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>>3655830

“Mhm…” You just nod along and let your fallen angel friend do the talking.
“With that being said, Johnny Ando; whatever we do from now on, our efforts from this day onwards only have one objective. Do not jeopardize our mission unnecessarily. Do not carry the burden of those who have no desire to follow through! The next step we take will be the foundation of the ultimate triumph…!” Your partner takes a few breaths after ending that speech. “…Now I’m at peace. What’s your plan now, partner?”

Philonune didn’t say much, but he was so passionate the whole time you felt it was rude to interrupt him…

So… what will the first step be?

>Work alone. You will form a new group full of people who really want to save the world and aren’t completely fuckin’ crazy! Why try to fix what’s fundamentally broken? Start anew! Doesn’t mean you will stop being allies with them, but you know it’s hard to trust them with your life when they don’t trust you back…
>Be a lone wolf of sorts. You will do your best to save the world on your own, while still maintaining a good relationship with your group. They are still your friends despite not being great at it…
>Take control over the group. Coming to terms with the world ending is not the answer here, damn it! You will make them see the truth they keep ignoring!
>Just keep working under the group as you are now. Nina’s new regime could prove to be different than before, right? Maybe she’ll see the bigger picture?
>Write In.

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>>3655832

Information:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QM91m
Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=do+your+best+quest (Rough Grammar ‘till half of the 9th Thread)
Complete Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-nIx_dvaNCPQ7zLg2BK_ucCyGNM741kAANxqXj7hdDs/edit?usp=sharing

Votes:

Votes are counted until 25 minutes have passed. This rule doesn't apply to the last reply of the day.
Votes that require a dice roll are counted until 15 minutes have passed, so we can speed up the process. Rolls are counted until 10 minutes have passed, so be prepared!

(NEW) Dice Mechanic:

We always roll 1d100s!
Since most people weren’t happy with the system of averaging top four rolls, we’re using best of 2/3/4 depending on the attribute a prompt requires. If Johnny is a genius and it’s a Knowledge based roll, he gets more rolls (Max. 7)! If he sucks, he gets less dice (Min. 2)!

When asked for rolls, I will specify how many you’re going to get. Rolling begins after it’s asked.

Rolling over a 95 is a critical and ignores all other rolls! In the same vein, rolling 5 or under means a critical failure (only for hard rolls and above).

The difficulty of the roll is tied with the effectiveness of the action. In other words, the harder the option the better the result!

Don’t forget that at the end of the day, this is a story-driven quest! What the prompts are describing is more important than the difficulty of the rolls, for results in a fight.

Again, rolls are only counted when they are posted within ten minutes of being asked, so watch out!

>>3655832
>Be a lone wolf of sorts. You will do your best to save the world on your own, while still maintaining a good relationship with your group. They are still your friends despite not being great at it…
In the end, this might be the best way to get things done.

>>3655832
>>Take control over the group. Coming to terms with the world ending is not the answer here, damn it! You will make them see the truth they keep ignoring!
Obviously not by force or whatever but us trying to work toward the point where they would vote for us as the leader is a good idea

>>3655832
>>Be a lone wolf of sorts. You will do your best to save the world on your own, while still maintaining a good relationship with your group. They are still your friends despite not being great at it…

>>3655832
>Just keep working under the group as you are now, but be a lone wolf of sorts. You will do your best to save the world on your own, while still maintaining a good relationship with your group. They are still your friends despite not being great at it, and we promised Nina we would believe in her leadership…

>>3655832
>Be a lone wolf of sorts. You will do your best to save the world on your own, while still maintaining a good relationship with your group. They are still your friends despite not being great at it…

>>3655832
>Just keep working under the group as you are now. Nina’s new regime could prove to be different than before, right? Maybe she’ll see the bigger picture?
She's capable of shifting gears quickly to adapt to the situation, and our current party is willing to trust what we have to say. No reason to throw any of that away, especially since we need their help to succeed ultimately.

>>3655832
>Just keep working under the group as you are now. Nina’s new regime could prove to be different than before, right? Maybe she’ll see the bigger picture?
We need the backup when we're fighting something as powerful as Chernobog.

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“We’ll try our best to save the world on our own, while still maintaining a good relationship with the group. I don’t want to force anyone to risk their lives for something they don’t believe in.”

This is the first step to saving the world! Hooray! You haven’t done anything concrete yet…

“Not being bound by the will of others, yet still respecting their choices… Good. I think it’s an acceptable compromise – I still believe we can rebuild the trust between us in the distant future. I don’t think it’s very likely, but stranger things have happened…” Philonune chuckles to himself.
“I just don’t see going back to square one after all this time as a good idea, Philo.” You scratch the back of your head. “And yeah, they’re still my friends. They might not care about what I’m in this for, but they’ve helped us this far. If we come across anything out of our league we can always call them for help.”
“Having allies to rely on when things get too much is a blessing. Mostly unnecessary, but you take what you can get when you’re alone.” Philonune smiles at you. You definitely feel it’s not a smirk this time…

After everything was said, you decided to drop yourself onto your couch and rest for a little bit before continuing to deal with Ajna. Your apartment doesn’t feel as depressing as it did before. Eventually, you bother to check the time and see that it’s 6:18 PM. You have waited for more than the half-hour promised. It’s been almost 20 minutes since the previous curfew ended, and things are going to continue to be hectic if the news are something to rely on…

Craig gives you a warm welcome inside Ajna’s apartment! He’s still in a good mood thanks to Ajna snapping back to her old self. By the looks of the plates on the counter, the frail girl ended up eating something before you arrived. And there she is; watching TV with all those layers of clothes on. The improvement is incredible!

You inform Craig you want to drag Ajna to the clinic, which he seems to be on board with 100%. Ajna just fidgets at the thought of what’s to come. Your landlord wanted to take her to a hospital anyway, but Ajna was waiting for you – and who is he to refuse her? Perhaps you were her excuse to stay inside, but too bad for her you actually care and want her to get treatment.

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>>3656064

Now onto today's surprise! Craig has a car and the intention of driving everyone to the clinic. That makes things easier, you suppose. Ajna stared out of the windows the entire time, wide-eyed. You did the same thing, but your eyes weren’t wide and you noticed clusters of people moving hurriedly through the snowy streets. There were even some other cars on the roads. Looks like you weren’t the only group taking advantage of the curfew window…

It took literally 5 minutes to get to the New Calamity Clinic! You wasted more time finding a parking spot than getting there!

Your kind landlord told you to go onto your business, that he would handle Ajna from here. Ajna herself is so nervous her expression remains unchanged, but Craig seems to have his shit together now and is doing a good job comforting her. It makes you glad things turned out okay with them…

What do you do?

>Accept the offer and leave for the meantime. You need to talk to your team anyway.
>Decline the offer. You want to make sure Ajna is fine and you’re going to commit to it!
>Write In.

>>3656068
>Accept the offer and leave for the meantime. You need to talk to your team anyway.
We did our part in helping Ajna get stable. The rest is up to the real professionals.

>>3656068
>Accept the offer and leave for the meantime. You need to talk to your team anyway.

>>3656068
>Accept the offer and leave for the meantime. You need to talk to your team anyway.

>>3656068
>Decline the offer. You want to make sure Ajna is fine and you’re going to commit to it!
Gotta commit

>>3656068
>>Decline the offer. You want to make sure Ajna is fine and you’re going to commit to it!
I see no reason why we just couldn't talk to them about it after we've wrapped all of this up

>>3656068
>>Write In.
Call a friend over to watch her, Matilda would do good.
Get her socializing with others.

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You accept his offer. You did your part helping Ajna get stable, and that’s all you really needed to do. The rest is up to the real professionals. Before leaving, Ajna stops you for a second by grabbing your clothes. She whispered a trembling ”Thank you…” Then both of them left towards the receptionist. Leaving them to get settled, you start heading to the bunker for all of a minute before you received a message from the frail gal! She wants to talk to you at some point later… You wonder what she has in mind…

Now that Ajna will be busy getting the help she needs, you wonder where your team is at. Nurse Calamity can’t bail you out if you get lost now that she’s busy with Ruby. That happened a few hours ago now, so maybe she’s free?

Wait a second! Who needs her directions when you have the power of technology on your side! Sending a message to the group asking where they are gets you a prompt response from none other than Matilda! As efficient as always! Looks like they are inside a room in the bunker! No time to waste!

…Honestly, you’re out of words. When you opened this heavily reinforced door, you did not expect to see this inside. There is so much to unravel that you feel a small headache coming on. The room is nothing out of the ordinary from all the others in the bunker, except this is a little bigger than average… but it sure doesn’t feel like it with all these people crowding the place! Everyone is here! There is a whiteboard behind two spokeswomen; one is a Nina that looks all types of tired, and a Yu Yan who’s writing shit on the board and pointing at random people every few seconds. All the other occupants are sitting or standing in a semicircle facing the two, resembling an auction or important press conference. Nobody seems to have noticed you enter yet, too busy talking loudly and raising their hands to look your way.

As your mind tries to make sense of the sudden scenery, it vaguely notices a pattern to the way they’re in the semicircle. Small distinct groups, like cliques formed up while you were away…

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>>3656336

Group #1 consists of Lise, Constance, and Nurse Kata. Guess she was here after all…

Group #2 consists of T_T Neko, ‘Perfect’ Billy Buonanotte, and Henry. Are they underdogs or undercats?

Group #3 consists of Nariko, Amelia, Yukika, and... uh… A new guy? Who’s this? He looks awfully familiar. Something about the way he holds himself and glances at the rest of them… it gives the impression of trying to stand near Yu Yan specifically, more than being a part of Group 3. On top of this, he has a black flame on his left shoulder…

But the strangest is Group #4. It’s just Matilda standing alone by the door you opened. The freelancer glares at you with a definite irritation to her. It’s almost as if you have been ignoring her for the last minute or two to digest what's going on instead of saying hi… Oh wait.

“S-Sorry, I was spacing out. My bad.” You apologize, having realized what just happened.
“It’s fine. Don’t do that again.” The gracious Matilda acknowledges your apology with a slight nod.
“So… What’s going on here?”
“That’s what I was trying to sa—”

“Johnny! Good timing! Any good ideas for a team name?!” Yu Yan yells from the whiteboard, rudely interrupting a teeth-gritting Matilda. Everyone turns around almost in unison to hear your suggestion… The quiet expectation is a serious mood whiplash after the clamor not five seconds ago…

How do you respond in the face of this sudden attention?!

>“First off, who’s that guy?” Point at the new guy.
>”Hey I just got here! What gives?”
>“The Hosts of Rebellion!”
>”The Lesson Teachers!”
>”The Survival Crew!”
>“Pokyo Logic!”
>Write In. (HIGHLY ENCOURAGED!)

>>3656340
>Write In. (HIGHLY ENCOURAGED!)
The Survival League?

>>3656340
>"The Motley Crew?"
The whole idea of this ragtag team since we've formed it in the beginning is that we pretty much accept anybody without any real motives like world domination so I find it kind of fitting

>>3656340
>>3656403
Seconding

>>3656340
The Fire Brigade
With each sub team a different type of fire
The battle squad would be Team Napalm
The Stealth would be Team Candlelight
The investigative would be Team Spotlight
The stealth would be Team Nightlight
and so forth.

>>3656403
I like this one

Especially compared to all of the other ones...

>>3656448
Why is there 2 stealth teams?

>>3656481
Well shit
I messed up

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“The Survival League? The League of Extraordinary People? The Fire Brigade? The Motley Crew?” You rapid-fire suggest all the names that come to your mind!

“Eeeh… I like the sound of that last one, but I’ll write them all anyway.” Yu Yan writes them down on the board. “We’re voting for a reason.”

“The Survival League… mhm…” Kata smiles to herself.
“The Fire Brigade? What are we, firefighters?” Henry looks at you, then at everyone else. “Did I miss the memo or something?”
“I like the League of Extraordinary People. Represents us perfectly.” Nariko nods, already decided.
“I disagree…” Amelia is not in sync with her best friend this time! “The League of BEARY Extraordinary People!” Oh god, she can be as emo as she wants, but she’s as silly as ever… That’s your little sister alright!

As fast as the crowd went into silence to hear you out, it erupted back into the same chaos nigh instantly. At this rate there’ll be more suggestions than votes… How are they going to get anywhere like this?! Part of you definitely feels a lot better about deciding to go solo agent, and Philonune certainly thinks so too…

“…Good, you understand what’s going on now.” An irked Matilda addresses you again. “Not that there’s anything worth understanding here.”
“Sorry about that again, I really wasn’t meaning to ignore you…” You can’t help apologizing a second time. Once you see Matilda’s nod, you turn back to the crowd and watch them arguing and gesturing at each other. “Strange groups have formed, huh?”
The freelancer shrugs. “I suppose. Those there are Amelia’s group.” Matilda points to Amelia’s group including the impassive new guy. “And those there are Uccelli’s supporters so to speak.” Now she’s pointing to T_T Neko, Henry, and Billy.

“Even Henry?”
“Especially Henry.” You feel like that’s not true at all...
“And I’m thinking the last few are just there for Constance.” You point at Constance, Nurse Kata and Lise.
“You could count the alleged nurse as part of Uccelli’s crew as well. There is no animosity between groups anyway, so don’t overthink it.”

Something occurs to you as you listen to Matilda tell you this information. Something important…

“…And why are you here alone?”
“…” Matilda hesitates for a fraction of a second. “I’m not part of any of them.” That was so incredibly sad you wanted to pat her head. She would probably break your arm if you try, and you’ve taken enough life-threatening risks about girls recently.

>>3656654

“T-That’s fine… Don’t worry about it.” It was kind of awkward, but you had no better way to end that conversation. You really feel bad for Matilda though…

“Listen up, everyone! We have the list ready! Now it’s time to vote! This hot teach will give everyone one piece of paper to write down your favorite. Then we’ll cast the votes immediately.” Yu Yan blares, putting her hands to her mouth like a megaphone. Nina’s face cringes briefly in betrayal and embarrassment, yet she still does what Yu Yan says. You silently share a look together as she passes you your slip…

All of the options are absolutely awful, but these are the least awful ones…

What do you vote for on this important poll?!

>Leave it blank! You refuse to be responsible for this trainwreck!
>Motley Crew.
>Survival League.
>The League of Extraordinary People.
>The League of BEARY Extraordinary People.
>The Thunder Toads.
>The Freedom Raccoons.
>The Fire Brigade.
>Write In.

(Last reply of the day, I don’t think we will continue tomorrow but Monday. Sorry about that.)

>>3656658
>>Motley Crew.
This is pretty silly. Fun but silly

>>3656658
>Motley Crew.
It fits, I guess?

>>3656658
>Motley Crew.

>>3656658
>>Motley Crew.
It was mine so I have to vote for it

>>3656658
>Motley Crew.
Works, even though Fire Brigade would also work since the conflict utilizes flames.

>>3656658
>The Fire Brigade.

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Since we probably not going to run today, we'll have this instead:

https://www.strawpoll.me/18318928
https://www.strawpoll.me/18318928
https://www.strawpoll.me/18318928

It's that time again of the year! The 2nd Anniversary is coming! Please vote for your favorite character! (I'm sorry for making this again.)

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>>3657940
it's our 2nd year already?

>>3659379
First post of first thread was July 24, 2017.

>>3656658
>Motley Crew.

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You write in your vote with one of the pencils passed around and handed it back to Nina for the tally. After a few minutes of agonizing wait, the results are being counted! Yu Yan is reading the papers out of a hat while Nina writes the results down on the whiteboard.

And the winner is… the Motley Crew! With a staggering number of… two votes! Suggested by the ceaseless bickering between your allies, you believe everyone selfishly voted for the option they themselves created, instead of agreeing on a valid option. Figures. This is creating friction between the participants, as most of them want another round to decide the new name. Nina shuts the idea down almost immediately and reminds everyone the name itself is not important. After the mood relaxed, Nina made it official:

“We’re the Motley Crew from now on, everyone! To make it official, I’ll change the Chat-Now group name…” Nina proceeds to do so as everyone turns their attention to their own phone. How underwhelming. Some people at least clapped instead of muttering in displeasure like your sister and Nariko…

“How underwhelming…” Lise read your mind!
“You have to own it to love it, baby. You’ll get used to it in no time.” Billy looks at the bright side, sparing no expense to make himself at home on the team.
“I wasn’t talking about the name specifically, you know?”
“I think it’s cool.” Constance nods to herself. Lise grumbles under her breath in frustration, but can’t help patting her on the head anyway.

“Woof.” Chewirton expresses, unfazed by all the noise going on in the room.
“Yeah, we could make some kickass jackets with the name on it. We need a logo though.” Yukika responds to her dog.
“That sounds dope!” Henry begins to hype himself up while a few others watch. You’re not going to lie, you want a kickass jacket too, but…

“I k-know s-someone who could make one…” T_T Neko raises her hand but quickly puts it down when people turn their heads to her. Some people here aren’t quite fond of her yet, so she probably feels threatened.
“We’ll contact him later then.” Nina is receptive to the idea, as you expected. “Well everyone, that’s everything we needed to discuss! If someone wants to say something, please do it now. Otherwise, this meeting is officially over.”

Yeah, you probably have something to say…

But is it worth saying here?

>Inform everyone about your intentions of not being as involved in the group from now on.
>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.
>Write In.

>>3661698
>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.
I think Johnny at least trusts Nina enough to tell her that. The others don't share the same.

>>3661698
>>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.
There's no real rush. We can save it for later

>>3661698
>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.

>>3661698
>>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.

>>3661698
>>Keep it quiet for now and privately tell Nina about it after people leave. She’s the leader.

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You decide to wait for everyone to leave before having a private conversation with Nina. She’s the leader after all! As you were waiting for the group to start leaving, some members took the opportunity to say something to you:

-Amelia and Nariko informed you they are going to leave to their apartment. Right, they have their own apartment…

-Nurse Kata let you know Ruby is in Dr. Calamity’s office with the man himself. And by the looks of it, Ruby will contact you later at some point.

-Finally, Yu Yan said she’s going to stick around with the new guy for a little while longer, strongly hinting you should have a chat together. Before she left the room, she made no effort to hide her looking you up and down. Sure you changed your clothes for something better, but are they really that good?

The others didn’t bother to tell you anything, except Constance, who was very happy to see you before being taken to her room again. Now it appears everyone undesirable for the situation at hand has left the room, save Matilda. You want a private conversation, but…

“Johnny, did you want to tell me something?” Nina notices you acting weird. Huh,
“I do.”
“…I’ll wait outside then.” Matilda reads the mood and leaves the room.
“It’s only going to be a minute…” You inform the greedy girl before she closes the door behind her. You wonder if she heard you. Either way, you turn back to see your ex-girlfriend starting worried at you.

“Is it bad news?”
“Yes, kinda.” Nina tenses up as you look away. There is no need to hesitate, you can still trust Nina… “I was planning on distancing myself from the group... err… the Motley Crew.” Oh yeah, that’s the name now. Gotta get used to it eventually.
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“I mean not being involved as much. You can count on me if you need any help, that hasn’t changed. We’re all still friends I think, but…” You frown and shake your head. “I need to go do my own thing for a while.”
Nina stares into your gaze, expression unreadable. “Can I ask why? I have my own suspicions, but I want to hear it from you. Please.”

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>>3662017
“I had a change of mindset after everything that happened lately. Not being trusted after everything we went through, thinking about what we want to accomplish with all of this fighting, what I want…” Unable to keep looking at Nina, you grimace and shake your head again. “I need a change of pace, okay? That’s all.”

“I understand.” Nina’s expression is heartbreak; something you’ve seen before but hurts all the same. “I wish I could’ve done things differently. I knew it wasn’t right at the time… but I’m going to change everything now. Is this resolution non-negotiable?”
“…Yeah. It is. I’m sorry Nina.”
“Then there is nothing more I can do or say. How troubling…” Nina cringes as if wounded deeper than anything surface could cause. “I know this is going to come out of the blue, but there is no other person I trust more than you, Johnny. I’ll continue to support you to the best of my abilities. it’s never been much, but please do not forget that in the middle of whatever you’re set on doing.” Nina starts laughing to herself. “Hehehe… I think I’m overreacting a little, you’re not exactly abandoning us or anything! Johnny if you need anything, please ask me right away!” Your teacher and ex-girlfriend gives you a brilliant smile you didn’t think you’d ever see again.

She’s trying to pump herself up after you dropped that on her. It feels good to see after how she used to be, but you can’t help feeling something in the back of your mind. The idea that she’s only doing this now to stop herself from slipping and feeling worse.

…How do you respond?

>“I’m fine now, but you know I will, Nina. Thank you.” That’s really all you can say to her now.
>“What was the meeting all about anyway?” It couldn’t just be for the name, right? Is there more?
>“Anything else you want me to know? I’m all ears Nina.” She might want to change the subject.
>“Remember I still have a contract with Constance, so I’m never going to disappear from here.”
>Write In.

>>3662029
>“I’m fine now, but you know I will, Nina. Thank you.” That’s really all you can say to her now.

>>3662029
>“What was the meeting all about anyway?” It couldn’t just be for the name, right? Is there more?

>>3662029
>“What was the meeting all about anyway?” It couldn’t just be for the name, right? Is there more?

>>3662029
>>“What was the meeting all about anyway?” It couldn’t just be for the name, right? Is there more?
>>“Anything else you want me to know? I’m all ears Nina.” She might want to change the subject.

>>3662029
>“What was the meeting all about anyway?” It couldn’t just be for the name, right? Is there more?

>>3662029
>“Remember I still have a contract with Constance, so I’m never going to disappear from here.”
>“Anything else you want me to know? I’m all ears Nina.” She might want to change the subject.

>>3662029
>“Remember I still have a contract with Constance, so I’m never going to disappear from here.”
>Comfort Nina
The only reason we're splitting from the group is because we don't want to make people fight for something they don't believe in, it's nothing personal

>>3662101
I think that's kinda dumb, otherwise they wouldn't be here. How are our interests different from theirs?

>>3662460
Did you not read that thread with Yukika in the dojo house? Everybody is in the war for selfish reasons or they don't care about the big picture. Johnny actually wants to win to stop the world from being destroyed or enslaved or worse.

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>>3662029

“What was the meeting all about anyway?” She wants to answer your questions? Here’s a good one!
“Oh right, you weren’t there from the beginning.” Nina tries to regain her composure. “There were a few subjects we needed to address together.” There’s the full teacher mode again. Her melodious voice always backfired to make people pay attention in class, but you’re used to it now. In fact, you like it a lot. “Number one, the introduction of the few new members: T_T Neko, Billy Buonanotte, and finally Oliver Watts. It’s strange to me that everyone has some sort of nickname to them, Mr. Watts being the strangest of them all. Worth noting the last two received their entities back and will work with us for the foreseeable future.”

“Oliver Watts? That’s the terrorist loser, right?” Is he the new guy? That’s why he looked so familiar!
“Indeed he is. I decided to give everyone their entities back for a period of time to provide support. They both made contracts with Constance first, and those pieces of paper aren’t as generous as the one you made with her.” Nina winks. Does a contract stop them from attacking you and the others, or something? You have no idea, but you trust their judgment. “The other thing is that Richard is going to work with us too, in more or less the same capacity as you’re going to now…” Which means not much.

“Is he here now?”
“He left a couple of hours ago. He seemed fairly more receptive and apologetic than before. I wonder what happened. It was part of the deal that we wouldn’t pry, but that doesn’t mean it can stop you from asking now, right?”
“I’m not sure if I want to…” You don’t exactly have the best of relationships with the guy.
“You don’t have to, but I strongly recommend you to talk to him, I know you two aren’t on the best of terms – but something changed in him. I could tell that much.” Nina smiles. You’re not sure how to take this information.

“The other subject…” Your ex-girlfriend trails off. She’s back to being conflicted again…

“What’s wrong Nina?”
“Remember Lise didn’t want to keep her entity?”
“Yeah, it was temporary. She won’t be able to participate in the war ever again, or something like that…”

“Yes, and her entity would be able to enter back too. We were discussing which of us would take her.” Nina’s wry smile tells you the outcome wasn’t good. Lise’s flame remaining on her ass during the voting was obvious to you. Because you were checking her flame. Yeah. “Yu Yan, Matilda and I volunteered to partner with it, but Lise was having none of it. We didn’t want to go against her wishes after helping us out. She rejected Yu Yan and I because we weren’t in this game of death to win it. And Matilda… well… She just said Welimor wasn’t cool enough for Matilda. That her sister could do with someone better.”

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>>3662532

“What?!” Welimor looks totally cool! She’s a vampire rockstar or something, right? How does that work? Who cares?! This was what Matilda wanted!

“I don’t understand it myself. Even though that was a possibility, something in Constance’s face at the time told me it wouldn’t be as easy as selecting someone for the task. Perhaps we’re oblivious to a requirement Matilda doesn’t meet?”
“Constance is the expert here.” You shrug. It surprises you that Nina and Yu Yan are willing to reenter this life-threatening war game. To be fair, it’s like thinking you don’t want a gun on a battlefield. Why refuse if it might help keep you alive? “I’m surprised. You seriously want in on this again? After what your partner made you go through?”
“Do we have another option, Johnny? We can’t afford to remain liabilities for everyone. I’m sure Yu didn’t have her heart into it, but I’ll do anything to help everyone now.” Nina’s resolution is commendable. You’re proud of her. “…Oh well. Maybe we’ll find another candidate or Lise would relent her demands. We’ll see. All I know is that she doesn’t want to deal with any of this anymore.”

“That girl is confusing sometimes…” By the looks of it, Lise hasn’t heard the news about her father. That’s going to be rough when she does…
“She’s not in an easy spot. Nobody is…” Nina rubs her shoulder. “Then to cheer everyone up, we discussed the name. It was Yu Yan’s idea. We haven’t been silly for so long I thought it was appropriate. The rest you are already caught up on!”

“Right.” Sounds like a long mess of a meeting. Part of you is glad you managed to miss almost all of it, but you remember you were away dealing with Ajna. Maybe it’s for the best…
“I don’t know what you’re planning, and that alone intrigues me…” Nina blurts out. She blinks hard, then blushes and looks away. Is she fidgeting? “B-But you don’t need to tell me anything if you don’t want to…” Wait, isn’t she excited because she likes mysterious guys?! You are sort of one right now, and uh…

…You need to change subjects before things get more awkward! “Anything else you want me to know? I’m all ears, Nina.” You have heard her talk a lot, but her voice is not enough for your ears!

“Oh yes! Good news for me!” Your former lover moves a bit of her fluffy hair back. “I talked to Carmella’s parents, they were worried about her. I told them what happened between us and they were so sorry about everything! For compensation, they will let me stay at Carmella’s apartment rent free! It’s in their name anyhow. Isn’t that great?!” If you stare intently enough at her, you might be able to see her bubbling with excitement. Maybe.
“Sounds great!” Wait, isn’t Carmella’s apartment close to yours?

>>3662536

“Also, don’t tell anyone because it’s a big secret, buuuuuuuut…” Nina steps closer to you, looking both ways before leaning to your ear. Being this close to her, you manage to suppress a sudden impulse to grab and hug her. “Neko is going to live with me from now on.”
“Uh…? What? Why?” Why would Nina take in a stray cat like Neko?!
“Why wouldn’t I? She needed a place to stay and I happened to have one. I was happy to help her. Carmella’s flat is not as small as the one I was living in, so I can afford to have other people live with me. If you need any help, I’ll be glad to lend a hand for anything!”

“R-Right…” Maybe you should inform Ruby about this. It’s better for a girl to live with other girls instead of a high schooler, right? You had three girls living in your apartment for a while though, so aren’t you being a bit hypocritical to complain?!
“And that’s everything I needed to inform you, Mister Ando.” Uccelli plays professional for some reason. “Now, I need to go to my new apartment! I’m beat…” Oh god, she turned into a puffy zombie out of nowhere!


Guess that’s everything from Nina. She will text you if she needs to talk to you again. Either way, you’re free to do as you please. As long as you remain mindful about the new curfew, nothing should go wrong…

It’s 7:55 PM. Going to your apartment, helping stabilize Ajna, then coming back here ate up a huge chunk of your afternoon! You’re probably going to be able to do one last thing, or else you will spend the night here…

What now?

>Go and search for Yu Yan. She wanted to talk, didn’t she?
>Go and search for Ruby. Maybe she doesn’t need to move in with you with Nina’s situation going!
>Go and search for Ajna and Craig. Is she okay? It’s been a few hours.
>Go and search for Matilda. If you’re going to operate solo, she can come in handy.
>Go home.
>Write In.

>>3662541
fuck, why do we have to choose between
>meeting up with best girl
>touching base with the new homeless rich girl GF of our dead teammate
>checking on mentally ill girl's condition
>finding mercenary girl to arrange plans with
>going home before curfew locks down

fuck it, I guess going with
>Go and search for Ajna and Craig. Is she okay? It’s been a few hours.
Gotta follow up with how she's doing after we brought her here.

>>3662541
>>Write In.
We have a cell phone, what's the use of having it if we NEVER USE IT
Call Craig and see if he will anwser his phone while we go look for Yu Yan.

>>3662541
>Go and search for Yu Yan. She wanted to talk, didn’t she?

>>3662541
>Go and search for Yu Yan. She wanted to talk, didn’t she?
>>3662578
also incorporate the calling part of this this is good

>>3662541
>Go and search for Yu Yan. She wanted to talk, didn’t she?

>>3662541
>>Go and search for Ajna and Craig. Is she okay? It’s been a few hours.
First we should check up on Ajna and make sure she's comfortable, we'll check on Yu after

>>3662525
And we were kind of the glue holding the group together, weren't we?

>>3662613
Nah, not really.

>>3662541
this too >>3662578
gotta use the phonecalls

>>3662613
I mean they're kind of dysfunctional and we're the reason most of them are even there in the first place but I'm sure they'll be fine. It's not like we're cutting all ties with them

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You decided to call Craig to know how Ajna is faring while searching for Yu Yan. She wanted to talk didn’t she? As soon as you open the door, you’re face to face with Matilda before you could take your phone out!

“It’s my turn…”

Matilda… doesn’t look like herself. She has a hand clutching at her pocket and avoids your gaze. Moving past her, you notice her arms trembling and her breathing hurried to an anxious degree. This is unlike the stoic girl you know who almost never betrays her emotions! Matilda shuffles into the room and grabs Nina’s arm to pull her away from the door. Blinking a few times to get over the unexpected display, you take your phone out and dial Craig’s number as you start walking away. From the open bunker room door behind you, you hear Nina cry out “You too?!” in an incredulous tone. Whatever they’re talking about is no business of yours, you think, as you continue moving to the stairs out of here. It takes two dial tones before Craig picks up.

“Hello…?” Craig sounds tired again.
“Hey It’s me, Johnny. How are things going with Ajna?”
“Hey kid, good to hear from you.” Craig calms down a little. At least his breathing doesn’t sound as worn out. “Poor girl’s going to stay the night. They’re giving a bunch of shit to stabilize her, some weird serum stuff. Don’t know for how long she’s gonna be like this, but she looks fine to me. We’re on the 4th floor, room…” He gives the details. You can find it easily without getting lost now! “If you have the time, stop by and visit. I know Ajna would love some company.”
“I will if I find the time. There’s a lot of things for me to get done.”
“You sure sound busy, kid! I’m not going to take more of your time, not after all the shit you did to get Ajna back up. Speaking of which, she says hi! And she misses ya and she totally can’t wait for you to come and say hi!’ Hahaha!” Sounds like he’s teasing her on their end. “Well, see ya!”
“Bye and take care.”

Immediately as you hang up, you receive a text message from Ajna herself:

“I didntt say that! Nu uh! >-<!!! Pls! U done enough! Dun feel like you need to! :V” is what it reads. You respond with your best wishes and for her to calm down. Boy did you do the right thing to go to her and bring her here…

Now with that settled, you can put all your focus into finding Yu Yan! Hold on a second, she has a phone! You can just call her and see where she is! One call later, you’re on your way out of the bunker and to the reception lobby. That would’ve been the first place to check if you didn’t call to make sure, so it all works out!

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>>3662954

You find Yu Yan near a vending machine, glaring at the snacks and drinks inside. Alongside her is the new guy – or rather, your old foe.

“Aw yeah Johnny! It was about time you showed up!” Yu Yan is extremely pleased to see you. Why wouldn’t she be?
“Ehm… What’s this guy doing here?” You immediately address the elephant in the room. Or is that ‘elephant in the hallway’ in this case?
“Yeah, Watty, why don’t you introduce yourself to my ‘good friend’ here?” Yu Yan is acting strange and at the same time familiarly smug…

“Very well!” The new guy steps forward and puts his hand on his chest, bending forward in a short bow. “This vessel possesses the name Oliver Watts, but my true name is Leo Major! The Remorseless Beast incarnate who has forsaken all love and friendship in all realms!!! The honor is all yours, Johnny Ando, host of the Lightsbane. I hope your prowess in combat is the genuine article, as I’ve been led to believe.” Oliver speaks as seriously as possible. On the other hand, the corners of his mouth twitching and contorting against his will tells it all. “And no, my identity is not fuckin’ Watty. Cease making fun of me!”
“Hehehehe, isn’t he funny?!” Yu Yan is laughing at the man’s face from behind him. It’s not long before his stern grimace cracks completely and he begins to grin and chuckle too. He doesn’t seem too bad…

What will you say to this guy?

>“So you made an entity take over his body?! That’s dangerous!”
>“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!”
>“I dunno Yu, his name is kind of cool…”
>“I’m not sure how to respond to that.”
>”Cool. So what’s your entity’s ability?”
>“Yu, what are you doing? Didn’t you hate the guy or something?”
>Write In.

>>3662957
>“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!”

>>3662957
>>“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!”
Fuck it, I'll play along

also
>Johnny Ando, host of the Lightsbane
That's a pretty badass name

>>3662957
>“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!”

>>3662957
>“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!”

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“I have slain beasts bigger and stronger than thee…!” You adjust your glasses as you make a little pose. What makes it better is that it’s true!
“You’re playing along?! Pftt… AHhaHAHa!” Yu Yan bursts out in laughter ringing through the hallway. She’s making you feel a little embarrassed…
“Buahehahuhihihi!” That’s not a real laugh from Leo Major! What kind of laugh is that supposed to be?! “Ridiculous yet intriguing! Quite a confident warrior you are, Johnny Ando. Yes…” Watty takes a big step back then points straight at you! “But do not test my limits, host of the Lightsbane! I have to remind you that this is but a vessel. I am taking great care to conceal my true inner strength, as all experienced warriors are wont to do. You have piqued my curiosity, however, so I shall let this threat pass…”

“It is only natural for an overdeveloped farm animal to be afraid of a beast slayer.” You smirk at him, cocky enough to feel Philonune’s approval through your link. “The prey feels the unseen hunter watching, and it quivers in fear…”
“OOOOOooooh!” Yu Yan is playing the hype girl! Go her!

“Ngh…!” Watty cringes in perceived pain, taking another step back and holding an arm up for a brief moment, as if to shield himself from you. “…You certainly have the bravado to match your reputation. If the tales are true, we might have an evenly matched scuffle, like this vessel seems to remember having with thee once.” Wait, you don’t remember that… “Yes! No wonder you befriended the Queen of Beasts herself; Artemis!” He points behind to Yu Yan without looking, not daring to look away from you.
“…What did you call me?” Yu Yan doesn’t look happy anymore.
“M-My, my, my! Perhaps we should change the topic of discussion, lest we draw on the queen’s ire! More pressing matters are to be taken into account!” He seems especially afraid of Yu. You’re unsure whether to respect his judgment or not.

Yu shakes her head and walks up to you. “Eh well, he turned into whatever this is after he read a letter from WILDFLAME himself. Dunno how that happened.” She elbows Watty in the side. “Right, Watty?”
“F-For the last time, please refer to me as Leo Major from now on, Lady Artemis.”
“He’s been clinging onto me ever since. Isn’t he stupid?”
“Perhaps I don’t believe in friendship, but loyalty is a completely different matter! Lady Artemis has taken a liking to thee, thus you and I will be comrades in arms!” He laughs carefree, then holds his arms out to his sides in a pose. “Rejoice, Johnny Ando! Your wish will finally come true!” The eccentric man says, as if declaring an oracle.

Something about the way he said that last bit disturbed you on a deep level… but you shrug it off and decide to continue playing along.

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>>3663535

“Prove your worth first, then I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Hey, it’s funny and all when one of you is making a fool of himself, but if you two keep this up I’m gonna be the one feeling stupid.” Yu Yan pouts. “Let’s dial down this shit a bit, okay?”
“S-Sure…” He quickly apologizes to your smug hobo. “This is not the reason we have contacted you, Johnny Ando. When I said there were more pressing matters, I did not say it in jest.”

“Yeah, Watty here doesn’t have a place to stay. And I know what you are thinking and no, I don’t want him to stay at your apartment. Trust me, I really don’t want him there.” Yu Yan’s eyebrows are moving… You know what that means! “We have some space in ours but…”
“Lady Amelia and Madam Mooriko vehemently refused to, in their own words, ‘let me crash on the couch…’ It appears I am still too untrustworthy for their sensibilities.” With good reason though!
“Makes sense, and I don’t blame the girls. I can’t do much in 2v1s…” Yu Yan shrugs. “But it’s not like he can stay here either. Tell him, Watty.”

“That… that man…!” Watty puts his hand on his face, contorting his fingers over it. “H-He’s always lurking, barely outside my vision’s range… He’s always threatening me, his mere presence a pressure from beyond the grave… He’s relentless and spiteful. A stalking revenant I cannot hope to elude as long as I walk these halls.” He spins around to look behind him, then spins back to you the same way. “Sleep is an impossibility here, Johnny Ando. Closing my eyes in peace has been a right denied to me for days now.” Is he talking about Dr. Calamity?! You don’t see him anywhere up or down this hallway, and there’s no open doors you can spot. Maybe this guy is just too paranoid…

“Do you really trust him, Yu?” Asking Yu is the best course of action here. She knows better than you do about this.
“Yeah, kinda? I dunno. He seems harmless. One part of me feels bad for him too…” Yu Yan tilts her head down, slightly embarrassed. “It’s like kicking a dog out to the streets. Nobody could be that heartless.” Your first instinct is to agree with her. Reminding yourself Terry exists and what he did to young Scarlet, however, quickly dispels that notion…
“Thank you, Lady Artemis. You have my gratitude…” Leo Watty is moved by Yu Yan’s kindness. He moves to bow to her, but Yu grabs his shirt and pulls him back up. Not the first time he’s done this, huh?
“I guess this is my problem too…” You scratch the back of your head. Yu Yan’s friends are your friends! He vaguely reminds you of Neko, but not in a bad way.

“I… I will never forget this showing of kindness, Johnny Ando! I am forever in your debt as well!” Leo Watty bows even lower this time.

>>3663538

“Hey, hey, I haven’t done anything yet!” Being bowed to like this doesn’t sit right with you at all!
“Yeah, Plan A is still kicking your verbose ass outside.” Yu Yan’s kindness vanishes!
“B-But I will freeze to death!” Leo Watty is not up for it. Shit, you need to stick to one name from now on! This is getting real confusing.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding…” Yu Yan tries to laugh it off, but you can tell she’s more than a little worried about the guy.

There must be a good solution here for him. What will you go with?

>Call Nariko and convince her this guy is harmless. He will stay with the girls.
>Call Amelia and convince her this guy is harmless. He will stay with the girls.
>Call Nina and let her know the situation. She has her brand new apartment, right?
>Call Matilda. Let the guy sleep in her dojo. There’s plenty of space there as it is.
>Let him sleep in your apartment. You have nobody else, except maybe Ruby.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day, we continue tomorrow.)

>>3663542
Well let's brainstorm together, unlike Ruby we don't know too much about this guy's situation so we're gonna need to know some more to find the ideal place for him

First does he have any family/close friends who would let him stay with them? Does he have any money saved up? Cause after recent events people are probably selling their houses for a tenth of the price just cause they're desperate to leave this place (we can even lend him some money to start off with while he looks for a job if need be). If none of that works then
>>Call Matilda. Let the guy sleep in her dojo. There’s plenty of space there as it is.
He might have to pay though. Or at least be willing to be worked to the bone with chores

Also
>You should try to talk things out with Calamity, he may seem scary but he's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet. He just worries that you might hurt those he cares about because of last time. He probably won't forgive or trust you completely but it's possible you guys could come to an understanding

>>3663542
Ask him if he has any money. If not hand him 50 and
>call Matilda, let the guy sleep in the dojo.

>>3663542
THIS >>3663638 is a really good write-in

>>3663638
Supporting

I can get behind smart Johnny

>>3655832
>>3655835
How do you make the pictures? Do you draw them or use photo editing?

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“Let’s brainstorm this together first.” You have to be smart about this. You can’t randomly pick up people off the streets on a whim. Nariko doesn’t count. “Do you have any family or close friends who would let you stay with them?”
“Close… friends?” Leo Watty cringes in pain in the most realistic way you’ve seen from him so far. “I ceased to have such paltry things already. Did you not hear me? I have forsaken all love and friendship!” He’s trying to play it off as something else, but the pain in his eyes tells it all. “…Truth is, this vessel’s family had disowned him after all he suffered through. If that were not the case, then it would still be a foolish effort to pursue them – the vessel’s kin reside far from this city of yours. As for his prior allies, you know very well how they met their fates.” Leo Watty looks down at his body, grimacing. “This vessel is truly pathetic. A persistent corpse without a tomb to rest in, clinging to life out of a vague biological instinct…”
“Yeah, yeah, spare us the theatrics until we find a place for you to stay, okay? We need to figure this out before the curfew locks down on us.” Yu Yan drops Leo Watty down a peg. “Just for now, okay?”

Leo Watty stares at Yu for a long minute, not speaking a single word. He closes his eyes and sighs, and his shoulders sag as if he’s deflating in place. When he opens his eyes to nod at you, you think he’s ready to continue.

“Do you have any money saved up then? Something tells me after recent events, people might get desperate enough to leave the city that they’ll sell their places for tenth of the price.” You have no knowledge of how real estate works, but people trying to flee disasters don’t usually worry about the money when they leave, right?
“Yes, I do have some spare money with me. It’s crappy pocket change though. Not nearly enough to buy a place for myself.” Leo shrugs. “I was working with the Ka-Shing Corporation, but the big pay was going to come after the eclipse. I failed my mission, so there’s no use for me to show my face there…”

“For all I’ve seen of him, he seems like a chill guy. Why not try talking to him anyway?” Even though he held you, your sister, and Yukika up with his goons for the Crystal Piece, you don’t really hold any grudges towards the multi-millionaire. “I have his personal number if you don’t have an easy way to reach him.”
“No no, that’s fine. He did bail me out of jail, but…” Leo hesitates. “…it’s not something I can look into at the moment. I do want to go on the cruise though.”
“The what now?” Yu Yan takes a step towards Leo, eyes focused. “What’s that about a cruise?”
“Details, Madam Artemis! Details!” He grins in response, waving Yu away. “If I find a way, I’ll invite you both. It’s the least I can do for you.”

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>>3665734

“How much money do you have on you?” He said pocket change, right?
“21 Gor$!!!” He pulls out his wallet and shows the amount in a smooth move, it’s mostly in coins though, which doesn’t really help his situation.

“Dude, what the hell? You totally have more than enough to rent a place for the night, man!” Yu Yan holds arms out in an ‘are you kidding me?’ pose.
“I-Indeed, but I n-need a long term but not that long term solution! A short long term solution!” That’s an oxymoron, doesn’t he know that? “I just… need some time to get on my feet, you see? ‘Oliver Watts’ might be a hopeless loser, but ‘Leo Major’ is going to put this vessel to good use! All for his newfound comrades!” The eccentric survivor flashes you a thumbs up!

So he has no family or friends who can help him out, no time to find someone willing to take 21 Gor$ to have him stay at their place, and nowhere else to go… Wait. Wait a second. There is someone reliable you know who would gladly take 21 Gor$ for most things!

“I have an idea…” You decided to call Matilda and ask her if he can let the guy sleep in the dojo! There’s plenty of space there from when you were hiding out, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Instead of discussing it through the phone, she wanted to talk face to face. You ended the call, looked up, and there she was in the hallway not three meters from you. Once Yu Yan finished getting over being spooked, you three explained the situation to her.

“No.”
“As stubborn as always, huh?” Yu Yan grunts and slams her head against the vending machine. “Damnit. Well, I guess we knew it was going to come to this…”

“Matilda, this is not a favor. This is a deal.” You pull your wallet out of your pants pocket. Matilda’s eyes laser focus onto it, expression setting in a pokerface.“How much for him to stay at the dojo?”
“Only dojo members are allowed to stay inside.” Matilda folds her arms and shakes her head. Her eyes don’t budge from your wallet at all as she does so. Did she have a problem with Yukika and Chewirton staying the other day? “I have rescinded my deal with the Motley Crew. As of today we are no longer business partners anymore, and I forbid strangers from entering the premises.”
“Huh? What you mean by that?” Yu Yan is kind of surprised. You too, but the small girl took the words right out of your mouth.

>>3665736

“I have ended our business relationship with you all. I will be pursuing other ventures from now on.” Matilda’s eyes move from your wallet to yours. The steely glare softens. “…Don’t misunderstand me Johnny, you’re still part of my dojo. Your training resumes tomorrow. Understand?”
“Y-Yes, ma’am…” You almost forgot what with everything else happening lately.

“Madam Matilda! Is there any way I can prove my worth to thee?!” Leo Watty speaks up. He was being awfully quiet this whole time. If he was intimidated by Matilda, you can’t exactly fault him for it.
Matilda scans him with her critical gaze. “We don’t have time. Make it quick. You have 30 seconds.” She pulls out her phone and does something. When she holds the screen up to you two, you see a timer set to 30 seconds. The freelancer presses the start button…

Oh god… You need to help him out somehow!

How will you aid this man in his moment of judgment?!

>“I don’t know a man with better cleaning abilities than him! Totally someone you would want in your dojo!”
>“He has an entity, you know? He can be your new apprentice. Consider it one of your new ventures.”
>“Matilda, if you don’t help him out, I’m going to tell everybody about you-know-what. Yes, I’m serious.”
>“Quick, Leo Major! Try to defeat Matilda right here and now! Show her even a vessel has pride!”
>”Matilda, I’ll pay you ten Gor$ if you extend his time limit by one full minute. Thirty seconds isn’t enough.”
>Stay silent and let Leo Major make his case himself. Maybe he has a plan of his own for appealing to Matilda?
>Write in.

+You gain 2 Knowledge from thinking things through!

>>3665393
I use both! (SAI for drawings, Photoshop for the other stuff.)

For example, the map's background is a photo, I drew some of the assets (the symbols) and downloaded the others.

Is there anything in particular you want to know?

>>3665770
First, pardon me for being off topic.What techniques do you use for the photo editing and where did you learn?

>>3665741
>”Matilda, I’ll pay you ten Gor$ if you extend his time limit by one full minute. Thirty seconds isn’t enough.”
>Stay silent and let Leo Major make his case himself. Maybe he has a plan of his own for appealing to Matilda?
Sometimes, you gotta let a man make his stand on his own two feet. Or whatever the fuck.

>>3665741
>>Stay silent and let Leo Major make his case himself. Maybe he has a plan of his own for appealing to Matilda?
If that fails then we could always pay her to extend the time

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You’re going to let Leo Major make a case for himself. Sometimes you gotta let a man stand on his own two feet…! Or whatever the fuck it’s supposed to be! You’re certain Matilda is the kind of headstrong gal who would approve of those ideals. Being raised around the yakuza must have taught her similar principles…

“Impress her now!” Yu Yan exclaims to Leo from the vending machine.
“Buahehahuhihihihi…” That fake laugh again… is it some sort of coping mechanism, or did he pick it up from someone else? Does it matter? “There is no need for such trivialities! I know exactly what to do. Madam Matilda, do you see this little box?” Leo takes a tiny nondescript box from his pocket. It’s not small enough to be a wedding ring container, but not big enough that he can’t fit it in his pocket.

“Please refer to me as Ms. Spice.” Matilda’s tone could puncture steel!
“Yes. My mistake, Madam Spice. You see this little box I’m showing to thee, yes?” Shockingly, he didn’t break character.
“I do. What of it?”
“Well, if you want to know the contents of this my— H-Hold on! Don’t take it away!”

Matilda cruelly snatches the box from Leo’s grip. “It’s light. There’s nothing in it.” Matilda deduces without even checking it.
“M-My my my. Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Matilda opens the box and shows it Leo… Yup, there is absolutely nothing inside.
“Nggh… She saw through me like I’m transparent! How amazing are your allies, Johnny Ando?!” He shakes his hand away as if it was burned. That was his plan!? It doesn’t make any sense! Matilda doesn’t deserve those words of praise!
“Is this some kind of joke? You wasted the time I lent you for a joke?” The stoic Matilda isn’t impressed, checking her phone without bothering to look at Leo. “Time is almost up…“

“Here…” You hand Matilda 10 bucks. “Give him another 30 seconds for me.”
The girl with an unhealthy fondness for money takes the dollar bills from you and pockets them. “Very well. I won’t accept such a deal again.” 30 seconds are added to the countdown.

“C’mon, don’t screw this up, Watty...” Yu Yan encourages Leo Watty, having left her vending machine to provide emotional support in the only way she knows how.
“U-Understood…” Leo Watty smiles, nervous. “Madam Spice. I-Is there a way I can become part of your dojo?”
“You should’ve started with that.” Matilda’s impenetrable gaze is quite scary.
…But Leo isn’t affected! “Please, Madam Spice, answer my question. No, my petition! I want to join your dojo under your wing!”

Matilda is slightly surprised. Well, as surprised as someone stoic like her can be anyway. Only a hug can truly make her panic, and you know this from experience. “The seconds are counting down. Prove your worth to me.” A smirking Matilda puts herself in a combat pose.

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>>3666250

“Yes.” But instead of accepting the opening and making a move, Leo Watty kneels on the cold hallway tiles! “I humbly ask thee to make me part of your dojo! Master Spice!” That shit ain’t gonna work!

Matilda blinks a few times, then smirks. “…Very well, you’ll join tomorrow’s activities. You have one week to impress me.” She holds a hand down to Leo, who stares at it like a hand from the heavens before he grabs it and pulls himself up.
“W-Wait, does that mean he can stay at your place?!” Yu Yan wants confirmation.
“Indeed. We’ll go immediately.” Matilda is totally on board!
“I won’t forget your kindness, Master Spice!”

“You too are coming as well.” Matilda points at you. No, this isn’t part of the deal. Not yet.

How do you respond?

>“Alright…” Guess you’re going back to the dojo with these two. Oh well. If only Yukika was there again… Right?
>“What? No! I want to go home first, I don’t have my stuff there.” Home sweet home. You’ll make it there in time.
>“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me!” You want to do more before the curfew begins.
>Write In.

>>3666252
>“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me!” You want to do more before the curfew begins.
We have people to talk to and check on, as well as making our next move as a solo agent. And Yu Yan is right here next to us. Ready to be 'talked' to.

>>3666252
>>“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me!” You want to do more before the curfew begins.
Still wanna check on Ajna and such

>>3665827

I just learned online. Search for Photoshop tutorials on youtube. I can tell you directly using discord if you want. (Chief 91m10#6175)

>>3666252
>“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me!” You want to do more before the curfew begins.

>>3666252
>>“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me!” You want to do more before the curfew begins.
And I'll bring breakfast.

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“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Trust me! I’ll bring breakfast too!” You give her a thumbs up.
Matilda looks anything but pleased at your thumbs up! “…Tomorrow. 5:30 AM. Be punctual. If you fail me this time, there will be consequences.” Matilda is more threatening you than anything else… “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way. New guy, you are going to perform a series of tasks to determine what type of training you are going to need. It is more to help me gauge your abilities, or lack thereof.”
“Y-Yes, Master Spice. I’ll be in your care.” Leo Watty bows, then he turns to you two. “Thank you for putting up with me. Your kindness means a lot.” That came straight out of character! This must be his true identity at work…

“Enough loitering. Get moving, we barely have any time left before we get locked in here again.” Matilda checks her clock. Sure enough, there is only 17 minutes left before the new curfew begins… “Good-Bye Johnny, Yu Yan.” The freelancer goes through the main door of the clinic, while her new victim — erm, you mean ‘disciple’, trails behind.

“…Do you have his number or anything?” It never occurred to you to ask for his contact information. Oh well, it probably won’t matter by the time Matilda’s done with him!
“He doesn’t have a phone I think.” Yu Yan shrugs off the question. “Guess it’s time to go home. I need to grace the girls with my awesome presence. Should we go now, or do you have something else to do?” Your eternally smug hobo grins at you, then looks closer at you. “You okay? Don’t look quite like yourself there, stud.”
“Ehm…”

It’s 8:45 PM. Two minutes have passed. if you run you could get back home comfortably. If you decide otherwise, you’ll be locked inside the clinic for the time being.

Time won’t wait for you. What will you do?

>Invite Yu Yan to your lonely apartment.
>Go back home and take the night to rest.
>Go visit Ajna. You’ll spend the night here.
>Write In.

>>3666372
>Invite Yu Yan to your lonely apartment.

>>3666372
>invite yuyan to the apartment!

>>3666372
>>Write In.
Weren't we going to talk to Ruby about the arrangements?

>>3666372
>Invite Yu Yan to your lonely apartment.

>>3666372
>Invite Yu Yan to your lonely apartment.

>>3666398
We can just call her, right? She can stay at the clinic for one night, or Nina can go find her and stay with her to talk things out?

>>3666372
>>Invite Yu Yan to your lonely apartment.
We can see Ajna tomorrow. I feel like we also tell Yu about us planning to leave the team

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“…Hey, wanna come to my apartment?”
Yu Yan narrow her eyes and stares at you intensely for a few seconds. “Are you hiding something?”
“Uh… no?”
“You’re acting weird again. Eh, who cares about that now? We need to haul ass over there yesterday!” A somewhat-embarrassed Yu Yan escapes the medical facility, and you follow close behind!

It ended up being a race through the silent snow! Even if she’s trying to evade you for the meantime, the end goal is the same! Yu Yan is faster than you expected her to be, but you didn’t mind chasing behind her. Through your focus on the race, you glimpsed more groups of people running through the streets – seems you’re not the only ones trying to reach safe places before the curfew! Eventually you arrived to the apartment building, both of you a little tired but oddly refreshed.

“Ha…! You thought you could beat me?!” A triumphant Yu Yan exclaims. Her voice echoes all over the snowy buildings but neither of you give a shit.
“I was enjoying the view.” You adjust your glasses. They’re a bit skewed from running so fast. It’s a miracle they didn’t fall off and ruin everything in the rush!
“Pffft… I’ve given you a better show than this, Johnny.”
“So are you coming to my apartment or what?” You raise your eyebrow. “I’ll make dinner. You know it’ll be better than clinic food.”

“S-Sure…” Yu Yan finally obliges. About time. “L-Let’s have some fun. J-Just the two of us… And nobody else…” She laughs, but it’s less of a free laugh and more of a nervous chuckle.

Up at your warm apartment, you went to prepare dinner while Yu Yan took over the couch. The chatting started with mundane topics, eventually landing on the heavy shit happening lately. You avoided discussing most of it, preferring to leave it to after starting to eat. Now that the food is served, it’s time to talk about what the future holds for you two…

“…You really want me to pack some food for Nariko?” You don’t remember how this topic was brought upon you. It just was.
“I’m thinking I could blackmail her to exercise.” Yu Yan rubs her hands together. “Or I could train her to do stuff for me. I have Watty now, so I don’t know how useful she can be.” You raise your eyebrow at her plans to get minions for herself. “It’s a joke, dude. The girl needs a treat every now and then, you know? You’re packing way too much in one container though.”
“…It’s a normal meal.” Maybe this is why Nariko went out of shape? Reminds you of Mom doing the same for you and Amelia a long time ago…

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>>3666698

“Yeah, but still! I want to give her less anyway.” Oh, it wasn’t like that! Phew! “So yeah, school starts next week again. I have no clue how they plan to sort out everything in four days, but more power to the authorities I guess.” Oh yeah. School. Just great… “I bet you can’t wait to see me in a school uniform, can’t you?”
“You’re right. You’ll look so cute with a short skirt and sailor outfit. I can imagine it already.”
“Heehehe… I bet you do.” She grins. Then the grin wipes from her face. “You’ve been acting weird this whole time, is something up? We saw each other naked, there’s not much else to bother hiding. No but seriously, did something happen? I don’t think you’ve ever got like this before, not this bad.”

There’s no doubt in your mind: Yu has consistently been one of the only people you can truly count on in this war. She’s been there for you and your friends without superpowers or any entity to fight with. Her goals for the war might not be the same as yours, and she might not care the same way about the end result you’re striving for, but you have no doubt she cares about you like so few people have in your life. The girl in front of you willingly surrendered her memories and traumas to become a better person, and she’s proved it every step in this conflict beyond what anybody could have expected of her. And there’s a significant part of you that can’t help but like her a lot, for a lot of reasons, and in a lot of ways…

Given all of this, should you tell her about what’s been eating at you today? The crucial resolution you’ve reached, at the cost of lessening your ties with your allies?

…You’ll have to decide on that next thread! Thanks for playing and see you there!

>>3666703
Thanks for running

Yu yan is best

>>3666791
seconding

>>3666791
Thirding

>>3666791
fourthing

>>3662536
Oh god, we are her Batman, which isn't inaccurate.

>>3662954
She confessed didn't she

>>3667690
We should give her a few words of appreciation tomorrow, after all, in all the insanity she's one of the few constants in Johnny's life, would be a best if it wasn't for Yu

>>3667690
I'm pretty sure she was just telling Nina she also wants to quit. We're the only reason she's doing this shit in the first place after all

no thread this week?

>>3684956
Next thread is on Saturday the 27th.

>>3684984
thanks bro

wet pizza

>>3685650
sads

>>3666791
She's winning the poll. First live thread for me, sadly no voting.