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OP3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=372OZ20sMU8
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hopelessQM
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=Psion+Academy+Quest

Characters: https://pastebin.com/V1vnUbcK
Abilities: https://pastebin.com/XzQPrsQU
To Do List: https://pastebin.com/th7Nv8Vf

A Secret Meeting: https://pastebin.com/Zdw36xWE

>>1876380
>>”Wow. /Wow/. Do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth?”

>>1876380
>>”Wow. /Wow/. Do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth?”

>>1876380
>”Wow. /Wow/. Do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth?”
How scandalous.

Writing

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“Wow. Wow. Do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth?”

Mita’s brow furrows in confusion, and then her eyes widen. “NO.”

Kururi firmly places her hand on her chest. “As a member of the student body and class president of 1B, any further attempts at these... salacious activities will result in my report and your suspension!”

“Y-you two are sick! That’s not what I meant and you two knew it!”

You look at Kururi at the corner of your eye. Momentarily, you consider if this has any weight whatsoever. Officially? Probably not, but what if something were to spread through word of mouth? What if this was the true explanation for this young girl’s insatiable lust for money?

Wait, no, get ahold of yourself! You’re better than this. The devilish smirk disappears from your face as fast as it appeared.

You tell her, “Forget it. Honestly, I’d rather not owe you anything. Gods know what you would do with that.”

Mita shoots you an insulted look, somehow angrier than the one she had before you said that.

Kururi thinks out loud, “Is it really anything too bad? She’s leaving by the end of the week, isn’t she?” She briefly glances at Mita, who has utterly nothing to offer. Not even the slightest change in expression. “Mita... did you have anything in mind?”

Mita looks at her, annoyed. “Who knows? I’m not saying anything. I just want a favor from Katsuya here to cash in later.”

Oh great. She has a short temper, too. “W-wait, what? Me?!”

”Yes, you.
>Leave. You should get going.
>Walk around. Maybe you can find someone else.
>Agree begrudgingly.
>Leave the decision to Kururi.
>Write-in

>>1876508
>Agree begrudgingly.

>>1876508
>>Agree begrudgingly.

>>1876508
>Leave. You should get going.

>>1876508
>Agree begrudgingly.

Writing

Just read the Secret Meeting sidestory. Too cute.

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“...Fine. I’ll owe you a favor.”

Mita gives you a great, big smile. “Thanks, Katsuya! Kururu, you heard him, right? You can’t take it back now.”

“Katsuya, you didn’t have to do that,” Kururi says, “You didn’t have to do that at all.”

“It’s nothing,” you say, What’s the worse she can do?. You stop yourself before you say it out loud, in fear of provoking Mita. No, you don’t want to know the worse she can do. You’d rather not know anything. Kururi, practically reading your mind, sighs and says nothing. She can’t complain when she’s grateful for your noble sacrifice as you throw yourself into the wolves. “So, Mita?”

“Hmm?” she says, snapping back from her thoughts, “Oh, she’s not at a police station, whatsherface.”

“Huh?” you say.

Kururi asks, “Where is she then? Where’s Itsumo?”

“Waiting for a bus. Let’s see...” the girl closes her eyes, a brief flash of cyan lighting up her pupils. You feel her psi nudge alongside the air around you. Shifting ever so slightly, the world could be felt distorting without you even trying to observe it.

A minute passes.

Then two.

“Hey, are you okay?” you say in a quiet voice.

With that, she opens her eyes. In her eyes is a screen, a shifting, coalescing mass of lights. A reflected image, and through it, you can make out a fuzzy, distorted picture of a shop exterior, peering down as if your eyes were at the corner of the ceiling. A figure passes.

Mita says, “She’s south of Kitakaze, right at the edge of the city. It looks like she’s heading for a bus stop. And—she’s alone.”

Kururi steps toward Mita. “Where is she, exactly?”

“Have you been to the last stop of the Tsubame line? You know, the train. A bit south of that, and there’s a shuttle to Miyamiyama. She’s been travelling in a straight line for a while now. I can leave things to you two, right?” Mita says, “Good luck, you two. I’ve gotta get back before someone notices I’m gone.”

Hmm.
>You two could use another pair of hands.
>Part ways. You two will be fine.
>Write-in.

>>1876668
>Part ways. You two will be fine.

>>1876668
>>Part ways. You two will be fine.

>>1876668
>You two could use another set of hands.

>>1876668
>Part ways. You two will be fine.

Writing

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“You’re not coming with us?” you ask.

She laughs. “What? Did you think I could fight? Sorry to disappoint, Katsuya. I’m on a tight budget right now.” You blink. That’s right, she had to get machines to fight for her. And you destroyed them a whole lot of them. They looked expensive too, oh heavens. You shudder thinking about what she has in mind for you. “Put on a good show for me, okay?”

You resign. “Sure thing. Thanks Mita, I’ll see you later.”

Kururi says her goodbye, and starts to leave with you. You take out your phone and look at the time. There’s still time in the day, that’s good.

You say, “Riding to the end of the line would take... an hour and half? Walking should take another thirty...”

Kururi looks at you. “Do we have enough time? You still have your match tomorrow.”

“I’ll make time,” you say, “At least we aren’t blindly walking around to police stations. That would’ve been a complete waste of time.”

As you two walk, you feel something... not right. Is something watching you?

When you turn around at the school gates, you see nothing. No one is looking at you or even paying attention to you, except the security guard who yawns.

It’s Mita, isn’t it?

...No, this isn’t it. This is the feeling of someone drilling a hole into your back through sheer animosity alone.

You spin back around, and you jump back in surprise. Yamikigo’s in front of you, leaning forward and pursing her lips as she stares daggers at you.

“H-hi, Yamikigo,” you say.

“Katsuya,” she replies, “You’re up to something bad, aren’t you? What are you plotting, you fiend?!”

Kururi, completely unfazed, says, “Yamikigo, you seem well.”

“Greetings, Kururi! What business do you have with this deviant?”

“Isn’t... isn’t that my question?”

“Hohoho,” she laughs, “My partner is also my responsibility. How can I sit back and let him commit acts that would dirty the good name of the Empire of Darkness?”

“So it’s one of those quarrels...”

You say, “It’s not! Don’t you get the wrong idea!”

Yamikigo eyes you suspiciously. “What are you up to? Are you planning on having fun without me?”
>”Sorry, I really don’t have time to explain it to you.”
>”Kraigslist missed connection ad.”
>”...Does it matter?”
>”Yamikigo, there’s nothing fun waiting.”
>”...Kururi, help.”
>Write-in.

>>1876819
>>”Yamikigo, there’s nothing fun waiting.”

>>1876819
>Your humble servant seeks only to expand the reaches of the Empire of Darkness to new horizons!

>>1876819
>"I don't think I'd call it fun."

>>1876819
"...Does it matter?"

Writing

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>>1876895
Jesus Christ, I can't get over how hilariously cold this is.

>>1876928
Yamikigo truly is hopeless

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>>1876928
I aim to please.

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You say, “Your humble servant seeks only to expand the Empire...” and when she squints harder, “...Does it matter? I don't think I'd call it fun."

Yamikigo pulls back slowly, crestfallen. After a second, she says, “Sorry, you’re busy.” She looks down at the ground and hurriedly walks away.

“Hey, wait—” you say, stopping yourself. It’s probably for the better.

Kururi calls after you. “Katsuya, let’s go.”

You start walking, picking up the pace when you thought of what you said. She took that harder than you expected. You don’t get it. Just what is going on inside her head?

It doesn’t take long before you started running instead. There was a train in the station when you got there, and the two of you quickly slipped in.

Sunlight streams through the windows, the occasional passing utility pole sweeping by with its shadow. People come and go, their total numbers slowly dwindling until all that remained in the car was you and Kururi. An hour and a few has passed, and the thought of confrontation eats away at you.

You sit in the shade, while Kururi sits across from you. She casts a small shadow that becomes slowly becomes looming, reaching across the floor.

In the overwhelming silence, you ask Kururi, “What are you planning on doing?”

She’s sitting across from you, in the sun. “...What I plan on doing?”

“When you see her again.”

“...I actually don’t know. But, I have a feeling it’ll all work out.”

“A feeling, huh?”

It’s quiet.
>Silence is good.
>Ask if she wants to play a game.
>Check your psi over.
>Write-in.

>>1876992
>>Silence is good.

>>1876992
>Ask if she wants to play a game

>>1876992
>Check your psi over.

Rolled 1 (1d3)

1=shh
2=do you have any cards
3=play doctor
the die is always correct

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Silence is good.

You think about all the moments in your life recently that had peace. True silence, with nothing chasing after you, or you chasing after something. Silence and peace aren’t quite the same things.

In fact, it might be the opposite, like the eye of a storm.

You feel your phone vibrate.

Pulling it out, you see a text from a number you’ve never seen before, and the words: Two are waiting for you at the next stop.

There’s only one person this could be from. One person who could be watching you, somehow.

You look up to Kururi and say, “Are we expecting anyone right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mita said two people are coming.” You stand up, staring at the car behind. She didn’t specify where they are exactly. Is there even anywhere to run?

“Could it be... the same people from last time?”

“Maybe—” You are cut off by the sight of the train slowing down. Before you even know it, the doors open, and in the almost empty station, two people walk in.

A girl and a boy, both in strange garb, both of them equally familiar. They stand patiently and expectedly, just waiting for you two.

Waiting for someone to make a move.
>Get off the train.
>Run to a different train car.
>”Why are you here? How did you find us?”
>”I’ve been wanting some payback.”
>Write-in.

>>1877132
>>Run to a different train car.

>>1877132
>>Get off the train.

>>1877132
>I've been wanting some payback.

>>1877132
>Run to a different train car.
We're not at the right stop yet, right?

>>1877132
>Run to a different train car.

Writing
Do you guys still remember lines of dialogue from 4 months ago?

>>1877191
Pfft, obviously.

>>1877191
Y-yprobablynot.

>>1877191
O-of course! How could I forget something like that? Hahaha...

Rereading the old thread atm. This is tge one for reference anons:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/1503477/

The two peeps show 4 or 5 story posts in

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>>1877202
>>1877209
>>1877219
Oooh boy
That's alright for now. I'll be trying to tie up an incredible amount of loose ends and it would be a shame if no one had no idea what questions were being answered in the first place.

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>>1877221
Based anon

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You feel your hairs stand on end.

You know that, if you fight right now, two things are guaranteed: not everyone’s going to be walking out of here fine and dandy, and the train won’t come out unscathed either.

Therefore, the only option you have—

“Run!” you say, turning on your heels. Bolting toward the train car door, you pay little attention to what those two were doing. You send out your psi field, and you’ll know exactly when they’ll attack. Their psi will ripple through, like a stone dropped into a pond.

You grab the door in an instant, slide it open with a pull you put all of your strength into, and open the second door. Kururi is right behind you, and you shut the door behind her. Through the glass window, you see the two not even worried. Their expressions are simply stern.

And they calmy walk in your direction.

Why? Is it because they know you won’t get off? There’s only so far you can run.

There’s no one in this car either. That’s not a surprise; there’s not many people who want to go this far out of town into the middle of nowhere. You keep running, flying past the seats and down the car into the next, and next, and next.

The occasional person you do pass pays you no heed, their eyes glued to their phones. You run until you reach the last car in the back. You are panting, and Kururi is visibly less exhausted than you are. Again, the train stops at a station.

As you shut the door behind you, she says, “What do we do? Are we not fighting them?”

There’s one stop left.

“We need to buy time. We’ll fight them, if we have to.” With that, the doors close again, and you look back. You can’t see the two foreigners yet.

Time’s running out.
>Break the door so that they can’t enter the car.
>Fight them here.
>When they come, hold the door close while you try to talk your way out.
>Use an art. (Specify?)
>Write-in.

Hey hopeless, do you by any chance remember which OP you used for that session where we had the childhood flashbacks with Kaori? I really liked that one song in particular, but I can't seem to find it anymore, even going through the archives.

>>1877300
>Break the door so they can't enter the car

>>1877300
>Break the door

Maybe we can figure out something to with Illusion too, since we've got some ranks in that

>>1877300
>When they come, hold the door close while you try to talk your way out.
We can't be filthy door murderers! Then we'll be no better than them.

>>1877322
If we're arriving at a station now, maybe we could create an illusion to trick them into thinking we got off?

>>1877311
Oh, are you talking about this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1r5JDONVXU

This was Kaori's theme. I liked it a lot too! I thought about using https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi2KpzcmiSs instead, but I thought the engrish hallelujahs were a little too much. Maybe I should add these to the character pastebin.

Writing

>>1877350
Yeah, that's the one! Very comfy, I'd missed it. Thanks so much!

>>1877377
Seems like my ID changed for some reason, but rest assured, I'm the person who asked about the song. Fitting that best girl would have the best theme.

What was the name of Yamikigo's theme

>>1877350
>Maybe I should add these to the character pastebin.

Please do! You've got really goodpics for music in this quest.

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You scan around and see no one except Kururi is here to witness this act of vandalism. With that, you kick the door with all you’ve got. When that doesn’t do enough, you take a step back and ram your whole body into it, careful to put your weight away from the glass and into the steel.

It’s about that point that you stand back and shake your head.

Kururi says, “What... what are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” you say, throwing your hands into the air. “Right, they can go through the window. God damn it.” You pace around, thinking. Then, something clicks.

“Kururi, come!” You run to the very back, putting your back against the wall. You need as much distance as possible.

You fire up your psi. Your body aligns, falling into a pattern that’s foreign to you, yet by now, it’s so familiar. Kururi runs next to you, standing besides, and you use illusion. The world around you warps and settles after a second.

Your phone vibrates. You tick your teeth and set it to silent.

And then the car door leading is opened. Or tried to, at first, until you hear a loud thud, and then it freely slides away. The boy steps in, lowering his hands charged with psi, and the girl follows behind, her hands still hidden.

They look around for a moment.

The young man says, “Where did they go?”

“...They couldn’t have left.”

“Perhaps they did. We did not see them when the train arrived at the last station.”

As if on cue, the train enters the last stop, direct sunlight no longer reaching the inside. The doors open, and...

They stand there. They stand there as the conductor says that this is the last stop. Carefully, they take a few steps around.

You grip your phone, and you glance at it.

There’s a text from the same number from before, this time it says...

IDIOT
>Run out.
>Wait it out.
>Surprise attack.
>Write-in.

>>1877428
>Wait it out

>>1877428
>Wait it out.
>But if the doors are about to close, get out, otherwise this will have been for nothing.

>>1877414
Themes are something earned in turning points in character arcs. Yamikigo's scene two threads ago didn't fit it at all so I didn't include it, but I'll be nice and give it to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRNKxbOLkM
Her theme was obviously going to be gothic. This wasn't even a choice.

>>1877447
I recall you did have a link to a song in the Yamikigo thread that I assumed was her theme, but I guess not?

It was at this link, but it's dead now.
https://my.mixtape.moe/qczxpb.mp3

>>1877428
>Wait it out.
>Escape quietly if an opportunity presents itself
SIRI, WHAT DO

>>1877459
Or not dead, nevermind. My internet must've fucked up for a sec. there.

>>1877447
Cool. What's the name of the theme you did send.

>>1877459
It's a replacement, of sorts.
>>1877477
Oh, that's what you were asking. The song's 誕生日の子供たち by Halozy

Writing

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You wait.

You stand there and wait.

Still as possible, you hope to whoever’s up there that they wouldn’t see anything. The one closest to you two, the girl, looks in your direction. You freeze. Slowly, she begins walking your way, squinting as she draws close. You press yourself as hard as you can into the wall, and the girl—

“What are you two doing?” a voice rings out, one that doesn’t come from her or the boy, but from the conductor of the train who entered. “Get off already, it’s the last stop.”

The two of them look at the conductor, then at each other, and finally, they leave. When you see their backs disappear from your sight, you start moving. Quietly and slowly as possible, you pull Kururi behind you as the conductor inspects the dented train car door. He cusses to himself, oblivious when you slip out.

Standing up straight, you survey the platform.

“They’re gone,” you say. “Where did they go?”

“Katsuya,” Kururi pulls at your sleeve, “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“I can do a lot of things,” you wave it off. “Come on, let’s go.”

With that, you take off, and when you see you’re out of any man or camera’s sight, you stop the illusion. You didn’t want to be caught using an art like that in public.

Kururi looks at you questioningly as you glance at your phone.

Frowning, you swipe away the notification calling you an idiot.

[1/2]

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Sparse.

That’s the best you can describe it. Compared to the city, it feels like the buildings have drifted apart, separated without the gravitational pull of people.

Heading toward a shuttle to Minamiyama whose location you discerned from a brochure, you and Kururi ended up walking down quiet roads until all the buildings disappeared altogether.

All except one, a single convenience store before the road disappears into the great expanse. A flat horizon, completely barren and torn by psi, is all that’s ahead. Hours and hours of nothingness await, and it’s a fact that can never change or be remedied by time or effort.

It simply is.

And past that, there is a bus stop. A single, wooden pole is there, rising from the ground like a stake hammered into the earth. Beside it is a worn-down tiled roof, protecting the wooden bench underneath it from the danger of any rain. It is empty.

“It’s... depressing,” Kururi points out in a low voice.

Your phone barely has a signal.
>Check the convenience store.
>Wait for a bus and inspect the bus stop while you do so.
>Go back and try to message Mita.
>Write-in.

Going to stop here for today. Thanks for playing! My schedule's moved around a bit, so I'm actually getting shafted on Tuesday instead. It's a bit of a long wait, but I'll have to continue the thread on Wednesday and Thursday instead.

>>1877522
>>Check the convenience store
>Text Mita: It totally worked tho.

>>1877525
Thanks for running.

>>1877522
>>Check the convenience store.

>>1877525
Thanks for running, as always.

>>1877522
>Go back and try to message Mita.

>>1877525
Thanks for running!

>>1877522
>Check the convenience store.

Running in about an hour.
The story arc's coming to a close, so let's shoot for the happiest end! Or miss and hit the worst, most bitter end right below it!
I'm rooting for you all!

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>>1884584
>ending coming soon

>>1884584
Hype for best quest

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>>1884584
I am both excited and terrified.

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You message Mita, asking where Itsumo was while saying her your idea totally worked. For good measure, you raise your phone in the air as high as you can like an idiot, hoping for it to go through.

Kururi passes you, turning around for a brief moment to face you. “I’ll check the bus stop, and you should check out the store.”

You nod. “Sure.”

“And if you...” she says, stumbling on her words along the way, “If you see her, don’t hurt her.”

“If she attacks, I can’t promise anything,” you reply, “But I’ll try.”

“It’s okay, I trust you,” She smiles, and starts to walk away, “—because you’re you, after all.”

Unsure, you push open the door, ringing a bell that sounds your entrance. In the warm, small store, there are two aisles, separated by a low shelf filled with goods. There’s also a glass door refrigerator filled with various drinks in the corner, and across is the register with no one behind it and an open backroom door.

“Ah, someone came in.” A faint voice could be heard past it. When it comes out a second time, it’s directed to you. “Be there in a second!”

It’s familiar. You pass one of the aisles. This one, unlike the others, were stocked with mismatching knickknacks, souvenirs from both Minamiyama and Kitakaze, and even some from Nishishio, too. The thought of them fades as soon as you pass by them, and you stop at the counter. There’s a collection of different charms, stacked in a compartmentalized cardboard box.

As you glance it all over, someone enters the room. A young woman, who appears to be only a handful of years older than you, walks in. Her brown hair is tied back into a high ponytail, and she’s wearing a plaid shirt with her sleeves rolled up.

She says, “Hi, welcome! Anything catch your eye?”

Maybe.
>Buy a charm.
>Get a souvenir, even though you’ve been nowhere.
>Ask about the bus stop.
>Ask if she’s seen a certain girl around here.
>Ask for recommendations.
>Ask if she’s ever been to Minamiyama.
>You’re just looking around.
>Write-in.

>>1884812
>Ask for recommendations

>>1884812
>Ask for recommendations

>>1884812
>Buy a charm.
>Ask if she’s seen a certain girl around here.
>Ask for recommendations.

>>1884824
Maybe also
>"Have we met somewhere? Your voice sounded familiar"

>>1884830
>>1884844
Supporting both.

Writing

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“Do you have any recommendations?” you say, “I’ve had a bit of a bad luck streak lately, so I was thinking of getting a charm.”

“Oh!” she says, turning a face of elated surprise into a smile. Taking a good look at you, she then lightly goes through the stacks of charms with a finger, pulling out something black. A round, black disk that when you take a second look you find it’s a cat while a smug face. With a paw raised in the air, you can tell it’s a beckoning cat. “How’s this? It’s a black cat!”

“Isn’t that... misfortunate?”

“Not at all,” she says, “Think about it like this. If you spent all your time around a black cat, then all your misfortune would be drawn to it and away from you. And plus, I heard this one in particular helps out your fortune with women.” She finishes that with an incredibly unsubtle wink.

“Ignoring that last part...” you say, “Oh what the hell, I’ll buy it.”

“Great!” she says, smiling widely.

As you take out your wallet, you ask, “Have we met before? Your voice sounds familiar?” You meet her eyes dead on when you hand her your money, unwavering with your bluff.

“Have we?” she says, “Sorry, I must’ve forgotten. I’m really bad with faces, haha...” As she starts to feel sorry, there’s a sound of a large crash, that comes from the back of the store.

Another voice calls out, “It’s okay! I’m okay!” This one—it’s familiar.

Where have you heard it before?

You say, “Actually, I want to ask: have you seen someone around here with long flowing hair? It’s pretty light colored, she has two long braids coming down the sides of her face, has a sort of bored look on her.”

“...Uh,” she blinks, “You mean—”

A face suddenly pops up from the backdoor, one that you can still remember even though you’ve only seen it once before.

It’s Itsumo.

She’s holding a vase broken in half, and she frantically holds it together as she talks to the other girl. “D-do you know where the glue is?”

She doesn’t even look at you.
>Try to talk to her.
>...Activate your psi field.
>Get Kururi.
>Step back and watch.
>Write-in.

>>1884987
>Step back and watch.

>>1884987
>Try to talk to her
No need to be uncivilized. She probably wouldn't attack us in front of her coworker anyway.

>>1884987
>Try to talk to her.
Think we could help by creating a psi barrier to hold the vase in its proper shape while they glue it?

>>1884987
>Try to talk to her.

>>1885016
I was thinking about how we could use our powers to help too. At the very least we could offer, even if our abilities are ill-suited to it.

Writing

>>1884584
End of the arc? We need to make up with Yamikigo soon then, can't end things with the waifu being upset with us.

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As if you weren’t there, as if she’s forgotten you.

You quietly take a deep breath. Even if she did want to fight you, Itsumo wouldn’t do anything to you right now, right? Not here, in front of her. You exhale. Here goes nothing.

“Need some help?” you say, “I can help hold it together with my psi; I’m good with this kind of stuff.”

The girl in the ponytail smiles. “That’d be great, thank you! I’ll be right back.” She hurriedly walks to backdoor and disappears, leaving you alone with Itsumo.

You walk around the counter to her and say, “Hi, it’s been a while.”

She blankly stares at you. “Have we... met before?”

You touch the vase. “I guess I’m not someone worth remembering anyways.”

You let your psi pour forth. Carefully, ever so precisely, you psi wraps around vase pieces, encasing it and pushing the pieces back into place as you solidify the barrier. Your hand touches hers, and there’s...

Unease.

Mud.

Blackness.

You feel it. The frequency of her psi, the bumps and dents, the distortion that ripples through every time she takes a breath. The mistakes, the scars, the parts that remain untouched. The differences that dictate what you can and can’t do. One of a kind, like a fingerprint, and hidden away for no one to see but for yourself.

No one but you.

Hitomi Minezaki’s Psi Signature recorded.

You silently gasp for breath, and you open your eyes. A second has passed, even though it feels like minutes. Itsumo’s staring at you, worry and curiosity in her eyes.

She truly doesn’t remember you, because you’ve been erased from her mind.

“Are you okay?” she asks.
>This is fine. This is how things should be.
>Pretend nothing’s wrong. You need to talk to Kururi.
>Fix it.
>”...Do you remember a girl named Kururi?”
>”You don’t seem like the type of person who would be working here.”
>”Two of your friends are looking for you.”
>Write-in.

>>1885105
>”You don’t seem like the type of person who would be working here.”

>>1885105
>Two of your friends are looking for you

>>1885105
>”Two of your friends are looking for you.”

>>1885105
>”You don’t seem like the type of person who would be working here.”

>"Have you had memory problems recently?"
>”...Do you remember a girl named Kururi?”

We should stall for time until Kururi gets here. I don't think we should try and un-mindfuck her until we've she can tell us if it would be a good idea for this girl to remember her past.

Writing

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”I’m fine. It’s just, you don’t seem like the type of person who would be working here,” you say.

“Oh?” she asks. “What do I seem like?”

“You look like you’d fit right in in a monastery.”

Her eyes narrow into slits. “Is that so? You have a good eye, then, because I don’t work here. I’m helping out because I wanted to.”

“Waiting for the bus like me?”

Taking a step back, she lets go of the vase, letting you take the weight. “Who are you?”

“Two of your friends are looking for you,” you say. You shut your eyes for a moment, desperate to remember. “I heard of their names was Inko.”

Itsumo mumbles to herself. “Those two...? They shouldn’t be here. How do you know them?”

Suddenly, the shopkeeper runs back out, a small bottle of superglue in her hands. “This would do until I get someone here, hopefully.” You thin your barrier as she goes to town on the vase, very thoroughly sticking it all back together. You watch as glue leaks out of the seams, out of the very visible cracks in the ceramic. Who would buy it in this condition...?

Itsumo speaks up. “Can I take a break? I want to talk to...” she trails off, looking at you.

“Katsuya.”

The other girl puts the newly reassembled vase onto the counter and nods, satisfied with her craftsmanship. “Go ahead. You’re just volunteering, so just do whatever.”

Itsumo nods, “Then, excuse me.” Without a word, she leads you out of the store, presumably in hopes of being alone with you.

“I don’t suppose you’ve been having memory problems lately,” you offhandedly drop. Quickly, you check your phone.

“...I don’t,” she says.

You got a message from Mita.

The two are coming from the back.

Don’t mess it up this time.

...Huh?

As you step outside, you glance at the bus stop, seeing Kururi sitting on the bench, staring off into nothing.

Itsumo asks you, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

“...Do you remember Kururi?”

“What?” she scowls, “I don’t know who she is. Answer my questions.”

You can see two figures casting shadows past the backdoor.
>Bring her to Kururi.
>Fix it here.
>Pull her away to somewhere hidden.
>Write-in.

>>1885243
>Bring her to Kururi

Probably shouldn't split up or Kururi might get in trouble

>>1885243
>Bring her to Kururi.

>>1885243
>Ask the shop keep if she could REALLY try to get the two people about to walk into her store to buy something. Don't take no for an answer!
>>Bring her to Kururi.

>>1885243
>Bring her to Kururi.

Writing

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“Hey you got two more customers!” you say, right before you grab Itsumo by the wrist and run. “There’s someone waiting for you, Itsumo.”

Her resistance is replaced by overwhelming confusion and curiosity. You drag her as far as possible right to the bus stop, your footsteps catching Kururi’s attention before you got to say anything.

“Katsuya—” she says, and then her eyes widen. “...Itsumo...!”

The girl with the braids takes a step back, “...Huh? I don’t... understand.” She clutches her head as she staggers. “Why did you lead me here? Who are you two?”

You take a step back as Kururi runs to her. She stops a few steps away, afraid to get close or even touch her. “Are you okay?” Kururi takes another step closer. You see two people run out of the store, staring straight at you three. “Katsuya... can you leave us alone for a moment?”

“Are you okay?” you say.

“Please, can you handle them?” Kururi faces you. Firm resolve overwhelms the nervousness she tries to hide.

A moment passes, and you nod. “I’ll do you one better.”

You walk past, directly the two incoming Itsumo and Kururi. You can hear the girls walking away.

The boy and girl in the strange clothing stop a few feet in front of you.

The boy speaks first, “Move, or I’ll move you myself.”

The girl says, “First and last warning.”

You shake your head. “Sorry, that’s not happening. I gotta say, this is a lot better place to fight than the train, or my apartment.”

“Fool.” The boy slams his fists together, flushing them with psi. He leaps at you as the girl pulls out her chains from her sleeves.

You can’t let them past, for the sake of Kururi. For the sake of Itsumo, too.

You send out your psi field.
>Try to overwhelm the boy.
>Run past him and aim for the girl.
>Just hold your ground.
>Write-in.

Their arts...
>Steal the boy’s art.
>Steal the girl’s art.
>Take both.
>Focus on defending.
>Write-in.

>>1885367
>keep the boy between you and the girl
>Use illusion to try and bait her into hitting him.

>Focus on defending.

>>1885381
This.

>>1885367
>Go for the girl first

She must be keeping her distance for a reason.

>Steal both their arts

>>1885381
>>1885389
>>1885397
Can I get some 1d100 rolls?

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>1885417

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>1885417
I hope I don't fuck this up...

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>1885367

>>1885417
dice+1d100

>>1885472
Options field my dude.

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>1885417
>>1885472
I fucked up

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Before the boy can deal a boy, you make a barrier in front of you. He stops before he runs into it, opting to send his fist through instead.

19

It goes right through, and he strikes you right in your left shoulder. The weight of your body spins, and in an attempt to repel him, you ripple the air in front of you. He takes a step back, flinching, giving you enough time to run past him. Your entire left side is numb, his mana having blasted through your body.

44

Running right toward the girl, Inko. She swings her chain, the long length of steel lagging behind her motion for a second before sweeping across. You throw out barrier after barrier, the chains colliding and being sent to the sky, only for it to drop down faster than it should. She completely stops your advance while the boy closes in.

87

You can’t reach her in time, but this should be enough. Your psi rumbles as you feel your eyes light up. You use Illusion, and the space around you distorts. Light bleeds at every angle, mudding the line between you, air, and Inko.

153/350 - Illusion (Anporin)

Whipping in the air, the chain strikes again, but this time it flies right by your side, right at the boy. Grunting, he deflects it at the last moment.

“Mata!” the girl shouts.

“Careful!”

You take a step back, closer to the girl, and the boy swings in. His attacks are restraint, afraid to miss too far and leave too wide of an opening, while the attacks from Inko has almost stopped altogether.

You can keep dodging, but that would only give them more chances to hit you.

As if you three were in a desert, the air ripples like a thick mirage.
>Steal the chains again.
>Use the illusion to close in on Inko.
>Wait for an opening from Mata, and attack.
>Write-in.

Their arts.
>Inko’s.
>Mata.
>Focus on fighting.
>Write-in.

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>1885499
>Close in on Inko

>Focus on fighting

Don't forsake me now, dice gods

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>1885499
>Use the illusion to close in on Inko.
>Focus on fighting.

>>1885499
>Use the illusion to close in on Inko.
>Inko’s.

Writing
Looks like you guys rolled already, so I'll just use that

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Your left side is aching. The girl with the chains. Kicking up dirt, your feet slams onto the ground, and you sprint toward the girl, taking advantage of their hesitation. Inko grits her teeth as she sees you, and slams her chain into the ground. You almost trip over yourself in surprise as it complete disappears.

[83]

Without warning, the ground explodes in front of you, and you jump to the side. Steel rises from nowhere, only to fall back down like a worm crawling through the earth. Right as you regain your momentum, the length of the chain appears, sweeping your feet. Stepping off a barrier, you leap above it, reach Inko. She takes a step back, trying to run away.

[25]

You grab her with your right hand, and it’s as if the world around you becomes a waterfall. Dirt, sand, and rocks fall as it lifts everything sky high. The ridiculous length of her weapon rises in infinite twists and turns, above your head, their weight unimaginable.

Inko’s Psi Signature recorded.

You look back, and the boy, grimacing, is a great distance back, unwilling to come further.

Inko angrily smirks, “Try it. I’ll bury us both.”
Roll 1d100, best of three.
>Blast the psi from the chains.
>Drag her to Mata.
>Use Perfect Pitch to throw them out of the way.
>Your trick for the strongest defense...? (Write-in)
>Something else. (Write-in)

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>1885611
>Drag her to Mata.

>>1885622
If she's burying everyone, it'd be a shame for her boyfriend to be left out of the fun!

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>1885611
>>1885622
this.

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>1885611
>Blast the psi from the chains.
If the psi goes, would the rock follow?

Writing

>>1885637
Well that would depend on your rolls.

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You stare at her, then at Mata.

“Well, we can’t have someone left out of the fun, can we?”

You drag her along, pulling her while she resists. She kicks the ground, trying to slow your advance as much as possible. With every step you take, you can hear the steel above you groan and shift, letting more loose dirt and rock fall.

“Unhand me!” she says.

83

Dial it back.

Dial it back.

Dial it back.

Your psi wells up and shifts, matching Inko’s. You give her psi a push, and hers pushes back. You sync up the speeds, and in an instant, her psi explodes out of her body—but only fraction of it. It rips through her chest, knocking all of the air out of her lungs. She gasps for air, and you pull her forward easily.

In front of you is the boy from before, agonizing over whether to come to you or run away. With every groan the girl lets out, he gets angrier, until finally, he steps under the shade of the weight above.

You say, “I haven’t paid you back for my door yet.”

[1/2]

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Your name is Kururi Kaesu.

The surname is precious to you, because it’s all you have left to remember. Even through the years, the proof of your ancestors’ existence is you. No matter how far you run, you can’t change what’s inside of you.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be something more than that. It doesn’t mean you can’t love those who took you in when you needed it the most. Kururu does have a nice ring to it, after all.

Yet after all this time...

“Itsumo,” you say, “You really don’t remember me?”

The girl in front of you grabs her head, her face filled with frustration and confusion. “No, I don’t! What is wrong with you?”

It was like yesterday, when you two had met in that park again.

She’s changed so much, and so have you.

In the end, there’s only one thing you want.
>To have no regrets.
>For her to be happy.
>To fulfill a promise.
>Write-in.

>>1885751

>To have no regrets

Maybe if we remind her of all the good times we had, we can get through to her

>>1885751
>To have no regrets.

>>1885751
>For her to be happy.

>>1885751
>To have no regrets

>>1885751
>For her to be happy.

Writing

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To have no regrets.

https://my.mixtape.moe/hgagwf.mp3

You don’t want to have them, ever again. You want to be able to move forward, into the path you carved for yourself, without ever having to look back every day. When the world moves, you want to be alongside it, every step of the way.

“Do you remember what you said back then in Nishishio?” you say, speaking more to yourself than her. “You said you’ll take me home,” you laugh, “and I told you only if you beat me.”

“Nnn...”

You grab the hairpin that you wore since you could remember, a birthday gift that’s long forgotten. You wonder, what she thought when she saw you still wearing it when she first met you again?

“Every time I saw you, even when you broke into my dorm room, I was happy. I got to see you again. No matter how long I had to wait... no matter how long it’s been, I’d get to see you again, even when you’re angry, or smiling,” you say.

“Stop it, stop it!” Itsumo raises her face, and in that moment, you step forward.

Embracing her, you pull her close. You grasp at her back, at her hair, holding her so tightly so that she can never leave again.

“I’m sorry,” you say, “I’m sorry, for the both of us. I’m sorry that I left you alone. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I went. I’m sorry I couldn’t come back with you. But I’ve realized something.” You take a step back, holding out Itsumo’s right hand. You put her hairpin back onto her palm, and you close her hand for her. When you look up, you find her eyes red and wet. “I need to move on.”

“Why... why am I crying?”

You smile.
>”Thank you for everything.”
>”I’ll miss you.”
>”I’ll never forget you.”
>”I’ll see you next time.”
>”Goodbye.”
>Write-in.

>>1885902
>>”I’ll never forget you.”
This option gives me an evil chuckle.

>>1885902
>"Thank you for everything."

>>1885902
>”Thank you for everything.”

>>1885907
please

Writing

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In a way, she’s given you the life you’ve always wanted. The most indirect way, and yet the only one.

If she didn’t drag you along that day, if she didn’t get unreasonably mad, if she didn’t get scared by those lies told to her so she’d stay away from you, you wouldn’t be here right now.

And with that, with all of your heart, you can honestly say, “Thank you for everything, Itsumo. I won’t forget you.”

She can only look at you, her gaze wavering. “Who are you?”

“An old friend, that’s all,” you say, smiling. You want to apologize for being more selfish than her.

The next bus will arrive in a few minutes; you saw the schedule.

With that, Itsumo opens her mouth, about to demand for something more, and—

There is an unbelievable explosion behind you, and you clutch your ears as you try to hide away from the screeching metal and earth crashing down. The blasting wind tries to blow you away, but it only drives you to turn around. And there, between the bus stop and the store, next to the convenience store owner outside with her hands on her head, is a giant pile of oversized chains and dirt.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Going to stop here for today. Thanks for playing!
I’ll be running again tomorrow, same starting time as this session.

>>1885957
Thanks for running!

oh god

>>1885957
Thanks for running!

>>1885955
Goddamn, I'll have to reread the archives to make sense of this.

>>1884584
I assume we got the happiest end and if we couldn't stop the 2 we'd get the bad end.

>>1886296
I'd bet that attacking the girl in the shop would've also given us a bad end.

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Running in 30

>>1886162
That should help a lot, considering I'm digging stuff up from the first 4 threads too.

>>1886296
I love how your version of happiest end is when you break all of your bones

>>1887431
>I love how your version of happiest end is when you break all of your bones
Can't get something worth having without an extended hospital stay, right?

>>1887431
Would you expect any less from the great jobber Katsuya?

>>1887431
Hopefully we'll get dunked on less when we max our illusion out and run around doing invisible shenanigans

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“I completely recognize this ceiling.”

You are Katsuya Nekoyo, and you find yourself in a hospital bed. Luckily for you, your body doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, you don’t even feel anything! Nope, nothing at all.

“He’s awake!” you hear Kaori say.

Three heads pop into view as you realize you can’t turn your head at all; it’s held tightly in place by a neck brace. You realize you also can’t move the rest of your body, as you’re in a body cast with an arm and a leg dangling, its weight supported by straps and strings attached to metal bars above you.

Haru scowls at you. “Kats! I have so many things to say to you! What do you even have to say for yourself?!”

“Whoops,” you say.

“Kid, I’m about to break whatever’s left in your body!”

Sorai smiles, “Guess you’re okay after all.”

Kaori pouts. “Onii-sama... honestly, I don’t know what to tell you.”

You say, “How long have I been out?”

Sorai says, “About two days, no biggie.”

Haru scoffs. “Yes biggie. Completely ignoring how you’re here again, Sorai and Kaori had to fulfill your promise in your place.”

You pause for a moment. “Oh right, the food...” You groan. “Sorry about that, Haru.”

Kaori leans closer. “Onii-sama...”

“W-what is it?”

“Aren’t you going to tell us what happened?”

Sorai looks at you. “Story time? Story time.”

Uh.
>”No, not story time.”
>”I tripped.”
>”Construction accident, obviously.”
>”I got in a fight.”
>”I can’t remember at all.”
>”Wait, you ate without me?!”
>Didn’t you forget something...? (Write-in)
>Say something else. (Write-in)

>>1887542
>”I had a minor disagreement with some folks."
>Grin sarcastically

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The thread hasn't autosaged yet?

>>1887542
>I tripped
But when pressed, we might as well admit
>I got in a fight

>>1887542
>>”I got in a fight.”

>>1887542
>"I went shopping."
>"Stupid cat..."

>>1887564
Oh yeah, do we still have our charm?

>>1887542
>>”I got in a fight.”
>”Wait, you ate without me?!”

>Didn’t you forget something...?
>>What about the tournament.

Writing

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”I went shopping and I had a minor disagreement with some folks," you say, accompanying it with a sarcastic grin.

Haru gives you an annoyed look. “I can see that, Kats. A minor disagreement. Very minor. Oh yeah, just a teeny, weeny little disagreement.”

”Okay, I got in a fight,” you reply, “They attacked first.”

“How on earth could you end up like this?!”

Sorai asks right after, “So you won, right?”

Kaori rubs her face. “Please don’t tell me they’re dead.”

“I didn’t kill anyone! If anyone killed anyone it was them!” you say, and then, “Wait, nobody died, right?”

“The paramedics only found you holding up pieces of a barrier,” Kaori says, “I’m afraid that’s all we know.”

“...No, wait!”

“...What is it?”

“You guys ate without me?” you say, astonished, “What?! I can’t believe it!”

“We’re not going to wait for you, moron!” Haru shouts, “And yes, it was good. Very, very good, and you’ll never have any because the festival is over!”

You grit your teeth, “You’re such a...!” When you try to budge and find you can’t move at all, you let go and sigh. At least she seems energetic.

You could find some solace in that, even if you are like this.

The four of you talk and talk for a couple of hours, laughing and smiling as everyone tries to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, every time you laughed, your ribs felt like pure agony, a weakness that Haru went ahead and tried to exploit as much as possible.

After a long while, Sorai gets up. “Well, we should get going. Looks like you got visitors.”

Kaori stands up too. With a smile, she says, “Onii-sama, I cooked dinner, so let’s eat it later.”

Haru laughs, “Luckily for me, now that you’re stuck in here with me, I get to scold you all I want! I’ll see you, Kats.”

Sorai waves, “Later, man.”

Kaori leaves last, peeking around the corner. “Don’t do that again.”

You sigh. “I won’t,” you say, right as the door closes.

You look around. It’s just like the room you were in earlier this month. You look at the stand besides your bed, and you find an almost empty fruit basket and a black cat charm next to it.

Oh right, you still have that.

...

Aren’t you forgetting something?

[1/2]

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“Good afternoon, Nekoyo.”

...The festival matches.

Fujisaki walks in, still in her school uniform. Her steps are controlled and quiet as she makes her way to you.

“Hi, Fujisaki,” you say. “Sorry about that, I missed our match.”

“You can only imagine my surprise when I was told my opponent was... hospitalized the day before the match, and that you had broken more bones than they can count.”

“It was pretty bad, huh?”

“I was looking forward to it, too,” she sighs, “Still, it’s nice to see you’re doing well.” She glances off to the side, to the window. “Was this because of Houko?”

The Vice-President...?
>It was completely his fault.
>It was yours, really.
>It’s Fujisaki’s fault, clearly!
>Does it matter?
>Write-in.

And the missed match...
>”We can have a match when I heal up, if you want.”
>”You would’ve beaten me anyways.”
>”There’s always next time, right?”
>Write-in.

>>1887724
>Does it matter? I'll be okay.

>We can have a match later if you want

>>1887724
>Does it matter? I'll be okay.

>We can have a match later if you want

>>1887724
>Does it matter?
>”We can have a match when I heal up, if you want.”

>>1887724
>Does it matter?
>”We can have a match when I heal up, if you want.”

Writing

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“Does it matter?” you say, “I'll be okay.”

Her eyes fall on you. And then, she gives you a smile, one that doesn’t reach her eyes. You can’t read the look on her face; it’s a mixture of relief, compassion, condescension, and disappointment, blended together all at once into a well of steel and poison. “Of course you will.”

“I mean, I did break my everything.”

“If you can breathe and think, then you can fight.”

“Is that right...?” Fujisaki says. Suddenly, loud voices reach past the door to your room, followed by hushed murmurs. “I should get going. Take care, Nekoyo.”

“Bye, Fujisaki,” you say, “Thanks for saying hi.”

She leaves, and right as she does so, two figures slip in—Usagi, followed Yamikigo.

And Usagi is furious. “I leave you out of my sight for one moment and this is what happens!? You are like, a magnet for danger!” Yamikigo doesn’t say anything. She only glares at you.

“W-wha, what’s it to you?” you mutter.

“I don’t know why,” Usagi mutters, “but I feel like you’re my responsibility.”

Yamikigo utters, “H-huh?!”

“Our responsibility, sorry! Kats, I can’t help but think you’ve been getting more and more distant,” she says, “You better not be doing anything...” Suddenly she stops. “No, it doesn’t matter how you look at it, it has to be something illegal! And life-threatening! And absolutely dumb!”

“She’s right,” Yamikigo glares even harder, “I can’t believe it, you were such an evil person all along.”

They’ve made an alliance?!
>”Is okay for the Empress of Darkness to say that?”
>”I’m sorry, Yamikigo.”
>”I’m not sorry, Usagi.”
>”I didn’t do anything wrong.”
>”I’m no one’s responsibility!”
>”I can break my bones whenever I want.”
>Write-in.

>Gift Yamikigo the charm.
>Keep the charm.

>>1887855
>>”Is okay for the Empress of Darkness to say that?”
But more seriously
>”I’m sorry, Yamikigo."
>I didn't mean to blow you off like I did...
>Gift Yamikigo the charm.

>”Also, I’m not sorry, Usagi.”

>>1887855
>"I swear I wasn't doing anything illegal or evil or anything like that. I can't go into specifics, but I was just trying to help a friend... Things may have gotten out of hand, but that's the reason I kept both of you out of it."

>>1887855
>”Is okay for the Empress of Darkness to say that?”
>”I can break my bones whenever I want.”
IT'S MY BODY I CAN DO WHAT I WANT

>>1887855
>Is it okay for the Empress of Darkness to say that?
Then
>I was just trying to help someone. Sorry to make you worry.

>>1887877
>>1887881
>>1887886
I'm going to interpret these as
>Do absolutely nothing
which is the same as
>Keep the charm

Writing

>>1887910
Nooo, Give Yamikigo the charm.

>>1887945
Thus Nekoyo continues to both be both a jobber and completely oblivious to the girls around him.

>>1887958
As god intended

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”Is okay for the Empress of Darkness to say that?” you say.

“You...! Darkness is not evil! Absolute not evil!” she replies, “May the dragons smite you for your blasphemous words! Such prejudices will not be tolerated, ever!”

You blow air out of your nose slightly harder than normal. ”I’m sorry, Yamikigo. I didn't mean to blow you off like I did. I can't go into specifics, but I was just trying to help a friend...” you say, “Things may have gotten out of hand, but that's the reason I kept both of you out of it. Sorry to make you worry.”

“Wh...well,” Yamikigo says, breaking eye contact. Her eyes run around the room, trying to find something to say. “If you put it like that, then I forgive you. But... you’re not allowed to do that again, do you hear me?! Tell me next time, so I can help and you don’t have to end up like this!”

“Wait,” Usagi says, “What about me?”

You blankly look at her. “I’m not sorry, Usagi. I’m not sorry at all.”

“Y-you! I swear, if you weren’t already hurt—!” her hands tug at her hair, “You really get on my nerves, you know that?” Usagi looks at you undignified, biting her lip as she tries to hold back something.

You smugly smile. “Oh? I didn’t realize.”

Usagi opens her mouth, and all that comes out are squeaks. “You idiot! You dim-witted, thick-skulled, hair-brained, idiot! I can’t believe I cared for someone like you!” With that, she storms out without warning. Not even a second passes before the door opens again and she sticks her head back in. “Have a good night, IDIOT!”

Yamikigo, completely shocked for a moment, shakes it off. “Who’s Yuu to you?”

”...Huh?”
>”A friend.”
>”A girl friend... in the sense that she’s a girl and a friend.”
>”My ping pong partner. We’re going to reach nationals together.”
>”...Are you jealous?”
>Write-in.

>>1888022
>My ping pong partner. We're going to reach nationals together.

>>1888022
>”My ping pong partner. We’re going to reach nationals together.”

>>1888022
>”My ping pong partner. We’re going to reach nationals together.”

>>1888022
>"She was a bush that one time..."
>”My ping pong partner. We’re going to reach nationals together.”

>>1888041
>>1888054
>"She was also our maid..."

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Writing

>>1888063
A compelling glimpse at the future of our quest

>>1888063
Ping Pong Quest was pretty good ;_;

>>1888071
Animation drains my life juice. Sorry, anon

>>1888096
No need to feel sorry, Nekoyo does a good enough job of almost killing himself for all of us. Anime opening for PAQ when?

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“She was a bush that one time...”

“...Huh?”

And much quieter, you add, “And my maid...”

“Wait, what was that?!”

“Usagi’s ping pong partner. We’re going to reach nationals together,” you tell her, with absolute conviction in your voice.

Yes, you can see it... you can see it so clearly! That one match you had with her back then you could already tell—she is the perfect aggressive counter driver! No one can match her smashes, especially not with you as the stone-walled chopper to back her up! It’s the classic sword and shield, and with your abilities combined, you’ll make it to the Nationals; you’ll make it to the top! The sweat dripping off of your brow as you land the perfect chop, one that the opponents can’t return properly, letting Usagi hit the strongest smash, sending the ball onward for the last point of the last game for victory—

“I didn’t know you played ping pong.”

“Nah, I’m not really good at it,” you say.

“...”

“...”

“...I see.”

“Ahem,” you clear your throat, “Anyways, over there.” You motion toward the stand next to your bed with your eyes. “There’s a charm over there; I want you to have it.” Hesitating, she looks at it. “It’s a good luck charm. So the next time something dangerous happens, I wouldn’t be afraid to bring you along.”

It takes a few seconds before Yamikigo walks over. She wraps part of the string around a finger, lifting it up into the air. She carefully looks at it, and then she closes her eyes as she puts it over her head and around her neck. It falls down, and in a quick motion, the girl pulls her hair over the loop. Admiring how it lays on her chest, she says to you, “Thank you, Katsuya! I’ll treasure it forever.”

The girl besides you gives a great, big smile, one that warms up the entire room. It’s a smile that you could break your body twice over if it meant protecting, one that you wish you could see forever.

Yamikigo’s always a mouthful to say.

She wouldn’t mind Yami, right?

[1/2]

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Kururi came in last, and the sky had become orange by the time she arrived. A soft stillness is in the room as she stands at the end of your bed.

“How are you doing?” she asks.

“Great. The nurse up’d the morphine and everything is just greaaat,” you say. “I’d give a thumbs up, but I can’t move my arms.”

There’s a long silence. “I’m so sorry, Katsuya.”

“...For what?”

“It’s my fault you’re like this. I should’ve been by your side back then.”

You sigh.
>”Nothing we can do about it now, right?”
>”I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
>”I’ll be up and running in a few days, easy! Psionic arts are a thing, you know.”
>”Was everything settled?”
>”...Where did your hairclip go?”
>Write-in.

>>1888173
>”I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
>”I’ll be up and running in a few days, easy! Psionic arts are a thing, you know.”
>”Was everything settled?”

>>1888173
>”I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Then
>”Was everything settled?”

>>1888173
>”Was everything settled?”
>"What happened with the other two?"
>”...Where did your hairclip go?”

>>1888173
>”Was everything settled?”
>”...Where did your hairclip go?”

Writing

This might take a while

>>1888113
>anime opening
I won't lie, I think about it sometimes. Not any time soon, that's for sure. You guys don't know it, but I was rushing to finish to a report and slideshow before drawing and writing the update today.

>>1888221
The absolute madman.

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”I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” you say.

“That’s really something you would say, isn’t it?” Kururi says.

You grin. ”Was everything settled?”

“All thanks to you, Katsuya. I’m in your debt forever.”

“Don’t say things like that,” you groan, “Then we would have done all this for nothing.”

She laughs. “I suppose so. Well, I don’t think I’ll be seeing Itsumo again... or at least anytime soon.”

You want to say something. You want to tell her about what you felt back then. You want to, but you can’t. You know that if you do, then everything really was for nothing.

“...What happened with the other two?" you ask.

“You saved them from most of their injuries,” she says, “And from what I can make of it, they were chasing after Itsumo after she had run away. I believe they’re with her right now, perhaps with a limp or two.”

“I see...” you sigh with relief, thankful that no one was seriously injured, or worse...

Well, you’re seriously injured, but for some reason, you don’t think it counts. After all, you’ll be fine with time, and such a cost is trivial compared to what you achieved with it.

“Someone stole all of your fruit,” Kururi says, examining the fruit basket.

“Oh, it was probably my sister. She just eats everything,” you say, “I mean, who leaves a fruit basket to someone like me? That’s just mean, especially since I can’t even eat any.”

She thoughtfully hums, “I left it.”

“You’re sick, you know that?”

She covers a soft laugh with a hand. “Sorry. I didn’t think that far ahead. Should I have brought a vase with flowers instead?”

“That was you last time?” you say, “Thanks for the bouquet, and the fruit.”

“It’s the least I could do,” she says, taking an apple. “If you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead, not like I can eat it anyways,” you say. She ends up at the end of your bed again, and when you look at her again, you notice something off. ”...Where did your hairclip go?”

She’s slightly surprised. “Oh, that old thing? I...” Kururi stops, staring down a moment later. With a meager smile, she says, “I returned it to its rightful owner.”

“Ah...”

The girl in front of you—

The first time you met her, she was a nervous wreck. The dog slobber, the emblems, the running, you recall how she was. How she tugged on your shirt to get your attention, how she constantly stammered to say a single line.

She’s changed.

Changed because of herself, changed because of you, changed because of fate. If you met this girl back then, you doubt you could have recognized her.

You’re...

You’re jealous.

You’re jealous her strength.

You had family, but she had nothing.

If you just had a bit more strength, if you will wasn’t so weak, you wouldn’t be here right now, forced to rest.

Like she said, time won’t wait for you.

You have to move.

[Chapter 12 “Forwards.” - End]

Mita: You’re welcome.
You: I’ll kill you
Mita: Rude
Mita: I tidied up things for you
Mita: Nice and clean
Mita: Should’ve just talked to them on the train
You: Why the hell would I do that?
Mita: Loooool
Mita: Oh my god are you daft
Mita: Nevermind, go figure it out on your own
You: ...
Mita: Ttyl, Fujisaki’s being loud again
You: Don’t help me again, tyvm

ED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-NTMSoed2g
Twitter: twitter.com/hopelessQM

Thanks for playing! I hope you had fun. We finally wrapped all these loose ends up, and the to-do list is officially cleaned! Still, there are countless more threads to pull at.

I’m going to be taking a bit of a hiatus—ha ha, yeah, I know, I’ve already been taking my sweet time running this quest. I’ll talk more about this on my twitter.

Comments, questions, criticism is welcome as always, and I'm always here to reply. Usually. Sometimes.

Oh, and before I forget:

Best girl?

>>1888327
Thanks for running.

>best girl
>implying there's only one
>implying the list of best girls doesn't alter itself between threads
>implying the list of best girls doesn't cover every major girl
if you put a gun to my head and told me to answer, i'd give it to yamikigo

>>1888327
Thanks for running as always. Gonna be honest, I lost track of the loose ends you mentioned loooong ago. Still, fun Quest through and through.

>>1888327
Thanks for running! As for best girl... For me it's a tie between Yami and Usagi, with Kururu coming in at a close second place.

>>1888127
Noooo, did we get routelocked?

>>1888327
>Best girl
They all a best.
I'm currently rooting for Usagi though, with Kaori at the second place.
And I thought Kaori was worst girl at the beginning.

>Comments, questions, criticism
It's hard to remember what things in later threads refer to. This takes away some enjoyment.

>>1888327
Thanks for running QM!

Kaori is best girl, of course

>>1888327
>Best girl?
Yamikigo, no contest. Chuni is best.

>>1888315
Don't tell me those two looked for us to make peace.

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>>1888465
>Did we get routelocked?
There's actually a reason why we haven't routelocked yet, ignoring the """genre""" of this quest. The last Yamikigo POV is a hint to this.

>>1888346
>>1888465
>Gonna be honest, I lost track of the loose ends you mentioned loooong ago
>It's hard to remember what things in later threads refer to. This takes away some enjoyment.

This is a point that I've been thinking about really hard for a while. A part of me acknowledges that there's no way I can expect anyone to remember passing details from 6+ months ago, and yet I couldn't figure out a good way to include it. I thought about summary pastebins, but some of the things I write are mostly implied, like these last few posts of chapter 3:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/1179551/#p1182948

I thought about just straight up handing it to you guys at times, but then I thought it wouldn't be fair because I believed the quest should have some form of difficulty besides. ">headpat" or ">do not headpat"

And after thinking about it, what I said was actually really god damn dumb. It's not fun when you guys have no idea what on earth is happening, and this was never the type of quest that uses that kind of difficulty as a form of engagement. The way I've been doling out information this entire time has been working against my narrative goals and how frequently I run.

tl;dr: I'm an idiot, sorry

But thank you for the feedback, anon!
That one anon who warned me about too many characters and lack of focus is probably frothing at the mouth right now. I'll never forget you.