Anachronistic Numenera 4
#1
Are there more than just the one girl in the hall?

(50/50) Yes

Who is this person?

Passive-aggressive outlaw

High is female.

3 = 3[d6]

Male, then. These others are bandits. Corso is their leader?

(Very Likely) Yes, but...

They follow her because she's useful, not because of some kind of family unit. 
Are there more than these two?

(50/50) No, and...

They're the survivors of a smack-down of some sort. How wonderful. In with a bad crowd, and I'm romantically linked to one of them. Nice.
Corso goes out first, and then I follow her. What's Corso's reaction to the male?

Skilled villain who is as strong as you and whose motivation is to join discrimination, institute contraband, and indulge pride; who speaks of inquisitive lies and is focused on your knowledge.

They smile and embrace each other. Do I get the impression they're paired?

(50/50) No

How about the girl and this man?

(50/50) No +Event: Care / Masses

The man addresses me, but Corso responds with some words and my name, plus more words I don't understand. The man nods, smiles at me and then slaps his chest. "Kovan," he says. He points at the girl, but she slaps his hand out of the way and points at herself.
"Indira," she says. Then she points to me and says, "Jon."
I smile back at her and nod. 
Do I get the impression Corso is being possessive of me with these two?

(Somewhat Likely) Yes

Indira jokes with Corso, and Corso responds in only a half-joking sort of way. Corso seems to call her "Indy", though. A pet name, I'm guessing. I suspect these two have known each other a while. Do they seem paired?

(50/50) Yes, and...

Huh. Is there jealousy on Indira's part?

(Likely) Yes

Does Indira seem attracted to me?

(Somewhat Likely) Yes

How about the man? Is he attracted to me?

(50/50) Yes

A love-in. How uncomfortable for me. Well, maybe. The girl seems young and attractive. I wouldn't kick her out of bed, certainly. Corso might, but I wouldn't. 
What's Corso like in the company of these two?

Confident orator who is as strong as you and whose motivation is to secure magic, hinder knowledge, and abduct enlightenment; who speaks of hostile bargains and is focused on your parents.

I see. Take-charge. Corso barks orders, and Kovan reports back. Indira asks Corso a question, and Corso responds dismissively. Indira seems to accept this for now, with unvoiced misgivings. 
Corso gives orders while I look around. Are the carcasses of the little robots in evidence?

(50/50) No, but...

There are some minor scraps, as if something dragged them away. All that's left are bent garbage. I pick up a little bit of metal and examine it.
Kovan moves off, Corso after him, and Indira nudges me before heading off after them. Not having pockets, I keep the scrap in my hand while coming up in the back. 
Kovan seems to know where he's going, and he seems familiar with the environment he's moving through. He's got on a plastic white chest piece of some kind, and black, shiny armored leggings with scuff marks around the edges. His boots seem to be leather, and his midsection seems to be bristling with bags, pockets and short objects of one kind or another. 
Indira is largely bare, aside from the bands on both her arms, and the multitude of knives at her waist and boots. 
In contrast, Corso's weapons are better hidden, apart from the sword through her belt.
Is the distance we have to travel far?

(Somewhat Unlikely) No

We walk through a section where the carapace-like walls have some sort of design on them which moves over their textures, sort of like a hallway-length advertisement for some unknown product. The floors feel like glass on the bottoms of my feet, and yet they're warm. 
Corso, Kovan and "Indy" exchange a few words here and there. I understand very little, a word here and there.

Where are we?

Laboratory.

Kovan doesn't hurry, and he's not quite at ease, either. In fact, nobody in the group is completely at ease. I'm not sure what they're expecting, but it's not friendly. Mental contact with Kovan or Corso doesn't explain what the expected danger is, other than general attentiveness. Mental contact with Indira reveals attention to Corso, and then occasionally to me. She seems preoccupied with Corso's wounds and scrapes, only seeming interested in me to make sure I'm still there. 
Do we run into anything?

(50/50) No, and...

The entire area seems to be dead. The only sounds are the ones made by us. 
Eventually, Kovan stops in the hallway and says something to Corso, indicating one of the walls. He goes on a little bit, of which I can only make out a few words, like "here" and his own name, and Indy's. The rest of it is gibberish, as I still can't quite tell where one word ends and another begins. I'm obviously going to need more of a vocabulary than I currently possess. 
Corso asks a question, Kovan answers, and Corso nods, giving a last instruction about food before Kovan heads off.
What's Corso's next focus?

NPC negative

She starts an argument with Indy, who responds in kind. Can I tell what this is about?

(Unlikely) Yes

This is about Indy's jealousy, and Corso's possessiveness toward me. Corso is clearing the air, though her motive is a little obscure. Indy seems more than a little incensed. I take a step or two back from them and let them have it out.

Are these walls marked in the same way as the earlier ones?

(Somewhat Likely) Yes

Excellent. I search for a door. Do the doors seem marked the same way as in the earlier hall?

(Very Likely) Yes

It doesn't take long for me to find a door. Is it open?

(Likely) Yes, and...

Inside, it's lighted, and seems clean. Desk for papers or a computer?

(50/50) No

Huh. Cages?

(50/50) Yes

Plants?

(50/50) Yes, but...

Not the sort of plants I'm used to. Gotcha. 
Anything loose in here?

(Unlikely) Yes

Oh good. Dangerous?

(50/50) No, and...

Quite dead. I guess they couldn't figure out the doors or something. It seems odd to say that about plant life, but this is a weird sort of place, and nothing is the way it's expected to be.

Are the plants humanoid?

(50/50) Yes

Small?

(50/50) No, and... +Event: Struggle / Legal matters

The corpses are the size of small trees. Ent men. They're sitting in a rough circle with each other. And then I guess they simply starved. It's a kind of macabre arrangement. 
Can I get past them to the far end of the room?

(50/50) Yes

Anything else loose?

(Unlikely) No

Is anything else in a container still alive?

(50/50) Yes, but...

Nothing is moving in the containers. Not that I really expected anything to be moving. It might've been creepy if anything was. Any kind of modules on the walls?

(Somewhat Unlikely) Yes

Readouts? Switches?

(50/50) No, but... +Event: Open / Allies

I hear my name being called, and I respond, "Here," in English. Foolishly, I realize, as nobody here seems to understand English. 
I go in the direction of the call and find Indira, knife out, although not held at the ready. I wave to her and she smiles. She has a pretty smile, I notice. She says "Food" in their language, and I nod and approach. 
We go back through the door, Indy first, knife extended at shoulder height as usual.
By the time I get through, Indy is already putting her knife away.
Is Kovan back?

(Likely) No, but... +Event: Ruin / Expectations

Corso is passing out the jerky again, along with some sort of plant leaves. She demonstrates, eating the jerky wrapped in the leaf, and I take some and try it. The tastes don't exactly go together, but the leaf is full of moisture that bursts when I take a bite.
Corso is laughing at me as I try not to drip the leaf juice everywhere. Indira takes hers and bites into the combination more slowly, avoiding the mess I've made of it.
Is the tension gone between Corso and Indira?

(Somewhat Unlikely) No, but...

The tension between them is less now. Well, at least there's that.

They've come to some sort of understanding, anyway. Are they agreed on how to deal with me?

(50/50) No, but...

Corso wins on account of being the Leader. Okay.

Does this sort of arrangement come through when I try connecting with Corso or Indira?

(50/50) Yes

I'll try another leaf wrap and see if I can eat it without making a mess. Can I do it?

(Likely) No

Does Corso laugh?

(Likely) No, but...

To Gain Respect.

She smiles, takes out a cloth and wipes the backs of my fingers where the leaf juice squirted through, and then offers me the cloth.
I take it. It's surprisingly soft and dry for having just taken the moisture off my fingers, and it's very effective. I use the cloth as a shield to catch the excess moisture as I eat the rest.

Indira says something to Corso. It's quiet, whatever she says, and I try and link to her thoughts. Indira is L2, which means 6+ on 1d20 to succeed. Do I manage to link to her thoughts?

11 = 11[d20]

Indira's mind is less guarded and strong than Corso's. I link right in. Her attitude at the moment is tender, sweet, but it's not hard to find the steel underneath it all. I'm sure she can be extremely hard-hearted if she thinks she has to be.

Can I figure out what she and Corso are talking about?

(Somewhat Likely) No

Can I pick up a few more words?

(Somewhat Likely) Yes +Event: Decrease / Investment

Spend 3 XP on understanding The Truth in simple, child-like form. 0 XP remaining.
Their language makes a little more sense, but the syntax is weird and broken compared to English. I have a couple more of the connective words than I had before, but I'm still going to sound like a child. Not that I care, at this stage. I need to learn how to communicate with them. I'm just glad my memory has decided to be cooperative in remembering the words.
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