>>45965739
>"Okay, so Asai is your evil half, why were you destroying downtown earlier?"

>>45965739
>"Okay, so Asai is your evil half, why were you destroying downtown earlier?"

>>45965739
>"Okay, so Asai is your evil half, why were you destroying downtown earlier?"
>Play good cop, bad cop!

>>45965739
>"Okay, so Asai is your evil half, why were you destroying downtown earlier?"
they're both evil halves of a big evil dickbag

>"Okay, so Asai is your evil half, why were you destroying downtown earlier?"

Writing!

I am still here. I had something pull me off.

Writing continues.

>>45967976
Was starting to think you got assassinated!

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"Okay, so. Asai is your evil half?"
"Mm." It grunts.

Color me not convinced.
"Why were you destroying downtown earlier, then?"

"Mmh." He groans in response.

His extremely powerful exterior rotates to 'face' me in some way.
"I was trying to flee. From him."

Fleeing from Asai, I can't say that I blame him very much.
"Okay, why did you think that was the best way to do it?"

He turns away from me, and stays silent.

If he's evil, he isn't doing a very good job of convincing me that he is.

"So.. you're saying that you're the victim."

Still no response.

Maybe I pushed him just a little too hard with that last question.

I stand by the door, unsure of what to say to the poor beast.
"Hey! Um. If you're really the good side. Can you answer something for me?"
"Fine.."

"Why were you a building?"

He uncurls his legs, and sits back with his hands in his lap.
"It's embarrassing."

"No, no. I want to know!"

"I don't want to say it."

"Why are you so stubborn?!"

No response.

"Why did you make this card?" He asks. It takes me by surprise. "Was it to imprison us?"
"No." I cross my arms. "I wanted to make a home for everyone. All my brothers and sisters."

He turns to face me once more. He seems more relaxed.
"I became a building because I wanted to be a home. For all my bothers and sisters."

>"Well you should have kicked Asai out."
>"Oh."
>Stare at him.
>Go get someone who might know something to ask him.
>Ask him something yourself!
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?
>Can you break away from him?
>Other?

>>45968823
>"Oh."
>Stare at him.
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?
>Can you break away from him?

>>45968823
>"Oh."
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?

This building-monster-guy is pretty cute.

>>45968823
>"Oh."
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?

>>45968823
>"Oh."
>Stare at him.
>Ask him something yourself!
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?

>>45968823
>"Well you should have kicked Asai out."
>Go get someone who might know something to ask him.

>>45968823
>>"Oh."
>>Stare at him.
>>Like, why did you listen to Asai?
>>Can you break away from him?

>>45968823
>"Oh."
>Stare at him.
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?
>Can you break away from him?

>"Oh."
>Stare at him.
>Like, why did you listen to Asai?
>Can you break away from him?

Writing!

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"Oh."

The two of us remain silent.

My eyes refuse to turn away from the back of his head.

So, he had the same idea that I had. It's just he wanted to become the home, and I wanted to make the home.

That's kinda..
Weird?

I'm not sure how else to put it.

I mean, the sentiment is very sweet and all, but-
Actually becoming a building for your family.

That's-
Huh.


"But, like-" I try to break the silence, "Why do you listen to Asai, then?"

"I can't just ignore him." He growls, "He's half of me. He is the side who can talk to people."

"You can talk to people, too! You're talking to me right now!"

He shifts his weight to face me again. This time, he really lets the light shine on his face to get every metallic mark, and emblem.
Oh, that's what he means.

"Um, can you break away from him?"

"If I could, I would. I've tried many times before. Each time has failed."

He looks out the window, into the infinite landscape. "I wish I could just walk away into the sunset, never to return."
That's-
Wow.

Slowly, I walk up behind him and give him a big hug. Except, his metal exterior is so tough, that I'm not sure he even notices.
Pout.

>Want to try and see what happens?
>Go talk to Asai for cross-examination
>Stay here and keep talking to him.
>Ask Mom if she has any ideas on how to break the two.
>Other?

>>45971248
>Ask Mom if she has any ideas on how to break the two.
Let's!

>>45971248
>Stay here and keep talking to him.

>>45971248
>>Ask Mom if she has any ideas on how to break the two.

>>45971248
>Want to try and see what happens?
>Ask Mom if she has any ideas on how to break the two.

>>45971248
>Want to try and see what happens?

>Ask Mom if she has any ideas on how to break the two.

Writing!

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So the problem is that he's trapped with Asai. Two parts of the same person.
That's kind of depressing, being shackled to Asai.

..Hey, wait!
I know someone who was also shackled to Asai! She's doing just fine, now!

I quickly hop to my feet and dash out of the room. I skid to a stop just outside the room Asai and Mom are talking.

She looks angry.
Clown looks scared.

Everything is terrible, still.

I get Mom's attention and she says something unintelligible to Asai. I think it's a bad word.

She turns around and nearly storms back to me. I can tell that just talking to Asai has put her in a bad mood.

"What is it, Masami?"

"It's the monster upstairs." I pull her aside some more just in case Asai has some kind of super-hearing. "He claims that he's the 'good side' of Asai. Is that true?"

She turns around to glare into the living room.
"It wouldn't surprise me. Definitely would explain some things."

"Do you even know if that's true?"
"Nope."

Uh oh.

"So, do you have any ideas on separating them?!"
"Kill Asai?"

"I think that might make a bad problem even worse!"

"No but it's what I want to do right now."

>Mom! Concentrate!
>How about we bring the monster to the real world?
>How about we bring Asai to the real world and lock him up?
>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!
>Any plans at least on what to do with them?!
>Other?

>>45973976
>>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!

>>45973976
>Mom! Concentrate!
>Any plans at least on what to do with them?!
>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!

>>45973976
>Mom! Concentrate!
>How about we bring the monster to the real world?

>>45973976
>Mom! Concentrate!
>Any plans at least on what to do with them?!
>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!

>>45973976
>Mom! Concentrate!
>Any plans at least on what to do with them?!

>>45973976
>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!
Mom pls
4:30 here so, night

>Mom! Concentrate!
>Any plans at least on what to do with them?!
>Can you just go talk to him? He seems cooperative!

Writing!

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"Mom!" I try to snap her back into reality. "Concentrate!"

"Okay! okay. So. We know this monster is at least talking to you, right?"
"Yup!" I beam, "He's talking, he's cooperating. He's way more helpful and fun than Asai."

"Good to hear." She pats my head. "Maybe there is still some hope."

"Some hope of what?"

She leads me along toward the stairs, she appears to be heading toward the monster's room.
"Some hope of saving Asai."

--

"So that's the problem?" Mom kneels down next to the monstrosity; much to my concern. I told her not to get within arms reach of it just in case Asai was telling the truth.

"Mmh."

"You just want to be free of Asai and you'll do anything to do it?"

"Mmh."

"Can you tell me how he got this way? I don't remember Asai always being this...-"

Mom tries to think of a word to describe Asai. I can think of one, but it's not appropriate to say right now.

"I can't tell you the exact moment." He looks at his gauntlet for a hand. "I just know that it happened when master took over. Asai never liked him. Asai held no loyalty to him or even wanted him anywhere near our siblings. He was punished, very harshly."

"Punished? How?"

"The 'Chairman' as he calls him, split him into two people. One being Asai, the other being me. That's how this Fortune business started in the first place."

Mom seems, almost a little offended?
"Why didn't anyone tell me that?! I wouldn't have agreed to work there if I knew!"
"We, decided it was best to keep you in the dark about it Empress." The building growls, "We didn't want to concern you. It was out of your control."

>Try to break this up and get it back on track before it becomes a real problem!
>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.
>I should have thrown that guy off the roof when I had the chance!
>I should have thrown Asai off the roof when I had the chance!
>Wait does this mean that whole, fight, on the rooftop was planned? By Asai?
>Or.. by you. The door wouldn't open for him, after all
>Other?

>>45976444
>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.
>I should have thrown that guy off the roof when I had the chance!

>>45976444
>>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.

>>45976444
>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.
>Wait does this mean that whole, fight, on the rooftop was planned? By Asai?
>Or.. by you. The door wouldn't open for him, after all

>>45976444
>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.
>I should have thrown that guy off the roof when I had the chance!

>Let him keep talking. This is interesting.
>I should have thrown that guy off the roof when I had the chance!

Writing last post before pause.

hopefully, we'll continue in the morning.

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I was going to say something, but-

This is kind of interesting.
Though, really infuriating! If I knew that old geezer I beat up on the roof of Fortune really did that much damage, and hurt that many people; I would have thrown him off the roof!

I could visit his hospital room and punch him there, but it probably wouldn't look good to punch sick old men in bodycasts.

Ugh!

"That's why-" The monster continues, "When you decided to make Masami. We let you. Asai, he's not an awful man. He desires nothing less than complete freedom."

He's not an awful man? I hold in my frustrated grumble.

"-He expected you to take Masami and flee Japan." The monster is opening his posture some. "When you decided to stay; that's when this entire foolish plan game into existence."

"So, you're saying that you're completely blameless?" Mom doesn't seem too happy.

"Yes. I am."

Mom stands up and walks over to me, she ushers me out the room and then shuts the door behind her. She pushes me away from the door before kneeling to my eye level.
"Did you tell him anything?"

"I- don't think so."

"Good." She glances back at the door, "He can't escape, can he?"
"I don't think so, what's the big problem?"

"That thing, he was Fortune HQ, correct?"

"Uh, I guess?"

She leans over and whispers in my ear, "Don't tell him anything important. I think anything that he knows, Asai also knows."

"How can he tell? And-" I'm confused. "Why is that important?"

"Because-" Mom glances over her shoulder one last time. "If what Asai told me was right, that is the closest thing you have to a 'father'."

>Thread Pause

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Okay, thanks for that. I'm sorry that we have to leave off there.

If we are still active in the morning, I'll continue. If not: Thanks for everyone who participated!

>>45979292
Thanks for running.

>>45979292
Thanks for running!

Bump

More bump

bump

Sorry, I got delayed this morning having to pack. We'll get a few more posts in before I got to go

Writing!

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"Because-" Mom glances over her shoulder one last time. "If what Asai told me was right, that is the closest thing you have to a 'father'."

A WHAT?

"Shh! Sh!" Mom puts her finger over my mouth. "Not too loud!"

"How? How is that even possible?!"

"You know how you 'borrow' space to create your cards, right?"
"Well.. Yes."

"The building in there, I borrowed space from him initially to create you."

"What?! How does that work?"
"It was.. a loan." Mom seems nervous, "Asai said that he expected you to work for him in-turn, but- that's not the deal the building and I created."

She grabs me into a hug, "I made absolutely sure that the only one who was in charge of your future was yourself. My only regret is that I couldn't have done that with everyone at Fortune."
"..Thanks Mom."

That still doesn't solve one very important question.
"So what do we do with them? Is there a way to sever the connection between the two?"

"Well, I was thinking." Mom pulls away from me. "If the problem is that Asai is the evil side, and that thing is the good side; What if we undid what the chairman had already done and made them one person again?"

"What would that do?"
"Well, not sure! For one, it would probably make him able to be turned into a human."

Oh! that's a great idea!

>-But it's also really risky and I don't want to try it.
>What could possibly go wrong?!
>Okay, let's ask the clown if she thinks that's a good idea.
>Great! Where do we start?!
>I think I have another idea in mind.
>Other?

>>45987386
>I think I have another idea in mind.
what if we just... get rid of the evil part?

>>45987386
>Great! Where do we start?!

>>45987386
>>Great! Where do we start?!

>Great! Where do we start?!

Writing!

>>45987386
>Great! Where do we start?!

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1.19 MB PNG

My eyes light up.
Finally! someone has a plan!

"Great!" I say, with maybe unrequired enthusiasm. "Where do we start?!"

"Well, first we will have to get the two of them in the same room together."

"Won't that be a problem?"
"Only if they're not telling the truth."

Uh oh.
I have to either trust a giant scary monster, or Asai.
I don't like that at all!

"H-How do we know if it's working?"

"Well, I don't know the Chairman's methods, but I have seen that splitting thing in action." Mom pats my head. "So, I think when it starts to work, one of them will merge with the other. Kind of like your cards."
"I wouldn't say it's 'kind of like that' though."

"Great! Let's get the building out of that room and try to find a place for Asai and the building to meet face-to-face."

"Uh, last time Asai said that he couldn't control the building."

"He can't, and the building can't control him either."

"So what do we do if they, yknow, go nuts? Team up with each other? Something?!"

"We'll just have to leave and destroy the card then. But at least we can't say we didn't try!" Mom hugs me.

Though, that doesn't seem like a very good vote of confidence.

--

We somehow manage to convince the building top sulking on the top floor and come down into the living room.
With Asai.

It sits across the room, same knees-curled-up sit as it stares at Asai. Asai only grins at it.

This atmosphere, it's awkward.

>Okay, stop you two, talk out your differences.
>Asai, stop that. You're taunting him and you know it.
>Building, stop that, quit letting him get into your head.
>Mom, do something.
>Clown, stop clinging to me. I'm sorry I left you alone.
>Other?

>>45988167
>Clown, stop clinging to me. I'm sorry I left you alone.

>>45988167
>Mom, do something.

>>45988167
>Asai, stop that. You're taunting him and you know it.
>Building, stop that, quit letting him get into your head.
>Clown, stop clinging to me. I'm sorry I left you alone.

>>45988167
>Okay, stop you two, talk out your differences.
>Mom, do something.

>>45988167
>>Okay, stop you two, talk out your differences.
>>Clown, stop clinging to me. I'm sorry I left you alone.

>Clown, stop clinging to me. I'm sorry I left you alone.
>Okay, stop you two, talk out your differences.
>Mom, do something.

Writing last post before I gotta go. If you want to continue later (about three hours from now), we can do that. Post what you think we should do.

>>45988555
just three hours? sure.

>>45988555
If you have time to run, why not.

>>45988555
I don't know what we should do, but I suppose that's an option.

Post delay. Still writing.

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Okay, you have to deal with the most pressing matter first.
"Clown, please stop clinging to me." You say to the terrified girl holding onto your arm for dear life. "I'm sorry I left you alone. I didn't think I would be gone that long."

"LIES!" She snarls, dragging her fingers into my clothes that much harder. "You said we would only be here a few minutes and you wouldn't leave me alone but then you and Empress just LEFT."

"C'mon, stop." I tug at her. "We're doing something important now. It's okay, really."

The two monsters, Asai the evil one and the building the good one, they continue to glare at one another.

"And you two!" I yell at them. The building jumps, but Asai just keeps his insane smile going. "Talk your differences out!"

I turn toward the building, "You're a complete coward who doesn't want to face the other half of yourself so you just let yourself get pushed around! You're doing that right now!"

Then, I turn toward Asai, "And you're a manipulative jerk who doesn't have a single kind bone in his body."

"Thanks. Good to know that I still got it."

Hmph.

"So just, talk out your issues and we can get this all fixed!"

"This is your definition of fixed?" The building breaks his silence. "Going back to live with the worst person alive?"

"This is my punishment? Consider me not very intimidated." Asai laughs.

Oh I just hate him so much!

"Mom, do something. Please."

"Asai." Mom steps in, "You don't seriously expect us to let you go, right?"
"Of course not."
"And, you agree that getting back with your other half would be a lesser punishment than being destroyed or going to jail, right?"
"Yes."

"Then just shut up and stop prodding us or I'll tear you apart myself!" Mom slams her hands on the table.

The building seems to scoot away from her. Coward.

>Thread Pause

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Okay, things have happened and I have to pause here. If we are still up by the time I get home later, I will continue.

Until then.

>>45990230
Later!

Bump!

Last one for me since I gotta sleep.

Everyone, there was a traffic jam on the interstate and I'm really, really late.

That said, I DID promise that I would continue. So I will write a couple more posts before I pass out.

Writing.

>>45996420
Have a good night.

>>45998193
Yaaaay

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"Then just shut up and stop prodding us or I'll tear you apart myself!" Mom slams her hands on the table.
The building scoots away from her slightly, coward.

"Ooh." Asai just won't stop smiling! I hate it! "I like it when you get sassy."

"DON'T YOU START THAT WITH ME!"

The building nearly jumps to his feet and runs out of the room. He quickly remains seated when I slide up next to him.

"YOU ARE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE ASAI! Can't you just take ten minutes to realize how hopeless your situation is? I'm trying to make it where the rest of your life is as comfortable and death-free as possible and you won't even help me with that!"

Mom is really glaring at Asai right now. It's like she's one push away from annihilating him.
"You want me to just hand you over to Masami? You saw what she did to the Chairman."

"No! No! Please!"
That was the building; I give him a tap on the shoulder and he shudders.

Asai, though, just keeps on smiling.

"Izumi, you don't scare me." He drops his smile for just a second. "I know the worst thing you can do to me right now is break me into a million tiny little pieces. Then what? Fortune doesn't exist anymore, and the only person who has anything to lose at this point is yourself. I have nothing to lose. So won't you consider that before you make any harsh decisions?"

"No, up yours, you asshole."
I don't know what those words mean, but that's pretty serious coming from Mom.

>Cont.

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"Okay enough!" I stand up, trying to drag the building with me. He hesitates for a moment but then follows right along. It's almost like he forgot that he's a million times stronger than I am. "Just, shake hands with this.. thing here and make up your differences!"

"It's not that easy." Asai says.
"That's not easy." The building replies.

"You're asking me to accept the cowardice, the hesitation, the nervousness, fear, and indecisiveness back into myself. I've built myself into who I am by neglecting those portions; outsourcing those to him, so to speak."

"And you." The building only barely looks at Asai through the corner of whatever constitutes his 'eyes'. "The only reason I could live day-to-day is knowing that all the evil, malice, and venom was safely contained far away from me."

>Okay, okay, I get it.
>Just, try it!
>We need an outside councilor for this
>This clearly won't work.
>Maybe you two are only that way because you've been separate?
>Other?

>>45999493
>Just, try it!
>Maybe you two are only that way because you've been separate?

>>45999493
>>Maybe you two are only that way because you've been separate?

>>45999493
>Maybe you two are only that way because you've been separate?

>Just, try it!
>Maybe you two are only that way because you've been separate?

Writing! This may be the last post of the night because I'm feeling tired. But we could get further! let me see.

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"Just.. Try it!"

"No."
"I refuse."

Why is everyone so difficult?

"Is it because you two are split up, is that why you're like this?!"

"No." The building murmurs.
"Yes." Asai grins.

Wait.

"What do you mean 'No, Yes'. What's going on?"

The building shifts its monsterly weight to look straight at Asai, "Clarify what you just said."
"I said," Asai hasn't dropped the grin yet. "That we're like this because we split up."

If the monster could blink, I would imagine that he just did several times.
"I didn't know that."
"No you did not."

"How did you keep that from me?" The building seems, perplexed.

"That's a secret." Asai waves him off.
"Why did you keep that from me?"


"The truth is," Asai props his feet up on the table. Yuck! That's where we're going to eat someday! "The chairman split us up because I mouthed off to him, but that wasn't the only reason. I managed to make a deal with him behind your back, took some trickery to hide a thought from myself. I ran this new 'Fortune' company I had in mind, and served him unquestioningly in exchange for an 'upgrade'. He agreed, and split us down lines I defined. That's why I'm the CEO, and you became a building."

>Cont.

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"That's not fair!" The monster seems surprised that Asai isn't fair.

"I know." Asai is really bearing his teeth in that grin. "Isn't it great?! Getting to leave all your baggage behind and just keeping the cool parts of yourself? I couldn't possibly turn down a deal like that! Best one I ever made!"

Asai hops from his seat, and puts his palms on the table.
"Well, except for you, of course."

Within a moment, the monster is upon him. At speeds faster than my eyes can even keep up with.
I move to stop him, but there's no way I'm fast enough to keep up with that! It was like watching a banshee!

"YOU. DID. THIS?"
"Ahaha, That strength, one of the things I couldn't haggle the Chairman for." Asai still seems perfectly calm and giggly. "At least I got to keep the good looks."

"CHANGE US BACK!!!!"

The monster streams those last two words with such ferocity that I'm positive every in the room was deafened for just a few seconds. My ears ring slightly for several seconds as the monster looks like he wants to ball Asai up and throw him away.

Except, he doesn't.

"Oh, you want to change back now? You want to go back?" Uh oh, He's about to say something rude again. "Make me."

Oh.
Well, there go my plans on ever eating on that table again. Splinters and wooden supports wildly fly all over as the monster stomps straight through it.
Yet, he stops mere centimeters away from Asai. I wonder what's holding him back?

>Thread End

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Okay everyone. I am officially beat.

But hey! At this rate, we could return to SoL soon for the epilogue! Lucky! I like how things are turning out!

So, let me know what you think of the thread. And until next time. Thanks for everyone who participated!

>>46001683
Thanks for running.

>>46001683
Thanks for running.