>>27401816
“Okay, okay, slow down. Where are we actually going?” you finally ask.

“We’re going shopping,” Avril replies. “Jill’s dress got all ripped up, she needs a new one. A nice one. No, a beautiful one. A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl. Now come on, hurry up.”

“Isn’t the high street that way? What shops are there in that direction?”

Avril rolls her eyes. “Proper shops. Shops selling good, strong fabric that’s not going to be cut up by crappy human scissors. If we buy Jill another human dress her mother will just destroy it like the last one, won’t she?”

You glance over at Jill, who looks quite nervous. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Jill, what sort of dress do you want?”

“I l-liked the dress I already had. Can’t I have that dress back?”

Avril sighs. “Sweetie, that dress was practically shredded. And if we wanted the shreds back we’d have to confront your mother again. We’ll get you a new dress that’s so nice you’ll forget all about that old one, don’t worry. Chris, come on, back me up here?”

[]Well, a faerie dress would certainly be an interesting fashion statement. And from what Avril’s saying, it’d be much hardier, too.
[]What about getting Jill a replacement human dress, and just hiding it better? Maybe you could keep it at your house, or Avril could keep hold of it.
[]Going back to Jill’s house, recovering the remains of her dress, and sewing it back together is going to be both risky and time-consuming, and none of you actually know how to sew. But it’s what Jill seems to want.
[]Other

((Archives are located at http://archive.foolz.us/tg/search/subject/monsterhearts%20quest/type/op/order/asc/
and also at
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just came to check if its up and here it is!

>>27401829
>[x]Well, a faerie dress would certainly be an interesting fashion statement. And from what Avril’s saying, it’d be much hardier, too.
[x] Other: Compromise
"I have to admit, Jill, I can't sew for crap. But, we don't want a Fae dress that wouldn't be in-fashion by human standards, right? So how about a Fae dress, but one that looks like Jill's old one."

>>27401829
Fairy dress mode engaged.

>>27401829
Give jill a kiss.
"I loved your dress, Jill, and i loved you in it too, but it seems it will be hard to get it back to way it was. Lets go shopping and get you a new dress. We'll try to get the other one repaired anyways."

>>27401981
forgot to add by the way,
"Also, you dont have to take this dress home with you. I can hold onto it for now."

Is Jill's phone broken too? i cant remember. if so, we should get her another one soon.

After shopping is done, we should talk about how it'll go from now on. Also ask jill why her mother went berserk.

>>27402022
>Is Jill's phone broken too?
Yes, we saw it broken on the floor of her room along with the shreds of her dress.

>>27402022
>>27402041
Oh yeah, we should get Jill a new phone while we're out.

>>27401907
>>27401958
>>27401981

((Okay, writing. I presume from >>27402022 that >>27401981 is a vote to go shopping for a human-made dress rather than a Fae-made one, but that's still 2 to 1.))

>>27402343
it wasnt actually a vote for neither since i dont particularly mind what kind of dress we get her. it doesnt change anything anyways so its fine.

>>27402343
"I loved your dress, Jill, and I loved you in it. But I don't think we're going to be able to repair it. Why don't we get you a new dress that looks like your old one? Avril, do you think we could get a Fae dress that looks like Jill's dress looked?"

Avril slows down a little, pondering. "We can certainly try. You won't get anything with that much fabric from a normal shop, but there are a few tailors who could whip up a custom job. Come on, this way." She heads off at a slightly different angle, reaching the edge of town quickly, and starts leading the two of you on a fairly convoluted path through the woods.

The 'shop' you eventually arrive at appears to be a complicated tree sculpture of some sort, several living trees with their trunks bent to form load-bearing pillars and their branches interwoven into walls and roof. Colourful silks cover the walls inside, fabrics of every colour.

Avril calls out "Tailor? Are you here?"

There's a rustling from behind one of the wide swathes of fabric, and someone... okay, something steps out. It's not a giant spider, exactly. There's elements of the human form there, enough flexibility and strength to raise itself up on its four hind legs and adopt a roughly vertical posture, and enough of a face to look almost entirely inhuman. It bows to Avril, and speaks in a chittering voice.

"Greetings, princess. What can this humble one do for you today?"

"We have need of a ballgown in a rather unusual style, tailor. Your finest and toughest red fabrics, a front line right up at the neck level, and as little revealed as possible. For this lady here." Avril beckons Jill forward and positions her in front of a convenient mirror. "A custom design, to be completed within six days."

All eight eyes blink. "Within six days? Will the court's accounts cover this? It always takes so long for them to settle. A deposit of some sort would be helpful. Nothing too drastic. A memory, a dream, some token of emotional value?"

>>27402807
Avril spreads her hands wide. "I'm not carrying anything of trade value, tailor. Are you sure you can't simply charge it to the court?"

The many-faceted gaze swings to you. "Is there nothing either of your consorts are willing to offer in trade?"

>>27402807
>>27402846
>Nothing too drastic. A memory, a dream, some token of emotional value?
What COULD we offer?
The adrenaline rush of a Hunt?
I'm not sure if there are any memories we are willing to trade that are of sufficient value. We'll have to present them for appraisal, I think.

How about affection? For Masami

it's doubly useful to use this affection as payment.

Do the visions qualify? We could sacrifice the memories from the visions, or the dreams with Mr Pimpest Self.

>>27402846
Give him the dream about chris giving in to isabella's control. It should be at least as valuable as a dress, considering it was a vision highly likely to become reality. And it is no longer of importance to us since we already passed that moment in time.

>>27403041
I suppose so. We already told Avril about it, so she can tell us about the dream afterwards so that we can have that bit of knowledge when we talk with Isabella about trying to normalize relations with her.

>>27403041
I like this idea. Jill might also be eager to give up some of her trauma, too, so we should ask her.

>>27402884
>>27402909
>>27402937
>>27403041
>>27403103
((Okay, writing.))

>>27403083
i dont think we'll completely lose the thing we trade. it is not exactly clear one way or another, but i just dont think it'll be that way.

>>27403197
"Well, I guess we do have some memories we don't much mind giving up. Jill, wouldn't you like to forget some of the things your mother did?"

The spider-thing glances back and forth between you, and you think it bristles slightly? It's hard to read the body language of this thing. It only vaguely has human facial expressions at all.

"Pleasant memories only, please," it chitters. "This one is not one of those who enjoy observing the suffering of others."

"Okay, well, how about a dream? An actual prophetic one. Would that be as valuable as a dress?"

The spider-thing's head tilts to one side, and it scurries over to you, rising up on its rear two legs so its face is level with yours. It stares at you with eight red, compound eyes.

"Intriguing", it says after a moment. "No longer a vision of the future, but still a shell left by some most unusual magics. And pleasurable to some, I suspect. Yes, this would be of value. Would that be agreeable?" You nod. The tailor raises one of its front limbs, and you see that at the end of the chitinous limb is a many-fingered hand, the digits arranged in an almost circular fashion around the palm. It rests its hand on your forehead for a moment.

The sensation is like a soft breeze on the back of your neck, and then you suddenly realise that, while you remember talking about your dream, and thinking on it, and you remember its general shape, the imagery itself is lost to you. All the fine details are gone - what remains is like reading a journal entry written by someone else.

The pedipalps of the tailor's mouth move in a way that you assume is its equivalent of a smile. "Most exquisite. Now, to the fitting."

It gathers the three of you together in front of the mirror, and lifts three of its forelimbs to hand height. Avril confidently places her hand in one, and you and Jill follow suit.

((Cont.))

>>27403705
What follows is a whirlwind of mental images. The tailor is able to perfectly reproduce the colour of Jill's dress, but cycles through a variety of styles, most of which technically meet the definition of “high neckline” while being far, far too explicit for a teenager’s dress, at least by human standards. With some cajoling and some example memories of what the original dress looks like, it demonstrates a few designs that seem substantially less revealing, with only a little grumbling about artistic integrity. Jill settles on one that looks reasonably similar to her old dress, but more close-fitting and with a complicated interweaving design on the back which looks impressive without actually showing much skin. The tailor also guarantees that it will be utterly immune to non-magical scissors, swords, and possibly low-caliber bullets, although he advises wearing chainmail over the top if you’re expecting a concerted attack, and insists on handing you a card for an armourer of his acquaintance.

Acquiring sufficient material for a dress with so little skin showing will apparently take several days, and the spider-thing asks you all to come back on Thursday evening to pick it up. Avril signs something or other authorising the court treasurer to pay the rest of the dress’s costs, and leads you both out, Jill on one arm and you on the other, and a broad smile on her face.

“Well, that didn’t take too long. We’ve got about an hour til lunch time, and the afternoon free as well. What do you want to do now, Chris?”

>>27403724

Go somewhere to eat. Spend the day together again. Then talk about Louie and the hunters; need to work on these uests, right?

>>27403724
"Lets go to town and get jill a phone before lunch. We can eat lunch out while we are there. There are some things we need to discuss."

>>27403724
So much to do, so little time.
Jill really does need more training with Miranda.
As for Chris and Avril, I'd like to move forward with negotiations with Isabella. It doesn't seem like the Corruptor has told her to get us for it, so it might still be possible to come to some kind of arrangement, if she wants to get out of her deal with it.
But I think it would pay to be careful, perhaps by having Esther act as a third-party between us and Isabella; though she would want to be paid and I don't know if we want to pay out favors right now. Sure, we could try to convince her to do it pro bono, but that's insulting and quite frankly, makes for bad business.

She gave us her card, so I suggest we call up Esther and ask if there are neutral places where people go to negotiate, so that we can talk things over with Isabella in a neutral environment.

>>27403814
>She gave us her card, so I suggest we call up Esther and ask if there are neutral places where people go to negotiate, so that we can talk things over with Isabella in a neutral environment.
what are you on? we can talk to her on school anytime we want. which we dont.

>>27403848
Esther is a favor-broker, and has enough pull to be able to cover up a murder.
And yes, we do want to talk with her since she's a member of the Hunters, and can provide services and information that are useful to us.
We need to deal with Isabella one way or another, and if we can keep her minions from becoming an obstacle when we go after the Corruptor, then we should work towards that result since it'll make taking out the Corruptor easier.

>>27403908
>she's a member of the Hunters
>>27403848
>we can talk to her on school anytime we want. which we dont.
>her
that her refers to isabella.

>>27403963
Alright, but they're both at school so your phrasing was unclear.

Esther is a member of the Hunters and we should get her help in determining a neutral location to talk with Isabella.
And we should talk with Isabella because currently she's in opposition to us and we need to try to isolate the Corruptor from its allies, such as Isabella.

>>27404069
>Alright, but they're both at school so your phrasing was unclear.
i know, it was unclear.

>Esther is a member of the Hunters and we should get her help in determining a neutral location to talk with Isabella.
this gets me back to my point. we dont need esther's help for a neutral place. we can talk to isabella at school any day we want. and it is as neutral as it gets there.

>>27404069
>And we should talk with Isabella because currently she's in opposition to us and we need to try to isolate the Corruptor from its allies, such as Isabella.
we are in with hunter group against winter king. we cant fight them both at the same time.

>>27404128
Too little time alone un disturbed, besides might as well do this while we have the time. Don't forget Isabella still owes us some truthful answers as well.

>>27403787
>>27403791
>>27403814
((Okay, writing. Feel free to carry on your debate in the meantime, discussion is good for the health of the quest.))

>>27404128
Yes we can talk with Isabella at school, but that's two days away, and it's not necessarily as neutral as you assume.
School is where Isabella can call up her entire cult, and she would try to get us to talk with her during lunch when she can have backup.

>>27404149
We have to begin chipping away at the Corruptor's defenses, and negotiating with Isabella is a preparatory step.
The Corruptor is arguably the greater danger than the Winter King, since the Fae's mooks are easy for the Hunters to take out and he seems unwilling to expand to human agents, while the Corruptor is aggressively seeking to expand its influence.

Perhaps give the armorer's card to the hunter group? If they actually mention what they are planning on using this for they may get a discount. Although the angel may not approve. Perhaps check with her on her opinion on goblin markets before presenting the card to the group? Also we should explain some about the Gaes that Jill is under. Probably just mention that we need the crown because of a problem a friend of ours got into.

Rolled 4 - 2

>>27404184
>Don't forget Isabella still owes us some truthful answers as well.
I thought we used them up because our answers weren't truthful as well?

>>27404273
Also forgot to mention that we should also probably double check with Avril before giving the card.

>>27404273
>Perhaps give the armorer's card to the hunter group?
send a group of monster hunters to a monster armourer we dont even know? whats wrong with the suggestions tonight.

>>27404184
>Don't forget Isabella still owes us some truthful answers as well.
she doesnt. she'll just say the same thing she said back then, that she gave her truthful answer.

>>27404273
Wait, how much information about the local Fae (well, the local Court of Spring) do we await to give them anyway? I'm pretty sure at least that over enthusiastic chick would happily start setting forest fires if she knew where would do the most damage.

>>27404382
It was three answers for three answers remeber? We've only used one.

>>27404273
I don't see any need to tell the Hunters about Jill's Geas, or about our interactions with other Fae.
Ajani doesn't get realpolitik, as was shown when he tried to grill us, with a "with us or against us" line.

And sending them to a Fae armourer just sounds like a bad idea because of that.
Esther might be okay with it, but it would have to be privately given to her.

>>27404413
>>27404350
Okay maybe we should stress that while inhuman and alien this group of gentry generally falls on the side of humanity or not giving a shit and can be very nice allies if your are careful. Meanwhile going full pyro on them will lead to the Wild Hunt being called on their asses

File: 1380060134108.jpg-(35 KB, 500x281, 1367601458866.jpg)

35 KB JPG

Dont tell anything to hunter about fae. Dont send them to a monster armourer out of the blue. Why would you even suggest that, there is no benefit at all. There is no meaning to doing something like that.
Just no.

>>27404491
That hasn't worked too well so far, what with Gloriela always going on about purging the heretic, and even Ajani being more of a crusader than a pragmatic Hunter.

Besides, can they even afford the prices?
It presents an unnecessary complication for little or no gain.

>>27404217
"Lunch does sound like a plan, and we need to get Jill a replacement phone. I presume they don't make Fae mobiles?"

Jill sniffles a little. "I'm sorry, Chris. It was such a lovely present, and I..."

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault. Actually, I guess that's kind of a serious question, can we get an unbreakable mobile phone?"

Avril shakes her head. "No market for complicated battery-powered electronics when most people don't have electricity in their home. We could probably bring in a human phone and get it enchanted to be tougher, but ongoing magic tends to mess with fine electronics. Static discharge or something."

"Okay, so back to town for lunch and phone. And possibly some chats. We need to make some progress on Jill's quests, and there's a few other things we need to discuss too."

You sort through your pockets - yes, you still have Esther's card, with her email and mobile number. It's embossed, and when you rub your finger over the surface it feels like textured paper, too. You've had Isabella's number for a while, although you don't quite recall when she gave it to you. Probably while you were working on your Biology project. It also suddenly occurs to you that you haven't been worrying at all about your Biology mark, which you're expecting on Monday. That would have been the focus of your weekend at one point. Now, with actual death lurking around every corner, the possibility of a bad grade doesn't really seem like the end of the world.

You get sandwiches and coffee at a nice little cafe in town, looking across the table at Jill and Avril as they wait for their drinks to cool.

[]"So, I guess we should talk about last night. Jill, can you tell us more about what your mother did?"
[]"I should probably mention some stuff that happened on Friday with Louie and Masami..."
[]Call Esther for a chat
[]You've got Isabella's number. Let's see if she wants to answer some more questions
[]Other and/or several of the above

>>27404749
>[x]"I should probably mention some stuff that happened on Friday with Louie and Masami..."
We don't want to be hiding anything, and it pays to know who's what.
[x]Call Esther for a chat
Find out more about Isabella's situation if possible. Who does she owe favors to, and how much.
[x]You've got Isabella's number. Let's see if she wants to answer some more questions
Call her up, once prepared with information, to ask if she would consider and accept help in getting out of some of her current partnerships.

>>27404836
This all sounds good.

>>27404749
>[]"I should probably mention some stuff that happened on Friday with Louie and Masami..."
some light conversation and gossip.

[]"So, I guess we should talk about last night. Jill, can you tell us more about what your mother did?"

>[]"So, I guess we should talk about last night. Jill, can you tell us more about what your mother did? And just as importantly why she did it?"
I wonder if she learned jill is not avirgin anymore. or maybe its just about dress and phone and school dance.

>>27404836
i am against this. we just keep changing objectives and loose track of what we are doing.
we have isabella, then comes hentai tentacle monster, then comes a werewolf, suddenly we have a hunter group, then we are hunting some sort of fae king... and there are many more between these. lets stick with solving jill's immediate problems then hunting winter king. after that i'm sure we'll already have another ten things to deal with, so we can decide what to do next from there on. we really need to stick to some goal and accomplish it before moving onto something else.

>>27405053
The winter king is being worked on by the hunter group. If we solve Isabella or at least work out a truce with her we also weaken the Corruptor. The werewolf is no longer our problem.

Though you have a point about helping Jill with her immediate problems.

>>27405053
We need to prioritize, and right now dealing with the Corruptor should be taking precedence because it affects both us and Jill. And on the way to dealing with the Corruptor is dealing with Isabella. This is a time-sensitive thing because the more time that the Corruptor has, the more it can expand its influence and become stronger and more difficult to defeat.

Going after the Winter King isn't going to help us go after the Corruptor, and the Winter King isn't looking to expand as quickly or aggressively as the Corruptor. And the Hunters can keep the Winter King in check until after we deal with the Corruptor.

>>27404836
>>27404967
>>27405170

>>27404980
>>27405053

((Okay, writing.))

>>27405053
>not power gaming multiple quests at the same time
>2013

Really though, dragging everything together all at once is fun and might possibly help in the end.

Who better to take down the corrupter than the winter king? Who better to melt the winter king than the corrupter?

We stand back, watch the show, and pick off the survivor.

>>27405842
Or, what is more likely to happen, they recognize a mutual annoyance, team up, and kill us and the Hunters dead.

We don't know enough about the two to be able to set them against each other.

>>27405903
So pessimistic. Literally all it would take to pit them against each other is a little creative lying and bargaining.

Hell, off the top of my head we could seed info that the summer court has allied with the corrupter, and the winter court agents would already consider it a threat.

>>27405984
Alright, and who are we going to talk to that would get this information to the Winter Court? And how do you propose to keep the Summer Court from sending reprisals for defaming their good name?

>>27405207
"Okay, so I sort of have a confession to make. Yesterday, in my free period before lunch, I ran into Louie and Masami, and we talked, and then we ended up fooling around a bit."

Avril raises an eyebrow. "You and Masami? Didn't I tell you-"

"Uh, me and Louie, actually."

Jill stares at you, blushing deeply. "But - but I mean, isn't that a..." She trails off, glancing over at Avril, who's now giving her a wry smile. "Okay, okay, I guess it's not so bad as sins go. Didn't Masami say something about going to the dance with Louie, though? How did she react?"

"She pretty much encouraged it, actually. You remember how she was two nights ago? She was watching me and Louie pretty intently the whole time."

Jill sighs, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Okay, so, uh. I guess if I can accept the thing with Miranda, I can accept this too. I guess." She sighs again, glaring at you. "Darn it, Chris. You're not exactly making this easy for me. Your... girlfriend would kind of appreciate it if you could keep it in your pants occasionally."

Avril looks over in surprise. "I would?"

"No, I meant me. I would appreciate it. I'm pretty sure I count as Chris' girlfriend too now, considering what we've done."

"Of course you do, Jill. Now, about those quests, I ought to call Esther. She might know something about the Winter King, or about Isabella and the Corrupter."

The phone only rings once before Esther picks up. "Greetings, Christopher. Is there something you require?"

"I was wondering if you had some information. Isabella Donaldson has been making some worrying deals lately. If you've got anything on her, and maybe some neutral ground where I could meet her without her cult backing her up, that would be nice."

You can practically hear Esther's brisk nod over the phone. "Very well. You have dealt well and fairly with Louie, and may be of some assistance to him. I will give you what aid I can, but that may not be as substantial as you might wish."

((Cont.))

>>27406036
Our local information dealer and Avril respectively. But no it's a bad idea and he should feel bad, or at least not have been serious.

>>27406055
“Isabella does not owe fealty to my family or any of their associates - there are beings she does owe fealty to, I am aware of that much, but their identities are unknown to me, as is the precise nature of her pact with them. I assume it follows the standard power-for-service structure of many such bargains. A great many individuals wish influence in the mortal realm and empower servitors to act on their behalf. Identifying the precise individual without the aid of the servitor in question would be virtually impossible. Her more recent bargain with the poison spirit that has been infiltrating the town is known to me in similarly vague detail - I do not have complete access to my books and notes at this moment. Power for service again, I suspect, but I cannot verify it. As for neutral ground, the school is relatively untainted assuming you could arrange to separate her from her associates, such as by meeting her in the evening when they have departed, or you could attempt the classic ploy of meeting in a graveyard. Usually ‘dead’ ground; however, given your unique nature, she might suspect you have some form of advantage there.”

You wait quite a while for Esther to pause for breath, and quickly add, “What about human associates? Any favours owed or owing there?”

Esther hums for a moment, presumably checking something. “Her human associates are typically simply bound to her will, with little independent volition. Her more useful pawns, those with their own capabilities to employ, are kept on a longer leash. One of her lieutenants, Cassandra, appears to be under some form of non-magical coercion in addition to the magical bond. The other, Apollo, does not appear to be forcibly linked to Isabella at all. I cannot speculate further on his motives, though. The man is extremely difficult to read. He seems to have no facial expressions whatsoever.”

“Will that suffice, or do you have further questions?”

>>27406036
Oh do you really not think the winter court has agents in the summer court? Do you not believe the princess of the summer court couldn't ask her father to allow the misinformation in order to assist the very quest he asked us to complete?

If that doesn't thrill you, we could always make an actual agreement with the Corrupter, then piss on the winter king until he pursues us.

although im pretty sure you are just being devils advocate, you are coming off as a huge ass.

>>27406078
"Yes, one more.... I don't remember mentioning anything about dead people in my life. What exactly is suspected of me?"

>>27406078
[x] "This poison spirit, it's expanding its power base, yes? Stepped on any toes, as it were? I know of at least one party so far that wants its expansion curbed.
"I was hoping to talk with Isabella and see if she would like to end her current contract with the poison spirit, since when I last talked with her, she seemed to be regretting it. In your opinion, do you think it's worth negotiating?"

>>27406136
Avril is Spring, not Summer.
Also, implying disloyalty among the Court sounds very impolite, and impoliteness among the Fae carries consequences.
And the Corruptor wants to vivisect us, and it has its own way of making pacts binding and very likely to be bad for us.

>>27406196
>>27406227
((Okay, writing.))

>>27406227
>yes?
>as it were?

Chris confirmed for posh British saffari-goer stereotype

>>27406515
"What ho, Corrupter?! Might I be so bold as to sumbit myself for tentacle fornication? Oh ho ho positively ribald!"

>>27406515
Would you prefer being a chav?

>>27406515
? That's a pretty normal way of talking across the pond. Not normal but like uncommon at worst really.

>>27406608
Nah, we're aiming more for a delinquent Harry Potter at this point.

>>27406696
ah

over here in the western states, "as it were" is reserved for old-timey posh people

>>27406470
"Well, I don't remember mentioning anything about dead people in my life. What is suspected of me? What sort of advantage might Isabella think I had?"

"Unknown, but that is essentially the issue. You are distinctly unusual. There is insufficient data to calculate your full elimination capabilities. As for how much of your nature Isabella is aware of, that is unknown. Her patron may have chosen to conceal information from her for its own reasons. In such situations, the appropriate response is typically to assume that one's enemy possesses the most dangerous quantity of information they could feasibly possess, and plan accordingly."

"Insufficient data to calculate my... You sound really cold-blooded sometimes, Esther."

There's a brief silence on the line. "Was that some form of word-play or humorous remark?"

"Uh, not exactly. You know what, never mind. About the Corrupter, the poison-spirit. It's expanding its power base, you said? Is there anyone whose territory it's butting into, anyone who might want it curbed?"

"Much of the town was relatively unclaimed before the sudden surge in activity which began almost four weeks ago. There were no settled major powers in any of the areas currently under the demon's control."

"What about Isabella? I was hoping to talk with her, see if she'd like to end her contract with the poison spirit, since she seemed to be regretting it. In your opinion, do you think it's worth a try?"

Another brief pause. "Insufficient information for well-reasoned speculation. In general, a contract with such a being would be difficult to simply cancel without the being's consent, but might be vulnerable to external magical assault. Isabella has been acting more erratically lately, and her precise response may depend heavily on your manner of approach. Avoid contact between Fae magic and the spirit's magic, to reduce risk of corruption infecting the court. That is all."

Esther hangs up with a click. What do you want to do now?

>>27406788
Sounds like bringing Avril into this could be problematic. Too bad we don't have a Mage among our friends we could call on.

Next, let's call up Isabella to arrange for a time when we can negotiate. Even if it's at school after-hours.
Getting her to divulge her arrangement with the Corruptor, or even having her admit to wanting a way out of her contract, would be one step closer to resolving the Corruptor quest.

>>27406788
Call Isabella and tell her that you want to bury the hatchet (but using less suggestive imagery please) then lets go pick up a phone for Jill and if she (Jill) looks stable enough ask what her mother had found out about that set her off. Also apologise to Jill for her boyfriend being so easy.

>>27406969
Also, as for how to approach Isabella, it should be with a conciliatory tone. Admit that our previously hostile stance may have been unnecessary but that the information we had at the time about her led us to believe she intended us harm.
New information makes us think that we can have a negotiated settlement, and that we could help each other.

>>27407074
something that allows her to realise we mean well
something like

"Listen, I'm worried about you. I can see it in your face that you need some help, and I'm not in the habit of letting pretty girls live in distress."

>>27407146
The question, I think, is should we use our persuasive power or not?
It would obviously help us in convincing her, but would she be able to detect our magical influence? And would she consider it an attack?

>>27406969
>>27407021
>>27407074
>>27407146
((Okay, writing.)

>>27407248
You take a deep breath, staring at your phone for a moment, and then dial Isabella's number.

"Hello? Who is this? What do you want?"

"Good afternoon, Isabella. I thought we could talk for a bit, if you don't mind."

There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Chris. Well, this is an interesting surprise. You sound well."

"I'm quite well, yeah. Although I suspect you're still not doing too great."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Isabella replies in a huff. "I told you, it's the fashionable look. Or it soon will be."

"Of course. My mistake. Look, I actually wanted to apologise. It seems like we've very much gotten off on the wrong foot. I think you could do with some help, and maybe I could do with some of your help as well. Coming to some sort of agreement might be nice. Can we negotiate somewhere?"

Isabella's voice is suddenly sickly sweet. "Why, Chris. That's lovely to hear. I'm happy to accept your apology, of course, and I'd love to meet you. Can you come over to my house? Tonight would be fine. There won't be anyone else around, my parents are away for the weekend. We can talk to our hearts' content. Or not talk, depending on what sort of 'help' you need."

You sigh. "What do you take me for? Neutral meeting ground. I understand the school grounds are fairly clean. I want to negotiate with you, that doesn't mean I suddenly become an idiot."

The over-the-top sweetness is gone from Isabella's voice as suddenly as it appeared. "You can't blame a girl for trying. All right,but if we're meeting off my turf, I'm bringing one person with me to watch my back. You bring one person too, no more. We'll meet at the school this evening, then. Six o'clock should be after dark, but still give us time enough to talk things over."

"Six it is, then."

Do you want to do anything to prepare for your meeting? And who are you taking with you?

[]Jill
[]Avril
[]Someone else ((specify))
[]You can handle this alone.

>>27407779
Bring Zach, he owes us, and a were at our back could do us some damn good, keep Avril away because no contaminating the court, and Jill needs time away from traumatic events.

>>27407779
honestly?

my vote is to handle this alone. If shit hits the fan, we can Darkest Self without worrying about friendly collateral damage.

>>27407826
that was my second vote. If Zach is not already a pawn for Isabella that is.

Ajani might be useful also

>>27407826
I'm tempted to say Zack too, but I feel he might be too unruly, and perhaps susceptible to Isabella's brand of influence. I would consider Ajani, and even wonder about Gloria. An enemy in common might help warm her to us, and I figure she's the person we know least likely to fall for Isabella's tricks. She's also handy in a fight, in case things go sour.

>>27407779
Go alone, bringing someone with you is just asking for bad things to happen to them. Also Zack still isn't in control of himself yet and I don't want him exposed to Isabella until we've formally declared a cease fire.

>>27407866
I think we could do with Avril backing us up, even if we can't involve her in the actual contract breaking, just because she's our most reliable ally. Gloria is an interesting second choice, however; she can apparently see mystical stuff. The only problem would be restraining her from attacking Isabella before we could negotiate.

>>27407826

We shouldn't use Zack until we've brought the dog to heel.

Zack will be a great ally, but a wild dog needs discipline and a master else it is a threat to humans.

>>27407779
I want to get our dusky vigilante...but I'm kinda leaning toward Jill.

>>27407928
>Explicitly warned against allowing the Fae court to be contaminated by the corruptor
>Wants to bring Avril.

>>27407779
>[x]Someone else (Ajani)
He's a unlikely to fall for Isabella's tricks, and has enough combat strength to be useful in a fight. The only question will be convincing him to play along and not muck up the negotiations.

>>27408030
I don't want to bring Jill to a meeting with Isabella even if we *do* think we can negotiate. Isabella is dangerous, and Jill is still a little shaken.

>>27407826
>>27407852

>>27407832
>>27407919

((Okay, so two votes for Zack, two votes for going alone. One vote each for Jill, Avril and Ajani, and various speculation about Ajani that doesn't appear to be a solid second or third vote, although correct me if I'm misreading those. Do try to use the [x]Vote set-up, people, it makes things so much simpler for me.

Tiebreaker of some sort required, or I roll off.))

>>27408206
Can you give us about 10 more minutes to discuss this?

>>27408224
((Tiebreaker time is normally five minutes, and it's getting pretty late for me... Ten minutes, but no more.))

>>27408206
I'll vote solidly for Ajani, then.

>>27408206
I vote for going alone.

>>27408244
withdrawing my vote for Jill and going with our dusky vigilante...we just need to convince him that things need to be done subtlely...

We'll probably have to trade some information about ourself toward that end, actually answer some of his questions.

>>27408206
Alone, or Ajani if alone doesn't get chosen.

>>27408206
[x] Get Ajani

When we last spoke with Zack, he seemed to be back in his regular spirits, but that's actually a problem, because he's still not taking things seriously. He's still in the mentality of a jock, and he could be easily swayed by Isabella, who could use her looks and persuasion powers on him. Also, as others pointed out, he's not in control of his transformed state, so if he goes wolf, he could turn on us, and we can't take him down without silver chains.

Ajani provides combat ability and mental discipline, but he will need to be persuaded to be subtle and to let us do the talking. He's read too many comic books and seen too many action movies; we'll need to keep him on a tight leash.

Going alone just seems like a bad idea, because Isabella IS still trying to get us under her control, and Esther confirmed that she's acting erratic and may be so desperate for power that she will have Apollo take us down so that she can take control over us, even if we're unwilling.

>>27408244
I vote for going alone....

but Chris knows this is never technically true, we have our own company to join us.

>>27407832
>>27407919
>>27408333
>>27408363
>>27408415

>>27408162
>>27408245
>>27408345
>>27408409

((Ok. Writing. Last post of tonight, guys, sorry. It's already 2:30am British time, and I have work in the mornings now.))

>>27408471
Meeting with Isabella could be dangerous, but you think carefully over your list of possible companions. Jill is still traumatised enough. Avril, you were just warned against contaminating. Masami is too meek, Zack too brash, and Ajani or Gloria couldn't be relied upon to actually let you negotiate.

In the end, you conclude that you need to go alone. Well... almost alone.

"Always happy to help, partner," comes the quiet whisper in the back of your mind.

You take the time during the afternoon to take Jill shopping, getting her a new phone, some more books and some general casual clothes. Nothing massively important - even her new phone will probably have to be kept at your house most of the time, given the fate of her last phone - but enough to take your mind off your upcoming meeting.


You make your way through the two tall brick pillars that mark the school gates. It's been a long time since any actual gates stood here to block your entrance. The main school building stands at the end of the short drive, the small grassy field where you normally eat lunch lying off to your right as you walk up.

Isabella is sitting on the main steps, and gets up when she sees you. She looks, if possible, even worse than she did on Thursday. Her eyes are noticeably sunken, and her hair is actually looking flat and tired. She's dressed in one of her exquisite dresses, but it hangs awkwardly off her. Cassandra is standing at her left shoulder, wearing a knee-length trenchcoat and shooting worried side glances at Isabella.


"Chris!" Isabella beams, opening her arms wide. "So good of you to make it. So interesting to see you healthy and whole. You must tell me how you did it some time. But first, I believe we have some business to discuss."

You feel a tingle in your hands, and glance down. The hair on the back of your hands is standing on end, like static electricity.

There's another quiet whisper in the back of your head. "I'm ready to back you up. Just say the word."

>>27408899
((Okay, good night, everyone. If the thread is still up and running in the morning I might have time to answer a few questions, so feel free to ask whatever you like below.))

>>27408899
heh heh.... i like ourself.

The ghoul within seems much more plient now that we entertain his sensitivities now and then.

that being said, lets try not to Darkest Self if we can help it. I like when he has suggestions, but actually activating Darkest Self seems unnecessary for a diplomatic mission.

>>27408919
We should have asked Esther and Avril if someone who makes a pact with a Corruptor ends up looking more sickly.

>>27408919
So, is our Darkest Self just offering us brute force combat power, or does he have more neat tricks like the words to calm down Avril? I don't think we need firepower here, but if he can crack the Corrupter's contract that could be very useful.

>>27409348
>or does he have more neat tricks like the words to calm down Avril
The more I think about it, the more I realize we got duped here.
The invocation which forced Avril to calm down? That was something we already had witnessed and heard in-character; we just forgot the significance of it. That wasn't anything special that our Darkest Self did, but it made it sound like it was giving us privileged information.
We need to do more of our own thinking rather than relying on our Darkest Self to remind us of obvious things.

I'll be more impressed with it if it gives us knowledge about powers we have that we don't know anything about.

i was hoping to learn what pushed jill's mother over the edge. the option was outvoted it seems. i hope it'll be cleared next thread.

>>27410727
How did it sound like privileged information? To me it sounded more like a reminder that human norms are not fae norms and that invoking her oath probably wouldn't have the long term negative relationship (and political) consequences that had kept me (and I'm sure others, given that the rape happened) from suggesting it. Anyhow, what's important to remember is that our Darkest Self is still us, just more sociopathic and less cripled by indecision.

>>27410997
What? You mean the sexual psychic feedback from her daughter? Or do you mean what originally drover her deep into the conservative catholic fold?

Remind me, what do we know about Jill's father and how she was conceived? (honest question, I came late to the game and may have skimmed a bit while catching up)

>>27409348
((That's partly the sort of thing you should ask in character, but in general, a) your Darkest Self supercharges all of your abilities, not just melee combat, b) you don't necessarily need to activate your Darkest Self to access the Man in the White Suit's various pieces of assistance, c) you were just told that Isabella's responses might depend on the *manner* of your approach as well as your general intentions and speech, and the Man has shown himself to be remarkably perceptive.


>>27409329
Considering what you know of the Corrupter as a spirit/demon hybrid whose essential nature revolves around poison, pollution, corruption and decay, and that when you made a binding pact with a powerful forest spirit it had the side-effect of visible physical changes, it seems fairly plausible. On the other hand, Jason never looked this sick, so either his pact was of a different nature, or the physical signs differ from person to person. Or both.

>>27410997
Miranda's already given you most of the info you need to solve that one, but you can certainly ask Jill for more detail next time you see her, assuming you don't mind asking her to revisit those memories.

>>27411139
Not all that much, honestly. Jill's mother has been a single parent as long as you can remember. Miranda told you that Jill's father ran off with another woman when Jill was very young, but that their marriage was in trouble before that. Jill also mentioned Miranda having talked to her about what her mother and father used to be like, but she didn't go into much detail. You can always ask one or both of them for more information next time you see them.))

>>27411139
>>27413025

>Miranda's already given you most of the info you need to solve that one, but you can certainly ask Jill for more detail next time you see her, assuming you don't mind asking her to revisit those memories.
i was talking about this particular incident. why did she beat her and destroyed the dress and phone? did she find out about her relationship with avril and chris? did she find out jill was no longer a virgin? did she just find the dress and the phone?

>>27413025
>Isabella's responses might depend on the *manner* of your approach
So the usage of proxies versus face-to-face meetings? If we make this a contest of who has the stronger persuasion powers rather than who has the better argument, this negotiation is likely to fail?
Also, is enhanced perception and analysis a power that we can access? Can we make deductive leaps of logic like we can persuade people?

>>27414237
(( Or potentially vice versa, you don't know yet. And it's not 'enhanced perception and analysis' in a magical sense. The Man in the White Suit just generally knows more about what's going on than Chris does, and can occasionally spot things Chris doesn't. ))

>>27413575
she probably noticed the massive amount of magical energy Jill released when she lost her virginity, miranda noticed it, and apparently their gift runs in the family

>>27414482
((Emotional energy, not magical energy, just to clarify. Telepathy plus intense emotions plus subconscious projection equals fun times. Anyway, my lunch break is over and I doubt the thread will still be here this evening, so I'll see you all on Thursday. ))

>>27414443
>The Man in the White Suit just generally knows more about what's going on than Chris does, and can occasionally spot things Chris doesn't
So it's like he makes a separate perception test from us? That does change how we should use him a little.

And I stress that we use him, not the other way around.

>>27415096
>So it's like he makes a separate perception test from us?
Looks like it. Or he's part of something way bigger than us. Remember how he just knew the formula needed to invoke the contract? Pretty sure Chris didn't.

>>27415705
>Pretty sure Chris didn't.
Actually, we did. We heard Avril use it on her father back during the Feast, when she made him appear when he was going after Jill.

>>27415830
Only the first sentence. Check the archive - the second half is totally new.

>>27415910
Checking the archive, Avril never used the incantation; she used a different one:
>"Ytene! I name thee! Ytene! I call thee! Ytene! I summon thee!"

Avril's Father was the one who used it, and it was different:
>"By my name, by the moon, and by the oak, elm and holly, you are bound and set these tasks. Fail not."

So I concede that the second sentence is new and doesn't seem to come from anywhere.

>>27416471
So, our Darkest Self knew it even though we'd never heard it? That's kind of worrying. MH, since the thread actually is still here, how about one last question: what the hell are we sharing our head with?

>>27418536
((Well, firstly, I believe the customary response is "Hahaha!". Secondly, if you're going to post in a thread seven hours after the QM said "see you next time" and a full seventeen hours after the last story post, use a sage.))

>>27415705
I point out that any quest I share with you has you jacking up the paranoia to maximum.