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>Last time:

>"AAAAAAHHHHH!" You hear a deadly scream, and blink a few times. "YOU WON'T CATCH ME, DAMN IT! I'M NOT DYING YET!" That voice... that's Jack's voice, isn't it?

>You blink a few more times, and the fog disappears. Jack is crawling away on the ground, his wound bleeding horribly. With all his effort, he gets up and starts running.

>"W-What happened!?" The fireman's opened his eyes.

>Puca stands there where she stood before, adjusting her clothes. She still looks like she's had the snot beaten out of her... but at least she's back to normal. What did she just do? And why did you see...

>You feel vomit inching into your throat. You can't remember it-- if you do, you'll go insane. You have to lock it out of your mind.

>"My king... I told you to close your eyes. Why didn't you?" She asks.

>"I--" You have to stop vomit from coming up your throat when you talk. "I was tired of the secrecy. I wanted to see the truth."

>"I'm sorry you had to see that. That was not the truth." She says.

>"Then what was it?" You ask.

>"That was your worst fear, reflected one-hundredfold. I dislike using it, but that ability can come in handy..." She says, regretfully looking down on you as you hold your knees on the ground in fear.

>"Oh, the child..." She reaches down and grabs the kid from your back. That's right, the kid!

>"I will see what I can do for him." She says. "For now, we need to head back."

>"No." The fireman speaks up. "We need to go after Jack. This is the first time I've wounded him." He says, and your eyes widen.

>"You've fought him before?" You ask.

>"Yeah." He replies. You hear a roar-- a lion's roar, as a huge black lion leaps to his side. Its eyes are red, and its fur is grey. It's almost two times the size of a normal lion. You could ride it like a horse.

>"And this is our best chance to get after him."

>FIN #4

(2/3)

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Puca is beaten and bruised, holding onto a rough-looking stain on her shirt. Her breaths are coming out in short, coarse heaves. She's really not in a good condition.

"If we follow Jack, he'll lead us back to his human partner. Then, we can get rid of the two of them personally." The giant lion next to the fireman leans down, and he jumps onto its back. Forget the comment about the lion being as large as a horse before-- the fireman really is going to ride it like a horse.

"My king, I--" A bunch of raspy coughs interrupt her. They sound like they hurt. "I may have to retreat. If you would like, I can assign you a guard, but my body is failing right now." Her knees tremble a little.

Damn. What happened to her? What could have put her in this sort of situation?

"Whatever you want to do kid, we'll need to decide what to do NOW. We're losing Jack as is." The fireman begins to turn his lion around, tugging on the mane.

>Primary:
「」 Take Puca back home to rest. You can get Jack later.
「」 Go with the fireman to pursue Jack. You'll lose your chance!

>No secondaries for now.

Haha, time for Mindquest!

>>32149529
>「x」 Take Puca back home to rest. You can get Jack later.

Can't let someone die, right?

>>32149563
It always begins with one person. Thanks.

Writing now.

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"Thanks for the offer, but I can't go with you." You say to the fireman, and he looks backwards at you for a moment.

"But this is our chance! I haven't been able to corner him by myself, but together, we could--" You stop him by holding up your hand.

"I'm not going to let her die." You state clearly.

"But she just comes back!" The fireman yells back. "That's my point! He always gets away, either by running or by dying! If he just comes back, there's no point to killing him! And your shadow will come back too! That's one of the rules!" He yells at you.

"That doesn't matter." You reply. "I'm not going to let her die."

"My king, what he says may be true. If that is one of the rules, then I will come back. Going after Jack is the most advantageous choice." Puca barely gets her words out, coughing in the middle.

"Doesn't matter." You say yet again. "I'm not going to let you die." You give her a helping hand by putting her arm over your shoulder. "Let's go home."

She smiles, wincing from the pain. "Thank you, my king."

(1/2)

After a few minutes of walking, you get back to the street where your apartment building is located. The street is littered with the corpses of zombies.

"Did you get rid of them all?" You ask.

"Yes... although it took a fair amount of effort." She grimaces, and coughs.

After a few more minutes, you arrive back in your apartment. It seems that she was right-- she did get rid of all of them. Somehow. You sit her down on the couch, and begin to think quickly.

>Primary: What do you do?
「」 Try to treat her wounds yourself. (Requires a Medicine roll: 1d100, best of three. Roll in your post if you choose this to speed things up.)
「」 Ask her if she has minions that could help her.
「」 Trust her to treat her own wounds while you stand watch outside.

>Secondary: How do you feel about the fireman right now?
「」 Happy. He didn't immediately try to kill you. He might become an ally at some point.
「」 Hesitant. He seems like he's too eager to kill Jack. Why would that be?
「」 Paranoid. He could have been faking it. Is he trying to draw you in to kill you?

>>32150022
>「」 Try to treat her wounds yourself. (Requires a Medicine roll: 1d100, best of three. Roll in your post if you choose this to speed things up.)
The minions can take watch.

>「」 Paranoid. He could have been faking it. Is he trying to draw you in to kill you?
If I were here earlier I would've voted for going home too because I don't trust being alone with the guy and his Shadow.

Rolled 70

>>32150022

>>32150079
Oops.

Rolled 56

>>32150022
>「x」 Try to treat her wounds yourself.
>「x」 Hesitant. He seems like he's too eager to kill Jack. Why would that be?

>>32150022
Tie Breaker anon here.
> Treat Wounds
> Happy

Can't roll on my phone for some reason

Rolled 1

>>32150159
>>32150079
Cool, flipping a coin for secondary.

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Thinking back to a class you took way back in high school, you try to remember everything you can about first aid. You're not a doctor, that much is true, but you should be able to remember some of the stuff they taught you. Damn it, if only Jess was here, she's the one going after the medical degree!

You gather up some basic supplies from underneath your sink and start. Okay, so first we need to disinfect the wound--

"Ah!" Puca flinches a little as you press the cotton to her skin, with some disinfectant sprayed onto it.

"Ah, right. This is probably going to hurt. Forgot to warn you about that." You say quickly, applying the disinfectant to her cuts.

"No, my king. I am fine." You finish up with the disinfectant and start on covering her cuts with gauze. You aren't sure what to do about the bruises though, maybe some ice would help...?

After finally applying some bandages to her wounds, you go over to the fridge. A pack of cold peas should help, at least.

What was with the fireman, anyway? You can't trust him, that's for sure. He may have been working with Jack to trap you.

"My king, you don't need to..." You toss the pack of iced peas at her.

"Put that on your bruises, that'll stop some of the pain." You try to sound confident. But what should you do now...?

>Primary: What now?
「」 Scout outside yourself, and make sure nothing else is coming.
「」 Stay inside and try to keep to yourself. With Puca in this state, attracting attention would be bad.
「」 Ask Puca what to do. She's injured, but she might know what to do.

>Secondary: Anything you want to pick up while you're here? (Your pockets only have room for one.)
「」 Flashlight. It's dark out, you might need it.
「」 Another spray can. The last one certainly came in handy.

>>32150385
>「x」 Ask Puca what to do. She's injured, but she might know what to do.

>「x」 Flashlight. It's dark out, you might need it

>>32150385
>「」 Ask Puca what to do. She's injured, but she might know what to do.
>「」 Another spray can. The last one certainly came in handy.
It's our schtick.

>>32150385
>「」 Ask Puca what to do. She's injured, but she might know what to do.

>「」 Flashlight. It's dark out, you might need it.
That's only if it's a big, hefty Maglite type flashlight. Anything smaller and I'd rather go for the spray can.

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"Puca, what do you think we should do?" You ask her. She's injured, but she doesn't seem delirious at all. Her mind is still in perfect shape.

"Ha ha..." She laughs hoarsely. "I was hoping to ask you the same thing... but if you're asking me, then I suppose..." She furrows her brow for a moment, then winces. You've treated her as well as you can, but if she has broken bones or something like that then you'll need to bring her to the hospital when the Hour ends.

"From my perspective, we have two options. I believe that we need to act conservatively right now, but we can also be aggressive or defensive right now." She stops, holding her side.

"I can keep a small vanguard of my little ones nearby while you take the majority, and you can act as a distraction so that they won't come near here..." She winces again. "But that doesn't seem like the best plan available to us." She says.

"My personal suggestion would be to stay here and regroup, so to speak. It may be wasting the precious little time we have, but unfortunately I'm not sure I'll be of much help as I am..." She stops, looking down in regret.

"I apologize, my king. That is my suggestion. If I'm holding you back, please feel free to disregard me and go on your own." She says, curled up on the couch.

You sit next to her in a chair, pondering your choices. You hold a large flashlight in your hand, powerful enough to light the way and big enough to act as a blunt weapon. It was a little more expensive to pick up, but you're really appreciating it right now.

>Primary: What's our plan?
「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
「」 Her first plan: Try to act as a distraction so that nobody goes after her while she's weak.
「」 Go with your own plan. Go by yourself and let her keep her minions as a guard.

>Secondary: How are we feeling about Puca right now?
「」 Curious. How the hell did she get hurt like this?
「」 Regretful. Damn it, how could you let her get hurt like this?

>>32150678
>「x」 Go with your own plan. Go by yourself and let her keep her minions as a guard.
Can't let this flashlight go to waste. I'd prefer a mix of both secondaries, but if that's not possible:
>「」 Regretful. Damn it, how could you let her get hurt like this?

>>32150678
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」 Regretful. Damn it, how could you let her get hurt like this?

We did want to have as little to do with this thing as possible and we have a thing about people getting hurt.

>>32150678
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」 Regretful. Damn it, how could you let her get hurt like this?

If we're just sitting tight, could we do something with our time? The Hour isn't "real" so we could paint graffiti on the walls to pass time and get EXP, right? We wouldn't find paint on our actual apartment's walls when we wake up, I hope.

>>32150878
>If we're just sitting tight, could we do something with our time? The Hour isn't "real" so we could paint graffiti on the walls to pass time and get EXP, right? We wouldn't find paint on our actual apartment's walls when we wake up, I hope.

Well, we could do that. Doing it inside the apartment might be a bad idea though, because of fumes. Do we want to do this too?

>>32150922
Is there any room on the apartment rooftop while being safe?

>>32150947
Well, I'm sure there would be plenty of room on the rooftop. And you're not clumsy, so it would probably be safe enough to climb on.

But you might be forgetting about something...

>>32150947
I support this. We could tag the stairwell I think.

>>32150678
Plan out how to trap either the apartment or the starting point to alert and keep out. Ask what stays permanent between Hours, etc.

>>32151018
Can Puca rest near us in an earshot range?

>>32151018
Are you trying to say we'd be exposed and obvious? If climbing on the outside is our only choice to get up there then let's forget about it. I'm not even sure how far the sound of a spraycan travels without traffic drowning it out.

>>32151051
Yeah, we could totally do this too. Set up some traps or alarms and spend some time with Puca. That might be good too.

>>32151063
>>32151024
I think that if you opened the door, the stairwell would probably be the farthest away you could go while still being in "earshot".

>>32151089
Well, the stairwell does go up to the roof, but going to another floor would put you out of earshot range. But actually, you do have the mental connection, so being in earshot wouldn't really matter.

Guys, remember that dragon that hung around our apartment? If it happens to come by and see us we're boned.

Let's just hang out with Puca.

Okay, so after that bit of planning, the revised choice list is this:

>Primary: What's our plan?
「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
「」 Her first plan: Try to act as a distraction so that nobody goes after her while she's weak.
「」 Go with your own plan. Go by yourself and let her keep her minions as a guard.

>Secondary: If we stay here, what else do we do?
「」Go tag on the roof. There's a lot more space, so you could do a lot more there.
「」Tag on the stairwell. Not a ton of space, but you'd be closer to Puca just in case.
「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

>>32151218
That's what I was talking about when I said "But you might be forgetting about something...".

>>32151268
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

Welp, time to stay holed up for who knows how long.

>>32151268
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

>>32151268
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

Yeah, I'm thinking we just hole up for a bit. Forget running about all by ourselves, we need to keep a low profile.

>>32151268
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>>32151268
>「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

>>32151268
>「」 Her second plan: Regroup until your strength is back.
>「」Stay here with Puca and try setting up some basic traps around the apartment. You'd also be able to talk to her.

>>32151351
>>32151349
>>32151338
>>32151328
>>32151313
Okay, looks unanimous. Writing now.

>>32151313
>Welp, time to stay holed up for who knows how long.
About 20 minutes, from your intuition.

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"Yeah, I'm gonna stay here, like you said." You lean back in your chair and put down the flashlight. Going out now might draw attention that you really don't need, especially when Puca's in this state. You've treated her in every way you know how, but your medical knowledge is shoddy at best.

"Yes, my king." She says quietly. "But again, if I'm keeping you back, disregard me."

"You aren't keeping me back." You reply. "I'm going to stay here and set up some alarms, for protection during the day." You say to her, and go back to your room looking for materials.

"Yes, my king." She smiles a little as you disappear into the hallway.

...

After a little bit, you look back at your work. It's simple, and it really doesn't keep anybody out, but you can't say that you're a trapmaster or anything like that. So it's the best you can do.

You've inserted little bits of paper into the windows of your house. If somebody uses them, the paper will fall and you'll know that someone's been inside. Or the glass will be broken, something like that.

In addition, you've set up a small system with a string and a cup that stretches across the door. If someone comes in, the cup will fall. It's simple, but most people won't notice it. It's also easy to take down-- just remove the cup from the table it's on. That'll be useful in the morning when Marc comes in.

You've stayed mostly silent through the ten minutes you've been doing this. Puca doesn't look like she's suffering anymore, but she's uncomfortable. Luckily, you've been thinking of a few questions.

>Primary: What should you ask her?
>Write-in your own questions here. I'm going to allow three, since we only have ten minutes before the end of the Hour. At least, by your last count.

>>32151597
So... what happened? Why were you beaten so bad?

>>32151597
What stays constant between Hours, and what reverts?

How much can I prepare the field before the Hour begins? Can I place stashes and set traps during normal time?

>>32151597
Back when we met, you said you were my shadow, the true self.

So, how can you exist outside of me, and what am I risking when you put yourself in danger like that?

>>32151597
So, you said you were my shadow, the part of me that I don't show to others. So, what does your form represent? How does what you look like factor in to how I am deep down? Because, well, no offense, but a burlap girl stuffed full of spider parts isn't normally a positive sign of what lies beneath.

>>32151652
>>32151672
>>32151718
Alright, we'll go with these three. In >>32151672 's post, it's easy enough to fold the second question into the first, so that doesn't count as three questions.

>>32151782
And I think that I can fold that into >>32151782 's question.

Writing now.

>>32151807
I meant "fold that into >>32151718 's question", whoops.

So hype, finally managed to catch one of these live.

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"Hey Puca, I've got a couple questions for you." You turn to her, after setting up your traps. She looks back into your eyes.

"Yes, I think that would be a good way to pass the time, while I'm like this..." She looks down again, away from you. She's really letting that get to her, isn't she?

"Well, we can start there. Why are you like this? What happened to you?" You ask her, looking at the bandages on her arms and legs.

"It was when you were gone, about five minutes after you left. The little ones were doing well, keeping the zombies back, when a strange zombie appeared near the middle of the army. It was very quick, so quick that the little ones couldn't get a bead on it. It also had very long arms that it used to strangle the little ones I was using to guard myself. In the end, I had to face it myself, and I took heavy damage before destroying it. A sort of "special zombie", in a way." She says, looking concerned.

So, a special zombie, huh? It's a good thing you weren't there. It might have strangled you as well. But if you could have kept her from getting hurt, that would have been good too.

"Sounds like an asshole. A strangler zombie, damn..." You'll have to look for some way to beat it in the future, if it appears again.

"Yes, and we'll have to see what we can do about the damage as well..." She says.

"The broken windows and storefronts, you mean?" You look outside for a moment, at the trashed cars and the shards of glass scattered around the street. It really does look like a riot went through here.

"Yes. Although Shadows and humans alike move during the Hour, and Shadows can only access their true powers during the Hour, all damages to natural objects done during the Hour will stay after the Hour ends. So there will probably be an investigation into these damages when the Hour ends." She says.

"Will those corpses stay there?" You ask.

(1/3)

"No. Since they are the product of a Shadow's powers, they will be removed upon the end of the Hour. The havoc they brought about will stay, though." You nod.

"So, if I set up a trap or something, would that stay after the Hour ends?" You gesture to the cup set-up near the door. "And can I set up something before the Hour and it'll stay when the Hour happens?"

"Well, I think so. It should work." She replies, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah, okay. I understand." You pause. "Just one more question." She looks at you, and waits briefly.

"Back when we met, you said that I was your Shadow, my true self. What does that mean? Are you me, or what?" You ask.

"That..." She pauses. "Would take a very long time to explain in depth. But I'll try to sum it up as best I can." She starts.

"I am a being born from the Hour, from you. I represent the parts of you that you try to repress, that you don't want the world to see. Whether those parts are good or bad doesn't matter. What does matter is that you don't want the world at large to know that I am a part of you." She says.

"So what does that mean? Your looks... what does that mean about me? What am I trying to repress?" She smiles for a second, giggling.

"Well, my king, I wouldn't dare trying to make conjectures about that." She replies. "To answer that, I think, will require some thinking on your part. I can't say for sure. The only help I can provide in that case is someone to talk to." Her smile widens as she stares into your eyes.

(2/3)

"A-alright..." You're knocked off-guard by that. You've never been one for a lot of self-reflection. You'll have to do some thinking about that.

"And what am I risking when you get knocked around like that?" At this, she stops smiling.

"I'm not sure myself. However, that fireman before was saying that I would come back, if I died. It's your choice whether or not to trust him on that, I think." She nods to herself.

Your shoulders drop as you consider what she's told you. There's a lot to take in here.

"Now, my king, I have a question for you." She looks into your eyes sternly. She expects a serious answer from you.

"What do you think about me?" You blink a few times, but she won't be deterred.

>Primary: How do you respond?
Write-in again. I'd rather you guys be exact here. Don't worry, you aren't locking yourself into something or out of something by saying whatever you want to say here.

>Secondary: How do you REALLY feel about her? If you choose to lie.

sorry about how long it took, but as you can see there was a lot I needed to say

>>32152282
>Primary
What I really hate is all this War and killing business. I don't really have anything against you personally, aside from suddenly having someone following me around somewhere.

>Secondary
If she's really me...well, whether or not she's me, I suppose I should take advantage of the introspection and self-growth.

>>32152282
>Primary: How do you respond?
I think she's a creep, but sincere. She's genuinely good and helpful with the MC's well being in mind, so I can't hate her. She's pretty nice to be around.

>Secondary: How do you REALLY feel about her? If you choose to lie.
She's kind of like a sister, I think. Something the MC wouldn't admit if he felt so.

>>32152282
Well, when I met you, I was, well, terrified, honestly. Your appearance was frankly scary, for what you could do to me and what you represented about me. Generally, most people assume insects with rot and perversity, like what lies under stones in the woods.

Now, though, I got to admit, you're kind of growing on me. You at least care about those kids who help you out, so that's a plus.

But I still haven't forgiven you for making my friends angry at me! Jerk! HUMPH

>>32152407
This primary I second
>>32152413
And this secondary I second

>>32152282
Primary: How do I feel? How do I feel about my arm? You're a part of me spawned by this madhouse game, my guide through it, and my leverage in it. I haven't decided how involved I want to be yet though.

Secondary: You are a creepy crawly terrifying -thing-. The fact that you were born out of my head makes me kind of sick . . . but the fact that you're so damned hard to look at probably means I have to, and hard, if I'm going to come out of this mess on top. Oh, wait, you can read my mind. Shit.

>>32152282
>Primary
I think you're strange, but since you're part of me, then that must mean I'm no different. And while you encourage me to participate in this war which I am still against, I understand that you have my interest in mind. You're alright.

>Secondary
>lying to yourself

>>32152282
Primary:
>"While I don't like this war or intend to be a part of it, I don't have anything against you. You seem to genuinely have my best interest in mind which is something i can appreciate. You are kind of off-putting at times but it's nice to have you around."
Secondary:
Nothing, because lying to yourself is a bad idea.

Tried to put the first two votes together in a way that makes sense.

>>32152407
>>32152413
>>32152483
>>32152491
>>32152493
>>32152498
>>32152553
Okay, I think I've got the jist of what we want to say to her. I'll try to combine everything we've got here and we'll go from there.

So, just food for thought, just because a Shadow comes back the next Hour doesn't mean there's no consequence for it. Jack fled possible destruction quickly enough, and I don't think it's just because he's got more things to do tonight, and the Fireman seems hellbent on putting Jack for a guy who's sure he'll just get back up again.

What if they don't come back the same? They're already built on a distortion, a twisted perspective of the world. Could our inherit "wrongness" become more twisted if Puca goes and gets herself offed? If so, how many times can she fall in battle before we go full Knight Templar (we're not too far off as it is...)

Or should I leave such discussion for the end of the thread?

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"How do I feel about you? Hmm..." You know she wants a sincere answer here, so you think carefully about how you want to answer her.

"Well, when I first saw you, you were pretty scary, you know?" Her eyes go wide, and she gets a big frown on her face.

"No, no, not now. I'm getting used to you. You have the whole bug thing around you and all, and I'm not the world's biggest fan of bugs." You pause.

"But it looks like you've got my best interests in mind, and you really are trying to protect me. You treat those kids alright, but I'm still not sure if I want to participate in this War or not, and I'm not killing anybody here. Still, you've still helped me out a ton." She looks at you, hanging on to your every word.

"My biggest concern is what you represent about me, though. If you're a part of me, then what do all the bugs and things mean?" You look away, done with your little speech.

"Don't worry, my king." She responds. "I'm sure that you'll figure it out soon. And I'll help you, because you are my king." She smiles, sincerely. It looks like she's pleased.

"Now, I believe the Hour will be over soon. Shall we retire to bed, or is there anything else?" She asks you.

>Primary: Is there anything else you want to do really fast?
「」 Yes. (Write-in.)
「」 No.

>Secondary: How do you feel about Puca's question?
「」 Curious. Why did she ask you that?
「」 Suspicious. Why did she want to know?
「」 Nonchalant. She probably just needed to be reassured.

>>32152842
>「」 No.
>「」 Nonchalant. She probably just needed to be reassured.

>>32152842
>「x」 No.
>「x」 Nonchalant. She probably just needed to be reassured.

>>32152842
>「」 No.
>「」 Nonchalant. She probably just needed to be reassured.

>>32152842
>Put "get another matress" on the list of things to do.

>「」 Nonchalant. She's probably just gauging our current acceptance of our supposed hidden side.

>>32152842
>[x] No
>[x] Curious. Why did she ask you that? (Shouldn't she already know?)

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Nah, you think to yourself. There shouldn't be anything else to do. You touch the brim of your hat again, congratulating yourself on surviving the night.

A caterpiller wriggles out of one of her stitches as she walks towards the bedroom. Well, there's one thing to do. Get another mattress. You smile as you follow her.

As you walk down the hallway, you feel a strange feeling overcome you. Static envelopes everything in front of you, turning everything to flickering dust. It consumes your senses, from your sight to your hearing.

Then, you're back where you where when the Hour started. Standing by your closet, fishing around for your aluminum bat. She stands next to you, near the bed.

"Then, shall we?" She asks, getting into bed before you. You change for bed, and before long you join her.

As you lay down in bed, you feel something strange. Something distinctly alien. Not a physical feeling, but rather an emotion. And strangely enough, it feels like it's not your feelings.

A feeling of exhilaration, of happiness, and joy. And even stranger, a comfortable, warm feeling that you can't place.

But after a little bit, you fall asleep.

And you wake up to your alarm once more, and a knock at your door.

"Dude! Have you seen all this shit!" It's Marc, and he sounds really agitated. Well, it's obvious why if Puca was right last night.

>Primary: What do you want to do?
「」 Go to school. Might as well.
「」 Skip school. You need to investigate some places. Like the fire station, for instance.

>Secondary: Anything you want to bring? (Pick one.)
「」 Flashlight. You have space for it, and even if it's day it might come in handy.
「」 Extra lunch. Puca might get hungry, if she comes.
「」 Coffee. The extra jolt in the morning is good.

>>32152842
「」 No.

「」 Curious. Why did she ask you that?

>>32153086
「」 Go to school. Might as well.
「」 Coffee. The extra jolt in the morning is good.

>>32153086
>「」 Go to school. Might as well.

Can we ask if Puca eats? If not:
>「」 Coffee. The extra jolt in the morning is good.

>>32153086
>「」 Go to school. Might as well.
"I might, ah, know something about that..."

>Textbooks, don't forget them this time
>flashlight

>>32153133
Yeah, she eats. You noticed a few bagels go missing when you got home from tagging yesterday, and you figured she was embarassed to ask.

>>32153153
Okay, changing >>32153133 to bringing extra food.

>>32153086
>「」 Go to school. Might as well.
>「」 Coffee. The extra jolt in the morning is good.

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Changing back into your normal clothes, you answer the door with your backpack in hand.

"Dude, what the hell is going on!? Did a riot go through here?" You hesitate to answer, not knowing what to tell him.

"Whatever, just get your stuff and let's get going. The cops were looking at me funny when I came to get you." You make sure to put your textbooks into your backpack, and grab a quick cup of coffee in a thermos before you go. It's not as good as a beer, but it's great in the mornings.

Puca comes out of the hallway in her normal form, with all the insects and spider legs gone. Good, you think. You like her better this way.

She accompanies you out of the door, and you set up your traps to make sure nobody gets in without you knowing it. Then, closing the door, you say goodbye to home.

"So seriously, you have to have the story on what happened out here." You look around the destruction as you descend down the stairs, grimacing. "Whatever happened, it must have been like a bomb or something. Seriously, what's up!?"

When you get to the bottom, you survey the scene fully. The whole road's closed, and several cop cars are parked at the end of the street.

"Hey, you!" Speaking of cops, you see one of them running up to you. "You aren't supposed to be here, this is a restricted area!"

"Yeah, and I just explained to the other guy that he lives here! I was just coming to meet him for school." You stare at Marc for a second. Great. Nice going.

"Then we'll need some of your details so we can question you later. Nothing too complicated, just the basics for now." You hastily give the cops your phone number and address while Marc hurries you on. After a little while, you manage to wriggle away from him.

"So what the hell happened, man?" Marc asks.

>Primary:
「」 Make a plausable excuse. A riot or something.
「」 Tell the truth. Why not?
「」 Redirect the conversation.

>No secondaries for now.

>>32153354
>「」 Tell the truth. Why not?
"Puca, show him a centipede. Or maybe a spider leg, that'll freak him out."

>>32153354
「」 Make a plausable excuse. A riot or something.

We don't know, we heard a commotion and kept to ourselves in the hopes it would go away.

>>32153354
>「」 Make a plausable excuse. A riot or something.
People want to find us and attack us in the real world. It'd be really bad to get our friends involved if they don't have to.

>>32153354
>「」 Tell the truth. Why not?
Fuck it.

>>32153354
>「」 Tell the truth. Why not?

Okay, cutting it there. We're going with:
>「」 Tell the truth. Why not?

Well, if you show him the truth, that'll explain why you had to dodge him yesterday. Hopefully he'll understand.

"A bunch of zombies came and wrecked the area. I think they were looking for me. Puca's army of kids chased them off, though." You state flatly.

Marc just looks at you.

"Dude, if that was a request for weed you can just ask me. I know you aren't into it, but you don't have to be weird about it." He looks a little pissed.

"No, really. There is also a giant dragon snake with a cow skull for a head. And a man with a pumpkin for a head, but he didn't do this to the street." Marc's frown intensifies.

"Again, this sounds like a killer idea for a piece, but what happened? Seriously." You turn backwards to Puca, who's been following you for a while.

"Puca? Can you do something to convince him?" You ask. She nods, and grunts.

Marc stares at her as her clothing turns to patches, and her skin turns pale. For just a moment, she reveals her true self. And she scratches Marc's face with one of the spider-legs in her hair.

"Ah! What the fuck!?" He jumps forward to get away from her, rapidly backing away. "Dude, what the fuck!? Is last night's shit still in my system or something?"

"No. And it's going to take a while to explain." You start explaining to Marc.

(1/2)

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"Okay, I think I get it now. Some serious shit, but I think I get it." He nods. "I really don't WANT to get it, but I do. I'm seriously just waiting for the Candid Camera announcement any minute now." You shake your head.

"I was too, dude. But then the pumpkin man appeared and when he almost killed me, I had to take it seriously." He stares at you.

"I'm fine with this dude, but only if you tell Jess. We're going to the cafe, now."

"But don't we have class?" You ask.

"Jess. Now. She needs to hear this too." He steers you away from campus and to the cafe, where you usually meet, texting away on his phone. Puca follows the both of you obediently.

After a bit, you arrive at the familiar cafe where the three of you always meet. Sitting in one of the booths, with an irritated look on her face, is your other best friend Jess.

"So what's this emergency meeting for? And is she the Buglady, Marc?"

>FIN #5

Alright, as always, it's been fun everyone. This run was a bit more infodumpy than I thought it would be, but I thought we made the smartest decisions we could, given what we had.

Next time, we get to explain all this bullshit to our other friend. Then college.

As always, I'm here for questions and feedback. My twitter is @GMMindQuest, and I hope to see you next time!

Speaking of next time, I'm hoping to make it Sunday at 9-10PM EST, so follow me on twitter if you want an up-to-date reminder on when the quest is running.

>>32153708
Thanks for running XYN. Great thread

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And here is the archive:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/32149480/

And our new pastebin:
http://pastebin.com/EDpzarzV