>>2035162
>Sounds good

Evening Smiley

>>2035162
>>Sounds good

>>2035174
Evening dude

>writing

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

242 KB PNG

Oh yeah. I forgot this. Updated mep with Garhan's location.

"Sounds good" You say. "I still don't get why we aren't just living on the ship though"
"Because we're trying not to be obvious about not being from here" She says. "We'll rent a place to stay, then you and Lala can stock up on food and shit while I go out and see what info I can sniff out"

"We can't just go straight to the palace?" You ask.
"I'd rather avoid doing that if I can" She says. "Find a way to get invited maybe, then we can speak with their leaders as guests, which will go a long way toward keeping our heads on our shoulders"

"Why?" You ask.
"Northerners have rules regarding guests" She says "If you invite someone into your home and then do them harm, you get a harsher punishment than if you just harmed them outside"
"Makes sense" You say.

"Anyway, go get ready" Pip says. "And limber up, too. You'll be carrying most of our stuff"
"What? Why?" You ask.
"Come on, Yuuster. Do either of us look like we could haul our bags across town?" Pip asks.
"I-I could manage" Hella says.

"Buuuuut you won't have to!" Pip says.
"I resent this treatment" You say.
"Relax, I packed light" Pip says.
"I-I didn't..." Hella says.

Pip laughs and slaps your back. "Come on, the city won't wait forever" She says, as she walks away.

>1/2

As you finish packing your stuff, you feel the slight bump of the ship coming to a stop in the harbor. Then you fasten your cloak, put on your big hat, make sure you've got Coral, grab your stuff, and head up on deck.

Pip, Hella, and Theresa are all there waiting for you. Everyone is bundled up against the cold. Meanwhile you're out here in a t-shirt and a cloak...

"Alright, you guys go on" Theresa says. "We'll stay docked here while we fix up the ship"
"How bad's the damage?" Pip asks.

"The outer hull is fine, but we pushed the engine quite a bit to press on through the winds" She says. "I give it a week to fix... maybe more"
"Well we won't be in and out, so you've got time" Pip says.

You say farewell to Theresa, and head out into the floating harbor.

"So where to?" Pip asks.
"To find somewhere to stay, I guess" You say.
"I mean like... where to, to look for a place?" She asks.

>Somewhere close to the docks

>Somewhere nice

>Somewhere close to the palace

>Other

>>2035366
>Somewhere close to the docks

>>2035366
>>Somewhere nice

>writing

"Somewhere close to the docks... but a nice place" You say. "I am a prince, after all"
"I can work with that" Pip says. "Why close to the docks?"
"So we're closer to our escape... just in case" You say.

You walk through the docks, which run like tunnels through the floating rocks.

"I hope we don't have to escape... running back up all these stairs might just kill me" Hella says.
"Oh, you could probably just go to the guild" Pip says. "Yuusky and I would have to make the trip up the stairs"

"Still not a fan of stairs" You say.
"I don't think anyone is a fan of stairs" Pip says. "They're a necessary evil, though"
"Can't we use magic to make moving stairs?" You ask.
"That sounds like a waste of mana" Pip says.

"I think it could catch on" Hella says.
"Oh quit bein' lazy you two" Pip says. "They say laziness is what killed the Kazus"
"I thought the islanders killed the Kazus" You say.

"It's a figure of speech" Pip replies.

You reach the exit to the harbor, and take the long bridge down to the mainland.

This area is crowded. It looks like it's part marketplace, part town square. There are announcers, boards covered with ads, little shops...

>See what the announcers are saying

>See what's on the boards

>Go someplace else

>Other

>>2035535
>>See what the announcers are saying

>>2035535
>>See what the announcers are saying

>writing

>>2035535
>See what the announcers are saying
>See what's on the boards

We can hear him and the check the board

"I'm gonna go see what's on the boards" Pip says. "There's bound to be some places listed up there"
"I wanna hear what these guys are yelling about" You say.

"Coooool... Hey, Lala?" Pip asks. "Keep an eye on him for me, would you?"
"Oh, sure" Hella says.
"Awesome, see you guys in a bit" Pip says, as she slinks away.

You and Hella make your way over to the stand the announcer is calling out from.

"You know, if you don't like the nickname you can tell her to stop" You say.
"I don't mind" She says. "I actually kinda like it"
"Really?" You ask.
Hella nods. "I've never really had a nickname before, and Lala has a nice ring to it..."

"Hmm...? Maybe I should start calling you that too" You say.
"You can't just copy Pip's" She says. "You have to come up with your own"
"Oh fine... I'll think of something" You say, as you notice Hella looking concerned. "Something wrong?"
"Maybe we don't want to hear what this guy has to say..." She says.

"How bad could it be?" You ask, as you turn your attention to the stand.

"-and now the plague has come for the dragons!" The announcer shouts. "It delivered justice to the Antolians, and now the warmongering Lubrian's number is up. From the mountainous husk of Antolia the demons pour forth, and not even the dragon's fire will stop them"

You blink a few times. The Legion delivered justice to Antolia. Did you hear that right?

"Yuu, don't..." Hella says.

>Go find Pip

>Okay first of all...

>Other

>>2035661
>Go find Pip

>>2035661
>Okay first of all...

>>2035661
>Okay first of all...

>writing

>>2035661
>>Go find Pip

"Okay first of all-"

Hella grabs your arm and drags you away from the announcer's stand. She keeps dragging you away from the crowd until you're a decent ways away.

"What gives, I was gonna tear into that guy" You say.
"Pip said to keep you from doing anything stupid" She replies.
"That wouldn't have been stupid" You say.
"Getting into a public argument because someone was talking bad about Lubars when we're trying not to draw attention?" She asks.

...

"Okay, maybe it would have been a little stupid. But a little stupid never hurt anyone" You say. "Also it wasn't that he insulted Lubars... it was how he described what the Legion brings as 'justice'"
"Oh..." She says.

You sigh. "So they're actually rooting for the legion up here" You say. "That is... all kinds of messed up"
"That was just a town crier" Hella says. "They're always pretty extreme..."
"He had quite the crowd, and I didn't hear anyone disagreeing with him" You say.

"I guess that's true... but someone like that is usually more there for entertainment" She says.
"People come to the town square to listen to a man yell for entertainment?" You ask. "Is there nothing better to do up here?"

Hella shrugs.

>Head back to the stands

>Go find Pip

>See what's in the shops

>Other

>>2035784
>Go find Pip

>>2035784
>>Go find Pip
Maybe she can confirm what Hella says about town criers.

>>2035784
>>See what's in the shops
>Get a new hat.

>>2035784
>See what's in the shops

>writing

"They could go shopping" You say.
"You can't just shop all the time" Hella says.

...

"We could go shopping" You say.
"You really wanna keep carrying all that stuff around?" She asks.
You look down at the bags. "They're not so heavy" You say. "Come on, Ilica and Derrick wanted souvenirs"

Hella smiles and hooks an arm around yours. "Yeah, and I can get something for-... Stella..."
You nod. "Something to give to her once she's safe and sound" You say. "Sounds like a plan"

You walk with Hella back to the shops.

There's a lot of different things at all of them, but none of it is what you were asked to look for...

"Hey guys" Pip says, as she suddenly appears next to you.

"Find anything?" You ask.
"Yep" She says. "Found a nice one pretty close to here. Should suit our needs"
"Cool" You say.
"What did you two get up to?" She asks.

"Yuu tried to fight the town crier" Hella says.
"Really?" Pip asks. "you know those guys are just hacks, right?"
"I have been informed" You say. "Anyway, we're souvenir shopping now"

Pip scrunches her nose. "You won't find what you're looking for here. This'll all be stuff from the ships" She says. "You want local stuff you've gotta hit the central markets"

"Oh" You say. "Yeah, that makes sense"

>Anything else you want to do here?

>>2035892
>Not for now.

>>2035892
Nope

>writing

"Let's go" You say.
"Yeah I was thinkin' the same thing. It's way too cold out here" Pip says.

"Is it?" You ask.
"Okay demon-boy, don't go flaunting your temperature deafness" She says. "The place is this way. Come on"

"Is that actually what it's called?" You ask Hella
"I... don't think so" She replies.

You shrug and follow after Pip. She turns when you catch up to her.

"Now if anyone actually asks, we're from the south" She says. "They don't hate the isles up here, and Yuu's already got a southern name"

"We don't look very southern" Hella says.
"The hell do these people know about what southerners look like?" Pip replies, as she stops in front of a building. "This is the place"

The building is pretty big, and very sturdy looking.

"What is it?" You ask.
"An old armory, converted into an apartment" She says. "Top floor's for rent right now, but it won't be for much longer"

"Why not?" You ask.
"Apparently there's something big happening in town, and there's a lot of visitors" She says. "Anyway, what do you think?"

You look up. The building is 8 stories tall, and fairly big around.

>We get the whole top floor?

>We were just talking about my love of stairs...

>It'll do

>Other

>>2036010
>>We get the whole top floor?

>>2036010
>>We get the whole top floor?

>>2036010
>>We were just talking about my love of stairs...
>We get the whole top floor?

Yuu is easy to please

>>2036010
>We were just talking about my love of stairs...
Yuu in a fit of sheer laziness creates his own version of Tenser's Floating disk to move supplies and people up the stairs

>writing

>>2036010
>>We get the whole top floor?
>>We were just talking about my love of stairs...
>>It'll do

"We were just talking about my love of stairs..." You say.
"Ah, quit yer whinin'" Pip says.
"Just sayin'... so we get the entire top floor?" You ask.
"Yep. It's already furnished and everything" She says.

"Cool. Should we go take a look?" You ask.
"After you" Pip says.

You go inside and head upstairs while Pip deals with the building's owner. Once you get to your floor, you exit the stairway and head into your apartment.

"Well it certainly is big" Hella says. "Maybe a bit too much..."
"Whaaaat? It's the perfect size" You say. "Especially for the awesome blanket fort I plan on building"

"We are here for a reason, you know..." She says.
"Yeah, I know. But I'm bound to get some spare time at some point" You say. "And when that time comes, what is there for me to do but build a blanket fort?"

Hella rolls her eyes and takes her bag from you. "Well, I'm gonna go claim one of these rooms" She says.

She goes off, and you decide to follow suit. There's more than 3 rooms in here, so you just pick one and drop your bags inside.

You come back out just as Pip emerges from the stairway.

"Everything good?" You ask.
"Yep" Pip says. "I'm gonna run out and see what I can learn. You guys feel free to... do whatever"

>Mind if I join you?

>We do need food

>I wanna check out the palace

>Other

>>2036141
>>We do need food

>>2036141
>>We do need food

>>2036141
>Mind if I join you?

>>2036141
>See if we can find out more about all this eternal winter thing the northerners try and bring.

>>2036141
>We do need food

>writing

"We do need food" You say.
"Cool. Go do that" Pip says. "I'll be back in a few"
"Good luck" You say.

Pip smiles and heads back out, leaving you to wait for Hella to come back. When she does, you both head back out.

"What were you doing in there anyway?" You ask.
"Putting on more layers" She says.
"Are you that cold?" You ask.
"Yes" She says, as she pulls out a woolen... thing. "Help me put this on"

You tak the thing and unfold it. "Is this... a hat?" You ask.
"A bunny hat" She says. "Auntie Dan made it for me, since us bunnies can't hear if we wear normal hats"
"I imagine a lot of girls have that problem" You say.
"Just the ones with ears on top of their heads" She says.

You nod and pull the hat down over her ears, fitting it snugly on her head. It looks like it fits pretty well, and the fronts of the ear coverings are open so she can hear.

"Snug?" You ask.
"Like a bug under a rug" She says. "Let's get going!"

Hella picks up the pace, marching off down the stairs. You chuckle and follow after her.

>1/2

next time someone say the legion doing good by invading, lets remind them that they are next and how screwed they will be

After some searching, you manage to find one of the city's food markets. It didn't help that Hella, in a burst of confidence, decided to go the wrong way without asking anyone where the markets were...

"But we've found them now, so there's nothing to be depressed about" You say to Hella, whose ears are drooped as she's still feeling embarrassed.

"I'm not doing a very good job being helpful..." She says.
"We didn't bring you along because you knew all the roads" You say. "Though we probably should have brought someone that knew the city..."

"Things always seem obvious in hindsight" Hella says.
You shrug. "I'm sure we'll learn the place soon enough" You say. "It's a bit like Sherton with the giant, obvious building right at its center, but with the addition of the ton of floating rocks at one end so you can always tell where you are"

"You sound like an expert on this kind of thing" Hella says.
"I have gotten lost more than my fair share of times. Through that experience, I have developed workarounds" You say. "Either way, I'm hungry"

"Alright, let's see what they've got here" Hella says.

The two of you head around the different market stalls. According to her, the foods here are different than what she was used to seeing in Lubars.

"But that should be fine" She says. "This way I get to learn how to make some traditional northern stuff!"

Well... she seems enthusiastic about it at least. Hella hops from stall to stall, grabbing whatever catches her fancy and handing all the bags to you.

"In for the games, young lady?" One of the stall keepers, a very, VERY tall woman who looks fairly old. She has bushy grey hair, and giant, white, furry paws.

"The games...?" Hella asks.
"The Grand Games" The lady says again. "People come in from all over to see them, and you don't look like you're from around here"
"I-I don't?" Hella asks.
"Nope" The lady replies.
"Wh-what makes you say that?" Hella asks.
"You're dressed like you're from somewhere warmer" The lady says.

>We're from the south

>Ask about the games

>You can tell by how she's dressed?

>Other

>>2036302
>We're from the south

>>2036302
>>Ask about the games

>>2036302
>We're from the south

>>2036302
>>Ask about the games

>writing

"We're from the south" You say. "I'm Yuu"

The lady chuckles. "Certainly sounds like a southerner's name" She says.
"What's your name?" You ask.

The lady extends her big, furry paw. "Kolai" She says.

You take her paw and shake it. She's very strong, as you might expect from someone so big.

"Oh, that's a good grip you've got" She says. "Are you here to compete?"

"Not really... what are these games?" You ask.
"The Grand Games" Kolai says. "A tournament held at the arena every few years"
"What's the prize?" You ask.
"Your heart's desire" Kolai says. "Whatever it is, if it's within the Queen's power, she will grant it"

"The Pale Queen?" Hella asks.

Kolai shushes her. "Not so loud, girly. She's just the Queen up here" She says.
"Oh, sorry" Hella whispers.

"Would the winner get to meet the queen?" You ask.
"It'd be hard for her to grant their wish without meeting them" Kolai says.

You nod. "Thanks for the info" You say.
"Not a problem, young man" She replies. "You two come on back anytime. You won't find a better price on fish in all of Garhan!"

"We will" You say, as you walk away.

"So... the grand games, huh?" Hella asks. "Think it's worth looking into?"

>Could be

>Let's see what Pip finds

>Other

>>2036344
>Could be

>>2036344
>Let's see what Pip finds

>>2036344
>>Could be

>>2036344
>>Could be
Tournament Arc is a go

"Could be" You say. "If Pip comes up with nothing, then it might be our only option"

"Think you can win?" Hella asks.
"Oh, please" You say. "I beat an ancient soul capable of possessing people by luring it into my brain and beating the shit out of it. I think I can handle a few scrubs in a tournament"

"We should ask when entry for the event ends then... if everyone is already in town for it..." Hella says.
"Good call" You say.

You walk back to Kolai's stall.

"Back already?" Kolai asks.
"I actually have a question" You say. "Do you know when entry ends?"
"Entry for the games?" She asks. "Won't be long now... my daughter just left for the grounds a while ago, and she was worried she'd be too late"

"Oh..." You say.
"If you hurry, you might make it in time" Kolai says.

>Go now?

>>2036378
Be swift of foot Yuu

>>2036378
>>Go now?
haul ass boy

>>2036378
>>Yes.
Altea is going to remind Pip that Pip's first job was managing Yuu and Pip failed within one day of entering the country.

>writing

>>2036392
It hasn't even been an hour

"Oh..." You say again. "Hella, can you manage these?"
"You can leave 'em here. I'll keep your girlfriend company until you come back" Kolai says.
"G-girlfriend?" Hella asks.

Kolai looks confused. "You two aren't together?"

Hella starts stuttering all over the place...

>"Be back in a bit, honey"

>Run like the wind

>Other

>>2036408
>>Run like the wind

>>2036408
>>"Be back in a bit, honey
teasing hella mode: ON

>>2036408
>>"Be back in a bit, honey"
bully the bunny

>>2036408
>Run like the wind

>writing

"Which way is it to the grounds?" You ask.

Kolai points off to the east. "Big arena off that way. Can't miss it" She says.
"Cool" You say, as you step up to Hella and peck her on the cheek. "Be back in a bit, honey"

Then you run away before she can react. She might be cross with you later, but a little bit of teasing never hurt anyone, right?

...

Maybe that was a bit too much... you'll have to see if you can find some chocolate for her. According to all the married men you know, chocolate is a good answer to these kinds of things.

Kolai was right. The arena is hard to miss. You're surprised you didn't notice it from the air... but then you were kind of distracted by the giant floating harbor and the ice palace.

Hopefully the next city you visit doesn't have so many interesting buildings so you can get the lay of it from the air instead of gawking at things like a tourist...

You manage to reach the arena before they shut the doors. Inside there are a few people behind desks in the fighting pit, and a few other people who look like they're waiting...

>Go to the desk

>Talk to one of the people waiting

>Other

>>2036434

>Go to the desk

>>2036434
>>Go to the desk

>writing

So who wants to bet Cheska is here?

You take a breath and walk straight up to the desk.

When you're about halfway, someone puts a hand on your shoulder.

"Hey kid" The person says. "Wait your turn"

You look around. "I don't see a line" You say.

Another person steps up. "We've got a funny one here" They say. "I don't like his face"

Before you can respond, you get the sense that you're in danger. You duck, and kick out behind you. Your foot connects with something, but you don't check to see what it was as the two in front of you attack.

You send one of them flying with a soul wave, then catch the other's arm and throw him to the ground.

Then you pivot to see if any more are coming your way...

"Nicely done" One of the people at the desk says. "I'd say that's a pass"
"Definitely a pass" The person you kicked grunts.
"Excellent. Can I get your name?" The person at the desk asks.

...

>It's Yuu

>Was that a test?

>Other

>>2036461
>It's Yuu
"That's a neat test."

>>2036461
>>It's Yuu

>>2036461
>It's Yuu

>writing

"It's Yuu. Yuu Gal- ahhh... just Yuu" You say.
"Alright, That's Y-U-U?" The person behind the desk asks.
"Yes" You say. "That's an interesting test"

"We had to employ some way to vet the entries. We've had so very many this year" The attendant says. "So we had these 3 volunteers scuffle with whoever came in. If you could at least defend yourself, you were in"

"But I knocked them all on their butts" You say. "Does that get me a better entry?"
"Unfortunately not" The attendant says. "But it did get you in, even though you were a bit late! Aaaand... your number is 163. Head back that way, into the hallway on the left and go to the room marked with that number to meet your partner"

"Partner?" You ask.
"As I said, too many entries. To keep things short, we've made it a doubles tournament" The attendant says.

"Oh..." You say. "what do I do after I've met with them?"
"Whatever you want, as long as you're back here at 8 tomorrow morning" The attendant says.

You nod...

>Go meet your partner

>Send word back to Hella

>Other

>>2036481
>>Go meet your partner

>>2036481
>Go meet your partner

Come on Cheska!

>writing

"Well, thank you" You say, as you turn to help one of the 'volunteers' up. "And sorry about the kick, I didn't hit anything sensitive, did I?"
"You're all good, kid" The man says. "I've never gotten nailed like that when I had the jump on someone before..."

"It just felt like kicking behind me was a good idea" You say. "And it payed off"
"Well best of luck to you" He says. "Here's hoping you get a good partner"

You nod and head off. The hallway the attendant directed you to is long, likely going all the way around the arena. You walk along it while looking for your number...

"166... 165... 164... Here we are. 163" You say, as you step inside.

It's... empty. Well, mostly. Somebody's bag is here. It's a very small bag, so it doesn't look like your partner has a lot of stuff... and none of it seems very interesting.

The only thing that stands out is a little thing of lipstick sitting on the desk next to an old looking hand-mirror.

You figure you'll sit down and wait. Even if they're not here now, your partner will probably be back soon.

...

...

...

You open your eyes as something hits your lap... not hits, sits. Something sits in your lap.

You must have dozed off there... you look down, and a pair of black and red eyes meet your gaze.

"Uhh... hey" You say.
"Not who you were expecting to see?" Cheska asks.
"Not sure who I was expecting to see" You say.

Cheska pouts. "Not happy to see your Cheska?" She asks.
"I am... I'm just surprised" You say.
"Me too! I didn't even know you were here, and here you are just nappin' in my room" She says with an excited smile.

"This is your room?" You ask. "So..."
"We're partners!" She says, as she throws her arms around you. "I was worried about how this would go, but with big strong Mr. Cutie on my side how could I lose?"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow evening, and then I'm going to try and find some way to work around my work schedule so I can run more often.

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

And fun fact: I was originally going to have the entire crew accompany you up north, and have you roll to see who you ended up with as your partner. But I liked the result of you guys ending up with Cheska as a partner enough that I scrapped the rolling concept entirely.

>>2036503
Thanks for Running Smiley
Yaaaaay my favourite girl is back!
Soooo odds on Cheska's wish from the Queen being to turn her back to normal?
I'd say they're pretty good, whether or not she has that power though...
So was it snowing and windy for you tonight Smiley? I kept getting reports of encroaching power outages all evening, I'm surprised I didn't get one with all the light dimming going on.

>>2036504
Pretty much 100% on that wish.
Power was a little shaky here for a bit. Definitely glad that I had today off. Much more fun watching a storm from inside than it is to have to slog through it...

"Soooo?" Cheska asks. "Did you miss me?"
"A little, yeah" You say.

She giggles, and slips off of your lap. "What brings you up north, anyway?" She asks. "As nice as it'd be if you came just to see me, I really don't think that was the case"

"The Legion hit Locke pretty hard" You say. "A lot of people died, and... they took Stella"
"Oh..." Cheska says. "How long ago?"
"2 days" You say. "I left Locke a few hours after the attack"

"To come here and...?"
"Try to recruit the northerners to help us" You say.
"So you joined the tournament" She says. "Have you tried to talk with them yet?"
"Pip was working on that" You say. "But application was closing, so if I wanted to go this route then I had to take it now"

"How'd you do with the testers?" She asks.
"Knocked them into the dirt" You say. "You?"
"Notice the bald one?" She asks. "I kinda burned off all his hair..."

You nod.

"So, we're in it to win it" Cheska says. "I like our odds"
"Well if those three guys were the barrier to entry, then I'd say I like our odds too" You say.

Cheska giggles.

>Ask what she wants from the queen

>Ask if you have to stay here

>Ask what she's been up to

>Other

>>2037984
>Ask what she wants from the queen
Even though we already know
>"I told you I'd come find you if you didn't write me regularly! So here I am, how have you been?"

>>2037984
>So we each get our own prize right?
>Do the people here know you're a demon?

>>2037996
This

>writing

"So what do you want from the queen?" You ask.
"Exactly what she's offering: My heart's desire" She says. "Which is to say I desire my heart"

"I probably should have guessed that" You say.
"Okay, come on. That was funny" She says. "Heart's desire, heart desire? Get it?"

You chuckle and stand up. "Well, at least one of us is funny" You say.

Cheska grabs your side. "It's me, riiiiight?" She asks in an innocent tone.
"Of course" You say.

She smiles and hugs your arm, while her tail wraps around your leg.

"You know, you were supposed to write me regularly" You say.
"I did" She says.
"1 letter and then months of silence is not regularly" You say.

"Has it really been months?" She asks. "Man, time flies around here"

You roll your eyes. "So do they know you're a demon?" You ask.
"The tournament runners?" She asks. "Of course. They don't discriminate though. There'll be lots of demons competing"

"Any from the Legion?" You ask.
"Possibly" She says. "They might have caught wind that you were headed this way, or they could be trying to kill the queen"

"Why kill the queen?" You ask. "The north doesn't care about the legion right now"
"Who knows?" She asks. "They're all nutjobs, remember?"
"And those nutjobs have my friend..." You say.

"If anyone can get her back, it'd be you" She says. "I take it they kidnapped her to get leverage on the hunters?"
"Yeah" You say. "It worked... I think. I haven't heard anything from Locke since I left"
"And that's why you're up here looking for new allies" She says. "Okay. I get it now"

"So how long have you been here?" You ask.
"Since the sign up began" She says. "So... 2 weeks? Accomodations are a little lacking, but it's better than nothing"

>Ask if she wants to stay with you

>Ask if she knows anything about the competition

>Other

>>2038147
>Ask if she wants to stay with you
It'll be like old times, we can even pull out the shackles!

>>2038147
>Ask if she wants to stay with you

>Ask if she knows anything about the competition

>>2038147

>Ask if she knows anything about the competition

>>2038147
>>Ask if she knows anything about the competition

>writing

"Know anything about our competition?" You ask.
"Only a bit. The other contenders don't really show off at all, so it's hard to get a read on them" She says. "They look like some real tough guys, but I'm sure you and me can handle them!"

"That's the hope" You say. "Anyway, I should head back. Pip should be done gathering info now, and I'm getting hungry"
"You know they serve food here. It's not good, but it is food" She says.

"Yeah, but we've got Hella cooking for us back at my place" You say. "There should be room for you there, if you want to join us"

"Is it a nice place?" She asks.
"Yes" You say.
"I'm in. Lead the way" She says.
"That was quick" You say.
"A rat tried to steal my breakfast in here the other day" She says. "I'm up for a change of scenery"
"Alright then, let's go" You say.

She hugs your arm tighter, and walks beside you as you head out.

"So, what has Mr. Cutie been up to?" She asks. "I take it everything went alright after I left"
"Oh yeah. We managed to get into Leon and convince the king to stop being dumb" You say.

"Anything interesting happen after that?" She asks.

>Tell her about your time with the scholars

>Tell her about the tower

>Other

>>2038286
>Tell her about the tower

>>2038286
>>Tell her about the tower

>writing

"We made it to the tower" You say.
"Oh yeah? You find out what was inside?" She asks.

"It was... weird" You say.

You tell her about your journey up the tower, how everyone disappeared as soon as the doors shut, and how each room tried to tempt you...

"So the first one was money, the second was food, the third was power, the fourth was knowledge, the fifth was... not important, the sixth was-"
"Hang on. 'Not important'?" She asks. "What was in there?"
"Not important" You say. "The point is that I made it to the top and-"
"You know I'm not gonna let you off that easy" She says. "What was the fifth room's temptation?"

>Make something up

>Boring stuff... like paperwork

>Tell the truth

>Other

>>2038393
>Tell the truth
.... Tits, it was tits

>>2038393
>Tell the truth

>>2038393
>>Tell the truth

>>2038393
>Tell the truth

>writing

"It was... girls" You say.
"Giiiiiiiirls?" She asks. "Do go on"

You take a breath. "So the room was laid out with a nice, soft looking bed, and candles pretty much everywhere" You say. "I actually kinda thought the temptation was to lay down and take a nap... and then you showed up"

"Me?" She asks with a wicked grin. "Oh my... how ever did you control yourself?"
"By remembering that the actual you was up here" You say. "Although I must admit, the skimpy little see-through number you had on looked pretty good on you"

You turn to see Cheska's red face turn a shade redder.

"I'm sure we could find something like that for the real you to wear, if we looked in the right places" You say.

She shakes her head. "Just what the heck kinda perverted place was this?" She asks. "Usin' my image like that without my permission. The nerve!"
"You did ask" You say. "You could have remained blissfully ignorant"

She puffs out her cheeks.

"So was that a yes or a no on the skimpy outfit shopping?" You ask, earning you a jab in the side...

>1/2

"... so then we got to the top, and all there was was this pedestal" You say. "It had some writing that said: You stand on the monument to Raligos, Sovereign of Winds, and Deviant Soul of mankind's will"

"The fuck's a deviant soul?" She asks.
"Not a clue. Anyway, Madelaine pulled this thing-" You pull out the wind emblem and show it to her. "-off the pedestal, and out popped Raligos"

"You fought it?" She asks.
"Yep" You say. "It actually possessed Madelaine, but I managed to convince it that Madelaine would never be able to beat me"

"So it tried to possess you instead?" She asks.
"See, that seems so obvious now. But at the time I thought it would go back to its normal form so I could fight it" You say. "But yeah, it tried to possess me"

"How'd that go?" she asks.
"Rather well... for me" You say. "I guess the tower was set up so only someone with a strong will could make it to the top, because only someone with a strong will could beat Raligos at his own game"

Cheska nods. "So you beat him in your head" She says.
"Using this thing" You say, as you attach the emblem to your blade and create the green scimitar. "I stabbed him with this and it sealed him in the emblem"

"You sure you should be carrying that thing around?" She asks.
"It's probably fine" You say. "If he gets out I'll just seal him again"

Cheska gives you a sidelong look and a slow nod. "Still, sounds like quite the adventure. Sad I missed it" She says.

>Ask what she's been doing

>You can come on the next one

>You wouldn't be saying that if you'd been there

>Other

>>2038573
>You can come on the next one!
>Ask what she's been doing

>>2038573
>You can come on the next one
>Ask what she's been doing

>>2038573
>>Ask what she's been doing
>>You can come on the next one

>writing

"You can come along for the next one" You say. "It'll probably be the flowing pools or the treeborn cradle next"
"Sounds like a date" She says with a smile.

...

"There'll be like 10 other people" You say.
"A very big date"

You chuckle. "So what have you been doing?" You ask. "Other than waiting for the tournament to start and guarding your breakfast from rats"
"I told you I was in with some sellswords" She says. "We'd been hunting bandits for a while. We took our marks in to the bounty office here to get paid, and that's when I found out about this"

"Your company won't miss you?" You ask.
"They'll live" She says. "Maybe... so who else came with you?"
"Just Hella and Pip" You say. "Everyone else stayed behind to make sure Locke stayed safe"

"Smart" She says. "You probably should have sent somebody else on the diplomatic mission though"
"Why's that?" You ask.
"Well... is there somebody else in Locke who can handle the flesh weapons?" She asks.

>They'll be fine

>This won't take long

>I hadn't thought of that

>Other

>>2038700
>They'll be fine

>>2038700
>They'll be fine
We should tell her about our new little sister at somepoint

>>2038700
>>I hadn't thought of that
Maybe they can build some robots to do that?

>writing

"I hadn't thought of that" You say. "But I'm sure they'll be fine. Just about every good fighter in Lubars in in Locke right now"

"Except for the guy who counters the boons" Cheska says.
"Stop that" You say. "It'll be fine"

"We can only hope" She says. "But then the tournament shouldn't take too long. They had a huge turnout, so it might have been a long run. But then they paired everyone off at random"

"So that's half the matches we'll have to fight" You say.
"But still the same number of people" She says. "Try not to overwork yourself"
"I can't just let you do all the work?" You ask.

"No. Because then my plan of letting you do all the work would fail" She says.
"I'm suddenly kind of doubting our chances" You say.

Cheska giggles as you reach the building. Sitting on a bench in front of it is Hella, looking dead tired with the bags of food piled up around her...

>Wake her up

>Carry her upstairs

>Other

>>2038771
>Wake her up

>>2038771
>>Carry her upstairs

>>2038771
>Wake her up

>writing

You lean over and poke Hella's cheek.

"Heeeeeey" You say. "Hella, wakey wakey"
"Whoa, that's Hella?" Cheska asks. "I remember her being... bigger"

"She spent some time with the hunters when they went out on a cull after we took Leon" You say. "She came back looking like this"
"Huh... maybe I should go on one of those, if you come back lookin' this good" She says.

"We can talk about that later" You say. "Come on Hella, I know you're awake"
"You abaaaaandoned meeeee" She groans. "Now my arms are spaghettiiiii"

She emphasizes this by wriggling her arms around.

"Alright, alright" You say. "Cheska, think you can manage those bags"
"Sure thing. Where're we takin' 'em?" Cheska asks.
"Top floor" You say, as you lean down and lift up the tired rabbit.

"Wait... Cheska's here?" Hella asks.
"There's some explaining to do here, which I'll leave for when we're upstairs" You say, as you shift Hella into a better position and head inside.

>1/2

"So you're partners in the tournament now?" Hella asks. "That's wonderful!"
"Right? I couldn't have asked for a better partner" Cheska says.

"Now we just have to win..." You say. "Any word from Pip?"
"Nothing ye-"

"And here she is~" Pip exclaims, as she bursts into the apartment. "I heard my name. Wha-aat's Cheska doing here?"

"They're partners in the grand games" Hella says.
"Oh, so you did sign up" Pip says.
"Is that bad?" You ask.

Pip walks over and plops down on the couch. "Could be our only option. The only people who get to see the queen are the winners of these games, and people who ask for an invitation..."
"Could we have done that?" You ask.
"From what I heard, it can take years for these invitations to get a reply" She says. "So yeah, good call"

"Phew, here I was worried that signing up might have been a mistake" You say.
"I would've liked it if you'd told me first, but I understand that we came in pretty close to the end of entries" Pip says. "So the games start tomorrow. You two need to be well rested and well fed"

"Well rested and well fed both sound pretty good right now" You say.
"Well, rest can come later. First, you and red here have to work on your teamwork!" Pip says.

>Good idea

>Do we have to?

>Other

>>2038882
>Good idea

>>2038882

>Good idea
>Have you improved any at not igniting your friends when use your fire magic?

>writing

"Good idea" You say. "I mean, we can't really do that here..."
"You can't?" Pip asks.

"You've never seen Cheska fight, have you?" You ask. "I'd like to leave this place unburnt, please"
"Oh yeah" Pip says. "You got a weapon, red?"
"I got a trident at the stone, but I've never actually used it before" Cheska says. "I mostly just torch people"

"And when that doesn't work?" Pip asks.
"I torch them harder" Cheska replies.

Pip nods. "We could work with that" She says. "How accurate are you?"
"Never accidentally killed an ally before" She says.
"Good enough" Pip says.

You spend some time talking tactics with Pip and Cheska, while the smells from the kitchen slowly get better.

"So basically my job is to grab their attention and hold it long enough for Cheska to torch them" You say.
"And remember that she's not me. Cheska can't do anything to help if you're in danger" Pip says. "So play it safe. It'll be 2 on 1 until Cheska's ready to put an end to the fight"

"And if they get too close to me, I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve" Cheska says. "I hope you've got a few too"
"I spent 2 months at the archive mastering Soul" You say. "I've got plenty of tricks"

"Why don't we head up to the roof, and you two can show off for a bit?" Pip asks. "Then we can eat. I'm kinda hungry"
"Sounds good to me" Cheska says. "Lead the way"

That's all for tonight!

I'll be trying to work in runs or posts around my work schedule this week, so keep an eye on my twitter.

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

>>2038944
Thanks for Running Smiley

>>2038944
Thanks for running Smiley

>>2038944
thanks man

"It's a good starting point" Pip says, once you and Cheska are finished showing off for a bit.

"You learned a bunch of new spells" Cheska says. "I don't remember those weird shield things"
"Namaki helped me come up with those" You say. "And then I spent a couple months at the archive studying soul"

"Sounds like a fun time" Cheska says.

You shrug, idly letting your bucklers circle you. "It was a slog some days, but the end result was worth it" You say.

Cheska gets a mischievous grin. "But can your little shields handle this~?" She asks as she charges up a spell.
"Oh, I forgot one" You say, letting off a disruptor at her and putting a stop to whatever she was planning on doing.

Cheska looks at her now discharged hand, and back to you in complete shock. "What- but- that- how-..."
"It's called a disruptor" You say. "Quick charge spell that only messes up your mana and fizzles out whatever you're charging"

"So basically free wins in a fight against someone like me" She says. "Well, almost..."
"Almost?" You ask. "Pray tell, how would you go about beating me without your magic?"

She smiles and does a little twirl, stepping towards you and leaning into you. "I'd have to fall back on my feminine wiles, of course..." She says, as bumps her hips into you.

...

"So I'd win" You say in a deadpan tone.

Cheska deflates and starts sulking away.

"Zing" Pip says.
"Right? If I had a heart, it'd be broken right now" Cheska says.

"Good thing that. Both of you have got that demonic durability going for you, which makes you a force to be reckoned with" Pip says. "Which is why I want you to keep abilities like that disruptor under wraps until you have no other choice"

"Why?" You ask.

"Let me explain: my role here is going to involve sitting in the stands and getting the measure of the other teams so I can report that back to you and make sure you're ready for what's ahead" Pip says. "Any other team worth their salt is going to be doing the same thing. The less you show during the early rounds, the less prepared your enemies will be to face you"

"I get it" You say. "Keep my cards close, and don't play my aces unless I have to"

"Yup" Pip says. "That goes for you too, Red. Stick to the simple stuff. Keep the big flashy bombs for when the simple stuff won't do"
"I'll try" Cheska says.

"Awesome. Let's go eat" Pip says. "I dunno what Hella's got goin' down there, but it smells amazing"

You head back down into your temporary apartment, talking about what to do after dinner as you go. You figure you'll-

>Get some rest

>Explore the city

>Check out the palace

>Put in some practice with Cheska

>Other

>>2048715
Long post up to fill the gaps between my days off. Voting ends at 6 pm PST.

>>2048715

>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>Put in some practice with Cheska
Having hung out with a bunch of scholarly nerds for a while, maybe we can help her refine her magic or learn a new spell.

>>2048715
>>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>Explore the city

>>2048715
>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>>Explore the city

>>2048715
>>Check out the palace

>>2048715
>Put in some practice with Cheska

>>2048715
>>Explore the city

>>2048715
>>Put in some practice with Cheska

"We're back" You call out as you walk back into the apartment.
"Just in time, I'm almost done here" Hella says. "How did they do?"

"Red needs to work on her casting times, but otherwise I think we're in good shape" Pip says.
"Heyyy! What's wrong with my casting times?" Cheska asks.

"You fall short of the rule of thumb" Pip says. "An offensive spell needs to charge faster than its adequate counter. Based on what I saw, you fall just short of that"

"I do?" Cheska asks.
"Only by a little. We can work that out in no time" Pip says. "But that can come after dinner. Just what have we got here, Hella?"

"Pretty much a little of everything I got at the market" Hella says. "This was a test... kinda. I wanted to see what i could do with what you can get here. But it should all still be good, so dig in!"

You help bring everything out, and then everyone sits down and starts eating.

"Wow... maybe if we have time you could show me a thing or two" Cheska says.
"I'd be happy to teach you... when you're not busy with the tournament" Hella says.
"Speaking of which, I plan to put money on you two sweeping your openers" Pip says, as she sticks a forkful of food in her mouth. "Don't dishappoint"

"Do we get a cut of this?" Cheska asks.

Pip shrugs, pausing for a second to finish chewing and swallow. "Not directly, but I'll put some of it into our food and equipment budget" She says.
"And the rest?" Cheska asks.
"Goes right back down on you guys" Pip says. "If you guys have to participate in this blood sport to meet with the north's bloody leaders, then we might as well make some cash off of it"

"What are the openers?" You ask.
"You didn't ask how the tournament worked when you joined?" Pip asks.
"Well... I figured it worked like a tournament" You say.

Pip sighs and sits back. "Openers are there to whittle down the entrants even more, so the later matches are more exciting" She says. "You get grouped up with 4 other pairs, and you have to go up against each one. But only the one that wins the most matches gets to advance"

"So if we beat all of them, then we continue?" You ask.
"Even if you lose one, you'll still be in good shape. But if another team in your opener wins all 4, you're screwed" She says.
"But if we win all 4..."
"Guaranteed advance" She says. "So sweep 'em. Hold nothing back... except for the things you don't want other teams to see"

You continue to talk about tomorrow over dinner. Hella doesn't think she has the stomach to watch something like the grand games, so she plans on spending tomorrow helping Kolai, that old shopkeeper who told you about the tournament.

You don't think she'll be in any real danger, but you decide that you'll be leaving Coral with her just in case.

When dinner is finished, you and Cheska head back up to the roof to get some more practice in.

"So, what are we workin' on?" Cheska asks.

>Your casting

>See how good she is in close quarters

>Our teamwork

>Other

>>2055143
More long post. Voting ends at 3 pm tomorrow and will be followed up with a thread shortly after that.

>>2055143
>Our teamwork

>>2055143
>Your casting

>>2055143
>Your casting

>>2055143
>Your casting

>>2055143
>>Your casting

>>2055143
>Your casting

>>2055143
>>Our teamwork

>>2055143
>>Our teamwork

"Like Pip said. Your casting needs a bit of work" You say.

"And Pip was right~" Pip says.

You whip your head around to see that Pip's following you up the stairs. You didn't even know she was with you.

"How exactly do we go about that?" Cheska asks.
"Observe what you're doing, so we can pinpoint what you're doing wrong" Pip asks.

"Sounds easy enough" Cheska says. "But I should warn you, I'm no good without a decent target"

Pip pats you on the back. "That's what Yuusky is here for" She says.

"It is?" You ask.
"Yep yep!" Pip says. "Now's also a good time for you to work on your defenses"
"By having Cheska shoot fireballs at me?" You ask.

"You're the kinda guy who learns best by doing" Pip says. "So go do"

You look at Cheska, who smiles innocently.

>Can I refuse?

>Use your bucklers

>Practice dodging

>Shoot her fireballs down

>Other

>>2057330
>>Practice dodging
Let's have everyone think we are a martial character while we have the caster build.

>>2057330
>>Shoot her fireballs down

>>2057330
>Practice dodging

>>2057330
>Practice dodging

>>2057344
This is a good idea. The longer we can rely on sword and fighting the longer they think we are a traditional warrior and mage team, not a mage/mage team.

>>2057330
>Practice dodging
I like the plan of not showing off that we can both block spells as well as counter them. Makes people think we're a melee/magic tag-team.

>writing

Rolled 7 (1d100)

"Might as well work on my dodging" You say. "Keep the bucklers and the bolts to myself until I actually need them"
"Good man" Pip says. "You two get started, I'll observe"

You toss Pip your cloak and hat. "Hold onto those for me, will ya?"
"I have a better idea" Pip says, as she throws both of them on.
"Really?" You ask.
"Hey man, it's damn cold out here" Pip says.

You sigh, and head over to Cheska. "Ready?" You ask.

Cheska takes a breath and smiles, as she starts charging...

>roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>2057447

File: Super Scared.jpg (44 KB, 352x370)

44 KB JPG

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>2057447

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>2057447

>>2057451
Oh dear what a roll to start the night with, but that should hit the focus with our expanded focus bonus from studying with the sages at least.

And that is a successful roll of 1. Welcome to Beyond the Gate everybody.

>writing

Cheska continues charging, before throwing several fireballs at you in quick succession.

You dip, weave, and jump around them, letting them all crash harmlessly into... just what is keeping these from hitting the building?

You look back and see a light screen behind you, then tun to see Pip smiling, before looking back at Cheska just in time for her to throw a bunch more fireballs.

They're not exactly hard to dodge. The second they leave her hand they're always on a set path, and you feel like you can tell where the next one is going before she can even throw it.

...

"Are my eyes glowing?" You ask Pip.

Pip nods.

Okay. That makes sense. You won't get much practice this way, but you can learn some things.

For instance: Cheska, and many of your other opponents, will try to aim at where they think you'll be after dodging their first attack. The easiest way to dodge the second is to be unpredictable with the first. That puts you in a good position to dodge the third, etc.

You keep going for a while, until Pip claps her hands.

"Alright, I'm runnin' outta gas to keep this barrier up" Pip says. "But I think I see your problem"
"Oh yeah?" Cheska asks.

"This might take a while. You can go now if you want, Yuu" Pip says to you.

>Stick around

>See what Hella's up to

>Other

>>2057529
>Take a walk and get a look at the palace. Maybe Hella can come?

>>2057529
>Stick around

>>2057529
>Stick around

>writing

"You sure?" You ask.
"This is all basic stuff, like... actually the basics of spellcasting" Pip says. "You kinda skip a few steps with the whole 'soul in, soul out' thing. But Cheska was never properly taught"

"So what's the problem?" Cheska asks.
"It's actually just your timing" Pip says. "Your spells are ready long before you let them off"
"Really? They never feel ready..." Cheska says.

"Because you never got a proper feel for casting time" Pip says. "You ingrained an improper casting time into your habits, because nobody actually taught you what the proper time feels like"

"So how do I fix it?" Cheska asks.
"Never fear, Pip is here!" Pip says. "I'll give you some spellcasting 101, and then we can go to bed"

You look around. It's hard to tell what time it is here when it's so cloudy, so you check your timekeeper.

Pip shakes her head. "We travelled far enough west that the time is different. It's earlier here than it would be in Lubars" She says.
"Oh..." You say.
"Besides, you guys need your rest anyway. Lots of fights tomorrow, and you've gotta win em all" Pip says, as she waves you off. "Go hang with the rabbit for a bit. I think she could use the company"

"You sure you don't need me?" You ask.
"Not the first time I had to fix somebody's casting" Pip says. "Did you know Rhea used to have the same problem?"
"I did not" You say. "I guess you're in good hands then, Cheska"

"The best hands" Pip says. "Now, your actual problem is that you think you're getting more power by holding your spell for longer..."

>1/2

When you get back inside, you find Hella on the couch reading a book with a blanket wrapped around her.

"Hey" She says. "How'd it go up there?"
"Pip managed to identify Cheska's problem" You say, as you sit down next to her. "They're working on it now"

"That'sgood" Hella says.

"Whatcha reading?" You ask.
"A book about the culture and history of Garhan" Hella says. "The games go on for a little while, so I might as well know the place we're staying in"

"Any word from Locke?" You ask.
"Nothing yet" She replies. "A sprite couldn't make the trip from there to here without a break though, so if the message comes it'll probably come through the guild. I'll pay them a visit tomorrow to see if they've recieved anything"

"Let me know what you come up with" You say.

She laughs. "Well I certainly wouldn't keep it a secret" She says.

It get quiet for a moment, and Hella goes back to reading. You can't help but notice her glancing over at you every now and again...

>Am I distracting you?

>Go grab your own book

>Ask if you can share the blanket

>Other

>>2057770
>Go grab your own book

>>2057770
>Go grab your own book

>>2057783
Did we start reading trashy smut romance Novels after the library incident with Pip?

>>2057794
Occasionally

>>2057770
>>Go grab your own book
>>Ask if you can share the blanket

>writing

You get up and head over to your room, rummaging around in your bag for a bit until you find a book. You don't care which one it is, you just wanted something to read.

Then you go and sit back down next to Hella, tugging a bit at the edge of her blanket. "You mind?" You ask.

She smiles. "Not at all" She says, as she reaches over and wraps you both in the blanket. She then snugglees up and puts her head on your shoulder as she goes back to reading. You do the same, opening up your book and starting on the first page.

Oh... this isn't one of the books you brought from the archive. This is one of the romance novels Pip brought you... You'd forgotten that it was even in your bag.

Ah well, you're already comfy. Might as well just read it...

You get a few pages in, when Hella suddenly speaks up. "Y-yuu... what are you reading?" She asks, sounding oddly concerned.

You turn to see that her face is completely red.

>It's rude to read over people's shoulders

>Smut

>N-nothing

>Other

>>2057887
>Other
Start reading or quoting off the dirtiest line possible.

>>2057887
>Other
A book.

>>2057887
>>Smut
>>Just like mom.

>>2057887
>Smut

>writing

"Smut" You say.

"S-smut?" Hella asks.
"Yeah. Like..." You look down and find a suitable passage. "She threw him a lascivious gaze as she sashayed up and planted her butt in his lap, her naked br-"

"Th-th-th-that's enough!" Hella says, cutting you off.
"Don't wanna hear the rest?" You ask.
"No I don't wanna hear the rest" She says. "Just where did you find a book like that?"

"Pip got me into them" You say. "They're not as educational as my other books, but there's still a lot of things to learn from them"
"L-like what?" She asks.

"Like... hmm... did you know there's like 15 different positions you can use when you're making babies?" You ask.

Hella's face reddens even further, and she stumbles on her words.

"Heya guys, how's it goin' down here?" Pip calls out, causing Hella to squeak in surprise.

...

"Am I interrupting something?" Pip asks.
"We were just reading" You say.
"Oooo, whatcha readin'?" Pip asks.

You lift up the book to show her the cover.
Pip giggles. "That's a good one" She says. "What's with Lala?"

>She's fine

>I may have broken her

>I don't think she likes my book...

>Other

>>2057991
>I don't think she likes my book...

>>2057991
>I don't think she likes my book...
>Or maybe she likes it too much

>>2057991
>>I may have broken her

R.I.P Hella's innocence, it will be missed.

>>2057991
>I may have broken her

>>2057991
>>I may have broken her

>>2057991
>I don't think she likes my book...

>>2057991
>I don't think she likes my book...

>>2057991
>I don't think she likes my book...
>Maybe you can come up with a better passage to read her?

>writing

"I may have broken her" You say, as you poke Hella in the cheek. "I don't think she liked my book..."

"Well, adult romance stuff's not for everybody" Pip says.
"Maybe I should find a different passage to read... like this one: she sunk her teeth into his neck, she needed to bite down on something to fight back against the waves of-"

Hella suddenly stands up and marches off to her room without a word.

...

"You might have taken that a little far..." Pip says.

>She'll be fine

>Go apologize

>I should get her some chocolate

>Other

>>2058076
>She'll be fine

>>2058076
>>Go apologize

>>2058076

>She'll be fine

>>2058076
>>I should get her some chocolate

>>2058076
>Go apologize
We've teased the bunny a bit too much, I think.

>>2058076
>>Go apologize

>writing

"Alright, I'll go apologize..." You say.
"Good man" Pip says. "I'm gonna hit the hay a little early tonight. Lots to do tomorrow morning, so I expect to see you up bright and early"

"Goodnight" You say.

Pip twirls and heads off to her room, leaving you to go after Hella...

You head up to her door and find it open by a crack, so you squeeze your head through to peer in. You find her curled up on her bed, mumbling to herself.

"H-hella?" You ask.

She squeaks in surprise, flipping over and sitting up like a shot. "Y-yes?" She asks.

"Can I come in?"
"S-sure" She says, as she starts to calm down.

You step into the room, and scratch the back of your head. "So... I wanted to apologize" You say. "I may have taken that a little too far"

She puffs out her cheeks and turns away. "Well you should have thought about that before you decided to tease me so much" She says.

You sigh. "Alright... what can I do to make it up to you?" You ask.

She puffs out her cheeks even further, as they seem to redden a little... "I- it's awfully cold in here..." She says.

You tilt your head. "Want me to get you some more blankets?" You ask.

She puffs her cheeks out even further, now looking a bit like a puffer fish.

...

You have no idea what a puffer fish is, but you imagine it would look a bit like how Hella does right now.

>Guess I'll get more blankets...

>I think there's a heating device around somewhere...

>You can just ask for what you actually want, you know...

>Other

>>2058139
>>I think there's a heating device around somewhere...

>>You can just ask for what you actually want, you know...

>>2058139
>>You can just ask for what you actually want, you know...

>>2058139
>Guess I'll get more blankets...

>>2058139
>>You can just ask for what you actually want, you know...

>>2058139
>>Other
"I guess I'll go grab my comfy sheep pajamas"

>>2058139
>Guess I'll get more blankets...

>>2058139
>You can just ask for what you actually want, you know...

>writing

You walk up and poke her cheek. "You can just ask for what you want, you know" You say.

Her cheeks get even redder, and she picks up a pillow, hugging it tightly to hide her face. She says something, but you can't hear it as it's muffled by the pillow.

...

"It doesn't count if I can't hear you" You say.

She lifts her face from the pillow, cheeks puffed out again.

...

"Should I get you more blankets?" You ask.
"I-..." She says. "I wanna snuggle..."

"Was that so hard?" You ask.

She turns back to you and pouts.

>Snuggle the bunny? Y/N

Also

>Anything else you want to do before bed?

>>2058183
>Snuggle the bunny? N
>Mageblade Practice

>>2058183

>>Y

>>We good, get some rest for tomorrow.

>>2058183
>N
>Go practice some magic

>>2058183
>Y
>Nothing else.

>>2058183
>>Snuggle the bunny? Y
>Mageblade practice

>>2058183
>Y
It's kinda mean to both tease her that much and then make her say it and not snuggle the bunny.
>No
We needed to be there at 8, right? So early to bed, early to rise and all that.

>>2058194
>It's kinda mean to both tease her that much and then make her say it and not snuggle the bunny
Hey I'm not the one who voted to force her to say it

>writing

"Alright, let me get my comfy pajamas on" You say.

Hella smiles and nods as you head back to your room. You pass Cheska along the way.

"Hey Yuu, heading for bed?" She asks.
"Just getting my pajamas" You say. "I teased Hella too much today, and now I owe her some snuggling"

Cheska laughs. "Well, good luck with that" She says. "Sleep well, I'll see you tomorrow"
"Yep, see you tomorrow" You say.

You go into your room and throw your soft pajamas on, then head back to Hella's room. She's laying in bed, having already gotten into her pajamas. She also has about 6 blankets over her...

"Are you really that cold?" You ask.
"Yes" She says. "It's really cold in here"

...

"S-so... are you..." She says, trailing off.
"Yeah, I was just wondering if I should carry a thermometer around on me" You say, as you lift up the covers and slide in.
"A thermometer?" She asks. "Why?"
"So I can tell what the temperature is" You say.

Hella laughs and snuggles up to you as you lay down. "That's what I'm here for" She says.

...

"So what's the temperature?" You ask.
"It's cold" She replies.

...

"I don't know what I was expecting" You say.

She smiles and gets in a little closer. You start feeling the warmth coming from her, and the fact that you're under 6 blankets. It feels nice, so you roll onto your side and pull her a little closer.

"Goodnight Hella" You say.
"Goodnight" She replies.

>1/2

You awaken to the feeling of something tiny tugging at your ear. When you open your eyes, you see that it's Coral.

"Time to get up already?" You ask.

Coral nods.

You let out a yawn and try to shimmy out of bed, but Hella holds on tight. You shake her shoulder lightly, and she grumbles. "Not just yet, sweetie... lemme geta a little mm..." She says as she hugs you a little tighter and nuzzles your chest.

"Hella, come on" You say. "You have to make breakfast" You say.
She laughs lazily. "I've gotchyer breakfast right here, sweetie" She says, in a sleepy, yet strange tone. "C'mon an' get it..."

...

You're not sure if you want to know what she's dreaming about...

>Let her sleep for a bit longer

>Wake her

>Other

>>2058244
>Wake her

>>2058198
Yeah, I meant it more like it would be mean of ME to vote no after voting to make her say it.

>>2058244
>Wake her
Hey we brought you to make food, not sleep

>>2058244
>Wake her

>writing

You shake her a little harder. "Come on, wake up." You say.

Hella stirs and opens her eyes. "Yuu?" She asks. "I had the strangest dream..."
"I can imagine." You say. "Feeling okay?"

She sits up and stretches. "Feeling great!" She says. "Time for breakfast! I hope you're hungry, I plan on making lots!"
"That sounds good to me." You say.

Hella hops out of bed and starts pulling clothes out of her bag, setting up whatever she plans on wearing today. Then she starts unbuttoning her pajamas...

...

Did she forget you were here?

>Sneak out

>You sure you wanna do that right now?

>Look away

>Other

>>2058280
>>You sure you wanna do that right now?

>>2058280
>You sure you wanna do that right now?

>>2058280
>>Look away
>You sure you wanna do that right now?

>>2058280
>Sneak out

>writing

"You sure you wanna do that right now?" You ask.

Hella stops, with her shirt halfway unbuttoned. She looks like she's about to ask why, but then it dawns on her and she freezes.

"I'll just..." You get out of bed and head for the door, passing Hella and gently patting her head as you make your exit.

When you're outside, you hear her talking from inside. "I'll be out to make breakfast in a bit" She says.
You smile. "I look forward to it" You say.

You take a breath, and head to your room to get dressed.

Coral lands on your shoulder, looking concerned.

"I'm good, Coral" You say. "But it's gonna be a long day..."

Coral gives you an encouraging thumb's up.

"But it's nothing we can't handle" You say. "Let's get this started"

That's all for tonight!

I'll be continuing tomorrow, starting a bit earlier than I did today.

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

>>2058304
thanks smiley

"So you guys are going to the guild?" You ask, as you slice off a piece of pancake and put it in your mouth.

"Yep" Pip replies. "Well she is, I'll be waiting outside"
"We just want to see if there's been any word from Locke" Hella says.

"Which shouldn't take long and then she's off to help the old yeti at the market, and I'm off to watch the competition" Pip says. "I should be there long before it starts"
"So why do we have to be there so long before everything starts?" You ask.

"They do a big meeting of all the competitors in the arena before the fighting starts" Cheska says. "They give some speeches, and then split us up into our opening brackets"

"Any idea who's giving the speeches?" You ask.
"Most likely a Dunere" Pip says.

...

"A Dunere is... like a Lord" Hella says.
"A warlord or a general would be a better way to put it" Pip says. "They're a bit like the Commander, when you think about it. Warriors first, leaders second"

"Can I talk to them there?" You ask.
"They aren't there for a face-to-face. It's likely that the Dunere will give his speech and leave" Pip says. "But hey, if you can manage to get his ear it might be worth a shot"
"But like she said, he'll talk at us for a bit and then leave" Cheska says.

Well so much for getting this done quickly...

You finish up your breakfast and head out first with Cheska, just to be extra sure you aren't late.

The walk is mostly quiet, until you're in sight of the arena. "And there it is" You say.
"Nervous?" Cheska asks.

>Absolutely

>Only if you are

>Never