A school camping trip to the forests takes a turn for the worse when several children go missing among the trees. While you and your squad of fellow toys managed to lead your owners back to safety, the others aren't so lucky. For now, the children and yourselves are resting in camp on the side of a lake, outside and free of the treehell. A trip to the recharge station in the nature reserve has refreshed all of you and shaken off your fatigue.
You all now need to help find the other missing children, 4 of them. Your owners look like they don't want to go back in, even if Tam, Sophie's more active friend, is trying to put on a brave face. The friends' toys are trying to decide if they should go with you or stay back and look after the kids.
>>510848 "We should leave a detachment to watch over the other children, and any volunteers can come with us. Any toys equipped with map applications will help us triangulate search patterns." >>510850 I'll nod. "While you are all very brave, you can all do the most good here helping the teachers keep everyone calm."
>>510853 I'll nod to the commander. "Tracking signal verified. We won't be getting lost." To the other assembled toys. "How many of you can fly? Being able to quickly scan quadrants will help us find them faster."
>>510857 "Perhaps. If any of the teachers have a physical map we can scan and divide up, then that should help things as well." I'll process a moment. "Come to think of it, wouldn't the park itself have a map in its local data storage?"
>>510860 "Perhaps. Subcommander Muffles' smartphone might be able to get a decent signal, if we've clearance to access it. Or one of the teachers' workstations."
>>510860 roll my eyes a bit at your doubt. "Very well. I am heading this way to look. " point to the south "follow when you summon your courage." '1d10' roll to fly off in that direction.
>>510862 We can still use it to divide the search. We'll need to cooperate with any of the other toys if we want to find these children. Whether we like it or not. "Who among you other toys are willing to help find these children? Any flyers would be very useful."
>>510864 A few pegasi and gryphons turn to you, but their children seem to be scared of them getting lost. They don't look like they want to leave each other.
>>510865 No time for that, unfortunately. >>510866 And did the other brand of toys show any willingness to work together, or can they not surpass their programming when it comes to their owners?
>>510864 >>510865 "If we can, we should spare a flyer or two to keep a torch flying over the camp. It won't do anyone any good if we get lost too. We can use them to orient ourselves."
>>510865 make a little arrow with a feather next to it, on a tree truck indicating the west path so the others can follow me. rolling for a shot check as I go down the west path '1d10'
>>510868 "The commander's tracking signal from Subcommander Muffles' phone, which I am now receiving, prevents that, Eston." I'll shrug. "Assuming we don't fall underground or something."
>>510871 "Not so much for us, even though there is a chance of damage, but keeping the lights visible overhead might attract the other children. Also, since many seem unwilling to part, it might be our best option when leaving most behind."
>>510874 >>510873 "Gerald can fly, no need to worry. But speed is of the essence. We should go North and work our way around the area looking for children."
>>510874 Then I guess we'd better get searching. Since Gerald flew south, and neglected to bring his PODEC, I guess we have to follow him. "Put the map in your databanks and let's move." >>510876 "And if Gerald finds all of them to the south? He has no way of signaling us, short of leaving them to find us." I'll grimace. "Suppose we've got no other choice, though. It might take a while at our size, but scanning the park one quadrant at a time is likely how we're going to find them. North it is."
>>510878 "We'll circle out in a spiral starting in that direction. We might run into Gerald and we can team up, but even if we didn't meet, that meant we covered more ground."
>>510881 Into the jungle. The treeline is thick, so openings like the one you entered from are the only way you can feasibly enter. Maybe there's another one, but you doubt it would lead you to children.
>>510883 Nope. All you can do is remember what you see. which ,as you recall, was completely useless.
>>510883 "Yeah, but I'd like to cover our bases. Besides, how far could the children have gotten? I can't always get Sophie to play outside with all your support, a single toy would have been even less succesful."
>>510888 "Honestly, I'm going to recommend to all these children to get several Tabletop Adventures characters for themselves. They'd have been able to keep them better in line."
>>510889 That is troubling. Quickly make another arrow heading to the left and keep following the foot prints. try to call out for them "Hello, Children? Are you out here?" '1d10' keep an eye out for more signs and/or danger
>>510890 "Or they could learn to be responsible and not wander from the group." >>510889 We'll go after Eston. Dumb catbird doesn't have any way of contacting us.
>>510899 Nod to him. "I am a knight, I am here to find you and your friends and guide them to safety." pause concerned. "This creature stalking you? was it a cat? I saw tracks for a cat nearby."
>>510899 "I see you've found one." I'll look up at the kid. "We should get him back to the path, and then he can head up to the camp with the others while we hunt for the other three missing children." >>510900 "Since you can fly, an escort mission should be within your abilities while we look for more tracks."
>>510901 "The cat tracks were large enough to fit a full grown mouse in the paw." >>510902 "Yes, we should bring him back now, and lets see if he knows where the others went." >>510903 "I see, which way did they run?" I ask him.
>>510907 Nod firmly. "We shall bring them back. but first you." return him to base and then follow his directions.. this isn't where I saw those tracks is it? keep an eye out '1d10'
>>510908 >>510909 >>510910 While Eston falls into a a hole in the ground, you all easily make out more shoeprints heading west. Following the path shows it leading further North.
>>510915 "Please, there isn't an Animal in this world I can't tame. I'll bring it back with us as a new pet."
>>510916 "The cat might have gotten tired of chasing the children if it went somewhere else. And with this stuff on me, it might not even want to approach anyway. I'll need my body cleaned and my drives scrubbed to get this off."
>>510917 "Yes, let's keep our optics and acoustics out, to be safe."
>>510919 "We must simply press on until we catch up to them." I say sternly not a hint of doubt in my voice. "We have picked up their trail so far, and it seems recent. We are the heroes who were sent to save them. We shall not fail." '1d10' try to inspire you with that. >>510920 "That's the spirit."
>>510921 Words are cheap. But they can still make you feel a bit better. >>510922 "It's nothing. We can get you back to camp. What is your pegasus's name, in case we run across him or her?"
>>510922 "Of course we will help. Up that hill you say?" I note the direction she is pointing. "You need to get to safely. Would you like us to escort you."
>>510921 Words of a true Knight. Everyone feels a bit better when they hear it.
>>510925 >>510923 "It's okay! Did you mark the trees on the way here? I can follow them, I've been around here a lot! Just… take care of my pegasus! His name's Marty!"
"And yeah, up a bit, north of here! The tracks are there!"
>>510924 You can feel the fine signals from your flytrap, at least.
>>510927 "Yes, I marked each turn we took, just look for the arrows with feathers next to them." Mark one pointing toward the north to show her. "We shall retrieve your friends, including Marty." I assure her with a smile. >>510929 "Any time comrade." I nod to you and help you look '1d10'
>>510932 >1 >1 >1 >1 In your haste, you managed plow your way through a pile of 'fertiliser'.
You might slowly begin to enjoy this. Your Flytrap is sending a slightly happier signal. Maybe you could ask Sophie to install something to let you process it. Happy plants, among a bed of soiled soil with you in it swimming….
>>510935 >>510936 You all don't manage to get through the ground very fast, but you make it to a large clearing.
Two kids are huddled at the back,their backs to a cliff face. A puma, salivating at the mouth for a meal, is distracted by a pegasus and Buffalo toy. Both of them are trying their absolute best to fend it off, but without aid it looks like they'll fall fast.
>>510937 At this point any more would make no difference. You should consider this memory in the future.
>>510939 >10 The only thing missing is your power up theme from your show. If only someone had speakers.
Perfectly, medicate drops from your pouch as you jump onto the puma, landing a stab right on the face, flinching it.
>>510940 You ready your protection. Roll to unleash it.
>>510941 While it is too big to influence, you are able to read it. Hungry hungry hungrY! Two small flesh smell good like eat before. Small things irritating maybe good to eat too?
>>510942 Target classified as nonhuman. Target injury is within Third Law compliance. Continue engagement. Rupture the eye. '1d10' MediCAT will Heal Marty, the girl's pegasus. '1d10'
>>510943 You lose your balance, smacked away by one of the Puma's swipes.
>>510945 It's not quite the same as the feeling of tearing apart of Fattel, but it works. The puma roars and jumps about even more. It's getting hard to stay on.
Medicat rolls towards the Pegasus, meows and administers a dose.
>>510944 >1 >111111111`1111111111111111 You're bigger than the rest. Even that buffalo at the feet. You'd be very satisfying for a hungry Puma.
Your flytrap pot separates itself from you just in time for you to be snatched up by the Puma in its mouth. You armour is thick, but the gnashing of teeth… you're not going to last.
Oh, wait. The Puma suddenly cries out in disgust and spits you out, mostly intact.
>>510946 '1d10+2' cheap shot the Puma's mouth.. muzzle area. "Kids run while you still can, There are trees with little marks on it leading all the way back to camp. Hurry."
>>510947 >12 While helpless, those nanites make you feel better enough that you can stand up proper. They even do a good job cleaning away some of the… fertiliser.
>>510948 A quick swipe of your blade puts in it its place, especially with a reeling. It looks ready to flee any second now.
>>510949 Stare it down. "Leave now beast." '1d10' try to activate overconfidence. Whether or not I succeed in that. I try stab the creature again, perhaps cut off a whisker '1d10'
After going back into the jungle to rescue the lost children, and getting a lot of fertilizer on yourself in Eston's case, the group goes back to camp.
Sophie comes up to you all and looks incredibly happy.
"I'm so glad you guys made it! You're all amazing! And… Eston? Is that for your new plant?"
Your pseudolfactory sensors pick up food. They've begun barbequing dinner and serving to the lost children first.
>>534505 "That is correct. The Flytrap here helped keep lots of bugs away from the others and I'm sure it'll do its utmost to protect your rest from the bed bugs."
>>534505 "I am simply happy that we could assist you and the other children Lady Sophie. We were never in any real danger, our HASBEEN metal-plastic is surprising hardy."
I'll beam proudly. "And the blade you modified really helped."
>>534507 "Hmm… is there a nutrient delivery system from all the… stuff on your body to the Flytrap? Most of it isn't even touching it…"
>>534508 >>534509 She rubs both your heads. "We have the whole rest of today to relax. why don't you guys go play around? The lake seems safe to be in too, I saw some other toys going in."
You're free to explore the campsite as you like. Recharging stations at the main tent, some toys are catching fish out of the water and throwing them to the cooks. Lots of toys about, too.
>>534511 Your plant retreats into a clear plastic shell as you get in, and your contiminants quickly drive away all the fish that were here either to the fishing toys or out into the lake.
>>534512 Ahhh, that's the stuff. You feel good. Really good. A slight urge to tear apart non-Hasbeen toys too.
>>534517 You haven't connected to anything capable of updating in a while. You do notice that this is a Hasbeen-brand charger, though.
>>534518 You can't really dive with an air bubble containing a plant floating you up. You do play about in the water and wash yourself off, at least.
>>534519 Gryphons and Pegasi fly above the surface, swooping down on fish to stun and bring them to the barbeque cooks. A couple of goats are chasing the fish to them, led by one of those limited edition seapony toys.
>>534520 Ah, that would explain it. There's probably a subroutine to reinforce the FAT-DIE program. I should probably stick to offbrand chargers, just to avoid any dangerous systems errors until I get that out of my head. Head outside, let's take stock. Maybe take a look at what the other Hasbeen toys are up to, as well as the Fattel toys.
Sophie is busy helping herself to meat off the grills, taking some for her friends as you sit on her head.
>>534522 Fattel toys are all in another part of the campsite, different class and all. Your loyal glorious Hasbeen comrades are busy fishing or otherwise playing around. The shaman-type ones are especially happy, communicating with an insect here and there.
>>534523 "Hello. Want to help with the hunt? You are very unwieldy, though…"
>>534524 "I'm just well manufactured. I was at the top of my line during the Quality Control tests you know. Besides, I float, if there are extra lines and lures, I can just attach them to myself."
>>534526 You don't have the strength for that. A swimming pegasus helps you push it up, though.
>>534527 You sense that they are. Joe has stopped shivering and looks like he might even be enjoying himself. Jasper the toy zebra is sketching down some ideas collaborated by him, Sophie and Muffles, happily stroking a large moth on her hand.
>>534528 "Actually, yeah! Let's put a lure on you and see if you can pull out anything!" A gryphon comes holding some strong-looking nylon wire and a hook, scented with Hasbeen Shaman-type animal attractor all natural hormone.
>>534529 Smells good, at least for a human. They barely have enough to feed everyone, though, at the rate they're eating. Some mage toys are helping light more fires with their Safe Fire Magic Bolts.
>>534951 Children are hungry things, after all. THey need the energy to grow into proper adults. Wandering over to the firestarters, I'll check in on them. "How are things going here? Supplies holding out?"
>>534952 "Could always use more, these kids are pretty hungry. Loads of fish we caught and left on shore jumped back in or something, I don't know how they vanished." The unicorn lights a new pit with her horn before jumping back so she doesn't melt.
"Kids were actually supposed to fish themselves, but they're tired. Can't blame them. We got all the drinks we need, at least."
>>534953 "No real excuse. Fishing builds character, and as a sub-mission, it can be fun. With proper precautions, of course, so that no child becomes the catch of the day, of course." Sub-mission added: Gone Fishin'. "The children who've already eaten are likely not going to be too keen on fishing, but with the help of the shamans, they shouldn't have too much trouble." I'll start making my way over to one of the counselors who aren't otherwise occupied.
>>534954 They're all busy either cooking or playing with children. One of them seems intent on trying to teach children how to play a 'Tabletop Game', a relic from long ago.
>>534955 Let's zero in on that one. He's already got a small audience of children, so they can be deputized for fishing duties. Provided that adult knows how to fish. Sub-Mission Objectives updated! - Approach adult - Determine fishing prowess
>>534963 "Good, good." …he's going to eat the drawing? humans are strange. '1d10' glance around at the other groups nearby, do any of the kids look upset at all? Any bugs or fattel toys bothering anyone?
>>534963 I'll give the adult a flat look. "So your proficiency in teaching these children to fish, as a recreational bonding experience, is negligible?" I'll look at the children. "Would you all like to learn how to fish? The stock of fish available needs to be replenished if everyone wants to be fed."
>>534964 The light flash stuns a fish on the surface before traveling deeper into the lake.
You hear a rush of water as a lot of fish suddenly swim up in a panic.
"Wow! I don't know what you did, but that was great!" A goat comments from behind you.
>>534966 That was the child speaking. The adult merely shrugs, saying that he did it when he was younger, but feels like the children would rather do other things.
"Uhh…" "What's fishing, again? We throw down a rod and grow the fish?"
>>534965 Too busy drawing to eat You carefully survey the crowd. Everyone's relaxed and having fun, save a few kids sitting at a corner table. About two of them there are clearly enjoying themselves talking about things, while the rest are terrified of something.
>>534967 I'll shake my head. "It seems this mission's parameters are more difficult than first expected." To that adult: "As they don't know what fishing is, perhaps you could teach them? This game will still be here when you get back, and you'll have fish that you caught to eat. Is that an acceptable mission?"
>>534968 Lots of waves on the water compared to before. You look nice in the reflection compared to as usual. Maybe because your appearance is blurred.
>>534969 "And that's how the bunnyman killed EEEVERYONE, and now no one knows who he is!"
The scared children just hug each other and shiver. Looks like it's a horror story table.
>>534970 "I suppose. Right, kids, I can show you how to fish! Then we can cook and eat everything we catch for ourselves! Oh, and, no asking your toys for help, never know when you might have to do this alone!"
He gets up and beckons the children over to the lakeside, taking a few fishing poles.
>>534973 You glitch up a little, causing your intended roar to come out and something like a mix of a meow and quack. The children jump upon hearing you, then laugh.
>>534974 Just a few spare poles left. There's your kids, but they're busy eating and drawing or doing other stuff. No one else looks bored or unoccupied enough to come along.
>>534972 "Oh, I was just looking at the waves. Shaman, myself. And yeah, I think I got some. I'm detecting this big soundwave, you don't hear anything, do you?"
>>534975 Well, with the assistance of the shaman toys, they should scrounge up enough to feed everyone. And fishing is a good patience exercise. Let's wander back over to the Commander and the others.
>>534977 Each channel only detects children, adults, a few animals sounds and water. You can't detect much more than that.
"Probably just the water, it was from the lake."
>>534976 "Oooh, a knight model!" "Yeah, we are. "They're telling scary stories! I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight!" "I don't want the rabbit man to eat me!"
>>534978 Commander Sophie has finished eating and is lounging about with her friends.
"Didn't you hear? The reason the Confederate government stopped fishing is because the fish were EVOLVING to fight back!"
"Tam, like, have you been playing Portable Monsters?"
"Right! Didn't you hear how the Portable Monster creator used to be a secret agent?"
>>534980 "You know, that game everyone's playing on their Pinten Portable Entertainments! That fish that becomes a giant snake is a secret government project!"
Joe is content with just drawing it out on pencil. It's a giant sea serpent with fishy elements.
>>534983 "The visual aid is much appreciated. Your talent in artistry never fails to disappoint, Field-Lieutenant Joe." I'll look back at Tam. "I am unfamiliar with that series. I don't suppose I am cleared for that intel?"
>>534983 "A good story will do you hearts well! Of course I can help." Greet the the toys in turn. "Good day Knight and Mage units, I do not know your names, but you seem to know mine."
>>534984 "It's supposedly a video game series from the Capital region of the Empire of Japan, where you catch Portamans and make them fight each other! you can even beat up other player's portamans and plunder them! But I read that it's also a secret government project for animal research!"
Sophie stares at Tam like she's insane. Muffles seems interested.
>>534985 "Oh, over there by the back. You're the kind who likes 'seeing' don't you, Omniseer?"
The storyteller gleams, then pulls out a large book, holographic projector and portadrive.
THE CALL OF CTHULHU flashes on as the projector springs to life with the portadrive inserted.
"Alright, brave heroes. You've been tasked with defeating an evil sorcerer! They say he's in a house on an island in the middle of the sea! do you want to sail there now?"
>>534987 I will remain impassive. "It would be pretty silly for such a secret project to be toted around as a childrens' video game." I'll tap my metal chin. "Then again, sometimes the best way to keep a secret is to pretend it isn't a secret at all. Are your sources legitimate?"
>>534988 You can make out two figures with your Electromanetic Resonance Visual Detectors. One of them appears to be wearing a skirt.
>>534989 "All endorsed affiliates of timecube.com, yeah! They also revealed wrestling is ACTED!"
>>534990 Your comrades nod. A ship brings you across a stormy sea to an island surrounded by waves. However, the waves get too strong, and you get to shore just in time for the ship to crash into rocks.
"And, uh, the house is right there on hill! And there's lightning and stuff!"
The storm gets stronger, you can almost feel actual rain on your body. You can see the abandoned-looking house on a flickering hill.
>>534991 I'll roll my eyes. "Everyone knows that, though. Worst-kept secret in the world. They just pretend it's real to give the wrestlers some dignity." I'll make a mental note to investigate this "timecube-dot-com" later. "So, judging from the enthusiasm of you and the Field-Lieutenant, you are both fans of the game."
>>534991 ruffle my feathers as if pushing the water off. "We're going to need a new boat. Miner, Bolty stay close, we don't know what kind of tricks this sorcerer has planned for us." '1d10' hum a marching song as we make our way toward the top of the hill. inspire
>>534991 Insufficient data. I let her rub against me. "Er, sure. Let's get a closer look." I walk to the cabin then peak around behind it. My Child Protection And Lawsuit Prevention programming demands I ensure no child comes to harm, especially in any way that could open HasBEEN to lawsuits.
>>534994 "Don't you have a horn too? It's such a lovely one. Can I touch it?"
You creep over to behind the cabin with a horned goat on your back.
"Don't I look just like Sakura now? Come on, it's just a game of pretend…."
"I… You look really pretty…"
Turning around, you see one blushing boy leaning against the cabin walls. Beside him, in a Japanese Empire schoolgirl uniform, a pretty girly-looking… boy?
>>534993 You're getting a little too into it, maybe. The way you act with the rains and storms, some creeping feeling that SOMETHING is going wrong… your fellow stoic warriors actually look scared. Above, the listening 3 kids are anxious and still.
>>534992 "Of course! How could we not? We all play it!" "There's a pretty interesting piece of technology behind the way it transfers portamans, too."
>>534995 Clear my throat. "Together we can overcome his power. Don't worry. Now.. I'll fly above and see if I spot any patrols, bolty you take the left, miner you go right, look for doors and windows." '1d10' inspect the outside of the house.
>>534995 A game of pretend? Well then, that seems perfectly safe. I walk back to the lake. "I guess you can? You are acting strange for a toy meant for our age group. Do you have a virus."
>>534996 By now, some kids and an instructor Flashbolt called are fishing with you. You narrowly avoid getting caught in their lines.
No one else notices it, but that rumbling you hear definitely isn't water.
>>534997 "See, it, uh… it's like virtual teleportation! It doesn't just transfer a radio signal to be picked up by the receiver, it actually turns the air around it into a signal of the portaman and sends it physically to the other device! At least, according to Tam… where'd you read it again?"
"Timecube.com, duh!"
>>534998 >10 Looking at the foundation, you realise the house is in fact a cover for some sort of secret underground base. If you went inside the house, your best bet would be to look for a trapdoor of some sort to lead you further down. There's also a little bit of rumbling.
>>534999 "Oh, I can grow with my owner. We're close that way~"
>>535000 "Physically? You mean they aren't just data strings? Because otherwise that sounds like a wireless transference of data that would occur in just about any device."
>>535000 "Oh! You are one of the Lifetime models! How fascinating, I'm just a static one. What age was your owner when the two of you were synchronized?"
>>535000 return to the group. "Comrades. I believe our target is hiding underground, perhaps plotting something as we speak." point at the foundation of the building "see the way it shakes?" "Did either of you see a way down from the outside?"
>>535001 Again, you don't manage to dive down with that plant attachment on your back. You can detect sound coming from the deepest reaches, though. Oddly it's triggering your Animal Comms software a little, but is unintelligible.
>>535002 "Ugh… if it's from that place, I don't think it'd true. Oh, well."
>>535005 "Commander, if this tech could be cracked, you'd be able to back up our memory chips from any location. Even store compatible links in custom frames. In the Iron Cog series, there was one such machine piloted by a brain hooked into it." I'll sit with a muffled "clunk." "Of course, without the proper testing, or the code itself, I wouldn't be able to make certain that it was enough of a parallel."
>>535006 "Oh, fighting, huh?~" She pins you down and moves her mouthpart over your face.
>>535007 You already know that there's a secret entrance to below, so you easily find it. A trapdoor that hasn't looked used in a long time.
>>535008 You can. You dismount the pot and leave it on Sophie's table for safekeeping, then get back into the water. Roll to see how far you can safely dive.
>>535009 "Oh, that's a good idea. Except it won't work. Ever. or maybe. Hmm…."
Eston came by to leave his plant pot before going back out the the lake to join those people gone fishing.
>>535010 "…!" step back a moment " wait. Why does this look abandoned? Wouldn't he need to come up for air and supplies? ..come to think of it, did you see any other ships?"
>>535010 I lie there. "Miss, I am not equipped with the software or firmware for this sort of activity. Please stop, you may cause the children to ask things which may offend their parents and bring shame on HasBEEN."
>>535010 I'll cock my head slightly. "How do you mean, Commander? Hypothetically, it's possible. After all, all we toys are is just data and electricity." I'll cough slightly. "And maybe more than a few nanomachines. Point remains, though, if something is sophisticated enough to hold our brains, we'd be able to swap places with it."
>>535012 You don't get very far before a rush of water hurls a school of fish at you, and you hurling back to the surface. Again, that sound. WEEEE#564・45A4CA4A.656-5555665/^&*$
>>535011 Dog and pon look at each other. "Nope. not another ship."
You hear the storyteller kid speak. "The trapdoor beckons to them, like some sort of primordial force from deep within wants them to open it, to see what's inside…
A few loud keystrokes from the other kid breaks your immersion a little, but now the trapdoor seems very attractive.
Sophie brings out a tube of orange fluid with grey fibrous material inside.
"Maybe. I wonder how many ways the future can go from here?"
>>535013 "Oh, come on. Your owner isn't going to be a little girl forever, you know. You may as well learn how to guide her when she goes to her next school."
>>535016 The passage down is dark. Just a bit in and you cannot see anything. You can only carefully make your way down until you feel what seems to be like a door.
>>535017 "How do you know it'll be what she needs? Children don't grow up to be the same, you know. I would never have expected my owner to grow up like this."
>>543223 "Well, beautiful one, there's some weird disturbance going on down there. I'm hoping you and me can see what's got all the fish riled up, since even my Animal Comm software thinks it's hearing something."
>>543223 "Commander, I make no illusions about my longevity. I and the others are simple toys. We will be with you as long as our batteries sustain us, and hopefully for the rest of your life in your memories. That is the most any toy, action figure, or even doll dares hope." I'll look Sophie in the eyes. "That is why we give everything for you. You are our commander, owner, and to some degree family. Any one of us would shatter ourselves to bits if it meant that you could continue to grow into a fine adult."
"I wonder where the difference between an artificial and real brain is. Maybe… ah. Like that story about the boy who grew up to save his robot racoon." She's deep in thought.
>>543223 "Have you been missing Patches? The ANITA doctrine means all HasBEEN products are able to guide all one hundred and seven known genders through puberty and maturance."
>>543228 "Oh, well, this boy had a robot racoon come from the future to help him study, because in the future they were poor since he never did well in school. But one day the robot racoon's batteries die and because he's from the future, no one can repair him! So the boy's inspired to study hard to become an engineer good enough so he can learn to repair his racoon! It used to air in the tabletop timeslot."
>>543230 "Oh, there's more than that. Either way… you've got to learn yourself, handsome."
The moment you open the door, all is bright. It's a glass tunnel, surrounded by brightly lit seawater! Though it gets darker as you look below. Far darker.
"..they can hear things…"
Suddenly, you can no longer hear the narrator kid's voice.
>>543231 "That's… fairly interesting, actually. Did he send another raccoon back to the past to establish a stable time loop, or did it end just with him and his raccoon being happy?"
>>543240 Odd. I will do research later. "Unless you plan to attempt to satiate yourself on me, please get off. If you do plan to do that I will try to stop you."
It's really dark here, especially since it's evening. You're mainly finding your way around detecting animals cries.
gotta eat mmm delicious tinygreen sexy cloaca fins gotta fuck gotta lay mmm yes not safe safe not safe small thing coming not safe WEAA48324723432__&%%^%#^#^$% being eaten help
>>543251 You rush at her, but in doing so- "AAAAAHHH!" You crash into her! you hear the sounds of something snapping. She is lying on the pitch black ground, not moving, whimpering.
>>543250 She's going towards a bunch of scared kids, with one enthusiastically narrating a story while the other typing on some device.
>>543257 It no longer responds. In its place you hear a Mmmm fuulll what next from a big fish.
WWWGEWU3234245657485674
>>543256 "If someone other than your owner gave them to you?"
>>543255 Sophie takes out a small phone-like device. Seems to have some sort of map on the screen, with a camera. The boys let her look at the machine. It's a keyboard attached to a large tank, where you can see holograms and information from here. You think you can see some toys inside.
"Holographic playset! Latest in the line!"
>>543258 You claw at her, trying to bring her up, but for some reason you can't even touch her, only go through her. You think you can hear her voice… but it's soft, and weak.
>>543259 "Only if my owner okayed them." [I need to think of some way to get rid of this goat before she finds out about what shisname and the mods we got.]
>>543259 "A VR device?" I'll scrabble up to the table. "There was a similar device in the Iron Cog line, complete with several training VR missions. In the video game series, they were used to help players familiarize themselves with the controls, and challenge their ability to remain undetected. By plugging an Iron Cog series model of toy into it, they could replace the onscreen avatar with whomever they plugged in. Some toys also gave extra benefits. For example, Plasma Lizard's bonus item was a headband that gave him infinite ammunition."
>>543259 "Come on. Just stay with me. I'm your brave knight here to save you. I could never let anything happen to you Lady Sophie. So don't worry." '1d10' inspire to comfort her.
>>543268 Sure you want to follow through with that action? The unknown weird sound is coming from below. the thing that bit you was only about your size.
>>543269 A brave gryphon you are. But who killed her?
"Looks like a pony and diamond dog. And.. gerald?"
>>543266 There's more of the campsite to explore. Eston's plant has been left at the lakeside. Sophie and Flashbolt are at a table with a weird tank thing.
>>543270 If I was able to realize that, and I look around to make sure no one else saw my panic attack, I understand that my mission isn't over yet, then. Focus and march forth, through the murky depths.
>>543275 Look even more confused and embrace her fingers "Lady Sophie! You're alrigjt. I'm so sorry I left you. I-It was improper. I won't ever again."
>>543278 Pretty fast you got there. Building basic Sea Serpent library…. Noise many Light disrupt
>>543279 "Oh, no need for that, I mean, it's great for you to go out and explore and tell me what you find. Like this tank. It was mean of those boys to put you in without telling you what it was like, but I do like it…"
>>543277 It's a well-known horror story series along with Duckbumps and Scary Stories in the Dark.
>>543276 "Where've you been, Ranger? Gerald got lost in this tank, so I came to get him."
>>543285 "If you say so, Commander." >>543288 >>543291 "Virtual Reality Environment. They're fairly expensive in some areas, but they do add a bit more immersion."
>>561713 >>561706 "Lady Sophie. I must ask you stay a safe distance from the beast. " fly toward the shore. But stop. Turn to the group. "Which one of you should I carry?"
>>561709 >>561710 >>561711 The few people still near the water decide to back off just in case. One of the camp instructors remains, he has a nice fish on the end of his line and really wants it. It's stolen from him when a massive sea serpent rises from the water, two stories high, taking his hard-earned fish into its mouth.
>>561713 Finding close match Translating Translating Translating 3484264##$#51234WHATHOWHYNOISELIGHTDONTKNOWWHATHAPPEN43433@22
>>561722 You feel that sweet power surge as you fly yourself up with Eston. Higher than you've ever flown before, actually. You're right up to its face, in fact.
>>561723 You're able to get a much better reading up here. Pretty things. Just want enjoy good air. Water boring for now. Please stop with shrill noises, cannot relax
>>561728 Name? Long-eye, mate call me. Not see him long time since move here. No go back to sea for long time. Only years more until no more eggs. Scared die without children.
>>561739 Sometimes come up air see smaller creatures with light. Some hot, make fish hot, but no work in water. Sometimes see other light not hot, but haven't try in water.
Behind you, the screaming is slowly stopping as people realise the serpent isn't aggressive. Joe even looks like he's in awe.
>>561739 >>561738 "Can Ranger get information from the Net?" >>561741 "Commander, can your teachers access any construction information of this park? This serpent may simply be lost."
>>561742 Ranger, lacking a camera, puts the description in Sentrillion search the best he can. It's a species of animal that most zoologists believe are extinct.
"Ehhh…. well, I heard that the lake here is connected to the sea.."
>>561745 "Then perhaps the creature can be led safely out into the sea once again. Or at least placed in protective custody by wildlife conservators." I'll look way up at the thing. "Of course, my experience is usually dealing with giant Cogs and other such robotic menaces."
>>561746 "Maybe. It could be disorienting when you don't know what the lights are, like trying to run with our recognition utilities only booted to 50%."
>>561751 Sophie speaks up. "Ehh… I don't know how long it'll take, this IS pretty far from the sea and I don't know if you guys can stand the pressure for so long.. What's Eston saying to it, anyway?"
>>561757 "Wait, maybe that will do! Are there any toys nearby from the Easy Smelt Forge line? They might have something we can use to stick it on there!?
>>561782 Joe pipes up. "You know! The fabled dances of the sea serpents! Those things that have inspired so many ancient human art! I want to see one for myself! I must!"
>>561784 It's going to take a team effort. Where's that cawing rooster?
>>561787 >>561784 >>561789 >10 There's no need for any more. The tune from your speakers melds wondrously with Eston's singing, and the serpent sinks back into the lake. She splashes about, soaking those near the lake shore, making beautiful loops as she slides about the surface of the lake.
LOVE YOU SO MUCH MATEY MANY FISH TO EAT~
She sings too, with less loneliness than before. At the end, she slowly coils up at the lake shore and lowers her head.
Me really want to go back find mate now. Perhaps heard his call from far away.
Jasper is holding the finished lightbox. He just put in a lot of torchlights that last a long time and sealed the openings with superglue. Tough rope lets you tie it onto the Serpent's head.
>>561794 "Well, let's send her on her way, then. Commander, you and the others might have to attach the lightbox, since we're a bit on the small side."
>>561796 Joe swiftly picks up the light box, tying it around her neck securely. His reservations about icky nature seem completely gone as he takes off his shoes to climb up and around her, stroking her neck.
"That was beautiful. Beautiful.. please, go back to the sea and prosper. We need you"
She tries sinking into the water to test the light, then she lets out another cry. Light! Can go now! Many gratitude.
>>561802 >>561805 A silver scale falls onto shore as she departs. Joe quickly picks it up in amazement.
Sophie is making a note to herself to figure out how to install cameras in you guys, while Tam and Muffles are pouring over Joe's drawings of sea serpents.
The night is coming to an end soon. Just a relaxing marshmallow roast left.
>>561815 Excellent. Requisition supplies of sticks or skewers, as well as our allotment of marshmallons. >>561816 "I'm sure you'll find a dance partner in the Commander's quarters. Or at school. Or even along the beach."
>>561817 She's busy looking at what Joe is quickly sketching. It's a beautiful lake overlooked by moonlight. He's keeping the silver scale close to him.
>>561822 Excellent. Now, to toast one of those marshmallons. Always wanted to do that… >>561823 "There has certainly been more traffic than their used to, I would wager."
A few days later, everyone's back from their trip. Sophie's got a school holiday of a week leftover from the trip, so she'll never have to be out of your sight!
Today a house down the street is having a yard sale! Sophie and her family are taking a look. They have a lot of ancient relics here, like some kind of storage medium called a 'Blu-Ray', among other used electronics.
Only occasionally do you manage to draw a bit of power out to scan around, but you have to go back to charging mode very soon after. You're on a table outside your house. Wait, is it even your house?
>>570164 >>570166 >5 >5 You find a few old circuit boards. Sophie comes over to have a look, behind them, though, is something more interesting, an Earth Pony toy. It doesn't look in very good shape, cuts and chips on it everywhere.
>>570165 You are at home. Soon, you will be taken away because you are not wanted anymore. Something happened, and you tried to fight and failed. You don't have to worry. The shutdown periods are getting longer. Soon you will no longer feel anything.
>>570168 "Oooh? She looks interesting. I want some spare parts if I can't repair her! She looks really beaten up, not sure if there's any helping her…"
>>570173 Hmm. >>570170 I'll scavenge around. If there aren't any parts we can use in the immediate vicinity, some of the other tech might make suitable stand-ins. '1d10'
>>570172 >>570175 >2, 2 You find in a box a few weird, plastic pointy things. They're about your size.
>>570176 >>570177 You look up and you see a young girl, looking over you curiously. She seems pleasantly surprised as you suddenly start moving in her hands.
"Oooh, hello, Raven! I'm Sophie. Want to be my new toy?"
>>570177 Look startled but compose myself "Hello Miss Raven? I am Sir Gerald, Knight in service to Lady Sophie." Bow to her. >>570178 uhh that's probably not it. leave it alone.
>>570181 That doesn't sound too good. >>570178 "From the sound of her, Commander, she'll need significant repair. Possibly modification to the chassis and replacing her interior."
>>570184 The pegasus brings them over to a young lady holding a a DRAGONS MONTHLY and Scaleycon 2XXX magazine, waiting in line too.
>>570185 She's busy pestering her brother to hurry up and pay. Most of them are now with another lady in the queue anyway.
>>570186 You're a little more lucid. You remember the other toys of your owner. Beast High Toys, you remember. You were heavily outnumbered and had no means to fight back. They did things to you, and now you're here, discarded and unwanted.
>>570187 And yet… he wanted me… not owner… Master… "I am… a MMX-0007… MYSTIC model… My designation… is Raven… P-primary d-d-directive… Be… w-who you are…"
>>570187 Oh well. I'll work my way along the table. What other things are floating around in the bins? If there are toys in worse condition than Raven, we might be able to salvage their materials. Even defunct Playtendo systems can be harvested for their unnaturally durable material… '1d10' >>570189 "Of course."
>>570192 "T-then… b-be Sophie… just as I… am Raven…" FAILURE SYSTEM FAILURE REROUTING "…Dddddddon't… let others… cccchange… who you are… You… are S-Sophie… mmmy desig… desig… designat…ion… is… R… R… Raven…" ENTERING SLEEP MODE
After enough pestering Sam finally finishes up what he was looking for, and you're all back in Sophie's room. Raven is put on a table while she's being examined.
>>570203 "There isn't supposed to be leaking. And it's very likely she has been. After all, you remember what your teacher and his friend said about the built-in programming most Fattel and HasBeen toys have in them?"
>>570204 Good going. You toss her cellphone into her waiting hand.
"Hello, Muffles! Hey, it's me, Sophie! You wanna hang out? And by the way, it means I got a toy that's probably about to die. You know where Mr Brown stays? Could you, uh… pick me up and let's got there together? You can? Yay! Thanks!"
>>570205 "Right, uhh.. Oh yeah!" She takes out one of those static proof bags and with a pair of forceps plucks Raven up and into the bag.
>>570207 Whew. You're alright. Your headpiece is still awake and you can think, but no power may be routed to the rest of your body.
>>570209 I'll get some of the traveling gear that I noted we should have taken with us camping and throw it in a bag for Sophie, stuff like spare cables and portable chargers.
>>570212 >>570211 You two can hear a very fancy car horn beeping outside. Both of you, holding one strap of her backpack each, leap up and put it on for her as she stretches out her arms.
"I feel like a superhero!"
>>570214 Lots of deep slashes inside, remnants of a nanite infection, too, still there. You can't see very deeply in because of copyprotectionkyjuyrhty you pervert you're looking at a girl toy! Stop right this instant!
Everyone is dragged by Sophie off to a waiting very long limousine outside, with a girl in frilly dress waiting inside and waving.
>>570218 Laugh slightly and give the Buffa-bro a high-hoof. "We're gonna save her, together." '1d10' inspire the group with words of courage and no chicken sound glitch this time! .
>>570220 >>570221 >>570222 No chicken sound glitches this time as your speakers play a jazzy something tune from a spy movie. Just as Sophie gets in the car, the onboard bar dispenses a drink in a martini glass.
"Hey, Sophie! Was pretty bored today. You got something?"
Muffles is here, along with Marla the goat.
>>570219 It seems likely. Not much others would have this advanced plague.
>>570224 You are now in a very fancy car, and you see Sophie drinking some orange juice, accompanied by a very frilly girl. A goat toy comes to examine you.
>>570234 I'll note that. Perhaps Sub-commander Muffles does not approve of this relationship? Being used as a means of transportation would rankle…" >>570235 Hmm. I'll deploy MediCAT. if nothing else, it can help keep Raven in a stable condition for the car ride.
Medicate carefully slips into the bag and deploys a few general purpose repair nanites. Her chassis looks a little better, at least.
>>570235 You can now move a little thanks to first-aid.
The car pulls out in front of an apartment block, and everyone gets out.
"Come on, Muffles! 11th floor!" "Wait, how d'ya even know Mr Brown stays on the 11th floor?" "Uhm…"
>>570237 Well, you already know they're good friends.
>>570240 Marla on her shoulder addresses you. "My Mistress is very concerned with Sophie as her friend, and I ask you do not inquire further, Mister Flashbolt."
Sophie suddenly freezes just as she's about to press the doorbell. Muffles sighs and does it for her before crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Oh, yeah! I found this toy in a yard sale and wanted to repair her, but I think she's too damaged! I mean, her battery''s leaking and all! Could you help, sir? Please?"
"Oh, that all? uh.. come in, then.
The teacher's apartment is small, mainly due to the horrible organization he has inside. A workstation is to the side of the living room, right next to a small television. A coffee table and couch are in front, and to their side a small table with chairs near the small kitchen. A laptop of indeterminate make is lying on the couch. He takes the bag holding Raven and puts her on the table for examination.
>>570258 "I would advise gloves, Educator Brown." I'll look at the door. "As I'm certain MediCAT will be of more use to this operation than I, I can at least keep an ear out for your food deliverer." I'll hop down and snoop on my way to the door. '1d10'
>>570261 The moment you try and peer into a wall, your vision suddenly bursts into an array of colours and you fall over stunned. You feel something quickly coming towards you.
>>570260 "Huh, this one might be glitched. No worries, I got a spare battery available."
You see him pull out a few weird tools. He places wiring into your battery slot before using a weird anttenna device to pull out your battery. You don't lose conciousness, somehow power is still being transmitted.
>>570259 You notice a few metal boxes around that release weird medicat-like robots that start scanning the fallen-over Ranger.
>>570262 You bypass what you just noticed as a laser trap. What's this even doing here?
>>570267 A heavy pair of limbs holds you down while you feel a scanner peek into you for a while. After a bit you're let go, and you see a few robots like medicat wheeling back into their stations.
>>570268 "Goddamn it you silly bot.." He quickly pulls out a reinforced aerosol can and sprays it onto you. You felt like you were about to melt, but now you're freezing. You're cool now, at least.
>>570270 There don't seem to be any of those. All the robots here don't have any obvious brands or markings on them. What gives?
>>572358 Looks like there are laser traps around the windows too. Aside the security bots that pinned Ranger down, there seems to be one or two flying around the ceiling, which has two more boxes that look like charging points for at least 10 more flying bots.
>>572361 "I'm fine. I don't know about Sophie." She grumpily folds her arms.
>>572363 >>572362 >>572360 >>572359 "Almost done… alright. Your chassis is scratched, but workable. Too much trouble to chnage it, though you could always have one of your friends but a nice coat of paint over it."
Mr. Brown seals Raven up and sets her on a table. He takes out some white quadruped-shaped robots with red targets painted over them, and one shaped like a human.
"Alright! Let's see how well you're working. Try one of your abilities on them."
>>572366 Heavily fortified… what is this teacher keeping in here? Since these drones don't match any Fattel or Hasbeen design, they're likely custom works. I'll puzzle things over and be on alert for the pizza deliverer. Once he arrives, I'll notify the commander.
>>572366 Reply concerned in a whisper " yes. I have noticed Lady Sophie has been acting strangely. You can be assured I will attempt to return her to normal. And that any rudeness caused by this was unintended."
>>572369 You emit a glow of radiation that reflects strong on the bots. One of the robots tries to stealth, but the invisbility helps it little when it's glowing as it is.
>>572375 "That is just my basic defensive module. Now I shall attempt something more difficult." Teleport Target 2 into the air over the side of the table… '1d10' If I succeed, I try to catch it with TK. '1d10'
You've got a pretty good read now. Muffles is more concerned and irritated than outright angry, judging by her (projected) blood pressure and heartrate. Mr Brown is hartd to read, but he seems to be acting as most adults are when taking care of kids, mostly altruism. Sophie, however, is exhibiting a marked deviation from her baseline behaviour. High heart rate not consistent with most forms of excitement, marked blood flow to cheeks, higher body temperature than normal, though not up to feverish.
>>572377 You succeed mainly because it's standing still, but catch it nicely with your manipulator hardware.
"Looks like she's trying to show off to us. Her AI should be acclimatising to you as her owner, I believe."
>>572382 Teleport right in front of his face with my Redundancy Powercoils.(spell resonance) Look him dead in the optics as I press my nose against his face. "Imply that my defects are a result of my hardware again, and I will remove and replace yours." >>572381 "Good evening. My designation is Raven. Thank you for saving me." Turn to Sophie. "And thank you for rescuing me."
>>572381 >>572382 Sigh and shake my head. " perhaps we can confront Lady Sophie together after the pizza. " Sigh deeper at my buffabro on the floor. "Don't worry I'll come get you." '1d10' gryphon express. To pick up on eston.
>>572383 "Oh, it's not problem! Welcome to my group of frieends!" She seems a nice girl.
DING DING DONG
Mr Brown rises to his feet.
"Looks like Pizza's here. good thing I ordered extra. Feel free to help yourselves."
He walks over to the door and greets the pizza delivery man, who hands over three boxes and some drinks. You can smell the delicious pizza smell coming from the boxes. Mmmm.
>>572387 Sigh as he hugs me, but I don't resist. "You understand that you risk redamaging my chassis, correct? …I appreciate what you were trying to do, but I… do not like being belittled." >>572390 Walk over to the boxes and use my Hide-and Seek Field Analyzer. '1d10' >>572391 "I do not mind. It is good to know someone cares."
>>572398 "What manner of chassis are you? You do not appear to be standard… Third-party? Designs are reminiscent of Japanese companies… that or Korean. Maybe Malasian?" >>572400 "…Something is here. All of you please stand back." Try it again! '1d10'
>>572402 "…Thank you. I am pleased to be in the company of other Hasbeen products again." >>572405 "It is forgiven. I was still working out glitches, which makes me… itchy, I believe is the accurate description."
>>572408 "I am pleased to meet you, Flashbolt. My master worked with several third-party products; I do not believe any came from the Iron Cog series, but many were from the province. My designation is Raven. I am a MYSTIC-00007 Search-and-Retrieval model."
>>572407 You accidentally hit one of the walls of the building instead, stunning you again.
>>572404 There's only one box left. You try to emit your revealing field, but are interrupted when something comes out and pins you down.
>>572406 Thanks to your intense focus, you are able to see the exact moment the box opens, and can fly there immediately to strike… something, revealing it from its cloak.
>>572412 Snicker softly at your joke. >>572411 But striaghten up and introduce myself to you properly once more. With a bow. "I am Sir Gerald, Knight in service to Lady Sophie. We met before, but you were unresponsive. "
>>572414 Assuming combat stance. MediCAT is probably still out, so it'll scuttle down off the table and back to the fray. I'll Leap of Faith the Girlbot. '1d10'
>>572413 Smile softly. "I am pleased to hear that you know of us. Many forget us since we were not produced in great numbers." >>572414 Deadpan glance at her. "That was unwise." Magneto-Casimir Projector: ACTIVATED. Target: REVEALED ROBOT GIRL Destination: 3 FEET TO THE LEFT Elevation destination: 10 FEET UP '1d10'
>>572416 You miss COMPLETELY, and you feel two more pairs of limbs grab you from behind and merciless beat you. You can't see anything hitting you, but you feel it.
>>572417 Same for you. You feel a pair of arms grab your neck. "Wonder how your old owner;s doing now? We were faaaar more exciting than boring old you, hmm?
>>572418 In a stunning display of chivalry, you find time to bow to the girlbot before punching her in the belly and smacking her down with your sword, then holding her in your strong, manly talons. She vanishes, but you can feel her struggling in your grasp.
>>572419 No response. Actually, you can't see any girls now.
>>572420 That's another punch to your mouth, and now you're lying limp again.
>>572422 "Ehem, please don't make me harm you. Just come out and explain yourselves, least I have to assume you are fattel assassins" '1d10' guardian time.
>>572421 "As soon as I get away from this aggressor, yes." >>572422 ALL SYSTEMS ACTIVE POWER OUTPUT SET TO MAXIMUM LEVELS ENGAGEMENT-INHIBITORS REMOVED: TARGET STRUCK FIRST DIRECTIVE: ENGAGE AND DESTROY "You won because you ganged up on me and you know it. How many tries did it take again; three? Or was it five?" Jump up and leap away! '1d10'
>>572427 Right… katana out. MediCAT bumped into something, so there's where I'll start. Slash along '1d10' my way there, and MediCAT will right itself. '1d10'
>>572424 "Incorrect. They are Beast High Toys, from my last owner. The same ones that managed to leave me in the condition you found me in." >>572427 >>572428 "You could not hide then, even with stealth tech." Hide-And-Seek Field Analyzer: ACTIVATED SCANNING… phase aura '1d10'
>>572429 The moment you draw, you manage to hit one of them. A weird human-girl dollbot thing that just wants to be HERSELF, UNIQUE, A MONSTER! She's knocked back hard, helping medicat right himself with the impact.
>>572431 Be careful! You scan the worst part of the walls and get hit with a dizzying array of flashing colours in your visual read, knocking you out if it were not for Gerald propping you up.
>>572430 No, Beast Toys are one of Fattel's lines. You recognize the brand of evil on them. You emit your blue radiation, revealing every assassin in the room from their cloaks. You remember these things just love to scream! Two are about to lunge for Gerald…
>>572432 Your plant gets hit back by one, but you manage to strike at her in revenge for your plantey.
>>572433 "Nope, but now I can." He presses a button and about four flying bots come out of the boxes in the ceiling. They start attacking the enemies bots immediately. However, two of the Beast Highs manage to stab at you, knocking you away and down and removing the protection you gave to the others.
Ranger: 1/5 Gerald: Helpless
Frankey Stein Full Claedeen Wolfe : 2/5 Draclaura Full Abbey Bomnal Full Spectra Vondergeist Full Deuce Gorgon Full
>>572434 Even though I'm not driven to murder like they are, they're still repugnant things… Let's finish off the Wolfe with Rupture '1d10', and MediCAT will Heal Gerald. '1d10'
>>572437 Marla the Goat helps you focus a bolt onto Caledeen Wolfe. She yells something about a Jacob as she falls over.
Immediately, Marla touches her limp body and brings it under her control.
>>572438 Abbey Bomnal throws a heat-absorbing bolt at you first, sending chills up your spine. Eeek.
>>572442 Wolfe is now a zombiebot under Marla's control, so you device to bleed Draclaura of her blood instead. Gerald is already energized as hell from a triplecrit Natural Remedy.
>>572441 You're covered in repair fluid. You could probably be pretty reckless without worrying for a while…
3 TURNS OF VISIBILITY LEFT The four bots flit about shooting laserbolts.
Gerald: 8/5 Hits Ranger: 1/5
Frankey Stein Full Claedeen Wolfe : DEAD, controlled Draclaura 2/5 Abbey Bomnal 4/5 Spectra Vondergeist Full Deuce Gorgon 4/5
>>572444 Glare at Abbey. "Oh, and just so you know… I don't miss him. He's a pig, a slob, and all muscle and hormones without a brain to back them up." Level my EMP Generator 500 at her, letting it hum as it charges up. "You're absolutely perfect for him." Magic bolt '1d10+2'
>>572445 The shockwave hits a few nearby friends of hers, too. She ded. Why do you have to ruin eternal love?
Medicat helps prepare Ranger for a kncokout.
>>572447 You do that to Deuce Gordon, and she lands hard.
>>572446 You smack her somewhere where it really hurts, but not in the battery.
>>572448 As Gerald strikes her in the back with his powersword, you hit her from the front with a bolt, frying her fast.
>>572449 Venus isn't very good at catching non-bugs, isn't it? At least its flailing summons a Hornet from outside. It's even carrying a cute little caterpillar.
Wolfe claws stein's face a few times while Marla pumps a bolt her way, and the flying bots above keep firing lasers when they can.
>>572450 Next up, let's Leap of Faith to Spectra, and see if I can't incapacitate her. '1d10' We're going to have to gather the cloaking devices from the dead. Those could be useful in the future. MediCAT will expel its Wrath upon the living Darbies. '1d10'
>>572452 You barely manage to strike her down, not giving her time to prepare to recloak. Medicat quickly overcharges and blasts away everybot trying to rescue her.
>>572453 bzzzzzkay Horny puts down her caterpillar gently before stinging Draclaura right in the eyes. She stumbles around until Venus picks her up and traps her in its jaws. Perfect for you to punch her right where it really hurts. Great team effort.
>>572454 Come now, it'll take more than that to break Neotendium dolls. Stein tells you as much as she shocks your head, pulls out a needle and stabs you.
>>572455 Stein turns her attention to you and, faster than anything, slashes at you with her needle to interrupt your song.
Meanwhile. Gorgon is hit by a crit of Marla's bolt, and the rest of the botp ile lasers and shambling claws on her.
>>572456 Try out my Quantum-Entangler Perfectly ChildSafe Drive. Hope it's functioning correctly… Teleport Stein all the way up in the air, right below the ceiling. That fall is gonna hurt. '1d10'
>>572458 Yeah, it did hurt. You know, because you teleported yourself. Ouch.
>>572459 You can hit way harder. You charge up energy for a strike, but at the last moment Stein hits your arm, making you hit yourself really, REALLY hard.
"I don't need to hit you myself."
>>572460 Venus takes its time lounging, unfortunately.
Horny stings Spectra with her trusty stinger, and you punch her right up to finish it.
>>572461 You, in flash of agility, leap at the laughing Stein and in one apparent slash, seemingly nothing happens. She laughs at you, but then realises she can't feel her arms or body all that well. Slowly, bits and pieces of her slide off and she falls apart, screaming.
"brrrOOOOOOOWWWWN! YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!!!!"
They flash in out of out visibility slightly as the phase aura ends, but they are no longer functioning. No enemies remain.
Mr brown sighs. "Okay kids, I think the pizza's still warm. Let me clean this up while you guys help yourselves."
He presses another button on the wall and some large-ish cleaning robots come out to sweep away the debris.
>>572463 With a small flourish, I'll clean and sheathe my katana, then return MediCAT to its holding bay. >>572464 "It seems the commander's instructor didn't exactly leave the Fattel camp in good graces. His attempts to nullify the HASDIE and FATDIE protocols in both HasBeen and Fattel firmware has likely made him a target." Turning to Sophie, I'll continue. "Commander, the stealth cloaks used by the enemy assailants might prove useful in future missions. Perhaps we can recover and repurpose them?"
>>572463 "…That was… not as satisfying as anticipated." Oh, it still felt GREAT, but considering what they did to me… why does it feel like… like something's missing? Hollow, that's the word! Why does it feel hollow? Teleport over to where Mr. Brown can see me. "I apologize for bringing this attack upon you. I shall do whatever I can to repay you." >>572464 "They were coming after me to try to finish the job."
>>572466 "Ugh, can't they just settle themselves with the knowledge they lost and leave it at that? Honestly, this is probably going to lead to more hassles for everyone."
>>572467 "They were coming after us. We're together now, remember that."
>>572470 I'll shake my head. "So long as the HASDIE and FATDIE protocols remain ingrained into the software of toys, this war will last until there is only one side remaining. Or neither."
>>572469 Look away and hang my head. "…You should not have to. MYSTIC models were designed to function solo." >>572470 "They were only coming after you because you saved me. It is my fault; my responsibility." >>572472 "Master said something along the same lines. I wonder if he ever found anything… " Sigh and hang my head.
"Difficult to implement for non-rogue bot models, Sophie. Feel free to take their optical cloaks, but I don't think you'll get much out of them for anything but Flashbolt here."
"Awww."
>>572468 "Ehh… I dunno. Nothing here looks all that good. Maybe…" She pockets the remains of Spectra Vondergeist.
>>572467 "Mmmmmaybe. A lot of rogue toys like to come here."
Among the toys that attacked, only about one you could recognise as belonging to your old owner.
>>572476 "And as a knight I was trained to defend my allies. It is my duty, my life, and my honor. Please allow me to protect you as my ally Miss Raven. "
>>572475 "Salvage requires a more delicate hoof than mine." >>572477 "The plating on the inside of the box might be useful for strengthening our personnel carrier or provide scattering armor for those not of the rogue-spec." I'll look at Muffles. "Sub-Commander Muffles, do you have any suggestions to offer?"
>>572479 "Well, I, uh, prefer to call it spare part deliveries."
>>572482 "Come to think of it, daddy said Fattel had plans to release more lines the other day. He speculated, uh… something, I forgot."
Mr brown speaks up regarding the box "No, no! The metal plating's just a signal blocker. It helped confuse the laser traps, specially since I turned it down to let you guys through.
>>572477 "Difficult is not impossible. I would advise taking them, if only for further research." >>572481 "…" Look at you for a long moment, as if trying to figure out your motivations. "…I have no need of… I will give you my support in return for yours. Just don't underestimate me." >>572480 Give you a deadpan stare. "You're flagrant and annoying…" Quick peck on the cheek! "But I appreciate the sentiment." >>572485 "Heh. I get it." Turn to Sophie. "So. You are my new owner. Is there anything that you wish of me?" Walk up to him.
>>572485 "Ah. I see." To Muffles: "More lines? That's valuable intelligence, Sub-Commander. The fact we know it's coming means we can be on our guard, and have something to look for." I'll nod to her, and make a mental note to finally access this "internet" thing that the Commander and her friends have been exposed to. >>572484 I'll shrug. "Materials not claimed tend to go to waste." I'll ignore the posing posse, and go about gathering stealth cloaks from the fallen dolls.
>>572485 Stare inquisitively at this Mr. Brown. >>572486 Groan. "I am merely asking that you allow me to support you and refrain from going solo where the fattel can swarm you." >>572487 Oh yea, more importantly. I can pose for longer! Stare at you now with a challenging smirk and flex while i pose '1d10'
>>572488 It seems to be a device much like yours, optical camouflage place near the neck. Yours however requires a lot of hardware to support it, and theirs are no different. At least you have replacements in case of damage.
>>572487 >>572484 Charming. A security bot even takes a picture.
>>572486 Her. Sophie is a her. "Oh, uhm… I dunno. I really want to be a robot scientist when I grow up. Maybe you can help me?"
>>572486 "That's the spirit. Doesn't matter where and under what label we were manufactured under, we all work together for Sophie. It's great to have you with us!"
>>572489 >>572491 Gerald flexes and you can hear some of the land-bots swoon. One of them takes another photograph. Meanwhile, Eston's Hornet gets bored, so she takes her caterpillar and flies off.
>>572489 "…Okay." Sit down and kick my hooves. "MYSTIC models are designed for retrieval and surveillance. If I am swarmed, it means I have failed to live up to my design parameters." >>572491 "I am glad to be here." >>572490 "…He wanted to be a robot scientist too…" Give her a genuine smile. "I might be able to help with that."
>>572494 "If you're a surveillance model, can I ask you for a favor? As you've seen, I tend to get a little, too focused. If you think my body can be an asset elsewhere, don't hesitate to say so. We all fight as one now."
>>572496 "Sophie, her family, and especially her friends, you'll never find a better bunch even if you scour the depths of Tweetbook. You'll love being in their company."
"Hmm, come to think of it, we basically rushed right over here. There's still some arrangements to be made. Tell me, do you like being above, or below?"
>>572498 "That's the answer I wanted to process! All of us together, you're going to have a lot of fun!"
>>572499 Raise an eyebrow. "Above or below? I do not understand the question. Are you asking to be up higher?" Teleport you onto the bookshelf. "There you go."
>>572501 "I am where best suits my purpose. Both are equally valid." Teleport you back down. "…I am a bit surprised that you have yet to question my chassis. Most are confused by my ability to use projection modules without a Horn-antenna."
>>572502 "I have some sense, you know? I know better than to ask for a ladies secret. If you deign giving me your secret, I would be honoured, but if you decide to keep it yours, I would acknowledge your decision as yours and leave it at that."
>>572503 Close my optics and let my processors formulate this correctly for a moment. "…I will keep the exact details to myself, but… MYSTIC models were… not designed solely for surveillance. We were also designed as anti-projector-wielding models; intended to counter projection models. My internal power system, wiring, module connections… they are all a… modified system. I technically do not use projection, since the power output comes from my main systems, but I am still able to run their modules. One side effect of this is that typical anti-projector weaponry, such an null-fields(silence effects), do not affect my system, since the configuration is entirely different."
"I am honoured to have even been allowed a glimpse into your sub-systems. While I am not of the Knight line like Gerald, you can count on me and my servants to be ever willing to stand by your side."
Rise with a goofy smile.
"Sorry, I think my own internal systems had to adjust so I could get that out properly. I'm wondering if Gerald, or even Flashbolt or Ranger are programmed with them. We've won a great victory today, so let's celebrate to that and to having you with us."
>>572505 Smile at that, blushing slightly. "I've never been called a lady before… I'm… happy to have such a warm welcome. It's nice to… to know I don't need to recharge under the clothes-dresser anymore." Glance at my paintjob and groan. "I look like such a mess… does Owner Sophie have any Roman-Purple paint she could use to touch up my paintjob?"
>>572506 "The paint, I think we might have some left from projects. If not, one of her many friends is an artist. If you ask, he'd have no problems with your paint job."
"As for the dresser thing, you're going to enjoy being with us. We'll charge and chat together, like we were meant to! You'll hear all about our exploits together and individually, all the battles we've encountered and conquered for the sake of Sophie!"
>>572507 Just look at you for a moment with sad, tired eyes, then sigh and sit down, leaning back against the bookshelf. "…Is that really all your purpose and function is? To fight Sophie's enemies and break them until you yourself become broken? I am… tired. So very tired of constantly fighting. There is so much more to a child's growth…"
"Or at least your one of your definitions of battle is. Whether it's an attack by Fattel toys, or a set of math problems, or helping her find her way to camp when she gets lost, those are all battles we gladly undertake to help Sophie. We'll do anything for her, and we'll do anything to help you."
"Now and forever, you're amongst friends. You can share any burden with us, that's what it means to fight together."
>>572509 Smile at that. "…I see. It was my definition of battle that was different. Still… I enjoy just… sitting around, talking as they work on homework, looking out over a lake as they go fishing… watching them discover something new for the first time… That's what raising a kid is about. And for the past… was it two owners, or three? …I have not had the chance to see much of such moments. I was either a means to spy on siblings or rivals, or a fighter to deal with opponents."
>>572510 "I promise, we all do, that you will see more of this, moments when Sophie is with her friends, when you are with us. Just think about why we came here. Sophie came to ask a teacher for help, for you, but that was it. She called her friend and thanks to her, we made it here quickly. All we did was defend them, Sophie, Muffles, and Mr. Brown. That was it, Sophie is our highest priority."
"You can go into sleep mode knowing you're doing good for Sophie. With your help, we'll all make sure to protect that smile and those of her friends and family, to see that she does well no matter where she is."
>>573784 "Right. Thank you." Go over and get hooked up. "I apologize for my lackluster performance during the attack. It appears my systems have yet to fully recover."
>>573785 "Its fully understandable. Even my own processes sometimes have… rather embarrassing glitches. " I rub the back of my feathered head with a claw. "Compared to that what happened to you was no big deal "
>>573786 "…I do not know the event you are referencing." Sigh and enjoy the juice pouring in. "Still… I must thank you, all of you. If you hadn't worked together to save me… I owe you all a debt of gratitude."
>>573787 "With any luck it will be a while before you witness a glitch from me. As for your gratitude.. all we can ask is that you do your best to help Lady Sophie, you mentioned your previous owner did custom work before? So you have experience in helping with that kind of human?"
>>573788 My expression darkens. "My previous owner was a jockhead and a slob who didn't know a bolt from a screw." Lower my head and sigh. "It was Master who customized me; taught me my core drive programs. It was him who made me what I am. …So yes, I have some experience with that."
>>573789 "My apologizes. It was rude of me to bring up your past." I frown and step back. "I only brought it up in that you might consider passing on your wisdom to the rest of us. The kind of care a curious mind like Lady Sophie or Your Master needs. You see.. she's been..different.. distracted lately, and I am unsure of how to make her act normally again. "
>>573790 "I am… I am sorry for snapping. It is just…" I sigh and hang my head. "Never mind. I will be more than happy to help Sophie however I can. Tell me, how is she acting different than usual?"
>>573791 Continue in a hushed tone. "She has become much shyer, seems to seek out less projects on her own despite the tutoring provided by Mr. Brown. In fact. I'm not certain but.. she may have a feelings for Mr. Brown.. feeling that as a teacher he can not acknowledge or return. "
>>573792 "…I have seen a similar problem before…" Glance away as I hastily erect a few firewalls. "…Perhaps encouraging her to seek someone her own age would help."
>>573793 "Mmm but who her own age can really understand her.. we may need to devot a lot of time into this. And it may involve leaving Lady Sophie ungaurded over night to investigate the potential young man.. " I say thoughtfully.
>>573795 "There are a lot of dangers I see here. If we do find a potential guy and leave Lady Sophie to investigate. We may be missed by her, or seen as a threat if caught. This all is so crazy." I shake my head and ruffle my feathers my eyes as serious as ever. "First we need to find a boy her age. Besides Joe."
>>573796 "You can leave that to me. Finding things is what I was built to do." Give a self-confident smirk at that. "Besides, this isn't the first time I've done this. …hopefully there isn't a repeat of the potato salad. That got messy fast."
>>573797 I chuckle, and add with a nod "I believe Lady Muffles may be of assistance if the plan requires a human touch. She seems sincerely concerned about Lady Sophie. We can discuss if she should be involved and how much together. "
>>573798 "Perhaps some consultation with her toys beforehand would be wise, but yes, that seems sensible. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves… What exactly does Sophie expect of me? How am I to serve her?"
>>573800 >>573801 Blink, then give a big, genuine smile. "…It has been…far too long since I have been able to pursue that objective." Shaking myself, I get back to business. "How secure is her home? Do you require perimeter scans to detect enemy incursions?"
>>573802 "We have mostly eliminated the fattel elements in Lady Sophie's home base. We still require scans and patrols at the window and under the bed to ensure none followed us from her school. "
>>573803 "I will see to that. What of the school classroom? Any potential problems there? It may also be a good place to begin seeking possible candidates."
>>573804 "Ah the school is a logical place.." Nod "the class room is a battle zone, proceed with caution and in groups for safety. It was nearly a 50/50 split between enemies and allies last time we visited. We did have a great victory that impressed many students but who knows if they actually changed alliances for good. we should take extra caurion to make sure the potential guy is not misled by fattel."
>>573805 "First we find candidates that Sophie might actually like, then we worry about their brand. So, any siblings I should know about? Relatives or friends who live nearby?"
>>573807 "Just the one? Well, that's a nice change of pace from four older sisters and a younger brother. I tell you, if Master hadn't been the tech wiz he was, things would have been dicey around that house. So, Sam. Does he still possess toys?"
"I've seen you capabilities, and you have already offered advice on our current situation. I would ask if you have anything else you would like to share. Miss Raven."
>>573815 "I have a modified power system, designed to be immune to counter-measures. Though I do not use standard energy-projection methods, I am immune to silence effects."
>>573817 Blush a little and look away. "It's a complex system, which… isn't exactly a good thing. It's part of why so few MYSTIC-models were produced: the increased complexity means a higher price tag, and when it's cheaper to just buy more firepower… you know which the consumer will choose."
>>573818 I frown "a wise ruler would choose just one capable solider over an army of peasants." And then move closer "we may be no army, merely a band of friends. But we are still honored to have a high quality unit among us. "
>>573819 Chuckle at that. "No matter how complex, a pre-owned model is not exactly what you'd call 'high quality.' …Still… I appreciate the sentiment."
>>573820 "Nonsense Miss Raven. The fact you are still in more than capable shape to fight and solve other issues as well. Means you are in fact a well made Hasbeen model. " I insist. "If you wish to appear as new again we can arrange a paint job. But I find the thought.. unnessisary. You are wonderful as yourself Miss Raven. "
>>573821 "U-un…necessary?" I blush profusely and try to cover my cheeks to conceal it. "You must be equipped with the 'silver-plated tongue' programming, aren't you?"
>>573822 Smile "I am merely a knight, who wishes to show a bit of kindness to lady." Ah, chivalry programing, nothing you haven't seen before I'm sure.
>>573823 "Chivalry programming? My, I thought that had been discontinued." I giggle a little. "Whereas Eston seems to have the Jabbermouth programming." I look a little uneasy as a disturbing thought rises. "While I was damaged… did I say anything… strange or shocking?"
>>573825 "My designation is Raven… Be who you are…" I muse half to you, half to myself. "Those are my two core drives. Keeping them active helped preserve data… What are your core drives?"
>>573827 Shake my head. "No, your core drives. What your main perogatives and guiding programs are… Master was my first owner, and when it came time to leave… he gave me my two core drives, as one last gift from him. Perhaps it would be best to show you… Begin playback: Filename: Final Day." My voice shifts to a recording of a decidedly male voice, somewhat scratchy from inevitable file corruption. "Raven, you have to leave soon. I… I hate that you have to go, but… before you leave, I want you to remember something. Something important." "Yes, Master [redacted]?" "Raven, this is my final command: Be who you are. You are special, something unique, not just your chassis, but the very core of who you are. Never let anyone or anything change that. Do you understand? No matter what happens, BE WHO YOU ARE. And you… are Raven." "M-master…" My voice is cracking up, on the brink of tears- if I was capable of crying. "Promise me, Raven. Be who you are." "Be… who you are…" "And who are you?" "My designation… is Raven…" "Good. I'm going to miss you so much, Raven." The voice sounds like he's crying. "I'll miss you too, master…" "RECORDING ENDS" "…I miss you every day." I hang my head and just… remember happy days long gone.
>>573828 I blink clearly taken back. "Miss Raven.." I step forward and place a wing over you slowly embracing you with it. "If I had something like that. It would be. 'Protect those you care for, help those who can't help themselves', but that's probably just my 'chivarly program' talking" i say the phrase 'program' a bit awkwardly as if unused to the idea.
>>573829 "It's still valid," I reassure you as I gratefully lean into the hug. "It's a part of who you are. You are Gerald. Don't ever let anyone change that."
>>573831 Nod "of course. No matter the mistakes I make. I have to keep fighting. Keep believing. " I slowly show you my blade. "I was dead- broken once, injured in battle, Lady Sophie repaired me, filled me with new purpose and devotion when I was feeling like a total failure. She made this for me. To help me hold my own in future battles. Its a replica from the movie."
>>573833 "…Then that is something we have in common, is it not? Being brought back from the brink by Sophie." Slowly run a hoof up and down the blade. "She made this? I haven't seen work like this since… you weren't kidding about her having a gift."
>>573834 My feathers bristle with pride. "She is very gifted indeed. We try to nuture that gift by looking for scraps or turning over defeated fattel to her."
>>573837 "I can certainly help with that. Finding and retrieval are something of a specialty for me." Sigh at the feeling of finally belonging once more. "I think I'm going to like it here."
>>573840 Let you rest against my body, sheltered by my wing, as I stand being the strong shoulder I was built to be. "I am glad you feel that way. I already feel like you are an important part of the team. Miss Raven. "
It's been a while since that visit to Mr Brown's place.
All of you are safely assembled inside Sophie's room, one of the bedrooms on the second floor. The other toys on the shelf are still again. Walter the teddy bear, those three Darbies… They haven't been moving for a long time. It's a typical girls' bedroom, if you ignore the miscellaneous mechanic parts lying about on her computer table. Speaking of which, the computer itself is open, revealing the insides which have been fiddled with. The bedroom door's open, so you're free to leave at any time.
No one's at home for now save the cat, prowling about doing whatever she wants. Sophie's expected to have her friends over later though.
>>585809 It feels familiar… if a bit more pink than most of my previous owner's rooms. I'll take a look at the mechanic parts. See how optimized my memory banks are running their recognition software. '1d10'
>>585812 Pretty good. She looked up tutorials and everything. The video card is missing, though. Actually, most parts are.
>>585813 They're fairly standard, universal pieces to put together boxes of circuitry and whatnot.
>>585814 It's a Calico. You remember her name is Sally. You find her in Sam's room, where she's busy trying to paw at Three Stripe the Unicorn, standing above her on a table and looking mildly disturbed.
>>585816 This looks like a good time to do some patrol rounds. >>585814 >>585813 >>585812 "Hey, have we been to Sam's room lately? I wonder how his toys are doing."
>>585816 Well, those are probably floating around here somewhere in this mess. Or they haven't arrived yet. Still, it's good so far. >>585817 "I've yet to encounter this 'Sam', so it would be a first for me to be in there."
>>585816 >>585817 "I've never been. Perhaps it is time to rectify that… be right back." Teleport over to Sam's room, preferably into a dark corner where I won't be observed.
>>585819 "Would you like to go?" >>585820 "Yes. I think we should go..! Lady Raven?!" I panic when I see you vanish and fly out toward's sam's room '1d10'
>>585821 Play with you? Look like mouuusebig rat She pins you down and starts nibbling at you.
>>585820 You manage to teleport in safely, atop a shelf.
>>585823 Sam's room is a typical older teenage boy's room, with a nice small TV. In one corner is a TV complete with Playbox 420 Hardcore Gamer Kit, along with some Tabletop Adventures DVDs. Opposite is his wardrobe, bed, and amidst the journals on cybernetics are his toys. His old superhero toys aren't moving at all.
From his study desk, a Unicorn is flinching away from the cat.
>>585824 Heh… those kinks seem to finally have worked themselves out. Feels good to run at optimum performance again. Looks like that unicorn is having some trouble… use my Redundancy powercoils to teleport them up beside me. "Hey there. Having cat problems?"
>>585832 Gerald abandoned me on the table to go check out what was going on. But I can hoof it there now, if I ignore Eston's cat troubles. I suppose I'll make a detour to help out Eston with the cat.
>>585832 "The name's Raven. Sophie picked me up recently." >>585834 "Heh, of course I do. Same way we got up here. Got a particular destination in mind?"
>>585834 "Well, you haven't gotten fat on me have you?" I chuckle a bit. >>585830 "Well I never know what kind of trouble you'll get into off on your own."
>>585848 "Eh, that works too." Pretend to ignore the fact that he's nervous around me. Let my teleporter reset itself, then flash down to the rest of the group.
>>585850 There's a layer of books leading to the chair, which is right next to a small cabinet that leads up to the table. The place is prepared for toys to navigate.
>>585851 "Thank you Gerald, I can always rely on you, yes…"
He readjusts himself as he leans against one of Sam's thicker textbooks, then goes back to standing guard around the computer switch.
>>585856 "And we can count on you too. I assume. How has Sam been holding up?" >>585857 >>585855 Give you a kind smile. "Most creatures don't like to be where they can't escape from. "
>>585860 "I… can't say that I understand. I've never been in a position I can't escape from before…" >>585862 "Checking up on you, introducing ourselves, making sure you have all been junked by assassins… by the way, sorry about earlier. Didn't know you had a fear of heights." >>585859 Arc an eyebrow. "That's a… surprising display of agility, Eston."
>>585866 "I was build specifically so my magic couldn't be disabled. I could either lift the jar with telekinesis, shatter it with my EMP-blaster, or teleport out of it. Failing that, I could just tip it over." >>585869 Smirk at him. "If I couldn't, I'd be ready to get scrapped. If you say it's a secret, then it stays between you and me." >>585868 "I see. Good to know."
>>585870 "You met her already, Marla. I think she's cute and I've been working to find a way to impress her. Figured I can't let her outrun me is a good place to start."
>>585871 "I was built to get in and out of any situation. The only times I have been in a situation I could not escape is when my systems had been reduced to non-functionality. For me, being trapped and being Slagged are one and the same." >>585872 Smile widely at this. "Well, you're doing great. You'll sweep her off her hooves in no time with moves like that."
>>585875 "Maybe I can help…" Try to use TK to help him gather some of the pens and papers up. '1d10' >>585876 "Tell you what, next time you try, I'll make sure you get some uninterrupted time together, okay?"
>>585877 Before Three Stripe can stop you, you move the mouse and reveal what he has on his web browser. It's open to a page on cybernetics and their application in human implants, and down at the taskbar are some word documents. On his browser tabs are more references and research papers, some video game news websites, and a "FurRPnet" tab.
>>585879 "Those video game sites and that… FurRPnet thing can't possibly be related to the cybernetics research." I'll cock my head quizzically. What even is this FurRPnet thing anyway? Move the mouse and click on the tab.
>>585880 "Of course. Working together, we'll make this work!" >>585881 "All right, all right… Hey, what's so interesting about what Sam's doing on his computer?"
>>585884 …what sort of deviance is this. I'll simply turn around, and leave the table without a word. I've seen a lot of weird things in my time, but… ugh.
>>585884 >>585882 "We should probably leave him alone now." >>585874 I just sigh heavily. "Its okay. Maybe it is simply the burden of a good story teller to know how others feel."
>>585886 "There is nothing for us here." Make a mental note that if the commander ever ends up on such a site, I will shut down the computer. Hard. >>585888 I think I've had enough bedrooms for now. Let's head downstairs.
>>585887 "It is just… like trying to put yourself in a position where your energy reserves are at zero percent. If you ever reach that point, you will no longer be capable of realizing it. It's integral to how I was built." >>585884 "…That page looked strangely familiar…" Anyway, down the stairs we go!
>>585889 >>585890 >>585891 >>585892 The stairs head down to the entryway. In front of you is a door to another corridor that leads to the kitchen, dining are and garage, and another to your right is the front door. If you turn behind you, next to the stairs is a door to the living room.
>>585897 Sally passes through and meows at Gerald. Hello birdcat my good ally
>>585894 Sally meows at you as you pass by her. Unfortunately, there aren't any snacks right now, you recall that Sophie's mother will go grocery shopping later. For now all there is is Sam's stash of Mountain Dewritos, a revolutionary drink with residues that solidify into snacks in a person's mouth. Rank up and frag with Dewritos!
>>585896 You scan through, but the reinforced nature of the door hinders you a little.
>>585897 Most taken care of by Sally, and occasionally with Gerald's help. Couple of ants about, though.
>>585898 Wave at the kitty. "Humans have such strange food. I suppose Lady Sophie will have to wait." >>585899 "Must be because I gave her a mouse once or twice. Wasn't that your advice Eston?" I laugh a bit
>>585904 "Well, we all have stories to tell, don't we?" >>585905 Out on the counter where they'll see it. Once it's there, I'll teleport and then use my redundancy coils to teleport all the way back into Sophie's room.
>>585906 >>585907 >>585908 "Careful with that box!" "…yeah! I can't wait to play Tabletop Online!" "Remember, I'm going to install gee-too, so you don't need to worry about proprietary software!"
As you all quickly get back to your stations, you see the gang come in, holding different-sized boxes.
As Raven reels back on the stair and Gerald hangs around to watch the incoming children, the rest of you wait up the stairs and in Sophie's room. Those above can hear them carrying large boxes in, talking about some topics like 'online' 'guilds' 'pay to win' and 'Loonix'.
>>590438 Your plant tumbles over as you hit it with the side of your body. Now something's amiss.
The kids make it into Sophie's bedroom large boxes now clearly labelled as computer parts.
"Hello guys! If you'd help us sort out the screws when we get this open, after Tam installs her Loonix thing–"
Tam looks like she's seen a ghost.
"Sophie, I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you’re referring to as Loonix, is in fact, GOAT/Loonix, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GOAT plus Loonix. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GOAT system made useful by the GOAT corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX…."
>>590440 The gang get busy unpacking the boxes, the other toys carefully sorting out the screws.
"Tabletop Online! A full multiplayer epic next gen MMORPG And we use toys like you to explore the world inside! And sicne we have a lot of toys we can skip all the Dewritoes paywalls too!"
>>590442 "Yeah! Tam said it's better if we build it, and I like building things, so…"
>>590443 "I also have some history building computers… though it has certainly been a while, so the hardware has likely upgraded…" How relevant is my past knowledge in helping to assemble the computer in a timely manner? '1d10'
>>590443 I rub my head with a claw. "My apologizes young lord and ladies.. Would this be similar to the haunted house game I played during the camping trip?"
>>590444 You remember your old owner being a OSY user. All this stuff looks complicated.
>>590445 "Uh… kinda? It's like VR, but you're in a safe child-friendly HasBEEN-approved world of adventure! I don't think user worlds come out for a while."
Tam thumbs her copy of SUPER BUNNY ADVENTURES RPG FOR AGES 3 AND BELOW eagerly.
>>590448 Marla is Muffles' goat toy She blinks. "Oh, right."
They're working together to sort out the cables and plug things in now. Sophie's and Jasper's hands work fast, directed by Tam. Muffles is busy reading the one-sheet manual that came with the disc.
>>590447 Nod approvingly. "So what kind of adventure will be going to? One like switch's homeworld with indians and rodeo ponies? A proper world like mine with heroic knights and mages and dragons? Perhaps a place set in the stars where the HasBeen Metaformers live?" '1d10' try to see if Tam actually wants to play this.
>>590451 >10 She does, eagerly. But she's more interested in the modding scene so with custom world she can fill them with puppykitty bunnies. Everyone here's excited for the game, really.
>>590452 You get pushed away by the PC's opening disk tray.
Tam puts in a disc she clearly burned herself. The screen now reads
ERROR ERROR FREE SOFTWARE DETECTED
>>590453 Tam shakes her head. "Eh, whatever Raven, help me out, would you?"
She sticks a cable into you somewhere behind your neck, then plugs the other end into the PC.
>>590459 "That's all. Just thought it'd be useful to see if you could do it too."
A girlmodel Pegasus toy waves at you. She is Tam's toy, Taura.
The OS installation process goes smoothly, as does installation of everything else and the game. Sophie eagerly gets a few cables, looking at all of you expectantly.
>>590462 "Well, it's not exactly like I can fly, but maybe during the game. I'm sure separating her from Muffles otherwise might not lead her to liking me."
>>590466 Hesitate. "I would really feel more comfortable if you told me what kind of game this was. I'm sure you understand Lady Sophie, its not that I don't trust your judgement. I simply deem it unwise to go into a virtual game without knowing this."
>>590466 "…How so? You appear to be in very good condition, so you must have been bought recently." Wince as the plug gets pulled. "A little warning next time? That stung."
>>590471 Sigh. "You know I still feel going in with a lack of information is a bad example." come up to sophie's hand and bow, allowing her access to my ports.
>>590474 She scratches you as she puts in the wire.
Your visions blur and fizzes in and out a bit as your connections are established, but soon your senses are entirely within the game itself. You see a large plain with a myriad of tents, and some beginner adventurer equipment inside. An unfamiliar human is here, standing still.
>>590476 You see the human suddenly begin to contort and shapeshift wildly. It slowly settles as a female dressed with light armour, a lot of tools and a crossbow.
>>590477 You see your name fill up the field, but it gets erased away and SoSoPhiePhie gets typed in.
>>590478 It's erased away and SoSoPhiePhie is typed in again.
"My name, silly!"
Looks like she's speaking into a mic, which is why you can hear her.
>>590481 You're pretty much how you are now, but more new-looking. You feel an urge to report that your appearance can be made more fabulous with HasBEEN points, now being offered at a special deal with 1000 points for only $9.95. Roll if you want to resist.
>>590480 >>590482 Ignoring you, she happily steps out into the virtual world otuside. You follow her through the script.
>>590487 With Sophie now geared up, it's time to start heading out on your virtual adventure.
You seem to be in the beginning town, and there is a questgiver with a big exclamation mark above their head. Of course, you're free to ignore and look for good stuff outside and about.
>>594141 >>594142 "Hello there, PLAYERNAMEHERE! You must help me! I need 10 bow strings and they can only be found on monsters in the newbie woods! Will you help me, PLAYERNAMEHERE?"
Switch: Sam has owned this game for a while, and you've spent time just playing about when you are Three Stripe are done helping him with his room and work. You're logged on and notice a new user logging on, some SoSoPhiePhie newbie.
>>594144 Huh. You manage to briefly unlock a nice dress before it vanishes.
Thank you for preview, but you must first add HasBEEN points! Now you can earn them for every 10 hours of playing!
>>594145 … Screw these fancy graphics, not even Petpone manages to tick me off like this within the first five minutes. And that game was glitched to the point of being unplayable! Bah, start looking around conventionally for any items just… laying around. Smash some crates and see what I get. [1d10]
>>594146 >>594148 >>594149 HALT! HALT! HALT! HALT! HALT! HALT! Before anything continues, a swarm of guardsgryphons surround you.
"You are accused of destruction of property! How do you plead?"
>>594145 Looking at the avatar and her surrounding toys, it looks like she's Sam's sister, the master you served for a while before moving off. They appear to be in a spot of trouble, surrounded by guards.
>>594150 >>594154 Oh, I know how to handle these guys. I've been playing for a while.
Go up and tell them, "Guard, two streets over there was a pony pushing objects slightly out of the line of sight of shopkeepers and picking them up while hidden! He must pay with his blood!"
>>594166 "My apologies, but remember your privilege may only be used once until you pay for more uses."
You are released.
>>594164 >>594165 >>594158 All of you are bound and escorted to a large complex behind town, while the diamond dog is left behind. There you're dumped into a cell.
It looks like this is the sort of prison where the cells are left open for prisoners to do things to one another. You see other players here along with their toys. Some aren't doing anything. In the wall you see an option to "PAY FINE FOR FAST RELEASE"
>>594167 I could go to the leadership in the town… but it would probably be faster to just get Sam to come into the game and find Sophie so he can player.setcrimegold 0.
>>594170 "What? How was I supposed to know I'd get in trouble for breaking crates? That's how you get stuff in games!" >>594171 "Yes we are. That's the point of the quest."
>>594171 "Come now, this is a game. It is all part of the act! Besides, could you really leave Sophie and her potential friends just stay in here when they could be out there slaying terrible monsters?"
>>594170 Too late for that. Besides, as a newbie's toy you're not all that threatening.
>>594169 "BUY GOLD CHEAP @ WENBAOJIN.CN" "/macro give money pls /loop" "login at official website Hasbrotoys.ru for free points очень дешевый и безопасный"
>>594172 He's at work. Actually, with your skills, want to stage a breakout?
>>594171 "Then, um… you want me to get mom's credit card, Gerald?"
>>594175 Hm. Well, these dungeons are always designed with some convenient sewer just for rogues to escape out of. I'll have to go look around the outside of town for where the sewer lets out.
>>594181 bad… b-bad luck, it's just…. just bad luck, is all. I-it could happen to any toy… I can't be malfunctioning… not so soon… And I'll slag any toy who tries to say otherwise! Magic bolt the first Big Guy. '1d10+2' "You picked a bad day to mess with me, scrap-heaps!"
>>594182 There aren't any. Mass demand got them removed. A tunnel full of dead bodies lies in front of you. There's are some nice valuables on them. Wonder what happened.
>>594183 Finally! You manage to score a well-placed hit, knocking him over.
>>594184 >>594185 Big Guy 2 rushes towards you two, but Sophie manages to shoot a bolt at him.
>>594187 You barely manage to hit him, but he also uses his mass to slam you under him.
>>594188 You only manage to lift him over you, before you get pinned under. Don't drop anything in prison.
>>594189 The first big guy is rather effeminate, and his face distracts you while his hoof knocks into your face.
Big Guy 1: 4/7 Big Guy 2: 6/7
Eston: 4/5 Gerald: 5/6 Raven: 4/5
>>594190 Ooh, you notice that there should be a large bunch of incredibly dangerous traps around here that have killed many a high-level player who didn't want to pay the fine. Fortunately, they only trigger when someone is at the entrance point of the sewer, from the jail.
>>594192 A weird red diamond amulet,a crown, and a nice pair of robes, along with a really cool-looking crossbow. You estimate that if sold, the value would be just enough to cover Sophie's fine.
The least dangerous trap is an axe blade hidden above. You manage to jam it. Beware, failing to disarm any of these traps would mean you lose the valuables you're holding.
>>594193 You TK him into something soft and squishy and cuddly instead, like yourself. You hear Muffles laughing in the background while Sophie sounds confused.
>>594194 A rat pops out from a sack. It looks scared and ready to run at any second.
>>594195 If only the sword Sophie made for you were available in-game. You deliver a beautiful cut.
>>594196 glitches… too many glitches… I can't keep messing up like this… >>594198 "Thanks. Now let's scrap them!"
My subsystems might be unreliable, but my hooves work just fine. Beat Big Guy 1's face into the ground, then keep kicking him until he's nothing more than a pile of bit-files. '1d10'
>>594197 "Hello there! What do you want to sell?" The shop interface comes up. The value of the collected goods are… just a little less than what the fine is.
>>594198 >>594201 Raven manages to get up with Eston's help, and repays it by beating up the Guy about to hit Eston.
>>594200 You are truly a hunter to be feared .You show the ponies who is it that is destined to rule over them.
Guardian failed, you did not roll for it
>>594202 The rat hesitates, but then bites a bit of Guy 1.
>>594203 "Embrace Eternity, casual!" Pick up Big Guy 1 with TK and keep him suspended in the air, before slamming him back down on top of his friend. '1d10'
>>594205 >crits on 8+ >10 You are brutal. As he goes down, you smack him in the face twice again for good measure. His model even briefly glitches out.
You hear Tam muttering something in the background. You almost swear you saw the address of some webpage in the moment he got hit.
>>594206 You feel your heroism coming in. Your friends are under your protection now. None of them shall know failure.
>>594207 You get pinned again. Muffles is laughing even harder through the mic. Joe asks what's so funny, but she refuses to explain further.
>>594211 Check Mercantile… or a week ago, you would have. Instead a credit card interface comes up.
Behind, a boy player and his large, big stallion comes up to you. "Hey there~, trying to make money?"
>>594212 +2 Mister Rodent suddenly sprouts a massive set of fangs and chomps down on the first Big Guy. Unfortunately you trip over them and all. Roll to endure, then your action if you keep standing.
>>594221 Teleport away and get my bearings. Servos aren't running as well as they should… TK Projectors keep acting up… …I'll process that later. For now… just try not to overheat.
>>594222 With your falling, the party's protection ends. Images of a world doomed flash about your eyes as you hear/imagine the concerned voices of your friends begging you to go on.
>>594223 You escape from the fight, and will not be targeted till you return. At least you're safe in your cell… But is Sophie safe?
>>594224 A projection of venus manages to appear alongside you, though she appears an ordinary plant. She attacks too. Rodent, however, fails in resolve and cowers.
Big Guy 1: 5/2 Big Guy 2: Helpless/2
Eston: 1/5 Gerald: Helpless/6 Raven: 1/5 (Away)
>>594225 Among the highly-equipped players moving back and forth, you notice a few people standing still.
"LOOP BEST GOLD TO BUY BEST FARMERS @ FREEGOLD.ZM" "offering 500 gold for diamond dog to pose with my pony for my art" "SECURE ACCOUNT NOW GO TO www.hasbro.br"
>>594226 Tap on my EMP-ray emitter. It seems to still be working fine… I'll try to give covering fire from back here. I'm not useless… not yet… Magic bolt '1d10+2'
>>594228 Good job, he's AFK. You shank him without trouble Some players who see you applaud. No one really likes these guys.
You get.. 49 gold. You need 51 more.
>>594229 You punch Big Guy 2 and he withers away. He glitch again, and you somehow can see a hole in space where his model was. You swear that icon there is from Sophie's desktop.
Venus fails to wrap around anything.
>>594230 Of course it's nothing to you. Heroes never fail.
>>594231 DC raised if recovering from outside combat You barely manage to hit the remaining guy.
>>594232 "Fine. Incoming!" biotic charge use TK to propel myself with as I charge in and headbutt the last guy. I can handle one last push. I have to… '1d10'
>>594243 >>594244 >>594246 >>594247 You all manage to slam the guard before he gets up, and he stays down, dropping a nice amount of loot.
A window pops up in your vision, saying that your fine has been paid, citizen, and you will be momentarily escorted out.
>>594245 Well, that was simple. Some people like to try breaking into prison to deliver the gold to their friends to pay their fine, not realising they can do it from the front of jail.
The game world briefly disappears, and you see Sophie's desktop before it comes back. You hear Tam remark something about security vulnerabilities giving access to outside the client, if you udnerstand that.
You see a familliar face. Switch, a diamond Dog toy that used to spend a lot of time with you before she went to stay with Sam
>>594250 Sophie happily shakes your pay as she loads into your space. You can't really enjoy it, though, as Three Stripe is bugging you to let him play.