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>>44176787

-foreshadowing.

>

[ ] [PANIC]
[ ] [PANIC]
[ ] [HIDE]
[ ] [ESCAPE]
[ ] [LICK]

>>44176868
[x] [LICK]
ONLY CHOICE OP

>>44176868
Larro?

>>44176949

(Nope. Though I did mimic his style for rushed chibi stuff.)

>>44176868
>[LICK]
Here's hoping for a chameleon type tongue.

>>44177017
is fine, we need more drawfriends, yes

>>44176787
>[ ] [PANIC]


WHEN IN DOUBT PANIC!

>>44176868
PANIC LICKING!

>>44176927
>>44177064
>>44177124

(Writing for [LICK], though I think [PANIC] always happens now that I think about it.)

Is this a new quest?

>>44177335

(Oh oops, no it isn't. The previous episodes are here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Awesome%20Lizard%20Thing%20Quest)

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...

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>>44177423

...

>>44177458
The suspense!

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>>44177458

“Hello there, little one.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

>>44177494
so, uh, the eye tatoo is new

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>>44177494

HELP ME SERA SHE’S GOING TO TURN ME INTO SPIRIT FOOD

Your former owner’s grin only grows wider when you leap to the floor and bound behind a surprised Sera, who just entered the room, hiding behind the leg of her loose pajamas.

“You will never cease to amuse me, little one,” Rinalet says, half-laughing.

After looking at you for a while with a confused expression, Sera steps forward (no you cannot move your leg this is my lifeline now) and says something in a questioning tone. The two of them talk a while before Rinalet turns to you again.

“Lets see… you are in Nura-Los. A little fortress-city, bastion of the west for the kingdom of Keira. It’s been three days since the stunt the two of you pulled, and I had joined you just after you cast that spell. Reckless, but effective, for there was no problem leaving after that.”

Okay, that’s a bunch of things you don’t recognise or care about, what’s happening, am I being eaten?

>>44177568

“I led the little band east,” Rinalet continues, ignoring the important questions, “and met with an acquaintance, and this young one’s master, I hear, on the road south of here dealing with problems at a certain caravan. Old Nashy had the most interesting reaction upon our reunion, too.”

She lets out a short barking laugh while you work on melding the colour of your scales with Sera’s dull blue clothes.

“And now that you are awake, little one, we can begin!”

What.

“You may have noticed a war has started, and Nura-Los will fall if nothing is done. That is why Nashra-El will be helping, and so will I.”

The ‘we’ comes in where, exactly?

“And the sweet young one here wishes to play her part, so the two of you will be joining me.”

You look up with bulging eyes at your servant and she looks back with a raised eyebrow, having not understood a word that was said.

Rinalet wears a mocking smile that you’re starting to feel a little too familiar with.

“Oh, did you have other plans, little one?”

>

[ ] [I’m too young for this shit] You just wanted fruit, not a war.
[ ] [You would've stayed anyway] You intended to stick with this kid.
[ ] [You can’t stand by] You don’t want the world to explode without your say.

>>44177636
>[ ] [You would've stayed anyway] You intended to stick with this kid.
But please, don't cut off my tail.

>>44177636
>[ ] [You would've stayed anyway] You intended to stick with this kid.

>>44177636
>[You would've stayed anyway] You intended to stick with this kid.

>>44177636
>[Yes, yes I did] Like, you know, FINDING OUT WHAT YOU WERE WHY/HOW/WHO WRONG WITH YOU
I mean
>What happened with that tree and the water and the blood AND MY TAIL

>>44177707
>>44177728
>>44177755

(Okay then!)

>>44177544
>>44177756

(Though I've got it sketched out in my head, there'd probably be very few chances to learn about Rinalet and what happened back then. Maybe it'll be a creepy little mystery forever.)

>>44177636
[ ] [You can’t stand by] Keeping the kid away from this madwoman.

War, she said. You’ve had many doubts in recent adventures which gave you reasons to pause. To them, you argued to yourself that hesitation and cowardice wouldn’t amount to anything, and that you’d just be running away again.

This, on the other hand, is clearly something far larger than you. Far larger than the two of you.

In the end, though, you would have stuck with Sera. That decision is one you never want to reconsider, and not one you’d rethink now. You might even possibly be fine with dealing with Rinalet and her special brand of invisible crazy. Maybe.

Your former owner has always been uncanny at reading and understanding you past your inability to speak, and it’s evident that she’s seen something in your expression.

>>44178075

“We will be meeting with Nashra-El to discuss the particulars. There will be no time for rest, little one,” Rinalet says with an odd smile.

Sera speaks up again. You can see a kind of spark in her eyes, and you’re starting to learn that it means things are going to be a bit more exciting than you may hope for. A few sentences later, Sera moves to head out of the room.

You would join her if you weren’t upside-down in the air.

Your heart jumps into your throat and begins tap dancing when you notice Rinalet has grabbed your tail and is lifting you up. There’s a slightly predatory expression on her face, and it doesn’t help your far-too-high pulse at all.

You hear another short conversation in Keiran, and you try to turn around and wail and cry but oh god the door is closing and that smile is way too wide-

“It has been some time, little one. Let us talk a while”

Please no.

>>44178138

...
...
...

“Hey, Gao.”

Please let me go.

“You once said you didn’t like your size, and wanted to be bigger. What do you think now?”

Putting aside the fact that you can’t say anything and that she’s too close please get away from me- there’s something in her tone, something rather different from the mocking glee of earlier, that gives you pause.

You probably did think that way back then. You would’ve thought that way during the months you spent after leaving her, and might’ve thought that way during these past few days as well, as hectic and ridden with danger as they have been.

But what about now that you’ve had time to really think?

Rinalet awaits your answer, eyes the colour of sunset hiding her thoughts.

>

[ ] [You don’t like being small] You don’t want to keep running away.
[ ] [You’ve done plenty] There’s a lot you can and can’t do, and size doesn’t change that.
[ ] [You aren’t satisfied] Even back then, it wasn’t about big or small. Not in that way.

>>44178205
>[You aren’t satisfied] Even back then, it wasn’t about big or small. Not in that way.

>>44178205
>[ ] [You aren’t satisfied] Even back then, it wasn’t about big or small. Not in that way.
thumbs would be nice, but probably more than that.

>>44178205
>[ ] [You’ve done plenty] There’s a lot you can and can’t do, and size doesn’t change that.

>>44178205
>[ ] [You aren’t satisfied] Even back then, it wasn’t about big or small. Not in that way.

>>44178248

(Heh. Check the OP image.)

>>44178289
oh. Why do we not have awesome lizard swords yet!?

>>44178237
>>44178248
>>44178258

(And yeah, this is happening.)

>>44178453

(You have four on each paw!)

>>44178479
NOT ENOUGH

>>44178205
remember, whatever we pick we need to keep hugging out tail so she doesn't take it while we're not looking.

>>44178601
I refuse to lose tail-chan in another quest! Tail-Chan is the one true waifu!

>>44178674

(You could've had fluffy tail if you didn't go for Sera in thread one!

Also this is taking a bit longer than expected, bear with me.)

>>44178740
>You could've had fluffy tail if you didn't go for Sera in thread one!
explain!

>>44178740
>fluffy tail
Fuck this no tail bitch, going back in time.

Before you met Rinalet, and after you ran off, you really did spend your days simply trying to survive. In a way that isn’t much different from any other animal, and probably most humans as well, but during that time you thought and felt something you truly didn’t like.

It was when you were taken in that you learnt the meaning of safety, and unlearnt it six months later.

You were always dissatisfied, and that did manifest as a strange, childish desire to be big and strong. Perhaps then you would be able to change things for yourself.

Are things different now? You can’t tell. You do know that there’s someone else who had the meaning of safety stolen from them, and that you had decided to help them. Your focus has changed, and there is much that you have done that you can be proud of; things that you would never have been able to do months ago.

You are still dissatisfied, but you know that doesn’t come from size. Even back then there was something missing that you couldn’t identify, and could only express in that childish wish.

You still wish to change, to grow, but it doesn’t have to be in that narrow way.

>>44178900

The two of you haven’t broken eye contact.

“It hasn’t been long. A mere two months, perhaps?

In such a short time one cannot change much, little one. But perhaps such a minor change is all that was needed.”

She’s smiling in a way that you realise you haven’t seen in ages; the kind that reminds you of a ray of sunshine. The impression passes as quickly as it comes, and you can’t be more thankful when the door opens again because she’s looking hungry again Sera help-

Rinalet lets out that same short barking laugh and you find yourself on your servant’s shoulder, ignoring her whine of protest while you try to hide in her shoulder-length hair.

“If you are ready, then let us leave! There is far too much to do for the time we have.”

The door is left open as Rinalet strides out confidently after a few words in Keiran. Sera makes to follow, but pauses and looks at you as you shift the colour of your scales back to normal.

She starts to speak, and you catch the thought of how lucky the two of you were in Rinalet’s arrival. Considering you were completely knocked out, you can only agree despite your reservations about the half-sane youth.

>>44178932

Sera’s tone starts to grow soft.

“[Hey, Gao.]”

Are you seriously calling me that too?

“[That was dangerous, you know?]”

It was. More than a metre-tall lizard and a 12 (you think?) year old human should stand.

“Sairc’ir [that you did at the end, too. You pushed yourself] amalr”

You meet her gaze.

“[Please, don’t do that again.]”

>

[ ] [Safety] An easy promise to make.
[ ] [Responsibility] You’ll do what you have to to keep the two of you safe.
[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.

>>44178972
>[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.
why can she do it and we can't?

>>44178972
>[ ] [Responsibility] You’ll do what you have to to keep the two of you safe.
>[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.

>>44178972
>[ ] [Responsibility] You’ll do what you have to to keep the two of you safe.
>[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.

>>44178972
>[ ] [Responsibility] You’ll do what you have to to keep the two of you safe.
>[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.

>>44178759
>>44178822

(Not totally sure if I should say since they can still turn up, but eh.

I have no idea how but I lost my notes on them so I can't remember their names, but the other companions were a family of wargs - cynical mother, energetic older sister, shy younger brother. No clue how the story would've turned out.)

>>44178972
>[ ] [Concern] The risks she took were no smaller.

>>44179003
>>44179011
>>44179034
>>44179059
>>44179104

(And called, of course. Mostly for [concern].)

She’s holding you up in front of her with a complicated expression on her face. Doubts about the future, concern for you, and a strange determination for something you can’t see.

She’s right, of course; you could’ve killed yourself that night with the amount of power you put in that spell, and you might not be here at all if Rinalet wasn’t in the area to follow up. You only did so much to keep the two of you safe though, and you have no doubt that you take the same risk again if it were towards the same end.

Actually, in the first place, wasn’t she the one who was casting something far larger than she could take?

You give her a Look.

“[Th-That-] -dhed’ir nirr’os nidirr- [so…]”

Your Look intensifies as Sera tries to avoid your scrutinising gaze.

“[Th-Then if I don’t take] fair sairc’ir, [would you also?]”

...

If it were up to you you would never have to be in that kind of situation again, but you have no clue what this job you’ve been roped into entails. If what’s happening around the world really does fit the word ‘war’, you probably can’t avoid that kind of danger forever.

But between the two of you together, maybe you can keep each other safe enough so that neither of you have to do something so stupid again.

A fair compromise then, you think as you raise a paw and push her on the nose. She wears a surprised expression for a moment before giggling lightly, seemingly satisfied with your conclusion.

Of course, you don’t have forever, and you can hear Rinalet’s impatient calls to your new duties. So you place yourself back on Sera’s shoulder as she opens the wooden door to the human fortress-city, sharing the energy behind her bright smile.

You’re damn hungry, though. Where can you get some fruit around here?

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(DONE)

Thanks for joining me for this quick half-episode!

As the title suggests, this marks the end of the prologue chapter for ALTQ, but unfortunately I can't really promise a continuation. This is mostly because I want to just do whatever interests me most and there's other ideas in my head battling for attention.

Though it'd get a chapter one if I get around to working out what's going on (I do have a decent chunk of overall plot floating around somewhere), it'd be best to just assume ALTQ is completely dead. Sorry to anyone who's disappointed!

I think I want to run episodic/one-shot stuff in future though so you'll definitely see me around, whether I'm delivering a box of pixels somewhere or writing another silly quest.

Thanks to all who joined me for the ride!

>>44179559
well shit this could always just be a quest you update in between on shots for when you have nothing better to do. I was kinda hoping for us to get the fluffy tail because I felt that would have been a good opportunity to freak the fuck out in.

>>44179559
that's fine. I enjoyed the ride