Disgaea Valor 14-16

Shika (GM): ALL RIGHT WHO WE MISSIN'
Comrade Q.: looks like we got a doctor and a contractor-er who haven't shown up yet
speak of the devil!
Vehrec: give me a couple seconds to kill space dolphins
Space Dolphin: okay WOW
first off, RUDE?

Vehrec shoots
Vehrec: Space Dolphins are bigger jerks than Earth Dolphins.
Ethan: And Earth Dolphins are already pretty terrible.
Vehrec: They're all 'we come in peace' and then they unleash bioweapons on you because they saw you defending a planet against space roaches.
Comrade Q.: why would anyone defend against space roaches? they are wonderful and intelligent creatures and I will not have you badmouth them here
Shika (GM): And with that we are all here!
Argent B.: pwa~~
Shika (GM): Except Vehrec who is still fighting space roach dolphins
Vehrec: I'm here now
Shika (GM): oh okay
Ethan: You're draggin' us down, Doc!
Shika (GM): IN THAT CASE
Nocebo: IN THAT CASE
Narrator: When we last left out heroes, they had just come back from a victorious battle against the Overmayor!
Mannfred: """heroes"""
Narrator: They discovered Prinwise was just a demon in a prinny suit!
And Nocebo's parents were hanging out!

Nocebo has had the rudest awakening.
Lamiel: "We'll never let you out of our sights again!" Smothering of his daughter commencing.

Mannfred finds somewhere convenient to sit down and process all this, feeling halfway between "exhausted" and "terrified"

Nocebo is being literally smothered right now and attempts to pry herself out of this horrible 'hug'.
Lamiel: Also he heals the rest of you losers or something.
Nocebo: DAAAAD
Stop stealing your little girl's thunder :|
"Can I appeal this decision?"

Elly is sitting. Just sitting. After that blink and sigh she's been hunched over like a limp doll.
Lamiel: "Motion denied."
Nocebo: "Get a second opinion?"
Jeanne Dark: "I'm the second opinion."
Mammon: "Okay, okay, can we go over the issue of who sent you again?"
Nocebo: "Wait no."
"This is obviously a dream!"
Lamiel: "Nobody sent us. We just got word that our little angel had been in some trouble and where to find her."
Nocebo: "Yes, I'm obviously still unconcsious and I'm hallucinating this!"
Lamiel: "Any parent would come running, wouldn't they?"
Nocebo: ...

Mannfred shudders audibly at the word "angel"
Mammon: "Right, I just want to make sure you're aware that your informant is the scum of the Netherworld."
Lamiel: HE'S GOT GIANT ANGEL WINGS AND A HALO YOU KNOW.
Mannfred: LISTEN

Nocebo has one angel wing and you are being racist.
Lamiel: "She's a friend of yours, isn't she?"
Nocebo: "No dad."
Lamiel: "How else would she know you?"
Nocebo: "Also, still a dream!"
Mannfred: "'Friend' is stretching it."
Lamiel: "And have my phone number?"
Nocebo: "See, I can pinch myself and-OW!"
Mammon: "In fact, 'enemy' feels like a bit of a weak word."
Lamiel: "Please be careful" heals the one health lost from pinching
Mannfred: "Mortal foe, maybe?"

Elly suddenly is looking in Nocebo's direction

Elly blinks.

Nocebo notices Elly and mouths 'save me.'
Mannfred: "We kind of killed her, is the thrust of it."
Nocebo: "No we didn't."
Mammon: "We should be so lucky."
Elly: Elly just looks away. She seems... embarassed?
Nocebo: "Manny, I know you like to hang around behind everyone else and you wear glasses..."
Mammon: "And not to get distracted, but--"
Nocebo: "But you need your eyes checked."
Jeanne Dark: "Mmm, so a rival, then."
Mammon: Mammon points at the little boy formerly known as Prinwise.
Jeanne Dark: "Those are good to have."
Mammon: "What the fuck?"
Mannfred: "Don't make this about me! You saw that explosion!"

Prinwise waves
Nocebo: "Not mine!"

Nocebo decides that if her dad is gonna hug her...she can at least pick his pocket.
Jeanne Dark: "Ah. Well, don't worry. I'm sure you'll have a rival of your own one day."
Mammon: "We went on a suicide mission because you were keeping secrets, kid."

Lamiel has Celestia-scented hand cream
Mammon: "I respect that and all, but we're gonna have to increase our rates."
Nocebo: ewwwww, dad.
Mannfred: "Is it technically a suicide mission if we come back alive?"
Prinwise: "Aren't you already charging over a thousand times the typical mercenary rates?"
Mammon: "Shut up Mannfred I'm haggling"

Nocebo doesn't know what she was expecting.
Mammon: "I'm worth a thousand typical mercenaries."

Mannfred throws his hands up, too tired to argue
Prinwise: "Agreed then."
"Your rates remain."
Mammon: "THAT'S NOT WHAT I--"
"You know what? Mannfred's fault."
Mannfred: "What?! HOW?!"
Prinwise: Sounds legit.
Mammon: "I'll just take it out of his share."
Mannfred: "I don't have a share! Nobody's paying me anything!"
Naga: "You know his share was only one HL right?"
Mammon: "Then I'll take it out of any money you happen to acquire in the future."

Nocebo tenses.
Mannfred: to Naga:" I'd rather have nothing."
Lamiel: "What a lovely group of friends you've made, Raphella."
Elly: Elly quietly takes out her book and begins to write in it, a distant look in her eyes.
Mannfred: "Again, 'friends'? Not really what I would call this situation."
Mammon: "Thank you, thank you. I am the Netherworld's Handsomest Mercenary."
Raphella: "Can we not use my actual name? It makes me really uncomfortable. I have a pseudonym for my medical career."
"Also, some people are jerks when your name is literally in Cellestial for some reason."
Lamiel: "I can't imagine why" he says genuinely.
Nocebo: "So when we're in public, it's Doctor Nocebo."
"Remember? I have a doctorate now?"

Nocebo mutters about them showing up for graduation.
Jeanne Dark: "Illegally," she frowns.
Mannfred: "There are legal doctorates?"
Jeanne Dark: "You know medical degrees are outlawed and you still got one."
Business Administration doctorates are legal!
That's it.

Mannfred got his online
Mammon: "Ma'am, if I may."
Nocebo: "I enjoy the thrill of it."
don't call mum Ma'am.
Mammon: "Is doing whatever the hell you want and letting the consequences happen to some other jerk not the very essence of demonhood?"

Nocebo facepalms.
Mammon: "I applaud the good doctor for being one."
Mannfred: "Mammon, you do know who you're talking to, right?"
Nocebo: Mum married an angel, don't you think she has some unusual opinions?
Mannfred: "Please tell me this isn't you making a stupid mistake?"
Jeanne Dark: "We are a well-regulated Netherworld. Our evil machinations are all made into law to allow us to do more and better evil machinations."
"But I see where you're coming from, at least."
Mammon: All y'all freaking out.
Mannfred: "That's a, uh, surprisingly flexible stance, Miss Dark!"

Mannfred is sweating profusely

Nocebo consider if introducing Elly as her girlfriend will annoy or appease her parrents.
Mammon: All you have to do to impress powerful people is smarm it up.
Jeanne Dark: (Probably appease)
Mammon: Take it from the Netherworld's Smarmiest Mercenary.
Elly: "So." Her face is still buried in her book. "Are you taking your daughter away?"
Nocebo: "NO!"

Nocebo almost breaks free of the dad-grip.

Lamiel keeps his hold
Lamiel: "Of course not!"
"She is a grown angel-slash-demon."
Mannfred: "So you're just going to be... here? Around?"
Lamiel: "I would like to get to know my daughter's friends a little better." Smiles.
Elly: "Oh."

Nocebo recognizes her cue.
Elly: She's... frowning?

Nocebo doesn't LIKE it.
Nocebo: .,.
"Elly, were you hoping this would turn into some sort of tragedy?
Or-were you planning a rescue mission?"
Elly: Elly doesn't look up from her book. "I was hoping that they would take you away."
Yakiba: (He's pretending to still be asleep.)
Elly: "Maybe its time for you to go home?"
Mammon: "Eh?"
Mannfred: "As wonderful as that sounds, we are technically still wanted criminals."
"I think."

Nocebo is taken aback.
Mannfred: "It's not entirely clear."
Lamiel: "How exciting."
To Mannfred, not Elly, obvs
Nocebo: "Hu-huh?" Elly, what are you talking about?"

Mannfred has absolutely no idea how to take that
Mannfred: is an angel saying something is exciting a good or bad thing?
Yakiba: Especially when that thing is possibly being wanted criminals.
He's silently with you on this one.

Elly mutters something that would require a check to hear but otherwise just turns the page.
Lamiel: Lamiel is not your typical angel, probably.
Elly: definitely xD
Mammon: What kind of check?
Lamiel: considering he lives in the Netherworld
Elly: Intuition or Resolve!
Lamiel: I rule for eavesdropping, an observation check (Int)
Mammon: 15
Elly: or that

Nocebo listens with her heart! 15
Elly: 7

Mammon groans.
Mammon: "You two are gonna kill me one of these days."
"With all your quote 'feelings' unquote."

Elly has just the slightest bit of reddening in her cheeks.

Lamiel has a blank expression

Nocebo hopes her dad didn't hear that.
Lamiel: "So, you never introduced us to your... friends. Raphella?"

Nocebo knows it's probably futile.
Mammon: WHOOPS
Nocebo: "ahahahahaha"
"Okay, let's introduce Everyone!"
Elly: "We don't know an Everyone."
Nocebo: can she at least wriggle free for introductions.
Lamiel: Sure.
Elly: Actually I want to see her awkwardly trying to introduce everyone with a clingy dad shuffling his feet as his daughter is moving from person to person :3

Nocebo picks up Mammon's Prinny. "You know these guys in general, but This is one of Mammon's prinny squad! He's got a bunch of them, they do prinny stuff."
Mammon: Introducing Prinnies. Nailed it.
Nocebo: Mammon is mister eyepatch over here, he claims to be the netheroworld's greatest Mercenary! I don't know if it's true, but it might be true someday~

Mammon bows
Nocebo: "Mannfred here seems to know Mom. he used to be an accountant. Now he argues with Mammon and fights with me over coffee."
Jeanne Dark: "Used to be?"
Elly: "He's currently unemployed."
Jeanne Dark: "Did you quit, Mannfred?"
Mannfred: "13th level supervisor, actually. I was, err, recently let go."
Nocebo: "He got arrested."
"Fraud accusations, he claims he was framed."
Mannfred: "DON'T TELL HER THA-- I mean, err, yes, that's the truth."
Mammon: "We kind of met in prison."
Mannfred: "I'm hoping I can clear my name, eventually."
Lamiel: "That IS exciting!"
Jeanne Dark: "I can't believe they'd let you go over just that... I wonder if..."
she frowns.
Nocebo: "This is Yakiba! He's a ninja and some sort of tinkerer. Not a big talker, also I need to draw some blood, because he's my current experimental buddy."
Mannfred: "And I thought it was Elly you were experimenting with."

Nocebo throws one of her blood-bags at Mannfred-enjoy fake blood in your hair douchebag!
Mammon: Mammon not-at-all-hypocritically stomps on Mannfre'ds foot.

Yakiba decides to "wake up" now.

Mannfred takes it all in stride. He's used to the abuse by now
Nocebo: "Ahem. Moving on!!"

Nocebo darts over to the other side of the room.
Nocebo: "I don't know if you've met these guys so far, but here's Prinwise (probably not his real name) Naga (Prinwises' biggest fangirl) Yumi (don't sneeze near her, she's a flunky), and Jamil (We owe him a boat.)
AAAAnd that's everyone, right?
Prinwise: "You forgot one."

Elly is quietly off in her corner.

Prinwise points at Elly

Nocebo kicks Prinwise in the shin.

Prinwise takes 49 damage
Yakiba: "Perhaps she'd like to introduce herself, instead?"
Nocebo: "That's Elly...And I'm...

Elly closes her books, brushes off her dress and stands. She places her hands into a lap and provides a full-body bow.

Nocebo mutters the last bit, almost as inaudibly as Elly muttered while turning her pages.
Yakiba: Well, that seems to have worked. To a point.
Lamiel: "Nice to meet you all." Smiiiiles.
Elly: "How do you do, my named is Ellipses C. Q. Mark. I am a contract demon that is currently convicted of the crime of changing the Overlord's title."
Mammon: "Oh for hell's sake."
Elly: "Is that sufficient?" She looks over to Mammon.
Mammon: "Not my call! Ask the doc."
Elly: She addresses Nocebo.
Nocebo: "It's fine! I don't remember actually hearing your full name before anyways."
Mannfred: "I've already forgotten it."
Elly: "I did it once in the between-scene credits."
Lamiel: "Well, I have it committed to memory."
Elly: Aaand she's sitting down to her book.
Mammon: Mammon looks at Nocebo like she's a camera and he's on The Office.

Nocebo sweats a lot.
Nocebo: "Ehehehe..."
Narrator: SO
IT SEEMS SOME HOUSEGUESTS HAVE CRASHED WITH THE GROUP
But for now, it seems things are quiet?
Does anybody have any plans?
For what to do with their precious free time.
Mammon: Mammon's gonna practice making bigger portals, he's so rusty.
Mannfred: as of right now? Mannfred is going to shower and put on a new suit, seeing as how he's drenched in fake blood
and also maybe make a few frantic phone calls that everyone can hear from like a room over
Mammon: And since he has one open at his old hideout, he grabs some more guns.
Yakiba: Yakiba will take it easy. He did kind of just collapse.
Mammon: I.E. level up justification.
Elly: Elly is going to go to the Maulnicipal City Park. She heard that the firestarterflies will be out tonight, and she needs some time to think.

Nocebo is probably gonna change out of her uniform and into something comfortable...but if Elly is going out, she will follow!
Narrator: If Lamiel followed, how much would Nocebo object?
Nocebo: She would object Lots.
Lamiel: too bad
Nocebo: nooooooo
Lamiel: So Nocebo, Elly, and Lamiel head out!
Elly: Elly originally just wanted to go out on her own, but if something the other two catches her attention...
Jeanne Dark: But meanwhile
at the base
Mannfred, who exactly are you calling?
Anybody important?

Nocebo would be asking Elly to go out on a DATE if her Dad wasn't here.
Lamiel: :> :> :>
JUST IGNORE HIM
Mannfred: mostly he's just angrily navigating phone trees right now
Nocebo: THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
Lamiel: he will be following at ten paces with a newspaper
from which both his wings and halo stick our from
out*
Elly: Elly will instead settle down against a wailing willow tree and admire how the firestarterflies look in the light of the flowing river of acid.
Jeanne Dark: Back at the base, Jeanne is taking a phone call
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir. At once, sir."
Click.
"Sorry to cut my own visit short, but it seems I'm being summoned back to work."
"Extra security detail... hmph."
Nocebo: Take Dad with you.
Jeanne Dark: "Mannfred."
Nocebo: PLEASE
Mannfred: Mannfred's breath hitches and he almost immediately hangs up.
Jeanne Dark: "I'm to take you with me."
Mannfred: "Yes, Miss Dark?"
Jeanne Dark: "It looks like you're not fired."
Mannfred: "Wait, what?"
"Could you... run that by me again?"
Jeanne Dark: "Come along, I don't have time to waste."

Nocebo spies on Elly from a distance.
Yakiba: "That's genuinely unexpected."

Mannfred , for what is probably the first time in his life, smiles
Jeanne Dark: She punches a code in her phone, and a portal with a sliding glass door appears. "HELL STREET" is emblazoned along the top.
"Security head privileges, the administation portal."
Mannfred: "Yes, well, I suppose I should be getting back to business. It's been terrible knowing all of you (except for Yakiba I suppose)!"

Mannfred approaches the portal

Jeanne Dark steps inside
Mammon: "Suspicious... who would pass up a chance to fire Mannfred?"

Mannfred follows her with a final wave and a "This has been the worst experience of my adult life! Seeya!"
Naga: "If you want to tag along, feel free. Seems like trouble to me."
Mammon: "Yakiba, you in?"

Naga is preparing a couple mixed drinks at the bar

Yakiba nods.
Mammon: Better go make sure he doesn't die before Mammon gets the money he arbitrarily decided he owes him, then!
Mannfred: you're all such amazing friends
Narrator: THE SCENES... ARE IN PLACE

Nocebo marinates in self-loathing, dad-loathing, and lust for cute girls.
Narrator: Let's go over to Nocebo and Elly for a bit

Lamiel is being very inconspicuous with his newspaper like ten paces from Nocebo

Elly is done listening to the wails of local wildlife running out of their homes and is instead returning to her book.

Nocebo is studiously ignoring Lamiel because he is a dinosaur and nobody reads newspapers anymore.

Nocebo struggles internally to overcome her shame!
Nocebo: 13
nope
She fail.

Nocebo groans into a tree.
Elly: Elly looks over.

Nocebo doesn't notice that Elly notices.

Lamiel notices that Elly notices
Elly: Elly gets up, walks over to Nocebo...
a runs a finger down her spine.

Nocebo jumps up-and twists around, shoving her hand out towards Elly and stopping just before putting her 'psychic powers' to use.
Nocebo: "Don't scare me like that!"

Lamiel snickers
Elly: Elly just tilts her head. "What are you doing out here?"
Nocebo: "I wanted...I wanted to try and throw the dead-weight off and talk to you somewhere."
"But he's annoyingly persistant."
Elly: "Who?" She hasn't noticed that her dad has noticed what he is noticing in this noteworthy situation(?)

Lamiel is very inconspicuous?

Elly can be dense as hell sometimes.

Nocebo jerks her head at Lamiel, because she doesn't want to say the D-word in public.
Elly: Elly tilts her head, pointing her finger at the strange piece of paper. "Oh."
"..."
"Well. He seems nice, at least?"
Raphella: "Do you want to hear about the horrors of my childhood?"

Elly nods.
Elly: "Wait."

Elly pulls out her book, quill in hand.

Raphella waits
Elly: "Okay go."
Raphella: "Okay, so I'm pretty sure they scarred me for life with their antics when I was a kid. He stayed at home, while she went to work every day...but he would welcome her home every night!"
"And they called each other *pet names!"

Elly smiles and is flushing up a bit.
Elly: "Oh."
Lamiel: (the HORROR)
Raphella: "They threw me a birthday party once and she kissed him in front of the neighbors. Two of them had heart attacks right then and there." Okay, they were old, but still, scandelous!
"And don't get me started on how they turned up when I graduated. That might have been an illegal doctorate, but they had a banner with my name on it."
"I thought I'd finally run away from home for good! But nope, they still follow me everywhere.
Elly: Elly frowns.
She raises a hand to Raphella's chest.
Raphella: "If they want do baby their kid so much, why don't they have more kids and let me get on with my life?"
uh wait
rant paused, are we gonna touch the boob here?
Lamiel: DOES HE NEED TO INTERVENE?
DOES HIS LITTLE ANGEL NEED AN ADULT!?
Elly: Nope, instead, she's going to close her hands together instead.
Raphella: NO DAD

Raphella is so disapointed.
Elly: When she opens them there's a... book. An old book, it would seem. It is dog-eared and beaten and it looks like it might have been dunked in water a few times.
She opens it up and goes to the first page.
She offers it to Raphella to read.

Nocebo looks at it curiously.
Elly: The text is flowery and cute. Dear Dia, is it okay if I call you Dia?
I am so excited to be writing in you today! After all those years of living in foster care, its nice to look at you an call you mine! Hehe.
Its really nice that the Headmistress gave you to me. This is the first time I get to go The Academy! I'm so excited.

Nocebo feels a twinge of guilt, stupid half-angel soul.
Elly: I hear that tomorrow, I'll be going onto a carriage for the first time! I can't wait to see what happens next...
She flips the page.

Nocebo dreads what she will read next.
Elly: The boys tricked me and made me trip out of the carriage. I dropped you into the water. Headmistress was so mad.
I'm so worthless.
"Worthless" seems to have been underlined all the way to the bottom of the page.
Nocebo: "Uhhhhh"
Elly: Elly is reaching for her book back now.

Nocebo hands it back but...doesn't let go right away.
Nocebo: "Sorry for being...so self-centered.
"I get these...weird impulses sometimes. I think I must have inherited all my parrent's worst traits..."
Elly: She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for."
Nocebo: 11

Nocebo still cannot ask Elly out on a date! Curse her awkward heart.
Nocebo: "I uh...I didn't want my parrents to notice us.
I thought they might make a big deal."
Elly: "Notice us...?" She tilts her head, curious.
"We're friends, right?"
Nocebo: "Yeah but-"
Lamiel: Single tear. His little girl, making friends.
Elly: "But why you would want to pick somebody like me..." She looks down at the page she had turned to.

Nocebo is turning crimson.
Lamiel: LET US
SEE HOW THE OTHERS ARE DOING
before Nocebo bursts a blood vessel in her face from all that blush blush rabu junk

Jeanne Dark steps out into the middle of a clean, crisp office corridor.
Jeanne Dark: This isn't the hustle and bustle of Hell Street proper, where all the business happens, but is instead the actual administration building.

Mannfred rolls his shoulders and adjusts his incredibly tacky fractal tie
Mannfred: "So, is there anything you need me for, or can I get back to work. I need to see if anyone's screwed with my office while I was away."
Jeanne Dark: "There is, in fact. Just follow me."
She is going to head deeper into the Heart of the Administration Building.

Mannfred follows close behind, taking in the "scenery"
Mannfred: "Just how I remember it."
?????: "Ah, Miss Dark! A pleasure to-"
Amy Glasya: "..................."
"............................................."
"WHAT"

Mannfred freezes and his dreamy smile fades back into a more familiar scowl
Mannfred: "Evening, Glasya."
Amy Glasya: "WHAT IN THE NETHERWORLD IS HE DOING HERE!?"
Yakiba: It seems Ms. Glasya may be, how you say... busted.
Amy Glasya: "Toss him out right this minute, Miss Dark!"
Jeanne Dark: "I'm afraid not, Glasya."
"We have urgent business. More urgent than anything you could offer, I'd wager."

Mannfred smirks "What's the matter? Surprised to see me back on the job?"

Amy Glasya feels that burn
Amy Glasya: "You were-"
"...You know what? I don't care."
"This... this obviously... has nothing to do with me...."
Mannfred: "Suuure you don't."
Amy Glasya: She is going to shuffle off very quickly.
She mutters something under her breath.
Roll to overhear, if you'd like.
Mannfred: 19 nothing escapes Mannfred's curious ears!
Amy Glasya: Anyone else? (Are Yakiba and Mammon tagging along with the group?)
Mammon: I was assuming there was gonna be danger for them to show up in the middle of, but sure.
Yakiba: well, there wouldn't be much point in me rolling for that
but yeah we're around
Amy Glasya: I AM COOL EITHER WAY
Mammon: "Let's give it another five minutes."
"No way this doesn
't explode in his face by then."
Amy Glasya: And then she's gone.
Jeanne Dark: "Come along then."
Resuming her pace.

Mannfred furrows his brow but doesn't say anything. Amy knows something, he's sure of it
Jeanne Dark: MANNFRED
This is a new part of the building you have never been to.
This is HIGHER-UPS ONLY territory.
Something a 13th level supervisor would never have a chance to visit.
Jeanne continues.
Mannfred: "So, where exactly are we headed again? I-if you don't mind my asking."
Jeanne Dark: "We're heading...."
She stops.
"Here."
Grandiose doors.
The plaque reads "OVERCEO"
Elly: Does it look like this?
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/despicableme/images/3/30/Picture.jpg-2012-12-28-at-15.04.53-640x351.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20131020204017
Mannfred: Mannfred's jaw drops open and he looks at the plaque like it's the Ark of the Covenent or something
Jeanne Dark: She knocks.
?????: "Come in."
Mannfred: "B-but... you...!"
?????: THE DOOR OPENS.
The OverCEO's office is in regal reds and yellows, but also with a lot of woods and a distinctly Eastern (Netherworld) flare.
And at the end of the office, reclining on a couple cushions just spread haphazardly on the floor,
is the OverCEO.
Zep Courson: "Heeey!"

Mannfred immediately goes rigid, arms at his sides, ready to salute at any moment
Mannfred: "Mister Courson, sir! It's an honor to be in your presence!"
Zep Courson: "It is, isn't it?" He grins.
"Take a seat, take a seat!"
"I don't have chairs, but grab a cushion?"
He grins.
It looks like a friendly one.
Mannfred: "Y-yes sir." Mannfred stumbles in and uneasily perches himself on a cushion
"Err, pardon my rudeness, Mister Courson, but ahh..."
"What exactly is it you called me in for today?"
Zep Courson: "Well, that would be to...."
He tosses a newspaper right into Mannfred's lap. Headline; "HELL STREET SUPERVISOR TAKES DOWN OVERMAYOR!?"
"...talk about this."

Mannfred looks down at the paper. That back at Zep. Then the paper. Then Zep again
Zep Courson: The article does not mention Mammon, Yakiba, Nocebo, Elly, or even Naga.
Mannfred: "Well, you see sit, it's uh..."
Zep Courson: There are pictures of Mannfred facing the Overmayor.
Mannfred: "W-well, it's a very long story!"
Elly: Is it a good picture? :o
Zep Courson: Yes.
Mammon: What the hell is this propaganda.
Zep Courson: (Photography Credit: Zombianca)
Mammon: THAT EXPLAINS IT
Mannfred: "A-and as flattering as this may be, I can't t-take sole credit for anything described in this article."
Yakiba: "That accursed maid, again..."
Elly: Elly objects. That makes Mannfred look much cooler that he actually is in real life.
Zep Courson: "I'm still....."
"Undecided."
"On how to feel about this."
"On one hand, it might be good for business!"

Nocebo would object if she knew about it.
Zep Courson: "Legality is more of a.. .guideline, than a rule. At least on Hell Street."
"After all...."
Elly: She objects in spirit and in principle.
Zep Courson: "The Overmayor had political power, but the real power of a city lies in its money."
"And I control the money."
Mammon: "Let's be friends."
Mannfred: "Of course, sir. S-so why the indecision?"

Mannfred is visibly shaking
Zep Courson: "Mainly, I'm not sure how this is gonna play out!" A laugh.
"It could be good for business!"
"It might drive away customers."
"I don't think the Overmayor was particularly popular, but it all remains to be seen, right?"
"As such, I definitely do not want to fire you."
"And if you ever were fired, you are re-hired."
Zep Courson: "But you're also going to be on a mandatory vacation for a bit."
Mannfred: "M-mandatory?!" Mannfred recoils. "Sir, if this is your idea of a joke, I'm incredibly amused, but now is p-probably not the time to be fooling around!"
"Unless it is the time, because you want it to be."
Zep Courson: "Trust me, when it comes to money..."
"I never joke."
....Grin.
"I'll let you know when you can come back to work."
"Until then, enjoy your time off!"
"Spend some time with the wife and kids...."
Zep Courson: "...Jeanne, does he have a wife and kids?"
Mannfred: "I-I'm single, sir."
Jeanne Dark: "I think he and a mercenary have something, maybe?"
Zep Courson: "More power to you, then!"
"Enjoy time together."
Mammon: "Oh dear Satan, I have standards."
Mannfred: "'Have something'?! With that buffoon?! Why I never--"

Mannfred catches himself and settles back down

Yakiba smirks invisibly under the mask
Mannfred: "Y-yes sir."
Zep Courson: "Well then!" Claps hands together. "Glad this is settled."
Elly: Elly vetoes this.. in spirit. It gets in the way of who she currently ships with Mammon.
Zep Courson: "Jeanne, if you would." He gestures for her to show them out.

Jeanne Dark will do just that.

Mannfred rises to his feet and follows Jeanne back out, though a little reluctantly
Mannfred: Once out, he slumps against a nearby wall and groans
Nocebo: protip, mom has arms like steel beams.
Mannfred: "Did you hear him? Mandatory vacation?! What am I supposed to do?! I don't have friends! I don't have a social life!"
Mammon: "I cannot BELIEVE you got sole credit for that kill."
Mannfred: "I practically live out of my office!"
"Wait... who said that?"
Mammon: "Do you know what taking out the Overmayor was gonna do for my reputation?"
Jeanne Dark: "You didn't notice them join us at the OverCEO's office?" she asks Mannfred.
Wow he was really out of it.
Mannfred: "Sorry, I was a little too filled with awe and terror to notice!"
Yakiba: "Then I'm doing at least one of my jobs correctly."

Mannfred whips back towards Mannfred and Yakiba
Mannfred: "And you two! Why did you even bother following me all this way?"
"I said I'm done with you, and I meant it!"
Mammon: "We thought somebody would try to kill you!"
"It's been a disappointing trip all around."
?????: "There's time to fix that."
Shika (GM): MEANWHILE
Mannfred: awwwww
Yakiba: well that's Pretty Obviously Glasya
Lamiel: Lamiel puts an arm around Elly and Nocebo.
What happened to his newspaper?
Mammon: So obvious it must not be!
Elly: "Oh."
Lamiel: What happened to following them without being seen?
Elly: She seems a bit squished, because she's much shorter than most folks.
(and if he's like most Angels, he might need to pick her up??)
they get the tall genes like whoa ._..
Lamiel: "Elly! Nocebo!" LOOK HE REMEMBERED
"It's so nice to run into you both here."
"How about we take a trip out of the park?"
Nocebo: "How about NO."
Elly: Elly's first impulse is to say a rather quick and defensive "ok" but she looks over to Nocebo first
Nocebo: "Why are you so pushy all of a sudden?"
Lamiel: "Ahahaha, pushy? Moi?"
Elly: "Yes."
But uh... good impressions? "Where do you want to take us?"
Lamiel: "A coffee shop, maybe?"
Elly: "Oh."
"That sounds nice." It does actually sound nice.
Nocebo: "fffffff-fine."

Nocebo reaches for Elly's hand though.
Elly: 18 dextrous obliviousness
Nocebo: did you just
dodge hand holding?
Elly: yes
Nocebo: wow
Elly: roll good :>

Nocebo cannot be that quick, but she can be smooth and good looking.. 13
Nocebo: ...not smooth enough.
Elly: Instead, she's pushing against Lamiel. "Excuse me, sir. But can you let go? Its kind of stuff this close to you."
*stuffy
Lamiel: "Ahahaha... ha.. is it?"
He seems to be trying to hurry them out of the park.
Roll intuition.

Elly nods
Lamiel: Or resolve.
Nocebo: 12
make that a 13 for resolve, but eh.
Elly: 17 resolve
Lamiel: You can see that he is trying to hurry you away from....
some guy?
He is looking around the park a little bewildered, but
his eyes catch Elly's
Elly: "Oh."
She's not sure if she remembers seeing him?
Then again, most of the people that she knows either are employing them, family, or currently defeated.
Narrator: There are three points of distinction about this man;
One, his clothes are very old-style fantasy-fare.
Two, once his gaze meets Elly's, he stops looking confused, and looks determined.
Three....
He's human.
?????: He LEAPS UP onto a nearby fountain.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, DEMONS!"
Nocebo: "Should we run?"
?????: He has a sword drawn.
Elly: "If he holds us any closer, I think we'll become one with him..."
Lamiel: "Oh, no..."
Loah Rolen IV: "I AM THE HERO OF THE HUMAN REALM, LOAH ROLEN THE FOURTH!"
Elly: "Oh."
Loah Rolen IV: "And I have come here to put an end to you demons!"
Elly: "Hello."
Loah Rolen IV: "EN GARDE!"
?????: MEANWHILE.....
The mysterious female voice who said something rather disconcerting was NOT, in fact, Glasya.
"Who lives, and who dies...."
"That part isn't for me to decide."
"I just try to do what I can."
"Except what I CAN do... is killing."
?????: "So I guess that is up to me."
Jeanne Dark: "I have to go report this, excuse me." Vamooses.

Mannfred glances around, looking more confused than threatened
Mammon: "Oh, she was useful."
Mannfred: "Aaaand whoa re you again?"
*who
?????: There are three points of distinction about this woman.
One, she is dressed in all leathers, a style that would be severely frowned upon here in Hell Street.
Two, she seems tormented with deep inner burden.
Three, she is definitely, one-hundred percent human.
Mannfred: "Okay, did someone bring their pet in or something? What is this?"
Elly: 1 and 2 would fit in most everywhere else
Hire Rolen: "I'm the Human Realm's Antihero, Hire Rolen."
"And I guess I'm here to kill you."
Dark fire bursts around her.
Mammon: Has it been more than five minutes since Mammon said five minutes?
Mannfred: "Oh. A hero. Fantastic. I was hoping to let off some steam."
Mammon: (By the way I have two Prinnies now.)
Hire Rolen: 2
no
Mammon: "Aaaaaaaand called it!"
He puts away his stop watch.
Hire Rolen: I have also not had a chance to update health/stamina values, if you want to do that yourself feel free.
ALTHOUGH ACTUALLY this part did run a bit longer than I expected. Might be best to hold off the fight until next week.
What say ye?
Yakiba: Fine either way
Elly: Same
Mannfred: yeah, sure
Mammon: Sure.
Mannfred: I can wait for another big throwdown
Hire Rolen: THEN NEXT WEEK WE WILL CONTINUE
to be continuuuued
Mammon: A nice punny cliffhanger.
Yakiba: yes
Nocebo: Will Doc confess her feelings?
Will Elly keep being oblivious?
Mannfred: will Mannfred ever chill the hell out?
Elly: "...what?"
Mannfred: (no)
Nocebo: and some humans showed up, but they're not important.
Elly: this was fun! I liked the world building
Mannfred: same, real nice RP all around
Mammon: Good times were had by all!
Shika (GM): You got to really experience Nocebo's parents, meet the OverCEO....
meet humans for the first time in this campaign
Elly: Elly thinks her's seems nice
She'll no doubt change her mind next week
Yakiba: How did they get here? Who cares? We're going to fight them.
Shika (GM): I am not gonna lie, I am a bit scared for one of your teams
I accidentally made one of them Really Good
Mannfred: but which one?
Shika (GM): that is the real question
Nocebo: Size Up whoever you are facing, and maybe you'll get a clue.
Shika (GM): They are both the same level so
Mannfred: also Mammon I think is the only one who has that
Mammon: Actually I sold it due to never using it plus needing a TON of SP to build a companion/portals set.
Shika (GM): so nobody has it
Mannfred: amazing
Mammon: I mean, DBV made me realize.
You can kind of figure out most of the information it provides just by looking at what they roll.
Shika (GM): except flaws
Mammon: Except Flaws.
Yakiba: and then at least on Shibuya's side of Valor Persona, any elemental resistances it has
Elly: The rest is "how long does it take for that green bar to become grey"
Shika (GM): FUN FACT I came into this not knowing if or how groups would split
only that Mannfred would wind up at Hell Street somehow and the others might not come along
Mannfred: the greatest GM trick of all: flying by the seat of your pants
Shika (GM): I HAD PREPARED FOR THE GROUP SPLIT THO by having two heroes
or. anti-heroes.
(anti-)heroes
Elly: they're probably more heroic than all of us
So, two questions!
Mannfred: oh absolutely
they're "heroes" without the quotation marks
Elly: One, has anybody here played "Our Darker Purpose?"
Shika (GM): so I also have contingencies for a party wipe because it was actually possible for Mannfred to be fighting Hire by himself
and he would lose
I'm sorry
Mannfred: the man's just not built for solo combat
Elly: She's easily a boss monster soo...
Nocebo: I haven't...I think.
Mannfred: yeah, I don't think I've ever heard of that
the thing Argent was talking about I mean
Yakiba: Nope, Our Darker Purpose is an enigma
Elly: If you hadn't! I based Elly's "academy" is based on Edgewood Home for Lost Children:
http://orig10.deviantart.net/4c54/f/2014/022/8/1/our_darker_purpose_by_logartis-d738i0e.jpg
Mannfred: so this is clearly an upstanding and reputable establishment we're talking about
Shika (GM): it seems legit
Elly: Its a lovely place with lovely people and lovely administrators and absolutely nobody is every unhappy there ever :D
Second!
Is Minki going to grace our game? :3c
Shika (GM): yes
as a villain
Mannfred: I'm so excited for guest villains
you have no idea
Nocebo: Guest Villians is a great thing that Prof invented.
...not Villians
gah
Shika (GM): I don't know how Prof does things, but I let them design their villains themselves so hopefully it's fun for everyone all around
Nocebo: it is a good way to do things
Shika (GM): Anyway I am excited to get into season two finally
I have so much fun things planned
and humans
Mannfred: humans are basically the worst
Shika (GM): it's true
Elly: Elly has had a few dealing with humans :o
She finds them amusing
with their short-sighted contracts
Nocebo: Nocebo doesn't know anything about humans other than 'they exist'

Mannfred has had pretty much entirely awful experiences with humans
Mannfred: angels too
really pretty much everyone
Nocebo: still no excuse to be racist, jerk.
Mannfred: he's not racist, he's just justifiably nervous around Nocebo's terrifying parents!
Shika (GM): (also the real reason Jeanne had to run off is because she;s too high level for this encounter)
(Lamiel... is not)
(he is a lover not a fighter)
Yakiba: (he does, however, likely have Heals for Days)
Elly: If nothing else, us ladies on the right side
And Lamiel...
...
us ladies will be fine :D
Shika (GM): Lamiel is kinda lame tbh
Mannfred: more like LAMEiel
Nocebo: he is a house-dad, let's be honest.
Shika (GM): where do u think i got that name from

Mannfred hi-fives himsel
Shika (GM): his entire name is a pun on the word lame
Nocebo: lame-of-el
Mannfred: I can't even do dumb burns right

Raphella is 'Healing-of-El'.
Raphella: no relation to Kal-El
Shika (GM): (Jeanne Dark is of course Jeanne d'Arc)
(LOOK THIS IS DISGAEA I CAN MAKE LAME NAMES)
Elly: hey Elly is literally punctuation xD
Mannfred: Glasya and Courson are straight up from the Ars Goetia so you're not the only one guilty of lame names here
Shika (GM): and I assume everybody got Loah and Hire's name puns
Elly: ...
Low Road and High Road?
Shika (GM): we'll go with that
anyway I'm outtie
o7
see y'all next week
Mannfred: later!
Yakiba: ...no, low-rolling and high-rolling
Shika (GM): bam
Yakiba: we got meta
Shika (GM): this is Disgaea we're menat for meta
Yakiba: true
Raphella: see ya
Shika (GM): And at the last minute, everybody appears
Argent B.: HAX

Vehrec types with feet
Vehrec: I'm In
Shika (GM): ARE WE READY TO FIGHT HEROES?
Argent B.: "heroes"
Shika (GM): No you're fighting real heroes.
Nocebo: "Heroes are jerks and also a good source of income."
Mannfred: one of them's an anti-hero, that's way different
Ethan: Born ready.
Mammon: Despite that nitpick.
Loah Rolen IV: "Prepare yourselves, villains!"
Hire Rolen: "Best say any prayers you have, if that's what you demons do."
Mammon: "It's kind of categorically not."
Yakiba: 22
Hire Rolen: Everybody roll initiative
Elly: 18
Mannfred: "I think prayer's outlawed here, now that you mention it." 17
Loah Rolen IV: 12
Hire Rolen: 13
of course I make two dex builds and they both roll a 2 on initiative
Nocebo: 13
Mammon: 18
Nocebo: "Is he talking to us?"
Elly: "Um... she has a negative initiative trait and she is more prepared than you..."
Hire Rolen: Mammon, Elly, roll a straight d10

Nocebo looks around for anyone who might be more villainous looking than herself.
Elly: 2
Mammon: 4
Hire Rolen: YAKIBA IS UP
Yakiba: Obvious first course of action: never underestimate an enemy, even if they've done an astonishingly small amount of research on you or your entire civhellization.
Be ready to dodge anything, and when the time comes just do it. (Slip Stance on)
And might as well get the gun out early, now that it doesn't take a whole turn.
"Here's a contribution to the security system."
Mannfred: "I know you're being clever and all, but trust me. The security here really doesn't need your help."
"Have you even seen Miss Dark?"
Yakiba: "A) she was here a few seconds ago,"
Hire Rolen: "What the heck is that thing."
She looks over at that sentry gun with curiosity.
Yakiba: "B) the human got in here anyway, didn't she?"
"And not telling, I never reveal secrets."
Mannfred: "Nobody's perfect."
Nocebo: Doc's mom is pretty cool.
Mammon: "Ah, there we go. Perfect."
Portals!
Hire Rolen: "......Is this a common demon thing?"
Mannfred: "Hmmm. Finally varying up your routine?"

Mannfred sounds impressed, despite himself
Mammon: "Oh get over the attack node thing, it was the best I could do up until now."
Yakiba: "Just add thinking and you're set."
Mammon: ANYWAY
Mannfred: "I am over it! Who said I wasn't over it?!"
(he's still not over it)
Mammon: She's currently just out of range for his new shotgun, unless he fires into that portal!
17 Dex
He also could have moved a little more but look.
This is an extreme ranged build and we have a kind of small map.
He has to show off somehow.
Hire Rolen: Is that including the +2 from accurate strike?
Mammon: NO IT IS NOT because I'm just that incompetent.
19.
Hire Rolen: Resolve defense 15
Hit!
47 damage!
She doesn't even try to dodge, and as consequence, is hit!
"...Ow. What kind of magic do you demons use?"
Mannfred: "We call that 'buckshot'."
Hire Rolen: "'Buckshot,' huh?"
"We'll see if it stands up to my magic soon enough."
Mammon: "You could just use a gun like all the cool kids."
Loah Rolen IV: ON THE OTHER SIDE
The hero is ready for your move, Elly
Mannfred: "There are cool kids here? I wouldn't have guessed."
Elly: Evelyn gives the area that Loah is standing in a good glance over
Loah Rolen IV: He is standing on top of a (water) fountain.
Elly: okay, so no geo effects, got it xD
Loah Rolen IV: His boots are soaked.
(No Geo this battle)
Nocebo: if they are any good, his feet will still be dry....
Loah Rolen IV: (The green is trees).)
Nocebo: we should check his socks.
Elly: "I think we have you a bit over--" She looks over at Lamiel.
"You're not fighting?"
Mammon: "Notice how you're the only one here without a gun."
Lamiel: "I'm a lover, not a fighter."
Nocebo: "Don't ask my dad to fight!"
Elly: "Why?"
Lamiel: "I'll be cheering you two on!"
Elly: "...oh."
Nocebo: "Because it's really sad to watch him try."

Elly nods.
Nocebo: "I mean, there are avenging angels, but he's not."
Lamiel: "I'm an angel of love."
Loah Rolen IV: "Ha, nice try, demons!"
"But your angel impersonations are horrible!"
Elly: Give me a second, I'm trying to figure out this mechanically
Loah Rolen IV: "Everybody knows angels are regal and majestic!"
"And also, you know, not hanging in the Netherworld."
"Another tipoff."
Nocebo: "They're actually either total dweebs or absolutely terrifying.
There's like...no in-between."
Lamiel: "Not inaccurate."
Elly: How do I draw circles?
Loah Rolen IV: I have no idea.
Hold ALT while using draw shape, apparently
nice
Yakiba: probably Option if you're on a Mac
Elly: So I hear that portals are what's in this season. And Elly will go ahead and get that going on this side too, drawing into the air and making one...
there and there!
She brushes her blouse and gives Loah a cheery wave
Loah Rolen IV: "Um."
Elly: 5--
that's one move at 6
And she'll go ahead and make another portal...
Loah Rolen IV: That's 7 actually
Elly: Okay there xD
Loah Rolen IV: Going from one portal to another is one movement
:|b
Elly: And she'll go ahead and go back into the portal she made and pop out...
There! :D
Loah Rolen IV: :|b
Elly: End turn~
"Be sure to use the portals, Raf--"
"..."
"Nocebo..."
Nocebo: ...
Hire Rolen: (Your new gimmick is already stolen Mammon)
Mannfred's turn

Nocebo doesn't think she can get to the first portal before this guy does.
Mammon: Rude.

Elly whispers out loud. "He doesn't need to know your name really is--"
Nocebo: "Shuddup!"

Elly looks wide eyed (for once) and clasps her hands to her mouth.

Mannfred falls back on an old standby by immediately walling himself off from everyone else
Hire Rolen: "Cowardice!"
Mammon: "You're not wrong."
Hire Rolen: "I'm not sure what else I should have expected from demons."
Mannfred: "Say what you want, at least cowards survive all the way to the end."
Yakiba: "You sound like you did so little research you shouldn't have had any expectations."
Hire Rolen: "How would I have done research, ninja-demon?"
"Our worlds aren't connected."
"Or, weren't."
Mannfred: A jolt of energy leaps out from under the mass of red tape, forming a grid around the unfortunate human. 12
*from, wow
Hire Rolen: Aura?
Mannfred: yeap
Mammon: "Weren't? That sounds like a story you're not gonna live to tell!"
Hire Rolen: 19 aura
Black flames surround her, keeping the grid off of her.
Mannfred: "Black fire. How edgy of you."
Hire Rolen: "I have no intention of mentioning anything to demons."
"After... al..l...."
"Hrrrn....."
She clutches her hand.
"No...! I cannot keep these flames at bay... for much longer!"
"I must activate my Seal of the Anti-Hero....!"
Hire Rolen: Flames consume her hand, obviously damaging herself.
Elly: Oh wow. Elly wishes she was seeing this.
Hire Rolen: But she looks stronger at the same time.
Elly: She'd be drawing up a storm right now.
Yakiba: "I'm not sure I've seen anything more pointlessly dark."
Hire Rolen: She steps back, containing the fire once more.
End turn.
Mannfred: "And that's saying something, what with us being demons and all."
"Seriously, this couldn't be any more agonizingly cliche if you tried. I'm almost insulted."
Hire Rolen: Actually let's sidestep instead
okay now end

Nocebo looks at Loah and sighs. "Well okay. Let's fight a hero instead of letting someone else handle this..."
Elly: "Like Naga?"
Hire Rolen: "You will be the ones vanquished, demons!"
Nocebo: She steps forward and then points dramatically at the hero "YOU! However many demons you have faced before, (and I doubt it's that many) let me tell you something! You have never faced a demon like me before! My fearsome techniques are known and feared by all!" She makes her poses as intimidating as possible. 11
Mammon: "Come on, she's having a bad enough day."
Loah Rolen IV: said Loah
not Hire
Mammon: "We don't have to kill her self-esteem, too."
Loah Rolen IV: Resolve 11
WOW
Nocebo: incredible
Mannfred: "I... are you actually sticking up for her, or is this just a bit?"
Loah Rolen IV: SHAKEN
Elly: ...he's living up to his namesake?
Nocebo: though I guess the odds of that are about 1/10.
Loah Rolen IV: He is.
Yakiba: "You have a point, but killing her self-esteem would make it easier to kill her as well."
Mannfred: "Also, let's not forget, she broke into my place of employment and tried to kill us! She's still trying!"
Nocebo: "For instance! The toxic chemicals in this flask become even more deadly when mixed with water!" 18
Loah Rolen IV: "Wai- what!?"
"Demons use chemicals!?!"
Nocebo: Enjoy that cloud of vapor rising from the water!
Elly: "We watch TV, too."
Loah Rolen IV: 11 dex sub
WOW
Mannfred: just
the worst
Loah Rolen IV: good thing Loah is designed to be the worst hero ever
Yakiba: the worst?
or the best
at living up to his name
Loah Rolen IV: 55 damage
Nocebo: "Of course, if you think you are powerful enough...you can fight me with that pig-sticker you call a 'weapon'. But know that my weapons are dark pervisions of the medical arts, and I can keep a hero alive for a thousand years of torment..."

Nocebo throws in a kukuku for good measure.
Loah Rolen IV: DEEP BREATH.
Elly: "Really?"

Elly is impressed.
Elly: And a liiittle freaked out

Nocebo hides her mouth from Loah and mouths "Not really."
Loah Rolen IV: And he disappears.
"Behind you, demon!"
SWORD GOES SLICE 12
Dex attack!
with a whole 12

Nocebo attempts to dive forward before the word 'You' is out of his mouth.
Nocebo: 13 Aura sub
Loah Rolen IV: He withdraws after his missed attack.
Nocebo: "You have entered...my operating theater. I'll make you pay for that, oh yes."
Loah Rolen IV: "You demons are pretty good."
"But I won't give up!"
"THAT'S WHY I'M A HERO!"
Elly: "Are you SURE you're a hero...?"
"You're pretty bad..."
Loah Rolen IV: NEW ROUND +1 valor all
Yakiba: Sorry about the noise, folks: 16 Resolve vs Hire (Provoke from the Sentry Gun)
Hire Rolen: 13
Success
Yakiba: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
*Sentry Gun:
Nocebo: OH MY GOD.
Yakiba: It's also ready to counterattack.

Nocebo hears the beeping from the park.
Hire Rolen: .......
2
Some crossinterference between Mammon's and Elly's portals means you actually can
Nothing else, just that beeping.
Yakiba: She can't hear what he says over the beeping.
Maybe it's even enough to stop her from noticing the fist in her chest. 12 Muscle attack vs Hire
Hire Rolen: Clash. 23
Nocebo: Oooooo
Yakiba: ...Okay this is actually the first time Clash has come up for me, too.
Prinwise classic: "CLASH TUTORIAL TIME!"
Mannfred: "Gah! Where did you come from?!"
Yakiba: "I don't care where he came from right now, this is important."
Prinwise classic: "Somebody with the Clash skill can choose to use a counterattack to hit another technique being used on them! The attacks roll against each other!"
Mammon: "And why are you back in the stupid costume?"
Yakiba: "Are you trying to kinkshame a demon?"
Prinwise classic: "No talking during totorials! Were you all raised in barns!?"
"So Clash rolls are your normal attack roll... PLUS the damage core level of the techniques!"
"In this case, since Yakiba rolled a 12 and the core of the technique he used is 6, his Clash roll is 18."
"There's no defense roll, just the attacks against each other!"
"And since the antihero rolled 23, uh, his attack loses."
"The loser's attack doesn't go through, the winner's does."
Prinwise classic: "And anybody else hit by the technique will roll defense as normal."
Hire Rolen: vs the Sentry Gun 17 aura
Yakiba: Muscle sub 18
Elly: Its a good thing that Elly wasn't over there, you two, she'd scold your for talking during the tutorial
Hire Rolen: Sentry gun survives the hit!
Elly: ...okay, she'd be give a very, very cross stare
Yakiba: (It takes chip though)
Hire Rolen: Dark fire explodes out of her hand, drawing a huge line in the ground.
11 to the Sentry Gun, 66 to Yakiba
Yakiba: "You catch well, but now you're open."
Mammon: So is that box she set up a barrier?
Yakiba: What box? The light blue one is Mannfiend's energy field.
Hire Rolen: "My darkness... I have mastered it... so that I can consume darkness like yours!"
Indeed
Mammon: Oh right.
MY BAD
Anyway.
Nocebo: Her My Imortal impression is what's bad.
Mammon: Portal toss!
Okay had to take a second to figure out if that hit anybody else through the portal but no, I don't think so.
I'm still getting used to this skillset.
Hire Rolen: Blast techniques do not go through portals
Mammon: Okay, that simplifies it.
ANYWAY.
20 Int!
Hire Rolen: Neither do lines. Only Ranged can go through portals.
Yakiba: (Anyway I've got to go now; I'm preemptively calling a pun about this building crunching more than just numbers of NPC!Yakiba ends up using Tera Crusher)
Hire Rolen: (:|b)
Mannfred: (seeya!)
Mammon: (Later.)
Elly: (peeace~)
Hire Rolen: Resolve! 19
So close yet so far
Mammon: "Ha!"
Hire Rolen: 46 damage!
Mammon: And that'll do for a turn.
Hire Rolen: She's already at half health!
Loah Rolen IV: Elly's turn!
Elly: Move 1, Steps: 3
(right?)
"I don't know what you're thinking about demons."
"But you're threatening my friends."
"And Lamiel."
"So... I'll have to punish you for that."
Loah Rolen IV: yup
"Demons are evil!"
"So therefore you're evil!"
Elly: "...okay, maybe..."
Loah Rolen IV: "Heroes must eradicate evil!"
"Th-That's why I'm a hero!"
Elly: "What if a hero was evil?"
Loah Rolen IV: "Heroes are never evil!"
Elly: "Do they have to eradicate themselves?"
Loah Rolen IV: "Except. Antiheroes."
"But they're not really heroes, you know?"
"Though they kind of are."
"They're like the second cousin to heroes."
Nocebo: "Are we talking about people who use a villianous skillset for heroic or mentory ends, or people who are just dark and brooding?"
Elly: "...N-Nocebo."
Loah Rolen IV: "Yes."
Elly: "You'll break his brain."
"Maybe."
Loah Rolen IV: Look, his sister is an antihero, he's got this.
Elly: Anywho! She'll go ahead and set up a barrier between her (maybe girlfriend) and the HERO!!
She'll then flip through her sleeves and pull out her black ink pens to riddle that boy with poisonous ink. 19
Loah Rolen IV: There is a barrier kind of in the way
Elly: It's a smart barrier~
Loah Rolen IV: ..So it is!
Elly: It's edumacated :3
Loah Rolen IV: 18 dex sub
Nope
Elly: its dex anyway
Loah Rolen IV: Oh wait that IS a dex attack whew not a sub then
(plz mention what the stat is when you roll it avoids these kidn of things)
Elly: (fair enough!)
She'll then look over at Nocebo and mouths a quick "be careful" before popping back into her portal Move 2, Steps: 6
Loah Rolen IV: 25 damage
Elly: End turn~
Loah Rolen IV: and 9 damage per turn
Hire Rolen: Okay Mannfred, whatcha up to this time?
Mannfred: "Alright, that's enough screwing around. Back in your box you go!" Gon' grab this fool and yank her back onto the grid 17 Int
Hire Rolen: 14 resolve
Where to?
Mannfred: "Now stay there."
Hire Rolen: 50 damage
She is breathing hard, obviously at a critical level.
"Ugh.... I never thought... I would be pushed this hard...."
Flame surges around her, the fire burning black.
"Ha... you're right..."
"It wouldn't do... for me to die here...."
Hire Rolen: "Very well. I'll rely on this power...."
The fire burns through her flesh.
Mannfred: "So.... are you going to do something or just keep talking to yourse-- oh."
Hire Rolen: And when it fades away, she looks serious. Deadly. Flames lick up like a battle aura.
Nocebo: ...ho boy.
Hire Rolen: "HA!" The flames surge as she activates Resolute Strike
Burning Passion*
She prepares something, end turn
Mannfred: "Oh come on!"
"And after I went through all that trouble!"
Hire Rolen: "You should have done better."
Loah Rolen IV: Nocebo.
Mannfred: "You just don't appreciate good craftsmanship, that's your problem."
Nocebo: hmmm
how does this smart barrier work?
Hire Rolen: "This flame appreciates nothing but destruction."
Nocebo: also.
"Hey Elly, can you keep a secret?"
Hire Rolen: "That's why I have to direct its destruction towards villains."
Loah Rolen IV: Smart barriers can be moved or attacked through, just don't end your movement on one
Nocebo: hmmm, okay.
Elly: "I kept that your name is really Raf--" Covers mouth.
She nods.

Nocebo flicks the cover off a needle attached to a syringe.
Nocebo: "All that stuff about the cardiac needle...It's probably not really neccessary."
"I can give myself the Overdrive Serum without that level of drama.
Mammon: "It's nice to have a backstory with some drama to it for once."
Elly: "...wow."

Nocebo rolls up a sleeve and shoots up a dose of combat drugs.
Elly: "You really are demonic."
Mannfred: "There's drama and then there's melodrama, and I think you're at least perceptive enough to tell which this is."
Nocebo: "I know, right?!"

Nocebo sounds excited and quite happy about this turn of events.
Mammon: "Are you perceptive enough to tell what irony is?"
Hire Rolen: "Cowards don't know humor."
Mannfred: "I'm not even going to engage you on this."
Nocebo: "As for the hero here..."

Nocebo will waste this beautiful barrier by running around to the far side.
Hire Rolen: you can move through it you know
Nocebo: oh right
That cool?
Hire Rolen: it takes the same amount of movement lol
but yes
Nocebo: cool beans.
Loah Rolen IV: So what's she up to?
Nocebo: "Hey buddy, you ever done an Autopsy?"
(wait, crap)
(can I redo?)
Loah Rolen IV: sure
Nocebo: Okay.
Since all the Valor has been spent and she hasn't reloaded her main attack...
let's just intimidate this guy again.
"Because I think I'll give you a preview of what I'll do with you after I win!"
18
Loah Rolen IV: 20 resolve
"You won't scare me again!"
"I'm a hero!"
Nocebo: ..that would have been a 19, but yeah, he's being dumb and heroic.
Tch, One step back.
and end turn.
Loah Rolen IV: "And you, demon, hiding through all those portals!"
"That won't stop me!"
He dashes, sword drawn!
Elly: "Uh oh."
Loah Rolen IV: "Hero BLAST!"
Nocebo: "HEY! GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Loah Rolen IV: He ends his dash crouched low, sliding with a swing of his sword sending a flash of light all around him!
Dex 12
Nocebo: shoulda used Provoke...
Elly: 15 dex
Loah Rolen IV: It's a good thing he wasted his only good roll
"I should have done this first...."
"This is getting serious, and so I should, too!"
He pulls out a mask.
And slips it on.
It's a cheap party mask.
Nocebo: ...
Loah Rolen IV: "Hero Mode: Engaged!"
End turn.
New round!
+1 Valor
+2 to Hire and Nocebo
Sentry Gun: Starts beeping again 15 vs 19
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
but Hire seems unaffected
Mammon: "YOU CAN MAKE IT STOP NOW"
Mannfred: "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Yakiba: Yakiba moves in with a red-hot kunai. 13 dex vs 17 resolve
NOPE
NPC!Yakiba was useless I'm sorry.
Prinwise classic: "Come on Mammon, show this antihero what demons can do!"
Mammon: "I'm not one to show off--AHAHAHA, on it!"
Shooting her in the back with his pistols, via portal!
14 Dex
Elly: Like a true demon :3
Hire Rolen: CLASH
Mammon: So, 19 with the core.
Hire Rolen: She gestures with a hand, and what pops up around Mammon isn't black flames, but shadows with a gaping maw.
"Antihero Blood Bath!" Aura clash 22
Mammon: Overdrive!
Nocebo: hmmm
Hire Rolen: Coutneroverdrive
Counter*
Nocebo: yep, saw that couning
Mammon: Expected, but at least she wasted Valor.
Hire Rolen: VS THE OTHER TARGETS
Aura vs prinny 15
Mammon: "Well that's ostenta--HOLY"
Prinny Squad: 18 Dex
AND BLOCKING FOR MAMMON
Mammon: The dream came true.
Hire Rolen: Yakiba 17 vs 13 muscle
Sentry 21 vs 11 muscle
Crit vs the Sentry Gun
50 damage to Yakiba, 106 to the Sentry
And she is healed for 78
Mammon: And Mammon steps on his Prinny to escape the jaws.
THEN
Support to revive both of them.
Donezo.
Hire Rolen: "Not bad."
Mammon: "There's more than one way to show you how demons do things, kid."
Hire Rolen: She actually seems a little weaker when she's not on death's door.
Elly: "That... almost kind of sort of but not really hurt."
"You really mean it when you said you are trying to hurt us..."
Loah Rolen IV: "I didn't even hit you!"
Elly: "It hurt me... in here." She holds a hand to her chest.
Loah Rolen IV: "Demons don't have hearts!"
Elly: "And a maiden's heart... is a precious thing."
"Nocebo?"
Lamiel: "Even demons can love!"
Nocebo: "I'm sorry, my 'maidens heart' is doing about two hundred beats per minute-"
"And I do not suffer from the condition known as 'love!"
Loah Rolen IV: "You can't talk you're not even fighting" to Lamiel
Lamiel: "It's okay, you can admit you feel love, my little angel!"
"Love for your parents is still love!"
Nocebo: "You and mom saw to it that I would hate you forever with your hugs and your bentos and your tender affection."
Loah Rolen IV: "Uh, you guys are demons, right?"
Elly: "Yup." She'll just open up her book and let the thing blast Loah. Aura 19
Loah Rolen IV: RESOLVE 16
nope
Elly: Aaand barrier hop
*portal
Loah Rolen IV: 56 damage
Elly: That's it for this round.
Hire Rolen: Mannfred!
Roll vs the prinny
Elly: Real quick, I won't do it but a question -- does Effect Transfer effect barriers?
Comrade Q.: any modifiers or just a straight d10?

Mannfred said that
Hire Rolen: no it does not affect barriers
and yes you roll your attack
Mannfred: oh pffft
Hire Rolen: You're attacking it after all
Mannfred: 11 sorry Mammon
Hire Rolen: Prinny, gimme ur defense
Mammon: 20 dex!
Mannfred: W O W
Hire Rolen: The prinny almost crit-dodges Mannfred's attack
Mammon: Mannfred's attack can't hurt a Prinny.
Pass it on.
Hire Rolen: Mannfred can't even get close to hitting a prinny

Mannfred is FUMING behind that barrier
Mannfred: "Ugh! Just sit still and die, you little rat!"
16 Int to toss her around some more
Hire Rolen: "I'm a human, not a rat!"
22 aura sub
+1 valor
Oh wait no valor, she's not in crit
just a 22
"Is that all you have?"
Mannfred: WELP not much else he can do this turn
so that's a yes
Hire Rolen: "....Hiding behind a barrier, unable to hit me like this...."
"Some great demon hero you are."
Mannfred: "Okay, first of all!"
Hire Rolen: "Mannfred! I've come to this Netherworld to kill you, and I won't rest until I do!"
Mannfred: "I.... wait, what?"
Mammon: "Hold the phone."
"Coming to the Netherworld to kill Mannfred I understand."
Hire Rolen: Roll whatever it is you roll for your barrier
Mammon: "But what was that about a great demon hero?"
Mannfred: 20 Spirit
Hire Rolen: 20 aura
Mannfred: "I mean, I've done a lot of unpleasant things in my life, all of which I'm proud of."
"But 'demon hero'? Really?!"
Hire Rolen: In this case Hire is the attacker so
Mannfred: "Who even sent you?!"
Hire Rolen: Her back fire burns through the red tape
"No more talking!"
"This burning fire in my hand demands your life!"

Mannfred braces himself for impact
Hire Rolen: (She still takes the 11 damage from the barrier)
"Antihero..."
"Anti-demon..."
"STRIKE!"
Aura attack 16
Mannfred: 17 aaaaAAAAAAAAA
Hire Rolen: Mannfred manages to get out of the way barely
and the entire wall next to him is blasted away
Mannfred: A single bead of sweat rolls down his forehead
Mammon: "Mannfred, run! You still owe me money!"
Mannfred: "I... since when?!"
Hire Rolen: "Reseal, Antihero power!"
Mammon: "We'll talk about it later!"
Loah Rolen IV: Nocebo, your go
Nocebo: Time to try out this portal thing that everyone has been using.
Loah Rolen IV: One too far
Nocebo: aw dang
Loah Rolen IV: You can move on top of the portal tho
Nocebo: ...can I remain on the portal or is that illegal?
"I won't let you get to attack her again...Attacking me should be your highest priority!"
"If you can hit me at all, that is! You seem to have some trouble with your vision when it comes to hitting things!"
Loah Rolen IV: "Look!"
Nocebo: "Should I schedule you for an eye exam?"
Loah Rolen IV: "I may have forgotten my glasses back in the human world!"
"But that doesn't mean I can't win!"
Nocebo: ..."Diagnosis...confirmed. You need to get outside more!"
Weaken 20 resolve
Loah Rolen IV: 16 resolve welp
Nocebo: And now... making sure that he will get outside only on crutches by driving her hand into his mid-section,seemingly bursting skin and cloth in a characteristic spurt of blood! 18
int
Loah Rolen IV: Resolve 14
Welp
Nocebo: "Funny...a hero's insides...a demon's insides... they're much the same."
Loah Rolen IV: 79 damage!
"............"
"............"
"AAAAAAAAAAAA"

Nocebo kuku's a bit more.
Loah Rolen IV: He feels his stomach. "I.... I actually seem fine?"Was that a trick!?
Huh.
"I'll make you pay for that!"
"Both of you!"
"Prepare yourself... the secret technique passed down to the world's greatest hero..."
Nocebo: "No, I just used psychic powers to operate on you without breaking the skin."
Elly: "She's very good at that."

Elly nods
Nocebo: Does Elly mean tricking heroes, or psychic powers?
Loah Rolen IV: ""ULTRA HERO SLASH!"
Nocebo: "He miss-"
Loah Rolen IV: DEX ATTACK
vs Nocebo 19
vs Elly 14
Elly: Psychic powers. She's totally convinced Nocebo is legit. /nod
20 dex!
Nocebo: 19 Resolve!
dang, ah well, that's what temp HP and regen are for.
Loah Rolen IV: Nocebo is hit! For 97 damage
And then he leaps back onto the fountain again.
NEW ROUND +1 valor, +2 to Nocebo and Hire
Yakiba: Yakiba, for the first time ever, gets to use Team Tactics with Mannfred.
"Tera Crusher"
17 muscle vs 17 resolve
Overdrive
93 damage
Nocebo: well now she's in Critical again.
Yakiba: And Hire is knocked prone and immobilized.
Mannfred: "Careful! We still need answers out of her!"
Yakiba: "Mm."
Hire Rolen: Mammon's turn.
Mammon: "Do we really NEED answers?"
Hire Rolen: "This darkness... within me... won't let me fall here!"
Mannfred: "I'd be very interested in knowing who wants to kill me, yes!"
"Aside from her I mean."
Mammon: "You can't always get what you want, Manny."
Mannfred: "Are... are you actually going to kill her just to spite me?"
Hire Rolen: "I will... never... lose... to demons like you!"
Mammon: "FINE."
"Try to shoot to wound!"
Support to reload it so that Prinny can whip out its own shotgun.
16 Dex
Hire Rolen: 17 resolve, thanks Yakiba :/
Welp good enough.
+1 valor
Mammon: "I said 'wound,' not 'mildly irritate!'"
Prinny Squad: "We're doing our best, Master Mammon, dood!"
Mammon: "Your best is an idiot!"
Done.
Hire Rolen: Elly!
Nocebo: you know
Elly is the only person who hasn't shown off her Ultimate yet.
Loah Rolen IV: It's true.
And she has 3 valor to overdrive it too
Elly?
Elly: Is that a clue? Should I do it??
SHOULD I???
Nocebo: It's up to you.
might not finish this guy off, but it'll knock some off him.
Elly: He does seem to have a lot of HP...

Elly claps her hands, looking over at Loah.
Elly: "You know, this part of the story is actually getting a little long."
"What say we cut to the chase..."
Within her hands pop up two pairs of tremendous, metallic red--scissors
They fly over to Loah, rising up to an air in a furry of painful cuts (hopefully)
19
Loah Rolen IV: 19
Hit!
91 damage!
"GAH!"
Elly: "..yes, that'll work."
"Bye!" She waves her hands and...
There
Hire Rolen: Mannfred's turn
The antihero is on her knees after Yakiba's ult.
Mannfred: "Okay! Fine. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."
he reaches down, grabs Hire by the head, and shoves 12
Mammon: Mammon keeps quiet on the off-chnce this actually hit--hahah.
Mannfred: I can't believe
Hire Rolen: What attack was that supposed to be anyway
Mannfred: Hostile Takeover
Hire Rolen: 17 resolve literally can't lose
oh -1, still can't lose tho
+1 valor
Unless you overdrived
Mannfred: yeah, I was just gonna say
let's smash this sucker
Hire Rolen: Cooooooooounteroverdrive
Mannfred: I don't know what I expected
Nocebo: brief wrestling match resolved in favor of Hire, because she's the terrifying one.
Hire Rolen: It's actually kind of sad to watch
Mannfred: yeah, that didn't work out so great, he's getting the hell outta dodge
and a barrier for good measure
Hire Rolen: Can't move that far because of her ZoC
One less
thumbs up
"All right.... One last.... time...."
"THIS FIRE CONSUMES ME.... It burns through my very soul, my very being.... But as long as I can direct it to evil.... I will not fall! I will use this power to eradicate evil!"
Mannfred: "Oh, will you just shut up!"
It's bad enough you're trying to murder me, now I have to listen to this uninspired drivel while you do it!"
Hire Rolen: She takes one step forward, and-
?????: "DIMENSIONAL SLASH"
The fabric of reality is torn asunder right in front of Mammon and Mannfred
Mannfred: "Ummm..."
Mammon: "Well that was closer than I like."
?????: There's a figure in green armor on the other side, by the anti-hero.
"You're calling this foolishness off now."
"Going off on your own, do you take yourself for a hero!?"
Hire Rolen: "I am... an antihero.... destined to face evil alone!"
?????: "THE HELL YOU ARE"
The armored figure smashes Hire with an armored fist, and she crumples.
Mammon: "So..."
?????: "This is why I hate heroes."
Mannfred: "Should we say something or...?"
Mammon: "You're probably not on our side."
?????: MEANWHILE
Loah Rolen IV: "All right.... I... can do this.... after all, I'm a hero!"
Nocebo: "Just breathe deep and relax!"
"It'll make the knock out gas all the more effective..."
Loah Rolen IV: "Urk..."
?????: "Knock-out gas?"
"How juvenile."
Nocebo, incoming.
Intuition attack;
21
Nocebo: 17
Overdrive!
?????: 73 damage
oh
in that case no damage
Purple smoke fills the area, but you manage to hold your breath.
"Not bad."
Elly: "Oh. Hello."
?????: "A pleasure to meet you, ladies."

Nocebo slows her heart rate and metabolism by dint of great mental fortitude.
Elly: "I would agree, but you attacked my friend."
"Why?"
?????: "A shame it couldn't be under better circumstances."
Clay: "My name is Clay, Head of Intelligence of the Holy Kingdom."
Zwei: In the other side,
"I am Zwei, leader of the Knights of the Holy Kingdom."
"These heroes acted without our authority, but seeing as how I am here, a word of warning."
Clay: "I'm here to let you all know."
Elly: "Okay."
Clay & Zwei: "The entire Human World is declaring war on your Netherworld."

Nocebo has escaped from the cloud by now.
Elly: "Okay."

Mannfred falls silent for a long, long time. Then bursts out luaghing
Mannfred: *laughing
Nocebo: "Wha-what for?"
Mammon: "Well."
"That's... interesting."
"You know none of us are affiliated with the Overlord, right?"
"You should probably go tell him."
Zwei: "I don't care."
"You're a demon, and so you're my enemy."
Mammon: "Well that's racist."
Zwei: From behind Mammom, there's a flash
Mannfred: "They're angles, Mammon, they can't not be racist."
*angels
Zombianca: "Excellent" fades away
Mammon: "WHAT THE FUCK"
He shoots at the empty space.
Clay: "You're taking this awfully well."
"No matter. You'll see the terrors we can unleash soon enough."
Elly: "Should I be bothered?"
Clay: He gathers up Loah and disappears.
Elly: "This makes for a great story."
"Ah..."
Nocebo: "...Hey Elly, wanna grab a meal before we head back to the hide-out?"
Zwei: Zwei does the same with the antihero

Nocebo attempts to be cool and casual about this.
Elly: "Um..." STOMACH GURGLE. "...yeah, okay."
Nocebo: DATING START

Mannfred runs a hand through his hair
Mammon: "Call me biased, but given that the maid is involved, I suddenly consider this an issue."
Mannfred: "Alright, so..."
Elly: "Mr. Lamiel, are you hungry too?"
Nocebo: DATING STOP
Mannfred: "yes, exactly. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I assume you've got just as many questions as I do,."
Narrator: ELSEWHERE....
Zwei and Clay enter a war room.
Sitting on a floating throne is a woman who radiates power.
Elly: CERVANTES
Sorry
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "So we're all gathered."
Mammon: (Holy shit.)
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "We will now begin our war meeting."
TO BE CONTINUED
Shika (GM): dun dun dun etc.
Vehrec: Ugh, humans. I'm one, and I don't evven like them.
Mannfred: ooooh we're in for some shit aren't we
Shika (GM): ...Probably.
Mammon: I can't wait to fight the Fire Emblem Mustache Guy whose name was just said but I'm owning up to not remembering it on my own.
Mannfred: I'm very concerned about this large man and his large mustache
Shika (GM): you should be tbh
Vehrec: he's probably a tank, isn't he?
and none of us are particularly tanky...
Shika (GM): I will give you a hint: his title is THE UNBREAKABLE
Mannfred: damn
Elly: I'm interested in the magey guy
the archer is cute though
Shika (GM): mage is a girl
Vehrec: elly no
Elly: Oh!
Is Zwei a girl too?
Mammon: Queen lady reminds me of Asuri!Kali.
Vehrec: do not let your eyes stray.
Shika (GM): Zwei is also a girl
Two guys; Clay and the Unbreakable
Elly: I'm... noticing the heroes aren't here
Elly is legitimately sad that Clay is trying to kill them all
Mannfred: humans are mad grody, don't want them around the war room
Elly: She wanted to have a nice, intellectual chat about LOTS OF THINGS
Shika (GM): BUT YES YOU SEE WHAT THE SECOND ARC IS ABOUT NOW
War with the human world
Congrats guys
Elly: They started it
Vehrec: this is the OverCEO's fault somehow.
and I'm eager to learn how.
Mannfred: how dare you Mr. Courson is flawless and beyond reproach
NekoIncardine: This should be fun to observe
Mammon: Clearly it's the maid's fault.
Argent B.: Oh and yes, welcome new person :3
Mammon: Anyway, later guys.
Shika (GM): o7
Anyway I'll catch y'all next week
Especially you Inc
Argent B.: baaaai
Mannfred: later!
Shika (GM): o7
Argent B.: zoop /o/

Minki K.: ooh this is a sweet lay-out
heey, folks
NekoIncardine: o/
Shika (GM): OKAY is everybody here

Shika (GM) counts heads
Shika (GM): LOOKS LIKE
Greetings to my players and guest players!
Vehrec: guest players huh?
Minki K.: Yo! Thrilled to be here.
NekoIncardine: :O
Comrade Q.: aaaaayyyyy

Vehrec looks at the nefarious villians around here today...
BF: howdy howdy
Minki K.: bout to get rowdy
Awe: I am still eating dinner so I'll be slow to start
Shika (GM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4dtAyhB6CU have some atmosphere music
Comrade Q.: we are some rowdy boys (and girls)
Ethan: All our guest villains are humans.
Mammon: That's adorable, I said quasi-ICly.
Shika (GM): Not quite all of them.
But, most of them.
Mannfred: only a human could have such amazing facial hair
Minki K.: humans are great aren't they
BF: demons can't grow facial hair, everyone knows this
Mannfred: it's true, they're like elves, it just doesn't happen
Shika (GM): OKAY FIRST OFF guest villains, does everybody have access to their character?
NekoIncardine: yup
Minki K.: I do, name and icon!
Vehrec: plz do not reveal them yet though
BF: I do!
Shika (GM): Excellent, be sure to switch to your IC name once we get started, ignoring Vehrec.
Which is about now, since we are all gathered and ready.
Narrator: A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT ARC:
Nocebo attempted to ask Elly on a date, but was rudely interrupted by a human hero.
Elly: Romance! Action! Manfred's poor life choices!!
Narrator: Mannfred was put on forced vacation by his boss, and was then ambushed by a human antihero.
Both hero and antihero were being beaten back, but both were then saved by a man named Clay and a knight named Zwei
Nocebo: is forced vacation worse than having to go to work for Manny? PROBABLY.
Mannfred: absolutely it is
Narrator: who announced their Holy Kingdom would be at war with the entire Netherworld

Nocebo then asked Elly out to dinner, because MEH, humans, am I right?
Narrator: A short timeskip and scene transition later-
Zwei and Clay are the last to arrive within a war room.
Sitting on a floating throne is a human woman with fierce eyes.
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "So we're all gathered. We will now begin our war meeting."
"As you've all surely been made aware of by now, the demons of the Netherworld have committed an act of war against our kingdom."
She leans forward in her throne, looking into the eyes of each of the knight commanders in her service.
"We will answer their aggression with war."
"No objections, I hope."
Bogswalt: "GWAHAHA! None at all, Your Majesty! It's been too long since we've had a good war!"
Countess Alesone: "None, your majesty. We shall crush them."
Melianel Adelgarde: "Dear, dear me, to think we've entered such troubling times. But it can't be helped, it simply cannot."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "Excellent."
"We will use this opportunity to show these demons the might of humanity." Glance at Melianel. "And elf-kind, too, of course."

Countess Alesone chuckles. "It'll be neat taking them out, that is certain. Any idea where they're going to try and approach from?"
Melianel Adelgarde: "Oh, yes. In spite of our historical differences (our overall objective superiority, namely), we've always found a common enemy in those frightfully brutal demons. I'm quite looking forward to testing the limits of my flames against their inferno."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: She nods to Melianel. "Naturally, Magister." Then, to Alesone, "Information on the demons' movement should be well within our intelligence's information."

Nocebo is currently moving towards... does Elly feel like a sit-down meal, or pizza-to-go?
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "In fact, Clay... and Zwei. You both have made first contact, haven't you? Please tell us what you've learned... and how many of those loathsome demons you killed."
Elly: Just as long as its not too filling is getting late...
Clay: "Of course, Your Majesty." A bow. "We surveyed the Netherworld on our trip in to... rescue some overzealous humans who beat us to the demons' portal."
Zwei: "Heroes" Zwei spits out. "Acting without authorization. They could have jeopardized much."
Clay: "But, in our attempts to save them, denying demons any information on our kingdom or realm, I'm afraid we did not have time to finish off any of the demons."
Zwei: "The antihero did have some critical information, however."
Melianel Adelgarde: "Oh, so they performed a little beyond expectations," giggled Melianel.
Zwei: "Hardly."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "Tell us this information, Knight-Commander."

Nocebo will arrange for some spicy noodles that Elly might enjoy.
Zwei: "It seems that.... the Netherworld has a hero. A demon of great strength and combat ability, known for fighting off threats. He inspires them, protects them, and will undoubtedly rise to face us."
Clay: "A demonic hero," he says, shaking his head.
Zwei: "They call him Mannfred."
Bogswalt: "BWAHAHAHA! A hemonic dero? Er, demonic hero?"
"How absurd!"

Nocebo stops in the street, frowning at the notion that something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong.
Mammon: Mammon isn't dead, but he still manages to roll over in his grave somehow.
Zwei: "I agree."

Mannfred feels a chill run through him, like somebody just stepped over his grave
Yakiba: (Mannfred, can you really be the hero?)
Melianel Adelgarde: "Isn't it just? A hero among creatures whose very natures are villainous! Ohohoh!" She doesn't think much of it, clearly.
"Another upstart, that's all."
Mannfred: don'task questions you already know the answer to
Countess Alesone: "Indeed." Alesone chuckles.

Elly sneezes and looks at Nocebo, unsure about something but quickly dismisses it.
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "However...." She frowns.
"If this Mannfred is considered a great fighter amongst them, if he truly inspires him...."
"Then perhaps we should make an example of him."
Nocebo: "I think I might have forgotten to charge that imp for the surgery..."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: if he truly inspires them*
"Alesone."

Countess Alesone salutes.
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "You shall deal with this Mannfred."
Bogswalt: "Oho! Give him a good bloody thrashing for me, won't you Alesone?"
Clay: "I believe I can arrange for your usual methods, Countess." He bows to Alesone.
Countess Alesone: "Yes, your majesty. Thank you, Clay."
Melianel Adelgarde: "Oh, Alie, to think you're the first to be trusted with a task in this war. I'll be praying for your inevitable success all the way."
Countess Alesone: "Thank you."
"Ah, yes. My queen... Do you want them dead, or alive?"
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "There is only one method of dealing with any demon."
"Death."
"Execute him, Alesone. And the entire group that he commands."
Countess Alesone: "Understood, your highness."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "As for the rest of you..."
Melianel Adelgarde: "Ahh, my queen. Such conviction suits you so."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "I have further tasks to suit your talents."
Bogswalt: "Thrashing, I assume!"
Melianel Adelgarde: "Delightfully... focused as always, Sir Bogswalt. ... Is it thrashing?"
Warrior-Queen Falchia: "There are critical points within the demons' capital city you shall each take. Our retaliation shall be swift and brutal."
Clay: "My... informant, has been very thorough in providing us information."
Bogswalt: "The old siege-and-catapault, eh? Consider it done, Your Majesty!"
Melianel Adelgarde: "Hm! I was hoping for a task of this magnitude, actually. This could be the opportunity I've wanted to test out... /That/."
Zwei: "So long as your tests produce results, Magister."
Bogswalt: "Never you fear, Commander. I have the utmost faith in Magister Adelgarde!"
"I'm sure she'll give them almost as good a drubbing as I, wot wot!"
Melianel Adelgarde: "As good? Your record speaks volumes, Sir Bogswalt, but rest assured, a new era is dawning."
"I'll not only deal with the demons, but I'll also drag our Holy Kingdom into the future."
Bogswalt: "BWAHAHA! You haven't earned the right to usurp me just yet, Magister, but I like the cut of your gib!"
Melianel Adelgarde: Melianel's smile twitches, her hand shaking. "I accept your compliment."
Warrior-Queen Falchia: She laughs. A full-blown, hearty laugh. "Yes, we will show the Netherworld what it means to attack our kingdom!" The queen rarely laughs, her mood must be very high indeed.
"We will use these demons' own portal against them, and crush them beneath my heel." My, not our.
Her throne floats forward slightly. She leans forward as well. "I expect these results from you all."
"Do not disappoint."
Countess Alesone: "Understood, your highness."
Bogswalt: "Not to worry! We'll make these demons regret the bay they were dorn! Er... day they were born!"
"Are demons born? Does anyone know?"
Melianel Adelgarde: "Does it matter? They are and they are evil. Your Highness, we shall be the boot with which you'll use to crush them, most assuredly!"
Warrior-Queen Falchia: She nods.
AND END SCENE
Narrator: (Thank you for joining us for that scene, guest villains.)
Minki K.: (Not a problem! I had fun)
Bogswalt: (BWAHAHA)
Minki K.: (ohohohoh)
Mannfred: ilu Bogswalt
Yakiba: (calling it now, the maid is betraying all demonkind)
Nocebo: (Like these guys can stop all demonkind.)
Narrator: (wow rood)
(wat did the maid ever do to u)
Mammon: (She's probably playing both sides.)
Yakiba: (many things)
Mammon: (Long con.)
Narrator: Anyway, it has now been a day or so since you met the heroes, the humans, etc. What has everybody been up to?
Mannfred: Mannfred's mostly been trying to puzzle out what the hell's going on. Pulling a lot of all-nighters, papering whole rooms with notes and conspiracy theory bulletin boards
he's had a lotta spare time lately
Yakiba: Well, the Netherworld is about to Have A War apparently but everyone probably knows that already, so mostly Yakiba is repairing his turret gun. Poor thing almost got totaled.
Mammon: Mammon is cleaning his guns, not because he has to but because it's a good thing to be doing idly to maintain the Merc image.
Elly: Elly has been writing up a storm. Most of it is a private critique as to how Mannfred could never be viewed as somebody as awe-inspiring as that flagrant libel in that two-bit rag of a newspaper.
Nocebo: Nocebo has been sulking since her plans to get Elly alone have been all foiled. She has also managed to find an area remote enough to set up a pharmacy so she can start tweaking and improving her actual medicine...
Though she did offer to pose for Elly if Elly wants to draw her.
Elly: Elly did, she didn't mind! Elly's also starting to get a little worried because it seems like Nocebo is getting a little more agitated after each time they go out with each other? How strange. She's been trying to get Lamiel more involved, believing that what she needs right now is more people to show her that she is cared for.

Elly is such a good. girlfriend(?)
Mammon: "So did anything ever happen with that 'war' thing?"
Mannfred: "Not yet, but it's only a matter of time! You don't make that kind of threat without at least trying to follow through!"

Mannfred pauses to take a massive swig of coffee
Mammon: "They're dragging their feet, that's for sure."
Nocebo: "What does it matter to us if they declare war or whatever?
Elly: "How long has it been since the last war with the humans?"
Mannfred: "Well, obviously they're waiting for me to come out of hiding!"
Mammon: "Doc, I'm a mercenary."
Nocebo: The Overlord crushes them and then goes home for tea or something..."
Mammon: "War is a business opportunity."
Prinwise: "It's been all over NBC's news, though." Netherworld Bloodcasting Company.
Mammon: "And I love doing business."
Elly: "...yeah they're getting it wrong..."
Prinwise: "The Overlord does seem to be ignoring it, though."
Mammon: ("Because I get paid.")
Mannfred: "I don't trust the media, Prinwise, you know that."
does he know that? probably not
Elly: Elly gets up off of what she's sitting and plods over to Mannfred.
Prinwise: "I didn't know that!"
Elly: "Mannfred. Sign this please."

Mannfred blinks and looks between Elly and the paper
Mannfred: 'Whaaaat exactly are you trying to push on me?"
Elly: "Nothing. This is a petition that counts the numerous times that you have shown absolutely no indication that you are the hero of demons you are reporting to be. And once you sign it I will send it to the NBC so that everybody can know the truth."

Elly unfurls the paper. It drops to the floor. And out the door. And down the street.
Yakiba: "More to the point, the humans probably want to kill everyone, including us."
Elly: It is MILES long.
Yakiba: "I like being alive."
Mannfred: "...Oh. That's... awfully generous of you, actually."
He's kind of startled, honestly
Naga: "I doubt the humans care about you, Mannfred. You don't need an overinflated ego."

Nocebo whistles in amazement at that paper.
Mannfred: "Tell that to the hero who tried to murder me!"

Yumi is reading through the paper. "I think you missed a few, actually."

Mannfred pulls a pen out from behind his back and signs
Mammon: "I hate to say it, but they do seem to be laboring under the impresson that he's important."
Elly: "I was trying to be succinct..."
Mannfred: "They must've been reading that two-bit rag, that's what caused all this in the first place."
Mammon: "And I'd swear I saw her out of the corner of my eye..."
Nocebo: "How do humans get the newspapers nayways?"
anyways*
Mannfred: "That's just it! They can't! Something fishy is going on here, I'm telling you!"

Mannfred is getting weirdly animated, gesturing vaguely and waving around his giant mug
Prinwise: "...Ah!"

Elly is satisfied that it has been signed, and is now going through the laborious process of rolling the paper up...
Prinwise: "Guys, look."
Elly: ...this might take a while...
Prinwise: He points at the TV.
A news report.
Pleinair: "...the talk of the Netherworld has been the arrival of humans."
Nocebo: ugh, fine, doc will lean back in her chair and watch the news upside down.
...that's a fake Plenair, the real deal would never talk.
:D
Pleinair: "They have declared war on the Netherworld, but the Overlord is quoted with the following."
Overlord: A burly voice, kind of static-y. "I heard about the hero named Mannfred, let him handle it."

Mannfred stops gesticulating and falls silent

Nocebo falls on the floor and bangs her head.
Yakiba: "Well, the Overlord's word is basically as good a pardon as any."
Elly: "...that's some professional delegation of responsibility."
Pleinair: "....In regards to that, we have a special guest today."
Mammon: "WHAT."

Elly is a third of the way done of rolling up her paper.
Mammon: "Okay, it was funny at first, but this has officially gotten out of hand!"
Pleinair: The camera pans back to show a smiling face. A human one.
Clay: "Greetings, Netherworld."
Elly: "Oh, its the boy. Hello, boy."
Mannfred: "Wait, you know him?!"

Nocebo frowns.
Mammon: "Elly, it's a TV."
Nocebo: "He showed up at the park. He can't hear you Elly."
Elly: "Just because its a TV doesn't mean you should be rude. He just greeted us."
Clay: "I have an official proposition from the human world, and our Holy Kingdom."
Mammon: "...Do you understand what a broadcast is?"
"I need you to tell me you do."

Mannfred shushes Mammon and leans in closer to the TV
Clay: "Mannfred."
Elly: "I'm not stupid, Mammon." She frowns.
Clay: "We challenge you to fair combat."
Nocebo: "HAH!"
Clay: "If you meet our challenge, we shall withdraw."
"If you do not, then know the fate of the Netherworld will be your fault."
Mammon: "But you are, you know.... weird."
Elly: "I am!" She smiles a rare smile.
Yakiba: "Fair combat, he says, as if they're going to keep to that."
Clay: "We will be waiting in what you call the 'Forest of Undeath'."
"That is all."
Mammon: "Oh, please, we're not going to keep to that."
Pleinair: "............"
Clay: "................"
Yakiba: "I know."
Clay: "...........Is the camera off now?"
Pleinair: ".....No."

Prinwise turns off the TV.
Elly: "Aw, it was just getting to the good part..."
Yakiba: "My assumption is that his assumption is that we're going to make the combat as unfair as possible and he will make the combat as unfair as possible in turn."

Mannfred takes a very long, deep breath
Mannfred: "Okay."
"Clearly we, meaning I, have a decision to make her."
Naga: "Obviously you're not going to do it."
Mannfred: "Obviously! Obviously I won't!"
Yumi: "Yeah, that's obvious."

Elly nods.
Narrator: HEY MANNFRED
What's your ringtone?
Because your cell phone is ringing.
Mannfred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln-Jq6X6p-g
Yakiba: "My guess is this cell phone call says otherwise."

Mannfred answers almost immediately, looking a little embarrassed
Prinwise: "What do you think this is, Yakiba, some story of narrative convenience?"
Zep Courson: "MANNFRED!"
"Good news!"
Nocebo: "Uhhh, yeah."
Mannfred: ""M-Mister Courson, sir! Any news from you is good news!"
Zep Courson: "Did you see the news just now!?"
Nocebo: "Narativium was isolated in a lab last year, didn't you hear?"
Mannfred: "I-I get all of my news online, sir. Is it... something important?"
Yakiba: "Actually I just figured he'd be overriden by corporate command."
Mammon: "Manny, put him on speaker."
Zep Courson: "You've been called out by the humans. This will be great for business!"

Mannfred leans away from the phone. "No I'm not putting him on speaker! This is a private conversation!"
Mannfred: "G-great, sir? Ummm... how so?"
Zep Courson: "Go meet them immediately in the Forest of Undeath and kick their collective butts."
"This will drive up our brand immensely!"
Mannfred: "N-not to question your judgement that is!"
Zep Courson: "Consider yourself un-vacationed."
Mammon: "I just feel like this conversation is going to lead somewhere none of us is going to like."

Mannfred goes wide-eyed
Zep Courson: "Give me an update afterwards, all right?"
"Ta ta!" CLICK.
Mannfred: "Y-yes sir. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Mannfred slooowly puts the phone down.
Mammon: "Ohhhh, no."
Mannfred: "Welp. I guess that settles that."
he sounds more defeated than anything else

Elly is about two thirds of the way done with rolling up the "Mannfred sucks" paper.
Mammon: "I refuse to be part of any plan that contributes to the 'Mannfred is a hero' myth!"

Nocebo nods firmly.
Nocebo: "That's right!"
Mannfred: "You realize I never asked you to help, right?"

Mammon laughs in his face
Mammon: "Oh, yeah, you're just gonna go win a fight on your own."
"Great plan."
Mannfred: "Oh no, I'll lose! I'll lose and I'll die!"
"But Mr. Courson said I'm going, so I'm going."

Mammon opens mouth

Mammon closes mouth.
Yakiba: "And think of how much cash he has."
"How much of it you could wring out of him."

Mammon does the open mouth close mouth thing again."
Mammon: "Mannfred, call your boss back."
"I need to negotiate."
Mannfred: "What, right now?! He's not made of time, Mister Courson is a very busy man!"
Mammon: "Just do it!"
Nocebo: "You cannot be serious Mammon."
Mammon: "A man like Courson knows you've got to spend money to make money."
"I'm just protecting his investment."
Nocebo: "He's just as likely to take out a contract on you for bother him as he is to pay you."
bothering*
Yumi: "Mammom is always serious when it comes to money."

Mannfred sighs, dials Zep's number, and sets his phone down on the nearest table, on speaker this time.
Mannfred: "Just don't blame me when this blows up in your face."
Amy Glasya: "You have reached the office of Zep Courson, OverCEO of Hell Street."
"May I ask who's calling?"
Mannfred: "It's just me, Glasya. I've got someone here who'd like to speak to Mister Courson."
Amy Glasya: "'Someone here'?"
Mammon: "The Netherworld's Most Dependable Mercenary, Mammon!"
Amy Glasya: "And why should I even care about you or your filthy little friends, Mannfred?"
Mammon: "Because your boss intends to make bank on him, and that requires him to stay alive."
Mannfred: "Also, he's not my friend!"
Mammon: "As unlikey as THAT is, I guarantee I'm the man who can make it happen."
Amy Glasya: "Hm."
"Well, Mannom."
"Here's the thing."
"I'm personally hoping that Mannfred will bite the dust here."
"So."
"Please stay out of the way for me."

Mannfred slams his hands down the the table.
Mammon: "Oooh, conspiring against the boss man's interests!"
"Very demonic."
Amy Glasya: "Maybe if he does survive, then you can talk to the boss. But I doubt that'll happen."
Mammon: "Did you know we were recording this?"
Zep Courson: "Glasya! Who is that?"
Elly: "We are?"
Amy Glasya: "Telemarketers, sir!"
Mammon: ("shut up Ely")
Amy Glasya: CLICK.
Mammon: "Ugh."
Elly: ("okay")

Mannfred turns to look at Mammon
Mammon: "Once again, Mannfred, your unpopulairty has jeopardized a paycheck for me."
Naga: "...I think she must be jealous of Manndfred's new popularity."
Nocebo: "Like you were gonna get paid..."
Mannfred: "Listen, it's not my fault Glasya has it out for me! She's got some kind of inferiority complex against me, it's been like that since we were interns!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing was her fault to begin with."

Nocebo looks at Elly, thinking.
Nocebo: "Say you'd be pretty upset if the well of Mammon/Manfred dried up, wouldn't you?"
Mammon: "Oh, wow. *Wow."
"We're talking about this now."
Mannfred: "Please never say that combination for words in front of me again."
*of

Nocebo grins evily, showing off every fang in her mouth.
Mannfred: "That ship is dead in the water and you know it."
Elly: "Actually, I'm starting to ship Mannfred with his own internal despair."
Mannfred: "Ah. My one true pairing."
Elly: "Mammon I ship with Zombianca." she nods
"I said that out loud, didn't I..."
Mammon: "What."
Nocebo: "Yep."
Elly: "Nothing nothing!"
Nocebo: "She likes foe-Yay."
Mammon: "That's not a word."
Elly: "It is."
Mannfred: "That is definitely a thing she just made up."
Nocebo: "And hey, Necrophillia isn't so bad."
Elly: "...hello chapter title."

Mannfred cracks up a little. but ONLY a little
Yakiba: "It sounds like something a nerd made up to put real situations into pigeonholes."
Mammon: "You know, I was in a good mood a few minutes ago."
"Now the Overlord's calling Mammon a hero on television, we have to go fight the humans and I'm not getting paid for it,
Elly and the Doc are slandering me in the worst way possible..."
This situation deteriorated fast."
Vehrec: ...."Hey Manfred, Elly, I've had a brainwave.
Naga: "I'm kind of shipping Mammon with his internal misery now."

Nocebo perks up a bit.
Mammon: *MANNFRED
*calling Mannfred a hero
Nocebo: "I think we can work out something here..."
Mammon: *why did we go with such similar names
Elly: (it's fate)
Naga: (their ship name can be M&M)
Nocebo: "We keep Manny alive, and he signs a contract splitting all future income from the Mannfred Hero (tm) brand with us."
Yakiba: (neither of them are very chocolate though)
Mannfred: "What income? I haven't seen a single HL come my way since the story broke!"
Naga: "Not true!"
"I paid you a single HL."
Mammon: "We're talking an awful lot about money and I don't seem to be getting most of it."
"Why is that? Something is wrong here."
Elly: "I don't know..." Elly frowns. "I don't really need money. And I really don't like Mannfred. And this whole situation seems really dumb."
Nocebo: "We'll get our cut someday, just you wait. It'll probably mean a hostile takeover but ehhh, details."

Nocebo seems a bit crushed by Elly's rejection though.

Elly notices.
Elly: "Uh... do you... want to... do... it?"
Mammon: "I'm leaving."
Elly: "I guess... I mean... if you want..."
Yumi: "Well, have fun dying in the forest, Mannfred!"

Mannfred sighs
Mammon: "Manny, I've decided."
Mannfred: "I'll try and make the most of it."
Yumi: "Although, I'll be honest. I do... hope you make it."
Mammon: "YOU don't want to die, right? Usually?"
Yumi: "Because otherwise it'll be hard to sell this Hero Mannfred merchandise."
Mannfred: "Not most of the time, no. The feeling's been coming up a lot more often since we met."
Mammon: "Yeah yeah, look."
"I don't like this, but considering your current poverty level, I'll let you hire me on credit."
Mannfred: "You... you can't be serious."
Mammon: "My standard bodyguard rates (cough, mumble) attwohundredpercentinterest"

Nocebo looks uncomfortable.
Nocebo: "Look Elly, I inherited an incurable condition from my dad. I try to keep it in check, and I can live with it, but you should know..."
"I get...Charitable sometimes."
Mannfred: "I suppose I could afford to pay you, since I'll be officially off of vacation provided I don't die."
Elly: "Ohh..."
"Is it because you're half-angel?"
Nocebo: "I mean, I donated some money to an orphanage just before I got arrested!"
Mannfred: "On the other hand, being in debt to you seems a lot like death, conceptually."
Nocebo: "Yeah...I get...really uncomfortable with a non-stop stream of evil."

Elly reaches up and pats Nocebo on the head.

Nocebo blushes and looks down at Elly.
Jamil: "oh my overlord get a room"
Mammon: "Look, desperate times call for desperate measures."
Mannfred: "And I am very desperate."
Mammon: "It also calls for your friends to take advantage of your lack of options and bleed you for all you're worth."
"SO IT'S A DEAL."

Nocebo rolls her eyes and then looks at Elly. "So yeah. Would you mind if I did a good deed for this guy? I mean... maybe not pure good."
Mammon: "No take-backsies."

Mammon rapidly grabs and shakes Mannfred's hand.
Elly: "Okay. I might come with you. But first."
Mannfred: "If we go through with this and I die anyway, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your days."
Elly: So Mannfred can hear. "If I'm coming, I want to be asked to come by the hero of demons."

Mannfred looks at Elly like he just stepped in a dog turd
Yakiba: "I was going with you anyway."
Mannfred: "I'm not saying it. You can't make me say it."
"And of course you're coming, Yakiba, you're a professional!"
Nocebo: "Aw, that's too bad."
Prinwise: "Your survivability goes down a lot without healers, you know."
Mannfred: "Alright, alright!"

Mannfred takes a deep breath
Mannfred: "Ellywillyoupleasecomehelpmenotdie." Said very quietly, so almost nobody can hear
Elly: "No."
"But since Nocebo is going, I guess I don't have a choice."

Nocebo cracks up and offers Elly a high-five.

Elly smiles at Mannfred. Huh, a second one? Is this character development??

Elly doesn't leave Nocebo hanging.
Mannfred: "Yes, let's all laugh at Mannfred! The old national pasttime!"
"Let's just go before I start to regret this."
Mammon: "Better hurry, then."
Nocebo: "Hey, don't worry-but first, let's get you to sign the standard combat-drug disclaimer."

Nocebo offers that clipboard again.
Nocebo: "If you're gonna be a hero, dope like a hero."

Mannfred signs it without even looking
Nocebo: WOW
Mannfred: "As long as it helps, I don't care what you put into my body at this point."

Nocebo cannot believe you people keep signing these wavers.
Nocebo: but she is keeping it off her face.
Elly: Elly tugs on Nocebo's sleeve.
She offers Nocebo signed version of all of her forms. They seem to be copies. Written by her own hand.
Nocebo: ...

Nocebo burns page three.
Nocebo: "You don't need that one.
Elly: (whispered: "I wondered about that.")
Nocebo: "Okay, we seem to be in (mostly) agreement then!"
Countess Alesone: ((Elsewhere: "Finally."))
Mannfred: "Yes, absolutely, thank you! Can we finally get going before the suspense kills me before the actual murder?!"
Narrator: Our, uh, "heroes", set off.
Elsewhere,
Archer Knight: "Lady Indra, Countess Alesone!"
Indra: "Hm?"
Archer Knight: The archer bows to Alesone.
Countess Alesone: "Hmm?"
Archer Knight: "A group of demons is making their way into the forest as we speak."
Countess Alesone: "... I presume including our target?"
Archer Knight: "The one that looks like a wimpy loser?"
"Yes ma'am."
Countess Alesone: "Yeah. Him. Good. Indra, everything is prepared on your end, I assume?"
Indra: "It is all complete, according to your own specifications." She bows.
"We are ready."

Countess Alesone yawns. "Wanna place a bet on how many traps in before they're all dead?
Indra: "I would give them two, ma'am."
Nocebo: Challenge scene, huh?
Narrator: Welcome to the Forest of Undeath, demons!
Elly: Thanks! c:
Narrator: A forest of unsettling twisted trees with garish purple leaves
and tombstones littered throughout
Mannfred: "So that's why they call it that."
"I sort of figured it was just a name,"
Mammon: "Nice and homey. We should take in more nature."
Narrator: HERE IS HOW THE CHALLENGE SCENE WILL WORK
We will roll initiative

Nocebo is struggling along on this hike in heels cursing her weak wings.
Narrator: On each player's turn, a trap will be sprung. The players will roll vs Indra's trapmaking.
Failure, you do not proceed. Success, you do.
Mammon: Sen's Forest.
Narrator: Additionally, every failure will also result in Alesone making an attack on the player who just failed.
And, naturally, Alesone will get a free attack when her turn comes around regardless.
Countess Alesone: "Teeheehee~ So much blood! It's gonna be fun."
Narrator: (Alesone, the attack will only be that ONE attack, but you won't be paying cost for it since this is a challenge scene not combat.)
Everybody get the gist of it?
Nocebo: yeah
Mannfred: yeap!
Countess Alesone: Yep!
Elly: \o/
Narrator: Then go ahead and roll initiative when ready
Elly: 18
Mannfred: 17
Yakiba: Okay 20
Nocebo: 15
Narrator: everybody is wasting their good rolls here, good
Mammon: 20
Oh dear.
Mannfred: jeezus
Indra: Alesone, go ahead and roll initiative too (your Dex)
(So d10+11)
Countess Alesone: 16
Indra: EXCELLENT
The forest is pretty straightforward, with trees and gnarled branches and graves blocking most paths forward but one.
However, heading forward, one of the group manages to hit a tripwire. And, Yakiba, that sure is a giant log being suspended from rope swinging towards you.
How do you react to that?
Mannfred: "And so our record of walking into insanely obvious traps is preserved!"
Yakiba: 18 GET DOWN!
Try to get under it, basically.
Indra: 15!
Success!
Nocebo: LIBMO!
Indra: The log sails overhead as you get under it
Nocebo: Limbo
Indra: and then breaks off the ropes and falls on a prinny.
Nobody cares about the prinny.
Mammon: "Oh, this is cute. Is this how humans go to war?"
Elly: dooooooooooooooooooooooooood
Yakiba: I care about the log, though! What if I need it for Clone shenanigans later?
Nocebo: dude, that log is like as big around as you are tall and six meters long.
Indra: Further in the forest. "Huh, they evaded the first of my traps..."
"Oh well. The second is even more deadly."
Yakiba: We'll come back for it and cut it into smaller bits.
Indra: NEXT UP, Mammon!
Heading further in, you find numerous giant double-sided axeheads swinging back and forth across the path suspended by chain, swinging like pendulums.
How exactly do you plan to get past that?
Mannfred: "Okay, this is barely a trap."
"There's no element of surprise to it at all!"
Indra: :x
Mammon: Shooting the chains.
16
Indra: 20
Mammon: "Okay, this one is slightly better."
Mannfred: "Slightly."
Indra: The axeheads, in face, move around the bullets, swinging towards Mammon instead.
in fact*
Yakiba: "It's still an obstacle, not a trap."
Mammon: "HOW DOES THAT EVEN"
Indra: Magic
"Countess!"
"An opening!"
Alesone, roll to attack
Countess Alesone: 15 Attack!
Indra: Mammon, defense
vs a Dex attack
Countess Alesone: An arrow flies directly at Mammon!
Mammon: 14 Dex!
Indra: 54 damage!
Countess Alesone: "A direct hit. A good start."
Mammon: "OW THEY SHOT FROM MY BLIND SIDE"
Indra: You can't even see where that arrow came from.
Bogswalt: [muffled "bwahaha" in the distance]
Indra: It's a ridiculously long shot.
Elly! There are still strange reactionary axes swinging ahead. What do?

Nocebo examines Mammon.
Nocebo: "Leave the arrow in for now."
Elly: She can't throw Mannfred into it to stop their movement, right?
Indra: She CAN
I will allow p much anything.
Elly: :o
Mammon: "Oh, good."
Yakiba: Maybe you can write them out of existence
Elly: That would be meddling with the laws of reality, which takes a lot of mana. So, instead, she'll just try to make a new portal for the gang to pass through. But not too far! Never know what's going to be just beyond the hill. 14
Nocebo: Or find a spell to rust them into oblivion.
Indra: I will allow +1 for that action, so 15, vs... 21
NOPE
Alesone, an opening for an attack!
Countess Alesone: Elly? Have an arrow. :D 16
Elly: BUT WAI 19
Indra: Defense vs dex, Elly
Countess Alesone: "Tch."
Elly: Elly does an arrow catch. With her book.
Indra: I will say that in this case, the description was good enough to surpass the trap
Mammon: "That was surprisingly badass."
Indra: It just invited an opening regardless
Mannfred!
Rushing out of the portal, you hear a CRUNCH under your feet... and all of the branches covering the pitfall give way. You are now over an open pit, filled with spears on the bottom.
How do you react to that?
Mannfred: without much time to react, Mannfred summons a net of red tape to catch him 13
Indra: 19 doubtful but...
Doubtful.
The red tape DOES catch you, but you entangle yourself in it. Perfectly suited for an arrow....
Alesone?
Countess Alesone: Have another arrow. :D 21
Oooh~
Indra: bye Manny
Nocebo: try not to get critted.
Countess Alesone: (My increment is 12, just in case)
Mannfred: 14 damn
Indra: (Crits deal an extra amount of your ATTACK, which is 51.)
(BUT it is not a crit, just 54 damage.)
In one shot of an arrow, Mannfred loses 1/3 of his health.
Nocebo: Mannny really needs Doc's medicine.

Mannfred writhes inside of his tape cocoon, clutching at the arrow wound
Elly: Our demon hero
Indra: FREE ATTACK pick a target and let loose, Alesone
Mammon: "No wonder you never fight."
Mannfred: "You know! I'm really starting to regret my earlier critique of these traps!"
Countess Alesone: Hmm~
Indra: "I think they're finally starting to realize the beauty of these traps."
"They're not meant to kill them."
Countess Alesone: Let's get Elly again. She's not happy that she missed the first time.
Indra: "Merely slow them down enough to let you do that."
Countess Alesone: 13 ARROW'D
Elly: She saw a glint of something in the corner of her eye. Oh its another arrow. Dodge!! 19
Countess Alesone: "The grey-haired one could pose a problem."
Indra: Amazingly, Elly has now dodged TWO arrows.
"I'm sure it's just luck, ma'am."
Minki K.: (aly spotted a rival)
Mannfred: "How do you people even do that?!"
Indra: Nocebo! There is an open pit in front of you. How do you get past it?
Elly: "What, you mean girls?"
Nocebo: Well
Elly: "I just pay attention."
Nocebo: it is well known that hexagon-barriers are quite sturdy.
Mannfred: "I meant that as more of a general 'you', but you can take it however you want!"
Nocebo: So let's build a bridge out of them.
a magic bridge.
14
Indra: HMM +1, so 15 vs 20
Nope.
Nocebo: dangit
Indra: Attempting to construct it gives Alesone another chance!
Countess Alesone: 20 Which, of course, she takes
Nocebo: "Why aren't they fitting together? They're hexagons, they're supposed to tessilate-"
14 I guess that rolling resolve here is out of the question, so throwing up some more hexagons to block....uselessly.
Indra: 54 damage!
New round, +1 valor!
Nocebo: [d6]
Countess Alesone: "... Did she really think that shape would do anything?"
Nocebo: Hexagons form the PERFECT barriers....right?
Indra: Yakiba! The pit is still there.
Action?
Yakiba: Okay, he can do this. He solves practical problems, and as a ninja he has nearly unmatched physical ability.
Elly: All the cool support uses them
Yakiba: Clearly, the simplest action would be to jump over the hole, but this leaves his charge and companions without a way forward, unless he makes one. Hey, didn't we leave something long and sturdy behind a while back? Let's use that.
Indra: ... +2 for clever solution
Yakiba: 17 to use traps to solve obstacles
Indra: 15
As you navigate over the log, the spears in the bottom of the pit... JAM UPWARDS!
Thankfully, there is a giant log in the way.
You pass the pit unharmed.
Mammon!
Mammon: Yo.
Indra: As the group moves forward, suddenly a number of wards strategically placed on trees around you begin to glow. The glow moves from ward to ward until a circular barrier surrounds the entire group.
How do you plan to pass these anti-demon wards?
Mammon: Thinking quickly, he tosses a portal open outside the circle before it closes!
15
Indra: I'll give you a +1, vs 21
Mammon: Oh for fuck's sake.
Indra: ...Nope.
:>
"Countess, these demons are free targets!"
"They can't make it past the barrier, and your arrows can."
Countess Alesone: 14 "Wow, that's a good one, Indra. Keep that handy for next time!"
Mammon: 17
Phew.
Indra: Mammon evades the arrow!
Elly, what's the plan vs this anti-demon barrier?
Countess Alesone: "Hmm. It does give them some extra space to move,though. Pity."
Indra: "I will construct the next one smaller, ma'am."
Melianel Adelgarde: (mage commander approves of the effort, though)
Elly: Well, if it's a magical problem, then it needs to have a magical solution, right? This seems like its time for her magic-erasing... eraser!! 17
Indra: ...pffft +2
vs 16
Success regardless
"That has to be cheating!"
Yakiba: "That's a lot more useful than a pencil eraser."
Elly: Elly strokes her eraser lovingly before putting it back into her bag.
Indra: Manny!
The way forward seems to be clear.
Roll!
Mannfred: 11 this doesn't seem suspicious at all!
Indra: 18
Alesone, attack!
Countess Alesone: 14
Indra: Your paranoia to check for traps leaves you open for an arrow.
Countess Alesone: "... Nice trick, faking them out a little."
Mannfred: 12 oh, not this time you don't
god
Nocebo: she doooo
Indra: This time she does.
Mannfred is almost defeated!
Mannfred: "Come on! There weren't even any traps that time!"
Nocebo: do I need to get Cover?
Indra: Alesone, your free attack time
Countess Alesone: Hmm. Elly again! 17
Indra: Elly, defense!
Elly: By now she's used to this dance and is starting to get used to the fact that she's being targeted...(?) 11
Indra: 54 damage!
Yakiba: Ya got sloppy
Countess Alesone: "There! Finally."
Indra: She got too arrogant.
Elly: ...that cricket sounded an awful lot like a flying arrow, okay.
Nocebo: Wow, that's not cool.
Time to step up to the pitch.
Indra: Nocebo! There is a seemingly trapless stretch ahead.
Nocebo: Doctor Nocebo knows mind games
Elly: And then the REAL arrow came and, well.
Indra: How do you handle that!?
Nocebo: She plays mind games in her sleep!
She even has a skill to giver her a boost to legerdemain. So she understands this trapless trap.
Indra: Sounds legit
Nocebo: 18 This trap is zen, so she'll just ignore it and keep moving.
Countess Alesone: To be fair, Alesone's earned a few lockpicking techniques over the years.
Indra: 20
Melianel Adelgarde: (oh wow)
Nocebo: ...14?
Countess Alesone: 16 Zen this.
Nocebo: 15
Indra: Indra's expert trapmaking skills come in handy as a final, unexpected ACTUAL trap comes out, a small dart that sticks Nocebo right in the forehead.
Nocebo: gaaaah
Indra: Which slows her reactions just enough for an arrow.
54 damage
Nocebo: "I'm fine! Fine..."
"I think that's drugged though..."
Indra: (Indra has both Proficiency and a Challenge Technique.)
HOWEVER your relentless movement does make it past the stretch
How make it into a small clearing.
Inside there is.....
...........a wooden.. cutout?
Yakiba: Of what?
Indra: (Hold on one sec)
(Grabbing an image)
http://i.imgur.com/OaLMtGI.jpg The cutout is of a buxom succubus in a succubus-y pose, with a speech bubble saying "I'll do anything for love~!"
Countess Alesone: "Demonkind's greatest weakness."
Indra: "So I've read...."
Mannfred: "What... what is this supposed to be, exactly?"
Nocebo: ..."not my type."
Yakiba: "Was this supposed to stop me?"
Indra: Everybody feel free to react, not just Yakiba

Mannfred leans in and pushes the cutout over
Countess Alesone: "!"
Indra: "!!!"
Mammon: "Oh please, we have the internet."
Countess Alesone: Mannfred, you can hear a voice shouting in the distance:
"HOW DARE YOU"
Followed by angry ranting about "NO RESPECT FOR HANDIWORK" and "TOOK ME SIX HOURS" and wow her composure just broke hard
Mannfred: "I FEEL LIKE I'VE MADE MY PREFERENCES REALLY CLEAR IN THE PAST, I DON'T NEED TO JUSTIFY ANYTHING HERE"
Indra: Turning toward the voice, it is not al lthat far away now.
Countess Alesone: (... Has he? XD)
Mannfred: it's come up like twice before but yea
Indra: "It seems like they've made it this far, Countess. A fight is the only option now."
"I apologize, the traps were not enough."
22 initiative
Nocebo: "Sooooooo. This is a thing."
Mammon: "They did do an embarrassing amount of damage to your actual target here."
Countess Alesone: 15 Initiative!
Nocebo: 10 Initiative
Yakiba: (Does someone have Passive Healing, because wow that'd be handy for Mannfred - this is, presumably, a different scene)
Elly: "I didn't know you had a type..."
Archer Knight: 13
Yakiba: 16
Elly: "I didn't know you liked anybody that wasn't you."
Mammon: "However, I am in a position to possibly collect a paycheck from said target."

Nocebo has passive healing
Mannfred: 11 "I have a very delicate constitution!"
Archer Knight: (It is not a different scene)
Elly: 14
Yakiba: (aw)
Mammon: "So I'm going to have to shoot back."
Archer Knight: (Initiatives remain the same)

Nocebo can also just plain HEAL him
Yakiba: (oh)
Nocebo: (I see...)
Indra: "Very well! Since it has come to this!"
"You all stand before the great Countess Alesone, Commander of the Archer Division of the Holy Kingdom Knights!"
Elly: "Hello!"

Countess Alesone visibly has a burning aura of rage. "YOU WILL PAY FOR DISRESPECTING MY EFFORTS!"
Elly: "Your arrows hurt a lot."
Nocebo: "She's not so great...Maybe a seven..."
Trapmaster Indra: "ONLY A SEVEN!?"
"You will pay for that disrespect!"
"I, Trapmaster Indra, will ensure your deaths are both brutal and swift for that!"
Nocebo: [d2]
1

Countess Alesone glares at Nocebo.

Nocebo waves cheerfully.
Nocebo: "Hey, I'll hand-deliver the arrows back to you, okay?"
Narrator: TO BE CONTINUED
Shika (GM): This thrilling battle... will be concluded next week!
Mannfred: dun dun duuuuuuun
Shika (GM): Again, thank you to our guest villains for coming in to be awesome at a war council
Bogswalt: o7
Shika (GM): and especially to Inc for playing our current villain, Alesone
Mannfred: I love our dumb boss squad so much
Vehrec: You guys are doing a bang up job.
Argent B.: mhm! I can't wait for next week :D
Vehrec: And for the record, Nocebo will still flirt with Alesone a bit thanks to the drugs.
NekoIncardine: ... If Nocebo weren't a demon, Alesone would quite possibly reciprocate. XD
Mammon: I can't wait to shoot the person who made those traps.
Awe: See if you can't get any of those drugs from Indra while you're at it doc
NekoIncardine: She's.... Well, again. She spent six hours hand painting the succubus trap.
She's not precisely subtle about the preferences. :P
Comrade Q.: it IS some pretty detailed craftsmanship
Shika (GM): I hope you all had fun with this session though
Vehrec: lots of it!
NekoIncardine: Very much so :3
Comrade Q.: yea I had a ton of fun this time around
Bogswalt: night folks
NekoIncardine: Looking forward to next weekend \o/
Awe: This was a Good Sesh
Argent B.: mhm! News characters, talking, and a challenge scene!
Comrade Q.: can't wait to see where this whole arc goes
Argent B.: night night~
Awe: and I got Ideas for use later
Shika (GM): this arc will go... places
Melianel Adelgarde: Was fun! have a good night, all
Shika (GM): o7
And yes, wee y'all next week
or tomorrow if your name is vehrec