Быть Гладу и Хладу / There will be Hunger and Cold: 21. Ох, кошечки-мертвобожечки, я вообще кто – Вендиго или разносящий подарки Санта?

21. Oh, gods, who am I - Wendigo or Santa with gifts?

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 11:36

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Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 11:37

Despite her brash and very impudent character—by both earthly and local standards—Lishka was quite competent within the scope of her family’s profession. Before ending up on the streets, she had spent a very long time traveling with a traveling circus troupe, to whom her biological parents had sold her at the age of three. Then, when the traveling troupe that had become her family caught some kind of plague on the road—something resembling a rapidly spreading, virulent cholera—she became a true orphan. She was only twelve years old at the time. If that same year—even if only toward the end of it—the candy-selling old man hadn’t taken her in and found her, there would have been one more dead body on the streets. Maybe not right away; yes, she would have had time to hit rock bottom before dying, but there would have been one.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:34

Lishka understood all this and was genuinely grateful to the “old fart,” even though for the first couple of years she kept expecting that such kindness must have an ulterior motive—that he’d either try to take advantage of her or sell her off to a brothel, like some “sweet house". But they didn’t sell her or use her differently; on the contrary, he supported and helped her in every way possible. That’s why she warmed up to him, just like all the other anchors at Ryuk’s, and came to believe that he was genuinely doing her a favor simply because he was. But that’s just a funny little story from her life, one that Ilya didn’t even particularly seek out—they just told it to him out of the goodness of their hearts.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:45

When he spoke of professional skills, the Earthling wasn’t referring to the ability to whine masterfully or clown around comically, but rather to very specific dexterity, excellent flexibility, coordination, juggling skills, and tightrope walking. Even after leaving the circus, she continued to train, especially since Ryuk-Ryuek was very much in favor of it and, as if by chance, gave her a couple of very practical pieces of advice. Now she understood that it wasn’t by accident that he had planted the idea in her mind of staying in shape through his grumbling, but even back then, she was very grateful to him. Well, almost. For the fact that Lishka had tried to find work among good folk as a professional card-shuffler—that very dexterity of her fingers and no obvious cheating—her grandfather had flogged her mercilessly.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:47

So even though she was a skinny, lively girl who looked three years younger than her age—a lot like her mother—and sometimes tried to slip a few coins out of someone’s pocket or walk out of a store without paying, she never actually turned to a life of crime, even though she had a certain reputation among the local street kids. In the end, both Ilya and Sturgeon, when they were working out her part of the ritual and the class-lot being awakened in Lishka, converged on the Harlequin almost simultaneously. Neither of them had the slightest doubt that this variation of the standard Jester would be her Lot.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:49

Yes, Harlequin was one of the options, and Lishka even had the sense and memory to memorize her future build and choose exactly what Ilya and Ryuik had told her. But Ilya was the real expert; it was his specialty, and when it came to building builds—especially for the early steps—he could even outdo Sturgeon. The talent set-up the girl ended up with wasn’t exactly standard; it was tailored to the specifics of acquiring the Mechanism’s gift and Ilya’s presence. The Earthling approached his task with total dedication and didn’t cut corners, so if Lishka follows his advice, she’ll grow into a very unpleasant opponent for anyone—agile, nimble, resilient, and capable of all sorts of mischief.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:54

Given the presence of Sturgeon nearby and Ilya’s blessing, which boosted the leveling speed, he gladly accepted the old man’s idea of gathering “bud” builds—ones that don’t bloom right away. For Ryuk, it was an opportunity to make his charges stronger and more resilient; for Ilya, it was yet another guarantee that he wouldn’t be killed right away, before the flowers had bloomed. However, this wasn’t the only guarantee he automatically received, and Sturgeon was forced to accept and approve it. The girl herself might have wanted to gather brighter, more colorful talents that promised a better immediate burst of power for her own share, but no one asked for her opinion.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 12:58

But they demanded that she develop her gift in the right way, also without asking Lishka’s opinion.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 13:47

Strike after strike, Ilya advances in the unhurried, straightforward manner of the classical fencing school, the only difference being that instead of a saber or even a full-fledged bastard sword, he holds a relatively thin cane in his hands. He can still break a bone or two with it, and all the anchors he trains have learned this the hard way. Interestingly, they took the grueling training quite normally once it was explained to them that injuries would be healed by magic, but that they needed to learn to survive and kill right now. After all, martyr tricks also need to be trained, practiced, and mastered, so neither Ilya nor Sturgeon skimped on inflicting various types of injuries.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 13:59

Ilya didn’t make the mistake typical of an army sergeant—the kind that makes recruits hate themselves, whether on Broken or on Earth. Before he started the beatings, he explained in detail and quite clearly the need for a tough approach to save time, and he specifically noted that he wasn’t holding anyone back. Reverse psychology at its finest—having absorbed respect for the mysteries of the Mechanism with their mothers’ milk, all eleven anchors were ready to endure far worse, just so long as Ilya didn’t show them the door. He then had to supplement his words with explanations that there was no need to play it cool if you’d been injured and were actually coughing up blood because a rib had punctured your lung.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 14:01

In that regard, Lishka was by far the easiest to deal with. She never minced words, never held back her opinions, and that made it a lot easier to instill in her the difficult lessons of life as a gifted person. Well, right now she’s silent, just trying with all her might to conserve her fading breath, and she certainly doesn’t want to get poked painfully with that very cane. Instead, she wants to be the one inflicting pain, which is why she’s dancing like a spinning top, like a kite in a nine-point storm, like a paper boat along the edge of a whirlpool. Her combat style—a skill, and a double one at that—the foundation of her build, was now operating at full power. Ilya didn’t build her talents around a single active ability with five steps—for a Jester, especially a Harlequin, this path isn’t a dead end, but it’s methodologically incorrect.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 14:31

Harlequin benefits far more from several distinct, weaker but highly versatile tricks than from a single super-ability. After all, she’s not an Occultist or a Warlock—she’s not that type, she doesn’t have that mindset or personality profile. If she were a Gaer or a Jester, then there would be different options. The same “Unfunny Finale” or “Ridiculous Solo”. Those Earthlings who will have a support group to help them grow a little and become not entirely helpless often take these talents.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 14:51

Lishka isn’t helpless. She’s already quite deadly right from the start, just like Ilya once was, but she truly comes into her own only toward the end of the step. Her two key skills—both with four levels: “Acrobatics of Life” and “Acrobatics of Death”- are a tough combination. It’s not hard to take it, but keeping yourself in sync without at least three specific compensators is a whole different story. Especially if she only has one of the recommended three compensators. But the outcome is already clear: even now, Lishka may not be forcing him to give it his all, but she’s keeping up with him.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 14:54

She manages to dodge his blows. Twisting and turning like a snake, she manages to counterattack time and again, threatening Ilya with dangerous strikes of her short whip and dagger thrusts. She switches weapons regularly. She easily pulls new ones from her “Magician's Pocket”, three-step ralent, and hurls them at Ilya's face. They don’t exchange a single word, but there’s no need to speak now. They’re busy fighting. The Earthling is noticeably faster, significantly stronger, and incomparably more resilient, so he manages not only to keep Lishka on her toes but also to observe how she moves and behaves in combat.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:01

He manages to correct—harshly, bordering on cruelty—the very mistakes a girl is strictly forbidden to make. The advance, the transition from a feint to a close-range exchange of blows, a bare-handed block of the whip that nearly split her skin open, then a sudden retreat. Knocking the dagger from her fingers, shifting from the economical movements of classical fencing to animalistic ferocity, moving behind her back, knocking out both her supporting legs, grabbing her arm just as Lishka almost manages to push off in a pirouette away from Ilya himself, and then a sharp, cracking snap. And following it, an equally ringing girlish voice.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:03

"Oh, damn, you frozen asshole, why does it hurt so much! “ She was lucky that the skin on her buttock didn’t burst all the way to the bone. "What did I do wrong again, huh?!"

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:16

Ilya shook his head, setting aside the cane—which had cracked at the base after all—and thoughtfully observing the flushed and slightly nervous young lady. He had tutored students before, including in combat training, but he had only taught the latter during his university days. Back when his health still allowed it. Ilya knows the basics, knows the theory, and the traits of Twins allow him to present that theory as effectively as possible.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:04

But teaching is not just about imparting knowledge. It also involves the ability to engage in dialogue with students. Push too hard, and they might crack, lose their enthusiasm, and sink into self-loathing—or even come to hate the teacher. Ease up too much, and the students will stop respecting the mentor’s authority. After all, these aren’t his classmates from the London AU; they’re all natives of Broken, and the moral code here is often brutal. Showing weakness, if not dangerous, is certainly harmful—and pedagogically wrong. So the Earthling chooses his words carefully, though without the slightest pity for others’ self-importance.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:06

"It’s exactly the same as it’s been before." She clearly flinched again for a moment when the Wendigo’s icy hunger began to seep through the guise of “Lurking Evil,” which is why she’s acting indignant—to hide her shame at her involuntary fear behind her indignation. “You’re getting too deep into your Lot again, Lishka. I might consider this forgivable in someone else, but I know for sure—you can do better. You were a circus performer yourself; you know and remember what an acrobatic trance is, even if you couldn’t fully master it due to a lack of talent. You already know how to rely on others’ skills that have become your own, on others’ techniques that you’ve adopted… but you still don’t know how to separate your true self from the Mechanism’s gift. Not to drown in memorized patterns, but to gently guide them, to become a conductor rather than a function."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:13

It took a while for this brat to get used to the fact that Svyatik could actually speak not only coherently, but also in a high-brow, complex way—almost like an old man. Then again, she was quite intelligent to begin with; she was just a master at playing dumb. Once she acquired her new abilities, however, understanding what he said became quite easy. Simple, yes, but Ilya still spelled it out for her just in case

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:29

"To put it simply, as for the peasant, your Lot, the essence of the Harlequin, a being equally bound to Madness and Blood. And your Acrobatics synergizes strongly with the Lot’s core talents, “Harlequin’s Agility” and “Painted Smile.” Two four-step triks, two three-step core skills, the pocket inventory essential for this build, “Mad Leap” at three steps for mobility, “Mean Taunt” for control, and just three slots for balance talents, even if one of them is at a full five points and not useless on its own in this build. "At home, we call this talent setup the “pill” build. At max level, your balancing talents won’t let you slip into madness; they’ll hold you back reliably and effectively. But. They’ll hold you back later, whereas right now your little head isn’t filled with maniacal laughter just because you’ve gone through the ritual. But you already know that. And you know the answer to your own question too; you just haven’t voiced it yet, haven’t understood it. Come on, think it through."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:33

He deliberately lets her answer for herself, since she’s had this conversation with him many times before. She understands what he means, but doesn’t realize what her mistake has to do with it. Ilya doesn’t spell it out for her, but he guides her toward a thought that is both necessary and truly important to her—a thought she needs to grasp on her own. An idea that will fit perfectly with the skills the class has already mastered, and with a bit of luck might even offer a drop of Essence, because at its core it is a Mystery, albeit a small one.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:48

“Because I am Harlequin.” The fact that Ilya had known from the very beginning that they’d all been taught this back in school, not even in classes, but simply as part of the curriculum, came as a real revelation to her. Ilya felt the pendant hidden beneath his clothes—a small crystal bell on an iron chain—begin to grow hot. “No one else’s jumps, no one else’s jabs and leaps. I’m dancing. I’m pocking. I’m leaping. And I don’t need to control someone else’s. My own! Fuck! But I... Oh! I... got a drop! A second one... And a third!”

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:50

“Finally!” No longer hiding his emotions, the Earthling raised his hands toward the sky, hidden beneath the stone vault of the underground complex, feeling another weight lift from his shoulders. Deep down, he had still feared that he would have to help Lishka more directly. Then the effect wouldn’t be as strong; she definitely wouldn’t be able to get any drops, maybe one at most. “That’s right. Find your balance on your own while you still can, while the ritual is protecting you. And then your balancing talents will become not shackles, but another source of support. Well, that is, if you don’t have absolutely terrible luck with the aspects.”

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:52

Pill builds—that’s both their strength and their weakness. Set-up of talents that can be stabilized in the later tiers of balancing talents, but which initially require incredible self-control, superhuman willpower, or—more often than not—a good Priest, Martyr, or Sage to help you stay sane in the early years. To find balance by the end of the first step, take the best aspects from both damage talents and balancing talents. And then, once you’re off the pills, a build like this really starts to dominate!

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:55

Obviously, without the support of strong, developed communities, a build like this simply isn’t viable, but if cover and “pills” are available, it works out well. The ill-fated buffooness not only has a unique “pill” in the form of the ritual that binds them all together, but also the speed at which she collects drops. A speed that gives her every chance of reaching the “threshold” very, very quickly. And mental fortitude, which will allow her to fully grasp her Lot, and then not waste another two or three cycles just getting used to using it without “pills,” be it “The Righteous One’s Theurgy,” “True Guidance,” or “Taking Away the Bitterness,” all while under the influence of a potent dose of alchemy, pure rituals, and aids for self-control.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:57

"Ha! Ha-ha-ha! I could have figured it out right away! But I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to figure it out now, when everything—absolutely everything—had fallen into place.” She looks at him with a surprisingly serious expression, one rarely seen on her perpetually smiling face, which is currently hidden beneath a thick layer of harlequin makeup. “Thanks, Svyatik. Seriously, thanks for everything. I, well, I’m not really good at all this crying and sniffling, but I’m grateful. There. And anyway, when you were silent or grunting like a country bumpkin, you were less of a pain! But I’m ready to put up with you even like that.” In a good way, yeah. And it’s not just me—it’s all of us. Even Wolfie, even though he’s a little jerk. Even Grandpa. It’s just that he’d never admit it."

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:19

Ilya couldn’t help but smile at the remark about Sturgeon, but he didn’t try to dissuade the girl. The old man—who was quite possibly watching them out of the corner of his eye—might think that the Earthling was setting one of the Anchors against his adoptive father, against the very foundation of the ritual. But about Wolfie, he agreed with her. The boy with very mature eyes was, of course, just a petty fourteen-year-old brat—cruel, vicious, and mean—but for those he considered his own, he’d bite the throat out of anyone, even himself. Ilya wasn’t a great psychologist, but he knew the theory of working through others’ trauma and managed to become part of the boy’s family. Or pack. Or gang. He didn’t really distinguish between these concepts, though he understood them well—such a miracle had grown up on the streets of Lazy, having found his Lot of Assassin.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:22

"Let's do it again!" She didn’t just ask, she practically demanded it, and then, without waiting for his reaction, she struck him again across the eyes with her raised whip, followed by hurling three throwing needles straight at Ilya’s face as he dodged to the left, to which he merely twisted his torso and closed the distance with a sharp, animalistic leap. "Now! Let’s! Dance! To! My! Muuuuusik."

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:29

Ilya can’t hide his satisfied smile; on the face of the Wendigo, who has completely shed his disguise, it surely doesn’t look as good-natured as he’d like it to. Lishka’s movements finally seem to reflect everything he’s been trying so hard to instill in her over these long two and a half weeks. She doesn’t blindly follow her instincts and the reflexes instilled in her by the Mechanism’s gift; instead, she channels that gift, devises tactics, and adapts them on the fly. She doesn’t overthink every move, but she also doesn’t fight mindlessly or recklessly. She’s not perfect, of course—far from it; she has so many weaknesses that she’s practically one big weakness—but this is something that can and must be worked on.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:28

Talent, what else can you say.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 15:58

Talent in the sense of Earth’s terminology, not the local one. Even trained Earthlings don’t always manage to break ingrained reflexes in such a short time, and then reintegrate them and use them wisely. That’s why many prefer not to learn these techniques at all, especially ones that are so powerful and have so many steps. “Acrobatics of Life” for defense, evasion, active dodging, or even feints and decoys. “Acrobatics of Death” for offensive aspects, honed for critical strikes, bloodletting, and the imposition of cursed mental effects. Ilya himself, of course, harnessed his five-tier talent right away, from the very first seconds, but that’s because he possessed a unique lottery Trait.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:01

However, if he did not possess that Trait, he would be a Sage, not a Wendigo.

Camrad_RIP 08.06.26 в 11:56

They danced for a few more minutes; by the end, Lishka was just having fun, tossing the contents of her pocket at Ilya, and then she even squealed indignantly when he snatched a freshly baked roll sprinkled with powdered sugar and started eating it on the spot. The roll was baked by Tora, the squad’s Alchemist. She baked it without any cooking skills; she doesn’t have an advanced class or a specialized build, she just loves to cook and knows how. Anyway, it’s a delicious roll, and Ilya brazenly stole it from Lishka.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:31

After letting out a battle cry—into which she had also imbued the mental effect “Mean Taunt,” which under normal circumstances causes beasts, ordinary people, and, to a lesser extent, intelligent gifted individuals to attack the Jester or chase after him, ignoring all other stimuli—Lishka continued her attempts to peck at Ilya. He didn’t interfere—his Hide protection was constantly active, and in two layers at that. Here, it was more a matter of being careful not to accidentally activate the talent and bite off the limbs of the hapless apprentice who had struck him.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:32

After finishing the bun and giving a couple more valuable words of advice, Ilya sent a satisfied Lishka off to level up her second talent. With these three drops, she had collected twenty-one drops since establishing a connection with the Mechanism. Second place in the group, by the way. Only one of the Anchors had collected more—and she was a woman, too. Ilya couldn’t help but notice time and again that Sturgeon didn’t just take anyone into his care. Or rather, he helped many, but it was precisely these individuals—simple yet extraordinary, strong, intelligent, and full of untapped potential—who became anchors, the very kind Ryuek so desperately needed.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:05

Torya. Wolfie, who picks up the art of killing literally on the fly. Romchik, who, with minimal help from old Sturgeon, has entered Lazy’s high society. Lishka. Any one of the other eleven chosen Anchors. Ryuek sifted through the dregs of society with a fine sieve, finding there a pearl that no one wanted—lost and desperately craving even a drop of someone’s warmth. They all learn quickly, rapidly mastering new powers, and with each of their successes, Ilya begins to believe more and more strongly that Sturgeon’s venture to return to the circles of power might succeed.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:57

The One-Eyed Grandpa has now been out of reach for eight days. He has locked himself away in a separate ritual complex and has not left it. Ilya strongly suspects that the Sage’s remark about “settling some old debts” will result in the deaths of those who owe him. The fact that Sturgeon is, with a high degree of probability, a “Namer”—a specific build of the Sage capable of naturally killing, maiming, subjugating, or otherwise influencing those whose names he knows—is simply too obvious to dispute. Ilya has seen the structure of the ritual of healing and connection.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 09:59

Of course, the name alone isn’t enough. You need to fine-tune your approach, understand your opponent’s build, their defense strategy, their available relics, aura stats, and everything else that’s important and necessary. But at their core, both the “Scroll of Slayings” and the “Book of the Doomed” (with 7 steps) require a whole bunch of supporting talents to unleash the full power of these abilities—and they are really tough.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 10:09

Ryuek didn’t talk much about his plans, but from his seemingly deliberate remarks, it became clear that he was one of the best at eliminating and controlling the wayward aristocracy. Who would dare to rebel and get cocky when the king has such a loyal subject? True, when that subject tried to become a Four instead of a Three, the King decided he didn’t need such a miracle, lest his name be recorded. In short, it all boiled down to what happened. The lonely, abandoned, and crippled Sage, having found healing and anchors for himself, now sits in the ritual hall and performs that very fine-tuning.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:08

To write down a particular name, or maybe even several of them.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:08

Ilya actually flinched when the bell pendant around his neck grew red-hot again, this time actually burning his neck with the iron chain that had absorbed the heat of the dying amulet. Wow! He didn’t just guess right—he actually figured it out, getting a drop, his second one today! Or rather, not having received it yet, because the drop, like the sixteen before it, had settled in that very bell. A rather interesting one-off trinket. The kind of artifact that could be created by the Sages, though this one clearly wasn’t made by Sturgeon. Different build.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:36

This pendant cannot be removed without incurring a most unpleasant curse, one that will consume nine drops of Уssence from any Vessel—be it Rebirth, Ascension, or Eternity. However, as long as you wear it, the little thing absorbs the drops you acquire—twenty-one of them—so that on the twenty-first, it transfers everything earned into the wearer’s Vessel. And then adds six more for free.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:37

It’s the kind of reward that’s practically a harsh punishment—a bit of a downer, to put it mildly. It can take a very, very long time to collect these drops—years and years of lugging around iron and crystal that will burn the flesh like a red-hot wire. But for Ilya, it’s just a few weeks of minor inconveniences and a few free drops. As a bonus, any of his instructions and explanations increase the chances for his students—and anyone simply listening to his wisdom—to gain an extra drop.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 16:57

As one might easily predict, the effect produced good synergy with “Outstanding Secret Knowledge”, Veil and Mystery, and Aurora and Radiance attributes. As a bonus, the wearer experiences progressive madness if the training mode is activated, as if the students, along with their teacher’s wisdom, were drinking away his sanity and clarity of mind. Ilya, as you might guess, doesn't care about the effect of mental fragmentation, that it’s not even funny. Eighteen drops already; just three more to go, and I’ll be able to break this junk while simultaneously infusing it into some of his own talents.

Camrad_RIP 20.06.26 в 10:13

"Well, looks like that’s it for active work today. Time for a quick nap and moving on to passive work." As if he could really relax and catch his breath in his sleep, with a full-fledged Dreamwalker among his young sturgeons; after all, even sleepyheads need their Essence. "Oh, my goodness, am I even a Wendigo or Santa delivering presents? Never mind, you don’t have to answer; I already know the answer."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 17:01

Fortunately, the gods remained silent, staying Dead. Sturgeon also did not respond; most likely, he wasn’t even watching the Earthling at that very moment, at most using some form of recording and logging to review later what his charges had been up to in his absence. And the Earthling, yawning deliberately to induce drowsiness, was already falling onto the cot, closing his eyes and forcing himself into a deep, sleep-like meditation, and from there into a full-fledged dream.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 17:03

* * *

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 13:22

The third and final girl on the anchor crew was none other than Dreamwalker. Sleepy. Literally, her name was Sleepy. A short, snub-nosed, curvaceous, giggly girl with light brown curls and curious blue eyes, she suffered from a rather peculiar form of narcolepsy. It’s not hard to imagine that life was very difficult for her. She was kicked out of her home for “laziness” and “carelessness,” and her marriage fell apart because her husband and his family couldn’t stand a girl who slept twelve hours a day. All that was left was the “sweet house", which is a brothel.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.26 в 17:06