>>38171821
...This is just not a good time. You should try to forget about it for now and focus on helping your friend.

Naoko gently pushes you away, wiping her tears with the sleeve on her uninjured arm. It seems that she's calmed down a little, enough to stop crying. Her eyes are hesitant to meet with yours, and the tranquil silence turns into an awkward one. It's quickly getting unbearable, so you break the quiet with a proposal that you should have probably put more thought into before bringing it up.

"Let's go home, Naoko. I'm tired; we all are. We went through a lot. I don't really want to leave you alone, so, uh... let's have a sleepover tonight?" She answers your question with a perplexed look. You feel your face getting warmer. "Um... we should stick together. You, uh, want to go to my place or yours?"

That... didn't really come out the way you intended it to. You can't help but feel that it sounded weird and inappropriate. You could have worded it better, for sure. But Naoko doesn't seem to mind the wording. She shakes her head, though, refusing in a meek voice. "Clarissa, it's okay... I'll be fine."

"No, I insist. I... I'll make sure that you rest well."

...That was even worse. Why does it feel so strange to be asking her this? Is it because she's a girl? Well, you're not a boy, either. You're both girls, in fact, so this should be easy, right? Right?

"No, I... I don't know... I think I'd rather be alone right now, Clarissa." Naoko doesn't seem to be embarrassed by your proposal, but she does seem hesitant. She fidgets uneasily. "But... if you really want me to, then..."

...

>"It's decided, then. We're going to my place. Don't worry, I've got plenty of futons and room space."
>"It's decided, then. Let's go to your place. It'll probably be more... discreet that way."
>Lay off. If she wants to be alone, then that's fine. You'll just walk her home.

>>38171833
>"It's decided, then. Let's go to your place. It'll probably be more... discreet that way."
Our brother would probably give us static over it.

And yes, I DO vote that we should talk to Kimiko about Aiko at the earliest moment when it'd be possible to do it alone. Because it's a big deal, and Kimiko needs to know EXACTLY how stupid and insensitive she's been or she's not going to stop.

>>38171833
>Its decided then. Lets go to your place. It'll probably be more... discreet that way

And seconding >>38171894

>>38171833
>"It's decided, then. We're going to my place. Don't worry, I've got plenty of futons and room space."

>>38171833
Voting over, writing!

So, Did anyone see the new chapter?

>>38172573
Soul King is Exodia and Ukitake is the right arm.

Also, Captain Superman returns.

>>38172671

DUN DUN DA

Aww man, late for voting. Oh well.

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>>38172671
pic relevant

>>38173040
Fuck.
I forgot to spoiler it because I kept trying to post it over and over, but 4chan/captcha was being difficult for some reason.

>>38171894
>>38171954
"It's decided, then. Let's go to your place. It'll probably be more... discreet that way." You declare, to which Naoko reluctantly nods, muttering something that you can't quite make out. Her eyes dart away from you and onto the ground, but then, after the two of you hear a slight, repeating noise, they move behind you. Naoko seems to grow wary.

"Ah, well, I'm glad to see that you worked it out!" You turn around to see Aiko - well, it's actually Kimiko - carrying the split half of a blade. She casually approaches closer, stopping briefly to pick up the dark blue hilt of the weapon you had drawn before. The girl puts the two pieces together, and they seem to fit one another quite nicely. Kimiko quietly stares at the broken sword in what resembles fascination, and, after probably coming to her own conclusions - whatever those may be - turns back to the two of you.

"I'm guessing this is yours," She hands you the two pieces of the sword. You take them. "So, what was the problem?" She asks, once again sounding sarcastic, like how she sounded when you first met her. No, she always sounds like that, you just stopped noticing it for the most part. It's like she actually knows what the problem was, and just asked to humor you.

"It's... complicated," You basically shrug her off. You're a bit too tired to explain it properly. "We'll discuss it later. We decided to go rest. Right, Naoko?"

Naoko nods as you glance back at her, her expression still notably firm and mistrusting in Kimiko's presence.

"Well, that's okay; you can just tell me about it once we're back home." The girl places a hand on her hip.

"I'm not coming home tonight. I'll be staying with Naoko. Have Chappy cover for me in the morning."

Kimiko's eyes briefly widen in surprise. Her expression shifts into a wry grin, which she then elegantly covers with a palm. That just makes her look even more condescending, somehow.

(1/2)

>>38173158
"...What is it, Kimiko? I said 'staying'." You specifically picked that word. The other word you had in mind could be quite easily misinterpreted.

In the end, it didn't help.

"I heard what you said. And no, no, it's alright. I'm sure you can keep yourself under control, Clarissa. Well, it doesn't really matter, actually," Her grin gets even more malicious. "I mean, you're both adults. You can handle it, either way it goes."

She starts giggling. You turn away, not feeling the strength to argue, deciding to endure the burden of embarrassment and the rising heat of your own cheeks.

"What is she talking about?" Naoko's dull-sounding question makes Kimiko's reaction even worse. The giggle gets more contagious.

"Don't mind her, Kimiko's just... a stupid retard." You try to (sort of) nonchalantly wave the teasing off. "Well, let's go. Lead the way; I've never actually been to your place before."

Naoko nods. She turns around and starts walking. You try to follow, but end up stumbling and very nearly toppling over, almost dropping the items in your hands as well. Naoko lends you her shoulder right before you fall.

"Are you okay, Clarissa?"

"Yeah, yeah... I'm cool, you just did a number on me." You try to joke it off, but it results in you needing to stop Naoko from apologizing.

...Though, it looks like you'll have to go the rest of the way like this, leaning on the girl. Naoko doesn't mind.

But, before you leave...

...

>Ask Kimiko about your sword.
>Ask Kimiko about the Quincy.
>You can ask her another time. Just go, for now.
>Maybe there's something else? (Write-in).

>>38173200
>Ask Kimiko about the Quincy.
Exposition! Her her side of the matter as well.

>>38173200
>You can ask her another time. Just go, for now.
Each time Kimiko opens her mouth I get less and less willing to interact with her.

>>38173200
>You can ask her another time. Just go, for now.

>>38173200
>Ask Kimiko about the Quincy.

>>38173200
>Ask Kimiko about the Quincy.

>>38173200
>>You can ask her another time. Just go, for now.

>>38173200
>Ask Kimiko about the Quincy.

>>38173200
>You can ask her another time. Just go, for now.

>>38173200
Voting over, writing!

>>38173245
>>38173366
>voting twice
>with your trip on
Yeah, no, fuck off.

And are people REALLY voting to ask about the Quincy in front of Naoko? I can't even comprehend the amount of stupid going on here.

>>38173541
I guess Mushroom didn't consider us asking a dangerously stupid idea, but yeah. I can see it.

That said, dude voting with your trip on, twice.

Not cool.

Not cool at all.

There is a unique IP counter for posters at the bottom of the page. You can't cheat like that so blatantly anymore.

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So when is shopping planned?

>>38173589
Thankfully just moving on wins if you discount the namefag's samefag.

>>38173541
Looks like asking lost to me? 4 for each but obviously 1 for Quincy was samefag.

>>38173627
So, Tnoz is the new Sternritter S. The Samefag.

Kinda lost big on the super powers lottery.

>>38173541
It was for exposition, and they'd have to talk about their views eventually anyways.

>>38173685
Sounds like a bad idea to bring it up literally minutes after the fight, and the only "exposition" I want to hear anyway is the one that matters for our MC.

>>38173884
We can talk to Naoko later tonight that Aiko isn't possessed...and that she isn't a monster because she didn't really know what she was doing.

We're the monster.

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>>38173913
If we're going to be a monster, lets at least be the best big sis in the desert

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>>38173913
Only one thing can say whether you're a monster or not...

>>38174293
I can agree to this.....

>>38174335
The Shibata kid killed the unrepentant murderer. Intent and circumstances probably weigh on the karmic scales.

>>38174293
I'd be fine with that.

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>>38174415
Begrudingly acquire Imouto in Mexico Arc, then Clarissa gawks when the truth is revealed. The hug happens, and unlike Ichigo we don't fight it.

>>38173295
>>38173311
You stop, glancing back at Kimiko, who went off to pick up your other, bent sword. You shake your head, though, telling Naoko to keep moving.

"Clarissa," She quietly calls out your name when you're probably out of the other girl's earshot. "What happened to Aiko?"

You chew on the silence for a bit. Sadly, you can't really do that forever. "Aiko... she died. That Shinigami - Kimiko - was in trouble, so I... I helped her. It's a long story."

"I understand." She curtly drops the subject, maybe realizing that it's bothering you. You're thankful to her for that.

You glance at her injured right arm. The tatters of a mangled sleeve still conceal some parts of the limb, but the damage is quite glaring. The whole arm is charred, bruised, and bleeding. Her hand is quite clearly broken, judging by the uncanny position of the fingers on it. But Naoko's bearing it, and doesn't even show any signs of strain, save for a few beads of sweat running down her head.

You ask her if she's fine, and she says that she is.

...

The trip to Naoko's home, which ended up being longer than it would to your house, was just as quiet as most of your walks together. But this time, it's not that you didn't have anything to talk about. You were just too tired, too battered, and not at all in the mood for chitchat.

Naoko lives in a flat on the fifth floor. Her residence is humble and rather small, with only two rooms to speak of, and both used as bedrooms. Though, there isn't anyone other than the two of you here, and it's past midnight already.

"Your folks out on a trip?" You ask, eyes running around the unlit apartment. Naoko turns some lights on.

(1/4)

>>38175192
"No... I live alone. My parents died," You try offering her condolences, but she tells you not to worry. "It's okay. It was a long time ago. My grandparents took care of me when I was little. I'm the one taking care of them now... well, I mean... sometimes." She bashfully smiles. You can't help but return it, caught off-guard a little bit.

Naoko sits you down on a wooden chair in the hallway, and goes off to the bathroom. You offer to help her with her wounds, but she assures you that she can handle it. You get to observe her tend to herself, as she doesn't close the door.

She's... pretty good at it. She cleans and bandages the wound using only her lone remaining arm and teeth, and does it in a highly efficient, quick fashion. It seems like dealing with this kind of thing isn't a first time. Well, even someone like her must have gotten occasionally injured during training, even if because of freak accidents.

God, she even forced her fingers back in place. That was a disturbing sight.

Naoko closes the door after she's done, apparently not content with you peeking anymore. You weren't really subtle, now that you think about it, but... she's not going to take it the wrong way, is she? You're both girls, so it's not like this is that weird.

...Right?

"Jesus. Keep it together." You quietly mutter, giving yourself a light slap on the cheeks. They're still warm. Kimiko's mockery comes to mind.

...What's Naoko doing, anyway? You're pretty sure she took care of the damage, so...

The door opens again, and the girl comes out, now wearing plain white pajamas. She nods at you, and you follow her.

She leads you into the room equipped with a double bed. Must be the parents' bedroom. You took a glance in the other room, and it was one with single-person bed.

...Wait. Why are you here?

(2/4)

>>38175230
"I'm sorry. I don't have any futons, and I don't want to force you to sleep on the floor," Naoko calmly explains. "There should be enough space for both of us here. And don't worry. Even though this room's not in use anymore, I clean it regularly. It should be okay," She glances over you. "Um... are you ready?"

"H-huh? What?" What kind of question is that? What exactly is she asking you? What does she mean? You look away from her entirely composed gaze and start to fidget a bit.

Oh. Your robes must be dirty because she punched you around and into the dirt. Well, there's no actual dirt on them, as you're a ghost, after all, but these are still basically street clothes, so it's probably best to...

...Nevermind. Never. Mind.

You checked just now. There's nothing under it.

"I'm fine." You try to calmly tell her, hoping that she hasn't noticed anything being off. Your face is probably red enough to serve as a light source, though.

"Okay." Is what Naoko calmly answers with. She seems completely oblivious to your troubles, and probably rightfully so. You're being a massive weirdo.

...

So, you're both in the bed now, under a single blanket. Naoko couldn't help but notice how close you were to the edge, and warned you about it, thinking that you'd end up falling during sleep.

Naoko also can't help but lie down on her left side due to her injury, which unfortunately means that she's always facing you. If you bring it up and try to get her to sleep on the other side of the bed, that'll probably raise a few questions, and you don't want those for sure. Turning your back on her is probably going to come off as mean, not to mention that you're here to supposedly 'stick together'.

(3/4)

>>38175265
Naoko a dense.

>>38175265
Even as you close your eyes, you can still feel Naoko looking at you.

You're not going to fall asleep anytime soon at this rate. Surprisingly, Naoko is the first to speak this time around.

"Is everything okay? You look uneasy, Clarissa. Um... do you want to talk about something?"

That's right. Conversation will probably help.

...

>"Well, uh. Tell me about yourself, Naoko."
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."
>"No, it's fine. Let's just get some sleep.
>"...What do you think about girls?"
>Other (Write-in).

>>38175305
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."
Pls Clarissa, no spilling the spaghetti at this time.

>>38175305
>"Well, uh. Tell me about yourself, Naoko."
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."


>>38175230
>>38175265
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5PTDZM_9ZY

>>38175305
>"Well, uh. Tell me about yourself, Naoko."
Let's get some more characterization in.
And if it's not too weird to ask:
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."

>>38175305
>Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff
>Well, uh. Tell me about yourself, Naoko"
We've known each other for so long, but you're so distant.

>>38175305
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."
I mean, I ended up getting a sword stuck through my soul after trying to beat up a spooky ghost with a pipe, then an annoying midget told me I had to do her job.

>>38175305
>"Well, uh. Tell me about yourself, Naoko."
>"Um... how did... well, how did you get involved in all this? I mean the spirit stuff."

>>38175305
>Other (Write-in)
"Do you think any of the girls at school have noticed there's something up with us?"

"I mean I can't believe that was the first time you've been hurt, and the weird temporary soul I've left in charge of my body is kind of an idiot."

>>38175470
It's been a loooong time since I read Bleach (and I somehow doubt it's been relevant for a while there anyway) but shouldn't there be some kinda system or mechanic in place to prevent normal people from catching on to all the supernatural shit?

>>38175536
Most people can't see it.

If they see something, its rationalized.

If they see something more, and shinigami are present, they get flashy thinged.

They get eated by ghosts and people think they died from natural causes

They see something and say something. But people don't believe them.

>>38175610
They see something, say nothing, and drink to forget.

>>38175536

>>38175536
It's a physical body that acts nothing like us, and people are catching on to Kimiko.

Because I think most Shinigami are literally high-functioning sociopaths.

>>38175305
Voting over, writing!

>>38175639
And how!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awqc3EnSJqg

>>38175784
If it was Yoruichi, I don't think Ichigo could resist. I don't think ANYONE could.

>>38175327
>>38175340
"Um... how did... well..." You gulp and mentally scream at yourself to stop stuttering. Like, seriously. Get it together. "How did you get involves in all this? I'm talking about the spirit stuff."

Naoko lowers her eyes. It's quite easy to tell that to her, the subject isn't an appealing one. You're about to tell her that it's okay and that you'll drop it, but she interrupts you with her explanation.

"My father was an archaeologist. After one of his expeditions, he came back with an item that he said was over a thousand years old. It was a silver cross. I don't know what he was planning to do with it, but he got into an accident shortly after. He died, and the cross stayed behind. Mother held on to it. I don't know why. Maybe she didn't know what to do with it, so she just kept it in one of my drawers." Naoko sighs.

"I don't know why it happened, and I still don't know what that cross really is, but I'm sure that it's because of it that I started seeing spirits. After a few days with it and me in the same room, I... saw father again," She swallows heavily. Her words get meeker and more forced as she goes further into the story. "I... was happy to see him again. It was like he never died. Mother couldn't see him, and she used to get really angry at me for talking with ghosts, especially when I kept calling them 'father'."

Naoko smiles wistfully; unfortunately, that smile quickly fades.

"Father disappeared sometimes, 'to hide from bad men', he said. Now that I think about it, they must have been Shinigami..." The girl pauses again, glancing at you. "Do you know what happens to a soul that stays behind for too long, Clarissa?"

(1/2)

>>38177007
You nod. Naoko continues.

"It turns into a monster," She clutches the blanket with her uninjured hand. "And so did my father. I remember him telling me that he's hungry. From then on, I... can't really remember much. I just know that he killed my mother."

You can piece the rest from there. Naoko must havethought that she was doing everyone a service by ridding the world of lingering souls.

You have more questions, like how she could even interact with ghosts, more about that cross, and... something just about Naoko herself. But she looks tired. Her eyes are struggling to stay open, and her gaze is unfocused. The truth is that you're quite tired as well.

...

>"...You had your reasons, and you didn't know, Naoko. You can't be blamed for anything."
>"Everything is going to be fine from now on, Naoko. I promise. We'll make it through together."
>Grab her hand. You can't say anything that would really make her feel better.
>Other (Write-in).

>>38177050
>Grab her hand. You can't say anything that would really make her feel better.
Pretty much.

>>38177050
>grab her hand

>>38177050
>"...You had your reasons, and you didn't know, Naoko. You can't be blamed for anything."
>Grab her hand.

>>38177050
>Grab her hand. You can't say anything that would really make her feel better.

>>38177050
Shit, no wonder she took the whole thing so badly.
>Grab her hand. You can't say anything that would really make her feel better.

>>38177050
>"...You had your reasons, and you didn't know, Naoko. You can't be blamed for anything."
>Grab her hand.

>>38177050
Voting over, writing!

>>38177395
Friendship is rare, do you know what I'm talking about, friendship is rare.

>>38177063
>>38177097
>>38177142
You grab her hand, the one with which she's clutching the covers. The girl immediately seems to relax, her hand gripping yours weakly.

Naoko meekly smiles. The grip on your hand weakens even more. She quickly falls asleep.

Maybe it's because it's such a rare sight, but it feels good to see her humble smile.

It's time for you to sleep as well. Your eyes close almost of their own accord, and you fall into a dreamless sleep.

...

You wake up to a loud and annoying buzzing noise. It's the sound of a very traditional, clockwork alarm clock. When the heck did she set it up? Did you get so flustered last night that you didn't even notice? Well, either way, it's on Naoko's side, so you expect her to shut it off. However, she doesn't. Maybe it somehow didn't wake her up. You can't help but issue a cuss, and end up leaning over her to slam the damn thing with your fist. If you had a clock like this back home, you'd probably end up insane or something.

You look at Naoko, nudging her awake.

Now that you've taken a better glance at her, she clearly doesn't look good.

Her breathing is frantic. Her pajamas have gotten wet with sweat; the sheets under her are wrinkled and sliding off to the side - it seems that she was quite restless during her sleep. You place the back of your hand against her forehead and find that it's disturbingly hot - clearly, a fever.

Her eyes are open, though they remain unfocused and confused. She occasionally mutters something incoherent. The girl looks at you, but it's like she's not actually seeing you. She seems delirious.

...This is bad. You want to help her, but you're no doctor, that's for sure.

...Damn it. Just what are you supposed to do?

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>>38178197
I have to finish the thread for tonight, getting late!

Next thread will be announced on twitter:
https://twitter.com/Mushroomgami

If you have any feedback or questions, shoot them my way!

Thanks for reading!

>>38178237
>cliffhanger end
pls

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>>38178237
Thank you for running.

>>38178237
Thanks for running.

>>38178237
Thanks for running!

Turns out someone with horrible burn wounds should probably be taken to the hospital.

>>38179501

This is going to be awkward...us getting her to a hospital without our body.

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>>38178197
THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T FIRE ARROWS BY PUNCHING THEM!

Fucking Quincies and their weird magic archery.

>>38184712

Where is the guy with no knowledge of Bleach. I want to know his reaction to that image.

>>38184712
their Germans, they either do things the weird way or the super serious/efficient way