>>550504
>>Ask how it feels to be free
>>Ask how spells are different

>>550504
>>Ask how spells are different

>>550504
>>Ask how spells are different

>>550504
>Ask how it feels to be free

>Ask how spells are different

>>550523
Oh right. Also, ask if she knows Aria or her parents.

>writing

"How are spells different?" You ask.
"Because it's charge and release for spells. If you don't have the mana-... if you don't have the soul, the spell just doesn't fire" Derrick says. "I won't pretend to be an expert on mageblades, but it looks like you're just funneling energy into it"

"You use a mageblade?" The spider lady asks.
"Yeah" You say. "I'd show you, but I lost mine..."

"I've seen mageblades before" She says. "Have you ever heard of the Monkey Queen?"
"As a matter of fact, I have" You say.
The lady puts her hands together and smiles. "She runs a show in Bell's Run" She says. "You shou-"
"Not anymore" You say, cutting her off. "Tian is in Locke right now"

The lady reels back from the shock.

"She is?" She asks, with a look bordering on anger and excitement. "What is she doing here?"
"Tian came here with us" Derricks says "Along wi-"
"What about Ariadne?" She asks. "Was there another girl with her? She would've looked a bit like me"

"Ariadne is here too" Derrick says.
"So is her work" You say, pointing to a web up in a corner of the courtyard.

A look of pure relief crosses her face when she sees it. "I-is she here in the castle?" The lady asks.

You and Derrick exchange a look.

"I think they went to the guild after we left Fran's" Derrick says.

The lady sighs, looking deflated as she 'sits' down.
"What's wrong?" You ask.
"They're not letting us leave the castle just yet..." She says.

>We could send them a message

>We could go get them

>Is her dad here too?

>I'm surprised no one told you about this

>Other

>>550745
>>We could go get them

>>550745
>We could go get them
>Is her dad here too?
He's dead isn't he?

>>550745
Combine these two.
>>We could send them a message
>>We could go get them
Maybe even mention that Tian was planning on coming to the castle anyway.

>writing

>>550745
>>We could go get them
>>Is her dad here too?
>>I'm surprised no one told you about this

"We could always go get them and bring them here" You say.

The lady's face lights up, but quickly gets a guilty look. "I couldn't ask that of you... you've already done so much for us all" She says.
You shrug. "I have to talk to Tian about making a new mageblade anyway" You say.

"Are you sure?" She asks.
"Sure that I have to talk to Tian?" You ask. "Well I have to get a new blade somewhere..."

"She wasn't asking about that" Derrick says. "But yeah, he's sure"

The lady stands back up, and hugs you.

"Thank you... for everything" She says.
"Just doing the right thing" You say. "I'll head over there now and let tem know you guys are here"

...

"Where is her dad anyway?" You ask.

The lady flinches. "He... didn't make it" She says.

"Oh..." You say. "That's... uhh... sorry?"

She releases you and steps back, shaking her head. "He thought that something might happen soon, but neither of us would have lived to see it..." She says.
"So he gave you his mana" Derrick says.

The lady nods, as her eyes tear up. "I... didn't- I begged hi-" Her sentence is cut off when she starts to sob.

Oh crap she's crying now. What the hell do you do? Do you...pat her shoulder? Do you-

Your answer comes as Marybell, Lulu, and several of the other prisoners step up to console her.

>Step out

>Stick around for a minute

>Other

>>550993
>>Step out
Politely, though.

>>550993
>Step out
Let's reunite her with her daughter ASAP, that ought to cheer her up some.

>>550993
>>Step out
Eh, this I guess.

>writing

You tap Derrick on the shoulder.

"I'm just gonna..."
"Yeah. That might be a good idea" He says. "Things look like they're being taken care of here. I'll stick around to make sure it's all alright, and let them know where you went"

"See you in a bit" You say.
"Good luck" Derrick says. "And keep in mind: Ariadne didn't know her parents were in there"

You nod, and slip out of the courtyard.

Walking quickly through the halls, you make it to the gate in no time. When you get there, you see Rhea standing guard.

"Stuck with guard duty?" You ask.
"For a while" Rhea says. "Wow, you're soaked. You duel with Lule's or something?"
"Yeah... how did you know?" You ask.
"I end up the same way" She says. "She's a bit closer to my level than Pip or Bella, so we practice on eac other"
"Who's the best out of you?" You ask.
"That's between Pip and Bella, I believe" Rhea says. "They're both very strong casters. I'm more of a muscle kinda girl, you know?"

"I noticed, yeah" You say.
"Where're you off to?" She asks.
"Turns out that Ariadne's mom was one of the prisoners we rescued" You say. "I'm going to get her"
"Who?" She asks.
"Ariadne"
"Doesn't ring a bell"
"She's the arachnid"
"Haven't seen any arachnids around here"
"Yes you have
"You're mistaken"

...

This is getting nowhere...

"Anyway, I'll be back in a bit" You say.
"You sure you don't wanna dry off a bit first?" She asks. "That's a good way to catch a cold"
"I don't feel cold" You say.
"Oh yeah, I forgot you're a demon" She says. "They don't feel the elements like we do"
"Everyone forgets that..." You say.

"Well, have a nice trip" She says. "See you next fall"

You tilt your head, and Rhea sighs. "Just go" She says.

>1/2

When you reach the Hunter's Guild and head inside, you're immediately struck by how quiet it is now compared to how it was earlier.

There are a few hunters relaxing at the tables, and a bunny doing paperwork behind the front desk. You kind of recognize her too, from the guild hall in Contique.

"Bello" You say, as you step up to the desk.

Bella takes off the pair of glasses she's wearing and looks up from her paperwork, smiling as she does. "Welcome" She says. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to talk to Tian" You say.
"She's in the back" Bella says. "Your Felid friend and the other bunnies are all back there too. Be sure to brace yourself"
"For what?" You ask.
"You'll see" She says. "Go on"

You nod to Bella, and step past her into the back room.

This room is rather small, with only a table, some chairs, a couch, and some shelves. But the cieling is fairly high, and that's where you find Ariadne, tying up a web...

At the table, Tian is doing her absolute best to pretend Ariadne isn't just above her. Meanwhile, Ilica cradles a sad looking Vivian.

On the couch is one of the cutest things you've seen all day. Stella, Daniella, Gabriella, and both Hella's are all snuggled up. Daniella is the only on who is awake, and she seems to be enjoying herself.

...

You might have come here for a reason, but you can't really jump right into it. You'd prefer to get Tian alone and let her know first, but you can segue into that. For now, you'll-

>Ask Daniella why she's so happy

>Ask Ilica why Vivi is so sad

>Tell Tian that Ariadne is building a web above her

>Other

>>551304
>>Ask Ilica why Vivi is so sad

>>551304
>>Ask Ilica why Vivi is so sad

>>551304
>Ask Ilica why Vivi is so sad

>>551304
>Tell Tian that Ariadne is building a web above her
Just throw it out there while we make our way over to
>Ask Ilica why Vivi is so sad

>writing

You start walking over to Ilica, deciding to let the bunnies get their rest.

"You know she's building a web, don't you?" You ask Tian.
"I am aware" Tian says.
"Just sayin" You say, as you get to Ilica and crouch down to level yourself with the sad kitten. "What's got you so down?"

"She tried to get up to Ariadne by climbing the shelves" Ilica says. "It didn't work, and she bumped her head"
"Aww..." You say. "You can't just get a healer to look at it?"
"You can't call a healer over every little hurt" Ilica says. "It's just a bump. Daniella made sure there was no other damage"

"People call a healer everytime I get a little hurt" You say

Ilica looks at you like you just said something stupid, though you can't say what it might have been... she then flicks you in the forehead.

"You never get a little hurt" She says. "You have only ever had 2 levels: perfectly fine, and almost dead"
"That's not true" You say.
"Oh yeah?" She asks. "Name one time where you've only been a 'little hurt'. Go on. I'm waiting"

...

"Okay maybe it is true" You say.
"See?" Ilica asks, lifting up under her arms so she can talk to her. "Isn't Yuu a silly willy?"
"Mew" Vivian says.
"Yeah, he's a silly willy" Ilica says, as she hugs the little kitten. She tries to give her a little kiss on the forehead, but Vivian puts a paw on her face.
"Myah!" Vivian says.
"I don't speak kitten, but I think that might mean 'no kisses'" You say.

Ilica pouts, as Vivian starts trying to eat her hand. "So what brings you here?" Ilica asks.

>I wanted to talk to Tian about something

>My shirt is wet. I need a new one

>Not enough bunnies at the castle

>Other

>>551455
>I wanted to talk to Tian about something
>so what happened to the bunnies?

>>551455
>I wanted to talk to Tian about something
>I see the bunnies have been working hard

>>551455
>>551476
this
>>I wanted to talk to Tian about something
>so what happened to the bunnies?

>>551455
>>I wanted to talk to Tian about something
>>551476

>writing

>>550504
Is the gate supposed to look like a penis?

>>551605
Yes

"I wanted to talk to Tian about building my new blade" You say.
"You came all the way here for that?" She asks. "You could have sent a sprite. I meant to head down there sometime anyway"

"I wanted to talk about it in person" You say. "Preferably in private"

You tip your head to the door a few times, hoping that Tian will get the message that this isn't actually about mageblades...

"All right..." Tian says. "Daniella, is there somewhere we can work?"
"Feel free to use my office" She says. "Just don't touch anything, or disturb the baby"
"Thanks" Tian says.

"What happened there, anyway?" You ask.
"Much needed rest" Daniella says, as she strokes big Hella's hair. "These 2 might be capable, but they're still kids. With their mother across the ocean with their sister, I get to look after them for a while"

"Makes sense" You say.
Daniella gives you a concerned look. "And don't forget that you're still a kid too. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to me" She says. "Or Teague, Vance, Castor... anyone. I doubt any hunter would turn you away"
"Thanks" You say. "I'll keep that in mind"

"But don't you dare wake the baby in there..." She says. "You have no idea how long it took to get him to sleep"
"Gotcha" You say.

You and Tian leave the room, and go the short distance to Daniella's office.

"Good to know you're well liked, huh?" Tian whispers.
"It is" You reply.

Daniella's office is perfectly organized. Standing next to the desk is a crib with a sleeping baby inside.

"So?" Tian asks. "I don't think you actually wanted to talk about mageblades"
"Well..."

>Break it gently

>Give it to her straight

>Other

>>551661
>>Give it to her straight

>>551661
>give it to her straight
What's subtly? Does it taste good?

>>551661
>>Break it gently

>>551661
>Give it to her straight
Yuu is not subtle, at least not intentionally.

>writing

"That arachnid I told you about is Ariadne's mom" You say.
Tian looks ecstatic. "That's G-" She stops, and lowers her voice as the baby stirs. "That's great"
"Her dad is dead" You finish.

The ecstatic look melts off, and Tian's body slumps. "Oh..." She says.
"Apparently he sacrificed himself by giving her mom all of his mana" You say.

"Well, at least there's good news... right?" She asks. "Thanks for telling me this in private"
"Derrick's idea, though I probably would have done it this way anyway" You say. "Anyway, the ex-prisoners aren't allowed to leave the castle yet, so you'll have to bring Ariadne there"

"I have to break this to her first..." Tian says. "Both the fact that her dad is gone, and the fact hat I've been lying this whole time..."
"Want some help?" You ask.
"I should be good" She says. "No offense, but you're as subtle as a brick"

You shrug.

Tian takes a deep breath, readying herself for what she has to do next.

...

>I'll go with you anyway

>I'll go let her know you're on your way

>Other

Taking a short food break here. Will start writing when I return

>>551779
>>I'll go let her know you're on your way

>>551779

>Well, HAVE you been lying? You didn't really know for sure if her parents were alive or not. I dunno if I'd call that lying.

>>551779
>>I'll go let her know you're on your way

>>551779
>I'll go let her know you're on your way

>>551779
>>I'll go let her know you're on your way

Back, and I didn't burn dinner this time!

>writing

>>551789
Also, Tian never told Ariadne that her parents had been taken away by inquisitors. they were "on vacation"

"I'll go let her know you're on your way" You say.

"Could you also let her know that Ari will have just found out about the whole prison thing?" She asks. "Just to ease things up a bit"
"I will" You say. "Good luck"

"Thanks, I may need it" Tian says. "Ari is difficult when she's mad... this will be no exception"

"Hopefully she won't do anything crazy" You say.
"I can almost guarantee that she will" Tian says. "But it'll be my fault for letting this lie sit for so long... so I'll deal with it"

"We'll be in the courtyard when you get to the castle" You say.
"Alright. Hopefully won't take too long" She says.
"See you"
"See you"

You both leave Daniella's office, quickly checking back to make sure the baby is still asleep before going your separate ways.

>1/2

When you get back to the castle, you notice that Rhea is no longer on guard duty. In her place is a new guard that you don't recognize. Though he seems to recognize you, and you exchange a quick nod as you make your way in.

You make your way back to the courtyard as quickly as you can. When you enter, Derrick is the first to notice.

"That was quick" He says. "Your shirt's not even dry yet"
"I only told Tian. She's going to break the news to Ariadne" You say.

"Is she on her way?" The spider lady asks.

...

You still don't know her name.

"She is" You say. "It might take a little while, since Tian still hasn't told her you were taken to Mortifas"
She sighs. "Typical... for someone so succesful, she procrastinates like tomorrow will never come"

"I'm willing to give her a break" Derrick says. "It's not an easy truth to break"
"But now my girl has 2 ugly truths to deal with, without a break" She says. "I'm gonna have to string that woman up for a bit when she gets here..."

"Just don't kill her. I still need her to show me how to make a mageblade" You say.
"Don't worry. I'm very good at what I do" She says.

>What do you do?

>Ask her name

>Apologize for bringing her husband up

>Go take a bath

>Ask Derrick what he left for earlier

>Other

>>552161
>Ask her name
>What do you do?
>Ask Derrick what he left for earlier

>>552161
>>What do you do?
>>Ask her name
>Ask Derrick what he left for earlier

>>552161
>what do you do?
>ask her name

>>552161
>What do you do?
>Ask her name

>writing

"What do you do?" You ask.
"I string people up" She says.

"Like... as a job?" You ask.
She giggles into her hand. "No, I was only joking" She says. "I actually used to wash windows"
"That makes a surprising amount of sense... you" You say.
"You?" She asks.

"Yes I am" You say. "What's your name?"
She gives you an odd look. "I'm Gwen" She says. "You?"
"Yes" You say.
"No... what's your name?" She asks.

"Do you really have to play this game everytime?" Derrick asks.
"What game?" You ask. "Yuu is my name"

"Oh!" She says. "Sorry. That sounds southern. Are you from the isles?"
"He isn't, but Emi is" Derrick says. "She's the one who named him"

"Is she... your mother?" Gwen asks. "Are you adopted?"
"Emi is our age" Derrick says. "We first met Yuu in Mortifas. He had no name, no memories, no nothing"
"You escaped?" She asks. "I'd heard something like that... how did you do it?"

>Storytime

>It was pretty easy... for me

>Let Derrick tell it so you can do something else (specify)

>Other

>>552360
>>Storytime

>>552360
>Storytime
Well, I was minding my own business when...

>>552360
>story time!

>writing

"Well it all started in a cave..."

You tell the story of how you were caught, escaped, journeyed to Sherton, fought some demons, went to Contique, then back to Sherton, then to Bell's Run, punched an inquisitor and stole his hat, and came here to Locke.

Then there's the bit about all the training, your day trip back to the cave which ended in another fight with the Legion, and finally your return to the prison and its destruction.

When the story is done, almost all of the people in the courtyard have been listening.

"And you don't remember anything before the cave?" Gwen asks.
"Not a thing" You say. "But I'm okay with that"

"You aren't curious?" One of the prisoners asks.
You shrug. "I've had better things to do" You say.

Someone else opens their mouth to ask your a question, but a sudden shriek stops them.

"Mom!" Ariadne shouts, moments before you see her form flying out of the corner of your eye. Gwen manages to catch Ariadne, but in doing so she has to scramble backward.
"I'm here, Ariadne" Gwen says.

Looking back at where she came from, you see both Tian and Ilica

>I didn't think she was a jumping spider

>Ask Tian how it went

>Let them have their moment in peace

>Warn Tian about Gwen's plan

>Other

>>552623
>I didn't think she was a jumping spider
>Let them have their moment in peace

>>552623
>>I didn't think she was a jumping spider
>Let them have their moment in peace

>>552623
>Let them have their moment in peace
>Ask Tian how it went

>>552623
>>I didn't think she was a jumping spider
>Let them have their moment in peace

>writing

"I didn't think she was a jumping sp-ow!" You say, as Ilica chops you on the head.
"Shh!" Ilica says. "Hold the jokes. Ari was really broken up about this"

"Sorry" You reply. "How'd it go?"
"She's not happy with me, but I knew that would happen" Tian says. "For now, it's good to see those two together again"

You nod. "Gwen looks happy"

You all watch the pair of spiders for a little while. Ariadne cries, while Gwen consoles her. Gwen herself looks torn between sorrow for her husband, and happiness for her daughter...

Not a bad way to be torn, when you think about it. She could have no reason to be happy. That would suck.

...

Alright, as nice of a moment as this is, you'd rather not stand here all day. It's getting pretty late, and you feel kinda hungry.

>Go take a bath

>Go find dinner

>Check on Emi

>Other

>>552844
>>Go take a bath
I don't think the spell battle counts as a bath.

>>552844
>Check on Emi

>>552844
>Go find dinner
>Go take a bath
Emi's probably still asleep anyway

>>552844
>Check on Emi

>>552844
>>Check on Emi

>writing

>>552844
>Go take a bath

"You guys seem to have things handled here" You say. "I'm gonna go check in on Emi"

Ilica looks around, confused. "Where is she, anyway?" She asks.
"She's mana sick after handling Yuu's spear" Derrick says.

Ilica is about to say something, when she suddenly covers her mouth.

"What's wrong?" You ask.
"N-nothing" She says. "I'm gonna step out for a second..."

Ilica walks quickly to the exit, where she starts to laugh.

You turn to Derrick, who is covering his face with his hand. "What's she laughing about?" You ask.
"Don't worry about it" Derrick says. "I'm gonna head to the kitchens. You gonna join me after?"
"Yeah" You say. "Let the staff know I'll be there"
"See you in a bit, then" He says.

You make your way out of the courtyard, past Ilica who is still giggling to herself, and up to the room you and Emi share.

When you get there, you find Emi coiled up on the floor. She's coiled rather tightly, like she's trying to keep warm. Which makes sense, because her blanket's nowhere to be seen...

You shouldn't leave her like this...

>Put the blanket over her

>Try and get her back into the bed

>Other

>>553045
>Put the blanket over her

>>553045
>>Put the blanket over her

>>553045
>Put the blanket over her

>>553045
>>Put the blanket over her

>>553045
>>Put the blanket over her
cautiously

>writing

You step cautiously around Emi, searching around for the blanket. It takes you longer than it should, because she somehow landed it on the curtain rod in such a way that you honestly thought it was the curtains...

You pull the blanket down, and bring it over to the sleeping Serpid. Gently, you drape it over her coiled form and make sure she's nice and snug. As you're pulling it up over her shoulders, you stop for a moment.

She's awfully cute when she's sleeping...

You shake your head and finish what you were doing. The less time you spend here, the less chance you'll have of getting coiled into sudden bedtime before you get a chance to eat dinner.

With that finished, you head back to the door. "Sleep tight, Emi" You say, pausing for another moment.

Emi loosens up a little under the blanket, and a light smile appears on her face.

Mission accomplished.

When the door is closed behind you, you breathe a sigh of relief before heading down to the kitchens.

>1/2

"Yo" You say, giving a short wave to Derrick as you walk into the dining room.
"Hey" He says, motioning to the seat next to him, which already has food in front of it. "Come on, they just brought it in"

"Awesome" You say as you sit down.
"How's she doing?" Derrick asks.

>Still breathing

>Somehow she ended up on the floor

>Have you ever noticed that she's cute when she sleeps?

>Other

>>553254
>Somehow she ended up on the floor
>Have you ever noticed that she's cute when she sleeps?

>>553254
>>Still breathing

>>553254
>Still breathing
>Somehow she ended up on the floor
>Have you ever noticed that she's cute when she sleeps?
All the things about best snek

>>553254
>>Still breathing
>>Somehow she ended up on the floor

>>553254
>>Somehow she ended up on the floor

>writing

"She's still breathing, but somehow she ended up on the floor" You say. "So I grabbed the blanket off the curtain rod, covered her up and came here"

"You covered her with... the curtains?" He asks.
"No, the blanket was on the curtain rod" You say. "Took me a while to find it, because it honestly looked like the curtains"

Derrick looks like he has something to say, but he shrugs it off and puts a forkful of food in his mouth.

You should probably eat something too. You pick up your fork and roll a few things around your plate for a moment.

"Something on your mind?" Derrick asks.
"I dunno" You say. "Why?"
"Because normally that food would be gone by now" He says.

You stab a piece of meat and pick it up, looking it over before you eat it. Then you put it down. "Did you ever notice that Emi is cute when she sleeps?" You ask.

"You feelin' okay, Yuu?" He asks. "This is the third time something girl-related has come up today"
"It is?" You ask.
"First there was this morning with Stella, earlier today when you thought that demon liked you, and now this" He says. "What's going on?"

>What say?

>>553426
>I think...I might like girls. Is that normal?

>>553426
>>553453
Going with this.

Poor Yuu, he has no idea what's ahead of him.

>>553453
Yeah going to back this.
Probably add
"In a way i don't like men, no offense?"

>>553426
>>553453
To be fair: Yuu already knows that it's normal to like girls. He can say that he thinks that he's starting to realize it himself, but, he knows that others experience it.

>writing

>>553506
To rephrase: he's starting to experience what it is to ACTUALLY be attracted to someone.

"I dunno" You say. "I like girls. They're soft, and warm, and cute"

Derrick nods in understanding. "I think I get it now" He says, picking up his cup and sitting back. "Perfectly normal. Just try not to be so blatant about i- actually nevermind, I forgot who I was talking to"

You tilt your head to the side. "What's wrong?" You ask.
"Nothing, I guess" Derrick says. "Being yourself has been working for you so far. I don't think I could give any advice that might help"

"Okay" You say, turning your attention back to your food.
"Should we hit the baths after this?" He asks.
"Sure" You say.
"Alright" He says. "Word of advice there: try not to let your eyes wander. I have not-so-fond memories of getting bucked out of the tub by Marybell for doing that"

You nod. "Good call. That sounds painful"
Derrick rubs his chest. "It was"
"Do you get hit like that a lot?" You ask. "I remember Pip smacked you on the Pride"
"I used to. Not so much anymore" He says. "Does it happen to you?"
"Only from Ilica, and then it's usually because I made a bad joke" You say. "Munchkin does that too, but she probably doesn't count"
"Munchkin?" Derrick asks.
"Little Hella" You say. "I'm calling her munchkin from now on because having 2 Hella's is confusing"
"Gotcha" He says.

>Anything else?

>>553620
Nope. Let's go wash the stink off.

>>553620
Let's get clean.

>>553620
Get fresh

>writing

You make quick work of your dinner once you start eating, capping it all off by downing your glass of water in one go.

"There's the Yuu we know and love" He says. "Ready?"
"Let's go. This shirt is sticking to me and I don't like it" You say, pulling the shirt away from your body in a vain attempt to un-stick it.

Kind of like what Cheska did when she was teasing you...

...

Don't think about it.

...

Damn it.

"Something wrong?" Derrick asks.
"Nothing let's go" You say.
"Okay. After you" He says.

You stand up and quickly walk out of the dining room. Derrick follows after you.

"So how'd you like magic duelling?" He asks.
"It was fun" You say. "I had to invent an entirely new spell just to break Lulu's defenses, though"
"I thought that one looked different" He says. "Rounding out your spell base with an offensive and a defensive spell is a first step"
"Did you do that when you first started learning?" You ask.

He chuckles. "Unfortunately, there are almost no defensive fire spells" He says. "Only less offensive ones"

>Ask how he defends himself

>Ask if he's dueled the knights before

>Ask what a good second step might be

>Other

>>553800
>>Ask how he defends himself

>>553800
>Ask how he defends himself
So, We probably asked this before, but people can only do spells of their own element?

>>553838
You can only do spells of your element, but you can dabble in mixing your element.

Emi and Lulu both use ice magic, which is actually water/wind, and Emi's healing spells are all water/nature

>>553800
>>Ask how he defends himself

>>553871
Is the only element that we can use is Soul?

>Ask how he defends himself

>>553946
Elements are a property of magic/mana. Soul has no elements. At least, none that you know of.

"How do you defend yourself then?" You ask, as the two of you step into the change room.

"Normally? I use a special technique. It's called 'getting the hell out of the way" He says. "In a magic duel, I have a few tricks I like to pull out"
"Like what?" You ask, as you pull your shirt off.

"Well, against Lulu a hot enough flame will turn her water to steam. Unless she shoots ice, in which case I need to time a proper burst..." He says.
"Burst?" You ask.
"Explosion" Derrick says. "Fire magic mixed with wind. Very effective if used right. Meyu is very good with it, which is why I wanted to learn from him"
"Neat" You say.

"That's why he uses such a big sword, actually" Derrick says. "If the metal isn't thick or strong enough, it gets damaged"
"I was wondering about that" You say. "It seemed kinda cumbersome and pointless when I first saw it"

"Anyway, those only really work against Lulu" He says. "Against someone like Pip, you have to keep the air in front of you hot so it shimmers and disperses her light magic but even then..."

>How would you defend against me?

>What about attacking?

>Pip uses light magic?

>Other

>>553965
>>How would you defend against me?
Good thing Ilica isn't here; she'd never resist the innuendo.

>What about attacking?

>>553965
>>How would you defend against me?
Make sure your saying this as you walk into the baths

>writing

With all of your clothes off, you wrap a towel around your waist and make your way into the baths.

"How would you defend against me?" You ask.
"I dunno. Seems likes Lulu was just using force, so maybe like a burst or something" He says.

The baths are empty when you get in, save for Ilica lazily floating on the surface...

She immediately submerges below the murky water when she notices the two of you.

"H-hey guys" She says as she resurfaces. "Didn't think you'd be in here so soon"
"We went to eat" Derrick says as he steps in. "Have you seen how Yuu eats?"
"He had to check on Emi though, didn't he?" Ilica asks.
"Have you seen how Yuu eats?" Derrick asks again.

Ilica puffs out her cheeks and sinks down a little. "A little warning would have been nice" She says.
"Relax, it's not like we snuck in here to peek" Derrick says.

Ilica sinks a little lower, until her nose goes below the surface and she starts blowing bubbles.

>That looks like fun...

>How'd it go in the courtyard

>Ask why she stepped out to laugh

>Other

>>554171
>That looks like fun...

>>554171
>>Ask why she stepped out to laugh

>>554171
>>That looks like fun...
>>How'd it go in the courtyard

>>554171
>That looks like fun...

>writing

You step in after Derrick, discarding your towel as the things it was hiding go underneath the murky water.

"Yeah, why sneak in to peek when no one is here?" You ask. "Peak peeking hours have passed"

Ilica splashes you.

"I give that one a 5/10" Derrick says as he sits down.
"Only 5?" You ask as you sit nearby.
"Set up was a bit long" He says.
"Good point" You reply.

Ilica is still sitting just above the surface, giving you a dirty look as she blows bubbles through her nose.

...

That actually looks kinda fun. You slip down into the water until you're up to your nose and start blowing bubbles as well.

In response, Ilica starts blowing harder, so you match her pace.

"Give it up now, Ilica. He's a demon, this isn't a fight you can win" Derrick says.

Ilica's bubble stream slows, until she bursts back out of the water, gasping for air. "Dang it" She says/
You emerge slowly. "In her defense, she started before I did" You say.
"Yeah!" She says. "Get back down there so we can do this again"
"Please don't" Derrick says. "Instead of a breath holding competition, can we do something that won't end badly?"

"Fiiine" Ilica says.
"Kay" You say.

>1/2

The three of you head over to one of the little semicircles on the sides of the bath and sit together.

You and Derrick lounge, while Ilica licks her wet paws.

"Is that really necessary?" You ask. "They're already wet"
"I'm not licking them to get them wet" She says. "My tongue has little cmb things on it, and I'm trying to get syrup out of them"

Derrick raises his head. "How did you get syrup on your paws?" He asks.
"Long story, involving Hella and a bottle of syrup" She says.
"Hella or Munchkin?" You ask.
"Munchkin" Ilica says.

"That doesn't sound like a long story" You say.
"It is when you account for the time I spent chasing her..." Ilica says. "I'm no slouch, but that girl is nimble for a toddler. It took all of us to finally pin her down, and I get syrup all over my paws in the process"

"Why was she running?" Derrick asks.
"Because she wanted to keep the syrup" Ilica says.
"Why not just let her have it?" You ask.
"Because she wanted to drink it, and she'd definitely had enough sugar already" Ilica says.

"Who was chasing her?" Derrick asks.
"Me, the bunnies, a few hunters tried to grab her as she went past..." Ilica says. "They're good at what they do, but apparently they're no match for a toddler on a sugar high"
"Is anyone?" You ask.

The three of you laugh.

>Ask Derrick when Altea plans to go to Bell's Run

>Ask Ilica when her training starts

>Ask Derrick why he left when you were going to train

>Other

>>554384
>>Ask Derrick why he left when you were going to train

>>554384
>>Ask Derrick why he left when you were going to train

>>554384
>Ask Ilica when her training starts

>Ask Derrick why he left when you were going to train

>>554384
>>Ask Derrick why he left when you were going to train

>writing

"Oh yeah" You say. "I wanted to ask you something earlier, but it slipped my mind"
"Shoot" He says.
"When we were about to starting training, what did you have to talk to Altea about?" You ask.

"You talking about that demon in the dungeons reminded me of something" He says. "Not really all that important, but I had to ask before I forgot"
"Oh" You say.
"Speaking of her, Altea said that she'll be in a different cell for the time being" He says. "Still in the dungeons, but further away from the other demon"

"She'll like that. Cheska hated the snoring" You say. "I can't blame her. It was loud"

"Wait" Ilica says. "Who is Cheska?"
"One of the prisoners from the our ambush on the Legion" Derrick says.

"We fought in the forest, so I stopped to talk to her when I was taking Carthac's spear to the vaults" You say. "She knew a lot about how the spear was made, so I helped her out by getting her pillows and stuff"

"You decided to stop and chat because she tried to kill you?" Ilica asks.
"She did, but she was apologetic about it" You say.
"Sorry about this" Ilica says, before she bops you on the head. "Does that make it any better?"
"A little" You say.

Ilica sighs. "Just don't do anything stupid"
"When have I ever done anything stupid?" You ask.
"Yuu, if I listed all the times you did something stupid we'd be here until we both turned to prunes" She says.
"What are prunes?" You ask.

"... Nevermind" Ilica says.

That's all for tonight!

I may continue tomorrow, depending on what happens. As usual I'll have thread times posted up a few hours beforehand

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time

>>554530
Great thread, Smiley!

Thanks for running smiley

>>554530
What is your all time favorite write-in response or player moment from any of the quests you've ran? Your least favorite?

>>554552
I don't really have any favourites that come to mind. But a few moments do stand out:
>Post attempted rape pep-talk write-ins with Laura in ODW
>Players reacting to "The Traitor has been slain" in BM
>Thread 10 of ODW, where I kind of gambled the whole quest. Thanfully it paid off
>Way back in the first thread of Into the Aether, after I'd all but given up on the quest, returning to the thread after 2 hours to see responses

There are a few others, but these are the ones that stick out.