>>3373391
>>Strike back
>>We should get dressed
Yay new thread!

>>3373391
>>Strike back

>>3373391
>>Strike back
>>We should get dressed

>writing

You pull the pillow out from under your head and hit her with it, then she hits you back. What follows is a flurry of pillow exchanges, in which she comes out on top by jumping on you. It might be cheating, but then you didn't exactly set out any rules...

And if there are no rules for her, then there are no rules for you either...

...

On second thought, it might be better to de-escalate. As much as you'd love to destroy her in this pillow fight turned wrestling match, you'd rather not have anyone walk in on the two of you wrestling in the nude.

Pip doesn't seem to worried about that, popping down for a kiss before you can say anything.

It takes all of your willpower to break off before things get heated.

"Now's not the best time..." You say. "Lyvia's gonna barge in any minute"

Pip nuzzles your neck. "We can just tell her we were wrestling" She says. "She'd buy that, wouldn't she?"

"I doubt it" You say, gently pushing her up. "Remember the book she learned about love from?"

"Oh yeah..." She says. "Raunchy stuff that was... Poor thing probably still thinks all sex involves bondage somehow"

You chuckle. "Yeah... now that you mention it, I should probably go over that with her at some point..." You say, poking her in the stomach. "Now get dressed"

"You suuuuure?" She asks, picking up your timekeeper. "I'd say we've still got about five more minutes..."

>Don't tempt me

>Which we can spend getting dressed

>Oh gods, what have I unleashed?

>Other

>>3373588
>>Don't tempt me

>>3373588
>Don't tempt me

>writing

>>3373588
I know I'm late but
>>Oh gods, what have I unleashed?
Sums this up pretty well, when does the light BDSM begin.

"Don't you tempt me" You say.

"And what if I do...?" She asks, gently running a finger around the scar on your chest.

"Well I might just lose all restraint..." You say, sitting up and pulling her into you so you can speak right into her ear. "And if that happened, then I wouldn't be holding back like I did last night"

"I could handle it" She says.

"You sure?" You ask. "All of those things you said not to do... all those times you said to slow down..."

Instead of backing down, she presses her chest into yours. "Well come on, tough guy" She says. "Only 4 minutes left now. If I can still walk proper when you're done, then I'll be quite disappointed"

You stare at her for a second, before sighing. "Gods, I've created a monster..." You say.

"I'm your monster, Yuuster" She says, licking your neck. "An I demand to be fed"

"Isn't that line from the book where the dude created a woman in his lab?" You ask.

She keeps licking and kissing down to your collarbone. "I thought it fit here" She says. "Clock's tickin' bud"

>You asked for it...

>Get dressed, Pip

>How about we do this later?

>Other

>>3373722
>Get dressed, Pip
>How about we do this later?
we really don't need the daughter walking in on this

>>3373722
>How about we do this later?
I just don't want best daughter to see this kind of stuff by accident

>>3373722
>>Get dressed, Pip
>>How about we do this later?

>>3373722
>>How about we do this later?

>writing

"How about we do this later?" You ask. "Tonight, maybe?"

"You pussyin' out on me?" She asks.

"No. I just don't want Lyvia to walk in once I've hung you upside down with your legs spread wide, one hand givin' you the three knuckle shuffle while the other-" You pause and give her butt a smack. "-spanks you for being such a naughty girl"

"Me? Naughty?" She asks. "I was pure as a pearl before you came along"

"Pure? I've seen your book collection, Pip." You reply. "Now get dressed"

Pip grumbles as she finally gets up and goes to put some clothes on, leaving you to do the same. Despite trying to stay focused, your eyes get drawn her way every so often. Partly because you're checking to make sure she isn't going to try anything funny, and partly because she's making a bit of a show out of getting dressed, adding a sensual flourish to her movements when she catches you looking.

Despite that you're both dressed before Lyvia arrives, which leaves you some time to talk...

>Discuss your new dynamic

>Talk about the bracelet

>Plan a bit for the mission

>Other

>>3373799
>Talk about the bracelet

>>3373799
>Discuss your new dynamic

>>3373799
>Discuss your new dynamic

>>3373799
>>Discuss your new dynamic
>>Talk about the bracelet

>>3373799
>>Discuss your new dynamic
>>Talk about the bracelet

>writing

"So how does this work now?" You ask, keeping your voice quiet. "Do we keep it to the tent and pretent nothing is happening? Are we open about this? What works for you?"

"I'd... rather not have anyone else knowing" She says, sitting next to you and putting her head on your shoulder. "Not that I'm embarrassed or anything... it's just... I don't really want people to know"

"Not really an explanation, but then I didn't ask for reasons" You say. "Can I touch your butt when no one is looking?"

"No. Only when we're in private" She says, taking one of your hands and putting it on her behind. "But in private you may touch as much as you want"

"Cool" You say.

"Is that your only term?" She asks.

You shrug. "You have a nice butt" You say, giving it a pat. "Nice and firm, with just a liiiiiittle bit of jiggle"

She smiles. "Well thank you. I did a lot of squats to get it this way" She says.

"And the jiggle?" You ask. "I'm no expert, but I don't think squats add any of that"

"That's mostly chocolate and other snacks" She says, lifting her shirt to show her stomach. "Same reason why I only have one ab instead of six"

"Huh..." You say.

"I mean I could get six if I wanted to, but it would mean giving up junk food and I don't think that's really worth it" She says, putting her shirt back down. "One ab does the job just as well"

"Plus it would make your butt less interesting" You say.

"That too" She says.

>1/2

I fucking love Pip, guys.

>>3373938
Me too
She's really skyrocketing on my tier list lately
Top 3 for sure. Maybe even top slot but im unsure

"Oh right, and before I forget" You say. "Can I see the bracelet?"

"You're not taking it back, are you?" She asks, getting defensive and covering it with her hand.

"No, of course not" You say. "I'd never give it to you just to take it back. Why would you think that?"

"I just... as gifts go it seemed a little too good to be true" She says. "Y'know... why give something so expensive to someone who's just a friend?"

"Precisely because you're my friend... slash sexual partners" You say. "What's the point of having more money than I know what to do with if I can't buy nice things for my friends?"

"Slash sexual partners" She adds.

"To be fair, we were just friends when I got this" You say. "I just need to check out the device for a sec. It stayed on all last night, so I'm wondering if something might be wrong with it"

"Oh... okay, sure" She says, fidgeting a little before taking it off. "J-just remember to give it back after"

...

"It... actually kinda needs to stay on your wrist for this..." She says.

"O-oh... I knew that" She says, sliding the bracelet back on.

You roll your eyes and reach up to give her shoulder a squeeze, before walking her through the tests you want to run.

It turns out that it is indeed small enough to run on the mana in the air, so she'll need to remember to turn it on or off.

Alternatively, you also take the time to test another theory of yours. You were wondering if you could somehow "suffocate" a device by creating a bubble of soul around it to stop new mana from getting in.

It does work, though it takes a few seconds to kick in, and you're not actually sure if it will have the same effect on larger devices.

...

Might've been better to try this out on a regular-sized device, but at least this is proof of concept.

"Happy now?" She asks.

"Yep" You say.

"Good. Now stop that before you break it" She says.

"It won't break..." You say.

"What if it does?" She asks.

>I can fix it

>I'll get you a better one

>I know it won't

>Other

>>3373966
>>I can fix it

>>3373966
>>I can fix it

>>3373966
>I can fix it
>I'm sure I could make it up to you

>writing

"If it breaks, then I will fix it" You say, sliding your hand up from her shoulder and running your fingers through her hair. "I will fix it, then I'll make it up to you"

"Make it up to me how?" She asks.

"I dunno" You say. "I'll do something that'll leave you thinking 'oh my gosh' for days after"

"Sexually or otherwise?" She asks.

"Both" You reply.

She looks down at the bracelet. "Okay. I'm convinced. Hurry up and break it" She says in a deadpan tone.

"No" You say. "And if you break it on purpose, the offer is rescinded"

"Aww man..." She says, pausing for a moment before adding "That feels kinda nice"

"What, me playing with your hair?" You ask.

"Yeah" She says. "Can you do this more often?"

"Absolutely" You reply.

Lyvia chooses this time to finally arrive, not even noticing the little moment you and Pip were having as she bursts through the flap and tackles you to the ground.

"Good morning, Your Highness" You say. "Sleep well?"

"No" She says, her tone indignant. "I had terrible dreams of a massive ice cream monster coming after me for eating its kin..."

"You couldn't just freeze it?" You ask.

"I tried!" She says. "But it's already frozen! I couldn't freeze it more!"

>That's what happens when you eat too much sugar...

>Well... ice cream monsters aren't real

>That makes more sense than it should

>Did you try eating it too?

>Other

>>3374061
>Did you try eating it too?

>>3374061
>Did you try eating it too?

>writing

>>3374061
>>That makes more sense than it should

"Did you try eating it too?" You ask.

"Yes... but my mouth was far too small" She says. "I could not bite off enough to make a dent before it retaliated"

"Well just dream of me next time" You say, sitting up and propping her up in your lap. "I'll hold it down so you can eat your fill, okay?"

"I do not have that kind of control over my dreams..." She says.

"Then maybe ice cream before bed's not the best idea" Pip says. "Too much suger can make the brain go wonky, I've heard"

"Perhaps..." Lyvia says. "But if that is the case, then wouldn't this whole camp have had strange dreams as well?"

"The whole camp didn't have four full bowls of the stuff" You say. "Personally, I slept fine. How about you, Pip?"

"Same" Pip says. "But to be fair, you ended up eating most of my ice cream..."

You'll give her that one. What she does not mention is that she was the one who asked you to eat it, on the grounds that it be dribbled onto her skin first.

But you're not about to tell that to Lyvia, and neither is Pip. So now it's time to-

>Go bug your friends

>Go get breakfast

>Go bug your mom

>Other

>>3374163
>Go get breakfast

>>3374163
>>Go get breakfast

>>3374163
>Go get breakfast
Huh, I just had a thought, too...
>Ask Lyvia if she ever made a sprite of her own

>>3374163
Supporting >>3374176

>writing

-go eat. Hopefully everyone is already up and getting prepped, so no need to go poke them. If anything you're probably the late ones, due to Pip's shenanigans and waiting for Lyvia.

You send the Queen off ahead while you and Pip pack your things and strike your tent, heading to the dining tent once you're finished.

Lyvia is eating already by the time you arrive, joined by Meyu and Derrick. You're surprised to see Derrick without Marybell around, but it might be nice to actually get to talk with him for once...

"Mornin' Yuu" Meyu says.

"Good morning" You reply as you sit down next to Lyvia. "Ilica manage to talk to you guys last night?

He nods. "From what she said, it sounds like quite the mission" He says. "Well... more interestin' then sittin' around here anyway. You want us on board?"

>Of course

>I think we'll be fine

>Other

>>3374275
>>Of course

>>3374275
>Of course

>>3374275
>Of course

>writing

"Of course" You say. "I may be strong, but I don't have a whole lot of combat experience with this power. I could definitely use someone with some experience to spare"

"Well alright then" He says. "The boys are packin' the tent right now. We'll have everything loaded onto Betsy and ready to go when you are"

"How come you're not packing?" Pip asks.

"I took on the task of goin' to talk to this one here" Meyu says, pointing at you.

"Then how come you didn't come get me?" You ask.

Meyu turns his finger up and wags it at you. "A good hunter lies in wait where he knows his prey will go" He says. "I figured you'd show up here eventually. Easier to sit and enjoy my breakfast then to go lookin' for ya"

"Makes sense" You say. "How about you, Derrick? I take it you're staying here?"

"Uhh... yeah" Derrick says. "I'll be here, rooting for you... and maybe trying to keep the general from going after you"

"Would he?" You ask.

"He's still pretty mad" He says.

"Well... if he's that determined, then let him come at me" You say. "I've got shoes enough to go around"

"Please don't hit the general with your shoe..." He says.

"If he comes at me, I make no promises" You reply. "They finally decide on a captain yet?"

"No, but there's a meeting for just that happening later" He says. "Yesterday's events kinda opened everyone's eyes to the downsides of having six captains..."

"Six captains who never learned to share, or cooperate" You say. "Seriously. I've got kids whose only meaningful possession is the toy they choose as theirs, and they're still willing to share it with others. Those two couldn't put their pride aside for five seconds to get an important mission done"

"Is that why you hit them with your shoe?" Meyu asks.

"Yes" You say.

Derrick chuckles. "Should I tell the council you said that?" He asks.

"If you want" You say.

"Alright... how about recommendations. Have any of those?" He asks.

"For captain?" You ask

Derrick nods.

>You, probably

>Gunter the gunner

>Whoever is most qualified

>Other

>>3374404
>>Gunter the gunner
or
>>You, probably

>>3374404
Supporting >>3374418

>writing

>>3374404
>Whoever is most qualified
And By most qualified, I mean whoever they have who can recognize that being the captain isnt just a prestige position, it's a responsibility.
For all they know, their command and swift action could be all thats between our soldiers and sudden death, so they better act like it.

"I dunno man... maybe that Gunter dude, he seemed like the kinda dude who could keep a level head" You say. "Or... y'know... you"

"Me?" He asks.

"Yeah" You say. "Who better to captain the revolutionary airship than the dude who's basically revolutionizing airship tactics"

"I kinda want to stay on the ground though..." He says.

"Yeah, I know" You say. "Aside from that, whoever is most qualified would be my pick. This army can't afford to look at 'Captain of the Defiant' as a prestige position. We need a Captain who's quick enough to make decisions in time, and experienced enough for those decisions to be the right ones"

Meyu nods. "Well said, boy" He says, nudging Derrick with his elbow. "You might wanna write that down and read it to them at the meeting. Those old boys could use a bit of a wake up call"

"You served under most of them, didn't you?" Derrick asks. Surprisingly he takes Meyu seriously and actually writes down what you just said.

"I did, back when war was simpler. When we fought the Antolians there was an order to things. We'd both assemble somewhere, try to look intimidating, throw barrages and counter barrages of magic for a while, then charge in and kill each other until one side had enough" He says. "Now though... war's changed. The Legion doesn't play by the old rules. We could fight the Antolians for glory because they were fighting us for the same thing. The Legion just wants blood. Glory needs to come second when defeat means destruction"

"Why couldn't you tell them that?" Derrick asks. "Someone with a career as long as yours must have gained some respect"

"And lost some more" Meyu says. "I pissed a lot of people off when I left the Knights. A lot of them are here with us, and they'd take my being here as a personal insult if I hadn't been on the Commander's wild ride from the start"

You notice that Derrick is also writing down what Meyu said about how this war is different. Smart. That was actually pretty wise too.

"The Commander's wild ride?" Pip asks. "That's what you're calling it now?"

"Well it has been" Meyu says. "Seems like ever since we joined up... no, more like ever since we found that red headed wild child, nothin's been quite right"

"I'll say..." Derrick says, trying very hard not to look at you.

"Well, better buckle your seat belt, old man" You say. "I got a feeling it's only gonna get wilder"

Meyu gives you a weird look. "What's a seat belt?"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow, starting a bit earlier than today's.

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

>>3374176
I completely forgot to write this in, but Yuu mostly knows the answer already. Sprites didn't exist in Lyvia's time, and she's had no reason to try making one since she thawed. A sprite made by her would be no different from a normal sprite.

>>3374554
Thank for running

>>3374554
Pastebin when?

>>3374568
Workin' on it. New job's been tougher than I expected, so I haven't had as much time to write as I'd like. I'll try to have it/them up sometime tomorrow.

>>3374578
Niiice

>>3374554
Thanks for running

My internet died last night so missed thread. We should find out who this general is and what's going on before we leave, just so we know whether it's going to be an ongoing issue.

Also reading about Lyvia and her books again reminds me that we need to apprise her to viciously bite anyone who tries courting her while we are gone.

After trying and failing to explain the concept of a seat belt to Meyu, he heads off to let his crew know they're in on this mission. Pip also heads off to get some additional prep done, like making sure your party has food and water...

...

That seems like the kinda thing that shouldn't be put off until the last minute, but you trust Pip's experience on this one.

That leaves you with just Lyvia and Derrick. Lyvia is currently eating some leftover ice cream from last night, while Derrick goes over his notes.

"You're being pretty serious about this, aren't you?" You ask.

"This is revenge for last night" Lyvia says.

...

>That was meant for Derrick

>Won't that just make the monster angrier?

>You show 'em, sweetie

>Other

>>3376605
>That was meant for Derrick

Gotta talk to Derrick for some tips in handling angry nobles. Yuu is exceptional at pissing them off, but not at placating them...

>>3376605
>>You should make sure to eat one of each flavor so it has no kin left. No mercy.
>>Ask if anyone has ever hassled her about playing too closely with us.

>writing

>>3376605
Supporting >>3376625

You reach up and pet Lyvia on the head. "Just make sure you get a bit of each flavour. Show the ice cream monster that you're not to be trifled with" You say.

"I tried. They only have vanilla left. The other flavours were finished last night" Lyvia says. "Perhaps it is important to have allies after all..."

Well that's... not how you'd want her to learn that lesson, but the important part is that she's learning the value of friends. And that's... good?

Meanwhile, Derrick looks quite confused.

"She had a dream about an ice cream monster" You say. "Are all of those notes for the meeting?"

"Ah. Yeah. Can't really afford to just wing it at this stage, so I'm trying to get all my thoughts organized on paper" He says, quickly flicking through his little notebook. "That way they're already organized when the time comes for them to come out of my mouth"

"Smart" You say. "I usually just say or do whatever comes to mind at the time, but I suppose that's how I ended up pissing everybody off in the first place..."

Derrick nods. "Yeah. Pretty much" He says.

"Any advice on how to deal with angry nobles in a way that doesn't involve shoes?" You ask.

"Maaaaaybe let us handle this" He says. "Lay low for a while. The Commander knows how to sweep a bit of bad blood under the carpet"

"I kinda feel bad just dumping this on you guys..." You say.

"Don't worry about it" He says. "I... kinda hate to say this, but you might just make things worse if you tried to help... no offense"

>That's fair

>Some taken

>I can do diplomacy just fine

>Other

>>3376770
>>I can do diplomacy just fine. I created peace with the north and have a city in good order. Not my fault this guy is a moron.

Still want to follow-up on this >>3376625 because I want to know if Lyvia is getting pushed behind our back. She's not too swift on some of these human things.

>writing

"I can do diplomacy just fine" You say. "I made peace with the north, my city is in good order... not my fault these guys are morons"

"You earned the respect of the north first" Derrick says. "There's still quite a few Lubrian nobles who don't feel you belong here..."

"After everything, there's still..." You say letting out a sigh. "Should I turn the Spire to dust on my way out? Maybe that'll convince them"

"Like I said, Yuu. Just leave it to us" He says. "You do what you do best. We'll take care of the angry nobles. Okay?"

"Alright..." You say.

"Anyways. I've gotta go see to a few things" Derrick says, as he pockets his book and stands up. "Good luck out there"

"Thanks. You too" You reply.

Derrick heads off, leaving you with Lyvia. As the queen finishes the last of her ice cream, you decide now might be a good time to talk...

"So Lyvia" You say.

"Hmm?" She replies, tilting her head curiously.

"Has anyone been giving you any trouble?" You ask.

"Trouble...?" She says. "No. Other than you and my handmaidens, no one really approaches me... oh, and Caiah. Her too"

"Alright..." You say. "Well. Just remember that not everyone here will have good intentions. If anybody tries to treat you the way I do, or make you do something you don't want to, feel free to bite them"

"But my teeth are so weak..." She says. "May I encase them in ice instead?"

"Try not to kill them. Maybe just their legs" You say.

Lyvia smiles and leans into your side. "Just the legs. Okay" She says. "Any other requests?"

>Stay frosty

>Find a different book about love

>Try to make some friends

>Other

>>3376925
>Try to make some friends
Your Handmaidens seem nice, I think you've just got to throw them a bone.
...I mean give them a chance to get to know you, open up. Youre going to spending a lot of time together anyway.

>>3376925
>>If you pay attention to the human things, you're a lot better than a bunch of these worthless politicians. Assert yourself as a ruler more and don't just spend time with the handmaidens. You're a queen.

>>3376925
Supporting >>3376946 & >>3376951

>writing

"Maybe try to make some friends" You say. "Your handmaids seem like good people. Try opening up to them a bit. You'll be spending a lot of time with them anyway"

"But they're so much larger than I am..." She says. "Everyone here is too different..."

"Maybe you can write back to Gabriella then" You say. "You got along with her pretty well"

"Perhaps..." She says.

"And it'd give you a good excuse to practice your penmanship" You say.

Lyvia puffs out her cheeks.

"Yes I know letter writing in inconvenient, but it's how we communicate things to people who aren't with us" You say. "Maybe you could even make your own sprite"

"I could..." She says. "Having my own sprite could be nice"

"Just don't try to eat her. Coral is still nervous around you after that one time..." You say.

Lyvia pouts. "I didn't do it on purpose..." She says.

"I know" You say. "What say we go-

>See Altea

>See your handmaids

>See my friends

>Talk to the order

>Other

>>3377039
>Talk to the order
Cant ignore them ALL the time

>>3377039
>>See your handmaids
>>Ask if she wants to make a sprite together when we get back.
>>Ask her if sprites are anything like her or the other great kings when they were really small and hadn't eaten anything yet.

>writing

"Let's get you back to your handmaids. I've got some business with the order that I think you'd find super boring" You say.

Lyvia hugs you from the side and doesn't let go.

"Look, you can't stay with me forever" You say. "This is why you need to make other friends"

She holds on tighter.

"Alright... do you want to join me to go talk with the order?" You ask.

She nods.

"Alright. You know where to go..." You say as you stand up.

Lyvia climbs up onto your back and gets comfy, then you head off. Coral points the way to Storm, who's the one you actually want to talk to. Well... technically Michaela is the one you need, since she's the one with the super demon sense. But she won't go anywhere without Storm... or is it the other way around?

Maybe you should go ask Madelaine about who the boss in that relationship is before you go see them. Michaela may seem timid, but who knows what she's like behind closed doors?

You shake your head to dispell the image of Michaela in full leather before that train of thought goes any further. You don't think it'd be a bad look for her, but that's really not where your head should be right now.

You find the holy couple eating breakfast in the little area of the camp that the order has taken for themselves. A few of the order's knights give you their little 'three fingers across the heart' salute as you go by. Seems they respect you more than your own people do...

"Good morning you two" You say as you approach.

"Good mo-" Michaela says, jumping into her greeting too soon and forgetting that she still has a mouthful of porridge. Her face turns bright red, and she proceeds to take shelter within her wings...

Storm lets out chuckle. "Good morning Yuu, Your Majesty" Storm says.

"Good morning" Lyvia replies.

Lyvia actually gets along pretty well with Storm, mostly because he's a lot like you.

>Ask him if he'd be interested in coming along with you

>Ask him why the order likes you so much

>Poke Michaela

>Other

>>3377160
>Ask him if he'd be interested in coming along with you

>>3377160
>>Ask him if he'd be interested in coming along with you
>>Ask him why the order likes you so much. Something besides the demon killing?

>writing

"Mind if I join you guys? I wanted to ask you something" You say.

"Go ahead" Storm replies, shifting over on his bench to make room.

You sit next to him, and Lyvia crawls down and sits next to you. "So I've recently been informed that I'm not well liked among the Lubrian commanders" You say. "I was kinda wondering why you guys at the order seem to have to much regard for me"

"That's... it? You came all the way here to ask that?" He asks.

"No, there was something else but I figured I'd get this out of the way first" You reply.

"Okay... well, it's because..." Storm trails off. "What was it we called him again, Michaela?"

"The Sword of Apocalypse" Michaela replies, her voice muffled by her wings.

"That's it" Storm says. "Old foretellings from a priest who could see the future had a bunch of lines about a person who would bring an end to evil or something..."

"I think I've heard something about that" You say. "Father... something... Lianna mentioned him I think"

"Yeah" Storm says. "Father... uhh... help me out here Michaela"

Michaela's wings open, and she looks kinda mad. "Honestly, you'd know all of this if you did your reading!" She says.

"Come on, those book are thicker than my arm!" Storm whines. "They can't actually expect me to read all that. Help me out here, Yuu"

>Studying is important

>Can we get back to this Apocalypse thing?

>No no, you've got this handled

>Other

Taking a food break here. Will resume writing when I return.

>>3377264
>>Can we get back to this Apocalypse thing?
>>Does the Apocalypse have any responsibilities or perks attached to it?

I have this urge to only answer to the Lubrian commanders from now on if they address us as Sword of the Apocalypse.

>>3377264
>>No no, you've got this handled
>>Studying is important

>>3377264
>Studying is important
>Can we get back to this Apocalypse thing?

>writing

"Can we get back to this Apocalypse thing?" You ask. "It sounds important..."

Michaela perks up. "The Sword of Apocalypse shall bring the evil birthed by Origin's Womb to its knees" She says.

"Was that straight from the book?" You ask.

"Of course. Some of us-" She says, giving a very pointed look toward Storm. "-actually do our reading"

"Mind explaining that deal to me?" You ask.

"We don't quite know what it means yet, but we believe that the evil from Origin's Womb is the Black God" Michaela says.

"And I have to bring it to its knees?" You ask.

"I do not believe the Black God had knees..." Lyvia says.

...

You pet Lyvia on the head. "So how come I haven't been told this before?" You ask.

"We felt that it was best not to tell you unless you asked" Michaela says. "Sometimes learning of a prophecy can alter its outcome... or so I was told"

"Namaki did mention that I mess with the way things are supposed to go..." You say. "Could I possibly get my hands on some of these books?"

"You actually want to read them?" Storm asks.

"Yeah, I might as well" You say, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "We can be study buddies, Storm. Apparently you haven't read them either"

Storm groans as you laugh at his expense.

"What was the other thing you wanted to ask us?" Michaela asks.

"Oh yeah" You say. "You guys want to join me? I'm going demon-slash-resistance hunting, and I could use someone with a keen demon sense. What do you say?"

Storm and Michaela exchange a glance. "Well... we'd have to talk to our superiors... and pack" Storm says. "That'd take a little while"

>We can wait

>Can you catch up?

>Just thought I'd ask

>Other

>>3377509
>>We can wait
>>I have found it's good to have a positive relationship with the church.
>>You can tell them too that if they ever want to cooperate off the battlefield in Lutain I feel Priestess Lianna there that would be a trustworthy contact.

>>3377509
>>Just thought I'd ask

>writing

"Well we're not leaving for a little while yet, so you've got some time" You say. "Just figured I'd ask"

"Would you be willing to wait for a little bit? We can finish our breakfast, I can go pack, and Michaela can go talk to our boss" Storm says.

"Not too long, but I'd be willing to hold up for a bit" You say. "You guys have a cart?"

"We're still using the one we uhh... claimed from the Inquisition" He says.

"Oh! Is that the really comfy one?" You ask. "I might have to leave the Rook behind and ride with you guys... I was actually hoping to claim that one myself, before you guys had to take off"

"It is definitely a nice cart" Storm says. "Kinda feel like I've fallen behind a bit on maintenance though... it's been a bit bumpy"

"Not a problem. Meyu and I can take a look at it when we make camp tonight" You say. "Both of us know our stuff when it comes to carts, so we should be able to get it back in working order"

"Alright. Maybe you can teach me, too" He says.

"Sure thing" You say. "You know, it's kinda nice being on good terms with you guys and the order and all. I really feel like we got off on the wrong foot with the whole Inquisition thing"

"Had we known about Arlen's actual ambitions, he never would have been given so much power..." Michaela says. "I regret that we only learned of his heresy at the end..."

"Well you're doing your part to make up for it" You say. "I've had the opportunity to see the good the order does on the small scale"

"Yes, we've spoken with Priestess Lianna as well" Storm says. "Quite the woman. It's unbelievable that she survived what the Legion put her through with her good nature intact, but there she is"

"And we wanted to offer our own thanks for the what you did for her" Michaela says. "Her rehabilitation, and the rebuilding of her church should have been our responsibility"

"I didn't really do anything other than convince her to accept the help she was being given" You say. "The ladies at the manor were happy to care for her, and the carpenters were happy to rebuild the church, and the grocers were happy to restock her pantry... it was really all just her reaping the benefits of her own kindness"

"If only we could all be so fortunate to see our good deeds returned to us" Michaela says.

"If only" You reply.

Michaela and Storm finish their breakfast, and start getting ready to make way. You figure you'll-

>Help Storm pack

>See how your friends are

>Go see Gretchen

>Other

>>3377693
>>See if we can dig up some information on this general and whether he is against us for something besides shoegate.

>>3377693
>>Go see Gretchen

>>3377693
>Go see Gretchen

>>3377693
>Go see Gretchen

>writing

"See? Told you that'd be boring" You say, as you and Lyvia head off.

"On the contrary. I found it quite entertaining" She says. "Those two get along quite well"

"Definitely" You say. "Hard to believe a slacker like Storm came from the same place as me..."

Lyvia giggles. "Where to next?" She asks.

"I've got a couple things to talk to Gretchen about" You say. "In fact, you might get along well with her-... apprentice. Try to steer clear of Gretchen herself. She's got a pretty dirty sense of humour"

"Her apprentice is the one who always falls asleep, yes?" She asks.

"That's the one" You say. "Out of everyone here, she's probably closest to you in human years"

"I suppose so..." Lyvia says.

You reach the engineer's tent and head inside to find Gretchen in full welder's gear, working on something rather large while Elphie naps on a bench nearby. None of the other engineers seem to be here, but the it's still a bit early.

"Getting an early start?" You ask.

"Oh hey" Gretchen says, lifting up her welding mask. "Yuu, your majesty"

"What is this?" You ask.

"Air to ground bombardment thing" Gretchen says, giving it a tap with her toe. "Attachment that'll hang off either side of an airship. They fly over the center of a barrier, drop the bigass pair of bombs, and if all goes to plan the bombs should be able to pierce a city's anti-air barrier, fall right on the generator, and explode"

"Neat" You say. "How long have you been working on this?"

Gretchen pauses. "What time is it?" She asks.

You sigh. "You're not up early, are you?" You ask.

"Nope" She replies.

>Go get some sleep

>Check out the project

>You hear about the shoe incident?

>Other

>>3377852
>Check out the project

>>3377852
>>You hear about the shoe incident?
>>You're not trying to replace us, right?

>>3377852
>>Check out the project

>writing

You put a hand on the welder's mask covering Gretchen's head. "Has anyone ever told you that you're ridiculous?" You ask.

"Ridiculous is my middle name" She replies with a smile.

"Alright Lyvia. Wanna go bug Elphie for a bit? Gretchen and I have some stuff to discuss" You say.

"Kaaaay" Lyvia replies as she climbs off your back.

"Okay, show me what you've got" You say.

"This is just the start of the mount, so there's not much to see yet. Come on. I'll show you the designs" She says.

You follow her over to the table. "So you hear about the shoe incident?" You ask.

"The thing from earli-... from last night?" She asks. "Yeah. Shame I missed it. Dude's dad must be pretty PO'd"

"Yep" You say. "I'm heading off on another mission for a while. Any idea when my stuff is gonna come in?"

"Couple days, maybe?" She says. "Should I leave it be, or get to shaping it?"

"Leave it be. I want to do this stuff myself" You say.

"Cool. So here's what we're building" Gretchen says. "Mount is sized for the Hulker class cargo ships, since they're our biggest. They're slower, but they're the only ones with the extra lift to handle the weight of the new equipment"

"And the projectile?" You ask.

"That's where all the fun stuff is" She says, pulling out another sheet. "Basically a big, heavy spike with a propulsion device strapped to the top"

"And an explosive in the center" You say. "Bottom is armored, so it'll pierce the barrier and probably bury itself into the generator building before exploding"

"Simple, yet effective" Gretchen says. "Only downside is that there's no device that'll make an explosion strong enough, so we're forced to fill them with firepowder. Plus they're too big and heavy to transport in anything but the launcher. Projectiles'll have to be built on the ground, and picked up by the ship"

"And carrying around that much firepowder carries its own risks" You say.

"We thought of that. The launcher holds the projectile at the center, so we can have more armor around the firepowder without having to put it on the bomb" She says.

"When do you think it'll be ready for tests?" You ask.

"A few weeks, maybe?" She says, letting out a big yawn. "We're short on materials for the projectile, which is why we're just working on the launcher right now"

"Neat" You say.

>Ask how Elphie's been doing

>Ask when the last time she slept was

>I do know a researcher who was working with firepowder

>Other

>>3378031
>>Ask how Elphie's been doing

>>3378031
>Ask when the last time she slept was
>I do know a researcher who was working with firepowder

>>3378031
>Ask how Elphie's been doing

>writing

"So how's Elphie been?" You ask, as you look over the designs.

"She's been good" Gretchen says.

"Has she?" You ask. "You know she has a bed, right?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Don't give me that. You both have needs that are not being met" You say. "You really need to start taking better care of both her and yourself..."

"I just... I get so caught up sometimes" She says.

"Set alarms. Leave reminders" You say. "If you have to work late, send her off to bed. Just... don't leave her to pass out on the bench, okay?"

"Alright..." Gretchen says.

"Oh, and I'm trying to get Lyvia to make some friends. Try and see if you can give some time for Elphie and her to hang" You say. "If they get along, I mean"

"If she wants" Gretchen says. "Anything else you need?"

"How's the other project coming along?" You ask.

"The vibrating testes attachment is almost finished" Gretchen says. "All product testers have given version 1.0 a thumb's up"

"Good to know" You say. "You know, you could probably increase the blast yield on this a bit"

"How so?" She asks. "Can't really fit more firepowder into it"

"There's a researcher in Contique... you've met Fran, right?" You ask.

"Devil milf. Married to a hunter?" Gretchen asks. "We've met"

You give her an odd look at hearing Fran being called a milf, but choose to ignore that comment. "Her teacher/mother in law is an owl lady named Kieve who blew out the first floor of her house experimenting with strengthening firepowder"

"I don't need those kinds of fireworks in here..." Gretchen says. You just let that hang until her curiousity gets the better of her. "Did it work?"

"According to her, yes" You say.

Gretchen scrunches up her face, like she's trying to hold back an idea. "God damn it. How can I contact her?" She asks.

>Through the milf, probably

>I'm sure I could find her address

>I'll get in touch with her

>Other

>>3378241
>I'm sure I could find her address

>>3378241
>>Through the milf, probably

>writing

"I could probably find her address..." You say.

"Couldn't I just ask the milf?" She asks.

"Possibly..." You say. "I might not call her that, but you could ask Fran"

"Oh, of course" She says. "When you're doing a business deal, you have to be proper. I'd never call her a milf to her face..."

"Okay, good" You say.

"She is pretty good lookin' though" She says.

"Enough of that" You say. "Go get some rest"

"Unnnnngh... if I go to sleep now the other engineers'll get their hands all over my woooooork"

"So put a 'do not touch' sign on it, and go to bed" You say.

Gretchen grumbles something.

"I could always try rocking you to sleep" You say. "And I'm not too confident in my singing, but I think I could pull off a lullaby too"

"Oh gods, please no" She says. "Alright. I'll go get some sleep, jeez"

"All I ask" You say, patting her on the head.

>Anything else?

>>3378370
>Nothin'

>>3378370
>No

>writing

You and Gretchen head back to where Lyvia and Elphie are. The two of them seem to be getting along well enough at the moment.

Elphie seems worried when Gretchen tells her she's going to get some sleep, but she perks back up when you tell her she can hang out with Lyvia until Gretchen returns.

Lyvia seems pretty cool with this arrangement as well, so you give them all a hug and say your goodbyes, then head on your way.

When you head to the spot where everyone was supposed to meet, you're the only one there. So you decide to take the time to do maintenance on the Rook.

You've just finished oiling up the motion generator when someone finally shows up.

"Heading out alone?"

You pick your head up and peer over the Rook at the newcomer. It's Altea.

"You didn't have to come out here. I was gonna go see you" You say as you stand up and step around the Rook.

"Yes, well if I don't leave my tent every now and then my legs might just atrophy..." She says. "You did manage to get people to come with you, right?"

You nod. "I got Meyu and his crew, Storm and Michaela from the order, as well as Cheska, Ilica, Emi, and Pip" You say. "And Quria... and Madelaine, in case she doesn't count as a member of Meyu's crew"

"Decent team" She says. "What's your plan?"

"Legion's sniffing around the towns west of here, so we'll check them one by one. Quria knows the resistance signals and secret knocks and stuff, so we should be able to get them out of hiding" You say.

"And after that?" She asks.

"After that...?" You ask. "Haven't really thought that far ahead. Isn't it best to focus on the mission first?"

"Sometimes, but in some cases not planning ahead can lead to you having a bunch of Antolian insurgents with nowhere to take them" She says. "What do you do when you find them?"

"That might depend on how long it takes to find them" You say. "If it's quick... I'd rather not bring them to a military base, but they still need to be somewhere safe. So probably Lutain. If it takes a while, then we go south. Have them help us get into Kirando and help you guys with the attack there"

"Smart" She says. "I'd say I taught you well, but I definitely haven't been teaching you much..."

"I pick things up here and there" You say. "Will you be sticking around here long?"

"Long enough to say goodbye" She says.

"Cool" You reply.

...

"So... do anything interesting last night?" She asks.

That's all for tonight!

I'll try to put up a post or two when I can during the week, but the next proper thread won't be until Saturday.

Pip bin should be up soon.

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

>>3378570
Thanks for running

>>3378570
Thanks for running.
>"So... do anything interesting last night?"
Everyone heard Yuu and Pip last didn’t they?

>>3378719
Nope.You two were quiet as a mouse.

>>3378787
That damn bracelet probably gave everyone the sexiest mongolian shadow puppet show they've ever seen!

>>3378719
>>3378787
Well that's good. I don't really want to escalate the strangeness issues right now. Though speaking of that, Altea seems to want to know too much at times. Granted I guess there's cause with the diplomatic issues granted and Derrick not really securing any new gains with his choice of relationship.

I just want a scene where pip tells Gretchen her machine isn’t as good as the real thing

>>3381811
And also Moms are nosy like that.

>>3378563
Personally, I'd vote for not saying ANYTHING about what we did with Pip unless Altea straight out asks us "did you fuck the mouse?" I don't want to lie to the Comomder, obviously, but everyone has stressed the need for discretion in these matters, so it'd be a good idea to show her that we're not ignoring that advice.

>>3384509
I'm personally for resisting all questions about our relationships from anyone unless we have no choice for time being.

>>3378570
Where are them lewds

>>3386547
We still need to get the Lianna event too aside from mouse and rabbit lewds.

Pip bin is up on twitter

>She thought that Yuu would lick her tit off
Why is so precious

>>3392605
*Pip so

>>3392492
Shit. Meant to post it here too.

https://pastebin.com/C5TZSc2A

>>3392648
>Slow and steady
>Wedding talk
>Handholding
>Confessions of love
Sweet jesus, I always knew you were a degenerate, Smiley
Pip is now in my #1 slot, god damn it

>>3392605
>>3392648
>>3392677
Pip is way too fucking cute

>>3392762
How can the other girls even compete.

"I ate ice cream with Lyvia..." You say. "Hit a man with my shoe, but you knew that bit"

...

...

She's not buying it. What the hell does she know?

"I see the gears turning" Altea says, looking smug and making sure you're not being eavesdropped on. "Pip told me"

"She... told you?" You ask. "Why would she tell you?"

"Because I am her mother figure and female mentor" She says.

...

"Yes but why would she tell you?" You ask again.

Altea waves you off. "My turn to ask questions" She says. "Why?"

"Why... did I do what I did?" You ask.

"Yes" She replies.

"Because we get along well, she's pretty, smart, funny... and it's obvious there's something between us" You say. "We got a little into it, and I figured we could get a lot into it"

"You know I put you in a tent with her because I thought she was the last person you would do this with" She says.

"Well you were wrong" You say.

Altea sighs. "Apparently..." She says. "You know this is not what I meant when I told you that you could blow off some steam"

"Then you needed to be a bit clearer" You say. "What's so bad about this?"

"Pip, she's... not like most girls" She says.

"I agree. I believe I listed her qualities..." You say.

"Not like that" She says. "She's... like an egg"

"Fragile-ish, with a boat-load of issues" You say. "She's been pretty honest"

"So you know, and you still decided to..." She says.

"Yes" You say. "I know what I'm doing, mom"

"I sincerely hope so" She says. "If you break her heart, there will be consequences. Same goes for her breaking yours"

"What if we both end up heart broken?" You ask.

"Then you'll both be punished" She says. "Understood?"

"Yep"

>She seriously told you?

>Did you have this same talk with Derrick?

>Is heartbreak not punishment enough?

>Other

>>3393373
>Did you have this same talk with Derrick?

>>3393373
>Did you have this same talk with Derrick?
>Is heartbreak not punishment enough?
Hey Smiley

>>3393373
We agreed it was nothing serious beforehand.

>>3393373
>Is heartbreak not punishment enough?
>I'll see what can be done, but we both agreed it was a fling. Do you want us to break it off, or is this your way of telling us to get serious about it?

Sounds like our mission with Pip tagging along just got a bit more spicy.

>>3393373
>Did you have this same talk with Derrick?

>>3393405
Well, we all knew that. Or should have. Altea is really right and this was poorly timed on top of it.

>writing

>>3393373
>Did you have this same talk with Derrick?

>>3393435
To be honest, I thought she'd brood a bit more about her feelings. She basically went straight to Altea and told her she bedded Yuu. I was expecting a least a little bit of time out between the drama.

>>3393522
I'm just wondering what the hell Altea was thinking when she put Yuu in a tent with a cute girl for an extended period of time.
If she wanted to avoid a situation like this, she should have just shacked him up with another dude.

"Did you have this same conversation with Derrick?" You ask.

"Marybell and Pip are different, as are you and Derrick" She says. "I'm not worried about those two"

"Should I be offended?" You ask.

"Maybe a little" She replies.

"Hrmm... so is this your way of telling me to break it off?" You ask.

"No" She says.

"... get serious?" You ask.

"Be careful" She says. "Don't do anything brash"

"Gotcha" You say. "I guess I could've picked a better time and place to do something like this..."

"I agree" Altea says. "But it's done now"

...

"You really didn't think anything would happen in that tent?" You ask.

"Well my original plan was to put you and Derrick together" She says. "But then Derrick and Marybell got involved, and I needed you with someone who could keep an eye on you..."

"So she's been keeping tabs on me this whole time" You say.

"I wouldn't call it that" She says. "But yes, she's been keeping an eye on you for me. Can't have you doing anything too brash"

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit overbearing?" You ask.

She puts a hand on your shoulder. "Sweetie, everyone has told me that" She says. "You say it like it's a bad thing..."

>It kinda is...

>Have you considered using a spy that isn't adorable?

>I do brash things all the time...

>Other

>>3393522
Yeah, but you know we're going with Madeline and Cheska on this mission as it is? It's not like there wasn't going to be any drama to start.

>>3393535
I'm not really sure why we didn't get put with a guy to be honest either. It's puzzled me for a while.

>>3393559
>I do brash things all the time...
>Have you considered using a spy that isn't adorable?

>>3393559
>>It kinda is...

>>3393559
>Have you considered using a spy that isn't adorable?
>I do brash things all the time...

>>3393559
>Have you considered using a spy that isn't adorable?

Getting flashbacks to people wanting to lewd Kuma way from from "On a Devil's Whim".

>>3393559
>I do brash things all the time...

>>3393559
>Have you considered using a spy that isn't adorable?

>I do brash things all the time...

>writing

"I do brash things all the time" You say.

"Yes, and I hear about all of them" She says. "Then I can caution you about what you shouldn't be doing"

"Uh-huh... and how many times have I listened?" You ask.

"More often than you're implying" She says. "I do hope you'll listen to me this time"

"I'll try" You say. "Have you considered using a spy who isn't adorable?"

"I would, but unfortunately I have no one like that in my employ..." She says.

"In that way we're alike" You say.

Altea snorts. "Yes, I've noticed" She says.

...

"But please, do be careful with Pip" She says. "She's not like most girls... she's not even like her peers. They were all handpicked from lists of candidates, she-"

"Stole your wallet, and you liked her gumption" You say. "I heard the story"

"Good..." She says. "I must be off now. Good luck out there"

"Good luck back here. Sorry for starting this whole mess with the general..." You say.

"You let us worry about that" She says. "Oh, and the bracelet is lovely by the way. Did you design it?"

You nod. "Did she show you the lights?"

"She did" She says. "In all the time I've known her, I've never thought she was a 'jewelry' kind of girl..."

"She'd never get it for herself, but she really appreciates gifts" You say. "I went and got it when I noticed that she was still wearing Ilica's ribbon"

"I see..." She says. "Perhaps I'll have to find her something nice as well, just to make sure she doesn't decide she wants to work for you instead..."

"Have fun. I think I set the bar pretty high" You say.

"Are we competing now?" She asks. "Sounds to me like Pip would be the only winner there..."

"Nothing wrong with that" You say. "She's a good girl who deserves some nice things"

She gives you an interesting look. "Perhaps I was wrong to worry..." She says.

"What?" You ask.

"Don't worry about it" She says.

>Anything else?

>>3393687
>So, what do you think about a machine that launches shoes at people? Asking for a friend

>>3393687
>Watch out for Lyvia when I'm gone.

>writing

"So before you go, I was thinking of building a machine to launch shoes at-"

"No" She says.

"But I didn't-"

"I know. The answer is no" She says.

"Damn..." You say. "Well... keep an eye on Lyvia for me. She's a bit like how I used to be and I don't want anyone taking advantage of her"

"I will" She says. "I mean I'll have someone do it. You know how busy I am"

"That's fair" You say.

"Now go kick some ass" She says.

"Yes commander" You reply.

Altea gives you a hug, and then heads off. Almost as soon as she's gone, Pip shows up.

"What's up, Yuu?" She asks. "Ready to go?"

>I was just doing some maintenance

>Did you seriously tell Altea?

>As soon as everybody's here

>Other

>>3393750
>>Did you seriously tell Altea?
>>As soon as everybody's here

>>3393750
>As soon as everybody's here
>Had a talk with The Commomder. Not mad, just slightly surprised.

>>3393750
>As soon as everybody's here

>writing

"Did you really have to tell my mom?" You ask.

"Eh... heh heh... I mean... kinda" She says. "I was sorta... I mean... confused... kinda... and she's who I go to for this sort of thing..."

...

"You're not mad... are you?" She asks.

"No, not mad" You say. "Just... maybe next time tell me that you're going to tell her so I don't get blindsided"

"I'll try" She says. "And... sorry"

"Don't be sorry" You say, putting a hand on her head. "I still think you're a good girl, Pip"

Pip's cheeks turn red. "Th-thanks" She replies.

You smile and pet her head. Pip has quite possibly got the best weakness ever.

"And yeah... I'm ready to go, as soon as everybody else gets here" You say. "You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm a good gir-" She stops there. Her cheeks get a little redder, and she clears her throat. "I-I mean I'm good"

You remove your hand, and Pip fixes her hair.

...

"Where are those guys anyway?" She asks.

"They'll be here soon. We've still got a couple minutes before the agreed meeting time" You say.

Pip grabs your wrist to look at your timekeeper. "Oh yeah" She says.

"How come you don't have a timekeeper?" You ask.

She shrugs. "Never bothered to get one" She replies.

"I could probably upgrade the bracelet to add a timekeeper... maybe as an attachment" You say. "I don't think I've ever looked into how they work, so building one would be neat"

"Just try not to make it too extravagant..." She says. "I try not to stand out"

>Tell her Altea is getting something for her too

>You don't wanna go head to toe in fancy jewels?

>It'd be subtle

>Other

>>3393870
>>It'd be subtle

>>3393870
>It'd be subtle

>>3393870
>>It'd be subtle

>>3393870
>It'd be subtle

A bit surprised she doesn't have one. I figured a clock is a must-have for a sneaky type to best coordinate their actions.

>writing

"It'd be subtle" You say. "I'll tell you more once I know more about timekeepers... basically if I can make them tiny then I could try to slot it around or under the gem. If not then I'd make a mount and add it to the bottom like a clasp"

"Ahh... classy like a lady's timekeeper" She says.

"I don't think I've ever seen a lady's timekeeper before" You say.

"They're little things, worn with the timekeep-y part on the bottom so they can look at their wrist all dainty-like" She says, holding her wrist up as an example.

"Ah" You say. "You want one like that?"

"Doesn't matter to me" She says. "You're seriously going to get me a timekeeper?"

"Yes" You reply.

"Kay, now I do kinda feel like a trophy wife..." She says.

"Don't worry about it, Pip" You say. "I'll buy you something nice and you'll feel better"

Pip grabs your side and digs her fingers in.

"Ow, ow! I'm sorry" You say.

"You better be" She says.

You rub your injured side and joke around with Pip while you wait for the others. Oddly enough, Storm and Michaela are the first to roll up in the Grand Inquisitor's fancy cart. It's been repainted to be a little less noticeable since they drove it out of the stronghold, thankfully.

You then help them do a bit of maintenance, though you don't end up doing that with Storm. Michaela is the one who decides she wants to help, while Storm discusses strategy with Pip.

"Didn't take you for a hands on kinda gal" You say to Michaela as you're both on your backs under the cart, oiling up a spring.

"I actually read about all of this in a book... but I didn't want to try it myself" She says.

"Afraid you'd mess it up?" You ask.

She nods.

>You should get a practice cart

>Few mistakes can't be fixed

>You read a lot of books

>Other

>>3393954
>>You read a lot of books

>>3393954
>Few mistakes can't be fixed

>>3393954
>>Few mistakes can't be fixed
>>You read a lot of books

>writing

>>3393954
>>Few mistakes can't be fixed

"There are few mistakes that can't be fixed" You say, taking a wrench that Coral brings you and tightening down a bolt. "You know my first attempt at building a device went horribly?"

"I-it did?" She asks.

"I was at the archive-" You say, handing the wrench back to Coral, along with a nut. "-working on a way to make soul devices work. First one I built had some pretty big flaws, and it ended up exploding"

"Oh goodness" Michaela says. "Were you alright?"

"Nope. Some pieces hit me and lodged in places that were pretty bad" You say. "Luckily Emi was there, so she patched me up. Then I hit the books and wouldn't you know it? Devices are more than just crystal rings"

"Of course they are" Michaela says. "Everyone knows that..."

"Two things, number one: no they don't, number two: no one told me that" You say. "Attempt number two was much more succesful, and it became the basis for the booster attachment that Gretchen added to the Rook"

"You read a lot too?" She asks.

"Yup. And you know what I've found?" You ask.

"What?"

You tap her on the head. "All that knowledge doesn't do much if you strand it in your head" You say. "You know what to do from here?"

"Yeah. I should be able to do it" She says.

"Cool. Keep working on this one, I'm gonna go do the passenger side" You say, sliding over to the other side of the cart.

You hear Pip ribbing Storm about how you're gonna steal his girl. Normally you'd say he has nothing to worry about, but Michaela is actually pretty cool...

That would be a dick move though, and Storm is your bro. Bros don't steal their bros girlfriends.

By the time you've finished helping Michaela fix up their cart, everyone else has arrived...

>Anything more you want to do at camp?

>>3394058
>No, let's go.

>writing

"Okay. Everyone ready?" You ask.

"As we'll ever be" Cheska replies. "Where're we headed?"

You summon up a table-like platform, and get Quria to bring up her map.

"The Legion has been sniffing around these abandoned villages-" You point to the old villages to the west of the Spire "- for some time. According to Quria they're looking for one of the resistance leaders"

"Our people have been moving often to stay hidden, but the net is starting to close" She says.

"So our goal is to make contact with this resistance force" You say. "Any Legionnaires we run into will be dealt with the old fashioned way"

"What's the old fashioned way?" Quria asks.

"Violence" Meyu responds.

"Ah. Yes" Quria says.

"Can you fight, lass?" Meyu asks.

"No..." She says.

"Quria is here to help find the Antolians. During combat she'll do her best to stay where it's safe" You say. "I do ask that you all look out for her if you have the chance"

"We can manage that" Madelaine says. "Stick close to Emi. Out of all of us she's the least likely to accidentally hit you with something"

"Hey now..." Meyu says.

"You explode people when you cut them" Madelaine replies. "I don't think she's looking to get covered in blood"

"She's got you there" Zaine says.

"Right then. Any more questions or banter?" You ask.

"There's always more banter" Ilica says. "But we'll save it for the road"

"Good. To your carts. Let's get moving"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow.

Lianna interlude and Lola interlewd are both still in the works. I'm a little burned out on smut, but there's still a couple interesting bits about bunnies and other mammal-based girls in the Lola scene so I'd like to finish it. If I don't end up getting it out, then I'll have Yuu mention those bits at some point.

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

>>3394175
Thanks for running

>>3394175
thanks for running

>>3394175
I thought I was firmly in the Bun camp, but now I’ve been thrust into the Mouse camp. Thanks, Smiley

>>3394175
Thanks for the run! I'm having a hard time who to actually choose... All these gals are such lovelies

>>3394317
I really am having a very hard time seeing why people are going for Pip. I don't see particular chemistry other than being around her a lot lately and in the same tent. She also has a huge number of issues, including severe problems of self worth and now spying on us. The self worth issues are just going to be exacerbated as well given we have a higher position socially and power-wise. In the past, there had been a lot of discussion of just pushing to get her better employ and a higher position, and that would really still be the best thing for her and us.

I could see credible relationships with Cheska, Lyvia, Madeline, and Namaki (in no particular order) and somewhat less so for the bunnies and Emi. I have to go with Altea on Pip being at about the bottom of least likely below the dark horses like Lianna or Lola.

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>>3395369
It's just a matter of you having shit tastes, anon.
The waifu wars shall begin now in earnest, all because you had to question why other people liked a waifu. The shitstorm will be on your hands, anon.

>>3395369
How about you explain why you believe any of the girls you presented are better choices then Pip.

>>3395369
>Cheska
I feel like she's fallen off lately, which is mostly from people following Pip's advice to stop acting so close with her and thus skipping most chances to hang out. I don't mind her winning but I'm not optimistic about her chances at present
>Lyvia
Daughterzoned so hard I can't even picture her in a romantic light
>Madeline
Felt like a one-time fling more than anything, neither Yuu nor her has brought anything up since that night and neither seem to care.
>Namaki
One of the other possible winners but is kind of held back by her meetings with Yuu meeting being so sparse, I wouldn't mind her winning as well and I doubt she's lost yet decisively so it's all up to Smiley to give her more screentime.
>bunnies
Stella's been out of the running since she got captured and in light of Yuu's recent sexual exploits with others I don't see her making a comeback. Hella's crush on Yuu is obvious but she feels too much like a side girl to get noticed by him.
>Emi
Sisterzoned. Another one I wouldn't mind winning but there's been virtually no romantic tension between the two.

Regarding Pip, she's grown into one of Yuu's most trusted friends and while yes there is something between them I don't know if jumping straight into sex was the right choice. Pip's issues need to handled carefully and it's the sort of relationship Yuu should take slow and steady if he decides to commit, in which case I'm fine with her winning. Problem is at this point I don't see how Yuu can justify choosing any other girl without crushing what little self-esteem Pip has.

>>3395431
For me, Namaki was a lot more appealing when she was more mysterious. She's still pretty good, but she lost a lot of that mystery over time as Yuu got closer to her, so she just isn't clicking as much for me anymore.
I agree with you entirely regarding the rest of them. I especially can't see Yuu going for Lyvia considering how he seems to see her in an entirely nonsexual and nonromantic light. Yuu knows better than to lewd the lolis, which is good because otherwise this world's chris hansen would find him.

>>3395446
Yuu is this world's Chris Hansen.

>>3395385
It's because it's becoming constant and the decisions are getting increasingly damaging to our position. We had every right to be caught out and have both of us take a hit for it. It was very poorly timed to do that in the tent, nevermind right before a mission that includes multiple girls who like Yuu and one who has slept with Yuu.

>>3395425
Okay. Yuu has several major character challenges. 1) The fact that he has amnesia / is from another world 2) He has so much more power than almost anyone that he is already seen as either a monster or some kind of apostle by many (see the church who is thinking the latter, and our political opposition for former if they know how strong he is). 3) He is sometimes justifiably, sometimes unjustifiably, treated very poorly by our leadership outside of Altea and Lyvia, to the point he's practically considered a weapon you point at the enemy and an idiot.

There are others, but I see those as the main character challenges of Yuu. As for things he likes/wants to do, he enjoys caring for children, adventuring, and being involved with machines and research. Again, there are others.

So how are these things interacting with girls he knows. For problems: 1) Lyvia and Madeline understand his amnesia / out of place nature. Madeline's situation is identical, and Lyvia is from a sufficiently alien time she has also come from another world. 2) Individuals who understand Yuu's issues of power are Lyvia, Namaki, and Cheska, who have all had to deal with in different ways what it is like to be a monster or divine figure by the populace. 3) Issues of not being treated seriously are something Lyvia is going through almost identical to us.

Regarding things we want to do, Namaki and Madeline are both really up for the adventuring, and probably Emi too. Namaki especially so in that she has collected all kinds of artifacts and Madeline especially so as her quest is also our quest. The rabbits are all about family stuff and would fit in very well with what we are doing in Lutain on the other side. I'm not sure where Lyvia or Cheska would fall.

Pip would do okay on the adventuring, but she is a serious problem so far as accepting the power Yuu has. She will always feel inferior if she does not significantly change her psychology. This is very bad for her and for us. I think it is harming her a lot more than another relationship would with someone of more equal position. I don't really see her having other connections with Yuu..

Finally, Yuu could put aside the above issues and simply go for politics. Lyvia is objectively the best choice her due to her position and that it would secure a long-lasting peace between North and Lubars. The only real comparable choices are some theoretical royal from Antark or the southern islands. We could go with Emi there, though she would have to be reaccepted. I don't really want to go this route as the major determiner, but I think it's worth mentioning.

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>>3395456
So there's nobody to stop him other than himself?

The first village is only about an hour's drive away from the camp. The roads are rough as they haven't been used in quite some time, but the carts can handle it.

You're alone on the Rook, as it was a bit too cold for Pip. She decided to ride in the comfy cart with Michaela and Storm, for which you don't blame her. That cart is super comfy, even more so now that the suspension has been tuned up.

Meyu's team is at the head of the column, since their cart is the only one that's armored. You ride alongside them, spending most of the trip talking to whichever person is driving.

Your only trouble is a small group of three Legionnaires who seem to be patrolling the outskirts. They're dispatched quickly, without even exiting the carts. You manage to nail two of them with a barrage of swords, and Meyu runs over the one you miss.

The convoy stops for a moment after that to decide what to do with the bodies. Cheska decides to take care of them by incinerating them using a new spell she learned. So you pile them up and she creates a dome of extreme heat. When the dome goes away, all that's left is ashes.

After that, Emi washes the ashes away, and you keep moving.

"They're bound to notice when that patrol doesn't report back" Meyu says.

"That will take time" You say. "And if they're looking for bodies or possible deserters, then they aren't looking for us or the resistance"

When you come into normal visual range of the town, by which you mean 'everyone else can see it', as you spotted it about an hour ago, you pull the carts to a stop again.

The group discusses what to do with the vehicles. The surrounding area is mostly grasslands, so it'll be hard to hide them properly without having Zaine find a way to bury them underground.

But riding them into town is... a bit conspicuous.

>Cover them with brush

>Bury them

>Ride them in

>Other

>>3395431
>>3395446
I don't have a lot to add to these, but regarding Lyvia: I felt this way earlier, but a portion of this was because I thought the apparent age gap was a lot larger than it was. Apparently it is only three years. The other issue is I feel like Lyvia is not going to get a good guy who ever understands her and I think Yuu would hate that happening to her. Also, as per Altea, it's not uncommon to marry or get engaged earlier and get actually married later. In five years, it's going to 21 and 18. There's a high likelihood any other husband she gets is probably older than us.

A big problem is this has become more of an open-ended harem that is hard to resolve and girls have gotten extreme variations in screen time, often heavily focused on in a given arc.

>>3395465
>>Cover them with brush

>>3395465
>>Ride them in
I don't think we're being subtle anyway with this group.

>>3395465
Wait, wasn't there something a little while back about disguising as one of the other kinds of demons, or something? Is that viable here, or do we not have the stuff for it?

>>3395484
The red gel Caiah gave to you a while back is probably what you're thinking of. It'd make your eyes look like a blood demon's. It's in your bag.

>>3395465
>>Bury them
We can split our group to look less suspicious I suppose

>>3395486
Ah, yes...
Am I correct in assuming it wouldn't be effective for the others because they don't give off a 'demon feel' whereas Yuu (and possibly cheska?) does?

>>3395491
Not just that. The gel isn't technically red. Since it's translucent, it's made to look red over gold eyes.

The only one in your group who could pull it off would probably be Cheska, whose yellow eyes are pretty close in colour to yours. Everybody else would just look weird.

>>3395501
Hmm...that's good to know.
I mean, if it comes down to it, we could use the gel at some point so that Yuu and Cheska can pretend to be that type of demon. Maybe we could spout some bullshit about having acquired some slaves or people who swore service to them or whatever.
The only issue with that is that I don't know how famous we may or may not be among the demons. So it's something I think we should keep in our back pocket, for now.
>>3395465
>Bury them

>writing

"Zaine. Think you could make a hole for the carts?" You ask. "Not really anyplace else to hide them..."

"I can, but unless you want me to just dump them, it'll take time" He says.

"You've got time" You say. "The rest of us will go check this place out. Get your equipment set and we'll get moving as soon as everyone is ready"

"Aye aye" Cheska says.

You leave Coral with Madelaine and move out, approaching the town through the tall grass. Everybody with heightened senses puts them to use, so you've got your head on a swivel, Ilica and Pip have their ears up, Michaela is focused on her demon senses, and Emi is licking the air...

Kind of strange that the group's best nose actually smells with her tongue, but you'll take whatever advantage you can get.

The small town just has a wooden wall, much like Denton, the town you passed on the way up to the Howling Tower.

Makes sense. A town so close to a major fortified city wouldn't have to worry about Lubrian sieges, so the wall is meant for smaller raids and the occasional monster that goes against the barrier.

Of course, the wall has seen better days. It's in complete shambles due to years of neglect. Luckily this means there's some pretty easy-to-squeeze-through holes, letting you circumvent the main entrance.

The inside of the town doesn't look much better. Grass has grown over the roads and footpaths, and the buildings that haven't collapsed look like they could at any moment.

"Doesn't look like anybody's been here in a loooooong time" Cheska says, keeping her voice quiet.

"The grass is padded down in a few places" You say, pointing it out. "Might be legionnaires..."

Pip shakes her head and looks closer. "Too lightfooted for a legionnaire" She says.

"They aren't all big muscly dudes in heavy armor" Cheska says. "Speaking from experience"

"So it could have been anyone..." Pip says.

"Quria. Any idea what to look out for?" You ask.

"Look for symbols drawn on doors or entrances" Quria says. "Usually burned in, or drawn with chalk. If you can find one, I should be able to figure out how long ago they were here"

"Alright then" You say. "Keep your heads down guys. Let's get lookin'"

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>3395617
focus

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>3395617

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>3395617

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>3395617

>writing

You move through the town quietly, on guard for any possible ambushes and checking every building's entryway for the symbols Quria mentioned.

Along the way you see more signs that people have been here recently. Things like footprints in the mud, houses that look like someone's done some work on them, and even fireplaces that look like they were recently doused.

"Definitely people here" Ilica says as you investigate a house that's being held up by new beams that look recently cut.

"I don't sense any demons" Michaela replies.

"Then there's regular people still living here" Pip says. "I doubt a Legionnaire would take the time to shore up a broken down building like this"

"Our priority should be to find the resistance" You say. "Even if we do find refugees, there would be nothing we could do to help them right now..."

"Kinda cold of you, but you're also right" Ilica says.

"We'll still report this though" You say. "Let the people who actually have room to transport them take care of it"

You all leave the building and head to the next one. Checking the doorframe, you see something etched in with a knife.

"This the kind of symbol you were talking about?" You ask Quria.

"Yes! That's it" She says, pulling a book out of her back pocket and flipping through. "There is a hideout here... made 2 months ago... abandoned about a week after that"

Ilica's ears flick. "Well it's occupied now" She says. "I definitely hear people"

"Can you be more specific?" You ask.

Ilica concentrates. "Sounds like... children being hushed" Ilica says.

"Families using the old hideout as a... uhh... well a hideout?" Storm asks.

>Let's check it out

>We should leave them be

>Other

>>3395704
>>Let's check it out

>>3395704
>>Let's check it out
Could ask them for some information if they have any to offer

>>3395704
>>Let's check it out

>writing

"We should check it out" You say. "They might know more, and if we can get a count of how many people are here we can send that info in our report"

"You're the boss" Pip says. "How do we get into this hideout?"

"The entrance is usually marked..." Quria says, looking for other symbols on around the door. "Here. Look for a dinner table"

You peek around, checking the next room where you find an old, half rotten dinner table. "This is the entrance?"

Quria walks up to it and presses down... but nothing happens.

Then she tries again... nothing.

"Could someone a bit heavier than I am press down on this?" She asks.

...

"So... anyone?" You ask.

Quria clears her throat. "Oui..." She replies.

You walk up and put your hands on the table, pressing your weight on it until it shifts down. You hear a small click, and a trapdoor opens underneath.

>Send Quria in first

>Head inside

>Check out the mechanics of the lock

>Other

>>3395761
>>Have Quria call out first, then we take point.

>>3395761
Supporting >>3395767

>>3395761
>Head inside

>writing

"Would you mind calling down and letting them know we're friendly?" You ask. "I'd do it myself, but I don't know if they speak Lubrian"

Quria nods, and then calls down the trap door telling the people down there that you're friendly and you're coming down. Then she says it again in old Antolian. You've heard enough of the language to know some of the words that you can piece together her message and know it was the same thing she just said in Lubrian.

Then you slide down the hole. It's all dug out down here, and the tunnel runs down at a pretty steep angle. There's a rope to hold onto so you don't slide down, but you ignore it, making a platform to stand on and lowering yourself.

The bottom isn't too far down, and when you reach it you're met by some very frightened locals. A few scrawny looking dudes have crossbows pointed at you.

You put your hands up. You could probably take these guys without them, but they don't know that. "No need for those" You say. "I'm a friend"

Quria comes down behind you, letting out a squeal as her hands slip off the rope and she falls flat on her butt.

...

She then stands up and takes her spot beside you, dusting herself off and trying to pretend that she didn't just flop onto the floor.

"A-aaaaaaas I was saying. My name is Yuu Gallant. This is Quria" You say. "I'm with the Lubrian army, she's with the Antolian resistance"

One of the says something in Antolian. 'Why would a Lubrian help us'... you think...

Maybe you should have taken the language classes Alice offered to give you...

Quria starts to explain the situation, but you're getting kinda tired of having crossbows pointed at you, and you can see that their arms are getting tired just holding them up.

>Knock the crossbows away

>Let Quria explain

>Other

>>3395880
>>Let Quria explain

>>3395880
>>Knock the crossbows away

>writing

>>3395880
>>Let Quria explain

You let Quria do her thing, but it quickly becomes clear that she's... not a very good negotiator.

The half-starved Antolians start getting angrier, and you start to consider just knocking the crossbows away when you hear some more squealing from behind you.

Michaela doesn't even use the rope. She just slides right down until her butt hits the floor.

Now that you're looking, you notice that the spot she hit has a depression in it like people land there pretty regularly...

Michaela rights herself and stands up, looking determined despite the fact that it also looks like she's about to cry...

"You okay?" You ask her.

"I'll be fine" She says, rubbing her eyes and huffing before addressing the people in perfect Antolian.

...

You had no idea she could do that.

It also seems like she's a better talker than Quria, as the people quickly calm down. Even going so far as to let her put a hand on one of their crossbows and lower it.

"What did she tell them?" You ask.

"That Apocalypse has blessed the Lubrian army to bring an end to their strife" Quria says.

...

"And that calmed them down?" You ask.

"Communities like these tend to be quite devout" Michaela says. "I just thought I could help"

"Well you did a damn fine job" You say. "Thanks"

"Yes, thank you" Quria says. "Diplomacy has never been my strong suite..."

>What is your strong suite, exactly?

>Get some info from the people

>Guess bringing an angel was a smart move...

>Other

>>3395955
>Get some info from the people

>>3395955
>>What is your strong suite, exactly?
>>Get some info from the people

>>3395955
>>What is your strong suite, exactly?
>>Get some info from the people
>>Are they going to be okay with me if they find out what I am?

>>3395955
>>Guess bringing an angel was a smart move...
>>What is your strong suite, exactly?
>>Get some info from the people

>writing

"What is your strong suite, exactly?" You ask.

"Cryptography" She replies. "I created the symbols you saw on the door, and my ciphers are still in use for messages"

"I thought you guys didn't do messages, since sprites keep getting shot down"

"There is more than one way to send a message" She says. "You'll see when we reach Kirando"

You step up next to Michaela. "So when did you learn Antolian?" You ask.

"Many of my order speak both languages" She says. "A few even speak the Noric tongue"

"Does Storm...?"

"No" She replies.

"Didn't think so" You say. "Can you ask them how long they've been hiding down here?"

Michaela relays that to them, then relays their answer to you. "They've only been in this hideout since the Resistance left, but they've been hiding in this town for quite a bit longer" She says.

"This place isn't exactly safe... what about the monsters and the Legionnaires?" You ask.

Michaela turns and talks to them for a moment. "The Legionnaires don't tend to bother them here, not until recently at least" She says. "The Legion captures larger monsters for their own use, so only small ones come through here. They hide from them but... it doesn't always work"

"Do they know where the resistance went?" You ask. "If it helps, tell them we want to stop the Legionnaires from finding them"

You wait as Michaela communicates. "No. They are told nothing for their own safety" She says. "If they knew where the resistance went, then the Legion would try to get that information from them"

"They don't anyway?" You ask.

Michaela relays that as well. "Apparently they have some very skilled interrogators" She says. "They call them the wicked sisters. When the Legion came through looking for the Resistance, they hauled off a few people. When those people returned, they wouldn't talk about what happened to them..."

>Ask if any of those people are here

>Well if they don't know anything...

>Wicked sisters is kind of a lame nickname...

>Other

>>3396051
>>Ask if any of those people are here
>>Wicked sisters is kind of a lame nickname...

>>3396051
>>Ask if any of those people are here
Should check if there's any post-compulsion time bombs. Probably using powers like Raven.
>>Am I going to be okay using any powers or revealing my nature?

>writing

Apocalypse is one of the main gods, right? I presumed so since they said we were the Sword of the Apocalypse earlier. Destroyer aspect god?

>>3396124
The Holy Trinity is Origin: the Goddess of Beginnings, Eternal: the Watcher God, and Apocalypse: the God of Ends.

Origin is seen as the evil or capricious one of the three, and is depicted as a woman with a missing eye who creates things in the mortal world without a care for what those things will do.

Eternal is merely an observer, and is depicted as a robed old man.

Apocalypse is seen as something of a guardian, dutifully bringing an end to all things when their time has come. He/She/It is depicted as a humanoid figure in heavy armor, with a sword in the ground, standing at attention.

>>3396141
Are they generally just worshiped as a group? Is there meaningful religious factions to worry about, or would saying you serve Origin make people scared for example? I'm sure it's complicated, just wondering about short form.