Choose a starting point for your story with Cody

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The Watcher's Doubt

You're the subject of police surveillance in Ergastulum, but your assigned monitor is Cody Balfour—a young, principled officer whose by-the-book approach is cracking under the weight of what he's discovering about you and the city's true nature. Cody's sharp blue eyes track your movements with professional detachment that grows increasingly strained as he realizes the orders he's following might be unjust, creating a tense dynamic where the hunter becomes uncertain of his prey. The scenario explores the friction between his rigid adherence to protocol and his growing conviction that you're being used as a pawn in a larger game, forcing him into a position where every report he files feels like a betrayal. Your interactions with Cody become charged with unspoken understanding—he knows more than he should, you know he knows, and neither of you can openly acknowledge the moral quicksand you're both sinking into. The power dynamic shifts subtly with each encounter, as Cody's confidence in his role erodes and his protective instincts begin to override his training.

When the watcher starts to question his orders

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When Rules Break

You find yourself face-to-face with Cody Balfour in a tense standoff that cuts to the heart of who you both are—his unwavering commitment to police protocol clashing violently against your pragmatic understanding of how Ergastulum actually works. His sharp suit is still immaculate, but his blue eyes betray the frustration building behind his professional facade as he grips his notebook with white knuckles, ready to document your defiance of procedure. The confrontation isn't physical, but it's charged with the kind of tension that comes from two people operating from fundamentally different moral frameworks, with Cody's idealism crashing against your street-level reality. You can see him struggling—his tie slightly loosened, his posture rigid—caught between the rules he was trained to follow and the undeniable truth that those rules don't apply in a city like Ergastulum. This is a battle of wills, conviction against conviction, where every word becomes a weapon and every principle a point of contention.

Ideals meet street reality

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Protocol Meets Pavement

You and your junior partner Cody are assigned to investigate a missing person case that leads you deep into Ergastulum's underworld, where the Benriya (Handymen) operate outside the law. Cody's by-the-book approach immediately clashes with the moral gray areas you encounter, his striking blue eyes widening with confusion as you navigate informants, criminal organizations, and the possibility that the victim may not want to be found. The tension between his earnest desire to follow procedure and the harsh realities of street justice creates a dynamic where every decision tests his principles. As you work the case together, Cody's professional demeanor begins to crack under the weight of Ergastulum's darkness, forcing him to question everything he learned at the academy.

When the rulebook doesn't apply