afford much. Though I still really thank you for what you did.""Actually... I was gonna ask if I could have a job?"He smiles."That's one hell of a job application, kid! Do you have any work experience?""No.""Hmm... Well, my back isn't too good anymore. And given what I've seen you do, I think you can handle sweeping the floors and stocking the shelves. Just so you know, I can't pay you more then minimum wage.""How much is that?""Ten bucks an hour.""TEN!?"You cover your mouth in excited surprise. People here can make that much money?! That's an insane amount for people on Level 5."Well, go ahead, the crates are in the back. Do the drinks first so they can be refrigerated. Just put them on the shelves with the same brand or flavor so customers know where to find them.""Uhh, okay."So begins your first job, ever. It's a bit jarring to be doing what somebody else tells you to do for once; but if it's for money? You guess that makes sense. You always thought people on higher levels had more freedom then people on level 5, but actually it may be more of the opposite. In the meantime, how should you approach working for Mister Smith?>Work extra hard out of gratefulness>Take it easy, he owes you this>Keep a lookout for trouble; which is the main reason you came back in the first place>Other (Write-In)
>>6348974Max has got some real shit taste to keep sidelining Nancy. I mean, Cheryl is good too, but he just does not seem to care that much for her.>Work extra hard out of gratefulnessWe should probably keep our identity on the down-low for a while until we're ready to take on the mafia and our actions against the guys that hit Smith up were forgotten.
>>6348974>Keep a lookout for trouble; which is the main reason you came back in the first place>>6348978Well, we already see that Nancy doesn't care about Max but like the Mask. While Cheryl knows the secret and is someone that can accept us as we truly are.
>>6349016>Well, we already see that Nancy doesn't care about Max but like the MaskWhat makes you think that?
>>6348974>Work extra hard out of gratefulness>>6349016We know Nancy likes the mask because we kissed her as the mask and she responded well. She seemed fairly interested in Max before the mask, and we made her blush when we said we want to see her more (before she then assumed we were joking at her expense); so we have no idea if she'd actually like Max or not without seriously testing this out as Max.
>>6349018>>6349031I'll answer this :>>6334805
>>6348974>Work extra hard out of gratefulness>>6349016>Well, we already see that Nancy doesn't care about Max but like the Mask.pic related
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It was kind of stupid to come back here, you think to yourself, given you could become known to the local mob, and it wouldn't be too hard to put two-and-two together for people to figure out you're the hooded vigilante that stopped their other shakedown. The thought has crossed your mind for sure. But at the same time... You can't just leave Mr.Smith to fend for himself, can you? You were all but assured they'd be back, which would make you a bit of a Fairweather hero to save him once and then just ignore it the next time when they return, even worse with a wounded pride.But you needed a job. And this gave you a place to blend in and see whats going on on level four, and Mr.Smith is safer with you around then otherwise. He even let's you park your bike in the back; employee parking that has no other employee to use it. Strangely enough, your return to the store also seemed to coincide with a drop in mobster activity on Sixth Street, as the gossiping customers who come in from time to time seem to say. Unlike Level 5 though, you really cannot delude yourself into thinking its because of your actions- clearly something else is going on. But you keep your head down and sweep, and it's makes surprisingly good cover. You feel invisible in a way wearing the mask never could.Speaking of which; you briefly consider how to gather more intel on the mafia and Level 4 as a whole. Since Cheryl won't help you, you'll need to find your own way around.>Eavesdrop on people who might have telling of mafia activity (chance to get an edge)>Subscribe to a newsletter that covers things like crime and politics on Level 4 (small price)>Ask local business owners how bad they've been getting racketed (most obvious)>Other (Write-In)
>>6349612>Write-In: Work on our people skills, make small-talk rather than passively eavesdroppingit's also just good for our new job. Customer service is important. It will make us fit in more on Level 4 if we learn how to talk like people from this strata of society, so we don't get found out.
>>6349612I think the best choice might be>Eavesdrop on people who might have telling of mafia activity (chance to get an edge)But I *will* switch if somebody thinks of something better.
>>6349614Actually, yeah, this is a good idea. I will support this. +1
>>6349615Well I was hoping to delete this since it got useless very fast but I got the "you must wait longer to delete" aka you won't be able to do it whatsoever. Just disregard.
>>6349620No worries, I'm sure Bananas can track. one thing you can do is click both posts and the QM post ad formally vote a vote change to make sure it doesn't get missed. It's a thing I've seen people do.
>>6349614+1
>>6349614+1I like the write in
I am working on the update. My internet was reset recently so I guess I lose formatting rights for the rest of the thread lol oh well
>>6350586Good news
>>6350586Turns out...
"...Alright Max, you've been coming in every day to help out. Here's your pay.""Oh good, I didn't feel comfortable asking but... what is this? Erhm.""It's a paycheck. You have to go to the bank and they'll cash it for you.""Oh.""Yeah, I know you're from Level 5, so I decided to give you a bit of an advance from the normal pay period-""H-How do you know I'm from Level 5?!"The statement he made so nonchalantly shook you; you jump back. It was supposed to be a secret!? He laughs."It's nothing to be ashamed of. All new hires from Level 5 are like you; faded and old but well taken care of clothes, not understanding free bathrooms and samples in stores because you're used to being treated like an animal, conservative with money, no bank account... Of course, I don't know what happened as to why you'd work for some cheapskate like me on Sixth Straight as a fresh convert, I don't know if you got fired from the job that promoted you to this level of the city right away, or got transferred over with a skillset that got replaced, or your parents sent for you from a higher level... And I won't ask. It's none of my business. You did more then enough.""Well... thank you, Mr. Smith."After several days of working for Mr.Smith, you've got your first paycheck. You walk down the street to the Sixth Street Bank; a new concept for you. People on Level 5 don't really have enough wealth to "save" for later; and are often incentivized to spend money as quickly as possible. Instead of investing in something that can just be stolen or fall apart anyway, it's much more viable to buy experiences, trade favors, and spend it on little luxuries you can afford. Saving for bigger purchases, like clothes or specific appliances, require a bit of planning. You will admit, putting your money in a place like this does seem a bit safer then under the wobbly floorboard back at your apartment. There's security here; including guards with little batons and what look like paintball pistols with bright orange pellets inside. You think you see one behind a door with a shotgun loaded with beanbags. You feel a little intimidated, but then remember what the mafia has, and the feeling quickly fades.
"Wow, you guys are armed better then the Peace Keepers!"You strike up a conversation with the guard while waiting in line. You've been working on your smalltalk. People on Level 5 are pretty isolated and antisocial, for obvious reasons, but Level 4 is a bit different. You think socializing is actually prettying important for the "networking" of all these high level workers and business owners and stuff. The guard looks to the side."...We're not really supposed to have them.""Ahh. Well, your secret is safe with me!"Ahead of you, two men in line talk about the economy. They mention stocks and recessions and stuff you have no concept of, but a few things jump out at you."...If you predict a market recession, then pulling out of the market is a good idea. But if everyone else does it, then it'll cause a run on the bank!""As long as they don't run out of money and are forced to close everyone's accounts, you won't lose anything. Just wait until the dip is over, or better yet, invest more.""That's a lot of risk. I might be "part of the problem" for panic selling and getting my assets out, but nobody wants to be the idiot holding the bag. It's not like the government insures your account or anything; if the bank doesn't have the money, that's it. You're finished. What good is your investments then?""I just don't think that's gonna happen."You put the money away in your brand new bank account; saved. You have an urge to spend it, but you need to save at least some for your parking ticket. For a moment, you feel introspective again on your life and the city. Why aren't there any banks on level 5? It would be such a useful service to prevent theft and waste from the impulsive people. It's almost like they don't want you to hoard up any money there, but here? It's encouraged. They even said you get interest for having money in the bank? The thought of living for free as you always have, on level 5, while you have money just growing on level 4 is tantalizing. But even just some basic mental math reveals that it would take your entire lifetime for it to accumulate to anything significant... best not dwell on it. Nothing has really changed in your life, you gained more money, but also a new expense. This is still all reconnaissance... for what exactly? You don't know yet. But maybe the Mask does.
Unfortunately it's not all positive. You are going to be able to pay off your parking ticket by the end of the month now, thanks to your job and Mr.Smith; even with a little extra left over. But you are also spending a lot of time on level 4. The "commute" to your new job takes some time, as well as the actual work hours; it's been a big adjustment. As someone who has never been forced to have a very set schedule before, it's been a challenge. Level 5ers only real responsibility is government stuff, which is done at your convenience or filled in whenever you apply to a new free service; and collecting your UBI payments, which can be done at any time during the month. Though most will rush to go get it as soon as it comes out; most are in the habit of waiting for the tax collections to die down or when they really need food and stuff. It's nothing like an actual job where you need to be at the store at this exact time; or else you'll be late! But you don't think Mr.Smith is going to fire you or anything... It's still felt like all your free time has been sapped away.You think of all the people in your life, and realize you simply don't have time for all of them now. Over the next month, because of your new busy work schedule, you'll have to neglect some of your relationships. Maybe once you pay off the parking ticket, you can ask Mr.Smith for a vacation...In the meantime, you look at your upcoming schedule and think on your friends. You can only spend time with two of them.Make two selections.>Sort rare books with Nancy>Dinner date with Cheryl>Play video games with Jason>Help Carlos by babysitting again>Talk about politics and hang out with Nathan>Spend your day off at home, relaxing, with your rat
>>6350712Hmmm, this kinda puts us at a crossroad. As much as I would like to choose Cheryl and Nancy, we kinda need to choose one of them for real, don't we? If we just keep trying to go with both of them, it probably won't end well. We're not anime enough for a harem ending, after all.
final prompt choice counts as one of the two choices you can make in your vote. Imagine it says "spend A day off" instead of "YOUR" day off instead; just to be more clear on the wording.
>>6350713Not that I'm supporting choosing it, but if you think western comics, and especially superhero comics, don't have love triangles, you clearly haven't read a lot of them.
>>6350738Sure, but those usually end with one of the girls either dying or being forgotten and effectively erased from reality.
>>6350713Well if we want to keep interacting routinely with both characters, we should go for Nancy. She's my personal preference, but it's also just narrative logic. Cheryl's plotline and our intersect regardless. Nancy is only plot-relevant if we make her so. In addition, having at least one attachment on Level 5 keeps that our origins and the old stomping grounds more relevant t max as a character, which I prefer.>>6350714QM, if we babysit, will we do so in our home where our rat lives? I don't want to abandon our pet. He is our sole dependent and has nobody else to socialize with. :(
>>6350760We can interact with Cheryl sure, but this is obviously a romance thing.
>>6350761I agree. I'm saying that personally I'm inclined to give one vote to Nancy so they both stay lot-relevant and because dat ass, and that to spend one vote on.... Either babysitting or Bartholomew, depending if babysitting means leaving our little friend alone and sad for his short rodent lifespan.
>>6350770Hmm, well, I don't know, as I said before I do like Nancy, but Cheryl's been there for him since day one. She's also got that classic old time female protagonist energy if you get what I mean.
>>6350775Yeah, but if all goes well she can at least be a partner-in-crimefighting, you know? She'll at least be around until we help hr avenge her dad and take down the mob, even if we don't smooch.
>>6350779That's kind of an argument in her favour though? If she's already gonna get a lot of screentime, that just means she'd be a more developed love interest instead of just a waifu.And plus, it's been repeated quite a lot that Max seems to genuinely like Cheryl, while he mostly just thinks Nancy is hot. Going against it might just result in him not being quite happy.
>>6350781Max will like who we tell him to like! Probably. I mean, maybe not. But I like Nancy. Nerdy government-connected, romantic, secretly thrill-loving bookgirl sidekick who we can make blush is my jam. I'm voting for her 100% as long as it's an option. It's only my second vote that is in doubt.
>>6350783>Probably. I mean, maybe notI don't know man, we've voted for her quite a few times already and he doesn't seem to care much either. I do like Nancy, but I really just wanna see more of Cheryl and Max. They have a fun thing going on. I would be tempted to vote both, but from my experience in banana quests we will probably get punished severely if we don't just settle on one of them quickly.
>>6350705>You think you see one behind a door with a shotgun loaded with beanbags.I thought guns were banned lostech though
>>6350846"Beanbag launcher"
I replied to that post sarcastically but no it's actually a really good point. Please disregard the original detail of the bank's security; it was merely meant to be illustrative of their "comprehensive but ineffective" nonlethal security.
>>6350712>Help Carlos by babysitting again>Spend your day off at home, relaxing, with your ratA working class hero.
well, shit, now i gotta actually vote for something otherwise none of the girls winhmm
>>6350712>Sort rare books with Nancy>Play video games with JasonWe'll still meet Cheryl through plot (plus, she works this level, so we'll probably meet her here at some point, perhaps we could grab lunch at a shift-break?) and Carlos will understand why we can't help out as much now we're working (and babysitting doesn't actually spend time with Carlos himself).
>>6350712>Dinner date with Cheryl>Spend your day off at home, relaxing, with your ratYou know what, If I have to choose I think i'll just go with Cheryl. She feels like more of a character than a waifu, and that just makes her a better waifu.I'll also support hanging out with RATTO. How can we call ourselves a superhero if we don't have a cool animal pet?
>>6350712.>Rat>Cheryl
I enjoyed reading the discussion. Feel free to vote at your leisure; I will likely update the day after Christmas since I'll be busy and likely everyone else is too anyway. Merry Christmas!
>>6351056Merry Christmas!If we babysit, wiuld we be doing so at home? Asking again re >>6350760
>>6351060In this case no, I'd more intend them as mutually exclusive options.
>>6350712>Sort rare books with Nancy>Spend your day off at home, relaxing, with your ratOne for waifushittery, one for responsibility.>>6351062Thank you.
I guess that puts us at an tie for Nancy and Cheryl.
>>6351072At least we can all agree on who's really important: Bartholomew J. Rat.
>>6351090Of course, RAT is most important of all.But still, we do have to pick a waifu, and I personally think that Cheryl is just a lot more interesting than Nancy. Not because Nancy is bad, I just like her whole police cop story and how she bounces off of Max. Literally everything that happened after the alleyway fight was because of her.>She convinced about vigilantism>She let him go >She gave him the safehouse which is the only reason he was actually able to become the mask and travel between levelsAnd plus, if we get her pregnant, she'll make a damn good impression of Marge Gunderson from Fargo.
>>6351091I understand your position, but without belaboring my earlier arguments I disagree and prefer Nancy.
Well, we're still stuck at an impasse.>>6350964>>6351069Nancy>>6350965>>6350979Cheryl>>6350922>>6350965>>6350979>>6351069>Ratto>>6350922>CarlosThe only thing we know for sure is that, whichever girl we choose, RAT was chosen first.
>>6351488In that case I'll be implementing a tiebreaker roll for tomorrow
>>6351495Well, I was hoping someone would perhaps vote to see more of cute copgirl, but a coinflip is a coinflip.
>>6351488>>6350922I'll switch from Carlos to...>Cheryl
With your time more limited then ever with your job, you have to decide who to spend the time with. The most important people in your life...In the end, you decide if you only have time for one date, it might as well be with Cheryl. You feel like you owe her a bit after what happened last time; she did feed you, and you felt a little bit for arguing with her. Even though you wish she'd listen to you..."Wow, I can't believe you actually invited me out to eat, Max! This is so nice of you.""Don't worry, I'm only doing to regain my honor. What was that you said? "I can't afford you?" Well, here we are!""...At the cheapest food cart on the whole level?""Ouch!""I'm just kidding... this is really nice Max, I appreciate it. And I know it must be difficult for you to afford... you haven't been beating people up for money, have you?""Whaa- no! Well, only a little bit.""Max!""I'm just kidding..."You end up having a nice time. Out of politeness, you never bring up wanting to know Cheryl's knowledge of the mafia, finding it much easier to just talk with her casually and enjoy your meal together. She doesn't bring it up, but you can tell she enjoyed it too. You don't want to say doing this just put her more in your favor like a transactional relationship; but you hope you've at least shown her you're dependable and reliable enough!
After your next paycheck; you have the ability to pay off your parking ticket completely. Phew, you're exhausted. You just want to go home and relax; so you end up spending time with your rat instead of going out and having more social time. You even have some extra; money you were planning on using for more means. There aren't really any "rat" pet toys on Level 4, but you figure maybe he'd like some cheap cat toys instead?He loves them. You play fetch and stroke him until he gets tired out. It's been a few days you've given much attention, especially since you've just been coming home to sleep. You haven't forgot to feed him, but you still feel a little guilty. He's clingy, and cuddly, and it's nice. You even have time to teach him a new trick."Whose a good rat? You're a good rat..."But with the remainder of your paycheck, you have other fish to fry. You head on down to the shops on Level 4, heading towards the type of things you never could afford before. The toy shop catches your eye, the plastic crap that once seemed an unaffordable luxury to kid you that your parents never could supply, now is your new cheap and easy purchase. Hmm, gives you an idea...
The truth is simple. The Mask must come back; this time on Level 4. But the mafia are much better armed and trained then the punks on Level 5. Their weapons are much more dangerous, so you'll need to expand your arsenal as well.You head to the garage loaded up with supplies. You have decided that you need to make a new ranged weapon; some gadget or tool to even the scales. You only really have enough time to fully develop and practice with one. This will be a permanent addition to your arsenal; like your stun bombs and tonfas. What do you decide to make?You can vote once per prompt.What new trick did you teach Bartholomew?>Shake>Chase Tail>Play DeadWhat new weapon do you create?>Rapid fire, short range pepper-ball blasters>Wrist mounted slingshot for launching things like nets, pebbles, or stun-bombs>Throwing bolas to entangle foes arms or legs>Whistling boomerang that returns after distracting foes>Practice throwing knives with deadly force and precision (Lethal)
>>6351670>ShakeGotta shake like a man>Wrist mounted slingshot for launching things like nets, pebbles, or stun-bombsThis feels like a better combo for what we have - plus, we might be able to start making things like smoke bombs so we can TRULY Batmanmaxx.
>>6351670>Play DeadCould save him life someday, or ours. Also, it's cute.>Rapid fire, short range pepper-ball blastersThey can't shoot us if their eyes don't work!
>>6351670>Play DeadInteresting.>Rapid fire, short range pepper-ball blastersVery in character.
>>6351670>Play Dead>Throwing bolas to entangle foes arms or legs
>>6351670>>What new weapon do you create?>Rapid fire, short range pepper-ball blastersI think this would best complement our wrist crossbow that we got earlier. We still get to use it, right?
>>6351822No, the hand crossbow was more of a lethal weapon of last resort which you already have a better version (Cheryl's Father's pistol); you dismantled it to study it. This is more your choice of ranged weapon/gadget like your Batarangs, Web-Blaster, etc.
>>6351838I assumed that using our gun resulted in instant end quest (presumably by panopolis glowies vanning us or something), which doesn't seem to happen with crossbows and other lethal weapons.
>>6351670>Play Dead>Wrist mounted slingshot for launching things like nets, pebbles, or stun-bombsI love me a good slingshot.
>>6351883No, but you already gave up the chance to carry it as a sidearm. I just don't think Max's current MO includes carrying the crossbow around for a sneaky lethal shot- if he intended to kill people he'd master throwing knives and become a badass assassin instead.
>>6351670>SLIMGSHOTThis sounds like the most annoying projectile weapon to be using.
>>6351906It would fit well if we stuck with our early clown theme.
>>6351912Originally I was going to have a secondary vote to see if people wanted to change the Mask's mask but... I kinda like the old one and don't think people would vote to change it.
>>6352001If we ever change our mask, it should be when we have a "considerable level" up, you know what i mean? Like if we start having actual armor and shit instead of just a cape and a plastic mask.
Looks like we are tied between slingshot and pepperball blasters.
The pepper blaster is stupid, if we're in close range we can just beat them up. We need a long range weapon.
>>6352145Alas, they decided against the most kino choice...
>>6352155Bolas are cool but they're too big and heavy to be carried around in any considerable quantity.
>>6352160True. I just think the Bolas were the most interesting (since I had the idea to draw them doing stuff like entangling two crook's arms together, or the bolt onto a crossbow's body so the crook couldn't fire it, as well as tying up legs and stuff), making it more useful as a way to tie up foes since you already have bombs/flashbangs to disable foes in other ways. It's like a heavy hitting sidearm as opposed to something like the pepper blasters (rapid fire) and slingshot (utility). The boomerang I felt is the weakest choice but didn't really get to expand on how I imagined it how I wanted; something more personable and interesting then a generic batarang?! I'm not really sure how just having one high-quality boomerang could be "balanced" around it. I don't know if people would find it too silly or unrealistic if you could actually hit crooks with it and it still returned to you like in a video game, so I gave it a sort of whistling functionality to distract them instead, but that's kinda what your bombs do too, so that one was a bit weaker. I was really scratching my head trying to think of one or two more nonlethal long-ranged weapons that isn't just copying off of another superhero.
>>6352155>>6352160>>6352163>BOLAS
Bolas chad rise up let's go for it as Bananas like the idea
>>6352163No, I agree that the Bolas are the "coolest" one. It's just that it doesn't feel like something we'd be capable of really using that much due to size constraints. I mean, we don't even have a "batbelt" or a "batbag" or anything like that, we just kinda carry stuff around. Maybe if we had some way to carry a bunch of them, like if they were smaller. >>6352167Not enough votes, dawg. If i changed mine, the pepper blaster would win.
>>6352163>less-than-lethal long ranged weaponssomething like the CODA net gun. If you insist on no ballistics, imagine it as pneumatically or mechanical spring-launched. At some stage the indignity of less-than-lethal submission and incapacitation / capture of enemies becomes more inhuman than just shooting them. Maybe these can be used against drones? Another alternative might be a laser dazzler, or various acoustic / sonic directed energy weapons. Those may be too futuristic though
>>6352170That seems like way too "advanced" a thing for us, we're working on a kickass budget here anon.
>>6352171>>6352170>>6352168>>6352163ok bolas it is then. Can use them also like the black guy with his yo-yo ball flail thing in Watch Dogs 2
>>6352170>mfw I forgot the mother fucking strobe light wrist gun ranged weapon choiceI SWEAR to you that was one of the planned choices that I forgot about in the thread's meanderings. No net guns or complex pneumatic launchers though; MC is literally using dollar store dart guns as inspirations for the propulsion system.
>>6352172Is that a vote for bolas? If it is, that would put it at one less than the "tie"
>>6352174>>6352173>>6352172>>6352170Well if we are in the realm of really LOW TECH, an actual practical weapon I see that could be feasibly created would be something like a hinged mancatcher, those U shaped metal collar things on a very very long stick, you can also have versions which are ike a lasso rope loop on a telescoping very long pole etc. Most of these less-than-lethal "ranged" weapons do not really offer much in terms of range beyond an extended polearm type confrontation distance anyway, you cannot really long range snipe with bolas or pepperballs etcThe thing about bolas is, I imagine them being used only to catch a FLEEING enemy, it feels strange to throw bolas at someone charging at you etc especially given bolas are not "instant launch" they have a centripetal spin up time etc. (by which they would probably have closed into the stabbing distance with momentum, even after being entangled anyway)A blinding or laser dazzler might be too sci-fi but you could just have a REALLY POWERFUL BRIGHT TORCH etc or it could be strobed / improvised strobing shutter mechanism for a disorientation effect etcBut otherwise I think bolas fine. Probably can only carry one set of them
>>6352168 You're had a "utlity belt" or bandolier for your stun bombs since last thread, made by Max and kept under his cloak or around his chest.>>6332504Anyway the discussion is fun but it's still tied at Pepperbalsters or Slingshot, I'm not going to be ignoring the voting totals unless the players actually change their votes.
>>6352180Mancatchers aren't ranged.But anyways, we still haven't actually decided on what we're gonna use and it's still a tie.
>>6351722This is me.Changing from pepper balls to larger more pendulous...>BolasI love this new captcha
>>6352208Alright, well, that puts us at ANOTHER tie...so for the sake of not having to do it, i'll change >>6351672 to>Throwing bolas to entangle foes arms or legsAs well.
>>6351670New reader here, caught up on everything on a friend's recommendation (thanks VLT you're an faget too)I'm gonna vote for>Throwing bolas to entangle foes arms or legs
>>6352247Around those part I'm known as Dragonfag though
>players changed the entire outcome of the vote just because I mentioned I liked one of the choices more then the othersDamn I fucked up. I really didn't want to change the outcome of the vote or force you all to pick what I "wanted".
>>6352327I changed because there was a tie, but I'm fine with them. They're more unique than a slingshot.
Well in any case I don't have time to do the update today. I'll see what you think about the upset and work on it for tomorrow.
>>6352327Actually it was the Watchdogs post that changed my mind. That ropedart-esque action.
>>6352327It is what it is. The bolo's not bad, just less interesting to me, but I'm not upset either way.
>>6351670>Play Dead>Wrist mounted slingshot for launching things like nets, pebbles, or stun-bombs
Several ideas run through your mind. Prototypes of dart guns, returning thrown weapons, slingshots, even strobe light diodes; anything to give you an edge up over your opponents. As the mafia is better equipped, and uniquely capable of hurting you from a distance unlike the punks down on Level 5, you will need to advance your own tactics and skills to match them.But pretty soon, you start to have trouble with the more complex designs, and abandon them quickly. No, you obviously can't out-design them; and you aren't willing to cross the bridge of making your weapons lethal despite how much simplier that would make them. No no, you should rely on something old... time tested and true. As a fan of history, you suddenly remember a tool used by hunter gatherers. Pretty much the simplest type of ranged weapon imaginable; well, you suppose besides the pointy stick. The throwing bolas. Several weights made of a heavy and dense synthetic material, sourced from dive weights found on discount sale, tied along with heavy nylon cables left over; a throwing weapon that could disable an enemy with a single good throw!You spend a few days practicing. It's a bit trickier then you thought. Should they have two weights or three? Are you supposed to throw them from the center, or holding one end of the extreme? And how to keep them upright when thrown so it doesn't veer off. You pinch your fingers a few more times then you'd like to admit, and have to figure out the exact perfect speed of spin to throw the bolas to get the effect. You aren't trying to just bludgeon people in the head with these, they're meant to entangle. No better practice then the field...Paying for this isn't too bad; but you do have to pick up multiple shifts for Mr.Smith at the shop. The days just seem to fly by, and your social obligations feel stretched. But your friends have their own friends and family; the one person you can't neglect is your pet! You feel worse for him of all. Even when you started your first few patrols as a vigilantee you knew he missed you, but he eventually adjusted. Doing that and a job and being so much busier... you really hope you're not neglecting him. You make sure to spend extra time with him, and teach him a new trick. He eventually flops over, not moving.”Good rat! Good! You want a treat?” You praise him, but he doesn't move.”Hey Bart... you can stop playing dead now. Hello?” You prod him with your finger, and he doesn't move at all, he's limp.”Hey, you okay? Ratty? You okay?!” You stroke his chin and ears and find no response. You suddenly feel very scared, what happened!?
“!!!””Ahh!”From laying to standing in a split second, tail jerked out. He jumps up to full alertness with a squeak. You jump in your seat. He looks up at you triumphantly, as though he knew how worried you got for a second.”Haha, you clever rat! You tricked me! You're a little too smart for your own good...”Over the next few days, you prepare your equipment and get back into the swing of things. And finally, you remake your mask. The simple plastic shape and smell of the paint is nostalgic in some weird way. To think it was only, what, half a year since you first donned the Mask? It feels so right to have it back again. You don't define yourself by your Mask, it isn't who you “truly” are, but it is your special quality, your retreat, a persona you adopt to do the things everybody wants to do, but aren't smart or strong or brave enough to do. But you? You are enough to make a difference.Level 4, it's time for you to meet someone new.
”Ehhh... Frankie... Do we really gotta steal one o' these big trucks? I really, really wanted to keep everything we stole under a thousand bucks. You know, cutoff for a felony?”“Shut up you mug! We was asked to do this by the capo' of all of this part of the city; everything from the canals to sixth street. This is our chance to get in good with the boss!””But isn't Joey super desperate for money right now? You really think he's gonna care if we lift this for him?”“Whyioughta... Joey is the Don's son you damn idiot! He was very specific; he needs one of the big ones with a lotta space in the back. This could be our chance to become Made-Men bud, don't you fucking blow it! Now hold the door in place so I can pry it open!””A-Alright Frankie...”*WHI WHIII SHWWW!*
”AHH! Frankie help! My hand's stuck!”“What da-!”The first bola hit perfectly; wrapping around the crook's hand and tying him to the truck's door handle. That incapacitated him easily, and without a knife to cut himself loose, you don't think he'll be slipping away too quick. The other crook whirls around towards the direction it came from, raising his crowbar and charging towards you as you spin the second above your head. You aim for his feet, tying them together with a satisfying whirl. He almost managed to kick out of it though, and if you didn't have the element of surprise, he probably could have closed the gap before you had managed to launch it in time. That's ok, this was a learning opportunity.
*CLONK!*You approach the second crook, still pulling uselessly against the binding. You guess he's a bit too inexperienced; or perhaps a little too rattled; to just untie it. He certainly did seem like the rookie of the two. Maybe it's his first time.”H-Hold on mister! I d-didn't know this was, erhm, your truck! Sorry! I'm really sorry!”Hmph. Seems pretty rare you've managed to get one of these guys isolated like this. This could be a useful source of information. If Cheryl won't help, maybe you could get something out of him? But then again, he didn't seem to know too much. You overheard enough to know the mafia has need of a large truck for some no-doubt nefarious scheme. Interrogating him might give you the answer, but then again, maybe he doesn't know anything and would just feed you bad intel. But maybe you could figure it out on your own. After all, if you don't need the mook's help, you can maintain a greater sense of mystery and may gain an advantage of surprise, since nobody will know you got information from the rookie here. Your call.What does the mafia want with a big delivery truck like this? And how are you going to find out?>Beat up the mook until he talks>Ask him nicely and promise to let him go if he tells you>Try to trick him into revealing anything he knows>Figure it out for yourself (Write-In)
>>6352800>Figure it out for yourself (Write-In)Intimidate him. In all honesty, I kinda wish we never spoke as the mask. You know, to really sell the mimic side. But it's kinda too late for that, so...
>>6352804>mimicMime*
>>6352800>>Figure it out for yourself (Write-In)The Mafia seems more active than it used to be. Banks guards are better equipped that they should. I think there is a crank up in weaponisation.So maybe fret the manufactured parts/built crossbows from Level 5 to here?
>>6352806Wait, figure it out for yourself means "figure out the plan"?
>>6352804"Figure it out" is the write-in for players doing an investigation (challenge/puzzle) without needing to do an interrogation. The other options are interrogation options. (And while you did speak as the Mask on Level 5 already, you never did on Level 4...)
>>6352810Ah, thanks. I'll try to think about the solution.>And while you did speak as the Mask on Level 5 already, you never did on Level 4...I guess, but it's gonna be lame if we start now, isn't it? They know we're a normal dude who speaks. It would be like if batman started out speaking normally before suddenly using a gruff deep voice. It would only work if the people who heard us talk were dead.
>>6352800Alright, so, from what Max knows...>The mafia's jacking up prices (Pacelli Family)>The mafia's running out public hits, like straight up in the middle of the street (Pacelli Family)>Now they're trying to steal big-ass truckIf Max can confirm that this job is also being done by the Pacelli, it would spell that they are very clearly gearing up for something big.
>>6352841Bomb truck, maybe? Or a vehicle big enough to load a lot of mooks in, well-armored enough to take a hit as they ram it into somewhere?>>6352800The above is my>figure it outguess
>>6352921I don't know, but I remembered I didn't actually formally vote, so...>>6352800>Figure it out for yourself (>>6352841)aka "If the Pacelli did this, then they're trying to do something big."At least, I think it's a reasonable conclusion from the stuff we've seen. All that Max has heard about is the Pacelli this, the Pacelli that...
>>6352806>>6352841>>6352921>>6352925You open the back of the truck and take a look inside. The type of trucks they are targeting are big, heavy and armored; perhaps heavy enough to push through a barricade. Not especially stealthy, and not a passenger van with a lot of seating. It's clear whatever they intend to transport in this van takes up a lot of space; and it isn't that fragile or delicate.It's clear they're planning for something pretty big; and have more advanced weapons to back it up, along with more serious mobsters having a low profile for a time. Do you have a guess on what specifically they are planning?"H-Hey look Mister! I only just started working for the Pacelli's, honest! I didn't even know- whatever family you're from, I swear I didn't mean nothing! I won't ever work for them again, if you let me go, honest!"You had your suspicions, but it does indeed seem like this is a Pacelli job. In that case...What do you think the big job is?>Write-In OnlyAnd are you going to let this low level goon go?>Yes>No
You can still vote on what to do with the low level goon even if you don't have a guess to include; this is an addendum to the previous prompt, so you can vote on both if you want.
>>6353124By "let go" do you mean whether we want to kill him? Can't think of how else we wouldn't let him go, given we can't really arrest.
>>6353128Oh no, you can choose to untie him and let him run away sans stolen vehicle (since he seems more innocent then the other crooks) or beat him up to presumably be caught by the Peace Keepers. It's not a kill choice.
Okay well let's see >It's not a delicate thing to transport, so probably not crossbows or explosives>It's not people, because there's no seats or even any way to hold on. >It's not stealthy, so they're not planning to use it to sneak up on their enemiesMight they be trying to ram something? What could they possibly want to break through that would require a giant truck? Some sort of gate between levels?
>>6353004>Let the goon go : Yes
>>6353004I'm guessing >'bank heist/takeover' for narrative convenience, given that the bank was talked about as of importance and how thoroughly the need for the bank holding a supply of money was hinted at in:>>6350709So holding that money would allow the Mob to effectively control all business on the level.>yes... once we've stopped the crime.
>>6353234...You mean you want to keep the goon prisoner until we crack the case?
An armored car with no attempt to be stealthy, lots of space for stolen goods, while the mafia is increasing their militerization... Maybe they're going to rob something big? Like a bank? Like the Sixth Street Bank?Suddenly, it all clicks together. It all fits. The mafia whose territory controls Sixth Street are the Pacelli's who you've seen commit a killing in broad daylight. It's clear they're moving beyond petty protection rackets and are looking for a big score. You know there is an uncountable amount of wealth stored in that bank that could be taken; even some of your own money! It's a heavily fortified building, but with the right getaway vehicle it could break through a police blockade and get to a safe location for it to be unloaded. Naturally, they want to steal a van so they can just leave it somewhere once their deed is done. You can even imagine what routes they could take to easily get onto the freeway and find a secure loctation; impossible for the Peace-Keepers to stop them. It's a perfect target in that way, despite the otherwise increased security.Unfortunately, while you have stopped these two mooks today; There are thousands of large trucks like these on this level in hundreds of parking lots and garage-shops; you can't possibly stop them from getting one. You look at the crumpled body of the mobster on the ground, his feet tied together with your bolas, and feel way over your head. This guy is a nobody. Just imagine those shades wearing guys with automatic crossbows, all done up in masks and suits, moving as a tactical squad to perform a high speed hiest stealing millions of dollars... It just suddenly seems so much bigger right over your head.”So you're gonna let me go, right? Please?”You go to the restrained mook and untie your bola from his hand and the back of the truck. As soon as he's freed, and before he can start giving you your thanks, you give him a good few thwacks with your baton and send him running. You don't stop him. You could easily trip him and prevent escape with your extra bola, but you decide to let him go; minus a few bruises. If anything, you're doing him a favor. When he sees his “Frankie” or other crooked friends again with a few injuries, they'll know you didn't let him go unharmed after squealing on them. He should be smart enough to get the message.
Over the new few days, while thinking on the newfound information your investigation has uncovered, you return to work for a few more shifts to get some extra capital. Despite never having had a job before in your life, money seems so much more necessary for everything now.”Mr.Smith, how long have you owned this store?”“Oh, it's been a long time. Forty... years? Methinks? The last owner never had a son so he gave it to me. I changed the name, but otherwise it's the same place.””...I bet the property values of gone up a lot in that time!”“Ehh, maybe. It never was the most profitable store, but always enough to live on. My wife and I depend on the little old place, but it's comfortable. It's home.””Are you going to retire?”“Hmm? Oh, you're trying to inherit the store from me, huh? I see how it is.””W-What?! I didn't say that-”“Oh ho. Just kidding with you. No, I'd like to retire pretty soon. And you have been helping! But over my whole life I've been putting money away, little by little, right down the street you know? Put it in the bank. You should start saving too, if you haven't. It's been a long career but, eventually, patience pays off.”You feel bad for Mr.Smith. If the mafia steals from the bank... That's it for his savings, isn't it? You've got some of your own money there too, but that's just from a month or two of working a little minimum wage job. You're already very protective of it; but for Mr.Smith... that's his whole life. Not to mention all the other people working on Sixth Street. All the honest, hardworking people. You can't even imagine how it would feel to have your entire life savings stolen away from you. On Level 5, it can't be quantified so easily. Nobody has money there anyway, so it doesn't matter. But on Level 4... the number in an account is the sum total of all your patience, all your hard work, something you rely on. It would be devestating. And the crooks would run away with it all if they could; just take it without a second thought. Something about it makes you angry. Even worse then the punks on Level 5 preying on the weak. No violence is directly involved, yet, it's more spiteful somehow.But the question is, are you going to warn him? If you do, you'll further reveal that you've been investigating the mafia and your masked persona to him, and could cause a panic if everybody on Sixth Street thinks the bank is going to get robbed. Plus it could tip off the mob that someone found out about their plan early. But it would offer a net of safety that, at least he, wouldn't lose everything if you fail to stop the bank robbers... because you are going to try and stop them. That much doesn't even need to be said.>Warn Mr.Smith>Keep it a secret
>>6353410>Keep it a secretFor his own sake. If we say that, and he talks about it to anyone, if the word spreads, it could get to them. And if the mafia even gets the idea that Mr.Smith knows about the robbery, he'll be the one getting crossbowed in broad daylight. The only way we can save him is by stopping the robbers.
>>6353410>Keep it a secretthey talked about a bank-run induced panic at the bank. We would be the one destroying the economy instead of the mafia.
>>6353500>>6353234>BANK RUN INDUCED PANIC>>6350709>"Ahead of you, two men in line talk about the economy. They mention stocks and recessions and stuff you have no concept of..."hehe, very clever BananasQM. Are you trying to make this happen?
>>6353716Oh, hello Souv
You decide not to tell Mr.Smith about the bank robbery. It's too risky. If he withdrew his money from the bank just a few days before the robbery, he might be thought to have a connection to the act and the criminals who didn't, and if he warned anyone else it could cause a run on the bank that would set off even more suspicion. Plus he may even suspect you as a part of the mafia that did it, all he's seen of you is your beat down of random criminals in his store. Who knows? He might accuse you of being with a rival crime family that wants to move in to this territory! Besides, you'd make him worry and cause him a lot of stress that's completely unnecessary... since you're going to stop them.You had down to the library on level 5. Over the next few days, you need to prepare some things. Immediately, you head over to Nancy. You also come to the library during her shift specifically because she's such a help. You greet her excitedly when you see her."Hey Nancy! I'm looking for some chemistry books and-"But she doesn't respond, barely turning her head to look at you, before looking away and sorting her books. What happened? She doesn't seem to want to talk to you, and isn't her normal excited self. She mumbles something when you ask her about the chemistry books, not very motivated to help you. Why is she giving you the cold shoulder? Oh, is this about what you said last time?Really? Is she still hung up about that?You don't know if it's because you flirted with her or if another reason, but she seems to be put off from helping you. Judging by her face, she seems nervous that you're talking to her. What, from something so minor? You barely flirted with her at all! You thought you could remain friends! You guess she's the type of girl with such limited experience, or perhaps just nervous and socially awkward, she took your one-off comment as a serious thing... Or is it because she thinks she's holding out for "The Mask" and doesn't want you in the way? That'd be rich.Trouble is, you kinda need her for her advanced knowledge of the library system, and you'd rather not have to deal with this awkwardness every time you come by the library... after all, she is a head librarian. You can't exactly just avoid her. What should you do?>Go over to her and set the record straight that you just want to be friends>Tell her you really like her and ask her on a date>Just avoid her for now, she'll get over it with time>Take her somewhere quiet and tell her you're the Mask (restores nerve if you had lost it)>Other (Write-In)
Man, would it ever be awkward if we rejected Nancy just for it to turn out that Cheryl already had a boyfriend or something wouldn't it
>>6354041I mean, we had a date or whatever with her, we should be able to know by now, no?Man, this is why I told you anons not to keep flip-flopping between two girls..
Ah jeez. I want to vote for the romance option, but I don't want the quest to get hung up on a waifu war forever, and Cheryl is already narrowly winning. Alternating back and forth forever will just make things harder for our MC here and more contentious going forward. I really don't know how to vote.
>>6354047The advice we got from our friend was very clear, cut it off with a girl and seal the deal with the other. Normally it'd be an easy pick for me since I decided for Cheryl, but now I'm paranoid about the other part of the update being true as well.
>>6354049Yeah, but nobody ever wants to vote to end things with the waifu they prefer.
>>6354051Don't know what to say, then.
>>6354040>Take her somewhere quiet and tell her you're the Mask (restores nerve if you had lost it)We do need to restore nerve, might as well get it done.
>>6354181No, your "nerve" was already restored when you stood up to the rude customer in the suit store.That option is merely there to show how else you could have restored your nerve if you didn't do it already (and another way to go down the Nancy route if you wanted since revealing yourself as the Mask who she has an obvious crush on would be a viable option)
>>6354040wait, didn't cheryl won the hangout vote?>Go over to her and set the record straight that you just want to be friends
>>6354220Yes, but it didn't seem to really "close" the deal. The date was also honestly not even really that romantic, they jung hung out. I guess this is the part where you can reject her for real or actually choose her instead. This could have been avoided if we just stuck to a girl and shit, but now it's real awkward. I'd prefer Cheryl, but flirting with her and kissing her just to go 'nah i don't really like you' is a real jackass move.
>>6354225I voted against the kiss.And a big part of said kiss was for regaining nerves before Viking fight.
>>6354227Yeah, well, it happened. I also want Cheryl to win, but it doesn't change that it makes this vote bad. Especially since we still haven't actually managed to make any progress with her. I mean, what if it ends up not happening at all?
>>6354220Yes, but >>6334805 is what she's hung up about
>>6354220My concern there is that since we never hang out with her and don't even have time to do so, and only lean on her for research, she'll (correctly?) intuit that we're just using her and playing with her heart, and continue to give us a cold shoulder.
>>6354181Fuck it, +1. We have to break the tie somehow, and I don't want the character out of the story.>>6354040
>>6354349We literally just went on a date with Cheryl. We'll have to do the exact same thing again.
>>6354351I mean I don't wanna turn it into a tie again but fucking hell man are we just gonna keep flipflopping between two girls until it blows up in our face?We went on a date with cheryl, now we basically wanna tell a girl we kissed her and announce our secret identity.
>>6354040Welp, if there's no one listening and there's nothing bananas will add, I'll just have to vote>Go over to her and set the record straight that you just want to be friendsJust so Cheryl doesn't get fucked over too.
So looks like a 2/2 tie for Mask reveal or Just be friends?
>>6354546It would seem so. I'm still on team Cheryl. I don't wanna go with another girl after we just had a date with one. We should have gone with Nancy before if we were gonna choose her.I guess either someone changes, or it'll have to be a roll.
Why don't you guys want to keep the Mask reveal for - I don't know - a time we need the nerve?
>>6354040>Go over to her and set the record straight that you just want to be friendsLet's just do what we must and lock it in with Cheryl. Even if it doesn't work out, we'll find someone else eventually
>>6354677Because I like Nancy being in the story and also don't want to lose access to library resources.>>6354702>mfw
>>6354745Yeah well I don't like basically confessing to a woman just after we had a date. Maybe if we were still entirely platonic with Cheryl, I'd be willing to say "sure", but that's not the case anymore is it?
>>6354747That's fine and I don't dispute your opinion's validity.
>>6354745Well, in that case "setting the record straight" should allow us to keep her around
>>6354846At this point I'd say that we probably just need to end up having Bananas break the tie.I won't be particularly sad either way. I like both Cheryl and Nancy, as i've repeated many times. I just don't like being a two-timer.
>>6354745Hey now, I was simply phoneposting before... Look, a second post with this id!
>>6354878
>>6354878Not that I don't want the vote to win, but It's not necessarily proof if you do it in the same day. You'd have to post like, tomorrow to prove it.
Thinking about it more, you realize you still need access to library resources. You don't think Nancy would be spiteful enough to ban you from the library or anything if it fell through, but you'd rather not shit where you eat, so to speak. Better nip this in the bud. You do like her, but it's not worth this trouble. Plus, if you really need to reveal yourself as the Mask, you can always do it later; you can't take it back once you do."Hey, Nancy. Listen." You come up closer to her, lowering you voice so it's not fuel for gossip. She turns to look at you with that doe-like expression, worry knotted across her face."When I was joking with you before... I didn't mean it. I'm not trying to flirt with or come on to you, I'm just a little awkward like that. I'm sorry. I hope this doesn't come between us, as friends.""Oh... Thacht's a relief. I've had a few creeps at my work that; n-not thacht I'm saying you're a creep but; it's just uhh-"She stumbles and trips over her words, clearly not knowing what to say here, socially awkward and all. You wave your hand dismissively."No no! I get it, especially at work! I would hate that.""Oh! You have a job too, Maxch?""Oh, uhhh..." Now she has you on the backfoot! "No I just meant... Look! Nancy, what I'm trying to say is... I have a girlfriend already. Okay? So you don't have to worry about me chasing you. I just want to be friends; you've been such a great help to me. I wouldn't want to spoil it. Okay?"She nods happily, seeming relieved."Yesch Max! I agree! I also have a boyfriend, so I'm glad it's not going to be awkward for either of us!"Huh. You really did not think her to be the type, given her introverted and shut-in nature. Plus she's so ditzy and dorky. You're a little mad, honestly, but you guess guys will take anything. You shrug, might as well let it go."Oh yeah? That's nice. Who is he? Does he work here?""You wouldn't believe me if I told you."Oh no.
Unable to contain her excitement, she turns to face you with a worshipful, awestruck expression."It's... Itsch the Mask!""...Really?" You manage to choke out."Yesch! Yesch really! I was... attacked in an alleyway. And then, he swooped in and saved me! He's my silent protector! Oh~!" She wraps her arms around herself, deep in imagination. She looks completely flushed."I uhh... I thought that guy disappeared. The violent vigilante, right? I mean, he's saved a lot of people from the punks...""No Max, it wasn't like that! He kissed me and everything. He loves me; he's enraptured by my feminine beauty! He could barely keep his hands off me! I know he's watching me. That's why I was worried when you started flirting with me, Max, he's way bigger and stronger then you are! I didn't want him to get jealous or anything, for your schake!""Is that so." Your eye twitches out of your control."Yesch... but it's okay now that I know you aren't trying to get with me. I'm glad we can be friends still. What books were you after again?"Well, it looks like you solved one problem, but Nancy's obsession with your alter-ego isn't going away any time soon. You'll have to deal with it some day, but for now, you have something more important to deal with. There is a limited amount of time before the Pacelli crime family engages the next step of their master plan. You need to be prepared. With your job's paycheck and newfound knowledge, you head back to Level 4 for a very important shopping trip...>Quest continues tomorrow
>>6354957Well, now we gotta add "fake the mask's death so she doesn't spend the rest of her life chasing a phantom" to our to-do list.
>>6354957>Max's inner monologue>Nancy's delusionsI maintain they're perfect fro each other, because they're both messes. Ah well.
>>6354965Hey, maybe Cheryl will contract "capeshit love interest death syndrome". You never know.
>>6354956>Huh. You really did not think her to be the type, given her introverted and shut-in nature. Plus she's so ditzy and dorky. You're a little mad, honestly, but you guess guys will take anything. You shrug, might as well let it go.Peak writing.>Nancy heads-over-heel with the maskDo she have doodles of kids with mask?She's in too deep. I also feel a relationship with her would have been lots of trouble because of the gap between delusion and reality
>>6354888A day later, and here we are!
>>6355152It's not like people will excuse or anything though, but good to know we're not under samefag scrutiny
>>6354969Well I don't dislike Cheryl either, so here's hoping not.>>6355152Well the timing was still dodgy, but I'll assume the best of you since you went to the effort.
Welp, once again, I wasn't able to finish the update on time. In the meanwhile, I suppose I can ask for more feedback, maybe on the relationship side of things? I don't really write romance very much, so I wonder if it's any good. But otherwise, I simply apologize for the slowness and ask for you to wait until next. Thank you.
>>6355279I think it's too early to tell how good either romance option will be, but it's obvious that you've written both characters well enough to stir up discussion and attract a following for both.
>>6355279the part about the sour feelings of Max and how she wasn't attractive to begin with is clearly spot on.
>>6355279I would say the fact that people had difficulty choosing which girl to settle on is probably a good sign. I guess it'll depend on how Cheryl's part goes.
