Sleep isn't something you are familiar with anymore; you haven't needed it or been able to experience it for so long. Too long, you've completely forgotten how to achieve that state of calm that best welcomes a good night's sleep. You instead find yourself lying amongst the threadbare blankets in your rented tent mulling your more recent encounter over inside your head.
In fairness, your latest run in with your tormentor didn't tell you anything you don't already know. Is she ignorant? Probably. Is she incompetent? Apparently? Is she totally out of touch with reality? Absolutely! Does any of that make her any less dangerous? Fuck no! Her little demonstration, whether that was what she intended or not, cements your current position. You can be ripped from this world and deposited at her feet at any moment without any way to resist her. And if she ever loses her patience that would be it for you. You'd spend the rest of your meagre existence in her kitchen, suffering for her pleasure.
But you knew all this already, the only real change is you now have a deadline. Now you just need to work out what she meant when she demanded you bring her a 'decent' number of souls. On the one hand, the more souls you give her the more satisfied she will be. But at the same time, it will give you less time to gather the strength to fight back against her. If you finish your quota too soon there is no telling what will happen. So a balance is necessary. Ten souls feels like a decent first offering, though you could always offer her more if you happen to gather some more in the next few days. But to do that you'll need to perform much better than your first day. And for that you will need to be smarter.
So, a plan will be necessary moving forward, you cannot afford to waste too much time on idle exploration. What are the priorities here? For now, laying low should be one. Until you are powerful enough so that it doesn't matter who notices you. So, you need to avoid drawing the attention of local law enforcement and the Church. The Church in particular are a conundrum. Right now they aren't actually much of a threat to you besides the effect their sickening sweetness has on you. But as your soul becomes more corrupted by demonic energy not only will it be easier for them to see you for what you are but it will also be easier for them to harm you. As such it might be a valid strategy to strike against them as soon as you can. That would reduce the danger they may pose against you later. For that you'll need more information about the local branches.
But first you need souls and Malice. What would be the easiest way to achieve that? Going it alone hadn't achieved much. It would likely be better to piggyback off of someone else. Joining up with a local gang or criminal organisation would be ideal, you'll just need to find one and be capable of impressing them. Maybe a few Body improvements would help with that? Then again if you were proficient enough with Mind you might just be able to talk your way into the fold.
As for Soul, well you don't really know enough about how that would work. Idly you consider your fallback, the dubious possession ability your so called 'Mistress' gave you. Could there be a way to use it to your own advantage? Possibly, but at the moment it is far too unreliable to be employed effectively. First you yourself would have to die, likely sacrificing any goodwill, ties or resources you'd gathered previously. Then you'd have to hope that the possession itself put you in a body that was more useful to you than the one you currently have. Knowing your luck you'll just end up in the body of a pigeon or something stupid like that. If only you could improve your chances somehow, there should be a way...
So did any of the information you were able to gather yesterday give you anything you can work with? You can spend some time learning the habits of the other homeless around here, that would give you better opportunities to pick a few of them off. What else was there? You'd still like an actual house, living in a tent and having to use a portable toilet is degrading. You'd had a limited degree of success exploring that block of flats, it might be worth going back there.
There was also that biker gang Hary mentioned last night. He described them as a bunch of teenagers, punks like that wouldn't let an older man like you join up with them. But people like that would be positively brimming with negative emotion. It shouldn't be too difficult to siphon some of that off for yourself. And there is that shitty family with the dogs. With a group of people disliked be everyone would anyone actually miss them if they weren't seen for a while? Or you could just let all the dogs loose in the neighbourhood. It might be interesting to see how much Malice an indirect dog attack would earn you.
Finally, you were told about a series of alleyways known to be used by drug addicts and dealers. Possibly one of the most ideal places to find someone no one was going to miss any time soon but it might also be worthwhile making contact with the dealers. As well as possibly providing a link to other criminal activity there were ways to neutralise and manipulate people without having to rely on demon granted magic powers and a dealer should certainly be able to provide that. And then there was the park. You'd covered the opportunites it could provide already but you'd need to wait until dark to make much use of them.
You awake abruptly after what could only be a handful of actual hours of sleep. You say sleep, but it mostly alternated between dreaming about being back in her clutches and fantasising about what you'll eventually do to her once you finally turn the tables on her. Most of that was demonstrated by the angry part of your brain but you also noticed a few ideas that were governed by a different emotion, one that you hadn't had the chance to indulge in for a long time.
'Hey, fuckface!' an angry but high pitched voice calls out to you from outside the tent, 'you up yet? Hurry up and finish jacking yourself off or whatever your doing and get out here! You're wasting daylight!' This isn't how you would choose to greet your morning but it is better than having your skin peeled off so you'll take it. Stretching briefly you gather your meagre possessions and vacate the tent.
The person waiting for you outside is not who you are expecting at all:
From her tone you had expected someone much older. But this girl's seemingly innocent appearance is ruined the moment she opens her mouth:
'Fucking finally!' she curses, 'You get your beauty sleep, princess? Cos the rest of us have got shit to do, you know?'
This level of open hostility from someone with such an innocent looking face throws you off quite a lot. So much that you end up cutting off a biting retort with a simple:
'I'm sorry, who might you be?' She snorts.
'Sorry,' she snipes, 'sorry for what? You still half asleep of something? Whatever, I guess Hary wouldn't have bothered mentioning anything to you last night. You did say you didn't want a guide after all. Sucks to be you, eh? You could have the spent the whole day with a cute girl like me instead of all these ugly as fuck men!' She grins at you as you stare at her. She still hasn't explained who she is or why she is here.
'Don't look at me like that, asshole!' she snaps, misinterpreting your expression, 'I know enough about how you perverts think ok? If a woman can look down and see her toes she's not 'womanly enough' right? Only the really weird ones get off from a body like mine, right? So which one are you, hm?' You blink at her, your mind grasping at some way to respond to this little spitfire and coming up blank. It's too early in the fucking morning for this shit!
'Alright, don't have an aneurysm, old man, geez! I'm just fucking with you!' she chuckles, giving you what you assume she thought was a reassuring slap on the arm. It might have been better if that wasn't your injured arm.
'The name's Rita,' she tells you, 'I'm normally in charge of showing newcomers around and helping them find the best spots. But apparently you'd rather go it alone, eh? People who go for that option are usually either totally overconfident or they've already got a plan. And people in our position ain't usually going to have many plans that are totally legit, you get me?' You sigh, this girl is wasting your valuable time.
'Your point being?' you challenge her. She puffs out her chest. There really isn't anything there. You can't help but draw up the image you beheld last night. It's like comparing a mountain to a wasteland.
'I may not be much to look at,' she claims, 'but I've been doing this way longer than you! If you need any tips just let me know, alright?' You get the general idea. She's likely aware that your intentions are less than legitimate and is offering to help with some pointers. You doubt she'll be able to advise on any of the more extreme activities you plan but there might be some value in speaking to her for a short while. She can tell you are considering her offer, the small smirk playing across her face is irritating. This little brat, how long has she been here that she can talk like this to adults? She needs to be shown her place!
'What exactly are you offering?' you ask her. Better to be clear about this, your time is valuable, after all. She makes a show of looking around.
'Not here,' she answers, 'wouldn't want just anyone hearing, right? I've been on the street for more years than most, my knowledge is valuable, eh? Can't just let any fucker find out, right? Besides it's almost time for breakfast yeah? I was just supposed to suggest which routes you should be going for this morning for now. You can come find me this evening if you are interested. So long as you don't do something stupid and earn a knife in the belly for your troubles, yeah? So are you coming, or would you rather lay down roots right here?' Your irritation bubbles to the surface for a moment. This fucking kid!
'Why don't you just go get food for both of us?' you snap, your limited patience gone. The words aren't even fully out of your mouth before you realise you'd actually used a Suggestion on her! She rocks slightly and for a moment you think she is actually going to resist your command. Then she blinks and frowns, suddenly confused.
'On second thought, you're so totally out of it I'm worried you won't even be able to find the grub. Wait here, I'll bring you something. Stupid clueless newbies,' she continues to mutter to herself as she moves away, leaving you staring at her retreating back in some confusion. You hadn't intended to use your power at all! What was that? Why would it come out on it's own? What a waste!
After accepting some food from Rita you take a moment to ask her about the various 'routes' the homeless use here. It seems as though they organise themselves carefully to make sure there isn't any overlap. This is problematic as it will mean that if anyone goes missing the rest will immediately know which route they were on and where to look for them. And if you happen to be spotted going in that same direction... Well that would be easy enough to remedy, you'd just need to go in another direction initially and then double back. Still you don't intend to spend too much time here. Not when you could do so much better.
Rita's complaints and manner of speaking is grating and hard to get used to but it does seem as though she is generally held in high regard here. Perhaps she's a cross between the deputy head and the mascot? But she's also a useful source of information, if you can stomach her filthy mouth and bitter attitude. To you she's a breath of fresh air, so long as her irritation is directed away from you. The most useful piece of infomation you hear from her is about one of their missing number 'Jerry.'
'Stupid crackhead fuck,' is her description of him, 'he always did drift too far south by the river. The other side of the river is the Lowertown where the real scumbags hang out. My bet is that Jerry took one too many hits and ended up falling in the river. He'll probably be back sometime later. But Tony got all bent out of shape and went looking for him. No idea why those two were ever friends but whatever. Men are fucking dumb like that!'
The only other piece of information she gives you worthwhile is about another Church organised event. Apparently one of the priestesses will be handing out donated clothes a few streets from here. Probably not worth that much but it might give you some more information about your opposition.
Looking over at the available routes you find one that goes close to the Church event. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone you take that route. Maybe you can cause some trouble on the way over there? Or at least make a bit of money.
Your route is largely uneventful and uninteresting, you cannot bring yourself to beg for loose change and you only have enough mana for a single Suggestion. So you decide not to waste it now and look instead to try and recover the mana you lost this morning. An opportunity presents itself when you pause for a moment to work our where you are supposed to go next. A young boy trying to enjoy a packet of some snack or other while his mother is distracted on the phone, not paying attention at all.
With a quick motion you move between the two of them, making sure to 'accidently' knock the packet out of the kid's hands and onto the floor. Not your finest moment but you'll take what you can get at this point. You are already crossing the road by the time his crys of frustration alert his mother. Silly bitch should have been paying attention!
(You gained 5 Malice, you heartless monster! 10/10 Mana, 20 Malice in Reserve)
Uncertain about why you are actually here you arrive at the Church event. More disgustingly cheery women in habits and gowns are talking to the public and handing out items of clothing. Trying to avoid the most enthusiastic amongst their number you pick up a new jacket to replace the old one. It should do a better job of keeping the cold out than your current item at least.
But the threads were only a tiny part of your reason for being here. You are far more interested in learning more about the Church's situation in the city. As such you engage the least sickeningly enthusiastic priestess in conversation. Fortunately, she's more than happy to speak to you about the religious movements here.
According to her there are three main branches of the Church present in the city. Her own and the smallest are the previously mentioned Sisters of Salvation. Pacifists and do-gooders of the most sickening variety they can probably be ignored so long as you don't stray too close to their main church.
The second faction are the Traditionalists. Mainly unconcerned with the goings on within the city itself they seem more concerned with inward pursuits, spending most of their time in enclosed meditation and communion. They do have a small number of enforcers who are responsible for maintaining the safety of their territories but mainly seem to keep to themselves.
It's the third and largest faction that you apparently need to concern yourself with. The Apostles of the Covenant are by far the most popular religious movement in the city despite being somewhat new. Claiming they have been given a mandate from God to root out all sinful practices and blashemours they are ruthless and fanatical and their inquisitors frequently venture forth from their holy sites, seizing seemingly regular citizens and hauling them back as 'heretics.' Fortunately for you this particular faction holds power largely on the other side of the city meaning you should be able to avoid them for now. However, if any suspicious behaviour is reported it will almost certainly be the Apostles that will react aggressively to it so it might be worth finding out as much about them as possible so that you know how best to avoid or escape them.
You thank the priestess and leave. At least you know where not to go now!
Getting into trouble, as you find, can be surprisingly easy if you don't give a shit about people. And you most certainly don't. Wandering down the street you spot a man and a woman arguing with each other, probably just some couple having a row. In any other situation this would blow over fairly quickly. One of them would run out of steam or get tired and they'd go back to talking normally or take their petty dispute somewhere less public.
Noone really expects, or wants some nosey idiot to stick his neck into the middle of their personal problems. So that is exactly what you do. You wait for the exact right moment; just when the man is reaching out to touch his partner you step in and grab his wrist. His movement was probably going to be completely harmless, a simple reassuring touch to the shoulder or something but it doesn't matter.
You play the well-meaning but dense 'white knight' and insert yourself in the middle of their dispute, immediately earning the ire of both of them. The man even goes to hit you, allowing you to sock him on the jaw 'in self defence' before promptly doing a runner before the police can turn up. A bit flashier than you probably would have liked, but you doubt anyone will care enough to pursue the matter further, you hope.
(You earned 15 Malice from the girlfriend and 30 from her partner! Who said chivalry was dead? You've attracted a little bit of attention from the law but it probably won't amount to anything so long as you keep your head down for a day or two. 65 Malice now in reserve!)
The fading light of day allows for more nefarious activities away from prying eyes. That's the idea, anyway. You decide it would be a good time to check out those alleyways you were warned about. It 'should' be the perfect opportunity to jump some unsuspecting crackhead and net yourself an easy soul and some money at the same time. It's a solid plan. A pity you weren't the only one who thought of it.
An hour or so of fruitless searching causes you to drop your guard momentarly and someone manages to get the drop on you. Jabbing a knife into your side below your ribcage lightly enough not to draw blood but hard enough that you know it's there he demands you hand over all your money.
You hesitate for a moment before you throw yourself away from your would be assailant as hard as you can. Unfortunately, you have forgotten that you still haven't properly restored the limits in your body, throwing yourself against the far wall with such force that you end up cracking your head open against the masonry! Your only consulation is the knowledge that your move was so out of left field and ridiculous it startled your would be mugger. Scaring him so badly that he turns and runs rather than sticks around to loot your body. This is little consolation for you though as the darkness consumes your vision and your last sensation is a throb of what could very well be exhasperation from the Diary. You would have thought it would be impressed that you were able to kill yourself in such a fascinatingly stupid way!
Congratulations Two days in and you have already died! Now to explain the possession mechanic as it currently stands! The default possession is as follows! I will roll a D6 first to determine whether you end up in the body of an animal or a human. After that I'll roll a D10 to determine what kind of animal or human you end up inhabiting. A lower roll will typically be worse while a higher roll will bring you closer to your original body. Later on it may be possible to sway the roll in your favour depending on how we want to end up. For now, however, all you can do is pray to RNGesus!
The darkness is surprisingly pleasant. It's actually oddly peaceful, certainly it's more relaxing than most of your other recent experiences. Wouldn't it be nice if this was just it, if you could just continue to float in nothing? No demanding sadistic demons, no breaking your own bones, no having to put up with assholes. No, anything really. It's oddly nice. But even this doesn't last nearly as long as you'd like.
Emotions start to bleed back into your awareness. Did you really just kill yourself by banging your head against a wall? Was that really your best option? Why didn't you just pay up and kill him when he went to leave? Why didn't you do a bunch of things? Why didn't you drag that cocky brat into a spare tent and put her in her place?
What? That was a weird one. That part of your brain can fuck right off. You should probably try to work out exactly what is going on with your brain. At least get your limiter back in place so you don't fuck up like this again. Yeah, might be a good idea. Oh, something is happening! Vision returns. Or at least you think it does, you felt your eyes open but you still can't really see. It must be dark where you are. You can feel blankets on your body. You must be in bed. An actual bed? Sweet! How long has it been since you've had a real bed to rest your head on?
You climb out of bed and move towards where you assume the wall would be. A few minutes of fumbling and you manage to find the light switch.
This is... Shit... You look down at your new body and...
Great... Now what the fuck are you going to do?