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>>4559220

Quest Start

You and your younger sister Koyomi laugh good and hard, you laugh together all the way home after her embarrassed admission that undercut her prior heavy admissions. This humor between you, this moment of filial closeness stabilizes you after how crushing those admissions and revelations were. And as they carry you all the way home you think of everything yet to come.

Your father made breakfast again after, straightforward fare of fish, miso, rice, and pickles. It lead to you and your sister arguing over which is the better breakfast fish before Diana-chan barreled her way into the discussion, as only a shapeshifting space cat can, while attempting to steal your fish. And that in turn lead to a slow walk to school after getting cleaned up ahead of your sister.

You honestly needed a little bit of alone time after this morning.

Taking a turn off the regular path, you pause in a familiar garden, one of the gardens often tended to by your classmate and recent friend, Gai Ginja...all of your friends but Kairi are honestly kind of recent. Gai is an assumed name, the boy himself is actually named Estra. His reasons for this are complicated and his own, though it's a matter dominated by his status as a literal alien taking his time to enjoy a seemingly idyllic normal earth life as he had heard from his parents.

Who in turn were old friends of your parents.

Your life and the lives around you are weird. And you’re a recovering magical girl strongly considering falling off the wagon.

If you haven’t already.

You sigh, and relax among the plants suffused with sympathetic and calming magics. It helps.

Though you realize you aren’t alone. Moving through this portion of the public garden you catch sight of the caretaker in question, in the company of Kairi-chan.

Your best friend and the alien boy maneuver through the space as he talks about the various plants, their usual moods, what he finds helps them best grow, and the kind of radiant emotive expressions he’s helped to cultivate within them.

Your life is weird. And the most mundane social complications and histories here make it perhaps weirder than the supernatural elements.

>Leave the two to their devices and head along to school
>...spy on your bestie and the boy you have been egging her on toward
>Interrupt this, tease them and see how they’re doing
>Just enjoy the Garden, if they see you and engage you, engage
>write in

>>4559222
>>Leave the two to their devices and head along to school

Love the interlude, Art!

>>4559222
>>...spy on your bestie and the boy you have been egging her on toward

>>4559222
>Leave the two to their devices and head along to school

>Just enjoy the Garden, if they see you and engage you, engage

>>4559222
>Just enjoy the Garden, if they see you and engage you, engage

>>4559222
>>write in
Just enjoy the garden, and try to keep anyone else from disturbing them.

As this tour continues, you simply stay where you are and stop paying particular attention to them, rather you simply go back to enjoying the garden and keeping at least one eye toward the road on occasion. While you aren’t going to intrude on the two of them you’ll at least put in the token effort to make certain that they in turn are undisturbed.

It's a lovely time, just existing in the garden. A calming and soothing balm to all the things that still worry you and the lingering anxieties from last night’s panic attack and this morning with your sister.

You’re quite taken with the roses in Estra’s little garden. So you focus a bit upon them, kneeling in front of the low trimmed bush of reds, pinks, and thorns to savor the presence of what is admittedly a favorite rooted in a familial bias. However you are quite self aware of it so that should make it fine to have as a preference.

“Oh, good morning Chiba-san,” you hear Estra’s voice after a few minutes of reflection where you turn and find him and Kairi Osaka, the latter of which seems possessed of a sudden trepidation concern that you’re here.

Whether from suspicion of you spying on the two of them or concerns for your wellbeing after last night is unknown. You’re rather certain the trepidation is based on your panic attack from last night.

“Morning Mikage-chan!” she says amid a passive but sharply focused intuitive investigation of your currently presented state, “I wasn’t sure if I’d be seeing you today,”

You smile and rise.

“Morning Ginja-san,” you offer with a smile, “Morning Kairi-chan! No, I’m back on my feet today and feeling better and worse for it,”

“Was this to do with last night?” Estra inquires carefully, “I can’t imagine how taxing the whole affair must have been,”

“Well, some time with my sister early this morning helped, and as ever these gardens are a welcome and soothing respite,” you offer, “I saw the two of you and didn’t wish to interrupt or eavesdrop,”

“I was just telling Estra about what happened actually, at least from my end,” your best friend and Knight explains, “With all due consideration to our operational security,”

“Of course,” you nod.

“Indeed, Osaka-san is a dashing and heroic knight, and a daring and compassionate hero of the hour as she tells it,” he smiles broadly and radiates a still detectable warm sense of pride and hospitality.

“I think that sounds about right,” you smile as Kairi-chan is struck by a spread of embarrassment across her features first at Estra’s praise and then at your confirmation, and it didn’t escape your notice the tone she had earlier said the alien transfer student’s real first name with.

>>4559848
“Well, I’m feeling fantastic now and I don’t want to intrude on this moment,” you smile at them warmly and tuck your school satchel behind your back and hold it with both hands in a swish and turn of your skirt, “See you too in homeroom, don’t be late,”

As you skip off, positively refreshed and amused by this exchange, you look forward to needling Kairi for information about this morning walk of theirs over lunch period. For now you sidle into the growing mass of student traffic toward both the municipal middle school and municipal high school. Today should be a normal day, at least you hope it's a normal day, as you leave the Magical Knight and Alien gardener to be adorable in your wake.

Last night, things went well. You and yours won the day and saved the lives of the four rogue shadows created by the enemy’s machinations. Four souls made from nothing that have meaning now...and aren’t just fodder for...for whatever Hematite was on about. Kairi-chan was right about being the hero of the hour, it all hinged on her and she pulled through.

The Dark General’s words seem so distant now, you think if you hadn’t taken that aside in the garden they would dog and haunt you now. Instead, haunting your steps in the growing crowd is idle chatter of your great impact on the end of that engagement. Your ears are burning with mention of it to and fro.

“Endymion lives, what do you think that means?” someone asks of their schoolmate on the pedestrian street as students filter between thin concrete and steel pylons from the main throughway.

It’s common chatter among your peers this morning. You can only imagine how common a point of discussion it must be about the city as a whole, if not the world.

There isn’t much more for it now, you think, as the still wide open gates of the school beckon. Here you linger a bit, at the gate, catching sight of a few familiar faces on foot as well. The Kino twins, as thunder and lightning starting their morning off in an animated discourse. Your friends who are in secret your Knight Marshal and Spymaster respectively chatting about something over by the rows of shoe lockers. The substitute teacher who is in reality a Sailor Senshi from another solar system nods at you as you pass where she currently stands saddled with gate monitor duty this morning.

Somewhere inside, no doubt your normal friend And student council president busies herself alongside her declared paramour preparing for the day already if his already parked Van in the visible public lot is any indication. The day feels so much calmer than it had, even as you’d been taking time off to craft magical artifacts for your less than magical allies. A short calm after victory…No doubt your own class representative is already inside and busy.

Still on the lips of those passing by...Sailor Moon, Hematite, and Endymion Lives remain hot topics of conversation.

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>>4559851


Casting your eyes aside to the shared athletic field between the highschool and middle school you catch sight of some gathering at the base of the faceless statues of the first, second, and third Sailor Moon. You, your elder sister, and yourself tower over the crowd as beacons of hope, beacons of hope with a custodial ladder being set up against for some reason.

>Go and say hi to Midori Mori and Saori Umeki
>Step across the street and see what’s up with Koito and Kanari Kino
>What’s all this to do by the Sailor Moon statues
>Engage with Kinzoku sensei, see what she thinks of last night
>head inside and up, check on Nui Takeda and Daigo Endi
>go straight to class, collect the attention of Yoshi
>Find a nice place out of the way to just...people watch this morning
>Dive into the ambient conversation, what are people saying and thinking about last night?
>...you know this might be a nice no pressure day to play hooky
>Write in

>>4559856
>Go and say hi to Midori Mori and Saori Umeki

>>4559856
>go straight to class, collect the attention of Yoshi

>>4559856
>>What’s all this to do by the Sailor Moon statues

>>4559856
>>What’s all this to do by the Sailor Moon statues

>>4559856
>>Go and say hi to Midori Mori and Saori Umeki
Spymaster should be able to help answer what people are talking about and what's going on with the statues.

>>4559856
>What’s all this to do by the Sailor Moon statues
Plot hook? Plot hook. I swear though, if those assholes defaced our family's statues...

Curiosity strikes the better of you as you drift over toward the assemblage of students from both schools near the statues. If anything is drawing that kind of attention, it probably isn’t good.

An errant worry strikes you, what if someone took to heart Hematite’s spiel and wrote some message against Sailor Moon on these statues. Statues of you and your family. That upsets you a little, but honestly it isn’t so surprising after all. No matter what you or Koyomi said last night there would always be people susceptible and willing to a story like this.

Though given his response, you’re not sure even Hematite truly buys the line he was selling.

And so, amid the morning you approach the scene unfolding. Getting closer across the athletic field you catch sight of your school’s Principal, Haruna Sakurada, trying to control the crowd and encourage students that there was nothing to see here.

Though it became clear as you approached just what was there. The glare of the morning sun behind the statues made it harder to make out from the gate, but spray painted across the three statues and their base was a message in silver and black.

‘In the name of the moon’ stood in silver across the waists and torsos of the statues.

‘Endymion Lives’ rests in black across the collective bases of the statues.

Whatever it is, both messages are in the same hand. A familiar hand belonging to someone who you’re sure had previously been dissuaded from egregious tagging on the turf of the Red Eyed Beast before, but still functioned and made street art less prolifically.

Normally they are a more elaborate artist, but here it was about the message. In support of the Sailor Guardians and Eclipse it would seem.

>You have no strong feelings about this
>You are conflicted about this, its vandalism of your family but with a message of support
>You are annoyed and upset by this, regardless of the messaging
>You are entirely pleased and girded by this and the spread of your message
>Write in

The janitor steadies his ladder and ascends with the aperture of a pressure washer in hand and you…

>Stay and watch the whole thing among the crowd until class
>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about your upcoming partial withdraw
>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about her son, specifically your intentions
>Stay and Talk with some of your classmates in the crowd about the graffiti
>Head back and find Midori & Saori
>Wait for your sister near the gate to tell her this happened
>Head into classroom and just get ready for class
>head into the classroom and see if you can corner Yoshi to talk
>write in

>>4561159
>You are conflicted about this, its vandalism of your family but with a message of support
>You are girded by this and the spread of your message

A write-in. I can see Mikage being conflicted but being happy her actions are having intended results.

>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about your upcoming partial withdraw
>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about her son, specifically your intentions

Honestly, unless we are still on to see Yoshi confess his band activities to his Mom, this is the best chance we are going to get.

>>4561159
>>You are entirely pleased and girded by this and the spread of your message
We've enough delinquent in us to appreciate a somewhat unorthodox show of support.
Though I'll admit to curiosity about who on our turf would go this route.

>write in
Watch, listen, and signal our spymaster regarding our curiosity in this matter.

>>4561159
>>You are entirely pleased and girded by this and the spread of your message

>>Stay and Talk with some of your classmates in the crowd about the graffiti

>>4561159
>You are conflicted about this, its vandalism of your family but with a message of support
They could have just made a sign.
>Head back and find Midori & Saori

>>4561159
>Write in
>You're amused and embarrassed by your Knight's sense of drama - not that you have much room to talk

Looks like we have an even split or so between pleased and conflicted, and some full split between the vote of what to do next. We'll leave this up for a spell before continuing.

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>>4561179
>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about your upcoming partial withdraw
>Grab Principal Sakurada to talk about her son, specifically your intentions
>>4561182
>Watch, listen, and signal our spymaster regarding our curiosity in this matter.
>>4561217
>Stay and Talk with some of your classmates in the crowd about the graffiti
>>4561271
>Head back and find Midori & Saori

>>4563080
Damnable council. Ever do I rue the day. I'll figure this out.

>>4563525
Putting the latter three together could work. First see what our classmates have to say, then go talk to Midori & Saori.

>>4563589
Thats where I was thinking of going but tonight I have not the gas in my tank.

>>4563642
It's ok, Artemis. We're just happy the quest exists, we're not going to get angry and demand more.

Artemis, you okay? You haven't posted since Tuesday, and your other quest's thread is now archived. Getting worried.

>>4567431
I live, seasonal related work rush knocked my ability to make a few updates out (filming decorations at night & etc) and I’m just whiling time away this weekend prepping for holidays in progress and just around the bend with family and my partner. Monday I’ll be knocking out a few things for this quest, and then keep that train running over my vacation.

Also, guess who has two thumbs and whose oil burning fire hazard car engine is getting a recall in a month and a half! This guy.

>>4568045
Well, that sucks, but at least you're ok. I always worry when someone suddenly goes dark for a while.

>>4568045
Don’t worry, we’ll be here.

>>4568160
...And now I’m thinking sadly of Crusty and homeless mutant quest.

Look, I’m gonna roll into that dealership with a mummer’s tail if I can screaming that corporate can bite me for not doing the obvious recall. I’m doing well and in good company of a partner who is amazing and supportive and I’m spending great time with her and its been to my extreme benefit.

>>4568409
>I’m doing well and in good company of a partner who is amazing and supportive and I’m spending great time with her and its been to my extreme benefit.
Glad to hear that at least.

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>>4568409
>I’m doing well and in good company of a partner who is amazing and supportive and I’m spending great time with her and its been to my extreme benefit.

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As the custodian brings out the handheld pressure washer to begin cleaning the text from the statue, you feel strangely conflicted over the matter accomplished but also pleased your message took root that night. It's, at least here in the hometown of the Sailor Guardians, a small victory for you that here people haven’t turned against you.

Though it makes you consider the wider picture all the same.

Of course the home town would be on the side of it’s heroes…

No, you won’t worry about just that now. Not when this is a long game, and frankly for all that’s been done a battle of hearts and minds has always been the strong suit of your family.

Always…

Well, better take your mind off this conflict by doing something you actually need to take care of.

“Excuse me, Principal Sakurada!” you push through the crowd and try to flag her down amid the crowd.

“Chiba-san, good morning,” she looks around and sighs, “If you need me for my usual office hours now isn’t exactly a great time,”

“I just had a quick question about my partial withdrawal,” you clap your hands together and offer her a nervous smile and pleading bow, “And a quick chat about my class rep,”

Somewhere, unbeknownst to you as he shuffles papers, Yoshi Sakurada sneezes and loses his train of organization.

Principal Sakurada gauges you in this two pronged attack.

“Well played, Chiba-san, let’s talk away from the crowd...WHO IF I GUESS IS GOING TO GAWK ANYWAY IT CAN BE THEIR OWN FAULT IF ANY OF THEM ARE LATE!” she leads you away toward the sports shed while roaring at the crowd of assembled students before the vandalized statues.

A fair distance from everyone as the power washing begins in earnest, you have your principal’s ear.

“So,” she begins, “Everything is almost sorted with the board and you’ll be good to start your partial withdrawal before we reach the midpoint of this month else we’ll be holding off until the start of the next term in January,” she explains rather quickly, “There are a few specific details I need to go over with your father, and nothing you need to be too concerned with, if that answers your first question,”

“...It does, thank you Principal Sakurada,”

“Now...what about your class representative?” she leans in, curious and conspiratorial.

Your class representative, Yoshi Sakurada, is the principal’s son. Since it had seemed the friendly terms you and the boy were previously on had been mended the Principal had leaned on you lightly, asking as a concerned parent, if everything was alright with him because she suspected something was off in her motherly concern.

>>4570483

Something was off, and probably still is. As the clean cut usually class rep was moonlighting as being frontman and songwriter for a monster themed band of his creation that had amassed local attention and popularity doing death metal covers of pop songs. And, it's complicated but that’s part of the reason the two of you had been drifting back together.

Her question hangs in the air. You feel a bit of stress on the matter but...you’ll find your way through. There are things you’ve decided you want to do, but how do you convey those things or absolutely bail on this conversation now?

>I’m thinking about doing something drastic regarding my feelings for...and his feelings for... so...just giving you a heads up (somewhat stressful)
>He’s got an esoteric talent that he wants to tell you about but has been worried you wouldn’t accept it, but I think he definitely needs your support when he’s ready to tell you! (No stress on your part, but going a bit behind Yoshi’s back)
>...I have very strong feelings for Yoshi and we’ve been talking about our feelings and haven’t put any labels on it but I think I want to force a confrontation about labels and I shouldn’t be telling you this but with EVERYTHING going on these days I feel super anxious about it and with my mom out of town I want your advice as a strong role-model? (full spagett)|
>We’re back in each other's orbits, and I’m absolutely why he’s been acting strangely and I wanted to apologize for any discord I’ve caused in your home (Anxiously Awkward Stressful)
>I’m planning to do something that should put all of this to rest (coy, she may become suspicious)
>Write in

With that matter thankfully behind you, you break away from Principal Sakurada and join into the crowd and try to gauge what is going on. Sending a telepathic message out to your spymaster as she and Midori approach this cluster of students about your interest in her reports on the fallout of last night’s events you for the moment just listen within the boundaries of this crowd.

There is a lot of confusion as people try to figure out just who is Endymion and why him living is important. Others wonder just what is the mysterious Eclipse’s connection to the current Sailor Moon. The mood is, hopeful. Less attention paid toward the remnant forces of Elysion beyond fear of what they’ve tried to do more than once in the region. More than that, the student body is firmly set against the intentions of your foes as most of the high schoolers in this assemblage now were victims and collateral of one of their operations.

“To think they would have used us to recruit and hurt more people,” one person laments.

“What they've done to us and our friends,” one person shudders, “What we almost did, and they have the gall to try and turn people against Sailor Moon?”

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>>4570486

Here in Juuban, here at your school, you’re winning the battle for hearts and minds for sure...but you need to know more about what’s going on.

Saori had slowed her and Midori’s approach after your message signaled her. Finding your way out of the crowd you join the two of them at the periphery. From here they can both see the words painted across the statues.

Ever the reactionary, Saori Umeki offers a low whistle as a grin plasters across her face at the sight of the words, she seems pleased that this statement has been made. Midori Mori, always pragmatic, sees this and then searches your face for some point clarity as to how you feel about this; which you answer with an expression of uncertainty.

“You okay?” Midori questions with the blunt care and concern that lead you to naming her your Knight Marshal as she steals another look at the graffiti.

“It’ll be fine, it’s a statement on our side though, right,” you muster.

“Yeah and how!” Saori offers quickly and clasps her hands together, leaning back and unfurling her slouch to get a better view as she smiles broadly, “And it's not just here either!”

“You’ve got the better ear to the ground,” you question your spymaster, “What’s the word online?”

“Generally positive, mostly on our side,” she shrugs, “usual spread of discourse, some contrarian viewpoints on lurk...its a lot and still reeling so far. No big splits or rifts yet...people still believe in Sailor Moon and want to know what’s all this about Endymion,”

“We’ll have to find a way to de-mystify that eventually,” Midori sighs, “And if we don’t get a chance to do so before winning this thing it’s going to have to be something to be addressed if we’re thinking anything long term for public trust,”

“Right...then that’ll have to be it. My dad didn’t say anything about it over breakfast...so…”

“Oh, he had thoughts about it last night,” Midori sighs as you’re surprised, “We all talked about it with him last night after we got you home,”

“He didn’t mention that this morning either,” you question with some concern.

“Well, it was generally positive. He didn’t want to make you feel like you put him on the spot or anything...and he spoke with us only briefly,” Midori blushes a bit, “before we all kind of felt like third wheels when he was able to speak too…”

“His friends,” you figure out, “I’m sorry if he made you all feel awkward or diminished for being hosts to them,”

“No, it wasn’t like that. It was welcoming and he was proud to see us all together around you. Having come together like that as warriors and friends...it was nice, and we wanted to give him and them that time,” she smiles and then shakes her head in a flustered moment, “Okay, I’m getting way too sappy and Jadeite is doing that stoic I’m not about to cry thing in my head,”

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>>4570492

She is silent a moment as you do not hear her half of the conversation.

“Well you are,” she replies to the spirit that walks bound to her.

Midori, your Knight Marshal and Jadeite Knight of your own Four Heavenly Kings. Carrying the stone containing the soul of one of your father’s retainers where she in turn is one of your own. Your retainer. Your knight. Your friend.

Your friends.

That just puts a broad smile on your face as you lean in and hug her before pulling Saori, to her surprise, into the hug as well.

It is then that the warning bell chimes. As one you and all the assembled students turn to the nearby clock displays on both the middle school and high school. The crowd splits in a rush toward their respective destinations. Though being so far back from the crowd with Midori and Saori the two of you make it with at least a few moments to breathe after changing out for your slippers at the shoe lockers.

And the day begins. Yoshi Sakurada leads his portion of the homeroom as class representative. Kinzoku-sensei continues as your substitute for homeroom and a few classes before trading out with one of the other instructors. Your friends in class are around you. Nods and smiles and glances shared as time runs thin before the day starts in earnest and then continues into lunch.

What to do during lunch.

>Try and rally the tables together with the girls
>You’ve got an additional outside of this class friend to check in with, Mio
>You got an additional outside of this class friend to check in with, Teal
>You have a need of sequestering Kairi-chan and pressing her about her morning with Estra
>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, no pressure just lunch together
>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, and have a more forward discussion about the two of you
>Write in

>>4570486
>>I’m planning to do something that should put all of this to rest (coy, she may become suspicious)
>>4570493
>>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, and have a more forward discussion about the two of you

>>4570486
>>We’re back in each other's orbits, and I’m absolutely why he’s been acting strangely and I wanted to apologize for any discord I’ve caused in your home (Anxiously Awkward Stressful)
The most true we can be, reassuring her and not spoiling his reveal.

>>4570493
>>You’ve got an additional outside of this class friend to check in with, Mio
That was the one we bumrushed into friendship to keep them from turning inward after the spider monster thing right?
Though Teal could use some attention too.

Might be mixing names and don't have time to double check.
There's ex spider friend and thirsty for Sasha friend. Both need some updated communication.

>>4570560
Mio Nomura - Former head of Kieko Sugimoto‘s fanclub turned into spider monster. In your school.

Moe Ueda - Power lifting Ganguro lover of teddy bear backpacks with a thing for Sasha. Student at Infinity Academy

Nui Takeda/Teal - Schoolmate in Senior Year, Student Council President. Self appointed leader of the fashion circle. Smol of stature but large in power and presence. Now dating Yoshi’s friend and bandmate Daigo Endo.

>>4570486
>Less attention paid toward the remnant forces of Elysion beyond fear of what they’ve tried to do more than once in the region. More than that, the student body is firmly set against the intentions of your foes as most of the high schoolers in this assemblage now were victims and collateral of one of their operations.
And then they tried to convince people to support them over us. Clearly our foes are the “Beatings will continue until morale improves” sort.

>>4570492
>Four Heavenly Kings.jpg
With how the g is displayed, I read that as Four Heavenly Kinos for a moment.

>>4570486
>We’re back in each other's orbits, and I’m absolutely why he’s been acting strangely and I wanted to apologize for any discord I’ve caused in your home (Anxiously Awkward Stressful)
>>4570493
>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, no pressure just lunch together

>>4570486
>>...I have very strong feelings for Yoshi and we’ve been talking about our feelings and haven’t put any labels on it but I think I want to force a confrontation about labels and I shouldn’t be telling you this but with EVERYTHING going on these days I feel super anxious about it and with my mom out of town I want your advice as a strong role-model? (full spaghetti)
>>4570493
>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, no pressure just lunch together

>>4570486
>>We’re back in each other's orbits, and I’m absolutely why he’s been acting strangely and I wanted to apologize for any discord I’ve caused in your home (Anxiously Awkward Stressful)
Would be against adding something about the Damned either, if we can do it without going behind his back. Maybe “There’s some other stuff going on with him, and he’s kind of nervous about how you’ll react, but he’s not hurting anyone or doing anything illegal or anything, and I don’t want to say anything to betray his trust.” I dunno, I’m not great at social and understanding where the lines are sometimes. Anyone else have thoughts?

>>4570493
>>You’ve got an additional outside of this class friend to check in with, Mio
She could probably really use a shoulder to lean on right now. Stopping the villains isn’t enough: the damage they inflicted needs to be undone, too, and that takes time.

>>4570493
>>You want to have lunch with Yoshi, no pressure just lunch together

Rolled 16 (1d20)

Okay, why the fuck are several of the pastebin pastes just gone?

Logging in reveals they are there but locked. Gonna migrate documents tonight if I can.

>>4575551
Obviously it’s the fault of the enemy.

>>4575621
Clearly it's some devious plan to deprive us of our allies and their powers.

>>4575659
>>4575621
Then they move against us both then

Next update is written but I don’t feel like phone posting it w/out word count tools. I’ll throw it up some time Sunday late afternoon when I’m home.

As you wind your way to lunch, you cast your eyes over toward Yoshi where he sits by the window. Drifting back to thinking of the exchange you had outside with his mother before classes started; with what you told to her earlier. Tripping over your own feelings.

That’s you, stealthy at everything else but not in feelings. At least not in this case.

“We’re back in each other's orbits,” you began and girded yourself, “and I’m absolutely why he’s been acting strangely,”

Idly playing with your pencil you let your thoughts linger on how she had regarded you coolly to those opening words. A concern on her face. Was it for you, was it for her son, or was it for any of the history the two of you had shared before your junior high graduation. Perhaps a concern that this positive turn is just a short fluke and you’ll be falling into that dark pit of depression and withdrawn panic again...and abandoning her son’s heart. Grousing at the memory you glance away from Yoshi but quickly return your attention. Clearly your anxiety is trying to get the better of you again, it's that obvious even to you right now.

What to do about it though?

“...and I wanted to apologize for any discord I’ve caused in your home,” you had offered Principal Sakurada with that worry more than likely clear on your face.

That was as honest as you could be, and she deserves your honesty, without betraying Yoshi’s bigger truths.

Her expression was soft, followed by a sigh.

She had told you to run along to class, to not worry.

And here you are, worrying about it and worrying about him. Your thoughts drag on the matter until a snapping sound from the front of the class room draws your attention. Turning your attention back to the front of the room you are struck lightly in the forehead by a piece of chalk.

Standing there at the front of the room, hand still held in position of the follow through of the throw, Kinzoku-sensei looks sternly and professionally.

“Chiba-san! Pay attention!” she intones to your surprise and the seeming surprise of the rest of the class.

Even Princess No is known for at least being an attentive & good student…this is serious. The absolute state you’re in.

The moment behind you it clears your mind and leaves you galvanized with your plans today for Lunch. Further it keeps you focused on class until then.

When periods and teachers change enough that lunch is near, you eschew the gathering of your usual lunchtime war council of your friends and cross the room toward your student council representative. Your friends definitely notice this and you catch the absolute smile across Saori’s face for the looming exchange. Though that smile it seems isn’t just for your actions.

Yoshi himself is stoof and facing you halfway between your seats only a scant few rows apart.

“I was-“ the two of you say in unison and pause.

It's an awkward laugh that's shared between the two of you.

>>4578356

“Would you like to have lunch together?”
“Join me for lunch?”

Not the same thing as you both speak over each other again, but the same intentions.

Taking course together toward the roof, before leaving the classroom you catch sight of Gai Ginja sweeping over to perhaps make a similar offer to Kairi-chan as she circles up with Keiko, Midori, and Saori. This will leave Saori a momentary third wheel to Midori and Keiko for sure, but it's something to consider for later.

The roof, in spite of the turn to fall that looms, is still a busy and populated place during lunch period. You weren’t quick enough to claim bench space.

“Well,” Yoshi offers simply more in statement, “We can still sit against the retention fence by the roof garden,”

It's a directive, and a nice one.

“Yeah, that sounds comfortable,” and it does, but a part of you wants to make a scene and get those benches…

No, that’s not the kind of problem solving to apply right now.

Now is a quiet and no pressure comfortable lunch on the roof with Yoshi.

What do you want to do to or talk to Yoshi about from this no-low pressure list?
>About his band’s new representation
>About how you’re enjoying spending time with him
>Let him lead conversation, or at least prod him to
>No chatting, comfortable and companionable silence for lunch
>Rest your head on his shoulder
>Go for his free hand after bentos are opened
>write in

What outside force if any interrupts things?
>Daigo Endo seeks Yoshi for advice
>Nui Takeda needs you for unofficial official business
>Principal Sakurada watches from the stairwell
>No interruptions occur
>Write in

>>4578359
>>About how you’re enjoying spending time with him
>>Let him lead conversation, or at least prod him to

>>Nui Takeda needs you for unofficial official business

>>4578359
>>4578370

I can back this.

>>4578359
>>Go for his free hand after bentos are opened
>>write in
Mention the update to his mom. (We previously told him of her asking is about him). Use this as the prod for:
>>Let him lead conversation, or at least prod him to

>Nui and Daigo seperately arrive to grab one of you and stammer out excuses when they see the other and break off awkwardly.

>>4578359
>This will leave Saori a momentary third wheel to Midori and Keiko for sure, but it's something to consider for later.
>Saori: Which pair of lovebirds do I spy on?

>Let him lead conversation, or at least prod him to
>Principal Sakurada watches from the stairwell

>>4578359
>>4578394
>>4578495

Switching to this write in.

>>4578359
>About how you’re enjoying spending time with him
>Principal Sakurada watches from the stairwell

Just gonna cram a bunch of things together.

>>4579936
F

Sitting there, the fence springs as you both lean against it. It's not so deep into fall that its uncomfortable outside, at least with the sweater vests as the flare of your school uniforms. Yoshi sits beside you and takes out a bento as you take out your own.

It’s comfortable sitting here next to him, though you notice things still don’t quite feel like they did back then. Despite the time you’ve tried to reclaim now, you know at least you are still beset by an underlying tension.

For things you’ve said. For things both of you did or didn’t do in the past. For time, lost.

Regret is really unbecoming and you know you’ve been walking on glass around this. Uncertain about how people will react when you know how you feel. And how you express it in the dark or the light shouldn’t matter.

You sit to Yoshi’s left...and as he glances over to you to smile you take your chopsticks up in your left hand and grab Yoshi’s free hand with your right. He shoots a look over to you, pausing in lifting a small piece of omelette from the box.

Saying nothing, initially, you offer a simple firm nod at him full of the determination you mean by this gesture. Everyone else on the roof could be a million miles away for all you care. And perhaps they are, as less attention is being paid your way.

Though perhaps you pick up on some errant conversation. And to your surprise people aren’t talking about you necessarily. Perhaps what they almost did to you is still uncomfortable...but the sentiment is that Sakurada-san is cooler than he lets on that he played like that to shake everyone loose. Did you hear? He did that to protect Chiba-san. I hear they used to be a thing back in Junior high, it’s so romantic that they got to come back together over a monster attack.

If only they knew. Romantic? Well, this is Juuban.

“Yoshi, I’m enjoying the time we’re spending together,” you offer quite simply, “Moments like these mean a lot to me,”

He smiles and squeezes your hand.

“I’m enjoying this time too, Mikage,” there is a gentleness here that gives way to worry, perhaps uncertainty about broaching a subject.

A subject probably on everyone’s mind today, right? You’ve made it clear that you like these moments of normalcy with him, as a space away from what and who you are...but of course he’d have questions.

“I let your mom know I’m the reason for you acting strangely,” you offer threading your fingers with his, “And apologized for any of the discord I’ve caused,”

“That seems a bit...extreme,” he coughs a bit and glances away and sighs, “I think I’ll spring things on her tonight,”

“Oh?” you lean in a bit with a teasing expression, “Finally finding the double life a bit exhausting?”

“No, I’m taking your advice,” his voice is soft but with a scolding quality about it, “Ripping off the bandage,”

>>4580047

You continue to eat together. It's a companionable and somewhat fulfilling silence.

“You can ask me whatever you want, Yoshi,” you squeeze his hand again reassuringly while you savor a small sausage from your lunch box, “Some of it I’ll be able to talk about freely, some of it I won’t be up to; but I’m fine to talk about whatever you want to,”

It's to help him lead the conversation. To break the quiet, and maybe you can let him in further to your world. May it be toward the mundane or something else. Why wouldn’t he have some questions about yesterday.

Though, out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of someone standing back in the stairwell as some students push the door open to get the roof. Principal Sakurada is...there is no nice way to say it, from across the roof the Principal is spying on you and her son. And why wouldn’t she? After your whole thing this morning.

“Well, I’m sorry Kal’s counterpart gave you the slip last night...but outwardly things seemed to have gone, well?” he offers carefully and with consideration to your surroundings.

You nod with a bit of pride.

“It was so great last night,” you grin broadly, “Koyomi was on point and we undercut him straight out. Kairi-chan completed the real objective though our gangland smoke screen,”

You whisper that part with some measure of excitement.

“I’m glad,” he smiles warmly, “I hope things continue to go well, and this matter won’t haunt us or your for too much longer,”

“Oh?”

“Hmmm...no, let me rephrase,” he laughs to himself, “I hope you’re able to stop this, to save everyone, and hold your head high before this is done. So we can have more time like this without interruption,”

It's nice, but it does prompt your conspiratorial tone to return.

“Speaking of interruption, just a heads up, but your mom is watching us right now,”

He sits bolt upright against the chain link fence, looks over following your gaze to the stairwell where his mother is now talking to another student trying to appear nonchalant.

Yoshi sighs and smiles.

“Right, bandage,” he disengages from your hand holding to rise and offers the hand back to help you up, “You wanted to see this, right Mikage?”

Not that you need it or anything, but it remains a nice gesture.

“Oh, a meal and a show. You know how to treat a girl, Yoshi,” you grin in mischief and rise with him as a counterweight.

Together the two of you approach the stairwell, Principal Sakurada of course sees this. The student she roped into an attempted cover story disengages and runs to a far corner of the roof at the sight of your amusement and the serious and guided look on Yoshi’s face. The two of you are a few steps away as the Principal looks like a kid with a hand caught in a cookie jar trying to calculate an excuse before she realizes that she is the adult in this situation and in fact looking after the welfare of her child.

>>4580049

Her set confidence on the matter is interrupted, as is Yoshi’s attempt to reveal something of importance by a figure charging up the stairs past the Principal and zeroing in on Yoshi Sakurada.

Daigo Endo, brushing past and out of the open doors to the stairwell, immediately locks in on Yoshi, laying hands upon his shoulders while seeming a bit out of breath from his charge.

“Sakurada! I need your help man! I don’t know what to-” the larger boy pauses and realizes who he’s standing with and then registers your expression of curiosity and Yoshi’s expression of confusion, “Oh. Uh, Chiba-san. I just need to borrow him a second there’s plenty of- look its important,”

“Endo, what-” Yoshi gets out before the larger boy turns to drag him down the stairs, the Principal looking shocked and confused by this glancing between the two boys and you for a moment.

Really Endo-kun doesn’t even notice the Principal there, running up the stairs like that is grounds to get a minor disciplinary notice easily...though you think he does notice her as he stops short in his tracks.

“Dai- Endo-kun,” Nui Takeda, Teal from your fashion circle, Student Council President and very short upperclassman is on the other side of the two boys a few steps down the stairs, there is an uncertainty to her before she spies you on the other side of the boys.

She homes in on your presence, a clicking idea of social genius forming in her head as she locks eyes with you before back to Daigo Endo.

“Excuse me, Endo-kun,” she says sternly and composes herself like she wasn’t just running after Daigo Endo for whatever reason, “Excuse me, Sakurada-san, could I please get past before you go talk about...whatever it is you need to talk about in such a rush,”

There are applied emphasises here that leave you concerned. Concerned that your peaceful rooftop meal and show with Yoshi are hard derailed.

>>4580052

“I have Official Unofficial Business to attend to,” she says striding forward as the two boys part long enough for her to get past, once she’s clear the larger boy drags Yoshi downstairs with your romantic interest dragged shocked in his wake while Nui’s own face breaks from whatever seriousness she had been feigning to significant worry and uncertainty.

Yoshi tried to resist, but despite being a gentle giant by demeanor Daigo Endo did try to get a Sumo Club started in your class’s first year and is a drummer. Both things show on his build and Yoshi didn’t stand a chance to be dragged away despite initial verbal confusion and protest.

The Principal looks down the stairwell after the retreating boys, over to you and the situation you are now dealing with, and nods to herself before vaulting herself over the bar separating the landing and the descent of the stairs and following after her son and his friend.

>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent
>You need to pursue Daigo Endo and Yoshi, your lovely lunch time won’t be interrupted
>You need to pursue Daigo Endo and Yoshi, bring Nui Takeda with you as she seems involved
>Call out to Principal Sakurada on her snooping on you and Yoshi
>Engage Princess No Protocol to all these shenanigans
>Write in

>>4580054
>>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent
It never rains, but it pours.

>>4580054
>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent

>>4580054
>>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent
>>write in
Shoot Yoshi a message, let him know we'll be up here if he can get away, warn that his mom is following, and place an early bet that Nui and Daigo probably have related concerns.
Also, cover his food if it got left behind.. ponder if eating some qould be alright.

>>4580054
>>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent

>>4580054
>Your friend Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in this takes precedent

Writing

Nui Takeda looks in a bad way, attention to her part in all of this takes precedent. She’s looking at you with uncertainty and the need of a friend that’s just been dealt something crushing. Given Daigo Endo’s state of near panic surprise in seeking out Yoshi that doesn’t inspire a great sense of confidence in you as to what that crushing thing may be.

“Nui, what’s the official unofficial business? Are you okay?” you question of the smaller girl about the use of the term she uses in school to hide her fashion circle activities behind her position as student council president.

Her face crunches in upset.

“I’m...there’s no circle business...I just,” she sighs dejected, “I just caught up with him and didn’t know what to say,”

You nod and lead her away from the stairwell, ushering her by the shoulder to where you and Yoshi had been sitting. Taking a moment you text him to let him know you’ll be up here with your lunches if he can get away from Endo-kun and figure out what’s wrong while you talk to Nui-Sempai.

Covering your bento, you linger a moment before closing his. You figure he wouldn’t notice if another one of his sausages went missing. Heck, you were going to ask and try to bait him into...you blush and sigh at missed opportunities before circumstantial interruptions.

Sitting there with Nui-Sempai, the girl seems to be trying to find herself in a swirl of divergent and conflicting feelings.

The last time you saw her anywhere close to this was at the after party. Her upset over Flowers’s attempted departure from the circle was more volatile comparably.z

“So, what happened with Endo-kun?” you offer cautiously as she balls her fist on the hem of her skirt, rocking against the bouncy give of the chain link fence along the roof’s edge where the two of you now rest.

“He, he misunderstood what I was trying to tell him,” she frowns, “He has the totally wrong idea about…”

She goes quiet a moment before continuing.

“I already spoke to Flowers about this after she came back,” she sighs and takes on a tone you rarely hear from her, “I did not want to unload these issues on everyone about this...but...my parents recently informed me that they’ve begun scheduling matchmaking appointments and meetings for between this and next term as well as after graduation,”

When she speaks like this, between the tenses and forms, she sounds proper and traditional. Like she was raised to be. Like she tries to escape from being in school and the fashion circle when among friends. The regal poise expected of a daughter of the Takeda family.

It’s why you were so surprised last month when she showed up with her hair dyed instead of in a wig like she normally does. Was it her parents extending leniency before this?

>>4582360

“I was trying to tell Endo-kun, that it was happening; but that it was happening against my will,” she’s a bit mournful now, “against everything I want from the two of us together, but in anxiety and fear trying to present things clearly I was so nervous that I only got to express the first part and…”

“Nui-sempai,” an Omiai is serious business, are Nui-Sempai’s parents trying to marry her off for potential business or political alliance?

That doesn’t sit particularly well with you, as a champion- former champion of love and justice. Do they know their daughter’s feelings? Do they even care? It makes you bristle a bit.

“The big lug thinks I’m dumping his ass, but like that’s the last thing I want!” she blurts out in the more familiar cadence and dialect of the glorious ganguro gyaru movement before grabbing at her face and sobbing a bit.

Amid all of this, Yoshi texts you back that Endo is rapidly going through some of the stages of grief about Takeda-san trying to spare his feelings and let him down or him not being good enough or an apparently dizzying range of pleading for advice or declarations of the situation.

>Comfort Nui-sempai like you did at the party, remind her of who she is
>Tell Nui-sempai you are using Yoshi as an intermediary to explain things to Endo
>Just let Nui-sempai vent, with reassuring gesture, she’s too strong to let this slow her down long
>This is making you uncomfortable, you don’t have the juice or know how to help her or any of this
>Well, time to engage in operation tough love on these dorks
>Engage Princess No protocol
>Enraged Princess No protocol (maximum bad decisions)
>Send an SoS to Midori
>write in

>>4582362
>Just let Nui-sempai vent, with reassuring gesture, she’s too strong to let this slow her down long
>Comfort Nui-sempai like you did at the party, remind her of who she is
>Send an SoS to Midori
Let her vent, and then give her the reassurance she needs. And of course, call for help. When dealing with something like this, you need all the friends you can get. Wouldn't be against passing this on to Yoshi so he can pass this on to Endo either, but only if Nui says it's cool.

>>4582362
>>Tell Nui-sempai you are using Yoshi as an intermediary to explain things to Endo

>>4582362
>>Comfort Nui-sempai like you did at the party, remind her of who she is
>>Tell Nui-sempai you are using Yoshi as an intermediary to explain things to Endo

Taking on her family's attitude is going to take some effort. Time for a different sort of war council.
>>Send an SoS to Midori

>>4582362
>Tell Nui-sempai you are using Yoshi as an intermediary to explain things to Endo
>Just let Nui-sempai vent, with reassuring gesture, she’s too strong to let this slow her down long
>Send an SoS to Midori

Merry Christmas, everyone

>>4582996
And to you anons too, everyone.

>>4582362
>>Comfort Nui-sempai like you did at the party, remind her of who she is

Maximum miscommunication ahoy! Hopefully they'll find a way to clear things up and get on the right track... otherwise we intervene and that might be 'interesting'