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Character and setting info: http://pastebin.com/u/MagicalPrincess
Archives (Episodes 1-59): http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Start+Over+Quest
Archives (Episodes 60+): http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Start+Over+Quest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagicalMarquise
Ask.fm: http://ask.fm/MagicalMarquise
Collection of character descriptions (WIP, courtesy of anon): http://pastebin.com/pzYffs0R
Collection of quest art (NSFW): http://imgur.com/a/2nEyB/layout/grid (NSFW)

>>480306
>PANIC.
>>”How do you know that?”.
>>>Fearbo- no.

>>480306
>”Who are you?”.
>”What were you doing in the lake?”.
The plot thickens

>>480306
>"How do you know that?".
>are you following me?

>>480306
>”Who are you?”.
>>”What were you doing in the lake?”.
>>”What do you want from me?”.

>>480306
>”How do you know that?”.
>”What were you doing in the lake?”.
Bit late for it to count, but might as well.

A sudden surge of panic rises from your heart and gets lodged in your throat. you gulp it down, trying to keep your own emotions in check. You risked your life out there just yesterday, you didn't need to be reminded of all the horrible things you had to go through. Especially not by a shady individual that seems to know a tad bit too much about what happened.

"Who are you and how do you know that?", you ask in one breath.

"Name's Krystal. With a k", she specifies, "I may not look like much... But I am actually an oracle".

If there's one thing life taught you is to never trust someone that says "I may not look like much" while talking about themselves. It is never a good sign. You've also been told since you were a child that oracles, palm readers and their like were charlatans and not to be trusted.

"That doesn't explain much", you press, "What were you doing in the lake and what do you want from me?".

"From you? I don't want anything from you. But you might want something from me, hence why I came all the way from there just to meet you. Am I not such a nice person?", the smile she makes is so bright it's disgusting, mostly because she has dropped a good part of her pretense of being an innocent maiden. "I just happen to live there, but I am a shy person and don't want to be with too many strangers at one time".

Which is why she's in Maner, which is so densely populated that there's places where you literally cannot fit through. Makes sense.

"I see you have a lot of questions for me", she continues, satisfied with the reaction she got, "I will grace you with answers then. I know more things than you do about vampires, and I know for certain that you will risk your life by going out until the situation has been dealt with. Permanently". She pauses, "Oh, and you will die if you ever decide to go alone beyond the safety of this town".

You're not sure whether she's just trying to scare you or she's actually warning you, but her tone and looks appear to be a little more serious than before, though never without a good baseline of smug and self-satisfaction. "How do you know that?", she repeats.

"Because I am an oracle", she smiles, "And because Those Who Don't Remember are so easy to predict. I believe they have just convinced themselves that you carry demonic blood within you, and if they drain you they will gain special, supernatural powers".

Frankly, you've had the same suspicion before. Does that make you an oracle as well?

“You will have to do something about it unless you wish to be the shortest monster brigade leader in recorded history. Which would be quite a mar on your office, seeing how you're the first, too”, she chuckles.

>”HOW do you know that?”.
>”Those who don't remember?”.
>”What do you suggest I do?”.
>”No one can read the future”.
>”Why me?”.
>”Is my blood that special?”.
>”Why should I trust you?”.
>PANIC.
>Run.
>Other?

>>480466
>Walk away slowly.

>>480466
>”Is my blood that special?”.

I mean, it probably isn't.

>>PANIC.

>>480466
>”Is my blood that special?”.
>”Those who don't remember?”.
>”What do you suggest I do?”.
Sure, i'll trust the creepy weird unsexy lady

>>480466
>"But I'd also be the longest-serving which is pretty impressive, right?
>”Those who don't remember?”.
>”Is my blood that special?”.

>>480466
>”No one can read the future”.
>”Why should I trust you?”.
I'm most interested in why she's bothering to warn us really. She doesn't seem that dangerous but we might as well ask these.

"The next thing you're going to say is...", she assumes a strange pose where she grasps her forehead with the tip of her fingers, "Is my blood that special?".

"Is m-", you stop. She totally got you. Look at that smug grin of hers she's just so full of self-satisfaction right now.

"It's not", she flat-out says, "Vampires need human blood. If your blood is inhuman, it will harm them more than it will help them, though considering they are Those Who Don't Remember they're beyond saving already, so not much would change for them", she shrugs.

Maybe. But a lot would change for you, that's for sure. "You keep saying those who don't remember. What does that mean?".

"They are vampires who were not properly raised and initiated. An embarrassment to their kin, really, and the reason for which there are nothing but horrible stories about vampires, while nearly nobody actually knows anything about them", she rolls her eyes in mild annoyance, "They are ravaging lunatics out for blood, trying in vain to sate a thirst they don't know how to quell. They form spontaneous groups with their own foul ilk and are held together by cults and beliefs that are laughable at best. They often try to propagate their condition by making more of themselves, but only succeed out of pure luck, if at all".

"Contrarily to... Properly raised vampires?", this sounds fishy.

"Yes. A vampire educated about his condition and properly initiated will certainly not stoop to such a level of savagery. It is entirely unnecessary and quite counter-productive actually", she seems mildly irritated as she speaks of this topic, "It is unfortunate that you ended up in this predicament. Really, it was nothing more than bad luck, had you not come there they would have kept feeding on the kobolds and eventually died out".

"And why should I trust you?", you ask, "No one can read the future".

"No one can", she agrees, "The future is a tangled mess of infinite possibilities and anyone who claims to be able to read it is a charlatan". Then, of course, she smiles, "But. Someone who is experienced and gifted enough can read the telltale signs of an event that will, most likely, unfold in the near future. Even those without such a gift can do it. Ever saw a situation or heard of a plan and though "Ooooh this can't be good"? Were you right? Congratulations. Being an oracle is like that, but you can actually see the possible futures". She gives you a long look, then brightens her smile, "For example, you should give up on that bunnygirl, you'll never make her happy. And don't make long-term plans with the half-elf either".

>”What do you suggest I do about the vampires?”.
>”You're just another charlatan. Bye”.
>”How do you know so much about vampires?”.
>”What's the matter with Bryld?”.
>”What's the matter with Tahenohan?”.
>”I wasn't planning on doing either”.
>”I'm not committed to either of them”.
>PANIC.
>Other?

>>480645
>Slap her.

>>480645
>PANIC.
>"Are you suuuure you're not just a fortuneteller?"
>"What's the matter with them exactly?"
>”What do you suggest I do about the vampires?”.

>>480645
>”What's the matter with Bryld?”.
Tahenohan isn't a surprise, but Bryld?

>>480645
>>”You're just another charlatan. Bye”.

>>480645
Ignoring that last bit.

>”What do you suggest I do about the vampires?”

>”How do you know so much about vampires?”

>”What's the matter with Bryld?”

>"Have you ever considered that people might be more apt to take your advice if you act in a manner not consistent with making someone want to cave your face in? Or do you actively NOT want people to take your advice just so it's more amusing for you when they fail?" Say this with a perfectly straight face.

Alternatively, THINK the preceding sentence and just say:

>"If you can see the future then I don't need to bother asking the next question out loud. So what about that one?"

It's never WHAT they say, it's HOW they say it that pisses me off.

>>480645
this >>480661

>>480696
Yeah, she's not exactly very diplomatic. Pity since blue hair best hair

>>480645
>"With advice like that I'm not surprised you stay away from civilization."
>”What do you suggest I do about the vampires?”.

>>480708
Generally it really has to be an ego trip/sociopathy for most of these people. Otherwise if they ACTUALLY wanted to help, they'd be better about their phrasing. I just want her to admit it BEFORE we ask the next question.

That question being 'What did the five fingers say to the face?'

I dunno about punching prediction lady just for being rude.

>>480773
I know, we really shouldn't, but that kinda thing is a pet peeve.

You slap her. It's a reflex, really. Between the lingering feeling of panic still eating your heart out and the last bit she just said, you can't help but slap her, and the feeling of impact and friction of your hand on her cheek is almost as satisfactory as the sight of her head being turned around. The slapping sound too was pretty good. It's not a nice thing to say but you think you're pretty good at slapping people about.

"Saw that coming", she chuckles, "And the problem is not that I make people want to cave my face in, that's the silly justification they give themselves. The point is that people just can't accept the truth, and there's no way of stating it without making them angry". She gives you a look as she touches her sore cheek, that now has a red mark shaped like your hand, and she appears to be quite satisfied still, "Ignore what I said about the bunnygirl and the half-elf if you want, the truth won't change".

"Not surprised you stay away from civilization", you say, "Do you act like this because you want people to not take your advice so you can gloat when they fail later?".

"Use your little horned head you silly cambion", she chirps, "What did I just say about truth? Would you rather I lie to you and say everything's going to be fine? If I wanted to see you fail, I'd do exactly that. Fortunately for you, I hate Those Who Don't Remember more than people with little control over their hands, in case you wanted to ask me why I am helping you. Which you were going to. No, no need to praise me".

"I still haven't heard you make a suggestion on what I should do about them", you try and restrain yourself. No need for excessive slapping.

"Do not leave this town alone", she sternly states, "Bring friends, or send someone to exterminate vampires. Exposing yourself will put you in unnecessary danger. Their numbers aren't that high and you've actually culled them quite well, I have to compliment you".

"And what's the matter with Bryld?", you get the feeling you're just feeding her ego, but a part of you just can't help but ask.

"I thought you considered me just another charlatan. My, do you really care about her?", she smiles. There's that smug face again, and the red hand on her face doesn't help making it look any less smug, "She might be sexually adventurous and enjoying freedom right now, but one day she'll want to settle down and then she'll want a monogamous exclusive relationship. She might be convinced to have it with you instead of a normal man, but... You know yourself. You're not like that. The future will hold so many places you can stick that cock of yours in... How can you give that up for but one, boring, vanilla rabbit?".

>”That's not your business”.
>”That's just your opinion”.
>”You don't know me”.
>”That advice wasn't very helpful”.
>”I still don't get why you're trying to help me”.
>”I'm sorry for slapping you”.
>Slap her again.
>Other?

>>480839
>You really need to work on how you convey these truths of yours.

>>480839
>You really need to work on how you convey these truths of yours.

>>480839
>”That's not your business”.
>"Why do you hate these forgetful guys so much anyway?"

>>480839
>"What, you offering?"
I'm sorry anons, I just had to.

>>480839
>Fine. But you really need to work on how you convey these truths of yours. For being an oracle, you completely missed the point of that question.

I honestly think she's just a sociopath who gets off on it.

"What, you offering?", you snort.

"Only if you behave. I'm not into abusive relationships", she smiles innocently.

"You really need to work on how you convey these truths of yours", you return to a more serious approach, "For being an oracle, you completely missed the point of that question".

"I'm not taking criticism from someone who slaps people just because she doesn't like what they say", she retorts.

You try and stay calm.

"Why do you hate these forgetful guys so much anyway?", you ask, if anything because you need a change of topic.

"Because they give vampires a bad name", she explains, "And their nonsense constantly hinders our goals".

It takes you a moment to parse that last sentence, "Our goals?".

There's that smug smile again, "My, my! So that little empty head of yours isn't all empty, after all. I know you did ask yourself why I knew so much about vampires, but you were too hung up on your poor little rabbit hole to focus on what's really important".

You hear a greeting and a feel a wide wave, made with both arms, from inside your body. It's your old friend, Panic.

"Now before you panic and run away, hear me out", even with her face still reddened on one side, the look she takes is much more serious than it has been until now, "Vampires are humans that hold an alien symbiote, gifted from the three Progenitors that came to Nalesia on the First Impact, before Iria came to this world and created the humans. The reason for which we drain blood from other humans is that we need it to keep the symbiotes in our blood in check and prevent them from making us go insane. When that fails... Well, you've seen what happens".

"... Why do you call them those who don't remember?", you ask to buy time, trying to control yourself.

“This extremely basic information I gave you? They don't know it”, she states deadpan, “Most people don't, but a vampire that doesn't is doomed to lose control of himself to a thirst for blood he will never learn how to quell. Self-control and meditation are necessary along with drinking a bit of human blood every once in a while, it depends on how much use you make of your vampiric power. The more you do, the more the symbiote encroaches you and risks driving you crazy unless you drink human blood. Needless to say, drinking too much human blood is just as bad”, she smiles, twirling her hair, “It's not like it doesn't go anywhere. You put too much blood in a body it will bloat and, at worst, explode”.

Moments of silence pass while you try and decide whether to trust that she's not going to do anything to you or not. “And before you ask”, she then adds, “They cannot be re-educated. Once they are lost, they are lost forever and can only be ended. It is a form of mercy, believe me”.

>PANIC.
>”Why should I trust anything you just told me?”.
>”Why don't you go deal with those vampires yourself then?”.
>”Are you out here to suck blood?”.
>”Why are you doing this?”.
>Other?

>>481074
>”Why are you doing this?”.
>"If you, or other 'true' vampires, are so bothered by them, why are you relying on others to deal with them?"

>>481074
>”Why don't you go deal with those vampires yourself then?”.
Oh god, slapping vampires is not a great survival strategy

>>481074
>"So we.. need to teach them the stuff they don't know?"

We are trying to be a leader of the monster brigade after all.

>>481074
>”Why don't you go deal with those vampires yourself then?”.
>"Want to join my brigade?"
>>481115
Good point anon, we shouldn't miss a chance to recruit!

Also the one day this runs at a good time for me I have to leave super early and miss the end anyway. Life is cruel.

>>481115
You likely missed this:
>“And before you ask”, she then adds, “They cannot be re-educated. Once they are lost, they are lost forever and can only be ended. It is a form of mercy, believe me”.

>>481197
I did! Thank you anon!

"Why don't you go deal with those vampires yourself, then?", you ask, trying to not sound too hostile. Slapping vampires is not a great survival strategy, you hope there'll be no hard feelings, "If you, or those other true vampires that remember things, are so bothered by them-".

"Why are we relying on others to deal with them?", she finishes your sentence with a smile, "Because before you came they were just going to end themselves. Their supply of actually useful blood was running out and kobold blood was going to poison them until the last one of them had died. Of course, there was that one strand in the future, that one possibility that you might have stepped in and ruined their perfect suicide plan. And you just had to take it".

Great, so now it's your fault according to her. "Say. Want to join my brigade?", you offer.

"After you just slapped me? Are we doing that kind of relationship that would make Jure proud?", she smiles brightly, caressing her reddened cheek, "What was it, slap slap kiss? So you slap me again and then we kiss? Or am I the one that needs to slap you next?".

"Hey, I'm offering you-".

"No", she answers flat, "I am not a monster, I am a vampire, descendant of Deep Ishtalmer, and I am an oracle. I am not someone you can put a leash on, and I do not think your blood magic will work on me. That is not how we make more vampires".

You're not sure you want to ask how they make more, "Who's Deep Ishtalmer?".

"One of the three vampire Progenitors", she explains, "She gave me the gift of the depths, and now I can sleep with the fish and live to tell the tale". So that's why she was in the lake; nonetheless, she continues, even though you did not ask, "The other two are known as The Beastlord and Kongura the Black Moon. Just in case you need the reference for your... Future endeavours", she gives you a sly look as she says the "future" part.

"So you're saying that the only way to deal with those vampires is to kill them all?", you ask again, just to be sure, "We can't just... Teach them to be like you? Well, not like you you maybe".

"It is impossible", she shakes her head, "Balancing your life essence with that of a being that comes from a distant, unknown world is not always easy, and once the balance is broken there is no going back".

You're pretty sure there could be an interesting metaphor about life, schooling and something here, but right now you're more concerned with the fact you're talking to a vampire after a bunch of them tried to kill you just yesterday.

Oh, and after all this time spent merrily chatting? Tahenohan is still nowhere in sight. But your tent isn't that far from here.

>”Okay thanks bye”.
>”What would it take me to recruit you?”.
>”What about you? Are you in my future?”.
>”Will there be other women in my future?”.
>”Will there be other men in my future?”.
>”Will I be a magic user in the future?”.
>”You're still a charlatan”.
>Other?

>>481303
>”You're still a charlatan”.

Getting the other answers semi solidly set in stone would be a waste now, wouldn't it?

>>481303
>”Okay thanks bye”.
No slap slap kissu, huh. Oh well.

>>481303
>”What about you? Are you in my future?”.

>>481303
>”How old are you?"
Curious minds...

>>481303
>>”Fine, then. Bye.”

Holy SHIT I hate people like this. Like, not even "I want to see them get their comeuppance." Just, I want them out of the story entirely. They're too frustrating to put up with, and especially people who can do stuff like see the future and be some smarmy asshole about it.

Holy god, I hope we never ever ever see her in this quest again, jesus christ. Souring the whole damn thing.

>>481354
Not every person is likable, not everyone Lillith meets will be pleasurable company.

>>481363
I get that, but there's a difference between 'unlikeable in-story' and 'unlikeable character archetype'. For me this character is the latter and I hope she dies painfully.

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40 KB PNG

>>481372
Are you the same anon that hates Yomi?

Just curious.

>>481372
>>481414
Or Lillith's dad?

"Okay thanks bye". You've had enough dealing with oracle vampires for one day. You just leave and do not turn back. You were there to find Tahenohan so you can all have breakfast together and move on to better and more important things.

Your tent isn't really far away from where you were, and once you find it you peek inside only to notice that it's empty. Seems like Tahenohan had been there already and left, which isn't surprising considering the amount of time you've spent talking to Krystal.

Still, a vampire. Out there in broad daylight. And it was her you saw on the lake that one time, but she disappeared as soon as someone else came. You can't help but wonder if she was trying to tell you something back then.

But she didn't. You force yourself to not spend too much time lingering on such thoughts, you don't have the answers to them and asking Krystal might be a more frustrating endeavour than you would like to put up with in the close future.

Having no other options, you return to your new home base, trying to pick up your pace as they're likely waiting on you right now, and you're not sure what you want to tell the rest of the team about your most recent encounter with vampires. Granted, your life wasn't on the line this time, but the jury's still out in regards of wheter it was a positive encounter or not.

And wow, you did walk a lot. Maner is not as small as it might look from a distance, it is just extremely disorganized, at least in the civilian part. Once you return to the organized and predictable solace of the military, you easily find your way and beeline it, waving back at the odd soldier that recognizes you. It might just be an impression but it seems like more and more people are greeting you lately, at least amongst the soldiers.

And when you do return, you find Bryld sprawled down on the grass, with Tahenohan sitting nearby, idly kicking her legs while staring at the clouds, her robe pulled up far enough for her lower limbs to get some air while still keeping her decent. Tama is eating already, though from another pot, straight from there, even if the contents seem the same as yours, which is still bubbling on a rather low fire.

"SMmhmhrmg you're there", Bryld sits up, wiping some drool off the side of her mouth, "We really need to be better organized, meals go cold after a while".

"She insisted in waiting for you", Tahenohan explains, even though you didn't ask.

"I had Tama go ahead because she needs it and she needs more of it than us". Oh so that whole pot is for her. Well, makes sense, you know first hand just how much an arachne eats.

>”Sorry for being late, I was looking for Tahenohan”.
>”You wouldn't believe who I just met”.
>”Anyone come for me while I was missing?”.
>”Bryld would you accompany me later?”.
>”Tahenohan would you accompany me later?”.
>”Tama would you accompany me later?”.
>”Would all of you come with me later?”.
>Other?

>>481414

Who? Oh, the devil dude? Nah, he's funny because he's just a fountain of insults 24/7 all day every day. It's so over the top it's amusing.

This cunt is just smug and playing like she's ever-so-friendly and just comes off as a thing (not a person) that's just begging to get decapitated in an unfortunate accident. Yomi's at least up front about his shit, and the way he words stuff is hilarious, and I can appreciate that.

This thing is not funny, not really all that helpful, and her attitude about it all just ruins my mood. If she were consistently angry, sure. If she were frustrated or panicked and throwing out insults, sure. But she's all smiles and cheer and like 'haha you fucked up even though it affects me and I'm too damn lazy to solve my own problems.' Bitch all you want after the fact, I'll take the blame for fucking up, but don't be a smug cunt about it when the issue still affects you.

...Ugh, that went on longer than I expected. I'm not that autistic normally, I swear.

>>481452
No, I'm the anon who hates Lillith's dad/Yomi and while I'm not exactly a huge fan of this chick, I haven't posted anything bad about her!

>>481471
>>”You wouldn't believe who I just met”.

>>481452
And no, Lilith's dad is also pretty great, character-wise. No complaints about him.

>>481471
>”Anyone come for me while I was missing?”.
>”Would all of you come with me later?”.
Might as well let them all in on it.

>>481471
>”Sorry for being late, I was looking for Tahenohan”.
>"Anything interesting happening while I was gone?"

>>481471
>”Anyone come for me while I was missing?”.
>”You wouldn't believe who I just met”.

>>481486
She pissed me off as well

"Did anyone come for me while I was missing?", you ask.

"Actually yes", Bryld goes as she pours some soup on a clay bowl for you, along with a platter of a yellow, mushy and breadlike substance that nonetheless can be cut with a knife and absorbs the soup rather well, "Someone in a gold-trimmed uniform asked if you were there. Called you by your full name too, must have been something official".

"Really?", you arch your eyebrows, "Who was that?".

"Didn't say, but he told me not to worry, just to go visit Stanley once we were done with breakfast", she eyes you as if thought you could tell her whether that was something important or whether she was supposed to be concerned about it or happy or whatever.

Unfortunately you're not an oracle.

"Visit him we will, then", you decree. Once you start eating, you realize you were really hungry, you were just too nervous to hear your own stomach growling. "By the way", you then go, "You wouldn't believe who I just met".

"Who?", Tahenohan sounds intrigued, kicking her legs with a manic smile on her face.

"A vampire", Bryld nearly chokes on her meal as you say that. "Well, not a crazy vamp- A nice- I mean...", this is harder than you first thought, "... A non-hostile vampire".

"What'd he want?", Bryld asks on the verge of panic as she frantically tries to wipe her mouth and avoid making a mess of her own dress.

"Uh...", you try to find a good way to explain what just happened to you, "... To tell me the vampires that attacked me were crazy and it was my fault they didn't kill themselves and if I go out of town alone I'm dead".

She stares at you, wide-eyed and wondering if you're just pulling her leg or if that was a thing that actually happened. "I know", you shrug, "Don't ask me, I just came back from that situation and I'm still not sure what she was on to".

"Well those vampires did look crazy", Tahenohan agrees, taking it in stride with a smile, "And good to know we can't have you leave town alone. I'll stick to your butt and never let go".

You're pretty sure she was just waiting for a good excuse to say that. Not that she needed an excuse in the first place.

You look at Tama for a moment and she looks back at you with a smile. She has plenty of mushrooms in her meal, her friends ate a lot of them too, you wonder if arachne just naturally love mushrooms or it's just an ingredient that happens to be commonly available in the Shadow Marches, along with fruit of all sorts.

"Is...", Bryld puts her platters down, rubbing her face and trying to recollect herself, "Is this... Non-hostile vampire reliable? Where did she come from and how in hell did nobody notice a vampire in the middle of the city?”.

>"Yes".
>"No".
>"I don't know".
>”I think we got everyone used to weird people after all”.
>”Sane vampires don't look too different from humans”.
>Other?

>>481620
>"Well, she's probably reliable for vampire matters. And she looks kinda normal."

>>481471
>”Anyone come for me while I was missing?”.
>”Tahenohan would you accompany me later?”.

>>481620
>"Yes".
>>"But she does make you want to hit her."

>>481620
>"I don't know".
>"But I'm also not really willing to risk my neck with other vampires wanting me."
>"Also, are you sure you want a single partner?"

>>481620
>>481653
Supporting!

>>481620
>"I think so. She sounded like she hated them enough to be sincere. Her attitude about it make you want to punch her, though. Lazy arse. Sane vampires seem to look normal enough to pass for human without close inspection, so that's likely how she slipped in."

That is a tough question. It takes you a few moments before you can organize your thoughts and come out with a coherent answer.

"She's probably reliable for vampire matters and she sounded sincere, especially because she hates the forgetful vampires, which are the crazy ones apparently. Though, she does make you want to hit her. She really does". That about settles it, "Oh, and sane vampires look like ordinary humans so she could walk around freely and fool just about anyone".

Bryld still gives you an odd look, though it's not about you but rather the curious and particular situations you seem to constantly put yourself in. You wonder how much of a headache you can give an oracle considering all the stuff that seems to just happen to you all the time, maybe they could make sense out of your bizarre life, or maybe they'll just give up on you.

"I'm not sure I understand but if she's not going to hurt you... That's okay", Bryld concludes, "Still, if you say she's reliable and she said that you'll die if you go out alone, you're grounded".

You blink, "... Grounded?".

"Yes", she sternly confirms, "You're not going anywhere without an escort, and you're not leaving town without warning everyone first. So tell us your plans well in advance because until we're ready you're not going anywhere".

Wow, talk about possessive lovers. Still, you can understand her concern, you did risk life and limb just yesterday and she did claim she would protect you. Now she may be incapable of factually doing so from a real, physical threat should it be manifest, but she's going to at least try and keep you safe. Let Tahenohan, Tama and the other heavy hitters do the actual hitting.

Although now that you're putting a good, warm meal in your stomach, everything looks brighter and you feel like you can take whatever life is going to throw at you next. It's amazing what simple food can do to your mood.

"By the way", Bryld asks, "You didn't actually hit her, did you?".

"Huh?", you blink.

"You said she made you want to hit her but you didn't just hit a vampire oracle that came to warn you of dangers, right?".

“What are you, my mom? First you ground me and now this?”, you pretend to look offended for a moment and she just snorts and shakes her head.

Your thoughts begin to focus on your next meeting. Stanley, the name sounds familiar. You wonder what he might want from you, you're used to seeing Cassilda for just about anything military related, though things might be going to change soon.

Many things are going to change, if half of what Krystal said is true.

>”Are you sure you want a single partner?”.
>”Where's Julio and Carrera?”.
>”Do you think oracles can really see the future?”.
>”Do you know who Stanley is?”.
>”Will you all come with me?”.
>”Bryld will you come with me?”.
>”Tahenohan will you come with me?”.
>”Tama will you come with me?”.
>Other?

>>481775
>”Tama will you come with me?”.

>>481775
>”Do you know who Stanley is?”.
>”Where's Julio and Carrera?”.
>”Tahenohan will you come with me?”.
I kinda want to bring Bryld, but leaving Tahe and Tama alone doesn't sound wise.

>>481775
>”Tama will you come with me?”.

I'm not sure what to vote for.

>>481775
>”Are you sure you want a single partner?”.
>”Where's Julio and Carrera?”.
>”Tahenohan will you come with me?”.

You feel better.

Everything is better on a full stomach.

"Tama will you come with me?", you ask the young arachne. The military camp has enough space to accommodate for her oversized spider body. You don't know about getting inside a tent, but might as well get her used to normal human interaction, and normal humans to her presence and to all young male speciment to being called cute from up close from a horny monster.

"Yes! Yes gladly!", she eagerly answers, waiting for nothing but an excuse to go in and do what you expect her to be doing. Which is why you can't bring just her with you, it takes effort to keep her under close scrutiny.

"Tahenohan, will you come with me?". Now, anyone might call you a fool for that choice, but you can't think of anyone else who can match Tama's youthful vigor and manic attitude when it comes to complimenting and stalking cute boys. You just have to hope that she won't join the party rather than trying to stop it. Well, it's okay as long as it's a party between consensuals, but it might not be as easy as it might look.

"Yay! Grounded adventures!". It's nice that she can find enthusiasm even in this situation but she could have avoided pointing out how you're being treated like a child. Of course Bryld is not-so-secretly enjoying it.

"Bryld would you hate it if I left you here for the time being?", you ask her, "I promise we're not leaving Maner".

"You better not!", she menacingly shakes a ladle in your direction, "But go ahead, I don't mind staying here doing the dishes. After what we went through I need something normal to relax myself with".

That's understandable, and convenient, but there's still one thing you need to ask, "Where's Julio and Carrera?".

"I don't know", Bryld shrugs, "Back to their tent I guess? They just did their job and then went back home".

That's fantastic but you didn't exactly pay them or anything. As a matter of fact, you didn't make money in the first place. You're new to adventuring in this sense but you suppose they have to find a way to make this kind of endeavour profitable, don't they? You think people like Parvaneh might be in just for the excitement and out of goodwill, but you're quite certain Carrera makes a living out of this.

How, you have no idea. You're quite certain that Julio would do what he does just for the sake of doing it, much like Tahenohan, with little concern for practical matters. Were you working for the marquise you would have got paid, but you did not go out to produce a map, but rather to find a missing arachne.

Which is fantastic and will give you good credit with the monsters, but they don't exactly repay you with coins. You wonder if Astreya, or any other autarch, ever had to deal with this same problem.

>Go visit Julio and Carrera.
>Go visit Parvaneh.
>Go straight to Stanley.
>Other?

>>481955
>Go straight to Stanley.

I don't trust either of these two to stay on track for too long.

>>481955
Visit others after.
>Go straight to Stanley.
Good night, thanks for running!

>>481955
>Go visit Parvaneh.

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>>481977
Good night anon!

As much as Tama and Tahenohan make a good couple, you cannot trust them to stay on rails for too long. You might wish to go visit other people, such as those who let you get in and out of your latest adventure alive and in one piece, but if you do that you will inevitably see them wander off at some point and probably take a cute boy or two with them and that wouldn't really help your situation, nor give your monster brigade a good reputation.

And you're going to visit someone important, so a good reputation is vital.

As you predicted, Tama can fit fine in the paths throughout the military camp, and the only reason she gets close to hitting anything or anyone is because she keeps closing in on anything that grabs her attention, and between her eagerness and her bad eyesight she does get quite close to things and especially people.

You've passed but three tents and she already called four people cute, and Tahenohan is drawing more people, enticing them to come closer and touch the fluffy yellow and black striped fur of the giant spider because they wouldn't believe how soft and fluffy it is.

There is no way you're getting to Stanley's tent before nightfall at this rate.

"You know you're all so cute I don't know who to pick", Tama fidgets with her hands as her predatory gaze passes over a group of four young soldiers who Tahenohan pushed in line in front of her with little explanation and a lot of babbling about destiny and duty, "None of you have mates, right? Right of course you don't". She didn't actually wait for an answer, in case it needed to be said.

"You should keep her on a shorter leash", someone comments next to you as he watches the scene with his arms crossed; somebody else is chuckling or laughing, and you have to admit the duo is pretty good at attracting attention, seeing how there's already a crowd in a circle around the scene, with some bystanders pushing women in front of them to minimize their chances of Tahenohan snatching them for the hungry spidergirl.

"You know this is a military camp, not a dating agency", someone else sternly adds as he, too, crosses his arms next to you, "But if we have to find her a mate we'll have to do it properly".

"A regulated competition is the only way to come to an agreement and stop any potential argument", a middle-aged woman chips in as well, grabbing your shoulder, "You'll have to organize a tournament".

"A what?", you blink, as you pry your eyes from Tama and Tahenohan you notice that several people are giving you looks full of expectation.

"A joust, or a tournament", another soldier of a certain age nods, brushing his thick gray moustache, "Poetry contests have been used too”.

“Don't know if she appreciates poetry”, a younger lady comments deadpan.

>”Maybe a joust will impress her”.
>”Maybe a tournament would be best”.
>”Why, I like poetry”.
>”You've all got the wrong idea, stop it”.
>Other?

>>482069
>”Maybe a tournament would be best”.
We can't have an adventure without a tournament arc!

>>482069
>”Maybe a tournament would be best”.

>>482069
>>”Why, I like poetry”.

>>482069
>”Maybe a tournament would be best”

On one side, you just wanted them to accompany you to see Stanley, get what you needed to do done, have Tama experience a bit of social life and then go back to doing something else. Like finding a way to solve your haunted by vampires dilemma.

On the other, these bystanders are full of opinions regarding how this issue should be handled, and the combined hyperactivity of Tama and Tahenohan has made it so that, by now, they have raised way too much awareness about the spidergirl's situation to not demand for that to be resolved somehow. Granted, most of the soldiers just want to tease the younger men or just have something interesting to do to take their minds off guard duty or the grueling awareness that there might be something out there preparing to strike again right now and they have no way of knowing.

Point is, it's too late to not do something about it. People are starting to care, rumours have spread already, and you know that few things get people interested and riled up than stories about love, battle and a combination of the two. As a matter of fact, this could be a theatre play, except it's not staged but rather happening for real, right in front of your eyes.

"Maybe a tournament would be best", you agree, if anything just to get the eyes off you. You're not even sure Tama understands what a tournament is or what the rules are, or whether she'll agree to have her mate decided by a tournament instead of having her choose it herself. Then again she doesn't seem to be able to decide and just wants to take everyone home with her, which is impractical and not really fair to all the other ladies out there, human or not.

"Then a tournament it is", the white moustached man states, "Druuna, prepare a proper field and take care of the organization".

"With great pleasure", the middle-aged woman says with a smile, "You you and you, come with me, we have work to do".

The small crowd around you dissolves as quickly as it formed, leaving you confused and quite dumbfound. As hilarious as Tama and Tahenohan's antics are, you can't help but feel like the situation has quickly slipped from your hands and is escalating way out of your control, to the point you suspect you can hardly do anything to stop what you just set in motion.

You look at the two again, Tahenohan is interviewing a few candidates which she keeps strictly in line, following the eager directions from Tama so her curiosity can be satisfied. The crowd cheers and boos depending on what they think about each cute boy's answer, with some shouting suggestions, some serious and some most definitely not. All in all everyone seems to be having a great deal of fun.

But those people that were around you until a few moments ago were dead serious. There is going to be a tournament and Tama is going to get her cute boy champion.

You've made ten metres. Ten metres from the gate and this happened.

Congratulations are in order.

>>482269
This is too good to be true.

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And this is it for episode 71!

Thank you all for participating. Well this certainly took an interesting turn.

I hope you are prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions, anons! As I said I won't be able to run tomorrow or for the rest of the week, so it'll be 7 or 8 days until next episode, depending on how busy I'll be and stuff.

Remember to check my Twitter to keep up to date with the run times. And darn I am so not used to staying up until this late any more.

>>482269
...So we're having a tournament to decide who gets to be Tama's mate?

Can we enter?

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>>482277
Glad you think so anon because this is totally your fault.

>>482282
Yes

>>482290
Ok, now, this is too good to NOT be true.