>This is now one of those long posts that I've been promising, because I've got to step out.
>Voting ends tomorrow at 8:30pm EST

"What is all that?" You ask her.
"Diagrams of the engine and stuff" She says. "I've got an earlier version of the Kestrel engine back in Locke, so I wanted to see what they did with this one. Maybe get a few ideas"

"Learn anything interesting?" You ask.
"They used thinner lines than I would have" She says.
"What does that mean?" You ask.

"Thicker lines put more stress on the engine, thinner lines put more stress on themselves" She says. "They probably did it because lines are cheaper to replace than an engine... limits the power, but ups the durability..."

Gretchen keeps scribbling.

"What would happen if you replaced the lines with thicker ones?" You ask.
"You'd get much more power out of it, especially if you pushed it with your own reserves. But you'd be at greater risk of maxing out the engine and causing damage" She says. "You're honestly better off with what you have here"

You nod and head back inside, finishing off the hauling and closing up the back of the cart before going back to Gretchen.

"Any ideas on what you'll do with your engine?" You ask.
"Stumped" She says. "Most we can do with chaos engines right now is direct motion transfer stuff, since we can't build chaos devices"

"Why not?" You ask.
"Well to build a device you have to attune it by casting something at it" She says. "It imprints the function onto the crystals so it can perform said function once connected to a power source"

"So... why couldn't you make a chaos device?" You ask.
"Because no one casts chaos spe-..." She stops and turns to you.

You smile.

"Oh yeah..." She says. "I'll have to think on that. Maybe you can show me what you can cast, and I can work around that"
"Why not now?" You ask.
"Too busy" She says. "Done hauling those lances out?"
"Yeah" You say.
"Cool... now I've just got to get the rest of this stuff into the cart, then I can strike the tent and shove that in there too" She says. "Feel like helpin' a little girl out again?"

>I should wash up

>Sure

>How would you usually do this on your own?

>Other

>>1573249
>>Sure

>>How would you usually do this on your own?

>>1573249
>8:30pm

I meant am, not pm.

>>1573249
>Sure

>>1573249
>>Sure

>>1573249
>Sure

>>1573249
>Sure
>Resist urge to make joke about "not size but technique"

>>1573202
Fucking die already smiley

>>1574111
Go off to some other quest if you don't like his, but be quiet you twat.

>>1573249
>How would you usually do this on your own?

>>1573249
>How would you usually do this on your own?
Don't tell me you have a mecha or something?

>>1574111
what wasted trips, how rood

>>1573249
>>Sure
>>How would you usually do this on your own?

Are goblins just another form that women can take in this world or they are their own separate species just like elves?

>Another long post. Voting ends at noon tomorrow, and I'll be continuing with an actual thread at 3:30pm EST.

"Sure" You say. "Just let me know what needs to be done"
"My workbench and all my shelves need to go into the same cart as the Lances" Gretchen says. "Tools I can do myself, but the shelves alone are like a 5 person job"

"Should I go get 4 more people?" You ask.
"We've started pretty early, so it should be okay. If we start cutting it on time I'll send for more people" She says.

You nod and head inside, where Gretchen tells you how to take the shelves off for easier transport. Then she goes and starts packing away the small stuff.

"I take it you usually have about 5 people doing this" You say.
"Yep" She says. "Until dingus decided to try and carry 5 lances at once, and brought the whole pile down on him and the others"

"That's a weird name... Dingus" You say.
"Dingus isn't his name. It's an insult" She says.
"Oh... so what is his name?" You ask.
"Not a clue" She says. "I think he was new... anyways. You can start with the top shelves..."

You get to work disassembling the shelves, as Gretchen finishes packing away her tools and parts...

"This place is kind of a mess" You say. "Did they not tell you we were leaving today?"

"They did, but the Commander also requested a bunch of new lances... so not only did I not get to pack my things in advance, I was up late last night building them" She says.
"How long does it take to make one?" You ask, as you lift up a stack of shelves and start hauling them out.

"Not long" She replies. "All the stuff is already here. It's just a matter of shaping the tube, adding the projectile, capping the ends, and setting the devices"

"You don't make the projectiles?" You ask.
"Nah, those are forged" She says. "That's what makes 'em so heavy"

You nod, and carry the shelves back to the cart. You pass Ava again along the way...

"U-uhhh..." She says.
"What's up?" You ask.
"Is there anything I can do?" She asks.
"You actually want to help?" You ask.
"Sitting here is boring" She says.

"Well... you don't look like you could do any heavy lifting..." You say. "Hey Gretchen, is there anything Ava can do?"
"Uhh... she can help bring down the tent once everything is out" Gretchen says.
"I was thinking before that" You say.

"Oh... uhh... this'll seem like an odd question, but can she count?" Gretchen says. "I have to ask. I've gotten burned by dudes who couldn't count pullin' a random number out of their ass"

>Not very well...

>She can

>... out of their ass?

>Other

>>1579327
>She can
but
>Not very well...

>>1579327
>>Not very well...
>Been trying to teach her.

>>1579327
>>>Not very well...
>>Been trying to teach her.
>Other
"How does one pull a random number out of their ass?"

>>1579327
>Not very well...

>>1579327
>She can
>I've been teaching her

>>1579327
>I taught her... Ava, what's 4 times 4 minus 2?

>>1579327
>She can, but not very well

"She can... not very well, but she can" You say.
"Not very well is still better than most" Gretchen says. "Head back to the cart. I need you to count out those lances. We should've done that before, but I was distracted"

"I-I think I can do that..." Ava says.
"Relax, birdy. You just have to count to 50" Gretchen says. "Can you count to 50?"
"Yes" Ava says.
"Awesome. Let me know if there are any more or less than that" She says.

Ava nods and hops over to the cart.

"What does it mean if there isn't 50?" You ask.
"If it's under, it means someone nicked one, if it's over... I dunno" She says. "I'll think about it later. Get those dang shelves to the cart before your arms fall off, fool"

"They aren't that heavy" You say.

Gretchen shrugs, picking her box back up and heading on to the cart. "It's a long haul, man. Don't go blowin' your load right off the bat" She says.

You pick up the pace to catch up with her. A task that is not difficult, given her little legs... makes you wonder how long it takes her to get around on those...

"So how does one pull a number out of their ass?" You ask. "Sounds like it'd be difficult"
"Do you always ask questions like that?" She asks.

"By the look on your face, I'm gonna go with 'yes'..." You say.
"What about the look on my face?" She asks.
"It's the same look my friend Ilica gets when I ask something weird. Sort of like..." You do your best to mimic her expression.

"That is not the face I was making" She says.

>Oh... lemme try again

>It is so

>I'm not the best at impressions

>Other

>>1582836
>I'm not the best at impressions

>writing

"I'm not the best at impressions..." You say. "But in my defense, it's smaller and more green when you make it"

"Haw haw" She says.

You put the shelves in the cart, stacking them next to the lances. Ava doesn't seem to notice you, as she's focused on counting.

The rest of the work passes quickly enough. The shelves all disassemble easily, and before long all of Gretchen's things are packed away.

"So what's the count at, birdy?" Gretchen asks.
"Uhh..." Ava says, as she spreads her wings. "This many"

Gretchen stares at her for a moment. "I have no idea what that means" She says.
"5 and 2" You say. "52"
"You sure?" Gretchen asks.
"Positive" Ava says.

Gretchen scrunches up her face.

"Something wrong?" You ask.
"Maybe... but it could be nothing" She says.

>Maybe you made a few extra?

>Let me take a look

>What could it be?

>Other

>>1583066
>>What could it be?

>>1583066
>Let me take a look
>What could it be?

>writing

"What could it be?" You ask.

"Dunno" She replies. "But a few people have warned me to look out for this sort of thing..."
"Why?" You ask.
"Sabotage" She says. "We need siege weapons to break into Contique, so this is where they'd want to hit us to make it hurt"

"Want me to take a look?" You ask.
"If you want... I don't see how you would spot the different ones though. I'll probably have to call someone to inspect th-"
"This one" You say, pointing to one of the lances in the middle of the pile.

"What?" She asks. "How can you tell?"
"The cap is different" You say. "Look where it's sealed on. All the others are really neat, but-"
"This one is a mess" She says. "You pull that one out so I can get a look. Birdy, I need you to go fetch a captain. With any luck whoever did this will still be in the infirmirary..."

Ava looks to you.

>Take the shackle off

>She can't

>Send Coral

>Other

>>1583165
>Send Coral

Nuh uh

>>1583165
>Take the shackle off
>"This is your first test."

>>1583165
>Take the shackle off
Let's give her some leeway, she did count, lets put some faith in her.

>writing

"Alright, you can consider this your first test" You say, as you pull the keystone from your pocket. "Straight out to find a captain, and straight back. Keep focused, and... don't crash, okay?"

"There's nothing out here to crash into..." She grumbles.
"Okay?" You ask again.
"Okay!" She says.

You smile and tap the keystone on her shackle, and it clicks open and falls to the floor.

"Alright, hurry back now" You say.

Ava gives a quick salute, and takes off.

"You had her shackled?" Gretchen asks. "Didn't peg you for the type who was into that kinda stuff"

You turn to Gretchen and raise an eyebrow. "What kind of stuff?" You ask.
"Kinky stuff" She says.
"Pretty sure that's not why I put it on her..." You say. "She took off on me earlier and flew headfirst into a tower. I took a nice long mudbath trying to catch her. So I figured I'd ground her for a while"

"Well she was right. Not much to crash into around here" She says.
"You'd be surprised" You say, as you start digging through the lances to get at the different one. "Alright. Let's see what this thing really is..."

>1/2

By the time Ava returns, you've gotten the 'lance' out and Gretchen is trying to pry it open.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" You ask.
"It won't go off" She says. "Whatever it is, it's on a timer..."

"I found a captain" Ava says.

You turn to see Ava approaching with Pip beside her...

"Heya there, Yuuster" Pip says. "What's the trouble?"
"I'm not actually sure..." You say.

"High chance that this lance is a bomb" Gretchen says. "Handle is hollowed out with a charged mana crystal inside, mana lines leading to the devices are resistors, and I'm willing to bet half my pay that when I pop this thing off it'll be full of firepowder"

"You sure that's a good idea?" Pip asks. "Any spark could-"
"Relax, I know what I'm doing. Sealing job on this was shoddy, so it should... juuuust... pop-" Gretchen says, as she finally manages to uncap the fake lance. "-right off"

You step over and look inside. "Definitely not a steel spike" You say.
"That's because it's 100% firepoweder" Gretchen says. "I'll go find somewhere to put this"

"Any idea who the culprit is?" Pip asks.
"Probably the same Dingus who dumped the shelf on himself" She says. "Check the infirmirary"
"Will do. You got things handled here?" Pip asks.
"I can manage" Gretchen says.

>Head with Pip to find the culprit

>Stay and help Gretchen

>Head back into town

>Other

>>1583359
>Head with Pip to find the culprit

>>1583359
>Head with Pip to find the culprit
I like gretchen.

>>1583359
>Head with Pip to find the culprit

>>1583359
>Head with Pip to find the culprit

>writing

Rolled 11 (1d100)

"I'll go with you" You say. "In case you need an extra pair of hands"
"I was gonna grab the Rayray, but I guess this saves time" She says. "Let's go"

"What am I supposed to do?" Ava asks.
"Help Gretchen for now" You say. "Maybe see if you can pick out if another one of those lances looked out of place"

"Not necessary" Gretchen says, pointing to a clip board in her hand. "I did make an extra. This should be the only fake"
"Double check it anyways" Pip says. "No rude surprises, please"
"Aye ma'am" Gretchen says.

You and Pip head off toward the infirmirary, leaving Ava and Gretchen to do what they have to.

"We've been dealing with this kinda shtuff ever since we hit Bell's Run" She says. "It's not a huge issue, but it's all my problem..."
"How many times has this happened?" You ask.
"5 times, that we know of" She says. "2 in Bell's Run, and another 3 here... well, 4 now... so I guess that's 6 total"

"What have you been doing to counter it?" You ask.
"Keeping my eyes open, and making sure everyone else is doing the same" She says. "It's easy now, but I suspect that a few things will slip through while we're camped outside of Contique"
"Why?" You ask.

"People will be tired, and antsy" She says. "Not a good combination for catching spies"

"Speaking of catching spies..." You say, as you arrive outside the infirmirary tent.
"Yeah I was thinkin' about that too" She says. "Just play it cool. They don't know we're onto them. We'll just be in there taking statements on who did what, and once we know which one of them did it, we pounce"

"...pounce?" You ask.
"Yeah, you've gotta get 'em down quick" She says. "A single enemy can make a big mess in a place like the infirmirary, so the quicker they go down, the better. You ready?"
"Probably" You say.

"Your confidence is inspiring" She says. "Just let me do the talking. You... do that thing with your eyes"
"I can handle that" You reply.

"Alright. In we go"

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>1583487

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>1583487

>>1583499
>Auto
RIP spy

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>1583487

>>1583499
>>1583515
SPY FOUND

File: yotsuba.png (187 KB, 400x750)

187 KB PNG

>>1583515
>>1583499
HERE WE FUCKING GO BOYS

File: 1497639109477.jpg (102 KB, 712x719)

102 KB JPG

>>1583515

File: 111111111.gif (1.33 MB, 200x200)

1.33 MB GIF

>>1583515
Now this is how it's done, first time I ever roll in here and totally nail it

>writing

You walk in behind Pip, who bursts into the tent with a cheerful "Hya-hooo"

The attending healer converses with Pip about her reasons for disturbing them, while you sit back and look around...

Once Pip is done with the healer, she goes around with a notepad and starts asking some of the wounded men questions. She keeps up the cheerful demeanour the whole while, giving the distinct impression that this really is just a routine thing.

Heck you'd believe it too, if you didn't already know why you're here...

As she goes about her business, you simply observe. Nothing seems off so far, but you get distracted when something lands on your head.

...

You know Coral was already up there... so what's this new thing?

Putting a hand up for whatever it is, Coral and a blue sprite both pop over to it. You sort of recognize this sprite...

"Hi~" The sprite says.

And it talks... you only know of one sprite that can talk...

"Celty?" You ask.

Celty smiles. You don't see a letter or anything on her... why would someone send a sprite to you without a letter?

>Stay focused on the job

>Ask Celty why she's here

>Look for where she came from

>Other

>>1583587
Ask celty whats up while remaining vigilant and watchful

>>1583587
>Stay focused on the job
>Ask Celty why she's here

>>1583587
>Stay focused on the job

>>1583587
>>Stay focused on the job

>>Ask Celty why she's here

>writing

You bring your other hand over, and use your thumb to stroke both sprites' heads.

"What brings you here?" You ask.
"Brought friends!" Celty says.

Coral smiles at the word 'friends'.

"What kind of friends?" You ask.

Celty stops, and looks like she's really wracking her brain for an answer. When she can't come up with anything, she smiles and throws her arms in the air. "Friends!"

Coral mimics this action, and you chuckle.

Ahead of you, Pip is still cheerfully questioning away. Though her happy tone is not one that the soldiers share, nothing seems quite off yet.

"There you are!" A familiar voice calls out.

You turn to see a familiar pair of tall ears: one that stands up straight, and one that flops a little.

"Stella?" You ask

Stella smiles and skips towards you, her arms open for a hug.

You look from her to the people in the infirmary, and see one of them starting to shift under his covers...

"Hold that thought for just one moment, please" You say, as you release the sprites and walk over to the bed.

As the man sits up and frees his arm from his blanket, you see the knife that he was drawing. He almost makes it out of the bed...

But about halfway up, his face comes into contact with your leg, and he lays right back down. Out cold... a solid kick to the face will do that to a person.

You pull the knife out of his hand and smile. "Well we found the spy" You say.
"That we did" Pip says, as she pulls out a pair of iron handcuffs. "Nicely done. I can handle this from here. You look like you've got guests"

You look over to see Stella, still standing at the entrance to the tent, looking shocked.

>Now you can hug me

>What are you doing here?

>I missed you

>Other

>>1583692
Walk up to her and sweep her up into a hug like nothing is wrong.

>I missed you

>>1583692
>Now you can hug me
>I missed you

>>1583692
>Now you can hug me
>I missed you

>>1583692
>>Now you can hug me

>>I missed you

>>1583692
>Now you can hug me
>Just a usual day at the office.

>>1583692
>>Now you can hug me

>writing

You exhale, straighten up, and walk over to Stella.

"Okay, now you can hug me" You say.

Stella quickly closes the gap between you two, wrapping her arms around you and squeezing as hard as she can. A gesture you return... except for the squeezing. You've yet to try it, but you're certain that if you squeezed as hard as you could, you would end up hurting her...

"I missed you" You say.
"I missed you too" She replies. "Is your work always like that?"

"Like what, kicking people in the face?" You ask. "Not really. Believe it or not, the last few days have been fairly relaxing"
"Really?" She asks.
"Yeah. I told you all about it in the letter I sent... which will arrive in Locke, while you are here" You say.

Stella smiles. "I wanted to surprise you" She says. "I also had to come here to get some things that we forgot at the guild hall..."
"We could have sent them back..." You say.
"I also wanted to come visit..." She says. "The roads are much safer now, so Dad said I could come"

"Well we don't have a whole lot of time... we're shipping out of here soon" You say.
"Then we'll have to make the most of it" She says, as she releases you and smoothly slips an arm into yours. "Where to first?"

>Head back to Gretchen's tent

>Head back to the inn

>Head to Stella's house

>Head to the hunter's guild

>Other

>>1583836
Shouldn't we check on the birb? our responsibility?
>Head back to Gretchen's tent
Just to tell the birb that our job is done then
>Head to stella's house

>>1583836
>Head to Stella's house

>>1583836
>>Head back to Gretchen's tent
pick up birb
>>Head to Stella's house

>>1583836
>>Head back to Gretchen's tent

>writing

You smile and start heading back to Gretchen's tent.

"One stop first" You say. "You can meet my new apprentice"
"You have an apprentice now?" She asks.
"Yeah. A siren named Ava" You say. "I'm teaching her to focus, so she doesn't change colours randomly"

Stella giggles. "Hella used to talk about a Siren she'd run into a lot" She says.
"Same one" You say. "Ava used to crash into the Bell's Run guild hall. Sometimes on purpose, because Hella would give her cookies"

"Oh... what a coincidence" She says.
"She still crashes into things" You say. "That's why I'm all dirty. She slammed into one of the big towers and I had to catch her"

"Into one of the... towers?" Stella asks. "How did she manage that?"
"According to her, she likes to look at the ground..." You say.
"A bad habit for a flier" Stella says.

"We're workin' on it" You reply. "I'm also teaching her how to count, how to keep her focus, and a whole bunch of other stuff..."

As you near Gretchen's tent, you hear Ava squawking loudly.

"Was that her?" Stella asks.
"Yeah-p. It's probably gonna be a while" You say.
Stella giggles.

>1/2

When you enter Gretchen's tent, you see her sitting down next to a squirming bundle of canvas, looking distraught.

"Do I want to know?" You ask.

You hear Ava frantically chirping from inside the bundle...

"I'm not even sure how it happened" Gretchen says.
"Well, let's fix it..." You say, as you search the canvas for an edge you could use to pull it off. It doesn't help that Ava won't stop struggling... "Ava! Relax, I'm gonna get you out"

...

That did not help. Either she isn't listening, or relaxing isn't high on her priorities right now... not that you blame her. You wouldn't be particularly happy to be in her situation either.

You finally manage to find an edge, and you start to unravel the mess. Slowly it comes apart, until a yellow-green Ava flops out.

She quickly scrambles to her hands and knees-... err... wings and knees, and looks around the room. Then she lets out another nervous chirp.

"Ohh... she's scared" Stella says, as she walks over to Ava, gets down next to her and hugs her. "Come here..."

Ava quickly accepts the embrace, making you think it might've been exactly what she needed...

Gretchen looks confused. "Who's she?" She asks. "Your girlfriend or somethin'?"

>She's Stella

>Kind of

>Now will you tell me how this happened?

>Other

>>1584015
>>She's Stella

>>Now will you tell me how this happened?

>>1584015
>>She's Stella

>>1584015
>Kind of
>She's Stella
>Now will you tell me how this happened?

>>1584015
>Kind of.

>>1584015
>>She's Stella

>>1584015
>She is stella
>kind of

>>1584015
>>She's Stella

>writing

>>1584015
>She's Stella
>Now will you tell me how this happened?

>>1584015
>>She's Stella
>>Now will you tell me how this happened?

"Oh yeah, this is Stella" You say. "And uhh... yeah, something like that. She came to see me and get some stuff for the guild"

"Ohh, the guild bunny" Gretchen says, as she extends her hand. "Heard a bit about you. Name's Gretchen"
"Stella" Stella replies, as she accepts the handshake.

"And the bird is Ava, as you might've guessed" You say. "You okay there?"
"I'm okay" Ava responds. "J-just a little longer"
"That's fine, take your time sweetie" Stella says, as she strokes Ava's hair.

"How did this happen anyway?" You ask.
"We were pulling down one of the paneled pieces of roof canvas, and it came loose without warning" Gretchen says. "She got caught up tryin' to right herself, canvas ended up wrapping around her, and that's when you came in"

"Good thing we showed up when we did..." You say.
"I could maybe have handled that..." Gretchen says. "Still good to have help. How'd things go in the infirmary?"
"Quickly" You say. "The spy revealed himself, probably once he thought we uncovered his bit of sabotage, and tried to stab Pip"
"Didn't work out for him?" Gretchen asks.
"I kicked him in the face hard enough to make him rethink his decisions and lay down for a nap" You say.

"Ahh, the good ol' dirt nap" Gretchen says.
"Nope. He never actually left his bed" You say.

Gretchen cracks up. "So it went smoothly. Good" She says. "We did some inventory here while you were gone. Turns out I did make an extra lance"

"How can you tell?" You ask.
"Because of how many of the actual lance projectiles we have left, and the fact that all the ones in the cart have my mark on them" She says.
"Where's the mark?" You ask.

Gretchen winks. "Trade secret"

>Should we finish taking this tent down?

>We should get going

>Other

>>1584228
>>Should we finish taking this tent down?

>Where's the mark?
Somewhere along the shaft, I bet.

>>1584228
>Should we finish taking this tent down?

>>1584228
>>Should we finish taking this tent down?

>>1584228
>We should get going.

>>1584228
>>We should get going

>>1584228
>Should we finish getting the tent down?

>>1584228
>>We should get going

>writing

"Should we finish taking this down?" You ask. "Since I'm already here, and it looks like they'll be a while..."
"Eh, why not" Gretchen says. "We can continue where Birdy and I left off..."

You and Gretchen start taking down the rest of the tent, while Ava and Stella wait by the cart. It's not a long process, but you can see how it would be tedious... for someone who doesn't have a mageblade.

Most of the pieces holding it together are up out of reach, but with your mageblade, taking them down is no problem.

"Huh... maybe I should get me one of those" Gretchen says.
"It takes a lot to learn how to use it right" You say. "I've been working at it pretty much non-stop since I picked it up..."
"-or I could build a machine that gives me some reach" She says.

"Like a claw grabber thing?" You ask.
"Nah, not versatile enough" She says. "I was thinking more like a bunch of variable hinges put together about an inch apart... it would be as long as I want it to be, and I could coat it or cover it in something sticky"
"So... like a sticky... tentacle?" You ask.
"Yeah" She says. "When you say it like that it sounds kinda gross, but the applications could be endless"
"You should get to work on it then" You say.

Gretchen shrugs. "Once the wars are over. For now, weapons pay the bills, so weapons get the builds" She says. "Oo, I like that. I might make that into a slogan 'If it pays the bills, it gets the builds' or something... maybe I should start doing slogans"

>I'd stick to weapons...

>Say nothing. Just get back to work

>I like it

>Other

>>1584393
>I like it
"If you pay the bills, you get the builds", maybe?

>>1584393
>>I like it

>>1584393
>Say nothing. Just get back to work

>writing

"So what else needs to be done?" You ask.

Gretchen looks thoroughly unimpressed.

"Kidding. It was good" You say. "Had a nice rhyme to it"
"Yeah, yeah" She says. "Now we take down the poles. The side canvas stays attached to those, so just start pluckin' and we can bring them out to the cart and be done with this"

You nod, and get to work.

Turns out 'we' actually meant 'you'. You figured it would be that way, but you hoped that Gretchen would at least pretend to be helpful...

Once you've got all the poles and canvas gathered up, you haul them off to the cart and stow them away. Then you shake off your arms, as the combined weight of all that may have been a bit too much.

"Is that all?" You ask.

Gretchen looks back, quickly checking over the sight where her tent once stood. "Nope, that's it. Thank you very much" She says. "Now, you've gotta spend time with your girlfriend, and I've gotta go help other people get ready to go"

"You mean watch them do all the work?" You ask.
Gretchen clears her throat. "It is called 'supervising'" She says. "Providing encouragement and letting people know what they have to do"
"So... watching them do all the work" You say.
"Alright fine, yes" She says. "It's been real, Yuu. I'll have to hook back up with you at some point, see if you can cast some spells at some chaos devices so I can do something with that engine I have"
"Will do" You say.

Gretchen goes up and boots Ava and Stella out of her cart, says her farewells to them, and drives off.

"All done?" Stella asks.
"Yeah" You say.

>How's my apprentice doing?

>Show Stella the Rook

>Go somewhere else (specify)

>Other

>>1584585
>>Show Stella the Rook

>>1584585
>>How's my apprentice doing?

>>1584585
>>Show Stella the Rook
>>How's my apprentice doing?

>>1584585
>>How's my apprentice doing?

>>1584585
>Go over to Stella's house.

>writing

"How's my apprentice doing?" You ask.
"Better..." Ava says.

Stella puts an arm over her and pulls her close. "She was just spooked is all" She says.
"That's good to hear" You say. "Oh! You wanna see my new wheels?"

"Right! Hella told me you got the Char- err, I guess it's the Rook now... working" Stella says. "Let's see it!"

The 3 of you head over to the Rook.

"Ooo, I haven't seen it since they took all the plating and storage off" Stella says. "It looks smooth"
"It runs smooth too" You say. "If you want, we can ride it back to your place"

Stella giggles and lightly punches your arm. "Slow down there, Mr. Pickup master" She says. "Where's Ava gonna sit?"

"She can fly" You say.

Ava lights up as you say that. "Can I?!?" She asks.

Right... you forgot for a second there that she was grounded...

>Just this once

>Sure

>Or we can all walk...

>Other

>>1584755
>>Just this once
no crashing

>>1584755
>>Sure
She was able to get Pip pretty well, lets keep this ball rolling.

>>1584755
>>Just this once
Continue to show me you can fly focused

>>1584755
>>Just this once

>writing

"Just this once" You say. "Show me you can fly without losing focus. You can look at the ground, but I need you to be aware of what's in front of you at all times"
"I can do that... I think" She says.

You ruffle her head feathers. "I believe in you" You say. "Stella's house isn't all that far from here, so this won't be too long"
"Alright" Ava says.

Stella gives Ava the location of her house, as well as a short description of what it looks like from the air. Apparently her house has a blue roof for this purpose.

It never occured to you that street directions would be useless to someone who can fly. You wonder if knowing what your house looks like from above is a common thing, as a courtesy to the winged folks...

With that, Ava flaps her wings a few times. "Race you there?" She asks.

>Nah, take it easy

>You're on

>Other

>>1584905
>>>Nah, take it easy

>>1584905
>>Nah, take it easy

>>1584905
>Nah, take it easy

>writing

"Nah, take it easy" You say. "Just remember to stay focused"
"Aye aye" Ava says, as she flaps her wings harder, and begins to take off.

Once Ava's in the air, you turn to Stella. "Slow and steady good for you?" You ask.
Stella smiles. "Slow and steady will be lovely" She says.

You get on the Rook, and Stella gets on behind you.

"It is rather... close, isn't it" She says, as she hooks her arms around your chest, and nuzzles her cheek into your back. "Perfect ride for a girl like me"

As you start the Rook into motion, taking a slow pace towards the city you notice that Stella has 2 things that all the Rook's previous passengers lacked: A chest, and that one droopy ear that flops down above your head, staying just over your line of sight.

Still, this is fine. With Stella it's less like having a passenger, and more like having a mobile snuggle-buddy; and the ride itself feels more like an enjoyable journey than a race to the destination.

Stella raises her head to rest her chin on your shoulder. "So, what have you been up to the last couple days?" She asks.
"Right... so last time I wrote you I was still in Bell's Run" You say. "We went south a ways the day your sister left, to the Inquisition's Stronghold..."

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be on Monday.

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

>>1585098
Thanks for Running Smiley

>>1585098
As always, thanks for running Smiley, and wonderful session.

"Sounds like you've had quite the run" Stella says.
"It's been interesting, for sure" You say.

"And I'm sorry to hear about Cheska... you two must have been pretty close" She says.
"What makes you say that?" You ask.
"Well you were chained at the wrist" She says. "In that situation, you either end up hating someone, or you grow fond of them. And you obviously don't hate her"

"True... though she did get on my nerves sometimes" You say.
"That's a given" Stella says.

"So how have things been over there?" You ask.
"Quiet" Stella says. "Hella's been busy, Gabby's been busy, Ilica's been busy... the only one I have to hang out with is Munchkin..."
"That doesn't sound so bad" You say.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've had to ask 'what did you just eat?' in the last few days?" Stella says.

"At least once?" You reply.
"And I think once is too many..." She says. "That girl's got a big stomach, but she has to learn that not everything is food..."

>What has she been eating that isn't food?

>What's Hella up to?

>Ask how Gabby's doing

>I guess Ilica must not be getting much free time

>Other

>>1591463
>>What's Hella up to?

>>I guess Ilica must not be getting much free time

>>1591463
>I guess Ilica must not be getting much free time

>writing

"I guess Ilica must not be getting much free time" You say.
"At the archery range first thing in the morning, a break for lunch, a break for dinner, then she bathes, sleeps, and goes at it again the next morning" Stella says. "I do what I can to help out and make sure she doesn't burn herself out, but there's only so much I can do..."

"I'm sure every bit helps" You say. "Though... maybe you could try to get her to ease up a bit. If she's doing nothing but training, that could get to her. Even when I was getting ready for Mortifas, I got some time off now and then"

"Any suggestions?" She asks.
"I dunno... maybe take her out for a day in town?" You ask. "Demand that she take a break for more than lunch and dinner... possibly send Munchkin at her to hug her until she cools the heck down?"
"That sounds like a good plan" Stella says. "But if she takes it badly, I'm telling her it was your idea"

"That's fine" You say, as you pull up in front of Stella's house.

Looking around, you see that Ava's not here... until you look up, and see her flying around above you, doing loops and spins.

...

Well it looks like she's having fun, and she's got plenty of space to maneuver. So you'll let her be.

"So what's Hella been so busy with?" You ask.

Stella does a quick twirl as she dismounts the Rook, ending with a flourish and a wink. "It's a secret" She says.

>Can I get a hint?

>Anything else interesting happen over there?

>Ask what the guild forgot here in Sherton

>Other

>>1591596
>Anything else interesting happen over there?

>>1591596
>>Anything else interesting happen over there?

>>1591596
>>Can I get a hint?

>>Anything else interesting happen over there?

>writing

You drain the Rook's engine and step off. "So, what did you think?" You ask.
"It's smooth, and very cozy" Stella says. "I don't think I'd ever want to go faster than that, but it's good that you can if you have to"

You nod. "I'll have to thank whoever decided to give it to me" You say.

Stella giggles. "Well you can thank me right now" She says.
"It was your idea?" You ask.
"They were talking about it the morning that Katherine was leaving" Stella says. "Sounded like they wanted to scrap it, until I told them that you could probably use it"

"Well thank you" You say. "It's come in handy"
"You're welcome" She says with a smile. "Would you like to come in?"
"I would" You reply.

You and Stella head inside and she skips off to her room for a moment, rustling around in there for a moment before emerging with a big, fluffy pillow.

"Get what you came for?" You ask.
She smiles and nods. "Still, no reason we can't sit for a bit" She says.

The two of you head into the living room and sit down.

"So, anything else interesting happen in Locke?" You ask.
"We're trying to get hunting operations going again" Stella says. "Your mom has airship and cavalier patrols on the major roads now, so it's much safer for our people to go out on hunts"

"Is that why you guys are here?" You ask.
"Yep! We once we've got things in Locke running again, we'll be splitting the old Bell's Run force and starting operations here" She says. "For that, we need Sherton's records"

"You guys didn't bring those with you?" You ask. "They sound important"
"We should have, but somebody forgot..." Stella says.

>Was that 'somebody' you?

>Well at least nobody torched the place

>Shouldn't you be at the guild hall then?

>Other

>>1591704
>>Shouldn't you be at the guild hall then?

>>1591704
>>Well at least nobody torched the place
>>Shouldn't you be at the guild hall then?

>>1591704
>>Well at least nobody torched the place

>>Shouldn't you be at the guild hall then?

>>1591704
>Shouldn't you be at the guild hall then?

>writing

"Shouldn't you be at the guild, then?" You ask.
"I'm not the only one that came" Stella says. "Lance said to go see you first, once he heard that the army was getting ready to move"

"Lance is here?" You ask.
"Yep" Stella says. "His team, another team, and a few guild bunnies were all we brought"
"Cool. I'll have to go say hi when we go to the hall" You say.

"But that can wait a bit" Stella says, as she leans her head on your shoulder. "I need to recharge..."
"Re... charge?" You ask.

Stella looks up and smiles, before settling back in.

You decide not to think about what that could mean, and rest your own head on hers...

>Ask if she got your message about the garden

>Ask if she has anything to eat in here

>Other

>>1591825
>I need to recharge too

>>1591825
>>Just enjoy the peace and quiet

>>1591825
>Cuddle to enjoy the peace and quiet

>>1591825
>snuggle the bunny

>writing

You also decide to just stay quiet and enjoy the moment, shifting yourself to get more comfortable, and putting an arm around Stella. Stella, in turn, nuzzles your shoulder and snuggles up.

You stay like this for a while, only moving to look down when Stella's breathing changes as she dozes off... then you settle right back in...

Until a loud *thunk* at the window startles both of you.

"Wh-wh-what the heck was that?" Stella asks.
"I hope it's not what I think it is..." You say, as you stand up and look out.

Sure enough on the ground below the window is Ava, currently rolling around clutching her nose.

"... and it is..." You say.
"What is it?" Stella asks. She's clutching her big pillow tightly, the sudden noise having frightened her.

"Just Ava..." You say.

>Go out and see if she's okay

>She'll be fine

>Poke your head out the window

>Other

>>1591947
>>Go out and see if she's okay

>>1591947
>>Poke your head out the window

>writing

You open up the window and stick your head out. "How ya doin'?" You ask.

"I think I broke my nose..." Ava says. Her voice sounds kinda weird...

You sigh, and step out through the open window. "Well, that's what happens when you run into a window face first" You say.
"It looked open" She says.
"Yuh-huh. From where?" You ask.
"From above..." She says.

"Riiiiight" You say, as you gently push her wings away from her face. "Here, let me take a look"

With her wings out of the way, you see that she's also crying. Blood is running freely out of her nose, and there's a bad crack on its bridge.

"S-so? How does it look?" She asks.

>You'll be fine

>We may have to amputate

>I'll send for Emi...

>Other

>>1592076
>>We may have to amputate
Then more serious,
>>I'll send for Emi...

>>1592076
>>I'll send for Emi.

>writing

"Oh, that looks bad" You say, taking her head and turning it about to get a better look. "We may have to amputate"

Ava's feathers turn bright yellow and red. "Y-you can't cut off my nose! How will I smell?" She asks.

You look her straight in the eyes, with your most serious look. Then you give her a few sniffs. "Pretty bad. I think you need a bath" You say.

...

Ava squawks and tries to kick you in the face.

"Hey, stop that. I was kidding" You say, as you push her legs down. "You'll be fine. Let's just get you inside, see if we can stop the bleeding and I'll send for Emi"

The bird calms down enough for you to pick her up and carry her around to the door.

"Is she alright?" Stella asks.
"She'll be fine. I'm gonna send Coral off to Emi with a note about this. Think you can help stop the bleeding?" You ask.
"No problem. I may not be a healer, but I know a thing or two" Stella says. "Come to the kitchen, sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up"

You put Ava down, and Stella leads her off. Then you pick up a piece of paper and a pen...

>1/2

>>1592076
>We may have to amputate
It looks like the entire head is a lost cause.

>>1592194
No bully

You quickly scribble up a note for Emi and hand it to Coral, asking the sprite to bring Emi back with her if she can.

You do all this while trying desperately to ignore what's happening behind you, as it sounds like they're not having the best time...

"Just hold still!" Stella says.
"But it hurts when you do that!" Ava says.
"It's going to hurt. I'm setting your nose back in place so it doesn't heal crooked" Stella says.
"I don't want a crooked nose!" Ava says.

"So hold... still!" Stella says.

You hear a very unpleasant crack.

"I-I can fix that..." Stella says.

Ava starts screaming, as Stella tries in vain to calm her down.

>Continue ignoring

>Ask Stella to leave this to Emi

>Help Stella out

>Other

>>1592228
>Ask Stella to leave this to Emi
She won't stay still, and you can't help her if she doesn't.

>>1592228
>>Ask Stella to leave this to Emi
Yesh.

>writing

You sigh, pinching your eyes shut before turning around and walking over.

"Guys" You say, as you put a hand on both of their shoulders. "Please... stop..."

"She broke my nose!" Ava shouts. "More! She broke my nose more!"
"Well if you had just stayed still-"

"Ava. Calm down" You say. "Emi is coming, and she'll fix it. Stella, I don't mean to make light of your abilities, but could you maybe... wait until Emi gets here?"

Stella turns away and puffs out her cheeks. "I'm more than capable of handling this..." She says.
"I know that, it's just..." You trail off. How to put this so you don't hurt her feelings?

>Emi is better at these things

>Ava can be hard to deal with...

>You're better at providing moral support

>uhh... I got nothin'

>Other

>>1592346
>uhh... I got nothin'

>>1592346
>>Ava can be hard to deal with...

>>1592346
>uhh... I got nothin'

>>1592346
>Right now, both of you are too heated up for this, so it's best to just wait for Emi.

>>1592346
>>Right now, both of you are too heated up for this, so it's best to just wait for Emi.
Who,by the way, will make sure you stay still, even if you don't want to.

>writing

"Uhh... it's just... both of you are running waaaayyy too hot right now" You say, as you turn them both towards the couch and and gently push them towards it. "So why don't we all just sit down, relax, and wait for Emi to get here"

Stella gives a short huff. "Fine... but I still think I could do it" She says.
"I don't" Ava replies.

"Be nice, Ava" You say. "And remember that Emi can make you hold still, whether you like it or not"

Ava's hair turns light blue and dull yellow. "Uh... you sure Stella can't do it?" She asks.
"You had your chance to have, gentle, loveable Stella handle this" You say.

"Aww, you're so sweet" Stella says.

Situation successfully diffused. You let out a relieved sigh as the two of them sit down, now no longer angry at each other, or you.

Now you just have to keep it that way until Emi arrives...

That's all for tonight!

I'll be moving tomorrow, so there won't be many threads for the next few days. I'll put up a long post if I can.

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

>>1592407
Thanks Smiley!