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>>432192

Last Time on Hero Guardian Quest:
Lin discovered the truth behind Jin’s death from Chao. A truth she decided to keep from Mei until the end of the mission and made Chao swear to reveal after it was over.

Team 2’s mission continued through their remaining two objectives. They discovered several things in the wake of their progression; the humans keep a dead drop at the clearing where groups of human hunters gather from day to day. Information is left there in the form of letters, but you never discovered by whom and what the letter said, thinking that keeping the dead drop intact for future information would be better than instant information.

At their last objective, Team 2 found themselves at the crossroad where human forces usually travel northwest, down south, or straight west. There they came face to face with a group of mounted knights and masked humans, but the presence of another human caused the most shock amongst you. Someone the masked humans called their ‘Queen’ was riding in a carriage that stopped at the crossroad. Captain Lin turned the mission from observe and react to a royal assassination attempt. An attempt that might have killed the entire team had the Red Flower within Lin not warned her of the immense powers inside the Queen. That information alone was enough for her to call off the mission.

After escaping the jaws of humanity, Team 2 left the Western Front to report back to the village beyond the barrier. Captain Lin reported back to Chen’dao the next morning and then spoke with her team of what had happened out on the front. Mei left the team, but decided to keep her friendship with Lin intact. Heim was drunk when she found him, so she sent him to sleep after an earful. Chao revealed later that Heim’s leaving the team as well, fearing for his life, despite the kind of Guardian he is. Chao will stay with you.

The 2-man Blood Guardian pair is ready for whatever comes next!

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A full day has passed since you gut-punched Chao. You spent most of yesterday wandering the village, listening to rumors and finding things to do and people that might be willing to talk with you later. Got yourself something to eat and then got an early night’s sleep after having spent the entire afternoon of yesterday just walking around. Not the most productive way to spend a day, but you made it clear how things stand with the remains of what used to be ‘Team 2’ and you got some good information.

Today you slept in again, ate breakfast and lunch at the same time, something you never get to do, and then began another tour of the village. So far you’ve mapped it out as best you can in your memory. There’s the Tree-complex and the barracks where all the Ichigo and Kenshin Blood Guardians sleep and live around here, the Inn for those who wants to eat, drink, sleep away from the barracks, or do… other things before the fight. Such relationships are not condemned in the Guardians as long as they don’t impair your judgment. At least that’s what you think. You didn’t quite listen in on that one lecture during the Trials.

Don’t really need to know the rules about… that.

Other than those buildings, there’s the Guardian Quarters where the officers live and where all the orders are given and sent out to Guardians across both companies as they prepare for the assault. There’s evidently a lot to get done before a battle. Something you hadn’t quite realized until now. The number of Guardians going into battle this time far exceeds the ones that did up North.

Then there’s the market, the training area, the large lake, and the Nest of giant Crows just teetering at the edge of the village. So far you don’t have any preferences and the people you want to speak with won’t be available until later this afternoon. You’re free to go wherever for now. You could even go speak with Mei, Heim, or Chao if you so wish it.

>Where do you go?
>What do you want to do?

____

The vote will be open until tomorrow! Might cram in an update or two before the session starts at 19:00-20:00 CET tomorrow (Monday).

>>432241
Stock up on supplies. talk with the rad flower, give him a name and go over battle tactics with him. Visit Heim when he's sober and say our goodbyes directly since he was too cowardly to say it too our face.

>>432241
Find Chao and apologize for punching him. Have a talk about maybe finding more team members and/or how you plan to accomplish missions with just the two of you. Wonder with him if you can ever hope to be seen as a person and not as a weapon of mass destruction.

Subtley romance him.

>>432241
Go out, try to meet new people cute girls. Be friendly.

>>432264
This, we need to hear it from heim himself

>>432241
Due to my poor ability to make sound decisions, I'm going with this anon >>432479

>>432264
I'm cool with this.

>>432264
do this
and ask if any one wants to join the death company

>>433489
Let's not call it that outright. Give it an enticing yet honest name. I mean hell, our division is called the Blood Guardians, we can keep that theme.

'Deathwatch' is an easy one. Intimidating, but it's also empowering.

The cheeky fella in me wants to suggest 'Suicide Squad', since despite the reference, the name fits fairly well.

For something a bit more esoteric, maybe Gardeners. Why? Because you tend to the Awoo who wields the Red Flower.

>>433519
red death? ahah y not call it the suicide squa

We'll figure something out, I should say though, that I formally vote for
>>432264 first and foremost. >>432479
Maybe later, although if anything comes of it, I'll be surprised. I don't want to name whatever we are until we get our marching orders.

>>433519
call it death rose?
>>433538
>>432479
i dont think we going to get any cute people jumping, probs be gettting the carzys and or peopel that want to die

what if becouse of the leave/death rate of the squd they send you to it insted of killing you?

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Vote remains open for a while longer. Just woke up. In the mean time, I'm wondering what sort of name you'd want to give the Red Flower within you? You can either come up with suggestions yourselves and settle on one as long as it's a Chinese name or I can give you a list in an update. Up to you.

>>433750
TYTUS?
Polish form of Roman Latin Titus, meaning "fire; to burn."

>>433750
Hana

>>433750
Da Shuhua

>>433859
What's that mean?

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>>433917
It's Chinese for "Tree Flower" and it's a Molten Iron Throwing Tradition/Festival.

Live Session starts in 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Hm...then:

Chuāng Yí (Desolation of Trauma / in the Aftermath of Disaster) sounds pretty badass. My personal favorite.

Shén Kū (Spiritual Desolation) as well.

Zuò Mèng (To have a dream)

Fèng Zhí (Devotion to duty)

Xiāo Huǐ (to destroy/obliterate by burning)

Those are my choices.

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>>433941
>Shén Kū
I really like this one. Unless a good portion of you want another one, I'm picking this name.

Live Session starts in 3 hours. Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to write down an update before then.

>>433854
A simple Hana is what I'm leaning towards as well.

>>433956
I'm cool with that.

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>>432241
>Stock up on supplies, Speak with Heim, And then speak with the Red Flower within.

After acquiring new and small bags attachable to your belt, you fill them with roots, berries, and potions for energy meals and healing purposes in case someone other than yourself get hurt. Someone like Chao. You still have your Berserker Mode, but it’s a last line of defense against your own or other’s death. Even if you’ve grown fond of the Red Flower residing within you, there’s little to no trust between you that it won’t take over if given the chance. It might state otherwise, but even the most logical and basic of creatures can lie. You won’t let it control you. Never.

All these thoughts about it turns into a reminder that you left your Guardian Blade in the room earlier because you were starving and had to rush out. You contemplate fetching it, but evidently your legs have other plans for you. Plans that you’re soon caught up with when you find yourself outside the Inn again. Hopefully he’s not as drunk as you found him yesterday around this time. Upon entering, the odor of alcohol and the smell of cooked food hits you straight in the face. It’s a mixed feeling of disgust and pleasantries that blend in, enhancing the smell further. You endure it as you pave your way through the crowd of early patrons, moving up to the barkeeper at the far end of the Inn, standing behind the counter. He’s a stout Awoo with dirty clothes and a large, white beard covering more than half of his face with bushy eyebrows that reminds you of a certain High-Captain of the Tree Guardians.

“Oh oh oh!” He chuckles loudly at the sight of the famous and infamous Raubtier in his Inn, for the third time in his lifetime, “Can I help you, lass?” He booms over everyone else, shooting you a brief, but questioning look before he serves another two of his patrons their glasses filled with a cold, foreign liquid. You still don’t know what kind of alcohol that is, and frankly, you’re not in the mood to find out any time soon. You can already feel some people glaring daggers into your back from here, but you shrug it off.

>Continued

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>>434221

“I’m looking for Heim. Do you know where he is?” You raise your voice over the crowd of laughing drunk senior Guardians. They’re really making the most out of these last days before the assault. The barkeeper follows your glare at them before he clears his throat to get you back on track.

“Who’s this ‘Heim’ fella? Boyfriend?” He smirks, but fails to get a proper reaction out of you. Nothing more than a raised eyebrow. He sighs in defeat, still smiling wide, nodding towards the nearby stairs.

“The lad took one of the rooms last night after he came back. Hasn’t come down yet. One of the barmaids told me he’s up and about, but ain’t leaving the room. Talk some sense into him, ay?” He explains before the call for another round pulls his attention away from you. The barmaid that went up to speak with him gives you his room number and a key to it, should you need it.

Two emotions are most evident within you when you make your way up the flight of wooden stairs and down the long hallway, heading towards the room where Heim has locked himself in: Frustration and sadness. The former because he didn’t have the balls to tell you the news to your face and the latter because he’s another childhood friend that was there when it all happened 3 years ago. Another childhood friend that will now part ways with you, just like Ming have. Of course, you convinced Ming to join the Realm guardians for her own good, but you felt like you still had Heim there, watching your back. Now it turns out he’s too afraid to cover your back any further.

Upon reaching his door, you’re torn on how to do this and what to feel.

>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you. Let him open the door.
>Unlock the door on the spot and stride in. Be assertive.
>Write-in.

>>434225
>>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you.
If he doesn't open up or seems like he might try to block the door or something, force our way in.

>>434225
>Unlock the door on the spot and stride in. Be assertive.

>>434225
>>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you. Let him open the door.

>>434225
>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you. Let him open the door.

>>434225
>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you. Let him open the door.

>>434243
>>434253
>>434254
>>434257
>>434265
The vote is over!

Writing.

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>>434225
>Knock on his door and tell him it’s you.

In the end, the passive but adult decision wins out over the rash and assertive one. Your soft fist connects with the wooden door thrice, telling whomever’s inside that it’s you out loud. There’s no sound from inside, of movement nor muffled voices. It’s quiet. Either he’s not there anymore somehow or he’s holding his breath, trying to figure out what to say or do. You knock again.

“Heim, can you please open the door? I just wanna talk.” You assure him of your intentions and makes it clear you’re not angry with him. After a brief moment, you hear a single muffled voice saying something you can’t pick up before you hear movements from inside; the creaking of a leaf bed and the sound of footsteps heading towards the door. It’s unlocked from the other side and you give him a second to step back before you open it in return.

Before you stands an Awoo with an expression you never thought you’d see this particular Guardian with. He’s been known to be neutral and cheerful, but also filled with hate and anger in the face of humans or other problems. You’ve seen many an emotion from this fellow kin of yours, but never this; Heim’s eyes are tired and dried up, his fur is a mess, and he reeks of both alcohol and puke. It’s obvious that he’s been crying for hours through the night and the morning. He probably stopped only a hour or so before you came to visit. He appears nothing but a shell of his former self.

>Continued

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>>434386

As the words you so desperately want to say form in your throat, you cough at the sight of a flashing face at the open hole behind your friend disappearing the instant your eyes lock onto it. You rush past Heim - throwing the door closed behind you - and quickly lean out through the open hole that serves as a window. You’re on the second floor and there’s no sign of anyone climbing on the tree’s trunk or anyone down on the ground below this hole.

“What is it, Lin?” Heim throws a confused look your way when you turn back into the room. You didn’t see the face in its entirety, but it had red eyes, no doubt about it. You’ll have to take a closer look after you’re done in here. It can’t have all been in your mind, right?

“N-nothing.” You shake your head, looking up from the floor. No point worrying Heim about it unless you’re absolutely sure about what you saw. Can’t have been a masked human, otherwise someone would have seen them before they could enter the village. Heim nods with uncertainty before taking a seat on his bedside.

“I guess you want to talk, huh?” He guesses with absolutely zero motivation to have this talk. You nod in silence and he picks up on it, sighing. An awkward silence follows before it’s decided that you’re going to have to start this if anything should happen.

>Ask him directly why he wants to leave Team 2. [Questioning]
>Demand answers. [Firm]
>Try to be soft on him, lead the conversation passively to answers. [Kind]
>Write-in.

>>434392
>Try to be soft on him, lead the conversation passively to answers. [Kind]
Be firm if he tried to lead the conversation away.

>>434392
>>Demand answers. [Firm]

>>434392
>Ask him directly why he wants to leave Team 2. [Questioning]

>>434392
>Write-in

"So...why didn't you want to tell me directly? I didn't think you were that afraid of me." Not in an accusatory manner, just saying in general.

The guy's torn up, but he still at least needs to own up to it. It's clear he's already wracked with grief over this decision, and he's been trying to drown himself in drink to forget about it. He's beating himself up over it more than we could, frankly.

(Sorry if this was basically one of the other choices, I just couldn't be sure, so I labeled it as a write-in.)

>>434392
>>Ask him directly why he wants to leave Team 2. [Questioning]

>>434392
>Try to be soft on him, lead the conversation passively to answers. [Kind]
He has already been trough a pretty rough night, no need to bludgeon him. You are friends, even if your friendship is sort of strained.

>>434407
Switching vote for this.

>>434394
+1 Firm

>>434407
>>434451
>>434431
+3 Kind

>>434412
>>434421
>>434416
+3 Questioning

Waiting 5 minutes for a tiebreaker before rolling for the two major prompts.

>>434392
>>Ask him directly why he wants to leave Team 2. [Questioning]

>>434482
Alright. The Firm vote has been switched.

Writing.

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>>434392
>Ask him directly why he wants to leave Team 2 [Questioning]

“Why didn’t you want to tell me face-to-face or were you preparing yourself to do so?” You lay the question out bare and raw in the room, “I’m not angry or disappointed because you’re leaving the team, or what’s left of it. I’m just frustrated that you couldn’t tell me. Instead, I heard it from Chao.” Heim continues to stare into the floor - fiddling with his thumbs - while trying to figure out what to say. Even when he does, he can’t meet your gaze.

“I didn’t think you’d understand.” He mutters depressingly. It hits you, and it hits you hard.

“I wouldn’t understand?! Back during the trials you made it perfectly clear that you didn’t want to have anything to do with me in public. I didn’t just understand that back then, I also accepted it! Because I knew that despite that, you’d still have my back when push comes to shove.” Your voice raise itself when your frustration runs over, “What makes you think I couldn’t understand it now all of the sudden? Why do you so quickly assume that I can’t accept whatever reason you have to distance yourself from me again? If it gets to the point where you don’t even have the guts to tell me straight out and instead drown yourself in all of this…” You motion towards the bottles in the corner that you noticed on your way back from the window, “... then we have a problem, Heim.”

The room falls to silence. A battle of conflicting emotions are raging on inside of him. His hands are clenched and hard-pressed into his knees, trying his best to come up with an answer to what his childhood friend and former Captain just told him.

“I just…” He starts off - hiding his face in his hands, taking controlled breaths - before he finally makes eye contact with you, “I don’t want to die like Kun and Jin did.”

“You don’t have to die.” You try to put a fight, but this time you know he’s got a point. Especially after what Chao told you yesterday.

“Both of them died because of you. I don’t want to be next, Lin. I don’t. Being a Blood Guardian is a dangerous way of life, I get that, I do. But being around you is suicidal at this point. Both of you.” His eyes reveals an Awoo desperate to survive this war and continue living well beyond its end. It reveals a mind that truly, to the very depths of its own core logic and instincts, believes that staying around you will end only in its own death.

>Accept his answer and leave.
>Continue to question his reasons.
>Demand a better answer than that.
>Write-in.

>>434584
>>Accept his answer and leave.

>>434584
>>Accept his answer and leave.
fine then leave dont think its going to change you odds in this war, see you on the battlefiled

>>434584
>>Accept his answer and leave.
I was about to complain that SoL episodes are meant to be happy but then I realised that we're talking about a slice of Lin's life.

>>434584
>>Accept his answer and leave.
No problems here, guess we should have gone with kind though.

>>434601
No need to be a dick, there's literally no problem with what he said.

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>>434612

>>434615
his still a blood so his going to be on the battlefiled
still going be fightting, bitch just start up old us we suck and going to get everone killed(has a bit of a point) and he thinks be getting away will give him beter odds? theres a bitch of a big baattle happening soon good luck to him

>>434589
>>434601
>>434612
>>434615
The vote is over.

Writing.

>>434629
Yo dude, gonna be honest. You seem pretty chill, and that's cool, but sometimes I can't figure out what you're saying.

>>434656
im going on about how he told us how shit we are at this job
and thats his still a blood guardian and theres a big fight coming up so his still going to have a high chance of dieing with or without us as he will be fighting and anyways

>>434675
narthing can stop me mahah
but yer people tend to notice me
and get shit for it but im used to it
can lead to some funny convos

>>434676
See, NOW I get it. Is there any way you can type more like you just did in this post? Would make things a lot more comprehensible.

>>434679
i can try
but what is hard about the other post i did?i can read it easily ? there wasn't that many spelling errors in it

>>434686
Less the spelling errors, more the grammar style. You use some words in ways that is off-kilter and English being as finicky as it is, the meaning of the sentence gets thrown off even WITH context to use.

>>434694
its the way i talk and things but yer
english is a bitch with all its rules and then breaking them just becouse
>>434713
wow there buddy you ok there?

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>>434584
>Accept his answer and leave.

You realize that this is the end of the rope for this conversation. He has given you his answer and the reason behind it. You can’t argue his point of view, well maybe you can, but there’s no point in doing so. His mind is set and far would it be of you to try and change it when he’s so desperately against fighting alongside you. Acceptance - there’s no other way if you want to keep this currently fragile friendship that still links you besides the trauma you went through together years ago. You’d keep the friendship over those horrible memories any day of the week. You’d like to say something, but all you can muster is a nod while your eyes meet before you leave his room - closing the door behind yourself. You’d like to delve on this a while longer to figure things out, but something else is pressing at you from the back of your head. The red eyes you saw in the window!

Before you know it you find yourself out in nature - behind the Inn - looking up the sizeable wide trunk of the tree, spotting the hole that belongs to Heim’s room. There’s no sign of anyone climbing up this way nor is there any evidence to suggest that this remote place has been disturbed by anyone but you for days. Did you really see those eyes or is the stress and burden of what’s to come affecting you? You don’t want to believe that, but it is a possibility. Yet, you can’t shake the feeling that even now you’re being watched by unseen eyes.

“Show yourself!” You call out to whatever or whomever it is that you think is watching you, but no respond or sound is given aside from the chirping of nearby birds and the wind rolling by. You can’t even detect the faintest sound of someone breathing nearby. It’s unsettling how real this paranoid feeling is, but in the end, it can’t be anything more than that. You throw one last glance up at Heim’s room.

Right?

Eventually you shake it off as best you can while you make your way through the village, heading back towards the Tree-Complex. You’re of mind to speak with the Red Flower again. Since the part of it that actually talks is embedded within your Guardian Blade, you need to fetch it from where you left it earlier today. You’ve actually decided on something peculiar: You’re going to name the Red Flower. Sure, it’s in poor form and it will probably not care too much, but you don’t want to continue calling it by the same name of your enemy. It’s not a friend, but it is most certainly an ally in survival.

The name you’ve settled on is…

>Shén Kū
>Hana
>Write-in. (?)

>>434740
>>Hana

>>434740
>>Shén Kū

>>434740
>>Hana

>>434740
>>Shén Kū

>>434740
>Lrrr of the planet Omicron Persei 8
Or
>Shén Kū
I'd be fine with either.

>>434740
>>Shén Kū
is the red flower a boy or girl?

>>434763
>is the red flower a boy or girl?
In your Spiritual Trial, it was seen engulfed around a human boy, but like any form of Red Flower, it has no gender and cares very little for names and such things.

>>434763
It's a sentient ball of fire Anon.

>>434744
>>434746
>>434749
>>434750
>>434754
>>434763
Shén Kū will be its name!

Next vote:

What will you speak with Shén Kū about in regards to future battle tactics?

>General stuff only.
>Write-in suggestions. (No need to say exactly what she's supposed to say, just what you want to talk about in more depth.)

>>434798
>Write-in: Your relationship. If Shen is fine with how it is, and general relationship stuff.

>>434798
>General stuff only.
since i cant think of things right now
>>434785
dosnt mean it dosnt have a boy or girl about it.
in France everything is ether a boy or girl

>>434798
>Is there any way we can increase it's power without having to hand over control of our body?

>>434798
Working together better, general battle tactics, creating synergy.

>>434808
>>434816
>>434829
>>434851
Alright. Noted.

Writing.

Food just got ready, so this one update might take a tad bit longer. Just a heads-up.

In the mean time, you can discuss and determine what you'd like to do after you've spoken with Shén Kū.

>>434941
Maybe wander around town and try and trigger some random events? I think we've already done everything we originally planned to do.

>>434941

Practice combat stances and forms a bit. Clear your head, center yourself.

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>>434740
>General stuff
>Write-in options

...Shén Kū.

It has some spiritual meaning behind it, if you remember correctly. You’re not sure of what kind, but it sounds cool, right? No point giving it something of any real meaning since it won’t treasure it and anyone else who hears about it will not exactly have its name at the top of their list of worries. At the end of the day, the important thing is that you have something to call it instead of constantly referring to it as the Red Flower within you. It gets repetitive in a way that a name doesn’t.

The feeling that you’re being watched doesn’t fully leave you until you enter the Tree-Complex and make your way to your room. You spot Mei at the end of the hallway, but she doesn’t notice you before closing the door to her room. You could drag her along with you somewhere later, or maybe it’s still too soon for that? Nevertheless, you’re finally back in your room. With the Guardian Blade laid across your lap, you sit down on the leaf bed with your hands resting across its steel.

”We sense that you have questions, Lin. Ask, and we shall answer if it is within our grasp.” The Guardian Blade’s Red Flower resident’s voice echoes within your mind as your fingers trail across its cold steel.

“You know, sometimes a ‘welcome back’ can make all the difference.” You jibe it jokingly for its rudeness.

”We never left you nor did you leave us. One of us is this blade and the other is in your heart. Two or more individuals must be parted for a set amount time for the term ‘welcome back’ to be valid, no?” It replies factually. You shake your head at its logic. No point starting any more arguments today.

“Anyway, since it’s annoying calling you ‘Red Flower’ all the time, I’ve decided to name you: Shén Kū.”

”Such things matters not for us. Indulging in names is a fruitless effort for individuality.”

“Frankly, I don’t care. That’s what I’m calling you, like it or not.” You raise your eyebrow at it and judging by its silent response, it doesn’t find this point worth arguing. Score! 1-0 to Lin! With that settled a bit less awkwardly than you had imagined it would be, you continue with the questions you’ve had for a while. You didn’t have a chance to have talk with Shén Kū in private like this since before your mission out into the western front.

>Continued

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>>435158

“So, I’ve been wondering, Shén Kū. This bond we, uh, share right now. Are you fine with it? I never really thought to ask until now.”

”This mutual symbiosis of ours works in both of our favor. There is nothing to not be ‘fine’ with how our ‘relationship’ currently works.” It continues with its usual factual answers, but you can see the logic in that. However, you were looking for more of an emotional response. Maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree?

“Alright, I guess.” You reply reluctantly, letting the issue rest for now, “Then I need to know if there’s anything I can do to like, I don’t know, increase my own powers or give me new cool abilities, besides giving you control of my body?” To be honest, the question has been on your mind for quite a while, but you haven’t had the time or the desire to ask until now. You need to get stronger if you’re going to fulfill your dream. Shén Kū takes a while to respond, but eventually you hear its echoing voice again.

”Not that we know of. The White Wolf within you is in constant conflict with us, so our attention is often in a divided state, but even if it were to stop its struggle, we do not see any reason why that would strengthen us or you.”

You muse over Shén Kū’s answer for a couple of moments, imagining how you could get whatever this White Wolf within is to calm down and come to terms with Shén Kū, but since it doesn’t talk, listens, or makes any effort at all to make itself known to you, it’s a hard-pressed issue to solve.

”Do you wish to know anything else?”

>Yes! (Such as?)
>Nothing else for now, Shén Kū.

>>435159
>>Yes! (can you grow without hurting me or the white wolf? What would it do? Why do you second guess me in combat? Do you have any grasp of societal norms or combat stratagems?

>>435159
>Is it possible for you to covertly gather information from your brethren?

>>435159
>Yes! (Do you... have any objective besides staying alive? You seem content with the status quo.)

>>435172
>>435198
>>435208
Alright. Unless you have any other questions, these 3 will be the last ones.

Writing.

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>>435159
>Yes!

You linger a while longer on the bed with the Guardian Blade in your lap as you sort your thoughts out, trying to figure out which question to ask next. It eventually dawns on you.

“Yes, I wanna know why you keep second guessing me in combat? It’s annoying and if you do at the wrong time, we’ll both die, Shén Kū.” You continue with your session of questions to your newly named Red Flower. It spares no time to promptly reply in a way that describes its thought process exactly as is.

”We only second guess you if your actions are more detrimental to our shared survival than winning a confrontation.” Its answer leaves you quiet for a moment. You hate being second guessed, but if it means you’ll have a higher chance of survival, maybe the added annoyance is worth it? No, not really, but you can’t force it stop. You’re not sure how to properly reply, so you leave it hanging and move on to the next question.

“Is it possible for you to covertly gather information from you own kind?” You ask this more for Rushi’s sake than your own, if you’re honest with yourself.

”Not that we know of. We haven’t had contact with our own kind on a communicational level since before we came to be within you. It is an uncertainty with low chances of possibility given our connection with one their greatest enemies.”

“So you don’t have any other objectives but survival, Shén Kū?” The question leads back to the conversation on status quo from a few minutes ago, yet it’s still relevant.

”We do not have any desires, ambitions, or goals to speak of. Survival is the only option left to us, so we choose to excel in that for our continued existence. What our existence will finally amount to is up to you, Lin.”

-

With your Guardian Blade attached to your back, you finally leave the Tree-complex behind. It’s still a few hours until you can speak with Chen’dao, so for now you should find something else to do.

>What do you want to do next?

____

End of the session. Q&A if you want it. If not, Twitter is at the top, thread has been archived, next session happening tomorrow (Tuesday) at 19:30 CET this time. Thanks for playing! Sorry for slowing down at the end of this session.

>>435482
Practice with our blade. Explore the town. Tell the boss about the dissolution of team 2.

>>435482
Build your relationship with Chao
*wink* *wink* ;)

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Some fanart of Sensei that we got from Heliophage. Might get more in the future.

>>435482
thanks for running shonen

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>>435846
Thanks!

>>435482
Practice your swordsawooship.

>>435482
>Practice your swordsawooship with Chao

>>435495
>>435538
>>436101
>>436624
Calling the vote.

Writing momentarily.

File: Chao.jpg (239 KB, 850x1275)

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>>435482
>Practice your swordsmanship with Chao.

“Hmph, what do we do now?” You muse out loud to yourself and Shén Kū, who’s attached to your back where it belongs. It’s in the middle of the afternoon. Not yet evening, but far from noon. The village isn’t as buzzing with life as it is every morning and early on, but there’s still guardians about mixed in with what few villagers you’ve seen out in the open so far.

”Keeping your swordsmanship sharp and evaluate your stance before a battle is ideal. Helps you focus and prepare yourself mentally and physically.” Shén Kū suggests. A prompt you decide to follow up on, given that no other ideas pops into your head. The training area it is. Last time you were there, you got yourself enough irritated glances to last a lifetime, but you’ll ignore them this time around.

Upon reaching the area, you find it mostly abandoned, with only a few groups of Guardians around. They’re sparring with each other and training together. You contemplate training your stance and technique on your own for a second before your eyes land on the lone figure off to the side, staring at the encircled ring where people can fight training matches with each other. With wooden weapons or bare-handed.
Chao.

Should I…? The thought is an interesting one, but should you do it? So far you’ve had a slow and not-so-bright day, given your good bye with Heim, so you jump on this one idea to lighten things up. Upon reaching him, you hit the back of his shoulder blade, breaking his line of thought abruptly.

“What the..:!” He starts off, raising his right fist at you before registering that it’s you, “Why do you persist on hitting me, Capt’n?” He questions you with a pained smile, rubbing his shoulder blade.

“I take what chances I can get.” You reply with a smug smirk before motioning to the ring, “Wanna have a go?”

“I don’t know…” Chao trails off, his gaze following your hand to the ring and then back to you, his smile never fading, “Think you could handle getting a taste of your own medicine?”

>”When it comes to this kind of medicine, I’m the healer, not the patient.” [Confidence]
>”You’ll choke on this medicine, Chao.” [Ruthlessness]
>”No weapons, only fists, three rounds. Safe word is: I’m a bitch.” [Professional Fun]
>Write-in.

____
Internet died on me. It's back up now. Here's hoping it won't go down again tonight.

>>437914
>>”You’ll choke on this medicine, Chao.” [Ruthlessness]

>>437914
>>”When it comes to this kind of medicine, I’m the healer, not the patient.” [Confidence]

>>437914
>”No weapons, only fists, three rounds. Safe word is: I’m a bitch.” [Professional Fun]

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>437927
1

>>437932
2

>>437945
3

>>437914
>”No weapons, only fists, three rounds. Safe word is: I’m a bitch.” [Professional Fun]
lets do this

oh boy we better roll good, cant have chao bet us arther talking smack and in front of people

File: Human Children.jpg (17 KB, 518x350)

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>>437914

“When it comes to this kind of medicine, I’m the healer, not the patient.” You reply in confidence as you leap into the ring.

“The last words of a loser.” Chao chuckles, throwing a glance over at the racket of wooden swords, “Steel or wood?” He let’s you decide, even if the choice is rightfully his as the challenged one. This duel can draw blood on either side for all you care, but you’d rather not risk any real wounds on you or Chao with the assault around the corner.

“Wood.” You decide and catch the wooden blade thrown your way before Chao enters the ring as well, swords in hand.

“Two blades versus one, huh?” You note his two blades, to which he only laughs in the kind of mocking way only he can perform.

“1, 2, 3, go!” He rushes you!

____

The summer breeze rolled across the golden field, pulling the harvest into a swaying dance. A dance only nature knows. Amidst the field and upon the dusted, beaten roads leading in-between them there ran children, screaming and laughing at and with each other. While they were living their childhood to the fullest, enjoying the incoming summer and the added freedom it brought, the farmers worked their backs into ruin upon the fields, harvesting the food for this month and months to come. At the start of every summer, farmers across the countryside began to store a portion of their monthly harvest for the incoming harsh winters. It had become an unspoken rule years ago, after an especially daunting winter season when starvation claimed the life of hundreds of families after a poor harvest in autumn.

Upon the hill overlooking the vast golden field stood two particular children; two human boys. One older than the other, both with different hair colours, but brothers all the same. Through both blood and family bonds. While the little brother was too young to play with any of the other children on the field, the big brother was not too old, albeit too responsible to do so with his brother around. He had just delivered a message to his father’s friends, the head of this collective of farmers that tended the golden field. He had merely nodded with a furrowed brow at the message before silently, and rudely, sending the boys on their way.

The older brother let go of his little brother's hand and gazed at the path at the root of the hill. If they followed it to the east, it would eventually take them to a village three days away, while the west held nothing but a mystery to him. The northern path lead back to his village that lay one hour’s walking distance away.

The brother was eventually pulled away from his dark thoughts by something tugging at his sleeves. His little brother was getting anxious to get home, no doubt. The older brother didn’t share that sentiment, knowing full well what awaited them back home.

>Go home. Despite everything, you don’t have the heart to worry your ma’.
>Wait in defiance for your worthless uncle to come and fetch you both.

>>438071
>>Go home. Despite everything, you don’t have the heart to worry your ma’.
Alternatively run away to the West!

>>438071
>>Go home. Despite everything, you don’t have the heart to worry your ma’.

>>438071
>>Go home. Despite everything, you don’t have the heart to worry your ma’.
aa big bad wolf is going to do something

>>438106
>>438121
>>438122
Calling the vote!

Writing.

>>438071
>Go home. Despite everything, you still don’t have the heart to worry your ma’.

Even if the older brother wanted to head west or east, the northern path was still the only choice he had. He wouldn’t survive the journey east and going west without knowing where it leads would be a fool’s errand. Even he understood that, young as he was. His hand found that of his little brother and the younger child grasped it hard, determined to not let go. A naive and innocent smile grew across the little brother’s features when he made eye contact with the big brother he trusted with everything. The brother gave him a fake smile, only to assure him that everything’s alright.

On the way home, clouds gathered above and before reaching the village, the rain was upon them. The older brother pulled his little brother up on his back, wrapping his cloak around him to protect him from the cold rain before he began to trek the last of the journey home in a hurried pace. Eventually, the pair of brothers reached the village and the rain had yet to let up. Pools of water had formed across the village and it looked empty and sad. When they left, the village was filled with life, but everyone must have sought shelter from the rain.

Upon navigating through the village in the cold rain that was starting to pour down harder and faster by the second, the pair found their home. The eldest of the brothers tried to open the door, only to find it locked. He grinded his teeth in frustration, knowing that this was the work of their uncle. He must have gotten an earful from their father when he found out his brother had sent his children out alone to deliver the message he tasked their uncle with. He’s always taking his anger out over the two brothers, but never with violence. Only pitiful acts like locking two kids out in the pouring rain. Fortunately, the window at the side of the house facing the alleyway created between the two closely seated houses, was open. The brother helped his little brother inside first before climbing in as well.

The interior of the home was largely left in the dark, with no candles lit to speak of. Strange. Ma’ always lit some candles when it was raining. After finding their way into the largest room of the house, they found the hearth bathed in fire. There he left his little brother to warm himself up while scouring the home for his ma’ who was seemingly nowhere to be found. Eventually the sound of crying reached the brother in his hunt throughout the house. It’s distant echo lead him across the house left in shadows until he reached his pa’ and ma’s bedroom. The door was unlocked and stood half-open.

>Continued

File: Alone.png (91 KB, 500x281)

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>>438244

The sight within became the turning point for this young boy’s life.

The older brother came upon his uncle, thrusting himself into his crying ma’ who was laid bare and held down by the corner of her bed. The man, resembling an animal more than a human, grunted in a most inhumane manner while calling the boy’s ma’ all sorts of foul words and laughed in-between his violent thrusts. Ma’ kept on crying, begging for him to stop, but he wouldn’t heed her pleads. Upon seeing her boy at the entrance, ma’ started crying harder, hitting the man over her, begging him to stop. He still wouldn’t listen.

In this heated moment, the boy turned his back against the man that had once been his uncle and his ma’, but his eyes didn’t fall upon the open door leading out of the room. No, his eyes wandered to his father’s prized hunting dagger, leaning with its tip and grip upon the nearby chair.

Remember, son; never feel pity for the animals you hunt. You are a Human, the apex predator upon this good earth. - the words of his father came back to him out of context as his hand reached out for the dagger.

But did he have the courage and the rage?

>He did.
>He didn’t.

>>438246
>>He didn’t.

>>438246
>>He did.
Time to get juicy.

>>438246
>He did.

>>438246
>>He did.

>>438251
>>438253
>>438273
>>438275
Calling the vote!

Writing.

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>>438246
>He did

Within his eyes burned an emotion he hadn’t felt before. It was a feeling that would shape his life and etch him to the being he became. It wasn’t anger nor hatred. It was an emptiness that few to none could fully explain. His gaze trained itself upon the hunting dagger, no longer trying to ignore the grunting of his beastly monster of an Uncle and his Ma’s crying and desperate pleading. He was embracing the feeling that swelled up inside of him when he heard it. Before he could think, his hand reached out for the hunting dagger and everything turned black as everything within him bottled up and unleashed itself in the form of something inhumane in return.

-

When he came to, he was standing at the same spot he stood when everything went dark. He felt something hot and wet upon his face and hands. His Ma’ was sitting in her bed, the covers over the torn clothes on her body, with her back against the wall. She was staring at her son the entire time with teary eyes filled with fear. She looked nothing but afraid at the sight of her firstborn son. His eyes wandered from his frozen mother to the body sitting with its back against the nearby wall. He spotted countless open holes in the dead man’s gut and chest area, along with slashes that had violently opened the corpse’s throat. His tunic had turned red from white, with both eye sockets missing their eyes, and Pa’s prized hunting dagger lodged in his skull, pinning him to the wall.

The boy’s gaze fell upon his hands. They were wet and dark red, dripping with his Uncle’s blood. He turned to look at himself in the broken mirror his Pa had told his brother to replace days ago, but never gotten around to doing. That’s when he caught sight of the worst of it.

He was smiling, eyes gleaming with pride.

>Continued

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>>438355

Sedgwick stared at his own image in the cold water after washing his face. He didn’t look the same as he did when he was but a child. Not since he accepted the Fire into his body and soul. His little brother was long gone, and yet he felt nothing but that constant, empty feeling from before whenever he thought back on those days. The days of his youth.

“Sedgwick!” A man called out to him and he looked up from the water, his face and white hair still dripping wet. His eyes met the other older man who nodded elsewhere, with a body, hair, and face much like his own. In his little brother’s absence, Sedgwick had found a twin brother to take care of and be taken care of. They were twins in all but blood, for they share a piece each of the same Fire, so graciously given to them by their Queen.

“Yeah, I’m coming, Herwick!” Sedgwick replied as he took off after his twin brother, stealing one last glance at the bucket half-filled with water.

____

Chao is charging you down!

Roll for Combat!
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC = 7
>Combat [+++] = +1 to all dices.

Rolled 2, 8, 10 = 20 (3d10)

>>438365
How did rolling work again, hope I got it right...

>>438370
DC Reached!

Vote:

>Full on Aggressive reproach.
>Passive, dodging stance.
>Defensive stance mixed with a counter-attacking technique.
>Write-in.

>>438395
>Defensive stance mixed with a counter-attacking technique.

>>438395
>>Full on Aggressive reproach.

>>438395
>>Defensive stance mixed with a counter-attacking technique.

>>438395
>>Full on Aggressive reproach.
Ties are good right?

>>438435
no.

>>438435
Yes.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>438435
>Ties are good right?
I don't mind them, but I think players that want a certain prompt might not like them. Just a thought.

>>438401
>>438410
1

>>438409
>>438435
2

>>438395
>>Defensive stance mixed with a counter-attacking technique

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>>438365
>DC Reached
>Defensive stance mixed with a counter-attacking technique.

Chao is upon you in a second’s notice. His violent and quick attacks with both wooden swords strikes at different sections of your body, pushing you back through the ring with pain. His unpredictable style and aggressive stance makes it hard to adapt and find a footing of your own.

”Assume a defensive stance and focus on countering his foolhardy aggressiveness.” Shén Kū chimes in through Chao’s merciless flurry of strikes, aimed at your openings while forcing you backwards.

“I know!” You hear yourself shouting through your clenched teeth.

“You know what?!” Chao laughs mockingly, but you do your best to ignore him. The second you swing your blade horizontally down to your left, parrying both strikes heading your way, you finally find the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. With one last step back, your proper guard is finally up and awaiting Chao’s next aggressive advance. Upon his next assault, you parry the first strike, blocking the other with a push, breaking the stance of your fellow guardian.

With an opening straight ahead, your countering attack is a success! The wooden blade connects with Chao’s face, sending him reeling backwards a few steps as the two of you move back into the center of the ring. You notice the wet trail of blood from his nose when he looks back at you, ready to continue the duel.

>Counter him before he can find his stance again with your own aggressive moves.
>Remain in a defensive stance while maintaining a countering technique. Let him regain his footing and resume his advance.
>Write-in.

>>438552
>>Counter him before he can find his stance again with your own aggressive moves.

>>438552
>>Counter him before he can find his stance again with your own aggressive moves.

>>438552
>Counter him before he can find his stance again with your own aggressive moves.
We can't let him build up his momentum.

>>438563
>>438568
>>438570
Calling the vote.

Roll for Combat!
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC = 7
>Combat [+++] = +1 to the dice.

Rolled 7, 1, 6 = 14 (3d10)

>>438598

Rolled 8, 2, 7 = 17 (3d10)

>>438598
Daisu~

>>438600
>>438601
DC reached.

Writing.

Rolled 6, 2, 9 = 17 (3d10)

>>438598

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>>438552
>Counter him.

You advance on him before he can find his footing and assume another stance, ready to either bloody him further or possibly end the duel altogether. However, knowing Chao, he’ll only allow you to do the former before the latter. It happens just as you expected it would; before he can put his guard up or find proper balance, you’re upon him, striking at his left hand first and foremost. The wooden blade hits home, forcing the second weapon out of Chao’s hand. You’re able to get in another solid strike in his ribs before his roundabout kick punishes your aggressive and careless advance to end the duel early. The kick almost hits you across the jaw, but luckily it only breaks your advance when you dodge it, but it leaves you both enough time to regain your footing before the duel can resume.

However, just as you’re about to clash with your blades again, you see a stone flying into the ring in-between you both. One second there’s a stone in the air and the next, it’s been replaced by something white, with a flashing steel swirling about in several wide arcs. The blade cuts your wooden swords into pieces before the unknown figure falls to the ground, swiping its leg across yours, sending you crashing to the dry forest floor with a thud. You watch it rise in a split-second, charging a kick into the surprised Chao’s chest. He descends to the ground as violently as yourself.

“By the Tree, what the fuck!?” You hear him shout out in a daze as your eyes seek out the figure standing in-between the two of you. It’s an Awoo with a rare pale skin, but the thing that catch your attention is her eyes. There’s no mistake about it; those are the same red eyes you saw earlier outside Heim’s window!

“Can I also play with you?” She giggles through her question, looking primarily at you with a sense of wonder.

>Attack her with what’s left of your wooden sword!
>Charge her with your Guardian Blade!
>Get up and ask her who she is and where she just came from.
>Write-in.

>>438640
>Attack her with what’s left of your wooden sword!

Might as well play along.

>>438640
>>Get up and ask her who she is and where she just came from.
Grab our guardian blade and ask it if it can sense anything.

>>438640
>>Get up and ask her who she is and where she just came from.

One: Who the fuck.
Two: WHY the fuck.
Three: No fucking actual steel.

>>438640
>>Get up and ask her who she is and where she just came from.

>>438640
>Get up and ask her who she is and where she just came from.

>>438643
>>438655
>>438659
>>438669
>>438676
Calling the vote!

Writing.

File: Yu2.png (1.7 MB, 1140x1600)

1.7 MB PNG

>>438640
>Get up and ask her questions.

While getting up, you catch sight of the unknown pale Awoo girl kicking a charging Chao down on the ground again. Her fixated gaze never really leaves you, staring at you in wonder and amazement as if you’re Kafuu in the flesh. It’s something new to you and it’s very unsettling, albeit flattering in a weird way.

“Who are you?” You start off, blinking at her confusingly, “And more importantly, where did you come from?” You can’t help but scratch the back of your head, wondering to yourself if it was really a stone you saw or it was the pale Awoo all along? She giggles at you before driving the grip of her guardian blade shaped as a Katana into Chao’s solar plexus. He backs off, holding both knees to regain his lost breath in frustration.

“I’m Yu, and I came from over there.” She introduce herself upon approaching you, left hand stretched out and her right index finger pointing over yonder at the edge of the training camp. Before you can ask, she continues enthusiastically, “You might wonder, ‘how did she get from there to here’, right? Right? Well~ It’s my Balance Ability!” She shouts out in a flashy way that makes you cringe a bit at her awkwardness, “I call it Switch!” Her exciting tone never fades and upon ending her prolonged introduction, she promptly shows you what she’s talking about when she pulls out a stone from a pouch hanging at her belt. It looks like it’s filled with small rocks and pebbles. She throws it a few meters to the side within the ring and suddenly she’s gone. She disappeared from your sight and in her stead, the same rock she threw lies in front of your feet.

“That’s Switch!” She exclaims wildly from the other side of the ring before running up to you again, grabbing onto your hands, her face extremely close to yours. You just barely spot Chao a bit away, finally regaining his composure. “What’s your Balanced Ability, Raubtier?!”

This girl is nuts.

>Tell her your Balanced Ability is a secret. [Lie]
>Confess that you don’t have one and don’t know what it is. [Truth]
>Ignore her for now and ask Chao if he knows what she’s talking about.
>Write-in.

>>438795
>>Confess that you don’t have one and don’t know what it is. [Truth]

>>438795
>Confess that you don’t have one and don’t know what it is. [Truth]
Can we ask her how she discovered hers?

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>>438812
>Can we ask her how she discovered hers?

>>438795
>>Ignore her for now and ask Chao if he knows what she’s talking about.
Bringing an ally might be handy even if he did get his ass handed to him by her.

>>438820
In fact now that I think about it, is The White Wolf our Balanced Ability? Because it's the only thing besides Shén Kū that would fit that description.

>>438831
I don't know. Is it?

>>438806
>>438812
>>438822
Calling the vote!

Writing.

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>>438795
>Confess.

“I, uh…” Her exciting eyes makes it hard to disappoint her, but lying doesn’t give off the best first impression. Then again, being ‘you’ isn’t a best first impression from the very get go, “I don’t have one. I don’t even know what it is?” You confess, ready to watch her excitement fade. However, you’re proven mistaken by your assumption when she only gets more hyper-active, jumping up and down, pulling at your sleeves.

“Really!? That’s great! Then we can discover Raubtier’s ability together!” She both sounds and looks like a crazy person and given her personality, you wouldn’t put the possibility past her, but you have to confess that she’s caught your attention about these ‘Balanced Abilities’. Seeing someone travel in an instant from one place to another without actually moving puts a dent in your logic and how you look at the world. Chao joins the two of you, keeping himself at a wide distance from Yu upon approaching. She doesn’t pay him any attention even when he finds his place next to you, staring at the pale Awoo girl who’s shorter than both of you.

“How did you discover yours?” You add on, still in the dark about this whole ordeal, all too dazed and confused to consider anything else. She lights up, releasing her grip of your arms and sleeves.

“I just think happy thoughts and I can do it. You try it!” Her smile is wide and eternal, but also kinda creepy. The entire notion that you’ll get some cool ability of your own if you think happy thoughts is ridiculous, which Chao promptly points out to which Yu only sticks her tongue out at him, shaking her head demeaningly in a childish way. It infuriates Chao, but he keeps himself from starting any future fights with her until he knows her fighting style and what stances she uses. He has zero intentions to have his ass handed to him again by this short albino dwarf of an Awoo.

>Continued

File: Awoo.jpg (69 KB, 472x472)

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>>438935

You try your best to think some happy thoughts, like your gran-gran when she was alive, the village you lived in, the smell of your gran-gran’s tea, the bird she kept around herself, and the lessons you had with Sensei. Other moments start to pop up as well, like the excitement you felt every time you dove into Sensei’s lake and swam up to his home, and all the fun you had playing with Chao when you two were still friends and there was no rivalry to speak of. Good childhood memories.

“Alright, I’m thinking happy thoughts. Now what?” You ask aloud, your eyes still closed as you visualize your happy memories.

“Now it’s just supposed to happen if you concentrate.” Yu explains offhandedly. It probably comes naturally for her. You continue to focus on your memories and try to do some weird moves while walking about the ring with your eyes closed. Nothing happens. Instead, you hear Chao chuckling at how silly you look. If you can attain one of these ‘Balanced Abilities’ before Chao, it would be evident who’s ahead of who.

“Gah!” You eventually stop abruptly, facing Yu and Chao, “Nothing happens.”

“Hmph.” Chao shrugs, not sure what to tell you. Yu let herself fall down to the ground with her butt, assuming a thinking position.

“Maybe happiness is not Raubtier’s trigger? What can ‘it’ be? Think, Yu, think!”

>Suggest another approach. (Such as?)
>Drop the whole thing for now and ask Yu something else. (Like?)
>Consult Shén Kū.
>It’s about this time that Chen’dao comes off-duty. Maybe you could ask him about it?
>Go ask Mei. She might have heard or read something about it while spending time with the ever so studious Jin?
>Write-in.

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End of session for tonight! It continues tomorrow (Wednesday) at 18:00-19:00 CET this time around! Twitter is at the top and thread has been archived. Q&A if you want, but if not, thank you for playing and I'll hopefully see you tomorrow!

>>438939
>>It’s about this time that Chen’dao comes off-duty. Maybe you could ask him about it?

>>438939
Knowing our luck our trigger is Fear or Anger.
>Have Yu pick up whatever's left of the wooden sword and tell her to attack us at full power. Hopefully that'll help trigger our Balance Ability.

>>438939
>>Suggest another approach. (Such as?)
Does love fall under happy thoughts? That and anger are on the top of my list of shonen power up triggers. Maybe Justice or Hope if we're just gonna sit here testing things out. Though that might be a bad idea in and of itself if our ability turns out to be some AoE that trashes the training grounds.

File: 1465164155991.gif (3.64 MB, 300x169)

3.64 MB GIF

>>439030
>Does love fall under happy thoughts?
Who knows~?

>>439030
>>439056
but who would we love?>It’s about this time that Chen’dao comes off-duty. Maybe you could ask him about it?
and dont you say chao

>>439461
I have to agree- I'm not on board the Chao train. It just seems kinda...I dunno, I just don't like the idea. I see them better as just friends.

Maybe the trigger is OVERWHELMING DESPAIR.

>>438939
>>It’s about this time that Chen’dao comes off-duty. Maybe you could ask him about it?

File: 1469911137381.png (224 KB, 600x455)

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>>439522
>OVERWHELMING DESPAIR.

Session starts in 4-5 hours and 20 minutes.

>>438939
>Think back to the fight against the Grim Knight.

>>439522
yer same thow friends is the best we can get, more like fight buddys then anything
so shes going to have to bang someone eils if anyone can stay alive long enugh around her

>>439864
If everyone prefers Lin to love some future character, can Chao get jealous, at least?

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>>440067
>Muh Ming

Session starting soonish.

>>440095
That'll happen when your character gets put on a bus. Plus it seems pretty infeasible considering they have different Guardian roles and there is no way Ming would join Lin's suicide squad. Unless your hinting that Lin joins the Realm Guardians out of frustration from losing team members or incompetence at her job and thus forced to become one.

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>>438939
>Ask Chen’dao

After trying a few other things - such as experiencing pain or anger to try and trigger it - it’s decided that you’ll go ask someone that might know more about it. Chen’dao is the only one that comes to mind, seeing as Shén Kū no doubt knows just as much as you do about this phenomena. All its ever talked about was itself and the White Wolf, and nothing about any ‘Balanced Ability’, unless your Berserker Mode is that ability? That could explain a lot, especially how Shén Kū created it through the awakened white wolf within you, but it would also be anti-climatic after you got yourself so worked up over a possible new ability.

On your way out from the training area, Chao is walking ahead of the both of you, Yu keeps herself uncomfortably close to you on your left. Something dawns on you that you realized before, but ignored in the face of greater questions.

“Yu.” You speak up and the pale Awoo jumps in excitement at the sound of your voice.

“Yes~?”

“Have you been following me the entire day?” You think back on the many times you felt as though someone’s been watching you and how her eyes look exactly like the ones you saw outside of Heim’s window. You look over at her and you’re meet with a wide grin resembling that of a child who was complimented by her big sister for doing something good. You take it as her answer and continue your march out from the training area and into the rest of the village.

I get the feeling this is the start of a very long afternoon...

____

“Where did ya’ hear about that?” Chen grimaces at the prospect of doing a lot of talking and no drinking after his shift, “Don’tcha have anyone betta’ to go to?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Chao remarks, throwing a glance at the other officers still on duty and those who are off-duty and are leaving the Guardian Quarters. Most of them are trying their best to not look over at Raubtier in the group’s midst. You notice that chao frowns at them for but a second. Chen’dao sighs in defeat and brings the trio into an off-sectioned room away from the entrance. Despite being over ground, you spot some veins and roots hanging down from the ceiling. Probably caused by the aerial roots that most of the trees in this village possesses.

“Whatcha wanna know about it?”

>Well, what do you want to know?

>>440206
>Everything you know.

>>440206
What is it, how common is it, are there common ways to activate it, and are there any particular drawbacks?

>>440206
The basics. How it works, what it does, how we activate it and why no one told us about it before.

>>440206
Do all Awoo have one
Do you have a manifested one
Why is it not public knowledge / Why is it suppressed knowledge (because he asked "How do you know about it?")

If I have one, how would I go about manifesting it?
Would my "White Wolf" be a manifestation?

>>440206
That balanced ability thingamabob obviously.

>>440245
>>440247
>>440251
>>440255
>>440264
Calling it!

Writing.

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>>440206
>Questions

“Just tell us what you know.” Any specific questions can wait until he’s told you more about it. Yu wasn’t of much help on that front. She only seems to know how to use it herself, and not how to trigger it in others or what it is in more depth. Hopefully Chen knows more.

“That be sounding like a tall order.” Chen groans, but steps up to the task nonetheless. He’s the senior right now, so he should make himself useful to his junior Guardians.

“Balance Abilities is what we call ‘em. No idea what them Guardians of Old called ‘em, but those were the ones who used these abilities. Every guardian of old had an unique ability of their own, see. Kafuu had a protective shield of sorts, as you mighta guess from the barriers. ‘Em abilities were created and used by mixing ya’ inner Yin and Yang, like ya’ do when ya’ mix two elements togetha’, but inside, see?” Chen explains and you remember the trial with Sensei when you held a piece of the Hedge Stone inside his lake and you acted like a catalyst for the Yin and Yang between the two elements. The fusion created your former Guardian blade that got destroyed up at the assault in the North. It feels like it happened ages ago, even it’s only been a short while since then.

“So what, does all Guardians have an unactivated Balance Ability of their own?” Chao chimes in, and Chen takes a breather before continuing.

“Can’t say that be the case, lad. Ya’ see, the Balance Abilities kinda died out with the Guardians of Old. The only two recorded cases of any of ‘em abilities in anyone happened twice fifty years after ‘em barriers went up. After that, no other abilities ‘ave been sighted. Kinda the reason ya’ haven’t heard about it before. People don’t be talking about it because they be more like legends and myths than anything else at this point, see?” You eye Yu throughout the middle of Chen’s speech about Balance Abilities. A butterfly that came in from the open hole in the wall caught her attention and she’s bewildered by it more than she’s interested in what Chen’dao is talking about.

>Continued

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>>440435

“And Yu is the third case of it resurfacing in centuries?” You throw a glance back at Chen and he scratches the back of his fur-covered head.

“Things be looking that way, ye’. I didn’t get tha’ letter, but some of me fellow officers have been running around tha’ village, lookin’ for a pale Awoo girl fresh from the Tree Guardians. Rushi sent a message and the girl ahead, claiming she be 'aving one of ‘em Balance Abilities, so there was a ruckus in the Quarters for a while when she was a no-show earlier today.” Chen eyes Yu as well whom has finally turned her attention back to the others only to find everyone else looking at her.

“Hm?” She looks at you with a puzzled look, pulling at your sleeve again.

“How does on ‘mix their own inner Yin and Yang’ then?” You continue the inquiry after roughing your hand through Yu’s fur, breaking her perplexed look.

“Can’t say I know, Raubtier. ‘Ave ya’ tried asking the young miss?” He nods towards Yu, and she quickly replies with a bright smile.

“I was of no help!” she giggles like that was joke. Chao would argue otherwise, but holds his tongue.

“Don’t know what else to tell ya’. I ain’t no expert about ‘em sort of things. I shuffle papers and wait around all day for a drink. Speaking of which-” His back stretch out and he yawns loudly before making his way over to the formerly closed door, “My shift is done. If ya’ still be interested in ‘em Balance Abilities, ask Rushi about ‘em when he comes. Can’t help ya’ further, Raubtier.” And with that, Chen’dao has left the trio of Guardians behind.

“So what now?” Yu asks, throwing her head out the open hole to feel the breeze and enjoy the afternoon sunlight.

>What do you want to do now? (Write-in.)
>Ask Yu and Chao want they want to do.

>>440441
>>Ask Yu and Chao want they want to do.

>>440441
>>Ask Yu and Chao want they want to do.
Lets just keep it in mind for when we bump into Rushi.

>>440441
>>Ask Yu and Chao want they want to do.

At this point admittedly I've ran out of ideas for stuff to do.

>>440441
Balance = internal ying and yang

Why not hit a library and find some solid yings and yangs? Light dark, happiness and sadness (=swapping somehow? Does Yu have issues she's masking? faking happiness = wearing a mask = swapping emotions = swapping?), Water and Earth (combined make the balanced world), Hot and Cold (the temperatures make the wind?), Fire and Ice = wind control???

>>440492
>Why not hit a library
The only locations available to you in this village have been stated in the third post. The village has no libraries, but it has other places where you can attain books.

>>440492
additionally, we're pretty stoic compared to Chao's passion. That's a ying/yang comparison...


Is our internal yang being passionate about something? Passion in battle compared to our general stoicism => Balance => White Wolf?

>>440501
Would've thought the Guardian Quarters has a library to access...

If not the Guardian Quarters, possibly the Market to find a book?

Would think Ying/Yang would be a well studied subject in the barrier, considering it seems like a lot of things are related to it...

And if that's the case... How well studied is the Red Flower and it's 'yang' within the walls? Guardian school oughta have some info from it.

>>440467
>>440471
>>440483
>>440492
Calling the vote.

Writing.

>>440528
>Would've thought the Guardian Quarters has a library to access...
It's just a Tree of residence larger than most other in the village that the Kenshin Company of Blood Guardians are currently occupying.

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>>440441
>Ask Yu and Chao what they want to do.

After Chen’dao leaves, it’s only the three of you left in the room. You still want to know more about these Balance Abilities and how to see if you have one or how to obtain one if you don’t. You need to become stronger to save everyone and achieve your dream. You can’t let yourself break the promise you swore. You’ll never let anyone close to you die ever again! An extra ability would go long ways to ensure that both of them come true.

However, there’s not much else but testing more stuff randomly until Rushi comes about. Maybe he can explain more, or is his knowledge as limited as Chen’s? Knowing about the aspects of Yin and Yang is textbook stuff and common knowledge that just about everyone, Guardian and Creature of the forest alike has to learn about, one way or the other. It’s the key to the society within the forest realms. Most day-to-day tasks are done with the help of Yin and Yang and the balance it creates, but mixing your inner counterparts to force something out from within is nigh unheard of in many circles as far as you know.

“Got any bright ideas?” You reply to her question, looking over at the two other Guardians in the room. Yu’s head remains planted outside the window while Chao glances up at the root-filled roof.

“I could go for a bite right about now.” Chao confess with a childish smile. You can also feel a distinctive hunger rising in your gut. Yu flies back into the room, grabbing onto your sleeve cheerfully.

“I wanna see your Red Flower, Raubtier! Please, please, plea~se!” She exclaims wildly, jumping up and down again. Your eyes narrow at her for a few moments. Why is she so curious about you and Shén Kū?

>Go eat.
>Let Yu speak with Shén Kū.
>Write-in.

>>440631
>>Go eat.

>>440631
>>Write-in.
Holy shit, stop promising shit like that. No, seriously, it's just plain not healthy.
>Go eat.

>>440631
>Let Yu speak with Shén Kū.

>>440631
>>Go eat.
Yu can just shoo, she's creepy.

>>440680
She's probably gonna end up on the suicide squad with us.

>>440690
That'd be great. We can toss her onto a pit of spikes or something. She just screams bad news. Not a very incharacter thing to do though, so I'll just see where this goes.

Grabbing something to eat. Vote will remain open until then. I'll be back in 30-40 minutes and then we'll continue.

Do as you wish until I return.

>>440631
Let's just tell Yu that it can't speak directly. We could let it have a conversation through us while eating. Nobody at the cafeteria will know that's what's going on as long as the questions aren't like "So what's it like being a Red Flower"

But yeah lets eat... But I do wanna push looking into Guardian knowledge of the Red Flower and it's Yang.

If the Red Flower Consumes to create more of itself, what depletes itself to create?
Still bet it's ice. Ice melts to create water which begets life.

>>440781
Or maybe it's air...
Air can feed fire or blow it out
Conversely, Fire can create currents of wind, but can also consume the air in a room, destroying itself with the air...

opposing but complementary...

>>440781
>>440794
The Red Flower doesn't have Yin or Yang. This was explained in the first thread by Sensei.

>>440647
>>440660
>>440678
>>440680
Calling the vote!

Writing.

>>440859
But he also said "Fear the Red Flower, but never cave to its promises nor to its corrupting touch."
Didn't stop us from stating we're symbiotic.

Considering corrupted Sensei appears to be teaching a human, he's living with it too.

Dunno, feels like the red flower can be balanced without going out of control.

>>440919
>Didn't stop us from stating we're symbiotic.
Lin was forced to during the trial after it had already been discovered.

>>440919
>Considering corrupted Sensei appears to be teaching a human, he's living with it too.
However much it's implied that it's Sensei and Ryoutarou is a human, it hasn't been confirmed or denied yet.

>>440631
>Go eat.

The grumbling of your stomach eventually leads the trio from the Guardian Quarters to the Inn, where they could get a decent meal. All the way out from the quarters, down the hill, and while waiting for the food, Yu is constantly asking you to see your Red Flower, but you deny her of it every time. However, she never grows frustrated nor does she give up. Even through the short meal consisting of two servings of rice and soup each she doesn’t let up. Her annoyance and persistence is quickly getting to you. She’s teetering on the edge of feeling your clenched fist in her face, but she abruptly stops when a growl leaves her stomach.

“I haven’t heard your side of things yet, Chao.” You sigh, watching Yu dig into her food before looking over at Chao, “Do you have any idea how to ‘mix our inner Yin and Yang’?” If anything, Chao always listened in on the teachers and instructors. Especially more than you, whom often relied on Ming to tell you later what you had missed. Even so, you always found yourself adapting and excelling on the practical end of things.

“No idea.” He replies softly, leaning back on his chair and stares into the roof of the Inn. It feels like he’s too passive about this all of the sudden. Like he’s hiding something.

“You sure?” You press on, but Chao suddenly rise from the table a few seconds before Yu finishes her meal.

“I just remembered I have somewhere to be. Catch you later, Capt’n.” He does a short, nonchalant hand wave before leaving the Inn. You contemplate tailing him to see where he’s off to, but maybe that’s taking it too far? He’s probably just going back into the forest, at his spot by the Tree-complex. Whatever he does in there is his privacy.

>Tail Chao.
>Take a moment to talk with Yu. (About?)
>Head back to the training area. If you can’t uncover your own Balance ability yet, you could learn how to deal with Yu’s Switch ability.
>Head to the market to try and find some more detailed books about Yin and Yang.
>Write-in.

>>440964
>>Tail Chao.
What could possibly go wrong?

>>440964
>>Tail Chao.

>>440964
>Tail Chao.

>>440964
>>Head back to the training area. If you can’t uncover your own Balance ability yet, you could learn how to deal with Yu’s Switch ability.

>>440964
>Head back to the training area. If you can’t uncover your own Balance ability yet, you could learn how to deal with Yu’s Switch ability.

>>440964
>Tail Chao.

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Going to have to end this session here. I was reminded that I have to get up early tomorrow. We'll finish the thread with one last session tomorrow (Thursday) starting at 20:00 CET. Vote is open until I call it tomorrow.

Twitter is up top, thread is archived. If you have any questions, comments, feedback about the quest or my QMing, leave them here and I'll get back to you tomorrow.

As always, discussion of any sort that has to do with the quest is always welcomed and highly appreciated even if I'm not here to partake in it.

Thanks for playing!

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>>441030
Last session of the thread starting in 8 hours. Might be able to push out various updates before then, but no promises.

Might as well mention it here as well: After this thread I might run a one-shot over the weekend, but if you guys want the climax of this Arc sooner, I'll continue with that instead. Up to you.

>>442822
I'm cool with you running the one shot.

>>442822
Eternal shruggles

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>>442860
>>442966
Great!

Last session of the thread in a few hours.

>>440973
>>440974
>>440981
>>440985
>>441008
>>441029
You've decided to tail Chao.

Roll for stealth.
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC = 7

Rolled 6, 10, 9 = 25 (3d10)

>>443287

Rolled 2, 5, 8 = 15 (3d10)

>>443287

Rolled 3, 1, 9 = 13 (3d10)

>>443287
I got this.

Rolled 4, 2, 2 = 8 (3d10)

>>443287

>>443289
>>443290
>>443298
DC Reached!

Writing.

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>>440964
>Tail Chao

Gran-gran taught you to treat others like you yourself want to be treated, but Chao is an excerpt from that golden rule in life from your experience with the bastard. He might care about others, but his own gain comes first and foremost in most cases. He’s not selfish by nature, but very competitive and self-centered. He’s dragged you down the same road of the former, but you always try your best to be the opposite of the latter.

You wait for a few seconds before rising to your feet, followed by Yu’s puzzled expression and inquiry, “Where are we going?” to which you put your index finger over your lips. She nods in silence for the first time - following your lead - excited as ever for an ‘adventure’. You’re not equally as excited, but you’re curious all the same. You’ve seen him enter that part of the forest several times now. There must be a good reason why. Hopefully that’s where he’s heading. You’re only on this inofficial stalker mission based on a hunch after all.

Chao moves through the light crowds of Guardians and the occasional villagers with ease, while you and Yu try your best to follow him without grabbing too much attention. Not the easiest task being whom you are, but instead of ignoring it, you throw angry glares at the nearby guardians looking your way with loathe. All they see are the eyes of a prowling animal before they scurry off, not too keen on picking a fight with the Guardian that slew the infamous Grim Knight. Despite your stares off to the sides angrily, Yu is luckily on Chao’s ass the entire time. If anything, she’s extremely good when it comes to following someone out of sight, especially given her ability to vanish right in front of them should they turn around.

That’s how she stalked me after all.

>Continued

>>443354
>Stay hidden. This is his secret. He’ll tell you when it’s time.

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>>443351

Doesn’t take long for Chao to lead the two of you into the thick scores of the forest where he disappeared to from time to time. You and Yu find some decent hiding spots in the nearby trees after Chao slows down and stops in the middle of a dense forest. No clearing and no valley this time. Just a wide field with trees at every corner and in all directions. You both watch as he pulls out all of his Guardian Blades - one after the other - and throws them skillfully into the nearby trees surrounding him. The thick and big sword, the three different Katanas, and the four matching knives all find their way into tree trunks of their own. After that, he becomes as onto a statue, still and vigil. His eyes are closed and he’s concentrating. From your back, you feel your Guardian Blade vibrate softly. You pull it out, and Yu tries her best to contain her excitement from what’s happening.

”We can feel something growing within your male companion. Something we’ve only felt traces of inside of you. Two abstract forms of nothingness, yet everything that we’ve never dared to interfere with. It’s rising within him, growing stronger and more evident. It’s as though the two forms are being forced together, slowly and clumsily.”

“He’s mixing Yin and Yang.” You whisper to yourself and Yu’s smile grows wider than you thought possible of an Awoo’s face muscles. Then, as if on cue, Chao opens his eyes. The left has turned black and the right has turned white. The shining lights fade as quickly as they appeared before his arms shoot out. You Guardian Blade vibrate violently, but not enough to make you drop it. The other Guardian weapons stuck in the trees are also vibrating forcefully, as if they’re trying to break free from the grasp of the trees and return to their rightful owner.

In the end, Chao falls to his knees and groans painfully before grasping for air rapidly to regain his breathing. The Guardian blades remain in the trees, but it’s noticeably that the lot of them have moved out from their tree trunks by a lot, close to getting free.

>Reveal yourself to Chao. Accuse him of lying to you.
>Stay hidden. This is his secret. He’ll tell you when it’s time.

>>443357
>>Stay hidden. This is his secret. He’ll tell you when it’s time.

>>443357
>>Reveal yourself to Chao.
Ask him to help us out and what exactly he was doing with his ability.

>>443357
>>Stay hidden. This is his secret. He’ll tell you when it’s time.

>>443357
>Reveal yourself to Chao.
And maybe point out that it's a dick move to keep techniques that could save a teammates life to himself just so he could look good.

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>>443356
>>443361
>>443368
+3 Stay hidden.

>>443363
>>443369
+2 Reveal yourself to Chao.

Roll endurance to quietly restrain Yu from revealing herself in her innocent and naive excitement.
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC = 7

Rolled 3, 2, 7 = 12 (3d10)

>>443386

Rolled 3, 2, 7 = 12 (3d10)

>>443386

Rolled 4, 8, 2 = 14 (3d10)

>>443386

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>>443388
>>443390
>>443396
DC Failed

Writing.

Rolled 3, 3, 6 = 12 (3d10)

>>443386

>>443390
>>443388
Now that's impressive. Good shit though, lets see what happens.

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>>443357
>Stay hidden.
>DC Failed

One part of you is frustrated and angry that he pretended like he didn’t know what Yu and Chen’dao was talking about and lied around it, but the rest of you realizes that just like you kept Shén Kū’s existence a secret for years, Chao must want to keep this a secret for now. Although you did it to not end up as an experiment, executed, or locked up in some cell to rot away. If Chao revealed his newfound ability, he’d get nothing but praise. If you get a Balance Ability, it will only give people all the more reasons to fear you.

After a brief argument with your inner self, you settle on letting Chao be the one to reveal it when he feels ready. Until then you’ll guard his secret ability, but you’re going to make damn sure that by the time he feels like opening himself to you and the others, there will be a greater Balance Ability there to greet him from his rival!

However, there’s still a wildcard that acts outside of your plan to keep your mouth shut; Yu. She’s beyond herself at the sight of someone sharing the power to utilize a Balance Ability. You’re fast enough to grab hold of her sleeve, but in your hurry, your grip ends up weak. She breaks free at once, using her ability to switch her way down close to Chao. In front of you there is now a small stick balancing on the thick branch. You groan irritatedly at your failure. The male Guardian finds himself stumbling into the nearest tree in shock from Yu’s sudden appearance outta nowhere. He collects himself at once and grinds his teeth in the greatest of frustrations.

“Lin!” He shouts for you and you realize that there’s no point hiding anymore. You leap down to him, landing next to Yu, shrugging at him as if to say ‘I’m sorry’.

“What the fuck are you two doing here!?” His voice is shaky, loud, and filled with a tempered fury.

>Confess that you followed him here out of curiosity. Apologize.
>Ignore his question and demand an answer to what he’s doing here.
>Blame it on Yu.
>Write-in.

>>443469
>>Ignore his question and demand an answer to what he’s doing here.

>>443469
>I was curious where you kept going, and why you lied to me before you left. Now I know.

>>443469
>Confess that you followed him here out of curiosity. Apologize.

>>443480
>Ignore his question and demand an answer to what he’s doing here.
Man, Chao really is the worst.

>>443469
>Ignore his question and demand an answer to what he’s doing here.

>>443469
>>Confess that you followed him here out of curiosity. Apologize.
Why do people hate Chao so much?

>>443475
>>443480
>>443481
>>443486
>>443487
>>443509
Calling the vote.

Roll for Social/Diplomacy
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC = 8

Rolled 5, 10, 3 = 18 (3d10)

>>443512
Dice~

Rolled 1, 10, 1 = 12 (3d10)

>>443512
ROLLAN

Rolled 3, 10, 10 = 23 (3d10)

>>443512
Aiming for that crit fail. >>443517 almost got it.

>>443517
>>443520
Man we missed both crits.

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>>443516
>>443517
>>443520
Instead you missed both crits.
DC Reached with flying colors though!

Writing.

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>>443469
>Demand an answer.
>DC Reached.

His anger triggers your own frustration that you fail to keep at bay. Chao has always had that effect on you and it’s been a mutual thing between you from your childhood up to this point. If one of you got angry, the other did as well. Didn’t much matter if it was at each other or a mutual anger towards something else. You constantly shared these moments of strong emotions. There’s no doubt in your mind that you’d be best friends, had it not been for your fallout and the rivalry that ensued.

“What are we doing here!? What are you doing here!?” You shoot back, getting yourself as worked up as Chao.

“I’m doing nothing!” Chao growls at you fearlessly, as if to pick a fight. A challenge you eagerly accept when you bare your fangs at the male Awoo, your hand tightening around the grip of your Guardian Blade as the both of you hunch down, assuming a stance each.

”This is a waste of time.” Shén Kū remarks offhandedly. You’re too worked up to heed its words.

You’re ready to leap onto Chao and he’s ready to dodge your assault and fetch one of his own blades for the upcoming battle between rivals. Although the tension is heated, Yu switches her way in-between you, trying to incapacitate you both like back in the ring. However, this time you’re both ready and leap backwards, out of her reach.

“Wow, you two fight a lot~!” She giggles, but her expression has turned serious. She’s ready in case a real fight breaks out, “Are we going to fight for real?” Her question is an honest and curious one, excited to test her mettle against Raubtier herself. Her fingers crack in a sickening manner as her psychotic gaze meets yours. Without knowing all of her moves and how to counter her Balance Ability, it’s evident that you’d lose this confrontation. Still, it’s worth a try, right?

>Start a fight.
>Calm down.
>Write-in.

>>443612
>>Start a fight.

>>443612
>>Start a fight.
Who are we even fighting? I imagine we can't just have a go at Chao since Yu will get in the way, so maybe it will turn into a 2 vs 1 against Yu?

>>443612
>Calm down.
Let's listen to Shén Kū, neither of them are worth a fight.

>>443627
It'll probably start as a free-for-all, but given Yu's ability, it could very well turn to a 2 vs 1 against Yu. That is, if you choose to fight.

>>443612
>>Calm down.

>>443612
>>Start a fight.

>>443617
>>443627
>>443630
>>443653
>>443660
You're starting a real fight in a SoL thread.

Roll for Combat.
Roll 3d10.
Best of 3
DC = 8
>Combat [+++] = +1 to the dice.