>>38937189

Your eyes open slowly, allowing themselves to partake in the light of day. You don’t feel cold anymore. You can feel the frozen lump inside of you diminishing with each passing second, warmth and power flooding back into you.

Your sight is still very blurry and so when a feminine form standing over you and intrudes into your field of vision, you can’t really make out any details. But you know exactly who it is.
“Please Hiss, just leave me alone for a few seconds,” you croak.

“Hiss?”
You blink. That isn’t her voice. That isn’t her voice at all! You clear your eyes, revealing a beautiful brown-haired woman bending over you. She’s clad in what looks to be a homespun dress but one of surprisingly good quality. A bottle of what is unmistakably an alchemical brew dangles in one hand, still unstoppered.
“My name is Iana. Are you feeling alright?”

> “Where is she?” You hope she isn’t off killing somebody right now.

> “Where is she?” You hope she hasn’t gotten into trouble.

> “What are you doing here? What happened?”

> Nobble the potion off of her so you can inspect it.

> Something’s wrong. Flee.

> Other

>>38937197
> “Where is she?” You hope she hasn’t gotten into trouble.

>>38937197
>> “Where is she?” You hope she hasn’t gotten into trouble.
> “What are you doing here? What happened?”

>>38937197
"Oh, no... What'd she say to you?"

> “Where is she?” You hope she hasn’t gotten into trouble.

"You mean her?"
She steps aside to reveal Hiss curled up on top of a wide, flat rock. She seems to be asleep.
"Your friend is very unorthodox."

You notice that Iana has a nasty bruise mottling the left side of her face. You hope that's nothing to do with you.

"Thanks for the help?"
You let your voice take on a clearly questioning tone indicating that you're not really sure of the circumstances despite your gratitude. You introduce yourself.

"Oh, no need to thank me!"
She smiles, a genuine guileless expression of simple joy.
"Your friend was very worried about you and we had a misunderstanding. But once I learned the truth I came to help right away."
She rattles the elixir in her hand.

You peer up at the bottle but you can't make it out lying down.
"You're an alchemist."

"No, not at all. That's why I'm going to need you to mix up a new dispel elixir once you feel your best."

"A dispel elixir?"
That is a serious brew. Maybe Master Ingrid could do it but only with the best ingredients and even then you have your doubts. It's as far out of your reach as the stars themselves.

"Yeah! You can brew that right? She told me you were a master alchemist who can craft any potion."

She what?
You glare daggers at Hiss, who is still asleep as if she is innocent and pure of any wrongdoing.

> Wake up Hiss. NOW.

> "Oh absolutely, I can do that. Just give me a minute."

> Tell the truth.

> "I can brew that for you but I'll need to visit the city to get all the proper ingredients."

> Nobble her.

> Other

>>38937621
> Tell the truth.

>>38937621
> Wake up Hiss. NOW.
> "I can brew that for you but I'll need to visit the city to get all the proper ingredients."

>>38937621
> Wake up Hiss. NOW.
> Tell the truth.

"Doesn't mean that I won't try to brew it for you, it just means it's going to take a while for me to reach that level."

>>38937709
Maybe we could raise the money to replace it by selling lesser potions

>>38937768
We also could try skinning Hiss and use that for barter...

>>38937802
Pretty sure that'd end badly.

>>38937802
I'd rather not, let's not draw attention to the fact that there are snakes about

>>38937621
>"I can brew that for you but I'll need to visit the city to get all the proper ingredients."

Rolled 5 (1d6)

Tie between

> Tell the truth.

and

"I can brew that for you but I'll need to visit the city to get all the proper ingredients."

with waking up Hiss being voted for either way. Odd numbers for the former, evens for the latter

>>38938007

> Wake up Hiss. NOW.
> Tell the truth.

You stand up and walk over to the rock where the snake is sleeping. You nearly reach down to shake her awake before you remember what she is and hastily withdraw your hand before touching her. The last thing she needs is to be startled awake.
Instead you just cough pointedly until she languidly opens her eyes, flat green cat-eyes flickering into warm brown irises so fast that you almost didn't see it at all.
"Oh, you're alive. That's a shame."

Iana steps in next to you.
"She wouldn't rest until she had found somebody to cure you. She even refused my cure just in case you needed more later. You're very lucky to have a friend like her."
Hiss beams in self-satisfied perfection.

Your head is reeling and your knees almost buckle. Iana steadies you, taking your hand. In the corner of your eye you see Hiss abruptly sit up. You push Iana away.
"No, hold on. Hiss. What did you tell her?"

Hiss gets to her feet, keeping a safe distance from both of you.
"You're an alchemist, aren't you? Just brew the replacement."
Her apparent ignorance of your debacle is betrayed by a long slow smirk that spreads across her face like oil over water. She knows you can't brew it.
"Why? Is something the matter?"

You shake your head and turn back to Iana, trying to sound as apologetic as possible.
"I'm sorry but I think my...FRIEND here has lied to you, no doubt in her desperation to cure me. I'm just an apprentice. I can't make this. Is there any other way to pay you back?"

Iana looks first bewildered and then hurt.
"You mean I wasted my medicine for nothing?"

> "Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.

> "Medicine?"

> Flee.

> Flee with the elixir.

> Other

>>38938238
> "Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.
are you cursed?

>>38938238
>> "Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.
I can brew smaller things easily, but I lack the experience and ingredients to make something as grand as what you gave me. As for my friend I apologize profusely she has a less than stellar track record on acting like a human being.

>>38938238
>"Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.
>"Medicine?"

>>38938289
I'd rather not say that stuff about hiss

>>38938238
> "Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.

>>38938238
>> "Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.
> "Medicine?"
We can probably brew enough shit to make up the cost, or we can figure out the damn recipe and brew it, I mean really, in theory holy water or some bullshit would work right?

Hell, the ss13 recipe for that is water, garlic, and mercury, which is a simple thing right?

>"Not for nothing. We can still find a way to pay it back!" Promise to pay her back.

"Just because I can't straight up replace the potion doesn't mean it was wasted. We can still find a way to pay it back! I can brew smaller things easily. Are there any lesser concoctions you need?"

Iana shakes her head tearfully.
"I don't understand. When she told me, she sounded so sincere. And now I'm down one dose..."

You look over her shoulder at Hiss, who betrays no guilt whatsoever. She notices your gaze and shakes her head.
"We don't need to pay if you don't want to. We can always just kill her."

Iana goes very still and you pull her away from Hiss.
"Don't listen to her. She just...she just makes bad jokes. Haha. All the time. Not very funny, are they? Look. We'll make enough money to repay you and buy another dose's worth. Don't worry."

Iana pushes you away, stranded between you and Hiss as if you were both monsters. You suppose she's half-right.
"And what about dad's violin? Are you going to tell me it'll be alright and pay for that too?"

"Violin?"

The snake hisses.
"She attacked me with it."

You sit down with a heavy moan.

> Go into the city and see if you can sell brews and do other jobs to make up the money.

> Try to comfort Iana.

> Ask if there's any jobs back at her home that needs doing or something else she direly needs.

> Flee

> Other

How the fuck do you have time to run this every day?

>>38938624
>> Ask if there's any jobs back at her home that needs doing or something else she direly needs.
> Try to comfort Iana.
>Explain to Hiss about music once we figure out that was what provoked her.
then
> Go into the city and see if you can sell brews and do other jobs to make up the money.

>>38938624
> Go into the city and see if you can sell brews and do other jobs to make up the money.

>>38938624
>> Try to comfort Iana.
>> Ask if there's any jobs back at her home that needs doing or something else she direly needs.

>"What do you mean she attacked you with a violin, that doesn't even make sense!?"

>>38938624
>>> Go into the city and see if you can sell brews and do other jobs to make up the money.
>
>> Try to comfort Iana.
>
>> Ask if there's any jobs back at her home that needs doing or something else she direly needs.

>>38938634

This isn't the first quest I've run at this pace, I've grown used to it.

woot double snake quests all the way across the sky! (Snakecatcher quest + Re: Snake quest)

In no particular order:
> Go into the city and see if you can sell brews and do other jobs to make up the money.
> Try to comfort Iana.
> Ask if there's any jobs back at her home that needs doing or something else she direly needs.
> Explain violins to Hiss.

You do your best to take Hiss aside but she sits back down on the flat stone and crosses her legs, something that takes several tries for her to figure out.
“Just how do you people sit like this anyway? Anyway, I think you forget your place, idiot. I’m not at your beck and call like some tame animal. We can talk right here.”

You try to comfort Iana anyway but your assurances that neither of you mean harm ring false with Hiss sitting right behind her and radiating menace all the while. She tells you about how Hiss stomped on her violin, one of the last things she had to remember her father by. She falls quiet for another minute before describing how Hiss had attacked and beaten her, how she had slammed Iana’s face into one of her own trees. You eye the huge bruise on her face with growing dread.
“But after that, she sounded so anguished, I thought she had just been desperate. But now you’ve stolen from me too and I don’t know what I’m going to do a-”

“You could start by closing your mouth,” Hiss’s voice cuts in, her harsh village accent scratching over Iana’s softer, more melodious voice.
“I’m starting to regret not killing you.”
Needless to say, Iana did not end up very comforted.

“Is there anything we can do back at your home, any jobs that you need doing or something?”

Iana, who seems to feeling better anyway after having gotten that out, smiles thinly. Very thinly. Also she’s not smiling at all.
“Please do not follow me home.”

“Look. We’ll go get some money from the city. You can trust us. Trust me, I mean. Just me. We’ll go get it uh...right now!”
You slowly back off, Hiss following you.

1/2

>>38939343
Slap Hiss in the face, and explain to her that the way she just behaved will get you both killed in many other circumstances.

>>38939430
This will only end badly

>>38939430
damn anon, you win the most awful idea of the day award

This lady is kind of a cunt. I get that Hiss attacked her, but being a dick to the guy who had nothing to do with it is pretty shitty.

>>38939482
I think it's more He's hanging with that psychopath either he's mad or worse just like her.

>>38939430
Explain yes slap no.

>>38939343

Once you’re a safe distance away, you do your best to berate the snake.
“Alright. First of all h-”

“Ssssh. Hush. I’m absolutely certain I’ve heard this before.”

“That doesn’t matter! It still needs to be said!”

She sidles in, suddenly dangerously close. You swallow nervously.
“Does it? Does it really? You worry too much about the past. All that happened. You can’t change it.”

“Bu-”

She cuts you off.
“AND it was all for the purpose of saving your life, I might add. You could at least show some gratitude.”
She actually sounds hurt.
“Every day it’s ‘don’t do this, don’t eat that’. But I’m the one who just saved your life. I’m the one who killed the wizard. I’m the one who killed Fel and Merro, two servants that I have known from birth! I’m the one who was kidnapped and had her will stolen from her! I’m the one who had to abandon everything. Do you think I’ll ever go home now?”
She trails off, staring into the middle distance. You’re suddenly not sure how to think about her.

Neither of you say anything for a few minutes before you decide to change the subject.
“Do you really have no idea what music is?”

“None. That’s that sound she was making with the violin? I thought it was magic.”

“Don’t you have music where you come from?”

“None. We don’t have any of these little trivialities that you people seem to take great pleasure surrounding yourself in.”

Music is a triviality? You doubt it. You try to imagine growing up without music. Or song or dance. No art of any kind.
“Well, it didn’t really hurt you did it? I think you might like it if you just tried it more.”

“I think not.”

“Your choice. Just don’t attack any musicians in the city please.”

2/3

>>38939629

You draw close to the city of Melire. It’s the largest city in this whole area of the kingdom and it is where the Duke would rule from. Should rule from that is, for all knows that he only lives in his forest keep and rarely ventures out these days.
A great walled multi-levelled behemoth that spreads across the plains, even Hiss is drawn up short.
“I...There are a lot of you humans, aren’t there? In the world?”

“Yes.”

> Try and make a beeline to an alchemist or apothecary to start making money.

> Explore first.

> Actually, it’s probably a better idea to find a way to sneak into the city using a route that does not involve guards.

> Attempt to make money by getting Hiss to shed skins and then sell to the local wizards.

> Attempt to make money by manual labour.

> Attempt to make money by manual labour with Hiss.

> Get lost entirely and see something strange.

>>38939649
> Try and make a beeline to an alchemist or apothecary to start making money
Genuinely thank Hiss for saving our life

>>38939482
That's actually part of the reason why Hiss suddenly started menacing her again.

>>38939649
>> Try and make a beeline to an alchemist or apothecary to start making money.
Humans are without a doubt the most populous of all sentient races. If you truly want to escape your old life, You might want to try and blend in better. Otherwise you WILL get caught or killed. This is for both of our safeties. Thank you for saving my life by the way, I am not ungrateful for that.

>>38939649
> Try and make a beeline to an alchemist or apothecary to start making money.

>>38939713
This. If Hiss is completely unwilling to adapt to human behavior as she has been thus far, she would be better off remaining in snake form and hiding in our clothes or pack. A human acting like a snake is at far greater risk of being killed than just a snake, even in a world were they are apparently seen as genies of some sort.

>>38939919
She'll be fine, she just has some learning to do. She'll only learn by experience. Or, ya know, soul eating but I'd rather keep that to a minimum

>>38939940
Thing is she won't listen to us( who as a human is pretty good at human interaction) and she is learning all the wrong lessons.

>>38939713
Yeah, at least make a point to mention this.

>>38939940
She has stalwartly refused to listen to us or learn from experience. You would think after consuming an entire human soul she would have some degree of insight into the basic aspects of human behavior, but she hasn't. All it will take is her pulling this sort of behavior in the wrong context or company once, and she will get herself lynched or imprisoned within an hour.

From what we've seen of this setting so far it's frequently left up to the individual to protect themselves and their property, and it's only a matter of time until Hiss finds herself in a situation she only knows how to escalate. And when that happens we might not be able to pull her out before she get's herself killed.

> Try and make a beeline to an alchemist or apothecary to start making money

You and Hiss struggle your way past the guards, once again getting by on the virtue of Hiss appearing far more noble than she truly is.

And then you are past the rubicon and the city has swallowed you whole. You keep close to each other as you trek through the crowds and a place so full of life that it almost feels oppressive.
Down this street no wait you need to turn here and climb up higher, you want one of the better districts, the locals didn't tell you about this curve when you asked for directions have you been going the wrong way the entire time?

As you slowly work your way through the bustling hive of humanity. Hiss seems well and truly spooked and for some reason she keeps glancing up at the sky every few seconds.
You ask her what the deal is.

"Do you believe that in this world, there are things that hunt even snakes?"

"What, like other spirits?"

"No. Birds. Owls. They don't come near the stronger or the older of us but most of our young and newborns are snatched up by them every year."

You do your best to hold back a scoff. Owls? You've seen the forest owls many times and while they have a certain imposing quality to them, they're small and mostly harmless. Or at least, mostly harmless to something the size of a human.
"Are there magic owls?"

"No, you idiot. They're dumb beasts. The point is, once when I was younger, I was attacked by one of them. It tried to grab me up from the grass."

"What happened?"

"I killed it, of course. But I remember the feeling. And this 'city' feels like that. Like it's some huge predator, just waiting to eat us all up. I don't think we should be here."

"No I get it. This many people make me really uncomfortable too."

"That's not it!"
She snaps at you but doesn't leave your side.

By the time you find an apothecary, the sun has fallen into the afternoon.
1/2

>>38940156
2/2

You stop her before you walk in.
"As you may have noticed, there are a lot of humans around. Not just here but everywhere. In fact, you're the first intelligent creature I know of that isn't."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm just saying that the forest is behind us. We're never going to be in lands that aren't human lands for a long time. If you truly want to keep doing this, you need to try and blend in better. Otherwise we'll both pay the price for it."

"I'll consider it," she says haughtily. "I will do as I see fit."
This gives you some cause for concern and yet when you enter the apothecary, she doesn't say anything or touch anything. Even the stuff that looks like food.

You try and sell your services to the apothecary like you did in Lesser Arlington but he turns you down.
"Feh! Do you think you're the first vagrant alchemist to cross my doorstep today? The city is full of layabouts like you! I'm already well-supplied."

You go from door to door with each of them but receive virtually the same response, just couched in differing levels of politeness. You have the feeling that your accent isn't doing you any favors here. You both sound like hicks.

The alchemists themselves aren't better. Any who are wanting for apprentices have already found them. This seems to be a city of just too many alchemists. Rather than a gap you can fill, there is nothing but a surfeit.

But you still press on in futility until the sky begins to darken and the streets run cold.
"I guess there's no choice. We'll have to find a cheap inn to stay the night. And figure out a way to pay them."

"No, let's not. Let's no do that at all. I'm leaving this awful city behind."
She acts as if she's walking off but you don't follow so she just ends up awkwardly hanging around a small distance away.

"We made a promise. I'm not going to abandon it."

"Can we at least spend the night somewhere else?"

2/3

>>38940384
3/3

"Do you really want to walk all that way back out again?"

She nods but she's clearly tired, more so than you.
"It's nothing."

> Find an inn and work something out.

> Sleep on the streets.

> Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess.

> This promise sucks.

> Other

>>38940412
>Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess

>>38940412
> Find an inn and work something out.

>>38940412
>Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess.
> This promise sucks.

>>38940412
>> Find an inn and work something out.
Well, we haven't hit rock bottom quite yet...

Also snakes are the lamest genies ever...

>>38940412
> Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess.

>>38940451
Fucking A My spelling is shit...

Snakes are terrible fucking Djinns though.

>>38940412
>> Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess.
>> This promise sucks.
I really want to go back to the unfortunate violinist and force her to accept help from the autistic snake lady.

>P-please just leave me be vampires!
>SILENCE HUMAN, YOU WILL ACCEPT OUR RECOMPENSE FOR YOUR AID OR I WILL EAT YOUR VERY SOUL!

> Try to get out of the city and just sleep uncomfortably on the ground you guess.

You do your best to navigate your way back through the city, Hiss trailing beside you. The sheer number of people has lessened somewhat but as night falls those who are still out grow darker and more sinister in aspect.
And yet for the most part, they leave the two of you alone.

For the most part.

Hiss is obviously tired. Snakes aren't made for walking all day. You suppose they aren't made for walking at all, really. And you don't imagine the rapidly cooling air is helping.
Still, she's awake enough to intercept the man with the knife before you even know he's there.

You turn around to see her pushing him against the wall, a bloody knife on the ground. There's a shallow cut along the forearm that's pinning him.
The man himself is a wretch, nearly all skin and bones with no meat in between.
"Give me...gimme your.."
He's very drunk.

> Take whatever money he has instead.

> Ask him just what does he think he's doing.

> Let Hiss do what she wants.

> He obviously needs help of his own.

> Other

>>38940726
> Take whatever money he has instead.

>>38940726
He drew blood with that strike... I sincerely doubt anything we can possibly do will save him now...

>>38940726
> Take whatever money he has instead.
>Hiss if your going to kill him make it quick and painless.

>>38940726
> Take whatever money he has instead.
And his dagger

>>38940726
>Take whatever money he has instead.
>Ask Hiss to make it quick, quiet, and neat. Messes and noise would draw attention.

>>38940726
>> Take whatever money he has instead.
>>Nobble his knife
>> Ask him just what does he think he's doing.

Drunken hobo waifu route confirmed?

File: no.gif (1.98 MB, 271x276)

1.98 MB GIF

>>38940853

"Hold on, just hold him there."

Hiss hisses at you, which you suppose is quite apt. She seems to be beyond human words right now. Her fangs have extended and her human eyes are gone, replaced with a cold reptile gaze.
You do your best to keep yourself from trembling and stare her down until she lets you search the man.

You pat him down, which isn't an easy task since he started pissing himself the moment he saw the snake's true aspect. You find nothing but a few scraps of rags and a slip of paper.
The paper is creased and scuffed but the words are still quite legible.
- 24 SHORTWOOD STREET, down from Rengold's and to the left -

You bend down and nobble his knife, wiping the blood off of it and putting it in your pack. The man has regained his voice and he seems to have become deathly calm, staring Hiss right in the eye.
"So...you've come back for me. I always knew you bastards would n-"

With your search done, Hiss ceases restraining herself and pushes him into an alleyway. She doesn't even leave her human form this, pushing him to the ground with her teeth buried in his neck.

She doesn't just end it there either. She drags herself completely on top of his corpse, burying her face further and further into him.
You recognize this from Fel. She's reaching for the soul before it can escape.

> We don't have time for this. Tell her to make it quick.

> Let her take it all.

> Other

>>38941060
>> Other
Keep a look out for her.

>>38941060
> We don't have time for this. Tell her to make it quick.

'Sides, I doubt he tastes good.

>>38941060
>Let her take it all while keeping an eye out for witnesses

>>38941060
>>38941098
Supporting. Hiss needs some exposure to humankind if she is to survive amongst them.

>>38941060
>> Let her take it all.
Make sure as hell nobody sees her doing this shit. They'll assume vampire and the truth isn't much better. (in fact, a soul eating animal would probably be considered worse)

>>38941390
Hue Might want to drop your name. Faggot.

>>38941405
Shit... they know...Until next time you give me an opening to write a bad end!

>>38941390
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEE...
SMUUUUUUUUUT...

>Keep a look out for her.

You stand at the mouth of the alleyway and guard her while she continues feeding. You look back and then wish you hadn't, catching a glimpse of her body arched back in the best approximation of a serpent, limbs hanging limply as if their strings had been cut. There's a lot of blood.
You ignore the sounds and try not to be sick. That's another human life snuffed out with the same amount of thought given to eating an Ool Newt. Why do so many people have to die for this? And most of them on your command, whether explicit or implicit.

She surfaces from the alleyway somewhat later, looking invigorated and covered in blood. She smells fucking awful but you don't think she notices.
She catches your eye, smiles and then stops.
"I can't walk around like this in the city, can I?"

You shake your head.

"Well it turns out that trying to do this with a human mouth is really messy. It's one of those things you don't even think about it until you do it, I guess. "
She does her best attempt at a shrug, spraying blood everywhere.
"Do you want some? He didn't taste very good but I did leave some behind."

You're going to vomit.
"No. No thanks."

"Your loss. Though..."
She suddenly looks contemplative.
"Something must have gone wrong during the process."

"Oh?"

"I don't have his soul. Or well, I do but it's mangy and already drilled full of holes before I even sunk teeth into it. I told you this place was a predator!"

> Ask her for more detail about the soul

> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.

> Better to just get into snake form, even if it makes her somewhat more vulnerable.

> Ask her if she knows anything about the slip of paper now.

> Accept her offer of food.

> Run away from her.

> Other

>>38941512
>ask about the soul while we find a place to clean up

>>38941512
>> Ask her for more detail about the soul
>> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.

>>38941512
> Ask her for more detail about the soul
That... is probably a bad sign... Or it might just mean souls can decay from sin or some weirdness.
> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.
Definitely important.
> Ask her if she knows anything about the slip of paper now.
Also could be imperative to our continued life.

>>38941512
> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.
> Ask her if she knows anything about the slip of paper now.
> Ask her for more detail about the soul
Lots of magic here and I imagine even without that the conditions he was in did nothing for the condition of his soul. But yeah we need to keep a better look out, otherwise a mugger could get us, or someone more competent.

>>38941512
>> Ask her for more detail about the soul
>> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.

>>38941512
He seemed to think he recognized you with your fangs. There must be vampires about that did that to his soul
> Ask her if she knows anything about the slip of paper now.
> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.

>>38941614
Oh shit you're right... thats definitely a serious problem... and also potentially lucrative... That also means that address might be worth something to the guards. Or this whole city might be a fucking blood bank for them.

>>38941662
Iana is taking that dispel potion to Fight off a vampire curse, calling it now.

> Try to find a place where she can discreetly wash off.
> Ask her if she knows anything about the slip of paper now.
> Ask her for more detail about the soul

"Can you explain that in more detail? The soul, I mean."

"It's not the first weird soul I've found, you know. The wizard didn't even have a soul, he had some cold shriveled thing."

You blink and for the strangest moment think you have forgotten something hugely important.
"He did? Why didn't you mention that earlier?"

"Didn't I? I thought I did."

You shake your head.

"If you say so. His soul felt wounded. But it wasn't a fresh wound. If he was a rabbit, he wouldn't be a bleeding one. He'd be an old scarred one missing a leg. Big holes bored right through, tangling around each other. But they've been there for long enough that...I guess you could say they scabbed over in a way. His memories conspired to hide the true nature of his injuries from him."

"So he wouldn't even remember it, most of the time? Can creatures like you do that?"

"No, you misunderstood. The scabs, he did those himself. His own soul covered itself and receded so he didn't have to remember. I suppose that's one way to deal with it."

You don't know quite what to make of this. But you might have a clue. You hold the paper out in front of her and for a moment, she goes cross-eyed and begins to sway in a drunken fashion before snapping out of it.
"Ick. I'd rather not retrieve any mannerisms from this fool. But, he does know that name. Rengold's is a bar, not far from here. He went there often. Too often."

"So you could find this Shortwood Street you reckon?"

"If I feel like it, probably."

"Well you can't go out like that. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Haha, what are you going to do, toss me in the river?"
She stiffens.
"Don't actually try that. You will die."

"I'm sure we can find something."

> Head down to the river.

> See if you can work something out with an inn.

> The sewers!

> Other

>>38941955
> Head down to the river.

>>38941955
>live in a van down by the river

>>38941955
> Head down to the river.
I won't throw you in but you need to clean up. Blood draws attention. We really don't need any.

>>38941955
>> Head down to the river.
>>Tell her to remove her clothes and wash them separately when you get there.

> Head down to the river.

"I won't throw you in but you need to clean up. Blood draws attention and we really don't need any. The river is the best for it."

"It always comes down to rivers doesn't it?"

You escort her through the darkest parts of the city as best you can. It's a lot easier to find your way because all you need to do to find the river is to just keep going downhill until you run into it.
Still, there are a fair few people still out and about even now and in the alleyways. You manage to avoid most of them and those you don't see bloodsoaked Hiss and immediately reconsider any plans they had that involved traveling in this direction.

You find a section of river where its bank has been walled off by a scrap-dock filled with broken riverboats in various states of being pulled apart. There doesn't seem to be anyone there and Hiss agrees with you.

The river looks black in this lighting and is probably filthy. What it isn't however, is worse than literally being covered in blood. Hiss dips a foot in and then hastily withdraws.
"It's too cold!"

"Yeah, most water is. An inn would have warmer water but we don't have any money for that. Just get in."
A thought strikes you.
"Oh, you'll need to take your clothes off too and wash those separately. Just in case you didn-"

She looks at you with scorn.
"I know about clothes."
She shrugs her jacket off and starts on the tunic underneath without any seeming concern for you being there. You flee back past the dock wall as quickly as you can and sit there feeling extremely conflicted.

> Just wait for her.

> I'm sure waiting out there wouldn't hurt...

> If I go all the way and join her, what are the odds that I will die painfully?

> Other

>>38942311
>> I'm sure waiting out there wouldn't hurt...
She asks or gets upset say truthfully you're keeping an eye out and making sure she doesn't get stuck in considering how the cold slows her down. Keep you back to her though.

>>38942311
Have we gone a long time without bathing? If so
> If I go all the way and join her, what are the odds that I will die painfully?
Otherwise
> Just wait for her.

>>38942311
>> Other
Keep watch for her, occasionally sneak a peak.

>>38942311
>> I'm sure waiting out there wouldn't hurt...
Does she understand the concept of nudity and lewd conduct even?

>>38942311
>If I go all the way and join her, what are the odds that I will die peacefully?
Fortuna addicit fortes.

>>38942311
>> If I go all the way and join her, what are the odds that I will die painfully?
Claim it's so she won't get pulled by the current.

Anons really? Really? This can only end in tears or worse.

>>38942361
Have we gone a long time without bathing?

You haven't bathed since being cursed by the wizard since you haven't been able to do much in general since then that wasn't in this thread.

That said, the Melire river is really nasty. You think it's okay for Hiss because anything is better than being covered in blood but for you? Less enticing.

>>38942396

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/38877733/#p38887319

She has at least a vague idea though most of the details have passed her by.

> If I go all the way and join her, what are the odds that I will die painfully?

Yes, this is it. This is your chance. Let's not beat around the bush here. You've been traveling with this girl for quite a few days now. There have been plenty of times when you wondered what it'd be like, even if they were vastly outweighed by the times where she terrified you or made you angry.
If you never try for fear of failure, you'll never succeed at all.

At least those are the rationalizations you give yourself. The truth is that your brain isn't doing the thinking right now.
You stand up and walk past the wall, disrobing as best you can. She's sitting out there unhappily in the shallows but her face perks up when she sees you.
In your delusions, you mistake her look of vicious mirth for one of being happy to see you.

It may be dark but you can see all of her. You drink the sight in as you finish taking your clothes off and prepare to enter the water with her.
She also sees all of you.

You're taking your first step in when she laughs. All certainly suddenly departs, leaving you with only an awful gaping pit in the bottom of your stomach.
"What is that?"

You look down.
"Uh..."

She doesn't stop laughing.
"I'd seen stuff like that in memories but out here...doesn't it just look really silly? I can see why you people cover them up."

Your face is heating up with a powerful force and you can feel your fantasy slipping away from you.
"Y-your kind don't have them?"

She had stopped laughing at first but this just sends her into another burst of cackling.
"No! Can you imagine what that would look like? It's just so...I'm sorry. Well no, I'm not sorry. I just can't take it seriously."

This is it. This is the hell you have created.
"I-is it too small or..."

You really wish she would stop laughing.
"No, no. The whole thing just seems ridiculous. Isn't it awkward to have that flapping around all the time?"

1/2

>>38942813
>sph
i bet she likes NTR as well

>>38942813
hahaha
i feel so bad for the mc right now
also I wish i knew his name so I could call him something other than the mc

>>38942813

Flapping? Oh. At some point during all this it seems like you have deflated quite considerably. You sit down in the water as quickly as you can, face burning.
Oh wow, it really is cold in here. You are now filled with regrets.

For her credit, she stops laughing after a while.
"Oh, it's alright. Like I said, I always knew how humans worked in an academic sense it's just...damn. Wow. Not a lot I can say about that. How does it even work?"

For a moment you feel you could seize the moment back by saying something like 'let me show you' but your heart just isn't in it anymore.

Your doldrums are interrupting by her wading closer to you. She's taken a leaf out of your book and is now mostly concealed under the water.
"Still, I appreciate the sentiment?"

"You do? Does that mean-"

"No. Definitely not."

There is a long awkward silence, very possibly the longest awkward silence you've ever been involved in.
"So, washed?"

"Yeah."

The two of you get dressed.
"How about that note huh? Huh?"

She smiles again and you surely imagine the flush on her face.

> Time to check out this Shortwood Street.

> No. Let's go and sleep in an inn first.

> Find our way out of the city and sleep.

> Flee manfully into the city to brood.

> Other

>>38942862
Admit it dude, human genitals are fucking ugly to look at. Like some kind of a mutant cross between a turkey and a naked mole rat.

>>38942947
>> Time to check out this Shortwood Street.

>>38942862
Human genitalia are pretty weird looking. I mean yeasty meat flaps and fucking meat balloons inflated by blood. Shit's weird.

>>38942947
>Time to check out this Shortwood Street.

>>38942947
>> Find our way out of the city and sleep.
is there laws against camping out, or is that just forests?
also, what kinda magical critter was the duke, i wonder?

>>38942947
> Time to check out this Shortwood Street.
Yo Ouro. Can we get the MC's name sometime or would you rather not have one?

>>38942947
> Find our way out of the city and sleep.
We're useless tired. It's been commented that hiss is tired as well.

>>38942947
> No. Let's go and sleep in an inn first.
We're both tired and cold, Sleep first.

>>38942947
> Find our way out of the city and sleep.

>>38943021
>Name

Yeah, go for it. I was starting to feel a bit silly with how often I was working around it.

Name vote:

> Kal

> Ophi

> Tash

> Cennen

> "Idiot"

>>38943097
> Kal

>>38943097
> Cennen

>>38943097
> Kal

>>38943097
I ran into the same problem.

>Cennen

>>38943097
>> Ophi
I see what you did there.

>>38943097
> Cennen
followed by
> "Idiot"

>>38943097
> "Idiot"

Memory loss through soul bites is a bitch

>>38943017
He shows up in the Magic pastebin up at the top of the thread actually.

>>38943097
>> Cennen
Just caught up, enjoying it

>>38943247
ahk, missed it, cool stuff

Rolled 2 (1d6)

Alright, looks he's named Cennen.

There appears to be a tie between sleeping outside of the city and checking out Shortwood Street now. Evens is the former, odds the latter.

>>38943416
What would have happened if we had chosen idiot?

>>38943465
The terrible situation where Hiss savaging your soul repeatedly in the first thread actually carved out your name and now she knows it but you don't.

Writing now.

>>38943497
Yeah that would have been great.

>>38943497
do we know what a dragon is?

>>38943521
>>38943556
Snakecatcher quest.

Where the superior being "hiss" tears away all those stupid human aspects from your soul and leaves you autistic as fuck.

>>38943581
no magic snakes here buddy, i was born this way

> Find our way out of the city and sleep.

Hiss slides back into her jacket like a new skin. Which you suppose it quite literally is, given the faint scale pattern.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm but I still want to just get some sleep. I think I've entertained enough of your particular follies for one night."

You really hope she doesn't keep bringing this up. You suddenly see a dark future stretching out ahead of you.
"Yeah, I guess we should call it a night."

Since you're already at the river, it's not difficult to just follow it out the city without much more walking.
The two of you settle a fair distance away from the road, Hiss finding the large flat boulder she had been resting on before and curling (coiling?) back up on it as if trying to find any warmth still retained.
You almost contemplate trying to join her up there, just for the body warmth but you quickly abandon the idea out of fear of getting bitten. You involuntarily think back to that slaughter in the alleyway and decide that no, you feel very fine not sleeping anywhere close to her.

Iana doesn't seem to still be around. And why would she? She's probably gone home.
You go to sleep without much worry and dream of dark alleyways, half-eaten corpses and Hiss being naked.

When you wake up, Hiss is still asleep. You have a little bit of time on your own if you want.

> Scout the city out alone.

> Go see Iana alone.

> Brew

> Just wake her up.,

> Other

>>38943697
Mess with the wizards staff near the river and see if you can get it to work. When that inevitably fails
> Brew

>>38943770
>>38943697
seconding screwing with staff. i doubt we'll figure anything out, but its still something that could be useful

>>38943697
Brew up something for breakfast.

>>38943697
>>Muddle with staff, nobble it's powers and become wizard
>>Brew

>Mess around with staff
>Brew

You take up the gnarled staff. It has a sheen of condensation all down it. You almost forgot you had this thing. Didn't you? The idea slips from your mind as soon as you entertain it.

You take it up in both hands and walk down over to the river, sitting among the reeds and long grass. You aren't alone either. You see a family of ducks and a frilled lizard sunning itself in the rising sun. You even surprise a small platypus and you are treated to watching it vanish back into the water and quickly become imperceptible.

There's something about this whole scene. You feel attuned to the river, to the dew and to the faint mist. You raise the staff and do your best to do anything with it. Do you swing it around or just project your will onto it? You're not sure but something magical is clearly happening.

You stand and concentrate on the staff for a good ten minutes before the feeling fades, leaving you bereft.

You trudge back to where you had been sleeping and prepare a small campfire so you can brew something together with the river water.
All of this commotion wakes Hiss, though she doesn't move from her rock. Instead she chooses to eye your cauldron with suspicion.

You put together a restoration brew to act as breakfast, made from mud, crow feathers, reeds and murky river water. It tastes fantastic and fills you with energy.
"You want some?"

"No."

> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.

> Head back into the city to explore further.

> Try and get Hiss to use the staff.

> Get Hiss to show you where Iana's cottage is.

> Other

> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.

>>38944036
> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.
>mud, crow feathers, reeds and murky river water
breakfast of champions

>>38944036
>> Try and get Hiss to use the staff.
followed by Shortwood

>>38944036
>> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.

>>38944036
>> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.

> Head back into the city to investigate Shortwood.

The two of you stroll up to the city, deciding to just use the same gate as you did yesterday to enter.
You've gotten up quite early so there's actually a fair bit of bustle on the road as traders and travelers from all over the Duchy make their way in.
This is what saves you.

The guards are handing something out to people as they come in. It looks like...sheathes of pulp-paper? You try to walk closer to check it out but Hiss grabs you by the front of your shirt and pulls you back.
You freeze up instantly. Oh no. You've gotten too familiar with her and this is where your lax safety standards end. You are going to die right here, right now, wishes or no wishes.

But no, she just pulls you back behind a farmer's cart. In her hand is clutched a sheet of paper that had been carried by the wind onto the road and then stomped on by at least one horse.

The first thing you notice is that it's actually printed. You've seen print before but exceptionally rarely, only on certain books that Master Ingrid once received in the mail and refused to show you. There can't be that many printing presses in the city so whoever made so many of these sheets must be very rich, influential or both.

The second thing you see is a woodcut of a woman's face.
Block letters run around the picture, declaiming this woman as a criminal wanted for 'Assault, attempted murder upon a High Personage, Murder and Assorted Heathenry'.

Anyone with information should go to the Mayor-In-Standing with it and if it results in the capture, a hefty reward is to be made. The sheet goes into detail just how much this would mean to the Mayor, who had close kin assaulted by the criminal and how vastly rewarded the one who brought her to justice would be.

None of this would be any problem if the woman wasn't recognizably Hiss.

I think this is a good spot to end for today. I might run tomorrow at around the usual time, I might not. Check the twitter for details closer to the release date, etc etc.

>>38944303
Well then. Good thing we can make hair dye

>>38944303
welp she's boned. good thing she can change her meatbag with no difficulties