She glances at it, and after a moment nods, more to herself than to you, and says, "He must have had a lot of people working through the night to have managed that."
You don't see any additional inconsistencies on the way to lunch.
We'll grab a light lunch.
"You said your mother's religion, but you didn't mention whether you believe in it or not," I probe while we're waiting for our meals. "What do you think?"
Provided nothing else happens, we'll head back.
"They're just stories," she tells you. "Fairy tales for adults. There is no great goddess; I, for one, have never seen the moon cry, or a giant tree that all life comes from."
"Wise beyond your years, I see." I chuckle at the idea of the moon crying.
On the way home, I look around to see if there is some kind of takeout food restaurant, such as a pizza parlor, fast food, chinese food.
Back at the motel, I ask her about the kinds of gossip the harem girls talked about as I check to make sure our things are all in order (particularly my new sword).
You do find a Chinese place; perhaps unsuprisingly, the people working there are oriental.
"Gossip? Well, they did use to tease me and say that they'd like to marry my dad and be my mom, and they were always saying that I had better make something of myself and not be like them."
Your things (and your sword) are undisturbed.
"Make something of yourself, huh?" I purse my lips, thinking about that concept for a moment. "Did you ever put any thought to what you wanted to do with your life?"
"Do you think your grandfather knows you're still alive? Will he send men to find you?"
"Tell me more about the first of the month: does everyone receive a payout?"
"What does it take to join the ranks in the company? If I wanted to be one of the boys, for example, how would I go about doing that?"
"Not really. Since I'm in the family, maybe someday I'd own the industry; until then, I'd be in administration, probably. I wasn't really interested either way.
"I don't know if he knows or what he'll do if he does know.
"Don't they?" She seems confused that you'd even ask.
"Well, the boys just join on the street level; they start selling and try to get noticed."
"Interesting. What does it take to get 'noticed'? Sales volume?
"What about the administration level? Is that family-only?"
"If you weren't interested either way, was there something you were interested in?"
"No, just being a good, loyal employee, really, I guess.
"Yeah, just blood relatives to grandfather."
She thinks about your last question, then responds, "I was interested in spending time with my dad when I was little, but... I guess I was just kinda happy being where I was, but not as happy as I am now."
"Well, I'm happy that you are happy," I say with a smile.
"Does your grandfather also own the supermarket and restaurants, or are they run by other organizations?"
"You mentioned your mother lives in America. Would you want to visit her some day?"
I'll take out the booklet the religious fanatic pressed onto me and read through it, half-expecting it to talk about the same religion Lily's mother follows. I'll make note of any detail that contradicts anything I've heard or been led to believe, and take the whole thing with a grain of salt.
"I don't think he owns them. He never mentioned anything like that.
"No, I'd rather not. She's sent a few letters and I don't think she's the sort of person I'd like to meet."
§
You open the pamphlet and begin to read.
SHE IS STILL AMONG US
Lilith created our world and left us to suffer, the teachings say. However, there is now conclusive evidence that Lilith is somewhere among us.
THE END IS FINALLY NEAR
All we have to do is put Lilith to death, and then
WE CAN FINALLY REST
JOIN US TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AT EIGHT
(several addresses are given)
Wow. That can't be safe.
I give a sidelong look to Lily at the mention that "Lilith is somewhere among us," but I shake my head at the possibility.
What is Lily doing now? She's so quiet, I wish I knew what she was thinking sometimes. But maybe I'm asking her the wrong way...
I try concentrating on Lily. I want to try to hear her thoughts.
Add 1@1 Read Minds: Surface Thoughts P1@1 to your sheet.
§
You focus and reach out, finding her mind with your own and paying attention to her thoughts.
A few moments pass.
She is not thinking about anything. Not as in, anything important, or as in, she's thinking about nothing; there are no thoughts whatsoever.
In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Atton, the ship pilot scoundrel charicatue (think Han Solo) reveals to the player that he protects himself from Jedi mind-reading by constantly thinking things over his true thoughts: playing pazaak is his favorite, but he also lists engine subroutines, star charts, and other volumous data that is second nature to him.
I'm immediately reminded of this when I hear nothing, and I attempt to do what she is doing, using the contact as an example. I will also try Atton's data overflow approach, separately.
Attempting to read someone's thoughts could be considered rude anyway, so I'll try to use the mindreading concept to connect to her with an open telepathic link, simply asking, "Lily? Can you hear me?"
1@1 Blank Mind, immunity to surface attacks, sitmod penalty to deep attacks, P2@4
1@1 Thought Repitition, sitmod penalty to most mental attacks, P2@2
1@1 Telepathy to Humans, P1@3
§
You succeed at both you attempt, and then contact Lily with your thoughts (for what it's worth and for reference, when speaking telepathically you don't think in words, but in thoughts; language is not a barrier. For our ease of understanding, though, we'll use words.)
She seems a bit suprised, and thinks back to you in the affirmative.
I'll relay to Lily my excitement at my new abilities, and I'm eager to see what else I might be able to do.
I'll grab three rocks from outside and line them up. Primarily using the force as a basis, I'll attempt the following:
I'll try to nudge one of them with a gentle, quick mental push.
I'll try to mentally lift one.
I'll try to lift a second one while holding the first.
I'll try to throw one of them at the outside wall, at a dangerously high speed.
I'll try to push the stationary rock very hard, "force push" style, like the gentle nudge mixed with the high speed throw.
I'm interested in which of these work before I try other things.
well, the first I recognize as 4@1 TK Pulse, but beyond that I'll need to crack the book (as I'm on the bus headed to work now, that could be a while, especially since I may end up working open to close today (long story)) to grab some numbers.
Well, I'm sure of the target number for all but the last within 10 points, so let's see if I get obvious successes or failures.
The last is the most interesting; it seems like a telekinetic force, is that correct? Telekinesis works more like you grasp something and move it, so in order to actually "push" or "strike" something, you'd need to create a telekinetic force. Or are you trying to create a telekinetic force for all of them?
Correct about what you're doing for the last one?
1@1 TK pulse P4@1
1@1 Light TK P4@?
1@1 High speed TK P4@?
§
The first one you attempt twitches the rock on the ground.
You lift it off the ground, but you fail to lift two at once.
You carry it very quickly into the wall, cracking a chip off the rock.
TK Pulse is P4@1, Simple TK is P4@2, Heavy TK is P4@3, High Velocity TK is P4@4, Marionette TK is P4@6, Multiple-Object (and non-solids) TK is P4@7, Levitation is P4@8, and Flight is P4@10.
To clarify, I was attempting various types of telekinesis. The idea behind the last was to use a high-velocity TK pulse; in other words, move it briefly, but quickly, to see if I can get a sort of "throw" (to set the object into a suddenly high velocity and release it, rather than carrying it all the way to the wall). It may fall under the same skill as high-velocity TK and I just terminate the connection early, but the main ideas were 1.) brief and 2.) fast.
I want to try to levitate, and fly, each starting from a seated position on the floor.
I want to see if I can make myself physically invisible by altering my body (P5@9 Transparency refraction based on RS) and make sure I can change back to my original form if it works.
I'll try to accelerate the particles in one of the rocks to heat it up, and I'll try to decelerate the particles in a different rock to reduce its heat. (P7@4 Pyro/Cryogen)
Lily and I will get ready to go pick up some Chinese takeout, provided nothing exploded.
Thanks for the numbers, it helps.
The last is not possible, because as soon as you release the telekinesis from the rock, it retains no momentum and drops to the ground.
You do succeed to levitate, and then to fly.
§
both 1@1
§
You succeed in making yourself invisible, but...
§
I've got 11 SAL, 22 BRA, 10 doubled ABL, and a roll of 96. So... I'll get back to you this evening after 1600 EST.
1. Make self non-corporeal
2. Make self extremely bright
3. Change skin color
4. Change skin texture
5. Disintegrate self
6. Develop light allergy
7. Alter own density
8. Transparent clothes
The roll... is... eight.
§
You appear, but your clothes do not.
Wait..so...my clothes are invisible now? This breaches a whole new subject for me.
Wait...OH! I'll turn quickly and move over to the closet, getting out a new set of clothing. Jeans, t-shirt, sneakers. I'll put the invisible clothes into a plastic bag so I don't lose them, because I will want to study them later.
"Well, that was embarassing," I'll say with a chuckle and a grin to Lily. "Sorry you had to see that, was not intentional...."
I make a note that telekinesis does not confer kinetic energy to an object, and I am instantly curious if I can reproduce that effect. I want to toss one of the rocks into the air, catch it with TK and then release it. (I can attempt a few times if I fail, so long as no botch). The intent is to determine whether TK temporarily suspends the kinetic energy of an object and the object resumes movement after, or if TK simply neutralizes all kinetic energy.
I want to also go forward with the pyro/cryo testing.
Lily smiles slightly, and tells you, "I didn't mind."
You are able to catch the rock several times in severa different ways, but every time, when you release the rock, it falls straight down rather than continuing its course; it seems momentum is negated rather than suspended.
Your attempts at pyrogenesis and cryogenesis fail.
Well, at least I didn't offend her.
I'm curious about my findings, but I am happy they are consistent.
It is probably getting late. I want to swing by the supermarket and look for a quality handgun, preferrably large caliber semi-automatic with a ~15 bullet clip, most preferrably a Desert Eagle. I'll also look for an assault rifle, preferrably a M4A1 (semi-auto, triburst, and full auto options) with standard mounts for sights and peripherals, and a sniper rifle (not as knowledgable of these) with ammo for all. We will swing back and pick up some chinese takeout on the way back to the motel.
While we are out, I want to try reading the minds of random (non-dealers or otherwise Company men) people, and I want to try interrupting their thought processes randomly. (P8@1 Interrupt Thought).
The cashier happily bags your guns and ammo for you and invites you back.
Have you got an example for the interrupt thought?
I'll use mind reading to hear a thought, and use a telepathic pulse, similar to a TK pulse, to interrupt the thought, basically like clearing one's throat in order to interrupt another's speech.
Okay, so then, no example?
Meaning, have you seen it used before, perhaps in some work of fiction?
Well in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Kreia does on a number of occassions interrupt the thought processes of NPCs before using a force suggestion, to make the suggestion harder to detect.
Good enough for a 1@1 example.
1@1 Interrupt Thought P8@1
§
You succeed in your initial attempt to interrupt someone's train of thought. They pick up a different thought and continue on their way.
§
Intuition check passed.
§
Lily hasn't said anything about what you've been doing being strange. Isn't that somewhat odd?
I did notice she didn't seem to take exception. From the idea I've developed about her with my constant probing, I'd find it odder if she reacted at all.
One thing I wanted to pick up that I forgot to list: a silencer for the pistol. It occurs to me that one may not exist depending on the caliber of the gun I managed to find, but I won't know until I look.
Once we have everything, we'll pick up that Chinese takeout and head back to the room. I'll put my new toys with my other belongings and we'll eat dinner, same sleeping arrangements as the previous night.
Provided alert rest works, I will practice Gazuntite until the sun comes up.
They do carry silencers for all the guns they carry; however, they are out of stock at the moment.
§
A botch on Alert Rest, roll of 98.
1. Become more tired
2. Attain Nirvana
3. Involuntary muscles become voluntary
4. Develop insanity
5. Injure self
6. Develop chronic migraines
7. Loss of motor control
8. Loss of sight
9. Loss of hearing
10. Loss of tactile sense
11. Loss of olfactory sense
12. Loss of gustatory sense
and roll: it could get much worse than 8.
§
You aren't quite sure how you did it, but it was a mistake; you can't see.
He never told me that if I kept doing it I'd go blind :( I guess that applies to anything fun.
I want to try to heal my vision psionically. The Force can be used to heal and to reverse the loss of sensory functions as a result of injury. (It would probably fall under a P6@1 heal damage to self if I remember correctly)
Isn't that always the way, when you actually try to do something, it doesn't work?
You fail.
Lily asks you what's the matter.
I'll try to look with my mind, rather than with my eyes, to see if I can get an image of my surroundings.
"I'm not sure, but I seem to have lost my vision."
You succeed with the clairvoyance.
Your sight is restored. Lily doesn't say anything about it other than, "Can you see now?"
"Wow, yes...." I look around, blinking a few times. "Bizarre. Did you do that?"
She doesn't answer right away; after a few moments of silence during which she seems uncomfortable, she answers, "Yes."
She sits up in the bed and looks at you. "My family and I have powers similar to the ones you've been using. It kind of sets us apart from other people. I've never met anyone who wasn't related to me who could do anything like that, though. Where are you from, Rune?"
Surprised at her sudden interest, I provide my standard response of, "New Jersey." Remembering that we're outside the US, probably South America, I add, "In the United States."
Not really satisfied with my own answer, I think briefly about the island and start over. "I came from another world, and ended up here, in yours. I like it here. I've met you and we've had a little excitement and a lot of peace and quiet. I find these abilities exciting and fun, and I've always thought people who are called "different" are really the most fun and interesting, and easily my favorites."
"Thank you for restoring my vision. You really helped me out."
She smiles and flushes a little, then responds, "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."
She lays down to go to sleep.
Kawaii~~!
§
Try alert rest again. If it works, Gazuntite practice until the sun comes up.
The alert rest is unsuccessful; what's the contingency plan?