>>36529233
>>Tell her the truth, you have no idea what you'll find there.
im jumping between like 2 other quest right now so i might miss a vote or two

>>36529233
>>Laugh it off, sing a song instead! Maybe letting your brief intoxication shine through!

>>36529233
>>Tell her the truth, you have no idea what you'll find there.

>>36529233
>>Change the subject to her, her past, her history. How did she become such a talented apothecary?

>>36529233
>Laugh it off, sing a song instead! Maybe letting your brief intoxication shine through!
add a "me too" joke comment?

>>36529233
>Laugh it off, sing a song instead! Maybe letting your brief intoxication shine through!

>Laugh it off, Sing a song instead!

Aye aye!

Writing!

Bump.

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"Har! Ye worry too much. I'm just gettin' in the spirits, Lass."
"..With.. All the alcohol you have? It's barely even noon yet."

You reach into your coatpocket and, sure enough, there's your backup reserve flask! Still full to the brim from the other day.
"Ye have much to learn about me, Lass!"

It's good to be prepared.

"Want a drink?" You tip your flask in her general direction.
"Aah, No thanks." She waves it off, instead preferring to look at the trees and the birds.

"Suit yerself!", you crack it open and quaff a quarter of the flask in a single gulp.

Madeleine makes some off-handed comments of the flora and fauna. Particularly about how it changes as we get closer and closer to the ocean. Moss grows more heavily on trees, the trees themselves slowly start to change into gnarled and twisting messes, the grass slowly starts to be replaced with a kind of weed that grows only in this region.

All of it is lost on you, especially as you slowly imbibe more and more from your reserve flask. At some point you lose track of time and hum a little tune. One that you don't believe to be in tune, if Madeleine's insistence at ignoring you is anything to believe.

"Oh hey! Jack! Look!"
You stop your drunken revelry to look out from the vantage you've walked into. A brilliant, shimming sea with shining waves and a sugar-white sandy beach speckled with large rocks and boulders.

It feels like home.

>No waiting! Let's rush right in!
>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.
>Ask Madeleine what you should do, you're probably too intoxicated to be making decisions anyway.
>Look around some more, maybe find another part of the beach to go in at.
>Other?

>>36530480
>>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.

>>36530480
>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.

>>36530480
>>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.
>>Ask Madeleine what you should do, you're probably too intoxicated to be making decisions anyway.

If there's nothing visible, oh snap magic saltwater crocs!

>>36530480
>>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.
>>Ask Madeleine what you should do, you're probably too intoxicated to be making decisions anyway.

>Hold on, where's the monsters? The threats of danger? It's awfully quiet.
>Ask Madeleine what you should do, you're probably too intoxicated to be making decisions anyway.

Writing!

Rolled 1 (1d20)

Hey, ignore this.

>>36531019
It's a 1.

That's either really good or really really bad.

I can't ignore it.

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>>36531019
I'm trying really hard to do just that. It's not really working.

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>>36531019
So proud.

>>36531019
either the sea monsters got completely lost this year
or someone is getting swallowed alive in the blink of an eye
or we just blackout because of the booze, but that wouldn't be fun

Still here

Still writing

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You look around the sandy white beaches.
Nope, no sights of encroaching monsters or sounds of impending doom. Just lots and lots of rocks.

You're probably not the best one to be searching for danger in your current state, anyway.
"'Ey Madeleine, I thought you said there were sea monsters this time o' year."

She, too, is searching around in confusion. Her tail flips and flops on the saddle as she shifts her weight and rotates her body in all directions.
"Uh, I thought so. Maybe it's only like that in Gallete."

She nervously pulls at her clothes as you both dismount. Taking off the packs and ensuring that the bird is tied up and the place that you're leaving it is safe.
She takes a change of clothes and a towel out of the bag. Worriedly, she starts slithering on the pure, white sands down to the shoreline.

Something still isn't right to you, you know that this beach is a little too peaceful. No seagulls, no sand pipers, not even tiny little sand crabs inhabit this shoreline.

>cont.

>>36531987
>absolutely nothing here
Did you roll for what we ran into?
Than nat 1 fucking obliterated nature

>>36532077
then the sea itself eats us, just like in the old tales

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You take point in front of Madeline as she gently slithers across the sands. She's practically latched onto your back with such force that you can feel her chest.

"It's probably our imagination, Lass." You say with all the built-in intuition that every drunken sailor is born with. "Nothin' to be worried about."
"Y-yeah, probably our imagination." Madeleine says, fumbling with the change of clothes in her hands.

You pat Madeleine on the head, which seems to slightly alleviate her worry and fear. At least, it seems to work for a little while. You can tell she really doesn't want you walking too far away as you do a cursory walk of the beach.

But, other than the paranoia and fear, everything seems to be just fine. No tracks on the sand, no sounds of the wildlife, nothing.
You know, maybe it's the alcohol talking, but you think the Lass is just a little too much on edge.

"It's fine, Lass." You scratch the back of your head. "You don't have to worry about a thing."
"If.. If you say so." She crumples her change of clothes in her claws just a little tighter.

>Cont.

>kill crab demons in 3,2,1

>>36532619
we gone be eatin good tonight

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>>36532602
"Why'd ye bring a another set of clothes? Aren't ye going to get wet anyway?"

"But I'd be soggy, I don't want to ride all the way back while I'm soaking wet." She unfolds her second set of clothes and lays her town down onto the sugary white sands.
You know better than to argue with a woman about clothes, so you drop it at that.

Her second set of clothes seems awfully peculiar, if not more than a little risqué. Two pieces of cloth that you would normally expect to see as underwear. But you know better than to bring that sort of thing up.
"Um, I'm going to change. So.. uh."
"Right, right, Aye'll turn my back."

"No, no, hold on."
She points to one of the massive rocks that has run aground on the beach. It stands several feet taller than you are and is much wider to boot.
"I'm going to go change. Can you stay here and wait?"
"Of course, Lass."

She slithers behind the massive stone and leaves you with your thoughts. You're not sure you've ever seen a shoreline this peaceful in your life. Then again, most of the shorelines you've been to were places your ship landed. Not exactly the haven of peace and tranquility.

"HEY!" Madeleine yelling from the other side of the rock causes you to draw your pistol.
"Very funny Jack! Now give me back my clothes!"

>"Err. I haven't moved, Lass."
>"Er, What?"
>Panic
>Run over there right now
>Other?

>>36532756
>>"Err. I haven't moved, Lass."

Time for Lewds?

>>36532756
>>Run over there right now

>>36532756

>"Err. I haven't moved, Lass."

Also, welcome back announcer!

>>36532756
>>"Err. I haven't moved, Lass."

>>36532756
>>Run over there right now
while yelling:
" I haven't moved, Lass. Until now, that is."

>>36532756
>>Run over there right now

>>36532756
>Run over there right now
Nope.

>>36532756
>Run over there right now

Hypothesis: The rock is actually a crab, a crab that feeds on women's clothing.

>Run over there right now!

Writing!

Rolled 6 (1d20)

Hmm.

>>36533472
i dont think the dice gods like you that much today which is ether good for us or not

>>36533848
Hopefully those are Crab Effectiveness rolls and not passive spot checks.

>>36533472

Random encounters?

>>36534057
Random encounter with Naked Snake?

>>36533920

Oh god, you might be right. They might be spot checks.

>>36534083
It was a spot check for Jack catching a look at Madelines snaketits. Clearly.

>>36534164
Not her snake butt?

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"Lass! Don't move!"
Immediately, you're dashing toward the rock and leaping over it to the other side. If she's indecent, it's better than her being vulnerable right now.

You land on the other side with the graceful agility of a cat. While the lady isn't particularly indecent (through, you do question the decency of her attire); she does sport an awfully angry look on her face.

"Seriously, Jack! Taking my normal clothes isn't funny! Were you peeking on me?"
"Shh! Lass!"

She sees that you're genuinely panicked and quickly quiets down. You search around the area with your pistol drawn. Your eyes glaze over as you quickly realize that you're a bit too imbibed to be perceptive right now.

"Aye.. guess it's nothing. Where did you put your clothes?"
She points over to the edge of the rock, no clothes.
"You.. seriously didn't take them?" She asks again with confusion in her voice.
"Aye stood exactly where you asked me to the whole time."

She crosses her arms, as if she's hugging herself. She looks around her immediate surrounding with obvious irritation.
"I think someone is spying on us."

You have a different idea in mind, one crazy enough that it could only have been created with the power of alcohol.
"Stand back, Lass." You say.

Madeleine, confusion decorating her face, meekly complies and wraps her long body around behind you.

You gently knock on the giant stone slab. It feels as solid as any other ordinary rock.

>Give it a good kick!
>Flip it right over.
>It's probably nothing. Back to the beach!
>Other?

>>36534244
>Flip it right over.

>>36534244
>>Flip it right over.

>>36534244
>>Flip it right over.

>>36534244
>>Other?
shoot it with the gun

>>36534244
>>Flip it right over.
Then hit it for massive damage

Rolled 18 (1d20)

You will need a roll, how about 1d20, best of three.

Hey, ignore this roll, too.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>36534387

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>36534387
love me dice gods

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>36534387
Oh god, i've watched Crab Battle, I know how this ends.

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>36534387

>Rolled 18

>Give it a good flip!

>writing!

Oh gosh, it's later than I thought. Let me try to find a stopping place for the night soon because I need to get to bed early. Maybe in the next several story posts.

>>36534450
> Maybe in the next several story posts.
That's still a good run. No worries.

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Yeah, you have a really good idea what could have taken her clothes.
Clearly, someone who is using the only feature on this beach as cover!

"Jack, what are you-"
You climb on the rock and inspect it a bit closer. Though you don't see it, you are certain there must be a hatch or a trap-door on this thing that is letting someone hide beneath it. You were watching the rock from the other side the whole time, after all.

Really, the idea of someone taking Madeleine's clothes while you're here for skin therapy is enough to give you that little extra edge. You wouldn't mind showing some punk why it's a bad idea to cross you.

You hook your fingers up under the edge, already you can feel something stir inside. With a mighty lift, it flips over twice before landing on its back.

Inside, the occupant stirs and retracts into the shell.
A large hermit crab stirs and squirms fruitlessly, trying to flip itself over. It's easily as large as you are.

"EEK! A TITANCRAB!" Madeleine squeals as she jumps, somehow, and wraps herself around you. If you weren't abnormally strong, she would have pushed you right over.
"What? Scared of hermit, Lass?" Maybe now isn't the best time to be teasing her, but you can't resist.

"NO! WE GOTTA RUN! NOW! NOW!"
You try moving away, but you notice that your legs are a bit wrapped up by her slithery body.
You're not really trying to begin with, anyway.
"What's the big deal? It's stuck on it's back, it can't even turn over!" You want to mock the poor creature, but it's more sad than funny.

"NO! IT'S THAT-"

That's strange, an almost black cloud has slowly started to pour out of the spaces in the monster's shell.
Huh, it's slowly making its way over toward you.

"SEA SPIDERS!"
Sea... spiders?
Wow, that black cloud sure is getting pretty big.

It doesn't take much longer after this for you to scoop Madeleine into your arms and run as fast as you can down the shoreline.

>Cont.

>>36535183
Being wrapped in a snakegirl? Good.

Being chased by spiders? Not so good.

> CAPTCHA 666
Yep.

>>36535183
FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE KILL IT WITH FIRE

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>>36535183
Fuck you nature. All I wanted was a happy beach episode and you give me spider swarms living inside giant crabs.

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>>36535183
Here's the .gif. Cause, ya'know. Spiders are cool.

>>36535405
why did i click oh god why i knew this would happen

brb, setting myself on fire

>>36535491
You're doing it wrong. It's the internet you need to burn down.

>>36535491
I know how you feel lad. A namefag introduced this .gif in a thread about adorable party pets. Many an Anons' testicles retracted into their bodies that day.

Fuckin' namefags.

>>36535522
The spiders are next to you anon.

>>36535183
>SEA SPIDERS
Why, nature?!

>>36535491
Hey, hey anon, hey.

Did you know that there is at least one spider within five feet of you no matter where you go, all the time, forever?

Only the polar wastelands are safe. Time to buy that ticket to Antarctica.

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>>36535574
> Did you know that there is at least one spider within five feet of you no matter where you go, all the time, forever?

>>36535574
fuck.

i really wouldn't mind Antarctica if they had good internet

>>36535615
The spider is inside the suit.

>>36535531
Eh, it's just a harvestman.

>>36535660

Oh god get it off get it off get it off get it off get it offget it offget it offget it offget it offget it offget it off

>>36535660
Wasn't there a movie sort of about that? It involved evil moon spiders killing astronauts or something.

>>36535574
Considering I keep 2 tarantulas, I'm not that surprised.

Yay! I caught the thread before it ended!

>>36535785
>implying next post won't be the last one

File: 1352786107168.gif (2.77 MB, 400x225)

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>>36535808
S-shut up and let me have my fleeting dreams.

>>36535637
"Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Argentine bases have WiFi provided by Argentinean internet provider Speedy a fiber cable on polar plateau planned to finish in 2009

Country code (Top level domain): .AQ

Data access to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is provided by access via NASA's TDRS-F1, GOES & Iridium satellite constellation. Marisat F-2 provided data communications until it was retired in 2008. For the 2007-2008 season, the TDRS relay (named South Pole TDRSS Relay or SPTR) was upgraded to support a data return rate of 50 Mbit/s, which comprises over 90% of the South Pole's data capability, which is used primarily for scientific data return.[1][2]

See Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station#Operation for more info.
Argentine bases in general: Marambio Base has wireless internet and 2 mobile phones servers

Orbcomm satellites pass over Antarctica which can relay short messages to and from transceiver units to email or XML over HTTP."

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>>36535183
"Lost my towel, lost my clothes."
Madeleine pouts as she continues to wrap around you. You've ran quite far away from your original place by the shore. While this shoreline has a few suspicious-looking rocks, you decide to not disturb any of them this time.

Not that you have the ability to anyway, what with Madeleine wrapping around you so tight that it's difficult to even walk.
"Lass.. Please."

Without much more power to go on, you collapse into the bleached sands.
"Lass.. I know how you feel.. but still."

"Huh? OH! Oh." She quickly loosens her grip, but remains mostly coiled around you. "It's just that. Well."
"Yar, Lass. I did not care for that, either."

You're both exhausted, terrified, and you haven't even set foot in the water yet. There's at least one of those things you can solve right now.
"Lass, let's just go for a swim."
Madeleine sighs and unwraps her body from yours.
"Fine."

--

You carry Madeleine out into the waves, but only until it's about knee-deep for you. Gently, she dips the tip of her tail into the gentle surf.
"Cold, Lass?"
"No. It burns. It really burns."

You suppose it's sort of the same as having an open wound. Only hers is an infection that reaches deep beneath her scales.
No time like the present, you reckon. You lean backwards into the water and allow it to wash over the both of you.
Madeleine squeals as she painfully digs her claws into your shoulder.

"Ow.. Ow.. Aahh.. Aahh"
"Feelin' better, Lass?"

"..No, no. It really, really burns."

That's about what you expected. But if it's burning her skin, it must be wreaking hell on the infection. A couple more visits like this should clear up her skin completely, if your professional opinion as a doctor is to be believed.
Ha, you're good at this stuff, you should go into business at a barber shop somewhere.
>Cont.

>>36536021
>That's about what you expected. But if it's burning her skin, it must be wreaking hell on the infection. A couple more visits like this should clear up her skin completely, if your professional opinion as a doctor is to be believed.
Hm, not sure if that's true, but whatever. Maybe Jack could alleviate that pain somehow, make it somewhat more pleasant for Maddie.

>>36536069
Nah, that's pretty right for anything Jack would know. Salt water kills lots of stuff, especially fungus.

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>>36536021
"Hey.. What's that?" Madeleine whispers through labored breathing.

You can't see it from your current angle, but you manage to rotate enough of your body over to your left, back toward the shoreline. Amongst a collection of debris and rocks that were seemingly random during your first inspection, you're made aware of a giant dilapidated stone structure that appears to be crumbling into the ocean. It's almost like a fortress, covered in green algae. You couldn't see this building from earlier on the beach. It's almost like it blends right into the shoreline.

"I'unno"

>Thread End

>Next thread starting vote!

>Go explore it with Madeleine
>Nah, some other time
>Tell Aligot about it, maybe get a few others to come help explore it
>Come by some other time, keep it a secret!
>Other?

>>36536206
>>Come by some other time, keep it a secret!
i want jack to find this alone

>>36536206
>Tell Aligot about it, maybe get a few others to come help explore it

>>36536206
>Go explore it with Madeleine
when adventure is calling...

thanks for running, that was fun

>>36536206
>>Come by some other time, keep it a secret!
It can be a romantic date between Jack and Maddie later.

>>36536206
>>Nah, some other time
>>Tell Aligot about it, maybe get a few others to come help explore it

>>36536206

>Go explore it with Madeleine

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Thanks everyone for participating in the thread today. It's great to be back.

I'm going to use December as a kind of catch-up month for myself. Hopefully I can return to my old schedule and we can continue having fun every week.

That said, I probably will not be able to run Thursday because I'm going to be driving about 250 miles for an interview. I don't look forward to doing that and I'll probably be really tired when I'm done.

Thanks everyone for the thread. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

I was going to use Heide's tower to depict the crumbling fortress, but it's a bit too big

Come by some other time, like when he's not drunk as hell. Also, use sand to give a thorough scrubbing of her scales and work his way up into a massage once he reaches her hips.

>>36536206
>Go explore it with Madeleine

>>36536283
It's good to see you running again Announcer.

And I finally caught up on Card Priestess, so at least I'll get to read some of your stuff.

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>>36536291
Lewd.

But I approve

>>36536320
Well, since you approve, I second the motion!

>>36536320
The excuse is he's drunk and she needs to relax and let the cleansing burn take the fungi away, plus Dem Hips.

>>36536320
Let's do it then.
Madeline really is the best.

>>36536521
All of the girls are best in their own ways.
But yes Madeline is the best.

>>36536206
>>Tell Aligot about it, maybe get a few others to come help explore it

>>36536206
Really, what we should've done is carefully cut off as much of the fungus as we could before we gave her a dip.

>>36536666
Yes, but now we can spend more time with our hands all over Madeline.

To help her of course.