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>>36322756

HOLLOW SUN: 65.7%

http://pastebin.com/Bm4qYyhu

RESEARCH:

[X] INDUCTION BLASTERS
[X] MACHINE CANNON
[X] POSITRON LANCE
[X] DISTORTION CANNON
[X] REACTIVE PLATING
[X] RESEARCH: HELIOS MATRIX
[X] FIRMWARE UPGRADE
[X] RESEARCH: SUPERHEAVY CHASSIS
[X] ARC CHARGER

VOID ANCHORS:

ORIGINAL HIVE
THE TRIBUNAL
NARAKA
THE VAULT
TUSITA

HOLDING: 0

RED COMET GUIDE:

http://pastebin.com/LJAfQmXy

UPDATES:

- LIGHT FUSION CELL created.
- AUGMENT FRAME ('SLAKE') added to Equipment List.

>>36322756
>A friend of a friend committed suicide, and I've been consoling her to the best of my ability.
Dude if you're being haunted by a ghost or something you should probably take the day off.

>>36322756
OP, while I'm delighted that you want to run, this is one of those cases where I have to ask if you should be. If it's someone you knew I'd much prefer you spent time with real people instead of internet non-persons.

>>36322789
I think we should put Canker Eater into the Grinder, and unlock one of the "mystery" relics.

>>36322818
You want to waste even more essence?
We kinda need level-ups.

But I also think that we should get a mystery relic.

>>36322818
No Grinder and get Koleos. Start Choir Beacons and the Nexus, since I don't think we did any research last time.

So, we have an Arc gun with a Fusion Cell.
Do we want to put it and another light weapon on the Slake?
Which weapon would have the best situational use?
Also, which weapon do we add into our holster? A Lance might be a good idea.

>>36322834
Agreed on all three counts.
Choir Beacon should have been a no-brainer from the beginning.

What is your rational for the gravimetric nexus?

>>36322756
No offense, but phrasing that in your usual business-like manner was pretty fucking funny.

>>36322834
Sure, I'll go for Koleos. It's as good as anything.

>>36322789
When did we decide on making a fusion cell?

>>36322834
I'll third this, then.

>>36322793

Uh.

HOly shit dude.

Wow

I lost my dad earlier this year, and...

>>36322878
Last thread, because its needed to make use of the slake

>>36322818
We need more golden joker more than mystery relics.

I'd say see what the Koleos is before we spend more. Incremental bargaining.

>>36322878

(When there was consensus to outfit Slake with two Cobalt Lasers. You had one Fusion Cell at present: In order to power the second weapon, you needed one more.)

>>36322847
I think two Cobalt Lasers on Slake might be fun. It'll make for cutting arguments.

>>36322861
Mobility. Less weight on the frame means it can move around easily and has less chance of overheating through stress.

>>36322910
I'm sorry to hear anon, that's always rough.

>>36322910
>We need more golden joker more than mystery relics.
wat

>>36322938
Gauntlet of Midas. Gains abilities as Joker levels up. Using the Grinder loses the experience from the kill used to make the item. So if you want more Midas abilities, we can't use experience to make items.

>>36322834
I think we have enough to get Koleos and 3 Hellion upgrades. I think we should get Choir Beacon, Micro Compact Fusion reactor, and something nice for the Cherubims. We've been sorely neglecting the more specialized Hellion variants.

>>36322935
>I think two Cobalt Lasers on Slake might be fun. It'll make for cutting arguments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkcYMpMefgc

We'll become an Annihilator Tripod?

>>36322958
Yes, but I'm pretty sure that the guy equalled "mystery item" to "grinder use", despite it referring to Koleos.

>>36322964

I think we want to buy a Void Anchor.

Once we win the match, we REALLY want to deploy one on the moon

>>36322935
Did your dad die this year?

>>36322964
No yielding on Gravimetric Nexus.
Also, two Hellion/Tank upgrades cost 30%.
A relic costs 25%
This means that we have 10% left.
Enough for Vector Trap.

>>36322974

This anon makes a really good point. The moon where the culmination of the hyades game is has a HIGH concentraiton of secret vaults - aka, stored essence - which means its own stage, with development, a secret moonbase, and the like.

So we really do want a void anchor.

Guys, we're gonna steal the moon.

A MOON.

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>>36322793

(Ah, my apologies: I misspoke. It's the first friend I'm talking about, not the one who's dead. That's an unfortunate slip of the keyboard, there.)

>>36322808

(It's entirely all right. I didn't know the latter person except by reputation, and the former is a casual acquittance of mine. She's gone to sleep already, at any rate.)

INTERLUDE

In Armaros's fists, the sword moves like a ribbon of light.

Long and straight and heavy, the blade is the color of mirror-polished tungsten. The deep-graven circuitry - From forte to tip - are graceful and smooth as brushstrokes, capped with the perfect mercury orb of the pommel. Tiny gravimetric suspensors hum as they engage, the augmented-function sword carving the air in clean, lethal sweeps-

And a name:

ASCALON.

Dragon slayer.

> "The problem is the dreadnought."
> "Rust Kaiser."

Armaros is a strong swordsman, rather than a good one. His armor - Custom-fitted to his enormous frame, grown vast and bulky from successive rounds of enhancement surgery - has been the subject of numerous upgrades, to enhance the grace and power of his strokes. The distortion halo hums at his back, hydraulics humming in the pauldrons and vambraces that encases his arms.

Still silver, but only just.

> "There is no conventional counter."
> "He moves freely."
> "Where he appears, there is a disaster."
> "We cannot hold."
> "We cannot even break his step."

"You have dozens of soldiers. He is *one man*."

"Is there *nothing*?"

Armaros holds the blade before his visor, the point lifted skywards. In the gleaming mirror, the world appears simpler, purer - Like a premonition, a glimpse of the ideal future. Within the pure white space of the dueling chamber, it turns in his hand; Each sweep leaving a blazing quicksilver arc, the actinic hum mingling with the articulation of his servoes.

"Soon," Armaros growls, low and deep in his throat.

The words linger in the untremored space, like a promise.

(Continued)

>>36323012
How the fuck do you intend to prime it? Kill Cybele?

>>36322964
We don't. 25+45=70. And while I agree about the advanced models, the Comet needs upgrading as much as anything else and currently doesn't have anything coming for it.
The best upgrades are for the Chayots anyway. Invisibility+Mass attacks+effect duration=perfect.

>>36322974
We want a VA but we're not putting it on the moon. We're supposed get another round of charge once the day tics over so we can think about it then.

>>36322988
Eight.

>>36322998
Save the charge for something else. We're going to want to outfit Joker to fight Bishamon.

>>36323020
>Armoros has a Distortion Halo

Aw shiiiiiiit.

Further proof AP built or at least knows about the Hollow Sun.

>>36323021

It doesn't necessarily need a KILL, just essence. Blowing something up, or just tossing it in the room with extra stuff should do it.

Worst case scenario, we feed the Orthos Crest to it, since it hasn't been doing anything since...... like episode 50.

Personally, I'd be inclined to start cheating - the summon Virtue Hellion sounds like an excellent way to start.

>>36323020
Are we.... not having our talk with mio, then? or is this interrupting that with RED WOORLLD?

>>36323022
>Save the charge for something else. We're going to want to outfit Joker to fight Bishamon.
k

So, Gravimetric Nexus, Koleos and Choir Beacon it is.

>>36323041
I'm starting to think that you are actually brain damaged.
Distortion Halo is a generic relic that multiple players have.

Similar to how we can outfit anyone with an interceptor system by using the right relic.

>>36323047
>INTERLUDE

>>36323049

Why the nexus and not something more useful, like the guardian AI?

>>36323047
>Are we.... not having our talk with mio, then? or is this interrupting that with RED WOORLLD?

It's an INTERLUDE.

>>36323063
Because we've been perfectly content with just using the thing ourselves in the most recent fights.

I like the guardian AI, but it would need at least level 2.

>>36323041
...We've known that for months. He had it when we first met him. Hell, that was a year ago our time. The shocking twist was that the Hollow Sun had them.

>>36323047
It needs a specific density of essence. Stages don't have enough except in very specific circumstances, and the Relics/Hellions don't have that.

And it's an interlude. It says so right there.

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>>36323062
>>36323066
>>36323078


I'm an idiot. Pic related

Wait a second, fucking Vector Geist rabbited with a Void Anchor. If he doesn't deliver it to Steppenwulf for planting we're going to have *words*.

>>36323108
>"Oh god the Joker is hunting me for being a deserter."
>"He's following me! Why the hell is he following me?"
>"Please don't kill me!"
>Joker takes the VA off his hands
>"Huh."

>>36323116
THEN we kill him.

>>36323127
>>36323116
"Remember when I said I'd kill you last?"

"I lied."

>>36323127
Only if he's lost it.

>>36323136
Save it for the Smilers, not the people nominally on our side. Actually this probably gives us an opening to give Haze a training partner.

>>36323078

V1's a start, though. With communication joker tokens and that one relic, voice command is a good enough stand-in to make a difference

engage rierebr, yes captcha, it shall be done

Something I wonder about:
If relics are dropped from a dead player, do they retain the upgrades that the player added or are they in vanilla condition?

It seems like relic upgrades increase their affinity for the player's frame, which would mean interesting things if, say, our nimble and sleek frame got a relic from a heavy tank-like enemy who's already done a few upgrades.

>>36323049
I think we should augment caliban for the fight directly ahead of us.

This is the moment where we need to stop researching stuff, and gear up for an epic fight.

JQOP flat out warned us about "the last day" in the previous thread, so....

we need physical assets, and immediate purchases to make our army - and our allies - not die.

What can we give volt so she doesn't get ganked?

>>36323151
It's line of sight only for the Dirac Network and we can't share combat data. And then there's transmission delay. It's two levels or nothing for the AI.

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>>36323173

Watashiwa votes to get rid of drones last thread

votes to unlock more drones.

laughinghyades.jpg

>>36323173
Fuck, that's an awesome relic.

>>36323173
That's pretty useful, especially the armour-piercing and health regen bits.

>>36323179
Well, there's relic alterations that could become very useful.
Like the Aquila system.

>>36323179
Nothing. It is foretold.

Also Caliban won't be done for a lot of time so it's off the table for the immediate future.

>>36323173
>Exec_Swarm related
Called it!

>>36323185
This is nothing like the interceptors and you know it.

>>36323200

No, its not. The other death flagged one was averted, at least thus far, too

>>36323222

Well, it costs HP, and doesn't have range, and has even less damage because lasers....

..the first thing it does when we use it is get attacked..

.... yeah, its a drone, with the skin of 'bugs'. Sword bits in disguise.

>>36323227
Not to be that guy, but the death flag hasn't been broken so much as postponed. We can say it's been averted once/if he survives the festival.

>>36323240
You're reaching and misidentifying the problem with the interceptors. It was the upkeep.

>>36323254
>You're reaching and misidentifying the problem with the interceptors. It was the upkeep.

I think you're going to find the same problem with the slake, honestly.

The lucifer bits hit hard enough to pay for themselves, though. A no net loss weapon isn't bad at all. (Our meter is charged from special and secondary weapons, plus twenty percent).

The slake costs more to use, for less damage. Hollow sun weapons are neat, but they aren't full relics.

I think we'll find that perma-running two lucifer bits on booster-recharge(now that we have that upgrade) gains us more meter than not running drones, and more than the slake does.

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(My apologies, I had to correct the level of Hollow Sun charge remaining.)

>>36323152

(They're in vanilla condition. Relic Attunement is about your Attunement with the Relic - When Death Calibre dropped his Assault Shroud, you retrieved it at Level 1. Also, Relics have substantially different effects in the hands of different Players - Different 'upgrade paths', so to speak.)

HOLLOW SUN: 10.7%

HELLION UPGRADE:

> [X] CHOIR BEACON

RED COMET RESEARCH:

> [X] GRAVIMETRIC NEXUS

RELIC UNLOCK: KOLEOS

Unusual in design and function, the KOLEOS is one of the rare Relics that function in tandem with a specific Codeburst: When used in conjunction with EXEC_SWARM, the KOLEOS augments the user's control over the resulting parasites - Allowing them to leech raw material from the targets caught in the area of effect. In addition, as long as the user remains within line-of-sight, the properties of the SWARM can now be remotely controlled.

(tl;dr - When EXEC_SWARM is activated, you can now utilize any Assault Shroud modules current equipped. For instance: with the CAPA, the resulting parasites can be remotely detoned. With the MULETA, they gain additional armor-piercing capability. Alternatively, you can recall the Swarm to regain Assault Shroud and HP - Derived from the same 'raw material' utilized to cast the Codeburst.

Additionally, you now have an indication of Swarm Density - Heavy/Moderate/Light - when EXEC_SWARM is cast, indicating the level of parasites still operational.)

The room is dark. Pale moonlight - wan, luminous - slants through the windows, pooling against the wooden floorboards. There is a savory, almost sweet, scent that lingers in the air - a subtle fragrance, like sandalwood or spice.

(Continued)

>>36323295
>Allowing them to leech raw material from the targets caught in the area of effect.
>Alternatively, you can recall the Swarm to regain Assault Shroud and HP
Wait, does that mean that we can heal ourselves with the swarm?

>>36323307
And restore the assault shroud. I wonder if it depends on where the base material came from? Either way this is awesome.

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>>36323307

(Yes, but at the cost of cancelling the Swarm. Also, it depends on what you used to cast the Codeburst - If you used Assault Shroud for the raw material, you'll regain Assault Shroud. With HP, you'll regain HP.

It's more likely to partially offset the cost than lead to a net gain, however.)

>>36323295

"Mmmn..." the soft, sleepy sound purrs from Mio's lips, as she rubs lightly at her eyes - Her blonde hair shimmering, swaying in loose strands. The whisper of the blankets against her skin is a silken sound - Her slender arms left bare by the faded blue of her camisole; the fabric so supple that it clings to her curves, limning her form.

"Anon-kun..." she says, softly - A little self-conscious, her hand rising to the side of her head...then back to her lap, a blush lingering in her cheeks. She's smiling, just a little - A sleepy smile, a hazy smile, half-asleep and drowsy.

Then:

"I - ummmm - I was...I was waiting for you," Mio says - Her voice almost a whisper, almost shy, as she draws the blankets to her chest; a gesture that's oddly defensive, muffling her words as her gaze lingers on you. "I wanted - I was waiting, so..." she ducks her head, biting her lip in agitation.

"So, ummm..."

[ ] "...How long have you been waiting?
[ ] "-Kazuya snuck you in here, didn't he?"
[ ] "Is it okay for you to be here?"
[ ] "...You shouldn't be here."
[ ] "What's wrong?"
[ ] "How are you feeling?"

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36323321
>"-Kazuya snuck you in here, didn't he?"
>"What's wrong?"

>>36323321
>[ ] "...How long have you been waiting?
>[ ] "How are you feeling?"

>>36323321
>[ ] "-Kazuya snuck you in here, didn't he?"
>[ ] "...You shouldn't be here."

>>36323321

Other: "I''m really glad you're here. remind me to thank kazuya later."

Do something touching. Hold her hand, wrap an arm around her. See what she has to say.

Just play it off as someone who knows she's maybe going to die tomorrow, is glad to spend last moments with her, and... respects that maybe she doesn't want to know shit - though she's probably coming around since she's here. Just be sensitive, and for once, human about things.

>>36323321
Before anything else, reach out and crush her close. Don't say anything for a while.

>[X] "...How long have you been waiting?
>[X] "-Kazuya snuck you in here, didn't he?"
>[X] "How are you feeling?"

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>>36323352
>/tg/
>Capable of acting human

>>36323321

>>36323352
>>36323353

these, plus ask her how she's feeling.

>>36323363
/tg/ acts perfectly human. All you have to do is tell them Kamille isn't a man's name and let human nature take it's course.

>>36323352
>>36323353
I really don't think that initiating intimate contact after what happened last time is a good idea.

>>36323392
Have you been watching Zeta?

>>36323406
After what happened last time I think it's one of the best things to do.

>>36323413
>After what happened last time I think it's one of the best things to do.
Yeah, it expresses that sense of "I thought I had lost you" and "I'm sorry" very well.

>>36323406
Don't worry, I'm an expert on human beings. Since she's of the opposite gender to the Red Joker, in his bed, and wearing clothing designed for sleeping she probably wants to fuck him. All we have to do is have him proposition her and then we have solved this scene.

>>36323413
...Noooot recently? That obvious huh.

>>36323417
That was my thinking. We probably should use those exact phrases sometime in this conversation.

>>36323419
I don't think Joker even has to say the words anymore.

>>36323413
>After what happened last time I think it's one of the best things to do

Pretty much this.

Context clues, man. girl in our bed.

>>36323364
>>36323353
>>36323352

"Ah-"

Mio makes a little sound - a hushed sound, deep in her throat - as you pull her close. She starts, a slight arch to her back; you can feel the tremor in her, the shiver in the soft timbre of her voice...Just for a moment, a moment of breathless surprise. A hitch in her breath, almost a sob...

And then her arms circle you, and she hugs you as if she never wants to let go.

You can feel her, through that warm contact - The smooth, supple skin against yours, the gentle press of her softly curving form, the tremble in her arms as she puts her cheek to yours; whatever she was about to say turns into a soft, sweet murmur, her hands curling lightly against your sides.

> [X] "-Kazuya snuck you in here, didn't he?"
> [X] "I'm really glad you're here. Remind me to thank Kazuya later."

"Ehehehe~" she giggles - just a little - her chin against your shoulder, her breath warm against your cheek. Stray strands of impossibly soft, silken hair tickles your cheek, as the tight knot within her loosens. Mio's lips part in a slow sigh, as she eases herself into you; her embrace loosens, ever-so-slightly, her hands still resting at the small of your back.

"I...know he shouldn't have," she murmurs - Her eyes searching, lowering - "But...I didn't want - I couldn't leave things like *that*-" Then, in a whisper: "N, not - Not after just now..."

> [X] "...How long have you been waiting?

"-Um."

Evasively:

"...A - while~?"

>>36323417

"N-no~!" Animation enters her voice - Her hands resting lightly on your collarbone, your pectoral, as Mio turns her face towards yours. "Anon-kun...I'm sorry. *I'm* sorry. I'm *sorry*..." Her throat works - her words becoming lower, softer.

"I...Anon-kun, I was - so *scared* - I thought...I thought I'd *hurt you*-"

"S, so...So-" A slow breath - "...I'm the one - the one who should be sorry..."

> [X] "How are you feeling?"

For a long, long time, Mio says nothing.

(Continued)

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>>36323469

A low whisper, inaudible:

"..."

A conflicted expression - exquisitely vulnerable - flits across her features. The tremble in her palms becomes worse, as she goes rigid; holding herself together, with an effort of will.

"I-" Searching for the words, now. "...I don't know."

There's a quiet torment to her words - As if the merest mention is enough for the memory to return.

> [X] "...You shouldn't be here."

"I don't-"

"...I don't care anymore."

But from the lift of her shoulders - the pained flash in her eyes - you can tell that she's lying. Mio looks down, and away - "It's...It's strange," she says. "When - when you're not here, I can...I can tell myself I don't care. But-" and her eyes are wet, shimmering, her voice becoming lower, huskier - "...But now..."

A half-sob, a hitch to her breath.

Her fingers curl around your wrist - Still trembling, her expression filled with trepidation and a kind of anguish - as very slowly, very deliberately, she presses your hand to her softly curving breast. The contact makes her gasp, her body tensing; As if a spring within her is being wound tighter, tighter, her voice shaky.

"Anon-kun..." she says - Her gaze searching yours, a kind of desperation in her eyes.

"D, do I..." Mio's sleek throat works, as she swallows. "...If - If I have to ask you-"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36323553
>do it

It might be the last day for both of us.

>>36323553
Carnifex on, pants off.

>>36323574
>>36323575

DO NOT HAVE SEX WITH HER.

Repeat: DO NOT HAVE SEX WITH HER. That is the WORST POSSIBLE THING you can do at this point.

>>36323553
Woah. Let's nail this guys.

>>36323553
Kiss her like you mean it. And this time don't let her get away, Joker.

We'll have to give her the ring later.

>>36323582

I agree. Having sex with her would make things utterly horrible later. Don't do this.

>>36323582
How about making your statement more coherent?

>>36323575
>>36323585
Do you have brain damage?

>>36323553
Might as well fuck her, then.
Also holy shit those tits are really distracting.

>>36323586
This.

>>36323553
>Pet her head.
Having a sex when she's emotionally unstable? Bad fucking idea.

>>36323597

The girl is at an emotionally vulnerable juncture and she's looking for someone to comfort her. Sex is not going to make her problems better.

Cuddle her instead. Just hold her and listen to her.

> "Mio. This isn't what you want."

>>36323604
But it worked with Cybele.

>>36323600
>Also holy shit those tits are really distracting.
...This explains a lot about waifu issues.

>>36323604
I'm pretty sure that she has calmed down after running away. She's also had time to sleep on the issue.
This was planned by her, I'm pretty sure.

>>36323553

Don't have sex with her. Shake your head and calm her down with a hug. She's obviously scared as hell, we don't need to make things worse.

>>36323610
To be fair, Cybele is never not unstable.

>>36323610
Yeah and Joker spent the whole sex scene having PTSD flashbacks.

Mio is doing this out of confusion and desperation. Doing this when she's miserable is just going to cause a shitload of regret later.

Also, I think Joker is just going to fall asleep halfway through the scene anyway since he's fucking exhausted.

>>36323614
I don't even like Mio especially, but fuck those are well-drawn.

>>36323614
Reread the posts. She isn't calm at all. She's confused, afraid and desperate. She "planned" this, but she doesn't actually understand the ramifications of her actions.

>>36323553
"One condition: From now on you tell me how you really feel. I prefer true tears to fake smiles."

Pretty sure there are more than ten votes, even if some aren't actually linked back to the post.

>>36323609

This. Guys, having sex with her is something we can never take back. Don't do this.

>>36323626
>Mio is doing this out of confusion and desperation.
Or maybe it's her way of telling us that she wants us despite what happened.

It's not like we catched her after she ran away and then fucked her.
There's been quite some time for her to contemplate the issue.

Seriously, guys, if she gets pissed because we treat her like a child again (Remember the forehead-kissing scene), it's your fucking fault.

>>36323639
The current moment is emotionally charged for her. Which is kinda normal.
This doesn't mean that those are the same emotions as the ones that she had after seeing the glowy sphere of doom.

Well, do whatever the fuck you want.
I'll just say "I told you so" if you fuck up.

>>36323642
Isn't one of the ten OP? How does the IP counter work?

>>36323660
It counts the unique IPs of posters.
So there are nine posters and one OP in here.

>>36323660

Probably a lot of samefagging going on here. I'm voting NO on the sex just to avoid disaster.

>>36323660
Yeah but I felt pointing out there are more than ten would make it seem worse.

(Gentlemen, I'm writing now. One moment, please.)

>>36323656
Honestly, I'd rather deal with that rather than with the consequences of dicking around,

>>36323666
And then I realized I could look at the blog post about it... which tells me next to nothing. Thanks moot.

Near certain you're right.

>>36323669
Going to be interesting to see how this affects voting patterns. Have other quests seen changes or been caught out blatantly ballot stuffing?

>>36323703
Not sure, I've seen people point it out a few times but the result wouldn't have changed without the samefagging.

>>36323697
How ARE you counting this? Only votes responding to your post? Does each negative response to a vote count as a vote against? Are you only counting nine votes total?

>>36323553
>[ ] Free

Look her right in the eyes, with our haunted, older-than-we-are gaze of someone more experienced, use our hand she's holding to hook a finger through the front of her bra - through her shirt - and pull her closer by it, so we're nose to nose.

And then sell her "You mean the world to me. You don't have to ask."

Technically... true!

>>36323582
>>36323585
>>36323594
>>36323586
>>36323604

Making out, cuddling, oral, snuggling, non-sexual adorableness with shirts off - its all appropriate.

Let mio decide how far she wants to go, and JQOP how much smut she wants to write.

I would laugh my ass off at a 'shit no condom moment' btw

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>>36323759
>she

>>36323759
>she
Bad news for you anon.

Can Slake make melee attacks when it has a weapon installed?
It seems like it would damage the guns.

>>36323759
This is a less chuuni version of "such defiance".

>>36323788
>Can Slake make melee attacks when it has a weapon installed?
Armory guide says it can. Probably a bad idea to hit someone with the actual gun attachment.

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(Gentlemen: There seems to be a slight majority in favour of 'no'.)

"-!"

Mio stiffens; for a moment, emotions - surprise, disappointment, confusion - chase each other across her face...And then relief, stark and all-consuming, shining through bright as a star. Her cheeks go crimson, her body trembling in place; she lets your hand fall away, but her touch lingers, the slump of her shoulders heralding a shivery exhalation of breath.

So strange, her expression - Embarrassed, tentative, shy, relieved...and assured, somehow, as if a great weight has been lifted from her shoulders, that dispels the heavy atmosphere that lingers. When she breathes out, all the fatigue of the day clouds her vision, looking down into her lap.

Then:

"Anon-kun...Remember - the first time we met?"

In the Papillion, when you grabbed her-

A little laugh - Surprising even herself, the color in her cheeks flaring higher. Mio's lips curve in a pout, just for a moment, but there's an ease to her gaze; the lines of tension easing at last. There's something quiet, certain in it; Her hands cradling yours, now, holding it lightly - for comfort, as if she's warmed by your mere touch.

"The second time we met, then."

You remember.

"Anon-kun...I think - I think I fell in love with you a little, then." her voice is soft, nostalgic - "...Right then, I thought; you looked exactly like a prince-" A blush. "And...And, every day after that - A little more." Mio's gaze holds yours - calmer, now. There's no strain to her voice, no tension; she says it quietly, with assurance, matter-of-fact.

"You know...Anon-kun, I-" a catch to her voice, a slow breath - "...I really love you. When I think about you - It makes me feel warm; Warm, right here." She touches her fingertips to her heart.

"So...Right now-"

"Right now, I don't know why, but-"

"...But I feel happy. I feel - really happy. Isn't that...Is that strange?"

(Continued)

>>36323853
So how many threads until this waifu dies?

>>36323853

Her fingers interlace with yours. She's very close now - Her head coming to rest on your shoulder. There's something demure, something muted in her eyes - the tremor slowing, stilling at last.

"Um." It's a low sound, gentle as a butterfly's wing.

"Anon-kun...Will you - sleep with me?" The words are enough to make her flush again, as Mio hastens to add - "...Not - Not like what - Like what I was saying. But-"

"...But - Like before."

"Because - Even though you can be scary - Even though...there's so much about you that I *don't* know-" A lilt enters her voice. "...Somehow - Somehow - I just want to remain like this...Just like this - For as long as we *can*..."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36323916
Considering the current circumstances, anywhere from less than 5 to never.

>>36323921
Carnifex on, head on the pillow.

>>36323921
Time to get the best night's sleep that we'll ever get.

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>>36323931

Is this the equivalent of 'I put on my robe and wizard hat?'

>>36323921
"I'd like that. But before I forget, this is yours." With handing her the box.

"Sweet dreams."

>>36323921
"Good night koibito."

Make sure you get the kiss.

>>36323921
>"Sure. It's been a long day, after all."
>"Good night."

Go to sleep before we turn off like a TV.

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>>36323955
>koibito
No.

>>36323921
>Drop asleep in front of the bed

>>36323950

Can we save the box for when we decide on her romantically? Like when we propose or something.

>>36323986
>when we propose
I'm not sure if the quest will run that long.

>>36323986
Might want to do that after we deal with the tournament. Don't want to get any extra death flags, do we?

>>36323986
It was hers from the start. Auto-Anon won it for her and gave it to her, she just left it behind when she fled.

>>36323931
>>36323946
>>36323997
>>36323976
>>36323961

The bunk-bed isn't very large. It creaks, and the wooden frame beneath it can be felt through the mattress. But - there's a gentle pressure against your chest, a soft weight, as Mio nestles against you. Oddly shy, now - Her face so close, her legs against yours, warm and silken. It's strange how comforting her presence is: the soft, sweet sound of her breathing melding with the stillness.

It feels like there should be a tension, here - a kind of instinctive reserve from her proximity. But instead-

It's soothing. Her hand rests lightly against the pillow, holding herself slightly apart...But not for long. Perhaps the fatigue of the day has rung all resistance from her, but her eyes close, slowly but surely; as if all reserve has been abandoned, her long, long lashes fluttering as a slow, shivery sigh peals forth, a graceful sound.

Even asleep, she's smiling. A gentle curve to her lips, drawing against herself in a fetal curl - scrunching the blankets around her, a quiet peace that lingers in the stillness.

And you sleep, too. It is depthless and infinite and without dreams.

For a while.

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

A buzz, at the very edge of perception. A sound that sets your teeth on edge, the struggles through your sleeping mind - Something acutely annoying, grinding away relentlessly-

You open your eyes. They're gummed with sleep - A muddy, unwholesome exhaustion gnawing at you, a fatigue that spreads across your field of vision. It's...

-It's your phone.

It's ringing.

You - reach out, fumble. A weight restrains you, a soft pressure that stirs and murmurs without waking - At some point, Mio's limbs have curled around you for comfort, leaden and heavy, holding on instinctively. Her head against your chest, a firm-yet-soft sensation against your side-

[ ] Go back to sleep.
[ ] Answer.
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36324088
Look at caller ID.
Look at the phone's clock, if currently visible.

If it's in the middle of the night, it would be a good idea to answer.

>>36324088
Check the caller. If it's no one we care about throw it across the room. It's going to be someone we care about so answer it.

>>36324088
[ ] Answer.

>>36324088
>Answer

>>36324088
Answer it.

What time is-

You can-

You can do this.

Oxygen whispers away the shadows in your head, as you force your eyes open. One breath, then another, and it becomes easier: There's an undefinable sense of loss, somehow, as the most peaceful slumber you've ever had - ever - recedes a little at a time, as you struggle through the fog of sleep.

It's...2 AM? You bite back a groan as you move, fumbling with clumsy fingers that seem to weigh a thousand pounds. Your eyelids feel like they have bags of sand attached. The caller ID is a blur; When you blink it into focus, it says, tauntingly-

UNKNOWN NUMBER

>>36324118
>>36324119
>>36324103

You try - You hit the answer button, and an twinge shoots through your neck.

On the other end of the line: A rush of sound. The night wind, wordless, a blitz of static. It's acutely uncomfortable, a reminder of the biting cold at the end of the year outside...

In her sleep, Mio shivers, murmurs. Her fingers curl against your shoulders, as she draws closer for warmth.

For a long, long time, there's nothing. Then:

"Joker."

A low, harsh whisper. Pained. The voice is distorted, blurred as to be nearly unrecognizable, but it's...

-Akira.

A hiss of indrawn breath.

"The - tower's roof," he says - rasps, really. "Ten...minutes."

[ ] "Akira? Is that you?"
[ ] "-This had better be urgent."
[ ] "I can't just-"
[ ] "Akira? Where have you been?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36324289
>[ ] "-This had better be urgent."

>>36324289
We are a student.
This means we have pen and paper.

Leave a note:
>"brb saving world"
Or maybe something that gives her less of a feeling that we will only cause her grief.

>"This is not just an attempt to get me out of my room, is it? Because I'm really paranoid right now."

>>36324289
"I hate you so much. Stay alive until I get there."

No rest for the wicked, Joker. Extract yourself as gently as possible, maybe leave the coat behind as a replacement, but that'll make for a cold walk over.

>>36324289
Better head over.

See? Answering was a "good" idea.

>>36324331
>maybe leave the coat behind as a replacement
A pillow might make more sense, if we have one.

>>36324289
>[ ] "-This had better be urgent."

>>36324366
For body shape, sure. But the jacket means Anon plans to come back.

>>36324408
Wrap the jacket around the pillow then.

>>36324415
That might actually make her laugh. Which is good.

So, note or no note?

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>>36324319
>>36324331
>>36324349
>>36324374

> [X] "-This had better be urgent."
> "I hate you so much. Stay alive until I get there."

A cough, a hacking laugh.

"Might be...tall order."

The line clicks closed.

It is a struggle to extricate yourself from Mio's grasp - Harder still to leave your warm and infinitely comfortable bed. More than once, it feels like the world is spinning around you, as you sway to your feet. Mio murmurs, shifting in her sleep - A low sound that might be distress - until her arms find your pillow and pull it close. Something about the texture feels wrong to her, her brow furrowing, ever-so-slightly...

-Until you drape your coat over her slumbering form. Drowsily, she sinks back into sleep as you ease the door open and step out into the night.

It's a wonder how quiet the dorm is, at this time of the night. Every sound seems amplified - Even the creak of the floorboards underfoot, as you pace forward. In the common room, Kazuya is slumped - Bonelessly - in a chair, his jacket draped over his head; the back-and-forth sawing of his snores muffled, the fabric rising and falling as he slouches in his seat.

You move on past, without waking him.

Outside, it is freezing. A mist hangs in the air, your breath wisping through the fog - It's like you wander through some hazy purgatory, your feet stirring an uncertain path. There is something surreal about your approach, as you feel rather than see your way forward...At night, the place is transfigured into something cold, something without warmth, like the alien spires of Arcadia.

(Continued)

I'm sorry for your loss, op.

>>36324492

(I appreciate it, but I didn't actually know that person.)

>>36324450

You wish, fleetingly, for your jacket - Before you chafe your hands, and shake off the cold.

At this time of the night, the tower - the observation deck - is closed. But a window is open, a cyclopean darkness beckoning beyond. Your hands find the edge of the sill and pull yourself up, a little awkwardly, moving without too much grace. But the feel of the pitted stone wakes you up a little, as does the winding flight of stairs beyond.

Up. Further. Endless stairs, ascending; A tower built countless years ago, old enough to be a relic in itself. It is an eerie ascent, in absolute silence - Almost without light, except for the faint orange glow from within. The door at the top of the stairs is left ajar...

It sways open, with a creak of hinges.

You find yourself outside. *Way* outside. This high up - You don't recall coming *this* far - makes the buildings of Seisin High stretch away far below, with only the thin line of a metal railing (Not even a wire fence) between you and the fatal drop. Just looking at it pulls at your balance, dragging your head towards the brink.

It is completely empty, here. A flat space, the ground plated in lustrous white metal - The surrounding spires curving upwards from the floor, the stairs ending where the metal begins in a convex arc so that the apex is out of view.

You reach down, and lay your palm on the metal. Aluminium? Silver?

-No.

Platinum.

(Continued)

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>>36324544

There is an air of unreality, here. The place feels...Transistory. If you close your eyes, if you squint, you can almost see - Almost *feel* - something rather more homely, with safety barricades and windows and viewing platforms and warnings, without the constant, mournful howl of the wind.

But at the opposite end, there's a figure - small, shapeless in black - leaning against the railing, as if utterly exhausted. A shock of pale hair - somehow whiter now - catches the moonlight.

"Anon." Akira's voice is a rasp. He doesn't turn to face you - Doesn't do anything except stare out into the infinite space, hunched. A scrolled case - Ever-present - is slung over his right shoulder, with the consistency of lacquer.

"You're...late."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36324588
"I had to prevent someone from getting a PTSD attack once they wake up.

Am I in time to help you with whatever you need help with?"

>>36324588
"The world hasn't ended yet, so I'd say I'm on time."

>>36324588
"You're the one whose time is running out, unless I'm off the mark."

"I thought you were looking for a safe place? What happened in the Diadem?"

"And what's this place here?"

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"Safe-"

Akira's right hand - gloved - grips the railing. His left hand is pressed against his stomach, as the air plucks at his coat. It seems too large for him, his form somehow shrunken.

>>36324615
>>36324638
>>36324664

> "What happened in the Diadem?"

He exhales.

"Always with...the questions," he mutters - But you can tell that the ghost of a smile plays against his lips. A sigh, low and weary, pulses from Akira's throat.

"Anon...Listen. Just - listen."

He shifts his stance, drawing himself up - A little taller, a little straighter. Picking his words with equal care-

"Someone else was in - the Diadem. Someone's been here for..." Akira's breath catches. "-A long, long time."

The mournful howl of the wind seems to echo his words.

"I was in the...Simulation Nexus...when it happened," he says, wearily. "Joker - there are millions of Simulation Bodies there. Not...hundreds, or thousands. *Millions*." He turns his head, his face pale and angular. "...More than you can imagine. Endless rows, serried ranks, onwards into infinity..."

Exhaustion - And a kind of dread - blossoms in his voice.

"Enough - I think - for every man, woman and child-"

"Enough for...Every human on *Earth*-"

(Continued)

>>36324736
Shitniggers

This explains so much.

>>36324736

His throat works without sound.

"So many, many - So many missing - Taken, with so many more..."

His eyes close. He sways.

"And - Other things, too, beneath. Great machines, columns, reactors..."

"Joker - I don't think the Diadem is...a control centre...at all."

"I think - It might be -"

"It *is*-"

"...A ship."

[ ] "A ship? A ship to do what?"
[ ] "What happened to you?"
[ ] "-What does that mean?"
[ ] "What else did you find?"
[ ] "'Someone else'?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36324766
>[ ] "A ship? A ship to do what?"

>>36324766
>"The Smilers *did* talk about the 'Promised Land' that they want to reach. Now it all makes sense."

>[ ] "What happened to you?"
>[ ] "What else did you find?"
>[ ] "'Someone else'?"

>>36324766
>[X] "'Someone else'?"
>[X] "What happened to you?"
>[X] "What else did you find?"

"The Smilers want to take it."

Also, called it again.

>>36324804
So, they want all of humanity to become players and live in the Red permanently?

>>36324821
Stick 'em all in the Red World and go somewhere else. I admit I can't guess at any plans past that, especially given how hostile the Red World is to, well, life.

>>36324804
I'm wondering if the Diadem is somehow omnipresent, considering the Red exists in entire world.

>>36324861
Well, we do have a supersonic bike.
We could try to visit America's Red.

>>36324872
Why would we want to do that. We don't even know anybody there you fucking retard.

>>36324821
Destroy it all. Drop a void anchor and BLOW it all to hell

>>36324937
>We don't even know anybody there you fucking retard.
That's the point.
To see how shit works there and if we are the only ones with megalomaniac BBEGs.

>>36324937
Another alternative exists: Drain the unclaimed simulation bodies to charge the Chalice Queen.

>>36324780
>>36324804
>>36324790

> [X] "A ship? A ship to do what?"

Akira shakes his head, dully. He doesn't know - Or he can't begin to guess.

> "The Smilers *did* talk about the 'Promised Land' that they want to reach. Now it all makes sense."
> "The Smilers want to take it."

"How do you - how do you *steal*-" His gaze roves, unfocused. "...How do you steal - something like that?"

"Where do you...begin?"

> [X] "What else did you find?"

"Cryptid Storage...Looted. They're not...Correctors, see? Just - the template."

Akira's voice is a low rasp, fading in and out. "-That's why...immortal. Each time...destroyed...just - More Essence from the Hyades. Like...loading them...all over again-"

> [X] "'Someone else'?"
> [X] "What happened to you?"

You're closer, now, closer. Akira's shoulders began to tremble, as a spasm of pain shakes him - Wincing, he touches his hand to his stomach, again. Fluid seeps out through his dark coat - Nearly invisible except for the glossy sheen. There is an odd smell to the air, a smell like licorice or bile...

-Not blood. Not blood at all, from the ragged punctures in his back, the holes where his coat is torn.

Lachryma. Akira is bleeding black Lachryma.

"I'm not dying," Akira says. "This is just - healing." He grits his teeth - "Sometimes... Sometimes, healing hurts. And - you're never sure if you're going to get there."

(Continued)

>>36324960
No wata. VOID ANCHOR.

EXTERMINATUS!

>>36324960
I don't think unclaimed simulation bodies have any essence. They're just empty shells.

>>36324964

A hand - His left hand - rises, warding you away.

"Got...too careless. One of the...Simulation Bodies..."

He exhales, a rasping sigh. There is a note of uneasy wonder, of disbelief, in it - As he turns his head towards you. "They moved - *He* moved - like you. Talked...Like you. Like...a mirror - Just a mirror-"

With a visible effort, Akira straightens.

"Should have...purged the Preservatorium...*first*," he rasps. "-Stupid...Didn't think they'd come back - Didn't think they'd use...the bodies..."

His right hand moves. Sound - Tiny, buzzing - unfurls in the air. More; A tiny window of fiercely fuzzing grey static, a square that hovers in empty space. "Better...here," Akira hisses. "Half in...half out...already."

White noise. Then - Blurry darkness. Sounds of distant commotion. Sounds of running.

The view moves, tracking, vibrating. Endless rows of Simulation Bodies, long corridors that reach outwards into infinity, stack upon suspended stack. Framed in light and glass and gravimetric energy, united yet oddly forlorn. You're seeing what the Thief saw, you realize. This is the view from his helm.

Then: A figure. A Simulation Body. Hovering on iridescent wings, butterfly wings of razor edges and stained glass. A haunting, ringing chime as they beat, bearing him aloft. Long curving talons the color of old ivory, extending from wrist sockets, curving over the delicate, jointed fingers of ceramic-shaded hands in a scything canopy.

(Continued)

>>36325157

Armor, too. Is that...Skin? No, hide. Carapace, ringed and knurled like the bark of a tree. Smoking with impacts. Surgical scars still raw, still dripping brine from joints and seams.

And the eyes. Eyes that flare from within, with venomous green light.

Around - Hands, reaching up. Forms stirring into life. Blurred shapes, as the others move like jerky puppets, graceless but with enormous strength. The blur of motion becomes too furious to see. The Thief has his Furstenburg in one hand: Glutinous fire washes across their staggering shapes. The sound distorts, as he severs a hand, hacks through grasping arms, vaults backwards, impales a tottering form.

Indistinct voices. Body parts scattered on the chamber floor, like broken dolls. The hovering figure smokes with sustained impacts, the afterglow-residue continuing to burn in blinding white spots.

The Thief's voice:

"What...are you-?"

The Simulation Body lacks a Player's speakers. The lipless mouth moves to form words, words that are toneless and utterly without aspect. But there is a fell edge to that tone that chills the blood - Resonating. Revebrating.

"Why, I'm one of the things from out in the dark."

"I'm what's been waiting for you to get this far."

"-Now."

(Continued)

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>>36325294

Without warning, a sound. The view-source trembles, shakes - Jerky shots of ground and wall. The refocus blurs, with extensive background noise - A combat too rapid, too furious to fully capture. Then a *ripping* sound, a tearing, as everything becomes still.

The Thief's voice-

"-kkksshhhhhhh-"

Impaled by the curving talons, his arms flop at his sides. Smoke wisps from his form, as his coat begins to smolder. And you can tell, without seeing, that the claws are white-hot.

And then - A light begins, as everything shakes. Building - a tremor, a quake, that courses through the vast chamber: Band after band after band of light, in rising rings. A light you've glimpsed before, dimly, within the fragment of a memory - The Chalice Queen's light-

Everything goes white-

Image out.

The window winks shut.

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36325307
OHHHHH SHHHHIIIIIIT

>>36325307
"I am now contemplating how many WMDs I'll need to destroy the Diadem."

>>36325307
"What did you think of White Joker?"

>>36325294

Wait, did he literally just BUILD a body? In a cave with a box of scraps?

>>36325307
"What happened next?"

"Like me. Like me in a simulation body. Like me without a body."

"So that's where it went."

>>36325439

I don't follow. What are you thinking?

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>>36325450
I was going to make a really pretentious speech, but I realized it was stupid. White Joker is Red Joker's heart gone rampant.

>>36325514
But that's the Transcendent ONE.

Wait.

FUCKING HELL ANON'S EVEN NAMELESS.

>>36325338

Akira's eyes narrow. He jerks his head skywards, in a brusque gesture.

"Did you...forget?" he exhales. "Diadem...shielded. Something...That *large*-"

>>36325365

He manages, with immense effort, to smile. It's not really a smile at all, his lips peeling back from his teeth.

"He's a...complete...*bastard*."

>>36325439

> "What happened next?"

A vague wave of his hand, an exhausted nod towards the empty air.

"You...saw. Suddenly - Light. From everywhere. Blinding. And then...Here."

A deep, racking cough convulses Akira. Blood, not Lachryma at all, is beginning to collect around his mouth. He brings his hand up, wipes it away. Something clatters to the ground at his feet, something bright and brittle - A syringe, almost empty, a measure of black fluid gathering within.

He appears to consider reaching for it - then with a grimace, visibly changes his mind.

"Anon - Listen. Can't...stay. Can't heal...*here*."

He leans forward, over the railing - Dangerously off-balance, or so it seems. But his eyes burn with cold focus, as he turns towards you.

"Joker-" It's a rasp. "Joker...They already know - everything. Been within...all this time. Safe...*Nowhere* safe."

A deep breath, a breath that burns his lungs-

"Don't - let them *win*. For - for Hecate. Only thing...left."

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>36325589>>36325589
>"Diadem...shielded. Something...That *large*-"
"Think a black hole could could destroy it?"

>"Don't - let them *win*. For - for Hecate. Only thing...left."
"What happened to Hecate, Akira? She died as a Moratorium and yet didn't become a Hyades. She died as a Player and yet her body in the Real is still alive. Where is she?"

Can Hecate theoretically be a Chalice Queen?

>>36325589
"Do you expect anything less?"

"Watch out for Phantom Edge. Alura's brought him back. We'll need the sword and you to hold it for the end."

"A favor. If you can. Palladium Rook, Reclamation Facility Designate #1-08. He's been infected and I can't do anything about it. You're the only one I trust who knows anything about lachryma."

>>36325744
Not anymore.

Akira's life is the sad tale of the MC's best battlebro who's got an unrequited love for the primary love interest, but gives it up to support the MC.

Truly, the broest of bros.

>>36325825
Primary love interests don't get refridgeratored.

>>36325685

> "Think a black hole could could destroy it?"

Akira shrugs. It's an expressive gesture.

> "What happened to Hecate, Akira? She died as a Moratorium and yet didn't become a Hyades. She died as a Player and yet her body in the Real is still alive. Where is she?"

"Still...alive?"

There's an odd note in his voice - Still that expressionless facet, but with a flaw; A crack.

"She's - Still *alive*?"

And something wilder, now: Hope. But only for a moment. Then-

His shoulders begin to quake. Akira is laughing, so hard you fear he might rupture - So hard he doubles-over. Laughing, bleakly and without hope.

"Still *alive*-" He draws a deep breath, a breath that hurts him. "If her body is...still alive...It means - She can't...project. Have to be awake...*conscious*-" Another breath, then another - Wheezing as he calms. "...If she was - awake - she could save...herself."

"But - she can't. She can't...wake up. And so-"

"And so-"

"...she's nowhere."

"Not one thing or - the other. Isn't that...funny?"

He's grimacing, his hand shaking as he wipes at his mouth. "Can't...live. Can't...die. Just - sleeping, forever. Living...death."

>>36325746

> "Watch out for Phantom Edge. Alura's brought him back. We'll need the sword and you to hold it for the end."

Silence.

And then Akira says, very quietly - An awful, killing calm that kindles the fires in his eyes.

"-Another one-"

That this is *all* he says speaks volumes.

(Continued)

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>>36326088

> "A favor. If you can. Palladium Rook, Reclamation Facility Designate #1-08. He's been infected and I can't do anything about it. You're the only one I trust who knows anything about lachryma."

He nods. Just a brief nod, a sharp inclination of his head-

...And - smoothly and without haste - he leans forward, just that little bit more, over the railing...

And lets himself fall.

Down, down. His coat flutters in his wake as he plummets. It is an impossible plunge: You're higher up than you could imagine, dimly intuiting that the top of the tower where you now stand is *not the one you climbed* - And that the city towards which Akira falls is not the one you left behind.

It is Akira who descends, but it is the Thief who spreads the folds of his ragged coat, and lands without sound. The night wind coils around him, as his boots find purchase against the street below; Alien spires rising up on either side. He stands a little taller, a little straighter, shrugging off the burden of his infirmity-

He turns. Looks up. The crimson lens of his skull-helm flare with hellfire light, as he graces you with a nod.

And with a sweep of his long coat, bathed in the eerie anti-light of the black moon - Between one world and the next - he's gone.

JOKER QUEST

EPISODE 111.5

TO BE CONTINUED

>>36326109

(Gentlemen; I'd love to continue, but it's extremely late on my end - More, this looks like a natural end point. My apologies for the late start: However, I think we've managed to cover quite a bit of ground in this one!

Good night and God bless - I hope to see you again soon. Thank you for waiting.

Also, the next session should deal with the results of the Thief being sent to retrieve Palladium Rook.)

>>36326109
We should learn that trick.

>>36326109

Fuck, that costume looks great.

>>36326130
>Also, the next session should deal with the results of the Thief being sent to retrieve Palladium Rook.
This sounds like it might be hilarious.

So, am I understanding correctly that the White Joker saved the thief? And that the Simulation Bodies acted on their own?

>>36326597

I thought that the White Joker fucked him up by impaling him on claws.

>>36326109
Let's see how badly we can piss off AP/Armaros this time!

>>36326656
>"Hey, boss, some went into our building. We don't know who or how he did it. We didn't detect anyone. But Palladium Rook disappeared, as well as some gadgets from our armory."

>>36326597

No, WE saved him. When we were forced to logout by the Chalice Queen, the White Joker and Thief were also logged-out too.

>>36326683
Ah, I figured that the enemy was some kind of animated simulation body, not the White Joker, as there was no mention of the unnatural grace that is inherent to the Joker class.

>>36326877
The grace isn't inherent to Jokers, but to those who survived the trip to the Black, as proven by Kraken also having it.

>>36326999

Basically anyone who survived the Black is a five-star badass. Not to mention that this guy beat the Thief's face in with JUST A SIMULATION BODY.

>>36323853

I don't get this at all. Can anyone tell me why Mio seems so happy after we REFUSED TO SLEEP WITH HER?

>>36327232
She probably thought that she had to do it to apologize and to prevent us from leaving her for being a bitch.
She was glad that we weren't angry at her. She probably also wasn't really mentally prepared for that kind of stuff.

>>36327232

Because she didn't really want to do it. She was scared and desperate of losing us, and saying no means:

> "I like you for reasons beyond fucking you."

>>36327232
Because when emotionally unstable and desperate, people tend to say and do things they don't actually mean.

Refusing to just ravage her while she's vulnerable showed that Joker cares about her more than an onahole and can actually read between the lines well enough to understand her real feelings and intentions.

So, our next upgrade will definitely be limiter attunement, won't it?

Instant pick-ups for next thread to prepare for shit going down:
- One of Signal Booster/Dirge Caster at 15%/20% (Both would have their uses, depending on situation)
- Aquila system at 35% (Lessens our constant amputation issues and allows kiting)
- Possibly the Condemner (25%) or a Teleport Homer (Basic at 40%) or a Shroud mod at 20% (Which would likely require the Mimetic Adaptor, at 25%)

Actually, just picking both Argus upgrades would be the most hassle-free.

I look forward to the massive amounts of asskicking and suffering next thread.

Threadly reminder our Hellions aren't optimized for mass combat yet, and we need to invest more in their upgrades. Secondary reminder that 600~ Hellions does not make an army, need to ramp up production.

>>36328745
I really hope we'll get another mass combat scene.

>>36328837

You might get your wish yet.

>>36330491
Oh god, imagine the reaction to our upgraded swarm.
The first one already horrified everyone.

>>36330625
I'm more interested in what happens if we pit Joker's swarm against Bell Zephyr's.

>>36330710
They reproduce.

>>36330722
Probably, except Joker's swarm goes up while hers goes down.

>>36330860
That's no fun.

But I really want an upgrade to combine Muleta and Capa into a swarm that eats into armored bodies and explodes them from the inside.

Also, Mentiroso swarm.

>>36328493

I'm personally wondering when Daegal is going to turn up. There is a LOT of foreshadowing.

>>36330959
Daegal currently sits inside us and expands whenever we gain more essence.

I do wonder what the symbol means that it recently gained, though.

>>36330888
Koleos already does that. Koleos Swarm gets an attack bonus, Capa explodes. It's all about being able to load multiple mods now. Though, that's probably limited to whatever mod is in effect when Koleos activates.

>>36331024
But Muleta swarm gains armor piercing.

But what the hell would Capote do? A swarm that looks thrice as large? Morale damage?

>>36330979
"I killed Iron Ogre and all I got was this stupid emblem."

>>36331090
Fuck meant Muleta.

Capote might not do anything. They don't all have to.

>>36328745
We've got ten thousand. And what do you mean they're not optimized for mass combat, that's what the commanders and stealth specialists are all for.

>>36331580

Ten thousand limited by power cores

>>36331580
Most every model has an upgrade or two that makes it play better with other Hellions. We've got most of the Virtues, but there's more.

>>36331631
We've got several thousand of those I'm pretty sure.

Would a teleport homer be useful against Bishamon?

>>36332115
Why would we use Red Comet on Bishamon?

Do you mean "would individual generic Hellions that Bishamon cut down by the dozen" be useful? No.

>>36326999
>>36327172
Wait, what?

Where hte fuck did you two get Kraken and the White Joker having been to the Black from?

There are only two people who may have survived the Black World (The real one. Not the Original Hive.)

That is Anon, and Drilldude. And fuck, Frost Cestus only survived because Original RJ saved our ass.

Jesus, I don't get why people keep thinking White Joker has been a thing for a while. He's clearly a new future of the JQ setting.

>>36332442
>Where hte fuck did you two get Kraken and the White Joker having been to the Black from?
Because Joker himself commented on how similar their movements are to his own (and it has been noted many times Joker's graceful movements are the result surviving the Black).
>Jesus, I don't get why people keep thinking White Joker has been a thing for a while. He's clearly a new future of the JQ setting.
First thread gave us a choice between three armor types (Red, Black and White). People have been expecting the White Joker to show up since forever.

>>36333415
>Because Joker himself commented on how similar their movements are to his own (and it has been noted many times Joker's graceful movements are the result surviving the Black).

That in no way implies he's been to the Black. He might have been through something similar or just be "that good" but it doesn't mean he was in the Black.

Hell, it might just be that being a Joker means you move differently.

>First thread gave us a choice between three armor types (Red, Black and White). People have been expecting the White Joker to show up since forever.

So if we'd have picked Black armour, we'd have been the Black Joker? Bullshit, OP already said its impossible for PCs to be the Black Joker, only Black Joker aligned in the system rules.

No, the reason we're the Red Joker is that's how OP wanted to fluff it. The reason Frost Cestus is even a thing is that the second most voted for option was White Armour, Gauntlet Weapons.

>>36334420
Not exactly. If we'd picked Black Joker then Black Joker would be the one in charge of destruction. The other Jokers would take on the other two roles. We chose Anon's starting and original loadouts, but he could have easily been White Joker with a powerfist and been Volt Regios in his previous incarnation.

Also OP never said anything about no being Black Joker, just that Red Joker as we played him couldn't be modified with Corrector pieces.

>>36335416
No, he said the system can't support playing as Black Joker. I asked when he said he's release system notes.

Also, that forces thing can't be true. Last cycle, Red Joker was still destruction. The Red Joker is the avatar of the Red World, the Black is the Avatar of the Black World.

>>36338571
Then wouldn't that mean....White Joker is the Avatar of the Real World, since he turns them into players?

oh my goooooooood

>>36338854
See, that's why I thought there wasn't one and then, that he's a newly created aspect of the Game

>>36338571
I think you're misunderstanding his point. Whichever armor type we picked was going to be the one with the reputation. We weren't picking a backstory, that was always set. We decided which Joker got which role.

>>36339194
But you can't play as Black Joker. At all. It's impossible.

Also, how is Black Joker related to heavy armour and great strength?

>>36339407
Character generation. The three armor types were black, white and red. The quest is Joker Quest, not Red Joker Quest. If we'd gone with black armor, which Joker do you think Joker Quest would have been about?

I'm not saying we'd play as Kotone in that path; if we'd gone with Black Joker then all the roles would have been shuffled. Kotone would be incarnated as another Joker and the third would be the secret antagonist spreading the lachryma. Nothing would have changed except Anon's armor type and defense strategy.

>>36323783
>>36323774
What, are you implying that we chose the trap option?

>>36339657
That'd be a twist. They're actually continuing to argue over OP's gender. It's gone on so long that it's almost funny again.

>>36339614
That makes no sense. What the fuck is this, Silent Hill?

>>36339982
The colors only matter in regards to one another. It's the characters and their roles that are important, and that doesn't change if you switch around their weapon and armor.

>>36339822
Oh, come on. Its clearly ura butcher writing this quest. Given how dark it is at times...

>>36340967
But Decu is the Butcher.
JQOP feels more like a mix between Tanaka Romeo and Jin Haganeya

>>36340967
Not enough Equilibrium fanfic to be Gen.

>>36341106

alright, who else could it be?

File: Kill 'em all Tomino.png (1004 KB, 1439x1007)

1004 KB PNG

>>36341212

>>36341106

are you kidding?

The joker is like, gunplay personified

>>36341347
Look at the quest's descriptions of gun combat. The focus is on the weapon('s technology) and the effect. Compare Equilibrium. In the movie, the gun is the means to an end, the focus is on the wielder. Joker's gun combat isn't kinetic enough to be inspired by Equilibrium or its derivatives.

>>36341534

I can see what you're getting at, but guns ARE an extension of the wielder in jqop - leveling them up is bringing out the wielder's .... bias, or accomodation to the device, through attunement. >>36323295

In a way, actually, its about changing the wielder through the weapon - which is what happens in equilibrium.

>>36341819
That's a completely different subject (that I also disagree with).

The descriptions in the combat focus on the weapons and what they do, not the people holding them. Joker Quest isn't about gunplay, it's about guns. Ergo, JQOP is very unlikely to be Gen Urobuchi.

Let's let the thread die, I think we've exhausted the conversation.

>>36342024
bump limits are like hit points

if you're not using them all, you're wasting resources

>>36339822
>>36340967
>>36341067
>>36341106
>>36341212
I know I'm being a slowking here, but OP is a gril. The Anon that ran the short lived Accel Quest cribbed notes from Joker OP and blatantly referred to OP as 'she'.

Take of that as you will. I'm still going with a red headed trap. /tg/ loves their red-headed traps.

>>36343837
To further back it up.

https://archive.moe/tg/thread/20233171/#q20233277

Said post where the Accel Quest OP refers to JokerOP as a gril. Now you've got your ammo Anons.

>>36344037

Well, shit. Now i'm definitely going to have to be more of a romantic tease with all of my posts.

>>36344037
>JokerQuest OP
Anyone who thinks it's spaced that way is not someone who knows anything about the quest, much less the one who runs it. It's like it's written by someone whose entire knowledge of the quest is comes from QTG and the rumor mill. Besides, that's Ash Mantle. I'd never believe a word from his mouth.

tldr that's not valid evidence.

>>36344613

Even so, it doesn't really matter ultimately. JQop spins a good tale, and has gone out of their way to not say anything about their real life.

TBH, Its not about their gender, but about respecting the wish it be left out of the quest.

>>36344613
>spoiler
I can absolutely, 100% guarantee you that it is not. In fact, it's so far outside of the realm of possibility that it's laughable you even suggested it. Their name was probably intended as a play on http://accelworld.wikia.com/wiki/Ash_Roller

Not to mention that thread's from mid-2012, which is WAY before there were regular QTGs, let alone a rumormill within them.

Also this line of discussion is utterly not worth the effort, and hasn't been for years now.

>>36345059

No, but it might explain why romance is such an underlying portion of the quest

>>36345315

Or rather, that particular type of romance where the heroines have a lot of focus. It's this very weird, very Japanese kind of courtship where small gestures mean a lot.

Like, you don't see the girls slutting it up like in FUCK Quest or Background Character Quest.

>>36345059

What happened in that Quest, by the way? How many sessions did it run? I don't recall actually hearing too much about it, even in the heyday.

>>36345315
>>36346110
>quest uses images from Japanese visual novels/romance eroge/nukige
>quest is set in Japan and uses Japanese tropes
>says similarity to Japanese expectations is because OP is grill
Maybe he is but that's dumb as fuck.

The other quests you named are based on modern harem tropes. Joker is not.

>>36346341

It's more about how the girls respond in very unpredictable ways that confuse me and frighten me in equal measure. Most harem girls just live together in harmony.

>>36346411
Go back to pre-moe boom shows with a harem premise. Even fucking Tenchi Muyo has the girls getting downright nasty as relationships progressed, and that ended with an actual marry them all ending. Oh, and incest. So much incest. Someone obviously had a fetish.

>>36346411
I don't think they're all that hard to understand as long as you consider that half of the time they don't actually mean what they say and read enough shoujo manga to recognize the hidden meaning of some gestures and words.

>>36346685

It just feels so obscure, at times. I totally missed that Mio didn't actually WANT us to have sex with her. Most people missed it too.

>>36346693
I don't actually know how you missed that. I feel like the lack of any build-up alone should have ticked people off to the fact that Mio is just forcing herself.