>>1634455
>>We'll find out tomorrow.

>>1634455
>We'll find out tomorrow.

Cool short story my man. I like that you're fleshing out our backstory a little bit. Good to see Solomon's smug attitude has been around for a while.

>>1634470
>Cool short story my man. I like that you're fleshing out our backstory a little bit. Good to see Solomon's smug attitude has been around for a while.
Oh, I didn't spot that earlier. Haha, damn, Solomon can be a dick when he wants to, but hell if it ain't hilarious.

>>1634463
>>1634470
>We'll find out tomorrow.

"I hope so," Sofia mutters. She returns to knitting, and gives you a semi-sour look that borders between frustration at your cavalier attitude and resigned acceptance of it.

You discuss a few trivialities with her and Ruth, and feel as though you've gotten a small insight into them both.
(You feel as though your relationship with Ruth has improved slightly.)
(You feel as though your relationship with Sofia will advance soon.)

David is the first to go off to bed, then Sofia and Ruth, in that order. Donna slaps Keith's controller out of his hands at one point, then Keith returns the favor before picking his own back up.
This soon devolves into a childish fight ending in Keith holding the small girl at length and warding her off while he plays. That is, until she puts her heel in his crotch and shoves hard.

You feel like you should leave them alone, and return to your room.

You still have a little time left before you need to head off to sleep.
>>Your room
>Review your equipment
>Try to bypass the security
>Play a computer game
>Fall asleep (Return to the Laboratory)
>Fall asleep (Go to the next day)
>Read something online
>Study proactively
>Browse the image board Anonymouse
><Write-In>

>Good to see Solomon's smug attitude has been around for a while.
>Solomon can be a dick when he wants to, but hell if it ain't hilarious.
I see Solomon as always having been sort of a dick, but never really mean-spirited unless the target really deserves it.
You'll be able to talk to Irene during Christmas break.

>>1634558
>Try to bypass the security

Good to know we'll be having some happy holidays then.

>>1634558
>Try to bypass the security

Rolled 2, 9 + 2 = 13 (2d10 + 2)

>>1634563
>>1634605
>Try to bypass the security
You open the browser like you did before, and try to see if you can create a VPN link to your home computer (which you tricked out the network for such an occasion). If you do this right, you might be able to at least browse without being recorded.
You don't seem to be blocked from downloading a VPN service, probably because of edge cases or the fact that the school might already use them, but you want to browse without the Millennium Eye staring at you. A man can only go so long.

>>1634470
Is it really being a dick though. For all we know he could be doing the same thing she was doing. Making her hate him so the separation is easier. Though flirting with Sofia probably doesn't help this case.

>>1634636
You open a VPN, set up your computer in New York to tunnel your requests to your current location in Oympia, open your browser, and...
>(2, 9)+2 13 (FAILURE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmz-K2hLwSI
MOTHER FUCKER.
That film is older than you are, and nearly as old as Mr. Bennett. How did he even set that up? What kind of computer wizardry is your teacher capable of?
(You have mildly advanced in your goal of bypassing the security system.)

Unfortunately, you don't know how to change the settings to bypass that stupid little block, so you eventually give up and go to bed.

EARLY MORNING Sunday, August 26th (Weather: Mildly Cloudy. Forecast for tomorrow: Rain.)
>>Sunday Morning Business
>Meet up with someone <Write-In>
>Check out Football
>Take some time in the morning to buy something from a school store
>Buy a snack/drink from one of the vending machines
>Try to get to breakfast early and see if they have anything special today
><Write-In>

>>1634647
His personality is up to you guys, but I like to think he flirts with Sofia partially to see her squirm, partly seriously, and partially to keep his mind off of his breakup, using the fact that they actually broke up as a justification.

>>1634693
>Meet up with someone: Donna and Ruth
>Try to get to breakfast early and see if they have anything special today

Ah damn, we've been had! I'm halfway tempted to write in working on the security all morning out of spite, but I figure it's not that important right now.

>>1634693
>Meet up with David.

>>1634710
>>1634715 (Chosen)
>Meet up with David.
The small boy is just leaving his room nicely-dressed, and seem surprised you're here so early in the morning.
He salutes you as you address him. "Oh, hi, Boss. I'm headed off to church. Mr. Bennett is the sort to go twice a year, so I don't mind if you don't want to come along. There's a small cathedral in the city, and it's beautiful. Apparently Crescent City has a lot of Italian heritage."

>>David is headed to church.
>Accompany him
>Ask him to meet you afterwards
>Meet up with Donna and Ruth
><Write-In>

>>1634767
Could have sworn I looked over that twice to make sure it was right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1nHL8TSr5I

>>1634767
>Ask him to meet you afterwards
>Meet up with Donna and Ruth
Sorry David, too hungry. Let's grab some breakfast with best girl and Donna

>>1634767
>>Accompany him
>>Hope you don't burst into flames when you walk inside.

>>1634767
>Accompany him
Mr. Bennet told him to go I'm curious why.

>>1634791

>>1634796
>>1634802
>>Accompany him
>>Hope you don't burst into flames when you walk inside.

Surprisingly, you are not at all burned when you step inside, though you do feel as if the statues are silently judging you. Perhaps they do that to everyone. Also somewhat unexpectedly, Sofia is here, and speaking to the priest, who is a slim, balding man wearing glasses.
"Ah, new parishioners," the priest smiles at you. "I'm Father Richards, and this is..." he drifts off a bit when he sees Sofia recognizes you both.
"We know each other," Sofia grimaces. The father gives her a bit of a querying look, but doesn't pass her judgement onto you. In fact, when Sofia's about to snark at you, his eyes rebuke her from doing so, and she backs down.

The ceremony is relatively short, given it's so early in the morning, but you find yourself invigorated by it a bit. Besides, David seems to be getting a lot out of it.
---

"Now, I think it's time we get breakfast, don't you?" David says once everyone has filed out of the cathedral.
Sofia can't seem to find the will to rain on his parade, and nods. "Let's go back to Olympia. I'm sure they've got plenty for brunch."

As she heads back towards the train and you two follow her, Evelake nods to you. "Thanks for coming along, Boss. I really appreciate it."
He beams brightly and you feel the bond between you two tighten, but not in the forceful fashion you remember like in other cases.
(Your bond with the Innocent increased to Rank 2!)
(David can now aid you during Negotiation!)

There are holy water bottles available after the mass, and you decide it can't hurt, especially if you come up against actual demons.
>Gained 1x Holy Water

---
You all come to breakfast, and meet up with Ruth and Donna. Donna looks like she hasn't showered yet, and yawns loudly.
Ruth, on the other hand, is dressed in nice casual wear, and smiles when you approach.

You all begin to chat, and after a small silence when everyone's eating, you believe you can direct the future flow of the conversation.
>>What do you want to talk about?
>"Ruth's reading really threw me off."
>"Well, I guess I'm not completely evil, if the church didn't react to me."
>"Cat got your hair, Donna?"
>Flirt with <Write-In>
>"Where's Keith?"
><Write-In>

>>1634791
>best girl
So it begins...
>>1634802
>Mr. Bennet told him to go I'm curious why.
What he meant was that Bennett only goes Easter and Christmas.

>>1634857
>Ruth's reading really threw me off.
Find some way to incorporate this topic into
>Flirt with Ruth
And lastly
>Where's Keith?

>>1634857
>"Ruth's reading really threw me off."
>Other than our "extracullicular activities" this school has a lot of secret and I want to figure out what.

>>1634857
>"Well, I guess I'm not completely evil, if the church didn't react to me."
>"Cat got your hair, Donna?"
>"You know a lot of people, Sofia."
>"Where's Keith?"


Sofia seems to be acquainted with or otherwise connected to a lot of people around town. There's her uncle at the pizza shop, the bookstore owner, and now this priest.

>>1634877
>>1634894
>>1634914
Gonna try and put this into a cohesive statement.
>"Ruth's reading really threw me off. But I guess my attention happened to be elsewhere at the time."
Florez seems to take this as a mild compliment, and twirls her hair a little. Sofia seems to be a little jealous despite herself.
Speaking of hair,
>"Cat got your hair, Donna?"
"Mmmpgh... shaddup." She lays her head on the table and nearly passes out again.
>"Well, I guess I'm not completely evil, if the church didn't react to me."
"Why would you be evil?" David queries, a question Sofia immediately jumps on.

"Because he's selfish and easily distracted." She crosses her arms, conspicuously covering her chest.
>"You sure know a lot of people, Sofia."
"Of course, I mostly grew up here, when my father's work required it. I only wish I could have..." Carrollo shakes her head and throws away the thought.

Your queries become more serious.
>"Where's Keith? This school has a lot of secrets and I want to figure them out."
"Probably sleeping in," Ruth comments, looking at Donna, who drags herself up to sitting position.

"I want to find out too," David nods. He quickly returns to his room and brings pencils and a lined notebook. "Maybe we should write down what we know so far."

>>What You Know:
>Ruth gave Keith and Solomon a reading when they first met, which was mixed but not fantastic.
>She also gave the group as a whole another reading, that gave suggested future misfortune and conspiracy.
>Ruth has some sort of 'Phantom' granting her information on the past, present, and future.
>Mr. Bennett isn't telling us everything.
>He's also monitoring Olympia's network like a bloodhound.
>Principal Brown knows more than he's letting on as well, and may have a connection to the mob.
>Something happened at this school in the early 80s that caused it to be taken down and rebuilt, and the Principal was involved.

"I don't see what we can conclude from this, though," Sofia mutters. "We don;t have enough information."

Donna seems to be forcing herself awake. "There's got to be something we can get from this."
>>Can we determine anything from this?
>Yes, we can... <Write-In>
>No, we can't.
>I remember something else that could help... <Add something to the list>
><Write-In>

>>1634967
Aw, nuts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQdzH2T2nYg&t=14s

>>1634967
>Ruth, about the readings you've done recently. Can you remember which ones were and weren't influenced by your Phantom?
>We know that Durandal is wrapped up in this too, though we know nothing about him.
>Mr. Bennett went out of his way to get David assigned here after Durandal was put out of commission.

>>1635008
>We know that the Principal's secretary must be in on the Witching Hour. She brought us the packages with those things in them.
>There's also the curfew and electricity getting shut off at night if that's important.

Bleh, I can't think of shit right now.

>>1635008
>>1635048
>Ruth, about the readings you've done recently. Can you remember which ones were and weren't influenced by your Phantom?
She shakes her head. "All three of the ones I've shown to you were Phantom-influenced. I can do one now, but it wouldn't be."

>We know that Durandal is wrapped up in this too, though we know nothing about him.
David seems eager to help, and chimes in, "I know him. He was my superior when I was undergoing training after my accident...I shouldn't have said that, should I?" he realizes his mistake too late.

"Training?" Keith chips in, sitting down next to you with three bowls of frosted corn flakes and a small plate filled exclusively with bacon and sausage.

Now that he's got all eyes on him, Evelake proceeds guiltily, "Yes... The military funded my surgery, which was... Expensive, as well as experimental. Durandal is his code name. It was sort of a secret project and I shouldn't have talked about it."

>Mr. Bennett went out of his way to get David assigned here after Durandal was put out of commission.
David nods. "His mother- Mr. Bennett's, that is- was my psychological counselor during the recovery from my surgery, and she and Bennett's father took me in afterwards because... I don't have any relatives left." he whispers.
Everyone looks a little shocked, and Sofia is especially sympathetic.
"Can we talk about something else?" he requests.

>We know that the Principal's secretary must be in on the Witching Hour. She brought us the packages with those things in them.
"What about the other teachers? Do they know?" Keith asks.
Carollo shakes her head. "I doubt it. Conspiracies have to be small in number to work effectively. Even just with those we know, it's getting implausibly large."

>There's also the curfew and electricity getting shut off at night if that's important.
"That's obviously related to the Witching Hour, but how?" Ruth bites at one of her thumb fingernails.

"They want to make sure people go to sleep," Donna declares.

Sofia raises an eyebrow. "But that seems completely counterproductive. That would produce more Curses, not less."

Evelake disagrees. "No, I think they want to make sure they know when the Curses are showing up. So they- or we can regularly cull them."

>>Anything else?
>I think we've gotten enough. (Move on to Afternoon)
>Everyone needs to come prepared for tonight (Move on to Night)
>No, we need to address... <Write-In>
><Write-In>

Going to wait a little longer before moving on from amateur sleuthing.
Also want to mention that my internet just got cut off temporarily by someone else living at my current residence, not sure if accident or not- I was told it would stay on until 1AM.
I'm currently using mobile hotspot, so if I end up not posting more until tomorrow, that's why. Probably going to make this the last post of the night. Will be here tomorrow at 9 PM, same time.

>>1635102
>Something's not right. When we first got in the Witching Hour Durandal was the only one there and, no offence, he got thrashed pretty easily. I find it hard to believe that Durandal is the only one fighting.

>>1635102
Sorry to hear that dude. Thanks for running

>>1635102
Thst sucks, dude. Hope it doesn't turn into a big problem for you.

Anyways, after >>1635114 I'd say
>I think we've gotten enough. (Move on to Afternoon)

We don't have much left to go over right now, so I think we can wait until we've collected more information to discuss this further.

>>1635114
>>1635152
>Something's not right. When we first got in the Witching Hour Durandal was the only one there and, no offence, he got thrashed pretty easily. I find it hard to believe that Durandal is the only one fighting.
David tries to make excuses for his superior. "He may not look like it, but he's older than he seems. He's been working since the Cold War, so his age is probably catching up to him." He does think your point is valid, though. "He's probably wasn't the only person, though. After all, Mr. Bennett is there, and he's an experienced support Myth-User, suggesting there's someone he's supporting. I doubt they would tell us too much about them, though. This sort of thing tends to be need-to-know."

"Man, this sucks," Keith grumbles. "We get these cool powers, sure, but we don't know anything about where they come from or what they're actually supposed to be used for. There might even be cool spy stuff going on in the background, and we would have no idea."

"But we are still pretty young..." Sofia mentions. "If we were in the middle of some sort of conspiracy, hiding the fact could be protecting us as much as deceiving us. I mean, what if an enemy government found out and tried to capture us?"

The scope everything seems to have blown up to in the matter of a conversation is daunting. You write down everything you believe you've figured out and decide to move on with that.

Keith hangs around the dining hall a little longer than anyone else, finishing up his brunch and commenting on Martinez. "That dude really needs to cool his jets. He'll get himself killed if he tries to play all those sports at once."

>>Afternoon
>"I'm sure he can handle it."
>"All of them? What would drive him to do that?"
>"He's gonna wind up with something or other broken."
>Return to your room
>Talk to someone else <Write-In>
>Head into town <Write-In>
>Buy something at one of the school stores or vending machines <Write-In>
><Write-In>

Right, I think I'll be stepping aside until a reply comes, or until 9 if nobody plans to show early.

>>1635796
>>"All of them? What would drive him to do that?"
>>"He's gonna wind up with something or other broken."
>>Return to your room

>>1635993
>>"All of them? What would drive him to do that?"
"I dunno, I think he used to be some sort of big shot back in his home town, but now he's a big fish in a bigger pond."
>>"He's gonna wind up with something or other broken."
"Probably." Keith pours the last glass of milk he has down his throat and puts away his prodigious pile of now-empty dishes.
>>Return to your room

Back in your room, you still have a little time before you'll be called on by Mr. Bennett to search the Witching Hour again. With this in mind, it might be a good time to make your preparations.

>>Your room
>Review your equipment
>Try to bypass the security
>Play a computer game
>Read something online
>Study proactively
>Browse the image board Anonymouse
><Write-In>

Sorry for the slow reply, I didn't notice your post until I was distracting myself with something.

>>1636059
>>Study proactively
>>Browse the image board Anonymouse
And if we get done with a few subjects, read up on the more popular myths and stories.

>>1636059
>Review your equipment
>Browse the image board Anonymouse

Definitely not just suggesting this because I like your fake banter.

>>1636059
>>Study proactively
>>Browse the image board Anonymouse

>spoiler
Nbd. I didn't notice you'd posted an update until a couple hours after the fact either.

>>1636062
>>1636063
>>1636102

>>Study proactively
You recall you had a little bit of an issue with the trigonometry question, just because it came as so much of a surprise. So you try to make sure that you have everything in line for the next time the teacher asks questions.
Looking up some more information on sin and cos relations, you manage to commit to memory the fact that sin(x+pi/2)=cos(x).
(Your Knowledge has increased slightly.)

>>Browse the image board Anonymouse
You decide to do this and turn to a thread focusing on a recent strange double murder- in Crescent City!
Apparently two white-collar criminals associated in a Japanese political scandal a while back were found dead, as if they had both just dropped dead. However, their unusual placement gave the police an indication that they had been killed. Nothing especially unusual with their physical condition has shown up on the coroner's report so far- it's suggested they died of a heart attack.

>Anon: PICS
>Anon: Fucking goddamn. Stealing 'hearts'- more like stealing heartbeats.
>Anon: What's the killer's name?
>Anon: Phantom "Heartbreaker" Thief
>Anon: A-Kill-a Kill-Ruse-U
>Anon: Phantom "Wanted a peaceful life" Thief
>Anon: Phantom "Sheer Heart Attack" Thief
>Anon: Phantom "Take a potato chip" Thief
>Anon: I'ts not a Phantom thief you retards
>Anon: That reporter's tits are fantastic.

>Review your equipment.
>Hand Weapon- Memento Baseball Bat (L Blg, +2)
>Ranged/Firearm- Glock 19 (M Prc, +0)
>Armor: School Uniform (Appearance change only)
>>Current Inventory:
>Possible Weapons: Olympia Thunderbolts Baseball Bat (Blg UP)
>Possible Armor: Pickup Sports Equipment ()
>Tools- Study Helper Program (Incomplete), Security Bypass Program (Incomplete), Pickup Sports Equipment, School Notes
>Books- American Culture and History, Fairy Tales for Young and Old, Grapes of Wrath
>Miscellaneous- Small hand bell, silver dog whistle
>Consumables- Cinnamon Roll, Breakfast Taco, Mad Bull, Holy Water

>>Is this equipment setup correct?
>No, I want to swap something out.
>No, I want to get something else.
>Yes, this is correct.
><Write-In>

>>1636165
() means it has no change other than an aesthetic one, by the way.

>>1636165
>No, I want to swap something out.
So the Thunderbolts bat is better than our current one? Let's switch to that

Funny how you sprinkle in nods to Persona here and there.
>>1636185
this

>>1636185
>>1636215
>Hand Weapon- Memento Baseball Bat (M Blg, +2)
>Ranged/Firearm- Glock 19 (M Prc, +0)
>Armor: School Uniform (Appearance change only)
Picking up the heavier school bat, you feel like you're ready to face the unknown.

You go to Mr. Bennett's office with one of your spare gym bags when everyone else isn't looking and knock on his door. He quickly concludes a conversation he's having on his phone before unlocking his office and nodding.
"Come on in."

Stepping through the closet, you find yourself in Avalon and withdraw the bat from your bag. Mr. Bennett seems a little displeased, but accepts it.

"If that thing gets messed up, I'm not buying you another one."
He snaps his fingers. "Speaking of payment, what can I get you in exchange for taking down that Monster? I was thinking cash, but that sounded too, I dunno, brute."

>>For defeating that Monster?
>Kickass new weapon/armor <Hand, Weapon, Armor>
>You mentioned that tool you gave us can store Curses in a pinch. Mind upgrading them?
>I'm a student. Cold hard cash is fine.
>I want to be able to use my computer after midnight.
>More info on the Witching Hour.
>Thanks is all I need.
>Can you arrange for a girl to fall in love with me?
><Write-In>

>Funny how you sprinkle in nods to Persona here and there.
Well, it WAS originally planned to be a Persona quest, but then I got feedback that people wouldn't take it well because it was an already-existing property, so I made it 'definitely not Persona' instead.
Then someone ran an actual American Persona Quest...
I will say that it's not a coincidence that references to Persona exist, but I'm trying to make it sort of its own thing. In one sense, it's set up as part of the Persona universe, but in another, you shouldn't have to know any of the canon games to understand this one.
Also, I screwed up my previous post a bit, so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dQ1xiy-4hY

>>1636263
>>You mentioned that tool you gave us can store Curses in a pinch. Mind upgrading them?

I'd feel so unaccomplished if we just asked him to release the security on the computer network. Not to mention he'd still probably monitor us.

>>1636263
>Kickass new weapon/armor <Armor>
The current one we have is only aesthetic.
>I'm a student. Cold hard cash is fine.
>More info on the Witching Hour.

>>1636274
>>1636281
Alright, I'm gonna be doing dinner soon, so I'll probably make a post dealing with this or come back a little later before doing the full return at 9.
Rest assured that I intend to do mostly combat tonight instead of SoL.

>>1636289
But I like SoL...

>>1636274 (Chosen)
>>1636281
>>You mentioned that tool you gave us can store Curses in a pinch. Mind upgrading them?
"I can, but it won't be done by tonight." He nods. "Right now, you should be able to hold a Curse each, and might be able to get them to work for you under the right conditions."

Some of the others begin to show up, and Keith grins at you when he pulls out a set of kickboxing gloves.
"Cool, right? Now I can punch harder with worrying about breaking my knuckles. Not much of an improvement, but it's something."

"Harder? Is that even possible?" Donna asks, as she and Ruth are outfitted by Mr. Bennett with the firearm and flashlight-like tool the rest of you have.

When asked what sorts of things have come up in the Witching Hour, Mr. Bennett says, "I've detected two Ruler-race Curses with moderate strength hanging about nearby- they'll be 'outside' the school. You'll clear some lesser Curses on your way there, but I think you'll be able to recover your strength between those battles pretty easily."

"Even outside of the academy, I can call you back from an area if you've cleared over half of the Curses from the surroundings. I'll open up a door to Avalon, and you'll pop back here. I can do the opposite, to an extent, but it'll vanish if you dawdle too much and the Curses disrupt my attention."

"Now that you all have more people in the squad, do you want to split up into multiple groups?" Mr. Bennett asks. "I mean, if there are a lot of people fighting at once, things are gonna get complicated and you might run over each other."

Sofia, Ruth, and David all indicate with their body language that they want to be in a group with you, but if you split into two groups of three, you can only take two with you at a time.
>UPDATED COMBAT SHORT SHEET: https://pastebin.com/jNmQk4Mg
>>Chose Group(s)
>"Let's crack some skulls!" (Add Keith to group)
>"Very well." (Add Sofia to group)
>"On your orders, Boss!" (Add David to group)
>"Okay, sure." (Add Donna to group)
>"Of course." (Add Ruth to group)
>Split into two groups of three (three not chosen will be in the other group)
>Indicate a second leader <Write-In>
><Write-In>
I'll be back at nine or earlier.

>>1636635
Have the three who want to go with us come with us, and tell the other two to do some training with their Myths.

>>1636651
Smaller groups might be better.
>Split up
>Take Donna
>Take Keith
Good time to see what's Donna capable of and maybe resolve some issues
>Nominate Sofia as second group leader

I wouldn't know about being received well Judge I mean look at how successful Persona USA turn out to be though that should be expected given how successful and popular Persona 5 turn out to be. Regardless, I enjoy this new thing you got going on.

>>1636635
>Split into two groups
>Add David
>Add Ruth
>Nominate Sofia as other leader

>>1636663
Support.

>>1636651

>>1636671

>>1636663
>>1636671(Chosen)
>Split up (3/4)
>Take Donna (2/4)
>Take Keith (2/4)
>Nominate Sofia as other leader (3/4)
Sofia and Ruth seem a bit startled by this, but David takes it in stride. "Understood, Boss."

"Alright," Sofia takes the responsibility as secondary leader. "I suppose we'll take on the Ruler you all aren't."

You, Keith, and Donna split up from the others, both groups leaving Olympia on Mr. Bennett's orders and looking over a red-tinted landscape with awe.

It's Crescent City... but everything's wrong. Buildings are warped, signs are all out of place and discolored, and nobody's walking around. Even the traffic lights are all wrong, sometimes even giving off polka-spotted light, which hurts your brain to think about.

While you all stand outside in shock, a small van with the Thunderbolt symbol on the outside drives up to the sidewalk. Mr. Bennett rolls down the reflective window and points to the back, where there are spots everyone can sit in, and monitoring equipment.

"I'll drive you all close to the locations, but only so close- Curses wreak havoc on this car, and it's difficult enough just to keep the damn thing going in the first place. You know how hard it is to get a car to work under supernatural circumstances like this?"

Once you all are taken into the city, Mr. Bennett slows down near Clover Tower.
"They're both here... But on opposite sides of the building, which is gigantic. You'll have to split up now."

You, Donna, and Keith pile out, and look around for danger.
"I'll keep you all connected and support you if need be," he speaks into your heads. "This thing is as close to a mobile Avalon as I can get, but I'd rather open a door to bring you back to the main base."

There are a couple of Curses nearby, all of which are between you and your target. You'll have to fight through two layers to get to the Ruler. Time to pick your first enemy. One of them is that imp you fought before, who was looking for someone.
>>Pick an enemy
>Shining Crab
>Nervous-Looking Girl
>Door-Knocking Imp
>Try to find another way

>>1636811
>Nervous-Looking Girl

>>1636811
>>Door-Knocking Imp

>not bringing along any of the people that wanted to go with us
wew lads

>>1636811
>Nervous-Looking Girl

>>1636811
>Nervous looking girl


>>1636836
Eh? Wanting to go=/= should go. Sooner or later we need to split up and I prefer to get Sofia's feet wet in that department sooner. Ruth and David shouldn't be too hard for her to manage and plus we can deal with Keith and Donna's issue.

>>1636844
I'm assuming it was the same thing as the "great" condition in p3 so yes I think they should have come with us. Granted we'll likely be fine regardless

>>1636888
>Mental Vampire

Oh, I see. In that case it really doesn't matter, though I do love some bantz.

>>1636832

>>1636824
>>1636836
>>1636844
>Nervous-Looking Girl

When she sees you, the red-clad girl reels back and nearly flees before eventually turning back and facing you all. Despite giving the appearance of being scared, this girl may still be dangerous.

Battle Engaged!
Order: (You), Donna, Keith, Nervous Girl.
Enemy Status: Healthy (1 Enemy)
>>Command? (Roll 2d10 plus listed modifier for skill)
>Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3)
>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)
>Boost Attack: Buf, Atk 2
>Fire: Prc, S, M, (+0)
>Melee: Blg, S, M, (+2)
>Seize the Truth: Buf, S, Sha
>Change Myth (Blackbeard, Velveteen Rabbit)
>Order (Tell another person to do something specific)
>Item (Cinnamon Roll, Mad Bull, Breakfast Taco, Holy Water)
>Flee
><Write-In>

>>1636854
>I'm assuming it was the same thing as the "great" condition in p3 so yes I think they should have come with us.
Not that great of a benefit, but still something. Mostly, you get special party banter.

Also, since this is a rewrite of a goofed up post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx0g8H9yqm0
>>1636896
Noted. Also, it's like a +1 boost for the moment. It gets better as you rank up.

>>1636888
Can Solomon figure out that this is little red riding hood?

>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)

Rolled 1, 7 + 3 = 11 (2d10 + 3)

>>1636901
>>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>1636903
Always forgot to roll

Rolled 8, 6 = 14 (2d10)

>>1636927
Actually correct roll this time

Rolled 6, 10 + 3 = 19 (2d10 + 3)

>>1636901
Oh of course I also forgot...

Rolled 2, 9, 9, 8, 8, 2 = 38 (6d10)

>>1636896
>>1636903
>>1636923
>>1636933(Taken Roll)
>>1636945
Your mental force causes the girl to reel back, and you feed on her fear a bit guiltily.
>Solomon:
>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)
>(8, 6) +3 = 17 +2 tiers!
>Solomon deals 7 damage to Nervous Girl, regains 5 health (Maxed)
>Keith:
>Icy Grip: Ice, S, M, (+3)
>Donna:
>Glock 19 Prc, S, M, (-1) +3 (WEAKNESS)
>Nervous Girl:
>Pitiable Gaze: Tec, S, Chm, TN 14 (15-3 +2 Keith Resists)
Rolling...
>>1636903
>Can Solomon figure out that this is little red riding hood?
If you think you know the Myth, you can use that fact during the negotiation. Myths will get angry if you get it wrong, but this one is a bit obvious.

>>1636970
Is the race thing something only the players knew or is Solomon also aware of it?

>>1636970
>Keith:
>Icy Grip: Ice, S, M, (+3)
>(2, 9)+3 = 14 +1 tier,
>Keith deals 7 ice damage to the Nervous Girl.
Ice causes the girl to shiver and draw in her hood for warmth.
>(9, 8)+2 = 19 +2 tiers!
Donna, undeterred by the sympathetic figure in front of her, shoots the girl in the chest, straight through where the heart might be.
>>Pitiable Gaze: Tec, S, Chm, TN 14
>(8, 2) = 10 FAIL
The girl casts her tear-filled eyes on Keith, begging for his aid, but the musketeer is having none of it.

Wounded as she is, the girl goes to her knees and grovels for mercy.
Plead
"Please... I just want to carry these sweets to my sick old grandmother.."

>>Please...
>We just need to get through here.
>Give us some of the sweets.
>We were looking for a wolf in disguise and thought it was you.
>What a wonderful sweet you are... (Devour)
><Write-In>

>>1636981
>Is the race thing something only the players knew or is Solomon also aware of it?
Solomon is aware of the Myths having races, and what races exist. When you improve your relationship with Mr. Bennett, he can tell you which are which.

>>1637018
>We were looking for a wolf in disguise and thought it was you.

>>1637018
>We just need to get through here.

>>1637018
>We were looking for a wolf in disguise and thought it was you.
>With the wolf wandering around, it could be dangerous for you to be on your own.

>>1637028

>>1637026
>>1637043
>We were looking for a wolf in disguise and thought it was you.
>With the wolf wandering around, it could be dangerous for you to be on your own.

This seems to be reasonable to the girl.
"A... a wolf? Oh, dear... Perhaps I should go along with you, for safety in numbers..."

The book chained to your sleeve rises and opens, translating the little girl into a new page.
>A girl called Little Red Riding Hood. She is named after her magical red hooded cape/cloak that she wears. The girl walks through the woods to deliver food to her sickly grandmother, but a wolf attempts to divert her from the path before going ahead of her and devouring her grandmother- attempting to devour her as well.
Red Riding Hood can now be used as a Myth in battle.

With a clearer path, you believe you only need to defeat one other enemy before you can get to your main target.

>PARTY CHAT:
>Keith: I wonder how those other three are doing.
>Donna: They should be fine. They have two healers, after all.
>Keith: That's not what I mean... I mean, David, with those two?
>Donna: Really?
>Keith: I shudder to think what they would do to him given the motivation.
>Donna: Yeah. ...Hehehe.
>Keith: ?
>Donna has a sinister smirk on her face.

>>Next Enemy:
>Tiny Man with sword
>Man carrying large jug
>Hopping bottle of alcohol
>Try to find another way

>>1637103
>Tiny Man with sword

>>1637103
>>Hopping bottle of alcohol

And for future reference:
>>Red Riding Hood
>Race: Innocent
>Affinities: (Tec +3)|(Hlg +3)|(Prc -3)
>Skills:
>Healing Heart: Hlg, S, M (+3)
>Emotional Support: Buf, A, Def +1
>Pitiable Gaze: Tec, S, Chm, TN 12 (15-3)

>>1637103
Tiny Man with sword

>>1637145

>>1637130
>>1637177
>Tiny Man with Sword
"You dare challenge me?" The tiny swordsman points at you with a needle for a weapon. "I'm not afraid of you, or anybody!"

Battle Engaged!
Order: (You), Needle Swordsman, Donna, Keith.
Enemy Status: Healthy (1 Enemy)
>>Command? (Roll 2d10 plus listed modifier for skill)
>Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3)
>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)
>Boost Attack: Buf, Atk 2
>Fire: Prc, S, M, (+0)
>Melee: Blg, S, M, (+2)
>Seize the Truth: Buf, S, Sha
>Change Myth (Blackbeard, Velveteen Rabbit, Red Riding Hood)
>Order (Tell another person to do something specific)
>Item (Cinnamon Roll, Mad Bull, Breakfast Taco, Holy Water)
>Flee
><Write-In>

>>1637191
>Fire

Rolled 3, 7 = 10 (2d10)

>>1637194

Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d10)

>>1637191
>Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3)

>>1637222
Shit, knew I forgot to put in the modifier.

Rolled 8, 4, 10, 1, 1, 10 = 34 (6d10)

Just noticed the statblock in the Grimm Book guide is outdated, will fix.
>>1637194

>>1637222 (Picked, closer post number)
>Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3) -3 (Affinity discovered)
>(6, 5) = 11 +0 tiers.
You reach out with Faust's power, but it's not as effective as you might expect. Despite this enemy's small stature, it's quite resilient mentally. You deal only the regular 5 damage.
>Keith:
>Melee: (L Blg +5)
Wanting to try out his new gloves, Keith rushes the tiny man and pummels him.
>Donna:
>Declare Fact: Tec, S, Rag, TN 16 (13+3, Enemy Affinity)
Whispering something rude under her breath, Donna attempts to disorient the enemy using her Myth.
>Needle Swordsman: Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3)
The Needle Swordsman attempts to do the same to Donna as you did to him.

Rolling...

>>1637266
Rolling his arm and reeling back, Allan hammers the swordsman with a heavy blow that nearly knocks the tiny man off his feet.
>(8, 4) +5 = 17 +2 tiers! Keith deals 7 damage to the Needle Swordsman!
However, Donna's comment goes unnoticed, and the Needle Swordsman is hardly out of this fight.
>(10, 1) < 16 FAIL
The Needle Swordsman responds by hitting Donna with a mental attack, dealing heavy damage.
>(1, 10) +3 +1 tier, Donna (12-7 = 5 HP)

Order: (You), Needle Swordsman, Donna, Keith.
Enemy Status: Moderately Hurt (1 Enemy)
>>Command? (Roll 2d10 plus listed modifier for skill)
>Outwit: Psy, S, M, (+3)
>Mental Vampire: Psy/Hlg, S, L, (+3)
>Boost Attack: Buf, Atk 2
>Fire: Prc, S, M, (+0)
>Melee: Blg, S, M, (+2)
>Seize the Truth: Buf, S, Sha
>Change Myth (Blackbeard, Velveteen Rabbit, Red Riding Hood)
>Order (Tell another person to do something specific)
>Item (Cinnamon Roll, Mad Bull, Breakfast Taco, Holy Water)
>Flee
><Write-In>

Rolled 1, 3 = 4 (2d10)

>>1637286
>Change myth Little Red Riding Hood
>Heal Donna

>>1637286
>Change Myth: Velveteen Rabbit
>Use Comfort to heal Donna

Rolled 7, 2 + 3 = 12 (2d10 + 3)

>>1637313
Scratch that, use Support instead.

Rolled 8, 2, 1, 6, 5, 8 = 30 (6d10)

>>1637311
>>1637313
>Change Myth: Velveteen Rabbit
>Use Comfort to heal Donna
>(7, 2) + 3 =12 +0 tiers
>Donna (5+5 = 10 HP)
"Thanks," she mutters, wiping her brow and concentrating again.
The needle swordsman prepares his sword for a flurry of slices and jabs.
>Needle Swordsman
>Seven With One Blow: Prc, A, L, (+0)
Seeing mind games won't work, Donna decides to use her dark power.
>Donna:
>Dark Declaration: Drk, A, L, (+3)
Seeing his previous attack was quite effective, Keith repeats it.
>Keith
>Melee: (L Blg +5)
Rolling...

(Should I just roll elsewhere? I feel like this is slowing things down, and I want to permit crits on everyone's parts.)

>>1637360
No I think it's fine if you do it here

>>1637360
I don't see a problem with it either way.

>>1637360
...And that should be Support, so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZSgwQoTeiQ
>Needle Swordsman deals 3 damage to all allies!
>Solomon: 16->13
>Keith: 20->17
>Donna: 10->7

>Donna deals 3 damage to the Needle Swordsman!
>Keith deals 7 damage to the Needle Swordsman!

The Needle Swordsman is heavily damaged, and can see this fight is going badly for him.

Plead
"You're all formidable warriors! And I don't say that to just anyone. I'm obviously outnumbered and outfought, so what do I need to give you in exchange for walking away?"

>>Negotiation
>Give me your power.
>I want that sword of yours.
>Money, my man.
>Aren't you married to a princess? I want some land.
>Stand still. (Devour)
><Write-In>

>>1637381
>Give me your power.

>>1637381
The sword is very tempting, but ya know what? I don't think we've fed any Curses to Faust yet except for in the tutorial fight, so I'm gonna go with that.

Im an idiot. In case >>1637398 wasn't clear:
>Stand still. (Devour)

>>1637398
You got a unique power (Seize the Truth) for devouring the Monster born from Donna's repressed feelings, if that counts.

>>1637406
Switching to devour then

>>1637406
Ah, forgot about that. Even so, I'll still vote devour for the fun of it.

>>1637406
Wait QM, if we devour it does (seize the truth) get's overwritten?

>>1637427
Nope. Instead of a unique power, you may get a permanent affinity boost which is considered inherent from that point forwards.
This gives Faust the potential to become VERY powerful. That's the tradeoff here- Myths now, or Faust growing to become the biggest powerhouse in the quest.

>>1637440
Alright, I'll keep my vote to devour then

>>1637440
I can't wait for when it turns out Faust is the secret final boss and the stronger we make him now the harder the fight will be.

>>1637401
>>1637421
You believe you can't let the attack on everyone, especially Donna, stand.
>Stand still. (Devour)
The tiny swordsman freezes up when he realizes what this means. He drops his sword, which dissolved into nothing, and begins to flee when you shift into Faust.
Plunging your claws into the Curse, you grip it tightly, causing it to explode into a tiny blob of ink you drain into your own form.
>Faust has gained a new affinity!
>Prc +2

Now that the way is clear, you all will be able to go back before fighting the upcoming Ruler Curse Mr. Bennett was talking about.

Donna is a little unsettled by your choice of dispatch, but Keith isn't.
>Party Chat:
>Keith: What now? Do we want to switch up ranks?
>Donna: That was pretty brutal.
>Keith: Yeah, well, tough shit, he was trying to kill us.
>Donna: I guess you're right. I could use some Oreos. He still has those, right?
>Keith: And coffee.
>Keith: Say, I wonder how David's doing.
>Donna: I'm sure he's fine.
>Donna: Say... Could I be switched onto a team with the three of you?
>Keith: What, you mean Solomon, David, and me?
>Donna: Yup.
>Keith: Why?
>Donna: Oh, no reason.
>Keith: (Whispers) Are you trying to get someone killed?

>>What now?
>Switch up party
>Recover and head forwards
>Contact Mr. Bennett
>Consume an item before your next fight
>Just chat with Donna and Keith
>Look for another small fry
><Write-In>

>>1637465
Whaaat? Now why would I do that?
I'll stick around to answer questions, but this is the second to last post. We're going to do boss fight next thread, because I've blocked off the 4th. Get hype. I'm going to give you the FREEDOM BONUS then.

>>1637501
>Say... Could I be switched onto a team with the three of you?

My fujo sense is tingling. Anyways, on with the show!

>Contact Mr. Bennett
>>Ask how Sofia's team is doing
>>Ask if there's anything noteworthy going on with the Ruler Curse ahead of us
>chat with Donna and Keith
>Recover and head forwards

>>1637522
>My fujo sense is tingling. Anyways, on with the show!
Close, but no.

>>1637522
>Contact Mr. Bennett
"Howdy," the response comes back.

>Ask how Sofia's team is doing
"They're holding together. Apparently David said something stupid at some point, so they stopped for a little discussion before moving on." He seems to know all about what they were discussing.

>Ask if there's anything noteworthy going on with the Ruler Curse ahead of us
"It's disoriented, as if it were looking for something. I'm sensing light and dark affinities, just like with the other one. This could be a nasty piece of work, so be ready to bail if need be."

>chat with Donna and Keith
>Party Chat:
>Keith: Dammit, of course David would put his foot in his mouth.
>Donna: Heh. Dumbass.
>Keith: Whatever. At least he's alive.
>Donna: But seriously, I don't know if it was a good idea to put Sofia and Ruth on a three-person team.
>Keith: Oh, please. They can put their claws away for a day. What is it with you women and being catty all the time?
>Ruth: You punch people as a hobby, you have no right to talk.
>Keith: Hey, they punch me back.
>Ruth: Point proven.
>Keith: Goddamn it, I just got played on, didn't I?

>Recover and head forwards
You all brace yourselves and move forwards, ready to face what lies ahead.
(Party HP Restored)

Last post of the night.
Archived: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/1634455/

>>1637603
It's been fun. See ya next thread Judge.