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>>36998453

HOLLOW SUN: 8.6%

http://pastebin.com/eYLWMyCv

RESEARCH:

[X] POSITRON LANCE
[X] FIRMWARE UPGRADE
[X] RESEARCH: SUPERHEAVY CHASSIS
[X] ARC CHARGER
[X] CHOIR BEACON
[X] VECTOR TRAP
[X] DIRAC TRANSMITTER II

VOID ANCHORS:

ORIGINAL HIVE
THE TRIBUNAL
NARAKA
THE VAULT
TUSITA

HOLDING: 0 (VECTOR GEIST: 1)

RED COMET GUIDE:

http://pastebin.com/hmcAYhRE

RELIC UNLOCKED:

> RUBICANTE & CAGNAZZO

http://pastebin.com/CrfKZD4e

UPDATES:

- RUBICANTE & CAGNAZZO removed from Armory and added to Equipment FAQ.
- DISTORTION CANNON removed from research list. (My mistake, it was already completed.)

>>36998453
Holy shit, Rubicante and Cagnazzo are terrifying. Also hi OP, hope you had a nice Christmas.

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>mfw Rubicante and Cagnazzo
Yep, that's definitely Cthugha and Ithaqua

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>>36998515
>Rubicante and Cagnazzo
And there were people actually arguing against purchasing them

Actually, with this we can spam R&C, Slake and missiles for a shitload of damage.

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>>36998524

(It's been a busy one, at any rate. Be aware that when they're not in their charged form, they have no special properties; As such, the Relics encourage a very reckless, high-expenditure 'style' in order to keep them in their active state. Also, utilizing them properly means a reduction in versatility, as you can't easily change them out for other weapons like the Condemner or the Immolator. It is, as always, up to /tg/ however.)

Backstage, under the auditorium's roof and amongst the lighting gantries. The swell of the crowd's cheers and murmurs is distant, now - Taut cables and sand-sack counterweights to the pulley systems humming with exertion, the sound audible even from here.

Occasionally, the ground trembles underfoot. There are hundreds of students outside, as the previous performance comes to a close...And you have about fifteen minutes left before you have to go out there.

No pressure.

Kazuya's trying his level best to sound as laid-back as ever...But there's a tension to him, one that's quite at odds with the regal gold-trimmed jacket he's wearing; A stage costume with a raised fur collar and cavalry boots, the spurs clinking lightly against the floor as he paces. The overall effect is actually quite impressive, though the harsh light of the dressing room makes everything look washed-out and faded...Still, it's good to see that his sense of humor hasn't been affected.

Your hands are - categorically - not shaking as you do up your coat, which smells faintly of mothballs. The long duster is supposed to fall all the way to your feet when you're onstage, for dramatic sweeps and turns - But the sheer *weight* of it is surprising.

And then there's the fanged and leering symbol worked into the back, the one you're constantly aware of.

(Continued)

>>36998782
They're cool regardless. Does Cagnazzo also have a special trait, or just Rubicante?

>>36998811

(Just Rubicante, for now.)

>>36998782

"...What am I *doing* here?" Kazuya mutters, almost to himself; He has a can of instant coffee in one hand, held out and away from him - Which is probably a good idea, given how he looks this close to sloshing it all over himself. His Adam's apple is about the size of a golf ball, and he has a distinctly pale and sweaty look.

He swallows, hard, tugging at his collar. Any more of that, and he's going to lose a few buttons - each one gilded gold, gleaming as they catch the light.

A worried glance in your direction - "Anon, you remember the script, right?" he says, straightening his costume for what seems like the thousandth time.

"Man, I don't like this at all; I'd feel a *lot* better if Kouichi or-" A pause, so quick you might almost have imagined it. "...Natsumi was here," he goes on, his brow furrowing.

"All these last-minute changes...It feels like *everything's* going wrong. It's like...We're just waiting for the other shoe to drop, y'know?"

[ ] "Oh, ye of little faith."
[ ] "Kazuya. Relax."
[ ] "Did you find an axe?"
[ ] "Tell me about it."
[ ] "Well, anything's better than being the shark."
[ ] "How's Natsumi doing?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36998841
>"I've been waiting for that shoe since the festival started."
>[ ] "Kazuya. Relax."
>[ ] "Did you find an axe?"

>>36998841
>"Kazuya. Relax."
>"Did you find an axe?"
Sick rhymes

>>36998841
>[X] "Kazuya. Relax."
>[X] "Did you find an axe?"
>[X] "How's Natsumi doing?"
"Not going to lie, I am excited to see Mio--excuse me, 'Tomomi Eri' in costume."
"My lines? Something something such defiance, exit stage left. Yes I remember. How about you?"

>>36998902
>>36998859
>>36998855

(Gentlemen, my sincerest apologies; An emergency has come up, and I need to leave to provide transportation. I'll come back as soon as possible, hopefully within an hour - I'll do my best not to leave you hanging for too long.)

>>36998921
I'd make a crack about Christmas miracles but that has to suck. Later OP.

Free talk until then I guess. Who wants to pontificate on Hollow Sun build priorities?

>>36998619

I take it back. I TAKE IT BAAACK.

>>36998963
I would but I'm about to play some vidya.
Should probably start picking up upgrades for the Comet again, and produce some Hellions. Having all of them unlocked won't do shit if we haven't actually made any of them.

>>36999039

ain't got charge for shit without a miracle.

>>36999058
Well yeah not right now, but in the future.

>>36999039
What game?

I'm thinking we grab the last base Hellion upgrade and the Cherubim weapons+something for the Chayots next cycle. Comet upgrades go through conparatively fast, so we get both the Shield Matrix and the health upgrade and the Neutronium Refinery after that. Netronium Refinery seems like it'll open a bunch of stuff and maybe make high level Hellions go faster. It should be a priority, so maybe do it next charge alongside the Cherub weapons.

>>36999104
Dota 2

>>36998963
I would, but I want to take the chance to get Ar Tonelico's NTR ending.

>>36998921

questions for you when you get back, JQOP:

Can RUBICANTE & CAGNAZZO activate special-mode if we GAIN charges? It seems like they activate as long as there's a flow around them, and I was wondering if, say, using exec_consume to raise our meter would empower them, or if getting a kill would put enough essence in the air

Also, can we hook up the condemner to slake between sessions? It appears to be straight up better than the cobalt laser we have there, while still being hollow-sun like.

>>36999104
have we actually manufactured any chayots tho?

>>36999116
Out of the Steam loop while the desktop is dead, are they doing a Christmas event in DotA2?

>>36999141
Game NTR can't hurt me anymore, I played Xenoblade.

>>36999183
They and the Thrones are in (low) production right now.

>>36999192
Nah, they're doing a New Years one though. Probably going to be shit.

>>36999104

I"m just excited for positron weaponry.
Hopefully it opens up some other positron/theoretical particles &energy based research. The neutronium refinery makes me hopeful we'll see the return of some of the one-of-a-kind tachyon relics.

>>36999157
Going by what OP said, both guns have to be in use for anything to happen. That means no Consume since that requires a hand to itself. And going by my understanding of how Slake works we can't mount Relic weapons like a HS weapons since they're not modable. We're basically coring them so that they can be mounted on Slake's limbs; that's not something we can do with actual Relics without compromising them.

>>36999207
Typical.

>>36999234
That'd be neat, I love theoretical particle weaponry. We've probably passed the opportunity for the tachyon weapons though, I half suspect the lance is an upgrade to the spears the Hellions all carry. Though, that does inspire me to start Cherub weapons sooner. Them and the Refinery Joker Quest 117?

>>36999192

What gets us the most bang for the buck in the comet?
Nitro booster sounds excellent all around.

Drills add a melee option but probably not best. Tunneling surprise tank is hilarious though. Especially with stealth and jamming technology.
The cascade resonator to call down the thunder from the sky while piloting it is out standing though.

>>36999269
>That'd be neat, I love theoretical particle weaponry.

There's the other option, and the quantum accelerator is like a Large x-com lab: It has a benefit by itself, but the custom facility opens up LARGE research projects that actually necessitate throwing that kind of energy into to unlock fast.
The science-side of the neutronium refinery essentially.

>>36999272
Yeah the Booster is the big one. Advanced Gravimetrics synergizes with the Lifter and onboard Zero Point Device, and I think the grappling hooks provide the best additional melee option, SUDDENLY TACHIKOMA notwithstanding. Best immediate options are the defense upgrades+Nova Reactor+Nitro Booster though. If we go for any of the Comet mounted bits then the energy regen options need taking.

>>36999290
Is that how it works? Mark this post and ask when OP comes back.

>>36999272

Expanding on this, synergies i see between options:
Cyclic shield matrix+Chassis Reinforcement: Better defensiveness; but also a death blossom attack. The first time we turned shields off was disastrous, but the red comet is significantly tougher now. Being able to online shields faster DOES give us a larger safety window if we need to fire everything in an alpha strike to blot out the sky. Armor-tanking if we need to spend durability for damage.

Panopticon Array + tactical launcher: Artillery + Scouts. Classic Combo.
Panopticon Array + cascade resonator: Scouts to SKY artillery.
Disruptor array + falsehood generator: Trololo, but also stealth-APC missions. Add Breaching Spikes for tunneling into places, setting up ambushes, etc.
Lifter System + nitro booster: Flight + Dash = Armored Core mode.

Guardian AI: Combos with artillery+scout, or stealth-insertion APC mods. Remote control is good, but its BETTER if it has remote assets that can be deployed without risking it.
....also it makes it count as a hellion AI; which could potentially synergize with hellion-centric networking and area buffs.

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>>36999325
>mfw when nitro booster leads to GARM carnifex

>>36999269
>Going by what OP said, both guns have to be in use for anything to happen. That means no Consume since that requires a hand to itself. And going by my understanding of how Slake works we can't mount Relic weapons like a HS weapons since they're not modable. We're basically coring them so that they can be mounted on Slake's limbs; that's not something we can do with actual Relics without compromising them.

That makes sense. i was just thinking that we might want melee options on the slake to defend ourselves with with our new guns in our main hands.
I'd be OK with putting a pile bunker on one of the slake arms actually.

>>36999325
>Is that how it works? Mark this post and ask when OP comes back.

Educated guess, but a good one considering all our other construction projects.
Have you noticed we only get two researches done at any given time? I feel like it was kind of created in response to R&D bottlenecking.

It's just conjecture, though. What else is worth discussing at this point?

>>36998524
Those two guns sound like SCPs.

>>36999389
As far as the Smasher goes, the shield matrix mostly adds a redundancy, sort of like the Scrander upgrade that lets it ride the lightning and kinda work afterwards. The real reason it's great is faster shield change, essential to keeping the Comet at max utility.

The Argus Bits I'll add are BEST for eliminating the Comet's greatest vulnerability: sensor blinding.

>>36999429
Cobalt Booster technically.

>>36999457
Can't equip melee weapons to Slake. It has melee functions even when there are guns strapped to it though. If you want the Stake launcher there instead, that takes both arms.

>>36999488
Just chance really. I remember three or four researches clearing not too long ago. And keep in mind that we usually start researches two at a time.

>What else is worth discussing at this point?
Well we can try and nail down our next immediate purchases. I'd suggest Cherub guns and Neutronium Refinery. After that there's more Relic talk. Anything left in the Vault we want? How about mods?

>>36998902
>Something something such defiance
Imagine the cringing in the crowd if that was really part of the script.

>>36999517
>Anything left in the Vault we want?
Well, the mystery relics would be worthwhile just to get them out of the way.

As for mods, we definitely need the two Argus mods.

>>36999559
Seems like we need to decide which is more important: Jamming other people out, or being able to cut through a heavy EW presence.

Remember we can only use one at a time unless we get a mnemosis-binder like upgrade for it also.

>>36999559
That'd be... what, the Skyshaper and Echo Regalia? Should be interesting. I kinda want the Distortion Halo. We ought to give Slake to Tyrian if we did it, it'd be perfect on him.

Wait, why is suptg down?

>>36999608
>Remember we can only use one at a time
Was that stated in the guide?
I thought it only applies to the Shroud.
The Scrander doesn't seem to need one, for example.

>>36999618
>Distortion Halo
Eh, I'd prefer to keep Slake.

>>36999608
Even with the Binder it's one at a time. The Dirge function prevents the use of the normal scanning. There is an alternative though: If the Dirac system follows the pattern other comm upgrades are, the third level will include data sharing.

>>36999620
Who knows.

>>36999631
Slake is useful no doubt, but I think what Armaros's dudes could manage would look even better on Joker. Plus there's his reaction just to seeing it. (And a host of possible upgrades in the Hellion upgrades)

>>36999517
>Anything left in the Vault we want?
>>36999559
I've been tempted by the skyshaper since day once, ever since someone noticed that groove might be an emplacement for the nihl sphere.

I've also had dreams of using a phase sword on pazuzu to try to excise his remaining sphere like a raven plucking at an eye if we ever get a chance. Just.... Draw, ignite saber, stab-pluck-nyoink if we ever can a) find him and b) set the move up.

>>36999631
Pretty sure I recall 'only one relic module at a time' being a thing, hence the two-at-a-time upgrades present.

>>36999608
i think you mean mimetic-adapter like but i got what you meant.


But in terms of impractically expensive things, I think I'd like to see Stealth Joker become a thing: jamming, invisibility-cloaks, that kind of thing.

>>36999659

Koleos is kind of a gamechanger when it comes to the assault shroud. Mentiroso looks a lot better when we can use it to cloak a bug swarm and have it devour things to grow, before returning to us - or with a mimetic adaptor? It can be an exploding swarm of remote bombs, that kind of thing.
I definitely want to know if a mimetic adaptor II lets more than one module be active at once, but its super expensive to pull of.

we could really have used geists anchor.

>>36999618
>We ought to give Slake to Tyrian if we did it, it'd be perfect on him.
I could see that, but the tri-stars are kind of shattered right now and not looking out for each other since bishamon quit.

Also.... no slake means we get drones again. Are you ready for that shitfest? I'm indifferent, but hot topic ahoy

(Gentlemen, my apologies for the delay: I'm back at last. Writing now.)

>>36999718
He said that he wants to replace the Slake with the Distortion Halo, which honestly doesn't sound like a bad idea. I don't think the slake is really all that useful to Joker at this level and upgrading it is kind of a waste when we have better things to work on.

>>36999748
But what does the Distortion Halo do, anyway?

>>36999718
Sorry if I wasn't clear, I'm voting to keep Slake unless we decide to get the Distortion Halo, which also replaces the Bits. Since we can't use both, we give Slake to Tyrian, who could frankly use a hand.

>>36998855
>>36998859
>>36998902

> [X] "Kazuya. Relax."

"Well, at least *you're* confident," he says, a trifle snidely - With remarkable foresight (And exacting care) he sets the can down, massaging his wrist with the fingers of his free hand. "-Nothing *gets* to you, does it?"

A wince. "Sorry, nerves. It's just...I didn't think we'd actually have to *do* it, y'know? I kept thinking that, that...Ahhhh, forget it."

> "I've been waiting for that shoe since the festival started."

He gives you a quizzical look, then heaves a sigh.

"-Guess you're right. Everything's been going too well so far...I should've seen this coming, really." Kazuya cracks a smile - A rather strained one - that banishes some of the pasty stage-fright look he's displaying; "-Nothing for it, I guess. What can you do, eh?"

> [X] "Did you find an axe?"

"What, in fifteen minutes? Are you serious?"

...Well, he does have a point.

"This thing, man...We didn't have time to rehearse before this, so - Just do as I do, all right? I'll try my best to make you look good, but...Just don't poke my eye out, or anything." He's only half-joking; Kazuya's probably still a little miffed that he's not going to get a chance to display his personal contribution to the play...Though that might be safer for everyone involved, actually.

Your prop sword - Identical to Kazuya's, except for the distinctly spiky grip (A visual reminder of Auguste's eventual fate, at the end of the third act) - is buckled at your waist, ready to be drawn, and flourished, as drama dictates. Under the glittering spotlights, the swordfight at the end of the last act should be a sight to see...Assuming that everything goes well, of course.

(Continued)

>>36999752
Creates small singularities that twist and rip shit in the immediate vicinity apart, I think.

>>36999764
I wonder if we have Condemner muscle memory.

>>36999766
How many literal world-breaking guns do we have now?
Honest question, I find it hard to keep track of all our equipment.

>>36999752
Warps gravity. At the most basic it lets Joker act like he has a Graviton Cannon built in to him. We've also seen people equippes with them boost themselves, jump better and hit hard. There are upgrades for the Thrones that let those Hellions create storms, debuff and make Induction blasts.

Probably a meter cost for each action, sort of like the Tyrant system.

On that note, I realized something hilarious about Argent's faction the other day. He's based all his people on Hellion models. Chrome's signature weapon is a spear, like the base models. Armaros is a Throne, and Bardiel was a Tempest. The others probably map on similarly. It almost seems Argent was trying to recreate the Hollow Sun.

>>36999804
Only one.

>>36999835
Wasn't there also a Meter weapon that fires black holes? And honestly, I'd count the Leukocyte as well.

>>36999290
>>36999325
>>36999764

>Is that how it works? Mark this post and ask when OP comes back.

It is time. Op, if you could speak to this, it would be helpful for all of us

>>36999835
>It almost seems Argent was trying to recreate the Hollow Sun.

Makes you wonder if that alien metal in his skull that gave him twisted insight into machines came from the sun or not - and also if it being missing is why the sun doesn't give us FULL authority over it.

Did we ever check out the body?

>>36999852
When he said "one", he was talking about the Quantum Singularity Cannon (black hole gun). And the Leukocyte is hardly "world-breaking". At best it'll destroy a city block or two.

>>36999852
I was talking about the Singularity Cannon there. Joker's other weapons, while powerful, don't quite have the same impact as the QSC. The Distortion Halo isn't on the same level at all. You're right that Leukocyte is, but that's not exactly a gun, is it?

>>36999868
I think we have full authority now. We just haven't been back since claiming Daegal. And Argent JUST died, no time to see him. After. If there's time.

We do know that Argent wanted to be Daegal, the good (HAH) doctor described it as his dream. It means he at least knew about it, and probably much more if he had its weapons and could modify them.

> [X] "How's Natsumi doing?"

An awkward silence descends.

"She's..." Kazuya begins, a little too quickly - "...she's - Well, I'm not sure." His gaze goes distant, contemplative; "She's...really upset about something, isn't she? I don't know what it was, but..."

His voice lowers. "-I wish she'd tell me. She's always like that - Always trying to keep up a strong front. You can't tell that anything's wrong, up until..." There's a distinct edge of frustration in his voice, his words trailing off as he shrugs, helplessly. It's something that's definently troubling him; You glimpse his worry in the distracted way he carries himself, the troubled flash to his eyes as his gaze slides away.

> "My lines? Something something such defiance, exit stage left. Yes I remember. How about you?"

He winces, as if pained. "Yeah, Anon - That? That's how *not* to do it."

> "Not going to lie, I am excited to see Mio--excuse me, 'Tomomi Eri' in costume."

A deep breath, held before exhalation.

"...The costume department's going all-out on this one, aren't they? Let's hope they get *something* ready in time; First Asuna-chan, then Kouichi, then Natsumi - Fingers crossed that Mio's..."

A rustle. A soft whisper of sliding material, a lace dress brushing against the floor.

"-That I what?" Mio says, her voice soft, silvery with mingled trepidation, embarrassment, the faint flutter of stage fright and - last but not least - a kind of self-conscious pride. Kazuya's eyes go wide; His jaw is already dropping, even as you turn to catch your first glimpse of...

[ ] Green
[ ] Blue
[ ] Red

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36998453
https://web.archive.org/web/20131203054824/http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Joker%20Quest

An archive of an archive! I'm so meta!

>>36999859

(I would say that it honestly depends on how far you pursue the tech-tree. As part of the design philosophy, I'm trying to avoid 'dead' upgrades that don't provide an immediate or palpable benefit, given the time factor and the other variables involved.

There are indeed some 'mega-projects', but they'll need a lot of review and consideration before they're properly balanced.)

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>>36999928
>Something something such defiance
Ha, didn't notice that write-in.
>[X] Red

>>36999947

that is really cool to hear and i'm glad you plan ahead for us in such a well thought out way.

can we get any hints as to what mega-projects might be, or require? Just loose possibilities, if you will? I'm guessing the Dominion is one of them?

>>36999928
>[ ] Green
>[ ] Blue
>[ ] Red

I don't know if this is a symbolic choice but we should totlaly go with one of Mio's or Hellebore's favorite colors.
Or one of our own, since its symbolic for us both to wear red on what *might* just be a wedding day.

>>36999928
Red, of course. Coordinates with Anon's costume, too. Alas for no elf cosplay. Come to think of it, we've seen Hellebore in black and white, but never red.

>>36999947
>There are indeed some 'mega-projects'
>record_scratch_sfx.jpg
Holy shit there's MORE? I thought that the Comet and Leukocyte were it. Can you give any hints?

>>36999928
Red

>>36999999
Sextuples don't lie

>>36999964
>>36999974

(Very tentatively, I was thinking of a kind of mega-armor that could detach from the Dominion. Also, a dimension-folding Nihl Generator and a Hellion 'mothership'. They'll need a lot more thought before they can be properly balanced as strategic assets, however.)

>>36999999
HOLY SHIT If that's not a get what is?

>>36999928
Blue. I want to do terrible things to Reiko-senpai in that dress.

>>36999951
Watashi's in a clever mood today it seems.

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>>37000009

>>37000020
>Blue. I want to do terrible things to Reiko-senpai in that dress.
Wasn't Reiko's dress green?
I really dislike that stomach cut. It's nether elegant nor sexy.

>>36999928
Red. Nothing else will satsify

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>>37000009
oh wow

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>>37000009
JQOP.... you never cease to impress.

Dumping all my best faces.

>>37000043
Green with a bluish skirt. Also, terrible taste, imagine running a finger up from her belly button to her cleavage and flicking.

>>36999928
>[ ] Red

>>37000020
>>37000043
>Reiko
Who?

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>>37000009

Also. Were you ever going to establish manufacturing guidelines for the effort attempting to build the dominion would take?

Obviously its of a scale more than anything we've built so far. But how far off it is has only been teased at.

I honestly thought you forgot about it. Its never been mentioned since we first accessed plans for it.

>>36999999
I think the board has spoken.

>>37000009
So pic related except a Hellion?

If we ever get a mobile armor, I vote to paint it gold with a red arm and name it Harlequin, because everyone wants to kill that fucking clown. Also, red right hand.

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>>37000009
>megaprojects

>>37000076
Nope, doesn't do it for me. I like dresses to actually look like dresses that you could wear to a party, spectacle, play or concert. The stomach cut just looks silly and uncomfortable.

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>>37000105
Haven't done that in a while. I said, PIC RELATED except a Hellion.

>>37000091
I still think it should be renamed Merkabah.

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>>37000105
>Harlequin, because everyone wants to kill that fucking clown

FUCKER IN FACEPAAAIIINNNTTTTTTT

>>37000120
>spectacle
If it's the dress I think I'm thinking of, you'd wear it to a spectacle all right. I'm so sorry.

>>37000127
If it's been said once, it's been said a million times: FUCK Harlequin.

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>>37000009

>>37000120
Can someone please post the dress so that others can chime in?

>>37000142
>If it's been said once, it's been said a million times: FUCK Harlequin.
And who's Harlequin?

>>37000142
>If it's been said once, it's been said a million times: FUCK Harlequin.

You know, i actually want to see the shadowrun returns design team make a module in which they pull out all the stops and let you play as harlequin.
ALL the stops. You get to deal with all the world-ending shit, to maneuver your pieces and pawns and pray the rest of the drekheads who share this green earth with you don't frag up and help the world go boom today.

I want to dip my nose into the hinted-at high end stuff, I want to

But most of all, I want to get harlequin killed. I want to see the planned pieces come crumbling down around him, i want to see him have to step up to do it right himself, and i want to see him get hurt dealing with shit on his tier.

I want to be the one getting harlequin's dumb ass killed in that continity. It would be such an amazing power trip/train wreck/horrorifying experience of an adventure and EVERYONE would relish seeing harlequin taken down a notch by walking a mile in his shoes.

>>37000159
Shadowrun. Once again, watashiwa, for a namefag you're pretty cool.

>>36999928
>Red Why because fuck everything else that's why

>>37000184
>Shadowrun Returns
Ah, so that's why I don't know it.
I'd play a Shadowrun RPG only if it was an FPRPG like Deus Ex, but with gameplay choices that actually matter.

>>37000089
>>37000149
Source for Mio's image, from an eroge called Fault!! about tennis girls and the Tony Taka who loves them. Somewhat amusingly, Mio's name comes from two of the other heroines, the classmate Saeki Ai and the little sister Sugiyama Mio. Made me snicker when the waking illusion had Mio as a sister character.

Never needed to look for a worksafe version before.

>>37000159
Shadowrun's version of Elminister/Drizzt/insert awful godmode character here.

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>>37000195
God dammit. This is already turning into a pattern.

>>37000193

No no. he's actually decently well handled in shadowrun returns, the video game adaptation.

His problems lie in the RPG, the metaplot, previous editions and all the adventures centered around him that were written in the glory days of gygaxian-tier storytelling where's he's pretty much the worst GMPC the players have to follow around and cheerlead.

... i think one kind of reversed that though, but in general, he's an insufferable douch character and the elminister comparison is actually fair.

>>37000208
As much as I like Shadowrun Returns and very much look forward to a clear week to play Dragonfall, they'd probably just convert Harlequin's Back and call it a day.

>>37000243

Ohyeah. Before I sleep, watashiwa, last thread you had a great idea: Arming mio with a magic word. megeara. This seems like a good time to do it - right before the main event - so make sure it gets done before shit hits the fan. I'm counting on you!

>>37000243
Maybe I've been playing Guilty Gear too much but is it wrong to hope that the Red Joker has something akin to a Dragon Install mode?

>>37000283
Upgrade the Carnifex and we'll see.

>>37000283
Oh shit, Xrd is out now. How is it? Haven't played for literal years, mained Axl and Dizzy. They any good?

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>>37000091

(My apologies, I think there's been a misunderstanding here. The Dominion is already available; It's part of the Hollow Sun. When you launch the Hellion flights, the actual segments of the Hollow Sun detach, causing the superstructure to take on new function and form.

The Hollow Sun is a one-use weapon, because - when deployed - the essential components are already being put to use. There's no need to build the Dominion: The choices would be how to arm and outfit it, if such an eventuality comes to pass.)

>>36999951
>>36999972
>>36999974
>>36999999
>>37000049
>>37000083

> [X] Red

Mio's gown is...

...You have a confused impression of honey-blonde hair, crowned with a silver tiara - Slender arms sheathed in shimmering scarlet silk, and only the most tantalizing hint of pale skin curving into something as white and frothy as sea foam. You're not quite sure where they found her dress - Or indeed, dresses - but it's the faint blush to her cheeks, the sweet, secret smile on her lips that completes the effect, the rustle of fabric and the crinkle of crinoline a subliminal murmur in her wake.

"Anon-kun," she says - her eyes, soft and warm behind blue contacts, settling on yours. She holds it, for a long moment...Before she drops her gaze, a little shy now, her hands clasped before her for the span of a breath - Slim fingers rising, something graceful in the movement, to brush away the golden strands spilling free to hang loosely around her ears.

It's strange, how different Mio seems; In costume, she's almost serene, despite the faint tension to her limbs - As if she's worn this gown all her life, as if the princess's dress is second nature to her.

(Continued)

>>37000305
Dizzy isn't playable in XRD Since it follows the events of "THAT" Game Just to let you know Watashiwa

>>37000208
>No no. he's actually decently well handled in shadowrun returns, the video game adaptation.
That's what I meant.
I'd play Shadowrung either as P&P (Well, I did play a 3E homebrew with a custom setting) or as a vidja that isn't like the other Shadowrun games that already exist.

Didn't know that the dude is part of the metaplot, though.
What does he do, aside from being a GMPC?

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>>37000306
>(My apologies, I think there's been a misunderstanding here. The Dominion is already available; It's part of the Hollow Sun. When you launch the Hellion flights, the actual segments of the Hollow Sun detach, causing the superstructure to take on new function and form.

HOLY SHIT.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo.

We were under the impression that it had to be constructed at such astronomical cost it would cripple entire stages.

I've been waiting for it to show up as a project with like 100% + cost(and that was before we found out there was a 150+ mode)

I guess it really has been that long.

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>>37000305
I see you like Guns and Roses. Well I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Axl ties with May for worst character and Dizzy isn't playable. The good news is that Dizzy is unsealed near the end of story mode and thus might be playable eventually, and AS has created you a waifu.

>>37000306

There's a clatter. Kazuya's knocked over a chair; "M-mio?" he says - breathes, rather, sounding stunned. "...That *is* you, isn't it? Holy-" His voice trails off, as he shakes his head in disbelief, surprise giving way to a grin.

"...Now, isn't *that* something?"

...Mio doesn't seem to have heard him - Her voice low, soft, a little self-conscious, like a debunate at her first ball.

"...How do I look?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37000346
"I want to take you home."

>>37000318

As an Immortal Elf, he's a Dragon-Tier Player. Not as in character, but as in the Culture sense: the games and maneuverings high-tier players engage upon the world.
He's been around since the fourth world/earth dawn days and wields magic on the caliber of other people from that era. He's one of the only people who knows about and can deal with the Horrors, and other obscure terrifying threats that the sixth world is just rediscovering (like bug spirits)

one of the 4th-5th transition books - not that it was particularly well handled - had him fighting a running battle with a great dragon through the streets of denver and holding his own. It was heavily implied he had found and was wearing/wielding richard the lionheart's magical armor and possibly Excalibur(that one) as well.

When people invoke the phrase 'never deal with a dragon' - they mean everyone who operats on that level, and harlequin counts.

>>37000306

That is a really lewd costume.

>>37000344
Wait... Dizzy is UN-SEALED?! Holy shit, that means Ky will get Fuuraiken back eventually

>>37000346
>[ ] Free
>>37000367

"that.... is my kind of colour, mio. You work as beautiful as when I first say you. Dressed up, confident, and pretty as can be."

>>37000313
So you're saying that Ky is a paedo confirmed?

>>37000318
Pisses off the fanbase and acts like a giant cunt. Next SRG you see ask for a description, you'll get the rap sheet.

>>37000328
If it helps at all, I called this literally last year. Might have been in a chat though.

>>37000344
That is the most Guns and Roses character I've ever seen, but why does Valentine have cleavage?

>>37000346
"Perfect."

"Look, we match."

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>>37000398
>Might have been in a chat though.

>>37000398
Pretty much. Sin is a Playable character in XRD As a proper Fighter. He even has his own variant of Ride the Lightning as a Overdrive.

>>37000398
Not that guy, but yes. Also, Sin is trying his best to pork the brown emotionless clone of his Grandma, which is something.

>>37000328
I'm pretty we've known that from the start.

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>>37000398
Yes, Ky canonically knocked up a three year old. Sin looks like he'll follow the Kiske family tradition, his waifu is 1. He's still like 5 himself, not that it makes this better.

And that's not Valentine, that's another Aria clone. The error preventing her from being a perfect clone is her bust. Her sister has brown skin.

Oh and you might like to know that they ditched all the old theme songs. Liked Holy Orders? Too bad, have some Magnolia Eclair!

>>37000444
On the subject of music, I personally believe it was time for a change up.

Hell Potemkins music fits perfectly, though I will agree Magnolia Eclair does kinda suck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n3yJJfNlfI

>>37000408
I was brainstorming why the Dominion would destroy the Hollow Sun. Seemed obvious when I realized it, but I'm not sure I ever floated it in here.

>>37000439
We knew it'd happen but not the mechanics of it. Like I said, it makes sense.

>>37000418
>>37000431
I get out of fighting games for years and it's like I never left.

>>37000444
You just wanted an excuse to post that picture.

>they ditched all the old theme songs
But this is NOT okay.

>>37000459
http://a.pomf.se/nbjliz.mp3

>>37000493
So delicously cheesy.

>>37000367
>>37000392
>>37000398

> "I want to take you home."

"Uh-" Kazuya gives you a significant glance from the side, clearing his throat. "I think-"

> "Perfect."
> "Look, we match."

Mio makes a low sound of affirmation, a little giggle teased from her lips as she sketches a deep curtesy; Her fingers artfully pinching the hem of her trailing skirts, the blush to her cheeks still lingering.

"-You look *really* dashing, too," she says - Shy, now, though her smile remains. "Anon-kun...You look like how a hero should look - My prince." She presses a hand to her heart, against the corset that restrains her heaving bosom; Kazuya has the good grace to look away - You can't tell, but you're pretty sure that he's rolling his eyes.

"Ah-" Mio seems to notice him, at last; "...Kazuya-kun looks good, too," she says, rather too quickly - Kazuya winces again, and mutters something low, inaudible - Something like...

> "...why couldn't it be Natsumi-chan instead...?"

...Probably just your imagination.

> "That....Is my kind of colour, Mio. You look as beautiful as when I first saw you."

"Oh, *brother*."

Quiet, Kazuya.

Outside, the murmur of the crowd rises to a cheer - A round of applause heralding the end of the performance as the cast takes their bows; A grace period for the props to be cleared from the stage, for the next group of actors to get into position-

Someone's knocking on the door.

"Last call!" one of the crew calls; "-Auguste, Montaigne, Etoile...You're on-stage in five minutes!"

"-This is it," Kazuya mutters, under his breath. "Ready or not..."

Mio's poise seems to crumble - For a moment, she looks vulnerable, almost frightened; the gaze she gives you is distinctly frantic, a mute appeal in her eyes as she glances back over her shoulder...Then back at you.

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37000534
"You'll be fine. You're the Queen of this stage."
No kisses or strong hugs, guys. We don't want to ruin her make-up or dress.

>>37000468
Also to make note, Megalomania is now I-NO'S Instant Kill in XRD

>>37000534
Squeeze her hand for a moment.
"See it this way: Even if you make a mistake, everyone will be so in awe of you that they won't notice. I can vouch for that."

>>37000534
Best act the prince. Step forward and kiss her, gently. "You don't need to worry about anyone else. My eyes are the only ones that matter, my princess."

And then quietly. "Megaera. Call that name if you need a guardian. And then call my other name. I'll find you wherever you are."

I hope we can kill Cybele before she notices what is even happening.

>>37000603
>And then call my other name.
Wata, I want you to explain to us in detail how the fuck we'll suddenly have become Voldemort of the Red.
Because up until now, we did not exhibit the ability to hear our name being called from around the world.

>>37000600
>>37000603
Combine these.

>>37000606
Me too, but now is not the time.

>>37000617
She's the one with the reality hacking powers. And there is Hellebore's emblem, and its connection to Mio, however tenuous. But honestly I expect that if shit hits the fan we'll follow Megaera's trail of destruction. This is mostly to keep her from handing out instant heart attacks.

>>37000603

Yeah, that can wait for later. Won't want to smudge her makeup.

>>37000603
Drop the kiss part and we're golden. Now's not the time, Wata, so stop pushing it in every chance you get.

>>37000656
If Wata got his way, Mio and Joker would start looking like fish.

>>37000664
True. I understand that Wata has a kiss fetish and that he really wants to cement the Mio/Joker relationship (damn traitor), but this is just annoying.

>>37000664
Hold on. If I know my namefaggots, he's more of a Kotonefag.

>>37000669
>(damn traitor)
To what?

>>37000680
She's my favorite character, yes.

>>37000680
He used to be a Kotonefag and wrote most of the romantic write-ins for the Hecate scenes, but switched to Mio after deciding that the other two are no longer possible love interests.
A sneaky bastard he is, considering he's the one who planned most of the "tell Mio the truth and drop the romantic relationship if she rejects it" thing and yet keeps going after she effectively rejected Joker three times over.
Also, he purposefully gave a vague answer during the "yes/no to sex with Mio" scene even though he knew perfectly well that doing it was a bad fucking idea. I don't trust him when it comes to romance at this point.

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>>37000557
>>37000600

> "You'll be fine. You're the Queen of this stage."

Mio makes herself smile - she's very pale, beneath her makeup; Paler, as speakers blast out the announcement over the white noise of the crowd.

> "AND FOR OUR FIFTH PERFORMANCE-"

The compulsory applause drowns out all sound, and she flinches - At your side, Kazuya stirs uneasily. "That *is* an...awful lot of people," he muses aloud, with a touch of nervousness; You can hear the creak of the backdrop being winched into position, the flicker of lights at the control booth overhead, the skittering footsteps of stagehands hurrying this way and that as they hustle into position...

You catch a glimpse of Yui - Pulling double-duty as witch *and* general busybody, ordering a handful of stragglers out of the way; Natsumi, still in costume, her eyes red - A brief glance in your direction, and something...Sympathy, perhaps? Envy? Or something more complex, more conflicted?...passes across her face, as she steps back into the pooling shadows of the wings.

One of your classmates - For the life of you, you can't remember her name at this moment. (You're not sure if you can remember your own) - murmurs a quick, uneasy "Mio-chan, you need to be over *there*..." nodding towards the far side of the stage-

"I-" Mio's voice is a soft, trembling whisper. You can't even see the audience; Just the brilliant flash of cameras, the seemingly endless rows of seating, the palpable murmur that washes over you like a wave. The lights are too dazzling to make out anything else, and the sensation - the feel of so many eyes on you - is enough to give rise to a kind of giddy nausea, the urge to be anywhere but *here*...

(Continued)

>>37000720

She's rooted in place, her eyes so very, very wide-

...Until you take her hand in yours, and squeeze it.

> "See it this way: Even if you make a mistake, everyone will be so in awe of you that they won't notice. I can vouch for that."

"-Ah-" she stiffens - For a moment, you're not sure if she's heard you - but then she squeezes back, so hard that you hear your knuckles crack. At last, Mio's hand slips from yours as she allows herself to be guided away - A last look over her shoulder, a quick smile...

And then the curtain draws back.

And then it begins.

------------------------------

Stark silhouettes, against a crimson sky. The thunder of distant hoofbeats, resolving into the whicker of frightened horses; the suggestion of shapes, emerging from the inner darkness of the forest. Even those sounds give way to the threatening cacophony of a primeval forest - A commotion that fades, stilled to nothing, resolving into the patient clack-clack of footsteps.

"Strange is the night where black stars rise - And stranger still are the moons that circle through the skies."

Kazuya's voice is clear, strident, with nary a hint of stage fright; In the solitary spotlight that follows him, his gilded coat gleams as he paces across the stage - Striding with his head held high, with an easy, careless confidence. A gloved hand rests on his sword, the jingle of his spurs the only sound aside from the murmur of the crowd - Rising to shade his eyes, glancing over his shoulder.

"But stranger still is the path we tread, Auguste - The path to take us to lost Arcadia."

The shadows grow a head, then shoulders, then undergoes a sudden mitosis that leaves the false forest behind - And turns its other half into you, as you pick your way through the artfully-arrayed proprs that litter the gloom-shrouded stage. Always to golden Montaige's left, always in his shadow; Smaller, still, in the background amid the division of shade and light.

(Continued)

>>37000840

He gestures - A glittering sweep of his arm. You have to admit; He's pretty good at this, the long months of rehearsals showing at last.

"What wonders lie ahead, my friend?" he says, with kingly arrogance - "-What treasures are ours for the taking? Let us seek them out, on this enchanted night; By this sword, we shall return in glory!"

In the play of light and shadow - beside Montaige's shabby - your costume is discreetly shabby; More grey than black, more worn that red, the plain hilt of your sword and your scuffed, scarred boots a marked contrast to the gems that wink and sparkle in Kazuya's rapier, the golden scales that catch the light with their inner radiance.

Auguste - Weary and loyal, dogged but faithful, a constant presence at Montaige's side.

There's a pause - Kazuya holding his pose, transfixed by the lights from above; Just long enough for the silence to becoming cloying and just a little uncomfortable, and-

...You're not sure you can remember what comes next.

[ ] "It is not glory that concerns me - But the dangers that might lie ahead."
[ ] "Twin suns, behind a lake; the shadows lengthen, Montaige."
[ ] "Listen - Against the shore, cloud waves break."
[ ] "How passing strange, a night like this - To travel by the light of dead stars."
[ ] "Montaige, you are bewitched."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37000927
>[ ] "Montaige, you are bewitched."

Shit, who was meant to be whom again?

>>37000927
[ ] "It is not glory that concerns me - But the dangers that might lie ahead."

>>37000951

(You're Auguste, the protagonist of the play - And later, the villain. Kazuya's Montaige, the deuteragonist.

Montaige is a rich, rather impulsive - but fundamentally good-hearted - nobleman. Auguste is his friend and hunting companion, who is acutely aware of his low station. At the beginning, Auguste usually fills the role of Montaige's sidekick.)

>>37000927
[ ] "It is not glory that concerns me - But the dangers that might lie ahead."

>>37000927
>[ ] "Montaige, you are bewitched."

>>37000978
>protagonist of the play - And later, the villain
Amusingly appropriate.

>>37001017
The play was written by Asuna about us. Of course it is.

>>37000941

> [X] "Montaige, you are bewitched."

He laughs, throwing his head back - A peal of hearty, mirthful laughter that resounds through the hall.

"Indeed! Indeed, Auguste - I labor beneath the greatest curse of all! To live too strongly, to live too well - To blaze across the heavens like a comet, before my time is done. A curse that brings clarity, rather than foul confusion...A charm to light the way."

>>37000958
>>37000994

> [X] "It is not glory that concerns me - But the dangers that might lie ahead."

"Ah, my friend - Once again, you are all caution."

Kazuya's arm settles companionably on your shoulders - Dragging you out of the gloom, and into the expanding circle of light. He leans in close; A motion that brings spontaneous cheers, and a few gasps, from a certain section of the audience...

"-And I, of course, have no caution at all!"

He laughs again, merrily - He's really getting into character - dealing you a ringing, manly slap to the back that sends you stumbling forward a step, to a ripple of amusement. As you straighten your already-shabby coat, restoring your ruptured dignity, your sigh echoes over the speakers; the tolerant sigh of someone plagued by a well-meaning but ever-troublesome friend.

And then-

The silence gives way to the soft lap of waves against a distant shore. Overhead, the red 'sky' dims - Fading, slowly yet surely, to a velvet-soft blue.

"Auguste!" Kazuya starts, looking in every direction at once - suddenly concerned, fumbling for his sword. "-To arms, Auguste; the foe is upon us!" His ever-present spotlight follows him, as he turns his back; Gazing determinedly in the wrong direction, scanning the horizon for threats with a fixed expression of vigilance.

[ ] "I hear - singing."
[ ] "Can you not hear it, Montaige? The great, sad music?"
[ ] "The songs that the Hyades shall sing - Where flap the tatters of the King."
[ ] "Hold, Montaige - It is not the foe...But a vision."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37001123
[ ] "I hear - singing."

>>37001123
"I hear - singing"
"Hold Montaige - It is not the foe...But a vision."

>>37001123
[ ] "Can you not hear it, Montaige? The great, sad music?"

>>37001145
>>37001180

> [X] "I hear - singing."
> [X] "Hold, Montaige - It is not the foe...But a vision."

"A vision?" Kazuya's voice is just the right mix of confusion, surprise and wariness-

The spotlight winks out, and plunges the stage into darkness. For a long, uncomfortable moment, there are coughs from the rows of seating, people shifting in place and wondering - Maybe even hoping - for something to have gone wrong...

From the gloom, Kazuya shoots you a startled look. The ethereal music - It's supposed to be kicking in, about now.

-There seems to be an argument going on in the control booth overhead. You really, really hope that-

And as if on cue, the light returns.

It illuminates a feminine figure, her scarlet gown pooled around her like the rippling waters of the lake; Her face upturned to the heavens, haloed by her artfully-arrayed hair. Her blonde tresses catch the light, a liquid shimmer like honey or molten gold.

That's when the first, half-audible murmurs of surprise comes from the higher rows of seating - The Seisin High girls watching the performance. In half-cohered snatches of conversation:

> "...is that?"
> "-is *she* doing here?"
> "It can't be..."

For a moment, everything's balanced on a knife-edge; You can actually *feel* the attention being focused on the stage, and it seems like Mio's about to wilt - Or worse, freeze up...

-But then her voice echoes through the hall. Singing a lullaby, except she's trying not to cry at the same time; hearing her aches. It's startling, and entirely improvised - a language you've never heard, exotic enough for the words not to matter.

(Continued)

>>37001314

And then you hear the first, spontaneous cheers, quickly hushed - the quaver in Mio's voice smoothens out, finding her stride, and it seems almost a shame to interrupt her-

> [X] "Can you not hear it, Montaige? The great, sad music?"

Your words are thunderous, in the cloying silence beyond the stage.

A quick gasp - A startled sound, as her hands fly up to her face like frightened birds.

And she says, in a small voice-

"-You can *hear* me?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37001346

(Gentlemen; I'm aware that this is an unusual direction to take this Episode, and one that I didn't initially foresee last week. Let me know if this is too disruptive, or too much of a change of pace.)

>>37001372
Personally, this is the kind of stuff that I would let Watashi and Near handle.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to be here right now.

I actually like this part, but I have no idea how to proceed forward.

>>37001346
"It is difficult not to hear such a fair voice. Forgive my interruption.."

>>37001372
I just don't know how to act in the context of the play to be perfectly honest

>>37001459
This

>>37001496
>>37001372
This. OP, its kind of hard to know what to do.

>>37001558

(My apologies: I'll make sure to include options in each post, as guidelines.)

>>37001459
>>37001496

> "It is difficult not to hear such a fair voice. Forgive my interruption."

She shakes her head, no. There is a quiet joy to her, a solemnity - Her motions graceful, as she rises to her feet; Her gaze fixed on yours, hands clasped together as if in prayer. The audience waits, with bated breath - there's something intent in Mio's expression, something that eclipses even method acting; She's happy, genuinely happy to see you, and it lights her up from within.

"The common folk cannot hear my voice, or see me - Surely, you are the first man to lay eyes upon me."

Her gaze is imploring, earnest - It's the first time Mio's speaking the lines, but there's a passion to each one, a blush to her cheeks; You can't help but wonder what she's thinking of, what she sees, as she draws closer - Her hand against her heart.

"Please, I beg you - Tell me your name, or I shall surely die."

"For I am Etoile - Etoile, the lonely..." Her voice is low, hushed with motion - "And at last - At long, long last - I have met the one I have been searching for!"

[ ] Embrace her.
[ ] "-It was your song that drew me to you. Your voice, across the gulf of the stars."
[ ] "I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"
[ ] "Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37001678
>[ ] "Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you."
>[ ] "I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"
We're the sidekick right now, so let's be modest.

>>37001678
>[X] Embrace her.
>[X] "Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you."

>>37001678
>[ ] "I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"

Man, having Mio play that role is kinda freaky.

>>37001678

Wait, this is beginning to make sense. This is a love story between the first Player and his Hyades, isn't it?

>>37001751
The story of A Player and his Hyades. Definitely need Wata here for this, he could probably explain what we're seeing.

>>37001678
[ ] "I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"
[ ] "Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you."

>>37001710
>>37001726
>>37001744

> [X] "Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you."
> [X] "I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"

Your words - they sound faintly bitter, even to you. But Etoile - Mio - pays no mind; "Auguste," she echoes, like a prayer - Her slim fingers rising, with immense delicacy, to cup your cheek...But never touching.

"-That is not so," she says, with a soft, sweet intimacy.

"That you can see me, with your own eyes-"

"That you can hear my voice, and look upon me with such love-"

She draws close. Closer. Almost - But never quite touching.

"-I have seen your soul, Auguste. It is better and brighter - It is shining. It is that brilliance that illuminates me; The very same light that drew me to you, and you to me. Ah - Truly, I am the most fortunate woman...the most blessed...in the entire world."

A low "Awwwwww~" arises from the stands.

> [X] Embrace her.

You reach out. Your arms rise to embrace her, to draw her to you-

The spotlight cuts out. When it flickers back into existence, you are past her, confused but yearning as she turns -

"-I am sorry." Perfect, shining - But so very alone - the first lines of sorrow shows through Etoile's smile; Her eyes downcast, Mio's face turned to the ground.

"My body is as a mirage, my love; We cannot touch. We can *never* touch-"

Her hand, questing, comes to rest before you - as if encountering an invisible wall, her trembling fingers stroking the very surface. "-For we are of *two* worlds...And never shall they meet. Only here - Only now, by the grace of the stars - may I look upon you..."

"And you upon me."

Blackness.

(Continued)

>>37001870
>"My body is as a mirage, my love; We cannot touch. We can *never* touch-"
Well, unless we take out someone's eye.

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>>37001870

The curtain falls, as the light winks out; Kazuya lets out a shuddering breath that he's been holding, his shoulders slumping from the abrupt release of tension. This is the cue for the stagehands to rush out and rearrange the backdrop, with a "Act 2 in two minutes! Hurry, people!" call coming from somewhere behind you - Even as Mio lets her hand fall to her side. For a moment, she looks almost dizzy; An "Oh-" teased from her lips, going pale where she was flushed before...But her face is shining, even as the crew wrestles fluted columns into place, planting down some props - An ornate table, a high-backed chair, to give the impression of a grand (If rather spacious) manor.

"So far so good," Kazuya says - With a wink to Mio, who manages a wan but honest thumbs-up.

"Clear the stage!" Yui's not showing up for a few scenes yet, but she's definently making her presence felt. "Natsumi, get Etoile back into the wings - Kazuya, Anon-kun, you're on again!"

-----------------------------

The inside of a grand manor - Suggested by the fluted columns, the banners that flutter in an invisible wind. Gleaming, regal - Surrounded by the trappings of wealth - Montaigne stands, his expression troubled.

"Auguste...These tales of a woman of phantasm - Of a world beyond the stars - Surely, you are bewitched."

His hand - Signet ring catching the light - comes to rest on the ornate table, as he frowns; His expression is compassionate, but wary, as he faces off against you across the narrow span.

(Continued)

>>37002103

"-I know not what you saw that night, but...You are a changed man, Auguste. Changed - And not for the better, I fear."

He sighs, low and deep.

"It was my folly that set us on the path to lost Arcadia...Yet it is you, my sensible, stolid, ordinary friend, who bears the mark." Kazuya circles the table, in thoughtful strides; His hands coming to rest on your shoulders, companionably and more than a little condescendingly.

"Come. Put these wild tales from your mind, Auguste - They will do you no good."

A gesture takes in the stage around you. "Your place is here, my loyal friend - Here, on my estates, at my side."

"Pay no mind to the blandishments of sprites, of imps, of the things from the outer Dark - All they promise are illusions. All they will bring you is despair."

[ ] "Scraps from a rich man's table."
[ ] "'Sensible'? 'Stolid'? 'Ordinary'? How little you think of me, 'friend'."
[ ] "...You don't believe me. You never did, did you?"
[ ] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."
[ ] "Strange that you should say this. 'At your side' - As your friend, or your hound?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37001678
It was your song that drew me to you. Your voice, across the gulf of the stars."
"I am Auguste - Auguste, a man of little wealth and no worth. But if you would have me-"
"Perhaps I, too, have been searching for you.

Good job OP, this thing feels super shakspearean

>>37002126
>[ ] "'Sensible'? 'Stolid'? 'Ordinary'? How little you think of me, 'friend'."
>[ ] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."

>>37002126
>[X] "...You don't believe me. You never did, did you?"
>[X] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."

>>37002126
[ ] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."
[ ] "Strange that you should say this. 'At your side' - As your friend, or your hound?"

>>37002153
>Good job OP, this thing feels super shakspearean
Not enough vulgarity for that. Despite the porn game avatars.

>>37002126
>[ ] "Scraps from a rich man's table."
>[ ] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."

I think we are learning how Kouchi felt when we told him that his Hyades brainwashed him.

>>37002126
[x] "Strange that you should say this. 'At your side' - As your friend, or your hound?"
[x] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."

>>37002126
She sees me as more than a simple servant. And I believe she is right.

File: joker manor2.png (1.04 MB, 1280x720)

1.04 MB PNG

>>37002155
>>37002157
>>37002171
>>37002181
>>37002215
>>37002222

> [X] "'Sensible'? 'Stolid'? 'Ordinary'? How little you think of me, 'friend'."
> [X] "Strange that you should say this. 'At your side' - As your friend, or your hound?"

Montaige stiffens. His companionable grasp releases, as he takes a step back.

"Auguste, I did not mean-"

> [X] "Scraps from a rich man's table."

His brow furrows, at the heat in your words. The beginnings of a scowl work at his mouth - A scowl, and confusion; the honest hurt of a man who cannot understand why his friend is lashing out.

"Auguste - You are beginning to speak with the tongue of madness. Some fever of the mind has seized you; the things you speak of - You address those beyond your station. Turn from this path, and we shall speak no more of this."

There is a warning in his voice, now - Subtle, but a warning all the same.

> [X] "The woman I love is no sprite - or imp - or daemon."

"That remains to be seen. I know - I *know* - that she is no mortal."

> [X] "She sees me as more than a simple servant. And I believe she is right."

"And I believe that she leads you to your doom." Kazuya's voice is a hiss, as he jabs a finger at you across the table. "She has ensnared you, mind and soul - What is that, if not a daemon?"

> [X] "...You don't believe me. You never did, did you?"

"I believed *in* you. In your good sense, in your honest and faithful nature...But now, I fear, I may have been wrong. From whence did this madness come, Auguste?"

He shakes his head - Visibly restraining himself, trying to keep his anger bottled within. But Montaige is a prideful man - and it is pride that gives his next words their bite.

"-What you wish can never be, Auguste. *Will* never be - For such is our world."

"And such is your place in it."

Fade to black.

(Continued)

>>37002413

This time, there's no need to shuffle things around behind the scenes; Instead, the spotlight simply goes out. A shaft of illuminate lingers on you, as you pace away - A stiff-shouldered stride that slowly becomes a troubled tread, each step leaden, hands in empty pockets.

"What troubles you, brave Auguste?"

Yui's voice is - Well, she's trying. But it's almost affectless, even when she does her best to seem sympathetic; the spotlight's direction wavering, to cast her in sharp relief. In her - Or rather, Asuna's - witch costume, seated on a strategically-situated bench, her hands are folded serenely on her lap; her features a mere shadow beneath the wide brim of her hat.

"-Everyone in town has your name on their lips. They say that constant, loyal Auguste has gone made - They say that he now lives with an invisible woman of phantasm, and loses himself in fever dreams."

She looks up, regarding you at last - Her words all the more cutting, for her serene expression. The script calls for her to sound sympathetic...But something, some trick of affect and tone, makes it seem more mocking than anything else.

"But, handsome Auguste...You know the truth, do you not? Golden hair, eyes like the deepest ocean, a smile only for you...A man could drown in beauty like that, and die happy."

[ ] "-Let them say what they like. They will never understand."
[ ] "...Who are you? How do you know of this?"
[ ] "I have told no-one of Etoile's beauty...Wait. You can see her too?"
[ ] "Indeed, 'tis but a dream. And dreams are the sole luxury of the poor and outcast."
[ ] "Still your mocking tongue, witch, or you will have no tongue."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37002597
[ ] "I have told no-one of Etoile's beauty...Who are you? How do you know of this?"

>>37002597
[ ] "-Let them say what they like. They will never understand."
[ ] "...Who are you? How do you know of this?"

>>37002597
>[ ] "...Who are you? How do you know of this?"

>>37002625
>>37002635

> [X] "-Let them say what they like. They will never understand."

"And yet it rankles, does it not?" Yui smoothens down her flowing dress, with a gesture - Her touch lingering on the carved wood of the broom at her side. "Poor Auguste - to speak the heart's truth, yet be mocked for it."

"To be cast aside, to be lost and friendless...All because you aspire to more than just a servant's toil."

>>37002691

> [X] "I have told no-one of Etoile's beauty...Who are you? How do you know of this?"

"Oh, clever Auguste - My name matters not. I come as a bearer of glad tidings - As a friend, offering aid to one in need of succor." A smile graces her lips - On Asuna, it'd have looked shy and a little embarassed. On Yui, it looks...Well, it's actually quite sinister.

A pause follows - A long silence, one that makes you wonder if you've missed your cue, until...

There are high points of color in Yui's cheeks. She's blushing.

"L-like..." she begins, then stops. Trying again: "T, the thing is, like all men, you..."

You glimpse Kazuya in the wings, giving you a distinctly troubled look - He doesn't know what's going on, but he senses disaster. The stagehand next to him has a deer-in-the-headlights expression, fingers crossed as Yui stammers, repeats herself.

"-You long to...To do more than *look* upon your love," Yui says, with a distinct effort - Slowly but surely going red. Her slim fingers trace down her arm, and come to rest on her thigh as she leans towards you; Her breath coming just a little faster, now, her lips ever-so-slightly parted.

"To take her hand in yours..."

"-to hold her in your arms-"

"A-and..." She can't do it. She just can't. But then Yui rallies, magnificently, even as her brow furrows with effort - Forging on, ignoring the full-body blush spreading down her slender neck.

(Continued)

File: jokeryuiblush.jpg (27 KB, 225x350)

27 KB JPG

>>37002882

"...A, and - And even...lay a kiss upon her lips-"

She sighs in audible relief, to a ripple of laughter from the audience - The look she shoots in their direction is so cold, so vicious, it becomes an abrupt silence mere heartbeats later. Yui tosses her head, folding her arms across her chest; Still glaring, her lips set in a little frown, before she turns her attention back to you.

"Such a thing is within your grasp, bold Auguste...If you have the courage to seize what you most desire."

Back to normal again, you see. In the background, the light changes; A looming silhouette against a red backdrop, suggesting size, vastness, power...

-A ship.

"Far, far to the North lies the Red sea...And a ship, to carry you across it. If - If you have the strength, the *will* - to defeat the ship's guardian...The world's greatest power will be yours. And with it-"

Her hand opens, fingers splaying wide to display a glittering gem; A not-quite-perfect sphere, the violet facets catching the light.

"-This is the source of all magic, clever Auguste; Those without ambition see a mere fractured stone. But to you and I - this gem is one half of the Eyes of Night, and it longs to be whole once more. Listen - Can you not hear the music? The sad, sweet music from beyond the stars?"

The Witch's hand brushes yours, as she lays the flawed jewel in your palm.

"Cross the sea of stars, Auguste. Find the Eyes of Night - And save the woman your heart yearns for. Then - and only then - will you be together."

[ ] "I mislike the sound of this, but...I have no choice."
[ ] "For my love, there is nothing I will not do."
[ ] "A ship to sail the sea of stars...Such a wonder to behold!
[ ] "Two gems, and two worlds...Forever yearning to be one. Truly, 'tis an omen."
[ ] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>37003047
[ ] "Two gems, and two worlds...Forever yearning to be one. Truly, 'tis an omen."
[ ] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."

>>37003047
>[X] "For my love, there is nothing I will not do."
>[X] "Two gems, and two worlds...Forever yearning to be one. Truly, 'tis an omen."
>[X] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."

>>37003047
[ ] "For my love, there is nothing I will not do."
[ ] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."

>>37003047
>[ ] "Two gems, and two worlds...Forever yearning to be one. Truly, 'tis an omen."
Now I have the urge to activate all Manifold towers.
>[ ] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."

>>37003072
>>37003085
>>37003086
>>37003092

> [X] "For my love, there is nothing I will not do."

"Truly? I wonder."

You look up, sharply - But Yui's already turning her face away.

> [X] "Two gems, and two worlds...Forever yearning to be one. Truly, 'tis an omen."
> [X] "You have yet to speak of your gain in this, Witch."

"Why, my wish is but a simple thing." The Witch's voice is low, almost coy - "For two worlds to become one...Such a marvel is passing strange, of the most sublime significance. Beyond the veil, across the Red sea, beneath the light of black stars..."

The light fades, lending a shadowy cast to her features.

"-To hear the songs that the Hyades sing; Where flap the tatters of the King."

Fade to black.

When the spotlight illuminates you, once more - the bench is empty, the Witch's voice coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, the gleaming gem the only sign of her passage.

"Go forth, doomed Auguste - Claim the Ark. Cross the sea of stars, to lost Arcadia...And, at last, all you desire shall be yours. In the turning of the worlds, at the fall of the Shroud..."

"For you - And only you, kind Auguste..."

"-Destiny awaits."

JOKER QUEST

EPISODE 116

TO BE CONTINUED

>>37003262

(Gentlemen; My sincerest apologies for the abrupt pause, but I'm utterly exhausted - I would love to continue, but this is rather unusual, and strenuous, to write.

Once again, I apologize for the unusual turn that things have taken - Though it's really a result of player choice, I might add. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue tomorrow.

At any rate, good night and God bless: You've been a wonderful audience, and I hope to see you all again soon."

>>37003318
So tell us, if Wata hadn't replaced Natsumi where would this session have gone? Will we have charge next time?

>>37003318
Good thread, I really enjoyed it once things progressed a bit

>>37003318
And I'm back just in time for the thread to end. Oh well, thanks for running. See you... tomorrow? Really? Neat.

>>37003262
>"Go forth, doomed Auguste - Claim the Ark. Cross the sea of stars, to lost Arcadia...And, at last, all you desire shall be yours. In the turning of the worlds, at the fall of the Shroud..."
Shit.
We can get to Hecate by killing the Shroud.

Think of it. It makes a ton of sense. There's no projection needed if real and red are the same.

>>37003581
That's idiotic. Never do the villain's job for them.

>>37003581

You know, given that GARO has an anime set in the medieval era, I wonder if there were Players during the swords-and-sorcery era too.

Were they still killer robots then? Or knights?

>>37003581
It doesn't matter. We aren't Auguste. I get the feeling that the story Asuna wrote is actually about the White Joker.

>>37003676
Or about Kotone's father.
Or the last Red Joker.

It seems to combine all of them.

You mean the Black Cardinal? He was the White Joker, wasn't he?

>>37003697

Seems that way. I wonder if his armor was somehow corrupted. We know for a fact that we cannot be corrupted by the black oil, though.

>>37003709
only because of daegal though

>suptg is up again
>"Let's archive it!"
>"Archive complete!"
>Wait, the description is different
Who's the fucker who was faster?
I thought "The obligatory Shakespear episode" was perfectly valid.

>>37005727
Sup. How was the thread?

>>37004947
Not true, Joker was immune even before Daegal.