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>>43653754

As the train shudders to a halt, you glance across at Mia, the young girl seated opposite you. Ever since you dragged her, kicking and screaming, out of the demon world she's been quiet and thoughtful. She's feeling guilty, you can tell. Sure, you were able to pry the information out of Shikome, the master of that awful slave auction, but the fact remains the same. For one brief, terrible moment, she was forced to abandon her father, her hopes of ever finding him. Something like that leaves a mark.

As she looks up from her boots, you notice the deep frown etched onto Mia's face. It's exactly the same kind of scowl that Amelia wore whenever she was thinking hard about something. Seeing that look only drives the similarities between the two girls home. A few years of hardship is the only thing telling the two of them apart, aside from Amelia's... powers, of course. Hell, if you're both still around in a few years, maybe...

“You've got red on you,” Mia says quietly, the corners of her mouth tugged up in a slight smile, “Your forehead, see?”

Grimacing, you stop and touch your forehead, little flakes of dried blood crumbling away at your touch. The last lingering remnants of the gentle persuasion required to sway that Oni over to your way of thinking, you assume. In either case, a little blood here or there never bothered you much, but you're smart enough not to walk the streets with it on proud display. That's just asking for trouble.

“Honestly,” Cassandra shakes her head with a sigh as you all wander along the damp streets. The train brought you pretty close to Mia's house – your makeshift base of operations, although you can't remember who decided on that. “I left you alone for a few hours,” Cassandra continues, “What on earth did you get up to?”

Perhaps, you grin, it's best if she doesn't know.

>>43653760

When you arrive back at Mia's rather grand house, Joseph is waiting at the table you usually gather round. The sight of him spoils your good mood somewhat, but you force a neutral expression onto your face. At least, you hope it's neutral – Cassandra has grown fairly adept at hiding her true feelings, but you tend to just scowl a lot. It's not even a thoughtful scowl, just a kind of... grimace.

“Petra, don't start,” Amelia says wearily, appearing with her usual lack of warning, “We've talked. All that... unpleasant business is in the past now. We need to focus on moving forwards.”

You open your mouth, a protest rising up as you remember what the fanatical man did – what he forced you to do – but Amelia cuts you off.

“Speaking of moving forwards,” her voice is firm, “Leon and Marco weren't there, were they? Damn it...”

>Your portal thing almost got us all killed!
>We've got a lead, but we can't move yet. We need to wait.
>Stay quiet for now, try to speak with Amelia in private later
>Other

>>43653769
>>We've got a lead, but we can't move yet. We need to wait.
>The portal thing needs debugging, felt like my eyes were getting clawed out.

>>43653769
>We've got a lead, but we can't move yet. We need to wait.
"Magic storms are happening somewhat frequently over there for some reason. Not natural."

>Try to speak with Amelia in private later
About the eye thing. You should come clean about shit like that Petra.

>>43653801
>>43653822

You've got a lead, you tell her quickly, still smarting from her rebuke. Maybe God can forgive, but you certainly can't – not so soon, at least. However, you continue, you can't move yet – things aren't right on the other side. You need to wait for the situation to calm down before you can make a move. When you left, the whole other world was being hit by some kind of magical storm – not the first time that's happened, either.

“Really?” Amelia paces back and forth, tapping a finger against her chin, “And they're, what, stopping you from using the Gateway?”

That's one thing, you nod, but they'd also kill you – that's kind of a problem, and not the kind of problem that you're used to dealing with. That kind of problem, at least, you can just hit it until it stops being a problem.

“I see. And you don't know the cause yet?” Amelia stops pacing for a moment, scowls briefly, and then starts again as you shake your head. “Was that the only problem with the device, though?”

There is a silence, then. Mia looks down at her feet, obviously uncomfortable about something, and you don't feel much better. Truth be told, it felt like your eyes were being clawed out when you tried to use the damn thing. Needless to say, it could use a debugging, or... or something. Other than that though, you add with a deadpan voice, it worked very well.

“I should have known,” Amelia tuts in irritation, “I was never that good with computers. I'll see what I can do, for now, but I don't know how much I can promise you. Either way, I mean, if these storms are getting in the way of things, you'll just have to wait and see what happens.”

...That was pretty much what you said, yes. A moment of silence later, and you ask to speak with Amelia later. In private.

>>43654031

“Later. I can do that, yes,” Amelia frowns a little – she can probably sense a little of the concern on your mind – but nods, “For now, I want to check something. Could one of you show me your phone, the Gateway app?”

Mia is the first to push her phone across the table, the portal app already opened. The icon flickers wildly on screen, occasionally clouding over completely with drifts of static – almost like the snow you endured on the other side. “There's your problem,” Amelia announce, pointing to it, “I mean, I have no idea what's causing it, but still. When everything settles down, it should be safe to shift over again.”

“Should?” Cassandra asks carefully, the first one to say what everyone else was thinking.

“Hey, come on, I'm not exactly the expert here either,” the deity gives a remarkable casual shrug as she brushes the issue off – hardly the kind of thing to give you much confidence. “Look,” she adds, “We've got to take a few risks, right?”

As the rest of the group descends into... not quite bickering, but something pretty damn close to it, you hear Amelia's voice in your mind She could be whispering to you, her mouth pressed to your ear. “Take a stroll, we can talk while they're all busy,” she murmurs, each word sending a shiver down your spine. You nod, muttering some vague excuse as you wander through to the kitchen.

“Talk quietly,” Amelia, now leaning against the counter, tells you, “And quickly, if you please.”

>Something's wrong with my eye. It keeps... changing
>I think something happened to Mia, when she shifted
>Why do you trust Joseph all of a sudden?
>Other

>>43654039
>Something's wrong with my eye. It keeps... changing
>I think something happened to Mia, when she shifted

>>43653769
>>Your portal thing almost got us all killed!
>>We've got a lead, but we can't move yet. We need to wait.

>>43654039
>>Something's wrong with my eye. It keeps... changing
>>I think something happened to Mia, when she shifted
>>Why do you trust Joseph all of a sudden?

>>43654039
>Something's wrong with my eye. It keeps... changing
"I keep hearing stuff when it does."
Does Petra not remember the Dominion replacement? Another memory Amelia decided to omit cause shit was bad?
>I think something happened to Mia, when she shifted

>>43654039
>Something's wrong with my eye. It keeps... changing
>I think something happened to Mia, when she shifted

>>43654039
>Something's wrong with my eye, it keeps...changing
>I think something happened to Mia when she shifted

Ha! Ha! Time for SM/tg/!

Speaking of which, Persona 2129 is supposed to be back tonight and I am fucking stoked.

>>43654053
>>43654125
>>43654126
>>43654176
>>43654210

At first, you weren't sure if you should mention it – it seemed like something you needed to keep close to your chest, but now you're sure. You need to come clean to Amelia about what's happening to you. To your eye. There's something wrong with it, you tell the waiting deity, it keeps changing. Just as the storm was picking up – there was magic in the air, then – you started seeing things, or...

“Seeing things?” Amelia repeats slowly.

Not quite, you correct yourself. You looked at Elliot, and you knew things about him. Worse, he claimed that one of your eyes turned green for a moment – a bright, inhuman green. It's like before, you mutter, but that shouldn't be possible, should it?

“Yeah, the angel's eye,” Amelia agrees, her voice strangely distracted, “It shouldn't be happening. Things... none of this crap should be happening. I mean, I don't know what to tell you. There shouldn't be any physical changes crossing over between cycles – that's the whole damn point – so...”

So this is uncharted territory, you mutter, yes?

“That's right,” Amelia rubs her temple, that same distracted concern obvious on her face, “If this happens again, try and remember everything you can about it. Details, time and place, anything okay?”

Right, you nod, but speaking of abnormalities, you're pretty sure that something happened to Mia as well, when she shifted. She hasn't said anything but whenever you mentioned crossing over, she gets this look on her face... Amelia mentioned things “intercepting” you during the shift, didn't she?

“If she's not said anything...” Amelia grimaces, “So she's keeping secrets now, as well? I suppose I deserve it, considering. Look, Petra, if she wants to keep whatever happened a secret, she's got that right. I just hope it doesn't come back to haunt her later.”

>>43654210
Two SM/tg/ quests in one day is a good day.

>>43654247

That's strangely permissive, you remark, not what you were expecting, either. You thought Amelia would waste little time in marching over and demanding the answers from the girl.

“What would that achieve?” Amelia shrugs, a gesture heavy with resignation, “I'd probably just make things worse, convince her to hide even more from me. No, until whatever she's hiding starts to cause real problems for all of us, she can keep her secrets. If she really trusts us, she'll tell us in her own time. She's a smart girl – I trust her to do the right thing.”

Huh. Speaking of the right thing, just when did Amelia start to trust Joseph so much? When you last saw the two of them together, Amelia could barely hold back her contempt for the young man.

“Like I said, we've talked about some things,” Amelia looks... almost guilty for a moment, “I thought about what I did to him, he thought about what he did to me. I was wrong to take it out on him, on this version of him. He's not done anything wrong – I mean, he wants to help!”

Then you just hope it doesn't come back to haunt her, you remark.

“Oh very good, very funny,” Amelia rolls her eyes, “We've got to work together – we might as well do it with good grace. Starting tomorrow I want him to go with you, out into the field, and I don't want any trouble. Is that understood?”

Frowning, you nod. No trouble, you repeat, you understand. Then, as Amelia's words sink in, you look up at her. Tomorrow?

“Haven't you seen the time?” Amelia smiles a little, perhaps relieved at your cooperation, “It's getting late. Time flows strangely over there, it seems.”

As if waiting for the realisation to sink in, a wave of fatigue strikes you. All of the tiredness you had stored up over the course of the day washing over you in a single moment. You yawn hard, stretching muscles that suddenly ache. Time to get a rest.

>Please choose a character
>Petra
>Mia
>Cassandra

>>43654370
>Cassandra

>>43654370
>Cassandra
Haven't played as her yet.

>>43654370
>Cassandra

>>43654370
>Mia

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>>43654409
>>43654390
>>43654382

Character sheet: http://pastebin.com/zgu8M2zF

Amelia spent a long time assuring you – assuring all of you, in fact – that the Gateway app was perfectly safe, so long as it was used appropriately. Elliot, that strangely dressed man that Mia had brought into your little conspiracy, took the most convincing. In fact, they were still arguing about it when you called it quits and slunk off to one of the many spare rooms in Mia's house. Does she have a large family, you wonder in an off-hand way as you walk, or a desire for empty space? Either way, you hope she doesn't mind having a mob of strangers intruding on her house – you can't even recall anyone asking for permission, now you think about it. How terribly rude.

You lie in the unfamiliar bed for a long time, mind racing as you recount the day's events. When you first entered the fairy kingdom, you had had such high hopes, but to find it in such a state... Well, disheartening would be an understatement. You'll return soon, you promise yourself, he'll be back by then. He'll be there. That's what your mind lingers on – not the countless bleak possibilities swirling beneath, thankfully – as you start to drift off to sleep. Before you can drop off entirely, though, something goes terribly wrong.

Familiar pain shoots through your mind, soon followed by the terrible shudder that indicates a flaw in the barrier between worlds. Groaning, you roll out of bed and fumble for your phone, first checking the time – 2AM – and then checking the Gateway app. The icon is firm and unwavering, the technology working exactly as intended. If you can cross over, maybe something else can do the same...

A demon, crossing over into the human world. That isn't good. This isn't at all good.

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>>43654594

Shaking the drowsiness from your mind, you pull on your clothes and wait, listening carefully to the still morning air. If the demon – if one really did cross over – is about, you'll hear it. Actually, it'll probably be the screaming and sounds of violence that you hear first, but you can put two and two together. For now though, silence. At least, until a hushed knock at your door disturbs you. Frowning, you cross over and press your ear to the wood.

“Cassandra,” Mia's voice hisses through to you, “Are you awake? You felt that, didn't you?”

Mia. Or, at least, someone who sounds exactly like Mia. You keep your phone close to hand as you carefully open the door and wave the girl inside. She looks like she hasn't slept, still dressed in the same clothes you last saw her in, but there is no sign of tiredness in her eyes. She looks alert, any trace of fear kept under careful control. It's not any kind of expression you should ever have to see on someone so young, but here she is – looking as ready for battle as you ever were.

You wish it didn't have to be this way.

“I looked downstairs,” Mia tells you quickly, “There's nothing inside the house. I thought I saw something moving outside though, but it's hard to tell. There's a heavy fog, or something, and it was only for a moment. It might have just been my imagination...”

So, there's a demon stalking the streets. Not rampaging madly, but creeping about in search of prey. At least the streets should be pretty empty at this ungodly hour – less chance of collateral damage.

“So what's the plan?” Mia asks calmly, only the constant motion of her hands – fiddling with her phone – betraying a nervousness.

>First things first, rouse the others
>Hunker down inside. Wait it out
>Go out there and hunt it down before anyone gets hurt
>Other

>>43654663
>First things first, rouse the others
>>Go out there and hunt it down before anyone gets hurt

>>43654663
>Other
Mia rouses the others, Cass keeps an eye out while she does. Once everyone is awake then hunt it down.

>>43654663
>First things first, rouse the others

>>43654663
>>First things first, rouse the others

>>Go out there and hunt it down before anyone gets hurt

>>43654663
>First things first, rouse the others
>Go out there and hunt it down before anyone gets hurt

>>43654682
>>43654685
>>43654689
>>43654716
>>43654721

First things first, you whisper, the others need to know about this. Once they're all awake, you can focus your attention on hunting it down. Even if it is 2AM, the chances of it stumbling across someone in the street are just too high for you to leave it alive.

“Right,” Mia nods, “Do you want me to...”

Go from room to room, you tell her quietly, you'll keep an eye out for any sign of it. When everyone else is up, you can start to venture further out and find the thing. Mia hesitates for a moment, studying your face for a moment – her expression is unreadable, with perhaps a faint curiosity there – before nodding and creeping off down the corridor. So you're trying to keep her safe, out of the line of fire – what's wrong with that?

When you reach the bottom floor, you pull aside the thick curtains and peer out. Mia was right when she said that a heavy fog had descended – you can barely see a few feet in front of you. Even the street lights have been reduced to dull orange glows, the light hardly reaching far. You study the scene for a long time, trying to guess which shadow is a lurking demon, and which one is a trash can. Then, just as you're about to turn away and check another window, you see movement. Something shambles through the mist, their vaguely silhouette distorted and unclear. Even so, you can recognise the demon – one of the soldiers that had been patrolling the auction house.

They followed you here. You don't know how, but they followed you here, invading the human world for a chance to strike back against you. You tighten your grip on your phone as a second shape slides through the gloomy night. Not only did it follow you, but it didn't come alone.

>>43654916

“Everyone knows,” Mia says quietly from behind you, her hushed voice nevertheless causing you to jump slightly, “They're all getting ready now. Elliot said he might take some time though.”

You frown again, turning to look at Mia in disbelief. Could... could she repeat that?

“Elliot,” Mia explains patiently, “He said that he might be some time.” A slight smile crosses her face, “Maybe he's ironing his suit.”

Closing your eyes, you let out a long sigh. What about Petra, then, and Joseph? If there's only two of them, you could probably get by without Elliot. Getting dressed... hiding in fear, more like. He'll let a fourteen year old girl go out and fight, while he hides in his room? Disgraceful.

“Petra should be ready soon,” Mia nods confidently, “Same with Joseph. No problems on their end. I told them that the bad guys, uh, the enemies could be anywhere. Petra said she could cover the streets to the back if we handle the front.” The childish slip of the tongue, so hastily corrected, makes you wince a little, and the way she volunteered to clear the front of the house with you...

“I can pull my weight,” Mia insists, reading your face like a book. Her voice is quiet, but firm. “You know that I can.”

>Send Mia to check on Elliot. You can handle this alone
>Let Mia come with you. She'll follow you either way

>>43654997
>Let Mia come with you. She'll follow you either way

>>43654997
>>Let Mia come with you. She'll follow you either way

>>43654997
>Let Mia come with you. She'll follow you either way

>>43654997
>Let Mia come with you. She'll follow you either way

>>43654997
>Getting dressed... hiding in fear, more like. He'll let a fourteen year old girl go out and fight, while he hides in his room? Disgraceful.

Honestly, I think our resident dandy's up to something.

>Petra learns Elliot has a big secret not long before reaching the auction house
>Soldiers from the auction arrive and Elliot is suddenly busy

Call me paranoid, but this seems convenient

>>43655099
>>43655094
We should get Amelia to just pop into his room to see what the fuck is up. Hell she doesn't even have to be visible when she does it.

>>43655135
This

>>43655013
>>43655037
>>43655040
>>43655088
>>43655135
>>43655162

You sigh again, immediately sensing that there's no way Mia would listen to you, even if you ordered her to stay back. Short of locking her in her bedroom – what are you, her mother? - there's no way of stopping her coming out to fight. No matter what you tell her, she'd just follow you out. Fine, you tell her grudgingly, she can come with you. But if anything happens, you warn, she was the one who decided on getting in trouble. You wanted to keep her safe.

“And what if you go out, alone, and something happens to you?” Mia asks as she takes her coat from the rack by the door, buttoning it up like someone preparing to go for a gentle stroll. “That's what I thought,” the young girl says, after you can't quite find the words to answer her, “We're in this together, right? We're a team.”

Laughing, you shake your head in resignation. Alright, you tell her, you know when you're beaten. As you're getting ready to leave, you focus your mind and call out to Amelia. It's your own little signal, something you agreed on very early on in your time together. Second later, just as you were expecting, her voice rings out through your mind.

“Cassandra. Seems like you've got a situation down there,” the voice pauses, and you can practically imagine her scowling as she scans your thoughts. You think again of what she told you, about the things she did to your thoughts, and shudder a little. You should trust her, you know that, but... “Something about Elliot... ironing his suit?” Amelia, in your mind, laughs in confusion, “C'mon, stop joking about.”

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Rolled 25, 21 = 46 (2d100)

>>43655291

You're deadly serious, you think back to her, he's suddenly found an excuse to hide away in his room. Could she, perhaps, take a peek in and make sure he's not up to anything?

“And what if he is changing?” Amelia still sounds amused, “I'm risking an eyeful here. Cernunnos was bad enough, without looking at some skinny fop's...” A pause, here, and a sigh, “Right, fine. But I'm not going to start gossiping about it or anything.”

Good enough for you. With that agreement, you gently push the door open and step outside into the thick mist. Immediately, it seems to steal the warmth from your body, even through your thick coat. Mia, behind you, shivers as well. The night is a quiet one, even the ever-present London traffic noise strangely muffled. It's like the mist is insulating the whole area against the world outside, stealing this little chunk of the city out of its normal place in the human world. In other words, it's a tense atmosphere. If Petra is outside, doing her usual violent thing, you can't hear any of it.

Then, creeping out of the darkness, is the sound of metal grinding against stone. Ahead of you, a barely human shape lurches out of the mist and groans softly. The long bladed staff it carries drags on the ground as it hefts its weapon. It sees you, even through that strange conical helmet, and readies itself for battle. Mia presses herself against your back – not hiding out of fear, but looking out for the second demon and defending you.

You waste little time in calling out Wingless to stand before you, the angel drawing her sword with a flourish. Mia, in turn, calls out her demon – Nadja, the child of hope. Together, you stand ready.

>Please roll 2D100, for Wingless and Nadja. I'll take the highest of the first three

Rolled 81, 45 = 126 (2d100)

>>43655357

Rolled 36, 57 = 93 (2d100)

>>43655357
Take em down.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3AgvfrDhEI

Rolled 55, 20 = 75 (2d100)

>>43655357

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>>43655375
>>43655380

The crude demon soldier lifts its weapon high, raising the bladed stave in preparation for a killing blow – the kind of blow that would split right through a skull, and most of the torso beneath. If it hit you, it would tear right through both of you, you and Mia, without any effort at all. A slow blow, but one with undeniable power. A blow you should roll round, not one you should try and block, in other words.

Wingless doesn't roll away from it. To do that, diving away in frantic evasion, would sacrifice her dignity for something as petty as mere survival – an unacceptable trade. She plants her feet, standing firm, and readies her blade. She doesn't try to block it either, though. As the stave begins to plummet, the angel's sword flashes out faster than your eyes can follow it, striking the demon's weapon and cutting it clean in half. The ruined half of the weapon clatters uselessly against the ground several feet away from you, the soldier's lunge reduced to a clumsy stumble as it loses its balance.

Despite yourself, you feel yourself grinning. This is what Petra would call “the thrill of battle”. You wouldn't admit it to anyone – well, one person perhaps, but he's not here – but you've missed this. You've missed victory. From behind you, you hear a childish laugh – either Mia or her demon, perhaps even both – and a blinding bolt of lightning streaks past you, lighting up the fallen demon. A howl escapes it as it burns, the flakes of ash already starting to part from its flesh and dissipate.

“That was easy,” Mia says, with a disturbing calm, “Were they sent here to get us, do you think? They didn't do a very good job.”

Maybe, you tell her, unable to completely still the unease rising up within you now that the fight is over. This all seems too easy. Maybe Petra took the brunt of the fighting...

>>43655634

A few moments after you think this – you don't even get the chance to voice your thoughts – a second one of those curious helmets bounces and rattles along the pavement. Petra follows it, like someone chasing after the ball they just kicked, with Joseph following closely behind her. He offers you a very slight shrug when he sees you, his face fixed in an expression of vague apology – his usual expression, in other words.

“They send assassins in the night!” Petra declares, with no concern for the fact that there might be people sleeping around you, “Terrible assassins, yes?”

Well, you do have to admit that they didn't put up much of a fight. However, you're unwilling to dismiss them quite so easily. What if this was just a test, you consider, a scouting attack to find out more about you?

“So what?” Petra shrugs, “They send soldiers, we crush them. They send more, we keep crushing them. Easy, yes?”

It's not easy, you shoot back, if innocent people get hurt in the process. What if they try something that can't be controlled easily? Something willing to tear the entire street and all the houses in it apart, just for a chance to get at you? Even saying that, you know what Petra's answer will be – a blatant lack of concern for the people around her. That's an easy attitude to have, in a world like the old cycle, but now you're surrounded by innocents? No, you need to end this quickly, before it has a chance to escalate.

“That's right,” Mia adds, “And we can get Marco back while we're at it. Two birds with one stone.”

Neither you nor Petra quite knows how to answer that – it's a good idea, true, but a risky sounding one at that. It's only when Joseph gently suggests that you all return inside that you can agree on something. Maybe this is how Amelia felt, way back then, never quite getting the chance of a proper night's sleep. No wonder she could be so grumpy at times.

>>43655809
>never quite getting the chance of a proper night's sleep.
Titania was responsible for like 2 or 3 of those. Speaking of her, I wonder if she wants to talk with Amelia sometime.

>>43655809

The next morning finds you all tired, yawning and rubbing at shadowy eyes. Even with a pot of strong dark coffee – Joseph's creation, and you made sure to get a clean cup before trying it – shared around the table, the mood is remarkably low. Petra shoots the occasional filthy black look at Elliot, but otherwise everyone seems to ignore him. Even Mia looks at him with, if not overt suspicion, but wounded doubt. She's harmed their friendship, and for what? Because he was too afraid to face a pair of weak demons, or because of some more sinister reason?

When everyone has turned their own conversations to other matters, you excuse yourself and find a nice private room. Amelia appears a moment later, looking surprisingly awkward.

“About that THING you wanted me to check out,” she begins before wincing at the choice of wording, “That investigation, I mean. Elliot is... uh...”

It's not often that Amelia is lost for words. You're not quite sure what to make of this.

“It wasn't anything suspicious,” she says eventually, “Nothing to worry about, I mean. I think, perhaps, I should leave it at that. Doesn't everyone deserve a little privacy? Anyway, I think we should plan our next move. Getting Leon out is the most obvious place to start, but...”

>Confront Elliot directly
>Plan your next move with the rest of the group
>Press Amelia for a concrete answer
>Other

>>43655918
>>Confront Elliot directly
>>Plan your next move with the rest of the group
>>Press Amelia for a concrete answer

>>43655918
>>Other
"You think? Alright I'll trust that it wasn't something harmful to this groups safety, else you'd probably already have done something about it."

>Plan your next move with the rest of the group

>>43655977
>>43655918

This, for all we know the guy has burn scars he was putting ointment on or something. No reason to be a huge jackass and prove we were spying on him.

>>43655918
"I'll...take your word for it."
>Plan your next move with the rest of the group


(OOC: Is he part lizard or something? >>43656005 is probably more likely.)

>>43656005
He was masturbating.

>>43656036
If it was masturbation, I feel like Amelia would be a bit pissed. Ringing your Big Ben when your friends are fighting is kind of a dick move. She said :"Elliot is . . ." and so, I feel it's more of a permanent condition type thing than an act, like masturbation, shitting or sex.

>>43656036
Maybe but like I can put my dick away if there are demons about and its not like the others were instantaneous getting out of bed you know?

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DKL:SNFJJJJJJJJJJNEUINADWO:KJMOWK:NDLJELKFJKDA:FJL
GOD DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

>>43656216
You know its true.

>>43656216
Damn son. Calm down

>>43656235
We never speak about it.

We never investigate.

We never question.

>>43656286
I feel like I'm missing something here

>>43656286
Its going to get out eventually. Too many hints.

>>43656308
Uh don't worry about it fellow quester! Nothing to see here!

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>>43656308
YOU'RE MISSING NOTHING! THERE IS NOTHING MISSING! EVERYTHING IS FINE!

>>43656323
SHUT THE FUCK UP! THERE ARE NO HINTS AND IF THERE WERE WE AREN'T PICKING UP ON THEM. NOTHING CAN GET OUT IF YOU SHOVE YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND!

>>43656342
I bet Leon knows.

>>43656360

I am prepared to kill Leon to keep this from getting out

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>>43655977
>>43656005
>>43656031

You try to puzzle out Amelia's unusually evasive answer. What must she have seen, you wonder to yourself, to prompt such an extreme reaction. You're curious, you won't lie about that, but you know when the time isn't right to press the matter. If it WAS something that compromised the group's safety, she'd know about it – hell, she would have done something about it there and then, probably – so it must be something... else.

You make a mental note to investigate this matter a little further in your own time – perhaps you could ask Petra to burst in on him at night, she's unsubtle enough to play it off as an accident. For now though, you'll let this one lie. You'll take her word for it, you tell Amelia, and he can keep his secrets. For now, at least. No promises on anything that happens in the future though.

“Hell,” Amelia sighs, “I don't need all this drama. Anyway, I'm talking with the rest of the group at the moment, so hurry up and join in before they start to think something strange is going on.”

You think about pointing out that something strange is already going on, but decide against it. That particular subject has been put to bed already, digging it up again would just be a waste of time. Returning to the main room, you pause a little as you take in the devil sitting neatly on the table. It's Lilim, the little devil that you rescued from the prison. She speaks in rapid bursts, pointing at various points in the air to emphasise important details.

“So the Intoxicating One has his fortress in the North,” she says, “Like, way in the North. They take prisoners there every so often, but it's well guarded. Sneaking in is possible, I guess, but it's pretty dangerous. And, I mean, that's not even talking about the guy himself. Scary, there isn't anyone around willing to take a shot at his throne.”

>>43656342
We're only going to pick up on it if it's an enchanted rope

>>43656390
>investigate this matter a little further in your own time


No we won't. Uh uh Moloch. Not doing that. Fuck that shit. We're giving HIM privacy.

>>43656390

Mia looks away from her demon at the sound of your entrance, glancing at you with a question in her eyes. You nod back to her, mouthing back that you'll explain everything later. At least, you hope that's what you told her – mouthing words was never something you were good at. Silently, you sit and listen to the devil's presentation.

“So, uh, right. Your next girl is Leanan Sidhe – uh, is that how you pronounce it? Whatever – she's hidden herself away somewhere, got a little love nest, if you know what I mean.”

“What does she mean?” Mia whispers to you, her eyes wide and innocent. You shake your head grimly and listen.

“So, basically, ask a fairy. Those types always stick pretty close together, so you might be able to find the person who, I don't know, delivers their fairy milk or whatever,” Lilim clears her throat, her face twisted in distaste, “Fairy milk? Eww...”

“Yes, thank you,” Amelia – this copy of her – hides her face in her palm and sighs, “Undine, I wish you were here...”

This briefing, you assume, is not going as well as Amelia was hoping. Glancing around the table, you see a lot of confused faces. Petra, in fact, seems to be openly dozing, snoring softly. Mia shrugs, struggling to keep a smile from her face. It's a cute smile, one that she should show off more often. It fades quickly when Amelia speaks up again.

“Look, I think our best bet is to ask around the fairies again. They were willing to help us before, weren't they Cassandra? So we might need to do some dirty favours or something, but if that's what it takes...”

Back to the kingdom so soon. You feel your heart skip a beat at that, a flicker of hope finding its way back to you. Maybe this time...

>Choose a character
>Mia
>Cassandra
>Petra

>>43656509
>>Mia

>>43656509
>Mia
Back to the main!

>>43656509
Mia or Cass. Petra cannot into diplomacy

>>43656547
I don't know. She negotiated with that oni pretty well. Negotiated him so hard his teeth fell out

>>43656678
Let's go with Petra and see if the same approach works with Titania

>>43656525
>>43656528
>>43656547

You watch as Cassandra grows pale at the mention of the fairy kingdom, her hands tensing up into fists. This is strange – the first time you both visited that otherworldly place she had seemed so eager, so excited to be returning there. Was it really so different from the version she once knew? And that name she blurted out...

“No objections?” Amelia asks before nodding to Joseph, who – very carefully – pokes Petra awake. The redhead wakes up with a startled grunt, looking around with a sleepy belligerence, “Petra? No objections?”

“Ah, no objections,” she grins, covering up her embarrassment with a broad smile, “Just getting some last minute rest, yes? Tired eyes are no good for fighting with!”

“Just...” the deity sighs, “Don't cause too much trouble, okay? You are an ambassador for the human race, never forget that. Oh, Cassandra, when you arrive, could you maybe ask about...” Amelia trails off there, her face growing somehow blank before she shakes her head, “No, never mind. Just proceed with the mission with all due haste. We're on the clock here, remember?”

Around the table, everyone agrees. Cassandra hesitates slightly, her eyes as concerned as ever, while Petra sounds remarkably less cheerful than before. Elliot murmurs his answer – last night is still fresh in everyone's minds – while Joseph holds his head high. He's looking forwards to doing his part, you can tell that at a glance. You add your own voice to the chorus, low and steady. You've got work to do.

>>43656509
>“What does she mean?” Mia whispers to you, her eyes wide and innocent
A cute.

>>43656908
>Oh, Cassandra, when you arrive, could you maybe ask about...” Amelia trails off there, her face growing somehow blank before she shakes her head, “No, never mind.

Aww~

>>43656908

There is a paltry effort at conversation, small talk really, as you all walk to the gates of Hyde Park. It's early enough in the morning that there are few people in the streets, and even less of them hanging about when you arrive. No doubt the park itself is full of people, diligently walking their dogs or getting morning exercise, but that matters little. You're not going inside, not on this side of the barrier at least. One by one, your friends and allies trigger their Gateway apps and vanish, disappearing in bursts of visual static. You are the last one, your finger hovering over the button. Last time you used this thing...

This time, as you push it, you close your eyes tightly and hope. From the moment your finger touches the screen, you know that this time is different. The shudder is brief, painless, and there is only the slightest flicker of blackness between worlds. In the blink of an eye, you find yourself standing in a forest clearing. Petra, noticing your arrival, presses a finger to her lips, hushing you. Frowning, you keep quiet and listen. You can hear... hooves. A horse, perhaps?

Cassandra leads the way as you hurry towards the ruined castle that the fairies call their palace, a flurry of trumpets sounding as you draw closer. It's not your approach that they are hailing though – they're calling out to someone else, the unseen rider perhaps. It's only when you reach that ominous statue that you see them at last. The victorious trumpets falter and fade, as well, as you all see the state the rider is in.

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>>43657121

His white horse plods onwards, with the slow march of an exhausted beast, and you get the chance to see how defeated the rider looks. His face is a mask of blood, long dark hair hanging about him in lank clumps. The finely wrought armour he wears is beaten and broken, barely holding together, while his arm... his arm ends in a ragged stump, just above the elbow. He moves little, swaying with the motions of the horse at most. When he finally arrives, the trumpets have all fallen silent. Cassandra, by your side, sinks low to her knees.

“This can't be happening,” you hear her murmur, “This isn't happening.”

Her voice is the only one to sound for a long time, before one of the robed heralds starts to shout, calling in desperate tones for a doctor. His is a broken voice, one that is stripped of its last traces of hope.

This is definitely not what you were expecting. This isn't what anyone was expecting.

>I'll have to finish this here for today. Next thread on Tuesday, I hope, and I'll stick around for a while in case of any questions!

>>43657158
Cern's doing? Or the BBEG in the fort?

>>43657158
I was going to say 'Watch it be Eligor' but dayum Cu Chu, you got fucked up.

Thanks for the run boss.

>>43657158
ChooChoo: I won't love you forever
Cass: :(
ChooChoo: I luv u 5ever
*dies*
Cass: :'(

>>43657158
Well, fuck.

>>43657199

I cry everytime

>>43657194

That IS the question, isn't it!

>>43653754
relatively unique British demons because they are strong their and focus into singular entities, or shit eating mobs of Jack the Rippers ravaging White Chapel with straight razors?

It's pretty natural to assume that any fae/fairy types are like fucking rats and exist in great profusion in Britain of all places.

Hey Moloch check your Ask real quick.

Were we right?

>>43657374

You know, I did wonder how long it would be before someone guessed.

>>43657442
You wouldn't think with the picture you chose.

Leon knows huh?

>>43657442
I AM NEVER GOING TO FUCKING VIOLATE ELLIOT'S PRIVACY AND NEITHER IS ANYBODY ELSE!

>>43657503

Not even a little bit of violation?

>>43657497

Leon will take his secrets to the grave

>>43657559
The only violation going on in this thread is Petra with some enchanted rope and a temporarily corporeal Amelia.

>>43657605
lewd

>>43657559
Speaking of her. Is Amelia sure she doesn't want us to ask after Carnby? It probably wouldn't take too long.

>>43657632

It's more that she's afraid of what the answer might be. She's been out of touch for a long time, and a lot has changed - not much for the better!

>>43657605

It's not violation if there's love

>>43657680
>love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BvKt4pRWmE

>>43657751
Well Petra has both 'love' and 'LV'.

Oh shit. I get it now.

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>>43657869
>Oh shit. I get it now.

Took you long enough.

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>>43657886
>pic

>>43657869
The option was always in the back of mind but todays thread brought it out.

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>>43657886
I won't lie, I feel pretty foolish

>>43657925
Honestly, I never considered it til you told me about it. The picture just looks way too fucking masculine for me to believe reverse trap.

>>43657929
Now the question is...does Leon really want to break Elliots knees or do something else?

>>43657964

Believe it or not, that was the only picture I could find that wasn't either butch manly, or had some kind of ironic beard. Best of a bad bunch, I'm afraid!

>>43658058

50% business, 50% pleasure

>>43658058
At least Moloch introduced his yuri waifu in the first thread this time around, even if it was subtle

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>>43658093
The picture reminds me of this guy. And frankly, despite this guy not being the most masculine dude, I really can't fathom a genderbent version of him.

>>43658112
I don't know. I think the pic used for Elliot could look feminine with longer hair. The awful tumblr artstyle doesn't hep though

>>43658237
yeah, looking at the pic again, by itself I could by that was a woman trying her damned hardest to look like a man. But it just reminded me ofthe dude from atlantis, who also kinda acts like a pansy and in that movie he's always swimming with his shirt off and in a tank like pic related, so my brain just sort of associated the two and boom, Elliot couldn't possibly not be a dude

>>43658093
Hey so how long is YHVH's sin list for Amelia?

Was the deep dark secret that was behind the Liar, Thief, etc for Elliot....'CROSSDRESSER!'

>>43658844
>Hey so how long is YHVH's sin list for Amelia?

You could probably take the HATE speech from I Have No Mouth... and replace "hate" with "sin". That would probably suffice!

As for Elliot's secret, well, that's probably their biggest secret. Not their only one though!

>>43656065
Is Elliot a girl?

>>43657964
>>43658093
oh. Somehow I thought it was going to be more interesting, given how much you all were hyping over it. How is Leon getting all this attention?

>>43659669
>How is Leon getting all this attention?
Some people were suggesting that Leon and Elliot had some kind of relationship. Don't know about that myself. Elliot owes money and Leon is out to collect. It'd be weird for them to hook up like that

>>43659766
We'll just have to see once Leon joins the crew.

>>43659766
Well, if a woman owed Leon money, he might be the type of guy willing to take alternative payment.