>>1757554
>Other
>Find the princess, making up and introductions

>>1757554
>Ask why she smacked the king
Evening Smiley, how's the best coast been treating you?

>>1757554
>>Ask why she smacked the king

>>1757554
>>Ask why she smacked the king

>>1757571
Not too bad. Really hot and smoggy atm, but that's to be expected when the rest of the province is on fire.

>writing

>>1757630
There is so much smoke you can't even see the mountains where I am.
Getting settled in alright?

You follow after the Comomder, catching up with her at the balcony. From here you can see just about all of Leon...

"Nice view" You say.
"Indeed" She replies. "It was off this tower where my sister, my niece, and all other queens have learned to fly"

"Family tradition?" You ask.
"Of a sort" She says. "I could've joined them, but I chose Locke as my home when I was a girl"

"Why did you smack the king?" You ask.
"Because the luxury of walowing in self pity is not one that can be afforded to him, yet he's in there doing it anyway" Altea says. "Someone had to do it"

"Why can't he wallow in self pity?" You ask.
"Because there are more important things to do" Altea says. "We've both had 4 years to grieve for my dear sister. That's plenty of time, especially when the dogs that killed her are snarling at our windows"

"That's unfair" You say.
"To him?" Altea asks.
"No, to dogs" You say.

Altea cracks up and starts laughing. "Well spoken" She says.

"What now?" You ask.
"Now I find the old foo-... the king's military chiefs and see what our actual situation is" She says. "The king believes that our military is insufficient to hold the legion back, nevermind striking into their territory. I wish to confirm this myself... you're welcome to come along, if you wish"

>Sure

>Head back to Emi

>What happens if he's right?

>Other

>>1757694
>>Sure

>>1757694
>>Sure
but,
>>What happens if he's right?

>>1757694

>Sure
>What happens if he's right?

>>1757694
>>Sure

>writing

>>1757638
Settling in slowly, but surely. I have transportation and a working phone now, so I can start working on getting furniture and stop sleeping in a hammock.

Awwww shit. It's back!

>>1757759
>sleeping in a hammock.
Better than sleeping on the floor

"Might as well. I'll be a part of that when it happens, so I may as well follow the process" You say.
"Follow me, then. The king's most capable commanders are in Contique, but the ones who remain will be below" Altea says.

"Lead the way"

You follow Altea back through the palace, toward the stairway you first used to get up here... when she sees the ruins, she turns to you.

"Yuu... why did you destroy the staircase?" She asks.
"I did not destroy the staircase" You say. "Pip and I were just going up, and it collapsed"

Altea raises an eyebrow and looks back down. "A trap?" She asks. "Who in their right mind would rig these stairs? They'd just as likely catch one of their own as one of ours..."

"Either way, it failed" You say.
"Glad to hear it, though now we must find another way around..." Altea says.

The two of you head in a different direction, the way Pip lead you when you were looking for Derrick.

"So... I was wondering..." You say.

Altea turns, showing her interest.

"What happens if the king is right?" You ask. "If we don't have the people to even hold the Legion off?"

She purses her lips and thinks. "I am... unsure" She says. "For a long time the threat of the Legion has remained on the horizon... looming, and dangerous to be sure. But it was far off, and there were more pressing concerns"

"And now?" You ask.
"Now it is the most pressing concern" She says. "The Hunters may be willing to shore up our numbers slightly, but I doubt Castor will commit his people to open war... and if that's true... well, we're lacking friends at the moment"

>What about the north?

>What about the isles?

>What about the Antolian Resistance?

>Other

>>1757806
>What about the Antolian Resistance?

>>1757806
>>What about the Antolian Resistance?

>writing

"What about the Antolian resistance?" You ask. "I remember Cheska saying they were still active"

"All of our spies have continued to report to the command here" Altea says. "We can only hope that we already have contact with them, as it'll likely be difficult to establish"

"But not impossible" You say.
"Attempting to contact them now would involve things that may draw the wrong eyes to our agents" Altea says. "Difficult and risky, but ultimately necessary, I believe"

"We don't have any sprites who know their members?" You ask. "Was Lubars ever in contact with the old Antolian military?"

"Yes, we liked to meet up in the fields and kill each other in border disputes" Altea says. "The Antolians were never our friends, Yuu. In fact, it was probably pressure from us that made them start recruiting demons in the first place..."

"I get it..." You say.

"And speaking of the devil... have you heard from Cheska?" Altea asks. "I know you got a few letters back in Contique"

>Yes

>Nothing yet

>Other

>>1757917
>>Yes

>>1757917
>>Yes

>>1757917
>>Yes

>>1757917
>yes

>writing

"Yeah, one of the letters was from the church about the barrier. The other was from Cheska. I've actually got it he-..." You say, stopping as you remember that it was literally covered in kiss marks...

Altea raises an eyebrow. "Got it... where?" She asks.
"I-I uhh... I thought it was in my pocket, but I guess I must've taken it out. Heh heh..." You say. You are lying, of course. But you'd rather not show your mother this particular letter...

Altea leans over to you. "Are you... hiding something?" She asks.
"N-no" You say.

"Aunt-ea!" Another voice calls out.

You both turn to see Daria gliding towards you. Not on foot, but with her wings. She flies down the hall going much faster than she probably should be, straight toward Altea...

A few feet away she swings her legs forward and brakes hard, but it doesn't look like she's slowing down nearly enough...

>Step back

>Take the hit

>Other

>>1758003
>>Step back

>>1758003
>Take the hit
Tank it

>>1758003
>Take the hit
Protect Comomder from the dangerous missile

>>1758003
>Take the hit

>writing

You step forward and catch the projectile princess before she can reach Altea. The force knocks you off your feet, and you skid a few feet across the ground.

...

"Ow" You say.

Daria turns her head up with a confused expression, and give her wings a few little flaps. "Cousin?" She asks.

"Daria" Altea says. "I know she may not be around anymore, but what would your mother say about this?"

The princess frowns. "Sh-she'd tell me no flying indoors?" Daria says.
"And what were you just doing?" Altea asks.
"F-flying indoors" Daria says. "But I was really excited!"
"That's no excuse" Altea says. "Wings are for the open air. The cramped corridors are no place to be flying"

Daria folds her arms and pouts...

>Please get off me

>No harm done

>She was doing alright

>Other

>>1758120
>>Please get off me

>>No harm done

>>1758120
>No harm done
>Please get off me

>>1758120
>>No harm done

>>1758120
>>Please get off me

>>No harm done

>>1758120
>No harm done

>writing

"Before you do whatever it is you're planning on doing, could you please get off of me?" You ask.

Daria looks back down at you, her angry look disappearing almost instantly, replaced by an excited smile. "Hi cousin! It's so nice to meet you!" She says, as she leans down and hugs you. "Derrick told me so much about you!"

"Uhh... nice to meet you too" You say, as you awkwardly pat Daria on the back.

"Alright..." Altea says, as she steps in and lifts the princess off of you. "Don't you have something to say to Yuu?"
"Oh yeah..." Daria says. "Sorry for attacking you with my sword earlier..."

Altea looks dumbfounded. "Not what I was talking about... and... what?" She asks.
"No harm done" You reply.

>Where is Derrick, anyway?

>Apologize for hitting her

>Ask what exactly Derrick has told her

>Other

>>1758226

>Apologize for hitting her

>Ask what exactly Derrick has told her

>>1758226
>>Apologize for hitting her

>>1758226
>>Apologize for hitting her

>>Ask what exactly Derrick has told her

>>1758226
>Apologize for hitting her
>Ask what exactly Derrick has told her

>writing

"And while we're apologizing, I'm sorry for whacking you over the head" You say.

Daria puffs out her chest with pride. "Not to worry, I have an exceptionally hard head!" She says, knocking on her skull where you hit her for emphasis. As soon as her hand makes contact the proud display drops, and her eyes water...

"Are you sure you're okay?" You ask.
"I-I'm fine" She says, clutching her head with both hands as tears streak down her cheeks. "It doesn't hurt"
"It kinda looks like it-"

"It doesn't hurt..." She says again, as she curls up into a ball and wraps her wings around herself. "I just need a moment"

...

You turn to Altea.

>Should I get a healer?

>Is this normal?

>I didn't hit her that hard...

>Other

>>1758295
>>Is this normal?

>>1758295
>>Is this normal?

>>1758295
>Rub her gently on the back

>Is this normal?

>>1758295
>Is this normal?
>I didn't hit her that hard...

>writing

>>1758295
>>Is this normal?
>>Should I get a healer?

>>1758295
>Is this normal?
>Comfort the poor dragon

You lean down beside Daria and gently rub her back, as you hear faint sobbing coming from under her enclosed wings.

"Is this normal?" You ask.
"I'm sure Derrick has informed you that she's a bit... sheltered, yes?" Altea whispers.
"Yes" You reply.

Altea sighs. "I'm sure she'll be fine"

You turn when you hear footsteps approaching, and see Derrick coming down the hall.

"This is why I told you not to fly around in here, Daria" Derrick says.

Daria pops her head out of her wing-cocoon. "I didn't run into anything!" She shouts.
"So why are you in your egg?" Derrick asks.

"Egg...?" You ask.
"Yuu hit me!" Daria says.

"I did not!" You say. "I mean, I did... but that was earlier, when you were trying to kill me"
"Oh..." Derrick says, as he reaches out and touches Daria's head. "Does it hurt that much?"
"D-don't touch it..." Daria says.
"It doesn't look that bad. Just a bump" He says "Maybe I can introduce you to Emi. She's really good with this kind of thing"

"Okay..." Daria says.

Derrick helps his sister to her feet. "Where were you guys headed?" He asks.
"War room" Altea says. "Are your father's commanders in?"
"I believe so. I checked in there when I was looking for her. Apparently they're preparing for you" He says.
"Good" Altea says.

>Go with Altea

>Go with Derrick

>Other

>>1758402
>Go with Derrick

>>1758402
>>Go with Derrick

>>1758402
>Go with Derrick

>>1758402
>>Go with Altea

>>1758402
>Go with Derrick

>writing

>>1758402
>>Go with Derrick

Our cousin is super cute.

"Come on, Daria. Let's get that bump looked at" Derrick says.
"Okay... bye Aunt-ea! Bye Yuu!" Daria says.

"See you around, dear" Altea says.

Derrick and Daria head off, and you watch them go for a second.

"You can go with them, you know" Altea says.
"You sure? I did say I'd come with you to the war room..." You say.
"I wouldn't worry about that. Most of the information there will be numbers, distances and other military things that you have no context for" She says. "I'll call everyone together later to let you all know what the situation is"

"You sure there's nothing I can do?" You ask.
"If you wish to help... would you be able to head down to where Captain Crow's ship landed and make sure everyone there is alright?" Altea asks. "I got a note from her saying the ship was damaged, and some of her crew were wounded, but I'd like someone to go down and check it out for themself. Maybe bring Pip with you, if you run into her"

"I can manage that. I need Pip to help me find the Rook again anyway, since we stowed it away in her old hideout" You say.
"Good" Altea says. "Now, off you go"

"Kay" You say, as you step in and hug Altea. "See you later"
"See you later" She replies.

With that, you release your mom and run off after your cousins. "Wait up!"

>1/2

"Coming along, Yuu?" Derrick asks.

You nod.

"Good, because I have no idea where Emi is... think you can get Coral to lead us to her?" Derrick asks.

Daria looks confused. "Who's Coral?"
"Coral is... around here somewhere" You say, looking around you for the little sprite. "Coral?"

Something starts rustling around inside your shirt, working its way up to your collar where Coral pops out and strikes a triumphant pose.

"There she is" You say. "What were you doing in my shirt?"

Coral gestures to tell you that she was sleeping.

"Aww, did I wake you?" You ask.

Coral gives a thumb's up.

"Are you all rested up?"

Coral nods.

"Good! I need you to lead us to Emi" You say.

Coral salutes, and looks around until she sees Daria. She then turns to you and points at the princess.

"Right, this is Daria" You say. "She's my cousin. Daria, this is Coral"
"Nice to... meet you?" Daria says. "I've never seen someone have a full conversation with a sprite before..."
"You've never seen a sprite like Coral" Derrick says.

Coral sets about her usual investigation, getting a closer look at her new friend.

"What is she doing?" Daria asks, looking mildly uncomfortable.

>Don't worry about it

>Checking you out

>I honestly have no idea

>Other

>>1758533
>>Checking you out
Only a lil gay

>>1758533
>Checking you out
>Don't worry about it

>>1758533
>>Checking you out

>>1758533
>>Don't worry about it

>>Checking you out

>>1758533
>>Other
That's how she says hello

>>1758533
>Don't worry about it
>She just committing you to memory so she can find you if she needs to

>writing

"She's just checking you out" You say.
"Wh-why?" Daria asks.
"I dunno, but look at how much fun she's having!" You say.

Derrick chuckles. "She's probably taking the time to commit you to memory" He says. "She does this to everyone"
"Everyone?" Daria asks. "Even Aunt-ea?"
"Yep" You say. "Well... everyone but Cheska, but that's another story"

Coral flits around Daria, examining everything she can see. From her tail, to her wings, to her face, to her horns, all the way to the bump on her head.

"Ow! Don't touch that!" Daria says.

Coral gets spooked and zips around to hide behind your head.

"It's okay, she's not mad" You say. "Just don't memorize the bump... we'll be getting rid of that as soon as we find Emi"

Coral looks like she's just remembered what she was doing, and points off down the hallway.

"Is that where Emi is?" You ask.

Coral nods.

"Alright, let's go"

>1/2

"So what exactly did you tell her about me?" You ask Derrick.
"Nothing bad" He says.

"He said you were kinda dopey" Daria says.

...

"That's fair" You say. "I recall Ilica asking me several times if I was stupid when we first met... and then a few more times after that"
"Who's Ilica?" Daria asks.
"Our friend. She stayed behind in Locke to continue her training" Derrick says. "She's one of the ones who escaped the prison with us"

Daria looks interested. "What's she like?"
"Well she's a Felid..." Derrick says.
"Like Leah?" Daria asks.
"No... less like a Lion, more like a stray cat" Derrick says. "Though I suppose it's unfair to call her a stray now"

"She sounds cool" Daria says.

>She is pretty cool

>She scratches a lot

>You know like... 2 things about her

>Other

>>1758682
>>She scratches a lot

>>1758682
>>She is pretty cool

>>1758682
>She is pretty cool

>>1758682
>>She is pretty cool

>>1758682
>She is pretty cool

>writing

"She is pretty cool. I mean, she scratches a lot... but she's still pretty cool" You say. "She once saved me from a Carracore by jumping on its head and clawing the heck out of its face"

"Wooow" Daria says. "Did she kill it?"
"No... well, she helped keep it in place so Emi could stick a big thing of ice into its chest" You say.
"Coooool" Daria says. "And what's Emi like?"

You start running down your list of friends, giving Daria a brief description of all of them. Thankfully you find Emi before the list runs totally dry...

"I mean, she's cute and all... but I may have given her a taste for human flesh" You say. "Specifically my flesh. She is constantly trying to bite me"
"Aww... that's cute" Daria says.

"You wouldn't be saying that if it were your hands on the menu..." You say.

When you round the corner, you see Emi there talking with Marybell. The five of you look at each other in silence for a moment.

"Hello" You say.
"Hi" Emi says. "Who's this?"
"This is Daria-... err, Princess Daria" Marybell says.

Coral starts tugging on your ear.

"What is it?" You ask.

She smiles and points at Emi.

"Yes, mission accomplished" You say, chuckling as you pull out a dried berry for her to munch on.
"Were you looking for me?" Emi asks.
"Yeah... I may have whacked the princess a little bit too hard when I first got here..." You say. "Could you take a look?"
"Certainly. It's not every day you're asked to treat royalty" Emi says.

"Yes it is" Derrick says.
"Yuu doesn't count" Emi says.

>Why not?

>Ask if they've seen Pip

>Ask what they were talking about

>Other

>>1758775
>>Ask if they've seen Pip

>>1758775
>Why not?
It's been so long I can't remember if we had that Sword through the chest wound looked at yet

>>1758775
>>Ask if they've seen Pip
I would say Derrick, but he doesn't get hurt enough times like we do.

>>1758792
You did

>writing

"Why not?" You ask.

Emi pokes you in the nose. "Because you don't ask. You just show up with a few new holes and it's either patch them or let you bleed to death" She says, as she slithers over to Daria. "Now, where does it hurt?"

As Emi gets to work, you turn to Marybell.

"Is Pip around?" You ask.
"She's talking with some of the royal guard back by the king's chambers" Marybell says. "You need her for something?"
"Yeah, I need to get the Rook back from her hideout, and Altea wanted me to take her and go see what happened with the ship" You say.

"I figured she'd send someone out to do that eventually" Marybell says. "You know where the chambers are?"

"Probably" You say.

>Head there now

>Wait until Emi is done

>Other

>>1758823
>>Head there now

>>1758823
>>Head there now

>>1758823
>>Head there now
Oh yea sure i can totally find where ever that is, pshhh, you think I'd get lost or something?

>>1758823
>Head there now

>writing

"I'll head over there now then, I want to make sure my ride is okay..." You say.
"You're sure you can find her on your own?" Marybell asks.
"It's not that far" You say. "See you guys!"

You head away, and once you're out of earshot...

"But just to be sure, Coral?"

Coral pokes her head out of your shirt.

"Can you bring me to Pip?"

Coral salutes and points down the hall.

"Excellent"

With Coral's help, you find the way to the king's chambers quickly. You're certain that you knew the way, but... better safe than sorry.

"Heya Yuusky" Pip calls out as you approach. You see her talking with 2 other people who you recognize as 2 of the royal guards who stopped you when you entered the Palace. "What's up?"

"The Comomder wanted us to go check out the ship" You say. "Also, I want my Rook back..."
"Sure thing. We'll take the above-ground route this time, if that's okay with you" She says.
"It absolutely is" You reply.

"But first, Yuu, these guys are Owen and Leah" Pip says. "And they have something to say"

"Sorry for... y'know... trying to kill you" Owen says.
"Yeah, different sides and all that" Leah says.

"No harm done" You say. "Well... there was harm done... to me, mostly"
"Do you do that a lot?" Owen asks.
"Do what?"
"Get stabbed in the chest on purpose?" He asks.

>On occasion

>I win like... half my fights with that move

>Not important

>Other

>>1758896
>>I win like... half my fights with that move

>>1758896
>>I win like... half my fights with that move

>>1758896
>I win like errrr........ Actually that information is a classified military secret

>>1758896
>>I win like... half my fights with that move

>>1758896
>On occasion

>writing

"I win like... half my fights with that move" You say.
Owen gives you an odd look. "You must be a healer's worst nightmare"

"That's not true. Emi likes me" You say. "She's like a big sister... except we're the same age. Though she is bigger- err... longer than me"

...

"Emi is a Serpid" Pip says.
"Ah, I see" Owen says.

"Are you sure he's okay?" Leah asks Pip.
"Right as rain" Pip says. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... when we were chasing you, you stopped, got off your vehicle, found a little kid's parents, and then kept going" Leah says. "I mean, the kid is a cousin of mine, so I'm grateful. But didn't you have better things to be doing?"

"Well I couldn't just leave a baby crying in the street... that's the sort of thing a bad guy would do" You say.
"Plus we couldn't get too far ahead, otherwise you guys might go after the slower carts carrying our main force" Pip says.
"That too. Plus I got to lay out that snappy one liner at the end there" You say. "That was pretty cool"

"Not so much" Pip says.

"I suppose that makes some sense..." Leah says. "The bit about stopping and not letting us get too far ahead..."
"I think I see why Lady Altea likes him" Owen says.
"Oh yeah?" Leah asks.
"Unorthodox, but effective" Owen says. "If it does the job, it doesn't matter if it's done exactly the way it was taught to us. That's something she told us back when we were all younger..."

"That certainly sounds like her... but just don't let her hear you calling her a lady" Pip says. "Anyway, we should go. Coming, Yuu?"

"It was nice meeting you!" You say. "I mean, without the swords"

That's all for tonight!

I'll be a bit busy tomorrow, but I should be able to run a few threads over the weekend if all goes well.

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

>>1758953
Thanks for Running Smiley
Hope you get all settled in soon
And that the smoke dissipates soon

>>1758953
Thanks for running Smiley

>>1758953
thanks for running good to have you back

>>1758958
Because of the smoke, the moon's been red the entire time I've been here. I think something bloody may be going down out here.

>>1759036
Washington?

>>1759321
I think he's Canadian, so it might be British Columbia?

>>1759346
Yep.

"So, what did you think of our new allies?" Pip asks.
"It's weird that we were fighting against them 2 hours ago, and now we can just chat casually with them like nothing happened" You say.

"That's the way with war sometimes. Enemies become friends, friends become enemies" Pip says. "I mean, we'll probably be working with the Antolians at some point, and I've knifed more of their guys than I can count"

"I thought magic was your thing" You say.
"It is, but the thing about offensive Light spells is that they're not exactly subtle. They're all shine, and sparkle, and hey look there's somebody over here. You know?" Pip asks. "No good if you don't want to be seen"

"Doesn't that make it a bad element for someone like you?" You ask.
"On the contrary Yuusky. Defensive light spells are great with a capital G for what I do" Pip says. "I'm not quite at a level where I can disappear completely, but I can make myself really blurry"

"Can I see?" You ask.
"No" She replies.
"Aww..."

Pip laughs and twirls, putting her hand over a spot on the wall next to you as it suddenly flashes, and the wall opens up.

"Here we are" She says. "Rook should be right where you left it.

>How does that door work anyway?

>Should be?

>Can you show me how to make a shield now?

>Other

>>1767850
>>Can you show me how to make a shield now?

>>1767850
>Should be?

>>1767850
>>Should be?
>>Can you show me how to make a shield now?

>>1767850
>>Can you show me how to make a shield now?

>writing

"Should be?" You ask.
"I cannot attest to how secure this place is anymore" Pip says. "Could be untouched, or somebody else could've figured out the entrance. I'd have no way of knowing"

"Well, if somebody did get in-" You say, as you open up the compartment the Rook was in and see that it's still there "-they'd have no way of turning it on anyway"

"That wouldn't stop someone from taking it" Pip says. "Even if they can't ride it, it's still worth the parts that it's made of"
"But it's still here, so we don't have to worry about that" You say.

You pull the Rook out and add some energy to the engine, then turn to Pip.

"Do we actually know where the ship went down?" You ask.
"I've got a vague idea" She says. "It couldn't leave the barrier, so they put her down in one of the parks east of here. I know the way there, but not where in the park it crashed"
"Shouldn't be that hard to spot" You say.

"That's what I figured" She says. "All set to go?"

"One thing first" You say.
"What's that?"
"Can you show me how to make a shield now?"

...

"Like... right now?" She asks.

>Yes

>Maybe later...

>Other

>>1768027
>>Maybe later...

>>1768027
>Yes

>>1768027
>>Maybe later...

>writing

"Yeah, maybe later" You say. "We still have to reach the ship, and then I want to check out the academy... or the archives... or whatever it was"
"The archives?" Pip asks. "Lookin' to do some research?"

"Looking to meet a researcher" You say. "Guy named... uhh... something with an S. Both Fran and Kieve said I should go to him if I find myself here, since he knows a bunch of stuff about pure demons"
"Alright. We can head there once we've met up with the captain. The archives actually overlook the park that the ship landed in" She says. "But we need to get to the ship first, so saddle up!"

You look to the Rook, then back to Pip.

"It's a figure of speech. Now get on the Rook"
"Kay"

You mount up, and Pip gets on behind you. Then you hit the throttle, holding the forward brake and letting the back wheel swivel out to turn you in the righ direction, and get going.

The streets are much clearer now than they were earlier. The people must have heeded your warning... although the invasion is over now.

Pip directs you toward the park, and you take it slow so you can see all the different buildings as you pass them.

"There are a lot of jewellery stores here..." You say.
"There are a lot of rich people here, and they love that stuff" Pip replies. "Supply and demand"

You figure you must be in the richer part of town, because everything around looks very fancy.

"Oooo! I know this street. You hungry?" She asks.

>Yes

>Not really

>Other

>>1768168
>>Yes

>>1768168
>Yes
>Maybe I could afford some gifts for people out of some of these stores.

>>1768168
>>Yes

>>1768168
>Yes

>writing

"Always" You say.
"Make a left here" Pip says. "I know a place that makes south-antolian food stuff here"

"Is that... good?" You ask.
"You'll see" She replies.

You take the turn and pull up in front of this colourful looking place, then Pip jumps off and hops up to the counter. Unlike most of the places you've passed, this one is opened up instead of indoor.

Pip rings a bell on the counter, and an old goat-lady emerges from the back.

"Wasn't thinkin' I'd get customers today" The lady says, she seems to recognize Pip. "Nevermind someone who's not even allowed in the city"
"That's changed" Pip says. "Civil war's over, we won"
"Well that's a load off my mind" The lady says. "Who's the lad?"

"That's Yuu. He's partially responsible for the war ending" Pip says.
"Ain't every soldier?" The lady asks.
"Some more than others" Pip replies. "Him especially, but I'm sure you'll get that from the herald"
"Sounds good to me. What can I get ya?"

>1/2

Pip watches you with a curious expression as you take your first few bites of the thick... you're not quite sure if this is a stew or a soup... in front of you.

"Soooo?" She asks.
"It's good" You say.
"And?"

...

"It's... realy good?" You say. "I'm not really sure what you're looking for here..."

"Hey Tam, you spice this right?" Pip asks.
"Like I usually do" The lady replies.
"Maaaaaaan" Pip says. "When I brought Lululu here this stuff burned her tongue off... and you don't even taste it"

...

"But Lulu still has her tongue" You say.
"Not literally" Pip says. "It's spicy. You're supposed to be getting some heat from it"
"I do taste that" You say. "I kinda like it. Makes it feel like the food's biting back"

Pip crosses her arms. "Man... that's half the fun of taking people here" She says.

>You should bring Derrick here

>It's fun to burn people's tongues off?

>You come here a lot?

>Other

>>1768309
>>You should bring Derrick here

>>1768309
>>You should bring Derrick here

>>You come here a lot?

>>1768309
>You should bring Derrick here

>You come here a lot?

>>1768309
>>You come here a lot?
>It's fun to burn people's tongues off?

>>1768309
>>You should bring Derrick here

>>You come here a lot?

>writing

"I guess you must come here often" You say.
"When I'm in town, yeah" Pip says. "Tam used to give me leftovers when I was a broke little street mouse, so I return the favour whenever I can"

You nod and scoop a few more spoonfuls into your mouth, chewing and swallowing as an idea comes to you.

"You should bring Derrick here" You say.

Pip gasps and starts coughing. "W-what?" She asks, before downing her glass of water in one go.
"Yeah, it'd be funny because he can actually breathe fire" You say.

"Ohhh..." She says. "Yeah, that makes sense... but I don't think Tam would appreciate people breathing fire in her shop. Right?"
"He wouldn't be the first one to make that joke, and he won't be the last" Tam says.

You look at Pip and smile.

"Maybe..." She says. "Come on, eat up. We've got places to be"

You nod and finish off the last bits in your bowl, and Pip grabs both of them and hands them to Tam, along with a few coins.

"Come again, you hear?" Tam says.
"I may have to" Pip says. "You take care now"

The two of you head back to the Rook...

>Head for the ship

>Ask if there are any other cool places around

>Other

>>1768410
>>Ask if there are any other cool places around

>>1768410
>>Ask if there are any other cool places around

>>1768410
>Ask if there are any other cool places around

>>1768410
>Ask if there are any other cool places around
Pip 2cute

>>1768410

>Ask if there are any other cool places around

>writing

Childhood crushes are best crushes

"Are there any other cool places around here?" You ask.
"There's the fountains" Pip says. "Those are near the park, so we can swing around along the way"
"I meant like... shops" You say.

"Pfft. You don't wanna buy anything here" She says. "All way overpriced. You want anything good, you get it by the harbour"

You nod, and start moving. "I'll keep that in mind" You say.

Pip continues to direct you through the streets, until they open up to the park. Looking in, you can see gardens and well groomed trees going on for a while.

"Neato" You say. "I bet Stella would love this place"
"The bunny likes flowers?" Pip asks.
"I actually had to get the Comomder's permission for her to set up a garden in the courtyard at the castle" You say.
"That'll be cool" Pip says. "Anyway, this is the grand park. For a lot of the people here in Leon, it's about as close to nature as they get"

"It doesn't look very natural" You say.
"Yep" Pip says. "This road follows the outside of it, so hang right and keep going. We'll hit the fountains eventually"

>1/2

"Alright, they should be coming up around this corner on the right" Pip says.

As you come around, you stop the Rook and look over to see a big, circular pool of water with a large, ornately cut crystal sitting on its side in the shallow water at its centre. Through the water you can see 7 golden rings sitting on the bottom...

...

"It's usually much more impressive than this" Pip says.
"I figured, yeah" You say

Pip hops off the Rook and walks over to the water's edge. "Must've shut down when we messed up the generator" She says. "Sorry Yuusky, I'll have to bring ya back here when it gets fixed"

>What does it normally look like?

>Let's go...

>Other

>>1768570
>>What does it normally look like?

>>1768570
>>What does it normally look like?

>>1768570
>>What does it normally look like?

>writing

You get off the Rook and head over next to Pip. "What does it usually look like?" You ask.
"Well for starters, that crystal is usually straight up and floating a couple feet off the water" She says. "The golden rings are the 7 water devices, and they also float around the crystal in a circle spewing water outward"

"Neat" You say.
"It gets better" Pip says. "Under the stone beneath the water there are more water devices that control where the water goes after it leaves the gold ones. So the water never pours straight down, it gets diverted all over the place and for the most part never reaches the pool until it's close to the edge"

"Neater" You say. "Also it sounds like it takes a lot of energy"
Pip shrugs. "It's art, and the city's generator can handle it... when it hasn't been sabotaged..."

"Are people allowed to swim here?" You ask.
"During the summer festivals, yes" Pip says. "It's frowned upon at all other times"
"Oh..." You say. "When is the summer festival?"
"Like... 3 months ago" Pip says. "Sorry Yuusky, you'll have to wait until next year"

>Do they skate here in the winter?

>What else happens at a summer festival?

>Nobody is around...

>Other

>>1768702
>>Do they skate here in the winter?

>>What else happens at a summer festival?

>>1768702
>>Do they skate here in the winter?

>>1768702
>Nobody is around...
>I'm the war hero and I will swim where I want!

>writing

>>1768702
>>What else happens at a summer festival?

>>Nobody is around...

"Nobody is around..." You say.
"You're still not supposed to swim in there" Pip says.

"Pssh, I'm a war hero now. I'll swim where I want!" You say, as you start taking your shirt off.
But Pip grabs your collar and drags you back to the Rook. "And Mr. War hero still has work to do, remember?" Pip asks. "Come on, big guy. There are better places in this city to swim anyway"

"Fiiiiine" You say.
"Better" Pip says, as she pulls your shirt back down.

The two of you get back on the Rook, and this time you head down one of the paths leading into the park.

"Not gonna keep circling?" Pip asks.
"Nah, I can see the ship up this way" You reply.
"Oh yeah. Special eyes" She says. "Cool, that means I can stop navigating and relax"

"Does anything else interesting happen during the summer festival?" You ask.
"Tons of stuff" She says. "It goes on for like a whole week, there's parades, fire flowers, contests. It's a lot of fun"
"Is there a winter festival?" You ask.
"Yep" Pip says.
"Do they let people skate on the fountain then?" You ask.
"Skate...?" Pip asks.

"You now... you put blades on your feet and go out on the ice" You say.
"Ohhh! Ice walking" She says. "We do that, but on on the 7 fountains. They freeze the fountain solid at the start of the winter festival, so it stays in exactly the same place until it warms up again.

"Neato" You say.

>Any other festivals I should know about?

>Who manages all these gardens?

>When do you think we'll be going back to Locke?

>other

>>1768784
>>Any other festivals I should know about?

>>When do you think we'll be going back to Locke?

>>1768784
>>>Any other festivals I should know about?

>>When do you think we'll be going back to Locke?

>>1768784

>Any other festivals I should know about?

>writing

"Any other festivals I should know about?" You ask.
"We do one for each season here in Lubars" Pip says. "You just missed the harvest festival... but most places cancelled that one anyway, 'cause of the war and all"
"Aww..." You say. "Hopefully the winter ones don't get cancelled"

"Depends on how serious things in the west look" Pip says. "The oracles are saying it's gonna be a 'bunker down and wait' sort of winter, though"
"What does that mean?" You ask.
"Lots of snow" Pip says. "Cities'll be fine, but the roads will be hard to travel on"
"But not impossible" You say.
"It's never impossible... just sometimes it's not the best idea" Pip says. "and if you must know, I've seen the snow get deeper than you are tall... so yeah"

"That sounds like fun" You say.
"Fun for about 5 seconds, until you realize how inconvenient it makes everything" Pip says.
"You sound like Lance" You say.
"You can't see it but I'm sticking my tongue out at you" She says.
"Okay" You reply. "Any idea when we'll get to go back to Locke?"

"Not a damn clue" Pip says. "I don't think the Commander will want to leave until she knows the King won't lock the gates behind her... which means I'll be here for a while, but you should be free to go whenever"
"Really?" You ask.
"You should clear that with the Commander first though. Don't just hit the road out of nowhere" Pip says.

"I will" You say. "Clear it, that is. Not hit the road"
"I figured" Pip says. "Oh, here we are"

You pull through into a clearing where the ship looks like it crash landed. You see a few people out and about who look like crew members.

>Ask where the captain is

>Take a look around

>Go aboard

>Other

>>1768891
>>Ask where the captain is
>>Take a look around

>>1768891
>>Ask where the captain is

>>1768891
>>Ask where the captain is

>>Take a look around

>writing

"Ahoy!" You call out as you approach.

A few crewmembers look up and wave.

"Welcome back" One of them says. You guess he must recognize you... "Here to see the captain?"
"Is she onboard?" You ask.
"In her quarters" He replies. "Need us to show you in?"

Pip steps ahead of you and walks toward the ship. "Nah, we know the way" She replies. "Come on, Yuusky"

You follow Pip up the loading ramp and around the ship to a door that she stops and knocks on.

"Pip here, the Commander sent us" Pip says.
"Enter" Captain Theresa replies.

You both head into the room, where you see the Captain sitting in a chair looking out a large window.

"I was wondering when she'd send someone" Theresa says. "Did we win?"
"We did" Pip says. "How's the ship?"

"It'll need repairs before it can fly again. My men can get the engines running again, and the rest can be done at the airship docks... assuming they're open to us"
"I'll see to it" Pip says. "How bad is the damage?"

Pip sits down with Theresa and the 2 of them go over what's broken. Pip notes it all down, and gets Theresa's quote on how much it might cost to fix. It's a pretty long list. One of the engines was totaled by the air defenses as it came in, there are several holes in the hull, and the generator needs several replacement parts.

"And that should be all" Theresa says.
"Alright... I should also warn you that some royal guardsmen will probably be by to ask you some stuff" Pip says.
"Ugh... just what we need" Theresa says. "We'll be ready for them"

>Sounds like the ship really got torn up

>Was anyone hurt?

>what would the guard want?

>other

>>1768958
>>what would the guard want?

>writing

"What would the guard want here?" You ask.
"Incident inside the city. They'll want a full record of it" Pip says. "They're anal like that"

"... anal?" You ask.
"They're... detail oriented like that" Pip says. "Anything else you need?"
"We'll be fine here until the engines are up and running" Theresa says. "And I promise not to leave if that happens before the royal guard arrives..."

"Thank you" Pip says. "If that's all, we'll be on our way"

Theresa nods, and looks to you...

"Uhh... sorry aout your ship" You say.

Theresa smiles. "Nonsense. I haven't had that much fun at the helm in ages" She says. "In fact, if you have the time later I would very much like to know how you managed that drop turn through the hole in the barrier"
"O...kay?" You say.

"And if not, well... if you ever need an airship, send for me. If it looks like an interesting venture, then the Avea is at your service" Theresa says.

You smile. "I'll keep that in mind" You say.
"Now, off you go. I've got a ton of work to put off and I'd like to do it in relative silence" Theresa says.
"As you wish" Pip replies.

That's all for tonight!

Next thread should be tomorrow, starting a bit earlier.

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

>>1769041
Thanks for the thread!

>>1769041
I forget, does Yuu have some kind of set income that we know about?

>>1769041
Awesome, thanks for running

>>1769051
He gets paid for his work, but he doesn't need money all that often. You are carrying a decent amount of coin on you

"And this is the archive" Pip says. "I have been Pip, your tour guide this afternoon. If you will now exit the vehicle, we can make our way inside"

You sit up and clap your hands. Pip's been pointing out each building as you pass it, and letting you know what they are or what they're known for.

"Thank you, thank you" Pip says.

The two of you hop off, and you drain the Rook's engine to shut it down. Pip assures you that this is a nice neighbourhood, so you leave it out front as you head in.

Past the front doors there is a grand lobby with what looks to be a reception desk, except no one is behind it.

Pip walks up and snags a clipboard. "Researchers currently in... wow, just the one?" She says. "Sto... stu... uhh..." She hands the clipboard to you. "This guy"

"Oh! That must be how you spell Stoencht. Stoencht Aval. He's the dude I'm looking for" You say.
"Say that again?" Pip says.
"It's said like Stone-kt" You say. "Took me a while to get it right too"
"Stoencht... okay. Looks like he's currently working on..." Pip says, as she flips the page over. "Nothing?"

You lean over and check the page. "Stoencht Aval... current project: nothing" You say. "Huh... I guess that means he isn't busy"
"I guess so" Pip says.

>Let's pay him a visit

>I wanna look through the books

>Why is he the only person here?

>Other

>>1770418
>Let's pay him a visit

>>1770418
>Let's pay him a visit
Learning, ho!

>>1770418
>>Let's pay him a visit

>>1770418
>Let's pay him a visit

>I wanna look through the books (but just briefly to see if there's anything striking us as interesting or odd)

>>1770418
>>Let's pay him a visit
>Why is he the only person here?

>writing

"Let's pay him a visit then" You say. "Maybe ask why he's the only researcher in the whole building"

"Probably because of the attack" Pip says. "Scholars tend to be skittish folk. Most of them probably went to shelter when they got the news"

"But the attack is over now..." You say.
"Most people probably don't know that" She says. "The whole thing happened so fast, people further out may just be getting the news"
"Sucks to be them" You say.
"Sucks to be everybody when there's a war on" Pip says.

You make your way into the archives looking around for any sign of people, when Pip hears something and takes the lead.

She brings you to a large reinforced room towards what you think is the center of the archives, where you see a man working on something. He has blond hair, glasses, and he's wearing brown robes.

"Are you Stoencht?" You ask.

The man looks up from what he's doing and regards you, adjusting his glasses as he does.

"That's me" He says.
"I was told you're doing research on Pure Demons" You say.
Stoencht waves you off. "Old news. I've long since dropped that subject. Information is much too limited to make any real conclusions" He says, as he steps aside to let you see what he's working with. "Now, I'm all about this!"

In the center of the reinforced room, there's a head sized glass sphere sitting on a pedestal. The sphere is full of some kind of black... stuff, and there are several machines surrounding it.

"That's... what is that exactly?" Pip asks.
"It's nothing!" Stoencht proclaims excitedly.

...

>Applause

>But there's something in there...

>That's what the clipboard meant...

>Other

>>1770541
>But there's something in there...

>>1770541
>That's what the clipboard meant...
>But there's something in there...
>Unless it's block of nothing.

>>1770541
>>Applause

>>That's what the clipboard meant...

>>1770541
>Applaud
>"He's made much ado about nothing. I like it."

>>1770541
>Take off shirt and show him demon scar, Pip won't stop us this time.

>writing

"But there is something in there..." You say, as you step in to get a closer look.

...

"No there isn't" Stoencht says. "The glass ball has had all air drained out leaving a complete void within, and the machines you see around it are taking away the mana and soul. There is, effectively, nothing inside that sphere"

You scowl. "You may want to turn those off..." You say.
Stoencht looks confused. "Why?" He asks.
"This is the same set up that the Grand Inquisitor used to rip open a hole to the Black God's realm" You say.
"Nonsense, the Black God is superstition. A tale people tell themselves so they don't have to face the fact that the Legion is simply more powerful than our army" Stoencht says with a scoff.

"Well then where do they get the boons?" You ask.
"There are no boons" Stoencht replies. "They're a myth"
"No they aren't" You say.

"And I suppose you have proof of this?"
"There's 2 of them sitting in the vaults underneath the castle in Locke" Pip says. "Yuu here claimed them from Hell's Legion commanders himself"

"Well I'll be... if that's the case and the black god is a real being then-" Stoencht's face suddenly goes pale. "I should probably shut these down. At least until further safety procedures can be devised and implemented"

Stoencht goes around shutting down his machines.

"So now that my experiment is on hold, what can I do for you?" Stoencht asks.

>Why were you trying to make nothing?

>Pure demons

>Why are you here alone?

>Other

>>1770614
>Why were you trying to make nothing?
Then, after we've satisfied our curiosity on that subject
>Pure demons

>>1770614
>>Why were you trying to make nothing?

>>Pure demons

>writing

"Why were you trying to make nothing in the first place?" You ask.
"Well I needed a new project after Pure demon research fell flat, and I stumbled across some old notes pertaining to a project like this from 50 or so years ago" Stoencht says. "The project was abandoned due to equipment limitations, but things have come a long way so i figured I'd give it a crack"

"We actually came here to ask about your pure demon research" You say.
"You've come to the right place" Stoencht says, as he motions for you to follow him.

"Is it alright to leave that equipment lying around?" You ask.
He shrugs. "The other researchers all ran home after notice of the attack came in" He says. "Idiots... nobody is going to pillage and burn. It's the rebels, not some barbarian horde. The Archive is likely the safest place in the city"

"So you stayed?" You ask.
"Are you kidding? The central experimentation room is booked solid for the next 2 months. I saw my chance and I took it" He says. "What were your names again?"

"I'm Pip, this is Yuu" Pip says.
"Pip and Yuu... those sound oddly familiar..." Stoencht says. "Ah, who cares? What's sparked your interest in my research?"

>Well... I'm a Pure Demon

>Fran and Kieve both told me to find you

>Just curious

>Other

>>1770686
>Fran and Kieve both told me to find you

>Well... I'm a Pure Demon

>>1770686
>>Fran and Kieve both told me to find you

>>1770686
>>Well... I'm a Pure Demon

>>Fran and Kieve both told me to find you

>>1770686
>Well... I'm a Pure Demon

>Fran and Kieve both told me to find you

>writing

"Fran and Kieve both said to come find you" You say.

Stoencht smiles. "Oh! How are they doing? It's been so long since I've seen them..." Stoencht says. "Are they still working together? I thought it was a bit odd that Fran refused to come and study at the archives with me... this place is like a temple for people like us"

"Well she has 2 kids now, so I don't think she's got much time for research" You say.
"Really? Is she married now?" Stoencht asks.
"Yeah, to Lance" You say.
"Ah! Lance! Kieve's son. He was always a nice guy, good for her" Stoencht says. "And Kieve? Does she still refuse to move out of that burnt out old place?"

"Yes" You say.
"Well, some people can be set in their ways" Stoencht says. "Glad to hear that Fran is doing well. I thought for sure she might run into trouble with the people in Contique, superstitious lot..."

"There was... some trouble" You say. "But it has since been dealt with"
"Good, good" Stoencht says. "If they referred you to me, then you must have been talking to them about it. What's gotten a young man such as yourself interested in Pure demons?"

"Well... I am one" You say.

Stoencht stops dead in his tracks and turns to you, clearly ready to tell you off. But he looks you over for a moment...

"Interesting... possibly..." He says. "Are there any markings on your chest?"
You lift up your shirt.

Stoencht stands up straight, puts a hand on his chin, and nods. "Indubitabluh-..." He says, as he collapses.

...

He doesn't look dead. He probably just fainted. You'll bring him somewhere he can rest and then-

>Leave a note and head out

>Wait for him to wake up

>See if you can find his notes

>Other

>>1770758

>Wait for him to wake up

>>1770758
>Poke him and see if that wakes him up

If not then

>Wait for him to wake up

>writing

You lean down and poke him a few times. Nothing happens.

"Well, that happened" Pip says. "You know, you probably could've lead with the whole 'I'm a pure demon' thing"
"How was I supposed to know he'd faint?" You ask.
"You're expecting a lot from the constitution of someone whose job it is to read all day" Pip says. "Actually, that's unfair... I saw Jade drink so much ale one time that she actually changed colours"
"What does that have to do with this?" You ask.

"Nothing. It was a funny story and I figured I'd bring it up while it was on my mind" Pip says. "We should get him to a couch or something"
"Yeah" You say, as you lift the passed out scholar over your shoulder. "Any idea where we can find one of those?"

"I haven't spent much time in here... but I think the common rooms are toward the back" She says.

"Lead the way"

>1/2

You manage to get Stoencht onto a couch in what looks like some sort of waiting room, and then you and Pip sit down on another.

"So she actually turned the colour of the ale?" You ask.
"Yup" She replies. "Freaked her right out the next morning. She spent the next 3 days cleansing in the baths... and then the guys on cleaning duty had to spend 3 days cleaning the baths..."

"How does she 'cleanse'?" You ask.
"She sits in the water and uhh... replaces herself, I guess" Pip says. "Apparently staying like that would've had some bad long term effects, so she had to purge the 'alcoholic slime'. And then the cleaning guys also had to purge the alcoholic slime"

"Think it'll ever happen again?" You ask.
"I hope not. Baths were off limits while she was in there and while they were being cleaned. At the end of it all, everyone stunk" Pip says. "Not something I'd like a repeat of"

You nod, and look over at the passed out scholar. It may be a while before he comes to. You should-

>Let the others know what's going on

>Find some reading material

>Ask Pip if she's got any cards

>Other

>>1770845
>>Let the others know what's going on

>>Find some reading material

>>1770845
>Let the others know what's going on

>Find some reading material

>>1770845
>>Let the others know what's going on
>>Find some reading material

>>1770845
>>Other
Ask pip if she's got any ideas on how to wake him up.

>writing

"Got some paper and a pen?" You ask.
"Sure" She says, as she reaches into her pockets. "What for?"
"I figure I'll let the others know we're here" You say. "Maybe try and see what we're all doing"

Pip hands you what you need, and you get writing. Coral floats out from inside your shirt to look at what you're doing. She must know that she'll be delivering this at some point...

"There. Ready to work, Coral?" You ask.

Coral nods.

"Awesome. Take this to Derrick for me, please" You say.

Coral salutes, takes the letter, and zips off.

"It's always amusing watching you talk to your sprite" Pip says.
"Is it?" You ask.
"She's really emotive. Like a tiny person" She says. "Almost makes me want to make a sprite of my own, except mine probably wouldn't be as interesting"

"To be fair, I may have messed up a bit when I was making her" You say.
"How so?"
"Jade said to think of what I wanted her to be, and I wanted her to be a messenger... but I didn't want to just have a little thing to carry messages" You say. "So I thought it might be nice if she could be a friend too"
"Huh... well, that's what you got" Pip says. "Might be worth a try. At the worst I'd get my own little messenger"

You stretch out and look around. Stoencht is still passed out...

"I'm gonna go peruse the shelves. See if I can find anything that looks interesting" You say.
"I'll keep an eye on our bookworm" Pip says. "If you find anything saucy, bring it here"

...

>Okay

>Define 'saucy'

>Other

>>1770968
>>Okay

>>Define 'saucy'

I'm not sure they'd have cookbooks here.

>>1770968
>Okay

>Define 'saucy'

>>1770968
>>Okay
>Other, "Any kind of sauce or something specific like ranch or barbecue?

>>1770968
>Okay

>writing

"Alright, any kind of sauce in particular?" You ask. "Like... barbecue... sweet and sour?"

...

"Not like, food sauce" Pip says. "I'm talking like... dirty stuff"

...

"So... books that are on the floor?" You ask.
"No! I mean like... naughty stuff. You know?"

...

"I really don't..." You say.
"Look, if the cover has an illustration of a guy and a girl kissing. Grab it" She says.
"O... kay" You say.

Still uncertain as to what Pip wants, you head out to the library in the archive. There are more books in here than you could read in several lifetimes, and that's not just because you're a busy person...

With this many books, there must be something interesting or... "saucy".

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>1771062

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>1771062

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>1771062

>writing

You start looking through, scanning the various shelves looking for anything to do with... well... anything. Something about you, or something to do with your idea about the other world, or even something about regular demons would do.

You do end up spotting some things that look interesting, but you don't really want to come back with a full stack...

Among those are:

>A catalogue of the heartless: A study on the demonic affliction
This book looks old, and it may have some things you haven't heard yet...

>The Chaos Enigma: Can it be Harnessed?
In contrast, this one looks brand new and could possibly have designs for cool chaos powered machines

>Imbalance of force
A quick scan over the premise of this one shows that it's full of theories on the fact that there's more mana than there is soul...

And then...

>Whispers in the Woods (Y/N)
This one has a picture of two people kissing on the cover...

>Which one do you bring back?

>>1771132

>A catalogue of the heartless: A study on the demonic affliction
>Whispers in the Woods (Y)
Evening Smiley

>>1771132
>>A catalogue of the heartless: A study on the demonic affliction
>Y

>>1771132
>The Chaos Enigma: Can it be Harnessed?
We become the chaos engineer
>Whispers in the Woods (Y)

>>1771132
>The Chaos Enigma: Can it be Harnessed?

>Whispers in the Woods (Y)

>writing

>>1771132
>A catalogue of the heartless: A study on the demonic affliction
>Imbalance of force
>Whispers in the Woods (Y/N)

You have trouble deciding, so you grab the one that covers your most pressing concern: A catalogue of the Heartless. New gadgets are cool, but Cheska is your friend.

You also grab 'Whispers in the Woods'... because it fits the description that Pip gave you.

When you get back, Stoencht is still passed out, and Pip is swinging her feet in boredom.

"Yo" You say.
"Find anything good?" She asks.

You hand her the kissy book and sit down.

Pip giggles. "Ah, you did find one" She says. "Oooo, I know this author too. This should be good"

Pip settles in and starts reading, leaving you to-

>Read over her shoulder

>Open up the catalogue

>Other

>>1771210
>>Read over her shoulder
Finally our questions about the cootie epidemic answered!

>>1771210
>Read over her shoulder

>>1771210
>>Open up the catalogue

>>1771210
>Read over her shoulder

>>1771210
>>Open up the catalogue

>>1771210
>Read over her shoulder

>>1771132
>Whispers in the Woods (Y
>A catalogue of the heartless: A study on the demonic affliction

>writing

You open up the catalogue to the table of contents and look for a chapter that might be useful, when Pip's giggling distracts you.

"Sorry" She says, and you both keep reading.

When you've found something that might help, you start flipping through... and Pip starts giggling again...

This time you lean over to see what she's giggling about, and- oh my...

and then- oh... my...

"Hee hee hee, it's good right?" She asks.

You turn to see Pip giving you a mischievious smile.

>Play dumb

>Lots of kissing... and fondling...

>Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?

>Other

>>1771289
>>Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?

>>1771289
>>Play dumb

>>1771289
>Play dumb

>>1771289
>Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?

>>1771289
>Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?
>Does it work that way for all kinds of girls?

>>1771289
>Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?
>Should I read these books so the Comomder and I can share a hobby?

>writing

"Is this the kind of stuff mom reads?" You ask.
"Sort of. I read more of these than she does, and I pass the best ones along to her" She says. "This one's not bad so far, but I'm not even past the first chapter"

"Huh... I should get back to this" You say.
"Yuh-huh" Pip says. "Just let me know when you want me to turn the page~"

You give her your most unamused look, and she pokes out her tongue at you. Then you both keep on reading...

...

Dangit

>Give in to your curiosity

>Read your own book

>Other

>>1771417
>Give in to your curiosity

>>1771417
>>Read your own book

>>1771417
>>Read your own book

>>1771417
>Give in to your curiosity

>>1771417
>Give in to your curiosity

>>1771417
>Give in to your curiosity

>writing

You sigh and scoot closer to Pip, leaning over so you can see what she's reading. You figure that the necessities can wait until your curiosity is satisfied...

Pip obliges by moving the book over so you can see better.

It's certainly an interesting read. There's a lot of moaning, and kissing, and fondling, and thrusting...

By the time she's reached the end of the chapter, you've gotten pretty into it. The chapter ends with a new character showing up, and for whatever reason the two lovers are both shocked.

"And that's enough for now" Pip says.
"Aww..." You say. "But who was the other guy?"
"Probably one of the dryad's old lovers, come back to haunt her" She says. "This author loves that stuff. If you want, I can lend you some of their other stuff"

"Why can't I keep reading this one?" You ask.
"Because Coral is staring at you, and our friend is about to wake up" She replies.
"Oh..." You say, looking up to see Coral waiting patiently with a letter in her arms. "Heya, is that for me?"

Coral nods and hands you the letter. You respond by scratching her head and giving her a nut, then you open it up.

"Let's see... we've all been invited to dine with the Rynia family tonight. You should be there by or before 5. Let us know what you find out. We have clothes prepared for you in your room at the palace" You say, reading the note out loud. "Who are the Rynia's?"

"That would be Leah's family" Pip says. "Very big, very influential. They were the original lords of Leon, before the dragon king rolled through. They still own the land the city stands on"

"Is that why it's called Leon? Because they're Lions?" You ask.
"Actually yes" Pip says. "What time is it?"

"A little bit before 4" You say.
"Hrmm... If we're dining with nobles we'll need to wash up" Pip says. "That doesn't give us much time"

In front of you, Stoencht starts to come to...

>We've got time for a few questions

>We should get going then...

>Other