Zodai

I choose to look around the environment for advantages and any useful items. Also, while looking around, North continually tries to get a panty shot of Shiina, because comic relief. (I'm going to turn North into as big a pervert as I can. )

Birdman. Not just anything in particular, the whole movie. And it only gets crazier as you go on.

~RECAP~ The sun beats down on the crumbling landscape. Abandoned buildings are more frequent here - left to rot and wither after the city's financial collapse of six years prior. Scraps of trash blow across the unkempt street, determined 'not worth the trouble' by fat men in fancy suits without so much as a second glance. You would be lucky to have running water around here - though if you had the money to consider fresh water anything less than a miracle, you probably wouldn't be here to begin with. Electricity is more common - Early on they managed to siphon from the city's main generators, and in recent years some of the young minds have developed generators of their own invention. It's a shame nobody worth talking to would so much as acknowledge them. Poorly-constrained energy surges through the hastily-made wires hidden just under the surface, granting an artificial light to all within its borders. "The den opens at about 10 AM - the original owners wanted to give people plenty of time to wake up. Closing is 6 PM, depending on the season. They like to close before sunset before sunset so it's safe enough to walk home. That gives us eight hours to investigate." Shiina parks the car in an inconspicuous location. It isn't common to see them around here, and the den itself doesn't have any parking. Best to keep it out of sight. "What about the inside?" North says as he slides the knife into his pocket. It's less suspicious than a gun, at least. "Not much. Anything like a camera or a phone isn't allowed inside to prevent cheating, and this side of town isn't very well-organized either. I'm surprised I was able to find the place to begin with. There should be a locker to set your things by the entrance. You could say it's the only thing about this place that's been well-made." Clouds of dust blow across the ground, and abandoned skyscrapers reach into the sky. On occasion you would be able to find people scouring the upper floors for supplies, though one of the towers collapsed a few months back. Seven corpses were found, five missing have been assumed dead, or so it's been said. Their numbers have been decreasing lately, "Weapons are technically controlled in a similar fashion, but considering how tense things can get people would prefer to keep their tools of 'self-defense.' Pushing the matter doesn't usually end well. "Remind me, Shiina. Why exactly did we leave the guns at home again?" "Because you would've shot someone if we didn't." "That's what a gun is for!" The air is silent. For better or for worse, your lives are not in danger yet. Yet. There's a cloaked man on the street. Fifty, sixty years old. You may speak to him or move on. The choice is yours. ~~

April 14th, 1988. Six days since the START of the game. The time is...about 9 AM. Sunlight shines in through the windows of Shiina's fourteenth-story apartment. The curtains are a bright shade of green, and the carpets are a dark shade of pink, a shining example of how Shiina lacks the basic fundamentals of interior decoration. If that's not enough, the ceiling is littered in pink flower stickers most likely bought cheaply off the internet, and if you looked closely enough you could probably find strewn undergarments hidden barely out of sight. North, whom had been 'sleeping' on Shiina's couch until just a few moments before, begins to get up. For all intents and purposes, he may as well have spent the night on a wooden plank in the middle of the desert. Much to North's surprise, the concept of a 'guest bed' was entirely unfamiliar to Shiina, or at the very least, such an item was of little importance to her. Even more dismal to him however, was the fact that 'sharing' was met with what can only be described as the burning fury of 'why-I'm-never-getting-married.' Perhaps getting thrown out the window would have been a better alternative. Somewhere along the line, Shiina's logic of 'keeping tabs on the other agents' led to 'letting the raging pyromaniac burn down North's house.' Much to his dismay, the first thing that came to Ninth's mind upon him realizing the power of the cards turned out to be THROWING FIREBALLS AT PEOPLE. Hence, what can only be described as North's 'main' place of residence, has been reduced to a crumbling heap of ash. If it weren't for the fact that Ninth followed Shiina to North's house in the first place, he might not have even been let in. And so, the alliance had been made, on the basis that neither of these two want to kill each other yet. Furthermore, under no circumstances is North to wander into Shiina's bathroom. Such lessons were learned last night, as evidenced by the pile of vomit ejected from the window in the middle of the night. Use the one in the lobby if you're so desperate. It's a miracle she can withstand it herself. Shiina stands near the wall, investigating through newspaper clippings taped on and jotting down information on a notepad. Anything she knows about the other Agents is probably somewhere on that wall. Especially when someone dies. She's wearing a white blouse, and a black skirt that goes down to her knees. A pen slides across the paper, anything that might be useful. Three days ago, April 11th, 11 AM. The Seventh Agent was shot dead. A young woman, 27 years of age. Supposedly used a few cards to cheat on a test the night before. Fourth noticed. Her body slumped dead on the way to work and fell into a gutter. She let her guard down. Died before she noticed. A bullet through the head, shot from a 10th-story window half a mile down the street. Fourth got away before they could identify the sniping position. The police are wandering around without much of a clue. Two days ago, April 12th. 9 PM. The night of the storm. An 'accident.' A young boy, 14 years old. The Second Agent. Used all his cards not an hour earlier to take out a schoolyard bully in a duel. A truck lost vision in the rain and crushed the boy into a wall. Taken to the hospital. Died before midnight. Unknown if it was a genuine accident or intentional. The following night - April 13th, 2 AM. Shiina decides to follow North to his home for reconnaissance. Shiina, in addition, is followed by Ninth, a pyromaniac with questionable morals who probably wasn't very mentally stable. Conflict ensues, North's house burns down. North and Shiina enter into an alliance, and Ninth is dead that night. "Last night, a firefight ensued at Teiten Mansion. The police attempted to intervene, but the culprits had gotten away under the cover of a large fire, fifteen minutes after midnight. If you have any information as to their whereabouts, please contact the police immediately." A news broadcast plays on the television. Shiina's eyes are averted from it, but her expression says she's paying attention. Jotting down notes, a hesitant look crosses her face. "Fifth is alive." She declares. It seems Fourth and Sixth weren't the only ones who had to back out of a confrontation. "Where is he?" North replied. "Back to his hideaway in the north part of the city. A gambler's den he bought out with a 'magnanimous stroke of luck' early in the week. Bastard's so full of it he can't wait for his eyes to stop glowing before taking a picture." Shiina tosses a newspaper onto the table. "Money and Finance, Section A1. Johnathan Cinder. He's almost as easy to find as you were." "I'll grab the guns. When are we leaving?" "Leave them. This is reconnaissance only." "Why? It's another competitor down if we catch him open." "Inevitably, bringing the guns will turn it into another shootout." Shiina says, referencing last night's escapades. "That, and the officers from last night will remember our faces. We can expect to be searched if they come across us. Hide the guns somewhere in the house they won't think to look." "You mean your face. I did a reasonable job of not getting seen, unlike you." Shiina sighs, ignoring North's provocation, resisting the urge to mention that it almost got him killed. "If anyone asks, we were shopping for furniture on the other side of town. Kandori Mall." "Kind of a flimsy ailbi, wouldn't you say?" "That's what the cards are for. There's someone in the apartment who works there. He can 'verify' it for us when they start asking questions." Shiina opens the door outside the apartment. "We're leaving, North. I'd like to get back before sunset this time." Along the way, Shiina stops a man on the seventh floor hall. Her eyes glow a BLUE RADIANCE, and with the snap of her fingers, the man's memories are altered. It should be enough to avoid the police trying to set you in prison, at least. As long as you're careful. North and Shiina are heading to the Gambling Den owned by Fifth. THE POLICE ARE AWARE OF SHIINA'S FACE. It can be assumed that Fourth, and any of her allies, are aware of North and Shiina's face. The police are investigating the location of Shiina's home. Fourth and Sixth are considering their options. At the moment, North and Shiina are on the road. As this is not a conflict-heavy time, you may choose the topic of their discussions until they arrive. The next scene shall arrive in the near future. ~~~

Do you have a source for this? Just to be sure. It's a controversial issue and I'd rather see if there's anything official that's been said before taking it as fact.

[Tch. Fine.] North exits the alleyway, spotting Shiina half a block down the street. North isn't particularly 'observant' or detailed, but he has good vision and has a knack for picking out important things in a crowd. "Reporting. What's the situation?" Shiina speaks into the radio. A response is given without much delay. [-We have a hostage situation. The entirety of the building is under enemy control, with a group of our forces spread thin across multiple floors.-] A flurry of gunshots can be heard blaring out through the radio. [-Enemy units consist of both mansion staff, and some blended into the guests of the party. Innocents are surrounded and held at gunpoint.-] "Are there any victims that stand out? Any being kept apart from the main group?" [-Unknown. There seems to be one on the closet of the top floor, but none of us have been able to reach there.-] "Any enemies that stand out?" [-...One. Male, 190 centimeters. Thirty to forty years old. You'll know him when you see him.-] "Understood." Shiina meets up with North, and shuts off the radio, placing it in her pocket. They should be useful for keeping tabs on the authorities later on. "Three agents in the mansion. Four, the sniper from earlier, and Six, a brute of some form. Lastly is a hostage among the guests. Marking him as the Fifth. I'm assuming they bought out the mansion to catch him." "No complaints here." Shiina marks down the new findings in her head. So far the numberings had just come to her head - seems obscure, though she hasn't been in a case where her approximations have been incorrect. Perhaps it has to do with the rules of the game? The two find Shiina's car a few blocks off, passing by a few police cars on their way there, and head home. ~~ (Feeling quite tired at the moment. Nothing for the players to do too much at the moment, so I'll get the next day's opening post up when I wake up. Feel free to take that break now )

(Still posting on my end.. Not against that between you two though others are free to pop in as well. Just my input )

(Well, you used a card on top of rolling a Natural 20.) (To be fair though, I was kind of implying the first use of the card since I was unsure if the players had grasped using it yet. Seemed to spiral out of control once shortly after, though.) Shiina rummages through the officer's belongings. There are some personal artifacts better kept in the man's possession - a wallet with some pictures inside, mostly, but the gun and radio coms device should find some use. She situates the phone with her shoulder. "North, you have any officers nearby? Preferably one that's already been 'dealt with'?" [Yeah, right here. What of it?] The wind is beginning to calm itself, though there's no telling when it'll rise up again. "There should be a gun and a radio on their person. Could you pick them up?" [Radio? You mean the walkie-talkie? Yeah, it's here.] North climbs down the ladder as he speaks. "Get to the car, we're evacuating the area." Shiina packs the gun and the radio into her pockets. "We've already got Ninth, let's not push our luck." [Eh? Fourth is right there! We can take her!] "We're out-carded, North." [it's two-to-one!] "Not if one of us ends up dead." The time is 11:47, thirteen minutes until the cards reset. North peers over the corner, the police can be seen inside the mansion through the windows. "The police have the place locked down. I doubt she'll be a concern later on." [she'll get away! They always get away! That's why we decided to take out Ninth in the first place!] A signal comes in from the radio. [-R-Requesting backup! The mansion off Teitan Street! We have four officers dead and seven wounded! I repeat, requesting backup!-] Shattered glass falls to the floor. A nearly-dead officer flies out the window and smashes to the ground. "We're going home. It's too dangerous at the moment, there's another agent in there. I'm sure of it." [Just means we can take out two of them at once! Otherwise they'll just be a bigger problem later!] Shiina peeks out the door to the building. Gunshots can be heard from the mansion in rapid succession. Fourth isn't visible from here, though it can be assumed she's still around. Advance, or fall back. The choice is yours. "The car is a block or two away, around the corner. We can get home from there."

(Well, the cards are a limited resource, and one that the enemy can use just as well as you can ^^;; Just keep an eye on them.) "Shit!!" A BLUE RADIANCE IS VISIBLE FROM THE ROOFTOP. The bullets blaze through the air. "DODGE IT!" Shiina's eyes glow a Radiant Yellow, as her feet slide across the ground. She rushes into the building, her strength smashing through the lock and getting into the building for cover. She lies the unconscious officer down on the floor and closes the door behind her. North rolls to the right as Shiina's warning comes through, as the bullet blasts through the air and breaks a window on the other side. "W-What was that!?" The officers on the ground exclaim, as the shattered glass falls to the ground. "T-There's a sniper on the roof of that mansion! Go get her!" Knowing a recent sniper-related murder (Agent Seven) had occurred recently, the officers quickly take their positions, rushing towards the mansion, taking their attention away from North and Shiina. Sadly though, they failed to note how exactly their 'friend' knew the sniper's gender was female, though the use of 'her' may just be explained away as a reflex. Fourth re-takes her aiming stance. Three posts to the next shot, unless another card is used at some point. The officer next to North has a gun and a walkie-talkie on his belt, as does the one at Shiina's location. The officers are moving in to investigate the mansion. The time is 11:44 PM.

Sending out the PM on my end, just let me figure out getting it sorted in greater detail...

A bright BLUE RADIANCE glows from Shiina's eyes. Before the officer has time to react, the back of Shiina's hand smashes into the side of his skull. His face contorts for a moment, and he falls to the ground. Shiina gasps for breath after the impact. It had taken more energy than she had anticipated. She begins to lift the man up in order to carry him off to the alleyway. OUT OF THE CORNER OF FOURTH'S EYE, A BLUE RADIANCE IS VISIBLE. The sniper smirks. The mark of opportunity is not easily mistakable. It is something all agents share, and yet their deepest secret in all of the world. The mark of an agent, hiding deep within the shadows. As Shiina hoists the man onto her back, Fourth pulls the trigger, and the bullet begins zooming towards Shiina's skull. The glow of opportunity is easily recognizable, and AGENTS OF FATE view it much brighter than others would. If they can see it, they will. Again, to the rooftop. A YELLOW RADIANCE. North dashes out of cover as his physique changes ever so slightly. ~~ North rushes over to the ladder, his appearance and voice changing as the card of opportunity makes its move. He certainly isn't accustomed to this type of usage, as it can vary from person to person, but at the moment it seems to work. He pulls the officer climbing the ladder, smashing his head into the ground to knock him out. Seems to have been a particularly weak-willed officer. "Hey? Everything alright up there?" "Y-Yeah, everything's fine. No sign of anyone." ~~ FOURTH SMIRKS. The sniper lines up her shot. HER EYES GLOW A BLUE RADIANCE, swiftly moving her vision almost immediately after the shot to Shiina, as the call of FATE reloads her gun at a lightning pace. North's back is turned and, once again, the bullet flies through the air. Shiina's call is still connected, and we can assume that she and North still have the phones in their hand. Contact is still permitted.

(Nothing further than the average person. Originally the not telling people stuff was in order to create a sense of mystery, but moving forward more information would've been better, hence why this is a test. Future operations will likely have more knowledge available, at least concerning player characters. In-general Shiina is more accustomed to thoughtful, observant or diplomatic solutions whereas North is more accustomed to a direct, active solution or ones with high degrees of movement.) (And again, keep note of the opportunity cards. They're limited in use but enable abilities beyond a person's normal skillset, and are restocked every day at midnight for all AGENTS OF FATE. Conveying their strength is something to keep in note for future expeditions as well.)

Garrison has yet to have a group PM set up at the moment. I'll give it another ~half hour before I decide to set it up myself if need be.

The time is 11:41 PM. Shiina begins to move, moving through the crowd in order to make it to the building. "Hang tight. I'm on my way." [There are officers all across the place. Be careful.] North notes the sounds from the other roof. The police have begun climbing the ladder. They will be here in three posts. "How's the situation? Anything new?" [The police are climbing up here. They'll be here soon.] Shiina surveys through the area. A group of officers look in her direction. Eye contact is made, though no confrontation comes. The officers are armed, as all of them likely are. They can likely assume they're dealing with killers. They wouldn't be wrong, technically. Shiina starts mumbling into the phone in an attempt to look less suspicious. Being noticed in this situation means death, both by the police or the sniper. She walks up to the building, still connected to North through the call. A shake of the knob reveals it's locked. There should be a way to- "Excuse me, miss? I'm going to need to see some identification." The officer makes his presence known. He's likely been watching for a while now. His build is large, and could probably beat North in a fistfight if needed. The area is quieter around here. There's nobody else in the vicinity, but the location is technically visible to both the officers at the mansion and the sniper. What do you do? Two posts to the next shot. Three posts to the officers climbing up the ladder. Furthermore, Shiina is still on the call with North. Keep this in mind.

(It's still a test, but it's glad to see you like it. ) For future REFERENCE, requests for further details will be achieved through ACTIONS by SURVEYING your surroundings, or something similar. On this OCCURRENCE, such an action will not take up a post, though they will in future events. OPPORTUNITY CARDS can be thought of as the ability to cheat FATE. They are a resource only available to AGENTS OF FATE. They can be used to pull success out of FAILURE when an action turns out POORLY, or to CIRCUMVENT LIMITS placed on individuals. Street lights illuminate the sidewalk. There's a large crowd surrounding the building. You should be able to use the phone without people overhearing if you're quiet, as the sounds of the crowd are quite useful, but any quick movements would likely get you spotted, either by the police or the sniper on the building overhead. The sniper can't hit Shiina from this angle without revealing herself to the police, but the existence of the opportunity cards makes that less of a certainty. The time is 11:40 PM. Twenty minutes until the date changes. It's safe to assume that the sniper will attempt to use them before the decks refresh at midnight. Otherwise, most of the fighting would happen during the daytime. It's more efficient to fight during night, for a number of reasons. There's at least twenty officers in the area. They seem to be on high alert today - if you remember correctly, Agent Two's corpse was found early this morning. Seven died not three days earlier. They're starting to catch on. Anyone acting suspicious is likely to be investigated. Three, maybe four officers are running over to the alleyway where Ninth died. The next step is to get out of the area. Walking away is one option, though it's possible you'll be stopped. Your hands are tied if they perform a search and find the sniper in your bag. Find somewhere high, where you can take down the sniper shooting at North. There's an abandoned building somewhere across the street, half a block down the road. You could use that, but you don't have anything to break the locks, and you're not strong enough to break the windows. Can North help somehow? Outside of that, the mansion is directly behind you. The entrance is just around the corner. There are guards, but they can be worked around if necessary. Find a knife or something in the lounge, then head to the rooftop and take out the sniper. ...The mansion is quieter than it was before. Did something happen in there? I would advise you to be careful. Alternatively, there's the brute force route. Grab the car and drive it over, then make a break for it. Though that's likely to attract the attention of both the police and the sniper, and I doubt North would like to jump off a building. Three posts remain until Fourth takes her shot. You can assume each of the officers in the area has a gun with them.

"SHIT!" You run across to the second rooftop. The bullet rushes past your head and breaks a nearby window. Shattered glass drops to the ground below, but you are otherwise unharmed. The authorities are alerted by the crashing, and are now at the alleyway. Ninth's corpse has been discovered. [Hey! What was that!?] You place the phone to your ear, hiding behind the cover. "Sniper, top of the mansion!" [Fourth!?] "Hell if I know!" Shiina thinks for a moment. Fourth is the only one with the money to buy out the place. Did she know we would be here? Or did she just take a guess? [Get to the ground. The rooftops aren't safe!] "Well, do something about it, I can't shoot her from here!" [There are police around every corner! I'll get myself arrested if I take it out here!] Shiina covers her mouth with her hand while she speaks. It would be difficult to move forward if she were heard. Three posts until the Fourth Agent fires again. Ninth's corpse has been discovered. The police are investigating.

You place the weapons into your pockets, and occupy both hands with the ladder. A howling gale blows across the street. The wind is strong tonight. Blood drips from your shoulder and drops down at the floor. Pain shoots through your body, but it isn't strong enough to deter your movement. When one or more POST is attributed to a specific ACTION, it increases the success of that action. You successfully make it to the roof of the building. Your breath is visible in the cold air, your bones chilled as you move forward. For the duration of the test, your name shall be known as Makazutt North. You spent your days lamenting the poor naming sense of your mother and father, so most of those close to you know you by the name North. You open up your phone and give your partner a call. She picks up within a few rings. [Oh, well look who it is. Did things go alright, North?] Your partner has always had a tendency for sarcasm. The wind is thick, though her voice is still audible. Blonde, about the same height as you. C-sized breasts and she's about half a year your senior, though it's not something you can confirm very easily. "A close call, but otherwise manageable. A knife wound on my left shoulder. I'm on one of the roofs. Do you have a visual?" [Regrettably, no. The sniping position we talked about earlier didn't happen. Someone bought out the whole mansion. No chance to get inside.] Regrettably, you have no helicopter, nor is the sun up at the moment. The time is 11:33 PM. Jumping off the building isn't very feasible, either, though you decide to survey the area. "Where are you at the moment?" Across the street would be the mansion she mentioned earlier. At least twice as tall as the building you're on now. Gilded walls and four spires on each corner, with velvet drapes reaching from top to bottom. You can only imagine how much expensive booze is going around the place. [The street in front of the building. The police are going around like crazy over here. I've got my rifle, but it's not set up.] Looking down, you can barely see her. A natural gold shines from her eyes. Your vision is better than most, thankfully. "Yeah, I can see you." [Get somewhere safe. The car is a block or two away.] "Alright. Any idea where to go?" You survey the area. A glimpse of light flashes at your eyes. -DEATH APPROACHES. THE FOURTH AGENT READIES HER SHOT.- The Fourth Agent is situated on the top of the mansion. You have one post before she fires, make it count. She will fire every three posts thereafter until she is subdued. There are very few places to take cover on the rooftop, though there is an entrance indoors on the next rooftop over. You can shoot out the lock, or use it for cover. You have one post before the Fourth Agent shoots. You have two posts before the police enter the alleyway below. There is blood at the bottom of the ladder. You can assume they will investigate, as the Ninth Agent's corpse is still there. [Get down from the rooftops. Find somewhere to blend into the crowd.] From this point forward, the partner's name shall be known as Shiina. A single post may control either North or Shiina, but never both. Shiina's equipment consists of her phone, and a sniper rifle in her bag, though it requires setting up. AGENTS OF FATE Agent 1 - North (You) Agent 2 - DEAD Agent 3 - Shiina (Partner) Agent 4 - Sniper Agent 5 - UNKNOWN Agent 6 - UNKNOWN Agent 7 - DEAD Agent 8 - UNKNOWN Agent 9 - DEAD Agent 10 - UNKNOWN

(I'll see if I can figure out the details between adapting polls. Furthermore, me and Stray's posts here won't count towards the in-game time. I'll keep in mind to clarify this once the test is complete.)

(The following is a TEST of SYSTEMS and FUNCTIONS. Agents who REFUSE to FUNCTION will result in DEATH. FEEDBACK is appreciated. ENJOY the game.) April 13th, 1988. Blood covers the walls as the Ninth Agent falls to the floor. A blonde-haired man, thirty years old, clad in black cloth and an old hat. The gun rests in your hand, as the red liquid comes flowing from his skull. Your breath is tense, as you yank the knife out of your shoulder. Your eyes glow a BLUE RADIANCE before fading back to their standard black. To kill an agent is not an easy task. Without an opportunity, you would have been dead. The stars shine in the sky. 11:30 PM. You can still hear the echo of your gun, howling in the air. The police will be here soon. You have to retreat. Your body is cloaked in a black cloth, much like that of the man you killed. You are a young man, 22 years old, with a clean-shaven face, black hair and black eyes. Unlike the man, you have no hat, and your face is easily visible. Your belongings are as follows. A gun, the one used to kill the man not seconds ago. You used one bullet just now, so you have FIVE remaining. Second, a knife. Its former owner lies dead on the floor. Use it wisely. Lastly, a cell phone in your side pocket. Your PARTNER should be nearby. It isn't common to have allies in a GAME such as this, so you should consider yourself lucky to have her by your side. The sound of sirens can be heard in the distance. Your gun is loud. It isn't a surprise you've been found out. You have six posts before the authorities reach this spot. The route chosen shall be decided by the first post to claim one - that said, subsequent posts can still influence specifics or individual actions. The alleyway's exit is the most direct escape route, but it's long and narrow - assuming the police get here before you make it to the corner, it's nothing more than a single bullet to end your life. There are some crates stacked up to the side, but other than that no cover exists. Secondly is a ladder reaching up to the rooftops, though there is no guarantee that there will be a clear path to safety from up there, and climbing back down may be easier said than done. Looking over to the entrance, there is a door with a padlock attached to it - you could shoot it off and gain access, but it will bring the police closer to your location. You should give your partner a call as well. She may have some useful information. Posts may contain more than one action, but they will be less efficient than if it was concentrated on a single one. Good luck, hero.

Half-dead. There's enough existing software to make it a consideration for the anime fanbase, but after that you can't expect anything new to come along.

If you count Umineko's individual episodes as separate games, you could technically call it short. The Higanbana chapters would work as well.

Alright, thanks.