>>27428925
What's up op, glad to have you back.

>>27428981

(My sincerest apologies: I got back late yesterday, due to work. Fortunately, this wans't the case today.)

It's a cold day - A grey day, the sky streaked with gunmetal clouds. The low thrum of the heat-exchangers cycling is a soft, subliminal hum that breaks the stillness, in stark contrast to the dull heavens above.

> "I get the feeling you're rather disappointed in me, natsumi."
> "Since what happened in theatre class the other week, I've been trying to be .... better. About.... things. Its really made a difference."

"I know," Natsumi says - But she bites her lip, her brow ever-so-slightly furrowed; Her eyes distant and a little sad, her legs drawn up to her chest. "-Anon-kun, I know." A cool breeze picks up, scudding dead leaves across the grounds below - A dry, rasping rustle that sounds like a rattling hiss.

> "...and if there's a chance I'm going to get hecate back in one piece, you know what I'm going to say."

She doesn't answer - Her slim fingers brushing stray strands of hair back from her eyes. Her expression is startling; For a moment, Natsumi looks weary, a kind of bone-deep fatigue out of place on such a young face. Her red hair is a vivid splash of colour amid the slate-grey concrete; A low sigh thrumming from her silky throat, as she glances down.

> "But from how it sounds, if Rook had his way, it wouldn't stop with the Smilers. Everybody leading a crusade thinks they're the one on the right side of things, after all."

"-It never ends," she says, faintly; From the sound of it, you don't think she's talking about Palladium Rook, any longer. "Look-"

Paper crinkles, as she produces a - Faintly crumpled - piece of paper; Already half-unfurled, the edges curling, to reveal a number.

"That's his number, right there. He didn't say anything else."

She shakes her head, abruptly - drawing herself to her feet, with an easy, limber grace.

(Continued)

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>>27429066

"Anon-kun...I have to go, for now." Natsumi manages a wan smile, clasping her hands behind her back - "...I have appearances to keep up." She hesitates, all the same - "Just - be careful, all right? I don't-"

She seems to think better of it, and merely sighs.

"...Y'know."

[ ] "I'll be careful."
[ ] "I can take care of myself."
[ ] "I just want to talk to him, Natsumi. That's all - I promise."
[ ] "I can't promise anything. You know that."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27429080
I'll be careful. You know me well enough to know rash decisions aren't in my nature

>>27429080

>[ ] "I'll be careful."

>>27429080

"Don't worry yourself. It'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'm just trying to keep another kid from getting himself killed. Take care of yourself, alright?"

>>27428925
Hello OP, good to see you. Feeling better I hope?

I've updated the episode guide to episode 60, and also added the real episode 5 while fixing some links. Thanks Cornuthaum for the heads up.

>>27429080
[X] "I just want to talk to him, Natsumi. That's all - I promise."

"Natsumi... as bad as things seem with the Red World, and with me, I'm getting better. Every day that I can look out and see the sun I get a bit closer to the person I should be. I'll be okay. We'll be okay, I promise."

>>27429205
>>27429185

"...I hope so," she murmurs. "-I hope so."

>>27429118
>>27429157

She nods ~ Her footsteps slow, measured, as she paces away. The door swings shut behind her; You can hear Natsumi descending the steps, the echoes of her footfalls fading away in the distance-

And, without warning, your phone begins to ring. When you press the button, a cool, placid voice filters forth:

> "The following is a pre-recorded message, from the METROPOLITAN GENERAL HOSPITAL.
> Your inquiry, RE: KANAME TSUKIMI.
> There has been ONE match located.
> Please proceed to the receptionist at the Front Desk, and present the following number:
> ID: 4-5-1-8-9-2
> ...For your application to be approved.
> Thank you.

There's a faint, audible *click* - then just the *beep* of a dial tone.

(Continued)

>>27429118
I have the feeling she'd roll her eyes at that.

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>>27429372

Somewhere, in the distance, a bell chimes. The one for the first half of recess - Still, there's time enough. You should -

[ ] Call Palladium Rook.
[ ] Call Mio.
[ ] Visit the Library.
[ ] Visit Kouichi.
[ ] Find Kazuya.

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27429414
Rook can keep for a bit. Let's talk with Kazuya, I don't think we've ever spent an event on him.

>>27429438
Don't you think we should check on Library Girl? Ask her if she's experienced any dreams.

>>27429414

we should visit the library, and check out Asuna. I'm still waiting to see how whether she's seen anything.

>>27429414
Visit Library, talk to asuna

>>27429414
[ ] Call Mio.
[ ] Visit the Library.

I'm really torn between these. I really think Naoya mean bad news beyond just trying to NTR us.

Also, did Kou want to meet with us? I can't recall.

>>27429449
No. If the dream took, Asuna will come looking for us or be at home in the fetal position. That is best dealt with after school. This is recess, so Kazuya's still on campus and not disappeared to wherever anti-Red World persons go.

Personally I'd rather just drop everything and rush to the hospital after that message.

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>>27429449
>>27429451
>>27429458

The Library it is. The sliding doors ease open, with a smooth hiss ~ Cool air wafting forth from within, with the faint - But familiar - smells of floor polish and aging paper. Asuna's on shift today; Though given how the library's a quiet, mostly empty place, it seems she wouldn't have much to do...

-She's not at the counter. Given how the wood panelling has been lifted - The seat canted slightly to side - she must've been here shor-

From behind: A light *gasp* of surprise, the faint *thump* of a book being dropped-

"A...Anon-kun~?"

Asuna's voice is soft, a little tentative - Her hair freed from it's usual braid, a stack of books clutched to her chest in an oddly defensive gesture. Her glasses slide down, just a little - Slim fingers coming up to push them back into place, her expression...

-It's strange.

More than anything, her expression strikes you as...Uncertain, somehow. As if not sure - At the moment - how to respond.

"I...didn't think you'd be here..."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27429414
Do we still have stuff to pick up from Natsumi's boss? Maybe we should just get that out of the way first.

>>27429643

DOWN, BONER

BAD

>>27429643
Pick up the book for her.
"Well, I haven't been visiting like I used to. Did I come at a bad time?"

>>27429651

Did we ever pick up that one package we were having dead-dropped to us or was we sidetracked? It's been several threads and I can't remember if we did or not.

>>27429643
Pick up the book and give it back. "Why do you say that? It has been a while since I visited, but is it really so unusual for me to come?"

Later: "Did you have any dreams?"

>>27429676
Remember Not only do you have one waifu that might not be dead hanging around, You also have one who is very much alive.
Stop thinking with you're dicks lads my money is on all these bitches getting powers and probably trying to kill us.

>>27429710
Never got around to it. After Pythia, Anon zombie walked home.

OP, what's the current status of the Hollow Sun?

>>27429737
No, they'll cry and tell him they understand when he breaks their hearts. That's worse.

>>27429756
>No, they'll cry and tell him they understand when he breaks their hearts. That's worse.
ones a Player, ones Probably a ghost, ones some sort of witch, one might be some sort of psychic bastard player and one is the black joker.
Why cant you guys hit on normal bitches?

>>27429651
>>27429710

(My apologies; You were side-tracked. However, assuming nothing unforeseen happens, you should be able to retrieve it between chapters, by the next day.)

>>27429702
>>27429711

"N, no." She's already moving to retrieve the book - A rather complicated action, made more so by how her arms are already full. Asuna actually flinches, when you pick up the book; Though she manages a - "...Thank you." as you hand it back to her.

> "Why do you say that? It has been a while since I visited, but is it really so unusual for me to come?"

"Well..." She looks down, at her feet - "...After - what happened - I thought..."

Her voice is very soft. "-I thought you were avoiding me."

> "Did you have any dreams?"

Asuna starts - Actually *starts* - at your words. She very nearly drops her entire burden, but recovers at the last moment; An indecipharable emotion flitting over her face, avoiding your gaze.

"I...don't remember," she says - Those her voice wavers, you can see her fingers tighten slightly on the binding. "Yesterday was...Anon-kun, I don't remember anything. Really, I *don't*."

She sounds nearly pleading, cradling the stack of books - But Asuna doesn't have much of a poker face, a kind of...formless disquiet, barely-restrained worry mingled with anxiety in her gaze.

[ ] "-That isn't true, is it?"
[ ] "You're - Not really good at lying, you know."
[ ] "Nothing at all?"
[ ] "...All right."
[ ] "-If you say so, then."
[ ] Free.

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27429822
[ ] "...All right."
[ ] "You're - Not really good at lying, you know."

>>27429822
[X] Free.
"Let me help you with those."

Reach out to take some of those book so she's not so overburdened.

>>27429822
"...All right. There's just one thing I have to check: Pythia."

>>27429822

Oh boy did we scar her for life.

Give her the Look that you know.

"Okay. Alright. I can understand not wanting to discuss that topic right now. Can I ask you one simple question?"

"Did the dream involve.. me?"

>>27429822
>[ ] "You're - Not really good at lying, you know."

>>27429878

She might not even realize she is Pythia. As she only accesses the Red while asleep.

>>27429822
>>27429878
Well if we're going to push this hard

"I'm sorry I scared you. I couldn't understand, didn't realize it was you until the very end."

>>27429983

Can we not scare the poor girl outright? We really shouldn't drag her into this more than she already is.

>>27429983
she might not know the red joker is us. just said anon-kun because we brought her to that particular battle

>>27429983
Whoa, it's just a check. If she doesn't react we back off.

Really though, if I wanted to push her, I would produce the Nihl Sphere and tell a story about a squire who met a red knight, and happened after he left the cave (that looked like a forest on the lowest levels, until you realized that the "trees" weren't made of vegetation).

>>27429839

> [X] "...All right."

>>27429875

Asuna relaxes, visibly - As if a burden has been lifted from her shoulders. She doesn't resist, as you relieve her of some of the books - They're not that heavy, but they *are* rather bulky, to tell the truth. The nearby table creaks, slightly, as she sets the rest down; Her hands open and empty at her sides, as if unsure what to do with them.

> [X] "You're - Not really good at lying, you know."

She colours, an angry flush blooming in her cheeks - "W-well, I'm not *used* to it. Not like..." Asuna catches herself at the last moment, her back stiffening; Deep embarassment shading over her face, a kind of chagrined realization - One hand clasped over her mouth.

"-I'm...I'm sorry," she says, looking away again. "It's just...Anon-kun, I don't know *what* to tell you. Really."

>>27429878

She blinks. It's an reflexive response ~ Momentary confusion, and half-cohered recognition in her eyes; One that fades into a kind of puzzlement, as if she's heard it from somewhere - Just for a fleeting moment.

"I..." Asuna begins, tentatively...Then she shakes her head, but with less surety than before. "...I don't know what that means. I'm sorry."

>>27429913

The high colour comes back into her cheeks - Her arms crossing defensively over her chest. "...No," she lies, baldly and badly; "I wasn't - I mean, I *don't* - I don't think about you at all."

"N-not at all," she says, again - As if trying to convince herself. Her fingers pluck nervously at her skirt, as Asuna shuffles her feet, going quiet - Looking everywhere *but* at you.

"Anon - Could you..." Asuna begins, biting her lip - Stealing an uncertain glance at you. "-C...could you please - Just go?" She makes a weak gesture, with her free hand; Her stammer getting worse. "It's just...I have a lot of things to do, so..."

Her eyes meet yours at last, pleading - Sounding utterly, utterly miserable.

"S-so...Please understand."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27430044
Hiding from things never fixes them. this may hurt, but in the end, its the only way to grow as a person. when you want to talk to me, come find me, ok?

>>27430044

Wow.

Just wow.

We've really screwed up her life, haven't we?

>>27430044
Way to be self centered dick heads guys.

>>27430067

Isn't that kind of harsh? We didn't really give this girl a choice in anything. I don't think she wanted to be awakened as a Player too, even if she IS Pythia.
She wouldve been better off if we left her alone from the start.

>>27430044

"You know where to find me."

>>27430044

"Then one last thing. Never mention that to anyone else and if you do run into trouble, you know where to find me."

Hold a beat. "I'm sorry."

Put the books on her desk and leave.

>>27430044
"...Yeah, that's fair. Oh, but before I go, something you said a couple times got me thinking: If kindness can be cruelty, can cruelty ever be kindness? I don't think so, myself, but maybe you feel differently."

>>27430075
No. With enough time she'll convince herself that the stress of her artshow, and the play, and the stuff happening in the city, combined with her confusion over Anon made her susceptible to bad dreams. She'll grow out of it, and while there'll be some wistfulness there she should be fine.

>>27429756

> OP, what's the current status of the Hollow Sun?

(Same as last session.)

>>27430130
I would like to take a moment to point out that even if she is Pythia she will have no way of knowing that we are the red joker.

>>27430145

And?

If she keeps mum, she doesn't spread that shes involved in all this mess.

If she finds trouble, she'll find Anon-kun.

>>27430143
How odd, I would have thought it charged some overnight. Thank you.

>>27430145
She isn't Pythia, she just saw the Bardiel fight. Equally dangerous, if not more so, since it suggests she has access to the records of past Red World fights.

>>27430067
>>27430119
>>27430130

Asuna's quiet; For a moment, she looks very forlorn.

> "Then one last thing. Never mention that to anyone else and if you do run into trouble, you know where to find me."

"...I know," she says, softly - Miserable, but startlingly composed all the same. Her voice is very calm.

> "...Yeah, that's fair. Oh, but before I go, something you said a couple times got me thinking: If kindness can be cruelty, can cruelty ever be kindness? I don't think so, myself, but maybe you feel differently."

She...hesitates. "I'm...not sure," Asuna says, very faintly. Her brow furrows - She doesn't answer immediately, as you depart - Your footsteps echoing leadenly, as sharp as a rifle shot in the quiet space.

You're almost at the door, when you hear Asuna draw a deep, steeling breath - The slow surrusation of air, in and out of her lungs.

"Anon-kun!" she says, sharply - Loud enough to get your attention, though it looks as if she'd have preferred not to. Then:

"-Trust him," Asuna says, her voice faintly confused - As if she's not entirely sure what she's talking about, though the urgency remains. "...I mean - You can trust him."

[ ] "Pardon?"
[ ] "What do you mean?"
[ ] "Who are you talking about?"
[ ] "...I don't understand."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27430167
Then what was that "Anon-kun" at the end? There are very few people who refer to us like that?

>>27430213

EVERY girl refers to us as Anon-kun. It doesn't really narrow it down much.

>>27430204
Who should i trust? why should i trust them?

>>27430204
[X] Free
Pause, then just keep walking.

We have a hospital to get to. Though maybe we should pick up that package from AP first.

>>27430213
Dude everyone calls us Anon-kun.

>>27430204
"Who? There's a lot of people I'm not sure I can trust."

I think we should have called Mio.

>>27430204

"Thank you, asuna."

>>27430221
>>27430241
Guys just leave it, she doesn't understand herself.

>>27430213
>>27430216
I'm half sure even guys call us anon kun.

>>27430204

Simply smile and nod your head as you walk out. No reason to push this subject any further.

>>27430241

Let Not. VOte against

>>27430140
>No. With enough time she'll convince herself that the stress of her artshow, and the play, and the stuff happening in the city, combined with her confusion over Anon made her susceptible to bad dreams. She'll grow out of it, and while there'll be some wistfulness there she should be fine.

Or we could do something terrible, like snag her hand and drag her into the red world, and let her know it isn't just her dreams.

>>27430231
>>27430241
>>27430252
>>27430260

The rest of the day passes in a blur. It's strange, how each moment can be so slow - Yet the hours so fast, at once. But it's not long before the last bell rings, ending as one in the rattle of desks and the scrape of chairs being pushed back; Like a thunderous roll of applause, to herald the end of tedium at last.

The grey of the sky has cleared, slightly; The first tentative wisps of blue protruding from the sullen bank of clouds. You join the rest of the students filing out, the cold, clear bite of the late afternoon air a relief from the closed, stuffy confines of the classroom-

...The question is, what should you do?

[ ] Meet with the Black Tri-Stars.
[ ] Collect the dead-drop.
[ ] Call Mio.
[ ] Call Palladium Rook.
[ ] Visit the Papillon.
[ ] Visit the Hollow Sun.
[ ] Visit the Metropolitan General Hospital

YOU HAVE CONTROL

Depending on which direction the dead drop is, we can pick that up on our way to the Hospital. We can contact Rook while making our way to either.

>>27430317
>Collect the dead-drop.
That thing must have been there for like a week now.

>>27430317
>[ ] Meet with the Black Tri-Stars.
>[ ] Collect the dead-drop.
>[ ] Call Mio.
>[ ] Call Palladium Rook.
>[ ] Visit the Papillon.
>[ ] Visit the Hollow Sun.
>[ ] Visit the Metropolitan General Hospital

Urgh.
Dead-Drop. (i think this has to do with our Coma Ward Access Request)

Follow up with Cybele - that may mean going to the hospital
Might as well see what Rook wants.

the main thing I want to do is Get Going on operation Rescue Hecate. I forget what all this entails, but I have a sense you do remember

>>27430317
Too many things I'd like to do.

[X] Collect the dead-drop.
[X] Call Mio.
[X] Call Palladium Rook.

>>27430350
>Too many things I'd like to do.

We need a weekend we can do a bunch of shit on :(

>>27430347
>>[ ] Meet with the Black Tri-Stars.

Remind me, did they actually want something?

>>27430317

Dead drop. Contact Rook while enroute. Get this little fetch quest out of the way.

>>27430347
>the main thing I want to do is Get Going on operation Rescue Hecate. I forget what all this entails, but I have a sense you do remember

We need to find out where she is, snag the second eye from pazuzu which means fighting him, which means finding him, and return to talk to cybele to see if she found out anything, as well as following up on the coma ward - what's the deal with our request to gain entry there? Can probably call in and find out.

> [X] Collect the dead-drop.

Home first, then. You trace the familiar path home, to the steel-and-cinderblock mailbox wall. The hinges squeal as it swings open; Yellowed flyers fluttering to the ground around you-

Yellowed flyers, and a single white envelope with the neatly-printed Sterling Industries stamp. The crisp white surface tears, as you rip it open - catching the USB drive within before it falls out, next to a two-page document, printed on both sides in block letters.

It's a log of what Helix Gygas was typing, in his last moments...Or rather, what they could retrieve from his half-destroyed laptop, most of the contents fused by the furious heat that fried it from within.

It seems - As a painstakingly detailed step-by-step process explains - he was running a program of some kind, one he'd been using the flash drive to access. Curiously, it seemed like he didn't get any further than that. The password for the USB drive has been identified, early on -

EZEKIEL2517

-but other than *that*...What followed is an increasingly frantic series of system commands, strings of random numbers that must be passwords of some kind. A screenshot illustrates the image that followed: A simple, unmarked page, with three components -

ID:
Password:

-And a command line at the bottom, host to utter gibberish. Whatever he was trying to do, he was stonewalled at every turn - It's unclear which of the three was wrong.

(Continued)

>>27430462

> [X] Call Palladium Rook.

You punch in the numbers, on the little scrap of paper - The phone rings once, twice -

> "-What was her name?"

The voice on the other end of the line is male, artifically rough; Someone trying to sound older, more serious that he actually is, turning his voice into a gruff growl.

He sounds, to your mind, a little nervous. But he's doing his level best not to be. It's...actually kind of amusing, really, having the speaker try to sound tough and gravelly-voiced and solid.

In the background, you hear distorted snatches of music.

> "If this is who I'm thinking it is...You'll know who's done me wrong."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

Six AM. Bed for me.

>>27430504

"Smilers helpdesk, how can I help ye, bro?"

>>27430504

> [X] Free.

"Do we really need to do this cloak-and-dagger thing? It's ME, Rook. The guy who carried your ass out of the sewer? Ring any bells?"

>>27430557
>>27430558
Just tell him that plant bitches name for fuck sake.

>>27430504
He has to be talking about Alura, we really don't know anything else about him.
[X] Free
"Alura Une. You seriously think someone would know enough to intercept Chrome and use a seemingly random number to trick you into an ambush?"

>>27430504

>What was her name.

C'hauliflower.

>>27430504
>> "If this is who I'm thinking it is...You'll know who's done me wrong."

"That's pretty funny, I didn't think you were much of a Joker. But it gave me a big Smiler"

>>27430598
No it wasn't.

>>27430589
>>27430579

> "Alura Une. You seriously think someone would know enough to intercept Chrome and use a seemingly random number to trick you into an ambush?"

"Uh."

On the other line, the speaker goes quiet. He's quiet for a long time; You can almost hear the gears in his head turning. "...No?" he says, at last, sounding sheepish - Before remembering himself, his voice going all raspy again.

> "Do we really need to do this cloak-and-dagger thing? It's ME, Rook. The guy who carried your ass out of the sewer? Ring any bells?"

A burst of noise comes over the line - Whoever it is, he's apparently having a coughing fit.

"All right - All *right*!" he says, his voice sounding *much* younger now; Then there's a touch of awe to it. "...It's *really* you. You're really the Red J...I'm not sure if I can deal wi-"

There's a sudden, confused jumble of noise on the other side, that sounds very much like someone snatching the phone away.

"-This is Rook," another voice cuts in - One that's noticeably less breathless. "Joker - There's a bowling alley downtown; The 'Lucky Strike'. When can we meet?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>Ezekiel 25:17
Really?

>>27430672

> [X] Free
> "Tomorrow, at this time."
> "Who was that guy, anyway?"

>>27430672
>>27430719

Sounds good

>>27430719
>>27430672
> "Tomorrow, at this time."
Guess that works.

Does that work? It's so damn hard to keep track of time what with all the Red outs we keep having. Do we even know what day it is?

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>>27430719
>>27430735

"-Tomorrow, then." Rook agrees. - "I'll be at Table 24, Joker - Watch yourself till then."

> "Who was that guy, anyway?"

"Oh, him?" you can hear the smile in Rook's voice - A faint amusement to his words. "-He's the muscle." It'd be a joke, but he doesn't laugh.

The line clicks, returning to the dial tone.

>>27430347
>>27430330
>>27430423

Getting to the hospital is a slightly onerous process - A walk to the train station, then an interminable ride by bus or by train to your destination. Fortunately, you have the time to spare; The cars surprisingly empty, for this time of the day.

>>27430759

You're fairly certain it's Tuesday. Definently close to the middle of the week, at least.

You're pretty sure.

>>27430350

You call - This time, the phone rings a little longer, before Mio picks up.

"Mmmm~?" her voice is low, drowsy - You hear a faint rustle of fabric, a smooth, silky scrape...Then the faint creak of bedsprings, as Mio yawns; Her words coming with a pleasant lethargy, husky with sleep.

"Anon-kun...Is that you~?" she asks, a soft lilt to her voice - Her breath gusting lightly against the speaker. The slight slur leaves her words, as she's roused a little more; A soft giggle teased from her throat. "-Still sleepy..."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27430836

(My apologies - I meant Wednesday. Still 'around the middle of the week'.)

>>27430843
>(My apologies - I meant Wednesday. Still 'around the middle of the week'.)

(we can always check our phone. Lord knows i use mine as a clock constantly)

"Sorry, did I wake you up? I'll call later."

>>27430836
>Getting to the hospital is a slightly onerous process - A walk to the train station, then an interminable ride by bus or by train to your destination. Fortunately, you have the time to spare; The cars surprisingly empty, for this time of the day.

A thought. Next time we see asuna, we should ask her why she changed the ending of the play.
Ask her what we can do to bring the original ending back. (the one with the ship of stars)

>>27430836
"Mio, how have you been?"

>>27430951
But didn't the original end with the hero forgetting about his invisible love and and just fucking off because power?

>>27430836
>"-Still sleepy..."

What? Wait, what time IS it? I thought it was late afternoon at the latest.

>>27430934

"No, no~" Mio's voice is warm - Almost a purr - as the bedsprings creak again. She yawns, metal clinking lightly as she - apparently - sits up. "...I was already awake ~ I just didn't feel like getting up."

>>27430956

"Mmmm." It's a thoughtful sound - "I'm all right..." she begins...But then there's a spark to her words, as if she's just remembered something~! "Ah, I forgot to tell you - I'm part of the Cultural Festival, now~! It's just odd jobs - Handing out flyers, moving things, but still..."

Her voice catches, so imperceptibly you might have imagined it.

"...It's nice to be part of something."

>>27430998

You glance at your watch - It *is* around the late afternoon.

"I've just...been a *little* tired, recently," Mio admits. "-I don't know why, but...I haven't been sleeping well." She smothers a yawn - The bedsprings creaking, then swaying; It sounds like she's lying down again, the phone snuggled against her ear.

"Anon-kun...I want to see you again," she says - Her voice softer now, filled with a kind of quiet, sleepy happiness. "When you come over to Seisin ~ I want to go somewhere with you..."

There's that drowsy note again. You get the feeling Mio isn't a light sleeper, her voice growing dreamier by the moment.

[ ] "I'd like that, too."
[ ] "Don't overexert yourself; I wouldn't want you falling sick."
[ ] "Bad dreams?"
[ ] "Mio, you're talking in your sleep again."
[ ] "I'm not sure we'll have the time."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

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>>27430836
>>27431046

So adorable! At the risk of sounding like a little girl, sleepy Mio is really cute.

>>27431046
[X] "Bad dreams?"

>>27431046
>"...It's nice to be part of something."

Ow, nice jab :(

>>27431046
>"-I don't know why, but...I haven't been sleeping well."

Agree with her. We haven't either. Must have been after we let loose that swarm of correctors into the Real

>>27431046
[X] Free

"Well my role for the play is pretty small, I'm sure no one would notice if I disappeared right after."

>>27430969
>But didn't the original end with the hero forgetting about his invisible love and and just fucking off because power?

Op, could you kindly remind us what happened here? It was many many thread sago

>>27431087
>>27431134

"Ever since...Well, ever since *that*- Everyone's been feeling strange ~ It's just...It's hard to fall asleep - Then there's always so much to do and, and..."

Mio's clearly losing the thread of the conversation - Her voice blurring out, fading to a mumble.

> Agree with her.

"Ah, you too ~ Somehow...that makes me happy. It means that I'm just like everyone else..."

>>27431137

For a moment, you think she's drowsed off entirely; Before her hazy voice comes over the phone, once again. "...Anon-kun ~ I'll cheer for you anyway~"

You hear her mumble something else over the line, too drowsy to be coherent: Then there's just white noise, as Mio's breathing evens out - Her breath come in a slow, regular surrusation, the phone's speaker fuzzing lightly as it slips from her fingers.

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27431180

(Here's the link for the play's initial outline:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/20926047/#p20927879

The revised plot:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/24273918/#p24275507

>>27431207
Well, I guess that's it then.

[X] Free
"Sweet dreams, Mio."

I wonder how we're going to break the news to her when we find hecate.

>>27431082

Seriously. It's like every time she's around, things lighten up. Not to mention that her dere is terrifying. I still think that if she was introduced before Hecate, she would be Best Girl, hands down.

>>27431207

You know, i'm beginning to think that she represents an antithesis to the red world, and the encroachment weakened -her- directly.

We.... may want to go hunting for the REAL correctors. This may entail getting the purple crystal back from Argent - or taking the one from The Thief's baited trap - so we can....

.... actually, uh.

Guys, this culture festival is totally going to be another nara dreamland.
Its just being set up so beautifully for disaster/calamity/red world dickery and once-every-decade ritual/convergence type dickery.

We're hella, and i mean HELLA gonna want a one-shot realspace joker power for when shit goes DOWN.

>>27431258

Well we know at least one person who will die.

The surviving sister of the pair

>>27431288

If we manage to get hecate back, I was thinking we may want to get argent to make us a silver link to her.
We were told moratoriums don't have much power, and the setback prevents them from getting more.

I think some HILARIOUS shenanigans could be introducted into the mix if our essence-processing powers were linked to others.

>>27431288
>>27431298

Sorry, meant to say: the Inox Fang emblem likely has some sort of similiar power or essence sharing abilities. we may want to snag the other half - and could probably do so just by DEMANDING it - if they haven't gotten their dumb aggressive ass killed already.

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>>27431240

> "Sweet dreams, Mio."

She doesn't answer, not really - Though she does snore a little, the sound coming across blurred and uneven. She must've fallen asleep with her handphone still in hand.

The rest of the ride is uneventful; You might've dozed off for a little, yourself, as the sway and rattle of the train lulls you to sleep. It's not long, however, before you blink yourself awake - The chime of the intercom echoing in your ears, the calm voice of the announcer stating that it *is* your stop.

You disembark. The Metropolitan General Hospital is...Well, it's *very* large, with great signs guiding you to one block after another - Fortunately, you know exactly where you're supposed to go.

As you head for the front desk, at the main - And largest - building, you make out the familiar smells of cycling air, antiseptic, medicine...Omnipresent, no matter where you are. It's not quite cloying, but it's never felt that wholesome to you, either.

You're proceeding up the walkway, when you hear wheels turning ~ A wheelchair trundling from the other direction. You can hear the faint whirr of the engine at rest, a vaguely familiar figure - tall, in somber blacks - pushing it along with casual ease.

(Continued)

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>>27431240

Seated in place - With the instinctive delicacy of the newly impaired - is a girl; Wavy brown hair, the same shade as her eyes - A blanket draped modestly over her legs, though it isn't enough to hide the stiff rise of the cast.

A snatch of their conversation filters to you:
> "...overstrain yourself, all right? I know it's tough, but...You'll have to bear with it for just a little while longer."

She smiles - It's a wavering, tentative kind of smile - as she reaches up over her shoulder, one hand resting lightly on his.

> "...do without you, Naoya-kun."

He's about to reply, when his gaze settles on you, in passing - His brow furrowing with a kind of unselfconscious confusion, putting a name to your face. "Anon?" Naoya says, more a question than a statement - Slowing his pace, giving you a faintly quizzical glance.

"-It *is* you." He smiles, with modest amusement - "Small world."

The girl cants her head to the side - The Seien crest of her blouse catching the light, slightly. "Naoya-kun...Who is this person?"

[ ] "Fancy seeing you here."
[ ] "A friend of yours?"
[ ] "-I almost ran into you yesterday, too."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27431394

Holy shit, he IS basically an older version of us.

>>27431477
[X] "-I almost ran into you yesterday, too."

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>>27431477
>female
>some sort of injury
>soon to be healed
>Seien
Oh boy.

Anyway:
>[x] "Fancy seeing you here."

>>27431477
"Now there's coincidence for you. Hello Naoya. Hello miss, I'm just passing through."

>>27431555
>>27431568

"I was thinking the very same thing," Naoya says - More polite than warm, to tell the truth, though there's a little upwards twitch to the corners of his mouth. "Madame President, this is Anon: He's an acquittance of mine."

"It's a pleasure," Shizuka says, in measured tones - Her voice is clear, like a bell, as she dips her head in a little bow; Her hands folded on her lap. Her formal demeanour belied a moment later when she pouts, mock put-out;

"Naoya-kun, I *told* you not to call me that..."

His expression never changes - Though you detect a restrained amusement in his eyes. Naoya's entirely deadpan, when he says:

"As you wish, Madame President."

She sighs, sounding more affectionate than exasperated. "...You're just teasing me, now..." she says, adjusting the quilted blanket with a half-smile.

> [X] "-I almost ran into you yesterday, too."

"Really?" He blinks, just once, in measured surprise. "That's an uncanny coincidence. I wonder wh-"

"Naoya," Shizuka cuts in - Her voice serious, now. "We're going to be late."

A glance at his watch; Then, the faintest hint of shrug. "...My apologies, but - We're short of time, it seems." His gaze meets yours - "But...I suppose I'll be seeing you around?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27431724

"Likewise. See you around Naoya. And Miss...."

Hold the pause. See if we can catch her name.

>>27431781
>>27431750

> "Likewise. See you around Naoya. And Miss...."

"Shizuka." She extends a hand, palm down - For a moment, you wonder if she expects you to kiss it, before there's the brief flash of her smile - "Anon-kun, right?" Shizuka says; "-I'll remember you."

Naoya just nods, as the wheelchair rolls past; Out of earshot, he says something that makes her laugh - And she looks back in your direction - Lifting a hand in a little wave of farewell, before they move out of sight.

(Continued)

>>27431895

After that-

After that, it doesn't take long for you to reach the Front Desk. The place is crisp, efficient - With a surgical, sterile gleam not softened in the slightest by the soothing pastel colours of the walls, the hum and tick of electronic machinery oddly oppressive.

The receptionist takes your number, without comment; You hear the faint *clack* of the keyboard, an almost imperceptible whine as the computer reads your request-

...And then there's a period of interminable waiting, luminous red digits broadcasting the present number. You glance down at the stiff cardboard slip that they've handed to you: You've read it several times, but there's always that temptation to double - triple - check, in case you've somehow missed it...

"Mr. Anon."

You look up, into a lined face - receding black hair swept back from a widow's peak, with blue eyes that are solemn but not unkind. His white coat is slightly rumpled, but otherwise impeccable.

"-I'm Doctor Moriyama." There's a clipboard tucked under his arm, with a thick sheaf of papers. "I'll answer any questions you have. When you're ready, I'll take you up to the ward."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

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>>27432013

(Apologies, forgot my picture.)

>>27432013

Nod and go along.

Lets see what we're heading into first before we open our mouths.

Maybe showing some concern and asking how is he would be natural?

>>27432013
I think the most obvious question would be "Has she had any other visitors?"

>>27432091
She I mean. Typo.

I'd think it'd be best to pretend we're old childhood friends or something. We don't want to act suspicious. At least not yet.

>>27432091

"She's stable." But from the way he says it, you know there's something more.

Paper rustles, as he turns the pages - "...Around a month ago, she sustained a cerebrovascular ischemia - In layman's terms, a stroke. Fortunately, medical staff was on call to attend to her; The effects were consistent with long-term suspension, I'm afraid."

He cares enough to look you in the eyes, when he says it.

"-Due to the prompt response, we believe that there was no long-term damage."

>>27432094

He shakes his head - There's an apologetic air to him. "Not since she warded. We do apologize; We've made every attempt to contact the families of long-term patients. However-"

"...However, records from that time are - unreliable - at best. Sometimes, we're unable to locate the patient's next-of-kin; In most instances, there's simply no-one left to be informed."

"After all - It's already been six years."

He leads the way, to one of the many elevators spanning the length of the hospital - It's a little bewildering, given how much *large* the place is; Claustrophobic, yet vast, like being lost in a labyrinth. All the turnings look the same to you - Until he swipes the keycard he wears on a lanyard, and the doors part.

Inside - The elevator reminds you, uncomfortably, of a steel-reinforced tomb: Throwing back your distorted reflection at you, from all sides.

Dr. Moriyama clears his throat, delicately - "May I inquire...What's the nature of your relationship with the patient?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27432238

"A friend."

>>27432238

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this. This is getting kind of depressing.

>>27432238
>"-Due to the prompt response, we believe that there was no long-term damage."
This gives me hope.

But what should we tell him?
"Someone special." maybe?

>>27432284
>visiting a coma patient
>kind of depressing
What?
No way.

>>27432287
How old is anon again? 6 years ago...

>>27432274

This one sounds best. It's the most reasonable option, too. Does that mean hecate's family are all dead? Because that would be a shitty thing to wake up to.

I wonder what the stage is like here?

Also, we don't actually know this is "our" Kaname Tsukimi. And we don't really have much of a plan to pull her out of her coma if just shifting Red doesn't serve to force her to transform.

>>27432326
Her family is dead and her boyfriend found another girl.
Oh joy.

>>27432377

If only anon actually knew how to say no.

>>27432274
>>27432326

He looks at you. Not for very long - He's too professional for that - but just long enough to seem dubious. Oddly, you get the feeling that he believes you; You're not sure why, however.

The elevator trundles to a stop, and the doors slide open. The corridor before you is much like the others you've seen - Except it's *cold* here. Not freezing, not cold enough to have vapour swirl in the air, to make your breath puff out before you - But cold enough to send a chill questing through your fingers.

There's another electronic lock. Again, Dr. Moriyama scans his card - Punching in the code, straightening - A little stiffly - for a retinal scan. "-It's a formality, really," he says, in response to your unasked question. "There are emergency elevators within the ward itself, with staff standing by - rotated at regular intervals - to attend to the patients 24/7. Rest assured; We're very diligent."

"Please, come this way."

The place - It's cheerless. There aren't any windows, you notice - Just row after row after row of doors, each one indiviually labelled with a four-digit number. From the octagonal central chamber, eight 'arms' branch outwards - Moriyama's footfalls slow, heavy and somehow stately, as he guides you along.

Overhead, you notice a bronze plaque - It says, simply:

> In recognition of his many contributions to the Metropolitan General Medical Center and to the greater community, the Board of Directors hereby renames this building...
> The SOUICHIROU MIKOGAMI WING.

He comes to a stop, suddenly - So suddenly you nearly bump into him. The doctor glances down at his clipboard, once again - "...It's here," he says - His card beeping softly beneath the scan, the locks disengaging, one after another, with a series of pneumatic *clunks*.

You're about to step in, when he places a hand on your shoulder.

(Continued)

>>27432506

"You understand," he says, "-the machinery here is extremely delicate. Before we enter, I recommend that you turn off any electronic devices in your possession.

It's unlikely that you'd cause any disruption to the suspension systems, but please: Stay within the delineated area. Do not attempt to touch the glass, or cross the red line."

"We've found...It's better to keep the environment as sterile as possible."

He hesitates, for a moment - Then goes on.

"What you see may - alarm you. But I assure you - The patient is stable, and we have every confidence that she will remain stable. If you need a moment to compose yourself..."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27432517

Deep breath and nod.

They really shouldnt teach doctors theatrics.

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This is all going to go horribly wrong.

>>27432517
I don't suppose we can turn off that freaky cassette player if we're carrying it currently, can we? Not that it runs on electricity or anything...

Turn off phone and brace self.
Try not to cry afterwards.

>>27432517
Guess we should turn off our phone then. We're also carrying that tape recorder, right? Cant really turn that off since it doesn't actually need batteries to run. Hope Cybele doesn't try to screw this for us.

>>27432577
>complete silence in the room
>walkman starts up
>headphones on
>nothing but continous pained screaming

>>27432517
Mind of Steel mode.
Turn everything off, calmly breathe to reassure the man.

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>>27432587
Mindbreak time?

Why am I suddenly getting the feeling that the cassette player is an almost reference to Silent Hill?

There's even an alternate (Red) world out there filled abominations.


Oh balls, and we're in a hospital right now...

>>27432658
The worst part about this plan is that it requires us to transform here. But we don't actually know where "here" corresponds to in the Red.

>>27432567
>I don't suppose we can turn off that freaky cassette player if we're carrying it currently, can we? Not that it runs on electricity or anything...

I was just going to suggest CHECKING it, actually. If there's a link to her player state/hyades area, its here. Foresight is good

>>27432517
>If you need a moment to compose yourself..."
Deep breath. Red joker mask on.

You nod.

He opens the door.

Inside, the room is -

It's well-lit, at least. There's too much that's sensitive in here - Too much to risk someone tripping, knocking over something they shouldn't; The low, rising hum of great machines at work, just beyond your field of vision. There's electricity here, in everything - A vast amount of power, you realize, is being consumed every moment.

There isn't a bed. Instead, there's a pod - For a moment, you're struck by a intense sense of deja vu; It's the bright mirror to the one you saw in the Sheol Star arcade. This one is far larger, taking up almost half of the space - It feels larger still, oppressive, thick and bulky and *cold*-

Dr. Moriyama's hand stays on your shoulder.

At first glance, it isn't actually so bad. All you perceive are the details - The wires and tubing, the faint venting *hiss*, the constant adjustment of the many, many control surfaces - All of it indecipharable, all of it essential to sustain the delicate equilibrium of the fragile form nestled at it's very heart. There's a soft blue glow, the backlights the harsh, angular edges of the cradle; And within it - Her features half-shrouded by the oxygen mask - the feeding and fluid tubes and shunts thankfully hidden by the pale green gown-

...She's so small.

She doesn't look like she's sleeping, at all. Her skin is pale, paler than snow - An unhealthy, waxy pallor. You can see the pronounced lines of her wrists, the black hair - which should be glossy, blacker than night - having lost it's sheen; Brittle, somehow, as it plays about her in suspension - copper-toned, now, eyes narrowed to slits sunken beneath swollen lids.

She's older than you, you realize - With a start. Four years - Maybe five? You can't be sure. Almost your age, then - Almost as old as you, when...

Was she frozen like this, like a fly in amber? The alternative strikes you as impossibly cruel: You can't imagine how much she must have missed.

(Continued)

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>>27432743

"The records say-" Dr. Moriyama begins. He pauses, goes on. "-The records say, it was a car accident. A family of four; The others were identified as her father, mother, younger sister. An emergency team brought her here in time, but-"

He picks his next words, carefully. "-There was significant trauma."

You can, faintly, make out the mass of scar-tissue; The very edges of it, barely concealed by her thinning, brittle hair.

"She showed a positive response to suspension - The prognosis is that this induced state can likely be sustained, until-"

There's no way for him to soften it.

"-Until the natural end of her life."

[ ] "Will she recover?"
[ ] "Is she in pain?"
[ ] "What would happen, without the pod?"
[ ] "Is there anything that can be done?"
[ ] "She looks...so pale."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27432743

> Four years - Maybe five? You can't be sure. Almost your age, then - Almost as old as you, when...

Wow, I never actually thought she'd be older than us. Just...damn.

>>27432827
[x] "She looks...so pale."
[x] "Will she recover?"

>>27432827

>[ ] Free

"Thats.... thats no way to live. Isn't there anything that can be done?"

>>27432827
"This is just... there's essentially no chance of recovery, correct?"

>>27432827
I think now would be a good time to Brace ourselves for the inevitable attack.

>>27432918
Wonder how much essence would it take to create a miracles of fortune strong enough to revive her.
>inb4 the essence of every single player (which will lead to HUEHUEHUE Bad Joker end).

>>27432849

> [x] "She looks...so pale."

"Yes," he says, and nothing more.

> [x] "Will she recover?"
>>27432902

"No," Doctor Moriyama says. "The damage was too extensive. There's been tissue healing, but no real reconstruction." A pause. "Barring a miracle, she will never regain consciousness or mobility." There's real sympathy in his voice, though he tries to keep emotion from his words.

>>27432855

He looks at you - His lined face compassionate.

"She's not in any pain, Anon. She no longer has the capacity to feel pain."

"Effectively - as long as her vital functions are sustained - she will sleep. Forever."

"If we shut them down-" he gestures, his motion carefully restrained - "...She will likely expire peacefully. But until then, this may continue indefinently."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27432939

revive isnt enough.

Need to bring her out of here

>>27432939
>implying we aren't going to kill everyone with our hordes of angle themed robots anyway

>>27432966

Red Shift time.

>>27432966

Guess we'll have to find a way to change this situation eh?

>>27432977
Shouldn't we need to get them ready for when we visit Mio's school for that musical?

>>27432977
>implying this isn't some twisted Grail War where a wish or a miracle is granted to the eventual last Player standing

>implying said wish couldn't be twisted or corrupted

>>27432966
"Where did this technology come from? I'd heard that something was being done for long-term patients here, but I never imagined this..."

>>27432972
We'd probably have to team up with the Black Joker, utterly destroy the Red World, consume every single drop of essense that can be found and steal Pazuzu's second eye.
Also, find out how did Mukogami turn Kotone into a Schroedinger's cat.

>>27432966

This sounds, let's be honest, completely hopeless. What are we going to do? Even if we somehow get hecate back, Tsukimi is just going to sleep forever.

What kind of life is that? A player without a body to return to?

>>27433010

Gotta work for tha miracle, anon.

Even if it means the rest of the red world will burn.

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>>27433009
This reminds me of someone else's big plan.

>>27433019
Isn't that like how Kotone became the Black Joker?

>>27433010
She could interact with the real world at least somewhat. She certainly isn't in the best of situations but there are worse out there.

>>27432993
>when we visit Mio's school for that musical
I feel like we'll somehow end up constantly shifting between worlds and playing roles in two intertwined stories.
>inb4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpME4riPI1k

>>27433009

Sounds like a plan.

>>27433038

Was it?

>>27433019
This reminds me of the last time we went on a roaring rampage of revenge, starting with Bardiel.

Remember how incredibly reckless we were at that time?
Now multiply that by the number of currently active Players in the Red.

>>27433038
I'm expecting the roles of Jokers to be reversed in the end. RJ being the sociopathic villain and Kotone being the half-insane hero.

>>27432939
Hahaha

Yes

Burn it all down. Let loose Heaven's Host from the Hollow Sun to turn this world to cinder and slay them all, down to the last man. Only then will we have enough essence to bring her back.

>>27433060

And when they gather in force to gang up on Red Joker, the Hollow Sun is unleashed.

>>27433069
>Implying that isn't exactly how most of the Red World population sees it already

>>27433054
I think so, maybe. Bereaved significant other goes to extreme lengths to recover his loved one from the Red World at the cost of everything he had in the real, and to hell with the consequences in the Red.

>>27433080
Won't work, the Hellions have a set operational time. Plus there's no suggestion that the Essence from their battle goes to us. It might just disperse into the atmosphere.

>>27433003

"-It's not in common use, no," Dr. Moriyama agrees. For a moment, he hesitates - As if unsure whether to tell you, or not. But then - He seems to soften.

"The technology in these Cradles - In fact, for the entire wing - was donated by the City Harvest group, a personal contribution by Mr. Mikogami." He coughs, lightly, into a balled fist - "While the government now provides a relief fund, you understand why this isn't common knowledge."

>>27432984

Red washes into the world. Crimson is in ascendance.

It breaks in crashing washes, tendrils of itself circling around you; The doctor's words seeming to echo forever, in your ears. It's sinuous, like fluid serpents - Curving away from your crimson plate.

STAGE: PURGATORY

This place -

This chamber exists in the Red World, too. Not the rest of the building, perhaps - But just this wing. And this wing, to your mind, is a fortress. The architecture - It's all black steel, one solid piece, as if the entire place has been hewn fully-formed from the earth.

There are no windows - But there are no doors, either. From far, far above, this place must resemble a solid black octagon, flat and lightless and impenetratable.

And the Cradle-

...The Cradles are here, too. The size, the shape - It's changed so little. More brutal, perhaps, but the concept remains the same: Except, there's only darkness beyond the glass ~ Like a fathomless portal to oblivion, with the faintest hint of motion within...Motion that must be solely an optical illusion, because you can never, ever truly see it, no matter how much you turn your head.

There's nothing else, here. Empty - Except for the Cradles.

And you.

(Continued)

>>27433082
You know it might be handy to find a way to warp in a couple of hellions during our fights.

>>27433080
And then it will be Hecate herself that will put an end to our villainy with a stab in the the gut while we revel in the bliss of success.
We're really going deep down the yandere route.

>>27433112

And as long as she can step out of that pod and breath the air deeply, it was all worth it.

>>27433010
>>27433010
Hecate could shift between worlds thanks to the Nihl.

I wonder if they all ended up like Hecate?

>>27433108

We can attach Hellion weapons to us right?

Why can't we use those docking ports to attach hellions?

Looks like some big oversized weapon until it unfolds into MINIONS.

>>27433092
>We're following in Mikogami's footsteps
I once mentioned that Kotone is our "soulmate", but now I have a sneaking suspision that our connection to her family as a whole goes much "deeper".

>>27433144
Spending CBoost for Hellions-in-the-pocket? Might be useful for distractions... or oversized Interceptors.


Hey, if Hellions are just going to vanish after they move out of the Hollow Sun, why not make a variant that explodes violently (read: antimatter bomblet)?
No weapons, little to no armor, just lots of speed and tracking capability.

Kamikaze angel robots also rolls off the tongue quite well, imo.

>>27433107
Damn it, this is what I was afraid of. We've never actually initiated a challenge, we don't even know if we can force other players into the Red like they can do to us.

>>27433175
>hollow sun opens
>floods the red world with suicide bomber robot seraphim

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>>27433107

Behind you - The sound reaches your auditory receptors, first, as you turn. Slanting down from the ceiling, like a shaft of ghostly moonlight; It unfurls itself, in an intricate lattice of light.

The light swells, to fill your world.

The light is taking you to pieces.

STAGE: TIR NA NÓG

Beneath you - Grass. Above - The blue sky, leaves falling in an eternal, endless autumn. The place is just as you left it; Green and brown and russet and beautiful, the trees blazing with orange and brown and green, rustling in the perpetual breeze.

"Joker-kun." Cybele's voice is soft, but sweet - Lilting, her hands folded in her long sleeves. To her credit, she's trying very hard not to look anticipatory - Or triumphant. The wind make her long, long hair stream out behind her, with a supple life of it's own.

"Joker-kun, don't be sad." She's standing right before you; Reaching out, her fingers smooth and nimble and pale - Never quite touching you - as her lissome legs fold beneath her, with a supple grace.

"-I'll wait for you as long as you want: I can *help* you, as long as you'll help me."

A pause - Her face demurely downturned, but there's no hiding the flash of some distant emotion in her brown eyes.

"...Have you decided yet?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>27433207
Never should have told her about Hecate.

>>27433207
If we become her champion, we'll eventually have to slug it out with other Red World heavyweights like another round with King Calamari or, godforbid, Bishamon.
Possibly get called out by Mr. Ebara and Natsumi in the process.

If we pass, we'll still have to kill King Calamari for being in cahoots with the Smilers, and then kill the rest of them.

... I'm still wary of being this girl's champion.

>>27433262

Other hyades might make a better offer, too.

>>27433188
Yesssss

(Gentlemen: I'd love to continue, but it's extremely late on my end - Around 1 AM. This looks like a natural breakpoint: Also, I doubt I'd be able to sustain the quality of writing for much longer.

You've been a wonderful audience - As always, good night and God bless. I hope to see you all again soon.)

Damn it we never even got a chance to try using the Nihl before she jumped us.

>>27433309
... Holy Hand Grenades?

>>27433327

Good night, OP.

>>27433262
We were going to kill Kraken anyway for being an asshole. Bishamon... Not so much. But I think he was smart enough to read between the lines in our last conversation. You know, the one where we all but said 'We are going to fight eventually if you have made a Hyades pact. I'm sorry."

Argent can go screw himself. Cybele can heal, right? She might be able to bring back Hecate, and we straight up told Natsumi already that if there's a chance of that happening we are going to take it.

>>27433207
"You know what? It's not like either of us are going to get a better deal. I want to be the LAST Red Joker. I'll win for you--if you join me in breaking this rotten excuse for a game."

>>27433252
Cybele can only see the Red World, she has no idea who we're visiting. The expression on her face is triumphant because she knows we're going to agree.

>>27433327
Fuck.

>>27433347
>"You know what? It's not like either of us are going to get a better deal. I want to be the LAST Red Joker. I'll win for you--if you join me in breaking this rotten excuse for a game."

Too bad this episode's over, but now you're talking like some bigshot shounen anime protagonist.

I like it.

>>27433327
Thanks for the ride, JOP.
It's the first time I've ever made it to the actual end of a thread... while making it to midnight...

>>27433347
Does this not strike you as playing like Asuna's story? I mean assuming it's a representation of past events, and assuming we're replaying those events because the Red functions in cycles, then choosing Cybele is choosing the ship. We fucked up coming here now, we needed both Nihl spheres to revive Hecate.

>>27433347
>Breaking the game

Are you sure that's in character? I mean, being the Last Joker, yes, but ending the game...?

>>27433415
You mean act like a big psychotic asshole?
Sounds pretty in character to me.

>>27433207

You know, I have to say that this Quest is dark as fuck. There's so much misery and SUFFERING being flung around.

I think tsukimi (coma girl) is actually hecate, but I'm a little thrown off by how hecate is physically older than us. I'm just wondreing how that could play out well, in any incarnation. She's just so messed up, I don't think there's anything that could be done for her.

At the same time, I wonder what would have happened if OP introduced mio as the first girl. Because hecate was the first girl to show up, way way back in Chapter 1, even though we never met her until much later.

>>27433751

It really is either Mio or Hecate at this point. The other girls are very unlikely to be in the running, and Asuna has opted out. There's this very unique situation where the girl who's happy and oblivious and into us isn't really the one we love. While the girl we knew for all of two weeks is the one we're going through hell for.

>>27433796

Isnt it sad, mio?

To know you're only like tissue paper or an onna hole.

>>27433828

Not really, we've never done anything seriously physical to Mio. More to the point, I don't think we will.

At the same time, Mio is incredibly sweet and adorable, and I for one wish we would stay with her. The whole scene with her talking-while-half-asleep was d'awww worthy.

>>27433866

Argueably its worse.

Anon is just using her as emotional comfort until he finds hecate.

The throwing away after use metaphor still stands.

>>27433921
>>27433866
>>27433828
>>27433796

I am personally holding out for Mio. Really this whole thing with how we latched on so hard to Hecate doesn't really make sense to me.

Plus While she may be a little oblivious of the real world, I think she would be able to see through to the real Anon. Honestly if we are just using her like people are saying we are then I honestly hope Hecate dumps Anon like a bad habit. Damn /tg/'s first girl syndrome. I hate that cliche.

>>27433343
>Cybele can heal, right?
Wasn't there an issue with that?
Something along the line of not being the thing that we want for Hecate?

Anyway, I suggest we now go on another killing spree. Let's start by agreeing with Cybele.

Hell, I started laughing manically when I read the last few posts and thought about how we need to react.

>>27433866
>>27433921
Yeah, Mio is basically duct tape for our heart. She prolongs our sanity.
But now we are going down the deep end.

Fuck, if we fail at reviving Hecate, I want to become emperor of the Red and cause suffering for everyone unfortunate enough to become a player.
Not to mention that we'll make everyone a player, so that we can kill anyone at any time.

>>27434167
>Red Joker
>Rule anything

No, he'll just become a wandering blood knight looking for the next greatest fight.

>>27433343
>But I think he was smart enough to read between the lines

The reason this quest has such great dialogue is because of what *isn't* said. I mean, the thing with Bishamon. It was a whole subtext of fear and resignation on both sides. Bishamon *knows* that having made the pact, Red Joker is eventually going to fight him. Red Joker knows this as well.

And they both desperately try to avoid the topic, trying to pretend it doesn't exist.

>>27434384
And he will assassinate anyone trying to end the game.

>>27434502
Anybody who has enough potential power to end the game would be top on his list of people who might be fun to fight. It wouldn't be an assassination. It would be RJ walking into town like the mysterious stranger and asking where that person is.

And then, 15 minutes later, a nuclear explosion and the sound of maniacal laughter.

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>>27434614
So he basically becomes a mecha version of this?

>>27434475

How good is Bishamon, really? He must be pretty good, because him and Volt have fought off a shitload of enemies before. It's just that he's really nervous around us, because we are arguably one of the most powerful players ever.

If it came down to it, I think he'd put up one hell of a fight.

>>27434774
He would be, certainly, because he's really fast and a damn good melee combatant. Fast enough to keep his proximity, where we are much less impressive than at range.

That said, a few Plasma Caster shots, the Sinistral and the Phase Blade could pretty easily ruin his day.

>>27434774

That's actually a very interesting question. Do Red World or Real Life skills carry over? Kouichi is a master swordsman (Okay, close enough) in the real world.

Meanwhile, we're pretty good at punching people, and we're highly accurate with firearms. But the accuracy simply comes from long practice.

Has there been any player who's shown superhuman weapon skill?

>>27430044

Let me see if I've got this right.

Hecate: Comatose, with no chance of recovery barring a miracle. Even then, it's only to sustain her existence as a player.

Natsumi: Friendzoned, disappointed with us, not happy in the relationship we sort of forced on her. Does not like Hecate.

Mio: Entirely oblivious, set up for heartbreak.

Asuna: Literally wants us out of her life. Might be a newly-awakened player.

Did I miss anyone?
This is kind of a clusterfuck, /tg/.

It's amazing, and I can't wait to read each new episode.

>>27435370
I know, right?

The happy and dynamic tone of the quest really creates a sense of dissonance with the SUFFERING.

Mio pulls on my blackened heartstrings whenever she appears, and I'm just waiting for that whole thing to come crashing down HARD in a spiral of misery and suffering the likes of which cannot be imagined.

>>27435584
I... didn't post that image

What?

>>27435594

You should probably delete that.

>>27432827

Great. Hecate's whole family is dead, she's trapped in a decaying, possibly crippled body, and her only hope is the guy she met for two weeks, who's going at things ham-handed.

>>27436076

I like those odds.

>>27435370
Asuna wasn't Pythia though. She's the one plugged into the Red World's observation system.

>>27434384
>>27434167
I dunno, I'm pretty sure Anon can identify first causes. He's not an adrenaline junkie so much as a supreme survivor. As such, the real obstacle to his continued survival is the Player system itself. Take control of that or destroy the Red World and his objective is met. That's my take at least.

>>27436413
I think it's more that he spent so long fighting that he forgot how to do pretty much anything else. It's the only thing left that actually feels real.

Given that he has spent well over 90% of his entire percieved lifespan fighting tooth and nail for survival, everything else just feels like a fleeting illusion that could pass at any moment, so he doesn't get attached to things. The Red is his home, why destroy it?

>>27436476
I have a feeling Anon has a love-hate relationship with the Red World. On the one hand, the Red World is essentially Hell and he'd like to get rid of it or at least stay as far the fuck away from it as possible. On the other, it's literally the only place he can thrive because he can't into social interaction with people in the real world..

>>27436476
Because it's NOT his home, it's something to survive so that he can get back to his life. Note that he didn't spend any time exploring the Red World until Hecate went missing. He doesn't look forward to fights or want to fight, and tries over and over to get people to stop and think. Anon's part of the system but given the choice he'd prefer it never having existed.

>>27436532
If he wants to stay away from it, why does he keep responding to people who ask him to piss off with 'This is my home, motherfucker!'

No, RJ hates the Red World for making him love the Red World.

>>27436579
Yes, but going off the deep end means that he'll either make the Red World into a tool to inflict suffering for all of humanity or that he'll try to bomb it gloriously.
Consider that he would have never met Hecate without the Red. That world didn't JUST produce suffering.

Then again, the essence processing situation means that real life feels unreal to him, as he can literally NOT FAIL. His success means that he absorbs the luck of all his victims, which means that the only challenge in his life is murdering people in the Red world.

>>27436596
If Anon could turn off all the challenges and let the real crazy ones fight each other without drawing him in or damage the real world, wouldn't he let them and stay out? Battles in the Red World spill over, so he's starting to change his view on what he should be doing as the Red Joker.

>>27434098
>I am personally holding out for Mio. Really this whole thing with how we latched on so hard to Hecate doesn't really make sense to me.

At this point, as far as I imagine things, its half responsibility half fantasy.
We got her into trouble - and we carry an almost-living memento of our mistake around with us, both in the real and the red - and she's the only girl who GOT us, understood us, in both.
Its our responsibility to do right by her - setting aside a possible relationship, which may or may not be possible if she is recoverable or healable.

as for red joker's actual feelings, i figure its a whole fucking twisted mess of attraction, apathy, feeling disconnected from the real in favor of the red, and the inability to say no to things that make you feel more grounded.

>>27434906

>has there been any players who have shown super human weapon skills

I can't think of his name, but way way back during the first few threads we fought against a Player. The one where we got the Black Joker's curse and our bitchin' Duster. He was a sniper.

>>27434890
>That said, a few Plasma Caster shots, the Sinistral and the Phase Blade could pretty easily ruin his day.

So, anon. In preperation for this endgame showdown clusterfuck, when are we going to make our sweet ass hovertank relic?

last i recall we were 86ish percent on the holllow sun - and I seem to recall making it would take 100% charge?

Are we going to smash kraken and pazuzu with the dominion? I think we're gonna.

>>27436998
Just because you acknowledge yourself as a psychotically unstable supersoldier doesn't mean you can't recognise other supersoldiers to be complete and utter bastards.

He'd still fight the assholes even if he wasn't dragged into it, since he is trying to use his inherent bloodlust for a good purpose. That's why he tries to avoid fighting the guys who don't really deserve it. The random matchups - If they want to run, they can. But how about those 20 guys in the alley? How about Bardiel? How about the twins - What would have happened if Natsumi had not been there to collar the Joker?

RJ primarily wants to fight, but it isn't his only motivation. He's also trying to do some good.

>>27437220

We don't need to 100% it in one go. We can siphon off a little bit as our slush fund to slowly build it up over time. It'll slow down our other projects marginally, but it guarantees we have a small trickle of resources going to our pet project constantly.

If we can get a couple Essence Fabricators running, we can pull off the bullshit hacks an ACU can do.

>>27437229
>RJ primarily wants to fight, but it isn't his only motivation.

I want to say that's not quite accurate. RJ's primary desire is to .... be better than the monster his reputation makes him out to be, to live up to the example his predecessor stood for and willingly gave his life for.
But at the same time, his very nature - that of a pure SURVIVOR, especially a hardboiled redworld hardened veteran is at odds with that newly found desire to rise above - especially when he is literally hunted for his skin and endgame backstage pass.
(i think we're starting to reach the power levels where people are starting to respect us instead of looking for an easy mark, though. They're WILLING to talk instead of shoot first - and its a growing trend.)

That's the real struggle.

Things are gonna become REAL interesting once we get the old jokers memories.
I'm not sure how feasable it is, but if we do it, I want to mess with Argent a little bit. Next time we see him, we show up with a familiar swagger, bring a favorite celebratory drink that the old joker used to share, and put our feet up on his desk like a familiar ghost, and shoot the shit.

>>27437356
>and shoot the shit.

Sorry, i meant like, shoot the breeze, talk, see if AP drops his guard any. Not like, kill him.

>>27437356
>Things are gonna become REAL interesting once we get the old jokers memories.

and then we start waifuing on all the hot guys, because the old RJ was into men.

This just makes the girlfriend problem even worse because omgbiguy yaoi-is-yummy factor for girls.

i kind of hope OP doesn't check the post-thread speculation, but at the same time I wish he'd do post-game meta like some of the other quest leaders do

>>27437282

Now that I think of it, in SupCom standards, all that is stopping us from burying our enemies under hellion wave tactics is that our mooks break down over time while outside the Joker Cave...

I wonder if we could afroengineer an Essence Battery inside of our tank to build and maintain a small mobile army at our command. We'd have ourselves a limited Fatboy without the shields or the ability to shit out nearly endless T1 assault bots.

>>27437124
That is just the thing. I'm not seeing the whole that she got us. The only thing is that she was a player and she was hot. Anon started flirting with her when the only thing he knew was that she watched his matches. She didn't even show up in the real world all that often. So I'm not really seeing the 'She totally gets me like no one else does!' thing.

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>>27437516
>Now that I think of it, in SupCom standards, all that is stopping us from burying our enemies under hellion wave tactics is that our mooks break down over time while outside the Joker Cave...

Actually, the main problem is that we don't have an ACU or control interface.

The hollow sun literally has one button(pic related), and no way to direct the individual course of attack.

That's WHY we're so interested in making 'hellion interceptors'(i'm glad other people caught onto the idea up above!) because it would let us AVOID pressing the big red button.

Also, there may be a way of gaining better authority and system access to the hollow sun. It regards us as its caretaker, but not its master.
If we were to become its master, we may be able to get tactical/strategic command.

Which is the other reason I want us to get the Emulation Chip. It almost certainly has something to do with hacking, system access, or codebursts - all of which we want more of.

>>27437282
This depends on how much energy the golden sarcophagus is taking to assemble also. Last i recall it was almost done, wasn't it?

>>27437544
So I'm not really seeing the 'She totally gets me like no one else does!' thing.

She was the first one to engage the red joker AS the red joker, though.

Not as anon-kun. She's literally the only sane/real person(cybele and broccoli lady don't count, and neither does kraken's girlfriend/hyades) thats got the hots for the JOKER. That she looks ballin instead of armored in the red world probably helped, too.

>>27437585


Yeah. It was close to being finished before we shut down all production.

>>27437624
Exactly, she has the hots for the JOKER. It could be any other player wearing that armor and Hecate would just as happily go for them. The Red Joker is not who Anon is as a whole. He was a regular player before he was the Joker. The Joker came later.

>>27438538
That was Haurvatat's replacement. We haven't seen the golden figure since Anon plugged into the Hollow Sun.

Also, regarding the Dominion, it's a super project with some caveats. Just building it is so energy intensive it will destroy the Hollow Sun and drain the area for miles around. It's our trump card's trump card.

>>27439622

are you sure? I thought it would just drain its entire charge?
like the 100% thing.

I guess DOMINION is a consolation prize after we pull the trigger on the hollow sun

>>27441738
From http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23690446/#p23696457
>-And something else, too. A final project, one that will most assuredly drain the very last ergs of energy from the Hollow Sun, that will leech all power from the Red World around it.

Sounds like firing the Hollow Sun and creating the Dominion might even be mutually exclusive.

>>27442115

We can always scrap it for delicious resources. We don't haft to keep it's construction paused.

>>27444306

Well if its a full relic that doesn't deplete itself.

Might be worth getting.

>>27438657
That changed when we made her fall for us.
Us being the Joker was just the initial attraction. Us being an awesome dude IRL was the second stage,
She saved our life. She knew the important stuff about us.

Imagine explaining everything to Mio. She will never understand it.

>>27445483

We really should tell her something, but I can't think of a not-awkward way to break it to her. Are we even certain what we're going to do? Obviously, we're going to try and find a way to wake Hecate up, but what about after that?

I'm wondering what we'd need the Dominion and the Hollow sun FOR, tho. There isn't really a target for the thing.

>>27447751

>There isn't really a target for the thing

Kraken or a possible mother-corrector hivemind?

Also, if theres not a target yet, there will be one. Soon.