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Around you, right now, is darkness.

You know you're not anywhere near awake right now.

You supposed there were other places that could be worse for being asleep, involving formless horrors and such, but the darkness is cool, breezy, and quite frankly, comfortable. You wouldn't mind staying here for a while, on your back, just... resting.

The stars, millions and millions in form, twinkle softly, interrupted occassionally by wandering clouds. You can hear the breeze rustling through dry leaves on the trees, far off.

A little ways off, though, you can hear the soft pops and crackles of a fire burning. The scent of burning wood wafts past you, and... is that roasting meat you smell?

>Go towards the source of the fire.
>Look around.
>Remain still.
>Go in another direction.

>Go towards the source of the fire.

>>40069573
Vote counted, waiting a little while longer for more votes.

>>40069503
Oh yeah, I'm right on time!
Good to see you again, Sagara!
>Go towards the source of the fire.

>>40069503
>Go towards the source of the fire.

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>>40069685
>>40069573
>>40069889

You sit up slowly - grimacing immediately. The Dragonslayer Arms still rests upon you, but the helmet's retracted once more. It's certainly not heavy, but the pain from the exertion of energy prior is still making itself heavily known once more. Every muscle is strained and sore, and you can't help but feel that you probably broke something in the fall. Can't tell what, though.

You turn to the bonfire, and see that there's a man looming over it. His armor looks certainly impressive pic related, obviously and the sword resting in its scabbard on his hip is... an actual sword. It's strangely unsettling, given the whole aesthetic is very... cold, foreign. Stoic, maybe.

As you walk over, your breastplate and armor shifts a little bit, and the man's head swivels - alarmed, his right hand hovering over the handle to his sword.

"Be you friend or foe?" he calls to you. His voice is betraying his nerves, but he's trying to remain calm. The dialect indicates a massive age gap here, somewhere in the hundreds of years.

>[Free Response]

>>40069924
"Friend. I'm certainly in no condition to be anyone's foe. Tell me sir, who are you, and where am I?"

>>40069924
"I'm just a passing through Kamen Rider. I'd rather not fight if I don't have to."

>>40069924

>>40069997
>>40070008
Combining these two sounds good.

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>>40070008
>>40069997

"I'm just a passing through Kamen Rider. Rather not have to fight if I don't have to."

"That still--"

"Friend. Not in any condition to be your foe. Tell me, sir, who are you, and what is this place?"

The man sighs, and his posture relaxes a bit. His dominant hand stops hovering, and he returns to tending to the fire, gesturing for you to join him next to the heat. Next to the fire there's a couple logs, big and sturdy enough for you to sit on. They certainly look worn enough.

You also manage to get a glimpse of the man's face behind the helmet - it's worn, with many permanent wrinkles and scars upon it. Muddy green eyes, a toned down color of the emerald upon his armor. His hair isn't visible under the helm, but you'd put your bets on it being some form of gray, given the somewhat prominent facial hair on him.

"I sincerely apologize," the man mutters, eyes focused on the meat being cooked above the campfire. "Not many things come by here that are friendly. Hm. If you need to call me something, uhm."

Probably the first time he's gotten to talk to someone in a while. You give him a gentle smile as he continues.

"I... suppose Joseph would be a good name. And yo--..."

He stares at you, as your smile falters. Narrow eyes, knitted brow.

"...you're no man, are you...?"

>Be truthful. You are a woman.
>Be standoffish. What's it to him?
>Be veiled. Maybe you are a man, as far as he knows.

>>40070283
>Be truthful. You are a woman.

>>40070283
>Be truthful. You are a woman.
"I'm bit insulted it took you this long to notice."

>>40070283
>Be truthful. You are a woman.

Hell hath no fury, right?

>>40070352
In his defense, we ARE still wearing the heavy plate armor. that kind of thing isn't very flatterimg to a woman's figure.

>>40070373
>>40070352
>>40070306

"I am no man," you respond, smiling cheekily. The gesture does not put him at ease, however, and he reaches for his sword once more. Seeing the danger, you put your hands up in defense and peace. "I'm a woman. Hell hath no fury, and all that, right?"

His eyes remain narrowed and suspicious, and his hand doesn't move.

"What manner of foulness are you, to be making a mockery of the armor the Slayers wear, and don it as a woman. Either you lie, or you've stolen the raiment of another..."

That familiar fire surges into your bosom once more, and your smile starts to falter.

>This armor is mine, and mine alone. I've earned this.
>Who are you to accuse me of theivery and witchery?
>Other (write in)
>Remain silent.

>>40070490
>Other (write in)
"I am a stranger in this land, sir. If my armor resembles that of these 'Slayers', it is by coincidence. Tell me, what are they that my appearance would be a mockery?"

>>40070617
Going with this.

>>40070617
This seems like the option least likely to get us stabbed in the face. Going with this.

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>>40070617
>>40070625

A frown settles on your face, as you look him directly in the eye. The warmth from your voice starts to drain away, for this man was not someone that took softness lightly.

"I am a stranger in this land, sir. If my armor resembles that of these 'Slayers', it is by coincidence. Tell me, what are they that my appearance would be a mockery?"

He opens his mouth to respond, but takes a moment. Gaze cast down at the fire, to consider his next words.

"If you truly are a stranger, as you say, then realize that I am not a person to which comraderie comes swiftly to. This is a dangerous land, filled with monstrosities that take it upon themselves to cull the innocent population at their whim. And I do not just mean those that go bump in the night."

He takes the meat off of the fire, and it hits you now that you have little idea as to what kind of animal may have given that flesh up. It's almost charred black, but the man eagerly takes off his helmet and begins to chow down. Some of the wariness begins to melt, as he's able to enjoy what probably is one of the few luxuries in this strange land --

-- before he looks up at you, a touch embarassed. He offers you the meat.

"Here."

>Try some of the meat.
>Refuse politely.
>Other (write in)

>>40070744
>Try some of the meat.
>Other (write in)
Not much, though, it's his meal. And thank him, of course.

>>40070744
>Try some of the meat.

Be polite, Makoto.

>>40070815
>>40070770

You take the meat with a nod and a quiet "thank you", and take a bite out of it...

>Roll 1d20, best of five.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>40070894
Uh oh.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>40070894

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>40070894

>>40070943
>>40070951
WHAT?

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>40070943
>>40070951
Brutal.

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>>40070943
>>40070951
Woooooooooow

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>40070894
Even if this is a 20, it won't cancel out the second 1. But rolling anyway.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>40070894
>>40070943
>>40070951
Damn, the dice sure hate Mako-tan today.

>>40070943
>>40070951
Welp, we're hosed.

>>40070976
>>40070964
>>40070951
>>40070943
>>40070932

You spit it out immediately.

It's horrendous. It's without a doubt the worst anything you've ever tasted or chewed. Stringy, gamey, you could swear it tasted like week-old pork or something that was sjust cooked way too much.

"Oh god, I am sorry," you quickly recover, realizing as Joseph stares at you with an impassive expression. He reaches over and snatches the meat from your hands... his eyes betray he's a little hurt.

"I just got my hands on this..." he mutters, chewing once more. "And believe me, this is better than a lot of stuff you can get around here."

However, the fire starts to waver in your vision. You can feel the inside of your mouth burning, and your head growing hot and fuzzy. Was it something in the meat?

And as your vision goes black, you hear one final thing...

"What a sporting hunt it was, though."

...

It feels like forever, but once again you open your eyes, staring up at...

>The posters on the ceiling in your room.
>The drop-ceiling tiles and sharp scent of a hospital
>The low ceiling and rumbling of the backseat of a car

>>40071213
>The posters on the ceiling in your room.

>>40071213
>The posters on the ceiling in your room.

>The posters on the ceiling in your room.

>>40071234
>>40071287

...the posters of Hibiki, Todoroki and Zanki, along with Burning Gundam and Deathscythe. The exact position you've stared up at, and memorized, for the last few years.

...

Wait.

You sit up in confusion, only to be forced back down - your abdominal muscles cry out in protest, and you lay on your back once more, hissing in pain. Thankfully, the brief glimpse you managed to get confirms - this is your room, the real deal. Every figure and book is in its right place, the sheets and blankets are as soft as you remember.

Well at least you're not dreaming once more.

"Honey? You up?" calls Mom, from the other room. You can smell actual food cooking this time, though the bitter, sour, and almost poisonous taste of the strange meat the man called Joseph offered to you lingers in your mouth. Looking out the window, it's mid-afternoon, with cloudy skies...

And on the clock next to your bed, it says it's Friday.

Last you checked, it was Wednesday.

>[Free response]

>>40071583
"Mom? Wait, if we're home, does that mean everyone got out of Helheim okay? What happened while I was out?"

>>40071583
"Yeah, I'm up. How are the other Riders? I remember some of them were pretty hurt. They're okay, right?"

>>40071583
>Did I really sleep from wednesday to now?

Inb4 we spend a say in a universe where Beat Riders never existed, much less the Forest.

>>40071666
>>40071637

You slowly sit up, resting your back against the wall, and start talking to Mom through the cracked door.

"Mom? Wait, if we're home, does that mean everyone got out of Helheim okay? What happened while I was out?"

Mom elbows the cracked door open, holding a plate of your favorite food....

>Choice 1:
>Free response - what kind of food does Makoto like for comfort?

... and stepping around the mess of clothes, toys, computer cables and such that line the floor of your room.

"Well, everyone as far as I know made it out alright. Taka-chan's fine, all your friends are fine or at least getting checked up on by Dr. Misao, and, well..."

"Well?"

"Most of the Shibata Ryu riders made it out. Dunno what happened to them, at least we got to confiscate their Drivers. So Ryouma-san's gonna figure out what the hell's the deal with those bootleg drivers."

You happily accept the plate and quietly eat... but the quietness and awkward pause tells you that she's not done.

"WHat happened, mom."

>Choice 2:

>The Shibata captured an Inves.
>An Inves got free and started wrecking a portion of the town.
>Raid Wild lost its Player Pass.

>>40071968
1. Probably spicy nachos. A satisfying crunch, and a nice warm tingly feeling.

2. >An Inves got free and started wrecking a portion of the town.

>>40071968
>Choice 1:
>Free response - what kind of food does Makoto like for comfort?
Karaage, chicken marinated in ginger and garlic and then fried.

>Choice 2:
>The Shibata captured an Inves.

>>40071968
>Karaage
if only because it reminds me of spicy chicken wings And I have no idea what food would be a better fit for Makoto.

>An Inves got free and started wrecking a portion of the town.

>>40072312
>>40072208
>>40072007

You pop one of the nuggets of fried ginger chicken into your mouth - still a bit hot, but just as good as you remember; hey she even put in chili flakes into the batter for the chicken! - and stare at her. Her hand grips the fabric of her pocket and she looks away for just a moment... out of shame? It's unclear.

"While you were out, an Inves slipped through the Crack. Destroyed the Free Performance Zone, and it took most every one of the uninjured Riders to take it down. And this wasn't some pushover one, either - nearly as big as the one we fought."

She takes a seat on the edge of your bed, looking down at the Lime Energy Lockseed that's clutched tightly.

"Hon, I'm really worried. Those Inves that y'all play with for games are growing. They're almost evolving, it looks like. I'm worried... things are going too out of control."

You consider the message, and think back.

The last couple of Inves that you and the other RIders have had to fight have been monstrous, resembling actual animals and monsters rather than the "silly monster suits" that you had originally equated them to. Further more, most of them were berserk right off the bat, barely able to have an actual fight between inves. They resembled Kaiju more than Inves.

Not to be stereotypical, but if this kept up, there was a good chance the Inves themselves could start making their own Cracks. Once that happens, the entire City could be lost. There just weren't enough Riders with enough powers to defeat them all.

You and Mom need to do something, but time is of the essence...

>Bug Takatora and the company for distribution of more legit Drivers. The more Riders on the street, the better.
>Bug Ryouma to look into the DragonSlayer Arms - if he could replicate it, then more power to the pre-existing Riders.
>Start operations in the Forest to eliminate Kaiju Inves before they can emerge.
>Other (write in)

>PICK ONLY ONE.

>>40072710
>Bug Takatora and the company for distribution of more legit Drivers. The more Riders on the street, the better.

>>40072710
>Other (write in)
Find out how the Kaiju Inves spawn. Jormungandr said they were something the forest only creates under certain conditions. That suggests we could in theory eliminate those conditions, prevent them from being created in the first place.

>>40072710
Bugging Takatora for more Drivers means more scrubs getting hurt.
Bugging Ryouma means Yggdrasil gets their hands on the Dragonslayer Arms, and they haven't shown themselves to be completely trustworthy.

Doing Ops against Inves inside the Forest is really fucking dangerous.

I'll go with >>40072825
We need more info here.

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>>40072946
>>40072825
>>40072795

My reply got deleted! Dammit!
Hold on, I'm going to have to rewrite here.

>>40073407

You come to a realization.

"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"We're Kamen Riders."
"Yes, this is true."
"We protect the city, the people that live in it. Kids, adults, elderly. No matter who it is, we protect, right?"
"Correct."
"And, as a thing for Riders, monsters are sadly a part of life. We beat them up, stuff like that."
"Well, commonly, yeah."
"But what if... we don't have to continuously fight the monsters?"

This catches her attention.

"What?"

"We don't need more people. We don't need better tech. What we need to do... is outplay. Outsmart. The Forest has shown it's been consistently active and thinking. It's plotting. And I'm willing to bet there's some form of condition to spawn a Kaiju Inves, y'know?"

Mom nods, as you continue.

"We need to research the Inves. Learn more about them, figure out what makes them tick. Figure out what, if anything, could be spurring their evolution and everything. Y'know what I mean?"

She nods again, smiling. "Fighting smart, not hard. I'm more than okay with this. Just know that I've got your back with this, whatever you choose to do, okay?"

>Do research online by asking around on the 2ch/br imageboards. There've been reputable leakers before, who knows?
>Do research by finding official statements about the Inves. Take the legal route.
>Ask around in person at the teams. When you're feeling better, of course.
>Ask DJ Sagara himself - I mean, it's nothing to lose... right?
>Other (write in)

>>40073625
>Ask DJ Sagara himself - I mean, it's nothing to lose... right?
PRESS THE BUTTON

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>>40073625
The only correct answer.

>>40073625
>Ask around in person at the teams. When you're feeling better, of course.

>>40073625
>Ask DJ Sagara himself - I mean, it's nothing to lose... right?

>>40073625
Bug DJ sagara

>>40073625
>Ask DJ Sagara himself - I mean, it's nothing to lose... right?

Well, you're not giving us much of a choice now, are you?

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>>40073745
>>40073651
>>40073644
>>40073792
>>40073924

Well I mean, this isn't supposed to lead to spoopy Sagara BS, I just meant him as a possible source. Kinda like calling someone who knows abuot the Beat Rider culture to ask about it.

I can guarantee it's not going to lead to skellingtons this early. Do y'all want to change your votes?

>>40073973
Nah, I'm still game for Sagara.

>>40073973
Nah, he just seems like our best option at the moment, besides getting nothing but shitposts, corporate red-tape, and blank stares, respectively.

>>40074038
>>40074041

It hits you, as Mom leaves the room.

Most everywhere else isn't going to give you the information that you're seeking. Red tape cuts off official channels, and just like overseas 2ch's not the greatest place for a boatload of diamonds - just diamonds in the shitpile.

This leaves you with only a couple of actual solutions.

And one of them is just silly enough to work.

>TEXT TO: DJ SAGARA'S OFFICIAL TEXT LINE:

>[Free Response - how would you like to word your question to DJ? 140 characters or less!]

>>40074255
>Sagara, you know about these giant Inves? You've always got the scoop on the Rider scene, thought you might have put something together.

>>40074255
>"Sagara, do you know anyway to take care of a giant monster infestation? You always seem to know about the Riders so I thought you could help"

>>40074255
"Yo, DJ, Makoto/Raid Wild's Rider here. I need some info, off the record, and I figure you're the best person to ask. Thanks."

>>40074255
>Sagara, why do you think those Kaiju Inves started showing up instead of the good 'ol guys in suit types?

>>40074400
>>40074440

Winding down before I have to get ready for work, so last choice.

>Go for off-the-record talks.
>Ask him about the Kaiju Inves on-the-record.

This could be important.

>>40074587
I'm gonna go with off the record.

>>40074587
>Go for off-the-record talks.
Seems the obvious option.
maybe... too obvious?
nah, let's do this.

>>40074587
>Go for off-the-record talks.

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>>40074631
>>40074622
>>40074607

>TEXT TO: DJ SAGARA

"Yo, DJ, Makoto/Raid Wild's Rider here. I need some info, off the record, and I figure you're the best person to ask. Thanks."

You don't hear anything back immediately, aside from a confirmation message from the automated service.

However, later on in the day, after taking the time to rest and recover, you get a text from an unknown number. Or, rather, the number's blank.

>TEXT FROM: [____]
Bridge overlooking FPZ ruins. Hour.
Answers.

>OOC TIME GO
Topics to talk about:
Possible plot arcs for international riders
More ideas for Kaiju Inves
Any other things y'all want to discuss Rider-related!

>>40074875
FPZ ruins? What are those?

>>40074875
Well, I figure for the Kaiju Inves we could do the Berserker forms for the canon Inves who we never got to see like that. All we saw in canon where Shika and Seiryu (okay, and Inoshishi, but we never saw its normal form). So that leaves us with Tiger, Bixie, Mantis, Bat, Lion and Goat. Those could make for some fun monsters. Giant mantis thing, flying kaiju for bat, for Lion I kind of want to just use the giant Lion Inves from the ToQger crossover...

>>40074875
>Possible plot arcs for international riders
I'm telling you guys, The Kamen Riders International Tour " BURN IT UP - Forest of Monsters " will rock everyone's socks off. The Yggdrasil Corp. Sponsorship we got will make it even more incredible.
It's like a J-Rock band on an international tour, get it?
The songs are the sounds of Inves getting their teeth kicked in around the world, while the lyrics are hot-blooded buzzwords, inspiring sounding nonsense and attack names being shouted non-stop.
It'd be just like a JAM Project show, but with more giant monsters.

>More ideas for Kaiju Inves
Well, I don't think we've fought a Giant Enemy Crab Inves yet.
there's also all those Monsters of the Week from the various Super Robot shows.

Also, Bat-Bro Inves. Where is he and when is he going to come save us from a Kaiju Inves like a Big Damn Hero?

>>40074897
The Inves destroyed the Free Performance Zone, remember?

>>40075040
Since we're not gonna see a Super Sentai crossover, I'm sure we'll figure out a use for the Lion. All the other stuff you suggested sounds good too.

>>40075442
Right, Free Performance Zone. That's what FPZ stands for. Derp.

>>40075418
Goddamn spoiler tags. That's what I get for posting on a phone.

>>40074875
Still hoping for us getting infected by Helheim and having to deal with it without going full Inves/Overlord monstrosity and avoiding people from worrying or even finding out.

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>>40075483
I'll support anything that might have the slightest chance to include Dragon Girls.

>>40075418
So, Symphogear with Riders?

>>40075596
Thank you for making the idea sound even better.
too bad we'll need at least a couple nat 20s in order for makoto to become a Super-idol.

And this isn't the right quest for Combat Idol shenanigans.

>>40075575
>We slowly turn into a Dragon Girl Inves and have hide things like scales, fangs and a tail from people.

>>40075774
Well, we may be far from an idol, but we've got the dancing and combat pretty down pat.

On a different note, here's an International Rider idea. Someone got manipulated into accepting a Sengoku Driver, but the catch is they think they're the only Rider, and they have no idea about the Beat Rider scene and Inves game going around the world. Maybe they wandered into Helheim and had to fend for themselves?

>>40075795
The best part would be Makoto freaking out over the physical changes, and even better if they accompany psychological ones as well.

>"All right. All right. I have scales now. And little stubby wings on my back. Jormungand, I'm going to assume this is your fault you explain to me what the hell's going on."
>*I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. THE INFECTION IS TURNING YOU INTO AN INVES, THE PROCESS IS SIMPLY SLOWER DUE TO BOTH MY POWER AND THE DRIVER*
>"Well, shit... What the hell am I gonna tell my mom? 'Hey Mom, I'm turning into a Dragon?' Fuck, how the hell am I going to walk around the city like this?!"

>*I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY ARE USED TO SEEING ELABORATE COSTUMES BEING WORN BY TEENAGERS. SURELY THIS ISN'T AS BIG A PROBLEM AS YOU ARE MAKING IT SEEM.*
>"Did you just make a 'Japan sure is Weird' joke? Take this seriously you damn lizard!"

>*DON'T WORRY, KINUSHIMA. THE TRANSFORMATION IS TEMPORARY. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY ANCHOR TO BE CORRUPTED LIKE THIS. NO, YOU JUST NEED TO LET THE INFECTION RUN ITS COURSE. YOU WILL RETURN TO NORMAL, AND EVEN STRONGER THAN YOU WERE BEFORE*
>"That's it? That's your advice, Give it time?! God damn it, it's too early for this shit, and I'm starving. I'll just get down to the kitchen and eat something to eat."

Five minutes later, Erina enters the kitchen to find a very weird sight.

>"Mako-chi? What are you doing, dear?"
>"Just getting something to eat, I woke up and I was just starving, so I came here and found this delicious piece of beef."

>"Yes, yes, I can see that, Mako-chi. But why are you eating the beef raw?
>"What do you mean it's... oh."
>"And why do you have horns growing on your head, Makoto?"

>"I, tha-that is... I can explain!"
>"Oh, don't worry, Mako-chi. There comes a time I a girl's life where she experiences many changes to her body..."

>"Gods, just kill me already..."

>>40076289
>*The sound of something breaking*
>"What was that?"
>"JUST YOUR TAIL HITTING THE GLASS OBJECT BEHIND YOU"
>"My what?! You did not just say my tail."

>>40076507
>"don't worry, Mako-chi it's fine, come here."
Mother-Daughter hugs. They happen.

>"Now, is this permanent?"
>"Nah, Jormungand says it'll go away on its own after a few days and I'll actually get stronger because of it. Something about the infection reconstructing my body, triggers this, myomer that, I think he wants to show he is super-smart or somethin'."

>"Well, that's good! Here, let's have some ice cream and watch a movie to pass the time okay?"
>"yeah, 'kay. Say, what's the flavor?"
>"Mint & Chocolate, dear."
*more Sounds of things breaking. Several things*

>"..."
>"... so it's like a dog's, huh?"

>>40076792
No accidental digging dragon claws into mom. Well done Makoto.

>>40076859
She held herself back from flinching when she felt the claws.

Erina is a Very Good Mother.

>>40076792
>Later, Makoto meets up with Hase.

>"Um. hey, what's up Ha... oh."
>"erm... so, guess I wasn't the only one who got infected, huh?"

>"Yeah, that's... I guess it's nice to know I ain't going through this alone?"
>"I... yeah, I thinks it's nice too."
[Awkward Silence Intensifies]

>"erm, SO! Those wings are pretty cool. They seem really soft."
>"Oh! Yeah, they are. They also Help keep the cold away. Your horns look pretty good too! I mean, um, they really bring out your eyes?"
>"...thanks. Say, have you had any weird urges, eating raw, hoarding treasure, meat that kinda thing?"
>"Not that kind, but I've started to think about going to law school since the I got those things on my back. You know, open a law firm, Hase Birdman, Attorney at Law."

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>>40077066
Draw.
It.

Make this scene happen somehow.

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>>40077066
>Hase Birdman, Attorney at Law

All these months of threads have all been worth it, just for this mental image.

>>40077168
I'd request it at a drawthread myself, but for some reason I never seem to get a request fulfilled unless it somehow involves Skellingtons.

As an apology have another snippet.

>"Mako-chi? Could you come here please?"
>"Sure, Mom, what is... it..."

>"It seems you still had some spores in your clothes, and they may have infected me as well."
>"Is everyone going to turn into Half-IHalf-Inves around here?! Gah, and it's all my fault too!"

>"Now calm down, Makoto. Izanami assures me this transformation will be much shorter and less severe than yours, so there's no need to worry about me."

>"Mom, how is this 'less severe'? you don't have legs anymore, you're a snake from the waist down!"

>"You know, this isn't all bad, Mako-chi."
Her smile had noticeably sharper teeth.
>"This means I can give you even bigger hugs!"

>>40076289
>>40076507
>>40076792
You know what'd be cool, if this is the preliminary to our final form. At the end we either lose sight of our humanity and become a complete Inves or we regain it and obtain a Rider Form. Depending on our ability to roll dice.

>>40077685
Well, outside of these little write-ups, a situation such as this would be very, very serious and it would be treated as such.

We'd probably be confined to Yggdrasil's medical wing like Hase was. The transformation would take longer to happen and after a certain point, we'd be bedridden and in a coma.

from that, a few possibilities.
First, a Spirit Quest, kinda like Hase's but more personal and much more difficult, centered around coming to terms with us having lost our humanity, our natural Warrior Tendencies and Talent for Hand-to-Hand, brutal combat (thank the Dice Gods for those rolls back then), meaning those times we lost control weren't just because Jormungand was messing with us, but because we Wanted to inflict pain and revel in violence (neatly referencing it was the Player's choice that led us to rampage in that mall back then).

From that, three outcomes.
We end up fighting our Inves-Self and Slay the not-so-metaphorical Dragon, denying and surpassing our inner Beast and thus becoming a Human+, not quite human, better than a normal human, in fact, but not much more. In this, the Defiance Arms would Represent our will to surpass our base instincts, to be truly human.

We can accept and become the beast, basically trading away the ability to use a Driver to be able to use the Lockseed's power directly. This way, we'd be an Inves who can assume an human form, but in no way actually human Anymore and in this case, you could say the Defiance Arms would be our very form, our will to take the power of the forest and use it against it and defy it's rule. Overlord End, basically.

The third is to accept and Integrate the Beast within. To partake in its blood and control it fully. Yes, this would mean no longer being fully human, nor Overlord, but something in between, master of itself and as such, our Defiance Arms would represent our desire to overcome the limitations and rules of whatever system the Forest and the things in the pillars represent.

>>40078195
Also, threads where Erina and our friends try to find a way to cure us, where they investigate fully what lies behind the Helheim Forest and the God-Beasts that dwell there, to help the rest of the plot move along while Makoto goes around adventuring through her Unconscious/The Collective Unconscious.

In fact, I think the best way to handle such a scenario (Should Sagara deign to write something like it) is to have discoveries on either side, be it the investigations within the Forest or Makoto's Journey, be mostly expansions of what the otger side discovered, so the players cannot abuse meta-knowledge from the other side.
Also, it can all serve as a build up to a season finale of sorts, where the Riders and a freshly awakened Makoto fight a Super-Inves and, after the fight, liece together all they know and then spend the next season searching dealing with those revelations.

>>40077066
So we're going to wingfic Hase, right?

>>40078195
>>40078393
That would only be after we're found out. This isn't something you'd come forward with instantly.

>>40078743
True. That would allow for shenanigans, at least until it becomes impossible to hide the wings and tail.
and you can still justify them as just really, really good cosplay, at least for a while.

>>40078873
It could with skill checks be passed over as:
"I'm just adding to my persona as a dragon themed Rider."

>>40079006
>A nat 20 turns us into an overnight Cosplay Celebrity
>Talk shows invite us to show our constantly improving "costume"
>Have to act cutesy and say it's a "trade secret" whenever they ask us how our tail moves so fluidly and jow our wings are so lifelike

>Accidental Idol End GET.

So, about them Kaiju Inves.
anyone got a few ideas for them? I was thinking something like a giant Alligator.
Or we may go Full Crazy and have a Sharktopus Inves.

>>40080143
You know what we could do? Makoto is a fan of Kamen Rider Hibiki, she has posters of the characters. Let's throw some makamou at her. Flying manta ray/sparrows, minotaurs covered in porcupine spikes, fucking giant scorpions. Or we could use the Gigadeaths from Den-O. Or the Sagarcs and Kukulkans from Kiva. All of the kaiju from Kamen Rider, come on let's do it.

>>40080263
Not a bad idea. In fact, I'd say it's the best way to make new Kaiju Inves.
just take a monster from another KR show, scale it up, give it a couple new abilities throw us off oir game and there we go, an engine of desfruction ready to challenge us.
It might even be a good idea to mash two of them together to create something more out there.

And having Inves take the shape of monsters from the in-universe KR shows might mean the Forest is interacting with the Collective Unconscious to extract the form of the monsters from there to use as a base for its Kaiju.

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Ayo I'm back. Let's see what we've got here...

>>40075795
>>40076289
>>40076507
>>40076792
>>40076859
>>40077066
>>40076918
>>40077301
I still love the hell out of this idea. I'm not sure if I want to incorporate this quite yet, mainly because I don't know enough about monster girls to do it justice, nor want to really attract a /d/ crowd but it's in the book.

>>40077685
>>40078195
>>40078393
Ooooh~
That's Persona 1 and 2 as FUCK and I love it.

>>40079154
Kamen Rider Sengoku: Dancing All Night confirmed.

>>40080143
>>40080263
>>40080495
Can you imagine, for a moment.
Just imagine.
Makoto's next level is styled after Armed Hibiki
and having a Final Attack Ride Ongekiko and everything
It's a KI Ultra all over again and the idea is making my dick diamonds thinking further about it.
Also the idea for the Kaiju Inves makes a ton of sense, since we're doing so much with the Helheim now. It allows for MonHun-style fights at this point, and those are fucking fantastic if I can do them any justice, hopefully.

Alright, where were we?

>>40080727
We were going to head over to talk to Sagara. In a place where no one could observe our conversation with him, because of course Sagara never appears where you can prove he exists.

>>40080727
>Makoto's next level is styled after Armed Hibiki
Yes, please. Armed Hibiki is my favorite suit design out of the entire franchise. There's something about it that just really works. I love it.

>>40080798
Who said it was Sagara? Remember, the number was blank, and you did receive a stock confirmation message beforehand.

>>40080846
I admittedly still need to watch more of Hibiki, but I love all of the suits. I'm still pissed that they changed it halfway through to be more Rider-y, but Armed is still fantastic.

>>40080886
>Remember, the number was blank, and you did receive a stock confirmation message beforehand.
Good point, we're going to meet someone who we assumed was Sagara. This could be a trap, now that I think about it. Well, if it is they'll have to face Dragonslayer.

>>40080727
>I still love the hell out of this idea. I'm not sure if I want to incorporate this quite yet,
Well, Monstergirls sort of stand on the border between /tg/ and /d/, and I can understand what you mean about attracting that sort of crowd.
One way to work it In is to play it for laughs, have some fun shenanigans early on where Makoto is still sort of in denial (because even in a world where she has a transformation sequence, a super-mode and fights monsters on a daily basis, becoming a half-dragon person is still too weird to actually happen) but it quickly turns into a real problem and forces her to be bedridden for a while.
play it for maximum emotional impact and "I'm slowly losing my humanity" feels.

>Makoto's next level is styled after Armed Hibiki
>and having a Final Attack Ride Ongekiko and everything
>It's a KI Ultra all over again and the idea is making my dick diamonds thinking further about it.

Yes. YES!

>>40080727
>>40074875

You've got nothing left to lose at the moment. With the risk of invading Inves being minimal, you take the opportunity, the window that you've been given.

Driving down to the FPZ, it's an utter mess. Shops are busted open, housefronts are destroyed. Jormungandr's senses pick up more than a little blood, and fouler... more base scents.

Lifeblood.

Throughout the street, there are still people cleaning up. Many different emergency service branches are in full effect - ambulances and portable medical bays, police vehicles everywhere. Hell. more than a few armed policemen, complete with flak jackets and assault rifles.

The debris still scattered around is chilling. It's reminiscent of the aftermath of a Hurricane.

This is what a loose Inves can do.

The fire burns once more in your chest. Vengeance and anger scream behind your eyes once more, but you force it down. Nothing to be done, the other riders had their moment.

For now, you've gotta get to the bridge - still pristine. There doesn't appear to be anyone standing apart - there's a little crowd still there, rubbernecking and such.

You do see a police blockade to the entrance of the FPZ ampitheatre, guarded by a squad of officers, but the bridge itself is gonna take some more driving.

>Inspect the damage further.
>Drive up to the bridge.
>See if you can't help somehow.
>Other (write in)

>>40081286
>Drive up to the bridge.
After the meeting, though, we'll look into volunteering to help clean up. Stick to the plan, for now.

>>40081286
>Drive up to the bridge

The damage may be bad, but what's done is done. Plus they're getting help already, and if Sagara knows something, it could be more important than aiding civilians. Lose the battle, win the war and all that.

>>40081286
>Inspect the damage further.

>>40081286
>Drive up to the bridge.

>>40081468
>>40081358
>>40081321

You make a mental note that the recovery efforts could certainly use some volunteers - and for that matter, help further solidify efforts to reconstruct the Riders' image. But for now, you've gotta find out more about how to prevent this kind of shit from happening again.

...stop humming the Pacific Rim tune, Makoto.

You park the motorcycle and lock it up, hopping off - and immediately regretting the decision, slowly trying to walk off the surge of a cramp overtaking your leg.

Almost as if the man was a beacon unto himself, however, you immediately spot him. The man himself, DJ Sagara, the leader of the Beat Rider Hotline, and distributor of all knowledge Beat Rider related. Strangely enough, he's with the crowd as if he's just a passerby, as if no one's recognized him. Forearms resting along the railing, looking over the destroyed FPZ. Hasn't noticed you yet, as far as you can tell.

And holy SHIT is the FPZ destroyed. The stage is no more, completely, and the ground around it's been cracked and warped to no end. Water pipes and electric lines broken, still in the process of being contained...

You decide to...

>call him out, to come to you.
>Sidle up to him as smooth as you can manage.
>other (write in)

>>40081676
>Sidle up to him as smooth as you can manage.
Like a smooth criminal.

>>40081676
>Sidle up to him as smooth as you can manage.
Calling out to him would make us look like a spaz. Especially since I'm pretty sure we're the only one who can see him.

>>40081676
>Sidle up to him as smooth as you can manage.

I'm sure "smooth" is relatively speaking, of course.

>>40081676
>Sidle up to him as smooth as you can manage.

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>>40081827
>>40081782
>>40081700
>>40081864

You frown a bit, but make your way through the crowd. Clothes do you no flattery today, but appearance is the least of your worries. Your eyes remain on the DJ, making sure that he's indeed who he says he is. Or at least, y'know... not a trap.

Hopefully.

"You've grown." is the first thing that comes out of the old man's mouth, as you rest your own forearms at the railing a little distance from him. He's not taking his eyes off the environmental carnage. But you're sure he's addressing you.

"And the sky remains blue." you reply, coming off a bit more flippant than anticipated. This elicits an amused smirk from him, but he continues.

"Makoto-chan, you've by now realized that there's far more to the story. The Inves are dangerous, the Kaiju Inves even more so. A good example of its power below." A head tilt towards the emergence site.

"But I can tell you this - I had never predicted something like this would happen. I can tell you what i know about Inves in general, but this... is something I've only got theories and guesses for."

He finally turns his eyes to you - tired, brown, old and aged.

"Ask away."

>[Free]

>>40082011
"Is there anything special about Inves blood? I've noticed some strange glowing liquid is spilled when I attack certain ones. It makes plants grow, I've tested it out myself."

>>40082011
"What determines their evolution? I've seen Elementary Inves mutate into more complex forms after eating the Lockseed fruits, but if that's all it takes they'd all be Advanced Inves. And then there's the giant ones, of course. How does their life cycle work? Hell, where do they even come from? I know that some of them are former humans, I've figured that much out by myself, but that can't account for all of them."

>>40082011
"Takatora Kureshima told me that the buildings in the forest were of human construction, and that they date back to multiple periods. Humanity found its way into Helheim before not just once but many times. And every time that happened, they had long enough to build a civilization before they were all either killed or transformed by the Inves. So what causes that lull in activity? Is there some mass ecosystem-wide trigger that affects them? It all comes down to the Helheim plants in the end, do the attacks just coincide with sporing season?

>>40082011
>"From what I've seen, the Helheim fruits can turn humans into Inves. If it can do that to humans, it can surely turn other animals as well. How does it do that? What is so mutagenic in those fruits? and what the hell are the Lockseeds as well?

Your mouth and throat almost swell visibly with the amount of pent-up questions that you want to ask, and he notices it.

"One question at a time, Makoto, and I'll see what I can do. I'm a simple DJ, after all."

>>40082198
He scratches his chin, thinking.
"I don't exactly know what's in it. But I know that it's got a lot of the same properties as the material that's in the Lockseeds, I think. At least, that's what Ryouma-sensei says."

>>40082509
"Lockseeds are Ryouma-sensei's way of utilizing the material that the Helheim Fruits contain, in a more filtered way. If an animal or a human, for that matter, consume it, they are mutated - but if it's in a Lockseed, no chance of that. It still contains the mutagenic material, though, just in a more controlled method."

>>40082266
"I've got no idea," he says with a shrug. "As far as I know, the Inves have always been a presence in the Forest. They feed off of the Fruit and the Lockseeds, but I've no clue why the Inves evolve so large now. They've... never exhibited /that/ level of growth before."

>>40082404
This catches Sagara completely off guard. He looks around, as if to emote "is anyone else hearing this?" before growing closer, conspiratorial in his whispers. "You're kidding right? That sounds like a load of chuuni bullshit, where's your proof?"

>[Free]

>>40082922
"I can't verify what Kureshima said about multiple incursions, but there's been at least one before. I've seen the ruins for myself. They're definitely made by humans. Everything's sized right, and the decorations are the sort of things you'd expect humans to make. One of the buildings I found couldn't be anything other than a church, looked to be European. Buttressed walls, gabled roof, even what looked like tombstones out back in a little cemetery. Couldn't read them, though, they were all too worn away. The interior matched, there was an alter and some sort of religious symbol on the wall. So either the most improbably case of convergent evolution EVER has happened, and it's all a coincidence that the previous inhabitants of that world are so similar to humans, or they were actually humans who wandered in through Cracks centuries ago."

>>40082922
My proof is in the big fucking church, complete with a freaking graveyard in the back, and in the many, many ruins I've found scattered around there.

Human ruins, DJ. Clearly human architecture, and while I ain't a major in Architecture, in damn sure I've seen buildings from everywhere from europe To the Meso-Americas.
Now I'll admit Takatora might have been wrong, but if he is wrong then it's because whoever told him that was lying to him.

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>>40083187
>>40083189
>Kamen Rider Sengoku
>Where we're passionate as FUCK about architecture.

>>40083227
>MAKOTO KINUSHIMA
>Warrior Without Peer, Dancer Extraordinaire, Defender of Zawame, Dragonslayer, Secret Architecture Buff.

>>40082922
"'Chuuni bullshit'? Sagara, I use a piece of fruit from another dimension to transform into Kamen Rider and fight dragons. The time to dismiss this as chuuni bullshit was three kaiju ago. Maybe what Kureshima said isn't true, but it's hardly the most unbelievable part of this story."

>>40083187
>>40083189

You give Sagara an annoyed look, a spark coming to your voice as you respond.

"I can't verify what Kureshima said about multiple incursions, but there's been at least one before. I've seen the ruins for myself. They're definitely made by humans. Everything's sized right, and the decorations are the sort of things you'd expect humans to make. One of the buildings I found couldn't be anything other than a church, looked to be European. Buttressed walls, gabled roof, even what looked like tombstones out back in a little cemetery. Couldn't read them, though, they were all too worn away. The interior matched, there was an alter and some sort of religious symbol on the wall. So either the most improbably case of convergent evolution EVER has happened, and it's all a coincidence that the previous inhabitants of that world are so similar to humans, or they were actually humans who wandered in through Cracks centuries ago."

You get up in his face a bit, grimacing.

"And 'Chuuni bullshit'? Sagara, I use a piece of fruit from another dimension to transform into Kamen Rider and fight dragons. The time to dismiss this as chuuni bullshit was three kaiju ago. Maybe what Kureshima said isn't true, but it's hardly the most unbelievable part of this story."

Sagara puts his hands up in defeat, sighing.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I believe you. It really shouldn't be that ridiculous when you think about what you've come across in the Forest, but still. Forgive me if I'm skeptical."

You sigh and cross your arms, fuming a touch as he focuses completely on you.

"I know I'm not much help here, but the best effort that I can give is to let you and your friends know when there's a new... Kaiju? Y'all are still calling them Inves, right? The big ones? I'll keep in touch with the Riders. Maybe with some organization, you all can manage the Inves more than... well, a scramble, like this was.."

>[Free.]

>>40083608
"That will help a lot. It means we'll be able to respond faster, give us more time to work on finding a solution to the problem. Thanks, Sagara. I appreciate it."

>>40083608
>Just That is still better than I expected, really. It's like a goddamn arms race, isn't it? the forest sent out the 'guys in suits' type Inves, we sent out Armored Riders. We won, it sent out bigger, stronger, more beast-like Inves. We got stronger, got better gear, we kept winning, and now it sent goddamned Kaiju sized Inves with armor that puts tanks to shame. I just hope Godzilla isn't somewhere I that forest.
>*sigh* If they just keep getting bigger and more powerful we'll need giant freaking robots just to keep up... *grin* No, as cool as the zords are I'm a Kamen Rider, not some bootleg Ranger.
>Thanks for the help DJ, and take care.

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>>40083798
>>40083664

This calms the beast a bit, as you think. An early warning system against Inves incursions? Could be more useful. Could certainly help with the coverage of the problems involving the Inves and the Forest and everything. Could even help with the image.

Kamen Riders actually on their way to help. Heh.

"That will help a lot. It means we'll be able to respond faster, give us more time to work on finding a solution to the problem.

He nods, but you continue.

"It's like a goddamn arms race, isn't it? The Forest sent out the 'guys in suits' type Inves, we sent out Armored Riders. We won, it sent out bigger, stronger, more beast-like Inves. We got stronger, got better gear, we kept winning, and now it sent goddamned Kaiju sized Inves with armor that puts tanks to shame. I just hope Godzilla isn't somewhere in that forest.
"If they just keep getting bigger and more powerful we'll need giant freaking robots just to keep up..."

You sigh, but give him a grin.

"Nah, as cool as that'd be, I'm a Rider. Not a Ranger.

"Thanks for the help, DJ. And take care."

The man waves you off, but after a moment calls after you.
The crowd seems to have no reaction to him raising his voice.

"Stay strong out there, Makoto. A lot of eyes are on you and your friends right now, and a lot of lives as well. This isn't a game anymore.

"But beware the blonde swordswoman from the South."

>END OF EPISODE 28

>Archived at SUPTG.
>QM Twitter: @DJ_Sagara_TG
>Artfriends twitters: @Skaphel, @RamenWarwok, @Mrquerious, @DJ_Glory_TG

Thank y'all for sticking around! I'm sorry today was kind of slow, but I feel that it was really important for beginning the next arc.

Soon we'll be getting into what I'm hoping to call the "Hunter Arc" - more fightan and characters than mystery.
>OOC TIME! Questions, comments, concerns, feedback of any kind is welcomed!

>>40084348
Thanks for running, Sagara. Talking with Sagara was fun. Yeah, this isn't going to get confusing, at all. No, seriously, though, good thread. And it sounds like the next one is going to be fun. Looking forward to fighting this new rider. Especially with our power up, should make for a suitable test. See you next time, man.

>>40084348
Thanks for the thread, Sagara!
The next arc is going to be very interesting, that's for sure.
Take care, see you next wednesday!