did she
did she just take john's DICK

bahahahaha

Well, that was amusing, either way. Heh, poor, poor John, being half kidnapped.

[x] Wait a bit, before greeting the man and asking him if he would like something.

I admit I laughed and enjoyed the consequence of refusing Yukari's "offer". This was much more pleasant than Suika's "punishment"

[x] Keep an attentive look over the yukkuri, but acknowledge the man's presence when he changes looks with you.
-[x] Greet him when this happens, and ask him if he would like something.
-[x] Or just wait a bit before talking with him.

Something that annoys me a lot is when an employee comes to bother me when I don't feel like asking for their help. However, greeting and offering something or just help to find something often leads to a sell.

wtf

No, really, what the fuck? I really didn't see this coming but this shit is hilarious.

[x] Acknowledge the man's presence
-[x] Greet him and ask him if he would like something.
-[x] Or just wait a bit before talking with him.

[x] Call Bunny Rei and watch her face.

>Ignore "move to /at/" votes despite the thing clearly winning

>"No" vote wins, lolsexgaems happens anyway

>>44049

Welp. Happy now? There's no escaping the sex.

>Haven't ever hidden that this story is more for whimsy and amusement than the others?

You can have your whimsy and amusement where it belongs in /at/.

[x] Move the story to /at/

>>44108
Well, to be fair, this is an egomaniac blob with ultimate power. Something like this should really have been expected.

On the other hand, 13/26 lines of the last update relate directly to penises. Sex is definitely a deliberate theme in this story.

[x] Move the story to /at/

Gonna keep voting this until Kahi asks the mods to move this story to /at/.

>"move to /at/" votes

To be honest, those aren't real votes.

>>44113

He doesn't need to. He just needs to delete this thread and restart it in /at/.

[x] Acknowledge the man's presence
[x] wait a bit before talking with him.

While I can sorta see how some people might see this update as sexual (weird fetishes those have) it seems like >>44108 and >>44113 are being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

[x] Acknowledge the man's presence
[x] Calm yourself a bit before talking with him.

Imma have to agree with either moving the story to /at/ or putting NSFW in the title. No matter how you go about it, Sex is still sex, regardless of how much you go into it. Especially when said sex is in the opening post, while every unexpecting person believes its just another story, you know, WITHOUT dickings.

So, Yeah.

[x]Move this story to /at/
-[x]Or add (NSFW) in the title

>>44120 makes a pretty good point, I think.

[x]Move this story to /at/
-[x]Or add (NSFW) in the title

I don't think the NSFW tag is necessary or sufficient. We've had stories before that had H-scenes and weren't tagged NSFW. The reason why I've voted already to move it to /at/ is because of the sheer volume of sex in this story: in comparison, the ones I can recall with H-content had no more than a few scenes (EoSD and GH had one each, I believe).

So yeah, unless the MC stops boning everything (or more recently, GETTING boned) nearly 24/7, off to /at/ with this.

>>44124

It's simple to fix that. We just need to occupy him with something else to do. People often use masturbation as a means to spend vague time or to distract themselves form boredom. Get something to do, and you won't waste time playing with yourself. The same thing can be applied to sex (unless sex is already an activity to occupy your time).

In other words, get something for John to do. Lazying at home during all your free time is bound to result in sexy shenanigans, specially with a willing (and sometimes eager) harem. How about take a walk around the park? Take Alyssa to visit the cafe at night? Visit Chad to check if he has a new yukkuri? Search for other competitors?

We just aren't doing what we could be doing. The story became cafe/sex/cafe/sex because we aren't doing anything else.

Scumbag posters.

Vote to have sex with everything and open doors to specific actions knowingly.

Complain about their poor choices after.

>>44126

Scumbag poster, voting to have sex and then get mad when the story gets called out for it.

This story deserves to be on /at/ now.

You nod at him, but don't make any further move to get his attention. You still have to think about this.

Your offer was totally reasonable, right? Just wait until later, and all. It... doesn't really look like she's interested in you as a romantic partner, though? Not totally, at least. If she was, she would have backed down when you said so... But the only indication of anything like that occuring between you was brief, the rest focused instead on... punishing your impudence, you guess? ... If that was even her. And except for that accidental bit at the end, that could have become very unfortunate very quickly.

But no, it's all a dominance game. Power. She's pushing buttons because she knows full well that it's the easiest way to mess with your head. If she can make you dance to her tune, then she's the one in control, and you're no more than a toy to play with when she feels like it.

... That might be a good thing, though? No, that's a bad thought. Whether it means she'll get bored and go away at some point or not, which isn't guaranteed, it would mean you would just have to lie back and accept her whims, as it were, and she's already displayed proof that she doesn't really care what trouble her amusement might bring you...

Looks like this guy is ready to order, though. Kind of a wispy looking fellow, thin and frail. Stiff breeze might knock him over. Kind of the effeminate sort, you mentally classify him, before realizing you've done so and scolding yourself.

"Can I help you?" You ask politely.

"Yes, um..." He says, thinking it over for another moment. "I'll have... one hot chocolate, I can't abide caffeine. It makes me all, you know, hyper and jittery. And... I suppose a cinnamon roll? I was hoping for eclairs, to be honest, but it doesn't seem like you have them..."

"Fan of them, huh?" You ask.

"Oh my, yes. They're by far my preference for sweets." He says, nodding with a faint smile. It's catching enough that you almost find yourself vaguely smiling along with him, before you catch yourself and shake it off into the casual neutrality of a shopkeeper again.

"That'll be 4M." You say, collecting the money and storing it away, before direcing him vaguely to the tables. "Sit wherever you please."

"Sure thing. Good to see you weren't hurt too badly." He says cheerfully, which gives you pause for a second... but then, your eye is probably still showing. So there's that.

Making the chocolate is slightly more annoying than mixing a coffee drink, but you seem to recall that there's a significantly higher profit margin involved, so you can't really say you'll complain about it.

You send Peach out with his order, as Isis helps the old man to his feet, stretching for a moment before he strolls out of the cafe, and glance out the window for a moment as Shanghai dances idly about the ceiling. There's a few people strolling through the park, but other than the occasional sideline glance, there's not really any attention being given this way...

Ah, the jogging lady in sweatpants just turned the corner, though. You wait expectantly, and she slows to a stop, wiping her forehead with a towel draped over her shoulders before she enters.

"Plain cream coffee." She says, bosom heaving from the workout, without even glancing at the menu or snacks..

"Of course. Take a seat wherever-"

"Nah, I'll be taking off right away." She interrupts, shaking her head. You pause for a moment, then shrug and make her her drink as she stands there, shifting lightly from one foot to the other as she waits. Once you hand it over, she drains it, again without hesitation, and crushes the cup in her hand after swallowing the last drop. She tosses it in the garbage as she leaves, quickly picking up speed as she continues down the road. You shake your head and glance at the coffee pot.

Still nine cups waiting to be made, out of twelve. Things actually seem to be picking up a bit, you guess.

---

10:20 AM

[ ] What do you do?

What's this story about again?

[x] Stop ignoring winning votes
[x] Move the story to /at/

>>44125

This argument might have held up if not for the events of the previous update, which shows that sex stuff can and will happen anywhere, with or without voter consent. (John was busy at work. The no vote won. Stuff still happened, despite both him being occupied and the attempt at Anon taking a stand.)

>>44129

Banging yukkuri, zombies, and zombie yukkuri. And the cat yukkuri, because mere beastality isn't enough, and Anon wanted beastiality in their beastiality. Then failing to make the loan repayment and ending with (guess what the penalty for failure is?) MORE SEX.

There may be sidequests involving running a cafe, or hunting, and at one point being in a zombie apocalypse, but sex happens in them all still. Oh, and anon doesn't want to vote for an action that costs little money and could improve the cafe's viability. Take that as you will.

>>44131
Obviously, Kahi ignored those votes. What makes you think he'll listen now?

Now, I would say to make a mental note to get eclairs... but they're at Lolita Lace Delights and we sure as hell can't afford those prices right now.

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe you ask Shangai to play by the window, see if her cuteness will attract people.

>>44113
[x] Move the story to /at/

>>44124
>We've had stories before that had H-scenes and weren't tagged NSFW

Because one or two h-scenes in the entire story doesnt make it NSFW. When every other post has you dicking/getting dicked by something, Yeah, The story should be titled NSFW. Or moved to /at/. So, Yeah, I'm going to keep voting for moving it to /at/ until it finally comes to pass.

[x]Move to /at/

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe ask Shangai to play by the window, see if her cuteness will attract people.

[x] Votespam check.
[x] Don't move the story to /at/.

[x]Move this story to /at/
-[x]Or add (NSFW) in the title.

A focus on sex is a focus on sex.

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe you ask Shangai to play by the window, see if her cuteness will attract people.

You know, instead of spamming the thread with trolltasic posts, if you really feel that strongly about it couldn't you take it up with an actual mod, or you could actually do something productive.

>>44137
Explain how its 'trolltastic'. The story is NSFW, and its not tagged as such, and as far as I know that's one of the guidelines of the very site you're posting on.

Your posts have yet to contribute to the story in any meaningful way and you seem reluctant to take up your case with people who actually care. Thus "trolltastic". In addition, you're entire motivation is decidedly negative, acting as if the very presence of this story offends your virgin eyes. Heck this is the first mention of any forum rules or guidelines, of which many poster likely don't even know, to actually support your ire. In the end, if you actually feel like you must do something, you should take it up with someone who is able to make a difference and cares. Currently your just beating you collective heads against walls, and hoping they break.

Someone had posted the rules, but he seems to have deleted his post. So here am I, reposting someone's else post.

>>44138
>NSFW text is fine and doesn't need to be covered up. Reader discretion is advised.
Also, you're all breaking rule 4.

These are the rules.
http://www.touhou-project.com/?page=rules
>NSFW text is fine and doesn't need to be covered up. Reader discretion is advised.

These are the guidelines.
>>/gensokyo/6052

They say nothing about sex-focused stories going in /at/. There's quite a lot about avoiding stupid fights and bickering. Like what we're doing now.

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe you ask Shangai to play by the window, see if her cuteness will attract people.

look at us, copy/pasting a vote from the one voter willing to write something in

>>44141
i thought it was too antagonistic. sorry

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe ask Shangai to play by the window; see if her cuteness will attract people.

Seriously guys. More votes, less spam.
>>44108
>Happy now? There's no escaping sex.
I only voted for "No." Someone else added the "If you want it so badly..." part that pissed off Yukari.

>>44143

The "No." Won out over the ones with the addon, though.

>>44142
So then It's perfectly fine for anyone to make a sex-centric story outside of /at/, the board that's made for? Then why not get rid of /at/, because it clearly has no use.

>>44145
Have you looked at /at/ recently?

Not even half the front-page threads are stories. Most of them are doujins, pictures, or fangames.

>>44147
Well fuck, /at/ has turned into /jp/ it seems.

>fangames
What, there are Touhou porn fangames out there?

>>44147
And those things also belong there. What's your point?

>>44150
That /at/ has a use even if you can make sex-centric stories outside of it...
In contrast to >>44145's position that we should just get rid of /at/ if we can start sex stories anywhere.


If you have any more complaints, take it to /blue/...

[x] Move the story to /at/

[x] Move that story to /at/ so that everyone stop bothering people with that piece of crap.

I wonder how many people "voting" to move the story are actually real. Probably just that one guy who did this ever since the first scene.

>>44136 here.

If /at/ is not for sex-based stories, there should be some kind of marker for those outside it.

>>44160
I can tell you this - there are at least two people.

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe ask Shangai to play by the window; see if her cuteness will attract people.

[X] Are you sure you don't recognise that guy? His comment was phrased in a way that might perhaps be considered to imply as to the fact of the matter being that he had some prior knowledge of your person and reason to inquire with concern about your well-being upon seeing that you were making a good recovery and such sundries.

(Or he's just a kind person, but...)

>>44160

Why not get a mod to votespam check, then? So you can eat your words when it turns out they're legit.

>Probably just that one guy who did this ever since the first scene.

What? There were no /at/ votes at the first scene, because the story wasn't focused on sex then.

>>44161

Allow me to save time by paraphrasing his likely response:

HURRR LOL SAMEFAG

Stop with this "move to /at/" bullshit. The story doesn't actually qualify for that board as most scenes are heavily glossed over. Yes, sex happens, but it's not actually the main focus of the story, nor is it described in detail.

>>44165
Fuck you, you don't tell me what to do.

>>44165
So you're telling me that even though every other update has some kinda form of sex in it, so long as its not in-depth its a-ok?

The story has sex. Sex is a big thing in this story. Thus, It is 18+, /at/-worthy, NSFW, and whatever other term you want to use. I can completely understand a few posts about dicking, but please, go back a few threads and tell me how common sex is in the story so you can eat your own damned words.

>>44165
>not actually the main focus of the story
Looking over 18 threads, I wish I could believe that. I really do. There is undeniably more sexual content in this story than any other outside of /AT/, whether you measure it in sex scenes, characters sexually interested in MC, characters actively pursuing sexual intercourse with MC, or whatever.

Later today, I'll go through the story and make a list of people interested in John sexually. Or maybe I won't, because I'm kinda busy.

>>44168
What about its level of sex compared to stories inside /at/?

>>44169
The closest one there is probably MTG. Less description, but roughly the same frequency. The one by Moral doesn't have much sex at all, from what I've read of it, and MTG is the one with the least frequency of the rest.

And besides, even if this story would be the tamest in /at/ (which it isn't, Moral's story is tamer), it still doesn't belong outside it.

[X] Continue your shift.
-[x] Maybe ask Shangai to play by the window, see if her cuteness will attract people.

Works for me~!

[x] Continue your shift.
[x] Maybe ask Shangai to play by the window; see if her cuteness will attract people.

"Shanghai... could you go play over there? By the window, where people can look in and see you." You suggest.

She tilts her head thoughtfully for a moment, and then floats along the ceiling to make her way to the window, peering out at the park curiously before she continues dancing. You stretch, and then return your focus to minding the store, though there isn't that much to mind, really.

After a bit, Bunny finishes her donut and shifts as though she's starting to stand. And in the same moment, the door opens, and someone steps through.

That guy. The Shou guy, from the event. Asian-ish features, you guess, you didn't get that great of a look at him before, but he's wearing just as nice of a suit, and the clincher is that he has a collared Shou following in his shadow on one side, carrying an ornamental looking cane.

You're not sure how, but something about it makes you suspect that the knob on the top comes off, and that there's a short blade attached to the tip, beneath it. It somehow gives that impression.

On his other side, there's a... damn, you know this one, on the tip of your tongue, you glanced through one of the pages at some point, though only for a moment. Red hair, hat with a little star. You don't know whether the clothes are right or not, except for the collar, or if she's wearing something different the way Bunny is. Loose and easy to move in, in any case, and enough to disguise little motions of the limbs inside them.

She looks a lot older than the new one, anyway. Human size. But there's something in her eyes that hints she's been that size for a while.

Bunny shifts back down firmly into her seat, watching the proceedings deliberately as she fishes out some more money and points Firefly back to the counter to get a refill and another donut.

The man strokes his chin thoughtfully, back a little stiff, reading the menu but seeming to have most of his attention focused elsewhere. There's just the slightest glimpse of color beneath his sleeve before his arm goes back down and he eyes the sweets.

"Can I help you?" You ask.

"Hm... You're a brave man. Possibly. Perhaps just foolish." He says, in lieu of an order. "You have some backbone, though, to draw attention to yourself in such a way, in front of crowds like that. Suggesting some unspoken familiarity with the Queen."

You're not really sure how to answer that. The older one, you know you know the breed name, makes a soft noise in her throat. Something like... there might be a 'J' in it, if you had to spell it out.

"An interesting place you have here, anyway. Qiaolian and the new girl, Shou, will each have a hot chocolate." He says, not hesitating long enough to let you formulate a proper answer. "As for myself... advise me, cafe owner. What would you recommend I order?"

---

11:07 AM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] Move the story to /at/

And next update, there's going to be some form of sex.

[x] "For you, I recommend pure coffee. A straight drink, the right to business type."
[x] Try to call Shangai back to you.
-[x] Remember if the shotgun is loaded and if the safety lock is off.

Pure coffee? I don't know, the man does look like the kind of guy who gets what he wants in a direct manner. But then again, I was never good at judging characters.

>>44191

Fool, now he'll deliberately withhold sex from the next update just to prove you wrong.

Presently, there is nothing more that I would want than to have these fags who keep bitching about Kahi's story to take a hike.

Haters will hate, I suppose.

>>44191
>And next update, there's going to be some form of sex.

Yes. With the pretty obviously Yakuza-esque fellow and his bodyguards raising tensions with Mafia Bunny sitting carefully in the corner, John is going to lead Locket out of the back and have her ride him like a championship race horse.

Congrats, Anon. You called it. That is exactly what this scenario is leading up to.

>>44196
Well, We've already sedated a zombie by dicking her. Nothings out of the question here.

>>44197

But Ancelin and Alyssa were never nocive. Well, maybe Alyssa, but she was pacified when we gave her her ring.

[x] "For you, I recommend pure coffee. A straight drink for the straight-to-business type."
[x] Try to call Shangai back to you.
-[x] Remember if the shotgun is loaded and if the safety lock is off. If you can't remember, don't reach for the damn thing in front of a customer.

If you're not going to vote in the story, piss off. All you're doing by wasting post space is making the next thread come sooner, anyways.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] "For you, I recommend pure coffee. A straight drink for the straight-to-business type."
[x] Try to call Shangai back to you.
-[x] Remember if the shotgun is loaded and if the safety lock is off. If you can't remember, don't reach for the damn thing in front of a customer.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] Move the story to /at/

[x] "For you, I recommend pure coffee. A straight drink for the straight-to-business type."
[x] Try to call Shangai back to you.
-[x] Remember if the shotgun is loaded and if the safety lock is off. If you can't remember, don't reach for the damn thing in front of a customer.

WHo's this douchebag????

[X] Leave Shanghai where she is.
[X] Don't escalate a situation, especially if you might just be paranoid.
[X] He's obviously arrogant and self-controlled, the sort who treat testing others as a show of power. He'll respect you more if you show that you're aware of it, but play along. Maybe.
[X] Be friendly, be respectful. All gangsters have rods up their asses.
[X] Coffee, black. No smart comment - the drink is the response.
[X] Tell him that the Queen does as she likes, it'd be foolish for anyone to assume he understood her. Don't deny any familiarity - but don't admit it either.
[X] Ask him how his Shou is settling in. Add "I'd heard a rumour that the two kinds didn't get along?", giving him a prompt to mention the species name of the redhead or just a little information.

She has a 1/day beam cannon - if we openly call her to us, we may as well rack that shotgun in his face. If she actually uses that cannon? Well, so much for the fucking store.

>>44188

Changing vote.

[X] Leave Shanghai where she is.
-[x] Remember if the shotgun is loaded and if the safety lock is off. If you can't remember, leave it for later.
[X] He's obviously arrogant and self-controlled, the sort who treat testing others as a show of power. He'll respect you more if you show that you're aware of it, but play along. Maybe.
[X] Be friendly, be respectful. All gangsters have rods up their asses.
[X] Coffee, black. No smart comment - the drink is the response.
[X] Don't deny any familiarity with the Demon Queen, but don't admit it either.

[X] Leave Shanghai where she is.
[X] Don't escalate a situation, especially if you might just be paranoid.
[X] He's obviously arrogant and self-controlled, the sort who treat testing others as a show of power. He'll respect you more if you show that you're aware of it, but play along. Maybe.
[X] Be friendly, be respectful. All gangsters have rods up their asses.
[X] Coffee, black. No smart comment - the drink is the response.
[X] Tell him that the Queen does as she likes, it'd be foolish for anyone to assume he understood her. Don't deny any familiarity - but don't admit it either.
[X] Ask him how his Shou is settling in. Add "I'd heard a rumour that the two kinds didn't get along?", giving him a prompt to mention the species name of the redhead or just a little information

[X] Leave Shanghai where she is.
[X] Don't escalate a situation, especially if you might just be paranoid.
[X] He's obviously arrogant and self-controlled, the sort who treat testing others as a show of power. He'll respect you more if you show that you're aware of it, but play along. Maybe.
[X] Be respectful. All gangsters have rods up their asses.
[X] Coffee, black. No smart comment - the drink is the response.

I don't think we should ask how his yukkuri are doing. Feels like a subject for more intimate acquaintences.

And we shouldn't mention the Queen, unless he presses the subject.

You're a little on edge, somehow. Can't call shanghai back, from the window over there, with him between you and her, if you have her shoot then you might get hit too. Go for the shotgun and... you think you loaded it. You can't recall, just at the moment. The safety may or may not be on. Until he goes for a gun himself, though, or threats start being made, you really shouldn't escalate matters yourself...

"... Plain, black coffee." You decide after a moment.

"Simple, but respectable." The man replies, seeming to muse on it for a moment. "Very much to the point, and business oriented. You're a little off, however. I have people to be... direct, and to the point, for me."

Somehow, without the word ever being mentioned, you somehow hear an echo of a word. 'Kneecaps'.

"I will have a white chocolate coffee, and a cinnamon roll." He says with a nod.

... That's that, huh? He was only asking what you'd advise to get a guage on you, and not because he intended to take your advice, then?

You shrug anyway, and start making the drinks as the man seats himself. The other customer rises from his own seat, looking a little nervously awkward as he quickly retreats from the cafe, and between them and Bunny, there's an air of... oppressive, deliberately and excruciatingly polite hostility as both parties feign not to notice one another in the cafe. The Shou doesn't do so well as the other two, she glances over at Bunny from time to time, clutching uncertainly at her walking stick.

You send out Suika to serve them. Seems like the safest bet, she isn't the most skilled waitress available, but at the same time if anything should throw a spark into this volatile seeming situation, she'd probably take it best.

You don't start up conversation. Not about his companions, not about the queen, not about anything. All business here, for the moment, and you'll treat him like any normal customer. Less chance of accidentally offending him over anything, that way...

Bunny eats her donut very slowly indeed, drawing out each mouthful as long as possible. It's clear after only a few minutes that she has no intention of leaving the shop before the newcomers do. They, themselves, are in no hurry to leave.

There's one or two times where you see someone slow down to consider looking into the cafe, but with the current atmosphere... they reconsider swiftly, and hurry along.

Taking their sweet time, aren't they. Driving off the other business. Well, there probably wasn't going to be much other business anyway, and thus far they're making up for it themselves, but still.

It's a while before the man rises calmly from his seat and returns to you, calmly placing a small business card on your counter. It has an address... inside one of the city's more Ethnic regions. Jade Palace of the golden pavilions of something or other, an appropriately fanciful and Oriental sort of name for a place.

"I am Shinji Nakamura." He says, simply. "You may wish to visit my own place of business at some point. We offer the public tutoring in basic and intermediate level martial arts, introductory tea ceremony, I-ching readings, discreet bodyguard services, a certain sort of Insurance for modest fees, for those interested in such things, and accept wagers on the occasional battle of honor."

If this is a shake down for Protection money then it might be the most remarkably polite one you've ever heard of.

"Isn't the I-ching chinese in origin?" You say, rather than comment on anything else, bits of random and heretofore useless knowledge floating up in your mind.

The man blinks slowly, seeming a little astonished at the conversation turning this way, then shrugs.

"I believe it may be. Is that relevant?" He asks thoughtfully.

"I don't think so. It just jumped out at me, for some reason." You reply.

"I see? In any case, I am afraid I am something of a busy man. Good day, cafe owner." He says with a nod, striding out of the room. It's not long after that Bunny rises from her own seat, and you notice that all this time her hand has been in a pocket and it's only now coming out.

There's something of a bulge in that pocket, now that you look closely.

In any case, you can finally allow yourself to relax for just a few minutes, now, and then return to waiting for customers.

You are to be disappointed however, it seems. The cafe remains empty right up until Frank arrives, at two sharp in the afternoon, new shift of waitresses in tow.

---

2:00 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Move this story, in which a large portion revolves having various forms of intercourse with Yukkuri of both humanoid and animalistic shapes, as well as zombies, into the board designated for sex centralised stories and threads.

[x]TLDR: Move to /at/.

Things are finally starting to move a bit more, at least. I wonder what was the deal with that guy

>>44219
He told you his deal. We should take Suika to visit his fine place of business sometime.

Not today.

Hmm, interesting update. Too bad Bunny is already gone, I wanted to ask something about that guy. Yes, I know she wouldn't be able to speak, but there are alternative, like naked charade games. I also wanted to interact with her more.

In other news, the cafe seems to be attracting attention! Hopefully not because of Shangai, as I really don't like the idea of exposing her this much.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

I'm pretty sure we can do this for a very long time Kahi.

[x] Move this story, which heavily involves having various forms of intercourse with various beings, into the board designated for sex-focused stories and threads.

Looking back on 18 threads, /at/ seems like the place for this story. I'm not trying to hate, just get this story in the right place.

[X] Don't say anything about that guy to Frank now. Wait for when you get home.
-[x] If the cafe is empty, check the shotgun. Leave it with Frank, of course.
[x] Collect your workers, and go home.
[x] Confront Yukari. What the hell was she thinking, kidnapping a part of you like that?
-[x] If she does visit you at night, she will have to wait for another night, as you're still pained from yesterday and today's 'events'.
[x] Search the internet for rumours and other things about Shinji's...business. Also try to find what that other yukkuri's name was.
[x] Check the Mafia chatroom.

The plot unfolds.

[X] Don't say anything about that guy to Frank now. Wait for when you get home.
-[x] If the cafe is empty, check the shotgun. Leave it with Frank, of course.
[x] Collect your workers, and go home.
[x] Confront Yukari. What the hell was she thinking, kidnapping a part of you like that?
-[x] If she does visit you at night, she will find you amenable.
[x] Search the internet for rumours and other things about Shinji's...business. Also try to find what that other yukkuri's name was.
[x] Check the Mafia chatroom.

Surreptitiously modifying large write-in games.

[x] Check the gun chatroom. Mention that you might have had to use your shotgun today.

This sounds fun too.

[x] Consider the Identity of that young man
--[x] Rei?

>>44218

>Revolves *around*

Derp, no idea what happened to the word.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] Don't say anything about that guy to Frank for now. Wait until you get home.
-[x] If the cafe is empty, check the shotgun. Leave it with Frank, of course.
[x] Collect your workers, and go home.
[x] Confront Yukari. Let her know that you don't appreciate having parts of you kidnapped.
-[x] Apologize for assuming the wrong thing in the cafe; it was kind of your fault you set her off.
[x] Search the internet for rumours and other things about Shinji's... business. Also try to find what that other yukkuri's name was.
[x] Check on Letty.

Guys, didn't you get it from the thread's opening update? Yukari isn't after our dick; she straight-up doesn't give a fuck about our sex drive. She's just using it as a means to an end, and that end is to win the head games between us. Quite with the "if you behave, I'll let you service me" votes; it's what set her off in the first place, and it assumes the wrong thing entirely.

Seriously, just look at what's happened:
>>43754
>"Why... how would you like it, if I waved a piece of meat you couldn't have in your face?"
>"Ufufu? If mister pervert can't help it, then Mister Peeervert can wave whatever meat he wants, Yukari doesn't mind~"
>Yukari doesn't mind.
>>44032
>...Is this kind of like the situation with Suika, only more subtle? Power plays, and all.
>>44095
>"Ohohoho... Mister pervert thinks highly of himself." She murmurs, eyes flashing with a little indignation.

>>44233
>Yukari isn't after our dick
I'm sorry, Are you reading the same story as me? Because, if I remember very recent events correctly, there clearly was a certain Yukari Yukkuri that gapped our dick into several places, none of which were painful, and it would be if you were correct. I mean, If she doesnt care about John, Then why not just rip off his dick altogether?

Oh, That's right. Because his cocks blessed(?) by the gods of Fanfiction.net, Mary Sue'd to hell and back.

[x] Move the story to /at/

It isn't a terrible fate to go there. I don't know why you're afraid.

>All the recent story related discussion either revolve around dicks or otherwise reference sex in some form
>That's not counting the "move to /at/" discussion

Remind me again how this story isn't focused on sex?

[x] Move this story, which heavily involves having various forms of intercourse with various beings, into the board designated for sex-focused stories and threads.

And in the meanwhile, move Moral's story from /at/ to /others/.

>>44235
>Then why not just rip off his dick altogether?

Why the hell would she do that? That would end their dominance game/struggle, and would have John after her head on a spike, forcing her to leave and lose her current entertainment too early.

So no, it's not Mary Sueness or whatever. Why are you even using that term? The only females interested in John are his pets and a dead woman who can't speak, and neither are capable of advanced rationality (well, Ancelin still needs more development/recovery, I believe).

All the others are either neutral or with negative 'affection'. Alyssa has some positive reaction, yes, but we're not boning her ever since that one time.

>>44241
What's been in the last few updates?

A mobster has emerged in the shop. He may have subtly said that he's running a protection racket.

What's our long-term plan for dealing with him?

>>44243
>So no, it's not Mary Sueness or whatever. Why are you even using that term? The only females interested in John are his pets and a dead woman who can't speak, and neither are capable of advanced rationality (well, Ancelin still needs more development/recovery, I believe).

So, You mean because we've already dicked pretty much every 'female' in the story, Just because their retarded doesnt change a thing?

read: Everyone is after his dick.

>>44252
Patronise his establishment, of course.

...I think...

We should cause John to get a Rika-patterned yukkuri. Though in general the intelligence of these creatures is sub-human, this particular breed has advanced knowledge of engineering...

So we should let one or more of them loose on a huge pile of junk, and supply it with all the labor resources we can provide. With luck, it will create something that will either be useful for getting out of the city, or a weapon more powerful than any other force in the city. In any case, it will be interesting.

>>44255
It's City Quest we're talking about, here. Far more likely it'd build a machine to have sex with John. That is, if it could build anything at all.

>>44253

You really need to learn how to type properly. It's both annoying and bothersome to read your posts. That said, I have no idea what you are trying to say in the first paragraph, so I will only address the "tl;dr" note.

>read: Everyone is after his dick.

Go to the Lolita place, ask the girl working there if she wants John's dick. Try to tell Frida she should have sex with John. Ask a non-Alice yukkuri without a fetish for humans if it would like to suck a human's dick. Hell, ask Alyssa if she would suck John's dick again, even though they already had sex once. I don't have to mention John's mother, we know that's not going to happen.

Assume that none is being coerced or bribed in any way. Tell me, what will their answers be?

>>44258
Yes, yes (only we'll be getting dicked while she watches), we already have several times, and do I even need to say yes?

>>44258
I'm not the guy you're replying to, but you seem to be ignoring the intent of the post in favor of specifics.

Anyone, regardless of opinion on CQ, would probably say that >>44253 did not actually mean every person desires John carnally. He meant that a large number of people do, just like when someone calls chatspeak painful to read, despite not actually suffering harm.

In short, that's probably exaggeration.

Ignore the trolls people. It's for the best

>>44259
I can't understand you, man. Take the time to make your posts readable English, please. Both sides will appreciate it.

>>44259

Stop trolling.

So somebody clear something up for me. Where's the disconnect for those who don't want to move it?

This story has lots of sex in it, and anybody saying otherwise would have a tough time convincing people.

And /at/, likewise, is for stories with lots of sex in them. Again, hard to argue about.

Why, then, is the conclusion that this story belongs in /at/ resisted so strongly? It's not as if it's being demanded that the story end, or something like that. Just a move.

>>44264
This has less sex than most /at/ stories, which are often sex at least every other post for absolutely contrived reasons. This actually has some sort of plot and setting that do not necessitate random sex. And /at/ doesn't really like yukkuri either.

Furthermore, apparently bugging an author to move their story to a different board is something that has never been done before, and you seem rude with your insistence on it.

Also, it might be only one person insisting on it. There might be more to it, too.

[x] Have we had a votespam check yet?

>>44266
However, it has way more sex than non-/at/.

And so what if there hasn't been a demand for a story to move? That just means there hasn't been a story in the wrong place yet.

I've alerted Kapow on IRC to your request for a spamcheck, so we'll see what comes of that.

Finally, could you clarify what you mean by "There might be more to it, too."?

If the thread was really in the wrong place, you'd think the mods you just asked for a votespam check would. You know. Move it.

This is all pretty silly.

>>44267
I don't know. I'm only one person and there are multiple people who don't want it to be moved.
But for one example, >>44268 has a good point; let us see what happens when the mods appear.

>>44270
Alright, but you'll probably have to ask yourself since the votecheck is done. There were no official statements on the proper place of this story one way or the other. As for votespam, none was found in the votes to move the story.

In the event mods get brought in to decide this, they'd have to read the entire story to properly classify it. Therefore, here's a link to the first thread for their convenience: >>37553. Links to the next thread should be at the end of each.

>>44268

The mods not saying anything doesn't really mean much though, given their stance on preferring to let Anon police themselves.

>>44273
Hahahahha. Yeah right.

Can we get back to talking about the story soon? I'm looking forward to talking with Rei again.

It really isn't the mods' duty to say where a story belongs or not, unless there's conflict with the characters and the board's area. Like, a story centred on the UFO crew being written on /sdm/, or one about Rumia on /youkai/.

The only reason this story has sex in it, is because Anon decided so. Just vote wiser.

>>44285

You must have missed the update at the start of this thread where the no vote won, but sex related stuff happened anyway.

>>44286

Reread the same update. It barely has sexual content, and is much more humorous than sexual/arousing.

Had John let Yukari do him, then it would be sexual, but that's not the case. He said no, Yukari took a part of him away and funny stuff happened.

>>44285
I don't remember anyone voting for sex-trained yukkuri, the sex poison, or for seemingly every notable yukkuri to like humans. The story not only has sex as a basic premise, it presents sex as the easiest option.

>>44291
And the most rewarding too. The only time where sex was a bad option was once or twice in the Haunted House arc and the Hunting arc. Correct me if I'm wrong, But sex has rewarded us in this story with, well, a whole god damned lot.

>>44292
Well, and arguably when dealing with the Yukari Yukkuri as well. Got to give credit where credit is due.

Frank pauses with a sudden wariness as you shift the shotgun out from its concealed place beneath the counter and check it over.

Loaded. Safety's.... on. That would have been an issue, if you'd tried to pull it out earlier. You thumb it off carefully...

"I'd, uh, rather you leave that like it was, Johnny." Frank says, thoughtfully. "Guns are dangerous, yeah?"

"... Well, yes, of course they are." You say, obliging and clicking the safety back into place. Frank seems visibly relieved.

Somehow, that's... well, you pulled out and started messing around with a gun, right in front of him, with no explanation but still. It feels like there's a lack of trust there, like he was half worried you were going to fire it off at point blank range, right into his chest.

... You'd wondered where that guy had gotten to. You wait for a moment, but it seems that that's all from him for now. No matter. You stuff the shotgun back into its storage place and stand, stretching and testing your various aches before deciding you're fit for the walk back to the apartment.

"Hey, hold on. Managed to actually find a couple more buyers." Frank says. "One guy interested in that pair of Alice, the not-twins. He'll offer a hundred ten for both and I... might be able to argue a little more out of him, depending. Another guy for the blob alice, he'll only give twenty five for her though. And one lady who got interested in the Yoshika when I mentioned they could eat basically anything. Something about garbage disposal. She offered, uh... thirty for a blob. I don't think I'll actually be able to get more out of her, though. Just a feeling."

"... First, that's three people, not 'a couple'." You say, deciding to make sure that the point is clear. "Second... I'm noticing a little theme. Like you're trying harder to sell certain types away than others."

"You'd think so, and uh... it's kind of hard to deny something like that." Frank says, rubbing the back of his neck. "But not really. If I manage to get ahold of an offer for something, I'll let you know about it. Just, thing is, Alice are popular, for some reason. Dunno why. Might be I'd rather have as few of them around as I can manage, personally, but fact that more people are interested in them helps. More popular, cheaper than some. Easier to sell, you know?"

You sigh, and then do some quick mental arithmetic. In total... that's a hundred sixty five. Not bad for a single night's work, you guess, however much of that may or may not have been spent drinking and carousing on other people's tabs.

"I'll think about it and let you know after you're done with the day's shift." You hedge. You're pretty sure you can think of a reason someone would be interested in, specifically, 'Twin' alice, though since you recall that one of the pair isn't interested in that sort of thing with humans, that could be a little... well, you'll consider it. Money is money, and all. And it's only suspicion, it's not like you know it for a fact, there could be perfectly innocent reasonings behind the request.

"Yeah, you go on, then." Frank says, waving you off. "I'll hold down the fort here."

You're an unusual little procession, you note, heading back. The whole crew and you, ignoring the grumblings of your body from motion as you walk. Firefly pulls ahead a bit from the rest, hurrying forward suddenly, as you approach the apartment building.

She's squatting in the entryway when you catch up, staring intently at something in the corner. Not approaching it, or at least not too close, but watching with an almost eerie intensity and not budging from her spot. You peer beyond her.

... Is that that Marisa, from before? The original, the one you picked up in the alley?

She's just sitting there in the corner, breathing carefully and deliberately. Now that you're looking... she's leaking a little bit, and there are some slight traces along the ground that you missed, didn't notice, before. Her eyes are closed, in any case, and she's either not recognized your presence or she just hasn't responded to it. You cough, sharply.

Her eyes open, a tired and somewhat haggard look in them, and focus first on the Wriggle in front of her. There's a little flicker of something, there for a moment, then gone and washed away in a tide of defeat. She seems to know, at least instinctually, what Wriggles sudden and palpable interest in her means, but... can't seem to bring herself to care much. Is that how it is?

---

2:37 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Talk to the Marisa. What the heck happened (Even if you can guess that its group either chased her away or was killed)?
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.
[x] You are not in a position to refuse the offers Frank found. It's not like you have to know how every buyer will act towards them. Accept all offers.
-[x] Consider breeding more Alices since you have none left to sell.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

[x] Talk to the Marisa. What the heck happened (Even if you can guess that its group either chased her away or was killed)?
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.

>>44356

I've considered it myself for a while even before calls came up for it. Still won't happen, for two reasons.

First, the story isn't intended to revolve around illicit pleasures of the flesh. Whether or not things happen, it's not the focus of the story. That would be 'John: what is he doing?'

Second: doing so removes one of the barriers to keeping every vote from being 'the sexy option', as it were, or rushing things towards that conclusion. Taking up Alyssa's moment of weakness offer rather than saying 'let's not, but I really have nothing against bringing you along if you help us get out, and you seem like you'd rather go', for example.

Just because it's 'an' option doesn't make something 'the only', 'the best', or even 'a good' option in all cases, and all that.

Feel free to keep insisting that this is a Thing I Should Do, and all that, just don't be hugely disappointed if I never actually do it.

>>44359
>'John: what is he doing?'
Everything with a hole, apparently.

So far Kahi, Almost every option that had sex led to, what I can only assume as the best outcome, and you constantly reinforce that. Read: the 'Need' of Alice's. As far as I can remember, the only punishment for having sex was recently with the Suika, and even then that was just Anon being dumb and voting to start a play fight with the only person knowing being John.

[x] Talk to the Marisa. What the heck happened (Even if you can guess that its group either chased her away or was killed)?
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.
-[x] Consider whether or not to let Firefly eat the Marisa after hearing her out.
[x] You are not in a position to refuse the offers Frank found. It's not like you have to know how every buyer will act towards them. Accept all offers.

>>44362
Your whining and the whining of others is at least twice as grating as the updates themselves. There's a thread in /blue/ to vent, and you can get on the Goggle doc to talk to Kahi himself if you really want to. Vote, or don't, but please stop thread shitting.

>>44362
>the only punishment for having sex was recently with the Suika
I'm just going to say that I think having sex with an animate blob of bean paste or a zombie with limited limbs is its own punishment.

>>44362

What was the "best outcome" from doing Hatate while drunk? Or what was it when John had his 'parties' with Alice/Tenshi, Yoshika/Tenshi/Ancelin, etc?

Yes, there were many ocasions with sex in them, some completely uncut and others described by three sentences, but that doesn't mean they had "the best outcome". Letting Yukari toy with John that first time, for example, had the negative result of puttinh him bebhind in their dominance game. Hell, most of them didn't even do anything, we just wen for it for our fun.


[x] Talk to the Marisa. What the heck happened (Even if you can guess that its group either chased her away or was killed)?
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.
[x] You are not in a position to refuse the offers Frank found. It's not like you have to know how every buyer will act towards them. Accept all offers.
-[x] Consider breeding more Alices since you have none left to sell.

[x] Move the story to /at/.

>>'John: what is he doing?'
>Everything with a hole, apparently.

This sums it up quite well, really. Also Kahi does not appear to be in the chat at the moment.

>>44355
Thanks for making the write-ins, write-in guy(s?).

>>44367

Lack of internet connection. Seems this will last quite some time, unfortunatly.

[x] Talk to the Marisa. Ask where is the rest of her family.
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.
-[x] Take her to the apartament, give her a bit of orange juice, if you still have some.
[x] Accept all offers.
-[x] 110 if fine for the Alices, though. It's easy to guess what the guy wants them for, and he will not be please by the lack of interesst in humans by one of the Alices. If the guy complains, though, he never specified that he wanted them for sexual pleasure.
-[x] Definetly warn the lady that she might want to have her Yoshika stay in a separated/isolated room when eating, just in case something sharp or hard enough to cut the yukkuri.

Ok, this is our chance to make things right with Marisa. Err, well, give her a new life and help her recover, at least. I don't think we will ever compensate what we did to it.

Anyway, let's take her in. She isn't as bad anymore, and she won't be worried all the time now that her family is gone.

>she won't be worried all the time now that her family is gone.
What the fuck. You're one hell of an optimist, dude.

>-[x] Consider breeding more Alices since you have none left to sell.

Theory time! I'm not the only one who has noticed this, but I'd like to remember everyone that it's clear that Alice hasn't given birth to many Alices. Locket gave birth to 18 yukkuri, only 3 of them being another Alices.

However, Hatate gave birth to 4 yukkuri, half of them being Alice; that's a 1:1 ratio of Alice:Hatate, much different from Locket's current ratio.

Locket's ratio surprised even Sam, who said that was indeed unusual, when we called him back on thread 1 or 2.

I suspect this is because she is their mother. Alice yukkuri, due to their Need and rapist tendencies, are used to being the father. According to Frank, the Factory use Alices to produce more of the other types, and simply let them rape everyone else.

I don't know if they were desinged like this from the start, or if it's the result of some form of evolution/mutation, but the fact is that Alices produce less of their kind if they are the mother. If we want to produce more Alices, we should let them be the father.

Or maybe it's just Locket being different or the RNG's fault.

[x] Talk to the Marisa. What the heck happened (Even if you can guess that its group either chased her away or was killed)?
-[x] Be mindful. She looks suicidal enough.
-[x] Consider whether or not to let Firefly eat the Marisa after hearing her out.
[x] You are not in a position to refuse the offers Frank found. It's not like you have to know how every buyer will act towards them. Accept all offers.

Time for John to get his therapist on, I guess. Are we able to go Sigmund Freud and blame everything on Marisa's father?

Or his penis?

"... So. Pretty sure I said it would be a bad idea to come back. What happened?" You ask.

"... Children. Didn't understand forest." She croaks, after a moment. "It was hard, but Marisa found food for everyone, showed what was good to eat and bad. Found a place to sleep for the night, before making a home. Reimu wanted more little ones, since the others would leave soon, so... Marisa and Reimu had more children."

She pauses, then shakes her head.

"After the babies were born, Marisa went to find more food. When Marisa came back, Reimu was asleep, and the children were gone... had left, to come back."

"After I said not to?" You ask.

"Didn't... understand. Children didn't like... freedom?" she says, seeming uncertain of the words.

... You guess there was some difficulty adjusting to having to fend for themselves in the relative wilderness, instead of living in comfort and having food delivered to them regularly.

"So they tried to come back." You say.

"Tried... yes." Marisa says, bitter note in her voice. "The babies... too young to travel. Fell behind the other children, and mister birds..."

She shivers, for a moment.

"... Found most of the children, with Reimu's help." She said. "Argued. Didn't want to leave, wanted to keep trying to find a way back. Didn't agree to go until after a big mister dog..."

She shivers again.

"Agreed to leave in the morning. Stayed under mister bridge over the night, Marisa left early in the morning to find food before going. Came back... there were mister humans in dirty clothes there."

Huh... there's some that don't bother to make arrangements to pay to stay somewhere, preferring vagrancy and breaking into unoccupied apartments, if they care to stay in apartments at all. You recall being warned against heading into alleys with turns in them, that you can't see all the way down, or beneath bridges by canals or such, where they might loiter. Or they'd shank you and have your lungs out, then rifle through your wallet for whiskey money, as you recall the dire warnings went.

You already suspect that the ending to this tale is less than pleasant.

"Reimu was still okay. Two of the children. Marisa begged." She groaned. "To do as they pleased with Marisa, but leave the others alone. The big one, smelliest... laughed. Thought Marisa was funny. But said okay."

She goes silent, eyes becoming dull and lifeless for a moment before shaking it off.

"After... Mister isn't a good person, but Mister has kept his promises. Marisa did as they wanted, endured, but after..." She says, a little brokenly. "Took Reimu and the children. Even after saying they would be okay, he threw them into the water... walls too high, can't climb, couldn't get out, made Marisa watch. Laughed, and kicked Marisa, broke Marisa's side. Left."

For a moment, as you consider this, there's just her rasping breath.

"Marisa has nothing left, now." She says, bitterly. "And Marisa is too broken to heal. Marisa just wants... has done everything Marisa could to make it back, to see the last of Marisa's children, before..."

She knows she's going to die on her own, then. Well, you did warn them they shouldn't come back to the city, it's not like this is your fault. You can always just stand back and let nature take its course, whether you let her see them again or not, first. You have some orange juice, though, and if you don't want her to just die, you could have her drink that. You'd probably have to buy more after, though.

On an unrelated note, you guess you really aren't in any condition to turn away any extra money, even if you're a little hesitant about the transaction. In the end, it's really not any of your concern, after all.

---

2:45 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Orange juice time.

Marisa used sob story. It's super-effective!

[x] Orange Juice time.
-[x] Ask her ir she wants to stay as she is or if she'd rather "cross the other side".
-[x] If she prefers to die, give her juice anyway, and let Wriggle use her to have babies. Feed her first, and grow her fat for more babies. Might take a day or two of extra food.

Not a critical hit, though.

Actual drama and shit? That gets an actual vote!

But also move this to /at/.

[x] Bring her up to the apartment, heal her up, and let her see her kids.
[x] If she wants to die, use her to make more Wriggles.
[x] If she wants to live, let her hang around, but keep an eye on her in case she messes stuff up. And make sure she understands that she'll be expected to listen to you.
-[x] If she doesn't want to live with you, release her outside your apartment with the simplest possible directions to the forest and another warning that the city is dangerous.

>>44393
Wriggle births are always twelve kos, according to our research earlier.

>>44355
How will I vote if you keep reading my mind?

[x]>>44355

[x] Ask her ir she wants to stay as she is or if she'd rather "cross to the other side".
-[x] If she prefers to die, give her juice anyway, and let Wriggle use her to have babies. Feed her first, and grow her fat for more babies.

>>44396
Too slow, bro.

[x] Orange Juice time.
-[x] Ask her ir she wants to live or if she'd rather "cross the other side".
-[x] If she prefers to die, give her juice anyway, and let Wriggle use her to have babies. Feed her first, and grow her fat for more babies. Might take a day or two of extra food.

Changing just to make sure the vote won't be misunderstood.

[x] Orange Juice time.
-[x] Ask her if she wants to stay as she is or if she'd rather "cross the other side".
-[x] If she prefers to die, give her juice anyway, and let Wriggle use her to have babies. Feed her first, and grow her fat for more babies. Might take a day or two of extra food.

Somehow, I knew releasing them, some(or one) yukkuri will come back at later threads.

You guys are forgetting that whole "ask first" thing again. If she'd rather pass on quietly, and you try to heal her up, get her fat, and force her to go out with a bang(of sorts), you'll probably end up with a bunch of mentally challenged mutants, much like last time you tried to force the issue.

>>44430

So, should you.. you know, adjust the vote so that it suits the way you suggested?

Then, later other Anons can copy-paste your vote.

Assuming that you haven't vote yet, of course.

[x] Ask her ir she wants to live or if she'd rather "cross the other side" or something else entirely.
-[x] If she prefers to die ask her if she'd rather wait or would prefer for you to do it fast and easy.
-[x] If she prefers to live. Use the orange juice and ask her what she wants to do now.
-[x] If she prefers something else, do so.

If watching TV shows has taught me anything, is that what goes around, comes around.
No reason to act like a dick right now.

We could try and make her have a family again, but I doubt it'll end well.

x] Ask her if she wants to live or if she'd rather "cross the other side" or something else entirely.
-[x] If she prefers to die ask her if she'd rather wait or would prefer for you to do it fast and easy.
-[x] If she prefers to live. Use the orange juice and ask her what she wants to do now.
-[x] If she prefers something else, do so.

x] Ask her if she wants to live or if she'd rather "cross the other side" or something else entirely.
-[x] If she prefers to die ask her if she'd rather wait or would prefer for you to do it fast and easy.
-[x] If she prefers to live. Use the orange juice and ask her what she wants to do now.
-[x] If she prefers something else, do so.

"Nothing left. So that's it? You want to see your kids again, and then you want to die?" You say, demanding clarification.

"Want to... Marisa doesn't want to." She groans, the last, tiny spark of battered defiance glimmering in her eye for a moment before disappearing. "Marisa doesn't want to die. But Marisa..."

Ugh. Can't bring herself to ask for help again, even dying?

Well, fine. She doesn't have a choice then, she'll drink the juice whether she wants to or not, you decide, reaching down to pick her up before heading inside.

She's a lot lighter than you remember her being. A lot has been left behind, here and there, you would guess... there's maybe half as much inside her as is supposed to be, barely holding her together. Definitely near-death.

The orange juice fixes that, though you almost have to pour it directly into her mouth at first, forcing her to accept it or drown. But then she starts to drink of her own volition, without ability to resist the sweet nectars of life, guzzling it down as she inflates back to her proper size, side knitting back together seamlessly.

Wriggle seems somehow disappointed. Well, it'll work out, one way or another. If she had wanted to die, you could have experimented to see if she could carry wriggle's infants to term, since that's fatal itself.

It would have taken a couple of days to get her in properly-stuffed health and ready to bear them to term, though. And you're fairly sure that everything else aside, it would take somewhat longer than just two days of coaxing in order to ease Wriggle into letting you collect samples for that sort of thing. Too intimate. It would almost definitely terrify her, even only being somewhat related towards the potential for her to bear infants... and all things aside, you suspect it would take far longer for you to convince her to mate with any sort of a blob.

Well, no matter. Probably for the best that Marisa didn't really want to die, though it doesn't seem like she can quite convince herself, even now, that she really still wants to live, either.

And you're out of orange juice.

---

[ ] What do you do?

I got nothing. How do you give meaning to a blob's life?

>>44702
You don't.

Both because there isn't a magical, one-shot solution to grief and because that time is probably better used trying to earn a profit.

Might be possible to use the bodied Marisa to console it, but there's a good chance that it'll be useless because neither has any real attachment to the other.

[x] Show her her kids, like she wanted to.
[x] Warn her that any child she has here probably doesn't remember her, or don't feel much intimacy with her.
[x] She is welcome to stay here. You won't mistreat her.
[x] Marisa doesn't need to stay in a crib anymore, if she decides to stay.

She needs time now, to rethink about her whole life and decide what her next steps will be.

[x] Show her her kids, like she wanted to.
[x] She is welcome to stay here if she wants. You won't mistreat her, though she will be expected to follow your and Frank's directions.
-[x] If she doesn't want to live with you, release her outside your apartment with the simplest possible directions to the forest and another warning that the city is dangerous.
[x] Keep an eye on the Marisa in case it goes crazy or something.

Also move this to /at/ please.

>Also move this to /at/ please.

This is starting to feel like a meme, now.

[x] Show her her kids, like she wanted to.
[x] Warn her that any child she has here probably doesn't remember her, or don't feel much intimacy with her.
[x] She is welcome to stay here. You won't mistreat her.
-[x] If she doesn't want to live with you, release her outside your apartment with the simplest possible directions to the forest and another warning that the city is dangerous.
[x] Marisa doesn't need to stay in a crib anymore, if she decides to stay.
[x] Keep an eye on the Marisa in case it goes crazy or something.

[x] Show her her kids, like she wanted to.
[x] Warn her that any child she has here probably doesn't remember her, or don't feel much intimacy with her.
[x] She is welcome to stay here. You won't mistreat her.
-[x] If she doesn't want to live with you, release her outside your apartment with the simplest possible directions to the forest and another warning that the city is dangerous.
[x] Marisa doesn't need to stay in a crib anymore, if she decides to stay.
[x] Keep an eye on the Marisa in case it goes crazy or something.

>>44709
You must do it like this.

Just like the old days.

[x] >>44742

You take a minute to show her around, though she doesn't seem to have forgotten where much of anything is, and set down the rules of things.

She doesn't seem inclined to move much, though. Depression, or something. It can be a terrible thing. Old man Franklin got hit with some kind of strong depression, as you recall, and he just wasted away in bed over the last few weeks of his life. Couldn't so much as muster the inclination to get up and feed or clean himself.

Well, and your grand-dad on moms side, apparently, before you were born.

Except he didn't waste away in bed. He shot your grandmother, seven other men, three dogs, and an old apple tree, filling it with enough lead that it ended up dying and falling over later, as you recall the story, before some people managed to get around and shoot him a few times.

Now you think of it, you'll probably have to keep an eye on Marisa, in case she starts going less like old man Franklin and more like Granddad.

In the meantime, Orange juice isn't something you have to run out and buy more of immediately, you guess, so you can sift around the apartment...

Huh, looks like mail came while Frank was out. Or something. Since that envelope is very violet. You don't hesitate to open it, and read what's inside.

It is not, unfortunately, an invitation to the next game, as far as you can tell.

There are those who, it seems, wish your removal, even to the point of taking interesting means to effect it. If you aren't careful, you might find yourself dead.

But corpses aren't usually much fun, and it would get annoying if it interrupted my diversions. The timing is vexing. And lots of options would be entirely too much effort on my part.

So I'll motivate you instead.

Stay alive, whole, in possession of all your faculties, such as they are, and without having fallen subject to any sort of horrible curse, and there will be an additional, small reward in it for you.

With warm regard,

The Demon Queen~

.... What?

And isn't Serah, since she's obviously one of these un-named 'those', entirely her fault?

---

3:10 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Panic.

So... should we contact the Mafia for this in case they heard something? Dead bodies can't pay back money after all.

>isn't this fun~.jpg

Why, it actually is.

Guess we will have to walk around with Ancelin the entire time now.

[x] Show Marisa her kids, maybe that will cheer her up.
[x] Talk with the other yukkuri about Marisa. She's not to be scorned or anything.
[x] Ask Firefly, away from Marisa, what she planned to do with th blob. You cant ake a guess, but it would be nice to hear it form her. You might even have another subject, a better fed one.

[x] Tell the gun forum about your day. Your eventful, terrifying day.

[x] Ask Firefly, away from Marisa, what she planned to do with th blob. You can take a guess, but it would be nice to hear it from her. You might even have another subject, a better fed one.
[x] Tell the gun forum about your day. Your eventful, terrifying day.
[x] Contemplate taking Ancelin to work each day, unless you already are, in which case keep doing it.
-[x] See if she can read the letter. If not, read it for her.
[x] Have you seen that collared Flandre recently?

Pressing issues are at hand, but we gotta keep working on bringing the maid back to the land of the sentient.

>There are those who, it seems, wish your removal, even to the point of taking interesting means to effect it.

Sweet jesus that Marisa has a bomb in it.

Seriously though:
[x] Mention the letter on the gun IRC (covertly make sure Rei is around, too).

Wriggle was going to wait until the Marisa dropped dead, and then she was going to eat the remains. This has been mentioned as one of their habits, no need to ask about it.

As for trying to spur some mental growth for Ancelin...

[x]Take Ancelin out and pick up a few packs of colored pencils and/or crayons, as well as a couple of decently-sized notebooks.
-[x]Hand them to her when you get home, and go bug Yukari while Ancelin has her fun. She has a certain something of yours, and I don't recall her ever giving it back...

You know, I'm curious to see if Kahi can get in an entire thread's worth of updates without anything 18+. I'd gladly shut up with the whole [x]Move to /at/ vote. Granted, I'm only one person, but still.

>The Marisa has a bomb in it!

>She's a lot lighter than you remember her being. A lot has been left behind, here and there, you would guess... there's maybe half as much inside her as is supposed to be, barely holding her together. Definitely near-death.

I doubt it. Bombs are usually heavier than the same volume of bean paste, aren't they?

>>44773

Yeah, what Wriggle wanted to do was pretty obvious. The idea behind the write-in is to make her open up a bit and to offer a replacement for Marisa so we can have baby Wriggles.

Well, the first thing to do in light of this alarming new information.

You don't panic.

You remain calm and collected and rational and oh god this is going to be chains and knives and getting carved open like a holiday turkey all over again, you just know it, and you have to find her first, kill her before she can strike out at you...

You spend a few moments hyperventilating in the bathroom.

You don't panic though. Everything is fine, and dandy even. Marisa is sitting there, sort of relaxing in the same general space as her retarded children, a quick glance out of the window shows that there's nobody staring at you through telescopes, or scopes of any kind, through windows or from rooftops.

But you have no intention of sinking into frantic paranoia.

You'll have to start dragging Ancelin around, though. But that's perfectly reasonable. Perfectly rational. There's nothing wrong about suddenly bringing an inhumanly powerful undead personage about with you wherever you go, in the face of death threats.

Not death threats. Implications and warnings. It can't be a threat unless the person with intentions sends the letter, and all?

Something like that.

But you have to tell someone about this. You can't just stew in your absolutely not a panic attack in your apartment, or crawl under your bed to hide for a bit.

*John has joined #LockStockand Barrel

YOU KNOW FULL WELL THAT'S OUT OF CONTEXT, BITCH. -Magnum

Magnum- Big brass ones.
Magnum- And of course I'm ready to have a heart attack, maybe shit my pants, because here /I/ am.
Magnum- Nothing on me but an old six-shooter I was using for target practice earlier, all of two bullets still in it, and for all I know there's about to be a couple dozen big guys with assault rifles busting out of the back room and through that enormous window.
John- ... I almost wish that had happened.
John- That's a possible couple dozen coffee cups, if I could swing it.
Magnum- You're still alive!
John- Yeeees?
John- For now, anyway.
John- Except I'm getting these carefully passed along notes that are saying someone's not, you know, exactly happy about that.
John- And they might try to change it.
Rei- You know, you live an /interesting/ life, Johnny.

---

3:25 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Hang on #LSB for a bit.

[x] Tell them about Shou-dude and the hostility between them and Bunny. Elaborate on the note.

Eh. This will do. Someone will come in with a huge write-in soon anyway.

...I just perceived a problem: the meeting with John's mom. How the hell are we supposed to keep Ancelin nearby for this?

Also, we can't depend on her for everything. Not sure she would take well to guns. Maybe small arms, considering how she endured every attacks from the zombies in the mansion, but heavier things like shotguns?

[x] "An interesting life, you say? Currently, I'm more itnerested in a long life."
[x] You might have to use that shotgun for real, now.
[x] Talk about Shinji's business. Not too directly, of course, you heard about a certian place and rumours, or something, and got interested.
[x] Ask if anyone is planning to go on hunting trip.

>>44817

Just get Ancelin to kill her. No more meeting, unholy control obsessive harpie who doesn't give a fuck about her son's life (see: Serah) and only about what she thinks her sons life ought to be purged from the earth, problem solved, everyone's happy.

[x] You might have to use that shotgun for real, now.
[x] Talk about Shinji's business. Not too directly, of course, you heard about a certian place and rumours, or something, and got interested.
[x] Ask if anyone is planning to go on hunting trip.

[X] Ask about self-defence laws, or whatever passes for them in the City. Also ask about self-defence loads - if lawsuits exist, then not perforating a half-dozen walls is desirable. Also, because we don't want to hurt random people.

[X] Ask about how they would go about killing an affable coffee-shop owner in an apartment building. Then ask how the target would survive/pre-empt that. Then ask how he might best apply his yukkuri - Ancelin being another Suika.

All the contingency questions are just because - why not? If they can offer a good suggestion, we should pick their brains. The paranoid possibility that someone on the forum is zee enemy has occurred to me... but c'est la vie.

[X] Research Shanghai's Beam Cannon - we should know the specs, just in case. We may not have any control over the use of it, but that's all the more reason to understand it.

[X] Consider having our flying yukkuri (just the Hatate?) keep an eye out - for suspiciously well-dressed humans, firearms and other spying yukkuri.

[x] "An interesting life, you say? Currently, I'm more itnerested in a long life."
[x] Talk about Shinji's business. Not too directly, of course, you heard about a certian place and rumours, or something, and got interested.
[x] Ask if anyone is planning to go on hunting trip.
[x] Ask about self-defence laws, or whatever passes for them in the City. Also ask about self-defence loads - if lawsuits exist, then not perforating a half-dozen walls is desirable. Also, because we don't want to hurt random people.
[x] Ask about how they would go about killing an affable coffee-shop owner in an apartment building. Then ask how the target would survive/pre-empt that.
-[x] Figure out how best to apply your yukkuri on your own - you know more about them than the people on IRC do.
[x] Research Shanghai's Beam Cannon - we should know the specs, just in case. We may not have any control over the use of it, but that's all the more reason to understand it.
[x] Consider having our flying yukkuri (just the Hatate?) keep an eye out for suspiciously well-dressed humans, firearms, and other spying yukkuri.

>>44836
You just keep on thinking that's a good idea, Jason. Us normal people will proceed with the story.

>Us normal people
>Story with horny pastries in it

No, none of you are normal.

>>44883
Why did you make your post shittier? The "No." was snappy, to the point.

>>44883

So do you. And us who reads this story as well.

Normal is overrated anyways.

Also, don't be a hypocrite.

>>44884
Because anon cant take a hint for their life.
>44892
Being a retard autistic fuck is good then, I guess.

[x] Hang on #LSB for a bit.

[x] "An interesting life, you say? Currently, I'm more interested in a long life."
[x] Talk about Shinji's business. Not too directly, of course, you heard about a certain place and rumours, or something, and got interested.
[x] Ask if anyone is planning to go on hunting trip.
[x] Ask about self-defence laws, or whatever passes for them in the City. Also ask about self-defence loads - if lawsuits exist, then not perforating a half-dozen walls is desirable. Also, because we don't want to hurt random people.
[x] Ask about how they would go about killing an affable coffee-shop owner in an apartment building. Then ask how the target would survive/pre-empt that.
-[x] Figure out how best to apply your yukkuri on your own - you know more about them than the people on IRC do.
[x] Research Shanghai's Beam Cannon - we should know the specs, just in case. We may not have any control over the use of it, but that's all the more reason to understand it.
[x] Consider having our flying yukkuri (just the Hatate?) keep an eye out for suspiciously well-dressed humans, firearms, and other spying yukkuri.

You guys are all bandwagoning annoying typos

John: Interesting, maybe.
John: Though to be honest, I'd rather have a long one.
Rei: Doesn't have to be an either/or question.
John: You'd hope so, I guess.
John: Incidentally, just as a thought exercise.
John: Don't suppose you guys would have any idea how people might kill a friendly coffee-shop owner?
John: You know, if you had to, or something.
Rei: Do a lot of standing or sitting in one spot at work?
Rei: Behind the counter, working the cash register and all. Windows of the place are big?
Rei: Sniper.
Magnum: No /shit/.
Rei: Park up a few hundred meters away, aim through the window, one bullet.
Rei: And you'd be dead before you heard the window shatter.
John: Uh huh.
Rei: As a thought exercise.
Rei: Doesn't work if the angles are wrong, though. Get a big building on the other side, can't aim properly, won't work.
Rei: So you'd have to drive by with the rear windows down.
Rei: Park outside for just a second, gunners up, shoot through the window again.
John: Uh /huh/.
Rei: Picking someone off on a trip to or from somewhere is easier and a lot more tricky.
Rei: But you have to /know/ that they'll pass by a given place, if you want to sit on a roof with a rifle, or put a mine beneath a sewer opening and wait for them to step past.
Rei: Easier to hit at one end of things or the other.
Rei: For an apartment, usually drapes? Would make it harder to pick out things with a sniper.
Rei: So you would end up half-assing it.
Rei: Fire an RPG through the window instead of a bullet. Most likely clear out everyone and everything in the room all at once.
Rei: If you can't have multiple people firing simultaneously, then fire quick, and put one through every window.
Rei: You could have one through them all before the first one goes off, and then the entire apartment is done.
John: /Okay/. Yeah, thats... a reasonable plan. I guess.
Magnum: D:
Magnum: Jesus, wow, you don't hold the fuck back.
Rei: You asked.
Rei: And it would be safe to assume that any sort of nebulous murderer isn't going to scrimp on ordinance, if they really want someone dead.
Magnum: Fucking /fuck/.
Magnum: /Not/ used to being on this side of the 'holy shit that's overkill' thing.
John: In any case, there's this...
John: Shinji, guy?
Rei: Nakamura.
Rei: Mostly legitimate, doesn't do anything too under the counter, from what I know.
Rei: Unless he had something to say to you, and that's why you're bringing the other thing up?
John: No, no, not him. I think. Probably.
John: He didn't suggest anything like that, anyway.
John: I mean, I haven't, uh...
Rei: Magnum described the guy. Not really hard to put together he paid you a visit.
Rei: It pays for people who collect firearms to have a few contacts here and there.
Rei: Generally, if you want a showpiece, it's easier to go to them than try to get an official one through normal channels.
Magnum: Supposedly the Mob has a direct line to the Queen.
Magnum: Supposedly a couple other groups do too.
Magnum: Ships a certain amount of stuff in for them, from outside sources. Not enough to keep everything quiet, just /almost/ enough to keep people settled, but still needing to raid one of the other groups now and again, if they have something they suddenly need right now.
Magnum: It's how she likes it. Just a little unofficial gang warfare behind the scenes to spice things up and keep 'em interesting.
Rei: That's what they say, anyway.
John: So if I wanted, uh, rubber bullets?
Rei: Depends on if you have someone you can make a transaction with.
Rei: Probably easier to just keep really careful about where you fire, and at what, though.
John: Right, right...

Your mind flickers through matters, as you open a second page, hunting for things you didn't look at in too much depth before. You might be able to set Hatate as lookouts? If you can impress upon them what to look out for, and that they aren't to focus on any distractions instead, or...

Shanghai's beam.

It's.... impressive, to say the least, from this video. Takes place over a series of days, it seems, since there's the fact that it can only be fired once a day, but it's done nicely, fades out at the end, fades in when the new clip starts, and...

Melts through a brick, easy. Leaves a big mark on steel, though it doesn't actually penetrate it, and glass might as well not be there at all. Leaves a neat little hole, edges of the glass blackened and deformed with bubbles from the heat. Side of beef? Tears right through it, flesh and bone alike, and flash-cooks the meat for a couple inches outwards from the shot.

You find yourself with a sudden profound and wary respect for Shanghai, currently sleeping on your head.

Hourai can do this at will, it seems, but tends to be very hostile. Gah.

You shake it off and turn back to the conversation.

John: On a different note.
John: Don't suppose that anyone has a hunting trip planned in the near future?
Rei: I don't hunt. Just a collector.
Magnum: Eh... can't think of anyone's made plans like that.
Magnum: Though if you're saying you want to go on one, you got a time in mind?
Magnum: Not everyone's schedule's always gonna line up neat, mind you.

---

3:40 PM

[ ] What do you do?

So, why the bright idea to ask about hunts when we have more pressing things to take care of?

>>44984
Complaints go before the update.

>>44987
I imagined that Kahi would just ignore it.

Anyway.

[x] Answer that you just wanted to talk about hunts since you liked the one you went out, minus some unfortunate moments.
[x] Ask the prices of small firearms and bullets for them. Maybe ask where you can train using them too. You have a shotgun, but it's hardly convenient to carry around. You may need to get a weapon for Frank too.

Frank isn't going to be happy, but I doubt he want to stay in the dark on this either, especially if someone decides to use him to get to us.

We'll honestly need to talk to the Mafia again too if it'S possible, to see if we pissed off the wrong person too. Or just learn if today's event with the guy is going to become a problem.

As for small firearms, we need something for that dinner where we can't bring Ancelin in. Can you imagine a worst-case scenario where she also invited Serah in secret so that we could 'patch up'?

>>44984

John could use a few days of hiding, from time to time. At least enough to confuse his persuers.

[x] No date planned, but spending maybe a few days out every now and then could help you live longer.
-[x] Or result in a different death cause. At least there are no snipers out there, right?
[x] So...anything interesting going on their side of thing?
[x] After they're done, take a quick look around and get ready to leave to Chad, if there is time/it's not too late.
-[x] Otherwise, spend some time with the yukkuri. Ask Hatate/others if she has good eyes and can pay attention to suspicious people.

[X] For safety.

Just for the trollolol at going hunting in pseudo-Gensoukyou for safety.

[x] No date planned, but spending maybe a few days out every now and then could help you live longer.
-[x] Or result in a different death cause. At least there are no snipers out there, right?
[x] Ask the prices of small firearms and bullets for them. Maybe ask where you can train using them too. You have a shotgun, but it's hardly convenient to carry around. You may need to get a weapon for Frank too.
-[x] Maybe even something for a yukkuri, if such things exist.
[x] So...anything interesting going on their side of thing?
[x] Spend some time with the yukkuri. Ask Hatate/others if she has good eyes and can pay attention to suspicious people.

[x] No date planned, but spending maybe a few days out every now and then could help you live longer.
-[x] Or result in a different death cause. At least there are no snipers out there, right?
[x] Ask the prices of small firearms and bullets for them. Maybe ask where you can train using them too. You have a shotgun, but it's hardly convenient to carry around. You may need to get a weapon for Frank too.
-[x] Maybe even something for a yukkuri, if such things exist.
[x] So...anything interesting going on their side of thing?
[x] Spend some time with the yukkuri. Ask Hatate/others if she has good eyes and can pay attention to suspicious people.

Firearms for yukkuri? We shall soon form our own army!

[x] No date planned, but spending maybe a few days out every now and then could help you live longer.
[x] Ask the prices of small firearms and bullets for them. Maybe ask where you can train using them too. You have a shotgun, but it's hardly convenient to carry around. You may need to get a weapon for Frank too.

>>45017

I imagine the recoil would make firearms not a good choice for the yukkuri, barring the strong ones like Suika. Not that you would want to give a gun to a Suika-type.

John: Well, I don't have a specific date in mind, or anything.
John: Not yet, anyway.
John: Just asking for... safety, I guess?
Magnum: /Safety/? Not if you're going into untrod places.
John: Well, yeah.
John: But it might be safer to be off somewhere else for a few days at at time, sometimes.
John: Or at least it'll be different sorts of dangers.
John: Not many snipers outside of the city limits.
Rei: Probably.
Rei: But that just means that if someone wants you dead, for whatever reason...
Rei: I don't know why, you didn't say.
Rei: Insult anyone or try to back out of debts recently?
John: No.
John: Not that I know of, anyway.
John: It might be more... poking at things other people aren't happy about me poking?
Rei: Upsetting the status quo.
Rei: That might do it. People could get touchy over that sort of thing.
Rei: But that just means, outside of the city, if they know where you went, they can send heavy armored vehicles after you and nobody would really care the way they would if it happened in the actual city area.
Magnum: /Fucks sake/.
Magnum. Are you really saying people might use fucking /tanks/ for one guy?
Magnum: Who the hell would go that far? Not that it's not /awesome/, as long as they aren't pointed your way.
Rei: You would be surprised.
John: For the record, this conversation is getting less and less reassuring as it goes along.
Rei: Eh... sorry.
John: No, it's fine.
John: I seemed to have passed over the mind-numbing terror stage at some point and hit a calm plateau after.
Magnum: Fuck is a...
Magnum: P-thing.
Magnum: You sure you're spelling that right?
Rei: Think of a sort of rocky cliff mountain.
Rei: Then cut the top off flat.
John: Yeah, that, more or less.
John: Um, back around, though.
John: How much do you think it would run for secondary arms, bullets, uh... handguns and pistols?
John: Just in case things that can be concealed. Not sure I can get away with carrying a shotgun everywhere I go, strapped to my back.
Magnum: Taking this seriously?
Magnum: Depends. Might find a cheap one for as low as 50, more likely to hit somewhere around 100-150?
Magnum: Ammo is gonna vary, of course.
John: It might be best if my business partner has something, after all.
John: I don't think anyone is after him, but even so, you know?
John: And, uh... actually, I'm not really sure about it, but.
John: They have hands, so.
Magnum: ... You're thinking giving some to your waitresses?
Magnum: Either there's all /kinds/ of trust there, or I have to bump that estimation up to fucking steel.
Magnum: Wouldn't the recoil, like, rip their arms off their bodies though?
Rei: Not necessarily...
John: Suika is really tough. I don't know that I could convince her and teach her to use it, to be honest, instead of tackling people...
John: But I don't think there would be any more problem with recoil than I might have.
Rei: Well, that too.
Rei: But the fact is, you don't really need to get the enormous monsters that fire bullets that leave grapefruit sized holes in everything.
Rei: There's a concept of restraint, and though they don't have the sort of punch that goes through the walls of armored transports or anything, there are guns with minimal recoil.
Rei: To the point where you barely notice it firing. They are, generally, designed for... what was it, Magnum?
Rei: Women with dainty lady-wrists that'll break if they try to fire a real gun?
Magnum: Yeah, I might have said something like that.
John: It was mentioned before, too, that practicing with them...
Magnum: You'd have to find someone with a range, that doesn't mind letting you use it, or who rents it out.
Rei: Things can be arranged.
Magnum: Hey, I know a guy.
Magnum: Don't take everything on yourself, huh?
Rei: And how do you pay for these endeavors, I wonder?
Magnum: With money.
Magnum: Bitch.
Magnum: What, you thought I was gonna say something else?
Rei: The thought had occured to me.
Magnum: Nah.
Magnum: ..... He's got a steady girlfriend. And she's at the range a lot of the time, comes in unannounced.
Rei: Aha.
Rei: Then it's less that you're unwilling to /perform/, and more that he doesn't like the risks.
Magnum: Dirty manslut, yuk it up, alright?
Rei: Still, I can make arrangements.
Rei: Or you might be able to find something through your own means, if you ask around.
John: Maybe, maybe.
John: But anyway.
John: Anything interesting going on on your side of things?
Magnum: More interesting than death threats and kung-fu ninja / Mafioso showdowns?
Magnum: Not hardly.
Magnum: I'm holding out hopes for a house of the dead or something to show up in time for me to get there and go to town on some zombie hoards, tho'
Rei: Hordes.
Rei: And here you were shivering over a little potential shootout?
Magnum: That's different.
Magnum: Zombies aren't shooting their own guns back at you.
Magnum: .... Usually.
Rei: I don't know. Isn't there that...
Rei: ... You know, the one famous big one, with the rocket launcher?
Magnum: You talking about a video game here?

You shake your head wryly as the conversation begins to spiral slowly off track, make your excuses, and leave the chatroom.

Well, you should take a minute to go around and talk with everyone...

.... The Rumia are still a little out of sorts about 'something weird' ending up in their pen and then disappearing before they could figure out if it was 'something to play with'. Or 'something tasty'.

You feel mildly uncomfortable as a sort-of argument erupts for a few minutes, and don't promise anything regarding finding out what the 'weird thing' was, only mentioning that it wasn't likely to show up again. And if it did, that they shouldn't, by any means, try to eat it.

You're not sure how convinced they are about things, and you could be imagining it, but you think the bodied Yoshika in the pen might be giving you a... knowing look? Or just its typical impassive stare. Whichever.

Chen C is currently sprawled across your bed... it's strange. She seems a lot smaller when she's curled up compactly, or in motion, but lying still it's hard to ignore that she's... well. She's already almost as big as you are, comparatively. Today is her last day before reaching full adult stature, too...

She'll end up larger still. You aren't sure exact sizes, but... well, it shouldn't be a problem for her to move through the apartment, even after that. Wide space, and doors.

As for Hatate...

She flits over eagerly and happily when you call for her. As though something had occurred which lowered uncertain tensions and changed personal dynamics between-there is no proof that anything of the sort came to pass, only circumstansial evidence.

"Hatate is good at watching things. Watching things is easy." She confirms, with a touch of uncertain pride in her accomplishment of being good at seeing things. "Watching things can be fun, too..."

"Are you good at noticing things, though?" You have to ask.

... The question draws a blank stare. It doesn't seem she quite grasps the distinction.

"Things out of place. Like... if there was something where it shouldn't be, and had no reason to be there. Or if someone looks out of place. Dressed wrong, or if they're uncomfortable and fidgety about being somewhere. Nervous?"

"Eeeh... Hatate isn't sure what you mean..." She says, uncertainly. "Hatate can... try?"

... You guess that's all you can ask? Wait, no. You should check things, somehow?

You quickly scatter some stuff on the table, and show it to her, just long enough to glance and then have her turn around almost instantly afterward while you move a few things.

"Can you see what's different?" You ask, after turning her back.

She stares dubiously for a moment, and you begin to wonder if this is a waste of time...

"Pen... moved there?" She hazards. "Paper had marks. Got turned over? Umm..."

... That's pretty good, actually. You didn't want to take the time to do too much, and the last one is hard so she likely won't notice.

"... Cup was turned." She says, surprising you with her confidence in this. "Not far, just...."

She floats above it, and then turns slowly until she stops. Not quite a full ninety degrees... almost exactly mirroring how you turned the glass?

"How?" You ask, realizing you have to know.

"... Uh... spot, on the cup. Not in the right place?" She says, trying to put it in words.

You look.

You look closer, after that, and squint.

Yeah. Yeah, right there, there's... not a spot. Not really even a smear, but a... mote, a fleck of something, no larger than a pinprick perhaps, on the outside of the glass?

You wouldn't have noticed it unless you were really looking for it, and already knew it had been there. You just had her glance at it...

"You have pretty.... good eyes." You admit.

She beams a little, and you notice that a lot of the psuedo-eyeshadow seems, by this point, to be more of a deliberate affectation of make-up than the haggard bags of sleeplessness and exhaustion that they appeared to be before. Probably an indication of general health, and regular feeding?

"Hatate has to look good." She says. "To see dropped meat sticks and food left behind before something else sees it, from Hatate's nests and perches."

"I'll bet..." You admit.

---

4:07 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Visit Nakamura's place of business.

That was fun. I would like to continue doing fun things by visiting Shou-dude.

>>45031
Yeah, and then we can get stabbed when it turns out he's the one contracted to kill us.

[x] Attepmt to explain to Hatate what you'd like her to do.

>>45032
You don't know that. Rei said he was legit, and his discreet bodyguard services sound like exactly what we need right now.

[x] Go take a walk with Hatate and Chen-C, if the cat doesn't care about waking up.
-[x] And a disguised Ancelin.
[x] Exercise Hatate's observational skills. Have her look for interesting things, or to look at people and describe them.
-[x] If they can find stray yukkuri, that's even better.
[x] Tell Alice that she and Alyssa are responsible for the house while you're out. Suika will protect them.

[x] Go take a walk with Hatate and Chen-C, if the cat doesn't care about waking up.
-[x] And a disguised Ancelin.
[x] Exercise Hatate's observational skills. Have her look for interesting things, or to look at people and describe them.
[x] Tell Alice that she and Alyssa are responsible for the house while you're out. Suika will protect them.

we could always talk to the mafia people, tell them that somebody is looking for us dead, and well, if we're dead, we can't pay them back

>>45036

They could simply take over the business.

[x] Go take a walk with Hatate and Chen-C, if the cat doesn't care about waking up.
-[x] And a disguised Ancelin.
[x] Exercise Hatate's observational skills. Have her look for interesting things, or to look at people and describe them.
[x] Tell Alice that she and Alyssa are responsible for the house while you're out. Suika will protect them.

Alice, being Locket, right?

All right then.

Time to do... something. Can't just cower here, and all.

A walk would be nice. And after all, didn't Rei say that it's harder to kill people that aren't in one place all the time, or something?

You somehow got the feeling that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Or typing about, anyway.

So a walk. You can further test out Hatate's eagle eyes, you guess, and Chen C would probably appreciate stepping out. There's some sleepy grumbling and mutterings as she rises. There are some minor punctures to your sheets involved, as she stretches, but once fully shaken awake she seems more than amenable to the idea.

"I'll need you and Alyssa to keep things in order here while I'm out, then." You instruct.

You don't think it'll be an overlarge issue, even if Locket does look a little sleepy at the moment, but better to be sure things are taken care of.

"Just until I'm back, or until Frank gets here, if that happens first somehow." You clarify. "And if you could start some stew going, that would be good."

"Mhm. Alice can do that."

And that's that. If anything unfortunate does happen here, Suika will handle things, and you have Ancelin coming with you, so it will all be fine.

You step out and, after looking first left then right down the road, suspiciously watching for odd glints of light from rooftops, and warily avoiding those little drainage openings at the sides of roads, you set off in a perfectly random direction. It makes sense. They'll never guess where you're going if you don't know where you're going, after all.

Thus far, it seems to have worked out reasonably well, and you seem to have been making inroads on explaining to Hatate the differences of clothing, and how a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie isn't the same thing as the three-piece-suit and briefcase someone else might be wearing.

For now, you just have her picking things out and telling you about them as Chen lopes around the area, keeping relatively close but keeping herself entertained at the same time.

"There are... three red birds." She declares, peering in Chen's direction, a little down and into a small playground. You nod and continue on in that direction as a flurry of motion and chirps erupts.

"... There are.... is, one red bird, flying away." She says, correcting her earlier statement. "And many feathers. And one happy Chen."

Well, that's all well and good. And it doesn't look like she's distressed about the consumption about birds, despite... you think she might be supposed to be something like a bird?

Probably doesn't matter. Either way, you're now a lot more relaxed given that you aren't a sitting duck in a quiet apartment waiting for someone to decide whether or not to fire a rocket propelled grenade through the window.

"There are.... no people?" Hatate says, seeming suddenly uncertain about something as Chen trots back, licking her chops.

You stop in place, looking around quickly.

That's right. There's nobody here. Nobody at all.

It's strange, because you would expect that a nice little playground like this would be used, but on a second look, it doesn't seem like it's even been maintained at all. The merry go rounds are rusting, one of the see-saws is broken, and the chains holding up the swings on the swing set are heavily tarnished. One has snapped at some point, and hangs down onto the ground. In addition, you're starting to realize that where there's grass, outside of and growing through the ornamental cobbles and gravel, it's very long. Undergrowth hasn't been pruned or maintained for a while.

You seem to have wandered into one of the areas of the City where, residents still numbering well below what would be considered a normal capacity, people just don't find themselves traveling that often.

No matter, these stretches only ever last a few blocks or so at most, from what you recall. You'll just walk on through, and keep the little playground in mind for another time, if you need to....

... There's an ominous scraping noise. Like a knife blade sliding across brick. You realize that Hatate has gone very still on your shoulder, and Chen's hackles are raised as she lets loose a long, low growl. Ancelin doesn't seem to have quite yet grasped that there is a present threat of some sort, but she's curiously looking in the same direction as the other two. You can't quite bring yourself to turn your head just yet.

"There is... one big Flandre... and one big sword." Hatate says quietly, tone revealing that she is far from pleased with this particular observation.

"Heeeeeeeey~" It calls, smiling too-widely at you and waving with a holy shit, that is a huge chunk of metal. And sharp.

You are suddenly reminded, uncomfortably, about a conversation with Yukari, in which she claimed something along the lines of 'power growing with size'. Maybe. That might have been what she said, you aren't certain, it's a bit foggy.

It is suddenly worrisome indeed. And your shotgun, at the cafe, is suddenly much further away than you had realized.

.... Didn't someone say something about 'regeneration', too?

---

5:05 PM

[ ] What do you do?

Oh, this is fun too. She's either overconfident or here to talk.

Oh fuck.

[x] Say hello. Perhaps ask what's she's doing out there with such a sharp tool?
-[x] Back away slowly while doing so.
[x] Ancelin is tough, but if it's going to turn into a fight, tell her to be careful about the sword. You really don't want her to get hurt.

Aren't we glad to have Ancelin? This is pretty much our trump card against whoever wants us dead.

Kahi, how's your schedule, with the lack of internet? I didn't expect to see you online at this time, but there you were, two seconds before vanishing into the offline world again.

[x] Say hello. Perhaps ask what's she's doing out there with such a sharp tool?
-[x] Back away slowly while doing so. Try to keep her talking about anything. The more info you get from her, the better.
[x] Ancelin is tough, but if it's going to turn into a fight, tell her to be careful about the sword. You really don't want her to get hurt.
-[x] If a fight is unavoidale, try to retreat as soon as possible to the more inhabitated areas of the city.
--[x] If the fight turns to your favor, though, smash Flandre's head (and everything else) enough times it won't regenerate anymore (don't forget to loot).

Well, fuck. This is much worse than simply paparazzi coercion.

[x] Say hello. Perhaps ask what's she's doing out there with such a sharp tool?
-[x] Back away slowly while doing so. Try to keep her talking about anything. The more info you get from her, the better.
[x] Ancelin is tough, but if it's going to turn into a fight, tell her to be careful about the sword. You really don't want her to get hurt.
-[x] If a fight is unavoidale, try to retreat as soon as possible to the more inhabitated areas of the city.

Fortunatly, it seems Yukkuri Flandre's poweri advanced regeneration, and not THINGS GO BOOM. Still, I'm afraid of that sword; it might actually injure Ancelin.

>>45123
Honestly, I don,t think we're in that much trouble. Ancelin destroyed possessed!Janet and zombified!Chad with an heavy axe with ease, even if she saw them as threats and acted on it as soon as they arrived. And she could take zombie attacks without a scrath.

Anyway, I don't think she'll lose a limb, but I doubt we want her cut open either.

[x] Say hello. Perhaps ask what's she's doing out there with such a sharp tool?
-[x] Back away slowly while doing so. Try to keep her talking about anything. The more info you get from her, the better.
[x] Ancelin is tough, but if it's going to turn into a fight, tell her to be careful about the sword. You really don't want her to get hurt.
-[x] Keep Chen C out of the fight, or else to be very careful - you don't have any orange juice back at the apartment, remember?
-[x] If a fight is unavoidable, try to retreat as soon as possible to the more inhabitated areas of the city.

Awww man, shit just got real. Maybe we'll not wander about randomly anymore, yes? Thank goodness for Hatate, too; she's proven to be quite the asset.

[x] Seduce the Flandre.

You know, there's an easy way out, here.

Not now. Not unless it's about fighting. Otherwise, you don't really need this guy's advice cluttering up your head just at the moment...

You can just seduce-

No. That's stupid. She has a sword.

It's a viable plan. You're good at seducing things. At being seduced. Six of one, half dozen of the other. No reason to assume you can't-

It's stupid. Even if you might be able to talk her down...

... you should get started on that.

"Hello." You try, hesitantly. "Is there some reason you're out here, carrying something like that?"

"Flandre was bored." Is the immediate, cheery answer. "So Flandre came out to play~"

"Ah." You say, searching for something, anything else to fill your side of the conversation with.

"Miss doesn't want to play with Flandre." She explains, waving the sword about in annoyance.

"Ah?" You ask politely, eyes focused more on the weapon than on her.

"But Miss said that Flandre could play with you, if Flandre wanted." She says, mood improving.

"Ah..." You say, a sense of doom growing.

"As long as Flandre didn't break you." She continues.

That's good, you suppose.

"Miss wants to break you. At the right time. And the right place." She explains, still seeming annoyed about the limitation.

That's not so good, anyway.

"Flandre is tired of talking." She finishes, and moves.

Chen moves too, and you've hardly blinked before she's slammed into her, a flying whirlwind of teeth and claws ripping and shredding, and...

And not doing much of anything, the Flandre is barely paying attention to how she's being torn apart, only giggling as she takes the impact and rolls, coming down, one arm shredded as she lands but already, already, even as she pushes off the ground, ignoring Chen's own landing as fragments melt out of her mouth, ruined mass bubbling and forming anew into a fresh arm, new hand joining the old on the hilt of the blade as you step back, but not fast enough-

"Flandre can't be killed by a monster~" she cheers, as the blade swings down.

Ancelin is there, grunting as her hands come up. She's ponderous. Not as fast as the Flandre, even swinging that mass of metal about. But she's strong. She can't clap her hands together and catch the blade, but she can put her hands in the way, fingers clamping shut as it impacts to hold it in place.

It's cut into her palms anyway, and there's a slow, slight ooze of thick fluid from the wounds.

Flandre laughs, and lets go of the handle, moving forward to bring to bear... not fingernails, sharp and pointy, claws, her fingers are tipped with tiny claws, and the sword is more of an amusing toy than anything else, as she lashes out, two, three, four raking strikes, then away as Ancelin starts grabbing at her, a grasp that would surely have to mean death even for something like this, taking up the sword again and lunging...

You, at you.

You heave yourself out of the way, though it seems like she hadn't really planned on hitting, and Chen is on her from behind, ripping and clawing until Flandre heaves and she's thrown off, wings already mending and back fusing seamlessly together, clothes undisturbed, while Flandre's own claws leave a long series of slight incisions across her side.

"Can't break you. But do you need so many legs? Would you miss an arm or two? Miss won't be upset~" The Flandre cheers, hefting its blade pointedly again.

Your shoulder is wet. Hatate has... well, you can't really blame her, for a second there, before Ancelin moved, you thought you were also going to...

Damn, damn. This could be a problem. And the game, such as it is, is clear. It's you. Ancelin and Chen are incidental. Obstacles, just there. You're the goal.

And you're suddenly starting to wonder if they're enough, as goalkeepers. Flandre is faster than Ancelin, though not as strong. But that's almost not the point. The problem is the regeneration, that ridiculous trump card on her side of matters. You weren't expecting that. They can't all regenerate so fast, can they, every Flandre there is? That's absurd. She should be paste by now. Any other, and she should have been torn apart into little strips and goopy chunks, and dead, but she's not even breathing heavily from being ripped to pieces, clawed apart, partially eaten? Did Chen swallow anything? Would it matter?

They don't heal as fast, not nearly so. On this scale of speed, Chen and Ancelin might as well not heal at all. And nothing that's being done seems to outpace that regeneration, even if she's not yet dealt much in the way of her own damage in return...

It's only been seconds. Shit, you haven't even had the time to start running, whether or not you can actually get away with her charging up right behind you.... And a jingling noise from your pocket says that, of course, your phone is ringing. This is, after all, the best time for a phone call.

---

5:08 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Answer the call. For all you know, it could be an emergency!
[x] If Flandre is still intent on attacking you, run the fuck away?
-[x] Chen should go for Flandre's neck and try to behead her. Throw the head far enough from the body to incapacitate her.
--[x] Or slam Flandre down again so Ancelin can have the chance to either take the sword or tto rip Flandre in two (thow the halves far away from each other).
[x] Have Hatate watch your back for you.

Shit shit shit. Ancelin is hurt!

[x] Tell Hatate to fly and figure out where you are in relation to either your house or the shop. Try to start behind Ancelin until she can figure it out.
[x] Answer the phone.
[x] Start running to where Hatate tells you, and tell her to watch your back.
[x] Keep talking on the phone if it's someone that could get you out of this situation, otherwise hang up and get ready to start calling for help when you get to a part of the city that is actually populated.

Time to see just how good Hatate is with her eyes. It's pretty bad that we don't know where we are, but more disturbing that the Flandre managed to ambush us like this. Whoever is after us must be watching us all day.

[x] Ignore the phone
[x] Tackle Flandre again and ask Ancelin to grab her sword.
-[x] Instruct both of them to cut her head off.
[x] If that doesn't work yell retreat and run to try and grab your shotgun

You gotta shoot 'em in the head.

[x] Miss... Oh dammit, it has to be Serah isn't it?
[x] Check the caller. If it's anyone other than possibly Flandre's owner, don't bother answering now.
[x] If hurting limbs don't work, what about the head?
[x] Is there any source of water nearby?

Oh God, a super yukkuri Flandre?

>>45143
>[x] Is there any source of water nearby?

I want to kick myself in the head for not thinking this. Yukkuri do not regenerate from water.

>Oh God, a super yukkuri Flandre?

Funny. Imagine if we hadn't collared Shangai so early, and let her grow? Her laser would probably be enough to blow a tank; imagine what would happen to a yukkuri.

[x] Answer the phone.
[x] Is there any source of water nearby?
[x] If hurting limbs don't work, what about the head/neck?
[x] Ask Hatate to keep an eye on the Flandre and warn you of when she attacks.

You don't have the time to glance away from Flandre, but you know your phone and your pockets well enough to pull it out and flip it open with your eyes closed.

"Yes? This is?" You say, shortly.

"Don't you have caller recognition, dear?" Rebecca's voice comes, a little startled.

"Didn't have ti-"

You cut yourself off as you heave yourself away from a cleaving strike, a loud clanging noise coming from the sword denting and cracking the rusty pole that conveniently found itself in the way of the blow before Ancelin could close again.

"Didn't have time to check." You explain hurriedly.

"Oh? You're breathing heavily, and that was quite loud, dear. Is something going on? Did a saucepan get dropped just now?"

"No, I'm damn it-" You hiss, as a cackling Flandre manages to get raking claws across your chest, slicing open your shirt and leaving hair-thin lines of red beneath, stinging. "Bit busy right now. Trying to keep all my limbs on. Proving difficult."

"Oh dear. That does sound problematic. Could you please hold, dear? Don't hang up. And keep this on you, if you would be so kind?"

There's a crackle, and Rebecca's voice is replaced by music. Piano. You think something of Mozart, might be good for elevator music. Then you have to move quickly, again, your thumb twitches, and it's suddenly on speakerphone. Wonderful.

"Hatate, I need your help. Help me look for... a tank of water, cistern, probably on a roof somewhere." You hiss quickly, hoping she understands what you mean.

There's a miserable groan of barely-repressed terror, but she starts looking around, quickly, being eyes where you can't take your own off of the Flandre. Little wounds. Little wounds are starting to slowly add up, not enough to cause a problem over-all, but in the long run it will be the undoing. You call out what instruction you can manage... to go for the head, try to take it off or crush it.

That will work. It will definitely work. They can't regenerate that, can they? No, no normal yukkuri could, it would have to take some sort of monster of a...

"Behind, and... Two buildings left. Top." Hatate calls out, and the snide voice in your head continues to insist that this could all have been avoided if you'd gotten charming, or tried to, but she had a damn sword, and he helpfully notes that it's swinging right for your eyes.

You get out of the way and call a retreat, quickly moving as best you can. Ancelin gets left a little behind, she can run, but she can't run quite as fast as you can, and while you feel bad about it she's a tough girl, and she's not what the Flandre is focusing on anyway.

You manage to dodge a couple of swooping slashes, somehow, and she pitches in by pitching a section of fencing, torn free from the ground, that tangles Flandre up for a few seconds and spins up past the roof before she untangles and smacks down onto it, just long enough for you to get to the door and...

Locked, of course it's locked, and Hatate is letting off a shrill squeal of terror, looking directly upwards.

You throw yourself out of the way, missing the opportunity to have one of your arms cleaved off at the shoulder as the Flandre drops to the ground, almost sword-first.

Chen tackles her aside, and the sword goes spinning away as there's a moment of mutual raking claws and you put some distance between you.

"I need to get up there..." You growl, looking at the building. It's fairly tall. Not a two story store front, whatever it was had a good six floors, and the water tank is at the very top. You need the water, a lot of water, because no matter what she can't heal that without juice, and... a hand clapping down on your collar leaves you realizing that Ancelin has caught up, and oh no, there's a fire escape well out of reach and you don't have time to rephrase your statement to include a 'Safely'.

She throws you. You manage to tumble down onto the rickety metal stairway without banging anything too badly or turning off the phone or injuring Hatate, still clinging to your shoulder in terror at the entire situation.

It doesn't stop the Flandre from making more dives, trying to either hit you or hack apart the whole contraption enough to fall, you can't quite figure out which just now. But then Chen's managed to claw her way up the side of the other building across the alley, and another leap slams the Flandre into the wall, Chen's teeth in her throat, dragging her down the bricks as you hurry further up, hearing yowls from below from the battle.

You've made it to the top.

The water reservoir is just... just there.

What now?

There has to be a... a lever, or a pipe with a valve on it, or something, maybe some place where a tube can attach, if you had a tube, and you did not think this through at all well enough, did you.

There's a gurgling noise from behind you as you turn around. Flandre is floating in midair there, and her throat is reforming as you watch, Chen couldn't quite rip everything off with the heavy collar in the way, only managing to savage it and the surroundings, and as it does the rasping gurgles morph into genuine laughter.

"Fun. Flandre is having lots of fun! So, what will Mister do next?" She asks, seeming genuinely curious.

On a roof, with her between you and the fire escape, sword in hand, with no other safe way down, you're not seeing many options.

As it turns out, she's not curious enough to stand there waiting while you formulate a plan, and she starts to advance, toying with you. Swish, swish, stab through the air, all of them avoided just in time as you backpedal...

Only at some point you realize that, as she tackles at you, there's no place left to backpedal to, and she impacts, and you're falling from the roof of the sixth story, only just able to see Chen make it up to the top on the other side before you've passed over the lip, and Flandre is cackling as she follows you down.

Someone is screaming. It might be Hatate. It might be you. You really aren't sure, just at the moment.

But in any case, right before you reach the ground, Ancelin puts herself in the way.

She's soft.

Softer, at least, than pavement. Nevertheless, there's a combination of crunching noises as you flatten her to the ground. Fortunately, and in the same breath unfortunately, none of them are from you.

You hope she isn't hurt. You don't know that she can really feel pain, but she's groaning about something there, and she seems stunned for the moment...

And Flandre impacts you again, launching you a ways and into the road. Mozart is still playing. Somehow, through all of this, Mozart is still playing in your hand, and Hatate is clinging to you, shrill but unharmed as you lurch up to your knees.

And a sword is put carefully across your chest from behind, sharp side deliberately towards Hatate and your throat, and you stop breathing for a moment as Flandre leans into you, her head resting on your other shoulder.

"Mister is lots of fun!" She chirps. "Miss wants you for her own thing. But Maybe Mister is too fun to break? Flandre will see~" She purrs, and pain.

She's biting you.

She's biting at your throat, like some kind of, some kind of movie vampire bride, and you can feel teeth sinking in and blood welling out as she pulls them free and starts suckling at the wound, drinking, greedily guzzling you...

But then Chen's here, fur matted here and there with something dark and howling in almost a bizarrely canine fury as she tackles, and Flandre disengages, and while you clutch at your throat and rise, feeling the blood flow woozily and thankful that she didn't bite the jugular, by design or accident, and you turn, taking things in quickly.

Ancelin is rising a little unsteadily to her feet, you aren't sure what the injuries dealt might be, but it looks like she'll probably be fine, Flandre is toying with Chen, dancing out of the way of claws and barely bothering to make retaliatory slashes as she floats behind just out of the way...

And then a large, expensive looking vehicle slams directly into her, in the middle of the road, instantly transforming most of her body into a mass of pulp as Chen bounds out of the way, brakes screeching as it comes to a halt and spins. Some of Flandre sticks to the front bumper. Most, by contrast, is launched to spatter to the asphalt some distance away when the vehicle stops.

The side door slides open to reveal Rebecca and her husband seated there, teacups in hand and still wearing house slippers, and she waves you in.

"Quickly, dear." She urges. Caught a little off guard by the sheer surreality of things, you stumble over, first helping Chen and Ancelin in, before you heave yourself up and collapse into a seat in the back with everyone else, heart pounding like a jackhammer.

"This is something of an exciting day, then, isn't it?" Rebecca says cheerily, sipping her tea, not bothering with a seat belt, while her husband harrumphs.

"Too old for this nonsense." He grumbles.

"Oh, I recall in your youth, you would have been the driver. But we have Duncan for that. Relax and enjoy your tea, will you?"

He harrumphs again, neither of them seeming the least bit troubled by any of the situation they've had to extract you from. Crazy.

You don't realize that you've said the last aloud, in a sort of a state of mild shock, until Rebecca chuckles a little.

"My dear, take a look about you, where we live? It's a terrific, terrible wonderland of the Demon Queen's." She says, affably. "Why, we're all quite mad, here. It's the only way we can stay sane."

You can't find a way to respond to that, but thankfully, you don't have to. Flandre is happy to put conversation on temporary hold by thumping down, suddenly, perfectly fully reformed, on the hood of the vehicle.

Rebecca and her husband don't even blink an eye as a sharp report sounds, and her head slams backwards. Then it slams forward again, face pressed against the glass as the hole between her eyes starts to heal, smile too wide to possibly be real, laughter sounding through the entire car.

There's several more shots fired, into her head and central body mass, leaving a number of holes and launching her backward to slump onto the ground as the motor is turned into a quick reverse and the vehicle spins, taking off rapidly.

"My apologies, Sir, Mistress." Duncan says from the drivers seat, note of faint contrition in his tone. "I'm rather afraid that the windshield shall have to be replaced."

"Bah. It will be deducted from your salary, naturally." The husband grumps.

"Though I do think that there might be a bonus involved for quick thinking, don't you?" Rebecca counters, and isn't denied.

"Of course. Very good, Sir, madam. We will arrive at the estate once more, shortly." Duncan says, turning his attention to driving.

You can't help it.

You look out the rear window.

Flandre is, of course, not lying in a heap on the ground. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like she's interested in continuing the game any further, either. She's just standing in place, cheerily waving goodbye.

No. Not a goodbye.

See you again. Both an implicit promise, and threat.

Your phone is still singing out with tones of Mozart, and you realize your knuckles are white around it. It might take a little work to put the damn thing down, after all this.

---

5:40 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Thank your saviors.
[x] Damage assessment on Ancelin, Chen, and Hatate.
[x] Flandre's owner could be Sara, or it could be someone else. If it is Sara, though, put her even lower on your shit list.

If it is Sara, I guess she's still obsessed with cutting out our guts and sacrificing us to Yukari. How grand.

>>45154
>*Serah

[x] Thank your saviors. You owe them a limb or two now.
[x] Damage assessment on Ancelin, Chen, and Hatate. Then you.
[x] After you calm down and everyone is ok, see what Rebecca had in mind when she called you.
[x] Consider buying a another shotgun, or better yet, a water shotgun.

>>45154
Remember what Flandre said?

>"Miss wants to break you. At the right time. And the right place."

It's Serah alright. What other psycho would want us dead like this?

[x] Thank your saviors.
[x] Damage assessment on Ancelin, Chen, and Hatate.
[x] Flandre's owner... It has to be Serah, isn't it? Who else could be the 'Miss' she mentionned?

And damn, even headshots don't work? We'll need a big water gun or a flame-thrower or something. What the hell did Serah do to get that kind of crazy regen on a Flandre?

He's going to become a were-yukkuri now, isn't he?

it could be that belief thing again. Like serah thought that by killing some schmoe in a ritual she'd get beauty and weird powers. And considering that yukkuri are concentrated belief and faith. If Flandre believes she can't be killed then perhaps she Can't be killed.

[x] Thank your saviors. You owe them a limb or two now.
[x] Damage assessment on Ancelin, Chen, and Hatate. Then you.
[x] After you calm down and everyone is ok, see what Rebecca had in mind when she called you.

This vote assumes John is going to be calm enough to get it all done, but getting attacked by a powerful regenerating crazy yukkuri with a sword seems par for the course for poor John.

>"Mister is lots of fun!" She chirps. "Miss wants you for her own thing. But Maybe Mister is too fun to break? Flandre will see~" She purrs, and pain.
The voice was right. Seduction is a viable response to all yukkuri threats.

>>45157

Please, let's not start assuming things about Serah. She might not hesitate in killing John, but that she actively wishes his death.

Besides, anyone could be Flandre's owner. Serah wasn't the only one in that event, and according to the Queen, there are other people who wants John dead. We should have waited for Serah to spin the wheel too, instead of waiting just for Jack.

[x] Thank your saviors. You owe them a limb or two now.
[x] Damage assessment on Ancelin, Chen, and Hatate. Then you.
[x] After you calm down and everyone is ok, see what Rebecca had in mind when she called you.
[x] Consider buying a another shotgun, or better yet, a water shotgun.
[x] Tomorrow might be a good day to visit Shinji's place. His business suddenly became much more legit.

By the way, what was Rebecca's husband's name?

>>45198

If I remember correctly, no. He wasn't named. Or at least John didn't inquired his name at the cafe nor Rebecca said his name other than typical husband titles.

Do we need to start carrying water balloons?

>>45277
Like John could hit anything dangerous with them. Give Ancelin some, maybe.

"... Thank you." You wheeze, heartrate slowly lowering and adrenaline fading enough for you to grasp exactly how insane everything that just happened is. You slowly work your fingers, and eventually loosen your death-grip on the phone enough to set it down. After flexing them a few times, you turn it off, cutting off the melody of Mozart.

Duncan seems to take his cue from this, and taps a button on the dashboard. Beethoven begins, one of his waltzes, you think. Swell guy, that Duncan.

"I might owe you a limb or two, things were starting to get a little..."

"Oh, think nothing of it, dear." Rebecca says cheerily. Her husband, by contrast, has an expression on his face that looks like he wouldn't mind trying to collect that debt, but after a moment he simply grumbles and doesn't push the issue. What was his name? She mentioned it in passing, all of once. You remember she did, and it wasn't that long ago... Ed? Yes, Edward.

You take a moment to check injuries.

Ancelin is a little cut up, but most of the damage seems fairly superficial. The gashes to her palms are the worst of it, the rest is... well, it looks bad, but she doesn't seem to pay it any heed. The blade managed to get through the skin, but for the most part, it didn't manage to go any deeper, and there's no more than a couple of places where a short stretch is peeled back and away from the flesh beneath, instead of simple gashes. She seems to have stopped oozing, as well. Just needs a needle and thread, to put the rest back to rights?

You're pretty sure that you heard a crunching noise when you landed on her, but you can't find any evidence of broken bones. Maybe cracked a little. Maybe she took a moment to force them back into place?

... Well, no matter what happened then, you can't find anything else wrong with her aside from the surface wounds.

You take a couple deep breaths, then inspect Chen.

She's not so well off, but not heavily injured, either. She's been clawed open, along her side and belly and back, and there's a raking pattern of gashes matching that Flandre's handspan across her face, but it looks like it just barely missed her eyes. And while she's been opened up, she doesn't seem to be leaking. You're given to understand that a Chen's interior is mostly liquid, something like a very thick syrup of chocolate. Sort of the thing that gushes from a fondue fountain. Chen's inside, however, is... thicker? More solid. Much more, somehow, and yet still remaining flexible. There's furrowed trails through it where the claws went, and a little bit that's lost cohesion and started filling in those places and leaking out to stain her fur and, oh dear, the carpet. You hope Rebecca won't be upset about that. The rest, however, seems to be remaining right where it should be.

Hatate isn't injured at all.

Not physically, anyway. Pale, stiff, and wide-eyed, she's obviously been hit with some kind of trauma from the Flandre's attack. You gues, since it's a predator, that's to be expected... She doesn't object and start to panic until you've held her out at arm's length to look her over, and only calms down to some degree once she's closer.

As for you...

Well, you've lost a fair bit of blood. This shirt is fairly ruined. Pressure to the wound seems to have slackened it to just a trickle, though, and you're thankful that she didn't bite right into or through the jugular. Even so, you're a little dizzy, feel a bit of vertigo even sitting still, and your limbs feel weak.

But you'll survive, and all that blood, whether spilled or drunk, will come back sooner or later. It probably looks worse than it is. You hope it is, anyway, because the entire side of your shirt, on the front, is glistening with red.

That Flandre... it had to be Serah's, right? With all of the 'wants you dead, but specifics' things that it had said about 'Miss'. That just had to be Serah. You aren't sure how you would feel about another crazy woman with such similar plans.

Though you're both unhappy and relieved, to some degree. She wants you dead? Sure. But she only wants you dead at the right time and place. Which means, until those are set up right, she needs you to stay alive.

Not neccessarily in good condition, of course, which is the sticking point, and probably why the Flandre got to have her fun, but in the end, didn't seem to have ended up finishing anyone off even though it could have just taken your head clean off with that sword, instead of helping herself to a bite to drink. Actually killing you would have gotten her into trouble. Aside from you, not one involved took wounds that could be considered dangerous. That can't have been an accident, can it?

She should have died, though.

If not at any point before, then being shot properly in the head like that should have killed her. Some sort of quirk of Belief, or just an outright beneficial mutation, putting her regeneration rate through the roof? After all, they can't all heal that fast, right? You're pretty sure it would be worthy of note, if all Flandre were so... so damned unkillable.

But it brings up the uncomfortable conclusion that, most likely, she's not the only one who wants you dead. And, most likely, whoever this other person, or persons, if your luck is truly foul of late, are, they won't be half as specific about the wheres, whens, and hows of it.

Your vision went grey at the edges, there, just for a moment. No. Not passing out now.

"I think you'll need bandages, dear." Rebecca said, peering thoughtfully at your shoulder and frowning.

No kidding.

"Yeah, I probably do. But, this... misfortune, aside." You say, trying to put your words in proper order. "You had some reason for calling me, right?"

"Ah, yes." Rebecca says, seeming startled for a moment. She pats herself down and, after a breif search, displays a short card.

.... It looks like a short note, an invitation to be at a certain time and a certain place, soon. Tonight, in fact. The card is purple, and there's a post-script that she should feel free to bring along a guest of her choice.

She got an invitation to a new Game of some sort.

All you got was a warning that people wanted you dead.

You guess that might qualify, if you squinted and turned your head, as your own private game, but you can't help but feel a little put out over the whole thing.

"I had hoped to discuss this with you over tea, dear." Rebecca begins, as the vehicle pulls to a halt on the manor grounds.

"We have arrived." Duncan interrupts, as though it needed the proclamation.

---

6:05 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Game, huh? You can't really be picky about it with your situation.
[x] You need to call Frank and inform him there's a Game tonight and that you'll probably come back fairly late and that shifts will probably have to be exchanged tomorrow.
-[x] Talking about the attack can wait until you see him in person, probably.
-[x] Also tell him all offers are good and he should go out just to do that tonight, unless it can wait tomorrow.

So, Frank will just deliver the yukkuris bought and return home immediately? We probably won't be in a state to do the morning shift tomorrow.

[x] Game, huh? You can't really be picky about it with your situation.
-[x] No other specific? Does it say if you can't go armed? If you have the chance, you could go fetch the shotgun in the cafe, and a backpack.
[x] First aid when possible.
[x] You need to call Frank and inform him there's a Game tonight and that you'll probably come back fairly late and that shifts will probably have to be exchanged tomorrow.
-[x] Talking about the attack can wait until you see him in person, probably.
-[x] Also tell him all offers are good and he should go out just to do that tonight, unless it can wait tomorrow.

Oh boy, another Game incoming! I was waiting for this!

[x] Game, huh? You can't really be picky about it with your situation.
-[x] No other specific? Does it say if you can't go armed? If you have the chance, you could go fetch the shotgun in the cafe, and a backpack.
[x] First aid when possible.
[x] You need to call Frank and inform him there's a Game tonight and that you'll probably come back fairly late and that shifts will probably have to be exchanged tomorrow.
-[x] Talking about the attack can wait until you see him in person, probably.
-[x] Also tell him all offers are good and he should go out just to do that tonight, unless it can wait tomorrow.

The new game, it won't update as fast as the first one, will it? With the lack of internet and all...

[x]Game? Sure. You wouldn't be surprised if Yukari didn't send you an invite knowing full well Rebecca would use her guest pass on you.
-[x]Did the invite come with any additional details?
-[x]Shotguns are a little too... conspicuous. If additional armaments would be wise, go for something more concealable, like a taser or something.
[x]First Aid, etc.
[x]Call Frank and let him know what's going on.

It's not like you can be picky... that is, you can't really say 'no' to the prospect of another game, especially if there's possible Money on the table.

You wobble a bit as a slight bout of dizziness hits, leaving the car, as a different butler inspects the windshield with a grim look on his face. It's enough of a cue for Ancelin to step up behind you and heave you up into a bridal carry before you think to resist.

"Hey... no, I'm fine!" You complain, waving an arm irritably.

"I somehow doubt this is the case." Duncan says dryly. "The young sir has lost something of a large volume of blood."

"I can still walk on my own." You manage.

Ancelin makes a noise deep in her throat, something like acknowledgement. She does not, however, put you down.

The party, such as it is, adjourns to a small chamber with a few shelves of books lining the wall. The current occupant looks up, curiously and speculatively, at you for a few long moments. There's some level of interest, but then, just as you place the name of her type, the Patchouli dismisses the proceedings as less important than the book in her hands and returns to slowly... either reading it, or staring in intense fascination at the words, you can't tell.

At some point, it seems a maid has discreetly placed a small dish for Chen to lap orange juice out of, a sewing kit which Ancelin is making use of to repair her skin, and it seems that a large syringe has found itself in your arm, injecting some quantity of fresh blood. The maid holding it politely bows after its extraction, just a little, as your head clears and things come back into proper focus, you hadn't even noticed how fuzzy everything was, and sets it aside to remove the tourniquet from her own arm, as a second has carefully sliced away your shirt and begun smearing some manner of ointment on the bite wound, preparing to wrap it with bandages.

"I'm afraid you blacked out for a moment there, dear. It was a little alarming." Rebecca explains, as Edward studiously ignores you both, puffing on a cigar. He waves Duncan over.

"You know how I prefer my tea, lad." He grunts.

"Quite. I shall splash a few drops into a glass of bourbon directly, sir."

"Good lad." Edward grunts.

"Right, right." You mutter. "Bring a guest? No other specifics, like... saying I can't go and pick up a shotgun and a large sack in advance, this time?"

"No, though I somehow doubt that the matter would be identical to the previous." she points out.

"In any case, while the sentiment is likely much appreciated, the young sir might find such plans to be... less than discreet, perhaps?" Duncan says, waiting until it is clear Rebecca is not continuing before voicing his opinion. "If I may be so forward, however, it might be the case that an easily concealable automatic pistol, fully loaded, might be lent out of a night?"

"Oh, I'm not sure that is entirely necessary, Duncan."

"It is the ladies prerogative to determine what is and is not suitable in her defense, naturally. But it may be that the young sir is, himself, somewhat wary of potential threats to life and limb at the moment, and as a comfort...?"

... Much as you would like to say otherwise, and even with its demonstrated ineffectiveness against a certain specific target, you can't help but admit that you would feel a lot better with any sort of weapon on your person.

"I'll have to call my partner, of c-" you say, before being interrupted by your pocket singing out. You slowly answer it.

It's Frank. How convenient.

"Hey, 'sup Johnny. Just, uh... calling to tell you that there's some weird stuff going on, and I'm closing up shop a bit early, since there doesn't seem to be any business here at the moment."

"No, actually, your timing is bizarrely good... closing up? What weird stuff, Frank?"

"Hold on, I'll send you a picture. Jeeze, it's gonna be a bitch to clean before heading back..."

He hangs up.

You stare at your phone for a long moment before it buzzes again, and you check it to see that it's displaying a photograph of... the back-room ceiling of the cafe.

There's a lot of words written there. In something red, and dripping.

'Help me.' 'Please die.' 'Save me.' 'Kill me.' 'I didn't want to do this.' 'I'm sorry.' 'It's not my fault.' 'I'm sorry.' 'Die, damn you.'

.... And more, that you can't make out, all scrawled out over each other, occasionally marked through with more red streaks, underlined, or circled in a confusing mass.

You dial Frank again, and wait patiently until he picks up.

"What the fuck." You say flatly.

"I know, right?" Frank says, good cheer seeming to be stretched a bit thin. "I mean... no offense here, Johnny, you know I love you and all man, but I'm really hoping someone messed up scheduling things and this was meant for you."

"What the fuck." You repeat yourself. "Is that blood, there, spilled all over the ceiling, Frank?"

"Yeah. You, uh, understand that the girls are kinda spooked." He says. "Tell the truth, I'm kinda freaked myself. But yeah. Blood."

"Blood smeared all over my ceiling. How did it get there?" You snap.

"Dunno. I was even in here when it happened, just taking a moment to step to the staff facilities, you know? Look up, nothing. Look up again, bam, not two seconds later and suddenly there's that shit scrawled all over the place and dripping down."

"God damn it." You groan. "It's not haunted or anything, is it? That would be just the cap on my day, finding out that the cafe is haunted."

"Man, how the hell am I supposed to know something like that?" Frank grumbles. "Haunted or not, this is all I know. Blood out of nowhere, kinda disturbing stuff to read, dripping all over the damn floor..."

"Yes, I understand, that could be a problem." You say, taking a deep, long breath. ".... In any case, I've considered it, and those sales have my approval. Go ahead with all of them."

"Dude, what, is now really the time to talk business?"

"Do you have a better time to talk business available?"

"I dunno, for one, when the ceiling is not dripping with fucking blood for one, maybe?"

"Mysterious blood is neither here nor there. I needed to tell you that I'd decided on selling, and you called right when I was about to call you. Also, I'll probably be out late tonight, it seems that there's another matter. We will likely have to switch shifts tomorrow."

"Oh god." You can hear him groan. "Really? I gotta? God damn it, this isn't going to be a regular thing is it?"

"You seem more disturbed by this than the blood." You say, frowning.

"I'm not a... you know, a morning guy. Geeze. Clean up the blood and it's gone, but thiis is gonna be annoying. Well, if I gotta, I gotta, I guess..."

---

6:26 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Tell him it's because there's a new Game tonight. You aren't going to miss this, right?
[x] Well... One thing at a time. Tonight, Game. Tomorrow, a talk with the owner of the place to see if there's anything he may have 'forgotten' to mention.
[x] Accept the loan of the weapon. Better safe than sorry, right?

[x] Tell him it's because there's a new Game tonight. You aren't going to miss this, right?
[x] Well... One thing at a time. Tonight, Game. Tomorrow, a talk with the owner of the place to see if there's anything he may have 'forgotten' to mention.
[x] Accept the loan of the weapon. Better safe than sorry.

Some sort of mage is after us now too? I really hope it's just a ghost.

The second part of the vote might have to wait a few days because of how exhausting the game could be.

Can't wait for the new game, by the way. The first game was great.

[x] Tell him it's because there's a new Game tonight. You aren't going to miss this, right?
[x] Well... One thing at a time. Tonight, Game. Tomorrow, a talk with the owner of the place to see if there's anything he may have 'forgotten' to mention.
[x] Accept the loan of the weapon. Better safe than sorry.

Shit is getting waaay to serious, man. John needs to find a Hina and hope she removes any curses put on him.

Wait a second... If the place is haunted, does that mean the voice in our head is something from there clinging to us?

"It's a Game, Frank. One of those games."

"What. Like the Queen's thing? 'House of the dead, Extreme, No-Continues' Game?"

"Yeah, kind of like that one."

"No. Zombies." Frank says sternly.

"... Sorry, what?"

"No zombies. Two are plenty. Two are more than plenty, Johnny." Frank insists.

"You don't have a problem with the Yoshika?" You say, the statement turning into a question midway through.

"That's different. They're not real, just look like, pretend to be. And they're filled with rot. But they aren't, and this is the important bit, Johny, aren't actual corpses walking around the apartment and pretending to be alive."

There's a long moment of mildly awkward silence.

"Or laying on the bed. Or sitting on the couch." Frank continues. "Alyssa don't get out much. And she's a doll, really, I know that, sweet girl, it's just that she's a sweet dead girl, and that just sends this weird thing going along my spine, and it doesn't help that she's just, really, most of a sweet dead girl, and, fuck this, not going into it now. Just don't."

"I won't...?" You say hesitantly.

"No, I fucking mean it Johnny. You bring another zombie home, I don't care if they're nice people, doesn't matter if they're good conversation, or they gave you the puppy eyes and you couldn't just leave them there. You bring another zombie home, and I swear I will punch you in the fucking face."

"Noted." You say. ".... And I'll try?"

"In the fucking face, I mean it, geeze, why couldn't you bring back stray cats or dogs like a normal guy, or yu's, since that's the business..."

"I promise, Frank, I will do my best not to bring home another zombie, if it makes you that uncomfortable."

".... This is a really weird conversation, you know Johnny?"

"Yeah, it kind of is. I don't know. Talking about the Game?"

"Yeah, do that if you have to, if you die and leave me holding things together on my own, I will be pissed. If you die and come back to keep mostly running things, I think I'll still be pissed. Just... Zombies. No?"

"I'll keep it in mind."

"Yeah, that's good Johnny. You do that. Right, I'm gonna find a... a chair and a wet rag, and then see if that mop is any good. I'll do the rest once I get to it, can't leave the place like it is now. See you around, Johnny."

The call shuts off, and after a moment you close your phone, put it away, and then close your eyes while you pinch very hard at the bridge of your nose.

"It seems to have been an eventful day for everyone." Rebecca says, tone politely fascinated.

"Yeah, no kidding." You sigh. "Uh... Duncan, was it? I think I'll take the loan of that pistol. Just in case, and all."

"Very good, sir. I shall have it collected directly. I believe it is a custom piece of work, with only ten shots per clip, but more than reasonable stopping power. Unfortunately, I am afraid that ammunition is somewhat limited, so while it is lent fully loaded, I must advise that it be used sparingly, and only in need, as further bullets cannot be offered. As well, I might say... I strongly advise you do not lose the pistol, as I fear failure to return it would prompt delivery of a receipt and bill. I mean no offense by this, naturally..."

"It's just business." You finish for him.

"Quite." He agrees. "And if I may note, the young sir's tea has begun to cool?"

You look down to the small table. Indeed, there's a cup placed before you, filled with a no-longer-steaming liquid. You sip at it, and even at room temperature it is very good.

".... That's right." You recall in annoyance. "I asked Alice to make a stew before I left for a walk."

... You guess it'll keep, though?

---

6:32 PM

[ ] What do you do?

...There's no phone at the place, right? Then Frank can deal with it when he'll come back.

... Evolved Sakuya?

>"Alyssa don't get out much. And she's a doll, really, I know that, sweet girl, it's just that she's a sweet dead girl, and that just sends this weird thing going along my spine, and it doesn't help that she's just, really, most of a sweet dead girl, and, fuck this, not going into it now. Just don't."

Hahahaha, poor Frank. He's conflicted.

>>45379
>evolved Sakuya?

Uh? Where?

[x] Call home, and try to talk with Alice/Alyssa. Warn them that something showed up and you might have to spend the night out.
[x] Ask if you and Rebecca could also take a bag/backpack and a first aid kit.
[x] What about Chen-C and Ancelin? Will they stay for the night, or be taken back to your home?

[x] Call home for Alyssa. Tell her about the game and Flandre, but that there is no need to worry. She was there when you won the first game, after all.
[x] Ask if you and Rebecca could also take a bag/backpack and a first aid kit.
[x] See if it is possible for Ancelin and CHen to be driven home. If not, see if there is a map or computer to show a route back to the apartment.

Zombie Quest with Ancelin and Chen trying to find their way home, coming soon.

[x] Call home for Alyssa. Tell her about the game and Flandre, but that there is no need to worry. She was there when you won the first game, after all.
[x] Ask if you and Rebecca could also take a bag/backpack and a first aid kit.
[x] See if it is possible for Ancelin and CHen to be driven home. If not, see if there is a map or computer to show a route back to the apartment.

[x] Call home, and try to talk with Alice/Alyssa. Warn them that something showed up and you might have to spend the night out.
[x] Ask if you and Rebecca could also take a bag/backpack and a first aid kit.
[x] See if it is possible for Ancelin and CHen to be driven home. If not, see if there is a map or computer to show a route back to the apartment.

Zombie Quest does indeed sound like a good idea, though it would likely be from Chen's perspective, sadly.

[x] Call home, and try to talk with Alice/Alyssa. Warn them that something showed up and you might have to spend the night out.
[x] Ask if you and Rebecca could also take a bag/backpack and a first aid kit.
[x] See if it is possible for Ancelin and Chen to be driven home. If not, see if there is a map or computer to show a route back to the apartment.
[x] If this custom gun is precious/valuable, wouldn't it be better to borrow a commom handgun? If anything happens, they won't be losing much (and you won't have to repay much either).

Why would they lend a customized weapon, with expensive bullets, instead of a normal weapon? If they consider it expensive, I can't even imagine what this gun is like.

>>45428
That's... That's actually a good question.

You know, I'm kind of getting worried about Ancelin. As a zombie, it's obvious that her body won't heal itself like a living creature would, which brings up the question of what will happen as she accumulates more and more damage. What will she do, and what will we do, when she is more stitches than skin; when her bones have shattered and joints are all twisted out of place? I have no idea if we can, but somehow learning necromancy is the only long-term way to keep her intact.

No idea what the new game is about or where it's taking place, but if by some circumstance the library of some mage is nearby, it would be well worth the effort to investigate.

>>45431
Only possibility will be to ask Yukari. Unless there's a necromancer in the City. But then, would you trust such a person to not try to keep Ancelin?

You should call home, and let someone there know about the change of plans.

You really should.

... You really should have thought about a home phone at some point. Sure, your cell is all you really need, and Frank has his, but it makes getting in touch with the apartment, when you're both out, a bit problematic.

"Do you think that it will be possible to bring a... a first aid kit, back pack, sort of things along?" You ask, as the Patchouli rises from its seat, moving over to the shelves to replace her current reading material and select another book before returning. "And, if it's possible, could some sort of transportation be arranged for these girls here, if we need to leave immediately?"

"Oh, I think we might have a few minutes, yet. But I don't think either will be a problem, dear." Rebecca says.

Duncan nods at the door, and a younger butler enters, with a pistol and holster.

It's large and blocky. There's a fairly big hole, where the bullets come out, you note as Duncan waves it over to you. As small arms go, this is definitely a Big Gun.

"Customization included measures to minimize recoil. However, it still has... something of a kick, as I recall." He explains.

Yeah, no kidding.

Why are they giving you something like this, instead of just...

You glance for just a moment at Rebecca, and barely manage to catch the Butler's slight eye-quirk.

Ah.

So, that's it. Hauling around a shotgun or combat rifle or anything of the like wouldn't be proper and seemly. Or something. In any case, all that Rebecca will approve of, before seeing proof that it's necessary, is something easily concealable, that won't raise eyebrows.

But at the same time, her husband and the staff have a vested interest in keeping her safe, so while a pistol it will be, it will be a monster of a pistol that will absolutely ruin someone's day.

"At the moment, I have foregone armor piercing rounds as unlikely to be required, and have instead had it loaded with hollow-tipped ammunition. I am given to understand that these deform and expand upon initial penetration, leaving rather gruesome exit wounds. As I have said before, I advise conservation of ammunition, however I suspect that, if it is needed, you will not be required to fire more than one bullet."

"Yeah, I'll bet..."

You're not really sure, but you wouldn't be surprised if you could drop an elephant with this thing.

"Another cup, dear, before we leave?" Rebecca asks.

---

6:41 PM

[ ] What do you do?

[x] Why not?
[x] While you're hesitant to ask this in front of staff and husband, will Rebecca be able to run if it's needed?

Yeah... How does one suggest in front of all of them that she should wear something light in case running is necessary?

Anyway, Frank will take care of our home and inform Alice. Not that there's any other choice here.

>But at the same time, her husband and the staff have a vested interest in keeping her safe, so while a pistol it will be, it will be a monster of a pistol that will absolutely ruin someone's day.

That's a perfectly sound reasoning.

[x] Why not?
[x] While you're hesitant to ask this in front of staff and husband, will Rebecca be able to run if it's needed?
-[x] Of course, it shouldn't be needed, since you're armed, but there's always the chance the undead horde will be too large for a single gun. If there will be zombies agian, that is. Might be dragons now.
[x] Get ready and leave.

I think the pistol might be named, even.

[x]More tea can't hurt.
[x]While you doubt Yukari would reuse the same scenario so soon, she might still pull out something that could require quick movement, not to mention your winged playmate is still on the loose. If Rebecca isn't confidant in her ability to run around in her current attire, it may be prudent to swap to something with a bit more mobility to it.

[x] Why not?
[x] Mental note: bring Yukari along next time.

Being caught up in the middle of things is always more interesting than hearing about them afterwards.

Next thread: >>45438

I await howls of fury. Yukari is having all manner of fun.