>>39940731
You are acutely aware of how unassuming and...normal everyone thinks you to be. Perfectly aware of the way others perceive you and their expectations therein. That is one of the reasons you do this, all of this. It is freeing to be someone else, to defy and spit in the face of the expectations others have in your and you have in yourself. That is to say there are a number of things you wouldn’t do, regardless of the face you wear, but there are some things you need.

And being just Yoshi Sakurada doesn’t fulfill all of them.

Pick meets string. Spark meets speaker. The room shakes and you scream from the bottom of your gut, diaphragm pulling and holding your exhalation wonderfully as the sound turns to gravel.

Words. Terrible words of your own scripting flow past your lips as you shred through a complicated series of notes and bars.

Its freedom. It shuts down your fears, frustrations, and aches.

It isn’t right. Something sounds off. You cannot quite place it, so you stop. Removing the guitar, you stride back over to the mixing board and begin checking the cables and settings.

“That sounded great,” Kal gives a sleepy smile.

“No...there was something off,” you admit in mild upset, “This is why I do this early. Plenty of time to sort out the bugs,”

You turn to your work as Kal excuses himself. It was great work to get so understanding and lenient a professional manager as an independent band. It’s your ticket to the big leagues, as it were...though you remain undecided if it's the best course. He has assured you that the label will keep your true identity anonymous, and you are normally a trusting person.

There is something in the air you cannot place. You diligently work to sort out the strangeness in the audio you couldn’t quite place. Kal leans against one of the wall speakers, you never notice the strange glow of his hand at that point of contact before he sees himself out.

Interlude End

>>39940765
Quest Start

We are the Eclipsed Moon


There is a sudden lightness to your entire being as you feel the voice in the dark, your own cut separate by supernaturally forced psychological schism, filters past your strong mental fortifications. Of course she knows the way, she is you and today she comes home. Her presence fills the cracks and abscesses in your mind and spirit, along paths long carved out by your own trauma and esoteric coping mechanisms. The sensations briefly flicker those not yet reintegrated identities across your awareness, and for the one which already come home a pang of nostalgia.

>you have lost the ability to "smell" strong negative emotions & shadow taint, you'll have to rely on social cues and honest self assessments like those Kairi would give you. You can still drain them, as well as shadowy taint.

All the same, you are closer. Closer to being whole and sound. Closer to being you…

You are Mikage Chiba, second year highschool student age 15, and not quite as long ago as you like to think of it...you were the third woman to carry the mantel of Sailor Moon. Your mother and elder sister came before you, your little sister has carried on after you. Clutching the glowing locket to your chest and closing it, and the pulsing warm light of the fractured crystal within, you feel faint.

Knees give out beneath you as the whole of your body goes slack and pitches forward, your last conscious awareness hearing your name being called out by multiple sources as gentle arms embrace you in safety. Its safe. Its warm. Its being home.

…

>>39940781
It is at least an hour before your usual alarm when you do wake up. Eyes fluttering open in the predawn hours, you sit up slowly in bed. You feel...different? You feel as though the ease to panic you pushed aside the morning after your myriad changes has returned, but lessened. Unburdened by the now cherished knowledge that you did not kill a man...but still guilty and sad over being unable to save him.

A damp rag slides off your forehead, cool to the touch. Did you have a fever?

Still...you’ve been asleep for far too long. Its Saturday morning, you think.

>No excuse not to exercise
>Be lazy, curl back up and set your alarm to later
>You require all the breakfast, right now
>Go wake someone up, who?
>Play on your computer or phone for a while
>Inspect crystal
>Write in

>>39940845
>>No excuse not to exercise
every day is leg day

>>39940845
>You require all the breakfast, right now
>Play on your computer or phone for a while

>>39940845
>Play on your computer or phone for a while
>No excuse not to exercise

>>39940845

>Inspect crystal
>You require all the breakfast, right now

Counting and writing.

While Watching SMC episode 21.

...DAMNIT USAGI, STOP BEING JEALOUS OF YOUR FUTURE DAUGHTER!

three way tie on some things to be done...and not all mutually exclusive. Now to get writing.

This interlude is taking place Friday right? So the concert would be tonight?

>>39940765
Yoshi is great. I knew I liked that guy.

>>39940845
Interesting.

Also Never skip leg day.

Well, it is early and it is Saturday. These things are no excuse toward to being exceptionally lazy, so you’ll do your usual routine...when it's time for it to usually start. Rolling out of bed and getting into your athletic shorts, sports bra, and windbreaker you check yourself over. Much as you expected, most of it is a bit tight or short thanks to your growth spurt while comatose. Much to your surprise, your longer than necessary hair has been unbound.

You aren’t going to go about putting it up twice in one day, so you’ll put it up in tails after your workout and morning shower...eventually.

Prepared to start your run...you don’t. Not yet at least. Its still only just after 4 in the morning. Even for an exercise nut like you that would be insane.

Plopping down in front of your desk, you fish out your phone and boot your computer. Checking a few things online, you see the usual amount of chatter about Red Eyes. Teal left messages for the fashion group, updates about the fashion show which will be next month. Your request for information on vampires was finally made good on...but the thing your spooky loving friend wrote up is...long.

You’ll check it out later, you think as you run your tongue over your teeth. Right now your circumstances as a vampire-like creature are kind of far away from your immediate concern.

>>39942439
Hmmm...you have a missed call from Kairi and a few texts as well. It’s about Umeki-san from last night, likely sent after dinner and your fainting spell. While it is still far too early to call her properly, you shoot her a quick text apologizing for not getting her message until now. Her texts seemed to indicate exasperation with Saori Umeki despite enjoying time with her. Apparently when she first went into her weeks long abandoned room, there were erotic doujinshi of all kinds out in the open, and a framed poster signed by the VA’s from an anime from a few years ago called Gravitation.

Oh Kairi. Poor somehow innocent Kairi. You giggle at this and kick back from the desk. You still have some time to kill before its time for your workout, so you brush your hair back over your shoulders and set about finishing your gifted import comic.

Long over the vampiric parallel, the only cloud over you as you enjoy the book is that you probably need to have a serious talk with the guy who gave it to you. Great...just great.

Oh, its 5 am! Time for a light jog and some lifting. You already had leg day, so you get some handheld weights out from under your bed and set out. It will distract you. Stepping outside you are momentarily shocked to see Tomoe-sensei’s car still in the driveway. Yup, distraction time.

Its a short few laps around the block by the time you get back. The weights, which you ran with while pumping your arms, took a lot out of you. Getting back home, you practically skip the fence into the backyard and start on stretches before heading right into pushups and isometric exercises. Looking down at your support straining assets, you believe altering your routine in the next few months to working on your upper body will help reduce their continued impact.

>>39942463
Shoulders and arms bruning, you collapse back into the grass as is your endorphin filled post workout habit.

Smiling up at the newly lit sky of dawn, you laugh lightly and arc your back to stretch it out after a good workout.

“Good morning, Mikage,” a familiar voice calls from beside you.

~Good morning, Luna,~ you turn to her and share your face wide smile as your stomach lets out a roar.

“Working hard I see,” the black cat shakes her head and paws over toward your family home’s back door as you rub the back of your head in embarrassment, “I heard about last night, and since everyone else is still sleeping how about I fix you some breakfast?”

~That would be amazing Luna,~ you kip up after her and stroll into the kitchen as she transforms into her human form.

She must have noticed you were up and working out some time ago, as the kitchen is already awash with the smell of delicious breakfast foods. Its looks like she made extra, considering how everyone is here.

>Talk to Luna about something, what?
>Nom for the Om Nom Nom
>Write in

>>39942472
Talk with Luna. Luna talk is good.
..but eat too.
Just try to avoid talking with a mouthful.

>>39942472
>Nom for the Om Nom Nom

was about to call it...

come on guys. I know there is one more of you. Settle this!

>>39942472
>>Talk to Luna about something, what?

How about what happened immediately after we passed out.

WRITING!

As you take a seat at the table, Luna sets out a plate of hot cakes & western style sausage patties. Its a comfortable stack, and there is both a small thing of honey and maple syrup on the table.

It smells heavenly, and you are very hungry...but before you decide to tuck in there is something you need to ask.

~So,~ you begin drizzling honey onto the stack of hotcakes, ~What happened after I passed out?~

Luna pauses and turns to face you from the griddle.

“Well, your mother thought you were running a bit warm and put you to bed,” Luna shrugs, “Hotaru-chan put a compress on your head and Koyomi worriedly watched you and changed the rag every so often until your mother and Hotaru convinced her you’d be fine and just needed your sleep,”

She turns back to the griddle to flip the newly made cakes.

“I got back around then,” she sighs, “You know you keep having these episodes and then your mother and father went off to talk about something in private,”

You nod and begin eating your breakfast.

“Also, we have everything set for today,” Luna continues, “We’ve organized a sort of...family picnic with a good view of the teleportation telemetry. We figured it would be good for everyone to be together,”

~Everyone but mom and the other original senshi?~ you wonder aloud while stabbing a cut section of your hotcakes.

“They’ll be there at the start to say goodbye to everyone,” Luna hums as a sleepy looking Diana in an oversized t-shirt comes downstairs carrying her still sleeping younger sister.

“Usagi and Mamoru are waking up, they shooed us out of the room” Big Diana yawns and hops up onto the stool next to you and pats Little Diana on the back.

She didn’t sleep in Usa-neechan’s room?

Oh...right

>Time to go get ready for this picnic.
>Linger downhere and chat with Diana or Diana
>Anything else to ask Luna?
>Take your time eating and see who else shows up
>Wake up someone still sleeping, who?
>Write in

>>39943723

*you keep having these episodes and its worrying. Then your mother and father-

Insert correction where it fits.

>>39943723
>Take your time eating and see who else shows up

>>39943723
>Time to go get ready for this picnic.

>>39943723
Talk to Ds

Sorry, was held up...calling vote.

Looks like we need a final destination. Queue up, we'll start in a minute.

File: Esmeraude.png (251 KB, 640x480)

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Final Destination!

reply to this post within 4 minutes of it being posted for your vote to count. Reply with only the number of your choice, no comment, text, linebreak, greentext, or punctuation.

Just the number

4 minutes.

1 Take your time, see who shows up
2 Go get ready for the picnic
3 Talk to the Dianas

>>39944504
3

You know what, I'll take it.

Writing.

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>>39944608
IT'S OVER. IT'S FINALLY OVER! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *is kill*

>>39944674
What's over? Don't be kill.

>>39944674
Hey Melee, good to seeya.

>>39944692
>>39944697
Finals are over. I passed my Chemistry for Engineers final hopefully. Now I can be kill without regrets.

>>39944741
No. No be kill, you watch thread while I drive.
No can watch while drive or I be kill.

Finishing your honey sweetened cakes and likewise enjoying your sausage patties all the same, you thank Luna for the lovely breakfast and turn to the next task ahead...although you are curious.

You don’t want to be curious, but you are...so you turn to the petit college party girl who is often a cat.

~So, didn’t sleep in Usa’s room last night?~

“Nah,” she sits her younger self on the table, “She wanted to have a private talk with Hotaru and Helios,”

~Just talk?~ you say suspiciously.

“Well, no...but nothing as far are you’re probably thinking,” she rolls her eyes and points to the cat ears that fold out of her hair on top of her head, “She’s too weak for anything so vigorous, and it was just a sad and private,”

You think on that to yourself as Luna slides a plate in front of Big Diana and then picks up her still younger daughter, who slumps against her chest still asleep.

“Let that be a lesson to you, Mikage,” she nods down at you beneath her mane of black hair, “We hear every-”

“I was just eavesdropping. They didn’t have any music or white noise or nothing,” Diana shrugs and steals her mother’s thunder, “What?”

~snrk~ you barely contain your laughter.

Its funny. Luna trying to intimidate you away from doing...lewd things with people in the house. Still, you do laugh a bit.

“See, she gets it!” Diana exclaims as you compose yourself.

~Say...do you know when Usa-neechan is leaving?~ you ask the pixie built cat woman.

“Yes, actually,” she huffs, “WE’LL be leaving in two days. Usa projects that she’ll be strong enough by then,”

~Oh...well I will miss both of you,~ you say cheerfully.

It dawns on you that you’ve been in an unbearably good mood today. You may have lost the power of supernatural self awareness and peanut gallery, but you have gained...perspective? You aren’t sure what yet. Is it peace of mind? No...there are still other fractures to tend to.

>>39945067
“Good,” Diana smiles and leans over to give you a hug before drenching her hot cakes in maple syrup.

An unnecessary amount, at least by your reckoning.

Excusing yourself, you head upstairs and shower away the glisten of your workout. You mostly know what you’re doing as far as clothes are concerned...but you still don’t know about your hair.

>Wear it down
>Cut it down to short high tails, classic look
>Cut it down to Dark Lady style long tails
>Super tight coiled buns
>write in

That matter tended to, you quickly get dressed in a sundress and short jacket. Kairi is probably up now, and given what she knows you might want to invite her to the picnic...but what about Keiko and Midori? Decisions decisions. They’re a part of this now...and while you know Kairi’s presence can be explained away and Keiko is a Senshi...Midori poses a problem. Midori just being there would seem out of place to the younger girls.

>Just invite Midori, come what may
>This requires asking Koyomi hypothetical questions
>If I ask her and Keiko to come later, no one will question it
>...tell her and Kairi to come in costume?
>Write in

>>39945081
>Wear it down
and
>Just invite Midori, come what may

>>39945081
>Super tight coiled buns

>This requires asking Koyomi hypothetical questions

>>39945081
>Wear it down
>This requires asking Koyomi hypothetical questions

Rolled 19 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

I require a Deceive test

dice+1d20+10 vs above

Best of 3, 1s and 20s wild

Rolled 13 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>39945411

Rolled 12 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>39945411

One more to bring us home.

Rolled 7 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>39945411
Has our silver tongue failed us?

>>39945694
dubious bunny is dubious.

Surge?

Do I hear a call for Surge?

>>39945945
Eh, why not.

>>39945945
Y

Rolled 7 (1d8)

Splurgin'

As you towel your long long hair off, you decide to leave it down for today. No fuss, just a massive mane of pink. It’ll be nice if the day is breezy, This pink so that surrounds you hangs heavily and straight, coming to an uneven stop in the vicinity of your ankles and the ground.

Wrapping your towel around your torso, you spin on the tip of your toe and enjoy watching your hair whip about with your momentum.

You get to your room quickly and get dressed before striding over to Koyomi’s room. Her door is unlocked, and as you enter you are greeted to the sight of your baby sister sprawled out on her bed and snoring loudly. Sitting down on her bed, you prod your younger and blonder sister, much to her upset.

“ngh...g’way” she groans and blearily looks about before springing up at the sight of you, “Mikage-neechan! You’re awake!”

She collides with you and hugs you faster than you expected her to be capable of moving this early in the morning.

~Gah!~ you sputter, ~I’m fine, Koyomi. Calm down,~

Carefully extracting her from you, your little sister laughs off her reaction to your appearance in an embarrassed fashion.

“Sorry,” she blushes, “I was worried about you,”

~Yeah,~ you shrug, ~Sorry for giving you another scare,~

“Just...stop making a habit of it, okay?” she pleads.

~I’m working on it,~ you huff before you remembering your purpose here, ~Say, hypothetically, that someone was at the gathering later today who...shouldn’t and isn’t in the know about things?~

“What do you mean?” Koyomi tilts her head and looks at you quizzically, “Oneechan,”

~I mean,~ you stretch yourself to figure out what to say, ~What if someone brings a friend, a really good friend, because...because they don’t want to feel awkward not knowing too many people?~

>>39946228
Its a reach. You know it's a reach. There’s a certain anxious titter to your voice and a searching in your eyes. Koyomi’s eyes lock onto yours and there is a moment you think she may have seen through you.

~No, that’s not right,~ you sigh and compose yourself with a bit of energy from your starseed, ~Listen, Sugimoto-san has been through a lot leading up to becoming Sailor Sol...and even if she’s becoming friends me and Kairi-chan I think she needs Mori-san today. She’s been one of her points of emotional stability through all this and…~

Koyomi hugs you again.

“Jeez, Mikage-neechan,” she playfully chides you, “Tripping all over yourself for your friend’s sake. Of course it isn’t weird for Mori-san to be there with Sugimoto-san,”

She relaxes her grip and leans back with a warm expression on her face.

“Sugimoto-san should count herself lucky for your friendship,” she says as a matter of fact.

That was close, you don’t know how you would have handled Koyomi being upset you li- maybe that’s a train of thought to come back to later. The hug, comfortable as it is, is interrupted by the call of two voices from downstairs.

“Hello?” comes the tired voice of a man tinged with mirth.

“Anybody up?” says the happy voice of a familiar woman.

“GRAMMA AND GRAMPA!” Koyomi squeals and is out the door before you can so much as blink.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 77
END

Interlude Vote
>Check list
>Distant Thunder
>Bootstraps

sorry for the short thread, gentlemen.

slumber beckons.

Hope it was enjoyed.

>>39946250

Distant Thunder

>>39946250
>Check list

>>39942886
>come on guys. I know there is one more of you.
I wiped out :(
Still, the nest best thing to catching a thread live is reading it afterwards.

>>39946306
its okay. I'm glad you guys had fun. It happens, I've wiped out my fair share of times

>>39946250
>Distant Thunder

>>39946275
It was fun - thanks for running Arty!!

So, did anything come across as different about Mikage today?

>>39946379
Distant Thunder
Sorry for being half-kill but I cannot into anything right now.

>>39946404
Well yeah. I wasn't really picking up the self doubt and general angst that I'm kind of used to from her.

I was expecting her to feel like she ruined the evening with that fainting spell and blame herself for it, and we didn't get any of that.

Hell she even talked to Diana about Usa having to leave and didn't have a tick of self-recrimination on the subject.

It felt sort of weird actually.

>>39946931
I noticed she seemed peppier and let the faux pa roll over her. But I think you may have hit the nail on the head.

>>39949883
>>39946931
What could this mean?

>>39946931
Those feelings will catch up to her. She just has an afterglow from her experiences.

>>39950061
We were embraced by Mom in full Serenity mode.

Good vibes were bound to run off.

>>39950842
Not this time. This time we were embraced by our own inner full-Serenity mode, so to speak.

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>>39951138
>>39950842
>>39950402
>>39950061
>>39949883
>>39946931
How do you think Kairi will react?

Also, TSUKINO MAMA and PAPA!

>>39951851
Weirded out and trying to figure out where the portal back to her reality is.

Question I don't recall the answer to, if there has been one: What was going on with the quartet with Usa leaving for her own timeline?

>>39952237
They'll continue to be deployed on a global basis.

If we're up later, I'll try and write up the Rotten Girl interlude.

>>39952237
What have I set in motion...

>Okay, her mom is leaving and so is her sister, she's going to be really fragile today
>Everyone in the circle of what's going on will be there, so I won't be able to calm her and myself by offering her...snacks
>This will be about keeping her calm and on mission, we can do this Nephrite!

And then she acts like they were still in middle school.

>What the hell is going on?!
>Venus-chan is coming over, thank goodness, someone sane noticed something wrong.

"Hey, Hey PB-chan! Can you sneak me into an underground death metal show while in red eyes mode for professional idol reasons,"

~Sure! Sounds fun!~

>AAAAAAAAAAARGH!
>Midori, do something! You're a knight too, Stop this bullshit and stop acting like no one can see you holding Keiko's hand!

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>>39952501
YES!

>>39952501
Poor Kairi.

Just...poor Kairi.

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>>39952501

Well, I mean, things could always be worse.

>>39952501
You have provided me a chuckle. I thank you for this.

>>39952697
Something bad happens at the show? We could jump not Yoshi and then have all of our feelings of doubt crash back into us afterwards.

No, we wouldn't do that. Mikage a good girl.

but...that Red Eyes...

No telling what she'd do.

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>>39953676

You're such a worrywart. What could possibly go wrong?

Next you'd be telling me you wouldn't take a hand full of this delicious candy. Just look at how delicious and colorful it looks. Doesn't that just make you want to ask yourself what could possibly go wrong before diving in?

>>39953847
The m&ms and reeces synergize well...

But gosh darn if the chew fruityness won't throw the whole mess off.

Then again, we probably won't try to get into dark brooding guy who we don't know is Yoshi's pants unless we actively attempt it.

Who would?

That would be so terrible, for Yoshi and for Mikage. Just entirely unhealthy for both of them

>>39953847
It probably wouldn't be that bad. At worst it would taste like Skittles, Reese's Pieces and M&Ms at the same time, not some weird gross combination. They're not liquid, they don't mix together.

Interlude: Rotten Girl

After extracting yourself from Umeki-san’s mother and assuaging her fears about not remembering her daughter’s existence for an extended period of time, the thin and tall girl lead you upstairs excitedly. You remember her saying something before about not having had a friend over in years, and considering you went more than a year without friendly social contact you know that probably isn’t hyperbole.

“So, what’s the last thing you remember from before you were taken and changed?” you ask her as she reaches out for the long unopened door to her bedroom.

She freezes, fingertips barely even brushing the brass colored knob ahead of her. For a second, you think her messy and voluminous mane of hair is standing on end. This visual cue passes as you lean around to get a better view of her face. She’s biting her lower lip and her sunken eyes are shot wide with fear and a tinge of embarrassment.

Waiting a moment, you watch as her face ticks a bit and then her eyes narrow. The expression settles into something resembling resolve, but with a slight blushing hue to her cheeks.

“Oh...you know,” she shrugs as she forces her hand onto the door and pushes it open, “Stuff,”

There are bottles and stacks of books everywhere the light from the hallway touches. Paper trash litters the floor with sealed disposable containers from a corner convenience store, you imagine by this point they might stink if they were to be opened. Her window is shrouded in blackout curtains, she walks in and wades through her long unclean room as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Carefully, you follow after her.

“Stuff like?” you venture and find precision footing as you cross the room to sit on her bed.

>>39954579
At least that’s made, though it's covered in open manga. Must be terrible for their bindings. After you’re seated, she fiddles with a tower light near her desk and fills the room with light. The colors of the room are mostly muted and dark, save for a framed poster from some anime hanging on her wall. You aren’t sure you’ve ever heard of it, but it looks well drawn and there are two characters in close embrace there. A tall blonde man with a cool demeanor and an idol looking pink haired...boy?

“Well, I was coming back from a swap meet to get some books for my collections,” she laughs nervously, “Rare stuff from a good doujin circle,”

You glance down at the open books on her bed, now clearly able to see them in the light.

Porn. Its all porn. Yaoi, yuri, and straight. You are sitting on her bed surrounded by graphically drawn images.

“Honestly I’m pissed I lost them when I was abducted,” she whines and slumps into her desk chair facing the back and looking at you.

The stacks of books everywhere? Are they also this or regular manga. From the spines...it all looks like indie group stuff. So...maybe?

You don’t want to judge her. She’s probably just a lonely girl who filled her friendless void with...as you take stock of your surroundings...pornography, dating sims, video games, and…

You look back at a pillow on the bed you’d been leaning against. Its a body pillow with a character print on the the cover. Its a photo print of a woman cosplaying the main character with a popular dating sim game

>>39954596
Slowly you look back over at Saori Umeki. She seems to be pretty far from being at peace with your reaction, given her still nervous and now anxious demeanor. She isn’t saying anything about the elephants crowding the room, neither will you.

“What was it like being all deformed and giant?” she asks without tact, “I was actually a half inch shorter as a monster,”

You’ll focus on this. Helping her with her experience and making a friend. Just being in this room is putting you ill at ease, to say nothing of the excess of embarrassing content. You are Kairi Osaka, and right now Mikage owes you so much for this.

Interlude End

Now I'm curious as to how her collection stacks up against Mikage's private collection.

>>39954901
Well, Mikage's is hidden...this is all over a room. Mikage's is probably neater...but Saori's is big and varied.

>>39954901
too many butts.

>>39953096
Those may yet be the actual words Venus uses.

>>39954901
That is a question to ask or a course of curiosity to pursue in game if you so wish it.

So, I may write an Omake/Comedic asides later tonight...but on what topic?

What's going on in game this morning that could be funny.

Have some choices perhaps?

>Friday night venue
>Sunken Sleepless
>Awkward awakening

>>39961180
>Friday night venue

>>39961180
>Sunken Sleepless

>>39961180
Friday Night venue

>>39961180
>>Awkward awakening

>>39961180

>Friday night venue

>>39961180
>>Awkward awakening

10pm, going to tally and write.

Omake

Moments ago, bodies writhed and smashed into one another, limbs and elbows flying out in an uncharacteristic mosh pit for this venue, even given the style of music. As the speakers die, you blot your forehead with your handkerchief. Its far too hot in here as you swap out cables for the next band preparing to perform. This work is rewarding, and you’ve taken to it easily since starting down this road.

“Hey,” you look up from your position offstage at the approach of the bassist from the band whose set just finished.

He’s fairly tall and built strongly, fake blood that matches the obvious dye job of his hair strewn across his shirtless torso. He sets a combat boot upon the amp you were wiring in for the next set, and brushes some of it off of his camouflage print pants.

“Listen, nerd,” he scoffs, “That didn’t sound like this afternoon!”

You adjust your glasses.

“No, it wouldn’t sound that way to you. Its passing through a crowd of people. They tend of absorb more vibrations than an empty room,” you inflect with a particular dryness.

“You mocking me?!” he grabs for your t-shirt collar and leans in close, “I don’t like being mocked. I also don’t like people trying to sabotage me,”

Maintaining your cool, and controlling your professional demeanor, your gently push his hand from your collar. You will not be intimidated by this base and primary posturing. It isn’t tough. It isn’t scary. Its a small dog barking, doing it to make himself feel big.

>>39964521

“And I’m not. Your set sounded fantastic,” you kneel down and get back to work, ignoring him with your body language while still engaging him verbally to let him know he isn’t important, “Please tell your frontman that I greatly enjoyed your third song, Green Eyed Dragon,”

With some satisfaction, you can practically feel his teeth grinding in annoyance and frustration.

“Alright,” he scoffs, “Just watch your attitude next time. The headliners who are supposed to be here tomorrow are some hardcore motherfuckers and I’d hate to be the backstage pissant who raises their ire,”

You stifle your laughter.

“Yes, I’d certainly hate to be that person,” you cough to compose yourself.

He stomps off to the other members of his band. He’s fairly new, and already being chewed out by one of his bandmates for screaming at a tech over nothing.

You recently told yourself that pettiness didn’t truly suit you.

A stillness settles upon your features as you watch him, and think to yourself...just this once you could stand to be petty.

You smile. Though you won’t be able to smile tomorrow. After all, you’re supposed to be a hardcore motherfucker.

>End

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>>39964539

Yoshi a good boy.

>>39964539
I always had a feeling about that kid, even when we knew almost nothing about him.

With our lack of perception, we may very well not recognize him.
Which makes things interesting.

>>39966797
The guy who is yelling at him rinds me, visually, of Rubeus.

>>39968489
Nor he, us.

I hope there are sparks.

Wait, isn't there a Shakespeare play like that?

>>39969239
Could be, Flowers did turn out to be Esmuerade. Assumedly that would put her, Rubes, Saphir, & Demande as teens/young adults as well.

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>>39964539
>>39970058
>>39969239
>Green Eyed Dragon
>kek

>>39966797
I wonder if we would have found this plot sooner if we hadn't shut him down from interacting with us on the train?

>>39966797

Opportunities were snubbed, for a delightfully awkward train ride in seething silence.

You'll have your chance soon.

So, general feedback queries about how I'm doing with this after our long break.

Comments, Questions, Concerns. Give me that CQC...just no chokeholds.

>>39972089

I think you're doing great. Just keep going as-is, maybe a bit longer sessions but that's just me wanting more.

>>39972089
Been enjoying myself.

>>39972907
Always impressed with how well it all seems to hang together.

To that end, I am also aware of complaints and a few drops because I brought in crossover characters to the main story.

Aside from brief appearances going forward related to plots in motion (the tournament & the shadow) their appearances will be dialed back significantly unless they are actively sought out. And after their plots are concluded, and for that matter the plots of any number of recurring side NPCs, as in the original show after the plot of the week is resolved they will be either put on a bus or just off screen.

I was looking for a subtitled gif or webm of this scene from Boy Meets World where they lampoon that by having a character who hadn't been seen in seasons say he never left, just in the other part of the school, then he called out to a teacher who hadn't been seen in seasons and walked off screen. I could only find it broken up, so I cannot use it to illustrate my point.

That said, the glossed over crossover content that happened off screen will be resolved.

>>39973526
oh, youtube to my rescue.

Huzzah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl8ZH9QSwkI

Point illustrated.

>>39973526
Aw, and I like crossover stuff. Never had a issue there.

>>39973714
They'll still be there if you want to actively seek them out. For example, Sasha is hanging back until you approach him about what happened.

>>39973714
Also the currently up in the air crossover is still happening. There are several different points of its story that will tie in SOON(tm) before the individual plot threads already in motion continue.

>>39973714
The in quest character borrowing crossover or the crossover artemis seemed to be trying to plan as an event with multiple qms?

>>39973714
I liked Sasha and Momoko showing up in here.

>>39972509
>>39972907
>>39973388

I'm really glad you are all still enjoying this little journey we started together.

Hopefully I continue to meet your expectations of plot functionality and fun.

That said, I am not looking forward to some of the descriptive text I will have to employ during Spider days at the Highschool.

I hope you enjoy that sequence when it comes to a head, because it won't be on Monday.

Though I am super happy the crystal thing happened when it did. And I hope you guys will be ready for some social combat on the current system.

>>39977797
Forgot trip.

Anyway, this quest made me happy when I was, and still am depressed. It is helping keep me together during ongoing hard circumstances.

That you guys are still here and having fun means a lot to me.

>>39965841
He shall be so petty.

>>39973714
There were fun, but I think a bunch of players dropped because of it.

Look how few of us are left.

>>39982033
I think people have just been busy. Is the time of year for distractions.

>>39983586
but soon...

Summer is coming.

>>39982033
There usually aren't that all that many of us. It's not like we're MGNQ around here. Having four or so people voting isn't unusual for this quest, and Arty didn't run for like a month.

>>39983805
Though it also feels like during there is very little discussion among our number.

Its not something we should worry about, it takes days after quest for us to hit autosage.

>>39973526
I don't have a problem with the crossover characters generally - Sasha has been a lot of fun.

Glad we'll find out what happened there - the transition was pretty jarring. I was wondering if I had missed a thread or two when we just came back with the problem solved.

>>39983805
Not running isn't a problem, but "getting back into the habit" can be.

>>39985162
Universe alternating shannagains tend to be jarring, especially if you're the kind of poor sod who remembers them.

>>39985867
>>39985162
Amen to that, looking forward to getting everyone back on to that rolling ball despite my ongoing irl troubles.

Troubles may phase me but won't stop me because I still believe in love.

>>39984747
We are good at keeping it rolling as we chat.

>>39988019
So, Sasha v Kairi v Yoshi?

>>39988019
True. Anything to chat about now that aren't psuedo Waifu border skirmishes? I don't think we as a group are capable of intense waifu wars.

Let us fall.

Maybe new thread tonight or tomorrow.