>>920110
>>Do they serve breakfast this early?
Time for Gate. How are you, Smiley? Holiday season got you down yet?

>>920110
>Do they serve breakfast this early?
>Go see Altea

>Do they serve breakfast this early?
Priorities first, my dudes.

Also, Hi Smiley.

>writing

>>920142
Between work and relatives, I have just one question: Is it January yet?

"Do they serve breakfast this early?" You ask
"Yeah" Derrick says. "Want to eat something first, and then deal with everything?"
"I would definitely feel more confident on a full stomach" You say.
"Sounds like a plan" Derrick says. "Anyone else coming?"

After dicussing where everyone would be going, you all split up into 2 groups: 1 going to get breakfast, and the other to settle the children in.

When you reach the usual eating hall, it's mostly empty with the exception of an oddly purple coloured blob of slime in one of the chairs...

You point to the blob and turn to Derrick.

"Oh, that's Jade" Derrick says.

>Why is she purple?

>Where is everybody?

>Other

>>920302
>Why is she purple?
Slimes are weird

>>920302
>Why is she purple?
"Did she get a tan?"

>>920302
>Why is she purple?

>writing

"Why is she purple?" You ask.

Derrick looks confused for a moment. "Right... I guess you've never seen her change before" He says. "She's not always green"
"She's not?" You ask.
"Nope" Derrick says as he goes to sit down. "Slimes are actually naturally clear, and if they go too long without eating something coloured they go back to being that way"

"So... how did she get purple?" You ask.
The purple blob starts to shift into a more humanoid form. "I decided it was time for a bit of a change, so I made up some dyes" Jade says.

"Is that why you wanted that stuff..." Emi says.
"No, that was for another thing" Jade says, as she turns to you. "Happy belated birthday, by the way"
"Thanks" You say.

"Sorry I couldn't be there" Jade says. "And sorry about how th enight ended..."
You shrug. "Not your fault" You say.

>Ask why she decided to be purple

>Ask about what happened here in the castle

>Other

>>920440
>Ask why she decided to be purple

Gold is clearly a superior color for a slime. Just imagine the shimmer in sunlight!

>>920440
>Ask why she decided to be purple
So is like when someone dyes his hair... but her whole body

>writing

>>920440
>"Not your fault"
But what if it was?
*DUN DUN DUUUN*

"What made you want to be purple?" You ask.
Jade shrugs. "I dunno. Boredom mostly" She says. "I was only green for about a week, and before that I was red... I think"
"You think?" You ask.
"I change colours pretty often. It's hard to keep track of what colour I was at what time" She says.
"Huh" You say. "Could I change colours like that?"

"Not really..." Jade says. "You could tan, but that's about it"
You cock your head to the side.
"Your skin darkens the longer it's exposed to the sun" Emi says. "That's called tanning"
"Oh" You say. "That's kinda boring..."
"At least you don't have to worry about becoming transparent if you go too long without colouring yourself" Jade says. "Although I guess you run the risk of being too pale if you stay out of the sun for too long"

You turn to Emi.

"Uhhmm... Think of Kieve" Emi says. "She looked like she hadn't seen the sun in years. You won't get pale just from a few days"
"Oh" You say.

Before you can go any further, a server brings in food for everyone.

You look around and see Everyone starting to dig in...

>Occupy self with food

>Watch how Jade eats

>Other

>>920612
>>Occupy self with food

>>920612
>>Occupy self with food

>>920612
>Watch how Jade eats
I'm interested in Slime biology

>>920612
>>Watch how Jade eats

>>920612
>Watch how Jade eats
This is an important query.

>writing

You dig your fork into your food and bring it up to your mouth, but stop just short.

You watch curiously as Jade puts a hand on her plate and leaves it there. Before you can ask why she's doing that, pieces of food start to "float" up her arm to her chest where they just kind of... sit.

"Yuu, it's rude to stare" Emi says.
"I don't mind all that much" Jade says. "I find his curiousity refreshing"

You peel your gaze away from the eggs and bacon floating in Jade's chest. "If you don't mind me asking..."
"You want to know how it works?" Jade asks.

You nod.

"It's a bit like a human stomach... You can't see it, but in my chest I've got a pocket of digestive ooze" She says. "Breakfast'll stay there for a few hours as it dissolves. By the time lunch rolls around it should all be gone"
"Neat" You say, as you turn your attention back to your own food.

You feel kinda bad for Jade. It must be awkward having your last meal floating around in plain view as it digests...

She doesn't seem to mind, though. You'd have to guess that she's used to it by now.

>1/2

You finish your breakfast quickly and put your fork down. Looking around, you see everyone else is just finishing as well.

"All set?" Derrick asks.
"Pretty much" You say.

Jade "stands" and stretches her arms out. "Well, I should get back to my library... I've been procrastinating a little by hanging around here, but it's time to go assess the damage"
"Right, I forgot the library got hit too" Derrick says.
"Would you like some help?" Emi asks.

"I would love some help, if you're offering" She says.
"Alright" Emi says, as she straightens out from her chair. "How bad is it?"
"It's..." Jade says as she heads for the door, leaving a slight trail of slime behind her. "... you'll see"

Emi and Jade head out, and Derrick turns to you.

"I'm heading up to see Altea. You coming?" He asks.

>Yeah

>I want to see how it's going with the children

>I want to go see Cheska first

>Other

>>920895
>I want to see how it's going with the children
I'm worried about the cute devils

>>920895
>>Yeah

>>920895
and then jade walks up and touches derricks wieneer

>>920895
>>Yeah
Time to see mom.

>writing

We need to see Cheska soon too. They tried to kill her

"Yeah. Time to go pay mom a visit" You say.
"Are you really going to be calling her that?" Derrick asks.
"Probably" You say. "Is that not normal?"

"Well... best advice I can give is to say it once and see how she reacts" Derrick says. "If she doesn't mind, go for it. If she does... stick to Commander"
"Kay" You say. "Let's get going"

You and Derrick head out, being careful to avoid Jade's 'footsteps'... although there already seems to be someone cleaning them up in the hall...

These guys really work fast.

You head up the hall and over to where Altea's office is. The door is open, so you step in.

Altea is sitting at her desk, eyeing a piece of paper and rubbing her temples. She's not dressed as regally as you're used to. Instead she seems to be wearing her nightgown, now slightly singed from the night's events.

When she notices your entrance, she looks up from the page.

"Oh, good morning you two" Altea says.
"Good morning" Derrick says. "We're not interrupting are we?"
"No... I was just reading something over" She says.
"Bad news?" You ask.
"No, but after last night it might as well be..." She says. "And I'm glad you're still in one piece. Seems you gave Marybell quite the scare"
You shrug. "I handled it" You say. "I'm glad you're alright too... uhh"

>Mom

>Commander

>Comomder

>Other

>>921104
>>Commander
Doesn't seem like she's in the mood.

>>921104
>Mom
We can try

>>921104
>Comomder
Can't resist

>>921125
That's good too.

>writing

"Mom" You say.

...

"Err... Commander?"

...

"Comomder"
Altea sighs and chuckles. "Glad to se it takes more than demons to break your spirits, Yuu" She says.
You shrug.

"So what's the news?" Derrick asks.
"With our new friend's help, we've gotten quite a few insiders in Bell's Run" Altea says. "But..."
"Locke is vulnerable" Derrick says.

"Is it though?" You ask. "They got it, yeah. But we'll be prepared next time"
"We were prepared this time" Altea says. "We had some of our best watching that gate..."

Altea sighs, and sinks into her chair. "Enemies on both sides" She says. "Stab at one, and you open your back to the other..."
"You still have the hunters" You say. "It's one thing to be surrounded when you're alone. But we've still got friends"

"He's not wrong" Derrick says. "We could ask them to watch our backs while we strike out for Bell's Run"

Altea closes her eyes, and nods. "I'm not certain we have any other choice" She says. "Is Castor at the Guild hall?"
"Probably" Derrick says. "Sounds like this attack's got the guild pretty riled up too. After all, his daughters were with us"

"Then could you do me a favor and have Jade send a message to the Guild, requesting a meeting between us?" Altea asks. "I'd go myself, but I've been neglecting a lot of work..."
"Can do" Derrick says. "Coming, Yuu?"

>Stay here

>Go with Derrick

>Visit Chilluns

>Visit Cheska

>Other

>>921352
>>Go with Derrick

>>921352
>>Visit Cheska
Check up on her see what we can trade for a translation.

>>921352
>Visit Cheska
We need more information

>writing

"I'm gonna go pay Cheska a visit in the dungeons" You say. "See if she'll translate the note I found on Carthac in return for some cake"
"If you go to the dungeons, you'll be disappointed" Altea says. "We've moved her out of there to one of the windowless rooms on the upper floor"

"Which one?" You ask.

Altea quickly rattles off some directions to you.

"Got it" You say.
"Let me know what she has to say" Altea says. "If she knows how they encode their messages, we may find ourselves with an edge"
You tilt your head. "Why haven't you asked her about it yet then?" You ask.
"She doesn't talk to our interrogators" Altea says.

"Huh..." You say. "Well, wish me luck"
"You'll probably want the cake you saved from last night" Altea says. "I believe it was brought to your room"
"Cool. Thanks" You say.
"Good luck" Altea says.

>1/2

You head up to your room, where there are a few boxes and bags sitting on your bed. Most of it is all probably gifts from last night. But you recognize one of the smaller ones as the one containing the cake. You do check to make sure, since it'd be embarrassing if you brought a box with something random in it as an offering.

Then you make your way up further to the room Cheska is in. There are several guards posted outside, who stop you as you walk up.

"You're Yuu?" One of them asks.
"I am" You say.
The guard nods. "The commander told us to expect you at some point" He says. "Go on in. The prisoner should still be awake"
"Uhh... thanks. I guess" You say.

The other guard opens the door for you, and shuts it behind you as you go in.

You're greeted by the sight of Cheska, still in her underwear, spread out over a simple bed. She has several bandages on her. The one on her leg is still there, but now she has one wrapped around her abdomen, and one on her neck.

She looks irritated when you walk in. "For the last time, I told yo- oh" She says when she sees you. "Sorry about that, cutie. I thought you were one of those other guys"

>Get straight to business

>Ask how she's liking the new locale

>Ask if she's okay

>Ask why she's still in her underwear

>Other

>>921596
>Ask if she's okay
>Ask how she's liking the new locale

>>921596
>Ask if she's okay

>>921596
>Ask how she's liking the new locale

>Ask if she's okay

>Ask why she's still in her underwear

>writing

"Are you okay?" You ask.
She sits up, wincing as she does. "Peachy" She says, before letting out a few coughs. "Okay... nevermind. I'm a little worse for wear, but us demons are made of sturdy stuff"

"Are you sure?" You ask.
"Yeah. I'm wounded, but I'll heal" She says. "I think what I could use now is some company, if you're willing to provide"
"That's what I came up here for" You say. "Well... I mean, I do have some questions"

"I'm willing to put those off if you are" She says.
"Okay" You say, as you sit down on the bed. "So how are you liking the new digs?"
"It's... brighter" She says. "Even without windows, this place has got some actual light sources. The bed's comfier than the ground, though the pillows aren't as nice as the ones you brought me"
"They wouldn't let you keep them?" You ask.

"No, sadly" She says. "Some blood... okay, a lot of blood got on them"
"Whose blood?" You ask.
She shrugs. "Probably a mix of both" She says.

"How'd it happen?" You ask.

Cheska peers at you from the corner of her eye. "Well..."

She tells you about how she woke up when she heard the fat demon screaming. When the screaming stopped, the assassin came up to her cell and broke in.

"Part of me was hoping that he was here to ust me out... but then I saw the knife" She says.

She was almost too slow, and only barely avoided getting her throat slashed. She wrestled with the other demon, getting stabbed in her stomach in the process, before she finally got the knife away from him.

Then she managed to cut him a few times, and then she strangled him with her tail.

When she's finished her tale, you nod.
"Advantages of having an extra limb, you know?" She asks.

Cheska sits with her knees hugged tightly to her chest, and it looks like she's... shivering...

>Ask if she wants a hug

>Put your cloak over her

>Offer her some cake

>Tell her what happened on your end

>Other

>>921811
>Offer her some cake

>Tell her what happened on your end

>>921811
>>Offer her some cake
>>Tell her what happened on your end

>writing

>>921811
>Offer her some cake
>Tell her what happened on your end
>Let her know it's the last spear.

"Would you like some cake?" You ask.

She looks up, confused. "You brought... cake?" She asks.
"Yeah" You say, taking the cake out of its box. "It's from last night's party. I saved a slice for you"
She blinks a few times. "Aww, you saved it for me?" She asks. "That's so sweet of you!"

You hand her the little paper plate with the cake on it.

"Alright, let's... letters?" She asks. "l... no that's a y... day... Yuu... was it your birthday?"
"It was" You say.
"Aww, how come you didn't tell me?" She asks.
"I didn't know until I showed up" You say. "I don't know when my birthday is, so they decided to make it today"
"They just decided?" She asks. "Without asking you?"
"Well, not they... she" you say. "There's this adorable little Leprid who thought it was my birthday when they sad they were having a party for me, and nobody had the heat to correct her"

Cheska snorts, as she picks up the cake and takes a bite. "Oh, shit. That's good" She says. "Who made this?"
"Fran did" You say.
"Fran... she's the devil, right?" She asks.
"Yeah" You say.

Cheska looks back at the cake and smiles.
"What's up?" You ask.
"Nothing, sorry" She says, as she takes another bite. "Continue"

>1/2

You tell Cheska about how the party went in brief, skipping over the game of truth or dare, and going straight to your rude awakening.

You give her a description of the man you found in the kid's room.

"Fairly sure that I know who that is, and if I'm right then it's a good thing you checked in when you did" She says. "But continue"

You continue your story, and tell her about how you chased the man into an ambush, which you fought off. You leave out the part where Terry showed up.

"And when I checked the bodies, I found this" You say, pulling out the note.
"But you couldn't read it, because it's encoded" She says.
"Well... yeah" You say. "I was hoping-"
"That I could translate it" She says. "I figured..."

...

"Can you?" You ask.
Cheska's eyes scan up and down the page. "I can" She says.
"What does i-"

Cheska puts a finger to your lips. "Look... the cake was good and all, but I kinda feel like this is much bigger"
"Oh..." You say. "Would it help if I brought more cake? There was a lot left over..."

Cheska giggles. "Not cake, silly" She says.
"How about clothes?" You ask.
"Aww, you don't think I look good in my undies?" She asks, as she hugs your arm.
"I-it's not tha-... I-I mean, you do-

She giggles again. "I'm kidding. Thanks for the compliment though" She says. "The thing I want is this"

She holds her arm, specifically the arm with the soul crystals blocking her magic.

"... you want another one?" You ask.
"I want it off" She says. "I promise I won't try to burn this place down or kill anyone that doesn't deserve it, but I'd like to be able to defend myself... especially if what I'm reading here is true"

>Take it off

>I should talk to Altea about this

>You sure you don't want more cake?

>Other

>>922048
>You sure you don't want more cake?

Then

>I should talk to Altea about this

Mom's gotta know.

>>922048
>>I should talk to Altea about this
>>You sure you don't want more cake?

>>922048
>>I should talk to Altea about this
Not our call to make.

>>922048
>Other - It might help me convince Altea if you can give me a hint why you need to defend yourself.
>Talk to Altea

>writing

"You sure you don't want more cake?" You ask.
"Hey, if you're willing to bring more cake, then more power to ya" She says. "But I ain't decoding this thing for cake"

"Dang..." You say.
"I guess that's a no on getting the brace removed?" She asks.
"Well... no-"
"Shit..." She says.
"-because that's not up to me" You say. "I'll talk to Altea about it"

Cheska's face brightens up. "You will?" She asks.
"Sure" You say.
"Thank you!" She says, as she tackles you to the bed with a hug. "OW!"

She immediately recoils, clutching her stomach.

"I'm good..." She says.

You help her off of you, and sit her back up. She smiles weakly, clearly embarrassed.

"If you don't mind me asking, why the sudden interest in self defense?" You ask.
"Someone just tried to kill me" She says.
"You came out alright" You say.
"No I didn't" She says. "I came this close to dying, and it... well... it scared the shit out of me"

Cheska shrinks, and leans into you.

"You've never had a brush wth death before?" You ask.
"Never like this" She says. "This guy was just some fucko with a knife. Without this brace, I could've turned him to ash. But since it was on, I-..."

She stops for a moment, and you feel something tightening around your leg. You look down to see her tail...

"I-... I don't wanna die this way" She says.
"What... with the brace on?" You ask.

She smiles. "No... nevermind" She says. "Say... do you think you could hang here a little while longer?"
"You sure? The sooner I get to Altea, the sooner I can get a yes or no on that brace" You say.

Her smile widens, and she pinches your cheek. "Who needs self defense when I've got big strong Mr. Cutie here" She says.

Well you're not going anywhere with her tail wrapped around your leg...
You wonder if she even knows about that.

"Sure, I guess" You say.
"Yay!" She says. "So ol' Thacky's bit the dust has he?"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will hopefully be tomorrow, since things are getting even busier on this end come Sunday.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time

>>922274
>"Yay!" She says. "So ol' Thacky's bit the dust has he?"

Oh boy, has he ever

Great thread, Smiley!

>>922274
Thanks for running.

Cheska a best

>>922426
I like her a lot. Maybe we can make her our bodyguard or something

"So what'd you do?" Cheska asks.
"Well... I punched him in the face" You say. "Then I stole his stupid hat and ran"

Cheska giggles. "You like keeping trophies, huh?" She asks.
You shrug. "I dunno. Keeping Carthac's spear was kind of an accident the first time" You say. "Shame I only managed to ge three..."

"I'm sure you'll find someone else to take stuff from" She says. "You did manage to get another boon, though"
"Well, I di- hang on. How did you know that?" You ask.
Cheska pokes out her tongue. "I did say I knew who that guy was" She says.

"Who was he?" You ask.
Cheska scrunches her face up, like she doesn't know whether she should tell you.

"I know, you want something in return..." You say.
"It's not that. You've done plenty at this point" She says. "It's just... there's a few pretty gruesome details that you may not wanna hear"

>Maybe it's best if I don't then

>I can handle it

>Other

>>924695
>>I can handle it

>>924695
>I can handle it
I like her

>>924695
>I can handle it

>>924695
>>I can handle it

>writing

"I think I can handle a little gruesome" You say.
"I didn't say a little gruesome..." She says. "Ah well, if you say so"
"So who was he?" You ask.

"Not sure anybody knew his real name, but around the camps they called him the Puppetmaster" Cheska says. "Used to give me the friggin creeps, and that's coming from someone who hung around all kinds of killers"

"The Puppetmaster..." You say. "How'd he get that name?"
"Well... that's the gruesome part" She says. "Even before the legion started, this dude was a scourge back in Antolia. Made his mark by slipping into families' houses at night and killing the children"

You grimace, but Cheska continues.

"And not just killing them. He'd string 'em up with wires and pose them. Then use fishhooks to pull their cheeks back into a smile" She says. "And then he'd leave them like that, for the parents to find in the morning"

That sounds oddly familiar, and it makes you feel sick.

"I warned you" She says. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm aright" You say.
"So yeah. Lucky you woke up when you did" She says. "I got to see his work one time. Only time in my life when I've felt genuinely sickened by something"

"I think I can understand why" You say.
"Some of the other demons say that he's the one who taught Mahron how potent a weapon despair can be" She says.
"I can imagine" You say.

You feel Cheska's tail loosening its grip on your leg. You turn to see her smiling.

"But I've taken up enough of your time" She says. "I'm sure you're a busy man, so I'll let you go"

>I could stick around a bit longer...

>Go back and see Altea

>Go see the chilluns

>Other

>>924852
>>Go back and see Altea

>>924852
>>Go see the chilluns
And then Altea, and then loop back around to Cheska.

>>924852
>>Go see the chilluns
But promise to come visit sometime

>>924789
>>Go see the chilluns

>>924852
>Go back and see Altea
I want to ask her about getting Cheska as a bodyguard or something. If we are going to ask to get her magic back is better if we watch her.

>>924852
>Go back and see Altea
Important discussion is to be had.

>writing

It's a tie, right? What are you writing?

"Alright" You say. "I've gotta go do a few things, but I'll be sure to talk to Altea about the brace"
"Yes please" Cheska says. "I mean... if it's not too much trouble"

"And uhh... do you want me to get you something to wear?" You ask.
"That might be nice" She says. "It's not like I feel the cold, but being exposed like this all the time..."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do" You say, as you stand up.

Cheska gets up to see you off, but stumbles on her injured leg. You manage to catch her before she falls.

"Eh-heh-heh... I keep forgetting about that..." She says.
"I could probably ask someone to look at those too..." You say.
"I doubt you'll make headway there" She says. "But thanks for the concern"

Cheska looks up, and gets a mischievious look. Then she darts up and nips your ear, before falling back onto her bed.

"Ow" She says, holding her stomach. "Forgot about that one too..."
"You sure you're gonna be okay?" You ask.
"So long as I remember not to move around so much, yeah" She says. "It helps when there are no cute boys around to show off for"

You feel your cheeks heating up, and turn to the door. "I'll see you later, then" You say.
"See you!" She says.

>1/2

You figure you'll do things in sequence. The bedrooms are on the way back down to Altea's office, so you should stop there first instead of backtracking.

When you get near the rooms, you see that only one of the doors are open. The only sound you hear is that one that Ilica makes whenever she's mad...

You step up to the door frame to see Ilica and Hella kneeling by one of the bedsides, cautiously peering under the bed.

"Dang it Vivi, just come-ow!" Ilica says, as she tries to reach under and gets her hand swatted.
"Cat troubles?" You ask.

"Hey Yuu" Hella says.
"Yes" Ilica says. "Something startled Vivian awake, and now she's pissed off and won't come out from under the bed"

"Sounds like a real cat-astrophe" You say.
Hella giggles, but Ilica doesn't look amused. "Please don't encourage him..." She says.

>Offer to help out

>Ask which room the others are in

>Other

>Taking a short food break. Will start writing when I return

>>925020
>>Offer to help out

Simple: use Mageblade to grab her; it's not sharp by default.

>>925020
>>Offer to help out

>>925020

>Offer to help out
More simple: Stand beside the bed. She will come out to bite us.

>>925020
>>Offer to help out

>>925020
>>Offer to help out

>writing

"Let me lend you a hand" You say, as you get down by the bd with them.

You put your hand near the bed, and a paw immediately whips out and smacks it.

"That doesn't work... we've tried everything" Ilica says, sounding exhausted.
"How about this?" You ask, as you shove your hand under the bed, grab Vivi by the scruff, and pull her back out.

Vivian hisses, wriggles, and scratches to try and get away. But you ignore it and hold her on one arm, bringing the other up to scratch the spot under the ear that you've learned works well.

The irate little kitty starts to calm down, and her swipes lose their oomph until her paws hang limply. You can hear her purring.

"Ohhh" A feminine voice from the doorway calls. You turn to see Katherine standing there. "I was worried that he was being too forceful, but it looks like he's got the touch"
"The... touch?" You ask.

"Good kitty scratchin' hands" Katherine says.
"He's not that good" Ilica says.
"You say that now, but one day you'll wish you held on to this one" Katherine says. "Good hands are hard to come by"

Ilica gives you an appraising look, and you notice that her cheeks are a little red...

>Ask where Katherine went

>Ask about the other kids

>I guess I did get a lot of practice...

>Other

>>925247
>>Ask about the other kids

>>925247
>>Ask about the other kids

>>925247
>I guess I did get a lot of practice...
Tease the Ilica, come on, do it

>>925247
>I guess I did get a lot of practice...
>Ask about the other kids

>>925247
>>Ask about the other kids
Thinknig on it, it feels like its been a while since we've had any real time with Illica.

>>925247
>I guess I did get a lot of practice...

>>925275
Well, she's been on self-inflicted babysitter duty for a while so that's more on her end than ours.

>>925283
>>925275
We need more kitty time

>>925247
>>Ask about the other kids
>>I guess I did get a lot of practice...

>writing

>>925247
>>Ask about the other kids
>Ask where Katherine went

"I guess I did get a lot of practice that one time..." You say.
Katherine looks interested. "Go on..." Katherine says.

"Well, one time we were hauling stuff from Sherton to Contique, and it turned out that we had a bunch of catnip in our cargo" You say.

Katherine flinches. "That is... not a short trip" She says.
"I know... it took me like 3 hours to come back down after" Ilica says.

Katherine smiles knowingly. "But the trip wasn't so bad...?" She asks.
Ilica's face reddens further. "N-no... I guess it wasn't" She says.

"That's what... a full day's trip?" Katherine asks. "How did you hands not get tired?"
"I don't tire very easily" You say.

"That settles it. You fight for this guy Ilica" Katherine says.
"Fight who?" Ilica asks.
"I dunno... from what I've heard, probably Stella" Katherine says.

"Who's fighting me now?" Stella asks.

You turn to see Stella in the doorway, holding hands with a sleepy looking Gabriella.

"Ilica is" Katherine says.
"Well that's not much of a fair fight. She's got claws and everything" Stella says. "But I'm sure Yuu will protect me, right?"

>I guess...

>I'm staying out of this

>Pretend you didn't hear

>Other

>>925432
>>Pretend you didn't hear
Nope.

>>925432
>>I guess...

>>925432
>>>I'm staying out of this

>>925432
>Pretend you didn't hear
Oh no, the little kitty is biting me! There goes all of my attention.

>>925432
>I'm staying out of this
''No, nobody is going to fight if I'm here''

>>925432
>>925457

Switching to

>I'm staying out of this

>>925432
>I'm staying out of this

>>925432
>"It might be good for you to learn some self defense. After tonight, who knows what could happen when I'm not around?"

>>925432
>I'm staying out of this
"Are you going to train together?"

>writing

You look back and forth between Ilica and Stella, before shrugging. "I'm staying out of this" You say.

"God call" Katherine says. "Ohh, little Gabby is awake!"

Gabriella hides behind Stella's leg.

"She's..." Stella says.
"I know" Katherine says. "How's it going Gabriella?"

...

"Are you hungry? Do you want to get breakfast?" Katherine asks.

...

Katherine sighs.

>Ask if there's something wrong

>Hug tiny bunny

>Other

>>925730
>>Hug tiny bunny

>>925730
>>Hug tiny bunny

>>925730
>>Hug tiny bunny

>>925730
hug small bun

fug big bun

>>925730
>>Ask if there's something wrong

>>925730
>Hug tiny bunny

>>925730
>Hug tiny bunny
Hug big bunny too. Hug all the bunnies

>>925730
>>Hug tiny bunny

>>925730
>Hug tiny bunny

Poor little fluffer is probably terrified still.

Remember, Yuu is a proffessional child wrangler after all!

>>925786
inb4 Yuu part-timed as a babysitter before he ended up in monster girl fantasy land.

>writing

>>925803
Turns out Yuu was the oldest of 18 siblings and his family chucked him through a convenient magical portal/sold him to the black market for his heart to be transplanted into a rich man, so they could have room/money for the newest child.

He has experience helping raise his siblings, and came to hot-monster-babe-atopia because the portal connects to the bottom of the garbage shoot that the organ traffickers that cut out his heart tossed him down.

He got dragged up to the cave mouth by Terry because Terry didnt want him in his napping pit and was pissed someone threw a dude through the portal he uses to get rid of his piss bottles.

You get up and hand Vivian off to Katherine, then you walk over to Stella and Gabby.

Crouching down to Gabby's level, you peer around Stella's legs.

"You want a hug?" You ask.

Gabriella nods, so you open up your arms, and she runs in.

"That's it..." You say. "I guess I wasn't the only one who had a rough night, huh?"
Stella smiles. "Yeah... she's still a little spooked" She says. "Nothing that lots of hugs can't solve"

"She probably needs more than just hugs..." Ilica says.
"Nonsense" Stella says. "There's nothing that hugs can't solve"

You sigh, and tighten your hold on Gabby. After everything Cheska told you, and the dream that you had... you think you might need this as much as her.

>Ask where the devils are

>Go see Altea

>Other

>>925935
>>Ask where the devils are

>>925935
>Ask where the devils are
We can't leave without huging the cute devils

>>925935
>>Go see Altea

>>925935
>Ask where the devils are
We can go see Altea later.

>>925935
>Ask where the devils are

It was their bedroom that got broken into.

Gabby, Vivi, and lil' Hella where just visiting, so it wasn't like their sanctuary got invaded.It must be a LOT more traumatic for the lil' devils since that was their bedroom and their safe space to sleep and feel comfortable.

>>925935
>>Ask where the devils are

>writing

"Where are Lily and Daisy?" You ask.
"Next door with Ms. Fran, probably still asleep" Stella says. "Why?"
"I'm gonna go pay them a visit" You say, looking down at Gabby. "You okay with that?"

Gabby nods.

"Okay, let's go" You say.

You head off to the next room, and tap lightly on the door. After a few seconds it opens a crack, and you see Fran's eye. It widens in recognition, and the door opens all the way.

"Oh, hey Yuu, hey Gabby" Fran says. "How are you feeling?"
You shrug. "Tired, and not really looking forward to what will probably be a busy day" You say.

Fran smiles and nods. "I get that. How about you, Gabby?" She asks.
Gabby clings a little tighter.

"Probably just as tired as I am, and a little scared" You say.
"I know, sweetie. You must have been terrified... but it's all over now" Fran says, as she reaches out and strokes Gabriella's cheek. "You're safe now"

Gabby relaxes, and buries her head into your shoulder.

"Come on in, just be quiet. The girls are asleep with Lance" Fran says.

You walk into the room and sure enough, Lance is lying on the bed with Lily and Daisy in his arms.

>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back

>Tell Fran whatCheska told you

>Ask how she's doing

>Other

>>926144
>>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back
>>Tell Fran what Cheska told you

>>926144
>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back
>Ask how she's doing

>>926144
>>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back
>>Tell Fran whatCheska told you
>>Ask how she's doing

>>926144
>>Ask how she's doing

>>926144
>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back
>Let's NOT tell her what Cheska said. That's not going to help matters and the guy is dead.

>>926158
>>926166
>>926186
>Hey Fran, let me tell about the absolutely HORRIFIC things that guy was about to do to your children.

>>926144
>>Tell Fran about how her kids fought back

>>Ask how she's doing

>writing

>>926144
>>926186
Yeah, I'll take the Cheska thing out

Fran sits down on a chair in the corner, and you take the o next to her.

"Still, those two were impressive" You say. "Did you know that both of them can use magic already?"
"I did, but I only found out after you guys brought them up from Sherton" Fran says. "I've been meaning to teach them how to use it properly, but everything's been so hectic..."

"They might be good learning on their own" You say. "Lily managed to hold off that guy until her mana ran short, and Daisy can summon those weird tentacle things"

"Already?" Fran asks. "Well, I shouldn't be all that surprised. Devils are always naturals at magic... but still, she's only 6. I didn't think it'd happen this early"
"Is that not normal?" You ask.

"Most people don't start using magic until they at least hit puberty" Fran says. "I guess this means I'll have to rush to start teaching them... I can show Daisy how to use dark magic fine, but Lily will need a real teacher"

"Why?" You ask.
"Fire magic requires a bit of fine control" Fran says. "I'd rather not have her burn our apartment down trying to heat something up..."

"Why not just tell her not to use magic?" You ask.

Fran sighs, and ruffles your hair. "Oh, Yuu. Your optimism is appreciated, but if a simple rule was any real deterrent to that one my life would be so much simpler"
"Oh" You say.

>I'm sure there are some hunters who could teach her

>Derrick's pretty good with fire

>I can ask Altea

>Other

>>926358
>>I'm sure there are some hunters who could teach her

>>926358
>I can ask Altea
Just to see how she reacts

>>926358
>>926406
>I can ask Altea
Maybe she can adopt Fran too and Lily can call her grandma.

>>926358
>>Derrick's pretty good with fire
>>I can ask Altea

>>926358
>I can ask Altea
>I'm sure there are some hunters who could teach her

I know Cheska is super good at Fire Magic, but I definitely would never let her near one of these adorable little munchkins. Not that I think SHE would hurt them, but as a Demon she is like a heroin addict, no telling what she will do to feed her addiction to blood and she also has the possibility of using the kiddo as leverage to escape if she takes her hostage.

Altea would be the best, but she might be busy.

>>926358
>>Derrick's pretty good with fire

>writing

"I can ask Altea" You say. "She's so good with fire, she can breathe it!"

"That's because she's a dragon" Fran says. "And I honestly don't think Lady Altea has the time to teach anyone anything..."

You shrug. "It's worth asking. With everything that's happening, if anyone deserves a break it's her" You say.
"You'd consider teaching a rambunctious 8 year old fire magic as a break?" She asks.
"Yes" You say.

"Then you've never been a parent" Another voice says.

You know who it is without even looking, as Gabriella's ears and head perk right up.

"There's my girl" Daniella says, as she walks over and takes Gabriella from you. "Sorry mommy couldn't be here..."

"Hey Danny. How are things at the hall?" Fran asks.
"Tense" Daniella says, as she strokes Gabriella's hair. "It's clear to pretty much everyone that this was just as much an attack on us as it is on Locke"

"I was afraid of that" Fran says. "What's the Huntmaster doing?"
"Currently getting ready to meet with Lady Altea" Daniella says.
"When's that happening?" You ask.
"In a few hours, I think" Daniella says.

>I should go see her now then

>Is there anything I can do?

>Other

>>926633
>>I should go see her now then

>>926633
>I should go see her now then

>>926633
>>I should go see her now then

>>926633
>I should go see her now then

>>926633
>>I should go see her now then

>writing

You stand up and stretch out. "I should go talk to her now then" You say. "I'll see you guys later. In fact... Coral"

You feel Coral jump to action on your head, and she fumbles around a bit in your hat before finally zipping out.

"Were you sleeping?" You ask.
Coral nods and stretches out.
"Well, don't worry" You say. "You can hang out here for a while, but I want you to come and let me know when Lily and Daisy wake up"

Coral finishes stretching and salutes, then she lazily floats down onto the table next to fran and sits down.

"Take good care of her for me, I'll see you guys later" You say.
"See you" Fran says.
"B-bye" Gabriella says.

You smile and ruffle Gabby's hair on the way out, and then make your way down to Altea's office...

>1/2

As you're heading down to the office, you almost run into Pip.

Well, Pip almost runs into you. Since she's the one doing the running.

"Whoa! Sorry there Yuusky" Pip says as she comes to a screeching halt.
"What's the rush?" You ask.
"Everything" Pip says. "Coming to see the Commander?"
"Yeah. Is she in her office?" You ask.

"Yep" Pip says. "Not for much longer though. She's gotta go meet with her officers, and then the huntmaster"
"Okay" You say.
"If that's all, then I've gotta keep running" Pip says. "See ya!"
"See you" You say.

Pip steps past you and breaks back into her sprint, and you continue on your way.

When you step into Altea's office, the first thing you notice is that her desk is now covered in pages.

She's leaning back in her chair, looking exhausted. As she sighs a light fire breath escapes her mouth, and she sits back up.

"Oh, sorry Yuu. I didn't see you there" She says.
"I just got here" You say.
"Word from our guest?" She asks.

"Cheska says she'll decode the letter-"
"That's goo-... what's the catch?" She asks.
"-if we take off the brace" You finish.

Altea lets out another little breath of fire.

"Should we take it off?" You ask.
"I... I don't think I know" She says. "It certainly doesn't sound like a good idea..."

Altea turns her head down to her papers, before something seems to dawn on her.

"What do you think?" She asks.
"About... taking it off?" You ask.
Altea nods. "I'm trusting your judgement for this, since you've spent the most time around her" She says. "Should we take it off?"

>Not without some kind of backup

>No

>Yes

>Other

>>926928
>>Other
We'll be her watcher

>>926928
>Yes
>We can take care of her.

>>926928
>>Not without some kind of backup
Aka, us.

>>926928
>>Not without some kind of backup

>>926928
>>Not without some kind of backup
I don't think she's on the legion's side anymore, but i also don't think she's able to completely control herself from doing something bad.

I like what another anon said farther up. She's like a drug addict. She'll be fine up until the point she needs her fix.

>writing

>>926928
>>Yes

"Not without some kind of back up... and maybe an outlet for her homicidal urges" You say.
"Well, we're currently in 2 wars at the same time, so there'll be no shortage of the latter..." Altea says. "As for the former, I think I know what might work"

"What do you have in mind?" You ask.

Altea reaches down into her desk drawer, and pulls something out. It's 2 bands, both steel with a blue line through them.

"I used to use these as a way to force my girls to get along" Altea says. "It should work well enough for these purposes"
"What are they?" You ask.
"Shackles, of a sort" Altea says. "Put them on, turn them on, and they cause mild to high discomfort as they get further away from one another"

...

"Would that effect me?" You ask.
"Maybe not" Altea says. "It works by disrupting how your mana moves, so I could imagine that it would only effect her"

>That works

>Can we test it?

>Is there anything else?

>Other

>>927099
>That works

>>927099
>>Can we test it?

>>927099
>>That works

>>927099
>>Can we test it?
Never go into battle with an untested weapon.

File: 1481063234937.jpg (43 KB, 500x376)

43 KB JPG

>>927153
You don't trust mom?

>writing

>>927186
I don't trust a device that's normally used on mana users, being paired with a soul user.

>>927186
>Trusting anyone
I bet you trust yourself, too.

File: 1480554792327.png (425 KB, 1276x928)

425 KB PNG

>>927210
Shit that's a low kick and you know it.

"Are you sure it'll work?" You ask.
"If you want to test it, here" She says, as she slaps one of the bands on and tosses the other to you. "Put it on, and take a few steps back"

You do as she says, putting the band on and walking towards the door.

"Ahhh! Damn, okay. Come back! Come back!" She says. "Man that just feels... weird"
"I didn't feel anything" You say.
"So we know it works" She says. "Like the vests we use for training, it's powered by ambient mana so you don't have to worry about that"
"Neat" You say. "How do they come off?"
"Well, they form fit automatically" Altea says. "And I have the keystone that releases them"

Altea pulls a small stone out of her desk and taps it on her band. The band immediately grows so she can take it off.

"Here" She says. "You can take that up, and I'll give you a note for the guards at the door"
"Alright then" You say.

>1/2

Altea makes quick work of writing your note, then she hands it and the other band to you.

"Normally I wouldn't be condoning something like this... she is a demon, and a member of Hell's Legion..." She says.
"But we need the info she can give" You say. "There are worse ways of getting it"

"Not that I can think of..." Altea says.
"I disagree" You say. "We could be stooping to their level and trying to use torture. This way, nobody gets hurt"
"Well, not nobody..." Altea says.
"Nobody that doesn't deserve it" You say. "I'll be back later, hopefully with a translation for that note"

"I won't be here, but if you can write it up and send it along with Coral once you have it that would be much appreciated" She says.
"Can do" You reply.

You wave to Altea and head out, going back up to the top floor to bring Cheska the news.

As you make your way up the stairs, you mumble to yourself. "At least this way there won't be so many stairs..."

When you reach the door, the guard greets you again. You hand him the note, and he reads it over.

"Really?" He asks. "Well, it's got her seal... alright. Go on in, she's all yours"

The guards salute, and step away, letting you head into the room.

You find Cheska lying on the bed, right where you left her.

"Yo" You say.
She lifts her head up. "Oh, back so soon cutie?" She asks. "What's the news? Good? Bad?"

>Give her the band

>Tell her what's going on first

>Other

>>927314
>>Tell her what's going on first

>>927314
>Tell her what's going on first

>>927314
>>Tell her what's going on first
>>Other
"Sorry, forgot to grab you some cloths"

>>927314
>>Tell her what's going on first

>>927314
>>927333
Ditto.

>writing

"Good... kind of" You say.
"Kind of?" She asks.

"On the upside, I can get the brace off" You say.
"You can?!?" She asks, suddenly full of hope.
"But you have to wear this" You say, tossing her the band.

"Hmm? What's this?" You ask.
"I... don't actually know what it's called" You say. "But it makes you uncomfortable if you get too far from its pair"
"Oh! Bonders" She says. "I thought those worked both ways"
"Not for me" You say, holding up your arm to show her the one on your wrist.

Cheska tilts her head. "So what's the downside?" She asks.
"Well... that is the downside" You say.
"That's not a downside" She says. "I get to have all my magic back and I'll be permanently attached to Mr. Cutie 24/7? That's a win-win if I ever saw one"

...

She seems much more enthusiastic about this than you thought she would be...

Cheska slips the band on, and it forms to her slender wrist. "Alriiii- oh!" She says, as she jumps off the bed and scurries closer to you. "Okay. I thought it'd have a longer range than that"
"That can probably be adjusted" You say.
"Later. Right now, this thing has to come off" She says, offering you her braced arm.
"Alright..." You say.

You put your hand on her wrist, and absorb the soul crystal keeping her magic locked away.

"How does that feel?" You ask.

Cheska looks at you with a huge smile, and then bursts into flames. You back off, shielding yourself from the fire.

>1/2

I hope she's just letting off steam.

Here's hoping that we don't have to find more replacement clothes...again.

Through the fire, you can swear that you hear laughter. As the flames die down, you can see Cheska doubled over, still laughing. Then, as quickly as they appeared, the flames are gone.

"Ahhh~..." She says. "You have no idea how long I've been holding that in"

"A little warning would have been nice" You say.
"Sorry!" She says, waving away the smoke. "If you ever get your... whatever you use, sealed off for a while then you'll know why that had to happen"

You sigh, and examine the damage. The floor is scorched,but everything else seems fine.

You notice that the bandage on Cheska's leg got burned off, and you wonder if the other ones got destroyed too.

...

Funny, that spot is usually covered by her under... wear...

"What's up, cutie? You look a little off" Cheska says.
"Y-your uhh..." You sputter. "Your c-clothes... uhh"

Cheska looks down, then she gasps in surprise and covers herself with her arms. It almost works, too, but she has very thin arms...

"Shit!" She says. "That wasn't supposed to happen!"
"Well what did you expect when you lit yourself on fire?" You ask.
"I dunno! I'm used to wearing stuff that's a bit more resilient!" She says.
"How did you forget that you were in your underwear?" You ask.
"I've been in my underwear for like a week, alright" She says. "And never mind that, go find me some clothes!"
"Right! Yeah, good call" You say, as you turn and head for the door.

As you walk away, you hear Cheska sucking air through her teeth. Then, suddenly she hugs your back.

"Nevermind" She says. "Is there a way for you to stay here and get clothes?"
"Not really..." You say.
"Then this is going to be an awkward trip..." She says.

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be... sometime. I have no idea if I'll be able to run again this month, but if I see an opportunity I'll be taking it

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time

Thanks for running smiley.

>>927490
Well shit we have really gotten ourselves into a pickle here.
>>927494
Thanks for the thread if we don't see you this month, have a Merry Christmas.

>>927494
Great thread, Smiley! Happy Christmas!

>>927494
Thanks for the thread man.

Sucks about that, merry christmas.

>>927490
>Yuu got an eyefull of both demon tiddy and demon puss
What a fuckin playa

Cheska is the best