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>>3113425
You clear your throat and crouch down next to Betsonia, looking at the bright buildings instead of at your little sister. She seems happy to talk without making eye contact, which honestly makes this so much easier. "Astrid...your mom...our mother, we don't really know each other. She left when I was even littler than you, and I didn't see her again until I got here. It's hard for us to get along right now."

You glance over at Betsy, and she's nodding, like it makes sense. Does it? How much do you understand when you're eight?

"Have you talked to your mom about this?" you ask.

"No," Betsy admits, still rearranging the citizens.

"Maybe you should. When people are sad you should let them tell you about it themselves. If they want to."

It's quiet for a little while; Betsy starts humming quietly to herself while she gets Betsonia how she likes it. You narrow your eyes as you notice something; paper, over all the windows, which after a second of poking and prodding turns out to be waxed paper. That's familiar, why is it -

Right! That's one of the things people did with windows before glass became as cheap as it is today!

"Why not plastic windows?" you ask, looking to get the conversation back to a less depressing and confusing place. "A lot of windows are plastic these days."

"Daddy's not sure he can fit them all," Betsy says. "So we made these instead. I want real windows though..."

There's a problem you could solve! Assuming you're not crossing some weird social boundary, but -

Oh hey she's still talking.

"What's that necklace?"

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>>3113470
Your fingers go to the hammer pendant at your neck. "It's Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. It's, um, it's from my church. Our grandma used to tell me stories about the old gods, and when I grew up I sorta...started worshiping them."

Ohgodsisthisokayisanyofthisokayisthisokay.

"Do they like baking?" Betsy asks with complete disregard for your internal panic attack.

You think, then chuckle. "There's a whole goddess all about bread and wheat. Sif, Thor's wife. Her hair's made of real gold."

"Wow!"

There's a small knock on the door, followed by it opening. Your Dad peeks his head in. "How's it going in here?"

"She has a bread god!" Betsy says, pointing at you. Dad gives you a curious look, and you shrug vaguely, because she's not wrong.

"Did you, um. Need anything?" Dad leave the sentence hanging in the air well past Betsy's automatic 'no thank you Daddy'. You stare at him. He stares at you. Why's he -

Oh wait this might be him seeing if you need to ask him questions or something.

> Talk to Dad in the hall, ask him some of these questions before you keep talking to Betsy
> Stay in here

AND

> Offer to make windows for your sister
> Hold back for now

>>3113483
> Talk to Dad in the hall, ask him some of these questions before you keep talking to Betsy
> Offer to make windows for your sister

>>3113483
>Talk to Dad in the hall, ask him some of these questions before you keep talking to Betsy
> Offer to make windows for your sister

>>3113483
>> Talk to Dad in the hall, ask him some of these questions before you keep talking to Betsy
>> Offer to make windows for your sister

>>3113483
>> Talk to Dad in the hall, ask him some of these questions before you keep talking to Betsy
AND
>> Offer to make windows for your sister

Home. I gotta shower and consume the living flesh of the unwary, then I'ma try to write.

Called, writing.

>>3113483
>> Stay in here

> Offer to make windows for your sister

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>>3113483
You clear your throat. "I could use, um. Window measurements, for Betsonia. I think I can make and fit windows for it, with another grown-up to help."

Betsy looks wide-eyed at you. "Are you gonna use magic?"

You laugh. "Not if it isn't necessary. Magic's cheating a lot of the time, and that makes the things you make with it not as good as if you didn't use magic. I'm gonna talk to Dad for a bit, okay? I'll be back."

You slip out into the hall after Betsy's "okay!" and geeeeently shut the door. You breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Started asking questions, didn't she," Dad says.

"Awkward questions," you agree. "About Astrid, and...asking if I'm gonna stay here."

"Are you?" Dad asks.

You shake your head. "I can't. And...even if I could...I probably wouldn't," you admit. "It's hard to talk about, but New Avalon's been really good to me, and good for me. I used to be...I did some bad things. I wanted to ask if there's anything I shouldn't talk to Betsy about aside from like...the obvious thing. Susan."

A flickering expression across Dad's face. You've seen that pain before. "Your mother hasn't talked to her about some of the things that happened out on the road. Please do the same. She's still very little, and I know she puts on a serious face and asks serious questions, but..."

You nod.

"Which actually brings me to another point. Two of your friends went to get more groceries, and we're happy to have everyone here, but there's..."

"We gotta sleep someplace else," you finish; you don't need to be a Fairest to see where this is going.

"The house is very small."

"I remember it so much bigger," you say wistfully, looking around at the hallway again. "I get it though, and we can pitch in for hotel rooms, I guess. Tonight's a bit short notice -"

"No no, not tonight, that'd be cruel at this point to just spring on you! And..." Dad makes an awkward cough. "You of course are always welcome, along with Fido, who I believe just snuck into Betsy's room."

You sigh, but she's already squealing and making happy sounds and telling him he's a good boy. The damage is done.

You're sensing a 'but', and say as much.

"There's a guest room," Dad explains. "It could fit you and Fido. And. One other person, reasonably. Your mother...Astrid...thought you might feel safer with a roommate, since it's been such a long time since you lived under this roof."

Oh.

> Thanks, but I should stay in the hotel with my Motley. Any of them might need me, we have to stick together.
> Accept, but stay with just Fido
> Stay with someone else in the same room (who?)

>>3116192
>> Thanks, but I should stay in the hotel with my Motley. Any of them might need me, we have to stick together.

>>3116192
> Stay with Erin

A balance of duties: to take care of our Motley, to protect everyone important from unexpected attack (unlikely, but we *are* in a "foreign" freehold with enemies about who have a penchant for death-dealing), to take time for ourselves for once (we were ordered!), and to give our family a chance. It's a complicated balance, and we only have so many resources to work with.

I don't like the idea of leaving Dad without anyone combat-capable in case someone feeling preemptive and unscrupulous gets advance notice of our presence and intentions. Isolating ourself when we're the leader is somewhat problematic on its own though. So strategically speaking, we should bring a friend, and well, we *did* just promise to go on a date with Erin, and even though we're doing that later... this isn't not an opportunity? It flows.

(As much as I might want to bring Forum, just to force him into more scenes)

>>3116192
>Stay with Fido

>>3116348
has a point, we've most certainly been noticed as "being here", and I'd hate for Dad & Family to receive a late night visitor without at least *someone* here, but I don't think Philly is the time and place for a date.

>>3116192
> Thanks, but I should stay in the hotel with my Motley. Any of them might need me, we have to stick together.

>>3116192
>If you think there is a serious risk of your family being attacked because of you your dad has a right to know.

>>3116653
Seriously. I cannot emphasize how important this is. Put on your tactician cap for a sec guys.

>>3116655
Attacking mundanes, isnt that something only Privateers and Fae do ? If Andy's Clarity is so low he's offing mortals VALKYRIE or Lost would have intervened sooner.

(Exception being Gristlegrinder Ogres who slip up, but Andy isnt that)

>>3116695
*True Fae

>>3116695
I'm not worried about Andy. I'm worried one of his followers will hear and decide to "helpfully" take matters into their own hands. Or, like the people who wanted us all the way to New Avalon, there's someone else out there with a grudge bigger than their common sense. It's not *likely*, but why risk it?

>>3117375
wanted = hunted. I have no idea how i managed this typo.

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I'll call and write when I can, but behold, the voting begins in Sixth Day: https://wildwestscifi.net/gencrawl-gaiden-dlc/16834-gencrawl-gaiden-sixth-day-dlc-13

>>3116192
> Stay with someone else in the same room (who?)

Erin, hit those relationship flags. Also she understands our traumas and whatnot.

>>3116348
>>3116192
Supporting

>>3116192
> Stay with someone else in the same room (who?)
Vickie!

>>3117869
Why . . .

>>3118132
Because Erin is laaaame abd sue-ish and a bad match for Colors.
And because Vickie is Best Girl.

>>3118541
> Because Erin is laaaame abd sue-ish

You knew I was gonna ask you to expand on this.

>>3118632
Okay. FEEDBACK HAT TIEM.
Erin is ... boring. She does the mysterious powerful thing, seems to have no ... humanizing weakness. Like. Being blind? She’s blind in title only. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could drive a bus as-is. She seems flat, mostly there to mess with Colors and not do much more than that. Shes a villain turned harem member with none of the vivaciousness of who she was. ... like, shes a child trapped in a womans body and Colors a) does not need a dependent and b) Erins inclinations and the way she makes decisions are The Bad for Colors.

.... imho.

(Oh hey busses in the captcha)

>>3118649
and the way she makes decisions are The Bad for Colors.
Which means she is still a villain of sorts. Still, we need all the help we can get to kick Andy Nubis off the throne.

>>3118632
You don't write independent characters. You write intriguing, compelling, complex characters with depth and charm.

But they're ultimately dolls, to be taken out and their issues presented to be resolved and then put away when the Bioware sidequest is completed.

Compare how the relationships in JokerQuest developed and decayed. Or better yet, read Valen Quest and get to the part where the MC gets called out on being manipulative AF even if it's for the best for people. She'll say whatever she needs to in order to get what she wants, be whatever people need her to be but always with the expectation of something in return. Fuck, I can't do the moment justice, it has to be read. But she pretty much gets called out for treating NPCs like, well, NPCs.

Whereas in DLQ and this quest so far, there's nobody that ever exits Colors life on their own. Or if they do, they're able to be brought back if their "like" meter can be filled up by saying the right things etc.

There's nobody who just says "This isn't going to work, regardless of how we feel or want".

Fucks sake, we're on a road trip with Fancy, Vickie, and Erin and they're all avoiding drama because Colors is the Main Character. It's pretty much straight up a Harem manga. Nobody is ever hurt enough to just . . . leave.

I mean, FFS, the whole Colors - Vicky - Forum thing should have caused some resentment. But no, everyone is magically strong enough emotionally to tolerate it and not fuck things up, while at the same time "damaged" enough to need "fixing".

But NPCs here only act out when it forwards the narrative of the main character.

Some people like that. And it ultimately doesn't mean that the quest is *bad*, just that you're a better writer than a quest master.

But I'm not gonna pretend the complaints are a quality specific only to Best Girl, IE Erin who at least has some independence and a narrative that exists outside of Colors. She's fixing herself, and isn't the magically emotionally willing to accept anything that Fancy is. Fancy is the real emotional Mary Sue, Erin is more the "accidental didn't see my players doing this" forced improvisation which, to me, makes her the least tropeish and subservient love interest.

Vickyfags with their first girl syndrome can get BTFO'd.

>>3118649
>>3118703
Erin is the only one who doesn't seem to actually NEED Colors. We're Vicky's Dyke rock of stability, Fancy's Fairy Tale, but Erin was redeeming herself before we came along and she'll continue to do so afterwards if we leave.

Easily the least "just here to mess with Colors" since she had her own story progressing prior to Colors coming into things.

>>3118649
Objectively wrong there, Shatner.

You abuse ellipses like you have them locked in your attic.

Vicky is way more of a one note wonder than Erin.

>>3119279
>Vicky is way more of a one note wonder than Erin.
How can you be so wrong. Vickie isn't and is a very interesting contrast to Colors on top of that. Calling one of Vox's main characters 2-dimensional isn't exactly polite either.

>>3119334
I did ask for feedback. It's a bit odd to get mad at someone for, you know. Providing the feedback.

>>3119091
I mean, FFS, the whole Colors - Vicky - Forum thing should have caused some resentment.
Maybe they don't cling to your exes like you do. That was a lot of words for so little insight from you.

>>3119337
It's even odder to talk about getting mad when no-one is. And the feedback can be given feedback too.

Yeah I am an ellipse addict.
Also a shittu phoneposter.
Fwiw i dont mind the harrm part or how everyone is emotionally mature and not throwing constant drama shitfits, get enough if that irl. Dont need it in my entertainment.
ALso to be clear my opinions are just that, not facts, physics theories, or word of god. All ties into ehy I voted the eay I did? (For whatever that’s worth, im clearly outvoted.)
Erin has too little reason to connect to Colors, she feels a little creepy/stalker-y, (‘ik following you around because i like you and not much other reason), or a fascination with Colors. That and how ungrounded she is, also bad for Colors. (Possible that Colors is v.good for Erin, but i dont see it at all being an equal or healthy relationship.)

>>3119379
I can try and list more stuff but the simple fact she bothers me as the person she is, as a fictional character, and as a connection to Colors at a base level.
Indont get that sense grom anyone else in the quest with possibly the exception of Rainbow Jack, but he was setup to be the bad guy. But most of the other antagonists have felt like in-verse real people.
Anyhow those are most of ny thoughts W/o getting to the computer and writing an essay which i really dont care enough to do.

>>3119337
Best girl syndrome. They want Vickie so bad, this character they've built their head canon around, that they can't take criticism about it.

I mean, look how they responded only to my disagreeing post but not to the criticism someone else made with actual points and shit.

I mean I didn't even really provide feedback. Personally I just don't think Colors and Vicky are really good for each other due to the dynamic of their relationship.

But I mean, I don't particularly have an interest in lesbian relationships because I'm not really into girls. But I can recognize unhealthy co-dependence and that's what Colors would have with Vicky.

Maybe if Colors wasn't actively trying to fix herself and change what type of relationships she develops romantically I'd be down for it, but honestly the whole Vicky thing is just a mess that only people who themselves waifu Vicky would want to get into.

>>3119383
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSGJSA1gaZY

>>3119379
Also note that WE initiated things with Erin, and WE are the ones progressing it. Erin's been fine on her own.

Vicky on the other hand has been so thirsty that she dropped Forum like a hot rock just because we fucked her, once, while drunk and making bad decisions.

Vicky is the straight up unhealthy Beta orbiter.

And now this: https://qm-vox.tumblr.com/post/181258830031/so-you-want-to-run-a-spring-court

I sleep. Update tomorrow.

>>3120394
Can't wait for the seeming articles vox!

Start with Wizened

>>3120394
> Why run a quest when you can write a book.

Actually, I'm seriously asking this question.

>>3121240

Well, he /has/ been there, done that.

But as I understand it, all this is someone else's IP, and he's not particularly authorized to write it for $.

>>3121438
So he's just writing it for free here then.

>>3121520
Yeah, pretty much. He is here keeping the creative glamour flowing between bouts of webcomic and paid writing. This is besides his gainful employment.

>>3121520
I'm having fun.

>>3121240
As noted, did that, working on doing it again.

>>3120816
Beast is likely first.

God help us all.

Called, tallying, writing

Looks like a narrow win for Erin. Let's do this.

>>3122298
Ah well, wizened became my favorite seeming after seeing some Kiths like Soldier. Soldier is great.

But beasts are fine too

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>>3116192
I really need to find someone to draw new!Erin

"Would someone else be able to take the couch?" you ask. "I...I have someone in mind but Sally would have to stay too. She and Erin have to be near each other except in special circumstances."

"Are they...?"

You blink. Are they - oh right - "No, Sally's straight. It's a promise. We have to keep our promises."

Dad nods to himself. "I understand. Some time soon I'd like to...talk. Spend some time with each other. It doesn't have to be about anything heavy, but...it can be. If you need it to be."

You nod. "At the factory. I need something to make the windows with anyway. Tomorrow, maybe?"

Dad nods. "And now I need to be the bad guy because your sister has school to get to tomorrow morning, so it's time for her to go to bed. Do me a favor and sneak away."

You tiptoe away as quietly as possible, but Betsy's wail of "aww, Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaad" still manages to twist your heart. She sounds just like you did, once.

* * * *

Everyone takes the news reasonably well; Forum expresses mild but pleased surprise that you aren't being asked to leave now. It's when you say that you're going to stay, and would like Erin and Sally to stay with you, that the living room goes all quiet-like.

"If you're willing," you add softly, looking at Erin.

The Fairest turns her head away from you. "You know I am."

Vickie grabs her blanket and pillow and just leaves the room. After a moment Forum sighs, shrugs at you, and grabs his own; the looming Troll follows her into the kitchen. You can't quite make out Vickie's whispering, but it definitely sounds angry.

Fancy nestles deeper into her blankets on the recliner. "You two do look...cute...together."

"It's not necessarily like that," you protest, with a wrenching feeling in your chest. "Fancy -"

The dancer shakes her head at you. "It's done, Colors. We all made our choices about that. Just let it be."

"We'll find somewhere close to stay," the Rook rasps. "Splitting our forces could be the smarter move overall, though. Especially with Peters here. Anyone -" he coughs into his pillow, "anyone approaching either group will run into the teeth of powerful Lost."

The conversation lapses into silence again. After a long moment of no one managing to go to sleep, Erin gets up with her stuff and crosses the room to get on the couch next to you; you make room for her and wrap one arm around your Fairest friend. She's trembling beneath your touch.

"Not now," Erin murmurs, before you can say anything. "Just...go to sleep."

You drift off, after awhile. The dream you slide into is a thin, wispy thing, barely there at all, and you scour it from existence after a moment. It's been a rough few days. You want to dream of...

> Pleasant things
> Your past
> Your present
> Nothing; wake up (gain TIRED)

>>3123111
>> Your past

>>3123111
> Pleasant things

Erin!

>>3123111
>The dancer shakes her head at you. "It's done, Colors. We all made our choices about that. Just let it be."

I'm gonna enjoy watching Anons ruin this.

I'm glad to see that Vicky is upset by this, not because I particularly dislike her but because I think she needs to get it through her head that we're trying to get better and not just be damaged with her and enable each other.

>>3123268
>>3123111
Hey, wait!!

We have dreamscape power thingys now, right?

Could we have a pleasant dream WITH Erin? Or an unpleasant one?

People are complaining Erin is too one-dimensional, let's flesh the character out a bit then.

>>3123111
>> Your present

We've seen a lot of Past, but we're trying to put it behind us.

>>3123277
really don't like how fancy got dropped myself

>>3123493
Well I dont either.

Guess we both get to eat shit?

Cause this ain't a harem comedy, depsite how hard anons try to make it one.

>>3123493
Well, that's how Colors is (written). She did it with Miranda and assumedly many more lovers too. Almost made me drop the quest.

>>3123283
>People are complaining Erin is too one-dimensional
They're wrong.

>>3123111
>Pleasant Things

She deserves a break. Probably won’t get one, though.

>>3123111
>> Your present

>>3123111
>A nightmare, that's what you deserve. You're being so tactless and boorish that being a Elemental isn't enough of a excuse anymore.

>>3124594
Wow, outright voting to ruin things because you didn't get your waifu.

Is this trolling?

>>3125138
I mean i semi agree that we handled this suuuper tactlessly, but he is being a tad dramatic

>>3123111
> Pleasant things

Wr have yo have some good memories of home.

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>>3124594
I made this 4 u

....mmmmm>>3123111

Edge aside...

>Nightmares sound good to me.

I mean why not?

>>3131111
No.

>>3131111
Because she is already on an emotional trauma train with more to likely come, and one more thing could be what kills her or makes her whiff at a crucial moment when fighting a Summer Lord?

Alive again at last. Called, writing.

>>3131210
> pretending Vickiefags aren't all about crashing the quest if they don't get their way.

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>>3131272

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>>3132723
Yeah I underestimated the power of Christmas.

But that said, have this fan art.

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>>3133360
And this one

>>3133360
yaaaaaas queen

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>>3123111
If you're gonna make your own dreams tonight they might as well be fun dreams. The gods only know how many nightmares you've been having ever since John and...

Susan.

What's kinda made you happy lately? Betsonia was pretty cool, so you start focusing on that. Those lasses in Skullgirls were pretty rad (around you, the aesthetic of the dreamscape shifts slightly). The weaving leaps out of your control and the dream starts to spin up around you, and you let it ride.

Betsonia's rendered in gloriously bright 2D animation. Your sister looms above it, happily operating the oven-cathedral, and you giggle to yourself.

"Long time no see," the familiar voice of Teenage Human You says; you catch her, as 2D as everything else, sitting on the roof of a bakery with a big grin. "Nice place."

You crack a grin in spite of yourself. "I try. Hey, why don't -"

"You and Susan were both me, but I was never you or Susan," Teenage Human You answers. "And again, I'm you! Remember?"

Oh right, yeah. She's you.

She slips off of the roof and just appears next to you with a fond smile, with her arm offered out. You take it and start wandering the streets of your dream.

"Maybe that dream book can tell me why I can start a dream but not build all of it," you muse. "So...what's new with you?"

"Nothing's ever going to be new with me," Teenage Human You says, sticking her tongue out at you. "What about with you?"

Betsonia blurs past while you fill her (yourself) in, talking out everything from deciding to go all the way to, you know, earlier today. The dream-you listens, nodding in places, asking questions in others. It's oddly relieving, getting it all off your chest in one bundle of just...talking. Even your worries, like Vickie's...Vickiness...and Erin's behavior. Hell, even Forum just sorta hanging out, which is kinda odd? What even was that thing with Sally in the Hoard?

"Seems like you're more stressed about your friends than Andy," Teenage Human You points out. "And no wonder. We can always stab Andy. Can't just stab the people we actually like."

"Hey," you mutter.

You get a Long-Ass Look.

"...I didn't say you were wrong...but what do I do?"

The dream-you rolls her eyes. "I'm from your dumbass brain. I'm exactly the useless idiot you are, remember? Maaaaaybe more self-aware, but that's dreams for you."

Is this normal?

"Why would I know that if you don't?" the dream-you asks, because she lives in your brain so she heard that. "Look, relax. You talked to Cherry, she said to talk things out. So get up in the morning, talk to Vickie, do stuff with people if they're not presenting us to the Freehold again, live your life. What's the worst that happens, we die?"

"One of them dies," you correct softly, and Teenage Human You nods.

"But that's always been the stakes," she says. "So like, whatever? They can all take care of themselves. Just...live...ya dumb shit."

>>3137773
> Hey...do you...remember things, from when we were you?
> So why'd you show up? I was trying to have a super indulgent dream and this is not that
> We should do something for our friends. What kinda something?
> Talk to yourself about something else (what)

>>3137776
>> We should do something for our friends. What kinda something?

>>3137776
>> Hey...do you...remember things, from when we were you?

>>3137776
>> So why'd you show up? I was trying to have a super indulgent dream and this is not that

>>3137776
> Talk to yourself about something else (what)
>Anything change on your end since Susan died?

Not sure what happens to the piece of our soul that was made to make our fetch.

Its usually... the shadow I think? The record of what you have done on earth in Egyptian mythology.

>>3137776
>> So why'd you show up? I was trying to have a super indulgent dream and this is not that

>>3137776
> Hey...do you...remember things, from when we were you?

>>3137776
>> Hey...do you...remember things, from when we were you?

Okay y'all here's the deal I'm sick as FUCK. Like. Puking-guts-out-coughing-up-horror sick. I'm gonna gently put this on hiatus for about a week and come back to it when I can, and archive the thread in the meantime. That said, I'm answering questions and discussion while it clocks down.

Also this: https://qm-vox.tumblr.com/post/181570656606/so-you-want-to-play-a-beast

>>3144792
>wizened next

Oh boy, my first character was a wizened soldier. Can't wait to see what you have to say.

>>3145516
That's pretty great for 3 mana, could probably be a 4/4 though for three mana

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>>3145516

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And the last few fan cards for the evening, all provided by the same gentleman

>>3145587
way under statted

>>3145980
too combat focused for what we know about Forum.

>>3145983
just too weak for the mana cost

>>3145985
Probably the best one so far, I'd change equipment to historic card or artifacts in general.

>>3145988
Just awful, good lord.


I appreciate the fan art but the guy could try to make the cards good too.