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>>746248
Your dress, all in black and violet, is a gift from Henrietta; a small brooch with the family crest helps to clasp it. One does not normally wear a hat at a wedding, but you'd insisted, and both Amy and Nathan backed you up, and that had been that, though for the occasion you've wound a sky-blue ribbon around the hatband and decorated it in a riot of roses and lilies.

Fetch looks handsome in a tailor-made suit, done up for him with absolute dignity by Glen's seamstresses. He'd thanked them for their work with courtly grace, and they'd done him the courtesy of tittering shyly.

"Nervous?" Nathan asks, kindly. You hide your face in your hat and nod. "Don't worry, I am too. Really good things can be scary, Bri. Breathe."

"But if I stop breathing I can embrace the peace of death," you complain; you fully expect the cuff upside the back of the head that you receive. "Joking!"

"Too dark, Bri," Nate chides.

"I know, I know," you agree, with a sigh. You put your hat back on your head and adjust it. It gives you another excuse to look at Nathan too; he's cutting a handsome figure in white & red trim, with Verve riding on his hip in a place of honor. Nathan's shadow is unshackled, and shifts in place like a schoolboy, unable to hold still and unwilling to leave. He puts a hand on your shoulder.

"Hey, you get to say you got given away by a chicken," the Hero says with a grin. "How many people get to say that?"

You snort. "About the same as the folks who had to be the ones getting given away because their bride would have to stab a whole lot of other people to recover, socially, from the implication."

"Harpies," you two say in unison, and you share a laugh.

There's a knock on the door, and Harry steps in. The smith's suit is grey, but a pink rose - a gift from Isoldt - rides in his buttonhole, and he has an expansive smile. "Are we ready?" the smith rumbles.

"As we'll ever be. They just about prepared in the church?" you ask.

"Briony's frantically re-reading her lines," Harry admits. "She's, ah, she's never had to do this part and the shrine hasn't had a priest in ages."

"We could have asked Wren when - /owww/," Kat complains, when you step on her foot. "Nevermind..."

"We don't really ask the gods to do stuff like that," Nathan says kindly.

"I ask Bri to do stuff," Kat complains.

"Brianna's not a god," Harry points out.

"She's the closest thing I've got," your shadow answers, sinking back against the floor. You frown, thoughtfully, but (thankfully?) there isn't much time to worry over it - River's face pokes into the doorway, just behind Harry.

"She's ready," your sister tells you. "I need to go take my place. Congratulations, again!"

You take a deep breath while River scurries off. Nathan takes your hand, and you squeeze his gratefully. "Alright, let's do this," you tell him, firmly. "You ready, Nate?"

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>>746262
"For which part?" Nathan asks, wryly. "Getting married to the two great loves of my life, or getting the surname that comes with the job I've already been doing?"

"Smartass. How about for how dead we're going to be by the time Amy's done with us tonight?"

"...No. No, I am not ready."

"Ready or not, it's time," Harry tells the two of you. "Let's get to it."

You'd invited far fewer people to the actual wedding than you had to the reception. Partially this is tradition; a la Croix wedding reception is open to all and sundry. Mostly, though, it's because there's only so much room in the shrine. You, Nathan, and Harry leave the common room of the Unlucky Bastard - the innkeeper was all too happy to let you change in a room upstairs and to give you two privacy - and head for the shrine. Harry walks ahead of Nate, and Fetch ahead of you, in a formal procession. The cheering citizens of Glen throw flower petals in your path, caught up in the joy of the event.

You smile. Everywhere you go, weddings are community events, and it warms your heart.

You don't really have family to bring, but there are people in the shrine for you anyway; Henrietta and Amalie, Isoldt, Cooke, River. You'd invited Hunting Talon, in the spirit of reconciliation, and he'd politely declined, but you're not too surprised when you see him watching through the window.

Amy, resplendent in the burning dress made for her by Miles, is standing too close to Briony for you to tell which one of them the harpy is looking at.

The citizens of Glen present - Missy Brooks, Mrs. Applegrove, Brandon, Captain Miller and his daughter, and more - mostly have eyes for Nathan but they smile freely at both of you, remaining silent in respect. Natalia sits in the front row, completely failing not to cry and causing Kaleidoscope no small amount of confusion.

You can feel the joy and anticipation in the church.

Fetch and Harry lead you and Nathan to your places beside Amy, who stands proudly on her own; Diving Shadow and Larry watch from the rafters, along with the hatchlings. The little ones are doing their best to stay quiet, bless their tiny hearts, and the older children are helping to watch them.

Briony adjusts her glasses with a small cough. "Children of the Gods," she begins, cunningly replacing the traditional 'Sons and Daughters of the Firstborn' - "we are gathered here to - /fuck me/," she swears, as the book slips from her grip. The young priestess catches it before it can hit the ground and stands up straight with a cough. "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of these three in sworn matrimony, before the sight of the Gods and these witnesses. If there are any who object to this union, speak now or remain forever silent."

Part of you expects to hear the crash of breaking glass or a piercing screech, but no voice raises. Briony nods and turns her page, growing more confident.

>>746262
>Brianna's not a god,
yet [\spoiler]

>>746272
>"we are gathered here to - /fuck me/,"
Pffffhahahahahahha

>>746279
We're a priest (more or less) I don't see why we didn't just get Fetch to marry us.

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>>746272
"I am privileged to be here today to witness this joining of three souls and families," Briony continues, with a wry warmth. "When I met Amy, Brianna, and Nathaniel they were already strong in their love, and I could see it in every moment they were together, even and, at times especially, in those moments of confusion and uncertainty in which they reached out to understand each other rather than pulling away or remaining silent. Together, they helped to lift my home and my people from darkness, and I wish them every happiness in this journey they now begin together. The brides and groom have written their own vows, which they will now speak."

Amy flicks her wings; Soaring Song chimes in a low, steady ripple that fills the shrine in lieu of a professional musician, swelling with pride and affection. "This part was difficult for me," she admits. "I spent a lot of time thinking about my vows, and what to write, because the thing is...the thing is, most of the things people suggested to me are the things I already do. To stay in sickness or health, to defend and cherish, to love and honor, I don't need to swear those things to the world like it doesn't already know. I love Bri and Nate like I love nobody else, and it felt wrong to promise that like it was ever in doubt."

Amy takes a deep breath. "But there is something I can promise. For most of my life...for almost all of my life, really, I've floated through it. I've only ever thought about today, because tomorrow didn't have a good chance of ever coming, and didn't think about the future. Brianna and Nathan changed that, and for the first time I saw a future that I couldn't just envision, but that I /wanted/. Something warm and beautiful, something...something right. I know I can be frustrating at times. Bri'll tell you, I think with my knife a lot. I leap, without looking, and don't think about tomorrow because it still sometimes doesn't feel important at all to me. But that future does, and I promise to do everything I can to help make it a reality, to turn tomorrow into today, and to be the person I need to be to make that happen."

You hear Diving Shadow hitch a sob and restrain the urge to look up at her in the interest of living long enough to say your own vows. You touch the brooch that bears your family crest and lift your chin.

"My name is Brianna la Croix," you begin, in a clear voice. "Those who know me know how important that is to me. My family, my name, is my most treasured possession, the thing no one can take from me. People marry /into/ the la Croix, not out of them, and I say now with the gods as my witness and on my unsullied name and honor that I can think of no one better to invite into my family than Nate and Amy. I'd be hard-pressed to name anyone more valorous, more loyal, more compassionate, than my lovers, and my life is better for having known them, and so much more joyous for having loved them."

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>>746286
You adjust your hat, not because it needs adjusting but because if you don't you're going to chicken out, you just know it. "In a lot of ways I have the opposite of Amy's problem," you admit. "I get lost in the past, stuck on tradition, or trapped in old memories. But they helped me out of the past, and showed me a present worth living in. They let me cry, when I wouldn't let myself, and gave me the space I needed to mourn, and if I lived for a thousand years I could never repay that. I love my family and our old traditions, but I promise, in the sight of the gods, to do what's best for us, not what my family thinks is proper, even if it means that our branch of the la Croix grow up as renegades. My life is for the living, not the dead."

Amy gives your hand a quiet squeeze and flashes you a bright smile. You grin at her, ducking your head, and let Nathan speak.

"I have to say, our love hasn't been like it turns out in songs and stories," Nathan begins. "Ours has been a bond forged in battle and found both in the bright flash of war and glory, and in the quiet moments together when we had the choice to come together or drift apart, and we chose to come together. It hasn't always been easy. There are things about all of us that confuse and frustrate the others, no matter how much we love each other. And the thing that saddened me the most was when I realized neither Bri or Amy really had a home." Nathan looks at the two of you, his eyes warm. "But I learned, from them, that home is something you can take with you, not just a place you can go. I've done my best to make them feel at home with me, and around me, because I feel at home wherever they are too. I promise to defend not just our love, but our home, and to keep it warm and ready for whenever we need it. The days ahead are going to be dark, and we'll need the chance to stop and breathe more than ever."

Briony raises her head and calls for the rings. Jewel comes forward, the rings you had forged on a little pillow, and offers one to each of you in turn. You put Amy's on her finger; she places Nate's on his, and Nate slides yours onto your finger.

"By the power vested in me by the Lady of Ravens, I now pronounce you husband and wives. You may...wait...actually, how /are/ we supposed to handle the kiss?"

Amy pulls the three of you together with her wings and kisses you each in turn with a little giggle. You and Nate grin and kiss each other, to the whoops and cheers of your families and guests.

"That works," Briony says, closing her book.

* * * *

The reception is going well. Admittedly, letting Tina run the bobbing for apples was a hilarious error in judgement, but thus far the worst thing that's happened is a broken ankle from some enthusiastic dancing. The eager young noble in question - he's maybe sixteen - is chatting up a storm with Jewel to the side of the dance floor.

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>>746314
You've had a couple of cups of wine, your share of dances, and one of the best days of your life, and you...

> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal
> Really should check up on Natalia
> Are having a fascinating conversation with Brooks' teacher about helping along part-human children
> About to be mobbed by hatchlings
> Relaxing around some food and coffee with Nate and Amy

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN BED HOURS AGO VOTES REMAIN OPEN

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>746317
>> Are having a fascinating conversation with Brooks' teacher about helping along part-human children

>>746317
>> Really should check up on Natalia
>>746319
It was well worth it!

>>746317
>> About to be mobbed by hatchlings

>>746317
>> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal, but....
> Really should check up on Natalia

There's never time to eat, drink, or relax at your own wedding. Especially at the reception. The reception is where everyone has a chance to tell you how happy they are for you, when all you want to do is run off with your lover and /consummate/.

>>746317
>> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal

>>746317
>Really should check up on Natalia
Does this make her our mother-in-law?

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>>746317
> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal,l

It finally happened!

>>746317
>> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal

>>746410
Why would it not?

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>>746319
My feels go out for you and the happy couple you graced us with.

>>746317
Imma have to go with;
> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal.

Though, I do want to add this;
> About to be mobbed by hatchlings.
The cuteness!! It's too much! Quickly, Sir Fetch! DISTRACTO-CHICKEN!!

>>746428
Sooooo appropriate.

>>746317
> Want to talk to Henrietta while you still have the nerve to discuss her magic school proposal
after
> Really should check up on Natalia
but first dealing with the adorable swarm(flock?)
> About to be mobbed by hatchlings

>>746437
is it weird I am watching Left 4 Dead 2 versus gameplay while I read this wedding scene? The gunfire and screams are oddly comforting. I imagine its Bri's internal screaming in terror of happiness.

>>746445
Well, I imagine that La Croix weddings have more dead people. And a lot more alcohol.

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>>746439
God, I just realized that the hatchlings must look like fuzzy little cotton tufts with claws and cute faces. Death by mothball?

>>746317
>> About to be mobbed by hatchlings

>>746317
>Really should check up on Natalia even if being mobbed by soft feathery murder machines is about to happen.

>>746626
> "Please, Natalia! Save me from these adorable monsters!"

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>>746526
>>746365

I forgot to turn off my Wi-Fi on my phone when I voted this morning. My girlfriend and I live together and both read the quest, these are two separate votes.

I had a dumb. I apologize. Have a pupper.

>>746994
Oh my Jesus, fat pupper is so happy. Somebody must have told him about Bacon-Heaven.

> All this multi voting

Why must you always do this to me it makes the tallying such a fucking bitch.

Called, going to try to tally. May end up un-calling if I can't make enough sense of the votes.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Mkay, as near as I can tell we have a tie between Henrietta and Hatchlings, as well as a player base that sorely needs to learn to vote for one option god damn it.

1 is Henrietta, 2 is hatchlings.

>>747115
Sorry for being so indecisive Sempai! Couldn't help it.

>>747115
I mean, it could easily be both.
>hatchlings hear the word "school"
>all the little harpies start yelling that wanna go to school with Bri
>one divebombs an apple at her head because that's what you do with teachers, right?

>>747115
>Mobbed by Hatchling
STORYTIME!

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>>746317
You're about to leave the dance floor - you're /three feet/ from the safety of the sidelines - when you feel a premonition and turn around just in time to get swept under a wave of hatchlings. The little ones that are still fluffy aren't the problems so much as taking a pair of leaping six-year-olds at chest height. You hit the grass with a whump and find yourself piled by fluffy children.

Is this what mother cats feel like all the time?

"They have questions," Diving Shadow tells you, with a teasing grin. Amy, Nate, and Larry are with her, watching with wry looks.

"I may have answers," you admit, beneath the blanket of Bird.

"Can I marry Mommy?" a fluffy hatchling girl asks.

"Lullaby!" Diving Shadow scolds. "You ask /me/ that. And no, I'm already married."

"Aww," Lullaby whines, settling into the fluff pile.

"Why do you have three names?" a harpy boy asks.

"Two," you correct. "Brianna's my name, and 'la Croix' is my surname - my family name. It was given to us by other people, back when we weren't very nice people."

"So now Auntie Amy has two names?"

"She does actually have three," you point out.

Amy grins and makes a series of bird noises, followed by the hatchlings going, "Ohhhh."

"Why didn't your mommy come?" a tiny fluffy chick, light as a kitten, asks from your chest.

"My mother died a long time ago," you murmur, rubbing the chick's head with a finger. "And ghosts tend to spoil the mood, so I didn't invite her."

"What's a nekomancer?"

"Someone who divines knowledge with cats," you tease. "Do you mean necromancer?"

"Yeah that," the young boy agrees quickly; he's maybe eight. "What /is/ one? Can I be one?"

"Necromancers...necromancers learn the magic of death and the dead, the way Larry knows the magic of earth and stone," you explain. "We don't use our will, though. We use our life."

The young boy nods, eyes wide and earnest.

> Well...why do you want to be one?
> I wasn't much older than you when I started becoming a necromancer. Finding a teacher can be troublesome, though.
> You don't want to be a necromancer, little one
> Write-in?

>>747563
>> Well...why do you want to be one? Its not a nice job and finding acceptable teachers is troublesome.

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>>747563
> Well...why do you want to be one?
inb4 answer is

>>747611
We are the best fucking roll model around. Well, for our kind at any rate.
>>747563
> I wasn't much older than you when I started becoming a necromancer. Finding a teacher can be troublesome, though.
Might as well get ready for the princess talk. Though we should check on Natalia first. Mental breakdown from joy is still a mental breakdown.

I gotta go be Gainfully Employed. I've got an early shift tomorrow but I'll try to get an update in tonight and then tomorrow morning. Votes remain open.

>>747628
actually replace my answer with this>>747601

>>747633
god luck based Vox.

>>747563
> Well...why do you want to be one?
Do combinined votes count as write-ins?

>>747563
> Write-in?
>Uh... next question.

>>747563
> "What's a nekomancer?"
> "Someone who divines knowledge with cats," you tease.

Well, I /was/ enjoying some hot cocoa.

> > I wasn't much older than you when I started becoming a necromancer. Finding a teacher can be troublesome, though.
No need to /too/ deep with it. Still just a kid.

>>747563
Choice analysis time!

Asking why they want to be one is going to get either a sob story or unrestrained admiration. Also is going to be seen as tactic support.

Saying Brianna wasn't much older will also be taken as tactic support. The "no mentor" issue will be immediately "resolved" with "Well you can teach us".

Saying no to a six-year-old doesn't work, and would require scaring them.

>>747638
>>747633
Is there a god in charge of luck?

>>748091
Maybe, I just didn't hit the o button hard enough to say good.

Hey guys I just had a brilliant idea for if/when we establish an official necromancer academy.

Build it over/next to an abattoir surrounded by death bottles. This way the students can learn without spending their own life forces, anatomy lessons and raw materials are close to hand and the sale of the meat can help cover expenses of running the place.

>>748162
Maybe we should build it near a graveyard? Like, alumni could be buried there and advise the school after death. A shrine of some sort's probably a good idea as well.

>>748508
Could always go for building catacombs under the school proper. Those who offer their bodies for science and learning are provided protected rest like that of the Lichyard. Plus, we can hold yearly celebrations similar to the Day of the Dead, allowing spirits to possess the bodies of volunteers for 24 hours to enjoy all of the pleasures of life in exchange for knowledge and protection.

>>747563
> Well...why do you want to be one?

>>747563
>Well...why do you want to be one?
Its not like we can actively stop him from becoming one in the future so first, we try to understand.

>>748854
Army Necro-medics reviving people and using bottled death from the ones they couldn't save.

Protected by treaties in exchange for "No zombie armies" rule.

Get shanked, get brought back, get sent home to farm.

Okay so the good news is I'm alive and the bad news is I won't be able to update before work. I'll catch y'all around 6 PM or so; votes remain open.

Called, writing, and thank you for your patience.

>>749627
I don't think revivals would be given out to just anyone, because otherwise the military might try to take advantage.
> "Haha! Send in everyone we have! We can just have the necromancers bring them back to life!"
> Two hours later...
> "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T BRING THEM BACK?!"

Resurrections/revivals have a lot of potential for abuse. Likewise, we'd have to put down strict rules and policies against bring back someone whose either died of old age or of sheer stupidity, even if their noble, royalty, whatever.
> "I don't care how much his family offers, we are not bring back Count Ryland. Anybody insane enough to try wooing a dragon deserves to be eaten."

>>751420
Vox kill (again)?

>>752041
Clearly he made an ill-considered oath with a tooth fae.

>>751971
>> "I don't care how much his family offers, we are not bring back Count Ryland. Anybody insane enough to try wooing a dragon deserves to be eaten."

Depends on how successful the wooing is. Do you WANT a depressed and angry Dragon widower?

>>751971
Yeah keep in mind that 1)necromancy rezzes work only VERY SHORTLY after death and 2)they leave a permanent potentially crippling effect.

So yeah, military applications are shot down to hell.

Although I imagine people keeping a necromancer with a filled bottle around for if they come down with a sudden case of being assassinated.

>>752235
Military applications aside from zombie armies, you mean.

>>752250
That application is shot too.

As in you get shot for trying it.

>>752261
Which is why you keep a necromancer on hand to revive you!

>>752250
Zombie armies sounds like a road that ends in zombie armies.

>>752272
Hm. Yeah, sure, the leftover from rez can serve as a reminder to not be so retarded in the future.

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>>747563
You give the boy a serious, but not disapproving, look. "What's your name?"

"Three," he tells you. "Momma Shadow tried to give me a name but I wanna earn a name like my father. He died a long time ago."

"What happened to your first mother?" you ask, quietly.

"...Momma Shadow is mad at her," Three admits. "They argue a lot."

"Well, little one, can you tell me why you would like to be a necromancer?" you ask. Three's eyes are green, and look older than his years when he answers.

"Mommy and Momma Shadow got into a fight," he tells you. You can feel Diving Shadow tensing, behind the hatchlings, but all of their eyes are on you. "Momma Shadow was really angry. Mommy said she didn't understand, and, and Momma Shadow, she said that's the problem. That no one respected death until the necromancer showed up. I asked her about it, and she said to ask you about necromancy and that it was about death and...and I want to understand."

You brush Three's hair back behind his ear, with a little pang in your heart for the childhood he'll never really get to have.

> You'll need a teacher. I can't, right now
> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better
> This isn't for you, little one
> Write-in?

>>752433
>You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better
But if it is truly the path you wish to take then
> You'll need a teacher. I can't, right now

>>752433
> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better
Yeah, we can provide moral lessons separate from the la Croix "moral necromancer" package too.

>>752433
>> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

>>752433
>>> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

At least part of the La Croix's deal was helping communities. This is kind of feels like an extension of it. We're not a priest, and this isn't a question they usually deal with.

... For all that we're now at three out of five for having met divinities. Red Troth and the Quell. I'm... actually kind of curious as to what the Quell's going to be like. Like, it's an embodiment of ORDER and LAW, but if it's been around and changed like some of the other gods have, then it's probably realized that ABSOLUTE ORDER is kind of shitty.

Speaking of divinities who've learned a thing or two, I wonder how and if we'll be tied to Lora's own divinity in the end? I mean, she might or might not even want to be a full god, and might have a better idea of what all that entails than we do.

>>752433
>> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

>>752433
> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

>>752433
> You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

>>752433
>You don't need to be a necromancer to understand and make things better

Called, writing.

Man actually sleeping through the night felt great. I'd forgotten what that was like.

>>753109
Egad! And here I thought that sleep was for the weak!

Glad to hear you're doing good Vox. How's the family life treating you? Have they driven you to true insanity yet?

>>753109
You worry me a lot of times, Vox.

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>>752433
The little guy looks so /earnest/. You don't want to refuse him outright, but thankfully you don't have to. "Three, you don't have to be a necromancer to do those things. Caring enough to want to understand and help is an important first step. So I'll make you a deal - you spend a year and a day learning, and helping as best you can, and after that time you and I can talk again about if necromancy is a choice you want to make."

"Okay," Three agrees, brightly. "But...how can I help while I wait?"

"I think Doc Meadows could always use a pair of steady hands to stir pots and help with patients," Diving Shadow suggests. "And there will be the construction that's starting up soon. There's plenty to do there for a brave hatchling."

"Thank you Momma Shadow," Three says dutifully, fluffing himself and settling back down - you repress the /oof/ from his shifting weight.

"Miss Nekomancer, is Jewel really your daughter?" the little girl who asked to marry Shadow asks.

"She is," you agree, with a grin.

"But she's got pointy ears an' she doesn't look like you."

"She's adopted," you explain, drawing an 'ohhhhh' from the collection of harpy children. "Can I get up now, please?"

A flurry of polite, we're-not-really-sorry apologies and chirps comes from the kids as they reluctantly release you from their collective cuddly grasp. You stand up, brush off your dress, and let Amy brush the back off with her hands while you chuckle. Three picks up your fallen hat and hands it to you, and you take it with a jaunty grin and put it back on your head.

"Come on, little ones. It's time for you to sleep," Diving Shadow tells them, firmly.

"Sleep well Mom," Amy calls, from behind you.

"I'd wish you the same but if you actually sleep tonight I'll be shocked," comes Diving Shadow's reply. Nathan blushes intensely and manages to wave as the harpy leaves.

"I need some advice," you decide. "I've been thinking about the school thing Henrietta proposed, and Three kinda made me think of it too."

"Is this gonna be depressing?" Amy asks in a warning tone.

"Nah. A little realistic in a spot but...okay. Necromancy costs life. Even a dabbler ends up losing a few months, a year or two. You can't get that cost back, you know? Which means learning necromancy could be a big commitment." You pull Nate and Amy close, putting your arms around their shoulders. "And I'm still thinking about what it would mean to the rest of the family, and if I wanna go rogue."

"I've never really understood that," Amy admits. "But it does seem important to you."

"It...might be," you admit, walking your way through the idea. "La Croix have gone rogue before. There's some things I'd still keep in the family, of course. Summoning the ancestors, for example, that's /ours/. But we've never really been well-treated by, um. Academia. And the grudge is mutual and bitter."

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>>753519
"Oh no, Brianna la Croix setting aside a grudge," Nathan teases. "Surely this unprecedented move will shock all who know and love you."

"Smartass," you mutter, fondly.

> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.
> Fuck it, I'm gonna do it. Let's go tell Henrietta right now. Actually, wait, we'll tell River, /then/ Henrietta.
> My grandmother will know what to do. I can't exactly visit her grave at the moment but I'm sure Lora will help solve that.
> Write-in?

>>753526
>> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

>>753526
Jesus, I /really/ want to go with more than one. I guess we'll go with;
> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

Even if they disapprove, the family might feel better knowing that it's one of the their own teaching this stuff, rather than some fucking wizard with no respect for tradition or the departed. And we can still talk to Grandma later if we really want too, and it's not like we're going to immediately start building the school grounds.

>>753519
Hey, does going rogue equate to what Aunt Carol did? Or is it just 'I want to do this my way, regardless of what you think of it.'

Because I'm pretty certain the family wouldn't just disown us because we wanted to teach others why the family does things the way they do. If it prevents the kind of violations we've seen in the Dungeon, they should be all for it.

>>753526
> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

>>753556
I think this would be closer to the Rose

>>753556
There's "Not doing this the family way" rogue, a la Rose clan.
Then there's "Aunt Carol" rogue, which leads to zombie armies.

>>753526
>My grandmother will know what to do. I can't exactly visit her grave at the moment but I'm sure Lora will help solve that.

We literally just got done saying that Consulting the ancestors was important to us.

>>753556
More like the split that created the Rose Cult la Croix. A more independent branch of the family, typically caused by whoever is seen as its 'founder' doing something to piss the rest of the family off that is not actually, y'know, insane or evil.

>>753526
>> My grandmother will know what to do. I can't exactly visit her grave at the moment but I'm sure Lora will help solve that.

>>753526
>there's a 'yes split' option but not a 'no split' one
Come on Vox.
I'll vote whatever is farthest from yes.

>>753526
> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.
>Bring Henrietta to explain her reasons for wanting this.

Can we ask the dead later as well? The choices are not mutually exclusive.

>>753652
That means turning down the school. Anon has seemed largely in favor. Feel free to write in.

>>753605
Seems like one of the biggest problems is that, barring the Rose branch, we haven't met any of the other family branches. They don't know us or our deeds, so they'd be asking themselves 'Do we hate mainstream Academia enough to spurn one of the Family?'

Kinda sucks, to be honest.

>>753684
>>753662
Vox, can you tell us about any other rogue branches?

>>753686
I bet grandma could.

>>753526
>> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.


This feels like a long term project anyway. May as well take every caution to see if we can have this not end in a family schism.

>>753526
>I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.
Getting multiple points of view is always good even if we ultimately end up disagreeing.

Two hours and change to call. Been slammed at work.

>>754841
I feel thine pain, oh calcified poet!

I imagine your first act as Evil Overlord would be to deliver some righteous fury and flay some bitches.

So: the hiatus starts soon. I want to take this time to ask what else beyond Kat, the Wyrm, and formally welcoming Jewel into the family you'd like to do or address.

>>754999
I was thinking we can do some more training with the Caretaker, maybe introduce him to the new and improved Kat, and finally master the Poltergeist form so every time she uses it she doesn't end up in nothing but her birthday suit.

I also think we should call Brianna's Mom and Dad, and formally introduce them to Amy and Nate, as well as Jewel, Kat and Cherry.

>>754999
We probably need better armor

Also, talk to Victoria and Brigette about what happened with Lora

Check in on the sunless sea team

>>754999
The sunless sea group could use a checking on. We've pretty much done everything else of interest until the next floor.

>>755223
>Also, talk to Victoria and Brigette about what happened with Lora
If you're talking about the love triangle thing, we need to give them some space. They don't need us pestering them about it, won't make things any easier for them. They'll come to us (at least Lora will) if they need advice.

>>755293
I think he might be talking about the Lush and his 'party'. And that, friends, is dead and buried.

I'm pretty sure Bridgette already knows about that, and if Lora wants to talk about what happened, with Bridge or Brianna, she'll talk. When she's good and ready.

>>754999
We need to see if Riley actually survived.

>>755318
I..think he did? Though, there was only a dozen or so survivors out of the /nearly two hundred men and women/.

Seriously, fuck the Lush. He's going to burn for a good long time.

>>755318
>>755339
what about that stupid sniper

>>755484
Fuck. King. Dead. Just like the Salt Mine. And Ol' Yeller.

>>755510
Nope. He was a prisoner, remember? He's quite alive, if still locked up, and wondering about these rumors he's hearing that the woman he killed isn't properly dead.

>>755484
In his defense the sniper was/is pretty smart.

>>755531
we should probably pop in on him

>>755565
Killing unarmed POWs is neither moral nor a good precedent to set.

Okay, I've been trying to focus enough to write, and it's not happening. I'll call and write tomorrow morning before work. Votes remain open.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>755991
Dude is competent, we should offer him him a job.

Not his fault he was on the other side.

Wait, yes it is and he helped atrocities happen.

We should force him to take a job helping rebuild.

>>755991
who said anything about killing? Let's just talk to him

>>753526
> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

>>753526
>> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

>>755318
You saw him resting in the Raven Shrine. The Taster got a piece of him.

At work. Will update when I can.

>>753526
> My grandmother will know what to do. I can't exactly visit her grave at the moment but I'm sure Lora will help solve that.

No point in being able to talk to the dead if we don't ask their advice.

>>756731
The Taster? Fucking ouch. I hope he recovers. Please tell me that Lora smashed the Earthsplitter into tiny pieces?

>>756743
>Earthsplitter
It got burned and used to torch the remaining soldiers.

>>753526
>> I...think I want to send a messenger to the Hardhome la Croix and ask them to send someone this way. I'll let them know it might be some time before I can catch up, but it'll give me another perspective to bounce off of.

Called, tallying, writing.

Fucking Comcast. WRITING.

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>>759016

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>>753526
You come to a decision. "Before we had back down into the Dungeon I'm going to send a message to the Hardhome la Croix," you tell your spouses (you let out a little mental sound of joy at getting to use that word). "I'll let them know the current situation and that it might take awhile before I can get back to them, but I want some perspective from another branch of the family and they have a lot of respect."

"Sounds reasonable," Nathan agrees. He looks over to see Natalia approaching, a shy smile on her face. Kaleidoscope stays near her.

"Thank you, for inviting me," Natalia says quietly; she wrings her hand, her thumb rubbing her scarred knuckle.

"What kind of son doesn't invite his mother to his wedding?" Nate asks.

Natalia's eyes well up with grateful tears, and Nate gives her a tight hug.

* * * *

Diving Shadow was right. The three of you don't sleep at /all/.

* * * *

You give it three days - three wonderful, travel-filled days in which River pointedly pretends that she can't hear you three when you're camping out on the way back to the Roost - before you get out the Wyrm's scale one night. As great as everything's been, you can't put this off too much longer.

"Keep watch," you ask Kat. "I'm not sure how this is going to work."

You sit, cross-legged, and rub the scale. You feel a sharp /yank/, and your vision blurs. You can feel your body growing more distant, as well as a faint thread that connects your spirit to it.

You arrive in a dimly lit marsh, your spectral feet resting on the surface of the water. You hear a rustling sound, followed by a light sparking above you.

The Wyrm's face is massive and scarred; his horns are chipped and broken nearly down to the skull, his eye sockets marred by scars from knives and swords. Cracked teeth leer out of a mouth too cut to contain them any longer.

"I was starting to have doubts that you would come," the Wyrm greets, his voice a deep bass rumble that makes the water beneath your feet ripple. "I extend to you my hospitality and the protections thereof, Brianna la Croix; you need fear neither assault nor harm."

"Thank you," you reply, formally. "How did you...I've never seen this. Is it necromancy?"

"Not as such. I like to think of it as oneiromancy, though the term is not quite accurate," the Wyrm muses. "In any event, it does not work well, or at all, on the unwilling. I am certain you must have many questions. Please, ask them. I cannot vow you answers, but I can do no less as a host."

"Any number of questions?" you ask, raising a phantom eyebrow.

"Let us begin with one and see where the conversation takes us," the dragon answers, sanguinely.

> Why did you want to talk with me?
> What got you involved with Richard?
> Isn't this fraternizing with the enemy?
> Tell me what you think of Lora.

>>759437
> What got you involved with Richard?

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Richard?

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Richard?

>>759437
> What got you involved with Richard?
I was tempted to ask about Lora, but yeah, we need to know why in the hell he would play along with that Dick's insanity.

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Dick?

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Richard?

>>759437
>What got you involved with Richard?

>>759475

>seconding

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Richard?

>>759437
> What got you involved with Dick?
He is not Richard, he is Dick

>>759437
>> What got you involved with Richard?
Let's not be childish.

>>759437
> Why did you want to talk with me?

>>759437
I am eagerly awaiting the smut drawfag making this scene, my body is ready.

Hurgh. I'm alive. Will call and write after dishes and homelessness prevention.

>>760765
Difficult days, huh? My sympathies.

Pleeeease tell me that the tooth is either taken care of or will be soon. Don't want to hear that you died (again) of an infection.

Vox kill?

>>761808
How do you kill that which has no life?

Okay, I finally made it back home, and honestly I've been thinking on the matter and I believe I'm going to start the hiatus here early. I've been recovering from illness and between work and preparation/anticipation of the vacation causing said hiatus, I can neither focus nor think straight. My update gaps keep getting longer and longer, and that is not fair to you.

I'm going to leave the vote called (winner is "What got you involved with Richard?") and archive the thread. In the meantime, the thread's open for questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms. I will address them as best I can.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding, and I'll see you again on November 15th.

>>762142
Have fun Voxie!

>>762142
Thanks for running, Vox. Please get some rest.

>>762142
Enjoy yourself Lich, and don't sweat the gaps. Some time away will do you good.

But you're still a madman.

>>762142
Thanks Vox. Enjoy your vacation!

>>762142
Thanks for running. Get some rest, you need it.

>>762142
Have a fun and restful hiatus Vox!

bump

>>777998
It;s been 72 hours, you can't bump this.

>>778042
Oh.

>>778045
Yep. Welcome to /qst/.