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>>5558544


Twitter: https://twitter.com/QM91m
Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Archives: https://suptg.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!

>>5558544
>>“I want to believe you, Pascaline. But evidence is all in court. So if I must…” Search Pascaline’s body for evidence… of some kind of crime?

>>5558544
>“Pascaline, the only inspection I’m going to make is of your delicious cheeses to see which ones I’m going to buy!” Use your coupon while you’re at it! Yes. You won’t feel complete unless you actually buy some cheese from Pascaline.
>"GIB CHEEZ"

>>5558551
+1
Use the coupon before we leave here for good

>>5558544
>>“I want to believe you, Pascaline. But evidence is all in court. So if I must…” Search Pascaline’s body for evidence… of some kind of crime?

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“Pascaline, the only inspection I’m going to make is of your delicious cheeses to see which ones I’m going to buy!” You swing your arm with a smile on your face to show Pascaline there’s nothing to worry about.

“Oh Phil, you had me worried for a moment.” From almost fainting to smiling, Pascaline had a whirlwind of emotions. “I don’t understand why you had to sneak in instead of calling, I gave you my private number… I’m always waiting for your call, yet you come here so suddenly.”

“C’mon, Pascaline, we both know it’s much better when we meet in person.” You adjust your glasses.

“But without warning? I could’ve prepared the soirée to be unforgettable.” Pascaline keeps adjusting her appearance as she speaks. She seems insecure, this being the end of a hard-worked day.

“Trust me, Pascaline, you and the cheese are all I need.” You’re as cheesy as everything around you.

“Phil…” Pascaline rips a tiny part of her top around her cleavage. Damn! She’s really putting a lot of herself in if she's so uncomfortable that she has to do that just for you to get the best cheese in the world. “Please say that again…”

“You and the cheese are all I need…” You repeat yourself.

“Don’t forget my name...” Pascaline really likes your voice, doesn’t she?

“Pascaline.” Your words are to her what her cheese is to you.

“Say it again.” Pascaline smiles coyly.

“Pascaline.” You’ll never forget the name of your Cheese Goddess! She seems very pleased!

“...Do you have your coupons?” The Cheese Goddess giggles.

“I never go out without them.” Just like your mother taught you.

“Excellent! Let’s start this Private Sale!” The Greatest Cheese Seller does a twirl and appears with three plates between her hands! “These are the very best dairy products I have to offer from my personal secret stash. You can only take one with you. Choose wisely!”

What do you do? (The Cheeses will take you to the next level.)

>Take the Mighty Cheese of Courage.
>Take the Wise Cheese of Knowledge.
>Take the All-Powerful Cheese of Brawn.
>Point at her cleavage...
>Write In.

>>5558627
>Take the Wise Cheese of Knowledge.
>So Johnny can finally be smart enough to tell when someone is hitting on him

>>5558627
>>Take the All-Powerful Cheese of Brawn.

>>5558634
+1

>>5558627
>>Take the All-Powerful Cheese of Brawn.

>>5558627
>>Point at her cleavage...

>>5558627
>Take the Wise Cheese of Knowledge.

>>5558627
>Take the Wise Cheese of Knowledge.

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You’ve taken the time to ponder about your decision for no other reason than that it’s a difficult choice with enormous bouncy consequences. You believe wholeheartedly that these Cheeses have the power to unlock your potential based solely on the fact of how they smell. Their essence is unmistakable. Your Cheese Goddess is thrilled to continue holding onto these choices as long as you want, but deep down you know this can’t go on forever.

You point at the Wise Cheese of Knowledge without moving your eyes so as not to break your concentration. Unfortunately, Pascaline twirls again to make the other two plates disappear...

“All yours as I am, Phil!” Pascaline hands it over. “Enjoy!”

“Should I eat it now?” You wanted to take it home and make yourself a pizza with it!

“Oh yes! Nothing else makes my heart race more than to see you enjoying my food! I know you’re busy with one of your cases, but you wouldn’t deprive me of this pleasure now, would you?” Pascaline isn’t lying, your smile means the world to her.

“Sure!” Well, you picked this cheese because it’s the only one you can be sure had some effect or not.

You indulge yourself in the mousy pleasures and have a taste of the great gift of the Goddess of Cheese…

…!!!!!!!

(Congratulations! The Wise Cheese of Knowledge has bestowed upon you a great gift! You’ve reached [Knowledge Level 5]!)

...Thanks to the knowledge the Wise Cheese has granted you, you can see the world from different perspectives and have come to many realizations. Many seem self-evident, but if it took so much knowledge to reveal these truths, it must mean that nothing is as simple as it meets the eyes.

The hip swaying, the constant cleavage adjustment, the touching, and the constant teasing… You were wrong all along, Kata was always flirting with you! You thought the bra adjustments were normal because Aurora does it, Holly does it, Grace does it, Chio does it, Nina does it, and even Pascaline does it! Everyone does it! But no! You were wrong! Kata really wanted you to see them bouncing! How can you be so blind…?

Wait. Wait. Wait… There are other forms of flirting…! Screw flirting! Of showing their interest towards you and you never got it until now! Their feelings were out in the open and you didn’t see them! It’s so obvious now! Grace and Mirjam were interested in you from the very beginning! Cookie and Wilma too! Heck, Chio was being difficult but she loved the headpatting from MOMENT ONE! What a naughty teacher!

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>>5558824

WAIT. WAIT. WAIT… What if… you take butt-shaking into account…? The number of women interested in you increases exponentially… You already noted Kata’s hip swings, but Yu Yan loves to shake them too! And Ruby! And Nariko! Even Nina, but you think it's just the way she likes to grab stuff off the floor... Matilda is really proud of hers too! Scarlet too! Heck, Vanessa likes it too… and she made Yareli check her hips too and — WAIT? YARELI HAS THE HOTS FOR YOU?! THIS CANNOT BE — WAIT A FUCK!!! THAT FANCLUB IS ACTUALLY RE—[ERROR] [ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR][ERROR]

What do you do?

>“Pascaline, it was delicious. I love it! Thank you for everything, my goddess. I must go now!” Hug Pascaline before leaving like the old Xumenlo tradition dictates.
>“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Explore the [ERROR], this cannot be…
>“I’m having an existential crisis. Can you hold me in your arms and tell me everything will be fine, please?” You need help.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, We continue tomorrow!)

>>5558825
>>“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Explore the [ERROR], this cannot be…

>>5558825
>>“I’m having an existential crisis. Can you hold me in your arms and tell me everything will be fine, please?” You need help.

>>5558825
>“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Explore the [ERROR], this cannot be…

>>5558825
>>“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Explore the [ERROR], this cannot be…
The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate...

>>5558825
>“I’m having an existential crisis. Can you hold me in your arms and tell me everything will be fine, please?” You need help.

>>5558825
>“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Explore the [ERROR], this cannot be…
>Just checking to make sure

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Before you restart your systems, you need to corroborate this new data and reassess all these new different factors…

“Pascaline… Do you have a crush on me…?” Even though it’s a serious question, you can’t wipe the smile off your face, the cheese was THAT delicious. Pascaline can’t get enough of your pearly whites, so it’s all good.

“You’re doing this backwards, Phil. If my cheese has enchanted you to the very core, it should be you who’s professing their feelings!” Pascaline finds your reaction really amusing.

“You would never give cheese of this quality to just anyone...” You’re not going to be dense anymore. This isn’t normal! Smiles don’t pay rent.

“That’s right! You’re a very special customer and this is a private sale. Even if ill-prepared, I couldn’t disappoint someone who puts so much at risk for this community.” Pascaline finds this evident, but she’s dancing around the question.

“You give premium cheese to every police officer you meet…?” You find that hard to believe. And you’re still not a cop.

“I would if anyone else was nearly as charming as you are!” Pascaline puts her hands on pepper-red cheeks. “And I know you find your Cheese Goddess just as charming...” Pascaline adjusts her top again! She’s flirting again! She’s giggling and flirting!

“Pascaline, you have feelings for me…” You should’ve kept that quiet to better handle the situation, but your brain is too busy dealing with the [ERROR] to work perfectly. It’s just too much!

“Phil, we both know that we can’t act on our feelings. No matter how romantic it is, a roaming elite detective and a country farmer can’t mix… we come from entirely different worlds. You must be quite the lover, but —as much as it pains me— you wouldn’t give yourself up for a night of lust…” Pascaline doesn’t seem hurt by this. “It doesn’t mean that I want to stop our playful flirting… It’s the highlight of my day! Well, Phil… It’s late. You should go on your way.”

Woah, you didn’t know some people flirt for the sake of flirting! This will help navigate situations more easily!

How do you respond?

>“I’ll be on my way, Pascaline. But let me be clear: I’ll never stop worshiping my fair Cheese Goddess!” You’re going to always appreciate Pascaline’s friendship with benefits!
>“Just to be clear, if I asked you to be intimate with me, like doing lovey-dovey stuff, you’d be up for it?” Okay, you have more knowledge, but you need all the information you can get to clear up the [ERROR].
>“You got some things wrong…” Kiss Pascaline! You’re a man of action!
>Write In.

What do you do next?

>You need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
>Go to the Meeting Spot. You’re leaving the Bubble.
>Write In.

>>5559694
>>“You got some things wrong…” Kiss Pascaline! You’re a man of action!
>You need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
Kobashi

>>5559694
>“I’ll be on my way, Pascaline. But let me be clear: I’ll never stop worshiping my fair Cheese Goddess!” You’re going to always appreciate Pascaline’s friendship with benefits!

>You need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
>Kobashi

>>5559694
>“You got some things wrong…” Kiss Pascaline! You’re a man of action!
>You need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
>Kobashi

>>5559694
>“You got some things wrong…” Kiss Pascaline! You’re a man of action!
>You need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
>Kobashi

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“Pascaline.” You touch her red-peppered cheeks gently. The Cheese Goddess puts away the plates on top of a box. “You got some things wrong…”

You plant a kiss on the Goddess of all Cheese! And who could’ve known? To you, she tastes better than the dairy products she’s so proud of! Too bad, this does the opposite of making you smart, but you don’t care. With her arms around your neck she embraces you back, and the smooching goes on for longer than either of you expected, but wholeheartedly wanted...

“I was right about one thing, I knew you’d be quite the lover…” Pascaline giggles to her heart’s content as she pulls out of the kiss. Y-You weren’t done yet…! You smile anyway, but when you approach her to continue, she puts her finger on top of your nose. “Let’s stop here, Detective…”

“But Pascaline…” You say her name the way she wants you to. *Still. Not. A. Cop.*

“Phil, don’t forget your responsibilities…” Pascaline smiles from ear to ear. You have no other option but to stop. You’re assertive, but not pushy. “Next time, when I’m prepared, I’ll be all yours… I promise.” Pascaline shakes her *other* dairy products and (somehow) winks to make her intentions more evident. “Now go!”

“I’ll be going then… Pascaline…” You whisper in her ear, bringing the Cheese Goddess to her knees.

You have no idea how you left the closed stall, but you did! You left with a smile on your face...

Part of you feels that being assertive is the way to go, but you’re treading new ground, so you’d better be careful — because there’s nothing you’d hate more in this world than hurting someone's deeper feelings with your callousness. Pascaline doesn’t deserve to be tossed aside, so you’ll have to pay her another visit at one point! Someday! Somehow! Aaagh! How can anyone deal with so many lovely women without screwing it up?!

“That’s the secret: You don’t.” Devil Osgood is back! You thought he left forever... “With your readjustments, I just happened to find a way out.”

“Partner, I’m back.” Philonune was gone…? How come you didn’t notice? “I didn’t leave. I was unable to communicate with you after you ate the Fruit of Knowledge.” The power of Cheese must be used responsibly… “I had a trip with all the memories you spent with your father.”

“Huh, I’d rather not talk about that.” You still need to get rid of Devil Osgood.

“He’s gone, partner.” Philonune shakes his flame body. Mixing the narration with the dialogue makes these last bits confusing to follow…

Anyway, you put your winter clothes into the bag Galactic lent you and walk to your next destination. It’s cold outside, but not that cold! The old you would ask how Pascaline could stand it, but now you know she’s too hot for that!

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>>5559830

Next in line… Kobashi! You find him in front of his house with a baseball bat. After exchanging pleasantries, you ask him what’s up with the bat. He says he’s protecting the house from evil spirits so that little Fiora can sleep. He had to find someone to enchant it to convince the little coconut head that the weapon is useful. Looks like Fiora is back to normal (for this dimension’s standards). Oh well, some people read their kids bedtime stories, Kobashi has to stay outside in the cold with a piece of wood.

“How can I help you, Phil?” Kobashi yawns. No wonder he’s tired, he’s an early riser. He doesn’t seem to have his old (new?) memories. But that isn’t important, is it?

What do you do?

>“I came here to say goodbye, I’m leaving for the future.” Awkwardly revealing this key piece of information.
>“Can you tell me if this recipe is any good?” Show him Prof Bombastus’ ultimate recipe.
>“Sorry for leaving out of the blue yesterday.” Try to jog his memory, maybe he can explain the Esperanza stuff he spouted about.
>“How is being a parent treating you?” Icebreak time, maybe?
>Write In.

>>5559832
>>“Can you tell me if this recipe is any good?” Show him Prof Bombastus’ ultimate recipe.

>>5559832
>“Can you tell me if this recipe is any good?” Show him Prof Bombastus’ ultimate recipe.

>>5559832
>“Sorry for leaving out of the blue yesterday.” Try to jog his memory, maybe he can explain the Esperanza stuff he spouted about.
>“Can you tell me if this recipe is any good?” Show him Prof Bombastus’ ultimate recipe.

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“Can you tell me if this recipe is any good?” You show Professor Bombastus’ secret recipe from your pocket.

“Cake?” Kobashi takes a glance. “Eh, you have enough with what I taught you.” He’s absurdly proud of his cooking, huh?

“Weird. I heard this recipe is scientifically proven.” You adjust your glasses. Maybe provoking the officer will force him to check it out.

“Where’s the heart in that?” Kobashi scoffs at your remarks. He believes the best cooking is done with passion.

“I don’t know, you tell me.” You shove the recipe in his face for answers.

“All right, all right…” Kobashi reads it properly. “Hold onto your tomatoes… That’s not a bad idea at all… Umm…” It’s a cake, why is he mentioning tomatoes? Who does he think he is? You?

“It’s not amateur work, huh?” You cross your arms, all smugly.

“There are some interesting ideas here. But…” Kobashi is deep in thought.

“But?” You want to hear his expertise. With more Knowledge, you should be able to cook even better than before.

“We need to put ‘em in practice! Hell if I know what it tastes like otherwise.” Kobashi is a very practical man. “No chef does.”

“Can’t you picture it in your head or something? You’re a professional, aren’t you?” You’re starting to feel a little bit skeptical.

“Picture it in my head...? What are you talking about…? You’ve never made your own recipe before, have you?” Kobashi sees through the fraud you are.

“Guilty as charged.” You make little to big adjustments, not complete recipes.

“That’s the difference between amateurs and professionals! There’s no shame in relying on what’s tried and tested. Gerard made a career out of that!” Kobashi has a good laugh. “But, I won’t lie, you lit this bulb.” The policeman taps his head. “I think Fiora is asleep by now. Come back in an hour, I’ll have the cake ready by then!”

“W-What do you mean come back in an hour…?”

Before you could finish your sentence, Kobashi ran back into the house to bake Dr. Bombastus’ cake. He left you without the recipe! It isn’t a biggie, as Dorothy is coming along outside the bubble, but you don’t think she’ll forgive you for losing the master key to cake business success…

But what now…?

What do you do…?

>Barge inside Kobashi’s house. You’re not going to wait outside for an hour!
>Do nothing outside for an hour… Make Kobashi feel really bad about ditching you here when he comes back.
>Return later. In the meantime, you need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>5559902
>Return later. In the meantime, you need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
Sieb Bruun. Confront the guy that feels like Johnny but evil.

>>5559902
>>Return later. In the meantime, you need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
Cohen

>>5559902
>Return Later
Wilma

>>5560210
+1

>>5559902
>Do nothing outside for an hour… Make Kobashi feel really bad about ditching you here when he comes back.

>>5559902
>>Return later. In the meantime, you need to find a certain someone! For closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This can include characters waiting at the gate.])
Crossbill

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There’s little point in waiting outside and, as the designated cook in your household, barging in uninvited to someone else’s kitchen while they’re cooking is a no-go. You’re going to do a little rescheduling, and do the next meeting on your list! You leave the Kobashi house’s premises to return to the shopping district.

You wanted to go to Chewnette’s Garden Shop, but something caught your eye as you walked through the shopping district. Most of the buildings are closed by now, but one open building has a small gathering… You kept your distance from this odd place, but from the entrance, Cohen manages to spot you. He shortens the distance and the two of you greet each other…

“What’s going on over there?” Curiosity overcomes your body. You have no recollection of this building being open or in decent condition.

“It’s a new shrine to the benevolent spirit who protects the town that my parents helped build. They convinced the Mayor to turn this abandoned building into it.” Cohen feels second-hand embarrassment for letting you know. “For the last few days, the Spirit has done miracles all over town! My mom swears up and down that he is the reason our family has been reunited.”

“A benevolent spirit…?” You don’t like where this is going.

“Mhm. All the people you see here are his followers.” Cohen nods. “When the Mayor saw so many people, he didn’t hesitate to help.” That’s one way to win votes… Cohen seems a little too interested in politics, no matter how small they are. “I don’t know if you met her, but they left our teacher, Mrs. Bendixen, in charge. She claims to have communicated with the spirit more than once, and my mother has corroborated it.” Yeah, that’s Ronda all right… “So, tell me, do you like your shrine?”

“M-Mine?” You pretend not to understand.

“The spirit’s name is Philonune. And you are Phil Noon. Philonune. Phil Noon. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, and the timeline is consistent with your arrival.” Cohen laughs modestly. Yeah, it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, but it takes a big dummy to come up with it…

You take a closer look at what’s inside… and see a shrine… with a familiar-looking bear. And no, it’s not Ame’s bear.

“Hey, that’s me!” Philonune seems happy to recognize himself in the bear. But after a moment’s thought, he’s not so happy. “P-Partner, I didn’t want minions! Now look! We have a whole congregation!” Philonune feels distressed for some reason. Don’t thoughts fuel entities? Shouldn’t Philonune be a little happier than this?

Philonune, the Guardian Spirit…Didn’t Ronda want to be associated with an evil spirit? What’s this?!

Anyway, you didn’t bring down TWO cults to have your own… What the hell…? Will you have to make it three?

>>5560635

What do you do?

>“Can we put a stop to this…?” You don’t feel comfortable having a cult! Or a shrine. You guess it isn’t technically a cult just yet…
>“Can you keep quiet about it...?” You don’t want to be associated with it.
>“As long as they’re happy…” They’re gonna get bored once the miracles dry out, right…?
>Write In.

You’re here for Cohen! What do you say to him?

>Tell him that you’ve come to say goodbye as you’re leaving for a while. Ask him his full name before going.
>Ask Cohen about Gautier. Did he get Grace’s message from Mr. Auburn?
>Ask Cohen how his family treats him. It seems like he has his dad back.
>Write In.

>>5560638
>>“As long as they’re happy…” They’re gonna get bored once the miracles dry out, right…?
It's cute
>Tell him that you’ve come to say goodbye as you’re leaving for a while. Ask him his full name before going.
>Ask Cohen how his family treats him. It seems like he has his dad back.

>>5560638
>“As long as they’re happy…” They’re gonna get bored once the miracles dry out, right…?
It'll be finee.
>Tell him that you’ve come to say goodbye as you’re leaving for a while. Ask him his full name before going.
>Ask Cohen how his family treats him. It seems like he has his dad back.

>>5560638
backing >>5560642 but also this
>Ask Philonune if he's bothered because being worshiped makes him feel something like The Creator? It bothers you too, just not as much as it does to him. It feels good to do good things for people and all that, but outright worshiped for it? Nah! Show your partner some support back after all he's done for you!

>>5560649
I'll support this
>>5560638

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“As long as they’re happy…” You cannot help but feel awkward, even though you’re sure they’ll get bored once the miracles dry up, just like with the other bear’s shrine… Besides, it doesn’t bother you as much as it did Philonune, but being worshiped feels wrong! You like being thanked, but that’s a step too far! Even though it’s cute… ugh, you’re all over the place, but you support your partner, and that’s all that matters here.

“Thanks, Partner.” Yeah, it’s the blind adoration that bothers Philonune the most. Anyway, Cohen answers you.

“Yes, it’s a fun little custom. There are other shrines around town, but it’s the first one in the shopping district — and it means a lot to some of us.” Cohen sounds too mature for his age. He’s an old soul.

“Anyway, how is your family treating you?” You don’t want to say that his mom is kinda on the iffy side, but you can think it.

“It doesn’t feel real…” Cohen is overwhelmed in a good way. You infer he’s being treated well. “I like my mom and dad. It’s like I’ve always known them. I have the same sense of humor as my dad, and I love gardening with my mom. I never fantasized about them coming back like my friends do, they never hide how painful it is... But even if I had, I don’t think my dreams could’ve done it justice.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” You smile. “Don’t forget about your friends now that you’re regular. Okay?”

“N-No! T-That thought never crossed my mind…! I don’t know if they’ll let me hang out with them anymore...” Cohen is now worried about how they will react.

“I’m sure Big Ben and Gautier won’t care.” You don’t think they’re those types of people. “Be yourself and you’ll be fine. I mean, they like your regular self a lot. And I don’t mean ‘regular’ as in what everyone here calls ‘regular’, you know?”

“Y-Yes, I do…” Cohen must be one of the few people who get what you’re trying to say…

“Well, Cohen, I came over to say goodbye. I’m going away for a while.” You adjust your glasses. It’s time to say goodbye!

“S-So soon?” Cohen is surprised by this. “Uhm, w-why did you take the time to say goodbye to me?”

“It means a lot to me that you were the first person to welcome me here.” You never forget about the good deeds people do for you! “Before I go, w-what’s your last name?”

“Foreman. My name is Cohen Foreman.” A lot of emotions run through Cohen. “Have a good trip! And thank you for reuniting me with my parents!”

“No problem.” You salute Cohen one last time…

What do you do?

>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.
>Write In.

>>5560766
>>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Gautier

>>5560766
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Crossbill

>>5560770
Sure, I'll change to this

>>5560772
Thank you

>>5560766
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Crossbill

>>5560766
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Crossbill

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You part ways with your megane brother and leave the Shopping District once more, hoping that you won’t have to come back. You could’ve saved yourself a lot of trouble if you’d planned this better… But you will come back here as often as you need if you remember someone you need to say goodbye to!

The Shine of Philonune will stand tall in your absence. Maybe, somehow, someday, it’ll come in handy, even if its existence doesn’t make either of you two all that comfortable… It’ll be better for both of you if you take Cohen’s point of view and think of it as a cultural custom rather than a discount cult. Because, frankly, you’re tired of dealing with those.

Now, meeting with the person you want to visit isn’t going to be easy. But you have a hunch you’ll find them around. You’ve been very lucky so far! Maybe you should check out their workplace? Or their secret treasure chamber? Hmm… You wonder where in the world Crossbill is… You continue walking along the empty dirt roads of Xumenlo until...

“Looking lost, Bestie?” Hey, that’s Crossbill’s voice! She’s sitting on top of a wall, looking down on you. She jumps down to get to your level. “This ain’t like you!”

“Crossbill! I was looking for you!” You’re glad to find her!

“Huh? Me? You sure you’re not looking for Crayon Fingers?” Is Charlotte referring to Chio…? “Funny that, I was looking for you too.”

“For me?” You also act surprised.

“Yeah, Knockout. You.” Crossbill laughs at your expression. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m keepin’ my hands where you can see them! I’m just here to talk!”

“That’s great, because I want to talk too!” You get excited! Things are going according to your plan! The plan of not really having a plan!

“See, besties are always on the same page!” Crossbill smirks as she puts her hands on her hips. “Now, where do we begin?”

What do you do?

>Ask Crossbill what happened to the Nariko Nautical.
>Ask Crossbill what she wants to talk about.
>Tell Crossbill you’re leaving town. You’re going to miss your bestie!
>You don’t feel like Crossbill has a crush on you, but ask her if she has any feelings for you anyway. You need to hone your senses, and learning when a relationship is merely platonic or not will help a lot.
>Write In.

>>5560840
>>Ask Crossbill what she wants to talk about.

>>5560840
>Ask Crossbill what she wants to talk about.
>Tell Crossbill you’re leaving town. You’re going to miss your bestie!

>>5560840
>>Ask Crossbill what happened to the Nariko Nautical.

>>5560844
+1; get her full real name too

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“Better if we start with what you want to talk about.” You don’t mind if Crossbill starts.

“There’s a lot! Uhmmm..” Crossbill doesn’t know where to begin. “I know! Catch!” The petty thief throws you a shiny object. You catch it with no issues.

“What’s this? A ring?” The logo on it reminds you of a police badge. “Wait, don’t tell me...”

“No passwords needed, Knockout.” Crossbill’s level of smugness almost rivals Yu Yan’s. This is Vanessa’s commemorative ring! The one she isn’t proud of anymore.

“Well, I’m impressed.” You need to act like stealing from Lt. van Zullekom isn’t at the same level as stealing from a kid. “Be sure to return it.” You throw it back. It isn’t your job to hand it to the Lieutenant.

“Heard the pig doesn’t even want it, but she keeps it in a safe anyway. She should keep something else in there… I wonder what her deal is.” Naturally, Crossbill has some questions regarding the ring. Too bad she doesn’t know enough about Vanessa to realize how disappointing the answer will be.

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?” You wonder why she hasn’t said much. Crossbill should be asking you why you needed the safe’s password.

“You really don’t care about that, doyou…? Can’t blame you. You cracked the safe open before me.” Crossbill can tell you were faking your amazement.

“Yeah…” You’ll agree just to not keep mentally shitting on Vanessa. “Anything else?”

“I met Houda!!! All thanks to you! He said so himself! He gave me his blessing too! You’re the best bestie on the planet! Ohohohoho~!” Crossbill starts playing with her ponytail all enthusiastically. Isn’t the point of being a bestie that you’re, in fact, the best? “He’s both much cooler and lamer than I thought! But his skills are no joke. He’s the best there is, the best there was… But I’ll be the best there will ever be… for him… and you. But mainly for me.”

“Hey! Don’t get corny.” You know this isn’t the Crossbill you know.

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>>5560907

“Can’t stop being sentimental because, uh, there’s some heavy stuff I haven’t mentioned. Houda told me that... he’ll soon be killed… Apparently, all his enemies are in town, and there’s no way for him to escape.” Crossbill turns paler. “He sent you a message… He said ‘To not forget the future is in your hands’, then he handed me these…”

“Huh…?” Those are the crystals Houda is collecting...

“He told me to bury them away in Pokyo Lokyo and… huh… I’m planning on wishing you farewell. Because I’m going to do it for him, and I’m probably never meeting you again.” Crossbill turns her back on you.

“Another coincidence, I’m leaving town too.” You adjust your glasses.

“Wha—? You’re planning on going to Lokyo? Hold on, Do you want to go together?!” Crossbill turns around, she’s getting teary-eyed. “I could use a hand, y’know?!”

How do you respond?

>“Charlotte, you don’t have to do this if you’re scared.” You don’t want her to be in danger.
>“I’m not going there, sorry.” Throw the bad news immediately.
>“There’s something you are not telling me, isn’t there?” You don’t think Crossbill would get emotional that easily.
>“Crossbill, the thing is…” Tell her the entire truth. About you and the future.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day! We continue tomorrow!)

>>5560908
>>“Charlotte, you don’t have to do this if you’re scared.” You don’t want her to be in danger.
>“There’s something you are not telling me, isn’t there?” You don’t think Crossbill would get emotional that easily.

>>5560908
>“Charlotte, you don’t have to do this if you’re scared.” You don’t want her to be in danger.
>“Crossbill, the thing is…” Tell her the entire truth. About you and the future.
>“There’s something you are not telling me, isn’t there?” You don’t think Crossbill would get emotional that easily.

>>5560908
Backing >>5561010

>>5561010
Sounds good

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“Charlotte, you don’t have to do this if you’re scared.” You don’t want Crossbill to put herself in danger because she feels obligated to.

“I’m not scared, boofhead! I’ve messed with cops and pigs alike my entire life. One mistake and I’ll be cheering for this awful country’s peace six feet deep. I know the risks better than anybody in this town! And let me tell you, ruining those bastards is something I’m willing to die for.” It wasn’t your intention to provoke Crossbill, but it gave her some confidence! But you don’t want her to die! “Instead of putting up a front and acting all concerned for my safety, why aren’t you upfront about it and tell me you don’t wanna go, you coward?”

“No, Crossbill, you’re misunderstanding me…” You think you need to be honest with everything. “The thing is…”

You reveal everything about yourself and the f u t u r e (As much as you told people here) to the chirping thief. Like with most people, you had to show a little bit of your powers to convince her that you’re not a fraud. Crossbill went from speechless to… whatever this is…

“That’s AMAZING!” Crossbill’s adoring eyes aren’t only for Houda anymore… “No wonder Houda had you in high regard! This is so exciting!” She was about to break into tears two seconds ago, and now she looks like she’s enjoying the best park ride on the planet.

“That’s why I’m skipping town. I’m returning to my timeline.” You wanted to say the ‘present’ but that’d confuse her.

“Yeah, I guess you’re not a chicken at all, Mr. Guardian Spirit. Thought you steal some credit there!” Charlotte laughs like she needs to relieve stress.

“Huh, you figured that one out too?” You and Philonune do not endorse any religious affiliations.

“Come on, you think I’m stupid? That place bugs me ‘cause I’m sure your only miracle was catching me.” Crossbill doesn’t like being underestimated. “It was easy to tell since Doodle Dopey told me your entire name, Bestie.” Yeah, that explains why you don’t recall ever telling your last name to this bird.

“That’s not fair. I don’t know yours!” You feel cheated like you’re one of Nina’s diets!

“Charlotte L. Summers.” Crossbill grins. “Don’t you dare forget it! You have to find me in the future!”

“W-What? You don’t know how far in the future I am… You might not be alive.” You adjust your glasses to feign ignorance.

“Ha! Like I’d believe that! You couldn’t have cooked on that old piece of junk if you were!” Crossbill has ‘gotchu’ eyes. “Do it, okay? No matter the timeline, birds of a feather flock together!”

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>>5561852

“I-I told you I can’t confirm or deny anything…” You need to preserve the timeline! The one you irreparably messed up with… the one that doesn’t affect yours. Uh, why are you doing this again? “To think you didn’t trust me one bit before and now look at you...”

“What can I say? At least you’re somewhat honest.” Crossbill sounds sadder out of the blue.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” You noticed she’s getting quite the mood swings.

“Yeah…” Crossbill was waiting for you to address the underlying issue. “Remember that bastard, Ewan?”

“I-I thought you liked the guy.” You recall she’s talking about the guy who let Crossbill store her treasures.

“Not anymore, he’s an undercover pig from the SCI.” All hints of Crossbill’s smile fade away. “He was keeping tabs on me for whatever reason.”

“He’s spying on us right now?!” You don’t sense him around, but perhaps he’s that good...

“Nah, cops like him are early birds. I was looking for you at this time of night ‘cause he ain’t around.” Crossbill wants you to calm down. Well, Kobashi is an early bird and he’s making a cake right now! Perhaps he lost control of his life... “Frankly, I never noticed until the other day when I spotted him spying on you.”

“Me?!” Okay, this will leave you paranoid.

“Yeah. He saw you carry all that cookie dough on your back. A sight to behold…” Crossbill shudders at just the thought. “I confronted him. All he said was that you are suspicious. Later that day the police station went on lockdown. Something big happened, and I thought you were involved when you told me you were skipping town, but now? I can’t figure it out.”

You can clarify some bits and pieces, but the overall picture seems fuzzy when it comes to this Ewan guy.

How do you respond?

>Inform Crossbill all about what happened to the Orphanage and the subsequent investigation. That should clear up things for her.
>You feel like the confrontation wasn’t as simple as Crossbill says. Ask for details. This Ewan might be important.
>Tell Crossbill that it is better if she doesn’t think about it, and to go to Lokyo as soon as she can.
>Ask this stupid bird why she didn’t tell you then and there! Heck, she has done a lot of mean things and has never apologized! She’s a bad friend!
>Ask Crossbill why she knows about you carrying that cookie dough…
>Write In.

>>5561853
>You feel like the confrontation wasn’t as simple as Crossbill says. Ask for details. This Ewan might be important.

>>5561853
>>Inform Crossbill all about what happened to the Orphanage and the subsequent investigation. That should clear up things for her.
>Ask Crossbill why she knows about you carrying that cookie dough…

>>5561859
+1

>>5561853
>You feel like the confrontation wasn’t as simple as Crossbill says. Ask for details. This Ewan might be important.
>Inform Crossbill all about what happened to the Orphanage and the subsequent investigation. That should clear up things for her.
>Ask Crossbill why she knows about you carrying that cookie dough…

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“What happened was…” You confined in Crossbill the events related to the Orphanage and implore her to keep quiet.

“You did all that?! You really deserve that shrine, huh?” Crossbill is in disbelief in a good way. “Do I have to remind you I’m leaving town too? It doesn’t matter anyhow. It’d be all over the news soon before I get to chirp about what happened there.” Charlotte crosses her arms. “Yeah, everything starts making sense, but… I’m so pissed! If only one dirtbag actually cared about us to check on them once, none of this would have happened! Children of the Future, my butt! What future do we have if we’re never going to survive the present?!” Crossbill scratches her head rapidly in frustration. “To hell with this town! With this country! With that STUPID LOGO! TO HELL WITH EVERYTHING!”

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Your last talk with your bestie shouldn’t go like this.

“No, Bestie. You gave me more reasons to go to Lokyo, and stick it to ‘em!” Crossbill will fight a loser’s battle… and might win.

“I believe in you.” You’ll support this silly bird! Though, you hope she’s careful. “There’s something else I need to know more about. Can you give me more details about your confrontation with this Ewan guy?”

“He said a bunch of blarney! Trying to excuse himself, saying he was birdwatching, but I knew he was up to no good, you can tell by his brows. So I pick-pocketed his badge and showed it to him. That made him talk.” Charlotte is so pissed about this. But it’s not her regular indignation like with Dustin the fat manager. It runs deeper. “Like I said, a SCI guy, but he isn’t a foot soldier: Ewan is a recruiter, and is seeking kids with ‘good hearts’ and ‘talent’. He knows about ,e, about my ‘crimes’; he tried to sweet-talk me about how he hid them from the bureau because he saw potential in me. Said stuff like he always had an eye on me because he cared about my well-being. That he thought I’d be an invaluable asset for this country, but he didn’t want to bring the offer unless I lost my 8th job and there would be no one in town who wanted to hire me.”

“Maybe he actually believed that...” From what you recall, he didn’t give you any bad vibes. But your gut feeling can fail you sometimes. You have three scars on your chest to show for that…

“Don’t be an idiot. You know what they do to CotF who don’t work? Prison! And not any normal prison, we call it: ‘No Future Prison’. Very on the nose, but there’s nothing subtle about this program. Now you see? Ewan waited for me to be desperate to drop that offer! That’s psychopath behavior!” Crossbill wants you to realize how messed up this is. You can’t help but agree that this isn’t a good look in the slightest.

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>>5561966

“And he really thought that mentioning that I wouldn’t be the first recruit he got from my school would sway me. I mean, I graduated already, but that’s messed up! He wanted orphan meat shields. I was very firm with him and said NO. And if he didn’t stop following you around, I was going to expose him! He went away after that. Tail between his legs like all Gordogs should. Don’t know if it worked, but I had to do something to help you.” Crossbill continues.

“Thanks, Charlotte. I mean it.” You really underestimated what all the Houda Lan stuff meant for her…

“I wouldn’t have moved a muscle if you didn’t handle the food cart business the way you did. You stuck by us. Never change that about yourself, you hear me?” Charlotte is trying really hard to give big sister vibes.

“Yes!” Man, this is getting too wholesome. Too bad you’ll have to ruin it. “Here’s the thing, your story started right at the climax, and I was wondering… why do you know about me carrying that cookie dough?” You raise an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t there to see you, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Charlotte crosses her arms. “The ghost you were carrying, that’s another story. Barely recognized her.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” You think she’s talking about Cookie.

“Corrine hasn’t been seen out in the open for MONTHS. I don’t know what the other members of the Track & Field team got into, but they begged me to talk to her. I said I have my diploma. I have no business with any of them. They don’t like me at all either! So their request turned the alarms on bright right. And that’s what I did. I went to check on her.” Charlotte looks uncomfortable just thinking about what she's about to say. “When I saw you with her, I kinda knew she was in good hands… But, oh boy, she looks terrible! Maybe months of drinking should’ve taken a bigger toll on her. But still! You’d be shocked if you knew what she looked like before her injury. If I had to cope with my career ending for good, I’d stay out of drinking...”

Hey, it’s not time to know Cookie’s full backstory! You’re leaving! Ugh…

What do you do?

>“Sorry, we got off-topic. You need to take care, Crossbill. Your bestie will always be rooting for you.” It’s time to say goodbye.
>“Hold on, Cookie had a career-ending injury…?” You never heard anyone say it before. You thought it was a regular injury!
>“Crossbill… do you have any friends?” You’ve noticed how lonely she is...
>Write In.


(Last Reply of the Day, we continue on Saturday!)

>>5561966
The three scars on Johnny's chest are a badge of literally the best strategic move he's ever made, securing Neko's loyalty for his team. More importantly, denying her services to any other forces. It was high risk high reward but it paid off.

>>5562026
He literally almost just died unnecessarily though, it's a miracle he managed to survive in the first place. It wasnt a calculated risk, it was just anons being retarded

>>5562227
Can confirm. I was there years ago, and I witnessed the retardation firsthand. I also voted for it out of sick curiosity.

>>5562227
That's only the case with meta-knowledge. Any outsider looking in on the situation will just see that Johnny acquired the single most important intel gathering asset in the game and denied everyone else its use in a single move. Regardless of the fact that anons weren't calculating at the time, in retrospect it comes off as a calculated risk and one that had huge benefits.

>>5561968
>“Hold on, Cookie had a career-ending injury…?” You never heard anyone say it before. You thought it was a regular injury!
>“Crossbill… do you have any friends?” You’ve noticed how lonely she is...
Bettin' she doesn't have friends at least partially because she doesn't want anyone else to catch flak from her moves against the powers that be.

>>5562314
+1

>>5561968
>>“Crossbill… do you have any friends?” You’ve noticed how lonely she is...

>>5562314
That's just looking at the result and saying that it's good cause it worked out. We definitely could've gotten her on our side without almost dying and having Bradford die and Lise getting shot. If Johnny didn't learn how retarded he was and continued acting that reckless he would not be alive still

>>5562699
I disagree that we could've secured her so thoroughly, to the point of her not offering her services to anyone else, without such an authentic display of earnestness. Distrust was Suzy's whole thing. She felt unsafe because there was no one she could trust and so felt there was no choice but to play all sides and drive herself mad doing it. We wholeheartedly obliterated those entrenched ideas by demonstrating that we were willing to put our life of the line to back up our words, and even accepted her afterwards.

Like, it was a retarded thing to do for sure, but it wasn't something that was done totally without deliberate intent and awareness of the potential benefits.

As for Bradford and Lise, Bradford dying wasn't our fault. Neither was Lise getting shot, since that was a consequence of Bradford's own stupid decisions coming back to bite him in the ass.

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“Hold on, Cookie had a career-ending injury…?” You’ve never heard this before, you thought it was a regular injury. Oh no, and you made her run so much! You’re a monster! First, all the flirting you missed until it was painfully obvious, and now this! Can these life altering revelations come at a slower pace?!

“Sounds worse than it is, she was in a wheelchair and all, but that’s how it usually goes with everyone that visits that psycho doc.” Crossbill has bad memories of the village doctor. Somewhere else, Jessie shares the sentiment. “Corrine tripped down the stairs and kissed the floor in a bad way. Needed knee surgery that no CotF could afford to get back at 100%, but could live a normal life without it. Guess what happened, Bestie. Sucks to be us. If you’re not at your best, you can’t compete at the highest level.” Crossbill crosses her arms. “It was right before the regionals.”

“I had no idea it was that bad.” If only you knew.

“Can’t say I blame you. Corrine’s best buddy blamed herself for the accident and was taking it very badly even BEFORE everyone knew how bad the injury actually was. Her buddy went through thick and fat for Corrine, I remember that Pudding-head always showed up during training while I was there.” Crossbill seems to recall Wilma perfectly! Then why didn't she recognize her as Wich!? “I imagine that girl couldn’t have lived with the guilt if she ever learned the truth because our Cookie Dough forced the entire track & field team not to tell a single soul about the matter.” Charlotte isn’t comfortable revealing her thoughts on the matter. “Everyone ended up depressed. The End. That’s all that the New Captain told me before I did my *intervention* with Corrine.”

“That’s sad all around…” You look down. Ophelia used all of this to control Wilma… She alienated her from her friends, made everyone in her orphanage reject her, and everyone was bullying her in school… You’re glad you made the tomatoes reunite.

“No sunshine and flowers under Gordon, Knockout. That’s the reality we live in…” Crossbill yearns for a better country… and new management.

“Uhm, there’s a thing I noticed…” You want to change topics, kinda. “Crossbill, do you have any friends…?”

“Lemme think…” Crossbill tried to count Ewan for a moment, but the sad reality under Gordon strikes again. “Just you, Bestie. Why?” She doesn’t seem upset in the slightest about her life situation.

“You sound lonely.” You feel bad for your bestie.

“Better than to be attached to Gordogs who can’t stop yapping about how great their parents’ bones are.” Crossbill grins. She doesn’t have one care in the world. “I have a mission to do, a better future to build, and a bunch of jerks to kick the asses of.” She shakes the bag with the colorless crystals.

This lonely bird prefers to spread her wings alone. But does she have to?

>>5564923


>>How do you respond?

>“Maybe you should be friends with Chio. Help her not to stray away from her path.” You have to word this in a way to convince Crossbill to try. They were good business partners, they could work this out!
>“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know Crossbill is the only CotF in town who won’t judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie.
>“Talk to that Ewan guy again. He might be a cop, but I don’t think you had the closure you wanted.” You feel like Crossbill has an open wound over the fact.
>“I know Houda is not going to fall here. After you’re done with the Crystals, you have to look for him. Lieutenant van Zullekom is his friend, and she will help you if you show her this.” Hand Crossbill the dog plushy or the Ghoulzilla T-Shirt as an item of trust. (Decide which one of the two.)
>Write In.

>>What do you do after this?

>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.
>Write In.

(Only reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow properly!)

>>5564924
>“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know Crossbill is the only CotF in town who won’t judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie.
And then
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Those two kids at the beach

>>5564924
>>“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know Crossbill is the only CotF in town who won’t judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie.
And also, she should probably
>“Talk to that Ewan guy again. He might be a cop, but I don’t think you had the closure you wanted.” You feel like Crossbill has an open wound over the fact.
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Honda, I'm worried about him

>>5565671
Houda*

>>5564924
>>“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know Crossbill is the only CotF in town who won’t judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie.
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Houda

>>5564923
>>>“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know Crossbill is the only CotF in town who won’t judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie.
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Chio

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“Keep your eye on Cookie and her friend. I know you can help them in a way nobody else can.” You know for certain Crossbill is one of the few people in town who won’t Judge Wilma for her name change, and she can be a good role model for Cookie!

“In a way nobody else can, huh? Sounds intriguing. I’ll do that too. Only because you said so.” Crossbill has no issues going with your whims. “With how disgustingly happy Corrine was riding your back, I bet when I sing your name, she’s gonna be all over me.”

“Thank you. I don’t think you’re going to regret it. They’re great people.” You’re confident.

“…Time to get things done, Bestie, for our futures.” Crossbill takes a deep breath. She stares longingly at one of the crystals she took from the bag.

“Take it easy, I’m gonna check on Houda before leaving.” You don’t want the bird to be anxious.

“Are you?!” Crossbill’s eyes get all shiny. “Can you hand him this?” Charlotte hands you a sealed letter. “I tested the legend himself, and he didn’t notice I stole this from him.”

“I bet he did the same to you, and this is your payback.” You tease.

“I-It’s easy to steal from someone who’s awestruck.” Crossbill has her own excuses. “Guess he could say the same thing since he was preoccupied with not being seen and all.”

“What is this anyway…?” You check the letter. It’s addressed to Vanessa… This can’t be what you think it is.

“Heck if I know. Tell him it’s a fan letter. I took it yesterday, and forgot I even had it. I was going through my pockets to find something to give you, and that’s all I have.” Crossbill wanted to give you a token of her appreciation.

“That’s fine. It’s the thought that counts.” You get corny. “Kinda feel bad for not getting you anything either.”

“I can take back your glasses if you want.” Crossbill smirks.

“T-That’s fine, I need them…” Those blobby creatures still haunt you…

“All I can do now is make the future bright for you, Bestie.” Crossbill’s sincere smile shines through the night.

“I’m gonna miss you, Bestie.” You smile back.

“Ha! Miss me for what? A day? You have to look for me out there, and that’s going to take you a day, max! But who knows how long it’ll be for me?” Crossbill jokes around.

“Hey, I might come back here to visit.” You didn’t want to say it before, but you don’t want everyone to get all sappy.

“We can’t count on it, can we?” Crossbill seems to get that this isn’t as simple as taking a bus. “Never change, Bestie. You hear me!? Because I never will! Now go, help Houda! Until we meet again…!”

Crossbill jumps away… letting the moon shine behind her slim figure… she looks like she’s flying…!

You need to do your best for your Bestie too! You have the weight of a thousand souls cheering for your victory, and among them, there’s a funny bird…

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>>5566350

You ended up with Vanessa’s ring and the mysterious letter addressed to her. And for some reason, your pockets feel lighter… Anyway, you need to find Houda Lan! Well, an expert hiding behind shadows will use them to his heart’s content at this time of day; to a normal individual he’s downright impossible to find, but not you! You have Night Vision! Which means his strength turns into a massive weakness. It doesn’t take long for you to find him at the top of a seemingly abandoned watchtower. The moment he spots you with his binoculars, he signals you to come over…

“Attaboy! You have quite a knack for finding this mascaraed loner! I’m ever so glad you’re an ally.” Even in a dire situation, Houda Lan seems to retain his sense of humor. He’s not wearing his costume though.

“I was looking for you.” You leave the pleasantries for later and get to the point.

“I could tell by the way our eyes met, Noon. What’s the matter?” Houda Lan is willing to help.

“You’re in trouble, right? What’s the situation?” You want an overview of the situation.

“Precarious, Sunshine, you’re my last ray of hope. My hijinks have caught up to me at the worst moment, all my foes have gathered in town to get my head on a platter.” Houda taps on a billboard with the photos of all his bloodthirsty enemies. “An old friend got these smiles for me. Burn their faces in your mind. Learn their names. They’ll come in handy for the future. I’m certain these people will have the world by the neck...” Houda smirks. “My escape vehicle has been seized, hired assassins are on the lookout, and I’ve been wounded already.”

“So, what’s the plan?” You’ll find a way to help!

“Nothing that involves you.” Houda Lan rejects the help outright. “Instead, Noon, I want you to hand this to Vane—… W-Why now, bloody hell…?”

“You want *this*?” You pull out the letter Crossbill stole from the Phantom Thief.

“So it slipped out of my pocket or are you practicing your sleight of hand? Either way, I’m impressed!” Houda smiles. The thief is glad something is going right. “Make sure this gets to Vanessa’s hands and I’ll be dandy. I couldn’t do both without a miracle, but now I can concentrate on my great escapade.”

>>5566352


>>What do you do?

>“Will do, Houda. Be careful out there.” You’ll trust the phantom thief.
>“Huh, I can turn us both invisible to give you a clean escape. And if you need help with your wound find Dr. Calamity in Pokyo Lokyo.” Give Houda a better escape plan.
>“Where did you get all this information…?” These are supposed to be unknown professional assassins, and he has photos of all of them! What’s up with that? He mentioned a friend helping, but who?
>“It was actually Crossbill who stole your letter.” You won’t steal credit! That’s what petty thieves would do, and you’re not any kind of thief!
>Write In.

(Only reply of the day! I took too long... We continue tomorrow! Sorry!)

>>5566354
>>“It was actually Crossbill who stole your letter.” You won’t steal credit! That’s what petty thieves would do, and you’re not any kind of thief!
>“Huh, I can turn us both invisible to give you a clean escape. And if you need help with your wound find Dr. Calamity in Pokyo Lokyo.” Give Houda a better escape plan.

>>5566354
>“Huh, I can turn us both invisible to give you a clean escape. And if you need help with your wound find Dr. Calamity in Pokyo Lokyo.” Give Houda a better escape plan.
>“Where did you get all this information…?” These are supposed to be unknown professional assassins, and he has photos of all of them! What’s up with that? He mentioned a friend helping, but who?
>“It was actually Crossbill who stole your letter.” You won’t steal credit! That’s what petty thieves would do, and you’re not any kind of thief!

>>5566357
+1 and
>Do as Houda said. Get their names and faces for the future.
if Johnny isn't already

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“It was actually Crossbill who took the letter from you.” You confess you’re no petty thief.

“I’m as impressed by your humbleness as I am by the little bird’s skill, Noon.” Houda Lan finds your way of life very peculiar. “I figured she didn’t take it too kindly when I took her hair tie away for a moment, leaving her silky smooth hair free to be taken by the wind.” Yep, it was exactly how you thought, Crossbill got salty he took something from her.

“Speaking of impressive. Where did you get all this information..?” You know he mentioned a friend. But who and how…?

“Perhaps I undersold the magnitude of my own contributions, and our charming Lieutenant’s as well. The friend I spoke of merely handed me these pictures and informed me about all of these distinguished individuals’ arrivals in town. In my line of work, connections are key to survival.” The Phantom Thief believes he made the other guy sound cooler than he needed to. “If you’re wondering, he's an old companion from my office days, name’s Ewan Naaraise, and he works for the SCI these days. There’s a branch inside who are trying to get rid of the influence of these evil dots on the map.” Houda points at the ones hiring the assassins…

“O-Oh… I suppose that makes sense.” You can’t believe it’s the same guy that helped Crossbill. Maybe he has a weakness for Phantom Thieves? “If you meet with Crossbill again, let her know that, okay?”

“Intriguing! Is there some sort of connection between the two?” Houda thinks this over. “I’d rather ask him if I get out of this alive than wasting our valuable time together.” Houda will have plans for the future if he has a future to speak of…

“Houda, don’t be concerned about your safety, I can turn us both invisible to give you a clean escape.” What are friends for if you don’t help them with high-stakes robbery? ”If you need help with your wound, find Doctor Calamity in Pokyo Lokyo. Trust me. He’s going to help.”

“I’ll take your recommendation, Noon. It’s rarer for me to sustain an injury than the gemstones I pursue. My heists are all or nothing.” The unmasked thief gets closer. “Now let me see you in action, young boy.”

“Where are you hurt?” You need all the information you can to plan this out.

“My left arm, but do not fret, I already performed first aid on myself.” Houda winks, he’s ready to be taken anywhere.

“That makes things easier.” You extend your hand to the thief. “Hold my hand. Don’t ever let it go.”

“Understood.” The master burglar extraordinaire grabs your hand. You put up the cloak of invisibility… “M-Magnificent…!” There was childlike wonder in Houda’s face as the veil took him over…

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>>5567138

You’d like to say the escapade was adventurous, but it wasn’t. It was so easy, both of you relaxed midway. As your journey kept going, Houda instructed you on how to make your steps lighter to cause the least amount of sound possible. You got the gist of it, but you weren’t great at it; it’s one of those things you didn’t think you were clumsy at until an expert showed you how it’s done. Still, your stealth has improved!

Also, you two stole a car. Not some poor rando’s car, nope, you recognized the fraud novelist’s one, emptied it out – and took it to the highway. At a certain safe spot outside Xumenlo, the same bus stop where your bubble adventure began, you step out of the car.

“…This is where we part ways once again, you magnificent lad.” Houda is really confident now that he’s not going to be in trouble here. You wished he left you a little bit closer to town…

“Yeah, this seems to be it.” You look around to the nothingness the countryside offers you.

“Noon, I understand better than anyone what it’s like being trusted with the entire future in your hands. The expectations, worries and anxieties of what challenging destiny brings. But if there’s a type of job that forces you to grow into the role, it is this one. I expect greatness from you, and don’t take it as a challenge, but a vote of confidence.” Houda Lan knows you’ll do your best, and your best is good enough. “Once again, if we don’t happen to meet again, I trust the future in your hands, my friend.”

“Be careful out there, Houda.” You wave goodbye.

“Where’s the excitement in that, young chap?!” Houda Lan laughs as he goes slower than the speed limit… he doesn’t want to be found after all the trouble you two went through.

Great. You’re in the middle of nowhere. And there’s no Bus in sight…

“If only we had Jesse’s wheelchair, Partner.” Philonune sighs. You’d rather have Yareli’s bike… But oh well!

>>What do you do?

>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>You probably should call Matilda to let everyone know you’ll arrive by the morning at this rate…
>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.
>Write In.

>>5567140
>>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.

>>5567140
>>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.

>>5567140
>>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.

>>5567140
>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.

>>5567140
>You probably should call Matilda to let everyone know you’ll arrive by the morning at this rate…
>Return to Kobashi’s home. You’d need to wait a little bit outside.

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Well, you definitely know the cake must be done by now, so you better return to Kobashi’s home. From your position, expecting a long travel time was expected, but you were lucky that the last bus of the day came immediately for the save – and you rode it with gusto. It looks like the first bus you took, and despite not being able to remember the driver’s face, you think it’s the same one. It’s all fucky Bubble Dimension logic you never quite got. Letting it pass is just part of the course. The driver was so tired from a long day of work, he absolutely destroyed your favorite limit of them all: the Speed Limit.

You got at Xumenlo in record time, but at what cost? The overworked man fell asleep on the wheel after he parked, and you left without saying a word to him. Yet, you did bring someone’s attention at the bust stop to check on him. Anyway, you run back to Kobashi’s house as fast as you could…

“You’re back!” Kobashi is wide awake now, but not any bit less tired than before. He was eagerly waiting for your arrival. Both hands behind his back, he’s hiding something, something sweet...

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to take this long, stuff happened…” Sometimes you feel like you undersell things way too much not to worry people when it doesn’t matter.

“Tell me about it! Story of my life!” Kobashi has a good laugh, acting like you two have this perk in common.

“So, where’s the cake?” And the recipe! You need it or else Dorothy will try to kill you for personal reasons this time around.

“Here’s a slice!” Kobashi shows you a plate with his left hand, still hiding his right. “I thought it was good, really good…”

“Let me see.” You taste it. It’s amazing! First time in a while you don’t look down on someone’s food! No wonder Professor Bombastus made bank with these! They might be a little addictive, but you have no sweet tooth. “Woah! It’s pretty good!”

“Yeah, I think so too, but…” Kobashi pulls it away from you. “You gave me enough time to try a new recipe inspired by this one…!” A new slice of cake on his other hand! That’s what he was hiding! Woah, did he learn to hide plates with Pascaline or something? “Ta-dah! I call it ‘The Calming Princess Cake’!”

“Why...?” That’s too oddly specific in your opinion.

“I made a huge blunder! Fiora *didn’t* fall asleep! She caught me in the kitchen working on this baby, and begged me to go back to my post to fend off the evil spirits. But since you weren’t around yet, I gave a piece to my little princess, and she relaxed in a way I’ve never seen before. Had to carry her on my shoulders to bed!” Kobashi is so proud of himself. Did he put sleeping pills in it or something? “Had a bite myself, and it felt like returning to the easy days of childhood.”

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>>5567229

“That doesn’t sound normal.” You’re worried about what *exactly* Kobashi put into the dessert.

“Grab a bite and describe it yourself then!” Kobashi puts forward the Calming Princess Cake. “Here, have your recipe, and the new one.” Kobashi puts them under the plate for you to grab everything.

“Thanks…” You wonder what this cake will do to you. You eat the cake…

…

…

You feel like you’re on the comfiest of couches, resting on Nina’s lap while she’s rubbing your chin, Ruby is massaging your shoulders and your back, Yu Yan is doing her magic massage stuff, Kata is caressing your chest like when you were in your sleep while injured, you’re resting your face on Scarlet’s chest, and Holly’s, and Pascaline’s… Nariko, Yukika, Mirjam and Grace are cuddling all over your body. Bradford Jr. is resting his face on your legs. And… someone is caressing your hair like the old good times…

…

…


“Well?” Kobashi breaks the illusion of the comfiest moment of all time.

>>How do you respond?

>“That was the comfiest thing I’ve ever felt…” This is not how cakes work!
>“…We need to burn this recipe.” You know it’s dangerous!
>“You were right. My mistake.” You admit you didn’t think it was possible for a cake to make you feel this way, but here you are!
>“I miss my mom.” Blurt this out…
>Write In.

>>What do you do next?

>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!
>Write In.

>>5567231
>>“You were right. My mistake.” You admit you didn’t think it was possible for a cake to make you feel this way, but here you are!
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!
Is there anybody else we should meet up with before leaving?

>>5567231
>>“…We need to burn this recipe.” You know it’s dangerous!
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!

>>5567231
>“You were right. My mistake.” You admit you didn’t think it was possible for a cake to make you feel this way, but here you are!
>Ask for the recipe.

>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!

>>5567234
Is Chio at the gate with the others?

>>5567244
Yeah, but you can meet them individually if you choose to.

>>5567231
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Chio, might as well have a moment there one on one.

>>5567231
>“You were right. My mistake.” You admit you didn’t think it was possible for a cake to make you feel this way, but here you are!
>Ask for the recipe.
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Sieb. Confront Evil Johnny

>>5567234
>>5567239
>>5567242
>>5567250
The Evil Johnny

>>5567250
Down for Chio as well.

>>5567256
Sieb works too. I'd be interested to see what he's doing when we pop in unexpectedly.

>>5567256
Oh yeah, forgot about that guy.

>>5567231
>>5567242
Changing vote to:
>“You were right. My mistake.” You admit you didn’t think it was possible for a cake to make you feel this way, but here you are!
>Ask for the recipe.

>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Sieb.

>>5567258
>>5567266
Thank you. I wanted to go for Sieb because my logic is that he's compared to Johnny a lot in the narration, and there's clearly a lot more to him than meets the eye to the point even Johnny could tell something's up. He acts so carefree with what he's doing in the Orphanage, and talks back to Ophelia plenty in his own way. He almost caught Johnny out a few times. He's a mystery I want Johnny to pursue as the last thing he does in here, and try to get his real name too before he leaves the Bubble

>>5567239
>>5567231
I'll change to
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
Sieb

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“You were right. My mistake.” You’re a good guy who admits his faults. The power of Bombastus’ cake is undeniable; but this one? This crosses all power thresholds you know. The Calming Princess Cake recipe (that you already have in your hands) is supremely dangerous. Good thing it’s in good hands!

“See? It’s great!” Kobashi smiles from the bottom of his heart. “I don’t think it’s perfect, no cake is, but not as perfect as it can be. It’s rough around the edges. With someone else’s input, it’s going to reach the final level.”

“You want me to show this to the creator of the other recipe?” You suggest. Bombastus inspired him, so maybe that’s the solution?

“No, it needs a new push from a different angle.” Kobashi disagrees. “I remember two pastry chefs I was impressed by when I failed the contest all those years ago. They were a couple from a tiny town in Topakasa, can’t imagine how talented they got by now, but I can’t remember their names. Eating the other’s recipes was the only silver lining from that day.”

“I mean the cake is amazing as it is, anything more than that would be overkill.” You think there are limits to power. You kinda feel bad because you can tell Kobashi would’ve been an amazing chef in other circumstances.

“Hey thanks!” The Police Officer takes it as a compliment. (Because it is!) “But with that little nudge, it’d be the perfect party cake for the entire globe! For like the biggest celebration ever! If you know what I mean!”

“I kinda do and it scares me...” You think admitting this makes you dorky.

“Don’t be afraid to make the world a little happier!” Kobashi is in a great mood! Cooking does that sometimes! “Anything else I can help you with?”

“No, actually, I’m going back to my era.” You admit it’s time to say goodbye for a while. “I don’t know when I’ll return, but I came to say goodbye.”

“No need to worry here, Phil. I’ll hold the front like I always have.” Kobashi is making a strict promise to protect this town. “Let that recipe be my parting gift.”

“Woah. Thank you.” You’re really surprised by how mature Kobashi is being. Maybe you can learn a thing or two on how to keep your composure. Or maybe he doesn’t care that much about you, because you were here for, like, a week tops?

“And Phil...” Kobashi puts his hand on your shoulder.

“Yes?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Don’t ever forget you can always count on me with anything you need, buddy!” Kobashi gives you a thumbs up. He’s not good at saying goodbye either. At this point in your life, you don’t know anyone who is. “I bet I can jump through time and space just to help! Need to figure out how.”

“I-It’s all right, d-don’t wanna see you try…” You bet he’d succeed somehow… “Take care!”

You two shake hands for the final time in this Bubble Dimension… for now!

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>>5567361
Good thing this ended up right there, you have been getting emotional in all of these encounters, but you have successfully hid the tears just in time – and this is no exception!

Once you regain your composure, you start walking towards where the gate should be, thinking about an enigmatic individual you never knew the deal of. It’s too bad these questions will remain unanswered for the foreseeable future and – he’s right in front of you.

“I thought you skipped town…” You point out that Sieb Bruun has no business here. “The police are looking for you.”

“Ha, ha, ha. That seems to be the case, yes.” Sieb’s empty smile will never land on you. It’s creepy! “But I found out that they’re not putting their *hearts* into it.”

“Why’s that?” You raise an eyebrow.

“It appears their priorities lie elsewhere, like they’re not trying their best to find me.” Sieb is as carefree as ever. As well as you can fake being carefree anyway. “It’s natural with how busy they are.”

“What do you want?” You get to the point now.

“We’ll leave my reasons for the end of this conversation. Now, you seem to have your own questions.” Sieb pretends to be nice by… actually being nice! How devilish! “Go ahead. You know I don’t bite.”

>>How do you respond?

>Ask what he’s going to do now.
>Ask why he is so weird.
>Ask what his deal with Ophelia is.
>Ask if he really cared for the kids…
>Ask him about the hidden temple.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>5567363
>Ask what he’s going to do now.
>Ask what his deal with Ophelia is.
>Ask him about the hidden temple.

>>5567372
+1

>>5567372
Support

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“Sure...” You find this weird, but you can’t say he’s the first person in Xumenlo to approach in the middle of the night and be all creepy. Damn that Bernie… “What’s next for you?” He’s going to have a lot of trouble finding a job while being a fugitive of the law.

“Back to being a School Psychiatrist.” Sieb is glad to put his degree to good use.

“And how you’re planning to do that as a wanted criminal?” You raise an eyebrow.

“This won’t be the first or the last time I’ll go through an identity change. It’s liberating in more ways than one. Ha, ha, ha.” Sieb casually says the most ominous things.

“Right…” You have a hunch he’s going to get away with it. But even if that’s the case, there’s something that has been bugging you: what *exactly* did he do? If you ask the right questions, you might find out. “What’s the deal with you and Ophelia?”

“We love each other. She’s the light of my life… The reason I live.” Sieb tries to sound sweet but it doesn’t land with you.

“You don’t sound convincing...” Not that you’re an expert on healthy relationships…

“No matter what I say, it’s evident that you don’t trust a word that comes out of my mouth. It’s not something I blame you for, but you need to move past this.” Sieb *seems* to get you, and thinks the only way you’re going to get anything out of this conversation is if you put those feelings of distrust aside. “The truth of the matter is that we’re a loving couple. She has been my radiant sun ever since she took me under her wing. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for Ophelia. In return, I’ve done everything in my power to support her and her dream.”

“And she does the same for you?” You can feel it! It’s a toxic relationship!

“Undoubtedly! She’s truly the most devoted companion one individual can wish for. She’d scorch the face of earth with the fires of the deepest of hells just to watch me smile.” Sieb finds that beautiful. But you don’t! It doesn’t sound romantic at all! And his unsettling smile isn’t worth it either! And why would burning the planet make him happy?! “What I’m trying to say is that she’d abide by all and every single one of my requests.”

“A-And you never asked her to stop being evil…?” If you ever stopped thinking for a moment that this guy isn’t evil, well, this proves he is!

“Would you ask your partner to renounce their dreams and live a life of misery with you?” Sieb puts it in terms that still sound fucked up.

“You know how messed up that sounds…?” You’re sure he’s another psychopath now. Heck, he admitted she was evil! “Who supports child beatings as a dream…?”

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>>5568517


“…I wholeheartedly believed I shielded the poor children from such punishments. In her mind, they were absolutely necessary, but she knew I wouldn’t allow it, so in secrecy she…” Sieb stops talking after trying to sound regretful, but he sounds in denial. If he’s to be trusted anyway… “If only I caught her onto the act, there wouldn’t have been any excuses, I could’ve stopped this. That’s how our relationship worked… But I didn’t. And this is the result.”

“I highly doubt it.” You shake your head. “If you truly wanted to stop her, you would’ve faced her for real. And I don’t think you have the guts.”

“It’s rather late to speculate…” Sieb prefers not to think about it.

“Tell me what you know about the hidden temple under the orphanage.” You cross your arms.

“Ah. That must be the reason why you went to the Orphanage today.” Sieb’s curiosity is satisfied. “It wasn’t relevant before, but I wasn’t always by Ophelia’s side. During our adolescence, there was a prolonged period of time where she worked as a tutor for wealthy families, one of them being especially influential: The Price Household. Here, she *retrieved* said family’s heirloom: an old map with the Five Temples. An instrument for blackmailing those who were trying to hide the existence of the Fifth Temple, but I digress. Years later, Ophelia bought the land where it once was, believing she’d find the ruins.” Sieb nods his head. “I hope my secret garden was to your liking! Ha, ha, ha!”

“Anything else?” You think he dodged the question.

“What can I say that you couldn’t have learned there?” Sieb tilts his head. Yeah, you got the tour, but you might still have some questions!

>>How do you respond?

>Ask Sieb why he wanted to talk to you.
>Ask Sieb if he finds it odd that Ophelia got to be a tutor for random rich folks… What’s the explanation behind it? By the sounds of it, they sound like poor people or orphans. Or poor Orphans. Poorphans.
>Ask why Ophelia is obsessed with the Chi-Athua people. She’s not one of them, is she?
>Tell Sieb you’re sure that the problem is not that you’re too distrustful of him for no reason, but that he’s hiding something! Ask him to tell you the whole truth. He’s not playing second fiddle to someone else’s tune, he’s playing his own melody to overtake the concert!
>Ask Sieb if he ever liked the children or it was all a charade…
>Write In.

>>5568518

Only reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!

>>5568518
>Ask Sieb why he wanted to talk to you.
>Ask Sieb if he ever liked the children or it was all a charade…
>Tell Sieb you’re sure that the problem is not that you’re too distrustful of him for no reason, but that he’s hiding something! Ask him to tell you the whole truth. He’s not playing second fiddle to someone else’s tune, he’s playing his own melody to overtake the concert!
>"...Who are you really? What's your real name?"

>>5568643
supporting
story time

>>5568518
>>Ask Sieb why he wanted to talk to you.

>>5568643
+1 except for asking what his real name is

>>5569535
Why not ask him his real name? I feel like he'd be inclined to give it to Johnny, knowing they'll never see each other again, not knowing he's from the present and will use it to look Sieb up.

>>5569649
Do we even know if he's using a fake name?

>>5569725
Sounds like him to do that.

>>5568643
Supporting, even the part about asking for his real name (more out of curiosity of how he'll respond than anything).

>>5569731
Yeah, so if we don't know then if it's his real name then we sound like schizos

>>5569739
>Johnny becomes a schizo after meeting his evil twin

>>5569745
I'm trying to see it but he's not really Johnny's twin at all

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“So, why do you want to talk?” You find Sieb’s ability to talk about himself yet not saying anything about himself quite annoying, so you’ll get to the point.

“You have the remarkable trait of connecting with distressed people so I wish to know how the kids are doing.” Sieb did mention he saw you go into the orphanage.

“D-Do you actually care for them or is it all a charade…?” You blurt out.

“A charade? No, it is not.” Sieb categorically denies this accusation. “Those children are the light of my life.”

“You said the exact same thing about Ophelia though.” You squint your eyes.

“My feelings towards those little saplings was reason enough to put my loyalty to her in jeopardy.” Sieb claims he was conflicted about the entire issue. Judging by his reactions when you infiltrated the orphanage, it checks out, but…

Yeah, you've had enough.

“…I’ve heard every single word you’ve said, Sieb, and let me tell you, I’m sure my problem with you isn’t that I’m too distrustful for no reason. You’re hiding something.” You’re done playing to his tune. “Tell me the truth.”

“Can you tell me how the kids are doing, first?” Sieb wants that resolved.

“They’re doing as good as they can. A good man is watching over them and making sure they’re going to be better. I met with Deborah and her troop, Unai and Victor – and they’re all good.” You puke the facts as succinctly as possible.

“Ah. Did anything Unai do catch your attention?” Sieb wants this answered.

“He’s not finishing the escape hole.” You think that’s what he’s getting at.

“Ha, ha, ha! Ophelia can be so silly sometimes. Isn’t it cute?” Sieb has a good chuckle.

“No.” You don’t recall anything Ophelia ever did being cute… And you’re a Cute Connoisseur! You’ve judged the cuteness of so many people, and more often than not, they succeed! Wait, doesn’t that make you a shitty judge…? “Now tell me the whole truth.”

“It’d be my pleasure, but I’m unsure of what ‘truth’ you seem to speak of. The reality is that I’ve been honest this entire time.” Sieb pretends to be clueless about this. Yes, before he told you it was your ass being judgmental, but… why can’t you shake this feeling off?

“Because you’re onto something, Partner. I know it too. And if our other allies were here, they’d agree.” Philonune is not letting this chance slip either! This gives you the confidence you need!

“Oh, have you? Huh?” You put both hands on your hips. “Then whatever I ask you next, you’re going to say the truth no matter what, right?”

“Yes. Go ahead.” Sieb emptily smiles. You don’t understand why he’s putting himself into this situation, but this is the clear moment you need to break his charade once and for all!

>>5569749

>>What’s your question?!

>“What’s your real name?” You believe this is the gotcha moment you need! There’s no way he’ll answer this!
>“Tell me all Ophelia’s kinks.” Ha! The ultimate betrayal to the love of his life! No chance he’ll answer this!
>“Who’s your true employer?” This might sound like a conspiracy theory, but you know he doesn’t work alone. There’s no way he’ll rat out his boss!
>“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You find it odd that he quickly changed topics from the Temple, and gave as little information as possible. The key to his mysteries lie here!
>Write In.

>>5569752
>>“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You find it odd that he quickly changed topics from the Temple, and gave as little information as possible. The key to his mysteries lie here!

>>5569752
>>“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You find it odd that he quickly changed topics from the Temple, and gave as little information as possible. The key to his mysteries lie here!

>>5569752
>“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You find it odd that he quickly changed topics from the Temple, and gave as little information as possible. The key to his mysteries lie here!
>Wait a second... Him working with Ophelia... "...Are YOU one of them?"

>>5569748
I know, I'm just joshing unless...!
Nah, that would be really going schizo.

>>5569752
>“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You find it odd that he quickly changed topics from the Temple, and gave as little information as possible. The key to his mysteries lie here!
>Wait a second... Him working with Ophelia... "...Are YOU one of them?"

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“Are all the people from Chi-Athua dead?” You cheekily smile from ear to ear with both hands still on your hips. This must be the key question you know Sieb can’t easily respond to!

For the first time in a while, Sieb looks absolutely stunned, and for the first time in this entire conversation, your liar alarm bells are off…

Wait a second… Him working with Ophelia…

…!

“…Are YOU one of them?” The words slipped out right of your lips without thinking.

Sieb adjusts his glasses. “…I believe we should put this matter to rest.”

“No, not now. I feel like I’m too close to learning something important.” You won’t let the truth slip from your fingers. “Talk to me.”

“What is there to learn in a place where corpses lay to rest?” Sieb shakes his head. He won’t give you an answer. “Look at what it did to Ophelia, it’s all better left forgotten…”

So when the guy is finally honest, he won’t talk. Great. Just great…

You have one chance, one final chance to make this man speak, or he’ll be gone for good. He must’ve taken into account that you could’ve figured this out, even if it was a very slight chance. But, perhaps, there’s something else you know that he thinks that you shouldn’t. Something that could force him to keep talking to you! Like knowing how you know or something…

But what…?

>>What do you ask?

>“I know for sure you’ll name your son Valdemar!” You got it!
>“You’re aiming to let Bernardo Ammirati take over the cult, aren’t you?” You got it!
>“Tell me who Yu Yan is.” You got it!
>“I know the identity of the One that can’t be named.” You got it…? You’re bluffing! The fuck are you talking about?
>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day! We continue tomorrow!)

>>5569827
>“Tell me who Yu Yan is.” You got it!

>>5569839
You sure? I was thinking
>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!
You think he knows who Yu Yan is, given that the hologram used her face and appearance in the temple, and he is very close to the Chi-Athua mystery?

>>5569840
Is Yu Yan even her real name? Or the name Sieb would know her by?

>>5569864
Yeah, Yu-Yan is her real name.

>>5569827
>>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!
Yu Yan isn't born yet, better to go general

>>5570283
Does it match up with how far in the past this is?

>>5570288
We're 25 years in the past

>>5569827
>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!

>>5569827
>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!

>>5569827
>“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re not the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You got it!

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“No, wait, this goes further than this, you’re NOT the only Chi-Athua alive! There’s someone else!” You proclaim as you have figured this out! This line of thought must be intriguing enough for Sieb to continue this conversation. It makes sense when you think about it, like, you mean, uhm, why only him? There were several Chi-Athuas! Like an entire town of them! Obviously, they couldn’t have exterminated them all. Maybe one of them was studying overseas…? Okay, wild speculation is fun, but this train of thought is getting silly…

“Oh! How amusing.” Sieb returns to his usual demeanor, that fake carefree attitude that gives you the creeps… “Well, I’m listening.”

“What?” You already made your wild declaration.

“Who is this other Chi-Athua you’re talking about? I’m listening.” Sieb is waiting for an answer. “Don’t tell me you made this up…”

“Uhm, uh, um, yeah, uh, ugh, ngh, uhm…” Oh no, you’re Cookie-ing it! Pull yourself together. “I didn’t.” You pose confidently.

“Well?” Sieb would probably be raising his eyebrows if he had any. You just noticed he doesn’t have any. Eyebrowless freak… “Who is it?”

Either, Sieb is enjoying dismantling your guesswork, or he thinks – in case you’re not making this up— that you’ve found out something he doesn’t know. But now you have the chance to turn all of this around, but how…?

You feel like you’re playing an impossible game. The only positive side is that he’s not trying to get away anymore…

Time to review the facts and either find the ultimate truth or make shit up…

>>How do you respond?

>“Ophelia.” Of course! Why else would she be planning a revenge of this magnitude if she wasn’t one?
>“Wilma.” The OG Tomato! It makes sense! That’s what makes her special! Her powers are too weird and too specific! Like yours! Wait, are you part Chi-Athua…?
>“Yu Yan.” Your cuddle buddy looks exactly like Holly Gram’s projection. And, huh, that’s all you have. You don’t think she’s born yet, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is from there.
>“El Macho.” That cheating bastard used Chi-Athua technology to remain undefeated! Your father was right all along about that masked fraud, his favorite boxer ‘Raging’ Spud was robbed!
>“Whoever is stuck in the Venus Line.” Eureka! The Super Teleportation device Galactic and Bombastus used looked Chi-Athua-made! Which means someone from there had to use it!
>“Ghoulzilla…” The protector of the town still wanders the world… He counts as one of them.
>“The traitor. And I can tell you his name if you want.” If Chi-Athua was so technologically advanced, it means it had the manpower to withstand an invasion. So it must’ve been a surprise attack! And to get the perfect opportunity, you need someone on the inside. It makes sense, right?
>“It’s one of the orphans.” That’s why he cared so much about how they’re doing! The last remnants of his people are among them!
>“…Fuck if I know.” You’re out of bullets.
>Write In.

>>5570794
>>“El Macho.” That cheating bastard used Chi-Athua technology to remain undefeated! Your father was right all along about that masked fraud, his favorite boxer ‘Raging’ Spud was robbed!

>>5570794
>“Yu Yan.” Your cuddle buddy looks exactly like Holly Gram’s projection. And, huh, that’s all you have. You don’t think she’s born yet, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is from there.

Either that or

>“Whoever is stuck in the Venus Line.” Eureka! The Super Teleportation device Galactic and Bombastus used looked Chi-Athua-made! Which means someone from there had to use it!

>>5570794
>“Ghoulzilla…” The protector of the town still wanders the world… He counts as one of them.

>>5570794
>“Ghoulzilla…” The protector of the town still wanders the world… He counts as one of them.
>“Whoever is stuck in the Venus Line.” Eureka! The Super Teleportation device Galactic and Bombastus used looked Chi-Athua-made! Which means someone from there had to use it!
Ophelia is not one herself, or she'd have declared it to Johnny like a badge of honor
Wilma is too young, makes no sense
Yu Yan does not exist this early on
El Macho is in the future, not here
Traitor? What traitor?
Orphans are all kidnapped and none are related to the Chi-Athua, or else Ophelia would have given them special treatment over it due to her mission

Its either of these two

>>5570794
>“Whoever is stuck in the Venus Line.” Eureka! The Super Teleportation device Galactic and Bombastus used looked Chi-Athua-made! Which means someone from there had to use it!

>>5570794
>“Ghoulzilla…” The protector of the town still wanders the world… He counts as one of them.

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“Whoever is stuck in the Venus Line.” The teleporting device was made in Chi-Athua, naturally whoever got stuck in the anomaly is from there! You solved this puzzle!

“Ah…” Sieb grabs his chin.

“So, am I right?” You cross your arms with confidence filling your body.

“Maybe…?” Sieb adjusts his glasses.

“W-What do you mean by ‘maybe’…?” You wonder if he’s back to playing mindgames.

“Phil, I don’t know what the ‘Venus Line’ is.” Sieb is utterly clueless.

“Y-You don’t know? How is it possible that you don’t know…? You work with Ophelia. You’re from Chi-Athua.” You feel like he’s pulling your leg, but that’s your gut talking.

“Maybe I do know, and I’m unaware of the specific term?” Sieb is thinking really hard about it. “Perhaps you could clarify what it is.”

“It’s a Space Anomaly. Well, not really. I mean, it’s a place where you’re in tune with the universe and every living thing in it. Like you’re one with everyone’s thoughts, emotions and stuff like that or something.” You really don’t get what it is in actuality.

“Like some sort of enlightenment?” Sieb is puzzling this with you.

“As far as I know, everyone who has interacted with it has turned crazy.” You don’t find the fact that the Venus Line is unreachable to be a bad thing.

“How sad.” Sieb isn’t taking this seriously.

“Seriously, you’ve never heard of it…?” You’re grasping at straws here.

“What can I say? I haven’t! Ha , ha , ha.” Sieb doesn’t appear to care about the topic.

“Not even something similar…?” You want to get something out of this interaction. Anything!

“Is the concept of ‘The World’s Stream of Consciousness’ similar enough?” Sieb is actually trying to help.

“Huh, sure. Why?” You’re happy with anything…

“You must’ve seen the Red Book in Ophelia’s office, you opened the secret path after all. It’s written behind one of the pictures inside it.” Sieb recalls from memory. “The photo of the last Head Mistress of Chi-Athua. It’s the one with the big green light behind her.” Sieb talks to you like you’re a kid.

“Ah…” You seem to recall it to perfection with your great knowledge retention! Huh, you didn’t think much of it. But how come they had photos back then…? Can you really blame Chi-Athua technology for this?

“Well, Phil. Thank you for spending time with me. I’ll be going.” Sieb starts walking away.

…

…

You guess that’s all you’re going to get. Unless…!

>>What do you do?

>Give Sieb a different answer! You won’t let the truth slip from your big fingers…!
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!
>Write In.


(Last Reply of the Day! We return on the weekend!)

>>5570909
>>Give Sieb a different answer! You won’t let the truth slip from your big fingers…!
>Anything about a Yu-yan

>>5570909
Fuck it all
>Give Sieb a different answer! You won’t let the truth slip from your big fingers…!
>Anything about a Yu-Yan Liamishi
Dropping the last name might be risky, but we have to roll the dice if we want to make it somewhere

>>5570970
>>5570920
How about just "Liamishi"?

>>5571374
That works better

>>5571417
Still a chance that whoever Yu-Yan's mom was had a different maiden name but he definitely shouldn't recognize just "Yu-Yan".

>>5571432
Yeah, the last name alone is good enough

>>5570909
changing my vote in >>5570970 to not say "Yu-Yan"

>>5570909
>Give Sieb a different answer! You won’t let the truth slip from your big fingers…!
>Liamishi

>>5570920
>>5570909
Changing vote to "Yu-yan Liamshi"

>>5570909
>Anything about a Yu Yan Liamishi
Voting to just say her full name cause there's no reason not and we could miss out on something

>>5570970
>>5571833
Adding to my vote
>Blurt out "Yu-Yan" if Sieb fails to recognize "Liamishi"

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“Hold it!” You’re not done until you say you’re done! And you said ‘hold it’! Not ‘done’!

“Y-You’re aware of my current situation, Phil, I-I have to go.” Sieb didn’t expect you to be persistent, he turns his head around and continues walking slowly – a clear sign that he’s about to leave. A sign your dad always ignored you to scold you for something you didn’t do.

“Answer me this: Do you know any Liamishis? I’m asking for Liamishis. Starts with an L like the words ‘Little’ and ‘Loser’. Liamishi, I said. Anything with Liamishi?” You act like this is a bingo hall.

“That name is irrelevant these days.” Sieb adjusts his glasses. For a brief moment, he looked like moments ago, all serious.

“Why’s that?” A-ha! You found something!

“…I don’t go by it anymore.” Sieb finds it amusing how confident you look.

“Y-You’re a Liamishi?!” That’s impossible! You’re sure he looks nothing like Yu Yan.

“Until my marriage, yes. Ophelia insisted.” Sieb takes this too lightly. There’s something deflecty about the way he’s conducting this conversation. You feel like he was talking about someone else at the start, not about himself. Did he take the name from something or someone else? Is there another Liamishi..?

“You’re hiding something, I can taste it…” You squint your eyes.

“Regardless of how you feel, and even if that was the case, I don’t have the time for more idle chatter.” Sieb had fun pulling your leg, but enough is enough.

“What if I add ‘Yu Yan’ to the mix? Does that ring any bells?” You didn’t want to drop this name, but you feel like you have no other options.

“Could you repeat that again…?” Sieb loses his smile.

“Yu Yan.” You won’t do the bingo voice again.

“This cannot be… You cannot possibly know…” Sieb grabs his chest. “I-I must’ve overlooked something down there… She’s in danger…” Now he really wants to go.

The odd caretaker starts to flee without answering any of your questions…!

You cannot let him slip away!

>>What do you do?

>Let him slip away. He seems worried about something!
>“I have Yu Yan Liamishi with me. She’s quite the smug cute little devil. Now answer my questions.” You want to know everything.
>“I’m not going to let you go anywhere. The quicker you answer my questions, the faster you’ll be able to go.” You won’t let him escape without telling you the truth.
>Follow Sieb. You feel like something big is brewing…
>Write In.

>>5574996
>>“I have Yu Yan Liamishi with me. She’s quite the smug cute little devil. Now answer my questions.” You want to know everything.

>>5574996
>“I have Yu Yan Liamishi with me. She’s quite the smug cute little devil. Now answer my questions.” You want to know everything.
We've hit jackpot

>>5574996
>>“I’m not going to let you go anywhere. The quicker you answer my questions, the faster you’ll be able to go.” You won’t let him escape without telling you the truth.
v

>>5574996
Add to my vote in >>5575000
>"That hologram, or Hollie Gram as I called her... She looked just like Yu Yan. I didn't think much of it at the time, because I'm kinda used to strange things in my life by now."
>"...You don't look like her dad. I guess if I look hard enough, the hair is similar."

>>5575012
I think we should keep stuff close to our chest for now so we can keep him interested enough to talk to us

>>5575015
OK

>>5574996
Ignore the extras vote >>5575012

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“I have Yu Yan Liamishi with me.” A-ha! Now you can pose smugly without it backfiring! “She’s quite the smug cute little devil. Isn’t she? Now answer my questions.”

“You… stole the pod from me… and opened it...? You managed to open it, didn’t you?” Sieb has a question that makes sense to someone who knows what’s going on. You’re not that person, but you’ll have to pretend to be. “Is she alive…?”

“Ehem. I’m the one asking questions.” You won’t get tricked into giving unnecessary clues.

“W-What’s there to know? We found it in the sanctuary, I mean, the temple of Kindness and Understanding. We couldn’t crack it open. Still, I wrote her name on top of the capsule in case someone took her away from us and…” Sieb regains his composure. “…You have no utter idea of what I’m talking about, do you?”

Huh. He’s right. You have no idea. But you can bluff. Or figure out with the great power of deduction…

>>What do you do?

>Use the Great Power of Deduction to figure things out yourself. [Knowledged Based][No Roll Required].
>“Yeah, I have no clue. Can you explain?” What pod? What…?
>“Don’t be silly. I know what’s going on. But I want every single detail from you. Now start talking.” You’re confident in your bluffing.
>“Sieb, of course, I’m lying. But now it’s too late, you have to confess.” You’re not going to let him get away if he doesn’t start talking.
>Write In.

>>5575057
>>“Yeah, I have no clue. Can you explain?” What pod? What…?

>>5575057
>"Yeah, I have no clue. Can you explain?” What pod? What…?

>>5575057
>Use the Great Power of Deduction to figure things out yourself. [Knowledged Based][No Roll Required].

>>5575057
>Use the Great Power of Deduction to figure things out yourself. [Knowledged Based][No Roll Required].

>>5575057
>>Use the Great Power of Deduction to figure things out yourself. [Knowledged Based][No Roll Required].

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“Gimme a moment.” Of course you don’t. But you can figure it out with the great power of deduction!

…

…

This might sound all crazy, but you think Sieb is talking about some kind of Cryogenic Pod from Chi-Athua, where the last survivor still lives. He found it at the Temple of Kindness and Understanding during his first visit. And since they haven’t opened it yet, they don’t know if she’s alive or not. And the pod person is none other than your smug hobo…

“You don’t, do you?” Sieb asks again.

“You have the last surviving Chi-Athua in a cryogenic pod powered by their technology that you can’t figure out how to open. You found her during your first visit at the Temple. You named her ‘Yu Yan Liamishi’ and wrote it on top of the pod just in case.” You act all smart. “This feels so unreal I think I need you to confirm it.”

“Y-You’re very well correct! Ha , ha , ha , ha , ha!” Sieb believed in you, yet he’s still surprised! “We actually found two pods on our first trip inside the ruins. They were of different sizes, and one was broken. In our efforts to figure out how to open the one with the baby, Ophelia decoded the inscription on the capsule, and learned it was assigned to ‘Yu Yan’, and in our efforts to preserve Chi-Athua’s legacy – and since I’m a descendant as well— she carries my last name. I left it written on the pod in case something happened to us, or worse, we never figured out how to let the last survivor free.”

“So you took the pod and escaped, right?” You wonder if that thing is heavy. Is this truly your Yu Yan’s origin…?

“Yes.” Sieb keeps it simple. “I have to make sure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.”

“Huuuh… like Ophelia’s?” You raise an eyebrow.

Sieb won’t answer that. “…She’s the only one who can figure out how to open it. I’m ashamed to admit it, but she has a better grasp of the forgotten language.”

“Right…” You imagine he’s talking about some funny Chi-Athua alphabet or something. Things are starting to make sense despite getting 10 times wilder.

“I can’t stay any longer, Phil. Now that I know the children are in good hands, I must take my leave. Can’t stay even if I wished. If the pod is deemed dangerous, the Special Forces will wipe everyone involved out. Children or not.” Sieb starts walking away. “Farewell...”

…

>>What do you do?

>Ask to see the pod. Make sure it’s Yu Yan! Maybe try opening it…?
>Find a certain someone for closure! (Write In Who! It’s a 1-on-1 conversation with ANYONE here. [This includes characters waiting at the gate.])
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>5575207
>>Ask to see the pod. Make sure it’s Yu Yan! Maybe try opening it…?

>>5575207
>"What name did the broken pod have?"
>Thank Sieb for the talk. Tell him you'll do your part for Yu Yan too!
>Go to the Gate. You don’t have any goodbyes left!
What a talk this was. I hope we see him again

>>5575207
>>5575210
Supporting.
And I also hope we see him again or at least learn about his fate.

>>5575210
supporting

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“Quick question before you go: What name did the broken pod have?” You won’t let this miniscule detail become a massive overarching plot element out of nowhere! You’ll be vaguely aware of it instead and go ‘oh…’ when it comes up!

“The other one was assigned to ‘Xinyi’. Don’t get your hopes up, the rubble destroyed it for the most part.” Sieb tries to keep this short. You’ve never heard that name before. Shame.

“Thank you for the talk, Sieb.” You still don’t know how you feel about the guy, but you can acknowledge that he didn’t have to do this. “Trust me, I’ll be doing my part for Yu Yan too.”

“…Until we meet again.” Sieb takes his leave. You can’t tell if he appreciated your final words or not. But both of you got something out of this.

This is it.

You don’t have more people to look for.

It’s time to get to the Gate and leave the Bubble dimension…

…

You arrive at the meeting spot as the sun begins to rise. The Camper is waiting in the wilderness while everyone is gathered in a circle right in front of it, watching two people duking it out in a game of cards. There’s a whiteboard behind the crowd that shows the tournament bracket with a hand drawn caricature of all participants. The final round is Wilma against Jesse…

“C’mon, Wilma, you can do it!” Grace & Mirjam are firmly behind their sister. It seems sibling blood isn’t as thick as tomato sauce.

“It’s over, it’s Jesse’s game.” Oliver tries to be impartial.

“His luck hasn’t run out yet…” Chio is worried about Wilma’s chances.

“You have to admit that at some point, it isn't about luck.” Dorothy argues with the art teacher.

“You didn’t say that during your tantrum, first round loser.” Cookie takes the scientist down a notch or two with that comment. Dorothy looks pissed.

“Could you all be quiet? I’m about to win.” Jesse sighs at everyone being shouty.

“…!” Wilma drops the final card… and wins! Jesse is in utter shock! Wait, the artwork might be different, but this looks like Sparks of Luck…! How?! Ka-Shing hasn’t created it yet! Wait, did he steal the idea?!

“[HAEIOU!] We have our [winner]!” Galactic throws confetti to celebrate.

“Yes, it’s been decided.” Matilda acts like she’s some kind of referee. “Wilma is our champion.”

“Hooray!” All the other tomatoes grab Wilma and throw her up in the air…!

Even floating in the air, a discombobulated Wilma is the only one who notices your arrival!

…

>>What do you do?

>A new challenger has arrived! Face Wilma in a Sparks of Luck (?) duel!
>“Hey, everyone, I’m here! Sorry for the tardiness.” You know the time to say goodbye has arrived…
>“What are you guys doing…?” Act very confused at the confusing thing they’re doing.
>Write In.

>>5576291
>>“What are you guys doing…?” Act very confused at the confusing thing they’re doing.

>>5576291
>>“What are you guys doing…?” Act very confused at the confusing thing they’re doing.

>>5576291
>“What are you guys doing…?” Act very confused at the confusing thing they’re doing.

>>5576291
>A new challenger has arrived! Face Wilma in a Sparks of Luck (?) duel!

>>5576291
>>A new challenger has arrived! Face Wilma in a Sparks of Luck (?) duel!

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“What are you guys doing…?” You get what they’re doing, but you don’t get *why* they’re doing it.

“Phil! ~” Grace and Mirjam teleport next to you, each one by your side. Naiad lands on the top of your head. The little fairy hugs you!

“You’re finally reporting back to [Base]!” By the tone of his voice, Galactic is glad to see you!

“We’re waiting for you! What does it look like?!” Jesse frowns like he always does.

“Fun?” You raise an eyebrow. Grace & Mirjam giggle at your silly remark.

“FUN?! IT’S MORNING! Do you know how long you took?!” Jesse can’t believe you have the guts to act so casually.

“Exactly! This is unacceptable.” Dorothy didn’t like waiting either.

“Quack.” The duck is still here…?!

“…It was fun.” Wilma is so glad this silly card game tournament happened. She puts the deck to the side.

“I had fun too…” Mirjam feels bad about it though. She didn’t want to be a nuisance.

“Sheesh, you two! We tried to have a good time together and you complain about it? Like, wait until you’re gone, at least!” Grace complains at the two party poopers.

“Agh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off that way.” Jesse is man enough to apologize for being mean.

“I lost in the first round, I had no fun to speak of.” Dorothy will stand her ground.

“If you attach your enjoyment to your performance, you’ll never enjoy competing.” Sugar calls her out.

“And if you don’t compete, you’ll never improve.” Cookie agrees. “And you’re going to be forever a big loser, loser.”

“Bah! It’s a child’s game! I have no real interest in it!” Dorothy is the exact opposite type of player compared to Neko.

“Me neither, but you’ll never see me happy to be crushed by Mirjam.” Chio finds Dorothy quite pathetic after losing to Mirjam…

“W-What’s wrrrrong with losing against me…?” Mirjam doesn’t get it.

“Apparently, it’s as bad as losing to me...” Oliver doesn’t get what some people had against him.

“I wouldn’t know! [HAEIOU! HAEIOU! HAEIOU!]” Galactic starts laughing.

“What’s the deal with you again?” Chio is dumbfounded by the Spaceman. Did they just accept him without further inquiry…?

“To be fair, of all the people here, he’s the only one I don’t question that’s from the future.” Cookie pokes at the man’s helmet.

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>>5576423


“Anyway, you arrived just in time for the Champion’s coronation, Phil.” Matilda crosses her arms. “Now, Champ, feel free to ascend to the throne.”

“…!” Wilma… goes back to being your backpack! What!?

…Galactic throws more confetti. Where does he hide that stuff…?

“Darn, I’m jealous.” Cookie isn’t being sarcastic here, even though everyone might think so.

“Wait, am I the throne!?” You’re not an object! You’re a human being!

“We agreed the winner would use you as a seat, yes.” Matilda relays the fact like it’s not a big deal.

“Serves you right for being late.” Dorothy sighs.

“I-I guess so…” But there’s one problem, you’re about to leave, aren’t you?! “I’m glad it was you then, Wilma.”

“…Phil!” Wilma’s heart begins pounding. You can feel it…

“There’s no reason to keep waiting. We need to go.” Jesse reprises his role as party pooper.

“H-Hey, let Wilma enjoy her win!” Grace complains!

“Y-Yeah, Jesse! There’s no rrrrush…!” Mirjam agrees!

“T-That salty that you lost, huh? Let her have her moment.” Cookie argues too.

“Y-You can stay as long as needed.” Chio is not hiding it either. “All of you…”

“…” Wilma holds you tight…

None of the tomatoes want any of you to leave... Heck, Matilda and Oliver look sad as well…

>>What do you do?

>You heard Jesse. You need to go… Say your final goodbyes.
>Take the Champ to the Camper to have one last talk before leaving.
>Write In.

>>5576424
>>Take the Champ to the Camper to have one last talk before leaving.

>>5576424
>Take the Champ to the Camper to have one last talk before leaving.
Pep talk

>>5576424
>>You heard Jesse. You need to go… Say your final goodbyes.
>Tell them you can always return.

>>5576424
>Take the Champ to the Camper to have one last talk before leaving.

>>5576424
>Take the Champ to the Camper to have one last talk before leaving.

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“I think you all are right. I think I’m going to have a one-on-one pep talk with the champ before we go.” You arrived late and decided to dictate what everyone is going to do. That’s what having high Courage does for you… “We’ll talk inside the camper, so everyone knows I’m not trying to escape or anything.”

“…You don’t have to. We only wanted to mess with you a little.” Despite being happy to hear it, Wilma knows there are more important things than her feelings. Which you disagree with, but it’s not like you can tell her that.

“This is my way to mess with you all back.” And to accentuate it, you mess with her hair too! “Since you were all patient, you don’t mind, right?”

“Go ahead.” Oliver gives you a thumbs up. “We can always enjoy breakfast in the meantime. I know some of you are hungry…”

“Ugh, fine. I suppose I’m being insensitive.” Jesse doesn’t like feeling trapped.

“Guilty as charged, [HAEIOU!]” Galactic agrees. He takes more lunchboxes from seemingly out of nowhere. “Let’s thoroughly enjoy these [Rations].”

“Woah! That’s so cool!” Grace is pretty surprised.

“He made them appear out of nowherrrre!” Mirjam is too!

“It’s pure legerdemain.” Dorothy is somewhat fascinated.

“Are you some kind of magician?” Cookie is looking around to see where the trick comes from.

“This humble [spaceman] was considered a [JESTER] many [moons] ago.” Galactic reminisces.

“Like a clown?” Chio is as insensitive as ever. A clown?! A Jester is better than a clown!

“Do not refer to this [Stargazer] as a [clown], please...” Galactic sounded very dry.

“Here, you two.” Matilda hands you two your rations. “Make the most out of your talk.”

“…Thank you, Sugar.” Wilma grabs them both.

“See you in a bit.” You enter the motor home together…

On the Camper’s tiny table, you two are face to face, eating the rations.

Wilma is very nervous, sad and conflicted to say anything, so it’s up to you to lead this conversation.

>>What do you do?

>“Wilma, you don’t have to take it this hard, we’re going to see each other again, I promise. I’m never abandoning my tomatoes!” You’ll return to the Bubble eventually!
>“Wilma, Is there something I can do before I leave? Anything?” You’ll make her happy one last time before leaving the Bubble dimension.
>“Wilma, do you have a crush on me?” Deal with this important little topic.
>“Did you ever talked with San Wich?” He’s, like, right there on her shoulder. Did Wilma ever notice?
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>5576506
>>“Wilma, you don’t have to take it this hard, we’re going to see each other again, I promise. I’m never abandoning my tomatoes!” You’ll return to the Bubble eventually!
And also
>“Did you ever talked with San Wich?” He’s, like, right there on her shoulder. Did Wilma ever notice?
Since this whole entire thing started with us trying to help San Wich and this might do something

>>5576506
>“Wilma, you don’t have to take it this hard, we’re going to see each other again, I promise. I’m never abandoning my tomatoes!” You’ll return to the Bubble eventually!
>“Wilma, Is there something I can do before I leave? Anything?” You’ll make her happy one last time before leaving the Bubble dimension.
>“Did you ever talked with San Wich?” He’s, like, right there on her shoulder. Did Wilma ever notice?
Part of me has a bad feeling about promising to come back, but what the hell we may as well try.

>>5576506
>“Wilma, Is there something I can do before I leave? Anything?” You’ll make her happy one last time before leaving the Bubble dimension.
>“Did you ever talked with San Wich?” He’s, like, right there on her shoulder. Did Wilma ever notice?

>Write In.
Explain the circumstances around how/why we really came here to her, if she doesn't already know. We still haven't actually discovered if realworld-Wilma is, you know, going to have a soul when we get back. Or trust us even if she does.

>>5576637
+1

>>5576510
>>5576522
Supporting these two

>>5577431
Supporting this too*

>>5576522
supporting

>“Wilma, do you have a crush on me?” Deal with this important little topic.
>“Wilma, you don’t have to take it this hard, we’re going to see each other again, I promise. I’m never abandoning my tomatoes!” You’ll return to the Bubble eventually!

>>5576506
>>5576637
Also supporting explaining to her the circumstances if she doesn't know already.

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“Wilma, you don’t have to take it this hard, we’re going to see each other again, I promise.” You make one hefty promise. You’re getting better at them, but you can’t forget what happened when you failed them.

“…Are you sure?” Wilma’s eyes start shining. You feel like you have said stuff like you’d return before, but it means much more to promise it now.

“Yeah, it won’t be soon. But imagine it’s like I’m moving out to another country. There’s no good reason for me not to visit every now and then.” You nod like a dummy. Wilma understands what you say, your analogy is flawless! This amount of Knowledge is paying off!

“…You have to. I need another opportunity to see you again, to give you something as thanks. I have nothing now… but next time I’m going to!” A fully determined Wilma explains her reasoning. “It’ll show you how much you mean to me.”

“Wilma, you don’t have to. I’m happy knowing you’re doing well. Just focus on yourself and do your best.” You smile.

“Stop.” Wilma shakes her head. “…What’s the point of being friends if I can’t do anything back for you? Is that even a friendship?”

“Wilma, this is the first time in my life people are sad to see me leave.” You know Amelia was upset when Joel kicked you out, but you didn’t get to see it. “I’ve never felt this loved before. I’m good.”

“…Are you that scared of losing all of this?” Wilma can sense something in your words.

“W-What…?” You don’t know where that came from.

“You have no obligation to be my hero or anyone’s. I’m always going to support you no matter what! We all are going to! So, please, let me!” Wilma pleads.

How come you are out of words? Is this something you do? “…I’ll be eagerly awaiting your present then.” You don’t want to be a martyr for no reason, you almost forgot how pointless that is.

“…Phil!” Wilma is overjoyed by your response.

“Now, I’m not trying to be a hero, just a friend trying to be helpful, so hear me out: I wanna know if there’s something I can do for you before leaving.” You want to see Wilma happy once more!

“…You promised me the only thing I wanted.” Wilma only wanted to see you again.

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>>5577625

“D’aww, that’s cute. What else?” You won’t let this end on a corny note.

“…There’s nothing el—“

“How about *pudding*?” You raise an eyebrow.

“…!” Wilma tries not to look too excited.

“Pudding head.” You smirk.

“…I-I’m not a pudding head! S-Stop!” Wilma gets all mad.

“Heh, I don’t mind making some.” You decided Wilma’s gift for her. You get the kitchen ready. “C’mon, assistant, we have one more job together.”

“…Yes!” Wilma is beyond happy to help you with the dessert.

With some of the tricks inserted in the recipes you got, you two start preparing the best pudding ever...

“Assistant, I have another question for you.” You say as the cooking process continues.

“…What is it, Chef?” Wilma replies.

“It’s not related to the kitchen.” You stare at the tiny thing on her shoulder. “Did you ever talk to San Wich?”

“…San Wich?” Wilma seems to have no clue.

“The thing on your shoulder.” You point out.

“…I don’t see anything.” Wilma starts spinning in place like a dog chasing its tail.

Maybe, the time has arrived for you to tell Wilma about the circumstances as to why you are here and how.

“Friend. I have something to confess.” San Wich floats before you. “I have purposefully sealed my presence from Ms. Wilma. Only a select number of individuals can see me. I was afraid that the girl with huge ears would do something to me, so I blocked everyone by default who weren’t imperative for me to interact with. It continues to elude as to why I remained invisible to Ms. Wilma at the start of this journey, but as time went on, I took it as a signal.”

“Why, San?” Philonune needs to ask because it’d be weird if you did when Wilma is right in front of you.

“I can’t say for certain.” Is San Wich anxious himself…?

>>What do you do?

>Explain to Wilma the circumstances around how and why you came here to her.
>Tell San Wich to man up and show himself to Wilma.
>Finish the Pudding and share it with everyone! It’s time to say goodbye for real.
>Write In.

>>5577628
>>Tell San Wich to man up and show himself to Wilma.
>Explain to Wilma the circumstances around how and why you came here to her.

>>5577628
>>Finish the Pudding and share it with everyone! It’s time to say goodbye for real.

>>5577628
>Explain to Wilma the circumstances around how and why you came here to her.
>Finish the Pudding and share it with everyone! It’s time to say goodbye for real.

If San doesn't want to show himself I don't think we should pressure him to. Who knows how spiritual abilities interact anyway.

>>5577633
>>5577628
>>>Tell San Wich to man up and show himself to Wilma.
>>Explain to Wilma the circumstances around how and why you came here to her.

>>5577647
+1

>>5577628
>Explain to Wilma the circumstances around how and why you came here to her.
>Finish the Pudding and share it with everyone! It’s time to say goodbye for real.

>>5577628
>>Tell San Wich to man up and show himself to Wilma.

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“Okay, Wilma, it’s time for you to know why I came here. I know I said I can't say much about what the future is like, but it’s important…” You’re finally going to reveal the reason why you stole a sandwich from an orphanage.

You explain the circumstances around how and why you came here. And add the pending questions about her counterpart. Is she okay? Does she have a soul? Would she trust you when you return?

“…It’s… all my fault?” Wilma looks down. Oh no! You made the Tomato sad!

“I think Sugar will continue to blame Leo.” You try to joke around. “But I don’t think so. We wanted to help you no matter what, timeline be damned. And if this is the window that opened for us, we had to take it.”

“…I’m having a difficult time understanding what’s going on. But in the end it’s because of this cursed power of mine, right?” Wilma won’t lie. She needs to see more. Entities are hard to imagine, the mere idea is already impossible.

“Plus San Wich. Somehow.” You literally got 0 clues about this ever since this Wilma showed you she can teardrop those bubbles.

“Now that you mention it. I think I heard this San Wich talk to me in my dreams. He sounds like a little kid, doesn’t he?” The pudding head is trying hard to recall.

“You know I’ve never thought about it, but – in my opinion– he sounds more like a cartoon character.” You know, like a woman voicing a kid or something.

“…Hmm, oh well. If he’s my little protector, I want to thank him!” Wilma smiles.

“Ms. Wilma…!” San Wich is moved by this. You haven’t forgotten that San Wich and Older Wilma’s communication was non-existent before your arrival.

“He’s very happy to hear that.” You relay the message. Wilma nods.

“And Phil, if I’m somehow connected with my future self, I know for sure I will trust you no matter what.” Wilma promises she will have your back through time and space! That’s oddly touching. “Also, is my little bodyguard the reason why you named my secret identity the way you did?”

“Uuuuhm… Yes.” You adjust your glasses like the clown you are.

“…Um, and why is it called that? Is he the god of sandwiches?” Wilma is very interested in knowing more about the little flame.

“As far as I know, he just likes them…” If only he was the god of sandwiches… “Well, Wilma, pudding is ready. It’s time to share it with everyone!”

“…Yes.” Wilma has bittersweet feelings about this final dessert.

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And so, you came out of the Camper with a special dessert for all your friends. It gave everyone extra time to enjoy each other's company one final time. Even if you come to visit again, you doubt the same group of people here is going to be here together once more. And yes, everyone found your stupid dessert delicious… Now, there are no excuses to keep delaying the inevitable.

“Please, give this and my apologies for not saying goodbye in person to Officer Yareli.” You hand over the last piece of pudding to the girls.

“I’ll make sure it arrives safely.” Chio grabs the plate. She’s the only one of the five tomatoes you can trust the dessert with…

“…Also, give this to Vanessa. It’s from Houda. Keep it secret.” You hand the letter as well.

“We’ll make sure the Lieutenant gets it!” Mirjam will be rrresponsible for this one.

“Ehehe, I wonder what it is. A love letter?” Grace speculates for fun. It’s anything but that…

“And here. The keys for the Camper. It’s all yours, take good care of it.” Matilda hands the keys over to Cookie as well.

“Oh cool. New secret base.” Cookie chuckles. Chio glares back at her. “I’m kidding… sheesh. Unless…” Cookie wiggles her eyebrows. All the irresponsible tomatoes move them in sync. They’re shameless!

“Keep this [Telescope]! Nurture your desire for EXPLORATION.” Galactic gives a heavy box to Wilma, who can barely lift it.

“…T-Thank you!” Wilma puts it on the ground ‘cause of how heavy it is.

Jesse sighs… “I guess you all can keep this.” He hands over his cap to Grace, since her hands are empty.

“I suppose you have to take the duck too?” Dorothy wants to hand it over, but nobody wants it.

“We do?” Mirjam is confused.

“Uhm, like, are you blind or something?” Grace doesn’t get what she’s doing.

“Excuse me..?” Dorothy doesn’t understand the comment.

“It’s clearly attached to you for whatever reason. Can’t imagine why.” When even Chio notices, it’s pretty darn obvious.

“Quack.” The Duck agrees. He wants to come along.

“Are you out of your mind? I couldn’t possibly take him with us.” Dorothy doesn’t want the duck.

“Get a clue and take him away.” Cookie doesn’t understand why she has to be difficult.

“At this point, I should’ve known better than having common sense…” Dorothy keeps the duck. “At least, there’s someone who doesn’t detest me.” The Scientist mutters to herself.

“Aw, we don’t hate you! But we barely know you! Come to visit us, and, like, I’m sure we’ll enjoy a good time!” Grace is acting very welcoming.

“We’ll see...” Dorothy sighs in frustration.

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>>5577844

“So?” Chio turns to Oliver.

“So what?” Oliver is confused.

“Are you giving us something?” Chio doesn’t like stingy people.

“W-What? Is that what we’re doing now…? I thought everyone was getting rid of their junk.” Oliver is in shock. “I-I bought the TV in the Camper. That’s enough, right? Right…?”

The Tomatoes are massively disappointed… The Pudding totally counts as your present, you’re in the clear. But that means…

“Friends, I have opened the gate.” San Wich opens the interdimensional gate between the real world and the Bubble Dimension.

“You’ve made good on your promise, Phil Noon.” Esperanza is sitting on the camper. “Jesse Rosenberg, Galactic Calamity, and Oliver Watts. Until we meet again on the other side.” And just like that, she disappeared. She clearly doesn't give two shits about Matilda and Dorothy. The good perks of being flameless.

“T-That girl…” Chio recognized Esperanza.

“I don’t like how she just shows up.” Jesse has no good words for Esperanza.

“Oh. Cool. A ghost.” Cookie pretends to take it well. Grace must be thinking that at least she’s not an alien. “Should we ignore her or can I freak out?”

“Ignoring her is better, she’s not a big deal.” Oliver is very nonchalant about this.

“…She does have huge ears.” Matilda makes a mental note.

“Let’s move on, shall we? The gate’s open.” Dorothy tries to get things to move along.

No more delays. Your time in Xumenlo is over.

…

>>What do you do?

>Demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it.
>Say some final words to each one of the Tomatoes. No. Say some final words to Wilma, Grace, Mirjam, Chio, and Cookie separately!
>Pass on the Hoodie you’re wearing.
>Ask if you should all be holding hands before walking into the gate.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>5577845
>>Demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it.

>>5577845
>Demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it.
>Say some final words to each one of the Tomatoes. No. Say some final words to Wilma, Grace, Mirjam, Chio, and Cookie separately!

>>5577846
+1, no need for MORE final words.
Passing on the hoodie is a bad idea. Johnny inherited the CotF mantle and curse. Now that's a link to his mom

>>5577844
>Demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it.

>>5577845
>>Demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it.

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“I have one last request.” Yep, you’ll keep delaying things until you’re satisfied! You’re a selfish man! “Well, it’s a demand! I demand a group hug with everyone who is interested in having it!”

“Woo! I like the sound of that!” Grace jumps on board immediately.

“Yeah, it’s a grrreat idea!” Mirjam claps enthusiastically.

“…Let’s do it!” Wilma is full of joy too.

“Uhm, uh, yeah, I guess we can…” Cookie tries to hide her excitement for this last gesture.

“I suppose there’s no reason not to.” Chio pretends it’s only a small gesture.

“Good for you all. I’m leaving.” Dorothy starts walking to the inter-dimensional portal.

“An impatient [Scientist] is as USEFUL as a trip to the [SUN]. Let them ENJOY their moment.” Galactic grabs the duck woman’s shoulder. He’s not planning on joining either, but can wait a moment because he’s not a dick.

“Quack.” The duck agrees with the spaceman.

“Buahehahihihihihihi! I see no reason not to. Right, Master?” Oliver looks at the dojo trainer.

“I’ll pass.” Matilda doesn’t want hugs.

“…P-Pass?!” Wilma is dismayed.

“T-That isn’t sweet, Sugar!” Grace can’t believe it. “Like, it’s the exact opposite! We’re going to have to call you ‘Sour’!”

“Sourrrr!” Mirjam’s lisp is out of control! “…Unless you change your mind.”

“C’mon, Sugar, it’s not the time to be a sourpuss.” You’ll egg her on. “All your friends want a big hug.”

“Being stoic isn’t as cute as you think it is.” Cookie starts making fun of the fit gal. “Do you think you’re going to get a prize for being this difficult?”

“I’m not trying to be cute.” Matilda hates the notion that she’s doing it to appear appealing.

“Nobody benefits from you bottling up your feelings, you hardhead. Do you wish to die alone in a ditch or something?” Chio will never be tactful. Naiad says it isn’t! You already know that.

“…Please, Sugar.” Wilma asks nicely.

“Fine… Only this once.” Sugar relents. “There are far better ways to show respect than something this embarrassing.”

“Respect? It’s a group hug, what are you talking about?” Cookie is utterly confused by Matilda’s hardheadedness.

“It means a lot, regardless.” Wilma thanks Sugar for agreeing.