Digital Devil Worlds [D&D 4e Game Thread]

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Mirthless: Mar 27, 2011; by the sex ghost

Noriko

Noriko frowns at Adachi's explanation. "I've had enough of you and white blade both, to be honest. I'm tired of being lied to and manipulated by old men who think they know better than us. I'm with Tsuki, if nothing else, I'm as done with Ailrudae as I am with ORDER. You're all a bunch of windbags." She scowls at him. "...And for your sake, she'd better be okay!" She looks down at her phone and fires off a quick text message to Akane.

Text Message to Akane posted:

Noriko: Hey... Are you okay??? You're okay, right????
Noriko: That idiot gorilla Kane took off with your thread, we couldn't stop him
Noriko: (; ･`д･�)
Noriko: I don't know what he was even thinking, we go to the same school

Looking up from her phone, her scowl deepens. "Akane and I were offered a deal by the Raven Queen to get out of our prior arrangements. It is extremely fortunate that that deal was offered, because if it was not, she might be dead right now and you would have been the architect of that outcome. The psychopath American you brought with you would have probably killed all of us if she'd had the chance. You put your students in danger for the sake of someone who wasn't even a member of the faculty, on a class trip you attended as a chaperone. Your choosing to not help her kill us does not even begin to make up for this!"

Mirthless fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Nov 4, 2019

# ? Nov 4, 2019 05:36

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 02:49

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Tsukiyo

Tsukiyo silently listens to Adachi's words, thinking to herself. Why indeed has Gen kept such a low profile since they fought at Nekketsu? She initially thought it was because of him suddenly moving in and changing his lifestyle but suddenly ghosting his former comrades? After all, Akane hasn't mentioned having contact with him recently as well. "Maybe I should try to talk with him again." She mutters from under her breath.

# ? Nov 4, 2019 16:19

Mirthless: Mar 27, 2011; by the sex ghost

Noriko

Still feeling a bit put off by Jun's words, Noriko looks over to Allison and a feels a brief moment of pity. Approaching her, she frowns. "I'm sorry for gloating, as meaningless as my apology is. Neither of us know how much time you have left." She crosses her arms. "You're clearly not a quitter. If you survive tonight, look deep inside yourself. Find meaning. Maybe something better will take pity on you the same way someone did for Akane and I. It's not much of a hope but it's something."

Mirthless fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Nov 4, 2019

# ? Nov 4, 2019 17:27

Mortify: Feb 4, 2005

The Machine to Nowhere

Receiving Allison's spittle without any apparent change to his expression, only a half closed lid to shield his eye, Takashi lets out a long-suffering sigh. His right hand darts out and grasps her left ankle with a speed not unlike a streak of lightning.

"Up you go," is the only warning she hears before she is bodily upended, picked up like a sack of turnips by the immensely strong boy, "sitting is for ladies, and all I see is a goblin," holding her at arm�s length, his left hand moves to keep her skirt aloft, modestly, grasping the hem before it can fall. Despite her flailing, he keeps her mostly steady.

"Now, do you want to behave like a lady?" he shakes her a little, like a dog holding a particularly fun toy and too excited to keep his tail from wagging the whole dog, �Or should I give you the helicopter treatment?�

# ? Nov 4, 2019 17:46

Sockerbagarn: Sep 8, 2007; All makt �t Tengil, v�r befriare.

Akio // Sunday, May 31 - Other Shore / Apex of Creation

"White Blade, part of ORDERs operations in player recruitment?" Akio furrows his brow. "That doesn't at all line up with what we've been led to believe." He sighs and glances in the direction of Allison. "But this isn't the time, we'll have to talk about it later." Before he goes to speak with Allison, he gives Noriko a look after her harsh words to Adachi. "Noriko... Imagine the situation he was in, all he knew was that Allison had to win the game tonight at all costs, so he tried to set up a meeting in an attempt to find a solution that didn't involve violence. When it became apparent that she had other plans and attacked us, he chose to side with us. I think he deserves a little bit of credit, at least."

---

"Put her down, Takashi. We don't-" Akio stops himself as piles of gold starts falling out of Allison's shadow. "Uh... Seriously?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "Allison, please. Are you gonna spend what little time you have left being petulant, or are you going to work with the ones that might be able to help you?" He looks at her with pity in his eyes. "I expect I know the answer already, but can you say exactly what your deal with the Devil was?"

# ? Nov 4, 2019 18:29

Mirthless: Mar 27, 2011; by the sex ghost

Noriko

Noriko shifts over to Akio and pokes him in the ribs. "Ooooh! I don't want to hear it right now, mister! You've got a lot to make up for, too! If I was the teacher, you'd both be standing out in the hallway holding buckets!" She turns and scowls at Adachi. "You can start by giving us the raid loot you're sitting on! I know you beat Akane's guardian. I think it's the least you could do at this point."

Mirthless fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Nov 5, 2019

# ? Nov 5, 2019 00:44

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation:

Once Takashi takes charge Jun lets go and steps back. Allison shrieks in surprise as Takashi hoists her up. She reactively goes for the skirt, but Takashi is already insuring her modesty. She flails her arms about for a moment before folding them over her chest, covering a small gravity related wardrobe malfunction. As she's hoisted up and her own thrashing produces some shaking motions generous streams of golden coins fall from her shadow! They pile up rapidly!

quote:

mortify: This wasn't supposed to be a shakedown.
But now it's a shakedown.

Takashi's eyes light up and he begins to gently jolt Allison up and down, maintaining his grip on her ankle. The shakedown takes a few continuous minutes at the end of which your group gains 1.4 Million Gold.

: "You're awful, you perverted loving dog!"

---

: Shamed again, Mister Adachi rubs the back of his head. He then straightens up and looks to Noriko head on, keeping himself composed. "Your conduct made me aware I was making a mistake. Will you not let me work to make amends?" He holds up a strange horror-themed pair of goods, the link to Akane's Guardians obvious. "These are bound to us.. however.." He focuses a moment and obliterates the equipment, his hands filling with an equivalent sum of Astral Diamonds. He offers then to Noriko. "Let this be a good first step in our working together, Mori-san." This adds another 350k Gold to your haul so far!

---

: Once Takashi gets a grudging promise from Allison to behave and sets her back on her feet, she scowls and turns away from your group, facing the Northern edge of the roof. "Just leave me alone, you dumb kids. I.. I ain't got much left, but I still have my integrity. I'm not telling you a God drat thing, and I know you can't help me." She shudders, her shoulders shivering. "I had my shot.. you got.. you got no idea how strong that Summon was.. and you were worse.. hah.. well, you can be proud for now. You're still gonna lose in the end."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Nov 11, 2019

# ? Nov 5, 2019 17:26

Mortify: Feb 4, 2005

The Machine to Nowhere

Doomykins posted:

Allison: "You're awful, you perverted loving dog!"

"Woof," Takashi mimics the whuffle of a large dog, "keep talking and I'll feed you a bar of soap, <Blondie.>"

---

Doomykins posted:

"Just leave me alone, you dumb kids. I.. I ain't got much left, but I still have my integrity. I'm not telling you a God drat thing, and I know you can't help me." She shudders, her shoulders shivering. "I had my shot.. you got.. you got no idea how strong that Summon was.. and you were worse.. hah.. well, you can be proud for now. You're still gonna lose in the end."

"This is why you were never even in the running, why no matter how hard you tried you'd always come up second place. Doubt. If there is room in your heart to doubt yourself, doubt your place in the winner's circle, then it can never be full of the desire to succeed," his eyes shine with inner radiance.

"We could help you... if you were at all sympathetic. Pride never helped the dead. If you're too stubborn to want to survive, then... <hasta la vista, Blondie.>"

# ? Nov 5, 2019 18:23

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation

Unable or unwilling to see what Takashi will do next, Allison settles for kicking up some dust and crossing her arms with a big scowl.

quote:

Noriko soon receives a bubbly text in reply: That's OK! You kicked his rear end, right? We'll be right up!

: Allison growls at Akio. "I'm no sap. I ain't telling you a drat thing." She is drawn to turning around and considering the edge of the tower roof again, peering downwards and poking her nails into her wrists. Without any hesitation Mister Adachi steps up and rests a hand on her shoulder, pulling her a hard step back. This startles Allison, who yelps in response. "What're you doing!?"

: "I'm touched that they're still willing to help you, Miss Griffin. Why aren't you? To go so far against the spirit of this competition.."

: "It's a ploy! They're in trouble and they know it! Well, hah, I wasn't born yesterday!" She peers up at Adachi without breaking the pose, regarding him with the closest thing you've seen to warmth from her all night.

: Adachi sighs. "Yes, it is probably intended that many such Catch 22 scenarios emerge." He looks to Takashi, smiles softly, then Noriko and Tsukiyo. "She is still an enemy. And yet, I swore to help her."

---

The pathway from below is buffeted by a fresh gust of cold air, an invigorated Akane leading the pack flanked by a pair of her giant Bouncer skeletons. Takano is nearby and Miho and Miyuki bring up the rear. Akane laughs with glee and dismisses the bone giants, who stand off to either side of the Southern path. Running over and throwing her arms around Noriko, Akane gives her a big affectionate hug before taking the time to give the same greeting to each of you!

: As she reaches up to throw her arms around Akio's neck, Akane whispers: "You saved the princess! I'm all yours!" She winks before pulling away and heading for Tsukiyo, zeroing in on the hug despite all protest. "I'm luckier than every boy in two schools right now." Another big wink.

: Drawing out her sword without hesitation, Takano steps over to Adachi and Allison and sizes them up. "Sensei. "I demand an explanation" would be understating it."

: Adachi raises his hands in a show of supplication and Allison turns her head up. Adachi kills a chuckle and smiles politely. "It is coming, I assure you, Miss Hattori."

: Takano glares straight on, her eyes temporarily replaced by red hot coals. "If anything happens to Akane, you won't even find peace in your next life, Sensei." She sheaths her sword and glowers, Adachi inclining his head in a respectful acknowledgement. Then Takano joins your group, sharing her sister's enthusiast hug with Takashi alone. She stands with him after it. After some consideration, Takano brings up her smart phone and parcels out some holdings in a rapid series of bullet fast finger swipes. "I need to help Akane improve, but we're in this together now. My gift." She tosses the group 600k Gold to split! then she leans over and stands on her toes slightly to kiss Takashi on the cheek. Is this the feeling of having a Sugar Mommy!?

Stuck in a bit of a daze, Miyuki is watching Takano go and seems utterly starstruck.

: Miho crosses over to Tsukiyo, looks bashful when Akane gives her that big hug, and waits politely with her hands crossed in front of her waist. She beams at Tsukiyo once acknowledged. "You did it! We uhm.. we had some fighting too.. a lot of Goblins...but we're fine! Hattori-Senpai handled it." She starts and looks embarrassed. "A-and Miyuki-San too!"

---

After sharing what you all now know...

: "Everyone, thank you so much. It means the world to me what you've done for us. And tonight.. tonight things have changed. We're not going to be manipulated anymore." Taking up her phone again, Takano projects a simple ritual image to display what she's doing as she moves through the DDW Mobile App. As head of ORDER she goes to the guild management tab, selects the confirmation twice, and disbands the guild. She sets her phone into idle mode even as the tells and mails begin to ping notifuications to her.

: Akane claps excitedly! "Yeah! Uhm.. that guy, that White_Blade, and Thaddeus, and Isabelle.. we'll get them for once."

: Miyuki hold a thoughtful pose, head resting on her raised palm from crossed arms. "Hmm. I've always meant to do good, as your example." She looks to Takano, who nods in return. Miyuki's cheeks flush. "I will help you as I can too.

: Miho looks concerned. "Uhm.. White Blade.. he's your guild master? Can you really stay in Ailuridae like that? Being spied on, I mean."

(If you're dropping from the guild Ailuridae, post it IC!)

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jun 26, 2020

# ? Nov 7, 2019 17:34

Mirthless: Mar 27, 2011; by the sex ghost

Noriko

Noriko watches Akane tease Akio out of the corner of her eye and grins as he squirms. Something to giggle about later... Noriko seems overjoyed to be reunited with Akane, and that's enough to put her mind away from everything else that would otherwise be occupying it. The situation with Akio and Isabelle worried her, but she pushed it aside. This was a win.... Don't ruin it. Looking up at him, she frowns slightly. They were going to have to have another big talk soon. After what happened in Akane's heart it was inevitable... But it was something for another day. Moving up to join him and Akane, she wears an exhausted smile. "I'm glad this is all over. I'm ready to go home."

****

Inspired by Tsukiyo and now Takano, Noriko opens up her phone app and prepares to quit the guild. After a moment of hesitation, she opens a message to White_Blade.

quote:

Memento-Mori: You and Takamura were a match made in heaven.
Memento-Mori: I'm tired of being manipulated
Memento-Mori: You lied to us on the word of a dead man
Memento-Mori: The gods are already punishing him for what he did. Think about what they have in store for you.
Memento-Mori: Stay away from me. Stay away from all of us.

quote:

Memento-Mori has left Ailrudae.

Mirthless fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Nov 9, 2019

# ? Nov 7, 2019 20:58

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation:

As your group continues to chat Shikome materializes from somebody's phone again and shuffles around the rooftop, examining the scattered remains of the dear departed and exploded Jajara.

: She looks up and holds up an actively sizzling hunk of translucent green metal, beaming. "Ah, excuse me, everyone! I think we can salvage some of this armor!"

quote:

Jade Ebonshades (Rare Helmet, Level 28)
The byproduct of the presumed departure of the demonic soul Jajara consumed, erupting from him and vanishing to parts unknown when he was destroyed. The passing of the chaotic energies ionized and fused a choice fragment of Jajara's armor into a radical set of subtly shifting visor-style sunglasses. The outline changes every hour or so.
Passive: +15 Acid Stacking Resistance, +4 Bluff
Passive: Grants +3 Initiative to wearer and Allies within 5 Squares
Daily(Standard, Acid): Area Burst 1(3x3) within 10, 31 vs Reflex, Targets Creatures, Hit: 20 Acid Damage and Ongoing 20 Acid Damage(Save Ends)

Black Plates of Orcus (+6 Artifact Armor of Top Tier Material, Cannot Be Sold)
(Cloth: Dragoncloth, Leather: Mantle, Hide: Voidhide, Chain: Kingmail, Scale: Titanscale, Plate: Tarrasque)
There is enough residual essence of the tremendous power of Demon Lord Jajara left in his remains to bind it to a set of armor. In the case of light armor the massive iron plates are bent into curves around the major joints of the elbows, knees and finally an intimidating set of horned shoulder pads. Heavier armor gets the same but fills out with an intimidating black set of scale, chain, mummified demon-hide, additional plates and so on. It still contains the massive frame and battlefield presence of the Demon Lord!
Passive: +15 Thunder Stacking Resistance, +4 Intimidate
Daily(Free): When you Second Wind all Allies that can see you gain +3 Attack on their next Standard and Fate Powers
Daily(Minor): Enemies within 6 Squares are Pulled Adjacent to you
Daily(Minor): Enemies within 6 Squares are Pushed 3 away from you
Granted At-Will Power: Demon Dance Augment 1(Battlemind), using your Class Primary and the Enhancement Bonus of your Main Hand

(Once the Artifact Armor is assigned it cannot be unassigned so come to a tidy agreement, party!)

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Nov 9, 2019

# ? Nov 9, 2019 02:29

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation

Having come to Akane's aid and protected her tonight, among other lifelong bonds forged, you've empowered the Priestess Soulshell Bond. A new Persona emerges from the maximized potential of your relationship with the younger Hattori, a daring and powerful rebel spirit, the greatest strength of the Priestess Arcana!

quote:

Cybele (Priestess *******)
The embodiment of Mother Earth, as well as her protector, she is often depicted on a throne with lions on each side or on a chariot pulled by lions and known as a mistress of animals. In Greece, Cybele was a protector of several city-states, one of which is Athens. Her most celebrated Greek rites and processions showed her as a foreign and exotic mystery-goddess. She arrives in a lion-drawn chariot to the accompaniment of wild music, wine, and a disorderly, ecstatic following.

Lion Spirit (Range 2, 2 Fortune, creates a Lion Spirit UEOE with your Bloodied Value as HP, your Defenses and your Main Hand MBA as an Attack as 1d8+16 Radiant Damage, Crit Range 19-20 +6d4 Radiant, has Fly 8 and own independent Actions, Acts when Summoned, when you Charge or use a Ranged Weapon(i.e. Bow) to Attack while a Lion is active gain +2 Defenses and +1d8 Radiant Damage per Lion UEONT, the Lion has Cybele's Weaknesses)
Samarecarm (Melee, One Ally, costs 3 Fortune, allows Ally to use 3 Healing Surges and a Saving Throw)
Dekaja (vs Will, Range 5, up to 3 Enemies, costs 2 Fortune, clears 1 random Buff if able)
God's Bow (vs AC, Range 10, up to 2 Enemies, costs 2 Fortune, deals 3d8+16 Radiant Damage and instantly Kills enhanced Minions (i.e. 1/1 + 1/1, etc))
Tempest Slash (vs AC, Range 10, up to 5 Enemies, costs 2 Fortune, deals 1d8+8 Thunder Damage)
Gran Bufudyne (vs Fortitude, Range 5, Target 1, costs 2 Fortune, deals 4d12+16 Cold Damage and Slows UEONT)
Reflect: Radiant
Half: Thunder, Force
Weakness: Necrotic(+40%), Fire(+40%), Poison(+40%)

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Nov 10, 2019

# ? Nov 10, 2019 19:39

Sockerbagarn: Sep 8, 2007; All makt �t Tengil, v�r befriare.

Akio // Sunday, May 31 - Other Shore / Apex of Creation

Seeing Akane appear, alive and happy, Akio is reminded what it was that he'd fought so hard for tonight, and he can't help but forget about all his worries for the moment to beam right back at her. "Didn't I say I wouldn't allow you to die?" He hugs her back as she runs up to him and lifts her off the floor, cradling her in his arms. As she whispers in his ear it makes him blush a little, and he mumbles something back about being glad he found the correct castle on the first try before letting her go.

Noticing Noriko's frown as she approaches, he's brought back down to Earth again and his smile withers away. "Yeah, me too..." He says, sticking his hands down the pockets of his pants and looking down at the ground. What was he supposed to say to make things alright again?...

---

"You're right, Miho. It's time we broke free and seized our own fates." Akio opens up the DDW app on his phone and sends a few messages to the guild chat before terminating his membership.

"Guild Chat posted:

Ambrose: Everyone, it's been a lot of fun, but I can no longer remain here.
Ambrose: My friends and I will be dropping out of the guild, and I strongly recommend you to follow our example.
Ambrose: White_Blade has been lying to us.
Ambrose: He's still very much connected with ORDER, and this entire guild is little more than one of their puppets.
Ambrose: If the news hasn't reached you yet, ORDER has just been disbanded.
Ambrose: The political landscape of DDW is bound to enter a period of upheaval.
Ambrose: I suggest you find yourselves a safe harbor, alongside people that you know you can trust.
Ambrose: Good bye, and fare well.
Ambrose has left Ailuridae.

# ? Nov 11, 2019 02:20

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation

As your group rallies together you hear a scoff.

: "That's it? You wanna help me? Even.. even after all this?" Allison grimaces at Adachi, not recoiling from his touch, but her head arcing back in sheer disbelief.

: Adachi gives her a small nod. "I have something in mind. Something I was saving, to help who needed it."

: "You ain't got nothin'.. these kids even whupped our asses."

: "Oh ye of little faith. And really, that's what I'll have to be to pull this off. Shall we leave this space? I'll be just a moment, when we pass by a noteworthy location." Calling together his Familiars, Adachi begins channeling a new arcane focus upon one of the bio-mechanical skulls. Allison sticks close to him as your group leaves.

---

: With Adachi and Allison separate from the group but near, Jun turns on the rest of you as you walk, clearly seething. "This isn't right. You could take what you need. She has information. She's guarding something. We know she's part of that tight-knit clique Isabelle has. With her, Braxienne and.." He looks Akio over. "I guess every unlisted agent she recruits? She's the only one without a little fan club."

: "All of that may be true, but we are bound by a higher standard, especially compared to our enemies. We..." Takano hesitates for a moment, something in her eye focusing sharply as she makes an internal decision. "We will not force the issue in that way."

: "..." Akane watches Jun and Takano talk before trying to contribute, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I know that.."

: "She could be the killer? Yes, well, that's why I came. They told me to leave but those two, either of them, they could've been it. And maybe she still is. Or she's guarding them." Jun glares over his shoulder at Allison.

---

Partway through the odd descent, which reverses to a new ascent, as you did drop down at some point into the crypts below the stage and the beach... well, at some point you come across a spot steeped in a particularly violent and morbid influence, an artifact of Akane's interests in horror. Adachi asks that you wait a moment for him and Allison, inviting you to watch if you want to keep them in sight.

: "So what's the big idea, egghead?"

: "The idea, Miss Griffin, is to remember that there are constants in all of this. Ritual summoning is just that, it is dedicated to very precise and repetitive motions, aligned with strong structure, dogmatic belief and above all a sort of "Devil in the Details" business dealing. If you can speak this language, as it were, you can petition new bargains, affect old ones, or try to avert made deals."

: Her eyes initially glazing over with a lop-sided sneer at the grand explanation, Allison sobers up a little by the end. "Hey, come on, you uh, you seem really nice for a giant freaking nerd. Nobody has to.. nobody has to die with me." Her voice cracks.

: "Au contraire. I fully intend to leverage my full assets in this deal." He turns and looks to the rest of you, saving Noriko for last. "... If you are not as interested in these sorts of written settings as I am, you would do well to understand, at least, that they tend to follow a few common tracks. This one aligns with popular presentation of a Western Devil, or ruler of Hell, and his dealings with Humans. As belief powers reality, we can assume in one way or another that there is a great deal of truth in fiction. Or is it the other way around? Hmm.. probably both, simultaneously." Mister Adachi chuckles, then raises his arcane focus, changing his naturally teal-green aura to that of a violent red.

"Above all else, remember. He does not innately possess power over you. No evil outsider does. So why do they bargain? Why not kill us all? Because their is ritual, down to their very core. They could spill our blood, eat our flesh. But our souls will move on to something grander, eluding them. Above all else they want the Human conviction, our immortal spirit.."

Adachi performs an advanced Ritual, in the higher end of Paragon. He beseeches an Outsider, invoking a familiar dread figure in silhouette, outlined in a bloody pentagram on the crypt walls!

Allison whimpers at the sight. The very appearance causes a cold snap in the room. Miho clings to Tsukiyo's arm.

Adachi makes a simple offer. Not his life, or his death, or anyone else's. He offers a substantial amount of Fate, of his own power and energy, of his potential and that infinite variations of it.

: The looming shadow considers this and a dour chuckle rings out through the room. A single bladed finger rises, the shadow becoming real and tearing at the thin air in a line of brimstone. "You can do better than that."

: He thinks for a moment. Adachi has come up lacking. The need to start offering blood and victory pushes itself to everyone's mind, the unspoken anticipation shared by the group. Then Adachi smiles and holds his other hand up, channeling a second manifestation of the same Threads of Fate. "Dark Patron, you speak to all yet appear to be benefactor of none. Therefore I offer my full claim to this Contest, voluntarily withdrawing from the Game!" He brings both strands of red together and builds them into a swirling torrent, one end snapping to his heart and twisting into the air before him. "I will not pursue the prize, nor fight for any that do! I forfeit my power, in this world and those that stand beside it!"

: There's a cold silence for a moment. Then the full arm emerges from the shadows, a scaled Devil's immense hand offering a palm in acceptance. "I will do with this offering as I see fit. I accept it." Satan takes in the strand and draws out the full power of the Avatar Bishop, draining away all potential Mister Adachi has to Awaken and compete for the Wish! His Familiars fade away into nothingness!

Red lines of vitae flow from the figure and surge into Allison briefly for a moment and like that the summoning vanishes, the air briefly sucked out of the room by the disappearance of the Gate before snapping back in, time resuming!

---

: Turning to face the group, Mister Adachi chuckles awkwardly. "Nothing to it, right?"

: Allison gawks! Then she grips him around the waist in a crushing hug, sniffing loudly as she holds back genuine tears! "Why!? Why!? What the Hell! Why'd you do that, you big stupid rear end in a top hat!? For me?!"

: With a small gasp Adachi raises a hand and grips her shoulder, pushing her back an inch to stop the throttling. "Miss Griffin. As I told you, and my students. I swore to help those who are endangered by this game. And you, my guildie and oft-cold friend, were still a person. You needed help, I was aware of it.. and I've made my choice." He shakes his head and sighs, looking to your group. "I'm afraid I will be a little less powerful than my reputation might suggest. Perhaps we could.. ah, play together online? And I'll always be able to advise you as best as I can. There's a great deal a "mere mortal" might do, you know." Bishop entrusts what power he can to you in his sincere support as an Overseer.

quote:

Preparing...(Passive): Bishop does not grant a Passive Benefit.
Meticulous Preparation(Daily): For this Turn only, roll Standard and Fate Attacks 3 times. Use the Best Result.

: Wiping her nose and eyes on her sleeve, Allison crosses her arms and slowly faces your group, looking terribly and uncharacteristically embarrassed. "I.. I dunno what to say. You could've killed me. Or worse. Really.. uhm.." She lowers her arms and bites her lip. Her nails jab into her wrists again. "I know you want me to spill the beans.. but.." She clears her throat. "I. Can't. I'm sorry. Isabelle is one-a.. one of my best friends. I can't betray that. OK?! I'm.. I'm sorry about everything else but I can't do that!" She huffs and crosses her arms again. Gradually her expression softens.

"Look. I'll tell you honestly. You can still leave the Game. You can have nice lives and forget about Thaddeus and the other jackasses. You're just kids, you ain't ruined your lives or nothing yet. And I say that cause.. well.."

Allison smiles. Politely. "You're really strong. Yeah? Really, really strong. And even then. You ain't that strong. Before you even joined this game and by the end of it, you stick with it, you're gonna realize the sad truth. Everybody else lost before they even started. Isabelle, Thaddeus, they've got this locked up. So I'll, I'll... I'll talk to her a bit and put in for a transfer somewhere else." She sniffs and wipes her eyes again. "... That's as nice as I'm gonna be, OK? You're warned."

---

With the final revelations, dissolution of ORDER and leaving Ailuridae you leave the Other Shore, returning to the cool night air of the beach. It's almost Midnight. You need to get back to the Hotel, rest up and get ready to head home! What a trip! And after all this to help Akane and Takano you've learned that there is a looming threat still remaining. Isabelle the Calculator and the little Dragonblood Prince, Thaddeus. The Greatest Striker and Greatest Controller. Akio can tell you more about Isabelle, sharing with the group his meetings with her:

quote:

Akio's introduction, raiding Etemenanki with ORDER: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=9#post467191708
First meeting with Isabelle, Hound and Raccoon: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=18#post474830481
Second meeting with Isabelle and a dungeon run with Thaddeus: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=38#post485991703
Akio messages Isabelle before the House of Fortune raid, replies a few posts down: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=40#post486716254
Third meeting with Isabelle at Akio's mindscape: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=51#post492145905
Isabelle texts Akio about Barnabus: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3781834&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=61#post495566670

(And so ends Other Shore. Feel free to wrap up post but I'll be posting to advance time and transfer Discord scenes to the thread next.)

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Nov 11, 2019

# ? Nov 11, 2019 03:52

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Tsukiyo

Tsukiyo angrily shoves Akane aside and approaches Miyuki and Miho. "Thank goodness you two are okay..." She then looks over to Jun and shakes her head. "No, I don't think so. She is a loathsome bitch but she only fought us out of desperation. In normal circumstances she wouldn't dare to do stuff like that but I'll make sure to find the others who did."

Once the Other World fades, Tsukiyo wordlessly takes her friends and returns to the hotel, her head heavy in thought. The depths of what she learned about White_Blade and Akio's deception still weigh heavy on her mind. She told Manami that time that she would learn to trust her and the others but now... Is that even a good idea at this point?

# ? Nov 11, 2019 17:06

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

(Socker brought to my attention some placeholders I let slip. Now transferred to the thread enjoy some more beach conversations!)

Defender Chat between Akio and Takano

Wrapping up Volleyball Game with Noriko, Itsumi and Nekketsu Meatheads.

# ? Nov 13, 2019 15:40

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Apex of Creation

: "Chavez? You're not going to..? .. Alright." The sisters let Tsukiyo go on ahead with Jun.

: "Because you did so much to help me, we can end the night like this!" Demonstrating that she's not out of the Game with Kane's theft, Akane channels and appeals to the shadows of the Other Shore to simply go away. A warm and hazy feeling overtakes everyone, the passage of time accelerating as you depart the strange tower that descends into the ground until it reverses and is rising back up to the stage, to the small boats that travel from shore to shore across oceans.

---

The party and Hattoris as well as Jun and Manami awaken at the bonfire, from before the wave impacted and swept everything away. You receive a text shortly from Mister Adachi.

quote:

: I will take care of Allison. Nothing else will happen on this trip, as you're now the safest and most powerful clique on the beach! If in doubt, stick together. Be sure to get some rest.

It's sound advice! Metaphysical adventures and magic bolstering can't cheap simply biology forever. Your bodies ache, your nerves are tender, your minds are blurry. Heavy exhaustion is setting in, the aftermath of long-term and repeated use of adrenaline! Even if doubt and tensions grip at your minds your bodies would enter sleep as soon as they found a place of comfort and safety. Even nodding off under the stars would do, though the bitter chill of late night promises a cold if you do that! Jun and Manami agree to go off on their own to Shio's cave, the Hattoris are happy to return to the hotel with you and divide back to your rooms. Kane does not return to his, nor show up the following morning for the bus ride back home.

---

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: Noriko leans on Akane while fiddling with her phone, feeling the same rush of nerves she felt on the ride out, but she's oddly comforted by the fact she knew where she would end up if the bus became a firey wreck at the bottom of a cliff. Trying to distract herself, she goads Adachi over text.

Noriko: That spreadsheet is creepy as hell (Ф∀Ф) just fyi. so were you and white_blade friendly this whole time? what was actually going on between order and ailrudae?

: I must assume you mean the aesthetic, for the information is immensely valuable. If any of you were as violent and powerful in real life as you were online, I'd want to protect myself, and forewarned is forearmed! Likewise you should assume that anyone who knows who you are may use that against you, so I'll expect you to be properly cautious.

: ...okay (๑ↀᆺↀ๑)✧ That is completely fair. I've taken precautions. I'll have to take some more thorough ones now, though. I'm going to talk to my fencing instructor about some self defense lessons... I heard she used to get into a lot of fights.

: Blade was a core member just a year ago, though we were really just a group of friends doing well in a new game. We've talked about our real lives together, and he's around my age so we got on well. There was silence after ORDER formed and he split with Takamura.. but the murder led him to want to work with us. Why in fact, he suspects your group. And so did I, before I observed your conduct last night.

: I'm not convinced it wasn't him. He hasnt been forthcoming with us either. We talked to Takamura directly and he didn't have a clue who did it. They took him by surprise, when he was fighting you, which is why you were at the top of our list this whole time.

: (�-ι_-｀) That's very strange. That would imply that you can manifest these powers fully in the real world. Particularly if I were to strike while simultaneously online, in my own home.

: I have been able to perform simple rituals and utility spells for about a month, though everything else appears to have come online for me in the last week or so. I've been turning into a bat and having night flights with my familiar. The world is very strange right now. I'm surprised you didnt know about it. At first we assumed you did it remotely. Then we assumed you had an accomplice. If it wasn't you and their power was fully manifested more than a month ago, that is very alarming

: Indeed. Erm.. I've been capped at the utility state for quite awhile.

: It seems that there are triggers. Part of it was... Embracing my desire to win. Knowing what I wanted and truly wanting it. The game likes people who play along.

: ໒( � ͠� ʖ̫ �͠ � )७ I had a theory along those lines but I could never test it! The Shadow Realms are made of the opposite.. deep seated self loathing.. and we'll.. I believe I cannot sincerely desire that wish. I feel blessed in total already.

: Maybe thats why so many of us are young. We're full of wants and powerless to realize them. A wish is quite the lure. (ㅇㅅㅇ❀) Admittedly, a lure that's reeling me in.

: It is quite insidious. Core to every shadow and every aggressive drive is deep seated desire. Bending people around those is the classic temptation. But Noriko, you mustn't reach a false conclusion. You are free to achieve anything you desire after this Game. It is an unspoken lure, a trick. You are offered your dreams.. and the part of you that tries to protect you from the worst outcomes asks "What can I achieve if I lose?" The answer is never "nothing."

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:30

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: That is irrefutable after tonight. I know where my journey should end and thats enough to make everything in between much more interesting. I still want to win, though!! ٩(ↀДↀ)۶ It's a pandora scenario: a box exists and I must open it. I want to see what's inside... and if it can really make a dream like mine come true. It's less about the outcome than it is the mechanism now. (Noriko adjusts her glasses while working on the text.) You said something earlier about a shadow realm? I'm beginning to get the feeling we both need to compare notes

: Sensei, I've got a question about that spreadsheet. Where did the information about me come from? You knew I was awakened and had me linked to my online persona.

: Hmm, about Ambrose? Aside from careful study of your in combat performance on the Other Shore confirming what we knew, it was Isabelle that provided the information in the first place. I believe you know her well? Maybe even in real life. If you recall Mister Bobbins, who you fought at the House of Fortune, he is a very likeable fellow. We've gotten along well for many years in other games with a similar avenue of creative exploration! We've even chatted about and known each other in real life. Why, once he was in the area and we met for drinks..

Anyway. Something drove him into a corner, early in the year, around the end of February.. or maybe closer to March. Well, he was reminded of something unpleasant that happened to him, a divorce. He lost custody of his children, that sort of thing. And well, as far as I can tell, these Shadow Realms emerge at times of.. hmm.. cosmic significance? Basically the full moon, or even a new moon. I assume other meteorological events count. If Humans give it significance, then it can build up. And what my friend, Mister Miura had found was that his demons could not be held at bay. He asked for help.. all of us, all he knew, in our builder's club. I felt it was important to be there for him, so I was. And then I became aware for the first time of how serious these things were. Not to toot my own horn, but I was able to navigate the challenges and help him pull through them. It was rather a realm of.. hmm, personally relevant feelings and memories. There's a clear pattern to them, tied to the personality of the emergent host. Like how I was able to deduce an arcane artifact that would mask us from Akane's focus.

: I had one last thing... Sensei, are you worried at all about what you offered satan? Considering how easily he took it... Do you think these claims are transferrable? Satan getting a direct proxy in the game is a worrying thought.

: So it was Isabelle... I thought I knew her well, but not so much anymore. Anything she's told me could just be another lie. And no, I don't know her in real life, do you?

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Nov 21, 2019

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:32

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: I do not. Allow me to illustrate...

quote:
You have the worlds best, or Charlotte(Defender), Thaddeus(Striker), Royal(Leader), Isabelle(Controller), Fenrir(Hybrid) and Bishop(Overseer, formerly Leader.) ORDER itself has several capable members bearing that tag but tends to be a sparse guild, more of a formal divide for members of the raiding team, now dissolved.

: From there there are five known "fan" guilds, or [HOLY] for Charlotte's aspiring knights and philanthropic do-gooders,

: [RAD] for Royal's undead-themed friends, [ARCH] for Bishop's builder-oriented tight-knit clique and the newly re-minted [DRAGON] for Thaddeus' militarized cult of personality.

: [DRAGON] stands out as empowering at least five "Heads" in honor of Tiamat and they gain stacking bonuses when fighting together, the traditional colors are Red, Blue, Black, Green and White, corresponding to elemental affinities. They don't seem limited to that scheme.

: A large outlier is Fenrir's [PACK], which he doesn't acknowledge. There's only three members but each aspires to be as individually unstoppable and prolific in attacking their fellow players as he is. The other great outlier is that Isabelle does not openly court followers, yet we know from Akio that the truth may be a ring of spies!

: From here we can draw two more sets of links. The first is ORDER's original clique, or players that knew one another. Royal, Isabelle, White_Blade, Takamura, Bishop and Fenrir. Two changes occurred shortly, the schism where White_Blade and Takamura left the guild, and Royal's recruiting of Charlotte, who spearheaded the forming of ORDER. As you're well aware, this leaves a small separation where-in the Hattori sisters are inseparable from one another. There are a few other links.

: Braxienne is in [ORDER] but is clearly friendly to an intimate degree with Isabelle. Outside of this Isabelle is tight-lipped about her life off the computer.

: You've met Bobbins of [ARCH], who I(Bishop) know personally, even meeting in real life. It seems [ARCH] and myself were useful tools at best and kept in the dark.

: And you've learned of a real-life Familiar link to a "Noxia" of [DRAGON], the Green Head.

: On top of all this we can conclude that Thaddeus and Isabelle are working together. Beyond this there's just the fine details of who knows who personally, or even on a level of friendship. And, ah... well, we can conclude that Fenrir is related to Tsukiyo, Royal and Charlotte are sisters, Isabelle has a vested interest in Akio/Ambrose and that from the lizard's own mouth that Thaddeus is abnormally fond of Miss Mori, though you've crossed paths in the House of Fortune.

: The most telling pattern in everything is that at least one layer of separation is maintained between most of the parts of these relationships. Your best bet would be to pry one apart, as it were. And White_Blade seems the most, mm, ominous? He also has a publicly known behavior pattern, a "weekend warrior" who is otherwise a busy attorney in real life.

: How does Kane fit into all this?

: He came as an associate of Allison's. A prospective ORDER recruit, but not one I knew about. Taken with what we know of you and what Takano has said, I believe Isabelle has been intercepting and prepping potential recruits in a parallel process.

: That's what I figured... He got "romantically" involved with this older office lady, Megumi he called her, early last week. I've seen her picture, but the name could be fake. Sometime around that time he also awakened. I wouldn't be surprised if that turns out to be Isabelle, but the evidence is circumstantial at best.

: As with White_Blade every circumstantial lead you can follow up on is important.

: It'll be tricky with only the image in my head to go by, but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for all the information, sensei.

---

: Everyone, now that Kane is working for our enemies they'll easily be able to find out where we all live, and it's possible that Takamura's murderer is among them. We should take precautions and protect our homes and Naoki. If anyone needs help with warding rituals, just let me know.

: I know for a fact many of you are capable sneaks and spies. You can investigate these leads too. There is no need to stay solely on the defensive.

: help, i am being personally attacked ٩(ↀДↀ)۶

---

You receive a different text thread from Takano, which includes Takashi, Akio, Noriko, Itsumi, Akane and Takano.

The first line is a massive bolded: "PRIVATE CONVERSATION, CHECK YOUR REPLY HEADERS!!!"

quote:
: I need my dependable Kouhai-chan's prowess for shape shifting and flight for an important job. I'm proud of you for sharing that horrible woman, there is a sanctity to life to respect.
-More importantly, she is now a lead. We can guarantee her loyalty will lead her to contact Isabelle, White_Blade and maybe even Thaddeus.
-We need to tail her. Stake out her home. See if she meets anyone.

: But she already split from us!

: Yes. That means Riku is our lead to find her again.

: it would be my pleasure

: Doing this could risk encountering any of them, or all of them, in direct confrontation. I don't want you to do this alone.

: Akane begins texting so fast her arm rest shakes.

: Let me come too. ...If that's okay with you, Noriko.

: I'll support Noriko-chan and Akio-chan!

: you'll both have to get some new shapes. Allison knows what we look like and people on a stakeout are obtrusive. Maybe we can use a ritual and turn you into magpies...

: We can disguise ourselves too! I'm an expert at the makeover ritual!

: Um, I could just turn invisible...

: Thaddeus has true sight
-I would be surprised if Isabelle didn't

: Uh huh.. and what are you gonna do if you encounter a closed door, Invisible Man? Don some bandages and call it a cosplay?
-Invisibility is a tool, so we'll use both!

: I'd teleport through it! I'm plenty resourceful, you know.
-Truesight might be a problem, though. But wouldn't they be able to see through illusions as well?

: This is like one of those games where you switch characters to get around puzzles I think

: Physical disguises.

: Takano cuts in: This isn't a game. If you're detected, you need to run. You don't know what resources they have... except for the likes of Jajara.
-Scouting is to gather information without yourself being observed.
-Riku is depowered so he will be a good trial run, as well as your only lead. And the least threatening. At least if you blow it there, it'll just be awkward!

: Ehehehehe :3c But yeah, it's classic rogue, Akio! Physical disguise, same as your illusion.
-You gotta think with ten foot poles!

: if it's not a game, why is spying so fun?
-fufufu

: Physical disguise? That's a good idea. But the disguises would have to look natural, we have to avoid sticking out.

: I am confident Akane can make us a functional disguise, just look at her social media... Sure, those makeup projects are all horror related but the techniques are more or less interchangable!

: Leave it to me! You get to come to my house, Akio-chan~

: Right, um... I'm looking forward to it? (●�ω `●)ゞ Let me know if I should bring anything.

: Itsumi lets them plan as she notices Tsukiyo isn't included in the chat. Understanding why, she decides to see how things progress before bringing this up to her.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:34

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

-Jun and Manami are on the bus! Sitting together! Holding hands! Chatting, playing some phone games! Scandalous!

: Tsukiyo approaches Jun and Manami on the back of the bus, looking a bit awkward. She was originally sitting with Miho and Miyuki on the front, but the stuff that happened that day has been weighing on her. "Hey."

: Manami smiles when she looks up. Jun gives you a simple two finger wave of greeting. "Hey!" "Hello." They're playing the same gacha game about monster waifus and monster husbandos. Jun has the vampire nun with guns "Grin Reaper" and Manami has.. the super rare six star giant Medusa lamia, Demia Gorgon!

: She looks to the side. "So, uh, how are Shio and those two doing? I guess they went back to their places on that cave?"

: "Shio said she'd be back in the city.. uhm, Kyou and Yuzu went back to the mountains."

: "I see... And I guess you guys lost the use of powers outside the shadow world as well... I just hope that whoever we are fighting against doesn't come after you."

: Manami shakes her head.

: Jun waggles a finger and ignites a small outline of foxfire. "No, not at all. But thank you for the concern."

: She stands silent for a few seconds before continuing. "I'm going to try a new path from now on. I don't think I can stay with most of people on my group, but..." She clasps her hand, clenching it hard. "I'll find whoever is at the end of the Game, be it devil or god and I'll make it pay."

: Slipping her phone into her pocket, Manami sits up and grins. "Yeah! gently caress 'em!"

: Jun looks Tsukiyo dead in the eye for a moment, remaining silent, calm. "Something.. lacking, in your friends? .. well, in the end, all that matters to me is find Takeo's killer. To that end.. I stay empowered because I'm willing to further the wish of another. Even you, Chavez."

: "It's more than Takeo. From what we know, there may be dozens of other people killed or hurt in this competition..." Tsukiyo shakes her head grimly. "And it happened for years and years, for who knows how long? The real bastard with the most blood in their hands is whoever is running the show."

: "I'm glad you see how important this is."

: "So.. any ideas who it is, Tsuki?"

: "My only lead so now is Hagiwara... He's definitely working for the bastards, and took Akane's fate to them. I need to find him as soon as possible."

: "The weird boy?" Manami cuts off a laugh.

: "Ehhh.. what was he doing in there?"

: "He was with Allison and Adachi. I guess he's working with whoever pay the most...?"

: They both laugh. "Just kick his rear end too, Tsuki."

: "Finding out who he reports to is probably the most important thing you can do."

: "Oh I will. But the fact he has some sort of... Teleport contingency? That's gonna make it hard..."

: Leaning forward a bit and resting his elbows on the arm rests, Jun tents his fingers together in front of his face. Now this is a thinking pose. ".. actually, that simplifies it. That is very high level magic. Ask yourself who could feasibly tap into it in the first place."

: "...Thaddeus." The missing link on ORDER, and the group's arcanist.

: Manami winces and sticks out her tongue in clear disgust. "UGH! That guy is so creepy!"

: "He definitely is a weirdo but... He never really got me as the kind of guy to do that sort of stuff. But he's the only ranking magic caster that could fit the bill."

: "What are you going to do about him?" His glasses gleam.

: "Investigate him. And well...." She pauses for a while, her arms crossed. "Maybe you guys should come with me. If that scenario is true, then I get as much intel as I can get from him and then..." Her expression turns rock solid. "He's yours."

: Jun sighs. "If he's the culprit, otherwise.. eh, they're all trash."

: Manami elbows Jun and grins up at you. "Working together!? Heh heh.. you really are done with those guys?"

: Tsukiyo grimly looks to the floor. "Yamamura lied to us, Mori covered for him, and who knows what poo poo Kurokawa is hiding. If I can't trust most of them, why even bother... They are disbanding in any case."

: Manami laughs. "That's a shame! We'll take good care of you, Tsuki!"

: Tsukiyo frowns for a second, but quickly gives a wicked smile as she suddenly takes Manami's chin with her hand, locking eyes on her. "Oh no, I think you got something wrong here. I'm the one who will be taking care of you guys." She then lets her go, and nods at Jun's direction.

: Manami looks puzzled and Jun smiles and nods.

: Gah! She's far too oblivious! Still, she'll make sure to get word to Shio and the Onis later. Alone or with Manami's group, she must find a way to surpass her strength of when she was with Ailuridae. No matter how.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Nov 23, 2019

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:35

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: Convincing Ryo to join you freshmen instead of his previous seating with second years, not that it takes much convincing, you're able to sit with Madoka and Ryo on the bus trip back to Kobe. Switching through photos on the preview screen of his camera Ryo is studying the landscape shots he took.

: Madoka leans across your shares armed rest and corners you in your seat, so to speak. "Ne, Icchan, where'd you go that night? Must've been fun.." She's referring to the night of Other Shore!

: Itsumi rubs the back of her neck, "Oh, nowhere special. Just a bonfire with a few other people is all!"

: Madoka squints. "And you didn't invite me? I love lighting things on fire. A real passion of mine. Do it all the time."

: "Is that why you're such a firebrand?" He flicks his finger along the camera's touch screen a few times.

: "Ryo gets it."

: Chuckling, Itsumi shrugs the question off, "Well... there were a lot of other people there, and I kinda got dragged along... I didn't really have time to invite anyone!"

: After scrutinizing your face and the answer for a moment Madoka throws herself back into her seat, crossing her arms. "Alright."

: �So uh... what did you guys do??�

: Cheering up immediately at being given a new railing for her train of thought to clip to, Madoka grins and her eyes curl up in her tell-tale sign of being up to no good. "Well.. after you left, I saw my karate club pals, you know em, Felix and Kane.. and well, ah, they had a bottle of wine, so we, y'know, hung out.."

: Ryo finishes checking his recent photos and sets the screen back at the default gallery menu. "Everyone else was out so I walked the boardwalk, hunting some horizon shots as the sun set."

: "Oh, that sounds exciting!" Itsumi says. "Get anything good?"

: Ryo offers you the camera to check the gallery of recent photos on the preview screen. "You tell me." He smiles with a small measure of pride.As it's a passion hobby of his there's a good deal of landscape and wide panning shots. It'd make a good brochure to advertise the little Beach town! "That night's photos are ah, the first twenty." There are more photos at 21 and beyond, going back to the rest of the beach trip weekend. Ryo is chatting with Madoka and briefly distracted. The pictures are engrossing, there's a spark of talent here!

: �These are great! What else did you get this weekend??� Itsumi asks, curious but not wanting to be rude and scroll past what she�s supposed to see.

: Realizing something, Ryo's usual cheerful demeanor falters as he looks a little pale. He chuckles and reaches for the camera. "Ah, nothing else really stands out.."

: "Lemme see, Sunny." She snatches the camera away first, fast and with the longest reach!

: "Aah! Okay fine!!" Itsumi says as the camera is yanked out of her hand, secretly admitting to herself that she is actually curious

: Leaning back and relaxing with something to turn her attention on, Madoka hums as she goes through the landscape shots, letting out a low whistle a few times. Then she lets out another one and follows it up with blowing out a few puffs of hot air in a "Hoo~hoo~hoo~", overcome by sheer mirth. Ryo sweats as Madoka offers Itsumi the camera, gallery swiped over to a shot from the early mid-day at the beach. Radiantly on display is Itsumi in her two piece in mid-dash, tastefully taken from the rear and with artful focus and framing on such.

: Itsumi's face blushes into a bright pink upon seeing the picture of herself... not from anger but from being flustered! She giggles nervously, wondering what other pictures there are of her there

: Reaching for the camera, Ryo clears his throat. "This must have been an accidental click.."

: Raising the camera overhead and immediately taking things to an arena where she can't lose, Madoka grins. "Really? Then how do you explain this?" She flips the camera and swipes a few times, showing off different charming shots of face, full figure pose, chest, sitting pose.. "Real clumsy there, playboy!"

: Every shot is well taken and discreet, catching Itsumi on a relaxed, natural expression. This boy is slick! There comes a time when a man just has to set his head down and charge into danger. Ryo steels himself. "I already told you I was looking to photograph the most beautiful sights on the beach." He smiles at Itsumi, a touch of anxious doubt straining the corner of his eyes.

: Itsumi chuckles in response, her cheeks flushing even brighter. "Aww... thanks!" she says through her laughter. "They are nice pictures!"

: Emboldened by a positive response, Ryo goes for it and leans in to give Itsumi a passionate lip lock!

: Suddenly her giggling stops, and not having time to muster more of a reaction than a soft "oh!" she returns his kiss!

: "YOOOOO-"

: You two part as a passing Miss Sawashiro stops by. She politely gestures to you two to knock it off before moving on.

: "Sorry, but I thought, ah, after what you went through on the council, maybe I should take it slow, but, well, I'm not good at that either."

: �Hehe, it�s okay! I don�t mind Ryo! Do you have any plans the next few days??� Itsumi asks with a wry smile

: "Why no, I don't..."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jun 26, 2020

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:35

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: When done talking with Manami and Jun, Tsukiyo eventually heads towards Takano's seat, internally praying that Akane isn't with her.

: You find Takano sitting with Takashi and a second year upperclassmen, some goth looking girl. Looks like an evolution of Noriko, if this were pocket monsters.

: Approaching the group, she gives a half-hearted wave to Takashi and stares right at Hattori. "So. We didn't got to clear things completely last night."

: Takano slowly pulls her arm clear of Takashi's and sits up straight, squaring up with Tsukiyo. "And what is left undone, Chavez-san?"

: "You still haven't told us all that you know. About your old group. And about how you got in this whole mess."

: With a long sigh Senpai rolls her shoulders and settles on frowning at you. "I did, in fact, tell you how I got involved. It was Akane's old group and she came to me for help. So... you'll have to ask her about the old ORDER core."

: Itsumi picks her head up after seeing Tsukiyo walk down the aisle of the bus. She follows her and taps her on the back, �Tsuki-chan... is this really the time..?� she asks deliberately.

: Tsukiyo looks back at Itsumi and at Takano... And shrugs. "I guess we'll meet again in the school election then. That's coming soon, isn't it?"

: Takano shares a smile with Itsumi, her second on the student council. Then politely faces Tsukiyo without getting up. "May the best candidate win."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Nov 23, 2019

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:35

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Bus Ride Home
Music

quote:

: Takashi enjoys Takano's company on the bus, the two now able to sit in full tawdry PDA with their adjacent arms looped around one another at the elbow. It's all Sakura can do not to shout when you first do it. Once the two of you are getting off the bus together and are finished with the proper socialization of being in that space.. under some of Naoki's trees, next to the road.. Takano makes sure you two are at least separated from the crowd before she brings her arms around your neck, leaning forward so that your faces are close. "Have I told you how gallant you are lately? And how grateful I am.. for everything you did."

: Away from the myriad of social obligations, Takashi's easy smile grows even brighter as Takano's arms encircle his neck, "I don't believe you have," he says in a quiet voice, even though they are alone, "and I don't know about 'gallant'... I just did what I thought was right," his presses forward enough to kiss her lightly, "How grateful are you?"

: She returns the kiss and ups the ante, slipping you some tongue play in a fit of passion. When you pull apart she's grinning with excitement. "More than you could ever know. Everything that's been done to Akane.. to us.. I've.. well, I've never had someone who was as ah.." She thinks for a moment, for the opening to make a slight against her own sister is obvious. "Well.. determined as I am."

: Head still swimming from their kiss, he tilts it slightly, like his avatar, as a thoughtful expression comes to his features, "Does it excite you? What if I'm more determined?" there is a subtle Barb there, a playful jockeying for the alpha spot, that the glimmer in his eyes gives away.

: Reaching up to position her hand above your head, Takano is delighted as she basks in your "So cute" expression. She can't help but to pat the top of your head a few times with her palm, then shamelessly begins to run her nails through your hair, scratching the top of your head in a gentle repetitive line. "I'm counting on it, Kyokan." She grins, her canines poking over her lips. "I'm really excited.. you should know that me and Akane left ORDER. In fact, I dissolved the guild." She giggles, a touch more high pitched than she'd ever let escape in public. "I want your focus. We're going after those bastards. No more defensive play."

: Enjoying her physical affection he wordlessly places his hands on her hips, squeezing gently and listening until she gets to the fate of ORDER, "I still can't believe you dissolved it," he breathes with slightly wide eyes at the proclamation and her mischievous giggle. "No more defense? Who replaced my girlfriend, Queen Defender herself, with this wild girl?" he picks Takano up, lifting her feet off the ground as he makes a playful show of looking around her, "Are you hiding her?"

---

"I have a question, Ameru... and I want you to know that there are no wrong answers," hands still on her hips, her feet once more on the ground, there is no hesitation in his manner, "You're pledged to your sister, and she's throwing her lot in with Noriko... where do we stand if Noriko and I should find ourselves opposite each other at the very end?"

: Your lift prompts loud, delighted laughter! Takano kicks playfully at your front as some other students stare at the unusual outburst but that soon passes. She gently baps you on the nose. "I'm me!" Unable to escape the grip she pulls herself closer instead. "And I'm a lot scarier when provoked, you know that."

---

She considers the question seriously. "Well.. that is, I'm fairly certain they're attracted to one another. But I've thought about this a lot, Kyokan." Taking your hands and lacing your fingers with her own, she looks deep into your eyes. "We cannot use the Wish." She waits a moment, whether for you to take in what she said or to object. "What Adachi-Sensei has said, what happened on the beach.. what somebody is willing to do to win here, killing Takamura.. Takashi, it's evil." She's dead serious now, practically back to lecturing Senpai tone. "No matter what good we think we can do with it, I think it will be twisted somehow." She sighs. "You're already considering having to fight your friend?" She hugs you. "I'd hope you already have your wish.." Pulling her head back a bit she shares a soulful eye to eye. "And my answer is that.. honestly.. I'd beat you all down to prevent that Wish. I won't see any of you hurt. It's a false choice, Kyokan. When we fight each other, we've all lost."

: Her response, and the serious senpai tone she adopts sets Takashi's smile widening with every word, "Add it to the list," he says as she finishes her threat to beat everyone down. Her quizzical expression prompts him to turn their hug into another kiss, perhaps a smidge over what is appropriate for public, and when their lips finally part he continues as though the sentence never ended, "of reasons why I love you. I have no intention of fighting Noriko, nor any of my friends, unless its to stop them from becoming a monster. But I had to be sure you were... on the same page as me," his grin turns a bit sheepish for a moment but presently resumes full brightness. "I'm staying in this contest because if the wrong person wins then everyone I care about is going to suffer, and I won't let that happen," his shoulders square as she stands just a little straighter, and then upon realizing it, he laughs at himself with a gentle shake of his head.

: Senpai looks uncharacteristically naughty. Aggressive eyes, a hard downward angle to her eyebrows, a wicked smirk. "I'm glad we agree." That big shared kiss. "And I'm glad you're on board.. later this week, on a night where we don't have track the next morning.. we're going in deep. You and me." Takano seems practically overwhelmed by the sheer bravado of what she is suggesting. Is this the student council president breaking the rules!? "We're going to find one of their Mindscapes and we're going to start getting answers one raid at a time. Just you, me.. and Akane."

: "Are you sure you haven't bodysnatched Hattori Takano? She's about your height and build but she'd never condone such delinquency," he kisses her again, using a sliver of his power to pinch her rear as he does so... just enough to make her squeak, "mmm... you kiss like her though," he winks mischievously at her with a winning smile. "I'm in. They'll never know what hit them."

: That pinch is returned with an arcane spark. "I'll be in touch."

---

Back Home

quote:

-The buses are very timely and the return began in the morning, leading to everyone arriving back at Naoki and Kobe at mid day. Holding classes is pointless, so the half day is yours. Akane offers to treat you and Akio to lunch before you all head back home!

: "...something light please... i feel kind of queasy..." Noriko is pretty deflated after the bus ride, very relieved to be putting her feet on familiar ground once again.

-The revelation of Other Shore and Mister Adachi's confirmation on the bus sits uneasily. Someone in the Game who can command incredible power, do so in the real world and even worse, a troubling mastery of long-lost powers. The summoning of Jajara was proof of that.

: Akane looks delighted and has been in high spirits since that night ended. She takes you and Akio to an Ice Cream Bar in a trendy set of four blocks in the inner city. A hundred tisily kept see-through bins of candy toppings and dozens of gourmet sauce toppings await your home-churned dairy treat. You get the feeling Akane has has this one in her pocket for a long time. After a wonderful treat Akane grabs both Noriko and Akio's hands and gives them her most confident smile. "We're working together now, so we'll be stronger than ever!" It's uplifting.. a good thought to carry on the ride home. When Noriko returns to her house at around 2 PM, she can see what her Mother must be out at work. Grandmother would be home.

: "Not if you keep eating like this, you won't!" Akio replies to Akane with a laugh. "I'll have to treat you ladies to some proper food before you waste away from malnourishment. Something that isn't packed with sugar..." He glances at Noriko, unsure if she's still mad at him or not. "Um, some other time. See ya tomorrow at school!" He gives Noriko a quick peck on the cheek, waves goodbye to Akane and then splits off to head his way home.

: Noriko gives akio a bit of the side eye and makes a few snipey comments about old women through the meal but smiles when Akio pecks her on the cheek. "Idiot. Hehe... See you." Heading home, she lingers at the door for a moment, crowley shifting on her shoulder antsily. She felt like she'd been gone for months even though it had only been a few days. So much had changed about herself over the trip, she didn't feel like the same person anymore. Opening the door, she steps in and looks around.

: A murderous ambush? Sinister traps? Imposing monsters? Signs of a struggle, or the absence of family? Nothing bad happens. Grandmother is drinking tea and watching the TV and perks up considerably when you enter, rising to her feet. "Noriko, you're back!"

: Noriko gives a brief bow and smiles, with a warmth seldom shown. "Hey grandma. I'm home! I had a really good time."

: Crossing over to hug you, Grandma pulls her head back after the embrace and wears a truly sly grin. "You're not the only one, dear."

: "Ehhhh? Did something good happen while I was out, or was my absence really that refreshing?" She grins.

: Refreshing her cup and getting you one of your own, Grandmother gestures to the wall clock(a little animated set of cat paws) and then the window. "Watch for your Mother, Noriko. She'll be home within the hour."

: Noriko looks intrigued. "Oh?"

: You settle in to watch TV with Grandmother, a day time talk show on with an interview with a councilman, a music star and an independent creative artist who wears a bewildering full sized head mask and loves men with big pecs and women with big boobs. Yaro or something like that. Every time you head a car pull up(Mother takes the train!) your Grandmother checks the window by pointedly turning her head. No sign of Mother yet..

: What in the world...? Noriko considers the puzzling situation for a moment and considers asking Crowley to have a look, but he's deep in slumber in the crook of her arm and it was hard for her to disturb him. "Ne... Is mom on a date...?"

: "Oh ho ho.. something like that." She takes a very content sip.

: "You're evil. Keeping me in suspense like this...!" Noriko inches closer to the window, now deeply curious

: Chuckling under her breath, Grandmother is the spitting image of Memento Mori in the midst of building latent power. An almost wicked looking profile, but just for a second. She smiles warmly and looks to the window. "That's the one." A distinct engine. It belongs to a larger truck, at least for Japanese roads. It looks like a farm work truck with an efficient body cabin and a wide bed.

: Noriko eyes the truck warily.

: The door slowly opens, driver's side first. The trucks axle actually rises an inch when the driver steps out, a familiar silhouette of pure muscle. He steps around to the passengers side and opens that door, helping your Mother step down. The two walk to the front door making small talk, looking happy. At the door they stop... your Mother stands on top toe and kisses his cheek as Mister Matsubara bends his head down a bit to make up the height difference, and then she steps into the apartment as he gets back into his truck and pulls away, driving off.

: "Oh! Noriko! How good to see you!"

: "...Matsubara??!" Noriko is a little shocked at first, and then starts to laugh. "When did this happen?"

: "Hmm? When did what happen?" She's dressed for work and takes her coat off, hanging it up, before joining you two in the living room and giving you a sharp look.

: Noriko crosses her arms, looking a little smug. "I'm starting to wonder if you dont owe me a thank you for skipping class that day... ...that was a joke." She adds after a moment, aware this was serious business.

: Mother throws her hands up and looks shocked. "We.. we're coworkers!"

: Grandmother smirks. "Don't push your luck there, Noriko. But it did lead to something good.. hmm..?

: "Mother!"

: "...ehhhh!??!" Noriko pauses. "You're... You're... What?" Panic sets in. Oh no. Oh no! "Did you get a job at Naoki?"

: Recomposing herself and brushing her hair down, Mother grins. "As an administrative assistant. It pays more than my job at the market and the hours are even better!"

: I resolve to spend more time at nekketsu Noriko does her best to conceal the growing sense of dread. "Thats... That's great...!" Noriko smiles, laughing nervously. "I know we really need the money! and... and we'll get to see each other all the time... Haha..."

: Both share in your joy! The living room is all smiles! "Yes, we got to talking after your "sick day!" He told me about your school and today was my interview. I nailed it! I start later this week." With cheeks glowing and a rare smile, she's really thrilled.

: As much as she's dreading the prospect of this, seeing her mom happy makes it easy to put her negativity aside. "Well, of course you did. You're great, mom. You deserve this."

: "Awww, thank you honey." Your mother pulls you close in a hug and kisses the top of your forehead, utterly cherishing you and your support. Once the hug is finished she titters to herself. "We'll be taking the train together, just like when you were younger.."

: Noriko stops suddenly. "Um... Next week, huh?" She seems hesitant. "If you're going to be around school all the time... Um..." She rubs her arm absently. "I want you to meet somebody first... Maybe we could have him over for dinner...?"

: Mother and Grandmother have their interest piqued: "Ohh?" "Hmmm?" "And who might that be?" Slightly different cadence on the words but the same conclusion reached.. !

: This was it, the moment she dreaded the most. Better here than at school. Withering under the twin assault, she cant escape this deadly pincer attack. "Umm... His name is Yamamura Akio. I met him a few days after school started, he saved me from, uh, getting hurt, and, um, we just kind of started seeing each other... He's very protective, and sweet, and handsome and..." she suddenly seems to catch herself, blushing tremendously.

: Grandmothers eyes are full of fire. "From getting hurt? By what? By who!?"

: Mother shares in your blush, cupping her palms to her cheeks. "Oh my, he sounds wonderful."

: She shrugs at the question. What answer could she possibly give that would make sense? "Um. I guess it was some sort of animal... He kept it busy so I could get away." Nice. "He's kind of reckless sometimes, hehe." Blushing deeper at her mom's assessment, she replies. "Um... He... He is, so... Dont embarass me when you meet him! I'd die! I'd really die!"

: Mother and Grandmother share a whispered conversation. Mother audibly mentions concern about "my only baby." Grandmother rubs her shoulders and asks "if you know the Yamamuras.."

: In an ah-hah gesture Mother brandishes her very old fashioned smart phone and slowly touch screens her way to a social media search. The two review and judge the Yamamuras(they find Akio, then his immediate family linked to him) and confer in dark tones, their faces shadowed by the odd lighting of the commercial on the TV. Reaching agreement, they both face Noriko and smile. "We would love to meet him, Noriko."

: "Um... Thank you." She smiles, feeling a little teary-eyed. "I appreciate your support." After a few more hugs, Noriko retreats to her room, opening the blinds and having a seat by the window while she sends some texts and unwinds. After a moment of consideration, she smirks and opens up Matsubara's social media wall, posting a single smug emoji.

-You feel some small superiority in adding this inexplicable smug emoji to wall made up of simple baseball score retweets, pictures of a handsome shibe in a well kept indoor kennel and several follows and friendships to a wide array of foreign military veterans.

-That night you sleep easy until you have a new dream. You stand up in class, Noriko Mori, clad in a black dress with witch's hat. You address the teacher at the front of the classroom, a giant wearing a hole old fashioned red onesy with a floppy tail and a literal farmer's pitchfork, a lousy devil costume.

: You say "Excuse me, Sensei."

: And Matsubara replies "No need to be so strict. Call me Dad." The dream ends suddenly! It's 2 AM.

: Noriko wakes in a cold sweat! No! It was way too much! She was happy for her mother, but she didn't want to think about it at all!

: When you rise you feel something else. Something new. A craving. You're hungry. Your stomach growls. And you want.. meat. Cooked meat, but the thought of protein fats and acids elicits a small drool response!

: Noriko glances out the window longingly before looking over to Crowley's cage, meeting his beady eyes through a gap in the cover. "Hey... You want to sneak out for some yakitori? We could be there and back in twenty minutes..."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Dec 3, 2019

# ? Nov 21, 2019 04:36

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Akio's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

-The buses arrive back at Kobe before the morning is over and you're generously given the rest of the day to enjoy! You head back home and open the door, where you're greeted by a radiant Hanae in the middle of a full house clean! Everything is meticulously clean.. perfectly dusted.. even the wood is polished!

: "Akio! How was your trip? I'll have lunch ready soon, we can split it!"

: "Hi, Hanae. It was fun," he replies somewhat evasively, taking his shoes off by the door. "Sure, that sounds good. I'm pretty hungry," he says earnestly. Akane's idea for lunch hadn't done much to sate his appetite. "You're busy cleaning?"

: Your stepmother beams, taking your response for what must be an unusual show of enthusiasm and good mood. "Uh huh! Why, once the house was so empty, it just hit me like a bolt from the heavens! I've been cleaning all weekend~" Once a small meal of some admittedly well made and hearty Curry is ready she splits the meal for one with you. "Did you make a lot of good memories?"

: Let's see... I lost my virginity, got drunk for the very first time, picked psychoactive mushrooms in the forest, banished evil spirits from a hidden undeground archive belonging to the infamous Unit 731, glimpsed what seemed to have been the goddess Izanami, was thoroughly embarrassed on the beach in broad daylight, befriended a skeleton, made a pact with an Oni, was betrayed by one of my closest friends, defeated a demon lord and doomed a woman to die in the process, and that's only half of it, Akio thinks to himself as he chews on the curry. "Sure," he answers.

: As the two of you eat in your contemplative silence, Hanae smiles sweetly at you and speaks in a sing songs manner. "Akio, you know I can read your thoughts, right?" A pregnant pause. Then she cracks up laughing and waves it off. "I'm kidding! Well! Come on, surely you can share one or two..? Did you meet up with Noriko-chan?" No mention of Madoka, of course.

: For just one moment Akio feels unsure whether his stepmother actually has supernatural powers or not, and he freezes up in horror. Only when she breaks out laughing does he lets go of the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Whew... "Of course, she's in my class after all. Um..." He wracks his brain for something to tell her. "When it was overcast one day we went for a walk in a forest, it was nice."

: "A forest? Are you sure it was safe?" It doesn't take long for Hanae to be Hanae. After finishing lunch you head for your room, able to part amiably from your stepmother for once.

: When you step into your room Dahlia flies out of your pack and glides over to your bed, flopping into the pillow. "Wahh! Master, I'm so tired! We spent our vacation sneaking and fighting monsters.. I want another one!"

-Your room is impeccably clean. Too clean. Things are in different places. All your laundry is done. Even your shelves are dusted. Why.. even your computer keyboard is dusted. The monitor is wiped down. Hanae has been here. She's been here too much. Too deep. Even your older yearbooks are conspicuously dog eared.

: "You and me both... I've never felt so physically and mentally drained from having a few days off," he says to Dahlia, then notices something being off about his room. "What the hell?" Akio was none too happy to see his space intruded upon so thoroughly. "Is the concept of privacy that hard for her to grasp!?" He sincerely hoped he hadn't left anything incriminating lying around... With a heavy, weary sigh, he drops off his stuff by his bed and starts unpacking. "What have I done to deserve all this crap..."

-As you unwind the damage doesn't seem too bad. Just a lot of privacy violation in what is Hanae's misplaced and overbearing attempt to get to know you better. Something does catch your eye when you go to use your home PC, the better to check your new DDW Avatar gains with. Your anti-virus has pulled itself up and reports 29 individual invalid password attempts. The times line up with the beach trip. Hanae! There's also a strangely blank entry under Threats Detected. There are no threats detected. But the anti-virus popped up to alert you, undoubtedly because the presence of something alerted it. It has a blank entry for every day for nearly two months. If it wasn't for Hanae's raids, it would've quietly kept reporting nothing and never popping up to the level of manual inspection.

: 29 times. 29! Who the hell even does that! Before his outrage has him rushing downstairs to confront Hanae about her failed attempts at hacking his computer, Akio's attention is drawn to the blank messages his anti-virus program was giving him. Nearly two months... This has got to be it. This has got to be how ORDER had been spying on him! He had to find the virus. He starts by checking the log files to see if maybe they hadn't been blanked like the messages had.

-They were. The track covering is immaculate. You'd never know unless somebody had thrown a small wrench into things. In fact, the logs and the anti-virus pop ups are too clean. You haven't had anything questionable come in from freely browsing the net at all? Not even malware attempting to slide past your ad blocker? This is intentional.

: So his anti-virus program had been taken out of commission entirely and there were no traces to follow. Whoever wrote the virus must've been a seriously skilled hacker. Was there such a person in ORDER? He could disregard Charlotte, Royal and Bishop right away. Fenrir? Hah, no way. Thaddeus? Unlikely, he was a med student so this was outside his area of expertise... What was it that Isabelle did for a living again? If he'd been infected by a trojan there was only one thing he could think of. He navigates to the folder of the runesigil client that Isabelle had linked him and cross references its installation date to the date of the first blank entry his anti-virus spat out.

-It matches. A friendly .exe to run the card game. But what hacker could write a program that ghosts modern protections so cleanly? It should have been detected on installation alone.

: To spy on her own spy, Isabelle was just as bad as Hanae! She must've had real fun watching his every move... Dammit! If there is a silver lining to it, at least he's starting to learn a little bit about what kind of person Isabelle truly is. A master coder then? Hmm, there was one other possibility that came to his mind. She'd told him she was unable to use magic, but was that really the case? Akio's eyes start to glow with a blue sheen as he reaches for his arcane powers, allowing him to view the unassuming little executable in a new light.

Arcana (Detect Magic): 1d20+50 60

: -It takes concentrated focus to even become aware of the presence of the spell. The executable is actually very simple. The magic masking it is incredible. A master's touch. It's all your ascended spell craft can manage to become aware of it. It outlines the Runesigil and anti-virus program in a striking pink-violet runic script. There's a small monitoring display that reflects everything you've typed so far today. Keylogging.

: You can feel Dahlia land, standing on your shoulder. "Ohh, pretty."

: "Pretty, and pretty sneaky," Akio adds. He turns to look at Dahlia on his shoulder. "Remember that lady you served wine at my mindscape? She's taken the liberty to read everything I've typed on my computer for almost two months using this!" He motions toward the runic script. Hold on a second... She's been able to read EVERYTHING. Akio's eyes slowly open wide in terror as it sinks in just what she's been able to see. When he's browsed... Even that time when Noriko invited him to her mindscape and they... N-No!!! Pushing the mental anguish aside, Akio logs off the computer and stands up from his chair. "Come on, Dahlia, we've got work to do." He puts on his messenger bag and makes sure all his ritual books and notes are inside. "First stop, Borderless."

quote:

Akio's Recent Search Terms

Athletic girl
Muscular girl
Toned abs big boobs
Naoki athletic department
Nekketsu track club
Nekketsu fencing club
Swimsuit
Onis
Oni girls
Hex Maidens Cosplay
Fox girls
Big tiddy goth
Petite goth
Hand holding
BDSM
Cat girls
Massage
Petite girl stockings
Threesome
Goth girl stockings

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:54

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Akio's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

: You arrive at Borderless after the lunch rush, consisting of two middle aged women buying romance novels and a pack of middle schoolers sharing a single copy of Shounen Jump! As you approach the counter Jennifer pops up from behind it, holding her hands up in a cheesy monster pose, like claws. She's wearing a set of three googly eyes balls set on springs set in a headband. "Why don't you cast your rays of enlightenment on some good books!?" She affects a very weak "Rawr", baring plastic shark teeth. She even has a sticker of a third eye set on her forehead.

: Unsure how to react, Akio stares at her for a solid second before letting out a chuckle. "Good afternoon to you too, Jennifer. Beholder today?"

: Deadpan, Jennifer stares back at you with all eyes. "Beauty of good books is not just in the eye of the beholder, but in all of our eyes." Beat. "What can I help you with today?"

: "Of course," Akio smiles. "I'm here for the special selection, I'm looking for some books on scrying and the prevention thereof."

: Her eyes drift left. Her eyes drift right. The story is already empty save for a young man with a laptop, latte and muffin conspicuously writing in public, hoping to be noticed. But neither of you will grease that wheel today. "Follow me." She takes three steps to the other end of the counter, out of the sunlight of the front door window. While waiting for you to make the decision to join her Jennifer produces a stack of old scrolls and a curved dagger covered with odd black flecks and specks.

: Akio throws a suspicious glance at the scrolls and what definitely looked like a dagger indended to be used in ritual sacrifices, but follows her regardless.

: Gripping the dagger in one hand, Jennifer casually pulls a large tome from the shelf and sets it down. She opens it and considers the spells within. "These are very high level incantations. I am extra-planarly legally required to maintain proof of your identity in order to complete this purchase." She brandishes the knife and raises it, reaching out with her other hand suddenly! Jennifer grabs the top of the current open page and slashes it down the full length of the book spine, neatly withdrawing it in whole. "Your ID, please." She then casually uses the knife to strip open a taped up box, waiting for you.

: A hair's breadth away from reflexively invoking his wards, Akio manages to stop himself just in time as he realizes Jennifer was not actually about to draw his blood. "R-Right." Clearing his throat nervously, he produces his ID, "here you go."

: Taking the student ID Jennifer unfurls a fresh parchment and sets it face down. She holds up the knife and gives you six evil eyes before pricking her index finger with the knife tip. She draws a line of blood around the ID and lets the square sit for a moment. It shimmers with a red aura for just a split second. She removes the ID and hands it back to you, inexplicably clean. "Thank you. If you use this magic to break the law, I am obligated to assist all authorities." She sells you the ritual. After applying a band aid to her finger, Jennifer rings you up for your magical gold coins at the register. "We appreciate your patronage."

: "Wouldn't dream of it", Akio says and puts away his ID as he stares at Jennifer. Just who was she, really? Purchasing the Scry Trap ritual for 25 000 gold and Residuum for the value of 10 000 gold "Thanks." Akio stores away his purchases in his pack. "Have a nice day." He gives Jennifer a nod and leaves.

: Jennifer winks at you as you leave, raising a hand to block her third eye on the forehead so that the gesture works. Now to use the Ritual! (DM Decree: due to the average time passing between events in this game, residuum cost is to cast a trap that lasts for a month or until triggered, whichever comes first)

: "Gosh, Master, you sure do know a lot of monster girls!" Your familiar lounges on your shoulder. "Beholder, ogre, witch, tengu, wolf, zombie.."

: "And don't forget the little fairy monster," Akio says teasingly and pokes her in the belly. "I mean, it's not like all of those are real monster girls, only like two or three of them." Having made it most of their way home, Akio changes direction and heads further into the nearby park. "Which is still kind of a lot, huh..." A familiar lilac shrubbery appears in front of them. "Here we are." After looking around to make sure nobody is around, he gets down on all fours and crawls through the hidden gap between the branches, emerging in the small verdant haven he's claimed for his own.

(music)

Akio closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, entering a state of complete calmness. "Okay, let's begin." Sitting down in the grass, he takes out the page containing the ritual and follows the instructions carefully...

Arcana Reroll (Scry Trap): 1d20+50 57

: The air around him begins to shimmer as he finishes drawing the final ritual circle with a fine powder of ferric oxide and channels his arcane powers through it. He shuts his eyes and maintains concentration for another fifteen minutes or so as he channels, slowly conjuring the wards that would protect him from scrying. He reopens his eyes and the shimmering in the air fades, the ritual ending in success. "I'm not going to let them take advantage of me so easily again," he comments, then packs up his stuff and gets ready to head home. Before he crawls out through the shrubbery, he turns around and waves his hand, causing a gust of wind that blows the dust into the lake, erasing his elaborate magic circles.

---

: "I'm back!" Akio calls out to Hanae as he enters the house, then beelines for his room. Shutting the door behind him, he plops himself down in front of the computer and logs back in. The pink-violet runic script appears before him once again. It was time to do something about it. He studies it carefully before he makes his attack.

Arcana (Take 20): 20+50 70

-After a half hour of exhaustive attempts to dissect the magic and even a few lame searched engine inquiries you're faced with a terrible, immovable truth: affecting the keylogger spell is beyond you. The actual program is efficient if simple. It could be removed by a free virus scan software. The trouble is that it operates outside what code can deal with. When you attempt to modify or delete it, it smooths over and ignores the inputs. When you try to use your pure arcane talent, you find it lacking. The expertise here.. Shikome and the game can show you rough approximations of expertise in a skill, so that there is context and comparisons are possible. This is beyond your current skill. If you leveled to 30, would a raw +4 overcome the difference? This seems beyond anyone's skill. The only number of meaning you can get is Shikome meekly suggesting it may be a "triple digit" result.

-Something new pops up on the elegant script. An input window.

^{"We should talk. Please submit a preferred time and date."}

: This was just plainly unfair, how could she possibly be this good? Her skills were far beyond what should be possible within the confines of the game! Just as he's about to rip out the hard drive in sheer frustration, the input window appears. He glares at it sourly for a moment before he reaches for his keyboard.

> big tits goth teen -backstab -lying -bitch
> oops, wrong window
> remove your cute little virus and we'll talk

-The input window cursor blinks idly. It seems to only accept a time/date input.

: > I know you can read everything I write
> You'll get your time and date after the virus is gone
> and not a moment sooner

-The previous statement slowly backspaces itself out and a new message appears.

^{Very assertive, Ambrose.}

-The sigil begins to fade away and dim, soon vanishing entirely. Runesigil brings up a system prompt, asking if you want to delete the program.

: Akio hits yes.

: It's gone. Your anti-virus functions normally and reports that Big Tiddy Goths.com is a very suspect site that will likely contain malware.

: After making sure that it's truly gone using his arcane senses, he sends Isabelle a date and time through the DDW messaging app, and nothing more.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:54

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Genjuro's Apartment, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

-You've made up your mind, alone or with the party, to investigate something digging at you with anxiety and concern. The status of your brother, Genjuro. You return to the NEET nest he was crashing at and reluctantly knock on the door.

: This is a family matter after all, bringing someone from outside might be... Somewhat awkward. Instead she decides to come by herself for this...

: The door eventually opens and you recognize the immense fatbody from before. He has a big swollen black belt where his left eye should be. He winces visibly and raises his free hand, the other rattling the door knob. "N-No! Genjuro-sama isn't here anymore!" He moves to close the door! "Go away!"

: "W-whaat?" She recoils, surprised by the grievous injury that Gen's friend is sporting. Still, she reactively manages to slam her hand forward, holding the door open. "Wait, what is happening here?"

: "Nothing! Nothing!" He puts both arms and his full body weight into pushing on the door but you are magically empowered. "Mister Chavez-Sama isn't staying here! Unf! Anymore! Ugh!" Truly pathetic pushes. A small whimper. "And I am deeply sorry about any rude things I've ever said to you, Miss!"

: "Hey, heeey, wait a minute! When did he leave? He didn't warn me or grandma about this at all! You can at least tell me where he went!" She keeps effortlessly holding the door. This is a bit sad, isn't it...?

: One last ditch wheeze and push and he practically slumps down to his knees. He staggers to his feet and looks about in a panic before raising his open palms in a gesture, asking you to wait. He waddles into the apartment for a minute, there's some shouting, then he returns with a filthy coffee stained notepad. He offers it to you with both hands as if presenting a talisman to appease and ward a spirit. "His.. his new address... Forgive me, please!"

: Tsukiyo picks up the paper and immediately pulls her hand from the door, stapping back as she looks at what is written on it. "Ok, thank you~"

: The door doesn't close. From where he's flopped down onto his knees you can feel the heat of his gaze going towards impolite places. The address seems vaguely familiar, though you've never been. Inner city? Must be expensive...

: She looks at the slob with a disdainful glare... And pulls the door slammed shut! To the train station... And this new address then! But wait, did he found a job for this or...?

-One train ride later you feel like there must be some mistake. This is a premium high rise. This is where big career men and women live in the midst of a hot shot rise. Everyone coming and going is dressed in casual clothing a cut above your own in cost, material and fashion or in formal businesswear!

: Uwaaah! Brother... He must have joined the Yakuza! It's the only way he could have managed to afford this kind of place! Either that or he's some sort of Gigolo for a rich older woman! It's true then, without mom, dad or grandma to stop him, he would become a real scumbag! But it's now up to Tsuki to do that...

-The only thing to do is go in and find his room. But when you step in you find the lobby is divided and access to the apartments is locked. You'll have to talk your way past a busy looking woman at the front desk, who occasionally greets a resident on their way out and signs for the frequent deliveries, both postal and food.

: "Uhh, excuse me." She approaches the desk. "Does Genjuro Chavez lives here? I'm his sister."

: The terribly pretty dyed-blonde girl looks you up and down and chuckles good-naturedly after taking in your school uniform look. "Can I see your ID, please? And you're lucky, he usually heads out earlier than this for the whole day.." She blows a bubble gum bubble and pops it.

: He does live here! And is out all day long! How suspicious... She hands her student ID, slightly frowning while doing so.

: Accepting your pass with a quick pair of glances at the front and then to look you up and down, the receptionist grins. "Very cute, Tsukiyo-chan. Go on up." She buzzes you through, unlocking the door briefly.

: A quick nod in response, and she heads through the door, looking for the first ready elevator...

-They all seem to be in service. One opens with a prompt ding and a man you don't recognize steps out, tall, handsome and dark. He's got a deepset tan, his long hair is pulled back into a slick pony tail and his immaculate dress shirt has to strain slightly against his ripped muscles. Perfectly tailored black suit pants and shining polished dress shoes complete the look. His face is even unusually clean. He stops short as he steps out of the elevator and glares straight at you, fingers tensing around his briefcase handle.

: "What the Hell?"

: "Gwaaah?!" Wait, wait, wait, wait, is that uh.... A salaryman's getup?! "B-brother?"

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:55

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Genjuro's Apartment, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

: Despite the get up your brother manages to smolder just as intensely as always, quickly stepping up to your personal space and giving you one Hell of a looking down his nose glare. "WHAT are you doing here?"

: "I came looking for you! I went back to your old place and they said you left! Without warning anyone at home!" She glares right back at him, crossing her arms.

: He frowns and takes a half step back, out of massive aggressive posturing territory. "And? I've got a phone. I'm an adult. Are you Mom now?" Ah, the illusive Chavez parents, on one of their infamous big world trip vacations.

: Tsukiyo's frown turns into a smug expression. "Well, they are returning this month, so maybe they should hear the news about you and... Uhh whatever you are doing that is letting you live in a high rise building like this!"

: Big Brother mirrors your smug look. "Feel free to tell them, if you can before I do. This is a real job, little sister." Oh! The wolf's grin! You haven't seen this since you used to compete at parkour routes! He always won..

: "A... real job?!" She is genuinely taken aback, taking a few steps behind out of sheer shock.

: Fists on hips, shoulders flexed out wide, head tilted with a heroic ascent towards the sky, Genjuro grins magnificently. "That's right. In a big law office. And I'm crashing here in a guest room.. so you don't need to worry about me, little sister."

: "Ehhh... Brother is a secretary now... Well, I guess that's better than nothing." She crosses her arms and nods.

: "Nice try. Aren't you going to be late for school?"

: "I was worried, you know!" She pauses for a bit. "At the beach trip, me and my group... We ended up being dragged into Royal's 'other world'. We ended up having to fight her and Charlotte, and later we had to stop Bishop as well. And then someone working for... For whoever killed Takamura-san, he went and stole Royal's thread of fate. And you know what they all said? That none of them heard of you for weeks."

: Taking all of your news in, Genjuro drops the smug posturing and grin and holds a stern resting face, listening intently. When you're finished.. he shrugs. "So I'm not playing a video game for awhile. Besides, didn't you hear?" He produces his smart phone and shows you a shot from the DDW Mobile app. It shows Fenrir is guildless. "If you know Royal and Charlotte, you know they dissolved the guild this week, yeah? Maybe you can babysit them. I'm fine." He sounds a bit too cool for Big Brother.

: The elevator opens again and a middle-aged gentleman dressed in full suit steps out. He's a decent looking greying man, albeit balding steadily. He is letting it happen naturally and keeps himself very fit otherwise. "Chavez, you're still here?" He looks stunned but only briefly. He gets his composure back fast. ".. we'll be late."

: Genjuro looks over his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm heading out." He faces Tsukiyo again. "Get lost and get to class before you get suspended, banchou queen."

: "Hey, I'm not done yet...!" She tries to step forward. "I keep trying to have a conversation but you brush me off every time!"

: Genjuro scowls. "If you haven't noticed, I'm busy." The Older Man steps around both of you and heads outside.

: "Well, maybe this time you are for a change!" Tsukiyo interjects before suddenly stopping as she steps back. "Hey. At least come back to the dojo tomorrow, ok?"

: Genjuro smirks. "Nope." He moves several steps to leave, then stops halfway down the hall, turning around. "Hey, Tsukiyo. I know you went up another tier. But then.." He raises a hand and flexes his fingers like claws. His Shadow explodes upwards into his Avatar, this time a towering, even larger wolf emiting an aura of dire frost, shrouded heavily in the grey volcanic ash of a long dormant eruption. "So have I. Gotta keep you chasing my back.. and this contest, the Game. It ain't over yet." He dismisses all the aura posturing, bringing you both back to a mundane luxury building. "Like I said. Very busy. Nice to see you." He turns and walks off, waving without facing you. "Ja ne."

: Tsukiyo crosses her arms watching the display, and a smaller black wolf emerges from the shadows behind her, glaring at the other's avatar with deep piercing yellow eyes. "I'll be waiting then."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:55

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Noriko's House, Week of June 1-7, Online
Music

quote:

-You've felt dissatisfied with your Mindscape, the Garden of Persephone, since awakening to a life without Nyarlathotep's influence. You've been meaning to change it, maybe start over entirely!

-When you log on after assuring mother and grandmother that you should be left alone awhile you take a bird's eye view of your space. Something is grossly wrong. Great spans of the woods are burning. Smaller patches are frozen over, melted or rotting, the plant life wilting. Many trees are upended, torn out down to the roots. A small screen displays that Claudia, Carmilla, and Callista are out of commission. Your Butler is hanging on but keeps bouncing between 5-15% health?

: Noriko frowns. She had entertained the possibility of this happening, but hoped the game would just be a game for once. She considered asking for help, hovering for a minute over her contact list before closing it and shaking her head. "No... This is my responsibility." Looking over Watanabe's fluxuating health pool, she feels a bit of alarm. "...Am I being invaded?" Noriko tries to track down her butler.

-Your view crops down to an unfocused summary of your main chamber inside the largest tree. You can only see red dots representing the Invaders. 20 of them. A raid group, a full one! Two are Large, the rest are Medium. 15 races list as Dragonborn, 5 as Kobold. The highest level is.. 30, a Sorcerer. The rest span from 15 to 25. Watanabe is in the center, boxed in by the two Large dots and four others. He is cycling between being knocked Prone, standing, and Stunned, regenerating naturally. The highest level dot is sitting at your place of honor. The remains of your attendants are in the same chamber. You can revive them when you reset the instance but for now. You can "attend" as the Master of the World and get a closer view but it's obvious you'll be warping into a trap.

: Noriko lets out a frustrated sigh, but feels a bit of relief, oddly. "...It's better than Him, I guess. Maybe the game really is going to just be a game." Noriko shifts into her batform, sweeping the area overhead.

-You affect a powerful and unexpected angle of stealth, Humanoids not being accustomed to looking up. Entering the game space as a bat proxy lets you see the details.

: Thaddeus is sitting in the lap of a big Amazonian red dragon bimbo in Red Sonja armor, flanked by a tribal hides covered black dragon looker who has a trio of solid looking quadrapred lizard skeletons by her legs.

: Watanabe is surrounded by a pair of giants, white scale and a strange, spiked off-purple scale with a huge barbed tail and matching club.

: There's a dignified looking blue dragonscale and a pair of kobold twins outfitted as rogues. The rest are less stand out.. presumably lower leveled.

: Ah, in the far back are some big shots. So to speak. There's another tribal looking green dragonscale with a pair of heavy orbs to be substituted as implements, and a small fancifully dressed kobold holding an actual crystal ball. The Oracle occasionally provides a searing ray of radiant light that is part of locking Watanane in the CC cycle. The rest is the brutes beating him. Otherwise there's about ten others spread along the back walls, watching casually.

: The green scale has a familiar large owl on her outstretched arm. Barnabus! Or at least an in game digital representative.

: The blue-scale bimbo from House of Fortune leaves the wall and crosses over to the blue scale male attacking Watanabe. Blue_Beauty claps and cheers him on! "Good one!"

: "It's just a target dummy at this point. Is she coming?"

: "We can just raid it again tomorrow if she doesn't.. but Thadd insists we talk to her."

-Your attendants are here too.

All that remains of Claudia is a burning stake ringed in ash.

Carmilla is pinned to a wall by multiple javelins through the torso and chest, Sunder sitting bored and lounging under her.

The only remaining piece of decorative furniture is a small wash tub, where a set of oddly bundled chains and Callista's clothing sits in a pool of water that hums with holy energy.

: Thaddeus is wearing the guild tag of <DRAGON> instead of ORDER.

: Noriko moves out to the far edge of her mindscape. No reason to make it easy on them when they look. Opening up a broadcast chat, she addresses the group.
Memento-Mori: If you wanted to have a chat with me you shouldn't have brought a raid group
Memento-Mori: Do you think I'm stupid?
Memento-Mori: A friend of mine wanted me to mention, um, "Owls are poo poo"? I'm not sure what that was about.
Crowley pops into existence adjacent, keeping quiet. Looking down at him in her lap, she whispers in person: "Go after him if he comes looking for us. I doubt he's as tangible as you. Um, stay safe, though."

: Thaddeus perks up in the main chamber, tapping his talons together like finger tips and barking orders. "Sunder, start tracking. Spike, sniff her out. The rest, flanking groups and sweep!" He levitates off his comely associate's bosom and floats in midair, switching to broadcast/yell himself. "Miss Mori! Just paying back your hospitality from last time, though if you fancy a repeat of the best parts we'll have to meet face to face!" Barnabus takes to the skies above the forest. The Large white-scale soon joins him. Just the two flyers. They fly independent of one another in wide circles though. Thaddeus isn't exposing himself it seems.

: Memento-Mori: Yeah. (ﾒﾟ皿ﾟ) I'll get right on that.
Memento-Mori: I'm sorry for the damage this may do to your pride, but nothing about our last two meetings impressed me in the slightest, except perhaps the size of your ego and your incredible pliability when faced with a husky voice and a little praise.
Memento-Mori: It's cute but mostly just exploitable, am I right ladies? :hearts:(�⌣�ԅ)
Noriko shifts through her inventory and selects a newly purchased wondrous item: A Magic Broom! It was a little hard to fight on, but if she had to, it would work in a pinch. She didn't equip it yet, holding off until she'd be spotted. Noriko and Crowley split up, staying just close enough for Noriko to teleport into him if she needed to.
Stealth: 1d20+19 35

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:55

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Noriko's House, Week of June 1-7, Online
Music

quote:

: Thaddeus throws his hands up and let's out a loud growl! "You can see my power, Mori! The size of my tribe! Large! Powerful! Invincible! This contest is mine and when it is over, you have to ask yourself if you want to be one of my enemies or one of my friends! I will be a wealthy, powerful man! I can make quite a few dreams come true with that alone!"

: Memento-Mori: I think what I see is the kind of man who shows up to fight a girl who rejected him with dozens of his friends. Very creepy!
Memento-Mori: Like I said: Nothing impressive. You can't see me, but I'm shrugging right now.

: Thaddeus snickers. "Proof I take you seriously. This is your battleground. And so I ask if you'll join us. You would make a most striking Black Scale Head.."

: You fly past the black-scale necromancer who is ignoring orders and moving about solo with her skeletons. She's seething visibly, grinding her teeth with tight fists. You also spot the Oracle a few places behind a wall of melee meat. Maybe your new spells.. as master of this world..

: Noriko cycles through her new spell list and fires off a ghost sound as far out as it can go. this ought to surprise them. Funneling her microphone audio into the ghost sound, she howls with laughter, Crowley joining in a mad cackle of crowing. "OH MY GOD... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

: The Oracle gestures and illuminates a dark spot with conjured light. Two of her four goons rush it to investigate. The Necromancer, separate from then, sends all her skeletons to tear apart nearby brush, leaving her isolated.

: Noriko looks at the Necromancer for a moment, and she can feel a weird feeling bubbling up in the pit of her stomach. What in the hell does this bitch think she's doing in my domain? Noriko conjures a mage hand into the space next to her, letting it handle her normally inaccessible use-items while in bat form; Jotting a quick note on a piece of paper, she infuses explosive runes into the scroll and drops it directly at the necromancer's feet from overhead, before zipping off.

The paper reads: "GET OUT"

: Black scale picks the paper up, reads it and sneers. A moment later she violently explodes. The explosion is dramatically stronger than you expected. She's unconscious!

: Memento-Mori: That's going to leave a stain. Didn't you hear? Necromancers aren't allowed here.

-It seems your spells as Master of the World are something else entirely. Maybe you could use one to pick apart that tight knit Oracle's group? They've reformed.

: Memento-Mori: You know what I couldn't help but notice? You got rid of all my guardians. I suppose they were exactly as much of a pain as I planned them to be?
Memento-Mori: Surprise, I had one left. （�・｀）♡

Noriko aims a Scare spell right into the middle of the warrior ranks, a shimmering illusion of one of her impressive portal guardians fading in like it was just popping into the zone.

: Three of them fail their saves, so to speak, and run in automated terror. The Oracle holds her ground and flicks her claws across her crystal ball, imbuing one with supernatural bolstering against fear and recalling him. That leaves her with two guards. The other two lacerate themselves to death fleeing through rose bushes.

: Opening her mouth wide, Memento-Mori's bat jaw dislocates as a stream of wriggling things pour free from her mouth; Horrid, icky tentacles wriggle around the warriors, binding them in place as a swarm of snakes slither in to latch on with venemous fangs.

: With an unexpected hacking cough your tongue dislodges itself(illusionary, thankfully) and follows the swarm, landing with a ground shaking tremor. It rises up like a fat, bloated leech and flicks out a set of cylindrical bladed teeth at the wound as a new mouth. Hungry for blood it chases the lone Oracle off after draining the warriors down to husks!

: Noriko feels herself blush. "how embarrassing..."

-Crowley spots the big spiked boy wandering around, picking up and sniffing at random things. He also sees Barnabus alone on a far corner of the area. Noriko sees a small troupe led by the blue-scale fighter and blue beauty. The flying white is also getting close in his sweeps.

: Noriko flies up, banking around the edge of the white flyer's area; Catching a gust of wind, she goes limp and falls, motioning like she was drawing a little bat bow; Two bolts of acid connect with the dragonkin's wings. Noriko catches the air and rights herself, circling for a moment as she pulls up her mindscape interface and sets Watanabe to passive mode for now. It wouldn't be good if he got up already! "Stay down, it'll be time soon."

: You snipe white-scale in a surprise ambush, his wounded wings not supporting his great weight. He falls and survives, getting back up and drawing a battle axe with an extra-wide, very scratched up head.

: Memento-Mori: Careful, that applies a dot
Memento-Mori: I'm helping ^^;

: The survivors are banding together. Only the big spiked guy is still traveling alone. That and Barnabus, the only flyer still active.

: Sending Crowley after Barnabus, she swoops around behind the giant, darting straight in. I guess it's time to show myself. Just as feathers are about to fly, she collides with the back of the giant, shifting back into normal form just in time to deliver a startling jolt of electricity via a shocking grasp! Teleporting back about fifty feet, she feels a tightening in her calves and an unfamiliar urge: She wanted to run. Digging her heels in, she dashes across grave dirt, flickering as she gains speed; She collides again with the dazed giant, this time with her weapon, hitting with a thunderous boom that resonates across the mindscape.

: Putting hands to the big lug stings: those spikes are barbed and everywhere! It reflects a small bit of poison into you. You follow up and give him a powerful one two combo with the charge! He staggers and begins to fall before steadying and turning, grinning stupidly. "Gotcha!" Spike blunders forward with the grace of a boulder and sweeps you up in his arms for a crushing squeeze!

: (Excuse me if this is a bit direct, Miss!)

-Playing the dullard for RP!?

: "Over here! Spike catch!"

: Noriko had hoped for the one-shot, but that had been naive. Rolling her eyes, Memento-Mori teleports out of Spike's grasp with ease, waving to him a few yards out. "Ehhhhhhh, you didn't quite have me! Over here, big guy!" Activating her Magic Broom, she sits down and zips off, away from the big guy and the whole group, making sure to stay within teleport range of Crowley.

: The group has banded together and is on the hunt, scanning the skies as they go. Crowley confronts his old foe, Barnabus. The fat owl seems surprised by his swoop in, taking a defensive loop back, descending towards a still standing tree top <"What is this!? Hoo are you!?">

: <"Not bloody playing, you fat sack of feathers."> Crowley's talons flash in the moonlight as he goes in for the kill!

: Your newly ascended raptor knight finds his prey easy pickings. His blades talons and armored grips make it easy to wring the owl's surprisingly thin neck and snap it. Barnabus dies as easily as a true 4e DDW familiar caught out from his master's passive aura. He falls to the ground, so much still feathers.

: You can hear the green scale, Noxia, wailing below. "They got my familiar! Poor baby!"

: Noriko rips through space at that moment, Crowley dissappearing as she assumes the veil of invisibility! Coming from behind, she coasts along the outer edge of the search party and fires a spell into the densest clump: Evard's Black Tentacles erupt in a wide area, the lashing appendages grappling and strangling as she darts back out and away from the group again, heading back towards the center of the mindscape

Memento-Mori: You all sure are persistent. Why don't you just leave? (๑ↀᆺↀ๑)✧

-The tentacles erupt with an additional gaping maw of extra-dimensional horror and teeth! But the remaining core of Thaddeus' clutch take to it without complaint, steadily fighting back.. this won't last forever!

: As the others are bogged down with her tentacles, Noriko applies two layers of Resist Energy to Watanabe from overhead; Lightning and Fire, followed by a silent image, a patch of burned out overgrowth appearing where her butler had been, almost like he'd simply despawned, at least at a glance.

"Alright, alright. You want to chat, I'm here." Lowering herself down, she becomes visible in the center of the arena, sitting casually, side-saddle across her broom.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:55

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Noriko's House, Week of June 1-7, Online
Music

quote:

: As you move to buff Watanabe you recognize a moment late that your throne was still occupied. Thaddeus drops his invisibility and plucks a floating red or from the air at his side. "Ancient Empowered Fireball! Delayed Blast Fireball! Hahaha! AND FIREBALL!" In triplicate he immolates Watanabe in a climatic combo cluster of explosions! The interior of the tree is lit on fire and the little bastard hops up and claps, laughing. His arm candy leans on the throne besids him, looking you up and down.

: Noriko feels her blood boil over. All that planning! ALL THAT PLANNING! "YOU LITTLE poo poo!"

: Thaddeus grins, his tail practically wagging. "Did you have fun? Did you think you could win without confronting the King? That's a poor Check!" He shrugs his shoulders and hangs his hands out to either side. "But I'm most eager to know if you've wised up. I'd most like to see you in your black-scale garb again."

: Noriko whirls behind her, snarling. "ANCIENT MAGIC: WALL OF CHAINS!" the barrier erupts behind her, separating the rest of the group off by a physical wall. Looking back over to him, she smirks. "...As pliable as ever, by the way. I wouldn't have known you had access to the old magic if you hadn't shown me. So... Was it you?"

: His lips curl up in the most fiendish little grin. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Mori-chan." You can hear bodies filing in, armor and weapons clamoring, low snarls and chuckles on the other side of the wall of chains.

Music

: Noriko's pupils constrict to pinpoints. "...Be very careful about what you say, Thaddeus." Though her voice is cold, one-note, her eyes are murder.

: The two giants, the blue-scales, Sunder as the sole metallic, the Oracle and Necromancer(heavily wounded and bloodied), a fuming green-scale. And the Reds before you. "All I have to say.. is what I've said. This game will resolve with my victory. All of my allies, my dear friends, will benefit just to know me. Their lives will be easier. They will have the mightiest friend in life imaginable. And as I'm so fond of you, you are invited to this particular club.. but I won't extend the offer again." He grins and preens his claws. "But don't worry. I do like you, after all. We won't hurt you."

: "Drop dead." She spits. "The only thing you've given your friends today is a lifetime of torment."

: There's something extra in the wall of chains. It waits for your command. It'll be messy though. It resonates with the rage you're feeling. Laughter blossoms from both sides. Thadd's new red beau laughs the most with him. Sincerely, honestly, fawningly. "Ahh.. that's a shame. I'll miss this place. It's quite cozy.'" He peers over to where your attendants were tortured. "Remember this when you're on the losing side, Mori. A woman can have too much fire, after all. The next time we see you, you'll get no mercy. You and your.. ah heh.. friends."

: Noriko tries to feel out the presence. She didn't want a repeat of what happened before. She grasps onto it, as uncomfortable as she feels in the moment. I have to do something...

-Tapping into the unknown mastery of another Noriko, you empower your Ancient spell... there's techniques.. mastery.. you've only seen it once before and it was strange then, the old guardian that couldn't be Bloodied. Headcount. Because he wasn't a 4e Creation. All of the chains whirl together and snap into an angry human shape, looking over the tree interior, hunching slightly. A real Golem! In an insane rage it rushes the largest group! Total chaos! Pandemonium!

: Noriko breathes a sigh of relief as the golem bails her out. Leaning back on her broom, she smiles. "It's been great, but I really have to go now. I'll enjoy making you and yours pay for this over and over and over again." She waves as she begins to fade, her grin the last thing to go, like a cheshire cat. "Ja, ne."

: The two watch you go. You're able to watch Thaddeus pluck out the small bit of paragon-tier loot you assigned to Watanabe. He laughs and immolates it all down to the gold before melting and scattering that around the room.

: Private Message to Thaddeus:
Memento-Mori: I'm not going to go out like Takamura did
Memento-Mori: Don't let me catch you someplace you shouldn't be.

-You're able to reset the Garden once they've all left. To revive your attendants. To disable the dungeon and combat, make it a social gathering place.

: Noriko frowns, looking over the landscape. For all the frustration the raid had made her feel, she knew this was for the best. She'd been in a dark place when she'd erected this space, and she felt uncomfortable here, even after the intruders had gone. She had tainted this place. She would have to start over. Pulling up the mindscape interface, she locks the zone and wipes away the landscape with a gesture, spilling the unhallowed ground out into the sea, the shifting land displacing great mountains of water; All at once, the water freezes in place; A moment later, ti begins to snow, in a whiteout blizzard, engulfing all vision and replacing all sound with the howling gale of the wind.

Noriko focuses on the sound of the wind, imagining herself, her real self floating above her mindscape. She felt the cold air fill her lungs, focused on the sensation, pushing aside all other thought. She sits there for what feels like an eternity; Probably closer to an hour. The landscape shifts below her, responding to her unconscious thought. Reaching inward, she finds the place she's looking for and latches on.

The snow clears up all at once; Memento-Mori finds herself floating under a perfect night sky, bathed in the glow of the stars and brilliant aurorae. Below is a small keep and village built in a glacial valley, caretaker to rows of neatly manicured, perfectly cared for headstones, crypts and sepulchers. Along the main streets are strands of paper lanterns and festival stands manned by shadowy workers, ready to serve. Landing in the village center, Watanabe is waiting for her. Though Noriko feels a little silly doing so, she finds herself apologizing to him nevertheless. "I managed this place foolishly and invited this on us. I'm sorry. This won't go unanswered... It also won't happen again."

Noriko goes into the administrative control panel and sets the options in place to lock out hostile behavior, and enables a moderator script on Watanabe and her attendants to handle problem guests who just wanted to make noise. Then, she opens the gates. The flow of spirits into the graveyard resumes again for the first time in a long while. They mill about at their headstones for a time, and then funnel out into the wider graveyard, forming queues at festival stands and striking up murmured conversations that carry on the chill wind.

Lights flicker on in taverns and the sound of music spills out into the streets. Noriko smiles, happy to see things in place again. Flying up to her keep, she crosses the walls and looks down upon a fallen limb from her once-great tree, splintered and burned but forming new growth all the same. She lands on one of the middle branches and slides through a gap in the wood, entering her private quarters, the branch effectively acting as the tower at the center of her keep.

The place was in disarray, but that could be fixed too. Righting a pushed over table, Noriko sets out a slip of paper in front of herself. Filling out the form, she makes a decision for herself, at least for now: If she was going to deal with Thaddeus, she couldn't do it alone. Her friends were enough for the big battles, but they were fighting a war now. She needed her own army. Signing her name at the bottom, she submits the document and a new tag appears over her head.

quote:
Memento-Mori <Nōkanshi>

Moving through the interface, Noriko opens up her channel broadcast and adds it to every relevant tag she can, slipping in a few hidden tags: "Raven Queen", "Raven Queen RP" and "Ganker Guild". She left most of the zone wide open to all visitors, save for the keep, which is locked down under multiple layers of access. Though she feels a little embarassed in what she's setting out to do, she presses forward.

quote:
~Adrift on the Shore of Letherna~
~~ Persephone's Moonlit Garden ~~

~what a wonderful night to have a curse~
relax in gentle repose

Graveyard Roleplay Area
User Capacity: Epic | Amenities: Full
<Custom Moderation Script in Use>
No PVP | RP Combat in Approved Areas

A moment after opening the zone, the gate to the keep opens and a lone NPC wheels out a flower cart through the gap before it slams shut behind her. Sitting beside it, she hands a few flowers out to some passing spirits before setting up a sandwichboard sign.

quote:
Claudia <Nōkanshi>
<<Accepting Applications>>

: Noriko takes off her headset and logs out. After a moment, she picks up her phone and prepares some group texts.

Group Text posted:
Messaging: "The Party"
Noriko: I need everyone to be as relaxed about this as possible
Noriko: I was attacked by Thaddeus. He completely destroyed my mindscape. I wasn't hurt, but he made a big rear end of himself and I am now a hundred percent sure that he is awakened.
Noriko: He is further ahead than any of us. It's not even close.
Noriko: We should assume he is the person we've been looking for. Even if he isn't, he represents just as great of a danger.
Noriko: Please be careful. And please don't do anything stupid...

: Noriko sends a second set of texts to the people she knew she could trust to push her the hardest. Socially, physically, academically... She was going to have to be at the top level in every category.

Group Text #2 posted:
Messaging: "Akane, Takano"
Noriko: I had an unpleasant encounter with Thaddeus
Noriko: He completely destroyed my mindscape. He is awakened, and further ahead than all of us. I'm fine, I just...
Noriko: I... Still really want what I want out of this. I still want my wish to come true.
Noriko: But... More than anything...
Noriko: I want to stop him from winning. I have to, no matter what.
Noriko: There's nothing that someone like him could ever want that would be good or make the world better for anyone but himself.
Noriko: I can't hide in the dark anymore. I have to do something. I am willing to do whatever it takes.
Noriko: Please help me get stronger!

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:55

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Tsukiyo's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

: Returning home from school late one afternoon after Kendo Club, you arrive back at the dojo and spy an unfamiliar shape lounging on your front steps. It is a chubby little shibe. He's only a few inches smaller than average, but it's still distinct enough to immediately stand out. He doesn't have a collar or any tags. As you approach he lazily rouses himself, stretches fully, yawns and trots over to greet you, tail wagging.

: "Hm, a stray?" She crouches and waves at the small dog. "Sorry, little guy, but I'm not really into pets. Run along now, I guess you can find someone else to take you in the neighborhood ."

: He hops up on his hind legs and sets his front paws on your leg, licking your hand rapidly. His tail wags faster and he pants a little, ears tilting upwards in curiosity and greeting.

: Ahh... How annoying. She picks up the small dog and carries it with her as she enters the house. Maybe she can call Miho or someone to take it from her or something.

: He wiggles around in your arms, excited to be picked up but anxious to be set down. He whirls around until he can get his head close to yours and licks your cheek while flicking his tongue out to lap at the sides of his snout. Grandmother isn't home yet.

: "Stop it." She mutters from under her breath. She doesn't want to leave the dog alone in the house to wreck or pee on stuff, so she just leaves for the street and closes the door. Time to push this to some neighbor.

: You notice that one of the houses on the street has been recently vacated. And nobody is willing to spontaneously adopt a strange dog.

: "Ugh!" She grunts, clearly annoyed at the failure to find a prospective adopter. "Fine! Ok, I'll keep you for the weekend and see if Miho or someone else can take you." She takes the small dog to the house, and puts him on the floor. "I guess I can give you some of bro's old beef sticks as well."

: This little guy looks to you super happily once he gets some of Genjuro's abandoned snack foods. He probably needs a name.

: "Dog. Stay quiet there."

: Dog is content to lounge about in your room and rest/snooze on the floor for now.

: Good. Mom and dad are coming home next week, the last thing she wants is for them and grandma to know that a blasted pup has peed all over the sofa. Perhaps she'll use the time to watch some anime...

: Just as you're about to see the big payoff of Chiyo confessing to her crush you're interrupted by the loud, frenzied sounds of dog claws dashing across hardwood flooring. ... You hear a loud whump and then frenzied scratching, claws on tile. No more running though.

: "Ughya!" She leaps up to action, and rushes towards the source of the sound. "N-Not the floor, don't scratch it!"

: He's not there! It's coming from the bathroom! You find Dog inside the bathtub, having hopped in and gotten stuck. He laps up some water and then paws at the side wildly, unable to get out.

: "Ahhh, darn it, you wanted some water, huh?" Unfortunately there's no bowl inside the house. Maybe she should let it drink from the toilet? No, no, better to just leave it drink from the bathtub for a while.

: There's hardly enough water in the leftover moisture to satisfy Dog! When you help him out if the tub he paws at your leg, clearly wanting something from you.

: Hmm. She thinks for a while... And then puts Dog inside the bathtub again before rushing down, looking for a small-ish water bucket. She fills it with tapwater before returning it to the bathroom and putting it on the floor and taking the small pup out to drink from it.

: Dog eagerly drinks his fill of water before accompanying you back to your room. He hops on your bed, circles twice and flops onto his side, panting happily.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:56

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Tsukiyo's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

: "Yeah, no." She picks Dog and puts him on the floor. "Not on my bed."

: Dancing around, Dog tries to paw and gently bite at your hand, misinterpreting the gestures as play time. When you don't respond he hops back onto your bed to snooze.

: God loving drat...! Ok. Tsukiyo clenches her hand as hard as she can, trying her best to suppress her anger before she quietly picks up one of the pillows and puts it below Dog, before lifting pillow and pup alike and putting it on the floor.

: This seems to convince Dog to keep sitting. He soon starts snoozing.

: Stupid animal. Hrmph, hopefully tommorow she can get someone to take it out of her hands...

: About two hours later when you forget that Dog is an entity because he's sound asleep and because you're witnessing the fallout of Senpai's stupid three way love triangle.. the front door opens, audible through the whole household, and Grandmother loudly calls in.

: "Tsukiyo! Can you help me carry something in?"

: With a loud BARK Dog rises and immediately takes off down the hall like a little furry rocket!

: A second call follows, much sharper. "TSUKIYO!"

: Crap. Crap. Crap! "I-I'm coming, grandma!" Tsukiyo rushes to the front door, and immediately gives an apologetic bow upon seeing grandma. "I'm sorry! It's just... It followed me here, I was going to find someone else to take it in."

: When you arrive you witness a most unusual scene! Grandmother Clara, laughing like a little girl, bent over at her knees, palms resting on them, her face lit up with a smile as she coos down at Dog, who sits at attention, panting and wagging his tail. "He. Is. Adorable! What a darling little fellow!"

: "Get away from her you mut-" Wait, she's enjoying it? "Grandma?"

: Her face briefly turns stern as she looks to Tsukiyo. "He's no mutt." She looks back to Dog and is all smiles again. "The house has been too quiet since Genjuro left. What is his name?" Reaching down she offers the side of her hand and Dog nuzzles his cheek against it.

: "...Dog."

: Grandmother's chop lightly jolts your forehead. "That is not a name!"

: Tsukiyo clutches her head! "Gyah! I was going to give it away anyway, why even need to name it?"

: "Give him away!? I could do no such thing!"

: "What."

: Grandmother gives Dog more attention while musing aloud. "We'll need to set the vet, I can do that first thing tomorrow." She opens her wallet and hands you a formidably large note. "Head to the corner store and get him some food. Think of a real name, won't you? And he'll have to be walked at least twice a day." Mother and Father may live here but Grandmother owns the property.

: "B-but I don't want to raise a dumb dog!" She pouts.

: "Tsukiyo!" Clara sizes you up not with sternness, but her secret weapon. Sincere disappointment. "You are of two cultures that know enough to appreciate a good dog. I am only asking you to help keep him exercised and.. to not dirty the house. You may ignore this noble little gentleman as much as you like otherwise. Now please, go to the store!" Dog looks to you with an excited head tilt and tail wag. It would be a good distance to walk him there and back.

: This is the worst...! It's just like Grandma to hitch her with this horrible furry beast. Tsukiyo sighs and gives an affirmative nod as she leaves towards the convenience store, being followed by the horrid little creature.

: A detestable chore but a simple one. All is going well after you purchase the goods and Dog trots along obediently, shadowing you without trouble or even a proper leash. Then things take a turn for the tragic as you are huffing along with the bag of dog food, the little chap trotting ahead of you along some public grass features. He comes to a halt, hunches his hips forward and squats, beginning to do his business. This isn't unexpected from a dog but the civic and social need to clean up after him makes you aware that you're not carrying anything to ah, handle the goods.

: "Little filthy thing." Tsukiyo mutters from under her breath, watching as the dog craps on the grass. Yet, as if taken with a stroke of inspiration, an impish grin forms on her face as she leaves him to do his business and heads to the house. "Finish already, Filthy, or else you are staying with that." She says, looking back and wondering what grandma would think of that name...

: It only takes a moment for Dog to finish his business and catch up to you, relishing the chance to run! You can feel the subtle sting of social judgement as you pass along the suburb street back to your house. You were quick and find Grandmother finishing up putting away her shopping.

: "Here you go, Grandma..." She says while putting the goods atop one a table in the main room. "Uhh, are you really thinking of keeping Filthy?"

: Grandmother sighs and gives you a real chop, one that'll put brief stars in your eyes. "Yes, and I will name him." Dog waits excitedly to receive even more food as Grandmother prepares a bowl for the dry food.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Apr 4, 2020

# ? Nov 24, 2019 23:56

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Kunio's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

-Later that week you've accepted an invite along with Felix and Ken to answer an urgent call for help from a tried and true male friend. Arriving at Kunio's house you come to a tiny but well-kept lawn in a nice part of the city, right at the edge between suburbia and not. An old time house, grandfathered in by everything else being built around it.

: An urgent call from Kunio... Akio sure hoped it wasn't going to be anything skeevy this time around, but he wondered if he was wishing for too much. Still, if he needed help then of course he'd be there for him. He looks over at Ken. "Have you been to Kunio's before, is this it?"

: Ken nods twice. "Yeah, man! This is the place! His pops runs a tight ship. And his moms well.. his moms.. heh heh." He blushes and rubs the back of his head.

: Akio shakes his head and lets out a groan. "Get you mind out of the gutter, man." Safe in the knowledge that they had the right house, he walks up to the door and rings the bell.

: Ken performs his trade mark space invasion and peers at you eye to eye from an inch off the side of your head. "Not like that, kouhai! You'll see!"

: Felix laughs nervously. "Ah, Akio.. Kane wasn't at school today either." He hasn't come all week. Adachi has tipped you off that the excuse has been a "family emergency."

: "Good, let's hope it stays that way."

: Felix sighs. "There's no coming back from this, is there?"

: Akio sighs as well. "I hope he wisens up before he gets hurt, but I wouldn't count on it... I get the impression whoever he's working for is just taking advantage of him. Still, he should've known better than to betray us."

: "Maybe. I can't help but worry.. what if.. he wants it?"

-The mood is grim for a moment, interrupted by the sound of approaching footfalls and a sing song voice announcing "Just a minute!" The door is answered by a busy-looking house wife, some sewing pins and a needle balanced carefully in her teeth, a boy's dress uniform for Naoki in her other hand. She has her hair pinned up.

: Miss Igarashi smiles warmly. "Ken, it's so nice to see you again! And you two gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you!" She nudges the door aside with her foot and offers her free hand. "I'm Mrs Igarashi."

: "Ah... Nice to meet you, I'm Yamamura Akio." Akio tries to cover up his initial stumble by quickly performing a polite bow. "...is Kunio in?"

: Ken looks bashful. "Nice to see you too, Misses I!"

: Mrs Igarashi smiles and at least Felix takes you the offer of the handshake. "Oh Ken, I hear you hit a double the other day. You must be the best batter on the school's team!"

: Absorbing the compliment Ken can't help but grin and laugh. "Y-Yeah, that was me.. thanks!"

: "Ah, I'm Felix Bedford."

: "You two must be the rising stars of the Karate club!" She pumps his hand firmly and smiles anew. "And your Japanese is so good!" She turns her good will upon Akio and beams. "Yes, he is! I'm so glad you boys could help him! You have such good hearts! Just go right upstairs!" She steps aside to let you in.

: "O-Of course. Thank you." Akio looks at the others to make sure he still had them with him and makes his way upstairs.

: You move through the cozy home decorated with thoughtful care and head upstairs, spotting an open room where your old pal Kunio sits at a desk, deep in thought. He doesn't even notice guests arriving. His room seems normal enough. Small book shelf with old time literate texts, a small zen garden by the window, a bench and barbell/dumbbell set for exercise. A desk for writing and writing along, no electronics. By his side is the day's mail and a strange necklace of ornamental brass with a set of random feathers strung in it. The walls are decorated with alternating posters of admirable athletic figures, powerful men and women.

: Akio instantly recognizes the necklace as something likely belonging to Shiokaze. Was Kunio having girl troubles, maybe? He knocks on the open door as he enters the room. "Hey, Kunio, we're here. Your mother was nice enough to let us in."

: "Yes, very nice." Ken laughs and greets a rising Kunio with a double pat on the arm and a shared manly forearm grab.

: Kunio smiles at all of you. "I'm glad to see you, Akio. I heard you were a bit gloomy these days."

: Akio shrugs, not eager to talk about it. "I like your house," he says, changing the subject and takes a look around the room. "Very old school..." He turns his head back to face him, looking him in the eyes. "So, what's up Kunio? I heard you needed some help."

: You brush off Kunio's concern, though he never takes his hands off your shoulders. When you look him in the eye you find him waiting to do the same the entire time. A very intense focus. "I'm grateful for the compliment, Akio. But this is part of why I called my friends here.." He lets your shoulders go and paces the room. "There are times in his life when a man has to take stock of things. One of them is when his friend is in trouble.." He looks you dead on. "And the other.. is when he is at a crossroads.." He looks to the feather necklace.

: "Yeah, you've been really down, Kouhai!"

: Felix laughs and averts his eyes. "It has really stuck out.. since the beach trip."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 25, 2019 00:13

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Kunio's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

quote:

: "Eh?" Akio is flabbergasted, he hadn't seen this coming at all. "Me?" He shakes his head and looks away. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing. I'm fine."

: Felix comes up to you and affectionately raps his knuckles against your chest. "You're among friends here, Akio. You don't have to be tough all the time."

: Ken grabs your shoulder and slaps your back twice as Felix backs off. "Yeah! We all know you're badass, there's nothing to prove!"

: Kunio nods. "Well. You can talk about it when you're ready. But we're worried about you, is all."

: Akio stares down at his feet, feeling pretty awkward about the entire situation. "Well... Thank you for your concern." Taking his eyes off the floor, he looks at them each in turn. "I mean it. I'm not used to having friends like you." He sighs. "But even if I wanted to talk I'm not sure what to say. There's just a bunch of... conflicting emotions. Sorry."

: "It's alright, we're here when you're ready."

: Ken nods twice.

: Picking up his mail and reading an envelope, Kunio grins. "Conflicting emotions.. it's man's greatest trial." He produces a dapper little pocket knife and opens the letter, producing a hand written note and a single tidy green feather. Looks like it belongs to a strange, rare pigeon. He reads the letter over and closes his eyes. "Guys, I think Hayate is the one." Kunio picks up the feather and goes to add it to the necklace.

: "Really? That's great, Kunio." Akio is relieved to move on to the new subject. "But... are you sure? You haven't been together for all that long."

: Ken claps. "Alright, man!" Felix smiles. "She's certainly something else."

: Kunio grins. "Yeah, well, I want to tell her that I want to.. ah.. take it more seriously? That this isn't a flight of fancy.."

: "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear that... So what's keeping you?"

: Everybody looks a touch surprised. Did that just come our of Yamamura Akio's mouth!? But you can feel a presence with you, like an ethereal image of a red giant, following you, offering guidance. It's what Kyoutaro would bellow. You want the woman? Tell her forthright.

: Kunio laughs. "drat, you're right!" He picks up the finished necklace and looks it over. It looks like a hand made piece, like an amateur craftsman fired the brass. Kunio's contribution has been to align and tie the feathers with neat loops of string and ribbon. Each feather is unique from the other and has a touch of the unusual, something you instinctively recognize as rare."Well.. my pen pal finally came through. I did want this to be perfect. I don't think we're ready for a ring yet."

: "Hayate's not like other chicks! She wouldn't want a rock anyway!" Kunio nods.

: "And you're both.. er, still young."

: "Whatever college she goes to I'll be there by her side." Ah yes, university. Shiokaze's true calling.

: Akio takes a moment to admire the necklace. While it had that unquestionably handmade, flawed quality to it, it only added to its charm, and you could tell it was made with a lot of care and attention. "This is a very thoughtful gift, Kunio. She's going to love it. Well done." But as Kunio mentions following her to a higher education, Akio realizes he might have made a mistake telling him to take it to the next level with Shiokaze so soon. She had yet to tell him who she was. "Kunio, I don't want to take the wind out of your sails, but I want it to work out for you so I gotta ask. Are you sure that Hayate wants to take it further already?"

: Kunio is taken aback briefly, then thinks deeply. "Mmm.. I don't know. I can't be sure. But, Akio, there's some things in life where you can only feel it." He leans his back back and sighs contentedly. "We were a city over, putting down this pack of slick-haired jackass kids who shadow some elite private school." Naoki is an elite private school! "When I knocked out this all-talk punk, I slipped and went to grab something, we we're fighting by this fountain in the courtyard. My hand is covered in blood and throbbing, so my grip sucks. I stumble and fall flat on my face. And then Hayate... she offers me her hand, man. Red like mine. Both of ours joined, that beautiful smile given freely to a guy like me." Kunio exhales through his nose. "You could call it destiny. I felt it in my heart!" He claps his fist to his chest! "Even if I'm wrong, I know how I feel! There's nothing I want more than for Hayate to be my girl!"

: Felix is awestruck by this tale of sound and fury. Ken rubs his eye, he's got something in it.

: "If she wants it.. that's up to her. But I gotta tell her how I feel."

: Akio nods solemnly. "If that's how you feel with all of your heart, then you should. Don't let anything hold you back." In his head Akio resolves to have a talk with Shiokaze before Kunio got the opportunity to give her the necklace. He had to make sure she wasn't just fooling around with him when he'd clearly fallen in love with her. "When are you thinking of doing it?"

: Kunio shrugs. "I should be able to see her by the weekend." He grins. "Thanks for your support, guys."

: Akio smiles a little. "Don't mention it."

-Ken pops up on Akio's left. Felix has drifted over to behind him. Kunio leans in from the right. All are stone-faced.

: "Hey, pal."

: "Now what about.."

: "Your issues, my good Kouhai? I wouldn't be a leader of men if I thought every one of them was an island."

: "This again?" He keeps smiling, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Let's just put it to rest for now, yeah?"

: All the boys recede. "Right." Producing an old fashioned newspaper folding, Kunio consults it. "Fists of Death 3 is playing soon. "Ultimate Knuckles".. you guys in? My treat."

: "That's cool boss, I got-"

: Kunio smiles with clear strain. "I said I got it, Ken."

: "Oh! Yeah! Thanks!"

: "Sure."

: "That sounds like fun, but I've got some stuff I should take care of..." Akio shrugs and makes an apologetic expression. "Maybe next time."

: The boys take it in stride, Kunio giving you a big thumbs up as you head out.

: On your way past the door Mrs Igarashi catches you, offering you a little tupperware container of a delicious-smelling dinner! "Stop by anytime, Yamamura-chan!" The beast in your stomach finds the extra calories a most pleasing surprise, gurgling its demand on your way out the door and down the street.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Nov 25, 2019 00:14

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

(Finished transferring all scenes. Recommend reading from the top of this thread page if you think you've missed anything.)

Tsukiyo's House, Week of June 1-7
Music

: Later that week Tsukiyo finds that Dog will not be leaving any time soon...

: "His name will be Katsu. Isn't that charming?" Grandmother squats down to scratch his chin, the little fellow wagging his tail happily.

: Every so often Katsu gives Tsukiyo a meaningful look, his eyes gleaming. Despite just about everything about his stature, he somehow carries the same presence as Flagelo and even Fenrir. Only momentarily, of course. He usually follows it up by shadowing you for attention, food or a need to be walked!

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Dec 1, 2019

# ? Dec 1, 2019 22:14

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

(Whoops, forgot to add a scene. Fixed. Noriko Getting Home!)

# ? Dec 3, 2019 13:34

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

(Bump and placeholder, everything is happening in Discord atm.)

quote:

Week of June 1-7, Akio's House

: You recall the query Isabelle's keylogger made of you. A time and date meet. You only know each other online and you two haven't been eager to talk to each other since. Or have you? After all, you're the one with the most well deserved anger. You're left to stew in it, waiting for your reply. You're certain the others would tell you not to do it for any reason. MAYBE Takano would suggest trying to fish information out of her by continuing the dance. You can picture the stern glare either way. It also occurs to you that you don't know how to contact Shiokaze. She doesn't own a phone. Not even a land line. Magic might do the trick. Or you could ask Itsumi for help. Maybe you could even go to Nekketsu and.. oh.. oh no! The memory! It crashes into you!

: Anne's Jacket! The one you and Kunio stole! From her! A girl at Nekketsu! You still have it!

: Sometime during the week you receive an in-app game tell from Isabelle, your first since you provided the time and date. "We will meet on Vigrid." It is presumed you'll do so on the time and date you provided, a night you have free later this week.

: Ack! The mere thought of the jacket situation makes Akio fidget anxiously. He'd ask Itsumi to help him contact Shio, but if she happened to be at Nekketsu and they ran into Anne... Suffice to say, it seemed like a good idea to take care of the jacket situation first, then ask Itsumi if he couldn't find Shio at Nekketsu by himself. Recalling that Noriko got Anne's number, he picks up his phone, and after hesitating for a moment sends her a few texts.

Text to Noriko posted:
: Hey darling
You've got Anne from Nekketsu's number, right?
I need to return that jacket I stole from her and set things right, and I was thinking I'd do that today.

: Noriko spends about five minutes typing random letters into the text box and deleting them over and over again, the little text message ellipses furiously blinking as if a diatribe was being written. Eventually, with a smirk, she stops toying with him.

Text to Akio posted:
Noriko: texting your girlfriend for another girl's number...
(๑ↀᆺↀ๑)
That's brave.
...
did i make you sweat? ΦωΦ✿
heh heh... here, it's... (she provides the number)
do you want me to come with you? it'd probably make her more comfortable to know a girl was there and I know people at Nekketsu well enough that I can probably get you out of getting beat up if all of her friends are waiting for you :slight_smile:

: Vigrid. That was Fenrir's mindscape, a free for all pvp zone. Certainly not the safest place to have a meeting. Even so, he didn't feel like it was a trap, but he wasn't about to place blind faith in his gut feeling either. He would have to scout out the place beforehand and get a lay of the land, make sure he had an escape route secured, maybe bring some backup too. He definitely had to talk to the others about the meeting. Oh, seems like Noriko replied... N-No! What was she was writing that was taking so long!? He wanted to respond to her to clear up the misunderstanding but it seemed rude to interrupt when she was writing. ARGH! This was pure agony! How had it come to this? How had he messed up so badly! Akio can only sit and stew for what sure felt like a solid ten minutes before Noriko's message finally arrives.

...Oooooh, that little minx!

Text to Noriko posted:
: Noriko!!! (∗∕ ∕�̥̥̥∕ω∕�̥̥̥∕)
I'm already nervous enough about doing this you know!

: He collapses back on his bed and drags his hand down his face, finding his fingers damp with sweat from his brow. After taking a moment to recover his composure, he sits back up and saves the number to his contact list.

Text to Noriko posted:
Akio: I kinda deserve getting beaten up if it should come to that...
That being said, I'd appreciate it a lot if you came along.
But you don't have to feel like you're letting me down if you'd rather not, this is my burden to bear for doing a stupid thing after all.

Text to Akio posted:
: hehe, it's not a burden at all. I've been feeling, um... a little stir-crazy ever since we got back from the beach. It'll be nice to get out of the house.

Text to Noriko posted:
: Oh? We could go do something for fun afterward, and maybe get something to eat?
My treat!
Let's meet up outside Nekketsu. I'll text Anne and let her know we're coming.

: Okay... Time to contact Anne. Akio takes a deep breath and recenters himself.

Text to Anne posted:
Akio: Hello, this is Akio, from Naoki.
Uh, the guy that's got your school jacket.
I'd like to meet up so I can return it to you, and apologize for what I did.
Are you free today? If it's alright with you, Noriko and I will meet you at Nekketsu.

Text To Akio posted:
: (╯ರ ~ ರ）╯︵ ┻━┻
Who gave you this number, you aspiring bastard? You five pounds of crap stretched to fill a ten pound bag!?

: Oh boy... Ol' Crazy Eyes was having none of it.

Text to Anne posted:
Akio: You gave your number to Noriko during the rally, remember?
I wanted to contact you myself so I asked her for it.
So how about it?

Text to Akio posted:
: Yeah, I gave it to Mori-san! NOT YOU!!! Maybe you could just give her the jacket, and the money you owe me for the replacement we bought!!

Text to Anne posted:
: Look, I get that I'm not exactly your favorite person, but I do want to apologize to you and try to make things right.
Won't you let me give it a shot?

Text to Akio posted:
: You've got a real talent for stating the obvious! Here's what we'll do, you can come by Nekketsu after school tomorrow, I'll be at club. And you come alone! If I see a creep like Igarashi with you, we'll break your faces!
It's 6,500 yen!!! You better bring that too!!!

: Well, that sure had trap written all over it.

Text to Anne posted:
Akio: Alright, but you get along fine with Noriko, right? Can she come along?

Text to Akio posted:
:Alright! But only because she's Nekketsu through and through! I'm gonna bring muscle too!

: Akio forwards the text conversation to Noriko.

Text to Anne posted:
Akio: Okay. See you tomorrow.

Text to Noriko posted:
Akio: Anne wasn't up for it today.
But that doesn't mean we can't get you out of the house.
Wanna meet up?

Text to Akio posted:
: yesyesyes
( ⓛ ω ⓛ❀)
Where do you want to meet? I, um
I kinda wanna race you there...

Text to Noriko posted:
: Haha, is that so?
Alright, let's do it! (�̀ᴗ�́)و ̑̑✧
How about we meet where we met up on our first date, when we shopped for a birthday gift for Hanae.
Do you want to race with or without powers, by the way?

Text to Akio posted:
: ⤴︎ ε=ε=(ง ˃̶͈̀ᗨ˂̶͈́)۶ ⤴︎ y e s s s s s
are you kidding???
with powers! flying is the only thing off limits!
start in 30 minutes?

Text to Noriko posted:
: Haha! You're really excited about this, huh?
Okay, the race begins in 30 minutes, starting now!
See you there ( ˘ �˘):heart:

: Just as he's about to get up and get ready, Akio blushes to himself as a mischievous thought crosses his mind.

Text to Noriko posted:
Akio: Say... how about we make it interesting?
If I win, the next time we RP together you'll visit my tower instead, and enjoy my hospitality. ฅ(*�ω�*ฅ)

Text to Akio posted:
: and if I win? :3
hohoho, i'll have to think of something...

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Apr 4, 2020

# ? Dec 11, 2019 15:30

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

quote:

Text to Noriko posted:
: Only if you win!

: Noriko finds something in her wardrobe that balances cute with comfortable and heads out, staying on foot for about a block while picking up speed; Getting to a comfortable pace, she waits for an opportune moment, blinking up onto the top of a fence post, and then onto someone's roof... Her feet barely touch ground before she's shifting again to the next rooftop, and then the next, and the next. Though it was easy to take a straight line to wherever she wanted to go, Noriko can't help but take a roundabout path, landing her teleports wherever it would be most fun (or, occasionally, the least conspicous) rather than most efficient, exploiting instantaneous movement and her featherfall ring to safely allow for some rather dangerous stunts!

: Akio hops out of his school uniform and takes a quick shower, then throws a comfortable pair of jeans, a short sleeved shirt and his running shoes, only to find himself having to wait another twenty minutes before it was go time. He spends the time checking the route on his phone to make sure he's got it memorized, then leaves his house and jogs down the stone tile path leading to the gates. Taking cover behind a bush, he casts an an invisibility spell on himself. And then. He. Takes. Off! Making full use of his long lengs and his boundless endurance, he takes off at a dead sprint, making liberal use of his new teleportation powers to clear any obstacles or crowds that get in his way, his invisibility ensuring that he never has to hold back in fear of someone noticing him. If Noriko was so fired up about the race he wasn't going to let her down by moseying around!

Akio: As you run boldly through town and blink through foot traffic and actual traffic you find that invisibility isn't all it is cracked up to be. You audibly run by a group of school boys waving their phones around at an inconspicuous spot in a park space, probably a mobile game. They're shocked to feel the wind move and hear footfalls from nothing passing them!

: A moment later Dahlia whispers to Akio from his shoulder: "Master, we're being chased!" Those school boys are sprinting as fast as they can!

: Akio throws a quick look over his shoulder. "Don't they have anything better to do than chase ghosts? Hold on, we're gonna have to off-road it!" Veering off the gravel path and onto the grass, he heads for the nearest tree and teleports up on a branch. The old video game adage 'everyone runs faster with a knife' comes to mind as he summons his Incisive Dagger to hand, making use of its teleportation enhancing powers to give him the reach to teleport to the next tree, hoping to throw off his pursuers by teleporting from tree to tree.

-Unfortunately.. this is the most fascinating possible thing to these kids! They point with great excitement at how the tree branches are suddenly bowing and spreading leaves everywhere! Your weight and the sudden arrival without any easing practically snaps the second one and you feel your balance fail you, the sudden rush of inertial terror that comes from being left to the mercy of gravity alone! ... and the kids are following you still because it's a very obvious trail!

Noriko: It has been nearly two weeks since Other Shore. Since then you've felt an enormous increase in your appetite. It's no small coincidence that you got Akio to agree to meet you at or near someplace to eat! Recently your Mother has even joked that you're eating into her new earnings, but she's clearly happy to see you be more boisterous. Your hikkimori lifestyle lent itself to eating little and reaching for ready made "convenient" food when your hunger overcame your ennui. Now you are surging with power as you bound across the rooftops! If Crowley couldn't fly he'd lose track of you! It's during a particularly daring deacent into your follow up crouch and leap that it happens. You've felt soreness recently. You're not sure a Human can perceive something as slow as their growth. But you undeniably feel an extra inch of height adding to your posture, your lower back the site of the growing pain.

: Perhaps this is why your leggings, which were a bit difficult to get on today, but not so much they dimmed your enthusiasm, maybe that is why the left side splits along the seam from knee to gluteus maximus, the stitched skulls becoming a line of split heads! Rriipp!

: Noriko glances down at her leggings in dismay. "...!!!!" Finding someplace out of the way, Noriko stops for a moment to assess the damage and consider if she had any options for replacements in the area

-If you really went for it.. it'd be trivial to snatch something from a laundry line! But what are you looking for?

: Quickly before he falls, Akio teleports down to ground level. What kind of rotten tree was that! The park manager should feel ashamed. "Guess trying to finess it isn't gonna work, let's just go!" It was a race after all, he might as well just try to outrun them! Bee-lining for the perimeter fence, he tries to leave the kids in the dust and teleport straight through it.

: A skirt? If she could just wear something over them, it might even be fashionable! She wished she didn't have to grab somebody else's stuff, but if she was caught out looking like this, it'd be pretty bad!

Noriko: You spy some super baggy men's jeans, a pair of tan work slacks, middle school student gym spats and a single reprieve in the form of an electric pink shirt with a white floral pattern.

Akio: You finally shake the kids by introducing an abrupt movement with a line of sight break that doesn't leave a disturbance in the thing you passed. However you materialize in the middle of the road and splash along some old rain water in a puddle. The sight of 1/3 a person appearing in the middle of the road makes a wild Truck-Kun slam his brakes hard! He's veering right towards you and you're not sure this crappy old locally owned truck has the best brakes!

: Not having time to be picky, Noriko grabs the pink skirt and pins a 2000 yen note to the clothesline where she took it, blinking a hasty retreat as soon as she can.

-This is dangerous! Not even Fatal Fashions top ironic style models are combining pink and pure black this year! But what choice do you have? At least you're shortly en route to your meet up destination.

: Not today, Truck-kun! Facing the careening truck head on, Akio weaves a quick spell, conjuring a field of arcane force that envelops the vehicle, causing it to grind to a halt before it crashes into him or someone else. Using Corellon's Boon to cast Unseen Gauntlet on the truck, immobilizing it!

-Raw magic force! Is it enough to face down modern technology!? With a crunch you dent a few inches of folded metal into the engine block, stopping the squealing tires and the entire truck suddenly! Already hopping two wheels off the curb you've done well. Nobody is visiting another world today! But the sudden impact leaves the driver slouched over the wheel, completely still.

: Uh... he didn't get seriously hurt, did he? Akio walks up to the driver's window and takes a closer look.

-He hit his head. The wound is bleeding steadily. He shifts slightly and groans in pain.

: poo poo! He was still breathing at least, but that didn't look good... Invoking Fate, Akio traces the Rune of Preservation on the window, extending its healing energies to the driver.

-After doing your best and being mostly intangible to the eyes of others you flee, leaving behind a man who should be fine, to try and beat Noriko to the meet up..

Noriko: You arrive in time to see Akio waiting for you! His hair is a bit damp, a new look for him. Maybe he tried to get it?

Akio: You've beaten Noriko here! Dahlia helps you dry your clothes quickly via Prestidigitation but you can't get 100% of the water out before Noriko very shortly arrives.

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Apr 4, 2020

# ? Dec 19, 2019 06:38

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

quote:

: Though she worked as quickly as she could to find a replacement, the wardrobe malfunction had proven too tough an obstacle to overcome. Looking rather defeated, she's a shade of red when she approaches. "Ne, you really beat me, huh? I guess I lost the bet..." she sighs, smiling sheepishly. "I had a little problem on the way over, so um... I'd like to do a little clothes shopping while we're here..."

: "Yes, looks like I came out on top..." Akio smiles back just as sheepishly, blushing at the implication. "Oh? Sure, let's start with that." He reaches for her hand and smiles warmly at her. "Just know that I think you look good in anything, Noriko-chan." As they start walking for the clothing store, he runs a hand through his damp hair. "I ran into some problems on the way over as well. I..." He hesitates, knowing it was a traumatic subject to her. "Well, I kinda caused a minor traffic accident." He frowns. "I teleported into a puddle in front of a truck while invisible and caused the driver to panic. I had to forcefully stop the vehicle before it crashed into someone, but the sudden stop made the driver hurt himself. I healed him before I ran off. He should be okay, but... I hope he's alright."

-Akio shares with Noriko an incident caused by highly improbable circumstance, originating possibly from magic use?! And the two of you work your way through a clothing store, finding a few complimentary pieces of slightly less gaudy and pink floral apparel to help Noriko affect a happy goth look. Or maybe she could do some impromptu magical merging and try out FrankenCore.

-But as you accept a double sampler platter of appetizers at a small indoor restaurant at Noriko's insistence you come upon the true magical beast in the room: Akio's plan to meet with Isabelle again after her dagger has been bared!

: Though Noriko picks up a number of typically gothic things at their stops, she opts for something unusual when changing out of the skirt; A pair of track pants with a skull print up the side instead of the traditional stripes, and a black tank top with a red cross on it. She hardly gives the scars on her shoulder and upper arms a thought as she picks through a basket of mozzarella sticks, palpating each one until she isolates the one least likely to necessitate a skin graft. Looking a bit toned and still slightly tanned from the beach, she seems to have a tough, sporty look all of a sudden!

: Akio watches Noriko with a contented smile as she fusses over the mozzarella sticks. "I'm glad you decided to go to the beach, it looks like it did you good." Finding a lull in the conversation as he's absentmindedly chewing on a jalape�o popper, Akio decides it was time to broach the subject of his latest contact with Isabelle. "So, um... You know how I suspected that ORDER was bugging me? Well, I found a trojan on my computer. It was a keylogger hidden in a DDW runesigil client that Isabelle had sent me. She's been able to read everything I've written for almost two months."

: "Hmmm... I think, maybe... it did." Noriko sequesters the best candidate among the sticks and takes a bite, nodding with satisfaction. "No way... That explains a whole lot. But... This is why I told you you shouldn't be messing with her! I mean... Everything you've wri- wa-wa-wait, what?! Everything?!!" Noriko struggles to keep her volume politely low. "...Our private conversations? Our... Our 'RP chats'???" Noriko turns a shade of red as she thinks about the implications... Only to have her frown twist into a cruel grin. "ho ho ho... I suppose she has your internet browser history, too? And all your internet searches..." Leaning on the table, she rests her head in her hands. "You sure have gotten yourself into a mess, Akio-kun~"

: "N-N-Noriko!!!" Akio must've eaten an especially spicy pepper because his face suddenly flushes red and he starts sweating buckets! "Y-Yeah, you got the gist of it..." He looks down at his platter and shrinks in his seat, wishing he could make himself disappear. Unfortunately he'd already expended his invisibility powers for the day... "Gods, it's so embarrassing! A-Anyway," he cautiously peeks up at her. "There's more. The virus wasn't just any old computer virus, it was of arcane nature." He frowns. "I tried to dispell it, but no matter what I tried I just couldn't get rid of it. I have no idea how she made something so impregnable, it shouldn't even be possible! Isabelle must be much more skilled than we first thought." He shakes his head defeatedly. "After banging my head against it for a good while, a window suddenly popped up on my screen." He pauses to look Noriko in the eyes. "It was her, she said she wanted to talk. I had no intention of doing that of course, but, um..." He averts his eyes. "Well, uh, realizing I had no way in hell of getting rid of the arcane virus on my own, I told her I'd do it on the condition that she removed it, and she did, so..." He scratches the back of his neck. "I'm supposed to meet her in Fenrir's mindscape later this week."

: Noriko chews on a mozzerella stick for a long while with a beleaguered expression, mulling over the best way to respond. "Neee... Meeting her directly, huh... On unfriendly ground... In a PVP area..."
Looking up at Akio, she says it rather bluntly: "Are you out of your mind? She's going to kill you!"

: "Yeah, that's certainly a possibility..." Akio takes a long sip from a tall glass of cola. "...But I'm not so sure. It might be naive of me, but I still want to believe that she hasn't been lying to me about everything all this time. I want to hear what she has to say for herself, and more importantly, I need to ask her about Kane." He shrugs and makes a sardonic smile. "At least if she does try to kill me I'll know exactly where I have her..." He leans forward and reaches across the table for Noriko's hand. "Look, if I'm going to meet her I'm going to make sure I have an escape route or two, and maybe some backup. I don't want to place anyone else in danger, though."

: Noriko nearly chokes. "You... You're kidding me?! How can you possibly still have faith in her? If she doesn't try to hurt you, she's just going to try to rope you back into helping her! I... I..." She sighs, frowns, and looks off to the side. "I'll go with you, if you insist on doing this, but... This is a really bad idea. She just wants to use you to win, Akio. She may already have. If you think you can be friends with her still, I..." she trails off, but her expression is dour.

: Akio shakes his head. "Don't get me wrong, I don't trust her. I'm furious at her for lying to my face and I'm never going to help her win. I just..." He sighs and hangs his head. "...I guess I just can't accept that everything I've done has been for nothing. All that work..." He glances out the window to the street, impassively watching people walk by. "I hoped to break ORDER apart from the inside, to make powerful allies. All I managed to do was leak information and put those I care about in harm's way." The pain is clear as day on his face. "I have to find out if there's anything left to be salvaged from my failure. If not, well, then maybe I can at least learn something about my enemy that will help me destroy them."

: Noriko looks conflicted as she considers the situation, but with a sigh, seems to have resigned herself. "Alright. If that's how you want to do it, I'll help you. But we should go into this expecting it to be a trap. You said you're meeting her in Fenrir's mindscape? Maybe we should talk to Tsuki about this..."

: "Thank you," Akio says, perking up ever so slightly. "Maybe? I got the impression that Chavez doesn't want to have anything more to do with us. If she's just going to try to sabotage us I'm not all that eager to talk to her about our plans... But if you feel like it's the right thing to do, I trust you." He takes another drink. "I was going to let the others know, at least, but I wanted to talk to you first." He throws his head back and lets out an exaggerated sigh. "I can't wait to give Takano-senpai another chance to lecture me. I swear she gets off on being a pain in the rear end..."

: Noriko sighs. "Tsuki is definitely mad at us but I think it'd just make her angrier if she found out about it on her own. And with Fenrir being her brother... This could even be an attempt by Isabelle to further alienate you from the rest of us. It would probably be better to just tell her and deal with any complications it creates afterward..."

: "Yeah, that's true. Maybe we can talk with her tomorrow at school? I'd like to patch things up with her but that might take some time..."

-Your second platter arrives, this one the barbeque sampler.

: Akio's mouth begins to water as the barbeque platter arrives at the table just in time to bookend their previous conversation. He grabs a glazed rib and unceremoniously sinks his teeth into it, tearing off a chunk of delicious goodness. He grins as he looks up at Noriko, with streaks of barbeque sauce extending his grin up the sides of his cheeks. "It makes me happy to see you eating better, by the way. I think you're starting to put some meat on those bones!" Realizing his faux pas, his eyes go wide. "Uh, w-wait, no, I didn't mean that I think you look- um, it's just that, since you tore your leggin-n-no..." He quickly finds refuge behind his napkin, wiping his mouth. "S-Sorry. It was meant to be a compliment," he says with a sheepish smile and slowly lowers the napkin. "Hey, what do you say we get some nice juicy steaks? I think we owe it to our new Oni blood. My treat!"

: Noriko flings an onion ring at Akio's head. "Baaaaka. I might be mad if you didn't offer me a steak."

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Apr 4, 2020

# ? Dec 26, 2019 05:02

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 24, 2024 02:49

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

quote:

Nekketsu High, Saturday After School

-Noriko and Akio meet up to confront the wild eyed track girl, Anne. A Nekketsu redhead that Akio and Kunio mugged for her uniform jacket, to facilitate Tsukiyo and Itsumi sneaking in during the day. A quaint thought from long ago. Or just a few months. How Akio wants to return the coat and cover the cost of the one Anne insisted she had to get in the meantime. Also.. Anne promised to have muscle with her. Well, at least you know what club she's in. The track team will be using one of the two side fields.

: Having arrived direcly from his after school activities at Naoki, Akio is still dressed in his uniform as he enters the Nekketsu grounds. He nervously looks around, searching for Noriko. Inside his breast pocket he's carrying an envelope with the money Anne asked for as reimbursement, and her jacket is neatly folded and tucked away inside his messenger bag. As he spots Noriko he immediately feels more at ease, and he walks over to her. "Hey," he says, smiling at her. "Thanks for coming, it helps a lot."

: Noriko waves to Akio as he approaches, fresh out of fencing practice, she's wearing her Naoki jacket loosely over her shoulders, worn over Nekketsu gym clothes. She has also made the rather conspicuous addition of a fencing foil hanging from a belted leather frog on her hip, having purchased her own equipment with the leftover money from blackmailing Ichiro. "Hohoho... Seeing you get bullied by the track team? I wouldn't miss it." She grins. "Don't worry, I won't let them take it too far..."

: Akio winces. "Gee, thanks..." He takes a deep breath to clear his head, makes sure he's not slouching, and looks over at the nearest track field. "Okay, I think I'm ready to do this." He turns back Noriko and nods. "Let's go find Anne."

-You'd expect Crowley or your own senses to warn you to any high school age girl trying to jump you, but strong gusts of wind deter your avian squire. It's a clear, familiar sign of what is to come as Anne makes a point of coming around a corner at the field fence and meeting you before you can step in and see who is practicing. She's wearing her sports outfit with trim T and long pants, absent any school uniform or Nekketsu jacket for obvious reasons.

: Wearing her own jacket along with her usual stark banchou get-up, Shiokaze as Hayate shadows her, making a big excited show of cracking her knuckles and stretching her neck until it pops, grinning manically. "Oh! Wow! I didn't know YOU were THAT pervert!"

: With a big sneer Anne eyes Akio and Noriko up and down. "Yeah, well, now I do. What else are you, Naoki boy?"

: Noriko waves to Shio and smiles. "hi-hiii Hayate-chan~! It's terrible isn't it?" she shrugs. "to think, I'm dating the notorious nekketsu groper... Ne, Akio-kun, what do you have to say for yourself?" she grins, struggling not to laugh.

-A terrible shadow passes by from Hayate's side, a third person joining the group, walking at their rear and behind the fence when the conversation starts!

: It's Akio's friend, your Soulbonds Chariot link and the rogue of the arcade scene, more handsome and composed than reclusive and pale..

: Already a bit jumpy, Akio startles as Anne and her muscle rounds the corner, but ends up smiling at the latter once he sees who it is. "Oh! Hey, Hayate!" She's the muscle? That's fortunate, he needed to speak with her! "Yes, I'm that- wait, n-no!" The color drains from his face as Noriko butts in. "W-W-WHAT! I'm NOT a pervert! And I didn't grope, uh... I guess, well, at least not intentionally..." His voice trails off into silence.

: The alpha of the Armageddon witch league, Tokuhei! He's wearing his Nekketsu uniform and jacket and glaring at Akio. "Intentional, unintentional.. what do you have to say for yourself, Akio!?"

: Oh. Look. It's Fukushima. Great. For some reason his appearance galvanized Akio, who responds by shooting his arcade rival an intense scowl. "That I know I did something wrong, that I'm sorry and I hope that I can make up for my mistakes somehow." He looks at Anne, the scowl exchanged for a genuinely apologetic expression. "Anne-san, I'm so sorry. I needed a Nekketsu uniform but I never should have done what I did to you or anyone else. It was unworthy of me. I also should've apologized to you sooner and returned your jacket to you, but I was too embarrassed for what I had done to contact you." He opens up his bag and takes out the jacket, then bows with his entire upper body parallel to the ground as he proffers it to her. "I'm sorry, please accept my apology!"

: Passing the jacket to Anne, a tag on the collar pops up, Fukushima, A.. An inconsequential detail. Accepting the jacket with a look of relief, Anne studies it for a moment before holding it to her chest.

: Hayate tut-tuts and scolds Akio with her brazen high pitch. "I can't believe you'd be part of this school rivalry stuff, Akio-kun! If it was any other joy, I'd throw you in a tree!" Anne nods eagerly.

: Tokuhei sighs and his expression softens. "I guess you've really made right here, Akio.. but I can't believe... I can't believe that you, with your cute sister Akane, that you'd so cruelly attack another young woman like that! Oh!" Anne rolls her eyes.

: Noriko side-eyes Akio, prodding him with her foot. "Haha... Ne, Akio... What would your kawaii little sister think? Did you even think about poor, sweet, innocent Akane?"

: Tokuhei pumps his arms! "Yeah! To think that some guy jumped my sister, if it happened to yours, well, you should remember that! Everybody is somebody's brother, sister, son, daughter, or even just friend!"

: Anne looks bored, her eyes and tone flat. "Are you still gonna beat him up, oniichan?"

: "Uhm, it think he's learned his lesson.."

: Anne narrows her eyes. "What about the money for the coat mom and dad had to buy?"

: Tokuhei snaps back, startled, then thrusts forward, stern and solemn. "That's right! Schools have a dress code, you know!"

: "Hey now... The only one who can smack him around is me." She plants her hand on his head and pushes his bow down a bit further. "He is telling the truth, though. A friend of ours needed to sneak onto the grounds, for a legitimate reason. It helped us greatly at the time, so thank you for lending it to us." She releases Akio and gives a light bow herself.

: You can briefly see Hayate looking properly confused, but it passes.

: Huh, so she was Tokuhei's sister all this time? Now that was a surprise. Akio appears shameful as he's chastised by Shiokaze. "I know, Hayate... If it makes any difference, that jacket played a part in mending the rift between our schools." As his 'cute sister Akane' is brought up, Akio throws Noriko the stink-eye, then stands up straight as she releases his head. "Akane is still definitely not my sister," he mutters, then gives Tokuhei a look. "But I do have two real sisters, and you are totally right." So Anne was going to have him beaten up! Figures. "I didn't forget." Akio takes out the envelope he'd prepared and hands it to Anne. "Here. I hope that this will cover your expenses. Sorry for all the trouble." He glances off to the side in contemplation, lets out a sigh, then fixes Tokuhei with his eyes. "I get the impression that your sister isn't going to walk away happy if she doesn't get some visceral satisfaction, so... Go ahead and punch me if you want."

: Firmly shaking his head, Tokuhei states: "No."

: Anne smirks and takes a step forward, drawing her other foot back for a big kick! Tokuhei pulls her back by the shoulder.

: "Everything is square now, there's no need for that!"

: "Well, that takes care of that! I heard there was another boy helping you, Akio.. but nobody remembers who he is." She laughs and rolls her shoulders in a shrug.

: A flash of deep concern flits over Anne's face. She glares at Akio pointedly. "Yeah.. never saw him before. Right?" Her eyes flick back to Hayate briefly.

: Akio suppresses the desire to roll his eyes at Shiokaze to instead shrug and shake his head. "Sorry, I can't help you there. We'll just have to hope that guy decides to grow up and find himself a moral compass on his own."

: "If you have a problem like this with anyone from Naoki again, let me know and I will make sure it's dealt with. Harshly." she crosses her arms. "We're not tolerating behavior like this from the boys anymore, no matter who they are."

: Tokuhei rubs the back of his head. "Ah.. if you say so." Hayate snickers. Anne opens the envelope in front of you and counts the yen notes. Her brother whispers to her: "Are we done?"

: Looking over Akio and Noriko with a grimace, Anne smiles politely and bows her head. "Well, thank you for this. ... Goodbye." The trio splits up, with the siblings leaving together and Hayate passing you two by, exchanging a fist bump with Noriko.

: "It was the least I could do. Bye, Anne," Akio says and bows his head in response. He then nods at Tokuhei. "I guess I'll be seeing you around the arcade, Tokuhei. Later!" Once the siblings has left the area, Akio lets out a sigh of relief and smiles at Noriko. "That went better than I had hoped. I really didn't expect her to be Tokuhei's sister. Oh, wait! I meant to speak with Shio about something. Come on," he says and motions with his head for Noriko to follow. "Hayate!" He shouts after her and rushes to catch up to her. "Hayate, do you have a moment? I need to speak with you in private."

: Tokuhei waves Akio off and winks at Noriko before the two leave.

: Turning abruptly, Hayate's long hair batters Akio as he catches up to her faster than he expected. She laughs and sizes him up, peering deep into his eyes. Shio's full attention! "Rrrreeaaaallllyyy? What's a pervert like you want with a good girl like me?"

Doomykins01/21/2020
(throwing in a reminder for myself that the Chariot link gains a rank)

Doomykins fucked around with this message at 23:12 on May 27, 2020

# ? Jan 2, 2020 00:44

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > Digital Devil Worlds [D&D 4e Game Thread]

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