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"Stupid internal clock..." I grumble while pushing myself up in my bed. I was JUST in the middle of a really nice dream about Lorelei when I woke up, me and her and my mother were on a road trip to an amusement park, and...

...damn it, just thinking about it has me depressed.

you have a tendency to dream about things you wish would happen

like that one where lorelei was wearing that really tight-

Shut up. Please.


>time to get ready for school
>guess I'll call irene to see if she's gotten any leads while I was asleep

>>40916661
>>guess I'll call irene to see if she's gotten any leads while I was asleep
Time to call best grill.

>>40916661
>guess I'll call irene to see if she's gotten any leads while I was asleep

I want joshua x irene to happen sooooo badd

also having these quests so late on a monday kills me, Arch

>>40916661
>time to get ready for school
>guess I'll call irene to see if she's gotten any leads while I was asleep
We can do both!

>>40916661
>Time to get ready for school

No point in bothering Irene. I mean, if she was up getting leads all night then she'd probably be sleeping right now anyway.

>>40916684
>I want joshua x irene to happen sooooo badd
I'd prefer Theresa and Irene.

Though isn't Irene catholic? Being actively gay can get you excommunicated. It doesn't happen often but they can do it. Denying access to the Eucharist is more common and they do consider it to be a mortal sin.

>>40916846
Re-read your bible, it's only a sin if it's boy on boy.

>>40916896
It's ok, we made CC pick Char so Irene is safe.

>>40916846
yeah josh is a side character so i empathize seeing as we won't be seeing the two of them together as often

>>40916896
The dogma of the catholic church is that active homosexual behavior (this includes thoughts) is a mortal sin.

They believe this to be infallible.

>>40917184
...
But the bible says literally nothing about thoughts being a sin. In fact it outright STATES that facing temptation and declining it is a virtue.

>>40916846
>>40917184
Irene already sees herself as an abomination so a little thing like being attracted to other women isn't all that high on her scale of things to be worried about.


>writing

>>40917216
Irene isn't an abomination Arch! She is best girl!

>>40917216
>Irene already sees herself as an abomination
you have truly cemented your position as best girl.

>>40917213
If you try not to think about it that is fine but daydreaming and having thoughts without trying not to is a sin.

>>40917216
So why is she catholic?

>>40917523
I dunno. I believe in god but I'm an atheist, so maybe it's like that.

>>40917523
Upbringing?

>>40917243
>Irene isn't an abomination Arch! She is best girl!
I agree with you.


>>40917523
>So why is she catholic?
Personal reasons.
Katrine is far from thrilled about it.

>>40917572
>I believe in god but I'm an atheist
Pretty sure it doesn't work that way. anon.

>>40917655
Arch stop agreeing with your posters.

You're the QM.

You're meant to disagree with your quest participants as much as possible.

>>40917710
Maybe arch isn't a unionized QM? Those rascals ignore the agreements all the time.

>>40917572
>I believe in god but I'm an atheist,
Yeah that is objectively and literally 100% wrong.

You can believe in god and be secular but atheism means you think there is no god.

time to get ready for school?

In a minute.

After rolling off my bed, I walks over to my desk and pick up my phone. Since I don't see any missed messages from when I was asleep, I guess I do have to call after all...

huh?

you're calling your mother?

No, I'm going to call Irene to see if she found anything.


>[1/?]

>>40917655
>Personal reasons.
Seems masochistic to me.

>>40918020
A little bit, yeah.

>>40918039
...

Pls tell me Irene does not have masochism fetish.

Masochism fetish + person who can experience the pain of death, and retain the memories from it = exploitive.

What if Irene intentionally gibbed herself restraining Jessica because she gets off on dying?

>>40918061
It's not a fetish.
She just has REALLY low self-esteem.

>>40918081
Because of her bitch sister that hates her being her boss right?

>>40918061
>>40918061
There is mental and physical masochism.

Most masochists have both in my experience.

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>>40917913
>[2/2]

What, no witty comeback? You know, I'd be okay with your taking over for the phonecall as long as you promise not to act weird or ask her out or anything.

no

that's fine

Your loss!


After wiping the crust from my eyes, I pull up Irene's number and give her a ring.

it's really early so she's probably asleep right n-

"Hello?" Irene calls out.
"Hey," I reply. "This is, uh..."
"This is Joshua, right? Good morning!"

Looks like someone's a morning person.

"Yeah, good morning," I reply. "I was just calling to ask if there were any new leads since last night."
"Oh. Yeah."

Suddenly she sounds a lot less cheerful.

"No, nothing," Irene mumbles. "Sorry, I know we put you through a lot the other day and we have nothing to show for it..."


>how do I respond?

>>40918262
Just let me know if you do.

>>40918262
>how do I respond?
Patrol with me and we shall find leads together.

>>40918262
"Ah, don't worry about it Miss Irene. Just give me a call or text when you find anything."

>>40918302
"Together, THEY FIGHT CRIME!"

>>40918302
well, I will second this with mine too.
>>40918315

>>40918262
N-nah no problem. Maybe we can eat something sometime? Together, I mean..

>>40918302
Backing. >>40918262

>writing

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"It's fine," I say. "That just means that we need to work harder today, that's all."
"Yeah, I guess," Irene replies. "And I promise that we'll be right back out there once Lloyd wakes up."

Ugh, that jerk.

"I'll give you a call when that happens, alright?" Irene says. "Maybe we can like... coordinate yours and his Synapse ranges so we can cover the largest area."
"Huh, that's actually a pretty good idea."

I honestly wouldn't mind leaving Lloyd out of this for now, but Irene's Synapse range is apparently really tiny so I guess we're stuck with him.

"So you're up for it?" Irene asks.


>yeah, I'll call you once I'm out of school
>yeah, I'll meet you right now

>>40918960
>>yeah, I'll call you once I'm out of school
Education! Or mom will be displeased.

>>40918960
>>yeah, I'll meet you right now
Fuck being an accountant.

>>40918960
>>yeah, I'll call you once I'm out of school
school first, then adventuring.

>>40918960
>yeah, I'll call you once I'm out of school

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>>40916684
>anything but Joshua x Lorelei

>writing

>>40919160
What about Joshua x Irene x Lorelei?

>>40919550
2lewd4turtles

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"Yeah," I say, "I'll call you once I'm out of school."
"Oh yeah," Irene replies, "I forgot that you were probably still in..." she trails off. "...Lloyd ought to be up by then so we can head right out once you're ready!"
"Cool."

I still have my misgivings about cooperating with them on account of the whole "evil organization affiliation" thing that's looming over them, but Irene at least seems to be a decent enough person. And Lloyd isn't a threat as long as I don't attack him first so I'm not too worried about him.

"Talk to you later," I say, then I hang up my phone and begin with my morning routine.


>[1/?]

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>>40919561
Obviously not.

>>40919550
More like Irene x Irene x Joshua x Lorelei x Irene

>>40919602
The more people you add to it, the more I think it's just Lorelei's harem

>>40919651
I am ok with this.

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>>40919651
>>40919602

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>>40919586
>[2/2]

In order to avoid having to interact with my asshole uncle any more than I usually have to, I'll typically take advantage of the fact that he gets up later than I do and get ready as fast as I can. Basically, I don't have to put up with him if he's not awake.

Today's not much different from any other day in that regard, and I'm up and out of the house before his alarm even goes off.


>straight to school with me
>take the long way there

>>40919592
... Oni performing evil spirit warding ceremony.
Wat.

>>40919828
>straight to school with me

Yo Josh. Have you figured out how to use sound to Go fast yet? Like, can you make sound waves push you?

>>40919828
>>take the long way there
Random encounter get.

>>40919828
>>straight to school with me

>>40919828
>take the long way there

>>40919828
>straight to school with me

>writing

>>40919857
Go away Nice.

Taking the most direct route possible instead of opting for a shortcut or any of that, I head straight onwards to school.

Not to say that I'm anxious to get there or anything, much the opposite. Today's some stupid homecoming assembly and I always hated that stuff... loud terrible music and loud annoying screaming of the other students and yeah. If not for the fact that they call home when I'm absent, I'd just skip today entirely.

But I don't want to get Wallace on my back and I -really- don't want to worry my mother so I make like a good boy and do my part to keep my attendance record in good standing.


>[1/?]

Arch, how old is Joshua?

I expect he can't wait to get some floor cleaning McJob, move out of his uncle's place, and start renting his own 1-room closet or whatever's cheapest.

>>40920279
He's seventeen years old, one year older than Cecile.

While striking out on his own definitely has its merits, Joshua also has his mother to worry about and she'd be far from thrilled to find out that he's slumming it.

>>40920200
>[2/2]

well here we are

the place of learning

Yeah, the place where I learned that most of the idiots my age care more about what all the other idiots my age think of them than anything else.

pretty sure that's the same for every age

Whatever... let's just get through the day so I can deal with more important-

shit shit god damn it shit

The second I step into the building. The exact freaking SECOND, I get a Synapse.


>plans!?

>>40920304
Shit, better to be slumming it than living with that asshole Wallace.

>>40920317
>plans!?
Stay calm dumbass.

>>40920317
Act normal and scan for it.

joshua

calm your mind

be the still water

Yeah... you're right. If nothing else, panicking right now will only make me stand out and make it easier for whoever just set off that Synapse to find me.

Of COURSE it'd be someone at the school that I go to... I've managed to keep this Branch business separate from my personal life, but I guess my luck's finally run out in that regard.


>[1/?]

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>>40920539


So I continue inside like nothing happened while doing my best to calm myself down. Yeah, calm down. No worries here, I've fought timestealing rapists and plant-controlling monster men and people who could make their drawings come to life, some simple elemental powers are nothing for me to concern myself with.

Yeah. I'm a veteran hero.

nice going

your heartrate is back to normal


>[2/?]

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>>40920750

Great, just in time for me to reach my locker. That gives me an excuse to stand here in one place for a bit...

Closing my eyes, I focus all of my concentration on the cacophony of noise that's surrounding me in every direction. All of the kids talking, the locker doors slamming, the couple making out in an empty classroom, all of it. And for an instant, it's almost as overwhelming as it was when I first got my Branch and was still trying to get a grasp on how to control it.

But like I said before, I'm a veteran at this.

Little by little, my ears filter out all the background noise that I'm uninterested in. Water fountain dripping, gossip about some girl fooling around with a student teacher, the boiler running, I block out more sounds as I go until I find myself surrounded by the most familiar sound that I know.
Heartbeats.


>[3/?]

>>40920992
>[4/4]

There's at least a thousand people in this building, so it takes a lot more filtering out to actually get to what I'm looking for. I managed to calm myself down pretty quickly, but there's little chance that my mystery quarry was able to do the same.

telltale heart

Exactly, I just need to find the people here who are panicked and then narrow down from there. And not "forgot my homrwork" panic, but the real, legit fear that comes from knowing that a potential danger is lurking right by.

...of course this is still a highschool so there's no shortage of those either. From my count, there's about twenty people here in varying stages of freaking the hell out.


>time to go looking around
>just keep track of them while going about my day

>>40921108
>>time to go looking around

>>40921108
>just keep track of them while going about my day
Don't want to potentially spook our mystery person. Probably wouldn't anyway, but you can never be too careful.

>>40921108
>just keep track of them while going about my day

>>40921108
>time to go looking around

>>40921108
>>just keep track of them while going about my day

Looks like participation's died off, so I'll be ending the thread here.

Next time will be a return to the main quest, either Wednesday or Thursday night.


and now I take questions if you had any.

>>40921328
Q. Will the Lindsays be showing up in Joshua's school, since they seem to be conspicuously absent from Cecile's?

>>40921328
>Ends thread just when I wake up
O-okay...

>>40921342
>Q. Will the Lindsays be showing up in Joshua's school, since they seem to be conspicuously absent from Cecile's?
Back to Bizarro World with you, weirdo.

>>40921423
>>Ends thread just when I wake up
>O-okay...
Sorry mang.


And now I sleep. Thanks for playing!

For further questioning:
http://maouzenigame.tumblr.com/

Game development blog:
https://studioarchelon.wordpress.com/

>>40917216
>Irene was best girl all along.

>>40921446
May dreams of best girl come to you!

>>40921328
Sorry I normally post more but I just got back from a surgery that fixed nothing so...