>>2114765
>>You didn't hear the singing?

>>2114765
>Me being a total badass

>You didn't hear the singing

>writing

"You didn't hear the singing?" You ask.
"What singing?" Cheska asks. "I don't hear anything"

"Well it's stopped now... but during the fight, there was someone singing" You say.

"I dunno what to tell you man. I didn't hear anything" She says.

"Huh..." You say.
"And what does singing have to do with you ending a match in 5 seconds flat?" She asks.
"The song kinda... calmed me" You say. "Made it easier to focus"

"Maybe only you could hear it" She says.
"Wouldn't that be weird?" You ask.
"Weirder than flesh weapons and whatever the heck you saw in that tower?" She asks.

"When you put it that way..." You say.

The organizers come out and usher you back to your rooms. Apparently, you can't just go home this time, as all of today's winners will be meeting in the pits once the last fight is over.

So you head back, sit down and...

>Talk with Cheska

>Look for the source of the singing

>Other

>>2114871
>>Look for the source of the singing

>>2114871
>Look for the source of the singing
Could be worthwhile to memorize the song, too. Try not to forget it.

>>2114885
I will sign on to this idea too, it's quite good. If we can write any of it down to show the researchers later on that would be smart.

>>2114885
This gets my support

>>2114871
>Talk with Cheska

Remind her about our eyes and how she saw bring down the cultist fucks that buried all those people alive on the mines

>>2114871
Changing my vote to this

>>2114885
>>2114887

>writing

Rolled 96 (1d100)

"Soo... do we have to stay in our rooms the whole time or are we allowed to look around?" You ask.

"We're allowed everywhere but the stands and other competitor's rooms" She says. "Why, what did you have in mind?"

"I wanna go find out where that singing was coming from" You say.
"Sounds like fun" She says.

...

"What, did you think I was gonna say no?" She asks. "Yeah, sure. I'll pass up the chance to not be cooped up in this room for another hour. It's not like I want to use my legs"
"I just didn't think-"

"Relax. So long as neither of us does anything that could get us disqualified, we're good" She says. "But if that does happen, I'm throwin' you under the cart. This is all your idea after all"

"That's fair" You say.

"So, any idea where to start?" She asks.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>2114939

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>2114939

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>2114939

No idea, let’s walk around tho

I have no idea how you guys manage to do this. I can't be arsed to do the math, but I feel like the odds of getting a decent roll are substantially higher than what you just did.

Bravo.

>writing

"Well there's... uhh..."
"You have no idea where to find it, do you?" She asks.

"Cut me some slack... It was hard to pick up. I'm not even sure I was hearing it with my ears" You say.
"That would make sense, given that I'm sure nobody else could hear it" She says. "Come on, let's just do a sweep and then come back"

"Alright..." You say.

"Don't look so down" She says. "What did it sound like?"
"The song? It went kinda like..." You hum the tune of it, as well as you can remember.

"Sounds like a lullaby" Cheska says. "Can't say it's like any I've ever heard, but then I never really..."

"Really...?"
"M-my parents didn't really do lullabies" She finishes.

>Then how do you know what they sound like?

>I could sing you one tonight

>Other

>>2115002
>Maybe swing by those historical exhibits later to see if there any lullaby-sounding magic in their folklore.

>>2115002
>Then how do you know what they sound like?

>I could sing you one tonight

>>2115002
>>Then how do you know what they sound like?

>writing

"Then how do you know what they sound like?" You ask.

"F-fran used to sing to me" She says.
"She certainly is a good mom" You say.

Cheska giggles. "Even back then" She says. "Maybe I should have tucked myself into her luggage when she left to go study... things might have ended differently"

You put a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing's ended yet" You say.
She smiles, and leans into you as you walk. "You're right..." She says.

The two of you walk to the stairs and head up, but along the way-

"Caiah?" You ask.
"Yuu" She says, as though she was expecting you. "Looking for where the singing came from?"

"I am" You say. "Did you hear it as well?"

She nods. "I believe it came from up here" She says.

>Lead the way

>What are you doing here?

>Any idea what it might have been?

>Other

>>2115103
>>Other
"If you heard it then it must be a pure demon thing. Did you meet the queen yet? How did it go?"

>>2115103
>Lead the way

>writing

>>2115103
>>Lead the way

"If you heard it too, then it may just have been the two of us" You say. "Did you meet the queen yet?"

"Not yet... Some people told me to come and meet her here after waiting at the palace for so long" She says. "Then when I showed up I heard the singing"

"Weird" You say. "Anyway, lead the way"

"Alright, it was up this way I believe" She says. "My eyes showed me the way when the singing started"

"So your eyes did the thing too?" You ask. "Mine just let me completely stomp my opponents in the arena"
"Well... that's good news" She says. "Must suck for them, but I think this tournament is basically turning into another battle in the war down south"

"Seems like it" You say. "The legion wants to meet with the queen as well..."
"You can handle them" Caiah says. "I have faith in you guys. Just remember not to keep your tricks up your sleeve forever"

You tilt your head.

"Give them a light show in the final round. Show them just how powerful you truly are" Caiah says. "The north won't suddenly start liking Lubars and start thinking that a fight against the legion is a good idea unless you show them that the legion can be beat, and that the Legion's best is no match for you"

"I think I can handle that" You say.

"I'm sure you can" She says. "I think it was coming from in here"

You stop in front of a door. From inside you can hear the roaring of the crowd, which means it's a room that's open to the arena...

Caiah knocks on it, and a woman answers almost immediately.

"You must be Caiah, The Queen has been expecting you. Please, enter" The woman says.

The queen? So this is the room with the veil... and the queen was singing that song?

The lady then looks to you and Cheska. "We were not expecting you two. What are you doing up here?" She asks.

>I heard the song

>We're with her

>Nothing that could get us disqualified

>Other

>>2115235
>>I heard the song

>>2115235
>I heard the song

>writing

"I heard the song... Caiah said it was coming from here" You say.

The woman scowls. "Just a moment, please" She says, as she closes the door.

You hear some whispering from the other side, and then the door opens again.

"She may enter. You two should return to your rooms" She says.
"W-wait, don't I at least get an explanation?" You ask.

The woman looks back into the room, and you hear what you assume is the queen talking. She sounds... much younger than you expected.

"In time" The woman says, as she waves Caiah forward.

Caiah gives you an apologetic look as she heads inside, and the door shuts behind her.

"Well, that was a bummer" Cheska says. "What do you want to do now?"

>Head back

>Listen at the door

>Other

>>2115312
>>Head back
We have what we need for now.

>>2115312
>Other
Explore!

>writing

>>2115312
>>Head back
Also practice mage blade if we can

>>2115312
>Head back
She is the queen so let's not piss her off

>>2115348
So, following up on Caiah and putting on a show, a lot of our spells as written don't really seem to have significant destructive power. If we wanted to really obliterate a demon into tiny bits, what would be the best way to go about it?

>>2115365
With or without killing them? With killing them, demon star and without use mage blade to disarm them and start whipping them with it.

>>2115356
I actually was debating my earlier response to pull back as I thought about it. Listening at the door is childish and just likely to get caught, and we definitely should not have done that. We got some headway in that the queen knows we can hear her special song, which was good. Our only real choices beyond that were to withdraw or reveal ourselves seriously. I am not sure which was best, and the latter was a gamble.

However, at a certain point I think we need to make clear as well we are not someone who can be pushed around. We just need to pick the correct timing so we don't come off as an idiot. Caiah I don't think even really went far enough in what she said. I don't think the north is going to help us no matter what we wish for and how well we whack the tournament. If anything, I think we should plan on using the tournament wish for something else and, if anything, treat this as just an opportunity to influence the queen by using it as a stage.

>>2115379
I mean blasting them to atoms or as close as we can get. So yeah, extremely dead. Whoever this last legion guy is, no one is going to fault us for nuking him and the more we nuke him the better I think.

"Let's head back..." You say.
"Just like that?" She asks.

"We found out where the singing came from, which is why we left in the first place" You say, as you start heading to the stairs. "And I'm starting to think the song I heard was meant for Caiah"

"Obviously" Cheska says. "The Queen, if she was the singer, couldn't have known it would work for you"
"But that only raises further questions" You say.

"Like how she knew about Caiah when up until a few months ago your closest friends thought she didn't exist?" Cheska asks.

"Something like that" You say. "I feel like I'm missing a piece of this puzzle"

Cheska walks ahead of you and flicks your nose with her tail. "Worry about puzzles when there are no fights to win, okay buddy?" She asks.
"Yeah... alright" You say.

>1/2

You head back to your room, talking with Cheska the whole way.

Once you get back, you sit down. Cheska promptly flops down on the bed.

"Kay. I'm takin' a nap" She says. "Wake me when the big end-of-the-day thingy happens"
"You sure you don't wanna stay up? It'll be awfully boring waiting out the other matches if you're asleep" You say.

Cheska smiles. "You could always come join me" She says.
"Then who'd wake us up?" You ask.

"The tournament guys?" She asks. "I dunno. It's up to you"

Cheska rolls onto her side and goes quiet.

...

This is really boring...

>Practice magic

>Practice mageblade

>Go join her

>Other

>>2115437
>>Practice mageblade

>>2115437
>Try practicing mage blade with the wind artifact.

>>2115437
>>Practice magic
try and recreate the thing that pip used to wake cheska up

>>2115437
>Go join her
Come on now guys you're no fun....can we at least cuddle cheska

>writing

Rolled 74 (1d100)

You consider joining her since it does look kinda comfy. But there's something you want to test...

You pull out the wind emblem and attach it to your sword. You find it kind of strange how well it fits, given the way it augments the blade itself. You wonder if the people who made them looked into the future and knew how you would use it...

Perhaps you'll ask the next deviant soul about that if you get a chance. They're the only ones you can think of who might know.

You shake those thoughts off, for now, shifting your focus back to your mageblade.

You figure if the blade is made of pure wind magic, then you should be able to augment your spells with it... at least in theory. In practice, it's probably nowhere near that simple and this will most likely fail...

But it's worth a try, right?

>roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>2115514

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>2115514

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>2115514

>writing

You think of a spell, preferably one that won't break something and wake Cheska, and then focus.

Settling on on the bucklers, you put energy through the sword. It's difficult to shape it at first, but after several tries, you get the hang of it.

Instead of how you usually summon these, you have to 'let off' a bit of the blade, and that becomes the buckler.

It's a weird way of casting, and it'll take a lot of getting used to, but you can see some uses for it. That said, you'll probably be sticking to what you know for now.

You then give it a shot with a few other spells, simple ones like soul wave-... err... wind wave? And also springboard.

Soul wave doesn't show much change, but springboard is quite different. Instead of just creating a little platform for you to step on, it actually gives you a slight boost. You could definitely see ways to make use of that...

But that's all cut short when Cheska wakes up and glares at you.

...

She looks mad.

>Apologize

>Check this out!

>Other

>>2115550
>Windboard outta there before she can bitch you out

>>2115550
>>Check this out!

>writing

"Check this out!" You say, creating a little wind springboard in your hand and using it to blow air in Cheska's face.

She does not look amused.

...

You turn and bolt out the door, just in time to hear her leaping off the bed to try and tackle you. You then sprint down the hall, checking behind you to see if she's made it out before ducking behind a corner.

It takes Cheska a few more seconds to get out, and then she runs right past you.

...

She stops a ways up the hall, but she doesn't turn around...

>Head back to the room

>Call out to her

>Go up behind her

>Other

>>2115582
>Go up behind her
It must be done

>>2115582
>Go up behind her
Just quietly walk behind her until she notices you, then act like you didnt even do anything.
That always works

>>2115582
>Send blast of air from behind. Enough to annoy.

>>2115593
Supporting this idea

>writing

You start sneaking up behind her, slowly... sloooowly...

Once you're close enough, you blow on her ear. Her shoulders slump, and she sighs.

"Alright. You win this one" She says.
"Just like that?" You ask.
"I'm too tired for this" She says.

You hear a bell ringing, and do some counting in your head.

"That may have been the last fight" You say.
"Already?" She asks.

You look back and see someone heading to your room. The person stops when they notice you, and then they start heading your way.

"Was that the last match?" You ask.
"It was indeed. If you could make your way to the pits, we will be presenting the remaining champions to the crowd and then you are all free to go" The man says.

You thank the man, and he heads off. You then turn to Cheska.

"So, shall we?" You ask.
"Buuuuuuhhhh... I'm sooo tired" She says.
"And who's fault is that?" You ask.
"Not important" She says.
"Come on, let's go. You can take a nap at home" You say.

"Carry me" She says.
"Seriously?" You ask.

She definitely looks serious...

>Fine

>I'll drag you. Best I can do

>Remember that last match? I am carrying you.

>Other

>>2115629
>>Remember that last match? I am carrying you.

>>Fine

>>2115629
>Remember that last match? I am carrying you.
>Fine
Now everyone can see Yu takes good care of his lil demon babby

>>2115629
>>Remember that last match? I am carrying you.

>writing

"I am carrying you. Remember that last match?" You ask.

She does not look amused. But when she opens her mouth to retort, you lift her by the waist and put her up on your shoulders.

"But if you insist..." You say.

She reaches down and flicks your nose. "Jeeerk" She says.
"What, I'm carrying you aren't I?" You ask. "Sheesh, there's just no pleasing you is there?"

"I'll be pleased when I'm well rested and well fed" She says. "Now march, slave. I must greet my people"
"As you wish, your royal hiney"

"Don't you mean highness?" She asks.
"I know what I said" You reply.

"Well, I can't fault you for that mistake. It's a nice hiney" She says. "You know how many squats it takes to get a hiney this nice?"
"I'm... not even really sure what squats are..." You say.

She leans over, popping her head into view with a sly smile. "Perhaps I'll show you later" She says. "It's a good exercise"

"You want me to believe that your lazy butt actually exercises?" You ask.
"That's her royal hiney to you, peasant" She says.
"Need I remind you which of us is actual royalty?" You ask. "Now come on. Be civil, you don't want the crowd to see us arguing about butts"

"It's not like they'd know what we were saying" She says.
"Fine. I don't want the other champions to hear us arguing about butts" You say.
"That's... fair" She says.

You step out into the pits, and spot the other remaining teams...

There are... a lot of flesh weapons and demons among this crowd. In fact, you don't see a single team that doesn't have at least one demon on it.

Someone comes up and lets you know where your position is, and you go over to it. They're lining all the champions up for what you assume will be a final bow...

"Ladies and Gentlemen" An announcer calls out. "The Queen herself will now be addressing the champions"

"Sh-she will?" You ask, as you look up at the sheet.

The white sheet freezes and then shatters, scattering to the winds like snow. Behind it you see a child, with white hair and a pair of white dragon wings.

"That's the queen?" You ask. "She's-

>Adorable

>Smaller than I expected

>Other

>>2115663
>>Adorable
>>I bet she's 900 years old though!

>writing

>>2115663
>Pretty cool. You think she has frost breath?

"-adorable!" You say. "I mean, given what we know she's probably like 900 years old or something. But if she's cool with it, I'm still gonna hug the crap out of her"

"Only you, Yuu..." Cheska says.
"Speaking of cool things, you think she has a frost breath?" You ask.
"That's... pretty likely" She replies.

...

You look back up at the Queen, wondering when the address is going to start only to find that she's already talking. But she's speaking quietly and she isn't using the weird amplifier that the announcer has, so nobody can hear her.

You keep looking up while until she finishes her speech and gives a slight bow. Nobody reacts because nobody knows what she said.

...

You figure you'll help her out, and start clapping.

"Could you actually hear that?" Cheska asks.
"No. Just play along" You reply.

Cheska shrugs and starts clapping as well. The other competitors don't seem into it, but the crowd quickly picks it up.

Up in the now un-shrouded booth, you see the queen smile ever so slightly and retreat back to her seat... and then the woman who was at the door earlier whispers something in her ear, and she looks embarrassed.

The last thing you see before the strange white shroud reforms is Caiah, who is sitting next to the Queen, waving to you.

"Well that was a thing," Cheska says. "Think we can leave now? I know for a fact that at least half these other champions don't like me... and as fun as it would be to taunt them for a bit, I'd rather just get outta here"
"Yeah, let's go" You reply.

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be on Wednesday I think. Pretty sure that's my next day off.

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

>>2115685
thanks for running, smiley

>>2115685
I'm going to get the jump on the next session and suggest we set elaborate traps at our base, because I fully expect at least two of these guys to come kill us in our sleep tonight.

Also, how high can we make Altea's blood pressure if we take the queen home?

>>2115684
>The queen forgot to amplify her voice before making a speech
THE QUEEN IS CUTE! CUUUUUUTE!

>>2115693
We should wish for her to be our little sister. I bet nobody would expect that.

>>2115685
>and then the woman who was at the door earlier whispers something in her ear, and she looks embarrassed.

You just HAD to add a klutz moe character didn't you? High five my man.

>>2115693
i know my wish now
BE MY IMOUTO MY QUEEN
And we can have unlimited wishes wherever we want to....but mostly headpats

>>2115820
I don't think it's an unreasonable suggestion. I think we get further befriending her and making her well-disposed to us than we do wishing their armies to the field. And I increasingly just have a feeling that wishing armies to the field is not going to be in the cards for just winning a tournament. No basis for this, I just doubt they do it. This also neatly resolves some complications in the wish since we also I think need to resolve them bombarding our nation with magical winters. We'll need a wish five pages long of legalese to get what we could get with good will.

On that note, one thing we should try and work in soon is making sure we are well-positioned to rescue her in a short while. Gather intelligence on the layout of castle etc. I think we have an almost 100% chance that if they don't win the tournament the demons try and assassinate the queen. She has Caiah with her for now at least, but we don't know how long. They would also really owe us after that.

You and Cheska head out before any of the various demons get a chance to follow you.

Pip is waiting for you outside. "Stiff competition, huh?" You ask.
"We can take them" You say.
"Not what I'm worried about" Pip says. "Come on. Hella is with Kolai right now, let's go grab her and bunker down for the night"

"You don't think they'll try anything tonight, do you?" You ask.
"I think it's quite likely" Pip says. "Even knowing they'll be disqualified. If the Legion gets 6 teams disqualified taking you guys out of the picture, they still win"

"So... what. We hold out until the tournament is over?" You ask. "Isn't there anyone we can ask for help? Like I dunno... the city guard?"

"Might not be enough, unless you happen to know someone else who can counter those weapons of theirs..." Pip says, looking suddenly interested in something behind you.

You turn around and see Caiah.

"You rang?" She asks.
"You're here to help us?" Pip asks.

Caiah smiles. "On the orders of the queen herself" She says.
"Is that why she wanted to see you?" You ask.

"Not exactly" She says. "That was a personal matter... can't really discuss it here. But she knows you're badly outnumbered, and asked me to let you know that you're not alone"

"Well obviously, if you're here" You say.
"More than that... you'll see" She says. "For now let's get out of the open. You have a place to stay, I assume?"
"We do" You say.

"Good. The sooner we move, the better our chances of not getting tailed" Caiah says. "And... sorry Cheska. But if we're trying not to stand out, he's gonna have to put you down"
"Fiiiine" Cheska says as she slides down from your shoulders.

"Much better" Caiah says. "Lead the way"

You nod to Caiah and get moving.

>Ask her who's protecting the queen

>Ask what the queen wanted

>Ask what the queen is like in person

Post up for the night. Voting ends tomorrow at 6pm PST.

>>2121141
>>Ask her who's protecting the queen
>>Ask what the queen is like in person

>>2121141
>>Ask her who's protecting the queen

>>Ask what the queen is like in person

>>2121141
>>Ask her who's protecting the queen
>>Ask what the queen wanted

>>2121141
>Ask what the queen's speech was

>>2121141
>>Ask what the queen's speech was

>Ask what the queen's speech was

>>2121141
>>Ask her who's protecting the queen

>>2121141
>>Ask her who's protecting the queen

>>2121141
>Ask her who's protecting the queen

"So if you're here, who's protecting the queen?" You ask.
"She is" Caiah says. "Relax. They're not dumb enough to attack the queen directly. Not yet anyway... They try to take you out tonight, and if that fails, then..."

"Then?"
"Then things get a little hard to predict" She says. "Besides, even if they wanted to get to the queen tonight, there are no entrances into her palace"

"But we walked right in" You say.
"Into the main floor. Did you see any ways to go further up?" She asks.
"I guess not... let me guess: there isn't one" You say.
"Not one the average person could use or find" She says. "I could get in... but like I said-"

"Not something the average person could do" Pip says.

Caiah nods. "She'll be safe for the night. Which is why I'm here" She says.

"So what's she like anyway?" You ask.
"The queen? She's... interesting" Caiah says. "She's definitely down to fight against the legion, but she doesn't quite see Lubars as a viable ally in that fight..."

"Does she have some other way to counter their weapons?" You ask.
"You'll... have to hear her thoughts on that when you meet her" She says. "Should be an interesting event... shame I might have to miss it"

>Leaving so soon?

>Interesting how...?

>Could you get us into the palace?

>Other

Post up a little early. Voting end at 6:20pm

>>2126825
>>Can you tell me how to get into the palace in the event we need to when you aren't here? Particularly in case you're wrong about whether they make an attempt in the near future.

>>2126825
>>Can you tell me how to get into the palace in the event we need to when you aren't here? Particularly in case you're wrong about whether they make an attempt in the near future.

>>2126825
>Leaving so soon?
>Any fun leads on the very meta pure demon boi?

>>2126825
>Leaving so soon?

"So how do you get into the palace?" You ask.
"Well, for me I'd spot the opening and use my own soul ability to open a way through" She says. "For you... you'd be able to find the entrance, but your ability isn't suited to opening it like mine"

"So I can't get in?" You ask.
"Not without an invitation" She says.
"Think there's a good chance that I'll get one?" You ask.

Caiah blushes. "I- uhh... J-just wait and see on that one" She says.

...

That was a weird reaction... but you have more pressing concerns.

"Any leads on where Terry might be?" You ask.
Caiah nods, looking relieved by the change in topic. "A very good one, in fact" She says. "The Queen has been keeping close tabs on him. She seems to hate him quite a bit, though I can't say why"

"I can think of a few reasons" You say.
"Well, yeah. Aside from the obvious of course" She says. "Apparently he's headed across the ocean for something... can't say what, but I'll have to find some way to follow him"

With that, you arrive at the market. You spot Hella at Kolai's shop, along with someone you never expected to see here...

"Lance?" You ask.
"Well if it isn't the man himself" Lance replies. "I hear you're a champion now"
"Not quite yet, but I'm workin' on it" You say.

>Ask what he's doing here

>Ask if Fran is with him

>Other

>>2127144
>>Ask if Fran is with him
>>Give fair warning of the danger we are in for extra-competition events.

>>2127144
>Ask what he's doing here

>writing

>>2127144
I'd worry about Caiah's reaction, but I'm sure we can rely on Pip to make sure nothing weird happens and no one does anything bad on impulse.

"What are you doing here?" You ask.
"Well the guild had to leave Lubars, so half of us went south, half of us went north, and a few took the Pride and went across the ocean" Lance says. "And before you ask, Fran and the girls stayed back in Leon. Sorry, Cheska..."

"It's... alright" Cheska says. "How is she?"
"Well she's basically a scholar at the archive now, which is just about the one thing she's always wanted. So I'd say she's doing pretty good" Lance says. "How's the heart hunt going?"

"Quite well... hopefully" Cheska says. "I was worried about how this tournament would go, but then Yuu showed up and we've basically swept the whole thing"

"Which is why we need to go" You say. "Every other team is affiliated with the Legion, so we're gonna have to go bunker down for the night. You hunters should stay on guard as well"
"Noted" Lance says.

>Ask if anyone else you know came with him

>Ask why you haven't heard anything else from Locke

>Head home

>Other

>>2127262
>>Ask why you haven't heard anything else from Locke
>>Head home

>>2127262
>Ask him to have someone keep an eye on the palace for you
Damn that legion.

>writing

"It's kinda weird that we haven't heard anything about you guys coming here before now" You say. "Why hasn't anyone contacted us?"

"We are, right now" Lance replies. "Sending all of our information up here via sprite would be risky. So they sent it with us"
"O... kay" You say. "So what's the situation?"

Lance pats Hella on the head. "She knows the details. I need to get back to the guild" He says.
"W-wait, I have to relay all that?" Hella asks.

Lance walks away, waving back as he does.

The group is silent until you turn to Hella. "S-so... what's the situation?" You ask.

>1/2

"Alright... so Ilica went south with the hunters to help Emi out, they're setting up Automatons in Locke and building up the walls, they're also setting up defenses along the Locken river..." You say.
"I-I think that was all of it" Hella says. "D-don't be mad if I remember something later"
"It's enough" You say. "Sounds like they're preparing for a hell of a siege"

"There's a good chance that one will happen" Caiah says. "The way they're preparing will defend them for a time... but not for good" Caiah says. "That makes your success here that much more important"

"And Emi's success down south as well" You say. "Lots of things can go wrong in both of these cases..."
"I have faith" Caiah says. "If anyone can find a way to make sure things work out..."

"Well I'm glad someone is confident" You say.

When you arrive at your apartment, everything is quiet. Everyone is on edge as you go up the stairs, but thankfully the place is empty.

"Alright. Let's get to work fortifying this place" Caiah says.
"Yeah" You say. "We've got a good team for this, too. We'll need traps, someone who knows their tactics, someone who can close up the entrances, and... dinner"

Hella puffs out her cheeks. "I can help too" She says.
"Dinner is helping, Lala" Pip says. "Nobody can fight on an empty stomach"
"Oh, right..." Hella says.

"And what will our esteemed leader be doing?" Cheska asks.

>I'll help (character)

>I'll be staying out of the way

>I'll be supervising

>Other

>>2127430
>I'll be on lookout duty. My eyes are the best suited to it.

>>2127430
>>Set up taunting signs to engage in psychological warfare.
>>Otherwise set up irritating traps all over to make them angry so they fall for the bigger ones.

>writing

"I'll be... on lookout duty" You say.
"Nuh-uh. You're helpin'" Pip says. "Come on. You can make the staircase a living hell for them with me"

"Alright, fine" You say. "Where do we start?"

"Well with our lack of supplies, we'll start off by destabilizing a few of these steps, and work from there" Pip says.

You head down with Pip and get to work. She starts using light magic to carve through one of the steps on the stairs and destabilize it enough to fall through if someone steps on it.

"So... you trust this Caiah girl?" Pip asks.
"I do" You say. "Why?"
"I dunno... I could just be over-suspicious" She says. "I find it kinda unlikely that the queen herself asked her to look after you tonight"
"Could have just been her own concerns" You say.

"Maybe... but I definitely get the feeling she's not telling us something" Pip says.

>That's normal

>Why not ask her about it?

>Other

>>2127560
>I'm sure she has good reasons for it. But if you're concerned, you can try asking her about it.

>>2127560
>>Why not ask her about it?

>>2127560
>>That's normal
>>For now I'd say we need her.

>writing

"That's normal... but I figure she has her reasons for keeping certain things hidden" You say. "Like... where she actually comes from, and stuff like that"

"You don't even know where she's from?" Pip asks.
"Not a clue" You say.
"Why do you trust her so much?" She asks.

"She's been there to help me whenever I really needed it" You say. "Kinda rude to mistrust someone who finds you at your lowest and helps you back up"
"I guess that makes sense" Pip says. "Maybe I'm being too paranoid"
"Paranoia is a good thing here, considering there are actually people out to get us" You say.

Pip giggles. "Riiiight. Anyway, we're done with this one. We'll mess up a couple more and then... I dunno" She says.
"You dunno?" You ask,
"I'm used to having a bit more to work with supply wise when I'm makin' traps" She says.

>Maybe there's a storage closet somewhere

>We could go get some

>Too bad we don't have any bananas...

>Other

>>2127615
>>Too bad we don't have any bananas...
>>Maybe there's a storage closet somewhere

>>2127615
>>We could go get some

>>2127615
>>Maybe there's a storage closet somewhere
We're going to go Home Alone on their asses.

>writing

>>2127615
>See how many home alone type traps you can make with what's around here

"Too bad we don't have any bananas" You say.
"Bananas?" Pip asks.
"Southern fruit. Long, yellow, has a thick skin that you have to peel off" You say.
"Oh, you mean yellows" Pip says.
"You call them yellows?" You ask.
"Yeah... makes more sense than banana" She says.
"I... actually can't argue with that" You say.

"How would a yellow help us anyway?" Pip asks.
"Well, you eat the fruit inside, and then leave the peel out for them to slip on" You say.
"... why?" She asks.
"I dunno. It'd be pretty funny to see a big, mean demon slipping on a banan- err... yellow peel" You say.
"Ah... I guess your comic genius just... doesn't make any sense" She says.

"You'l see. One of these days it'll happen and it'll be hilarious" You say. "But on that note, we could make these stairs a massive pain in the ass to get up if we just poured water down and let it freeze"

"That could work... it's certainly cold enough" She says. "Any other ideas?"
"Think there's a storage closet downtairs? I've got a good one involving rakes..." You say.

>1/2

"So they step on the rake, and whap!" You say, as you lay a few rakes on the ground.

"Dunno what to tell you, man. It just doesn't sound that funny" Pip replies.
"What? Can't you just imagine an entire room full of these, and when someone tries to cross it they get hit in the face with every step?" You ask. "Hilarious. Come on"
"Still no" Pip says.

"I wish Madelaine were here... she'd think it was funny" You grumble, as you finish setting up the last of the rakes. "What else was in there?"

"Not much that we can use" She says. "I set up a few trip wires further in, but that's about it. I also informed the dude that owns the place about this. Luckily we seem to be the only ones here tonight"

"Good" You say.

>Any other ideas?

>>2127737
>Put fake people in our beds that blow up when stabbed.

>>2127737
Have cheska heat up doorknobs.
Have a bag of really small objects ready for whoever is on stairs, so that they can scatter it on the floor when demons get up to their level, and retreat.
Have a heavy furniture object nearby the stairs too, so it can be pushed down them.
On a different note, have Hella keep some boiling water ready. It's extremely effective to splash boiling water in someone's face. And hey, it's really cold out tonight too - it'll burn them up, then freeze them up later.

>>2127737
Glue + swinging paint can trap?
False floorboard that has nails pointing upwards underneath?

>>2127737
Is there a window we have to worry about? Putting some broken glass on the still so if someone tries to climb in will ruin their hands.

>writing

"Let's head back up, there are a few more ways we can-" You turn, stepping on a rake and getting whacked in the face.

...

Pip is trying so hard not to laugh, but she eventually fails and doubles over with laughter.

"See? Hilarious" You say.
"Alright, I'll give you that one. That was good. I still don't understand the thing with the yell-" Pip turns, stepping on a rake and getting whacked in the face. "-ow"

...

"Not as funny this time" She says. "Let's never speak of this again"
"Aww, come on. You don't want anyone hearing about how yo-" You take a step and get hit in the face with a rake.

...

"Alright. We never speak of this again" You say. "Now let's go before either of us embarrasses ourselves further..."
"Deal" Pip says. "Watch your step"

>1/2

The two of you get back upstairs without any further incidents and find that the place has been switched around a bit...

"Where are the windows?" You ask.
"I closed them" Caiah says. "Get inside so I can do the same with the door"

"Hang on, we're not quite done out there yet" You say. "Get us a few buckets of water so we can freeze up the stairs, and maybe... were there any paint cans in the storage closet?"
"Nope" Pip says. "Trust me, I'd have more uses for those than you know"

"Dang..." You say.

"Yuu... did something happen to your forehead? It looks a little red" Hella says.
"Oh, that? It's... uhh... nothing" You say. "How's the food coming along?"

"Should be done soon" Hella says. "Are you sure that's nothing? It looks like it might have hurt..."

>Don't worry about it

>All part of a classic gag

>I was testing our traps

>Other

>>2127823
>Don't worry about it

>All part of a classic gag

>>2127823
>>All part of a classic gag

wait, what's stopping them from pulling a Fate/Zero Kiritsugu move and just rolling up a buncha kegs of fire powder and blowing up the whole building?

>>2127823
>>I was testing our traps

>>2127831
It's possible. I think we hope they want to confirm the death and not draw too much attention. Also most of these guys seem to want to get up close and dirty too.

>>2127831
Shielding magic could protect the inhabitants. If the people inside survived it, then they'd have just drawn in every guard in the city towards them in this assassination attempt, WITHOUT actually succeeding in it yet.

>writing

>>2127834
Not to mention the people OUTSIDE.
No way they'd get enough material in their to blow the place up without everyone seeing them do it.

"All part of a classic gag" You say. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made for comedy"
"And... what exactly did you sacrifice?" Hella asks.

"Just a bit of dignity" You say. "How's the water coming?"

"2 buckets full. I ain't haulin' all this stuff myself" Pip says.
"Got it. I'll be right there" You say. "How are we doing, Cheska?"

"Well, we've blocked off most entrances, and they'll be good and mad when they get up here" Cheska says.

"But... if we're the only ones in the building, what's stopping them from just demolishing it?" Hella asks.
"They're trying not to cause a scene" Cheska says. "After all, if their entire group gets arrested then who wins the tournament?"

"Besides, that wouldn't even be enough" Caiah says. "I could shield us if that happened"
"Okay... good" Hella says. "Just trying to cover our bases"

You help Pip soak the stairs, and then turn off all the heating devices so the water will freeze. The downside to this is that the apartment gets pretty cold as well...

Before things get too bad, you seal off the door and eat dinner.

"Now what?" Hella asks.

>Anything you guys wanna do?

>>2127867
>Now we wait. In a good a vantage point to see what happens. And to laugh obnoxiously.

>>2127867
>Now we each guard a spot and wait for them to come.

>writing

"Now we wait" You say.

"We'll know when they come in" Pip says.
"How?" You ask.
"Those tripwires are all attached to spellbombs" She says.

"Wh-where did you get spellbombs from?" Hella asks.
"Bell's Run" Pip says. "Lord Dustin had a whole stash of 'em, so I nabbed a bunch while I was there. I figure he wouldn't miss 'em"

"You've just been carrying those around this whole time?" Hella asks.
"Of course not. They've been in my bags" Pip says. "Jeez, you really think I'd try to smuggle spellbombs into the arena? That's a one way ticket to the block right there"

"You could've mentioned that earlier..." You say.
"Did I not?" She asks. "I guess I didn't... too distraced trying to figure out what'd be so funny about slipping on a yellow peel..."

"Is this the kinda stuff you guys talk about before a fight?" Caiah asks.
"Pretty much, yeah" You say.

>What do people usually talk about?

>Would you rather continue planning?

>Nevermind that, you got any more of those bombs?

>Other

>>2127914
>>What do people usually talk about?

>>2127914
>What do people usually talk about?
Is there something we can learn from demon soldier pre-battle banter? I bet they were just talking about fun ways to kill people or something

>>2127914
>What do people usually talk about?

>writing

"What do people usually talk about?" You ask.

Caiah thinks for a moment. "Pretty much this. Random stuff to keep your spirits up" She says.
"You fought in many battles, Caiah?" Pip asks.

"I was on a team that handled bandits and monsters and stuff for my town" Caiah says. "Nothing too big or dangerous, but still stuff that needed to be dealt with"

"How'd you end up here?" Pip asks.
"I chased Terry" Caiah replies. "This strange cult popped up one day and when we went out to put an end to them, Terry... he... killed a lot of us..."

"Oh..." Pip says. "Well that explains why you're always chasing him"
"To be honest I'm not even really sure why I'm after him at this point... it all happened so long ago" Caiah replies. "But I know I have to finish the job at this point... otherwise I might not be able to go home..."

"Where is your home anyway?" Pip asks.
"A long way from here... beyond that I can't really say" Caiah responds.

You're about to ask what she means by that, when a loud boom rumbles the building...

"That was one of the spellbombs... and hopefully one of the demons" Pip says.
"... hopefully?" Caiah asks. "You guys didn't lock the front doors or... put out a do not enter sign or anything?"
"That would have been a good idea" You say. "Well we'll know it's them when-"

A second boom, louder than the first goes off.

"-we hear a second one" You say.
"Alright everyone, get ready. We're well protected, but it won't hold forever" Caiah says. "Prepare for battle"

That's all for tonight!

I'll be continuing this thread tomorrow around the same time.

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

>>2127952
Thanks for the thread!

>>2127952
Are demons really dumb enough to take the stairs

>>2127979
If they were smart, we would not have our spear collection. They also aren't going to be expecting our soul magic. Also, we still have that soul bomb, right?

File: Navigator.png (5.91 MB, 1673x2048)

5.91 MB PNG

Archive reader here. Just popping in to mention an observation: Freya, the Yeti girl from earlier in the tournament, had wanted to use her wish to locate an ancestral family weapon that was 'given away' long ago.
Namaki mentioned she had been given a giant Battleaxe by a yeti warrior during her adventurous youth when Yuu was asking after her weapon collection.
Figure they're one and the same, by chance?

>>2128474
Oooo, an excuse to go back and brush more fluffy tails.

>>2128474
I would bet all of my money on that.

"A thought occurs" You say. "Will they actually take the stairs? What if they try to get up another way?"

"How?" Pip asks. "The windows are closed off, it's not like they're gonna bust through the-"

A sudden blast, like a beam of heat bursts through the floor. It doesn't hit anyone, but it leaves a nice big hole.

"-floor... why did I open my mouth?" Pip says.
"Can you close that up?" You ask Caiah.
"I could, but they seem more than capable of making more" She replies.

You frown, peering down the hole and firing a few soul spikes at the enemies below. You don't think you hit anything, but it should give them pause if they think about coming up this way.

But then another burst of heat comes through the floor in another spot.

"At this rate, we're gonna run out of places to stand..." Cheska says. "What's our plan?"

>Can we get out?

>I'm going down

>Other

>>2129482
>>I'm going down

>>2129482
>Caiah, can you form a barrier to protect the floor at all?
>We could also try sending a flare up outside, might get some guards to help deal with this.

>>2129482
>I'm going down
It's pretty dark down there, right now, right? have Pip lob a really bright flash ahead of us, then jump into the darkness. They'll be blind, and we can see juuuust fine.

>writing

Rolled 93 (1d100)

"I'm going down" You say. "Pip, think you could flash 'em for me?"
"I absolutely can" Pip says.

"Are you sure about this? You don't even know how many are down there" Caiah says.
"Now's a good time to find out" You say. "Worst comes to worst, I'll bug out and draw the bulk of them away"

"Alright, good luck" Caiah says.

You nod, and hop down the hole. As you fall you slot the wind emblem into your blade and use the wind version of Springboard to slow yourself.

When you get past the 2nd floor, a ball of light passes you and lights up the ground floor in a brilliant flash.

You land in a room full of blinded demons. There are 5 of them here. One you recognize from the tournament, the rest are likely not a part of it.

Blade in hand, you get started...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>2129676

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>2129676

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>2129676

>>2129698
>>2129690
>>2129686
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jGSvxCRp4

Of all times to job...

>writing

Rolled 40 (1d100)

You move toward the nearest legionnaire, and-

*WHACK*

...

-and pause for a moment to consider your own stupidity for forgetting about the rakes...

Unfortunately, this costs you the element of surprise. The first demon to regain his eyesight raises his sword and rushes you.

*WHACK*

...

Alright. It's pretty funny when it happens to them. But now you're not exactly in a good spot...

>roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>2129820
I get this strange feeling that stuff is going to go badly...

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>2129820

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>2129820

>>2128474
I really hope we don't lose this in our 10 second memory. Great note.

>writing

You kick up one of the rakes, catching it and swiping the demon with it. Then you whirl closer and bring your sword across his chest.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch another demon rushing at you. When you turn to face him, you notice his red eyes glowing.

Then a sword sticks through your back, and you-

-shake your head and bring up the rake to guard. You enough of demons to know that blood demons can create an illusion of death. Unfortunately the rake snaps in two, forcing you to tumble out of the way.

You end up against the wall, with the 4 remaining demons between you and your exits. They all seem to have shaken off the blindness now, but you... you hear that strange singing again.

This time you can't tell where it's coming from, and a strange cool feeling comes over you...

>Listen to it

>Ignore it

>Other

>>2129954
>Listen to it
>Sing alongside it

>>2129954
>>Listen to it

>>2129954
>>Listen to it

>writing

You let the strange feeling in, feeling an overwhelming calm come over you. You breathe out, seeing your breath as it disappears into the cool air.

Then you step forward, around the rakes, towards your foes.

You target the other competitor specifically, both because you gain the most by taking him out, and because he's the closest.

You get in close, lopping off his arm when he tries to guard, and then jamming the sharpened, broken haft of the rake into his head from under his chin.

You then turn to your next opponent, just in time for a hatch in the floor to open up beside them. A slender hand darts out and grabs their leg, dragging them inside as the hatch closes again.

...

That solves that problem... for now. Using the momentary distraction of their comrade getting dragged screaming into who knows where, you strike again. With only 2 enemies remaining, the fight doesn't last much longer.

When all is said and done, there are 4 dead demons and several rakes littering the ground. The fifth demon never came out of the hatch.

You hear some commotion out on the street. The beams the legionnaires fired went right through the ceiling, so someone must have noticed...

>See what's happening on the street

>Go back upstairs

>Investigate the hatch

>Other

>>2130071
>>Investigate the hatch

>>2130071
>>Investigate the hatch

>>2130071
>See what's happening on the street

>writing

>>2130071
>>See what's happening on the street

You step cautiously over to the hatch, picking up a rake along the way to open it up from a distance.

"A... tunnel?" You ask.

Before you can get closer, a head with 8 eyes pops into view. You jump back and drop the hatch, but whoever is underneath comes out anyway. It's the Arachnid from your earlier arena match.

"Hello webwalker" She says.
"It's you... what are you doing here?" You ask.
"I was informed that you would require aid on this night" She says. "I have come to provide"

"Uhh... thanks?" You ask.

"I shall be here if you require me again" She says, as she starts slipping back into her hole.

>Invite her upstairs

>Check out the outside

>Who told you I'd need help?

>Other

>>2130133
>>Invite her upstairs
>>Check out the outside

>>2130133
>Check out the outside
may need to inform the authorities. Also, corpse disposal

>>2130133
>>Check out the outside

>>2130133
>>Check out the outside

>writing

You look outside to see guards approaching the building.

"Oh good" You say, as you walk back inside. "Maybe they can give me some help cleaning this all up"

You examine the room and come to a realization: this looks bad.

The legion is bad, but they aren't actively an enemy of the north. So even though these guys attacked you, it won't be the same as it was back in Lubars. Sure, you only killed them in self-defense, but you may still have to prove that...

As the guards get closer, the hatch opens again and the spider lady pokes her head out.

"You can hide in here, if you'd like" She says.

>That may be a good idea

>No thanks

>Other

>>2130181
>>No thanks

We were justified

>>2130181
>No thanks

>>2130181
>>No thanks
>>Officer, so glad you're here! Several others just ran off when they heard you coming (insert description of some other demon in the tournament not here).

>>2130181
>That may be a good idea

We still have to win the tourment tomorrow, and we can’t do that while detained

>writing

"No thanks, I'm sure if I explain things they'll understand" You say.

"Very well. But you may want to put your weapon away" She says, before slinking back into the hatch.
"Oh, thanks" You say, as you put your mageblade away and kick aside some of the rakes.

The guards enter with shields up, and you can tell a few of them have spells ready. "You! What has happened here?" The leader asks.

"These men came into the building and tried to kill my partner and I, in the hopes of knocking us out of the competition" You say. "I got these ones, but a few more managed to escape"

"We'll look for them, but right now we'll need to bring you to the guardhouse for questioning" The leader says.
"I'm not under arrest, am I?" You ask.
"Not yet. We just need to get the details straight" He replies.

>Can't we do that here?

>Alright then

>Just me?

>Other

>>2130206
>>Just me?

>>2130206
>Can't we do that here?
>I'm quite worried about being attacked if we go out on the street. Just look at these weapons of theirs.

>writing

"Just me?" You ask.
"And your companion... as well as anyone else in here" The guardsman says. "For your safety, of course. Especially if you're being targetted"

"Oh... alright then" You say.

You call up to the others, and wait with the guards for them to come down.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" One of the guards asks.
"Shoot" You reply.
"If you knew they were targetting you, why not come to us first?" He asks.

"Didn't want you guys getting hurt" You say. "There aren't any here right now, but the Legion has weapons that nullify magic and drain mana. Very dangerous for the average person"
"But not for you?" He asks.

You're spared from answering that question by the arrival of the others.

"Sorry that took so long. There's still a lot of ice on the stairs" Caiah says.

"Alright, let's move" The guard captain says. "Since this place is a mess, you can all spend the night at the guardhouse. Goodness knows you won't be the only ones..."

>Were there other attacks?

>We'll be fine here

>Other

>>2130232
>>Were there other attacks?

>>2130232
>>Were there other attacks?

>writing

"Were there other attacks?" You ask.
"Someone threw a couple fireballs at the Guildhall. No one was hurt and no damage was done, but it spooked all the kids who were staying there" The guardsman says. "So they're spending the night at the guardhouse"

"There are kids at the guild hall?" You ask.
"Apparently so. Half the Lubrian branch has come here, and most of them brought families" The guardsman says. "So we shouldn't be having monster problems anytime soon, but still..."

"Still...?" You ask.
"It's nothing" He says, as he walks ahead.

You fall back to where your friends are.

"You sure we're not under arrest?" Cheska asks.
"I can't imagine they would have let us keep our weapons if we were" Pip says.
"Speaking from experience?" Cheska asks.
"You bet" Pip replies.

When you reach the guardhouse, the captain ushers you inside. He gets your version of events... which is pretty much the only version of events, and then gives you a room to sleep in.

It's a large room with several bunk beds, and you sit down on one to wait for everyone else.

...

You can hear a child crying in the room next to yours, and a parent trying to calm them...

>Sit tight

>Check it out

>Other

>>2130265
>>Sit tight

>>2130265
>>Check it out

>>2130265
>>Check it out

>writing

You try to drown it out, but in the end your own concern gets the better of you. You stand up, go to the next room, and peek inside.

You see Daniella trying to calm a very fussy Munchkin. Looking around, you spot Gabriella in the other bed with her baby brother Michael.

"Good evening" You say in a low tone.

Daniella looks up. "Oh... it's Yuu" She says.
"May I?" You ask.
"Oh, of course" Daniella says. "Come in, sit down. What are you doing at the guardhouse?"

"Our apartment was attacked" You say. "Everybody is alright, but they put a few holes in the place so it's probably gonna be too cold to stay in. I hear the hall got hit"

"No harm done... but they woke Hella and now she just won't seem to stop crying..." Daniella says.

"Can I help?" You ask.
"It's worth a shot" Daniella says, as she passes the crying baby to you. "Look Hella, it's your friend!"

...

"See what I mean? Nothing works..." Daniella says.

>What do?

>>2130300
Try a magic trick. Not actual magic, just sleight of hand.

>writing

"Wanna see a neat trick?" You ask the crying baby.

Munchkin continues to cry.

"I'll take that as a no... uhh... how about this?" You ask, as you take off your hat and drop it on her head.

The crying intensifies.

"Oh, alright. No hat" You say, as you take the hat off. "Is parenting always this hard?"
"Not always..." Daniella replies. "But it's not everyday someone tries to firebomb the guild hall..."

You frown, and hug the little bunny. "Yeah, times are getting tough..." You say. "Sorry munchkin. I'll try to sort things out as soon as I can"

The crying slows.

"Oh, did that do the trick?" You ask. "Was it just a big hug that you needed?'
"I tried that. How come it works for you and not for me?" Daniella asks.

You shrug.

"Oh, there you are" Hella says, as she walks in. "I was kinda confused when I didn't see you next door. What's going on?"

"Crying baby. Had to help" You say. "How's everything out there?"

"Well, none of us are going to jail" Hella says, as she sits down next to you. "But they won't let us go back to the apartment"

"Looks like we're here for the night then" You say. "Could be much worse"

You try to hand Munchkin back to her mom, and she immediately starts crying again. She doesn't stop crying until you start hugging her again.

"Could be better too..." Hella says.
"I try to focus on the positive" You say. "Let's get some sleep"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be either next thursday or next wednesday, depending on what my work schedule looks like.

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

>>2130318
Good thread

With munchkin here there no way we'll lose

You awaken slowly to the sound of people around you talking.

"Need bweakfast" Munchkin says. You can feel her sitting on your chest.
"So come on, let's get breakfast. We can let Yuu sleep" Hella says.
"No!" Munchkin says. "Honk need bweakfast too!"
"So wake him up" Hella says. "But be gentle"

Munchkin lets out what sounds like a battle cry.

"Nonono-" Hella says, as someone smacks your face. "I said gentle!"

"No time for gentle!" Munchkin says as she starts weakly battering your chest. "Wakey wakey wakey wakey wakey...!"

You open your eyes slowly and look over at Hella, as Munchkin continues to hit you and yell. Hella looks apologetic for a moment, and then breaks out laughing.

"Is my suffering really so comical?" You ask.
"No, sorry. It's just you had this look on your face" Hella says.

"... wakey wakey wakey wakey..." Munchkin continues, still battering your chest.

You look back down at the Munchkin and ponder how to get back at her for this rude awakening...

>Toss Munchkin

>Munch Munchkin

>Tickle Munchkin

>Other

>>2143008
>>Toss Munchkin

>>2143008
>Toss Munchkin

>writing

"Wakey wakey whaaa-" Munchkin says, as you grab her and toss her up into the air.

You catch her as she comes back up, pulling her into a hug and giving her a kiss on the head.

"Good morning Munchkin" You say.
"Wakey Honk. Time fow bweakfast" Munchkin says, as she tries to wriggle out of your grip.
"And just where do you think you're going?" You ask.

"Down" Munchkin replies.
"I don't think so. You're gonna stay right here as punishment for hitting me" You say.
"Okay" Munchkin says. "Go bweakfast?"

You sigh. "Yeah, let's go breakfast... err... go eat breakfast" You say.
"You're not good at the whole punishment thing, are you?" Hella asks.

"S'not my job" You say. "That's the joy of playing with other people's kids: You get to have all the fun, and then hand them back to their parents when they start crying, or make a mess, or do something bad"

"Didn't she do something bad?" Hella asks.

You shrug and stand up. "She's gentler than Vivi, that's good enough for me"

Hella giggles, and Munchkin reaches up to tug on your ear.

"Go bweakfast!" She demands.
"Alright, hold your horses. I'm going" You say.

>1/2

'Breakfast' is apparently being held in the guard's mess hall. Not an ideal spot, but it's better than nothing.

Along the way, you run into Pip, who's apparently been busy this morning...

"So the commander of the guard wants to see us?" You ask, lightly bouncing the little bunny in your arms to keep her entertained.
"Yeah. Said he wanted to get our statements personally since this was related to the tournament or something..." Pip says.

"You don't buy it?" You ask.
"I'll hold my reservations until we actually meet him" Pip says. "We haven't exactly been doing a stellar job at laying low"

"Blame the legion for that..." You say.
"And the need to compete in and win a very public tournament" Pip says. "Hard to keep a low profile when your name's on the tongue of half the people in the city"

"Well, nothing we could do about that..." You say. "Except lose, I suppose. But that only sets us back"

When you get to the mess hall, there are quite a few of the city guardsmen inside. But you also spot Caiah and Cheska sitting together, as well as Daniella with a few other hunters, and Gabby...

>See what Caiah and Cheska are talking about

>Go and speak with the hunters

>Gabby looks lonely...

>Other

>>2143185
>>See what Caiah and Cheska are talking about

>>2143185
>>Gabby looks lonely...

>>2143185
>>Gabby looks lonely...

>>2143185
>>Gabby looks lonely...

>writing

You head over and flop into the seat next to the lonely little bunny.

"What's shakin', Gabby?" You ask.

Gabby looks surprised, like you just interrupted her train of thought. She stares at you like a deer in the headlights... or rabbit in the headlights, you suppose.

"Bweakfast Gabby!" Munchkin says.

Munchkin's interruption seems to calm her a bit. "G-good morning Yuu" She says.
"Why so shy?" You ask.

Gabby pauses for a moment, but Hella lifts her out of her chair, sits down underneath her and puts Gabby back in her lap.

"She's been having a rough time, haven't you?" Hella asks.

The litle bunny looks nervous, nodding after a few seconds.

>You miss your home?

>That's understandable...

>Other

>>2143279
>Don't worry, I'll have fixed everything soon. You trust me, right?

>>2143279
>>You miss your home?

>writing

"You miss your home?" You ask.

She nods.

"Well don't you worry. I'll have everything back to normal soon" You say.

Gabby whispers something in Hella's ear. You look to her for a relay.

"What did she say?" You ask.
"She asked... if Stella will be alright" Hella says.

You smile and ruffle Gabby's hair between the ears. "Don't you worry about her either. We'll have her back safe and sound in no time" You say.
"P-promise?" Gabby asks.
"Promise" You reply, as you hand the Munchkin over to her. "Now, hug this Munchkin. It'll make you feel better"

Gabby gets a faint smile as she hugs her little sister.

"Now, what does a guy gotta do to get some food around here?" You say.

>1/2

Once you've gotten your food, you spend the rest of your time talking with Pip about the other things that happened last night.

"So it wasn't just the Guildhall and our apartment?" You ask.
"Nope. Apparently, several places in the city were hit. Death toll's low, but not 0" Pip says. "Most likely an attempt to make the attack on us look like part of something bigger, when we were actually the targets"

"Why antagonize the north though?" You ask.
"Maybe they didn't have a choice" Cheska says. "Strategy is strategy, but demons are demons. Go too long without uhh... doing your thing... and it gets tough"

"I don't buy it" Pip says. "But we can talk about that all away from the children. For now, we've gotta go see the guard commander and then get you two to the arena"

>Anything else you want to do here?

>>2143372
>No, go see commander.

>>2143372
I can't think of anything, but when we do, ill be really fucking upset with myself.

>>2143372
>Go see the commander

>>2143386
Fucking this

>writing

You get up, give the trio of bunnies a hug, and head out with Pip and Cheska.

"Kinda tough to see how hard thalittle one's taking all this" Pip says. "She was close to Jade, too..."

"Yeah... but I think she'll be fine" You say. "These rabbits are stronger than they look"
"I hope so" Pip says.

Pip leads you up to the Commander's office on the top floor. She stops you at the door, taking a moment to peer through the keyhole. After looking in, she immediately straightens up.

"What?" You ask.
"This could be bad?" She replies.

"What kid of bad?" You ask. "Good bad? The usual bad? 'We're screwed' bad?"
"Probably the usual bad" She says.

"Who is it?" You ask.
"Lord Wilfred Oak of Wellery" Pip says.

...

"What's Wellery?" You ask.
"Northernmost province of Lubars" Pip says. "But before that it was an independant nation"
"What happened?" You ask.
"Well, believe it or not this man was set to marry our Commander back in the day... until she insulted him so badly that he declared war on us... and then we annexed his nation..." Pip says.

"I heard that one" You say. "Why would he be here?"
"Who knows?" Pip asks. "The important part is that it's bad"

>Can we give him the slip

>So just act natural and play dumb

>Well it's a good thing I have permission to give him his land back...

>Other

>>2143430
>>Can we give him the slip

>>2143430
>>So just act natural and play dumb
>>If he knows you, perhaps we should just say you're feeling unwell and I can go in by myself.

>>2143430
>>So just act natural and play dumb

>>Well it's a good thing I have permission to give him his land back...

>>2143441
Should clarify. I mean try and claim other persons in our party don't feel well. He shouldn't know our names I'd think

>writing

>>2143430
>Well it's a good thing I have permission to give him his land back...

"Uhh... well then we can just act natural and play dumb" You say. "It's not like he knows 100% that it's us"

"I dunno..." Pip says.
"Look, guys, if we're screwed we're screwed. No sense in debating about it out here" Cheska says, as she steps up and knocks on the door.

You and Pip go silent, as you hear footsteps approaching the door. It opens to reveal a middle-aged man with black hair, and a noticeable scar on his left cheek.

"Ah, it's you three" He says. "Come inside, have a seat. I'd like to discuss last night's... events"

You all glance at each other and follow the man inside. Once you're all seated, he speaks again.

"As you probably know, I'm Commander Wilfred Oak of the Garhan city guard" He says. "As you also know- first hand I'm told -there were some disturbances last night"

You stay silent for a moment until it's clear that he's waiting for a response from you.

"We believe they were targetting us, so they could win the tournament and-"
"-and meet the queen and have their wish granted..." Wilfred says. "Always a treat to see the kinds of people the games brings to Garhan, but don't recall a time where it's brought quite so much trouble..."

"We weren't-"
"-weren't at fault, I am aware" Wilfred says. "If I thought you were, you would have spent the night in the dark cells, not beds. My men are currently searching for the rest of the culprits"

"... and you need us to help search?" Pip asks.

"They can handle it fine" He replies, taking on a more pleasant tone. "How has the north been treating you?"
"Well, other than the attempted murder last night, rather well" You reply. "But then those guys weren't norther-... good"

"And how has your commander been?" He asks.

...

>We're in trouble

>Who?

>She has kids now

>Other

>>2143495
>Concerned about the demons.
>Give him the short form of her family troubles. Hopefully it'll be a bit harder to carry a grudge then.

>>2143495
>She has kids now
>Concerned about the demons.
WELP

>>2143495
>>We're in trouble

>>She has kids now

>writing

...

"She's doing alright" You say. "She has kids now"

Pip facepalms.

"I didn't hear anything about her getting married" Wilfred says. "Finally found someone who could stand herm did she?"

"Nah, we're all adopted" You say.

Pip sighs.

"We're?" Wilfred asks.
"Val and I" You say. "Val is a lot younger than I am. She's a little slime that the Commander's best friend made before she was slain by legionnaires"

"Hang on... juuust one second" Pip says. "What happened to acting natural and playing dumb?"

You shrug. "I figure we're probably boned, so it's worth it to try and win points through honesty" You say. "But yeah... the Commander is concerned about the Legion"

"Which is why she sent her... son up north?" Wilfred says.
"That was my idea. She did okay it" You say.

"You hope to get us to join your fight?" Wilfred asks. "Good luck with that. If this tournament has shown us one thing, it's that those weapons of theirs are not to be trifled with..."

"Is that all it's shown you?" You ask.
"Is there more to see?" He replies.

You stand up and smile. "If we're not under arrest, then Cheska and I have to get to the arena" You say. "You should drop by. You might see something that changes your mind"

"Well you're not spies or saboteurs, so I've no reason to arrest you" He says. "I suppose you're free to go, but expect us to be keeping a close eye on you"
"Please do. I'll sleep more soundly knowing the Garhan city guard is watching out for me"

Wilfred chuckles.

>Anything else?