>>2706298
>>Offer to carry her

>>2706298
>>Offer to carry her

>writing

BtG, sweet! How ya doin'. Smiley?

"Oh... alright, up you get" You say, as you reach down and lift her up, giant stuffed tiger and all. "I'll give you a hand this time, but I'll be leaving tomorrow morning so you'll have to figure something out"

"You're leaving?" She asks.

"Only for a little while" You say. "A few weeks, a month at most and I'll be back"

"Promise?" She asks.

"Promise" You reply. "And in the meantime, Lily and Daisy will be here to keep you company, and Lola will be taking care of you and Liz. Sound good?"

She nods. "Is Hella staying too?" She asks.

"I... actually have no idea what her plan is" You say.

Robin looks down.

"I'm sure she'll be staying for a while as well" You say. "And if not, just give her the sad puppy dog eyes. She's not all that hard to convince"

"Like this?" She asks, giving you quite possibly the most heart-wrenching look you've ever seen.

"Perfect" You say.

You arrive in the dining room, and find everyone has already gathered there. Robin thanks you again, then takes her giant tiger and goes over to the devils....

>Go talk to Hella

>Go talk to Fran and Cheska

>Go talk to Lola

>Other

>>2706298
>>You carry her over your head, while she carries the tiger over her own head.

>>2706463
>>Go talk to Hella
Curious as to what her plans are.

>>2706463
>>Go talk to Hella

>>2706463
>>Go talk to Hella

>>2706430
Not too bad anon. Just in the middle of a job hunt atm, decided to take a weekend to run the quest before I forget my place in it... which is exactly what has happened, so if I take a while to put out a post it's because I'm going back and refreshing myself on things I've forgotten.

>writing

You sit down next to Hella, who seems to have taken over "Liz duty". The Serpid is coiled around her stomach, and they're playing some kid of game with some upside down cups on the table.

"Whatcha playin'?" You ask.

"Just switching cups" Hella says, hiding a little pebble under one of the cups and moving them around.

Liz's eyes track one of the cups, but after a few switches you see her lock onto the wrong one. When it comes time to pick a cup, she taps the upturned bottom of the one she was watching and Hella lifts it up to reveal that the rock isn't there. Liz throws out her arms and looks angry, hiding her head under Hella's arm.

"Aww, so grumpy" Hella says, poking Liz in the side. "Grump grump grump"

"She really doesn't take losing well" You say.

"Give it a minute, she'll be back out and demanding to play again" Hella says. "I see you went toy shopping"

"I did" You say. "And you've been busy yourself"

Hella laughs. "Yes, this one can be awfully demanding... not that I mind. She reminds me of Munchkin that way" She says.

"Have you given any thought to what you plan on telling your family?" You ask.

"Not really..." She says. "Since I got here it's been pretty hectic, and I suppose my spontaneous baking didn't exactly free up my time"

"It was delicious though" You say

"Oh, absolutely" she says.

>Ask what she plans to write

>Ask what she plans to do now

>Warn her about Robin's puppy dog eyes

>Other

>>2706605
>>Ask what she plans to do now

>writing

"What are your plans now, anyway?" You ask. "Are you staying here?"

"Well I'm coming with you, obviously" She says.

...

Hella laughs. "Just kidding. Ooo you should have seen your face there for a second" She says. "I'm not big on battles, so I'll stay here if that's okay"

"It's fine. Everyone seems to like you" You say.

"And I'll do what I can to help out in return, just- oh" Hella says, looking down to see Liz tugging at her shirt. "Ready to keep playing?"

Liz turns to the cups and points.

"Okay, just give me one second, Yuu" She says.

"Go ahead, this looks very important" You say.

Hella smiles and does her thing, revealing the pebble's position then switching the cups around.

This time Liz gets it right, rattling her tail excitedly when the pebble is revealed. She then grabs it and slithers over to Lola, handing the pebble to her. Then as Liz is slithering back, Lola tosses the pebble to Hella, who puts it back under the cup. Liz doesn't even notice.

Hella turns to you and puts a finger to her lips, and you chuckle.

"You know she'll find out eventually" You say.

Hella shrugs. "Easier than collecting hundreds of these things..." She says.

Liz slithers back up into Hella's lap, where she recieves a hug and a kiss.

>You sure bonded quickly

>Talk about her family

>Go see how Fran and Cheska are doing

>Other

>>2706722
>You sure bonded quickly

>>2706722
>>You sure bonded quickly

>writing

"You sure bonded quickly" You say.

"Well you know what they say 'the only girl who enjoys snuggling more than a bunny is a snake'... and this one is so snuggly" Hella says, hugging the Serpid again for emphasis.

In response, Liz wraps her tail around Hella's stomach again.

"Plus it helps that she hasn't left me since I gave her that cookie" She says.

"They do say that the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach... I guess that goes for kids too" You say.

"Who says that?" Hella asks.

"I dunno... they do, I guess" You say.

"I don't think I'e heard that saying before..." She says.

"Oh... well it basically means that if you want to get a guy to fall in love with you, feed him good food" You say.

Hella giggles. "If that were true, you'd be all over me" She says.

>To be fair I don't actually have a heart

>I don't know if that was a sex joke or not

>Other

>>2706795
>To be fair I don't actually have a heart

>>2706795
>>To be fair I don't actually have a heart

>>2706795
>To be fair, I don’t actually have a heart.

>>2706795
>>I don't know if that was a sex joke or not

>writing

"To be fair, I don't actually have a heart" You say, knocking on your chest. "Hard to go through my stomach to something that isn't there"

"I'll have to try a different approach then" She says, before her eyes go wide. "I-I mean... if that was like... what I wanted. Y'know?"

You raise an eyebrow, then turn your attention to Liz, who is currently examining the cups again.


"Oh! You wanna play again sweetie?" Hella asks. "Okay, ready?"

As Hella and Liz start to play their game again, you spot Pip and Lyvia entering the dining room. Lyvia goes off to join Robin and the Devils, while Pip goes over and sits next to you.

"Hey hey, Lala, Yuyu" Pip says. "What's shakin'?"

In response you hear Liz's tail give an excited rattle as Hella moves the cups around.

"Aside from the noodle's tail" Pip says.

"A few things..." You say. "How's the tutoring going?"

"Well enough. The Queen is an eager but slow learner" Pip says. "We'll get there at some point... whether or not that point comes before or after the war is over..."

"At least you're getting somewhere" You say.

"I'd drink to that... if I had a drink" She says. "Maybe later. You get the Commander's note?"

You nod. "Marching at dawn" You say. "You set to go?"

"Probably" She says as she leans back. "You?"

"Same" You reply.

"Glad we're both so confident" She says. "So what've you been up to while I've been teaching?"

>I took a leisurely stroll with the priestess

>I helped Gretchen with the siege engine

>Other

>>2706870
>>I helped Gretchen with the siege engine
I feel this one is the less important to us but probably more relevant to Pip and something more appropriate to share.

>>2706870
>>I helped Gretchen with the siege engine

>>2706870
>I helped Gretchen with the siege engine

>writing

"I went out and helped Gretchen piece together the Legion's siege engine" You say.

"How'd that go?" She asks.

"Pretty well. We managed to figure out how it works, I learned some saucy new curses, Gretchen's got some new building materials" You say.

"They're scrappin' it?" She asks. "I thought you figured it out"

"It only works when there's a boon inside it. Without the boon it's just a pointless coil made from useful materials" You say. "I'll spare you the reasoning for it, since it's all theoretical mumbo jumbo that only Fran and I seem to get. But that's the gist of it"

"Shame. It seemed like a pretty effective weapon" She says.

"Gretchen seems confident that she can make a better one" You say. "If her euphemisms were anything to judge by, she'll be making a weapon that will not so much lay siege to a city as it will violate it"

"That sounds like Gretchen," Pip says, "never saying anything that can't be made into some kind of double entendre... good on you for helping out though. I sometimes forget that you studied with the smart guys"

"Should I be insulted?" You ask.

"Not in a bad way" She says. "You usually don't find scholarly types fighting... anywhere really"

"Probably for the best. A lifetime of books doesn't make someone a capable fighter" You say. "And a lifetime of fighting has its own downsides"

"Here here" Pip says.

>Ask what she plans to do tonight

>Ask how long a march it is to Riverhold

>Other

>>2706992
>>Ask how long a march it is to Riverhold

>>2706992
>>Ask what she plans to do tonight

>>2706992
>>Ask what she plans to do tonight

>writing

"How long of a march is it to Riverhold anyway?" You ask.

"Little over a week... I think" She says. "Depends on our pace"

"Ugh... sounds like a lot of walking" You say.

"Yyyyep" She says. "I'm gonna see if I can't get the commander to give me a position on one of the airships, but that can wait 'till tomorrow"

"Got any plans for tonight?" You ask.

"Tonight I am going to kick back, relax, maybe drink a bit" She says. "Feel like joinin' me?"

"Sure, so long as we don't drink as muh as last time" You say.

"I keep it light when I have important things to do in the morning" She says. "How 'bout you, Lala? You wanna hang with us tonight?"

Hella's head perks up, and she turns away from Liz, who she was baby-talking to up until a second ago. "U-uhhh... I didn't quite catch that" She says.

>But your ears are so big...

>Hanging out tonight

>She said you have something on your face

>Other

>>2707059
>>Hanging out tonight

>>2707059
>>But your ears are so big...
and fluffy
>>Hanging out tonight

>>2707059
>Hanging out tonight

The real question is who has better hearing? Pip or Hella?

>>2707059
>Hanging out tonight

>>2707093
Hella's got the better ears, but her hearing is a bit more selective than Pip's, who is almost always listening to something.

>writing

"We're gonna hang out tonight. Wanna join us?" You ask.

"Uhh..." Hella says, looking between you and Liz.

"You can keep the child. We'll probably just end up staying here" Pip says.

"Really?" You ask.

"Why not? What's the point of having a sweet manor if you can't hang out here?" Pip asks.

"Good point" You say. "And Liz is usually pretty well behaved. So yeah, whaddya say?"

"Alright" Hella says.

"How 'bout you, Red?" Pip asks.

"I'm in" Cheska replies.

"Awesome" Pip says. "Now I've just gotta ask the other Red and maybe Lululu..."

"Not Derrick?" You ask.

"Nah, him and Belly are 100% going to be busy tonight" Pip says. "Trust me, I've tried"

"Busy with what?" Hella asks.

The maids choose this moment to enter with dinner, and everyone else starts to take their places...

>Oh look, food!

>Let Pip field this one

>Possibly something involving a riding crop

>They're together

>Other

>>2707154
>Midnight riding lessons.

>>2707154
>Let Pip field this one

>>2707154
Oh Hella you sweet little cinnamon roll you.

>Midnight rising lessons

>>2707154
>>Midnight riding lessons.

>writing

"Midnight... riding lessons?" You ask.

Hella tilts her head and looks to Pip, who makes a circle with her finger and thumb on her left hand, then puts her right index finger into the hole.

It takes Hella a second, but she gets it. "Oh... Oh!" Hella says. "Goodness... so they're... a thing?"

"Yyyyyep" Pip says.

"I see..." Hella says.

With that you turn your attention to your dinner, occasionally giving Hella a hand feeding Liz. She's a surprisingly fussy eater when she's not swallowing things whole. You also take a moment to share your meal with Coral before it's done.

Once you're finished you stand up and stretch out. Pip does the same.

"Alright. I'm gonna go find Madelaine" She says. "Anyone feel like coming along?"

>Go with her

>Spend some time with the devils

>Go over some business stuff with Belladonna

>Other

>>2707252
>>Go over some business stuff with Belladonna

>writing

You politely decline, but offer to send Coral to help. Pip accepts, and goes on her way with the little sprite

With her gone, you head up to see Belladonna. The maid is in her office, eating dinner at her desk. When she notices you at the door she apologizes and hastily tries to clean things up a bit.

"You know you could have joined us in the dining room" You say.

"I am far too busy for that..." She replies.

"Do I need to hire you an assistant?" You ask, pulling up a chair by her desk so you can sit down.

"This much is manageable, but any more and an assistant would be a welcome addition" She says.

"I'll keep it in mind" You say.

"I take it you're marching with the main force tomorrow?" She asks.

"I am" You say. "Is there anything that I need to do before then?"

Belladonna hums and shifts through some of the papers on her desk. "I need approval for some things..."

You spend some time going through some of her work. Most of it is budget based: requests for funding, public projects, etc.

"You know, when you think about being a lord it usually doesn't involve this much tedium and paperwork..." You say.

"I mostly take care of all this, as I did when Graumer was lord" She says. "I can continue to do so, if it is not quite your speed"

"I'd like to have some part of it..." You say. "My mother has a good system for this kind of stuff. I'll have to ask how she set it up. In the meantime-

>We need to get you an assistant

>You've earned a night off

>I've got people to see

>Other

>>2707554
>>You've earned a night off

>>2707554
>>You've earned a night off
she probably won't get another until we come back

>>2707554
>>You've earned a night off

>writing

Off topic, but, did we ever do something about our prisoner in the dungeon? Whats going to happen to her while were gone?

>>2707614
She's being cared for by someone else while we figure out what we do with our mageblade personality I think.

>>2707626
I was more worried about the possibility of her offing herself while were gone due to her demony-ness really

"-you've earned the night off" You say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Take some time to relax"

"I... guess I should" She says. "Most of this can wait until tomorrow"

"Exactly" You say.

"Well... except for this... and this..." She says.

"Alright, here" You say. "I'll give you a hand with those"

"Y-you will?" She asks.

"Of course" You say. "Now, what needs to be done?"

You go through the "urgent" pile with Belladonna. It's mostly bookkeeping and math, which you apparently excel at. The work is done fast, which is good because as you're finishing up you notice 2 pairs of yellow-and-black eyes peeking into the room.

"Alright... that's everything?" You ask.

"Yes, thank you" She says. "Your mathematical skills are much better than I expected"

"Much better than I expected too" You say. "Now get some rest"

"I will" She replies, bowing politely as you head out and-

>Pretend you didn't notice the devils

>Scoop the devils up

>Ask why they're snooping around

>Other

>>2707636
It's honestly not high on my list of concerns. She is extremely toxic to us and we frankly would have probably exploded her a long time ago if she wasn't a girl. I think she's gone way too far past the evil event horizon.

>>2707639
>>Pretend you didn't notice the devils

>>2707639
>>Pretend you didn't notice the devils

>>2707640
She hasnt done anything more evil then any other demon weve met so far, and not as bad as most of them. We've really only seen her kill some dudes, and use that boon that one time.

>>2707639
>>Pretend you didn't notice the devils

>writing

>>2707653
It's highly likely she severely damaged Yuu's mind in the mageblade universe, she drove a spike through Stella's eye, she tried to drive one through the echidna girl, and also zombified some soldiers. Also, the resistance was damaged enough by her to really hate her and Mahron apparently trusted her enough to have her do some high level interrogations. She's probably pretty bad.

Note also that just by getting a boon she has descended to another level of evil. Cheska was about as far as you could get on the demon side to being good. I do not think Raven will ever reform and I think it's dangerous to try. Nevermind that spending time with her really hits us badly in the PR department with our friends.

>>2707683
We cant blame this version of her for stuff a different version of her did in an alternate universe, and conflating the two could be opening a whole other can of worms besides.

Having a boon doesnt make you evil. And note that Cheska burned a LOT of people to death, both before and after we met her.
Im not particularly invested in defending her, Im just saying a lot of your reasons for her being "evil" are kind of inconsistent or speculative. So, just going to drop it here.

-smile as you walk right past the sneaky devils, pretending that you didn't see them. That lasts for about 2 seconds, as they pounce on you when you go by.

"Hey you two" You say. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yeah!" Daisy says.

"We were waiting forever" Lily says.

"I was only in there for like half an hour..." You say.

"Forever!" Lily says.

You chuckle and pick the two of them up. "Well now I'm done" You say. "What do you guys wanna do?"

They tell you to go back to the tea room, where everyone was hanging out earlier.

"Why is it called the tea room?" Daisy asks. 'It isn't shaped like a T at all..."

"It's where people usually come to drink tea" You say.

"But you can drink tea anywhere" Daisy says.

"But this is where the old lord would drink tea" You say. "There's so many rooms in this house that he put a purpose to all of them"

"But I saw one of the maid ladies drinkin' tea in the kitchens" Daisy says.

"They can drink tea wherever they want" You say.

"So why is it still called the tea room?" Daisy asks.

As yougo to answer, Lily holds out her hands, signaling that she'll take this one. "Ask mom" Lily says.

"Okay" Daisy replies. "Is there a juice room too?"

You laugh and give her a peck on the forehead. "Of course, Daisy"

Tired as fuck so calling it a bit early.

Next thread will be tomorrow.

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

>>2707701
Having a boon does actually make you pretty evil. The boon holders are hand picked by Mahron for their power (so they'll survive to get their boon) and their cruelty (so they'll actually use it). The circumstances in which Raven got her boon probably mark her as being worse than a normal boon holder, since she was chosen purely for her willingness to use it as power wasn't a factor.

>>2707752
Good to see you again.

>>2707752
Thanks for running

"Found it" You say.

"What?" Lily asks, looking closer. "No way!"

You've been playing with this weird 'spot the stuff' picture book. There's a really cluttered picture on each page, and you have to pick out certain things from it. But with your eyes, you spot everything immediately.

"I found the horsey!" Daisy says.

"What? Where?" Lily asks.

"Under the big thing, right?" You ask Daisy.

Daisy nods. "Yeah, next to the pile of stuff" She says.

"Have you found the key yet?" You ask.

Daisy shakes her head, and goes back to searching.

"Where are you guys seeing this horse?" Lily asks. "I can't find it anywhere"

"Oh! I found the key now!" Daisy says. "Can we go on to the next page?"

"I haven't even found the horse!" Lily says, clearly frustrated.

"Well hurry up!" Daisy say, staring impatiently at her sister.

...

Lily slams the book shut and pouts. "I don't wanna play this anymore!" She says.

>What if I told you where the horse is?

>So what do you want to play instead?

>Other

>>2708857
>>What if I told you where the horse is?

>>2708857
>What if I told you where the horse is?

>writing

"What if I told you where the horse is?" You ask.

Lily shakes her head.

"No?" You ask.

"Can I draw?" She asks. "I left all my pencils and books at home..."

"Not a problem" You say. "There's bound to be art supplies in this house somewhere"

"Are they in the art room?" Daisy asks.

"I'm... not actually sure there is an art room" You say. "Give me a second, I'll be right back"

You shift them off of your lap and peek out into the room across the hall where Lola, Hella, Liz, and Fran are.

"Hey, quick question: does this house happen to have like... art stuff?" You ask. "Drawing pencils, paper, boards, that sort of thing"

"Alice has a ton. She likes to sketch out her outfits before she makes them" Lola says. "What do you need it for?"

"Lily wants to draw" You say.

"Oh, right... she forgot all her things back in Leon. Even though I asked 5 times if she had everything..." Fran says, before clearing her throat. "But that's beside the point. Could you ask Alice if Lily can use some of her things?"

"Certainly! I'll be right back" Lola says. She stands up and flattens out her dress, then heads out of the room.

"Thanks!" You call out after her. "I'll be back in the other room"

You head back to Lily and Daisy, sitting back down on the couch and putting a hand on the red devil's shoulder.

"Lola's gone to get you some drawing stuff, okay?" You ask.

"Thank you" Lily says.

...

You look around, suddenly struck by the fact that something is missing.

"Lily... where did your sister go?" You ask.

Lily perks up and looks around. "She was just here a second ago" She says.

>Go look for her

>Stay here

>Other

>>2708978
>Go look for her

>writing

"Can you stay here? Lola will be back in a minute with your stuff" You say. "I wanna make sure Daisy's not getting into trouble..."

"Okay" Lily says.

You smile, ruffle her hair, give her a peck on the forehead, then start your search. You begin in this room, figuring it best to make sure she's not just hiding in a cupboard or something waiting to pop out.

When that fails, you go out into the hall and check the other room you were in.

"Is there a problem?" Fran asks.

"Uhh... I may have lost Daisy" You say.

"Seeped out, huh?" Fran asks. "She's been doing that a lot lately, now that she can use that ability at will. I'll help you look"

"Me too!" Hella says. "And Liz"

Liz is currently taking a nap.

"Alright, come on" You say.

You decide to split up, with Fran going up while you and Hella go down since you're closer to the roof than the ground. with Hella helping you out for the first little bit, you get looking...

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>2709043

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>2709043

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>2709043

>>2709061
When we fail a roll later it's your fault.

>writing

"Alright Hella... if you were Daisy, where would you go?" You ask.

"The kitchens, maybe?" Hella asks.

"She just ate..." You say.

"Alright... well... somewhere she's not supposed to be" Hella says. "You were never a kid, so you wouldn't get it. But every time I ever snuck away from my parents it was to go somewhere I wasn't allowed to"

"Well, if I remember right there's only one place I specifically told her not to go..." You say. "You keep searching up here. I'll go check if my hunch is right"

Hella goes to check the next room, while you go to the stairs and make your way down... and down... until you hit the ground floor, where you go to the locked dungeon entrance.

It's still locked, but you don't think that would be any deterrent to a shadow on the ground. So you unlock it and go down, being as quiet as you can.

Sure enough you hear voices as you get lower, one belonging to Daisy, the other to Raven.

"I thought angels were supposed to be nice" Daisy says.

"Look at the wings. Black wings mean 'not nice', kid" Raven replies.

"How did they get that way?" Daisy asks.

"Because I kill people, and enjoy it" Raven replies.

"My auntie Cheska was like that too. Are you like my auntie Cheska?" Daisy asks.

>Eavesdrop

>Join the conversation

>Send Daisy back upstairs

>Other

>>2709174
>>Send Daisy back upstairs

>>2709174
>Send Daisy back upstairs

>writing

"She is not like Cheska" You say, as you reach the end of the stairs. "Go back upstairs and wait for me by the door"

It is clear on Daisy's face that she knows she's in trouble, and she hesitates.

"Go on" You say. "Wait for me, and if you're good then I won't tell your mother about this"

Daisy scurries off.

"Thanks for that" Raven says. "Do you have any idea how annoying children are?"

You look her over, trying to decide what to say.

"Don't give me that look. It's not like I was gonna hurt her or anything. In fact, I was trying to convince her to go the hell away" Raven says.

...

"But then I am going to have to kill someone eventually" Raven says. "Those lackies you send down because you can't stand the sight of me tell me nothing. Mind if I ask what your plan there is?"

...

"Can't say I'm a fan of the strong, silent type" Raven says. "You're gonna have to say something eventually"

>What say?

>>2709225
Tell her that we will eventually come back (we got to do that to face last Yuu memories) keep being stern but don’t take shots at her

>>2709229
And reassure we are not going to kill or torture her

>>2709225
>>"You having to kill people isn't my problem, is it?"

I kind of lost track of what types of demons needed to do what to keep feeding their sins. I didn't think she was the murder type.

>>2709242
Just to clarify, that doesn't change my response if she is the murder type. I'm presuming such.

>>2709242
She is the murder type.

>writing

>>2709250
Can you remind us (me) what types are what again?

>>2709265
There's Blood (murderers), Mind (mainly robbers, but also cons and such), and Body (mainly rapists, but also includes overindulgence).

>>2709272
Thanks. I completely forgot the association with the middle one. I'm sure you told us otherwise, but I would have presumed body or mind for Raven just from how she behaves.

Makes me wonder incidentally if demons can develop multiple sins into a combined type. Or switch over if they grow more corrupt in another way.

"Is that my problem?" You ask.

"Only if you'd like to keep me alive" She says. "A gal like me goes too long without spilling some blood, and her wrists start to look...crowded"

"I'm aware" You say.

"So you plan on leaving me down here to die by my own hand" She says, badly hiding her fear. You can't quite tell if it's a calculated show or a genuine emotion. "An execution would be cleaner..."

"So you want to die?" You ask.

"I'd rather not, personally. But given the choice between having my neck snipped or losing my mind and biting my tongue off, I'd much prefer the former" She says. "At least there's some dignity in the headsman's swing... if you've got a good headsman"

You sigh and step up to the bars. "We're not taking your head off. Not until we've emptied it, at least" You say.

"So bloody well interrogate me and get it over with!" She says. "I can't say no to you. You know that. Ask your god damn questions and get it over with"

>Do that now

>See to Daisy and come back

>Leave her for now

>Other

>>2709282
Once you're a demon, you're locked in. If you become a demon of body by raping then later discover you enjoy killing just as much you remain a demon of body, only bound to your original sin and free to commit your new one at your leisure.

Raven has always had red eyes. Murder is her sin but she likes to use her body to get what she wants, which makes her easy to confuse with a demon of body.

>>2709310
>See to Daisy and come back
may as well

>writing

>>2709310
>>2709342
I know I'm late but I'm having to think. Since we're coming back I want to give her the option to answer questions via our mind control. In return we ensure she gets humane treatment.

1) What would you have done if you could have hit me with your boon?
2) What crimes would you commit on the citizens of this town if you could escape and there were no soldiers here?
3) What do you know that will most impact my fight against Mahron and the Black God?

"Alright" You say. "Let me deal with the kid first, and then I'll return for you"

Her expression is unreadable, and she says nothing as you leave.

You head up the stairs and find Daisy still waiting at the top, fighting back tears. You go up to her and crouch down to her level.

"Daisy, why did you go down there?" You ask.

"I just wanted to see..." She says.

"I told you to stay away from there for a reason" You say. "That woman is dangerous"

"She didn't seem so bad..." Daisy says.

"She's a blood demon, Daisy" You say.

"Auntie Cheska was too" She says.

"There aren't many demons like Cheska" You say. "She killed good men coming in to the city, and she would have killed innocent people if I hadn't stopped her"

Daisy shivers, so you pull her into a hug.

"I want you to promise me you won't go down there again" You say.

"I promise" She says.

"Good" You say. "Now go and find your mother"

"Are you gonna tell her?" Daisy asks.

"No. We'll keep this between us, but only if you keep your promise" You say. "You can say you got lost looking for the bathroom. Okay?"

"Okay" She replies.

"Run along now" You say

Daisy nods and scampers off. Daisy is right on some things. The way Raven is and the way Cheska was aren't all that different.

Both of them killed without remorse, never apologizing for their crimes. You wonder now if you really saw the capacity for atonement in Cheska, or if you were just naive enough to think she was good, and lucky enough to be proven right.

As you go back down the stairs you wonder if you've just grown less trusting, or if you really don't see in Raven what you did in Cheska.

When you reach her cell, she's laying back waiting for you...

>What ask?

>>2709415
>>2709393
Repeating the above. Don't want to ask her using commands though unless she agrees. Not a good route to go down.

>>2709415
>What was the legion's plan to do with me if you got me with your boon?
>How was the experience of getting your boon (specifics). How were you selected?
>Approximately how many Boon holders are left that you knew of? Is Mahron/Black God running out of Candidates?
>Anything about the relationship between your big boss and the God? Any guess as to what your boss thinks he's getting out of this?

>>2709393
Agreeing on letting her answer the question on her own accord w/o commands if she's not being super coy about it.

>writing

>>2709454
Oh, I want to ask commands because her word is worth nothing and she has every reason to lie on what I want to ask. I just don't want to force her to undergo mind control unless she is willing to accept it as part of the deal. We don't want to start acting like her.

>>2709477
I get the feeling she's going to instantly start being coy anyway, but it may be worth it as a sign of good faith at the start at least.

>>2709483
I don't think we really owe the good faith shot. My first two questions are really just to evaluate how evil she actually is and there's no way she will come clean on that without an order.

You pull up a chair next to the cell, and knock on the bars.

"What took you so long?" She asks as she sits up.

"That didn't even take 5 minutes" You say.

"Time kinda stretches out when you're expecting to die, I guess" She says.

"Answer my questions well, and I without forcing me to wring them out of you, and I may just spare your life" You say. "I'll even promote you to a sort of... 'captive executioner' of sorts"

"But only if you like my answers" She says.

You nod. "I'll start with a hypothetical one: if our positions were switched, and you had hit me with that spike, what would you have done?" You ask.

"I already answered that" She says.

"Humour me" You reply.

"Alright. Well it depends, I suppose" She says.

"On what?" You ask.

"On how subtle I could be" She says. "A missing eye stands out quite a bit, but a little hole in the skull... say around the back is much harder to notice"

"The difference being?" You ask.

"My own desires" She says. "If I couldn't be subtle I'd just have you bandage the eye and go betray everyone by throwing open the gates and allowing the Legion to pour in. But if I could be subtle... well, having the lord of a town under my thumb is pointless if that town gets put to the sword"

You narrow your eyes and swallow. A strange pain shoots through the base of your skull.

"If I could keep you, I would" She says. "You'd keep on like you are now, but I'd always be close by..."

Something feels wrong. You're having a bit of trouble staying focused.

>Keep going

>That's enough for now

>Other

>>2709541
>Keep going
Tell her not to hurt us if anything happens (or our friends/maids/personel)

>>2709541
>>Keep going
>>What would she do with the town?

>>2709541
>Other
>Briefly excuse yourself to get a spotter.

No one knows we're down here, and Pip is expecting us for drinks at some point. If we flop, it's probably best not to fuck with everyone too much (Especially since we're marching tomorrow).

In favor of stealing the "Command her not to hurt anyone in case something odd happens" from this dude >>2709557, although I don't think that'll be too effective if she realizes she can just command us to rescind that order.

>>2709569
>>2709572
I would sign on to getting a spotter, but I'm kind of worried that not many people could spot for us anymore.

>writing

You take a breath and steel yourself. You are not that other you. You are in control.

"And what would you do with the town?" You ask.

She shrugs. "I'd only be its ruler through you, so I suppose you'd have to be benevolent in some way" She says. "But then the baron was never benevolent, and people still bowed to him... it would need to prosper, so that I could enjoy its fruits... though I've never enjoyed the idea of being a parasite"

"You sound... conflicted" You say.

"It's difficult to imagine what I'd do with that kind of power while sitting powerless in a cell" She says. "It is also hard to imagine what I'd do with the spike now that I no longer have it"

"How so?" You ask.

"It... changed me somehow" She says. "Subtly, in such a small way that I didn't even notice until it was taken away. I have been called many things in my life, but never cruel"

"Oh?" You ask.

"Of course, I've murdered, pillaged and all that. But when I killed it was always quick, sometimes even pleasant" She says.

"How could dying be pleasant?" You ask.

"Well men often talk about how they'd rather die in bed with a lady than out on some field" She says. "I've never gotten any complaints, at least"

"Hard to complain when you're dead" You say.

"I give them other reasons not to complain" She says.

>Next question

>Ask about how the boon changed her

>Other

>>2709638
>>Ask about how she was selected to get the boon and how she received it.
Just to be clear, are we compelling her to the truth or could she well be lying (presuming the compulsion works of course)?

>writing

>>2709653
She could well be lying. If you want to know, you can compel her to tell the truth after everything is said and done.

"How were you chosen to get the boon?" You ask.

"My skills, I suppose" She says. "I've never been much of a warrior, but then the spike wasn't a warrior's weapon. My expertise has always been in infiltration and interrogation"

"I figured the Legion would have a tougher looking interrogator" You say.

"Because you believe pain can give answers, like most men do" She says. "A man will scream whatever he thinks you want to hear when he is in pain, often times it isn't the truth"

"And how do you get the truth?" You ask.

"How do you think?" She asks, raising her arms in the air and giving her hips a little shake. "Pain will get you words, but pleasure will get you truths. If you push a person to the edge and keep them there long enough, they'll spill their deepest, darkest secrets to get that release"

"So you... fuck... the answers out of people" You say.

"Works almost every time" She says. "And if someone doesn't give their secrets for pleasure, then pain was never going to work in the first place"

You nod. "So this boon... Mahron just gave it to you?" You ask.

"As I said before: something came up, he left for a while, he came back with the spike, he summoned me to Johnston and gave it to me" She says.

"Did you ask how he got it?" You ask.

"Nope" She says. "Nor did it cross my mind. He told me to take it. He told me how to use it. Then he told me where he wanted it to be used. Since it wasn't a proper boon, it didn't come with any authority. But I wasn't about to ask where it came from"

"Do you know how many proper boons there are?" You ask.

"I don't really keep track, much like everyone else. The only ones who know how many proper boon holders there are, are the proper boon holders" She says. "You seem to be overestimating my status in the Legion. I was good at what I did, and that earned me some respect. But I wasn't powerful, which cost me quite a bit of that respect"

>Ask if she knows how boon holders are chosen

>Ask what she'd do if she got free

>Ask how the boon changed her

>Other

>>2709746
>>Perhaps we overestimate her position, but is there anything she thinks IS worth us knowing that she can share? Perhaps something she wasn't supposed to know?

>>2709746
>Ask how the boon changed her.

She seemed to be pretty fucked up even before the boon. I'm wondering what she picked up on.

>writing

"So power is power in the Legion" You say.

"To hold a command position you have to hold it" She says. "That means being able to fight off anyone who wants to take it from you"

"Carthac wasn't very powerful..." You say.

"Carthac was a dreg who got shafted because we couldn't muster the strength for a proper invasion" She says. "When he failed his most basic task, we sent the Puppeteer to aid him"

"And that all ended on my blade" You say. "Out of curiosity, what was Carthac's mission specifically?"

"To stretch out your rebellion and give us time to get organized before the country could unite" she says. "Which failed miserably. The knives we sent to strike out the loose ends from his failed assault were killed, and no doubt Cheska told you we weren't ready to attack yet..."

"How do you figure that?" You ask.

"Because she isn't still in a cell, which means she gave up something worth releasing her for" She says. "Meanwhile, I have no such nuggets"

"Nothing at all?" You ask.

"Oh, I can talk about the hierarchy of the Legion all day long, try to guess at things of strategic value, maybe spill some stale information about troop movements... but at the end of the day I'm not as important as I thought I was" She says. "I already know that I'd been given false information about Mahron's whereabouts. How am I to know if other things I'd been told were true, or purposeful falsehoods in case I was captured?"

>Cut the self pity, please

>Ask her about Riverhold

>Why give you a boon if that's the case?

>Other

>>2709882
>Why give you a boon if that's the case?

>>2709882
>>Why give you a boon if that's the case?

>writing

>>2709882
Poor, Poor Raven. Game was rigged from the start.

Mahron seems saavy enough to not hand her the thing that could mind control dozens or maybe hundreds of demons and/or important humans without the master stroke to make her powerless if she got too big of a head.

"Why give you the boon if that's the case?" Yo ask.

"Perhaps it was expendable, and he'll come back with another soon" She says. "Or it just wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things"

"Could have been insurance" You say. "Spies are always at risk of being captured"

"So why give me a boon that does... this if it's destroyed?" She asks. "And if he expected me to go down fighting, he doesn't know me very well. Much easier to allow myself to be captured and then... well... you remember what I tried to do"

"And what would you have done if that succeeded?" You ask.

"You mean if it had been someone who I could say no to?" She asks. "I probably would have made good on my proposal, given you a little kiss, and then made my escape"

"And after that?" You ask.

"Find somewhere to get this-" She holds up her arm with the soul brace on it "-off. Then maybe lay low for a bit, wait for my opportunity to fly away and then I'd be in the wind"

"No killing? No going back to the Legion?" You ask.

"I can't go back to the Legion now" She says. "I failed and lost a boon in the process. They'd execute me. It would be a very slow, very public affair. I'm not flying back to that"

"How do you know this?" You ask.

"Because I've seen it done" She says. "It happened... maybe a year ago. A Centaur, one of the higher ups, lost her boon to some lady knight. They hung her by the legs in the town square in Johnston, and... you may not want to hear what they did..."

>Is that concern I hear?

>Go on

>Perhaps not

>Other

>>2709994
>Is that concern I hear?
>Move back to her speculation about the boon altering her personality. See if there's a trend we can see from other boons, or if she's just a weirdo since she didn't earn hers like the rest.

>>2709994
>>Is that concern I hear?
>>Perhaps not

If she tinks it was bad, it was probably bad

>>2709994
>>Perhaps not
>>2710009
Go with the personality question.

>>2710009
This is just my wild speculation, but maybe the boons with the powers of the Dark God's subordinates carry a bit of those subordinates wills or personalities with them?

>writing

>>2710021
I was thinking that she was either being warped to the personality of the maker, or that the boon was altering her personality to more effectively use it.

Boons taking on traits of the fucked up demons they are birthed from is pretty bad, but boons altering the user's personality to better suit them is somehow worse. We've never kept a real boon holder alive long enough to ask, though.

"Is that concern I hear?" You ask.

"For myself, yes" She says. "I've stomached quite a bit in my time with the Legion, but this... it's enough to make me lose my lunch"

"I'll take your word for it" You say.

"Perhaps you'll see her when you take Johnston. Last I heard she was still alive... if you could call it that" She says.'

You grimace. "I think I'll just change the subject now" You say. "Could you tell me more about how the boon changed you"

She mulls it over for a moment, before turning to you. "Order me to" She says.

"Why?" You ask.

"Because I'm not sure I can describe it... but maybe if you made me..." She says.

"Tell me about how the boon changed you" You say.

"I became cruel and sadistic. I've always been a killer but this... wasn't killing. I'd use people's loved ones to torment them. I'd make others do horrible things and watch them despair as my control faded." She says. Like her earlier fear, she appears to be distraught. "At the time the power was... intoxicating. But now just thinking about it makes me feel... unclean"

"Unclean?" You ask.

"I don't know a better word for it" She says. "I don't know how much of it was just me, and that's how I would be if I had that kind of power, or if I was truly different"

"Well then let me ask you this, and answer me truthfully: If you were offered the boon once more, would you take it?" You ask.

"Absolutely not" She says. "I would sooner be strung up next to that Centaur in the Johnston square"

The answer seems to surprise her, like she was certain it would be different.

"Well they do say that power corrupts, but if you wouldn't take it a second time then perhaps it did do something to you" You say.

"I... I guess so" She says, looking completely stumped. "So am I going to die now? You know I have no useful information"

>You belong to me now

>You will be executed

>Other

>>2710085
>Other
>I'll see what sort of strings I can pull. People around me are losing faith in me for keeping you around without a good explanation. Despite you being pretty chill thus far, I'm doubtful people will be OK with you just sitting around on my watch if you have no remorse.
>You will probably be executed, but maybe you could land that "Executioner /w short leash" job I mentioned earlier if we have that position.

She doesn't regret what she's done, which is a clear problem if we keep her around. Cheska was alright since she had problems and didn't want to hurt people, whereas Raven enjoys it and has admitted she'd do the mundane evil shit in a heartbeat. She's not a good person, she's hurt and killed many, and she doesn't regret it. The only reason I don't want to execute her outright is cuz she's had a decent sense of fair play.

>>2710085
>>Leave her to interrogators and the researchers to get all the information they can on what she does know and what happened with her. No harm to her so long as she cooperates, and reexamine later.

I'm not sure what we can do for the murder stuff though. Maybe if we have some criminals or legion members who will be executed anyway?

>>2710113
I'm not sure how this will impact other Yuu's desires. Killing her might end his obsession or maybe flare it up. Keeping her around (just because) is certain to leave it unresolved and probably make it worse. Really, it's mostly a political and moral move to not just kill her. It's a bad example to just kill legion prisoners after they "Comply" and give info, and killing prisoners in general is a tough moral call (where sparing them is usually the "More Moral" option, even if they deserve death).

>writing

>>2710113
I think we are right not to trust her. She knows enough though to at least give us some information, however anecdotal, even if it's how so and so fights in the demon arena or so on. We should have some of our professionals get it all out of her and organized.

And I wonder if our researchers can get anything out of her on the black god since she's still clearly influenced by the boon if we can control her. SOMETHING is left in her.

>>2710138
I'm not sure if we will have time, but I'm inclined if we can get someone like Lianna to work through the mage blade Yuu thing soon. I feel like we've gotten past the issue enough to confront it.

>>2710162
>>2710138

How about some (ethical) experiments? Namely, in the de-Demonification variety. We've got proof its definitely possible now, maybe we can use her to figure out if Cheska was just a special case, or if anyone could do it with the right circumstances and work? being able to force her to be honest would actually probably help.
And if it works we could have a lot more leeway in terms of non-lethal punishments

>>2710202
I think unless they had already reformed significantly they'd just change back since they are still evil.

"I'm... not sure" You say. "If I keep you around without a good explanation, people will lose faith in me. But having you executed now would leave a bad taste in my mouth... If I can I'll try to convince people that it's not a bad idea to keep you around, but I can only do that if you behave"

"I can behave" She says.

"Good" You say. "I doubt you'll be leaving this cell though, and that means I'll have to find some way to make sure you don't die..."

"I can go a couple weeks if you need some time" She says. "My record is a month, but I'd rather not go that long"

"You went that long without killing?" You ask.

"Not by choice" She says.

"Oh?" You ask.

She brushes her hand along the bed. "I was some researcher's pet project. I don't know what his end was, but the means involved chaining me up and dulling my every weapon"

"That sounds horrible" You say.

"Oh, it was absolutely torturous" She says. "But you wouldn't let me go through that, would you?"

You feel that same pain in the back of your neck, along with an urge to open the cell and throw yourself at her feet. "Of course not" You say.

You don't quite hear her reply, but she sounds happy. Her being happy makes you happy.

"Something wrong?" She asks.

"It's nothing. I'll come back later" You say.

She looks confused, but shrugs it off and lays down. "Fine by me. You're much better company than the soldiers" She says.

You head back to the stairs and go up, trying your best to shake off that odd feeling as you walk. The feeling is gone by the time you reach the top, but the pain remains. Maybe it's time you dealt with this...

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow.

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

Just off her and be done with it, or let the commander decide.

Just because we helped Cheska doesn't mean we have to collect every demon with tits and ass. Demons aren't just soldiers following orders and other regular excuses, they're actual fucking monsters that have done so much bad shit that saying "well I do feel bad about it, now" when they're captured and risk execution is not enough.

Yuu can't go around giving amnesty to these fucks after how he dealt with Graumer, whose crimes weren't even comparable with hers. We need to start holding trials to deal with prisoners. We also should stop being the one to hold and talk to them. Being a demon prince only gives Yuu so much leeway before things go tits up

>>2710417
Eh, let them be tried afterwards whether that be when we've rescued Stella and finished that quest or the Kill Mahron campaign has ended, as long as their useful we might as well

>>2710547
Agreed that she should be tried, just as long as she doesn't join the party.

Cheska was the exception to the rule, not the standard.

>>2710565
Yeah, but we also have absolute control over her, so i do feel like, imo, killing her is outright is a bit shady, but thats just my aversion and weird hang-ups on mind control, and hey, if she's a good enough executioner or whatever she ups doing, if not just sitting patiently in the cell, she might get off with just a Life Sentence or something, maybe a life of community service

Atleast until her sin drives her crazy, but Pest Control might work for her then, or do blood demons HAVE to kill higher sapients and not just bugs and rats?

>>2710238
>She brushes her hand along the bed. "I was some researcher's pet project. I don't know what his end was, but the means involved chaining me up and dulling my every weapon"

Wait...was SHE the demon that one researcher used to try and see if forcing a demon to deny their sin for long enough would make them human again?

>>2710621
One option we could pursue is ordering her not to have to kill people/repeat her sin. (We'd have to be very careful with the wording here.)

This should work, seeing as we ordered her to enjoy an unpleasant breakfast and she did. Obviously, we ask permission first, and probably experiment with asking her to do something else normally impossible first. (Like have her try floating in midair without using her wings.)

>>2710217
That would be largely irrelevant, as the point would be the process and the data, not the result, and also she wouldnt have a chance to turn back unless we fuck up since shed still be a criminal.

You take a minute to visit one of the bathrooms and splash some water on your face, taking a minute to think on your visit to the dungeon.

The pain and unwelcome thoughts seemed to come in waves. You'd be fine for a while, and then it would come on and you'd have to fight against your own mind. But by far the most disturbing part is how good it felt.

Raven was right about pain and pleasure. Pain is something you can handle all day long, but the warm, pleasant feeling is incredibly hard to fight off... mostly because you need to make yourself want to fight it off in the first place.

You wonder about a dozen other things as well, but you know there's only one way to get an answer.

You have to explore the other you...

It's not something you want to do without help, nor is it something you want to do near others.

On hand, you have 3 options for this: Pip, Lianna, and Raven herself.

You know that you can trust Lianna to keep whatever happens between you, but if you try to do something then she wouldn't be able to stop you.

Pip has the best chance of making sure you don't do anything stupid, depending on how 'in control' of your current faculties you will be.

And finally Raven is not a terrible option, despite how ridiculous it might sound. She seems to be at the center of all this, and with the right combination of motivations and commands she could help you solve this... or possibly make it worse.

You shut off the water device and rub your cheeks. No option seems perfect, but they're all you have for the moment.

Perhaps you should have figured all of this out before you learned how to level a building...

>Go to Pip

>Go to Lianna

>Go to Raven

>Other

>>2711943
>>Go to Lianna
She's basically a therapist

>>2711943
>>Go to Lianna
She's been the go to for this.

>>2711943
>Go to Lianna

>>2711943
I think the most interesting option is Pip, but going from "Hey, let's go drinking and chill," to, "Hey, I'm gonna work though some hedonistic urges, mind making sure I don't assault someone?" doesn't feel like a fun change of plans for her the night before march.

>>Go to Lianna

>>2711971
That wasn't the initial plan for the night?

>writing

>>2711974

>>2707059
"Tonight I am going to kick back, relax, maybe drink a bit" She says. "Feel like joinin' me?"

"Sure, so long as we don't drink as muh as last time" You say.

>>2707154
"We're gonna hang out tonight. Wanna join us?" You ask.

The chronology of what has happened tonight is: Brought toy back, got dinner, made plans /w Pip, checked on Belladonna, got distracted by devils, got distracted by Raven, and are now trying to settle alternate personality's obsession with her.

You take a breath, nod to yourself in the mirror, and head out. You figure Lianna is your best bet, so you go and find her.

She's in her room, working on something with a needle and thread. You knock on the doorframe to get her attention.

"Who is there?" She asks.

"It's Yuu" You say. "Are you busy?"

Lianna smiles and waves you in. "Please, come in" She says. "Do you need something?"

You walk in and sit down on a nearby chair. "I was wondering if you could help me..." You say. "You remember when I told you about those... other mes?"

"I recall you saying you had dealt with one" She says. "You wish for my help with the other?"

You nod, and then realize the pointlessness of the action... "Yes" You say.

"What can I do?" She asks.

"I just need you to stay with me, and possibly make sure I don't do something stupid" You say.

"I... believe I can manage this" She says.

You take another breath.

>Anything to do/say before you begin?

>>2712066
>>Tell her we think the Raven in the other world spiked us and was using mental compulsion to make us do terrible things to people in Lutain. Worries about it bleeding over is a reason we try to avoid Raven, though we talked to her today.

>>2712066
Disarm. Try to do some of our meditative/focus tricks and generally get in the zone before starting this.

>writing

>>2712087
That too, though my presumption lately has been that Yuu can kill most anyone around us unarmed now.

Rolled 19 (1d100)

"So a little background... I have reason to believe this other me was enslaved By Raven, the angel in the dungeon" You say. "The only time this other me comes up is around her, and I'm worried about what I'll do if I connect to him"

"Ahh... now I understand" She says.

"So yeah... I'm not really sure you could stop me if I really, really wanted to do something bad. But I've kinda put this off too long" You say.

Lianna's tail comes up and touches your arm, then her hand grasps yours. "I shall do my best" She says.

You take a deep breath. "Okay... are you ready?" You ask.

"Go ahead" She replies.

You keep holding onto her hand, and draw your blade. Like you did the first time you tried this you focus on it, making it harder, sharper, denser...

Like before you feel that strange mindlessness creeping in, only this time you don't fight it off. You plunge in and let it consume you, vaguely aware of dropping your blade as your hand goes limp...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

>>2712145

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>2712145

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>2712145

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>2712145

>writing

You're back in Aenea's shop, the night of the siege. You've just driven off the demons, as you did that night. But Raven got away.

To track her down, you and Cheska decide to split up and search.

This version of you, whatever his path was, he never found out about the difference between a Devil using Seep, and a regular dark magic user.

Which is why he was surprised to find her fleeing on foot. She dispatched the resistance members who attacked her, even nailing a few with her boon and forcing you to get past them to keep chasing her.

He managed to wound her wing with a soul bolt, and cornered her in the alley in the hopes of capturing and interrogating her.

And then the true divergence happens. Raven takes her sword and sticks it up under her shirt. This other you thinks she's choosing death over capture and rushes in to stop her. But instead of stabbing or cutting herself, she sliced open her shirt and discarded it.

Without Cheska around to save him from that sort of thing, he was caught completely off guard as instead of trying to fight him, Raven dropped her sword and embraced him.

He let his guard down. It was only a moment, but it was enough. He came back to his senses when he felt a slight prick at the back of his neck, but then it was too late. The spike went in, then came free of the strange tentacle and remained embedded in his head.

When he tried to reach up and pull it out, his arms lost their strength. All he could do was stumble around on shaky limbs and try in vain to fight off what the boon was doing to his head.

To his credit, he fought well, and he fought hard. But he didn't win. He felt something click inside his head when Raven told him to come to her, and the fight ended.

>Keep going

>Come out

>Other

>>2712236
>>Other
Can we give Lianna some cliff notes, maybe even just mumble them, then keep going? Just to release a little bit of it so its not all locked in our head as we go deeper?

>>2712236
>>Keep going

>writing

Raven embraced him again and started talking to him. He couldn't make sense of what she said, and neither can you. But it all sounded right to him.

He was silly to fight her. Fighting is so difficult. Much easier to just let her win. Much better to just let her win. He lost to her, and that makes her superior. A person must obey their superior...

He couldn't feel his body, or think, or move. All he could do is melt in her embrace as she spoke to him.

Eventually when she was done, she released him. She held his gaze and asked him questions like 'who does he love', 'what would he do for her', etc.

Once she's satisfied with her answers, she asks for a kiss. He gives it willingly, eagerly even. But before he can do it, someone shows up.

It's Cheska. Raven looks annoyed, and that makes him angry. Cheska tries to pull him away from Raven, and when the devil realizes what's happening she pleads with her.

Raven tells the other you to restrain Cheska. He doesn't ask why, nor does he care about the reason. He locks Cheska's arms behind her head as Raven tells him to, leaving the back of her neck open.

Raven stabs Cheska, just like she did to him.

The rest is a blur. Raven sending him after the escaping demons, as well as the saboteurs. Raven taking up residence in the dungeon to keep up appearances, claiming your staff, friends, family, everyone, one by one. Raven using you and anyone she chooses as toys.

With a gasp you awaken. You're still in the chair, holding Lianna's hand. Your blade is on the floor in front of you.

You're breathing heavily, and the sexual nature of some of the things you saw have made you... a little excited.

She took you over. You betrayed everyone, and loved every second of it. It didn't even matter to you. All that mattered was her. If she was happy, you were happy.

>Talk with Lianna

>Go find Cheska

>Go see Raven

>Other

>>2712360
>>Talk with Lianna
Why we're here.

>>2712360
>Talk with Lianna

>writing

"That was very strange" You say.

Lianna's head perks up. "You are finished already?" She asks.

"How long has it been?" You ask.

"Only a few minutes" She says. "What did you see?"

You describe it to her in as much detail as you feel comfortable using. She listens with a neutral expression throughout.

"-and that's when I woke up" You say, now having caught your breath and gotten your body under control.

"That sounds... horrible" She says.

"It was... I mean, reflecting on it now it was horrible. But to the other me it was... good" You say. "Which makes it feel even worse"

She squeezes your hand. "But this did not happen to you" She says. "You never gave in to this demon. You never betrayed your friends. You are still in control of you"

"I am" You say.

"How do you feel?" She asks.

"Better, kind of..." You say. "I'm not really sure what to do now that I know all this, but hopefully I can get a handle on things now that I've seen what happened"

"What will you do now?" She asks.

>Go drink with Pip

>Go hug Cheska

>Go see Raven again

>Other

>>2712450
>>Go drink with Pip

>>2712450
>>Go drink with Pip

>writing

"Now?" You ask, as you stand up. "I'm gonna go find the mouse, and drink"

She purses her lips. "Drinking is not a healthy way to handle your problems" She says.

"I'm not drinking this off. That's just... my plans for tonight" You say. "Pip wanted to hang out with everyone before we march tomorrow morning"

"Ah... I had forgotten about that" She says, as she stands up. "I will be sure to say goodbye before you leave"

"You don't have to" You reply.

"You've done quite a lot for me. The least I can do is see you off" She says with a slgiht smile. "Figuratively speaking, of course"

You get a chuckle out of that and gently pull her into a hug, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you again" You say.

"Any time" She replies, returning your embrace.

You release her after holding the hug maybe a bit too long, then head off.

>Anything you want to do before you go see Pip?

>>2712516
>No, probably pushing the time already.

>>2712516
>>Anything you want to do before you go see Pip?
not really, unless we didn't pick our mageblade back up off the floor, then do that

>writing

-then you go right back.

"Forgot something" You say, pulling the mageblade on the floor to your hand from the doorway.

Lianna laughs, and you go on your way. For real this time.

You ask one of the maids if Pip is in the manor, and she tells you where to find her.

She's alone in one of the lounging rooms, idly shuffling a deck of cards.

"Where's everyody else?" You ask.

"Madelaine's tryin' to whip this Callon kid into shape. Apparently he's gonna be joining their crew" Pip says, straightening out the deck and putting it on the table. "Lizzy got really fussy, so Lala's tryin' to put her to bed. Lululu is busy with the Commander, and Red is sleeping"

"Cheska went to bed?" You ask.

"Flight training knocked her out. Apparently it's tough stuff" She says, lounging back and making a show of crossing her legs. "Looks like it's just Yuyu and me for the time being"

>Works for me

>We could help Hella out

>Maybe we could invite someone else (specify)

>Other

>>2712599
>>Works for me

>>2712599
>>Maybe we could invite someone else (specify)
Lets invite the silver elves. Both of them.

>writing

You go and sit down across from her. "We could invite some other people. Quria maybe?" You ask.

"She doesn't like me" Pip says.

"Really?" You ask.

"Ohhhh yeah. I've tried talking to her exactly once. I'll spare you the details, but it did not go well" She says.

"Yikes" You say. "Well, I guess I'm fine if it's just us"

"And Madelaine said she'd drop in if she was up to it, plus Lala once she's done with the noodle" She says. "Don't worry Yuuster, you won't be alone with ol' Pippo for long"

"I can deal with ol' Pippo. She's actually pretty good company" You say.

Pip smiles and giggles. "Pour yourself a drink, Yuyu. No ale since I wasn't luggin' a keg up here, but I managed to snag a few bottles and skins of wine"

You stand up and go over to the table she points you to. "I don't think I've ever had wine before..." You say. "I remember Gerard saying they make this stuff in a place called Uliar"

"Naw man. Uliar wine is the good stuff" She says. "The bottle I think is from somewhere in west Antolia, and the skins are mystery wines from the barracks... most likely from around Dofton up by the Howling Tower"

You pour out a glass and go sit down. "You know your stuff about this" You say.

"Believe it or not, a bottle of wine could fetch a pretty penny if you knew what to grab" She says. "I learned to tell the expensive bottles from the cheap when I was young"

>Ask her about those days

>Play some cards

>Ask what the difference is

>Other

>>2712680
>>Play some cards

>>2712680
>>Play some cards
>Ask her about those days

>>2712680
>>Ask her about those days

>writing

"So you were a wine thief?" You ask as you take a sip. It's not bad. Sweeter than ale, but not too sweet.

"I-" She says, grabbing the deck and going back to shuffling "-was a smart thief. People tend to keep gold and jewels and other valuables locked up because those are the usual targets for thieves. Sure, I could have made more money busting safes and snagging jewelry. But wine cellars were rarely locked or guarded, and sometimes the payoff was just as good"

You hold out your hand and motion for her to give you the deck. "Let's play something" You say.

"You know the rules for Squasher, yeah?" She asks.

"Sounds good to me" You say, as you give the deck a good shuffle and deal out the cards. "You know, I've never really asked about your life before Altea"

Pip picks up her hand. "Most people don't" She says. "Everybody's more comfortable just overlooking my old life of crime given my position"

"So it's not that you don't like talking about it" You say.

"Oh, no. Nothing like that" she says.

"Okay... well... tell me about it" You say.

"Where to start..." She says, playing her first card. "I used to steal from the Rynia's a lot"

"Oh yeah?" You ask, playing a counter.

"Oh yeah. They had this sewer access in their basement hidden behind a shelf. I would go in there 2-3 times a month to see what they had" She says.

"Jeez... is it still there?" You ask.

"Nah. I told them about it a little while after the Commander took me in" She says.

>Ask about her hideout

>Ask if she'd ever been caught

>Ask how she sold her stuff

>Other

>>2712764
>>Ask about her hideout

>>2712764
>>Ask about her hideout

>>2712764
>Ask how she sold her stuff

Fencers are good to know about in general. If we even need something peculiar, they can be a nice place to start.

>>2712764
>>Ask about her hideout

>writing

"I remember your hideout" You say. "That was a pretty neat spot, with the light sensor and all"

"My mom set that up when she was my age" She says, playing her card over yours. "Too few safe spots in the city, so she hired a stone-crafter under the table to help her turn the dead-end alley into the perfect mouse hole"

"What happened to the stone crafter?" You ask.

"Well she couldn't have him telling anyone about her hideout and killing him wouldn't have been her style, so she did the only sensible thing she could think of" She says.

"That being...?" You ask, putting a fourth card down.

"She married him, gave him an adorable daughter, and kept him happy until the day he died" She says. "Which uhh... wasn't as far off as she'd liked. Pops went out a little while after I was born. Mum never told me how, and I still don't actually know"

"Oh..." You say.

"Don't get down about it" She says, throwing another card over yours. "I don't. I never met the guy"

You top her card and shrug. "So other than the two of us, who knows about the hideout?" You ask.

"Just you and me" She says.

>Do I get an adorable daughter?

>Not even the Commander?

>Ask about something else

>Other

>>2712847
>>Not even the Commander?
>>Do I get an adorable daughter?

>>2712847
>Do I get an adorable daughter? (With obvious sarcasm/banter, rather than serious)

>writing

"Not even the Commander?" You ask.

"She knows about it, but I've never taken her there" She says, putting down another card.

You take another sip, then look over at Pip with a wry grin. "So when were you planning on giving me a ring and a daughter to buy my silence?" You ask.

Pip cracks up. "Hey, sure man. I'll be a princess" She says. "I don't even care about the hideout. That is a sweet deal for me"

"Not even a little?" You ask.

She shrugs and puts another car down. "My hand" She says, sweeping the pile towards her and grabbing the deck. "The hideout meant a lot to my mom because safety was in pretty shot supply for her. Me? I have a home"

"Good point" You say, picking up your new hand as it's dealt. "What about your stuff? Where did you go to sell stolen goods?"

"There's always places that'll turn your stuff over and not ask where you got it" She says.

"What kind of places?" You ask.

"You remember that restaurant?" She asks.

"The south antolian place?" You ask, putting your first card down.

"Her son was my go to guy when I wanted to pawn things off" She says, clearly not liking your first move. "Apparently he works on a merchant airship now"

"You keep in touch?" You ask.

"With the people I got along with" She says, putting her card down. "Not too many of those, but everyone's gotta have friends"

>Ask who the others are

>Ask her about Riverhold

>Ask if she wants kids one day

>Other

>>2712898
>>Ask her about Riverhold

>>2712898
>>Ask her about Riverhold

>writing

"True" You say, grabbing both empty glasses and going over to refill them. "You know anything about this Riverhold place?"

"Thanks" She says as you hand her her glass. "It's a sort of dual castle built to guard the only worked bridge over the Guran river. Basically if you want to cross said river safely, you do it through Riverhold or you go around"

"What's stopping us from just making a bridge with magic?" You ask as you sit down and take a sip.

"I guess you don't know much about worked stone, huh?" She asks. "Basically any old earth mage can build a bridge, which is a problem because any old earth mage can just as easily un-make that bridge"

You put down another card and let her continue.

"Stone workers like my dad use some kinda special magic to make stone that can't be effected by any normal earth magic" She says. "I don't actually know how it works, but if you want something to stand it's gotta be made by a stone worker"

"So the walls and everything?" You ask.

She nods. "Stone workers" She says. "I guarantee you can find a book about it. I'm sure it's fascinating stuff if that's what you're into. But the point is that worked bridges are quite time consuming to build, so we need to take theirs"

>What if they destroy it

>Are there other special kinds of magic?

>Have you ever been there?

>Other

>>2712968
>>Are there other special kinds of magic?

>>2712968
>>What if they destroy it

>writing

>>2712968
>>Have you ever been there?

"What if they destroy it themselves?" You ask.

"Then we use our airships to ferry our people and supplies over the river" She says, playing her next card. "It's easiest to use the bridge, but we can bypass it if that's an option"

"But we can't leave it occupied at our back" You say.

"That we cannot" She says.

"You know any other odd types of magic like stone working?" You ask.

"Worked stuff can be done with any element, really" She says. "Wood workers are just as common as stone workers"

"Neat" You say. "Are there light workers?"

"Kinda pointless" She says. "Light magic doesn't exactly stick around long enough for someone to try and mess with it"

You play another card and look to Pip, who motions for you to take the pile.

"Alright" You say.

"Yeah, that was a pretty bad hand for me" She says. "Let's go best 2 out of 3. Deal 'em"

You start dealing, while Pip takes another sip.

>Tell her what you did earlier

>What's taking Hella so long?

>Other

>>2713008
>>Tell her what you did earlier

>>2713008
>>Tell her what you did earlier
>>We might want to inspect people for implanted boons now and again.

>>2713008
>>Tell her what you did earlier

>writing

>>2713008
>>Tell her what you did earlier

"So what have you been up to while I was out hunting redheads?" Pip asks as she picks up her hand.

"I went down to visit the prisoner" You say.

"I thought you were playing with the devils" She says.

"I was... and then Daisy slipped off to go check out the dungeon" You say. "Then I went to Lianna so I could deal with that other problem I was having, with the other versions of me"

"How'd that go?" She asks. "So the first one was like... a messenger for the legion, yeah?"

"This one was me, kinda, right up until the siege" You say. "Raven used that boon to make him a slave"

Pip grimaces. "Sounds unpleasant" She says.

You nod. "At least it's dealt with now" You say. "I still don't know what I want to do with the prisoner though..."

Pip throws down the first card. "You have a good reason to keep her alive?" She asks.

"I have no idea" You say, frowning at Pip's opening play. "I don't think she has anything for us, and I have trouble justifying it after what I saw today, but I can't shake the feeling that she could prove useful"

"So keep her around" She says. "We've a few other prisoners from the siege, ones who are probably going to the block anyway. In the end she's kinda your prisoner, not ours"

"How so?" You ask.

"Well you captured her, and she's in your dungeon" She says. "You vastly underestimate your position, Yuyu"

"I do?" You ask.

"You exist outside the military, following the Commander's orders by choice as opposed to by obligation like a soldier. We technically occupy this town by your graces, and you'd be well within your rights to challenge our presence here" She says. "Not that you would, but you could"

"What does that have to do with Raven?" You ask.

"She might be our enemy, but she was captured by you, an independent, and is being held in your personal dungeon" She says. "Now technically we don't have to give you our prisoners for her sake, but that's beside the point"

"Which is?" You ask.

"It's your call" She says. "And your move already"

"Oh right" You say, laying down a card.

"Damn it... I was hoping you wouldn't have one of those..." She says.

You smile and finish your drink.

"Psych" She says, laying another card down. "I win"

You put your hand down. "You win"

She holds out her hand. "Here. Winners pour" She says.

"Thanks" You say.

"No problem" She replies. "Now just what the heck is takin' that rabbit so long?"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow.

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

>>2713041
Thanks for running

>>2713041
How long do you anticipate the war arc to last? I kind of miss the adventures and I'm getting a bit antsy to spend time with Altea, but this business is keeping us all too busy to do anything.

I'm liking it all the same but I suppose I have a wrong set of priorities.

>>2713041
Thanks for running, it's good to have you back even though I didn't notice it in time.

>>2713041
Ended up missing the thread, but thanks for running! Always makes for a good read.

>>2713061
It'll move fairly quickly after this. I'm hoping to get to Kirando soon, and Johnston shortly after that.

When you go up to check on Hella you find her fast asleep in Liz's room, with said tiny Serpid coiled up in her arms. You figure it best not to disturb them, so you head back to Pip.

"Seriously?" She asks when you give her the news. "It's the day before a big march! Where's the en-er-gy?"

"I'm still here" You say.

She puffs out her cheeks.

"Am I not good enough?" You ask in a sarcastic tone as you sit down.

"I'm not sayin' that" She says. "All I'm sayin' is that you'd better be damned engaging to make up for the 4 or 5 other people who bailed"

"I can handle that" You say.

Pip puts her drink down and rests her chin on her hands. "Alright then, Yuyu. Engage me" She says with the smile.

>I don't think I have a ring...

>Ask if she knows what she'll do after the war

>Ask what growing up with the Commander was like

>Other

>>2714881
>>Ask if she knows what she'll do after the war
DEATH FLAG

>>2714881
>>I don't think I have a ring...

>>2714881
>>I don't think I have a ring...
Only post I can make since I'm euro and need sleep. Have a nice thread regardless.

>>2714881
>I don’t think I have a ring...

>>2714881
>Ask what growing up with the Commander was like

>>2714881
>I don't think I have a ring...

I wonder how much of our banter can be "Lul, ima marry you" before Pip starts begins to get suspicions that we're coming on to her...

>writing

>>2714974
Since she's kind of been dumped I don't think we should push it too far.

>>2715009
That is a good point

"I don't think I've got a ring..." You say.

"That's okay. I've never really understood the point of jewelry" She says.

"So you accept then?" You ask.

"Of course" She says. "And when the war's over we can settle down and have 3 beautiful kids. We'll name them 'Nope', 'Nuh-uh', and 'No-way', respectively"

"I reserve the right to name at least 1 of them Yuu Jr." You say.

Pip cracks up.

"But seriously. Have you thought about what you'll do after the war?" You ask.

"Probably keep working for the Commander, though maybe not in my current capacity" She says, before taking a sip. "I dunno. I'd like to grow out of sneaking around... and the Commander's shown some interest in creating a true Lubrian colony across the ocean. Maybe I'll get in on that"

"I'll be going over there as well. You're welcome to join me on my adventures" You say.

"Oh right, the ruins" She says. "You think about who'll come with you?"

"I don't even know any more..." You say. "I kinda thought it'd be at least Derrick, Ilica, and Emi with me. But they've all kinda got their own thing goin'."

"C'est la vie" Pip says. "You can't always plan on people being where you want them to be"

>Tonight being a good example of that...

>I know I'll have Madelaine with me

>You don't wanna see the ruins?

>Other

>>2715088
>>Tonight being a good example of that...
>>I know I'll have Madelaine with me

>>2715088
>>I know I'll have Madelaine and Storm with me
Why are we leaving the other amnesiac out of the group?

>writing

>>2715088
>>2715117
>>I know I'll have Madelaine with me
we'll at least invite Storm, but we still dont know all what hes up to