>>33236496
>No this is fine, keep going
Well the guy WAS an asshole.

>>33236496
>Ask Aiko to make them stop!

I want to see what's so special about her.

>in b4 she's the strongest

>>33236496
>>No this is fine, keep going
Eh, not like they'll listen, let them get it out of their systems.

>>33236496
>>Ask Aiko to make them stop!
This isn’t helping get the armor back.

Rolled 2

Another tie,

1 is Ask Aiko
2 is Let them all burn

>>33236830
Nice. I would have voted for that anyway.

Also quick survey question: How was the start time for today? I'm starting about the same time I would be ending normally. Let me know how it works out or if it has tripped anyone up.

Still really experimenting with schedules and trying to find times that would work for me and you.

>>33236927
Well I'll be going to sleep in 20 minutes or so, but if there are enough people to vote I guess it's fine.

>>33236927
It's fine. If I do miss anything I'll just check the archives.

This quest doesn't seeeem to have any really huge votes I'd hate to miss, and everyone seems set on staying in-character.

>>33236927
I sensed a disturbance in the playing cards and checked twitter to see that the quest was up

So I guess it took me a bit off guard. It's pretty late, here, but, meh, sleep is for scrubs anyways!

>>33236988
Whoops! Sorry. I'll keep that in mind for the future.

>>33237029
>So I guess it took me a bit off guard. It's pretty late, here, but, meh, sleep is for scrubs anyways!

I'm starting on my second cup of coffee!

>Still writing

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I.. really don't know how to respond to this, do they do this often? Aiko doesn't seem the least bit concerned, she looks more disappointed than anything else. Her arms are crossed and her stance has taken a more impatient look to it.
Maybe I should just stay quiet, talking only seems to have made this whole situation worse.

"YOU'VE GROWN RUSTY, KEN" Ryouta exclaims, his fist making a direct line for Kenichi's face.
Kenichi smirks, is there nothing that even phases him?
His ensnared arm pulls back, pulling Ryouta with him, just in time for Kenichi's free hand spiral around and catch Ryouta's hammer punch between his thumb and index finger.

Ryouta does a _really impressive_ sideflip out of the way of Kenichi, who was using his snared hand to drag Ryouta into his knee.
As he was flying, sideways and upside-down, I could have swore I saw them exchange a few punches.
Ryouta regains his footing a few feet away from Kenichi, looking positively exhausted. Kenichi himself is now sporting a slight blue spot along his left cheekbone.

Between them now, is Aiko? She was just standing right next to you, how did she get over there?

[1/?]

>>33237572
Applaud and tell them that it was impressive, do they take hand-to-hand combat classes?

>>33237572
I know how to respond to this: SO COOL.

Sorry got distracted

>Still writing

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"Okay, that's enough you two." Aiko says with the same impatient demeanor that she has displayed since the confrontation started.
Ryouta and Kenichi stare each other down, a look of determination in their eyes. Teeth audibly grit from both contenders as their stressed poses start to melt into more relaxed forms.

Suddenly, laughter pierces the awkward silence.
"You really do know how to keep me on my toes, Ken." Ryouta says, that wide grin making itself known.
Ken simply increases the intensity of the smile that has decorated his face since all of this started. And replies in same.
"You may be a huge sissy, Ryo, but I guess I can't call you a pushover just yet."

Now both of them are laughing. I don't get people, this is all too weird.

Aiko interrupts with a cough, "I'm glad you two decided to put on the best show you could for the new student."
"I.. do admit that was very impressive to watch." I meekly reply, breaking my otherwise nervous shivering.

Maybe if I ask kindly enough, I can get lessons? I could use the self-defense experience.

>Ask
>No, no not right now

>>33238064
>No, no not right now
Let's hold off and ask later.

>>33238064
>Ask

Did you even have to prompt us?

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>>33238064
>>Ask
Nothing wrong with learning the way of the fist.

>>33238064
>>Ask
Hell yeah, we want lessons.

>>33238064
>No, no not right now

Bad atmosphere to ask this in.

>>33238064
>Ask
Probably for the best if we're going to keep running into strange people.

>>33238064
"Do you guys train somewhere? Maybe you can tell me where so I can too?"

>>33238064
yes

Now the boys are shaking hands and laughing, they were just at each others throats a second ago, what is going on.
"Seriously Ken, I need to humble you more often if this is the welcome I can expect from you."
"And I need to come to that garden party you call a student council more often if that's the welcome I can expect from you"

Aiko has her hand cupped over her face. Her head slowly shakes at the two buffoons as they chat. Mild grumbling can be heard as well as chatter from the bleachers the other students are sitting on.

If I'm going to ask, now would be a good time.

"Hey", I approach cautiously as to not agitate any confrontation. "Do you guys train anywhere? I should probably learn how to fight, too."

Their laughing stops, silence taking its place. Their faces freeze into a suppressed frown for a fraction of a second. Atmosphere seeming more like a child being caught stealing from a cookie jar than the two laughing brutes that once stood here.

"Oh right!" Ryouta interrupts the awkwardness, "This morning! I wanted to ask about what happened."

[1/?]

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>>33238341
Kenichi gives a very abridged version of the events, but nothing seems objectionable.
"Another soldier came by, I found him and the new girl talking when I showed up, she didn't want to be a part of it. He shouldn't have been around here anyway so I told him to get lost in the best way that I know how."
Ryouta looks at him, and then back at me.
"Speaking of which, little girl, what's your name?"

"I-Itsukuma", wait there's two parts to that name. "M-Masami Itsukuma"
Why am I shaking all of the sudden? Oh, maybe it's because everyone is looking at me, and now the scary boy is walking toward me.
"Kenichi Kurota", he states plainly, "Just call me 'Ken' like everyone else does.
A few more minutes of questioning pass, like where was this, how long was this confrontation last, how strong it was,

What strikes me as strange is that, through all of this, none of them even bothering asking me anything about it, why?

"The armor this thing was wearing, what did it look like?" Ryouta asks, he's looking impatient.
"Cheap tin-can, I think it was mostly foil and aluminum." Ken says, not even bothering to look at him as he slowly walks back to the bleachers. "You can ask me anything else about it later, I want to finish eating for now."
"That's fine, I need to finish up this tour before class begins."

Ryouta, looking confident, walks back toward Aiko and I.

"I think I'm done here. We should continue." Ryouta says, looking slightly disappointed.
Aiko intervenes, "Do you want me to finish? You only need to visit the courts still, right?"
"No no, I want to ask her about some things. You're free to come along if you want."

Aiko is now looking at me, like I somehow have a say in this.

>She can come along
>The less people in this crazy tour, the better.

>>33238809
>She can come along

safety in numbers and what-not

>>33238809
>She can come along

>>33238809
>>She can come along

>>33238809
>She can come along

Why would anyone vote for less people?

>>33238865
Everyone we met so far is crazy, so that might scare people away.

>>33238809
>She can come.

>>33238809
>>She can come along

>>33238882
That's true, but I think we're slowly building up her weirdness tolerance. Like with asking for lessons. That didn't seem to have any other effect.

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"I guess so?" I say, I really don't know why this is my decision to begin with.
"Great! I think I have some questions, too." She says

Why does everyone have questions all of the sudden? Where are we going?

--

Some walking takes us to a large, vacant portion of the school. Some tennis and other outdoor sport courts line the area. Forming a perimeter around a large brick building. Some of the air conditioners for the building click to life as we approach.

"No classes have PE on the first day, so these courts are completely vacant." Ryouta says.
Aiko continues, "The courts on this side are usually for clubs, and most of the club captains are busy at this time trying to write flyers and recruit members. So we have the place to ourselves!"

That's great but, I've never played sports in my life (I think) so why is this important to me?

"The racquetball courts are usually cool this time of the day, we should discuss things there." Ryouta finishes.

Discuss what? What is there to discuss?

[1/?]

>>33239214
>Discuss what? What is there to discuss?
Masako please. I know you're vaguely confused all the time but please keep up.

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We walk into a rectangular, covered room. Concrete walls on all sides with a set of double lines painted in the middle. The court is well-swept and has the distinct odor of freshly-laid rubber.
The first thing I notice is how loud the echo is, a noisy rumble that causes the entire court to shake as we talk at normal volume.

Suddenly, my ears explode with a, "HELLLLLLOOOOOOO" as Ryouta shouts, following up with a laugh as the whole time his voice bounces around in the concrete box.
"Please don't do that" Aiko says as she punches him in the shoulder.

"Isn't it great?" Ryouta begins, "The echo in here is so intense that even if someone was standing right outside the door, they wouldn't be able to understand anything that anyone inside is talking about."
"Usually when I want to talk about something of this nature, I don't find a quiet place in the school where anyone can be listening in, I find the loudest, noisest place where it is hard to understand what anyone is saying, even yourself." Ryouta finishes with a chuckle. I guess he has this place as an interrogation room of some kind.

He shuts the door behind him, voice continuing to echo into a garbled mass as he talks. "Now, I want to hear what happened this morning from your side."

Aiko interjects, "Also can you tell us what school you went to last?"

>WHAT DO I SAY?
>Spaghetti option

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>>33239258
Silly anon, we Masami right now, not Masako.

>>33239339
Now by spaghetti option, do you mean we spill everything? Or just mumble incoherently?

>>33239339
>Pasta, it's what's for lunch

>>33239339
>WHAT DO I SAY?
I was homeschooled, but now my mom wants me to go to a place where I can make friends.

Technically true! We learned a lot from her at our house and the company. It just wasn't, you know, as much as real schools do.

>>33239339
>Spaghetti option
I'm curious

>>33239339
I'm two days old. Mom never told me not to tell anyone.

>>33239380
>Now by spaghetti option, do you mean we spill everything? Or just mumble incoherently?
a little from the first and a lot from the last

>>33239339
>Spaghetti option
>>33239409
I definitely want that, then.

>>33239339
I was being followed by a freaky animated suit of armor, I freaked to fuck out and Kenichi punched it to death. And, I didn't.

>>33239339
>>33239409
The Spaghetti option it is.

and maybe some crying at the end for our mommy if they start getting angry because we aren't talking loud enough.

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>>33239339
>>Spaghetti option

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>>33239432
With this kind of crying face.

>>33239339
How the hell does Aiko suspect we didn't go to a school already?

>>33239499
she doesn't. she asked what school we went to before this one.

>>33239499
>>33239526
Yeah it may not be a common question to ask a new person, but it's not unusual.

>>33239526
Yes, and why would she be asking about that in this situation if she didn't suspect? This isn't a common situation, it isn't the time for common questions.

>>33239563
as >>33239544 said, it isn't a common question. There is little chance that she suspects we didn't go to school before this.

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"Um."
That's not an answer
"Um."
That's the same thing I just said.
"I..I was home"
h-o-m-e-s-c-h-o-o-l-e-d, I can do this, just say it!
"I WAS HOMESICK"
NO THAT'S NOT RIGHT
"I mean, I mean. i mean i mean"
"iwashomeschooledbymommy"
There, perfect.

Aiko leans in a bit closer, "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that, could you repeat it?"
NO PLEASE ANYTHING BUT THAT

"Let's talk about what happened this morning instead." Oh thank you Ryouta

This I can do! Maybe.
"I-I was walking to school this morning and I saw that guy and he wanted me to come back with him and then"
Ryouta interrupts, "Oh? Why was that?"
"I don't know, he called me-"
Wait, should I really tell him that part?
"What did he call you?" Ryouta pushes the topic a bit closer.

"Um."
Panic
"UM."
PANIC
"HE WANTED ME TO MEET SOMEONE AND I DON'T KNOW WHO."
There, perfect.

There's something, tight around me now, smells like fresh flowers, what is it?
It's Aiko, why is she hugging me?
More importantly, why am I crying?

Maybe I should mention that name he called me

>Tell them about that thing calling me 'priestess'
>Tell them MORE backstory, including waking up yesterday and the face
>Stay silent and keep crying

>>33239670
Didn't we tell them about the priestess thing already? When we were incoherently rambling about mask guy.

>>33239670
>Stay silent and keep crying

Let's max out the protect-me meter and talk when we're calmer.

>>33239692
You did, do you want to re-iterate that?

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>>33239670
>>Stay silent and keep crying
Good thing we brought her along.

>>33239670
>Tell them more about that thing calling me a 'priestess'

I think we can at least be honest about this. I don't think we have any reason to think they would freak out about this, other than that a monster came after us.

>>33239670
>Tell them MORE backstory, including waking up yesterday and the face

can we still cry a bit while we do it? Also, when can we call mommy?

>>33239670
>Tell them about that thing calling me 'priestess'
>Tell them MORE backstory, including waking up yesterday and the face

Fuck it. Full disclosure.

>>33239349
>>Masako

At least it wasn't Masami Obari.

Okay so, consensus seems to be say a little bit about it, but generally be silent and sad.

If there's no objections, I'm going to write.

>>33239833
Sounds good.

>>33239833
Sounds good to me

>>33239833
sounds good to me.

What's the reason why we haven't called mom again? We really need to do that. Hours ago.

>>33239892
we left our phone at home, mostly. I don't think we know her number

>>33239892
>>33239931
Didn't we borrow someone's phone? I guess we just got swept up in the pace of things and forgot about it.

>>33239964
I think we were going to, but we got swept up in the pace of things like you said. And like I said, I don't think we even know our mom's number, it was just already in our phone that we left at home.

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"Shh, it's fine" Aiko's voice feels like pure calm being washed over my soul.
She giggles a bit, "I have a little sister just like you, I wish she was more like you instead of being the terrible brat that I have to put up with."

My breathing steadies, my tears dry up. I think I should at least say something about all this.

"'Priestess'" I sniffle a through the barely audible word, "He called me 'Priestess'".

Aiko's grip on me gets tighter. Ryouta stands up and faces the wall of the court, stretching a bit as he does so.

Ryouta cuts to the point, "Have you noticed anything else happening to you? Anything strange and unexpected? Do you know if anyone in your family has had anything else like that happen to them?"

>I don't want to answer this
>No
>I don't know
>Can I use your phone to call Mom before we continue?

>>33240027
Maybe?

>>33240027
>I don't know
Because we honestly don't. Mom didn't exactly talk about monsters, did she? If she did, we certainly weren't listening

>>33240027
>I don't know
>Can I use your phone to call Mom before we continue?

>>33240043

>>33240073
I'd like to add the second line from this to mine.

>Captcha: surveyor oursdals
Yes, captcha, we need to survey our condition and situation.

>>33240027
>>Can I use your phone to call Mom before we continue?

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>>33240027
>>I don't know

>>33240027
>Well, I woke up in some creepy office building with no memory a few days ago.

Everyone loves watching her cry, it seems

>writing

>>33240172
Yes, yes we do. Or at least I do. It's fun.

>>33240172
What can I say? You write her crybaby antics in such an adorable way, I can't help it.

>>33240172
It's kind of cathartic, to be honest.

>>33240172
How long are you planning to continue writing tonight?

>>33240043
She did say something about magic cards. Are those strange and unexpected?

>>33240279
Hopefully one more hour to make the thread at 4 hours long.

Like I said on twitter, I won't be getting to the acquisition of magic cards tonight because of the sudden time delay, but we may get to see some magic explanation soon.

>>33240284
They are, but we're mostly talking about the monster, aren't we? I guess we might think about the cards, though.

Why is she crying so much after asking to learn to fight? Is it because they ignored her heartfelt request?

>>33240627
she hasn't had a good day so far.

"I don't know", I manage to squeak out, Aiko still holding onto my shoulder
Ryouta continues with another question, "So, did anyone in your family fight against a great evil in their life?"
A what?
"I don't know", it's still truthful, so maybe he'll stop asking these questions.

Ryouta is quick on the next question, "Then, do you know how long those things have been following you?"

"I don't know, I DON'T KNOW", I can feel that tightening feeling and the smell of flowers again. The patting on my back is slightly heavier this time.

"Can I call my Mom, I don't want to be here anymore..."

Aiko's grip loosens on me, she looks over to Ryouta, nods, and then takes a smaller glass rectangle out of her pocket and hands it over.
Just in time for me to realize that I don't know what her number actually is.

"I-I don't know her number", sniffle
Ryouta tries to be helpful in the only way he can, "Oh? Maybe you can call where she works then. Where does she work?"

I can feel myself hesitating, but I've told them this much, and I really do want to speak to Mom

"..Fortune, she works at Fortune."

The air turns to ice, the sound of the florescent bulbs burn brightly as the faces of my two companions contort into worry and despair.
My heart is beating faster at all the attention I'm suddenly receiving.

Aiko interrupts after a few antagonizing seconds, "Let me dial the operator for you."
Ryouta snaps back, "Ai, are you seriously-"

Aiko cuts him off, "Yes, I am. I'm going to call Fortune for her."

[1/?]

>>33240627
Well, they did bring her to an isolated location for what is essentially an interrogation.

Plus she's seen that Ryouta can fight just as good as Punchy Guy. So it's possible she might be intimidated.

>>33240706
Ooh, operator might be a bad idea. I'd say they should escort her home instead if there wasn't a [1/?] there.

>>33240706
Tell them your mom is Empress already. You've said damn near everything else.

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She's on the phone with the operator as Ryouta continues questioning her.
"You're not worried about this? They'll probably put your number in a database or something."
"Oh relax Ryo, what are they going to do that they aren't already doing?"

Aiko talks to the operator a bit and then passes the phone back to me.

A machine picks up, "Hello, thank you for calling Fort-"
Aiko cuts it off, "Just press 0 and it will take you to someone you can speak to."

I comply, and music starts up as the robotic voice asks me to hold.

"Do you know how long your mother has worked at Fortune?" Ryouta sounds worried
"I don't know"
Aiko sounds distraught at this point, "Do you at least know if they've done any kind of weird experiments on you?!"

Well I

I really don't know

An operator picks up, I am so thankful I don't have to answer that question.

"Thank you for calling Fortune, how can I help you today?"
"Yes, I want to speak to someone who works there, her name is Itsukuma Izumi"
"And what is your relation to this person?"
"She's my mother"

Some silence on the line, sound of computer keys tapping, before a response

"We don't have an Itsukuma Izumi working here, or an 'Itsukuma' anywhere, are you sure they work at Fortune?"
"Yes, absolutely, she's a manager there."
There's awkward silence on the line, along with the sound of fingers tapping on a desk.
"Thank you for calling Fortune, if you have any other questions feel free to ask on our website, Thank you and goodbye."
"WAIT I-"

Click

[2/?]

>>33240932
Panic time, we know nothing!

>>33240932
>Try not to cry.
>Cry a lot.

>>33240932
Huh. I guess mom's identity is kept a secret.

>>33240985
Or it's a fake name.

>>33240985

>>33240984
Also this

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>>33240932
How rude.

>>33241003
This could also be true. Is her title as Empress her name as well, I wonder? Weird but not the strangest thing to see in a situation like this.

>>33241029
She must have a birthname. I don't think she's a science baby like us.

Lunch lasts a long time in this. It's bizarre, almost like conversations take a realistic amount of time.

>>33241129
Don't you know? The plot exists on a separate dimension from time, only touching at points where it's relevant.

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Hugs

More hugs, yes, this is all I have in life.

"Thank you Aiko", I'm able to squeak that out between bouts of crying.
"It's fine, really." Aiko is the best big sister I don't have.

Ryouta seems worried, but walk over to the bench, picks up a racket from beneath it. As well as a small, fist-sized blue ball. He bounces it a few times and walks to the center of the court.

"You should really watch this." Aiko says

I look up and watch Ryouta carefully, he throws the ball upward into a serve, but as he does
The ball.. slows down? In mid-air?
The racket he's holding has the same kind of glowing energy pouring off of it that I saw this morning.

"Cover your ears." Aiko helpfully informs me as she presses her palms into her own.
Doing as she instructs, I then watch as the ball slowly starts to move on a path toward the opposite wall. As it slowly moves he lands and starts pacing around the ball on its extremely slow travel path through the air.

He walks away from the ball, looks back at it for a minute. And the ball, is now gone?

No, HE's holding the ball. It's in his hand now, even though I didn't see him touch it. Suddenly he presses his hands into his ears.

BANG

The ear-shattering noise fills the court and escapes the area.

Aiko taps me on the shoulder, giving me the all-clear. Ryouta walks up to me and shows me the ball, or what is left of it. It seems like the small blue ball is now a collection of tatters and rubber shreds.

"How did you do that?!" I immediately reply

He interrupts, "My question: are you able to do anything that completely defies explanation like I just shown you?"

>Show him the card
>Feign ignorance
>Show him the card, but also tell him about Empress as well

>>33241189
>>Show him the card, but also tell him about Empress as well

Sure, why not.

>>33241189
>>Show him the card, but also tell him about Empress as well

>>33241189
>>Show him the card, but also tell him about Empress as well

Don't know who our mother is now.

>>33241206
this

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>>33241189
>>Show him the card

>>33241189
Hello, I'm Ryouta. Now look at your man. Now back at me. Sadly, he's not me. But if he had magic powers that let him defy reality, he could act like he's me. Look here in my hand! I'm throwing the tennis ball really slowly. Look up, look down, the ball has exploded! All this and more, if you just get your man magic powers.

Here, have the ball back.

Are the students here used to explosions constantly? This is like the second one in a day.

>>33241301
Oh yeah, and
> Show him the card

What would Ryouta have done if he didn't have an Aiko to hug the crying girl?

>>33241376
For meta sake, if Aiko wasn't there, he would have been a LOT more confrontational and scary about his questioning.

>writing

>>33241406
But that would only make Masami cry more! He wouldn't get any answers out of her at all!

>>33241376
Probably-

>>33241406
Oh. Well. Good thing Aiko's there, I guess. Ryouta's a jerk then, got it. He'd have gotten even less out of us in that case, since we'd just be a crying wreck then. You know, more than we were this time.

Since this place is all echoey, does that mean people could hear really loud crying noises?

I should really let it spill, if they showed me something as fantastic as that, maybe they can tell me more about what Mom was protecting me from, what Fortune is, WHO that THING was.

I take the card out of my pocket, it's still warm and soothing to the touch.

They look at it inquisitively, I remember the feeling I felt from it the first time.
Warm, and soothing, the feeling of it being a part of my very being. My eyes open this time as these feelings envelop me.
The card is glowing brilliantly in my hand. The two people around me gaze at it in a trance.
Ryouta puts his hand out and runs a finger across it, and the glow fades.
Aiko puts her hand on it, no glow, nothing.

Ryouta gets the obvious question out of the way, "What is this?"
And I should be truthful with them about it,
"This card is what my Mom said Fortune was working on, but for some reason only me and her can use it. She called it 'magic', but I really don't know how it works, it just kind of, talks to me. Like it's something that should be a part of my soul."
"And." I'm starting to break up again, but Aiko puts her hand on my shoulder.

"And my Mother isn't called her name by anyone else, everyone else that I've met has called her Empress. She says me and her, we're the last two who can 'talk' to the cards."

Oh god I'm not even sure who she is now.
Oh the crying has started again

Ryouta ponders for a moment, "Huh, magic, that is transferred, through cards? Is such a thing even possible?"
Aiko glares at him as if to say 'give it a rest', but he continues:
"I suppose this is why Fortune stopped sending their goons at us. They found a way to create this force on their own."

"Masami, there's something you should really know about all of this, about what I did, about what happened this morning, about that card."

[1/?]

>>33241548
Did mom say she was a crybaby? Are we going to be a disappointment?

>>33241585
Hey, we may be in the body of a 13-ish year old, but we're still essentially a newborn

>>33241613
We should be proud that we aren't just crying all the time, because this world is scary and mean.

>>33241707
Scary, I'll grant you. Mean? No. Mask guy wasn't mean. Mom wasn't mean. Aiko and other girl weren't mean. The only mean character was alternate universe Ryouta.

>>33241707
No kidding right? We get chased by a monster first thing in the morning on our first day to school, we accidentally instigate a fight between our senpai and then the senpai take us to a scary echo chamber where nobody can see or hear us andohgodtheiraskingmethingsIdon'tknowwhatdoIdo?!CRYCRYALOT!

>>33241750
the guy who helped us out this morning was pretty mean.

>>33241766
He was just indifferent and bored. That's not mean either.

At worst, you could call him callous.

Last post coming up, sorry for the wait

>>33241982
That's okay. And good thing too, I have to go to bed. I've got work in the morning.

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"Our parents are not ordinary people, Masami." He says, with a sense of seriousness in his voice that didn't exist until now.
"Years ago, when some of our parents were a few years older than we are now, they fought against a tremendous evil that had threatened their very lives and families."

A what?

Aiko brushes him off, "You're just being melodramatic again."
"Maybe a little." He says, adjusting his voice to about the tone it was at before.
"The truth is, We know nothing about what it is they fought, or why they fought it. The only reason I know about it now is because their magic, the abilities that they used to fight it, passed on to their children."

This doesn't make sense. I need to straighten up and ask about this;
"You don't know anything about it, not where it came from, or what they used it for, yet they were your parents, why don't you just ask them about it?"

He looks solemn in his response, "Our parents, they weren't willing participants in the war that was waged. They only fought to protect the ones closest to them. The generals and instigators are no longer alive to talk about it, what it was about, what caused it, or what the purpose of it all even was. To our parents, the conflict just stopped one day, and everything was normal again."

Oh. Oh god.

[1/?]

>>33241982
No, thank you for running past when you said you were going to.

And if you want a bonus, roll a 1d20, best of 1.

>>33242011
>This doesn't make sense. I need to straighten up and ask about this;
>"You don't know anything about it, not where it came from, or what they used it for, yet they were your parents, why don't you just ask them about it?"
what's going on why isn't she crying about this information
>Oh. Oh god.
Phew. Crisiss averted

Rolled 6

>>33242067

>>33242076
DC was 10

>>33242084
This makes me want to cry.

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>>33242011
"And our parents don't like speaking of it much. We've all asked them more than a few times to help us understand the nature of our abilities, but I'm not sure that they even know. My old man still refuses to acknowledge that I have this ability even to this day. It's hard to imagine that I came from such a hard headed fool sometimes", He grins

"No it's not", Aiko quickly shoots back.

Ryouta continues, "A few years ago, when I was in second or third year of Primary school, the soldiers started attacking. That's when I suddenly realized that I could do things other people could not."

"W-what did they want?" I'm really worried right now

"That's the strange thing, No one knows! They only attacked people who had magic such as my own. And with that, the power to fight them off."

He sits back down next to me, "What we did learn eventually, is that they were sent by Fortune. We never understood why or what they wanted. Or even how they were able to make the goons in the first place."
Aiko interrupts, "I had always thought that they wanted real magic people to study and do creepy experiments on."

Ryouta exposites some more, "This continued onslaught, of having these things come after us about every week, eventually stopped about nine months ago exactly. We had just assumed we would never hear of them again like what happened to our parents."

"But still", Ryouta continues, "We don't understand how they even make them, they typically take humanoid forms that change and vary. Today was the first time I have ever heard of one taking the form of something that was salvaged from pieces and parts of actual objects. I thought they were given humanoid form by whoever makes them, but now I think they just 'possess' objects that they find and have them walk around."

[2/?]

>>33242088
somehow, I think that's exactly what's going to happen.

>>33242088
Atleast it wasn't a 1

>>33242093
>eventually stopped about nine months ago exactly
>nine months

How is babby formed?

>>33242093
>nine months ago exactly.
Well. They're smart enough to put the dots together there? Yes? No?

>>33242136
Pretty sure it takes longer than 9 months to make a 13 year old. You're being silly.

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>>33242093
This is all too much for me, questions stir in my head. I'm not even sure I got all the information.

So their parents fought against some-thing, but they don't know what, and that means they're magic now? And if they're magic, that makes me magic too? Then who is my Mom? Was she part of it, or an unwilling participant?

And if that is who she is, then who am I? Where did I come from? Why did she make me? Was I made? was I born? Why is Aiko saying something I can't understand? Why is Ryouta running at me?

Why is he shaking me? Why is everything getting kind of blurry? Why is Aiko hugging me even tighter and yelling something I can't understand? Well, I'll just sit here until things start making sense again.

And sleep on those questions. Yes. Right here on the nice, cozy floor. Oh thanks for catching me, Aiko. I'll sleep on your lap instead.

Good night.

>>33242136
>>33242137
So... what? We really were just born fully grown?

I wonder if they used the attacks to analyze the energy Ryouta and the others like them used.

>>33242156
We artificial though.

>>33242181
Okay. Why the 9 month figure then?

>>33242166
And on THAT pleasant note, time for me to go to bed.

Thanks for a great thread, HotC! I hope I catch the next one.

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So, that was an exposition bomb that I actually didn't want to deliver in that way initially.

BUT at the same time you picked almost all the options perfectly to earn it and not get the runaround from them, so you deserve it, well done!

How was it?

>>33242194
Good night!

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>>33242166
Aiko is a good girl, we have to thank her when we wake up again.

>>33242224
It was hard to earn the exposition bomb? Where was it possible to mess up? Not crying enough?

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>>33242224
Knowledge is power, and now we know a thing.

So, really, just the first step of many on our way to Real Ultimate Power.

>>33242260
Well

Any of these things could have happened
>Choose to not have Aiko go with you
>choose to not call Fortune
>Choose to not talk about Empress
>Choose to not tell them more about priestess

If you chose to withhold information fully in any of the choices, they wouldn't have learned and would have backed off.

>>33242317
So we could have gotten the infodump without crying at all by volunteering information and being truthful? That's terrible.

>>33242317

And for those who were curious, the initial way this would have gone in my head when I was planning it was for Ryouta to take more of an interrogation approach. Using his power to intimidate, because he didn't really believe you to be safe to attend his school or that you were giving him truthful series of events.

Going to the track and confronting Ken threw those plans in a loop, originally he was going to tell you to stay away from the delinquents and then interrogate you himself.

But everyone dodged that pretty skillfully, and Ryouta doesn't look entirely like an asshole now, so I'm happy!

>>33242366
>So we could have gotten the infodump without crying at all by volunteering information and being truthful?

Not entirely, you would have got more hints, but the reason why being straight with them may not have worked will become more apparent next thread.

>>33242374
Also I just realized that I probably shouldn't have said this because it does kind of rob the mystery out of the decisions you guys made, but at the same time I'm really happy that you were able to subvert my plans because that means you were really paying attention to how this could have gone horribly wrong.

And for that, good work everyone.

Anyway I'm archiving the thread, thank you everyone! Hope to see you around next thread.

Voice any concerns or questions you have at any time. I won't improve unless someone helps me.

>>33242434
Whoa, I thought I was tossing out information at near-random while voting to have nervous breakdowns. It's not like we knew telling Ryouta about Kenichi was going to trigger the confrontation and eventually earn us Aiko.

Archived, thanks everyone!

>>33242473
I do admit, I really like writing our breakdowns.

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>>33242458
Thanks for running

>>33242374
Don't worry, OP, I still don't like Ryouta

he's way too loud

we should steal his sister and make her our sister

>>33242627
Nah, just ask Mom if we want another sister. She'll ask "what age" and cook one up in 9 months.

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>>33242654

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Hopefully we don't stay a weepy brat forever and eventually gain the power of the power (or of friendship, that is OK too).

>>33242767
It's kind of understandable since she's putting up with all of this shit when she's all of three days old and still doesn't know for sure if she's even human.

>>33242822
It's always understandable to cry when you live in a world that makes no sense.

>>33242878
Well, at some point, I imagine it's reasonable to simply take the world in your own hands and beat it until it makes sense.

>>33243084
The Masako approach.

>>33243084
I too want to eradicate all the evils of the world.