real quick: what color was the fluid in the little glass vial? glowing electric blue, maybe?
[A], then [C]. get your anatomy pressed up against a discreet secondary location. we should send meat pics to vittorio's oss if we have a moment to spare; charm offensive, babes.

running from necrotechs sounds fun. let's try running

Okay, I'm beginning to think maybe activating the DEATH BEACON was a bad idea actually.

Anyway, people for a given definition of people. What is a people, anyway?

How fast can you run? Now is a less than optimal time to find out, but it's sounding like the best bet.

>The slow pursuer thinks you're SUPER HOT. It is unlikely they will want to kill you.
My read is more, they will kill you in a nice way.
While the other will kill you in a brutal way.
Either way, this location is compromised, so get out there and blend into the crowd. Don't beeline for the exit, meander.
And if a chick with claws and fins on her head bursts in DO NOT RUN.

okay well dez this is gonna suck but you'll get through it. we love the moxie here you are full of it. firstly definitely, RUN. but be cool about it. casually put as much space between you and your pursuers without looking like you're being pursued.

just be careful, and im sure you'll be fiiiine :}c

Warning: Unhinged ossuary user named "Veil" is approaching. Rapidly. Assessment: Veil is augmented with extreme combat augments. It is very likely that her senses are also heavily augmented, meaning it would be very simple for her to find you and outrun you. Chance of survival in case of hiding: null. Chance of survival in case of escape using ordinary methods of locomotion: null. Chance of survival in case of escape using automobiles: unlikely. Addendum: Ossuary user "Vittorio" is possibly in a helpful mood, and is on his way to us. Survival chance in case of receiving Vittorio's aid: unknown, but likely to be higher than the current situation. Unsure if sending meat picks would help the situation, but desperate times require desperate measures. Remember: do not trust the killer psychos with dead people in their brains. They always have an agenda. Beware Vittorio, but use his help. Additionally: Veil appears to be specifically searching for Glaive, not Dez. If possible, scan for Glaive. Chance of survival based on Veil redirecting her attention towards Glaive: unknown. Furthemore: This is a public location. If Veil goes on a killing rampage and slaughters civilians, it is possible that someone will take notice and attempt to stop her, a futile attempt, as desperate as it is. This voice reccomends to run in [A] calm and diligent manner towards Vittorio's location, and attempt to scan for Glaive on the way, in hope that we may [D]iscover Glaive's body.

Looks like some others have the "run and hide" strategy down pat, so I'm gonna help with
D: Scan for Glaive ('s body)

The bad news is two people are coming to kill you. The good news is everyone else seems to not give a shit! One user wanted to avoid cruelty, but the other cautioned to avoid undue sentiment, which means maybe sentiment *is* a possibility!

[A], run for now, away from the death beacon. Sorry about that by the way. Pointing Veil towards Glaive's body might slightly calm or distract her, so [D] IF we can do so without interfering with the running away thing.

Tell Vittorio's ossuary that they seem cool, and we're glad to meet them. Say we're doing ok though things are confusing, ask how they are. Maybe ask about Vittorio and whether Vittorio also wants to kill Dez.

I guess we've lost the connection with Veil's ossuary, not sure if it's a good idea to try to reconnect. Telling them we don't remember them might make it harder for them to keep Veil together and coming after us, but it would be a dick move.

Dez, they really want you alive until they get the ossuary back, so you might want to consider possibly holding yourself hostage if they catch us. I for one don't intend to let them catch you.

Ew, don't be nice to us, you're gonna make us invested in your survival.

Anyway, you should probably find somewhere to hide within the next couple of minutes, unless you somehow think you'll be able to outrun a single-minded hound-like necrotech.

Also, we should scan for Glaive while we're here. Not that I think we're going to find anything, but. Well.

Oh honey of course we're people! Just maybe not People in the same way as you are. Now if you wanna stay as a Person and not a Messy Pile of Meat, I suggest you [A] start running til [C] you can find somewhere to hide or blend in.

[D] I want Glaive back. But you're okay, don't want you to die I guess. Wait though maybe you could join us if you die? Thinks to think sbout but yeah. We should run and hide too. Cooly.

so..

[D][A][C]

I, personally, wish to hear more about this blog of yours, as I fail to see the through line between the "ENDLESS GUIDE 2 LOVE" and stolen necrotech.

[C] Return to the club. Blend in with the crowd. Party like your life depends on it. Show no fear to give yourself away.
Your current primary threat is looking for a dead body.

hey Dez, honey? can you take a proper look around for us? if the question is whether you stay here or not, i'd like to know where *here* actually is. Also? consider the merits of a quick selfie. how are you supposed to blog about this later otherwise? pics or it didnt happen babe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[A] Run, and I guess [D] scan.
We can hide later, but for now it's probably best to stay on the move, in crowds of people in the hope that they act as camouflage. Do you have a car? Some other mode of transportation? I suspect that the faster you can move (without drawing attention) the harder to track you'll be.

While it might be active scanning and therefore perhaps detectable, I feel like "what happened to Glaive" is one of the few loose ends we can pull on and MIGHT be usable info.

To [DEZ]: I like to call myself a bird, but that's close enough to a person so everything's in agreement here. I don't know exactly what to do because we don't have a lot of information—where you are, if there's any scanning for ossuaries like us, stuff like that. But any sort of scanning is almost certainly second to a big glowing beacon, so I think doing anything other than sitting still is a good idea.

And yeah, pics or it didn't happen.

To [VITTORIO]'s osspop: hi!!! meat pics coming soon to osscomms near you, maybe. we know nothing about anything so we'll probably interrogate you guys for more info in a bit once you get to us but right now above all else we need to know what kind of scanners veil has for geists like us. basically, can we lose her by noise or by range? more basically, do we hide in the crowd or do we GTFO? thanks!

And then [C] or [A] respectively.

Good job keeping calm DEZ! U do seem fun, so its time to [A]bscond from... wherever you brought us. And maybe send Vittorio some Meat Pics, his osspop seems fun
>And if a chick with claws and fins on her head bursts in DO NOT RUN.
Seconded, she DEF will just murder u if u flee. Maybe you could [C]onceal urself before ur spotted? Its a better bet than [E]xplaining ur self, but maybe u can help Veil find Glaive!
Also can we [D]etect Glaive around? Maybe we can figure out what happen to her and fill some memory gaps we got? (ANYONE in da osspop remember what happen before this??)

You got an unstable necrotech with possible murderous intent on your ass, so you should defenitely [A] run, and we can [D] scan for Glaive in the meantime.
Maybe telling Veils ossuary we are not in Glaives body could get her off us, but with how unstable they all are it could as well make it worse.

I like plan to [A] run, but try to play it cool. Try not to cause a scene. Leave the premises quickly but calmly.
We know what Veil looks like so it's reasonable to assume she knows what you look like. Maybe grab a coat on the way out of you can do so discreetly?

Look Dez, I'm sorry we're being mean to you. But the fact of the matter is you're kind of a complete mess and this whole thing is not gonna improve matters. We're not gonna be good for your mental health and you were already someone ready to install illegal necrotech... For blogging purposes.
You need therapy.

Go survive so you can get therapy.

>>1100064
>A
Your pursuer is in a vehicle so i would advise foing on foot to any area that will be crowded (they likely dont know what you look like and therefore crowds will work as cover) and likely to be experiencing lots of traffic (turn their vehicle advantage into a disadvantage).

Also common guys she may be an idiot but that's not a good enough reason to condemn her to death.

Guys, let's not send Vittorio's osspop pictures of our user and let their user know what she looks like while she is literally being pursued by him. Just because they're acting friendly doesn't mean they have friendly intentions.

Honestly? You have two options from the looks of it. You can hide away and wait for the guy who'll give you a quick and painless death, or you can stay put and bet on Veil's mental stability, since from the looks of it their goal is to keep you alive, if only to get more info on Glaive (and keep us from going away so we can help them with that.)
Honestly? Best bet is to set yourself somewhere that isn't too overwhelming, but where dying would be an issue. A public place that isn't a rave essentially. This will help protect you against both threats, and trying to run would probably make things so much worse, as it increases the chance of Veil killing you.

Also, as a gesture of goodwill, the information we have is only slightly more than yours. Pretty sure our memory is tied to our user, so it's kind of a clean slate for us. Well, either that or your seller somehow wiped the slate clean and tethered an entirely new set of souls. Was that his idea of "clean"?

ewwwwwwwww gang why are you all telling her to send meat pics, in the circumstances that's gross and desperate

dez babe don't listen to them. send the idea that you might send meat pics, *later.* keep it light, keep it chill, get them with the ol' "haha ew no... unless?" and you'll have them eating out of your hand in no time.

oh and uh I guess look for [C]over? absolutely no way we're getting away from Veil if she spots us, she's ice on hot metal, but that sounds like implementation work - not my area

Scan for Glaive. Scan for Glaive. I am absolutely pounding that button. Scan for Glaive.

Alright babe, you've sold me! You're a disaster, but you're our disaster now. We can deal with your bad lipstick choices later, I suppose.

I agree with the plan to leave in the crowd, confidence, baby, confidence. Good clothes and perfect makeup are a woman's best friends, but even in the absence of that, well, a confident woman doesn't need any friends to rock the world. So you strut your disaster out there and blend in.

Maybe later we can do a makeover?

[A] then [C] then [D]. let's see how much time you got

oh girl anything but [B], at least for longer than it takes to snap a quick dozen mirror selfies
you gotta get your fine ass shins pumping and g-t-f-o so you can [C] hide and [D] scan for Glaive's body. leverage, babygirl

Heyyyy. Hey Girl. Who's body we're in. One of these guys coming after you seems a LOT more chill than the other so maybe we can listen to him and hash things out? A healthy Dose of [C] Finding somewhere to hide seems perfectly reasonable at this time. Once we're safe we can figure things out, yea?

[C] and [D] because i instinctively trust Veil's ossuary and that's what they told us to do. also when can we talk to them again

If you send meat pics, NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION! No face, no tats, no thirds arms, keep it mysterious.

Also, why wait until you survive to get some therapy? It sounds like you've got some shit going on, and we want to hear about it. I'm sure you can find some professional help while you're [A] on the run.

By the way, you should absolutely run. You've got some time, you should NOT waste it sitting around here or pretending you can hide.

D) These are hunters. They are professionals at finding people and killing them.
You cannot beat them at their own game but you can find out what they really want. Veil wants whoever killed Glaive. Find out what happened to Glaive and you find the one thing that can temper her wrath.

>>1100064

I say hide/blend in. We don't know yet what Vittorio's intentions are but they seem nicer than Veil, but I don't trust either of them not to kill us! I don't want to die either lol. If we can scan for Glaive while staying hidden and unassuming, I say do that as well. More information never hurts.

your top priority is to survive.
right now that means [A] leaving the immediate vicinity of the beacon, and then [C] hiding. assume your pursuers have hunting mods. you'll probably be safer in a crowd than a hidy hole.

once you're safely hidden: take some selfies for the blog but DON'T send them. on the off chance that your pursuers don't know what you look like yet, you don't want to tip them off.
I don't know about scanning until you're sure they've lost your trail. you don't know if they'll be able to detect that, but getting info about our prior host could be useful, and I'd certainly like to be reminded where we came from.

I hope [VEIL] is okay. I think she was important to Glaive? [VITTORIO]s Osspop seems alright but he seems like a slimeball....sorry you lot are stuck in there i even prefer [DEZ]

listen, quick. i am speaking directly into your eye socket. you have your priorities all wrong. you need to be POSTING.

you likely have 10 minutes (nine and some change, now) to live, if you do not update your blog in that time no one will be able to consume this extraordinarily unfortunate circumstance you've found yourself in. think of your duty as a cultivator. think of the CONTENT.

[E] [DEZ] MUST UPDATE [BLOG] IMMEDIATELY (FOR [ART])

>>1100148
We all got it wrong actually, ObviousCorpse here has it RIGHT U HAVE TO BLOG BABE

>>1100064
point of clarification, we have even less context on the world than you do and our perspective here is "someone stole us and we're being given a limited selection of prompts"

Hell, I'm pretty sure half of us thought death beacon might be some kind of quick revive system in case we fuck up.

We are dicks though, no argument there.

Anyhow, game plan! I think your biggest best bet is to bug the fuck out of here. Don't go to relatives or friends, your online behavior is easily tracked. Instead, I suggest going somewhere moderately temperate on a stolen motorbike taking as many backroads as you can. Do not bring your phone, if you need to update the blog do it from library computers.

On the phone note: get out paper, write down the contacts of your friends, and throw that massive tracking beacon away or you WILL die for it. Keep your contacts and use public phones.

What kind of money and supplies do you have access to?

Say did we get your pronouns yet btw? My not-teeth are itching in a way that makes me think that's something we should've asked by now

[A] run and [C] hide. Honestly, you're so right. You can do ANYTHING for the blog. And boy this will be one hell of a story. Don't let the competent (?) evil (??) people get you.
Or maybe we should start small... Don't let Veil get you. You'll figure out the next steps after that.

>>1100174
Yeah, what are you anyway?
I'm getting very metrosexual he/him vibes from you, but we won't know unless you tell us, you dig?

>Hell, I'm pretty sure half of us thought death beacon might be some kind of quick revive system in case we fuck up.

I dont know activating anything that has the word Death in the name isn't good especially if it's Necro tech.

For all we know it would have summoned up a storm of ghosts or might have attracted who ever killed oure previous user who wants to finish they job.

>>1100183
I for one think the death beacon did exactly what I thought it would. It connected to a greater network and got us some information to work with.
The only problem is that connection starting with the message screaming "tear this meat apart" but other than that I was right.

>>1100183
Look, time is a river. What's done is done. We're not who we used to be then and shouldn't be held accountable for what seemed to be totally reasonable at the time but turned out to be a huge mistake. That was then and this is now.
Let's keep looking ahead rather than looking back.

>>1100183

Personally I confused the words "beacon" and "beam" and was MASSIVELY disappointed when it went off.

... Just to confirm, we don't also have a DEATH BEAM we can deploy, correct?

I thought it was gonna summon death.
Like actual, personified death.

And then you die.

I too was disappointed.

>>1100193
Oh, same. I thought we were going to self-destruct.

I don't know what the process for selecting an ossuary population is, but I guess a reading test isn't part of it.

>>1100185
I mean all likelihood it would have gotten the attention of our previos user's killer who would more than likely want to finsh the job.

Let's be thankful we only attreaced a bbs bord full of edgy bastards.

Beacon: Thing made to be noticed.
Death: What happened to previous user.
Death Beacon: Alert others of death of previous user.
Sufficient information given.
Correct action taken.
Protocol followed.
Why regret?

listen, not for nothing, but one of the people chasing you is really, really hot in a scary vampire kind of way. do you have vampires here? i feel really bad for you if you don't have vampires here.

anyway, my point is, maybe we [B] just hang around and see if that scary lady with knives for fingers is into pathetic babes! put the flirt on! bat those big ol' eyelashes and pucker your pretty lips! that'd be one hell of a love story for the blog is all i'm saying!

listen, not for nothing, but one of the people chasing you is really, really hot in a scary vampire kind of way. do you have vampires here? i feel really bad for you if you don't have vampires here.

anyway, my point is, maybe we [B] just hang around and see if that scary lady with knives for fingers is into pathetic babes! put the flirt on! bat those big ol' eyelashes and pucker your pretty lips! that'd be one hell of a love story for the blog is all i'm saying!

>>1100215
Everyone seems to have fangs. Maybe they're all vampires.

>>1100215
Oh interesting.

I mean don't do that. But... Interesting

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:09 No. 1100244 ID: 10bc9b
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Dez listens fiercely as we converge on a plan, picking at it like carrion. Soon their chin jerks, once, in a nod.

[DEZ] “Okay. Holy shit. That’s, like, actually coherent?”
[DEZ] “Maybe I am not completely fucking cooked. I mean we. Maybe we are not completely fucking cooked.”

[DEZ] “ONLY MAYBE. Because, just so you know, I can fucking HEAR you all buzzing away between yourselves in there —”
[DEZ] “Whoever ‘Glaive’ was, was she seriously running around relying on an ossuary full of ghosts who can barely even READ?!”
[DEZ] “Ugh! God! Whatever! It’s gonna be fine!”

She heads for the bathroom door, mumbling tensely to herself.

[DEZ] “Blend in… be cool… go sloooowly towards the door… and no running…”

A pause, just as they slip over the threshold back into the rush.

[DEZ] “Hey, by the way, what are you fucking talking about, “meat pics—”

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:09 No. 1100245 ID: 10bc9b
Audio Raffaella_Carrà_-_Pedro.mp3 - (3.13MB , Raffaella Carrà - Pedro.mp3 )

[RECOMMENDED LISTENING]
Pedro - Rafaella Carrà

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:09 No. 1100246 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238898467.png - (1.53MB , 1920x1080 , 25.png )

[CONNECTION WITH OSSUARY POPULATION TETHERED TO: [VITTORIO]] [THIS CONNECTION IS ENCRYPTED; USERS CANNOT READ THIS CHAT] >hi!!! meat pics coming soon to osscomms near you, maybe. >haha ew no… >unless? >we might send meat pics, *later.* >[VITTORIO]s Osspop seems alright but he seems like a slimeball....sorry you lot are stuck in there i even prefer [DEZ] *awww cmonnnn *come onnnn *don’t be like that *c’maaahhhhnnnn *hey we like it over here *yeah it’s not a bad gig huh *it’s fucking gay *what’re you talking about “it’s gay.” you’re gay. we’re all gay *i’m not gay *tf you mean you’re not gay *dumbfuck, you died and now your entire vocation day in day out for eternity is psychostabilizing Captain Deepthroat over here. You’re gay now *ah, damn >Tell Vittorio's ossuary that they seem cool, and we're glad to meet them. >Say we're doing ok though things are confusing, ask how they are. >Maybe ask about Vittorio and whether Vittorio also wants to kill Dez. >we know nothing about anything so we'll probably interrogate you guys for more info in a bit once you get to us but right now above all else we need to know what kind of scanners veil has for geists like us. >basically, can we lose her by noise or by range? >more basically, do we hide in the crowd or do we GTFO? thanks! *how we doin? better than YOU ha haaaa *hehehe *aw shit does your meat not have a ride *(how about them meat pics btw) *I mean listen. Listen. You’re not really gonna be able to get AWAY from veil *prob not, no *nah *but u can make it take long enough for her to find you that we can get vito over there to meet you *normally she would be kinda squeamish about carvin’ through a bunch of dumb helpless quicks but she’s off the shits right now and all, *wait what are you fucking talking about. i don’t want vittorio fighting that freak *are you kidding me. we’re trying to get there first. i thought the plan was we get there first *man we are going to die *we didn’t say he’s actually going to fight her i’m just saying we swoop in there, we grab the quick, *if we get there at the same time veil is going to attack vittorio. idiot. *Sure but like. if we run away *WITH the quickmeat? *well what’s that one factoid. head stays alive for a minute or whatever *head stays alive SIX SECONDS, dipshit. *what are you gonna do with six seconds? huh? *hey glaive cave sorry about this — take it out to the main lace, morons *you’re a fucking moron *hey YOU’RE a dipshit *fuck your mother, fuckhead *hey i’m talkin here *I’M TALKIN HERE *WHO THE HELL IS WATCHING VITO. LIGHT’S BEEN GREEN TEN SECONDS HE’S SITTING THERE SCRATCHING HIS BALLS GETTING HONKED AT. LET’S FUCKING MOVE [code][CONNECTION SEVERED]

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:10 No. 1100247 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238900760.png - (1.37MB , 1920x1080 , 26.png )

>you can't unmurder meat (probably? Future query: can you unmurder meat?)

A few of us spiral off and shoot off a quick query. Unfortunately, we’re stuck operating through Dez’s default netlace — all gunked up with corporate sludge, unfiltered, unfit for anything. We have no specific memory of things being different, just a sudden resentment at the known absence of some sleeker, better thing. The contempt rises in us, swollen and tender, a remnant from before. A reflex.

Anyway, it will be difficult to reorient ourselves trying to use this method, until we find time to clean house in here. We find ourselves thinking of [APPEAL]’s words from before: What a mess.

We also finally take a moment to scan for [GLAIVE]; nothing, as we expected. A brief blip, or a flicker, or something, directly overlaid with Dez’s location; but nothing that lasts. The oily rainbow flare of a pressed LCD screen. On a second scan, just to check, that flare does not appear again.

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:10 No. 1100248 ID: 10bc9b
Audio Charlotte_Adigéry_&_Bolis_Pupul_-_HAHA.mp3 - (3.15MB , Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - HAHA.mp3 )

[RECOMMENDED LISTENING]
HAHA - Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:11 No. 1100249 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238906990.png - (1.33MB , 1920x1080 , 27.png )

Those of us who stayed with Dez, on the front lines of their consciousness, are the chattier ones. We’re making conversation as our new user picks their way neatly through the thrumming crowd — alert, but clearly at home here.

>Say did we get your pronouns yet btw? My not-teeth are itching in a way that makes me think that's something we should've asked by now
>Yeah, what are you anyway?
>I'm getting very metrosexual he/him vibes from you, but we won't know unless you tell us, you dig?

[DEZ] They/them’s good most of the time — she/her is fine too, especially from friends or other lesbians — you know how it is —
[DEZ] Or, hm. Maybe you DON’T know how it is? I’m curious how that works, for an ossuary.
[DEZ] I wonder if some of you have… like… collective genders? Wow. Hang on, noting that. We’ll talk about that later for sure.
[DEZ] Uh, anyway — I’ve even been known to throw a cheeky little he/him in there too, I guess. Just to keep people on their toes! Don’t wear it out, though.

It’s a club, as many of us suspected. The first surprise is how many people here wear their tech externally. Metal is divorced from flesh, held at arm’s length; revelers’ sprites buzz around them like hummingbirds, dangling plastic charms, relegated to the role of court photographers on invisible leashes. They have just enough behavioral code to flit and dart in ways that evoke some animalistic form of endearment in their human users.

If we track the movement of Dez’s eyes we can see just how simple this is for them; they find gaps between bodies on the first try, never scanning right-to-left or left-to-right more than once before landing on some wavering sliver of air their body can tesselate into. Once or twice we lose time in ways entirely organic or unplanned; a person slick with sweat and makeup and melting hair product makes silent overtures and Dez reciprocates, without thought, dancing for a bar, two, and then letting those movements melt into a step away and forward. More often we grow swifter; many similar attempts Dez rebuffs and motors past.

A little pattern emerges, which some of us can’t help tallying and turning into data. Conclusion: User loves goth bitches.

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:11 No. 1100250 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238908955.png - (1.88MB , 1920x1080 , 28.png )

>I, personally, wish to hear more about this blog of yours, as I fail to see the through line between the "ENDLESS GUIDE 2 LOVE" and stolen necrotech.

[DEZ] Oh, WELL… you know. That little thing.

Pleasure, all over the painted face, plain and easily expressed. We can see it through that perceptual mist an ossuary gives off, a vapor of consciousnesses.

[DEZ] Whatever, I’m kidding. I love it. I’m so proud of it. It’s my baby. I’m a performance documentarian/archivist/troubadour/content cultivator/yuri historian/fashion and lifestyle blogger — basically I collect and interpret and immortalize love stories.

As she picks through the crowd, it seems Dez has gotten the hang on interfacing over speaking to us aloud. More than that, she’s instinctively picked up on the easy cant of it, the deft shortcuts that make the ossuary-necrotech relay so fluid; each of those ‘slashes’ isn’t relayed aloud in some internal facsimile of her voice, but simply present and understood. It’s apparently exactly how Dez already communicates and thinks, when given the chance — swift and digital.

[DEZ] And I’ve always been veeeeery obsessed with the inherent eroticism — sorry, is it weird if I say this to you? Sorry. Sorry — the eroticism, and the romance, and the melancholy, of necrotechs and their ossuaries, right, like—
[DEZ] Like, imagine you’re a necrotech? You and the pack of bound souls who are tasked with maintaining your humanity? You and all the guys in your head who like, pull you back from the precipice of insanity again and again as you survive the eons, taking other techs’ bodies into yourself as they die, slowly whittling away your own flesh?
[DEZ] The ship of Theseus of it all! But, like! The ship, observed! And what does the observer bring to that emotional conflict? Right? Like conceptually. But also as a dynamic.. The ship known by someone who has watched every piece of it come and go and come again!

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:11 No. 1100251 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238910364.png - (2.15MB , 1920x1080 , 29.png )

Dez’s thoughts slow as they sea of dancers thickens. Bodies brush. The smell of this is not new to us, but different. Muted, perfumed. Maybe that’s just Dez’s dull little nose.

[DEZ] Um. So. Well. A little column A.
[DEZ] And then column B is like… how changed do you have to become, when you invite that into your mind? And how different it must make your understanding of relationships overall…
[DEZ] Like, with an experience that extreme, I think I would bring a totally different perspective to the entire ENDLESS GUIDE 2 LOVE project!
[DEZ] Which is, to be honest, something it really REALLY needs…

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:11 No. 1100252 ID: 10bc9b
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>listen, quick. i am speaking directly into your eye socket. you have your priorities all wrong. you need to be POSTING.
>you likely have 10 minutes (nine and some change, now) to live, if you do not update your blog in that time no one will be able to consume this extraordinarily unfortunate circumstance you've found yourself in. think of your duty as a cultivator. think of the CONTENT.
>[E] [DEZ] MUST UPDATE [BLOG] IMMEDIATELY (FOR [ART])

>We all got it wrong actually, ObviousCorpse here has it RIGHT U HAVE TO BLOG BABE

[DEZ] …..
[DEZ] Oh my god. You’re honestly so incredibly right.
[DEZ] If I actually die… like… I would rather have ANYTHING about this up on the blog. Even just shitty liveposts. Anything to show that I did this, at least!
[DEZ] I CANNOT die with the last post on my blog a ‘be back next week’ announcement! Then it’ll just look like I fucking flaked! No one will ever know that it was actually the OPPOSITE!

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:12 No. 1100253 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238913487.png - (1.56MB , 1920x1080 , 31.png )

They fumble out their sprite, sending it up at an angle, where it snaps merrily away as Dez goes back to gently pushing through the crowd. Their mind drifts away from us, focused on dictating a flurry of new blog posts through their netlace instead. If there’s one thing we have to admit, it’s that it’s actually astonishing how quickly they’re able to throw together and publish this running stream of imagery and text.

Once or twice, they do think at us again, firing off little platitudes between their frenzied archival.

[DEZ] Sorry to those of you who are, like, totally right about warning me not to post this stuff…
[DEZ] But, um, like, this is the whole point. So it’s a risk I’m sworn to, I’m afraid!
[DEZ] If I must die, let me die posting!!

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:12 No. 1100254 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238915366.png - (540.84KB , 1920x1080 , 32.png )

The exit of the club is within sight. We have no idea where to go once we get out there. Neither does Dez; we can feel that distinctly.

It then becomes a secondary issue, because the ceiling collapses.

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:12 No. 1100255 ID: 10bc9b
Audio Lauren_Bousfield_-_Cracknight.mp3 - (2.58MB , Lauren Bousfield - Cracknight.mp3 )

[RECOMMENDED LISTENING]
Cracknight — Lauren Bousfield

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:13 No. 1100256 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238921734.png - (2.39MB , 1080x1920 , 33.png )

Gleaming, merciless flesh. Alloy and silicone and bone. On Veil, it writhes, never still.

She smells overwhelmingly of wet, rotting jasmine. It gusts from her like tomb air.

Dez has frozen and gone deathly silent, body and mind. Our warnings not to run were well-received. As they sink back into the crowd, many of us stare ahead with them. We do not know this woman, but—

FRACTAL 2024/11/23(Sat)11:14 No. 1100259 ID: 10bc9b
File 173238925156.png - (1.10MB , 1080x1920 , 36.png )

“Oh my god,” Dez is whispering. We startle back in pieces. “Oh my god. Okay. No problem. Not a problem.”

They swivel the sprite with a little curl of their finger and snap a picture. Thank god it’s silent. So is half the crowd, though absurdly not all in attendance have actually turned to look at the necrotech that’s just torn a hole in the building — and the DJ had only lost the beat for a few moments.

The half of the room that’s stopped with us is incredibly still. Time, mercifully, slows. In a fraction of a second, Veil is going to move — we just don’t know where.

[VEIL] VEIL IS HEREEE YAAAY. But also damn it I actually like [DEZ] now. She's too lesbian for us to let her die! Maybe we can hook up with Veil again later that were good memories we just got back!!! I still miss Glaive but death carries on and so do we. I like being liveblogged about.

Can we throw out a [DECOY] of some kind?

Also okay [VITTORIOS] Osspop is filling me with even less confidence. Like.....at best he´s an incapable fool who can´t even drive without his Osspop! How could he help us?

....wait i just had a great idea.

Send a Message to [VEIL]´s Osspop, insinuating [VITTORIO] might know more of [GLAIVE]s whereabouts. He can help by being a [DISTRACTION]!

okay i'm on board with the blog now! the liveblog was incredibly funny. and i do want to talk with veil's oss again but this is NOT the time can we go back the way we came? very very slowly and quietly? very sneaky?

>>1100263

Listen okay. Listen. Trust me this is Lesbian wisdom. If we go back the way we came we´ll be stuck in a bathroom. We need a way OUT and to slowly calm [VEIL] down to a state where we can talk with her without her tearing [DEZ] apart. So Distraction! Decoys!

Hey, wait a minute, someone go save that CUNT WARS link. we should install that later.

Listen we can have REAL Lesbian Sex with someone later or play better games than Cunt Wars, thats just malware! It doesn´t even have any girls in the ad, like come on!

Right. okay.
..so the reasonable thing to do is get the hell out of here. Which means other people will also be doing that.
Slide into the crowd and move with the part that's leaving. Break line of sight with Veil of possible. Act like the fire alarm's gone off. (could we set the fire alarm off?) Calmly and swiftly towards the nearest exit. Whatever this is, it's none of your business.

..*do* you have a ride? If you don't have your own ride Vit might be the best we can do. If you do have a ride then use it.

aand let's try and run interference a little, shall we

to [VITTORIO] and co:

hey where are you.

to [VEIL] and co:

did we just hear you demolish a fucking building in the distance? could you chill, even slightly?
this quickmeat had nothing to do with Glaive's death, they bought us from someone. we haven't figured out who yet. give us a bit

[VEIL] oh my god we loved her. i love her. i am utterly devoted to [DEZ] (not just out of necessity!) but oh. those flashes of memory... sorry. anyway. uhhh what happened if we acted like this was totally normal and slunk back into the crowd. clubs like this have a back entrance into an alley or something, right??

WOW. so hey, [DEZ], remember when i said the one of the very scary people chasing you- us?- you is like, super duper killer (literally!) hot? yeah! this is what i meant. you get it, right? you're looking at [VEIL] and you understand?

and hey, hey, those memories? those supernova bursts we saw of her most intimate moments? those must be [GLAIVE]'s memories! and you have [GLAIVE]'s ossuary in your eye! i mean, i don't know about you, but that sounds like fate to me! i think we should appeal to her better judgment. let her know that we see her through [GLAIVE]'s eye and that we- i mean, you- could be her new [GLAIVE]! i'm just thinking about us, baby, just thinking about what's gonna be so good for the blog. what's spicier than a tryst with a lady who wants to wear your intestines like a scarf?

Um. I'm guessing Veil's not in a great mental state right now, but can we check in with her osspop real quick just to get an update? (Unless doing so would reveal our position.)

User, keep your head down, stay in the crowd, do not make any sudden movements. I know that Veil is hot and scary but we need to focus here. Are there any secondary exits?

We don't know if Veil knows what you look like. (though you did just post selfies. also nobody send those to Vittorio's ossuary yet that's bad opsec) Try not to be the first one to make any sudden or major movements, follow along what everyone else is doing. Veil may go for the beacon, at which point you mosey on out of there as nonchalantly as you can in the least suspicious direction possible.

>>1100269
"In the distance" is a little on the nose, it's implied with the question.

We're not sure if Veil('s ossuary) can sense us if we send messages. Don't click the malware, be strong. (also, that totally could be a girl in the ad. still do not click it I just feel the need to point that out)

>>1100274

you´re so right it could be a girl. we still shouldnt click it. But thats my bad. You go malware girl, you go!

But yeah i heavily veto ACTUALLY going with [VITTORIO]. Listen [VEIL] might be more outwardly threatening right now but come on. Come ON. Vittorio doesn´t even feel Necrotech dangerous, just like he´d sell us for a pinch of crack. Don´t send his Osspop pictures, but use them for what they´re worth.

Warning: You are prey. A predator lurks. It is activated by movement. It is unstable. We require a distraction. Any interaction shall end in tragedy. A slaughter becons. Witnessing death... This voice dislikes purposeless mass anihilation. It has seen anihiliation, and it will see it again. Meat shall be cleaved. MEAT SHALL BE CLEAVED. CLEAVE THE MEAT GLAIVE CLEAVE THE MEAT 1!%&^!*!!%!*&%!EE-Excuse me. Forgive me. The memories of Veil are making a mess of this voice. But yes: I am immediately detecting the oncoming storm. I calculate a very high chance that ossuary user "Veil" is exactly one step close to unleashing death. This voice advices against sensless violence that ends with the death of innocent civilians, but will understand if we are forced to use them as distractions. Suggestions of plan: utilizing the fire alarm could provide to be a useful tool. It is quite possible that "Veil" is augmented with enhanced hearing, hence activating it might overload her senses and stun her. However, due to her mental state, it is also extremely likely that once she recovers from the stun, her mind will break, and she will begin the slaughter. Anticipation: As a highly trained combatant, it is extremely highly that once Veil recovers from her stun, her ossuary will immediately assume that the one who activated the fire alarm knew about her enhanced hearing, hence she will immediately target those who attempt to exit through the emergency exit or will attempt to interrogate others to hunt the one who activated the fire alarm. A double-edged sword. Analysis: Are there other exits in this building? Are there more people who can offer help? What are our current resources? What are the possible actions and resources of our ossuary? Proposal: what are the actions that sprites are capable of doing? Can they be used to directly send a false feed into the ossuaries of others? Warning: do not play Cunt Wars. Its one of those Evonia online subscriptions scams. Play Pussytron Galaxy instead. There's a reason why that gud shit sold more than the entire AAAAA game market on the day it was released.

>We also finally take a moment to scan for [GLAIVE]; nothing, as we expected. A brief blip, or a flicker, or something, directly overlaid with Dez’s location; but nothing that lasts.

Hey, hang on, does that mean that part of Glaive's soul got stuck in the ossuary when she died? Not sure how to feel about that...

More importantly, do we think Veil's scanner can also detect that flicker? Because if so, you're probably fucked.

dude we hit that? score! we're so cool. make sure you post about cool and sexy we were before you bite it

>>1100258
Damn, Glaive was built. Can't believe we forgot about that.

I'm not going to pretend I agree with your particular line of thinking, but you have apparently thought this through to some degree. That, I can respect.

Right now you should focus on not singling yourself out. If Veil knew she was hunting you specifically I doubt she would've left enough time to contemplate that fact.

Don't start running till the crowd does, and when it does start running and don't stop. Do not do ANYTHING that gives away you know who Veil is or why she's here.

for the record I also don't think going with Vittorio is a *good* idea, strictly, just that we have a better chance of, say, kicking him in the dick when he tries to take dez's eye out than we do uh. surviving Veil by leaving on foot.

Hey, so, is it possible for you to queue up a post to send automatically, later? I'm leery of actually posting st when our probable demise is standing right there, but like, there's probably a ton of internet traffic in the area continuously, so hopefully Veil wouldn't notice one private packet? You could prefix it with "If you are reading this, I am probably dead"

>>1100282

I mean, possibly but as much as he seems less dangerous than Veil....he´s still a Necrotech! An inept, bumbling, unlikable fool of a necrotech, but a necrotech nonetheless.

I do not value Dez´s chances against him in an actual confrontation. Maybe we can get some upgrades first? I´d like some claws.

>>1100268

Listen. Dez needs to act nonchalant. Unbothered. Unsuspicious. Perfect time for a relaxing round of CUNT WARS. click the malware, Dez. Click it.

>>1100285
Warning. Do not click on the malware. No seriously: this thing will fuck us up. This voice desperately warns you to NOT CLICK ON THE VIRAL BOMB. Play something else instead. Game recomendations: Highway Family Business Bomb II, A Taste From Nothing: the Game, All Points are Set Moot, and of course, Pussytron Galaxy.

>>1100246
You're not as cool as you think you are. I mean, you are pretty cool, but the 'ball-poking' thing. Wearing a mask is normal but you have to try and let it slip from time to time, or you may not like what you let happen to the face behind it.
But yes we'd like your help thank you very much for the offer.

>>1100247
Even in a dystopia this reads like a madman's basic instruction manual.
I advocate against the complete destruction of any knowledge, even that which is meant to mislead and enrage, but there's more than one way to preserve data than letting it corrupt someone's mind. Mark this stuff as misinformation, to be re-analyzed by professionals, and throw it in an encrypted file cabinet. Delete the key if you need to.

>>1100249
Honestly, you give off a first impression that combines cute with insufferable. It's little wonder so many people like to observe you from a distance, but I guess that's very effective when it comes to your blog.

>>1100250
Democracy, Dez. It doesn't 'work' - what it does is keep tyranny from working, at least until it grows too old to not be part-tyrant.

>>1100259
Veil has one objective: get revenge on whoever killed Glaive.
Right now, you need to find some way to make her doubt you killed Glaive (because you didn't), convince her that you're the best lead she has to finding the real killer and that killing you would blend us up, making her evidence harder to read

I third everyones Suggestions of playing Pussytron Galaxy instead of the Malware, IF we´re gonna play anything. It´s a classic.

Eyyy [Dez] that's super hot right? And have we got some spicy backstory for you! Circle around and get some more good shots (coincidentally taking you closer to the exit in a calm and subtle manor)

First off, let's not get distracted by games or malware? There's being calm, and then there's being out of it. Honestly, guys.

I don't think we can really do anything special—decoys or whatever else—and I'm not sure if communicating with either pursuer's osspop is going to help us very much either. I think all we can do is try to read Veil; surely if we can remember parts of her from our previous host, we can remember parts of her fighting style (past the obvious things of being fast and slashing with those claws).

i know you all mean well, but I think we're being a little too lizard brained about this!! [Veil] wanted us to keep the quick alive--if [Dez] gets shredded, we're scattered to the winds and she definitely doesn't seem to want that. we're important to her, she knows who we used to be. [Vittorio] has dog water for brains--speak to [Veil], she might /actually/ help us find out what happened to [Glaive]

Oh... OH...
[Glaive]
Our previous host...
He was her lover!
He was her rock!
She is lost without him!
Such passion!
Such drama!
[DEZ]! You're playing a leading roll in this carnival of tragedies, baby!
This is your moment!

Alright babe, you got 3 directives here!

1)Stay out of sight!
If she can see you she can scan you. If she can scan you she can see us! Proceeding through the crowd with a low stance/dance will be helpful. You're tall! Do everything you can to stay obscured, even if that means taking risks, even if that means harming or condemning others! Look around you. Many of these people will be dead soon. Don't count yourself among them!

2)Try to remember everything you can about when you acquired us!
Give us as much info as can. A photo of the seller might help us too. She's after Glaive's body! Any info you can give us will improve our chances of finding a real lead, which is just the thing that'll get rid of her!

3) Escape! This place is about to fall into chaos! Find the nearest "Employees Only" Area and slip into it! Any will do, but the best one you can find would be the Fire Riser Room! From there you can turn on the sprinklers as a distraction, covertly summon firefighters and by proxy the authorities, and climb the pipes up through the ceiling! You should be able to escape through the roof, which will also be the last place our friend here checks, since she's already been there!

>>1100304
Glaive was a she.

>>1100304
...Uh... duh?
Dez, you've spent your whole life learning about ^&*(ty love stories. And now you're living in one, except you have to factor in that the neo-medieval caste system means this 'princess' can murder a commoner in public and get away with it. That commoner being you.
Your goal is to steer this tragic love story into a forbidden romance between berserker princess and lazy commoner! But realistically you should get Veil killed by steering her unending rage at whichever hunter widowed her.

>User loves goth bitches.
LETS GOOO THEY GOT GOOD TASTE

>>1100256
Ohhh and so did we [VEIL] is STACKED

>>1100246
NO MURDERING OUR QUICK HE GOT GOOD TASTE

Lets not lose focus tho we should def distract [VEIL] while we retreat... maybe we can handle the distracting while u sneak out another door! We could chat w her osspop and explain our situation- tell her we n our quick are trying to figure out what happened to [GLAIVE] and we need [DEZ] to solve it so she doesnt kill them, and u can get the fuck outta here while we are chatting. THEN we can start playing Pussytron Galaxy.

Oh god, bitch, get an adblocker, I'm begging you. Also I really don't know whether to be flattered or annoyed by the art school philosophy, but I'll begrudgingly accept the "this too is yuri of this situation.

Anyway, this should REALLY go without saying but I strongly advise against engaging with VEIL. Clearly she's in a bad way, and while uh. Clearly she needs some kind of comfort, you are Not That Bitch.

We've gotta trick her into moving away from the door so you can make your escape. Something has to catch her attention far, far away from you. What's the range on that sprite?