>>36269460
[Once more, I apologize for your lost time.]
You walk outside the doorway back into the streets of Little Downtown. You had already given Teza a "goodbye" over the mech's vidcom before the AI parked it somewhere near one of its trams.
[In exchange for your silence and assistance you shall be granted free usage to the Cityscape's underground trams at any time. Such a favor is trivial.]
The station's AI, who apparently refuses to be ever have an actual name, is currently texting you on your PDA, apologizing and giving out an offer or two like the free rides. It also changes its username every few messages from "Messager" to "Overseer" "AI of Little Downtown", so on.
You look up from your PDA and glance around.
Streets are pretty damn empty. Your eyes move back to the PDA in your hand and tap through a few things on the touchscreen until you find the "Unable To Locate" App which shows the current locations and living spaces of Able Squad. Three you still have to visit, all at their homes.
Jezori lives in part of a greenhouse, Hazuko resides in a typical house, and Suko lives in a building only reachable by alleyways.
Which on-
A notification alerts you to another message from the AI. You switch to the "HegeIM" App to read it.
[Pardon me if my contact via instant messaging is bothersome, but I wish to request conversation with you now and in the future. For the most part I can guarantee that I will not interrupt anything as nearly everything on this station is visible to me. I will not answer any questions concerning "why".]

Hmm...
>Respond with [Sure.]
>Respond with [Not tonight. Later's fine]
>Respond with [No.]
>Don't respond.
>Block the AI.
>[insert option]
Then...
>Visit Jezori, the alchemist shotgunner who doesn't like to see your real form.
>Check on Hazuko, the happy loli bard with suprising strength.
>Go see Suko, the somewhat brooding Valkyie and heavy gunner.

>>36269475
>Respond with [Sure.]
>Other
Set the IM app to log all conversations; we might need reminders later.

>Visit Jezori, the alchemist shotgunner who doesn't like to see your real form.

>Respond with [Sure.]
>Set the IM app to log all conversations
>Visit Jezori, the alchemist shotgunner who doesn't like to see your real form.

[Sure.]
Why not?
[I am most glad that you have accepted.]
Curious about something, you check the App's settings. Logging is on, External Logging is not.
[I will make sure your logs are securely stored.]
Well that's kind of nice, and a little privacy-invading since it's probably looking at your screen from a camera. Might even have some access to your PDA.
Your turn the External Logging on and change Apps to Unable To Locate, setting a route for Jezori's greenhouse.
[Trams will reach your destination quicker.]
[I'll walk.] You reply as you commence doing just that.
...
Jezori's greenhouse is about the size of four standard suburban homes conjoined together. Most of the glass is a little fogged. Where's the entrance...
Rumble.

[Front door is to your 1'O Clock. I shall remain silent during your visit except in the unlikely event of an emergency.
]
You nod in thanks to the system that's watching over you and head in that direction. The front door practically blends in with the exterior. Now closer, you can look through some of the glass to see plants and setups of all kinds, half of which you doubt were created naturally.
You knock on the door once, then twice.
It takes a few moments but you hear some footsteps from inside and you can make out Jezori's somewhat smaller than average frame approaching the door.
"Uh, come in!" You oblige, closing the door behind.
Plants, plants, flask, plants, tables, plants. The greenhouse is more or less full.
Jezori is in the middle of scratching her red hair before that one moves to salute you.
"Lieutenant sir! Something you need?"

>"At ease, just visiting."
>"Give me twenty!"
>"We're off-duty you know..."
>Wait to see how long she'll salute for.
>(insert option)

>>36270790
>"At ease, just visiting."

>>36270790
ah, big sis AI
a nice odd mix of scary and comforting.

>>36270790
>"At ease, just visiting."

>"At ease, just visiting."
With that garden apron and other botanical gear on, her salute looks a little silly.
"At ease, just visiting."
"Oh..." She breathes a sigh of relief.
"So uh...I don't have many places to sit." Jezori she scratches her head with her hands, some dirt visible between her fingers.
"That's fine. Can you show me around?"
"Sure thing!"
...
"Don't tell anyone but these little guys right here, illegally grown from copyrighted seeds. You're actually supposed to subscribe to a corporation to grow them, and they aren't even dangerous."
Jezori's quick tour is more interesting than you thought.
"This one here? Seeds are genetically modified to cause as many hallucinations as possbile. And these grapes? Banned by several civilizations due to their addictiveness, but with our current tech we can turn addictions on and off like a switch!"
She leads to a table in the middle of the greenhouse, covered with vials, heating implements, and various tools. Along with a laptop.
"And this is my workstation." Jezori darts towards the laptop, typing away while occaisonally rubbing a pad below the keyboard.
"Come here sir, look at this!"
You do so and look at the screen. Numbers, charts, graphs, corporate logos, up and down arrows, red, white, and green. You know very very little about stocks but that's quite a lot of red arrows and numbers.
"Today's events freaked out the markets a lot. Interestingly there's been an increase of investments in sewer companies..."
Jezori moves away from the laptop and sits in a chair, you doing the same. At the moment it looks like she's fiddling with some large green device.

Hmm...
>"What's that do?"
>"How long have you been working on all this?"
>"Anything I can eat?"
>"Anything that will kill me?"
>"Shizi said you grew a homunculus for her."
>(insert option)

>>36271986
>"What's that do?"
>"How long have you been working on all this?"
>"Anything that will kill me?"

>>36272085
sounds good.

>"What's that do?"
>"How long have you been working on all this?"
>"Anything that will kill me?"

"What's that do?" The green devices emits beeps of various tones.
"Ah, gives me status updates on some of the plants and also some of the automated gardening systems. Shit, some died today..."
"Automated systems?" You ask.
"Yeah, takes care of some of them for me. Aren't perfect so I still check on them every now and then."
You nod, though doubt Jezori sees that as she's focused on the device.
You glance around, the amount of plants is impressive.
"How long have you been working on all this?"
"Three years. Knew a little bit about gardening when I was younger and I didn't have much to do between missions. You actually helped me get the requests through, though you don't remember, do you?"
"I don't."
"That damn monster you got inside of you always makes you forget things..." You hold back any sort of reaction and change the subject.
"So, anything that will kill me?"
Jezori laughs.
"Couple things, I keep them sealed and isolated. Got one man-eater actually."
"Man-eater?"
"Oh, just a mobile carnivorous plant. Just kidding, killed it a year ago to test some acids."
"Huh."

Hmm...
>"Anything I can eat?"
>"Shizi said you grew a homunculus for her."
>"Can you tell me about the monster?"
>"What's the most interesting plant you have?"

>>36273320
>"What's the most interesting plant you have?"

>>36273320
>"Shizi said you grew a homunculus for her."
>"Can you tell me about the monster?"
>"What's the most interesting plant you have?"
She really doesn't understand that we're the parasite, not the host?

>>36273668
technically our host is fully aware and sometimes asks for control and is granted that.

>>36273708
Well yes, but most of the time, it's the Nomad entity in control, and it's Nomad that the RDBFO gave command of Able Squad to.

>"Shizi said you grew a homunculus for her."
>"Can you tell me about the monster?"
>"What's the most interesting plant you have?"

"Shizi said you grew a homonculus for her." Jezori looks up at you.
"Ugh, that was a pain to grow...Do you what happened to it?"
"Eviscerated."
"Fuck, she'll probably want another one..."
"Her experiment was successful, so I doubt it."
"Oh, that's good."
She smiles and looks back at the device.
"Can you tell me about the monster?"
Jezori's head turns in a split-second.
"It's...it's in you damn it! The fucking thing is inside of you Lieutenant! When are they going to get it out?"
"That's not information." You calmly but firmly reply.
"It's a parasite thing, a fucking abomination goes into people's heads. It shouldn't exist..." Jezori looks noticably uncomfortable and breathes heavily for a couple moments.
"Sir, can we please talk about something else?"
"Sure. What's the most interesting plant you have?"
"Umm...I think I know just the one! Follow me!" She gets up and starts walking, gently tossing the data device onto the table.
You follow her.

"Most interesting?"
"Look, I had the same reaction you did."
It's just a single green leaf growing from the soil.
"What's interesting about it?"
"Try singing."
"Singing what?"
"Anything, sir."
You look at the leaf and try to think of a song. A couple children's rhymes, no...something.
"Nanezai tameoyan, tamay tameoyan Nove uome..." You gently sing something that pops into your head.
The leaf glows dimly.
"Iayev iatem, qaunaytomei nanaezai muntarokan..."
The leaf moves a little, multiple colors shining off it gently.
"Oonatuzi melaign, tamay temeoyan kazatano vetoveil mi suntoss..."
Humming sounds resembling that of a piano emit, matching your song.
"Kometamezono iatem iatemalia koze koze kozenoan, tameoyan, tamay temoyan nanezai."
The "lyrics" abruplty stop in your head and the lightshow ends a second after your singing does.
Jezori looks at you curious.
"Did you know that song, sir?"
"Nah, just popped into my head." You half-lie. It definitely seemed a little familiar but it did come out of nowhere.
Jezori shrugs.

You check your PDA as you move away from the leaf.
10:53 PM.
>Time to go.
>Maybe you should clear up a misunderstanding...
>(insert option)

>>36275146
I am rather torn about whether to clear up the misunderstanding or not.

>>36275816
>>36275146
>Maybe you should clear up a misunderstanding...
You know what, lets do it

>Maybe you should clear up a misunderstanding...
You stay silent as Jezori leads the way back to her little workstation, having a seat as she does. You wait a few moments before speaking
You need to make this clear.
"Jezori."
"Yes sir?"
"I'm going to leave in a moment. But first, I've think you've misunderstood something."
"What's that sir?"
"Well, who's talking to you right now?"
"One Lieutenant Rodney Watkins." She doesn't hesistate for a moment in answering.

"Wrong."

Her face twitches, her right hand shakes, her eyes blink twice, her leg kicks at empty air.
"Lieutenant, don't tell me you think you're that freakish thing..."
"I guess being called a 'freakish thing' is an acceptable downgrade from being called a 'fucking abomination'."
"Wha..."
"A Host of mine can do a few things and they remain fully aware, but as far as I know they can't have even partial control for more than a few seconds."
"You...you're lying, lying to me, lying to yourself!" Jezori slowly raises her voice, fear present on her face.
"No, you're lying to yourself. You weren't talking to a human being for the last twenty or so minutes."
Her face scrunches up as she backs out of her chair, the seat knocked to the floor.
"I've had this Host for four years. And you either didn't notice or deluded yourself. Probably both."
"Not true, it's not like that! He's still fucking in there! GET OUT OF HIM!"
"How do you know that? Do you even know Rodney?"
"FUCK YOU!" She screams, drawing a sidearm with unnatural speed.
Barrel of a pistol is pointed at you and the user is not practicing trigger discipline. Great.
"Rodney is in fact still in here. You shoot, you and I both lose him. And I'll need a new Host."
"You...you fucker." She reluctantly lowers her gun and puts it away.

>>36277424
waiting for players or writing next scene?
there is no 1/? and not action prompt

>>36277424
Jezori glares at you. Hate fills every inch of her expression.
Enough pushing her, you need to reassure. You stand up from the chair, looking your subordinate in the eye.
"Look....I care about my squad. I care about every single one of you." You definitely feel something for them, that's why you have folders full of picturess of them.
Jezori tilts her head.
"And I don't want a mistake to be made because you don't or won't understand. I don't want you, Rodney, or anyone in Able to die because of something stupid like this."
Glare lessens, still tense.
"I am an abomination, a freakish thing, yes I'm all that. But I'm on your side and I will fight for you and the rest of the squad. I've gotten along with you for quite some time, I don't to have to be some foul demon to you."
"As far as I'm concerned, you are. You're in the body of the man I once loved."
"And you can still talk with him every now and then. He's not gone. But I'm also in charge, not him. And I'm not saying we screw each other or even get along but it'd make things easier if you didn't hate me."
Jezori glares at you for a few more seconds before taking a deep breath.
"Fine, I guess we can work on that 'sir'...You said you were leaving? I'd say it's time to leave."
You calmly wave goodbye, eliciting an uncharacteristic growl from her.
...

[Was that rough? I could see a few things through the glass.]
[In a way I guess.]
[You do not wish to speak of it? I understand if not.]
[I don't.]

And that's it for tonight. Planning on running Friday and finally finishing up the visits.

>>36277464
Had it finished already, it was just all too long to fit in one post and I was fixing a couple things before posting. If there's no prompt assume I'm not done or it's done for the day.

>>36277519
Thanks for running.
also, that square dialog... is with Rodney?

>>36277532
Nope, the AI. Rodney isn't that formal and saw everything.

>>36277556
Oh right.
its funny how many people are listening in on us