>>1126752
>It seats 2

>>1126752
>It seats 2

>writing

>>1126752
>It seats 2

So, its like a motorcycle?

You smile. "It seats 2"

Cheska doesn't look too excited. "You want me to get on that thing?" She asks.
"Yeah. It looks cool, doesn't it?" You ask.
"It looks like a deathtrap" She says. "Where would I even sit?"
"Behind the rider" Katherine says. "It wasn't meant for 2, originally. But you guys are small"

Cheska eyes the 2 wheeled cart, and then turns to you. "No"
"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" You say. "Please?"

She purses her lips, and rolls her eyes. "Fine" She says. "But you owe me one. And if you crash, I'm never letting you live it down"
"If we survive" You say.
"Not helping" She says.

You step over to the cart and look it over before getting on. It looks pretty sleek, for a prototype. You sit down on the leather of the seat, and lean forward to grab the handlebars.

"So I just... sit here?" Cheska asks, as she sits down behind you.
"Yep" Katherine says. "You'll probably want to hold on, though"
"Hold on to what?" She asks. "The seat?"
"The driver" Katherine says.

Cheska grabs your shirt.

"Not like that" Katherine says. "Arms around the front. Don't be shy"

Cheska sighs, and wraps her arms around you.

"Better?" She asks.
"Yep" Katherine says. "Looks like you're all good, Yuu. Start it up when you're ready"

>Take it slow

>Hit the gas

>Ease into it

>Other

>>1126848
>>Ease into it

>>1126848

>Ease into it

We may be tough, but our passanger aint.

>writing

>>1126862
You may be underestimating Cheska a bit. She is a demon, after all.

>>1126848
>Take it slow

"Okay..." You say.

You turn the handle and the Rook surges forward, catching you off guard. You immediately let it go back to where it was.

"Take it slow to start, kiddo" Katherine says. "Just turn the handle a little bit to start moving"
"Got it" You say.

You turn the handle again, more slowly this time. The Rook moves forward slowly, picking up speed as it goes until you're going about as fast as you used to travel in the cart when Derrick was driving.

It's a pretty smooth ride so far. At this speed you take a few corners to get a feel for how it turns, before picking it up a little more.

Now you're moving as fast as the old cart went when you were pushing it. Turning is a little harder, but you can still manage it.

Then you pick it up a bit more. Katherine said that it could go much faster than a normal cart, but you don't think you're ready for that yet.

When you make a turn at this speed, the tires slide and you almost lose control. You feel Cheska tighten her grip on your back and she squeals until you manage to get control back.

You should probably slow back down... but part of you wants to know just how fast this thing can go...

>Push it

>Slow down

>Other

>>1126918
>>Slow down

>>1126918
>>Slow down
Gonna need to get good.

>>1126918
>Slow Down

>writing

You ease off the handle, and let the Rook slow down. Your curiousity can wait. Cruising at a more comfortable pace, you turn back to Cheska.

"Sorry about that, you alright back there?" You ask.
"Better now" She says as she peers over your shoulder. "Did you really have to max it out?"
"That wasn't maxed out" You say.
"Seriously?" She asks. "I thought I was gonna die on that turn..."

"Sorry..." You say. "I think there might be a trick to taking turns at that speed, but I'll wait to learn that when I don't have a passenger"
"Thank you" She says.

With less focus on not crashing you can take in a few other things. You definitely feel the effects of the small chaos engine underneath you, feeling energized by its output.

You should probably ask someone how a chaos engine actually works someday. It seems kinda weird that it would use soul to power itself, while also putting out soul like this.

"Hey Cheska, can you still use magic?" You ask
"Let's find out..." She says.

Cheska stretches a hand out in front of you, and a long thin gout of flame jets out of her palm. It hits nothing, and quickly dissipates.

"Huh" She says. "I thought that wouldn't work. Must have something to do with you"
"Probably" You say.
"Where to now?" She asks.

>Cruise for a while

>Head back to Katherine

>Head back to the jail

>Head to the mine

>Other

>Cruise for a while

>>1126991
>>Cruise for a while
Let's see how it's going on with the rest.

>writing

>>1126991
>Cruise for a while

"I dunno, I figured I'd cruise for a bit" You say.
"Alright" She says. "This actually isn't so bad, now that you're not going too fast"

You keep the Rook moving steady, taking a turn wherever you feel like.

Bell's Run is a mess... as you ride by you see that almost no building is spared from the graffiti.

You wonder if the people who did all these ended up in the dungeons... though if they did, you'd probably never find out now.

"Something on your mind?" Cheska asks.
"Uhh... yeah, I guess" You say.
"It's the prison, yeah?" She asks.
"Yeah..." You say.

"I figured" She says. "Any idea what you're gonna say to the kid yet?"
"No clue..." You say. "I'm not even sure if I should go back there"
"Of course you should" She says. "If you're gonna blame yourself for what happened down there, you may as well take responsibility"

"Maybe..." You say.
"But you should probably know something" She says. "You're the only one who thinks it's your fault"
"But I-"
"No buts" She says. "I know you promised some people some things, but in the end it was their bomb. Nothing you could have done. And even if there was, you didn't know they had something like that"

You take a breath, and set your mind back to the road.

"Just think about it, okay?" She asks. "It bugs me seeing you beat yourself up over some asshole's disregard for people's lives"

>Why does it bug you?

>I still promised...

>Other

>>1127092
>>Why does it bug you?

>>1127092
>>Why does it bug you?

>Why does it bug you?

>writing

"Why?" You ask.
"Why... why get over it?" She asks.
"No, why does it bug you?" You ask.
"Oh, that makes more sense" She says. "It bugs me because you're one of the few genuinely good people I've met... which is probably why this whole thing is getting to you"

"That's why?" You ask.
"The people I used to run with wouldn't even blink after committing mass murder, and here you are all broken up because somebody else killed a whole bunch of people..." Cheska squeezes you a little. "I guess I find your empathy refreshing, but at the same time it bugs me because my only friend is sad..."

You smile, taking your hand off the handlebar and putting it on Cheska's.

"I'll be fine" You say.
"Whoa! I get that we're having a moment here, but hands on the bars man. What are you, crazy?" She asks.
With a chuckle, you put your hands back where they belong, and ease the Rook into a higher speed.

You think you've seen enough of Bell's Run for today. Time to-

>Head back to the jail

>Head back to Katherine

>Head to the mine

>Other

>>1127197
>Head back to Katherine

>>1127197
>>Head back to the jail

>>1127197
>Head back to Katherine

>>1127197
>>Head back to the jail
By the way, we need to remember and check if any of those people we saved from being sacrificed are related to the maido or the sheep girl.

>>1127197
>Head back to Katherine

>writing

-head back to Katherine.

You think she'll be glad to hear that your test went well. You turn the Rook and head back towards the west gate, running into their cart along the way.

"Yo!" You say, after you swing around and come up beside them.
"Hey" Katherine says. "How's it running?"
"It moves nicely" You say.
"Anything feel off?" She asks.
"No" You say. "Cheska can even use magic"

Cheska lets off some flame, to prove your point.

"Well I'll be..." Katherine says. "Looks like it's a good fit, which is good because it's yours now"
"Thanks!" You say.
"Don't mention it" She says. "Better to give it to the one guy that can use it, than to let it rot away in storage"

"So where are you guys headed?" You ask.
"My house, and then Tian's" Hella says. "I need to pick up some of the things we left behind"

"You're welcome to join us, if you'd like" Katherine says.

>Tag along

>Head to the jail

>Head to the mine

>Other

>>1127239
>>Other
Do a wheelie!
>Head to the jail

>>1127239
>>Head to the jail

>>1127239
>Head to the jail

>writing

"No, I've got other issues" You say.
"No problem" Katherine says. "You're a busy man"
"Well, now I don't have to spend as much time travelling. So hopefully I'll be getting some free time" You say.

"Feel free to swing by then" Katherine says. "We'll be spending the night here"
"You will?" You ask.
"Of course. I'm not travelling at night" Katherine says. "Hopefully Hella's house hasn't been ransacked, because that's where we're planning on staying"
"I'll keep that in mind" You say. "If I do get some free time I'll have Coral take me to Hella"

"O-okay!' Hella says. "See you around"
"See you!" You say, as you turn the Rook around and ride back up the street.

"Where to now?" Cheska asks.
"Back to the jail" You say. "I wanted to thank Katherine for the present first, but now..."
"Time to go hug some people, got it" Cheska says.

"It's not just that" You say. "I'd also like to figure out what to do with Esther. If her entire family was in that blast..."
"Didn't she have an aunt in Locke?" Cheska asks.
"She does" You say. "That's what I want to figure out. If there's nothing for her here, then it may be best to send her back with Katherine tomorrow"

"Well hold your horses buddy" She says. "Let's go see what she has to say about all this. Don't go deciding things on your own"
"I know, I just..."
"You feel responsible" Cheska says "I know. Let's go see what she has to say"

>1/2

You reach the prison in no time at all, and see Derrick sitting with Madelaine out front.

"Whoa, Yuu?" Derrick asks. "Where the hell did that thing come from?"
"That's the Rook" You say. "Katherine gave it to me"

Madelaine stands up and walks over to check it out. "It looks like a motorcycle..." She says.
"Doesn't it?" You ask.
"What's a motorcycle?" Derrick asks.
"This is" Madelaine says.
"I walked right into that..." Derrick says. "So she just... gave it to you?"
"Yeah. It runs using a chaos engine, so no one else could ride it" You say. "She figured that it would be better to let me have it than to let it sit"

"Makes sense" Derrick says. "It looks cool. How fast does it go"
"Too fast..." Cheska says.
"Katherine said it goes about 50% fasater than a normal cart, but I didn't want to go that far in the city" You say.
"Yeah, leave that kind of stuff for the open road" Derrick says. The way he looks at the Rook, you can tell that he wants to ride it. But he knows that the chaos engine would effect him...

You nod. "Is everyone still here?" You ask.
"Most of the people have left, including Tania" Derrick says. "She went with Dustin. Apparently they're going to be holding a town meeting. But Esther is still her. She's with Emi in your office"

>Ask why Dustin is holding a town meeting

>Head inside

>Ask if he's seen Altea yet

>Other

>>1127350
>>Ask why Dustin is holding a town meeting
>>Head inside

>>1127350
>Head inside
>Ask if he's seen Altea yet
>Ask why Dustin is holding a town meeting

>>1127350
>Ask why Dustin is holding a town meeting

>writing

>>1127350
>>Ask why Dustin is holding a town meeting

"Why is Dustin holding a town meeting?" You ask.
"He said he wanted to apologize to the people for letting the Inquisition take control, tell them about what's happened, and hear what they have to say about what should happen next" He says.
"That sounds like it'll take a while" You say.

"It will" Derrick says. "He left a few minutes ago, so you should hear the meeting bell any ti-"

Derrick is cut off by the sound of a bell in the distance. It's loud, even though you can tell that you're pretty far away.

"There it is" Derrick says. "Only the lord of a town has access to its meeting bell, and everyone knows to go to the town's meeting hall when it sounds off"
"You mean every town has one of those?" You ask.
"Yep. Even Locke" Derrick says. "Though it doesn't get rung much there. Too many people in Locke. It's expanded quite a bit since they built the meeting hall"

"How do they do their meetings then?" You ask.
"They don't" Derrick says. "Altea has a few clerks that take letters from the people. Whenever they notice that a lot of citizens have a problem with a particular thing, Altea addresses it"
"Efficient' Cheska says.
Derrick shrugs. "It's worked out for her so far" He says.

"Huh... I didn't know she put that much work into it" You say.
"Well you've never seen her do her real job" Derrick says. "You've only known her as the leader of the rebellion. But she's been the lady of Locke since she wsa around our age"

"That young?" Madelaine asks.
"She requested the job" Derrick says. "You should ask her about it. It's quite the story"
"I will, later" You say. "For now..."
"Go ahead. We'll be out here" Derrick says.

>1/2

You give the doorframe of your office a light knock as you come in, drawing Emi's attention.

She turns to you and raises a finger to her lips. "She's sleeping" Emi says.
You walk over to get a closer look. Emi is coiled up on the ground, making a sort of tail-bed for the lamb.

"How long has she been asleep for?" You ask.
"Not long, but I kinda want to let her rest..." Emi says. "Dustin confirmed that her family was in the blast. After you left, he went through the Inquisition's registry to see who was in the prison"

You frown, and stroke Esther's hair.
"It's not all bad..." Emi says. "There were some survivors. They had a few people working to expand the mine when the attack went off"
"That's good to hear, I guess..." You say.
"Tania's older brother was one of them" Emi says. "Her parent's didn't make it, but at least she has some family"

You sigh.

"And Esther has family in Locke" Emi says. "I was going to ask how she felt about moving there once she settled down, but then she fell asleep..."

You look up at her and chuckle. "You underestimated how comfy you can be" You say.
"Eh, heh heh... this actually isn't very comfortable, but I'm afraid that if I move she'll wake up" Emi says.

>I don't think she will

>Help her out

>I was thinking that same thing

>Other

>>1127505
>>Help her out

>>1127505
>>Help her out

>>1127505
>>Help her out
It the Yu thing to do

>writing

>>1127505
>Help her out

"Here" You say, as you slip you hands underneath Esther and gently lift her up. Then you walk over to your chair and sit down.

The lamb barely stirs from the movement.

"Thanks!" Emi says, as she uncoils her tail and stretches out. "I wasn't sure what to do, I've never really had that happen before..."
You tilt your head. "Had what happen?" You ask.
"Had a kid fall asleep on me like that..." Emi says.

"The devils did, didn't they?" You ask.
"Well, yeah... I guess. But I didn't have to care so much about them" Emi says.
"Wow, rude" You say.
"I didn't mean it like that" Emi says. "I mean those two are tough, and they're always rowdy. So I was never worried about bothering them too much. Here I thought Esther seemed a little... fragile. Like if I moved too much she might break..."

"I get it" You say. "It does kind of seem that way..."
"So thanks" She says. "You're definitely much better with kids than I am"
"It helps that they all seem to love me" You say.
"That too" Emi says. "So I take it Katherine is here?"

"She is, and she's certainly happy to be reunited with her daughter" You say. "Hella came too, so she could grab the stuff that her and Tian left behind"
"I thought she might" Emi says.
"They're staying the night here" You say. "I was gonna go see them later at some point"
"That sounds good" Emi says. "But not right now"
"Agreed" You say, before letting out a yawn.

"Tired?" Emi asks.
"A little" You say. "It's been a long day..."
Emi giggles. "Days tend to be long when they start as early as ours did" She says.

>Take a nap

>Ask Emi how she's been through this

>Tell her about your awesome new motorcycle

>Other

>>1127604
>Ask Emi how she's been through this

>>1127604
>>Take a nap

>>1127604
>>Tell her about your awesome new motorcycle
We need a side car for Emi.

>writing

"How have you been holding up?" You ask.
"Well enough. I definitely feel more confident in my abilities" She says. "That ambush was a bit of a surprise, but we handled it well"
You nod. "Having an earth mage around is pretty handy" You say.
"And you realy surprised me in the ritual chamber" Emi says. "When did you learn to use 2 blades?"

It takes you a second to remember what she's talking about. "Oh, that?" You ask. "I don't think I could do that again. It was kind of a 'heat of the moment' thing..."
"I thought mageblades became more difficult to use in the heat of the moment, not less" Emi says.
"Not like that" You say. "My head got all focused, and I felt that I could use the second blade. So I pulled it out"

"And cleared the whole room" Emi says.
"And cleared the whole room, yes" You say. "To be honest I wasn't actually aware of that. I didn't know that I'd taken on all of them alone until I looked back and saw that no one had come out"

"I would've helped if it looked like you needed it" Emi says. "You've come quite a ways, since we first met. But even then, you were a fighter"

You shrug, and start stroking Esther's hair. "It's not that" You say. "I just kinda go with whatever seems like the best way to do things"
"Which ends up being a fight, more often than not" Emi says. "You'd fit in well back where I come from"

>Ask why you'd fit in

>Ask if she thinks she'll keep going to Leon

>Ask if she likes children

>Other

>>1127710
>Ask why you'd fit in

>>1127710
>Ask why you'd fit in
>>Ask if she likes children

>>1127710

>Ask if she likes children

>writing

>>1127710
>Ask why you'd fit in

"Why?" You ask.
"We're a very proud people" Emi says. "Back before steel swords were common, anyone who had one was someone to be respected. But traditionally, if you're defeated in combat your sword goes to the victor"

"So if you have a good sword, you've gotta be strong if you want to keep it" You say.
Emi nods. "So anyone with any power has to be strong" Emi says. "So there's lots of fighters"
"That makes sense" You say. "Except a metal sword would be kinda pointless for me..."

She giggles. "That's true" She says.

"So there was a time when steel swords weren't common?" You ask.
"Back when the southerners were still raiders" Emi says. "Any steel we had back then would have come from Kazud"
"I know that name" You say. "Fran told me about them. Something about an empire that took up this whole place"
"I didn't think you were interested in history" She says.

You shrug. "She seemed eager to give a lesson, so I took it" You say. "I've got the old empire's capital marked on my map. I wanna go visit there someday"
"You should. It's a beautiful place" She says.
"You're been?" You ask.
"Only once, when I was on my way north" She says.
"Oh yeah" You say. "You never did say why you came up"

"That's a subject for another time, I'm afraid..." She says. Looks like she still doesn't want to talk about it.
"Oh... alright" You say, trying and failing to mask your disappointment

>1/2

You sit in silence for a few minutes, continuing to stroke Esther's hair. It's kind of... fluffy.

When you get bored of being quiet, you look back up at Emi.

"How do you feel about children?" You ask.
Emi's head snaps up, andher face quickly reddens. "Ch-ch-children?" She asks.
"Yeah" You say, turning your attention back to the sleeping lamb. "Ilica seems to be a kid person, but I've never heard your thoughts about them"

Emi breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's what you meant" She says.
You tilt your head. "What did you think I meant?" You ask.
"I-I thought you were... uhh... p-propositioning me..." She says.
"Pro-pos-ish-un-ing" You say. "What's that?"

Emi's face reddens again. "Like a-asking if I wanted... children"
"Oh" You say.

Emi sighs again. "I don't mind them" She says. "I don't think I could handle something like Vivian, or the devils. But Gabriella is a real sweetheart"
"She is" You say. "Is she continuing her studies without you?"
"Yes" Emi says. "I gave her a list of books, and told her to ask Jade if she has any questions. She's usually busy, but she promised to make some time for the little bunny"
"That's nice of her" You say.

Emi nods. "I look forward to seeing how far she's come when I get back" She says. "Same with Ilica"
"Well I hope Ilica will be ready when we get back" You say. "I hope to have more stupid adventures, and she promised that she'd come"
"I'm sure she will be" Emi says.

>Well her teacher is here...

>Talk more about the islands

>Take a nap

>Other

>>1127868
>>Talk more about the islands

>writing

>>1127868
>>>Talk more about the islands

>>1127868
>Talk more about the islands

"But enough about that, I kinda wanna hear more about the islands" You say.
"Oh, alright. What do you wanna know?" She asks.
"More about you, mostly" You say.

"Yuu, you know there's a lot that I don't like to talk about..." She says.
"I know, but there must be things that you would like to talk about" You say. "Did you have any friends?"

"Only a few" She says. "Most of them were merfolk, since I spent most of my free time in the water district"
"I take it you can swim" You say.
"Very well, in fact" She says. "And I can hold my breath for a long time, since my lungs are so big"
"They are?" You ask.
She nods, and puts her hands on her torso, just under her bazongas. "The normal human lung ends about here" She says, before moving her hand a bit lower. "Mine go down to here"
"Where does everything else go?" You ask.
"The rest of my organs go further down into my tail" She says, tracing a finger down her scales until she reaches a certain point. "I think... around here"
"Wow" You say. "So what were your friends like?"

"Well I only really had 2 good friends..." She says.

Emi tells you all about her friends back in the islands, and what she used to do for fun there.

Her friends sound interesting, too. Both of them are merfolk, but with different colours. Since merfolk are basically fish-people, they take the form of different fish, and have different fins and scales depending on that.

Emi smiles as she talks, clearly happy as she remembers these things. When the stories end her smile doesn't fade, but it does get a little less happy.

"They probably miss me..." She says.
"I'm sure you'll see them again" You say.

That appears to both comfort and discomfort her...

>Ask what's bugging her

>Leave it be

>Other

>>1127986
>>1127986
>Ask what's bugging her

>>1127986
>>Ask what's bugging her

>writing

"Normally someone would look happy at the idea of seeing their friends again" You say.
"I-I am... it's just..." She trails off.
"Juuuuuuust?" You ask.

Emi sighs. "The truth is... I'm a part of the nobility there" She says.
"Oh, they guessed right" You say.
"Who did?" Emi asks.
"It was either Ilica or Pip" You say.

"Well... yeah" She says. "What gave it away?"
"She said it was the way you carry yourself" You say. "Keeping upright instead of using your hands like most Serpids"

"That was part of my upbringing" Emi says. "It's a hard habit to break"
You shrug. "Anyways, continue"
"Yes... I am nobility there" She says. "There's a bit of a conflict between families, that mine got caught up in... we're a smaller family, so we can't really stand up to the heads"
"Is that why you left?" You ask.
"That's part of it... yes" She says.

>Maybe I should go collect all their swords...

>I'm always here, if you want to tell me the rest

>Ask if she thinks she'll go back

>Other

>>1128078
>>>I'm always here, if you want to tell me the rest
>>Ask if she thinks she'll go back

>>1128078
>>Maybe I should go collect all their swords...
>>I'm always here, if you want to tell me the rest

>>1128078
>>I'm always here, if you want to tell me the rest

>>Ask if she thinks she'll go back

>>1128078
>>I'm always here, if you want to tell me the rest
>>Ask if she thinks she'll go back

>>1128078
>>Maybe I should go collect all their swords...

>writing

"I'm always here if you want to tell me the rest" You say.
She smiles. "Thanks for understanding" She says.
"Do you think you'll go back someday?" You ask.
"Someday" She says. "I'm curious to see if I can last through a winter up here... if it gets too hard I may have to go back"
"You can always warm up by me" You say.

"That's nice of you, but I may need a bit more than just a person..." She says. "But if I have to go back, I have to go back..."

"What if I went and collected all of their swords?" You ask. "Then I could be king of the southern isles!"
Emi giggles. "The southern isles don't have a king" She says.
"They will when I'm through with them" You say. "King Yuu... has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Emi's smile becomes more genuine. "It does" She says. "But you'd have to beat everyone with a sword in single combat..."
"So it might take a while" You say. "It'll probably have to wait until after I've dealt with the legion"

Emi laughs, brushing her hair over her ear and settling into her coils.

"It's Myuashi, by the way" She says.
"What is?" You ask.
"My name... my last name" She says.
"Emi Myuashi" You say. "That also has a nice ring to it"

>1/2

>Taking a short cooking break. Will resume writing when I return

With that, you smile and lean your head back.

"Going to take a nap?" She asks.
"For a little while, yeah" You say.
"Sleep well, I'll be out front with Derrick" Emi says.
"Kay" You say.

Emi slithers out of the room, and you shift the lamb a little so you can get comfortable, and close your eyes.

...

You awaken a little later to the feeling of something tugging on your shirt. Your eyes shoot open, and you look down. Esther is awake.

"Good morning" You say.

She looks around in confusion. "D-did I sleep that long?" She asks.
"No, I'm messing with you" You say. "How are you feeling?"

She frowns and looks down.

You ruffle her hair.

>Bring her out to the others

>Hang here for a bit

>Other

>>1128248
>>Bring her out to the others

>>1128248
>>Hang here for a bit

>>1128248
>>Hang here for a bit

>writing

"I know..." You say. "And there's probably not much I can do to help"

She sniffles, and looks like she's about to start crying again. Before that, you do have something you want to ask her...

"So you have that aunt, right?" You ask. "the one in Locke?"
"Aunt Hilda" She says.
"Do you like Aunt Hilda?" You ask.

She nods.

"How-... how would you feel about going to stay with her?" You ask.
"I can't stay here?" She asks, her voice wavering.

You frown. You don't really want to say this, but... "There's no one to take care of you here, Esther" You say. "You'll have family there, and I'll tell everyone I know there to be good to you"

She sniffles again, and her eyes water up. "Ca-can I g-go home first?" She asks. "I don't wanna leave now..."
"Of course you can" You say. "Vivian's mother is going back to Locke tomorrow morning. She can take you back with her. How does that sound?"
"Okay..." She says.

You stop stroking her hair and pull her into a tight hug. Not too tight, though. Emi was right, she seems sort of fragile...

>Let her cry it out

>Ask if she wants to go to her home now

>Bring her to the others

>Bring her to Hella and Katherine

>Other

>>1128371
>Let her cry it out

>>1128371
>>>Let her cry it out
>>Ask if she wants to go to her home now

>>1128371
>>Let her cry it out

>>Ask if she wants to go to her home now

>>1128371
>>Let her cry it out
>>Ask if she wants to go to her home now

>writing

>>1128388
This

It was nice to bond more with Emi, felt like she was laid aside lately

You pat her back as she starts to cry again, figuring that it's probably best if she gets it out of her system.

She keeps going for a while, and you can feel your shirt getting wet from her tears. Not that you mind, as it's certainly not the worst fluid to spill onto your shirt...

As the sobbing starts to die down, she presses her ear to your chest and moves it around.

"What's up?" You ask.
"I can't hear your heart..." She says.
"That's normal" You say.

She sits back in your lap and tilts her head. "Why?" She asks.
"Well, because I don't have a heart" You say. "I don't really remember how it happened, but I'm pretty sure someone took it out"

She puts her ear back to your chest. "It sounds funny"
"I've been told that it sounds like a rushing river" You say.

She keeps her ear to your chest for a while. It looks like she's calmed down for now...

"So... when do you want to go back to your home?" You ask.

She pulls away from your chest, and with a troubled look, she shrugs.
"I can take you there now, if you want" You say. "We can bring Emi too. How does that sound?"

Her shoulders tense up, but after a moment she relaxes and nods. "Okay"
"Alright" You say, as you lift her up. "Then let's go"

>1/2

You take Esther outside, and ask Emi if she wants to come with you to Esther's house.

Along with her, Derrick, Madelaine and Cheska all come along as well. You leave the Rook parked at the jail, since you can't really take everone on it...

"So which way is your house?" You ask.
"That way" She says. "It's on the street with the biiiiiig tree"

You do kind of remember seeing a big tree when you were riding around, so you follow her direction.

"Altea swung by while you were asleep" Derrick says.
"You guys didn't wake me?" You ask.
"She said not to" He says. "She was just congratulating us on a job well done, anyway"
"I'll talk to her later then" You say.

"You guys know Altea?" Esther asks.
"Well, yeah" Derrick says. "I used to be her squire, and Yuu is her adopted son"
"Really?" Esther asks. "Can... C-can I meet her?"

>Why so interested?

>Of course

>She might be busy...

>Other

>>1128696
>>Why so interested?

>>1128696
>She might be busy...
>Why so interested?

>>1128696
>Of course
She can make time for us.

>>1128696
>>Why so interested?
>She might be busy...

>>1128696
>>Why so interested?
>>She might be busy...

>>1128696
>Why so interested?

>Of course

>writing

"Why so interested?" You ask.
"C-cause she's Altea!" Esther asks. "She's always been really cool"

"She might be busy, with all that's going on..." You say.
"Oh..." Esther says, as she visibly deflates.
"But I'm sure she could make time for us" You say. "Right Derrick?"
"Of course" Derrick says. "Just be sure to tell her about how cool you think she is"

"I will!" Esther says.

She really seems to be looking forward to this. At the very least, it's taken her mind off what's happened for the time being...

"Just be sure to call her Commander" Derrick says. "She gets a little grumpy when you forget her title"
"I can do that" Esther says.

"And tell her how strong her wings look" Derrick says. "She loves that too"
"Okay!" Esther says.

The lamb is clearly eager to learn more about Altea, and Derrick seems happy to provide that info. So you listen to the 2 of them as you walk.

>1/2

When you reach Esther's house, it's in worse shape than you thought it'd be...

The windows are smashed, and the door's been knocked off its hinges. You hand Esther off to Emi and draw your mageblade, heading inside with Derrick to make sure no one is inside.

After giving the house a look through, you head back to the front entrance.

"Looks like the place has been looted..." You say.
"Yeah, definitely" Derrick says. "The only things left are the things that aren't easy to pawn"

Looking outside, you see that seeing the state of her home has soured Esther's mood.

"Should we bring her inside?" Derrick asks. "It might be worthwhile to just grab whatever is left over that looks like it belonged to her and skidaddle"
"She said she wanted to come home... I don't really want to leave her out there" You say.
"Why don't we ask her?" Derrick asks. "In the end it's her house, and her choice"

You nod to Derrick, and both of you head outside. You then walk up to Esther and crouch down to her level.

"So the inside is a bit of a mess..." You say. "It looks like a lot of your stuff has been taken, so you may not find much... do you still want to go in?"

Esther looks conflicted, her gaze going to each of your friends before settling on you again. She shifts nerously from foot to foot.

"I-I don't know..." She says. "Should I?"

>I think you should

>It might be best if you didn't

>In the end it's really up to you

>Other

>>1128942
>>In the end it's really up to you

>>1128942
>>I think you should

>>In the end it's really up to you

>>1128942
>I think you should.
She'll always wonder if she could have salvaged something if she doesn't go in now.

>>1128942
>>I think you should

>writing

"I think you should" You say. "If you don't go now, you may regret it later"
"Will you come with me?" She asks.

"Of course" You say. "Right guys?"
Emi smiles, as she swoops in and picks the little lamb up. "We'll be right with you" She says.

"Let's go" Derrick says.

You all head inside. Esther is now visibly disturbed by the state of her old home. Emi and Madelaine take her up to her room to see if they can pack her away some clothes, while you, Derrick and Cheska look through the other rooms for anything that might have sentimental value.

"Holy fuck man, this place has been picked clean" Cheska says. "Just who in the hell does this kind of shit?"
"Who knows?" Derrick asks. "Let's just keep looking"

"You okay Derrick? You seem pretty upset" You say.
"This whole place is putting me off" He says. "Plus, she's kind of reminding me of how I was back when I first heard about my mom and my sister..."
"What happened to them?" Cheska asks.

"Caught by the legion" Derrick says.
"My condolences" Cheska says. "Those fucks are never nice to their prisoners"
"No... no they weren't" He says. "Look, let's just find what we can, and get out"
"Agreed" You say, as you start sifting through stuff.

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>1129106

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>1129106

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>1129106

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>1129106

>writing

You search the living room first, but it's almost completely empty. The kitchen is next, but there isn't even a single fork...

Then you move upstairs. Emi and Madelaine are in Esther's room, so you go to the parents'.

It's a mess, but it looks promising. You rifle around, looking for just about anything.

That's an empty box...

That's someone's underwear...

That's something you don't recognize...

That's also someone's underwear...

Oh, hang on. You see something shiny peeking out from under the mattress, and go over to it. The mattress lifts easily, revealing a metal chain with another metal thing on the end.

The thing on the end pops open to reveal a tiny picture of what looks like Esther and her parents. Her parents both look happy, and Esther herself has a huge grin.

You look over the room once more, but don't manage to find anything. You figure this will be enough. A picture of her family smiling as a reminder of the good times, and a reminder that she should keep smiling.

You head back into the room, and see that Emi and Madelaine are now helping Esther fold her things up and pack them away.

>Give the locket to her now?

>>1129276
nah, let's wait till we're out of the house at least.

>>1129301
This

>writing

"How's it going?" You ask.

Madelaine gets up and comes over to you. "Looks like we're just about done" She says. "Seems like most of her stuff was taken. She was hoping to find one of her old stuffed animals, but there was only one left and it was torn to shreds..."

You oeek past Madelaine, and sure enough there's a destroyed stuffed animal sitting on the floor...

"Pack it away" You say. "I'm sure there's someone in Locke who can fix it"
Madelaine smiles. "Good call" She says. "Find anything?"
"Just one thing, tucked under the mattress" You say. "I'll wait 'till we're outside to give it to her, though"
"Alright" Madelaine says. "We'll finish up here and meet you out there, kay?"
"Kay" You reply.

Madelaine goes back to packing, and you head downstairs. As you go, you can hear Madelaine making a case for bringing the stuffed animal.

You're not sure if it can be repaired, but it's worth a shot...

You meet Derrick and Cheska outside.

"What are you guys talking about?" You ask.
"Whether or not we should own up to burning down the guildhall" Cheska says.
"I already told Katherine that it was an accident" You say. "Besides, that place was better off as a smoldering ruin. I think Katherine would've been more unhappy if she saw what it looked like"

"Solid argument" Cheska says. "I'm alright with leaving it be. How 'bout you?"
"Same" Derrick says. "So where to after this?"

>We should head to Hella's

>We should find Meyu

>We should check out the town hall

>Other

>>1129470
>>We should check out the town hall

>>1129470
>>We should check out the town hall

>>1129470
>>We should check out the town hall

>>1129470
> Head to Hella's
I don't think we've actually told Katherine about Esther yet.

>>1129470
>>We should check out the town hall

>writing

"We should go check out the town hall" You say. "I want to see what they're up to in there. Maybe give my own 2 cents"
"2... cents?" Derrick asks.
"My own thoughts" You say.
"Ah, alright" He says. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm interested in hearing what they come up with"

The conversation turns to Sherton as you wait for the girls to come down. The three of you start to brainstorm ideas about how you might be able to get inside there.

"If only we had Sherton's lord with us" You say.
"He'd need a secret entrance too" Cheska says. "We kinda lucked out here"
"Plus Sherton's nobles were actually more supportive of the Inquisition that Dustin was" Derrick says. "There's a reason why they never took the other towns over the way they did before. Dustin actually wouldn't work with them"

"Dang..." You say. "I wonder if we could get a message off to someone inside"
"Like who?" Derrick asks.
"I dunno... maybe the guy that gave us the cart?" You ask.
"Hang on, somebody just gave you that cart?" Cheska asks.
"Well, its owner died when your old buddies attacked Sherton" Derrick says. "The town quartermaster gave it to us because we saved his family and we needed a quick way to get to Contique"
"Well hot damn" Cheska says. "Sweet deal. I remember that attack, too"

"It was quite something..." Derrick says.
"No it wasn't" Cheska says. "The only gain we actually made was blowing up that dumb tower. Carthac fucked up bad when he tried to gather up sacrifices instead of sticking to the objective"

"Which was...?" Derrick asks.
"Irrepairable damage" Cheska says. "We were supposed to completely fuck the generator, destroy the greenhouses, burn the regular houses, etc. But instead Carthac wanted to get a boon for his pet"

"His... pet?" Derrick asks.
"That wolf bitch" Cheska says. "You remember her, right Yuu?"
"I do" You say.
Cheska shrugs. "Well, it cost him in the end. He lost Heartclaimer, his pride, and his mission" She says. "That was a fun fight to watch, by the way"

>You saw it?

>I'm glad someone enjoyed it...

>He was trying to get that wolf a boon?

>Other

>He was trying to get that wolf a boon?

>>1129699
>>I'm glad someone enjoyed it...

>>He was trying to get that wolf a boon?

>>1129699
>So what was everyone on your old side's reaction when I got stabbed in the heart and it didn't work? Everyone here just thinks I'm suicidal.

>>1129699
>>I'm glad someone enjoyed it...

>writing

>>1129699
this >>1129746

"Well I'm glad someone enjoyed it..." You say.
"Yeah man, it was like one big ride" She says. "When Carthac told us all to stand back, I went ahead and pulled up a chair. It was fun watching him get angrier and angrier as he kept missing you, but then he used his demon eye and it looked like it was over. But then not only did you not die from getting stabbed, but you also didn't feel the mana sickness. So I was all 'oh shit, what's he gonna do now?'. And then you wouldn't let go, and the hunters showed up and I was like 'OHHH SHIT, WHAT'S HE GONNA DO NOW?'"

"You actually pulled up a chair?" You ask.
"Of course" She says. "It's not every day your commander orders you to take it easy while he does all the work. I wanted to get the most out of it"
"What was the way out like?" You ask.

"Quiet" She says. "And I mean silent. You could actually feel the rage coming off of Carthac. I had to try so hard to keep myself from laughing"

"But he was trying to summon another boon..." Derrick says. "Why? Why do it right then?"
"I guess he figured they might be able to take the whole city if they had 2 boons... that sure backfired" Cheska says. "It probably would have been worse if he managed to perform the ritual. I don't think the bitch would have had the strength to fight afterwards. That is, if she survived"

"And if she died, then-"
"Then the black god would have sucked every drop of Mana out of Sherton" Cheska says. "Mission complete, technically. We'd have all been dead, but Sherton would have had that 'irrepairable damage' we'd been looking for"

"That's... actually kind of scary" Derrick says.
"Downright terrifying" Cheska says. "Makes me glad that Mahron decides who does the ritual. He has a decent eye for who can and can't last it"
"Why not weaponize that?" Derrick asks. "The ability to wipe an entire city out at the cost of a few of your own sounds like a trade I'd be tempted to make"
"I dunno.... something about the black god's decree" Cheska says. "Anyway, I don't know too much about it"

Before you can ask anything further, the ladies emerge from the house.

Emi is carrying Esther, and Madelaine hands you a rather large bag.

"Here, you get to carry this" She says
"Kay" You say. "All set?"
"Looks like it" Derrick says.
"Good" You say, as you walk up to Emi and Esther. "Because I've got something for you..."

That's all for tonight!

I'll probably run again tomorrow, so keep an eye out

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

Thanks for running! Always a pleasure smiley.

>>1129866
Thanks for running Smiley

>>1129866
Thanks for running Smiley
Getting to know Emi better was nice
know do we let Ilica and Pip that one of them one their bet on if Emi was a Noble? or should we keep that our ourselves for now

>>1129858
That would have been terrifying for Yuu. If the ritual had gone through, everyone in Sherton would have dropped dead except for him.

>>1129909
That option will probably come up next time you see either of them, so in the end it'll be up to you guys.

>>1129921
Not true. Terry and Caiah were both in Sherton at that time. They would've survived.