>>39847121
After a tense pause, Clarissa tries her best to explain everything that's happened. Her speech is hard to understand. Sometimes, she interrupts herself to cry, or chokes on her own words when it gets too hard to speak them outloud. When she confesses to a crime, I... I just don't get it. While her words are barely coherent, mingled together with sobs and wailing, I still understood most of them, but it's the meaning of those words that doesn't make sense to me.

They were living together with Aiko during the summer break, because their relatives all left abroad either for a vacation or other matters. They were enjoying their time together, but a week ago, an argument broke out over... something, she wasn't clear on that, and Clarissa claims that she got angry and killed Aiko. That's the brief summary of her story.

Even though she's saying it herself, I can't believe her. I think that Clarissa is just too good of a person to kill anyone. I know that Aiko is dead, and that there's another person, a Shinigami, using her body - that's why I assumed that a Hollow - perhaps the one from last night - was most likely to be responsible and left it at that. I didn't ask Clarissa about it because I knew that she was close with Aiko, so I thought that I would hurt her by bringing it up.

I try to stay calm, though I'm confused and feeling on the verge of tears myself after hearing Clarissa like that. I just want her to stop worrying and blaming herself over something that most likely wasn't her fault. I take a deep breath before speaking up again. I feel like I should choose my words really carefully.

...

>"...I don't understand. Just what was the argument?"
>"That doesn't seem right. I don't believe you could hurt someone over an argument, Clarissa."
>Other. (Write-in).

>>39847134
>"That doesn't seem right. I don't believe you could hurt someone over an argument, Clarissa."

>>39847134
Buriichi!
>"...I don't understand. Just what was the argument?"
>"I don't believe you could hurt someone over an argument, Clarissa."

>>39847200
Second

Damn Clarissa, even when you're spilling your guts we don't get to find out anything more!

>>39847134
>"That doesn't sound like something you would do. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

>>39847134
>"...I don't understand. Just what was the argument?"

>>39847134
Voting over, writing!

>>39847381
Well, time to see if we can make heads or tails of what happened back then!

>>39847424
Still sticking to the argument-angle, maybe that's what it actually was.
But I can't think of what kind it would be. Some kinda infidelity stuff would be most obvious, but I'd have expected a stronger reaction to Yuuko's antics if Clarissa had any kind of hangup about that. So what else?

SO how about that questing, huh?
Hope you've had a good week so far, Mushroom.

>>39847200
>>39847268
"...I don't understand, Clarissa. Just what was the argument?" I ask. The situation isn't clear enough. I want her to tell me more.

"Why does it matter what the argument was?!" Her shouting startles me. I didn't expect it, but I suppose I should have. "It... it isn't an excuse, no matter the reason!"

I get off the bed and walk over to the window. Can't lie around anymore. I didn't mean to distress her even further with my question, but it seems that I did. She is, of course, correct. An argument, no matter the reason, really doesn't justify murder. But I feel like she knows that, and that's why I think that she couldn't have done it.

"Clarissa, please tell me. I'm just trying to understand." I try to calmly urge her on. I feel like there is a vital detail missing, maybe one that Clarissa doesn't believe to be important, and I'm just trying to figure it out.

She goes quiet again. Perhaps she's considering my request, or mustering the strength to say it.

"It's... I got mad at her because of something really, really stupid... I just can't say it." She mutters. I wait, hoping that she continues. Maybe the silence was making her uncomfortable, because she eventually does. "I... I was watching a show I liked, a-and Aiko told me to go clean something... s-she wouldn't stop telling me to do that, so I... that's why I..."

She breaks down into weeping.

...I keep expecting her to continue. To say more. But... she's apparently said everything she had to say.

"...I don't believe that. You're not the kind of person who would do that, Clarissa."

"BUT I DID!"

"It must have been a Hollow who tricked you or did something to-"

(1/2)

>>39848076
"IT WASN'T A HOLLOW!" She shrieks at me and I can't help but back off. Why is she so vehemently trying to deny it? Her reason for committing a crime is ridiculous. It was barely an argument worth getting angry over. There's obviously something else here. Something that maybe even she doesn't know about. I just don't believe that this is all there is to it.

"I'm just... I'm just a piece of shit... no one else is at fault. I just couldn't handle myself and murdered her."

But on the other hand... what if that really is all? What if she just... has problems? I hate myself for even thinking that, but... it's not as if that's impossible. I really like Clarissa, I appreciate that she was there for me, but I barely know her. I want her to be innocent, but if it's not the case, I'm just making it worse for her by unintentionally calling her a liar and not believing her story.

I should be saying something right now, but I... I don't know what.

...

>"...I'm sure you're not responsible, Clarissa. I don't believe it. You'd never do that."
>"I think you should go to the police. Your crime can probably be proven, unlike mine."
>"I... I'm sure you didn't mean it. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I... I forgive you."
>"On the bright side, you're still not... as bad as me."
>Other. (Write-in).

>>39848096
>"I... I'm sure you didn't mean it. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I... I forgive you."
>"On the bright side, you're still not... as bad as me."

>>39848096
>"I... I'm sure you didn't mean it. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I... I forgive you."
>"Have you... I mean, has this been weighing on your mind all week? How'd you even managed to do all that work for Kimiko without breaking down?"

>>39848096
>"Look, I think you...I don't think you've benefited from keeping this bottled up. I'm just trying to puzzle things out, Clarissa. Do you have any history of overreacting in this way, then? Any kind of precedent?"

>>39848096
>>"I... I'm sure you didn't mean it. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I... I forgive you."

>>39848096
>"...I'm sure you're not responsible, Clarissa. I don't believe it. You'd never do that. Have you ever done anything like that before, or even been tempted to?"
Fishy as fuck.
Question is, could the culprit be asshole dead hollow, creepy sword-man, or some other party responsible?

>>39848096
>"Uh, well on the bright side, you're still not... as bad as me."
On one hand, taking responsibility with the cops is the right thing to do. On the other, I don't think we know nearly enough to be sure that's a good idea. If only there was a spirit-police...

>>39848096
Voting over, writing!

So does anyone actually think Clarissa was in control when Aiko died now? Assuming it was she who killed her. Seems very unlikely.

>>39848264
Waiting warmly!
One day, fast will be within reach I assure you.

>>39848265
Dunno, Clarissa has a screw loose. But she hasn't exactly seemed violent when we play as her, except with Hollows, so who knows.

>>39848159
>>39848168
>>39848121
"I... I'm sure you didn't mean it. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I... I forgive you." I blurt out those words because I don't know if she's actually responsible or not, and I can't prove it to myself or to her. She keeps her silence. Now it's making me uncomfortable.

"I don't deserve it." She mutters. I don't know how to respond to that. I think I know what she's going through, but I don't know how to help her. I want to be there for her, just like she was there for me, but I don't know if just listening would be enough.

"I... I think you do. More than me." My answer seems to create another silence. As they usually do. But I don't think that I'm wrong or lying. If someone like me has been forgiven, then it's only fair that... I return the favor to someone better than me.

"...I'm sorry, Naoko. I shouldn't have... said all of this to you. All of this is my own fault, my own problem, and I... I shouldn't have piled it on you like this."

"No. It's alright. I'm happy to help." I say that, and yet tears are streaming down my face. I really didn't want to hear all of this. I already felt sick enough with myself. I... honestly wished that Clarissa was as perfect as she seemed. An innocent, pure savior. A flawless, righteous hero.

"...Did that ever happen before, Clarissa?" The question I mumble out is probably too vague, but Clarissa seems to understand. She replies with a simple 'no'. I don't know what to make of that. It doesn't prove anything. It just makes things even less certain to me. "I'll come over to your place. Where do you live?"

"You... you don't need to, Naoko. Kimiko will be back soon. I'm really sorry, Naoko. Thank you for... for listening."

(1/2)

>>39849070
She's about to hang up. Maybe she's waiting for me to say goodbye. I... don't really want to say it. I want to talk to her for a bit more, try to make her feel better, comfort her. I know that it's not going to work over the phone, especially when I'm so useless at conversations, but I still want to try. I end up mouthing something incoherent, starting a sentence but never finishing it. It seems that Clarissa is a little reluctant to end the call, or maybe she thinks I'm about to say something.

...I'm still thinking. This kind of indecisiveness isn't like me at all. I started questioning my decisions when I realized that not a single one of my choices ended up benefitting anyone. My eyes wander off towards the blue sky, as if for guidance, and I keep trying to pick a response out of the ones I had in mind.

I notice something strange. Like on shattered glass, a black crack webs across the sky. I've never seen anything like it. It feels like the world is going to collapse.

It's terrifying, but there doesn't appear to be a panic. If regular people can't see that, it must mean it's to do with the spiritual. That means it's up to me to figure it out. I don't know if I should tell Clarissa. She's probably not in any shape to deal with anything like this right now. I probably shouldn't worry her. She deserves to rest. I can take care of this myself.

...

>Tell Clarissa about it.
>Investigate on your own.

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.
Distract her!

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.

>>39849092
>Investigate on your own.

>>39849092
>>Tell Clarissa about it.

Menos time?

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.
Naoko is kinda hospitalized too, not like she's in better shape for investigating.

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.
>"Look at the sky. Now."

>>39849148
I hope not, we're kinda underprepared for that.

>>39849092
>Tell Clarissa about it.

>>39849092
Voting over, writing!

Guess it's happening time huh. And so soon. Did we even get to kiss Kimiko yet?

>>39849391
Of course not. We haven't even SEEN Kimiko yet.

Also, I'm pretty sure Clarissa should have talked to her sword more, because right now it doesn't seem like she's the kind of person who would do such a thing. Additionally, where would she even get a steel pipe?

>>39849792
That's a pretty good question, actually. She's shown no signs of getting especially hot-headed in arguments, and certainly not so much so that she wouldn't see reason in the time searching up a steel pipe would take. It's obvious we're still lacking the actual explanation

>>39849391
Why on earth would we kiss her?

She's been attracted to Clarissa but it's really been a one way relationship.

Hell I think the only reason she is still around is because a few anons were afraid they'd upset her if they sent her away.

>>39849809
Additionally, it seems like she ran quite a distance with the bloody murder weapon still in her hand (bloody used as both descriptive and exclamatory) and yet no one called the police.

Also Aiko's ghost seems like it was following Clarissa, and still seemed to like her, and it wasn't as if she could just feel one emotion, since she reacted with pain when Clay Bone ate her.

Also Aiko herself sounds like kind of a pushover who would back off after Clarissa responded angrily to anything.

>>39849884
Have you been reading a different quest, anon? Oh, are you the one who keeps going on about Clarissa being a terrible person and being unable to suspend your disbelief that anyone could like her?

>>39849884
Jesus learn to read the fucking quest, Did you even SEE the last thread?

>>39849884
They already kissed once.

>>39849907
Yeah, lotsa stuff weird. Well, still time to piece things together.

>>39849884
I mean, I actually do think the development between Clarissa and Kimiko came quite fast in the decisive thread compared to what I'd wanted/expected (which certainly wasn't route-lock that soon, if I'm not getting ahead of myself with that assumption). But that seems like a ludicrous view nonetheless.

>>39849938
I saw a lot of, "Oh shit she's going to leave I don't want her to feel bad!"

>>39849941
Ew. Must have missed that. Quest runs at odd hours for me.

Then I'd say the relationship is forced as fuck. I mean there was no real attachment for the majority of it other than she was in Akio's body.

You can say what you will but I feel the QM kinda shoe horned Clarissa into that relationship to fit with plot shit.

>>39849977
>I mean there was no real attachment for the majority of it other than she was in Akio's body

>plot point

>>39849977
You obviously can't fucking read so i'm just going to stop responding now

>>39849944
You know what it makes me think?

Someone used one of those memory-modifying devices on us, the kind that just randomly fills in a "suitable" memory, and that was the best our imagination could come up with.

But when/how/why such a thing, I don't know.

>>39850083
......[b]KIMIKO[b].......

>>39850129
Okay so that's not how you do bold letters.....Thanks alot internet.....

>>39850083
Now that's a funny theory anon...
I dunno how we could go about finding it out though.

>>39850032
Feel free to not respond and be mad.

I just think the relationship feels a bit forced. We had maybe a thread of it.

>>39850029
Yes. The real attachment was to the corpse and I think that Kimiko falling head over heels for someone she barely spoke to is odd.

>>39850083
Well I mean it's not like they made horribly defunct mod souls before right?

But is it really a defect? I mean the memory is fine and if they didn't actually do the crime they won't go to hell!

>>39850148
Don't think you can do that stuff on 4chan anon.

>>39850129
Yes, I came to that conclusion as well, because that would lead to maximum drama and suffering. But I don't think she's in cahoots with Clay Bone and Nobody, and I'm not really sure why she'd do such a thing.

>>39850235
Does she need to be in-cahoots with the monsters ?

If it's just a false memory implanted it could have been an attempt to keep her from knowing about hollows at that point in time.

>>39849109
>>39849115
"...Clarissa, are you home right now?" I want her to rest, but I... I don't know what this is, and I think she should know. "Look outside. At the sky. Do you see anything?"

After a hesitant pause, I hear sounds; she must have started moving. She must have gone over to a window by now. I think her silence is an indication of shock.

"W-what is that?" She finally asks, her confusion clear and something I can easily relate to. I can't answer her question with anything. I don't know, either. "I-I'll call Kimiko. She... she probably has her phone."

I nod - forgetting that she can't see - and agree with her plan. The Shinigami probably knows what this is. This looks like it could threaten the whole city, no, maybe even the entire world. It's probably a good thing that normal people can't see; otherwise, there's no telling how large of a panic such a thing could cause. Clarissa hangs up. I quickly put on my clothes and head out. I have to spend a little time convincing the nurses that I'm absolutely fine and healthy, and they let me go. Well, I help myself out, really, but it doesn't matter.

Now that I'm outside, I'm not sure what I should be doing. I can't just fly up into the air to take a closer look at the crack. None of Karakura's rooftops reach that high, either.

After a bit of looking around, I spot a figure walking in the sky. I squint at it. White robes covering black ones - I think that's a Shinigami uniform underneath - blonde hair, and a sword on the hip. The person's stature is a bit too bulky for it to be a girl. I highly doubt it's the Shinigami that Clarissa works with. When that man turns at me, I look away. It's probably a coincidence that he looked this way. There's no way he could spot me with this great of a distance between us, and especially in a crowd of people. And I wasn't doing anything strange or out of the ordinary.

(1/2)

>>39850285
I look around a bit more, and spot another one, about a kilometer away from the white one. This one is wearing his uniform normally. It's even harder to be sure - the distance is too much even for my eyes - but I don't think that's a woman, either. I wonder why there appear to be so many Shinigami walking around all of a sudden. Is it related to the cracked sky? It probably is. But what is it?

My phone rings again. It's Clarissa. She's distressed again, panicking.

"Kimiko's isn't answering! I can't find her phone anywhere, either! It must be with her, but she's not answering!"

...

>"I'll look for her. Stay at home, Clarissa."
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."
>Keep looking for clues around Karakura. "Go and look for Kimiko, Clarissa. I'll try to figure out what's going on with the sky."
>Other. (Write-in).

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."

Really don't want either of these two off alone.

Clarissa isn't mentally stable and Naoko isn't in good physical condition.

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."
I mean. The obvious answer is that Captain Clown decided he'd like to hold on to Kimiko when he realized just who she was, so Clarissa needs to go to the store and start throwing swords until Mayuri gives Kimiko back.

But our character doesn't know that. Also tell Clarissa that there's shinigami around.

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."
I don't think letting Clarissa out of our grasp is a great idea.

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."

>>39850309
>>"Let's meet up and look for her together."

>>39850158
>I think that Kimiko falling head over heels for someone she barely spoke to is odd
Not really. Her life till now has been ultra sheltered due to the circumstances of Her Birth. It makes sense that she'd attach so strongly to someone that came along promising to give her all these new experiences.

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."

>>39850365
Honestly? I've had a feeling that she wasn't planning to come back. Both of them were acting very irrationally and emotional in the evening and morning before she left, and she was consistently firm on not being able to stay. She might just have agreed with Clarissa's ridiculous 'I'll protect you' in the moment, then decided to leave without saying goodbye so Clarissa wouldn't get in trouble with SS and shit over Kimiko staying.

>>39850309
>"Let's meet up and look for her together."

>>39850410
Possible, but I think you overestimate Kimiko's good judgment. She seems about as messed up as Clarissa.

>>39850309
Voting over, writing!

>>39850543
I dunno, she's definitely attracted to Clarissa, but other than the period mentioned - where the theory posits she was acting or just letting herself dream while there was still time - I'd say she's actually been perfectly sane and reasonable in the quest so far. I wouldn't say it's super likely or anything, but with her asking to go alone and now being unreachable I'm kinda feeling it.

>>39850344
>>39850365
"Let's meet up. I'll help you look for her."

Clarissa accepts my proposal. We settle on a meeting spot, and I run there. The presence of the Shinigami, the damaged sky - I don't think I can figure any of this out on my own. A Shinigami who's friendly to us should be able to explain this. It's probably not a good idea to ask anyone else. If I really am what they call Quincy, they'd probably try to kill me on sight. I shouldn't risk it.

...

I'm the first to get to the park we've agreed to meet in. Clarissa comes running shortly after. She must have sprinted all the way here, judging by how tired she is. Her eyes are red and teary.

"W-what do we do now?" Her voice is quivering in anxiety. I was hoping that Clarissa would be leading the way, and not the other way around.

"Did Kimiko tell you where she went?"

"N-no, not really, but... I think I know where she might be!" She exclaims in a sudden realization and runs off. I follow after her.

She leads me to a rundown building, a shop of some kind, labeled the Kurotsuchi Shop. Clarissa tries to open the door, but it doesn't budge. She starts to violently knock on it, screaming for the owner to open up. There's no response. The girl eventually gives up, grasping her head in desperation.

"I don't fucking get it! Where is she?!" She screams, giving the door another mean kick. I look into the shop through the windows. There aren't any signs of anyone being inside. There's a clothing rack - for the employees, probably - but nothing is hung on it. The one room I can see, with an eerie sign that says "Enter and die", has a very faint, dim light pouring out of the door gaps. It never flickers, no shadow ever dims it further - that must mean there's no one inside. The building is probably empty.

(1/2)

>>39851518
Clarissa doesn't know what to do, despairing quietly, trying to think of something, of anything. I need to choose for her again. I hate to do that. I wish she would take charge instead.

...

>"Step aside. I'm breaking this door down."
>"We should look around town. We could spread out and cover more ground. Maybe even call Ren to help us."
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."
>Other. (Write-in).

>>39851540
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."

>>39851540
>"Step aside. I'm breaking this door down."

>>39851540
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."

>>39851540
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."
God Clarissa is kind of a mess.

>>39851540
>"You need to calm down, Clarissa. I'm sure we'll find her, but we have to be smart about it. This anger isn't going to help."
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."

>>39851592
She's got voices in her head. She's just obliterated a soul. She's going to hell. She's come to the realization that Aiko is dead, forever.

>>39851592
Yeeeeah, add together aaaaall of her Aiko murder despair and her feelings for Kimiko, both real and projected, and then stir.
Although we have been suspiciously unhinged more so than usual ever since we killed that Hollow. Maybe some kind of connection?

Is it me or have our love for Kimiko came kinda out of nowhere?

>>39851540
>"Have you noticed that there are Shinigami all over Karakura? Let's keep an eye on them, it might tell us something."
Avoiding breaking the door down feels kinda meta because Naoko wouldn't know that it's a terrible terrible idea for more reasons than the obvious 'it's a crime' one. But I ain't taking that risk.

>>39851664
Yes and no? Specifically, definitely not because it makes perfect sense for Clarissa to latch onto her in this way. However, there's definitely a lot of projection and other not-at-all healthy or romantic reasons why she's doing it, rather than just straight-up love. Though I do think there's a kernel of that too.

>>39851673
I thought it was more the place appears to be empty.

We could ask Clarissa if that sign is joking or not.

>>39851540
>"Step aside. I'm breaking this door down."

>>39851540
Voting over, writing!

>>39851878
Pls no bully Clarissa!

>>39851878
Yeah. Bully Kimiko. Naoko a best.

>>39852102
Kimiko is nice anon!
Yuuko=Kimiko>Ren>Naoko

>>39852135
No one likes Yuuko.

Naoko x Ren OTP

update when?

>>39852806
Mushroom often takes an hour+ so it's still early, anon.

>>39851553
>>39851583
"Clarissa. There are Shinigami all over Karakura Town. Have you noticed?" I ask her, and she looks at me, dumbfounded. She really didn't notice them. She must be too distraught to pay proper attention. I glance over to one of the Shinigami in my field of vision, sitting down on the edge of an apartment building's rooftop. He's turned away from us. Clarissa trails her eyes towards where I'm looking. "We should keep an eye on them, it might-..."

"I'll go ask." Clarissa interrupts me, taking out a... candy dispenser? What is that thing? And what does she mean, 'ask'? I grab her hand when she brings the toy closer to her mouth.

"Wait, Clarissa. Don't do anything rash." I have a bad feeling about this. The tone with which she's said that, her expression and even posture all seemed too aggressive. It's like she's readying herself for a fight instead of a conversation.

Clarissa nervously jerks her hand out of my grasp. "I'm not going to do fucking anything to him if he talks. I'm going to transform into a Shinigami and pretend to be one of his buddies."

I'm still not sure about this. I just... don't think Clarissa can handle herself right now. If a fight really does break out, the other Shinigami will probably all flock to it. And there's no reason to fight them right now.

And besides, she might pretend to be one of their own, but it's not like it'll be easy to pass off as that. First of all, their uniforms are slightly different. There's something strapped on the shoulders of their uniforms, but Clarissa's spiritual form lacks that feature. She doesn't know how the death gods do things. They seem to utilize something resembling modern technology, so perhaps they have an easy way of figuring out fakes, or maybe they have a military-like protocol that they follow or some other unique means of addressing and identifying one another.

"This isn't a good idea, Clarissa."

"It is. Kimiko said they might come looking for her."

(1/2)

>>39852876
"They're here for the crack in the sky. That's all they seem to be looking at. If they were here for Kimiko, they'd be looking around the town, not above it. We can't engage them so directly, nothing good will come out of it."

She's not even listening anymore. Her panic is being a burden. She's so obsessed with reaching the goal that she can't even think in the long term anymore. I think Clarissa's actions will end up causing nothing but trouble, but at the same time, I don't want to stop her. I'm worried that she might hate me for not supporting her, and I just can't stand that thought. ...Maybe I'm wrong and she'll actually learn something useful from this?

...I'm getting sick from having to choose so much.

...

>Let her try it.
>Stop her.

>>39852906
>>Stop her.

>>39852906
>Stop her.
I THINK if we were playing as Clarissa this situation and had a bad idea, we'd like an NPC to explain why we're wrong. And even if not, I don't think we'd hold a grudge. But who knows what state Clarissa is in now, since I keep missing like the first part of threads and anons aren't up for counseling people at noon it seems.

>>39852906
>Stop her.
>Tell her WHY we are stopping her, She might indanger herself AND Kimiko if she's found out

>>39852906
>Stop her.
Slap some sense into her if need be!

>>39852906
>Stop her.
>"Clarissa, we have no indication they are here for Kimiko. In fact, interacting with them might tip them off to the fact she is here.
>Furthermore, they have armbands that seem to serve as a form of identification, which your Shinigami Uniform visibly lacks, meaning they will probably ne suspicious of why there is an unidentified shinigami in this town."

>>39852906
>>39853032
Yeah, backing this.

>>39853032
>>39852906
>Stop her
Backing this. Get the shonen protag to use her goddamn head.

>>39852906
>Stop her.
>"You're not thinking straight. They're not here for her. All you'll do is make trouble for yourself and for her. And even if they were, you're not gonna get anywhere just attacking random Shinigami or whatever."

>>39852979
I don't really think there was much chance of getting through to her on the phone.

>>39853070
No, not shounen protagonist.
When a Shounen Protagonist acts without thinking, PLOT happens, and then things mostly work out in the end, if only for more PLOT to happen.

The problem is, Clarissa is a Seinen Protagonist, as evidenced by the fact she killed someone right at the start of the quest.
When a Seinen protagonist acts without thinking, cities burn, people die and love interests are killed.

>>39853102
>>39853032
That being said, should we still try keeping an eye on them as stealthily as we can manage?

>>39852906
Voting over, writing!

>>39853212
Well I'm not sure what ELSE we can really do, so probably.

>>39853191
>When a Seinen protagonist acts without thinking, cities burn, people die and love interests are killed.

Shit, forgot we were Seinen

So, uh.
Mightn't it be that she's not picking up and the crew's closed shop because they're currently busy dealing with the giant cracked sky? And just that?

>>39853285
I'm not sure if Kimiko's recovered all her shinigami powers yet, and Mayuri doesn't really seem altruistic enough to do such a thing.

There's probably a connection though?

>>39850285
>White robes covering black ones - I think that's a Shinigami uniform underneath - blonde hair, and a sword on the hip. The person's stature is a bit too bulky for it to be a girl.
Since it seems like there are canon characters being used, albeit in shuffled positions, any bets on who this guy is? I'm thinking the options are Rose, Shinji, Urahara, or somehow Kira was able to become a captain.

I don't really like Clarissa's odds against any of them.

>>39853462
>Clarissa vs the reverse world
Anger, angrier, SCREAMING ANGER
>Shinji stares at us kinda amazed.

>>39853032
>>39852983
"Clarissa, stop. There's just no-..."

She's not stopping. I grab her arm again. I don't know what the toy is, but she probably needs it to transform into a Shinigami. To my surprise, she starts struggling, and quite violently so.

"Let fucking go of me, Naoko!" Clarissa hisses at me. I refuse to do that. Realizing that I can't force her to back down without hurting her, I try to explain myself.

"If you bring up Kimiko, you'll attract attention to her."

"I won't bring up Kimiko. I'll be vague about it!" She repels that immediately.

"Your uniform is different. They'll question who you are." I keep trying to get to her, but she's just not listening.

"I'll bullshit my way out of it!" Her resistance is getting even worse. She tried to claw me on the arm, so I have to hold down both of them now. "This is our only chance, Naoko! What else is there?! How are we going to find anything out just by fucking looking at them?"

I hate seeing her like this. "Stop it, Clarissa. You're only going to-..."

She tries to trip me up and push me off. That's just not going to work on me, not in the state she is now. When I'm not raising my voice, she seems content with interrupting me.

"You'll only make it worse for her! Are you just trying to pick a fight with them?!" I yell, my patience finally running out.

"I'm doing it because I want to see her!" Clarissa screams back. She's flailing her arms about and trying to step on my feet. I think that she could easily break out of my hold if she really meant it, but she seems to be so incoherent that she can't even think to do something more than just lash out. "If you don't let go of me now, Naoko, I swear I'm going to fucking-"

(1/2)

Bumping.
can't wait to see someone acting mostly sane and rationally in the Bleach universe.

>>39854391
I knee her in the stomach before she finishes that. I don't think I can handle a threat from her. Her struggling ceases immediately and she keels over, dropping to the ground, reduced to a quivering mess unable to do anything but wrap herself around the hurt spot. I... I overdid it. I should have held back at least a little. She's barely conscious and gasping for air. This - what I did just now - is making me sick to the core.

"I'm... sorry..." She's the one muttering an apology, not me. I'm surprised at that. It makes me feel a bit better, but I... I doubt that she's anywhere near normal, still.

I can't stand any more of this bickering and fighting. I want to get away from her. I get that she's worried, but... she's not going to get anywhere like this. Worse yet, Clarissa might endanger others. Of course I feel bad for her, but I think that she shouldn't be getting involved right now, no matter how much she wants to.

...I think she'll be down for a while. I'm disgusted to be even considering this, especially given the circumstances, but maybe it's best that I leave her behind.

...

>Wait for her to get up.
>Investigate on your own.

>>39854425
>>Wait for her to get up.

>>39854425
>>Wait for her to get up.

>>39854425
Not that we couldn't get more done without her, but giving her a chance to full-retard things again is dumb.
>Wait for her to get up.

>>39854425
>Wait for her to get up.
We're not leving her alone. She might think we're not her friend anymore or some shit like that.
she isn't acting rationally.

>>39854425
>Wait for her to get up.

>>39854425
>Wait for her to get up.

>>39854425
>Ask what got her in such a sorry state.
Yeah yeah Kimiko etc, but the WHY not the why.

File: getting to those bleach t(...).png (319 KB, 817x817)

319 KB PNG

>>39854425
Ending thread for tonight, it's really late for me! Next thread will start off with the most voted option, and we're going back to Clarissa's PoV.

Next thread will be announced on twitter:
https://twitter.com/Mushroomgami

This new captcha is making me hungry.

If you have any feedback or questions, I'll be happy to listen and answer!

Thanks for reading!

>>39854832
Thanks for running!

>>39854832
Did Clarissa have a moment of clarity that she was getting mad when we kneed her...the same kind of madness that made her hurt Aiko?

Thanks for running.

>>39854832
Thanks for the thread.
Wonder if Ren has noticed this whole cracked sky thing going on.

>>39854832
Thanks for the thread, things are really heating up.

>>39854895
Ren's feeling a bit under the weather right now, so she might not have noticed!

>>39854870
Oh shit. Maybe there really IS something messing with Clarissa's mind?
>inb4 Clarissa has an inner hollow who's messing with her head.

>>39854998
Uh....Pretty sure we DO have an inner hollow......

>>39854870
The main issue is, the cause of this breakdown is pretty damn serious. So what caused the previous one?
And also, I'm not sure even current Clarissa would go out to find a steel rod to beat up her frail girlfriend. Threatening generic violence on a fellow super-powered person is, while assholish, a bit down the scale.

>>39855101
Aiko's dad is a plumber. They had a few spares lying around.