Database for CYOA-type forum games

[Nevill]

So many CYOAs. So many brillian ideas. So little time to read them all.

However, I have found a quest that I simply can't not share.

Your name is Sakura Kokoro. Yes, really. And your goal in life is not to become an anime character. Which is made all the harder by the fact that the Universe gets very creative in trying to turn you into one. Mysterious tranfer students arrive to your school weekly, strange creatures offer you contracts on suspiciously generous terms, and sometimes you find mechas parked around without any security protocols to prevent theft. It is as if there is some grand conspiracy centering around you!

But you will not be deterred. You will have your normal and boring life, the Universe be damned! Hopefully, it loses interest in you once you reach your 16th birthday. They say the older the character, the less anime protagonist potential they have...

Intro

I was born Sakura Kokoro on the 25th of December, 1998, with pink hair. The universe has been after me ever since.

When I was six, my memory still developing, my mother left us in tears. She said it would further my character development. My father offered to hire some abusive grandparents, but I declined.

The childhood friends I made when I was 10 all mysteriously moved away. One I believe went to France.

When I was 13, a sword threw itself up out of a lake. I handed it in to Lost and Found.

I am now 15. I have thus far avoided three claims of secret legacies, two mysterious amulets that fell out of the sky, four foreign princes seeking my hand in marriage and 17 small, sentient furry animals that are capable of human communication. I have, thus far, succeeded in preserving my ordinary life.

In ten weeks, I will be turning 16. For the defence of my ordinary life, I must be ready.

It is one quest where you have to actively struggle to avoid plot development and make sure that nothing out of the ordinary happens... or that at least it doesn't have any far reaching consequences. I find the idea wonderfully novel.

No Matter What Happens, I Still Won't Become An Anime Character, For Real This Time

It was re-launched due to many problems with the original quest, and nearly died for 4 months, but it seems to have been resurrected recently, which is how it came to my attention. It even has a dedicated TV Tropes page!

Snippet

I examine the mecha critically from the cover of a convenient hedge, trying to ignore the inconvenient woodland creatures it has sprouted in its defence attempting psychological warfare with an acapella birdsong rendition of La Marseillaise ten centimetres from my ear.

It's a very standard JSSDF Mecha all told, one of their 'hero' types painted in white-and-blue, with golden trims around a blocky head and a bulky armoured chest currently left wide open per standard security protocol (what if there was a threat like a rogue stolen mecha that the pilot needed to respond to very quickly?). A two-seater, with seating sized either for teenages or particularly unfortunate short people. I already know where this is going. It's big, it's obvious and it's even parked such that the sun cresting over the horizon alights the back of its head in a golden halo. Stardom has never really done the sun any good; it's just turned it to melodrama and playing coy with clouds.

I peer across the hedge carefully, swatting aside a blue songbird trying to screech about freedom into my ear. The street is empty. No pilot, no guards, no cameras. Obviously if I were actually to climb into it it would count me as immediately recruited into the JSSDF as per standard policy – which is why I'm not going to do that – it does look I can just walk straight past it into school...

...I walk right past it and straight into school, studiously ignoring the very obvious green flash of it's optical sensors. Sigh. It tries to flash them again when it thinks I haven't noticed and I surreptitiously throw the last belligerent hamster still desperately trying to rally as it waves a leaf stabbed through a stick for a battle-flag and valiantly nibbles my shirt cuff. Vive la Gorsebushes; maybe it can pilot it instead.

Despite the events of last week, the school grounds are impressively intact, with only the occasional tasteful crater and upturned Ford Model T – only allowed to smoulder impressively so as not to risk fire safety violations – left behind by the reconstruction crews that inevitably swarm here during the weekends when no-one's watching. They haven't even left caterpillar tracks in the grass this time; my compliments to the foreman.

I wander through pristine halls, with pristine walls and pristine doors. It's as if the whole place is brand new... because it is. Even the layout has remained the same; I find the right classroom without any difficulties at all.

...I stop, and listen against the crack of the half-opened bulkhead door. No sounds of introductions yet. Can't glimpse anyone new. Push it open a squeaking crack more. Still no-one new. Push it open fully...

I jam the hat over my head quickly and start counting. Maths.

No new faces, but there's one more seat than there needs to be. Rats. I take quick stock; my customary seat is still free, as is the one next to it... and the one directly in front of it. Every other is taken. The Class Representative sits at the front, watching. Rats rats rats...

I'm still counting. There's a hat on my head after all.

Okay Sakura, time to think. If a classroom has zero teachers and twenty students, but twenty-one seats, how many apples do Jack and Jill go up the hill to- wait, no-

A hand claps my shoulder.

I shriek, kick out, and abruptly the world turns sideways as I meet the floor with a hard slap and a tangle of limbs. My hat flies away, to freedom or wherever it is hats go.

“-Ow.” Kumiko groans, rolling onto her back and resetting her eyepatch. “Geez.” Blinks at me. “Wait, Sakura?”

...42 seconds; I stop counting. Oh well, the anonymity was nice while it lasted.

I glare. Kumiko puts her hands up in surrender, sheepishly.

“S-Sorry, you were blocking the door, didn't realise...”

“Ahem.”

A soft voice clears its throat, and we both look up, then turn slightly cross-eyed. I'm the one to blink away first, the face already sliding from my memory. Looks like the Faculty had to pull in the reserve Teachers...

Generic-Sensei coughs again. “Ahem.”

I stumble, pulling Kumiko upright and bowing politely. “Sorry, we'll be on our way.”

I make for the door, only for Kumiko to stop me. “-Wait!” Stuffs something fluffy in my hands. “You forgot your hat!”

...I blink it dumbly, turning it over. I've never had one come back before, what is this strange and novel experience...

“Ahem.”

“Right, sorry! We'll just be-”

Someone in a white uniform is standing behind them. There's a glimpse of blue hair and holographic HUD menus.

“Sensei?” A boy-ish voice politely inquires. “Is there a-”

I throw Kumiko through the doorway and slam it behind me. The Class Representative warbles in disapproval, but there isn't time-

[ ] Jump out the window.
- [ ] Run away and hide in the mecha. They'll never look for you there.
[ ] Hide!
- [ ] Under your desk.
- [ ] In the ceiling.
- [ ] Behind Kumiko.
- [ ] Behind the Class Representative.
- [ ] Behind the Mecha Student.
[ ] Perform emergency seat reshuffling procedures.
[ ] Ambush them with the cleaning bucket and duct tape. See how they like it.
[ ] Pepper Spray (20 uses remain)
[ ] “Kumiko! Kneecaps!”
[ ] Ignorance Is Power! Chat with someone else so you miss the Mecha Student's intro.
[ ] Sit down, stay calm and focus on your school work.

Complete with hat-thin disguise!

Snippets from DISCUSS:

Spoiler

(NMWHISWBAAC: the only Quest where you can have an option for 'Nothing' on 'What did you learn from all this' and people will actually vote for it)

Spoiler

- You know what has never happened in any anime ever? The main character telling someone to kneecap a new student on sight. And it would basically guarantee that the new student wouldn't be able to go recruiting.

- Not even that uncommon either. It sets us up for a typical delinquent storyline. We're the guardian of the school, and Kimiko is our henchwoman. The new transfer student that we try to put in his place, only for him to be too strong and cool for it. Thus first Kimiko and then we ourslef fall in love with him.

We then team up and use his mecha with our delinquent skills (ie hurting people) to save the world.

Typical anime plot.

Spoiler

By the same token, the fact that the hat came back makes me suspicious of it. Before it was a way to hide for a few seconds; now it smells more to me like a plot hook, a way to keep Sakura's hair hidden until it suddenly becomes "narratively interesting" to uncover it at a dramatic moment.

When the hat is suspected to be Shulgi, you know this is something else!

 

[lightbane]

It's good to see that community has pretty much a little of everything, but, have you managed to kidnap convince someone to come here to our prestigious forum? That was one of the original objectives IIRC, no?

In any case, while the quests understandably update quite slowly, I found yet another one that seems good enough to pass the time with:
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/possession-quest-no-sv-you-are-the-zombie.19531/

It's a zombie CYOA ...BUT, you are the zombie!

Intro:

Spoiler

Prometheus Corporation, Internal Report: #T47-661
Security Clearance: Gamma

Project Lazarus: Status Report XX/XX/20XX

Dr [RETRACTED], filling in for Dr [RETRACTED]. It has been roughly three hours since the resolution of the security breach involving former Prometheus employee Dr [RETRACTED]. Personnel number: [RETRACTED]. For further details please see Incident Report: 19D-252-M.

Whilst I could go on at length regarding the utter incompetence displayed by the companies so called "Security Personnel", both in the lead up to the incident and during it's resolution. I will be saving that for the scathing report I intend to file with corporate. I'm sure Director [RETRACTED] will be very interested in hearing my thoughts on the matter.

On the bright side, the acquisition of addition Specimens is always of great value to our research. And I would hope that the repeated requests for such Specimens does not falling on deaf ears.

In any case, Specimens 7-09, 7-10, 7-11, 7-12, 7-13 and 7-14 arrived on site at precisely 0230 hours. Specimen 7-09 had unsurprisingly reached Stage 2 by the time they arrived. Specimens 7-10 through 7-14 entered Stage 1 whilst in transit, approximately 40 minutes after initial exposure to Substance Lazarus. Consistent with all prior instances of exposure to Strain 7.

Cleaners have been sent out to gather any relevant data regarding the Specimens background or medical histories. As well as insuring that their sudden disappearances will not draw undue attention.

All new Specimens are currently being held in the main holding area.

Preliminary testing shows Specimens 7-09 through 7-13 are progressing as expected.

Specimen 7-14 however...

[ ] Slowed Degeneration (+BODY)
...shows far less necroses then any other Specimens. Though degeneration has certainly occurred and is continuing to occur, it appears to be occurring at a greatly reduced rate. Time will tell if further degeneration eventual catches up with fellow Specimens, or if this Specimen will remain in Stage 1 for far longer then previous Specimens. If so, this may be the breakthrough we've been waiting for.

[ ] Muted Aggression (IND)
...has been more docile then I've ever seen a Specimen, especially a Stage 1. Though perhaps docile isn't the correct word. Corporal [RETRACTED] can attest to the Specimens aggression. (See Incident Report 27R-121-B). I've just never seen a Specimen allow someone to get so close before responding. Almost like it was waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. Further testing required.

[ ] Specimen Mimicry (+HORDE)
...has had a peculiar effect on nearby Specimens. Specimens placed in close proximity to Specimen 7-14 seem to mimic it actions. Posture, position within its holding cell, they'll even ignore passing guards to focus on the ones closest to 7-14. The unsettling part is that the this behavior occurs even when Specimens cannot see one anther, and only when Specimen 7-14 is involved. Further testing is certainly need to confirm this, but I believe we may need to begin rethinking Dr [RETRACTED]s theories.

 

[TOME]

I have only read Gardens of Enoch -quest, but so far I'm not liking that forum. The text itself is enjoyable, but the rules are too ambiguous for that many people to be playing over in a forum. And there is something in the discuss that rubs me the wrong way, something I never had here in Codex.

 

[Nevill]

It's good to see that community has pretty much a little of everything, but, have you managed to kidnap convince someone to come here to our prestigious forum? That was one of the original objectives IIRC, no?

I am not an advertisement plant. The idea was to let people know about all these games and forums I never knew existed.

If it comes up at some point - sure, why not?

I have only read Gardens of Enoch -quest, but so far I'm not liking that forum. The text itself is enjoyable, but the rules are too ambiguous for that many people to be playing over in a forum.

...there are rules? Do you mean the forum rules, or that particular quest? Most of the forum ones come down to "don't be an asshole" and "don't argue with mods".

And there is something in the discuss that rubs me the wrong way, something I never had here in Codex.

What is it? I usually don't have time to read the discuss, especially in the Enoch quest that keeps growing by 5+ pages daily.

Must depend on the players, I guess. The only DISCUSS I've been actively tracking so far is in 2 Tolkien-verse quest (not listed in the OP, though it may change once we get out of chargen) and in 2 Novus Ordo Mundi ones. The exchanges are insightful, and people are generally pleasant.

Most, though, just cast their votes and move on, not unlike here. I guess that's the price you pay for having too many CYOAs - you don't have time to comment on anything in particular.

 

[TOME]

...there are rules? Do you mean the forum rules, or that particular quest?

Game mechanics is what I meant. At one point it was stated that there are 3 stats, namely MIND, WILL, CON. 5 pages later there suddenly is DEX and STR. Once someone made a character proposition with stats and skills, something called Effect potential came up and suddenly it was the most important thing to put EXP into. It's like if a consensus is close then someone adds new rules just to get another 20pages of discuss. And that is actually rewarded! The QM gives EXP to the character per written word/picture/analysis etc.

I did skim the content pretty quickly so maybe I just missed something. But nevertheless it left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Inf0mercial]

Yeah some authors tend to reward participation wayyy to much to the point that characters in story do way to much shit because of omakes galore.

Kind of annoys me because it just makes people spam omakes and then want "rewards" i would recommend any person thinking of running a quest to just have a no reward system, stops a lot of drama.

There was one ill thought out quest of rihakus where character generation became so long because he rewarded participation with char gen XP to buy skills so people pulled other randoms into the thread got them to comment purely for participation xp so they could munchiken character gen really, turned me off the quest, it was the super villain one iirc.

 

[lightbane]

By now I assume everyone who's minimally interested in CYOAs has found something to pass the time with, but, in case you don't have enough, I found another CYOA which seems to have potential (and the writer is fast at posting, at least for the prologue):

Gooing through the motions (original)
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/gooing-through-the-motions-original.25638/

Description: You're the proverbial "grey goo", lost in space. Once, you had your mission, your objectives, your purpose... Unfortunately, that was a long time ago. Memory decay has destroyed nearly all of your memories and you don't know much about yourself anymore. Worse, you have been drifting alone in space for a long, long time. But fortune has smiled upon you. Suddenly, you bump into what will be your way to salvation: a small asteroid, which you quickly consume to modify your body shape. What will you do now?

-----------
By the way, Nevill, the webpage link for the Clarketech Killbot Quest doesn't work. You should update it to this one: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.c...rketech-killbot-multicross-world-1-nge.21728/

 

[Nevill]

This quest is small and does not require a lot of reading to get into. But it is illustrated, and it's a pretty sight. Uh, if blood and viscera is your kind of pretty.

This will be a short illustrated quest where you play as a soldier in the middle of a full-scale rout of your forces.
It's inspired by The Black Company and Darkest Dungeon, and it's run with the *World rules used for Apocalypse World / Dungeon World.

The quest will end when your character survives the night or is killed.

RETREAT: a dirt-low fantasy tale of fear and survival by Bromeliad

Introductory post:

Spoiler

So goes the cry.

It rolls across the blood-choked battlefield. Where it touches men's ears it catches, like contagion.

The cry reaches the Footsoldier in the lull between the charges. He couches his spear and shakes his head in disgust.
His mood, already fouled to putridity, curdles with the sound.

The princeling pup tucks his tail between his legs once again, and it is left to men of experience, with ribbons of steel reinforcing their hearts, to piece the shattered army back together.
The Footsoldier is such a man, and he has experienced the panicked turbidity of the rout a dozen times or more.
He survived those bloody days in place of hundreds of better men. By hook, by crook, and by halberd, he will see this one through same as those.

The Footsoldier has 12 Hit Points.
His damage die is a d10.
He is a frightening man, and a veteran. His years of soldiering have made him a talented liar.

The cry reaches the longbowman high on the pavise-bristled hill, as his arrows incubate disease, broadhead down in the churning muck.

He doesn't think of armies or princes or boldness.
He thinks only of home. His traps have been left to rust and his lands lay unplowed while he fights in this Stranger's war for stranger kings.
In the imbrued harvest to be reaped in the killing field, there is planted a seed of hope for the Longbowman. His lord took a lance to the gut an hour ago. This chaos might be just the opportunity he requires to leave the war behind him and return home.

The longbowman has 8 hit points.
His damage die is a d8.
He is a trapper and a man of the land. He has a keen instinct for the wild and survival.

The cry reaches the Mercenary and shakes her from the gory haze of frontline frenzy. She yanks her blade from the visor of her opponent and is showered by a gush of claret.

She becomes aware of the torn and ruined corpses the brawl has made of her friends. Her heart is clutched with an icy panic. The Black Key Bannermen do not lose. This must be some kind of nightmare, an incubus tribulation sent to humble her the night before the fray.
But the weight of her full plate on her shoulders and the fading grip of her desperately dying comrades' fingers as she tries to pull them from the rust red mire are chilling tocsins to her death-deceived brain. This is real.
Other soldiers, especially those of wealth, may surrender themselves and hope for clement treatment in exchange for a ransom or restitution from home.
The Mercenary has no such illusions. Even the villager women will be imperiled behind locked doors and shaking husbands' pitchforks tonight. She is cognizant of the unfathomably loathsome things the victory-drunk enemy will do to a female whose sword is stained with their brothers' blood.

The Mercenary has 10 hit points.
Her damage die is a d12.
She is a consummate warrior. She is the best fighter of the three.

Who will you control?
[] The Footsoldier
[] The Longbowman
[] The Mercenary

The quest follows The Footsoldier as he leads his men away in place of his captain who had bolted first.

 

[Nevill]

It totally doesn't have anything to do with a 'stout spearman', 'agile bowman', or a 'strong swordsman' archetypes, but with gender politics.

Never mind that she is the only one of the three portrayed to be decked in a full plate.

I wonder if biology prevents women from wearing one...

 

[Nevill]

It's eye-rollingly funny, and worthy of pointing out, that the author tries to create an atmosphere of gritty realism and then flops to the absurdity of a woman fighting in melee in 40 kgs of metal.

Precicely what I was hinting at.

aren't you slightly tired of women always being portrayed as stronger than men in all modern media?

It's one woman. She is not a part of the regular army (you won't notice women serving in the army as something that is convetional for that era, I wonder why that is), but of the elite mercenary squad instead. Maybe it has something to do with not having enough of her kind to fill the ranks of the regulars.

It is not subject to debate. It is not subject to snark and sarcasm.

There is no debate. You are taking a single example, stretch it to make it sound like it's a rule, and make far-reaching conclusions, soundly defeating the non-existent opposition in the process.



It's alright, though. You can show on the dollie where the radical feminism and the modern media have touched you.

 

[lightbane]

AI Quest (Evangelion) has been completed, Nevill. The ending was a happy, if a boring one. Not a surprising outcome when you introduce someone with actual competence AND sanity in that kind of show.

However, I found two more Quests which people may consider worth reading.

1.
My Kingdom, Forgotten (Final Fantasy/Fire Emblem Awakening Quest)

https://forums.sufficientvelocity.c...al-fantasy-fire-emblem-awakening-quest.26089/

From the same writer who did the MGS Liberty Quest, comes a tale about a dying prince from a dead kingdom, whose population barely reaches two hundred and whose children are only 13 in number, half of which are ill. Sensing its weakness, everyone attacks said region quite frequently, its protection only guaranteed thanks to the kingdom's spiritual guardian. Unfortunately, overuse of said power is slowly but surely killing the prince as he desperately tries to protect the people he cares for. However, just when the setting was about to reach a Drakengard! level of grimdark and bleakness, a man with a formidable strength only matched by his questionable choice of attire swore allegiance to said kingdom. Will things get better, or is doom and despair the only things that the future will bring?

Intro post for extra information:

Spoiler

How long have you protected your Kingdom from these invaders? You walked the corridors, the stained glass windows depicted the past of your kingdom, the past Kings and their accomplishments.

You wouldn't be able to live up to their legacy.

You walked down the long steps of your castle, the last bastion of your people. You were all they had left, and you wouldn't abandon them. You had yet to take the title of King, there wasn't a magistrate to help pass on the crystal's power anymore.

You were an incomplete ruler to a fallen kingdom.

Your mother had died when you were young, your father Regis had succumbed to an incurable disease. His death truly marked the fall of your kingdom.

All you could do for your people was protect them as you have.

You faced the horde of enemy soldiers that loitered the front of your kingdom. It was a different nation's army this day. They donned the colors and flag of Ylisse. Your father once told you they were a peaceful kingdom that often only went to war to protect themselves.

Here they stood, waiting to rip your home away from you.

“Don't make me draw my blade.” your voice softly rang out towards the soldiers. “I can't promise you will walk away with your life.” you wished your warning never fell on deaf ears, but time and again they did.

Maybe being as softhearted as your were was the reason your kingdom fell to such a state.

“Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum! Forfeit your life and your people might be spared!” a knight clad in heavy armor shouted from within the crowd of soldiers. His armor shined with pristine, medals adorned his chest. His mighty horse neighed as it's hooves met the ground, he must be the general.

“I refuse.” you told him as the wind picked up around you. Tiny specks of blue light rose from the ground around you. “You've threatened my people, my kingdom, pray to the gods that your soul may find peace in the afterlife.” you said as the ground began to shake.

All that was heard were the screams and cries of soldiers on the soil of a crumbling kingdom.

-

You limped your way into the castle, you had to use more of the crystal's power than before, the enemies grew stronger and larger in number the more time passed.

Your kingdom not only held the power of the crystal, it was a strategic place that any foreign kingdom would be vying for. It seems killing off the armies that you have brought more attention to you. Everyone was gunning for Lucis, and you weren't sure if you were strong enough to stop the world.

“My lord!” you heard the shout of one of the guards. His name was Calvinus, one of the younger soldiers that recently took up arms. He place your arm over his shoulder as he helped you walk. “Why do you fight alone!? You shouldn't put so much stress on yourself, let the royal guard help protect our kingdom!” he pleaded to you, as many of the soldiers often did.

“You mustn’t...” you replied to him earnestly. “If I fall or an enemy slips by my sight, our people inside the castle must be protected at all cost.” it was what you've explained to every one of the royal guard at some point.

“But my prince, I've seen how much stress the crystal and guardian put on you. At this rate you'll only get yourself killed.” Calvinus stressed as you both walked down the corridor.

“Be that as it may, it's a small sacrifice for my people.” you told him. “I would die before I let anyone take this land away from us.” Calvinus fell silent as you both continued to walk. A large door to the side opened up.

“Prince Noctis, you are hurt again.” the voice of your butler, Albus greeted as he made his way over to you and Calvinus. Though he has served you family since your father was a young man, he still held the dark color in his hair that the people of Lucis were known for. It made him look younger than he was. His eyes met yours in disapproval, but he held his tongue as he always did.

You felt the green glow of magic wash over you, Albus had already begun to heal you like he always did. Your butler was probably the most skilled healer in your kingdom, even before the sorry state it fell in. “Albus, how is everyone?” you asked him.

Albus' forehead crinkled in frustration, before a sigh left his lips. “As well as any of us can be. The children are playing, the men and women are currently preparing dinner.” his palm stopped glowing as he rubbed his chin in thought. “You'll still be in pain, my prince. The crystal's strain is not something easily undone by magic.”

You grunted affirmatively “I know, Albus. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before.” you told him.

Albus rubbed his forehead “I know, and that is what worries me, my prince.” he stood up from his crouched position and met your glance. “Where will you be headed now?” he asked.

You decided to (pick one):

[ ] “I'll pay a visit to the children, I promised them a story tonight."

[ ] “I'll help with dinner, we have a lot of people to feed.”

[ ] “I have to check on the crystal, the guardian wished to speak with me.”

The kingdom of Lucis (pick one):

[ ] Laid far to the north, where winters were long and cold. The snow and ice was always beautiful, and the northern lights always shined upon the land. Your kingdom and crystal were home to the guardian Shiva. All your enemies crumbled to diamonds as they froze beneath her power.

[ ] Laid deep in the mountains, where the wind was wild and free. Your kingdom was a city of lights and festivities. Your kingdom and crystal were home to the mighty guardian Bahamut. He crushed any enemies that dared to take claim to his treasured land.

[ ] Laid near the sea, where the resources were plentiful and your people sang songs of the ocean. The mighty Yggdrasil tree covered the kingdom with it's beauty. Your kingdom and crystal were home the guardian Odin. His infinite wisdom and might eradicated any enemies that dared to lay eyes upon him.

Just like the MGS Quest, it's worth a look if only to read the funny tags.

----------------

2.
Decepticon Expedition Quest
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/decepticon-expedition-quest.7478/

Somewhat similar in style and gameplay to the Glory of the Machines! Quest, but with Decepticons, using an alternate universe based on general Transformers media. Naturally, annoying Autobots and meddling Earthlings are to be expected.

Intro post:

Spoiler

The Great War rages on. One thousand years ago, the Gladiator then known as Megatronus rebelled against the caste system enforced by the Cybertronian Senate. Many Cybertronians, dissatisfied by the Senate’s cruelty, greed and general corruption, rallied to his banner, starting the great Cybertronian Civil War. In honor of the newly named Decepticon’s first victory, Megatronus renamed himself Megatron, and swore to destroy every remanent of the Senate.

However, as the Senate fell from power, the brave inheritor of the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus Prime, created the Autobots from the remnants of their forces and brave civilians who refused to bow down to the Decepticons. Both sides would find themselves equally matched against each other, unable to claim ultimate victory.

In the end, it was Cybertron itself that forced the war to a temporary hiatus. For Cybertron had run out of energy. As the planet slowly deactivated the Autobots fled either into the planet’s depths where they would undertake a skilled guerrilla war against the Decepticons, who claimed victory by their dominance over the surface, or into outer space, away from the planet where they would find new sanctuaries and salvation from constant Decepticon attacks.

But Megatron was too wise to sit on his throne and let the Autobots build up power until they could make a triumphant return. Cybertron needed energy and raw materials to be repaired, and the blasted ruin the planet currently was was not what he had set out to rule. And so, the Decepticons sent out their own expeditions into the far reaches of the galaxy, to hunt down their enemies and to claim new sources of resources for the empire.

That was two hundred years ago. Now, both sides hunt each other through the cosmos. Now, the third wave of Decepticon expeditions are being sent out from Cybertron in search of glory and energon. And it is now that you have finally claimed the right to command your own task force, sent out to the newly discovered world the natives have named Planet Dirt. (Really, what is it with organics, unoriginality, and stupid names?)

But how did you claim command? From what roots did you come from? Shall we see?

[ ] You are a newbuilt, constructed during the war. You have never known peace.
[ ] You were once a low caste worker or warrior, just like Megatron. You eagerly joined his revolution in search for the freedom you desired.
[ ] You came from the middle castes, in position to see the cruelties of the system but not be able to do anything from it or take advantage of it. When you saw the chance for change, you took the chance with open hands.
[ ] Once you were of the highest castes, a member of one of the elite clades that made up the rulers of Cybertron. Your reasons for joining the rebellion are unknown to most…

Once you entered the Decepticon Army, you rose to power as a member of…

[ ] Decepticon Intelligence. You showed a certain native ability for sneakiness, back stabbing, dirty tricks, and bloody mindedness, as well as the ability to accurately analyze captured data, that lead to you entering the secretive ranks of Decepticon Intelligence.
[ ] Decepticon Support Command. You are, when it comes down to it, a builder or a healer, not a destroyer. Well, not directly a destroyer. After all, someone had to build the superweapons for High Command. Either way, you rose to fame just behind the front lines.
[ ] Decepticon Science Command. You happen to be a smart one. Smarter then all those fools only good for their big guns, at least. You are a Decepticon of Science, and you push the bleeding edge (Sometimes literally) further forwards every Megacycle.
[ ] The Decepticon Army. You are, when all is said and done, a soldier. You also happen to be quite good at being a soldier. Sure, you aren’t a medic or a builder or a scientist or a spy, but give you a gun in the hand, troops under your command, and an enemy to crush, and there is no one better.

And on a final note... What is your name?

[ ] Write In

 

[lightbane]

I know that I already posted several new CYOAs, but unfortunately, some of those I posted have been abandoned or delayed indefinitely, so I think it's time to mention others which I wish to share.

To start, Glory of the machines! was abandoned and continued by another writer. Nevill , would you kindly update the thread with the new link? https://forums.sufficientvelocity.c...s-empire-builder-thread-2.26265/#post-5354034

Next, there's this:

We aren't the Ethereals we swear!

This is a CYOA reminiscent of one the first ones posted here, in which you play in the XCOM setting... But as the aliens. Specifically, the Terror from the Tentaculats! Deep ones. These guys don't like the Ethereals as well, so perhaps some minor cooperation with the planet's natives will be necessary.

The OP's writing style is average, but so far he seems to be a person who finishes his works, so this shows promise.

Then, there are two more I wish to add. The first one has been finished, but it is worth a look:

1. The Last Knight

Once, you were one of the proud members of the Royal Knights, the servants of Lord Ygaddrasil and one of its finest knights to boot. However, when you fought the one you carelessly decided to spare so long ago, you committed a mistake. Against all odds, he won the duel and you lost your shield and your left arm as the result. Thanks to you, the Royal Knights showed weakness, moment in which the other factions took advantage to attack. Thanks to your failure, your reputation and all you knew was lost forever. Unable to admit the shame and guilt of your failure, you ran.

But that was centuries of years ago. Now you're only a shadow of your former life. A mercenary for hire. Without hope, or honour or purpose, thinking yourself lost forever. But, what can change the nature of a man? Can one be redeemed of his sins? Old and crippled, this once-knight must take up his armor again, for the world needs a Royal Knight, and if his former comrades refuse to fill the role, that leaves him alone. He may be old, wounded and worn, but he's sure as hell not out of this yet.


The writer may not be treave, but his style is quite good in my opinion. While it is set in a Digimon setting of his own creation, this Quest is standalone and can be read without problems. And yes, I said Digimon. That means you were tricked into considering to read a weaboo tale.




2. Loyalty's blade

Sixteen years after the dragons descended from the sky, and the World is still recovering. It is a time of chaos and war, as would-be gods and kings raise their armies to battle for their ultimate glory. However, it is also a time of hope. For three human children have been chosen, as has been done many times in ages of great chaos, and they now have the responsibility of putting an end to this destruction and forging new order. But it won't be easy; from would-be warlords to ancient gods, monsters from beyond the dawn of time, and maybe even one of their own. This is their tale. Your character also happens to be a Digimon partnered to a Digidestined child, by the way.

From the same writer as the previous quest, this one has started not too long. Its principal advantage is that the OP updates very fast, but if you don't like the setting, it won't do much good for you.

 

[Nevill]

Unfortunately, a lot of games fizzle out before really getting anywhere. The writer burnout rate is very high.

I have updated the thread and turned it into a proper database for games both from and outside the Codex.

Hmmm... maybe the reviews/descriptions could be expanded to our games as well. It's not like there is a lot of those.

 

[Nevill]

DA ORKZ ARE BACK! ORK KWEST IS BACK! REFINED MECHANICS! A NEW PLOT! BIGGER EXPLOSIONS! MORE DAKKA! MORE SHOUTING! THE RETURN OF LIL PANZEE! MORE DAKKA! GITZ IN SPACE! SHOUTING IN SPACE! MORE DAKKA...IN SPACE! EXPLOSIONS IN SPACE! DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKAAAAAAA!

Ork Kwest: In Search Of WAAAAAAGH!

Baltika9

 

[Inf0mercial]

Hunter world of darkness quest, these pop up occasionally then die a sad death when the maker realizes how hard it is to do a pen and paper game in a quest format and they die in char creation, but this one started on 7 of jan and last update was today so i figure its alive enough to recommend as its past char creation and like 30 updates in, although not that far in as char creation took like 20 turns, like i said char creation with world of darkness in a quest format is a bitch.

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hunter-the-vigil-deep-shadows-quest.371490/

I like the setting and the writing is good enough to elevate it a bit higher any world of darkness quests that live through char creation are nearly always worth it with one or two exceptions, case in point there is a changeling story on SB that when i read the char creation on the first turn made me feel so tired i lost all motivation for an hour. That's also dead now incidentally.

Intro

Spoiler

Most people can go their whole lives without experiencing anything paranormal, at least to their knowledge. The Age of Enlightenment has swept aside the dirt and dust of the supernatural, of mysticism, of occult paranoia where charlatans parlayed lies to the gullible. It replaced the old traditions with those of Science, of observation, experimentation, and the elevating of those observations and experiments that could be replicated. And so, mankind has begun to leave behind their roots in a world where everything was the acts of unimaginable forces and capricious gods. But, just because mankind wants to believe that all of those strange and supernatural things are gone, doesn't make it so. No, now we've all just bought into the collective delusion.

Your hunting buddy that gets his throat ripped out by a giant wolf man on that hunting trip? That was a Bear.
That friend of yours that's all creepily devoted and eager to please that one guy they meet up with twice a month? They're hooked on drugs and that's their dealer.
The fact that all the cops that broke up that weird group of cultist types all got cancer and died? Just bad luck, must have been exposed to something.

But some people see the supernatural, and they can't go back to ignoring it and forgetting about it. They can't rationalize away the vampire feeding on the person in the alley as just two people having an intimate moment in a dark alley. They don't forget about the time a ghost possessed a group of teenagers and turned them into a human sacrificing cult. And neither can they just 'live with it', as some people do. Simply going about their lives knowing what's going on, and maybe leveraging it here and there. No, Hunters have decided to take up the torch and go off into the darkness beyond the circle of light that is safe society to hunt the things that try to drag people off into that deep darkness. That is what a hunter is. A light in the darkness looking to protect those still in the firelight, and maybe bring some people back who were drug off by the monsters. So... do you have what it takes?

Hunter The Vigil: Deep Shadows

You remember the first time you ever encountered anything 'paranormal'.
[ ] You were only a little kid, less then 8 years old.
[ ] You were somewhere between 9 and 12.
[ ] You were a young teen, somewhere between 13 and 15.
[ ] You were on your way to being an adult, 16 - 17.
[ ] You were a young adult, 18 - 20.
[ ] You were finally a legal adult at 21 years old.
[ ] (Write In)

The experience was... less then pleasant, as you recall.
[ ] An angry ghost attacked the summer camp you were staying at. You managed to find an old book at the camp grounds with a symbol in it that repelled the ghost, you used it to secure the main cabin hall and keep the ghost at bay until the weekend passed and the ghost went back to sleep for another twenty years.
[ ] A friend of yours was kidnapped and drug off by strange men on horseback with hunting hounds. You never saw him again, and no one ever really believed your story. Nothing ever came of it again, another cold case of a missing person among thousands of others.
[ ] Your sister went from loving sibling to secretly trying to kill when she suddenly gained magic powers. You eventually figured out that the powers came from an amulet and book that she had gotten from a yard sale. You managed to get your hands on them and destroy them, but your sister suffered a psychotic break and was hospitalized for the safety of herself and everyone around her. You know that she still blames you for everything that's gone bad for her to this day.
[ ] You were almost killed a pack of wolves tried to kill you and your friends when you went on a 'camping' trip. You and your friends tried to hide in the cabin where you were staying, but eventually had to flee in the RV you had come in. The RV crashed over the side of a cliff, and only you and your friend John walked away alive. Your other five friends all died in the crash. You know for a fact that the wolves did it, and they weren't ordinary wolves either. Normal wolves aren't the size of a horse... Police chalked it up to a bunch of 'newly minted adults' getting drunk and high on drugs. No charges ever came out of it though.
[ ] (Write in)

 

[Nevill]

Dedicated to all roguelike fans.

Yet Another Stupid Death

 

[Nevill]

I have discovered a lot of interesting games. I probably should do a little write-up about them.

But for now, have this little wargame.

Girls und Wargame: Airland Battle

Yeah, it might sound like nothing. But the choices. The choices!!

Spoiler

What sort of character are you?
[ ] The Veteran - You've been playing Wargames for a long time. When you were in middle school, you commanded an Calvary Regiment as you fought a dogged delaying action across a narrow plateau to buy enough time for your armor to reinforce you and counterattack. It was perfect positioning of armor and infantry that should have granted you admission to any top level Wargaming academy. But something soured you to the sport, and you left it for years. But now, you've returned at last. (+Tactical Advice, +Awe-Inspiring Reputation, -Lack of Passion)
[ ] The Enthusiast - You've always loved tanks and planes and everything about Wargaming. You know every single tank in every competition by heart. From the Super Entarde to the M109, you've memorized each and every little thing about them. But you've never actually used them, until now. You've always been on the sidelines watching. But no more! The heart wants what the heart wants, and what your heart wants is to participate in a Wargaming competition for yourself. (+Encyclopedic Knowledge, +Passionate Heart, -May Not Be All That Great At Tactics)
[ ] The Prodigy - Taught in the finest Wargaming cram academies, you're from a class of young prodigy children, trained from birth to destroy the enemy with sim-munitions, sim-tanks, and sim-artillery. You know the inside out of every single major strategy used, can flank opponents effective, utilize mortars to destroy enemy hard-points of concentration, and a hundred other things. You only have one major weakness. You've... never actually played a Wargame. For real. (+ Maximum Tutor Tips, +Perfect Pedigree, -Lack of Experience)
[ ] The Accidental - What? You didn't mean to sign up for the Wargaming club! You're not cut out for this! Why're they shoving you in the APC! Why're they handing you a gun?! Oh gosh, oh gosh, you're not prepared for this at all! Now they're screaming for you to "Get in the tank (Shinji)!" Who's Shinji? Why're they putting you into the tank instead of whoever this Shinji is! You just wanted to join the flower arranging club! But now you're stuck in the Wargaming club so you better get used to it. (+Accidental Genius, +Unorthodox Strategy, -Only Unorthodox Because You Don't Know Shit)

Where do you attend school?

Tier One Schools (Easy Difficulty):
[ ] Rule the Skies - The Fayetteville region is home to several local all-girl highschools which compose the third largest Wargaming coalition in the United States of America. Their main focus is on fast air assaults and light infantry movements backed up with fast and light vehicle cavalry arms. They take pride in their standard of being deployable to anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Their focus is on fast and mobile formations armed with a heaping helping of air power able to attack and relocate as necessary. (+Air Power, + Mobile, +Adaptable, -Lack of Staying Power, -Hope You Brought SEAD)
[ ] Real American Steel - El Paso, Texas is home to one of the largest tank armories in the world. This is partly an influence for its local Wargaming clubs, which rely heavily on armor. United States armor to be exact. Their strategy is hit hard, hit fast, and bury their enemy under a tide of steel. With specializations on mechanized and armored warfare, these schools can fight pound for pound in the heavy slugging matches that they're known for. Of course like any good American, they're backed up by a healthy force of airpower too. (+Unstoppable, +Rolling, +Tide, -Slow, -Inflexible)
[ ] The Fist of the Proletariat - Naro-Fominsk is one of the few schooling districts in modern day Russia which has managed to secure enough funding for a top of the line tank lineup and boy, do they put it to good use. They use high tech T-80s, T-64 and T-72 variants, even a couple of prototype T-90s. Their armor lineup is accompanied by a heavy helping of air defense and Motostrelki mechanized units, enough to smash through any lesser tank army. Simply put, they are the best tank focused Wargaming club in all of Asia. (+ Muh Tanks, + Muh Tunguskas, + Muh Artillery, -None-Radar AA is for Suckers, -What is This Thing Called Low Level Leadership?)
[ ] Ultramarine Strips and Berets - Ryuuzan Wargaming Academies is known for two things. One, the amazing quality of their Wargaming teams. Two, the amazing quality of their Wargaming teams. Originally modeled as a counter to the Fayetteville region Wargaming teams, the Ryuuzan teams have grown into a flavor of their own, full of elite infantry teams and variety of vehicle and helicopter support. They're known for being just as capable of fighting on the ground as they are from the sky. (+VDV Snyva Privet, +Elite Infantry, +Not Too Slouchy In Ground-pounding, -Vehicles a Little Light, -Such a Thing as Too Many Hinds?)

Tier Two Schools (Medium Difficulty):
[ ] Big Cat Prowl - Following the humiliating defeat of the German Wargaming community in the 1998 national tournies, when essentially all German Wargaming teams were knocked out before the third round of selections, the German Wargaming programme's funding was essentially cut in half in favor of other programs. As such, there's only one major coalition left in Germany, in the Hanover district. Armed with top of the line equipment, nevertheless, they are always perennially short in funding. (+Leopards are Sweet, +Good Armaments, +No Big Weaknesses, -Hard to Make Ends Meet, -Unmotivated Girls)
[ ] We're Motivated - Paris Island boarding school is known for four things. Sand. Sky. Salt water. And motivation. Focusing in amphibious assaults and deployment over foreign terrain, Paris Island boarding school is almost always the away team in some other school's stadium. And that's exactly how they like it. With a strong Esprit 'de Corps, they'll give anyone a punch in the face. Plus, thanks to their good relationship with the Male Navy Teams, they usually always have their support. (+Devil Dogs Don't Die, +Tom Cruise Flying Tomcats, +Sea People, -Second String Tanks, -Basically Navy)
[ ] Hon Hon Hon - Algeria will always be our heart's home. After many foreign campuses in Algeria shut down shop, a lot of their international students moved instead to the Aubagne main branches of these schools. With them, they brought a strong Wargaming tradition focused around light and fast units and good reconnaissance backed up by powerful airpower and anti-airpower. Though they're often mocked for having been kicked out of Algeria, underestimate them at your own peril. They're good. Really good. (+Shoot and Scoot, +Top of the Line Gear, +Elite Infantry, -What is This Thing Called Armor, -Also What Are Stabilizers)

Tier Three Schools (Hard Difficulty):
[ ] My Best Friend's Friend - Have you ever had a great friend and then he is friends with someone you hate but he always encourages you two to hang out together in some strange belief that you'd get along if only you get to know each other? That's Tokyo University's Seoul Branch right there. A Wargaming Coalition of mixed Japanese and Korean schools, they're armed with only the best of gear. However, they have a problem as half of the team hates the other half's guts. (+Top Tier Tanks, +Elite Infantry, +Elite Airforce, -Make Do With Less, -A House Divided)
[ ] Will Grow Larger - Chinese Wargaming Communities have finally started to mature into their own. With their own domestic line, a hobbled together patchwork of an airforce consisting of both domestic and foreign license built planes, and a curious mix of elite infantry and not so elite infantry, and a healthy artillery arm, this is the story of China's rise to the top of the Wargaming community after fighting for every step they could. China will grow larger. That much is certain. (+Protagonists of this Story, +Rising Underdogs, +Napalm Stronk, -Modernizing Armaments, -Fledgling Community)
[ ] Neutrality Isn't Free - All of us combined are stronger than any one component. This is the Coalition of Scandinavia's Creed. With the Swedish Wargaming schools strong domestic tank, ifv and air superiority fighter lineup, the Danish community's good anti-air and American bought air striking arm, and the Norwegian elite infantry, Scandinavia's combined coalitions are stronger than any one part of their nation and fully capable of defending their neutrality (even though two of the three countries aren't neutral). (+No Major Weaknesses, +Equipment Mixes Well, +Strong AIr Arm, -One Third Neutral, -No One Understands Danish)
[ ] It's Called Preemptive - That's why we destroyed that Egyptian team's airforce two hours before the game started and then overran them until we hit their anti-tank defenses. The Israeli Wargaming community has a bit of a nasty reputation for their not really quite fair tactics and their tendency to brag heavily about their matches won. They're generally unliked, though respected to be an effective Wargaming force. But then against... they've only fought in the Arab League tournaments so far... (+Striking First Always Works, +Very Strong Air Force, +America is My Best Friend, -We Build Our Tanks Backwards, -How to not Die to ATGMs?)
[ ] Can Into Space - Polish Wargaming tradition is known for two things. High grade commando and shock trained infantry, and the unique prototype T-72 tanks equipped with special domestically produced ERAWA reactive armor that would eventually be developed into the PT-91 'Twardy'. However, Poland struggles between the traditional NATO and PACT roles, vacillating between the two. A REDFOR nation with BLUEFOR leanings, it struggles to determine who to side with. (+Polska Polska Polska, +Nice Special Forces Infantry, +Stronk Tanks, -Rebellious Warsaw, -Soviet Reliant)

Tier You Have to be Crazy to Pick These Schools (Impossible Difficulty):
[ ] Believe in the Juche - North Korea is strongest faction, no faction is capable of matching Pyoyang Schools in strength. Strongest Command Infantry, Strongest T-90 gifts from Russia, Strongest Airforce Gifts from Russian, Strongest T-72 gifts from Russian, Strongest Artillery gifts from China. All Domestically built though. That's why there are no missiles in tanks, tank launched ATGMs are too complicated for pure North Korean workers. North Korea strongest. Always win. (+Juche Strong, +Juche Strong, +Juche Strong, -Juche Strong, -Juche Strong)

 

[Nevill]

Right. Until I get my bearings, have a look at this.

TALOS: Fantasy Giant Robots Rampaging Across the Apocalypse
The thread is story only. The actual game is happening on Something Awful, which is a forum that requires 10 buxx to register, so I don't bother.

Game thread on Something Awful

It is an illustrated quest, and it is pretty funny and engaging, with a compelling world... and that's not something I usually say about giant robots genre.

You take on the role of Iron Mantis - a queen of nomadic raiders who plunder whatever they can for lulz and glory in a post-apocalyptic hellhole. You have one giant robot crewed by 104 crazy mercenaries loyal to you and to you only. The world is yours for the taking.

Introductory post

The Head

"So noble of you, Princeling," you say.
The thrillant light of the full moon punches through cloud cover and onto the castellated crown atop the Automaton's head.
The Deposed Prince Chakum, disgraced ruler of Anabas, tilts his chin imperiously upward. "A noble soul is weightless in the palm of Quist."

"Well. I reckon even without that you're what, 170 pounds or so heavier-than-air." You chuckle, wickedly. You've been workshopping your wicked chuckle for a while now and you're very pleased that it's finally ready for primetime.
"I fear you not, Tyrant," Chakum says.

"It's gravity that should have your attention right now, Princeling. Not me." Another chuckle here? Maybe not. Don't smother it. You lean forward. The leather-clad tip of your knee touches his. "I'm going to make this simple for you. Tell me how to deactivate the incantation around the Anabas wall, or I'm going to escort you off my Automaton via my boot to your chest."
Chakum scoffs. 6/10 tops. "I will not betray my people."
"You've been exiled, Princeling. One would gather you already have."

"They will one day realize their mistake," Chakum says. "And when they mourn their imprudence, they will mourn safely from behind the insorceled, impregnable walls of my city. The streets of which your cold-iron stench will never befoul." He spits at your feet. "Execute me, then! If the rat indeed has the temerity to lay paw on the lion."

"When I see you in Hell," you say, "you'll have to tell me where on the drop that pretty pride of yours left you and the terror took over."
"My--" Chakum begins,

and then you kick him off the roof.

A strangled, muffled cry of MISTRESS from inside the Automaton's skull and Sketter is up through the trapdoor. His seneschal's journal hemorrhages papers as he runs.

"Mistress," he gasps, forcing air into his wrinkled lungs. "A message from the Emperor of Anabas!" He scrabbles in his book and pulls out a crisp scroll of parchment. "Quote Our Heart Has Softened Toward Our Prodigal Son And We Request Humbly His Return To Our Royal Bosom. We Are Prepared To Exchange One Thousand-- oh--"

His eyes behind their frosted lenses rise from the parchment to your foot, still raised, and then to your face.

"Oops," you say.

 

[SCO]

These quest/fanfiction forums (sufficientvelocity, spacebattles and questionable questing) have one thing that the lp sub-forum here desperately needs: op posts can be marked into a index available on all pages of the thread (it's a button at the top and on the top and bottom of op story posts) that allows one to just go through the quest/fic without reading hordes of retards pushing the narrative one way or another.

DarkUnderlord, plz add this if possible.

 

[TOME]

You really should read the discuss. There are some gems hidden in there.

 

[Nevill]

Right. First, the quest that started recently on SV. It is here because it is set in the Shadowrun that I immensely enjoy.

Will it be good? Will it be bad? I don't know!

Shadowrun: Imugi

Spoiler

January 1st, 2062 - Incorporated Pyongyang, Republic of Korea

It’s been fifty years since the Awakening. Since the Fifth World died and the Sixth rose from its still warm ashes; since humanity split and branched and the dragons awoke. It’s been twenty one years since Reunification. Since the South and its armies brought the rampaging North to heel, since Pyongyang burned and three great powers of the new world divided its remains. Five years since President Dunkelzahn's death. Three years since Seonwoo Sang-jun’s last double platinum album. Three months since the Ring of Fire erupted. Two since Halley’s Comet was last visible in the sky.

Seven months since you were hired by Sze Thaumatech by way of Black Turtle CorpSec. Fresh faced and fresh out of university, old-school diploma in your hand and an overpriced cap on your head.

Life goes on. The world turns. For some people the world is dark and sharp, filled with long-clawed shadows and hungry faces. But not for you; yours is bright, neon-lit. Structured by superiors and shifts and full of promise.

The last fireworks have long since been packed up. The crowds dispersed. Dawn's still an hour distant.

Time to get up.

Happy New Years.



You flinch back at the noise, the horrible screeching racket that cuts into your ears and scrapes the inside of your skull. You fumble around blindly, eyes screwed shut. Movements slow and sluggish. Dredged out of the deepest, darkest, recesses of your brain by that fucking alarm-

Beep.

There.

You slump back on the pillow. Back of your eyelids blissfully shaded and cool. You hear Emil yawn, hear the little chirping, mewing sound he makes just before his jaws click shut. He burrows against your ribs, soft red fur warm on your bare skin. You shift and make a little room. They engineer the foxes to be softer now. Worked the vicious, hyperactive instincts out of them. Turned them into the ideal pets for apartment-bound office workers on the go. Something fluffy and friendly to hug at night.

Not that you’d know it from the way he’s affectionately got his nails in.

You sigh, gingerly reach down and tug him away, ignoring his aggrieved squeaky yaps of protest. Absently, mechanically, stroking his stomach to calm him down, cheer him up. Yeah, you’re not nodding off again. Might as well bite the bullet.

Your eyes open through a crust of sleep. Staring at a plain white ceiling, draped in shadow. You roll on your side, back to your fox, and stare at the clock. Ice-blue holographic numbers hovering in midair: 6:55.

Beyond it, your window: Pyongyang falls away past the pane. Sculpted mountain ranges of obsidian and bright neon rising from a sea of smog and concrete. Ultra-modern skyscrapers of steel and glass, thrust through the pollutant bank like the broken bones of the city itself; back-lite by black and burnt orange skies. You can glimpse threads of light winding through the streets below when the fog shifts. See helicopters plying the airways just across the rooftops; swarms of oversized firebugs flitting through artificial canyons. It’s a nice view. Beautiful even. You were lucky to get it.

6:57

The next alarm’s going off in three minutes. You watch the numbers tick over to 6:59 out of spite before you finally roll out of bed.

Shower. Shave. Feed Emil. Grab a can of soycaf and a breakfast bar. Open the wardrobe, what are you wearing today?

 

[Nevill]

Next are the quests I participate in.

Snowflake: A Quest For True Sorcery

We are a mage in an urban city, witnessing the dusk of the Era of Magic. Our nickname is Snowflake. It is very appropriate, because we are so special, we decided to attain mastery over matters arcane and become a True Sorcerer of a new Era. We have a werewolf and a perfectly normal detective for friends... and there is a demon in our head, whispering the promises of power if only we let him have more screentime.

The setting boasts a well-detailed world, a beautiful chargen (seriously, those the characters we could play with were all awesome), and lightsabers. Because that's what we made our staff look like. Snowflake is going to Snowflake.

The supernatural is uncommon and normally hidden from the populace, but since we are a mage, that's what we usually end up dealing with all the time.

Spoiler

Snowflake - character sheet

Your name is Lily Chambord, called Snowflake. You are a wizard, a mage who draws upon her innate power to shape magic intuitively and immediately. You are the last descendent of the Chambord line, a family of mages for two hundred years, but your father has left your training to the hands of Dinah Salvatore, a long-time friend of his. But all those you know left. Your parents are touring the world, caught in their perpetual romance, and your mentor left one day without a word, leaving no idea where she was going. Though your days in the family house, a remote mansion on the outskirts of Longton Port, are often lonely, you’ve found friendship in unlikely places: Aneke is a werewolf girl, only slightly older than yourself, with a boisterous temperament; Trevor is a detective who understands that what is hidden is not necessarily evil.

Your training was divided between two magical traditions. From your mentor, you learned the art of imbuing, and you mastered the Path of Light. Any object that produces light is enhanced in your hands, turning a simple lightbulb into a lighthouse and a laser pointer into a deadly weapon. Other wizards have staffs: you have a lightsaber, or the best approximation you’ve managed to make. From your father, you learned manifestation, the art of channeling raw energy - but something in you prevented you from mastering his knack. Where your father would redirect or move energy, you would smother it. On the day when you first awoken to that frightening power, a demon spoke up in your mind. He has been your constant companion ever since, goading you on the road to power.

Who can tell what led you to your great obsession? Perhaps it’s a desire to reconcile the natural schism in magic within you. Perhaps you wish to finally master a power you’re not sure how to control. Perhaps it is your demon’s seductive words. Whatever the reason, you have decided that you, Lily, nineteen year old wizard barely out of apprenticeship, her mentor gone, her parents far away, her friends not wise to the mysteries of magic - you, Lily, would become the first sorcerer of this age.

Here's a sample chapter when we went on a bodyguard duty on behalf of one socially inept librarian who went to contact a local gang of half-ghosts to place a special request...

Spoiler

Heated Conversation

You lower your head a bit, hunch your shoulders slightly. You put both hands in the pockets of your coat and fall in a couple steps behind Adam, making yourself unobtrusive. You’re one dark-haired young woman, nothing about you special except perhaps your expensive coat. Your job isn’t to be some kind of bodyguard, and you wouldn’t even know how to do that anyway. Ahead of you, the Historian pushes open the door to the diner, and you follow him inside. The Anchors are four, two of them on the cushioned bench in front of a metal table, another on a stool nearby, the last one on a different bench a little ways away, but all of them huddled close. Upon seeing them, you immediately understand what Adam meant about them being touched by death.

One woman, sitting up and looking around her with the irritation of someone who’s being kept waiting, has stringy faded blond hair and deep, wide-circled eyes, like she hasn’t slept for a week. The man next to hair is tall and so gaunt you can see the outline of his cheek under taut dark skin, his face and wrists pockmarked with liver spots, and he’s fidgeting nervously. The man on the stool is thicker, healthier-looking than the others, his hair a very light blond, but his skin has a pallor to it that strikes you as different in kind from merely a very light skin, though you’re not sure why. The last one seems younger than the others, his hair shaven, and looks fairly normal - until he turns to face you and realize the sclerae of his eyes is a sick-looking yellow, and there are faint scars around them.

Taking it all in stops you for a moment, and Adam proceeds; you hurry to catch up as he sits down, smiling. You slide into the bench next to him, mumbling a polite greeting. The others give you little attention. Sitting on the table between the two Anchors in front of you is a small stone slab, engraved with ideograms… Chinese, maybe? You’ve seen the like before: it’s a memorial tablet. Odd.

You can’t help but feel the room is colder within a couple yards of those four. And you’ve got enough experience with heat control to tell that it’s not just an impression. Something is at work here.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” he says with his easy smile.

“Ain’t got nothing better to do with my lunch,” the stringy-haired woman says. The leader, then. “Meat pie’s good, try it,” she adds as a bored-looking waitress approaches.

“I’ll have two meat pies,” Adam says. “Same,” you add, and then the waitress is gone and the tension seems to rise one notch. “This my friend Lily,” Adam says as you speak up. “Lily, this is Linda Smoke and her, hm, colleagues.” You nod.

“So, what do you want? The Séance Faction doesn’t do free consultations.”

“I know, I know,” Adam says. “I want to make it worth your while. I need to speak to the dead.”

“Well, that’s our job,” the woman says with a nod.

“Half of it, anyway,” the pale man on the nearby stool says with a dangerous smile; the woman throws him a shut-up glare, and he chuckles to himself.

“Precisely. But you see, Linda - can I call you Linda?”

The woman frowns, pulling a cigarette out of her breast pocket. “You’ll call me Miss Smoke and be happy with it,” she says while lighting it. You’re suddenly aware that you couldn’t tell your age if you wanted to - she could be anywhere from late twenties to late forties. It disturbs you more than it ought.

“Miss Smoke, then. I mean to cause no offense. I wish to speak to Mei Liang.”

There is a moment of silence, and you feel your shoulders tense. Smoke is staring at Adam, her expression unreadable.

“You want to speak… to our founder?”

“Yes!” the Historian says enthusiastically. “It’s a fantastic opportunity. Mei Liang wasn’t just the founder of the Séance Faction; she saw nearly a century of Longton’s most agitated, momentous history - both mundane and supernatural.”

There is no answer, and Adam takes the silence and looks of the Anchors for interest, but you’re starting to think it’s more something like… Shock? Outrage?

“You see, I’m a historian of the supernatural. I mean, perhaps you’ve heard of my work? I am trying to compile as much of the history of the supernatural as I can, so that we - all of us - better understand… Where we came from. What happened to those who came before. So we can trace the line of the withering and understand why it happened, and perhaps… Perhaps reclaim pieces of what was lost. Talking to Mei Liang, learning all she’s seen, would be invaluable to my work.”

He falls quiet as the waitress comes back around, putting two thick slices of meat pie before you. You take a bite - it’s actually pretty tasty, but your appetite isn’t at its height right now.

“You’re a fucking wizard,” Smoke begins.

“Thaumaturge, act-” Adam starts, but she cuts him off.

“You’re a fucking wizard and you come here and sit in front of me and ask me to call up the memory of the one person my gang respects most to answer your goddamned questions like some kind of, what, little old lady telling her stories?”

Adam frowns. “I don’t… I didn’t mean anything bad or… I would compensate you, of course.”

“Oh you would compensate us. How nice. You would be asking and recording all our history, our secrets, our weaknesses, and then it would go into that big old library of yours waiting for the next person who can pay you enough to learn how to hit us the hardest. But we’d be compensated so it’s fine.”

“I…” Adam opens his mouth, confused. You’re now quite sure this is the first time someone finds his enquiries offensive in and of themselves, and he’s not at all used to deal with it. You’re not sure if you should intervene and if so how, but…

<Look to the right, behind the skinny one,> your demon says interrupting your thoughts. You blink and follow his direction; the young, yellow-eyed Anchor on the bench behind Smoke’s is looking at the both of you weirdly, as if deliberating with himself.

<This guy is not angry, but he thinks he ought to be; he thinks he should be offended even if he isn’t, because his leader is. He’s young, stupid, attached to pride and status and wanting to prove himself to the group. Right now he’s working himself up into a righteous anger. The woman is pissed but she’d just end up blowing you off, but this guy will set this whole thing on fire.>

“How do…” you mutter to yourself, but stop mid-sentence. You don’t have time for this. Adam and Smoke are still talking, their discussion heating up. You missed a few sentences, and now Adam is trying to explain how he could pay for their services. You’re not sure you understand why the Anchors are so offended by his offer, but you are sure that whatever he’s doing isn’t helping.

“I don’t care about fucking history,” the leader says, “and unless you’re a secret fucking millionaire I don’t care about your money either. You’ve got nothing we care about, and I’m tired of you fucking mages stomping everywhere like what we have is owed to you…”

Yeah, this is going nowhere good. No one is paying any attention to you right now.

[ ]Say nothing, stay vigilant for the eruption of violence.
[ ]”Adam, let it go. They don’t want to work with you, that’s life. Let’s just apologize and leave.”
[ ]”Please, Miss Smoke, we didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Neither of us is familiar with Anchors or your group. Why don’t you explain to us why Adam’s suggestion is so offensive?”
[ ]”Everyone calm down. None of us wants this to get violent, right? Adam was just making a polite offer. There is no need for anger.”
[ ]”Miss Smoke, I don’t like the way your friend is looking at us. I’d hate for this to get out of hand. I suggest you all back down and cool your head.”
[ ]”Okay, that’s enough. Everyone tone this down a notch right the hell now or we’ll have a problem.” (demon)
[ ]Strike first. (demon)
[ ]Write-in.

 

[Nevill]

Earth has been destroyed, and the remnants of the humanity that survived are scattered across the galaxy that reviles them. But this is not a tale about them.

This is a tale of Selina Terens, a young human engineer who was readying to a bright future of a corporate slave and did not expect all the big companies to get literally liquidated. Now she finds herself working a thankless job of an assistant mechanic on a courier ship Horizon. It would be bearable, too, if not for the captain coming on to her, her mechanic boss being a complete asshole with aversion to doing actual work, their ship medic being a paranoiac who takes is permanently on drugs because no one else dares to take his prescriptions, and a psychic stowaway in one of their crates who does not belong to any of the known species. And that's just her first day on the job!

I think the quest could be summed up with this video:

Spoiler

It Got Worse: A Refugee Quest

Here's a sample of us arriving on the ship.

Spoiler

"Who is even in charge here?" You ask somewhat desperately, maybe there's actually some sane person at the top, who keeps all this insanity running together.

Tourak and Sara spare a glance between them, before Tourak puffs out his chest. "Well, as I said, I'm the XO, so I do most of the daily running stuff." He thumbs back at Sara "Sara over there handles everything once the shooting starts, which it always will because someone can't keep her finger off the trigger."

"Hey, I'd shoot less people if all of you idiots stopped getting into situations where I needed to shoot people."

"Like you're innocent. Whose plan was blowing up that bar on Trinity? Oh right yours."

"Well, maybe if someone hadn't slept with the ambassador's daughter."

"How many times do I have to tell you, that wasn't-"

"SHUT UP!" You finally break down in exasperation. This is not what you signed up for "I just want to know who the fucking captain is, not which one of you is responsible for the most fuck-ups."

Both Sara and Tourak stare at you for a second in realization "Oh, you wanted to know who the captain is. Well, why didn't you just ask?" A small voice inside urges you to strangle him right there, but you push it down. For now. "The captain is-"

"HAIIIII EVERYBODY~" "Oh please no."

You are interrupted by a high-pitched shout from the other side of the cargo bay, which reveals two new figures and what appears to be a walking mass of shopping bags. The lead one one to comes into focus is an Ismiron, wearing a dress completely befitting her. By which you mean it's basically not even there. Though as she tackles Sara in a hug with an explosion of breezy fabric you can see why their recent meteoric rise in galactic influence was also accompanied by a revitalization of the extranet porn industry.

"Saraaaaaa~, we're back from shopping you would not believe it they had this top that's just to die for and these panties that I think you'll looo-oh Tourak...you're...here." Her whirlwind stops as she catches sight of her XO.

Tourak pinches the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I am your second-in-command. And more importantly Taiira this is Selina, the new engineer. Selina this is Taiira, the ship's captain." Wait. That's the captain? She looks younger than you. Before you can say anything you're cut off by the other figure moving in front of you.

He stares imperiously down at you over a pair of ridiculously large sunglasses. "So this is my new assistant? Well, then tell me what do you do if the a there's a temporal disassociation in the Gravitation Array?"

Ah, a test question. Good thing you know this one, though it's really quite simple if you know what you're doing. "Well, I-" But he just holds his finger up to your lips and rolls his eyes.

"Darling, I don't actually care." What wait?

"But you-"

He just pats you on the top of your head. "You don't worry your pretty little meat brain about that kind of stuff, hardly anything goes wrong on the ship." He thinks for a second, and then pulls a sheet of paper out of a pocket somewhere on his coat and hands it to you. "Now, I expect my morning coffee ready at 0500. Hand-ground, two cream one sugar. Here, I've prepared my preferred morning routine. I expect it memorized."

"What?! I'm not-" You try to tell him off, but he just turns away from you. You hear a soft sigh coming from the tower of shopping bags.

"Still don't care. Now, Viktoria let's get those clothes in the ship. I have outfits to accessorize!" With that he heads off to the ship. The tower of shopping bags looks back and forth between the two of you for a second before following after him. You hear him yell back "Oh and hand-ground! Icannot stress that enough" You're left there holding that scrap of paper, staring at him walk into the ship and currently part of the way through a plan to murder him.

You look at the remaining three of your new crew members with horror "Do...Do I actually have to do that?"

All three of them stare at you, and then burst out laughing. Sara is the first one to recover, wiping tears from her eyes. "What? Oh no, just ignore him. We all do. Well, except for Viki obviously." Oh, well that's a relief. Though you're still going to have to work with him, which you're suddenly not looking forward to at all.

"Unless you need like, a ton of money. Then he's tooootally your guy." Taiira cuts in, waving around some bracelets that look like they cost more than your entire tuition for emphasis.

"Yeah, we're not even sure why he works on here. He's loaded"

"I think he gets bored"

"Does he have to be so dickish though?" you huff.

Tourak waves his hand dismissively "You get used to it, and he is actually a good engineer when he bothers to do the work. Which is why we hired you." Then he turns to the captain. "Changing the subject Taiira, it's good that you showed up. Now we can do the orientation for-"

Taiira makes a face."Oh, but that's totally boring. Just give her like, the highlight reel. I'm going to go take a bath"

"Taiira, you're the captain you really should-"

It's Taiira's turn to wave dismissively "Yeah, I'm the captain, and as the totally-bestest captain ever, I'm like, nixing all that boring stuff." She looks you up and down "Besides, she's like totally hot. She'll do fine."

"Taiira, you can't make all hiring decisions off physical-"

It's then that Taiira's commlink rings. She picks it up, shushing Tourak as she does so. "One sec, gotta take this. Yeah? Yeah. Totally. Oh My Goddess Really?! I'll be right there." When she puts it down her face is ashen. Oh god, did something happen? "Well, that was my bath calling. I'm afraid it's totally urgent. Soooo...buh bye" Oh. She gives you a cute little wave and disappears into the ship.

Tourak puts his head in his hands. "Why do I-... Sara you want to take this?"

Sara snorts "Oh I'd love to participate in your little rules-fest, but I gotta go make sure Viki actually does her job instead of letting Uriel use her as a mannequin for the rest of the day. Later losers!" With that she too disappears into the ship. Now it's just you and Tourak.

You lean back against one of the crates "So highlight reel huh?"

"Yeah, I don't even know anymore. Let's just get this over with" He takes out a small bottle from his pocket, taps out a few pills and pops them. "Ok, so there's a few things you need to know. One: Don't take any food or drugs Nye gives you, Two: Don't walk in on Viki naked, Three: When Taiira comes on to you, don't sleep with her, and finally If Sara or Viki tell you do something when people are trying to kill us, listen to them. Now, all of these things will probably happen, but try at least. It'll make your life easier."

"I'll keep those in mind" Oh god you're going to die out here. Well, you already thought you were going to die out here, everyone knew courier jobs like this out here in the Eastern Verge were super dangerous but you never thought it'd be your coworkers who did you in. "You know, when you said orientation, I thought you meant what my actual job would be not...that."

"Did you lie on your application?"

"Of course not!"

"Than I don't have any doubts you can do the job, the Horizon is a good ship, what I'm worried about is you surviving all the little things in-between." He taps out some more pills "I'd suggest you find a coping mechanism. Everyone out here has one." He shakes the pill bottle for emphasis. That...doesn't sound like such a bad idea anymore.

"I'm...I'm going to regret working here, aren't I?"

He shrugs "Eh, the pay is good and it's certainly...interesting."

"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement you know"

"No kidding. But that's basically everything I got. You can head into the ship now, you're in cabin..." He taps at his datapad "Nine, it should be right past the mess above the cargo bay. Unless you want to meet the rest of the crew, in which case you can wait here if you want"


What do you?
[ ] Go explore the Ship: Alcohol. You don't care what happens. You need to get drunk, yesterday. There better be some good booze on that damn ship
[ ] Meet the rest of the crew: You've already met almost everyone, you might as well hang out here for a bit longer to meet the rest of them. Hopefully make a good impression.
[ ] Check out your room: You have a room, and that means a bed, and that means someplace you can sleep, and going to sleep means you can escape from the current surrealist horror show that is your life.

 

[Nevill]

This quest is, unfortunately, on the verge of dying due to lack of voters. A shame, because I find the GM style to be interesting.

We play as an 'awakened' guy with what essentially is superpowers. Something is fundamentally fucked up with him, and crazy accidents seem to happen around him all the time. Worse yet, he has two dependents, including his little sister who has not 'awakened' yet, and a girl named Sara who is following him for reasons not yet established in the story. He is hunted by his own mother and her organization, and not only by them. People seem to die around him in droves - some he helps personally, others just as a collateral. He is a bastard like that.

His ability is to 'grasp' a situation, allowing him to instantly confirn certain facts... it would be omniscience, if it didn't have some blind spots and drawbacks. Or so I seem to have gathered from the updates available.

The author throws you in the thick of things without explaining much of anything, and hopes that you pick up on the clues. I believe this is called 'in medias res'. I kind of dig this kind of mysteries.

Since the clues are vital to the protagonist's survival, the author not only encourages, but demands that players talk things over before coming to a decision. Votes without justification are not considered valid. Of course, this leads to a huge drop in popularity since laidback voting can no longer happen.

Accident Prone (Reboot)

Spoiler

As I leave the cafeteria I whip out my phone and close my eyes. After a second I dial in the number of Vincent's most recent burner cell and leave a message.

Call me when you're done with the dishes.

I'm confident he'll know who it's from.

While waiting I go to my history class. I already know the material so I ignore the teacher's lecture, instead taking the time to admire the back of my eye-lids. Even when the light above my desk falls from the ceiling and tries to cave my head in, I barely bother putting in the effort to lazily whip out the metal baton in my pocket and knock the falling structure to my right. That trick was funny the first time, but now the utter lack of creativity is starting to get disappointing. At first the baton was a problem, but after proving it was essential to my daily life the faculty reluctantly agreed to let me keep it, under the condition that I don't sue for the, in their words, 'crazy shit happening.'

After the fallen light smashes into the wall, the teacher can't resist commenting. "One of these days I'm going to record that, and file a complaint for you, Mr. Mite."

"Please don't." I dryly request. Though we've had this conversation a hundred times, he's never actually done so.
Nor does he have any intention of ever doing so.
"You know, you could easily have this place shut down for that, the structure is obviously very deeply disturbed."

"I'm aware."

I can tell he wants to press more, but this being a routine conversation he knows there's no winning. I won't complain about something that is my fault.
Even I have that honor.
About ten minutes later I stand up and walk out the door. "I'm going to the bathroom." I announce in passing, and he does nothing to stop me.

The trip to the school roof is a quick one, taking a few turns and following a stairwell I make it in less than a minute. I push open the door and step outside, letting the clean air and sight of a shining sky into my vision.

I lean against the wall and whip out my phone and stare at the home screen. Five seconds, four, three , two, one, now! I press the enter button and bring the phone to my ear.

After a few seconds of silence the voice on the other line finally says something. "I'm assuming by the lack of it getting to ring a single time, that this is asshole?"

I roll my eyes at his antics before responding. "Yes Vincent, we need to talk."

"I got this burner less than an hour ago, how in the fuck did you get this number!"

"I fail to see how that is relevant to the situation."

"Fuck you it isn't, give me one good reason I shouldn't hang up!"

"I think she's back."

He goes silent, I hear a door open and then close, and the next time he speaks I hear a slight echo. Telling me he's in his bedroom. "Don't fuck with me man." He sounds as freaked out as I feel.

"The murders earlier, I didn't know about them until Sara told me." He goes silent for another minute, and his breathing gets quicker.

"So you're losing your touch, that doesn't mean she's back."

"Do you remember our promise?"

"Shut up, you're not going to die so it doesn't matter."

"Vincent." I reply sternly.

"God damn-it!" I hear an impact followed by a metallic clang. "Of course I remember, but don't you dare cash it in early!"

I smirk, though no one can see it. "I have no intentions of dying."

I can hear him sigh. It's a wonder how the guy even functions with how neurotic he is.

"Have you told Sara?"

"I don't want to worry her before I've confirmed it." The least I need is two big babies on my hands.

"When should we meet?"

[]"Right now, meet me at the usual place, bring my case." I hang up the phone and book it.
[]"After school, I still have math class. I'll meet you at your place." I ignore his protests and hang up, heading back to class.
[]"Tonight, I'll find you. In the mean-time, prepare for war." I flip the phone closed and head back to class.

 

[Nevill]

And finally, Zombie Apocalypse quest.

Well, it's more of a game. You are an ex-military officer in a world that has gone to shit. Your family is dead, and you yourself were bit. Only life didn't end for you. You even got something extra out of it.

Now it falls to you to survive in the world of walking dead, scarce resourses, and machete gangs. You can try to do it on your own, or you can find a group of like-minded survivors who - hopefully - would not slit your throat in your sleep for your share of supplies. Oh, and hide from them the fact that you are not particularly human.

Light writing, tight cast, and tough decisions make the quest a real treat. I went through the existing updates in a few hours. The rules are easy enough to catch up and jump right into the game.

Welcome To Shalebrook [Zombie Apoc. Quest]

Spoiler

A single glance around the table reveals the sorry state of your companions. The bags under their eyes, the slump in their shoulders. Some of these people can barely keep on their feet. Exhausted, and soon to be starving.

Inexperience you can work with. But the only place you’ll be heading with the group like this is an early grave.

You find yourself shaking your head.

“We can’t go north yet,” you say finally, looking them in the eye. “Our problems are real. But our first priority is securing food supplies and getting some rest.”

“Do we have the time?” Linda asks. Her tone is more thoughtful than challenging.

“We’ll have to risk it. Exhaustion can lead to mistakes,” you say. “And if we’re serious about securing a good base of operations, we need the time extra supplies will buy us to search for one.

“We can spend the day scavenging around the store, getting ready. When we next move, we’ll be well-rested and prepared for anything we run into.”

Rodney nods along with your words, pulling at his mustache.

“James makes a good point,” he says. “We won’t accomplish anything if we limp on north in this state.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Thomas starts, wary of questioning you. “I thought someone said that all the good stuff around here is probably already gone?”

“It is,” you say, nodding. “Except there’s one place most scavengers won’t go.”

“You’re not thinking of raiding houses?” Linda asks, her voice colored with concern. “That’s practically—”

“It’ll be safe enough. I’ve cleared hundreds of rooms against hostiles when I was in the military,” you say firmly. “One of our specialties, in the 75th.”

A thoughtful silence smothers the discussion in the room, the group mulling over your proposal.

“And what will the rest of us be doing?” Thomas asks. “I would like to pull my weight, contribute somehow. You’ve all done a lot for Sylvia and me.”

“Linda, I was thinking you could lead the rest of the group and scavenge the abandoned storefronts around here,” you say. “Nothing too dangerous.”

You watch as she runs a hand through her hair, nodding.

“Carmen will be coming with me,” you add, almost as an afterthought.

The moment the words leave your mouth, you realize you might have made a mistake.

It’s like a bomb going off. The genial, cooperative air is instantly sucked out of the room, replaced with a prickly undercurrent of tension so thick it beads on your skin. Sylvia is frowning, Thomas looks worried, Linda’s face might as well be carved from marble, and even Rodney raises a groomed eyebrow.

As for teenager herself, she wears a neutral, slightly puzzled expression.

“Can I ask why you want Carmen with you on something that dangerous?” Sylvia asks, voice wound tight. “She’s not a soldier.”

“I, uh, would have to agree, Mr. Ryker,” Linda says, playing with her glasses. “Your credentials are beyond reproach, but this mission is no place for an untrained child. What’s your reasoning?”

Because she’s suspicious, you want to say. Because she’s hiding something, and you want to know what. Because you don’t trust her here, with these people, without you.

Except maybe that ship has already sailed.

You recall the past few hours. Linda smiling as Carmen gestures excitedly. The girl listening carefully as Sylvia lectures her on some thing or another, nodding along. Her laughter at one of Rodney’s jokes while she helps him clean up.

Is it possible for them to have grown so attached so quickly? To someone you explicitly warned them about?

Your teeth grind against one another.

“She mentioned that she wanted to learn from me,” you say slowly. “There’s only one real way to learn what I do.”

“But surely this is not the right time,” Sylvia says, not looking convinced. “And why her? She’s only a girl.”

“I can go with you James,” Thomas says, looking determined. “I’ll be— “

“No, it’s okay,” Carmen finally breaks in, smiling. “I was the one who asked him in the first place after all.”

“But-“

“Mrs. H, I have total faith in the boss’s ability to keep me in one piece,” she continues. The teenager winks at you. “I trust him.”

The rest of the group digests that message, seemingly a little touched by her devotion to you, unaware of its irony.

“If you’re sure, then,” Sylvia mutters. “You shouldn’t have to do this though. You’re so young.”

“Mr. Ryker,” Linda says, nodding to you. “Keep her safe.”

A measure of her confidence in you. You fight down your grimace.

“Leave it to me,” you say.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The ruined city looks even more depressing in the daylight. Tall apartments sprout up from the sides of the road like jagged, broken red teeth. This was never a great neighborhood, but the last month has eaten away what vibrancy was here.

“So where to first?” Carmen asks you cheerfully after you’re a fair distance away from the store. She casually twirls around the sharpened hockey stick, as if she’s out for a stroll. The teenager eyes another run-down building. “Limited selection in these parts.”

“You planned that,” you say, not keeping the accusation from your tone.

“If by ‘plan,’ you mean ‘make friends,’ she replies. “How was I supposed to know what you decided on doing?”

You pause, thinking it over.

“You knew that I would ask you to come with me eventually,” you say slowly. “And likely to do something dangerous.”

The girl doesn’t reply, seemingly more interested in the wreckage around you.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” you say. “Asked for?”

“Of course,” Carmen replies after a moment’s pause. “But it occurred to me that if I were a less scrupulous person, and had an annoying but very cute hanger-on, taking them out alone and feeding them to a particularly hungry dead person would be very deniable. And make a great sob story.”

She looks up at you with shining, innocent blue eyes.

“Not that I would think that of you, boss,” Carmen grins. “My entire worldview, everything I think I know, would be shattered if anything like that happened. Once you get me back safe and sound, I’ll sing your praises to the stars.”

Here she jumps onto your arm, clinging to it childishly. You push her off, irritated.

“So you made your safety my responsibility,” you mutter.

“And there’s the fact that you told everyone you were super suspicious of me,” the teenager comments casually. “So if I were to vanish— oh, was I not supposed to know that?”

Fucking Rodney.

You are going to shave off the man’s beard the next time you see him.

“Nobody told me,” Carmen says, easily deciphering the cold rage on your face. “It was just obvious from the way you treated me, and the way they treated me differently all of a sudden.”

One step ahead of you. Then again, you were never great with people in the first place. You were only ever good at one thing.

“Well played Carmen,” you say finally. “But let me ask you something.”

You stop suddenly, spinning around to look her in the eyes. For a moment your voice changes, turning as sharp and whisper-quiet as steel sliding from a scabbard.

“Do you think that if I truly wanted you to die, any of that would stop me even for a second?”

The girl seems to freeze for a brief second, before a wide smile splits her face.

“I don’t,” Carmen says. “Those eyes tell me that nothing would stop you.”

She wags a finger at you.

“And that is why I like you so much.”

You click your tongue in disgust and turn away, making the rest of your journey in silence. Eventually, the two of you arrive at a nearly empty apartment, with the few noises inside spaced well apart.

“Keep watch here,” you say, carefully prying open the door. “I’ll go alone first.”

You barely take note of her mock salute as you slip inside.