STORY

STORY

NOTAIL CULTURE
[ Somewhere In The Woods (Long Hike) ]

You return on another day to the notail base. As before, the notails do not mind you plodding around their base. Some of them even ask you for pictures for their "living Cosmosdex" collection.

You go out of your way to approach Q-11, who is guarding a tent in the center of the base.

"Warning, approaching O-5's-"
"Oh, it's you!"
"Granted, approaching O-5's living space is still dangerous. B"
What do you say?
Chosen Action
Don't worry, we'll just have a quick conversation.
2024-12-19 13:30:00
Profile
Posted by ID #14
Last edit: 2024-12-19 13:30:06

You inform her that the conversation will be quick.

Q-11
2024-12-19 13:30:24
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:49:19
She takes off her helmet. "Well, as long as it's quick. I really need a break. Dealing with O-5 is interesting, to say the least. Bp"
"O-5 was a weirdo shell of a notail before, but now, I'm pretty sure there's nothing in that body of his! Bp"
What do you ask next?
Chosen Action
Shell of a notail?

You ask what she means about O-5 being a shell of a notail.

"Not to talk bad about the guy, but O-5 doesn't seem to think for himself much."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:33:04
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:49:56
"Honestly, nothing about this guy's history sounds very healthy. Even when he had a therapist. I mean, it was healthier back then, especially compared to now."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:33:13
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:50:21
"Apparently, there's some rumors going around the water cooler that O-5 used to be a puppet for M-4...."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:33:32
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:50:33
"But, to be honest.... I met the lady and she's really nice, so I think those are just rumors. Bp"
What do you say next?
Chosen Action
What makes you think O-5 is unhealthy?

You ask what makes O-5 so unhealthy.

"Not to be rude, but he's so........"
"Co-dependent and attention seeking. Like, Neo's Domain, the second he loses his therapist he instantly undoes over 1000 years of work."
"But to be honest, if his therapist couldn't fix him after so much time, maybe she wasn't the best for him."
"But also, what do I know? All of the O-class act weird as shit. Maybe being old just makes you a freak. Bp"
How do you respond?
Chosen Action
Maybe we can change the topic.
2024-12-19 13:38:02
Profile
Posted by ID #14
Last edit: 2024-12-19 13:38:41

You decide to change the topic as it's clear that thinking about O-5 is bothering Q-11.

You ask if Q-11 has a capture creature.

Q-11
2024-12-19 13:38:34
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:37:08
"I set mine on fire in the woods. I just like looking at them from afar, now. They're not useful in the field. Bp"
2024-12-19 13:38:53
Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:51:38

Q-11, as a Q-class, likely does not have pleasant capture creature memories.

Q-11
2024-12-19 13:39:08
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:52:08
"It's ok but, I think as an alien you kind of forget what capture creatures are for in notail... culture? Is it a culture?"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:39:26
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:52:39
"As cute as capture creatures are, they're tools to teach lessons. I know aliens love capture creatures, but notails treat them less as pets most of the time."
"Unless they're tailmics."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:39:55
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:52:54
"At least for Q-classes. Kind of hard to have a pet when everything is on fire all the time. I do have one "capture creature", but I don't know if you can call it that. I wouldn't. Bp"

Q-11 pulls a toy out of her inventory and tosses it on the floor. It jumps to its feet and starts walking around the two of you. "Waaaar!"

"If I'm ever on fire, this agnilith can put me out. Bp"
What do you say?
Chosen Action
What's an agnilith?
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:44:06
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:53:20
"It's a long story, but I'll cut it down a bit. A while ago, an oil company accidentally killed these friendly fish called "agnilith.""
"The fish, when they were alive, were actually friendly and easy to tame. Many of the people working on the oil drilling platforms actually got to pet and feed any agnilith that came by."
"But, after a large oil spill accident, the agnilith was killed off."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:44:42
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:54:10
"The company held a fundraiser, selling agnilith toys in capsules, with the money going to supporting, I don't know, I guess funding their own clean up or whatever, it was a PR stunt, so it didn't matter."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:44:57
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:39:15
"But it's obvious that someone out there was so angry that the company was using the image of the animals they killed for the fundraiser, that they prayed to the gods. The gods listened. When the capsules were opened the toys became... monsters, bent on destroying all oil rigs."
"But, in a reminder to never trust the gods. The agniliths would crack open oil rigs, causing oil spills, causing more loss of wildlife. No one won!"
"Most of the capsules have been contained, but time to time, another one pops up, and suddenly some species is calling the notails to send their Q-classes to clean up an agnilith attack."
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:45:57
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:41:23
"That's where I got this one. It seems to have "run out of fuel" and is harmless now, as long as no one feeds it oil. So I filled it up with water. If some freak tries to reignite it, the oil will just stay on top. Bp"
What do you ask next?
Chosen Action
Do you want to ask me something?
2024-12-19 13:47:18
Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:42:13

You realize you're hogging all the questions, and ask her if she'd like to ask something instead.

"Yes! Please tell me more about alien culture! Bp"
What do you tell her about?
Chosen Action
Tell her about childhood and birthdays.
2024-12-19 13:48:57
Profile
Posted by ID #14
Last edit: 2024-12-19 13:49:06

You tell her about your childhood, making sure to mention the concepts of parents and birthdays, the day you get to eat a rare treat and get gifts for making it to another year.

Q-11
2024-12-19 13:49:23
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #14
Last edit: 2024-12-19 13:50:12
"Wow! I know about birthdays! I heard that birthdays likely evolved naturally in many alien species because more intelligent species tend to have slower birth rates. So back when children died more often 'cause no one knew what a vaccine was, most alien cultures created the birthday to celebrate their child's survival!"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:49:39
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #14
Last edit: 2024-12-19 13:50:14
"I guess that's why, like you said, birthdays become more rare as you age. Once you're an adult your chances of dying go WAAAAY down, so you don't really need to celebrate much anymore."
"Notails have Class-Birthdays, but I'm not sure why we evolved that. Ever since recorded history, notail survival rates have always been good."
"Then again, I guess we lost a bunch of our history."
"Notails just kind of "appeared!" I wonder why there's nothing recorded before that."
"Anyway, I think the idea of parents is kind of cute!"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:51:04
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:46:52
"Yes, it's very inefficient, but I think the idea of an adult alien having to follow a smaller alien around, trying to make sure it doesn't die, is quite cute."
"I just had M-classes like any other notail. I do have to say....."
"It really feels like aliens never mentally progressed past the idea of needing to protect their children from death all the time. You didn't say anything about running out into the wild, or hunting animals, and stuff. Bp"
How do you respond?
Chosen Action
Aliens call that camping and we don't do it for years on end.

You realize her and you have been having a longer conversation than intended, but you're having so much fun that you decide to keep going. You tell her that aliens have something called camping, which is like what she explained, but for only a few days.

"Mini woods...." She pauses to think about it.
"I still think everyone needs to build a spear with their own hands and throw it at an animal, but I think for aliens the mini woods works out too! You gotta see the horrors of nature to realize how amazing civilization is!"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:55:31
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:57:20
"Though, because you only go to the mini woods for a few days, I guess nature just seems "cute.""
"Once you stay there for months or years, you realize it fucking sucks!"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:56:11
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:57:38
"Hey, can you ask me a question? You're one of the few aliens that ever talks about notail stuff with me without being like....."
".....you know? Telling me it fucking sucks all the time?"
Q-11
2024-12-19 13:56:32
Q-11 Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 19:57:58
"Sure, it has its bad points, but I think there's tons of tiny details that aliens don't even think about! Bp"
What do you ask her?
Chosen Action
Tell her you have to go.
2024-12-19 13:57:33
Profile
Posted by ID #74
Last edit: 2025-09-13 20:53:35

You apologize, but inform her that it's getting quite late. She seems disappointed, but understanding. She puts her helmet back on.

"Understood, alien. If you stay longer O-5 might start to notice."
"Have a safe trip on whatever task you're up to. B"
You leave the notail base.
No one is typing.