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>>45392661
"Want some advice?" you ask your sister.

"Sure, hit me," River answers.

"Hit the Mine sometime. See folks who have dedicated their lives to a different kind of work, for a different reason. And while you're down there, stock up on those cigs I gave you - the ones that taste the way being cheated on feels?"

"They stored down there?" River asks.

"The guy who makes them lives down there," you tell her.

"...But /why/?"

"Ask him yourself," you say, with a smirk. "I'm gonna head to your place and get coffee going. See you there, sis?"

"Sure thing."

* * * *

It's been two week since Jewel and Cherry started spending their time together.

> Inquire
> Leave them alone

* * * *

Lora gives you a curious look from her side of the waiting room. She tilts her head and peers, thoughtfully.

"There somethin' in my teeth?" you ask, a little worried.

"Will you tell me a story?" the angel asks.

"...Come again?"

"A story. You've said you like stories - will you tell me one?"

> Tell a heroic story
> Tell a tragic story
> Tell a true story
> Ask Lora to tell a story
> Fuck your stories Vox

>>45392711
>> Inquire

>> Tell a true story

>>45392711
> Tell a true story
> Inquire

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God the old thread just would not fucking die. I am up way too late.

As a reminder, the opportunity to split the party - that is, to have one group handling the Roost while the other handles New Hell - is coming up. You do not HAVE to split the party; you can choose to handle one, then the other, or even to ignore the Roost entirely. I encourage discussion and debate on this topic, as it's a fairly important decision.

As always, other forms of discussion, questions, comments, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating! I'm gonna pass the /fuck/ out now.

>>45392711
>Inquire.
I think they've been doing good, though there will come a time soon where Jewel runs into the problem River first faced; no privacy.

>Tell a true story.
It's easy to understand why Lora would want to hear one from Brianna. Evidently, she spent a lot of her youth listening to learned elders and dead people with lots of interesting stuff to tell.

Maybe Brianna can talk about happier times in her youth. Like learning from Grandma or Grandpa?

>>45392745
Dude I keep telling you: you CAN start a new thread before the last one completely autosages. You could have easily made this one at a previous storypost.

>>45392745
I think we should handle the Roost first, just to get Hunting-Talon out of the way and open up more options for dealing with the lower levels.

If the vote does come to split the party, I favor sending River off with Nathan and Amy. She's still just an apprentice, sure, but she's got a lot more battlefield experience than Brianna and her lessons in demonology would give her a slight advantage when dealing with the denizens of New Hell.

But enough babbling. Rest well, dear lich. I'll see you in Hell.

>>45392711
>> Inquire
> Tell a true story

>>45392711
>Inquire
>Tell a true story

>>45392711
>> Inquire

>> Fuck your stories Vox, THEY'RE TOO GOOD
>A story about war

>>45392711
> Inquire
So how?
> Tell a true story
they're the best.

>> Inquire
>> Tell a true story

Did we ever look into getting that boar? If not, I hope we run into something like it later so we can get ourselves a sturdy tank and steed.

>>45394113
>yfw we kill the boar
>yfw we reanimate him
>yfw the undead boar becomes Sir Fetch's mount

>>45392795
>If the vote does come to split the party, I favor sending River off with Nathan and Amy. She's still just an apprentice, sure, but she's got a lot more battlefield experience than Brianna and her lessons in demonology would give her a slight advantage when dealing with the denizens of New Hell.

I'm kind of not getting behind your reasoning. I'd assume the Roost-problem to be very hard to solve without Amy.
I mean, I understand wanting to send Amy with Nate, for him to have at least one of his most trusted persons with him, but still.

>>45392711
> Inquire

> Tell a true story

Also, finally catched up to you, 'twas a long two days.
Been meaning to tell you: I enjoy your quest (even though I can't give you critique for shit), and I like the high density, but man/woman: take care of yourself. You seem to like running, but you also need to live, and for that you need money. So, you know, if people continue to offer you money, and you ain't gonna inherit some riches, you might wanna think 'bout taking 'em up on the other. Just... something to think about, I guess. Not gonna try and tell you how to live your life.

>>45394169
>>45394169
We're fetches mount

>>45394422
He just put up a Kickstarter for a book he wants to publish. I wish I had the cash for that top award, but I definitely ponied up for the PDF.

>>45394607
Yeah, I kinda sort of skipped the last thread from the archive, wrote this, noticed the gap, and read it now. Doing nothing but reading this quest and stuying for finals might not have been the smartest choice.

>>45394621
A better choice than *not* studying, belike...

>>45394921
Well, yeah. But medical engineering, quests and coffee are, while individually good things, in copious amounts and combination not exactly benefitting the whole thinking straight thing.

Also, why's kickstarter still so fixated on credit cards? And americans for that matter? Whats so great 'bout credit cards?

>>45394990
Hard to stuff cash down a Ethernet cable.

>>45395201
You got a point there. But I more hoped for paypal.

>>45392711
> Inquire

Easy. I got it.

Team Roost

Amy
Diving Shadow
Larry
Bri

Team New Hell

Nate
Fetch
Vim and Vigor
Borl the Goblin
River

>>45395856
I would be inclined to send Silence with Nate, but she got banged up to near death TWICE in the Mine escapades.

>>45396096

Yea, uh, NO. New Hell is the worst place to send Silence, probably the only place in the Dungeon more likely to have iron handy to mess her up with than the Mine that she lives in.

Still puzzles me to no end that Vox chose that particular level to be her home.

>>45392711
> Inquire
> Tell a true story

Urgh, god. This is what I get for staying up that late last night.

I need to do the dishes and finish my breakfast. I'll update after that. I go in to work at 4 until 9, so this initial run will be kinda short, but I've got tomorrow off unless I mis-remembered my schedule so there's that to look forward to.

>>45396422
Maybe something to ask her.

Called, writing. Someone kill me.

>>45397840
Aight, on it.

>>45397840
And here I thought you were already working on that by yourself, with entirely way to much coffee and painkillers and alcohol.

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>>45392711
It's easy enough to ask Jewel and Cherry to sit and talk with you for a few minutes. It's about time you checked up on this situation anyway.

"So," you begin, after they sit. "You two have been together for a bit more than two weeks now and neither of you are more dead than when you started. How're you feeling?"

"Jewel's /so great/," Cherry exclaims, practically bouncing out of her lantern. "She reads me stories and asplains stuff to me an' we do fun stuff an' -"

"Cherr," Jewel says, patiently. "Calllllm."

"Sorry Jewel," Cherry says politely, folding her hands in front of her lap.

You raise an eyebrow. "I take it you have no complaints thus far, Cherry?"

"Well...I mean, sometimes I wanna go places and I can't 'cause I have to stay close to Jewel. It's weird. Like, I didn't ever wanna go too far from my lantern before, but now that I can't I kinda wanna."

"I know the feeling," you tell her. "Can I talk to Jewel in private for a minute?"

Cherry flits over, gives you a hug, and floats in the general direction of the Caretaker.

"You?" you ask Jewel, pointedly.

"Merciful gods, she /never shuts up/," Jewel says in exasperation. "Literally only if she is reading! And even then, I have to explain words to her or clarify a part of the story. Why does she /talk so much/?"

"Probably because she was unloved her whole life and then left to die alone of starvation and exposure."

"...I shouldn't have asked," Jewel says in a small, guilty voice.

"Got a better idea of what you were volunteering for?" you ask.

"I haven't changed my mind," Jewel answers, almost defiantly. She straightens her back and looks you dead in the eye. "I still want you to haunt me."

"I shoulda had this conversation in a place where I can light one up," you sigh.

> Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.
> I don't think I can condone this, Jewel.
> Alright, Miss Hasn't Changed Her Mind. Go get Cherry.

>>45398270
> Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.
It's only fair

>>45398270
>> Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.

>>45398270
>Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.

>>45398270
>Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.

>>45398270
>Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.
Straight answers!

Called, writing.

>>45398270
> Give me your reason. Your /real/ reason.

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>>45398270
You meet Jewel's gaze calmly and fold your arms across your chest.

"I'm listening," you tell her, softly. "Tell me why you want this so badly."

"What happened to her, it wasn't /fair/," Jewel insists. "It wasn't right. The only thing she really wants, she'll never have. I was..." her voice tightens, into a low whisper. "I was a /monster/, and I got a second chance. And all of you just accepted that. Like I never did any of the things I dream about. Like I never hurt anyone. Cherry never hurt a soul and she just gets /nothing/? She just gets /fucked/? I can't sit back and watch that."

"Is this about helping Cherry, or about punishing yourself?" you ask, pointedly.

"Fuck you," Jewel snarls. "You don't get to judge me! That little girl fucking worships you. The least you can do is give her a /taste/ of what she never had!"

"You gonna be able to let her go, when it's her time to pass on? Are you okay with understanding that your friend isn't just going to die, but that she's /already dead/ and she belongs with the dead?"

"Why do you care? It's what's best for Cherry," Jewel asks, frustrated tears in her eyes.

"The fact that you can't imagine that I care about you as a person is part of the reason I care, dipshit," you tell her. "Second chances don't work if you keep throwing people's pasts in their faces. I don't know Jewel the Assassin. But Jewel the Teenager seems like a pretty good person, and I'd hate to watch her turn into a miserable one. You said it's not fair. Not fair to who?"

Jewel ruffles her own hair in thought. "Cherry didn't deserve this. I want to make it better."

"Life's not fair, Jewel."

"And that means I should just shrug my shoulders and not help? That's horse shit."

> Perform the binding
> Do not

This post is a bit long so I'ma start Lora Storytime in its own post.

>>45398667
>No good deed goes unpunished.
>Perform the binding.

>>45398667
> Perform the binding
"Life isn't fair, that doesn't mean we can't try to make it better. Just remember, Cherry died, you're the one living."

>>45398667
>> Perform the binding
Jewel's kind of right. The world isn't fair, but that's not excuse not to try and /make/ it fair.

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Urgh. I'm not gonna have enough time to write the story before work. I'll be at work from 4 PM EST to about 9 PM EST, and be able to write after once I take care of Evening Shit and discover some dinner. Vote will remain open in the meantime.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and critique remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>45398667
> Perform the binding

>>45398667
>Perform the binding
Lets roll.

> Perform the binding

"That's how life is", as if it's immutable, has never been a good excuse.

>>45398823
I STILL want to know what happened to the other characters we could have picked

>>45401209
They stopped existing after we didn't pick them.

>>45398667
> Perform the binding

>>45398667
>And that means I should just shrug my shoulders and not help? That's horse shit.

10 out of fucking 10. The only real response to the 'life's not fair' saying.

>Perform the binding

>>45401209
This >>45402183

But the things they were looking for in the Dungeon are still there. Bri has even found some.

>>45402797

The obvious one is the Atheneum, a superlibrary for the academic.

The others, if they've come up?

>>45402918
Bridgette's Divine Language shenanigans and the godkiller spear for the Gods-chosen, probably.

>>45398667
>Perform the binding
>You will come out of this stronger. I hope you will.

Bump

>>45398667
I like how this anon said it so I'll second his vote.
>>45398788
>> Perform the binding
>"Life isn't fair, that doesn't mean we can't try to make it better. Just remember, Cherry died, you're the one living."

Also,>>45402797
Vox I'm gonna guess you meant to link >>45401331 this post and not the one with just a vote.

>>45405960
Yeah, sorry about that.

Off work - late - and heading home shortly.

>>45396948
>>>45396422 (You)
>Maybe something to ask her.

Would love to, but questions (for everyone, not just Silence) keep piling up, and there aren't enough asking opportunities to go around.

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Home, at last. Called, writing.

In other news, the Mourners: Scum of Shatterdown KS is more than 50% funded already. I...honestly, I had faith in my audience but I'm still pretty fucking surprised and touched. My thanks to the folks here that have funded, or who read the stories. This wouldn't have been possible thus far without you.

I debated not putting the link in the post and compromised on spoilering it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/197021008/mourners-scum-of-shatterdown

>>45408846
How do you expect to get shit like this done if you don't ever tell anyone about it? Thanks for posting the link because I want this and you seemed to be bent on making it as difficult as possible for me to get it before this.

>>45409135

The first post in response to him linking it in the last thread was a (thumbnail, sourced from fucking collegehumor) pick of someone vomiting alongside accusations of him shilling.

Vox being someone who cares what his audience thinks of him, I can kinda also understand his concern.

Also what the christ are you smoking 'difficult to get to', he linked it in the last thread.

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>>45398667
You nod at Jewel and give her a small smile. "If I said that I wanted to be sure you were doing this for the right reason, and that I'm not actually opposed to the idea, would you believe me or would that sound like backpedaling bullshit?"

"...If I said I believed you, would that sound genuine or like I was trying to avoid starting a fight before you did it?"

"If I told you to quit being a smartass and go get Cherry, would you do it or say to sass me more?"

Jewel slips out of the room at speed.

The haunting itself is simple, and much less draining than attaching Robert to River was. When it is done, you smash the lantern to bits and leave them to be collected and taken to Glen for use as scrap.

No one needs that lantern any more - not Cherry, and certainly not you.

* * * *

"A story, huh?" you say to Lora. "...You ever hear the one about the cobbler and the giant?"

Lora tilts her head. "I have not. What kind of story is it?"

"A true one," you tell her. "Or as true as we can verify, anyway. The man who wrote it down lived in the village that the story is about, and heard it from the cobbler in question. The author married into the family, and we've been passing it around ever since."

Lora gives you a sideways smile. "But it's not about your family, from the sound of it."

"I know /plenty/ of stories that aren't about my family, thank you," you say primly. "Do you wanna hear it or not?"

The angel laughs. "Speak, heritor, speak."

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>>45409535
"The village's name used to be Riverside, because who even names towns, but these days it's called Hillshadow. And, somehow, it pissed off a giant."

You pack your pipe and light it, a playful little smile on your face. "To this day, no one really knows why this giant was so mad. The village didn't even know a giant lived nearby. As far as anyone can tell, they hadn't hunted his game, or disturbed him in any way. But this giant was offended at Riverside's existence, and resolved to dam the river and drown the town. So he took his spade and scooped up a great mound of earth from near his home, because no one could or ever would accuse this giant of intelligence, and began to walk."

"...That /is/ pretty stupid," Lora comments.

"Yep. There's cunning giants in the world but this guy wasn't anywhere near being one of those. He also didn't know where the fuck he was going in order to do what he wanted to do, so when he met a traveling cobbler on the road, he decided to ask for directions."

You puff your pipe and let out a ring of smoke. "The cobbler was heading back to his house near Riverside, but he saw the mound of earth on the giant's spade and guessed that he was up to no good. So he asks why the giant needs directions, and the giant, he says he's going to drown the town. The cobbler, thinking fast, says 'Friend, Riverside is many miles and more from here. It's not worth the effort.' And the giant looked at him, brow furrowed in thought, and asked how far."

You grin around the pipe. "So the cobbler dumps out the sack on his shoulder, right onto the ground, with all the shoes he'd picked up in town to fix. And he looks up at the giant and he says, 'These are all the shoes I've worn out just walking this far from Riverside.' Disgusted at all the extra work he'd have to go through to get there, the giant dumped his spade out next to the road and left, never to return. And the cobbler ran back to warn Riverside. In the end, no one was hurt."

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>>45410308
Lora laughs and points at you with her cigarette. "That's amusing as hell, Brianna. Thank you for indulging me."

"Can I ask why you wanted to hear a story?" you inquire, curiously.

"Oh, that? I was keeping you busy so you wouldn't wake up while your lover kidnaps you."

"/What/."

"Have a pleasant day, heritor."

You awaken to the distinct sensation of being /airborne/.

> DAMNIT AMY
> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

>>45410415
> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

It seems Shankbird Day is upon us.

>>45410415
>"Oh, that? I was keeping you busy so you wouldn't wake up while your lover kidnaps you."

We have the best of friends

also
> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

>>45410415
>Oh, that? I was keeping you busy so you wouldn't wake up while your lover kidnaps you."

Top. Fucking. Kek.

Though I wonder how she knew Ames was kidnapping us.

> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

>>45410479
she probably has some way of watching whoever she chooses as the heritor.

>>45410479
>>45410500
Amy prayed for a hand with her kidnapping plan and then trusted that Lora would be feeling helpful.

>>45410560
that's actually kind of funny.

>>45410415
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

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>>45408846
>Shilling your own kickstarter

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>>45410675

>>45410675
It's not shilling if people ask for it. I thought we'd been over this.

>>45410560

>Lora can hear prayers confirmed

>>45410675
Then might I inquire as to how one would inform others of a Kickstarter that is not considered shilling?

>>45409135
I did post it last thread, but...

I mean, I'm still relatively new to /tg/. I leapt directly in with 0% lurking, operating essentially on combat advice from friends who post here. And even with being new enough that I still have a factory fucking warranty, I could tell that there's not a lot of welcome for asking folks for their money or even for advertising material available for free. And I can appreciate that, honestly.

I posted the link the first time because folks asked for/about it, and I wanted to oblige them. The second link was going to wait awhile for the 50% milestone BUT THEN IT JUST SORT OF HAPPENED AT THE SPEED OF FUCKING SOUND, so here it is.

Folks here have been...eager...about supporting my writing. And this doesn't have the weird, skeezy feeling that the idea of a Patreon gives me. But I don't wanna clutter my threads with it either.

I am sorry that I didn't communicate it to ya faster, though. I appreciate your support, even if it's just sharin' the link around.

Calling the vote Soon(tm).

>>45410815
we asked if there was one.

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>>45410926
>I mean, I'm still relatively new to /tg/. I leapt directly in with 0% lurking,

And we've identified the problem.

>>45410415
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT
Funny how not being able to really die does not prevent the sheer mortal terror of being dropping from a high place.

Also, about the shilling thing, obvious troll is obvious. Come on, people.

>>45410415
> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

> GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO HOLY SHIT

>>45410415
>....is Fetch here?
need to know if the chicken is flying

Called, writing shortly.

>>45410415
>> DAMNIT AMY

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>>45410415
Screaming in this situation would be unhelpful. For one thing, it would cause you to drop your pipe to the /all-too-distant-fucking-ground/. You clench your teeth around the stem of your pipe and take stock of your situation. You're being held under the arms with the characteristic weightlessness you associate with being carried by Amy, and your legs dangle beneath you.

You're really sure that nothing living or dead should be able to fly like this, but, fuck it, harpy magic.

You take the pipe out of your mouth, slowly, and stuff it firmly into your pocket. You look up to see Amy looking down at you with a wild grin on her face.

"Mornin' Bri!" she calls, over the sound of the wind and her wingbeats.

"GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO, HOLY SHIT," you yell back, attempting to remain calm and only succeeding at 'panic less'. "THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE USE OUR SAFEWORD FOR, AMY!"

"That'd ruin the surprise, silly! But we should set down for a bit anyway, so you can pee and stuff."

Amy sets you down in the trees, and you stagger off to both bask in the feeling of not being high in the sky and to take care of the things one takes care of in the morning.

Amy, bless her, has a canteen of cold coffee for you when you get back, made just how you like it.

"Surprise!" she says cheerfully while you drink. "It's Shankbird Day!"

"I noticed!" you exclaim, in somewhat-mock exasperation. "Where are we /going/?"

"That'd spoil the surpriiiiiise," Amy sings out. "I have your hat in my backpack, by the by, and some other stuff. Been trading some of my scrimshaw for cash and planning this for, like, a week."

"Damn, Ames," you say, impressed. "...Who did you get to help you?"

Amy folds her arms. "That would be /telling/."

> C'mon Ames. A hint? Anything?
> Okay, you already /kidnapped/ me today. Not funny, Ames. Where even are we?
> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45413442
> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45413442
>> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45413442
Deep breath
> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.
Time for fun ... whether we like it or not.

>>45413442
>> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

Wait, shankbird day is real? I thought it was just a running joke!

Just like how I thought people were fucking with me in CS by all acknowledging what turned out to be a porn star

>>45413442
>> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45413442
>THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE USE OUR SAFEWORD FOR, AMY

I now need an example of what they use that word for, I had no idea Amy and Bri were into kinky shit like that

>>45413442
>> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.
"Tally Ho, Shankbird!"

>>45413442
> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45410815
Well obviously for the shill-alarm guys, you just don't inform anybody of anything you like that is being sold for money.
You are only not a shill if you give them a link to pirate the thing you describe liking.

>>45413442
>> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45410926
Dude. Don't worry. That one guy is just an asshole.

>>45413442
> Well...fuck it, what're we waiting for? Let's go.

>>45413689
Amy's an enthusiastic harpy, trained for combat, who lives a dangerous life. Bri uses that safe word outside of the bedroom a lot, mostly to get Amy to not do something...eager.

Called, writing.

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>>45413442
You look at Amy's playful expression, and the twinkle in her icy eyes.

...Fuck it. Go with the flow for once. You can trust Amy. Maybe she's scatterbrained sometimes, but you could never say she's not loyal, and you can't say she's stupid.

"Alright, you win," you tell her. "Shall we?"

Takeoff is a gut-lurching event, but once Amy climbs to her preferred altitude, the flight is oddly serene. The landscape stretches beneath you, calm and distant, and the wild blue sky wraps you in its embrace.

Without the shock of waking up to it, you feel at /peace/ in Amy's arms. She'd never let you fall.

"There it is!" Amy calls out. "The River Circus!"

"/What/," you ask, amazed. "How'd you know it'd be nearby? Wait - how the hell did you know about circuses?"

"I asked Henrietta where /she/ would wanna go for a good time where she could just be another girl out with her lover," Amy explains. "She told me about it."

"I could make passionate fucking love to you right now if we weren't in the air."

"Implying that's an obstacle," Amy warns.

The circus sprawls, like a miniature city made of tents. On one side is the river, and the ship in which the circus travels, and from that point it spreads like spilled paint, thick with people, entertainments, and tents large and small.

Amy lands amidst the smell of food and smoke, the sounds of people performing and excited audiences, the jangle of games and the call of merchants, and gives you an excited look.

"What first?"

> FOOD!
> GAMES!
> SHOPPING!
> ENTERTAINMENT!

>>45414545
>> SHOPPING!
Ideally with breakfast. Don't want no one getting grumpy.

Good morning to you, Vox, by the way. If it's anywhere near morning where you're at.

>>45414545
> GAMES!
Time to throw all our change away.

>>45414545

> FOOD!
Breakfast first.

>>45414590
It's technically morning (3 AM EST) but since I haven't slept yet I'm gonna call it evening.

Speaking of sleeping, I'm gonna do that now, so I can be rested for tomorrow's run. Votes will remain open in the meantime.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and critique remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

Questions about the KS, if any, are also fine. I'd say to direct them to my throwaway email but Yahoo closed it down like bastards, so...fuck it, I guess. Which also means that you and I need a new solution, Fanfic Anon.

>>45414545
>> FOOD!

>>45414545
> GAMES!

>>45414677
I just wanna say this again. I fucking love you Vox. You are literally the one thing that brightens my day after dealing with so much bullshit.

Blessed be your bleached bones, and frothy be your coffee.

>>45414545
>GAMES!
We need to win each other plushies.

>>45414545
>FOOD!
May not be as good but you don't go to the circus for good food.

I really like this quest.

Just started reading this, literally refreshed the archive page when I got to the end and had two new ones appear. Have you really been running consecutive threads since the very start? Are you Mr. Bones? Why would anyone want to get off this ride if so.

>>45414545
> FOOD!
I don't think we got breakfast.

> FOOD!

BREAKFAST! STEEL YOURSELF FOR THE FUN TO COME!

(Who knew that Shankbird Day was Circus Day.)

>>45416589
And here I thought every day could be considered Circus day, with our Freakshow. Hell, we even have a beastmaster.

>>45414545
> ENTERTAINMENT!

Let's go be sad that people laugh at carnies and freaks.

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>>45415186
> Are you Mr. Bones?
No comment.

But welcome to the quest, anon! Always glad to meet a new reader, and I look forward to workin' with ya.

I'm alive and beginning the traditional process of Handling Morning Shit. I'll be back, folks.

>>45414545
How likely is it that Brianna probably knows or is related to some of these carnie folk?

Also;
>GAMES!
You know what kind. Battleship.

>>45418632
>grumpy old guy from an offshoot of the family who runs the "wondrous creatures of the world" freakshow
>we meet him while he's stitching a monkey torso onto half a fish and grumbling about how the ringmaster keeps misusing the term "death defying."

>>45418632
I don't understand. You can't sink canon ships without extremely sudden conflict drama.

>>45418632>>45418673
I don't get it.

>>45419375
I poorly thought out pun.

Called, writing shortly.

>>45420738
Finaly

>>45420738
A welcome message.

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>>45420769

Spelling intentional.

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>>45414545
"Carnival food," you tell Amy, with a big smile. "You've got some catching up to do."

"What's it like?" Amy asks, trailing after you as you strike out after the scent of things frying, baking, and otherwise enticing the hungry masses.

"You know that feeling we all got when I stabbed Isoldt in the ass and she was fucking moaning?" you ask.

"That awkward combination of guilt, arousal, and vague uncertainty?"

"Carnival food is like that."

"Lady of Ravens, I want it."

Finding what you're hunting for is not difficult. A smiling vendor provides you with sausages, pastries, and juice blends of dubious provenance.

Gods, the last time you had this, you were a little girl. Same circus, though - it's one of the only ones that come to the Blind Marsh. The sausage on a bun tastes fucking heavenly.

"How'd you know about this stuff?" Amy asks, between bites.

"Not my first circus. Well, actually, technically this is my first circus - the River Circus stopped by my home town when I was...eight, I wanna say. It was /wonderful/, my Aunt took me to see the acts and everything."

Amy gives you a dreamy, fascinated look. "Tell me more."

"Why tell you when we can just go see?" you offer.

Amy grins, sets her pack down on the ground, and takes out a thick cloak with which she covers her gleaming wings. "We'll have to head home before sundown, unless you wanna stay here. I can't fly safely at night."

> Spend the night
> Head home before sundown

AND

> See the perfomers
> Visit the menagerie
> Just wander for a bit so Amy can take in the sights

>>45421517
>> Spend the night
> See the performers

>>45421517
> Spend the night

>Visit the menagerie

>>45421517
> Spend the night
> See the perfomers

>>45421517
> Spend the night
> See the perfomers

>>45421517
> Spend the night
> See the perfomers
Probably a bad idea to visit the menagerie -- cages, you know?

>>45421517
> Spend the night
> Just wander for a bit so Amy can take in the sights

>>45421517
as someone unfamiliar with circuses, what's the menagerie ?

>>45422220
Animals, freak show

>>45422220
A menagerie is a collection of beasts (and, in many fantasy settings such as this one, monsters) placed on display for the entertainment or education of others. If you're thinking, "This sounds like a zoo", you're not wrong. The difference is that menageries are generally private collections while zoos are open to the public, either for payment or for free.

Circuses that maintain a menagerie generally call it that because it sounds better than 'zoo', though the usage is within the bounds of technical linguistic accuracy.

>>45422281
thank you.

>>45422290
I find it amusing that I've never seen a circus since menageries are banned in my town.

>>45421517
>> Spend the night
>AND
>> See the perfomers

Menagerie might not be the best thing to go see..

Called, writing. Making more coffee somewhere in here.

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>>45423555

>>45423555

So in Mourners, what god was/is Anastasia dedicated to that has a cup of coffee as its symbol?

>>45423638
Coffee's a diuretic, and not all of it's components enter the bloodstream.
Your blood type is caffeine.

>>45423770
It's her knightly heraldry, not her god's symbol. Ana's asatru (that is, she favors the Norse pantheon) and favors Heimdall in particular. It should be noted, however, that paladins in the setting - as they have since their initial RPG roots - do not require the favor of a god or religion.

In point of fact, good-aligned faiths tend to keep a paladin or two around specifically so someone will slap them when they start going off the deep end.

>>45423949
Why did I use 'favor' this many times in one post.

I need more coffee.

>>45421517
> Spend the night
> See the perfomers
Operation extend shankbird day is a go

>>45421517
>Spend the night... with the performers?
(better spending it with the menagerie)

>>45424174
Only if there is a woman who is simultaneously a contortionist and Strongwoman.

>>45421517
>Spend the night.
As if we'd pass up on more fun time with Best Bird.
>See the performers.
My PC senses are tingling.

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>>45421517
"We can spend the night," you offer. "In fact, let's reserve the cots now."

"...Not a room?" Amy asks, a little disappointed.

"Amy, love, there's not a room for rent anywhere near here that I'd trust. Cots in a public tent are somewhat safer." You reach over and ruffle Amy's dark hair. "Don't worry, I'm thinking what you're thinking, and I'm thinking there's a lot of land between here and the Dungeon to take a rest in."

Amy nuzzles her head into your fingers and chirps happily. "Okay...don't stop..."

You chuckle. "Ames, I gotta stop so we can get our spots."

"But head ruuuuubs."

You take your hand back and poke her forehead. "C'mon, we're burning daylight!"

Securing reserved cots is easy enough. Persuading Amy that no, she cannot 'be really quiet' proves harder, and eventually you drag her into the big top just to get her to be quiet.

You're in luck. The show is starting. You manage to get tickets paid for, acquire snacks at what you're absolutely certain is highway robbery prices, and find seats next to each other, hands laced and bouncing excitedly in your seats.

It's better than you remembered.

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>>45425127
The witchlights that illuminate the seats snuff out, leaving only the rings below lit.

The first act is a pair of knights mounted on bears. When they unseat each other, the bears pin their riders to the ground and lecture them on their lack of technique.

"Honestly," one drawls. "I have no thumbs and /I/ could grip a lance harder than that."

Clowns chase the bears away from the sputtering knights while you try to remember how to fucking breathe.

Amy cheers when a harpy juggler takes the ring, performing with anvils and ship anchors. A pyromancer makes breathtaking pictures from layers of smoke, as beautiful and subtle as ink and as ethereal as a breeze, and dazzles the audience with a rainbow of witchlight.

What has Amy enraptured more than anything else, though, are the acrobats - an eight-person family, performing as a team with no nets and seemingly no safety measures of any kind. Your lover watches with wide eyes, an awed expression on her face.

"You could do that," you say, almost like a question.

"No," Amy murmurs. "I don't die when I fall. I could never do /that/. That's /amazing/."

"I wish I could figure out what's been bugging my death sense all day," you admit. "I figured if it was anywhere it'd be here, but no."

"And now," the ringmaster announces, "Derek the Dark and his Ghostly Orchestra!"

A middle-aged man in dark robes, with silver skulls everywhere he could feasibly place silver skulls (and a few places he couldn't), and a thin baton takes the center ring.

"...Bri?" Amy asks, worried.

> This is fine
> This is not fine

>>45425793
>> This is fine
I'm honestly not sure

>>45425793
>> This is not fine

>>45425793
>just watch for now, and try to talk after the show. before coming to a decision.

>>45425880
this should be "and try to talk with the necromancer afer the show"

>>45425880
Seconded

>>45425793
>>45425880
Supporting this.

>>45425793
>Just watch for now.
This seems like the smartest choice. He could be a completely innocent performer, or he could be a legitimately evil necromancer. We won't know until we see what he's doing.

>>45425793
Does our decision here change what derek is/could be? or is there a "wrong" choice?

>>45425981
The choice is not necessarily about good and evil.

>>45425880
>>just watch for now, and try to talk after the show. before coming to a decision.

This seems reasonable.

>>45426049
It's basically whether or not Brianna is okay with necromancy being used to entertain (which /seems/ to be the idea). If he's just asking some old ghosts if they'd like to tag along for a little while, that's one thing. Anything else, and we've got some bones to pick with him.

I'm off to see Deadpool (Woo!), and in anticipation I vote to avoid turning Shankbird Day into more work.

>>45425880
>supporting
If ghosts are bound against their will to amuse the living it's not ok.
If the ghosts are just having a post mortem job (ie willing) then I don't see a problem.

and then we find out that the necromancer is a relative. and is actually cool.

>>45425793
> This is fine
I feel like Bri would be fine with it as long as the "Ghostly Orchestra" isn't forced to perform.

>>45426151
That makes sense.

>>45425793
>> This is probably fine
If the dead want to play music, who are we to stop them? If he's puppetting some mindless skeletons, that's kind of disrespectful, but not "this needs to be shut down" levels of bad. If he's forcing intelligent spirits to do his bidding, however, we are going to have words.

This extended vote was brought to you by Unexpected Life Shit and Going For A Walk. Called, writing, and my thanks for your patience.

>>45425793
supporting>>45425880
>>just watch for now, and try to talk after the show. before coming to a decision.

>>45425793
>> Other - not enough information. Lets not jump the gun.

>>45425793
>>just watch for now, and try to talk after the show. before coming to a decision.

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>>45425793
"Watch the show," you murmur, eyes on Derek. He gestures, extravagantly, and a dark fog rises in the center of the ring. When it clears away, a thick stone jug sits atop a short pillar.

"Spirit bottle," you murmur. "Well-made, from the feel of it, and properly done."

"Define 'properly'," Amy whispers.

"It's still letting the ghosts die properly," you explain.

Derek gestures with his baton, and the bottle rumbles on its pillar before the cork pops. Ghostly musicians stream from it, laughing in hollow voices, before they arrange themselves in the air all through the center of the ring. Each and every one of them is dressed in burnt and tattered clothing. Even from here, you can tell that they all died in fire - maybe not technically of the burns in every case, but they perished in flame and agony.

Not that you can tell when they start performing. It's one of the best orchestras you've heard, living or dead, with an appopriately haunting score paired with cunning manipulation of the witchlights.

As the show draws to a close, you're pretty sure you know what's going on.

"That's not necromancy," you tell Amy.

"But..ghosts?" the half-harpy asks, in confusion.

"Completely real, and they live in the bottle, but he didn't summon them. All he did was remove the cork. Those ghosts aren't even /contained/, really - if they didn't go back in on their own, they wouldn't go."

"That's good, right?"

"Depends on how much I trust a whole lot of ghosts that died in agony," you muse.

> Talk to Derek
> Not your problem

>>45429360
>> Talk to Derek

>>45429360
Sounds like an orchestra died in a fire, and all Derek do was give the ghosts a home and a way to still perform.

So--

> Not your problem
This is still Amy's and Brianna's special day. No work stuff to interfere.

>>45429360
>Talk to Derek

>>45429360
> Talk to Derek
ask about the ghosts to satisfy our professional curiosity, then continue enjoying the night with amy.

>>45429360
>Talk to Derek

How is this a question

>>45429360
> Talk to Derek
Sounds like Derek isn't a necromancer, and may not know what he's dealing with. I don't know that we have to stop him, but we do need to talk to him and see what he knows and what he doesn't know. Nothing happening here looks like an affront to death, but it might be a danger to the living, and it's kind of our area of expertise.

>>45429360
>> Talk to Derek
Though I really don't want to ruin Shankbird Day. Can we talk to him after our trip is over? Like a parting conversation with the guy and not worry about it till then?

>>45429360
>Talk to Derek
but we don't have the right to stick our noses in. Offer services as a necromancer, but to suspect them of anything is the same as suspecting some dude who walks into a bar armed.

>>45429360
>Ask Amy what she'd like to do. Emphasize that it's probably well enough, but could be interesting.
This is her day, if exploring a mystery interests her, whee. If not, then it's probably fine, and this is our day off anyway.

>>45430087
>>Ask Amy what she'd like to do. Emphasize that it's probably well enough, but could be interesting.

Seconded.

>>45429360
> Talk to Derek

>>45429360
> Talk to Derek

But just to let him know we're around and that he should come check in since the Duchess is legitimizing things. It's Shankbird day!

>>45431583
>"That's not necromancy," you tell Amy.
He's from what we can assume is just a performer with a necromancer jar and not actually a necromancer.

Called, writing.

>>45431661
That makes it more important to make sure he doesn't do something out of ignorance. Or get lynched by people who don't know the difference.

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>>45429360
Amy waits patiently for you to come to a decision.

"I...think I wanna talk to him," you decide. "Just to make sure nothing untoward happens. I'm pretty sure the dead aren't being mistreated or they wouldn't voluntarily return to the bottle, but it'd be pretty shitty if he doesn't have a contingency for getting them back where they go."

"Fair enough. Wanna ask where his dressing room is?"

"Ask, she says," you answer with a chuckle. "I'm following the bottle."

Amy trails after you when everyone leaves the big top. The bottle is easy enough to follow now that you know what you're looking for, and Derek's living space is, as you suspected, located in one of the phenomenons of circus life; sectioned tents, separate primarily with more cloth.

Anyone can be an architect in a circus, with enough curtains and patience.

You poke your head in with a pleasant, "Hey, Derek, got a minute?"

The room's sole occupant is a young woman with an old burn scar that dominates the right side of her face. The robes Derek was wearing are draped over the back of a chair, but the young woman is wearing his hat and, currently, staring at you with a stunned expression from behind her half-lifted bottle of whiskey.

> ...Y'know what, nah, I'm gone.
> Derek?
> Mrs. Derek?

>>45433079
> Derek?

>>45433079
>> Derek?

>>45433079
>> Mrs. Derek?

>>45433079
> Derek?

>>45433079
>an old burn scar that dominates the right side of her face
...Those ghosts are her relatives/friends.

> Mrs. Derek?

>>45433079
> Mrs. Derek?

>>45433079
> Derek?

>>45433176
gah, meant to edit the vote to

>Ms. Derek?

>>45433213
I sense that this may not be your night, anon.

>>45433079
> Mrs. Derek?

>>45433242
Apparently not. I shall attempt to fix that.

If you don't hear back from me send help. Or maybe some coffee.

>>45433079
> Derek?

>>45433300
we shall send espresso and adderall.

>>45433079
>Brianna, journeyman necromancer and improvised counselor, here's my card

>>45433494
I...I love you.

>>45433494
This needs to happen at some point.

>>45433547
happy to be of service

>>45433079
>>45433079
>Brianna, journeyman necromancer and improvised counselor, here's my card
Scars from a fire that took all her friends? Whiskey to wash it down? Yeah, sounds like this is our life now.

>>45433079
Definitely this one >>45433494

This slight vote extension brought to you by my need to get some dinner.

I am likely to combine this >>45433494 with whatever wins because...well, honestly it's pretty fucking great. If there's an objection to this idea, now's the time to voice it.

>>45433992
Nah, after the she fingered my hope bit, I'm game for whatever anons come up with

>>45433992
no objections, I like it quite bit

>>45433992
If Brianna has a personal card she can hand out to people, it absolutely must feature a big black cock crowing at the moon from his perch on a cross.

>>45434010
...I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad statement.

>>45434102
It's a good thing, that joke had me laughing for a long time

Called, writing.

>>45433992
>>Brianna, journeyman necromancer and improvised counselor, ... I should really have cards for stuff like this.

>>45434265

Every time.

Literally there's always at least one late poster no matter how long Vox makes the voting.

I'm not particularly pissed about it, but seriously what the Christ.

>>45434102
Let nobody tell you that 'twas a bad thing. That scene was great. Very nicely done.

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>>45433079
"Derek, I presume?" you say, mildly.

The young woman nods silently.

"Brianna, journeyman necromancer, amateur life counselor. Here's my card."

"...This is a cigarette."

"Still wrong, it's a crime against nature," you correct, with a wry grin. "Got a minute to talk about those ghosts?"

"...Depends on why you want to talk about them," the scarred young woman says cautiously.

"You don't have a provision to force them back into the bottle. I'd wanted to make sure there was a minimum risk of them running amok on the innocent."

The young woman breathes out a sigh of relief and sets her bottle down. "Come on in. This, at least, I can explain. My real name's Danielle, by the by - Derek is a stage persona. Most folks won't believe that I'm a necromancer, y'know? And the real story is both a little far-fetched and, well, illegal."

"Hit me," you prompt, sliding into the tent with Amy following. The half-harpy has a curious expression on her face.

"I was second chair, on the viola," Danielle tells you. "The orchestra? We were Stormrath Royal Orchestra, once upon a time. We performed for nobility. There...there was a fire, in an inn we stayed at while traveling to a job. I was rescued from the flames, along with a few others. I..." she sighs. "I didn't have the heart to go home. And when everyone else showed up haunting the place, I knew something had to be done. So I tracked down a necromancer and asked him to help peel them from the site of the inn, so they wouldn't get hunted down by soldiers or banished."

"And he stuffed them in the bottle, took your money, and ran," Amy guesses.

"Got it in one," Danielle agrees.

"What's the whiskey for?" you inquire.

"Mostly because I like me some whiskey and I'm tired of losing shot glasses," she admits. "Partially because performing is a bit draining. I enhance the music with kinetics, and that'll take it right the fuck out of you."

"Preach it," you agree.

>>45434494
> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave
> This seems okay for now, but it could go sideways at any minute. Ask for custody of the ghosts.
> No one here seems violent, but the dead can be unpredictable. Suggest that Danielle go to Glen when the circus stops in Kurt's Crossing and get in touch with Henrietta.

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

>>45434494
>No one here seems violent, but the dead can be unpredictable. Suggest that Danielle go to Glen when the circus stops in Kurt's Crossing and get in touch with Henrietta.
Just keep it friendly nothing seems particularly untoward here.

>>45434510
> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave
should we tell her how to find us if she ever needs some help?

>>45434510
>Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.
>Inform her of Glem
>It was a wonderful performance

>>45434510
> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave
Hey if there's any problem, call me.

>>45434611
Seconding. She hasn't actually done anything /wrong/, but the ghosts of her friends will eventually have to move on, just like Cherry will.

>>45434510
>Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.
>Inform her of Glem
>It was a wonderful performance

>>45434510
Well, can't we
>Ask the ghosts in the bottle of their perspective on it
?

>>45434510
> No one here seems violent, but the dead can be unpredictable. Suggest that Danielle go to Glen when the circus stops in Kurt's Crossing and get in touch with Henrietta.
Tell her more about what ghosts are and what's been done

And the caffeine crash hit me like I was flirting with its wife. I'm gonna crawl into bed and leave the vote open until the morning.

Questions, comments, discussion, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

>>45434952
Second in

>Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.
>Inform her of Glen
>It was a wonderful performance

>>45434510
>Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.
>Inform her of Glem
>It was a wonderful performance

>>45434611

Yeah, supporting this one as well. Education is important in our line of business, and this seems like a pretty good opportunity.
Apart from that everything seems to be pretty much in order here. (Tragic, but in order.)

>>45434510
Seconding
>>45434611
>>Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.
>>Inform her of Glem
>>It was a wonderful performance

>>45436104
Also closure if she hasn't had the chance to really talk with the ghosts.

As well, they ARE dead and should be working towards eventually moving on and we should make sure her AND the ghosts know and accept that.

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

Bump.

>>45434510
>She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

A brief reminder - necromancy is still illegal. Bri is an exception.

I'm surprised nobody has asked if she's a future party member yet

>>45438515
It's pretty obvious she isn't. She's an average person - she does NOT need to go adventuring. Our friends are both insane. One is a Hero, the other a Dungeonbreaker. We're on an adventure because No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

The adventurer's life is not a good thing for someone just holding on to their sanity like this young woman.

>>45438515
of course not? Why the hell would you ask someone to use the burning ghosts of their family to fight for a cause that isn't even indirectly related to you?

>Write In: Ask if she would like a proper chat with the ghosts, explanations of the risks, etc.

I think this will go a long way towards makign things better for both her and the ghosts.

I am sad this is taking away from Amy's time though. Nate doesn't have to deal with this type of thing. She doesn't deserve it, so....

>Write In: Apologize to Amy after for the interruption.

>>45438515
Shes a musician, and not a magical one even.

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

>>45438548
Danielle isn't /crazy/, just kind of in denial. By having that necromancer capture the ghosts of her friends and colleagues, she hasn't had to face their loss and properly mourn. It isn't fair to her or them to keep that spirit bottle around, and she's going to have to let them go and find her way on her own.

>>45438515
She could be a Bard, with some shades of Mage, though Amy and Brianna pretty much fill those roles already.

>>45438651

You misread - Amy and Nate are crazy.

>>45434510
>> No one here seems violent, but the dead can be unpredictable. Suggest that Danielle go to Glen when the circus stops in Kurt's Crossing and get in touch with Henrietta.

this seems very unlikely to go bad in the near future, but leaving it long term runs a significant risk of it going rather wrong.

>>45435998
I would very much like to support this.

>>45434510
>> She's got this well in hand; thank her for her time and leave

>>45434510
>> Be Available; this isn't bad now, but it'll probably be good to get a better, more permanent solution in place on a day thats not datenight. Extend your services and how to find you, and drop names as appropriate for OH CRAP ZOMBIE ARMIES if you're not immediately accessible because you're killing a dungeon boss.

I'm alive. Will call after Morning Shit.

>>45440450
Knowing that you are a caffeine addict, and having been a connoisseur of coffee when I could still drink it, you must do yourself a favor and find real Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee.

All the flavor, none of the bitterness, and twice the caffeine of regular coffees.

This is my good deed for the month.

>>45441471
>Twice the caffeine
>Good deed
What have you /done/.

>>45441471
Ooooo~

Any idea of where I might find this mystical substance or where I should start looking? I'm in striking distance of Ann Arbor if I have to.

Called, writing. May be somewhat delayed by cooking breakfast.

>>45441471
Dear god XS, don't kill the poor man

>>45441861
Most coffee shops that sell their own roasted coffee, and most import coffee suppliers will carry it. Do not purchase from Starbucks or Java City - the stuff they call Tanzanian peaberry is not really Tanzanian peaberry. Independent coffee importers and actual coffee shops are your best bet.

>>45441926
>>45441471
Clearly you do not understand the value of a non-bitter brew.

>>45442179
I gave up coffee and lost 30 pounds, I mostly drink tea now.

>>45442285
So if I gave up coffee I would starve?
Thanks based coffee for keeping me alive... .

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>>45434494
"So...?" Danielle asks.

"You seem to mostly have this handled," you tell her. "Admittedly you got ripped off by the guy you hired, but it turned out okay. Do the ghosts talk?"

"...Sometimes," she admits, uncomfortably. "Mostly about wanting to go to the show they didn't get to perform at. They keep...they keep asking me when we're going."

You suck a breath through your teeth, thoughtfully. "Unresolved business. You know they need to pass on, right? To the Sunless Lands?"

"I know," Danielle admits, with a sigh. "But it's a little hard to get advice. And they /like/ performing. /I/ like performing."

"Well, if you ever decide you need better advice, or you just wanna talk, go to Glen and ask after me or after River la Croix. They'll get the message to us, eventually."

Danielle gives you a quizzical look. "That's it? That's honestly it? You're not gonna try to steal my friends or berate me or, I dunno, turn me in to the law?"

You shrug. "It's your life. You do you, okay?"

"It was a good show," Amy compliments, a little shyly. "I've never heard instruments like that before."

"Wow. You live under a rock?"

"...Yes."

"Aaaaand now that we've made the person we wanted to help feel like an asshole, I think it's time we enjoy the rest of the circus," you say quickly. "Ames?"

"Coming!"

After you get some distance from Danielle's tent you give Amy a guilty look. "Sorry about that. Work and all, on our day to-"

Your apology is cut off abruptly by Amy's tongue doing its best to migrate into your throat. You come away from the kiss breathless and dizzy.

"Asplain?" you ask, vaguely.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't try to help," the half-harpy says warmly. "...But if you're gonna insist on feeling guilty about it, I can interrogate you while we're wandering."

"On?" you ask. You take Amy's hand, and the two of you lace fingers.

>>45442480
I just cut coffee out of my diet, it made a lot of difference. Along with other stuff, mostly just drinking more water.

>>45442523
I lost my tolerance over the winter break and my last two experiences involving attempting to have coffee ended with me bouncing off the walls hyper so I've been avoiding it.

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>>45442521
"Wellllll," your lover muses. "Why'd you get into the whole protect-and-serve business? And don't say it's your job, members of your family have quit before."

"But it /is/ my job!" you protest, earning a flinty glare from your lover.

"You didn't spare River because it was your job. You're not taking care of Jewel because it's your job. I didn't watch you go face-to-face with Lora over Brigette because it's your job. So why?"

You take a deep breath.

> I don't like what I do. So I try to make the world a better place to make up for it.
> It's what my parents would have done. What anyone would do, if they had all the information.
> I...I don' t know.
> Write-in?

>>45442572
The worst for me was the withdrawal, caffeine withdrawal is no fun.

>>45442621
>> I...I don' t know.

Amy help please

>>45442626
Eh, I just get tired and sleep a lot, and my meds cause me to sleep a decent amount anyway, so its not that bad in general here.

>>45442621
>> I...I don' t know.

>>45442645
I get mind-numbing headaches.

>>45442621
> I...I don' t know.
Shankbird therapy!

>>45442621
>I...I don' t know.
>It's what I've always done, what's always felt...right

>>45442621
> Write-in: I don't like seeing good people suffer for any reason Amy. I suffered enough and I'm just me.

>>45442621
>A doer of good may be punished, one of evil rewarded, by the powers that be.
>So, if giving somebody a hand, or a second chance might help make the world more...bearable, then shouldn't one try?

>>45442621
> I...I don' t know.

>>45442621
>I...I don' t know.
Bri might be trying to cope with everything by doing her best to help others, seeing people happy lifts your own spirit somewhat.
Or I might just be exhausted and not thinking straight.

>>45442621
>> Write-in?
I don't know, ...Habit?

>>45442621
> Fetch knows. Ask him.

Called, writing.

>>45442621
"Because the unfairness of the world pisses me off. The scythe dos'nt care, the seasons don't care, and too fucking often the peopel don't care. If I tried to simply ignore it I'd end up a bitter cynical shell, so I don't. I try and beat as much fairness into the uncaring world as I can, and I do it from the bottom up because the alternative would be to make a go at world conquest, and i'm smart enough to know how that usually goes."

>>45443589
That's fucking beautiful, anon.

>>45443781
thanks, pity I got it out 3 minutes after the voting closed.

>>45443836
Damn shame, or I've seconded you without a second thought (haha).

>>45443589
>>45443836
It seems that >>45434286 is absolutely correct.

well not being able to have a good answer is fairly in character for Brianna, her own bloody minded altruism dos'nt fit with her cynical world view and cultivated zombie army related self esteem issues.

basically she can't believe in her own kindness.

>>45419375

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Shipping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCDgJiPBxfI

>>45442521
Much like wherever a Cop goes he will find a crime, wherever a Necromancer goes she will find death and moral quandries to re/absolve.

>>45442621
It comes down to doing the job in front of you, for the people around you and yourself. Ideals make for nice justifications, but in the end I just can't walk away if I think I can do something about it. And if we have to act, then we should act good. Not because we should, but because we can.

Also deep down I fear that if I leave it to someone else, they could succeed bit if they failed I'd always wonder what I could have done. It's bad enough feeling that way about things I can't control, I won't feel that way about how what I can.

>>45444064
I prefer the Haruhi version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tc7MH5ZXbg

>>45444379

As do I, but the "official" vid has a a brief explanation at the start that I thought might be of use to someone unfamiliar with the concept and seeking to change that.

>>45442621

> "There's a lot of things I don't like about the world. So, when one of those things comes up, and is something that there's actually something I can do about it..."

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>>45442621
Amy has of course chosen this of all times to give you her total and undivided attention.

"I...I don't know," you admit. "I'm pretty sure that you'll yell at me for the only reason that comes to mind."

"Try me," Amy prompts.

"...Well, fine. Life isn't fair. Death is fair but it's a really shitty kind of fair where it's totally impartial and totally unjust. The scythe doesn't care that you were an innocent, or a little girl, or someone's parent. Winter turns to spring and farmers die in floods. Spring turns to summer and trappers burn up in forest fires, and none of it cares. So if life's going to be unfair anyway, why not be unfair /for/ people instead of against them?" You sigh, uncomfortably. "...I can't just /not care/. I can't be that person."

"Why not?" Amy challenges. "No one could say you don't have a good reason."

"That's a shitty reason by itself."

"You're avoiding the question, love."

"No fair," you complain. "...What is it you're objecting to?"

"You're still in job mode. You said 'can't'."

"Well I can't!" you exclaim. "And I don't want to be! I don't wanna go down in history as a murderous bitch! I don't wanna leave that behind for my kids! I want to leave a better world than the one I was born into!"

"Was that so hard to say?" Amy asks, playfully. Her icy eyes twinkle mischeviously.

> ...I guess not, actually.
> Sort of, yes.
> Write-in?

>>45444673
>...I guess not, actually.

>>45444673
>> ...I guess not, actually.

Dr. Shank Bird, psychologist

>>45444673
>> Write-in?
*shrug?*

>>45444673
> ...I guess not, actually.

>>45444673
>> ...I guess not, actually.

>>45444673
>...I guess not, actually.

Thread archived, incidentally.

>>45444673
>Write In: Yes, yes it was! It sounds stupid when I say it like that! Because it makes it sound like I have a choice! And I don't if I want to be the person you and Nate deserve!

>>45444673
> Write-in
> I...I dunno. No? Yes? Not exactly hard to say, 'cause it's...I mean, it's really simple and basic, and everyone should be that way. But...on the other hand, it *is* hard, because it makes it sound like I think everyone should be doing the shit I do, and I don't. People have a right to live normal lives; I just...I just can't do that myself as long as I see so much that *needs* doing. Y'know?

Called, writing.

Must slay thread.

>>45445622
Filler, Filler, Filler
Words, words, words

How ya doin' Vox?

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>>45444673
You sigh in odd exasperation. Why is this conversation so hard to have?

"I...I guess not," you admit, at last. "Except obviously it was for some reason."

Amy takes her hand out of yours so she can hug you around the shoulders and pull you in. She takes your hat off and strokes your hair, as you've so often stroked hers. "Walk yourself through it."

"...You make it sound like I made some big, dramatic choice," you murmur. "I didn't."

"I think staring down a Death Choir and telling her she shouldn't take her revenge counts as at least a /little/ dramatic."

"Ass," you chide. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do. You remember, back by the river, when I told you that you're an idiot? This is what I was talking about, love. Of course you have a choice. You've had dozens, hundreds, of choices. And by and large, you've chosen compassion and self-sacrifice and then act confused when people like you for it."

"What, you reasonably expected me to do anything else?"

"YES, DOOF!" Amy exclaims. "How do you think this would look if Lora had picked /me/? Do you think River would be alive? Brigette? Do you think I'd even know where to /start/ with Jewel or Cherry, or that Nate and I would still be together? Huh? /You/ did those things. Your calls. Your choices."

"I - Ames -"

"No, you get to listen now," Amy tells you, squeezing you around your shoulders. "...You've had every chance to walk away, and you've stuck with it. And maybe that's your job, but you could have quit that job. And maybe that's your family name, but you could have left that family. You didn't /have/ to do any of this, but /you/, Brianna, /did/. Anyone else in the world would be crowning their own glory from the top of the highest mountain, but not you."

"...I /did/ agree to let Scribbles write her book," you protest, with a little guilty grin.

"Yes, at /long last/," Amy answers back, with a playful roll of her eyes.

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>>45446036
Your lover turns to put both hands on your shoulders and look you dead in the eyes.

"You gonna tell me that you haven't been valorous in battle?" she asks, pointedly.

"I can't exactly deny it, no."

"That phrasing is awful," Amy tells you. "Loyalty to your friends? Compassion to your enemies? Given wisdom to the lost and hope to the hopeless?"

"Okay, okay," you protest.

"All of that sound like something a person worth admiring might do?"

"You've been taking lessons from Nate on this, haven't you?"

"Damn fucking straight. So no, you don't get to feel bad about being the woma I love all over someone in need while we're out and about. And now I'm going to win you a prize at one of these /clearly rigged games/."

You blink, and then laugh, while Amy gives you a sideways smile. "Aren't I supposed to win /you/ prizes?"

"Pfft, as if. You might literally be the chosen one but /I/ kidnapped /you/ for this date. Pick something. Go on!"

You want...

> The porcelain doll
> The rose-print tea set
> A new knife
> A stuffed griffon doll

>>45446256
>> A stuffed griffon doll

>>45446256
>The porcelain doll

>>45446256
>> A stuffed griffon doll

>>45446256
> A stuffed griffon doll
A cute little stuffed animal? Sounds like the kinda thing Bri needs on occasion.