Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

[LP CYOA] Epic

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Who said anything about showing it to both of them? It's just that after we're one with the Journo, we can go to a secluded place and discuss the issue there along with the new information we just gathered. Unless treave says otherwise.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Well as far as you know you have no reason to show Keiko your powers right now.
 

Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
My assumption was that the reason we can't pick multiple options is due to time constraint, as in something pops up just after we make our choices so that we can't do/focus on other choices. I definitely viewed E as more of 'both options happening at the same time' rather than one after the other.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Regarding Baltika's Option E, this statement is true:

You may bring Kyrie with you to meet Keiko.

Everything else is assumption.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
B - 8
C - 5
E - 2

***

Julius Gallardo


The rooftop is deserted. There is no wind today, and the air is strangely hot and stifling. I loosen my collar as I look around the place. Keiko had asked to meet me here, saying that she wanted to talk about Julius Gallardo and his relation to the monster sightings she had been investigating. She wasn't here yet. The sun has already started to sink below the horizon, and down below I could see the lights of the town coming to life.

I hear the door to the roof close behind me.

“Well, looks like you came through for me, darling.” The speaker was a boy, with a reedy voice. Surprise, surprise. I just can't get a break, can I? I subtly place one hand on my phone and turn it on, whispering, “Yua, keep silent but record everything.” I turn around.

Track 9

A boy in the Academy's uniform stands between me and the exit. He has a thin, pinched face and light brown hair neatly parted down the middle. One of his hands is shoved in his pocket, while the other rests familiarly around Keiko's side, uncomfortably near her chest.

“Looks like personally breaking you over the weekend was worth my time, you nosy bitch. It was such a stroke of luck that you are in the same class as him. Uhihihihihi.” He grins, and then breaks into a creepy laugh. Keiko is looking at the ground, silent. “So, what's the matter? Aren't you going to ask me who I am?”

“Should I?”

“Fuck you.” growled the boy. “The name's Julius Gallardo. You better remember it or you might find your mouth isn't as smart as you think.”

Well, at least I'm going to find out more about Julius Gallardo, whether I want to or not. Perhaps I should thank Keiko later, depending on how this works out.

“So... Julius-”

“That's Mr. Gallardo to you, you dimwit.”

“What do you want with me, Julius?”

His features twist in an expression of pleasure and he laughs his creepy laugh again. “Uhihihihihihi. You have no respect for your betters, do you? Well, fuck that. I know about you.”

Is he referring to my employment with the ISC, or to my recent activities sneaking into hotel rooms? I decide to keep quiet and let him continue.

“You're Princess Kyrie's little boy-toy, aren't you? Her favourite? I heard you've been hanging out with her quite often. She even went over to your place, that plastic eyesore over by the old residential area.” He spits out his words with venom and anger. It looks like he's fairly upset about Kyrie paying attention to me.

“Technically, she did buy that house for me-”

“Shut the fuck up when I'm talking! I don't want some little fuck who's done my goddess to start mouthing off in front of me!” screams Julius. Looks like that struck a nerve. His eyes are wet... please don't tell me he's going to start crying. I did not, in all honesty, expect any of this when I walked up the stairs to the rooftop. Julius shoves Keiko away from him violently. She lets out a little yelp as she tumbles to the floor. The boy strides angrily towards me until he is right before my face. “I had my eyes on her first. Who do you think you are, coming in and trying to kiss up to her like that? A fucking idiot in class M like you shouldn't be anywhere near her.”

I try to recall what Kyrie said about Julius. She mentioned that he was a student at the school, and the class representative of 4-A. He's supposed to be smart. She didn't say anything about his obsession with her. Did she just not notice, or was she too embarrassed to say anything? Well, it barely matters at this point. Julius's hand closes around my collar, grabbing it with extreme intentions. My collar stretches slightly. He's not very strong. Even with my poor physical fitness I might be able to take him.

“You must have thought you were some hot stud. Having girls falling over you left and right. You thought that bitch over there called you up here to confess her love to you, eh? Well, you're wrong. I told her to say that." Julius gloats, very pleased at having put one over me.

She didn't imply anything of the sort when she spoke to me. This is strange. I cast a look over at Keiko, still crouched on the ground. She appears to be very calm about all this, looking at the both of us with an inscrutable expression... almost as if she is studying the situation. Gallardo continues his rant, distracting me from Keiko. I let him do so. I know when someone is too crazy to be reasoned with – I just wonder how he functions in class with such an unstable personality.

“Thankfully I know how to set things right. You are close to my dear princess. I can use you. Gods, if I had fucking known you were going to get cozy with Kyrie I would have sent more after you that night. Since then there's been too many eyes around there for me to do anything without ruining his plan.”

He just made it clear that the monsters that attacked me were of his doing. This has been a particularly fruitful conversation, and I haven't even asked him that many questions. Of course, I couldn't have expected that Kyrie had such an obsessive, bug-nuts admirer lurking in the shadows. I do wonder about Keiko's role in all this, though. The way she is observing the situation doesn't match what Julius seems to think of her. That is not the behaviour of a broken person.

“Time to rectify that mistake. This time the worm is going to fuck your throat well and deep. You won't be escaping anywhere. Uhihihihihihihihi.” The grin on Julius's face, already nasty, turns even more grotesque. I hear squishy, shuffling noises drawing closer around me. Fuck. Where had he been hiding them? There were probably half a dozen of them, all shambling, oozing, assorted animal and human parts.

***

A. This is a welcome opportunity. Since he has so kindly shown himself, it would be remiss of me not to try and capture Julius Gallardo. This will definitely speed up my investigation greatly and probably set back Relius's plans significantly.

B. I try to escape through the stairs, breaking past Gallardo. It's too risky to try and take him on when I'm the one being ambushed. Best to retreat for now. I already have his confession recorded; that should be proof enough for Kyrie to get permission to send trained men to pick Julius up at our leisure.

C. I attempt to hold out as long as I can while getting Yua to call Kyrie and Erika for help. The layout of the rooftop should enable me to dodge the creatures long enough for the cavalry to arrive as long as I move smartly.

D. I have my suspicions that Keiko is not what she seems. I go straight for her, hoping that this will be unpredictable enough to change my disadvantageous position.

1. I activate my powers. It is now or never.
2. I do not use my powers. I should not be too reliant on them.
 

ScubaV

Prophet
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,022
I feel like taking a bit of a gamble so I'll vote D1. Something is definitely off about Keiko and this would be the best way to reveal it. I wanted to vote 2, but I think 1 will be needed to survive, not to mention it will let us assess Keiko's reactions and look for any "flaws" in her, or the creatures, or Julius. Hopefully we'll only use the tendrils as a last resort, as merely boosting our thought processes is not externally evident.

Flopped to B2
 

Bloodshifter

Educated
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
542
Location
Somewhere with dead bears
C1-Call only Erika if Kyrie shows up he might go and Kidnap her.

I don't suppose knocking the kid out is an option? He is controlling them... also Keiko is Damaged Goods she have been shown the Tentacles of others! Also how attached are we to Keiko? Because I am leaning to a unforeseen accident that takes her life no witnesses must remain of seeing our Tentacles.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
C1 for me. This is just a splendid opportunity.

So, two questions: had Kyrie been here, what would've happened and one off-topic; had we maintained historic integrity, what role would Howard Lovecraft play, if any?
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Julius goes nuts that she's here with you anyway. The difference would be that you have to consider if you need to look out for Kyrie while making the choices. If you maintain historical integrity all the way till Lovecraft then he'd probably have much the same role as he does in real life?
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Oh, so his prophecies of maddening creatures lurking at the edges of reality would have just been mad ravings still? I was hoping for something more interesting, like a human with unique insights, who stared into the abyss and relayed what he saw (maybe even giving us the possibility of hyping him up so the truth would be heard).
And we missed out on an opportunity to play the hero and prove ourselves in Butterfield's eyes. This will make plans for romancing Kyrie harder to accomplish (although I don't care either way, even though she is starting to remind me of Sek a little).
I wonder what will happen if we yell "Uncle!" at the top of our lungs...
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
D really isn't a plan of action, it is just one move. I think C is the best way to achieve capturing this guy, but is it what we want? If we take this guy out then Relius is going to know something is wrong and he is going to react accordingly. I think B is the optimal course of action now that we have evidence against this guy. Let's use him to gain leverage against Relius.

B1

B2
 

ScubaV

Prophet
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,022
I try to recall what Kyrie said about Julius. She mentioned that he was a student at the school, and the class representative of 4-A. He's supposed to be smart. She didn't say anything about his obsession with her. Did she just not notice, or was she too embarrassed to say anything? Well, it barely matters at this point. Julius's hand closes around my collar, grabbing it with extreme intentions. My collar stretches slightly. He's not very strong. Even with my poor physical fitness I might be able to take him.

ISeeWhatYouDidThereBlackSS.png
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
I think C is the best way to achieve capturing this guy, but is it what we want? If we take this guy out then Relius is going to know something is wrong and he is going to react accordingly. I think B is the optimal course of action now that we have evidence against this guy. Let's use him to gain leverage against Relius.
Well, to be fair, if Relius really wants this guy freed (or silenced), there's nothing we can do about it when he's in a prison cell. He has the money and the connections to get away with it, we don't. Although I'm inclining to take a gamble with the journo, but his comment on "breaking her in" is alarming, he could've "persuaded" her to his side and all we'll get for our efforts is a stab in the back.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
A. This is a welcome opportunity. Since he has so kindly shown himself, it would be remiss of me not to try and capture Julius Gallardo. This will definitely speed up my investigation greatly and probably set back Relius's plans significantly.

B. I try to escape through the stairs, breaking past Gallardo. It's too risky to try and take him on when I'm the one being ambushed. Best to retreat for now. I already have his confession recorded; that should be proof enough for Kyrie to get permission to send trained men to pick Julius up at our leisure.

C. I attempt to hold out as long as I can while getting Yua to call Kyrie and Erika for help. The layout of the rooftop should enable me to dodge the creatures long enough for the cavalry to arrive as long as I move smartly.

D. I have my suspicions that Keiko is not what she seems. I go straight for her, hoping that this will be unpredictable enough to change my disadvantageous position.

1. I activate my powers. It is now or never.
2. I do not use my powers. I should not be too reliant on them.
I don't see how A would work. He may be weak, but he's got a bunch of creatures and possibly Keiko on his side. Besides, for all we know, she may be the one controlling him.
B is an option...
C might be the best option in capturing him, but c1 seems retarded as we could exhaust ourselves and without our powers, how are we going to fight off those things?
D is the wild card. She's studying us? Then using our powers might give her more information...but not using them could put us at a disadvantage when dealing with her...

D1 for now.

B2 for Esquilaxian reasons...
 

Zwist

Learned
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
236
Anti train:

B2

We are being studied.
So lets try to run without giving away to much.
If it works, fine. But if it does not, would she let us die?
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
Julius's hand closes around my collar, grabbing it with extreme intentions.

:yeah:

Btw, I agree with Zwist. We've already got what we need; we've won. Don't get greedy, and don't give them anything else on us, just get the fuck out. Think of the long game.

B2
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
You should check out root's LP for grimdark protagonists. You will find little of that here. The first person the protagonist personally kills will elicit 2000 words of badly written angst.
 

Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
Wait, was Shulgi named for Shulgiland or for the historical Shulgi? There are conflicting accounts in the story!

C2/C1, whichever has more votes. I don't care about the powers so long as it's C.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom