Fate of the World Session 12

"No Dave." You say with an exasperated sigh

"Come on, you've got to be kidding me. You and Renee are showing up together every morning and then you tell me that she's your roommate now? I just know something more is going on."

He's both right and wrong, which leaves you surprised for a second, before you sigh again.

"It's not like that Dave." You say again

"Come on, you've at least got to know what kind of underwear she's rocking!"

You aren't going to tell him you do have that information

"I don't know Dave, and this isn't really water cooler talk you know."

"I dunno, it seems right to me."

You roll your eyes and get back to work. It was nearing the end of the day for you, and so far things had been okay, a few days had passed since the mall attack, and so far your life has been more and more hectic. The enemy attacks are becoming more frequent, with you and your friends having been ambushed several times over the last week and fighting the enemy off at every turn.

As the for mall, deaths were low. Waaay lower than the college, it was mostly the security guards who bit it, with them being heralded as heroes. However, the two guards that you saved actually made mention of your group and just called you 'special forces'. You have to admit that being called that did feel sort of cool, even if they didn't forget about you like you said. Probably thanks to Duran if anything, he'd vouched for them, saying that they were actually pretty cool guys.

You continue your work as you think about all these, answering the usual calls and doing your best to not lose your mind until the day is over.

"Hiiiiiiiiiro~ it's time to go!" Renee calls out as she walks over to you, a little sway in her hips

>Please don't say that so loudly
>Right, I'll go get the car started
>Don't make this weird.
>Other/Write-in

>Don't make this weird...
>Right, I'll go get the car started

"Don't make this weird." You say with a sigh

"Weird? What do you mean? That's kinda rude ya know, you should be nicer to me." Renee says with a fake pout "We're living together and we gotta be more friendly!"

"That's the part that makes things weird. People are beginning to talk around the office you know." you reply

"So what? Let em talk, they're just jealous."

Dave is at least...

"Right, I'll go get the car started up." you say deciding to drop the subject for the time being, you get your desk all cleaned up and proceed outside to your car. At least, there aren't little robot people trying to wreck it this time. Still, you look around a bit just to be sure, you don't want to be caught off guard by the enemy.

You hope you aren't becoming a paranoid wreck...

You get into your car and start it up, waiting for Renee to come and join you. According to her, even after work she took a bit to make sure her hair was looking fine. Why this mattered? You had no idea and you just wrote it off as a girl thing. Eventually, Renee joins you in the car.

"Off we go Hiro!"

>First stop, the bar
>Go get Holly
>Head straight home
>Other/Write-in

>Go get Holly

"Fine, first stop is Holly's place then."

"Right-o!" Renee replies with a grin

The three of you had opted to try and keep together as much as possible, it wouldn't do any good if you got separated or weren't together leaving you as easy pickings for the enemy. The drive is pretty calm all things considered, with Renee chatting about this and that (mostly fashion related things that you have no real opinion of) before you pull up to Holly's house.

Shooting her a text, it's only a few minutes before she's walking out of the front of the house. She'd told her Uncle, that with the school being closed for a while that she'd routinely go to your place for tutoring so she'd have an edge in her online classes. You just rolled with it, as Holly was clearly smart enough to get by on her own if the last transcript she showed you is anything to go by.

Her Uncle saw her off as she hopped into the back, with Holly letting out a small smile

"H-hello..."

"Hey Holly, how were things? Any trouble?" You ask pulling off

"N-no, I stayed inside today."

"Alright good, one less thing to worry about."

"Good to see you safe Holly." Renee adds "Hiro has been a bit of a stiff today, so it's nice to have a girl to talk to."

You don't think you can roll your eyes harder.

>Head on home
>Go to the bar
>Other/Write-in

>Go to the bar

As you drive, you realize that you could really go for a drink. Sure, you've got some beer and such at home, but your tastebuds cry out for something distinctly not from home. With that being the case, you turn a few corners towards a local bar you know.

"Oh! I know where we're going~!" Renee chirps excitedly

"W-where...?" Holly asks

"This really cool place called Geno's bar!"

"A-a bar?!"

"Yeah, it'll be great! Personally, I think you could use a few drinks Holly."

You pull up in front of the place, and walk inside with the girls, There's a few patrons already there, some just drinking and chatting, while others are looking at some baseball game that's on the tv hanging on the wall. As the three of you walk in, the owner Geno looks you over.

"Yo there Hiro, Renee...whose your friend?"

"Name's Holly. We told you about her before." Renee pipes up with a smile

"Oh, the lil' wallflower. What can I do you for then?"

"E-er I don't know i-if I shou-should..." Holly starts

Well, she is underage. She's only 20, but Geno more than likely wouldn't care, he could easily feign ignorance due to how close she is age wise. Not that anyone here would particularly rat her out.

>Holly, I think you of all people could really use a cold one
>Just get her a soda Geno
>Other/Write-in

>Just get her a soda Geno

"Just get her a soda Geno."

"Sure sure, you and the lady gonna go at it again?"

"Nah I don-"

"Hell yeah we are!" Renee exclaims raising a fist into the air

"Renee we can't-"

"Come on Hiro! Drinking contest!"

"I have no reason to do that." You sigh

"Then we'll sweeten the deal! Name your terms!"

"My terms?"

"Yeah, whatever you think is a good wager! Geno, get the good stuff!"

Geno only chuckles, reaching for the top shelf for some of his best (and most alcoholic) drinks.

"So, what's it gonna be Hiro?" Renee asks with a smirk on her face

>Feel free to put what you think is an appropriate wager here. You can also just refuse to go along with it.

>Nope

"I'm not playing along Renee." You say with a roll of your eyes

Renee makes a pouty face before sitting down "Fine...party pooper...and I was gonna..." She trails off as Geno sits some drinks down for you and Renee, and a soda for Holly.

You happily take the cup presented to you and down your first drink. Man, it tastes great. a nice tingly feeling overtakes you as you continue drinking. This is why you come to Geno's bar on occasion. He actually has some seriously good stuff on his shelves.

"Hit me with another." You state

"Me too." Renee huffs

Another two drinks are set down for you and Renee, with Holly getting a refill as well. You look up at the tv and now the baseball game has been replaced with a news broadcast about all the weird happenings around town.

`And so, officials are urging people to remain indoors as much as possible until the proper authorities can complete a full investigation.`

"Man, what is going on in this world?" Geno asks

>Don't worry about it Geno, get me another
>Madness of gods is all
>Say nothing
>Other/Write-in

>Madness of gods is all
>And a really shitty bet

You down some more of your drink and ooooh boy, you're starting to feel something already. Just what is this stuff anyway? Maybe you should ask Geno where you got some? Whatever the case, you can't help but comment on his words.

"It's the madness of gods is all." you say casually

"The hell you mean?" Geno replies with a raised eyebrow

"And a really shitty bet."

Once again Geno raises an eyebrow and it's Holly who steps in "I-I think he's had enough!"

"Nah, gimme another." You state with a somewhat dopey grin

"Gimme...gimme two!" Renee chimes in

"You two aren't gonna pass out are you?" Geno asks

"Hell no, we're good!" You state with a laugh, Geno hands you another drink (and Renee her two) and you down this one even more than the last. You feel pretty warm...and even more tingly.

>Gimme another!
>That's enough, time to go

>Gimme a soda this time Geno

"Gimme a soda this time Geno." You say with a bit of a slur

"More booze!" Renee calls out

Giving you the both of you your orders, you begin chugging the soda. Your head feels a bit clearer and that tingling you felt in your body dies down a bit.

"H-hey Holly..." You start

"Yes Hiro...?" Holly replies, looking at you

"Do you have your driver's license yet?"

"Oh...um, no...b-but Uncle Karl has been teaching me, he says a car is a good thing to have for the future."

Dammit

"Alright I guess that'll be enough for-"

THUNK

You look to your right and sure enough, Renee is splayed out on the floor, passed out.

Goddammit...

>Time to go
>Drink one more...
>Holly, help me get her into the car.
>Other/Write-in

>Holly, help me get her into the car.

You sigh, Renee being passed out on the floor is the signal, that this little booze run is at its end...and you're stuck with the bill.

"Holly, help me get her into the car." You say with a sigh

"S-sure..."

You quickly pay Geno for the drinks, not wanting to think about the amount of cash leaving your wallet as Holly helps a babbling Renee to her feet.

>You lost $100...

"Mmmadpwpfh" Renee mumbles as you and Holly proceed to leave the bar and stuff her into the backseat, while Holly joins you up front. Renee meanwhile, continues sleeping away in the back.

"Er...H-Hiro, will Renee be okay...?" Holly asks

"She'll be fine...or at least she will be when she pays me back for having to cover everything." You growl

The two of you make small talk until you're back at your apartment. Nothing went bad this time at least, and you're forced to carry Renee in your arms back to your apartment. She's at least light, so it isn't that bad, but she ends up squirming, making things harder than normal.

Finally, once you reach your apartment, Holly opens the door as the drunk off her ass Renee squirms again.

>Take her to your bed
>Dump her on the couch
>Other/Write-in

>couch

You do what only comes natural to you: You dump her drunk ass on the couch. You have off tomorrow, so she can suffer the drawbacks off over drinking on her own.

"W-will Renee be okay sleeping there?" Holly asks

"She'll be fine." You state, at least tonight you can maybe have the bed to yourself, at least so you thought, until you look at Holly

"U-um, is something wrong?"

"Nothing. Just forgot that I'm not gonna be able to use my bed...yet again."

"O-oh...er...well um...I-I don't mind sleeping on the floor or...well..."

You wave her off "It's fine, I'll take the floor."

"O-oh um...o-okay, I'll go shower then?"

"Sure, go wild." You state as you head up to your room. You casually kick off your shoes as you lean back in your bed for a moment, closing your eyes. At least you can enjoy this for the moment before you have to get up and let Holly have it.

>zzzzz
>Keep yourself up, no nodding off now
>Go to the velvet room
>Other/Write-in

>Keep yourself up

You nearly nod off, the alcohol you drank earlier nearly doing you in, but you quickly sit back up right. You really want to do just go to bed though...

It's another 15 minutes before Holly is out of the shower and knocks on your door.

"Er...t-the shower is free!" She calls out

"Thanks..." You grumble back as you grab some nigthwear to change into and walk out, not even bothering to look at her as you head to the bathroom to wash up.

The water is refreshing, and you feel yourself a bit more energized...to get to bed. Work today was one thing, but the drinking hit you pretty hard, whatever it is that Geno has on that top shelf is strong. It's only what...8...9PM? You aren't sure.

You finish your shower and after drying off, you put on your sleepwear and return to your room. Holly is already sitting on the bed and reading a book.

"Oh...um...how are you feeling Hiro?"

"Tired. I'm gonna turn in early."

"Oh...o-okay...u-um I was wondering...are you really gonna sleep on the floor?"

"Yeah, it's carpet. That'll be good enough for sleeping."

"Oh...um...w-well...i-i-if you want..."

"I told you Holly, I won't make you sleep on the floor."

"No! I mean...w-we could...share the bed?"

If you were tired, you're now wide awake. "Er...say that again?"

"I...I really don't like that you're always forced to take the couch. With Renee using it this time, I figure it would be fair to share? I mean, Renee and I always do...s-so there's no reason we can't right?"

This is a development...

>What will you do?

>Take a pillow and find some Comfy carpet to sleep on

You don't say anything and instead take a pillow and find a comfy piece of carpet to lie on.

"I'll be fine Holly, you enjoy the bed."

You can't help but note the disappointment on Holly's face. "Okay..." she mutters, getting back on the bed

A part of you kinda wishes you took up her offer, but you're way too buzzed and you don't 100% trust yourself to be a proper adult. As such, you decide to black out for the rest of the night.

When you wake up the next morning, you can hear retching coming from the bathroom.

That's definitely Renee...

You groggily get to your feet. Well, time to greet the day. You see that Holly is already out of bed as well...where did she get off to?

>Go help Renee blow chunks
>You need coffee...and breakfast
>Fuck it, time to sleep in
>Other/Write-in

>Fuck it, time to sleep in

You look to the door for a moment as you hear Renee wretch even louder than before and you do the only thing you can possibly think of in this situation: You get comfortable and quickly close your eyes for some more sleep. You quickly nod off again despite Renee's loudness.

It isn't until noon that you're back up and you finally feel like you're at 100% again. Once you're awake, you properly get dressed and head down to the living room to see Renee sitting on the couch with a bag of ice on her head.

"Afternoon." You say casually

"Jerk..." Renee grumbles

"G-good afternoon Hiro..." Holly says with a small wave

"I think I threw up my entire stomach..." Renee moans

"Sounds rough."

"Gah! Not so loud Hiro!"

"I'm speaking in a normal tone Renee."

You move towards the kitchen to get started on your day. Pouring yourself some coffee

"Ooooh, shut it. At least Holly cared enough to help me!"

>Sorry you had to do that Holly
>Next time don't overdo it
>You owe me a hundred bucks by the way
>Other/Write-in

>Sorry you had to do that Holly
>You owe me your half of the bar tab by the way!
>Poke Renee

"Sorry you had to do that Holly." You say while taking a sip of your coffee

"Oh, it-it was fine, Renee wasn't feeling too good and so I just helped her out."

"Yeah...thanks Holly...unlike *someone*." Renee pouts while looking at you

"Speaking of, you owe me half of the bar tab!" You exclaim, walking over and poking her, which does a good job of annoying her.

"Ugh, fine...how much?"

"It came out to 100 bucks on the  nose.

"Fine...here's my half."But wait, what about Holly?"

"She had sodas and didn't black out in public."

"No fair..." Renee grumbles

>You got $50!

Renee continues her grumbling, as you finish your coffee "Thank you."

"Jerk..."

>What will you do next?

>Hanekoma

Well, the first thing on your agenda after a bit of thinking is to go to the velvet room and see Hanekoma. You quickly head upstairs and into the portal that sits within your closet. Stepping through, you're once again in the velvet room with Igor smiling at you.

"Hello my friend."

"Hey Igor, Hanekoma in?"

"Indeed he is."

"Thanks!" You say heading towards Hanekoma's shop, once there, you're greeted once again by the shopkeep.

"Well well, if it isn't my favorite customer!"

"Aren't I the only one?" You reply

"That's why I value you!" Hanekoma laughs, "How can I help you?"

>Medicine($50)
>Chakra drop($100)
>Revival Bead($300)
>Patra Stone($100)
>Doppel source($700)
>Dis-Poison($150)
>Double Barrel SMG($500)
>Riot Shotgun($500)
>Claymore($600)
>Lighweight Spear($400)
>Amrita Soda($200)
>Metal Bat($400)
>AK-107($500)
>Soma Drop($300)

>Riot Shotgun

You plop down the cash and ask for one of those shotguns.

"Very well, thanks for buying!" Hanekoma says as he hands the gun over to you

You take it and leave the velvet room, returning to your room and heading back into the living room, you're quite excited and the reason for that is in regards to Ryza's alchemy. She's made some useful stuff before and you're curious as to what she can do with the microwave and whatever else. You call her from your COMP, to which Ryza stands before you proudly.

"Hey there Hiromu. What's up?"

"It's time for Alchemy!" You tell her excitedly

"Really? Alright! Tell me what you wanna mix up!"

>Choose what you wanna toss in.

>Microwave and Doppel Source

"Alright, toss in the microwave and doppel source." You tell Ryza

"Got it!"

She takes out the requested items and tosses them into that pot of hers. How the hell it fits, you have no idea and you don't particularly care.  Ryza throws them in and gets to mixing.

"okay...I think this'll be easy since it's just duplication."

She continues mixing things, tossing in a few random vials or pouring in just tiny bit of some weird powder, before finally stopping.

"And there!"

Ryza exclaims, she gingerly lifts out not just one Microwave, but another one right after.

"Great!" You exclaim, now you've got a backup in case things go south.

"Judging by that look in your eye, you've got something you want else you want made." Ryza chuckles "Come on then, we don't have all day!"

>Anything else
>That's enough for now

Microwave and Shot gun(86+13=99)

"Alright, try the shotgun and the microwave." You say to Ryza

She takes the two items and dumps them into the pot and begins mixing. At first everything seems okay, but then you notice that smoke starts to billow from the pot.

"Uh oh...t-that's not good!" Ryza exclaims beginning to mix faster. "U-uh...okay I think I may have got it!"

The pot begins to billow even more and now Holly and Renee are looking over at you both

"Uh...is everything okay over there Renee asks?"

"I...I think?" You say looking at Ryza

"Um...uh...crap, it's no good!" Ryza exclaims as the pot begins to shake violently

"One of you open up a window!" You call to the girls

Holly quickly opens it, the smoke billowing out through it. A loud thrumming noise echoes from the pot before a small 'boom' occurs, the black smoke coming out even more now.

"D-darn it...sorry Hiromu." Ryza sighs "It was a failure..."

>No big deal, we can try again
>Dammit...
>What went wrong?
>Other/Write-in

>What went wrong?

"What went wrong?" You ask, with a cough, god that crap reeks and you can only hope the smell airs out soon enough.

"W-well, to be honest Hiro, I've never worked with anything like this. The stuff you have here is even more advanced than the Klint Kingdom. They were still using alchemy, so I was able to figure things out. This is why I wanted to take that microwave apart and see how it works.

Shit, you kinda forgot that Ryza is from a more...low tech world so to speak, so she probably didn't have too much of an idea of what she was doing exactly.

"At this rate, all I can do is continue experimenting to see what works and what doesn't. Well...after a while anyway."

The two of you look over at the pot as it lets out another small boom before more smoke fills the room. Not helping things is that your smoke alarm starts to go off too.

"Goddammit you mutter..."

>How long until we can use it again?
>Get to work fanning out the smoke
>Man, I just wanted 500 bucks...
>Other/Write-in

>Man, I just wasted 500 bucks...
>fan it out

"Man, I just wasted 500 bucks..." You sigh

"S-sorry Hiromu..." Ryza says looking away from you

"It's fine, let's get to work fanning this smoke out, if anyone asks, we'll just tell em Renee can't cook."

"HEY!" Renee shouts, before grasping her head "Ow...ow...still hurts..."

You take a small fan you'd had sitting in the closet and put it on the coffee table, sitting the pot in front of it near the window so it'd blow things out more quickly.

Things take a bit of a turn when your landlord shows up asking if everything is okay, but you're able to pass your excuse off as  Renee just being bad in the kitchen, which her anger at the notion only helps sell the whole thing.

Talking to Ryza, she tells you it's probably best to wait a day before attempting anything again, as her alchemy pot is gonna need a good scrubbing after this to keep it clean of any leftover materials still in the green...whatever it is.

With that all said and done, it takes about 3 hours before the smoke finally dies down.

>Head to the Velvet Room
>You need to get out of the house, the smell still reeks
>See if Renee can walk straight finally
>Other/Write-in

>Park

The local park should be good. You drive by it all the time on your (short) drive to work. Sure you almost died here, but that didn't deter you from stopping by. The place was generally good for coming and clearing one's mind and you could definitely use some of that.

Renee too probably due to her drunkeness. In fact...

"So hey girls, ice cream?"

"Ice Cream?!" Holly exclaims loudly

"Er...yeah? You want some?" You ask, this is the first time you've heard Holly perk up in what can only be described as childlike joy about something.

"Do they have cherry flavor?!"

"Uh...yeah I'd assume so."

"I want some!"

"I could use some I guess." Renee said "Whatever Geno gave us yesterday is still rocking my body to be honest."

"This is why you shouldn't over drink." you chide her

"And where would the fun in that be?" She snipes back

"Not having to throw up in the morning for one thing."

She goes silent at that as you all head to the ice cream vendor and get your desired flavors. Chocolate for you, Cherry for Holly and Renee getting Vanilla, claiming it'll help 'clear her senses'.

Sitting on a nearby bench you all silently tear away at your frozen treats

>So you really like Ice Cream Holly?
>Senses 'clearing up' yet Renee?
>Enjoy your ice cream for as long as you can
>Other/Write-in

>So you really like Ice Cream Holly?
>Senses 'clearing up' yet Renee?

"You really like Ice Cream Holly?"

"Yeah! It's great, when I was a kid, whenever Uncle Karl stopped by he'd take me to get some!"

"Ah, I see...fond childhood memories."

"Yeah! Y-yeah..."

You notice that Holly's look becomes a bit more...despondent, and you figure that you've probably brought up some more painful memories instead, deciding to switch to something else before she gets hit by some serious depression you look at Renee.

"Your senses clearing up yet Renee?" you ask her

"A little...god, seriously just what *was* that stuff?"

"I dunno, but it tasted good, that's for sure." You say taking another lick of your ice cream

"Maybe we should stop by and see if we can buy a bottle to take home some time."

"No way, we can't have you drinking that stuff when we've got work the next day and then you're too plastered to get anything done!"

"T-that's not going to happen!"

"Renee, it's happened before. Remember a couple of months back when you showed up and spent hours emptying your guts in the bathroom? It's amazing you didn't get sent home."

"Hey I managed to get through that day!"

"Yeah, half-way near passing out."

>Seriously, you need to work on your drinking
>Next time Holly's not gonna help you
>Well, at least you serve as a role model in a way
>Other/Write-in

>Well, at least you serve as a role model in a way

"Well, at least you serve as a role model in a way." you say while taking another lick of your ice cream

"Heh, you know-hey what do you mean 'in a way'?" Renee asks

"Well, you're a role model on how much *not* to drink and if you do drink, how to *not* act during the reprecussions."

"Oh shut up already!"

"Let's ask Holly, Hey Holly, think you're ever going to drink after seeing what Renee deals with?"

Holly is silent for a moment before looking away "Wel-well...no, not really."

You turn around with a smirk to Renee.

"Ooooh, why are you being so mean to me today!"

You can't help but chuckle at her response to the treatment she's being given

>You make it too easy
>It's your punishment for making me and  Holly have to drag your ass home
>It's a lesson to not get black out drunk all the time
>Other/Write-in

>You make it too easy
>It's your punishment for making me and Holly have to drag your ass home

"Well, two reasons." You state holding up your fingers

"And those are?"

"Well, the first is that you make it too easy."

"S-shut up..."

"And the second is that it's punishment for making me and Holly drag your ass home."

"Of course, you'd make mention of my ass." she grumbles

You don't dignify her with a response to that.

"U-um...it's okay Renee, I didn't mind helping you." Holly mutters

"Thanks Holly, I appreciate it. Once again, you're a good friend."

Holly smiles at this, while Renee just glares daggers at you

>Roll your eyes
>Look, I just don't want you ending up losing a kidney or something
>Come on, let's get going
>Other/Write-in

>Roll your eyes
>Look, I just don't want you ending up losing a kidney or something
>Come on, let's get going

You roll your eyes and sigh "Look, I just don't want you ending up losing a kidney or something in the future okay?"

"Huh...?" Renee replies with a blink of surprise "Oh...er...thanks I guess...I didn't know you cared about something like that."

"Course I do, gotta be mindful about the future after all. Anyway, let's get going."

"Done hanging out here already?"

"Yeah, who knows maybe Ryza finally got the smell out of the apartment."

"True, though it could still be there, it was pretty strong after all."

Well, she does have a point

>Return to the apartment
>Go to the business district
>Other/Write-in

>Go find a street food vendor

"Actually..." Holly muttered as you all got up

"What is it Holly?"

"I-I'm a bit hungry...c-could we get some food?"

You look at Renee and shrug, "I don't see why not, come on, there's a vendor here somewhere."

It doesn't take long for you to find one. The park is filled with vendors. Each on strategically positioned at every exit/entrance so that they can maximize profits on people either coming or going.

"What do you want Holly?"

"Lamb and rice if that's okay..."

You nod and take her order, merely opting to get yourself a burger. Renee however wasn't hungry claiming that her stomach still wasn't up for any real food at the moment. The only real question is weather to stay here and eat or not.

>Eat here
>Return home and dig in

>eat here

You can't help yourself. As much as you *want* to go home and eat, you can't stop yourself from quickly finding a spot to sit with Holly right behind you. The two of you find a spot with Renee trailing behind, since she has nothing for herself.

The two you happily chow away at your food, until you have a familiar weird feeling overtake you.

"Oh crap..." You mutter

In the same instant, Hanekoma's voice appears from your COMP

"Hey you three, I'm picking up a small pocket UG. You guys are being pulled in!"

Shit shit shit, Of *course* you can't just have a nice day to eat and relax, there always *has* to be something. You should have known better...

"H-Hiro, the park is getting all wavy!" Renee exclaims

"S-should we get out of here?" Holly asks

>Girls, time to run!
>Hold your ground and face what's coming
>Other/Write-in

>Hold your ground and face what's coming

"No running, who knows what else we could go up against if we do run." You say getting to your feet and grasping your sword.

As if meeting your resolve, all you hear is a loud reverberating stomp.

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP

As the sounds get closer and closer, you're greeted by a large and terrifying sight.

"Is that a fucking mammoth?!" Renee exclaims

"A-are we really gonna fight that thing?!" Holly asked

>Looks like it
>Fuck that shit I'm out

>Looks like it

"Yeah, looks that way." You say

"Oh come on! First a friggin' hangover that could put an Irish person out cold and now this?!" Renee says with a sigh as she takes out her spear. Holly doing the same with her bat.

"That first part is all your fault!" You call to her

"Oh shut up about that already."

"D-don't worry, we'll make it through this!" Holly chimes in

The Mammoth lets out a loud trumpeting sound, before stomping the ground once more.

>Choose who you're fielding. Remember, Ryza can't be chosen since she's back home

>Hiro
>Duran
>Dante
>Sailor Moon
>Patch

You call out Duran and Dante, while Holly and Renee sent out Patchouli and Sailor Moon respectively.

Trait Activated: Immovable Library

"This thing...it has no weaknesses that I can find...but be careful with physical attacks. That long appendage looks to be quite dangerous.

>Choose your actions!

>Hiro - Summon Star X2(47,92)
>Duran - Bear it (Hiro)
>Dante - Ebony and Ivory, Sword(37,93)
>Sailor Moon - Moonlight
>Patch - Silent Selene(94)

Taking note of Patchouli's warning, you instead decide to try relying on some of the magic you know.  you open fire and...it doesn't seem to do too much, in fact, you think you just made the thing even angrier.

"Here Hiro, This'll null the pain." Duran calls out , raising his shield at you.

>Hiro's defense increased, he takes -2 damage!

Dante attempts to attack, opening fire with his guns, but it doesn't faze the mammoth at all, however, when he goes in for the sword slash, he does hit, but he's also knocked back by the trunk of the mammoth as it whips around and hits him with a blinding speed, knocking him back

"Okay...it hurts...it really friggin' hurts..." Dante groans

"H-here!" It should numb the pain a bit!" Sailor Moon calls out, raising your party's defense.

>All allies Defense increased! Everyone now takes -2 damage! Hiro takes -4!

"I'll try this!" Patchouli calls out casting one of her spells, a torrent of light blue light swirling around the mammoth before dealing damage to it.

The Mammoth attempts to take a swipe at you with it's trunk, but you manage to evade it!


>Hiro:HP:104/104 MP:56/62(Defense increased(-4))
>Duran:HP:167/167 MP:52/57(Defense increased(-2))
>Dante:HP:65/103 MP:73/76(Defense increased(-2))
>Sailor Moon:HP:82/82 MP:85/89(Defense increased(-2))
>Patchouli:HP:45/45 MP:94/129(Defense increased(-2))

>Mammoth R&B:706/750

>Hiro - Summon Star(71)
>Duran - Bear it (Hiro)
>Dante - Swap to Aqua
>Sailor Moon - Moonlight
>Patch - Silent Selene(56)

"Okay Dante, tag out, this isn't the fight for you." You call out to him

"I'll take you up on that offer...!" He groans, returning to your COMP. "Holly, Can you send out Aqua?"

Your met with Aqua taking Dante's place. You try firing off some magic, but to no avail, the spell bouncing harmlessly off of the mammoth. What the hell is it made of!?

"Here Hiro, I'll keep it coming!" Duran calls out , raising his shield at you again.

>Hiro's defense increased, he takes -6 damage!


"Stay strong everyone!" I'll keep helping out!" Sailor Moon calls out, raising your party's defense once more.

>All allies Defense increased! Everyone now takes -4 damage! Hiro takes -8! Aqua takes -2!

"Once more!" Patchouli calls out casting her spell again, except this time the monster is able to shrug it off without issue.

"Tch, what is this thing?"

The Mammoth attempts to take a swipe at you with it's trunk, but you manage to evade it!

Becoming suddenly enraged (at least you think so anyway) The Mammoth slams its front legs on the ground, causing the ground to shake and rumble! You all manage to keep your footing except for Duran who is tossed around by it, landing hard on the ground and becoming too dazed to act!

>Duran is stunned, and cannot act for 3 turns!



>Hiro:HP:104/104 MP:53/62(Defense increased(-8))
>Duran:HP:134/167 MP:45/57(Defense increased(-4))(stunned:3 turns)
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:85/85(Defense increased(-2))
>Sailor Moon:HP:82/82 MP:81/89(Defense increased(-4))
>Patchouli:HP:45/45 MP:59/129(Defense increased(-4))

>Mammoth R&B:706/750

>Hiro - Summon Star, Patra(102)
>Duran-Bear it (Aqua)
>Aqua - Reflect (Duran)
>Sailor Moon - Moonlight
>Patch - Silent Selene(77)

"Oh for the love of...!" You grunt, taking out one of the patra stones and tossing it towards Duran

"T-thanks!" Duran calls out to you, getting back to his senses.

You take aim at the mammoth again and this time your magic actually does some serious damage it, causing it to trumpet loudly.

"Here Aqua, keep it it up!" Duran calls out

>Aqua's defense increases she now takes -4 damage!

"I'll return the favor, here!" she replies, casting a reflective barrier on Duran

Sailor Moon continues raising everyone's defense. You feel your body becoming even more hardy than before.

>All allies defense increased! Hiro takes -10 damage! Everyone else takes -6!

"Silent Selene, this time for sure!" Patchouli shouts, this time managing to get through the mammoth's thick hide and actually hurt it.

The Mammoth trumpets again before attempting to grab Sailor Moon with its trunk, with her gracefully dodging it.

"Hah, you'll have to do better than that!"


>Hiro:HP:104/104 MP:50/62(Defense increased(-10))
>Duran:HP:134/167 MP:40/57(Defense increased(-6))(Reflect:3 turns)
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:73/85(Defense increased(-6))
>Sailor Moon:HP:82/82 MP:77/89(Defense increased(-6))
>Patchouli:HP:45/45 MP:24/129(Defense increased(-6))

>Mammoth R&B:651/750

>Hiro - Summon Star X2(84-NAT 1 OVERRIDE,102)
>Duran - Break Armor(88)
>Aqua - Blizzard(103)
>Sailor Moon - Moon Tiara Action(59)
>Patch - Raijin's Drum(84)

You open fire with your magic again...and instantly it backfires and explodes on you...thankfully, Sailor Moon's buffs help you soak up the damage. With that being the case, you take aim again and deliver a really powerful blow yet again.

Duran moves in and takes a slash at the monster, managing to deal some damage to it. However, like Danate before him, he's unfortunately put in range of its trunk and it slams it into him, although you notice it flinch a bit as some of the damage is reflected back at it.

>Enemy's defense decreased! They now take +2 damage!

"Take this!" Aqua exclaimed firing off a blizzard attack at the enemy. The ice slowly excasing a small portion of its body.

Sailor Moon attempts to hit the enemy with her tiara, but it just bounces off its hide, coming back to her.

"Dammit. No good." Sailor Moon huffs

"Come forth, Rajin's Drum!' Patchouli exclaims as a drum made of electricity appears over the mammoth shocking it and causing it to trumpet loudly.

The Mammoth attempts to slam its trunk into Duran again, but the knight is able to dodge out of the way despite his wounds.

"Too slow!"


>Hiro:HP:96/104 MP:44/62(Defense increased(-10))
>Duran:HP:96/167 MP:30/57(Defense increased(-6))(Reflect:2 turns)
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:71/85(Defense increased(-6))
>Sailor Moon:HP:82/82 MP:67/89(Defense increased(-6))
>Patchouli:HP:45/45 MP:4/129(Defense increased(-6))

>Mammoth R&B:547/750(Defense decreased(+2))

>Hiro - Summon Star(93)
>Duran - Bear it (Miku)
>Aqua - Blizzard(76)
>Sailor Moon - Moonlight
>Patch - Summon Miku

"I'm...I'm out of magic..." Patchouli huffs

"Alright, Holly, call Patchouli back, I'll bring in Miku!"

You watch as Patchouli returns, and you take a moment to call out Miku.

"I'm ready to go!"

You fire off some more magic managing to deal some damage to the mammoth

"Here Miku, you'll need it." Duran calls out raising his shield to her.

>Miku's defense increased! She now takes -2 damage!

"Another shot, take this!" Aqua shout firing off more blizzard magic, managing to actually get a scratch off on the monster

Sailor Moon goes back to raising Defense! Hiro now takes -12 damage, Miku takes -4! All others take -8


The Mammoth attempts to slam its trunk into Duran yet again, but he once again dodges with ease.


>Hiro:HP:96/104 MP:41/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Duran:HP:96/167 MP:25/57(Defense increased(-8))(Reflect:1 turns)
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:71/85(Defense increased(-8))
>Sailor Moon:HP:82/82 MP:65/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:84/84(Defense increased(-4))

>Mammoth R&B:500/750(Defense decreased(+2))

>Hiro - Summon Starx2(83,106)
>Duran - Break Armor(33)
>Aqua - Blizzard(63-NAT 1 OVERRIDE)
>Sailor Moon - Healing Light(Duran)
>Miku-Love is War

You continue your magical assault, firing off another pair of  magical spheres at the enemy, one hitting it and another dealing really strong damage to it.

Duran goes for another attack, but his attack merely bounces off of the mammoth, it's hide proving too thick in this instant.

Aqua goes for another blast of magic...and her keyblade rumbles as it backfires, dealing damage to her instead!

"Here you go Duran, keep fighting!" Sailor Moon calls out as she bathes him in a faint glow of light.

Miku whips out a mic stand(From somewhere) and begins singing, focusing on the enemy and lowering their attack!

>The enemy's attack has been lowered! They now deal -2 damage!

The Mammoth begins rocking the ground again, and this time, you, Duran, and Sailor Moon all lose your footing and are thrashed around. You take a particlarly nasty hit, Duran and Sailor Moon meanwhile become dazed!


>Hiro:HP:62/104 MP:41/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Duran:HP:84/167 MP:15/57(Defense increased(-8))(dazed:3 turns)
>Aqua:HP:80/83 MP:69/85(Defense increased(-8))
>Sailor Moon:HP:55/82 MP:56/89(Defense increased(-8))(Daze:1 turn)
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:77/84(Defense increased(-4))

>Mammoth R&B:446/750(Defense decreased(+2),Attack decreased(-2))

>Hiro:Star, Patra(74)
>Duran:Break armor(87)
>Cure
>LandoltC

Seeing that Duran is dazed again, you hurriedly toss him your last Patra stone before firing off another bit of magic. You can feel yourself becoming (magically) tired...you have to end this quickly if you don't want to completely run out of magic power.

Duran, moves in delivering another slash to its thick hide. This time he easily dodges a swipe from its trunk, before getting out of range of it.

>Enemy's defense dropped! It now takes +4 damage!

Aqua raises her keyblade into the air, a green healing light overcoming all of you!

Miku whips out a mic stand(From somewhere) and begins singing, focusing on the enemy and lowering their agility(Which is saying something for how big this thing is)!

>The enemy's AGI has been lowered! Their Hit/Evasion has dropped!

The mammoth attempts to swing it's trunk again, but it sort of...hits itself in the head. You're dumbfounded, it's dumbfounded. The GM is dumbfounded. It takes some bonus  damage because it is so dumbfounded.

>Hiro:HP:76/104 MP:38/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Duran:HP:98/167 MP:5/57(Defense increased(-8))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:49/85(Defense increased(-8))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:56/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:70/84(Defense increased(-4))

>Mammoth R&B:370/750(Defense decreased(+4),Attack decreased(-2), AGI decreased(-2))

>Hiro - Summon Star X2(47,38)
>Duran - Bear it (Miku)
>Aqua - Blizzard(99)
>Sailor Moon - Healing Light (Hiro)
>Miku - LandoltC

More magic...and by that you mean, more of your magic harmlessly bouncing off the Mammoth's thick hide! Seriously, maybe you should talk to one of your summons about thhe whole magic thing because so far you've done a middling job at best.

"Here Miku. keep it together." Duran said raising his shield to her

"Thanks!" Miku replied back, her body feeling stronger

>Miku's defense increased! She now takes -6 damage!

Aqua fires off more ice magic towards the monster, managing to damage it.

"Here Hiro, hang in there!" Sailor Moon calls out, enveloping you in that same light as she had Duran, your weariness from the battle ebbing away somewhat.

Miku begins singing, focusing on the enemy and lowering their AGI!

>The enemy's AGI has decreased! Hit/Evasion dropped further!

The Mammoth attempts to grab Miku, but goes wide, missing her completely!



>Hiro:HP:90/104 MP:32/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Duran:HP:98/167 MP:0/57(Defense increased(-8))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:47/85(Defense increased(-8))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:47/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:63/84(Defense increased(-6))

>Mammoth R&B:347/750(Defense decreased(+4),Attack decreased(-2), AGI decreased(-6))

>Hiro - Summon Star(65)
>Duran - Summon Ace
>Aqua - Thunder(57)
>Sailor Moon - Moonlight
>Miku - LandoltC

You fire off another summon star...and it does absolutely nothing. After which you tell Duran to retreat, before sending in Ace.

Aqua calls forth some lightning, but just like you attack, it doesn't do anything to the mammoth at all.

Sailor Moon once again raises your party's defense.

>All allies defense raised! Hiro and Sailor Moon have reached their limit from this move! Aqua takes -10, Miku takes -8 damage!
Miku begins singing, focusing on the enemy and lowering their AGI!

>The enemy's AGI has decreased! Hit/Evasion dropped further!

The Mammoth attempts to grab you, but misses again.



>Hiro:HP:90/104 MP:29/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Ace:HP:108/108 MP:70/70 (Defense increased(-2))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:45/85(Defense increased(-10))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:43/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:63/84(Defense increased(-8))

>Mammoth R&B:347/750(Defense decreased(+4),Attack decreased(-2), AGI decreased(-8))

>Hiro - Summon Star X2(100,76)
>Ace - Flame Spiral X2(102,75)
>Aqua - Thunder(100)
>Sailor Moon - Tiara(101)
>Miku - LandoltC

You fire off another summon star...and this time you manage to do some serious damage to the enemy. The attack tearing through the flesh of the monster with ease.

Following your lead, Ace follows up with two spouts of flame hitting the monster, the fire causing it to trumpet loudly in pain.

Aqua joins in raining lightning down on the mammoth, causing it to trumpet again.

Sailor Moon fires her Tiara at the beast and this time it actually manages to hurt the thing this time instead of bouncing off!

Miku continues, focusing on the enemy and lowering their AGI!

>The enemy's AGI cannot be lowered any further!

As you look at the Mammoth you can tell that it's not going to hang in there for much longer.The repeated assault by you and your allies being too much for it. And then something unexpected happens...

The Mammoth becomes enraged, angry (or angrier from what you can tell) and begins stomping around madly, letting out several trumpets as its stomping continue

>Mammoth R&B removed all debuffs! Mammoth R&B's attack increased!

The mammoth in a mad frenzy raises its trunk high into the air, and slams it down so fast that you can't get out of the way!

You don't know what you feel as your body is brought down in the ground, while the monster still trumpets and rampages.

"H-Hiro!" You hear several voices cry out before losing consciousness


>Hiro:HP:0/104 MP:23/62(Defense increased(-12))
>Ace:HP:108/108 MP:62/70 (Defense increased(-2))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:43/85(Defense increased(-10))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:33/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:56/84(Defense increased(-8))

>Mammoth R&B:171/750(Physical Attack increased(+6))

>Hiro:Switch for Holly
>Ace:Flame Spiralx2(72,92)
>Aqua:Thunder(77)
>Sailor Moon Tiara(86)
>Miku:Love is War

"R-R-Renee, get Hiro out of here, I'll handle things from here!" Holly shouts

"Y-yeah, got it!"

Ace quickly goes in for another Flame Spiral, the first one misses, but the second one strikes true, though the mammoth continues rampaging.

Aqua deals more damage to the monster, trying her best to finally bring it down, but to no avail, though it does flinch slightly from the damage.

Sailor Moon fires her Tiara at the beast, dealing damage but it doesn't seem to slow down at all

Miku continues, focusing on the enemy and lowering their Attack!

>The enemy's attack has been lowered, it now only deals +4 damage!

The Mammoth is in a frenzy! Holly manages to get out of the way of the attack though.



>Holly:HP:107/107 MP:75/75
>Ace:HP:108/108 MP:54/70 (Defense increased(-2))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:41/85(Defense increased(-10))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:23/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:49/84(Defense increased(-8))

>Mammoth R&B:120/750(Physical Attack increased(+4))

>Holly:Gun Attack(104)
>Ace:Flame Spiralx2(50,106)
>Aqua:Thunder(21)
>Sailor Moonlight
>Miku:Love is War

Holly stares down the Mammoth, and taking out her AK she begins to rain hot lead onto the thing, opening fire as much as she can.

Ace again tries to set the monster on fire, his first attack misses, but the second really hits the mark, this time.

Aqua tries to hit the creature with more Thunder, but it doesn't work this time, the mammoth just shrugging it off like it's nothing.

Sailor Moon goes back on the defensive, increasing everyone's defense!

>Holly, and Ace's Defense increased! they now take -2 damage and -4 damage respectively!

Miku continues, focusing on the enemy and lowering their Attack!

>The enemy's attack has been lowered, it now only deals +2 damage!

The Mammoth is in a frenzy! It swings its trunk at Ace, who just barely dodges out of the way.


>Holly:HP:107/107 MP:75/75(Defense increased(-2))
>Ace:HP:108/108 MP:46/70 (Defense increased(-4))
>Aqua:HP:83/83 MP:39/85(Defense increased(-10))
>Sailor Moon:HP:69/82 MP:19/89(Defense increased(-8))
>Miku:HP:58/58 MP:42/84(Defense increased(-8))

>Mammoth R&B:72/750(Physical Attack increased(+2))

>Holly:Gun Attack(92)
>Ace:Flame Spiralx2(78,105)
>Aqua:Thunder(98)
>Sailor Moon: Moon Tiara(93)
>Miku:Love is War

Holly Continues opening fire on the Mammoth, getting as much lead as she can into its body. A surprisingly determined look on her face.

Ace continues setting it on fire.

It's Aqua who manages to land the finishing blow on the thing, her final lightning spell causing the mammoth to slowly melt away into nothingness.

"I-It's gone!" Holly shouts, the other summons return to their respective COMPs, but it's Ace who hangs behind.

"Come on, let's get back to Hiro's place, he's looking pretty banged up and we can't keep him out here where we aren't safe."

The two women agree with the pirate and you're quickly rushed home. Thankfully, you live close and the enemy doesn't get a chance to send anything else after you.

>You defeated Mammoth R&B!
>You gained 400EXP!
>You obtained $350!

It's hours later when you finally regain consciousness...

>Everything hurts
>What hit me?
>Try to move
>Other/Write-in

>Did someone get the license of that car?

"Ugh...did someone get the license of that car?" you groan as you try to sit up a bit, only to be pushed back down.

"Easy there Hiro, you took a really bad hit from that Mammoth." Renee coos as she holds you in place

"Y-yeah...y-you're chest is...well..." Holly trails off

You cast a pained look down and...yeah...that's your chest. It is completely Black and blue. You're no trained medical professional, but you're fairly certain that isn't a sign of good health.

"You just take it easy for now okay? We're back home, Ace was able to get you here safely..."

You have to admit you appreciate the concern of the two women, it's kinda nice to be doted on like this. Still, you've never been one to be especially lazy and you don't want to just sit here all night.

>I'll be fine
>Thanks for looking after me
>I need some coffee
>Other/Write-in

>Thanks for looking after me

"Thanks for looking after me..." You mutter "Is there still any coffee left?"

Renee just chuckles at that "Yes, there is still coffee. I'll get you some."

Renee gets to her feet heading into the kitchen to make you a fresh cup

"Burger too." You call out to her

"That's...coffee and a burger? That sounds like a terrible combination."

"Ryza Burger." You groan

"Oh...yeah, right."

A few minutes pass, with Holly still comforting you before Renee returns with the food, setting it on the table as Holly helps you sit upright.

You hurriedly take a bite of the Ryza Burger and you feel the pain ease a bit as some of your wounds disappear. At the very least, some of the bruises on your chest disappear. You want to ask who took your shirt off, but it doesn't matter as the girls probably did it to see just how bad the damage was. On closer inspection, you notice some bandages wrapped around you too.

Well, at least it doesn't completely hurt to move right now. What will you do?

>Head to the Velvet Room
>Call it a day
>Other/Write-in

>Call it a day
>Holly do I need to call you a cab, cause fuck driving

Yeah, you're just gonna...not move for the next couple hours. You really need the rest.

"Holly do I need to call you a cab? Because honestly? Fuck driving."

"Huh? O-oh uh, no! I told my Uncle you got hurt so I'd help look after you."

"Oh? Well, alright then. I'm just gonna...pass out now."

You don't really hear anything else as you fade into sleep. You don't even care if you're on the couch tonight. Really if there's one thing you pulled from all of this?

You need to get stronger. And fast.

>END