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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 19, 2016 18:32:04 GMT -6
Alice grabs Suarrure's shoulders. "C'mon, you love lovesick puppy, into the trees. It may not be too late to lose them."
"But-" the wolfskin protests for just a moment before Sylvia grabs him as well and shoves him into the woods. Once they start running, his protests cease. He's not as graceful as Alice or Sylvia as they weave through the woods, but he doesn't have trouble outpacing Rhett. Allune has a lot of difficulty as she tries to fly through in her hawk form, but speeds up significantly when she reverts.
The crows swoop down. They look around for a moment before diving into the trees. A few moments later, their reinforcements arrive. But with their scouts gone, they can't do much more than circle above in confusion.
The crow laguz, with their huge frames, have a hard time maneuvering through the trees. Unlike Allune, they don't shift back into their human forms to deal with the tight spaces. Even Rhett's able to keep pace ahead of them.
(A) Turn and fight them while you have the advantage, before they can alert the others
(B) Keep running and hope they break off
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Post by Neo on Oct 19, 2016 18:38:39 GMT -6
A. Their movement has been severely limited and we need this advantage to deal with them. Considering they followed the lovesick puppy for days- maybe weeks- I doubt they'd just suddenly decide to break off the chase now.
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Post by empireoffire on Oct 19, 2016 18:41:08 GMT -6
I flipped a coin. The coin said heads, which translate to A. The opportunist option. Nothing can go wrong.
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Post by SpringForest on Oct 19, 2016 18:46:03 GMT -6
Welp, guess we're fighting the bad birdies. A!
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 19, 2016 22:43:30 GMT -6
Alice stops and spins around. "Attack!" she calls out. She throws a weak puff of wind ahead of one crow. It loses its balance and slams into a tree trunk. It flaps a bit as it desperately tries to recover, only to run straight into Allune's foot. It crashes to the ground in front of Rhett. It starts squirming and squawking with bizarre noises.
"Huh. This crow's weird," he mutters. "Not like Alice is weird. Alice is a fun type of weird. This crow's a bad type of weird." Rhett shrugs, raises his axe, and slams the blade down on its neck.
"Yeah, right?" Suarrure agrees. "They don't talk, the don't change into human form, they barely eat or drink..." A crow swoops at him, and he curls up, suddenly reappearing as a massive, lumbering wolf-beast. He meets the dive head-on, catching the crow's wings in his claws. He holds the crow in place as it pecks at his face, while he bites back at it. The crow's eyes glow a bright red.
Sylvia comes to his aid, stabbing at the crow. It still has the wherewithal to slash at her with its claws, forcing her to drop back and parry the blows while she struggles to land a solid hit of her own. After a few seconds of struggling, Suarrure is pushed back into a tree. He manages to use it as leverage to slam the crow into the ground. Sylvia stabs her blade into its wing to pin it in place. She takes one look at the laguz and her eyes widen in shock. "This crow is... Alice!?"
Alice turns just in time to see the last crow dropping down on her. She's too late to avoid the viscous talons; she barely manages to raise her arm to protect herself. The crow grabs her arm in one talon and scoops her into the air as it rakes the other across her face. Alice screams in pain and Allune screeches in rage. Alice focuses intently, unleashing a barrage of wind into the crow's underbelly, its wings, and its neck. The crow drops her just in time to get tackled by Alice's guardian.
The two birds lock against each other as they plummet to the ground. They both try to drown each other out with their shrieks. At this range, Allune's brute strength wins the day for her. She tears the crow to ribbons, then keeps ripping.
Suarrure dives and manages to catch Alice before she would have slammed into a tree, moving at an unnerving speed despite his massive form. "Normally I'd make some crack about falling for me or just call you cute or something, but that injury looks really bad. Seriously, it's really bloody. Are you OK?"
Alice reaches up to her face with a shaky hand. "Ha-a-a-a... Th-that hurts... So much. I don't often get to feel pain like this. S-such an... intense experience."
"Are you... enjoying it?" Sylvia asks in concern.
"...Kind of?" Alice gasps. "It's not pleasant, but it's somehow... f-forget about that! Those crows are... definitely not right. Sylvia, I think..."
Sylvia's eyes narrow. "Berserk."
"Yeah. We need to get back to the village and warn them. Immediately. Suarrure, where did you run into these things?"
"Uh... I dunno? Somewhere snowy. And mountain-y. I'm bad with directions. North Valeria, I think? I've been on the run a week, but I certainly haven't been making good time. If that helps."
"Yeah, it does," Alice says. "Er... Hey, are you planning to carry me all the way back to the village?"
Suarrure shifts back to his human form. "Eh, if you want. But first we need to clean those wounds." He lowers her down.
Allune storms over, white outfit soaked red in blood. "Let me see. Oh, gods, let me see your face...! You... colossal pain-in-the-ass! Let me fix this. Gods, your mother's going to kill me..."
The screeching of crows up above reminds them of their situation. "Your concern's touching, Allune, but we need to hurry and get to the village before the rest of that flock finds us. Suarrure, I'll be the guide. You've been avoiding them for this long, so we'll follow your lead. Start by heading that direction..."
Support time! Choose 5.
(A) Alice x Sylvia C
(B) Alice x Rhett C
(C) Alice x Suarrure C
(D) Allune x Rhett C
(E) Allune x Suarrure C
(F) Sylvia x Rhett C
(G) Syvlia x Suarrure C
(H) Rhett x Suarrure C
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Post by Neo on Oct 19, 2016 23:25:17 GMT -6
Poor Alice. Is she going to have scars now? Please say no.  A C D F G |
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 19, 2016 23:29:17 GMT -6
Poor Alice. Is she going to have scars now? Her mom and grandma are two of the best herbalists around, and her father's a high-level priest. But those would be some badass scars. Rand would be all. "Man. Those are some badass scars." |
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Post by Neo on Oct 19, 2016 23:33:34 GMT -6
Poor Alice. Is she going to have scars now? Her mom and grandma are two of the best herbalists around, and her father's a high-level priest. But those would be some badass scars. Rand would be all. "Man. Those are some badass scars."  How soon can I ship Rand and Alice? |
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 19, 2016 23:38:15 GMT -6
Considering some chapters have pre-requirements?
Well, you can start shipping them immediately.
But it'll be at least 2 before they meet up.
Eh, let's see if I can remember without opening my notes. Alice 1 unlocks Lily 3. Alice 2 unlocks Rand 3. Rand 2 is also a requirement for Lily 3.
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Post by SpringForest on Oct 20, 2016 7:09:27 GMT -6
B
D
F
H
And um...C.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2016 7:39:37 GMT -6
A B E G H
Love Sick Puppy best puppy
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 20, 2016 11:43:59 GMT -6
7-way tie...?
Huh. Neat.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2016 11:52:36 GMT -6
So whats the current breakdown right now? Crow sama
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 20, 2016 11:59:34 GMT -6
Two for everything except E, which has 1.
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Post by empireoffire on Oct 20, 2016 12:47:21 GMT -6
Have everything to fear, Emppy is here! A, B, F, G, H |
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Post by SpringForest on Oct 20, 2016 13:59:12 GMT -6
Two out of five of those include Rhett. I am satisfied.
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 20, 2016 23:40:51 GMT -6
After a few minutes of navigation, the caws fade away into the distance. "Man, I think we actually lost them," Suarrure says.
"We can probably find them again easy enough," Rhett offers.
"That, uh, won't be necessary..." Suarrure says. "You don't handle idioms well, do you?"
"Not really," Rhett says.
"Don't say much, either, do you?"
"Not really."
"Do you get along with people?"
"Generally," Rhett shrugs.
"Huh. Well, fair enough. You seem pretty agreeable."
"I agree."
"You, uh... So... What do you do?" Suarrure asks.
"Farm, usually."
"And... How's that? Do you enjoy it?"
"Yeah."
"...Well, great chat. Let's do it again some time," Suarrure suggests.
"OK."
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 21, 2016 3:04:23 GMT -6
Suarrure lets Rhett get back to focusing on marching and sidles up to Sylvia. "So-o-o, about that date?"
Sylvia grins. "Date? What date?"
"Didn't you say you wanted me to take you out sometime?" Suarrure asks.
"Well, not quite. I said we shouldn't run off and get married without so much as a date," she corrects him.
Suarrure wags his tail a with a hint of nervousness, then feigns absolute confidence with his most winning smile. "That might not be a yes, but I'm not hearing a 'no,' either. So-o-o-o?"
Sylvia folds her arms and observes Suarrure for a moment. "Well... Hm. What should I do, what should I do? Hm, hm, hm... You did compare me to a goddess. And compliment my jerky. Hmmmmm... Ma-a-a-aybe..."
"Aw, c'mon, this level of teasing's just too much," Suarrure begs.
Sylvia rubs her chin. "I guess I could give you a chance. Maybe. Tell you what. Why don't you hit me with your best compliment,,and then I'll decide? I'll be judging on both how romantic and how original it is.
"OK, give me a sec... Already touched on the eyes, ears, tail... The jerky, the kindness..." Suarrure grins. "Now's not the time to mention those sexy legs. Or that lovely neck. And I'm betting people compliment your intelligence and fighting skill all the time. With good reason. Hm... Got it!" He stops and takes Sylvia's hands again. "You have the most beautiful fingers I have ever seen. So slender and graceful."
Sylvia glares at him, but doesn't pull her hands away. "...Fingers. I tell you to hit me with your best compliment... and you decide to go with my fingers."
"You did say I'd get points for originality."
Sylvia tries to maintain the angry look, but eventually breaks down into a smile. "Well, you got me there. I've certainly never heard that before. Alright, alright, fair enough. You'll have your date. Eventually."
"Yes...!" Suarrure cheers. He wags excitedly and brings Sylvia's hands in front of his face. "I know that was reaching, but you babies scored me a date with an amazing woman. And that makes you the best fingers in the world!" He leans down and repeatedly kisses Sylvia's hands as she giggles at his antics. Her cloak twitches a bit as she tries to hide her tail wagging.
Alice pulls Rhett aside as they march. "How are you, Rhett? Feeling OK?
"Little tired. Legs hurt a bit. Also my chest. But I can keep going."
"Good. Let me know if you need to stop to rest or anything, OK?"
"Yeah."
"And feel free to... y'know. Tell me if you want to chat. Or if you have a question or something."
"I have a question," Rhett cuts in immediately.
Alice nods. "OK. Let me hear it."
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, Rhett, thanks for asking."
Rhett frowns. "You're lying. Why would you lie about that? And why should I ask questions if I know people will lie?"
"O-oh... Sorry, Rhett. I shouldn't have lied." Alice smiles warmly. "My face still hurts. And my arm hurts a bit, too. Um... Oh. I'm a bit hungry, come to think of it. And I'm really worried. About those crows, and other things. But I can keep going."
Rhett nods. "Good. I'm going to go check on Sylvia. She and Swaroo are falling behind."
"OK. Can you ask her to speak with me once you're done?"
Rhett nods again and wanders back to the halted pair. "I think we're supposed to hurry."
"Oh, right, sorry..." Sylvia says, pulling away. Suarrure smiles and runs ahead.
Rhett watches him go, then turns to Sylvia. "It would really slow us down if we had to wait for you two to finish mating. Especially since you're starting so slow."
"E... Excuse me!?" Sylvia barks.
Rhett cocks his head. "I said you two are slow at mating, and we need to hurry."
"I... I know what you said, but why in Naga's name would you say it!?"
"Because it's true?" Rhett suggests. "I know a lot about animal husbandry and mating habits. Because of mom."
Sylvia's fur stands on end. "Are you comparing laguz to animals...?" she whispers furiously.
"Yes," Rhett says.
Sylvia opens her mouth, then closes it and sighs. She knows he doesn't mean any harm. "Rhett, you shouldn't... compare laguz to animals. Some of us get really... sensitive about that, right?"
"But I compare beorc to animals, too...?" Rhett asks.
"Yes, but it's different..."
"Why?"
"Because... Er... It's complicated." Rhett frowns at Sylvia's answer. Sylvia scratches her head. "Because... a lot of beorc compare laguz to animals as a way to insult them. So sometimes it sounds like an insult even when you don't mean it to be. Or reminds them of an insult."
"Oh. That is complicated," Rhett agrees. "Alice wants to talk to you."
"Right! Alice. Thanks." Sylvia takes advantage of opportunity to escape. She jogs over to Alice as the party resumes its march. "You needed to talk to me?"
"Yes." Alice moves closer to Sylvia and speaks quietly. "The spirits guided me to you."
"Er... OK?" Sylvia mutters. "Why are we whispering about this? We all - except Suarrure, who can probably hear us - I saw that ear twitch! Oh, don't try to act all cute and innocent, I know you were - OK, that's pretty cute. But stop listening, OK? Anyway. We all know about your unusually strong connection with-"
Alice shakes her head. "No, it's... why did they guide me to you?"
"To... help us?" Sylvia suggests.
Alice waves her hands dismissively. "Maybe. But you probably would've been fine, knowing you. Maybe I was supposed to meet Suarrure? Or see those crows...?"
Sylvia shrugs. "Speaking of the crows, do you really think...?"
"No doubt in my mind those crows were... Just like in records from Tellius. We need to inform Mother."
"Yeah. Definitely," Sylvia says.
"I can already hear the spirits calling me... as soon as we tell Mother, I need to set out again."
Sylvia cocks her head. "By yourself?"
"Well... If you'd... You know... I won't ask you to run off with me on a gut instinct."
"Alice. You trust your spirits, right? And you know I trust you. If you're telling me they want me to go with you, I won't even hesitate."
Alice looks down to hide a wide smile. "Thank you... Auntie Dearest."
Sylvia groans. "We were having a nice moment, and you just had to ruin it."
The party arrives at the laguz village around noon. A man in a white healer's garb, a woman in a dark, silken dancer's gown, and a white-haired fox laguz are waiting for them. John immediately runs over to his daughter as soon as they come into view. He starts fussing over the slashes on Alice's face, insisting on healing them immediately. When she tries to resist, he demands she listens to her father. She sighs with resignation and allows him to clean the wound and treat her with the staff while Allune, Sylvia, and Suarrure deliver the news.
Fumiko occasionally glances past them at her step-granddaughter. Mary stares intently at the three delivering the report, clutching a tome to her chest and nodding occasionally. When they finish, she starts putting together a team to deal with those crows without hesitation. By the time she finishes, John has finished treating Alice.
"Alice... You're planning to head out again, aren't you?" Mary asks.
"Yes," Alice responds. "The spirits are telling me to go west. To follow the others."
"I see..." Mary mutters. "Very well. I wish I could offer you help, but these crows... I need to deal with my duties here. You'll be truly on your own for the first time."
"I understand," Alice assures her. "But I won't be alone. Sylvia and the others are joining me."
"Oh, are they now?" Fumiko asks, staring at her daughter.
"Er, yeah. Are we now?" Suarrure asks.
Fumiko snaps her stare over to the newcomer as a grin slowly spreads across her face. "Well, I'm sure you'll appreciate the company."
"Are we really..." John begins.
Fumiko puts a hand on his shoulder. "You were younger than her when you set out, remember? And you know how strong she is."
John sighs. "You're right... But no father wants to let his little girl run off."
Mary gives him a gentle smile. "She'll be fine. Alice, good luck. We'll be waiting for you to come home."
END OF CHAPTER 1A: AGE OF DESTRUCTION - ALICE'S ROUTE
(A) Alice chapter 2
(B) Lily chapter 2
(C) Rand chapter 2
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Post by SpringForest on Oct 21, 2016 5:36:03 GMT -6
Oh...? I guess Alice's second chapter is next.
A
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Post by Neo on Oct 21, 2016 13:11:28 GMT -6
A.
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