minimum wage quest boxed in - /qst/

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Anonymous10/25/25, 20:48No.6323417Minimum Wage Quest - Boxed In

"JESUS FUCK." A bit of spit leaves the girl's mouth with the utterance of the expletive. The thin blonde man shoots an annoyed look at his coworker as he leans on his broom, watching her wipe the spit from her chin. "Hey, management said we couldn't curse. Get that side for me." The brunette gives him an indifferent glance, grabs a dustpan, and starts sweeping in various things: rose petals, scrapped, badly framed photos, a dust of cocaine that had slipped from some celebrity's torn pocket. She scoffs at the discovery of a used condom leaking all over the concrete. "Just saying. You'd think that at a big event like this, people would be a bit more dignified." She turns to look at the big black block letters that burned boldly on the arena sign. MILLER V HAWKE FATHER V SON TONIGHT (1/5)

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Anon10/25/25, 20:51No.6323424

I WANT TO GO HOME. Beatrice sits uncomfortably in her very-comfortable VIP chair. She didn't hate boxing; she grew up with it, after all. But she hated what was happening in front of her. Mostly, she was angry. Angry at a great many things. She looks to her left.This is some guy her husband knows. He's a sponsor... or something. His face is... so greasy. It's almost plastic. He turns to her with a cardboard smile."Enjoying the match, Bee?" He gives her a thumbs up. She doesn't return the gesture. Just another disgusting businessman. They turn back to the bloodbath in front of them. She looks to her left.This face was immediately recognizable. With her wispy, Marilyn Monroe hair and her faux-refined demeanor. Bea grits her teeth. She was mostly mad at her husband. He was the one who initiated the affair... and gave her triplet bastards. She can't really blame Claire, she's a victim in this just as much as Bea was. She can, however, look into her eyes and watch the girl look dreamily at her husband and feel like blowing up a building. She turns back to the bloodbath in front of her.She watches as her husband and her father kill each other on the stage. The Nicest Boxer In The World and The Hawk.(2/5)

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Anon10/26/25, 22:08No.6324027

You make your way to the front of the bus, and you happen to notice that you're completely alone as you pass by row after row of empty chairs. The driver's seat is similarly empty, and the adjacent door is cracked open. Through the windows you can see you're at a rather large truck stop. Ugh, just thinking about truck stops makes you groan. Turning back to the dashboard of the truck, the fuel gauge reads dead empty.There's nothing of note near the seat, door, or under the dash. The dashboard itself has a phone connected to a charger plugged into the cigarette lighter port. The phone has a cream/rose gold carrying case with a pearl bead charm attached. The phone lights up, detecting activity near it. You notice a new text was received a minute ago. Underneath the stereo on the dash is a photograph. It looks like it was printed today.

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Anon10/28/25, 03:39No.6324554

It takes you exactly one turn to your left to find a familiar face. It's the girl from the photo, minus her cool outfit. She wears a bright high visibility vest over a dark shirt and, just like the photo, accessorizes her outfit with stud earrings, a headband, spiked choker, and two rings on her left pinky and middle finger. She's making selections on the payment pad. You get her attention."Hey, you're the bus driver, right?" She turns to glance at you, raising an eyebrow."Sure, yeah. What's up?""Oh, I was on the bus. I fell asleep a little while ago—""You were on my bus?" She taps a Mousse County Transport Authority debit card against the card reader. It flashes four green lights and beeps, prompting her to input a PIN. She does so."Yeah." Her brows furrow at you as she inserts the nozzle into the fuel tank of the bus."I didn't see you in there." What?"What? I've been there since Burnham Road.""Going up to Collins?" Your sister's shop, Ms. Wiz is located on the corner of Collins and Shiloh."Yeah, Collins. Did we pass it already?" She shakes her head and gives you a sympathetic look."Sorry, buddy. You're about six stops too late." Your face falls. You were prepared for the possibility that you slept through a stop or two, but SIX STOPS? You were asleep for an hour, tops. There's no way you fell asleep for five or six."No way.""Way. After I fuel up, I'm headed back to the bus depot. Sorry to have to do this to you, but I can't have you back on again. I was supposed to kick you out at the last stop, but I guess you're not the most... um, noticeable guy in the world." You don't respond. Like, what are you supposed to say to that? She seems to have a similar train of thought as an apologetic look quickly replaces the expression on her face. "Sorry." She can't seem to find a less awkward way to end the conversation, so she just turns back to her endless refueling. She doesn't look interested in talking to you any longer at least.

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Anon10/29/25, 14:30No.6325208

You've got more than a few words for that bus driver, specifically to ask if there's another bus out of here. Ordering an Uber from god knows where you are would mean you're out of food money for a week. You'd rather use your ten-dollar annual bus pass. As you take a step to leave, you hear the sound of flowing liquid. You look down, watching the stream of gasoline start to reverse. The gas puddle gets drained out from under and behind the bus; you watch your relfection disappear as only a few drips of the pool are left in the end. What the fuck?

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Anon10/30/25, 04:54No.6325561

You warily walk towards the two men, silently praying that walking towards two shady men won't be the— what the hell?"Marco?? Holy shit, man!""Jared??" You're completely bewildered. Of all the people you'd expect to see on a weird ass night like this, your manager was not it. "What the hell are you doing here?" He grins."I always come out here after work.""You— but you clocked out nearly the same time I did." He nods."They called me back in to cover. Susan got fired for beating a customer up." You suck in air through pursed lips in a display of instant understanding. Your coworker, uh, ex-coworker Susan was... interesting. She was a year older than you and used that information to make you bend to her whim. You had a brief fling with her for a few weeks before you both got bored. When you decided to call it quits, she made sure to threaten your life with a switchblade, making you promise to never tell anyone about the strange birthmark on her back. You've since kept your promise."Surprising," you say with sarcasm so thick it could be used as a maple syrup substitute. "Who's this?" You point to the nervous looking fellow next to Jared. He doesn't speak up and just stares at you bug-eyed. Freaky guy."This is Shane. Maddy said I had to find a new hire quick, and this guy was already here smoking. He needs a job too, so boom. Shane, this is Marco. If you wanna ask him any questions, go ahead." You all stand there in silence. "Guess he's got no other questions. You wanna smoke?" He extends a fresh cig out to you. You glance at it and shake your head."I-I'm okay, man." He raises an eyebrow."Really? I thought you smoked." A cool yet aching feeling crawls down your throat."I did. Now I don't." He seems to get it."No worries, sorry about that." Your manager is a lot nicer than you remember. Maybe you should start being nicer to him.

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Anon10/31/25, 01:52No.6325894

MWQ will continue 11/2 so I can celebrate Halloween and work on the update.See you all then!

Wxk

Anon10/31/25, 08:39No.6326003

Have fun

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Anon11/03/25, 07:17No.6327220

Update delayed 11/3 morning for some finishing touches! Please bear with me...

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Anon11/03/25, 15:15No.6327316

Please watch the video update here: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/1004850You pull out your phone and do what you should've done the first time you saw anything strange: talk to the strangest guy you know. It may only have been less than a day that you've known this kid, but right now, he might be the only one who can help. You click his contact card, dial the number, and wait."...but no wonder it sucked. The budget for the season was pennies compared to—""Fred?" He stops speaking. "Fred, are you there?""Marco??? Where— how are you talking to me?""What? I just called you on the phone. I'm at a truck stop.""That's impossible.""That I'm at a truck stop? I left the apartment hours ago.""One, no you didn't, you left maybe an hour ago tops.""Wha—""And two, you're not calling me with your phone. You're speaking directly to my thoughts. You're in my head, Marco. How did you maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" His voice trails off suddenly, and it's replaced by an ear-piercing screech. Your phone starts to vibrate in your hand, but your whole body feels like it's shaking.This is too weird. This is too weird. You look up as your phone flies slowly out of your hands and glides through the air to sit in front of your face. The world starts to fade out as the screen cracks and splinters, sucking you into a white void.You float for a while. You feel like you're falling, but everything looks rather still. Well, there aren't really any landmarks for you to discern your positioning, either. You open your eyes and look to your right. Nothing. You gulp. The thought of this being some sort of prison comes to you, and your fears are stoked as you turn to the right to bear witness to corpses hanging from infinite chains that seem to disappear into the void above.You barely have time to process this as your surroundings change again; screaming and cheering invade your eardrums as you sit in the VIP section of the boxing arena. You watch as the large bespectacled man falls to the ground. The cheering stops. You look around. The crowd and the stadium are gone, leaving only you and the two men in the ring.Without warning, the ring disappears and so does the mustached man, replaced with what seems to be some sort of business man. His blood seeps into the black void while papers from a briefcase litter the ground behind him. The large boxer remains, looking intensely at the body. Then he turns. He turns and looks at you. You want to say something, you want to run so desperately. Yet you freeze as he glares at you.You feel your upper lip moisten. You touch your face only for your hand to be stained with your blood. Your nose bleeds as your head spins. The ringing dutifully returns, exacerbating your dizzying vision; you're going to die. You're going to die, right here, right now, and there's nothing you can do about it. You fall unconscious, vulnerable to whatever comes next. (1/2)

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Anon11/04/25, 06:26No.6327616

You take a look around. There's three people inside the bus aside from you: at the back a young woman around your age wearing sleek trapezoidal frames, directly behind you a man approaching his forties with a bad haircut and rosacea-ridden cheeks, and at the front, the driver. All three are fast asleep. You wonder how on earth these people could fall asleep through all— no, no you don't.Enough weirdness has occured that you're no longer looking around going "what? what?". Damn it, you're in danger. If not right now, then in general. What were you thinking getting wrapped up in this psychic garbage? Who was that man? How did you get in a bubble floating over the ocean? These are the important questions to wonder about. You've got to lock in, no joke.You give everyone another once over. Although asleep, they're not injured at all. No bruises, cuts, and certainly no bloody noses to match your own. You gently prod everyone in their sides, but they do not wake up. Weird. Why aren't you asleep right now? You guess you were before, but that begs the next question: why are you the only one awake? (1/4)

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Anon11/05/25, 15:29No.6328184

Rolled 4, 3 = 7 (2d5)Looks like the winner is >LOOK OUTSIDE. Perhaps the real clues aren't inside the bus at all. (requires roll) >EXAMINE HAND. Is it even your hand anymore? (requires roll)Rolling for luck... (earlier I mistakenly said Marco had a LUCK value of 4, he actually raised it to 5.)

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Anon11/05/25, 15:31No.6328187

Rolled 57 + 8 (1d100 + 8)Now rolling for >EXAMINE HAND.1d100 - 2 (PROSPERITY malus) + 4 (LUCK bonus) + 6 (INTELLIGENCE bonus)

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Anon11/05/25, 16:02No.6328196

Rolled 71 - 15 (1d100 - 15)Now rolling for >LOOK OUTSIDE.1d100 - 2 (PROSPERITY malus) + 3 (LUCK bonus) + 6 (INTELLIGENCE bonus) + 8 (VIGILANCE bonus) - 30 (THREAT malus)(Adjusting the values to accurately reflect the situation at hand)

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Anon11/05/25, 17:36No.6328219

You very slowly pull yourself away from your arm and examine the bus sign closely. You've seen this so many times; this is the bus stop sign next to your apartments. Actually, you were looking at it quite intensely when you were waiting for the bus an hour ago. You're not quite sure why. It might have been the hundredth time you've seen it, but little things stood out to you about it. The scuff along the side, the rust on the pole, the sticker patch over some vulgar graffiti. Despite all of it, it's still standing there as a beacon for you to get to town.It was inspiring. Very inspiring.Now it's replaced your hand. You're not exactly sure what to do with it. It doesn't hurt at all. You attempt to wiggle your fingers. You can feel yourself doing it, but the sign does nothing. You even try flipping the bird, but there is no bird to flip. That kind of pisses you off more. You're a strange person. Even stranger now that you have a sign for a hand, you suppose. You try to move your hand as a whole, and thankfully, the sign articulates like a hand does, bending the metal in a way that certainly does not follow the laws of physics. That's good for now.

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Anon11/06/25, 14:19No.6328617

Keeping this open since I have to go to work soon, but I'll clarify when to roll.Any action that has (requires roll) means that the action has a chance of failure. I will roll these: >BATTLE STATIONS. You've got to have a plan of attack. (requires roll) (requires Write-In)You'll get to roll in combat scenarios/saving throws, when you have to react quickly to an attack or are gravely injured. The next update will likely contain one of those. It'll look something like this: >ACT FAST. Roll 1d100 (+/- whatever modifier)

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Anon11/07/25, 05:18No.6328965

Now rolling for >BATTLE STATIONS. You've got to have a plan of attack. >EXAMINE + MANIFEST GUN + BLAST!1d100 - 2 (PROSPERITY malus) + 2 (LUCK bonus) + 3 (ACROBATICS bonus) + 8 (VIGILANCE bonus) - 30 (THREAT malus)

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Anon11/07/25, 06:59No.6328996

You steady your breathing as the footsteps above you get closer and closer to the emergency exit above you. Whatever this bubble is, it's not keeping them out. You swiftly slide behind a seat panel hiding you from the exit yet with a good view of the bus past the hatch."God. Are your legs broken? Okay, good." The chanting continues. "Sy. Sy, they're already asleep." The chanting continues. "Sy! You did it! Congratulations! Everyone is going sleepy bye-bye now. Is that getting to you?" The chanting continues. "SY I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP RIGHT THIS SECOND I WILL FLUSH YOUR ANIMAL CRACKERS DOWN THE TOILET." The chanting hiccups for a moment, then continues quieter. "Yeah, I'll go right back to our old cell and dump the whole tin in there." The chanting completely stops. "Thank you."You steady yourself. You're not all the way there, but you're starting to figure yourself out. This sign-hand... it's gotta be all you. The arm on the road above you must be yours too. Somehow, after studying the sign, you managed to... swap them? None of this psychic shit makes sense. Nothing here makes any sense.Except your plan out of this mess. If you can just manage to replicate what you managed to do with the sign with that gun... You hear more shuffling above you."Alright man, don't just stand there, help me with this thing." The exit creaks as inhuman strength pulls it out of its alcove and launches it into the ocean.A round, bald head slowly lowers itself through the roof cavity. Dripping blood from the ear, it telescopes around like a reverse submarine before revealing its massive attached body as he lands inside with a thud. He wears a grey jumpsuit with the numbers "01" patched onto the back. He looks exactly like the giant from your apartment, and you'd bet your fifth hair spike that his bloody ear is a product of removing stitches.His friend, Sy, joins him soon enough. He limbers up and dives gracefully down the exit in a stunning display that would make an Olympic diver blush. Unfortunately, the guy is 300-something pounds and lands with an even bigger slam that makes the bus shake. He grins a big bloody smile at his partner, who groans. He also wears a similar jumpsuit with "03" on the back. Real subtle guys. Anyway, they're both here... it's now or never!

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Anon11/07/25, 15:03No.6329062

Rolled 2 (1d5)Seems pretty unanimous to me.Players, please roll me 1d100 - 10 + the LUCK bonus. Just for fun, I'll take best of 4 instead of 3. One roll per person, please!Rolling for luck...

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Anon11/08/25, 15:34No.6329513

Sorry for the wait, but I think I'll need to push the update to Sunday. Just need a day.

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Anon11/09/25, 15:35No.6330066

You don't have much time to think. You lock eyes with the gun in front of you, staring right down its vacuous socket. This isn't the first time you've been held at gunpoint, but at least then you could exchange the slightly understocked cash register for your life. You doubt the gun was loaded anyway. Though the barrel looks as if it were a black void, you know for sure that a bullet is in there, and it's aimed directly for your head.You've never cared too much about guns in general. Sure, you enjoy the occasional action flick and can appreciate a well choreographed fight scene with squibbed gunfire, but they were always too messy for you. As well as too expensive. You think back to the pepper spray that you left in your apartment. Damn, that would really help right now. Focus. You have to help yourself.The entire thing seems to be made of glistening metal, save the textured plastic on the handle. You imagine what it would feel like if you ran your index finger across the bumps and grooves, moving to the frame and sharply sensing the cold steel. The trigger rests against the giant's hooked finger, the weight of it being the only thing preventing your brains from splattering all over the bus.Now that you give it some thought, this weapon is pretty... inspiring.

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Anon11/10/25, 08:35No.6330486

"HANDS UP!!" You scream at Ear Giant as loudly as you did those raccoons yesterday morning. Surprisingly, the massive man's face pales, and he shivers slightly as he slowly raises his arms."H-Hey, wait a second. Wait. I'm sorry." He's apologizing. This is confusing. You give him a glare that says confusion makes you angry. He understands. "Look, I'm completely helpless right now. I don't have any offense attacks, at least not psychically.""You could fight back physically.""Your hand is an obviously loaded gun. I'm not insane like you.""Good observation." You move the gun slightly closer. "Who are you, and why do you want me dead?" He groans as if he were hoping you wouldn't interrogate him."We're the Brothers Seville, hitmen for hire. You've never heard of us?" He looks genuinely surprised."I didn't say you could ask any questions.""I was only—""Can it. If you're hitmen, who sent you to kill me?""God, let me speak. I was only asking because whoever paid us to kill you certainly knew about us. Or they just knew who to talk to. They gave us your name and address and said it should be done as soon as possible." The radio crinkles. Theodore's angered voice comes over it."What is taking you guys so fucking long!? The cops are here, there are too many for me to concentrate on." You see Ear Giant start to sweat. Time to get his attention back."You don't know their name?""Obviously not. These things are anonymous.""Did they tell you why?""We don't ask why. We just set a price. Which was WAY too damn low for what you put us through. Damn it, if I had known you were a psychic—" He pauses, thinking better about opening his mouth more than he was asked to.

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Anon11/11/25, 14:33No.6331018

Rolled 5 (1d5)This discourse is so fascinating. Marco will be able to romance characters if you so choose but think PG-13 romance. I'm no erotica writer. Neither am I a harem writer. That's all!Players, please roll me 1d100 - 20 + the LUCK bonus. I'll take best of 3. One roll per person, please! As an additional reminder, rolling a 1 or 100 overrides all other rolls.Rolling for luck...

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Anon11/12/25, 05:40No.6331312

With a quick spring off your heels, you turn and sprint towards the bus driver. You mentally apologize to the rest of the bus riders as you try to save the one person you've actually interacted with, even if it was in your head. One second passes. The bus croaks with the same anguished ferocity of a dying bullfrog as it falls, your perceived gravity reducing as you slightly float in the air.You hook your arms under the bus driver's chest, plant your foot on the edge of her seat, and push off, praying that the door is unlocked. Graciously, the doors part as your combined weight push them open. As you fall outside of the bus, you realize that while you might be out of the doomed bus, you are still falling from an incredible height at an alarming rate. The young woman in your arms blinks into consciousness."Ugh... huh- wh-" She takes stock of her surroundings and your very close presence. "W-What the hell? Sign guy? What are you trying to do?!!"" You try to look disarming, but you can't seem to make a calm face. You realize that having little control of your facial muscles is the unfortunate cost of freefalling. Suddenly, the bus splashes into the water first, large waves radiating from its impact. No one surfaces after.You're having a tough time figuring out exactly what it is you're trying to do. In seconds, you're both going to hit the water. That is an assuredly lethal fall. You try to imagine something that can swim; maybe the webbed feet of a duck or platypus. You think... webbed toes... uh, the uh, um... Two things occur to you. The first being that your powers seem to work from being inspired by direct observation, not imagination. The second being that even if you did get inspired by something with webbed feet or gills, that would not stop your spine from shattering the second you land on water's surface like a china doll.Your passenger comes to the realization that you also have no idea what you're trying to do, but instead of panicking, closes her eyes, inhales, then exhales into her cheeks, blowing them up. You watch as the world around you turns a translucent red once again, and the rate which you're falling slows to a stop, just above the edge of the water. You're encased in a bubble with her. She exhales.

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Anon11/14/25, 14:50No.6332282

She deserves to hear the truth, if not partly because you feel a little responsible for her bus ending up submerged underwater. You shake your head."No, they were definitely after me. Somehow I was able to pin one of them down, and the guy said that someone anonymously hired him and his assassin buddies to kill me," you admit. She raises her eyebrows, giving you a simultaneously wary and intrigued look."What did you do that would make someone put a hit out on you?" You glance at her, frazzled."You have about as much clue as I do right now. None of this psychic stuff makes any sense to me either; I'm just some minimum wage schmo that became a psychic yesterday. I work at a burger joint for crying out loud." Your voice wavers a bit. It might seem a little crazy, but you really miss your job all of a sudden. The pay sucks, the people suck, the entire job sucks, but at least you're not constantly fighting for your life. You're briefly taken out of your depressed stupor as you lurch back, stumbling as the bubble starts to float higher and higher. On the bridge, Theodore looks up at you angrily as he fades away in the haze of the clouds. Looking back up at your bubble buddy, you notice she's puffed up her cheeks again, eyes closed. She slowly lets out her breath as the globule settles and gently stops in place."Phew. Sorry about that. Just thought it would be a good idea to stay out of sight for a second." You nod, glad that someone else is on it for once. You can't help but enjoy your surroundings though. You've never been on a plane before, but you're convinced that it can't replicate relaxing in the frothy cotton blanket you're currently sitting in. Interestingly, the clouds can't seem to penetrate the bubble. Your attention goes back to the bus driver as she clears her throat. "So, should I continue calling you sign guy or gun guy?""Marco is fine." She beams."That's a good name. I'm a sucker for cool names. Mine's Ellie. I know, I know, it's a little kid-sounding, but I prefer the nickname to Eleanor.""No, that's a nice name. It's a much better nickname than what I ended up with." Ellie grins at you as she takes off her hi-vis vest and tosses it away from her within the bubble, getting more comfortable. You lean back and try to follow her example."Now you have to tell me.""Cheesehead." She snorts."Yeah, that's not real. How did anyone get to that?""Okay, follow this. My full name is Marco Rohni. Marco Rohni quickly became Macaroni. Macaroni became Mac. It should've stopped there. I liked Mac, but then this moron named Bruce Johnson came around and started bullying me. Mac became Mac n' Cheese. And that became, well..." Ellie starts to giggle, patting her knee a few times."Wow. That must've sucked as a kid, but that's a great story." She repositions herself so she's sitting with her legs criss-crossed.

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Anon11/14/25, 14:53No.6332284

Sorry for the huge unannounced hiatus... there's a reason I write this minimum wage job hating story. We're back on, but the next few updates may not have any images, since I'll be travelling. The quest goes on!

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Anon11/15/25, 15:10No.6332719

"Hey, so." You get precisely two words out before Ellie lets out a pfft. You scrunch your face. "What?""Sorry, you're okay. It's just that nothing good ever starts with 'hey so'. At the station, a few of us drivers have a 'hey so' tally of stupid shit that customers would ask us or let us know. Like, 'hey so someone is peeing down the aisle' or 'hey so have you seen my phone? I think someone stole it'. It's never anything good, like 'hey so you drove so good' or 'hey so I'm naming my child after you'. Keep going, ignore me.""So... I'll be honest. Remember when I was unconscious?" Ellie nods. "That entire time, I think I was dreaming. Like, I woke up after you'd been driving for hours, and I was talking to you while you were filling up the bus." Her eyes go wide again, her expression unreadable."You had... a dream—psychic dream—about me?""Well, I don't know if I would say it was completely about you, but you were a significant part of it. And... well, it was a dream, so I guess it's not the worst thing, but I was kinda snooping around your seat during the dream.""What did you see?""You had a new text message and there was a photograph. It was you with another guy, just a little bit taller than me? He had your skin tone, curly hair faded down...""Did he have a shirt with five circles overlapping?""Yeah. Is that someone you know?" She exhales."That's— why would you see that photograph?" You shrug."There was a lot of imagery in my dream I still don't really get. Reversing gas, disappearing people... I got sucked into my cell phone and I think I watched some boxer kill someone." Her indistinct expression is replaced by one of surprise."Well, do you have any ideas? Is it telling you that there's something bad about him?""I... I don't think so. I really don't have any ideas about it; I just thought he was your boyfriend or something." Surprise turns to mirth, and Ellie starts to laugh."I don't think that's true. Pretty sure you saw my half brother. I don't have a boyfriend.""Ah. Good to know." Good to know? What are you doing? "But that is weird. Do you have that photo on you?" She shakes her head, frowning."No, but I knew exactly what you were talking about when you brought it up. That's what scared me." She gives the moon a sad glance. You feel it best to change the subject."Do you happen to remember exactly what happened when I was unconscious, you know, when I was bashing bullets?" Your hands whiff at imaginary bullets as you ask. She smiles, but the smile fades a bit as she recalls the prior moment.

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Anon11/17/25, 17:43No.6333903

"Is Collins nearby? Collins and Shiloh?" Ellie scans the city rooftops for landmarks that would let her know where she is. You marvel at her navigational capabilities; you've never owned a car or anything but you walk with Voogol Maps like it's nobody's business. She doesn't even reach for her phone before she points to an intersection."Collins and Shiloh," she states. "I'll fly us over." The bubble suddenly soars backwards, and you fly headfirst into Ellie's arms as the bubble skids to a stop in the air. You hastily pull yourself off her, your face flushed. She stares back at you apologetically with bright cheeks, her foundation now slightly off-color to her red face. "Sorry... still figuring some of this stuff out." The bubble slowly builds up speed and flies to your destination....It's quiet when you get to the street. You have Ellie drop you off a ways off Collins, just to avoid attracting attention. The bubble gingerly lands on the ground and starts to fade away as you get up. Ellie stretches, her back popping a few times before she reaches for her cellphone."We should stay in touch for... psychic... purposes..." She smiles at you and keeps eye contact. You offer a nervous smile and reach for your own phone, exchanging it with hers. She quickly types her number into your phone and personalizes her contact info. She even set the name to her full name and added "Ellie" as a nickname. Finally, she holds your phone in the air, taking a selfie and setting it as the photo. You almost forget you have to put your number in her phone and hastily do so. You try to match her energy and take a picture of yourself, but the exposure to the night air causes you to sneeze at an inopportune time. You're about to correct it when she snatches the phone from you, grinning ear to ear. "No, no. That's perfect."

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Anon11/18/25, 06:56No.6334271

"Freddie—""Watch it.""Fred, I'm bound and determined to get to my sister's shop. You might not get it, but this is something I have to do. This is important.""...you just said that you were just gonna— Marco, are you sure?""Yep.""Okay. Please stay alive.""Will do." You end the call. Even if Fred isn't very confident in your choice, you find yourself even more determined to continue onwards. After walking for a bit, the strange Ms. Wiz logo enters your field of vision. You've made it to your sister's shop. The street is empty, save your sister's car in front of the store. Ms. Wiz is closed, but there's a light on in the second floor window. Someone's definitely home. Meanwhile, you have nothing on you besides your phone and wallet, seeing as your bag got left in the bus. How should you play this?>KNOCK. You're entering through no other door than the front. >SNEAK. You'd rather get in unnoticed. (requires Write-In [location+method]) (requires roll) >DISTRACT. If only you could get her out of the building... (requires Write-In [method]) (requires roll) >WRITE-IN.

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Anon11/19/25, 18:31No.6335026

PLAYERS, please roll me 1d100 - 2 (PROSPERITY malus) + 2 (LUCK bonus) + 6 (INTELLIGENCE bonus)dice+1d100+6

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Anon11/19/25, 19:28No.6335046

Your mom always kept a spare key under the mat at home. Seeing as your sister wanted to be so much like your mother, you don't doubt if— aha!

Rff

Anon11/20/25, 22:21No.6335567

You are sort of captivated by the sheer amount of soaps, shampoos, body washes, and cleaning supplies this store has. The marketing materials on the shelves boast of Ms. Wiz's dedication to a cleaner world, and every product is made with recycled materials and environmentally friendly chemicals. Some of this plastic packaging is biodegradable too. You guess you just never know how deep into the soap business your sister is. Maybe it's just the propaganda, but you actually believe all this. Or at least, you have no reason to believe this stuff isn't true.What baffles you is that everyone who shops here only has good things to say about it. The last time you bothered to check her Voogol business page, Ms. Wiz was an unshakeable five stars. Every review was five stars. Specific reviews aren't coming to mind, but you recall nothing but glowing, almost reverent reviews. Ms. Wiz products were so good that people were buying tons. You know that's nothing new, but you found the lack of even one four star review suspicious. And upon looking and smelling these soaps, you can deduce no difference from a $1 bar of soap at a supermarket.You feel personally weirded out by this. You're not a Wiz-head, but you like soap more than the average person; you're a mild clean freak after all. Nothing here is screaming premium soap at all. You can definitely smell the coconut oils and the lye; this is real soap for sure. But everything is... just so basic. No one gave this a 3 star thinking this was more premium? NO ONE was unsatisfied? You feel like leaving a 1 star just for fun.With your suspicions raised, you continue to explore the rest of the store. You even deodorize yourself with one of the display soaps. Take that, big sister. You really needed that though, you can still smell the gunpowder on your hand and the saltwater that had flecked onto your skin. You smell like Tropical Delight. Meh... you're more of a baked goods scent guy.

Rff

Anon11/21/25, 18:21No.6335895

Rolled 1 (1d6)Okey doke. >SNEAK IN. Maybe you'll get some dirt on her this way. (requires roll)Rolling for luck...

Rff

Anon11/22/25, 15:41No.6336304

You slowly make your way into the backroom. You're greeted by dozens of steel machines, big and small, all for different soapmaking purposes. It's pretty clean back here, but you don't let her have the credit; she makes SOAP after all. Looking up, there doesn't SEEM to be a second floor. The backroom has a two-story high ceiling. It's not until you turn around that you notice the stairs to your left and realize that the manager's office is situated directly above the sales floor. You try your best to walk carefully on the metal steps and manage to get to the top without making too much noise (your phone decided to fall out of your pocket when you got to the top, but you caught it before it bounced all the way down the stairs).There are two doors: the office and the bathroom. A young woman's shivering voice eminates from the office. You swiftly tip-toe closer to the door."B-B-Babe, I don't know about t-this. Maybe I should've—""Look, just focus on warming up. Wrap that towel tighter." Another woman. You'd know that authoratative voice anywhere."T-Thank you..." She sniffles. "Do you think Mikey's—""Mikey will be fine, love." Your sister exhales. "What a mess. How are you feeling?""A lot better. Your clothes don't really fit me very well though.""Well, I'm liking what I'm seeing anyway. Gives me a few more ideas on how to warm you up.""Babe..." The voice is dismissive, but not disapproving."Just a suggestion." There's a brief silence. "I didn't think there would be that many cops at the hospital. Thank God they didn't question us.""I mean, we didn't do anything wrong. What would've been the harm?""Well... I just don't think it's a good idea to involve ourselves with the police. From a business point of view.""I g-guess so. Hang on, I have to pee." FUCK. What now?>MAKE AN ENTRANCE. Here's Marco! >HIDE HIDE HIDE. There's no point in you getting found out now. (requires Write-In) (requires roll) >STAY STILL. Maybe she'll just head straight for the bathroom; you're not in the direct path, anyhow. (requires roll) >LEAVE THE STORE. You've gotten everything you need to from here. (requires roll) >WRITE-IN.

Rff

Anon11/24/25, 22:48No.6337681

Locked in for >MAKE AN ENTRANCE. Here's Marco!I'll update tomorrow, these past few were hectic!

Rff

Anon12/02/25, 03:52No.6341310

Incredibly sorry for the extended disappearance, I got a horrible cold during Thanksgiving and I've been in the middle of getting a new job. I am alive and I will post tomorrow, God help me.

Rff

Anon12/03/25, 08:14No.6341812

"Well, first I have a few questions about what I just overheard." You didn't think that Peppa could squint even more than she already was, but she proves you wrong."You're asking me questions.""Yeah, what exactly happened to you guys? Someone's in the hospital?" She sighs and turns to sit back at her desk, grabbing the till."The only reason I'm going to answer your question is because I know you were there. You'd better answer mine after." You resist the urge to roll your eyes. You actually take a second to ponder how that would have been portrayed. But you resist—you're planning on asking her if you can crash here, so you imagine keeping a cool head would be beneficial to you."Sure, Pep," you say."Nope." Peppa scoffs and shakes her head in that way only big sisters can do. She's not even looking at you; she's turning on the currency counter machine."What?""I'm your older sister. Call me by my full name." You fail to resist the urge to roll your eyes."Sure, Peppa," you say."Better." She clears her throat and grabs a coin bin from the till, placing it on the currency scale. "I'm at home waiting for my girlfriend to get back from our mutual friend's apartment when she calls me. After an attack, their bus crashed off a bridge into the ocean, and by some miracle, she had managed to save our friend and swam to safety. I rushed over to pick her up, and we get our friend into the emergency room. I forgot to bring towels, and Jeannie was freezing. I knew we had some in the store, and it was down the street from the hospital. Now, I want to know why you were on the same bus." This more or less lines up with everything you've heard so far. Bus gets attacked, everyone falls asleep, everyone wakes up, bus falls. However, you feel a familiar feeling."I was headed here, actually." You watch Peppa draw herself up and fumble the bundle of bills in her hand, dropping a few onto the table."Here— Ms. Wiz?" She clears her throat, picks up the fallen cash, straightens it up, places it on the scale, and turns to stare at you."Yeah.""Why?""I'm being hunted down." You pause for dramatic effect. You wait for her to react in any way, but she does not. "I'm a psychic. It's how I was able to turn my hand into a sign earlier. It's one of my powers. But earlier tonight, three men broke into my apartment complex to try and kill me." No reaction. "They were psychic assassins. Three brothers. I didn't wait there for long when I found out. So I headed here." No reaction. You could swear her eyes widened for a moment there."Marco.""Peppa.""Are you doing drugs again?" Your pupils dilate. You clench your fist."No.""So that attack, that was from the men coming after you?""Yes.""So basically, from what I'm hearing, you're the reason that my girlfriend is risking hypothermia and our mutual friend is in the hospital.""Well—""How did you get off the bus?""I jumped off."