Vibe feels like I could have seen it in disco elysium. Love it.

I think even if the jury was explicitly told of the reputation of the venue, that wouldn’t lead to a guilty verdict. It’s not enough to have a general reputation of giving false alibis, you need to disprove each one each time. Jury members aren’t allowed to vote guilty or not guilty based on vibes, or reputation, only on the admissible evidence of the case.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* See Reality Fiction and Simple Prompts for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

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The meta-tumor event is to this day used in the psychology, philosophy and ethics publications as a definite proof of overall goodness of humanity. Following is a brief account of events that took place.

It started in February 2023, when radiation from IK Pegasi (or HR 8210) supernova reached the Earth. Within days emergency rooms all over the world began to fill with people suffering debilitating migraines, very soon a diagnosis has been announced, every single human on earth had an abnormal cell growth at the the orbitofrontal cortex. Panic engulfed the world for a few days, but then a miracle. Within a week an observation has been made. People who had yet to reach 33 years off age, displayed lessening of the symptoms, and scans confirmed that the cell growth has stopped and began to diminish, projections estimating that within 2 months, it is to disappear, the humanity sighed a breath of relief, it would survive, however the fate of 3.7 billion people was uncertain. The mass kept growing, and just like young were expected to recover within 2 months, the rest seemed to have around 2 moths left.

Hope for many came in the discovery, that the growth is not cancerous, and not only that, but due to its also operable. High risk and complex surgery was deemed as a best bet for all, however the resources and time remaining ensured that not even close to all people would receive treatment on time. With around 50 000 neurosurgeons around the world, able to work at most 18h a day for 61 days on what was expected to be idealistically an 8 hour surgery only 6.9 million people, or about 0.2% of the patients, could be saved. But the real number was expected to be lower. The work began immediately.

The decision on who will receive treatment, fell usually to the ruling body of the respective country. As can be expected, while significant push has been made to make the decision based on societal importance. And to a lesser or smaller degree most countries made an effort to adhere to this decision. It has been clearly documented, that the wealthy have received the treatment at an abnormally disproportionate rate. Of people whose wealth has been estimated to exceed 1 million dollars, 1.7% have been treated, 83% of those whose wealth exceeded 10 million dollars, 93% of those whose wealth exceeds 100 million dollars, and only 2 people whose wealth exceeds 1 billion dollars have been confirmed untreated. overall of the 6.5 million people who have been treated it is estimated that 3.1 million have received the treatment for other than merit reasons. We mention this as one of the last significant display of societal selfishness to have ever occurred.

On April 15th the event we now call metamorphosis happened. At the moment after the apex of the symptoms, the cell growth was suddenly and in a to this day explained process absorbed into orbitofrontal cortex, ending all the associated side effects and in the words of the most affected "Gave them access to the knowledge and a creation process." By those unaffected, the best description often used was, that they gained limited ability to use magic. We say limited, because while the effect to which they could utilize this ability was virtually limitless, after an unknown level of use, the affected simply expired.

The major documented uses, are for the lack of better word wonderous or awe inspiring are numerous. Probably the most apparent was an effort of 25 238 prominent astrophysicists and engineers, who used their ability to create a Dyson sphere and an automated facilities on Venus, several object of asteroid and Kuiper belt, that seem to be designed to sustain the sphere for the foreseeable future. On earth a number of power stations designed to receive the laser from the Dyson sphere and convert it to electricity were also created. These too are fully automated and were integrated into all the existing power grids.

Another group composed of predominantly chemists and biologists, seeded the world's deserts with a bacteria, that metabolizes atmospheric carbon dioxide and sunlight to expel a carbon based fertilizer. As the CO2 levels approach 280 ppm in atmosphere, their activity appears to subside. The fleet of satellites covering whole world with internet access, while temporary in a sense, that it will need to be maintained if it is to be last more than few decades, it gave access to education to all who desire it, to name a few. But majority of the events were of small local effects. Rivers cleaned, fields rid of weeds, wells dug, trees planted, indoor plumbing, on and on it went.

You may notice, that so far I have listed only positive impacts. That is not by accident. While we know hundreds of thousands of people did use the ability to benefit themselves, we also know that the effect of any malignant use of the abilities has been immediately countered by others despite the consequence, which brings us to the most significant observation of the event.

The number of people, who wanted to use the power in manner, that would hurt or in other way negatively impact someone else, was not insignificant. However, every single one of attempts have been countered by other person with abilities. The notable thing about this was, that apparently only way to counter other user, was by annihilating both. An yet as far as we know, all the attempts at misusing this ability has been thus stopped. still leaving billions of people who used their power to benefit others.

Long has there been a discussion about overall a goodness o the humanity, the fact that all these people knew, that if they use their abilities, they will die, as far as we know they all did, and almost absolute majority have done so to help others. Another 2 months after the abilities appeared, no users were left. Last 10 recoded people to have the abilities used their power to make all firearms, rockets including ICBMs, heavy weaponry and facilities that were made to build them disappear.

Current energy and food abundance we experience has retarded any attempt to restart weapon productions as nobody currently has strong enough incentive to assist in its creation. And while governments remained as were, and are technically in power their power is severely limed, as they are unable to persuade people to enforce their ideas. In most countries, this new reality has been accepted.

And there I was, standing in front of the most giant statue I had ever witnessed in my years of wandering.A neon glow of enchanted light.

A vertical, constantly shifting Northern Light, only that it was forged to be the shape of a large leaf-like blade. Anagraphs of long-lost runes seem to flow ethereally on the cutlass seemingly wielded once by an ascendant, and the primmest and precise cuts were present on the side of the immutable mithril, running from one dragon to one withered beast, engraved into the carcass of such metal.

A smear of basalt from its tenacious perch has infiltrated its handle, unfathomable gloom clinging to the obsidian stick. It magically grows upwards - defying what I had ever learned about weapons in my life - into the radiant metal and seemed to solidify the neon light, dimming it down into a still blazing baton of aquamarine.

The foilage beside this statue’s throne blurred and reconvened, spraying sunlight down through porous openings; in a second the light converged onto the blade, and in a slow motion it started to hover directly upwards until it was mine to claim.

I haltingly ambled towards it, as the neon faded gradually so I can examine it more carefully. My heart was pumping with a will to no longer delay, and rushed towards it, grabbing its handle ferociously.…And it returned the favor by giving back a far more ferocious cry, a militant clash with my mind as we became -

One.

My eyes now glow a faint roaring azure, as I feel, in the deep valley of my heart, that the basalt of the ground chars my soul, from which was born a stronger one, blazing with the urge of bloodshed.

And the blade… It had a name. As I unlocked the pseudosheath by simply hovering my hand through the teal fragments, I saw it. In the rotating runes that run endlessly, I read these previously foreign lines:

“Wield, shield.

For there is a grander cause

Than for your crystalline heart to yield.

A defiant cry of faith

Named me Atomsplit Katana of late.”

​

1/23

​

[Inspired by Atomsplit Katana of Hypixel Skyblock]

I mean, attempting to destroy a magic generating tumor with science is probably extremely expensive?

I really liked this story, especially the Sam Spadey-ness of the narration. In my head canon, Sasha is literally an anthropomorphic hammerhead shark woman, I can't picture her any other way.

I Ban Cosmo knights too OP Even in the 3 galaxies

That was a bit creepy at the end...

I did get a bit confused tbh, but honestly I'm mostly curious as to what the other thing was, and even what the MC is. Wouldn't mind a part 2.

[removed]

Ask in its dedicated subreddit if you are not able to find yourself

"Jim? Sure, he was here Tuesday."

"....I can't accept your word for it, Sam. I'm afraid your bar's got a, um, a reputation."

"A good reputation?"

"Not exactly, no, It's a reputation for... for getting dates mixed up, shall we say. Can you prove that Jim was here Tuesday?"

"Sure," I nod. "We got a new security camera system, let's give it a try, shall we?" I turn on the computer and speak into the microphone. "Computer, print the picture of Jim enjoying a drink at the bar last Tuesday, please."

The computer hums, and extrudes a piece of paper. The detective grabs it before I can see it and studies it intensely.

".....I see that your bar had a few planets indoors Tuesday," he says.

"Look, if people wanna decorate for some party..."

"And I see that Jim has apparently regrown his pinkie. Oh, in fact, he has six fingers on that hand now?"

"You got your photo evidence. Was there anything else you wanted, Detective?"

"Photo evidence, no." The detective drops the printout. "This image was drawn by AI, wasn't it?"

It's been a good while and I remember several storylines at the same time, and I'm not even sure which one was the last I was on

• Our favourite goblin lass leading an army of sensible goblins
• A blind man slowly gathering more support
• An old king trying to reconquer his lost land
• Wizards exploring ruins

"So you see, this blade is so sharp it can literally split atoms in half! Now watch me cut these hydrogen-atoms... Nothing...cause you see..."

puts on lab coat

Manifests a whiteboard out of thin air

"For nuclear fission to be dangerous you need a very specific setup, most important of all right next to the material used you need an enclosed space, or it will be hard to reach critical mass. If you put this highly radioactive material in an enclosed sphere, like this one, which can reflect the electrons back at it, given a short amount of time it will create a feedback loop and reach critical ma..."

> Not necessarily, a smart lawyer could expose the system by having these people say they saw him too, after which he would prove he wasn’t there - nullifying all „Alibi bar“ eye witness accounts

Doesn't matter. There's a non-zero chance maybe this time they're not lying? Reasonable doubt.

You have to prove the specific eye witness account is fake, you can't just say "But people who visit that bar are liars!"

Yup, where did you stop?

I should really get back to it, thanks for reminding me!

Cold metal cuffs gripped his wrists and ankles tightly, while stuff and frigid chains held his arms to his torso, with dampening coils clenching his neck and shoulders. It was a binding that no one, not even Houdini's permeation could ever hope to escape without being let out by another, but to him? A rudimentary setup, a bad sense of fashion, a poor quality shirt. If he chose, he could escape with no effort and kill everyone involved, but he doesn't want to. He wants peace.

"Hey, you still breathing?" The soldier spoke all too casually to the man who did not want to be bothered, frightening those around him.

"Don't talk to him. At all. He doesn't like it and he's killed for much less than that." The doctor, the only one trusted by the man, knew that if he could not keep this beast of a man under control then it would be the end of them all.

"What?" The soldier responded "Listen, those bindings each have their own dampening wires in the cuffs, as well as in each individual chain, and that collar? Things so powerful that it's even messing with us, he's not getting out." Just as the arrogant soldier finished his sentence, the monster began to stand, an action that left everyone stricken with terror.

As he sat back down, the doctor began to explain who this individual was.

"Just... Don't disturb him, please. It took us a very long time to get him to trust me at all, the last thing we need is to rile him up. He just sort of... Showed up one day, at first no one cared because he would stop aliens, monsters, robots, anything that would normally require our heroes to do. Then, he started to simply attack random buildings and causing destruction. Eventually we managed to communicate with him, and this was what he wanted. He never explained why, and refuses to do so, but the best guess we could get is that he's mentakly disturbed in some way, a disturbance that came long before we found him." The doctor carefully looked upon the man in question, staring into nothing, almost as if he were wishing the bindings were doing something to him.

"Doctor, we're arriving at the location." The pilot informed.

Upon landing, the man was escorted to his new 'home'; several thousand feet below the deepest part of the ocean, surrounded by steel, concrete, and bedrock, walls lined with thick dampening sheets, the room was built to hold a great force, a much weaker force than it currently housed. Upon entering, the man simply sat on the bed and again stared into nothing, but this time in deep thought and contemplation. This single action scared the doctor more than anything else, as he was now witnessing the single most important decision of possibly the entire world being made in the head of a man who can not be stopped.

"Why do I still feel? Why didn't this work? I just wanted some form of peace, but my mind is still clouded, I can't think straight, the only time I can make coherent thoughts is when I'm trying to kill something, why. Is this a curse? Does magic exist? Did I slight some wizard? Or perhaps reincarnation exists alongside the magic and I was particularly horrible to a power mage in a previous life? I hate this. I just want to have a clear mind. And the doctor, he won't be able to help me, he tried and failed, my body rejects medications, my mind can not be cleared through his methods. I just want a clear head, and I need to think straight right now, I just need to be able to see through this haze. What should I do? Why do i wonder? Why do I sit here and ask myself questions i ready decided on?" The man sat unblinking before looking at the doctor and doing something he was never seen doing before; he grinned, sheepishly, but a grin nonetheless.

The end.

Couldn't they just ask what the person was wearing and everyone would give different answers??

[removed]

[removed]

TW/CW: Child homicide, murder

January 1st, 2030 The Royal Burger

"I said, make those fries faster Kevin!!!" Jayce shouted as he slammed his fist against his office door. "Lacy, where the hell are those dishes?!" He threw his clipboard on the ground in anger and stomped into his office, slamming the door.

I sighed quietly as I finished the last of the dishes, then briefly looked at his door. "Lacy... That's the human name I've given myself. Still, this is easier, managing mortals than rowdy demons, pompous angels, and various other creatures scattered throughout the multiverse.

"Oooooh Jayce! Time to come out and plaaaaaay!" The entity giggled and laughed. There was screaming in the lobby, just before the lights went out.

Jayce slammed his door open. "Hey, Zane, go fix the breaker! I need light to see the fuck I'm doing!!! Move it!!!"

"I've already tried hitting the breaker, sir!" I heard Zane flipping the switch in the distance.

"Jayce... It is time to remember your greatest sin..." I watched as the entity's hand reached out and touched him on the shoulder.

January 1st, 2000 Jayce's parent's house

"Jayce... H-how could you?! She was your sister!" Jayce's mom screamed at him, watching him pull the knife out of her chest. "You are a monster! B-but... You're my monster... Quickly, pull it out. Mummy will help clean this up..."

Jayce did as his mother said, smiling what wicked, toothy smile of his. "I'm an only child again... Exactly as it should have been..."

After a couple of hours of deep cleaning, Jayce and his mother thoroughly clean the house and hid the body for burying later that night

January 1st, 2030

"Nooooooo! That's not right! I wasn't that bad as a child! Make the memories stop!!!" Jayce was on all fours, crying on the floor. "I just wanted my mom to myself!"

"And to get that you killed your sweet sister, Sally." The entity knelt next to him. "It is time, J-" I stepped out next to the two of them.

"Bercillius... It's been a while." I snapped my fingers, causing the lights to come back on. "Zane, Kevin... It's time you went home. Your shifts were over long ago."

"But, we can't..." They began to speak in unison.

My eyes started to glow purple, my body thrumming with power. The air became heavy in the building. "I'll be sure you get paid. Get rest."

The two young men bolted out of the building without a second thought.

"I... What are you doing in this universe?! Lady Oriyana!!!"

"Well, it seems I am known here. You don't worry your pretty little head about why I'm here. Queen Mary knows why, is fine with it, and that's all that matters." I knelt, giving the entity a dark, toothy grin. Jayce was passed out on the floor.

"B... But I thought it was ONE per universe and any more than that, and they'd both collapse!" If the entity had a corporeal form, I gathered they'd be quaking in their boots.

"Normally, yes. If it was an invasion. I merely visit, playing the mortal's game of life. No harm, no ill will, or malicious intent to the Queen of this universe exists in me. Therefore, we can coexist. Now, run along. Leave this mortal to me."

"N-no! This is my soul to take, my kill! The master promised me this! He said if I failed..."

"Now... Now, calm yourself. Do you think you should fear the Demon King more than what I'll do to you? I know you've collected many superpowers over the years. I believe the mortals call you The Collector. You take from everyone. You gather their souls and permanently acquire their abilities, leaving them as soulless husks. Let this man go, or I promise what I'll do to you will be infinitely worse."

In a flash of light, The Collector was gone. Jayce still lay unconscious on the ground, the store emptier than my wallet. I tapped him on the back of his head to wake him.

"What happened, where am I?" Jayce was in panic, sweating bullets. "Where is that... That thing?!"

"Jayce..." My voice caused him to snap to his senses. "I should end your measly existence on the spot for what you and your mother did to your baby sister. So, I will, but you need to do something for me first."

Jayce turned to face me, feeling the immense pressure emanating from my body. "W-who... W-what are you? What must I do to live?"

"No. That's the easy way out. You will live and exist. You will exist in a coma, reliving that worst memory over and over until death takes you..."

"Nooooooo!" Jayce got on his knees, ready to grovel.

"No." My eldrich voice echoed throughout the building and in his mind. I tapped him on the forehead. "Write a note explaining why you're leaving the business to me. That's all you need to do."

"I don't want that! I'd rather die!" He was shaking fervently now.

"You don't have a choice in what happens to you. Only what to write in the letter, mortal." I pointed to his office. "Start. Typing."

Jayce got up without a word and quietly went into his office to type up, print, and sign the letter. I waited silently while leaning on the door frame.

"It is done... Lacy... Or whoever you really are..." He printed and signed the letter. "As you requested, my letter of resignation..."

I placed a hand on his shoulder and he went limp in my arms. I carried him to his car, using his keys to get in and drive him home before teleporting to my apartment

End

I feel like I’ve read several stories about bars like that. Sometimes they’re cafes. I love the trope!

Kinda want to steal the concept for D&D or something. Sounds like a fun concept that can be dropped into a world pretty easily.