File: Sunflowers_field.jpg (347 KB, 1920x1200)

347 KB JPG

>>34119762

Your dreams that night are confused.

It starts out in a familiar pattern, the 'Sunflower dream' from when you were a kid. The name is a euphemism, a useful tool to help your therapist avoid explaining to a seven-year-old exactly what she had witnessed that everyone was so upset about.

That, and there are a lot of sunflowers in it. A whole field of them, from near your uncle's farm, frozen in your imagination from when you were a kid. They tower over you like they did back then, nevermind how much you've grown.

There is a script to the sunflower dream. You wander through the field until you find the pond where it all happened, usually with some horrible monster waiting for you there. You run away, then there's your uncle's dining room from when you blurted out what you saw over dinner. Sometimes the midnight drive off of your uncle's farm is included, with your sister, mother, your father and aunt all crammed next to you in the car. And then, it ends in your father's study.

This time, the pond is there, but no monster. It's left a trail, though. You bend down and check it out, rubbing some of the the black gunk it's left behind between your fingers. Sunflowers in a track away from the pond are bent and broken...

You draw your knife, and begin stalking after the beast.

File: 1406761212940.jpg (424 KB, 1600x877)

424 KB JPG

>>34119795

Things after that are...weird. The field gives way to the cramped streets of vanity city, the All-Seeing eye hanging in the air where the moon should be. Buildings curve, arcing up in the air like the legs of a dying spider, or the teeth of some monster.

The dream is hard to remember. There is Aina, attacking you with a whip and wearing some clothes you'd rather not talk about. There is a massive wolf, stalking through the city streets like godzilla. And at the end of it all there is the monster, a horrid black thing that bats your knife aside and grabs you by the throat and slams your head into the ground as you attack it.

Some kind of spikes slowly extends from its chest, sharp and dark and smooth like obsidian. They curve slightly along their length, and have a certain beauty to them, even as they press against and slide into your chest. First one, then another, and another, and another, stabbing into you with deliberately slow speed.

There is darkness, and then you're awake in your bed. Eva is there, standing over you, as sunlight streams in the bedroom window.

>offer a morning greeting
>ask how she got in
>ask why she got in
>stare blankly in shock at the intruder

>>34119834
>stare blankly in shock at the intruder

>>34119834
Just as I'm about to go to bed, huh.
>offer a morning greeting
>ask why she got in

>There is Aina, attacking you with a whip and wearing some clothes you'd rather not talk about.
Clearly prophetic.

>>34119834
>stare blankly in shock at the intruder
>offer a morning greeting
Eventually.
Nice to see this running again.

>>34119834
>stare blankly in shock at the intruder
>tell her there isn't really a lot of space for two people on this bed
I dunno if that's true but eh.

File: Nosy parents are a terrif(...).jpg (35 KB, 500x375)

35 KB JPG

>>34119919
Blame it on the misfortune of your birth. And I-35 traffic.

>>34119906
>>34120054
"..." You stare up at Eva.
"..." She stares back.

This silence continues for...some time, before you break it.
"Good morning, Eva," you say with absolutely none of the cheer usually associated with those words.
"Get dressed. We have work."

She tosses a pile of your clothes that she'd been carrying on your bed, a shirt and pants and underwear. You never really got all the way undressed last night, so you've still got your shirt from then on. Unbuttoned it doesn't really hide your underwear, but it's not like you were expecting visitors. Eva stands back while you get changed into your clean clothes, incredibly unsexy underwear and all, which is a little nerve-wracking.

"So, why'd you get in so early?" you ask Eva.
"Aina said she needs to teach you magic..." she says as she passively watches you.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I locked the door. Couldn't you have just knocked?"
"Oh...right. Sorry...I forgot..."

>Ask about said magic
>Ask how she got in
>Tell her not to sweat it

>>34120352
>Ask how she got in
>Tell her not to sweat it
Aina can explain the magic.

>>34120352
>Tell her not to sweat it
>Ask about said magic

>>34120422
I gotta head off too since I'm EU- Hopefully things pick up.

>>34120352
>Tell her not to sweat it
>Ask about said magic

>>34120612
Well, dang. I might have to reconsider this schedule if most of my players are off in Ye Olde Worlde.

>>34120422
>>34120485

You put a hand on Eva's shoulder.
"Look, don't worry about it. We all make mistakes, right? Just, uh...Don't go breaking into my apartment again. It's kinda creepy."
"Ah...sure." She nods, and seems to cheer up a little bit. There's not a lot of variation in her face, but it's there, if you know where to look. It helps that she actually makes eye contact when she's happier, though.

Soon you're doing up your tie and getting the rest of your wardrobe put together. Eva...still hasn't gotten that this is weird, and keeps watching. Well, as long as she doesn't take pictures, or anything.

On the car ride over, Eva drives-apparently she has a license, as of a month ago. So she's about 16...

You get her to stop at a hot dog stand, where you both get breakfast, but it's not really until you're back in the car that you ask her something that's been bugging you.

"So...how'd you get into my place, anyways? Is there like some kind of...I don't know, unlocking spell?"
"Yes, but I cannot use it." she says. "I picked the lock. Don't worry, I didn't scratch the sides or anything."
"You just...happened to have lockpicks. On you."
"Yes, of course. Why, do you not?"
"Right...and the magic stuff?" You say, trying to change to a less-absurd topic of conversation.
"Aina is the expert, not me. But..."
"But?"
"Um...John has informed that it will not involve you taking your clothes off, and if she tells you it does, to report her."

You bury your face in the palms of your hand and sigh. At one point, not too long ago, you had normal co-workers.

>cont.

>>34121014

When you arrive at the office, everyone is already there-well, Kazuki's still presumably locked away in his room, so that's a thing. Aina seems to be talking with John in one of the side offices, while Xavier is typing away at a computer. The lanky black guy waves as you walk in.
"Yo! Eva, New girl! How was last night? Didn't get too lost, did you?"
"No," Eva replies.
"Ah, good!" He smiles. "So, what happened? Find anything new?"

>Brush off Xavier, head towards bossman and Aina
>give him a summary of last night's events and evidence
>write in
[bonus points for players writing their own summaries, or specific lines to include]

>>34121099
>give him a summary of last night's events and evidence
Maybe leave out the part where vampire gal got us with her creepy mindcontrol stuff, and maybe hear if he has any ideas on where we should look next.

>>34121099
>give him a summary of last night's events and evidence
"Vampire bitch tried to enthral me or something. Eva convinced her to stop."
pause
"Fuck vampires."

>>34121195
>>34121234
Now come on, we can't both mention and not mention the enthrallment thing. Discuss it out (or try to get lower than each other on 3d6, either is cool)

>>34121399
Eh, we can mention it I guess, it's no big deal.

Man it's like dead in here today. Should I go bitch in QTG?

>>34121599
Might help. Dunno if it's the day or run-time or both.

>>34121538

"Well, first off, she thinks there were at least two more murders."
"Oooooh?" Xavier leans forward, raising an eyebrow and intertwining his fingers. "Go on, agent summers."
Successfully restraining yourself from groaning, you go on. "Two of her streetwalkers went missing, and she's of the opinion that nobody in town would lay a finger on them."
"I see, I see." he leans back, and mimes stroking a fluffy white cat.
"So there's that. Also, she said there was a patron of hers...Aldash-Navani, something. Said she went missing, but that the woman had a lot of enemies."
"Huh, I did hear about that..." He drops the affections for once. "I'll look into in my free time, it might be worth a shot. If we find anything out we can at least hold it as a favor over Delacroix, that'll come in handy."
"Yeah, you do that," you say. "Oh, yeah...does she try to enthrall everyone she meets?"

Xavier looks at you funny, like he doesn't know what you're talking about. Eva speaks up before you do.
"She attempted to hypnotise Alex and feed her blood," she says.
"Huh, that's odd." Xavier looks...genuinely surprised at all this. "I don't think she did that before...maybe she likes you?"

He shrugs, and you respond by glaring daggers at him.

>Go on and interrupt Aina and John
>wait outside the office for them to finish
>Ask Xavier a bit more about himself
>write-in

>>34121820
>Ask Xavier a bit more about himself
Might as well, no interruptions.

>>34121820
>wait outside the office for them to finish
>ask Eva if she can do any magic

yay I got us misarchived

>>34121863
>>34121894
It's worth noting that Eva has explained her powers before-no magic, but she has some psionic stuff that makes for enhanced physical attributes and short-distance teleportation.

I'll give you guys a little more time. How would you want to resolve opposing player interests like this? I'm a fan of the talk it out, then go to dice if that's not possible approach, but it does take time.

>>34121955
I'm not mad, just disappointed.

File: 1405016040562.png (84 KB, 500x502)

84 KB PNG

>>34121863
>>34121894

"So...Xavier, right?" He nods.
"At your service."
"Right..." You scratch the back of your head. Well, he hasn't tried to put a collar on you yet, so he's probably one of the sane ones...probably.

"What do you do here? I remember something about you having magic potential, but-"
"Ah, I'm a forensic accountant. I mean, I do the normal investigation stuff too, but financial transactions, that's my thing. Kazuki doesn't know anything about banking, really, so I have to give him guidance on how to trawl the data for evidence."

"...Do wizards have to deal with financial crimes on a regular basis?"
"Well, I'm here, so...sure!"
"Right.." You go over towards John's office, where he and Aina are just finishing up some conversation. Eva leaves to go...be spooky, or something.

"Nothing was stolen? Or even damaged?" You're not really trying to listen in, but the soundproofing is basically nonexistent, and John has something of a loud voice.
"No, it wasn't, but....I'm a bit worried. Can you call Central and get us some more hands? Whoever did it was...scoping out the place, probably."
"Sure, I'll do what I can."

Aina walks out, and goes from looking gloomy to smiling broadly in seconds flat. "Ah! Alex, you're here! Are you ready for another ~adventure~?"

She does that same thing with her voice, like the word adventure needs to be in technicolor, and spreads her hands in a small rainbow.

>ask about what you are doing
>remain non-comittal
>give a half-hearted agreement
>warn her not to get too weird
>write-in
>ADVENTURE

>>34122614
>give a half-hearted agreement
yay i guess

welp