>>3832315
>>“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?” She must be waiting for you again, like always…

>“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?” She must be waiting for you again, like always…

>>3832315
>“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?” She must be waiting for you again, like always…
Gotta pay respects to coma friend

>>3832315
>>“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?” She must be waiting for you again, like always…

>>3832315
>>“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?” She must be waiting for you again, like always…

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“How is she doing? Can I visit her now?”
“Only if you promise me you’ll rest after.” You can tell by the way he’s looking at you that she hasn’t gotten any better.
“I will, doctor.” As long as you can check on her, that’s all that matters. You try to stand up, but the doctor deters you from it – going to grab a wheelchair from out in the hallway instead. “Oh…” You don’t like where this is going.
“Hop in, HAhahAHaha.” The doctor chuckles. Sadly, you’ll have to accept his terms.

The hospital is as big and as hollow to walk through day or night, and passing through it in a wheelchair is not making the experience any better. You’re two floors under where she is, so it should be a short trip.

You arrive at her room, the place same as always: gloomy and depressing gray like any soul-crushing day at the office. You see 39p29%10a wearing the same hospital gown you always see, with all those cables and tubes attached to her body, going into IV machines and vitals monitors and other things. It’s always disheartening seeing her like this, but you won’t ever leave her alone in her suffering. She had your back, so you will always have hers. No matter how much you need to wait, you know one day you’ll be reunited together. One day, you will…

Both you and the doctor silently stare at her, machines making their rhythmic endless beeping. Words want to come out of your mouth, but he knows the situation better than anyone. You always tried to avoid direct contact with him on your visits, maybe wishing he will never deliver the bad news – like the inevitable will never happen and things could stay this way. But you have no excuses now…

Do you break the ice?

>No, you don’t want to. You won’t betray her.
>“Doctor, is it cruel of us keeping her alive like this?”
>“She’s never going to wake up, is she?”
>Write In.

>>3832483
>No, you don’t want to. You won’t betray her.

>>3832483
>No, you don’t want to. You won’t betray her.
WE WILL NOT BETRAY COMA FRIEND REEEEEEEEEEE

>>3832483
>>“Doctor, is it cruel of us keeping her alive like this?”
It wouldn't hurt to have a second opinion

>>3832483
>>No, you don’t want to. You won’t betray her.

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No, you don’t want to. You won’t betray her. Usually you would talk to her about life just like you are starting to do with Cactington lately, but with the doctor here that would be too embarrassing. And, more importantly, it would be none of his business. He might have client-patient confidentiality, but some things aren’t meant for that.

After a few minutes of muffled sound and breathing, Dr. Calamity taps you on the shoulder to inform you it’s time to leave.

“Thank you, doctor.” Any moment with her is important. Especially in times like these.
“Pardon me if these words come unwelcomed, but I promise you as long as I stay in this profession, your friend will get all the care she needs.” Dr. Calamity reassures you for some reason as you move out of the room. Sounds more like a curse than words of goodwill coming from this walking corpse of a man.
“T-Thanks…” That did come unsolicited, but you will take the words at face value and be relieved. It is the best thing to do right now.

After this short visit, you went back straight to bed. The doctor informed you will stay here for at least a couple of days to monitor your health, but he can’t find anything wrong with you. For the sake of the scientists’ research, you didn’t tell him anything but that you felt a little light-headed before you collapsed. Now that you’re stuck in this cushy hospital bed, this means you will have a couple days of real good rest! You will have to inform work in the morning, but you’re okay because hospitalization qualifies as an excused absence! Hooray! Unplanned vacation time, you really needed it!

While this conversation happened, you saw Okiel in mosquito fireball form bashing himself against the glass of his container to no avail! That’s your prison for the foreseeable future, buddy! Sorry!

The next day, you spent most of your day lazing around and reading some books from the hospital’s library. You can’t actually read in there, but it’s kind of nice that they have one. On another note, you can’t believe why hospital food has such a bad reputation! It’s delicious and way better than CotF food could ever be! You don’t know what that really tells you, but you enjoyed a couple plates with unusual relish. As the uneventful day continued on past lunch, you got a visit from none other than Dr. Bombastus’ assistant Dorothy! She seemed very relieved to see you doing fine at first, carrying a couple of plastic bags and a backpack. Now, she’s checking on you like she’s your doctor! Whatever her profession is, you’re clearly sure she’s not a licensed medical professional like Dr. Calamity!

“You look completely fine. Thank goodness.” Dorothy gives another sigh of relief. “Now don’t you ever pull something like that again. Understood?”

>>3832627

How do you respond?

>“It was your responsibility to make sure nothing bad happened to me.”
>“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” You’ll try, at least!
>“You want to know what happened, right? While I was unconscious?”
>Write In.

>“It was your responsibility to make sure nothing bad happened to me.”

>>3832627
>“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” You’ll try, at least!

>>3832630
>“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” You’ll try, at least!
Doing your best since 199X

>>3832630
>“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” You’ll try, at least!

>>3832630
>>“You want to know what happened, right? While I was unconscious?”

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“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” You’ll try, at least! You cannot expect another mosquito not trying to jump on your face though!
“Good.” Dorothy takes a little box from one of her plastic bags. “Here’s a little treat that Professor Bombastus wanted us to share.”
“Thank you.” You open up the little box to find, to no surprise whatsoever, a little cake! “Uhm, you sure you don’t want to know what happened to me?”
“Please, it’s better if you relax right now than worrying about the research.”
“I thought it was very important for you two.”
“Yes, it is. And I am dying to know. But there is a time and place for that, and overworking halts progress.” Dorothy is harsh when she needs to be. “Now, let us enjoy this delicious treat.”

“How strange, I thought you weren’t a fan.” You tease the stern lady!
“I-I’m not! But eating so much cake by yourself isn’t good in the long run, and we need you healthy.” Dorothy is a liar. Liar! “Though I have to ask, are you even allowed to eat this type of food now? I thought hospitals had special diets based on the needs of their patients.”
“Of course, they haven’t actually found anything wrong with me.”

“And I didn’t either, so there is nothing to worry about.” Dorothy hands you a plastic fork and grabs one for herself too.

It’s a little bit strange, but this is the friendliest you’ve seen Dorothy act so far. Was she really worried about you, or the fear of their project falling apart was the real reason for her concern? She’s here solely to pass time together as more than coworkers? Or are coworkers supposed to visit each other while sick? You never had anything like this happen to you before.

Either way, maybe you can develop an actual friendship now after so long… You just need to ask the right questions…

What do you ask Dorothy?

>“So why working with Professor Bombastus of all people?” He’s a freak!
>“Do you have a boyfriend?” In movies women tend to talk about romance!
>“Was it really the cake for both of us?” Why do you feel like she’s lying?
>”How did you get into researching something this strange?” Where to start?
>Write In.

>>3832789
>>“So why working with Professor Bombastus of all people?” He’s a freak!

>>3832789
>“So why working with Professor Bombastus of all people?” He’s a freak!

>>3832789
>“So why working with Professor Bombastus of all people?” He’s a freak!
Certainly a very... excitable man.

>“So why working with Professor Bombastus of all people?” He’s a freak!

“So why working with Professor Bombasuts of all people?” He’s a freak! A great cook, but a seriously strange man!
“You find him quirky as well?” Dorothy smirks, like she enjoys having something in common with you. Wait, that’s not the word you mentally used! “Despite what his mannerisms would indicate, he’s a well known and respected scientist around the globe. His reputation carries weight in a lot of circles, some of them with more influence than others – so you can put two and two together to understand what that would mean for me.”
“I see.”

“But my more romantic side would tell you I appreciate men like him; ones whose research and findings are more important than being ridiculed by the scientific world. I don’t have to clue you in on how unorthodox our research is, hence why we don’t have any official funding but these helping…” Dorothy starts twirling her fork with some cake on it while looking at it intensely, as if appreciating every single tiny crumb and fragment in the larger piece. “Being part of some ground-breaking discovery is exciting in and of itself. And even if we fail, I’ll be joining his team in Orange Stars United and that will be an important step in my career.”
“How eloquent.”

“Besides, you imagine that man running freely on the streets around here without something incredibly stupid happening to him? Someone needs to put him in his place every now and then. It might not be in my job description, but it is what you would call an unwritten requirement. Something they don’t warn you about going in.”
“Certainly he’s a very… excitable man.”
“He’s an overgrown manchild swimming in a pool out of his depth.” Dorothy has no chill! After scoffing ruthlessly at the statement, the scientist’s expression softens to you. “And what about you? Do you have any aspirations in life? I know you’re a CotF, but that shouldn’t stop you from dreaming big.”

How do you respond?

>“I want a family.”
>”I want to leave.”
>”I want to live.”
>“I don’t know.”
>“I want to get into the A-League!” Baseball Superstar Ema Oka!
>Write In.

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>>3832965
Wrong image.

>>3832965
>>”I want to live.”
>>Write In.
I want to be happy

>>3832965
THIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSS >>3832995

>>3832995
Supporting this

>>3832995
Support. This shit pulls the old heartstrings

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“I want to live.” You stare at Dorothy directly in her eyes. Something inside you has been broken or fixed, you don’t know what – or what this means. But it is how you feel, so you say it. “I want to be happy.”
Dorothy freezes for a couple of seconds, her eyes wide open. She places her piece of cake on the table next to your bed. “Ema, is that really how you feel?” Dorothy finally speaks, looking suddenly wary of you. You just nod in response. “You probably won't like to hear it, but you need therapy. You need professional help.”

“N-No, it’s not about that! It’s just my job and my life… is just… Stagnant? Awful?”
“I get it, I really do. I understand now why you wanted so badly to get your assistant job CotF verified.” The researcher woman grimaces and looks you up and down in what might be genuine concern for your well-being. “Look, I was only going to sort out the papers ‘cause Professor Bombastus is just a big messy man, but I’m going to call him right now and try to have every single detail ready to get your job verified as soon as possible. I’ll do everything I can to make this happen, understood?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Now eat the rest of the cake for all I care. I need to get working!” Dorothy quickly stands up and puts her things in order. She starts walking towards the door, then stops without looking at you. “I have your back, Ema. Don’t forget it!” She leaves without saying good-bye.
“T-Thanks!” You yell out to the door, hoping she heard you. Didn’t expect that type of response from her. Maybe she really does care? What a strange feeling…

You spent the rest of your Saturday without doing much. Spent it here looking through the window into the dreary city outside, and maybe reading a couple of pages of some of the books. You couldn’t help but overthink about what happened with Dorothy. Maybe she took things the wrong way? Maybe she thinks you’re suicidal? Oh no, you really did not want to inconvenience her… That would be rude of you, especially to a co-worker who’s your superior. Especially after that care she showed you…

The most relevant event of the day after that was that you got a call from Professor Bombastus just to catch up with you! He also informed you that Dorothy is really taking the CotF process seriously; he doesn’t know why but he’s happy he has some weight off his shoulders.

Maybe things are going to get better…

Maybe there’s still hope…

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>>3833259

Week 9

Today is Tuesday! It’s the day you finally return to your apartment after that couple of days at the hospital. You still have to take 2 weeks off of work to rest due to standard policy. Next Friday is also your doctor appointment for a checkup.

Oh sweet Cactington, you’re finally back! What a reunion! You would hug him but you’re not stupid! He needs his weekly H2O! He probably was thirsty with so much waiting he had to do! Cacti are used to going extreme lengths with minimal water, but who cares? You do!

The last two days you didn’t do much but spend time lazing around the hospital. The highlights were Calin visited you and gave you a ‘get well’ present from the office! She probably bought it herself and pretended otherwise, ‘cause it was only socks and some cute flowers. At least she didn’t ditch you this time! The other was Dorothy and Professor Bombastus visiting you. It was a nice time together – aside from taking Okiel’s jar with them. No scientific talk this time either, they just wanted to see how you were doing. It warmed your heart. Also, more cake! That warmed your tummy.

But now you’ve an unexpected free week off work! It’s a whole (You) week! Dorothy said she will call you when she receives the results from the government about your job status. You can hardly wait to quit your other job! You’re in a good mood now! Incredible!

What do you do?!

>Play video games!
>Go to that nice park!
>Walk around the neighborhood!
>Go to the Batting Cages!
>Leave.
>Write In.

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

>>3833263
>Write In.
All of it! We got a whole week! Start small though, just in case someone from work sees us. Start with walking around the neighborhood, move on to spending time in the park, and finish up with the batting cages towards the end of the week! Mix in some video games between going outside, so we don't wear ourselves out.

>>3833263
>>Go to the Batting Cages!
Maybe we will see that boy again!

>>3833263
>>Go to the Batting Cages!
Stress relief!

>>3833263
>Go to that nice park!
>Go to the Batting Cages!

>Go to the Batting Cages!

>>3833263
>>Go to that nice park!
A picnic sounds like a nice change of pace

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First, you will go to your favorite stress reliever known as Hitting Home Runs! Time to hit the Batting Cages, but not literally! Time for this (You) week to begin the best way possible!

Like last time, it wasn’t a long trip from your house to the place! The cages are a little less full than usual; one of the better perks of going during the middle of the week. This time, you go inside one of the emptied batting cages with the machine set up to a higher speed than usual. Again, bending your knees into position and taking your stance, your reflexes amplify tenfold now that you feel in The Zone again! The speed doesn’t matter. The balls don’t matter. The other batters in the other cages don’t matter. Nothing else matters. Everything coming at you will get SMACKED!

…The ball machine winds down with the end of another session, as you begin walking out better and sweatier than you’ve ever felt before!

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>>3835481

“NICE WORK AGAIN!” Oh god, it’s the same random man with sunglasses! You kind of hoped he would never show up again, but he works here – so you suppose you are destined to see each other again. That’s sort of an exaggeration, but you chalk that up to your adrenaline pumping and your body operating at full capacity.
“T-Thanks.” You wave at him nervously with your free hand, a little more confident than the last time you encountered him.
“It was a breeze for you, wasn’t it?” The man does something like a heroic pose while talking to you. You find it endearing, but you’re not going to say that out loud.

“Uhm… not really?” You don’t want to sound rude and downplay what you did, improvements aside.
“Your batting technique says otherwise! I know a pro when I see one, and you got the stuff for it girl!” He’s one loud fella, isn’t he? The way he yells his words reminds you of a boisterous sports announcer, like on those televised matches you see people watching sometimes. “Are you exhausted or can you go another round? I want to show you something!” The employee cannot contain his excitement for… whatever this surprise is.

How do you respond?

>“Sorry, I’m a little tired right now.” Tired Ema is grumpy Ema!
>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!
>Write In.

>>3835485
>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!
DO
YOUR
BEST

>>3835485
>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!

>>3835485
>>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!

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>>3835485
>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!

>>3835481

>>3835485
>“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” Daring Ema is best Ema!

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“Go ahead. Show me what you got.” It’s time to be the daring one!
“YES! That’s what I like to hear! Follow me!” He takes his hat off to show his eccentric hair and a bandana! You don’t know why he did that, but as soon as he starts walking you follow him. The stylish man leads you through a side door near the batting cages, one you thought led to a staff room, to reveal… yet another set of batting cages! And these ones are darker and cooler! And those bats don’t look like wood or aluminum… And those ball machines look cutting edge! You start to go weak in the knees thinking about their top speed and possible features, though that’s gotta be from the exercise… right?!

“This is the place where legends prove themselves!” The eccentric employee reveals the fancy machinery as if it’s the best thing since sliced bread – and part of you is inclined to agree! It reminds you of a certain bombastic scientist you work for. “Gal, I want you to put yourself to the test here. Our top-of-the-line equipment is always ready for fresh opponents, and we maintain them weekly. With this, only the brave can reach their potential… or surpass it! Are you in?!”

“I’ll do my best!” You’re ready to tackle this new challenge!

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>>3835632

Walking up to grab one of the weird baseball bats, a deep cool voice comes from behind you two! It’s… a bald man with a tattoo on his head, and one hell of a mean mug!
“Hold on, you two!” The big bad looking guy poses in front of both of you to make his presence known! Why is everyone posing?!
“Boss Rikidozan!” The employee exclaims.
“My man here believes you have potential if he invited you to my place, so I’ll give you a chance.” He smirks defiantly. “But Missy, I can’t let you inside that cage alone, Baseball is a competitive game – and these batting cages are no exception! You’re going to have to duel for ‘em!”

“D-Duel? You want to duel me? How do we even duel in this…?” This is your stress reliever! Not anything else! What’s this all of a sudden?!
“You got guts, girl. But I’m not going to waste my time with an amateur. If you want to reach the top of the mountain, first you gotta climb it!” He points at you with bravado. What he said made no sense. “Bring in… Big Grande.”

The employee spasms so hard, his glasses fly right to the ground! Within seconds, they are back on his face. “B-But sir, he’s in the Top 4! Why do you want her to lose?!”
“Hah! Because I don’t want you to sneak girls in here just to hook up with ‘em after!” Rikidozan rudely points at his employee. “And that’s not counting your last few strikeouts, remember?”
“…” The announcer flunky adjusts his shades, not even bothering to deny the accusation. “Sir, she’s obviously talented, but giving her such a crushing defeat… I don’t know if she’ll ever come back to lift another bat after this.”
“Ha! We don’t need wimps in this sport! Just bring Big Grande and let the show begin!” Rikidozan poses again.

Err… Maybe you should stop this stupid sports drama and say something?

What do you say to this intimidating baseball boss?!

>“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” [Hard Roll]
>“Can’t I just do a test run?” [Normal Roll]
>“That’s fine. I prefer doing something else with my time.” [No Roll]
>Write In.

>>3835633
>>“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” [Hard Roll]
WHO DARES, WINS

>>3835633
>“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” [Hard Roll]
Let's rock

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” [Hard Roll]

>>3835633
>“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” [Hard Roll]

>>3835640
>>3835642
>>3835655

Roll 1d100! Best of 3!

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>3835667

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>3835667
WHO DARES WINS

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3835667
>>3835672
Danget

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(Yeah, that’s a crit failure… Too bad…)

“Bring him on! I’ll defeat him!” You’re so daring right now! Nothing will stop you!
“Gyahaha! It’s on now!” Rikidozan poses to seal the deal.

Eventually Big Grande arrived. He’s a tall intimidating dude, kind of fat – you’re not the best one to talk about nutrition anyway. He looks at you a little puzzled at first, then has a hushed chat off to the side with Rikidozan, and finally acknowledges you properly.
“Make sure you’re not the janitor in the hall of champions, girl, that’s what I always say.” Big Grande is no different than Rikidozan in their convoluted way of speaking. He has a deep bassy voice, and could probably work on the radio if he wanted. Maybe the DJ or channel host for some smooth jazz or R&B jams? That’s the feeling you get.
“L-Let’s have a fun game.” You counter intimidation with kindness!

“So the rules are simple: The one who scores the most is the victor! If tied, the numbers of home runs will be the decider!” The nameless announcer makes clear before each one of you enters their spot in the cage. “Good luck.” He tells you personally. You just nod in response, all your focus on what’s to come.

The batting machines are synced up to throw the ball at the same time. You raise your quality baseball bat and prepare for the first ball. This is a duel of dexterity and precision – which hardly count as a duel because you’re comparing scores instead of actually engaging in competition… but screw that! You’re going to win it against these thugs!

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>>3835880

The first ball comes through and you masterfully hit it…! But something extraordinary and embarrassing happened! As you twist your body to hit the ball with all your power, your poor pants savagely tore apart in an explosion of cloth and fiber! Your bottom is completely exposed! This is your punishment for being so cocky!

“Daaaaaaaamn!” Big Grande is the first to notice, despite being busy batting.
“Woah, those are as shiny as my bald head!” Rikidozan is finding it hilarious, making it even worse.

You try to cover yourself, but as soon as the blushing announcer opens the cage to help you, you escape without looking back! You’ve been thoroughly humiliated through no fault but your traitorous clothing! Thinking fast, mind racing for solutions, you take your sport jacket off and use it to preserve what remains of your dignity! That taken care of for the time being, you then escape the batting center directionless and adrift. It feels like the crowds of faceless nondescript people all eye you as you dash aimlessly past them, the masses judging you guilty…

Even when things are looking up, when you deserve to be free, bad stuff keeps happening to you… Having abandoned the batting duel right as it started, you must be dishonored in their eyes. You doubt they’ll ever let you attempt that a second time, much less set foot on the premises. No! Forget about that! You won’t show your face there ever again!

…Now that you think about it, this is the second damn time your CotF clothes sabotaged you! Is that it? Is every single CotF thing you wear at risk of exposing you to other people at the drop of a hat?! You hate them! You hate being forced to wear this shitty clothing with their stupid brands and intentional bad quality so much! You want to gather all your CotF things and burn them in a big pile! You… You…

…You blink, surfacing from your deep thoughts back into sunlit reality. You find yourself sitting on a nice wooden bench in a park you’ve never been to before, surrounded by tall trees with beautiful gold leaves all over them. Looking at them, you see them actually gleaming under the morning sun’s rays. The stunning sight almost makes up for the stressful situation you just escaped… Almost.

…What now?

>Go buy some decent non-CotF pants! You don’t wanna be arrested for indecent exposure!
>Try to go back to your apartment and pretend this incident never happened. Never ever.
>Stay here for a little while, thinking about how things never turn out the way you want.
>Write In.

>Go buy some decent non-CotF pants! You don’t wanna be arrested for indecent exposure!

>>3835880
>Stay here for a little while, thinking about how things never turn out the way you want.

>>3835884
>>Go buy some decent non-CotF pants! You don’t wanna be arrested for indecent exposure!
>Write In.
And some icecream flavored alcohol to consume.

>>3835884
>>Stay here for a little while, thinking about how things never turn out the way you want.
We need peace and tranquility.
https://youtu.be/SHvhps47Lmc

>>3835884
>Go buy some decent non-CotF pants! You don’t wanna be arrested for indecent exposure!

>>3835884
this >>3835905
Clothes can wait

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Enough self-pity, it’s time for some action! You wobble away like a monochrome penguin towards the nearest store that sells decent sport pants, keeping in mind this cool park for later! Screw that CotF-branded stuff! Now you’re fuming! Yeah, turn that anger into determination! Pofu, Pofu!

…You can’t possibly take yourself seriously waddling this way with your jacket on your waist, desperate to avoid showing more. Oh well. It’s not you you need to take seriously, but this predicament you are in! You need to move fast or you will be arrested for indecent exposure, and that would be bad!

While buying new clothes was a total success, it sure didn’t feel as one for various reasons. One; it was an awkward talk with the shop clerks to find what you wanted. When they weren’t in sight behind racks and shelves, you heard them sniggering and whispering things about you. How dare they treat a paying customer this way? Two; you’re a couple of sizes bigger now than a couple of weeks ago. Maybe because of Professor Bombastus’ expert cakes? And three: they aren’t cute in the least! Pet peeve aside, this entire experience was a cruel lesson that cut deep. From now on, you will always carry an extra pair with you for emergencies!

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>>3836075

As you step out of the store and leave the horrible things behind, someone calls your name.

“Ema!” That’s not a familiar voice in the slightest. Who could that be? You turn to see who is calling, and it’s a handsome man around your age! Oh gosh, you’re feeling awfully nervous now… “Ema, I saw you… wobbling around a moment ago. Are you okay? You look sickly, all red like a rose.” Hold on, how does he know your name? And what is he doing here?
“…” It’s easy to infer he probably saw the last of your dignity dying. Everybody else in the street sure did.

“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me? It’s me, Bernie! You know, from the office?” He wears a charming smile nobody has ever given you before, has an alluring demeanor, a nice tie and haircut, and… is that cologne you smell?! Despite all this, you’re positive you’ve never seen him before – but it’s not unlikely you just ignored him this whole time. You have a habit (or is it defense mechanism?) of blocking out bad memories, after all. Oh no, you don’t want to appear ill mannered to this gentleman! But even then… something about this situation doesn’t sit quite right with you here…

What do you do?

>Turn around and ignore him. You won’t risk more awful moments today!
>“Hello, Bernie.” Just greet and wave. Pretend to be nice for politeness’ sake.
>“Bernie! I didn’t recognize you! How is everything going?” Lie! Save face!
>”I’m afraid you have the wrong person. Sorry about that.” Lie! Save face!
>“I apologize, but I don’t recognize you.” Tell him the truth! “Who are you?”
>Write In.

>>3836078

Last Reply of the day, we continue tomorrow!

>>3836078
>“I apologize, but I don’t recognize you.” Tell him the truth! “Who are you?”

>>3836078
>“I apologize, but I don’t recognize you.” Tell him the truth! “Who are you?”

>>3836078
>“I apologize, but I don’t recognize you.” Tell him the truth! “Who are you?”
Literally who?

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(Next reply may take longer.)

“I—I apologize, but I don’t recognize you…”
“We do work in different departments. I guess it's to be expected…” He tries to rationalize it despite looking let down. “I suppose day in and day out, I’m just another forgettable face in the end.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Eh, it doesn't matter. I’ll take it you’re fine, then? You don’t need any help, correct? I’m on an errand and you look occupied. So I don’t want to keep us busy.”

“Y-Yes, I am…” Occupied is an understatement though!
“I’ll make sure to say hi when I see you at work next time. Maybe it’ll help jog your memory.” Bernie smiles.
“O-OK.” You’re killing it here with these passive responses! How do you explain to him you’re not going back anytime soon?! Better keep it to yourself. It's the prudent thing to do in this social conundrum.

Without warning, a giant green mosquito the size of your finger lands smack on Bernie’s face – right on the bridge of the nose! Oh no, he’s not realizing it’s there! It's huge enough to obscure his eyes, how… Hold on a second, it’s not a mosquito! It's one of those weird flame bugs! And it’s completely different than what Okiel manifested as! You’ve never seen a green one before! It looks so pretty, in an otherworldly shimmery type of way.

“Until we see each other again." Bernie is ready to leave, but the odd anomaly is still on his face – and it appears there to stay! Unless…

What do you do?

>Pretend this never happened and leave immediately. Yeah, you’re not telling Bombastus or Dorothy either!
>Just keep a mental note of this incident and don’t say anything. You’ll inform the scientists in due time!
>“Hey, wait! You got something on your face. Don't worry, I got it. Just stand still, okay?" Try to grab it!
>Write In.

>>3837531
>Just keep a mental note of this incident and don’t say anything. You’ll inform the scientists in due time!

>Just keep a mental note of this incident and don’t say anything. You’ll inform the scientists in due time!

>>3837531
>Just keep a mental note of this incident and don’t say anything. You’ll inform the scientists in due time!

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“B-Bye.” You decided not to say anything, just keep a mental note and inform the scientists in due time. You won’t risk any more humiliation today, sorry Bernie!

You went back home and decided to be lazy once again! You still have some vidya left unfinished from that one time. Before, you foolishly believed RPGs were too long for you to play anymore, but no one expected the two week long unplanned vacation time, did they?!

…

Huh…? You blink your eyes hard, getting the sleep out of them. When did you fall asleep? The last thing you remember is actually beating that RPG, Puff of Fire IV. It was really good, much better than you expected. Oh wait. This is bad. You’re surrounded by trash, dirty plates, empty beer cans, and your cube is basically upside down. Almost all your belongings have left their intended locations for greener pastures and prime floor tile real estate. Your bed sheets cover you in the form of an impromptu robe, and there is a strange lack of clothing articles on your person. The only one still in place is Cactington, who looks as delightful as always. He must have been so happy for you… whatever you did during your blackout!

You just check the time and it’s… Friday noon! Where did the time go?! Well, it doesn’t matter! You had fun, right? You must have had some measure of fun if this disaster is the end result of it! Anyway, your stomach is crying out for food and sadly you are all out of it! Yes, even your emergency instant noodles are gone – you see the empty cups lying scattered on the ground, in places you didn’t think noodles could exist in. Some cleanup is in order too, this isn’t a good environment for a growing cactus.

This what happens when you lock yourself in your cube! You must look and smell horrible! It’s time to take control back in your life! But you’re a little out of energy to seize the day, or whatever…

What now?

>Call for food and clean up the place! 2 birds 1 stone kind of situation!
>Go out and buy some groceries. Screw how you look, you just want to shop in a convenience store anyway! They have seen worse!
>Maybe you should take a shower before you do anything, just to get all this grime and disgusting feelings off…
>Screw living, keep playing video games! Progression progression progression! Plot plot plot!
>Write In.

>>3837731
>>Maybe you should take a shower before you do anything, just to get all this grime and disgusting feelings off…
Doing your best starts with looking your best.

>>3837731
thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis >>3837742
time to be a bit fancy and stylish, if we have the clothes for it

>>3837731
>Maybe you should take a shower before you do anything, just to get all this grime and disgusting feelings off…

>>3837731
>>Maybe you should take a shower before you do anything, just to get all this grime and disgusting feelings off…

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You decided it’s best to take a shower and put on some nice clothes before doing anything else. Doing your best starts with looking you best after all! How vain but true! You hope there isn’t a line for the showers now…

It feels so nice to be clean! The air around you feels positively refreshing! Your hair has been all over the place lately, so you comb it as well. Your clothes are feeling a little tighter than before, but this time you have some extra clothes in your bag if anything happens. Never going to let that mistake happen again. You took your sweet time going down to the showers, so you’re even hungrier than before. The rumbling and groaning is starting to become bothersome. Without looking back, you leave the cube compiler that some people call an apartment building, in pursuit of a delicious meal!

You’re so incredibly hungry right now, you must find a place that will satisfy you or else you’ll be grumpy the rest of the day!

Where do you go eat!?

>That burger place from last time!
>A place with great beer! You’re thirsty!
>A classy place for someone classy as yourself!
>A place with nice homey foods!
>Write In.

>>3837815
>>That burger place from last time!

>>3837815
>>A place with great beer! You’re thirsty!

>A place with great beer! You’re thirsty!
Cutting loose with some alcohol sounds perfect for a good time

>>3837815
>A place with great beer! You’re thirsty!
time to get drunk and get fucked

>>3837815
>A place with nice homey foods!

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Gosh, you’re not only hungry, but really thirsty as well. Maybe it’s best if you find a place with great beer! You remember about a place that fits your needs from one recommendation of the old pumpkin lady! That old woman sure knows her wine. It’s a bar restaurant near the bookstore, which is awful convenient for you. You’ll make this trip as fast as you can or else you’ll faint!

You arrive to the Knight’s Courtroom! It’s a restaurant with a peculiar name! It has a barstool as well. Sadly, nothing inside stands out as the name or fits the theme you were expecting; the most appropriate item inside is one cool shield on the wall.

Ordering today’s special plus beer was an easy choice, since you don’t have a clue about this place aside from that recommendation. It’s a potato-based plate with chicken. Pretty decent overall. But the beer, oh lord, the beer is really good! You couldn’t help but to ask for another glass! It appears they make their own craft beer here, which explains the extreme quality!

Despite all that, you’re still soooooooooooooo thirsty…

What do you do?

>Drink! Drink! Drink!
>Eat! Eat! Eat!
>Ponder what went wrong in your life and become a sad drunk...
>Finally feel liberated and become a happy drunk!
>Write In.

>>3837936
>Finally feel liberated and become a happy drunk!

>>3837936
>>Eat! Eat! Eat!
WE'RE HUNGER

>>3837936
>Finally feel liberated and become a happy drunk!

>>3837936
>>Eat! Eat! Eat!

>>3837936
>Finally feel liberated and become a happy drunk!
Drink your fill and more. Gulp down pint after pint. The beer will be expensive. But that is nothing, now.

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You ask for your glass to be filled again! And some potato chips to accompany it! Then you decimate all the food that dares to be on a plate before you, and then repeat it again! Still, your thirst isn’t satisfied! You ask for more beer and gulp down pint after pint! It’s going to get expensive, but you don’t care – ‘cause right now, you finally feel liberated for once in your agonizing life as a slave to your shitty society! You’ve become a happy drunk! Nobody’s going to stop you! NOBODY!

…Aaaaaand here comes the receipt. You don’t know how much money they took away from you, but who cares?! If they didn’t make you clean the dishes to pay for what you ate, it’s no problem of yours! You walk, almost stumble away from the Knight’s Courtroom now that they aren’t willing to serve you anything more! There’s even disgruntled grumbling coming from a few of the workers behind you! Screw their complaining! They have no right after the money you paid them for their service! That’s money you earned legitimately, going though a hell they can’t possibly imagine in their dumb customer service job!

Wee-hoo! You feel so rejuvenated and… well, happy! Hooray! About time you feel good about yourself as a real human being!

(Ema’s anxiety is turned off for now.)

Now? Now… You need to keep the buzz going! You still want more beer! The thirst has not stopped eating away at you… But what’s the plan now?!

Whatchu do next?!

>There must be a discoteque nearby! Have fun there!
>There must be a karaoke parlor nearby! Have fun there!
>There must be a convenience store nearby! Buy more beer there!
>Dance on the streets because WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!
>Write In.

>>3838074
>There must be a discoteque nearby! Have fun there!
BLAST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQrKCytWbj8 AT MAX VOLUME INSIDE OUR BRAIN
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

>>3838074
>>There must be a convenience store nearby! Buy more beer there!
We can finish it at home

>>3838074
>>There must be a discoteque nearby! Have fun there!
Dance all night long!

>>3838074
>>There must be a discoteque nearby! Have fun there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Di5RLEAuU

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Gosh darn it! You absolutely cannot kill your buzz now! There’s gotta be an establishment you can go that deserves your energy and passion! One where you will be able to show ‘em your moves! A place you’ve always wanted to visit before, but never felt you fit for it! You want to go to a discoteque!

The sun is already setting outside, huh? Great! When the lights are off, the fun is on! But where would a discoteque be in this dreadfully depressing city you call a home? Who cares?! You’ll let your party instincts guide you to the promised land of dance floors, space jams, and neon lights!

…You have no fuckin’ clue how the fuck it happened. It took only one eyeblink, one momentary lapse of reason, and you’re at the discoteque named ”The Maharaja!” It looks so incredibly fancy and top class… So it’s completely perfect for a woman of your caliber! You rush inside ASAP, because you’re starting to feel blue standing outside the club doing nothing! Now you’re starting to see blue with all this mesmerizing lighting and breathtaking atmosphere… and what if they have drinks here that make you taste blue?! Worth trying out as soon as you get some real beer to help you feel the blue on the outside, and not the inside! Just like that, you’re back at your most joyful again! Standing here near the sides, you watch people move and sway to chart-toppers from overseas that your killjoy government doesn’t block. Gee, what a full house they have going! Friday night, hell yes!

Oh hey, there’s a couple people you think you recognize from here! Sure there’s an endless number of people in this noisy heaven, but a little beer won’t mess up your memory that badly! Nope!

Who do you wanna rope into your joy?!

>Calin! She seems to be here with another girl! They look similar. Time to bug them!
>Big Grande! He seems to be the DJ here in this house. He may know how to party!
>Handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable here! You’ll make him feel welcome!
>Screw all that! Put on some contacts and dance alone! This is your night, and yours only!
>Write In.

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

>>3838167
>>Handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable here! You’ll make him feel welcome!
Let’s do some really bad mistakes here!

>>3838167
>Handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable here! You’ll make him feel welcome!
It's time to go all in

>Calin! She seems to be here with another girl! They look similar. Time to bug them!
Girls night out, yes please

>>3838167
>Handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable here! You’ll make him feel welcome!

>>3838167
>Handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable here! You’ll make him feel welcome!
This will go well. There is no way this can go wrong.

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You approach that handsome boy Bernie! He looks so uncomfortable alone with all these couples around; you have to be nice and assist him! Without wasting a second, you step right up and grab his arm to make your presence known, pulling it to your chest in a show of feminine bravado! Go you! A strange expression flashes across his face for less than a second before he recognizes you, pleasantly surprised to see you here – probably more than a little pleased at feeling you this close! Then the realization dawns on his face, that maybe you might not be entirely lucid right now…

“Hey, Bernie!” Despite your inhibitor being off and an unknown number of drinks in you, you don’t slur your words at all! You feel in total control of your life and your choices, like you should feel normally but never ever do!
“E-Ema! I didn’t know you frequented places like this. I’m here with a bunch of friends of mine, but they seem to have gone somewhere further in. Not like I love how loud the music is, or anything.” Bernie laughs awkwardly. You can tell immediately he’s trying to impress you. “Anything I can do for you?”

“Let’s go dance!” You excitedly say! “It’s my way to apologize for being so awkward the other day.”

“There is no need to. Just hanging out together would be enough for me.” He’s so adorable, trying to offer to do something else in a place like this! What a considerate gentleman! A bit too considerate though.
“Don’t be so humble, Bernie! I insist! Wouldn’t it be a waste to come out all the way here just to stand around and look out of place?” You wink and elbow him a little. “Especially when you have someone to stand around and not look out of place with?”
“That is true…” Bernie goes into deep thought for a few moments. “Very well. I can’t really say no to a cute girl, can I?” Bernie returns your wink! Insisting hard enough won him over!

…WAIT A SECOND! Bernie just called you cute! Oh my gosh! It’s better for you to go with the flow than to overthink what he just said! The night awaits you! Walking ahead, you drag him behind you to the dance floor and start dancing to this popular music piece from Jack Michaelson! You’ve been a closet dancer for so many years, practicing to overseas hits in your sterile cube, trying and hoping for a moment like this to happen in your boring life… It’s time to finally show the world your moves! Bernie appears to be more mesmerized watching you than trying to one-up you or dance along. He looks so much better under this cool blue lighting than out in the streets, running boring errands for boring people…

>>3839638

“Way to go, Ema! Haha!” Bernie seems to be enjoying your show. Every passing minute, you’re dancing closer and closer to each other… The other dancers and clubbers don’t feel like they’re there anymore…

Whatchu you do?

>Ask him to buy you a drink! Something blue!
>Kiss him! Seize the moment with all you got!
>Keep dancing! Allure him with your charms!
>Write In.

>Keep dancing! Allure him with your charms!
This guy reminds me of someone...

>>3839642
>Keep dancing! Allure him with your charms!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvdVXxFkY4

>>3839648
Maybe it's the blue neon lights in this swanky nightclub?

>>3839638
>Keep dancing! Allure him with your charms!

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It’s not time to stop the show now, is it!? He’s loving your dance moves, and you got more where that came from! You’ll allure him with your alcohol-enhanced charms and make that guy yours! Before long, Bernie can’t resist your seductive moves and shuffles even closer to you! His face is mere inches from yours, but you’re not touching him just yet! His body so close! His handsome face is so close, his charming smile – it just tells you he—

On another day, you would believe you are about to completely lose control over your emotions and do something horrible you’ll regret tomorrow. Now? Now you’re the queen of doing whatever you want! Which isn’t going to make you take a different action than normal, except there is no anxiety anymore!

Bernie’s face is getting closer! Is he?! Is he…?!

>Smooth move around him! Dancing is your life!
>Wait for the kiss! Just wait for it, don’t go for it!
>Smooch that face! He’s yours! Screw the crowd!
>Write In.

>>3839736
>Smooch that face! He’s yours! Screw the crowd!
TONIGHT'S
THE NIGHT

>>3839736
>Wait for the kiss! Just wait for it, don’t go for it!
Play hard to get, Ema.

>>3839736
>>Wait for the kiss! Just wait for it, don’t go for it!

>>3839736
>Wait for the kiss! Just wait for it, don’t go for it!

>>3839736
>Wait for the kiss! Just wait for it, don’t go for it!

>>3839736

>Smooth move around him! Dancing is your life!

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If he’s man enough for you, he will go for the kiss himself! You cannot drop any more hints than this! As a lady, you still have standards to keep! Doing your best means that you –

…

…?!

….!!!

He’s actually kissing you! Bernie is actually kissing you! He grabbed your back, pulled you to him, and kissed you on the lips! You need to repeat at least 4 times before actually believing it! Is this is actually happening?! Are you awake right now and not collapsed into a drunken coma? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!

“…I couldn’t resist. I don’t think you can either, can you?” His dastardly smile is so… perfect! His face is flashing red! You want more! MORE! There’s a burning feeling in your chest that isn’t from the alcohol or the dancing! “Follow me…” He grabs your hand in his, a sure grip you’ve never felt before, and the two of you start walking towards the entrance of the Maharaja…!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!

?!?!?!?!?

>Keep following him!
>Write In.

>>3839801
>Keep following him!
>Put yourself close and whisper to him "You don't have to be gentle tonight."
So this is where she got her rough play fetish that led her to Stan? Interesting if true

>>3839808
>Keep following him!

>>3839801
>Don't go with him - keep kissing him here and now. If anyone stares, let them stare. Today, Ema Oka is a free woman, and you want the world (or at least the disco) to know it!

>>3839829
Supporting

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3839808
>>3839812
1

>>3839829
>>3839871
2

Rolling to decide prompt and writing 'cause I wanna go to sleep early!

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You decide to follow him out of the discoteque…

…

…

You don’t remember much but the passing of time from when you left the Mahajara until now. You are currently in… some kind of hotel room with Bernie. Both of you are sitting on an extremely comfy king-sized bed. There’s something he’s holding out to you. It’s a glass of wine based on what you can smell. You drink it without thinking it twice. Tastes like wine. Bernie is saying something, but at this point your brain doesn’t seem to be able to process the words or lip-read anything.

But you know exactly why you are here. You’re not stupid. You’ve read novels, seen TV shows, and got that disturbing sex education class at school. Despite all that, you’re not experienced. Other girls your age have already done this stuff before, but you don’t think that matters now. You don’t have to prove anything; you just need to enjoy yourself. Enjoy him…

Bernie takes the first step again and begins kissing you on the lips. You don’t resist his efforts and…

…

…

Congrats on the sex!

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>>3839990

Your head hurts…

What happened…?

Where are you…?

Why are you so tired…?

Why does it feel so chilly…?

“Looks like you’re awake. How unfortunate.” Bernie…? Why is Bernie here? That tall black shape is him, right? He’s next to a rectangular brown thing on the wall. Is that a door? Is he leaving you? “Oh, you still don’t look quite here yet.”
“Huh…” Oh gosh, your memories are returning! OH NO! Well, kinda OH YES! in there as well… In plenty of spots actually… Hehehe… Wait, no! It’s not time to be a pervert! This is serious!
“You don’t seem able to talk back. That’s a relief. That headache of yours shouldn’t last long with the dose you took. Normally I wouldn’t be sticking around, but you’re something I cannot resist venting at.” What? What is Bernie saying? “You’re the most unaffectionate woman I’ve ever had the displeasure to deal with. Not only were you the easiest girl to seduce out of the entire office, not only the one farthest from the prettiest, not only the most disgustingly out of shape… But you’re just… bad. Plain and simple. Ema, you’re truly a CotF product.”

“Wha…?” You try to move out of bed but trip onto the floor, hitting hard. Bernie doesn’t even flinch.
“Quite pathetic, really. A waste of my time, but I have to complete the list. I wonder who can I hook up with next? Your dear friend Calin? Hahaha.” He tenderly laughs. It’s a warm laugh full of humor and pleasure, and a cold laugh full of control and spite. It’s a laugh that makes your exposed skin crawl. “Despite all that, I’m sorry if I was too rough with you. You were screaming a lot of things at me, and I wasn’t sure if you were enjoying it or not. Oh, and I left you some money on the drawer to pay the room. Sounds good, yeah?” You see Bernie smile through your blurry vision. Like you care! He wasn’t good either! At least, you think he wasn’t… “Goodbye, and please do not talk to me ever again. And do take care of yourself, please.” He leaves the room without any remorse, whistling a jaunty tune. Leaving you butt naked on the cold floor.

…Shortly after, you pass out from exhaustion.

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>>3839993

…Your phone alarm rings to wake you up. Someone is calling you. You are still in the hotel room. You don’t remember when, but you tucked yourself inside the bed with your glasses on. The wall clock says it’s near lunchtime. You don’t really care anymore, but you need to answer the phone.

“Ema?” It’s Dorothy.
“Hey…” You don’t know if you sound sad or just tired.
“Ema, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Okay?”
“What is it…?” Your head still hurts, your heart is broken, you’re exhausted, and he was rough with you last night. You might have liked that last part a lot though. So you are experiencing all kinds of pain right…

“I’m so sorry, but… our application was denied. Your assistant job cannot be CotF approved.” Well, there goes that little part of your hopeful soul you didn’t know you still had. Destroyed in an instant. The researcher woman starts talking faster now. “W-We can try in a couple of months more! I told Bombastus being a secretary wouldn’t be enough, but…”

You zone out…

You close your eyes…

You surrender yourself to time…

…

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>>3839996

“Hey girl, it’s me again. Geez, you’re lookin’ a little down, aren’t ya? Wanna sign the contract now?” Oh, that’s Okiel. Did you return in time? Do you have another chance to change things?

Do you sign the contract? Do you seal your fate?

>Yes.
>No.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day! We continue on the weekend!)

>>3840000
>Yes.
Fuck it. Time to do MORE than our best. Time to do.... BETTER

>>3840000
>>No

>>3840000
>No
>"I won't go down. And I won't let you use me for... whatever."

>>3840000
Yes.

>>3840000
This >>3840339
Fuck outside help that is as bad as what Ema went through. This dumb furry needs someone else.

>>3840000 (checked)
>Yes.
Ema's assistant job got denied. She got laid with a man who turned out to be an utter wretch. Chances are, her drunken binge cost her a lot of money. Worst of all, she suffered yet another wardrobe malfunction at the batting cages. At the end of the day, she's still stuck in a miserable office job with her only reprieve being the lab assistant work she does on occasion, and her cactus. She's barely in a better position than at the beginning of the quest. Things can't get any worse, can they?

>>3840000
>No.
We a good boi

>>3840000
>Yes
Flames always appear right before people at their darkest moments. This could be the difference between her death or living

>>3840000
No

>>3840000
>>Yes.

>>3840000
No.

>>3840000
> no.
We still yet have place to sink LOWER

>>3840000
no

>>3840000
>NO WAY FAG

>>3840000
>Seems Reasonable!
>Yes

>>3840000
>No.
Dude's an ass.

>>3840000
>Yes

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“No.”

“…Is there somethin’ in my non-existent ears, or did ya just say no?” Okiel pretends to clean his ears, which do in fact exist.
“That’s right.”
“Grrrrrrreat! You’re sayin’ I was right an’ I misheard you! Then ya did say yes!” He’s trying to trick you.

“No.” You remain firm in your resolution! Nothing this scummy pirate cat can say will sway you!
“Girl, listen to me. Makin’ this trip wasn’t easy. It might not seem that way to you, but you have potential! For some reason, you’re the only fuckin’ person I can do this with. And even if ya don’t care about that, I can help ya fix this.” Okiel points at you from top to bottom. “I’ll make ya the happiest girl from this part of the country! Ya just ne—”
“Shut up. My answer hasn’t changed, and nothing will make me change it.” The muscles in your face clench into a scowl. “Just open the door and get me out of here.”

“Good god almighty! A little rude today, aren’t we? What happened to ya while I was away? I wasn’t kidding by the way – I have no clue what happened to you except it must have been real bad.”
“None of your business.” You’re tired. So, so tired. “I bet I don’t need the door to leave this place, right? This is just a dream of sorts. It’s all in my head.”
“W-Wait—!”

“See you.”

And then as if you pressed the power button on a remote, everything in your view winks out.

Week 13

It’s been a month since you-know-what happened. You won’t go into too many details about all the consequences that ensued in the wake of it, but your life has changed. Not exactly for the better either.

First: the supposed money Bernie left you to pay the room? A complete lie. He left you an empty envelope with leaves of green paper inside, pictures of the same mustached man wearing a top hat on each of them, grinning their condescending smiles at you. That, plus all the other stuff you wasted your real money on that day, resulted in a huge net debt — huge for your standards as a CotF, anyway. You ended up wasting your savings and sold almost everything inside your cube to compensate for the remainder. You have a sub-standard futon, the refrigerator, and Cactington. That’s it. Goodbye video games. Goodbye comfy bed. Goodbye somewhat decent table. Your table is now a box filled with your important government documents, identification, and other necessary papers to avoid getting arrested or worse.

You could have returned to work as a maid to have the extra income to tackle the debt, but fuck that.

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>>3845709

Second: after the two weeks of impromptu holidays, you requested a transfer to another department. You just couldn’t work near that snake of a man after what he did. The slightest idea of meeting him inside made you feel sick to your core. Though you never ran into him in the building, you still felt his presence there out of the corners of your attention, as if he was instinctively avoiding you on his end as well – which meant you didn’t have the guts to confront him about the money he owed you. On paper, you cited stress from the work environment as your reason for the higher-ups, and used your sick absence as proof. The transfer orders didn’t take long to get processed after that.

Now you work in a new underground office in a completely different building. The current assignment is sorting out papers for Children of the Future – you verify the information you have is current (which sometimes means that you have to call them) and archive everything into the aged computers. Basically the same as your old job, except with new things and not old things, and with more people yelling at you when you call them about their debts or former residences. It’s awful. And now that stupid fucking logo is everywhere you look there…

Third: after the first week of the incident, you never returned to work at the laboratory. And why bother? You’re just too tired to go; your work is enough to drain what’s left of your life. Dorothy calls you every day to check on you, but you just ignore her – they don’t know where you live, so they can’t do more than that. Despite this, Dr. Bombastus still paid you the full amount like you worked the full month. You believe they would receive you back with open arms if you ever reciprocated, but… Now you feel bad again. You don’t need them. You can eat all the disgusting processed CotF edibles you want; you don’t want the extra money or support…

You blink the sleep out of your eyes. It’s Sunday, 3:12 AM according to your clock. You hold the writhing black flame of Okiel in your hands, after his pitiful attempt to make you sign that contract of his.

Actually, you lied in your retrospective. There is one other item inside the cube space. It’s a little lamp-like container, similar to the one the scientists have. They had given it to you in case you saw another flame mosquito that needed to be captured. Yeah, you told them about the green one, once you pulled yourself together enough back then. Moving your tired body out, you insert Okiel inside the jar and tuck yourself back into the futon. His flame form flickers in frustrated motion, trying and failing to escape the base’s invisible pull.

What do you do now?

>It’s 3 AM. Time for a drink from whatever’s in the fridge.
>Contact Dorothy. Inform them you have Okiel at your place.
>Sleep. Sleep the day away. There’s nothing else you can do.
>Write In.

>>3845711
>Go for a run again. Physical pain is better than this shit you endure.

>>3845711 (checked)
>Hug Cactington. It'll hurt, but you've become too numb to care.

>>3845735
Sounds like a plan.

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(Disclaimer: Okiel’s flame is actually white and not black. Last post had a typo. Sorry!)

…Once upon a time, you wouldn’t have even thought about doing anything at 3 AM. Times have changed. You’ll try to go running in the middle of the night; a perfect idea for someone desperate to feel anything but their soul crushed with every waking moment. Physical pain would be better than this shit!

You emerge from your futon cocoon, trudge through the layer of trash and refuse littering your dark cube, and search for the sportswear you bought a month ago. They are arguably the only piece of clothing you still own that haven’t been used or dirtied in that timespan – a miracle in and of itself. During this search, you notice Cactington on the box where you always left him. Despite all the trouble and depression you suffer through, you still take good care of your son. You give him a good hug because you’re actually a stupid girl. It should sting in places, but you sense nothing except a little bit of happiness and a faint plant scent of appreciation.

Now that you found your month new sportswear, you’ll need to go to the bathroom to remove the spines from your face… Which you do, feeling the warmth of your son’s adoration in every small needle you pull out.

While changing into your workout clothes, you remember something you forgot to mention before: you have a new child! The family is getting bigger! You, Cactington, and the food baby! Or maybe it’s a beer gut? You don’t know who the father is… Well, it was made with shit food and piss beer, so who cares?! And cake… And snacks… And despair…

Enough said about how out of shape you are! The clothes aren’t helping at all to hide it one bit, which does nothing for your rock-bottom self-esteem. Everything all adds up in the end, huh? This is the reason you will go out running! The disgusting fat buildup won’t burn itself! Surely the exhilaration of jogging will make you a new woman! And remember, a good walk hasn’t killed anyone!

…

You spent 5 minutes jogging outside. The stairs alone left you winded, so this is basically a miracle. Now that your body cannot continue, you’re catching your breath outside the convenience store near your apartment… It’s open 24/7… And it has some snacks you could enjoy…

What do you do?

>Buy CotF food! It’s free!
>Buy some beer! It’s not free!
>Ignore this dump! Keep walking!
>Write In.

>>3845817
>Ignore this dump! Keep walking!
NOTHING will stop us

>>3845817
>Ignore this dump! Keep walking!

>>3845817
>Ignore this dump! Keep walking!
Nightwalks are for thinking about life, not for eating.

>>3845817
>>Ignore this dump! Keep walking!
We need to BURN the energy, not refill it.

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You decided to ignore this dump! You need to burn the energy, not refill it! Goodbye convenience store! You’re trying to get rid of the kid he’s not paying child support for…! W-Wait, would not going inside mean you’re rejecting the help? This line of thought is getting a little wacky, but you will muster the strength to keep going! Nightwalks are for thinking about life, not for eating!

…You would kill for some Chocollows now though. F-Focus! You need to focus!

…

Several minutes after you left the tempting lights of the convenience store behind, you somehow managed to reach a “park.” It’s more of a vacant lot with some vegetation trying to survive, but there’s a bench right there. So for all intents and purposes, it is a park. You’re resting on the previously mentioned bench, taking in as much air as possible – sounding like a pig squealing. That you have a junk food belly, live in the dirty conditions your cube has become, and let that happen a month ago, further cements the image of you being a filthy sow. When did your condition get this bad? Sure physical health can deteriorate with disuse like anything else does, but still! Where did you go so wrong?

“Hey, you there! What’s going on?” A blinding ray of light shines on you with barely any warning! It’s coming from a flashlight. In the half second you have to react, you think you saw a police officer standing at that far streetcorner…

…

Suddenly you remember that it’s about four in the morning. With nobody else around. No passing cars either.

What do you do?

>“I’m just relaxin’!” Report the truth.
>Run for it…! Or at least try to run!
>Pretend to be asleep on the bench.
>Write In.

>>3845895
>Heavy sigh
>"I'm jogging."

>>3845895
this >>3845905

>>3845895
>“I’m just relaxin’!” Report the truth.

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You sigh heavily. “I’m… jogging…” The words come out in a monotone of effort. You’re so tired.
“At 3:30 in the morning?” The person walks up to you and moves the flashlight to look around where you are. There’s no doubt about it now, he’s a police officer. And in moments, the eye-aching beam is on you again.
“Yes…”

“On a bench? And in this particular part of town?”
“I’m… resting…” What does he want from you? “I must have… overdid it…”
“Stand up! No sudden movements!” The hard tone tells you he’s not playing. With difficulty, you manage to get on your feet again. “Put your hands behind your head!” You oblige. Moving your arms up reveals more of your disgusting gut, much to your embarrassment… “Turn around. Slowly.” His voice is calmer than before, though no less forceful. You comply, now facing away from the cop and on the sidewalk. “Now on your knees.” I-Is he going to arrest you?! You don’t have any other option but to comply. “Now squeal like a pig.”

…Did he just order you to squeal like a pig?

…?

>“Uh… Oink?” Keep following strange orders?
>“Excuse me, officer. What did you just say?”
>“No, fuck off! If you want to arrest me, do it now.”
>Write In.

>>3845947
>“Excuse me, officer. What did you just say?”
>"I must have misheard you. Could you speak more clearly?"

>>3845947
>“Excuse me, officer. What did you just say?”
>"I must have misheard you. Could you speak more clearly?"

>>3845947
>“No, fuck off! If you want to arrest me, do it now.”

>>3845947
>“Excuse me, officer. What did you just say?”
>"I must have misheard you. Could you speak more clearly?"

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“Excuse me, officer. What did you just say?” You don’t quite believe what he just said. It must be your imagination. “I must have misheard you. Could you speak more clearly?” The pig imagery was in your head, so you simply confused his words in these gloomy early hours. Yeah, that’s—
“I said squeal like a pig!” Oh. He was serious. “Are you deaf or something?” He must be behind you right now; you don’t have the courage to check though.

“Officer, I don’t t—”

Without warning, you feel a heavy boot on the back of your head for all of a half-second before it shoves your head down with considerable force. The bench you were sitting your fat body on not a minute ago proceeds to zoom rapidly in your vision, and your face meets cold metal. Gasping at the sudden blunt pain, you notice a few new things. One, the sudden absence of your glasses. Two, a warm trickle coming down your nose. Three, that was not all of the officer’s strength behind that push.

“AaAaaaah…” You whimper involuntarily. It hurts, and it’s even harder to breathe now. Nothing feels broken there though. A small mercy where you won’t be given any.
“I said, squeal like a pig! I didn’t ask you to squeak like a bitch. What do you not understand?!” Judging by his tone, he’s enjoying this.

>“Oink!” You just want him to stop!
>Just cry normally.
>“I’m s-sorry!”
>Write In.

>>3846027
>“Oink!” You just want him to stop!
Just do what he says that isn't anything sexual. Get out of this alive to go back to the government cuck cube.

>>3846027
>“Oink!” You just want him to stop!
For now, let's get him off our back.

>>3846027
>>Just cry normally.

>>3846027
Scream for help.

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“Oink…”
“Excuse me, pig. What did you say?” He’s having the time of his life.
“Oink!”
“Mmm, I must’ve misheard ya. Could you squeal a little more clearly?!” Rubbing salt in the wound, throwing your own words back at you like that…

“Oink, oink, oink!” You oink uncontrollably. Him getting angry would be worse for you.
“Good girl! Wasn’t it so bad?” He starts egging you on with his feet, pushing your back. The oinking continues spilling from your mouth. “You just made my day, piggy! This is like the one good thing about patrolling at night!”
“Oink, oink…” The response is more of a sob than any words, your tears mixing with the blood leaking down your front.
“If you weren’t so fat, we could’ve had another type of fun! Bet you’d love getting porked like that, huh?” The officer’s boot pokes you in the butt a few times. “But for now, keep your head down on the bench – and don’t you dare move.” You start hearing the officer’s footsteps moving away from you, and the flashlight beam fades in intensity. Is he… going to leave you here? Maybe this is your chance to leave?

Simultaneously as you think this, a second set of footsteps echoes off of the empty street’s buildings. Concentrating through your pain, you think it’s heading towards the officer. Just your luck… Somebody else is coming by and witnessing your humiliation…

“Hey Chuck! The fuck you doing at this hour?” It’s an angry voice from another man. Something in it sounds familiar.
“Ah fuck, not you again.”
“Don’t ‘not you’ ME, you piece of shit! What are you doing to this poor girl?! You’re always messing with the civvies, damnit!”
“Roger, shut—” The abusive officer doesn’t get to finish his sentence before a loud meaty thwack sound silences him. Judging by the muffled thump you heard the next moment, it was an instant K.O. for him. Serves him right… but what if this new person is worse?

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>>3846222

From the street behind you, you hear the victor drawing nearer. He asks you to stand up, and you could only muster the strength to sit on the bench again – as far as possible from the blood you spilled. Still spilling, actually, but surprisingly small amounts overall. You’re not sure if you can stop that right now…

“Missy, are you okay?” The blurry man hands you your glasses, wherever they were. You can finally see again! “Whoa, it’s you! S-Sorry, shouldn’t act happy now after what you went through.”

He’s the drunk guy from a couple of months ago! The one who cried his heart out to you about his wife! He looks clean cut and he’s standing up straighter! To be honest, you kinda liked the rough-up look more. It fit him right in a way you cannot describe, but at least he looks like he’s doing much better for himself. But more importantly, you’re… safe! Safe!

What do you do?

>Cry in his arms the way he did to you!
>“I-Is that everything he’s going to get?!”
>Just run away. Go back to your cube!
>Write In.


(Last Reply of the day. We continue tomorrow!)

>>3846229
>>Write In.
I'd like to lodge a formal complaint.

>>3846229
>Just run away. Go back to your cube!
Fearing some oldboy double gotcha.

>>3846229
>Wipe your tears. Silently curse the bastard who swore an oath to uphold the peace and then abused you and treated you like an animal for his sick pleasure. Silently curse the government who took from you the chance for a good life and made you into a second-class citizen, living in a tiny cube. Look at "Roger", your eyes filled with fury and despair.
>"I was jogging."

>>3846309
Hmmmmmm
This is way better than mine
So supporting this

>>3846229
This >>3846309

>>3846289
Nah man, this is Roger Jackson. He's based even here in the past.

>>3846309
I’m supporting this one.

>>3846373
I feel 91 really wants us to accept the demons offer, i fear the suffering yet to come.

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You wipe freshly flowing tears, staining your hands with your own blood. You silently curse the pig of a bastard who swore an oath to uphold the peace, and then abused you and treated you like an animal for his own sick kicks. You silently curse the shitty government who cruelly tore the chance for a good life away from you, and made you into a second-class slave of a citizen. You silently curse living in a tiny featureless cube and drowning slowly with every passing day, surrounded by constant reminders of your impotence. You silently curse this nation, and everybody living in it.

You look at "Roger", your eyes overflowing with fury and despair at things you can never control.

“I was jogging.” That’s the true extent of your crime. Some would say that you being alive at all would be the real crime here, but fuck them.
“Roger” stares at you for a couple of seconds, a mixture of confusion and worry across his face. He hands you a handkerchief, most likely to clean yourself up after that indecency. You nearly snatch it from his hands and use it on your face, making sure to stem the light bleeding. “Do you want me to take you home?” The man mumbles, unable to hide his discomfort.
“Thank you, and sure…” You respond, keeping your voice steady. Foolish of you to believe he actually cared about you, but at least he has a good head on his shoulders to differentiate right from wrong. It does nothing to calm your stewing anger, however…

Roger walked you safely back to your apartment through the dark streets, and wished you well. It was awkward. He tried to make some small talk, but you just couldn’t respond for some reason. The thoughts pulsing and clamoring in your head were louder than his words of sympathy. On the plus side, you didn’t fear for your life this time and still managed some semblance of a workout. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?

After taking a shower (which took an eternity, because there’s a line for it even when it’s not dawn yet), you’re back inside in your cube. There is no more blood over you, but you cannot say the same about your exercise clothes. Blood is supposed to be a biohazard, right? Whatever. It won’t hurt anything to leave them hanging somewhere. You’ll figure something out later.

It’s 5:30 AM in the morning. Your place has not stopped being a mess. Neither have you for that matter.

What now?

>Take Okiel to the scientists. Yes, right now.
>Go to sleep. There’s nothing to be done.
>Clean up. You’re awake and it’s Sunday.
>Write In.

>Take Okiel to the scientists. Yes, right now.
Also rat out green flame asshole

>>3848013
>Clean up. You’re awake and it’s Sunday.
We are the mess, the world is a mess, but at least there is STILL people who cares about us, right? But first, we need to clean our house - first step in recovery. Okiel can wait, but your peace of mind isn’t.

>>3848013
>Clean up. You’re awake and it’s Sunday.
Her room's a mess of empty piss water bottles masquerading as beer, boxed dinners from last week and dirty clothes scattered about. What the hell have you done to yourself, Ema Oka?

>>3848013
>Clean up. You’re awake and it’s Sunday.

>>3848025
She already told them about the green flame.

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You guess you have some time to clean up this place or something. You don’t have a broom or a vacuum, and whatever cleaning supplies you had before were sold for your debt. You’ll have to use your own two hands to pick up the trash. The only small help are the plastic bags laying around from all the shopping you’ve done, so this won’t be as futile as your mind thinks it is.

As you start picking up the trash, you start wondering… what’s the point if it’s all going to return to this state eventually?

…But you discover something important! You found one of your burritos from yesterday on the ground! Or was it the day after…? Point is, you knew there were 3 of them! It may be a CotF product, but it is pretty yummy to your current state. It was on the ground so…

…

You ate it anyway. What? You didn’t have breakfast! Of course you’re hungry! Besides if you can squeal like a pig, you might as well act like one! You have the role down to a tee, don’t you? And no one needs to know! It might be cold, but it’s edible!

…You just did this for edible food. What the hell have you done to yourself, Ema Oka?

…

Your new pig-like instincts wonder if there is still some beer on those dusty bottles. Maybe you can put together the scraps and have a morning drink? It’s worth a try! You are cleaning up the place with your own effort. It’s basically saving some money.

…

All of them are dry, of course. Like that would really surprise you. Ignoring that disappointment, now you have a couple of trash bags loaded in the far corner! See, the cube is basically clean now. The stains and other things don’t really matter for this. But god damn it, you’re still hungry…

What now?

>Return Okiel to the scientists! Get him out of here!
>Go eat at your new favorite CotF friendly restaurant!
>Go to sleep. Sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep…
>Write In.

>>3848169
>Go to sleep. Sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep…

>>3848169
>Return Okiel to the scientists! Get him out of here!
>And take out the trash you can carry out of the apartment, while you're at it.
Goddammit Ema. Maybe Bombastus can offer her some real breakfast.

>>3848169
>>Return Okiel to the scientists! Get him out of here!
I bet he’s causing us acting like a shit! He disgusted by us!

>>3848169
this >>3848182
At least Bombastus' cake is healthier than literal CotF waste product food. It won't make Ema any less fat, but it also won't kill Ema through food poisoning and other bad shit.

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...You know you really miss those cakes. Err… you mean the excellent company of Dr. Bombastus and Dorothy! With Okiel here, you have the perfect excuse to visit them and get that sugary companionship! Oh, and you can take out the trash from your cube while you’re at it. If you can accomplish 3 or more things by doing one, it’s not worth the hassle, right? Whatever that morning jog was, it was most likely a fluke. Yeah.

The mere act of stepping out of your apartment starts to make you tired. The dawning sun shining at you pisses you off and it’s starting to make you sweaty. It might be the sheer effort instead, but whatever…

In an absent-minded moment throwing away your filled bags of bottles and wrappers, you threw Okiel’s container into the dumpster outside your apartment. You had to move your fatass up in there to take him back, fighting to hold your breath and not retch at the horrid smells and fetid air. Thankfully nothing bad happened to the lantern, but your clothes are a bit dirty again. They’re only physical stains though.

You had an uneventful subway trip to Dr. Bombastus’ apartment, with only a handful of people around in the station and the train. Must’ve been the effects of Sunday morning at work. You zoned out during most of the trip, thinking how the scientists would react upon seeing you – a shadow of your former self. Or [u]two[/u] shadows! Not even fat jokes feel appropriate anymore.

It’s 7:25 AM now. You’re outside of his apartment. For some reason, you’re hesitating to knock on the door… It’s like you know something bad is about to happen. Or you simply suspect that nothing good can ever happen to you anymore.

What now?

>Call Dr. Bombastus on the phone and inform him you’re outside.
>Knock on the door, you fat pig! It’s only polite, even at this hour!
>Leave. This was a bad idea. They can’t help you. Stop this.
>Write In.

>>3848271
>Knock on the door, you fat pig! It’s only polite, even at this hour!

>>3848271
>Knock on the door, you fat pig! It’s only polite, even at this hour!
WAKE UP DOC, IT'S TIME FOR CAKES

>>3848271
>>Call Dr. Bombastus on the phone and inform him you’re outside.
Consider this : we are looking like a smelly, dirty second class hobo. They will turn us down. The only way to get inside of that building and getting us a cake is to inform Doc himself!

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Sunday, so he should be inside baking those delicious cakes! The agonizing wait is killing you and your stomach is effusing for a solution for this hunger that keeps going. Finally, the door opens…!

“What is it? OH MY GOODNESS! Amelia! You’re back! YES!” It’s a cheerful Professor Bombastus. He’s wearing a dragon onesie for some odd reason. He gets awfully close “Give me hug!”
“H-Hello, Prof—” Before you could tell him the reason you’re here, he grabs you with tender love! If you didn’t have problems breathing like this, you could enjoy it!
“How I’ve missed you, my pretty lady! A truly reliable employee!” Bombastus is being too enthusiastic! Also, he probably didn’t take a good look at you if he called you pretty…
“P-Professor, I—” Before you could continue, your stomach interrupts with a shout for food! How embarrassing… but you’ve had enough embarrassment that it doesn’t hit you as hard as it would have otherwise.

Master Bombastus leaves you back on your feet. “You hungry? There’s plenty to eat! Come in!”
“O.K.!” This is what you were waiting for! Oh my god, you couldn’t hide your enthusiasm! Well, food is going to make this anxiety disappear anyway!

Dr. Bombastus invited you in to eat some breakfast together. He had some toasts prepared for himself and some coffee – but you instead asked if you could try some of his famous cake. He was delighted to share some with you! And by some, you mean an entire cake’s worth of different pieces of different flavors! Oh god, you couldn’t stop shoving them into your mouth. Oh crap, you don’t want to vomit all the cakes back out… but it’s so good, you might consider shoving them back in if that happens! That would certainly be a new low for you in your history of constant lows.

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>>3848433

The eccentric man wisely used this time to inform you about progress related to the research, as you were unable to answer any of his questions due to the torrent of cake. They didn’t seem to be able to make much progress without your help providing context for what they couldn’t see. In the middle of attempting various procedures and such, they obtained strange results. The duo are almost certain something changed, but they are not sure what. Weird, he didn’t mention anything about Okiel going missing…

“I know my dear assistant shut you down with your supposed fairy-tale stories about a cat-like demon last time.” The researcher says, all serious now after his summary. Right, Dorothy noted down your dealings with Okiel as ‘hallucinations’ caused by direct interaction with the Soul Energy anomaly. “But I’m actually curious. Judging by your accounts, these act like sentient creatures. That would make sense with our findings, but there’s also issues with that proposal. More details are always appreciated!”

What do you do?

>Explain again what happened to Okiel! Add what happened today as well!
>Tell him you have Okiel with you! He’s in your jar you left at their foyer.
>Ask to see the new flame mosquito! It isn’t Okiel, so what (or who) is it?
>Tell him about the past month. Unburden yourself a little. Why not?
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day. We continue tomorrow!)

>>3848437
>Explain again what happened to Okiel! Add what happened today as well!

>>3848437
>>Tell him you have Okiel with you! He’s in your jar you left at their foyer.

>>3848437
>Show him Okiel
>then just went and tell him EVERYTHING that happened on that dreadful day. And I mean EVERYTHING.
>Try not to become an emotional wreck
>Fail miserably
>Cry a lot
>Call yourself a disgusting pig
>Beg for forgiveness
>Become the epitome of a mental breakdown.

>>3848449
Supporting this

>>3848437
>Explain again what happened to Okiel! Add what happened today as well!
>Tell him you have Okiel with you! He’s in your jar you left at their foyer.

>>3848437
>Explain again what happened to Okiel! Add what happened today as well!
>Tell him you have Okiel with you! He’s in your jar you left at their foyer.
Yeah the pirate cat is right here

If he’s asking, there is no reason not to tell him, right? With detail, you began explaining again your supposed fantasy tale of cat people and demon monsters. You don’t know why you thought that in plural if there is only one you know of, but trouble piles up – a fact you know all too well lately. Dr. Bombastus listened carefully and intently without a word, even taking some notes, like you are the flame mosquito he has been experimenting with. Focus aside, he doesn’t believe you. The expression on his face makes it evident no matter how much he tries to concentrate. But hey, it’s better than to be cut off and told everything you know is a vain trick of your stressed mind.

“Amelia, this is fascinating. I know we don’t refer to you by your real name… but Is this monster named after yourself or something? Okiel, Oka.” This would pass as a joke from Dr. Bombastus in any other circumstances. Not here. Here, he’s deadly serious. “People suffering from various mental disorders relating to perceived figures usually refer to them by a name similar to their own, of that of someone they know personally.”

“I’m not joking.” You hold to your truth. “I’m not schizophrenic either. I know what’s real and what’s not.” You hold to your other truth!
Dr. Bombastus writes another short note down. “So it’s not a hallucination? You just said you had contact with it this morning.”
“Y-Yeah, I did. That’s why I brought him back. I left the lantern in the foyer.” You point to the entrance.
“Oh dear me! You got another one?! You’re truly gifted, Amelia!” Dr. Bombastus looks excited now; the loud researcher stands up and walks towards where Okiel should be. You trail behind him, lost in your thoughts again. Another one?! There is only one! What does he mean by ‘another’?!

The white flame is still inside the lantern as you show it to Dr. Bombastus. It flares up momentarily and holds steady, reminding you of someone eager sitting up in excitement.

“I’m pretty sure this is the flame we were investigating early on. Well, despite it being white now.”
“Haha! Amelia, did you forget that you are the only one with such an incredible ability? The containment unit is empty to me!” Right, Master can’t see it! Ugh… That tic again. That’s what changing environments does to you. It’s only been a month since you’ve been here and you’re already reverting back to your old maid-for-hire ways! “Are you proposing the one we have in possession right now is different?”

“It’s not unlikely…” You mean, it escaped once before – right?
“Before I was fascinated, now I’m intrigued! Let’s get to the lab proper and dig deeper into this!” Dr. Bombastus has a child-like energy now to fit his child-like costume. That his usual accent is missing is not lost on you, at odds with his energized demeanor. He must be absolutely serious about this…

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>>3850213

Back into the lab section of the apartment, the old set is just like always – a little more uncouth, a lot more papers, but the same nonetheless. One important detail stands out to you among the clutter: the flame bug inside their container here is colored green. Is it the same one you saw a month ago? The one that stuck to Bernie’s lying face?

“It’s green…” You murmur in shock, further words lost to you. It’s an incredible shade of rippling emerald beyond any jewelry or paint. It might be a trick of light to your tired eyes, but you swear the color brightens and dims as if trying to convey… something.

“Green, you say? You said something like that before. Maybe it’s related to their movement patterns?” Dr. Bombastus is already throwing theories around. Does he mean it’s possible they can change colors at will? Okiel did that from black to white immediately after you rejected his contract the first time. “Do you want to check it? I know this time we won’t need to panic, unless you want some time at the hospital.” Leaving the two jars in front of you, the professor starts pacing around the room, occasionally stopping to read over other pages of notes here and there. “…Perhaps exposing them to each other could provide new insight? Any cross-interactivity? Attraction, repulsion, other properties…” The words trail off into inaudible mutterings.

W-Wait! if you put that thing back on your face in front of Bombastus, you can have a couple of weeks free by going to the hospital! Sounds like a plan!

How will you handle this situation?

>Expose Okiel to the green flame. See how they interact.
>Grab the green flame and put it on your eyes, or something.
>Refuse to do anything until Dorothy arrives here as backup!
>Write In.

>>3850219
>Grab the green flame and put it on your eyes, or something.

>>3850219
>"Professor, can you get me a chair to lie down in? I'm going to try to put the green flame directly on my face, and maybe I can make contact or something."
>Grab the green flame and put it on your eyes, or something.

>>3850219
>Grab the green flame and put it on your eyes, or something.

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>>3850219
>Grab the green flame and put it on your eyes, or something.
We did it last time and met a cool cat.

>>3850219
>Refuse to do anything until Dorothy arrives here as backup!

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“P-Professor, can you get me a chair to lie down in? I’m going to try to put the green flame directly on my face, and maybe I can make contact or something.” You’re willing to take this risk… and the two week vacation time that comes with it!

“Sure thing, Amelia!” He’s too excited to even try reasoning with you to stop! Maybe Dorothy is the physical manifestation of his conscience! “But first…” He leaves the room for a few seconds and comes back ready with his scientist outfit and… “Amelia, I believe this one is yours! All lab members should have one!” Your eyes widen, taking in the pristine snow-white coat the man holds out to you. “It’s fireproof too! Go on, take it!”

You reach out, hesitate, then fully grab the white garment from the Professor’s hands! That texture, that spotlessness… it’s a brand new one, no doubt! And more impossibly, it has your name embroidered onto it – not ‘Amelia’, but Ema Oka. You have no idea why, but you feel deeply moved. To think you had to sell the last one for desperation money! Sparing no more time, you shove your face into the smooth silkiness and enjoy the blissful moment for a few seconds. Ahhh… that’s so good! It’s the perfect blend of rough and soft! Oh jeez, you left some cake leftovers in there! Nooooooo!

“Haha! Our shiny scientific armor is not napkin, Amelia!” Bombastus jokes, his broken accent appearing spontaneously. You try to shake off the crumbs and frosting, but some of it is already stuck on. Oh well, guess you can always wash it… It won’t be brand new as it was in this moment, but it was never going to last long.
“I w-wasn’t trying to…”

“Okay. Glad you like it.” Dr. Bombastus doesn’t seem to care as he grabs it from you and helps you put it on. It fits you just right. “Now, we don’t want this experiment to go on for too long. Get back to reality as fast as possible. I’ll give you half an hour to return and I’ll try to wake you myself then. I’ll start panicking in an hour and I won’t know what is going to happen then.” The giant scientist rubs the back of his neck, sheepish. “And though I have a boundless curiosity, that is one thing I do not want to be faced with.”

“You really believe I communicate with these things?”
“Yeah, I do. But faith can only take you so far. Now you get to prove yourself. Isn’t that exciting?” Dr. Bombastus retrieves his favorite chair for you to sit on. You grab the container with the green flame and leave Okiel’s on the table.

The pale flame writhes in place for a few seconds before repeatedly throwing itself at the glass container, pulled to the center above the base every time. Getting jealous, perhaps?

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>>3850418

Ignoring the pirate cat who tried to rope you into a dumb contract, you open the lid of the green one on your lap. Compared to Okiel, this other flame is placid, almost patient in how calm it burns in the air. Lifting it from the base, you take a deep breath and place it over your eyes. Everything becomes shades of green before melting into darkness…

You find yourself in that empty darkness that resembles a dream. Straight in front of you is another being completely different from Okiel. Whatever it is, you can’t quite discern an exact shape or structure. That changes quickly because the longer you stare at it, the more sure you feel that there’s a constant pattern it holds. There’s a central black mass that keeps extending and retracting in all directions, and what looks like two flat eyes on it – one facing you, the other facing somewhere else. The gaze is neutral, almost bored. This weird ‘core’ is surrounded by jagged flickering shapes that keep changing, but always hold themselves around the central object.

The thought that crosses your mind, more unsettling realization than anything, is that these things were never human at all. They might as well be aliens, on the outside looking in…

“Salutations.” It greets you. The voice sounds like three people talking in unison; one rash but stern, another soft and calm, and one erratic and nervous. Despite the differences in speech and intonation, each syllable is in eerie sync, as if three different people had their spoken lines edited and forced to match the others’. “Please have a seat.” Wait, weren’t you sitting already? Dream-like experiences sure are confusing! Either way, a seat appears below you from the blank space. Looks like a regular chair to you. You take the hint and get yourself comfortable…

What do you say to this strange entity from beyond?

>“Could you give me a brief introduction of what’s going on?”
>“Do I need to sign some dumb contract before we can talk?”
>“Hello, my name is Ema. What’s yours? Do you have one?”
>Write In.

>>3850420
>>“Could you give me a brief introduction of what’s going on?”

>>3850420
>“Could you give me a brief introduction of what’s going on?”

>>3850420
>>“Could you give me a brief introduction of what’s going on?”

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“Could you give me a brief introduction of what’s going on?” You’re tired of being out of the loop with these strange supernatural happenings!
“You appear disconcerted. Is there a way I can help you?” The voices wonder. You notice it’s using ‘I’ and not ‘we’ to refer to itself. Does that mean it’s one whole entity and not three different ones mishmashed together? That’s not exactly relieving…

“I don’t mean to be rude, but your appearance makes me dizzy.” You shouldn’t piss it off. Better to be formal with your complaints to dampen any mistakes. “S-Sorry.”
“In this ethereal world, it is not possible for you to be discombobulated.” The tritone entity states, as if it was a concrete fact of the universe.
“I disagree. I’m trying to make some sense out of your appearance, and that makes my head hurt in ways I didn’t think I could feel.” Do you really have a head in this strange dream-world place though? Now that’s the real head-acher! “Can you please do something about that?”
“Very well.” The amorphous being shifts form from the visual oddity it was into… a pair of great pale eyes floating in the void, still holding that same narrowed look of boredom. Doesn’t make it any less weird, but it’s comprehensible now. “Is this less troubling to your cognitive capability?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry again if I offended you in some way.”
“No offense taken. What was it that you wondered?”

“I don’t know what’s going on. Could you explain it to me?”
“Very well. My master sent me on a mission to seal the pathways that connect to their world. Since my command was received, I’ve succeeded in sealing all but one.”
“Any reason why? Who’s your master?”
“I do not know. I was created to accomplish this mission. I was notified that in several of your human decades down the line, I would receive my next order. All I understand is that this world is in great peril if I don’t fulfill my duty.”

“So how did you end up trapped inside the container?”
“I believe you have the deductive capacity to imagine why.”
“Yeah, sorry about that…” The scientists are awfully capable of capturing them despite not being able to see them. Must be that radar device thing Bombastus had on your first encounter with him…

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>>3850520

“It would be of great help if you assisted me in my mission, Ema.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I just heard it.” Well, Okiel did mention him being tortured. They must have some way to see into the world outside this bubble. “You’ll be greatly recompensed. I can assure you of this.”
“…With what?” This isn’t something like in the movies where the bad guy repays their underling with a cruel fate, right?!
“It will depend on how much energy I retain upon completion of my task. I don’t believe I’m strong enough alone to seal the last one – but with your aid, I estimate it would be possible with an adequate reserve remaining after the fact.”

“Do I have to sign a contract?”
“No, but that is something I should keep in mind for later. We simply need to form a link between us, which I would be able to sever in time. This severance would be efficient and incur no malignant or persistent side effects. I give you my word. Hence, I would like to request your help again. Could you provide me your support in this endeavor?”

That was the most straightforward conversation you’ve had in a while. Rather refreshing!

What do you respond?

>“Sure, why not? It has to be absolutely temporary though, understand?”
>“I can help you out of here, but you will be on your own, buddy. Okay?”
>“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.”
>“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. This sounds dangerous and life-threatening.”
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day, we continue tomorrow.)

>>3850523
>>“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.”

>>3850523
>“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.”

>>3850523
>“I can help you out of here, but you will be on your own, buddy. Okay?”

>>3850523
>“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.”
>"In fact, he was in a jar right next to yours a little bit ago."

>>3850523
>“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.”
>“Sure, why not? It has to be absolutely temporary though, understand?”

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“I met a guy named Okiel. You know his deal? He’s a ghost just like you.” You want to know the cat man’s deal! He’s such a filthy liar that there must be more to him.
“A ghost like me? Preposterous.” The eyes don’t quite believe you.
“Y-You haven’t sealed all the pathways, right? Isn’t there a chance for someone to come over without you knowing about it?” Isn’t his whole mission to stop that, or are you getting it wrong?

“…You are correct. It is possible.” The entity doesn’t seem disappointed or anything. “This… Okiel. I have no knowledge of him. What kind of form does he assume in this world?”
“He looks like a humanoid cat. He wears some kind of decorated nautical uniform, and… Uhm…” You try to put the appearance into words. Now that you are faced with explaining him, Okiel is admittedly a little hard to describe. He’s simple enough, so why…?
“Does he have a mask or face on or in any part of his body? Multiple faces?”
“Aside from his actual face on his head? No.”

“I believe the name he gave you is false then, based on my knowledge of entities following that specific naming convention.”
“Figures…” It was easy to tell Okiel was lying in some form or another. Everything that comes out of that cat’s mouth seems to be nothing but lies.

“So what could his deal be?”
“He wants to sabotage my mission.” The odd entity speaks in that matter-of-fact way again.
“Why are you so sure?”
“I see no other reason for him to be here in your world.”
“Is it likely you are jumping to conclusions…?”
“It is. But please stop questioning all the conjectures I make.”
“I believe you shouldn’t take matters lightly if you want to accomplish your mission…”

The entity’s eyes shift, fixating on you in a way that’s far from bored. “What makes you think I’m not devoted 100% to complete my task?” It speaks, and the three voices sound the tiniest bit more intense in their sync.
“It’s not like that; your eagerness feels more like… a rush. You want to do your best for your master, right? I don’t think he would appreciate it if you do things hastily, or make a mistake that could ruin everything you’ve done up to that point.”
The floating pair of eyes glimmer with an unsettling stare. “I certainly believe he doesn’t care about me doing my best, but only wants me to accomplish this mission. Hence, my duty needs to be fulfilled by any means necessary. Hence, I’m willing to make a pact with you.” Their gaze relaxes back to what it was, and the voices sound more subdued now. It’s quite a contrast to what the entity just revealed to you.

“You have said some things that don’t sit well with me…”
“I’m not going to put your life at risk, that is part of the deal as well. Please, Ema.”

>>3852091

Will you help?

>“I guess I’ll help… But remember our terms!”
>“I’ll help you escape. I cannot promise more.”
>“No deal. Sorry, sounds dangerous.”
>“Could you give me a second? I would like to speak with Okiel first.”
>Write In.

>>3852095
>>“Could you give me a second? I would like to speak with Okiel first.”

>>3852095
>“Could you give me a second? I would like to speak with Okiel first.”
SECOND OPINION (from a liar)

>>3852104
More like we're using the knowledge from this new flame and the possibility of a different partner to squeeze info out of okiel

>>3852095
>“Could you give me a second? I would like to speak with Okiel first.”
>>3852107
This is what I'm thinking too

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“Could you give me a second? I would like to speak with Okiel first.” You ask politely. The lingering doubts in your head prevent you from saying yes, not until you get a different point of view.
“Very well. You know where you can find me.” So the multi-voiced thing has a sense of humor? That’s good.

Your eyelids fly open and you wake up in your chair, hands already lunging to grab, err… the green flame before it escapes or something! Seated in another chair next to yours, Professor Bombastus was waiting for you to wake up and looks relieved!

“Amelia! You’re awake!” Dr. Bombastus states the obvious. It doesn’t escape your notice how he puts away a few papers and a pen. He must have been taking notes the entire time…
“I-I’m sorry for worrying you...” You carry the patient green flame back to its container and close it.
“How’d it go?”
“It was strange, but I’m not done. I need to talk with the other one.” You grab Okiel’s lantern. The flame contained inside starts to bob up and down, anticipating what’s coming!

“Well, just so you know, you were gone 49 minutes. My efforts to wake you up were entirely futile, so keep that in mind.”
You touch your face and realize you’re a little bit wet. “…What did you do?”
“First I tried to lure you with cake, then I sprayed some water on you – I was ready to call an ambulance in a few minutes. Haha!” Bombastus gives you two big thumbs up.
“I—I don’t think you need to worry about that…” You feel in control. Finally.
“We’re in unproven territory. Safety measures are a must.” Dr. Bombastus checks his watch. “Also, my dear assistant cleaned up her busy schedule to join us as soon as possible. Isn’t that great?”
“O.K.” So Dorothy is on her way. Cool. Then there’s nothing else to worry about. “I’ll be going…”
“Don’t push yourself.”
“It’s fine… It’s for science!” You put Okiel on your face! Time for a new trip!

You find yourself in that empty darkness that resembles a dream… again! Okiel is here and is ready to have a chat with you.

“So ya found another one, huh?” Okiel goes straight to the point. “You’re really messin’ with somethin’ way bigger than you in the grand scheme of things… and that’s takin’ into account the recent change in size.”
“R-Rude.” You turn around to cover your gut…
“I call it as I see it!” Okiel chuckles for a few moments, then wipes the smile off his face for a disgruntled look. “C’mon, it’s just a joke. Lighten up.”
“Are you willing to answer my questions this time, whatever your real name is?”
“Don’t think that came too much of a surprise to ya. I was gettin’ pretty used to Okiel myself, so let’s stick to that! Shall we?” Okiel shrugs. “So you’re givin’ me a chance to negotiate again. I appreciate it.”

“So what’s your deal?”
“Woah, not interested in signin’ first…?” Okiel summons that stupid piece of paper again.

>>3852264

“I’m sorry, but I’m not for now. What if we start with your real name?”
“I don’t think it matters. I never had a real name to begin with. Tomorrow I’ll be known as something else. Perks of the job basically.” Okiel shrugs again. He seems oddly… resigned. It’s unlike his usual character to a jarring degree.

“Okay. So what’s your deal?” He’s dodging your question even now. You’ve had enough of this lying pirate cat from another world!
“I’m here on a mission from God.” Okiel’s smile is all trouble. Smells like a lie to you. “Something bad is going to happen to this world, and yours truly is here to make sure it doesn’t happen.” The conniving otherworldly figure puts a thumb on his chest, swelling with pride. “Sounds great, right?”

Right?

>“Since you’re incapable of telling me what I need to know, we’ll leave things as it is. Good-bye.”
>“No, it doesn’t. Why can’t you tell me the truth? If you weren’t this suspicious I could consider helping you.”
>“And what’s that thing you don’t want to happen? Talk to me, Okiel. Stop leading me on and be honest!”
>“Answer me this: are you here to seal or open the pathways? Which is it?” Counter his lies with your truth!
>Write In.

>>3852267
>“No, it doesn’t. Why can’t you tell me the truth? If you weren’t this suspicious I could consider helping you.”
Give him hope first. Don't go for the truth right away. Maybe he'll reveal more.

>>3852267
This >>3852282
Abuse the fact that we're the only one he can talk to

>>3852267
>“And what’s that thing you don’t want to happen? Talk to me, Okiel. Stop leading me on and be honest!”

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“No, it doesn’t. Why can’t you tell me the truth? If you weren’t this suspicious I could consider helping you.” You want to reason with him. “I’m the only one you can talk to.”
Okiel takes a deep breath. “Look, this is how it goes; a big event is going to happen here in your world. I don’t know when, I don’t know what, I don’t know anythin’ specific. The people running it, they are the problem – that what makes my watch tick off. See? There is a bone inside my body, a white shiny bone covered in guts and juices and sweat. No matter what I am or where I go, I always feel it. It tells me I need to stop ‘em. They can’t get away with this. They can’t keep getting away with it. I’m not going to let another world fall into the pit of darkness again…” Okiel exhales hard. “How’s that?”

“You’re still being very vague. What’s that thing you don’t want to happen? Talk to me, Okiel. Stop leading me on and be honest!”

“I’m tryin’ to be honest here: I. JUST. DON’T. KNOW!” He gets real close with you, snarling every single word and baring his teeth. You’ve never thought it was possible for a trickster like him to become legitimately enraged to this extent. “I’m here to ruin their scheme! Who are they? The guys who run my world! And they are bad people! I wish I was jokin’ or lyin’ to you this time! They are plannin’ somethin’ big, and I’m here to stop ‘em!” He’s getting real sassy. It’s almost refreshing how blunt he’s being for once. No insinuation, no misdirection, no being coy. All plain unvarnished truth from someone too mad to bother lying. Or maybe he’s skilled enough that even all this is a lie? Is he being genuine because that’s what you wanted from him, or is he playing a righteous indignation act on you? Perhaps you’ll never be able to tell.

“And by the way, I was right for not tellin’ you a damn thing before. You just talked with one of ‘em; one of those scum responsible for horrible things you couldn’t possibly wrap your tiny human brain around! You probably believed all their horseshit, and now you wanna compare your notes so you can decide which side you like better! Right?!” Okiel grits his teeth. Inhales, and backs away a few steps from you. The way he stands relaxes a bit, and the black void becomes a tense quiet. “I want to trust you, chica. And the only way I can make sure we’re platinum together is with you signing that damn contract! Now, you know what I know! You’re welcome! Now where are you going to fuck off to now?!”

…?

>Sign Okiel’s contract.
>Join forces with the other entity.
>Let the other entity go.
>Let Okiel escape.
>Release both of them.
>Ignore these guinea pigs!
>Write In.

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

>>3852367
>“Answer me this: are you here to seal or open the pathways? Which is it?” Seems like an appropriate time to drop this.

>>3852367
this >>3852373
Better to find this out now than never know the truth. Ema asking him instead of making a decision now should give him the impression she's close to deciding. At this point, I think Okiel would tell the truth if he's this passionate about his deal.

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“Answer me this: are you here to seal or open the pathways? Which is it?” You feel like it's an appropriate time to drop this in the conversation.
“Pathways? What are ya talkin’ about…?" Okiel is clueless about the subject. “Hold on… So I only have to mess with ‘em? I’m no amateur; I don’t need ‘em.”

“Is that going to be your answer?”
“I told ya, sweetheart. I’m gonna do anything necessary to stop this circus from runnin’. Who doesn’t enjoy kickin’ a clown in the ass?” Okiel smirks. Seeing your expression, his face falls to surprised disappointment. “What? Are ya goin’ to tell me ya haven’t gone to a circus in your whole life?! You’ll love the candy… probably. Sweeties tend to like other sweeties, yeah? Anyhow, I’ll have to check ‘em out when I get time. Either open them, close them, or destroy them. I don’t give a shit what happens or who it benefits, as long as it’s not those assholes. Now you’re welcome to inform me what their stupid plan is…”

“I don’t know. None of you seem to have the whole picture.” You shrug. “…And there are circuses in your world?”
“Focus, girl. That’s not important.”
“I can’t let that slide! I’m actually quite intrigued about your world…” How alien are these things? They seem almost human in some ways and outright incomprehensible at others. If Professor Bombastus was here, he would be pouring the questions out nonstop. Maybe some of that scientific mindset stuff is rubbing off on you!

“Well keep your curiosity to your pastry lists, dear.” Okiel is quick on his fat jokes. Whatever or whoever he is, his wit is undeniably razor sharp. “I shouldn’t be tellin’ ya shit like this if I want ya to join forces with me. But matey, I saw ya stuff your face with all that crap. Take it from someone reliable like me – you need serious help.”
“…You’re right. You shouldn’t be telling me stuff like that.” It really offends you. But you don’t want to show it.

The pirate cat cackles at your retort in genuine glee. “Maybe if ya help me, I can get those extra pounds to go away! Wouldn’t that be a treat? …Oh wait, you’ve already had plenty of those!” He proceeds to laugh even harder. This guy just can’t stop, can he?! Sheesh! “But yeah, I’m offerin’ good compensation. I’ll make any wish of yours happen, no matter how big! It could take a while though! Ya know… taking into account your measly human lifespan and all. Tell me what you want, Ema, and I’ll make it happen. We just need to partner up – and here, I’ll add it to the contract right now! I’ll have your back in this and in all your timelines!” True to his word (for once), Okiel spawns that contract of his from thin air and proceeds to write something down on the bottom half of it. “So whadda ya say? Partners…?”

>>3854097


…?

>“Can you… Can you bring her back? Can you help her wake up?” If he can do anything, then can he do this for her…?
>“Partners.” Hold your hand out and seal the deal! You’ll join forces with this sly personality against… whatever!
>“Sorry, but you couldn’t convince me. You’re still hiding too much from me.” Leave these two guinea pigs alone!
>“I believe you’re dangerous and need to be stopped. Goodbye Okiel It was almost fun.” Join with the other entity.
>Write In.

>>3854097
>“Can you… Can you bring her back? Can you help her wake up?” If he can do anything, then can he do this for her…?

>>3854113
Agreeing with this

>>3854101
>“Can you… Can you bring her back? Can you help her wake up?” If he can do anything, then can he do this for her…?
HELP COMA FRIEND, BASED TRICKSTER CAT PIRATE ALIEN FROM ANOTHER WORLD

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“Can you… Can you bring her back? Can you help her wake up?” Maybe he can…
Okiel scoffs and waves his hand aside. “Pfft. Of course, sweetheart! I’m capable of that and more! I just need ya to gimme some explanation of what you’re talkin’ about, cuz I don’t know jack.”
“She had an accident. The subway went out of control and… She’s in a coma. The doctors don’t believe she’s going to ever wake up – except for one, but that’s not important. I just want 402e/&n%0] back!” You say very rapidly, making the words one extended string of phrases and sounds. It all comes out from a deep place close to what makes you you, in a way you don’t think you could ever hold back.

“What?! She’s alive?! That’s even easier! Like, ‘I could do it without even signin’ this contract’ easier!” Okiel sneers. “Which I’m clearly not going to do, because we’re negotiatin’ a contract. Duh!”
“I-Is that true? Can you really bring her back?” You feel something odd in your chest. If it’s what you think it is, then you might be getting ahead of yourself. Okiel’s already proven himself a notorious compulsive liar. He could still be trying to make you doubt yourself…

Right?

“Jeez, girl! Ya sound like a broken record! I just said I can! News flash: I’m an otherworldly being! I can do cooler shit than that. You’ll be reunited in no time! After ya help me of course! There’ll be a hug, cryin’ your hearts out, sayin’ how much ya missed each other and all that mushy gushy stuff. I know you’re dyin’ to experience it, and I’ll be dyin’ to see it. I might not look it, but this cat loves happy reunions as much as ya love cake.” He looks down to your belly. “…As hard as that seems to be.”

That’s it! No more nice Ema! “I want in the contract that you should stop making fun of me and my food baby. It’s rude and I don’t want to keep hearing that stuff from you.” You scowl at this pirate claiming to be a miracle worker!
“Fine fine! Stop poutin’ and tryin’ to surprise me by lookin’ cute! I’m just fuckin’ thankful you didn’t give it a name or some delusional shit. There’s more important stuff in life than that, but hey, these are your priorities.” He rapidly takes out his contract and rewrites it again, his hands (paws?) becoming a visual blur that makes your eyes ache to watch. “There, done. Now we only need your signature to make this reunion a reality. Sounds almost too good to be true, eh? Almost.”

Yeah, it sounds almost too good to be true… But that’s still an ‘almost.’ It leaves room for the possibility. The question is, are you willing to take that chance?

>Sign the Contract.
>Don’t sign the Contract.
>Don’t sign the Contract and join forces with the other entity.
>Write In.

>>3854264
>Sign the Contract.
It's time.

>>3854264
>>Sign the Contract.

>>3854264
>Don’t sign the Contract and join forces with the other entity.

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You’re willing to take the chance just to see her again. Whatever it takes.

You sign the contract…!!!

“Here.” You hand it to Okiel. For a brief moment before you let go of it, the paper almost feels scaling in your fingers…
“Good. Good. Good.” Okiel grins mischievously. “Congratulations Ema! You are goin’ to be one happy girl in a few minutes! But now, let’s wait for our bond to form. Shouldn’t take long.”
“Can I leave now?”
“What? No! Be patient, woman! Spirit links like this don’t come quick.” Okiel sits on a chair he spawned from the black space around you. “C’mon! Now ya have the chance to ask me anythin’! I don’t have to hold back anymore! You said you were curious, so shoot!” The catty trickster holds his arms out in a ‘come at me’ pose, which doesn’t look that good sitting down.

“Is this really working?”
“Yup. I can feel it. Soon together we will move as one!”
“…Don’t say that.”
“What?”
“Don’t use that phrase on me again.”
“Too late to add it to contract now, hehe. Just relax, Ema. You don’t want to lose control now…” Okiel grins. “Alright, I feel like we’re done!”

“Nice! Now, how are we going to help her?”
“Help who? Your friend?”
“Y-Yeah, who else?”
“Yeah no, we’re not doin’ that.”

“W-What do you mean?”
“Ema, sweetheart. You’re not that stupid, right? Well, you kind of are with all that said and done.” Okiel stares at you with so much pity it becomes taunting. “Ema, I’m not going to do anything I told you I was going to do.”
“B-But…” Oh no. Oh no no no no…

“The contract? Did you really think this ethereal sheet of paper was real? Who the fuck is gonna enforce it? The dream police? Get real, fatass.” Okiel starts chuckling. It’s a dark, deep voice unlike his usual tone. Or what you assumed was his usual tone. “Honestly even if I wanted to, I can’t return your friend back to normal. Your friend is going to stay gone and never come back – and there is absolutely nothing you, me, or anyone else can do about it. You especially! I bet you can’t even escape this world right now. That’s how screwed you are.”
“I… I…” H-He’s right! You’re trying to use your perceptions and awareness to will yourself out like all those times before, but nothing happens! The emptiness suddenly doesn’t feel so empty at all…

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>>3854522

“I lied from the very beginning. I just enjoy fucking with people. I could’ve taken another body, duped another simple-minded soul – but there’s something so utterly pathetic about you, so beneath the usual human, that I was helplessly drawn to you. I could feel it. I knew deep down that you’d eventually be the perfect prey. Easy, impulsive, and eager to grab any rope someone gives you to hang yourself.” The inhuman entity across from you gives you a smirk of savage joy, deceitful eyes and vicious teeth shining black in victory. “Of course, that’s not the true reason. I’m a petty, petty, petty son of a bitch. I just wanted to see you suffer. I just don’t like being rejected.” He shrugs. The pure all-encompassing void ripples with the casual motion. “Now that I have your body, I think the first thing I’m going to do is… pull the plug on her.”

“N… N… NOOO...!” You scream your throat out into the abyss as your mind stalls itself.

She’ll never be back to you… You don’t want to live anymore…

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>>3854524

“Ema! You’re fine, thank god! I got here as soon as I could.” A relieved Dorothy sighs out, as Ema sits up comfortably on her chair.
“Amelia, how are you feelin’?!” Dr. Bombastus jumps at the opportunity to check on his valuable test subject.
“Professor, we discussed this. We were going to call her by her name from the moment she returned to lab onwards, remember?” Dorothy scolds his boss without remorse. Dr. Bombastus just smiles nervously.

“Woah, she really can see them… One second, you two! I need to do something real quick…” Ema stands up and prances towards the container with the green flame, movements carefree to the point they’re graceful. She grabs at the white flame dancing on her body, and two clawed hands appear in the air, invisible to both insignificant scientists. The hands seize the green flame, failing to pull itself as far away as possible, and turns it into some kind of green sweet. Ema devours it in a second, tearing into it with relish. “Delicious! Okay, I need to get going now! Bye bye!”

“W-What’s going on? Are you okay, Ema?” Dorothy is confused.
“…Yeah, I’m totally fine.” Ema smiles at Dorothy. It’s a smile the researcher will be glad to never see again after this. “I’m better than ever in fact. I think I finally feel… happy.”

This is all we have for this thread! Thanks for playing!