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>>34373064

She sighs and loosens her grip, rolling over onto her back. She doesn't seem to be awake yet, and I'm not sure that I should bother her if she's still sleeping soundly. It was a really tough day yesterday, for the both of us. I did have some questions for her, though.

I shut my eyes and try to drift off back to sleep, but it doesn't really seem to be working. I can feel my eyelids pop back open once I try to force them down again. It's pretty clear to me that I'm not going to be sleeping any more this morning.

>Wake her up
>Stay in bed with her anyway, wait until she wakes up
>Get out of bed, and
>>Maybe make breakfast for her?
>>Maybe do something else?

>>34373301
>Wake her up
She's not sleeping well anyway. Can always cuddle in bed a little while asking her questions.

>>34373301
>Stay in bed with her anyway, wait until she wakes up
Maybe she'll sleep better if we hold her hand.

>>34373301
>>Wake her up
Lets not burn the house down trying to be nice.

>>34373301
>>Stay in bed with her anyway, wait until she wakes up
Don't want her to wake up and find us not there.

>>34373301
I say we stay in bed and try to soothe her sleep, then wake her if that doesn't work.

okay, back

>Try soothing her sleep
If that doesn't work
>Wait until she wakes up, and cuddle while asking questions

I'll allow trying to soothe her, Why not roll a 1d20, best of three quoting this post?

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>34373787
Masami is a very soothing girl.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>34373787
Here we go!

>>34373301
>Wake her up

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>34373787
Alright.

>>34373808
Very soothing indeed

>writing!

>>34373846
We're a soothsayer!

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I roll back over into her into a hug. She stirs some, but wraps her arm back around me. I can see a slight smile spread across her face, and her breathing starts to slow back into its tired pace.

Good.

--

We lay there for what feels like another hour or so. The sun outside slowly starts to shine down on the bedroom window, producing a glare that shines right into her eyes. This seems to be the trigger to her waking up, as she slowly tosses and turns until she's sitting upright in the bed.

She looks over and sees me staring at her with tired eyes. She gently lays back down and hugs me while mumbling a "Morning, sweetie."

"Hey Mom, did you sleep well?"
"As well as I could, I was going to wake up earlier, but I figured you had questions for me and I would just end up hugging you and crying about them anyway. So now I can at least do the hugging part." She squeezes me a bit tighter.

>Ask questions now, and if so, which questions?
>Wait until breakfast first, it won't be that bad
>Just lay here and relax with her.
>Discuss what you want to do today? Maybe
>>Learn how to draft cards
>>Learn more about her past
>>Learn more about fighting

>>34374421
>Ok Mom, whats the deal between you and Fortune ?
>>Discuss what you want to do today? Maybe
>>>Learn how to draft cards
>>>Learn more about her past
Seems like the most important part.

>>34374421
>>Wait until breakfast first, it won't be that bad
Breakfast first then
>>Learn how to draft cards

>>34374421
>Just lay here and relax with her.
>Discuss what you want to do today
>>Learn more about her past, then
>>Learn how to draft cards
Definitely my choice.

>>34374421
>Wait until breakfast first, it won't be that bad
>Discuss what you want to do today? Maybe
>>Learn how to draft cards
>>Learn more about her past

>>34374421
>Just lay here and relax with her.
>Discuss what you want to do today? Maybe
>>Learn more about her past
Gotta cuddle.

Okay, so

>Lay here and relax some
>Ask about the deal between her and fortune
Then after breakfast
>Ask how to draft cards
>ask more about her past


Sound good? If so, Ill start writing.

>>34374662
Sounds good to me at least.

>>34374421
>Wait until breakfast first, it won't be that bad
>Discuss what you want to do today? Maybe
>>Learn how to draft cards

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I lay my head back into her loving embrace. Laying here with her is reward enough for me. She softly sighs and closes her eyes.
Really, I would like to stay here like this forever with her. I also realize that I can't go without asking some important questions.

"Hey Mom."
"Hmm?"

"What is the deal between you and Fortune? Why do you keep working for them."
She cuddles me a bit closer; I can feel her body tense up, but she relaxes and starts talking after a short time.
"Because I want this life, here, with you. Working for them is the only job that I know how to do. It's also the only way that I can be sure that you'll be safe. I'm not really in a position to oppose them if they wanted to, well."
She cuddles me as close as she can, almost smothering me.
"I rather not think about what would happen if I didn't."

They must really have her convinced something will happen to me.

"Mom, please, I worry about your safety more than anything else."
"Then, you know how I feel about them threatening you."

She may have a point there, but I don't recognize the danger I'm in as immediately troubling as the danger she faces every week.

"L-lets go get breakfast, Mom."
"Right, lets."

(1/2)

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>>34375284
I look at the clock on the way to the kitchen, it's actually a few minutes after I would normally wake up. I must have slept really well to not even feel the effects of waking up right at my normal sleep time.
Mom walks over to the kitchen, and immediately I notice that she seems more awake than she did when we were laying in bed. She immediately takes some pots and pans out and starts making breakfast.

I'm glad we're at least starting this day out stress-free. Maybe if I'm careful, I can keep it that way.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. I stand up and go answer it.
Only to be met face to face with Aiko.

"Hey Masami! Ready to go to school? Go get dressed now, I can wait out here."
Wait, what?
"I thought I had today off?"
"You tho-" She takes her phone out and looks at it, then puts on a very exasperated face.

She growls, "Darn it, my sister did it to me again. She turned the alarm on in my phone and didn't say anything when I woke up and left. I really hate her sometimes, I wish she would jus-"

"H-hey! It's fine. I just woke up, you didn't interrupt anything."
"Yeah.. Yeah." She says, putting her phone away with a sigh.

>Invite her in for breakfast!
>Invite her in to help today!
>No no, Today is between you and Mom.
>Maybe just keep her around for breakfast.
>Maybe ask for someone else to come over?

>>34375672
>No no, Today is between you and Mom.
>Maybe just keep her around for breakfast.
We don't need to have heavy talk while eating anyway

>>34375672
>Invite her in for breakfast!
sure makes things better to have some delicious food after a bad joke

>>34375672
>>No no, Today is between you and Mom.
>>Maybe just keep her around for breakfast.

>>34375672
>>Maybe just keep her around for breakfast.

Okay so

>Invite her in for breakfast!
>But today is just between Mom and I, so be sure to send her away before we get into the heavy stuff

If that sounds good, writing!

>>34375919
Yeah.
Also gonna head to sleep here, so thanks for running.

>>34376084
Good night!

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"Ah, Aiko. We're just about to have breakfast. Want to stay around for that at least?"
"Oh! Oh okay. I'll stick around for a bit, but I want to get back home before Sis thinks that she's tricked me or something."

It must be nice having siblings.

We walk over to the table and sit down, just as Mom notices that Aiko has come in and sets a plate up for her.

"Aiko! Lovely for you to join us, are you feeling better after yesterday?"
"Yep! I don't know what it is about that outfit Masami has, but I haven't felt this good in a long, long time. I felt like I didn't even need to sleep last night." She stretches her arms and does a little pose at the table.
"Amazing! Notice anything else from it?"
"Um. Nothing other than that. I guess I feel a bit more energetic than usual. I ran all the way here and I don't feel the least bit winded at all."

"Did you try.." She leans in close to her, is she worried someone is listening? "Using your powers?"
"Well, yeah. That's my power isn-"
She stops herself, and sighs.

(1/2)

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>>34376925
"I never told anyone except Maeda and Ryouta. And I don't have a lot of experience with it, but." She hesitates for a minute.
"My ability is apparently speed, the way Maeda and Ryouta found me is because I was apparently cheating on the track team and didn't even realize that I was doing it. I haven't experimented with it much, so I don't know how it really works. This morning I was moving faster than ever. It's kind of a strange feeling. "

Wow, that's a lot to dump on us.

"..Does this mean you still trust us after yesterday at Fortune?"
"That's silly, Masami. Of course I do! I wouldn't tell you something like that unless I did."

We finish breakfast, chatting and talking about various things happening at school like clubs, the student council. Aiko then makes her bid to leave, as she's heading out the door, she asks one particular question.

"Thanks for breakfast Izumi, Masami."
"Please come by anytime, Aiko."
"One more question, Masami, what were you planning to do?"

>Tell her that you were considering at least working for them for a while
>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today
>Tell her that you're not really certain, because you're not.
>Other?

>>34377015
>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today

>>34377015
>>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today

>>34377015
>>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today

>>34377071
>>34377092
>>34377108
Okay!

>writing!

>>34377015
>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today
I'm not happy about this whole thing, but assuming Fortune made all the adoption possible, bueraucratically, mom really doesn't have much of a choice.

>>34377015
>Tell her that you were going to have a talk with Mom about that today

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"I was actually going to talk with Mom today about that. I realize that I can't just do nothing, but at the same time, I'm doing this to help Mom in the first place."
"..Are you sure you don't need help with that? I know asking that kind of question can be hard."
"I'll be fine, Aiko. This is something me and her have to decide together."

She shrugs her shoulders and picks up her bags. Giving me a quick hug before she goes. We say our goodbyes and the door shuts behind her.

Walking over to the living room, I can see Mom has already put away the dishes. Instead she's now setting up one of the 'blank' cards I got yesterday on top of a small dinnerplate. Scooting it over to the center of the table, she looks up and sees me.

"Sweetie, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"I already made that decision, Mom. I want to at least see what you have to go through in a normal day."

She sighs as she continues to adjust the plate. She then takes out a stick of chalk and draws a square around it directly on the table. The stick makes a waxy-coating on the table.

"Okay, then we can do it now. Ready to draft your first card?"

I gulp, it's a little different now that I'm actually presented with the card in front of my face. I think she can very clearly see my worry and extends her hand toward me.
I take her hand and sit down next to her.
"Yes, I'm ready. Please show me."

(1/?)

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>>34377948
She holds my hand, she glares at the card for a brief second. Her free hand runs along the line on the table, smearing part of it slightly.

She begins, "What you're seeing is actually a passage I have to make in order get there. Think of it like making a door for myself to step through."
"Before," she continues, rubbing the card slightly, "I could do something a little similar to what you do."

"'What I do'? What does that mean?"
"What you seem to be doing, when you put on the outfits of your cards, is going to where the cards 'aura' is located, and bringing something back from there."
She clears her throat, "When I was your age, I couldn't even do that. I had to borrow the card's power, which sometimes gifted me things to use for a short time. But not to the point where I could go there and just grab something, pulling it back to the real world. Today we're just going to go there, and not bring anything back."
"I think I'm ready, what do I do first?"
"Grab the card and picture yourself inside of it, like you have been doing. I'll catch up with you when you're there shortly."

>Hold on! You shouldn't come with me if it hurts you so much
>Wait, you should go first. I don't want to get lost or anything.
>Okay, I'm going.
>Should I put on another card before I go?
>If so, which card?

>>34378637
>You shouldn't come with me
>Okay, I'm going

This is our card. We should make it on our own with as little help as possible.

That said, We should make sure we have our cards - if we get confused they should be able to help us out.

>>34378637
>>Okay, I'm going.
Mommy knows what she's doing.

>>34378637
>Will you be okay in there?

I mean, this isn't going to hurt her or anything right?

>Are you okay in there?
>Maybe you shouldn't come with me.
>...
>okay I'm going

If that's good, I'll write

>>34378992
Sounds good.

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"Maybe you shouldn't come with me. You looked really exhausted before, and I don't want to over-do it or you."
"I'll be fine, Masami."
"Will you be okay in there?"

She thinks about it for a moment, looking at the card.
"I'll be fine. This will be an easy card to start with. Some of them you have to build from scratch, but it seems he has already worked on this one."

I nod, I guess it's time to get this over with.
Taking the card into my hand, I notice it doesn't glow when I focus on it. Usually, the other cards have a kind of radiance to them that I can feel when I move them in my hand. This doesn't have anything like that.
I close my eyes, focus on the pattern matting the front of the card, and jump into it.

--

I can feel the splash as I enter. Instead of the warm glow that the other cards have, this is more like falling face-first into the ocean. I quickly compose myself and stand up.
Again, there what seems to be an endless sea that I can merely stand on top of. Just like when I did the same thing with Julie. I don't see any people, or hints that there's any end to it, except the horizon.

..And one other thing, there's a huge tower off in the distance with, what looks like a cube, precariously balanced on a spire.

That's strange, would be what I would say if I wasn't completely shocked by it.

Several minutes of staring at the monolith go by, until I can hear someone behind me.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"No. It's more like 'really scary'."
She laughs, "That's Fortune's HQ. That is what it looks like on this side."

(2/?)

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>>34379909
>From this side
Wait wait wait

I thought these were like mental constructs, diving into the card wasn't actually a physical action.

But with this, it almost seems like the cards teleport you to some sort of parallel universe instead of a pocket of reality trapped inside the card.

This changes a lot.

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>>34379909
"This side? Where are we anyway?"

I turn to face Mom, that's when I notice that her attire has changed. She wears a flowing kimono, her hair is braided in a bun, and in her hand is a piece of chalk.

"This is the 'other side'. It's kind of hard to explain it. Think of it like standing on the other side of a mirror. "
I really don't get what she's talking about.

She sees my confusion and smiles, "Think of it like being in a dream. Anything that has any kind of magic ability is linked to this world. The cards are like an anchor to this world from the real world."
"So, if that's true where are our bodies right now?"
"At home, sitting in our living room. It's like we're having a shared dream, isn't it?" She smiles.

She raises her hand, concentrates a bit, and the Fortune building in the distance disappears. Leaving us standing in a much smaller lake compared to the vast ocean that it once was.

"The first step is always to separate it from the rest of everything else. When we do this, it's like we are putting the magical link in the card inside our own imaginations."

She waves her hand around, and the water starts to ripple and bubble.

"Go on, try creating something you would like to see inside this card. Picture it like you're building a home for yourself."

>Create something in the card
>maybe something you would like to use in battle?

>>34380295
Sorry for the slow updates tonight.

And I mean ANYTHING, picture something, put it in the card.

>>34380295
>>maybe something you would like to use in battle?
>Shield Maiden

>>34380295
how about a magic crossbow?

>>34380358
it's ok

>>34380379
As like an outfit, or a person?

>>34380295
we need defense
Picture a majestic tower, ancient and battle scarred but unbroken. Enenmies will break on the walls, arrows will shatter, and none shall harm those within our walls

>>34380408
I guess i mean something like>>34380420
the outfit would be based on a shield maiden and the tower setting kind works with that

Okay so

>Create a battle-hardened tower

And

>An outfit, one that a glorious shielded warrior would carry into battle.

If that's good. I'll write.

>>34380295
>>Create something in the card
Something easy to start with. Perhaps a flower for mom. No need to show the asshole we can create superweapons.

>>34380524
bingo
>>34380532
eh, I wouldn't call this a super weapon. wait til we're building armies with single cards

>>34380583
Just tossing out ideas. Nothing wrong with a shield. I just want us to be the one to be using it and not hand it over and have to recapture it later. At least not until we can create armys from blank paper.

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The first thing I create is a flower, a lovely pink rose. Creating it was remarkably easy, it was as easy as simply telling myself that I have a flower in my hand. I hand it over to Mom.
She smiles and pulls me into a hug, "You're very good at this. You're even able to determine what color it was."

"Hehe, Thanks Mom." I say, now it's time to think of something else.

Something big, something that I could seriously use. Last time, my friends were getting beat up pretty badly. What was it Haruko told me?
'Find a safe place?'

I picture the safest possible place imaginable, the waves begin to ripple and tear. Something is rising from the water that we're both standing on.

The waves part, and a roof pokes above the rippling lake. Slowly it starts to rise from the water. Suddenly buttresses are visible, then walls, then doors. Before Mom can even say anything, we are suddenly inside the walls of an entire stone fortress.
I look over to Mom, I can see the visible shock on her face.

As a final touch, another clothing rack pops up in the center. On it, a set of armor specifically molded to fit my body sits. A sword and a very large, very sturdy shield lay against it.

Even though I'm suddenly aware that this took a lot of energy out of me, I can't help but brag a little.
"What do you think?" I ask Mom.
Turning to her, I'm suddenly aware that this is something that seriously impresses her. She creates a couch under her and falls onto it, her mouth agape at the scenery that I've created.

I hop onto the couch and grab her into a hug.

(1/2)

>>34381042
Thanks for coming off, trip

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>>34381042
"That was..." She says, obvious studdering a bit.
"Hmm? Is it good?"

"I don't think you quite realize it Masami, but I was thinking that we would build a small house or a shack together today. Something small and simple. Usually I have to build constructs here piece by piece, but."
She turns to me,
"I don't think you're aware, but I would have to build this entire place almost brick-by-brick in order to do this. When I was younger, it was only slightly easier than doing that. I could maybe do a whole wall at one time."

Wow.

I ask, "Is that why it's so hard? I feel kind of tired, but just fine otherwise."
"I just... Wow. You're much more talented at this than I am."

(2/3)
>Still trying to find an image for the armor, let me know which one looks/feels best for her.

>>34381335
I like the first image so far
>call it Belle, short for Bellevedere

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>>34381335
We sit for a while looking at the scenery. I really can't put it to rest that some things don't make much sense, though. I should probably get some of those questions out of the way now.

"Mom, why is it that one card had a person inside of it?"
"Hmm? Oh. What is the name you gave that card?"
"Haruko."

She lays back, looking at the castle once again,
"That was a friend of mine. She was a monster from my childhood. She had a snarling face, a long hooked nose, and terrifying claws. Her main goal was terror, but she had one of the sweetest hearts of gold that I had ever met."
"Then how did she get in the card?"

She sighs, "One day, she simply said that she had enough. She didn't want to live the way she was living anymore. She entered her own card and simply hid there. I used to go visit her, when I could, but then coming here simply got harder and harder for me to the point where I quit doing it."

"Why was her main goal, 'terror'?"
"One of the ways they used to create cards, before drafting came along, was to leech the emotions of people. But unless someone was in serious discomfort or fear, then it never had enough of an impact to affect the card."
She looks over to me, "That's where the monsters come in, they're made to elicit a response from people. The cards used to contain some of the greatest fears of the people who fought them. That's why I made drafting."
"Wait, you made it?"

She looks down, clearly looking distraught, "It.. took a long time for me to finally make it. I had the idea for a while, but no way to actually make it come true. I just had to, sit back, and watch monsters terrorize people until I found out how to do all this myself. Without using the fear or pain of others."

She's crying again.

>Do something about it!
>Ask more questions, about her past.
>Put on the outfit, try to cheer her up?
>End the session now, you've done enough for one day.

>>34381435
>>Do something about it!
>>Put on the outfit, try to cheer her up?

>>34381435
>>Do something about it!
So you helped save the people from the monsters, you should be happy about that.

>>34381435
>Do something about it!
ask her if we could try drifting (together) into Haruko's card

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>>34381435
>>Do something about it!
>>Put on the outfit, try to cheer her up?

>>34381435
>Do something about it!
>Put on the outfit, try to cheer her up?

Showing off new outfits always works

>>34381601
i like this artwork

>>34381042
I'll be honest, the rayearth armor seems pretty appropriate, even if it's not the most practical here. Magic means it doesn't have to be full plate to protect us.

>>34381687
Fair enough

Anyone want to recommend any more armor pictures? Can we get a consensus on what it looks like?

Also

>Cheer her up
>By wearing armor

Seems to be the right choice, writing

>This may also be the final post of the night, sorry for the shortness of the thread

>>34381735
like it
>>34381335
ehh
>>34381435
like it, but would work better if color scheme was red
>>34381601
not bad

>>34381810
shit, meant also like the rayearth one

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Immediately, I hug her.
"Mom, please. Don't cry."
"Years, Masami. I tortured people for years."
"Yes, but.."
Oh this is a hard one to argue against.

"Think of all the people you SAVED. Think of all the people who didn't HAVE to be tortured because of what you created."
"..and even then, I still can't protect my own daughter."

"Mom! I don't need protecting, look."
I stand up, and immediately feel the weight of the heavy armor on my body. It's actually heavier than I anticipated for it to be.

"..It looks, very good Masami."
"Mom, please."

I need to change the topic.

"..How are monsters created, then?"
"I don't know. That was never something I was asked to do."

Then..

"How was I created?"

She stops and looks upward into the infinite blue sky.
"I created you, Masami. You are the only thing I have ever truly created. I wasn't lying when I said I loved you. You are the mos-"

She goes pale, and looks like she wants to pass out.
"I think I've been here too long. I need to leave now."

She bubbles, and disappears. Quickly I exit this card.

--

"MOM! Mom!"

No answer, she's flushed and pale, just like when I found her in the Fortune building. I immediately put Haruko on and embrace her. The healing aura that it gives off sets to work righting her fever and mending her exhaustion.

Slowly, she starts to wake up again. She puts her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm fine, I just overdid it again. I shouldn't spend more than an hour doing this."

I glance up at the clock, I was in there for almost two hours! And I barely feel any exhaustion from doing it.

"Mom, let me put you to bed."
"I'll be fin-"
"Please."

She nods, I carry her to her room where she falls asleep after a minute or so. Getting up and walking out of the room, I shut the door behind me and pick up the card I just drafted from the living room.

I still don't understand why Fortune continues to make monsters or what the purpose of the cards are.

"Maybe they just enjoy being jerks."

>>34382499
Okay, that's it for Tonight's thread.

How was it? Did we decide on a picture for the new outfit? Is the Rayearth one the consensus

>>34382537
>Rayearth
I take it.

And great thanks for running. Despite the short time, we learned a lot, and it was very sweet, far less cring then expected, looks like mom can be non-circumspect if she wants too.

Just remains the question, what exactly are we going to do ? We probably neeed to find out for what they use the cards in the first place.

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>>34382537
I'm all for it but hardly speak for all of Anonymous.

>shouldn't spend more than an hour a day doing this
>Is horribly inefficient compared to us
Yeah, we need to find a way to get her to stop drafting. Make a few cards to help the party, then take the sons of bitches down.

>>34382537
Rayearth one sounds good to me, it's better than anything I could think of or find between updates.

>>34382537
ray earth on works, Julie is blue so red works better for this outfit

>>34382606
We could sort of take over for her for the time being, draft a card a day at night after we're done with homework and all that. At least until we have a better plan to take them down.

>>34382595
>We probably neeed to find out for what they use the cards in the first place.

I'll reveal a little more about this next thread.

>>34382606
Sounds like a sound plan!

>>34382628
>>34382632

Rayearth it is then.

Also, archived

>>34382537
it was great! thanks for running
not completely sure about the design...

>>34382606
that worries me too
plus, if we just destroy them, what next? our mom will still have bills to pay... and what if they were sealing some kind of wolrd destroyer?

>>34382638
Should probably find out what mom made for them, in terms of scope, no reason to do too well for them.