Insist on staying with the girl until she's safely at the hospital.

>>26810845
>[x] Insist on staying with the girl until she's safely at the hospital.

Long time no see ha!

>>26810845
Banzai a Quest thread after so long!
>[X] Insist on staying with the girl until she's safely at the hospital.
She may have been in the cultists place for a reason or seen/heard something, someone might catch word and try to silence her, best protect her.

>[] Insist on staying with the girl until she's safely at the hospital.
might as well

Thankers are wankers. Do the right thing.

>>26810845
>Fergus Ferguson

His parents weren't the fancy type for names were they?

Tonight's magic number is 3, by the way. See the pastebin in the OP if you don't know what that means.

>>26810952
Where I can't see it?

>>26811054
Ah, it's under the dice system link. I guess I ought to make the label for that one a bit more explicit, huh?

>>26811074
Ah got it

>>26810845
[x] Insist on staying with the girl until she's safely at the hospital.
Uh, duh.

>>26810845
"If it's all the same to you, captain, I'd prefer to stick with the girl until she reaches the hospital. I hate to leave a job unfinished, y'know?"

"Perfectly fine, sir, perfectly fine! Whatever puts your mind at ease!"

The girls don't say anything, but you notice Ami and Mami exchange a glance, looking somewhat irritated.

A pair of guardsmen gingerly lift the girl's stretcher off the cart bed and carry it over to an open area out of the flow of traffic. Once she's out of the cart, Fergus turns to say farewell.

"Reckon this is where we part, then. Pleasure meetin' y'all. Gods be with ye."

You take the hand he offers you and shake it firmly. "A pleasure meeting you as well, Fergus..."

>[] "Thanks so much for the ride. Gods be with you."
>[] "I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."

>Also...
>[] Tell the girls they're free to go on ahead if they want; they don't need to stay and help you escort the injured girl.
>[] Have all the girls stay.

>>26811269
>[X] "I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."
and
>[X] Have all the girls stay.

>>26811269
Pay the man. Keep the group together. Seems simple enough.

>>26811269
>[x] "I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."

>>26811269
[x] "Thanks so much for the ride. Gods be with you."
Doubt he was motivated by the thought of spare change.

[x] Tell the girls they're free to go on ahead if they want; they don't need to stay and help you escort the injured girl.
They, on the other hand, probably just want a bath. Maybe ask them to wait for us to get back before informing them of our horrible tale of pain and suffering?

>>26811350
Well it's nice to give him something back

And splitting the party is a bad idea

>>26811269
>[X] "I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."
He'll probably turn it down, but we can at least offer
>[X] Have all the girls stay.
No leaving until all objectives are cleared, plus if they get to the Guild Hall before us they might get loose lips and complicate things.

>[] "I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."

and
>[] Tell the girls they're free to go on ahead if they want; they don't need to stay and help you escort the injured girl.
they've been through alot

>>26811269
"I can't thank you enough for the ride. Please, let me give you a little coin, it's the least I can do."

As you're reaching for your pursestrings, however, Fergus dismisses your offer with a lazy wave of his hand. "Aw, now, ain't no need fer that. We're all kin, ain't we? 'S what they say at th' Mother's House, right?"

"You're sure? Because, really, I'd feel bad leaving your kindness go unrewarded."

"Pshaw, y'alls company were reward enough fer me."

"Really, it's no problem--"

"Naw, I mean it! If yer fixin' to lighten yer purse on account o' me, spend it fer a poor soul what *really* needs it." He nods past you in the direction the guards are carrying the girl.

Retightening your purse strings, you relent. "Fair enough, Fergus. You're a good man."

Fergus gives you a wide grin, full of missing teeth. "Nah, I ain't nothin' special. Basic hum'n decency is all it is. Y'all take care now, alright?"

"You too, Fergus. Gods be with you."

The girls echo your words with their own farewells as Fergus climbs up into the driver's seat and heads onward into the city, waving back at you as he goes. Once he's gone, you settle in by the girl on the stretcher to wait for the representatives from the Mother's House. Yukiho, Haruka, and Miki join you readily, but Ami and Mami drag their feet a little. After a few minutes of fidgeting, Ami turns to you.

"Hey, Nii-chan, can we--"

"No, Ami. No leaving til the job is finished. It won't be long now, just be patient."

>cont

>>26810845
By the way, here's session 20, as suptg didn't archive it:
https://archive.foolz.us/tg/thread/26415781/

>>26811688
What are you on about? Suptg has it.

>>26811737
Oh, you're right. It's just mixed into the middle of the list for some reason.

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>>26811660
The twins sulk a bit, but they stay put.
After about twenty minutes, the runner returns with three acolytes from the Mother's House. After a quick inspection of the girl and a few questions about her circumstances and condition, they pick up the stretcher and head off for the hospital, escorted by a member of the city guard to ensure clear passage through the crowds. You and the girls follow closely.

You make it to the hospital without incident, and soon the girl is safely on a bed, nurses fussing about her, checking her condition and arranging for her to get cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes. As you watch the nurses at work and look around at the other patients in the nearby beds, you remember Fergus's words.

>Would you like to give a donation to the hospital for the girl's expenses? If so, specify how much.
>As a reminder of scale as far as money goes, 1-2 silver pieces is about the going price for a decent fully-prepared meal, including paying the cook for preparing it. Tools and supplies tend to be in the range of a bronze piece (sometimes even less) to a silver piece for simple things based on cheaper materials, with items that are more complex, higher quality, or made using more costly materials like good steel ranging up to 20 sp or possibly more. Magical and more advanced alchemical equipment typically runs on the order of tens of sp. Coinage guide attached for reference.

>>26811979
[x] Ask someone how much it would cost them to care for her for a week. Donate that.

>>26811979
Ask Ami and Mami, they seem like they know something about he hospital from their attitudes. Barring that, maybe 10 or so for a week of care?

>>26812178
OH FUCK THEIR PARENTS ARE DOCTORS

>>26811979
Pulling aside a nurse, you ask how much it would cost to care for the girl for a week, and find it would be about 10 sp, given that the worst of the girl's injuries have already been healed by Haruka's magic.

"Use this for her, then," you say, placing that many coins into the nurse's hand. She thanks you kindly for your generosity.

Your business at the hospital taken care of, you make to leave.

>Roll me a d20

Rolled 12

>>26812443
Rollin

Rolled 14

>>26812443

Rolled 13

>>26812443
Big money

Rolled 16

>>26812443
Here we go

>>26812443
dice+1d20

>>26812443
>>26812493
You make your way out of the hospital and back to the guildhall.

As you enter the guildhall, the puchi perched contentedly atop Miki's head, you're welcomed with a torrent of cheerful greetings.

"Ah, welcome back, Producer!"
"How did it go?"
And, from Ritsuko's desk in the back:

"Oh gods, not another one!"

From the corner of the guildhall, you hear a voice cry, "Ka-ka!"

>[] "Well, hello to you too, Ritsuko!"
>[] "Wait, what do you mean another one?"
>[] Ignore Ritsuko, find source of strange cry

>>26812597
>"Well, hello to you too, Ritsuko!"

>>26812597
> "Well, hello to you too, Ritsuko!"

>>26812597
[x] "Wait, what do you mean another one?"
HA HA TIME FOR SHENANIGANS

>>26812597
> [X] "Well, hello to you too, Ritsuko!"
Why not, eh? This is gonna be good.

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>>26812597
"Well, hello to you too, Ritsuko!"

"No, no, no! Get it out! We're not having ANOTHER one of those things in here!"

"Oh, I'm a 'thing' now, am I? Gee, Ritsuko, don't you think that's going a little bit far for playful teasing?"

"Not you, that! That, that THING on Miki's head!"

>[] "Oh, that? What's so bad about it? And what do you mean 'another'?"
>[] "What, you mean the puchi? And what do you mean, 'another'?"
>[] "Now, Ritsuko, I'll agree that Miki can wind up with some pretty wild bedhead, but calling her hair a 'thing' is rather cruel. And what do you mean, 'another'?"

>>26812930
[x] "Now, Ritsuko, I'll agree that Miki can wind up with some pretty wild bedhead, but calling her hair a 'thing' is rather cruel. And what do you mean, 'another'?"

can't resist teasing miki
will regret it
don't care

>>26812930
>[] "Now, Ritsuko, I'll agree that Miki can wind up with some pretty wild bedhead, but calling her hair a 'thing' is rather cruel. And what do you mean, 'another'?"
No stopping now.

>>26812930
>>[] "Now, Ritsuko, I'll agree that Miki can wind up with some pretty wild bedhead, but calling her hair a 'thing' is rather cruel. And what do you mean, 'another'?"

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>>26812930
"Now, Ritsuko, I'll agree that Miki can wind up with some pretty wild bedhead, but calling her hair a 'thing' is rather cruel." You hear Miki protest behind you, but you forge onward. "And what do you mean, 'another'? Another what? Did we get a new recruit who also has crazy bedhead?"

You hear that cry again. "Ka-ka!"
Around the corner from the kitchen hops a funny little creature, crouched on its haunches. It's similar in general appearance to the puchi on Miki's head. This one, however, is the spitting image of Haruka, right down to the ribbons.

"Ka-ka!" it says.

"That. Another one of those," Ritsuko says, pointing at the creature.

>[] "Oh, that? It's just a puchi. Perfectly harmless -- in fact, I hear they're good luck!"
>[] Pretend that you can't see it and have no idea what she's talking about.

>>26813397
>[x] "Oh, that? It's just a puchi. Perfectly harmless -- in fact, I hear they're good luck!"
No use in lying to her.

>>26813397

>>[] Pretend that you can't see it and have no idea what she's talking about.

Keep teasing the Ritsuko

>>26813397
[x] "Oh, that? It's just a puchi. Perfectly harmless -- in fact, I hear they're good luck!"
Let's not go FULL crazy on her yet.

>>26813397
>[X] Pretend that you can't see it and have no idea what she's talking about.
I don't see how this can end poorly, unless someone ruins the fun.

>Enough fun has been had for now
>>26813413
>>26813430

>NO BRAKES ON THE TEASING TRAIN
>>26813423
>>26813489


Any tiebreakers?

>>26813397

>>[] Pretend that you can't see it and have no idea what she's talking about.

TEASE

>>26813614
>Enough fun has been had for now
I feel like continued teasing is going to backfire on us once that other thing leaps in our direction.

>>26813664
>>26813651
Goddamn it...

>>26813614
NO BREAKS.

>>26813614
>Enough fun for now

Lets give poor Ritsuko a break

>>26813397
You cock your head at Ritsuko and raise an eyebrow. "Ritsuko, are you alright? Did you hit your head while I was out or something?"

You hear stifled giggles from around the room as Ritsuko splutters incoherently for a moment before responding. "What are you talking about? It's right there! That thing right in front of you!"

"Ritsuko, I hate to break it to you, but..."

"There's nothing there!" Ami chimes in.
"Yeah, Ricchan, maybe you need new glasses or something?" Mami adds.

"Like hell I do! Knock it off! I know you can see it! Haruka, you see it, right?"

"N-nope. Nothing there," she says, barely restraining a giggle.

"Ka-ka!", the puchi says, inching toward you.

"Oh come on, you're obviously messing with me!"

"Ritsuko, are you tired? Maybe we should take a nap together, nano~," Miki says.

"Mou!" Ritsuko's frustrated exclamation cuts over the growing volume of barely-suppressed giggling. "Whatever! It's not like you'll be able to keep this up forever!"

As if to prove her point, the puchi before you launches itself into the air with an enthusiastic "Ka-ka!", arcing toward your head in a prodigious leap. It latches onto you with its oversized mouth, sealing your head from crown to eyebrows in a slobbery embrace. Your vision is all but completely osbscured by its body in front of your face.

>[] Okay, enough fun for now, let's get this thing off
>[] THE JOKE MUST GO ON

>Roll

Rolled 12

>>26814020

>[] THE JOKE MUST GO ON

The extra mile for a good joke.

Rolled 1

>>26814020
I suggested we stop earlier but fuck it.
>[X] THE JOKE MUST GO ON

Rolled 10

>>26814020
>[] THE JOKE MUST GO ON
WE CAN'T STOP

Rolled 14

>>26814020
[x] THE JOKE MUST GO ON
DIG DEEP
DIG GREEDILY

>come back from dinner
DEAR GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING GUYS

>>26814020
>>26814086
"Keep what up?" you ask, your voice muffled by the puchi's body. You're partly thankful for the fact that the critter is covering your face, since it helps conceal the fact that you yourself can barely avoid grinning at this point. But on the other hand, you really wish you could see Ritsuko's face at this point.

"No. No way. It's not possible. I'm not going crazy, am I?"

"Face the facts, Ritsuko, you're the only one who sees something weird here," you say around the clinging puchi. You feel a sucking sensation at your scalp.

"Chihaya, you were there when we found it. Please, back me up here."

"I don- *fufu* don't know what you're talking about," Chihaya says, giggling. You're a little surprised that even she's playing along, given your past encounter with her.

"IT'S RIGHT THERE! IT'S ON HIS FACE!" You imagine Ritsuko's face must be a truly wonderful shade of beet red at this point. A shame you can't see it.

You feel the puchi's mouth sliding even further back on your head. Just how big can it stretch, anyway?

"Ritsuko, the only thing on my face right now is my glasses."

"You, you, it, that, but--"

"Ka-ka!" The puchi's cries carry through your skull to reach your ears. It's a rather bizarre sensation.

"You know, being out on the road all day has made me thirsty," you say as you unhook your waterskin from your pack and raise it to your lips.

"WAIT! PRODUCER, NO!" Ritsuko screams.

>>26814340
HAVING FUN.

>>26814367
Oh dear god this can't end well

>>26814367
CAN'T STOP THE JOKE TRAIN

>>26814367
Ah well we probably deserve what is about to happen.

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>>26814367
As you tip back your face and pour water into your mouth -- or rather, over the creature covering your mouth -- you feel an odd sort of quivering sensation accompanied by strange squelching noise, followed by a faint pop and a soft thud as a small mass lands near your foot.

You hear the creature's voice cry, "Ka-ka!"

From your foot.

Then it happens again -- the quivering, squelching, popping, thudding. And again and again, in quick succession, dozens of times, happening more and more rapidly until it all blurs together into a boiling chaos of noise and motion. You feel creatures brushing and bumping against your feet and legs, swarming about you, some of them even landing on your shoulders and back. And still they keep coming.

Amidst the cacophany of countless cries of "Ka-ka!", you hear a clamor of concerned voices calling out to you from around the room.

>What do?
>Roll it

Rolled 18

>>26814526

I cannot stop laughing.

>Remove kaka from face

Rolled 6

>>26814526
Do not falter in your act, keep it together!

Rolled 8

>>26814526
Mother of god...what have we done.

Gotta catch them all before they overrun us

Rolled 14

>>26814526
[x] laugh madly, continue pouring water

>>26814526
>>26814583
At this point you figure enough is enough. In fact, perhaps more than enough. You stopper your waterskin and return it to your pack, then proceed to pry the puchi off your head. It takes a surprising amount of effort, given the thing's size, but finally you manage to pull it free with a wet pop.

Finally able to see clearly again, you find the room filled with dozens, perhaps hundreds of identical copies of the critter, swarming the guildhall. It's a scene of complete pandemonium, everyone panicking as they attempt to fend off the swarm.

You have to do something about this...but what?

>[] Attempt to herd the swarm into one spot
>[] Draw steel, cull their numbers

>>26814856
Oh, and also roll.

Rolled 3

>>26814856
[x] Attempt to herd the swarm into one spot
GIT ALONG LITTLE DOGGIES
>draw steel
how about no

Rolled 18

>>26814856
>[X] Attempt to herd the swarm into one spot
Perhaps some food would work? It's not after midnight so we should be safe.

Rolled 4

>>26814856
>[] Attempt to herd the swarm into one spot

>>26814904
Hey alright.

>>26814904
>4
Noice.

>>26814856
>[X] Attempt to herd the swarm into one spot
With as minimal collateral damage if possible.
>4
Things are looking up.

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>>26814856
>>26814904
You begin trying to herd the swarm into one spot, kicking over their heads and stomping the ground to spook them. You're not entirely sure what you'll do with them once you've got them all gathered up, but it seems like a good first step. As you go, you recruit the others to help.

At first you try to herd them into the courtyard, but they refuse to go there for some reason. After awhile you realize that they prefer to avoid the sunlight, even staying away from the spots where it comes through the windows. Changing tack, you start herding them down the hallway instead. The doors to the offices and storerooms are closed, so it makes for a convenient bottleneck.

Eventually, you actually manage to get them all together. The only problem is, you still have a swarm of rambunctious, Haruka-resembling puchis running about.

As you ponder what to do with them while catching those that try to break away, suddenly a crackling beam of golden light shoots down the hallway from behind you, leaving the puchis stock-still in stunned silence. Whirling to see where that came from, you find Ritsuko, standing there behind you surrounded by a golden aura of sparking luminous energy, glowering at the swarm with a glare that could reduce a hardened soldier to a quivering wreck.

"Back. Now," she orders the swarm, gesturing sharply for emphasis.
To your astonishment, the puchis comply, first lining up in orderly rows, then merging into one in the blink of an eye.

>Response?

>>26815174
[x] Applause.

>>26815174
"...what just happened?"

>>26815174
Sasuga Ritsuko-san

>>26815174
"What did you just do?"

>>26815174
Praise the sun.

>>26815174
You stare dumbfounded at the puchi (now singular once more), then at Ritsuko. Then back at the puchi, then at Ritsuko.

"What just happened?", you ask.

"I made them go back," Ritsuko answers matter-of-factly, her aura of light now fading rapidly.

"But...how?"

"You just need to be authoritative. Well, and a little bit of the right sort of magic helps."

"Huh...but how did there get to be so many of them all of a sudden?"

"Because you poured water all over it, you dolt!" She smacks you upside the head.

"How was I supposed to know that would happen!"

"You walked in here with another one of those things! Hadn't you seen it happen with that one?"

"We followed a creek on the way here, and that one never multiplied when she jumped into it."

Ritsuko blinks at you, slightly surprised to hear this. "Really?"

"Really. Right, girls?", you ask, turning to your party from your most recent quest. They all nod vigorously.

"Odd..." Ritsuko looks at the puchi you brought back intently. "This one looks different, maybe different kinds multiply under different circumstances?"

"Or maybe only certain kinds multiply in the first place," you suggest. "We ended up getting a ride back here with a nice fellow who actually knew a bit about them, he said they all have different kinds of powers."

"Really?"

"Yep. He also said that they're good luck and helpful to have around, so long as you treat them well."

"Did he happen to mention what they were called?"

>cont

>>26815591
"Puchis, he said."

"Hey, speaking of what things are called," Haruka chimes in, "shouldn't we give these things names? I mean, it looks like we're going to be keeping them, right?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Ritsuko says. "I'd rather not have these things around tearing up the guildhall all the time. Just look at the mess that one left just now."

"Hm, yes, quite a mess indeed," you hear someone say behind you. A male voice, rich and deep, fairly jovial, one you don't recognize. You turn to see its owner, a man a bit past middle age, standing in the hall just outside the door marked "Chief Takagi", which is now open. "I was wondering what all the commotion was."

"Ah, C-Chief!" Ritsuko snaps to attention. "Y-you see, the thing is, we--"

"Hold on," the Chief interrupts. "Might this gentleman be our new Producer?"

"Yes, sir," you say, and introduce yourself.

"Good to finally meet you in person!" The Chief shakes your hand enthusiastically. "I'm Junjirou Takagi, the Chief here at 765Pro. I apologize for not meeting you sooner -- I've been rather busy these past few days. But, well, from what I hear, so have you! I'm glad to have such a hard-working fellow on board!"

Ritsuko clears her throat loudly, causing both you and the Chief to snap up and turn toward her. "Chief, there's actually a matter that we could really use your decision on. You see, we found these creatures recently, and--"

"Can we keep 'em?" Ami interrupts.

>cont

>>26815830
"Yeah, can we, Chief?" Mami adds. The twins look up at the Chief with plaintive expressions, each one clutching one of the puchis.

"Well...I don't see why not."

As the twins -- and several of the other girls, you notice -- cheer, Ritsuko protests. "But Chief, you see the chaos and damage they cause! Look at what happened just because we got a little water on one!"

"Well, so long as you make sure it stays dry, it shouldn't be a problem then, right? Just one of the things you need in mind to keep it safely, every sort of pet has a few!" He laughs cheerfully.

"But Chief! These aren't like ordinary pets! They'll run us to the poorhouse if we keep them!"

You decide to add your own voice to the debate. "Um, I'm not sure how much weight my opinion carries here just yet, but for what it's worth..."

>[] "I think Ritsuko's right."
>[] "I think we should keep them."

>>26815948
>[] "I think Ritsuko's ri
YEAH FUCKING RIGHT
>[x] "I think we should keep them."

>>26815948
>Lets make them our mascots

>>26815948
>[X] "I think we should keep them."
They make great helmets.

>>26815948
[x] "I think we should keep them."
They'll make good mascots, and at the very least they're good for morale.

>>26815948
>[] "I think we should keep them."
I mean I don't know why you only gave us one option but I guess I'll pick it anyway

>>26815948
"I think we should keep them. It may be tricky to keep them under control, but look how much the girls love them already! Plus I hear they're good luck, and I bet we might even be able to put them to productive use. They're surprisingly clever, and their abilities might be useful in the field. Even failing that, they could at least be guild mascots, help us get a little publicity."

"Hrm, well, the man makes some good points, Ritsuko," the Chief says. "Kotori, you're the other senior member here, what do you think?"

"I say we keep them," Kotori replies cheerily.

"Well, there you have it, Ritsuko. The creatures stay."

And there was much rejoicing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That'll be it for tonight. Next session will pick up with naming the critters, and then it's time to bite the bullet and deal with your dirty secret.

As always, feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have before I head to bed.

>>26816063
What exactly did this roll determine?
>>26812443

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>>26816063
And there was much rejoicing.

>>26816115
Whether any complications would arise at the hospital.

Or was it whether you'd find a puchi at the guildhall?

Or maybe it was simply which puchi you'd find at the guildhall...

You know, I don't really remember...

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>>26816167
>You know, I don't really remember...
I guess you've got brain problems.

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>>26816176
It happens.

>>26816186
its been a while anyways