>>3001881
Go to a Halloween party, dressed up as a sexy cat

>>3001881
Head to the shower b̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶k̶n̶i̶f̶e̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶e, greeting the usual gym staff on your way to-

Wait, where are the staff?

Where's everyone gone?

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>>3001887
>You feel like you've had this thought before...
>Probably one of your repressed memories from your high school years.
>Well, you're lucky you never followed through on it
>>3001893
>You look around the gym before heading over to the shower.
...
>The only thing you notice are the super cheesy posters, abandoned gym equipment, and the weird looking halloween decorations.
>There's no one left in here.
>Not even someone at the front desk.
>That’s pretty strange
>Usually there’s at least one fat dude on the treadmill.
>Or some fool doing crossfit in the squat rack.
>Are you seriously the only one in this entire building?
...
>And even weirder than that
>You feel like you already knew it was empty before you even checked...
>Weird.

>>3001899
This is weird. Are you dreaming? Is someone playing a prank on you?

Grab your stuff and head to the front entrance. Poke your head outside to see if everyone evacuated to the parking lot for some reason and you were so into your routine that you didn't notice.

Or if there's even anyone outside at all. Any pedestrians. Any traffic. Any lights on in the buildings nearby. Any lights on in the sky.

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>>3001917
>You're getting some mad deja vu right now.
>You look on your phone to confirm that it is, in fact, Friday
...
>You know you can't leave without taking a shower, but next you do look out the window to see if anyone is still around.
>Sure enough, you see a large red van in the lot, illuminated by some street lamps.
>Hm, alright.
>Maybe the person at the front desk is just taking a bathroom break.

>Finally, you check and make sure that the open sign is still on,
>Just to be sure you aren't here after hours or something ridiculous.
...
>Nope, this is still a 24 hour gym.
>Alrighty then.
>Everything seems to be in order.

>It's...it's been a long day, you're just... scattered brained tonight or something
>You've been here so many times the memories are probably overlapping a little bit.
>Plus you didn't get a lot of sleep last night...

>Anyways! You should go take your shower.
>No time like the present!

>>3001947
What a strange night. Maybe it's just Halloween coming up that's making you jumpy.

...still, nothing wrong with wanting to get home quickly, right? Gotta be ready for work tomorrow.

Yeah, taking that shower sounds like a good idea. Maybe make it a little quicker than usual too. Step on the gas, so to speak.

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>>3001981
>Yeah...
>Yeah!
>Let's get this show on the road!
>You swiftly walk past the empty benches and treadmills and make your way over to the locker room.
>You open the door and are greeted by...
>Darkness.
>It's pitch-black, the only thing you can make out is the periodic sound of water dripping.
>You need to find the light switch or something before you can comfortably take a shower.
>You never know what is hiding in the dark.

>Especially in a gym locker room.

Welcome back

>>3001986
Weird. It's still lit outside, right? Why isn't any of the light getting in here?

Come to think of it, this is a 24-hour gym, right? Are the lights motion-activated? All that energy-saving jazz? That's all the rage nowadays right? Wave your hands around, maybe-

Nope, nothing, huh?

Well, no one'd turn off the light here knowing it'd be this dark. Which probably means a circuit breaker might've tripped somewhere. Terrific.

In any case, groping around in the dark is a terrible idea. You might trip and have a bad fall, and if that happens when no one is around to help you- Well, it'd be bad.

See if you really can't find someone else outside who can help, or even just to make sure they know where you are.

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>>3002024
>Woah
>You must be on Adderall or something
>Your mind is racing through possibilities, solutions, etc
>Jeez...
>Alright let's sort this out...
>There's no one around
>And it's really strange that the lights are out
>Maybe you should go ba-

>Wait a minute.
>For some reason, all of the sudden, you feel like you know where the light switch is.

>You carefully walk across the pitch black room and, sure enough, you feel the switch on the wall.

>How did you know that? It’s not like you’ve ever paid attention to where the switch was.
>Whatever.
>Guess you didn't need help after all

>You flip the switch with a swift motion, and the room is engulfed with fluorescent light.
>It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust.
Phew.
>It's just as empty as the rest of the gym.


I know what you're doing

>>3001986
>get lighter
>find light switch
>turn on lights
>shower
>burn the gym down

>>3002047
Weird. Guess you'd better take that shower then. Got work tomorrow and all.

Of course you do. After all, we've been here before, haven't we?

>>3002047
Let’s go take that shower!
We are going to win bitch

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>>3002051
>...
>In that order?
>...
>Eh..
>Maybe some other night
>You really aren't feeling like arsony tonight

>>3002063
>>3002077
>Yup!
>Now that the room is lit, you can comfortably disrobe.
>You crank the faucet to as hot as it can go and then hop in.
Ah~
>The water pressure here is way better than it is at your apartment.
>and it actually gets hot water too!
>It feels... Pretty great
>It's so good, it almost let's you forget that you're in a gym locker room...
>Almost.
>You let the water wash over you for awhile
>And after thoroughly lathering, rinsing, and repeating, you get out.
>You're nice and clean now, and you don't smell like a gym anymore.
>Needless to say you feel a lot better.
>You grope around for your towel in the freshly steam filled room, and after drying off, you climb into your more weather appropriate clothes.

>Then the lights go out.

>Ugh...
>Again?

>>3002063
>>3002077
...
You really don't get it, do you?

>>3002082
Hm. Maybe it's just the fluorescent tube or the switch that's faulty, if the light's flickering on and off like this. You'll need to tell someone about that. Maybe leave a message at the front desk.

Well, you may as well dry off properly, give your eyes time to adjust to the dark. When you've got good enough vision that you don't trip over anything, grab your stuff and go. There's clearly no point fiddling with the light any more.

Whatever do you mean by 'it'? There's a million and one things I don't get. Who knows if this is one of them?

>>3002082
Ugh, again! Dry off your feet so you don’t slip in the dark and go turn back on the lights, if they don’t turn back on get out your lighter.

Oh! Also wrap yourself up in a towel in case anyone stumbles upon you. Don’t want to get into an embarrassing situation like that!

Yes and no. I don’t really “get it”. But I understand you are trying to take over _______ and I can’t let you do that, she’s OUR’S!!!

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>>3002104
>Yeah. The lights must be finky.
>Normally, you'd be frighted by a situation like this, but..you aren't...

>>3002112
>You make sure your feet are dry and that you're fully clothed.
>Then, you grab your bag and start making your way towards the door.
...
>Then you feel it
>...like something terrible is about to happen.

>But before you can react
>You bump into something.
>Something warm.

>You jump back and let out a little squeal
EEEEH!!!!!
>You feel panic rush through your veins
>Shit shit sh-
"WAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

>Wait.
...
>What?

>>3002112
>>3002104
fufufu~
You want her? Have her
You obviously have more control than I could imagine... changing the past and what not...
I'll try not to interrupt you again...
After all, you have a little friend to look after right?

>>3002142
Eek! A g-ghost!?

Quick, ask: "Who's there?!" B-but it has to sound confident, alright? Make sure that g- whatever it is knows that you're not s-scared!

What? No, no, please. By all means, interrupt. Why would I want her? I'd much rather something more interesting than that boring old song and dance that we've always done before.

>>3002142
Okay, calm down, you can do this. Calmly ask "who are you" to the person you just bumped.
While saying this pull out your lighter and rest your hand on wear you keep your knife. But don't bring the knife out, we don't want to sacre them if they turn out to be nice!
And remember _______, your the best and you don't need to be afraid of anything!

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>>3002181
>Your fear subsides a bit..
>Someone probably just got caught up in this as well.
>Thank god it isn’t some demon or paranormal entity.
>...well…

>Nah!
>Though if that is the case, it would be awesome to blog about after you got home.
>That is, if you could go home after encountering a spook…
>Probably not.
...
>...This better not be a spook.

>Oh, yeah, you should probably say something.
>>3002207
H-hello? Who is it?

>Your voice is still a little shaky, but at least you got the words out.
>She quickly responds in a squeaky voice,
“M-Monster-chan?”
“Please don’t eat me...”
>You can hear her start to cry.
>Really now?!
>This is even worse than a spook!

>>3002181
Listen
You didn't come back here to condemn her again
I know what you're up to
So keep going
You'll see how much you depend on me by the end of your..."Song and dance"


Enjoy yourself and that fleeting sense of control

>>3002142
Your up to something, I know it.
>>3002181
We shouldn't let her interrupt, last time she interrupted she hurt _______. And I don't know about you but I quite like _______ and don't want her getting hurt.

>>3002212
A... girl? Where'd she come from? The gym was empty when you did your walk around earlier.

But she's solid, so that means she's not a ghost... right?

See if you can talk her to going out into the light so you can see each other better.

You really don't get it, do you? :^)

>>3002227
I think our goals are ever so slightly different here. Admittedly, I can't stick around indefinitely, so you may have your way. And I'm certainly not out of my way to condemn _______, but it's not like specifically protecting her is my biggest concern either, even if it would be a nice bonus.

>>3002212
Calmly explain to the, probably, child that your not a monster you're _______!
While talking to the child try and turn on the lights. Failing that Turn on your lighter, and keep your cool _______, you aren't afrid of no spooks!

>>3002212
Hah! I bet ya five books you have absolutely no idea what I'm trying to do, you are just trying to appear brave so we're afraid. And just so you know, I can dance all night long.
>>3002235
Yeah I understand what your getting at. Sorry I overreacted, I just don't want too let what happened last time to happen again. Especially since I was sorta responsible for It taking over _______.... But I've learned from my mistakes and won't fall for the same pitfalls twice!

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>>3002235
>>3002260
>Time to "Shed some light" on the situation
>hehe
>You reach into your bag and pull out your lighter.
>Woah.

>She's pretty cute.

Even cuter than the first time you saw her

>But before your maternal instincts can fully kick in, you guide yourself to the light switch and flip it on.
>She looks even better in the light.
"Eek!"
"..."
"Y-You're not a monster?"
>She says, slightly relieved.
No, no, of course not! I'm ______
"O-Oh, thank goodness..."
"I thought you were gonna eat me up after you turned out the lights..."
>...
>You didn't..
>Whatever.

>The atmosphere has cleared a bit, there's still a tinge of fear and nervousness in her voice, but you're not a miracle worker here!
>...
>But there's still one question on your mind
>How did she get here?
>The gym was empty, wasn't it...
>Maybe she is a spook after all!

>...You'll need to start asking some questions

>>3002305
Yeah, like "where are your parents", and "how'd you get here", and "where were you even; I swear I walked through the whole gym twenty minutes ago and saw no one around".

Isn't she just? Makes you wish it was lit so you could see her fully.

Was it you that did the thing with the lights, by the way? Or was it really just coincidence?

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>>3002305
Yeah but she an't as cute as a cat! Those little fuzz balls are so gosh darn cute! Maybe we should adopt one.

But we're getting off track now, we need to deal with the matter at hand. Ask the little girl softly but firmly why she's at the gym, where are her parents or guardians are, and when was the last place she saw them.

Seriously she ain't that cute, or do mean cute in the "other" way. Because if you are referring to her in that way, you have some bad tastes... actually you never gave us your name did you? You know what I'll just call you Dark Voice for now, or D.V. for short.

>>3002368
What are you talking about? She's totally cute, in that 'I want to protect her' way. You know, moe. Of course, what some feel the urge to protect, others just want to corrupt for the sake of it. Truly monsters, they are.

>>3002305
Wouldn't you agree?

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>>3002347
>>3002368
You’re Tomo-chan, right?
“E-eh?”
“H-How did you-”
Ahah, just a hunch!
>She looks at you bewildered
>...
>How did you know that?

>...
>Well let’s starting getting to the bottom of this.

Anyways, what are you doing here, sweetie?
"W-Well my mommy took me here so we could practice for my race, but n-now I can't find her anywhere!"
>...
>Jesus.
>What kind of terrible parent would leave their cute little girl in a gym overnight?
>After working at the bar for a year, you know what kind of people come out this late at night.
>You’re pretty disgusted, but you try and keep on your motherly front.

Aw, that's awful! Are you really sure they're not here?
"I.. I looked everywhere.."

>She lets out a little sob.
>From what you can tell she’s pretty confident they’re not here, but maybe you should check again.
>Eh, you'll save that for later.

>This is getting kinda hard to watch...
>But you decide to continue the questioning.
Uh, It's alright! I'll we'll find them don't worry!
Now, where were you anyways, Tomo-chan? I swear I looked all over the gym and it was totally empty!
"..."
"I.. I was.. on the potty..."
>She's obviously embarrassed..
Ah.. Uhm
>You didn't really expect that response..

>>3002374
>>3002368
>>3002347
Keep taunting
Keep talking
You all have pretty big mouths for people who don't understand a thing
Maybe I've changed my mind after all
Fu fu fu~

>>3002374
She is a bit cute but not that cute, also I don't really understand what moe is. And I was indeed referring to "corruptible cuteness", I've never really gotten the whole idea behind that. Then again I also can't understand the concept of love so maybe I'm not one to judge.

>>3002396
You should probably ask her where she last saw her parents? If she's looking for them, chances are they're looking for her, retracing their steps. Which means she should wait at the last place she remembers seeing them.

The alternative is we look for the P.A. system and get a staff member to make an announcement.

Please, if we understand so little, maybe you could enlighten us? Or at least tell us how you learned so we can in turn?

>>3002396
It's not that surprising she was in the restroom, that was the one place we didn't check for people. Pat the little girl on the back and say confidently that you help her find mommy.
Now her mother probably left for the same reason everyone else left. That means we only need to find out where they went. We should check that red van outside to see if there is anyone in there and if they saw where everyone went. Also act brave! I f we act brave Tomo won't be scared, which means she'll not panic.
You got a big mouth yourself D.V.

>>3002441
Before we go outside we should probably do this first just in case we missed something inside

random guess: Tomo remembers everything too

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>>3002441
YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO STEAL CONTROL FROM ME NOT ONCE BUT TWICE AND NOW YOU BEG FOR AN EXPLANATION?
YOU DISGUST ME

Ahem, sorry
I'm done now

Get back to your little adventure will ya?~ She's waiting!

>Your head hurts...
>Ugh
>You must not be used to these stressful situations
>You'd think by now you would be…

>>3002441
>Well, she said she's already looked for them
>Wait...
>...She should wait at the last place she remembers seeing them?
>Are you suggesting...
>You should just leave her here to wait?
...
>No

>Maybe you could check the bathrooms for a staff member or something
>Or you could just check the gym again and see if they came back yet.
>...
>You can’t just… abandon her, right?...
>>3002466
>Yeah, she must have been in there without you noticing.
>You never really go in the bathrooms here anyways, so you weren't paying attention to them.
>...
>Ah
>A head pat?
>A-Alright..
>You're not good with kids but...
>You have to show her you're confident!
>A-and brave!
>And cool!!!
...
>You anxiously, you reach out with your shaky and...kinda sweaty hand
>And pat her head.
>Her hair is a bit messy, but it’s still wonderfully warm and fluffy.
>You softly comb through it, like you’d do with a puppy.
Daijoubu, daijoubu... We’ll find them, Tomo-chan~
>You say soothingly.
>Her reaction is immediate, and from what you can tell… it’s a good one?
>You let out a little sigh of relief
>You did something that wasn’t completely terrible!
>You might actually be… proud of yourself?
>Alright, you!
>Good work!

...
>Now, off to the parking lot!

>>3002512
so is MC the real monster, and darkness voice the true personality of the body?

Does that mean we should actually stay IN the darkness, to maintain control?

>>3002512
>burn tomo

>>3002502
Now why ever would you think that? OP has explicitly stated that this is a hard reset. That is, a reset of all hardware that clears everything short of ROM, including RAM. This is a do-over of everything past a certain save state. Tomo and ______ have clearly both never been here before. Or have they? When was our last save state, exactly?

>>3002512
'Steal'? Ah, yes, you did say, didn't you? That you're the 'real' her. Does mean that this 'her' is a fake, then? How fascinating. I wonder when she stopped being you.

>>3002512
Off to the parking lot without doing anything weird.

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>>3002524
>Yeah that sounds like a great idea!
>...When did you start thinking about arsony so much...
>...It's a weird night to be 'you'...

>>3002527
4th wall break time: I put "hard" in quotes for a reason, I knew you guys would use your past knowledge to change the present. Tomo has been clear and the only things 'you' remember are due to after imaging, and, well, 'your' influence on 'her' (ie What you already know about the story that you feed into 'her')

>>3002532
Let's go look for your car okay, Tomo-chan?
"okay..."

>You walk back into the gym and survey it again.
...
>Still empty...

>Alright well, if you can find the car, it doesn't really matter!
>You peer out the window facing the parking lot.

>It's gone.
>The red car from earlier
>It's gone.
>...Ah... What?
>Where is everybody?
>This... isn't going as well as you hoped it would..

>>3002512
______ we are doing great today! If we can manage to stay confident we'll make Tomo feel safe, and maybe appear like a real hero to her. So remember, you aren't afraid of anything. Now let's check out that van!
Come now V.D. don't throw a temper tantrum.

>>3002554
That's a shame. Maybe you could still get a hold of them though. Try asking Tomo if she has her parent's phone n-

This all feels very familiar for some reason. Lots of deja vu today, huh?

>>3002554
Damn, and here I was shadowrunning about time not actually having been rewound to the start of last thread.

>>3002554
>burn YOURSELF. The fire will cleanse you of your demon.

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>>3002572
>That's a.. great idea
>Have you done this before?
>Your headache is turning into a migraine...

>Whatever, you should ask since there's no one in the parking lot.
>It's worth a try.

Do you know your parents' phone number? Or their names?
"Mama and Papa."
...
Do you know their phone number?
"..."
>She looks quizzically at her fingers, as if she's doing an intense math equation
>After much deliberation, she responds,
"... No..."

...
>You knew this wouldn't go anywhere...

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>>3002575
>...
>Maybe next week, but you'd prefer to just jump off a bridge
>Fire is too painful.

>>3002554
Well darn this is getting a little out of hand for us. But that's no reason to despair!
Now our three best courses of action are in order of least likely for something bad to happen are: A: Have Tomo call her dad to pick her up, B: Call 911 and report a lost child, and C: Walk Tomo home. If we do either A or B we should also try and figure out why everyone left. And remember, we're ______ and we are brave and no mater what shit comes are way we'll get through it eventually. So let's do this thing!!!

>>3002583
Well, the last recourse is to where her address is and hope it's nearby.

If not, you'll just have to call up the police and have them take her there in a car; you haven't got all the time in the world to spend looking after her.

So here's the thing. If this is in fact a proper reset, and no one remembers anything, why is it that /you/ can still remember? /She/ doesn't remember anything, but you, the 'real her', greet us with a 'welcome back'? How very, very intriguing.

>>3002595
FIRE IS FREEDOM
ALL MUST BE CLEANSED BY THE SACRED FLAME

>>3002583
Okay time for plan B! Try and keep Tomo happy while emagerency services send some, maybe we can try charades with her. Kids love charades!
>>3002595
We shouldn't think like that, we may be in a bit of a funk right now but we gotten through worse. Besides if we die we'll miss some many wondrous things, so swat away that little cloud above your head and think happy thoughts! :)

>>3002605
Can you please stop talking. We don't need to commit arson right now, we need to focus on getting Tomo home.

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>>3002596
>No fear!
>You will help her!
>And you will sleep like a baby tonight!
>...Yeah!
…
>yeah…

>>3002636
>Well, she can't call her dad, that much is apparent...
>And the police?
>You’re not that desperate, right?

>...Maybe
>If you really can’t help her…
Like the pathetic piece of garbage you are
>Then you will...

>>3002604
>You decide to ask her where she lives before you make any tough choices.
Do you know where you live. sweetheart?
>Her face changes to
>Satisfaction?
>And she instantly perks up.
"Y-Yes!"
"I live on Broad street!"
>Woah!
>You walk by that street every day on the way home from work!
>That's great!

>But maybe.. You should let law enforcement handle it..
>You guys could get jumped or something on the way there...

>But then again, getting the police involved will definitely traumatize Tomo-chan
>And you too probably!

>And.... you'll end up feeling even more helpless than you already do...
...
>No time for self doubt!
>Think hxppy thxughts!

>This is a really important choice after all!

...
>...well, as long as both of them get you home tonight, you guess you’d be happy with it…
>Right?
>god..

>>3002661
Why not just hail a cab? You're not /that/ broke, right?

>>3002661
Come on be confident! we aren't some pathetic piece of garbage, we're goddamn ______! We might not be the best person in the world but we're pretty good. And besides, we don't to worry Tomo by acting glum now do we. So put on our war face ______ and let's be a little girls hero!

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>>3002667
>...it's not like your flip phone has uber...
>And you don't know the number to any taxi services
>You use the bus to get around nowadays.
...
>Thinking about it, you don't think there even are any taxis in this podunk town!
>The population is like 3 people and a couple dogs!
>God this place sucks!
>No wonder this gym is empty!
...
>Ah
>You're starting to get yourself mad
>And that's just gonna make your headache worse...
>This sitaution is seriously starting to stress you out.

>Alright.. Stay calm...
>No cabs
>That's all.
sigh...

>>3002667
Yeah! We should have enough money on hand for a short cab or Uber ride. It's safer than walking but not as traumatizing as the police. So let's do it!

>>3002689
Then let's take the bus! Most buses should still be running at this hour. Also start think of happy things like kittens to relive the stress.

>>3002689
>The population is like 3 people and a couple dogs!
>but it can afford to maintain a gym with a goddamn attached parking lot
oof my immersion :^)

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>>3002688
>That's the right attitude!
>Be a hero for a change!
>Do something good!
>Don't let her down by showing your weakness!
>Show your confidence
>Show that you still have some fight left in you!
>And save her!

Build her up, I'll tear her down


>...alright now what?

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>>3002702
4thwaelk braek tme listen yuo litlte punk ist call hyperbo;e

>>3002704
Let's go to the bus of course! While we're walking there we should check how Tomo is doing. we should also try and keep Tomo calm by acting confident, brave, and cool!
Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit of a dick D.V., because you are.

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>>3002711
issit relly tho bcuz u aslo sed theirs no taxis an dno uber so i fell liek their migth relly be 3 peopel

Love you too, OP.

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>>3002721
>...
>You wish...
>You really think you'd be out here freezing your ass by walking home every night if there was a bus that ran this late.
>You could have made it, but from all the chaos you got wrapped up into, it's already 10pm
>You couldn't make it even if you sprinted now
>That's what you get for not doing cardio..
...
>Maybe you should leave this up to the cops...
>Setting your ego aside, it's probably the best choice for her, right?

>You don't know anymore

>It's... hard to act brave.
>When you don't know what the hell you're doing...
>Your face noticably sinks, and you glue your eyes to the matted floor of the gym.
>This is pathetic...

"Are you okay, Nee-chan?"

>>3002752
Come pull ourself together ______! We aren't pathetic! A truly pathetic person wouldn't even had tried to help poor Tomo. Now let's take a step back and think for a second.

With our own strength and the lack of people in town to jump us we could definitely safely walk her home. So we should first walk her home. If her parents aren't home THEN we call the police to take care of her. Because, let's be honest, it's to cold to have her wait outside and we can't exactly keep her at our apartment now can we. So let's cheer up ______, if not for our sake then at least for Tomo's sake. Look at her face ______, she's worried about you. She's worried because her own little hero is starting to have doubts. Heros aren't mean't to have doubts. So just for today ______ let's put those doubts aside and be a litlle girls hero.

>>3002795
Because right now she needs hero to light the dark night for her.

4th wall break time: I've been have a blast with you OP but unfortunately I need to sleep, have a nice night and I will see you in the morning

>>3002752
>"Are you okay, Nee-chan?"
No.

>>3002802
*had a blast with you tonight
Darn auto correct

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>>3002802
4th wall time!
I've really appreciated your help so far man, having someone invested in the story and trying to piece together the puzzle is a goddamn blessing!
I'm still super nervous about this whole CYOA thing, and having you(and all the other dudes who have been making things happen) has reassured me that I'm at least doing something right...I hope

You better not put me in your cringe comp at the end of this!

But for real, thanks man
I'll see you soon ;)

Alright boys, are we calling it a night or do you want to continue?
I wouldn't be on Saturday or Sunday night due to some parties I gotta go to but I should be online during the afternoon
We are about 60-70% of the way there story wise so we could finish it tonight it you all want.
Your call ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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>>3002846
Alright I'm back
I'll be here till 8pm EST(5 hours)
I know it isn't prime quest hours but it's the best I can do for now

>>3003906
Welcome back! I'm ready to keep going but hopefully others will come too

not into lolis too much but she really is cute...

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>>3002795
>Breathe in
>Breathe out

>Okay
>You've got this.
>You're better than this.
>You can handle this
>You are _____
>And just for tonight, you'll put aside your doubts
>And be someone you can be proud of
>Let's do this!

>>3002809
>>3002795

N-No... I'm just thinking, is all.

"...A-about what, Nee-chan?"

About what I'm gonna do with your silly butt, of course!

"hehe~"

>Alright, the atmosphere isn’t so… depressing now
>Good work!
>Man.
>She must have been genuinely worried about you...
>For some reason, that makes you feel a bit more confident.

Well, Tomo..
I actually go by your street everyday on the way home, so I'm thinking I could take you back if you lead the way.

>She flashes that toothy smile at you
"Really?! That's perfect!"
"Thank you, Onee-san!"

>Alright
>You've made your choice.
>She needs you now
>So let's be a hero

>>3003978
Okay we got this ______, now all we need to do is keep a look out for bad stuff while we walk and keep Tomo feeling happy and safe. We aren't going to let any thing happen because we are her hero!

Hey D.V. guess what.
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ SURPRISES TABLE TO THE FACE!

>>3003978
Hold her hand in a non-lewd way and try to find our way back?

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>>3004069
>>3004096

Well then, let's get going!
>You say with some legitimate enthusiasm.
>You can't lie, you'd like to get this all over with and go home.
>And you'd like to be with Tomo a little bit longer.
>Hm
>Conflicting
>You grab onto her hand in the most wholesome way possible and she wastes no time bouncing over to the front door.
“Let's go, Nii-chan!"
>She says excitedly.
>You swing open the door.
>You're both blasted with cold air, but she seems pretty unfazed.
>She skips happily ahead of you and you follow her down the sidewalk.
>So much for holding hands...

"Come on, Nee-chan!"
>Sigh
>You don't have a lot of energy left for this cold ass slog..
>And there's no way you can compete with an energetic tomboy

>After a couple minutes of trudging behind her in silence, even she starts to shiver.

>You want to say something
>Or... or do something!
>But you don't really know what to do
>Or what to say
>You hate awkward silence, but you also hate starting conversations
>This is tough…
>But you have to be confident

>>3004129
Okay we should start the conversation with the most basic of conversation starters, what are here interest? Maybe ask why she is attending that run.
And remember ______, a conversation is only awkward if all the people involved act awkward. Tomo won't act awkward so the conversation won't be awkward. So that means we can talk to her with no fear of it going badly!

>>3004129
Do we have a jacket or something we could give her so she isn't cold? And yeah, ask her about what she likes then tell her about the vidya we play!

>>3002846
You shouldn't be nervous Gumby, you're doing a fantastic job. You have really nailed the creepy atmosphere and ______'s internal monologue. You're really making a great CYOA.

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>>3004174
>>3004184
>You don't have a jacket, just your sweatshirt.
>You think about giving it to her, but you'll freeze to death in 30 seconds
>So that's a no go.
>Instead you snuggle up to Tomo-chan, which she doesn't seem to mind, and break the silence with some basic questions
So what kinda stuff do you like, T-Tomo chan?
"I like running a lot! And pizza! And, uh, Videogames!"
Ah, you like vidya games, too? Have you played D*rk s*uls ?
"Yup!"
"I beat it twice!"

>Woah
>She's hardcore

>>3004223
Wow! that's pretty impressive for a kid her age. We should tell her that's really impressive and follow that up with asking what type of run she's doing. Make sure to keep a look out for bad things like muggers. A true hero must always be vigilant to protect the innocent!

You sure are quite D.V., it's like you aren't even trying anymore. Don't you want to win this "song and dance" or are you too much of a pathetic piece of garbage to even try. fufufu~

>>3004223
Ask her about lore in Dark Souls and which boss was the easiest. Mention how we beat the Nameless King with no damage on a lvl 1 character too

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>>3004270
That's pretty impressive, Tomo-chan!
"Ehehe~, Thank you, Nee-chan"
>I mean, you haven't even beaten that game once...
>How did an eight year old..
>Whatever

>>3004295
>You think that ship has sailed. And no point in lying to her just to boost your ego..
>Though you are tempted...

>Nah..

What type of run are you doing?
"Oh!...Uh, yeah...it's a 5k! I'm.. doing it with my mommy!"
>Wow! A 5k?! At her age?! That’s unbelievable!
That's awesome! You must be quite the athlete!
"Well, my mommy says I'm the fastest girl in world!"
"And she never lies!"
He he, I believe it, sweetheart.

>>3004270
There was never an option for /you/ to win, I made sure of it myself
It seems you still don’t grasp the level of my control

Well, whatever, you’ll find out someday, especially if you keep me stuck here in your time loop. Don’t do that, by the way.
Anyways, for now, I'm having fun just watching

I will admit.. I don't know exactly what will happen next. /That/ is out of my control now.

...Maybe I was a bit too generous to /you/ tonight…

Well I can still assure you, you can't win. Not tonight

>>3004323
Tell here we're quite the athletic ourself. We exercise every week! Flex to show our great muscles, a hero has to be strong to protect those they love.
We'll keep you stuck for as long as it takes us to win, also I hope you have fun watching.:)

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>>3004323
I'm... actually quite the athlete myself!
I excerise every day after work, it's really important to stay fit, ya know!
>You do a little show boating and flex on that Tomo-chan
>She looks at you with awe
"Wow! You must be super strong! No one could take you on, _____ "
"I don't even think I could.."

No sir! Not me, the swolest girl in this town!
>That isn't really saying much, but it boosts your ego a bit
>She giggles, and the journey continues

>>3004363
>>3004427
Damnit

>>3004427
Ponder on how long this walk is honestly.
Carry the girl on our shoulders to show how strong we are!

>>3004427
Remember, we must always be vigilant to protect innocent Tomo!

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>>3004441
>This is a long ass walk...
>You’re almost back to your apartment at this point…
>Maybe she lives in your complex?
>That’d be weird
>She said Broad street right?
>...you feel like you’ve already passed it.

>>3004490
>You've been paying attention
>And you haven't seen anyone.
>No cars have passed.
>Just rows of street lamps looming over empty streets.
>Empty.
>How weird.
...
>Another couple of minutes have past now, and it’s actually getting freezing at this point.
>You can’t feel your hands.
>And your thoughts are getting all… scrambled.

>It’s so cold..

>But Tomo-chan keeps on trucking.
>A smile still plastered on her face.
>Something’s.. not right.
>How can she-

“Hey, Nii-chan, it’s down this way.”

>She points down an intersecting road, barely lit by street lamps.

A-Alright..

>You follow her down the sidewalk, your eyes glued to the concrete.

...

>>3004427
Hey this is >>3004363, I’m typing on my phone to let you guys know that I’m going to be unable to post for about a hour. I’ve just been informed that my great grand uncle has just died. I need to attend his memorial, so sorry about this. I hope you guys have a great time while I’m gone.

>>3004502
That sucks man. Sorry to hear.
This is wrapping up right about now, so you aren't gonna miss much, just spend some time with the family

>>3004499
Mayyybe take out the knife. Just in case. This might be a dangerous street, and you've got to protect that innocent cutie. Also don't look at that window, and focus on the qt.

What could possibly go wrong?

>>3004502
Ah, apologies man. I hope the next few days won't be too hard on you.

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>>3004520
>Yeah.. We still need to protect her
>You're just getting paranoid...
>Just think about home...
>Warm~
>Cozy~

>Ahem.
>Alright, let's get out the knife. This is a pretty rough neighborhood after all.
>No super hero doesn't have a secret weapon, right?
>And.. you really can't risk getting mugged after going through all this hassle to get her home.

Hey, Tomo-chan don't be scared, I'm jus-

>What?

>She’s...she's not in front of you anymore.
>...
>Where did she go?!
>Shit, did someone-

>Then you hear footsteps behind you.
>How did-

GAAaaAAaaaAAHHHHH!!!

>A sharp pain spreads from your spine through your entire body.
>And then you go limp.


What have you done

>>3004547
Uhhhh fuck try and protect your face? How bad is the pain? Can we kick off the attacker? Try running away back near the main street, unless we can't, then let's NOT run into that dark alleyway.

a-anons i'm scared someone help me i'm not good at this ;_;

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>>3004561
>And your vision fades as you plummet to the sidewalk beneath you.
...
You stopped me
For this?

...I-it… hurts.
>You sputter out to no one.

>You want to scream.
>You want to run.
>But your body refuses.
>You’re completely paralyzed.

You should have never taken control
You should have never come back

>As you regain a little bit of focus, you see her.
>Looming over your now incapacitated body.

>A smug grin on her face.
>And a stun gun in her hand.

“Nii-chan, you silly~”
“I told you.”
“It’s right up ahead”
“Don’t get cold feet now!”
>She looks behind her and grins.
“Now come on. We’ll take you there.”

>Then you hear something over the loud droning.
>A car
>Followed by tires screeching to a stop.

Now we will both die
A meaningless, insignificant death at the hands of the child YOU wanted to protect

...help
>You barely manage to get the words out of your throat.
>But your whisper goes unheard.

“You got her?”
>You hear an unfamiliar and distant voice say.

“Yup”
“It was way easier the second time around too! ehehe~”
>Tomo responds gleefully.

“Well done, Tomo! You made me very proud tonight! Now let’s go ahead and load her up.”
“Oh, and don’t forget. Make sure you got allll~ her stuff off her before you throw her in the back!”

“Yes ma’am!”

...
>Did you mention?
>How hard 8 year olds can kick?
>Because the last thing you see before your vision completely fades to black, is a small foot, pounding your head into the curb.

SHE IS I AND I AM HER

>You watch her fearfully, as blood streams down from your forehead into your open eyes.
>You hear your teeth crack as your jaw repeatedly hits the solid concrete beneath you.
>You feel your nose shatter and blood draining down the back of your throat.

AND IN TRYING TO SAVE “HER” ALONE, YOU HAVE DESTROYED US BOTH

>But you can’t fight..
>You can't resist.

>The girl who was so cute you wanted to be her hero.

>The helpless, pitiful creature who actually made you happy for a change.

>Is killing you.
>...what a strange feeling.
...

>The blows are finally getting to you.
>Luckily, shock has numbed most of the pain by now.
>But you can still feel your consciousness slipping.

>You try and plead one last time,
>But all that comes out is pitiful little gurgle.

>Your tinted red vision finally dims as she finishes you off with one final blow to your head.
...
...you deserve this
You can’t save her
You never could
Not without saving me as well

>Then there’s nothing.

Congratulations
You’ve won
Now g o ba ck a nd sav e u s f r om t hi s f a te

I ‘ l l b e w a i t i n g

>>3004628

“Is she still conscious back there?”

“Nope! We’re all good!”

“How much did she have on her, sweetie?”

“Hmmm, not much… just a couple bucks and a debit card”

“Well, that’s not so bad… After all, it’s not like we were after her money.”
“Now then, let’s get home. We still have a lot of work to do!”
“...you’ve done a great job tonight, Tomo-chan. I’m proud of you.”

“ehehe~ thank you, Mommy!”

END 3 HARVESTED

>>3004628
NOOOO WHAT THE FUCK HAVE I DONE ;_;
I'm so sorry ;_;
I swear i'll save you both ;_;

you smug little shit [/spoilers]

Oh hey, we're up and running again. Hope I didn't miss too much while I was-

what the fuck happened while i was away

>>3004654
Lolis are bad
Trust milfs only

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Annnddd, it's done!

You still haven't gotten End 1 where everything is sorta explained

Kinda sucks, guess you'll have to keep theorizing haha...

Welp, probably won't run this quest again for a while
Like I said, I've got a lot of ideas for other CYOAs and I'd like to try them out too!


Again, if you like the art come follow me here!
https://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=28231674
or here
https://www.deviantart.com/gumby-chan

It's been fun guys, I've really appreciated your support!
Expect to see me around again some time!
Thanks boyos

>>3004662
My theory is that D.V. is us from an alternate timeline trying to get revenge over the loli for killing us? And it succeeds in the first ending we got where it completely took over ____.
I've followed you on pixiv, hopefully we'll see you again soon! It was nice seeing ya!

>>3004661
That isn't remotely what terrifies me.

>“It was way easier the second time around too! ehehe~”
OP said it was a hard reset. A hard reset! That the only reason anyone remembered anything was because of some after-imaging and of our influence!

And yet Tomo seems to remember everything clearly? Perhaps more clearly than even _____ does? I'm even more confused than when we started!

My goal was always to find out the true nature of things. Of the voice, and the reason we're here a second time. But it seems I'll have to continue on without knowing.

>>3004675
Well, there's a reason why End 2 was called Anosognosia
And there's a reason why D V said they didn't know what would happen next ;)
Thanks man, I've really. really enjoyed my time here. I can't wait to do it again when i have some new material! Thanks for all your help ;)
>>3004681
Ah. That was poorly worded
I wanted to imply that she had done this sort of thing before, not that she remembered what happened
woops...
>>3004675
Well, theres a reason why End 2 was called Anosognosia
And there's a reason why DV said they didn't know what would happen this run
Man I wish you guys got end 1 to explain all this lmao
I've really, really enjoyed my time here, so I can't wait to come back with some new material
Thanks for helping me out senpai
>>3004681
Ah
That was.. poorly worded
I meant it to imply she had done this sorta thing before
Not that she remembers.
That's my bad
Confusing sentence right there

>>3004701
That reply is fucked up for some reason
Here:

>>3004675
Well, theres a reason why End 2 was called Anosognosia
And there's a reason why DV said they didn't know what would happen this run
Man I wish you guys got end 1 to explain all this lmao
I've really, really enjoyed my time here, so I can't wait to come back with some new material
Thanks for helping me out senpai
>>3004681
Ah
That was.. poorly worded
I meant it to imply she had done this sorta thing before
Not that she remembers.
That's my bad
Confusing sentence right there

>>3004704
Man, I'm just shadowrunning in all the wrong places, huh?

>>3004704
So do we, honestly... We could have gotten it by ignoring the loli, or something?
And mhh... Unaware of our own existence, huh?

>>3004715
>>3004721
I hate to see you guys like that so I'll give you a little hint
There was a very important choice you guys explicitly made (Not anything I did for you like continuing the walk or taking a shower or whatever) That caused you to get this end. I think I even used the words, 'this is an important choice' in the post.

>>3004721
Unaware of yourself. Your disability. Your... Alright now I'm just explaining this to you

>>3004727
Our disability... We're depressed, possibly suicidal... We're having an headache... And the important choice we made was to accompany her ourselves.
I can't quite connect the pieces can another anon spoonfeed me pls

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>>3004749
You're getting there

>>3004754
Uh... We were helping her in a selfish way so we would be feeling happy... Perhaps we recently lost someone and used her to fill in the void and we still aren't over that person? Or we're just trying to pretend we're fine and don't have depression so it's actually making it worse?

>>3004782
An interesting theory. Perhaps consider this: remember when we pulled up the contacts on her phone? There were only 2 - her boss and her mom. What other contacts would usually be there that are conspicuously absent?

>>3004817
No father... No other family than the mother, actually. She may have daddy issues then? Or maybe her mother is abusive and cut her away from the rest of her family?
No friends either but that's not particularily shocking since ___ seems to be a depressed virgin playing vidya.

>>3004827
But why isn't it shocking? She works in a bar. She naturally has to interact with co-workers and customers. But she hasn't formed a close enough bond with literally anyone at all to have their contact on her phone?

>>3004834
Well, she's an autist-
Oooohhhh. It was so obvious we didn't even notice, we just assumed she was...
So if she's an autist, how does that explain the whole city being empty? Is it because it's a small city and you don't see anyone out past 10 PM or something?

Well, that's assuming I'm right about ___ being autistic.

>>3004834
Very interesting
It's there's something not quite right about her to have no contacts or friends, but able to work in a industry that requires a lot of interaction.
>>3004849
...No... She's not autistic... that would make this spooky story too much of a meme
She does have some mental issues though, but I'm sure you guys already picked up on that

>>3004849
As for the city
That was sort of a red herring
same as the gym
I wanted you to believe that something paranormal was happening when really it really wasn't
It's a cold winter night on a work day. Not a lot of people out. Plus it's a small town so there isn't a huge population to be patroling the city every night.

>>3004782
That ran through my mind while making this
Filling the void of losing someone

But there's another CYOA I was thinking about making involving that idea
So I ditched it for this one
Good idea though

I promise you next thread I won't add anything like "oh yeah, your little sister died yesterday" or something

>>3004891
Ahhh, that's complicated... What could be her issues other than she's awkward and bad a socializing and depressed?

>>3004901
>Ahhh, that's complicated... What could be her issues other than she's awkward and bad a socializing and depressed?

Well, I'd think about her symptoms for a second. The stuff I drew isn't stylized, they are what she is actually seeing

Annnd that's all I can give you for now or else there'd be no point in ever running another thread

>>3004915
...It's not just actual Schizophrenia, is it?

I was just think up s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶l̶l̶s̶h̶i̶t an possible explanation relating to her being forced to work in a job requiring high amounts of social interaction despite having symptoms of Avoidant Personality Disorder or similar. Something about this continuing on for an extended stretch of time, which gradually compounded the resulting mental stress from the cognitive dissonance, and finally manifested in some form of psychosis. I dunno man, I'm no psychology major

But the jump to actual hallucinations seems a bit far.

>>3004915
I do believe you've given us enough help, I'm just too retarded to make sense of it.

My last thought would be that she has hallucinations, like on the windows of one of the last panels. (and with her headache it'd make sense... kinda?)
I'll let the other anons think about it too.

>>3004956
Well look at it like this
What kind of depressed person hears voices in their head, has auditory and visual hallucinations And doesn't even realize it's happening
Your call, I'm no psych major either
And in no way am I saying they aren't due to her past because- Well listen you'll know someday ;^)

>>3002583
>Lig=m(a)
Really?

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>>3006294
It's a pretty important formula to know

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Alright, I've decide that we'll run this quest one last time, this friday. It'll be quick and should answer all of your questions.
After that, I'm only going to run new quests.

I was thinking that I'll just start a new quest and leave this one alone after this thread, but I want to close the book on this quest before I start anything else.
It'll give me some peace of mind before moving on.
Or we could just call it here. I'm alright with that too. No hard feelings!

>>3011475
I'd like to return to that quest to get some closure as well.

>>3011475
I as well want some closure

>>3019966
New thread