"And how are you feeling?" You ask. "The truth, please"

Altea strokes the little blob in the basin, her face unreadable. "I just lost every soldier stationed in this castle, every worker, god knows how many innocent civilians, and my best friend" She says.

"We will be next time" You say.
"I thought we were this time" She says. "I strengthened the defenses, had some of our best people garrisoned here, drew up a plan for every outcome and a backup for every plan and I thought it was enough but it wasn't and life has informed me of that in one of the cruelest possible ways..."

Altea clenches her teeth and takes a deep breath, but something from the basin makes her turn with wide eyes.

You peek in to see what's going on. The little blob has grown a tiny little hand, which has a grip on Altea's finger. She smiles, even as a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Jade and I used to talk about how we would unite the continent and make the world a better place..." She says. "We came close once. Before the Legion, we were making peace with Antolia and much of the north was set to become a province of Lubars... it all seems so long ago now"

"Well... on the bright side, if we beat back the legion with the help of the Antolians, the north, and the south, then that better future may be a lot closer" You say.

"I hope you're right" She says. "It might make all of this worth it..."

Altea lets out a sigh, sliding her hand out of the basin so she can stand up. "I should go... I still have to set up the meeting with the hunters, organize my forces to get a full tally of our losses..." She says. "Would you be able to watch her for a bit?"

>Sure

>Can I carry her around?

>Ask if she's thought of a name

>Other

>>1990265
>>Sure

>>Can I carry her around?

>>1990265

>Sure
>Ask if she's thought of a name

Afternoon Smiley

i am going to bed soon but i got a few questions , one if we take too long will stella end up dead, two if/when we meet our good old blood demon girl will it be a while before we get route locked into her or will it happen straight away and three cause we picked north is someone else gonna be working on the south? I will call bullshit if Yu has to end up going both to the north and south to get both as allies

>>1990392
Emi went south. Stella will be mostly fine. Route lock is still a ways off.

>>1990294
Afternoon man

>writing

>>1990421
For some reason I don't believe you on the 2nd one, are we gonna found out she has been raped by the demons or lost her fucking ears and fingers? It might have something to do with the fact you butchered jade off screen.

>>1990441
Dude why you gotta be so hostile, just chill.

>>1990441
Fuck my grammar is starting to slip
>>1990447
we are talking about the qm who though running blood moon was a good idea and now one of PC friends has been captured by a bunch of fucks who go mafia on people's ass,

>>1990441
You can freak out after Castor gets a pair of ears and a tail delivered to him in a box.
But right now you're being a bit of a dick to Smiley

>>1990457
Lmao

"Sure" You say. "Can I carry her around?"
"You'd need to take the whole basin..." She says.
"That's fine" You say. "Have you thought of a name for her?"
"Valerie" Altea says. "It was my sister's name, and the name of Jade's first sprite"
"Fitting" You say.

Altea smiles, and takes her hand out of the basin. "I'll be in touch. Talk to your friends and put your team together" She says. "I'll get the rest settled for you"
"Alright" You say. "Good luck"

Altea sighs. "I may need it..." She says.

You stand up and give her a hug, then she walks out and you step up to the basin.

"So... Valerie, huh?" You ask.

The little hand has a little arm now, which feels around for something to grab. You put your finger in its grip, and she takes it.

The blob is warm to the touch now, probably because of the warm water in the basin. You give it a lift to see how heavy it is. It's not light, but you can manage even with one hand.

Alright... now you just have to-

>Look for Derrick

>Look for Pip

>Look for Ilica

>Other

>>1990540
>Look for Pip

>>1990540
>>Look for Ilica

>>1990540
>Look for Ilica

>writing

With your right hand on Valerie and the basin resting on your left, you head out.

Like Altea said, you need to find your friends. Starting with... "Coral"

Coral pops out of your pocket.

"Can you take me to Ilica?" You ask.

She nods and points you in the right direction.

When you find her, she's sitting up on top of the cart.

"Hey Yuu" She calls out. "What's in there?"
"Her name is Valerie" You say. "She's... I guess she's Jade's daughter, in a sense"
"Oh..." Ilica says, as she hops down from the cart. "How are you doing?"

"I think I'm still processing" You say. "A lot of good people died today"
"I hear we got some bad ones too" She says.
"Not enough" You say, as you sit down and put the basin on your lap.

Ilica sits next to you, and you stay silent for a moment.

"I'm going north" You say. "We need their help, and I'm going up there to convince them"

Ilica nods, but doesn't say anything.

"I was... hoping you might come with me" You say.
"I'll... uhh... think about it" She says. "I am a hunter now, so depending on what happens I may not even be allowed to go... plus my family is in Sherton"

Ilica puts her head on your shoulder.

"I know I said I'd come along but with the way things are going..." She says.
"No, I understand" You say. "Just... think about it, okay? I've still gotta talk to some other people, and I won't be leaving until later"
"Alright" She says, as she turns and hugs you. "Good luck. I'll be at the guildhall if you need me"

She gets up and walks off, leaving you to-

>Find Pip

>Find Derrick

>Find Madelaine

>Other

Hey, is there a way to contact you aside from Twitter, or is that it?

>>1990708
>Find Derrick

>>1990708
>>Find Pip

>>1990708
>>Find Pip

>>1990708
>Find Pip

>>1990711
It's pretty much just on twitter or here. I don't tend to engage much outside of my quest.

>writing

You figure Pip will be up next. Pip is an excellent negotiator, which will be incredibly useful up there.

You look back into the basin, where Valerie now has 2 arms and the beginning of a head.

"Wow, you sure grow fast" You say. "Let's go find Pip, shall we?"

With Coral's help, you locate Pip back in Altea's old office. She's reading over some reports and making notes of something.

"Hey Pip, what are you up to?" You ask.
"Hey Yuuster" She replies, without taking her eyes off the page. "I am putting together all these reports to get a final count of our casualties"

"How bad?" You ask.
"Not as bad as I thought, but still much worse than it should have been" She says. "It's not just people. The Legion stole a lot of our supplies too. Storehouse 5 and the castle's armory were both cleaned out"

"So they have weapons and..."
"Food" Pip says. "And lots of it"
"Why would they steal our food?" You ask.
"Maybe they need it" She says. "I can't imagine anyone is all too happy to be farming for the Legion, and this also puts us at a disadvantage now that winter is here"

Pip puts the papers down and stretches out, before settling into her chair. "But enough about that. What can I do for ya?"

"I'm going to be leaving for the north, to try and convince them to help us" You say. "The Comomder said to talk to you"
"Need a skilled negotiator?" She asks. "I'd be game... but all this has to get done"

>Can I help?

>How long will it take?

>I'll leave you to it

>Other

>>1990855
>Can I help?

>>1990855
>>>Can I help?

>>How long will it take?

>>1990855
>Can I help?

>writing

"Can I help?" You ask.

"I'm good with this stuff" She says. "It'll take me a bit... but the biggest problem I'm havin' right now is that Lululu's team hasn't sent in their stuff"

"Is that bad?" You ask.

"They were covering a quarter of the city" She says. "So.. yeah. I can finish all this stuff up, but the job's not done until I've got the wolf's report"

>Can't you send a sprite?

>Want me to go find her?

>Other

>>1990981
>>Want me to go find her?

>>1990981
>>Can't you send a sprite?

So on the northerners, were these the ones who were creating extensive snow falls or eternal winter or some of that? Been a while and I forgot.

>>1990981
>>Want me to go find her?
Aren't all the sprites dead?

>>1991016
Yep

>writing

>>1991051
Did we know why they were doing that?

File: Border mep.png (241 KB, 2147x2215)

241 KB PNG

>>1991069
They don't like the Lubrians very much.

Here's a map with some approximate political borders. Green is current. Blue is from around 100-150 years ago. The Lubrians have taken a lot of land from the northern realms, thus the dislike.

"Can't send a sprite?" You ask.
"Nope. Sprites are all being used for more important matters while we've got mages making more and runners attuning them" She says.

"Want me to go find her?" You ask.
"Yes" She says.

"Why not just ask?" You ask.
"Because I don't think it would be proper to ask a prince to do busy work like that" She says. "But now that you've offered..."
"I see" You say. "Well, I'll be back"
"Take your time. There's still lots to do before I need Lululu's stuff" She says.

"Any idea where I'll find her?" You ask.
"Northwest side of town, possibly at the old barracks but if not..." Pip says, before looking up. "why are you asking me that for? Just use your sprite"

You smile. "See you in a bit" You say.

"Hang on" She says. "Have you been carrying that the whole time?"

"What... the basin?" You ask. "Yeah. Did you just notice it now?"
"What's in it?" She asks.

You walk over and put the basin on the table. Most of the water is gone now, and Valerie is almost fully formed. All she's missing is a leg.

"Oh... this is Jade's..." She says. "You can leave her here if you want. I can't imagine you'll want to lug that basin across town"

>I'm good

>Sure, thanks

>Other

>>1991141
>>I'm good
This is the initial bonding period.

>>1991141
>>I'm good

Its important bonding time with the new sister.

>>1991141
>I'm good
>"The Comomder tasked me with her care, and care for her I shall"

>writing

"I'm good" You say. "This is good bonding time with my new sister"
"Alright, suit yourself" She says. "See you later"

"See you!"

You head out, leaving the castle entirely and going northwest, following Coral's directions to Lulu.

When you think you're about halfway there, you hear bubbling from inside the basin. You look down to see that Valerie has absorbed all the water now, and she's bubbling where her mouth would be.

"Is that how you say hello in baby slime?" You ask.

She kicks her feet and bubbles some more.

...

"I've got nothin'" You say.

You stop and sit down on a bench so you can set the basin down and pick her up. She's a lot more solid than Jade used to be and much less goopy.

Her eyes also seem different... like there's something missing.

"I guess I should've asked what I should do when the water ran out..." You say.

All the little bubbles come together, forming into one big one that pops and leaves Valerie with an actual mouth.

She smiles and then chomps your finger.

Well... not a chomp, so much as a squish. Being bitten by a slime feels very strange.

...

You can't pull your finger out. Not without brute forcing it, and you don't wanna hurt your new sister.

"I guess you can have it for now..." You say, deciding to leave the simple metal basin behind and cradle the slime as you continue on your path...

>1/2

As you walk, Valerie keeps pulling your hand into her head. By the time you find where Lulu is, your entire hand is in there.

You come up to the building and stop at the door. Looking around, you notice several corpses lain out in the streets. Some are yours, some are legionnaires. "This the place?" You ask Coral.

Coral nods.

It's just a regular house... what would Lulu be doing here?

You maneuver your free hand so you can knock on the door. After a second, a woman answers.

"Hello there" She says.
"Hi..." You say, positive that you recognize this woman... "You're the lady from the pajama store, right?"
"I am" She says. "You're Yuu, correct?"

You nod. "I'm surprised you remember me" You say. "Is Esther here?"
"She is... though I figured you were here for your friend" She says.
"Oh yeah, Lulu too" You say.

The lady laughs. "Well, come on in. They're both inside" She says.

You step in, and notice that there's quite a bit of blood splattered about. On the couch, Lulu is talking to Esther...

>Ask what happened in here

>Ask how Esther is doing

>Ask what Lulu is doing here

>Other

>>1991377
>Ask how Esther is doing

>>1991377
>Ask how Esther is doing

>>1991377
>>Ask how Esther is doing

>writing

"Hey there" You say to Esther.

Esther looks up and smiles. "Hi!" She says.
"Hey Yuu" Lulu says. "What brings you here... and what's with the slime?"

"This is Valerie" You say. "She is... was Jade's daughter. The Comomder has adopted her"
"Oh... I see" She says. "Why is she eating your hand?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't know how to make her stop" You say.

"I see..." Lulu says.
"Anyways, how are you doing Esther?" You ask.

Lulu smiles and ruffles Esther's hair. "This one here's a wolf in sheep's clothing" She says.
"Oh?" You ask.

Lulu tells you about what happened in here. A legionnaire had taken them all hostage, and threatened to kill Esther's aunt when Lulu came in. But then Esther rammed his legs out from under him...

"And the rest was simple" She says. "But what she did took guts and a hard head. I could use someone with guts and a hard head"

"Thinking of taking an apprentice?" You ask.
"I wasn't, but she's convinced me" Lulu says. "I'll have to get it cleared with the commander"

>You'll want to send Pip your reports first

>How does Esther feel about all this?

>Other

>>1991506
>You'll want to send Pip your reports first

>writing

"You'll want to send Pip your reports first" You say.

Lulu sits up straight. "I forgot about that" She says. "Too excited. They're with lieutenant Dawson. I can take you to him"
"Cool" You say.

You and Lulu say your farewells to Esther and her aunt, and then head out.

"So is there anything planned for Jade? Like a funeral or something?" She asks.
"Dunno yet" You say. "I'll probably be long gone by then"
"Where are you off to?" She asks.
"The north" You say. "I'm going to see if I can convince them to join us in the fight against the Legion"

"Good luck buddy" She says. "Northerners are hard folk, and they don't like us very much"
"I've been told" You say. "But I still have to go. We don't have the numbers to fight them back a second time"

"Well, I'll be here holdin' down the fort" She says.

>1/2

You find Lieutenant Dawson and get the reports for the northwestern quarter, placing them in a bag over your shoulder, then you part ways with Lulu and head back to the castle.

As you make your way through the streets, you take a moment to examine the baby slime still sucking on your hand.

Her eyes have more definition now, but that's about the only difference. You wonder if she's using something from your hand to finish forming her eyes.

"How's it goin' little blob?" You ask.

Valerie bubbles happily around your hand at the attention.

"Is that a tasty hand?" You ask. "You wouldn't be the only one who thinks so"

When you reach the castle, you head back to Pip.

"Hey Yuuster. That was quick" She says. "So what was holding Lululu up?"
"She found an apprentice" You say.
"Neato... kinda wish that hadn't distracted her from her duties, but still neato" She says.

>Ask if she needs anything else

>Find Altea and ask why Valerie is eating your hand

>Find Derrick

>Find Madelaine

>>1991780
>Find Altea and ask why Valerie is eating your hand
>Speaking of apprentices, wounder where yours ended up

>>1991780
>Find Derrick

>>1991780
>>Find Madelaine

>writing

>>1991780
>>Find Madelaine

"Need anything else?" You ask.
"I'm good. Now it's just good ol' fashioned time consuming work..." She says. "By the way, you're aware that Valerie is eating your hand, yeah?"

"I am aware" You say.
"Okay. Just checking" She says.

You wave to Pip and head out, walking back outside to where the carts were. You figure you'll find someone there, at the very least.

Sure enough, Madelaine and Meyu are standing by Betsy, talking about something.

"Hey guys" You call out.
"Hey... Yuu" Madelaine says. "You have a slime"
"Her name is Valerie. She was Jade's daughter, and now she's my sister" You say.
"Oh... why is she eating your hand?" Madelaine asks.

"She's not eating his hand" Meyu says.
"She's not?" You ask.

"She's absorbing your sweat and using it to dissolve your hair and fingernails" Meyu says. "And with the stuff she gets from those, she's completing her eyes and creating membranes for her other organs"

"How do you know all this?" You ask.
"Zaine's wife is a slime" He says. "First thing a little slime does once she has a mouth is chomp on her daddy's, or in this case her brother's hand"
"Ohhh" You say.

"But you probably didn't come out here for a lesson on slime biology" Meyu says.
"I did not, but thank you for giving it to me all the same" You say. "I was wondering if you wanted to join me when i go north"

"North?" Meyu asks. "Any other man I'd ask if he was turnin' tail, but you're not the type... you plannin' on convincing them to join us?"

"That's the hope" You say.
"Well... best of luck to you" He says.
"You don't want to come?" You ask.
"Locke is gonna need every capable fighter it can get" He says. "You'd be best off with a smaller group, especially if you're planning on talking with them"

>Why's that?

>Looks like a small group is all I'm gonna get

>Other

>>1992056

>Looks like a small group is all I'm gonna get

>>1992056
>Why's that?
>Any advice on who TO take?

>>1992056
>Looks like a small group is all I'm gonna get

>writing

"Seems like a small team might be all I can get" You say.
"And that's good" Meyu says. "You bring too many people with you, and it'll make the northerners suspicious. Bring a few skilled fighters, and you'll look smart without being overly careful"

"Is how I look important?" You ask.
"In a fight? No. But if you're gonna be negotiating then you'll want to go in looking like you know what you're doing" He says, tapping your back and your chin. "So you'll want to stand up straight and keep your chin up"

"Any other tips?" You ask.
"You have someone with you who actually knows how to negotiate?" He asks.
"Pip is coming" You say.
"Good" He says. "No doubt they'll want to bargain... you know what you can offer them?"
"No..." You say.
"Then talk to the commander. Get her to give you something to give them" He says.
"Like what? Should I bring gold?" You ask.

"They won't want gold... they'll probably want their territories back" He says. "Of course, we can't give them all away. But the Commander will know how much is enough"

"Any idea who else I could bring?" You ask.
"Another decent fighter, maybe" He says. "Maybe someone who can cook"

"A cook, really?" You ask.
"Don't knock it. You don't know how long you'll be out there. You don't wanna be eating shitty food all that time" He says.

"I'll keep that in mind then" You say. "Have you ever been up north?"
"Not to the capital, and not during winter" He says. "Capital is pretty far north, and the winter storms are gonna be rough. How're you getting there?"
"Airship" You say.
"Captain Crow?" He asks.
"Yeah"

"Good. That woman's got the skill and the guts to brave those storms" He says.

>Any other tips?

>Find Altea

>Head to the guild

>Find Derrick

>Other

>>1992243
>Find Altea

>>1992243
>Find Derrick

>>1992243
>>Any other tips?

>>Find Derrick

>>1992243
>>Any other tips?
>Find Altea

>writing

"Any other tips?" You ask.
"Keep your head about you and you might just keep it on your shoulders" He says. "And if you're going through all the trouble of going up there, do your best to come back with an army behind you"

"Will do" You say.

"Sorry we can't come along" Madelaine says.
"Don't worry about it" You say. "You're right. Locke needs every sword it's got, and every hand that can hold one"

Madelaine smiles. "Don't leave without saying goodbye" She says.
"I won't" You say.

You head off, getting Coral to lead you to Derrick.

You find him down in the vaults with Rhea and some other soldiers.

"Hey Derrick" You say.
"Hey Yuu" Derrick says. "Come to help us with this?"
"What are you doing?" You ask.

"We can't let these bodies fester in the vaults" He says. "Rhea's been tasked with hauling them out. I'm here to help"

"Oh..." You say.
"Oh wow. That sure grew fast" He says. "Is this little Jade?"
"Valerie" You say.

Derrick smiles. "That's very like Altea..." He says.
"What is?" You ask.
"She always said she liked my mother's name" He says.

"Why is she eating your hand?" Rhea asks.
"She's absorbing my sweat and eating my hair, apparently" You say.
"Well, you can't give us a hand with full hands" Derrick says. "What's on your mind?"

>1/2

"North, huh?" Derrick asks. "I'd love to go, it's just-"

"The city needs every hand and sword it has..." You say. "I know"
"I'm not the first person you've talked to, am I?" He asks.
"Yeah..." You say.

"Is anyone going with you?" He asks.
"Just Pip so far... maybe Ilica" You say.

"Well, if you want to stay low-key then Pip's your mouse" Rhea says.
"Try the hunters" Derrick says. "They can't participate in this directly, but there's nothing stopping them from sending a few of their men with you"

"They might not see it that way" Rhea says.

>It's worth a shot

>I'll go see Altea

>Other

>>1992471
>>It's worth a shot

>>1992471
>It's worth a shot

>writing

>>1992471
>It's worth a shot

"It's worth a shot" You say. "The worst thing they can say is no..."

"The hunters like you. I doubt they'll turn you away" Derrick says. "Now, if you'll excuse us we've got to stuff our noses and get to work"
"Good luck with that" You say.

"Probably won't need luck, but from what Pip was saying I'll probably need a very long bath..." Derrick says.
"And you will have earned it" You say.

"Go on. I don't want us hauling a pile of corpses out of the vaults to be one of Valerie's first memories" Derrick says.

You nod, bump fists with Derrick, and head out.

When you get to the top of the stairs and out of the dark, you see that Valerie's eyes have become huge.

You laugh. "How did those get so big?" You ask.
She squeezes them shut, as they shrink to a normal size again. Then she opens them again.

Valerie spends the walk to the guild just looking around. It's difficult to read her face when most of it is taken up by your hand, but she seems... curious.

When you reach the hall, the usually busy, buzzing place is quiet and somber. When you step inside, the first person you look for is-

>Gabby

>Hella

>Castor

>Other

>>1992651
>>Hella

>>1992651
>>Castor

>>1992651
>>Castor

>>1992651
>Castor

>writing

You don't recognize the bunny behind the desk, but she greets you all the same... albeit a more reserved greeting than you're used to.

You ask her where you can find the huntmaster, and head on in. Castor is upstairs in one of the bedrooms, sitting at the desk with the door open.

You give the frame a knock, startling him out of whatever he was thinking of.

"Oh, Yuu" He says. "Welcome..."
"Things seem very grey here" You say.

"We lost several of our own in the fighting... and they took-"
"I know" You say. "Have you heard from Altea yet?"

"The meeting is happening in an hour" He says. "I've been here trying to compose myself"
"How's that going?" You ask.
"Badly" He says. "They have my daughter... the same monsters who ripped the princess and the queen to shreds, and now they have her to torture as they like"

"We'll get her back safe" You say.
"I'm glad someone has faith..." He says. "What brings you here?"

"I'm going north, to try and convince the northern realms to fight with us" You say. "I came to ask if you could spare some hunters for the mission"

"Risky" He says. "If we're seen helping you..."

"They wouldn't be gallivanting around in full hunter uniform" You say.
"I'm... sorry" He says. "But the guild needs to commit. We either throw all of our forces into this conflict in the hopes of bringing my daughter home before they can do anything, or we withdraw completely and hope that's enough to appease them"

You sigh.

"I can't allow half measures here" He says.
"I understand..." You say.

"U-ummm" Hella says, drawing your attention back to the door.

"What's up?" You ask.
"I-I want to come" She says.

>You heard the huntmaster...

>Meyu did say to bring a cook...

>Are you sure?

>other

>>1992799
>Are you sure?

>>1992799
>You heard the huntmaster...

>>1992799
>You heard the huntmaster...

I really don’t want to bring someone who can’t hold their own in a fight.

>>1992799
>>Are you sure?

>writiing

"You heard the Huntmaster" You say.
"I can leave the guild" She says.

"Hella, please be serious" Castor says.
"I am being serious" Hella says "I want to help..."

"You can help here" You say.
"I'll just be sitting around here" She says. "And that's only if we stay here"
"It won't be safe up there" You say.

Hella frowns. "It isn't safe here" She says. "If it does look like I won't be safe, then I'll shelter at the guild hall up there"

"Are you sure?" You ask.
"You're just trying to help Stella... there's nothing I can do for her here, but I can help you" She says.

You turn to Castor. "I think I'm alright with bringing her along... it's up to you in the end" You say.

Castor takes a breath. "Give me time" He says. "You'll have your answer before noon..."

You nod to Castor and step out.

"You're really sure about this?" You ask.
"I just... they have my sister" She says. "It's fine for dad to do nothing because they'll hurt her if he doesn't. But I can help, so I want to help"

"Alright... if he says yes, I'll take you" You say. "But remember to keep your ears up for me, okay?"
"I can manage that" She says. "So... where did the baby come from?"

You look down and see that Valerie is asleep. You pull your hand out of her head without issue, leaving her with a little mouth. Surprisingly your hand is completely goop free... and very soft to the touch.

"She's Valerie. My new sister" You say.
"Oh... so she wwas Jade's-"
"Jade's daughter, technically yeah" You say.
"Why was she eating your hand?" She asks.
"Nutrients" You say. "She ate all my hair and the sweat. Feel how soft it is"

Hella takes your hand. "Oh... that is soft" She says. "So where to now?"
"I dunno... Maybe to the Comomder to figure out what I'm actually bargaining with when I meet the northern lords?" You say.
"That's a good idea" She says. "Let's go!"
"You're coming with me?" You ask.
"Is that a problem?" She asks.

"No... I guess not" You say. "You did want to help, after all"
"And help I shall" She says. "Trust me. With me on your side we'll have the northern forces marching with us in no time!"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread likely won't be until next Wednesday, but I'll be putting out long posts on a mostly regular basis.

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

>>1992969
Thanks for Running Smiley
Still not used to having you run so late with you being in my time zone.
So far our north bound party is Pip, and maybe Ilica and Hella..... We need a bro to come along.

You walk back to the castle in relative silence with Hella beside you and Valerie in your arms.

There is clearly something bothering her. Whenever she has to say something, she perks up and says it cheerfully... and then she deflates, and stays deflated until she has to speak again...

When you reach the castle, you don't go straight to Altea. Instead you pull Hella into an empty room...

"Alright" You say.

Hella perks up. "Why are we stopping here?" She asks.
"I want you to tell me what's wrong" You say. "And before you try to deflect or ask how I knew, give me some credit. I'm more observant than I let on"

She seems like she's about to disagree, but she lets her argument go and shuts the door. Then she hugs you, squeezing you tightly as she starts to sob.

You sigh and return her embrace. Her brave front collapsed pretty easily...

...

Hang on. Something's not right.

You let go of Hella, step back, and look down. Valerie is smooshed into your chest, and she appears to be stuck to your shirt.

Not that any of this bothers her, as she slowly regains her form with a big smile. You make sure you've got a hold on her when she comes unstuck.

After a moment, Hella starts to giggle. She leans down to Valerie's level and smiles. "I'm sorry Valerie, did I smoosh you?" She asks.

You don't know if Valerie can talk yet, but she bubbles happily at the attention.

Hella holds out her arms. "May I?" She asks.
"Sure" You say, as you hand the little slime to her.

>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

>Let's go see Altea

>Other

>>2008549
>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

>>2008549
>>You haven't told me what's wrong yet
Damnit Smiley, I need to sleep. I don't want to miss your quest...have a good session guys!

>>2008588
This is just a post. I need to sleep as well.

>>2008549
>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

I finally catched up this quest, yay !

>>2008549
>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

>>2008549
>>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

>>2008549
>You haven't told me what's wrong yet

"Do you wanna talk about it?" You ask.
"About what?" She replies.

"About what's bothering you" You say.

Hella sighs, squeezing Valerie and causing the little slime to squish against her chest. Valerie doesn't seem to mind.

"They're going to hurt her, aren't they?" She asks. "S-stella, I mean"
"We don't know that yet-"
"Yuu... be honest with me" She says.

You take a breath.

>She'll be fine

>Yes

>She can take it

>Other

>>2017247
>She can take it

>>2017247
>She can take it
why is she asking us anyways, she's known her for longer than we have

>>2017247
>>Yes
>>She can take it

>>2017247
>Yes

>writing

"She can take it" You say. "She's stronger than you think she is"

Hella says nothing, so you put a hand on her cheek.

"You're stronger than you think as well" You say. "If you're coming with me, I'm going to need you to have your head in the game. Stella will be fine"
"But Stella..."

"Stella will be fine. Her job is to survive, our job is to gather our strength and get her out. Okay?" You ask.

"Okay..." She says.
"That didn't sound very enthusiastic" You say.
"O-okay!" She says again.

"Better" You say. "Now, let's go see the Commander and figure out what's actually going on"

>1/2

You and Hella walk upstairs, following Coral's directions to Altea.

"Do you really think the northerners will join us?" She asks.
"Whether they join us or not, the Legion will come for them eventually" You say. "They can either fight with us, or fight alone"

"Will they see it that way?" Hella asks. "If I remember right, then Lubars didn't see the Legion as a threat until after Antolia had already fallen"
"Then we have a historical example of why they shouldn't stay out of this fight" You say. "First we need to actually get them to meet with us..."

"You can't just send a sprite ahead and tell them you're sending a diplomat?" Hella asks.
"If it were that easy, I imagine we would have done it already" You say.

You find Altea sitting in her bedroom with her head on her desk...

>Call out

>Put Valerie next to her

>Other

>>2017529
>>Put Valerie next to her

>>2017529
>>Put Valerie next to her

>>2017529
>>Put Valerie next to her

>writing

You take Valerie from Hella, and put her on the desk next to Altea's head.

The little slime immediately goes for Altea's hair and tries to munch on it.

"Okay, maybe don't eat the Comomder's hair" You say, as you pull her back.

Altea breathes in and sits up, looking around for a moment before her eyes rest on you. She has a piece of paper stuck to her face...

"Oh, hello" She says.
"Hey" You say "Did I wake you?"
"I shouldn't have been sleeping in the first place. I was writing a letter to the king, and-... where did it go?" She asks.

You silently reach over and pull the paper off her face. In its place, there's an imprint from the ink on the page...

"Ah, yes" She says. "I sat down and I guess I must have fallen asleep"

>Ask how everything is going

>Inform her about the ink

>Valerie has a body now

>Other

>>2017663
>>Valerie has a body now
>Ask how everything is going

>>2017663
>>Inform her about the ink
>>Valerie has a body now

>writing

"Well, while we were out little Valerie grew a body" You say.

Altea looks around again, this time finding Valerie on her desk. "Ah, hello little one" Altea says, as she picks the slime up. "That was step one of caring for a growing slime... unfortunately I'm not so clear on the other steps"

"I took care of step 2" You say. "She ate all the hair and sweat off my hand earlier. And apparently if you need answers on anything, ask Zaine"
"Zaine... he's one of Meyu's crew, yes?" She asks. "Why would he know?"

"His wife and kids are slimes" You say.
"Really?" She asks. "I'd no idea he was married"
"He tends to keep that to himself" You say. "How'd everything go today?"

"Theresa Crow has agreed to take you and whoever you wish to bring north" She says. "I'll have a full count of our losses by the day's end, and... there was something else..."

"The meeting with the hunters?" Hella asks.
"That's it! The meeting with the-" Altea gasps and checks her timekeeper, then breathes a sigh of relief. "Okay, there's still time..."

"Thought you slept through it?" You ask.
"I did fear that for a moment, yes" She says. "But I must get going now if I wish to make it on time"
"You'll want to wash your face first" You say.

Altea gets up and walks to the bathroom. You hear her groaning. "Oh gods... ink never comes off" She says.
"Never?" You ask.
"Not without a fight" She says.

>I'm sure the hunters won't mind

>You could try wearing a cool mask

>Could Val get it off?

>Other

>>2017792
>Could Val get it off?

>>2017792
>>Could Val get it off?

>writing

"Could Valerie get it off?" You ask.

"She could..." Altea says. "Jade used to eat ink all the time... back when we were younger she accidentally spilled an entire pot of it on herself. She was black as pitch for months"

Altea walks over and picks up Valerie, hugging her tightly and pressing her into the ink on her face.

"Are you sure you should be using her like that?" Hella asks.
"This is motherly love. It's just convenient that it also happens to remove the ink from my face" She says.

Valerie bubbles happily and hugs Altea's head. You see the ink leeching off, turning Val's clear body a light grey colour.

"Should I take her while you go to the meeting?" You ask.
"No, I'll keep her with me" She says. "It's not like she'll be disruptive, given that she has no voice yet. And even if she is, then I can let her hand out with Hella's cousins"

"I'm sure she'll get along just fine there" Hella says.

"How have things been on your end?" Altea asks. "Who is coming with you so far?"
"Just Hella and Pip right now" You say.
"Really?" Altea asks. "I'm surprised your father is letting you go... but then you may be safer up there then you are down here, given that there's always a guild hall up there for you to take shelter at"

"But that's just for her" You say.
"Correct. Even up there, the hunters can't be seen aiding you" She says. "And be on your toes, it's likely that the legion will have some presence there as well"

>What makes you say that?

>Anyone else you think I should bring?

>What should I do now?

>Other

>>2017900
>>Anyone else you think I should bring?

>writing

Quiet in here all of a sudden

File: Border mep 2.png (242 KB, 2147x2215)

242 KB PNG

"Anyone else you think I should bring?" You ask.
"You've got a decent group already, I think" She says. "Pip is adept at negotiation and intelligence gathering, you've got a good eye and a good position to negotiate from, and Hella... my apologies dear, but I'm afraid I've not heard much of you"

"She's around to boost morale" You say. "And Meyu suggested that I bring a cook"
"I'm also really good at stopping fights" Hella says.

"Oh?" Altea asks.
"That was half my job back in Bell's Run..." Hella says.

"I see" She says. "Now, before I go you'll need something to bargain with. Hand me your map for a moment..."

You pull out your map, and Altea draws in the current and old Lubrian borders, then draws a red line to the north.

"I'm prepared to give back everything above that red line" She says. "Don't throw it all out there at once. Use every square mile of it like a bargaining chip"

"Th-that's a lot of land" Hella says.
"We need the north" Altea replies. "They've no reason to join us for nothing, so we'll be giving them something in return"

"I can work with that" You say. "When do I leave?"
"Whenever you want" She replies. "Say your farewells, Captain Theresa won't leave without you"

>Anything else?

>>2018034
i can't think of anything at the moment but can we practice our mage blade on the way?

>>2018034
Nothing

>writing

"Guess I'll say goodbye to you here then" You say.

Altea smiles and hugs you with her free hand. Valerie grabs at your hair, but doesn't manage to munch it before you step away.

"Careful of that one. She's got an appetite for hair" You say.
"I certainly will" Altea says. "And I'll have to speak with Zaine about how to care for her"

"Will she get much bigger by the time I get back?" You ask.
Altea shakes her head. "She grows normally from here" She says, as she turns to Hella. "Take care of Yuu for me, will you?"
"I'll do my best" Hella says.

Altea smiles as she pulls Valerie away from her face and cradles her. "Did she get it all?" She asks.
"All gone" You say.
"Excellent. I shall have to get her some candy... or something" She says. "Maybe I'll ask Zaine if she can actually eat candy first..."

"Good luck with her" You say.
"Good luck up north" She replies. "You'll need it more than I will"

With that, Altea walks out. Leaving you to-

>See if Pip is done yet

>Say goodbye to your friends

>Look for Ilica

>Other

>>2018096
>Look for Ilica

>>2018096
Huh very slow all of the sudden

>writing

"Come on, I still haven't gotten an answer from Ilica yet" You say.

You ask Coral where to find your Felid friend, and then head off.

"What if she says no?" Hella asks.
"Then this is also a good time to say bye" You say. "Either way I've gotta go see her"

"I'll let you do that, then" She says. "I'm gonna grab my things and meet you by the docks"
"Alright. See you there" You say.

Hella gives you a quick hug, and then heads off.

You find Ilica in her room, idly filing her nails.

"Hey" You say.

"Hey" She replies. "How's the recruitment going?"
"I've got Hella and Pip so far" You say. "Still plenty of room on the airship"
"Listen... I would like to go, and I know you might need me, but-"

"But your family is here" You say.

>What if I said please?

>Should I bring you a souvenir?

>Other

>>2018179
>I don't want to force you to go, so should I bring you a souvenir?

>>2018179
>>Should I bring you a souvenir?

>writing

>>2018179
>>Should I bring you a souvenir?

"Should I bring you a souvenir?" You ask.
"I hear they have these cool crystal snowflake necklaces up there" She says. "If you wanna grab me one of those then that'd be cool"

"I'll see what I can find" You say. "Though I don't think I'll have a lot of time to shop around"

Ilica stands up and hugs you. "Stay safe" She says.
"Same to you" You say. "Keep the city in one piece while I'm gone, would you?"
"I'll try" She replies. "But it sounds like I'll be headed back to Sherton"

"The keep the Vivi in one piece for me" You say. "And maybe teach her not to bite my hands"
"And deprive her of her favourite chew toy?" She asks.
"I'm not a chew toy" You say.

Ilica bites your shoulder.

"Ow! Stop that" You say.

She giggles as she steps away. "Alright big guy, go do your thing" She says.

You nod, and turn to leave. But Ilica stops you and hugs you again.

"And try not to get hurt" She says. "You won't have Emi around to fix you up this time"
"I'll keep that in mind" You say, as you bring a hand up to scratch her ear.

She purrs for a moment, and then steps back. "Alright, get going" She says. "I don't wanna hold you up just so you can scratch my ear"

>Go find Derrick

>Go find Pip

>Go find Madelaine

>But I like scratching your ear...

>other

>>2018278
>Scratch her ear.
>Go find Madelaine

>>2018278
>But I like scratching your ear...

>Go find Derrick

>>2018278
>But I like scratching your ear...
Evening Smiley
You just had to run while I was working didn't ya

>>2018278
>>But I like scratching your ear...
>>Go find Madelaine

>writing

"I happen to like scratching your ears" You say.
"And you can do it as much as you want" She replies. "When you come back"

You puff out your cheeks.

"Go on, you've got work to do" She says.
"Fiiiiiine" You say. "See you when I get back"

"Hopefully it'll be with good news" She says.
"Hopefully it'll be with an army" You say.

With that, you head out to talk to Madelaine. You find her in the courtyard with Meyu, Gerard, and Zaine.

"Hey guys" You say.
"Yuu, we were just talkin' about you" Meyu says.
"Nothing bad, I hope" You say.

"Mostly good" Meyu says. "Come to say goodbye?"
"Yeah, I'll be leaving for the docks in a bit" You say. "You guys sure you don't wanna come along?"

"We'd be useless on a diplomatic mission" Meyu says. "You'll be fine up north"
"Any advice?" You ask.

"They respect strength up there, so winning a fight is a good way to get them on your side" He says. "Don't go lookin' for a fight, that'll just make you look like a brash youngster. But if a fight happens to find you..."

"Win it. Gotcha" You say.
"I know, it sounds kind of obvious. But keep it in mind all the same" He says.

>Any other advice?

>Ask Zaine to help Altea with Val

>Other

>>2018362
>Any other advice?

>>2018362
>About winning the fights... they got any weird fighting styles up there to look out for?

>>2018375
Seconding this

>>2018362
>Ask Zaine to help Altea with Val

>>2018375
When in doubt borrow Madeleine's technique and kick them in dick

>writing

"About winning these fights... are there any weird northern fighting styles I should know about?" You ask.

"The best and worst of them are called berserkers, and they fight a bit like you" He says. "Rushing in with little regard for their safety, only trying to end the fight as quickly as they can, not caring if they get hurt at all"

"So he'll fit right in" Madelaine says.

"Other than that... there aren't any strange or exotic fighting styles up there" He says. "Just big weapons and tough armor. If you can get past those then you should be fine"
"But watch out for the berserkers" Zaine adds. "If you can take them down quick, good. If not, don't expect them to fight like a normal person"

"Gotcha" You say. "Oh, I had a favor to ask you"
"Me?" Zaine asks.
"Yeah... you know that Jade died, right?" You ask. "Well she left behind a little slime. The Comomder is taking care of her, but she could use a hand"
"Alright, I'll do what I can" He says.

"Any other advice?" You ask.
"I'd say dress warm, but you don't really feel the cold..." Meyu says. "Just play it smart, and don't go around advertising the fact that you're a Lubrian prince unless you're in a position where it'll give you an advantage"

"So don't roll a red carpet off the ship and stride out fine clothes with dragons embroidered all over them?" You ask.
"Only if you want to die" He replies.
"Gotcha" You say.

You talk with them for a while longer, until a sprite comes in letting you know that Derrick and Pip are waiting at the docks. So you bid them farewell, and head off

>1/2

You get to the docks, and sure enough Pip, Derrick, and Hella are waiting there for you.

"You're right on time, Yuuster! Ricky was just telling me how much he was going to miss us" Pip says.
"How much?" You ask.

"He said he was gonna cry every single day!" Pip says.
"Wow... well, so long as he still has time to keep the city safe in between crying then I guess that's fine" You say.

"I take it back. Get on the airship and go" Derrick says.

"Well that is the plan..." You say.

You shake hands with Derrick.

"Good luck up there" He says.
"Same to you" You say. "If the legion shows up, give 'em a few hits for me"
"I will" He replies. "Don't freeze up there. I hear the snows fall ten feet high in the northern capital"

"Guess I'll have to see for myself" You say. "Should I bring you back a souvenir too?"
"I hear they make daggers from ice-magic crystals. Like my sword, but ice instead of fire" He says.

"I'll keep that in mind" You say.

You hear a whistling from the deck, and turn to see Theresa looking down from the ship. "Come on, kids. The north's not goin' anywhere but it's still a looooong trip"

"See you when you return" Derrick says.

You nod to him, as Pip gives him a big hug. Then you head up to the ship.

"All set?" Theresa asks you.
"Probably" You reply.
"Good" She says. "Bring up the ramps and fire up the engines, boys! We're takin' off!"

That's all for tonight!

I'm going to try making a post per night, as my work schedule leaves me with no real good times to run save for my days off.

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

>>2018498
Thanks for Running Smiley

Yo why aren't we asking namaki one more time? Getting to her with an airship should be quick yeah?