BrokenPromise

What Are You Listening To?

I'm not a weeb I promise I listen to western music sometimes.

Symphony of Espers

The life of a depraved esper was not a stationary one. It didn’t matter how powerful you were, enough espers could take down anyone. Both Shimr and G.E.M.I.N.I. had large stores of information on the strongest espers, and they were swift with their updates. Everything from their last known location to their abilities were closely documented. Just as Oros was able to exploit Penny’s vulnerabilities through preparation, someone else could do the same to her. For that reason she had decided to lay low after removing Penny from power, and you couldn’t get much lower than the labyrinth-like catacombs under Pax Septimus.

Oros sat on a stone, observing Sharr as she paced back and forth in front of her. They had been searching for a good place to set up a campsite. It had to be hard for both espers and monsters to find. They were inspecting a dead end tunnel that Oros had blocked off with a massive stone. The only light source was a storm lantern Sharr picked up at a hardware store.

”It’s a little warm for my liking, but it's safe. That boulder is too large for most espers to move, and the tunnel is too small for ‘Highway to Hell’ to enter. ”

”A small tunnel. Am I right, ladies? ” Oros chuckled.

”Suppose we can’t do much until things get a bit more chaotic, hmmm?” Sharr sat on top of her sleeping bag. ”Why don’t you tell me a bit about The Elemental Chaos?”

Sharr Webber was formerly a G.E.M.I.N.I. researcher. One night, Oros stormed into her room and said she needed Sharr’s help to save the world. Needless to say, Sharr was caught off guard by a dangerous and depraved esper breaking into her lab. But if Oros had any intention of killing her, she’d have done it already. She agreed to come along not because she felt Oros would save the world, but rather for the opportunity to talk to someone who entered the Elemental Chaos and lived. Beyond peering through portals at it, little was known about the eldritch world. No self respecting scientist would pass up the chance to hear about it from someone who had been there. Even if they were a little mad.

”So when a patron- ”

”Preferably in a way I can understand it.” Sharr smiled at the mad esper.

Oros inhaled deeply. ”What is your current theory on The Elemental Chaos?”

”Before you kidnapped me, the running theory was that it was a gate into a non-parallel world. One where monsters ran rampant. Based on what we’ve learned, we have an idea that it is actually a ‘hub’ of sorts that can be used to get into other worlds.“

”Well, that’s pretty much the dumbed down version of it.”

”Oh come on!“

”It’s true!” Oros shrugged her shoulders. ”I guess I could expand on that a bit though. I mean, The Elemental Chaos is really just our world’s backyard. You know those ‘horror’ things you guys are so scared of? They reside right outside The Elemental Chaos.” She pointed into the darkness. ”Even I haven’t seen everything.”

Sharr raised an eyebrow. ”You claim to serve a horror, don’t you? Isn’t that how you came to our world in the first place?“

Oros rubbed her chin ”...Oh yeaaaaaaaa!” She stood up. ”Well, guess if you’re that curious, I could take you to another world for a bit.”

”Now?“

”Well not now, no. But tomorrow I’ll perform the required rituals and get us into The Elemental Chaos. From there my patron can guide us across the barrier out of the Realm for Patrons and- ”

”You’re losing me.“

”Why do I have to dumb down stuff so much for a so called scientific mind?!” Oros growled. ”Let’s just focus on the task at hand, then.” She raised her katana, which had a computer chip resting on the tip of it. ”I know someone outside The Elemental Chaos. They don’t like me too much, but they are going to be very interested in seeing this. If we play our cards right, we can speed up the rate in which your memories come back.”

Sharr had been having strange visions for a while. They felt eerily familiar, even though Sharr couldn’t place where she had picked them up from. Oros told her that they were her memories from another world, as she too used to have such visions. Sharr was a bit skeptical taking anything “Oros the Mad” said at face value. But now that she defeated the Iron Queen and demonstrated a logical mind, she became more curious and less apprehensive about her claims.

”Sounds good. What’s the plan?“

---

@Ponn@Crusader Lord@FamishedPants@Izurich@SilverPaw

Su had enjoyed her time between the last big operation and this one. She got a new house set up, Mika seemed happy, and she found a nice nanny to look after her while she was at work. Not that Mika really needed a nanny, but she doubled as a tutor, which ensured that she’d have all of her homework done by the time she got home. Not that it would be a problem this time. The operation was happening at ten O’clock, which left Su with enough time to pick her up after school.

She had enjoyed showing Jacqueline her home. While she was a gracious guest, Su couldn’t help but feel that it might be best to give her some space from Mika should they decide to do something again. Su also wondered if Mika would react as strongly if she brought someone else to the house next time. Maybe if Su brought someone new to the house every time, Mika would realize there was nothing romantic about it? Maybe Silmeria would come over? She seemed like she might be good with kids.

A sudden bump in the road jerked Su out of her thoughts. She was riding in the back of a van with her fellow agents. They were all transformed, save Binky, who sat at the front of the van.

”Quick briefing.” Binky eyed everyone in attendance. ”We’re attacking Justin’s mansion. There are only two ways in: One is by using the Bastion, which is crawling with Maverick espers, and the other is by using the front door. The front door isn’t favorable, but we recently apprehended a bloodmage who’s going to throw a barrier over the entrance. From there, you’re going to storm into the building. We don’t really know what to expect inside, as the mansion is one of the newer buildings in Pax Septimus. Though you can expect vampire thralls, black-market espers, and some of Justin’s own monster henchmen. We’d normally have more intel, but we know Maverick’s going to be there with Billy, and we’d just as soon get out of there before they arrive.” With a sigh, Binky continued. ”Your mission is to carve a path to Justin, at which point I’ll be able to finish him off. I will not be able to participate in the fighting before he reveals himself. Any questions?”

---

While it was genuinely discouraged, it was possible for an esper to change clothes and wear accessories. It just wasn’t ideal as espers typically fight monsters or foes with arcane powers, and changing your esper’s arcane outfit for a mundane one did not help to that end. It did make one look more stylish on dates, but Trixy was not going on a date today. Instead, she was heading into battle. She had removed most of her accessories and donned a gothic dress with white sleeves. The corners of her lips twitched as she stared off into space. But Trixy’s staring would be interrupted by Luna’s voice.

”Soooooo, how did the date go?”

Trixy spun around to look at her ally. ”Oh uh, I think it went well!”

”Nice!” Luna was already transformed. They were expecting a mission pretty soon. ”Does the mission have you on edge?”

”Nothing like that uh, I just, um.” Trixy sighed. ”I mean they don’t know that much about me yet. And I kind of invited them to come onto this mission.”

”Ey! Guess you’re going on a second date if you like it or not!” Luna punched Trixy’s shoulder.

”Heh!” Trixy rubbed the back of her head. ”I dunno. I was kind of vague with the details. She might not like me if she knows I’m Maverick.”

Luna laughed. ”Trixy, you really gotta lighten up. That’s no mindset to go into a fight with. You outrank me, you should be giving me the pep talk right now.”

”She killed our waitress.”

”Wah!?!?”

”I-I mean, she turned out to be a monster!” She looked at the floor. ”I guess the waitress mind blasted her. She was kind of hazy on the details, something about how the waitress was either enslaving my previous dates or feeding them to vampire thralls.”

”Oh, I get it now.” Luna placed a hand on her hip. ”So you’re worried she might not get along with the Mavericks if she’s too gung-ho on monster killing huh?” Trixy nodded. ”Well, without hearing exactly what the waitress’s deal was, we can’t say if what your date did was right or wrong. But if she’s willing to work alongside Billy, I’d say she can’t hate monsters that much, right?”

”That makes sense.” Though Trixy still looked a little apprehensive.

”I’d better get going. You sure you don’t wanna come along?”

”Billy really wants the freelancers to be in phase one. I’ll be there in phase two.”

”Sounds good. See you later!”

---

@OwO@mantou@ERode@Majoras End

Billy had pulled his Cadillac up to a barrier that had been hastily constructed by Justin’s goons. In the days since the concrete barrier had been erected, it already had been covered in graffiti. Soon it would be covered in light as all manner of vehicles drove up and shined their headlights on the concrete wall that ‘protected’ their target.

”I-say I-say, it is a fiiiiiine mornin’ for bringin’ down walls.” Billy scanned. ”I ain’t gunna waste all y’all’s time. I’m gunna knock down this here wall, you rush in, and then I’ll go to town on Justin’s hide!” He rubbed the back of his head. ”Only uh, gotta keep low because Justin uses espers and magi. Those put a damper on me like a rainstorm durin’ a barbecue! So you gotta deal with that before I deal with Justin.” Billy pulled back his fist. ”I’m just gunna bring this down if y’all are ready.”

---

_{@The World}

While there were many freelancers that opposed the idea of Gemini trying to slay Justin themselves, they were just freelancers at the end of the day. They worked for a paycheck, and if they weren’t going to participate in the operation anyway, there was no reason to fuss. They’d be on call when they were needed.

Besides, there were other jobs that needed doing. Like the two mysterious requests involving something in the catacombs. One bounty requested the immediate destruction of a burning coin in the bowels of the city. The other one desired its retrieval. Both jobs paid about the same, and both were submitted from anonymous sources. Some would say this meant the outcome didn’t matter. But it did for at least two espers.

While Elroy was pretty well known, he shared his fame with Regina. The Bates Twins were among the strongest freelance espers in the world. The immortal volcano and the ruinous meteor. Both had a similar aesthetic, were considered to be very attractive, and often operated in the same area. Though for all of their similarities, they differed greatly both in the application of their powers and how they liked to handle situations. Elroy had a jovial personality and would hang out in places like The Great Escape.Regina preferred to mingle in seedier places. Though where they differed most was in how they decided to tackle problems.

Both brother and sister had their foreheads pressed together. The flames from Regina’s body could boil water in seconds, but Elroy’s defences made him more or less immune to the heat. The water in the sewers was bubbling, which made the air that much more foul. Despite this, the two were grinning at each other like two lunatics at an insane asylum.

”I’m breaking that coin between my fingers!” Regina balled her hands into fists. ”I don’t care what it is. If I gotta wade through someone’s bile and crap, I’m gunna make sure whatever I find I destroy!”

”Well, Regina!” Elroy growled his sister’s name. ”If I get my hands on that coin, I’m gunna keep it safe from you!”

”Then I’d better make sure I find it first!”

”Sounds good.”

And with that, they took off down the sewer way.

Within earshot of the spectacle was Pac-A-Fist and Marrie. The former of which blinked her eyes. ”I guess they’re taking the long way.” She looked towards the neon colored esper. ”I don’t think it matters if you destroy the coin or retrieve it, so long as you have proof that you did your job, you’ll get paid.” She walked over to a large hole in the wall. ”You might as well use this entrance. There’s only two types of monsters you need to watch out for. There are goblins, which, not too threatening. But then there’s, ah… ” Patricia looked at Marrie. ”It’s believed to be a behemoth. Due to it being a giant serpent that burrows under the earth, G.E.M.I.N.I. has given it the designation ‘Highway to Hell.’ Nobody really knows what it’s capable of, so um, avoid making too much noise and you should be fine. The Bates are likely going to draw it away if they keep competing like that” She smiled. ”Need something else before you depart?”

What Are You Listening To?

It's nice to see Dottovu online again, even if they probably won't post again for another 6 or so months.

The Status Bar

Sure. But then, if we go by that reasoning. It implies you mentioned strict negatives you do want others to agree with, yes?

@SleepingSilence

Nah, I figure everyone knows what's wrong with the status bar. It can be a sewer sometimes, we just disagree on how much of a sewer it is and if it warrants removal/changes. That's evident just reading the posts here. I don't have enough pride in my views to think I know what's best for the forum, I just wanna see people talk about it and see if anything comes up. There's already been some insightful posts by people who are addressing the problem instead of my opinion of it.

The Status Bar

Though there are people who are way too easy to offend who might as well be trolls. It's a vicious cycle.

The Status Bar

I mean the post doesn't even argue about trolling, or even those who spam there.

@SleepingSilence

Why would I "argue" about something we all agree on? I'm looking for insight, not an echo chamber. I'm sure we can all agree flame wars = the suck, yea?

And I know it's a pipe dream, but if people would just stop feeding the troll, they'll fade away on their own, what they want is your attention and some people are giving them exactly what they want.

@Izurich

For better or for worse, RPG has always been a pretty lax place where mods are chill and don't aggressively hand out ban sentences. And when they do, they are always appealed. The result is that there are no real repercussions for bad behavior, but also users can breathe a little easier and don't need to worry about rule lawyering mods unless they really ask for it. I don't think that's a bad thing, but it does become a problem when you have a system that can easily be abused such as the status bar. The much easier solution would be to hold users more accountable, but I don't see that happening.

The Status Bar

You remove the status bar, they’ll find other avenues for trolling, such as posting “venting” threads, are we going to remove the ability to post threads too?

@Izurich

Vent threads are banned FYI.

But a venting thread is like a poster, where a status bar is more like a chat overlay in an MMO that has no permanent off button. I can ignore a poster easily enough. A chat overlay on the other hand pushes anything interesting off the front page as soon as a flame war breaks out. I don't find them similar at all.

—and this would require Mahz to show up again—

@Kuro

Yea, which is why I think defaulting to hidden would be for the best, because anything beyond that is going to require Mahz to look over the code. Hell, even that might be beyond the capabilities of the mod team. But I'm more looking for people's opinions than a fix.

The Status Bar

Is the status bar a useful tool that benefits the community, something that’s just there, or something that actively hurts the community?

I fall into the camp of people who believes that the status bar could be made better, like default to a hidden state. While I do believe it has merits, it has doing far more harm than good.

I’m aware you can hide the status bar, but it reveals itself over time. Moreover, it's out there in the public eye. Someone who has yet to register for an account can see the status bar and everything that goes on there. This is why it would be good if it was hidden by default. At least that way people have to actively look for it.

People occasionally use the status bar for status updates, but I feel they don't need to be broadcast to the forum at large. They would be just as useful if they only showed up on your profile. That's where I'd look if you were slow to post. Barring that, you could also just write something at the top of your Bio.

What’s that? You want to advertise your new RP? Directly below the status bar we have two other bars that show the newest interest checks and roleplays. I can't speak for everyone, but I've gotten to the point where I don't know why I click on status bar RP advertisements. Half the time it's in a sub section I don't feel like participating in, and the other half it's something I'm not interested in. We have sections dedicated to interest checks, and are sorted by tags and writing level. But if you must have a status bar, a user interested in joining a new RP could just unhide it.

Some people say we just need mods, but the regular mods are our status bar mods. They've been doing a good job, but they have real lives and things do crop up in their absence.

But what are your thoughts?

Edit: The title has been made less click-baity, and I adjusted how I worded my stance slightly.

Grimoiric Heart

When you get older, you have other obligations. Meeting with relatives, writing cards, doing taxes, shopping for gifts, all that stuff kind of mounts and leaves less time for RPing.

Symphony of Espers

@Izurich@mantou Your job was to recover the client's daughter and slay "Tony" so that he no longer had to fear shakedowns from the mafia. While he has no obligation to pay you, he was pleased that you at least got his daughter out of that mess. He has agreed to provide the money, but did not relinquish the BMW. As weretigers are vengeful creatures, he's opted to use it to get as far away from Pax Septimus as he can.