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>>5873414

Information:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QM91m
Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Archives: https://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! There are no Critical Failures anymore!

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!

>>5873414
>>“Suan De, ease the insults a little, I don’t think the others can take this much.” You like banter, not personal attacks hidden in jokes.

>>5873414
>“Suan De, ease the insults a little, I don’t think the others can take this much.” You like banter, not personal attacks hidden in jokes.

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>>5873414
>“Suan De, ease the insults a little, I don’t think the others can take this much.” You like banter, not personal attacks hidden in jokes.
This is the first thread of this quest I've posted in, but if we're on our way to a secret Santa party, I suggest throwing in a book signed by pic related as a gift.

>>5873414
>>“I’m proud of you, Suan De.” Pat her shoulder. She’s an old school gal, right? Maybe she likes those tough cool guy interactions.

>>5873414
>>“Slob Dragon, I think we need to do a back and forth, I don’t think you know how banter works.” This reminds you of the good old times when Matilda was really dense about the simplest stuff. Wait, that still happens. Either way, Suan De needs some practice.

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>>5873414
Merry christmas folks!!

>>5873857
It's funny how her face is covered

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“Suan De, ease the insults a little, I don’t think the others can take this much.” You like banter, not poorly veiled personal attacks…

“As long as we keep our banter going…” Suan De will be content only insulting you as she walks back into the base proper.

Intermission time is over, now you put all your attention to Rise’s files and finding Crossbill’s prison cell number...! That’s what you’d say, but you’re welcomed by a peculiar scene. Vera and Scarlet are shaking hands while Liu cheerfully claps.

“Everyone, we’re back with our differences solved.” You put your hands on your hip. “But that can wait, what’s going on?”

“I’m glad you didn’t get stabbed.” Liu likes you being unharmed. Scarlet and Vera nod at this assertion. All of them were worried.

“I said I wouldn’t do such a thing.” The Slob Dragon keeps her words but not her sanity. Everyone was waiting for her to say ‘yet’ at the end there.

“Seriously, what’s going on?” You bring the focus back to the girls shaking hands.

“We signed a peace treaty.” Vera shows her vindictive smile. “Our bickering had to stop.”

“Mhm! We’ve put our differences aside to work together for everyone’s sake.” Scarlet seems content enough.

“That’s very commendable of you two.” You are impressed and kinda proud!

“Headphones did more than an acceptable job being our arbiter, right, Bubbles?” Vera smiles at the redhead.

“Yeah! We ended with favorable terms for both of us, Cheese-on-Wheels!” Scarlet smiles back.

“I won’t have any issues with the Ice Cream Goblin from now on, that’s for sure.” Vera continues showing her pearly whites to Scarlet.

“Same, Sewer Rat. Same!” Scarlet’s bubbly facade is scary. It’s like they were influenced by Suan De’s banter and they never heard it!

“Hmm…” Liu didn’t want to take responsibility for this. You aren’t proud anymore.

“I’m surely glad to be working with children.” Suan De isn’t impressed by this iffy attempt at diplomacy.

“This feels… off.” You’re having second thoughts on whether this treaty has much peace in it.

“You don’t say?” The Slob Dragon sighs like the bum she is.

“Liu, dispel their unwelcomed doubts.” Vera commands her minion.

“...They can insult each other as much as they want, but they won’t waste time arguing.” Liu explains.

“Initially, I was the only one with the right to insult the other freely, but Liu has the qualities of a skillful politician.” Vera tries to build her minion up.

“Octopus head was totally surprised by my initial rejection. Can you imagine?” Scarlet rolls her eyes. “But, whatevs, let’s focus on what’s really important now!”

You’re glad your team is learning to work together and care for each other’s feelings! Too bad they’re doing it in the worst way possible that is for the most part acceptable…

>>5873866


What do you do?

>You were about to check on the Rise Files. The others will figure out the Prison Cell Stuff.
>Look into the Prison Cell stuff. While the others work on a summary of Rise’s files.
>Write In.

With whom do you want to do the next activity with?

>Scarlet.
>Vera.
>Liu.
>Suan De.
>Write In.

>>5873867
>>You were about to check on the Rise Files. The others will figure out the Prison Cell Stuff.
>Liu.

>>5873869
+1

>>5873869
+1

>>5873869
Yeah

>>5873414
Also nice abs on Ruby

>>5873867
>You were about to check on the Rise Files. The others will figure out the Prison Cell Stuff.

>Suan De.

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“Okay, everyone, like I said before, we need to find the Prison Cell numbers of our friends, and I want to look into Rise’s files too. So, we’re going to split up.” You take the role of the leader again.

“Got it!” Scarlet enthusiastically prepares to dig into the many files that you own.

“Vera, Scarlet, since you’re working on your rapidly developing friendship, and I want you to drag the Slob Dragon along to find where Crossbill and Mama Bodil are, please.” You give your first command. “I’ll take the Liu.”

“Huh…? *hic*” Liu wasn’t expecting to have some alone time with you. “S-Sure!”

“Hey! She’s my minion! I either get YOU or Liu in my team! I want a dedicated minion to transport me as I see fit!” Vera demands wheelchair pushers with experience.

“I’ll push you around, Wheels.” Suan De knows she can’t do anything else. “But you will treat me with respect.”

“See? All fixed.” You put your hands on your hips again. “I’m counting on you.”

“No! S-She’ll push me off! She’s clearly inconsiderate!” Vera grabs her wheelchair like her life depends on it! “L-Listen to me!”

“You’re such a child…” Suan De grabs the wheelchair.

“All right, girls! How are we doing this?” Scarlet asks her team what to do as they leave! And by leaving, you mean walking to another part of the room, where the PC is…

You take out your phone where you deposited all the relevant information. Of course, you shared this with Scarlet too, but since she got the computer, you’ll have to manage with your phone. You wish you had a better way to show this on a bigger screen, but you don’t, so instead, you share the information with Liu.

With everything ready, it’s time to find out all about Rise… Who was Yu Yan all along?

You have a profile written by Dorothy, their conversations through mail, and a myriad of miscellaneous information gathered from different places.

Liu asks where you should start, and it is clear to you that this profile is the perfect starting point. In summary, the important details are:

Rise was born and raised on the disputed island of Gravenriden, at the border of the regions Lokyo and Yoinkshire, the epicenter of the War at the Border. After becoming an orphan of war, she lived most of her life in Crabbridge. She became a Human Rights activist of no real notoriety, until she agreed to form a contract with the deity known as Seioubo. The latter being much responsible for her cognitive deterioration and new sadistic tendencies. She joined the Hosts of Rebellion as a means to her ends of stopping the ones responsible for the massacre of her people, and to dissolve the Pracijanian state. She’s conscious enough to be reasoned with, suppressing Seioubo’s influence could convert her into an invaluable ally. Really likes Pizza.

>>5874008


“…” Liu has been staring at your face the entire time you were reading the article. Like she’s being hypnotized.

What do you do?

>Read more about Yu Yan’s backstory. There’s more to it than the simple summary.
>Read about Dorothy and Yu Yan’s project together.
>Read more about the analysis of Seioubo.
>Read more about the Pizzas she likes!
>Shake Agent Headphones. She needs to pay attention.
>Write In.

(Merry Christmas, everyone!)

>>5874009
>>Read more about Yu Yan’s backstory. There’s more to it than the simple summary.

>>5874009
>>Read more about Yu Yan’s backstory. There’s more to it than the simple summary.
>Read more about the analysis of Seioubo.
>Read more about the Pizzas she likes!

>>5874011
+1

>>5874009
>Read more about Yu Yan’s backstory. There’s more to it than the simple summary.
>Read more about the Pizzas she likes!

Merry Christmas!

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….Never mind, you’ll ignore Liu for now, there are more details to Rise’s backstory.

The reading starts with a little excerpt of Dorothy that details her apprehension on writing this down, it appears all this information is puzzled together from the many stories Ka-Shing got from Rise when they were winding down, the Mad Girl went into weird diatribes that slowly devolved into random anecdotes from her past, all disconnected. The rich man personally asked Dorothy to keep track of all this information as only the three were present during their meetings. He wanted the full story for whatever reason. She didn’t question it, since the Terrorist Head and the Lunatic Billionaire appeared to have an unorthodox sibling bond. Odd as it may be, it appeared legitimate to her.

Without further ado, this is the summary of Rise’s story:

Yu Yan Liamishi was abandoned as a baby by her fugitive mother at the doorsteps of a Library in Gravenriden. There, she was adopted by the avid reader and hiker who found her. A modest foreigner man with not much to his name, and said name was never uttered by Rise’s lips. He was dad, and nothing else. His expedition to find an Old Legendary Yuropean Treasure got a new member.

They lived humble lives, going around the island. Gravenriden, by that point, wasn’t in the same shape as years past, its place as the World’s Biggest Port, the connection between Prancijan and the rest of the planet, was long gone with the hybrid Prancijanian and Yuropean rule it had. The island lived in a state of limbo after the treaty that returned the land fully back to Prancijan, since it couldn’t be decided to which region belonged to between Lokyo and Yoinkshire, even though the island and its populace wanted autonomy for itself.

Regardless, they managed to get by. And their bond was special. Rise recalled many stories about her father with a fondness that made her act… normal. Tales about camping, fishing, bartering, helping the sick and the poorer with what they had. And they bickered, they bickered a lot, they couldn’t help themselves trying to one-up each other, even if the old man had a nice streak, he was always trying to politely tell Yu Yan off. And Yu Yan? She had no filter. The old man heard everything a little girl’s mouth shouldn’t say. People weren’t fond of them, but they made themselves useful, so what could they do but stand them?

But the tension within the border hit a fever pitch and a civil war broke out. They were arrested for supposedly being Yoinkshire instigators as foreigners often were assumed to be. Yu Yan’s dad managed to break them out of their prison, got them to the port, and sent Yu Yan to the mainland. There wasn’t enough space for him.

Later that port was bombed to ashes, and her father was never heard from again.

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>>5874082

The truth about that the matter wasn’t as much of a civil war as it was a massacre conducted by the state of Prancijan. Surrender calls were ignored, and the civilian populace was punished for refusing to join the mainland when they had the chance. The Financial Interests weren’t there anymore, so the main perpetrators were happy to flatten the island to send a message. The war came to an end when the resistance managed to bomb a good chunk of Pokyo Lokyo, leaving the Government no choice but to stop ignoring the Gravenriden’s submission.

After that, Yu Yan lived much of her adolescence in an orphanage in Crabbridge, where she did a myriad of odd jobs to get by and study like her father wanted her to, she even made it to the circus. She became a Human Rights Activist out of rebellion to uncover the many state lies about what happened in Gravenriden.

Things went from bad to worse for Yu Yan as she kept fighting on. She became the target of the SCI, and her life spiraled out of control. During one of her usual nights behind bars, it became clear to her that it was going to be her last as she witnessed many events out of protocol. It was the end of the rope… and the evil deity Seioubo showed up with one more chance, and the rest is history...

Well, not really, it says that Yu Yan regretted her decision to bond with the demon, because once she woke up, a mysterious woman under the instructions of a lousy detective saved her from jail, but it doesn’t say more than that. You wonder what this is all about.

That’s the sad story of Yu Yan Liamishi. Your smug hobo.

…

You grab some tips about the type of Pizzas she likes! The ones her dad made her…

…

You want to read Dorothy’s analysis on Seioubo, but…

“…” Liu is STILL staring.

What do you do?

>Read the analysis. Ignore the Liu.
>Scratch the Liu’s head. For fun.
>“Liu, are you there?” You don’t want Agent Headphones to start drooling.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day! We continue on Tuesday!)

>>5874083
>Scratch the Liu’s head. For fun.

>>5874083
>Scratch the Liu’s head. For fun.

>>5874083
>>Scratch the Liu’s head. For fun.

>>5874083
>Write In.
Shake her like a British nanny.

Merry Christmas!

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Liu has been staring at you the whole time. You can tell thanks to your peripheral vision... your very human peripheral vision. What you’re trying to say is your eyes aren’t apart like some prey animal, no, you have good spatial awareness due to the great amount of experience you’ve earned going through different missions! They required so much of you to even succeed. You had to go through small spaces like sewers and air ducts, climb up walls and look for places to sneak in, identify predators of all shapes and sizes to escape unscathed. That’s why you can survey a hostile environment in an instant! And at this moment, Liu is a potential predator that you must neutralize. And you know how.

You scratch the Liu’s head. For fun (?).

“Eep!” Liu jitters. “I’m sorry, I lost my *hic* concentration! *hic*!”

“It’s alright!” You continue scratching for no reason.

“B-But you looked so afflicted…” Liu noticed you didn’t have the best of times reading the file. You had no idea you weren’t using your poker face.

“It was a downer.” You succinctly retort. It affects you more when it’s about someone you hold very dear, to say the least. You can’t imagine your life without Yu Yan at this point.

“I-I’m sorry again…” Liu can’t stop feeling guilty even though the hiccups are dying down. “Can I ask why *hic* you’re *hic* scratching my head?” The hiccuping regains strength since you aren’t stopping.

“I felt like bringing someone comfort after reading it.” Your inner self wants to cuddle with the affected.

“Shouldn’t you do this to the person afflicted?” Liu wants you to comfort the right person, she doesn’t want the feeling to die down with her.

This wasn’t the direction you were going for when you started the scratching, but you couldn’t say that you also wanted to mess with Liu’s hair a little.

What do you do?

>“You know, you’re right. I’m going to pay a friend a visit.” Meet up with Yu Yan. There’s too much backstory she doesn’t have a clue about…
>“What if I wanted to do that and scratch your head too, Liu, did you think about that? Hmm?” Be sassy as you continue petting.
>“I’ll handle this later. We got the information we needed, let’s hear from the others.” Move on to other matters instead.
>Write In.

>>5875328
>>“You know, you’re right. I’m going to pay a friend a visit.” Meet up with Yu Yan. There’s too much backstory she doesn’t have a clue about…

>>5875328
>Read more about the analysis of Seioubo.
>Read more about the Pizzas Yu Yan likes!
Let's grab the remaining lore while we have the info right in front of us
AND THEN
>“You know, you’re right. I’m going to pay a friend a visit.” Meet up with Yu Yan. There’s too much backstory she doesn’t have a clue about…

>>5875332
I'll support this

>>5875332
This

>>5875328
>>“What if I wanted to do that and scratch your head too, Liu, did you think about that? Hmm?” Be sassy as you continue petting.

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“You’re right. Let’s finish these files so I can get to that.” You agree.

“Let’s!” Liu smiles back without any speech impediment!

“But you have to actually read this time, okay?” You give her the last few scratches as you say this.

“R-Right! *hic*” Liu feels embarrassed for being called out.

You start reading ‘The Analysis on Seioubo’ written by Dorothy, in summary, it goes as follows:

Seioubo is the Goddess of Diseases, Calamities and Slaughter. One of the highest deities in the Prancijanian’s mythos and is worshiped in Baochang’s Temple of Power. The Infinite Mother’s blessing is capable of giving immortality (You kinda know now why people were fans of her). The ferocious punisher of the divine whose sole purpose is to bring judgment to those above the living. She came to this world to do one thing and one thing only: Eliminate every single entity participating in the unholy war and those mortals who aided them. To bring this battle to this world was the biggest offense in her eyes.

Dorothy noted her disappointment about Seioubo’s ability, she’s one of the most powerful entities this side of the planet, and if she saw the potential with more energy at her disposal, the scientist was still underwhelmed about the Gravity Powers. Rise was quick to show her true capabilities by launching a person to space by a gentle tap on the shoulder. The psychopath added that it wasn’t fun if you did that all the time.

But beyond the powers shown by those two, Dorothy grew curious about the ‘immortality myth’ that Seioubo was attached to. Her hypothesis was that the myth and belief about an entity has little to no correlation to the powers they have. In other words, even if Seioubo is worshiped as an Immortality Giver goddess, she does not have the ability to grant it. The results were the total opposite, Seioubo was capable of making Flames endure eternally, perhaps it’s not eternal life as one imagined, but the Will-O-Wisps being able to maintain their Spiritual Energy intact was the breakthrough she needed to create a new Flame Container Machine model. She could store part of her own Spirit away in case something unfortunate were to happen to her. Whether what Seioubo did was part of her powers or not is something Dorothy doesn’t come to a definitive conclusion to.

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>>5875452

Dorothy put special attention on the evolution of parasitic relationship between the two to draw parallels between what happened to her and her own flame, the guinea pigs, and the other white flame behavior. She noted that the bond between entity and host grew stronger the longer they were attached, making the energy expenditure lower, it wasn’t exponential and gains were minimal after a while, but it was a considerable improvement. She noted that two strong willed ‘Spirits’ were likely to merge into an unstable individual who pulled from two sources, i.e., what Rise was, with little of both personalities shown unless in short random bursts triggered by an event. Dorothy named this the Third Personality Flame Disorder, despite not being an actual third personality.

That’s the more important bits about Seioubo you could find. It was an interesting read, but you feel like Dorothy must’ve gone through a few new breakthroughs after what happened in the Bubble.

You already downloaded all the information about the Pizzas that Yu Yan likes, perhaps you could use this to cook a surprise!

“I think we’re done here.” You proclaim like you did anything but read this.

“Are you going to visit your friend?” Liu asks.

“Eyup.” You nod. “I’m going to pay her a visit.”

“You should bring her a present.” Liu suggests. “It’ll mean a lot to her.”

Liu is right, too right… Maybe you should bring her along.

What do you do?

>Buy all the ingredients necessary to cook Yu Yan’s favorite Pizza that she forgot about!
>Go straight to the apartment and find Yu Yan! You need to talk!
>Put an end to the meeting today. You don’t think you’ll be back after you’re gone.
>Write In.

Bring the Liu?

>Bring the Liu.
>Don’t bring the Liu. Why would you bring the Liu with you?
>Tell the Team to help Agent Headphones pick her headphones.
>Not only bring the Liu, bring everyone! It’s a Pizza Party! And Vera loves cheese!
>Write In.

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

>>5875454
>>Buy all the ingredients necessary to cook Yu Yan’s favorite Pizza that she forgot about!
>Don’t bring the Liu. Why would you bring the Liu with you?

>>5875455
+1

>>5875455
+2

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“You’re right on the money again, thanks.” You scratch Agent Headphones’ head again, albeit briefly. “Gotta go. Talk to the others to see if there’s anything you can do.”

“Sure.” Liu holds onto your arm for a moment as she looks down, she’s going to miss the head scratches.

“Wait, you’re leaving already?!!!” Vera feels bamboozled! “We barely spent any time together! All I did was babysit these two!”

“Hey!” Scarlet pouts. “How did you hear him anyway...?” Scarlet is quite impressed by Vera’s rat-like hearing capabilities. “And don’t mind him, we have a lot of work on your hands! Right, Suan De?”

“…” Suan De has her eyes on a Game Show of the Hellish variety.

“Bubbles, she zoned out from the start! I told you to turn the TV off!” Vera frowns.

“But we totally need the background noise, it’s so awkward when there’s too much silence, Cheese-on-Wheels.” Scarlet argues.

“Gah! You are all easily distracted! Screw it, Liu, come over here, I’m sick of these part-time minions who don't listen to my commands.” A frustrated Vera needs a silver lining.

“...I’m listening.” Suan De acts upset. Did she not hear the part where Vera called her a part-time minion…?

“Slob Dragon.” Vera frowns. The unemployed one glares back.

“I’m coming!” Liu starts approaching.

“Vera, we’re doing a mission together, we’ll meet again.” You give her a thumbs up.

“Fine. But I’m taking this as a promise. And I’d like to remind you that — unlike with everyone else — your track record with me is pristine, because I’m really important to you and it should stay that way.” Vera puts on the pressure.

“You’re not the only one with a good track record.” Scarlet blushes a little remembering the cuddling session.

“Why are you two so desperately clinging to this man of all people...?” Suan De doesn’t get why anyone would love you.

“I-I’m not desperate.” Scarlet denies the allegations.

“I’m on a wheelchair, I’m supposed to depend on other people! The more wonderful, the better!” Vera utters a sentence no wheelchair user would ever say. “Now wonderful Liu, come here, and smack this bum across the face like she owes you money!”

“I’d like to see her try.” Slob Dragon knows she can dominate a doormat.

“S-Sorry, I’m not going to...” Liu doesn’t want to resort to violence. “We need to find the prison cells!”

“I was about to say! Let’s actually move forward with this.” Scarlet agrees it's time to move on. “Take care, Johnny! We’re going to keep working on this.”

“See ya, and thank you all for lending a hand!” You wave everyone off. They wave back, except Suan De, she still hates you.

“I always will.” Vera blushes as she wiggle her hands.

>>5875819


And with that, you left the base! You have the hunch you won’t return for the day, but who knows? You might have forgotten something, you might not have, and if you did, it can wait. Probably. You go to the closest Convenience Store to grab the ingredients you need to cook Yu Yan’s favorite Pizza!

There’s just one problem, one key ingredient is missing: The Gravenriden Semi-Soft Cheese. It’s rare for someone living in Pokyo Lokyo. You could look it up online, but you don’t have time to wait for deliveries, and the most specialized stores are closed. If only you lived in the Countryside where a reliable Cheese stand is. But alas...

You can’t believe Super Foods of all places doesn’t have every gourmet ingredient there is…

What do you do?

>Use Regular Cheese. Yu Yan already loves your pizza, you don’t need to go all the way for this!
>Call Kata. Your cooking soulmate should know about where to get the greatest ingredients.
>Call Gerard. He’s a former high-end chef, right? He should know where to get this rare cheese.
>Call Vera. You have a hunch she might know where to get this special cheese.
>Call Rooke. He was friends with Rise, he may know where to find this cheese.
>Call Jesse. It rhymes with Cheese, so he should know. Wait, no it doesn’t… Call him anyway.
>Write In.

>>5875821
>>Call Gerard. He’s a former high-end chef, right? He should know where to get this rare cheese.

>>5875821
>>Call Kata. Your cooking soulmate should know about where to get the greatest ingredients.

>>5875821
>Call Kata. Your cooking soulmate should know about where to get the greatest ingredients.

>>5875821
>Call Kata. Your cooking soulmate should know about where to get the greatest ingredients.

Any excuse is a good excuse to see Kata's tatas.

>>5875821
>>Call Gerard. He’s a former high-end chef, right? He should know where to get this rare cheese.

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You don’t believe you can do this pizza without the perfect cheese, anything other than what the recipe says would be not just a betrayal, but a damn sham. Yu Yan deserves the very best! And you’re going to provide it! Your options are limited so you thank the Super Foods employee and walk away from the convenience store.

Outside, you ponder on who to contact to get this unique cheese. After delving into it for a minute, the answer arrives and seems obvious in retrospect: Kata! Your cooking soulmate! You can count the amount of people you enjoy cooking with inside the same kitchen with one hand, making the nurse extremely special. While her help won’t necessarily be inside the kitchen, she has the culinary wisdom to know where to get the best ingredients! You must borrow this knowledge!

You give Nurse Calamity a call!

“Kata speaking, who am I talking to?” The relaxed Nurse is in a good mood.

“Hey, Kata! It’s me.” You say hi.

“If it isn’t my favorite handsome devil, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Kata is already in teasing mode. “Are the preparations for our date done? Hmm?”

“S-Sorry, that’s still in the works, I’m calling you for something else.” You rain down on the Nurse’s parade.

“Take it easy, handsome, it’d be unreasonable of me to expect anything after a couple of days! But I’d be lying if I didn’t have an inch of hope, you tend to go beyond conventions. Just don’t make me wait for too long, stargazing among the stars sounds like an adventure I can’t pass on.” Kata really wants to go to Dream Hill.

“I swear I won’t disappoint you!” You say with conviction.

“That’s what I like to hear! Now, what can I help you with, handsome?” The nurse wants to support you.

“Well, my dear kitchen partner, I need to locate a specific kind of cheese, one from Gravenriden.” You adjust your glasses even though she can’t see it. Why do you keep doing this? Will you ever stop?

“Oh, that one is pretty rare in Lokyo! People here aren’t fond of it in this region, no wonder why you’re struggling to find any.” Kata giggles. “I have a wheel in my apartment, I’d love to share some with you. Pay me a visit. You have my address, right? Or do you prefer if I send it over?”

What do you do?

>Send Bradford Jr. to retrieve the cheese. You’ll prepare everything for the Pizza in the meantime.
>Ask Kata to send it to your apartment. You need to get everything prepared and invite Yu Yan still.
>Go to Kata’s apartment for the cheese. Maybe you can get more things out of this, like more cheese.
>Write In.

>>5875950
>>Go to Kata’s apartment for the cheese. Maybe you can get more things out of this, like more cheese.

>>5875950
>Ask Kata to send it to your apartment. You need to get everything prepared and invite Yu Yan still.
Let's not get sidetracked!

>>5875950
>Go to Kata’s apartment for the cheese. Maybe you can get more things out of this, like more cheese.

>>5875950
>>Ask Kata to send it to your apartment. You need to get everything prepared and invite Yu Yan still.

>>5875950
>Go to Kata’s apartment for the cheese. Maybe you can get more things out of this, like more cheese.

Maybe a whiff of her Taleggio?

>>5875950
>>5875986
Her lower lip is DYNAMITE.

Date night, precook a picnic basket meal with her, and head up to Dream Hill.

>>5875950
>Go to Kata’s apartment for the cheese. Maybe you can get more things out of this, like more cheese.

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Have you ever declined an invitation to a lady’s apartment? Yes, you may have. Or maybe not. But it’s likely. Yet it doesn’t mean you’re going to do that on this occasion. You’re a human being who changes and adapts, and this is the moment for that. If you did that. Because if you haven’t… Would this prove you can change? What are you even talking about? Just go. Tell the lovely nurse you’ll be there and go!

“I’ll go. I don’t think I have your address, but I’ll go. You live nearby, right?” You accept but not without doubts.

“I do, handsome. In case of emergency, this vibrant nurse is always nearby the workplace and up to any task! I’m so devoted to my job, my uncle loves me dearly...” Kata jokes around. “I’ll send you my exact location, come and find me, frisky boy.”

“All right! I’ll be there as soon as possible! See you!” You start walking with a destination in mind.

It didn’t take you long to find her place! And it wasn’t an apartment, Kata is renting a house. It shouldn’t be surprising with her income, and as workaholic as she said she is, that should clear any doubt as to why she can have a place like this. It’s not like it’s the biggest house you’ve ever seen, but it’s pretty nice, and is located in a good place in the neighborhood. She invites you in.

“Ta-dah! Welcome!” Kata invites you in! It doesn’t look like anything special inside, with how eccentric she is, you expected more than this. “I hope you can excuse the drab decorations, they came with the place, and I spend so little time here that I never bothered to furbish it.”

“I think it’s nice! It’s cozy.” You enjoy normal.

“You’re always eager to please, Johnny.” Kata finds your answer charming. “The only place with any charm here is my bedroom, but you’re here for the cheese, aren’t you?” She’s teasing you already as she walks deeper into the house, swinging her hips like she always does. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what are those little friends on your shoulders? They’re rather… captivating?”

“My pigtails…” You sound heartbroken. “It’s a long story...”

“Huh? I shouldn’t have pried.” Kata can’t stand seeing you upset despite her confusion.

“No, I like them as they are now too.” You shake your head.

“W-Well, if you ever feel like sharing this tale, I’d love to hear it.” Nurse Calamity is trying to be really nice, but you have the feeling this is how she treats people with dementia. “Either way, you’re so fortunate my shift ended early today.”

“But it’s night already…” You point out.

“Never mind then! Accompany me to the kitchen, handsome.” Kata invites you deeper into the house, then pulls out a cheese wheel from one of the pantries. “Johnny, I just had the darndest of ideas.”

“Huh? What’s the idea?” You are open to any ideas!

>>5876100


“Why don’t we prepare this meal now, together? Let’s enjoy ourselves like last time! You know it’ll be fun. And your place is closeby, the food won’t get cold on your way there. How about it? Would you amuse this lonely nurse?” Kata wants to have some fun with you.

How do you respond?

>“Sorry, Kata, maybe next time.” Just grab the cheese and go.
>“Sure! But that's all we can do, I have to meet up with Yu Yan after this.” You’ll send the invitation to Yu Yan first, then dive into the kitchen with Kata!
>“Kata, if you want to spend time together, you only have to ask.” You don’t have to rush stuff with Yu Yan.
>“How about I cook you something else while you relax instead? To return the favor?” Counteroffer.
>Write In.

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

>>5876101
>“Kata, if you want to spend time together, you only have to ask.” You don’t have to rush stuff with Yu Yan

>>5876101
>“Sure! But that's all we can do, I have to meet up with Yu Yan after this.” You’ll send the invitation to Yu Yan first, then dive into the kitchen with Kata!

>>5876101
>“Sure! But that's all we can do, I have to meet up with Yu Yan after this.” You’ll send the invitation to Yu Yan first, then dive into the kitchen with Kata!

>>5876101
>“Sorry, Kata, maybe next time.” Just grab the cheese and go.

>>5876101
>“Sorry, Kata, maybe next time.” Just grab the cheese and go.

>>5876100
Poor lonely Kata, we can at least spare this much time.
>“Sure! But that's all we can do, I have to meet up with Yu Yan after this.” You’ll send the invitation to Yu Yan first, then dive into the kitchen with Kata!

>>5876101
>“Kata, if you want to spend time together, you only have to ask.” You don’t have to rush stuff with Yu Yan.

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“Sure! But that’s all we can do, I have to meet up with Yu Yan after this.” You pull out your phone to text Yu Yan to get her schedule emptied in a bit.

“Don’t get too careless with me, my cute little miscreant. You can’t insinuate you have another date in front of me. Don’t be cruel.” A playful Kata pokes your nose.

“S-Sorry, but it isn’t like that. I have to deliver heavy news and I need to soften the blow as much as I can.” You try to explain.

“Oh, you’re preparing that little mischievous one’s favorite? I don’t know what type of impression Nina gave you, but not all women use food to combat their sorrows.” Nurse Calamity thinks less of her friend.

“Yup! I wanna make some pizza! I just want to show I care.” You shrug. A wise part of you believes if it’s worked before, why change strategies?

“You don’t go for half-measures, do you? It’s very thoughtful; my cousins think ice cream is enough to do the trick.” The nostalgic Nurse recalls some embarrassing memories from her childhood.

“Isn’t that just a movie trope?” You say that knowing full well that Scarlet exists in this world.

“Oh, absolutely, adults drink, dear.” Kata giggles. Maybe she wasn’t recalling embarrassing childhood memories… “But isn’t it absolutely charming when people act so innocently?”

“I think you’re right.” You nod. Oh boy, you remember those silly girls, like Vera, who vehemently told you to not pull the fire alarm. How naive. It was a genius idea. “Uh, are we doing this?” You don’t know if you should send the text to Yu Yan now or later.

“I haven’t changed my mind.” Your cooking partner winks. “Let’s get dirty.” How can she say that? You’re handling food!

“Thank you!” You’re ready and begin telling her the instructions for the dish. It’s Pizza, it’s not complex, so it should be easy, right?

Yes! It was easy! Thanks to your incredible chemistry in the kitchen more than anything else. With how tight the space was, it felt more intimate, your passionate dancing moves weren’t as outlandish, but they were intense. The friction made it all better. This all translates perfectly to a perfectly cooked dish. A pizza that knows no equals. With cheese so good it might as well come from the Goddess of Cheese (Pascaline) herself. Yes, this will surely cheer up Yu Yan as much as cooking it together enriched Kata’s day.

“Voila~! We’ve outdone ourselves yet again, handsome!” Kata pulls the pizza out of her outdoor oven. You’re at the back of the house. “We truly have a one-of-a-kind connection...”

“Yeah, in the kitchen! It looks amazing! Thank you, Kata!” It’s hard for you to believe how good this looks!

“What are you thanking me for? We made this together and had a blast, didn’t we?” Kata hands over the box. “Enjoy it! Now go before it gets cold, or all of this will be for naught.”

>>5876810


You grab the Gravenriden Pizza with both hands…

How do you respond?

>“I owe you so much for this! I’ll make sure to give you the best date of your life!” Make a hefty promise about your activity in Dream Hill!
>“You should grab a bite, you more than deserve it.” Hand over a slice to Kata.
>“This pizza is stunning, but not as stunning as you are.” Wink. This is an acceptable way of flirting after all.
>“You’re right! I gotta go! I’ll see you soon!” You must meet with Yu Yan now! Now there’s a time limit.
>“Hmm, I can’t believe we made pizza without the outfits…” You’re starting to have regrets.
>Write In.

>>5876813
>>“I owe you so much for this! I’ll make sure to give you the best date of your life!” Make a hefty promise about your activity in Dream Hill!
>“You’re right! I gotta go! I’ll see you soon!” You must meet with Yu Yan now! Now there’s a time limit.

>>5876813
>>5876816
+1

>>5876816
This

>>5876813
>>>“I owe you so much for this! I’ll make sure to give you the best date of your life!” Make a hefty promise about your activity in Dream Hill!
>>“You’re right! I gotta go! I’ll see you soon!” You must meet with Yu Yan now! Now there’s a time limit.

>>5876813
>“I owe you so much for this! I’ll make sure to give you the best date of your life!” Make a hefty promise about your activity in Dream Hill!
>“You should grab a bite, you more than deserve it.” Hand over a slice to Kata.
>“This pizza is stunning, but not as stunning as you are.” Wink. This is an acceptable way of flirting after all.

>“Hmm, I can’t believe we made pizza without the outfits…” You’re starting to have regrets.

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“I owe you so much for this! I’ll make sure to give you the best date of your life!” You decide to make a hefty promise! Nothing is cooler than Dream Hill, so you don’t have to overthink it.

“Look how the tables have turned, now you’re the one doing the teasing! I’m struggling to hide my excitement, so you better go, handsome.” Kata has a gleeful look she’s trying to hide. It’s oddly adorable. “Take care.”

“You’re right! I gotta go! I’ll see you soon!” You smile back as you make your way around the backyard to the front of the house.

You could run full speed with the Pizza in your hands, but you don’t want to ruin it, so you create a new pace between running fast and walking, you call it… jogging. You’ll use this unorthodox way of movement to reach your apartment in record time.

Your invitation was explicit, you want Yu Yan over at your apartment to have a serious talk. You didn’t specify as to what it is about, but Yu Yan is sensible enough to understand the severity of the situation. There are going to be no shenanigans. Just a straight talk.

After reading your message, Yu Yan confirmed that she’ll be there, alluding to the fact she got a spare key from Iron Buttocks (Ruby). By the sound of it, the Band decided to have a slumber party, and Yu Yan just dipped out for a bit, since she has no clue how long this talk will be.

Also, you got another series of text messages from the newly formed team’s group chat. Both Vera and Scarlet are asking you repeatedly, one after the other, what they should do with Suan De. The chain of messages seems like a way to one up each other somehow. Either way, the Slob Dragon doesn’t have a slob lair to stay in as far as she can tell, your couch was only open for the night. You can’t write an answer with the box of pizza in your hands, so you’ll have to do it later.

You unlock the door and find a smug little cutey sitting on the couch like old times. She grins upon seeing you and remarks:

“Hey there, stud! You’re lucky I just got here, that Debbie is so god damn clingy, I have no idea how I managed to escape from her clutches. She’s a huge hugger.” Yu Yan was waiting. She notices the pizza box. “Oh, man, is this a date? I fucked up. I should’ve worn a dress or something to look even cuter!”

“Hey there, Yu! Thank you for coming over. Uh, you have dresses?” You didn’t know that.

“Eh, Nariko has plenty of shirts.” Yu Yan shrugs. “I can make anything work.”

“That is true.” You nod.

“Hmm, what do you have in your hands? Smells good! Like your cologne! I don’t remember you using ‘em.” Yu Yan is a master at catching smells. “You’re upping your game, huh?”

“I’m always doing my best.” You adjust your glasses, you don’t remember using any cologne before, weird…

“That’s my favorite boy. What do you want to talk about, stud?” Yu Yan notices that you probably want to dive right into it.

>>5876981


What do you do?

>Eat the Pizza first. Long backstory talks can wait.
>Tell Yu Yan about her past as Rise.
>Tell Yu Yan about her past as a Pod Baby.
>Ask Yu Yan if she’s interested in talking about her past. You have new information she might wanna hear.
>Write In.

How do you respond to the Team’s chat?

>Tell them that your couch will forever be open for Suan De. It’s her new permanent home.
>Tell them that Suan De can sleep in the base permanently.
>Tell them that Suan De can sleep inside the van.
>Tell them to send her to Amelia’s apartment for today. You’ll find her a permanent place tomorrow.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we return on Saturday!)

>>5876983
>Ask Yu Yan if she’s interested in talking about her past. You have new information she might wanna hear.
>Eat the Pizza first. Long backstory talks can wait.
>Write In.
You're my friend.

>Tell them that your couch will forever be open for Suan De. It’s her new permanent home.

how long would it take me to read all the previous ones from the archive, or do I not need to?

>>5877033
Just this quest? Two weeks.
The quest, the anons' discussions, the side stories, the side quests, and the explicit lewds? Two months.

>>5876983
>>Eat the Pizza first. Long backstory talks can wait.
>Tell them that your couch will forever be open for Suan De. It’s her new permanent home.
Eat it before it gets cold

>>5877033
I'd say 3-4 weeks if you make the time to read through it. Maybe less if you skim through certain slow parts. There's a stretch of threads (107-145) that you don't have to read if you want to catch up asap and you'll probably only be occasionally confused on some details but you can always ask the thread if you're confused about something

>>5876983
>Eat the Pizza first. Long backstory talks can wait.
>Tell them that your couch will forever be open for Suan De. It’s her new permanent home.

>>5876983
>Eat the Pizza first. Long backstory talks can wait.
>Tell them that your couch will forever be open for Suan De. It’s her new permanent home.

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“Eh, let’s eat the Pizza first before we dive into that.” You leave the important bits for later.

“You sure? I can tell it’s a big deal.” Yu Yan intuits.

“Kinda. But we have more pressing matters here. We don’t want this bad boy to get cold.” You wiggle your eyebrows in a way that isn’t cheeky or for flirting. Rare waving.

“That’d be a damn shame, that’s right. But I’m no fatty, I don’t mind too much.” Yu Yan is more concerned about you than the food. “We can hand it to Chef Mike to heat it up later.” She points at your old microwave.

“Yu, I went out of my way to make this thing with Kata, you’re eating it at peak condition whether you want to or not.” You furrow your eyebrows.

“Okay, I didn’t know about that. That Nurse would kill us and herself if she learned we ate this thing cold. I’ll get the plates.” Yu Yan scurries into the kitchen and gets a couple of plates and napkins.

You leave the food on top of the tiny table in front of the couch and sit next to Yu Yan. The Smug Hobo opens the box, sparks of flavor come out with the aroma of a perfectly made pizza, and there it is, the most popular cheese recipe on the entire planet in all its melty magnificence. It’s so beautiful it’s shining.

“Is this radioactive or something? Why is it glowing?” Yu Yan has never seen this before.

“It’s not glowing, Yu. Bradford Jr. turned on that lamp and the light is shining on the box.” You correct.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. turns the lamp off. Since when did you have a lamp here?

“Did you teach him to do that? I saw Susie teaching cats how to dance. It was awful.” Yu Yan wants to know if you’re some kind of cat whisperer.

“Meow?” Bradford Jr. starts dancing.

“Just like that, yeah.” Yu Yan nods. “Wait…” She realizes this isn’t normal.

“No, I haven’t. I did send him to find con— cornflakes…” You were going to say something really weird about that incident with Nina. An incident of love. And condoms. “Yeah, he’s pretty reliable.”

“Meow!” Bradford Jr. is proud of being useful!

“Cornflakes, huh?” Yu Yan knows you were going to say something else. “You’re as bad at lying as Mooriko. But whatever, let’s eat! I don’t want to pull scalpels out of the back of my head.”

“Kata wouldn’t do that…” You defend the nurse.

“You’re right, she’ll throw them directly at my face! I’ve seen it!” Yu Yan chuckles. “Bon Appetite, amigo.”

Yu Yan grabs a bite of the Gravenriden Pizza. She munches and munches, her expression is basically unreadable from how plain it is. And when she gulps it all, her verdict comes out.

“Mmm, How do I put this? This is the good stuff, a miracle on the palate, I kinda love it.” Yu Yan says with a gleeful yet petulant look on her face. “Thank you, dude.”

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>>5878398

“I’m glad you liked it!” You were expecting more… But you can’t say it.

“Oh! This kinda makes me wanna sing!” Yu Yan claps once, and gyrates one of her fingers in the air. “Okay, fuck singing, I need an instrument! That redhead has to have somethin’!” Yu Yan bounces off the coach and enters her old room. You take the time to text the group to tell them that your couch will always be available for Suan De, and that she should consider it her new home. Anyway, Yu returns! “Fuck it, I can play this shit. It’s like a banjo anyway.” She has the rented violin in her hands.

“Not sure if that’s true.” You look concerned.

“Bah, what do you know?!” Yu Yan dismisses your worries.

“I’m the band’s manager.” You point out.

“That ain’t the flex you think it is.” Yu Yan chuckles. She attempts to play it and stops almost instantly. “Shit, I’m going to slice the strings. Plan B.” She throws the violin back to Ruby’s room. You hope it landed on the bed… “I’m gonna beat the table.” A lot of running around for nothing. “And it goes…”

Yu Yan starts humming and accompanying the melody with her rudimentary drum. The song sounds familiar, yet different, like something has been added that wasn’t there before, but it fits so well. This brings you back to a place you’ve never been, surrounded by the warm smiles of people who were lost through time, having a jolly good time. But something is amiss…

Despite all that, Yu Yan has been beaming this entire time, you’ve never seen her this happy since you returned alive after Judgment Day. She randomly stops playing.

“...We should keep eating.” Yu Yan realizes that this is kinda rude. Her smile can’t be wiped.

What now?

>It’s Pod Baby time… Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff!
>It’s Sad Dead Dad time… Reveal the Gravenriden stuff! And extras!
>Tell Yu Yan what kind of pizza this is!
>Ask where Yu Yan heard that song from.
>Write In.

>>5878402
>>Tell Yu Yan what kind of pizza this is!
Let her finish

>>5878402
>Tell Yu Yan what kind of pizza this is!
>Ask where Yu Yan heard that song from.

>>5878418
+1

>>5878418
+1

>>5878402
>Ask where Yu Yan heard that song from.

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“Oh yeah, I forgot I’m hungry.” You have to admit that after cooking and carrying this thing, your tummy has been complaining more than Vera. “You know what kind of Pizza this is?”

“No, but you gotta tell me regardless.” Yu Yan smirks. “I wouldn’t mind just keeping this between us. Bust it out when we need to celebrate something.”

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. likes that for some reason.

“Do you want some, Round Fellow? Can Cats eat cheese?” Yu Yan ponders as she dangles a piece of the most special pizza you’ve ever done in front of your pet.

“Yu, he’s on a diet.” You don’t want her to give your cat any pizza.

“Since when do you care about diets?” Yu Yan is totally puzzled. “I mean, I should ride this wave, I’m glad you’re a responsible pet owner, and you should bring this energy to the other things you do. Sorry, fluff boy, this is for humans only.”

“Meow…” Bradford Jr. understands, but he had a smidgen of hope.

“I can give you pats though. After this, I don’t wanna wash my hands again.” Yu Yan continues beating down your poor pet’s hope.

“Meow……” Bradford Jr. is let down again.

“Don’t be a drama queen. I have enough with the ones I live with.” Yu Yan chuckles. “Okay, enough darts thrown. Tell me more about this succulent pizza, Stud.”

“It’s Gravenriden Pizza.” You say.

“Yo! That’s where I come from!” Yu Yan’s eyes are wide open.

“You know where you come from?” You didn’t expect this.

“Yeah, I never made that clear? In all honesty, I have no recollection of what the place looks like, and I definitely can’t point it out on a map, and I’m not even sure if it’s in this country OR a country, but —and this is a Scarlet-sized but— I know a couple of cold hard facts about myself! Like my full name!” Yu Yan reveals. “That’s how Osgood — God have mercy on his soul— could work out the fake ID. I told him what I knew. Well, he never made it clear it was for the ID, I just thought he was interrogating or some shit. This has nothing to do with muscle memory, but I’m glad I kept something in here.” Yu Yan taps her forehead.

“Huh, that explains why we got your actual surname.” You never thought about it until now.

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>>5878501

“Best memory wipe ever, I got rid of the bad and kept the really important.” Yu Yan smiles. You’re not so sure about that anymore… “Speakin’ of important.” Yu Yan gives you a quick kiss on the lips. “You went through the trouble of doing this for me, right?! You’re awesome, Johnny! The very best boy! My man!”

“I-It was nothing.” You get a little embarrassed. You had sex with this woman, you need to keep it together… “Ehem, speaking kept memories. Where did you hear the song you were humming?”

“You want us to sing it? Wanna work out the rights?” Yu Yan ponders.

“Huh, time will tell.” You didn’t think about it that way. “It sounds familiar, but I can’t piece together from where.”

“Sorry, amigo. Even the best batters disappoint every now and then. I have no clue, Johnny. I ate the Pizza, the memory came back, that’s it.” Yu Yan shrugs. “At best, all I can tell you is that I used to sing it all the time with… someone else. Sometimes more people, but that person was always there. Sheesh, now I feel like I haven’t heard this song in years. Maybe it’s the pizza.”

“I mean, the Pizza made you remember, maybe you should eat more.” You have a plan!

“Two slices are enough for a girl of my size…” Yu Yan loves this greasy gift, but she has a limit.

“Hmm…” Sadly, eating this delicious pizza only reminds you of Kata’s curves… and her good disposition!

“Don’t overheat that head of yours. Memories don’t work like that, stud.” Yu Yan adds in case you were thinking of forcing her to eat. “So, is that what you wanted to talk about? You learned where I come from? That’s sweet. You’re always looking out for me, huh?”

What do you do?

>It’s time to get deep. Reveal the Gravenriden stuff! And extras! Everything you learned from Dorothy’s files.
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.
>Suggest learning more about Gravenriden by asking Nina! She’s a history teacher or something boring.
>Never mind. Leave it as is and have fun with Yu Yan for the remainder of the night.
>Write In.

(Last Reply of the Day, we continue on Monday!)

>>5878503
>>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.

>>5878503
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.

>>5878503
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble
Here we go with the big reveal scene

>>5878503
>>It’s time to get deep. Reveal the Gravenriden stuff! And extras! Everything you learned from Dorothy’s files.

>>5878503
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.

>>5878912
>It’s time to get deep. Reveal the Gravenriden stuff! And extras! Everything you learned from Dorothy’s files.
>It’s time to get REALLY deep. Reveal the Chi-Athua stuff! Everything you learned in the Bubble.

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“No, there’s something else. I learned where you *really* come from.” You get all serious after eating a good-ish slice of pizza.

“What do you mean by that?” Yu Yan seems more confused by the phrasing itself than what it means.

“In my excursion into the Bubble Dimension, I learned things that you won’t ever find in history books.” You try to set the scene. “I know you wouldn’t try to look up anything, but if you did, there would be nothing! Trust me!”

“You know me well, Stud.” Yu Yan gets as serious as you are, which isn’t that much, but she’s not dismissive. “And, uh, what does that have to do with me?”

“Yu Yan, I learned about an ancient extinct civilization that you’re directly part of.” You drop the bomb.

“Right…” Yu Yan slowly nods but her face shows only concern. She thinks you lost your mind again.

“I know you’re not buying this, Yu Yan. But I swear if I explain from the very beginning, everything will fall into place.” You look right into the smug hobo’s eyes. “This is too much to keep from you.”

“Yo, Johnny, chill. I know you have my back. If you think I need to hear this, I’ll call you out after you’re done if it’s dumb as hell, but you’re making me feel like this isn’t dumb as hell, so go ahead. Just don’t make it boring, I know this is some kind of lecture, so think about how Nina would do it, and do the exact opposite.” Yu Yan reassures she’s ready for this truth bomb.

“Okay, Yu, you’re a Pod Baby from the distant past who recently woke up from your cryogenic state.” You put your hand over Yu Yan’s shoulder.

“…I went overboard, be a little like Big Magumbos, dial it back a notch and start from the beginning.” Yu Yan hates every single word that came out of your mouth just now as she slowly takes your hand off.

“Sorry, I had to say something to catch your attention.” You apologize.

“If you think my pretty face is enough to catch your attention, why wouldn’t yours catch mine?” Yu Yan wiggles her eyebrows. “Just talk to me, baby.”

“Here I go, I’ll tell you everything as to how it happened to me…” You begin a long story.

You tell Yu Yan a summary of the events inside the Bubble, then went into deeper detail when everything about Chi-Athua started. Holly Gram, Goalzilla, the Temple of Kindness and Understanding, the massacre that broke out, and the city sinking...

“A-And you’re 100% sure that whoever was in that pod was me?” Yu Yan wants this not to be the case so badly.

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>>5879742

“All the definitive clues point to it. Sieb told me your name, the pod has your full name on top of it, and the scientist I saw in the recording is your spitting image. I could go on, but I don’t want to repeat myself.” You have no doubts.

“I wonder what Rise would’ve done if she knew...” Yu Yan crosses her arms and is deep in thought. She feels like this story isn’t about her.

“What I want to know is how you feel about this.” With your question, you point out what to do with this information rests in her hands, not her past self’s.

“Doesn’t feel real. I think I needed to be there to really get it, you feel me? Experience all that with you. At least I need something in my hands that is proof! A picture or something!” Yu Yan has trouble putting her feelings into words. “Like, I’ve seen pics of Nariko when she was all mean, so I can see it in my head. When she was the top of her class, and not of her weight class.”

“Does a T-Shirt work?” You pull out the Goalzilla T-Shirt you got from the Underground Gift Store.

“...What the fuck?” Yu Yan grabs it. “This is all I have left of my people? A lousy t-shirt?” Yu Yan is playing it up.

“You wanna keep it…?” But it’s yours…

“Keep it? It’s mine now.” Yu Yan takes off her clothes to put the shirt on. “See? Mine.”

“It looks good on you.” You wiggle your eyebrows.

“Damn right, it does. Nah, damn right, it doesn’t, it’s so fucking goofy!” Yu Yan can’t believe this is all that is left of Chi-Athua.

“It compliments your eyes.” You see the positives.

“We have the same kind of peepers.” Yu Yan starts blinking rapidly like a forest fairy after doing a prank, then frowns. She doesn’t get why you said that, neither do you. “Yeah, this isn’t enough, but it’s a start… Damn it, Johnny, now I’m really curious about what happened. I didn’t even care before, now I’ll probably go to college to get some shitty archaeology degree to learn more. You ruined me, amigo!”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” You’re surprised.

“Fuck no. I’m just joking.” Yu Yan shakes her head. “I don’t need to become a nerd to get into a catacomb, illegally speaking. Should we plan a trip to Xumenlo? I wanna see it myself, but if you know a better way, I’m all ears.”

“That’s some food for thought.” You nod.

“So, this is the truth bomb you were waiting to drop.” Yu Yan crosses her arms and starts thinking things over.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. puts a paw on Yu Yan’s lap to show support. He has a sad backstory as well.

>>5879744


What do you do?

>“That’s only the first one. There’s more, if you’re up for it...” Tell Yu Yan about what happened in Gravenriden. There’s no Fat Woman without a Little Girl behind!
>“There’s still more I need to talk to you about, but I don’t want to overwhelm you more. Let’s relax instead.” Propose to leave this for another moment and get comfy.
>Maybe you should call Nina to ask for help to tell Yu Yan about Gravenriden? Maybe she has more of the context you’re missing.
>“If this wasn’t enough for you, maybe we should look for Holly Gram in this world.” You let her free as a flame, right? Finding her could be worth something.
>Write In.

>>5879745
>>“If this wasn’t enough for you, maybe we should look for Holly Gram in this world.” You let her free as a flame, right? Finding her could be worth something.
>“That’s only the first one. There’s more, if you’re up for it...” Tell Yu Yan about what happened in Gravenriden. There’s no Fat Woman without a Little Girl behind!

>>5879745
>>“That’s only the first one. There’s more, if you’re up for it...” Tell Yu Yan about what happened in Gravenriden. There’s no Fat Woman without a Little Girl behind!

>>5879745
backing >>5879746

>>5879746
+1

You know, Yu Yan does have a good idea. If the location of the orphanage in the bubble dimension also exists in reality, then the temple underground should also exist in reality if it wasn't destroyed after so long. With knowledge of the exact ways in Johnny knows, plus Philonune's strength (and spear to carve dirt away with) there's a chance of breaching inside. A flame entity with more brute strength and physical capability would be a better choice to help Johnny get into the temple site, but who do we know that has something like that?

>>5873414
Delicious.

>>5879744
>My entire race has gone extinct and all I got was this lousy T-shirt
lmao HOLY!!!! NO NO NO! Johnny, tell me you didn't!

>>5879745
>“That’s only the first one. There’s more, if you’re up for it...” Tell Yu Yan about what happened in Gravenriden. There’s no Fat Woman without a Little Girl behind!
>Write In.
Now you listen directly to me, for I am the ghost of Christmas past. And I have come to show you, what Christmas was like.

>>5879746
This

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“If this wasn’t enough for you, maybe we should look for Holly Gram in this world.” You propose with little understanding on how to accomplish it.

“Dude, that’d be so awesome! I want to watch this re-run!” Yu Yan loves the idea. “Now… you know a way or are you just throwing the idea out there?”

“The latter, but it should be more than possible with Constance’s help.” Or Giorsal’s, but you don’t think she’d be happy spending her time playing Ghost sleuth. “Besides, Holly is a friendly gal! She’ll love to spend time with us! And you know how agreeable Constance is.”

“Amelia told me the women you met at the cemetery are like Ghost detectives or something. Maybe they can lend a hand? I mean, the tall spooky one has to know a way to find a flame. Blue Magumbos is pals with her too, so maybe?” Yu Yan wiggles her eyebrows. She’s talking about Fiora and Odetta. Mainly Fiora. She seemed busy, but maybe this could count as returning the favor for you helping her?

“You’re right! We’ll figure something out.” You feel more confident about this. “But, that’s only the first bomb. There’s more if you’re up for it…” You have to tell the smug one about Gravenriden.

“This is going to be more grim, isn’t it?” Yu Yan doesn’t like where this is going.

“I don’t know if it’s more grim in the grand scheme of things, and either way, I don’t think it’s the point.” You aren’t comfortable gauging which tragedy is worse. “It’s about your past before Rise.”

“Oooh, this is on the dramatic side, that’s where this bad feeling is coming from…” Yu Yan acts like she’s a little exhausted and overwhelmed. “Cowboy, we have gone through many rodeos together. Tell me, do I have to know? I’m not going to turn crazy and go on a killing spree if I learn about this, right? Because if you’re doing this because you learned about this and if you know, I should know, or whatever crap; the truth is that I don’t give a rat’s ass about why Rise decided that stabbing people was an artform worth pursuing. I have different artistic interests now.” You think rat asses are precious, you love Vera’s.

“I presume the reason Rise became psychotic had little to do with this.” You respond.

“I know I won’t literally turn crazy by knowing, but like, at the end of this, would I or would I not want to start a civil war?” Yu Yan raises an eyebrow.

“I’m… not… sure.” You squint your eyes as you think about it. “You’re pretty reasonable, and this information is easily accessible through history books anyway.” You try to diminish her worries.

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>>5879924


“We already established that I’m not reading those.” Yu Yan won’t read books that have Nina’s seal of approval, and that’s final. “And if that’s the case, what’s the hurry?”

“It’s easily accessible except for the details about you. I know what happened to you, and I believe you should listen to this, as sour as it will be.” You say in earnest.

“Damn, bring it then. How bad can it be? You learned all that and didn’t want to kick me out.” Yu Yan is ready for another sad tale. “I don’t give a damn about how lame this will sound, but if shit gets too sad, you gotta hug me.”

“I’ll hug you regardless.” You know it’s not up to debate.

“Let’s hear it. Emotional Support Cat, get here.” Yu Yan puts Bradford Jr. on her lap. “I’m ready in every way but emotionally.”

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. is ready to give comfort too.

“Then here I go...”

You tell Yu Yan about the events of her past, like, the ones where she is an active character and not just a pod baby. About her father, their travels together, the civil war that broke out, their separation, and Seioubo…

And Yu Yan is taking it pretty well. You’re surprised.

“I remember joking once that it'd be funny if I was the only one with a cool dad. I guess I can’t stop being right.” Yu Yan has a bittersweet chuckle.

“How are you holding up?” You wanna know how she’s doing.

“Phenomenally, handsome. This is the saddest shit ever, don’t get it twisted.” Yu Yan raises her finger to make her point clear. “But, from the first moment I became who you love and adore in the clinic, every time something came through my brain and out of my mouth, I asked myself where this came from. Why do I know this? Who is the voice telling me about it? And I fuckin’ get it now. It was my pops. The entire time it was him. I can’t remember his face, his name, nothing, but I remember his voice, remember what he taught me, remember that he loved me, and fuck, all I can do is smile.”

“That’s awesome.” You warmly smile back. “You aren’t worried about becoming crazy now?”

“Eeeh… yeah, I feel pretty stupid now.” Yu Yan gets a little embarrassed.

“I mean, you never know for sure until you do it.” You shrug.

“Look at you being so understanding. I’d give you a prize, but I already took my shirt off like I’m Ruby or something.” Yu Yan pats your back.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. adds.

“You’re very understanding too, fluffy boy.” Yu Yan pats Bradford Jr. too. “I can’t let this end here either. I have a tender feeling in my heart, but it ain’t enough, this isn’t the entire story. I need to learn about my dad. Look at what you’ve done to me, Stud. I was pretty aimless before, now this student council president has to take the whole world by storm.”

“You have the band too…” As their manager, you can’t let it slide.

>>5879926
“Eh, big deal, you juggle like 7 things at the time, why can’t I?” Yu Yan begins stretching.

“You’re going to search for your memories?” You don’t know if she can.

“Seioubo is immortal, right? She should be around with ‘em.” Yu Yan smirks. “If I catch that pile of bones, then use Holly Gram’s voodoo magic on her, I’ll get that sweet retelling without fucking up my brains. Right? Is that how it works?”

“It’s worth a try. I have a Plan B in case that doesn’t work out.” You have another mission prepared for Agent Cheese-on-Wheels.

“That’s my stud, always so resourceful!” Yu Yan gets all excited. “We gotta find Holly Gram and Seioubo. That’s the objective.”

“We’ll find a way.” You’re sure of it.

“I’m pumped!” Yu Yan is so ready! “Too bad it’s late! GAAAH!”

Yup, it’s already night. You’re thankful to the stars and Naiad that this went really well all things considered. But now what?

What do you do?

>Time to sleep! Take Yu Yan back to her apartment and pack some slices of Pizza for her, then go to bed.
>Decide to pass the time with your smug hobo for the rest of the evening. Yeah, tomorrow you have classes, but who cares?
>Decide to wait for Ruby and ask her how things went with the band today.
>Prepare the couch for Suan De to sleep on. You need to grow this friendship.
>Write In.

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

>>5879929
>Prepare the couch for Suan De to sleep on. You need to grow this friendship.
>Decide to pass the time with your smug hobo for the rest of the evening. Yeah, tomorrow you have classes, but who cares?

>>5879929
>Prepare the couch for Suan De.
>Decide to wait for Ruby and ask her how things went with the band today.
You know we should probably pay all the band members that need it. I've wanted to find some way for Ruby to not have to work at that convenience store for a while, since she clearly hates it, and this is a good way to accomplish that. She can't easily turn it down if we frame it as asking her to focus on the band full time.

>>5880112
+1

>>5879929
>>5880112
Supporting.
I have the feeling we're forgetting something.

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“Are you leaving?” You said it like you’re the saddest bunny in the field.

“Stud, I’d love to stay, but we have school tomorrow. Not that I care ‘bout that, but I promised the girls that I’ll live a healthy lifestyle or whatever that means.” Yu Yan says the last bit mockingly. “I’m the healthiest one in the group, I gotta lead by example.”

“I’m glad you’re taking this seriously.” You’re a happy manager.

“Yeah, so you can reap the benefits, Mr. Manager! I know what you’re doing!” Yu Yan smirks. Then yawns. “You better take this seriously too, because everyone is now committed to your dumb idea.”

“I-It’s not dumb.” You defend yourself. “But you’re right, we’re only at the beginning, but I should be trying to do more.”

“Good, now I gotta go. Dream with me. Bye!” Yu Yan puts Bradford Jr. aside and springs her way out of the apartment.

“Sweet dreams too.” You wave goodbye. “If you need anything, just call me!”

“I’ll be looking for clues about the ghosts of my past! So, I will!” Yu Yan smiles as she closes the door from the outside. “Love ya!”

“Love you too.” You continue waving until the door is shut.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. is going to miss her.

“Okay, buddy, we got things to do. I need to make this couch look as good as my bed.” You need to net friendship points with Suan De. You have to show her that you care about her wellbeing, since she clearly detests you!

“Meow…” Bradford Jr. retorts.

“Don’t get sassy with me. My bed isn’t this bad.” You frown.

“Meow?” Bradford Jr. tilts his head.

“You’re right, my bed might look better, but it’s way stiffer than the couch. Suan De has no idea how good she has it. Makes me wonder why Ruby decided to sleep there of all places.” You think out loud.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. nods.

“To leave this to you? You can make this more comfy? How?” You don’t know that this maniac has a trick under his cat sleeve.

“Partner, could this mean our companion has another powerful trick we don’t know of?” Philonune finds this interesting.

“Meow!” Bradford Jr. starts grabbing the pillows and does the cat thing where they pulled them up and down with their paws… He rolls down and gets comfy. “Meow.”

“T-That’s it? That did nothing!” You feel cheated. Philonune believes you should sit to check, you dismiss him.

“M-Meow?!” Bradford Jr. thinks this can’t get any comfier.

“Okay, shush. Go make my bed comfier, I’ll do this myself.” You get up to transform this couch!

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. prefers to stay around and sits on a chair at the dinner table.

You tidy up the entire room and make the couch look like a comfortable bed! With bedsheets, pillows and all!

“It’s done! Bradford Jr., you can’t lay on it until Suan De returns, okay?” You order your cat. You’ll have to wait for everyone on the dinner table chairs...

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>>5880831


“Meow?” Bradford Jr. wants to jump on it now.

“Don’t do it, man.” You waggle your finger.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. jumps off the chair… towards his plate. “Meow.” He thinks it’s time for his dinner.

“Oh, right, it’s feeding time.” You sometimes forget since Ruby gets this done first. Sadly, she isn’t home yet, and you want to talk to her.

Suddenly, your apartment door bursts open!

“I’m so sorry, Bradford Jr! I forgot I had to feed you!” Ruby ran from where she was to get here. “I was having so much fun with the others.”

“Hey! I was waiting for you!” You smile upon seeing the redhead.

“Johnny! You’re home!” Ruby didn’t notice. “Huh? You were looking forward to seeing me?” That’s not how you phrased it.

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. starts tapping his empty plate. He says ‘Your talk can wait, this boy is hungry.’

“I’ll get to it! Johnny, please, sit down and relax. I’ll take care of everything.” Ruby walks past everyone, leaves her stuff in her room, and goes to the kitchen for the cat food. “I love what you did to the couch! Ms. Suan De is going to stay another night with us?”

“As long as she wants.” You nod.

“Perhaps I should lend her one of my tiny beds instead? Let me remind you that I combined them to have a standard size.” Ruby smiles. She loves to share!

“Uhm, don’t sweat it.” You don’t want to make Ruby’s stay more uncomfortable. You’d offer your bed first. “How did things go with the band?”

“Fantastic, I’m having so much fun!” Ruby gets giddy just thinking about it. She deposits a small fraction of food on the plate for Bradford Jr.’s standards. He starts eating like his cat life depends on it. “It’s truly wonderful to learn so much together.”

“That’s great!” You smile back.

“Were you worried that we wouldn’t get along?” Ruby asks with a smile on her face.

>>5880832


How do you respond?

>“Nah, I always knew Ajna was a party maniac that everyone would fall in love with.” You see Ajna as the main contributor in this aspect.
>“I always knew I didn’t have anything to worry about on that front with you around.” You see Ruby as the main contributor in this aspect.
>“Me? Worried? Nah, Nariko always managed to get everyone on the same page.” You see Nariko as the main contributor in this aspect.
>“Eh, Debbie is a great peacemaker despite her awkwardness. So, not really.” You see Debbie as the main contributor in this aspect.
>“A little, I’m glad Yu Yan didn’t tease you all out of existence.” You see Yu Yan’s restraint as the main contributor in this aspect.
>Write In.

Where do you want to lead this conversation?

>Ask for more information about how the musical aspect of the band is going. Maybe they need pointers from someone who has no clue about music. Like you!
>Offer Ruby a full-time position as a Band Member/Manager’s right-hand gal. She can quit her boring job. And you need the help!
>Ask Ruby more about how she’s feeling about the group and where it is going.
>Just learn about the dynamics of the group, who is at the top of the pyramid, nothing else.
>Write In.

>>5880833
>>“Nah, I always knew Ajna was a party maniac that everyone would fall in love with.” You see Ajna as the main contributor in this aspect.
>Ask Ruby more about how she’s feeling about the group and where it is going.

>>5880833
backing >>5880834

>>5880833
>“I always knew I didn’t have anything to worry about on that front with you around.” You see Ruby as the main contributor in this aspect.
>Ask Ruby more about how she’s feeling about the group and where it is going.

>>5880833
>Write In.
"I am Johnny -- the Great and Powerful." You see Ourself as the main contributor in this aspect.

>Write In.
Just talk to her. And by talk, I really mean listen.

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“Nah, I always knew Ajna was the party maniac that everyone would fall in love with.” You’re a proponent of the fidgeting attraction hypothesis, which states that as long as Ajna fidgets, she’ll draw people towards her whether she likes it or not.

“That’s... not how it went, but we are all eager to help Ajna with her issues.” Ruby is at a loss with what you said. “Oh! I figured it out! You’re trying to say our concern for her is drawing us together! Correct?” The redhead claps enthusiastically the moment she figures it out.

“Not really, that sounds kind of mean if I’m honest...” You know exactly what you said and why. Scratch the why. “All I meant to say is that Ajna is friendly.” And a party animal.

“I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to put words in your mouth! I got the wrong impression.” Ruby looks genuinely apologetic. “I need to work on myself.”

“I sounded too harsh, didn’t I? My bad. You’re doing golden, Ruby. Ignore what I said.” You take the fall.

“Hee-hee, look at us, being so apologetic.” Despite everything, Ruby loves having things in common with you.

“This reminds me, be careful, Ajna hates being treated like a burden everyone needs to take care of.” You’ll never forget when she got so upset with you at the clinic. Kata almost killed you for kidnapping her after. “I don’t want you to get on her bad side like I did once.”

“I’ll tread carefully, Johnny. Thank you for being concerned about us.” Ruby warmly puts her hand on your forearm. “After what we went through, I’d hate myself if I end up distancing myself from our trumpeter for something I can easily avoid. She’s really a wonderful person, and I don’t want to miss the chance of forging a friendship.”

“I’m sure Ajna is on the same boat.” You reassure. There’s a feeling inside that tells you Ajna will have an easier time with the group from now on.

“Thank you. I have to ask, if you meant what you said in earnest, is there really a party animal resting inside Ajna…?” Ruby is too curious to not ask.

“You’ll have to find out yourself.” You wiggle your eyebrows. Ruby nods, she will inquire about this. “Since we’re on the topic, tell me how you’ve been feeling about the band and where it’s going.”

“I have nothing but words of praise. It’s telling that you went through great lengths to form a group with complementing personalities.” Ruby feels this from the bottom of her heart. “We may not look like we have a lot in common superficially, but we all have more or less the same sensibilities. I’ve done so many projects where I butt heads with my colleagues, that it’s refreshing how seamless our time together as a group has been.”

“You have no idea how happy hearing this makes me.” You sigh in relief, people might believe in your scouting powers. “But this is only the beginning. It may not be all sunshine later.”

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>>5880962


“I’m aware. But since our group is focused on resolving conflicts rather than avoiding them, I can’t help but to get my hopes up.” Ruby is glad to be a part of the band!

“And music-wise? How are things going?” You ask.

“As far as direction goes, we were all on the same page, ideally, we want to play supportive roles for Debbie. We’re in the early stages, showing her songs and styles we individually like. She’ll have the final word as to what kind of music we will play.” Ruby explains. “It’s been so relaxing to spend time with everyone, listening to music. The world is so diverse.”

“That’s good progress!” You weren’t expecting them to have a song within a day of forming. “As long as things are running smoothly, I think we’ll be fine.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Ruby nods, she goes to her room for a brief moment, then turns back to you with concern. “Johnny… did you play with my violin?”

“Nah, it was Yu Yan.” You shake your head to avoid responsibility.

“Ah, so you were ‘the special date that we were going to be so incredibly jealous of if we knew who it was’...?” Ruby recites from memory with a wry smile. That sounds like something Yu Yan would say.

But before you clear the air, someone bangs on the door. Sounds like a tired dragon…

“One moment!” Ruby rushes to open the door. “Ms. Suan De, welcome back! Please, come in! ”

“Hello, you.” Suan De forgot your roommate’s name. “What is this...?” She immediately notices how nice her place of rest is now.

“Looks good, doesn’t it?” You act smug. Suan De gives you a short glance before turning back to Ruby.

“Ruby, was it? You’re far too kind.” Suan De manages to remember the name. “And above this man’s league. I implore you to find a better roommate.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Suan De, but I have to correct you there. I’m not responsible for this beautiful gesture, it’s all Johnny.” A humble Ruby corrects this misunderstanding. It wasn’t only you, Bradford Jr. helped too!

“You don’t have to lie for him.” Suan De doesn’t buy it.

“I’m not fond of being called any type of liar, please retract your statement.” Ruby gets serious.

“Then don’t lie.” Suan De dryly responds.

You have to say something…

>>5880963


What do you do?

>“Do you really think Ruby would engrave this pillow with the words ‘Slob Dragon’? Hmm?!” Show the proof of your kindness and care for Suan De! No other person would be this attentive!
>“Ruby is being earnest, Suan De. You should apologize for calling her a liar.” You don’t care if you don’t get any credit, she’s being mean to Ruby!
>“Suan De, I really did this! It’s the least I can do for my good pal!” You’re grateful to her for joining the operation.
>“Sorry for trying to do something good for you...” Sigh and move on. Start losing hope that she’ll ever appreciate what you’re doing.
>Write In.

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

>>5880965
>>“Sorry for trying to do something good for you...” Sigh and move on. Start losing hope that she’ll ever appreciate what you’re doing.

>>5880969
+1
It's time we learned

>>5880965
>“Do you really think Ruby would engrave this pillow with the words ‘Slob Dragon’? Hmm?!” Show the proof of your kindness and care for Suan De! No other person would be this attentive!

>>5880965
>“Do you really think Ruby would engrave this pillow with the words ‘Slob Dragon’? Hmm?!” Show the proof of your kindness and care for Suan De! No other person would be this attentive!
>>“Ruby is being earnest, Suan De. You should apologize for calling her a liar.” You don’t care if you don’t get any credit, she’s being mean to Ruby!

>>5880965
>“Ruby is being earnest, Suan De. You should apologize for calling her a liar.” You don’t care if you don’t get any credit, she’s being mean to Ruby!

>>5880969
Supporting this

>>5880969
also supporting

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“Sorry for trying to do something good for you…” You sigh as your little bit of hope of being appreciated dies.

“Are you trying to guilt trip me?” Suan De sounds offended by the fact you think this could work on her. That wasn’t your plan at all.

“We’re both being sincere, Ms. Suan De. I have little clue about your life circumstances, but clearly you have forgotten what honesty looks like.” Ruby sternly comments.

“A self-righteous one, huh?” Suan De thought of Ruby as more passive. Like Liu.

“Please, Ruby, this isn’t necessary.” You try to talk her off scolding the Slob Dragon.

“She’s taking your kindness for granted.” Ruby won’t let her get away with this.

“I take back my words.” Suan De surprises you both with a change of heart. “You’re no liar, Ms. Ruby. You’re being naive.” She thinks you’re tricking the redhead into thinking you’re a good and kind person. Hey, you’re no politician.

“I’m aware of my shortcomings, but I rather be gullible than mistrustful of people’s good intentions.” Ruby retorts respectfully.

“That attitude will cost you dearly.” Suan De is a tremendously jaded person. No wonder she has a flame.

“And yours may cost you genuine happiness.” Ruby stands her ground. The Slob Dragon crosses her arms, then looks back at the couch. She sighs.

“You’re as sanctimonious as the other redhead. How come you have this many people who hold you in such high regard...?” Suan De asks you.

“Vera calls me stupid aplenty.” Not everyone has good words for you. Ruby has no idea who Vera is.

“Did you prepare this for me?” The newest Hobo turns her eyes on you.

“Yeah.” You nod.

“Well then, I believe you.” Suan De admits she’s wrong.

She’s forgetting a word… a word that starts with ‘T’ and ends with ‘hanks’.

What do you do?

>“That’s good enough for me for now.” You’ll take this small victory. Suan De isn’t going to be downright hostile anymore!
>“Huh, did you like it?” Give Suan De a chance to say thanks.
>“A little gratitude wouldn’t be so bad, you know?” You want her to say thanks!
>“You know I’m still hurt, right?” You won’t let it slide. This is too little, too late.
>Write In.

>>5881610
>>“That’s good enough for me for now.” You’ll take this small victory. Suan De isn’t going to be downright hostile anymore!

>>5881610
>“That’s good enough for me for now.” You’ll take this small victory. Suan De isn’t going to be downright hostile anymore!
>Write In.
Ask if they’ve already eaten and if not prepare dinner. I think we already ate pizza for ourselves.

>>5881616
+1

>>5881616
+1

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“That’s good enough for me… for now.” You squint your eyes, you’re happy that Suan De isn’t going to be hostile, but this is merely the first step to a full-blown friendship. You can feel it on the tip of your toes. No, wait, that’s your cat. “Moving on, any of you two lovely ladies in the mood for dinner? Or did you girls eat outside?”

“I’m sorry, I have. But I’d love to accompany you two at the table with a cup of tea.” Ruby doesn’t hold any ill thoughts against Suan De if you’re willing to accept her.

“Oh, no, the meal is for you two! I already ate.” You won’t go into specifics though. All eyes are on Suan De.

“...I have yesterday’s leftovers in the fridge. Thank you for your consideration, I suppose.” Suan De stoically rejects your offer.

“That won’t do, Suan De! In this household, I like everyone to be happily well-fed.” You have strict rules. Hobos are a priority too.

“It’s a waste of effort.” Suan De rejects being treated properly for once.

“Johnny is a wonderful cook, Ms. Suan De. You surely don’t want to miss the chance! I'd be upset for missing this opportunity if Nariko didn’t prepare such a wonderful meal after Yu Yan left.” Ruby praises you from hell and back.

“Nothing is stopping you from giving it a go.” You wiggle your eyebrows with your phone camera ready.

“I-I rather not eat in excess...” Ruby wants to stay healthy.

“This is wholly unnecessary.” Suan De prefers to eat her frozen food.

“We owe you a proper celebration meal!” You argue. “It’s the least we can do!”

“What exactly is worth celebrating here?” Suan De thinks she’s got you with this question.

“Your arrival!” You walk into the kitchen with a smile on your face. “Be patient, I’ll be back faster than you expect!” You get to work.

“…” Suan De is lost for words. Her inaction left her waiting for dinner.

“He’s always eager to please, I’m sure your opinion about him will change for the better.” Ruby smiles at the finicky dragon.

“I owe you an apology.” Suan De doesn’t want you to hear this.

“Let’s put all that behind us.” Ruby smiles back.

You remember that, while watching the stars together, Suan De revealed to you that she likes sour food! There aren’t many meals you can cook that have that kind of flavor, there are drinks though. Regardless, there’s one meal you found that fits the description perfectly and that’s Kimchi! You have to serve that with some rice. With so many vegetables in the kitchen thanks to Ruby’s favorite diet, cooking this will be easy!

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>>5881805


“Enjoy the meal!” You put the plate down in front of the unsuspecting mythological animal of the loafer variety.

“This is enough for a family of four.” Suan De points out that this share is excessive.

“I-I’m not used to cooking portions for one.” You excuse yourself. “Eat as much as you want, I’ll save the leftovers.”

“Very well…” Suan De is uncomfortable being the center of attention, you two dummies can’t help but watch her eat dinner. “You took note.”

“I did what I could!” You nod.

“You’re very considerate.” Suan De appreciates the gesture more than the food, and she likes the food judging by how eager she is to dive her fork in.

“Doesn’t Johnny have a good hand?” Ruby wants to hear the dragon praise you for your cooking skills.

“I can’t say, I’m not used to eating meals of this quality.” Suan De apologetically says.

“All that matters is that you enjoy it!” Ruby doesn’t care about that type of expertise.

“If you say so.” Suan De doesn’t know how to act anymore. “Thank you for the meal.”

“Meow.” Bradford Jr. is proud of your Couch Hobo’s progress.

For the first time since you’ve known her, Suan De looks at you without any ounce of hatred, dislike, or annoyance. Now this really feels like progress! You actually enjoyed a decent time together, while the dragon is still in her shell, she was willing to partake in the casual conversation you two were having. It felt nice.

Unfortunately, there’s not much to do after that, as already stated, it is late — and you all need some quality sleep. After Ruby cleaned the dishes, you all went to bed. This long day of Returning Memories has come to an end. You wonder what tomorrow will have in store for you.

What will tomorrow have in store for you?

>You’re a Jailbreaker. The Operation continues. Have a team meeting. Suan De informed you they found the prison cell numbers, so dive into that first.
>You’re a Band Manager. Talk with Debbie to see what they need at this stage of production.
>You’re a Ghost Sleuth. Meet up with Constance. Help find Seioubo and/or Holly Gram.
>You’re a Distinguished Gentleman. Prepare things for your date with Kata in Dream Hill.
>Write In.

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

>>5881610
>“You know I’m still hurt, right?” You won’t let it slide. This is too little, too late.

>>5881808
>>You’re a Band Manager. Talk with Debbie to see what they need at this stage of production.

>>5881808
>You’re a Jailbreaker. The Operation continues. Have a team meeting. Suan De informed you they found the prison cell numbers, so dive into that first
Prison arc!!!!

>>5881808
>You’re a Band Manager. Talk with Debbie to see what they need at this stage of production.
Small things first, before they interfere with the big thing.

>>5881808
>You’re a Distinguished Gentleman. Prepare things for your date with Kata in Dream Hill.

>>5881808
>>5882158
Changing to
>Write In.
You're a Sparkles Luck Master. Hang out with T_T Neko and try to find more cards.

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With the smooth silky touch of your bedsheets on top, you determine that tomorrow will be full of managerial work for the band. You’ve given them a couple of days to mesh together, know each other, create conflict, try diplomacy, fail those negotiations, draw the battlelines, train the troops, select a siege position for the pitched battle, and wait for the carnage to unfold. Now, all you have to do is bring them to the next level, whatever that means will be decided by the bloodthirsty Debbie.

Anyway, your train of thought seems to have derailed catastrophically, shows how tired you are, better recharge your batteries before there’s another conquest in the making. The Comfy Kingdom is a kingdom of peace. What a Monday to say goodbye to.

…

It’s Tuesday, the 27th of June. Climate has finally begun to change to what it is supposed to be by this time of year. You won’t have to wear as much clothes, but the heat is beginning to be suffocating. Summer is approaching in all its sunny glory.

You ready up for school, then make breakfast for everyone. During the small talk, you let them know about your nefarious plans (to help the band) for the day. Ruby sounded excited to have you around for the day. On the other hand, Suan De informed you that she’s going to spend the morning confirming Crossbill’s jail cell location. You thanked her for her efforts. Ruby was very confused. There was no time to explain and you all went your separate ways.

As you go down the stairs first, you spot that there’s a rat waiting on her crutches at the entrance to the building, you wonder why Vera is here…

Sadly this is all we have for this thread! Thanks for playing, and see you very soon!

>>5883090
Thanks for running

>>5883090
Thanks for running!