Four Painful Years - Printable Version

Four Painful Years - Printable Version

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RE: Four Painful Years - Paperhelmet - 09-11-2018

(09-10-2018, 11:11 AM)CSJ Wrote: »>MOTION SICKNESS TIME!

It's fuzzy, but for a moment there you thought you could taste your own eyeballs. Before you have a chance to really contemplate what it is you mean by that, you double over and dry-heave, followed immediately by a brief coughing fit. So that's teleporting, huh? Alright. You hate teleporting, and you never want to do it again.

Disoriented, you trip backwards onto what feels like a comfy stretch of leather upholstery. It's hard to make out what anything is. Besides two long strips of dim light on either side of you, the room - if it even is a room - is pitch black.

---

JULIE: "Uhh... Hello?"

---

Above, a light flicks on. Your eyes adjust to the scant illumination it provides.

---

???: "Greetings, Miss Mitchells! So glad you decided to join us!"

???: "Let's keep the pleasantries short, gentlemen. We're already an hour behind schedual."

???: "THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY GOES? PROTECTION OF LITTLE GIRL? BAH. PUT HER IN HAMSTER BALL, SET MERCENARY FEE ASIDE FOR UP-SIZE POOL TABLE."

JULIE: "W-Wow, uh..."
JULIE: "Did I slam headfirst into a wall again, or is that guy really big?"

???: "HEH HEH... LIGHT COMES ON, NO 'HELLO', ONLY THREAT ASSESSMENT. MAYBE YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THIS ONE, COMRADE."

???: "Chalk another one up to good old intuition."
???: "Now, before we tackle the steadily growing list of questions Miss Mitchells no doubt has for us, I do believe a proper introduction is in order."
???: "Shall we start with the lovely young lady to my left?"

???: "Hmph. 'Young,' he says. Rings a bit hollow coming from an immortal."
GUDRUN: "Docentrix Helena Gudrun of the Galactic Library. Just 'Gudrun' is fine, 'Lady Gudrun' if you're the type to gratify."

---

She holds a dainty hand out for you to shake. Her many-ringed fingers glisten in what little light there is. Everything about this woman intimidates you, from her tall stature to her straightforward demeanor, but it's all painted with a glimmering coat of elegance. You can't make out any of her features, or even what she might be wearing, but the soft grip of her handshake and palpable charisma play upon your psyche. You'd love to see her in the light, though you get the feeling she'd be too busy being important to entertain you for long. As you pull your hand away from hers, there's an eerie sensation of something leaving you. You feel studied, appraised, heavily scrutinized. Your secrets may no longer be yours to keep.

---

JULIE: "Nice to meet you, L-Lady Gudrun."

GUDRUN: "Likewise, dear. So glad to see you up and about after that terrible altercation with your neighbor. Not many people survive a full-speed collision in a vehicle that unregulated, let alone escape with only a few broken ribs."
GUDRUN: "That being said, in regards to your health, I recommend you look into purchasing a neoprene brace some time in the near future. A lifetime spent painting tiny model robots without proper wrist support can lead to carpal tunnel, or arthritis if you're particularly unlucky, especially if you insist on lifting heavy objects with your arms instead of your legs."

JULIE: "Yikes. You guys really needed to dig up that much on me?"

GUDRUN: "Oh, of course not, darling. None of that information is useful to us in the slightest."

JULIE: "... But..."

GUDRUN: "You can learn a lot about people if you know how to read them."
GUDRUN: "Imagine what you could learn from a touch..."

???: "LITTLE GIRL, I WHISPER YOU SECRET."
???: "ARTHRITIS IS NOT FROM PAINTING TINY ROBOT. ARTHRITIS IS FROM HIGH PRESSURE OF GUDRUN'S SMUG FILLING SMALL AREA."

GUDRUN: "Oh, please. As if I'm the only one here who likes to put on a show for the mundanes."

???: "Would you like to introduce yourself next, old friend?"

???: "JES, JES."
???: "HELLO, PUNY WOMAN. I HAVE MANY NAMES... 'THE ONE MAN LEGION'. 'THE WARMASTER'. 'COLLECTOR OF BLOODY SKULLS'. 'DEATHMURDER DOOMKILLER'. 'STOP HITTING ME WITH MY OWN LEG'. AND SO ON."
VERMILLION: "I WILL ALLOW YOU TO CALL ME MY GREATEST NAME. I AM LORD VERMILLION, KEEPER OF THORNS ACADEMY."
VERMILLION: "VIOLENT SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENT PROBLEMS SINCE 1448."

---

He too holds out a hand for you to shake, but the thought of doing so strikes you as ridiculous. This giant of a man could close his palm around you and crush you like a bug. You do what you can and grab the final segment of his middle finger with both hands. The mere upward movement of his handshake is enough to raise you from your seat. When the vertigo wears off, you manage to catch a glimpse of his inner workings through a groove in his joints. He's completely hollow. Only a glowing inner lining exists within this titanic living suit of armor. As he pulls his hand away your skin passes over the scars of ancient battles, forever etched into Vermillion's metal carapace.

---

JULIE: "So are you like, some kinda machine, or...?"

VERMILLION: "YES, LITTLE GIRL. I AM A MACHINE."
VERMILLION: "A MACHINE OF DEATH!"

???: "She’s asking if your body is mechanical in nature."

VERMILLION: "YES, LITTLE GIRL. MY BODY IS FULL OF MECHANICS..."
VERMILLION: "... MECHANICS OF DEATH!"

GUDRUN: "Why did you even bother?"

JULIE: "Snrk!"
JULIE: "Ah, um... J-Just one more question..."
JULIE: "Why, uh... Why do you collect bloody skulls?"

VERMILLION: "GRUMBLE... WHEN I FIND WHO STARTED THIS RUMOR, I WILL DESTROY HIM."
VERMILLION: "I WILL KEEP HIS BLOODY SKULL, TO REMIND WORLD I DO NOT COLLECT BLOODY SKULLS."
VERMILLION: "WHAT IS POINT? NOTHING WRONG WITH CLEAN SKULL... STUPID."

JULIE: "... Gulp."

???: "Well, then, I suppose it's my turn. No worries, I'll keep it short and to the point."
COTTONHELM: "Vice Principal Cottonhelm, on behalf of The Magical School for Things That Exist! Pleased to finally make your formal acquaintance!"

---

The little guy has to lean so far forward to shake your hand that he's practically hovering on the edge of his seat. Where Lady Gudrun's handshake was assertively captivating and Lord Vermillion's was overwhelmingly powerful, Vice Principal Cottonhelm's handshake is firm and resolute, just one strong downward movement with his free hand over top your own. You still can't see his face, but you just know he's smiling. He's excited just to see you, and you can feel that excitement leap from every square inch of his diminutive frame and into the surrounding environment. It's calming, infectious even. Despite the utter mayhem of the past few days, you feel comfortable around this guy. Like you finally understand what's going on. You wouldn't say you trust him just yet, but for now, you may be able to let your guard down just a little.

---

JULIE: "The Magical School for Things That Exist? Is that really what it's called?"

COTTONHELM: "Y-Yes, I'm afraid..."

JULIE: "... Why?"

COTTONHELM + VERMILLION + GUDRUN: "Unicorns."

JULIE: "... HUH?"

COTTONHELM: "Erm, apologies, but I'd much, much rather table this dreadful discussion for a later date..."

GUDRUN: "In other words, never, if he can help it."

COTTONHELM: "To be terribly honest I just don't have the stomach for it. Never do, really."
COTTONHELM: "Besides. I'm sure there's a veritable smorgasbord of other, more important questions on young Julie's mind."
COTTONHELM: "Now would be a good time to ask those questions."

---

All eyes are on you. You've had nothing but questions since this whole ordeal began... Finally, here's your chance to try and set everything straight.

RE: Four Painful Years - CSJ - 09-11-2018

>Mind? Yeah, that would be a good place to start. Why would people pay to protect someone that's going to be dead in four years regardless?

RE: Four Painful Years - Eve The Maxim - 09-11-2018

> Are you really having hallucinations... or is it the inversed? Is all that you have perceived as "normal" up until now actually fake? Was it all just a cover?

RE: Four Painful Years - FlanDab - 09-11-2018

>You introduced yourselves as some sort of administrators of institutions, especially the educational kind... What the heck was my neighbor?

RE: Four Painful Years - LammarWesley - 09-11-2018

>Why y'all are protecting me?
>why it sounds like I'm harry potter now.

RE: Four Painful Years - The Purple Meanie - 09-11-2018

>Can somebody please turn up the lights in here?

RE: Four Painful Years - Paperhelmet - 09-11-2018

(09-11-2018, 08:33 AM)Eve The Maxim Wrote: »> Are you really having hallucinations... or is it the inversed? Is all that you have perceived as "normal" up until now actually fake? Was it all just a cover?

JULIE: "I guess I should start with the obvious stuff."
JULIE: "Phew, okay, just... Give it to me straight... Am I going nuts?"
JULIE: "Why am I seeing three-headed dogs and ladies with fish ears? Why is there a giant floating island in the sky above Bridgeview? Why am I teleporting into conversations with twelve-foot-tall armor-people, and why am I suddenly remembering that my friends might be X-Men???"

COTTONHELM: "Elementary, Miss Mitchells. Your Barrier is breaking."

JULIE: "My what now?"

GUDRUN: "The Barrier; an imperceptible force that facilitates the divide between Mundanity, the 'non-magical' aspect of our universe, and The Flipside, the 'magical' aspect."
GUDRUN: "Mundanity cannot normally perceive The Flipside, for the most part, nor can Mundanity interact with it. Comparitively, Flipsiders can perceive and interact with Mundanity, but only to the extent the Barrier allows them to. The Mundane brain is hard-wired from birth to develop certain 'defenses' as an individual's mind comes to terms with its own defined 'truths', and one of these defenses manifests as the Barrier, which serves to protect your typical, defenseless human from the dangers of magic and the Flipside in general."

JULIE: "Whoa whoa, wait, time out! I gotta process this..."
JULIE: "So there's this like... Dresden Files thing going on where a magic world lives with the human world, but it's also like... a Doctor Who perception filter deal that makes it so magic doesn't affect us?"

GUDRUN: "... Simplified down to those colloquially analogous terms, yes, I'd say that sums up the basics."
GUDRUN: "It's worth mentioning that one's Barrier rarely shuts out magical phenomena entirely. Rather, the 'filter' in question is selectively porous, allowing certain stimuli through as long as the incoming information subscribes to one's perception of 'normalcy'."
GUDRUN: "Perfect example, that three-headed dog you mentioned. That's likely a Cerberus, a breed of magical dog named for the gatekeeper of legend. If you'd come across that dog prior to 'crossing over', so to speak, you'd have perceived it as any other mundane canid; just one head, nothing out of place."
GUDRUN: "That woman with 'fish ears' may have been a merfolk, many of which can be identified by their scaly skin and webbed appendages. But the Mundane Julie B. Mitchells, born into a world that dismisses 'mermaids' as pure fantasy, would only ever see the humanoid elements her mind allowed her to see; just a normal woman with normal ears. It wasn't until you experienced significant magical exposure that your Barrier began to collapse, allowing brief glimpses into the untouchable world around you. That may have something to do with the spent Ring of Defiance around your finger... They tend to produce quite a display once activated."

JULIE: "Heh. Forgot I had that..."

GUDRUN: "But a floating island? Physically impossible. The Barrier shuts it out as a whole. So Mundane aircraft pilots subconciously maneuver around it, and so do Mundane birds. Rain appears to fall straight through it, because any Mundane human that looks up can tell you there's nothing there. A dragon may rampage through your home town, destroying countless buildings, killing unlucky bystanders... But a freak windstorm is more plausible, so that's what people see when they turn on the news."

JULIE: "Damn..."

---

You take a moment to let everything sink in.

---

JULIE: "But... Why is it like that? Why does the Barrier even exist? Where did it come from?"

COTTONHELM: "All fantastic questions! So fantastic, in fact, that not one of them has a difinitive answer. At least, not yet."
COTTONHELM: "While the Barrier's true origins may forever remain a mystery, insight into why it exists crops up every so often in the form of elaborate theories. The most widely accepted theory posits that the Barrier acts as a sort of 'limiter' that prevents The Flipside from unintentionally devouring the non-magical. Not everyone is born with the ability to harness magic right away, and so not everyone is born equal. The Barrier provides Mundanity with a place to hide, a refuge from the advanced physical, mental and spiritual dangers that come naturally to a world filled to bursting with magic. It may also protect Flipsiders from overpopulation, though none can say for certain."
COTTONHELM: "Frankly I find Barrier research to be something of a resource dump. Its simply too inconsistent to study properly. There's all these little loopholes and exceptions to any one of its supposed 'rules', and you can never tell if a Mundane will cross over unscathed or simply lose their marbles! Never mind that in extremely rare cases the shock of crossing over is enough to kill some of them..."

GUDRUN: "In either case, I believe we've more than answered Julie's question by this point."

JULIE: "Yyyeeeaaah. Consider me fully educated on the matter. I'm just glad I didn't end up being in the 'lost my marbles' camp."
JULIE: "Also, you guys might wanna wake up Mister Warmaster. He's about to fall over."

COTTONHELM: "Vermillion! How could you fall asleep in front of company?"

VERMILLION: "NOT SLEEP. IS POWER NAP."
VERMILLION: "ALSO I WAS VERY BORED."

---

THIS IS PART 1 OF A 3 PART UPDATE. NEXT ONE'S COMING SOON. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR SUGGEST REGARDLESS.

RE: Four Painful Years - LammarWesley - 09-12-2018

>Do the BOFA, UPDOG or LIGMA trick with Vermillion as a powermove.

RE: Four Painful Years - Paperhelmet - 09-16-2018

(09-11-2018, 07:31 AM)CSJ Wrote: »> Why would people pay to protect someone that's going to be dead in four years regardless?

JULIE: "I guess my next question is..."
JULIE: "Who's paying Luca to protect me from bounty hunters?"

VERMILLION: "ME."

JULIE: "... Oh!"

VERMILLION: "SHE COME TO THORNS LOOKING FOR WORK. 'HIGHEST PAYING JOB YOU HAVE,' SHE SAYS. I LAUGH, SAY IT DOES NOT WORK THIS WAY. SHE BOTHERS ME AND BOTHERS ME, AND THEN COTTONHELM CALLS. HE REQUESTS 'LONG TERM ESCORT,' HIGH PAY, HIGH RISK. I TRY TO USE THIS CONTRACT TO SCARE OFF ANNOYING GIRL."
VERMILLION: "BUT SCARE TACTIC BACKFIRED, AND NOW SHE WORKS FOR ME. TO TELL TRUTH, SHE DOES GOOD JOB. SINCE CONTRACT BEGINS, AH... I SAY AROUND TWENTY-SEVEN PEOPLE SHE KILL FOR YOU. SOME, VERY DANGEROUS CRIMINAL. IMPRESSIVE FOR MERE HUMAN. SHOULD HAVE DIED MONTHS AGO."
VERMILLION: "HEH, COTTONHELM AND I HAVE BET GOING... I SAY LUCA WILL DIE BEFORE CONTRACT IS OVER. SHE DIES, I CAN BUILD RECRUITMENT CAMP ON MAGICAL SCHOOL CAMPUS. SHE SURVIVES, I... I MUST PERFORM ENTIRETY OF SWAN LAKE DRESSED LIKE BANANA."

COTTONHELM: "Mm. Alone. As every character. Streamed live to every web-enabled device in the Sol System."

GUDRUN: "Scandalous."

JULIE: "Haha... ehh..."
JULIE: "Okay, so I guess that solves that mystery."
JULIE: "But I don't understand. Why am I being protected? I couldn't be that important, I'm just some avocado-chugging millennial from a town no one cares about. My parents were great, yeah, but they weren't anyone special either, and we're not exactly descended from royalty... Believe me, I've checked."
JULIE: "What is it these crazies are after?"

VERMILLION: "YOUR HEAD."

JULIE: "Well, duh, I figured that much out on my own."

VERMILLION: "NO. YOUR HEAD."

---

The massive Lord Vermillion reaches a giant hand across the divide and prods your forehead with his index finger. Yeah, that's a headache.

---

JULIE: "Guh??"

COTTONHELM: "There's no easy way to broach this issue, so please forgive our apparent lack of tact..."
COTTONHELM: "Miss Mitchells, do you recall ever receiving specific details regarding the mass at the center of your brain?"

JULIE: "Not really... The doctors were always super cagey about what was going on."
JULIE: "They only ever told Dad that whatever it's made of can't be scanned, and that it's gonna keep growing 'till I die."

COTTONHELM: "Hmmm..."

JULIE: "..."
JULIE: "Please don't tell me that has something to do with this."

---

Silence. Cottonhelm shifts uncomfortably while Gudrun clears her throat.

---

COTTONHELM: "I'm afraid it has everything to do with this."
COTTONHELM: "As we speak, hundreds of interested parties are advancing on your last known location, vying to be the ones to get there first. While a good number of them may sort each other out along the way, many more will eventually reach you if you remain in Oregon, and I'm afraid that even the talented Miss Luqashai can't hold back an assault of that scale."

GUDRUN: "Therefore, our best course of action is to relocate you somewhere safe, where we can get you up to speed with the nature of your predicament and hopefully prepare you for the inevitable day we let our guard down and someone acts on it."

JULIE: "Look, that sounds great and all. Seriously, not being murdered sounds like a real treat."
JULIE: "But you still haven't told me what any of this has to do with the thing in my head. Is that what they want? Like, why? What is it?"
JULIE: "If you know what it is that's killing me then I wanna know too!"

GUDRUN: "I'm sorry Julie, but that's classified infor- "

JULIE: "NO!"
JULIE: "Luca told me that you were here to help and that you were cleared to explain everything about what's happening. All three of you people apparently run big-shot academies and libraries and stuff, right? So you're the final authority! Don't give me this 'classified' crap, it's only classified 'cause you said so!"
JULIE: "I can't believe I have to spell this out again; this is totally my business. I deserve to know what's bouncing around inside my stupid defective skull!"

GUDRUN: "Absolutely not! It's a sensitive matter!"

JULIE: "FINE! Then they can just have it!"

---

You jolt from your seat and storm towards the authoritative shadows across from you. Scrawny as you are, you seem to intimidate the two smaller figures as you stick your neck out and scowl in frustration.

---

JULIE: "Here! You know how to do magic or whatever right? Just cast a spell and take it out!"

COTTONHELM: "I-Im sorry, but if it was that simple we wouldn't be in this situation! It's a part of you, removing it would invariably result in death!"

JULIE: "THEN LET ME DIE."
JULIE: "I am so FUCKING tired of living in a world where I have NO GOD DAMN CONTROL over where I go or what I do or who I love or how I feel! Everything in my stupid pathetic life is run by this shit-eating lump in my head, how people treat me, how the world treats me, it's BULLSHIT! I can't have a relationship 'cause I'll just hurt whatever poor schmuck ends up liking me, I can't go five FUCKING minutes without wondering when the headaches are gonna come back, my mood swings like a fucking PENDULUM because of the GOD KNOWS WHAT pushing up against my temporal, I'm so depressed I can't last a day without thinking of death, and now that I'm finally in front of someone that can tell me what's wrong with me, THEY DECIDE IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS. It's not fucking FAIR!"

GUDRUN: "I know, hon, but please understand, it's just better for you not to know..."

JULIE: "WHY!?"

VERMILLION: "BECAUSE THEY THINK YOU ARE TOO WEAK TO BEAR WEIGHT OF GALACTIC BURDEN."

---

Another protracted silence, longer and more tense than the first. This time, even Cottonhelm and Gudrun appear just as shaken as you are.

---

GUDRUN: "You bumbling ignoramus, do you know what you've just done? The goal was not to burden her with the threat cosmic disquiet, were you not listening?"

VERMILLION: "OH. I’M SORRY. I FORGET IMPORTANCE OF ‘EMOTIONAL STABILITY’. THANK YOU, HELENA. YOU REMIND ME THAT HAPPY PERSON IS LESS LIKELY TO BE KILLED THAN SAD PERSON. YES, IF YOU SMILE HARD ENOUGH AT .44 CALIBER BULLET, BULLET RECONSIDERS CAREER AND GOES HOME TO APPLY FOR POSITION AT LOCAL PIZZA PLACE.”
VERMILLION: "LITTLE GIRL DESERVES TO KNOW TRUTH. HOW CAN SHE FIGHT WITHOUT REASON FOR FIGHTING? DEATH IS UPON HER, TEARS CAN COME LATER. NOW IS TIME FOR ACTION.”

COTTONHELM: "As much as I disagree with Vermillion’s tone, I’m afraid he has a point.”

GUDRUN: "I was not aware that Vermillion was capable of sass.”

COTTONHELM: "Indeed.”
COTTONHELM: "Miss Mitchells, allow me to make myself clear. The truth about your illness would be very difficult to take for even the hardest of hearts… Are you absolutely sure you’re up to the challenge of keeping it’s terrible secret?”

JULIE: "You guys make it sound so…
evil. Is it really that bad?”

COTTONHELM: "Yes. For you see, if it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster not only for Earth, but the entire Sol System and the very galaxy we call home.”

JULIE: "What…”
JULIE: “What is it?”

COTTONHELM: "The mass at the center of your brain is a biological superweapon.”

JULIE: “...”
JULIE: “...”
JULIE: “...”
JULIE: “... No.”

RE: Four Painful Years - FlanDab - 09-16-2018

>That's the second most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. A cancerous tumor that also happens to be a superweapon?! Absurd to the point of comicality. It ranks just beside what Luca said about what happened to that jar of mayonnaise on national sandwich day years ago.

RE: Four Painful Years - The Purple Meanie - 09-16-2018

>It's so funny. So funny that it makes you laugh.

RE: Four Painful Years - KingMomo - 09-16-2018

How is that possible? How does something like that even happen? The hell does it even do?
What's the point of all this if you're going to die in 4 years?

RE: Four Painful Years - Paperhelmet - 09-18-2018

(09-16-2018, 01:50 PM)The Purple Meanie Wrote: »>It's so funny. So funny that it makes you laugh.

JULIE: "No, that's... No. Cottonhelm, right? Cottonhelm, that's ass. That is straight a dog's ass."
JULIE: "What is it really? Cancer? My money's on cancer. Human brain parasite? What."

COTTONHELM: "I'm sorry, Julie, but this is as real as it gets."
COTTONHELM: "Nestled tightly within the corpus callosum just behind your hypothalamus is an organic structure the size of a man's fist. Since your first diagnosis in Two-Thousand-Three, a bevy of clandestine paramilitary groups - some paid, some acting out of self interest - have set about mustering their resources in a concentrated effort to sieze it as quietly and efficiently as possible. Your 'neighbor', one 'Urk'm Gants', has been tailing you for several years now, gradually picking off his competition while waiting for the ideal moment... to..."
COTTONHELM: "Miss Mitchells is something the matter?"

JULIE: "Pffff... keke..."
JULIE: "Gk... snort..."

COTTONHELM: "M-Miss Mitchells?"

JULIE: "SnnnnkkkkKKKKKKGGGGG-"

---

You proceed to lose every ounce of composure you had left. You can feel the disapproving looks of the bigwigs before you as you double over and laugh yourself hoarse.

---

JULIE: "Ha ha ha! Oh my GOD!"
JULIE: "Augh, I haven't laughed so hard since that time I caught Luca eating mayo straight from the jar!"
JULIE: "HAPPY NATIONAL SANDWICH DAY, LUCA! GKKK-"

GUDRUN: "Julie, I understand the particulars can sound a little farfetched, but don't you think the situation would benefit from a degree of self-respect on your part?"

COTTONHELM: "You must admit, this whole debacle is kind of ridiculous."

GUDRUN: "This is a matter of life and death!"

JULIE: "Okay but it's stupid!"
JULIE: "It's so stupid. First of all, what does it do? Where do these things even come from? Do I just grow 'superweapons' in my head like some kinda messed-up herb garden, or is some douchebag using me as their safety deposit box? Also, if this thing is so valuable, why didn't they just take me out then and there, when I was a baby?"
JULIE: "Also also, if you three knew about this, where the hell have you been up until now? Why'd you have to wait 'till I was halfway suicidal to show up and do the 'We've been watching you' thing!?"

COTTONHELM: "Not everyone handles crossing over the same way. Most Mundanes break through and experience no ill effects, barring the associated headaches and auditory static. Temporary nuisances. However, there are those who's Barriers were never meant to come down. If these unlucky few are forced into The Flipside before the Barrier can prepare an opening, the results can be devastating. Mundanes who 'crash' in such a manner end up fearful, broken, panicked... Quite a few lose their minds, hence the 'marbles' we discussed earlier."
COTTONHELM: "As important as the fate of the galaxy is to us, to risk one's mental state like that, let alone that of a child... We consider such methods unconscionable."

VERMILLION: "BAAAH. I KEEP TELLING THEM, JOB IS JOB. SOMETIMES TO MAKE OMELETTE, YOU MUST DRIVE INNOCENT CHILDREN TO BRINK OF INSANITY."

COTTONHELM: "... Beg your pardon. Some of us consider such methods unconscionable."

JULIE: "Even if the alternative is a short life full of pain and misery?"

GUDRUN: "Well, picture it this way. Would you rather be dying, miserable and in pain, or dying, miserable, in pain and wearing a straight jacket?"

JULIE: "... Lady your bedside manner could use some work."

COTTONHELM: "In regards to the origins and capabilities of the mass, we don't have much to go on. There have been multiple accounts of similar growths, but far between, and all anecdotal. Any records of past encounters have since been lost, stolen or destroyed by unknown vandals, but one particularly widespread rumor claims that a single specimen can produce enough energy to sustain a spacefaring civilisation for nearly ten-thousand Earth-years... Though how they came up with that metric is beyond me."

JULIE: "So these jerks are tryin'a crack me open on a hunch? This just keeps getting better and better..."

COTTONHELM: "If that hunch is correct, whomever comes to possess the mass shall wield an unprecedented font of power. A fuel source of that magnitude could be used to warp societies, topple economies... Annihilate entire planets. That is why it must be kept safe. That is why you, dear Julie, must be kept safe."
COTTONHELM: "And I, for one, believe we are capable of doing so without resorting to the unjust murder of a innocent young woman who just wants to build tiny robots and eat jam sandwiches in peace."

GUDRUN: "It wouldn't be right."

VERMILLION: "IT WOULD BE WASTE OF FIERY SPIRIT INSIDE OF YOU."

JULIE: "... Sniff."
JULIE: "They're peanut butter and jam sandwiches..."

---

Stop crying you nitwit... You're not even sad... Just super confused and more than a little touched. It would be so easy for these people to just pop you open and be done with it, but they seem genuinely willing to help you out... Then again, experience taught you long ago that strangers tend to fake it.

You can't let your guard down for even a second, but it's nice to feel cared about every once in a while, even in this absurd a context.

---

COTTONHELM: "Tissue?"

JULIE: "I'm fine..."
JULIE: "Look, forget my other question, alright? I guess I don't care..."

GUDRUN: "You would have found the answer underwhelming."

JULIE: "... Great, now I'm curious."
JULIE: "Whatever, can we just get to the reason why I'm here already? This couch is making my butt hurt and the lighting in this room is giving me a bad case of tennis eyeball."
JULIE: "Honestly, unless your plan for me is just 'stuff her in a bomb shelter and feed her pretzals until she dies', you're wasting your time with anything more complex than that. It's not like you'd have to wait that long anyway, in four years I'm up on a cloud somewhere diggin' for keys under St. Peter's welcome mat."

---

Suddenly the mood in the room seems to change. Everyone starts jostling around and straightening up and cracking their giant armored knuckles like something exciting is about to happen.

---

COTTONHELM: "Dearest, if all goes according to plan, you may not be disturbing ol' Petey-boy's welcome mat for quite some time."

---

Your heart skips a beat.

---

JULIE: "... What?"

RE: Four Painful Years - FlanDab - 09-18-2018

>Bah. This hairbrained plan of yours better not be something like walking on a flying trapeze above a fate worse than Ragnarok and Armageddon combined while balancing an anvil against a platter of waffles. I hope it's a catwalk; better if with railings.

RE: Four Painful Years - Paperhelmet - 09-22-2018

COTTONHELM: “Allow me to explain.”
COTTONHELM: “Erm, that is, allow me to explain some more. I’ll try to keep it brief.”

VERMILLION: "WHO HAS MY EARPLUGS?”

COTTONHELM: “Shh!”
COTTONHELM: “You see, the three of us are more than capable of protecting you within the fortified walls of our facilities. We are also ready and willing to put you through extensive self-defense programs should the day come to pass that we - as Gudrun put it - ‘let our guard down’, and you are left with no choice but to fight alone. Those amenities are guaranteed.”
COTTONHELM: “What I cannot guarantee, however, is a cure for your illness. That being said, the possibility of a cure is very much on the table. Depending on how much data we can gather during your time with us, we may be able to formulate a method of separating the mass from your brain without killing you, hopefully within the next three-or-so years.”

GUDRUN: "The Galactic Library can offer you knowledge privy only to the most dedicated researchers, artisans and experts in the known solar system. We intend to use that knowledge to formulate an extraction method quickly and accurately. If a cure is to be found, it’s going to be found by us."

VERMILLION: “BUT CURE IS NO USE IF YOU DIE. THORNS ACADEMY OF COMBAT TRANSFORMS LITTLE GIRLS INTO LIVING WEAPON. DEATH IS YOUR ALLY, AND YOU WILL NO LONGER FEAR IT. YOU WILL MASTER MANY WEAPONS AND MANY FORMS, AMASS ORCHESTRA OF DEADLY INSTRUMENTS, AND AT END OF DAY? EVERYONE AFRAID TO HUNT YOU. BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DEAD.”

COTTONHELM: “And what MSTTE regrettably lacks in terms of sterling networking and a brutal training regimen it more than makes up for in sheer, dauntless robustitude. Each and every instructor is a certified expert in their respective field, from subjects as innocuous as Merchanting, to courses as educational as they are tests of will, like our Fusion Studies course. We strive to connect you with new friends, new experiences, and the you that you truly wish to be! We are a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, and when it comes to your safety, there is quite literally nowhere safer. I can be in many places at once, you see…”

GUDRUN: “Let’s wrap it up, VP.”

COTTONHELM: “Ah. Quite right, quite right.”
COTTONHELM: “Unfortunately, our combined mentorship would probably kill you faster, due to the demanding nature of our methods. You’re only human, after all… These circumstances demand efficiency. So, what’s left for you to decide, dear Julie, is which path to choose going forward.”
COTTONHELM: “Will you live the life of a freelance adventurer and scholar? Explore the unseen, sophisticated, thrilling existence of a Library agent? Or will you revel in glory as a hardened mercenary? We collect the data we need either way, so none of us have a particular stake in this matter. The choice is purely up to you.”

---

There’s a bit of a pause, after which Gudrun whispers something and nudges Cottonhelm with her elbow.

---

COTTONHELM: “... Aaaand... while it pains me to entertain the thought, you could always attempt to strike out on your own. We can’t force you to do anything without your clear consent. Oh, we’ll help you get started should that be your wish, surely, but… I don’t recommend such a foolhardy course of action. The fate of the entire galaxy would rest on your shoulders alone, quite literally… That kind of burden could drive you to unspeakable ends…”

---

Another pause. You can hear Vermillion’s helmet chafe against his neck armor as he shakes his head at you in warning.

---

COTTONHELM: “... So! What do you think?”

---

You’re totally speechless. By some stroke of unimaginable fortune, you’ve been given a chance at a normal life. But, on the other hand, this chance was given to you as a direct result of the thing that robbed you of normalcy in the first place… Is there a moral here? Actually, that doesn’t matter. Focus, woman, focus!

You have a very important choice to make. There’s just one thing you need to know about before you choose...

---

JULIE: “I… don’t really know what to say, this is just… really blowing my mind!”
JULIE: “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

COTTONHELM: “Ooh, I wouldn’t thank us just yet if I were you, but regardless, you are very welcome.”

JULIE: “I do have a question, though. A really important question.”

---

You liar. It’s not important at all. Important to you maybe, but still really silly in light of everything. Despite that, you can’t help but wonder… They mentioned spacecraft, and they keep talking about solar systems and other sci-fi stuff...

Could this be a dream come true?

---

JULIE: “What are the odds of me getting into a giant robot?”

COTTONHELM + VERMILLION + GUDRUN: "Favorable."

JULIE: “Fucking SOLD.”

v CLICK THIS IMAGE TO CAST YOUR VOTE v

^ CLICK THIS IMAGE TO CAST YOUR VOTE ^

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - Arcanuse - 09-22-2018

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RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - CSJ - 09-22-2018

>All three sound useful; propose to split time between all three. Higly justifiable - we need to defend ourselves and learn about the world even if that cure if our main priority
- 1 day a week with Vermillion for combat training
- 4 days with the MSTTE to get ourselves schooled up on this new life of ours
- 2 days with the Hall, dedicated mostly to researching our noggin rather than adventure-y stuff
Survival is the raison d'etre; screw mortality

SpoilerShow

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - MarbleMoth - 09-22-2018

I voted for The Magical School For Things that Exist, since it could offer a mix of combat *and* knowledge about the mass in your brain (The Hall of Golden Apples would probably help us find a cure faster, but offers no combat experience).

Honestly, if we strike out on our own, just how are we gonna learn how to deal with the mass without anyone to help? Plus no one would be able to protect us if we get hunted down...

Yeah these guys are sketchy, but at least they don't want to kill her (they would've done it by now) and if it turns out they do have a hidden agenda... Well hey at least we've got more combat experience and knowledge about the mass first before (potentially) striking out later.

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - LammarWesley - 09-22-2018

Voted for alone because I only like the Thorns academy and yet I feel each one of theses will mess up a lot with us, depending of the outcome.

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - KingMomo - 09-22-2018

I'll throw my vote at The hall of golden apples. Looks like the odds of that winning are slim, but I'm too much of a sucker for mythological symbolism to vote otherwise.
Hope we can at least visit the other places if an option with enough free time wins.

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - Paperhelmet - 09-24-2018

ANNOUNCE: The poll will continue for another couple days, closing on Wednesday some time in the PST evening. If you haven't voted yet, now's the time. Thanks everyone!

NOTE: None of these locations will be rendered inaccessable or otherwise lost as a result of the poll. Julie will be able to visit them should the opportunity arise.

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - Paperhelmet - 09-29-2018

JULIE: “I think I know what I want to do.”

COTTONHELM: “Positively splendid! Do tell!”

GUDRUN: “Enough with the bouncing, Cottonhelm, I’m going to spill my drink.”

JULIE: “Okay, so, here’s my thought process…”
JULIE: “I want the mass gone as soon as I can get it out of me. As much as I try to convince myself of the opposite, I’m… not ready to go. I could make peace with it if I had more time, I think, but I just don’t have the luxury of ignoring it anymore. I wanna be free.”
JULIE: “But… The quickest way to a cure is through the Library, and I’m definitely too clumsy and impatient to be a secret agent or a scribe... And while I like the thought of being able to defend myself from all these nutbags coming to get me, Thorns sounds like another run-in with my axe-crazy neighbor but every day of my life, and… I’m sorry, but no. Once is enough.”
JULIE: “Had this kept being the boring, heartless world I was born into I might’ve chosen differently, but… I mean, teleportation, spaceships, mermaids, magic, and I’ve just been sitting here missing out on it? Everything looks so weird and colorful and different, I wanna take it in! It scares the hell outta me, no doubt, makes me wanna jump in bed and never leave… But I think I could maybe find some meaning out there? Something profound, I guess? You know what I mean?”

GUDRUN: “You’d like an answer for your head and also giant robots. You don’t have to be ashamed, sweetie.”

JULIE: “... Thanks.”
JULIE: “So, uh… I guess it’s off to the Magical School for me… Sorry.”

GUDRUN: “Oh, nonsense. The point was never to ‘win’ you like some sort of trophy, it was to find you a suitable home while we sort out this whole ‘mass’ debacle.”

VERMILLION: “... SNIFF.”

GUDRUN: “V-... Vermillion? Honey, what’s wrong?”

VERMILLION: “SUCH FIRE INSIDE HER… THE BODY COUNT WOULD HAVE BEEN… SNIFF… LEGENDARY!”

COTTONHELM: “Don’t you fret, old chum. Miss Mitchells could very well make the cover of Marauder Monthly some day! All depends on what she makes of her time up at the shop with us.”
COTTONHELM: “Besides, I’m sure if it were put to a vote, many would have chosen Thorns in Julie’s position!”
COTTONHELM: ”Vodka, Gudrun, give him th- Yes, there we go.”

JULIE: “Should I uh…?”

COTTONHELM: “It’s fine.”
COTTONHELM: “Regardless, welcome to the fold, Miss Mitchells! School begins in September, so you’ve got some preparation ahead of you.”

JULIE: “Uh, hold up.”
JULIE: “Are you saying I have to actually attend class and stuff? I thought this was gonna be some sorta ‘private mentor’ deal.”

COTTONHELM: “Oh, heavens no. One requires intensive training should one wish to survive in this world of ours. Well, should one have a bounty on their head worth more than the GDP of most small countries, at any rate.”
COTTONHELM: “Learning in a communal, goal-oriented environment incentivises the exchange of unique perspectives, the sharing of methodologies, the forging of friendships and rivalries. These tools are instrumental in our eternal search for wholeness, self-acceptance and above all, progress. Your survival is intrinsically tied to the well-being of your peers, and vice versa, such that if a large enough group of individuals bands together to protect one another, they become an impenetrable shield, interwoven like a mesh of fine steel, robust in its tenaci- “

GUDRUN: “Get used to this, Julie. Once he gets going he never shuts up.”

COTTONHELM: “... Ahem.”
COTTONHELM: “Yes, you will be enrolled in our standard, four-year curriculum. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

JULIE: “Honestly? I don’t think so.”
JULIE: “I never really got to go to regular school. I spent my childhood getting poked and prodded by med students and my teens getting hounded by paparazzi. Dad taught me everything he could at home and hired tutors for everything else.”
JULIE: “Could be nice to just go to… what, like, college? What’s it like there?”

COTTONHELM: “Somewhere between a college and a university, by way of a particularly well-to-do secondary school… Or so I’ve been told. Truthfully, MSTTE is very much its own beast.”
COTTONHELM: “You’ll have ample time to experience its many charms over the course of your stay. Speaking of which…”

---

Cottonhelm hops off the sofa, produces a thick stack of papers and plops them onto your lap. They are held together with a bulldog clip, and probably number slightly more than hundred.

---

JULIE: “What’s this?”

COTTONHELM: “Your application form!”
COTTONHELM: “Pages A1 through C27 detail the terms of your enrollment, as well as school policies, expectations and benefits.”
COTTONHELM: “D1 through D27 is all the disclaimers.”

JULIE: “It’s huge!”

COTTONHELM: “Indeed!”
COTTONHELM: “When you’re finished giving it a good skim, make sure to sign in the spaces provided and fill out the profile near the back. Then you’re all set!”

JULIE: “Phwoooo… Okay. Okay, I can do this.”
JULIE: “I’m gonna go be a late-teens fantasy novel… It’s gonna be great. This is actually happening.”
JULIE: “Cottonhelm, Gudrun, Vermillion… Thanks. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t literally come out of nowhere and decided to help me.”
JULIE: “I’m sorry if I got a little ragey back there… It’s been so bonkers lately and I don’t know who or what to trust anymore… Hell, I barely trust you guys, no offense. Seems like you could stand to get more out of this than just ‘protecting the galaxy.’ But, I’ll stash that reflex for now and just… see how it goes.”

VERMILLION: “WISE. TRUST IS VERY IMPORTANT THING, LITTLE GIRL. MAINTAIN IT, KEEP WIT SHARP. YOU TRUST WRONG PERSON, YOU DIE. END OF STORY.”

GUDRUN: “Your distrust isn’t unfounded. I’ve been in your position before… Born Mundane, fresh to the Flipside, lost and vulnerable and easy to take advantage of. It can be difficult to find someone worth confiding in, especially when you have something everyone else wants.”

COTTONHELM: “Luckily for you, if you’re in the market for someone worth putting faith into, the Magical School is the perfect place to start! Please, allow me to set the standard.”

JULIE: “Man.”
JULIE: “I’m sorry, but I still can’t get over how short you are.”

COTTONHELM: “Most people never do.”

---

Incoming Mechanics!

This is Julie's Character Card. Here you can view her Statistics, as well as her Current Level and Attunement.

You can increase Julie's Level by suggesting to cash in 1000 points of Influence. You can gain Influence by unlocking Achievements. In case you were wondering, you currently have 775 Influence. Later on, Influence may be spent in other ways in exchange for different benefits. Leveling entitles Julie to a Perk. More on that later.

Julie's Statistics do not increase upon gaining a Level. They must be increased through constant study and training.

STR (Strength) - Measures physical might and attack power.
TNC (Tenacity) - Measures ability to withstand pain, physical trauma and the effects of toxins and disease.
FIN (Finesse) - Measures hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
ACU (Acuity) - Measures intellect, strength of thought, ability to learn and retention of knowledge.
INS (Insight) - Measures awareness of environment and ability to reason.
CHA (Charisma) - Measures awareness of self, strength of character and ability to influence others.
MNA (Mana) - Measures Mana capacity and conversion rate. Hidden until tested.
SPP (Spellpower) - Measures magical might. Hidden until tested.
WLP (Willpower) - Measures strength of spirit and ability to act beyond one’s parameters.

Once she learns how, Julie will be able to Attune herself to a fundamental aspect of her being - Soul, Mind, Body - in order to access certain abilities and temporarily boost certain Statistics.

Julie's Character Card, as well as your current Influence, can be found at the bottom of each update behind a spoiler.

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Achievement Unlocked: "Into The Blue" - Agreed to receive sanctuary at the Magical School for Things That Exist. (220In)

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995 Influence

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RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - The Purple Meanie - 09-29-2018

<Is this the last time you're gonna see Vermillion or Gudrun?

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - MarbleMoth - 09-29-2018

Am I the only one disturbed with all this talk of murdering people?

I'm all for self-defense sure, if someone is coming to attack us (or our friends) then by all means we should fight back. But body counts? Marauder Monthly? Let's not get carried away here... Murdering just one person can totally screw up the human mind, let alone um hundreds.

Hey Julie, did you already forget how shaken you were, when you (potentially) killed that guy when he was coming for your brain?

RE: Four Painful Years (URGENT POLL, CAST YOUR VOTE!) - KingMomo - 09-30-2018

Resist the urge to pat his head, settle for shaking his hand.
Also inquire about the nature of the principal, namely what was more important than this that they couldn't make it themselves?