>>5533329
>During the war, when you made your name

Youre back!

>>5533329
>>Before the war, when your home was one
It's back!

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>>5533329
>After the war, when your home was no more

It's been 3000 years...

>>5533329
>>During the war, when you made your name

>>5533329
>After the war, when your home was no more

>>5533329
>During the war, when you made your name
We back!

>After the war, when your home was no more

>>5533329
>During the war, when you made your name

>>5533329
>>Before the war, when your home was one

>>5533329
>During the war, when you made your name

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>>5533356
>>5533357
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>>5533603

>During the war, when you made your name
The time you often find yourself in. Reliving the great glories that earned you renown and respect, as well as daring exploits you're sure they wrote funny little comics about. You were a hero once, a warrior and a patriot. But for all your battles you keep coming back here to Tonbo Castle.

This is where the legend truly began. Leading a squad of spearmen through the snow, past the walls, all the way to the roof of the manor where you took the head of the enemy general. It was a triumph, and word of you being an unkillable soldier whose home was found upon the battlefield spread like the fires that swallowed the fortress.
But death would not be taunted so lightly. Your skill was great indeed, but it hadn't been by that alone you had survived your wounds. In a moment of quiet the Shinigami visited you with an offer.

Faithful of the Divine, it is by my will that you live this day, so I bid you slay our enemies in my name alone and in return be granted my boon. Send the spirits of your wayward countrymen to the land and to me, and never again will you fear death. Serve the people, serve the Kami, and live eternal, great warrior.

>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.
>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.
>Write-in

>>5534214
>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death.

Shura moment

>>5534214
>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.
A man chooses, a slave obeys.

>>5534214
>>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.

>>5534214
>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.
What’s the fun without the risk

>Modestly sized chest Tomoe
I missed this

>>5534214
>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death.

>>5534214
>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.

>>5534214
>>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.

>>5534214
>>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.

>>5534214
>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.
Let's get some friends on the other side.

>>5534214
>>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.

>>5534214
>>You rejected Death. Though it was a command from the Divine, killing more than necessary went against your own moral code.
Can the Divine make you grow larger boobs?

>>5534214
>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death. To kill a Voluntist was a mercy, retuning them to the gods they had short-sightedly forsaken.

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>>5534216
>>5534238
>>5534270
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>>5534286
>>5534288
>>5534473
>>5534499
>>5534629
>>5534707

>You accepted, serving the will of the Divine Kami as an agent of Death.

When the word of the Kami is spoken, you do not disobey. To not carry out their will is to be little better than a Voluntist, putting your own will above the Divine. And so with undying might you would slaughter in the name of The Corpse-Collector on the Rivers of Blood. Your legend would grow, called a hero of the nation for the North and a terrible monster of the South. All slain by your hand would be returned to and dealt with by the Divine as they saw fit, just as all your people should be.

When the war drew to a stalemate however, and you attempted to settle into the peaceful life you had earned, the Corpse-Collector on the Rivers of Blood was not pleased. It had granted you eternal life and expected an eternal life's worth of work done in return. For this you were often sent off to kill in your own lands. Bandits and deserters at first, but the prey the Kami asked for quickly began to weary your heart and mind. Reluctance grew into disobedience, and your disobedience was deemed Amoral.

Locked away in the prison over the Abyss, where time and sanity wash away like blood in a stream.

>Catch your breath and calm your heart
>Move your legs and get away from here, quickly
>Stop thinking and squeeze your eyes shut
>Write-in

>>5535095
>Stop thinking and squeeze your eyes shut

>>5535095
>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>Stop thinking and squeeze your eyes shut

>>5535095
>>Stop thinking and squeeze your eyes shut

>>5535095
>>Stop thinking and squeeze your eyes shut

>>5535095
>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>Move your legs and get away from here, quickly

>>5535095
>>Catch your breath and calm your heart

>>5535095
>Catch your breath and calm your heart

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>>5535104
>>5535112
>>5535116
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>>5535263
>>5535402
>>5535502
>>5535533
>>5535541
>>5535548
>>5535773
>>5535871
>>5535915

>Catch your breath and calm your heart

Were it so easy. Even as you find yourself in a comfortable seat, basket hat and cloak thrown hastily to the side, your heart pounds like a rabbit's. Your scarf doesn't smell like home anymore, not the home you want to remember. Blood rings in your ears, muffling the words of the pale girl beside you. Your chest tightens and forces you to take quick, gasping breaths as you slowly melt back into the present.

"There, in and out..."
The hand of the vampire, Helga von Blumenthal, is cold as the grave against your skin but she does what a stranger can to be reassuring. Gentle words as your hands start to soften their death grip on the arms of your chair. Slowly, slowly, your heart beat slows along with your breaths. The choking feeling loosens its grip on you.
"...Are you feeling any better? Do you remember where we are?"

>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was
>I remember, I'm alright. May I have my things?
>I need another moment. Tell me something while my hands stop shaking.
>Write-in

>>5536305
>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

>>5536305
>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

>>5536305
>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

>>5536305
>I need another moment. Tell me something while my hands stop shaking.

>>5536305
>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

>>5536305
>>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

>>5536305
>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

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>>5536312
>>5536320
>>5536331
>>5536665
>>5536683
>>5536803
>>5536809

>No, not at all. Please, remind me, I'm still caught in where I was

"That's quite alright." Helga gives you a kind smile and retrieves a thick tome to her side. "It gives me an excuse to talk about my favorite subject again."

-----

"We are in the region of the continent known as the Occident, called so due to many of the countries here being splinters of a once mighty Occidental Empire that fell quite some time ago. The country we are in is called Etienne, bitter rivals with its Northern neighbor New Caudlin. Even more so now that a certain, ahem, 'incident' took place some months back."

"This city we are in is Ophelié, the capital of Etienne ruled over by the Countess Ophelié du Flambeau VI. If you can believe it, the city was named for an ancestor of hers! More specifically as to our location however, we are within the grand library of the Ophelian Royal Academy of the Magical Arts. We're quite lucky in that, I assure you, for it's not so common to see a college like this anywhere but the countryside! Thankfully the Ophelians love their traditions and the noble obligations that come with them. Speaking of, we were discussing your idea to do... something regarding a princess I believe? I don't believe the castle guard would allow anyone near the royal family, what with recent events and all."

Helga, despite not needing to, takes a pause for breath. "I was just saying that I had hoped you weren't off to do something silly when you had your... Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I've had quite a few myself."

>Tell me more about this "Occident." [Specify Topic]
>What were those recent events you mentioned?
>I've heard enough, I think I can stand now
>Write-in

>>5537801
>What were those recent events you mentioned?

>>5537801
>>What were those recent events you mentioned?

>>5537801
>What were those recent events you mentioned?

>>5537801
>What were those recent events you mentioned?

>>5537801
>>What were those recent events you mentioned?

>>5537801
>What were those recent events you mentioned?

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>>5537843
>>5537864
>>5538100
>>5538165
>>5538256
>>5538261

>What were those recent events you mentioned?

"It's quite the... tense situation really. You see, a handful of months back when the annual Tournoi d'Ophelié was being held, Prince Arthur Greymond of the Petty Kingdom of New Caudlin thought it wise to attend much unsupervised. If you ask me it was an international incident waiting to happen, and happen it did. When he was murdered."

You had entered into the tournament yourself, alongside two companions you had met on the road. You had discovered the body as well. In the wrong place at the wrong time, it was assumed by the authorities that you had committed the act, and you were forced to flee into the underbelly of the city as it went under lockdown. Since then you've been laying low with a Halfling tinkerer by the name of Emery, coming out this night to see a certain regional phenomenon. The Danse Macabre, a night where dead things rise again to wassail with the living.

Helga shakes her head, unsurprised yet still disappointed. "Honestly who couldn't have seen it coming? Nobody's quite sure about the details of the deed, but now Etienne and New Caudlin are at each others' throats like never before. Travelers, tourists, and the like are steering clear. They see war looming just over the horizon."

>Ask after something else [Specify Topic]
>That's good enough for me, I should get moving
>Write-in

>>5538703
>That's good enough for me, I should get moving

>>5538703
>Ask after something else [Helga]

>>5538703
>That's good enough for me, I should get moving

>>5538703
>Ask after something else [Maybe a quick refresher on how you'd gotten talking to her since it's been so long.]

>>5538703
>>5539670
Supporting.

>>5539670
+1

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>>5538752
>>5538859
>>5539644
>>5539670
>>5539758
>>5540377

>Helga
>Maybe a quick refresher on how you'd gotten talking to her since it's been so long.

Helga's brows furrow inwards and upwards a short bit, some concern creeping into her voice. "I am Grand Historian Helga von Blumenthal of Clan Rhine. To be honest I had fully intended to simply do a bit of studying and be on my way, but then you came along and piqued my interest."
She sets her hand together in front of her, fiddling with the buckle of her belt. "And... well, it wasn't but an hour or two ago that we first met. Have you been feeling alright lately? Do these bouts come often? I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you have... hm, an old smell to you. Older than you should, given your looks!"

"The reason I ask," The deathly pale girl continues and laces her fingers together. "is that these sorts of episodes become quite common in persons who live far past what their natural lifespan should allow. Though you don't seem undead to me, nor a mage of any sort."

>What do you do?

>>5540902
>It is divine in nature. Something I would rather forget.

>>5540902
>Your concern is cute, princess.
Distract her with a compliment.

>>5540919
Support

>>5540907
+1

>>5540919
Seconding. Also maybe should consider buying new soap if the brand we’re using makes Tomoe smell old.

>>5540902
>Consider buying a new brand of soap, you like smelling like flowers and the beach, not ‘old’

>>5540902
I'm not old! Do you see any wrinkles here ma'am?

>>5540902
>>5540919
>Your concern is cute, princess.
>Perhaps you should head out to see the Danse Macabre proper (Maybe you'll find a familiar dead person out there?)

The great Tomoe never shows weakness!

>>5540919
Supporting

>>5541352
+1

>>5540919
+1

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>>5540907
>>5540919
>>5540921
>>5540952
>>5541199
>>5541416
>>5541623
>>5541718
>>5541847
>>5541978

>Consider buying a new brand of soap, you like smelling like flowers and the beach, not ‘old’
>I'm not old! Do you see any wrinkles here ma'am?

You had just been using whatever bar soap Emery had, and that little fellow usually smells like wheat fields and roast turkey. That is, before he gets to futzing with his oils and chemicals.
"No no, you needn't sniff yourself, and your skin looks quite fair I assure you. I've simply a keen nose is all, and I use it to guess ages by their scent."

>It is divine in nature. Something I would rather forget.
>Your concern is cute, princess.

Helga's expression scrunches up as you try to distract her. "I am not a princess, nor am I a child. But if you don't wish to speak of it then I will respect that wish. I only suggest that should these episodes become more frequent... perhaps keeping a journal will help keep you in the present. It certainly helps my sire."

>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around
>Tour about the city while the watch is busy corralling the dead
>Head for the Catacombs to see who you can find
>Write-in

>>5542053
>>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around

>>5542053
>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around
>Search for a book on the Thousand Lotus Isle, your home.

>>5542053
>>Tour about the city while the watch is busy corralling the dead
Big boobs Tomoe!

>>5542053
>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around

Should we ask Helga to accompany us as potential vampiric party member/anti-anxiety attack aid?

>>5542053
> Tour about the city while the watch is busy corralling the dead

>>5542053
>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around

>>5542053
>Tour about the city while the watch is busy corralling the dead
Pretty nice to see a throwback to the older artstyles with the flashbacks

>>5542053
>Would you like to accompany me, Helga?

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>>5542065
>>5542066
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>>5542169

>Would you like to accompany me, Helga?

"How delightful you should ask!" Helga brightens, sweeping your hand away from her head. "I was just about to do the same myself. It's not often I get a chance to chronicle an Easterner, let alone one who has lived so long. I graciously accept your proposal."

>Stay here in the Royal Academy and explore around
>Search for a book on the Thousand Lotus Isle, your home.

It does take some digging through shelves and various piles of discarded tomes, but you manage to come across a tome titled "Collected Folio on the Thousand Lotus Isles." It seems to have seen little use, either due to lack of interest or what you assume to be recent publication.

"'Collected Folio on the Thousand Lotus Isles,' is an attempt to fill what we believe to be an urgently needed gap in foreign understanding for the country. It is in hopes of contributing, however meagerly, to a raising of awareness for this divided nation that we offer this book. For layman or scholar alike, this attempt to present a complete picture of Senrentou in a single tome should prove both useful and convenient.
Published 1910. Greyhound Press. Kenningshire, New Caudlin."

>What do you look for?

>>5542412
Recent history

>>5542412
>ourself and the kami we served

>>5542412
>Recent history.
>How modern historians consider us.

>>5542412
Ourself

>>5542412
>recent history

>>5542412
List of rulers, governors and regions

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>>5542442
>>5542452
>>5542461
>>5542473
>>5542541
>>5542775

>List of rulers, governors and regions

Your eyes scan across maps and short historical accounts, searching for something familiar to latch onto. This place is unrecognizable from the home you once knew. New borders, divisions, names, even the isles themselves have changed. Your chest tightens at the thought that your country has passed you by.

"Both North and South Rentou are split up into 12 provinces, which are then divided further into prefectures and so on. Northern Rentou is ruled by a single 'Saint' seemingly appointed by the land itself (See section: Kami and the Isles), as they have for all of their recorded history. Southern Rentou on the other hand has been much influenced by Western ideals since the armistice signed nearly a century ago. The South is overseen by a monarch as well as a prime minister of their parliamentary system."

>Recent history

"As of writing, Senrentou is still divided with little chance of reunification in sight. Still, the Lotusians have never been ones to shy away from the latest in technological advances and are right alongside the Occident in the modern era. Automobiles, radio, and of course their traditional Youkai Automata are among some of their main advantages. Just as well, North Rentou has recently established a colony on the continent and are looking towards even further expansion."

>ourself and the kami we served

You find that this tome, for all its thickness, details only the most important of names. Leaders, cultural figures, yet no mention of the fair Lady Tomoe. You might have expected as much, either you were cleansed from the records by the Moral Compass or you simply weren't a grand enough personage to include.

"The Kami are, to my understanding, spirits of the land in a sense. Each represents a concept present in the lives of the Lotusians, no matter how large or small. They rely on the mortals to exist in a similar vein to Faeries embodying stories of mortals. However unlike them, accounts state that they do not disappear when their concept 'goes to Winter', but are instead constantly changing their forms. For example, a Kami representing their archetypical soldier would surely have changed from the yari-weilding ashigaru of old to the bolt-action rifleman of modern times."

>What do you do?

>>5543335
>Try to find people and events we remember to figure out what year we left and how long it has been since then

>>5543354
+1

>>5543335
>>5543354
Supporting.

>>5543354
>+1

>>5543354
+3

>>5543335
>>5543354
+1.
>Can we recall any faces in particular from back home?

>>5543354
>>5543621
Support

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>>5543354
>>5543360
>>5543367
>>5543373
>>5543567
>>5543621
>>5543674

>Try to find people and events we remember to figure out what year we left and how long it has been since then

You remember the end of the war. Could never forget when the armistice was signed either. On the seventh day of the seventh month, 1807, hostilities were officially halted and the islands were split between the two sides, an auspicious day they said. It wasn't but a few years later that you were imprisoned.
"You want to know the year?" Helga tilts her head, "If I've been keeping up with the papers, and if they've been keeping up with their calendars, then it should be the thirty-first of Edes, nineteen-thirteen. Quite an unlucky looking year, isn't it?"

>Can we recall any faces in particular from back home?

You grasp for the mumbled names and vague faces of the people you knew long, long ago, but they seem to simply melt through your fingers. Ghosts of the past.
However there is one figure that seems more solid than the rest. You had a lover once, one you tried to settle into a peaceful life with. If you hold your breath, you can even hear their voice.

Tomoe...!
This is a lovely place for a home, don't you think?
The start of something wonderful, for all of us, I can tell.

>A place you can make your machines without disturbing the neighbors. Just don't keep me up with all the clanging!
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?
>It's quite a walk down to the nearest schoolhouse. It would be wise to look into a horse or two, or even a wagon, so you aren't late to work.
>Write-in

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Apologies for the delay, had to prepare for a trip I'll be going on tomorrow. Post may be late then as well, so feel free drop any lore questions (even though that's all the thread has really been so far lmao)

Also here's Tomoe as drawn by tanq of pantsu commander fame

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?
Tradhusbando

>>5546738
>>It's quite a walk down to the nearest schoolhouse. It would be wise to look into a horse or two, or even a wagon, so you aren't late to work.

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

>>5546738
>>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

>>5546738
>>A place you can make your machines without disturbing the neighbors. Just don't keep me up with all the clanging!

>>5546738
>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

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Greetings from Korea, now back to Hedge

>>5546817
>>5546839
>>5546876
>>5547011
>>5547017
>>5547301
>>5547302
>>5547624
>>5548786

>I can already see you up in the trees and mountains, writing your poems and inking your canvas. I wonder, is that why you insisted on this place?

Ah, you caught me! It's gotten quite difficult to find a tranquil place like this. It's a feast for the heart and mind.
The spirits here should be kind as well, I don't think the fighting ever reached this far. It will make a goodly home for us.
And perhaps a few more, if we could be so fortunate!

He sets his scarf around your neck, a good luck charm he often claimed. Tea, mint, and citrus, a scent you had come to love.

-----

Your hand finds itself on your scarf as you look down at the page. A map of Taifuu-shu, along with a short passage.

"The smallest province of all in Senrentou, little more than a handful of islands surrounding a terrible whirlpool. Accounts say that some time after the War of Division some small calamity swallowed whole what was once a much larger landmass, leaving us only with what we see today. The nature of this calamity is uncertain however, and information on it is surprisingly hard to come by."

"Only a few structures remain here now. Most notably a manor on the northernmost island of the province belonging to the Clan of..."

>What is your family name

>>5550187
>Kukichi
Accurate to the time period, and kinda related to our past. Also KOREA?

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>>5550187
>Uchiha
There’s a reason why she covers her eyes with her bangs yo.

Also would settle for Yamato, because Yamato Tomoe just rolls of the tongue.

>>5550187
>>5550581
Hell, maybe KAMIKAZE would be a better surname, what with her fans being her weapons and being a former agent of the Divine Kami of Death. What do you lads think?

>>5550187
Eh, why not? Switch from >>5550581 to
>KAMIKAZE

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>>5550187
>Ashina

You know why.

>>5550187
>Tanagawa

>>5550593
Backing Tomoe Ashina.

>>5550187
>Ashina

>>5550593
+1

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>>5550208
Yea, SK
>>5550208
>>5550586
>>5550593
>>5550686
>>5550690
>>5550731
>>5551468

>Ashina

"The Clan of Ashina. Quite isolated due to their position among the isles, and perhaps for the best. The people of this clan are said to bring ill omens when they pass, as if they were themselves harbingers of grave misfortune. A clear answer as to why this stigma has manifested I could not find, but I speculate it may have something to do with the swallowing of their province into the dark sea."

"Are you trying to find yourself?" Helga asks as she peeks over your shoulder, "I must admit that I've done it a few times as well, but ah... perhaps looking into the past isn't the best thing for you at the moment."
She puts a hand on your shoulder and gestures towards the window and out to the city. "It's like a sickness you know, staring into what was. Among our kind, the long-lived that is, and the short-lived as well there are those who are so stuck in the past that they cannot see the present, and much less the future, for what it is."

>I see... Then let's go somewhere more in the present than a dusty library. [Where to?]
>Just a moment longer. There's much I wish to know, and more that I need to remember [What topic?]
>Write-in

>>5551776
>Tour about the city while the watch is busy corralling the dead
>Head for the Catacombs to see who you can find

>>5551776
>>Just a moment longer. There's much I wish to know, and more that I need to remember [What topic?]
What happened to our lover?

>>5552110
+1

>>5551776
>>5552110
Supporting.

>>5551776
>>5552110

Backing this.

Given that we've been living and sleeping with a halfling for the last year, I can't imagine he's still around.

>>5552110
If history doesn’t remember us, they certainly don’t remember our lover.

>>5552110
+1

>>5552110
Support

>>5552110
It’s worth a shot at least

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>>5551863
>>5552110
>>5552209
>>5552225
>>5552228
>>5552416
>>5552704
>>5553546
>>5553666

>Just a moment longer.
>What happened to our lover?

Helga goes to speak, but stops herself with brows furrowed in concern and a sigh through her nose. "I see... Take all the time you need."

You didn't expect to find any such information in this tome, but perhaps if you thought hard enough you could remember something...

-----

Tomoe... Are you sure you must leave again?
I understand it is a command from the Kami, but... I have this feeling that something terrible is going to happen.
The wind blows a cold omen and the trees whisper of portents. Even the sun refuses to shine through the clouds on this morning.

The lover of Ashina knits his brows in worry as you load the saddlebags onto your steed. Beside him, a little person holds his hand. A mask makes their expression unreadable, but their fidgeting betrays the confusion and fright in their small heart.

If... you should never again come back to us... what then should we do?

>Don't talk so dour, it doesn't suit your smile. You should know that all of our people come home eventually. Simply wait for my return, and return I shall.
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.
>A life is a terrible thing to waste. If mine should end before yours then you must continue on. Live each day as a lifetime, and when we meet again you can tell me all about it.
>Write-in

>>5554088
>A life is a terrible thing to waste. If mine should end before yours then you must continue on. Live each day as a lifetime, and when we meet again you can tell me all about it.

>>5554088
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

>>5554088
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

>>5554088
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

>>5554088
>>Don't talk so dour, it doesn't suit your smile. You should know that all of our people come home eventually. Simply wait for my return, and return I shall

>>5554088
>Don't talk so dour, it doesn't suit your smile. You should know that all of our people come home eventually. Simply wait for my return, and return I shall.
>A life is a terrible thing to waste. If mine should end before yours then you must continue on. Live each day as a lifetime, and when we meet again you can tell me all about it.
Alright, time to actually return to the present now.

>>5554088
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

>>5554088
>>Don't talk so dour, it doesn't suit your smile. You should know that all of our people come home eventually. Simply wait for my return, and return I shall
Tomoe was a mother, that's why the boobies have grown so much

>>5554088
>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

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>>5554095
>>5554102
>>5554119
>>5554121
>>5554168
>>5554275
>>5554299
>>5554316
>>5555421

>Should I never again see your face, and you mine, then see me in our little one. Raise, teach, and love enough for us both. Nothing would please me more.

My love, you know I would do nothing less. But please, don't speak as if this is the last-
Mama!

The little person in the fox mask grabs your hand and tries to pull you away from the horse with all their little might. Bouncing nervously on their feet, the fox of Ashina pleads with a voice that tries to mask its trembling waver.

I-I don't want you to go yet! I, um! I wanna play a game! Just one, a-a quick one! Pleeease?

>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?
>Hmm... How about a game of pretend? I know you love tales, but I really must go soon. The Dread Ronin-King Kuro won't have any grand schemes this time.
>I'm sorry, little fox. I would play all day if I could, but I've delayed all I can. I'm trusting you to look after your father for me for a while. Be brave for me, little fox, I know you are.
>Write-in

>>5555734
>Hmm... How about a game of pretend? I know you love tales, but I really must go soon. The Dread Ronin-King Kuro won't have any grand schemes this time.

>>5555734
>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

dishonored moment

>>5555734
>I'm sorry, little fox. I would play all day if I could, but I've delayed all I can. I'm trusting you to look after your father for me for a while. Be brave for me, little fox, I know you are.

>>5555734
>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

>>5555734
>>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

>>5555734
>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

>>5555734
>>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

>>5555734
>I'm sorry, little fox. I would play all day if I could, but I've delayed all I can. I'm trusting you to look after your father for me for a while. Be brave for me, little fox, I know you are.

>>5555734
>Hmm... How about a game of pretend? I know you love tales, but I really must go soon. The Dread Ronin-King Kuro won't have any grand schemes this time.

>>5555734
>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

>>5555734
>>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

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>>5555737
>>5555739
>>5555748
>>5555783
>>5555813
>>5556285
>>5556369
>>5556570
>>5556578
>>5556696
>>5557821

>Of course, but just a quick one. How about hide and seek, you're good at that one. Where do you get your hiding spots from, you sneaky fox?

The little fox bounces in happy relief as you step away from your steed. Once you kneel down to give your suggestion, they squeeze you in a tight hug around the neck. The lover of Ashina smiles down at the two of you, a ray of light breaking through the clouds and shining on your home

O-Okay! Hide and seek! Um, um...

They let go much slower and more reluctantly than they latched on, but with a sniff and a rubbing of an eye beneath the mask they clench their fists. Ready and determined to hide. To keep you near for as long as they can.

Close your eyes and count to ten! And no peeking, okay? I won't ever forgive you if you cheat!
Don't worry, I'll make sure she plays fair.

Your lover chuckles as he steps around behind you, raising his hands to place them gently over your eyes. Once the count starts you can hear the little person's little footsteps pad quietly away, followed by the voice of your lover once more.

Tomoe... My love, you know what I'm going to ask, but I must ask it anyways. If there is any chance at all that the Corpse-Collector on the Rivers of Blood will free you from its service when next you meet, I beg you to try and take it. For us, and for yourself, please...

>Forgive me, but I cannot. Defying the wishes of the Kami may bring danger to you and our fox. Not just the ire of that Shinigami, but of the Moral Compass as well.
>I know I must. The work I am tasked with now is not the divine mission it was. It does not serve the land, only the hunger of a single Kami
>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.
>Write-in

>>5557980
>I know I must. The work I am tasked with now is not the divine mission it was. It does not serve the land, only the hunger of a single Kami

>>5557980
>Forgive me, but I cannot. Defying the wishes of the Kami may bring danger to you and our fox. Not just the ire of that Shinigami, but of the Moral Compass as well.

>>5557980
>>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

>>5557980
>I know I must. The work I am tasked with now is not the divine mission it was. It does not serve the land, only the hunger of a single Kami

>>5557980
>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

>>5557980
> Forgive me, but I cannot. Defying the wishes of the Kami may bring danger to you and our fox. Not just the ire of that Shinigami, but of the Moral Compass as well.

With great success comes great peril. Tomoe’s path was set long before she encountered the Shinigami.

>>5557980
>>5557985
Changing my vote to
>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

>>5557980
>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

>>5557980
>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.
We're about to lose our entire family aren't we?

>>5557980
>>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

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>>5557991
>>5558021
>>5558062
>>5558267
>>5558689
>>5559302
>>5559362
>>5559437
>>5559439

>We shouldn't speak of such things, today already has enough ill omens doesn't it? Besides, there's a little game to play now.

You know I hate it when you do that. Leaving things to fester only...

You feel his exhale on the back of your neck. His hands slip down away from your eyes and rest around your waist, his head resting against yours.

Please be careful, and come back alive...
No matter how long it may take, I will be here waiting for you. I love you.

The ten count is up. The game is on. There's a little fox out there waiting to be found.

>Spend just another moment more like this. You won't be able to again for some time.
>Begin the game and take your time searching. You won't be coming home again for some time.
>Search quickly to find your fox for a proper goodbye. You won't be seeing them again for some time.
>Write-in

>>5560041
>Search quickly to find your fox for a proper goodbye. You won't be seeing them again for some time.

>>5560041
>Search quickly to find your fox for a proper goodbye. You won't be seeing them again for some time.

>>5560041
>Search quickly to find your fox for a proper goodbye. You won't be seeing them again for some time.

>>5560041
>Spend just another moment more like this. You won't be able to again for some time.
>Begin the game and take your time searching. You won't be coming home again for some time.

>>5560041
>>Spend just another moment more like this. You won't be able to again for some time.

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>>5560050
>>5560051
>>5560114
>>5560322
>>5560402

>Search quickly to find your fox for a proper goodbye. You won't be seeing them again for some time.

Only a brief kiss more is spent before you set about to find the fox. No messing about searching where you know they aren't, no scenic tours around the manor, this is supposed to be a quick game after all. However, though you're quite a seasoned hide-and-seek player yourself, this wily creature gives even you a bit of trouble in this game. They must get it from their father, as you're certainly not the sneakiest skulker about.

You hurry about from place to place, scanning room after room and hall after hall until eventually you reach one of the storerooms.
There, just behind a crate. In the dark, the tips of two white ears stick up.

>Creep up on your mark and give them a good spook
>Call out that you've found them and the game is over
>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek
>Write-in

>>5561124
>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek.
>Give them a good hug.

>>5561124
>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

>>5561124
>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

>>5561124
>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

>>5561124
>Write in
>gently pat the fox's head

>>5561124
>>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

>>5561124
>Creep up on your mark and give them a good spook, then scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

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>>5561126
>>5561133
>>5561156
>>5561157
>>5561172
>>5561242
>>5561291

>Head over and scoop them up, no better way to end a game of hide-and-seek

You step over and around the junk and supplies that litter the room, moving back towards the crate. A small part of you expected to find the usual playful laughter that often accompanies finding them. A larger part expected a disappointed little fox, maybe even a bit grumpy the game couldn't have gone on longer. But what you actually find is...

Sniffling, teary eyes, and trembling as you lift them into your arms. There's a lump in your throat. Every choked little noise, no matter how they try to hide them, makes your chest sinch tighter and your heart sting.

>Give them a good hug.
>gently pat the fox's head

You slip their mask away from their face and hold them close. The fox clutches you tight and buries their face into your scarf. Holding on as if you'd get lost as soon as they let go, you can feel your scarf become damp against your neck.

You do what you can to calm the fox down, running your hand through their hair and comforting as best you know how. Soon comes a loose feeling around your neck as the fox takes your scarf and ties it up around their own. Through sniffles and hitches, they inform you.

I-I took your scarf, so... so you have to stay now, okay? You can't g-go if you don't have your scarf...

Eyes and cheeks wet, this fox, your little fox, is looking at you like they'll never see you again

>What is your little fox's name?

>>5562238
Kitsune, or Kit for short.

Alternatively
>Y-you don’t remember
If we really want it to be sad

>>5562238
>Takeru

Tomoe and Takeru. You know why.

>>5562238
>Give them a good hug.

>What is your little fox's name?
Shinobu

>>5562295
Support

>>5562238
>>5562256
Supporting.

>>5562238
>>Give them a good hug.

>>5562295
Support :-(

>>5562484
Support ;_;

>>5562238
>>Give them a good hug.

>>5562295
>Tomoe and Takeru. You know why
Mommy love-love energy?

Sad backstory?

Hardcore incest mating when we meet again?

+1

>>5563361
>hardcore incest mating
what the hell bruh i dont think that was in the sekiro lore

>>5563364
>Golden Rod

>Give more HP in exchange for losing some mobility

>Golden Rod used for the wanderer-warrior Tomoe to train her body for the loving attentions of her child.

>>5562238
>>5562295
>>5562484

>Takeru.
>Give them a good hug.

>>5562295
Supporting

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>>5562256
>>5562295
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>>5564443

>Takeru
>Give them a good hug.

You hold Takeru tightly for a long moment. He had his father's eyes, and those were never meant to cry over you. The game is over however, and you've taken all the time you can. You pick Takeru up onto your back and head back outside with the fox in tow.
Once more by your steed, your love and your son are silent in the cold morning. They have said all they can to keep you, but in this land the will of the Kami cannot be ignored forever.

You'll be taken from them, and they from you, one way or another. It is your decision how.

>Leave, this is your duty
>Stay, this is your family
>Write-in

>>5565168

>Leave, this is your duty

>>5565168
>>Stay, this is your family
Fuck the timeline and common sense

>our boy was under our ropes all along
>we are a great warrior so no sword reach him

>>5565168
>Leave, this is your duty

If we don’t leave the kami will force us anyways

>>5565168
>Leave, this is your duty

>>5565168
>Stay, this is your family
Something will happen to them either way, won't it?
I'm hoping at least Takeru survived.

>>5565168
>Y-you can’t remember
Time to return to the present anons. We have some princesses to kidnap.

>>5565168
>Leave, this is your duty
>Here is the secret: there is no love in the past. Only the present. The past is made of static images, distorted memories, demented nostalgia. This, the present - with all its possibilities, innumerable hits and misses - is far superior. It is a *living* organism.

>>5565168
>>Stay, this is your family

>>5565168
>Leave, this is your duty

>>5565168
>>Stay, this is your family
Pls no

>>5565168
>Stay, this is your family
And we will defend them. It's time to reclaim out life

>>5565168
>Leave, this is your duty

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>>5565174
>>5565214
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>>5566441

>Leave, this is your duty

The wind whistled notes of longing when you left, leaves falling on the path behind you as branches reached out. There were sniffles, but the drying of tears would have to be done by another. You allowed yourself only one glance back, one last picture of your home to hold in your heart.
But when you think of it now, you see no manor, no husband, and no son.

Ashina....
Ashina.
It was the honorable thing to do, facing your sentence with courage. But thinking you could go beyond our reach, beyond my reach... shame on you to be so naïve.

-----

Ashina no Tomoe.
You have ran far enough. From home, from me, and from you. All of your kind are returned in the end, and there is nowhere to run anymore.
I can see you. I am coming.

>Open your eyes
>Keep them closed
>Scream
>Write-in

>>5567719
>Scream

>>5567719
>Open your eyes
Time to research on how to beat up a death god

>>5567719
>Scream

>>5567719
>Scream and lash out, attack the unseen!

>>5567719
>>Scream

>>5567719
>Keep them closed

>>5567743
>>5567719

>>Scream and lash out, attack the unseen!
This

>>5567719
>Scream and lash out, attack the unseen!

>>5567719
>Open your eyes

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>>5567723
>>5567732
>>5567740
>>5567743
>>5567842
>>5567887
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>>5568210

>Scream and lash out, attack the unseen!

Terror escapes your throat at the image of the Corpse-Collector on the Rivers of Blood. In a panic you lash out with a fist, striking...

"Ach!" Helga spits. You see her rubbing her cheek as your eyes shoot open. "O-ow... Just because I'm sturdier than I look doesn't mean it doesn't hurt..."
Heart pounding, ears ringing, breath running fast, you lean back against a nearby wall to keep yourself steady. The vampire collects herself with a sigh, more concerned than upset. "This is... well, quite bad I'll be honest."

"We may need to have a professional take a look at you, if you would be willing." She begins, taking a step towards but keeping an arm's length away from you. "From my view, it's like you're living half of a life here and half in the past. Moving to and fro as if you were possessed, muttering all the while..."

Once you take a moment to look around, you find that you're not where you were. Hide and seek must have had you searching in some strange places.

>Where are you?

>>5569178
>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
Also apologize to Helga.

>>5569178
>The Royal Graveyard
>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss
>Not usually like this, it must be the Dead Festival that’s bringing back old memories
Now, back to kidnapping princesses!

Would also settle for a closet or the Royal Palace for da lols.

>>5569178
>>5569194

>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>Definitely apologize to Helga profusely. Even if our punch was doughy.

>>5569178
>>5569194
Support.

>>5569178
>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss

>>5569178
>>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss

>>5569178
>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss

>>5569178
>The royal treasury

>>5569178
>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!

>>5569281
>>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss

>>5569194
Seconding this.

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>>5569194
>>5569219
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>>5569281
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>>5569618
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>>5570991
>>5574119

>A room (or perhaps a shop?) full of masks!
>Apologize to Helga, give the injured cheek a healing forgiveness kiss

Strange indeed. This subterranean room would be pitch dark if it weren't for a flameless lantern hanging from the low, rough-hewn stone roof. Masks line the walls, packed tightly together like the cobbles of the floor. Though there are many, many different designs among the wide array of false faces, you unsurprisingly, and perhaps fortunately, find none that you would have recognized from the Isles.

As Helga rubs her cheek, you reach out with an apology and offer to kiss it better. The vampire's expression turns awkward, holding up her hands to keep you and your heft at bay. "Er... No, no, I'm quite alright, really. I've already had two mothers, in a sense. Three is simply a crowd."

From here round-topped doorways lead both to your left and right, or front and back depending on how you look at things. More lanterns light their ways, trailing thin cord between each.
Through the first arch, henceforth referred to as Here, you can see more masks continuing on and becoming more and more sparce upon the walls. Within the exposed stone are skulls, bones, and other cobwebbed cadaverous materials resting snugly against one another on carved shelves.
Past the second, opposingly dubbed There, you spot a much shorter hall that splits into a T-junction, resulting in another Here and There sort of situation. Though much in that case it would be much easier to call them left and right, according to taste. The masks down this way end much more abruptly at the doorway, and you can spot a plaque of sorts attached to the midway of the fork.

>Investigate the walls of masks closer
>Go Here
>Go There
>Write-in

>>5575493
>>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>Investigate the walls of masks closer.
>Look for one to purchase.

>>5575493
>>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575493
>>Investigate the walls of masks closer

>>5575502
+1

>>5575493
>>Investigate the walls of masks closer