Man, when you said "Storytime is done. Question period begins." on Twitter, I thought you'd already somehow finished running for today

>>531428
>Fran
She asked first.

>>531428
Fran.

>writing

"Fran first" You say.

Fran smiles. "So you can channel your energy now?" She asks.
"I can?" You ask
"You said you pushed the guards down the stairs with a wave" She says. "That kinda sounds like a spell"
"I guess" You say. "I could probably do it again. Wanna see?"

You hold out your hand, but Fran quickly steps over to you and pushes it back down. "Not in here please"
"Oh, right" You say. "Maybe later"
"Thank you" She says. "Second question: That barrier that the First knight put up... it was a light screen wasn't it?"

"It was" Derrick says.
"Light screens tend to be very difficult to break... how did you stab through it?" She asks.
"I focused the tip of my sword until it was as pointy as it could get" You say. "Then I stabbed"
"But you can't break a light screen with a sword..." Fran says.

"I get your confusion, Fran" Derrick says. "But remember that Yuu doesn't use a physical sword"

Fran seems momentarily confused, until the realization dawns. "Ah, yes" She says. "That makes sense now..."
"Anything else?" You ask.
"Yeah, but it's all questions like 'how are you still in one piece?' and such" She says. "I don't think you could answer those, so I'll leave them be"

"Thanks" You say.
Fran smiles, and plants a kiss on your head. "I'm just glad you're safe" She says.
"Me too" You say.

>1/2

"Emi?" You ask.

Emi looks surprised that you;re calling on her, until she remembers that she had questions.

"Ah, yes" She says. "I was wondering about that guy... the one in the control room"
"Terry?"
"Him... Why was he there?" She asks.

"To... wipe out the hunters?" Derrick says
"I don't think so..." Emi says. "If he really wanted the engine to fire, why did he break the control panel instead of getting rid of the 3 of you?"

"Maybe he didn't think we could make it down to the engine in time" Derrick says."It's also possible that he knew Frederic would be there"

"I don't think it was about the hunters" You say.
"Oh?" Derrick says. "What makes you say that?"
"I dunno" You say. "Something about the way he just left after breaking the control panel... he even told us how much time we'd have. Like he was... testing us"

"Testing us?" Derrick asks. "For what?"
"No clue" You say. "But as much as I hate to say it, I get the feeling we'll be seeing him again..."
"What makes you say that?" Emi asks.

"Just a feeling..." You say. "Anything else, Emi?"
"Yeah, what about that other lady... Caiah, you said her name was?" Emi asks.
"I'm curious about that too" Ilica says. "What was she doing down there?"
"Well, she was probably..."

>After that Terry guy

>Saving me

>Spelunking

>Other

>>531596
>>After that Terry guy

>>531596
>>After that Terry guy
>>Saving me

Classic hero complex... considering that she's supposedly the first hero (who was mis-gendered in the legend).

>>531596
>>After that Terry guy

>writing

>>531611
Actually, that could be something to muse aloud. Also, if Terry is the first villain, than that could be short for what we found in the "Lights. Camera. ACTION." tomb. I think the name was Malteris? Regardless, he's probably Maliera.

"-after that Terry guy" You say. "In factm she said so herself"

"He'd been gone for 2 days by then, Yuu" Derrick says.
"Maybe she was a little behind" You say.
"2 days is more than a little behind" Emi says. "And if she was that far behind, why take the time to pull you out?"

"Maybe she likes me" You say. "The 3 of us are pure demons, after all"

The room falls silent for a moment.

"I had forgotten about that" Derrick says.
"Now that I think about it, do you think she might be related to that first hero from the old stories?" You ask. "She fits the description of Caian, and Caiah is awfully similar when you write it down"

"Not really..." Derrick says. "n and h look nothing alike"
"Not the way you write them" You say. "But with the letters from back in that cave, the difference between an n and an h is a line"

"Cave? What cave?" Fran asks.

"The cave that I came out of" You say. "It had a whole bunch of stuff in it, including a tablet that only Madelaine and I could read"

"Interesting..." Fran says. "Think you could tell me more?"

>Sure

>Daisy's question first

>Other

>>531691
>>Daisy's question first
She had her turn, Daisy is next in line.

>>531691
>>Daisy's question first

>>531691
>>Daisy's question first

>writing

"Daisy first" You say.
"Right! Sorry sweetie" Fran says. "Tea should be done brewing now. I'll go bring it out"
"I-I'll help" Hella says, as she hops up and follows Fran into the kitchen.

"Thanks, dear" Fran says. "I don't think we were introduced..."

"So, Daisy. What was your question?" You ask.

"Is the bad place gone now?" She asks.
"Absolutely" You say.
Daisy smiles. "Did you bring any more of those candies?"
"I didn't" You say. "Maybe next time"
"Aww..." Daisy says.

Fran and Hella emerge from the kitchen with trays and cups, quickly handing one to each of you.

When everyone has a cup of tea, Fran and Hella sit back down.

"You know I love you guys... but maybe next time you could give me a little head's up before you bring the Huntmaster's daughter over?" Fran asks.
"I-it's fine, really" Hella says.

"Speaking of daughters... where did Vivi end up?" You ask.

Everyone gives you a strange look.

"What?" You ask.
"She's been attacking your leg for half an hour, dude" Ilica says.

You lift up your legs, and find that Vivian is currently attached to and gnawing on your left leg.

"How did you not notice?" Ilica asks.
"I can't feel my legs right now" You say.

Fran gives her daughters a look. "Girls, we talked about this"
"Sorry" Lily says.

The you feel the devil's death grip on your legs loosen up, and relief washes over you as you feel the blood returning...

...

Oh, that feels weird. Kind like little pins...

...

>Grit and bear it

>Get up and walk around

>Ask what's happening

>>531788
>>Ask what's happening
>Get up and walk around

>writing

"My legs feel funny" You say. "Is this normal?"
"Pins and needles?" Emi asks.
"Kind of" You say.

"Get up and walk around" Emi says. "It'll pass"

You nod, and try to stand up. But with your tea in one hand, both devils to carry, and a tiny felid trying to break your leg, it's not easy.

"I'm gonna need you two to give me a moment" You say.
"Kay" The devils say in unison.

With your legs free, the girls slip off to either side so you can stand up. Pins and needles feeling gets worse as you walk, but it's better in some ways.

As you walk, Vivi pounces on your leg and nearly trips you.

"Hey little kitty" Fran says, as she reaches down and scoops the Felid up with one hand. Vivi struggles to get back to the ground, until Fran's tail comes around and tickles her stomach. "Where'd this little one come from, anyway?"
"That's Vivian" Ilica says. "Richard and -"
"Hang on... you mean she's the guild's second in command's daughter?" Fran asks.
"Yes" Ilica says.

Fran sighs. "Well, at least this one's easy to entertain" She says, as Vivi struggles and swipes at Fran's tail, trying in vain to bite it.

"I really don't mind..." Hella says.

Fran sits down and sips her tea. "I know... I'm just a little surprised"

>Is Hella that big of a deal?

>Having a tail must be handy

>Move on to the cave

>Other

>>531886
>>Is Hella that big of a deal?

>>Move on to the cave

>>531886
>>Is Hella that big of a deal?

>>531886
>>Having a tail must be handy

>Taking a short food break. Will start writing when i return

"Is Hella that big of a deal?" You ask.
"I'm really not..." Hella says.

"Well... it's a bit like royalty" Fran says. "Her and her sisters are like the princesses of the guild"
"It's not like that at all!" Hella says.

"I'm kidding" Fran says. "But her dad is still Lance's boss..."
"He seems to get along fine without having to kiss up" Ilica says.

"I guess I'm just being overaware" Fran says. "Sorry dear"
"It's no problem, really" Hella says. "I wouldn't have helped if I didn't want to"

You tilt your head, wondering what that's about. But then you remember what yo were talking about before.

"You said you wanted to hear more about the cave?" You ask Fran, as you stretch your legs out in an attempt to get the feeling to go away.
"Yes! I did, thank you for reminding me" Fran says. "Tell me about this place. What was in there, what is this language that only you and this other girl can read... now that I think about it, who is this other girl?"

>Describe the cave and the portal

>Start with the 'language'

>Tell her about Madelaine

>Other

>>532011
>Tell her about Madelaine
>Describe the cave and the portal
>Language

>writing

"I guess I'll start with the simplest of them..." You say. "The girl's name is Madelaine. She came out of the cave, just like me"
"At the same time?" Fran asks.
"No, she got here before I did" You say. "I think she said it had been about a month"
"And is she a demon like you?" Fran asks.

"No, she's normal" You say. "Kind of..."
"Kind of?" Fran asks.
"She's like a guy" Ilica says. "No tail, no ears, no nothing"
"That's... weird" Fran says. "Are you sure she's a girl?"

"Positive" Ilica says. "After all, if she weren't a girl how could she be Derrick's giiiiiiiirlfriend!"

Ilica spoke a little too loud for Hella, it seems. The little bunny's eyes shoot open.

"No mow hats?" Hella asks.
"No, sweetie" Ilica says.

Hella's eyes lock squarely on you. "No mow hats" She says.
"What?" You ask.

Hella gets up and toddles over to you, stopping at your feet and looking stern. "No mow hats!" She says.

You look at her in confusion, and she tries to jump up at you. She jumps surprisingly high for someone so small... but why?

...

Oh, right. Hats.

>Drop your hat on her

>Continue with what you were saying

>Take the hat off, then continue

>Other

>>532103
>>Drop your hat on her

>>Continue with what you were saying

>>532103
>>Drop your hat on her
>>Continue with what you were saying

Totally nonchalantly.

>>532103
>>Drop your hat on her

>>532103
>"She's like a guy" Ilica says. "No tail, no ears, no nothing"
>"That's... weird" Fran says. "Are you sure she's a girl?"

She can legitimately say that she's a woman in a man's body.

By-the-by, how old is Madelaine, again?

>>532146
Your age, about 14 or so

>writing

You take of your hat, and drop it on Hella's head. She's so small that the hat falls all the way down to her stomach...

You hear a muffled squeak from under that hat, as Hella starts to blindly toddle around.

...

"So about the cave" You say.
"Yes, please go on" Fran says.
"It was pretty far in from the mouth, and once you get there it opens up into this huge chasm" You say. "The chasm has a stairway running down the side, with a big pillar in the middle that lights up blue and red when you press some buttons on this tablet"

"Blue and red... mana and soul" Fran says. "Where does the pillar lead?"
"Up" You say. "Or down. I'm not really sure which way the energy flows"

"Not important... probably" She says. "go on"
"So there are 2 tablets: one has that writing on it, with 3 buttons that turn on the pillar and the portal. The other has 8 slots in it, with lines that run to the portal"

"The portal is big and circular, and as I found out, a perfect spot for a web" You say.
"Everywhere is a perfect spot for a master" Ariadne says.
"It opens up when you press the 3 buttons, and a random thing comes out" You say. "The first time it was a wooden dummy with a skeleton in it, the second time it was a bunch of soul lightning..."
"What about the slots?" Fran asks.
"Meyu said that the 8 slots each represent one of the elements" You say. "He also thinks that they probably have something to do with the ruins"

"It would..." Fran trails off. "How long ago did Madelaine arrive?"
"About a month ago" You say.

Fran purses her lips, then stands up. "Can you watch the girls for me? I have a letter to write, and a few books to find"

"Sure... but why?" You ask.
"A hunch" She says. "I may be a while"

>Ask if you can come with

>Stay here

>Other

>>532232
>>Stay here
Make sure Hella doesn't hurt herself

>>532232
>>Stay here

>>532232
>>Stay here

>>532232
>Stay here
>>Other
Attempt to recover hat.

>writing

>I may need to take another break, as I am not the best cook and somehow managed to burn what was essentially soup...

File: so-cute.jpg (122 KB, 500x485)

122 KB JPG

>>532232
>You take of your hat, and drop it on Hella's head. She's so small that the hat falls all the way down to her stomach...
>You hear a muffled squeak from under that hat, as Hella starts to blindly toddle around.

Smiley, why are you so committed to giving me diabetes.

"Alright" You say. "You don't think you'll need any more info?"
"Hmm... if I could get a picture of what those slots look like, it'd help" She says.

"I can do that" You say.

Fran sends Lily to grab her drawing stuff, and you do a quick sketch of the slots from the cave. Then fran tears out the page, and leaves.

"Bye kids, I'll be back in time for dinner" Fran says.
"Bye mom!" Lily says.
"Bye bye" Daisy says.

As the door shuts, you hear a second thud, followed by a squeak.

You turn to the source and see Hella struggling to get back up after walking into a wall. She quickly gives up, and starts rolling away.

...

"Okay you" You say, as you scoop up both bunny and hat. With Hella on one arm, you pull the hat up so she can use her arms again.

"Peekaboo!" Hella says when she can see, before pulling the hat back down over her eyes.

You try to pull it back up so you can get it back...

"Peekaboo!" Hella says again, before pulling the hat back down.

...

Let's try that again.

"Peekaboo!" Hella says, and again she pulls the hat back down

>This must be some sort of game...

>I guess she wants to keep the hat, too...

>Ask someone what she's doing

>>532320
Fuck, I need an insulin shot after reading this post.

>This must be some sort of game...

>>532320
>>This must be some sort of game...

>>532320
>>This must be some sort of game...

>>532320
>>>This must be some sort of game...

>>532320
>>This must be some sort of game...

>writing

This is probably some kind of game...

You lift up the hat again.

"Peekaboo!" Hella says, as she lowers the hat once more.

Is that all there is to this game? You just pick up the hat, and she says peekaboo, and pulls it back down.

You pull the hat back up, but Hella gets spooked when the door bursts open.

"Hoo... I was in such a rush to leave I completely forgot that I still had Vivi" Fran says, as she places the little Felid on the ground. "Now I'm going"

The door shuts again, leaving the room in an awkward silence as Vivi crawls towards the couch.

"Peekaboo!" Hella shouts, before pulling the hat back down again.

>1/2

About an hour passes. Gabriella and the devils have retreated to Lily's room to play, Ilica and Hella are talking about hunter stuff, Derrick and Tian are talking about the possibility of Tian setting up shop here, and Emi and Ariadne seem to be making something out of web...

Meanwhile, you've been doing one thing for the last hour...

"Peekaboo!" Hella says, as she pulls the hat back down.

As cute as she is, you can't keep this up. But when you try to stop, she tugs your shirt and whines...

>Ask for help

>Find some other way to entertain her

>Other

>>532488
>>Ask for help

>>532488
>>Find some other way to entertain her
There is one surefire way to keep a little one entertained; airplane and helicopter rides.

>>532488
>Peekaboo her first

>>532488
>>Ask for help

>>Find some other way to entertain her

>>532488
>>Ask for help

>>532488
>>Find some other way to entertain her
See if we can get her to draw stuff.

>writing

You lift the hat up again, and when Hella peeks out and smiles you toss her up in the air.

"Peeka-bwaaaah!" She says.

You catch her when she comes back down, giggling like a crazy child.

"Uppaaa! Uppaaa!" Hella says.

You toss her up again and catch her. This is much more fun for you, since it actually makes you work.

"Wow, that sure took an abrupt turn" Ilica says. "Tired of Peekaboo already?"
"Yes" You say. "I didn't think that would go on so long..."

"Little tip: kids can play peekaboo forever" Ilica says.
"I'll say" Tian says. "Ari used to drive me nuts back in the day"

"I did not" Ariadne says.
"At least Hella stays on the ground. Ariadne would drop on me out of nowhere" Tian says. "I'd be minding my own business, enjoying a drink when suddenly she'd rope down from the ceiling and demand that I play"

Ariadne pouts, and Tian ruffles her hair.

"Not that I minded all that much. She was a cutie back then" Tian says. "Now though..."

Ariadne pokes out her tongue, and goes back to what she was doing.

"Uppa! Uppa!" Hella says, prompting you to throw her up again.

...

Why do you get the feeling that you've traded one game for another?

>Ask Tian what Bell's Run used to be like

>Ponder what Fran left for

>Go see what the girls are up to

>Other

>>532642
>>Ask Tian what Bell's Run used to be like

>>532642
>>Ask Tian what Bell's Run used to be like

>>532642
>>Go see what the girls are up to

>>532642
>>Ask Tian what Bell's Run used to be like

>>532642
>>Ask Tian what Bell's Run used to be like

>writing

You turn to Tian, as you catch Hella once more.

"What was Bell's Run like back then, anyway?" You ask.
Tian considers you for a moment. "I guess you only saw it a few years after its prime" She says. "I'll tell you this right away though: back in its hayday it was well worth setting up shop in"

"You said there was a mine there... or something" You say.
"A gold mine" Tian says. "They were literally pulling money out of the ground"
"Neat" You say.
"Ari's dad was a miner back then" Tian says with a nostalgic smile. "I met her parents after one of my shows, when I was first starting out there"

"What happened to it?" You ask. "The town, that is"
"Gold dried up" Tian says. "Work ran out. Most of the people who could move did. I stayed because Ari's folks weren't leaving, and because I'd become something of a tourist attraction at the time"

"Why did anyone stay there? It seemed pretty bad when I was there" You say.
"A lot of people had faith in the ord who ran the place" Tian says. "Fellow by the name of Lord Walter Brohm. Small guy, agreeable enough most times. But don't let his looks fool you. He is a businessman through and through. He tried multiple times to breathe new life into that town, but it just never seemed to stick"

"Was it him who let the Inquisition take control of the place?" You ask.
"No... in fact, he was probably one of their biggest opposers" Tian says. "But, without any money going through the town his influence dwindled, and he lacked the military power or chutzpah that Altea has, so... yeah"

You nod, as you catch Hella again. You've been tossing her throughout this whole conversation, and your arms are starting to tire...

Knowing what you do about bunnies, you start to formulate a plan...

Well, it's not really a plan. You toss her up, and catch her again. Then you pull her in and hug her tightly, hoping that the rabbit's snuggle instinct will kick in.

...

Which it does, surprisingly, leaving you with a calm, snuggly little bunny. You weren't expecting much there... You'll have to remember that in the future.

>1/2

Now that you no longer have to toss Hella, you sit down and idly pat the little bunny's head while Tian reminsces about her home.

She has a lot of stories, like the day a part of the mine collapsed and everyone got together to get the miners out, or the night the mana generator broke down just as a swarm of monsters rolled through and everyone had to help guard the town.

"Sounds like everyone worked together a lot" You say.
"We did" Tian says. "Back then it was our town. When something went wrong, we all got together to fix it"
"I wish more places would be like that" Derrick says.

Tian nods. "But then... well, the gold ran out" Tian says. "If you look at it that way, it was just another thing that went wrong. Except instead of trying to fix it, we all just let it be"

"That's actually kind of depressing..." Ilica says.

Emi opens her mouth to speak, but gets cut off when the door bursts open.

"I'm back!" Fran says.
"Welcom back" You say.

>Ask what she was up to

>Ask if anyone else is hungry

>Other

>>532821
>>Ask what she was up to

>>532821
>>Ask if anyone else is hungry

>writing

"What were you up to?" You ask.

Fran steps in and sits down. "Just sending a letter off to my mother-in-law, and checking to see if the nearby library had a certain book"
"Did it?" You ask.
"Nope" She says. "but it was worth a try"

"What were you writing Kieve about?" You ask. "And what was the book about?"

"All that talk about ruins, and pure demons and gates made me remember something I read a while ago" She says. "It was a newer book, with excerpts from older stuff"
"What's so special about it?" Ilica asks.
"Nothing, really" She says. "But it had a line that went something like 'mysteries crumble in droves'... I think"
"You think?" You ask.

"It's been a while" She says. "Anyways, I thought that if pure demons, the ruins, and this cave are all linked, that it would solve a whole bunch of mysteries"
"And they would crumble in droves" Derrick says.
"Precisely" Fran says. "But the book's not here. It's probably not in Contique either, but it was worth asking Kieve about it"

>Why didn't Kieve come to Locke too?

>Would it be in Leon?

>Have we heard anything more about the ruins?

>Other

>>532897
>>Would it be in Leon?
>>Have we heard anything more about the ruins?

>>532897
>>Why didn't Kieve come to Locke too?

>writing

"Would it be in Leon?" You ask. "Where that... guy is?"
"Stoencht?" Fran asks, "Yeah, probably"
"Why not send a sprite to him?" You ask.

"We're... not on the best of terms, I'm afraid" She says. "Plus I doubt they're letting sprites into Leon at the moment"

You nod. "I guess so" You say. "Have we heard anything new from the ruins? There were research tems there, so someone must have been inside"

"I've... heard some things" Hella says. She has Vivian in her lap, sleeping soundly.
"Like what?" You ask. "Anything good?"
"No... they had a few hunters up there" Hella says. "Last thing they'd seen before they got the order to go to Locke was the first teams coming back out of the tower"
"What did they find?" You ask.
"The team was in shambles" Hella says. "From what I'd heard, they were all physically unharmed... but mentally they had been broken"

"Mentally?" You ask with a frown.
"You'll have to ask them" Hella says. "That team came into town this morning, an hour before the Pride did, so I didn't get to hear much"

Tian stands up and stretches. "Well, this has been fun. But I've got some work to do if I ever want to get back to work" She says. "Thank you for having us over, Fran"
"Not a problem" Fran says. "It's nice to have someone my age to talk with every now and then"

"We should probably go too" Derrick says to you. "Yuu might not work for Altea officially, but I don't think he ever told her his account"

"I thought she went up there to see him" Hella says. "What happened?"
"Don't worry about it" Ilica says.

>Yeah, let's go to the castle

>I want to go see those hunters

>She walked in when I was in bed with Stella

>Other

>>532995
>>She walked in when I was in bed with Stella
<pause>
But never mind that
>Let's go to the castle

>>533016
That's right, Fran. Yuu's in REAL good with Guild royalty.

>>532995
>>She walked in when I was in bed with Stella

>writing

The good news about these votes is that if Yuu ever becomes and emo edgelord serious business dude his friends will always be able to remind him of the time he didn't know it was in bad taste to talk about his donger and personal matters with his girlfriend's relatives.

"Oh, she walked in when I was in bed with Stella" You say.

...

"Stella is... your sister, correct?" Fran asks.
"Yes" Hella says.
Fran smacks her lips. "I see" She says. "You slept with the Huntmaster's daughter?"
"They were probably only snuggling, knowing Stella" Hella says.

"They were" Derrick says.
"That didn't stop Castor from threatening to kill me though" You say.

"He was probably joking... knowing dad" Hella says. "Probably..."

"Anyways, let's head back to the castle" You say. "I still have to report to the commander, and I also have to bathe"
"Yes please" Ilica says.

Hella picks Vivian up, then she stands and brushes herself off. "I should be getting back to the guild as well" She says, reaching out to take little Hella from you. "Things will have quieted down by now... hopefully, so I can get this one to her mom"
"Go mama?" Hella asks.
"Yes sweetie" Hella says.
"Okay" Hella replies.

>Anything else?

>>533111
Let us be off!

>>533111
Pass.

>>533111
Let's move out.

>writing

"Bye bye Honk" Little Hella says.
"Bye Hella and Hella" You say. "That sounds weird when you say it out loud. One of you is getting a nickname... like munchkin"
"I like it" Big Hella says.

"It's for her, but I guess I can call you that, too if you want" You say. "Wait no, that defeats the point of giving you nicknames in the first place..."
"I meant that I liked it for her..." She says. "Nevermind. I'll see you guys later"
"See you, Hella" Derrick says.

"Hold on, I'll go with you to the guild" Ilica says.
"Really? Thanks Ilica" Hella says.
"Don't mention it. That's a lot of fluff for one person to carry" Ilica says.

You all say your goodbyes to each other, and head out. Ilica, Gabriella and Hella takes the children back to the hall, while you, Derrick, and Emi head to the castle.

"That was fun" You say.
Emi nods. "It's good to see that Fran is doing well here" She says. "I'm glad that things worked out for her, after all that's happened"

"Yeah, all that's left now is to take back the other towns so that no one else's family has to be broken up like hers was" Derricks says.
"Starting with Bell's Run, yeah?" You ask.

Derrick nods.
"I'm looking forward to it" You say "Do you think that one inquisitor got himself a new hat for me?"

"Oh, Yuu..." Emi says,
"What?" You ask.
"Talk about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons..." Derrick says.
"I still want to do it because it's right" You say. "The hats are just a perk"

"Then I'm sure there'll be plenty of them for you to take" Derrick says,
"Awesome" You say.

Calling it a night here because I'm sleepy.

Not sure when the next thread will be. Maybe tomorrow, depending on how things go.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time

>>533274
Great thread, Smiley!

You grunt and stretch out your arms as you finally reach the castle. Standing tall at the front gates is Marybell. When she sees you, you raise your arms up and smile.

"Heyo!" You shout.
"Hey Marybell" Derrick says. "Keeping watch for me while I'm gone?"

"Welcome back" Marybell says. "Pip has been here for some time. I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive"
"We took a break to celebrate" Derrick says. "I miss anything while I was away?"
"The Legion attacked" Marybell says.

"I heard about that" Derrick says. "Casualties?"
"Minimal. We headed them off in an ambush before they even reached the city" Marybell says.
"Prisoners?" Derrick asks.
"2" Marybell says in a quiet tone. "Both are currently in the dungeons, awaiting interrogation"

Derrick nods. "Good... maybe now we can learn more about this god they all worship"

"But that can wait" Marybell says. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine" Derrick says. "Though I think both Yuu and I could use a good soak..."

"That may be... problematic" Marybell says.
"How so?" You ask.
"The ex-prisoners are probably all still in there" Marybell says.
"Did Altea force them in there?" Derrick asks.
"Force them? No... we simply asked if they wanted a bath and a hot meal, and then got out of the way" Marybell says. "I don't think I've ever seen people get so excited over a bath before..."

"Speaking from experience, I understand" Emi says. "I've washed myself so many times since then, and I still feel grimy from that place..."
"I see..." Marybell says, giving Emi a strange look. "That said, if you still want to use the baths, expect a crowd"

>I'm fine with crowds

>Let's go see Altea first

>Why don't we spar for a bit then?

>Other

>>537670
>Let's go see Altea first

>>537670
>>Let's go see Altea first
Get that done with.

>>537670
>>Let's go see Altea first

>writing

"I guess we should go see Altea first then" You say. "Maybe things will be less crowded after that"
"Sounds good" Derrick says. "Is she in her office, Marybell?"

"She is" Marybell says. "I'd offer to show you the way, but-"
"But you're on duty. I know" Derrick says.
"I was going to say that you already know the way, but that works too" Marybell says, giving a polite bow to Derrick. "Until next time"

"Yeah, see you later" Derrick says.
"See you" You say.

The three of you make your way past Marybell and into the castle. Once she thinks you're out of earshot of the centaur, Emi speaks up.

"I don't think she likes me very much..." Emi says.
"Well, you did wrestle her to he ground..." You say.
"Relax, Emi" Derrick says. "Her pride's just a little wounded. She'll come around"
"I hope so. I'm getting a tired of her giving me the cold shoulder..." Emi says.

>Have you apologized for messing her up like that?

>Her shoulders seemed warm to me

>Ask Derrick about the Legion's God

>Other

>>537747
>>Her shoulders seemed warm to me

>>537747
>>Her shoulders seemed warm to me
>Have you apologized for messing her up like that?

>>537747
>Have you apologized for messing her up like that?

>>537747
>Her shoulders seemed warm to me
>Have you apologized for messing her up like that?

>writing

"Her shoulders seemed warm to me" You say.
"It's a figure of speech, Yuu" Derrick says. "It means that she was acting cold towards Emi"
"Oh..." You say. "Have you tried apologizing?"

"I guess I haven't..." Emi says.
"Might be worth a shot" You say. "It was all a big misunderstanding, after all"

"Doesn't change the fact that she was shooting at you" Emi says.
"She wasn't trying to hit me, though" You say. "Just trying to spur me to keep running. It was a bit much, I'll admit. But it's still worth trying to mend things"

Emi looks surprised for a moment, then she smiles and nods. "You're right" She says. "It's worth a shot. You guys go on ahead"
"See you later" You say.
"Good luck" Derrick says.

Emi slithers back down the hall the way you all came from. You watch her for a few moments, noticing the way she moves. She certainly does have a dignified way of carrying herself...

"Let's keep moving" Derrick says.
"Yeah" You say.

>1/2

"We should head to the courtyard before we hit the baths" Derrick says when you're nearing Altea's office. "I need to work off the anxiety from the last few days, and I want to see what that spell of yours can do"

"Maybe" You say "Let's see how this goes first"
"Alright" Derrick says.

You reach the door, and Derrick knocks on it a few times.

"Who is it?" Altea asks from the other side
"It's us" Derrick says.
"Come in" Altea says.

Derrick opens the door, and the two of you go inside. Altea seems to have been pacing back and forth, but she walks up as soon as you enter and pulls both of you into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're both safe" Altea says, as she releases you and Derrick.
"Thanks, it's good to be back" Derrick says.

"Uhh" You say.

Altea smiles and ruffles your hair, before turning to a more serious expression. "It goes without saying that you will tell no one about that" She says.
"Yes commander" Derrick says with a wry grin.
"O-okay" You say.

Altea walks over to her desk and sits down. "Close the door and sit down. I want to hear everything" She says.

Derrick steps back and closes the door, while you-

>As what just happened

>Take a seat

>Explain what she saw on the Pride

>Other

>>537846
>>Take a seat

>>537846
>Take a seat

>writing

>>537846
>>Take a seat.
Literally, take one.

It's probably best not to question that. Just act like it was normal, and move on.

You head over and take a seat in front of Altea's desk, and Derrick sits next to you shortly after.

"Alright, tell me everything" Altea says. "I already have Pippi's account, but I want to hear yours"
"Anything in particular?" Derrick asks.
"Frederic was a known threat, though I was hoping you'd all be able to get some back up before having to face him..." Altea says. "Tell me about the demon in the control room"

"Terry?" You ask.
"Pippi never had a name for him..." Altea says.
"The lady who saved me told me what it was" You say. "This isn't the first time I've run into them. They were in Sherton just after the Hell's Legion attacked"

"What were they doing there?" Altea asks.
"I dunno" You say. "Terry wanted to trade me the spear I got from Carthac for directions to where Emi and Ilica were, but I didn't want to give it up. Then Caiah came along and chased him off. She was nice enough to tell me where to go without taking anything..."

"He wanted the spear?" Altea asks "Why?"
"The first spear he got from Carthac isn't normal" Derrick says. "It's made of some flesh-like substance..."

Altea looks surprised. "Why wasn't I informed of this?" She asks. "I would very much like to take a look at that..."

>I can go get it

>It doesn't like me

>Other

>>537891
>>I can go get it
>>It doesn't like me
It just can't seem to stay rigid for us.

>>537891
>It doesn't like me
>I can go get it

>>537891
>>I can go get it
>It doesn't like me

>writing

>>537891
Also
>Lulu didn't tell you about it?

Lulu, and I think Rhea, was there, and reacted to it with shock.

Why the hell didn't she notify Altea?

Knights of the realm, everybody...

>>537912
Considering their laughable attention spans (evident when Altea described her plans for Yuu, in front of them, and they forgot the next day), this actually isn't that surprising, now that I really think about it.

"It doesn't like me... but I can go get it" You say.
"It... doesn't like you?" Altea asks.
"It freaks out and starts flailing when he holds it" Derrick says. "Come to think of it, Lulu was there when that happened... and Rhea was too, but she was passed out because of Ariadne"

"What did Ariadne do?" Altea asks.
"Ariadne is an arachnid" Derrick says.
Altea sighs. "Of course..." She says. "I keep telling her that spiders aren't that bad"

"So... should I go get it?" You ask.
"Yes, if you will" Altea says. "I'd like to take a look at it, and then maybe hand it off to Jade for further research... if you don't mind it getting a little slimey"
"I don't mind" You say. "Jade washes off pretty easily"
"Excellent" Altea says.

"It should still be in our cart" Derrick says. "It's parked outside the castle. If you head down to where me ran into Marybell, it's left from there"
"Cool" You say, as you stand back up.
"And if you have any issues carrying it back up here, feel free to enlist Marybell" Altea says.
"I'll keep that in mind" You say. "I'll be back"

You nod to them, and head out.

>1/2

>>537927
>"Cool" You say, as you stand back up.
>"And if you have any issues carrying it back up here, feel free to enlist Marybell" Altea says.
>"I'll keep that in mind" You say. "I'll be back"

Inb4 the spear coils around her, too

As you come up to the gate you came in from, you hear the sounds of Emi and Marybell talking. It sounds pretty friendly, does that mean they've made up?

"I mean, I know my mom means well. But the pressure I get from her to marry is insane" Marybell says.
"Believe me, I know the feeling..." Emi says. "On the bright side, at least it's just pressure and not 'this man is your husband now'"
"Thank god..." Marybell says. "Makes me glad my family's all centaurs. Mom can pressure me all she wants, but I get to pick my rider"

"Yeah..." Emi says, before she pokes her head into the gateway. "Oh, hey Yuu. I thought I smelled you"
"Hey" You say. "Do I really smell that bad right now?"
"No, it's just familiar" She says. "What brings you back so soon?"
"I came to get Carthac's spear from the cart" You say.
"You mean the one that flips out when you hold it?" Emi asks.
"That one" You say.
"Do you need a hand?" Emi asks.
"Probably" You say. "Think you guys could lend me one?"

"Sure" Marybell says. She seems to be in a good mood now "Beats standin' here all day. I can shut the gate for a bit"
Emi nods, and slithers up next to you, as Marybell pulls the gates closed.

"There. Now where to?" Marybell asks.
"The cart" You say. "It's just over here"

The three of you leave the gate, and head over to where Derrick said the cart was.

>Ask what they were talking about

>Ask if they're friends now

>Ask why picking a rider is so important

>Other

>>537956
>>Ask why picking a rider is so important

>>537956
>>Ask if they're friends now

>>537956
>>Ask what they were talking about
>>Ask if they're friends now

>>537956
>>Ask if they're friends now
>>Ask why picking a rider is so important

>>537956
>Ask if they're friends now
>Ask why picking a rider is so important

>writing

"Are you two friends now?" You ask.

Emi and Marybell look each other over.

"I guess so" Emi says.
"I'm okay with that" Marybell says.

You smile, and give Emi a thumb's up. Emi smiles back.

"So why is picking a rider so important?" You ask.
"Ah... you heard that, huh?" Marybell asks.

"Just the last bit" You say. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop"
"That's fine..." Marybell says.

"For a centaur like Marybell, having a rider is like having a husband" Emi says.
"It's not just like a husband" Marybell says, turning and patting her horse-back. "The man who I allow up here has to be worthy, not handsome or charming. Handsome, charming men are a dime a dozen. Worthy men are far more rare"

"What kind of guy would you consider worthy?" You ask.
"He'd have to be strong" Marybell says. "Not just physically, but mentally. Intelligent, steadfast, caring..."

Marybell continues listing the qualities that a worthy man would have, until you stop her.

"That's... quite the list" You say. "How do you know if you've found someone who fits that description?"
"You just... know. I suppose" She says.

On that note, you finally make it to the cart. Stepping up and opening the door, you see that everything is just as you left it. The case of practice mageblades is still on the bench, the papers you got from Kieve are still piled up on the floor, and the spear is still tucked under the seat...

>Grab it

>Let someone else try

>Other

>>538005
>>Let someone else try

>>538005
>>Grab it
All three of us

>>538005
>>Grab it

>>538005
>>Grab it

>>538005
>Grab it

>writing

You swallow your apprehension, and lunge for the spear.

As soon as your hand touches it, it starts to squirm. Again, it seems to be trying to escape, it just doesn't have as much force as it did before.

"That's disgusting" Marybell says.
"It looks sort of... tired" Emi says.

"It does, doesn't it?" You ask. "I wonder why"
"Here, let me take a look" Emi says.

You hand her the spear, and it immediately stops squirming.

"Strange..." Emi says.
"What's up?" You ask.
"Nothing. It just feels a little weird" She says. "Come on, let's get this creepy thing up to Altea"

"One sec" You say, as you hop back into the cart and grab the case of training mageblades. "Now we can go"

The three of you close the cart up and head back to the gate.

"Are you sure you're alright, Emi?" Marybell asks.
"I'm fine" Emi says.
"You're sweating..." You say.

Emi wipes her forehead. 'That's odd..." She says.

>Take the spear back'

>It's probably nothing

>Other

>>538035
>>Take the spear back'

>>538035
>>Take the spear back'

>>538035
>Take the spear back'
I got a bad feeling, even if it hates us I feel it's safer in our hands until we understand it more.
Also it might be hungry, being made of what seems like flesh.

>>538035
>Take the spear back'

>>538035
>>Take the spear back'

>writing

>>538035
>Take the spear back'
I'm gonna assume it's absorbing her mana, which is bad news. It's the first thing that comes to mind as to why it seems to be fine when used by demons (if a little temperamental at 'pure' ones like Yuu) but Emi is struggling with it.

You furrow your brow, and snatch the weapon back from Emi. As soon as it leaves her grip, it starts to squirm again with more force than before.

"What in god's name?" Marybell asks.
"It's got more energy than before" You say, as you try to keep the damn thing from leaving your hands.
"I can see that, but-..." Marybell says. "So it wasn't tired. It was hungry... just what is that thing?"

Before you can try to answer, Emi wobbles and almost loses her balance.
You and Marybell both react. You toss the spear to the ground and dart over to keep her up, while Marybell throws an arm out.

"Whoa there..." Marybell says.
"It's fine... I'm just feel really tired now" Emi says. "Short on mana... apparently"
"Are you sure you're okay?" You ask.
Emi nods. "Nothing else feels off. This is just mana sickness" Emi says. "A little rest and I'll be right as rain"

"In the meantime, that thing isn't going anywhere near the commander" Marybell says. "One of us will have to help Emi find somewhere to rest. The other will have to stay and watch that thing"

"Won't Altea get mad if we keep her waiting?" You ask.
"This is for her own safety. She won't mind" Marybell says.

"Alright then..." You say.

>I'll go with Emi

>I'll stay here

>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?

>Other

>>538097
>>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?
Seems it hates Soul for some reason. Too pure for it?

>>538097
>>I'll stay here
>>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?

>>538097
>>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?

>>538097
>>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?

>>538097
>>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?
Jade maybe?

>>538097
>I'll stay here

>Is there somewhere else I can bring it

>>538097
>Is there somewhere else I can bring it?

>>538104
Mana and Soul are opposites

>writing

"Is there somewhere else I can bring it?" You ask. "Maybe to Jade?"
"To Jade, yes. But not her library" Marybell says. "That thing would murder her sprites if they got too close. There are a few sealed rooms in the basement, and most of 'em are empty. Take it to one, lock it tight, and then go to Altea"

"Got it" You say, as you move to pick the spear back up. "Which way?"

Marybell gives you directions to the vaults, and then takes Emi off to her room.

You pick the spear back up and head down the hallway until the 2nd stairway, and then go down... and down... and down... all the way until the stairs don't go down anymore. Then you head through the basement.

It's dark down here. Very dark. There are no light sources save for a few dim torches further in, and you get the feeling that a normal person would have to bring one with them.

The torches are placed by these metal cages, with only 2 torches to illuminate the 2 prisoners down here.

Strange design choice, putting the vaults and the dungeons right next to each other...

In one of the cells is a fairly large, sleeping man. And you don't mean muscly large, you mean fat large. A part of you wonders just how they crammed him into that cell...

In the other cell is...

"Well, well" The person in the other cell says. "If it isn't Mr. Cutie himself"

You stop. "Hello again" You say, Carthac's angry spear still wriggling in your grip.

The red devil in the cell stands up and move to the bars. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you down here" She says. "Looks like the Markras doesn't like you"
"What ever gave you that idea?" You ask.
The devil giggles. "I bet you're wondering what it is" She says.

You don't respond, but she seems to read something on your face as her tail flicks around.

"Tell you what" She says. "I can tell you what that is, if you can do me a favour"

>Go on

>I'm not helping you escape

>Other

>>538180
>>I'm not helping you escape

>>538180
>I'm not helping you escape
but
>Go on

>>538180
>Go on

>>538180
>>I'm not helping you escape
>Somehow, just knowing that having this pisses Carthac off is good enough for me

>>538180
>>Go on

>>538180
"If said favor is getting you a blanket, a book, water or some food then sure. Otherwise no"

>writing

You step up to the bars, making no attempt to hide your interest. "I'm not helping you escape" You say.

She looks disappointed. "Sure you can't just... jiggle the lock a little?" She asks.
"No" You say.

She giggles. "I'm just kidding" She says. "You and I both know that escape is way off the books"
"So what do you want?" You ask.

"A pillow... maybe some blankets" She says. "Perhaps a more comfortable cell in general. One that's not so close Guz over there"
"What's wrong with him?" You ask.

Just as you ask that, the fat demon in the other cell starts snoring. It's loud.

"Nevermind. I get it" You say. "I'll see what I can do"

She smiles, and her tail pokes through the bars to stroke your cheek. "Thanks cutie" She says.

The devil looks a little disappointed when you push her tail away from your face, but her smile quickly returns.

"So, what do you want to know about the spear?" She asks.

>Everything

>Let's see if I can hold up my end of the bargain first

>Other

>>538245
>Everything

>>538245
>Everything

>>538245
>>Everything
but
>>Let's see if I can hold up my end of the bargain first

>>538245
>Everything
Starting with why she's so eager to spill the beans

>writing

"Everything" You say.
"What first?" She asks.
"Let's start with... why you want to tell me all this in the first place" You say.
"Aww, you don't tust me?" She asks, in a cutesy tone. "That's okay. I wouldn't trust me either"

"So?" You ask.
"Ah, ah, ah" She says, as she waggles her finger at you. "My reasons were not a part of the bargain. You want those, you've gotta bring something else to the table"

"Fine then..." You say. "Where did this thing come from?"

You hold the spear up. It still struggles, but it seems to have lost much of the mana it got from Emi...

"No idea" She says.
"That's not very helpful" You say.
She holds up a hand. "In that regard, I know just as much as everyone else" She says. "None of us know where these come from, or where the Black God resides. All we know is that when we perform the ritual, the portal opens"

"What ritual?" You ask.
The devil gets a devious smile, though you couldn't say why... "The ritual is simple. We create the circle, and gather a person of each element. Then kill them, and their souls open the way to It"
"The Black God?" You ask
"Yes" She says.

"What is the Black God?" You ask.
"I only saw it once" She says. "Through the portal when they asked for that spear... it is, in a word: terrifying. When I looked through, all I could see for miles on end was eyes and claws and hands and teeth..."

She looks genuinely disturbed just remembering it...

"What does the spear do?" You ask.
"It eats" She says. "All the weapons we get from the portals do that. Mahron said that they're pieces of the black god, imbued with its hunger"
"Hunger for mana?" You ask.

She nods.

"Is it... alive?" You ask.
"Dunno" She says. "But if I had to guess..."
"You'd say it was" You say.
She nods again.

>Any other questions?

>>538322
>Carthac must've been hella pissed when he lost it.

>>538330
Seriously, though: how common are these weapons? Does the Black God only give them to a few people?

How do you destroy them?

>>538322
Do you know how many portal weapons there are? I'm thinking of starting a collection.

>writing

>>538334
Seems we kill it with either letting it starve or forcing soul into it.

"How many of these are there?" You ask.
"All the higher ups get them. It's sort of a rite of passage" She says. "If you can handle standing in that portal, you get the weapon. If you can't..."

"Gotcha" You say. "Is there a way to destroy them?"
"Not that I've seen" She says. "I tried burning that one when Carthac wasn't looking one time, but it just wouldn't light... I've also seen it withstand quite a bit of punishment without any scratches"

"Awfully sturdy for something that's made of flesh" You say.
"The flesh of a god and the flesh of a person are two different things" She says.

You nod, and start to walk away. "Well, thanks for the info. I'll a-"

She grabs your shirt, and pulls you into the bars of the cell. For someone so small, she's surprisingly small.

"Hold on, now" She says. "Info about the spear was what we bargained for, I don't remember anything about the Black God in there"
"So why didn't you just stop talking?" You ask.
"I figured I'd just take my dues afterward" She says, as her tail traces around the back of your neck.
"Whoa, what are yo-"

Her tail yanks your head toward the bars, bringing your face right into hers. Your lips tough hers, and she slides her tongue into your mouth for a moment. Then she pulls away, nipping your bottom lip as she releases you.

"There" She says, red eyes gleaming in the dim light as she licks her lips. "Now we're square"

You blink several times, unsure of just what exactly happened there...

>Ask why she did that

>Go put the spear in the vault

>Other

>>538376
>For someone so small, she's surprisingly small.
Small things are small.

>Ask why she did that

>>538383
Strong... I meant strong.

>>538376
>Ask why she did that

>Go put the spear in the vault

>>538376
>>Ask why she did that

>>538376
>>Ask why she did that

Also, info about the Black God IS info about the spear, since to know about one, you have to know about the other.

>>538376
>>Ask why she did that

>>538376
>Ask why she did that
Not such a 'pure' demon anymore, Yuu

>>538376
>You got your comfort. My end of the bargain is done.

If she wants to make bullshit changes to the deal, we'll do the same.

>>538397
Should have added that I'd like Yuu to bring this up; she said she'd tell him EVERYTHING about it, after all.

>writing

>>538407
We're used goods now, we'll never be able to get married.

>>538410
I really want to back this, but I think it might be a skosh out of character for Yuu.

>>538444
This must be kept secret, lest the world find out Yuu is a slut.

>>538457
It's too late now. Soon enough we'll be handholding with fingerlocking

>>538464
I hope this devil takes responsibility, or we're gonna be alone forever.
No one wants a used slut like us.

>>538464
I feel physically sick, you disgust me for using such foul language.

"Why did you do that?" You ask.

"... why?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at your question. "Because you've got nice lips, and I wante to know how they tasted"
"But... why?" You ask.

She scowls. "Hold up... that wasn't your first kiss, was it?" She asks.
"Do kisses on the cheek count?" You ask.

She frowns, looking strangely apologetic. "Oh..." She says. "I didn't realize"
"Is the first one important?" You ask.

She snorts, and then bursts out laughing. "Oh, oh fuck" She says. "I wish Carthac were here to hear you ask that. He'd be so pissed!"

"Why?" You ask.

She wipes a tear from her eye and shakes her head. "Nevermind" She says. "I'll make it up to you now"
"How?" You ask.
"I wanted to spill that info because I'm done with the Legion" She says. "Sick of constantly competing to show who's stronger, sick of constantly watching my back, sick of that wolf bitch who fucking sliced my leg so I'd get caught"

You look down to see that her lower left leg is bandaged around the thinnest part just about the ankle.

"Want someone to look at that?" You ask.
She snorts. "Now that would be asking too much" She says. "I think they like having the 2 of us as prisoners. One who's too injured to run, and another who's too fat"

"I was gonna ask how they even got him in there..." You say.
"With sticks" She says. "It took a lot of pushing. I think they might starve him for a while before trying to take him out..."

>That's kind of cruel

>Go put the spear away

>What's stopping you from using magic?

>Other

>>538488
>>What's stopping you from using magic?

>>538488
>That's kind of cruel
>What's stopping you from using magic?

>>538488
>>That's kind of cruel

>>538488
>That's kind of cruel
>What's stopping you from using magic?

>She frowns, looking strangely apologetic.
The first step to taking responsibility.

>>538488
>>What's stopping you from using magic?
then
>Go put the spear away

>>538488
>"I wish Carthac were here to hear you ask that. He'd be so pissed!"
Cause he got his ass handed to him by a kissless virgin?

>writing

>>538488
I like the demon girl. But I also like the bunny.

"What's stopping you from using magic to escape?" You ask. "You seemed like a pretty strong pyromancer when we fought..."

She sticks her left hand through the bars. "This lovely little piece of jewelry" She says. "It looks nice, doesn't it? Really compliments the red of my skin"

On her wrist is a red crystal band that looks like it's on very tight.

"Common practice for keeping prisoners. Even fatso over there has one" She says. "They use a device to pump out a bunch of your mana, and then stick this on you so you can't absorb any more"
"That's... kind of cruel" You say.

She snorts. "We're both killers, man" She says. "I've burned people alive, and I've seen Fatso over there literally eat babies. A little cruelty is better than we deserve"

"Hmm... maybe I shouldn't get you a better cell then...
"Hey, hey, hey! That was like the only part of the deal" She says. "You wouldn't go back on that now..."

"I don't really have the authority to relocate you" You say. "But I'll still talk to someone who can"
"Thanks... and sorry... about the kiss... thing" She says. "If it helps me, let 'em know that 'm willing to play ball and answer whatever questions I can"

"I will" You say.
"And by the way" She says. "It's Cheska"
"What is?" You ask.
"Me" She says. "I'm Cheska. Sh-ess-kah"
"Ah" You say. "And I'm Yuu. Yu-uuu-uuu"

She giggles, as her tail comes up to play with her hair. "Nice meeting you... I look forward to seeing you again" She says.

You wave to her, and head off down the hallway. The spear is still wriggling in your hands, but it's almost completely died down now.

Once you're out of the torchlight, you bring a hand up to your lips. Something about that made you feel funny... kinda warm and tingly.

And most importantly, it caused a part of your body to move that has not moved before. You wish it would stop, as it makes it a little hard to walk.

You're glad it's dark here and there's no one around, or this might be embarrassing...

>1/2

>>538588
I too am a fan of the cute and cuddly bunny.

>>538626
Our little yuu first erection, how cute.

>>538626
Yuu's first boner, is this what being a parent is like?

>>538639
Now we're Yuused goods

>>538639
>>538643
Just wait for Terry to show up, any second, and have a good laugh.

>>538655
I choked on my drink reading that pun

>>538655
Also, being very nonchalant about burning people alive but showing remorse at taking someone's first kiss is a very strange moral code.

You reach the vaults and toss the spear inside, then you shut it tight.

"Vault 2..." You say, noting the number before you walk away.

You head back down the dark hall, getting oddly flustered as you get back to the torches. As you pass Cheska's cell, you peer in out of curiosity.

She's lying down on the ground, having stripped off some of her clothes to use as a pillow. Her tail flicks around in the air above her, showing her annoyance at the snoring giant in the other cell...

>Keep walking

>Toss her your cloak

>Other

>>538690
>Keep walking.

>>538690
>>Keep walking

>>538690
>>Keep walking
Getting her a pillow and blanket would be more effective than using our cloak.

>>538673
Demons, man.

>>538690
>>Keep walking

>>538690
>Keep walking
We will get her proper bedding in due time.

>>538690
I am intrigued in giving her our coat.
But we will get her accomodations anyway.

>>538690
>Keep walking
We've only just got this one back. We can work on getting her a more comfortable cell later.

>writing

You decide to keep walking, but not before your little stop is noticed.

Cheska opens one eye, pokes out her tongue, and pops her good leg up in a 'cutesy' sort of way.
You decide to start walking, trying to pretend that that never happened.

Back to the stairs and up, up and up. Did they really have to build the dungeon so far down? Seems a bit unnecessary...

But then it would have to stand up to escaping earth mages and the like, so maybe the overkill was necessary.

You'll ask someone about that later. Once you make it up these stairs.

...

If you make it up these stairs. You could swear there weren't this many coming dow- oh wait, nevermind. There's the end.

When you hit the top of the stairs, you turn to the distinct sound of Marybell's footsteps.

"You're just coming back up now?" Marybell asks. "What took you so long?"
"I stopped to chat with one of the prisoners" You say.
"They're awake down there?" Marybell asks.
"The devil is... though I don't see how she could sleep through the snoring" You say.
"Did she tell you anything?" Marybell asks.

>It took some bargaining, but...

>Yes

>Nevermind that. How is Emi?

>Other

>>538801
>It took some bargaining, but...

>>538801
>>It took some bargaining, but...
>Nevermind that. How is Emi?

>>538801
>Yes.

>>538801
>>It took some bargaining, but...

>>538801
>>It took some bargaining, but...
She asks for pillows and blankets. I would recommend some ear plugs too.

>>538801
>>It took some bargaining, but...

>>538801
>>It took some bargaining, but...
>Nevermind that. How is Emi?

>writing

"It took some bargaining, but I managed to work something out" You say. "She told me everything she knew about the spear"
"And in return?" Marybell asks.
"Oh yeah" You say. "She wanted me to ask if I could either get her a better cell, or a pillow and some blankets... maybe some earplugs too"

Marybell nods. "Good work" She says. "Run that by Altea. Perhaps a better cell could be in the books, if she's willing to share information..."
"Seemed that way" You say.
"What makes you say that?" She asks.
"Cheska- that's her name -said she wanted out of the legion" You say. "It was one of the other demons who cut her leg like that"

"She could be lying..." Marybell says. "But any insight into what their goals are is better than none"

You leave out the kissing, and the awkwardness that followed it. Marybell doesn't need to know about that.

"But nevermind that. How is Emi doing?" You ask.
"She's fine" Marybell says. "I got her to her bed, and Jade is there right now making sure it's just mana sickness"

"Good..." You say.
"Now, I have to get back on guard duty" She says. "And you still have to report to Altea. Both about the prison, the spear, and the devil"
"Gotcha" You say. "See you later"

She tips her head to you. "Farewell" She says, before continuing down the hall.

You take a deep breath, and start heading back up to Altea's office.

That's all for tonight!

Next thread might be tomorrow, depending on whether or not I have the time.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time

>>538854
Great thread, Smiley!

>>538854
Thanks man

>>538854
Thanks for running Smiley

>>538854
Thanks for the thread!

>>538854
How mad will Stella be when she learns that Yuu is no longer pure?

"So the spear is in the vault now?" Altea asks.
"It is" You say. "Vault 2"

Altea nods. "To think something like that was just lying around... it's good that no one picked it up" She says.
"No one but Emi..." Derrick says.
"Marybell says she's fine" You say. "Jade is with her now"

Derrick rests his hands on his knees, and arches his fingers. "Just what the hell are those things..."

"Oh yeah" You say. "They're pieces of the Black God"

Altea and Derrick both stare at you in disbelief.

"Where did you learn that?" Altea asks.
"I had to go through the dungeons to get to the vaults" You say. "I stopped to talk to Cheska. She told me about the spear"

"Cheska is the prisoner from the Legion, the red devil. Correct?" Altea asks.
"Yes" You reply.
"She just... told you?" Derrick asks.
"Well... no" You say. "In return I have to ask if she can have a nicer cell"

Altea raises an eyebrow. "That's all?" She asks.
"She said she'd be willing to tell us more, too" You say.

Altea and Derrick share a glance.

"I don't buy it" Derrick says.
"Me neither" Altea says. "She's up to something..."

>Should I tell her that's a 'no' on the room?

>She said she's done with the Legion

>Why not go talk to her yourself?

>Other

>>540602
>She said she's done with the Legion
>Should I tell her that's a 'no' on the room?

>>540602
>She said she's done with the Legion
>Should I tell her that's a 'no' on the room?

Hey Smiley.

>>540602
>She said she's done with the Legion

>Why not go talk to her yourself?

>>540602
>She said she's done with the Legion
>Why not go talk to her yourself?

>>540602
>She said she's done with the Legion
>Should I tell her that's a 'no' on the room?

>writing

"She seemed adamant that she was done with the Legion" You say. "Apparently it was one of them who slashed her leg like that"

"Still. I've known them to do worse" Altea says. "A superficial injury like that, for the amount of havoc that a legionaire could do inside Locke?"

"So... should I tell her that's a 'no' on the room?" You ask.
"Not just yet..." Altea says. "I need to think on this. On one hand, if she gets loose it will be a disaster. On the other, this is the first real chance we've had to get insight on the inner workings of the legion..."

"You're not actually considering it, are you?" Derrick asks.

"I am" Altea says. "This will take time... you two are free to go for now. If you'd like, you can bring the demon a pillow or something"

"Alright" You say.
Derrick looks frustrated. "Let me know what you decide... I guess" He says.
"I will" Altea says.

You and Derrick get up, nod to Altea, and leave the room.

Once outside, Derrick turns to you.

"What now?" He asks.
"I want to-

>Check on Emi

>Bring Cheska a pillow or something

>Head to the courtyard

>Bathe

>Other

>>540723
>Bring Cheska a pillow
>And have her take responsibility

>>540723
>>Check on Em
Because friendship

>>540723
>Check on Emi
>Bring Cheska a pillow or something
Emi comes first, but a deal is a deal.

>>540723
>>Check on Emi
>>Bring Cheska a pillow or something
In that order

>>540723
>Check on Emi
>Bring Cheska a pillow or something
>And have her take responsibility

>writing

"I'm gonna go check in on Emi" You say. "I know Marybell said she's fine, but..."
"I get it" Derrick says. "Let's go, I want to make sure she's okay too"

You smile, and the two of you start walking.

"How long was she holding it, anyway?" Derrick asks.
"Not long" You say.
Derrick scowls. "And it drained enough to give her mana sickness..." He says. "How the hell does Carthac even wield that thing?"

"Cheska said that he had to pass some sort of test" You say. "The sacrifices that they gather are used to open a portal to the Black God, and if you can stand in the portal and survive, you get one of those"

"I'd say that you should have told Altea all that, but I get the feeling that she'll be getting it from the source soon enough..." Derrick says.
"Think she'll talk to Cheska?" You ask.
"I can almost guarantee it" Derrick says. "The risk involved with moving her out of the dungeons is big, but she won't pass up on an opportunity to get a leg up on the Legion"

"You make it sound like you're letting her run free" You say. "You don't have like a... less dark, rusty dungeon?"
"Unfortunately not" Derrick says. "The town isn't called Locke for no reason. Back before Lubars conquered this place, this castle was just a prison and nothing but. The top's been renovated, but the dungeons down there were meant for the most dangerous criminals of the time"

"So the town is called Locke... because they used to lock people up here?" You ask. "Maybe it's a good thing that the Lubrians conquered these guys. They weren't very creative"

Derrick chuckles and pats your shoulder. "Most countries reserve the creative names for their capitals" He says.
"No excuse" You reply. "So what would happen to her?"
"We'd either have to get an earth mage to make a new cell somewhere secure, or spare a few people to watch her at all times..." Derrick says. "Either way is sketchy..."
"I'm sure Altea will think of something" You say.

>1/2

You and Derrick reach the door to the room that you and Emi share, and give it a quick knock.

"Come in" Emi says. She sounds just as tired as before.

You walk into the room, and immediately stop as your foot touches something weird.

"Oh... watch where you step. Jade was just in here..." Emi says. She's currently sitting on her coiled tail, getting ready to go to sleep.
"Noted" You say. "So is it just mana sickness?"
Emi nods. "Did you take care of the-" She pauses, letting out a long yawn. "-the spear?"
"It's in the vaults now, where it hopefully won't drain anyone else" You say. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She smiles. "I'm fine. I just need to rest" She says.
"Yeah, sleep well Emi" Derrick says. "I'm glad you're okay"
"Me too..." She says, as she slides back so she can lay down. "Now, unless you feel like keeping me warm..."
"Gotcha. Want us to check back later?" Derrick says.
"I'll be sleeping later" She says.
"Good night Emi" You say.

Emi doesn't respond, having apparently fallen asleep already...

You and Derrick quietly slip out of the room, though if she fell asleep that quickly you doubt she'll be easy to wake.

Now that you know Emi is okay, you'll-

>Make good on your deal

>Bathe

>Head to the courtyard

>Other

>>540846
>>Make good on your deal

>>Bathe

>>540846
>>Make good on your deal

>>540846
>>Make good on your deal

>>540846
>Make good on your deal

>writing

>>540846
>Make Cheska take responsibility