FRACTAL 2016/03/15(Tue)21:08 No. 709637 ID: 34dbe0
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Sada stands up too quickly, and her chair clatters to the ground. Her hand's on the handle of her blade and I'm very close to asking Cain to stop her. "Those are not bargaining chips for you to dangle above our heads -"

"Oh, sweetheart, please relax." She taps one of her own plastic eyeballs, the hollow sound strangely loud. "He's got mine too. I'm not dangling anything. I'm just saying that if he were dead, that's something you'd be able to collect - not something I'm offering as a reward."

Sada's got an inch of steel showing, but when Junko touches her arm insistently she snarls and slams the blade back into its sheath, reaching down to right her chair and sit back down.

FRACTAL 2016/03/15(Tue)21:08 No. 709638 ID: 34dbe0
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"But, speaking of rewards," I say pointedly.

"Oh, of course, baby. I'm anything but cheap. Name it."

"I hear you're a good surgeon."

"Ahhhh." She clicks her fingernails lightly against the table, smiling again. "You've heard correctly. I don't think there's much I'm not capable of, on that front. Am I right to assume this is about that skinny little boy you're with now?"

"Yeah. Need him fixed so I can get rid of him." I pause, then quickly add, "not in a murder way."

She shrugs. "Suit yourself. Supply the materials, and I can make it work."

I lapse into silence. Beside me, the Sukebun are the same - Cain is the only one unaffected, gleefully cleaning all the meat off of our forgotten appetizer plates.

"Lowry, you can do whatever you wish," Sada finally says, "but the Sukebun cannot and will not agree to anything without going through our own due process. We do nothing without the Oyabun's express approval."

"Oh, take your time," Jolene hums lazily. "It has to wait til after the wedding, anyway. Lowry, that goes for you, too. When everything's in order, we can discuss actual plans, et cetera ... but of course, for now, you can relax."

"Hard for me to feel relaxed," I reply dryly. I cross my arms, leaning back in my chair. "If I say yes, how do I know you won't kill me as soon as it's done?"

She blinks at me, a cube of cheese pausing halfway in its path to her mouth. "Hm? Why would I?" She tilts her head. "Should I?"

>should i
Nah im good.
Dont make final agreements without first consulting with the buns you want them on your good side since jolene doesnt seem to have either a good one or a bad one. But this entire thing is probs not gonna end well. Seeing as she seems to have a sort fo grudge against you. You should try to plan to weaken the junkyard as much as possible when killing rabies

You are DEFINITELY going to want the Sukebun on your side for this one, so let them have their due process.
While they're doing that you can lay out your own plan and see if you can gather any more resources.

>>709638
ask her the same questions back- she might be being coy to hide her shit.

that said, i dunno, sounds like a pretty good deal. she might be worse than rabies, but she IS offering an alliance, the potential to get those eyes back, and helping you ditch reiss.

plus you get to off rabies, everybody wins

no, you shouldn't. but it's a possibility i have to consider. after all, the same question could be posed: why wouldn't you?

no, you shouldn't. but it's a possibility i have to consider. after all, the same question could be posed: why wouldn't you?

Considering Rabies starting shit with me has led to you asking for my help to kill him? You shouldn't.

But would and should are two veeeery different things.

I don't know you yet. Let's be friends, Jolene. Working terms, at least. Go out to dinner again some time, or something.

>"Hm? Why would I?" She tilts her head. "Should I?"
I don't know. Would it suit your narrative if the girl who got away gets her own comeuppance in a moment of vengeance? No one knows what story you're trying to tell but you.

The cold, cynically part of me says "probably." Killing someone has to be the easier solution, in certain respects. Which really makes me wonder where the catch is when you offer me that easy way out with Rabies.

>"Lowry, you can do whatever you wish," Sada finally says, "but the Sukebun cannot and will not agree to anything without going through our own due process. We do nothing without the Oyabun's express approval."
I know, Sada. I asked you here from protection, not to make your decisions for you.

"well, it would be a lot more fun if you didnt. i cant vouch for the sukebun, but I'm down."
shit how come he has her eyes tho
i think thats unwise to ask however

>>709638
No, it's just, well, criminal underworld stereotypes you think about in movies. I don't see a reason myself, really, especially since payment is a physical favor over money. Besides a planned betrayal of the Sukebun and just getting rid of ALL loose ends in a godfather-esqe display, of course. You did say you like a little drama, after all.

Well, I really don't think Lowry would fancy ending up a martyr. If Jonelne is playing narrative, we've gotta go along. What is your place in this story, Lowry?

Okay first of all ask for more than just getting Reiss fixed. you want help tracking down your memories/ missing give-a-shit ability. she said she wasn't cheap, and I bet she'd be a lot of help if she wanted to.

that said... I still don't trust her. tell her and Sada that you agree with Sada not to make rash decisions. You haven't really committed yet, but you've named (parts of) your demand so that sounds like you're potentially up for it.
But I think IF you do this, definitely you want her to help you track down your memories too. (although maybe put down as a condition that she won't just murder the mortician to get at their memory jar)

oh also say that she really shouldn't kill you bc she has nothing to gain from it. you're just a cat who wants to be left alone, you're not going to bother her or cause trouble. but you still have Sukebun protection, so killing you actually *would* cause trouble.

[don't say this aloud but of course she's a drama queen so she probably doesn't care about that. I can't tell wether she's going for total domination/ kill first rabies then you and all the buns, or just killing rabies and a cooperation between dogs and buns (with her on top). though tbh... the first sounds more likely.

Well I'm not sure about Lowry but i think I know a certain angel who would be willing to help.

And just for clarity, if we choose to help her we will be trying to kill her to right?

let's bail omg this is getting 2 dangerous already. tell her you'll think about it n scram!!!!

Maybe. You're offering a good deal, but I may not be feeling very charitable to you after you placed that hit.

>>709668
If the Mortician is murdered then Whisper goes free though. Free him.

>>710006
Yeah but Lowry already said that she gets most of her money from donating to the Mortician, and he's been good help so far. I will admit that freeing Whisper is tempting though.

I think we'd prefer to free Whisper without having anyone we're on decent terms with killed.

Jolene, what’s this you’ve said to me, my good friend? Ill have you know I graduated top of my class in conflict resolution, and Ive been involved in numerous friendly discussions, and I have over 300 confirmed friends. I am trained in polite discussions and I’m the top mediator in the entire neighborhood. You are worth more to me than just another target. I hope we will come to have a friendship never before seen on this Earth. Don’t you think you might be hurting someone’s feelings by murdering people? Think about it, my friend. As we speak I am contacting my good friends across the city and your P.O. box is being traced right now so you better prepare for the greeting cards, friend. The greeting cards that help you with your hate. You should look forward to it, friend. I can be anywhere, anytime for you, and I can calm you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my ability to give a shit missing. Not only am I extensively trained in conflict resolution, but I have access to the entire group of the Sukebun, angels, and 1 demon and I will use them to their full extent to start our new friendship. If only you could have known what kindness and love your little comment was about to bring you, maybe you would have reached out sooner. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now we get to start a new friendship, you unique person. I will give you gifts and you might have a hard time keeping up. You’re finally living, friend.

FRACTAL 2016/03/19(Sat)20:42 No. 710508 ID: 34dbe0
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I grab Cain's wrist to stop him from snatching the last scrap of meat off my plate and take it for myself, chewing thoughtfully. Finally I glance back up at her, relaxing back into my chair.

"I dunno." A dog clears our plates and refills Cain's glass - Sada has placed her hand resolutely over Junko's, ignoring her pouting, and gives Kei a warning glare. "Why would you? Would it suit your narrative if 'the girl who got away' gets fucked over and loses it all at the last minute?"

I shrug. "I don't know what story you're trying to tell, Jolene. So I don't know how I'm supposed to fit into it."

FRACTAL 2016/03/19(Sat)20:42 No. 710509 ID: 34dbe0
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They're coming out in rows again from the broad doorway at the back of the room, this time bearing much bigger platters - stacked high with meat for me and Cain and Jolene, or with lush piles of vegetables and bread and cheese for the Sukebun. Cain doesn't waste any time tearing into the plate they set down in front of him - a whole raw chicken, to his delight - and most of the Sukebun are the same, with the exception of Sada, who places her hands on her lap and refuses to touch the food. Jolene's looking at me like I'm the main course - something that feels uncomfortably familiar, given the setting.

"I like you," she says finally. "I like you, I like you, I like you - I really, really like you, Lowry. I do."

"Okay. So let's be friends," I suggest evenly. "Working terms, at least. Though I do gotta warn you I would expect my friends to help me out with more than just a bit of surgery."

"Ooooh, yes! We should do dinner again sometime, but under less tedious circumstances.You can meet my daughter, too - I told her to leave us alone for tonight, since it's business and I wouldn't want her to bother you, but maybe another night ..." She finally turns her attention back to her plate, wolfing down massive mouthfuls between sentences. "Like I said, plenty of time to decide, and plenty of time to set up more meetings once you and the Sukebun here have had more opportunity to discuss things." She pauses, only long enough to gesture at me with her fork. "Aren't you gonna eat, honey?"

might as well dig in! if she eats you you might as well have something good! you should really set up a meeting with the Sukebun after this if yall survive cus something tells me the leader might have iffy feelings.

eat! it's best to be polite at least, but maybe. ask cain if he would like to taste it?? would he know if stuff is poisoned or messed up?

yeah, probably eat something - it's free food, and unless you're worried it's poisoned (which honestly it wouldn't be if she needs you for her plan), you should probably fill up now while you can. maybe you should ask her how she met rabies. or how she tamed him. either way

meet jolene's daughter..........

What are the odds she did something to the food?

>>710509
I just did, I salvaged what I could before it was all eaten by Cain. I don't blame him, decent meat.

Cats don't eat much though, I'm afraid, they nibble, meow, leave and nap in the sun.

Eat a piece of meat, rub your belly, and say "mmm, delicious," all without breaking eye contact.

it's time to get out of there quickly, without proactively engaging jolene any further. you will want to learn a -lot- more about her now that she's interested in you, and it would be good to start your research on her somewhere where she can't scrutinize your behavior. may as well finish your food if you can since you've already had some of it, and it's free so you can save yourself a bit of cash.

the sukebun probably have this covered, but you'll want to check for bugs once you're out of the building before anything else. not sure what you can do if any bugs were slipped into your food, though, and i don't know if there are any sorts of magical charms you'll need to watch out for too.

has anyone taken the time to consider the food might be poisoned and our party may be dying at This Very Moment

i doubt the food is poisoned; jolene DOES want us to help her kill rabies, and i doubt we'd be much good at that dead

food's probably not poisoned, eat it
ask her about her daughter - where does she fit into the Grand Narrative?

definitely ask further about her daughter, also eat, not eating will probably make her upset and Do Not Make Her Upset

can we ask to meet her daughter now? might as well go get a big party going before we all inevitably die tonight right (my moneys going on the long shot that its gretchen, the sweetest girl in the world, is the heir to this murder empire)

Eat the food, be polite. We got Cain to cover our asses, worst comes to worst.

No need to ask to meet her daughter right at this moment. Asking about her should be fine tho.

Don't think poisoning the food would fit into her narrative, so you shouldn't have an issue eating it.

eat sarcastically

>>710551

uh should we be letting cain get drunk?

kick cain's leg under the table if he drinks any more alcohol. we don't need him drunk

Umm hey... where is Rabies tonight, out of curiosity?

Seem's a little bit suspicious so hold off on eating for a little while until you see how it affects them, and if nothing bad happens, eat it. Remember that this food was prepared by the enemy, even if they seem like an ally.

>>710640
Yyyyeah this seems to be going ok but we need him to not be a drunk mess if things so south.

Eat.

You have a daughter Jolene?

& yeah where even is rabies rn

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:39 No. 711379 ID: 34dbe0
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I'm suspicious - can't help being that way - but there's no real reason the food would be poisoned, and the others seem to be doing fine, so I eat. It's good. I've been eating nothing but instant crap for months, and I have to consciously will myself to slow down a little. I still want to play it cool.

"It wouldn't bother me to meet your kid," I tell Jolene. "Is she, uh -" Again I feel that hollow echoe of Something, weak and ineffective. "You and Rabies ... ?"

"Oh, goodness, no. My baby's eighteen." Jolene chuckles into her glass. "My second husband was her father."

I try to do a little mental math in my head, but quickly give up as it occurs to me that I have no idea how old Jolene is. "So how does she fit into the narrative?"

"She doesn't," Jolene replies, immediate and firm. "She stays out of all of this." She pauses for a moment, looking the closest to reflective as could be possible for her. "I think Rabies will be my final husband. I don't mind widowing myself, but I do think it takes a toll on Sloane. Once the Junkyard is mine, it'll be hers, too. No more moving around, no more climbing. This is where I was aiming."

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:39 No. 711380 ID: 34dbe0
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"Mm. I get that," says a voice to my right, and when I glance over I see that it's Kei. "I've got a kid, too. You gotta keep your hustle up, but you also want shit stable for her. It's hard, being a mom out on the beat like this." She looks down at the mouthful of vodka still in her glass, swirling it absently. "I mean, my boy's tough. He can take it. But I don't want him to have to."

"That's exactly it." Jolen waves a Doberman over, smiling at us. "You know, if you really say it isn't a bother, I'll have them fetch her. I would really love for you to meet her."

The man leaves, and the rest of us get back to finishing our meals - Sada still isn't eating, but the rest of us aren't going to pretend we aren't hungry. Jolene talks while we eat, cooing about the high ceilings in the warehouse and asking our opinions on interior decor (only Cain and Junko answer with any trace of enthusiasm.)

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:39 No. 711381 ID: 34dbe0
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There's footsteps from the open doorway, and Jolene looks up. "Ah, that should be her -"

A girl enters, flanked by Dobermen, and smooths her wide skirt with her hands. "Mama! I'm so glad you called me out - I was gonna ask you something anyway, I -"

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:39 No. 711382 ID: 34dbe0
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Her voice dies as she looks across the table, and suddenly her face is contorting. "Mama." One of the Dobermen next to her raises his hand, aiming for her shoulder, but she swats him away viciously, and he immediately shrinks back. "Mama. Why are they here." She takes a shaky step forward, and the Dobermen twitch nervously, apparently unsure of whether to try to stop her or not. "Why are those rabbits here?"

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:40 No. 711383 ID: 34dbe0
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Jolene sighs, pressing two fingers to her temple. "Babygirl, I told you I was having people over for business, and -"

"They killed Johnny!" The girl's voice rockets up into a hysterical key. "My Johnny, Mama, they killed him and you knew that! They did it today! Why would you bring them here? Why -"

Jolene looks only mildly exasperated. "Oh, Sloane, don't be dramatic. I'll get you a new one."

"I don't want anyone else! I want Johnny!" She whips her head around, eyes jumping feverishly over the Sukebun members' faces. "You. You fucking murderers. I'll kill you." She laughs, and for the first time she really looks like her mother. "I'll kill you! That'll even the score, won't it?"

FRACTAL 2016/03/25(Fri)00:40 No. 711384 ID: 34dbe0
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"SLOANE."

I could swear that dust settles from the rafters. Everyone stops dead in their tracks, including the girl. Jolene is standing, her hand flat against the table. Sloane slowly turns her head.

"We've talked about this so many, many times," says Jolene slowly. Sloane's ears are drooping. "When does a lady threaten violence?"

Sloane doesn't answer.

"Mama asked you a question, babygirl. When does a lady threaten violence?"

"When she can carry it out," Sloane finally mumbles. "But, Mama, I can -"

"And when does a lady start a fight?" Jolene interrupts firmly.

Sloane's lip is quivering. She twists her fists in the crisp material of her skirt.

"Sloane."

"... When she knows she can win."

"That's right." Jolene's voice drops in volume, but doesn't soften, every word still dropping into place with heavy purpose as she points at us. "Look across the table. Five Sukebun, all armed; a woman whose morals are only hypothetical; and an honest-to-goodness demon." She lets her hand fall to rest on her hip, plastic eyes burning. "Do you honestly think you could win this fight, Sloane?"

Her daughter looks absolutely miserable. "No, Mama."

"So don't ever let me catch you starting a fight you can't win. Ever again." Now Jolene finally sighs and relaxes. "I'm sorry, baby. I hate to yell at you. But this is exactly why we talk about these things." She turns back to us, laughing lightly. "I'm so sorry about that. Teenagers."

It's understandable. It's a traumatic event, one I responsible for. Had I killed Ne when I had the chance, her boyfriend would have been alive.

My apologies, Sloane.

igi igi. lets just bee cool
really its nice to meet you
(personally i dig the look)

>>711388
i dont know how to delete shit or fuckin read so im just gonna add we should leave soon

>>711390
we can't leave until we have dessert!!!

laugh nervously and try to change the subject, ask sloane about school

I'm sorry for your loss. It would be a pleasure to meet you, but not under these circumstances.

God dont bring up Ne with how protective Jolene obviously is That could do us in

This might be a good time to start leaving.and sloane is probably gonna be dangerous to deal with if she has any of her moms temper (which seems like she does) so keep the buns in sight until ur in the clear

"It's okay. Being an intimidating murderer takes practice, she'll get there."

this may be far fetched and probably not something to say in front of sloane but jolene seems to have orchestrated a lot of this. she would have known that the sukebun would go after ne, right? so did she send her daughters boyfriend on purpose to get him killed??

>>711397
Leaving right after meeting her daughter and being presented with a threat that just makes us jump a little would be a total affront to Jolene. Showing that we view her as less of a threat than her daughter.

We should stay for dessert and try to be pleasant with Sloane if she shows any interest in interaction, but don't force it.

Nah Sloane should definitely not be considered more of a threat than her mother, but perhaps it would be a good idea to offer leaving earlier if just for politeness's sake

um. awkward

>don't start a fight you can't win
too bad johnny didn't get that memo

Offer to bring his skull over for a funeral. Haha only kidding Do Not mention that we know where his bits ended up....

Also don't leave already, that wouldn't be polite given that we did technically cause this. Apologies will mean jack shit, maybe just tell Jolene that you're impressed with how well she has raised her daughter and greet Sloane as if your party didn't kill her bf. Maybe something along the lines of appreciating that she is honest, reassure her she doesn't have to be polite to you all if she doesn't feel it.

I also entirely agree that Jolene seems to be behind getting that mutt killed. There's no way she would have that kind of oversight, she either sent him to die or didn't care enough to stop him going there. Don't mention that in front of Sloane though, we do not want to make them think we are trying to drive a wedge between them. It seems they have a good relationship, they would probably appreciate it if we show we respect what they have together.

i kinda wanna ally with Sloane rn, even if it means betraying Jolene. I liked Jolene, but after seeing that patronizing interaction with her daughter... idk. But I'm not sure if I see a way to get an alliance with Sloane atm.

Don't agree with what Jolene just said... though actually I'm not sure saying anything in this instance would be appropriate.

w...would it make her feel better if you told her what happened to the sukebun who killed him?

perhaps inform her that the specific member was punished, and that the sukebun did not approve of the action. perhaps even add in that you are sorry for her loss for good measure- but this might set her off further. tread carefully.

She's already very upset, don't risk offending her and escallating the situation by jumping right into talking about the sitiation she is upset about. Especially assuming we can somehow magicaly make her feel better by revieling info.
You can thank her for joining you for dinner and introduce youreself and your 'friends', if you really need to say something.

sloane clearly is NOT having a good day: caution is the best route!! jolene clearly loves her daughter and is trying ot do what's best; if the opportunity arises it might be nice to let jolene know that you agree sloane should be kept out it (brownie points just in case)

also tell cain to please for the love of heck to have some water i am Feeling the Pressure

holy SHIT. well, that's one hell of an entrance. making nice with her will be hard, but you should at least try: she might hate rabies as much as you! isn't that lovely?

I dont think the sukebun would take lowry casually sharing innermost secrets well. Lets not talk about it at all.

In some ways, she's mimicking her mother's personality, but flawed in a good way. Her rage and fear seem genuine, not products of greed and frustration.

If Nanako ever meets her, she should probably bring that ear piece as a peace treaty. But for now try to defuse the honest puppy.

I wonder if Jolene is insane enough to lend her daughter to Lowry as insurance for this plan. Actually, that's pretty stupid what was I thinking... right?

She's grieving. There's nothing to say or do to take her pain away or give her a reason to like us. Just try to be respectful of her pain and avoid escalating the situation. Maybe ask if she needs the Sukebun to leave as a show of trust if your feeling confident.

Complement Jolene on excellent parenting and applicable life lessons, and Sloane on her chutzpah.

Girls gonna be a force to be reckoned with.

jolene really seems to care about her daughter, so im... really not against helping her tbh.
i agree with some of the people above, it sounds like we can probably have the sukebun leave if it's bothering her? if only to show good faith to jolene. we're probably due to bounce soon anyways though, unless there's anything else?
i think we should help her-- we have everything to gain, and in the end being on the good side of the leader of the junkyard sounds pretty good. i just wish there was a way to smooth things over between them and the sukebun.

ask the bunnies if it's okay to tell sloane that johnny's death wasn't authorized and that the person who did it was punished! at the very least, deferring to them about it will probably help our relationship with them.

>>711880
that might mean were valuing the junkyard over the sukebun, so lets just stfu about the punishment
not to mention nothing we could do could actually ease her pain, he died hours ago.

Don't talk about nana or punishment. It's not our place. sada is here, she will say something if she wants to.

I agree, we shouldn't talk about nanako's punishment or anything about Johnny's death. It could only escalate the situation further, bc I doubt she'd be impressed. She'd probably feel mocked or belittled that the death of her bf was treated like a discipline problem.
Just say that you're sorry for her loss and what she's going through, and yeah, probably leave soonish.

(obv don't say this in front of Jolene but I like how honest and straightforward Sloane is)

>>715803
leaving shows Intimidation and we are Not Scared tho

>>711384
Welp, Jolene might be a remorseless and wicked criminal person, but she is fit to train a goddamn future monarch in politics.

Tell her that there's something admirable in her approach to life. Not exactly commendable, but certainly admirable. Do try to imply that you somewhat sympathise with Sloane's situation on the basic level of things.

FRACTAL 2016/04/17(Sun)14:52 No. 717374 ID: 34dbe0
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I'm struggling to think of something better to say than "sorry" or "that sucks" or "man, really wish I had killed Ne when I had the chance because then maybe your boyfriend would probably still be alive" and completely drawing a blank. I'm about to spit out the comparatively least shitty of those options ("sorry for your loss," or something) when Sada stands up again.

I'm a hair's breadth away from grabbing Cain and telling him to stop her, but when I look over again I see that this time she isn't reaching for her weapon. She's bowing.

"The actions taken against that man today were the independent actions of one of our members. It was unsanctioned and unacceptable." She's speaking with her head down, voice quiet and calm. "She has been punished in full. On the behalf of my Oyabun, and our organization at large, I extend our profound regret."

FRACTAL 2016/04/17(Sun)14:52 No. 717375 ID: 34dbe0
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Sloane considers her for a moment, the snarling creases in her muzzle slowly softening. "Is she dead?"

Sada straightens up. She tucks a strand of hair out of her face. Her eyes are flat. "She has been punished," she repeats.

"Hmmm ..." Sloane presses a finger to her cheek and then flops down into a chair beside her mother. "Okay then! I guess that'll have to do for now, huh?" She leans back and fluffs her skirt absent-mindedly, looking back over at Jolene. "Especially since Mama promised to get me a new one. Right, Mama?"

Jolene sits back down, extending her glass to receive another refill. "Just five seconds ago you were saying you didn't want one."

"I changed my mind! You said, Mama, you said. And a lady always keeps her word, right?"

Jolene snorts fondly. "Turning my own lessons on me. Well, yes, that she does." She takes a sip of her drink and gestures back towards me. "Now that you've calmed down, I can introduce you properly. This is Miss Lowry Lewis. She's going to be helping kill your future stepdaddy."

Prepare for explosion.

FRACTAL 2016/04/17(Sun)14:53 No. 717377 ID: 34dbe0
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A dog from the outer hallway brings Sloane a shirley temple. She stirs it slowly as she tilts her head to look at her mother. "That man," she says slowly, "is not my daddy. And he never will be." She takes a thoughtful sip, eyes wandering back to me. "But I guess either way, that makes Ms. Lewis my new friend, right?"

She smiles. "Much obliged, Ms. Lewis. I hope we can get along from now on."

"Uh. Yeah. Nice to meet you," I say. I scratch the back of my neck. "Where is Rabies, anyway?"

"Oh, you know. Out." Jolene makes a noise that's either affectionate or derisive, and I find myself wondering how far apart the two are for her. "Running about with his little friends, playing at gang warfare. It's getting close to his curfew, though. He'll likely be back shortly." Jolene pauses, then levels her gaze at me. "You're welcome to leave before he returns, if you like."

>>717377
"YES."

Except don't. Stay around and start setting up escape routes and hidden surveillance cameras. Leave when you have enough preparation to stage a raid in the future.

Tell Sloane that the only way that you will agree to attempt an assassination on Rabies, the man who pummeled a combat instructor (Sweat) so hard into the next year that his mouth was enslaved to a combination of William Shakespeare and M.C. Escher, tore the eyes out of your two friends and filled them with madness (which is probably why the girl responsible for Johnny's murder probably lost her ^&*( upon smelling someone marked with Rabies' scent, use this point to SELL the deal), and tormented you into submission for most of that year,

is if you get an opportunity to @#$% her mother up. Her call on what to do with mama dearest.

If she barks at you to leave her mother alive, then agree to help her anyway and just leave it. This is your one chance to turn her against her mother, so show her a good time and let her rage against Chidori for a few minutes (don't let them tear each other apart though).

"sounds good. wouldnt wanna ruin the surprise, him?"

It probably is best that Lowry and Friends be gone before Rabies returns. I doubt an encounter would end well.
Besides, we don't want to spoil the big surprise now, would we?

Do you want to avoid him though? Hes an asshole and deserves to die but maybe he might know something?

it'd be best to leave before rabies arrives. that weird feeling you've been getting will probably only get worse if you know he's in the vicinity, and it's also a matter of not quite knowing what you'd do if you saw him.

best to leave now while you're on good terms with everyone and make this exchange as non-inflammatory as possible.

Yeah...we should probably leave before he gets here.

Leave. Who knows what meeting Rabies might stir up inside you.

"Well, I would hate having this pleasant evening ruined by ancient history. Thank you for the invite and let's keep in touch, Jolene."

Stay. Let a little fight start, you still need that blood.

It's a good time to go.

FRACTAL 2016/04/24(Sun)12:39 No. 718794 ID: 34dbe0
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I wasn't expecting to get an out this quickly, and I grasp i gratefully. "I'd hate to ruin the surprise," I chuckle dryly. I stand, hands flat against the table, and the Sukebun follow suit. Cain has started to fall asleep at the table, and I grab the back of his shirt collar and shake him awake, pulling him to his feet. "Thank you for the invite, Jolene. Let's keep in touch."

"Oh, let's," Jolene says - she's practically purring - and her daughter inclines her head at me, the picture of demure charm.

"It was so nice to meet you, Ms. Lewis," she says. I nod.

"Yeah. You too. Catch you later."

FRACTAL 2016/04/24(Sun)12:40 No. 718795 ID: 34dbe0
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Dogs escort us to the door. I hear the sandy shake of steady rain just outside the big double doors, echoing off the high roof, and I'm glad we drove. The dogs don't speak when they close the door behind us. Even with the sun down, the sky is still red.

Far away, stretching into the haze, I can hear the city groaning and creaking, buildings folding, streets shuffling. We shouldn't stay in the open too long, but I need to take a second to breathe, and I do, the damp air sticking to my throat.

"That .... went so much better than I thought it would," I finally say. My voice isn't shaking, but I feel like it should be. I'm still holding Cain's collar, and I shake him a little. "Didn't even matter that this one was getting drunk, haha. I could've come alone."

"No, you couldn't have." Sada's answer is sharp and immediate, and my vague laughter dies in my throat. I let Cain go and turn to face her. "You heard her in there. She doesn't start fights she can't win. But we have no idea what she would've done if the odds were tipped in her favor." She's pulled her mask back up over her face. "Don't get complacent, Lewis."

"I'm not," I mumble, but she's already started towards the car, impervious to the weather.

FRACTAL 2016/04/24(Sun)12:41 No. 718796 ID: 34dbe0
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"It's also 'cause you did well," adds a voice at my side. I turn and struggle for a name. Ruri?

"I didn't even have to do anything," I protest.

"What, you didn't notice?" We're walking towards the car and it feels like Cain and I are the only ones bothered by the rain. "You charmed her. She liked you. You gave her what she wanted. Things could've gone a lot different if you hadn't."

I shove my hands into my pockets and duck my head to get into the back seat. "Dunno how I did that when I don't even know what she wants in the first place."

"She told you, straight up," Ruri (?) laughs. "She wants a good story. You make a good 'reluctant hero,' Lowry."

I'm sandwiched between her and the window, and the cool glass feels good against my forehead. I'm suddenly so tired. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

We pull out the chainlink gate. I watch the skyline change as we pick up speed down the road. Ruri thinks. Finally, she says, "No - not in the fuckin' least."

interlude 2: http://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/718797.html