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>>43981157

The quiet, shellshocked air is broken by a distant rumble, a hollow sound that seems to tremble through the air to reach you. Petra looks up at the sound, her face set in a weary expression now that the thrill of victory has started to fade. You're all tired – so tired that you can barely force your body to move, in your case – but that sound indicates a new danger, a new threat steadily working its way towards you. Bangs and crashes, sounding less like footsteps and more like a localised riot, draw closer and louder with each passing moment.

“We should probably run,” Joseph says quietly, his eyes describing a circuit of this unearthly room as he searches for an exit. There is only a single pathway leading out from the room – the same pathway that now echoes with the sound of approaching trouble.

“Run where?” Petra asks, saying what you were all thinking. She drags herself upright and clutches her bloodied sword tightly, glaring towards the sealed portal. There is one final bang, enough to send a shudder running through the grand door, before silence descends.

It doesn't last.

In a titanic explosion of shrapnel and splintered stone, a limp body smashes through the sealed door and lands, bouncing and rolling like a cast off toy, a new metres away from you. It's a demon – one of those cone-headed soldiers that seemed slavishly devoted to serving the Intoxicating One. A few last tongues of supernatural wind – the same gales that hurled the demon through the sealed door – fade away as the soldier dies. Tearing your eyes away from the decaying body, you feel your jaw drop as you see your allies, your friends, rushing to meet you.

“Now that,” Elliot says with a faint smirk, as Fortuna matches his expression, “Is what I call a distraction!”

>>43981162

It's an undeniably cheerful reunion, once the shock and awe have both passed, but your heart isn't in it. There are many happy greetings exchanged – and a few strained ones, as Leon and Joseph lock eyes for a moment before pointedly looking away from each other – but every moment you spend congratulating each other is another moment not spent searching for Marco. Still, it doesn't seem fair to deny your friends their moment of relief and so you allow yourself to sink into the background.

“Petra,” Cassandra says after a while, “Have you set Sati loose yet? She's got her own, uh, her own important work to do.”

“I didn't forget!” Petra protests, sounding remarkably like a child caught stealing sweets, “We've been, ah, busy, yes? Very busy, isn't that right Mia?”

Busy, you reply without paying much attention, all kinds of busy. The sight of something red glittering on the ground – where Maya's titanic corpse once lay – catches your eye and you tune out Petra's triumphant reply. Approaching it, you nudge the red object with your toe. It's a fragment of that vast ruby that had adorned Maya's face, seemingly resisting the same decay that took the rest of her corpse. It looks like it could be worth a fair amount – if you could find a buyer who didn't ask too many questions – or it might have magical properties, but do you really want to take it with you? It could be one last spiteful trap, intended to curse the last part of your journey.

>Take the ruby fragment
>Leave it here
>Tell the others and let them fight over it
>Other

>>43981168
>Take the ruby fragment
Maybe Scathach can do something with it. Or it could just be currency.

>>43981168
>>Take the ruby fragment
Cash money

>>43981168
>Take the ruby fragment
Keep it in your pocket away from your head though.

Has Sati recovered enough to manifest yet?

>>43981403

>Not yet. However, she can still be dismissed in this state. She'll recover in her own time

>>43981194
>>43981276
>>43981283

Well, that glittering fragment didn't react when you nudged it – you almost expected it to sprout fangs and pounce, like a viper, at your shoe – so maybe touching it will be safe? Cautiously, you kneel down and let your fingertips slide gently over the smooth surface. Nothing happens – no illusions assail you, no pain grips your body, nothing. Although, you consider with a wry smile, if it WAS a perfect illusion, how could you tell? You might still be trapped in one of Maya's infinite nightmare worlds, struggling to escape.

Better not to think about that. You've got enough problems as it is, without having to second guess every aspect of reality you're confronted with.

Taking the chunk of ruby, you slip it into your coat pocket and pat the bulge that it forms. Safe and sound, until you decide what to do with it. Scathach might be able to form a trinket out of it – something to guard against such illusions would be nice – or you could just, well, sell the damn thing. It IS a chunk of solid ruby, after all.

“Hey Mia,” Petra says as you rejoin the group, your brief absence apparently unnoticed, “We think we know where your father might be. Down below, that's where dungeons usually are, yes?”

“There was a rather unwelcoming staircase we passed, earlier,” Elliot elaborates, “One could practically imagine the sign above the door – Abandon all hope, and all that. No way of knowing for sure what's down there, however, without braving the depths ourselves. I don't much fancy it myself, but business is business, no matter how dismal. Shall we head off?”

You take one last glance around the room – without Maya's influence bending your perceptions, it seems so much smaller – and confirm that there is no other path, save for this staircase. In that case, you tell Elliot, lead the way.

>>43981465

Elliot was right about one thing – the staircase really is unwelcoming. Roughly carved out of the rock itself, the dank stairs spiral downwards into a bleak and total darkness. Only much further below can you spot the faint wavering light of some feeble torches. Enough to guide your way, perhaps, whilst preserving as much of that inky gloom as possible. As you stand at the top of those stairs, a rank wind rises up and causes you all to splutter. It smells like something – or a lot of things – died down there, only to be left to rot.

“Charming!” Elliot declares with forced levity, taking the first of many stairs down. You follow, all too aware of the slimy moisture coating the stonework. Slow and steady, you mutter as you fumble vainly for some kind of handrail, very slow and very steady.

When, finally, you reach the bottom of the stairs you are greeted with a most unwelcome sight. You were hoping for a simple corridor, lined with cell doors. What you see, however, is a handful of narrow tunnels, each one winding away in a different direction. Some of them are narrow enough that you might be the only one capable of slipping through without difficulty. It amazes you that demons might patrol these corridors – how would they fit, if they were anything like the bulky Oni you've seen before?

As you all stand, baffled, before the maze of hallways, two sounds strike you. One is the eerie whistle of wind, coming from the widest of all tunnels, while the other is a hoarse whisper, pleading for help. Not your father, that's for sure – unless his voice has been, somehow, damaged. Some other prisoner in this awful place?

“Split up?” Cassandra suggests, dubiously, “Where do you want to try, Mia?”

>Follow the sound of the wind
>Follow that whisper
>Take the narrowest passage
>Other

>>43981492
>Follow that whisper

>>43981492
>Follow that whisper
Priority to rescuing people. Bet we'll still need to kill something for the keys though.

>>43981492
>Follow that whisper
Marco isn't small himself, so we can ignore some of the smaller tunnels after this.

....come to think of it, did we bring a demon with a good sense of smell, and maybe something with Marco's scent? Man, hindsight is 20/20, innit?

>>43981492
>>Follow that whisper
I guess the others will cover the rest of the tunnels

>>43981509
>>43981545
>>43981646
>>43981654

You keep silent, here, so that you can focus on listening to that raspy whisper. It's too far away for you to make a guess of what kind of creature might be making that sound, but you know that you can't leave them here. You came here to rescue Marco, but that doesn't mean all others should be left in chains. They might even be able to help you, telling you of what other prisoners might lurk in the depths.

Nodding towards the tunnel you intend to go down, you let the others branch off and take passages of their own. The tightest, narrowest passage, you notice, is left unclaimed. Cassandra takes the widest tunnel, following that unearthly wind, while the others filter down various other, less remarkable passages. Leon remains where he is, glancing between the tunnels with distaste.

“Fuck off with that shite,” he says softly, “Ain't gettin' me in one of those things. You idiots wanna get caught in a fuckin' cave in, fine, but I ain't gonna do it.”

He's claustrophobic? You never expected such an open show of fear from the brash young man. Still, you nod to him and let him know that he can wait behind. It might help to have someone guarding the tunnel entrances, so that you don't end up getting stabbed in the back.

“Aye!” Leon brightens up at your suggestion, “I'll be here, watchin' your backs. Nae worries!”

Huh. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all.

>Please choose a character
>Mia
>Cassandra

>>43981698
>Mia

I

>>43981698
More and more, I miss Ripper. He had style.
>Mia
Wondering if we should leave someone to watch Leon. Who watches the watchman and all that.

>>43981737
I'm praying that he was happy that he was being relied on/not having to go into the tunnels and not because he wants to pull something.

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>>43981698
>>Mia

>Trusting Leon
He didn't seem to claustrophobic when he was chasing after Baphomet

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>>43981781
>>43981737
>>43981732

As you slip through the winding tunnels – more and more, you start to suspect that these passages were never meant to be guarded – the whisper resolves itself into clearer and clearer words. A plea for help, the words robbed of all strength and vitality, being repeated over and over again. Through twists and turns, even a couple of hairpin bends, you follow the single path. It never branches off, never deviating from a solitary path leading you towards whatever eventual end awaits. Patches of glowing moss and lichen offer the barest possible minimum light to see by, but it still takes you a moment to realise, when the tunnel comes to an end, that there is a metal gate set deep into the rock.

You examine the gate, first at a distance and then peering through the corroded bars when nothing seems dangerous enough to pose a threat. When your eyes manage to adjust to the darkness of the cell – somehow, even darker than the surrounding tunnels, you see an inhuman figure squatting inside.

“I say!” the figure croaks, “I never thought someone would come! I heard those bangs and crashes from above – such a frightful sound! - but I thought it might have been some of those loathsome Oni having a brawl again. But you, you're no Oni – could it be that you're human?”

You're human, you reply cautiously, and who is he?

“I'm Shax,” the bird-like demon whispers to you, “I'm in a spot of bother here, as you can tell, so how about helping me out? I'm sure someone around here has the keys!”

They probably do, you murmur as you examine the door itself. Some of the rock around it is crumbling, showing signs of weakness and age. Far too strong, still, for someone like you or the slender bird within to break, but someone stronger...

>I'll find the keys
>If I let you out, will you join me?
>Have you seen another human in here? An older man, perhaps?
>Other

>>43981899
>>If I let you out, will you join me?
>>Have you seen another human in here? An older man, perhaps?
>Other
Try using Kin-ki on the door?

>>43981899
>If I let you out, will you join me?
>Have you seen another human in here? An older man, perhaps?
>Other
This might sound like a stupid question but could Kin-Ki just rip that door out? Dude's swole as fuck

>>43981899
....wait, we have the blink dagger.
>blink in
>stick him in phone
>blink out
obviously have Kin Ki out incase there's an anitmagic field of some sort, but...

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>>43981942
>>43981963

You take a break from examining the door – an idea already starting to form in your head – and return your attentions to Shax. If you let him out, you ask, would he be willing to join you?

“Ah, to see the moon again!” Shax gasps in surprise, as if the idea that you would actually free him is unbelievable, “For one more look at that lonesome celestial coin, I would do anything!”

So... you'll take that as a yes. And also as a sign that even down here, the full moon can do strange things to demons. Unless this is how Shax usually talks, but that possibility is too intolerable to consider. He sounds like a poet that's had far too much coffee. First, before you release him, you've got one question. Has he seen another human in here? An older man, perhaps?

“Two questions, child,” Shax chides, “For that, I shall answer the first and the first alone. For you see, I HAVE seen another human in this dismal prison. Tall and long of limb, with a great greyness upon his chin and cheeks. He waits further within, deeper still than this - as befits the Intoxicating One's favoured pet!”

Then he is here – just down a different tunnel. Nodding, filing that information away for safekeeping, you prepare to “unlock” the door. Kin-Ki answers your summons, appearing before you in the cramped corridor. So tight is the fit that he can barely flex his golden muscles at you – although he gives it a good try.

“You're in luck,” he bellows, “Unlocking doors such as this is a technique that has been passed down through the generations!” Laughing boldly, the bulky Oni grabs the door and, with a brief grunt, rips it clean out of the rocky surroundings. “Behold!” Kin-Ki shouts, placing the door aside and laughing again.

That... wasn't actually unlocking the door. You'll take what you can get, though.

>>43982175

“Fair freedom!” Shax crows as he hops out of the cell, switching between strutting steps and brief bursts of flight at random, “How sweet it truly is!”

Great, you tell him with a weak smile, but please – no talking. You need to listen out for any sign of Cassandra or the others. Reluctantly – you can tell that he's bursting with the urge to ramble on some more – Shax falls silent and enters the storage in your phone. With that taken care of, you return Kin-Ki to storage as well, he's just too huge for this little tunnel, and start on your way back. No sounds that might indicate any trouble reach you, however, so you're feeling pretty good about things by the time you return to your starting point.

That's about the point when you start to lose your happy thoughts.

Leon, you notice, is gone. Vanished. No sign of him. There is nothing that might indicate a struggle – no spilled blood or broken ground – and nothing like a note explaining where he went. He could be anywhere, chancing his luck with one of the tunnels or retreating upstairs to the more comfortable floor above. Wherever he is, though, one thing is for certain. He's not here.

>Play will shift to Cassandra now.

Mannn. I mean we all knew but still. Idiot is going to get himself or one of us killed. Muh power.

>>43982202
We had plenty of reason to prevent this, but not many WAYS to do it. Petra's still winded and doesn't know Leon well enough to know what to watch for. Joseph....well, we saw what happened there. Best bet would have been Cass AND Wingless, but then it would be pretty obviously showing distrust.

>>43982202
This makes me wonder if Source has been talking to other people as well. The conversations don't seem to use "real" time, so unless Leon talked about it we'd have no way of knowing.

I mean, if he was promised power and strength for taking out other people, that's motivation to start backstabbing right there.

>>43982294
Possibly, but I bet Baphomet along with Leon's natural tendencies is mostly in play here.

>>43982290
If he DOES pull anything Cass and Ose are the best bets. Ose practically hard counters Baphomet.

>>43982294
Also the issue with taking out other people is that Amelia will come down on him hard. 'Old testament on his ass'. She even told him that.

He isn't that stupid...

right?

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>>43982182

These tight tunnels are awful – simply awful. There's barely enough room to walk with your arms at your sides, let alone keep a comfortable posture. Still, you press on as that unearthly piping fills your ears, the whistle of wind encouraging you onwards. Fresh air is coming from somewhere ahead of you, and it carries with it a strange smell. A vital smell, quite different from the background stench, but one that reminds you of unwashed animals somehow.

Pausing for a moment to glance around – the tunnel, you notice, is actually starting to widen out a little – you listen for that piping wind. Still there, singing a fair tune, but now it is underlaid by another sound. Quiet footsteps, if you're not mistaken, tapping out a cautious rhythm against the stone floor. You take a deep breath and hold it, making yourself as quiet as possible, and listen again. Something about this tunnel, or possibly the unreality of the demon world itself, seems to toy with the sound, causing it to coil around you. It could be coming from behind you OR ahead of you – and sometimes it sounds like both.

Letting out the deep breath you had been holding, you suddenly hear the sound speeding up into a rapid patter. Spinning around, reaching for both your phone and the dagger kept in your belt, something hits you in the leg, forcing you down to one knee. Pain explodes along the limb, the bone trembling as a sudden weakness runs up it, and a tight grip closes around your phone hand. Metal skitters as your phone drops away from you, sliding away into the darkness. This isn't a demon, something mad that would attack without thought or tactics – this is someone who knew where to strike for the best advantage.

“Not so smug now, are you?” Leon spits, hauling you upright and bashing you against the wall, “Are you?”

>Stab him
>Punch him in the gut
>Try to make him see sense
>Other

>>43982371
>Try to make him see sense

Ameliadammit, Leon.

>>43982371
>Stab him
nope nope, old testament time

>>43982371
>>Other
If we have the option to stab him draw the knife and press the tip against him, ready to commit at a moments notice

Then
>Try to make him see sense
"You got a problem with me Leon? Spill it, lets hear all of it."

>>43982371
>>43982430
This. I don't think we should be so ready to kill him but the threat might be enough to get him to back off.

>>43982450
>>43982430

Fumbling in your belt, your fingers find the reassuring chill of the dagger. Grabbing it tightly, you pull it out and press it against Leon's gut with just enough force that you're a hair away from breaking the skin. Shockingly, you realise that you had wanted to stab him, to rip through him with the obsidian dagger's lethal point. He's pushed you, and now you're going to push back.

The sight of the colour draining from his face as he feels the dagger against his side is priceless, and it's only good sense that stops you from laughing aloud. So, you say in a voice far calmer than you feel, does he have a problem with you? If so, spill it. You want to hear everything he has to say.

“You...” Leon mutters, his brow creasing in a dark frown as the shock begins to wear off, “I'm just a fuckin' joke to you, aren't I? Stupid Leon, good for nothin' but followin' your stupid orders. Well fuck you, and fuck your God! I should've abandoned you all when I had the chance, least in this world, I can prove myself!”

What does he mean, when he had the chance?

“When I kicked that fuckin' choirboy's face in,” Leon laughs, “I could've walked off into the night, and you'd never fuckin' see me again!”

So that was where Joseph got those injuries. You'd suspected as much. So if he could have stayed away, you ask Leon, why didn't he?

“I...” Leon pauses, his eyes clouding over as he tries to think, “I don't...”

“You there!” A deep voice, yet curiously underscored by that windy whistling, roars out, “No fighting in the corridors!”

Looks like you've got company – and it couldn't come at a worse time. The voice chuckles deeply, the sound echoing from ahead of you and getting louder with each passing moment. Leon slowly releases your other hand, but makes no sudden movements.

>Ignore him, go for your phone
>Try to knock him out before doing anything
>Stab him. He's had his chance
>Other

>>43982640
>Ignore him, go for your phone
"If you want prove yourself then help me kill this thing. We'll continue our 'talk' after."

>>43982640
>Ignore him, go for your phone

"We'll finish this discussion later."

>>43982640
>Ignore him, go for your phone
Nigga wants to be respected.

Problem you gotta EARN that shit around here.

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>>43982705
>>43982704
>>43982671

Fine, you snap at him, if he wants some respect then he can earn it. Once you've killed this thing – whatever it is – you can finish your conversation. Before waiting for a reply, you pull the dagger away from Leon's side and turn your back on him, scrabbling for your fallen phone. It's a risky move, you know that, but sometimes you realise that you've got to take a risk. Besides, you want to show Leon that you're not afraid of him.

“No fighting, I say!” the booming voice repeats, “That's MY job!” Still laughing – oh, how you hate these constantly laughing demons! - the hulking figure emerges into view. Immediately, you see what that whistling noise had been. Wind rushes from the sunken hole that takes up the top half of the Oni's face, whistling out to surround you with wild piping.

Rising, your phone clutches in your tight fist, you manage to grin as you notice the ring of heavy keys dangling from the demon's belt. Maybe this isn't such an inconvenience after all – you would have needed to find those, anyway.

“Looking for these?” the demon taunts you, jangling the keys in front of you, “Tough luck, maggot! The name's Fuu-Ki, and I'm the jailer around here. Nobody gets out of here without my say, and I say NOBODY leaves here!”

The wind coming from his deformed face reaches a new peak as the demon gets more and more excited, spinning the curiously bladed weapon he wields with a murderous enthusiasm. There's no talking him down, not in the mood he's in.

>Summon which demon to fight?
>Sui-Ki is heavily injured, all other demons are fine

>>43982951
>Summon which demon to fight?
Lets do this Ose. Like old times.

>>43982951
>Ose

Go, Drunken Leopard!

>>43982951
>>Summon which demon to fight?
Fuck yeah, Ose. Gives us a hard counter as well if Leon feels like going for round two

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Rolled 63, 92 = 155 (2d100)

>>43983061
>>43983008
>>43982978

A quick glance up at the ceiling is enough to tell you that the ceiling is, at least, high enough to summon Ose. Sure, the tall leopard demon might not have as much room to move as he's used to, but there will be no escaping his blades in this confined space.

And if Leon still wants to cause some trouble at the end of all this...

“Fuckin' cold down here,” Ose complains, drawing his blades and scraping them against each other, the screech of metal drowning out Fuu-Ki's demonic piping, “Good fight should warm me up!”

“You think you can kill me? ME?” Fuu-Ki spits at you, “I'm the last man standing, ain't no other Oni lived as long as I have! Even the big guy upstairs died like a bitch, and I'm still here!”

Ongyo-Ki? Yes, he died, you tell him with a cold smile, and you were the ones who killed him.

“...Hell!” Fuu-Ki yelps, before taking in a deep breath and spraying out a thick cloud of fog. The air clouds, leaving his silhouette vague and mercurial, “You can't kill me, if you can't HIT me!” the Oni taunts.

>Please roll 2D100, for Ose and Baphomet. Due to the fog reducing accuracy, I'll take the highest of the first TWO rolls.

Rolled 30, 75 = 105 (2d100)

>>43983209
Shite. Dekunda anyone?

Rolled 41, 69 = 110 (2d100)

>>43983209
FEAR! FEAR GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HER

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So we're in trouble, right?

>>43983299
A little. Hopefully the others hear the commotion. We also have Wingless and Sidhe on standby.

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Rolled 72, 30 = 102 (2d100)

>>43983226
>>43983258

“How confounding...” Baphomet – that damned satanic goat – mutters as he tries to peer through the thick fog. Cold fires flicker to life in his hands as he scans the tight confines of the corridor, searching for a target to unleash his attacks upon. “But rest assured, this is not beyond my talents. It's a simple matter of making an educated guess.”

With his scholarly lecture over Baphomet hurls his fire into the thick mist, even the light of their explosive impact swallowed up by the demonic vapour. The roar of fire that reaches your ears sounds muffled, but it certainly sounds like something is burning. A hit, then?

“As I said,” Baphomet gloats, “A simple matter of-” His words are cut off suddenly as a whirling metal glaive sweeps out from the fog and slices clean through his hairy neck. As it happens his words weren't the only thing to be cut off, as the body collapses into two clean pieces. Leon is speechless, his face frozen in an expression of shocked horror.

“Pfft,” Ose snorts, looking back over his shoulder at Baphomet's decapitated corpse, “Fuckin' amateurs, right? Don't send a goat to do a leopard's job!” Lunging forwards, he slashes wildly through the fog, cutting through empty air as his blows find no target. A few moments later, and with a curious whistling, the glaive flies back through the air like a boomerang, smacking Ose in the back and knocking him forwards onto his face.

“Fools!” Fuu-Ki cackles, “You've fallen into my trap!”

“I'm not dead yet!” Ose snarls, picking himself up as Leon, reluctantly, calls up Leanan Sidhe

>Round two. 2D100, for Ose and Sidhe. Again, it's the best of the first two

Rolled 16, 46 = 62 (2d100)

>>43983451
Alright that was kinda funny.

Rolled 41, 6 = 47 (2d100)

>>43983451

>>43983468
>>43983498
We are doing just horrible today.

>>43983547
Sidhe beat him and since her one really offensive ability is charm it should slow him down/bring him into view.

Or maybe she is just going to heal Ose, I'm not sure.

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>>43983468
>>43983498

“Just... fucking... get out here!” Ose bellows, his normally jokey exterior peeling away to show a raw fury that you've never seen before. He hacks wildly at the air, missed blows chipping away slivers of stone from the cave walls and filling the air with a hail of shrapnel. As he devolves into a killing rage, he grows utterly blind – or maybe blind drunk – to his surroundings. Soon, it almost seems as though he's forgotten what he was fighting against, any direction drowned beneath a humiliated anger.

That blindness proves his undoing as Fuu-Ki strides out of the mist – seeming, almost, to stride out of thin air – and plunges his curved blade into Ose's back. Wailing in sudden, shrill pain, Ose stumbles forwards a few paces, the swords dropping from fingers drained of strength. He fumbles at the weapon stuck in his back, but fails to get a good grip on it. Fuu-Ki takes his time, sauntering up to bat away Ose's hands and seize his weapon, giving it a savage twist that causes Ose to scream again. As Fuu-Ki pulls his weapon free, Ose drops to his knees in a defeated crouch. Just as Fuu-Ki is drawing back his weapon for a decapitating strike, a silky voice splits the air.

“Oh stop it, you brute!” the unimpressed voice sneers and, amazingly, Fuu-Ki obeys. You turn to see Leanan Sidhe standing behind you, leaning down so that her voice carries straight to the Oni's ears, “Just sit down, dear, and behave. Don't you want to have a nice little talk with me?”

Slowly, numbly, Fuu-Ki nods and turns around to face the lustful fairy. She reaches out to him, stroking his deformed face. “Now, why don't we take this somewhere more private?” Leanan Sidhe offers. Fuu-Ki nods again and takes a step closer, Leon already drawing out his phone.

What, you almost cry, it's that easy? That's not fair!

>Let Leon capture Fuu-Ki
>Stab the Oni in the back first
>Other

>>43983660
>Stab the oni in the back first

Full moon, bro. I don't think he's gonna join.

>>43983660
>Let Leon capture Fuu-Ki
Eh, he beat him fair and square. If we rob him out of spite any chance of Leon getting his shit together could go out the window.

>>43983710
Both Amelia and now Mia have recruited demons on the full moon.

>>43983660
>Let Leon capture Fuu-Ki

>>43983660
>Let Leon capture Fuu-Ki

>>43983739
>>43983710
I think on a full moon demons are just weirder and not totally unable to be recruited. Like, I think we're only able to get Fucky here because he's been mindbroken.

>>43983766
>>43983739
...fair enough.

>>43983739
>>43983748
>>43983758

Well, no matter how much it sticks in your throat to admit this, Leon won this fight fair and square. If he hadn't been here, you would have been in real trouble – even if you were in trouble because of Leon in the first place. You'll let him have this one, you decide, and maybe that'll be the start of building bridges. If you snatched this victory out from under his nose, you could probably rule out any chance of ever being anything more than Leon's enemy.

Stepping back, you let the brainwashed Oni step into Leanan Sidhe's waiting arms. When the two demons are locked in a warm – yet strangely sinister – embrace, they both vanish into a fuzz of visual static as they return to Leon's phone. The keys, hanging in air for a brief moment, fall into Leon's waiting hand. He holds them for a moment, seemingly testing their weight, before offering them to you. He says nothing, but he doesn't need to. You can see a truce when you're offered one.

Taking the ring of keys, you give him a nod of thanks. He could have left you, there, and you would have been in real trouble – yet he didn't. Maybe he's really deciding to earn that respect he so desperately seems to crave. Whatever the reason, you think to yourself as you continue down the passage, you won't complain. Now, at least, you can turn your back on him without feeling like there's a target painted on it. With that thought in mind, you follow the tunnel to the end, and the cell door that you find there.

Peering through the bars in the cell door, you see a human figure, slumped against the back wall and barely moving. The slow rise and fall of his chest is the only indication that he is, in fact, alive. Marco, you ask softly through the bars, Marco Vespucci?

At the sound of your voice, the man looks up. He is gagged with a thick cloth and looks terribly thin, but his eyes are alert. He studies you for a moment, and then he nods.

>>43983960

You've found him, at last. Your hands actually tremble a little as you unlock the cell door and haul it open, the squeal of metal ringing out through the tight passage. Unsteady at first, the man struggles to rise and walk out, but the feeling soon returns to his limbs and he walks with new found confidence. Reaching out, you tug the gag away from his mouth, letting him take a long, ragged breath.

“Ah...” he gasps, “I never thought I'd see another human face!”

Well, you tell him, he'll be able to see a lot more soon. You're here to bring him back to the human world.

“You're here to bring me back to my daughter?” Marco asks, his voice wavering with relief, “To Mia?”

Actually, you say awkwardly, she's already here. You're not exactly sure how he'll react, knowing that his daughter braved hell itself to rescue him, but his reaction surprises you. His mouth opens, stunned for a moment, but then he closes it quickly and gives you a firm nod.

“I see,” he says carefully, “I have many questions, but this is hardly the place. Lead on, if you please.”

He's smart, this one. No unnecessary questions, no time wasted on demanding explanations or even proof that you are who you say you are. He took a moment to make up his mind about you, and then decided to go with you. Then again, considering the alternative, you can hardly blame him for taking the first chance to get out of here. You'd probably react the same, in his position. Nodding, you gesture for him to follow you as you pick your way through the twisting tunnel, pointedly not mentioning the various pools of blood you step over on your way back to the entrance.

>>43984083

You end up being the last ones to get back, and when you do it's to a warm reception. Mia, who had been slumped against the wall in a worried, nearly hopeless pose, practically leaps to her feet when she sees her father. Heedless of the shocked look on Marco's face – he probably wasn't expecting to see Mia covered in a thick layer of black blood – Mia runs to tackle him, latching on and hugging him tightly.

Exchanging awkward smiles with everyone else – a kind of modest, “mission accomplished” smile – you wait as long as you can bear before stepping forwards to touch Mia's shoulder. You all really need to get going, you remind her, this place still isn't safe.

“Right... right...” she says, sniffing a little in a way that suggests tears are being held at bay, “Um, yes. There's nothing else, is there? We just need to leave now, right?”

>Actually, there is something first... (Write in)
>No, we're finished here. Let's all go home

>>43984155
>No, we're finished here. Let's all go home
Have Petra release Sati though. Hope she can get back to her tower in time.

>>43984155
>>43984179
This

>>43984155
>No, we're finished here. Let's all go home

>>43984242
>>43984231
>>43984179

All that's left to do, you announce, is to make sure that SOMEONE lets Sati return to her important business before this entire world freezes to death.

“I was going to do it!” Petra protests, unable to hide a smile at the sight of Mia and Marco, “I'm doing it right now, yes? Watch!” She pulls out her phone and, turning it so you can see the screen, aggressively prods at it until Sati's icon fades away to nothingness. “Done, gone!” she insists, only putting her phone away once you've given her a deliberately weary sigh. Of course, she looks a little embarrassed when, a moment later, she has to take her phone back out again to prepare her Gateway.

You mimic her action, slipping your phone out and glancing at the screen. Ose is out of action, with Sui-Ki not far off. What an ordeal – but at least it's over now. The Gateway icon is strong and stable, indicating that you should have no problems getting home.

No problems at all.

>Next post will return to Mia's perspective.

File: 1442706383750.jpg (223 KB, 1016x548)

223 KB JPG

>>43984316
>No problems at all.

File: Mia face.jpg (908 KB, 1310x900)

908 KB JPG

>>43984316

In the end, you have no problems getting home. No problems at all.

In fact, some little manipulation of the Gateway's power takes you right back to your home, rather than forcing you to slog your way through the human world. You figure that's Amelia's doing – just a little perk to mark what the completion of your mission. Quite frankly, you can't believe it. Marco, back with you after so long. Or, at the very leave, after what seems like so long. Just like Shax said, he looks thin and badly in need of a shave, but he is otherwise unharmed. You had entertained terrible visions of torture scars and maiming injuries, but those fears went thankfully unfounded.

Arriving back at your home with Marco in tow feels right, complete, but you soon realise that something else is missing. Normally, Amelia would be here, just waiting for you to tell her all about the day's events. Now, though, she is nowhere to be seen.

“Mia, I think I'm going to have a lie down,” Marco tells you, “I need to think about everything. I need some time to process this.”

Well, you don't blame him. You were introduced to the strangeness of this new world slowly, and through careful explanation. At least, compared with the brief, muddled lecture you had attempted to give him. It covered all the relevant points, you're sure of that, but perhaps not in the right order. Marco's a smart man, though – you're confident that he'll be able to grasp the situation in time.

The others filter away as well, splitting off into pairs and retreating to their own little corners of the house. Marco had given you a strange look when you told him about your “guests”, but he hadn't made an issue of it. Yet. Soon, you find yourself alone, but not for long.

“The others can't see me,” Amelia says softly, appearing opposite you, “Don't talk. Whisper.”

>>43984521

Okay, you murmur, but what's the big secret?

“Who said I had a secret?” Amelia snaps back, making use of her ability to be as loud as she likes without ever being heard, “I didn't say this was a secret!”

Okay, you repeat calmly, so what's this about? Didn't she say that when everyone was together, she'd explain – and explain properly – what the situation was?

“I said that, yes,” Amelia nods, her voice growing quiet again. Quiet, but very weary. “But I don't want to disturb your father's rest. Everyone, in fact, is resting – except for you. Youthful enthusiasm, I suppose, but I think you should probably try to get some sleep as well. Things might be... difficult to swallow.”

...Difficult to swallow. You're not really sure you like the sound of that. You get the sudden impression that things aren't nearly as “over” as you thought they might have been.

“Look, I'm just saying that you should be well-rested for this,” Amelia tells you, a note of an order creeping into her voice, “And I never said things would be over. Getting everyone together was only ever the first part of things. The next part isn't going to be anywhere as easy.”

Is she suggesting the first part WAS easy?

“That's why I'm warning you now,” Amelia says patiently, “When I was still running around as a human, doing the kind of thing you're doing now, I took every chance I could get to rest. I'll wake you up in the evening, don't worry about that. Things should be ready by then.”

>Are you stalling for time?
>Rest until the evening
>Spend until evening talking to someone (Who?)
>Other

>>43984598
>Other
"You know you can talk to us if you are having trouble upstairs right? Dunno how much it'll help, but it can't hurt. Just keep it in mind."

>Rest until the evening

>>43984678
>>43984598
Actually change
>Rest until the evening
To
>Spend until evening talking to someone
Joseph.

>>43984598
>Spend until evening talking to someone (Who?)
Joseph or Petra.

Chatting with friends isn't all that draining and we can still take a nap for a couple hours if we need to.

>>43984598
>Rest until the evening
>make small talk with Amelia a bit more

What was it like, when you were doing this? I mean...d'you miss it or anything?

>>43984804
Its probably frustrating as hell not being fighting on the ground like she used to do. She could barely sit still then.

>>43984858
I reckon Amelia probably regrets becoming God. I wonder if she thinks it was worth it

>>43984804
>>43984770
>>43984728

If there's anything she's worried about, you tell her slowly, she can always talk to you. You're not sure what kind of problems a god might have – although, if her somewhat stressed attitude is any indication, they must be pretty serious ones – but you're here to help. Or, at the very least, you can offer her a friendly ear. A problem shared is a problem halved, and all that.

“That just means the other person has to carry the other half of the problem,” Amelia says softly, her voice bleak, “And yeah, I've got some problems. Some pretty bad business to deal with, you could say. Don't worry though,” she tells you with a weary smile, “It's all going to be over soon.”

That's... not even slightly reassuring, but you decide against pressing the issue. Not until later, anyway, when she tells everyone what the situation is. Then, and only then, will you press her for information. For now though... you're not really tired, despite everything. It might be nice to talk with some people and then, if you get tired later, take a quick nap. It all depends on who you might find first. You're about to leave when you turn back, a question for Amelia on your lips. What was it like, you ask, when she was around? Does she miss things?

“Do I miss running around, risking my life with every day that passes?” Amelia asks back, with a forced smile, “Hell yes, I miss it. Being unable to act, relying on everyone else to do things for me – it's torture. As for what things were like, well, they were different. More clear cut, I suppose. It was Law and Chaos back in those days, none of this Shackle nonsense.”

Well, you tell her, it's like she said – it'll all be over soon.

“Right,” Amelia says, grimacing with some nameless discontent that nags at you as you wander off.

>>43985019

You run into Joseph first, sitting on the pavement outside your house. You only saw him by random chance, after glancing out a window. It seems a strange place to sit, but you nevertheless come out to join him. You could have invited him inside, of course, but this way seems right. Wordlessly, you sit down next to him and follow his gaze up to the sky. The stars are out tonight, on this cloudless evening, and even the fog of pollution and street lights can't hide them completely.

“I've got a feeling,” he says slowly, without looking around to see who it is. He probably guessed – the lightness of your steps, perhaps.

A bad feeling, you ask, or something else?

“I don't know,” Joseph tells you, “But I just feel like this might be my last chance to see the stars. These stars, I mean – human ones. I suppose it was the thought of that full moon, over THERE. Is it the same moon, do you think, or a demonic one?”

A demon moon for a demon world, you think aloud, sounds strangely poetic.

“Sounds stupid,” Petra announces, breaking her way into the peaceful atmosphere. She joins you, sitting so that you're sandwiched between the pair of them. “Stupid to worry about that stuff, yes?”

“I wasn't worried,” Joseph says softly, “Just curious, that's all. Curiosity is the mark of an educated man.”

“Ah,” Petra says sagely, “So now I'll be able to know one when I see one.”

This is the first time, you realise, that you've seen the pair of them talking so openly and naturally. Perhaps fighting together against Maya has forged a kind of friendship that no normal interaction would. You're glad – the last thing you all need, when demons are involved, is to be at each others' throats. As you think this, you yawn heavily. Time, perhaps, for that nap.

Man Amelia you better not be pulling some Miyako Hotsuin crap. Going to have to knock some sense into you if you are.

>>43985129

You sleep for an hour, that's it. Amelia's way of waking you up, as it happens, is to appear in your dream. It was actually a pleasant dream – for once – and one you were quite sad to abandon. Still – duty calls.

All of the members of your little group, Marco included, gather around the largest table in the house and wait for Amelia to appear.

“Hell of a storm out there,” Petra mutters, moving away from the window so you can look outside. Thick drifts of snow come swirling down from the sky, thick enough that you can't see the opposite house. “Came on while you were asleep,” Petra adds with a curt laugh, “Good way to get us inside quickly, yes?”

“Right,” Amelia – appearing without a single warning – announces, “I think, first of all, I should state some basic facts. Just to make sure that we're all up to speed. First of all, I'm God. Pleased to meet you all. As God, I have vast reserves of power – the power to create this world, and all the rules that govern it. However, to make sure I didn't go too far, I sealed away practically all of my power. That's why I need you, to do what I can't and interact with the world. Everything okay so far?”

Everyone around the table nods, murmuring various affirmations. Outside, the orange street lights flicker, threatening a power cut. That would be the last thing you need.

“Problem is,” Amelia adds, “That power was being drained, siphoned away and stolen. It was a subtle approach, one that has been lasting millions of years, but it was a total loss. Practically all of my divine power, in other words, has been taken from me.”

This is met with silence, the faces around you a mixture of horror and confusion. Who could steal the power out from under a god, and what would they hope to do with it?

Nyarly you motherfucker.

Oh shit the barrier is about to fall isn't it? World of Transition incoming?

>>43985395

“My old, ah, business partner,” Amelia answers with a grimace, “At first, I thought it was a joke. Something to keep him amused – he's that kind of guy, you see – but then he got in contact. He was taunting me, announcing that HE was God now. And, you know what the worst thing is? He's right. With that power, he could have easily cast me down and taken my place – and he would usher in an era of true suffering, all so he had a good “show” to watch.”

Another silence this time, one that is longer and colder. Outside, the lights flicker and fade wildly.

“But he didn't,” Cassandra says slowly, “Did he? He could have done so already, but he hasn't. What did he do instead?”

“A game. That's what he called it,” Amelia says with obvious distaste. Not just distaste, but a little fear as well. “He formed the divinity into fragments, seeds, and scattered them far and wide. The first one to collect them all, he says, would decide the fate of the world. At the very least, he gave me one concession. We could both make one decision about the coming game. Just one “rule” each.”

There is a bang outside – a distant sound that is nevertheless enough to make you all jump – and the street lights die. Now the lights inside begin to flicker, while everyone around you shifts uncomfortably. There is a tension in the air, one that has nothing to do with Amelia's grim explanation.

“I said that I would keep you all safe. I'd keep you all close, and make sure he couldn't harm you. Not directly, at least. If I hadn't, and he wanted to kill you... none of you would have made it past the first day.”

And... and the second rule, you ask quietly, what rule did HE make?

>>43985580

Amelia doesn't answer, merely looking down at the table in wretched dismay as the lights above you die once and for all. One bulb shatters with explosive force, bursting and showering you all with a rain of fine glass shards.

Candles, you yelp as you make to stand, you've got candles somewhere. You can't talk like this in the dark, can you? Of course not! Even you can hear the manic note in your voice, but you can't stop yourself from stammering out nonsense.

“Sit down,” Amelia tells you sharply, “Just stay put for now!”

It won't take a minute, you announce as you push your chair back and leap to your feet. Immediately, your stomach lurches with sudden sickness and you have to steady yourself before falling. You've felt this before – many times before, in fact. The worlds are shifting, but this shudder is more violent than anything you've ever felt. This feels... permanent.

“I didn't want it to be this way!” Amelia cries as you stumble and fall backwards, collapsing to the floor as the world around you turns to white. A great and terrible rumble fills your ears, and the whole world falls away from you.

Time, you're not sure how much, passes.

You wake up in a white void, decorated with a pair of simple chairs. Amelia sits in one, and she nods towards the other. “He said that the game would take place in a world of transition”, she says, sick with dismay, “The barrier had to fall.”

>You... took it down on purpose?
>This is all your fault. Everything
>Forget that. What do you need me to do?
>Other

>>43985580
>Two rules to the Game to end all Games
>Amelia's rule lets her communicate with her champions and protect them from getting insta-gibbed
>Nyarly's rule throws us into Nocturne

...fuck.

>>43985743
>You... took it down on purpose?
"Did we just lose most of humanity? How many of us are left? Who the hell is this guy!? If he was demon why the hell was he with you? I thought you wanted to created a demon free world?"

Then
>Forget that. What do you need me to do?

>>43985743
>You... took it down on purpose?
>Forget that. What do you need me to do?

Well that escalated. Our greatest asset in the last cycle is now our greatest enemy.

Shits exciting.

>>43985743
>>This is all your fault. Everything

>>43985785
I guess she probably didn't think hers through as much as he did. Or Nyarly knew exactly what she'd say and gamed the system accordingly

>>43985819
I don't think she took it down on purpose, per se. She's bound by the Rules of the Game, same as Nyarly.

...and it now occurs to me that someone (or multiple someones) will develop a Reason. which is almost certainly VERY bad for Amelia's chances.

>>43985889
I don't think this exactly like Nocturne persay. Its not like the Discoball is waiting for us. Its more similar to last cycle. We are collecting cosmic energy spread around the city before Nyarly does. At least thats what I think it is.

>>43985868
>Or Nyarly knew exactly what she'd say and gamed the system accordingly

I'm not so sure of THAT, I think it's more that he had the time to think about what Rule he wanted, where Amelia had to make that snap decision day one to ensure we survive to day two.

>>43985743
>Forget that. What do you need me to do?
fug

>>43985743
>This is all your fault. Everything.
>...Forget it. What do you need me to do?

Dammit Amelia, we hate you for being this fucking gullible but pissing off a goddess (even a mostly powerless one) doesn't help anything. Need to get a Seat at the Table first.

>>43985819
>>43985866
>>43985868
>>43986004

She took the barrier down, didn't she? She did it on purpose.

“I HAD to,” Amelia protests, “The rules demanded it. If I broke his rule, he could break mine. That means he could have cut you apart at his leisure. Or, worse still, he could have used the divine fragments himself. You can't imagine what that would mean!”

No, you can't imagine – but she's about to tell you. Did you just lose most of humanity, you ask, how many are left?

“Everyone inside the house,” Amelia says, her voice bleak and empty, “And, maybe, anyone who was already in the demon world. That's it. That's all that's left.” She falls silent for a second, but then speaks up with a desperate energy in her voice, “I can fix it though! I can take things back to before this happened, and nobody will know the difference. I just need to get my power back, that's all!”

That's... assuming a lot. It assumes that she'll have the chance to get her power back. She'll need someone to gather those fragments for her. First, though, you've got more questions. Who is this “business partner” or hers? A demon, you ask, and didn't she try to make a world without demons?

“Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos” she says gravely, “That's who it was. And yes, he's a demon. The first demon I ever got, in a way. He was my oldest companion, he fought at my side for so long. Even at the end, when he was tempted with even greater power, he came back to me. I thought... I thought we were a team. I knew he got bored easily, but I never thought he'd be able to do something like this.”

With that admission, you both fall silent. After a while, as you gather your thoughts, you ask her what she needs done.

>>43986104

“Like you said,” Amelia says with relief, “I need someone to gather the divine fragments and return them to me. That's all I need to become this world's God again and, this time, I won't make any mistakes. I'll do it properly, this time. It won't be easy though.”

You never thought it would be.

“I mean it,” the fallen deity warns you, “Everyone is going to be after those fragments. Even just one is enough to lift a demon up to a power unlike any they've ever possessed before. They could twist the world, moulding it into their own little domain. You've got to watch your back, especially once you start finding them. There might be... one other problem though...”

And, you ask slowly, that problem is?

“I can't guarantee that everyone will be willing to... help me,” Amelia tells you with a grieving frown, “With the power of a god up for grabs, allegiances are no longer as certain as they once were. Trust shouldn't come easily to you, not in this new world.”

You understand, you tell her quietly, but there's something SHE needs to understand. All of this, everything that has happened, is her fault.

“...I know,” Amelia says, unable to meet your eyes, “I started all of this, and now you've got to pick up the pieces. I wish it wasn't this way. If I could take your place, if I could put myself through what you're going to go through, I would do so in a heartbeat.”

You open your mouth to reply to that – although you're not sure exactly what you'd say – but a growing rumble grips this white void and causes you to fall silent. Looks like your time here is over – time to face the new world, and the “game” that will decide mankind's fate.

>I'll finish there for today, next thread on Sunday and I'll stick around for a while. Sorry about the wall of text!

>>43986104
Alright. We need to know more about this Game. Specifically, How many "shards" there are, and what would happen if you had a majority but not all of them.

Amelia isn't saying it, but she has to realize that she needs OUR help, and some members of the party are going to want recompense for this. Might be helpful for her to ask beforehand.

>>43986166
Well shit this is going to be a giant free for all isn't it?

Thanks for the run Moloch

Did you have this planned from the start?

>>43986166
Thanks for the run boss.

Was that white void the same place the Outsider was last cycle? Is Amelia bound there or can she be seen/move around the demon realm?

>>43986217
>Well shit this is going to be a giant free for all isn't it?

Not at first! I imagine people are going to be pretty cautious until they learn how things are shaping up.

>Did you have this planned from the start?
Pretty much, yes! I did change a few details here and there though.

>>43986250

Amelia can do even less than before! She's stuck where the Outsider used to live, yes. Pretty much the exact same limitations as the Outsider as well

>>43986282
>Pretty much the exact same limitations as the Outsider as well
Will we be able to get in contact at all aside from sending a fragment to the Outside? I remember last cycle you said the Outsider had some form of contact with Mia? Its what allowed her to survive Joseph's thing.

>>43986166
>“I can't guarantee that everyone will be willing to... help me”

Well, let's think about that. Using the evil overlord system of trust as a basis.(untrusted/trusted/completely trusted)
>Mia: trusted ally (previously completely trusted) - partially because we're suckers for prior MCs, but she's got no reason to go against Amelia unless she thinks she could do it better.
>Marco: trusted ally - I can't see him going against his daughter without a damned good reason.
>Cassandra: mostly-trusted ally - she rallied to pull down the barrier in the very beginning, and doesn't seem the type to try making a power grab - ironically means she'd be a great person to hold it.
>Petra: mostly-trusted ally - She's probably only going to help because she's theosexual and might demand something along those lines as payment. But she's more likely to help than not.
>Elliot: untrusted ally - Amelia does have something to hang over him her but I don't know if that alone would be enough. Doubtful to work with Nyarly but could be a thorn in our side at some point.
>Leon: untrusted ally - if anyone's going to try and do something stupid, it's him. But then again, he might surprise us.

>>43986318

The Outsider has a limited ability to appear in dreams. In that case, the Outsider appeared in Marco's image and told Mia to make herself scarce. Amelia doesn't quite have that much power!
The full moon, however, bends the rules somewhat. Then, and only then, Amelia can manifest herself a body

>>43986340
There's also the possibility of humans that were in the demon realm when this happened.

Also I don't see Petra demanding payment like that. She's got more character than being Ameliasexual. Also out of the group I think she is closest with Mia.

>>43986376
We just had a full moon, does that mean we'll have another in about a month or are lunar cycles different?

>>43986340
Missed Joseph bro

>>43986376
So these fragments. Are they like cornerstones? Are there more than 4?

>>43986396
In all honesty, I expect everyone who ends up backing Amelia to demand payment in some form or another - even Mia.

>>43986447
Oh right. He's somewhere between Petra and Elliot, probably still a bit salty about what she did to him but seems to realize every other potential master is worse.

>>43986412

The lunar cycle is quite different in the demon world, actually. It operates on a weekly cycle - the moon is full on the equivalent of a Sunday.

>>43986462

There are 5 fragments.

>>43986495
>Five fragments
So is it a first to 3 (where nothing can stop you from getting the last two) or is it like having 1 through 4 are tiny power boosts and you only get anything by having all five?

>>43986495
So when you say Amelia can manifest a body. Do you mean like she was in the human world, incorporeal but still seen and heard or actually physical.

If its the latter, wouldn't that be really dangerous with how many enemies she might have? Or is it if even the physical body dies her deity status just sends her back to the Void?

>>43986549

Having one to four fragments allows demons to alter their immediate area according to their desires, with the size depending on how many they have. Upon getting all five, they can gain true power.

Humans get nothing until they have all five. Gameplay balance, unfortunately

>>43986611

She has a physical body in the same way that the Priest from the previous cycle had one. She can be touched, but killing her will just banish her back to the void. She'll mostly spend her Sundays lying low though!

>>43986652
So we are going to be fighting through domains kinda like the Fairy Kingdom huh?

>>43986668

In essence, yes. Assuming it's a fragment under someone's control, that is. Loose fragments, ones yet to be discovered, have no influence on their surroundings

>>43986698
So do Cass and Petra know that its fucking goddamn Heartless doing this?

If yes, how scared are they?

>>43986698
Did Marco get a Demon Summoning App before Amelia got locked out?

>>43986759

They know. Suffice to say, they're worried. Cass is taking things worse than Petra though. She was always a little afraid of Heartless, even when he was under control

>>43986790

Unfortunately not! With some time, though, she might be able to teach him to make one - maybe even an improved version!

>>43986837
>With some time, though, she might be able to teach him to make one
But I thought she has no way to contact us now?

>>43986853

She can manifest a body during the full moon, like the Priest from the previous cycle.

>>43986883
Right

Guess that means we have to protect Marco for a week. Unless there is still time right now since its still the evening?

So here are my guesses of what might happen to who.

>Petra: She mentioned that she preferred the world of transition to the human world so she might be pretty okay with this. Anyone else and I might suggest she could interfere with attempts to “fix” things, but I don't think she's subtle enough
>Joseph: Law are going to be riding him pretty hard. If Mastema stays away he might be swayed
>Leon: He's going Chaos. I'm almost entirely certain of that. I don't even know what could be done to stop it
>Elliot: I got nothing. He'll probably just keep being irrelevant. A decent ally if Mia can win him over
>Cass: I could see Law getting their claws back into her but it should be pretty easy to keep her on side. She might support the fairies though if they get their hands on a fragment
>Marco: Carnby 2.0

>>43986933

It'll be the start of a new day when we wake up. Better find somewhere safe to stick him!

>>43986961

Those are some pretty interesting theories!

>>43987023
>Better find somewhere safe to stick him!
I guess there is always the fairy court again. Less politics and more playing by Titania's rules but we know its safe.

>>43987047
I wonder what would happen if Titania got her hands on a fragment

>>43987099
No idea. She isn't malevolent at the very least. Mostly looking out for her kingdom and we've done right by her and vice versa.

>>43987047
>>43987099
>>43987119

I think Titania is pretty safe. No need to worry.
LOVE THE QUEEN. OBEY THE QUEEN

So are we still going to switch perspectives around? What about the other characters, will they appear in the same place we do?

>>43987362

From this point, the perspective is mostly going to be locked into Mia's point of view. There might be brief sections with other characters, but I believe they'll be in the minority.

As for the other characters, most of them will have scattered somewhat across the world of transition. Not all of them though!

>>43987438
Damn. Shits FUBAR.

Since everyone else is making predictions I guess I will too.

>Mia: Depends on us of course, but for the most part either sticking with Amelia slapping her around until she gets it right or taking the power for herself and doing what Amelia wanted to do but doing it right. I don't see much chance of Law or Chaos getting their claws in her.

>Petra: Probably going to stick with Mia/Amelia. Motives are as simple as protecting and fighting with the people she cares about.

>Marco: Sticks with Mia, Carnby 2.0

>Cass: Likely to stick with Mia/Amelia, but there's a chance she might side with the Fairies. I doubt she'll go over to Law again.

>Leon: Probably full Chaos unless something changes/we can persuade him not to.

>Elliot: She's a wildcard. No idea.

>Joseph: Sticks with Mia or... tries to create a better Law with Gabby. In Strange Journey terms a Light-Law force.

>>43987632
Mia's probably won over Joseph to a fair degree. She was always pretty friendly with him. If Gabriel makes the offer though I think you might be right.
I'm more worried about Cass. She's lost her faith before. I could see it happening again.
Elliot is also a mystery. I can't rule out them having their own plans but I have no idea what they might be

>>43987811
>I'm more worried about Cass. She's lost her faith before. I could see it happening again.

Even though Amelia said Cass might have transferred faith to her, I didn't really see it in how they interacted. Hopefully she'll be able to forgive that her friend that happens to be God is kind of an idiot sometimes.

Regardless our first order of business should be to regroup as much as possible.

>>43987632
>>43987811
Mia, Joseph, Gab vs Amelia, Cass, Petra vs Elliot, Nyarly vs Leon who's too stupid to team up