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>>4879901

What do you do?

>“Chio, I would love to leave you two be, but I feel like Wilma is on the verge of a panic attack.” Try to be a part of the talk. Maybe you’re snooping in their business too much, but hey, if you can help, why not?
>“Okay then, just a couple of minutes, okay? We don’t want to make everyone wait too much.” Accept leaving these two to talk. They are basically sisters, so if Chio is concerned about something, it must be important.
>“Do it after we get everyone together, okay? We don’t want to worry anyone.” Leave it for later, you have a Cookie to find!
>Write In.


----

Information:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QM91m
Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=do+your+best+quest (Rough Grammar ‘till half of the 9th Thread)
Incomplete Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-nIx_dvaNCPQ7zLg2BK_ucCyGNM741kAANxqXj7hdDs/edit?usp=sharing

Votes:

Votes are counted until 25 minutes have passed. This rule doesn't apply to the last reply of the day.
Votes that require a dice roll are counted until 15 minutes have passed, so we can speed up the process. Rolls are counted until 10 minutes have passed, so be prepared!

(NEW) Dice Mechanic:

We always roll 1d100s!
Since most people weren’t happy with the system of averaging top four rolls, we’re using best of 2/3/4 depending on the attribute a prompt requires. If Johnny is a genius and it’s a Knowledge based roll, he gets more rolls (Max. 7)! If he sucks, he gets less dice (Min. 2)!

When asked for rolls, I will specify how many you’re going to get. Rolling begins after it’s asked.

Rolling 100 is a critical and ignores all other rolls! In the same vein, rolling 1 means a critical failure (only for Very Hard rolls and above).

The difficulty of the roll is tied with the effectiveness of the action. In other words, the harder the option the better the result!

Don’t forget that at the end of the day, this is a story-driven quest! What the prompts are describing is more important than the difficulty of the rolls, for results in a fight.

Again, rolls are only counted when they are posted within ten minutes of being asked, so watch out!

>>4879906
>>“Chio, I would love to leave you two be, but I feel like Wilma is on the verge of a panic attack.” Try to be a part of the talk. Maybe you’re snooping in their business too much, but hey, if you can help, why not?
"I won't leave Wilma's side."

>>4879901
>>4879901
>>4879901
>“Do it after we get everyone together, okay? We don’t want to worry anyone.” Leave it for later, you have a Cookie to find!

>>4879906
backing >>4879911

>>4879901
Nariko's art seems to tend more to the abstract. Maybe she decided against taking art classes in school because people would compare her to her mother, and she wanted to be different from that in her own way.

>>4879901
>“Chio, I would love to leave you two be, but I feel like Wilma is on the verge of a panic attack.”

Don't worry, Nariko. You still got your mother at something.

>>4879949
>gah
mother *beat at something.

>>4879906
>“Chio, I would love to leave you two be, but I feel like Wilma is on the verge of a panic attack.” Try to be a part of the talk. Maybe you’re snooping in their business too much, but hey, if you can help, why not?

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You mentally tell Philonune to listen to San Wich on his own. Both flames float away… as much as they can, anyway.

“Chio, I would love to leave you two be, but I feel like Wilma is on the verge of a panic attack.” You just can’t. “I won’t leave Wilma’s side.” Wilma’s fidgeting slows down upon hearing those words.

“That’s part of the problem, but I suppose I won’t make any progress on my own.” Chio now glares at the tomato. “Your dependency on Phil, acting so frightened, being so quiet, the messy hair. What’s going on? Where is your confidence? You’re not being your usual self, Wilma. This is unacceptable.”

“…” Wilma hides behind you.

“Don’t hide.” Chio gets annoyed at that.

“…I’m sorry.” Wilma is trembling again.

“Don’t apologize, I want an explanation.” Chio is showing some of that tough love.

…

But is it a good idea?

What do you do?

>“Wilma, I know it doesn’t look like it, but Chio is worried about you. I am as well. Please tell us if there is anything wrong.” You haven’t had a one-on-one with Wilma because she didn’t need it/wasn’t able to handle the pressure, but if the situation presents itself, might as well try to make it easier on her.
>“Chio, I know you have the best of intentions. But I don’t think Wilma is mentally prepared for that now, let’s give her some time. I’m sure she’ll talk to us both when she feels comfortable to do so.” Make Chio take it easy, she’s only putting more coins into the fidgeting machine.
>“Rephrase it and be nicer to her, or you’ll get nothing.” You’re having doubts about Chio’s teaching methods, but this is a conversation she needs to handle. You can’t intervene much.
>Write In.

>>4880062
>“Wilma, I know it doesn’t look like it, but Chio is worried about you. I am as well. Please tell us if there is anything wrong.” You haven’t had a one-on-one with Wilma because she didn’t need it/wasn’t able to handle the pressure, but if the situation presents itself, might as well try to make it easier on her.

>>4880062
>“Wilma, I know it doesn’t look like it, but Chio is worried about you. I am as well. Please tell us if there is anything wrong.” You haven’t had a one-on-one with Wilma because she didn’t need it/wasn’t able to handle the pressure, but if the situation presents itself, might as well try to make it easier on her.

>>4880062
>>“Wilma, I know it doesn’t look like it, but Chio is worried about you. I am as well. Please tell us if there is anything wrong.” You haven’t had a one-on-one with Wilma because she didn’t need it/wasn’t able to handle the pressure, but if the situation presents itself, might as well try to make it easier on her.

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“Wilma, I know it doesn’t look like it, but Chio is worried about you. I am as well. Please tell us if there is anything wrong.” You gently grab Wilma’s shoulders to show support.

“W-What do you mean by that?” Chio feels offended by your comment. If she was more tactful, you wouldn’t have to say that! “Hmph, honestly, is it that difficult to tell…?” Chio’s insecurities are showing.

“…There is nothing wrong.” Wilma lies as she looks away.

“Oh, please.” Chio shakes her head, annoyed by such an obvious lie.

“I-It’s nothing important…” Wilma continues deflecting.

“It is important if it’s affecting you. We wanna help.” You smile.

“I-It’s fine! There is nothin’ to worry about! You see?” An uncomfortable Wilma gives you two a fake smile to show that everything is okay. You noticed the missing tooth she didn’t want you to see. Judging by Chio’s reaction, it’s something recent. It takes a second before Wilma realizes what she has done.

“Wilma, what happened to you?!” Chio is horrified by the sight, she starts walking towards the embarrassed girl.

“N-No, It’s… No… Leave me alone…!” Wilma pushes you away, and starts running…! “Leave me alone!”

Wilma wants to run away! And by your estimates, she’s not very fast… You’re just standing here, dumbfounded by the exaggerated reaction of hers. Chio orders for her to wait, but Wilma has no other plan in mind but escaping.

What do you do?

>Let Wilma go, and look for her alone later. After the missions you’ve done recently, she should be easy to track. You’ll have a one-on-one conversation with her.
>Grab Wilma’s hand since she’s in arm’s reach. Tell her it’s all fine, she can be honest with you two.
>Write In.

>>4880168
>>Grab Wilma’s hand since she’s in arm’s reach. Tell her it’s all fine, she can be honest with you two.
"I promised that I wouldn't leave your side Wilma."

>>4880173
Support

>>4880173
+1

>>4880168
>Grab Wilma’s hand since she’s in arm’s reach. Tell her it’s all fine, she can be honest with you two.

>>4880168
this>>4880173

>>4880173
Thirding

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So before Wilma gets out of reach, you grab her hand! She’s struggling to get free, even using her foot on your body for the extra power like you’re a lamppost or something. It kinda hurts, so you’ll say something.

“I promised that I wouldn’t leave your side, Wilma.” You say as seriously as you possibly can, even though her shoe is on your chest… at least that made her stop. Now Chio is in front of her too, so she doesn’t have a place to escape.

“I’m not worth it…” Wilma whimpers as her body vibrates again…

“You say that again and I’ll smack what’s left of your teeth until that little brain of yours starts working properly again, is that clear?” Chio is awful at this! Awful! Wilma covers her mouth with the hand you’re not holding, and looks in shock! Reminds you of Nina. “You’re one the most important people in my life, Wilma. I’m not leaving you alone, whether you like it or not.” Makes you wonder what their relationship is like in present times…

“I’m sorry…” Wilma feels stupid for trying to run away.

“You have nothing to feel sorry for, you just need to give us an explanation now.” Chio includes you, at least.

“Maybe a hug would be better first…” You take an educated guess. Wilma is calming down, but is still distressed.

“Degenerate.” Chio whispers. It’s just a hug, woman! And you don’t have to give it!

But Wilma ends up pulling and hugging you both, one arm around each body, her face resting on your chest though. You start patting Wilma’s back, Chio does the same with Wilma’s head.

“Who’s the degenerate now?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Tch.” Chio looks away, embarrassed, the same way as her tomato sisters.

“…......” Wilma is just happy to be with you both.

Comforting Wilma didn’t take long, but it felt long. She was purely distressed, not tears or anything, just afflicted, but now, she’s just back as her old self… the one you know… not the present “Sandwich” self, her old self here… not the one Chio knows, the one you know. This line of thought is a mess.

“I’ve never seen you act like this in my entire life, there must be a good reason as to why.” Chio sighs. “Could you please tell us why?”

“…I can, but Cookie...” Wilma wants to see her friend.

“Cookie can wait.” Chio doesn’t know about expiration dates, huh?

“…Then, we need to go to a private place.” Wilma’s only request. “I-I need to show you something.”

What do you do?

>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!
>“You sure you don’t wanna take it easy for now? Finding Cookie will surely cheer you up.” Try to take things easy.
>“Just tell us here.” You’re all ears. You wanna hear it. You’re tired of all this stalling!
>Write In.

>>4880285
>>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!

>>4880285
>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!

>>4880285
>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!

>>4880285
>“Just tell us here.” You’re all ears. You wanna hear it. You’re tired of all this stalling!

>>4880285
>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!

>>4880285
Being fine with a 3-way runs in the family I see.

>Find a private place to hear Wilma’s story!

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In the same vein, you assume Matilda can wait too. You decide to find a private place so Wilma can show you whatever she’s planning on showing! And by decide to find, you mean letting Chio guide you to spot with no one around, ‘cause you know next to nothing about this school and you’re tired of pretending otherwise!

The group finds itself inside a random classroom that Chio has the keys for. There isn’t anything notable to mention about the place, except that there is a small hole in the ceiling, big enough for a rat. Maybe that middle schooler from earlier can watch his family pass by every now and then.

“I’ll kindly ask you to show us what you want before Chio tries and fails to do the same.” You jump the gun.

“Excuse me?” Chio didn’t like that. You don’t know what to do, she always seems to get upset! You’re just a man! You’re just doing your best! “Fine, I’ll admit I’m not at my best when I’m worried.”

“…It’s okay, Chio. I’ve known you all my life. It isn’t that bad.” Wilma smiles a little.

“T-Then tell him to stop making me feel guilty.” Chio sounds childish like her daughter.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel like that, I’m sorry.” You apologize. You’re not the best at this either, and since you tend to focus on whoever is in anguish, you forget to take into account the feelings of others. Something you need to improve.

“I-It’s fine, I know you didn’t want to do it on purpose. And I’m far too sensitive sometimes.” Chio gets embarrassed admitting it.

“Hehe…” Wilma chuckles.

“What’s so funny?” Chio glares at her. Wilma starts fidgeting.

“W-We should move on.” You scratch your cheek.

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>>4880374

“…Please, don’t do anything unless I say something. Just watch.” Wilma pleas as she grabs a random chair in the classroom and sits on it. You and Chio glimpse at each other, then back at Wilma without saying a word. Your backpack closes her eyes…

Wilma starts trembling, shaking in distress, the expression on her face showing anguish, she grabs her own shoulders. You and Chio exchange glimpses again, like making sure the other doesn’t stop Wilma from what she’s doing, just to end up showing the other their concern… But unlike Chio, this situation rings familiar to you.

Wilma’s tears start falling… upwards and floating in the air, each individual tear forming a giant bubble! She’s using her entity’s ability?! Even if she’s not aware of its existence?! How is this possible?!
“What in the name of all of that’s sacred…?” Chio doesn’t know how to react.

“Don’t touch it.” You wouldn’t recommend it at least.

“Huh…?” Wait, San Wich doesn’t know what’s going on either?!

“…It’s harmless.” Wilma doesn’t think it’s an issue. “T-This is what she has forced me to learn. If you’re scared, just… leave me.”

Now you know why you had to hide…

How do you respond?

>“So, the orphanage people made you learn this, right?” Act like you have a clue.
>“I’m not leaving you, but you’ll need to explain what’s going on.” Be reassuring but confused.
>“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You feel like a broken record.
>Write In.


(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>4880376
>>“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You feel like a broken record.

>>4880376
>“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You feel like a broken record.
>Apply headpats

>>4880376
>>“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You feel like a broken record.

>>4880376
>“So, the orphanage people made you learn this, right?” Act like you have a clue.

>>4880645
>>4880377
Any way we could do both? I don't like playing clueless Johnny when shit gets important and serious.

>>4880376
>>Write In.
Sigh greatly
And then cloak yourself
"No scarier than this."

>>4880376
>“So, the orphanage people made you learn this, right?” Act like you have a clue.

>>4880665
I agree

>>4880773
I want to do this, but it would freak them out more if we did

>>4880376
>“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You feel like a broken record.
>“So, the orphanage people made you learn this, right?” Act like you have a clue.
You guys do know that you can combine two votes right?

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>>4881048
Who invited bigbrain anon in here

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“How many times do I have to repeat myself, missy? I’m not going anywhere.” You pat the bubble dispenser’s head twice. This time, you feel like Wilma was counting on it.

“You’re involved in the occult too?” Chio has mixed feelings.

“…Kinda?” Wilma doesn’t know how to explain it. “The bubble you see is a projection of my memories or something, it’s like a tiny TV. I don’t understand why, but I can do that...” You see the image of a creepy looking woman (not your teacher) talking from what you assume is Wilma’s point of view.

“The orphanage people made you learn this, right?” You don’t want to appear clueless about this.

“Mhm.” Wilma nods. She doesn’t appear surprised that you’re in the know, perhaps she assumed it since you decided to randomly kidnap her from the orphanage. You’ve been acting too much out of the norm with her, of course she’s going to assume a thing or two. “…I mean, Ms. Ophelia did. She’s the one behind it all.”

“Is she the owner with Seib?” You wonder.

“No, she’s the one controlling everything. Mr. Seib doesn’t know what is really going on, he only takes care of us.” Wilma is blind to the obvious, he’s named Bruun for crying out loud! No job makes you change your name! Or you’re assuming stuff. Whatever it is, one of you is wrong.

“This is the woman who was looking for you. This is Ophelia, correct?” Chio seems to know a little more than you assumed. It must be the woman Gautier talked about. “I was able to convince her to leave. She didn’t appear trustworthy.”

“…She didn’t notice me for whatever reason.” Wilma is thankful that ended up happening. She looks on edge talking about her.

“Before we continue… Phil, I have my answer for you, I want to know the whole truth about what happened earlier.” Chio doesn’t hesitate. “With Wilma involved, I have no other option.”

“Don’t know what we’re talking about here that’s related to that, but, sure.” You agree to tell her what you know.

“Huh...?” Wilma looks rightfully confused.

“There is much to talk about, everyone here is going to get their answers.” Chio will make sure of it. “The most pressing matter is yours, Wilma. Please, explain what’s happening.” Like bad teachers do, Chio takes control of the situation.

“Uhm…” Wilma is collecting her thoughts so she can reveal them in a comprehensive manner. The fidgeting girl starts explaining what she knows...

The Orphanage of the Blue appears to be co-opted by Ophelia Bruun. The woman-in-charge was a member of a defunct Monastery, trying to keep the teachings of that place alive through the children they are legally adopting. Her grand objective is to bring the dark deity known as Angra Mainyu to this world. On the surface level, the Orphanage functions as any other, but there is shady stuff happening.

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>>4882061

For reasons Wilma doesn’t know, the orphanage manages to find and bring gifted children with spiritualist abilities (that’s what Wilma calls them) similar to hers. The ones who don’t develop or show much promise, just disappear. Wilma knows the government officials in charge of her older orphanage were bribed to get her adoption approved.

It’s legal for children to help with the family’s businesses, so the Orphanage makes the kids work on a farm the institution owns near town. But it’s all a front: they use the warehouse over there as a school of sorts to force the children to learn the monastery’s teachings and develop their abilities. And it’s in such a remote place the risky activities and punishments remain secret.

The children have many strict rules, the two most important are keeping the secrecy and to do everything possible to improve in your training. Being devoted and obedient nets you great rewards, but doing poorly or misbehaving gets you all kinds of punishment.

Wilma’s ability is quite peculiar; to be triggered, she needs to let tears flow while concentrating on the ‘memories’ she wants to display. To develop it, Ophelia enacted even harsher rules on Wilma, she was prohibited to interact or engage in conversation with other orphans, be completely isolated during school, and her punishments be more severe than the others. A permanent state of sadness must be obtained, so she can cry with ease to activate her ability. Like you imagined, this ended up making Wilma more apathetic than sad, but rules are rules...

It's not like Wilma followed the rules at first, she didn’t think there was a way to enforce them during school time. So she hung out with her friends as she normally would, despite the name change and all that. But at the end of the day, Ophelia knew what she did and she got punished. Wilma didn’t know who was snitching on her, nothing made sense, she stopped trusting strangers. Eventually, even if they got harsher, Wilma stopped caring about getting punished, so the demented woman had to change strategies…

You didn’t know this part, but Cookie is a track runner athlete and got injured by falling down the stairs. Everyone thought it was an accident, including Cookie herself, but the truth is, she was pushed down by someone. Ophelia revealed that she planned it, the perpetrator has an affiliation with the Orphanage of the Blue. And if Wilma didn’t want more accidents to happen to her friends, she needed to start taking her training seriously. So Wilma complied… Until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“…I’m awful. I didn’t care if you all got hurt… I just wanted to run away… I’m sorry.” Wilma is crying again, another bubble manifests with her friends’ faces on it...

>>4882063


“Just shut up.” Chio hugs her! “How stupid can you be? You really think any of us will hate you for that? Nonsense, all nonsense. You’re so damn idiotic.” Chio comforts her the best way she can. You start patting Wilma’s head to help…

…

But you’re pissed off.

What do you do?

>“It’s okay, Wilma. You don’t have to carry on with any of that stuff anymore. Today you can have as much fun as you want and be as happy as you deserve. I promise!” You’ll do your best to make this the best day for Wilma!
>It’s your turn to tell the truth. Except for your name. You’re a time traveler! How spooky! You’ll wait until Wilma calms down to tell them though.
>“Hubbard is the bastard who is snitching on you.” He was (or is going to be?) the Cult's main recruiter. He knew who had special abilities and who didn’t.
>Write In.

>>4882066
>“It’s okay, Wilma. You don’t have to carry on with any of that stuff anymore. Today you can have as much fun as you want and be as happy as you deserve. I promise!” You’ll do your best to make this the best day for Wilma!
>“Hubbard is the bastard who is snitching on you.” He was (or is going to be?) the Cult's main recruiter. He knew who had special abilities and who didn’t.
And if they ask how we know this, tell them:
>It’s your turn to tell the truth. Except for your name. You’re a time traveler! How spooky! You’ll wait until Wilma calms down to tell them though.

>>4882066
>“It’s okay, Wilma. You don’t have to carry on with any of that stuff anymore. Today you can have as much fun as you want and be as happy as you deserve. I promise!” You’ll do your best to make this the best day for Wilma!
>It’s your turn to tell the truth. Except for your name. You’re a time traveler! How spooky! You’ll wait until Wilma calms down to tell them though.

>>4882063
>It’s your turn to tell the truth. Except for your name. You’re a time traveler! How spooky! You’ll wait until Wilma calms down to tell them though.

>>4882077
Support

>>4882077
Seconding

>>4882061
>>4882063
>>4882066
Well this is starting to click together now. Wilma didn't want to remember or be reminded of anything because it seems her whole damn life has been sad so it probably almost involuntarily triggers her ability.

She's also become much, much better with the ability. I wonder if the pain she would display when remembering things was maybe the ability beginning to kick in, as I'm sure recreating an entire world like this puts incredible strain on her.

But that's only surface level analysis. The real question here is: what did Ophelia Bruun think she would be able to accomplish with Wilma's ability at a very high level? Wilma's been getting special attention even more than the other Blue Orphans, there must be a reason, and it must be critical to informing us on how we should act here and how we should go about resolving all this.

>>4882077
Sounds good

>>4882131
Also let me posit that maybe this world-sim we're in might be unprecedented and possibly even be what the Blue Cult was waiting for. Certainly the tear-bubble Wilma's showing now is different from what we're dealing with. Even if Wilma knows a few rules about her ability we should take them as suspicions more than fact. Hope Scarlet's okay and called for backup back in the real world.

>>4882077
This.

>>4882066
this>>4882077

>>4882077
Should we explain how people gain the ability to get entities works?

>>4882183
In what capacity do you? Like how you need to be depressed to be visited by a demon or the fact that they exist at all?

>>4882066
I'm wondering if Hubbard was actually the one. He's the likely suspect for sure, but I'm unclear on when he actually got that power to ID people with spiritual potential. We know Hubbard rejected an entity's offer, and frankly that's the only common thread we know of between everyone that's displayed a non-entity-related ability, outside of Odetta in SPR anyway.

>>4882183
I don't think so unless they ask. Doesn't seem immediately relevant, given that we're not dealing with entities directly here (yet). Even if we were though, explaining how you get one doesn't seem like something we need to touch on unless they bring it up?

>>4882209
Bit of both, maybe let them know what the shit their cult is going to lead to. We should show off our Partner too.

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“It’s okay, Wilma. You don’t have to carry on with any of that stuff anymore. Today you can have as much fun as you want and be as happy as you deserve. I promise!” You put your anger aside to make this promise, it’s better to cheer her up than go for misplaced revenge. You’ll do your best to make it happen! Also, you continue patting her head.

“Yes, I agree. It’s time to give you a reason to smile again.” Chio is on board 100%. “You won’t have to worry about any of this ever again, trust me.”

“B-But—”

“I told you to shut up and trust me.” Chio interrupts Wilma. That’s the happiest nervous fidgeting you’ve ever seen. It’s reassuringly intimidating! Wilma is happy and that’s all that matters now.

“Hubbard is the bastard who is snitching on you, Wilma.” You reveal. Hubbard is a future member of the cult, their main recruiter and he had the ability to see people’s potential or something. It’s too much of a coincidence to not be him.

“I know your relationship with him is rocky at best, but that’s a wild accusation.” Chio wants to believe but has her doubts. “Is there any evidence you have to back up your claim?”

“You said everyone here will get their answers, and now it’s my time to explain everything.” Hehe, time to explain, and you’re a time traveler. It’s funny. “I want you two to listen to me.”

“…Mhm.” Wilma has been waiting for this! She seems to have recuperated enough to listen to this.

“Is everything connected?” Chio is realizing now how deep this rabbit hole goes.

“You’ll see.” You adjust your glasses and begin your explanation!

You reveal to them that you’re a time traveler from the future, and you have absolutely no idea what is going on! You came here after your friends, one of them being Sugar. Then you explain who Esperanza was, a powerful individual with extraordinary abilities like Wilma that left because she’s not a pleasant person. You tell them that you know Hubbard too, and that he was a massive dick with the pertinent abilities to be the missing piece of this Orphanage of the Blue operation. Aside from keeping you and your friends’ names a secret, you didn’t reveal the time frame from where you are, your ability, and that you know future Wilma and Chio’s daughter – thinking that it would be much to take in. And it kind of is, they look in shock for the most part.

“That surely explains very little, just how clueless you act. And time travelling from the future is impossible.” Chio knows her time traveling literature well. Maybe Matilda and her can become good friends…

“…You just saw what I can do. Phil should be capable of something like that. What makes you think it’s out of the question?” Wilma believes you! She assumes you have super powers, which is true…

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>>4882272

“Yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t discount it, should I?” Chio is convinced with ease. Reminds you of how Nariko behaves sometimes. “It’s just… so much.” Chio feels overwhelmed.

“…Are you planning on returning as soon as possible?” Wilma looks disheartened.

“Wilma, I don’t forget my promises. I don’t care if it’s the past, present or future, I’ll take care of my friends.” You’re a changed man, no more breaking promises! “I’m not worried about going back just yet, I have a lot of stuff to do here.”

“Wouldn’t it be safer if you do?” Chio cares about you, even if she tries to hide it.

“I can’t say for sure. Maybe trying to go back sooner than intended can do something bad to me.” You shrug.

“So, you’re kind of a phantom.” Chio is complicating things with weird names. “I don’t think we should tell the others just yet. We should go step by step, informing them about Wilma’s situation will be enough and our priority for today.”

“If you say so.” You want to work together harmoniously, so you’ll have to agree to some things you aren’t so sure about every now and then.

“Now, I must ask you, please, help Wilma with her troubles.” Chio bows. “You have abilities that I do not possess to secure her safety. I’ll do anything in my power to help you out on your own quest.”

“How many times do I have to reassure you girls that I’ll help?” You feel like an old radio station repeating the same songs over and over again. You just told them! Like a minute ago.

“…It’s her way to promise you she’s going to help you back. Hehehe.” Wilma chuckles, covering her mouth a little. “I will as well.”

“Ooooh, I see. Thanks!” Okay, you might be a little dense like Scarlet says.

“Tch.” Chio feels embarrassed.

You haven’t specified much, but they seem content with the amount of information you have given them.

What do you do?

>Find Cookie. You made a promise to make this day awesome, and you’ll fulfill it! Leave the other details for later, it can get too overwhelming if you continue talking.
>Explain to them the entity stuff, the war, your ability to see flames, and make them know San Wich’s presence and the possibility of Wilma interacting with him. She needs to know she’s the most important piece in this puzzle.
>Explain to them that you’re in Future Wilma’s bubble dimension, what year you came from and everything else. They need to know every detail.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day, we continue tomorrow!)

>>4882274
>>Find Cookie. You made a promise to make this day awesome, and you’ll fulfill it! Leave the other details for later, it can get too overwhelming if you continue talking.
We can't keep everybody waiting forever

>>4882274
>>Find Cookie. You made a promise to make this day awesome, and you’ll fulfill it! Leave the other details for later, it can get too overwhelming if you continue talking.

>Write-In
"Chio, you still need to promise not to tell anyone about where we're going without getting Wilma's permission first. I think it's only fair you trust her to have reasons she wants you to keep it secret, since she decided to put her trust in us already."

>>4882288
Support

>>4882274
this>>4882288

>>4882063
I know this is totally contrary to the sorts of shadowrunning and paranoia I was talking about earlier, but something just occurred to me.

You know, not that it couldn't be done but...how exactly would the person who fell down the stairs herself not know that she was tripped or pushed by someone? Sounds like maybe Cookie just actually had an accident and the Orphanage just used it to intimidate Wilma. That's a classic move for this kind of manipulation.

>>4882305
Probable, but unless verified, it is possible entity activity.

>>4882288
Let's also mention that we'll tell them more later if they want or it becomes relevant, but we're still figuring things out ourselves and want to be careful.

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“Since we’re making important commitments, Chio, you still need to promise to Wilma not to tell anyone about where we’re going. I think it’s only fair you trust Wilma to have her reasons to keep this a secret, since she decided to put her trust in us already.” You don’t want Chio to forget how this whole conversation started.

“Fine.” Chio rolls her eyes like Wilma tends to do, she finds this unnecessary, but Wilma’s reaction tells you otherwise. “Just so you know, anytime she says something like that it’s because she knows she’s going to say something that’ll make you mad.”

“…H-Hey!” Wilma didn’t like being exposed in this manner. Amelia is similar, so it’s not like you’re not used to stuff like this.

“We’ve wasted enough time as it is, lead the way, Wilma.” Chio is ready to move on.

“I think it was quite productive, but sure.” You smile like the pedantic idiot you rarely behave as. Though, you think it’s going to be difficult for Wilma if she resumes her position as your backpack. Which she just did. She’ll tell you where to go though.

And so, you left this classroom after the last bubble burst, Wilma isn’t sure when they explode, just that they do eventually. Now, if you’re inside one, what does that mean for you? You decided not to think about it too much, as long as San Wich is here, the situation is under control, right? Anyway, you’re on your way to the School’s farm. Too many establishments around these parts have one for some reason.

The group finds itself behind the warehouse/barn, it’s just a simple wall with windows, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Wilma walks to the left corner of the wall, hunches down and grabs a piece of the grass, then pulls it like a rug – and under it there are some rusty spiral stairs going down! Chio looks impressed, while you’re trying to figure out the logistics; there is a net over the stairs, and it seems to go all the way from one corner to the other… You wonder how much of the floor is fake, how did nobody notice, and more...

Wilma asks you two to hurry up inside, which you do despite your amazement at this glorified hole in the ground. Once inside, Wilma closed the lid and resumed her position on your back. The fake ceiling is translucent, you’re not having issues going down, you think you’re just going a store and a half underneath ground level. There is a tiny hallway with doors to one side, and a lot of potted plants to the other. You think this part of the building is made out of concrete, but you’re no expert. Each door has three gaps, one at eye level, the other for the mail or something and one looks like it’s for dogs…? You believe they were made by the students, since the handiwork is sloppy.

>>4883718


Wilma leaves the comfort of your back to peek through the gaps on some of the doors. She also points out the last one is the bathroom. Might be useful in the future... Wilma locates Cookie! But she has a question.

“…S-Should I go in and tell her about what’s going on?” Wilma whispers to the two of you.

“When has Cookie ever cared about uninvited guests?” Chio brings a bad memory to light.

How do you respond?

>“Do what you have to do, Wilma.” You don’t think it’s necessary.
>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.
>Write In.

>>4883720
>>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.

>>4883718
>And so, you left this classroom after the last bubble burst, Wilma isn’t sure when they explode, just that they do eventually. Now, if you’re inside one, what does that mean for you?
<<Feelings of unease intensify>>

>>4883720
>Write-In
Can we just like, knock? The last few times we've just barged in somewhere it hasn't really turned out well.

>>4883720
>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.

>>4883720
>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.

>>4883720
>>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.
But you know better now, cloak first.

>>4883720
>“The others are waiting, we don’t have time to waste.” You’ll barge in like this is Neko’s apartment.

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“…Door is unlocked anyway.” Wilma informs as she points at the doorknob, then goes back to her nest. She somehow had the key, she must’ve taken it while you weren’t watching…

“The others are waiting; we don’t have time to waste.” You agree with Chio in this instance. The future mother is kinda marveled at this hideout, and doesn’t seem to be paying much attention, her interest being wasted in some of the plant life around.

If there is something you learned through the last few months it’s that barging in without prior notice is a horrible idea. So, you’ll knock on the door first. Approximately 10 seconds have passed since your last action, therefore, it’s time to barge in. You decisively and politely make your way inside the room the same way you did with Wilma.

Inside is pretty compact like a military quarter or a tiny dorm, it would be decent to live in if it wasn’t this small and, well, in a better state. There is bunk bed, a lot of plastic bags lying around (mostly full of random trash and some with clothes and other items), empty wine bottles right next to each other, piles of magazines, a little table with a CRT TV on it displaying music videos – and more importantly, there is a sloppily looking girl watching it on the bed, almost hypnotized like Nariko used to be. In fact, with the lackadaisical pose, the absentminded scratching, the snuggly clothes, and the little drool coming out of her mouth... She’s exactly like your OG hobo used to be! She just needs a beanie! You must provide her with one. Yeah, You’re almost certain that is Cookie, since she’s almost identical to the girl you saw in the bubble.

Also, you notice a tiny window almost at ceiling level for ventilation, maybe the place would smell bad if it wasn’t for it. This room shouldn’t be considered dirty, but it’s not tidy either. You would say this room is a couple of steps away from becoming like Neko’s before she moved out with Nina.

“AAAAAah!” Oh yeah, Cookie is deeply distressed at you barging in now that she noticed! She puts a pillow over her body, all ashamed. “Who are you?! And why do you look like one of the Midnight Effect guys?!” She joins her tomato brethren with her distinctive color shade.

“My name is Phil Noon, I’m new here.” You wave peacefully. You have no idea what she’s talking about. “Are you Cookie?”

“Some call me that…” Cookie doesn’t want to confess that she’s a farce that looks nothing like a cookie.

“Is one of those people this one?” You turn around and point to your back where Wilma is holding on.

“W-Wilma?! You came to apologize?!” Cookie is confused by this revelation. “W-What happened to your hair?!”

“…I could say the same about yours.” Wilma strikes back.

>>4883876


“Eh? Uh? Huh?!” Cookie realizes that she’s a cute mess. She tries to hide her face under the pillow, only to display her loosely fit clothes, then she pulls it back down once she realizes how she is dressed. Then she panics, and dives inside the bedsheets to hide it all. “Don’t judge me just yet, I can explain!”

“Oh, can you?” Chio makes her presence known.

“C-C-C-CHIO!?” Cookie turns into a ghost blanket just like Nariko did that one time before you… uhm… “Wilma, how could you?! You didn’t have to go this far! You’re the worst!”

“…” Wilma looks down, afflicted by those words. Chio shakes her head, all disappointed.

How do you respond?

>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.
>“We don’t have time to talk, you’re coming with us.” Steal the cookie from the Cookie Factory!
>“What’s up with this place?” It’s a mess!
>Let Chio handle the situation.
>Write In.

>>4883877
>>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.

>>4883877
>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.

>>4883877
>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.

>>4883877
>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.

>>4883876
>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.
>Write-In
"What's the Midnight Effect? What'd Wilma need to apologize about anyway?"

>>4883877
>“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” Reassure Cookie that nothing bad is happening.
>Write In.
Messy hair is cute

>>4883877
I want us to say this too>>4883904

>>4883904
Yeah I'm down

>>4883904
>inb4 Chio moves like one strand of hair out of place when we say this

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“Don’t worry, Wilma made sure Chio isn’t going to scold you or anything.” You reassure Cookie so she can calm down a bit.

“O-Oh? Is that so…?” Cookie is feeling regretful for lashing out at Wilma.

“…Mhm.” Wilma confirms.

“Messy hair is cute.” You say out of the blue.

“You think this is cute?” Cookie’s head peeks out of the sheets as she stares at you, dumbfounded.

“Yes.” You respond. And the hair is too.

“This?” Cookie points at her messy hairdo.

“Y-Yes.” You don’t know why she’s so insistent.

“Are you stupid?” Cookie can’t believe it.

“I have to be, since it’s so stupidly cute.” You smirk.

“…” Cookie goes back inside her sheets without saying anything. Wilma has been awfully quiet though, but you can feel her fidgeting. “What’s up with you?!” Cookie finally imploded…

“Stop lying to them, properly maintained hair is better.” Chio says with disdain.

“I mean, Wilma is cute, Cookie is cute, both have messy hairdos, therefore, messy hair is cute.” Your logic is flawless. Flawless!

“R-Ridiculous.” Chio is one harsh woman. “By the way, I merely promised I won’t tell anybody about this place. I said nothing about not scolding her.”

“I-I’ve been set up…!” The bag of flour feels betrayed again!

“Chio…” You glare at the strict teacher. Wilma joins as well.

“W-What? I’m stating a fact.” Chio doesn’t like the peer pressure she’s receiving.

“You’re not dumb, you know what she meant when you agreed to come here.” You’ll act as Wilma’s lawyer.

“You want me to be quiet about this?” Chio waves at the mess inside.

“…Yes.” Wilma adds more pressure!

“Unbelievable…” Chio sighs as she accepts her destiny.

“You really have our Chio controlled?! Unbelievable indeed!” Cookie is beyond relieved. “You came here to visit or somethin’? That’s cool. Sit down if you want to, or, er, can. Sorry for the mess. Ehm, I’m watching TV.” The flour bag makes some space on the bed for you to all sit.

Chio doesn’t want to sit there, Wilma is still your backpack, so it’s up to you what happens next.

What do you do?

>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.
>“So what’s the Midnight Effect?” Ask Cookie.
>”What’d Wilma need to apologize for anyway?” Ask Cookie.
>“Cookie, we’re making a dinner party with all your friends and you’re invited! Come with us!” Extend the invitation so you can stop making the others wait.
>Write In.

>>4883959
>>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.
Gotta properly introduce each other first

>>4883959
>Write In.
First things first, gotta clean this place up a bit.
While we're working...
>”What’d Wilma need to apologize for anyway?”
After we're done...
>“Cookie, we’re making a dinner party with all your friends and you’re invited! Come with us!”

>>4883959
>“So what’s the Midnight Effect?” Ask Cookie.

>>4883959
>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.

>>4883959
>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.
>Write In.
Spread our jacket if Chio doesn’t want to get her clothes messy.

>>4883959
>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.
And if we can
“So what’s the Midnight Effect?” Ask Cookie.

>>4883981
Forgot to greentext but you get the idea

>>4883959
>>“Cookie, we’re making a dinner party with all your friends and you’re invited! Come with us!” Extend the invitation so you can stop making the others wait.

>>4883959
this>>4883968

>>4883959
>Sit next to Cookie. Ask her to take off her bedsheets so you can see her face.

>>4883968
Yep let's do this

>>4884037
Forgot to link dude.

>>4884037
>>4883959
Leenk

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“Don’t mind if I do.” You decide to take on the offer and sit on the bed right next to Cookie, thanks to this, Wilma is sitting behind you. Chio gets closer and leans on the bunk bed’s frame, trying to not actually touch it.

“So, well, yeah, uhm, uh, ehm, huh…” Cookie forgot how Gordonish works. “TV!”

“Cookie, what’s wrong with you?” Chio raises an eyebrow.

“N-Nothing, what’s wrong with you?!” Cookie is a mess.

“You’re acting off, just like Wilma.” Chio doesn’t like it.

“Did the sheet on my face give you any clues…?” Cookie maintains her sense of humor.

“…Hehe.” Wilma chuckles.

“Now that you mention it, do you mind taking them off?” You ask politely.

“W-Why?” This Cookie doesn’t want to leave her jar. Just like the cookies Amelia stole from you, the ones she never gave back. You’ll never forget. Where are your goddamn cookies, Amelia? Where?

“So I can see your face again.” You scratch your cheek. “We just met; we need to properly introduce each other.”

“N-Nah, my face is all cold…” Cookie makes a terrible excuse.

“It looked like you had some kind of fever though.” You saw it! She was all red!

“W-What? Do you think you’re a doctor? Do you have a degree?! Show it to me, now!” Cookie vehemently refuses.

“Even if he had one, you couldn’t see it.” Chio isn’t impressed.

“You don’t think I can see through these sheets?! Ha! You’re still as gullible as ever, Chio!” Cookie must’ve tricked Chio at one point with it.

“Don’t bring that up.” Chio isn’t happy with where this is going.

“T-T-Then be quiet!” Cookie has had enough.

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>>4884126

“I’m tired of your nonsense. Behave properly or I’m taking the sheets off myself.” Chio threatens.

“Calm down! Don’t get near me! I’ll do it… I’ll do it…” Cookie makes her face visible once again. “Here, y’all happy now?” Cookie looks around, displeased.

“Ye—”

“Stop staring at me like that!” Cookie interrupts you before you can even give her a proper answer.

“What’s gotten into you?” Chio is taken aback by this sudden reaction.

“Sorry… It’s been a while since, I… uh, y’know… talked to someone… like a day or less. I’m kinda rusty? Yeah, that’s it. I’mgonnaputmysheetsbackon.”

“Stop that, you need to get properly dressed. You’re coming with us. We have a dinner planned with everyone.” Chio is the one taking the initiative.

“…Mirjam and Grace are going to be there, and some of Phil’s friends too.” Wilma is excited.

“Wait, like, right now!? Nononono, I don’t think I can, I’m, uh, busy? Yeah, busy. Capital B, Busy.” Cookie is more of a mess than her room tells you.

Wilma rolls her eyes. Which means Cookie is obviously lying.

What do you do?

>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.
>“We can bring the dinner here instead.” Corner Cookie.
>“That’s too bad, because you’re coming anyway.” Everyone is busy and they are going, so Cookie can’t be an exception!
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue tomorrow.)

>>4884130
>>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>>4884130
>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>>4884130
>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>>4884130
>>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>Write-in
"Just on the off chance, you aren't acting off because you saw a ghost or something crazy like that right?"

>>4883876
What if we look like one of the Midnight Effect guys because Daddy Ando was in the group

>>4884174
This, but write-in tell half jokingly

>>4884130
>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>>4884130
>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

>>4884130
>“C’mon, Cookie, I promise it will be fun. I’ll be cooking.” Adjust your glasses. Maybe Chio and Wilma can work together to sell this idea on the food you make.

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“C’mon Cookie, I promise it’ll be fun. I’ll be cooking.” You adjust your glasses with confidence to clue her in about how excited she should be. No matter how mediocre you think your food is, it’s miles better than what that cafeteria serves. “Right, girls?” You look for support.

“…Mhm!” Wilma nods quickly and with glee.

“I don’t know, I haven’t tasted it yet.” Chio is a terrible saleswoman. You kinda forgot it all started because you wanted to make her dinner. If only everyone else was around…

“I-It’s very good.” Wilma has to carry the weight of praises.

“R-Really? I’ve never seen you excited about anything related to food, ‘cept sweets.” Cookie takes this into account. “But, yeah, it’s just food.”

“What exactly are you busy with?” Chio looks around. “It doesn’t appear cleaning is your priority, so why are you so pressed for time?”

“Well, huh, uhm, nah, I mean, uh…” Cookie is lost for words.

“…Looks to me like you’re making excuses.” Wilma is disappointed. “Or trying.”

“Exactly.” Chio smirks. “Don’t think we didn’t notice how your eyes glowed when we showed up. I don’t know why you’re making this difficult.”

“S-Stop it…! I-It wasn’t like that!” Cookie doesn’t know how to react.

“That’s the best comeback you can come up with? You used to be cleverer than this.” Chio isn’t impressed. “Out of everyone, I didn’t expect you to act like this.”

“D-Don’t make fun of me, Chio! You didn’t used to be this mean before! H-How am I supposed to be prepared?! Do you even want me to go? Y-You’re not making a good case for yourselves!” Cookie hides under the sheets.

“We’ll have good food and great company, I think it speaks for itself.” You act gentler than these two as you take off the sheets from her face so you can see her eye to eye. “C’mon, I just wanna know more about you.”

“M-Me…?!” Cookie still doesn’t know how to respond.

“Yes, you.” You want to know more about all of Wilma’s friends!

“Uhm…” Cookie is conflicted.

“…I miss you, Cookie.” Wilma peeks out from your side.

“Y-you do…?” Cookie looks down and starts playing with her fingers.

“Let’s have fun like we used to.” Wilma smiles.

“You’re still so corny, huh?” Cookie smirks as she finally stands up from the bed!

“Everyone is waiting for us, we all cleared our schedules for this. Now get ready.” Chio pats her back. Cookie takes her sheets off to show her sloppy appearance with confidence, until she notices you’re staring at her.

“D-Don’t look at me like that!” Cookie is back to cocoon form. Her body doesn’t scream ‘athlete’ to you... “Someone hand me some clothes!”

“Yeah, you’re not going anywhere like that.” Chio can take messy hair, but no ill-fitting pajamas…

>>4885738

What do you do?

>Hand Cookie a Track Suit that’s lying around.
>Hand Cookie a School Uniform that’s lying around.
>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.
>Write In.

>>4885743
>>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.
Best option

>>4885743
>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.

>>4885743
>>Hand Cookie a Track Suit that’s lying around.

>>4885743
>Hand Cookie a School Uniform that’s lying around.
Come on she can't go practically naked

>>4885746
>>4885750
Perfect time for tomboy shenanigans and you want her in her skirt or pjs
Sad sad sad

>>4885743
>Hand Cookie a Track Suit that’s lying around.

>>4885743
>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.
Nice

>>4885743
>Write In.
>Hand Cookie a Jackie Frostie's suit that's lying around?

>>4885754
I'd say she's clothed enough

>>4885738
>>4885764
Seriously though, track suit

>>4885766
I somehow doubt anyone else would agree though. I continually wonder when everyone around us will start seeing us as Ammirati creepy rather than just clueless

>>4885772
We aren't forcing anyone to do anything though, it's not even close to that level. I've seen girls dressed up less modestly than this in real life too

>>4885776
Were they asking someone to hand them some clothes when they were dressed like that tho

>>4885743
>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.

>>4885782
I mean the option is to try to convince them. We're not making anyone do anything

>>4885786
Fair enough, I'll concede. Still think it's weird to walk out of the school and go hang out a friend's place while they cook dinner dressed like that, but we've done weirder things for sure.

>>4885790
Also fair but this is Johnny Ando we're talking about! The man who goes on dates with his hot teacher!

>>4885738
>Convince Chio that pajamas are fine.

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“Huh, why?” You don’t know what the big deal is, everyone wears comfy clothes every now and then. “If she doesn’t wanna go out like that, I get it. But what’s wrong with them?”

“Why? Because she looks like a slob, that’s why.” Chio says with disdain.

“That’s called looking normal, Chio. It’s not a big deal like you’re making it out to be.” You think she’s exaggerating.

“D-Don’t tell me you like it?” Chio is in shock. She’s a lil’ bit of a drama queen…

“That’s not my point, I just don’t think it’s bad.” You scratch the back of your head. “I bet you wear cozy clothes like that in the comfort of your home, and I bet you look adorable in them just like Cookie does.”

“You think I look adorable?! What?!” Cookie is confused under the sheets. “Where did you find this guy?!”

“W-What kind of things are you imagining?!” Chio didn’t like that answer.

“Are you going to pretend that if as soon as you wake up in the morning and I see you opening your eyes, you don’t want me to call you pretty? That you won’t like that?” You make a hypothetical so Chio gets the point.

“W-W-W-What?!” Chio is turning red for some reason. If there is something you learned with Yu Yan, it is that you have to call things as they are, and keeping those comments to yourself will do more harm than good. Everyone needs to know they are loved! Sheesh, you’re cheesy… “W-What kind of scenario is this?!”

“It could happen.” You shrug. It’s not that weird, it just happened with Wilma! You had to kidnap her early in the morning. You’ll make Chio see this is a feasible occurrence. “Right, Wilma?”

“Huh…?” Wilma didn’t think she would be part of this conversation.

“Didn’t I think you were the most adorable girl this morning when we met? Tell her.” You smile so Wilma can answer more comfortably.

“Y-You thought so…?” Wilma starts panicking for no good reason! What’s up with her?

“I mean, aren’t you?” You try to give her confidence so she can show the others what you mean!

“Huh?!” For the first time Wilma starts panicking away from you, she usually goes towards your direction. Cookie gets closer to the ex-sandwich and retrieves her to her side. Did you screw up?

“Uhm…” You don’t know what to say.

“W-What’s up with this Phil guy? Does he understand the stuff he’s saying?” Cookie is troubled with your attitude as she talks with the other girls as Chio gets closer, like some sort of tomato committee.

“H-He’s shameless. Utterly shameless.” Chio doesn’t like it either.

“…” Wilma decided to come back to your nest, but Chio is holding her.

The Tomato Committee is unsure of what to do with you. You offered kindness, but they see it another way, you’ll have to manage this situation somehow.

>>4885893

What do you do?

>“I just called you all pretty, what’s wrong with that?” You want an explanation!
>“Okay, you’re all ugly. Happy?” Roll your eyes like you’re one of them.
>“...Can we just go with the others?” You think moving on is a good idea.
>Write In.

(Sorry for the big delay.)

>>4885897
>“I just called you all pretty, what’s wrong with that?” You want an explanation!
>Write In.
“Is there something of a culture difference I might be missing or am I not allowed to tell the truth?”

>>4885901
Support

>>4885901
Yeah sure

>>4885897
This>>4885901

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“I just called you all pretty, what’s wrong with that?” You want and deserve an explanation! All the tomatoes who were struggling among them, turn to their favorite shade of red as they all freeze when you said that.

“…” Yep, all three remain motionless. You wish you could poke them with a stick. It’s like the word pretty breaks them. Do they not look at themselves in the mirror or something? Man, if you were as pretty as them, you would know immediately! Too bad you aren’t, you’re just decentish, and that’s fine!

“Is there something of a culture difference I might be missing or am I not allowed to tell the truth?” You keep asking questions in hopes they answer them…

“Ah, um! Y-You’re allowed to say whatever you want to us, but how can you say any of this with a straight face?!” Cookie snaps out of it first to answer your question.

“I’m just stating facts. Do you think a calculator is ashamed of the numbers it displays?” That’s probably the only one of your dad’s sayings that stuck with you. And it’s so awful, you’re half convinced he heard it from Mr. Conti.

“You’re no machine! You’re a man! You need to understand the weight your words carry.” Chio scolds you like a teacher would. “Measure your words, Wilma and Cookie can’t handle it.” Chio pretends she’s not acting the same as those two.

“Y-Yeah, y-you’re way too blunt! You say stuff couples say to each other! Y’know, lovers! In a relationship! Like with a person you want to start a family with! Nobody goes out their way to call others cute just because…” Cookie tries to make you understand. “Y-You need to slow down!”

“Indeed, if you’re planning to flirt, you need to be less crass and more subtle. For example, praising someone's multiple accomplishments with vehemence.” Chio is teaching you something she doesn’t know anything about. You’ve dated people, you know what you’re doing, and you know you’re just throwing compliments here. “This is how we do things in this ti— I mean, town.”

“You don’t like it when I call you cute then?” You want to make sure you’re not trespassing boundaries here.

“…I do.” Wilma shamelessly admits to Chio’s horror.

“T-That’s not the point. I said you’re allowed to say anything to us. We’re not the police…” Cookie has conflicted feelings. “But someone can get, like, huh, uhm, ugh, the wrong idea? You look like a naïve bloke, so you need to know better with, uuuh, other people, yeah.”

“I get it. Thanks, Cookie!” You think they are more sensitive than you thought, but if you’re coming off as creepy, it’s better you stop for now.

“No problem…” Cookie doesn’t know if this was a good idea. “L-Like I said, you can call me whatever you wanna.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep it in mind!” You smile to reassure her. For some reason, that doesn’t make Cookie happier. Wilma takes this moment to return as your backpack.

>>4885981


“Just to clarify, you believe that even if we aren’t presentable, that Wilma, Cookie and I are—”

“Cute, yes.” You interrupt Chio before she finishes. The three girls go back to the tomato committee formation...

“Y-You were supposed to gauge your words!” Chio replies, all embarrassed…

“Whoops…” You say apologetically.

These girls are sensitive…

What do you do?

>“So, should we go?” You feel bad about everyone else that you left waiting.
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.
>“Here, Cookie, I found your uniform.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the day, we finish the thread tomorrow!)

>>4885985
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>“So, should we go?” You feel bad about everyone else that you left waiting.
Let's just meet up with Matilda and the others already

>>4885985
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>“So, should we go?” You feel bad about everyone else that you left waiting.

>>4885985
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

>>4885985
>>“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” Hand it to Cookie before leaving.

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You wait a moment for these adorable dummies to calm down.

“…I overreacted.” Wilma returns once again to your side, feeling bad that she got so easily flustered. The squirrel is back in her tree…

“Eh.” You shrug since you don’t think it’s a big deal. Either you get used to them reacting like that, or they get used to your compliments. Still, you’ll have to tone it down just a notch.

“Cookie, get ready so we can move on. We’re already late.” Chio got tired of waiting.

“N-Not my fault nobody handed me any clothes.” The Spooky Cookie will not take responsibility. You forgot she asked. You catch a glimpse of some inside one of her bags.

“Here, Cookie, I found your tracksuit.” You pick it up and hand it to the messy girl.

“About time someone did anything.” Cookie takes off the bed sheets, and seems satisfied to have something to change into. She leaves everything on the bed, and absentmindedly takes her top off.

“COOKIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PHIL, GET OUT!” Chio immediately starts pushing you out of the Cookie Factory! Oh yeah, it’s not normal for people to undress in front of you, that Drawtionary game has screwed with your brain.

“Oh, oh, oooh…” Cookie just realized what she was doing, but she didn’t make a big deal over it.

Welp, it doesn’t matter now, you’ve been kicked out before even realizing what was going on. For some reason, getting naked in front of you was less embarrassing for Cookie, despite being bothered by the way you were staring at her before. This girl is quite confusing.

You’re outside with Wilma since she was holding onto you while you were evicted, both of you sitting on the ground next to each other. Chio could’ve asked you to leave instead of being so forceful, but you know now how much they overreact. Wilma seems fine, so it’s no issue.

“Phil…” Wilma starts a conversation.

“I didn’t see anything.” You’re an innocent man.

“…Thank you.” Wilma rests her head on your arm and gets comfortable with the silence. You pat her head, at this point, this is more of a reflex than something you think about.

And so, after a minute or two, Chio and Cookie leave the factory to meet with you. Good-bye pajamas. Chio helps Wilma stand up, while Cookie offers her hands to do the same with you, she pulls you up.

“Nice thighs.” Cookie slaps both sides of your legs as you stand up.

“Thanks.” You wanted to say ‘same’ but you don’t want her to get annoyed at you again. You all start going up the stairs, with Cookie leading, you having Wilma right behind you, and Chio at the end .

“You look like you exercise.” Cookie needed to look less shabby to gain some confidence. Though, she kept the messy hair. “Chio said everyone is waiting at the gate, wanna race there? I wanna see what you got.” She smirks. You’re carrying Wilma though…

“Don’t.” Chio finds this obnoxious.

>>4887383


You all are outside the secret base with (seemingly) no one noticing. You’re in the clear.

“Aren’t we late? C’mon, Phil, let’s have some fun.” Cookie seems confident about beating you.

How do you respond?

>“You’ll have to convince Chio.” You don’t want to cause more trouble.
>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.
>“Later.” You don’t think it’s the time for it.
>Write In.

>>4887389
>>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.
Bonding time with the Cookie

>>4887389
>>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

>>4887389
>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

>>4887389
>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

>>4887383
>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

>>4887389
>“I can ***do my best to*** beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

>>4887389
>“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You won’t back down from this challenge.

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“I can beat you while carrying Wilma.” You might not be the most confident of men, but you know your capabilities, and you know you can trash this girl with ease. As long as you do your best!

“Yeah? I wanna see that!” Cookie doesn’t believe you’re going to do this.

“Wilma. Hop in.” You kneel down without breaking eye contact with Cookie.

“…” Wilma hesitates for a second, but goes into position! You have a firm grasp of her legs.

“You’re so immature…” Chio is disappointed in you. “Cookie, don’t you dare to lose.” Who’s immature now?!

“Roger that.” Cookie smirks.

“At the count of 3.” Chio ends up refereeing now… “3.”

“Eh?!” You didn’t expect that!

“Ha! Good-bye, sucker!” Cookie is running away! She’s taking advantage of this without an ounce of guilt!

“You don’t seem to be doing good.” Chio sarcastically remarks. “Hahaha!”

“…S-Sorry, we never count to 3.” Wilma is ashamed of her tomato sisters’ ways. She could’ve told you! Anyway, you start running with this enormous disadvantage!

Is your current level of Athletics enough to win the race? Even tying it up seems unlikely! Cookie is not the fastest person you’ve ever seen, but she’s fast enough to make this impossible! Wilma is not heavy, but it’s difficult to run with her on your back, you’re more focused on her well-being than running faster, as you should be, but still, the odds are against you! What are you going to do?! Is this another challenge you’re destined to lose?

…

Well, you would be wondering all of that, if Cookie didn’t collapse halfway through. She just couldn’t keep up the pace, she dropped to her knees and started gasping for air. You’re closer to the gate than to the farm at this point, but it’s obvious to you that Cookie can’t continue. That was a big letdown.

You’re carrying Cookie on your back, Wilma had no other option but to walk by your side. Cookie has been panting for a while, even after she drank some water she had hidden in her tracksuit, she’s exhausted. Wilma used part of the bedsheets she still has on her to clean up Cookie’s sweat, so she ain’t sticky.

“I-I’m sorry for calling you a sucker…!” Cookie’s karma crashed down on her. She’s much heavier than Wilma for obvious reasons.

“I said it’s fine…” You chuckle a bit, it’s funny she’s worried about that now. Lil’ cheater deserves it though.

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>>4887593

“I-I don’t get it… how did lazing around for a week destroy my stamina…?” Cookie is having an existential crisis. “I-I was waiting for my ankle to heal up after y’know what, Wilma…! The doc said it'd be a week, right?”

“Keep your breath, Cookie.” You calm her down.

“…Cookie, that was months ago.” Wilma rolls her eyes.

“M-Months…?!” Cookie can’t believe it.

“What happened? Why are you here?” Chio caught up with you all.

You explain what happened in loose details.

“Disgraceful, but I’m not surprised, you’ve developed in the wrong ways in my absence.” Chio is not happy with her tomato sister’s performance.

“At least Phil’s back is pretty comfortable…” Cookie is about to fall asleep. Chio snaps her fingers to wake her up. “AAAaah!”

“We have a dinner to go to.” Chio is tired of Cookie’s irresponsibility.

“Y-Yeah, um, oh, yeah!” Cookie doesn’t know why she had to say something else. “No wonder Wilma was attached to you the whole time…” Cookie grins at Wilma.

“…” Wilma wants her spot back.

Arriving at the gate of the school, you see a familiar looking vehicle being parked near it! Is it your van…? But this is bigger, it’s a motorhome! And somehow it looks even shittier than before. From the driver’s seat window, Matilda peeks out.

“You’re way too late, I was waiting for you.” Matilda smirks!

Wait, is this the new base you were promised?!


Sadly, this is all we have for this week’s thread, thanks for playing and see you next time!

>>4887594
Thanks for running!

>>4880062
You know, Chio and Matilda have basically the same issues with expressing themselves. Chio clearly cares, but there's something blocking her from expressing it appropriately so she's just way too harsh without any of the warmth behind it coming through. She can't just be honest and come out with it. Matilda similarly doesn't know how to handle her own feelings, but she's taken the path of just not expressing them at all.

It's really heartbreaking to see it with Chio though. I recall now that we suggested Nariko not go back to her parents back when she was a hobo which was the right call, however I now think our thinking for why was wrong. We reasoned that anyone that would let their daughter end up on the street was not capable of fixing her (which was true) and also didn't care/didn't deserve another chance after letting that happen (which is still arguably fair, but clearly there's more depth we didn't consider). It also makes me feel sad on Nariko's behalf. It's clear Chio would love her and care for her deeply, but equally clear she'd be far too hard and strict in her treatment. I bet they both just want to feel warmth and kindness from the other deep down.

We should give Nariko a hug next time we see her once we're out of this. Then we should tell her that we can tell she's been doing her best, and that even if she makes mistakes or we get annoyed that's always good enough as far as we're concerned.

I was doing some archive bingeing on the early threads, and though I think we should consider the information in them with a grain of salt (fun fact: Scarlet's last name was originally 'Pantone', according to Nina anyway) I happened upon something kind of interesting. Well rather I made a connection I hadn't before.

1) Constance was under Dorothy's guardianship, they hid her away at Calamity's clinic originally. Lise remarked on it being strange that they were involved with the war and spirits...but they had a judge in their hands but kept her hidden
2) Ema Oka has some connection to Esperanza. Esperanza who we now know has a Judge Entity that is rather suspiciously similar looking (though not behaving) to the entity that possessed her last we saw.
3) Ema Oka and Dorothy also have a connection, they used to work together in a lab that did (as far as we know) the first formal scientific experiments and studies on flames.

I just think that's an awful lot of coincidence. We've been ignoring the PLOTCOMPUTER we picked up from Dorothy this whole time, but I wouldn't be surprised if we found some plan that requires a Judge when we finally crack it open.

Oh also unrelated but
4) Judges will be full-healed once the competition is over. So if Don Gordon Sr. is still alive when that happens he's definitely going to attempt a coup afterwards

>>4900560
It seems her last name was also Argyros before we finally settled on Argyle for now.

Or maybe this is all evidence of time travel dickery.

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>>4901028

Nah, I just fucked up some names like Nariko's (She was Yabe at one point) because my memory is pretty bad with names. I didn't make a Quest Bible until later in the quest, and sometimes I forget to timely update it.

Though, Argyros to Argyle was something my first proofreader vehemently requested and I just gave in.

(btw Quest restarting soon in a new thread!)

>>4902766
I was kidding. It's clear that you didn't anticipate this would come as far as it has when you were running the early threads anyway.

It's great to read the old stuff, and see you get better at drawing and storycrafting both as time goes on. Thanks for all of it!

>>4902802
Anything more you want to talk about, anon? Favorite characters? Plot developments? Fights? Non-fight scenes? Thoughts on things players should try to do in the future, if anybody gives a fuck to post write-ins instead?

>>4902818
Well I think we urgently need to expand our repertoire with Philonune's power.

Right now we've got invisibility, and that's great really. It's so great that it alone has taken us to a moderate-high power level when we had only had really lacklustre applications of Philo's ability prior to coming up with it. The flashbang (sans bang) out of our glasses was alright, but nothing amazing.

That being said, it's only one trick. It also loses a lot of its effectiveness once it's widely known that someone can become invisible (I mean, a weight sensor on an elevator, and some snow on the ground already severely limited our options on two separate occasions). It loses even more effectiveness in any situation where someone knows we're nearby specifically, because then they know to employ AoEs and generally make a mess.

What we need is to develop some new applications that will help us in a straight-up fight, because that's what people are going to draw us into one way or another in order to render the overpowered benefits of invis null. As of now, we've got very little going for us in a regular fight. We're essentially just a normal, if above average fitness, dude. Don't even have any extensive martial arts training. The best thing we could do if we encounter an opponent that outclasses us physically (assuming their entity is keeping Philo busy enough that we're basically on our own) is...well run I guess. I see this as a severe issue that will inevitably come up at some point.

Just to illustrate what I'm getting at: if we were shoved back in time to when we had to fight Flint Masterson to keep Constance safe, even with invis I'm pretty sure we'd still lose the fight.

Fortunately I think it's not too difficult to remedy the situation. We already had a sort of mental breakthrough regarding Philo's powerset when we created invis. We just need to expand on it a little. Essentially I think that we, the players, can basically think of Philo's powers as being a sort of illusion based powerset and brainstorm off of there.

My personal idea to remedy the situation would be to add in the ability to create convincing illusions of our body in close proximity to us, and combine that with invisibility. In a fistfight, if we can cloak our arms and legs while feeding our opponent false moves using illusory ones then we should be able to absolutely devastate them with a bit of luck.

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>>4903121
>urgently need to expand our repertoire with Philonune's power
Agreed
>only had really lacklustre applications of Philo's ability prior to coming up with it
Only one or two, and that was from in-moment write-ins if anything
>flashbang (sans bang) out of our glasses was alright
Resulted in pic related, which alone makes it worth it
>loses a lot of effectiveness
Agreed. It won't be long until word gets around about somebody with invisibility. Johnny has never killed anybody, and the people that get away to tell other people after confronting him will most likely spread that information. If you know some badass kid has invisibility powers, why wouldn't you tell that to your allies or anybody else you know is in this war?
>develop some new applications
That's funny
>essentially just a normal, if above average fitness, dude. Don't even have any extensive martial arts training.
In a low powerlevel setting like this, that alone can be enough. Johnny took out multiple people all by himself during the fight outside the Ka-Shino on Judgment Day.
>assuming their entity is keeping Philo busy enough that we're basically on our own
When has that ever happened again?
>even with invis I'm pretty sure we'd still lose the fight
Agreed
>already had a sort of mental breakthrough regarding Philo's powerset when we created invis
Only via a write-in being pushed and winning, otherwise I doubt the invis power reveal would ever happen even this far into the quest. The invis power acted differently at first too, until the marshmallow powerups changed it to be the way it is now. The side-effects of prolonged invisibility and/or motion while invisible on Johnny have also changed over time. Initially it was nausea and sickness, now it starts with headaches and builds up to dizziness and disorientation, then worse.
>basically think of Philo's powers as being a sort of illusion based powerset and brainstorm off of there
I remember the QM having explicitly said at one point that lasers cannot be done by going off of the "altering the way light interacts with yourself" to reflect light in a focused way, as that would be too OP and the cost would be absurd. Your proposal is interesting though.
>add in the ability to create convincing illusions of our body in close proximity to us, and combine that with invisibility
That might be too much, though I'm not sure myself. Try to submit that as a write-in in the future during a fitting moment, such as Johnny preparing before an operation or fight, or after one to experiment. Good luck getting it to win though. The QM is very adamant about keeping the setting balanced with the overall low level everybody has in regards to entity powers. All the powers in the quest range from situational, to gimmicky, to borderline useless, to "super cool but has a ridiculous cost that makes it not worth using in basically any situation whatsoever." I might be being too negative about this though.
Come to the next thread and talk there >>4902820

>>4903313
>assuming their entity is keeping Philo busy enough that we're basically on our own
>When has that ever happened again?
First time we fought Valdemar his 3 birds kept Philo busy enough that we were functionally on our own. I'm pretty sure Brahma, Flint's entity, or any other high level combat entity could do the same.

>That might be too much, though I'm not sure myself.
Sure maybe, but then again maybe you are just being too negative. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to go from invisibility to invisibility except I'm also distorting the location of one of my limbs. Seems pretty low power level yet effective (kind of like invis) to me, but you're right the QM will be the decider.

Alright, that's enough talk for this old thread like you said.

>>4903422
>>4903313
Well let me clarify one last thing

>essentially just a normal, if above average fitness, dude. Don't even have any extensive martial arts training.
>In a low powerlevel setting like this, that alone can be enough. Johnny took out multiple people all by himself during the fight outside the Ka-Shino on Judgment Day.
You're right, it's enough for like 80-90% of people we'll encounter. However we intend to win this whole thing, and when we get to the final round where only crystal piece holders are competing I think we're gonna be facing that upper 10-20%. At least a few of them will actually be competent and dangerous, and we can't afford to lose to them. It's clear you realize this, but hopefully it'll impress the necessity on anyone else reading this post.