Acacia Choose-Your-Own-Adventure
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1

>Someone knocks on your door
>No one is there when you open it
>There's a box on the ground
>Inside is a sleeping bat pony

wat do

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Replies:

+ Impregnate bat pony.

+ Bring a bat to your home, lay on the couch and check what is under it's tail, so you can tell if this is a boy or a girl.

+ Raise the bat as my own

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2

evens it's male
odds it's female
0 it has no genitals

Rolling: 19849105

So it is a girl. Dubs decides the name for the sleeping bat pony you attempted to impregnate. Whether it worked or not, you'll find out in a few months.

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Replies:

+ Hey, but I don't want to have sex with her yet. Let's wait until she wakes up, then ask her about her name and age. I don't want to go to the Hollow Shades prison for raping a foal

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3


Very well. You set the pony on the couch and politely wait for her to wake up. She does so, blinking her _____-colored eyes, and tries to respond to your question. 

>"I'm DUBS-REQUIRED, and I'm DUBS-REQUIRED years old," she says, blushing as a robotic voice supersedes her own.

It seems some dubs are required.

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Replies:

+ Light yellow eyes, here name is Acacia, 18 years old.

+ She's an autistic batfag. Her name is Autism. She is 02 years old.

+ Dubs-colored eyes. Her name is Dubs. She is dubs years old.

+ I need the Mango Jerry face. Post it.  <--- (dubs post)

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4

She tells you that her name is Acacia and she's 18 years old.

You offer to raise her, and her yellow eyes brighten, before nervously flicking toward the ground. She tells you that she has mild autism, but she's had a lot of therapy. It must've been effective because you never would've known unless she told you.

She also shyly informs you that her favorite band is a batish group called Mango Jerry, and asks if you have any music to listen to.

It's getting to be evening and it looks like it's about to rain outside. Acacia looks hungry. What do.

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Replies:

+ Give her your neck, play some funk music

+ I invite her into my home and offer her fruit

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5


I will roll a 1d20 to determine her preferred diet.

1-14: insects
15-19: fruit
20: blood

Result: 18

She looks at your neck. "Nnn." She blushes. "You.. you have a nice neck..." Her stomach grumbles.

You put on some Sun Ra. Acacia is amazed by the weird otherworldly sounds of the Arkestra filling your living room. She sits there enraptured as rain begins to drum against the window.

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Replies:

+ So, is she a fruit eater?
Ask her why she was in a box, where is her home and friends

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6

Yes, she's a fruit-type bat.

At your other question, she looks confused for a moment, then very sad. "I... don't remember what happened."

"For a long time they kept me in the white room. I wasn't allowed to go outside, but they let me read and listen to music. Sometimes the therapists would come in, but they're the only ones I ever saw."

"I don't think they were my friends, and it never really felt like home..."

She puts her head down on the couch. "This place seems nice, though."

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Replies:

+ Hug her close and tell her, that even if you were not prepared for something like that, you will do everything to make her safe and happy. And you want to be her friend

+ Is this a PiE or AiE story?

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7

Acacia gasps and goes rigid when you touch her. She blushes when you tell her that you want her to be safe and happy, and that you want to be her friend.

"Th-th-thank you," she stutters, staring hard at the couch cushion. "I'd l.. l-like that."

[Regarding PiE or AiE] Good question. While she's been listening to Sun Ra, she's also been staring at the window. She asks if that's 'outside.' When you let her go, she goes over to the glass and looks out. What does she see?

>dubs decides

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Replies:

+ A wet owl seeking shelter in a tree.

+ Buildings, cars, and people.

+ [Drs. Tyrese and Raykwon] breaking into a car  <-- (dubs post)

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8

You hear the sound of shattering glass. Acacia's jaw drops and her eyes widen as she watches two dark-hued gentlemen in lab coats break into your neighbor's car. They drive off, blasting classical music. 

"What - who - what was that?" she asks excitedly. You bring her some fruit. Rolling d100 on my fruit chart, the result is: Strawberries. Her yellow eyes light up with delight as she eats one, then gobbles the rest down.

"That was the sweetest fruit I've ever had!" she says, smiling up at you with red-stained teeth. "I've never seen them before... where did you grow them?"

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Replies:

+ I didn't grow them I bought them at the black market

+ They grow out of my neck.

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9

"Ooh, that sounds exciting. Is that where those two people were going?" She nervously rubs her hooves together. "Can... can we go?"

It's now very dark outside, especially because your neighbor's porch light was smashed all of 5 minutes ago. Rain hammers your roof.

Then: 
"R-really?" Acacia sniffs at your neck. "Where do they come out?"

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Replies:

+ No it's a unsafe place filled with bad people

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10

She looks very disappointed when you tell her this, glancing with undisguised longing out the window. "Well.. can we go somewhere else, then? I've never been out, you see..."

You yawn, stretching, and tell her that you need to sleep, but you promise that you'll take her somewhere tomorrow evening. She nods, curling up on the couch, and asks if you have anything she can read. What do you give her?

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Replies:

+ A baby's bottle filled with warm milk and blood.
You then cradle her in your arms and feed her.

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11

You do the next best thing for a fruit bat, by heating up some apple juice and feeding it to her.

She seems wholly uncomfortable being cradled in your arms, and her eyes keep flicking around to look at everything but you. She does however appreciate the food.

"Th-thanks..." she says, wiping her mouth and exhaling hot apple-breath. She doesn't seem particularly sleepy, though you're pretty drowsy at this point. "That was really good, too. The fruit they gave me was nothing like this..."

You toss her a copy of [Popular Science] and wish her good night before going off to bed. The adventures of Anon and Acacia will continue later. For now, you doze off to the sound of the rain, thinking of your new daughteru(?)

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Replies:

+ Tell us more about her appearance, mane, coat and tail, if this is a regular bat pony or unibat.

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12


You wake up late the next morning. Stretching and scratching yourself, you step into the living room to find Acacia on the floor. The copy of Popular Science lies strewn out beside her, its pages in disarray. Something else draws your attention, however.

You're stunned to see that the TV has been moved to the floor, where it now sits on its side. The LED screen has been removed and the inside has been gutted.

On the coffee table, a bizarre contraption rests on the TV's salvaged PSU, softly glowing.

Bewildered, you look at Acacia, but see that she is sleeping peacefully, her sides gently moving as she breathes.

Based on the current proportion of bat ponies to unibats, I created the following d20 chart:

1-17: bat pony
18-19: unibat
20: baticorn abomination
Result: 17. Close one.

In her sleep she flicks her wings, then rolls over, digging her head into the carpet. Her mane and tail are Φ-colored, wherein Φ denotes a dubspost. Get rollin.

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Replies:

+ I want her mane and tail to be coloured steel grey.
*rolls dubsdie*

+ Her mane and tail are going to be in the same color as poop. <-- (dubs post)

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13

I laughed. Poop is a vague color, since feces can take on a variety of hues. I've created a d20 chart for poop colors:

1-10: brown
11-14: grey
15-16: green
17-18: blue
19: black
20: red
Result: 14.

You open your eyes from your visions of shit and see that Acacia's mane and tail are a lush, shiny gray. Both are cropped short, as if machine-cut.

Her coat is
evens: cream-colored
odds: very dark, almost black
0: dapple grey

Rollin':  19862346

Acacia sleeps soundly on the floor, her pale yellowish coat tinged blue by the mid-morning light.

You poke the device on the coffee table. To your astonishment, it emits a low electronic hum and lifts off from the PSU. It hovers in midair, buoyed by some magnetic force, and begins to glow on the bottom.

A holographic image flickers into view in the space between the device and the power supply on the table. You instantly recognize it: a perfect replica of your neighbor's car, rendered in light. It revolves slowly in space.

You look at the floating device and recognize some buttons taken from your TV set: power, volume, channel, and settings. What do.

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Replies:

+ Well, she is asleep, right? Gently pick her up and take to your/guests bed, lay down and cover with a warm blanket.

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14

You gently take Acacia in your arms and carry her into your apartment's one bedroom. She's much less rigid in sleep, even cuddling into your chest before you set her down on the still-warm sheets where you were resting just a few minutes ago. You pull a blanket over her, and she lets out a soft sigh of contentment. Her head lolls against your pillow.

It'll be awhile before she wakes up. You're a little low on fruit, having only [1d6]: 3 pieces remaining: a banana, a peach, and an orange. Any plans on how you'll spend the day?

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Replies:

+ By starting a pineapple plantation in our backyard.
We'll need it to keep her fed... Or something.

+ To the shop you go, leave a note near her bed that you will be back later

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15

You leave a note for Acacia and head out. Your transportation options are:

1-75: Foot
76-90: Bike
91-100: Car
Result: 1. Oof.

You walk down the sidewalk to the nearby warehouse club. Those wholesale prices just can't be beat.

They've got bushels of apples, pears, and huge bunches of bananas. You don't see any fresh pineapples for sale, but they do have 10 lb bags of frozen pineapple. You see similar bags of frozen mangoes and frozen blueberries. Choose wisely, both cash and fridge space are limited.

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Replies:

+ Get her some frozen mangoes. Maybe some apples, apple's are good.

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16


Feeling peckish, you sit down to a large, cheap meal at the warehouse cafe.

As you gobble a foot long 100% beef frankfurter, your eyes are drawn to a massive screen mounted on the wall. The news is on, and the anchor is talking about a huge fire that happened last night. An unoccupied warehouse burned down on the docks. No bodies were found, and authorities don't know what started the fire.

The news switches to a segment on the shitposting craze sweeping the nation. You finish up your meal, buy some food for the week, and grab a bag of apples and a bag of frozen mangoes. That should last her awhile, you reckon.

You pack all that shit into a cardboard box and lug it home. It's early afternoon when you get back. Acacia is still asleep. Anything else you'd like to do before the evening?

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Replies:

+ Read more about the recent fire in the newspaper and set an apple by accacias bed for when she wakes up.

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17

No newspaper, but you do have the good ol' internet. You spend a few hours reading up on the story. The building was completely razed, but was supposedly empty before the fire. Somehow both buildings on either side remained untouched. The theory right now is that a fuel spill was somehow ignited, and the firewalls between the warehouses somehow stopped the spread of the blaze.

Information about the owner of the warehouse hasn't been released. You search around for a reliable source; a rambling poster on some chinese imageboard claims to have checked the warehouse registries, and says that it belonged to a shady shell corporation based somewhere out of the country. He doesn't cite any sources and might be insane, though.

Before you know it, afternoon light is spilling into your living room. You hear your bedroom door creak open and Acacia wanders out, holding the apple. She sucks on it, bleary-eyed, but takes it out of her mouth to smile at you. "Good morneen..." she says, breaking off into a yawn. "Thank you for this fruit, it's very tasty... what's it called?"

She noses open the copy of Popular Science to a particular page and sets it on the table nearby. She then sits on the couch and starts to tinker with the floating device, humming quietly to herself.

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Replies:

+ Trade information, what the device is for telling her what fruit she's eating

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18

"Oh!" she says. "It's a printer."

She shows you the page open in Popular Science: "The Printed Vehicle," a short blurb about 3D-printed cars. Over the text is a picture of an experimental two-seater, its various components pulled out separately to create one large three dimensional schematic.

"Those two people were in a 'car', right?" she asks. "I figured if we had one, maybe we could follow them to the black market..."

In return, you tell her that she just ate an apple.

"Apple... I love it!" She sucks the last bit of juice out, until all that remains is dry pulp contained in a husk of the apple's skin. She drops it on the ground, then looks embarrassed. "I'm sorry. You... p-probably have a place to put that, don't you?"

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Replies:

+ Give her a comforting hug and tell her it's fine.

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19

You hug her, and she goes rigid again. "Nnn," she says. "S-so should I j-just leave it on the floor?"

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Replies:

+ Pick it up, get a knife and carve a smiley face into it and give it to her, saying that it's up to her to decide

+ just tell her where is the trash bin and ask what does she want to do next

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20

You carve a face into the dried-up apple and hand it over. She seems oddly fascinated by the totem. She names it "Apple" and puts it on the table, facing the device.

You tell her where the trash can is, and she nods, her eyes wide. "Okay, I'll put things in there when I don't need them anymore."

She steps toward the door, then looks up at you hopefully. "It'll be nighttime soon," she says. "Can... can we go outside?"

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Replies:

+inb4 they go outside and there are zombies and shit.

+She will need some kind of disguise, or a quiet place

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21

After envisioning some kind of hijinks where you could possibly try to pass her off as a dog, you decide that your best bet would just be to wrap her up in a blanket and carry her somewhere. You figure there's a couple places you could take her that are quiet enough.

The trouble is, you don't know how safe it is to wander around at night. You figure that as long as you stay quiet, it should be okay.

Acacia seems put off by the blanket idea, but she agrees to it when you explain that there could be dangerous people outside.

"That's what the therapists said, too. I guess they weren't lying..." she says. "But you seem nice. Aren't there other nice people out there?"

You wrap her up and pack her a snack from your new fruit stockpile. Then it's out the door and into the night, heading for __________.

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Replies:

+ Jack in the Box, open late, and their mango smoothies are the SHIT.

+ Small river not so far from your house

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22

You plot out your trip in your mind, making a note of which paths to follow.

Acacia peeks out from her blanket burrito. She gasps audibly when she looks up at the sky. Her pupils reflect the moonlight, and her eyes flick between those stars that are still visible despite the light pollution.

"A...Amazing..." she says, unable to tear her gaze away from the heavens.

You cast a quick look up and down the street, but see no one around. Satisfied, but cautious, you set off down the sidewalk.

Acacia is mesmerized by the sights and sounds of urbania. Bright signs, passing cars, large buildings. You keep away from the main road, sticking to the sidewalk and dipping out onto side paths when you can. The few people that you pass don't pay any attention to you or the wrapped-up bat you're carrying.

You pull off onto an asphalt path that leads into a wooded, relatively quiet area. It's very dark, and you feel a little nervous going in there. Trying to keep vigilant, you walk into the park and head for the creek.

Acacia is trembling with excitement when you let her out of the blanket. She flies up toward the sky, silhouetted by light pollution and the moon, and reaches out with her hooves. 

"How far does it go?" she asks, when she finds that she cannot touch the sky.

Her eyes are wide when you lead her over to the creek, where water burbles quietly beneath the trees. She dips her head toward the surface, and you advise her not to drink; it's probably polluted.

A frog sitting on the shore croaks out a warning call. She stares at it, completely fascinated.

Watching her, it looks like she could stay out here all night. How long do you plan to stay?

The hours tick by. You jump at every gust of wind and every snapped twig, half-expecting someone to leap out at any moment, but no one ever does.

Acacia busies herself with everything she can get her hooves on. She digs in the dirt, marveling at the earth, the stones, the bugs in their burrows. She stares at a tree for almost half an hour, examining its bark and branches, the roots underground.

She constantly asks you questions - what's this, what's that - and you have to remind her to eat. Distractedly she sucks the juice from the apple you brought, skreeing softly in delight as she follows a crayfish in the creek.

It must be getting late, because despite your heightened awareness, you can feel yourself fading. You doze a little, and when you come to you see Acacia sitting by the creek, her eyes closed. At first you think she's asleep, but then you notice that her head is moving, as if bobbing to some imaginary song.

"Oh," she says, when you ask what she's up to. "I'm just thinking." She gives you a big smile. "Thank you for bringing me here. It's really wonderful."

She nods when you tell her that it's time to go back. "Can we come out again soon?" she asks, her voice full of hope.

As you carry her back home, you debate about stopping by the Jack in the Box for a mango smoothie. It's pretty late, so there won't be many people around, but it's still a bit risky. Do you take the risk or just head home?

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Replies:

+ [Anon >feels]

+ Go to the Jack in the Box

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23

Steeling yourself, you step off the path and cross the street. Down a block takes you to an intersection, and on the corner stands the Jack in the Box. Its red sign glows above the door. A car drives by, making you feel uneasy, but it goes on without incident.

The restaurant lobby is closed, but the walk-up window is lit up. You see an employee leaning on the counter just inside, looking bored as she messes with her cell phone. There's no one else around that you can see.

You're currently wielding a wrapped-up bat pony. How do you approach.

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Replies:

+ Act like a normal guy, just go inside and order salad for Acacia and something for you. Don't show anything to the employee that contains your name, second name or any personal data.

+ Ask her to wait outside

+ >leave autistic girl who is outside for the first time and she will surely wait for you and nobody would not even think about kidnapping her

+ >Take autistic girl who is outside for the first time into a store and surely the people within won't freak the fuck out when they see a bat pony poke her head out of the blankets to say hi

I'm not sure there's any way to 'win' this.

+ Take her inside, and if anyone asks what you're holding, say it's your very ugly, highly disfigured dog.
If they try to get a closer look, tell them she has rabies.

+ You know that Acacia can hear you and it would hurt her feelings as fuck?

+ That's why you whisper to the person you're talking to in a very sorrowful manner.
This whole scenario is nothing but losses.

+ It's one person in a window though, maybe we could, like, show one person. Who'll believe her? The government? Actually, the government is likely to flag that immediately.

+ It's simple. We kill the woman.
Or put Acacia on the roof? Or behind some boxes in an alley way?

+ And we'll use Acacia's autistic genius to hide the body and remove the evidence.

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24

After some deliberation, you duck around the side of a nearby building. You tell Acacia that you're going to talk to someone in a moment, and you need her to stay quiet and out of sight.

She nods. "Okay." She looks curious. "Why?"

You explain that things might get complicated if someone sees her.

"Is it a dangerous person?" she asks.

"No, it's just someone that sells food."

"Oh." At first you think she's going to argue, but then she asks a different question entirely. "Can you ask them for that big light above the door, please? I need it."

"Uh..."

You approach the walk-up window. The cashier looks up from her phone long enough to give you a friendly greeting. Her eyes linger on the blanket for a moment as she asks for your order.

You get a salad and a mango smoothie, and pay cash. Running a bit low on funds. You'll have to stretch it a bit until the end of the month.

The food arrives shortly. If the girl has any kind of curiosity about what you're carrying, she doesn't show it, and goes back to playing with her phone.

You look up at the sign... anything else you'd like to do here?

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Replies:

+ Steal the light and run for it, based genius bat has asked for it. I'm kinda curious as to what she's going to do with it.

+ Tell them you need that sign.
If they say you can't have it, come back later in the night to steal it.

+ I'd rethink the stupid idea of taking a bat to a fast food restaurant and go home. Best option would have been to leave her at home while you went to get the food.

+ Wait, this is a PiE-type story, people should know that talking ponies do exist. She is curious of everything, just keep an eye on her, so she can't hurt herself or talk to someone who can be dangerous.

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25

To clarify things, we've determined that this is a PiE story, but we haven't determined how common ponies are yet. So I guess we'll vote on a few possibilities. If there isn't a clear majority I'll come up with a fair probability based on votes and roll for it. Possibilities are:

1) To our knowledge, Acacia is one of a kind. No other ponies exist, and people would be shocked to see one.

2) Ponies are extremely rare, endangered creatures. Everyone knows about them, but they'd still attract a lot of attention if seen.

3) Ponies are relatively common, and provoke little curiosity from people.


The sign would be a bit difficult to reach, let alone steal. The Jack in the Box is open 24 hours, but you suppose you could try and come back later with some equipment... if you can find some.

You tell the girl that you'd like her sign. "Capricorn," she says, winking. Then you point up at the one above the door, and she laughs. "Uhh, it's not for sale." 

You're kind of feeling like you want to get home. The mango smoothie is melting in its cup. What do.

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Replies:

+ 2 gives a lot of potential for intrigue without forcing Acacia to have to live without the possibility of ever meeting another pony like her.
Ask Acacia if she wants to go catch a movie at one of those old-fashion drive-ins.

+ Walk back home, you can ask Acacia if she wants exactly that sign or maybe you can buy or make here something similar. Small neon signs are not that expensive or you can buy dozens of LED lights and make something for her. Or maybe you can make something together with her?  And number two sounds interesting.

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26

2's in the lead, I'll wait until tomorrow before setting it in stone.

Acacia seems disappointed when you leave without the sign, but she quickly brightens when you offer to take her to see a movie tomorrow evening. Especially when you explain to her the part about the projector and the big screen. "Do... do we need a car to go?"

Back home you do a little research on LEDs. You can buy them cheaply in bulk from a Chinese wholesale site. Acacia tells you that the light is just one part of it; she also wants a bigger PSU. Greedily she drinks down the mango smoothie, then flops on the couch, her belly full. "That was... really, really good..."

The biggest PSU on the site is a 400W, but she tells you not to worry about it. "I saw a lot of big machines and lights outside, we can just find one out there."

Whether you want to explain the problems with that idea is up to you; regardless, it's very late, and you're having trouble staying awake. You wish Acacia a good night and go to your room, where you promptly fall asleep.

When you wake up, it's almost midday. You get up, rubbing your eyes, and you're surprised to see that you're not alone. Acacia is curled up at the foot of the bed, sleeping soundly. 

You gently pick her up and tuck her in like you did before. She murmurs something in her sleep, but you can't make it out.

Wandering back into your living room, you are stunned to see a new development. Not only has the "printer" changed, but there is now a second device on the floor beside it.

Your microwave has been dismantled, its PSU and magnetron removed and repurposed for this new contraption: your neglected leafy houseplant, suspended in water and glass and bathed in weird rainbow light. 

You find evidence of Acacia doing some kind of research on the plant, as the remains of a finely-incised leaf are preserved on the table.

Meanwhile, the printer's hologram now depicts in perfect detail one of the cars that passed you during last night's trip.

Anything you'd like to do before evening?

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Replies:

+ study the machines

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27


A dull electric thrum emits constantly from the new device. The plant is awash with rainbow light that is both mesmerizing and painful to look at. You get the distinct impression that this is some kind of radiation. It would probably be unwise to be near it for very long. You're not sure how safe it is to keep this thing around...

You return to the printer for the first time since yesterday. It still has the power, volume↕, and channel↕ buttons. The hologram of the car slowly rotates below the floating part of the device, and above the PSU board salvaged from the TV.

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Replies:

+ sounds like it's going to be lewd

+ It's too early for lewd, do we even know her cutiemark? We can also talk about her, what does she want to do in her life etc. But for now, wait until she wakes up, then ask her about machines.

+ [Bat thread works together to create image of Acacia]

+ Do we know her cutie mark?

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28

When afternoon rolls around and she drags herself out of bed, you notice that her cutie mark looks kind of like a " ψ ".

She explains that she is "changing the way the plant is" by bathing it in electromagnetic radiation with waveforms keyed specifically to cause certain mutations. She assures you that "the information" phases across the EM spectrum, but she's rerouted the microwave circuitboard to the magnetron in a way that focuses on the plant's absorption spectra (which she obtained through bioassay of the leaf).

"It won't hurt you," she says, smiling. "And your plant will be even better than it was before!"

Acacia blushes when you ask her about the printer. "I haven't actually used it yet..." You watch as she presses the channel buttons; they cycle through various car models, and you realize with growing fascination that every single one is a perfect copy of one of the cars that passed you last night - even the ones that zoomed past you in a matter of seconds.

"In the white room they always were very careful about using transducers," she says. "They use... a lot of power. They said that we could be tracked if we weren't careful."

Her hoof lingers over the power button as she looks up at you hopefully. "But it'll be okay, right? I want to see if it works..."

Will you let Acacia activate the printer?

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Replies:

+ Activate the machine.

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29

By now she's cycled back to the hologram of your neighbor's car. She grins when you tell her to activate it, and lets out a giggle. "Yay!"

Her hoof hesitates over the power button, then drops for a moment to mash the volume's down arrow. You watch as the hologram decreases in size until it's about as big as a matchbox. "You probably shouldn't... look directly at it..." she says. "Here goes!"

As soon as she presses the power button, the apartment lights flicker, and the plant machine shuts off. The hum of the printer gets louder and louder, climbing slowly and steadily in volume and pitch, like the engine of an airplane starting up.

The hologram is no longer moving; instead it has begun to glow very brightly, and it continues to glow brighter until it is a white hot blur in your vision and you can't bear to look at it. You squeeze your eyes shut, the electronic roar building and building, the laughter of Acacia barely audible over the cacophany.

There is a loud bang, and then all is quiet. You check yourself to make sure you're still all there. Then you open your eyes.

On the table is a perfect, matchbox-sized replica of your neighbor's car. Acacia is playing with it, making soft vroom-vroom noises. The plant machine has turned itself back on.

"Can we go see the movie now?" she asks off-handedly.

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Replies:

+ Based genius bat deserves a movie.

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30


Drive-in theaters are rare these days, and it's unlikely there are any within walking distance. Nevertheless, you hop on your computer to look one up. d20 time.

1-18 No
19-20 Yes
Result: 18. Ouch, that is just cruel.

To be a sport, we'll say that there does happen to be a drive-in theater in your area, but it's [d20+5]: 14 miles away. 

There are plenty of regular movie theaters around that you could get to without issue, although you'll have to think of a way to smuggle her inside.

You could also rent or stream something, but she did seem awfully excited about the idea of the projector...

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Replies:

+ Taking her to a regular theatre could be interesting. We'll figure out how to smuggle her in when we get there.

+ Hide her in your jacket.
If anyone asks, you're just fat.
And then lose your shit at them for thin privilege.

+ I don't think fat is pony shaped.

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31

You tell Acacia to hide in your jacket. "Nnn..." she looks nervous. "O-Okay..."

Holding it open for her, she climbs in and curls up against your torso, hugging her tail. It's a secure enough position once you pull the jacket tightly closed and zip it up. Acacia feels very tense, and squirms a little, but she assures you that she's fine when you ask. You shove a couple apples in your pockets and head out the door.

It's a Friday evening, and things are much busier at this time of night. As you make your way through the streets, you catch people giving you funny looks. Perhaps this is what fat-shaming feels like, or maybe they just think you've stuffed a lumpy misshapen object into your jacket. Who can know for sure?

When you arrive at the theater, there's a line at the ticket office. You duck past to approach one of the electronic kiosks inside.

You just went to the closest place; it's a...

1-13: Commercial Theater
14-17: Art Theater
18-20: IMAX
Result: 19. Oh boy.

A few showings are coming up in the next 15 minutes. Take your pick:

>Wonders of the Deep (Documentary)
>Agoraphobia (Surreal/Horror)
>Black Band (Historical/Action)

It'll cost almost all of your remaining cash. The machine prints out your ticket, and you head over to the admissions guy. He is bearded and quite fat. He looks you up and down.

"Sir, are you carrying any outside food or beverages?" he asks.

-------

Replies:

+ "Why? Is it time for your tri-hourly snack break?"
Offer him an apple.
Continue on your way to Wonders of the Deep.
At worst, he'll call his manager to stop you.
At best, he'll thank you for worrying about his health and leave you alone.
Ideally, he'll think you're weird as fuck and ignore you.

+ Seconded, she seems like she'd enjoy a documentary, even though Anon might fall asleep in the middle. Sacrificing an apple to appease his suspicion is also a good idea.

-------

32

Charisma test (d20): 17

You give your fellow brother-in-fat a winning smile and pass him an apple. He stares at it, and you take this opportunity to clap him on the shoulder and continue on into the theater. He does not pursue. -1 apple.

You walk down a shadowy corridor and enter the theater for Wonders of the Deep. A massive curved screen takes up one side of the dimly-lit chamber; on the other, tiers of auditorium seating climb up toward the ceiling. There are several people in here, but you can still sit pretty much wherever you want. Any preference? And what will you do with Acacia, now that you're inside?

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Replies:

+ Sit in the sweet spot, one quarter of the total seats away from the screen and in the middle of the row. Let Acacia out into the seat beside you, as it is too dark for anyone to see clearly, and they'll all be focused on the movie/pre-movie advertisements anyway.

-------

33


There's an empty spot a few rows up that looks perfect to you. You scoot on over, navigating the narrows stairs with your bulk. In the middle of the row you crouch down and release Acacia from your jacket. She rolls out onto the floor.

"Whoa..." she says, looking all around the room, her gaze flicking between the huge screen, the hundreds of seats, and the glow of the projector near the top of the chamber.

She climbs into the chair next to you, and you half-cover her with your jacket, advising her to keep her head down until the show starts.

When it does, Acacia gasps audibly as the camera races over the open sea, and the voice of the narrator fills the theater.

For the next hour and a half she is completely mesmerized. The documentary focuses on the benthic and abyssal regions of the sea. Shipwrecks, weird creatures, and underwater phenomena are presented one after the other.

Acacia's head is constantly moving as she takes it all in, almost unblinking, her mouth hanging open in awe. Massive images of bioluminescent organisms reflect their rainbow colors in her eyes.

She's still trembling with excitement when the credits are rolling. "How do we get there, to the water?" she asks. "Can we go?"

Then she turns around in her chair and points up at the projector. Fortunately people seem to be too busy leaving to notice her shadowy form jumping around. "First, I - I want to look at their projector. Can we?"

You see a door up there that presumably leads to the projection booth. People are filing down the stairs; the back rows have cleared out. It would be trivial to take her up there without anyone noticing, though common sense tells you that there's probably a projectionist inside.

-------

Replies:

+ Then how about we just go to the projection booth and ask the guy inside to show the projector to your bat pony? We agreed that there exist ponies, but they are rare. Probably there will be just one guy inside and even if he ask some questions, it would be much safer than showing Acacia in the store. Tell him/her she has mild autism and she is curious about everything, who would say no? 
After that you can go to an another quiet place, like forest, river or something like that.

+ Vito's batparrot is inside the projection booth.
Things start to get a little weird from then on...

+ Vito is a projectionist, and there are Nightlight and Rosewood inside too

+ Acacia doesn't like to be hugged by Anon because she doesn't know him well, kids with autism show love and affection but for the closest people, like parents or sibilngs. She needs more time to feel comfortable with Anon.

-------

34

You direct Acacia to sneak up the side stairs with you. With the jacket hanging off her, she looks like a small dark ghost in your shadow.

The door is locked, so you knock on it. You hear the sound of the latch opening, and the door opens just a crack. A girl peeks out.

"Hey man, sorry, but you can't come in..."

Her gaze drops to Acacia, who is staring up at her with her big, innocent eyes. The girl looks flabbergasted.

"Duuude, is that a pony?" She opens the door. "C'mon, get in here!"

You step in with Acacia, and the girl shuts the door behind you. She has a stud in her nose and a bar through her eyebrow, and long, messy hair that's been dyed green. She has a slow way of speaking and her eyelids seem almost permanently half-lidded. Crouching down, she smiles at Acacia. "Heey cutie, nice to meet you. I'm Róża."

Acacia shyly looks at the floor. "I'm.. A-Acacia..."

"Awww..." Roza glances up at you, grinning, then back down at your companion. "Hey, do you wanna look at the projector? It's reaally cool, I promise."

Acacia immediately brightens. She nods, and even lets Róża pick her up and put her in a chair by the digital projector. "Just uh, be careful, okay?"

The girl comes over to stand by you as you both watch Acacia mess with the machine. "Dude, she is sooo cute." She tells you that she's never seen a pony in real life before, just those "cute videos on Youtube."

"So like, where did you find her?" she asks. "Are you like a vet or something?"

-------

Replies:

+ Yes, yes he is a veterinarian, and no harm in telling her the truth about Acacia.

+ She is friendly, so you can tell her some truth, like you have found her in a box and she has mild autism, so she is a bit shy. Ask her to not to tell anyone that you have a talking pony, Acacia doesn't need problems.

+ An important question- who is Anon? How about we make him more rich and strong than a standard Anon? Not a strongman and milionaire, just fit and above than average with cash?

-------

35

We've determined so far that Anon is a little strapped for cash, at least on a monthly basis. Let's say that he has a large amount of inherited money tied up in a fund that he legally cannot touch until he's 40, but he's allowed to live off the principal each month.

Meanwhile, sure, we can say that Anon is a reasonably strong and fit guy. You buy bulk fruit, rice, beans, and meat from the wholesalers' club and you work out regularly. 

You tell Roza that you did work as a vet tech for a few years, which is true. 

Currently, however, you are unemployed.

Deciding that you can trust this Polish projectionist, you tell her most of the truth. You mention the box and the autism, but you don't mention the white room, therapists, or the devices Acacia has made (unless you want to). 

You ask her not to tell anybody, since it's all very mysterious and you don't want to cause problems for Acacia. 

She nods. "Yeah man, I feel you... so you have no idea where she came from? That is just weird." She scratches her head. "Have you looked around at all? Maybe like something happened recently, and somebody had to ditch their pony."

"But like, what kind of person could even do that, right? I mean, just look at her."

Roza does turn to look at Acacia, and sees that the bat pony has peeled off part of the projector's casing and is messing with the electronics. "Oh uh, Acacia, don't play with that..."

"Don't worry, I just have to convert some of the components to transducers," Acacia says brightly. She's humming a funky tune. 

Roza seems bewildered, but she takes it in stride. "R...Right on, man!" She looks to you, obviously hoping for some kind of explanation.

-------

Replies:

+ Tell her that she's very good with electronics, which technically isn't a lie.

-------

36

You explain to Roza that Acacia has an aptitude for electronics. 

"Dude, look at her go..."

You both watch as Acacia works the interior components with her fangs. You notice for the first time a metallic sheen on the tip of her teeth, with which she seems to be making lines on the circuit board.

Roza glances out the projector window, then whispers to you: "I don't wanna be a buzzkill, but the next show is supposed to start soon..."

Luckily, Acacia slides the casing back on to the projector and climbs out of the chair. "All finished," she says. She looks between you both. "Can we go to the water now?"

-------

Replies:

+ Ask if you can stay to see what Acacia did to the projector.

+ How close does anon live to the ocean?

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37

Anon lives on the edge of a port city. It's [d6]: 4 miles from his apartment to the nearest beach.

However, Acacia actually seems eager to stay when you ask to see what she did to the projector. "That's what I mean!" she says. "We'll go to the water here. Can you start the movie, M-Miss Roza?" 

The girl looks absolutely smitten. "Sure thing little bat, lemme just... get things set up..."

You watch as she navigates the projector menu and brings up Wonders of the Deep. As her finger hovers over the play button, you have a sudden sinking feeling that perhaps this isn't the best idea.

She presses play. The movie begins. Sweeping images of the open ocean are projected onto the massive screen. The narrator begins to speak, but he is quickly drowned out by a low electric thrum that ramps into an incredible roar.

The images of the great heaving sea begin to glow brighter and brighter. You can see Roza staring out the window slack-jawed, Acacia hopping up and down in excitement, and then it's too bright to see anything, and so loud that you instinctively clap your hands over your ears in an attempt to block it out.

Just when you feel like you can't bear it any longer, a huge sonic boom sends reverberations throughout the room, and then you hear a tremendous splash, and the sounds of screaming people.

Wat do?

-------

Replies:

+ Hunker down and pray for help, with your only escape now water-filled, you're kinda screwed.

+ Try pressing stop on the projector.

+ Wonder how the fuck she even did this.

-------

38

You slam the stop button on the projector and pull the plug for good measure. The movie immediately shuts off.

You zone out for a moment, realizing that you're trapped here in a projection booth with a bat pony, a stoner, and a horrifyingly dangerous piece of equipment, with who knows how much water sealing your exit.

Roza is shaking you. "Dude, hey! Dude! We gotta do something!"

You see Acacia huddled in the corner, looking panicked. "I'm sorry, I didn't know there were people out there, I'm sorry -"

You hear screaming, shouting, and splashing from the other side of the door.

-------

Replies:

+ Only one thing for it, hide Acacia and open the door, and hope you can get Acacia out safely without you getting tagged by the cameras

+ Wait, wait wait. Wait.
Okay so.
They turned the movie on and water and shit splashed out of the screen?
What the fucking shit. Acacia's some kind of wizard, and she probably just killed people.
Am I correct?

Put in another film and play it. Maybe the water will pour into the screen with Acacia's black magic.

+ I doubt that's what'll happen, I get the impression that she just built a bigger version of the printer back at Anons apartment, since energy and mass are interchangeable, and she's already made a small scale version of a car, mass generating water isn't really much more complicated.

tl;dr the projector prints out whatever it plays.

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39

Though your heart is pounding, you manage to focus long enough to recall the printing device Acacia made in your apartment. You deduce that she must've turned the projector into a larger scale model.

You wonder if another movie could help solve this. You ask Roza, and she runs over to the back corner of the room where the discs are kept.

While she's digging those out, you carry Acacia to a shadowy corner of the room and put your jacket on her like a blanket. She's trembling violently and there are tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she says. "I'm sorry..."

You open the door to see that almost the entirety of the theater is flooded. The recessed electric lighting glows from under the water's surface. You see some people have taken shelter on the two upper tiers of seating that weren't swamped. Further out, you see people swimming toward a guy thrashing out in the middle of the theater; he obviously can't swim.

-------

Replies:

+ Go save the guy. You're an olympic swimmer.
Halfway there, Roza finds a new disc and puts it in. She doesn't read it properly and thinks it's something about deserts. Sand pours out from the printer, but so do scorpions and shit.
The disc was a documentary about poisonous creatures in harsh climates.

+ Put in 'Titanic'

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40

[Roza rolls an intelligence check]

You leap out into the water and power your way over to the drowning man. He claws at you, panicked, but you put him into a cross chest carry and drag him back to the seats that aren't submerged. 

Some people help you secure him. You look around and count 11 audience members total; you don't know if this is everybody in the theater or not. Nobody seems to know. At least no one seems to be missing anyone.

Most of them seem like they're in shock. A couple are talking, though.

"What the hell happened?" 

"I dunno, but I can really feel the immersion."

You see that some of them are glancing at the open door to the projection booth. You get up. "I'll uh... I'll go talk to the projectionist," you say. "See if there's some kind of... emergency protocol we should follow." 

"You do that, buddy."

Roza is crouching by Acacia, trying to calm her down. A bunch of discs are lying on the chair. "I don't know what we should play man. There's that stupid horror movie, and that like German war thing. And Titanic, can you believe that?" Roza says. "There's one that I thought was about deserts, but it's actually about scorpions and spiders and shit like that."

You examine the discs:

>Agoraphobia (Surreal/Horror)
>Black Band (Historical/Action)
>Arachnid (Documentary)
>Titanic (Drama/Romance)

Glancing outside, you get the impression that the water level has diminished somewhat.

-------

Replies:

+ Putting in a disc may cause more problems than it would solve, your best bet may be to dive down for the ctheatre doors and get them open to drain the water out, you may be able to get Acacia out undetected in the confusion.

+ Don't play Agoraphobia or Arachnid. Those can only end badly.
Titanic might work, if Roza keeps the film at the beginning.
Aren't there fire exits in the theater? Hold your breath and swim down to open one of those. Start draining water.

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41

You decide to try and speed things up by opening the fire exit doors. You tell Roza to watch over Acacia and keep her out of sight. As you get up to leave, Roza suddenly grabs your wrist.

"Hey like, if we get separated... where should I meet you?" she pauses. "This is some crazy shit. I know you haven't like... told me everything... but I wanna help you. And Acacia."

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Replies:

+ In a very heroic manner, tell her to meet you at Jack in the Box.
She can help you steal the sign.

+ Don't forget to grab the projector, you can't leave that tech behind for the government, either take the whole thing or pull the modified circuit boards. Tell Roza to meet you in a park somewhere, and by no means go straight back home.

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42

You heroically tell her about the Jack in the Box and the park nearby. "There's a creek where we can meet."

The projector is too big to dive with, and it probably wouldn't survive the trip. Roza just happens to have a plastic bag for you to put the circuit boards in.

"I dunno what they're gonna think about a busted projector," Roza says. "But probably better that they don't find these, huh?"

Before you go, Acacia asks you if everyone is okay. She then tells you to please be careful, because you're a nice person.

Into the water you go. No one moves to stop you. You dive and follow the lights, heading for the doors. You discover that the entrance doors have already been opened, and the hallway beyond has been flooded.

The fire exits remain closed, however. You put your shoulder up against one and press the bar.

The door slams open, and thousands of gallons of water rush through the new opening. 

Strength check [d20]: 1. Fuck.

You are immediately sucked inside. You ride an enormous wave down the fire exit stairwell. It would almost be fun if it weren't terrifying. You slam into the bottom exit door, knocking it open with the force of your body.

Water surges out onto the pavement, carrying you with it. You lie there, sputtering, as you are blinded by the flashing lights of ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars. As water continues to surge out of the open door, two medics run up to you, pulling you to safety, and away from the theater.

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Replies:

+ Fuck. A cliffhanger. Damn it all. I hope Roza isn't too stoned to get Acacia out of there.

Right now, Anon is just a guy, if he draws any attention from the police, they'll find the circuit boards, and that won't end well.

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43

As the medics drag you over to one of many waiting ambulances, you hope that Roza has the presence of mind to get Acacia out of there.

An EMT puts a blanket on you and starts taking vitals, while another asks you about what happened and if you feel any pain anywhere. Eventually satisfied that you aren't injured, they tell you to sit tight.

Water continues to spew out of the fire exit for awhile, until it seems like the theater has finally drained itself. You see cops and firemen going in to check things out.

You squint as they start bringing people out of the building. You count out 11, wrapped up in blankets; there's no sign of Roza or Acacia.

Your attention is pulled away when an investigator comes by and introduces himself. "Can you tell me what you saw in there?" he asks, staring at you from behind his clipboard.

-------

Replies:

+ Lie to him, naturally, tell him you were just leaving the theatre from a previous viewing when water came out of nowhere.

+ Use a burst fire suppression system pipe as a scapegoat.

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44

Keeping cool with the investigator, you lie and say you dozed off during the movie. You had been just about to leave when the fire suppression system must've blown. If the investigator finds that claim dubious, he doesn't show it, and just notes it down on his clipboard.

"Thanks for your help," he says. "Sorry you had to go through that. Takes a lot of guts to dive that deep. Some of the people in there were calling you a hero."

He informs you of your legal rights regarding your right to litigation, should the theater be found at fault for what happened. Next he tells you that as the investigation continues, he might need to ask you further questions. He asks for your name and contact information.

What do you tell him?

-------

Replies:

+ Real name and address, if you hold to your story and keep Acacia hidden during the follow-up, they have no reason to pick you out of the others who were there at the time.

+ Everyone has an internet alias, time to put it to real use.

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45

You give the guy your real name, address, phone number, and your totally sweet trip. He assures you that they won't bother you unless absolutely necessary. The man shakes your hand and tells you that if the medics have checked you out and you don't want to go to the hospital, you're free to leave.

If you have any questions for him, you can ask them now. Otherwise, where to?

-------

Replies:

+ Ask him if the others are right, and take your time leaving. Go to where you said you would meet Roza of course, she has your bat pony.

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46

"No one was unconscious and everybody walked out. That's 'all right' in my book."

"There was some spillage into the hallways, but no one was hurt that we know of."

"Right now we're concerned about the projectionist. Wasn't in her booth. The manager says this isn't unusual, though. Sounds like a delinquent."

"We're looking for her now. Our main concern is that she got stuck in one of the halls when the water came in."

"We've done a sweep and she hasn't turned up. Looks like she was playing hooky, thank god."

"We'll have some questions for her if she turns up."

You thank the man and wander around the site. The other audience members are sitting around on the curb by the ambulances, drinking coffee. A lone firetruck remains, the rest having already packed up and left.

After a few minutes of hanging around, you dip out onto the street. You take a winding path through the city, making many turns and stops, assuring yourself that you aren't being followed.

Satisfied, you make for the creek where you told Roza to meet you. It takes the better part of an hour, but you finally arrive at the clearing. It's very dark; the moon has slipped behind some clouds. Water burbles quietly at your feet. You don't see anybody around.

"Psst," someone says. "Who's there?"

You identify yourself. A bush sighs in relief.

Roza steps out. Hovering at her shoulder is Acacia.

"Jesus man, I freaked when you didn't come back out. What happened?"

The bat pony flies over and examines you from head to toe. She then lands and shyly shuffles her hooves, ducking her head demurely.

"Was anyone h...hurt?" she asks.

Roza will pull you aside for a tete-a-tete. She wants some answers, dude. What do you tell her about Acacia?

-------

Replies:
+ The truth, the machines and everything, she may be a stoner be she's not so stupid as to not realise that Acacia is responsible for what happened.

-------

47

You tell the girl about everything that's happened so far; about the therapists, the white room, the two devices sitting in your apartment.

Impossibly, she seems to take it in stride. "Well its obvious. " she says. "She's like a genius. We gotta figure out where she came from, man..."

You watch as Roza crouches down next to Acacia. The girl seems wise to the fact that the bat pony doesn't like being touched; she makes no move to reach out.

"Hey Acacia... I know you were scared, but you were really brave tonight." Roza pulls out her phone and shows it to you. The inside has been gutted. "Before we got the fuck outta there, she took the boards out and modded em to be like how the projector was, before she changed it."

Acacia blushes, looking at the ground.

"I dunno how, but she says it should work like it used to," Roza continues. "No one'll know unless they open it up."

"A girl like this is really special. You gotta make sure you keep her safe."

Roza stands up. "I gotta get home and just like process, y'know?" She takes out a piece of paper, unrolls it, and starts writing on it. "It'll be weird if the cops find out we know each other. Wait like a couple days and then call me on this number, okay?"

She pauses for a moment, standing quietly in the moonlight, before breaking into a smile. "God -damn-, I'm gonna get fired for real this time. But it was worth it. That job sucked balls anyway."

"Thanks for letting me meet your bat pony, Anon. Don't forget about me."

She'll bid you farewell and say goodbye to Acacia, and then at last you are alone and reunited with your bate. What do?

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Replies:

+ [Lewd things]

+ Ask her if she wants a hug, if yes, give her the most caring hug you possibly can, if no, tell her it's alright and take her home. 

+ Ask her if she is okay and tell it was not her fault and nobody should even think about being angry at her. They need to be more careful next time and first think before going full /g/ to not to make a mess again. 

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48

You crouch down and ask Acacia how she's doing. She just nods shyly and looks at the ground.

"It wasn't your fault," you say. "And no one is angry with you, Acacia. Everyone was okay. No one got hurt."

She smiles a little, but doesn't look up. "Nnn..."

Now that you've seen firsthand what she can do, you make a mental note to be more careful in the future. You have a sneaking suspicion that what happened in the theater was just a taste of what she's really capable of.

You ask if she'd like a hug.

"...."
"...O--okay..."

She walks into your outstretched arms and stands there, pressing her face against your chest. You embrace her, holding her gently but firmly. She's trembling and just as rigid as before.

When you pull away, you wonder if the hug provided her any measure of comfort. Then you see that she's smiling in the moonlight. She thanks you quietly.

"Can we go home now?" she asks.

You carry her back to your apartment. You walk in through the front door and your hand fumbles for the light switch. Leaves brush your fingers.

When the lights come on, you freeze in shock at the scene in your living room.

The houseplant, if it can still be called that, has burst from its pot. In its place, a woody trunk has latched into the floor. What was once a wilting philodendron is now a twisted tree with branches running all over the walls. From its lush boughs hang bright orange fruits. They're so luscious that juice drips down their sides and onto your floor, staining the carpet.

Acacia claps her hooves. "Yay, it's done!" she says. "Do you want one?"

She flies up and plucks a fruit, passing it your way. You notice that the thing appears to be filled with juice. Cautiously drinking, you find it tastes frighteningly similar to a Jack in the Box mango smoothie.

Time for bed. Bidding Acacia good night, you fight your way through the foliage blocking your bedroom door and go to sleep.

-------

Replies:

+ Prune that bloody tree and ask acacia if she can make it smaller in size 

+ Leave this beautiful tree, tomorrow you have to trim some branches and roots. How about you will spend your time with her on doing something together to know each other better? Ask her if she wants to play a board game or maybe cook something. She is your little waifu/daughteru now, and the tension must go away. 

+ But anon, he lives in an apartment. What happens when the landlord comes around? 

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49

You scrounge around for some board games, realizing that you don't really have a wide selection. You find a chess set, some playing cards, and a box of _________ that you got as a gift at some point. What do you want to play with Acacia?

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Replies:

+ >Chess
Two move checkmate, every time.
>Playing cards
She can count cards and read minds.
>A box of _______
Mouse trap. 

+ A box with small models of trains, railroads, trees, humans and stuff, to make a small village, maybe 3m x 3m. 

-------

50


You awaken to find Acacia curled up at the foot of your bed again. You tuck her in and head out into the living room.

Perhaps to your dismay, you see that the printer has been neatly disassembled, it's various components bundled with cables on the floor. The radiation device is still intact, but it doesn't appear to be on.

Digging around in your closet, you're delighted to find that game of Mouse Trap your aunt gave you years ago, and your grandfather's old train set. You set these aside for later.

You decide to prune the tree, at least a little bit. It's frankly everywhere and it's going to take more than just a pair of shears to remove the whole thing. You cut away some branches and leaves so that it's no longer blocking any doors.

When evening comes, Acacia wanders out of your room and hungrily digs into one of the mango smoothie fruits.

She seems intrigued by the concept of games. "We played a lot in the white room," she says. "Usually with cards..."

She's never seen anything like Mouse Trap, however. She kees with delight when you demonstrate the falling plastic cage.

After a few minutes you realize that she's more interested in messing with the game's various components than actually playing by the rules. When it seems like her attention is waning, you pull out the train set.

"Ooo." Her eyes light up. She picks up the tiny locomotive engine. "What's this?"

You explain what a train is. In response to further questioning, you bring up some videos on your computer. The familiar look of wonder creeps into her face as she watches steam locomotives and maglev bullet trains. "Can... can we ride one?" she squeaks. "Please?"

A few hours pass. Acacia happily makes chugga-chugga noises as she plays with the train set. There suddenly comes a loud knocking at your door. It's quite dark out. What do? 

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Replies:

+ If you can, peek through the window blinds ever so slightly, and tell Acacia to be quiet for a second to asses the situation

+ This, if it is Róża, then let her in, if somebody else, hide Acacia turn off all the NASA stuff in your apartment and open the door.
Of course if this is dr Tyrese or dr Jaykwon, don't open the door. 

-------

51

As you peek through the window, you hear the sound of a car peeling off into the night. Looking down at your front stoop, you see a small cardboard package. Attached to it is a note:

>The procurement of goods can be arranged under a trade agreement. 

>Simply write what you desire on a slip of paper and deposit it in your mailbox. The goods will be delivered the next morning.

>We broker this deal in good faith, with the understanding that in exchange your charge will construct a device to our specifications, whensoever we submit an order.

>Discretion is advised in future outings. They are watching.

>Yours sincerely,
Drs. T & J

Inside the box you find a bunch of bags of electronic components, LEDs, and other miscellaneous electrical equipment. Acacia is practically chomping at the bit to take a looksee.

What will you do with the good doctors' gift? 

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Replies:

+ Accepting this trade agreement does not sound like a good idea, what will they make her build, and why? These might be the people in 'white coats' Acacia spoke of. Then again, it can't hurt to see where this leads, so give her the box. 

-------

52

You warily hand over the box. You don't know who they are or what they want, but you don't exactly trust those two so-called "doctors". They did steal your neighbor's car, after all. You wonder vaguely how he's doing; you haven't seen him in days.

Acacia digs in happily. For once, you sit on the couch and watch her as she works.

You pay particular attention to her fangs; you'd noticed in the projector room that they seem to secrete some kind of metallic substance. You watch as she uses them to draw lines on a blank circuit board provided by the doctors.

Periodically she gets up to eat one of the pendulous fruits hanging from the tree. You'd noticed that in just a few days she'd already gone through half the bag of apples you bought. Making these machines is apparently hungry work.

It's around midnight when she claps her hooves and steps away from her project. On the table has materialized a small, square-shaped device; its components were stuffed into a casing that Acacia dug out of the box. It hums to life when she turns it on. Like the printer, it's not plugged into the wall; somehow it draws power wirelessly.

"It's a signal distributor," she explains simply. She yawns, showing her fangs, and curls up on the couch. "I'm sleepy."

A moment later she's napping. You're feeling tired as well, and you decide to doze off right there. 

You awaken to the roar of static.

Jolting off the couch, you see that none of the apartment's lights are on. From outside, a bright electric glow spills in through the windows, painting the room in sickly blue light. The sound of static screeches in your ears, making your head pound.

The apartment is freezing, and you don't see the glow of the electric clock or your computer's charger. The power's off.

You feel around for Acacia and find her still sleeping peacefully on the couch. You shake her but she doesn't wake up.

A deep sense of foreboding fills you as you have the distinct sensation that there is something waiting right outside your front door.

The static is giving you a horrible headache. What do? 

-------

Replies:

+ Go outside.

-------

53


You open door.

Outside on the lawn is the hulking, distorted form of a vaguely man-like creature, its "body" defined by the jagged waves of electromagnetic energy radiating from it like arcs in a plasma ball. The static screams louder as it crawls toward you.

You close the door. 

-------

Replies:

+ Well then. I think we should turn off the signal distributor, failing that we should befriend the plasma man and show him the magic of friendship

+ Holy shit, turn off that stuff Acacia made.

-------

54

You fumble around for the signal distributor, only to discover that it doesn't seem to be turned on...

Whatever happened to your apartment's electricity, it also seems to be affecting the device. Except for whatever battery is charged on your phone and computer, it seems like you're completely without power. 

-------

Replies:

+ Clearly mr plasma outside is draining power from the city grid, that being the case, you may have to cut the power lines somehow. How's Acacia? 

+ Then just wait, maybe that walking dubstep will go away. 

+ Are Tyrese and Jaykwon bad guys? Acacia wasn't abused, she could listen to her favourite music and read books, also they told her to keep away from bad people. What was the reason of giving Acacia to Anon? 

+ [Art of Rosewood teaching Acacia about plants]

-------

55

You wonder, for a moment, if Drs. Tyrese and Jaykwon could really be that bad, especially when compared to the dubstep monster outside your door.

Attempting to wait the thing out, you feel as if the static is getting into your head. The sensation is unbearable. You peek out the window and see that it's still out there, waiting.

Acacia is out like a light, sleeping peacefully on the couch. It's almost as if something is making her like that...

You hypothesize that the plasma creature is somehow drawing power to itself from the local grid. If you have plans to cut the lines, there's a utility pole near the sidewalk in front of your neighbor's house. How will you perform this daring maneuver?

-------

Replies:

+ We need to construct something like a faraday cage to contain the bloody thing long enough to cut the lines, any sort of metallic conducting mesh around? probably not 

-------

56


Interesting idea. There's the screen door and the screens on your windows, although that might be what's keeping it out for now.

You do find a roll of aluminum foil in your kitchen, which might be useful for your purposes. 

-------

Replies:

+ Foil works, we might be able to make some kind of shield, while we're at it get a bucket of water. A highly conductive puddle of water may make it more difficult for the thing to move about. Also gumboots if he has them, rubber gloves, stuff like that 

-------

57

The bucket of water is easy enough to secure. As for making a foil shield, you have some plastic lids or cardboard boxes you could use.

The d100 gave funny results when I rolled for the other gear, so I'll leave it up to you: would you rather have gumboots or rubber gloves? You only get one.

Once you've got your stuff together, what's your plan? 

-------

Replies:

+ The gloves, of course, and the plan is to charge out with a mighty battlecry, throw the bucket of water on it and use the shield to block the lightning it may or may not shoot at you. Then go to the power pole, since most households don't have heavy duty wire cutters, the plan is to make mr plasma maybe shoot the pole with a blast of lightning so it collapses

-------

58

You equip your Gloves of Electricity Resistance and your Faraday Shield and charge out the front door, screaming.

The creature recoils with surprising alacrity, then rears up as if to charge. You throw the bucket of water. It's an easy enough shot given its size and your athletic acumen. A [d20]: 17 is a pretty much dead-on hit.

Its amorphous energetic exterior crackles as the water passes through it. It tries to move forward, but it's as if it's moving through mud; its weird lightning limbs peel upward from the puddle with a shriek of static, then collapse back down into the water, as if it is unable to pull them free.

You sprint over to the utility pole, holding up your shield and praying that any lightning bolts coming your way will just do your work for you.

if the thing has the capability to blast you, it doesn't demonstrate it. It seems intent on dragging itself from the water, and it's already made progress; one limb is free, and it's using it to hold onto the metal siding of your house and pull itself forward.

As a back-up cutting implement, let's say you grabbed:

1-20: kitchen knife
21-45: utility knife
46-55: small wire cutters
56-75: swiss army knife
76-85: multitool
86-90: shears
91-100: heavy duty wire cutters
Result: 69. Oh baby, you have a large swiss army knife. 

-------

Replies:

+ Time to climb. Throw your shield captain america style and shimmy up the pole with athletic grace. 

+ [The Thread appropriates a new bat pony]
- Her name can be Cassandra

- Now this is our bat pony, we need a short story and vector picture of her

- Her name is Robinia, she is Acacia's older sister, they love and care of each other. She is a very cheerful and reliable bat pony, but after Drs Tyrese and Jaykwon separed them, she couldn't bear that her little sister is with a stranger. Robinia escaped from scientist's mansion and now she want to protect Acacia from Anon. She doesn't know that Anon cares about Acacia as much as her. Jaykwon and Tyrese don't intervene, bat ponies were supposed to meet again, but they couldn't find a box big enough for two bat ponies.

- Cassandra or Robinia? 

- I actually prefer Robinia, as it fits well with Acacia. 

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia

Cassandra is a human name, I think that there should be a connection between their names. 

-------

59

Dropping your Faraday shield, you grab on to the utility pole and start climbing. There aren't any handholds, but you're able to wrap your limbs around it and shimmy up.

The lines sway pendulously as you reach the top. Below, the static monster has pulled another leg free. You fumble in your jacket for the swiss army knife, when a blur of motion catches your eye.

Before you can react, a flying dog-sized object crashes into you. Strength check [d20]: 6. Your grip is torn from the pole and you are sent hurtling to the earth.

The impact jars your bones. You see stars, but adrenaline keeps you focused. You grapple with the thing thrashing against you.

"Where. is. my. sister?" it hisses, baring its fangs.

-------

Replies:

+ She is smaller, grab her butt, it will surprise and paralyze her for a while, on the top of her you go. First of all, check what even is this. Ask who is she, why has she attacked you and don't ask the third question, because Mr Shiny Ass decided to electrify you and your unsuccesful assassin. Grab her butt again and remove yourself from the way of electric guy.

-------

60

Mane, check. Soft equine body, check. Wings, check. It's a bat pony.

You could probably flip her over without much trouble, but her fangs are an inch from opening up your carotid artery. You decide to play it cool by grabbing her ass. Honk honk.

"W-What are you doing?" she says, when you ask her who she is. "I'll... I'll kill you, don't think I won't!"

"We should probably move before that thing kills us both."

She glares at you fiercely from behind her messy mane, her eyes as pink as her hair. "It doesn't care about us, you idiot!" she growls. 'It wants my sister! Don't you know anything at all?"

With a terrible electronic shriek that sounds like metal grating on metal, the static creature finally breaks free from the puddle of water. It pulls itself jerkily onto your roof and begins crawling around, as if looking for a way in.

"I don't have time for this!" You feel her glutes flex as she lifts her hind leg. She stomps the hell out of your shin. "Where is Acacia? Where are you hiding her?"

-------

Replies:

+ Electric guy was a bit 2fast4u and he zapped the angry bat. Grab that dazed girl, get up from the ground and run back to your home.

+ Tell her to get the fuck off of you and that her main concern should be the thing, not you, since you're trying to protect her

+ Stupid static guy touched the lightning rod on your roof and now he is trapped in the ground. Get a converter, a long cable with many sockets and connect them to the rod- free energy for you!

-------

61


"Ow, fuck!" Pain shoots up your leg from the impact of her hoof.  "Our main concern should be that thing, not who's hiding who.  I'm trying to protect her."

The pony glares at you, but finally slides off your body.  "If you want to help her, we have to get her out of here," she says.  "Now, before it finds a way in!"

You sprint over to the front door, flying bat pony in tow.  A glance up at the roof reveals that the monster appears to be stuck on something; maybe the lightning rod?  Whatever it is, it's having trouble moving again, but you don't know for how long.

Inside you find Acacia snoozing on the couch where you left her.  Her sister bounds over and immediately starts pulling Acacia onto her back.  In mid-carry, her eyes alight on the devices on the table.

"Is that a signal distributor?" she demands.  She lets out a growl of frustration.  "Why didn't you.. nevermind!  Just stand there and make sure that thing doesn't get in!"

Gently she sets Acacia back down on the couch.  She then flies over the table and closes her eyes.  You're astonished as she begins to hum a low frequency, and her body begins to glow.

All around her, devices start popping on.  The plant machine sheds soft rainbow light.  Your cell phone's screen activates.  And little LEDs begin to flicker on the signal distributor.

You can't spare a moment to see what it's doing, however, as your attention is grabbed by the sickly blue glow of an electric limb reaching into the room from a vent.  Slowly but surely it's winding its way toward Acacia...

-------

Replies:

+ Go on.. 

+ Are you going to let it grab her? 

+ Of course not! Just I don't really know what to do, swat his with a wet rag, use a cable from the vacuum cleaner like a lasso? 

+ Run to the door and pull the wire screen off and use it to cover Acacia 

+ >You're astonished as she begins to hum a low frequency, and her body begins to glow.
Maybe we should not go into power ponies, it sounds a bit weird. Maybe she just learned how to turn on and off Acacias stuff just by observing her in the lab? Just think about her she is a mix of Cadance, Twilight and Pinkie. 

+ Acacia already secretes metal compounds from her fangs, though 

+ But Acacia has autism, she is a genius, Robinia is just her older sister, I think it's a good balance 

+ Perhaps, but Acaciafag has spoken, and unless Acacia makes a machine to rewind time, her older sister apparently has electrokinesis or something 

+ [A poster of Acacia, Robinia, Anon, and Drs. Tyrese & Jaykwon]

-------

62

With the static arm making a beeline for your sleeping charge, you rush to the door and attempt to tear out the screen. Despite rolling shittily (9), it's hardly a herculean task, and you rip an insert free from its screws.
Holding the thing in front of you like a shield, you stand between the claw and Acacia.

Tendrils of electrical energy are drawn to the screen. At first it seems as if you've stopped it, but then wavering claws wrap around the metal and try to wrench it from your grasp.

Strength check[d20]: 18

It could be either the heroic action of protecting Acacia or the deep fear you have of being zapped to death, but something snaps within you. You feel your skin flush as your endocrine system floods your body with adrenaline. The creature attempts to throw you from side to side, but your rubber-gloved hands hold firm to your shield.

The more effort the limb exerts, the more of it that seems to flow into the aluminum screen. You suddenly find yourself lifted into the air and then slamming into a wall. A branch snaps from the mutated tree, smoothiefruits hitting the ground dully.

You become better acquainted with the ceiling as the creature bashes your head into it. Blearily you slump to the ground, vaguely conscious of a deep low-pitch frequency emanating from the center of the room.

You see bright blue flashes, hear a sharp metallic whine, and then all goes dark. 

It's still nighttime when you come to. The apartment lights have come back on. You stare up at the ceiling, feeling ill when you see the dent you made.

Perhaps there's a little more to that ill feeling, as you feel a bit woozy when you sit up. Your hand brushes over your head and finds a bandage pressed onto your scalp. It hurts when you poke it.

"D-Don't touch it," Acacia says. "It has to heal."

You look around and see her sitting on her haunches beside the couch. Her sister is sprawled above her on the cushions, fast asleep.

"She was guarding us, but she fell asleep." Acacia looks up at you. "Her name is Robinia. She's my sister."

The room is quiet. You look around and see that a bunch of tiny LED lights on the signal distributor are blinking.

Suspended in the rainbow light machine is what looks like a bottle of dark blue liquid. The glass is frosted and surrounded by mist, as if the machine is somehow keeping it cold.

Acacia seems troubled, but otherwise unharmed. She stares at the ground, idly scratching at the carpet with her hooves. 

-------

Replies:

+ Be slightly annoyed at Robinias sleeping form and ask Acacia what happened. 

+ This, we need more info about what happened and who is Robinia.

-------

63

"I remember building the signal distributor. Then Robinia woke me up and told me that we had to leave because the people in the white room know where we are."

"I told her if that was true then they would have already come to get me. Then she said that if she found me, then they could find me, too."

"When I explained to her why she was wrong she got very angry with me and told me we had to leave again. I said no, so we stayed. Then she fell asleep, and you woke up."

"That's what happened."

You nod along patiently. "What about the static monster?" you ask. "And does your sister have electricity powers or something?"

She looks confused at the mention of dubstep man. "I don't know what that is, but I like it." Somehow she brightens again, and as if nothing at all just happened, she walks over to the Drs.' box and starts tinkering with components again.

"Robinia," Acacia explains, "is a PSU." She smiles broadly at her sister, who in sleep looks far more peaceful and innocent than she does when she's stomping your tibia. Looking at that face, mouth open, drooling slightly, It's almost impossible to be annoyed at her. Almost. 

-------

Replies:

+ It was a long night for the angry bat, poor thing just wanted to protect her sister. Get a blanket for her and ask Acacia if she needs something to eat or drink. Later you should wait until Robinia wakes up, you don't want her to think that you and Acacia ran away. You can ask Acacia about that blue liquid. 

-------

64

"Oh, that? It's liquid ozone!" Acacia says. "It's very good for cleaning things."

She thanks you for the offer of food, but tells you that she's not hungry. You lay a blanket over sleeping Robinia.

Weariness suddenly hits you as you realize just how tired you are. Your head throbs, both from your injury and exhaustion. You wonder, distantly, if Roza has had to deal with the cops yet.

Based on what Acacia told you, you decide it would be better if you're in the same room as they are when her sister wakes up. You pull some pillows off your bed and lay them on the floor to sleep.

Acacia hovers nearby, staring down curiously at you, but if she asks you a question, you don't comprehend it. You pass out into well-deserved rest.

When you wake the next morning, Robinia is still asleep, and Acacia is curled up right beside her. The sight is extremely adorable.

What's not so adorable are all the scorch marks on your walls, and the big dent in the ceiling. The landlord probably isn't going to like that, but he lives hundreds of miles away, so fuck him.

Is there anything you'd like to do today before Robinia and Acacia wake up?

-------

Replies:

+ Snuggle with Acacia, the new best bat. 
- You forget she has autism and all that touching creeps her out. She would probably wake up and feel scared again. Give her time and one day she will come to Anon to snuggle by herself.

- Smell her while she sleeps then.  No lewd parts, just her hair.

- That is fucking creepy.

- How about just let them sleep. And...huff the room in the morning. NOTHING LIKE THAT SLEEPY BAT SMELL AT NIGHT. UNF. 

+ If you have Roza's phone number, you can call her and ask if everything is ok. Make a breakfast for you and two bats. 

+ Maybe a quick peek under Robinia's blanket to check her cutie mark? 

-------

65

They smell like mangoes and horse sweat. You're pretty positive that they haven't bathed in awhile.  You carefully peek under the blanket. Emblazoned on Robinia's flank is a glorious ___________.

-------

Replies:

+ blackcurrant 

+ This.  Robinia is into all things relating to blackcurrants.  She is a goober and bakes blackcurrant tarts and pies for Acacia and baby Cerea. 
- Keep number of the bats on two, Acacia and Robinia 

- But Cerea already exists.  She is battysitted by them occasionally, along with Rosewood the batparrot. 

- We should focus on these two bat ponies, we know very little about Acacia and almost nothing about Robinia.
And blackcurrants sound good. 

-------

66

 You confirm that Robinia's mark is indeed a bunch of blackcurrants.

While Robinia and Acacia snooze on the couch, you dial up Roza. She sounds half-asleep when she finally picks up.

"Oh dude, it's you," she says. "Hey man, I can't talk much on the phone, we gotta catch up. Like tonight. That cool with you?"

Will you agree to meet up with Roza tonight?

-------

Replies:

+ Ask if she wants to come over, failing that, wait for the bates to wake up.

+ Yes, you can invite her to your house. Take a shower, prepare breakfast for you and bates, wake them up by gently scratching behind their ears.

-------

67

You tell her to come to your place in the evening, but her sudden laughter cuts you off.

"No dude, let's meet up at your favorite spot like we used to, we'll get mad high." she says. "Like super wasted. Just the two of us. At your favorite spot. You know, just you and me. It would mean so, SO much."

She pauses for an uncomfortable amount of time. When she speaks again, you detect a slight shakiness in her voice. "So I'll see you there tonight, ok?"

-------

Replies:

+ I smell a trap. Or maybe she is affraid it would end with sex in your house? Or maybe she wants your D? Damn, say yes, if it is a police ambush you will regret it later.

-------

68

Feeling some trepidation, and maybe even a boner, you agree to meet Roza at your "favorite spot." You assume this means the park.

Then it's shower time and breakfast. The tree in your living room is looking a little bare in the fruit department, so you get out some of the remaining apples and put them out on a plate. Now that you have three mouths to feed and almost no money in your checking account, you might soon have to look into some new way of getting food.

You stop to idly scratch behind the bates' ears. In her sleep, Acacia rolls onto her back, her head inclined to better receive an ear-scratchin. She smiles, clicks her tongue, then settles into the cushion, seemingly content.

Robinia doesn't react, though her ear flicks after a few moments of scratching.

You head into the bathroom and strip down for a shower. You're pretty sure you haven't bathed either since this whole thing started, and now that you notice it, you're pretty rank.

Singing quietly, you soap yourself up, thinking about what you're going to do later. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you feel like you see something moving on the other side of the curtain.

Then the lights go off.

The door is slightly ajar. You watch as something unseen slowly pushes it closed.

All is quiet save for the running water of the shower hitting the basin of the bathtub.

-------

Replies:

+ Spooky... keep going

+ Get out and turn the lights back on. Be wary of Ayyliens using active camoflage.

-------

69


You cautiously creep from the shower, intending to turn the lights back on. Your foot slaps wetly on the tile, and you hear a sharp gasp, followed by a quiet rustling. Something furry brushes past your leg.

Quickly you throw the switch, lighting up the room. Huddled in the corner, looking terribly flustered, is Robinia.

"Didn't know you'd be in here," she gurgles, averting her eyes. "Not used to... living with others."

It only takes her a moment to regain her composure. "Well, hurry it up, then," she says. "I wanna get cleaned up, too."

-------

Replies:

+ >Robinia

U wot m8?

+ Proceed to rub her mistake in her face while your dongle dangles in front of her.

-------

70

>Robinia

Yes indeed, you'd recognize that pinkish mane anywhere. Her sister Acacia presumably is still asleep on the couch.

You fold your arms across your chest, not even bothering to cover your dongle. It's freezing cold in here, so perhaps it takes care of itself.

"You didn't hear the water going? The singing?" you ask.

Robinia starts to edge toward the door, then stops. She sighs.

"Okay, fine. I need to talk to you. Before Acacia wakes up."

"Now?"

"Yes, now," she hisses. "Don't talk about that thing we fought last night around Acacia. You'll freak her out."

"What the hell was it?"

"I have no idea, but I do know that it's not part of the experiments. It's some kind of phenomenon that the scientists didn't understand, and I think it has to be one of the reasons why they... split us up."

She pauses. "Just don't mention it to her, okay? As far as she knows, it was just something she saw in a bad dream sometime. Let's keep it that way."

She seems like she has more to say, but she trails off. Any particular questions you want to ask of her?

-------

Replies:

+ Ask her if she thinks your dongle is big. If that's not a good idea, ask her about the scientists. 

-------

71

"Do you think my dongle's big?"

"W-W-What?"

"Tell me about the scientists."

She stares at the ground, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.

"Some men and women. Acacia was too young to remember when they came to get us. But I do."

"They packed us in a car and drove us somewhere in the mountains. That was the first facility."

"They never told us their real names."

She pauses. "Long story short, they aren't bad people, but they aren't good either. They want to use Acacia for something. You must know by now that she's... special."

"I don't know exactly why they sent us out here. We've moved around before, but they've never just relinquished control over us."

"And I don't think they have. Which is why I want to take Acacia and get as far away from here as possible, before they do whatever it is that they're planning."

"But she won't listen to me..." 

-------

Replies:

+ Ask her if there are more ponies like her and Acacia. How many scientists are there and what is their goal? By "like her and Acacia" I mean talented and held by scientist.

+ >"Do you think my dongle's big?"
Let's say this question were asked only by herself, in her head. Don't turn Anon into a sexual faggot.
But I like the idea where Acacia is Anon's daughteru and Robinia is a waifu for sexual. 
- I see it more as him playing a joke on her distracted state rather than an actual advance. 

+ Tell her everything will be fine, you will protect these two bats and maybe you will be able to do it without moving anywhere.

-------

72

"There aren't any other ponies... like us.  Not that I know of."  She sighs and looks at the ground.  The only sound is the patter of the shower behind you.

"We were 'modified' when we were still young.  We both suited a specific purpose, but Acacia was the perfect subject.  They cut ducts into her fangs and engineered them to secrete two substances: copper substrate, obtained from ions in fruit, and an organic polymer, used to create a special kind of electronics component called a 'transducer'.  You've... probably seen what they can do."

"Acacia is a savant.  She can intuitively understand how things work at a glance.  That's her gift.  And it's what the scientists were banking on."

"They were trying to guide her into creating some kind of machine.  They want her to do the work for them, because her understanding is decades ahead of what they're capable of."

"In the beginning, they taught her to build simple things.  Mechanical toys, radios.  Her ability moved faster than what they could teach.  They eventually needed an organic tool that could provide modular power, so that Acacia was not as limited in what she could create."

"So... that's when they changed me, too.  They altered my DNA and grew artificial electrocytes in my body.  They turned me into a living power source.  It scared me more than anything.  But it didn't hurt.  I was just happy to be able to help my sister."

"After awhile, though, her skill outgrew me, too.  I can still do some things, but I'd never be able to power some of her bigger projects."

"I don't know what kind of machine they were trying to get her to build.  They were very secretive and very cautious.  They moved us around to a lot of different places, but they always sedated us first.  This is the first time we've been back outside in years."

"There were two men and two women.  They called themselves therapists when they were around Acacia, and pretended like they were giving her treatment for her autism."

"I've told her that they're liars, and she just shrugs.  I know she knows."

"They never threatened us or anything.  Even when I tried to escape, they just put me back in my room after they'd caught me.  Didn't even say a word.  It's like they knew they had compete control over us.  That's what terrifies me."

This is all a hell of a lot to process, and you're far too naked for this shit.  You grab a towel and start drying yourself off.  "Well, you're out now," you say.  "That has to be a step in the right direction.  I promise that I'll protect you two the best I can."

Robinia cocks her head to the side.  She still looks distrustful.  "Why, though?" she asks.  "Who are you, anyway?  What kind of person would want to help us?"

-------

Replies:

+ The kind that doesn't want two little bathorses being experimented on in scientific fields other than batpony blueberry bagel dynamics. More seriously, ask what she thinks should be done from here and see if Acacia's little stunt at the movie theater can be used as a method of escape if something were to happen.

+ Because you are not like these lab guys. Even if they didn't hurt Robinia and Acacia, they used them like tools, not like living and thinking beings.

+ I want Anon to hug Robinia and scratch all worries out from her mane and ears.

-------

73

"I don't think it's right for them to use you both like tools," you say. "Even if they didn't hurt you, I don't think two little bat ponies should be getting experimented on. Unless they're testing blueberry bagel dynamics or something."

Robinia looks confused. "What is... 'bagel'?"

"It's, um, like a... round baked good. High in carbohydrates."

"Oh. Like a donut. They used to eat a lot of those."

Robinia appears at least a little mollified by your words. At the very least she's no longer staring at you with blatant wariness.

You run a hand through your still-wet hair. Hearing all this, you wish you could just hug your newfound friends, scratch behind their ears, and make their worries disappear. But you know it's going to take a lot more than that to solve this.

"Hey, did Acacia tell you what happened at the movie theater?" you ask.

Robinia nods. "I was there."

"You were?"

"Well, outside. I was up on the roofs. I saw you come washing out. I tried to find my sister, but she never appeared. She still hasn't told me how she got out of there."

"Hmm..."

Do you tell Robinia about Roza?

-------

Replies:

+ Yes, you should tell her. You want her to trust you, she should know who met her sister.

-------

74

Robinia's expression darkens. "You let my sister go off with someone else? Who is she?"

"Roza works as a projectionist at the theater. She's... nice. I think Acacia liked her."

Robinia looks like she's about to argue, but she falters when you mention her sister. She look away. "How do you know you can trust her?"

You shrug. "To be honest, I don't. But she did bring Acacia back."

"That could mean anything. For all you know, she could be working with someone who wants to use her."

"She didn't really seem like the type."

Robinia clenches her teeth. "It's a mistake to think like that. Don't trust people so easily. And don't tell anyone else about my sister."

You tell her about your intention to meet with Roza tonight.

"Don't do it," Robinia says. "Just forget about her."

"She sounded scared on the phone, she might need help. Plus, it could be nice to have a friend to lean on. Especially one that Acacia already seems to like."

Robinia is quiet for a moment. "Fine," she says. "Do what you want. I won't stop you if you go, but I don't like it."

In the interest of full disclosure, you also decide to mention the Drs. Tyrese and Jaykwon. To your surprise, Robinia seems more grim than angry when you tell her this.

"I know, they're the ones that led me to you," she says. "They're outsiders. They tried to sneak into the facilities a few times over the years. I don't know what they want, and I don't trust them."

"The scientists hated them, though, so they have that going for them I guess."

Finally, you ask her about what she wants to do next, and whether Acacia's projection machine could be used as a means of escape if necessary. "It could help, yeah, but you'd have to provide her with the right materials to build a new one. If you want her to build something, tell her what you want and she'll tell you what she needs to do it."

"And I don't know. I still think we should get out of here, but if you and Acacia want to stay here, then that's what we'll do. We should fortify this place and look into some means of attacking anyone who comes to find us."

She lets out a long breath. "Mind if I get cleaned up now? I don't want to just stand here all day."

If you have any more questions for blackcurrant bate or actions involving her, now's the time. Otherwise, you'll step out into the hallway. Make plans for the rest of the day, and decide whether or not you'll go see Roza.

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Replies:

+ Thank her for patching you up and possibly saving your life, then let her do her thing.

+ She could use a fresh towel and time

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75

"I'll get out of your way," you say. "But thanks, by the way, for patching me up." You point to your bandaged head, with a gesture that sweeps down to your bruised leg. "I got a little beat up last night. But you guys saved my life."

She blushes and looks at the ground. "Don't mention it," she says. "...Sorry for stomping on you."

"I understand. You're a good sister to her."

She doesn't say anything else, though you feel she appreciates your words. You dig out a fresh towel from the closet and hand it over before gracefully stepping out into the hall.

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Replies:

+ Now get dressed before your daughteru sees your dongle, because that couldn't end well.

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76

You pull on some clothes and step back out into the living room. Acacia appears to be snoozing, but she wakes as you draw near. She yawns widely, her jaw opening wide before snapping closed.

"Hi Anon," she says sleepily. "Do you have any enriched uranium I could have?"

So, tonight, your meeting with Roza - do you make any kind of preparations, or bring anything with you?

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Replies:

+ Róża doesn't look like a sleuth, but everything is possible. Take your phone and maybe go and buy a small can of pepper spray. That thing is pretty efficient, and even if it's not a trap, it's good to have anything to protect yourself or Róża.

Maybe Acacia can create a non-lethal weapon for you to protect batties?

+ Tell Acacia and Robinia where to hide in your house if somebody will decide to kidnapp them.

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77

You no longer have enough cash to buy something like a can of pepper spray, but a natural 20 means that you find one secreted into a drawer someplace.

>Pocketed: Pepper Spray

You show Robinia and Acacia a closet they can hide in if necessary, and point them toward the back window in case they need to beat an escape into the night. Robinia begins taping sheets of aluminum foil to the closet's interior, for reasons she does not explain and that Acacia does not question.

"Say, Acacia, suppose there was a bad guy who was trying to mess with us. Is there something you could make that could knock him down?" you ask.

Robinia shoots you a look, but Acacia just cocks her head. "You mean like a weapon? What do you have in mind?"

"Something that won't hurt anybody, just put them out of commission for awhile."

Acacia stares at the ground for a few moments, before she nods thoughtfully, her eyes brightening. "Yes, I have an idea. I'll get started on it right away."

"But you know," she says, as she starts back toward the living room, "we wouldn't need to do any of this if we had some enriched uranium."

"Fresh out, I'm afraid," you say. "...and would that really be safe?"

"Oh, don't worry," Acacia replies, "the radioactive emissions would only be lethal if the material is allowed to achieve criticality."
"It'd be very useful to have some, so please bring some back if you find any!"

She happily gets to work on the "weapon" you requested. That evening, before you leave, Robinia pulls you aside.

"Make sure you don't have people following youl," she says. "If you do, don't come back until they're gone. If you're not back here in 3 days, I'll assume you're dead."

"No hope for a rescue mission?"

Robinia fixes you with a stony glare. "Just be smart out there, all right?"

"I will. If something goes wrong and you have to ditch the apartment, meet me at this place."

You hand her a card with directions to ___________, a location you're familiar with.

"Stay safe, you two," you say. You head outside, and make for the meeting site...

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You walk to the park in the gathering dark, feeling a strange sense of foreboding.  Roza did sound out of sorts when you spoke to her on the phone, a change from the relaxed manner you were familiar with.  You wonder how she'll be when you get there.

The clearing is empty when you arrive, or so it would seem.  As you stand by the quietly burbling creek, contemplating whether to bail, you hear a rustling in some nearby bushes.

Your fears are partially put to rest when Roza comes stumbling out, alone.  She looks like a wreck.  Her green hair is even messier than before, looking as if it hasn't been brushed once since you last saw her, and there are huge bags under her eyes.

"Roza, what happened to you?"

You almost shy away when with a trembling hand she reaches out to touch your wrist.  She lets out a sigh of relief.  

"Oh thank you Jesus," she says.  "I had to make sure you were real."

After you get her to sit down by the water, she starts explaining.

"The cops came and went man.  That was fine.  I told em I snuck out for a smoke during my shift and fell asleep, didn't see a thing.  They didn't ask me anything about the projector or Acacia or anything.  I thought we were in the clear."

"That's when the crazy shit started."

"It was little things at first, man.  I'd go into my room and stuff would be rearranged.  All the stuff on my desk was switched around.  I thought I was tripping on something."

"Then before I went to sleep, I walked in from the bathroom and all my sheets had been stuffed under the bed."

"Someone other than me did that, and I don't have any roommates.  I was freakin the fuck out.  That's when I tried to call you."

"But…" you say, "I never got a call from you."

You notice the tremor in Roza's hand as she nervously chews her fingernail.  "Dude, when I called you… all I got were these electronic beeps.  I thought somethin was wrong with the connection, so I dialed again.  Same thing,  but this time I listened.  Next thing I knew the beeps turned to static, like on an old radio."

"Anon… someone was screaming in that static."

You feel a chill run through you as Roza continues.  "I'm a pretty relaxed person, y'know?  Just try to go with the flow.  But I'd never been so scared in my life.  I wanted to throw my phone away, but I knew that if I did I'd never hear from you again.  So I kept it."

"I'm glad you did," you say.  "Is that why you sounded so stressed out when I called you?"

She nods.  "I didn't know what I could say.  Someone fucked with my phone, I figured they were listening.  I didn't want to mention anything that could get you or Acacia into trouble."

"But they have to know your number or something.  You should get rid of that phone man, like as soon as possible."

You nod, digesting all this information.  "Why did you… have to check if I was 'real'?" you ask.

Roza goes quiet.  You notice now how ill she looks, her skin deathly pale.  "This is gonna sound crazy…"

"Not any crazier than anything else I've heard today."

She smiles a little, but that levity quickly disappears.  "I didn't want to stay in my apartment anymore," she says.  "Not with that kind of shit going on.  So I threw all my stuff into a bag and walked out."

"There was a dude standing there outside when I opened the door.  Just standing there, watchin me."

"I freaked, I was like an animal man, I carry this fuckin Swiss army knife and I just attacked him.  But he was like a ghost, he vanished like he wasn't even there."

"But dude… I got a look at his face.  It was all kinds of fucked up.  Like I can't even describe what it was.  It just wasn't right.  The reality of it was all wrong."

"Thing is, man…" she looks up at you, and you see a glimmer of real fear.  "Underneath all that… it was your face, dude.  Your fuckin face."

"I knew it wasn't really you," she quickly clarifies.  "But damn, man… I've never seen anything like this.  Whatever that thing was, let's just say… this ain't your average every day kinda shit, you feel me?"

You knead your temples.  Bat ponies, weird scientists, poltergeist activity, screaming static, ghostly doppelgangers.  No, this wasn't your average every day kinda shit.  That had become abundantly clear.

Roza sits next to you, staring into the water, her story told.  "What're we gonna do, man?"

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Replies:

+ Offer her a place to stay, Robinia might freak, but with this new stuff happening, you'll need all the help you can get.
>it was your face, dude. Your fuckin face.
Clearly some government agent was using a faulty chameleon circuit.

+ >Offer her a place to stay
To get clean herself and sleep. We are not a hotel for every scared person we know.
If these fuckers from goverment want to play with us, we are going to do the same. Ask Acacia to make termoptic camouflage sets.

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78

"What're we gonna do, man?" Roza asks, staring into the creek.

"You can stay with me," you say. "At least until we get this sorted."

"Really? I don't wanna like cause you guys any trouble..."

"Roza, if anything, I'm the one causing *you* trouble. Giving you a place to sleep and get cleaned up is the least I can do."

"Thanks, Anon!" She brightens, in spite of her bedraggled appearance, but then chews her lip. "But like, how long are you planning to stay in your apartment? I mean, there's some like... really weird stuff out there. Can we really take it on by ourselves?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Well... there's this place downtown, it's like ... an underground club. Real chill people. There's a bat pony there, too. Sort of runs the place. I used to go there sometimes when I needed to lay low for awhile. It might be like a good hideout, y'know?"

"What's the catch?"

"Uh," she absently runs her fingers through her messy, vivid green hair. "Well, I try not to like, judge subcultures, y'know, for obvious reasons. But these guys are a little batty."

"You mean..."

"They're vampires, Anon," she says. "They think they're vampires."

>Will you accompany Roza to the underground vampire nightclub, or do you head back to your apartment?

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Replies:

+ You can visit bat club later, now you should head back to your home, Róża is tired and wants a bath. By the way, we don't have cash, right? If we have a bank account and money on it, then we can withdraw some from ATM.

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79

Good choice, you tell Roza that you'll keep the bat club option open, but you want to head back to your apartment for now. She agrees readily, perhaps realizing for the first time just how tired she is.

She staggers against you more than once during the walk home, being nearly dead on her feet from exhaustion. "Sorry, I tried to nap under that bush, but it wasn't doin it for me..." she apologizes, after the second time.

Luckily it's the end of the month, and your estate has deposited your allowance into your account. With your rent and bills automatically paid for, you have $1000 to live off of this month. How much cash do you withdraw?

When you arrive back at your apartment, you immediately feel a strong sense of foreboding. All the windows are dark. Next door, your neighbor's front door is hanging wide open; the interior is also pitch black.

"What happened to all the lights?" Roza asks, glancing around nervously, her hand tucked into the pocket of her jacket.

You unlock your apartment door and push it open. Your living room is completely dark; you can make out the shape of your couch, and the leafy boughs of the mango shake tree. Neither Acacia nor Robinia respond when you call out the first time. All is eerily quiet. What do?

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Replies:

+ Withdraw 150$.
Use your phone as a source of light, check the electric fuse box. Probably it was a short circuit or electric guy stick his dick into a electric socket. Electric fuses in fuse boxes are usually rewirable, so all you have to do is to push a button on it. If it won't work, light some candles and look for bats.

+ >Neither Acacia nor Robinia respond when you call out the first time

I knew that! Acacia is a smart bat and she made thermoptic camouflage for us.

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80

$150 added to inventory, along with Pepper Spray. You have 850 dollars remaining in your account.

The eerie quiet does little to put you at ease, but the hopeful part of you suspects a simple electrical short. Coincidentally, the fuse box is in the closet where you told Acacia and Robinia to hide if things went bad.

The front light switch doesn't work when you throw it. You grope around in the dark, heading for the closet, trying not to trip over the roots of the mango tree. "Acacia?" you call out. "Are you there?"

In absolute darkness, you feel the knob of the closet door. Pulling it open, you hear soft breathing.

"...Anonymous?" Acacia squeaks. You faintly hear a high-pitched sound; presumably echolocation.

"It's me," you say, "and Róża too." Roza says hello, doing her best not to sound nervous. You ask: "Where's Robinia?"

"She told me to hide here and then she left," Acacia says quickly, almost tripping over her words. She sounds very unsettled. "I think she went next door."

"Why?"

"I told her about all the cameras in the walls," Acacia says. "She got really angry at me. Did... did I do something wrong?"

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Replies:

+ What cameras? Ask her about them.

+ Wait a second, do we have cameras in our house? Tell her to stay with Róża, check your neighbour's home. Robinia is pissed off and probably scared, so be careful, try to find and calm down her. If your neighbour ask what the fuck are you doing in his house tell him/her that you saw your cat/dog/pet sloth entering this place.

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81

"What cameras?" you ask, feeling a chill. "Where are they?"

"They're.. they're very small," Acacia says. "They're everywhere. In the vents, in your furniture. There's one in your bedpost. I thought they were yours."

She continues: "I took one out to take it apart, and Robinia asked me where I got it. She got mad and said that someone's watching us. So she went next door."

You run a hand through your hair. "It's okay, Acacia," you say. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm gonna go look for her."

Róża agrees to stay behind. You hear rustling as she moves into the closet. "Hey Acacia," she says, "so like, you like plants right?"

You hurry out into the moonlit lawn between your apartment and your neighbor's. He's somewhere far away; the place has been empty for months. It hadn't even been on your mind until the recent theft of his car.

Stepping in through the open door, you find that the light switch doesn't work here, either. The front hall extends into darkness. You feel a breeze coming from that direction. To your left, an open doorway leads to an upward stairwell. You hear a faint tapping coming from upstairs. Where to?

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Replies:

+ That's some serious shit, do we have a torch? Go upstairs.

+ Upstairs, it's probably not a good idea, but Anon has never been one to make good decisions.

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82

You had the wherewithal to grab a flashlight before heading over. The glare of the LEDs illuminates the upstairs hallway as you climb the stairs, each step creaking underfoot.

There are two doors in the upper hall, both closed. The west one is quiet; the soft tapping is coming from behind the north door.

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Replies:

+ Open the north door.

+ Turn the light off before opening the north door, the element of surprise must be maintained, even if we're not certain we have it.

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83

You flick off the flashlight and push open the northern door.

Immediately you are assailed by the scent of ozone. The source of the tapping is easily visible, despite the lack of the flashlight; the room's one window has been smashed, and moonlight catches the metal surface of a simple mechanical clock sitting on the desk in the corner.

Also on the desk are six monitors, in varying stages of destruction. Most of the screens have been smashed.

Beside the desk chair, some kind of contraption lies smashed on the floor.

Robinia is lying on the ground.

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Replies:

+ Check on Robinia, make sure nothing's behind you, and then take a look at this contraption.

+ Pretty much this, be careful and check Robinia.

+ We should do a spot check for anything else of interest, too

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84

Robinia appears to be unconscious. In the dim light you don't see any marks on her, aside from a few scuffs on her face. She's breathing slowly, her head slumped onto the ground.

A closer look at the contraption reveals little. In a damaged casing of plastic and metal, you see electronic components and circuitboards, some intact, most snapped to pieces. It looks like someone smashed it in a hurry.

The smell of ozone seems to be emanating from the device. Intriguingly, mixed with the glass of the shattered window are the pieces of what was once probably some kind of tank or holding vessel attached to the machine.

Glancing around, you see a couple of computer towers beneath the desk; they look gutted. There doesn't appear to be anything on the walls. You'll need time and light if you want to conduct a more thorough search.

There's a trail of blood on the floor leading out through the window.

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Replies:

+ Look out the window, duh.

+ Check the window, if there is nothing interesting outside, pick up Robinia and carry her back to your home.

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85

You look out the window, into the night. In the pale moonlight, you see only trees and other apartments.

Robinia is stirring when you go to pick her up. She lashes out with a hoof, cracking into your chest.

"Oof, calm down. It's me."

"A - Anon?" She starts trying to get up. "Did you get him? We have to catch him!"

"Who, Robinia?"

"The man who was here - he was here the whole time!" She gestures wildly at the desk. "C'mon, he can't have gotten far. I bit him real good before he zapped me."

Before you can stop her, she runs over to the window and jumps out, flying off.

What do?

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Replies:

+ Run after her (not through the window, of course). Maybe she is a brave bat pony, but still she is just only a small bat pony.

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86