>>40819281
>Hi Maeda, are your parents around?
>Sorry! sorrysorrysorry!

>>40819281
>Ohh, right, I should have called you before we came over.
>Hi Maeda, are your parents around?

>>40819281
>Hi Maeda, are your parents around?

>>40819281
>Ohh, right, I should have called you before we came over.
>Sorry! sorrysorrysorry!

>>40819281
>Hi Maeda, are your parents around?

>Ohh, right, I should have called you before we came over.
>Hi Maeda, are your parents around?

Writing!

File: maefrustrated.png (262 KB, 728x748)

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"Hi Maeda!" I say to her cheerfully, "Do you know where-"
"EEEEK" She jumps, "WHAT IS THIS? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? ARE YOU MASAMI!? IS THIS SOME KIND OF TRICK!?"
"Am I Masami? What kind of question is-"
Then I remember something.
"Oh, I guess I should have called you before we came over. Sorry for scaring you like that."

"NO! WAIT!" Maeda hops over and grabs my shoulders. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT!? THIS IS IMPORTANT!"
"Uhh." I studder, confused at her sudden outburst. "Not very long, I just learned about it, really."
"YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME! CAN YOU TAKE OTHER PEOPLE WITH YOU? I WANT GO TO PARIS!" Maeda seems to have shifted from panic to glee.

"Maeda, sweetie." Mom pats her head. "Are your parents around?"
"Um, um, yeah. They are, but- Let's talk about that teleportation again! I want to see it!"

>Maybe Later
>It'll be good practice!
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Why Paris?
>Where is Ryouta, anyway?
>Other?

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Everyone, it's that time of day again. DRiving home.

Thread resumes when I get there.

Now, on Tuesday, I got home and had no internet. I think it was a freak occurrence but hopefully it won't happen again today on this one year anniversary.

See you soon!

>>40820254
>Maybe Later
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Where is Ryouta, anyway?

>>40820254
>Why Paris?
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Where is Ryouta, anyway?

>>40820254
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Where is Ryouta, anyway?

>>40820254
>Maybe Later
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Why Paris?

>>40820254
>It'll be good practice!
>What's Paris?

>>40820254
>>40820348
Supporting this!

>Wha-err Why Paris?
>Oh, were you or your brother wanting to go with me to get Aiko back?
>Where is Ryouta, anyway?

Writing!

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I tilt my head at Maeda. Not only has her sudden change in mood confused me, but it has also left several burning questions that I feel that I should know.

"What's Par-"
Wait wait. Hold on, think before you speak, Masami.

Paris, Pare-is, it's a city. Okay, and it's a capitol. Paris, France. Yes! That's-
That's on the other side of the planet from here.

"Why Paris!?"
Maeda seems shocked, as if she's questioning my very sanity for asking such a silly question.
"Come on, Masami! Haven't you always wanted to go there?"

That question stirs in my head for a minute, as I try to visualize that place.
"No."
Maeda stares at me blankly, "Have you even seen a picture of Paris?"

..
"No."

"Maeda, Dear." Mom interrupts us. "Do you know where your parents are?"
"R-right." Maeda seems a little let down. "They're in the garden behind the house. I'll be finishing laundry if you need me."

Mom walks off in that direction. I start following behind her when I remember something really important!

"Oh, by the way, Maeda!" I step forward, "Were you or your brother going to come with us to rescue Aik-"
"SHH!" Maeda creeps forward and puts her hand over my mouth.

"mmhm?"
"(Keep it down! I want to help Aiko as much as anyone, but if Ryouta hears you, there's no way he's not going. And we can't fight Marie!)"
I take her hand off of my mouth, "(This isn't about fighting! Maybe you know something that can help change her mind!)"

"(I doubt it, from what I know of her she doesn't change for nothin-)"

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" A new voice gruffly grabs our attention.

Maeda spins around to face Ryouta. "Nothing." She says sheepishly.

>"Yeah, nothing."
>"We're going on a rescue mission! Want to come?"
>"Hey, want to see a cool trick!?"
>"Are you feeling any better? You took a beating yesterday."
>Other?

>>40823343
>"Yeah, nothing."
>"Are you feeling any better? You took a beating yesterday."

>>40823343
>"Yeah, nothing."
>"Are you feeling any better? You took a beating yesterday."

>>40823343
>"Hey, want to see a cool trick!?"

>>40823343
>"Are you feeling any better? You took a beating yesterday."
Gotta heal properly!

>"Yeah, nothing."
>"Are you feeling any better? You took a beating yesterday."

Writing!

File: MaeFlustered.png (165 KB, 600x400)

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"Y-yeah, nothing." I say, unconvincingly.

"Hm, you two seemed to be talking a lot for simply 'nothing'." Ryouta says, observantly.
"Hey, you know what!" I blurt out, "You took a beating yesterday, how are you feeling today?"

"Ha." He smiles, "Nothing ever keeps me down for very long, I feel like I could go right back and kick Asai's face right into his dumb comb-over!"
He's right, Asai does have a dumb comb-over.

"But anyway!" He pats his sister's shoulder. "We're still trying to find where Aiko went. I think I have a lead from her school records."
"Wait, you didn't tell me you were going to-" Maeda

"We almost found exactly where she is!" Ryouta smiles, "With any luck, we can catch up to her mother soon."
"Hold on, Maybe you should let the adults handle this, Ryouta."

"Why do we need adults when we got Masami right here?"

"I'm not an adult!" I pout.

"No, you're way better than one!" He smiles.

"Ryouta." Maeda has that scary face again. "Can we talk about this a bit more than not at all?"

>"Well I'll leave you two to talk, I need to catch up with Mom now."
>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."
>"So, about that cool trick."
>"Let me tell you what I know."
>Other?

>>40824055
>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."

>>40824055
>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."

>>40824055
>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."
Gotta get the info.
Also, sleep time. Thanks for running!

>>40824055
>>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."

>>40824055
>"Well I'll leave you two to talk, I need to catch up with Mom now."

>"Hold on, it's okay. Tell me what you know Ryouta."

Writing!

>>40824155
>>40824155
Thanks for playing!

>still writing!

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"Brother.." Maeda seems serious. "Right, now. We need to talk."

"Hold on," I try to calm Maeda down, "Go on, tell us what you found out about Aiko."
"I'm glad you asked!" He flops onto the green grass and takes out a scroll of paper.

"..Ryouta, how long have you been planning this without me?" Maeda looks fierce, right now.
"Look here!" He unravels it to reveal a map. Lots of tiny markings and notes are scribbled along its perimeter.

"Seriously!" Maeda stamps her foot, "How long have you been planning this without me!?"
"Aiko's family migrated here from the north."

"Okay?" I'm not sure where he's going with this.
"THAT MEANS!" He grabs a picture and shows it to me.
It's a very old signed document.

"Marie's family transferred to the school as the first 'incident' occurred between monsters and humans ages ago." He proudly flips through to another photo. "Look at this one. This is where she transferred from."

It's a picture of what appears to be a shrine. One that's overgrown with vines.
"This is it, her family home. Marie used to be a shrine maiden. And that shrine is-!"

He takes his finger and slams it down right on a red dot on the map. From what I remember on Aiko's phone, that's pretty close to where the dot was on the map.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" He shouts, "Marie didn't take Aiko away to make her into a soldier, she took her away to make her into a shrine maiden! And this is her training ground!"

"Where did you get all this!? Is this school property!?" Maeda interrupts.
"Ah, ha well." He smiles, "No one will miss it if it's gone for just a little while."

Maeda immediately starts scolding her brother. I'm left thinking about Ryouta's words.

>Gotta find Mom, See you later.
>Ask if they want to come along.
>Ask them to watch the school, you're going on a trip.
>Nope, instead ask them to spy on Fortune while you're gone.
>Just stay safe.
>Other?

>>40824965
>Gotta find Mom, See you later.
>Ask if they want to come along.

>>40824965
>>Ask if they want to come along.

>>40824965
>Gotta find Mom, See you later.

>>40824965
>Gotta find Mom, See you later.
>Ask them to watch the school, you're going on a trip.
>Just stay safe.

>Gotta find Mom, See you later.
>Ask if they want to come along.

Writing last post of the night

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"AREN'T I GREAT?" Ryouta laughs to himself.
Maeda immediately starts yanking at his ear. But he doesn't seem to notice or mind at all.

But seriously, Aiko's mother was a shrine maiden? She's trying to make Aiko one too? Do they get special powers? I don't know much about shrine maidens.
"I gotta tell Mom this. She needs to know."

"Hold on, Masami." Maeda stops me. "That doesn't mean anything. My brother is just being an idiot. So she grew up there, what does that mean? Nothing! That doesn't mean she's taken Aiko there at all."

Noo, Maeda! Stop shooting down good ideas with your 'logic'!
"That's a little harsh, Sis." Ryouta stands up, "I know it's not our best lead, but still, you can't just say all of that is a mere coincidence!"

"No, he's right." I interrupt Maeda before she starts up again.

I take out Aiko's cell phone. Both of them immediately recognize it and crowd around.
"Look here, on the map screen. That place you pointed at, that's where Aiko left a marker. She was definitely taken there."

"Masami."
"No! Stop! I already made up my mind. I'm going with Mom there after we talk with your parents. You can come with us if you like."

"Oh, well of course I-"
"Stop."

I put my hand over Ryouta's mouth. "No no, don't answer now. Think it over, talk it over with your sister. I don't know where we're going. Plus if you two leave, this city is unguarded. Please consider that before you give me your answer."

I smile, "But for now, I gotta meet up with Mom!"
Behind me, I can hear Maeda scolding her brother again, but it doesn't matter to me. I gotta find Mom.

--

"Mom!" I see her searching the garden behind Maeda's home.
"Oh, hey. I haven't seen anyone around. Yourself?"
"No, just Ryouta and Maeda."

"OKAY!" An older voice announces as it steps out the door. "I'm ready to go."
It's an older man, about the principal's age. There's an extremely proud smile on his face.

"You must be Ryouta's father."
"How did you guess?"

>Thread End

>>40826083
Thanks for running dude. You are hands down the best at adorable little kids.

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Thanks everyone for the thread tonight, I was going to have a photo of Maeda's old man, but that will have to wait until next thread.

Anyway Thanks to everyone who participated. And a special thanks to everyone who has stuck with this silly hobby of mine for a whole year. This could be the longest I have dedicated myself to anything. I'm happy with how it's turned out!

Let me know what you thought of it, and I"ll see you all on Saturday.

>>40826120
Thanks! That means a lot to me!

>>40826152
Thanks for running. Wow this year flew by.

>>40826152
Thanks for running.

>>40826120
>You are hands down the best at adorable little kids.
Ain't that the truth. Now if I could actually more than the tail end of these threads.