Oh yeah, I give Partitio the hat I made for him~

you give him the hat. Damn, it looks sharp.

For the purposes of demonstration, I will board Nozzleburp and lie flush on its back with the sheets on top of me while it takes to the skies. Fly high into the air for people to observe how hidden I become.

Then, with the Tonic of Accuracy buff still active (hopefully), fire 10 bullets perfectly into the twister in such a way that they all ricochet through Roland's legs and draw a smiley face in the ground via impact marks.

You lie flat, and it becomes clear that if the horse is at the altitude people saw it at, it would be nearly impossible to see you there.

You then 360 noscope ten bullets unto the tornado. Every single one of them is whirled perfectly through Roland's legs and form a smiley face.

It's impressive. Roland screaming in pain kind of spoils the effect, though.

On a hunch, let's check some little-used rooms. Peek at the Schoolhouse, Court, Newspaper, Barber Shop, and Law Office for any signs of Jessica's head. Go ahead and check the Outhouses too, in case.

On a hunch, let's check some little-used rooms. Peek at the Schoolhouse, Court, Newspaper, Barber Shop, and Law Office for any signs of Jessica's head. Go ahead and check the Outhouses too, in case.

You investigate these rooms, and do not find Headssica.

You also don't find her head in the Outhouses, though it does appear someone used them for their intended purpose.

Looks like it's just a generic kitchen knife, such as in the Saloon, the Restaurant, the Officer's Club, the General Store, the Storeroom, the Passenger Lounge... there's a lot of places for it, you see.

music: Show

JESSICA
I should record what I was planning to do last night, right? Yeah...

I woke up and went straight down to Carpentry... um, for Madame Zalsarona's wagon. I might have peeked out the window near the start of my night, I don't know... but when Ace was there, I was hiding under the wagon. That's what Z said. She had to break out of jail first, so it took her a bit to come over, I-I think.

Then I went into the Brewery window with her ladder once she signaled for me to get off the cart. I was going to look for a weapon like a rolling pin in the Restaurant so I could knock somebody out around there... but I don't know if I got that far. Sorry.

...everything else didn't happen. I mean... the rest of it was just going to be what I needed to do to hide the... murder, I-I guess? So it's not that relevant. I think there would've been signs if I woke up later and went out the western window without her... my legs would've been broken, or something. Or the window would've been opened.


...I'm not mad.
I-I know that seems like a lie, but I'm not. I just kind of... you know, I wanted to have this all... work out. But it's my fault, not Zalsarona's... s-so I'll try harder next time.

Let's compare Honoka's wounds against the bulldozer controls and the chair someone left on one of the roofs... s-sorry, I don't remember which one.

My investigation of the basement sections of this facility was held up initially by the bureacracy in the Jail, which I believe Zalsonara was able to resolve with Lasagna Cat.

I travelled straight to the General Store, where North Star was sneaking around, and descended into the basement.



My Report is as follows:
Storeroom - The Noise and Tsavorae were present, N/A
Construction Garage - There is an unlisted Elevator here, as has been mentioned previously.
Liturgic Silver Processing - Lynne left into the Garage as I entered, N/A
Crimson Eye Storage Facility - N/A

Serph had joined the Noise and Tsavorae when I passed back through the Storeroom, then Cascabela came down to open the door to the Blue basement for us.
The Noise went straight through to the Green basement.

Rectory - N/A
Sacristy - N/A
Crypt - Tsavorae and Serph went here immediately, N/A
Shrine - N/A
Church Records - N/A

Tsavorae and Serph left to the west.
Partitio and Neil also passed through during my investigation of the Green basement.

Liturgic Equipment Room - Lasagna Cat and Hollywood Bowl came down to build something here, and North Star came in from the south, N/A
Liturgic Study records - N/A
Crimson Eye Liturgic Research Laboratory - N/A
Liturgic Testing Range - N/A

In the Orange basement I encountered a Cowboy Bandit, and a Cloaked Figure, who shot at me and missed.
I am certain this was the same Cloaked Figure who has been seen around lately.

I returned to the Green basement and further to my dorm, where I rested for the night, although not before seeing a Black Horse jumping over my bed?

Let's compare Honoka's wounds against the bulldozer controls and the chair someone left on one of the roofs... s-sorry, I don't remember which one.

you compare Honoka's wounds. It looks like a high velocity impact with the bulldozer controls would be a match.

So the little wounds are the bulldozer, but there's a head bruise that doesn't match...

Is the head bruise the overall cause of death?

A-and, um... is the head bruise similar to a toolbox or a chair?

looks like there are tracks on the surface, but they only run from the elevator right into the wall.

So the little wounds are the bulldozer, but there's a head bruise that doesn't match...

Is the head bruise the overall cause of death?

A-and, um... is the head bruise similar to a toolbox or a chair?

The head bruise is not the cause of death, that would be the bulldozer matching wounds.

It does not match either of those items.

looks to be in proper working order.

ooks to be in proper working order.

Sorry Honoka, but whether you were trying to stop Atua or not - that's no excuse to pull the exact same stunt as your old man. Maybe now that someone gave you a taste of your own medicine, you'll start to see what it's been like for the rest of us stuck in your death game. Not much fun, is it ? Being on the other side, I mean.

Hah... but what's the point in talking about that kind of thing now. Another day... another case, no matter who the victim is. 'Least Jessica was useful, I guess.



Anyway, like I said... I'm just happy to be outta jail. Gonna be honest, between Zalsarona and I, we had about twelve different plans to get the hell out as soon as we could. One of 'em involved blowing up the wall - and if that didn't work, I was just gonna beat Akira about the head and snatch the Master Key she grabbed... but getting that door opened turned out easier than I thought. See, after a while of just slackin' off in there, the cat showed up to to gloat. The fat one, I mean.

...Guess that doesn't narrow it down, huh? Not you, McJango. The other one. Not Not Shane, I 'spose you could call him.



Just like we thought, he fell for a trick of ours and opened the door for us, walked right in himself too! It was like taking candy from a baby! Ha, there go all my contingency ideas - guess I shoulda' just trusted Zalsarona's primary plan from the start. As to how she got him to do it, well that's a trade secret. At this point, we're pretty much a ramshackle Fixer Office of our own, and like hell I'm gonna give up the few things we still got up our sleeves.

Well, we didn't hang around in the jail. I went over to the General Store to meet up with Evangeline and Cascabela. Glad to have her back, gotta admit - even if it was just for one night. Either way, she was bringing the goods - some Night Vision Goggles to help us sus out that password in the water tower. See, it pays to try some social engineering every now and again, though I guess it was more of a straight-up mutual deal than anything shady. I'll be voting to bring her back, if you haven't guessed yet. She might be a killer, but that's that - and this is this. If she scratches my back, I'll scratch hers... or however that saying goes.



The three of us headed down to the tower, but Cascabela went on back to the General Store after checkin' out that Outhouse. Didn't look like there was anything special about it to me, but I didn't exactly stare down the bathroom for a while. The White Horse was tied up there too... but I didn't see a rider.

After we got the code from inside, I went up to the General Store myself and down to the basement. Evangeline... yeah, I dunno where she went, but she met up with me only a bit later. Tsavorae says she saw me, but to be honest I couldn't make out exactly who was down there. Guess the Night Vision Goggles didn't help much when the lights were on, huh? Point is, I was headed for the Garage to try that code - and surprise surprise. As you can probably guess by now with some basic pattern recognition...

It worked.

---

The Crimson Eye... Looks like we stumbled across the last leg of their operation - for now at least. I was wondering for a while, where exactly the power was coming from, where their research data was stored. Somewhere as remote as this, they sure aren't running off of any local power grids, or working with cloud storage. Well, down here in the Yellow Basement... if the stuff back in the Green Basement was the brains of their operation - right here I stumbled across the heart and veins.

Down that hallway, I found myself in a Generator Room. Didn't really wanna mess with anything down here and plunge the place into a blackout, so I kept moving and found a second room - populated with row after row of Servers, all connected with thick, snaking cables. Whoever built this place gave up on cable management a long time ago, seems like. Had to be careful not to wipe out on a stray cord while I checked the place out.

'Course, this is where Evangeline joined me in the end - but we didn't spend any time actually figurin' out what was held on these things. Liturgic research data, if I had to make a guess. Either way, we couldn't have anticipated this, so we didn't really plan for it. We did notice another Keypad Door though - headed South this time. If I had to guess, as usual it's probably under the Train Station. Didn't have the code though.



Another one of my questions was answered when we walked into the Cold Storage though. Could an operation this big, with this many basements and labs and equipment... really have only had Deathborn of all people overseeing it? Turns out... the answer was no. Emphasis on "was", because the place was full of bodies. Crimson Eye operatives, killed and stashed there so Deathborn could take control and put together this plan of his.

Must've taken out his entire staff at some point - it was a pretty gruesome sight.



Hah... well after that, I started to wind things down a bit. I left Evangeline to check whatever else out she wanted and went through to the Orange Basement. With Atua around, I thought it'd be worthwhile to procure some of that Occultic weaponry from the Union Army Paranormal Division. Didn't really stop to take a look at the Maintenance Office on the way though - just seemed pretty basic to me. It's exactly what's on the tin, yeah? There was some generic cowboy heading in while I was leaving, but I guess we know who that is now.

It didn't seem like it'd be much of an issue to grab the weapons - except when I turned to leave, that bastard in the cloak was waiting in the doorway. Took some potshots at me - and he hit, don't get me wrong - but I was smart enough to grab some body armor from the Crimson Eye Supply , so he was out of luck. Tried to blast him with my flamethrower to get him outta there, but he turned tail and ran away. Guess he's not as fireproof as the other one, the one slathered in gel.



Can't say I did a whole lot after that. Headed back upstairs through the mines and out to the Saloon. Let's see, uh... There was some guy with a sack on his head knocked out by the twister - but I wasn't going near that thing to unmask him. I head in and grab a drink around the same time as Ventura, and we sit and watch Marisa dance for a while. The little lady's not bad, I gotta admit.

Akria, Neil, Cascabela, and Partitio head upstairs after that, and I notice Bowl, Lynne, and Pohatu at a table. Evangeline comes back and pulls up a chair, and the two of us toast to another basement well-discovered. I think that fat sheriff cat - still not McJango, even if I did see him leaving around the same time - came in, and then I just headed back to my room to rest up for the inevitable murder case.



Haah... I didn't think the Saloon would be so busy. My plan was to toss a Molotov from the Farrier window at the Water Tower and boil whoever was inside like one of Zalsarona's soups. Evangeline was gonna cover for me. That was a bust though, what with it being impossible to sneak out.

...Guess the tower was collapsed though anyway, yeah? Would've been a waste of a good molotov.

"Meow."

As usual, McJango paws at his device to tell you about his night. The screen reads the words "Capital Acquisition Specialist (Investment Bro) " before it starts to speak.

"Greetings, investors. I’m known as "McJango, the quirky feline asset" but let's streamline the conversation and just refer to me as Mcjango. Ready to optimize your portfolio with strategic insights?"



This evening, I'm mobilizing resources to liberate my associates from incarceration! While I’m just one player in this market, leveraging the strategic asset of camaraderie alongside a high-impact Drill tank, I believe I can execute this rescue mission successfully!

I navigate towards the outhouse crater and pass by known investors Pohatu and Partitio. Once I reach my destination, I engage the machinery, steering decisively toward the correctional facility. Rest assured esteemed colleagues, I will arrive promptly to seize this opportunity!!

While driving, I unexpectedly encounter my trusted ally Bud (whom I though was behind bars) by the blue building, then my cousinLasagna cat behind purple. ( I ensure I express my deepest regrets for not being able to join in on the opportunity to attend his funeral previously.)

Moving ahead, I strategically strike at the jail market wall to optimize returns! However, as I analyze the exit strategy, it appears there are no assets in play... looks like I missed the breakout opportunity......... I navigate my way to the General Store, yet my associates remain absent from the scene, impacting not only my social portfolio but resulting a devoid of capital assets in the snack sector....



Next, I pivot to the firearms boutique. I allocate some time to reorganizing some assets and observe The Noise entering the shop, making an acquisition of a shotgun before exiting the premises.

I soon make my way to the Saloon; however, the only tangible value I could find was a deteriorating ceiling fragment on the floor, revealing a vertical void to the Restaurant above! Shifting strategy, I pivot towards locating Deathbornfor potential synergy!

Exiting as Marisa enters, I navigate toward Carpentry to inspect Ace Ventura working on a capital project. Continuing my due diligence, I observe Deathborn descending the stairs from the higher floors.



Deathborn extends an opportunity for collaboration, prompting me to engage in a strategic partnership for a brief period. We traverse forward to the former site of the Water Tower, now a depreciated asset in complete disarray. Here we observe a dynamic scenario unfold, akin to a live-action investment seminar as my cousin Lasagna Cat scurries by chasing a living lasagna.

Shortly thereafter, Neil Marshall arrives at the scene, accompanied by Momoyo and Partitio—a trio poised for action. In a high-stakes showdown, Neil executes a tactical draw, outperforming Deathborn, the central operator in this volatile market. With precision, he deploys capital, taking down the adversary, who subsequently defaults. Neil approaches for an evaluation, delivers a final verdict with a dismissive act, and exits with Partitio at his side. I execute a strategic exit from my partnership with Deathborn and heading towards the Saloon to see if Marisa is dancing tonight.



Here Marisa captivates with her performance! The engagement metrics reach unprecedented levels. I secure a strategic position to observe this riveting show, ultimately making my exit as Marisa concludes her act.

I then pivot across the street to the Blue Building, entering the Movie Theater, where a figure clad as Wonder of U turns their gaze towards the screen. Their cryptic remark, 'Wonder of U...' sends shivers through the market sentiment, prompting me to scratch the chair with my claws, a tangible expression of my investment anxiety. They exit, and snce I’ve gauged my comfort level, I retreat back to the dormitory, ready to recharge for the next trading day...

Now read that again.

This post was last modified: Yesterday at 5:54 PM by Serph.

I'd like to set up in one of the other Bulldozers (or something similar if there aren't any more) and see how fast I can try and take it to where the Wrecked one is if I step on the gas, trying to recreate the circumstances of Honoka being stuck unconscious on the controls. I'd like to specifically note how well it drives straight when I don't touch the controls, and how fast I could reasonably escape the scene if I wasn't in the driver's seat.