>>39851883
>Run over and hug her.
>While maybe crying.

>>39851883
>Onward, then!

>>39851883
>Run over and hug her.
>While maybe crying.

>>39851883
>Run over and hug her.
>While maybe crying.
Wouldn't be Masami if we turned down a good excuse to cry.

>>39851883
>Run over and hug her.
>Onward, then!

>>39851991
And let's not even mention the hugging!

>>Run over and hug her.
>>While maybe crying.
writing!

sorry, I was delayed by RL stuff. Writing continues.

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"Julie..."
No, I can't just let this go.
This isn't something I'm just going to pretend didn't happen!

I spring to my feet and run over to Julie. She squeaks in surprise as I wrap my arms around her.
I can feel myself become a sobbing mess as my face buries into her coat.
"Julie... Julie.."
"Masami.." She groans in annoyance and ruffles my hair. "I don't like it when you act this way, you know that."

"B-b-b-b-b-b-but"
"Stop that."
"BUT I ALMOST LOST YOU."

The crying again. The sobbing becomes tears as I grip at her uniform even harder than before.
That's when she thumps me on the head.
"Ow.."
"Masami, I don't like it when you act this way. I've never liked it. I've always wished you were more confident in yourself. You've been like this ever since we first met."

"We first... met?"
I got her from a card, one that I took from a monster a long time ago. It was the first one I had ever fought in my life.
It was really hard, without Haruko and Aiko I wouldn't have been able to do it.

"You don't remember the street, then the theatre?" Julie sighs, she sounds almost a little hurt.
"Y-you remember that? I thought you were inside a monster when that happened."
"Masami.." She squeezes my ears a little. Ow. "I WAS that monster."

>D-do I say anything to this!?
>N-no, let's keep going.
>Other?

>>39854455
>S-sorry for beating you up?
Doesn't like Masami crying and hugging?
Enemy of the players!

>>39854455
>S-sorry for beating you up?

>>39854455
>Sorry for beating you up then.
Confidence Masami, she likes confidence.

>>39854455
>>Other?
How did you get like this?

>>39854455
>S-sorry for beating you up?

>>39854455
Oh, >>39854588 here, maybe >>39854612 too, we do kinda need some info on what is going on right now, and where she was when we lost her and so on.

>>39854455
>How did you get like this?

>S-sorry for beating you up?
>How did you get like this?

Writing!

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"Wait, what monster." Aiko seems confused.

Those words echo in my head. It brings a number of questions to mind.
It feels like I should tell her something else, first.
"S-sorry for beating you up."
"Oh stop that." She squeezes my cheek, "I was trying to beat you up too, so it's fair. I should be apologizing to you."

Somehow, those words aren't much solace to me. I still feel awful about it.
Even after she's helped me up and started walking I can't stop thinking about it.

Everything feels a lot weirder now that I know that. How does that work? Did she see every time I was using her outfit? How did that feel, being worn by someone?

"Juile, wait up!"
"Something wrong?"

"Yes something is wrong!" How can she even ask that? "You said you were a monster, then you were a card, now you're a person!? How does that even work."
"I said I'll-"
"No! Just.. give me the short version of what happened!"

She sighs, and then goes quiet for a few minutes as we walk.

"Okay.." She mumbles. "Okay so I was that monster, right?"
"Which monster?" Aiko is STILL confused.
"The one we fought in the theatre." I reply back to her. The look of shock on her face is priceless.

"That monster, right!" She stops and turns around. "Then you melted me with that red card of yours. But then! I was stuck in some kind of black goo, it was covering the card. I think it was some kind of trap that was made to keep me from being captured."

That's right, the black goo from the card. That was a tough fight, and Mom nearly collapsed from it.
"It was awful, and it really hurt. It was like being on fire." Julie crosses her arms. "But then you saved me from it. I really wanted to thank you somehow, but being a uniform was all I could do."

"Really? That's-!"
"I just wish you weren't a crybaby." She pouts. "I've been doing my best to make you confident in yourself, but I'm worried that it's been a big crutch."
Oh no!

>L-let's keep going.
>Where are we going?
>It's not a crutch!
>Other?

>>39855699
>L-let's keep going.
pls

>>39855699
>L-let's keep going.

>>39855699
>L-let's keep going.

>>39855699
>Where are we going?
>It's not a crutch!

>>39855699
>L-let's keep going.
well let's just hope haruko is out there helping mom and not causing a rampage

>L-let's keep going.

Writing!

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"Y-yeah I guess."
"Hmph." Julie smiles at me. "Like I said, there is a LOT more to it, but we can talk about it later. Right now we need to find Mom!"

"That's right!" I say, huge smile on my face.
Wait, did she just call her Mom?
Probably just a slip-up.

"Where do we look first?"
"That's hard to say." Julie looks around, "This place is being controlled by Asai somehow. I don't know what his true power is, no one does. But it's able to change the way people perceive this entire building."

"Perceive?" Aiko grabs onto her shoulder.
"The layout isn't any different. But the way we're seeing it has changed. I tried peeking into the other world to see if it was any better there, it's actually worse."

That's spooky.
"The best we can do is try to treat it as if we're walking in the dark, and not follow the paths Asai has made for us."

So our plan is that we have no plan.
That's not good, at all!

"Hold on." Julie stops us. Faintly, I can hear something in the distance.
It's talking.

Sounds like several voices, talking back and forth!
Julie tries walking forward toward it, but immediately runs into a wall.
"Oof." She grumbles. "I knew it was there, but I did it anyway."

"We're lost, aren't we?" Aiko sighs.
"No no, I'm using my aura to see. But it only has a few feet of range."

>Try a card? Maybe something that can feel around in the dark.
>Keep following Julie, she seems to be the best at walking around in the dark.
>A wall? Belle can take care of that!
>Try calling out to it!
>Other?

>>39856698
>A wall? Belle can take care of that!
Full speed ahead!

>>39856698
>A wall? Belle can take care of that!
fuck you asai, we'll make our own path

>>39856698
>A wall? Belle can take care of that!

>>39856698
>>A wall? Belle can take care of that!

>>39856698
>Keep following Julie, she seems to be the best at walking around in the dark.

>>A wall? Belle can take care of that!

Writing!

>>39856698
>Probably just a slip-up.
Nope, you just got another sister, Masami. And probably another when we find Haruko.

>>39857048
Such a big family!

>>39857081
Hell, every card Masami has is just another sister waiting to turn human.

>>39857262
Nah, some of them are brothers.

>>39857963
Masami doesn't have any male cards.
You might mean the other monster, but he talked about the cards in particular.

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"A wall?"

I may not be able to do much, but I can do something about a big mean wall!
"Step aside!"
"Oh no, you're not gonna-"
"Uh, Masami? What are you doing?"

I feel Belle take her place on my shoulders as I take out her greatsword.

"Watch this!"
"Aiko, cover your ears." Julie steps back to shield Aiko.

WHAM

The barrier in front of me shatters as Belle's sword cleaves straight through it!
It felt, surprisingly soft. Like it wasn't reinforced or anything.

The wall crumbles, leaving only an inky blackness on the other side.
The voices, in the distance, begin chattering and talking even louder than before!

I take out my phone, hoping to call Kaori to at least get a sense of which direction I should be going in.
No service.
Great.

"Julie! Can you get us to those voices?"
"Sure, if they don't move.." She cracks her knuckles as she walks forward, sword drawn.

She seems to be ready for a fight, whatever those voices are.

We follow closely behind Julie as she feels her way through the darkness. Eventually, she comes to a stop.
"This is the place, get ready."
I hoist Belle's sword onto my shoulder. Aiko seems to step back and allow her fists to glow.

Before I have any second thoughts, Julie kicks open the door and rushes in! I follow closely behind her!

>Cont.

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Inside is just as dark as outside. It still feels like I'm walking around in the dark, but Julie grabs our hands and starts exploring the room.

There's some incomprehensible talking coming from right next to me!
Suddenly, the voice starts yelling!

"..Masami.. Masami, no, stop. MASAMI. QUIT IT. QUI-"
"Kaori?!"

There's no mistaking it, that's Sis. I blindly feel around in the darkness until I feel someone laying on the floor!
I grab her and wrap my arms around her.
"KAORI! SAY SOMETHING! WAKE UP!"
"EEK MASA-"
She stops, digging her fingers into my arm. I can feel them trembling.
"What was happening!? What's going on!?" I squeeze her slender body as she struggles to free herself.
"I-I think I had a bad dream. Or something."
"Why are you inside!?"

She shoves herself away from me. "I wasn't letting you coming in here alone! So I came along with-"
"Ugh."

There's yet another voice somewhere else in the roof. I hear a slap and it seems to immediately perk up.
"What!? What was that? Where's Izumi?"

It's the principal.

"You both came in here?! Alone?! I told you both to wait outside or leave!" I scold the disembodied voices. I can almost feel them pouting at me.
"I wasn't just going to let one of my students risk their lives without helping!"

"Seriously Masami. Why are you always so reckless?"
That's yet another voice!
"Maeda!"
"You just run headlong into danger without thinking twice about it." Maeda scolds me.
"Look at you! I found all of you out cold in a room talking to yourselves!" I scold her right back. "Did ALL of you come inside? Who stayed outside with Emillion and-"

I hear a cough.
Then silence.
"Don't tell me he's in here too."
"We should get going!" Julie's voice cuts me off.

>Everyone go with us. This is silly.
>Split up. Find someone else who can navigate the darkness and have them lead a second group
>This is really frustrating. Think of some way to navigate/dispel the darkness yourself!
>Other?

>>39858710
>Everyone go with us. This is silly.
With that I must sleep. Thanks for writing.

>>39858710
>Everyone go with us. This is silly.

>>39858710
>This is really frustrating. Think of some way to navigate/dispel the darkness yourself!
take a peek in the magic world and fuck shit up?

>>39858710
>>Everyone go with us. This is silly.

>>39858757
Thanks for playing!

Remember to check twitter later, I have an announcement for everyone after the thread!

>>39858710
>Everyone go with us. This is silly.

>Everyone go with us. This is silly.
Writing!

Rolled 47 (1d100)

Mystery!

>>39859723
more like "MEHstery", right?

>>39859723
Worry!

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Julie and I calmly explain what we think is going on with Fortune right now. Asai is playing mind games with us individually, while keeping the lights of the building off. The layout of Fortune is still the same, it's just we're getting confused by his tricks.

So we decide to form a long chain. All of us hold hands with two other people to ensure no one gets lost, then we follow behind Julie.

There has to be eight people in here, now. Let's see,
Julie, Kaori, Aiko, Maeda, the principal, Emillion, myself of course.
Am I forgetting anyone? I think Ryouta was strong-armed into helping Anna outside the bubble. She's just a little girl after all. She shouldn't be roped into this. Aiko's Mom volunteered to stay outside as well, she's trying to find a way to contact Mom through something called 'telepathy'.

I don't really know what that is.

"Pay attention." Julie elbows me.
She's right, all of us need to pay attention. The building is dark, and there's no telling what is lurking in the shadows.

Julie continues down the winding corridors and staircases that are completely invisible to all of us. Several times it looks like we're walking straight into a wall and simply pass through it.

"I think I'm getting motion sickness." Maeda! No! Not now!
"Just close your eyes." Julie is quick to respond.

That's good advice, it makes me wonder if I shouldn't do that too.

We slowly continue behind Julie as we travel down several flights of stairs and find ourselves wandering yet another hallway.
"EEK!"
"What? What happened!?"
"This wall! It just moved!

The wall, it moved!?
"She's right!" Julie gasps, "The walls are moving!"

OH NO!
"Hang on." the principal silences everyone.
That's when we notice, the walls aren't moving anymore.

"They're moving as we walk." He whispers, "It's like they can see us."

>Turn around!
>Use a card!
>How else can you think of out of this situation!?
>Other?

>>39860246
>Use Amber and try to see if things move the same way in both worlds

>>39860246
>>39860333
This, also see how the walls react to her in this world as well.

>>39860246
>Turn around!

>>39860246
smart guy: >>39860333

>Use Amber and try to see if things move the same way in both worlds

Writing!

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Before Julie does anything else, I let Amber, my mirror card, slip over me.

Gently concentrating on the other world, I slip into it to see what is going on.
That side is surprisingly well-lit, and I can see the walls are moving. Except this time, I can tell that they're just moving back and forth, as if they're on tracks.

"Julie. I'm going to help you navigate this."
She presses on my hand.

"How are you going to do that?"
"Simple." I smile. "I'm going to use Amber to go through both worlds at once. Stay close to me."

Slowly, I start to walk through the room. My shadowy double on the other side can 'see' where the walls are going to move, and which path is the right one.
This is good! This feels like I'm making progress! Plus I'm helping!

I like helping!
Julie notices me slow down and gently nudges me to keep going.
I don't understand what the point of making us lost in this building would be. If anything, I would think Asai would want us to get out.

Maybe I really don't understand what he's trying to do.

We make our way to the end of this maze. Julie taps my shoulder.
"It's clear up ahead. I'll go forward and-"
"Julie, wait. The lights are on in the other world. I can just navigate for everyone now that I know that."
"The lights are-"

Julie thinks about what I just said for a second, before slapping her face.
"Oh my god."
"What? What's wrong!?"
"He tricked us. He tricked us with the laziest trick in the book."

You look at her, or at least what little of her you can see, with confusion.
"We're not in the real world right now Masami." Julie mumbles. "We're already in the other world. The real world is well-lit because it has lights, and this world doesn't."

"How did he do that?!"
"I don't know. But I'm worried." Julie looks back to make sure everyone is still holding on. "Because I didn't think humans could come over here. And I have no idea how to get them back to the real world."

>Offer an idea?
>Other?

>>39861776
>Other?
focus on finding mom for now
our friends are fine so far, we'll worry about how to get them back in the real world later

>>39861776
>>39861958
seconding this

>>39861776
>Let's just try to find mom, maybe she knows.

>>39861776
If Kaori can make us a card we can possibly edit it to get a way out. Finding mom should be the priority though.

>Let's just try to find mom, maybe she knows.

Writing last post of the night!

Big announcement after that's done!

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"Julie, I think we should focus on finding Mom first. We can only worry about one thing at a time!"

Julie is reluctant, but agrees with the sentiment. Slowly she takes my hand again.
"Let's keep going. I think we're getting closer."

"Where are we even looking, anyway?"
"There's a friend who's inside the building. I'm trying to find my way to her."

Julie has a friend inside the building?

"That's as far as you're going."

The entire group jumps at the sound of a new voice. We can't see it, and I can't see anything in the 'real' world.
This is a monster that's hiding in the shadows.

"Master Tower doesn't want you here. I was hoping the labyrinth would have given you the hint, but since you have to be so stubborn."

"Masami." Julie stands out in front of me. "Let me handle this, you-"
"No. If you're fighting, I'm fighting too!"

I say that, but I can't even see the monster that I'm supposed to be fighting. It's completely hidden in the darkness.

"There's no need to fight, I merely want you all gone." He says, the group huddles together as they try to determine where the voice is coming from.

Suddenly, hundreds of tiny little lights start to appear all around us. They float amidst the darkness, each one flashing very briefly like fireflies.

"I am hiding among these lights. Do your worst."

My worst, huh?

>Next thread vote!
>What is your worst?

>Try to hit all of the lights at once with a big attack!
>Use something fast to hit each light, one at a time.
>Ignore his stupid games and keep going forward!
>Julie tag team-up!
>Other?

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Forgot
>Thread End

Anyway, special announcement!

Dog Days Quest agreed to let me use Thursday to run CPM until its completion. I don't know how long that is going to take, but that means CPM will now run on Saturdays AND Thursdays!

Yay!

Twice a week is way better than once a week + whenever I have time!

Let me know what you think of that, if it's a good time, or what you thought of the thread. As for me, I'm really tired. Good night.

>>39862932
>Julie tag team-up!
of course
>Try to hit all of the lights at once with a big attack!
like a big whirlwind
>>39862974
thanks for running!
more CPM is always good to take
pretty nice thread, as usual

>>39862932
>Try to hit all of the lights at once with a big attack!

>>39862974
Thanks for running, we're getting to the end!
Sleep well.

>>39862932
>Julie tag team-up!
>Use something fast to hit each light, one at a time.
>>39862974
Thanks for running.

>>39862932
>>Ignore his stupid games and keep going forward!
Even if we did want to leave we still don't have everyone with us.

>>39862974
Thanks for running.

>>39862974
God dammit, missed it again.
Thanks for running.