>>41589994

>"THERE'S A BIG DUDE CHASING US, FASTER LASS, FASTER"

>>41589994
>"THERE'S A BIG DUDE CHASING US, FASTER LASS, FASTER"
Also, it's been a year since you started the quest Announcer. How's it feel?

>>41589994
>>"THERE'S A BIG DUDE CHASING US, FASTER LASS, FASTER"

File: 1408793798236.jpg (96 KB, 1280x720)

96 KB JPG

>>41590194
I didn't know this. I thought it was next week.

Happy 1st anniversary, everyone!

>Writing!

>>41590729
in honer of the anniversary i propose we fondle the fluffy bits of all the girls

>>41590776
Why, that sounds like what we do everyday. What a wonderful coincidence!

File: image.jpg (185 KB, 780x797)

185 KB JPG

>>41590776
And scale. Can't forget our scale tail.

>>41590776
Tuile gets first priority since she's the wife. and best girl

>>41591217
Thats a funny way of spelling Madeline anon, but that's ok we all make mistakes.

>>41591493
Nope, I'm quite sure I made no mistakes and spelled Tuile just fine.
Madeline is second best.

>>41591493
My fellow scale brother.

>>41591725
At least you have some taste anon of know who are the best out of them all, better than can be expected. Wait... aren't we still carrying Madeline?

>>41591763
That be funny if she is. Just wrapped around his midriff while her human half is piggy back riding him. He doesn't notice cause of his panicking

File: Tuile_2.1451119.jpg (550 KB, 2431x2716)

550 KB JPG

"Lass, I don't want to panic ya."
Tuile seems confused, "Panic me?"
"Aye. For you see, there's a reason I have chosen such a grueling pace."

She grabs your arm and shakes it, "I knew something was wrong. What is it this time Jack? Did you cheat someone at a card game?"
"I wish Lass, at least then I would know how to deal with it. No, I've done something that I've only done a few other times beforehand. I've pissed off someone who is way bigger than me."

Tuile stops, and she squeezes your shoulder.
"Way bigger than.. you?"
"Aye. Usually I leave town after I do that, which is precisely what I am doin' here."

"Hold it! Hold on! What kind of big guy? Is it that Gilles guy from way back in the chapel."
"Aye, I had a run in with him, too. But there's this other guy who has it out for me. This guy who truly worries me."

"I don't get it, Jack. You're a hero. What could possibly worry you? Just get all the other heroes together and go kick his ass, like you always do."
"The thought has crossed my mind, but I worry about their safety in that case. I can't see it endin' in any way except misfortune for someone if all of us went at him."

"Have you told anyone else about this."
"No, I'm tellin' you because I know you well enough to understand that ye won't go running around in a panic after telling ye that. Aye'm not sure about some of the others in my crew."

She's silent, thinking about these words for a few minutes as you walk along. Elsewhere, you can see Madeleine slither onto a cart and help someone up onto it. You think she has a sneaking suspicion that something is wrong, as well.

"Jack, Tell me the truth. Who was this guy? Was he a wizard? Metaphor for a dragon? Another hero? What?"

>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.
>A dragon. That's good enough.
>No, it was a hero. Ask about the old kingdom
>Never mind, we'll talk about it when we're safe.
>Other?

>>41591838
>>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.

>>41591838
>Mention 'Old Kingdom'
>Never mind, we'll talk about it when we're safe.
We're in a hurry for a reason.

>>41591838
>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.

>>41591838
>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.
Is Madeline still wrapped around is Announcer? enquiring minds want to know.

>41591743
Praise the Scales!

>>41591838
>>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.

>>41592036
Dude, reread the last post.
>Elsewhere, you can see Madeleine slither onto a cart and help someone up onto it.
Best girl is being best girl selflessly helping the old and infirm villagers by giving them rides herself.

>Ask her about this 'Old Kingdom'.

Writing, hopefully faster this time!

>>41592036
Not exactly, she slithered off to help other people pack and leave.

File: Tuile_Sweater.jpg (110 KB, 708x1000)

110 KB JPG

"Tuile, ye were given a royal upbringin', right? That includes being told about things that ye had no interest in or wanted to know anything about, right?"
"Ugh, don't remind me." She sighs, "But what does that have to do with this guy?"

"Tuile, this is going to seem like an odd question, but what do you know about the 'Old Kingdom'?"

She puts her arms behind her head, "Oh yeah, Aligot said something about that earlier. It's this old castle that used to exist pre written history. They did a bunch of research on it, but couldn't figure out why it existed outside of the barrier."
Tuile runs her hand through her hair, "The nerds in the library think it had something to do with warmer climates in the north that helped people farm. No one knows, and it doesn't really matter."

"Oh, oh it does matter, Lass."
"What do you mean?"
"Aye was thinkin' about it. Why do ye think they sent everyone to that part of the mountains? It's because the old kingdom was there."

"And? It's a good place to hide people, very easy to defend."
"Aye, I think someone wants to bring it back."

You think that you just lost all belief with Tuile, she looks at you like you may have been drinking seawater.
"..Bring it back? Why? It's a stack of moldy bricks in the mountains."
"I don't know, Lass. But I've seen things."

"What 'things'?"

>Never mind, let's just keep going
>I think there are still people from that kingdom
>What's the average lifespan, again?
>Do you know of anyone who might still be alive from that time?
>Other?

>>41592797

>What's the average lifespan, again?
>Do you know of anyone who might still be alive from that time?

>He bled.

>>41592797
this>>41592831

File: 1381203510754.png (212 KB, 386x362)

212 KB PNG

>>41592831
This. This is good.

>What's the average lifespan, again?
>Do you know of anyone who might still be alive from that time?

>He bled.

Writing!

File: Tuile_Glow.jpg (110 KB, 850x397)

110 KB JPG

"Tuile, what's the average lifespan?"

"That depends, I'm going to say about eight-hundred years for regular folks."
"Wh- EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS!?"

For a second, you feel your heart skip.

"Well, hold on! Let me finish! That's if you have something wrong with you like a chronic illness. I think Uncle is over a thousand, with maybe two hundred, I need to ask him."
She smiles and twitches her ears. Her tail wags behind her.

And here you thought that you wouldn't make it past 30.

"Then someone had to have survived, right? Aye mean, a thousand years. A lot can happen then, right?"
"Jack, if someone was still alive from that long ago, wouldn't we know everything we would have to know about the old kingdom? Think about this for a moment."

You still haven't really told her that the guy you saw was clearly a hero.
"Besides, that was thousands of years ago. Would anyone even care about it after all that time?"

"Aye'm not going to say anything about that, but I will say this: today was the first day since coming here that I've seen someone bleed."

"Bleed? Like get blood on them?"
"No, like bleed."

Her face is blank, "You mean, like, they were cooking and-"
"No, they bled, it was their own blood."

Still nothing.
"I don't know much about blood because I'm not a doctor, nor do I cook or hunt, but what's so important about it?"
"C'mon Lass, everyone here doesn't bleed. I haven't seen anyone bleed since comin' here."

"Maybe he just cut himself."
"Lass, that still wouldn't make him bleed, and I'm the one who made him bleed. I'm certain."

In the distance, you can see the opening to the outside world in the sky. Slowly, the ground starts to tilt in elevation to face the crack to the upper lands.

>Keep talking with Tuile, this is important.
>Check the lines, make sure no one got lost.
>Ask Madeleine about this, she's a doctor.
>Check up on the other heroes.
>Maybe let slip what happened to one.
>Other?

>>41594047
>>Check the lines, make sure no one got lost.

>>41594047
>Check the lines, make sure no one got lost.
>Check up on the other heroes.
>Maybe let slip what happened to one.

>>41594047
>Ask how old she is

>>41594047
>>Keep talking with Tuile, this is important.
>>Ask how old she is
>>Tell her how old we are
I wanna see the look on her face.

>>41594225
Should probably also ask just how frequently people have children.

>>41594047
>Check the lines, make sure no one got lost.

>>41594276
Okay, now I REALLY want to see how she reacts to that.

>>Ask how old she is
>>Tell her how old we are
>how frequently people have children.

>Okay no seriously, time to do hero stuff and check the lines

writing!

File: 1419054738557.gif (1.67 MB, 320x179)

1.67 MB GIF

>>41594378
Heh, looking forward to this.

>>41594378
>Inb4 even Keiko is older than us.

File: fb9796c8d9185ce0d319ec887(...).jpg (160 KB, 723x1023)

160 KB JPG

"Eight hundred years.." You say that to yourself once more.
You know there were fictional heroes and kings that lived to be a thousand in the books that you've read. The very idea that you could be one of them is something that you can not even possibly consider.

Is it a good thing? Life is meant to be enjoyed for how short it is, but what does it mean when you have all the time in the world. What does it mean when-

Hold it.
"'Ey Tuile. How old are ye?"

That look on her face immediately makes you realize that you just asked something that should never be muttered by mortal lips.
"What? Just askin'! I mean, people live to like a thousand here, right?"

Oh that just made things far worse.
Is her hand glowing? You better think of some kind of save, fast.
"'Ey! I'm just sayin'. I'm only twenty one. Aye think, could be twenty or twenty two. But somewhere in that range!"

"I'm nineteen, Jack."
"Nineteen! That's great!"

She crosses her arms. "Don't go around asking random girls that question."

"Tuile, I really didn't know these things. Like-"
Another possibly-unwise question comes to mind.

"-Like how often do people have children 'round here? If everyone lives to eight-hundred, then why isn't this place wall-to-wall people?"

She interrupts me, "-Does your world not have a fertility season?"
"A what?"

She sighs, "Why isn't YOUR world wall-to-wall people? You can just have children whenever you want? I'm a little jealous-"'
"A little what?"

Her head turns away, "-Just thinking out loud. That's all. Wondering more if you're getting any ideas."
Tuile's tail is wagging, you can tell she's trying to suppress it.

"Hey, could you go to the back of the line real fast and make sure no one got lost?" She says, head still turned.
"Err. Sure Lass."

You make your way to the back as Tuile catches up with Madeleine. You're dreading more what they're talking about.

>Check on Cody
>Check on Tuile
>Straight to the back.
>Eavesdrop
>Other?

>>41595233
>Check on Tuile

>>41595233
>Eavesdrop

>>41595272
>>41595233
I just realized, that's a typo

It should have been 'Check on Yuuki'.

Also removed 'Check on Louise' and 'Check on Dorje' for space.

>>41595233
>Eavesdrop

>>41595233
>Eavesdrop

>>41595291
Oh, check in on Yuuki then.

>>41595233
>>Check on Cody
go to a bro who can run.

>>41595233
>>Eavesdrop

>Eavesdrop

Writing!

File: Spoiler Image (306 KB, 550x701)

306 KB JPG

Are you going to let those two girls go and say things about you while not listening?
Hell no.

You already know where this is going. Two girls start talking, they make up crazy rumors about you. Then soon, everyone thinks you have three eyes and sail a ship made of souls and tears. You have a reputation to uphold, after all.

Carefully, you climb onto the wagon behind where Tuile and Madeleine are talking. You manage to slip on with such agility that the wagon's driver isn't even aware that you're there.

"All the time? How is that possible?" Madeleine's tail twitches.
"I don't know! That's what he said though!"
"Are you sure you heard him right? Wouldn't it.. break after a while?"
"Yes, but, think about it. He's a hero, maybe everyone in his world has that much stamina." Tuile's red cheeks can be seen from here.

"It's not about stamina, it's about freshness. How can a body take that much punishment all of the time? Constantly without end? Are they just superhuman?" Madeleine doesn't seem convinced.
"I don't think they live as long, I think they're only meant to live a few hundred years! That might be why, they may actually be breaking from it."

"That's awful. I should make something for Jack or he'll burn out like a candle."

Just what the hell are those two talking about?

"Ooh." The hooded person driving the cart says, the figure leans back and makes eye contact with you.

"So is that true, Jack?" Camille says, her telltale smile peeking out from the hood, "All the time, without end?"

>I don't know what you're talking about.
>When did you get here!?
>How long have you been here!?
>Clue me in, please
>Nope! I'm done with this conversation. I'm going to go check on the other heroes.
>Other?

>>41595966
>>When did you get here!?
>>How long have you been here!?

>>41595966
>>I don't know what you're talking about.
>>Care to fill me in lass?

>>41595966
>When did you get here!?
>How long have you been here!?

>>41595966
>How long have you been here!?

>When did you get here!?
>How long have you been here!?

Writing!

File: Spoiler Image (233 KB, 600x900)

233 KB PNG

"(Camille! When did you get here?)"
"Oh I showed up around the time that big fight in the bar happened. I was kinda worried about you after you didn't call home after a while."

"(Huh. Thanks I guess.)"
"But back to the question, all the time, right?"

"(Hold it, that's something private, there.)
"Oh? Saving that answer for Tuile? Jack, it's unbecoming to make women who aren't your wife jealous."

"(Darn it Lass, I thought ye were bein' my ally here.)"
"I am, but I have my curiosities too."

"(Okay, whatever Lass. Did anyone else come with ye?) "

"I did!" A tuft of yellow hair pops above the blankets in the cart. Along with a very puffy tail.
"(Akiko, how much of that conversation did you hear?)"

"All of it!" She smiles.
"(You're not gonna tell Atsuko about this, are ye?)"

"She already knows!"
Akiko reaches back into the blankets and pulls out another tuft of blonde hair. Along with an extremely red, blushing face.
"H-hi Jack." Atsuko says. Kneading her hands.

"(Hey Suki, can you guys keep it down?)"
"S-sure thing." Atsuko seems to melt back into the blankets.
"Okay!" Akiko flops back down.

You notice that daylight has revealed the runaway villagers as they leave the underground. You're almost back at the surface, and with that you're back within the safety of the barrier.

"That was scary." You sigh, leaning back.
"What was scary?" Akiko sits up. "If it's the guards, they shouldn't have been a problem. I wish I could have fought more."

>Tell her.
>Nope! You have other things to do. Go check on the Caravan
>Change the subject
>Just enjoy the ride back.
>Other?

>>41597319
>>Nope! You have other things to do. Go check on the Caravan
we were ambushed by fluffy tails

File: 1406686411863.gif (709 KB, 245x281)

709 KB GIF

Everyone I am close to passing out.

So I am going to call it here. This vote will pick up the next thread.

Thanks to everyone who participated, let me know what you thought of this 1 year anniversary thread.

>>41597319
>Nope! You have other things to do. Go check on the Caravan
They'll be bugging us about it again soon enough.

>>41597478
Thanks a lot for running this late Announcer, it was nice to actually catch one of your threads well before it ended. Has it really been a year already?

>>41597510
One year and a day. First thread was made on July 30th.

>>41597478
thanks for running

i still enjoy the quest and i was here from the beginning

>>41597319
>Nope! You have other things to do. Go check on the Caravan

>>41597478
I had fun.

Btdubs, Atsuko has always been one of my two favorite characters. There do exist people who like her.

>>41597546
Wow, time sure flies, I still remember your first thread of this quest clearly. The pirate talk and and fluffy parasite touching hasn't gotten old for me at all. Here's hoping it lasts another year, Announcer.

>>41597319
>>Nope! You have other things to do. Go check on the Caravan
This thread was as fun as ever OP, keep it up.