CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73 
|
Post by CJ on Sept 28, 2018 12:38:10 GMT
Welcome to Act I of Embellishments! This post will contain the last of the archived stuff, so feel free to start suggesting again.
I'll also be taking suggestions from the Telltale forums until they close, so if you see me respond to a comment here that doesn't seem to exist - that's why.
It’s only when the wreckage of Helios is far, far behind you that you let yourself relax. You let out a deep breath and sink back into the chair.
Although escaping was far easier than you thought it’d be, it’s really bugging you that you lost track of Fiona. Did she manage to get herself untied? Is she unarmed? There’s no telling what the Stranger will do if he finds her.
Okay, so maybe you ran him over, and maybe a person can’t usually survive a bull-bar to the face, but he could’ve been wearing a shield! Except you saw his leg snap off. Kind of. There was no blood. Trick of the light, maybe? Whatever. Dead or not, Finch is back there too.
Guh. Why are you worrying about this?! She ditched you back on Helios, remember? This is… this is just karma. Or something. Besides, you were the one who woke her up in the first place. You did your part, and now she can take care of herself.
Right?
You sigh and try to get your thoughts back on track. This week has been a train wreck. You're exhausted, so retreating to an Atlas facility to recuperate seems like the best course of action right now. The question is, which one?
Focus, focus, gotta focus. Fiona's Pandorian. She'll be fine. You spot a ECHOnet console on the dashboard of the truck and punch the co-ordinates for Cassius's old place into the GPS.
You don't have a clue if the old guy is still there or not. He was the last time you visited - helped you plug your new arm in and everything - but he didn't seem too happy when you told him you yoinked the deed to Atlas. Guess nobody likes it when you point out that you legally own their house, and their ass. Still, it's the safest place you've got on this rock. Might as well make use of it.
...Hm, it's sort of hard to read the ECHOnet display from this distance. You take a moment to adjust the game's graphic settings.
That's better.
The truck goes over a bump in the road, and you hear something topple over in the back. Come to think of it, you never did check what was in there. Hopefully it's not something rigged to explode.
You suppose it couldn't hurt to check...
Oh that's not luggage.
"Sasha?!" This day is just full of surprises. She looks different than she did a few months ago - hair, especially. It looks good. You don't get to think on it much before another bump in the road drags your gaze back to driving the truck.
"What are you doing here? You're not with Kroger, are you--?"
By the time you turn around, Sasha has regained her composure. Damn it. Nobody's ever happy to see you.
"I could ask you the same thing," she says. "Hands where I can see 'em."
You bite back the urge to snap at Sasha. Seems like she's having almost as bad a day as you are.
“Uh, is the gun really necessary?”
Sasha laughs dryly. “Is it necessary? Well, gee, I don’t know. First a bunch of hitmen turn up at my door, then my sister goes missing, and now the guy who screwed us over in the first place turns out to not actually be dead, and also he’s hanging out with Vallory’s old buddies!”
“I’m not-”
“So yeah. Put your hands up.”
You drum your fingers against the steering wheel.
“Well, okay. But that's… Y'know. A bit hard, given that we're…”
You glance meaningfully at the road. Sasha catches your drift.
"Oh.” She scoots to the side of the truck so she can better watch you drive. Her gun is still pointed at your head, but she's letting you keep your hands on the wheel so you suppose that’s an improvement.
“I feel like we’ve started this conversation off on the wrong foot. Let’s just start over.” You clear your throat, before continuing with what you hope is a lighthearted tone. “Hi, Sasha, long time no see. How’s life? Did you get a haircut? Also, quick question, what are you doing camping out in the back of a bandit truck in the middle of the night? ‘Cause I saw it first. It’s my getaway car.”
“What do you mean getaway car? I thought–”
“I already told you. I didn’t hire Kroger.”
Sasha doesn't respond.
"Listen," you continue. "It’s been a really, really long week. You clearly look as if you’ve got places to be, and I’m not here to mess with whatever it is you’re doing, sooo…
“If you could just tell me what’s going on and what you want, so I can get back to my search, and you can go back to conning people, or gun collecting, or… whatever it is you’ve been doing for the past three months, I’d appreciate it.”
Sasha lowers her gun.
"Fine." She says. "Have you seen Fiona?"
"Uh..."
|
|
|
|
Act I
Sept 29, 2018 9:24:57 GMT
Post by madsinzero on Sept 29, 2018 9:24:57 GMT
(I'll just put this here to be sure)
Rhys: Be Fiona instead
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Sept 30, 2018 10:03:27 GMT
Post by CJ on Sept 30, 2018 10:03:27 GMT
You get the feeling shifting perspectives mid-conversation might be a bit confusing for Sasha. Perhaps in a couple of minutes.
“Yeah.” You pick Fiona’s hat up off the seat and wave it in Sasha’s direction. “I have.”
“Give me that!” Sasha yanks it out of your hand without so much as a thank you. “What happened? How’d you get this?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“Try me.”
“All right. So about a week ago, I got a message from Fiona telling me to meet her at Prosperity Junction.”
“But Fiona didn’t–”
“…Know I was alive? So you said. But I went out there anyway, because I thought MAYBE I could explain myself before things got out of hand! But then I got blindsided by some asshole in a radiation suit, and all I could think was well, I should have seen this coming…”
 You proceed to give Sasha the rundown of your week, covering everything from getting punched in the neck, right through to finding Gortys’s ring-y thing. It quickly spirals into something of a one-sided rant that Sasha probably isn’t paying much attention to, but it feels good to get it off your chest. “We were just getting close to the crash site when flaming chunks of Helios started raining from the sky. Naturally, I suggested we use that as a distraction to get away…” You pause. You’re getting close to the end of your story now. And if you tell Sasha you ditched Fiona while she was still tied up, she might get you to turn around. Or worse. “And?” She presses. “…We, uh, got separated. After that.” You suppose that’s true enough. “I got pinned down by the shower and hid in an escape pod ‘til it blew over. But by that point it was night, and Kroger found me, and… here we are.” “So you went through that whole story just to tell me you don’t know where she is.” “T-technically, yeah.”
 “Great. Well. Thanks, Rhys. Just drop me off wherever.” “That’s it? You don’t have any more questions?” “Not really. If she’s alive and in one piece, then she’s probably headed to our last safehouse. Also, you drive like a maniac, and I think I should get out of the trunk before you give me a concussion.” You still wonder if you should say something before she goes...
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Oct 2, 2018 12:37:01 GMT
Post by CJ on Oct 2, 2018 12:37:01 GMT
 “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You sure?” You slow the truck down to a stop. “You don’t want me to give you a lift or anything?” “The point of a safehouse is that it’s indiscreet.” Sasha says. She hops out. “I’d rather not catch a ride out there with the president of Evilcorp. Just in case someone’s watching.” “CEO. But fair point.” Even without having a logo on your jacket, people always seem to know what your deal is. Maybe they can smell money. “Oookay… But I could help you track her down? I was the last person to see her.” Sasha leans against the window. "Yeah? What did you have in mind?” |
|
|
|
Act I
Oct 3, 2018 0:41:21 GMT
Post by madsinzero on Oct 3, 2018 0:41:21 GMT
Rhys: Suggest that since you know where you got separated, you'll know where... uh, you got separated. You can probably find her.
Or, alternatively;
Rhys: Jump up on the car and do a little jig.
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Oct 8, 2018 11:16:45 GMT
Post by CJ on Oct 8, 2018 11:16:45 GMT
Rhys: Suggest that since you know where you got separated, you'll know where... uh, you got separated. You can probably find her. “Well, I do know where we got separated. The least I can do is give you a lift back there. If Fiona’s not around, then you’ll know to check the safehouse. Or I can probably find some tracks with my cybern– ow.”
As you were talking, you tried to get your formerly-ECHO eye to focus on the surrounding landscape. All you did was give yourself another mild electrical shock. Crap. That marks the second time you’ve done that tonight. Autopilot’s a bitch.
Sasha stares at you oddly. You try to cover up your flinch by suavely smoothing your hair down, but it’s clear you’re not fooling anybody.
“Key word is probably,” you continue. “I’m a bit light on tech at the moment - didn’t have time to finish my new arm before I left - but this one’s got a GREAT flashlight so it’ll be better than–”
“What happened to your eye?”
“...What?”
“It's... gold. Was it always like that?”
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Oct 19, 2018 13:28:22 GMT
Post by CJ on Oct 19, 2018 13:28:22 GMT
“No, you're right. It’s new. But there’s not much to say, other than it got a bit… bashed up, while crawling out of Helios.”
Sasha is staring at your mechanical hand, now. You move it away from the steering wheel and use it to prop up your head, blocking it from Sasha’s view.
Eventually, Sasha steps away from the car. You hear her boots crunch against the ground as she heads towards the rear of the vehicle - back the way you came.
Great.
At least you tried. Maybe it really is too late to fix anything...
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Oct 19, 2018 13:29:35 GMT
Post by CJ on Oct 19, 2018 13:29:35 GMT
Clunk. The sound of the truck door jolts you from your thoughts.
Sasha climbs into the seat next to you, dragging a rather sizable bag with her. Her gun remains holstered at her side - for now. “Okay.” She says. “Take me to where you got separated.” “Sasha, I-” “Don’t.” Sasha shakes her head. “I don’t want to do this right now. Let’s just find Fiona, and if she’s not dead, we’ll go from there.” “Right.” You flick the ECHO navigation system off and pull a u-turn. “…And Rhys?” “Yeah?” “I’m sorry… for leaving you on Helios. It wasn’t my call.”
(a'ight, scene transition time. do you guys want to keep playing as rhys, or should we switch to Fiona?)
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Jun 13, 2019 16:58:42 GMT
Post by CJ on Jun 13, 2019 16:58:42 GMT
You don't know how to respond to Sasha's apology. There's a story to be had here, but... sometimes, silence seems like the best option.
You make the drive back without saying a word.
Elsewhere on Pandora...
You are now Fiona.
Miraculously, you’re not dead, even after all this time. Whatever the hell Rhys did back there gave you a great opportunity to duck behind an old engine and slooowly cut yourself free against the sharp, twisted metal. It’s a huge relief to be able to use your arms again. When you tell Sasha about your daring escape later, you’ll make sure to focus on your ingenuity and leave out the part where you celebrated by kissing your own wrists.
Credit where credit is due, Rhys really pulled through. Now there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from… from... hm.
You could just leave. Your captor is probably busy chasing after Rhys, and you're positive you can make it back to your, um, mentor's safehouse. But you also know the stranger has two thirds of the key to reviving Gortys. Maybe, in the wake of all this chaos, you could have a chat with them.
Regardless of your plan, you feel naked being out in the middle of Pandora without a weapon. (And your hat, damn it, but that's a matter for another time.) Conveniently you spy a gun lying not far from your hiding place. Less conveniently, you can hear some very disconcerting sounds coming from behind the jet turbine you’re using as a hiding spot. Sounds… sort of wet. ...And crunchy.
So. How are you feeling about your odds today?
(Telltale forums wouldn't let me log in to post this, so I guess it's official. [pours one out for the forum games sub])
|
|
Pipas
New Member
I cannot hold back your tide of bad decisions.
Posts: 15 
|
Act I
Jun 13, 2019 20:16:07 GMT
Post by Pipas on Jun 13, 2019 20:16:07 GMT
Yay, we're back! It's been a while.  And yeah, seems like the forums are dead. For realzies this time. As for what to do, let's run for the gun, just in case that something creepy behind Fiona wants to eat her. I know it might not be aware of Fiona yet, but I'd rather have some kind of defense than to be sorry. |
|
|
|
Act I
Jun 14, 2019 0:37:05 GMT
Post by madsinzero on Jun 14, 2019 0:37:05 GMT
Run for the gun, but don't shoot anything yet. You don't want to fall for the trope of "shoot a shadowy thing oh no it was your... acquaintance, Rhys! How tragic!"
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Jun 14, 2019 15:43:48 GMT
Post by CJ on Jun 14, 2019 15:43:48 GMT
Run for the gun, but don't shoot anything yet. You don't want to fall for the trope of "shoot a shadowy thing oh no it was your... acquaintance, Rhys! How tragic!"
Ohhhhhhhh yeah. He'd never let you hear the end of that.
(Continued in next post)
|
|
CJ
Junior Member
Spent too much time writing all the lore / Can't quite tell what I'm hoping for
Posts: 73
|
Act I
Jun 16, 2019 16:45:38 GMT
Post by CJ on Jun 16, 2019 16:45:38 GMT
Yay, we're back! It's been a while. And yeah, seems like the forums are dead. For realzies this time. As for what to do, let's run for the gun, just in case that something creepy behind Fiona wants to eat her. I know it might not be aware of Fiona yet, but I'd rather have some kind of defense than to be sorry.
Figuring speed is better than stealth you deftly dash out of your hiding place, scoop the pistol up by the barrel and duck behind another boulder. Easy-peasy.
The skag that you passed looks up from the mangled body it was eating. You hear it sniff the air in that gross, skag-ish sounding way and take a step towards your hiding place.
You hesitate. Skags are usually pretty dumb, and this one looked hurt. You could easily slip away from it if you care about stealth. Or you could take it out– maybe the sorry bastard it’s eating has some useful loot that hasn’t been digested yet. (You thought you might’ve seen something glowy as you passed, but that’s not always synonymous with “valuable” down here.)
As you hear the skag approach, you place one hand over the other hand on the grip of the gun to steady your aim. Then you place your other hand over both your hands, to steady it further--
Wait. |
|
|
|
Act I
Jun 18, 2019 1:10:33 GMT
Post by madsinzero on Jun 18, 2019 1:10:33 GMT
L-loot! Okay! Shoot shoot shoot!
|
|
Pipas
New Member
I cannot hold back your tide of bad decisions.
Posts: 15
|
Act I
Jun 23, 2019 9:53:14 GMT
Post by Pipas on Jun 23, 2019 9:53:14 GMT
Oh, hm. That's interesting. Well, we might as well make use of the extra hand. First, quickly examine it, just in case it's someone's you know. I know Fiona is not an expert on recognizing hands, but she should be able to tell if it's Rhys' for example. If she doesn't recognize it, then throw the hand away to distract the skag from the body. Unless the grip of the hand on the gun is too strong, in which case just shoot.
|
|
![[id: Fiona cuts herself free of her restraints using some sharp rubble. She looks relieved to have her arms back.]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/df95f323aca5d4104b1b360658e3da9c/tumblr_inline_pt1qe5QQEy1r2vr3x_1280.png)
And yeah, seems like the forums are dead. For realzies this time.
![[id: Fiona looks thoughtful and rubs her chin as she considers the possibility of accidentally shooting Rhys. A thought bubble above her head shows a cartoonish, crudely-drawn scene where she melodramatically mourns over his body.]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/6a6a8db5db5ff8411426c9eab712fb0f/tumblr_inline_pt3hslfukQ1r2vr3x_500.png)
![[id: Fiona looks exasperated, and a bead of sweat rolls down her cheek. The thought bubble now contains a crude illustration of the far more likely possibility: that Rhys will start screaming if he's shot.]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/975ed4afc79c59e6856898050deeb655/tumblr_inline_pt3ht6DlAX1r2vr3x_500.png)
![[id: a three panel comic. Comic 1: Fiona peeks out from her hiding place, looking cautious. Panel 2: Fiona runs from left to right, scooping up a gun with a hand attached to it mid-stride. A skag lurks in the foreground. Panel 3: Fiona hides behind a boulder. The skag looks over its shoulder, confused.]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5a3373696de04d2f08e322de19944f71/tumblr_inline_pt79sh6e3k1r2vr3x_1280.png)