>>724387
>Let's go before anyone suspects me!
hi announcer
metal Louise solid: tactical loli action

>>724387
>I need help for this!

>>724387
>Let's go before anyone suspects me!

...So what are we gonna do against the maid that ran away?
I mean we are planning on doing SOMETHING, right?

>>724387
>>Let's go before anyone suspects me!

>Let's go before anyone suspects me!
Writing!

File: Some_kid_hood.jpg (381 KB, 910x700)

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No! If you're going to get into Kayda's room; you need to start now. The night patrols are just beginning their shifts, and it's only going to get harder as the night goes by!

Your fingers trace along a pathway sketched onto the map of the castle. It winds and weaves behind the brickwork of the rooms into a central path that exists on the first floor. Ha! This will be easy!
According to this, there exists a dumbwaiter outside of the enclosure on the first floor. If you walk outside; you should be able to see it.

You quietly slip past the watchful eyes of the maids. The blonde one, Alicot, flashes a light glare at you when she notices you carrying a sheet of paper. Dumb maid, she's been trying to keep you from seeing Kayda all night! This would have been over if she just said 'yes', but everyone just has to do things the hard way!
Carefully, you slink out the door and around the building. One of the knights briefly acknowledges you before returning to the card-game he's currently embroiled in with himself.

With a smile, your eyes trace along the exterior of the building. There it is! A metal hatch on the outside of the building with a rusty lock securing it in place.
There's something else, too. Some blonde kid in a black hood fumbling with the lock! He twists something into the metal padlock, and it opens with a rusty 'clank!'.
Did you just find another burglar?! Or a kidnapper?!

>Approach this boy! Who is he?!
>Watch from a distance, try to see what he is doing.
>Follow him! He's trying to infiltrate the castle!
>STOP! You're under arrest! Hero arrest, even!
>Other?

>>724447
>Follow him! He's trying to infiltrate the castle!

>>724447
>>Follow him! He's trying to infiltrate the castle!

>>724447
>STOP! You're under arrest! Hero arrest, even!

>Follow him! He's trying to infiltrate the castle!
>STOP! You're under arrest! Hero arrest, even!

Writing!

File: Louise_Fencer.jpg (160 KB, 850x1092)

160 KB JPG

There's a cat-eared kid, in a hood, breaking into the guest quarters.
There is no doubt about it! He's another one of the kidnappers from the other day! He must be here to target Kayda while she's weak!
Ohh, he's DEAD! You're gonna pull at his tail and ears until they come out! He's gonna get turned into a ball and hung from the castle walls until the end of time! You're gonna-

His hand reaches up and pulls the dumbwaiter down. He's trying to escape before you can approach the vile criminal!

Quickly, you climb into the compartment with him and slam the door shut behind you.
The sound of metal-against-stone causes him to freeze, and his tail to stand on-end!

"HEY YOU!" You yell at him, "You're under arrest! Hero arrest, even!"
"W-what?" He cowers in the shadows of the hidden hallway.
"You heard me! You're here to try and kidnap Kayda again, aren't you? Well it's not going to work, and I'm going to make sure you're locked up in the dungeon until you're an OLD MAN!"

"Stop! Wait!" He pleads, "I'm not trying to kidnap anyone! I'm trying to see my sister! They won't let me in the front door!"

>A likely story!
>I can't take my eyes off you, you're coming with me!
>Who is your sister?!
>Take him outside and hand him over to the guard.
>Other?

>>724530
>Who is your sister?!

>>724530
>Who is your sister?!

>>Who is your sister?!

>>724530
>A likely story!

Most in character option, I think.

>>724530
>A likely story!
>Who is your sister?!
Let's hear his story anyway.

File: some_kid_hood2.jpg (626 KB, 1024x768)

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"A likely story!" You lunge forward and grab him by the collar. "You think anyone is going to buy that?! You're breaking into the guest house!"
"W-wait! You are too!"

"That's different, I'm not a burglar!"

"I'm not either! I want to see my sister!"

"Oh yeah? Who is your sister."
"H-her name is Elise, and-"

"Elise."
You know that name. That's the name they call that black-haired girl who claims to be your aunt.
Eep! Sorry! Who claims to be Charlotte's sister.
Nope, not aunt, because Charlotte isn't your mother; she's just your summoner! Ahaha, hah..

"Tell me more about this girl, Elise."

He blinks, "She's.. about your height, black hair, runs down her back, and she had red eyes."

That's definitely her.
So, he's not here to kidnap Kayda.

He's here to kidnap Elise!

Immediately, you take your axe out, and slam it down in front of him.
"Oh, so you're here to try and hold Charlotte's sister hostage, aren't you?!"

Immediately, his legs snap up from under him and push against the wall.
"No! not that, either!"
"How do I know you're not another spy, hmm?!"
"I just want to see my sister, Stop!"

You frown. It's hard to trust him, but he just seems so sincere.

"You're coming with me."
"I'm being arrested?!"
"No." You bop him on the shoulder. "I can't take my eyes off you, but I can't just turn around either. We're going forward."

"Why are you here, then? Won't Biscotti get just as suspicious?"
"Shut up! I'm just here for my friend, then we can leave."

He doesn't like the answer to that, but you prod him along anyway.

>Okay, fine. We can go look for your sister later, but right now we need to see Kayda!
>How did you even do that thing with the lock, earlier? I was just going to break it.
>..Do you know where you're going, because all I have is this map.
>Do you have a name or should I just keep calling you 'dirty criminal'?
>I hope you brought some kind of light.
>Other?

>>724685
>How did you even do that thing with the lock, earlier? I was just going to break it.
>What's your name? I'm not going to just stick with 'you'.
>..Do you know where you're going, because all I have is this map.

Also, during this whole thing, I forgot to ask: how ya doing, announcer?
Still hurt?

>>724685
earlier? I was just going to break it.
>What's your name? I'm not going to just stick with 'you'.
>..Do you know where you're going, because all I have is this map.
>I hope you brought some kind of light.

>>724685
>Okay, fine. We can go look for your sister later, but right now we need to see Kayda!

>>724712
I've actually healed quite a bit. Back is no longer screaming at me, and I'm almost to 100%
Some exhaustion, though.

I'm more upset by my internet cutting out yesterday. I've been tethering off a 4G hotspot, but I think it's time to just get cable. (but my choices are comcast and centurylink, ugh)

>>724758
Just glad to hear you're feeling better man.

>>724685
>How did you even do that thing with the lock, earlier? I was just going to break it.
>What's your name? I'm not going to just stick with 'you'.
>I hope you brought some kind of light.

Sorry for that break

>How did you even do that thing with the lock, earlier? I was just going to break it.
>What's your name? I'm not going to just stick with 'you'.
>I hope you brought some kind of light.

Writing!

File: Spoiler Image (265 KB, 612x700)

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"First, how did you-"
"Shh!"

The boy hushes you, and you're about to really chew him out for it!
Until you realize something.

Faintly, through the brickwork, you can hear the chattering and talking of maids.
There's a tiny crack of light shining through one of the holes in the mortar. Your eye slowly reaches its level, and the sound becomes slightly more clear.

"Did you hear-"
"That man on the first floor-"
"-I am not cleaning his room again, that is-"
"-n't happen to know where that brat Loui-"
"-Help me fold this-"

It's the maids! You're somehow behind the main wall of the maids quarters. They awkwardly shift and move about as they clean linens, move furniture, and equip themselves to fight the scary forces of dust and trash throughout the guest mansion.

You stand up, and glare at the kid. He may have just saved you from being found out.
"(Okay, but still! How did you do that with the lock?)"

"(It's-)"
He gulps, and adjusts his voice.
(-Just something I picked up, okay?)"

"(You use that to steal, don't you?)" You lace your accusation with a hint of bitterness.
"(No! Not always.)"

You give him an incredulous look.
"(No! Really! I don't use it to steal all the time! Just the other day I helped a guy working with the princess!)"

'A guy working with the princess'.
"(So that means Charlotte has seen your face, right?)"
"(Yes, w-well)"

"(So that means- when I take you to her, she'll know you're not a crook, right?)"
"R-right! I hope, maybe, I don't know!"
He's wavering, now. You can't trust him, at all.

"What's your name, anyway?" You raise your voice as you leave the maid's quarters. "I'm not going to just stick with 'you'."

"..Ethan."
"Well, 'Ethan', I hope you brought some kind of light."

The further away from the maid's quarter you go, the darker it gets.

"Oh, I have something for that."
Ethan reaches into his shirt, and pulls out some kind of amulet hanging around his neck. The light is very dim, but your eyes slowly start to focus on objects and things inside of the hallway.

"Lead the way, then."

He continues down the winding hallway, and even up a set of stairs.
Then, he stops. You're unsure why until you peek through another crack in the mortar.

Sitting on the bed, is Elise. The black-haired catgirl flips through a book, but doesn't appear to be reading it.

"S-so, what was your name again?"
"My name is Louise." You pout, "And don't you forget it."
"Right, uh, I really want to talk to my sister alone."

>No.
>Yes.
>Fine, I'll go find Kayda and you can talk to her.
>Other?

>>724903
>No.
we still don't trust him, so we're not leaving him alone with her!

>>724903
>No.
Would YOU leave her alone with some strange man who broke in?

>>724903
>>No.

File: Esther_2.png (913 KB, 600x842)

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"Alone time?"

He nods.
"Louise, I want to talk with her. She's very confused right now, and I'm worried for her. Would it be okay if I just had a heart-to-heart with her?"

You purse your lips, and give him a mean look.
"Would YOU leave her alone with some strange man who broke in?"

He blinks. It's clear he had not thought of it that way before.
"..Okay, you can come."
"I thought so." You smile at him.

Slowly, he leads you around the back and to a door barricaded on this side. Removing the wooden bar in front of it, you see that this is a backdoor access on the other end of the hallway!

Ethan leads you, slowly, out into the hallway. At one end, the knights are guarding the hall. In front of Kayda's door, there's a guard.

"(Okay, to do this, we have to move fast. Can you do that?)"

Pfft, can you move fast? What a silly thing for him to say!
He pushes his form against the wall and slides along the stone exterior to the next door. Gently, he removes some kind of toothpick-looking thing from his cloak, and slides it into the doorknob.

With a tap, the door opens!

He ushers you inside, and watches the guard in front of Kayda's room as he does so.

"Wh- Louise?!" Elise stands up from the bed. "And-"

Her expression softens when she sees the boy.

"Hi again."
"Sis!"

Immediately, Ethan runs over and hugs his 'sister'. You can tell that his sister is even slightly taller than he is.

He seems overjoyed, she seems less-so.

"Sis, I was so worried. Where have you been?"
There's a few seconds of awkward silence, before she mumbles something.

"You must have me confused with someone else."

He pulls away, "Okay, Elise, look, I know you're having difficulty remembering me, but just concentrate! I'm the one who used to sneak food to you, remember? The one who used to deliver your letters? The one that has the same birthmark that you do!"

He pulls down his cloak at the neck, showing a small print on his neck.
"Look! You have this, too! Try to remember, please?"

>That's enough, Ethan.
>Thought so. You're not her brother at all.
>How do you know him, Elise?
>What do you remember?
>This is lame. Just get Charlotte to talk to her and fix everything.
>Hey.. Elise, you tore a text-page out of your book and just left a picture. Do you know how to read?
>Other?

>>725180
>Hey.. Elise, you tore a text-page out of your book and just left a picture. Do you know how to read?

>>725180
>What do you remember?
>Hey.. Elise, you tore a text-page out of your book and just left a picture. Do you know how to read?

>What do you remember?
>Hey.. Elise, you tore a text-page out of your book and just left a picture. Do you know that?

Writing!

Hey Announcer would you be willing to set up some sort of lore pastebin thing?
It's getting a little hard keeping track of everything.

>>725660
You know what, I agree.

Do you have any suggestions on what it should look like? I was thinking of a synopsis of things that happened up until now, but maybe a bit of a history lesson would be better?

Next post almost done, btw.

>>725692
yeah, having small geopolitical reminders should be good
also a list of characters

>>725709
Well, I have that one.

http://pastebin.com/jCGAA6J2

I just need to update it.

I think I should add a plot synopsis.

>>725719
Should update the character one by adding what they're like now instead of changing things.

File: Louise_Fencer_2.jpg (67 KB, 380x590)

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"Elise." You interject, realizing that something seems oddly amiss about this situation. "What DO you remember?"

She looks insulted, as if you just said the most insulting thing anyone has ever told her.
Elise's mouth opens to give you the thrashing of your life-

Yet, she doesn't speak.
She stays motionless for what feels like forever.

Why isn't she speaking?! You asked her a question!

"Helloo?" You give her a worried glance, "What do you remember?"
"Uh." She blinks, "Uh, the dungeon in Gallete, and, uh-"

Behind her, she appears to have been tearing pages out of the book she was reading. Several of them lay scattered across the bed.
All of them are just the word portions, but not the pictures. The pictures are still attached inside of the book she was reading.

"Elise, what were you reading?"
"..I don't know."

"You don't know?"

She turns to look at the book laying open, on the bed. Then she turns back to you.
"I don't know."

"What do you mean, Elise?" The boy seems extra confused. "Is it in another language? Are you trying to learn-"

"Elise." You furrow your brow. "Elise, can you read?"

Elise, suddenly and abruptly, has a very serious look on her face.
With a spin, she returns to her bed and flops down. She grabs the book and holds it in front of her.
Her hand reaches into the pages and tears out another section of book. It flops down onto the bed beside her.

"Sis, stop! what are you doing?!"
"You can't read can you, Elise?"

Her arms collapse onto the bed.
"I can't read." She states, in defeat.

"..What?" Ethan mumbles.

"So, learn to read? What's the problem?" You twirl a strand of hair. "Like, a quarter of my family couldn't read, either."

"That's nonsense, Sis. You can read just fine!"
"I said I CAN'T READ!" She sits up and angrily throws the book at Ethan.

"That's NOT TRUE! You used to write letters to people, you even kept a diary! In fact-"
The boy reaches into his pocket, and pulls out what appears to be a letter.

"This is a letter you gave to me, look at it! This is your handwriting!"

"I can't read and I CAN'T WRITE! STOP!" She screams, falling back onto the bed and covering herself in the blankets.

>Okay, okay, relax everyone
>We're done here, Onward to Kayda's room!
>I- I think I will let you alone. S-see you in a few minutes.
>I don't even know what to do!
>Other?

File: 1410554422981.gif (1.09 MB, 480x270)

1.09 MB GIF

Folks, I think we've hit that time of the night where responses are going to be sparse.

I am going to go to bed because I have to wake up early in the morning.

Like last week, I hope to continue the thread on Thursday. Which is tomorrow! Don't expect me to get to it until at least when I get home from work, though. I have things to do.

So, until tomorrow. Have a nice night!

..and I'll work on updating that pastebin, I swear.

>>725849
>Okay, okay, relax everyone
>Elise, do you remember getting hit really hard in the head?

>>725963
alright, goodnight!

>>725849
>Okay, okay, relax everyone
>We're done here, Onward to Kayda's room!
>Other?
Realize she's from her lack of response earlier that she's forgotten everything for some reason, make a point to talk to heroes about it later and for now try to comfort the boy and leave the girl be.

>>725849
>I don't even know what to do!
>Okay, okay, relax everyone
Promise that you're going to try to help her?

File: 1288258675313.jpg (183 KB, 800x600)

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>>725849
>Okay, okay, relax everyone
>Elise, do you remember getting hit really hard in the head?

Glad I could finally catch a live thread for once, thanks for running this Announcer!

>>725849
Can we read?

>>725692
A synopsis would be good.
Something that people can look at and then get into the quest.

>>726516
Yes, Louise can read easily.

Looking over votes and then writing!

>>728864
Ah welcome back announcer.

File: Some_Kid_Heart.png (200 KB, 460x600)

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"Okay, okay, relax everyone."

You pull Ethan away from his 'sister'. She rolls onto the bed, and flings the book snippets at Ethan.
Something about this is really wrong. You don't just 'forget' how to read!

"Elise, do you remember getting hit in the head really hard?"
"W-? No! I don't ever remember being hit in the head! I've never been hit in the head, I've never seen this boy before, and I CAN NOT READ!"

With that final jab; she flops into bed and throws the covers over herself. She's very careful to place the pillow over the top of her head to block sound coming to her ears.
Very lightly, almost as a whisper, you can hear her sobbing.
Ethan, himself, is starting to sniffle as well.

Oh brother.
You just wanted to talk to Kayda! You didn't want to get involved in drama like this!


"(Ethan, I think it's time to go. I don't think there's anything you can do now.)"
"B-but sis-"
"(I know you're worried about her. I'm worried, too! But I think Charlotte is the one to talk to about this. She knows all about that magic stuff)."
At least, you think she does. You're not really sure how it works, but every problem to give to Charlotte gets solved somehow. She's very good at being a princess!

"(I can't talk to Charlotte..)" The cat-boy's tail sinks.
"(Are you dense? I'm her hero!)"

He blinks.
"(..Seriously?)"
"(Yes! Did you seriously not pick this up already? You're a knucklehead!)"

You cross your arms, and pout.

"(..If you promise to talk to Charlotte about this, then-)"
"(Yes, yes, I promise. Pinky swear, truth or dare, let worms and mice crawl in my hair. Let's just go, okay?)"

He blinks a tear out of his eye, and slowly looks back toward Elise.
So you grab him by the wrist and drag him to the door.

"(Just show us how to get into Kayda's room or I'll leave you here and let you explain yourself in the morning.)"

>Cont.

File: Pomelo.jpg (321 KB, 600x850)

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Pomelo knows something about her job, and she knows it well.
She didn't sign up for guard duty.

She stands vigilant outside of the door leading to Kayda's room. Tuile (darn her!) giving the order for her to stand outside for at least until her shift is over.
And it's just so BORING!
Nothing is going to happen! Every possible route into the guest mansion is sealed off, and behind Pomelo is a hero that is far stronger than she could ever dream to be. Kayda should be protecting Pomelo as she sleeps, grumble, grumble.
Fwoosh!

POP! BzzT!
Great, now the light is acting up. Pomelo never understood why the castle has so many magic lights in the building. She preferred the amber glow of a fine lamp or lantern. S-sure, they cause fires sometimes, but the look to a building is much more rustic.

She walks toward the malfunctioning device and tries to determine what is wrong with it. Just like all things magic, the cause of the light's ailment eludes her. It almost looked like something struck the fixture, maybe a bug?

The hairs on her delicate ears perk up. Pomelo could have swore that she heard something like a door opening and then closing..

>Cont.

File: Kayda_sleepy.jpg (213 KB, 1500x1246)

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You walk into Kayda's room, and Ethan shuts the door behind you. That was a neat trick! Though, it does bother you that getting into Kayda's room was way easier than you thought.

There isn't anything impressive in here. You suspect this was an empty guest room before Kayda was placed here for the night. She's sleeping in the ash-and-dirt stained bed before you. She must not be sleeping soundly, as she's kicked all of her blankets off.

>Wake Kayda up, explain yourself!
>Psst, Kayda, are you awake?
>Take this moment to look over Kayda. See if she's hurt anywhere.
>Let her sleep for a few more minutes. Discuss Elise with Ethan.
>Other?

>>729189
>Take this moment to look over Kayda. See if she's hurt anywhere.
>Psst, Kayda, are you awake?

>>729189
>>Take this moment to look over Kayda. See if she's hurt anywhere.
>>Psst, Kayda, are you awake?

File: Kayda_2.jpg (141 KB, 1000x850)

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You gesture to Ethan to stand still as you approach Kayda's sleeping form.
Her body appears to be fine, even though she's covered in ash and soot. You don't see any blood on her skin, or on the nice-looking nightgown that someone gave her. Well, it would be really weird if she COULD bleed inside of the barrier. But still! You don't happen to see any place she has taken any serious damage on the parts of her skin you can see. Which means-

Your brow furrows, and you slowly turn around to Ethan.

He eyes you with curiosity, and you give him a dire look.
Your hand raises up, and your finger makes a circular motion. He seems confused for a moment, but he quickly gets the message and turns around with his back facing you.

Good, he better not look, either.

You check on him one more time just to make sure he's not peeking, and you get to work checking the rest of Kayda.
Gently, you raise the skirting of Kayda's nightgown, and you inspect for damage.

The rest of her body is filthy, covered with ash and mud. While you don't see any visible damage-
Uh oh.

Your fingers reach toward Kayda's tummy, and brushes off some mud.
She has a scrape, it's been bleeding. It's not much blood, and it has scabbed over recently. At the same time, she's a hero, and she bled. You had thought the barrier protected you against those sort of things, but apparently enough pain can still leave a sore such as that.

Which really makes you worry about Kayda even more. How much did that fight really take out of her? You knowing Kayda; she wouldn't tell you if anything was wrong if her head fell off.

..Oh, and her chest has grown again, much larger than yours now. A slight pang of jealously worms its way up your spine.

Kayda sighs, and one of her legs move to kick something away. Gently, you lower her skirt and turn to Ethan.
And the rotten fleabag has turned around and was STARING AT HER, SLACK-JAWED AND WIDE-EYED!

You practically shoot daggers from your glare, and your fists contort into little balls in which to punish him with.

Kayda shifts uncomfortably in her sleep once more. You decide that it's probably just time to wake her up.
"Psst, Kayda."

No response.

"Psst, Kayda, are you awake?"

"Mm?" Her eyes flutter gently, and stir. "Who's there? Why are you in my house?"

>Kayda, please, this is important!
>Your summoner is missing!
>N-never mind, Go back to sleep.
>It's Louise, Kayda.
>Are you hurt?
>Who did this to you?
>Where do I go to kill them?
>Other?

>>729429
>>Are you hurt?
>>Who did this to you?
>>If she answers this, then consider telling her about the maid.

>>729429
>It's Louise, Kayda.
>Are you hurt?
>Who did this to you?

>>729429
>It's Louise, Kayda.
>Are you hurt?
>N-never mind, Go back to sleep.

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>Kayda stay awake roll

>>729978
Well damn way to go Kayda!
I mean I assume that's a good roll right?

>>730026
It's just a roll, nothing good or bad about it.

It does mean I have to stay up and write a bit more text, though

>>730044
Oh you're getting tired?

>>730058
Yes, I've had to wake up early the last few days for work
Next post almost done, though

>>730072
Ah sorry to hear that man.

File: Kayda_sad.jpg (91 KB, 564x473)

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"Kayda." You whisper gently, "It's Louise."

"Uhhh?"

"Who did this to you? Are you hurt?!"

She stirs, and fumbles lightly with the blanket at her feet.
With a pull, she tugs at the blanket and yanks the cloth mess off the bed.
She sighs, and rubs her eyes.

"Louise, why are you in my house? Is something wrong?"

"This isn't your house, Kayda."

She grips at the sheets, and starts searching around the room. Quickly, she sits up.
"Where am I?"

"This is the castle, Kayda. Biscotti castle."

"Biscotti-"

Suddenly, she throws what's left of the blankets off and darts out of bed.
"Is this inside the dungeon?!"
"Dungeon? Of course not. Why would you say that?"

Her gaze is wild, and her eyes dart around the room. Her voice becomes shakey.
"How long was I asleep?!"
"Uhh, not very long?"

Immediately, she rushes for the door. She doesn't even attempt to summon a barrier jacket or ask for clothes more modest than a see-through nightgown. Quickly, you grab her arm.

"Let go!"
"Kayda! Stop! You need to rest! I just want to know what happened!"
"I- I let my secret slip! I betrayed my summoner! I have to go! Stop!"
Kayda scratches at the door, and you try to hold her back from opening it as best as possible.

"Hello?" you hear from outside the room, "Is something wrong? Kayda?"

"Please! Please! Let me go! I need to get Greta before Biscotti takes her away!"
"Kayda! No! Stop!"
With all your strength, you grab your best friend and hold her body straight.

"Kayda. Greta is gone. That maid took her."

The struggling, anguish, and nervousness disappears from Kayda. Her body relaxes.
Nope, never mind. Her body is not relaxing. Instead, she is stiffening up like a board. Her joints pop and crack as every muscle in her body contracts. Her mouth falls agape.

At the corner of her eyes: soft, blue tears.

>Kayda! Stop!
>It's fine! Yuuki is on it!
>No words, just hugs.
>..I think waking you up was a mistake, you should go back to sleep.
>I can stay over if it helps
>Other?

>>730385
>No words, just hugs.
>I can stay over if it helps

>>730385
>No words, just hugs.
>I can stay over if it helps

>>730385
>Hug her
>It's fine, Yuuki is on it!

But man poor Kayda.
This has not been a fun set of events for her...

File: Kayda_tribe.jpg (1.06 MB, 2308x2000)

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Kayda keeps her eyes locked on you for what feels like an eternity.
Her mouth quivers, her eyes are watering.

"It's fine! Yuuki is on it!"
"Eek-" A tiny squeak is all she manages to tell you.

Immediately, you wrap your arms around her, and the tears start to flow.

"Uu, ugh- Aahh-" She suppresses the urge to wail, but her tears flow all the same.
"Kayda.. it's okay.. please."

She doesn't listen, instead grasping you to her chest as if you were an oversized teddy bear.

Slowly, she starts to descend to the ground. You barely manage to hold up the entirety of her weight as her legs give out.
With a swoop, you pick her up into your arms, and carry her to the bed.
Only, when you try to back away from Kayda, her arms remain latched around you.

What is even creepier, is that her facial expression has barely changed. Only getting considerably wetter.

You get a glance behind you, at Ethan. He has the most confused expression in the world, and continues to remain cowering in the corner of the room.
So useless!

"Kayda, Kayda-"

"I couldn't stop her."

What?

"Stop who?"
"The maid. I couldn't stop her. I messed up, and she took Greta away."

She sniffles, and then buries her face in the pillow.
"I don't want to be a hero anymore, I want to quit, I want to leave, I want to DIE!"

"Kayda, stop." You try shaking her away from the pillow, but her grip is stronger than yours. "Don't say things like that! What would Gre-"
That's a bad example!

"-What would your father say if he heard you say that? Don't you want to go home, and see him again someday? If you die, then you won't be able to."

"I don't WANT TO SEE HIM!"
Kayda sits up and starts striking her pillow. With every blow, bits of fluff and cotton puff from the soft interior.
"I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM I HOPE HE'S DEAD TOO."

"What?! Kayda, you told me you looked up to your father!"
"I don't even know him! I haven't seen him since I was too young to talk."

W-what?
"What are you saying?"

"He left to go be a translator when I was young." Kayda punches the pillow again, "He left me for a bullion of gold. I never saw him again."

..Wow.

You..

Your arms continue to hold Kayda, and refusing to let go.
"Go away."
"No."

"I'm not leaving this room-"
"Then I'm staying here."

You look over toward Ethan, remembering he's still in the room.
He has no idea what to do, but seems extremely nervous. Awkwardly, he tries opening the door.

Just to be met with Pomelo's unwitting back, blocking the doorway. He closes the door and shoots you a worried look.

>Thread End

>>730834
Poor Kayda.

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Thanks for the thread everyone.

Poor Kayda indeed! Looking back at my notes, I had forgotten that I had wrote so many bad things happening to her before the quest started.
Well, at the very least, she has the best friend ever to keep her company!

Let me know what you thought of the thread. I'm going to bed, i'm tired. Have a nice night.

>>730858
On the other hand, I feel like it might be good that she's finally letting people know just how desperately unhappy she is.

>>730859
thanks for running
poor Kayda, hope using the maid as a punching ball will make her happier