1/3 Landi 2022/03/20(Sun)16:41 No. 1026796 ID: 8483cf
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“Almost showtime,” you say to Dotti. “Don’t be nervous! The hard part’s over. Momma can’t eat you as long as she cares about her honor. If mommy’s still mad despite that, well, that’s her problem.”

Dotti gulps.

“Hey, honor counts for a lot here, or at least to Gecko. But you know what else counts for a lot? Ass-kissing. Ass-kissing and gifts. Hold out your paws, mmkay?” You conjure the ever-ice tiara from your inventory and land it in Dotti’s outstretched paws. “Make sure to give her this. Let Serah do the talking, and hand it over when she tells you to.”

Dotti nods.

“Hey. You got this, foxy girl. We’re all rooting for you.”

Raelynn takes you aside and asks for you to give her back Samhain, that super-sharp elven shortsword. You don’t think twice about handing it over.

You, Jekster and Dotti spend the rest of the time playing card games. Jekster likes Go Fish, you like Poker and Dotti likes 52-card pickup after getting frustrated trying to remember all the types of poker hands. Dotti won easily at Go Fish, but lost at poker. Even with a stupid amount of good luck, Dotti still managed to lose at that because she didn’t know when she had a good hand. There’s a lesson somewhere in there, but you don’t feel like looking for it.

At long last, Jekesson’s voice calls down the main stairwell.

“Lady Kensington? Mai will receive you now.”

Everyone follows Jek upstairs, even the Terrorscale kids. Jekster gives Dotti a big smile. Serah puts a hand on her shoulder.

Here goes nothing…

-----

Jek leads you into Mai’s hoard and you immediately go blind with greed.

There’s gold. So, so much gold. Silver. Platinum. Jade idols. Crowns bedazzled with jewels. Scepters encrusted with pearls and gems bigger than you are. There’s more than enough to capsize a galleon, and that’s just what you can see in front of you.

Oh, and there’s also a dragon as big as a barn.

2/3 Landi 2022/03/20(Sun)16:41 No. 1026797 ID: 8483cf
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Mai Terrorscale is covered in brilliant red scales sharp enough to cut you just by looking at them. Her wings, frill and underscales are light pink and shimmering softly from a fresh cleaning. There’s not a scale out of place, and nothing to indicate that she’s just come back from eating a breakfast of goblins and harpies.

“Mai, my beloved,” Jekesson says, “May I present Lady Serah Kensington, Heir Countess of Kensington, and her retinue. They have ensured my safety on the long and treacherous trip home, at great risk to themselves.”

Serah gives a deep curtsy, as does Dotti. Raelynn gives a bow. You move to curtsy, too, but quickly realize there’s nothing to, uh, curtsy with. You dive hide deep in Serah’s hair and hope this all ends fast.

Mai raises her chin to Serah before giving Dotti a long, silent stare. Jek nods, giving the signal that it’s okay for Serah to speak. She clears her throat.

“Your Magnificence,” Serah says, her voice strong, “I am honored to meet you. My father has always spoken of your unaccountable wealth and fearsome visage. To see your splendor with my own eyes is a momentous occasion, the likes which I shall never see again. Should it please you, I have a gift to add to your overflowing coffers, a mere trifle when compared with such riches, but one I hope you may find acceptable.”

Mai’s dark eyes glimmer. “Your father has taught you well, little heiress. I accept your gift.”

Serah smiles and motions as if to present something, but instead gestures to Dotti, who holds out the ever-ice tiara you made. Mai’s eyes narrow, but she allows Dotti to approach and place the tiara on a pile of gold coins before her. She looks to Tanwen, who’s standing next to her hind leg. Then she looks back to Dotti, then to Tanwen again.

Tanwen shrinks into her shame sweater.

“Lady Kensington,” Mai says. “I see your family has made a habit of collecting spirits. First Malazar the Mad, now this fox. I do not sense Malazar’s presence here. Is this fox your new attendant? What grave crimes has she committed to take Malazar’s place?”

“Malazar? Who…” Serah clears her throat. “Ah, you refer to his living name. No, Dorothea is not bound to the Kensington family as Archibald is. She is here of her own free will.”

Dotti nods.

“Was it of her own free will that she tore my husband’s mind asunder?”

Dotti bites her lip and shrinks back toward Serah.

“Dorothea deeply regrets her actions,” Serah says forcefully. “She has sought to make amends by bringing him home safely. By my honor as Heir Countess of Kensington, I speak for her honesty and good character.”

“As do I,” Jekesson says.

“Me too,” Hunny says.

“And me!” Jekster says.

“She’s sorry,” Kayk says softly.

Tanwen scoffs.

Everyone looks to Cadmus. He shrugs. “I can draw no conclusions about her moral character. However, this fox spirit is, as far as the recorded histories go, unique in her desire to fit in and live within human society.”

“That is quite unfortunate for her, then,” Mai says. “To humans, all they know is whether an animal is a pet or a threat. Which are you, fox?”

“I’m neither,” Dotti says. “I’m allowed to be more than one thing. I’m not just an animal, and I’m not a pet either. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and you can’t hurt me! That’s not honorable ‘cause Tanwen already fought me!”

“Is that so?” Mai asks. She bares her maw of wicked teeth. “You think I am bound by my daughter’s actions? That she has the power to speak for me?”

Tanwen shrinks into her sweater and stares at the ground.

“We would never assume that, Your Magnificence,” Serah says, putting a hand to her chest. “We can, however, attest to the fact that she called the duel for the purposes of satisfying her family’s honor.”

3/3 Landi 2022/03/20(Sun)16:42 No. 1026798 ID: 8483cf
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“Honor,” Mai hisses. “Your understanding of it is as juvenile as my daughter’s. Lady Kensington, what do you truly know of honor? It is a reward for following a set of agreed-upon rules. Honor is given in exchange for loyalty, honesty, and fairness. Knights and kings are expected to behave honorably, and do you know what happens? Knights murder. Kings lie. They both betray, murder, cheat, steal and still their subjects kneel and declare the lot of them honorable. Their honor only matters in the light of day, when they meet and make nice and pretend what happens in the dark was not their doing.

“My sweet children,” Mai says, “Honor has never stopped an assassin’s blade. The world will kill you simply for who you are. Dragon-kin. A Terrorscale. This family’s honor is meaningless without the certainty of fire, death and terrible vengeance should it be slighted. My wings keep you safe from more than you know.

“Little fairy, if you were Salt’s chosen, if you asked it of her, would she turn my daughter to dust? Would my family’s honor stop her, should the mood strike her? If only I were just and noble, would she spare my daughter from her insanity? There are some forces my children have no hope against. Just as they are targets because I am their mother, only I can protect them with my own bloody vengeance.”

You are trying real hard not to freak out and worry about Mai staring RIGHT AT YOU right now so you hide deeper in Serah’s hair and say nothing. Plus you don’t want to tempt you-know-who right after Mai said her name.

“Lady Kensington,” Mai says, “All I have is my fire and my family. I would burn the world to keep them warm. I will not set the deadly precedent of forgiveness. The consequences would be far too great. And so…” Mai takes a deep breath. “My offer to you is death, fox. A swift and painless death.”

Dotti shrieks and hides behind Serah. Rae’s arm twitches toward Samhain’s sheath.

“Crackles, we talked about this!” Jekesson says, taken aback. “You said you’d go easy on her.”

“I am,” Mai says. “She won’t feel a thing.”

“Mom, no!” Jekster shouts. He hugs Dotti too. “You can’t!”

“I agree!” Cadmus speaks up. “Mother, killing this fox spirit is terribly hasty. You should do more research before making such a decision.”

“Caddy is right,” Kayk says. “Mom, don’t hurt them.”

“Stand aside, Jekster,” Mai says. “You as well, Lady Kensington, lest you be incinerated as well.”

Raelynn is staring hard at Mai. Sweat is running down her brow, and every muscle in her body is tense. Jekesson sees Rae instinctively moves between her and his wife.

“Mai,” Jekesson says. “Don’t do this. You are not the same dragon I met all those years ago. You’re better than her.”

Oh shittttttttttt you CANNOT get roasted by a dragon that is NOT COOL

What do you do?
1. Do nothing and trust that Serah has it under control
2. Summon Salt to try and tip the scales in your team’s favor
3. Suggest that Mai punish Dotti less severely than death; suggest a punishment
4. Other

It doesn't take a psychologist to estimate Mai has P.T.S.D. and is taking it out on someone who could accidentally tear at her insecurities.

Insult her. Address how she manages to declare her race's superiority while simultaneously demanding extra security and deterrents to address absolute security. Her conservative nature is unbefitting of a city-conquering dragon.

"Hey Tanwen, how important was Honor to your mother again? I think this impostor just wants to roast a fox-au-fait in front of her nieces."

>>1026798
3, suggest that if Dotti has not made up for what she's done, she could do more. Further service in exchange for her life.

4, Call in some unlikely support. What does Tanwen think about Mai's choice?

She's been quiet this whole chat, likely because she got a stern talking to already and is in a shit mood. Now that things are coming to a head though, she has an obligation to at least pick a side.

One of two things are true: Either honor doesn't mean shit, and everything she believes in is wrong; or her mom's fucking up big time and it's Tanwen's duty as an honorable warrior to do something about it.

Maybe she's not sure what to think right now. If her mom says Dotti burns, that should be it, right? But if Mai is really right, then why is literally everyone else in the family trying to stop her right now? Tanwen may not accept her siblings' reasons, but she WILL follow her father. And right now, Jekesson is begging Mai not to do this.

If Tanwen really believes in the principles she claims to, then it's her obligation to protect Dotti. The Terrorscale clan has no further qualm with the fox spirit who has by all accounts made amends, and Mai cannot strike her down just because she fears what sparing her will do to her reputation. That's just cowardly.

If Tanwen stands in Mai's way, I think that'll encourage her siblings to fully stand against their mother on this issue. Well Jekster's already holding onto her, so maybe he doesn't need convincing. But I'd wager that if Tanwen stood between Dotti and Mama Terrorscale, that others would follow suit. Fire resistance or not, I doubt she'll burn her own children.

>>1026803
>>1026808

I'm on these two posts side.

Personally I think this is Mai attempting to push for a growth point in Tanwen, for her to realize both the severity and the hipocracy of the situation. She wants to get Tanwen to either defend her perspective, or drop it since she doesen't like it as she wants her kids to become their own independent people (thus leaving the nest and forging their own path) we've heard as much from the other terrorscales.

I think you should push for Tanwen's response to this as we can be damn sure that if honor was this bad Mai would have beaten the notions out of Tanwen's head long ago.

That or, legitimately, this is an imposter, I don't buy it one bit, but it's still a low hanging possibility. I dont subscribe to.

B. Does she really want an answer to her question? No, it’s rhetorical. We don’t, either. And that’s why honor is an important tool in the balance of power.

I wish we were controlling Sera right now, because this situation requires tact and Landi.... Landi is Landi.

"Um, Lady Terrorscale, miss. I get you dread having a forgiving reputation. But you can't get a reputation without people who spreading.
And honestly? When the only two choices are secrecy or the smell of scorched fox fur on your face, silence really is golden."

Forgot to add my username to the post above, oops.

If she wants her reputation to protect her family then she should consider this: Dotti did what she did without knowing who Jek was. Her reputation would not have worked as a deterrent.

Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing you could have done to prevent them.

1/2 Landi 2022/03/22(Tue)22:20 No. 1026990 ID: 8483cf
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Mai slips her massive claw between Dotti and Jekster, shoving her son aside over his shouted objections and a tiny tantrum, but he’s soon silenced by his mother’s low, throaty growl. Raelynn grips her shortsword’s hilt, but doesn’t draw it. She looks to Serah, and for the first time you’ve seen, she’s genuinely scared.

OKAY. Big scary dragon about to roast everyone. This was NOT supposed to happen. Serah said it wouldn’t, and she knows big scary dragons better than you do, right? Right? RIGHT?! This isn’t fair. It’s all Dotti’s fault!

Wait a minute…

Dotti actually did everything RIGHT. She fought Gecko and got her to drop the feud. That SHOULD have been the end of it. So as much as it might be easy to blame Dotti for this, she’s not to blame here.

This is all GECKO’S fault.

“HEY GECKO!” you shout at the top of your lungs, too terrified to do anything but follow your instincts. “You’re pretty fuckin’ quiet for a bitch that’s so big on honor! WHAT THE FUCK, GIRL?!”

“Landi, please be quiet,” Serah whispers, still holding Dotti tight. She looks up at Mai, fully expecting to be staring into a fiery maw, but to her surprise Mai hasn’t prepared to roast you. Yet.

Silence.

“Winnie,” Mai says quietly, “The fairy asked you a question.”

Tanwen does her absolute best to be absorbed by her sweater and fails miserably. She looks around and sees the entire lair looking back: her brothers and sisters, mother and father, and the “honored guests” her mother’s about to roast. She looks up at her mom, and Mai looks straight back at her. Tanwen can’t maintain the gaze for long and drops her eyes to the shimmering gold coins strewn on the ground.

“M-mom…” Tanwen rubs her arms. “Mom, if you were just going to kill her anyway, then… what’s the point?”

“To keep you safe,” Mai responds.

“Y-yes, but…” Tanwen shuffles her feet. “I meant to ask, um… what the point of honor was. If you were just going to kill Dotti even though I… I made her fight, and… everything… then… why does our family’s honor even matter?”

“Does it matter?” Mai asks.

Tanwen looks to her father, but his back is turned to her. He’s watching Raelynn closely, his hand ready to go to his spear at the first sign of movement. Tanwen is on her own.

“I… I don’t know,” Tanwen says, her voice wavering. “But… Mom, if you kill Dotti, I won’t feel any safer.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know!” Tanwen shouts through barely-held tears. “Mom, just… d-don’t kill her. It doesn’t feel right, okay?! It just doesn’t!”

Mai lets out a long sigh, her hot breath blasting the four of you like a hurricane and you thank your lucky stars she has better control over her fire breath than Kayk.

“It seems you have turned my brood against me, fox,” Mai says, showing her teeth in a wicked smile. “Their hearts are soft like their father’s, easily swayed by tragic tales and sob stories based on what my sweet husband has told me. Tell me, fox, is your bond with this Petra girl stronger than the love I have for my children?”

“Yes!” Dotti declares, shoving her way out of Serah’s hug despite her warnings. “Petra is the nicest, kindest person in the world and she saved my life. I took fire in my mouth and danced with death for her, and I’ll do it again if I have to!”

“Dotti, don’t get carried away!” Serah says, but Dotti steps closer to Mai and growls.

“Such misplaced loyalty,” Mai says. “Humans are such untrusting creatures. You should run along back to your foxhole, tiny one. You do not understand the company you keep.”

“I don’t care, and I’ll find Petra no matter what,” Dotti says. “I won’t hide in a hole like a fox or a big mountain like a dragon. I’m done being alone. I have to go where the humans are and find Petra. She gave me this bow, and it’s proof that at there’s at least one human I understand that cares about me.”

2/2 Landi 2022/03/22(Tue)22:21 No. 1026991 ID: 8483cf
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“How trite. Alas, dear fox, your sad tale has moved even my hardened heart,” Mai says, grinning wide. She points at Dotti with a sharp claw. “Perhaps I shall even aid you in your quest. With my magic, it would be a simple task to find a simple human like her.”

“Really?!” Dotti asks, completely taken aback. “How?”

“Like this.”

Quick as a flash, Mai slashes a knot of Dotti’s curly hair and seizes Dotti’s pink-spotted bow for herself.

Dotti stands for a moment in stunned silence. She pats her head in disbelief.

Then she lets out an ungodly yowl and lunges straight for Mai.

“Dotti!” Serah leaps for her and barely catches her by the coat. Dotti pulls at Serah’s grip, snarling, snapping and tugging, but Serah holds her tight to keep her from attacking Mai. Dotti’s ear-shattering feral fox screams fill the cavern, followed by Serah’s own surprised cry as Dotti bites and claws at the arms restraining her.

Dotti holds nothing back. She’s fighting Serah just to get at Mai, damn the danger. It’d be hardcore if it wasn’t so fucking stupid and scary seeing her turn rabid.

“Dotti, please, stop!” Serah begs. Red blood is flowing around her bracers where Dotti got a few good bites in on her arms.

Rae looks from Serah, to Jekesson, to Mai, and she’s gone from scared, to confused, to frightened.

“Fascinating,” Mai says, examining Dotti’s bow. “Such a little thing, and yet so important. Go on, fox. Tell me, do you want it back? I’m happy to return it if it means so much to you.”

“Mai,” Jekesson says coldly, disapproval dripping from his tone.

“Why, dear, I’m just following young Cadmus’s advice and conducting research,” Mai says. “Go on, fox. Tell me. Would you like this back?”

Dotti snarls and snaps at Mai and tries to break free from Serah, but she has no luck. She looks up at Mai and bares her teeth… and then her eyes go wide.

“Most curious,” Mai says. “You’re unable to speak with your illusion magic, aren’t you? It’s quite out of your reach at the moment.”

Dotti screeches at Mai and struggles even harder.

“Such rudeness,” Mai laughs. “It’s almost as if you don’t want me to find your precious Petra.”

Dotti is boiling with rage, but the prospect of finding Petra is enough to slow her down.

You’ve been pretty quiet so far, but seeing Serah get torn up by Dotti’s biting and clawing is freaking you out.

What do you tell Dotti? Do you tell her to let Mai cast her spell and find Petra?

Tell Dotti that her memory of Petra is FAR MORE important than a heirloom given to her from Petra, and that with how fierce she is being with trying to get her bow back, it just shows how much PASSION she has to keep her memory of her the strongest it's ever been! That alone should be something to be proud of! her memory is strong enough to not forget petra even after losing the bow.

And as such, if she wants that powerful memory of Petra to be more than just a memory and become a reality to be with her again, she should learn to let go, and let Mai work her magic.

Okay, that is a step too far (I mean she also was literally about to kill her, but somehow this feels meaner). By all accounts, that bow is the most precious thing Dotti owns, and it's currently in the claws of a dragon who hates her guts.

Act fast, because Dotti will be inconsolable if it gets burnt.

Portal between her claws and swipe the bow back. Deliver it straight to Dotti to calm her down, and inform Mai that she's a total fucking bitch. If her grip is too strong, get creative. Hopefully the surprise will be enough to get it past the tips of her claws (she can't exert full force without damaging it, which she thankfully hasn't done yet)

If you're considering letting her find Petra for Dotti, consider the following: Even if Mai really will cast the spell, do you REALLY want this powerful dragon who hates Dotti with a passion to know where the most important person in her life is?

>>1026991
Tell her to focus. If she can't use illusion magic, try shapeshifting a working voicebox.
Also no don't ask Mai to cast a spell, as there's no reason for Mai to help us; she's either going to give us false information or claim to know the answer and then NOT tell Dotti, as revenge.

>>1026994
Seconding that, im on team -we absolutely do not want mai scanning for that-

Im still kind of floating on the theory that dotti inherited the soul of Petra, but if Petra's really in a real place you'll be able to figure it out.

Honestly I think portalling in and getting the bow back is actually a good bet for several reasons.

The first is that you're topped up on magic, the second is that everyone's in a moment of panic and you promised to be good to Dotti today. Just *letting this happen* doesent really fit your forte. You're scared, terrified even, and it might fail disasterously, but you'll be damned if someone fucks with you and your kind in this way, dragon or not. Plus you're already naked, so you cant really disrespect her more and could even respond to the inevitable "WHO DARES" with a "A NAKED FAIRY TIRED OF YOUR SHIT THAT'S WHO" Which would be very cathartic.

If you DON'T attempt to get it, you should probably be prepared for a "if you're an all powerful fairy why did you do nothing here" regardless of all the logical reasons why you shouldn't do this. Also you're just getting frustrated.

(please don't die Landi you gotta go mack on some Sunshine some more)

“Easy girl, wait til she reveals her intentions before you go rabid. For all you know she might have a spell to find petra using the bow so just play along with her stunt for now.”

"Do you also not care about honesty and fairness? While destroying that bow might seem like an eye for an eye, you're punishing a dumb mistake with unreasonable cruelty. What makes you different from a king? That you don't play pretend?"

Landi 2022/03/23(Wed)23:35 No. 1027157 ID: 8483cf
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Dotti’s a terrible fox and deserves to be made fun of, but what Mai’s doing to her is just fucked UP.

Dotti LOVES that bow. You’ve NEVER seen her without it. It’s the only memento she has of Petra and she’s literally trying to tear her way through Serah to get it back.

Every instinct you have is telling you that letting Mai cast that locator spell is a capital-B-capital-I Bad Idea. Jekster was right: Mai is ten thousand times worse than Gecko, and giving her any bit of leverage over Dotti is going to backfire spectacularly. You remember just enough of your “making deals with unreliable and/or malevolent djinni 202” class to sense that Mai’s not bargaining in good faith here. Plus she’s got a lock of Dotti’s hair, and there’s all kinds of bad juju she can do with that.

Serah’s stopping Dotti from getting herself murdered and Rae’s blocked by Mai’s boy toy. You’re the only one that can stop this disaster. There’s no time to think, only act.

Luckily for Dotti, you NEVER take time to think.

You conjure a portal right next to Mai’s outstretched claws and reach through it. The expected drain on your mana is slight since you’re only passing your arms through. There! You’ve got the bow. Now to pull it back to safety and oh SHIT Mai’s grip is strong and suddenly you YOURSELF are being pulled through the portal because the portal isn’t moving but Mai’s claw is. You flap your wings as hard as you can but you’re losing the battle and OH NO YOU DON’T WANT TO RIDE THE PORTAL BUS

“What have we here?” Mai asks, dangling you by the bow in midair. “Could you explain your state of dress, little firefly?”

“Landi!” Serah shouts, realizing you’ve disappeared from her shoulder.

Dotti’s stopped fighting Serah and looks up at you with worry.

Mai’s big beady dragon eyes are looking at you and your bare ass and you know what? Fuck it.

“I’m no firefly,” you declare. “I’m Landi, and I’m naked ‘cause I never back down from a dare! Now give my pillow back her bow, you big red bully!”

You flap as hard as you can and pull that bow at just the right angle to slip it free, and… and… and… it’s still not moving.

Uh-oh.

“Are you holding on tight, little Landi?”

“Fuck yes I am!”

“Thank you.”

Mai lifts her claw to her nostril and you get the worst feeling in the world. There’s a great WHOOSH of air that sucks your hopes of being a badass with it… and taking every last pinch of your dust right up Mai’s nose.

“Ah,” the great dragon says, shuffling her wings excitedly. “I’ve forgotten how good a pick-me-up feels.”

Jekesson puts a hand to his forehead and mutters something under his breath.

Now you’re hanging ten meters off the ground, totally naked, totally dull.

“Now,” Mai says, “Could you repeat what you said earlier? I’m not sure I heard it clearly. You are quite small, after all.”

“Um, nothing important,” you say sheepishly. “Could you put me down, please, ma’am, thank you.”

“No, I don’t think I will,” Mai says with a smile. “This high up, no one can see you clearly, I imagine. I’m doing you a favor, keeping you up here.”

FUCK

You’re really high up and with no dust, it’s gonna be REAL HARD to make a soft landing with Dotti’s bow and hair. It’s like flying in molasses at the best of times, and you’ve got cargo. And EVERYONE IS FUCKING STARING AT YOUR ASS LIKE IDIOTS

What do you do?

A. Give her a piece of your mind! She’s a binch!
B. Ask again to be set down softly, thank you very much
C. Demand to be let go like a total badass, and trust that you can glide safely down
D. Other

A

or

D: Swing and jump right on her snout, attempt to poke her eye afterwards

First off: they're fucking lucky to be staring at your ass, it's great. Flaunt it, and stand tall as the queen of truth or dare!

Plus the list of people in this room who haven't seen it and might care is limited to Jek, Kayk, and maybe Gecko. Hunny don't give a fuck, Cadmus doesn't care because it isn't a book, Jekster is baby, and Dotti is more focused on the bow than the butt. On the three who care, if Jek checks you out then consider that a moral victory against Mai that her husband is staring at you over her, you've been staring at Kayk's butt plenty so this is just fair, and Gecko will surely only become saddened by how flat her ass is at the sight of your juicy booty. All in all, no reason to feel ashamed in present company.

A, Give this bitch a piece of your mind. You can start by complaining to Jek that he mislead y'all about the mega bitch you were dealing with. You came here to do her a favor, dropping off her husband and making ammends, and her response is to try and kill your fox and then bully her when it becomes clear she'd be abandoned by everyone if she went through.with it? Fucking disgusting.

May as well demand the tiara back to, because Mai isn't worth even a particle of the dust you spent making it. A powerful force of nature with absolutely zero worth to anyone other than herself, that's what she is. The best thing she'll do for the world is die and leave her fortune to her kids, all of whom will grow up to be better than her IN SPITE of having her for a mother.

Yeah, hold nothing back here. Goad her to the max. She's trying to be in control, toying with you because she knows it's all she can get away with given her family's feelings. Throw that shit right in her face and tell her to fuck off.

And at the end of your rant, make it clear that if she doesn't return this stupid bow that Dotti cares so much about, that you will get Salt to turn her kids' inheritance, all of Mai's treasure, to naught but salt and ash.

A. With the intent to annoy Mai enough she gets distracted from her plans to torment Dotti. Ruin the mood!

Fly into her nostril and into her brain.
Mess with her neurons until she is nice.

>Intel: Mai snorts dust
Ȉ̴̞͚n̶̝͐͠t̶̤̓e̶͇̋r̵͖̅͊e̵̛̳͑s̸͔̺͒ţ̶̛i̸̘͗̂ṇ̶͋̀͜g̶͚̑.̶̯̣͘.̵̠̺̿.̸̜̊

D) Just fall already. Square cube law says you taking maximum air-resistant fall damage hurts less than you getting hit by a beer mug.

>>1027162
Upvoting this because the idea is terrifying and also interesting

Landi 2022/03/24(Thu)22:58 No. 1027250 ID: 8483cf
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Ten meters up, out of dust and staring down a dragon is pretty terrible as far as things go. Also, you’re naked, and you’ve pretty sure you’ve had this nightmare before, in which case reality is really running out of ideas.

Maybe it’d be better to just curl up and let Serah handle this. You gave it your best shot, but sometimes your best isn’t good enough.

“Please accept my companion’s gift of fairy dust!” Serah calls out. “I hope it pleases Your Magnificence.”

“It does,” Mai replies warmly.

Good work, Serah. Always good at that ass-kissing, even though Mai’s ass is all ugly and scaly. Not like yours that Gecko is totally jealous of. You know what? Let ‘em look. Let ‘em look at the best ass they’re ever gonna see and WEEP at what they’re missing ‘cause as soon as you’re done here you are NEVER coming back.

“In that case,” Serah says, “may it please Your Magnificence to return Landi to the ground?”

“I would like to hear her say it, for herself,” Mai says. “She has been most discourteous.”

Oh that BITCH.

“Landi,” Serah says, “If you would please ask the Great Madam Terrorscale to let you down?”

You look up at Dotti’s bow and see not pink, but red.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” you say. “I’d totally beg for your forgiveness if you hadn’t literally just said you’ll never ever forgive anyone. So you know what? No. No, I won’t! I’m not gonna get set down until I get Dotti’s bow back.”

The corner of Mai’s lip turns upwards in either a smile or a snarl and you don’t care which it is ‘cause you are just that pissed.

“Hey, Jek!” you shout. “What’s the big idea, huh? You led Dotti here just to get beat up by your idiot daughter and tormented by your bitch wife! Some paladin you are!”

“Landi!” Serah gasps. Rae recoils in horror and Taranis flaps his wings wildly.

“Yeah, that’s right!” you tell Mai. “You’re a heartless bitch, you know that? No one’s ever gonna do you any favors ever again when this gets out. Dotti came all this way just to make things right, and you’re treating her like week-old shit! You don’t deserve respect or tribute. In fact, I’ve got half a mind to take that tiara back, and if you don’t stop being such a giant asshole to Dotti I’ll tell my patron Djinn that there’s a big ol’ pile of gold that’s just begging to get turned into teeny tiny grains of SALT! Sooner or later someone’s gonna come along and give you what you deserve, so what’ll you leave to your kids THEN, huh? They’re just gonna have to deal with the fact that their mom’s a giant, ugly, heartless red CUNT!”

The air whips and whirls around you, and you find yourself flying through the air as Mai moves you and deposits you straight into a glass prison. Before you know what’s happened, you’re stuck inside a lantern, your ears are ringing, and the door slams shut.

“Winnie,” Mai’s voice echoes in the glass cage. “Please do give the lantern a shake if this impudent pixie cannot control herself.”

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!” you scream. Gecko looks up at Mai, who nods, and all of a sudden you’re being bashed against the wall of the lantern. There’s some angry voices you can’t quite make out, but when your ears stop ringing, you can hear Mai speaking again.

“I understand that guests are due a certain amount of courtesy, my love, but this is what happens when I don’t put my foot down earlier,” Mai says. “We can discuss this later.”

“After you return the bow,” Jekesson says. “And then we talk.”

“The bow? Ah,” Mai says. “I’d forgotten all about it. Here. Take the bow, fox. Do keep a hold on that lock of hair. I won’t have a single strand of it dirty my hoard.”

“Thank you, Your Magnificence,” Serah says.

You’re about to make another smart remark, but Gecko is still holding your lantern and frankly you like your brains where they are. Serah sees your predicament, the good girl, and speaks up like the awesome leader she is.

“If I may,” Serah says, “My companion has behaved discourteously, yes, but she is my responsibility. I ask that you not burden your family with the task of ensuring her civility.”

Mai nods to Gecko. She sighs and walks forward with the lantern.

Who do you direct Gecko to give the lantern to, and what do you tell them to do to cover you up?
1. Serah
2. Dotti
3. Raelynn
4. Taranis

1, Give the lantern to Serah, as then you'll be close enough to speak to her about whatever is going on. For cover, well, Mai DID just say not to let any of the hair that she came off with Dotti's bow litter her floor, so you may as well put it to use. Have Serah pass it to you, and press it against the glass as makeshift censor bars for your bits.

1. You are her responsibility.

Let them cover the lantern in cloth of some sort.

2. Dotti. Tell her she was right to be mad. Start quietly scheming a revenge plot with her

or

4. Have him fly you far enough away from everyone...

Oh, and tell someone to cover Jekster's eyes plz.

Serah. Got any mana potions left? If not, just cover Landi up with a hand, by holding her.

4. Be pissed and sulk and fly off with Taranis, wheeeeeeeeeeee.

Raelynn. She is the most responsible one.

And what to say? I don't know, something so asinine it makes other people's brain start growing extra neurons to avoid becoming like you. As usual.

1/2 Landi 2022/03/31(Thu)21:21 No. 1027819 ID: 8483cf
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You don’t trust Dotti with the lantern. Raelynn probably wouldn’t cover you up. Taranis has admitted to crushing on fairies, which means he is ABSOLUTELY not getting a front-row seat. If there’s anyone here that’s gonna stand up for your decency and NOT give you a hard time, it’s Serah.

You motion for Gecko to go to Serah, and thankfully she shield your lantern from Jekster’s little brother eyes. You can’t go about setting unrealistic standards of fairy butt in such an impressionable half-dragon. That’s just not fair to other fairies.

Serah quickly takes ahold of your lantern. She’s already gotten a mana potion out, and she moves to open the lantern to give it to you, but Mai gives a tut, tut.

“If that fairy should leave her lantern, she should not do so in my presence,” Mai says with a pronounced sniff. “It’s for her own safety. My breath is very strong; she might lose her dust a second time by an unfortunate accident.”

“Yes, it would be safest for her to stay in the lantern,” Serah says, deferring to Mai. “But Your Magnificence, how am I to, ah, use the lantern if there’s no glowing fairy inside?”

“Look closely, Lady Kensington,” Mai smiles.

You both examine the lantern, and to your shock, there’s a reservoir for liquid not at the bottom of the case, but at the top. What kind of lantern gets fueled from the top? It’s almost like the lantern is designed to “fuel” something fairy-sized…

Serah nearly drops the lantern when she realizes that yes, Mai has very likely used this lantern before, and for probably the very same reason she is now. She recovers quickly, though, and she pours the reservoir full of mana, then pushes a button to pump a tiny fountain for you to drink from. It’s messy, and the potion drips down your chest… probably by design. You’d be scorching mad if you weren’t so focused on topping off, and thankfully you get a bit of your glow back.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Mai says, noticing Serah’s reaction. “I assure you, the previous occupants were honored guests at a most exquisite party.”

“Your bachelorette party, you mean.” Jek rubs his eyes. “Mai, I will say that Landi is as well-behaved and quiet now as she is likely to get.”

“Very well,” Mai says. “Lady Kensington, I must say that the good behavior of your retinue is hard-won indeed. Neither your fairy nor your fox are welcome to return, and shall leave on the morrow. If I see them again on this mountain… their welcome will not be kind.”

“As you wish,” Serah says. “They shall both depart, appropriately chastened and humbled, their business concluded, never to return, and speak of Your Magnificence’s watchfulness over your family and terrible vengeance awaiting those who threaten it.”

Mai nods.

Jek has the oddest expression on his face, almost like a cross between a grimace, a smile and deep confusion, but he shakes it off. Jekster isn’t able to keep a grin off his face, though, ‘cause his mom just let you and Dotti off the hook. She was a complete bitch about it, but really, you’re not going to complain about getting to insult a dragon to her face and live to tell about it. Even if everyone saw your ass.

“They may also speak of my family’s great generosity and hospitality… as well as our excellent fashion sense.” She pats Hunny on the head. “Those are very handsome pants.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Hunny hitches up his godmother-magic’d pants proudly. “If only I knew what they were called.”

“They’re Landsknecht pants,” Cadmus says. “Pants are very fashionable these days.”

“They’re Landi sknecht,” you mutter under your breath, but nobody hears.

2/2 Landi 2022/03/31(Thu)21:22 No. 1027820 ID: 8483cf
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With Kayk’s help, Dotti ties her precious bow back in place. She’s upset and rattled, but in one piece, and still holding one paw to her bow. Jek shakes his head at the sight.

“My lovely and most certainly NOT merciful wife,” Jek says, “Shall I escort our guests downstairs?”

“No,” Mai says. “Let them gaze upon my terrible beauty for just a little longer. Why, this fox is positively quaking in her boots- surely”

“They already know how beautiful you are,” Jek says. He motions to Raelynn to move her hand away from her blade’s sheath, and she complies, if reluctantly. “What if you show them a glimpse of your power instead?”

“Just a glimpse,” Mai smiles. “So they may know how utterly outmatched they are. Especially the one quaking in terror. Yes, you, elf. No need to worry… I won’t bite!”

Mai stands up, flares her frill, gives a great yawn, stretches her legs out long, arches her back… and with shocking grace and speed, launches herself through the air towards the party. There’s no time to even scream before she’s on top of you.

But… you’re still alive. How are you still alive?

You look out from between your wings and see that Mas has somehow, in the split second between launching herself airborne and hitting you, she shapeshifted into a… a…

She’s a cute, cuddly poodle-sized dragon. Her tail frill and blade are gone, giving her a softer look, and she’s giving Jek the smuggest snuggle in the history of the universe.

Raelynn is so pale she looks like she’s had three heart attacks in a row. Taranis circles down, lands on her shoulder and snuggles the petrified elf’s neck.

Dotti’s sniffing the air, ears back, both curious and deeply suspicious.

“That’ll show them, won’t it, dear?” Mai says.

“That was very restrained, but very scary,” Jek says, and the praise washes over Mai with a wide smile. “They’ll know not to mess with you, and you were very civil. Thank you.”

Mai lets the praise wash over her and gives him another smuggle.

Dotti looks up at Serah. Serah shakes her head no to whatever she’s thinking. No matter how powerful a shapeshifter Mai is, or even if she can find Petra, she’s not worth making a deal with. Even if she’s kinda cute with Jek like that.

Serah gives a deep one-handed curtsy, making sure to stow your lantern behind her so you don’t mess anything up. Smart girl.

“Your power is fearsome and… uh… very beautiful,” Serah says, struggling to use any word but cute. “With your permission, I would take my leave, with my attendants as well.”

“You may,” Mai says, and Jek gives a sigh of relief. Without a further word, you all practically race for the exit.

YOU FUCKING MADE IT OUT ALIVE HOLY SHIT. You want to celebrate, but frankly you don’t want to drink any of Mai’s wine. She’s made it clear you gotta GTFO tomorrow. It’s a long trip ahead, but the sooner you leave, the better.

As you descend the stairwell, though, you catch a glimpse of a Terrorscale’s terrible scales behind you. You’re being followed.

Are they angry? Happy? Embarrassed by their mother’s behavior? All three? Doesn’t matter, you’d better announce their presence, because Rae actually DOESN’T seem like she’s aware of them because that girl is fuckin’ SHELL SHOCKED.

WHICH TERRORSCALE KID IS FOLLOWING YOU? WHOEVER IT IS, THEY MIGHT STICK AROUND…

1. Jekster
2. Tanwen
3. Hunny
4. Cadmus
5. Kayk

The Terrorscale you vote for has resolved to join your party as a permanent member and will fight at Lady Kensington’s side. All Terrorscale kids have a potential motivation to go with Serah.

Tanwen or Kayk.

Rule the obvious out of the way first. Jekster is great, I fucking love Jekster, but he's also a child. Jekster isn't a fighter, nor is he aiming to be one when he grows, so bringing him with us would basically end up as a babysitting mission. Again, I love Jekster, but he really has the least motive to come despite getting along with the party better than anyone else. Ironic, ain't it?

Then there's Hunny. He's lazy. I still really like Hunny, but I don't think his dynamic with the group will really change much in the threads that follow. He's good at transformations, which will help Dotti, and he's an easy guy to get along with. That doesn't make for as compelling conflict.

Cadmus is the most neutral option available imo. I could see him wanting to stick by the party to monitor Dotti's growth out of curiosity. There's potential for him to butt heads with the others with his mild air of superiority and obnoxious curiosity. He would make a fine addition, but I feel that there are two who would be better.

Those two are Kayk and Tanwen, and I'm gonna run through my arguments for both and then end this with which one I picked and why. I'll warn you now, the deciding factor will be stupid and disappointing, but hopefully the rest of my points will make up for it.

Let's start with Gecko, because I think the case for her is stronger. To put it simply, Gecko is basically already a member of the party, in that she is a dysfunctional strong hot woman.

Gecko should join the party because that will make for the best drama. She's bullheaded, doesn't get along well with half the party, and has major personal grievances with at least one member (Dotti). Bringing her in will give her a greater chance to move past these faults, and develop into a more well-rounded warrior.

Plus, she wants to fight! Gecko is literally the only Terrorscale child who is actively pursuing a combat-centric lifestyle. Why wouldn't she join an adventuring party, her motivation is the most evident out of everyone present. Her motivation is intrinsic, whereas every other member's is extrinsic. Cadmus would come because he wants to study Dotti, Jekster would come to pal around with people he considers friends, but Gecko joins the adventuring party because she wants to adventure. She adventures for the sake of adventuring. No matter where the story progresses, this gives Gecko a clear reason to stay with the group, and lowers the odds that some other story arc might drag her away and take her out of the story.

And finally, Gecko just has fun interactions with the group. She's a rival to Rae, a rambunctious kid to Serah, a hated foe to Dotti, and a bitch who is fun to mess with to Landi. We would be remiss to lose out on these.

Now let's move on to Kayk, the baker. Now I'm definitely biased because I submitted Kayk, but I think there are real advantages to bringing her that are worth considering.

For starters, it gives an easy answer to a question raised in this thread. Cadmus asked what Dotti would do for work, and taking Kayk along provides an answer. Part-time waitress at her bakery (presuming Serah's willing to fork over that Kensington cash to help her get a new one). It'll be easier for Dotti to work under a friend than a stranger, someone who understands her faults and can be patient with her mistakes. So if we bring Kayk along, we open up a nice new story arc for Dotti's growth.

Now it's a little less evident why Kayk would take to the battlefield with the party, Gecko definitely wins on motive there. But she gets a pretty obvious reason once again if Serah forks over the cash for her bakery. We scratch her back, she scratches ours back.

As for party dynamics, Kayk is one of the more reserved Terrorscales. Whereas Gecko plays into the chaos, I think Kayk helps balance the party out by providing a voice of calm that's been previously only held by Raelynn. She's not without emotion, the fact that she took all night + some convincing from Jek to forgive Dotti shows that clearly. She's just more soft-spoken about them. It's an interesting addition imo, one that'll put her in her own position amongst the group.

Frankly, Kayk and Tanwen both have compelling reasons to bring them into the group on a more permanent basis, and I hope we can get both on at least a temporary basis if nothing else.

If I have to pick one though, it'll be Kayk, because she's got a nice fat butt. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Tanwen would be funny to have in the team.

I'm going to vote Kayk because I want the party to have a chef and I wanna see a scene later of Kayk teaching dotti how to cook because I think its cute. My vote is also that bc I think if the composition is like this then the future adventure will lean on party dynamics more than the Tanwen pick which will lead towards combat.

At least that's how I feel about the pick. Though the Jekster pick could mean comedy and Cadmus could mean more sciencey? It's a tough call. But food currently wins my heart

Landi 2022/04/02(Sat)21:56 No. 1028131 ID: 8483cf
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“Hey! Sweetcakes! We can see you,” you call out.

Kayk, the soft-spoken baker, businessowner and building-burner, is not very good at stealth. She’s certainly trying her best to be sneaky and silent, but her generousness is getting in the way whenever she tries to hide behind the curve of the stairwell. She slinks around the curve ashamedly.

Raelynn snaps to attention and tenses for a moment, but she lets it go with a sigh. Crisis averted thanks to you!

“Kayk?” Serah considers her for a moment. “Ah… thank you for standing up for Dotti. She’s free to go, thanks to you and your siblings.”

“Um,” Kayk shuffles her feet. “Thank you. But… didn’t you say it had taken you two months to get here?”

“Yes,” Serah says, “Which is why we will need to leave as soon as possible to catch a caravan. We wouldn’t dream of taking advantage of your hospitality- your mother made her expectations clear.”

“My mother…” Kayk sighs. “This isn’t about that. It’s just… Dotti, Dad told me about Petra. I don’t want you to take a long trip back.”

“Well, I have to,” Dotti says. She looks up at Serah. “Right now I just want to get out of here.”

“Are you offering help, Kayk?” Serah asks. “A faster way?”

Kayk nods. “Very fast.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Serah says with a wide smile. “When you have a minute, let me talk to you about how I might repay you. You said you had trouble with fire insurance? I think I know a few people…”

Kayk has joined the party! She’s not a fighter, but she’s the best Terrorscale at flying the party around in her dragon form.

From that point everything is a whirlwind. Everyone packing, Jekster bursting in excitedly announcing a family vacation, Hunny shoving food at everyone, Cadmus scribbling notes on persons and places to contact for pen pal purposes, and a dead tired sleep before departing the next morning. You see a glimpse of Kayk talking with Gecko and can’t quite make out what they’re saying but it is definitely one of those talks.

You use a favor to get Dotti to give you back the Lucky Panties. They seem to have done her a lot of good here, but at what cost to how tolerable it’ll be to live with Dotti now that she’s faced down a dragon?

You get let out of your lantern by Jek, who apologizes profusely for how things went, but the one good thing that’s come out of it is that Mai considers Dotti and your accounts closed. You’ve lost your Lair privileges, and that’s as far as it goes. Dotti’s safe, which you’re only modestly happy about. It’s pretty meh as far as that goes. You listen to him prattle on about how the Terrorscale family is taking a family vacation to spend time with Dad, and they’ll pass through Minga to meet up with Kayk later.

None of that matters, though.

What actually matters is that you’re still the queen of Truth or Dare.

END OF THREAD 5: Lazy Fairy in the Dragon’s Lair

END OF POV 5 Landi 2022/04/02(Sat)21:57 No. 1028132 ID: 8483cf
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There will be a short time skip to get back to Minga in between Thread 5 and Thread 6. Human Quest takes place during this time skip.

Who Will be the POV of the Next Thread? RANK YOUR CHOICES.

A. Moonshine, a.k.a. Landi, a Fairy
>-Genre: Dating Sim focusing on Djinni, complete with affection meters.
>-Notes: Landi’s personal story will take a backseat to focus on other party members.

B. Lady Serah Kensington, Heir Countess of Kensington, a Human Alchemist
>-Genre: Political intrigue, like Game of Thrones but dumber
>-Notes: Focus is on worldbuilding and politics. You will be responsible for coordinating the search for Petra.

C. Dorothea, a.k.a. Dotti, a Fox Spirit
>-Genre: Slice of Life / Comedy
>-Notes: Focus is on Dotti getting a job as well as doing things on her list of Things Humans Do.

D. Raelynn, a Wood Elf Ranger
>-Genre: Open World Hunting Simulator
>-Notes: Focuses on Raelynn’s family issues and the Druidic Circle attracting malevolent spirits. This is the least social option.

E. Taranis, a Stormcrow
>-Genre: Lightning Bird Solid: Tactical Collect-A-Thon Stealth Looter Action
>-Notes: A silly thread about stealing shiny things and underwear. This is the worst option.

F. Kayk Terrorscale, a Half-dragon Baker
>-Genre: Cookie Clicker Dotti Management Resource Simulator 2022
>-Notes: Light resource management elements, but focus is still on inter-party relationships. Also you get to be Dotti’s boss.

---
Thread will remain open for one week to count votes. Remember to rank your choices!

my top two picks are E and F because they are characters we haven't played yet.

1. E
2. F
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. D

F>B>E>A>C>D

Obviously the superior choice is Dotti, but I'll rank because some people's opinions will be wrong~



C - Dotti

F - Kayk (because that's just managing Dotti)

A - Landi (dating sims are fun)

B - Serah

D - Raelynn

E - Taranis

>>1028132
F. Kayk!

LET'S RANK THIS SHIT:

1: C, Dotti thread! She's gonna need some support after all she's been through.

2: F, Also a nice and rather lighthearted thread, and we'd still be in a position to help Dotti with her new struggles in gaining societal acceptance.

3: E, Fuck it, it's stupid fun. Bird up!

4: B, Serah! It's been so long since we've been Serah, we're talking like, three whole threads! Since this one was so Dotti/Landi heavy, it seems fair to shift focus back to her arc for a while.

5: A, Landi will give us a nice overview of what everyone is up to, which is nice. But also, we were JUST Landi, so repeating that choice is lame.

6: D, We were JUST Raelynn a thread ago, I'm not really ready for more. Especially not if she'll mostly be doing her own thing like an asocial dork. Honestly, I'm just really not up for a dramatic thread after this one, would rather just deal with lighter conflicts and give the party a break

C

1. E
2. F
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. D

E
F
D

B
C
F