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>>5294135

Information:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QM91m
Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Archives: http://lws.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=do+your+best+quest
(Rough Grammar ‘till half of the 9th Thread)
Incomplete 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 100 is a critical! There are no Critical Failures anymore!

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!

>>5294135
>>Ask him about Esperanza and their relationship. You think she trusts Mr. Won-Jae.

>>5294135
>>Ask him about the people Esperanza brought and why they were here. You want to know more about the nature of this place.

>>5294135
>Ask him about Esperanza and their relationship. You think she trusts Mr. Won-Jae.

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“What’s Esperanza’s deal? Are you two friends?” You ask. Any clues will help out.

“Yes, I’d like to think that. But above all I’m her teacher. Every bit of information I know about her is what I managed to piece together through our interactions.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t like blurring the lines with his students, unlike most of your teachers. He’s making sure you understand that if something sounds vague, it’s because he doesn’t know the details. “I met Esperanza after I lost my consciousness to the pain. The split second I winked my eyes I woke up in the abyss. It was us two and the Cloak.” He looks past you, trying to convey at what distance they were from him during that meeting.

“Right.” You think it’s somewhat worth noting that Esperanza’s entity has always been a cloak.

“He came forward to plead for my assistance, he needed someone to teach Esperanza about the world she couldn’t go to, about the real world, our world. She has no recollection of what it is about, what it looks like, who inhabits it and so forth.” Mr. Won-Jae adjusts his glasses. “The way his spiel went like clockwork, Esperanza’s lack of interest, and the eagerness in which he told me I’d be compensated, made apparent that I wasn’t the first person they seeked help from. I agreed, and I’ve been teaching her ever since.”

“Your skills are being put to good use.” You imagine that’s the case. Esperanza has no memories of the real world? That’s… weird. “About what exactly?”

“Everything, Mr. Ando. Societal norms, communications styles and rules, and more. She didn’t know what country we were in.” There’s no sarcasm in Mr. Won-Jae’s words. “An almost complete amnesiac. With all due honesty, this was above my skill level, but we have made progress. And without the work my former peers and the Cloak did before I started, it would’ve been much worse.”

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>>5294274

“Uhm, no offense, but she’s kinda rude...” You’d show him the paper bag but you don’t have it anymore.

“She’s socially inept, Mr. Ando. She hasn’t met many people and when she does, she’s always in power. I apologize on her behalf, but I can say we’re working on it.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but he remains optimistic.

“And with this deal, you’re getting out of the coma for helping?” Perhaps that’s why he said you didn’t need to worry.

“Correct.” Mr. Won-Jae nods but looks reluctant about if it’s possible. “Her abilities are incomprehensible to me. I may have irrational hopes to be out of this predicament, but they’re hopes nonetheless.”

What do you do?

>Tell Mr. Won-Jae what’s going on with the war and stuff. Let him know that there’s a good chance he can come back from the coma.
>Ask him about the people Esperanza brought here.
>Ask him about what this place is. He didn’t mention it.
>Ask him if he knows how long he has been in a coma for, and offer to bring him up to speed about some matters, like how some people both of you know are doing, and stuff like that.
>Ask him why you were brought up here. (Move On)
>Write In.

(Last reply of the day, we continue tomorrow. Sorry for the short session, I'm tired today. :/)

>>5294278
>>Tell Mr. Won-Jae what’s going on with the war and stuff. Let him know that there’s a good chance he can come back from the coma.
>Ask him if he knows how long he has been in a coma for, and offer to bring him up to speed about some matters, like how some people both of you know are doing, and stuff like that.
Let's try to ease his worries

>>5294278
>Ask him about the people Esperanza brought here.
>"I'll try to help teach her about the world, too. Like the latest video games."

>>5294282
+1

>>5294282
Supporting.

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“Don’t worry that much, Mr. Won-Jae, I don’t think your hopes are misplaced. The entire situation is insane, but I believe it’ll help if you know what’s going on in general.” You straighten your back. For a split second, Mr. Won-Jae’s eyes turned to Philonune.

“I’m listening.” Like always, Mr. Won-Jae will put all his attention on every word that’ll come out of your mouth. “And Mr. Ando… don’t hold back. I’ll believe everything you have to say.” He feels like he has no other option, but it doesn’t bother him to trust you. “Go ahead.”

“Aside from insane, it’s a lil’ complicated, the thing is…” You give him a good summary of the situation. About the Flames, their abilities, their world, and the war. What role you and Esperanza have in this conflict. You’re surprised yourself with how well you were able to explain all of this in a simple and concise manner. Were you trying to impress him? Nah, that’s kinda dumb. You’re relaxed more than anything. “…That’s everything, I think. That’s why I wholeheartedly believe you can come back from this Coma.”

“The entire world is in major danger, but Esperanza’s abilities can bring me back to life, this is one silver lining I suppose.” By how uncomfortable he sounds, Mr. Won-Jae would prefer to relinquish his life than this to be a possibility. It’s a lot to take in too, so it’s natural he has a lot of conflicted feelings.

“Sorry, I thought it could cheer you up a little.” You apologize. Regardless, you believe he should know.

“I rather know, yes. There’s no need to apologize, thank you.” Mr. Won-Jae puts his conflicted feelings aside to let you know you made the correct decision. “It’s a bittersweet feeling. I’d prefer that none of these lives are lost than to come back to my own.”

“All we can do is move on and deal with what we have.” And do your best. You don’t want to repeat yourself; catchphrases lose their luster when used too much! “But it’d be too unfair if you didn’t get another chance. I know life is unfair and yadda yadda, but I want the good ones to have something! And besides, I’ll find a way to turn this around for the better.” You just have to win… Or help someone cool win.

“…I believe in you, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae hesitates for a moment, to temper his expectations on what you can accomplish, but then he decides not to. “And I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

“Thanks.” You scratch the back of your head. “By the way, do you know how long you have been in a coma?”

Mr. Won-Jae shakes his head. He has no clue and hasn’t thought about it.

“Two years and a couple of months.” You throw the bullet.

“…I see. That’s unfortunate.” Mr. Won-Jae looks down, a little perturbed, but he gets a hold of himself. His expression says ‘You know, now that I think about it, it makes sense.’ “I understand now.”

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>>5295539

“Understand what exactly?” You raise an eyebrow.

“What happened to me?” Mr. Won-Jae takes a deep breath. “I died, Mr. Ando, and I was brought back to life.”

“Huh?” You think this might get scary.

“2 years is a long time to be in a coma, Mr. Ando. Our country ascribes to euthanasia, and a patient like me with no direct relatives doesn’t last long – aside from the legal minimum.” Mr. Won-Jae explains like you had no idea about everything like all teachers do. “Unless the Hospital’s director decides I’m worth keeping alive, which is never the case, it’s simply too expensive and some consider it inhumane.”

“I see.” You don’t know where your teacher is going, but you feel like he’s going somewhere. “But how does this tie-in to being brought back to life?”

“Doctor Ned. He’s one of the most brilliant medical minds in the entire country. We met at the Border Massacre, we were in the same medical unit, he took me under his wing as I didn’t have any medical expertise. I was sent under the assumption that my background as Biology Teacher would help somehow. Those were hectic times, and hectic times bring dumb decisions. I became his assistant to cover for my lack of competence and close friends too. He must’ve taken care of me.” Mr. Won-Jae is really going on this tangent.

“Why are you so sure?”

“Doctor Ned was pejoratively known as ‘The Corpse Collector’. He never gave up on his patients to a fault, and his abilities were so great he performed amazing medical feats, but no true miracles. Patients who were pronounced dead were brought back to life under his hand… to an eternal state of comatose. He brought them back to a limbo state. A seemingly eternal stalemate between life and death. Infamy struck him for the sheer quantity of failed miracles, those were not as many as the lives he saved from the brink of death – a fact many ignored to cast him aside.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t look frustrated often, but he does now. “For some, Dr. Ned was a brilliant psycho, to many others he was a maniac piling up corpses nobody wanted.”

“…” You don’t know what to say…

“Dr. Ned relayed to me that he felt he was on the edge of finding the missing key, each operation giving more clues. Just one major discovery away from helping them all. To fulfill all his promises to the friends and families of each of his patients. He felt cursed, being taunted by God – but he’ll never surrender as long as there’s hope.” Your teacher looks up through the transparent ceiling. “With all due honesty, I believe him, he knew when to throw the towel and when to not. And now… he gave his curse to me.” Mr. Won-Jae smiles.

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>>5295540

Mr. Won-Jae continues: “He works at the Grand Hospital, Mr. Ando. He always fought tooth and nail to convince the committee in charge to keep his patients alive. I’m sure I’m on the Comatose Wing they made specifically for him. But more importantly, Esperanza must be there as well.”

“Duly noted.” You tap your forehead. “What’s the doctor’s full name by the way?” You have a hunch but…

“In any other circumstances, I’d be hesitant to outright say it without a warning, but our conversation is way off the rails… his name is Imminenté Calamity.” A rare jokey moment from your teacher.

“I knew it.” You smirk. Of course, the Doc is the madman of this story.

“You know him?” Mr. Won-Jae both can and can’t believe it.

“Yeah, we’ve gone through a lot. I worked for him, he saved my life, I saved his, and we’re good pals!” You give a thumb up. That’s the biggest understatement in the entire conversation so far.

“Worked for him?” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t understand how that’d work.

“Yeah, he has his own private clinic. He’s doing well, except he’s using a cane now.” You casually nod.

“That’s wonderful, Mr. Ando. Except for the cane bit. If there’s a person you can trust your life to, it’s him.” Mr. Won-Jae vouches for him.

“I know, like, I seriously know.” You try to joke around. Mr. Won-Jae looks worried. “I-I’m fine now, trust me, just a big scar here and there.” You’re not making this better. Change topics! “Anyway, do you want me to update you about some people you think I might know? Anything I can, really.”

“I hope it’d be fun, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae is far too curious to let this opportunity go. 2 years is a long time, much has changed. “How’d things with Jamie, Wilvy, and Gunther go?”

“They’re dead.” You try not to come off as taking the piss.

“Oh… those poor kids, my condolences, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae didn’t want to hear that. “How?”

“They exploded. I think it was a terrorist attack.” You reiterate the ‘you think’ bit.

“A terrorist movement in Lokyo?” Mr. Won-Jae feels like his entire world is going to the dump. “This is terrible news.”

“Maybe you need an overview of everything first?” You didn’t think it’d go this way. It’s your fault.

“Yes, please. Be concise if possible.” Mr. Won-Jae takes a deep breath.

“Here I go…” You explain the relevant events that have happened lately. “…So that’s it.”

“These entities have brought so much tragedy, and people have acted so irrationally. I’m lost for words.” Mr. Won-Jae puts his chin on his chest and shakes his head. “But I cannot help but to keep thinking about your classmates. Jamie was a little bit of a problem child, but nothing malicious.” Mr. Won-Jae looks so sad. He’s wrong though, Jamie was a dick and Henry would agree, but it’s not time to speak ill of the dead.

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>>5295543

Your teacher continues. “Wilvy, he had a brilliant head on his shoulders.” You’ll miss him too. “And Gunther, that poor boy…”

“Were you two close?” You noticed Mr. Won-Jae looked especially troubled over him.

“I’ll admit I talked to him semi-frequently. He shared his hobbies with me. Mainly liked to show me his figurine collection.” Mr. Won-Jae didn’t particularly enjoy that about Gunther, but he dearly misses him. A figurine collection? How on earth were you the one who got bullied the most in your group? “But his poor sister, I feel for her, they were close. You met her? Her name is Emily. She was entering her last year of school.”

“Emily…?” Wait a minute, Emily from the Cult… Her name is Emily Noble! Just like Gunther Noble! They’re siblings! Oh fuck! Her dead brother is… Oh gosh. This is so sad. “Yeah, I think I met her; I didn’t know they were related until now. We’re friends.”

“I hope you do whatever you can to support her. She didn’t have the best time at school, I did everything I could to stop the abuse she got from her classmates, but...” Mr. Won-Jae’s words are full of regret. “I wish someone else stepped up and helped mitigate the mistreatment.” He feels like he selfishly forgot about a person who still needed him.

“S-She’s doing much better now; she has dropped a lot of weight and is moving on with her life. She misses her brother dearly, but…” You don’t know who you are trying to trick, you don’t know her that well. Mr. Won-Jae seems to have caught it too.

“It’s fine, Mr. Ando. As long as you continue supporting her, it’ll be enough. Tell her she’s in my thoughts.” Your teacher can’t blame you for trying to make this sound better than it is. You aren’t lying about her doing better, and he knows it too.

“I will.” You sigh. Now this weighs heavily on your mind. “Anyone else?”

“Yes, a problem child named Blake Wilkinson.” Mr. Won-Jae adjusts his glasses.

“Dead too. He was run over by a police car.” And you were involved… Oh god, this is depressing…

“…” Mr. Won-Jae realizes you don’t want to talk about it. “Is there another dead student I should know about…?”

“Uhm, no.” You can’t recall.

“Let’s move on to the teachers for now. Your PE Teacher, Mr. McKenzie, how is he doing?” Mr. Won-Jae asks the first name that comes to his mind.

“Dead.” *GOD DAMN IT.* “I don’t actually recall why.”

“…” Mr. Won-Jae feels like any name that comes out of his mouth will mean death.

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>>5295544

“Hey, Dr. Calamity is doing good. We should go back to that.” You deadpan. Except for the cane...

“You said you worked alongside him. Did you meet his family?” Mr. Won-Jae wonders.

“I met his niece.” And her big muffin.

“Which one?” Mr. Won-Jae is desperate for good news. He has more than one? Is the Calamity family big?

“Kata.” You smile to give him some comfort.

“That poor girl…” Mr. Won-Jae looks sad AGAIN. “Is she doing better?”

“What do you mean? Of course, she is!” You don’t know what he’s talking about.

“That’s surprising. I’m glad to hear Dr. Katastrophic is doing well.” Mr. Won-Jae feels like life gives him a break. You’re not used to her being called a doctor or someone using her full name…

“Surprising? How?” Maybe you’ll know a little more about the smug nurse.

“Her personal demons were dragging her down.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t want to live a little and tell you some spicy details.

“I understand.” You will pry later… “Anyone else?”

“Can I try asking about my colleagues again?” Your teacher tried to accommodate you, but he wants to know even if they’re dead.

“Y-Yes, of course, I was joking before. You’re free to ask about anyone.” You’re sincere.

“How’s Dirty Rob Conti doing?” Mr. Won-Jae deadpans. You can’t believe he called him like that.

“He’s the principal now.” You wish you were joking.

“God, help us all.” No confidence. There’s a horrible feeling in you saying this is as bad of news to him as one of his colleagues dying. You wanna know why, but he’s not interested in dwelling on it. “Mr. Rodenhall?”

“He’s… fine, I guess?” You don’t think anything worth noting in particular happened to him. “One unrelated question, do you think he was a bodyguard at one point in his life?”

“Now that you mention it…” Mr. Won-Jae can’t say for sure, but he has his suspicions… Oh no, the bodyguard with Utami could’ve been him. “I’m not certain, but I’d say no.” Oh, just a coincidence, got it.

“Anyone else?” You return to the main topic.

“Yes.” Mr. Won-Jae nods. “But you seem curious about something. What is it?”

What do you do?

>Ask why Dr. Calamity is known as Dr. Ned.
>Ask more about Emily and Gunther.
>Ask more about Kata.
>Ask more about the Calamity Family.
>Ask more about Blake Wilkinson.
>Ask if he wants to know about the ex-Principal Galishoff.
>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.
>Ask if he wants to know about Scarlet.
>Ask if he wants to know about Terry.
>Ask if he wants to know about Sammi.
>Ask if he wants to know about Matilda.
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.
>MOVE ON FROM THIS.
>Write In.

(Only reply of the day, it just took too long, sorry! We continue tomorrow!)

>>5295545
>>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.
I've just gotta know

>>5295545
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.

>>5295549
nevermind, changing it to everyone

>>5295545
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.
I SEE MYSTERY BOX I VOTE
NO MATTER IF ITS GONNA BE SHIT OR NOT
I FEEL MYSTERY BOX I CLICK
MONKEY SEES ACTIONS
NEURON ACTIVATED
MYSTERY BOX YUIISSSSS
GIMME DAT SWEET MYSTERY GOODNESS!!!!

>>5295545
MYSTERY BOX MYSTERY BOX MYSTERY BOX
we gambling tonight

>>5295545
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.

>>5295545
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION-.
COME ON BOOKSHOP OWNER!

>>5295545
>Mystery box
But also Kata and the Calamity Family

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“I was wondering if you wanted to know about… uhm…” You absentmindedly point at your teacher as you scratch the back of your head nervously.

“Oh? The Union of Affolsteig?” Mr. Won-Jae grabs his t-shirt and a faint smile appears on his face. The hell is he talking about? “I didn’t know you were a football soccer fan, but sure. Have we finally been relegated?”

“Uuuuuh… No.” You lie.

“Mr. Ando, you don’t have to lie. It’s fine if you don’t know.” He finds your poor attempt humorous. “You wanted to know more about this jersey, right? This is my local sports team’s one. I’m originally from Affolsteig, in Yoinkshire.” That’s a region in our country: Yoinkshire, Baochang, Topakasa, and Lokyo make the 4. Hooray for common knowledge. “My team has never won the league, less an international competition, but what you truly support is the community around it. And well, it’s not exactly the shirt. It’s a gift Esperanza gave me, made it herself with her supernatural abilities. She grew tired of seeing me wear hospital gowns, and I jokingly suggested this alternative. This is like… her fourth attempt. It’s far from a good replica, but I like it.” He has a genuine fondness for it.

“I see…” From the looks of it, the shirt is as shabby as the actual team.

“Sports are fun, Mr. Ando, maybe you’ll find your passion there once these demoniacal events end. Anyway, I can tell now that it isn’t Football that you were interested in asking about. Most people in Lokyo couldn’t care less about anything that isn’t… whatever type of Boxing is popular now.” Mr. Won-Jae has contempt for your country’s favorite sport. His disgust is a weird sight. “And that's if they even care about sports in the slightest. It’s all about the arts around here, can’t say I’m complaining. The cultural world thrives in the city where Reality meets Dreams.” There’s some sort of melancholy in your teacher’s words. “So, what’s holding your mind, Mr. Ando?”

What do you do?

What do you do?

>Ask why Dr. Calamity is known as Dr. Ned.
>Ask more about Emily and Gunther.
>Ask more about Kata.
>Ask more about the Calamity Family.
>Ask more about Blake Wilkinson.
>Ask if he wants to know about the ex-Principal Galishoff.
>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.
>Ask if he wants to know about Scarlet.
>Ask if he wants to know about Terry.
>Ask if he wants to know about Sammi.
>Ask if he wants to know about Matilda.
>Ask what’s Pokyo Lokyo’s Soccer Team.
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—IT’LL BE GOOD THIS TIME, I SWEAR—EDITION)-.
>MOVE ON FROM THIS.
>Write In.

>>5296360
>>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—IT’LL BE GOOD THIS TIME, I SWEAR—EDITION)-.
I SWEAR TO GOD IF IT'S LAME AGAIN

>>5296360
>Talk about everyone

>>5296360
>>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.

>>5296360
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—IT’LL BE GOOD THIS TIME, I SWEAR—EDITION)-.

>>5296360
>Mystery Box
Always choose the mystery box

>>5296360
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—IT’LL BE GOOD THIS TIME, I SWEAR—EDITION)-.
>Ask about Nina.

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“What’s holding my mind is if you wanted to know more about, uh…” You don’t know why, but you decided to throw out the first name that comes to your mind. “Constance?”

“Constance?” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t know who you are talking about.

“Constance Strangelove, she’s a little girl, uhm, forget about it…” You think this was a huge mistake.

“Strangelove, you say?” Mr. Won-Jae looks concerned.

“You know her parents?” It seems this fishing session got a good catch this time! “They’ve disappeared after an incident.”

“What incident?” Your teacher wishes to know more.

“I think their house burned down with them inside. Their bodies were never found except Constance’s, she was miraculously saved, and… she’s one of the Judges. I’m good friends with her and her caretaker. They’re great people.” You inform. You miss Constance. And with hostile cutie, you wonder what she’s doing now. “Why the sudden interest?”

“This is something I learned second hand from one of my students. It’s just a name that keeps showing up in conspiracy theories. I don’t know if you recall a kid named ‘Otis’, he was all over those things. Mr. Strangelove is, or was, a fairly important government official. You know how in conspiracy theories names keep repeating even if their position has little to nothing to do with the subject matter. Like, he’s involved in military decisions, welfare, state planning, and the like. He’s that.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t know why he’s telling you this. “Long story short, secret government files were leaked online by one source who was desperate to spread the news. There’s a contingency plan made by Mr. Strangelove to nuke Pokyo Lokyo in its entirety, in the improbable case the war doesn’t go as planned.”

“W-What…?” Wait, you never asked Constance what her parents did, did you?!

“As you can tell, when I was around there were no signs of an upcoming war, or Pokyo Lokyo being the center of any military attack, or anything of the like. But now, I cannot help but wonder… Mr. Ando, do you think they were planning ahead in case the demon war doesn’t go like they planned?”

“………………………….Uh-oh.” YOU’RE GONNA BE NUKED?! BY CONSTANCE’S DAD?! WHAT?!

“It’s a conspiracy theory, Mr. Ando. Nothing more.” Even Mr. Won-Jae lies sometimes.

Change topics. Quick.

>>5296467

What do you do?

>Ask why Dr. Calamity is known as Dr. Ned.
>Ask more about Emily and Gunther.
>Ask more about Kata.
>Ask more about the Calamity Family.
>Ask more about Blake Wilkinson.
>Ask if he wants to know about the ex-Principal Galishoff.
>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.
>Ask if he wants to know about Scarlet.
>Ask if he wants to know about Terry.
>Ask if he wants to know about Sammi.
>Ask if he wants to know about Matilda.
>Ask who the fuck is Otis.
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—You won’t do it a 3rd time, right?— EDITION)-
>MOVE ON FROM THIS.
>Write In.

>>5296469
>Third time's the time, SELECT EVERYONE.

>>5296469
>>Ask why Dr. Calamity is known as Dr. Ned.
>Ask more about the Calamity Family.
>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.
>Ask who the fuck is Otis.
Let's just ask everyothing and then we can move on

>>5296467
>>Ask if he wants to know about Nina.

>>5296469
>Ask about EVERYTHING and EVERYONE
Time to pay my dues

>>5296469
>Mystery Box
I wish I could find that old meme of going down the mystery box hole, but basically if you go far enough we'll find Half Life 3. I'll die on this hill.

>>5296469
>Ask if he wants to know about -MYSTERY BOX OPTION (—You won’t do it a 3rd time, right?— EDITION)-
The box could be anything

>>5296469
I'll change my vote to EVERYTHING!

>>5296469
Mystery box
:^)

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>>5296469

SORRY, EVERYONE, I'M DONE WITH THE POST BUT I'M TOO TIRED TO DRAW. I'll post it tomorrow when I can. We'll return on Wednesday after that or something probably.

>>5296663
All good, we did ask for EVERYTHING so it makes sense that'll take much longer

>>5296469
>Third time's the time, SELECT EVERYONE.
do it faggot

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“Uh, I’ve been meaning to ask: Why Dr. Calamity is known as Dr. Ned?” Yeah, the topic has been changed now! Good!

“His name is Imminente. Nente. Ned.” Mr. Won-Jae explains it in the simplest way possible, even if it’s pretty stupid.

“That doesn’t make sense.” You point out. “Where does the D come from?”

“I don’t know, but it’s a family thing. One of his nieces is named Heinous, yet, her nickname is Heidi.” Mr. Won-Jae can’t explain why the D factor exists, but his look tells you that you need to get used to it.

“I don’t want to call him Ned tho.” There’s only one Dr. Calamity and it’s him!

“Mr. Ando… It’s not my problem.” Mr. Won-Jae won’t even bother. You guess you’re giving too much importance to a matter that nobody cares about.

“Can you tell me more about the Calamity Family?” You never asked about their family history.

“Yes. Not too long ago, the Calamitys were a family of executioners and morticians. There’s a stigma about those who deal with the dead as their business. People believe they bring death wherever they go. Acting like they’re cursed and whatnot. In short, they’ve been ostracized from society. Only positives are the job security and pay, I suppose.” Mr. Won-Jae gives some historical facts. “That changed recently when Dr. Ned made the decision to break the family tradition and work as a medic for the living. He was tired of the abuse, the stigma, the loneliness – everything. He believed their family didn’t deserve this treatment, and he wanted to be more than the man who piled up corpses. His family disowned him. As open-minded and kind as they are, they couldn’t stand it for whatever reason, be it tradition, jealousy or pride. But that didn’t stop others from leaving a couple of decades later. He ended up breaking the family into two, but time heals all wounds, Mr. Ando. These days they tease each other about their occupations. That’s as far as I know, you’ll have to ask them to know for certain.”

“Man… That sucks for the most part.” Man, are all the stories Mr. Won-Jae has depressing like this?

“Look at the positive side, Mr. Ando. Sometimes, family expectations and tradition weigh us down, and someone has to break them.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t see it as sad.

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>>5297364

“Yeah…” It’s not that comforting to you. “What can you tell me about Kata?”

“Dr. Katastrophic?” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t like how casually you refer to her.

“Yes, her.” You try not to say anything back.

“I’m iffy on the details, Mr. Ando. Dr. Ned didn’t like talking about what she was going through, and I didn’t want to pry.” Your teacher shakes his head. “From what I can recall, she didn’t have a stable home when growing up. The regime took her parents away from a very young age for reasons that I’m not clear about. The rest of the Calamity Family did what they could to take care of her, but she always had a hard time settling with anyone. For periods of time, everything appeared to be going decently, then she wanted out. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong, it was just the way she was.” Your teacher doesn’t really understand what everything he’s saying entails. But it sounds pretty bad. “They were desperate enough to ask Dr. Ned for his help long after being cast out. You know him. He, of course, agreed. She found her passion in medicine during her stay, as brief as they always were.”

“I don’t like where this is going.” You say what you think.

“There’s no disownment, Mr. Ando. They’re past that.” Mr. Won-Jae eases your worries. “What you should be concerned about is the underlying issues. She developed bad habits throughout her entire life, and her coping mechanisms became questionable. Even if she got her studies done.” Mr. Won-Jae looks down. “Dr. Katastrophic is a surgeon, a highly skilled one at that. But barely functional. I… fear for her patients. Let’s leave it at that.”

“…Yeah, let’s.” You remember those shadows from Dream Hill pointing at Kata… “Thanks for telling me.”

“Mr. Ando. As long as she can feel your kind-heartedness, she’ll always be on your side.” Mr. Won-Jae knows he probably gave you a terrible picture of her. He doesn’t know you don’t care about those details.

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>>5297367

“Right.” You nod like a dumbass. “Anything more you can tell me about Emily and Gunther?”

“Just let me be clear, as horrid these stories may seem to you, the abuse Emily got inside the school is not something I feel comfortable sharing. If it’s true that Emily has moved past that, I hope you do the same and look forward too.” Mr. Won-Jae’s fist clenches. He didn’t like what he saw. He didn’t like that he didn't stop it. Other stories aside, this is the one he feels he fell short on. It’s too personal to him.

“It’s okay, I get it.” You nod. “But Mr. Won-Jae, don’t feel guilty, you did what you could.”

“…” Mr. Won-Jae wants to take your words to heart, but he doesn’t think he earned it. “It’s okay, Mr. Ando. I appreciate what you’re doing.” He coughs. “As for Gunther… Are you interested in Collecting Figurines?”

“No…” Just random trading cards.

“Then our conversation would be fruitless.” Mr. Won-Jae *only* remembers that about Gunther. It’s kind of tragic. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, Blake Wilkinson. What was up with him?” You… don’t know why you’re asking him this.

“I guess calling him a ‘problem child’ caught your attention.” There’s guilt in your teacher’s voice. “He was an angry kid. He felt as though violence was a way to communicate. To leave his message to the world. He only wanted to beat bigger and stronger people. To become an icon bigger than El Macho. He was a timeless warrior trapped in a period of peace.” That’s too much of a poetic way to talk about a deranged lunatic. “Or words to that effect he used to say… I asked about him out of sheer curiosity to know how everyone dealt with his delinquent tendencies. I would’ve sworn that Mr. McKenzie took him under his wing. Perhaps, Blake was too much to control.”

“Anything you know about his private life?” Any clues as to why he had an entity could help.

“I believe his mother was some kind of executive, and his father was a former dancer. He has one sister, but she went to Red Tulip.” Mr. Won-Jae shares the little he knows. “There’s no discernible reason as to why he acted the way he did.”

“I figured…” You don’t know if you’re disappointed or not. At least, you know something about him. “Wanna know what happened to Galishoff?”

“The former principal? Yes.” Mr. Won-Jae is back to curious mode.

“He got fired.” You shrug.

“That... That I already know.” Mr. Won-Jae expected more.

“And that’s all I know.” And you have nothing else to offer.

“Ah, I see. How did he perform while I was gone? In your opinion?” Your teacher is interested in your take.

“Decent.” You wave your hand in a ‘so-so’ manner.

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>>5297372

“I understand.” Mr. Won-Jae clears his throat. The fact you forgot Mr. Won-Jae and not your former principal says a lot about you. You don’t know what exactly, but a lot. “Let’s move on.” Not even he cares about the old oaf.

“Remember Scarlet Argyle?” You do a bubble in the air with both of your index fingers.

“Yes. But what’s that supposed to mean?” Mr. Won-Jae is confused by what you did.

“Nothing.” You pretend you didn’t make a joke here.

“How is she? I was worried, her grades were dropping, and she looked like she couldn’t care less about school. She’s far too talented to start wasting her life.” Mr. Won-Jae shows his concern.

“She’s doing great now! She’s all bubbly and positive, and her grades are going up after they dropped down to 0.” You raise your thumbs. “Though she gained a couple of pounds. It went all straight to her butt though.”

“Mr. Ando, that’s no way to speak about your classmate.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t like the blatant disrespect.

“No, no, no. We’re super close! I’m just too used to teasing her… My bad.” You sound apologetic.

“I suppose not many things have changed. Her clique liked teasing her. As far as I could tell, all in good fun.” Mr. Won-Jae mentally compares it with what Emily went through.

“You mean with Sammi and her other friends?” Her interchangeable friends…

“Ms. Sambou, yes.” Mr. Won-Jae remembers everyone’s names! “How is she doing? Her grades were never great, but they were steady. I see a good future for her if she dedicates it to singing.”

“Those went down, like waaaay down.” You pretend your hand is an airplane crashing.

“That’s unfortunate, could you please help her out with her studies? You said you were friends with Scarlet, just invite her along.” Mr. Won-Jae wants all of his former students to do well.

“I’ll try, she rejected us last time, so don’t get your hopes up.” You had to invite Matilda over of all people.

“I’ll temper my expectations.” Mr. Won-Jae is a fair man.

“You can’t talk about those two without talking about Terry, you remember him?” You jump into the next one!

“Yes, I ate at his parents’ restaurant.” Mr. Won-Jae has a good memory of the place. “It’s a lovely place.”

“That’s good to know.” You only visited his home. “He’s doing well, loves the arts and crafts.”

“You’re friends too, I take it?” Mr. Won-Jae reads between the lines.

“Yeah.” You respond.

“He is a level-headed and crafty kid. Always on the lookout for others. Despite that, he seemed lonely, so I’m glad you’re giving him some company.” Your teacher is happy about this.

“Who else?” You ponder who can be next.

“Can it be another one of my colleagues? One alive if possible.” Mr. Won-Jae is traumatized by that earlier thread of questions.

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>>5297374

“Oh yeah, remember Nina?” You smile.

“You mean Ms. Uccelli?” Mr. Won-Jae raises an eyebrow. You nod. “Mr. Ando, why are you on a first-name basis with so many people like Dr. Katastrophic and Ms. Uccelli? Why are you so casual?”

“I’m close with them!” You don’t know where this is going, but he’s trying to correct your behavior. “Besides, didn’t you call Mr. Conti ‘Dirty Rob’?”

“…Yes, and I’d like to apologize for that. It was a mistake.” Mr. Won-Jae admits his supposed faults. “Let’s move on, I didn’t intend to antagonize you. I was curious.”

“Oh, sorry.” You went a little defensive there. “Anyway, Nina...” You EARNED calling her by her first name!

“Please tell, I’m extremely concerned.” Mr. Won-Jae is serious.

“W-Why?”

“Let’s put it this way: Ms. Uccelli was struggling in general and she needed help.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t want to delve too much into it yet.

“How?” Nah, you’re not leaving this for later.

“She has a myriad of issues. I’m going to start from the beginning…” Mr. Won-Jae sighs like he’s ready to read a long list of grievances. “Ms. Uccelli joined our precinct around the same time you entered high school. She was inexperienced at the time; her only previous teaching job was in the countryside in a small school where she hails from. The principal handpicked Mr. Conti to help her settle in, and get used to the job. That lasted about 6 months, I offered to take her under my wing instead, as it was evident she didn’t get the help she needed.”

“6 months with Mr. Conti is rough.” You half-heartedly jest.

“Indeed, but not for the reasons you believe. During that time, Mr. Conti made vulgar remarks to her, attempted to flirt, and got improperly close at times.” Mr. Won-Jae puts his hand over his temple. “He was severely reprimanded for this, and it almost cost him his job, but in all fairness, he apologized and revised his behavior. I’d fire him on the spot, but I’m not in charge. We learned about it after their time together was over, Ms. Uccelli didn’t come forward with this information until I pressured her. it became clear how much it affected her just by spending time with her but she preferred to bottle it up and move on.”

You silently shake your head. A similar pattern you know from her…

“That’s the worst part, Mr. Ando. But I said she had a myriad of issues: Ms. Uccelli started motivated and full of energy, but she slowly lost all her spur. She’s shy and struggles to make friends. She is permanently homesick, too far removed from her hometown. She is saddened by her performance, her students don’t care about her classes, they often are asleep and she doesn’t know why – she remembers her early classes being the exact opposite, which depresses her more. She’s clumsy and keeps tripping for some reason, I had to buy her lunch multiple times."

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>>5297379

Mr. Won-Jae has still a lot to say. "And if she didn’t throw her lunch to the ground, her diet was terrible, her food was undercooked more often than not. She keeps losing her keys too. And at the subway train, she always raises her hand to ask it to stop like it’s a taxi…” It’s like… Mr. Won-Jae is worried about his pet going missing. “And her coping mechanisms are not good, it’s always sweets – and if it’s not sweets, it’s booze. She actually has better balance while drunk, but I wouldn’t call her a functional alcoholic either. It’s all so saddening, but we were making progress. She didn’t need me for anything that wasn’t related to school, but now… now I’m scared.”

“Well, you'll be happy to know everything you’re saying it’s under control! Nina is doing great!” You try to cheer up Won-Jae!

“I’m not happy, I’m relieved.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t take it as a victory, just not as a defeat.

“Woah, no need to be so harsh.” You’re not sure how to respond to it. You better change subjects. “You remember Matilda?”

“Ms. Spice?” Your teacher’s eyes have some life again. You think. “Yes, how is she?”

“She’s doing amazing, she has her own dojo, and she’s making a lot of new friends!” You’re so proud of her!

“That’s a relief. I thought she’d be going hooligan by now.” Mr. Won-Jae didn’t have much hope for her, huh? “She’s terrifyingly competent, to know her abilities are being put to good use is a great feeling. You’re friends as well, I imagine?”

“Y-Yeah, how’d you know?” You adjust your glasses.

“You’re not mentioning anyone you aren’t close with anymore.” Mr. Won-Jae takes all the clues… even the obvious ones.

“Yeah, we’re close friends.” You’re proud of the fact. She’s a tough cookie to break into a cuddle.

“She was such a lonely child, she ignored me for the most part, so I was deeply concerned.” Mr. Won-Jae feels like Matilda escaped his help. Did he try to help everyone? Or does he just notice lonely people? It’s not like he has a lot to say about Wilvy or Jamie.

Anyway, that’s everyone, right?

What do you do?

>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !
>Move. The fuck. On.
>Write In.

>>5297380

REMINDER: We continue tomorrow!

>>5297380
>>Move. The fuck. On.
Fuck mystery box 3, all my homies hate mystery box 3

>>5297364
>>5297367
Also, you really outdid yourself with the art!

>>5297380
>Move. The fuck. On.

>>5297380
The box must be opened
>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !

>>5297380
>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !

>>5297380
>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !

>>5297557
It has to be the the old lady at the bookstore. I know it in my heart of hearts!

>>5297380
The goddamn fuckin MYSTERY BOX

>>5297380
>>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !
BOX BOX BOX
MYSTERY BOX
BOX BOX BOX
MYSTERY BOX
MONKEY SEE
MONKEY DO
BOX BOX BOX
MYSTERY BOX

>>5297380
>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !
All my homies love the mystery box option

>>5297380
>NO, THAT’S NOT EVERYONE, THERE’S STILL A MYSTERY BOX WAITING! THE 3RD ONE! C’MON, BUDDY, PICK ME! P I C K M E !

>>5297379
Let's get Mr. Won-Jae to pick up Nina and stabilize our sloppy seconds. I get the feeling she's going to collapse and take our main ally group's unity out with her, if she doesn't get some help.

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“That’s everyone that comes to mind.” You scratch your cheek. “Mr. Won-Jae, you shouldn’t be scared to ask. I doubt I forgot to mention anyone else dead.”

“You’re right, it’s a baseless fear of mine. I wouldn’t be a decent mentor if I didn’t move past it.” Mr. Won-Jae agrees that it is pretty illogical of him to think that way. “Do you recall a kid named Jeremy? Jeremiah Cole to be exact.”

“Huh, sounds familiar, but I haven’t met him.” You shake your head. Where did you hear that name?

“I see, it’s another problem child. It’s not important, merely my academic curiosity.” Mr. Won-Jae isn’t affected by your lack of knowledge. If anything, this conversation has shown you that, despite not liking to pry, your teacher does like knowing bits and pieces about everyone.

“You wanted to know how the school dealt with him?” You try to read his thoughts.

Mr. Won-Jae nods as if it's nothing special.

“Sorry to disappoint. Anyone else?” You think continuing this exercise is worth the shot.

“One of your classmates, Ms. Nora. How is she? Still friends with Ms. Gretchen I imagine?” Mr. Won-Jae asks about a supposed classmate you have.

“I don’t know who she is. Maybe she changed classes.” No point in lying.

“How about your classmate, Mr. Murvin?” Mr. Won-Jae is talking about people you don’t think exist.

“There’s a guy named Murvin in my class…?” What kind of name is Murvin anyway?

“He has… a peculiar expression on his face. A panicked look. It’s…” Mr. Won-Jae notices that he sounds like he’s making fun of the kid. “Never mind. How about Ms. Sobong? Did she run for class representative?”

“I have heard her name before, but I can’t say I’ve seen her.” You think she helped with the base?

“She’s friends with Ms. Argyle and Ms. Sambou. I’m sure you’ve seen her before, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae is getting concerned.

“I-I’m sorry, I was depressed for a long time and…” Faces looked the same and nothing mattered…

“You don’t need to say more, I understand.” Mr. Won-Jae means it. “How about…”

Mr. Won-Jae asks for other teachers. Some quit over the events of Judgment Day, others stayed. You let him know.

“…Can’t blame them, really.” You won’t hold it against anyone running for their lives.

“That’s reasonable of you.” Mr. Won-Jae sees that you’ve matured a bit. “Well, Mr. Ando, I doubt you know the other people I wish to ask about. So, is there anything you want to talk about?”

“How about the nice bookstore old lady near my apartment?”

“That’s an oddly specific thing to say.” Mr. Won-Jae has no idea what you’re talking about.

“I mean, she’s, like, ancient and stuff. I thought maybe you knew her…” You sound like Scarlet for a moment there.

“No, I don’t. I bet she’s a nice lady, regardless.” Mr. Won-Jae isn’t sure how to respond to your eccentricity.

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>>5298717

“Right, I did describe her as such.” You’re being awkward, man…

“You sure did.” Mr. Won-Jae coughs so you can move on. “Wait, did she look like a pumpkin…?”

“That’s a rude thing to say, but yes.” You nod like a simpleton.

“Yes, it was… Apologies.” Mr. Won-Jae feels a bit guilty. “I knew her husband, he was part of our book club. I’m sure you’re not interested in that, Mr. Ando.”

“Is he alive?” You raise an eyebrow.

“You’re the one who’s supposed to tell me, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae wants to chuckle, but hides it well.

“You’re right!” You act oblivious. Where are you going with this?

“He’s a nice man, if you’re wondering.” ‘Back to square one’ Mr. Won-Jae thinks.

“Yeah, let’s move on, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel now.” You admit you’re just doing this because talking with him is nice.

“Yes, but there’s not much left to do, Mr. Ando.” Mr. Won-Jae straightens his back, to wake himself up. “The reason Esperanza brought you here is for me to test your character. To what end? I don’t know.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t like how much Esperanza leaves him in the dark. “If you saw me hesitate for a moment when we met today, it’s because I was led to believe you were a completely different person that goes by Phil Noon. You looked different but familiar, when I heard your voice, I was sure it’s you.”

“Different how?” You put your hand on your chin.

“You look healthier.” Mr. Won-Jae is happy about this. “To be frank, Mr. Ando, I don’t want to betray the trust Esperanza put on me, my life depends on it but that’s secondary. I want her to trust me, she needs someone to rely on. So I’ll make a fair assessment of your character, all the good and the bad. Whatever she does with this information is up to her. If you want to hold me accountable in case the results don’t favor you, I won’t hold it against you.”

“I won’t.” You shake your head.

“I’d say our conversations have been a good barometer, great even, to test you. There’s little for me to ask, and it’s going to be all favorable as far as I can tell, but there’s something bugging me.” Mr. Won-Jae looks you straight in the eyes. “Why did you present yourself as ‘Phil Noon’ to Esperanza? What were you trying to accomplish?”

How do you respond?

>“To remain consistent, to everyone in the Bubble Dimension I’m Phil Noon, and I met her here, so yeah.” You know, that’s why you give the same fake name to everyone. So, there are no misunderstandings.
>“It’s my codename. I never said it was my actual name.” It’s a technicality, but it’s true.
>“I didn’t know who she was, and I wasn’t comfortable giving her my actual name.” She could’ve been dangerous and you were being cautious.
>Write In.

(Only Reply of the Day, We return on Sunday!)

>>5298719
>“To remain consistent, to everyone in the Bubble Dimension I’m Phil Noon, and I met her here, so yeah.” You know, that’s why you give the same fake name to everyone. So, there are no misunderstandings.

>>5298719
>“To remain consistent, to everyone in the Bubble Dimension I’m Phil Noon, and I met her here, so yeah.” You know, that’s why you give the same fake name to everyone. So, there are no misunderstandings.

>>5298719
>“I didn’t know who she was, and I wasn’t comfortable giving her my actual name.” She could’ve been dangerous and you were being cautious.

>>5298719
>“To remain consistent, to everyone in the Bubble Dimension I’m Phil Noon, and I met her here, so yeah.” You know, that’s why you give the same fake name to everyone. So, there are no misunderstandings.

>>5298719
>I didn't know who she was, and I wasn't comfortable giving he my actual name.
We are occasionally not a dummy anymore. At the time we only knew her as an entity user, we didn't know she was a judge.

Even if we did though, she hadn't extended any trust to us (in fact she was rather hostile and rude) so we didn't extend any to her.

>>5298719
>“It’s my codename. I never said it was my actual name.” It’s a technicality, but it’s true.

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“To remain consistent, to everyone in the Bubble Dimension I’m Phil Noon, and I met her here, so... yeah.” You give everyone the same name to avoid misunderstandings, that simple.

“I see the logic behind it.” Mr. Won-Jae has no issues believing you, often the answers we seek are rather dull. “On the topic of ‘alternative dimensions’…” Mr. Won-Jae keeps his serious demeanor. “After our talks, I’m convinced that what Esperanza is creating here is her own. She was enthralled by the world she visited, by the intricacies of it, how real it felt. She brought me here during our last meeting, gleefully showed me every bit of nook and cranny the place had to offer, and made me this jersey. Before she made the items pop without much effort, here, it felt different… like she was prone to error.”

“Her own Bubble Dimension?” Will the Bubble jokes stop popping off? “I doubt it. It’s my friend’s entity’s ability. Esperanza can’t replicate it; Judges have their own skillsets – and copying abilities isn’t one of them.”

“She’s recreating it however she can, Mr. Ando. I doubt it’s out of the realm of possibilities.” Mr. Won-Jae is convinced. “Esperanza called this place my new home from this point onwards.”

“But why is it like this?” You open your arms to point out how strange everything is.

“It’s clearly unfinished…” Mr. Won-Jae wished it was a little bit better. “If you were wondering, you can’t fall off, there’s an invisible floor that goes on forever as far as I can tell.” He tested it himself at one point.

“Oh.” That explains some things but leaves others open to questioning. Also, this last explanation would’ve helped earlier to ease the nerves… “Do you have any idea what she wants to do with this?”

“Bring more people.” Mr. Won-Jae's answer is as simple and disappointing as your first. It’s as far as he knows too. There’s an expression of concern on your teacher’s face, similar to yours when hearing his response. “Mr. Ando, I noticed I failed to convey that Esperanza is a kind child.” What incommoded Mr. Won-Jae is your possible ill feelings towards the Judge. “She’s not malicious, she believes she’s doing things for the right reason and her moral compass is often fair, but she’s immature and moody. It’s a difficult line to tread on, but that’s how she is.”

“Is it really fair to call me ugly and put a paper bag on my head…?” You knew it! You knew you were Ugly Ando!

“…” Mr. Won-Jae thought your distrust came from other places. He *might* half-jokingly reconsider his thoughts on the comatose girl, but his overall stance on her won’t change. “I read the situation wrong. And no, I don’t think that’s fair. Keep in mind what I said about her though.”

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>>5302978

“I will.” You nod. Your teacher relaxes, his concern was real, for the both of you… “Mr. Won-Jae, can I ask you something stupid? Why do you trust me so much?”

“In what way?” Mr. Won-Jae wants you to elaborate.

“Aren’t you telling me too much?” You believe Mr. Won-Jae is revealing a lot, isn’t he? Information about other people, even bits that if Esperanza heard him say, he’d get in trouble – to never come back to life. What’s the logic behind it? You think knowing this reason will tell you everything about who Mr. Won-Jae is. “So why? Why me?”

“Mr. Ando, if you want a contrived and elaborate answer as to why, I’m sorry to disappoint.” Mr. Won-Jae doesn’t actually feel sorry. He’s happy with his resolution. “It’s like I said before: I believe in you.”

“…” You feel an enormous weight on your shoulders. But also, more newfound strength to carry with that bulk. There’s something that tells you this will be it…

“It pains me to say, but this is where our conversation ends.” Mr. Won-Jae is… sad. “It was a pleasure seeing you once again, Mr. Ando. Happy trails to you until we meet again.”

Mr. Won-Jae extends his hand.

What do you do?

>Shake his hand.
>Turn on the radio.
>“Thank you, Mr. Won-Jae.”
>“I swear I’ll keep my promise.”
>Hug him.
>Write In.

>>5302980
>Shake his hand: “Thank you, Mr. Won-Jae.”

>>5302980
>>Hug him.

>>5302980
>Shake his hand.

>>5302980
HUG IS THE ONLY ANSWER.

>>5302987
>>5302980
Change to hug

>>5302980
>Hug him

>>5302980
Hug him

>>5302980
We need to give Nariko the "believe in me who believes in you" speech soon

>>5302980
>Hug him

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>>5302980

“Can it be a hug?” You ask.

Mr. Won-Jae nods.

As simple as it sounds, you two hug. Yes, this hug feels as real as outside the Distant Frontier. Then it’s all over in a blink. You’re back into the void of darkness…

“How are you feeling, partner?” Philonune is curious as you float into this formless nothingness.

“Better somehow.” It was wholesome…

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>>5303114

You briefly float into space until you’re brought back to the Distant Frontier proper with Esperanza and Smithele waiting. There’s no paper bag on your head. A sign of growth? Or was she having a chat with Mr. Won-Jae while you were surfing through nothing and he asked her not to be a dick? Either way, she can’t hide her increased disgust.

“Oh rats, what happened to your face?” Esperanza thinks you got uglier somehow. Before you can answer, she continues talking, looking down at the thing she’s holding. “A glowing review, huh?” Esperanza didn’t expect you to do well, she has an exam paper in her hands – or at least she pretends it is.

“I suppose.” You’re not in a jokey mood, just relaxed.

“Right, right…” Esperanza isn’t interested in what exactly happened over there, just the results. “Smithele, be quiet, I got this.”

“…” The cloak was about to command her to move forward with the conversation. He tends to raise his arm whenever he’s about to speak.

“Just let me set the record straight. We’re not buddies. We can’t be buddies. I’m a Judge, and you’re a player.” Esperanza acts cold. “You appear like a good guy to everyone else so I’ll put my prejudice aside and trust you.” The Judge girl is trying to sound reasonable, but comes off as whiny. “If you say anything about this to anyone, I swear I’ll rip your soul out of your body and use you as gum. You know about gum, right? It’s pretty good. You should have some later when you’re back in your real world.”

“Don’t tell me you eat it...” After knowing about her amnesia, you fear the worst. She might be Early Nariko-like.

“Of course not!” Esperanza glares at her floating cloak for some reason. “Anyway, I’ll break you in half if you cross me, you hear me? It isn’t against the rules or anything. But I won’t ever forgive you.”

“I can’t talk about this to other judges either?” You wonder.

“Especially them!” Esperanza is not joking around. “The man I need you to kill, in this new dimension, is a man called Lazarus Don Gordon. You get that? It’s Lazarus Don Gordon.”

“T-The former president?” In present times, that is. And you should say Dictator instead.

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>>5303115

“I think he’s active in this realm, isn’t he?” Esperanza knows her history. “Oh yeah, he’s a President. That’s the most important job in a country, right? Why give one man so much power?”

“Esperanza, I’ll explain the dynamics of power in the human world again later.” Smithele doesn’t want her to trail off. “We’ll celebrate knowledge later.”

“Why him though?” You need the answers!

“This will come to you as a surprise, but he’s a Judge like I am!” Esperanza wants to see your reaction. You don’t pretend to act out, so it’s a pretty subdued reaction. “Huh, you knew already.” Esperanza is disappointed.

“That doesn’t answer anything.” You scratch the back of your head.

“I’m getting there, paper boy. I won’t delve into the details, so pay attention.” Esperanza will stick with that nickname. There’s no paper on your head anymore. “Last time we spoke, I informed you this realm is borrowing energy in the same manner as we do in our gatherings, but on a scale we have never seen before. My investigation gathered new facts that have changed our understanding of this anomaly. The energy is moving back and forth between the worlds: from an individual from our world to its counterpart from this realm, giving each other feedback.” Esperanza moves the tip of both index fingers from left to right, then back. You knew that already.

“Due to the circumstances surrounding Esperanza and Mr. Gordon, they became the overseers of the immaterial and the spiritual, and the anomalies that they bring.” It’s Smithele’s turn to talk.

“I informed the old man about my findings like I’m supposed to. But he’s been trying to put up this stupid stunt ever since!” Esperanza looks annoyed. “In short, he wants to kill himself! And if he dies in the Real World, his energy will travel to this realm to take control of his body over here.”

“Woah, woah, woah, slow down there!” That’s quite the logical leap!

“Look, it wouldn’t be an issue if it was literally anyone but him.” Esperanza thinks you’re getting this 100%, you can’t believe this is happening. “Once you die, your energy is reduced 1000 times or something. But the old man is a Judge, he has been eating energy from defeated Entities like a buffet, and getting 1000 times weaker is nothing for what he’s trying to do. He will pull it off, you see the issue now?”

“Mr. Gordon wishes nothing but to have a healthier body and his authority back even if it’s in this sham realm. It’s quite pathetic.” That’s the strongest opinion you have heard from the Cloak. “If you get rid of his healthier body, there’s no reason for him to take his own life.”

“What’s stopping him now?” You feel like if he wanted that, he would’ve done that already.

“Beats us.” Esperanza doesn’t know the real-life conditions of Gordon Sr. “Would you do it or not…?”

>>5303116

What do you do?!

>Ask if you could talk it out with the evil old man. He doesn’t have to do this.
>Accept murdering him in the name of peace. (?)
>Decline. But help find the man for the job!
>Decline. This doesn’t involve you.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we finish the thread tomorrow!)

>>5303117
>Ask if you can debilitate him instead of outright murder.

>>5303117
>Perhaps he found a way to bring someone from the bubble dimension to the real world.
Gordon Sr. doesn't seem stupid or risky enough to gamble his own life for something not guaranteed. Plus this could be interesting if we need to bring someone out for whatever reason.

>>5303126
That's probably what's holding him back from killing himself now, it's probably not a sure thing yet.

>>5303124
Much as murder isn't Johnny's MO, I have to side with Machiavelli on this and say that if you're going to wound your powerful enemies it's better to kill them instead. Crippling someone for life is arguably more cruel than killing them anyway.

>>5303117
>Write In
Isn't there some way that we can just block the transition from happening at all? You said before that there was (1) person who seemed exempt to the energy transfer going on.

If that doesn't seem like a possibility the
>Accept murdering him in the name of peace.

It's about time Johnny demonstrated some actual resolve. This is probably the first, not the only, unpleasant thing we'll have to do on the way to saving the world.

>>5303133
Yeah, since he wouldn't think about killing himself over a fake world unless he has some idea how to do it.

It would be nice to find how by interrogating him but at the same time that would be too risky. It's better to take him out since he's too much of a wild card in the worst way.

>>5303117
>Accept murdering him in the name of peace. (?)

>>5303176
I don't think we'd be able to interrogate him in the real world, since he's surrounded by ex-government specops guards or something (allegedly). Even if we got past them, we'd still be trying to get information out of a Judge and one who probably doesn't want to share it at that.

Interrogating the bubble-world one is possible though.

>>5303117
>>Ask if you can debilitate him instead of outright murder.
Johnny just accepting to kill someone is so out of character. He literally didn't even kill Kaz who killed his best friend

>>5303124
>Ask if you can debilitate him instead of outright murder.

>>5303780
You don't think him accepting to permanently debilitate someone is out of character though? I guess I can see him proposing that sort of half-ass measure as he is now. I guess he'll have to try surviving another near-death experience after being an idiot to learn that not everyone deserves to go on living.

>>5303934
>You don't think him accepting to permanently debilitate someone is out of character though?
He's... He's literally put people into comas so...

>>5303979
In his defense, it's only until the war has ended. Also Gordon Sr. is a much bigger deal than kaz.

>>5303979
There's a huuuuge difference between putting someone into a coma until the war's over, and crippling them so hard that their alter-ego deems it not worth taking over their body.

>>5303985
We literally got a judge right here, there's no harm in asking if there's someway to debilitate him either by coma or some other means. Johnny instantly agreeing to murder someone is so out of character and if you disagree I can only recommend that you reread the quest

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Delaying for tomorrow 'cause I got really busy today. Sorry for the inconvenience!

>>5303126
Or maybe he found a way to drag multiple people with him into the bubble. Maybe Drag the entire country with him, where he could reign forever in his dream world. Since what he sees as his kingdom is being threatened by the intervention of foreigns nations, he'll take it all with him.

>>5304491
You know, on second thought this might present an opportunity to trap Lazarus Sr. inside this bubble-dimension and then collapse it on him. He's the only judge we have to be actively worried about, and the only one who will definitely always be a threat to Johnny if we come into direct contact with him.

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“Is there another way? Can I debilitate him instead of, you know, murder?” You’ve never been the kind of guy who doesn’t take a moment to look at the other alternatives, right? N-Not anymore, anyway.

“You think there’s another way? Why?” Esperanza wants to hear your suggestion.

“You’re a Judge, maybe you can put him in a coma?” Your knowledge makes you believe your suggestion isn’t unfounded. You want to brainstorm something.

“A coma, huh?” Esperanza tilts her head, annoyed.

“She doesn’t know how to perform it.” The Cloak reveals.

“That’s strange. Entities know how to do their own abilities, that’s how we learn.” You raise an eyebrow. Philonune follows suit. Yeah, look at that pressure!

“Hello? I’ve been the one doing the experimenting. Not him.” Esperanza feels offended. It’s through great effort that she has been able to do her duties.

“…It doesn’t change the facts. Esperanza is unable to perform this task. Think of another plan.” Smithele deflects.

“Why? It’s perfect, isn’t it?” You pursue.

“It’s a futile endeavor as well.” Smithele won’t entertain the idea.

“This isn’t leading us anywhere, you two!” Esperanza wants you two to move on.

“Why are you so sure this is Gordon’s plan? Isn’t killing yourself like that too much of a gamble?” You question.

“A cornered rat only has one option. The clarity appears at the last moment.” The Cloak pretends this metaphor can apply to this situation. “We inferred that Mr. Gordon has been trying to take control of both bodies simultaneously after some observation. Glimpses aside, he has utterly failed. He’s a short-tempered individual, it’s inevitable he’ll reach this decision sooner than later. He has expressed it to us.”

“So that is what is keeping him busy? Were you lying to me before?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Yeah, Smithele told me to keep those details from you. He said you’d agree quicker for whatever reason.” Esperanza has no qualms admitting it. “He’s wrong again.”

“Apologies, it won’t happen again. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” The Cloak takes his hat off and bows down. “A miscall on my end I’d be glad to amend in the near future.”

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>>5304687

“Right…” You can’t blame anyone for being wrong. And Judge Entities are pretty quirky and, err, judgmental. “Is debilitating him not one of our options?”

“Make his body unusable? Killing him is no different. What’s the point?” Esperanza doesn’t get it.

“He’d feed himself more energy to recover his broken vessel.” Smithele sees it as pointless.

“You lose connection with your entity when you die, don’t you?” You point out.

“Yes.” Smithele doesn’t disagree. He didn’t think about it…? That’s odd. “Despite that, under these circumstances, we’re unsure. Living Being Souls and Entities are virtually the same types of Energy. We need further testing to know what’ll happen.” Oh, that’s where the hesitation comes from.

“Maybe we can find a way to cut the connection between both Gordons?” You hypothesize that there’s a way for Esperanza to mess with it. “You can mess with the energy beam, right, Esperanza?”

“At that point, I’d kill the old man myself.” Esperanza is serious. “I’ve had enough… That’s what I’m going to do. We’ll talk if I need something else from you.” She doesn’t like the hesitation and her patience has run thin.

If this goes through, would they become enemies? What will happen if the Judges are at actual odds against each other? It’s your last chance to propose something…

What do you do?

>Tell Esperanza you’ll do it… for the greater good… N-No hesitation at all…
>Ask Esperanza to bring Dictator Gordon here for a meeting. You’ll work something out…
>Scold Esperanza, she can’t go out there murdering people like they mean nothing!
>Don’t stop Esperanza, you did what you could to prevent it, but you won’t get your hands dirty.
>Write In.

>>5304688
>>Tell Esperanza you’ll do it… for the greater good… N-No hesitation at all…
I feel like we don't have any other choice at this point...

>>5304688
>Offer to find a way to close off the bubble dimension.

>>5304688
>Write-In
"I won't promise to murder him, but I'll promise to do what I can about this. If I can't come up with an alternative then...I'll do what's necessary."

Also what's San doing here, he shouldn't be here??

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>>5304688
(Also, this is the last update of the thread. Thanks for playing everybody! Votes will be open until next time.)

>>5304688
>Ask Esperanza to bring Dictator Gordon here for a meeting. You’ll work something out…

>>5304695
Thanks for running!

Now that we have more time, we can maybe think of some good write-in like these two >>5304692 >>5304694

>>5304692
+1, we might be able use the fact that we know Wilma to our advantage